The Supper of the Lord, Part 10
¶Thys holy sacrament therfore, wolde god it were restored vntounto the pure vse, as thapostles vsed it in theyr tyme. wolde God, the seculare prynces whyche shulde be the very pastours and hed rulers of their congregacions committed vntounto their cure, wolde fyrste commaunde or suffer the trwe prechers of goddis worde to preche the gospell purely and plainly wyth discrete lyberte: and constitute ouer eche particulare parysshe syche curatis as can and wolde preche the worde, and that once or twyse in the weke, apoyn…ynge vntounto their flocke certayne dayes aftyr their discrecion and zele to godwarde, to come to gyther to celebrate the lordis souper. At the whyche assemble the curate wolde propowne and declare them fyrste thys texte of Paule. 1. Corynth. 11… So of… as ye shal ete this brede and drinke of this cuppe: se that ye be ioyouse, prayse, and geue thankys prechyng the dethe of the lorde. &c. whyche declared, and eueryevery one exhorted to prayer, he wolde preche them purely Cryste to hauehave dyed and ben offred vponupon the altare of the Crosse for their redempcion: whyche onelyonly oblacio… to be a sufficyent sacryfice to peace the fathers wrathe, and to purge all the synnes of the worlde. Then to excyte them wyth all homble dilygence eueryevery man vntounto the knowlege of him selfe and hys synnes: and to beleue and truste to the forgeuenes in Crystis blode: and for this so incomparable be…efyt of oure redempciō (whiche were solde bondmen to synne) to gyue thankis vntounto God the father for so mercyfull a delyuerance thorowe the deathe of Iesu Cryste, eueryevery one, some synginge and some saynge deuoutely, some or other psalme or prayer of thankes geuinge in the mother …onge. Then, the brede and wyne set before them in the face of the chi…che vponupon the table of the lorde purely and honestly layed, let hym declare to the people the significacions of those sensyble signes, what the accion and dede mouethe, techethe and exhortethe them vntounto: and that the brede and wyne be no prophane comen signes: but holy sacraments reuerently to be consydered and receyued with a depe fait…e and rememberance of Crystis dethe and of the shedynge of his blood for our synnes, those sensible thinges to represent vsus the very bodye and bloode of Cryste, so that whyle eueryevery man beholde with his corporall eye those sensible sacramentis: the inwarde eye of his faithe maye se and beleue stedfastlye Cryste offred and dying vponupon the cro…se for his sy…nes, how his bodye was broken & his blood shed for vsus, and hathe geuen himselfe wholl for vsus, himselfe to be all oures, & what so euer he dyd, it to serue vsus, as to be made for vsus of hys father our rightwysnes, our wysdome, holynes, redempcion satisfaccion &c. 1. Corinth. 1.
¶Then let thys preacher exhorte them louingly to drawe nere vntounto thys table of the lorde, and that not onelye bodelye, but also (their hertes pourged by faythe, garnyshed with louelove and innocencye) euerye man to forgeue …ache other vnfaynedlye, and to expresse or at lestwyse to endeuour them to folow that louelove whiche Cryste dyd set before our eyes at his laste souper whē he offred himselfe willingly to dye for vsus his enymes. whiche incomparable louelove to commende, brynge in Paulis argumentis. Roma. 5. so that thus, thys flocke maye come to gyther, and be ioyned into one bodye, one spirite, and one peple. Thys done, let him come downe: and accompaned honestely wyth other ministers come forthe reuerently v…to the lordis table, the cōgregation nowe set rownd aboute it, & also in their other conuenient seatis, the pastour exhortinge them all to praye for grace faithe and louelove, whyche all this sacrament signifyethe and puttethe them in mynde of. Then let ther be redde apertely and distinc…ly the .6. cap. of Iohā in theyr mother tongue: wherby they maye clerely vnderstand, what it is to eate Crystis flesshe and to drynke his bloode. This done, and some breyfe prayer and prayse songe or redde, lette one or other minister rede the .11. chap. of the fyrste to the Corinths, that the peple myghte perceyue clerely of those wordis the mystery of thys Crystes souper, & wherfore he dyd institute it
¶These wyth siche lyke preparacions and exhortacions hadde, I wolde eueryevery man presente shuld professe the articles of oure faythe openly in our mother tongue, and confesse his synnes secretely vntounto God, praynge intierly that he wolde nowe vouchsafe to hauehave mercy vponupon him, receyue his prayers, g…we his harte vntounto hym by faythe and louelove encrease his fayth, geue him grace to forgeue and to louelove hys neyghbour as himselfe, to garnesshe his life with purenes ond innocencye, and to cōfyrme hym in al goodnes and vertu. Then agen it behoueth the curate to warne & exhorte eueryevery man depely to consyder and expende wyth hym selfe the sygnificacyon and substance of thys sacramēt so that he sytte not downe an ypocryte & a dissembler, sith god is sercher of herte and raynes thoughtis and effectis: and see that he come not to the holy table of the lorde wythout that fayth whych he professed at hys baptisme, and also that louelove whych the sacrament precheth & testifyeth vntounto hys herte, leste he now fownde gyltie the body & blood of the lorde, that is to wytte a dessembler wyth Crystis dethe & sclaū derouse to the congregacyon, the body & blode of Cryste: receyue hys owne dāpnacion. And here let eueryevery man fall downe vponupon his knees sayng secretely wyth al deuocion their Pater noster in englysshe, their curate as ensample knelyng downe before them. whyche done, let hym take the brede & efte the wyne in the syght of the peple herynge hym with a lowde voyce, wyth godly grauite, & aftir a cry…tē relygiouse reuerence rehersynge distinctely the wordis of the lordis souper in theyr mother tongue. And them distrybute it to the ministers, whyche takynge the brede wyth grete reuerence, wyl deuyde it to the congregacyon eueryevery mā breking & rechyng it forthe to hys nexte neghbour and member of the mystik body of Cryst, other mynisters folowyng wythe the cuppis powering forthe & dealynge them the wyne, all togyther thus beynge now partakers of one brede & one cuppe, the thynge therby sygnifyed & precheth prynted fast in their hertys, But in this meane whyll, must the minister or pastour be readyng the communicacion that Cryste had wyth his disciples aftyr hys souper. Io. 13. begynnynge at the wasshynge of their fete: so redynge tyll the brede & wyne be eten & dronken and all the accion done. And then let thē all fal downe on their knees geuinge thankis highely vntounto god the father, for thys benyfyt & dethe of hys sone, wherby nowe be faithe eueryevery man is assuered of remyssion of hys synnes, as this blessed sacrament had put them in mynde & preched it them in thys vtwarde accion & souper. This done, let eueryevery man cōmende and geue them selfe whol to god, & departe. ¶I wolde hauehave herto put mi name, good reder, but I know wel that thou regardest not who wryteth, but what is wryten thou estemest the word of the veryle, & not of the autor. And as for M. Mocke, whō the veryte most offendeth, & doth but mocke it oute whē he cā not soyle it: he knowth my name well inoughe. For the deuyl hys gardiā, as hym selfe sayth, cometh eueryevery daye into purgatory, yf therby there any day at all, wyth hys emnyouse & enuyouse laughter, gnasshyng his tethe & gryning, tellyng the proctour wyth hys popis presoners, what so euer is here done or wryten a…sten them, both hys ꝑsone & name to. And he is now, I dare saye, as gret wyth hys gardian, as euer he was.
¶If any man tell ye, lo here is Cryste, or ther is he beleue hym not, For ther shal a…yse false crystes false anoynted geuyng grete miracles.…at. …4. Takē hede, I hauehave tolde ye before, yf thei ther…ore tel ye: …o, he is in the deser…t, go not forth: …o he is in the preuye pixe, beleue it not.
Imprinted at Nornburg by Niclas twonson.
5 April. An. 1533.
End of the text · William Tyndale, The Supper of the Lord (1533)