The Right Way from Danger of Sin and Vengeance, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Certayne differences of chaste louelove, and of corrupte louelove, of Christianitie, and of Idolatrie: of Christes Churche, and of Antichristes kingdome: of the Masse, and of the Communion.
THere is a greate difference betwixte the pure louelove of honeste matrimonie, and the filthy louelove of vile harlotrie. If the harlot knowe she shall not be forsaken, then will she set light to offend hir paramour, in daliance with other: the more assured that an honest matrone is of hir husbandes louelove, the more diligent will shée be to please him only, and to passe for none other. So there is great difference betwixt the godly charitie of Christians, & the selfe louelove of worldlings. For tell the worldling, that God so much doth louelove him, that he can not be vtterly forsaken and damned: then will hée care litle to forsake God and fal into sinne: the faithful Christian perceiuing in Christ most certaine assuraunce of gods louelove and saluation, is so satisfied and comforted therin, that nothing can separate him from the louelove of God in Christ Iesu.
The louelove of harlots is soone extinguished in pouertie and sicknesse: the louelove in wedlocke is then thorough pitifull prouision of the one for the other wonderously purified and increaced betwixte man and wyse.
Worldlings be wearie of Religion lacking wealthe and prosperitie: Christians finde comfortable increase of pure louelove vnderunder the crosse of Christ.
Harlots vse outwardly muche curious trimming, & many gorgeous vanities being inwardly infected with filthy fornication, & many vile vices. Matrones hauehave outwardly a comfortable countenance & plain apparell, being inwardly beautifyed with modestie, honestie, and such vertues.
So comparing Idolatrie vntounto Christianitie, it is euident to be séene howe on the one parte outwardly, places and persones with imagerie and crosses, copes and vestments, ceremonies and shews be solemnly set forth, which inwardly be filled with spiritual fornication, hypocrisie and superstition. And on the other part how outwardly persons and places, after moste playn maner and fashion, without any counterfaited garmentes, images, ceremonies or any solemnities in comfortable preaching of the Gospel, & ministration of the Sacramentes be inwardly replenished with faithe, hope, and charitie. The whoorishe church of Antichriste, taketh of all maner of men, what so euer she can catche to make hir selfe to séeme gay and goodly. The holy Church of Christ wil receiue nothing of any man, but of Christe onelyonly, that she in déede maye bée chast, pure, and holy.
Therefore the Masse made of manye mennes inuentions, is taken as a thyng moste profitable, and plesant vntounto the one: nothing but the plaine preaching of the gospel, sealed with the sacramentes of Christes only institution and ordinance, can be receiued as comfortable and commodious vntounto the other.
Into the Masse be nowe gathered suche solemne shewes, dumme ceremonies, with straunge words and whisperings, as alore hauehave bene vsed of the Gentiles in Idolatrie, of the Iewes in Superstition, and of sorcerers incantations and coniuryngs: which were all vtterly cōdemned, refused, and separated of Christe and his disciples, from suche preaching of the Gospel, ministration of the Sacraments as the churche of Christ hath receiued of Christ, and doth kéepe and vse according vntounto Christs onelyonly institution & ordinance. For in holy scriptures be written all suche things as Christes churche did receyue of Christ by hym and his disciples so instituted and taught, as should euer after bée obserued and kept. And therfore it is verie euident by playne writings in the holy Scriptures, how that Christe and his Apostles by preachyng of the Gospell and ministration of the sacramēts, did teach men in all places, to sanctifie themselues to be offered as a sacrifice to serue God in holinesse and righteousnes, as liuely membres of Christes mysticall body: but how by saying Masse, to make of bread and wyne turned into Christes naturall bodye a sacrifice for the quicke and the dead, there is not one worde in al holy scripture, no, there is not in all holy scripture any maner of Masse now vsed, taught or commaunded by Gods worde.
For Moyses and the Prophets set foorth in writings all sacrifices and Ceremonies pertaining vntounto the Law. And lyke wise do the Apostles and Euangelistes all suche as belong vntounto the Gospell. And all that is written in the new Testament by the Apostles and Euangelistes, contaynyng all suche doctrine and déedes of Christ and his disciples, as God woulde by them should be taught vntounto vsus, doth as muche reproue the Masse, as in the old Testament Moses and the Prophetes did reproue the sacrifices of the Israelites in Dan and Bethell. For as vnlike is the Masse at the Altare, vntounto the Lordes Supper at the Table, as were the Calfes sette vp by Ieroboam in Dan and Bethel, vnlyke vntounto the Arke and propiciatorie betwixt the Cherubins in the temple at Hierusalem.
And as the Prophetes and Priestes of God did teache suche a memoriall and presence of God at Hierusalem, as shoulde moue and stirre vp the minds of men there to remember and reuerence God in heauen: but Ieroboam and his Priestes, did teache and make men to beléeue that their Idolles were not onelyonly images of remembrance, but the same God that brought thē out of Egipt, in such corporal presence then there in Dan and Bethell, as did kéepe the Israelites myndes from heauen, and theyr personall presence from Ierusalem: euen so now godly preachers do teach such a remē brance, & presence of Christe in the Lordes supper, as should moue and make all christen men to remember & reuerence Christe in heauen, but vngodly priestes do pretend such a bodily presence of Christ vponupon their altares, as doth draw mennes minds from heauen, and their personall presence from the Lordes supper at the Lordes table.
Then were the Israelites blynde and bolde to set vp Calues, imagining so to honor and please god in Dan and Bethel vnderunder Ieroboam, as their forfathers did mrst dishonor and displease God in wildernesse with Aaron.
And what a bolde blindnesse is it nowe of Christians to set vp a sort of their Ceremonies vntounto the honour of God, when as God by the light of the Gospell hathe abolished his owne Ceremonies as vnprofitable vntounto his seruice? And what a boldnesse is it to say, that Christes bodily presence is kept vponupon earth vnderunder the forme of bread, which according vntounto the scriptures, is ascended vp from the earthe, and glorified in heauen in the forme of man? The light of the gospell hath vanquished ceremonies afore ordeined of God as now vnprofitable, & can any ceremonies deuised by man now blemish the gospell & not be abhominable?
The comfortable abundance of the holie Ghoste did not come vntill the bodily presence of Christ was departed and gon: and howe then can they receiue abundant comfort of Christes spirite, whiche bée infected and blynded with a grosse imagination of Christes body? The flesh profiteth nothyng sayth Christ, the wordes that I speake, bee spirite and lyfe: he dothe not saye that the wombe whiche did conceiue and bear him, or the breast that gaue him sucke is blessed: but, Blessed be they which heare the word of God and kéepe it, as though he had sayd: Not those whiche woulde hauehave him God and man in bodilye presence, or imagine him to be in any visible thyng: But those which know and honour God in the truth of his worde and presence of spirite be blissed. Those in wyldernesse whiche did not knowe what was become of Moses, being in talke with God vppon the toppe of the mountain, bycause they did desire and imagiue a bodily presence of God too be wyth them at the foote of the mountayne, coulde not be contented and comforted with a true spirituall presence of God, but were deceiued and plagued for the vaine imagination of a bodily presence. Those can hauehave no cō fortable feeding of the words, which be spirite and lyfe, at the Lordes supper, whiche will hauehave a wonderfull gasing stocke at a gorgeous Masse. Which will desire and imagine Christ to be bodily vponupon earth, bicause they do not see and knowe by fayth, Christes body so glorified in Heauen; as causeth his spiritual presence, euer to continue most comfortable vntounto all the faithfull in any place vponupon earth.
The playne preaching of Gods woorde surely sealed with the Sacramente of the Lordes Supper, sheweth and offereth in spirite and truthe to be seene and receyued by faith, the body and bloud of Christe glorified in heauen in the forme of man.
The strange language, secrete whisperings, and solemne shew of ceremonies in the masse, serue and please the blinde imagination of man in forged vanitie, presuming to place the body & bloud of Christ vponupon the altar, there to be honored and sacrificed vnderunder the forme of breade & wine.