Answer to the Devilish Detection of the Bishop of Winchester, Treatise · Part 8
❧ Of contrarietie and cōtradiction.
THe Deuyll hath an other piece of Sophiſtrie, which is in conterfaite Wincheſters wordes.contradictions, wherein he vſeth for a preface and introduction: a moſte certeyne trueth, whiche is, that trueth agreeth wyth it ſelfe, and hath no parte contrarie to an other. Wherefore, ſeinge the worde of God is an infallible trueth, it hath no contrarieties in it ſelfe. All the worlde muſte aſſent hereunto. But thus the Deuyll procedeth to his cauillations, from thynges euidently true, by little chaunge, to thinges euidētly falſe. Heauē and earth hauehave a kinde of contradiction, Chriſte is in heauen where ſaynt Stephane dyd ſe him. Ergo he is not in the earth, in the ſacrament of the aultare. Chriſte aſcended into heauen, Ergo he taryeth not here. He ſitteth at the righte hande of God, Ergo he is not in the ſacrament of the aultare. He is the creatoure. Omnia per ipſum ſacta ſunt. All thinges be made by him. Ergo, he is not a creature made of breade.
He dwelleth not in the tēples made with mannes handes, Ergo he is not in the box vponupon the high aultare.
Your ſolution to theſe opē ſcriptures and The anſwre.moſte euident argumentes: is at one worde, and that is this.
They be taken for notable cōtradictions Wincheſters wordes.and inſoluble ſophiſines, and in effecte, in all theſe argumentes there is no contrarietie or contradiction in the thinges, but onelyonly a repugnaunce, and impoſſibilitie to mans carnal capacitie.
But I beſeche you (good biſhop) is there The anſwer.no contrarietie in the thinges? Is not heauen and earth cleane contrarie? HaueHave you ſo captiuated your wittes, and dulled your vnderſtandinge, that you cā not perceiue thoſe two thinges to the cōtrarie? God is the creatoure and maker of all, therefore can he not be a creature made of breade. He dwelleth not in the temples made with mannes handes, for the heauē of heauens can not contayne him: therfore is he not encloſed in a litle box, and hanged vp by a bande. It is to muche ſhame, for any prieſt, biſhoppe, or chriſtian man, to thinke ſo vnreuerently of the ſecrete maieſtie of God, as that he mighte be bounde vntounto a place, encloſed in a cake or a litle boxe, ſeinge boeth heauen and earth be full of his dreadfull maieſtie, and we, what ſo euer we be, do lyue, be moued, and hauehave our beinge of him.
He is infinite, incomprehenſible, vnmeaſurable, higher then the high heauens, lower then the deape & botomles waters, he meaſureth the wyde worlde wyth his ſpanne, and cōteyneth all encloſed in his fiſte. Wyth him the light dwelleth, and the ſunne beames are at his orderynge. By hym is ruled lyghte and darkedeſſe, lyfe and death, and altogether. Wherefore when thou can…t incloſe in the box the rageyng ſeas, when thou canſt catche the moue in a corner a…d ſparre her vp in a caſe, when thou canſt penne vp the ſunne (beinge but a creature) in thy pix: then wyl I graunte the to hauehave power ouer thinges infinite and incomprehenſible. In the meane tyme I muſte take it impoſſible not onelyonly by carnall capacitie: but alſo by ſpiritual iudgement grounded vponupon the worde of God, & by the gifte of reaſon, wherby al men cōſidering the worke of God in the cretion, maye knowe their creatoure to exeell all creatures farre, and that he can therefore be made by no creature, neither of any creature, muche leſſe can he be encloſed in a box of an y…che and an halfe deape, when the prieſt wyll …mble foure wordes in a corner: and there lye tyed tyll he wax foyſtie, vnleſſe the prieſte loſe hym. Oh abominable Idolatours, howe muche doeth thys derogate to the maieſtie of God? And howe farre contrarie is thys to his godlie nature.
Nowe, that it is contrarie to the humaine nature of Chriſte to be encloſed in bread and ſparred in a litle box: thus mape we more largely proue vntounto you.
Chriſte in his humaine bodie, forſaketh the worlde, he goeth vntounto the father. He dyd keepe thoſe that were his, ſo longe as he was in the worlde. And when he departed out of the worlde, he deſired his father to keepe them. He cōforted them when he went awaye, ſayinge that it was profitable for thē that he departed, that the ſpirite of cōfort might come. He promiſed to come againe viſibly and with glorie as he went, and in the ſcriptures there is none other comynge of Chriſt taught vsus, but the coming firſt in humilite to take our fleſh vpō him, & afterward in glorie, to iudge all fleſhe, whiche thynges are declared, Math. xxvi. Marke. xvi. Luke, xxiiii. Iohn. xiii. xvi. xxii. Actuum. i. vii. Rom. viii. Ephe. i. ii. Corhi. vi. Hebru. viii. ix. x. xii. i. Theſſ. iiii. i. Petre. ii. So that by the ſcriptures we muſte needes be compelled to deny the bodie of Chriſt and his humaine nature, to be nowe any where vponupon the earth, …or els with the Marcioniſtes, muſte we take from him, the veritie of his body: and deny that he hath a body according to our nature.
This thinge doeth Auguſtine handle at large in the epiſtle he writeth to Dardamꝰ, Auguſtine to Dardanius.vntounto whom I ſende you that ſticke ſo muche to doctours. There he teacheth you, that, as he is God, Chriſte is in eueryevery place. But in that he is man, he is in heauen onelyonly, whiche all the ſcriptures do teſtifie. And it is the chiefeſt poynte of oure beliefe, that he is in heauen and ſitteth at the righte hande of the father.
Nowe our fayth which can be grounded on no manne… ſayinge: can ſeeke him in non… other place, but where the worde of Chriſt declareth him to be, ſeinge Chriſte hym ſelfe warneth vsus that falſe prophetes ſhall come and ſaye, lo here is Chriſt, lo there is Chriſt, and commaundeth vsus, that in nowife we beleue them. But we ſhall then onelyonly loke for him when he ſhal come with ſuch ſhyne and brightneſſe, as is the lighteninge from the Math. xxiiii.eaſt to the weſt thorowout the whole world. Which wordes, thoughe they maye be well vnderſtande of the fall and decaye of al theſe outwarde rites wherein the Iewes and hypocrites of all tymes hauehave ſet the high worſhippe and kingdome of God, and alſo of ſuche ſeducers as woulde promiſe them ſelues falſe Chriſtes and ſauiours: yet neuertheles as the ſpirite of God hath al thinges preſent, whiche are, whiche hauehave bene and ſhall be: ſo are the wordes of the ſpirite generall, ſeruing for all tymes, fit, apte and meete to reproue al abuſes. And here may we plainly eſpie that they are ſpoken agaynſte al maner of bodily preſence of Chriſte, both in the aultares here, and there in the breade, and in the chambers and corners where he is holdē vp and ſhewed betwene the prieſtes fingers to be worſhipped.
But if you deſire yet ſome one place of ſcripture ſo plaine that it can not be reſiſted, by any gloſes or ſophiſtrie, but that it ſhall ſtande plaine contrarie and cantradictorie to your doctrine, reade the thirde of the Actes. That heauen muſte receyue and hauehave Ieſu Chriſte, vntounto the tyme that all thinges be reſtored. Act. iii.The wordes of that place are verie playne, for he doeth not onelyonly make Ieſu Chriſte a very man, as Moyſes was, whoſe nature was not to be in two places at once: but he addeth alſo theſe playne wordes. That the heauen muſte receyue thys ſame Ieſu Chriſt vntounto the tyme that al thinges be reſtored. Quē oportet celum accipere vſque ad tempus reſtitutionis omnium.
Thus do we procede therefore. Chriſte hath (by his departynge, his ſittynge at the ryghte hande of his father, and returnynge agayne at the tyme appoynted) ſo playnely appoynted by the ſcriptures, one onelyonly place where we ſhall ſeeke his naturall bodie: that, ſo many of vsus as wyll not ſtryue agaynſte the manifeſt trueth can not double, but that his bodie remayneth there onelyonly, where he ſheweth hym ſelfe to be. We conclude therefore, that it is contrarie to Chriſtes religion to ſeeke him vpō the earth encloſed in a box.
Secondly, Chriſte hath ſhewed where he wyll be vntyll the daye of iudgement, that is to ſaye, at the right hande of God his father, tyll that he hath made all his enemies his fote ſtole. Wherefore we can ſeeke hym in none other place, wyth ſure fayeth to fynde hym.
Thirdly agaynſte your whole doctrine, (that the bodie of Chriſte maye be infinitely ſcattered thorowout the world and your wordes a litle after folowyng, which are that the humaine bodie is not diuiſible by tyme or place, wherin you do cōfound the natures of Chriſt … giuegive that vntounto the māhode, which is onelyonly the proprietie of the godheade, and ſo opē the way vntounto two hereſies) we hauehave the plaine teſtimonie of the Angel. You do ſeeke Chriſte crutified, he is ryſen, he is not here. Where as if his māhode had ben infinite as is the godhead: thē ſhoulde he hauehave ben there preſēt. For no mā cā deny but there was his godhead preſently. Neither cā you eſcape by this cauillatiō, that then he is infinite, indiuiſible … without circūſcriptiō of time or place whē you wil hauehave him, like as you do multiply your cakes into millions and thouſādes of thouſādes at Eaſter, whiche do al periſhe as it were in a momēt, for that which is infinite or indiuiſible cānot chaung the nature to hauehave his bondes and finite order aypoynted him, Wherfore we do moſt truly cal God & his power only infinite: where man in al his nature hath his determinate meaſure of ſubſtāce, quātities, qualities and knowledge, as appeareth in Chriſte (who as he was very mā) did not knowe the houre and time of the day of iudgement of all fleſhe, was encloſed in the graue, and dyd walke vponupon the earth and appeare alwayes vntounto his diſciples in that ſorte and maner, that at no tyme any occaſion myght be taken that he infinitly did fyll all places, no not that at any tyme he mighte appeare to be in two places at once, all his miracles do ſo faythfully witnes and reporte the truth of his humaine nature, and natural body, whiche your vaine opinion of encloſing him in breade, and making him infinite, goeth about to ſubuert.
But nowe when you hauehave no ſcripture to proue your mattier true, that Chriſt as he is man, maye be in heauen and yet fyll all the Aultares of the earth: you do renne to the ſayinge of Eſaie the prophete. If you beleue Eſaie. vii.not, you ſhall not vnderſtande. The whiche wordes beinge ſpoken to Achas and the vnfaythful houſe of Dauid, that was afraied at the comming of two kinges of Syria and Damaſcus, whom the prophet doth threaten to be deſtroyed becauſe Achas wyll not beleue: ſerue nothynge to your purpoſe. The wordes be theſe.
If you do not beleue: the cauſe is, you wil Obſtinacie is the cauſe that you can not beleue.not be faythfull. And ſo agreeth it well with the wordes folowing, when Achas wil aſke no ſigne. Is it but a ſmall thynge (ſayeth, Eſaie) to werie men wyth your infidelitie, oneleſſe you do werie my God? And thus in the trewe ſenſe we maye ryghtly tourne it vponupon your owne heades, whyche wyll wery boeth God and man wyth your brayneleſſe Imaginations, and wyll not beleue the open worde of God, becauſe you are vnfaythfull. Then come you in wyth your Lordelyke ſentence.
In thys high miſterie, where God worketh his ſpeciall worke miraculouſ…ie, it is Wincheſters wordes.ſufficiēt to knowe that it is wrought, though I can not tell howe it is wrought, nor howe it agreeth wyth other his workes.
I marueile (biſhoppe Stephane) that you wax not aſhamed of your writing. You ſaye The anſwer.that here is a wonderfull miracle wrought, but you knowe not howe it is wroughte: nor oure ſenſes, vnderſtandynge and fayth, (in whiche three, lyeth all the knowledge that man can hauehave of thynges naturall or aboue nature, as is afore proued) can perceyue no maner of miracle, ſeinge the breade and wine remayne in their kinde vnchaunged, as Luke and Paule do wytneſſe. So that (by your owne wordes) you ſeme worthy to be one of thoſe that affirme you knowe not what, beinge puffed vp wyth the fleſhly Imaginations of your owne myndes.
Seinge all the other workes of God do appeare as God made them, if they were ſpirituall, they dyd appeare ſpiritually, if they were bodily, they dyd ſo appeare, you mighte hauehave added with like ſhameleſſe forhead. This thinge that we biſhoppes do ſay muſt needes be true, though it agree neither with his workes nor his worde. For all men maye ſee that you maynteyne boeth this and all your other doinges.
But in this ſophiſtry, the deuyl maketh mā Wincheſters wordes.to forget gods omnipotēcie, exceding our capacite, & cauſeth vsus to meaſure gods doinges by our natural imbecillitie: becauſe we cā not be in two places at once diſtant one from an other: we iudge the ſame repugnant in God.
For ſoeth here you ſpeake vntruly of vsus. For we al do beleue in hert and cōfeſſe wyth The anſwer.mouth: that God onelyonly is almightie, and filleth al the heauen and the earth with his preſence: euen as ſure as he made al thynges in the heauen, the earth and the ſeas.
This high eſtimation that we hauehave cōceiued of god by liuely faith: cauſeth vsus to take it as a thynge cleane cōtrary to the power of the almightie, to be encloſed in a box, turned or cōſecrated (as you cal it) into alitle cake.
But the manhode of Chriſte whiche was very man as we are (ſynne onelyonly excepted) hauehave we already proued to be in heauē, at the right hande of his father, and therfore not in earth in the box hanged ouer the aultare.
But Chriſtes being in heauē, which ſ. Stephane Wincheſters wordes.truly cōfeſſeth, was nothyng cōtrary to ſaint Paules true affirmation, that Chriſt was ſene to him in earth after his aſcencion.
Nowe ſurely both their viſions of the glory The anſwer.of Chriſt our ſauiour & the teſtimonies of the wōderful ſight that they did ſe: doth both ſtabliſh our purpoſe and cōfute your errour, but that you deale like a ſophiſter with thys word erth ſpeaking it after ſuch ſort, that the ſimple reader ſhould refer it vntounto Chriſt being vpō the erth after the aſcētiō, which Paul neuer taught, nor any of the apoſtles. Theſe are the playne wordes of the ſcripture, touching this mattier. After that he had taught, that the higheſt dwelleth not in tēples made with mās hāde, againſte the opiniō of the hie prieſtes: Stephan, repleniſhed with the holy ſpirite, loking vp into heauē, did ſee the glory of god, and Ieſu ſtāding at the right hāde of god. And he cried with a loude voice. Lo I ſe the heauēs opē, and the ſonne of mā ſtādyng at the right hande of God. Here it is deſcribed wōderful plainely, that Stephane being vponupon earth, dyd ſee Chriſte in heauen, by the wonderful worke of God, thus confortynge his firſt martyr and witneſſe of the glorie of his ſonne Chriſte.
Paule lykewyſe (prepared from his mothers wōbe, to beare the teſtimonie of Chriſt amonge the heathen) as he went to Damaſcus, was ſo daynely beſet wyth a wonderful greate lyghte from heauen. And then fallyng to the ground, he hearde a voice whiche ſayed vntounto hym. Saule, Saule, why doeſt thou perſecute me? Then anſwered he. Who arte thou Lorde? And the Lorde ſayed. I am the ſame Ieſus of Nazareth whom thou doeſt perſecute. Of thys viſion and ſuche lyke doeth Paule ſaye. Dyd not I ſee Ieſu Chriſte: He ſayeth alſo. Laſte of all, as vntounto one borne out of courſe, dyd Chriſte appeare vntounto me. Whyche be the wordes whiche you do alledge, as makynge muche for your purpoſe. And you dyd brynge in thys texte out of courſe (if you be well aduiſed▪ agaynſte Lamberte, as thoughe it ſhoulde hauehave gotten the victorie, and ſtopped the mouthes of all men. At what tyme I promiſe you me thoughte your Argumentes were not ſo ſtronge as your ſhameleſſe Act. xxii. ix.audacitie was out of meaſure whyche i. Corhi. iu. i. Corhi. xv.wythout any cauſe or commaundement, dyd in the preſence of ſo noble a prince, take the tale out of the mouth of your Archbiſhoppe, to whom in that Audience, it mighte ryghte well hauehave becomed your ſclender diuinitie, to hauehave ſhewed ſome reuerence.
But if the mind of Paule maie ſerue you for this declaraciō: he ſayth in an other place, that whether he were in the bodie or out of the bodie, he coulde not tell, but rapt he was into the thred heauē, and into Paradiſe, wher he ſawe ſuche thinges as is not lawefull for man to ſpeake. Whiche wonderfull viſions were ſhewed by God to ſtrengthen his choſen veſſell (like as the other were vntounto Stephane) and are written to encreaſe our faieth and hope which do beleue in Chriſt bi them. I maruaile much what fantaſie was in your heade at that time, and how it remaineth ſtil in you cauſeinge you to bringe this viſion of Paule, for the confirmacion of Chriſtes naturall bodie to be preſent in the ſacrament. But you are of ſuch powre, that for to ſtric… your pore brethren, whom you compt worſſe then doges callinge them diuelles at euerie word: euerie thing is weapon good inough.
God is the aduenger of hys people and wil callenge vntounto him ſelfe his owne glorie.
It repugneth not to Chriſtes powre to ſit at the right hand of the father in heauē, and Wincheſters wordes.yet to fede the infinitie nūbre of his people, wyth the ſaine his precious bodie in earth. It is not repugnaūte to gods goodneſſe, being creatoure of all, ther wyth, in the fourme of brea…e to feade vsus hys creatures.
Surely it is no repugnaunce vntounto hys powre, thus to fead al that ſhal beleue in him The anſweretakeing the wordes ſpiritually as thei are in dede ſpirite and life and admi… no groſſe nor carnal vnderſtandeing. But carnally as you do vnderſtande thē with the fleſhely minded Caparnites, that the natural bodie ſhoude be eaten, fleſhe, bloude and bones: a fewe men ſhoulde deuoure it. But I am in doubt whether they be men that hauehave ſo cruel hertes to eate mans fleſh. Nam canis …aninam non tangit, that is (to you that vnderſtande not the The doge wyll not eate doges fleſhe.latine I ſpeake it) A dogge wil not eate dogges fleſh Tel… thē whether it do not abhor nature, that man ſhould eate mans fleſh. Yet ſe…e you to hauehave a cloke for thys Scithian crueltie, in that you chaunge hym into the fourme of bread. In the which wordes if you ſhewe the ſpiritual vnderſtanding, that is to ſaie. That like as the body is fed with bread ſo liueth the ſoule by this fode of life, the offering vp I ſaye of the bodie of our ſauiour Chriſte vponupon the croſſe, to ſaue vsus frō death. Or lyke as we eate the breade wyth oure mouth bodily: ſo do we receiue Chriſte into your ſoules by fayth. Theſe ſences and …uch like, beinge ſpirituall, do we knowledge and confeſſe. But to eate Chriſte any other waie in the fourme of bread, we iudge impoſſible And to eate him bodili, carnallie, reallie, and ſubſtancially as a liueing man: it is cruel, vnnaturall, vnprofitable, yea vnpoſſible.Wincheſters wordes.
In the which we ſaye not that God is become the creature of breade (as the deuil inſpireth his mēbres to reporte blaſphemouſelie) but that Chriſte familiarly, and of a maruailouſe intier louelove towardes vsus, cōſecrateth him ſelfe in thoſe fourmes of bread and wine to be ſo eaten and druncken of vsus.
This Iudggeling hauehave we touched before The anſwer.We can not vnderſtand you biſhopes when you ſpeake of your tranſubſtanciacion, conſecracion and your chaunginge, onleſſe you do ſaye, this cake, this bread, this creature, is become the bodie of Chriſte God and man, and this thinge is chāged into that. For your demonſtratiue Hoc, this muſte demonſtrate or ſhewe ſomethinge vntounto vsus. But you clock it lyke a ſpirituall father, and poynte vsus the fourme of breade, with your demonſtratiue as it is the chiefe pointe of your profeſſiō, to adulterate the word of God which teacheth that Chriſt did take breade in his hand, bleſſed and ſayed, thys is my bodye.
A wonderful mattier, that it ſhould nowe be deuelles doctrine to ſpeake thus, not groſlye, but ſpiritualli. This is my bodie, which wordes we would faine hauehave rydde of your blind gloſes, and do wiſhe that al the world ſhould hauehave them taught and beleue them in ſpirite to be true, as they were ſpoken and written. So that herby myght be preached and …h, the ineſtimable louelove that God bare to the worlde, when he gaue hys owne and onelyonly begotten ſonne, that who ſo beleue i… hym ſhoulde not periſhe, but hauehave euerlaſteinge life: and not this ſtrange doctryne neuer …d before neither in the olde nor in the newe teſtament, that Chriſt. familiarly, of …tier louelove towardes vsus) conſecrateth him ſelfe in thoſe fourmes of bread and wyne, A double er… … e… … conſe….wherby you do not onelyonly adulterate the wordes of Chriſt with your ſtraung termes and doctrine of Chriſt cōſecrateing him ſelfe into fourmes▪ but you would bring on flepe the faith and hope that we hauehave of our aduocate ſittinge at the right hande of God a continuall mediatour for vsus and burie that greate benifite and ſingular lo…e of Chriſte oure ſauioure, offeringe hym ſelfe once for all vponupon the croſſe, ſettinge vp a newe Idole that the olde fathers Hahraham, Iſaac and Iacob, neuer harde once named, Bring einge in a newe goſpell and glade tidinges, that Paule & the Apoſtles neuer preached. Wherfore by the mouth of Paule, we maye pronouce you accurſed, and by Moyſes worthy to be ſtoned to deathe blaſphemers.
As for the familiaritie that you calenge in coniureinge hym into a cake: I feare me it wyll hauehave thys Anſwere, …ade poſt me Satana.
Nowe, to declare howe vniuſtlye you do chaunge the bleſſeing of the bread into theſe founde wordes (Chriſt cōſecrateth him ſelfe) becauſe I hauehave ſhewed it before, I wyll onelye note that, that Chriſt (alwayes whan he dyd vſe the creatures of God) did bleſſe and The mane… of Chriſt bleſſeinge was thankes geueinge.geue thankes vntounto hys father. But you do vſe thys darcke terme to deceine the people, and woulde hauehave vsus beleue that ſtrayght after your conſecracion (as you cal it, yea after your bloweinge, as we do ſe it) ther ſhoulde be ſuche a ſodaine chaunge, and inſenſible: as can no where elſe be ſhewed but after your moſte holy finger. And in your other bleſſeinges, whan ye do wagge your pope holy fingers: they hauehave, you ſaye, lyke powre of holyneſſe in heauen earth and the thirde place, I wot not where. It were greate pitie that theſe holie bleſſeinges and conſecracions the chife eſtabliſhementes of your popeiſhe empier, ſhoulde be vttered to their worthyneſſe. For then your triple crownes, proude miters, and bloudy hattes woulde fall, your croyſer ſta…es & glittereing gloues: woulde be deſpiſed. For whē in your pontificalibus you do geue your orders of Antichriſte: you c…n not be content to tel your proſilites, that chriſt cōſecrateth him ſelf, but▪ you ſaye thus.
We geue the powre to conſecrate and offer to God ſacrifice to pacifie hys wrath. Thus do you make the doeing and offering of Chriſt on the croſſe of none effecte, and ſet vp your owne conſecracion. And For this is al your contencion.
God filleth hauen and earth and is not cō prehenſible Wincheſters wordes.to be conteined in temples made wyth mans handes, no man can limit gods dwellinge place. God hath powre ouer man but man hath not powre ouer God, and therfore Solomons temple was no habytacion to reſtrayne gods preſence frome other places.
If thys be t…we (as you dare not denye it The anſwer.for ſhame) why did the olde byſhoppes your prodeceſſours ſtone Stephane to death for ſo ſayeinge? And howe dare you Byſhopes brenne vsus for ſayeinge that God dwelleth not vponupon your Alutares in your temples, neither that you can limyt hym hys place of dwellinge in your little boxes tyll he wax mould, & thē bren him at your Altaries end? If thys be not to lymyt hym a place, to chalenge powr ouer that you cal god: what ſhal we cal powr? Fyrſt you hauehave powr (you ſay) to cal by your inchauntyng wordes: Chriſt God and man into your bread and chalice, Thē to create him as your owne bokes ſhal bear▪ witnes againſte you, After this to cōſecrate & ſacrifice him, for the quike & the deade For thys powr is gyuē to eueryevery one of your marke, be he neuer ſo moche an horemonger drunkard or Sodomite. Accipe poteſtarem ſacrificandi pro viuis et mortuis. Damus ti bi poteſtatem conſecrandi, et offerendi placabiles hoſtias. That is to ſay Take powr to make ſacrifice for the quyke and the deade, we gyue the powr to conſecrate & offer pleaſaunt ſacrifices vntounto God. All thys is ſayed to eueryevery one of your ſhauelyngs. Thē hauehave you powr to breake hym to eate hym, or kepe hym in the corporaſſe as you cal it, or in your pyx or where you luſte, whiche are manifeſt blaſphemies and groſſe blyndnes of the fleſhe wyteout the manifeſt worde of God to inuent ſuch fond toyes of your own brayne as be manyfeſt dexogation to the ſacrate majeſty of the euerlyueyng God.
And yet ſcripture telleth vsus how our ſauiour Wincheſters wordeschriſt, god & man, hath taught in tēples, taried in tēples made with manes hand, and that he dwelleth with good men, and alſo in tēples made with mās hāde for the aſſēble of good men, wher good men truſte to be releiued wyth cōmun prayer, and refreſhed with the moſt preciouſe fode of hys bodie & bloud and he is preſēt and …arieth in the ſacrate hoſt
Thys do we cōfeſſe more playnlye, that The anſwereChriſt the ſōne of God dyd becom man, dyd ſuffer hūgre and cold, was conuerſaunt amōg men, walkeynge and teachynge vponupon the ear the, dyd all thynges that man doeth onelye ſinne excepted. But thys doth not proue therfore, that you may ſpar Chriſte (either as he was God or as he was man) in a boxe, or …haung him into a peice of bread in your temples, and kepe him out in one hoſt conſecrate, as you, call it but in a thouſande cakes as you would hauehave it. what lyke reaſone of conpariſōe is betwen Chriſt teaching in the temple verie man (as the ſcriptur witneſſeth and al the people ſawe and hard) and your Imaginaciō of Chriſt god and man to be preſently at one time vponupon infinite aulteres whiche no ſcripture…o…s nameth, nor eye can eſpye, nor reaſone approue? Yea further, wher you hauehave no place of ſcripture, to tech that Chriſt was euer in two tēples at once, or. in. ii. places at one time preſēt in bodelie preſēce cōuerſāt?
Therfore wyll I ſet Stephane the fyrſte Stepha…e the martir agaynſte Stephane Gardiner.martyr, agaynſt the Auctorite of Stephane Gardinar. And if men be not blynded wyth this man bycauſe he is a byſhope: I doubte not but the fyrſt Stephā ſhall hauehave the more Credite. The firſt Stephan (agaynſt the hypocrityſhe byſhopes of the olde law, boſting of Solomons temple and the holyneſſe ther iii. Reg. vi.onelyonly eſtemed) confirmed wyth hys death, that God doeth not dwell in the temple of Solomon (though it pleaſed hym afore tym to ſhewe therin the tokens of hys fauoure & powre moſt preſētly, vntounto al them that firmlye and ſtedfaſtly called vponupon his …her) but he confeſſed wyth the prophet Eſai, that the heauen is hys ſeate and the earth is hys fote ſtole. The hygheſt therfore dwelleth not Eſai. lxvi.in any temple made wyth mans hande. For what houſe (ſayeth the prophet) cā you build vntounto me? or what place ſhall I reſte in? hath not myn handes made al theſe thynges: ſayeth the Lorde.
If thys be not cleare teſtimonye ynough: marke what Paul witneſſeth wyth Stephā.
God whyche made thys worlde and all Act. xvii.thynges that are in it, ſeynge he is the Lorde of heauen and earthe: he dothe not dwel in tē ples made wyth manes hande. &c. Theſe. iii. faythfull wytneſſes (Eſai the prophet, Stephane the fyrſt martir and Paul the Apoſtle) are more worthy to be beleued, and may be followed wyth leſſe daunger then half a doſen braggeynge englyſhe byſhopes (I mean ſuche as you are) whych would hauehave ſuche a newe chaunglynge churche as ſhal not be founde agayn throughout the worlde.