Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 12 · Part 6
The third examination.
Chich.
HOw say you to the Sacrament of the Altar: I said he ment the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, and not of the Altar of stone: He said▪ yes that he did: How vnderstand you the Altar otherwise?
Wood.
It is written in the 18. of Mathew, wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in Christs name, he is in the middest of them: whatsoeuer they aske in earth, shall be granted in heauen: And in the 5. of Mat. When thou commest vntounto the Altar and remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leaue thine offering, and be first reconciled to thy brother, and then offer thy gift. In these two places of Scripture, I proue Christ is the true Altar, whereon eueryevery one ought to offer his gifts: First Christ being in the middest of them that are gathered together in his name, there is the Altar: so we may be bold to offer our gifts, if we be in Charitie, if we be not, we must leaue our gift, and be first reconciled vntounto our Brother: Some will say, how shall I agrée with mine aduersary when he is not néere by 100. miles, may I not pray vntill I hauehave spoken with him: if thou presume to pray in the congregation, and thinke euill vntounto any, thou askest vengeance vponupon the selfe: Therefore agrée with thine aduersarie, that is make thy life agréeable to Gods Word; resolue in thy heart that thou aske God & the world forgiuenes, intending neuer to affend them more: all such may be hold to offer their gift.
Chichest.
I neuer heard any vnderstand it so, no not Luther that great hereticke, that was condemned by a generall Councell and his picture burned. I will shew you the true vnderstanding of the Altar and the offering: wee hauehave an Altar said Paul, that you may not eat off: meaning that no man might eat of that which was offered vponupon the Altar, but the Priest: For in Pauls time all the liuing that the Priests had the people came and offered it vponupon the Altar: mony or other things, and when the people came to offer it, and remembred that they had any thing against there Brother, then they left their offering vponupon the Altar, and went and were reconciled vntounto their Brother, and came againe, and offered their gift, and the Priest had it: this is the true vnderstanding of it.
VVood.
That was the vse of the old law, Christ was the end of it; and though it were offered in Pauls time that maketh not that it was well done, but he rebuked it, therefore you are deceiued.
Chich.
Who shall iudge betwixt vsus in the matter: I said the word, as it is in the 12. of Iohn: And S. Peter saith, the Scriptures hauehave no priuate interpretation, but one scripture must be vnderstood by another: then he said if you vnderstand it one way, & I another who shal be Iudge: the true Church of God is able to discusse all doubts: He said the Church of God doth allow the sacrament of the Altar.
VVood.
What doe you offer now vponupon the Altar?
Chich.
We offer vp the body of Christ to pacific the wrath of God in the blessed Sacrament, and there withall all put off their caps vntounto the abhominable Idoll.
Wood.
S. Paul saith in the tenth to the Hebrewes, wee are sanctified by the offering of the body of Christ vponupon the Crosse once for all: and eueryevery Priest is dayly ministring and offering one manner of sacrifice, which can neuer take away sins, and that it is the offering that you vse to offer as farre as I can see you be Priests after the order of Aaron, that offer vp sacrifice for their owne sinnes, and the sinnes of the people.
Chich.
Aarons sacrifice was with bloud, which signified the death of Christ: but we are Priests after the order of Melchisedech, which offered bread to the King in remembrance, and signified the giuing of Christs body in b…ead & Wine at his last supper, which Christ gaue vntounto his Disciples, and commanded to be vsed vntounto the end of the world.
VVood.
Me thinke you hauehave made the matter very plaine, that as Christ was the end of the sacrifices, so he was the beginning of the Sacraments, willing them to be vsed in remembrance of him vntounto the end of the world.
Chich.
The word saith, Take, eate, this is my body: it is not the signe onelyonly, but the thing it selfe: how say you it is not his body after the words be spoken by the Priest.
VVood.
If you say the words ouer the water, if there be no child, is there true Baptisme: He said there must be the Water, the Word, the Child: Then I said if the Child be baptized, in the name of …he Father, the Sonne. Is it true Baptisme: He said it must be baptized in the name of the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost: Then I said there may be nothing added or diminished.
Chich.
How say you, Take, eate, this is my body, is not this Christs body as soone as it is said.
VVood.
As the water, the word, and the Child altogether make Baptisme: so the bread, the wine, & the word, make the sacrament, & the eater eating it in true faith maketh it his body: so it is not Christs body, but by the faithfull receiuer: For hee said, Take, eat, this is my body: He calleth it not his body before before eating: And S. Augustine saith, crede manducasti, beleeue and thou hast eaten: And S. Iohn saith, he that beleeueth in God, dwelleth in God, and God in him: Wherefore it is impossible to please God, and to eat his body without true Faith.
Priest.
If the Faith of the receiuer maketh it his body, and not his word, what did Iudas eat?
VVood.
He eat the Sacrament of Christ, and the Diuell with all.
Priest.
He eate the body of Christ vnworthily, as S. Paul saith.
Wood.
S. Paul speaketh not of eating his body vnworthily, but of the sacrament vnworthily: For he saith, whosoeuer eateth of this bread, and drinketh of this cup vnworthily, eateth & drinketh his own damnation: because he maketh no difference of the Lords body, and not because hee eateth the Lords body: if Iudas had eaten Christs body he must needs be saued: For Christ saith in the 6. of Iohn, Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternal life.
Chich.
Do you not beleeue that after the words be spoken, that there remaineth neither bread nor wine, but the very body of Christ really.
Wood.
I hauehave told you my mind without dissimulation, & more you get not of me except you wil talk by the scriptures, then I wil proue it more plaine 3. or 4. waies.
Then they made a great laughing and said, this is an heretick indeed, it is time he were burned: Then I said as you iudge me, you shall be iudged your selues, for I serue God truely with that which you call heresie, as you shall well know when you are in hell, and hauehave bloud to drinke, and shall say in paine, this was th… man we iested on, and whose talk we thought foolishnes, and his …nd without honour: now we may sée how he is counted amongst the Saints of God, and wee are punished; these words shall you say being in hell if you repent not▪ with speed, if you consent to the shedding of my bloud.
Pries…
You were at Baxell a tweluemonth agone, and sent for the Parson and talked with him in the Church-yard, and would not goe into the Church, for you said it was the Idols temple.
Story came in pointing at me with his finger: I can say nothing to him but an heretick, I hauehave heard you talke this houre and a halfe, and can heare no reasonablenes in him.
Wood.
As you iudge me you shallbe iudged your selfe.
Story.
What, be you a preaching? you shall preach at a stake shortly with your fellowes. Kéeper, carry him to the Marshalsey againe, and let no body come to speake with him.