Whole Works, Documents

Whole Works · Documents

p. 435A Letter ſent from William Tyndall, vntounto Iohn Frith, being priſoner in the Tower of London.

THe grace and peace of God our father and of Ieſus A letter of Maiſter Tyndall to M. …r…h.Chriſt our Lord, be with you Amen. Dearely beloued brother Iohn. I hauehave heard ſay, how that hypocrites nowe that they hauehave ouercome that great buſines which letted thē at the leaſt way, hauehave brought it at a ſtay, they returne to their old nature agayne. The will of God be fulfilled, and that which he hath ordeyned to be ere the world was made, that come, and his glory reigne ouer all.

Dearely beloued, how euer the matter be, commit your ſelfe wholy and onelyonly vntounto your moſt louing father, & moſt kinde Lorde, and feare not men that threat, nor truſt men that ſpeake fayre: but truſt him that is true of promiſe, and able to make his worde good. Your cauſe is Chriſtes Goſpell, a light that muſt be fedde with the bloud of fayth. The lampe muſt be dreſſed and ſnuffed dayly, and that oyle poured in eueryevery euening and morning, that the light goe not out. Though we be ſinners, yet is the cauſe right. If when we be buſteted 1. Pet. 2.1 Pet 2for well doing, we ſuffer paciently and endure, that is acceptable to God: for to that ende we are called. For Chriſt alſo ſuffered for vsus, leauing vsus an example that we ſhould follow his ſteps, who did no ſinne. Hereby hauehave we perceaned 1. Ioh. 5.1 John 5louelove, that he layed downe his lyfe for vsus: Therefore we ought alſo to laye downe our liues for the brethern. Reioice and be glad, for great is your reward in heauen. Math. 5. Rom. 8. Phil. 3.Matt 5Rom 8Phil 3For we ſuffer with him, that we may alſo be glorified with him: Who ſhall chaunge our vile body, that it may be faſhioned like vntounto his glorious body, according to the working wherby he is able euen to ſubiect all thinges vntounto hym.

Dearely beloued, be of good courage, and comfort your ſoule with the hope of this Boldnes of ſpirite.high reward, and beare the Image of Chriſt in your mortall body, that it may at his comming be made like to his, immortall: and folow the example of all your other dear Weunde not conſcience.brethren, which choſe to ſuffer in hope of a better reſurrection. Kéepe your conſcience pure and vndefiled, and ſay againſt that nothing. Sticke at neceſſarie thinges, and remēber the blaſphemies of the enemies of Chriſt, ſaying: they finde none but that will Standing vpō thinges neceſſary.abiure rather then ſuffer the extremitie. Moreouer, the death of thē that come againe after they hauehave once denyed, thouh it be accepted with God, and all that beléeue, yet is Death after denying, euill ſpoken of by the aduerſaries.it not glorious, for the hipocrites ſay, he muſt néedes dye, denying helpeth not: But might it hauehave holpen, they would hauehave denyed fyue hundred tymes: but ſeing it would not helpe them, therefore of pure pride, and mere malice togither, they ſpeake with their mouthes, that their conſcience knoweth falſe. If you geue your ſelfe, caſt your ſelfe, yelde your ſelfe, commit your ſelfe wholy and onelyonly to your louyng father: then ſhall his power be in you and make you ſtrong, and that ſo ſtrong, that you ſhall féele Obedience of God.no payne: which ſhould be to an other preſent death: and his ſpirit ſhall ſpeake in you, and teach you what to aunſwere, according to his promiſe. He ſhall ſet out his trueth by you wonderfully, and worke for you aboue all that your hart can imagine: Yea, & you are not yet dead, though the hipocrites all, with all they can make, hauehave ſworne To looke for no mās helpe, bringeth Gods helpe.your death. Vna ſalus victis nullam ſperare ſalutem: To looke for no mans helpe, bringeth the helpe of God to them that ſeeme to be ouercome in the eyes of the hipocrites: Yea it ſhall make God to cary you through thicke and thinne for his truethes ſake, in ſpite of all the enemies of his trueth. There falleth not an heare till his houre be come: Conſlancie in ſtāding. Pacience in ſuffering.and when his houre is come, neceſſitie caryeth vsus hence though we be not willing. But if we be willing, then hauehave we a reward and thanke.

Feare not threatning therfore, neither be ouercome with ſweete wordes: with which twayne, the hipocrites ſhall aſſayle you. Neither let the perſwaſions of worldly wiſedome beare rule in your hart: No, though they be your frendes that counſayle you. Let Bilney be a warning to you. Let not their viſure beguile your eyes. Let not your body p. 454Bylney.ſaint. He that endureth to the ende ſhall be ſaued. If the payne be aboue your Perſeueraunce to the end. Math. 21.Matt 21ſtrength, remember: Whatſoeuer, you ſhall aſke in my name, I will geue it you. And pray to your father in that name, and he will eaſe your payne, or ſhorten it. The Lord of peace, of hope, and of fayth, be with you. Amen. William Tyndall.

TWo hauehave ſuffered in Antwarpe, In die ſancta Crucis, vntounto the great glory of the Two Martyrs at Antwerpe. Foure martyrs in Flaūders, and one at Luke. Perſecutiō at Ro…ne. Fiue Doctours at Paris takē for y^e Goſpell.Goſpell: foure at Riſelles in Flaunders, and at Luke hath there one at the leaſt ſuffered, and all ni y^e ſame day. At Roan in Fraunce they perſecute. And at Paris are fiue doctours taken for the Goſpell. Sée, you are not alone: Be cherefull and remember that among the hard harted in England, there is a number reſerued by grace: for whoſe ſakes if neede be, you muſt be ready to ſuffer. Syr if you may write, how ſhort ſo euer it be, forget it not, that we may knowe how it goeth with you, for our hartes eaſe. The Lord be yet agayne with you, with all his plenteouſnes, and fill you y^e you flow ouer. Amen.

If when you hauehave read this, you may ſend it to Adrian, doe I pray you, that he may know how that our hart is with you.

George Ioye at Candelmaſſe being at Barrow, Printed two leaues of Geneſis in a greate forme, and ſent one Copy to the King, and an other to the newe Quéene, with a letter to N. for to deliuer them: and to purchaſe licēce, y^e he might ſo goe through all the Bible. Out of that is ſprong the noyſe of the new Bible: and out of that is the greate ſéeking for Engliſhe bookes at all Printers & Booke bynders in Antwarpe, and for an Engliſh Prieſt y^e ſhoulde Printe. This chaunced the ix. day of May. Syr your wife is well content with the will of God, and would not for her ſake, hauehave y^e glory of God hindred.

William Tyndall.

p. 455An other notable and worthy Letter of maiſter William Tyndall ſent to the ſayd Iohn Frith, vnderunder the name of Iacob.

¶ The grace of our Sauiour Ieſus, his pacience, mekenes, humblenes, circumſpection, and wiſedome be with your hart. Amen.

DEarely beloued brother In other Letter of M. Tyndall.Iacob, myne hartes deſire in our Sauiour Ieſus is, that you arme your ſelfe with paciēce, and be cold, ſober, wiſe and circumſpect, & that you keepe you alow by the ground, auoydyng hygh queſtions that paſſe the common capacitie. Hygh queſtions to be auoyded.But expounde the law truly, and open the vayle of Moſes to condemne all fleſh, and proue all mē ſinners, and All deedes before they bee iuſtified by fayth are ſinne.all deedes vnderunder the law, before mercy hauehave taken away the condēnation ther of, to be ſinne and damnable. And then as a faythfull Miniſter, ſet abroch the mercy of our Lord Ieſus, and let the wounded cōſciences drinke of the water of him. And then ſhall your preachyng be with power, and not as the doctrine of the hypocrites: and the ſpirite of God ſhall worke with you, and all cōſciences ſhall beare recorde vntounto you, & feele y^t it is ſo. And all doctrine Preachyng the law of God, and mercy of Chriſt.that caſteth a miſte on thoſe two, to ſhadow and hyde them, I meane the law of God and mercy of Chriſt, that reſiſt you withall your power. Sacraments without ſignificatiō refuſe. If they put Sacramēts without ſignifications to be refuſed.ſignifications to them, receiue them, if you ſee it may helpe though it bee not neceſſarie.

Of the preſence of Chriſtes body in M. Tynball he…e beareth with tyme.the Sacrament, medle as litle as you can, that there appeare no diuiſion amōg vsus. Barnes will be whote agaynſt you. The Saxons be …ore on the affirmatiue, whether conſtant or obſtiuate, I omit it to God. Philippe Melancton is ſayd to be with the French king. There be in Antwerpe that ſay, they ſaw him come into Paris with an c. and l. horſes, and that they ſpake with hym. If the Frenchmen receiue the worde of God, hee will plant the affirmatiue in them. By the affir… he …neth the …on which M. Luther & the …axōs be hold of the Sacrament.George Ioye would hauehave put foorth a treatiſe of the matter, but I hauehave ſtopt hym as yet, what he will doe if he get money, I wotte not. I beleue he wold make many reaſōs litle ſeruyng to the purpoſe. My mynde is, that nothyng be put forth till we heare how you ſhal hauehave ſpede. I would hauehave the right vſe preached, and the preſence to be an indifferēt M. Tyndall a… beareth w^t tyme.thyng, till the matter might be reaſoned in peace at layſure, of both parties. If you be required, ſhew the phraſes of the Scripture, and let them talke what they will. For as to beleue y^t God is eueryevery where, hurteth no mā that worſhyp him no where but within, in the hart, in ſpirite and verity: euē ſo to beleue that the body of Chriſt is eueryevery where (though it can not be proued) hurteth no man that worſhippeth Vbiquetie can not be proued.hym no where ſaue in the fayth of hys Goſpell. You perceiue my minde: how beit if God ſhew you otherwiſe, it is free for you to do as he moueth you.

I geſſed long ago that God would ſend a daſing into the head of the ſpiritualtie, to be catched thē ſelues in their owne ſubtiltie, and I truſt it is come to paſſe. And now me thinketh I ſmel a counſayle to be takē, litle for their profites in time to come. But you muſt vnderſtand, that it is not of a pure hart & for louelove of the truth, but to aduenge thē Eating the whores fleſh, is to ſpoyle the Popes Churche▪ onelyonly for y^• praye and ſpoyle ther of.ſelues, and to eate the Whores fleſh, & to ſuck the marow of her bones. Wherfore cleaue faſt to the rocke of the helpe of God, & commit the end of all things to hym: and if God ſhall call you, that you may then vſe the wiſedome of the worldly, as farre as you perceiue the glory of God may come therof, refuſe it not: and euer among, thruſt in, that Worldly wiſedome ſo farre as it may ſerue to Gods glorie, may be vſed.the Scripture may bee in the mother toung, and learning ſet vp in the Ʋniuerſities. But and if ought be required contrary to the glory of God and hys Chriſt, thē ſtand faſt, and commit your ſelfe to God, and bee not ouercome of mens perſuaſions, which happely ſhal ſay: we ſee no other way to bryng in the truth.

Brother Iacob, beloued in my hart, there lyueth not in whom I hauehave ſo good hope and truſt, and in whō myne hart reioyſeth and my ſoule comforteth her ſelfe, as in you: not the thouſand part ſo much for your learnyng, and what other giftes els you hauehave, as that you wil crepe alow by the ground, and Low wa… kyng.walke in thoſe thinges that the conſcience may feele, and not in the imaginations of the brayne: in feare and not in boldnes: in open neceſſary things, and not to pronounce or define of hyd ſecretes, or thynges that neither helpe or hinder whether they be ſo or no: in vnitie p. 456and not in ſeditious opinions: in ſo much that if you be ſure you know, yet in thinges that may abyde layſure, you wil deferre, or ſay (till other agree with you) me thinke the text requireth this ſenſe or vnderſtandyng: yea and that if you be ſure that your part be good, and in other hold the contrary, yet if it be a thyng that maketh no matter, you will laugh and let it paſſe, and referre the thyng to other men, and ſticke you ſtifly and ſtubburnely in earneſt and neceſſary thynges. And I truſt ye be perſuaded euē ſo of me. For I call God to The vpright handlyng in the tranſlation of M. Tyndall.recorde againſt y^e day we ſhall appeare before our Lord Ieſus, to geue a recknyng of our doings, that I neuer altered one ſillable of Gods word agaynſt my cōſcience, nor would this day, if all that is in the earth, whether it be pleaſure, honour or riches, might be geuen me. Moreouer I take God to recorde to my conſcience, that I deſire of God to my ſelfe in this world no more, then that without whiche I can not keepe hys lawes.

Finally, if there were in me any gift that could helpe at hand, & ayde you if nede required: I promiſe you I would not be farre of, and commit the end to God: my ſoule is not faynt, though my body be wery. But God hath made me euill fauoured in this world, and without grace in the ſight of mē, ſpechles and rude, dull & ſlow witted: your parte ſhalbe to ſupply that lacketh in A low hart maketh a man hygh with God.me, remembryng, that as lowlynes of hart ſhall make you hygh with God, euen ſo mekenes of wordes ſhal make Authoritie is the glory of age.you ſinke into the hartes of men. Nature geueth age authoritie, but mekenes is the glory of youth, and geueth Meekenes is the glory of youth.thē honour. Aboundaunce of louelove maketh me excede in bablyng.

Syr as concernyng Purgatory, and many other things, if you be demaunded, you may ſay, if you erre, the ſpiritualtie hath ſo le… you, & that they hauehave taught you to beleue as you do. For they preached you all ſuch thynges out of Gods word, and alledged a thouſād textes, by reaſon of which textes you beleued as they taught you. But now you finde thē lyers, and that the textes meane no ſuch thynges, and therfore you can beleue no longer, but are as you were before they taught you, and beleue no ſuch thing. Howbeit you are ready to beleue, if they hauehave any other way to proue it. For without profe Purgatory hath no profe by Scripture.you can not beleue thē, when you hauehave founde them with ſo many lyes. &c. If you perceiue wherin we may helpe, other in being ſtill, or doyng ſomewhat, let vsus hauehave word, and I will do myne vttermoſt.

My Lord of London hath a ſeruaūt called Iohn Tiſen with a red beard, and a blacke reddiſh head, and was once my ſcholler, he was ſeue in Antwerpe, but came not among the Engliſhmen: whether hee is gone an Embaſſadour ſecret, I wote not.

The mighty God of Iacob be with you to ſupplant his enemies, and geue you the fauour of Ioſeph: and the wiſedome, & the ſpirite of Stephen, be with your hart and with your mouth, and teach your lippes what they ſhall ſay, and how to aunſwere to all thynges. He is our God if we deſpayre in ourſelues, and truſt in him: and his is the glory. Amen. William Tyndall.

¶ I hope our redemption is nigh.

¶ This letter was written. an. 1533. in the monethmonth of January. Whiche letter although it do pretende the name of Iacob, yet vnderſtand (good reader) that it was written in very deede to Iohn Frith, as is aboue told thee. For more profe and euidence whereof read Frithes booke of the Sacrament, and there thou ſhalt finde a certeine place of this Epiſtle repeted word for word, beginning this: I call God to recorde, agaynſt the day, we ſhall appeare before our Lord Ieſus to geue a rekening of our doings, that I neuer altered one ſillable of Gods word agaynſt my conſcience &c. Whiche Epiſtle Iohn Frith him ſelfe witneſſeth that he receaued from Tyndall as in hys teſtimonie aboue appeareth.

The end of all M. William Tindals workes, newly Imprinted, accordyng to his firſt copies, which he himſelfe ſet forth.

Gods name be bleſſed for euer. Amen.

☞ Here foloweth a ſhort and pithy treatiſe touching the Lordes Supper, compiled, as ſome do gather, by M. William Tyndall, becauſe the methode and phraſe agree with his, and the tyme of writyng are concurrent, which for thy further inſtruction & learnyng (gentle Reader) I hauehave annexed to his workes, le…t the Church of God ſhould want any of the paineful trauels of godly men, whoſe onelyonly care & endeuour was to aduaunce the glory of God, & to further the ſaluation of Chriſtes flocke committed to their charge.

p. 457The Supper of the Lord. After the true meanyng of the vi. of Iohn and the xi. of the firſt Epiſtle to the Cor. And incidently in the expoſition of the Supper is confuted the Letter of Maſter More agaynſt Iohn Frith.

Anno. 1533. the v. day of Aprill.

WHen Chriſt ſawe thoſe glottons ſeekyng theyr bellyes flockyng, ſo faſt vntounto him, after his wō ted maner (the occaſion taken to teach & preach vntounto them of the thing now moued) he ſayd. Ʋerely verely I ſay vntounto you: ye Iohn. 6.John 6ſeeke me not becauſe ye hauehave ſene my miracles, but becauſe ye hauehave eaten of the loaues and were well filled. But as for me, I am not commen into this world onelyonly to fill mens bellyes: but to fede and ſatiſfie their ſoules. Ye take great paines to folow me for the meate of your bellyes: but oh ſloughardes, worke, take paynes & labour rather to get that meate that ſhall neuer periſh. For this meate that ye hauehave ſought of me hetherto, periſheth with your bellyes: but the meate that I ſhall giuegive you, is ſpirituall, and may not periſh, but abideth for euer, giuyng lyfe euerlaſtyng. For my father hath conſigned and confirmed me with his aſſured teſtimonie, to bee that aſſured ſauyng health and earneſt peny of euerlaſtyng life. When the Iewes vnderſtode not The Iewes wer blynd and ignorant, & vnderſtode not the wordes of Chriſt.what Chriſt meant, biddyng them to woorke and labour for that meate that ſhould neuer periſhe, they aſked hym, what ſhal we do, that we might worke the workes of God? ſuppoſing that he had ſpoken of ſome outward woorke required of them. Wherfore Ieſus aū ſwered, ſaying. Euē this is the worke of God, to beleue and truſt in him whō the father hath ſent. Lo, here may ye ſee The true worke that is acceptable before God.that worke of God which he requireth of vsus, euen to beleue in Chriſt. Alſo cō ſider agayn what this meate is, which he bad them here prepare and ſeeke for, ſaying: worke, take paynes and ſeeke for that meate &c. and thou ſhalt ſee it none other meate then the belief in Chriſt: wherfore he cōcludeth, that this meate ſo oft mencioned, is fayth: of the whiche meate (…ayth the Prophet) the Abacuk. 2.iuſt liueth. Fayth in him is therfore the meate whiche Chriſt prepareth & dreſſeth ſo purely: poulderyng and ſpicyng it with ſpirituall Allegories in all this Chapter folowyng, to giuegive vsus euerlaſtyng life through it.

Then ſayd the Iewes vntounto hym. The Iewes deſire a ſig…e or token whereby they might beleue that he was Chriſt.What token doeſt thou whereby we might know that we ſhould beleue in thee? Do ſomwhat that we might beleue in thee? what thyng workeſt thou that we might know thee to be God? Thou knoweſt well inough that our fathers did eate bread or Māna in the deſerte, as it is written, hee gaue them bread from aboue. Ieſus aunſwered. Ʋerely verely I ſay vntounto you: Moſes gaue ye not that bread from heauē: for Pſal. 7.Ps 7though it fell downe from the ayre: yet was it not heauēly foode for it dyd but feede the belly: but this bread of God that is deſcended from heauen (whom my father giueth) refreſheth the ſoule ſo aboundauntly, that it geueth life vn to the world. When the Iewes vnderſtode not this ſaying, whiche was nought elles then the declaryng of the Goſpell (for by the eatyng of this bread hee meant that belefe of this his Goſpell) they ſayd. Syr, giuegive vsus this bread euermore. Ieſus ſayd vntounto thē. Chriſt required of the Iewes to hauehave fayth and truſt in hym.I am the bread of life, and who ſo commeth to me, ſhall not hunger: & who ſo beleueth in me ſhal neuer thyrſt. When the Iewes hard Chriſt ſay, the bread that deſcended from heauē ſhould giuegive lyfe to the world: they deſired to hauehave this bread giuen them for euer. And Ieſus perceiuing that they vnderſtode not the ſence of this Goſpel: he expoū ded Chriſt explaneth & ſheweth him ſelfe to the Iewes.vntounto them who was this ſo liuely bread that giueth life to all the world, ſaying. I am the bread of life, and who ſo commeth to me, that is to ſay, who ſo is graffed and ioyned to me by faith, ſhall neuer hunger, that is, who ſo beleueth in me is ſatiſfied. It is fayth therefore that ſtancheth this hunger and thyrſt of the ſoule. Fayth it is therfore in Chriſt that filleth our hungry hartes, ſo that we cā deſire none other, Fayth onelyonly apprehē deth Chriſt and all hys benefites.if we▪ once eate & drinke him by fayth, that is to ſay, if we beleue his fleſh and body to hauehave bene broken & his bloud ſhed for our ſinnes. For then are our ſoules ſatiſfied and we be iuſtified.

Ouer this, it foloweth: But I hauehave told you this, becauſe ye looke vppon p. 458me, and beleue me not, that is, ye be offended that I ſayd, he that commeth to me ſhall neither hunger nor thyrſt, ſeyng that your ſelues beyng preſent, be yet both hungry and thyrſtie. But this Chriſt rebuketh the incredulitie and lacke of fayth in the Iewescommeth becauſe ye hauehave ſene me with your bodily eyes, and yet ſee me & beleue not in me: but I ſpeake not of ſuch ſight nor commyng, but of the ſight of fayth, which who ſo hath, he ſhall hauehave none other deſire, he ſhall not ſeeke by night to louelove an other before whom be would lay his grief. He ſhal not runne wandering here and there to ſeke dead ſtockes and ſtones: for he is certified by his …ayth to whom hee ſhall cleaue, he is coupled by fayth vntounto me his very ſpouſe & liuely foode, the onelyonly treaſure of his ſoule, neuer more to thyrſt for any other. This light of fayth ye hauehave not, for ye beleue not nor truſt in me: wherfore ye vnderſtand not how I am the very bread and meate of your ſoules, that is to ſay, your faith & hope. And the cauſe of this your blyndnes is All that the father draw come vntounto Chriſt(I will not ſay ouer hardly to you) that the father hath not drawne you in to the knowledge of me, or els ye had receiued me. For all that the father giueth me, muſt come vntounto me. And as for me, I caſt out no mā that commeth to me: For I am not come downe frō heauen to do my will, whiche ye attribute vntounto me as vntounto eche any other man, for I am verely a very man: & accordyng to that nature I hauehave a ſpeciall proper will: but much more obediēt to my father, then one of you. For your Chriſte came from heauē into earth to fulfill the will of his father.will oft reſiſteth and repugneth Gods will, but ſo doth mine neuer. I am therfore come downe to doe his will that hath ſent me. And to do you to witte what his will is. This (I ſay) is my fathers will y^t hath ſent me. That of all that he hath giuē me, I lee…e none: but muſt rayſe hym vp agayne in the laſt day: and to be playne. This is the will of him that ſent me. That who ſo ſeeth (that is to know) the ſonne and beleueth in him, he ſhall hauehave lyfe euerlalaſtyng: and I ſhall ſtyrre hym vp in y^e laſt day. Here may ye ſee what meate he ſpeaketh of. God ſent his ſonne into this world, that we might liue thorough him. Who liueth by him? They that eate his fleſh & drinke his bloud. Who eate his fleſh & drinke his bloud? He. y^• beleueth Chriſtes death to be for the remiſſiō of his ſinnes the ſame cateth y^• fleſhe & drinketh the bloud of Chriſt.They that beleue his body crucified & his bloud ſhed for their ſinnes: theſe clea…e vntounto his gracious fauour. But how could they cleane thus vntounto him except they knew him? And therfore he added ſaying. EueryEvery man that ſeeth the ſonne, that is to ſay, vnderſtandeth wherfore the ſonne was ſent into this world and beleueth in him ſhall hauehave euerlaſtyng lyfe.

Here it appeared to the carnall The cauſe of y^e Iewes murmur.Iewes that Chriſt had taken to much vponupon him ſelfe, to ſay: I am the bread of lyfe, which am come downe frō heauen to giuegive life to the world wherfore the fleſh, that is to ſay the Iewes now murmured, and no… maruelled (as M. More ſheweth his owne dreame to an other text folowyng whiche I ſhall touch anone) they murmured at this ſaying of Chriſt. I am the bread which am come from heauen, ſaying, Is not this Ieſus Ioſephes ſonne whoſe father & mother we know well inough? How then ſayth he, I am come from heauen? Ieſus aūſwered ſaying, Murmour Chriſt reproueth the murmuryng of the Iewes.not among your ſelues: Heard ye not what I told you euen now? All that my father giueth me, come to me? your vnbelefe (wherof foloweth this falſe vnderſtanding of my wordes ſpiritually ſpoken) compelleth me to tell you one thyng more thē once or twiſe. This therfore it is: No mā may come to me the onelyonly earneſt peny & pledge▪ of your saluatiō, vnleſſe my father that ſent me draw him: and whō he draweth vntounto me, that is, ioyneth vntounto me by fayth, him ſhall I ſtyrre vp in the laſt day. I wonder that ye take my wordes ſo ſtraungely, beleuyng them to be ſome hard r…dels, or darke parables, when I ſay nothyng els, thē that is written in your owne Prophetes, both in Eſay, and Ieremy, ſaying, that Eſay. 54. Ierem. 31.Isa 54Jer 31all ſhall be taught of the Lord. Sith euē your Prophetes teſtifie this knowledge to be giuē you of my father: what can be ſpokē more playnly then to ſay: what my father giueth me, that commeth to me? or this, no man may come to me, except my father draw him. And yet hauehave it more manifeſtly. Who ſo hath heard my father, and is learned of Iohn. 6.John 6him, he commeth to me as vntounto the very onelyonly anker of his ſaluation. Not that any man hath ſene the father, leſt peradnenture ye miſtake theſe wordes to heare, and to learne, as though they pertemed to the outward ſenſes, and not rather to the mynde and inward illuminyng of the ſoule. For no man euer ſaw the father, although he worke ſecretly vponupon his hart, ſo that what ſo euer hee willeth, we muſt heare and learne. No man (I ſay) ſeeth him, but he that is ſent of God, as I ſayd before p. 459of my ſelfe, he it is that ſeeth the father. Now therfore ſay I vntounto you, verely, All that beleue & hope in Chriſt hauehave euerlaſtyng life.verely, as playnly, y^t who ſo beleueth & truſteth in me, he hath life euerlaſting. Now hauehave ye y^t ſumme of this my doctrine, euē my very goſpel y^e whole tale of all my legacy and meſſage wherfore I am ſent into the world. Had M. More M. More had not the vnderſtandyng of the ſcriptures. 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11vnderſtode this ſhort ſentence, (who ſo beleueth in me hath life euerlaſtyng) & knowne what Paule with the other Apoſtles preached: eſpecially Paul being a yeare & a halfe amōg the Corinthiās, determinyng not, neither preſumyng to hauehave knowē any other thyng to be preached them (as him ſelfe ſaith) then Ieſus Chriſt, & that he was crucified. Had M. More vnderſtand this point, he ſhould neuer hauehave thus blaſphemed Chriſt & his ſufficiēt Scriptures, neither hauehave ſo belyed his Euāgeliſtes & holy Apoſtles, as to ſay, they wrote not all thinges neceſſary for our ſaluation, but left out things of neceſſitie to be beleued, makyng Gods holy teſtamēt inſufficient & vnperfite. Firſt reueled vntounto our fathers, written oft ſence by Moyſes, and then by his Prophetes, and at laſt written both by his holy Euangeliſtes and Apoſtles to.More is a mocker.

But turne we to Iohn agayne & let More mocke ſtill & lye to. I am y^• bread of life ſaith Chriſt. And no mā denyeth y^• our fathers & elders did eate Manna in the deſert, & yet are they dead. But he that eateth of this bread: that is to ſay, beleueth in me, he hath life euerlaſtyng. For it is I that am this liuely bread, which am come from heauen, of whom who ſo eate by faith, ſhal neuer The eating or the bread of Chriſt is onelyonly to beleue in Chriſtes …eath.dye. Here therfore it is to be noted diligently y^• Chriſt meaneth, as eueryevery mā may ſee, by y^• eating of this bread none other thyng then the belefe in him ſelf, offred vp for our ſinnes: whiche faith onelyonly iuſtifieth vsus. Whiche ſentence to declare more playnly, & that he would hauehave it noted more diligently, he repeteth it yet agayn, ſaying: It is I y^t am the liuely bread which am come down frō heauē: who ſo eateth of this bread, ſhall liue euerlaſtingly. And to put you cleare out of doubt, I ſhall ſhew you in few wordes, what this matter is, & by what wayes I muſt be the Sauiour & redemer of the world, to giuegive it this life ſo oft rehearſed: & therfore now take good heede. This bread which I How the bread ſignifieth and ſheweth Chriſtes …eſh.ſpeake of ſo much & ſhall giuegive it you: it is myne owne fleſh: which I muſt lay forth & pay for the life of y^• world. Here it is now manifeſt, that he ſhould ſuffer death in his own fleſh for our redēptiō to geue vsus this life euerlaſtyng. Thus now may ye ſee how Chriſtes fleſhe, Chriſtes fleſh is the ſpirituall foode of ou… ſoules.which he called bread, is the ſpirituall foode & meate of our ſoules. Whē our ſoules by fayth ſee God the father not to hauehave ſpared his onelyonly ſo deare beloued ſonne, but to hauehave deliuered him to ſuffer that ignominious & ſo paynefull death, to reſtore vsus to lyfe: thē hauehave we eaten his fleſh, and dronken his bloud, aſſured firmely of the fauour of God, ſatiſfied & certified of our ſaluation.

After this communication, that he ſayd. The bread whiche I ſhall geue you is my fleſh, whiche I ſhall pay for the lyfe of the world: yet were the carnall Iewes neuer the wiſer. For their The obſtinate & wilfull blyndnes of the Iewes.vnbelief and ſturdy hatred, would not ſuffer the very ſpirituall ſence & mynde of Chriſtes wordes to enter into theyr hartes. They could not ſee that Chriſtes fleſh broken and crucified, and not bodely eaten, ſhould be our ſaluation, and this ſpiritual meate: as our ſoules to bee fed and certified of the mercy of God, and forgiuenes of our ſinnes thorough his paſſion: and not for any eatyng of his fleſhe with our teeth. The The malice of the Iewes, toward our Sauiour Chriſt.more ignoraunt therfore & fleſhly they were, the more fierce were they full of indignatiō, ſtriuyng one agaynſt an other, ſaying. How may this felow geue vsus his fleſh to eate it? They ſtoke faſt yet in his fleſhe before their eyes: thoſe fleſhly Iewes. Wherfore no maruell though they abhorred the bodely eatyng thereof: although our fleſhly Papiſtes (beyng of the Iewes carnall The carnal Papiſtes ceaſſe not ſtill to offer hym. Hebr. 10.Heb 10opinion) yet abhorre it not, neither ceaſſe they dayly to crucifie and offer him vp agayne, which was once for euer and all offred as Paule teſtifieth. And euen here, ſith Chriſt came to teache, to take away all doubt, and to breake ſtrife, he might (his wordes otherwiſe declared, then he hath & will here after expounde them) hauehave ſoluted their queſtion: ſaying, if he had ſo ment as More meaneth, that he would hauehave bene conuayed and conuerſed (as our iugglers ſleighly can conuaye him with a few woordes) into a ſingyng loafe: or els (as the Thomiſticall Papiſtes Thomiſtes be y^• ſchole Doctours.ſay) bene inuiſible with all his dimenſioned body vnderunder the fourme of bread tranſubſtantiated into it. And after a like Thomiſticall myſtery, the wyne tranſubſtantiated to, into hys bloud ſo that they ſhould eate his fleſh and drinke his bloud after their owne carnall vnderſtanding, but yet in an other p. 460forme, to put away all grudge of ſtomacke. Or ſith S. Iohn (if he had vnderſtode his maiſters minde, and tooke vponupon hym to write his wordes) would leaue this Sermon vntounto the world to be read: he might now hauehave deliuered vsus and them frō this doubt. But Chriſt would not ſo ſatiſfie theyr queſtion: but aunſwered. Ʋerely verely I ſay vntounto you: except ye eate the fleſhe of the ſonne of man and drinke his bloud, ye ſhall not hauehave that life in your ſelues. He that eateth my fleſh and drinketh my bloud, hath lyfe euerlaſting: Chriſt in ſaiyng y^• hys fleſh is very meate doth not ſay that bread ſhalbe tranſubſta…ated into hys fleſh.and I ſhall ſtyrre him vp in the laſt day: for my fleſh is very meate and my bloud the very drinke. He ſaith not here that bread ſhalbe tranſubſtanciated or conuerted into his body, nor yet the wyne into his bloud. But now cō ferre this ſaying to his purpoſe at the begynnyng: where he had them worke for that meate that ſhould neuer periſh tellyng them, that to beleue in hym whom God hath ſent, was the worke of God. And who ſo beleueth in hym ſhould neuer thyrſt nor hunger, but hauehave lyfe euerlaſtyng. Conferre alſo Chriſtes wordes are ſpirituall & not carnall.this that foloweth and then ſhalt ſee it playne, that his wordes be vnderſtand ſpiritually of the belefe in his fleſh crucified, and his bloud ſhed, for which belefe we bee promiſed euerlaſtyng lyfe: hym ſelfe, ſaying. Who ſo beleueth in me hath life euerlaſtyng. Here therfore their queſtiō (how may this man giuegive vsus his fleſh to eate it) is ſoluted: euen when he gaue his body to be broken, & his bloud to be ſhed. And we eate and drinke it in deede, whē we beleue ſtedfaſtly that hee dyed for the remiſſion of our ſinnes: Auſten and Tertullian to witneſſe.

But here maketh More his argument agaynſt the young man. Becauſe the Iewes maruelle… at this ſaying: My fleſh is very meate, and my bloud drinke. And not at this: I am the dore, and the very vyne: therefore this text (ſayth he) My fleſh is &c. muſt be vnderſtand after the litterall ſence, that is to wirte: euē as the carnall Iewes vnderſtode it, murmuring at it, beyng offended, goyng their wayes frō Chriſt, for their ſo carnall vnderſtandyng therof. And the other textes. I am the dore. More declareth hys ignoraunce and wilfull blyndnes.&c. muſt be vnderſtand in an Allegory and ſpituall ſence, becauſe his hearers maruelled nothyng at the maner of the ſpeach. Loe Chriſten Reader, here haſt thou not a …aſt: but a great tunne full of Mores miſchief and pernicious peruertyng of Gods holy worde: and as thou ſeiſt him here falſely & peſtilently deſtroy the pure ſence of Gods worde, ſo doth hee in all other places of hys bookes. Firſt where he ſayth they marueiled at this Chriſtes ſaying. My fleſh is very meate. &c. that is not ſo, neither is there any ſuch worde in the text, except More reporteth the Scriptures vntruly.More will expounde Murmurabant, ideſt, mirabantur, they murmured, that is to ſay, they marueiled, as he expoū deth. Oportet, ideſt, expedit & conuenit. He muſt dye, or it behoueth him to dye, that is to ſay, it was expedient and of good cōgruence that he ſhould dye. &c. Thus this Poete may make a man to ſignifie an Aſſe, & blacke white to blere the ſimple eyes. But yet for his Lordly Mores firſt reaſon is cōfute….pleaſure, let vsus graunt him that, they murmured, is as much to ſay, as they meruayled: becauſe perchaunce the one may folow at the other. And then do I aſke him: whether Chriſtes Diſciples and his Apoſtles heard …im not, & vnderſtode him not when he ſayd. I am the doore and the vyne: and when hee ſayd. My fleſh. &c. If he ſay no, or nay: Iohn. 6. 10. 15.John 6:10John 6:15the Scripture is playne agaynſt him. If he ſay yea, or yes: then yea doe I aſke hym whether his Diſciples and Apoſtles thus hearyng and vnderſtandyng hys woordes in all theſe three Chapters wondered and meruayled (as More ſayth) or murmu…ed (as hath the text) at their maiſters ſpeech? What thinke ye, More muſt aunſwere here? Here may ye ſee whether this old holy vpholder of the Popes Churche is brought: euen to be taken in his owne trappe. For the Diſciples and his Apoſtles Chriſtes Diſciples murmured not at hys ſaying.neither murmured, nor mer…ayled, nor yet were offended w^t this their maiſter Chriſtes wordes and maner of ſpeech: for they w…ainted with ſuch ph…red their maiſter Chriſt when h… …e, will ye alſo go hence fr…me▪ Lord ſayd they to whom ſhall we goe? thou haſt the wordes of euerlaſtyng ly…e: and we beleue that thou ar… ſonne of the liuyng God. Lo M. More, they neither meruailed, nor murmured. And Chriſtes …s w… in all thynges to be ſpiritually vnderſtand.why? For becauſe as ye ſay the… vnderſtode i… in an Allegory …, …d perceiued well that hee meant not of hys materiall …ody to bee eaten with their teeth, but he meant … of him ſelfe to be beleued, to be very God and very man hauing fleſh and bloud as they had, and yet was he …he ſonne of the liuyng God. This belefe gathered they of all hys ſpirituall ſayinges as hym p. 461ſelfe expounded his own wordes, ſaying. My fleſh profiteth nothyng, meanyng, to be eaten: but it is the ſpirite that giueth this life. And the wordes that I ſpeake vntounto you are ſpirite and lyfe: ſo that who ſo beleue my fleſh to be crucified and broken, and my bloud to be ſhed for his ſinnes, he eateth my fleſh and drinketh my bloud, and hath lyfe euerlaſtyng. And this is the lyfe Abacuk. 2.wherewith the righteous lyue, euen by fayth.

The ſecond argument of More.

AFter this text thus wiſely proued to be vnderſtand in the litterall ſence, with carnall Iewes, and not in the Allegorike or ſpirituall ſenſe with Chriſt & his Apoſtles: the whole ſūme of Mores confutation of the young mā ſtandeth vponupon this Argument. … Poſſe ad Eſſe. That is to witte, God may do it, Erg…, it is done Chriſt may make his body in many, or in all places at once, Ergo, it is in many or in all places at once. Which maner of argumentation, how falſe and naught it is eueryevery ſophiſter, and eueryevery man that hath witte perceiueth. A like argument. God may The confutation of his ij. argument.ſhew More the truth and call him to repentaunce, as he did Paul for perſecutyng his Church: Ergo, More is conuerted to God. Or, God may let him run of an indurate hart with Pharao, and at laſt take an open and ſoden vengeaunce vppon him for perſecutyng hys worde, and burnyng his poore members: Ergo, it is done already. M. More Chriſt in that he is God may doe all things that he will, but yet he will not falſefye hys holy Scriptures.muſt firſte proue it vsus by expreſſe wordes of holy Scripture, and not by hys owne vnwritten dreames, that Chriſtes body is in many places, or in all places at once: and then though our reaſon can not reach it, yet our fayth meaſured and directed with the worde of fayth will both reach it, receiue it, and hold it faſt to: not becauſe it is poſſible to God, and impoſſible to reaſon: but bicauſe the written woorde of our fayth ſayth it. But whē we read Gods wordes in mo then xx. places contrary, that his body ſhould be here. More muſt giuegive vsus leue to beleue his vnwritten vanities (verities I ſhould ſay) at layſure. Here mayſt thou ſee Chriſten reader wherefore More would ſo fayne make thee beleue, that the Apoſtles left out certeine thynges vnwritten, of neceſſitie to be beleued, euē to ſtabliſh the Popes kyngdome, which ſtandeth of Mores vnwritten vanities. As of the preſence of Chriſtes body and makyng therof in the bread. Of Purgatory, of inuocation of Saintes, worſhyppyng of ſtones and ſtockes, pilgrimages, halowyng of bowes and belles, and crepyng to the croſſe &c. If ye will beleue what ſo euer More can fayne without the Scripture: then cā this Poete faine you an other Church thē Chriſtes, and More is a great ſette…orth of vnwritten ve…ities.that ye muſt beleue it what ſo euer it teacheth you, for he hath fained to that, it cā not erre, though ye ſee it erre and fight agaynſt it ſelfe a thouſand rymes. Yea if it tell you blacke is white, good is bad, and the deuill is God: yet muſt ye beleue it, or els be burned as heretikes. But let vsus returne to our purpoſe.

To diſpute of Gods almighty abſolute Although y^e Pope da…e …ot take vppon hym to be God▪ yet he is cō tented to be named & taken for halfe a Godpower, what God may do with his body, it is great folie and no leſſe preſumption to More, ſith the Pope whiche is no whole God but halfe a God by their owne decrees hauehave decreed, no man to diſpute of his power. But Chriſten Reader be thou content to know that Gods wil, his word, and his power be all one and repugne not. And neither willeth he, nor may not do any thing includyng repugnaunce, imperfection, or that ſhould derogate, miniſh or hurt his glory & his name. The glory of his Godhead is to bee preſent and to fill all places at once eſſencially preſently with his almightie power, which glory is denyed to any other creature, him ſelfe ſaying by his Prophet: I will not giuegive my glory to Eſay. 42.Isa 42any other creature: now therfore ſyth his māhead is a creature, it cā not hauehave this glory onelyonly whiche is appropried to the Godhead. To attribute to his manhode that propertie whiche onelyonly is appropried to hys Godhead is to confounde both the natures of Chriſt. What thing ſo euer, is eueryevery where after the ſayd maner, that muſt nedes be infinite, without begynnyng and end, it muſt be one alone, and almightie: whiche properties onelyonly are appropried Chriſt …s touchyng his manhode occupieth at one …y me but one place, but hys Godhead is in all places at once. Iohn. 14. Iohn. 10. Hebr. 11.John 14John 10Heb 11vntounto the glorious maieſtie of the Godhead. Wherefore Chriſtes body may not be in all or in many places at once. Chriſt him ſelfe ſaying as concerning his manhoo…. He is leſſe then the father, but as touchyng his Godhead, the father & I be both one thyng. And Paule recityng the Pſalme affirmeth: Chriſt as concernyng his manhode to be leſſe then God: or leſſe then aungels as ſome text hath it? Here it is playne that all thinges that More imagineth & fayneth are not poſſible to God, for it p. 462is not poſſible for God to make acreature equall vntounto him ſelfe, for it includeth repugnaūce & derogateth his glory. God promiſed & ſwore that all nations ſhould be bleſſed in the death of that promiſed ſeede which was Chriſt. God had determined and decreed it before the world was made: Ergo, Chriſt muſt needes hauehave dyed, and not to expoūde this word Oportet, as More mynſeth it. For it was ſo neceſſary that the contrary was impoſſible, except More would make God a lyer, which is impoſſible. Paule concludeth that Chriſt Hebr. 9.Heb 9muſt nedes hauehave dyed, vſyng this Latine terme Neceſſe. Saying: where ſo euer Chriſtes muſt nedes dye, for God had ſo promiſed before.is a Teſtamēt, there muſt the death of the Teſtament maker go betwene: or els the Teſtament is not ratified & ſure, but righteouſnes and remiſſion of ſinnes in Chriſtes bloud is his new Teſtament, whereof he is mediatour: Ergo, the Teſtament maker muſt nedes hauehave died. Wreſt not therfore (M. More) this word Oportet (though ye finde Poteſt for Oportet in ſome corrupt copy) vntounto your vnſauery ſence. But let Oportet ſignifie, he muſt or it behoueth hym to dye. For he tooke our very mortall nature for y^e ſame decreed coūcel: himſelfe ſaying. Oportet exaltari filium hominis. &c. Iohn. 2. and 12.John 2It behoueth, that the ſonne of mā muſt dye, that eueryevery one that beleueth in him periſh not &c. Here may ye ſee alſo y^t it is impoſſible for God to breake his promiſe. It is impoſſible to God God may not be foūd….which is that veritie, to be found contrary in his deedes and wordes: as to ſaue them whom he hath damned, or to damne them whom hee hath ſaued, wherefore all thynges imagined of M. Mores brayne are not poſſible to God.

And when More ſayth, that Chriſt had power to let his lyfe and to take it agayne, & therfore not to hauehave dyed of neceſſitie: I wōder me, that his ſcholemaiſter here ſayled him, ſo cunnyng as he maketh him ſelfe therin: which graū teth and affirmeth (as true it is) that with the neceſſary decreed woorkes of Gods forſight and prouidence ſtādeth right wel his free libertie. But M. More More would hauehave beleued Chriſt if he had talked with hym, what ſoeuer hee had ſaid to him.ſayth at laſt, if God would cell me that hee would make ech of both their bodyes two (meanyng the young mans body and his) to be in fiften places at once, I would beleue him, that he werable to make his wordes true in the bodies of both twayne, and neuer would I ſo much as aſke hym whether hee would glorifie them both firſt or not: but I am ſure glorified or vnglorified, if he ſayd it, he is able to do it. …o here may ye ſee what a …eruēt fayth this old man hath, and what an earneſt mynde to beleue Chriſtes woordes if hee had told him: but I pray you M. More, what and if Chriſt neuer told it you, nor ſaid it, nor neuer would: would ye not be as haſty not to beleue it? If he told it you: I praye you tell vsus where you ſpake with hym, and who was by to beare ye recorde: and if you bryng as falſe a ſhrew as your ſelfe to teſtify this thyng: yet by your own doctrine, muſt ye make vsus a miracle to confirme your tale, ere we be bound to beleue you: or yet to admit this your argument, God may make his body in many places at once, Ergo, it is ſo. Syr ye be to buſie Gods almightye power is not to be to buſely deale withall.with Gods almighty power, and hauehave taken to great a burden vppon your weake ſhoulders, ye hauehave ouerladen your ſelfe with your own harneſſe and weapons: and young Dauid is likely to preuayle agaynſt you with his ſling and ſtone. God hath infatuated your high ſubtill wiſedome. Your crafty conueyaunce is ſpyed. God hath ſent your Church a mete couer for ſuch a cup, euē ſuch a defender as ye take vppon your ſelfe to be, that ſhall let all theyr whole cauſe fall flatte in the myer vntounto both your ſhames and vtter cōfuſion. God therfore be prayſed euer. Amen.

Then ſayth M. More, though it ſemeth repugnaunt both to him & to me, one body to bee in two places at once: yet God ſeeth how to make them ſtand together well inough. This man with More doth but ſcoffe out the matter.his old eyen & ſpectacles ſeeth farre in Gods ſight, and is of his preuey Councel: that knoweth belike by ſome ſecret reuelation how God ſeeth one body to be in many places at once, includyng no repugnaunce. For worde hath hee none for him in all Scripture no more thē one body to be in al places at once. It implyeth firſt repugnaunce to my Matters of …ayth are repugnaūt to reaſon.ſight and reaſon, that all this world ſhould be made of nothyng: and that a virgin ſhould bryng forth a child. But yet, when I ſee it written with the wordes of my faith, which God ſpake: and brought it ſo to paſſe: thē implyeth it no repugnaunce to me at all. For my fayth reacheth it and receiueth it ſtedfaſtly. For I know y^t voyce of my herd man: whiche if he ſayd in any place of Scripture that his body ſhould hauehave ben cōtained vnderunder the forme of bread & ſo many places at once here, in earth, and alſo abidyng yet ſtill in heauen to. Ʋerely I would hauehave beleued him, as p. 463ſoone and as firmely as M. More. And Gods bleſſed will is declared in his Scriptures.therfore euen yet, if he can ſhew vsus but one ſentence truly taken for his part, as we cā do many for the contrary, we muſt giuegive place. For, as for his vnwrittē verities, & the authority of his Antichriſtes ſinagoge, vntounto which (y^t ſcripture forſaken) hee is now at laſt with ſhame inough cōpelled to flee: they be proued ſtarke lyes and very deuelry.

Then ſayth hee, that ye wot well that many good folke hauehave vſed in this matter many good fruitefull examples of Gods other workes: not onelyonly miracles, writtē in Scripture. Vnde verſus? (where one I pray ye?) but alſo done by the commō courſe of nature here in earth. If they be done by the common More trauc…leth in his Poetrie.courſe of nature, ſo be they no miracles. And ſome thynges made alſo by mans hand. As one face beholded in diuers glaſſes: and eueryevery peece of one glaſſe broken into twenty. &c. Lorde how this ponti…icall Poete playeth his part. Bicauſe (as he ſaith) we ſee many faces in many glaſſes: therefore may one body be in many places, as though eueryevery ſhadow and ſimilitude repreſenting the body, were a bodely ſubſtaūce. But I aſke More, when hee ſeeth hys owne face in ſo many glaſſes, whether all thoſe faces that appeare in the glaſſes be his owne very faces hauing bodely ſubſtaunce, ſkynne, fleſhe & bone, as hath that face, which hath his very mouth noſe eyen &c. wherewith he faceth vsus out the truth thus falſely with lyes? And if they be all his very faces, Mores ſimilitude of faces in the glaſſe proueth no faces in ſubſtaunce.then in very deede there is one body in many places, and he him ſelfe beareth as many faces in one hode. But accordyng to his purpoſe, euē as they be no very faces, nor thoſe ſo many voyces, ſownes and ſimilitudes, multiplied in the ayre, betwene the glaſſes or other obiect & the body (as the Philoſopher proueth by naturall reaſon) be no very bodyes: no more is it Chriſtes very body: as they would make thee beleue in the bread, in ſo many places at once. But the bread broken and eaten in the Supper moniſheth and putteth vsus in By …ayth we muſt eate and drinke Chriſtes body and blo…d ſpiritually.remembraunce of his death, and ſo exciteth vsus to thankes giuyng to lande and prayſe: for the benefite of our redemption, and thus wee there hauehave Chriſt preſent in the inward eye and ſight of our fayth. We eate his body and drinke hys bloud, that is, we beleue ſurely that hys bodye was crucified for our ſinnes and hys bloud ſhed for our ſaluation.

At laſt note (Chriſten reader) that M. More in the third booke of his confutation of Tyndall the. CCxlix ſide, to proue S. Iohns Goſpell vnperfit and inſufficient (for leauing out of ſo neceſſary a point of our faith, as he calleth the laſt Supper of Chriſt his Maūdy) ſayth, that Iohn ſpeake nothyng at all More writeth againſt hym ſelfe.of this Sacramēt. And now ſee againe in theſe his letters agaynſt Frith, how him ſelfe bringeth in Iohn the vj. chap. to impugne Frithes writyng, and to make all for the Sacrament, euē thus. My fleſh is verely meate, & my bloud drinke. Belike the man had there ouer ſhotte hym ſelfe foule: the young man here cauſing him to put on his ſpectacles and poore better and more wiſely with his old eyen vpō S. Iohns Goſpel to finde that thing there now written, which before he would hauehave made one of his vnwritten verities. As yet if he looke narowly hee ſhall eſpy that him ſelf hath proued vsus by Scripture, in the xxxvij. leafe of his Dialogue of quoth he and quoth I, our Ladies perpetuall virginitie expoundyng non cog…oſco, id eſt, non cognoſcam, whiche now written vnwritten veritie hee numbereth a litle before among his vnwrittē vanities. Thus may ye ſee how this More an vpholder of vnwritten verities.old holy vpholder of the popes church, hys woordes fight agaynſt him ſelfe into his own confuſion, in findyng vsus forth his vnwritten written vanities, verities I ſhould ſay. But returne we vntounto the expoſition of S. Iohn.

When the Iewes would not vnderſtand the ſpirituall ſaying of the eating of Chriſtes fleſh and drinkyng of hys bloud, ſo oft and ſo playnely declared: he gaue them a ſtrong ſtripe and made them more blynd, for they ſo deſerued it (ſuch are the ſecrete iudgementes of God) addyng vntounto all hys ſayinges thus, who ſo eateth my fleſh and drinketh my bloud: abideth in me and I in him. Theſe wordes were ſpoken vntounto theſe vnbeleuers into their farther obſtinatiō, but vntounto the faithfull for theyr better inſtruction. Now gather of this the contrary, & ſay, who ſo eateth not my fleſhe and drinketh not my bloud: abydeth not in me, nor I in him, and ioyne this to the foreſayd ſentence. Except Abacuk. 2.ye eate the fleſh of the ſonne of mā, & drinke hys bloud, ye hauehave no lyfe in you, let it neuer fal frō thy minde (Chriſten reader) that faith is the lyfe of the Fayth is y^• life of the righteous.righteous, and that Chriſt is this lyuyng bread whom thou eateſt, that is to ſay, in whō thou beleueſt. For if our p. 464Papiſtes take eatyng & drinkyng here bodely, as to eate the naturall body of Chriſt vnderunder the forme of bread, and to drinke hys bloud vnderunder the forme of wyne: thē muſt all young children that neuer came to Gods borde departed, & all laye men that neuer drancke hys 1. Iohn. 4.1 John 4bloud be damned. By louelove we abyde in God and hee in vsus, louelove foloweth faith in the order of our vnderſtanding and not in order of ſucceſſion of tyme, if thou lookeſt vponupon the ſelfe giftes and not on their fruites. So that principally by faith, wherby we cleaue to Gods goodnes and mercy, we abide in God, and God in vsus, as declare his wordes folowyng, ſaying, as the liuyng father By fayth we eate & drinke Chriſt, and ſo he abydeth in vsus and we in hym.ſent me, ſo liue I by my father. And euen ſo he that eateth me ſhall lyue bycauſe of me, or for my ſake. My father ſent me whoſe will in all thinges I obey, for I am his ſonne. And euen ſoverely muſt they that eate me, that is beleue in me, forme and faſhion them after my exāple mortifying their fleſh chaunging their liuing: or els they eate me in vayne and diſſemble theyr belief. For I am not come to redeme y^t world onelyonly, but alſo to chaunge theyr lyfe. Chriſten religion is fayth, and a lyfe correſpondēt.They therefore that beleue in me ſhall trāſforme their life after my example & doctrine, & not after any mans traditiōs. This is the bread y^t came frō heauē, as the effect it ſelfe declareth, whō who ſo eateth ſhall lyue euer. But he y^t eateth bodely bread lyueth not euer, as ye may ſee of your fathers y^t eate Mā na, & yet are they dead. It is not therfore any materiall bread nor bodely foode that may geue you life eternall.

Theſe wordes did not onelyonly offende them that hated Chriſt, but alſo ſome of hys Diſciples. They were offended (ſayd the text) and not merueyled as More trifleth out the truth) which ſaid. This is an hard ſaying: who may here this? Theſe Diſciples yet ſtoke no leſſe in Chriſtes viſible fleſhe, and in the barke of his wordes, then did the other Iewes: and as doth now More, beleuing him to hauehave had ſpoken of his naturall body to be eaten with their teth. Which offence Chriſt ſeyng, ſayd: doth The Iewes and alſo the diſciples of Chriſte were offended at his wordes.this offend you, what then will ye ſay, if ye ſee the ſonne of mā aſcend thether where he was before? If it offend you to eate my fleſh while I am here, it ſhal much more offend you to eate it when my body ſhalbe gone out of your ſight, aſcended into heauen there ſittyng on the right hand of my father vntill I come again, as I wēt, that is to iudgement. Here might Chriſt hauehave inſtructed his diſciples in the truth of the eatyng of his fleſh in forme of bread, had this ben his meaning. For he left them neuer in any perplexitie or doubt: but ſought all the wayes by ſimilitudes & familiar exāples to teath them playnly. He neuer ſpake them ſo hard a parable, but where he perceiued their …eble ignoraunce, anone he helpte them and declared it them. Yea and ſometymes he preuented their aſkyng with his owne declaration, & thinke ye that he did not ſo here? yes verely. For he came to teach vsus, and not to leaue vsus in any doubt and ignoraunce, eſpecially in the chief pointe of our ſaluation, which ſtādeth in the belefe in his death for our ſinnes. Wherefore, to put them out of all doubt as concerning this eatyng of his fleſh, and drinkyng of hys bloud, that ſhould giuegive euerlaſtyng lyfe: where they tooke it for his very body to be eaten with their teeth: hee ſayd. It is the ſpirite that giueth this Here Chriſt doth playnly ſhew that it is the ſpirituall eatyng, & not the fleſhly eatyng of his body that profiteth.lyfe, my fleſh profiteth nothyng at all, to be eaten as ye meane ſo carnally. It is ſpirituall meate that I heare ſpeake of. It is my ſpirite that draweth the hartes of men to me by faith and ſo refreſheth them ghoſtly. Ye be therefore carnall, to thinke that I ſpeake of my fleſh to be eaten bodely, for ſo it profiteth you nothing at all. How long will ye be without vnderſtādyng? It is my ſpirite I tell you that giueth lyfe. My fleſhe profiteth you nothyng to eate it: but to beleue that it ſhalbe crucified & ſuffer for the redemption of the world it profiteth. And when ye thus beleue, then eate ye my fleſhe and drinke my bloud, that is, ye beleue in me to ſuffer for your ſinnes. The veritie hath ſpoken theſe woordes. My fleſh profiteth nothyng at all: it can not therefore be falſe. For both the Iewes and his Diſciples murmured and diſputed of hys fleſh how it ſhould be eaten, and not of the offeryng thereof for our ſinnes as Chriſt ment. This therfore is the ſure anker to hold vsus by agaynſt all the obiections of the Papiſtes for the eatyng of Chriſtes body (as they ſay) in forme of bread. Chriſt ſayd: My fleſh profiteth The eating of Chriſtes fleſh profited nothyng.nothyng: meaning to eate it bodely. This is the key that ſolueth al their argumentes and openeth the way to ſhewe vsus all their falſe and abhominable blaſphemous lyes vppon Chriſtes wordes, and vttereth their ſleigh iuggling ouer the bread to mainteine Antichriſtes kyngdome therewith. And p. 465thus when Chriſt had declared it and taught them that it was not the bodely eatyng of his materiall body: but the eatyng with the ſpirite of fayth: he added ſaying. The wordes which I here The wordes of Chriſte were ſpirit and life.ſpeake vntounto you are ſpirite and lyfe. That is to ſay, this matter that I here hauehave ſpoken of with ſo many wordes muſt be ſpiritually vnderſtand, to giuegive you this life euerlaſtyng. Wherfore the cauſe why ye vnderſtād me not is, that ye beleue not. Here is lo the concluſion of all this Sermon. Chriſt very God and man, had ſet his fleſh before them to be receiued with fayth that it ſhould be broken & ſuffer for their ſinnes, but they could not eate it ſpiritually, bycauſe they beleued not in him. Wherefore many of his Diſciples fell frō him & walked no more with him. And then he ſayd to the twelue. Will ye go away to? And Symon Peter aunſwered: Lord, to whom ſhal we go? Thou haſt the wordes of euerlaſtyng life, and we beleue and are ſure, that thou art Chriſt the ſonne of the liuyng God. Here is it manifeſt what Peter and his felowes vnderſtode by this eatyng and drinkyng of Chriſt. For they were perfitely taught that it ſtode all in the belefe in Chriſt as their aūſwere here teſtifieth. If this matter had ſtand vponupon ſo deepe a miracle, as our Papiſtes fayne without any word of God, not comprehended vnderunder any of their common ſenſes, that they ſhould eate hys body beyng vnderunder the forme of bread as long, depe, thicke, and as brode as it hanged vponupon the croſſe, they beyng yet but feble of fayth, not confirmed with the holy ghoſt, muſt here nedes hauehave woundered, ſtoned and ſtaggerde, & hauehave bene more inquiſitiue in and of ſo ſtraunge Chriſtes diſciples vnderſtode Chriſt to ſpeake ſpiritually and beleued.a matter then they were. But they neither doubted nor marueiled nor murmured, nor were any thyng offended with this maner of ſpech, as were y^t other that ſlipt away, but they aunſwered firmely. Thou haſt the woordes of euerlaſtyng lyfe: and we beleue. &c. Now to the expoſition of the woordes of our Lordes Supper.

Among the holy Euangeliſtes, writyng the ſtory of Chriſtes Supper: Iohn bicauſe the other three had written it at large, did but make a mention thereof in his. xiij. Chapter Mathew, Math. 26. Math. 24. Luke. 24.Matt 26Matt 24Luke 24Marke and Luke declaryng it clerely, orderly & with iuſt number of wordes. With whom Paule agreeth, thus writyng vntounto the Corinthians. Our Lord 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11Ieſus, y^• …ame night he was betrayed: he tooke the bread, and after he had giuen thankes: he brake it, ſaying: Take ye it, eate it. This is my body, whiche is for you brokē. Here is now to be noted the order of this action or act. Firſt The order of the act…Chriſt tooke the bread in his hādes, ſecondaryly he gaue thankes, thirdly he brake it: fourthly he taught it them ſaying, take it, fiftly he had them eate it. At laſt after all this hee ſayd. This is my body which is for you broken, this thyng do ye into the remembraunce of me. Here ye ſee, y^t this bread was firſt broken deliuered them, and they were cōmaūded to eate it to: ere Chriſt ſayd. This is my body. And for bicauſe it is to ſuppoſe verely, y^• they tooke it at his hād as he had them, and dyd eate it to, when they had it in their handes their maſter (whoſe wordes they did euer obey) cōmmaūding thē. It muſt needes folow (if theſe be the wordes of the cō ſecratiō) that they were houſeled with vnconſecrated bread, or els now eaten, or at leſt wiſe part of it, ere Chriſt conſecrated it, yea it foloweth that it was out of Chriſtes handes and in they… mouthes when Chriſt conſecrated it, & ſo to hauehave conſecrated it whē it was now in his diſciples handes or in their mouthes or rather in theyr bellyes.

Here it is manifeſt that Chriſt conſecrated Chriſt conſecrated no bread, but deliuered it to his Apoſtles to eate.no bread, but deliuered it to his Diſciples, and bad them eate it. In ſomuch that S. Thomas their owne Doctour, that made their tranſubſtantiation cōfeſſeth that ſome there were, that ſayd that Chriſt did firſt conſecrate with other woordes, ere he now reachyng the bread to his Diſciples ſayd. This is my body. &c. And yet calleth he it no hereſie ſo to ſay. Now ſith in all this acte and Supper, there bee no woordes of conſecration, but of the deliueryng of the bread broken after thankes giuyng with a commaundement to eate it: bryng vsus your wordes of cōſecration, and ſhewe vsus by what woordes God promiſed you and gaue you power to make his body. There is neither commaundement, nor yet any wordes left in all the Scripture to There is left vntounto vsus no wordes of conſecration, wherby we ſhould alter and chaūge the nature of bread into his body.make or to conſecrate Chriſtes body, to bryng it into the bread. But there be the wordes of God left in the firſt chapter of Geneſis, wherby he made all the world: with whiche wordes, all be it we yet hauehave them: yet is it denyed vsus to make that thyng that he made with thē. Now, ſith we hauyng his wordes of the creation, can not yet make any new creature of nothyng: how then p. 466ſhall we without any wordes of conſecration and makyng, make the maker of all thynges?

VntoUnto this action or ſupper or deliueraūce of the bread, he added a reaſon and ſignification of this ſigne or Sacrament, and what alſo is the vſe therof: The vſe of the Supper.as though any ſhould aſke thē therafter: what Sacrament, Religion, or rite is this? They ſhould aunſwere euen in a like maner of ſpech as it was cōmaunded their fathers to make aunſwere to their children at the eatyng of the old paſſeouer, wherof this new paſſeouer was the veritie, and that the figure, ſaying. When your children aſke you what Religion is this? ye ſhal aū ſwere them. It is the ſacrifice of the paſſyng by of the Lord. &c. Lo here the The paſchal lambe.lambe that ſignified, and did put them in remembraunce of that paſſing by in Egypt (the Iſraelites ſpared, and the Egyptians ſmitten) was called in like phraſe the ſelfe thyng that it repreſented, ſignified, and did put them in remembraunce of: none otherwiſe then if Chriſtes Diſciples, or any man els, ſeyng in that Supper, the bread taken, thankes giuen, the bread broken, diſtributed and eaten: ſhould hauehave aſked hym. What Sacrament or religion is this? He had to aunſwere them that Chriſt ſayd. This is my body whiche is for you broken. This thyng do ye The true meanyng & ſignificatiō of the Sacrament of the body & bloud of Chriſt.in remembraunce of me, that is to ſay, ſo oft as ye celebrate this Supper, giuegive thankes to me for your redempciō. In which aūſwere he calleth the outward ſenſible ſigne or Sacramēt, that is the bread with all the other action, euen the ſame thyng that it ſignifieth, repreſenteth, and putteth ſuch eaters of the Lordes Supper in remembraunce of. For when he ſayd, which is broken for you, eueryevery one of them ſaw that then it was not his body, that was there broken: but the bread for as yet he had not ſuffered, but the bread broken was denided in peeces eueryevery one of the twelue takyng and eatyng a peece before hee ſayd. This is my body. &c.

Now ſith M. More will ſticke ſo faſt in his litteral ſenſe vponupon theſe wordes. This is my body. &c. Then do I aſke Mores litterall ſenſe …s loſt.hym, what thyng hee ſheweth vsus by this firſt worde and pronoune demonſtratiue Hoc, in Engliſhe (this.) If ye ſhew vsus thē bread: ſo is the bread Chriſtes body, and Chriſtes body the bread, which ſaying in the litterall ſenſe is an hygh hereſie after them. And for this ſaying they burned the Lord Cobham Alſo I aſke whether Chriſt ſpeakyng theſe wordes. This is my body. &c. had then the bread in his hands wherwith he houſeled his Diſciples or no? That he had it not, but had now deliuered it them: and had commaunded them to eate it to, the order and woordes of the text playnly proue it, as is declared before. Marke. 14.Mark 14And S. Marke telleth the ſtory alſo in this order. The cuppe taken in his handes, after he had giuen thākes, he gaue it them, & they all dranke therof. And he ſayd to them. This is my bloud of the new Teſtament: which is ſhed for many. Here it is manifeſt that The wordes of conſecratiō were ſpokē after Chriſt had deliuered y^• bread & the cup.they had all dronken therof firſt ere he ſaid the wordes of conſecration (if they be the wordes of any cōſecration.) Beſides this: if ye be ſo ſworne to the litterall ſenſe in this matter, that ye will not in theſe woordes of Chriſt. This is my body. &c. admitte in ſo playne a ſpeche any trope (for allegory there is none, if ye knew the proper difference of them both, whiche eueryevery Grammarian can teach you) thē do I lay before your old eyen and ſpectacles to, Chriſtes wordes ſpoken of the cup both in Luke. 22.Luke 22Luke and Paul ſaying: this cup is the newe Teſtament through my bloude 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11which is ſhed for you. Here Chriſt calleth the wyne in the cup the ſelfe cuppe whiche eueryevery man knoweth is not the wyne. Alſo hee calleth the cuppe the new Teſtament, and yet was not the cup nor yet the wyne conteined therin the new Teſtament, and yet calleth it the new Teſtament eſtabliſhed & confirmed with his bloud here ye ſee hee called not the cuppe his bloud but the Teſtament. Where is now your litterall ſenſe that ye would …o fayne frame for your Papiſtes pleaſure? If ye will ſo ſore ſticke to the letter: why do your faction leaue here the plaine letter: ſaying that the letter ſlayth: goyng about the buſh with this expoſition and circumlocution, expoundyng. This is my How the Papiſtes wreſt the wordes of Scripture.body, that is to ſay, this is conuerted & turned into my body, & this bread is tranſubſtantiated into my body? How farre lo, M. More is this your ſtraunge Thomiſticall ſenſe from the flat letter? If ye be ſo addictt to the letter, why fray ye the commō people from the litteral ſenſe with this bugge, tellyng thē the letter ſlayeth? but there is neither letter nor ſpirite that may bridle nor hold your ſtiffe necked heades.

Alſo ye ſhall vnderſtand that Chriſt Iohn. 6.John 6rebuked the Iewes for theyr litterall ſenſe and carnall vnderſtandyng of his p. 467ſpirituall woordes, ſaying: My fleſh profiteth you nothyng at all to eate it. &c. And their litteral takyng of his ſpirituall woordes was the cauſe of their murmure. &c. For euen there (as alſo lyke in other places) to eate Chriſtes fleſh. &c. after the common phraſe of the Scripture, is not els, thē to beleue that Chriſt ſuffered death, & ſhed his bloud for vsus. Read ye Paul. Our fathers did 1. Cor. 10.1 Cor 10all eate the ſame ſpirituall meate and drinke the ſame ſpirituall drinke that To eate Chriſtes fleſh is to beleue in hym.we now eate & drinke: Here I thinke M. More muſt leaue his litterall ſence & materiall meate, or els deny Paul, and deny to that our fathers did eate Chriſt and drinke his bloud, whiche all here Paule ſayth, for to eate and to drinke this ſpirituall meate and drinke, was as him ſelfe declareth to eate & drinke Chriſt. They dranke of the ſtone (ſayth The maner of Saint Paules ſpeakyng.Paule) that went with them. Whiche ſtone was Chriſte. And we eate and drinke the very ſame ſtone. Whiche is nothyng els, then to beleue in Chriſt. They beleued in Chriſt to come, & we beleue in him comē, and to hauehave ſuffered, where is now thinke ye M. Mores litterall ſenſe for the eatyng of Chriſtes material body? Our fathers were one, and the ſame Church with vsus, vnderunder the ſame Teſtament and promiſe, and euen of the ſame fayth in Chriſt. And euen as they eate him and dranke his bloud euen the ſame ſpirituall meate & drinke that we do eate and drinke: ſo do we now in the ſame faith. For what elles was ſignified by this maner of ſpech, our fathers did eate and drinke Chriſt, then that they beleued in Chriſt Math. 15.Matt 15to bee incarnated and to ſuffer death? what els meant the poore woman of Lanane by eating, then to beleue? whē ſhe aunſwered Chriſt, ſaying. Ye ſay ſoth my Lorde. But yet doe the little whelpes eate of the crummes that fall from their maiſters table. This dyd An allegoticall ſpech wel allowed and vſed of Chriſt.ſhe aunſwere in an allegory accordyng to Chriſtes firſt aunſwere vntounto her, ſhe meanyng by y^t eatyng of the crummes, the belief of his woordes and Goſpell to be ſcattered among the Gentils as Chriſt aunſweryng, cōfirmed her meanyng, ſaying: O woman great is thy fayth. He ſayd not, thou art a great eater and deuourer of bread. Here it is playne that to eate in the Scripture is taken to beleue: as Chriſt him ſelfe expoundeth Iohn. 6.John 6it, ſo oft, and ſo plentuouſly. And I am here compelled to inculke & iterate it with ſo many wordes, to ſatiſfie (if it were poſſible) this carnall fleſhvowerer and fleſhly Iew.

Now to examine and to diſcuſſe this The olde paſſeouer compared with the Supper of our Lord.matter more depely & playnly. I ſhall compare the old paſſeouer, with the new and ſupper of the Lord. And to ſhew you how the figures correſpond their verities: I will begyn my compariſon at Baptiſme comparyng it with Baptiſme compared with Circumciſion.the Lordes Supper, which be the two Sacramentes left vsus now vnderunder the grace of the Goſpell. And afterward (to ſet foorth both theſe Sacramentes playnly) I wil compare Circumciſion with Baptiſme: & the paſſe lambe with Chriſtes Supper.

We (by Baptiſme) as we teſtified vn 1. Cor. 10. 11. and 12. Rom. 6. Epheſ. 4.1 Cor 10:111 Cor 10:12Rom 6Eph 4to the congregation our entryng into the body of Chriſt (take here Chriſtes body, as doth Paule for his congregation) to dye, to be buried, and to ryſe with him, to mortifie our fleſh, and to be reuiued in ſpirite, to caſt of the old man, and to do vponupon vsus the new: euen Euchariſtia thākes giuyng. 1. Cor. 10. and 11.1 Cor 10ſo, by the thankes giuyng (for ſo did the old Greke doctours cal this Supper) at Gods bourde, or at the Lordes Supper (for ſo doth Paule call it) we teſtifie the vnitie and communion of our hartes, glued vntounto the whole body of Chriſt in louelove: yea and that ſuch louelove as Chriſt at this, his laſt Supper expreſſed: what tyme he ſayd, his body ſhould be broken, and his bloud ſhed for the remiſſion of our ſinnes. And to be ſhort. As Baptiſme is the badge of our fayth, ſo is the Lordes Supper the 1. Tim. 1.1 Tim 1token of our louelove to God & our neighbours: where vppon ſtandeth the law and the Prophetes. For the end of the precept, is louelove out of a pure hart, and good conſcience and fayth vnfayned. So that by baptiſme we be initiated & cōſigned vntounto the worſhip of one God in one fayth: And by the ſame faith and louelove at the Lordes Supper, we ſhew our ſelues to cōtinue in our poſſeſſion, to bee incorporated and to be the very members of Chriſtes body.

Both theſe Sacramentes were figured Baptiſme was figured by Circumciſion, and the Lordes Supper by the paſchall lambe.in Moyſes law. Baptiſme was figured by Circumciſion: & the Lordes Supper, by the eatyng of the paſſelambe. Where lyke as by Circumciſiō, the people of Iſraell were rekened to be Gods people, ſeueral from the Gē tiles, ſo be we now by Baptiſme rekened to bee conſigned vntounto Chriſtes Church ſeuerall frō Iewes, paynyms &c. And as their paſſeouer, that is to ſay, their ſolēne feaſt yearely in eatyng their paſſelambe, was an outward token of their perſeueraunce in their religion, p. 468and in remembraunce of their paſſage out of Egypt into the lande of Chanaan: ſo is now the eatyng of the Lordes Supper (whiche Chriſt and Luke. 12. 1. Cor. 5.Luke 121 Cor 5Paule called our paſſeouer) a token of our perſeueraunce in our Chriſten profeſſion at Baptiſme: and alſo thankes giuyng with that ioyfull remēbraunce of our redemption frō ſinne, death, and Exod. 12.Exod 12hell by Chriſtes death. Of the figure of this Supper: our new paſſeouer: thus it is written. After ye be entred into that land, whiche the Lord God ſhall giuegive you accordyng to his promiſe: ye ſhall kepe this ceremonie. And when your children aſke you what Religion is this? ye ſhall aunſwere them. It is the ſacrifice of the paſſyng ouer of the Lord, when the Lord paſſed foorth by the houſes of the children of Iſraell in Egypt, ſmityng the Egyptiās and deliuering our houſes. This eatyng therfore of the paſſe lambe was the figure of the Lordes Supper▪ whiche figure when the houre was come y^• he would it to ceaſſe and giuegive place vntounto the veritie, as the ſhadow to vaniſh away at the preſence of the body: He ſayd thus, with a feruent deſire do I long to eate Luke. 22.Luke 22this paſſeouer with you ere I ſuffer.

Agayne, let vsus compare the figure with the truth, the old paſſeouer with the new, and diligētly conſider the propertie of ſpeakyng, in and of either of thē. Let vsus expende the ſucceſſion, imitation, The Paſchall lambe eaten and the Sacrament inſtituted.and tyme, how the new ſucceding the old mediatour Chriſt betwen both ſitting at the Supper celebrating both with his preſence: did put out the old and bryng in the new. For there is in either of them ſuch like compoſition of wordes, ſuch affinitie and proportiō of ſpech, ſuch ſimilitude and propertie in them both, the new ſo correſpōdyng in all thynges to the old, that the old declareth the new, what is it, wherfore it was inſtituted, and what is the very vſe therof. And to begyn at Circumciſion Twoo thynges to be conſidered in the Sacramentes.the figure of Baptiſme, ye ſhall vn derſtand, that in ſuch rites and Sacramētes there are two thinges to be conſidered, that is to wit. The thyng, and the ſigne and of thyng. The thynge is it wherfore the ſigne is inſtituted to ſignifie it: as in Circumciſion, the thyng is the couenaunt to be of the people of God, and the ſigne is, the cuttyng of the foreſkinne of the preuy mēber. In the paſſeouer, the thing was, the remē braunce with thankes giuyng for the deliueraunce out of the hard ſeruitude of Egypt: but the ſigne was, the lambe roſted with ſuch ceremonies as were there preſcribed them. So in baptiſme: The matter and ſubſtaunce of of the Sacramēt and the ſignes of the … ▪The thyng is, the promiſe to be of the Church of Chriſt: the ſigne is, the dippyng into the water with the holy wordes. In our Lordes Supper, the very thing is Chriſt promiſed and crucified, and of faith with thankes giuing vntounto the father for his ſonne giuen to ſuffer for vsus. But the ſigne is, the dealyng and diſtributing or reaching forth of the bread and wyne, with the holy wordes of our Lord ſpoken at his ſupper, after he had thus dealt the bread & wyne, vntounto his Diſciples.

And here is it diligently to be noted: The ſigne is called the thyng.That in all ſuch rites, ceremonies, or Sacramentes of God thus inſtituted: theſe two thinges (that is to witte the thyng ſignified, and the ſigne that ſignifieth) be concurraunt and inſeparable. It is the common vſe and propertie of ſpech in the Scripture, to call the ſigne, the thyng. As is Circumciſion called the couenaunt. EueryEvery manchild Gene. 17.Gen 17muſt be circumciſed that my couenaunt might be in your fleſh for a perpetuall bande. And yet was it onelyonly but the outward ſigne & ſeale of the couenaūt, that the ſede of Abraham ſhould be his eſpecial choſen people, & that he would be their God. The lambe, that was Exod. 12.Exod 12but the ſigne, was called the paſſeouer: and yet was not the lambe the paſſyng ouer, but the ſigne onelyonly excityng and moniſhing them to remember that deliueraūce by the aungell paſling by the Iſraelites in Egypt, ſinityng the Egyptians. And ſith this trope or maner of ſpech the Scripture did vſe with ſo great grace in the old rites and ceremonies that figured our Sacramētes: why may it not with like grace, for that analogie and proper congruence of the figures with their verities, vſe the ſame phraſe and maner of ſpech in their verities? If the Scripture called the The ſcripture calleth the ſigne by the name of the thing that it ſignifieth.ſigne the thyng in Circumciſion & the paſſeouer: why ſhould we be offended with the ſame ſpech in our Baptiſme & in the Lordes Supper? Sith ſuch maner of ſpech hauehave no leſſe grace and fulnes here then there to bryng the thyng ſignified into our hartes by ſuch outward ſenſible ſignes. For when that ſigne of Circumciſion was giuen the child: thē were they certified (as an outword token may certifie) that the child was of the people of Iſraell. And therfore did the ſignes thē, as they do now beare the names of thyngs which they ſignified as the lambe eaten in the paſſeouer p. 469was called the ſacrifice & the ſelfe paſſeouer, none otherwiſe then in our new paſſeouer, that is the Lordes ſupper, The bread in the Sacramēt called the body of Chriſt & the wyne called the bloud of Chriſt.the bread brokē &c. is called the body of Chriſt, & the wyne poured forth and diſtributed to ech mā, the bloud of Chriſt becauſe the bread ſo broken and dealt ſignifieth vntounto the receiuers and putteth them in remembraunce of the ſacrifice of his body on the aulter of the croſſe, and of his bloud poured foorth for our redemption. So that this maner of ſpech in the adminiſtration and vſe of the Supper of our Lord: to ſay. This is my body, & this is my bloud: is aſmuch to ſay as, this ſignifieth my body, this ſignifieth my bloud. Which Supper is here celebrated to put vsus in remēbraunce of Chriſtes death, and to excite vsus to thankes giuyng.

Neither let it offend thee (O Chriſten reader) That eſt, is taken for ſignificat: …ſt, is takē for ſignificat.that is to ſay. This is that, is as much to ſay, as this ſignifieth that. For this is a commō maner of ſpech in many places of Scripture, and alſo in our mother toūg: as whē we ſee many pictures or images, which ye know well are but ſignes to repreſent the bodyes whom they be made lyke, yet we ſay of the Image of our Lady. This is our Lord, and of S. Katheriue, this is S. Katherine, & yet do they but repreſent and ſignify vsus, our Lady or S. Katherine. And as it is writtē. The in. braū ches are three dayes. The thre baſkets Gene. 40.Gen 40are three dayes, which was not els but they ſignified three dayes. Alſo in the The figuratiue ſpeches vſed in the ſcripture.xxviij. chapter. Iacob ſayd. This ſtone whiche I hauehave ſet vp an ende, ſhalbe Gods houſe, which ſtone yet was neuer Gods houſe nor neuer ſhalbe: but onelyonly did ſignifie gods houſe to be builded in that ſame place. Agayne Pharao dreamed to hauehave ſene vij. faire fat Oxē, & eftſoones vij. poore lene Oxē, which Ioſeph expoundyng ſayd: The vij. fat Oxē are vij. plētuous yeares, in which phraſe or maner of ſpech eueryevery mā ſith that the Oxē were no yeares: but they ſignified ſuch yeares. Maruell not therfore though eſt, likewiſe in this ſentēce: Hoc eſt corpus meum, be taken for ſignificat, as much to ſay, as this ſignifieth my body. And yet for becauſe the Scriptures conferred together expounde them ſelfe as ſayth S. Auſten: And Peter. …. Pet. 2.That we hauehave before a firme and ſure prophetical ſpech vntounto which if we attend as vntounto a light ſet vp in a darke place, we do well: I ſhall ſhew you a like phraſe in Ezechiell where the deſtruction of Ieruſalem was thus figured. God commaundyng Ezechiell to Ezech. 5.Ezek 5take a ſword as ſharpe as a raſer, and ſhaue of his head and beard, and then take a certain waight of the heares deuided into three partes: The one, he ſhould burne in the middes of the Citie. An other he ſhould cut roūd about, and caſt the thyrd vp into the wynde. &c. which done he ſayd: Thus ſayth the The maner of ſpeakyng in the ſcripturo.Lord God. This is Ieruſalem. Which act and dede ſo done, was not Ieruſalem. But it ſignified and preached vntounto the beholders of it, Ieruſalem to be deſtroyed: none otherwiſe thē the breakyng and diſtributing of the bread and wyne called Chriſtes body and bloud ſignifieth and preacheth vsus the death of Chriſt, the figure and ſigne bearyng the name of the thyng ſignified, as in the Prophetes ſpech, ſaying: This is Ieruſalem: which dyd but ſignifie Ieruſalem. When Chriſt dyd breath into his Diſciples, ſaying: Take ye the holy Iohn. 3.John 3ghoſt: the ſame breath was not the holy ghoſt, but ſignified and repreſented them the holy ghoſt, with a thouſand lyke maner of ſpech in the Scripture.

In the old paſſeouer thankes were giuen for the ſlaughter of the firſt begotten, wherein the kynges poſteritie of Egypt fell away. (The Hebrues ſpared, paſſeouer, and deliuered.) But in the new paſſeouer, thankes were giuen that the onelyonly begotten ſonne of the moſt higheſt was crucified, wherby all faythfull are ſpared, paſſed ouer, and not ſmittē with the ſword of damnation, but deliuered and ſaued in the lambes bloud that hath takē away the ſinne of the world. In the old paſſeouer. The lambe or feaſt is called the Lordes paſſeouer, and yet was neither the lambe nor the feaſt his paſſyng ouer: but the ſigne and commemoration of his paſſyng by. And euē ſo is it now in the new Supper of our Lord. It is The naturall body of Chriſt is not in the Sacramēt▪there called the body of our Lord, not that there is any thing, wherin his very naturall body is contayned ſo long and brode as it hāged on the croſſe, for ſo is it aſcended into heauē and ſitteth on the right hād of the father: but that thyng that is there done in that Supper, as the breakyng and dealyng and eatyng of the bread, and the whole like action of the wine, ſignifieth, repreſenteth, and putteth into our harts by the ſpirite of faith this cōmemoration, ioyfull remēbraunce, & ſo to geue thankes for that ineſtimable benefite of our redemption, p. 470wherin we ſee with the eye of our fayth preſently his body broken & his bloud ſhed for our ſinnes. This is no ſmall Sacrament, nor yet irreuerētly The Sacrament is to be receaued with thankeſ geuyng.to be entreated: but it is the moſt glorious and hygheſt Sacramēt, with all reuerence and thankes geuyng to be miniſtred, vſed receiued, preached & ſolemnely in the face of the congregation to be celebrated: of whoſe holy adminiſtration and vſe I ſhall peraduenture ſpeake in the end of this Supper.

But in the meane ſeaſon (Chriſten reader) let theſe ſenſible ſignes ſignifie The vſe of the ſupper.and repreſent hys death, and print it in thy hart geuyng thankes inceſſantly vntounto God the father for ſo incomparable a benefite, that hath giuē thee his owne onelyonly ſo dearely beloued ſonne our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt to dye for thy ſinnes yea and that when we were not his childrē but his enemyes. Chriſtes diſciples ſayd to the man where is Luke. 22.Luke 22this geſt chamber where I might eate the paſſing by with my diſciples? & they prepared the paſſeouer. And yet Chriſt eate not the paſſeouer, but the lambe with his diſciples, where it is plaine, y^e ſigne to do on the name of the thyng.

At laſt, conſider vntounto what eude all Note here the whole circumſtaunce of the maner and inſtitution of the Sacramēt of Chriſtes body.things tended in that laſt ſupper, how the figure teached the veritie, the ſhadow the body, and how the veritie aboliſhed the figure, and the ſhadow gaue place to the body. Loke alſo with what congruence, proportion, and ſimilitude both in the action & the ſpech, al things were conſummate and finiſhed, and all to lead vsus by ſuch ſeuſible ſignes from the figure vntounto the veritie, frō the fleſh vntounto the ſpirite. And take thou here this infallible & aſſured ſaying of Chriſt neuer to fall fro thy mynde in this laſt ſupper, do ye this into the remēbraūce Luke. 22.Luke 22of me. And alſo of Paul, ſaying. So oft as ye ſhal eate this bread (lo this heretike 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11calleth it bread euē after the words of the Popes cōſecratiō) and drinke of this cup, praiſe, declare & geue thankes for the death of the Lord vntill he ſhall come agayne to iudgement. Remēber thou alſo: what Chriſt ſayd to the carnall Iewes takyng the eatyng of hys fleſh and drinkyng of his bloud ſo carnally, aunſweryng them. My fleſh profiteth not, meanyng to eate it bodely Iohn. 6.John 6but the ſpirite maketh lyfe. And to this ſet the Prophet Abacukes ſentēce. The Abacuk. 2.iuſt lyueth of his fayth.

And now (Chriſten reader) to put thee cleane out of doubt, that Chriſtes body is not here preſent vnderunder the forme of bread (as the papiſtes hauehave mocked vsus many a day) but in heauen, euen as he roſe and aſcēded. Thou ſhalt Chriſt declared to his diſciples that he would leaue this world … go to his father in heauen.know that he told hys Diſciples almoſt twenty tymes betwene the xiij. and xviij. chap. of Iohn that he ſhould, and would goe hence, and leaue this world. Where to comfort them agayne for that they were ſo heauy for his bodely abſence, he promiſed to ſend them hys holy Ghoſt to be their comforter, defender, and teacher: in whom and by whom, he would be preſent with them and all faithfull vntounto the worldes end. Hee ſayd vntounto hys Diſciples. I goe Scriptures are many that ſhewe Chriſt as touchyng his natural body is gone and is not here. Actes. 2.Acts 2hence, I goe the father, I leaue the world, and now ſhall I no more be in the world, but ye ſhall abyde ſtill in the world. Father I come to thee. Poore men hauehave ye euer with you: but me ſhall ye not alwayes hauehave with you. And whē he aſcended vntounto heauē, they did behold hym & ſaw the cloude take hys body out of theyr ſyght: and they faſtnyng their eyes after him, the two men clothed in white, ſayd vntounto them. ye men of Galile, wherefore ſtand ye thus lookyng vp into heauen? This is Ieſus that is taken vp from you into heauen, whiche ſhall ſo come agayne, euen as ye hauehave ſene him going hence.

Here I would not More to flitte frō Chriſt aſcē ded into heauen.hys litterall playne ſenſe. All theſe ſo playne wordes be ſufficient, I trow, to a Chriſten man to certifie hys conſcience that Chriſt went his way bodely aſcendyng into heauen. For whē he had told his diſciples ſo oft of his bodely departyng from them: they were maruelous heauy and ſad. Ʋnto whō Chriſt ſayd. Becauſe I told you that I Iohn. 14. and. 16.John 14go hence, your hartes are full of heauines. If they had not beleued hym to hauehave ſpokē of his very bodely abſence: they would neuer hauehave ſo mourned for his goyng away. And for becauſe they ſo vnderſtode him, and he ſo meane as his wordes ſowned: He added (as he ſhould hauehave ſayd) be ye neuer ſo heauy or how heauely ſo euer ye take my goyng hence, yet do I tell you truth. For it is expedient for you that I goe hence. For if I ſhould not go hence, that comforter ſhould not come vntounto you. But and if I go hence, I ſhall Chriſt … playne wordes declareth his bodely departure out of this world.ſend him vntounto you. And agayne in the ſame chap. I am come from the father, and am come into the world, and ſhall leaue the world agayne and go to my father. What miſtery, thinke ye, ſhould be in theſe ſo manifeſt woordes? Did he ſpeake them in any darke parables: p. 471Dyd he meane otherwiſe thē he ſpake? Dyd he vnderſtand by goyng hence ſo oftē repeted, to tary here ſtill? or dyd he meane by forſakyng and leauyng the world to be but inuiſible beyng ſtill in the world with his body? No ſurely. For he meant as faithfully & as playnly as his wordes ſowned, and euen ſo dyd hys Diſciples without any more maruelyng vnderſtand him. For they aunſwered him, ſaying: Lo, now ſpeakeſt thou apertly: neither ſpeakeſt thou any prouerbe. But what a darke prouerbe and ſubtile ridle had it bene: if he had meant by his goyng hence to hauehave …aryed here ſtill? and by forſakyng the world, to abyde ſtill in the world? and by his going hence to his father by his very bodely Aſcention, to be but inuiſible? Who would intrepret this plaine ſentence thus? I go hence, that is to ſaye: I tary here ſtill. I forſake the world and goe to the father, that is to ſay, I will be but inuiſible and yet here abyde ſtill in the world bodely? For as concernyng his Godhead, which was euer with the father, and in all places at once, he neuer ſpake ſuch woordes of it. When Chriſt ſayd (his death now Chriſt playnlye ſhewed vntounto the diſciples that he muſt depart from this world to his father in heauen.was at hand) vntounto his Diſciples: now agaynē I forſake the world and go to my father, but ye ſhall tary ſtill in the world. If they will expound by his for ſakyng the world, to tary here ſtill bodely, and to be but inuiſible: why do they not by lyke expoſition interprete the tarying here ſtill of the Diſciples at that tyme, to be gone hence bodely and to be here viſible? For Chriſt dyd ſet theſe contraryes one agaynſt an other to declare ech other. As if to tary here ſtill, dyd ſignifie to the Diſciples that they ſhould abyde in the world, as it doth in deede: then muſt needes his goyng hence and forſakyng the world ſignifie his bodely abſence as both the wordes playnly lowne, Chriſt meant, and they vnderſtoode them. But in ſo plaine a matter what neede theſe wordes? Be thou therefore ſure (Chriſten reader) that Chriſtes glorified body is not in this world, but in heauen, as he thether aſcended in which body he ſhal Chriſtes …rified body is in heauen.come euen as he went gloriouſly with power and great maieſtie to iudge all the world in the laſt day. Be thou therfore aſſured, that he neuer thus iuggled nor mocked hys ſo dearely beloued Diſciples ſo full of heauynes now for his bodely departyng. For if he had ſo meant as our Papiſtes hauehave peruerted hys, ſaying, hys Diſciples would hauehave wondered at ſo ſtraunge maner of ſpech, and he would hauehave expreſſed his mynde playnly, ſith at this tyme hee was ſo full ſet to leaue them in no doubt but to comforte them with hys playne and comfortable wordes. And Chriſtes … ſcention was witneſſed by many.if he would hauehave ben but inuiſible and ſtill bodely preſent: hee would neuer hauehave couered hym ſelfe with the cloude ſhewyng them and teſtifying alſo by thoſe ij. men his very bodely Aſcētion out of their ſightes. We may not make of hys very bodely Aſcentiō, ſuch an inuiſible iugglyng caſt as our Papiſtes fayne. Faſhionyng and fayning Chriſt a body now inuiſible, now in many places at once, & thē ſo great, and yet in ſo litle a place, not decerned of any of our ſenſes now glorified, now vnglorified, now paſſible, and then impaſſible, and I wote neare what they imagine and make of their maker, and all without any woorde, yea cleane agaynſt all the wordes of holy Scripture. For ſurely, in this their imagination and ſo ſaying they bryng in a freſh, the hereſie of that great heretike Marcian, which ſaid The here … of Marc… what it was?that Chriſt tooke but a phantaſticall body. And ſo was neither verely borne nor ſuffered, nor roſe, nor aſcended verely, neither was he very man. Which hereſie Tertulian confuteth: Chriſt toke verely our nature ſuch a paſſible and mortall body as we beare about with vsus, ſaue that he was without all maner of ſynne. In ſuch a body he ſuffered verely, and roſe agayne from death in ſuch a glorified body now immortall &c. as eueryevery one of vsus ſhall ryſe at the generall iudgement. It is appropried onelyonly to hys Godhead to be eueryevery where and not to bee circumſcribed nor conteined in no one place. And as for our Papiſtes prophane voyde voyces, his body to be in many places at once, indifinitiue incircumſcriptiue, non per modum quāti ne que localiter &c. which includeth in it ſelfe contradiction, of which Paule warned Timothe 1. Timo. 6. 2. Timo. 2.callyng them the oppoſitions of a falſe named ſcience (for that theyr Scholaſticall Diuinitie muſt make obiections agaynſt eueryevery truth, be it neuer ſo playne with pro & contra: whiche ſcience 1. Timo. ….many that profeſſe it (ſayth Paul) hauehave erred from the fayth, as for this contention and battayle about wordes profitable for nothyng els; but to ſubuert the hearers, I care not for them. For I hauehave the almighty teſtimony of the euerlaſtyng word of God ready to ſoyle all theyr madde and vnreaſonable p. 472reaſons, to wype them cleane away, and to turne them into their own confeſſion.

And for bycauſe they hold them ſo faſt by Paule. I ſhall looſe theyr hold, 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11expoundyng the Lordes Supper after Paule, which addeth immediatly vntounto the cup, this y^t Luke there left foorth: Doe ye this into my remembraunce. This doth Paule repete ſo ofte to put The Supper of the Lord is the commem… ration and memoriall of Chriſtes death.vsus in minde, that theſe thankes giuing and Supper is the cōmemoration and the memoriall of Chriſtes death. Wherfore after all hee repeteth it yet agayne the thyrde tyme ſaying. So oft as ye ſhall eate this bread (hee calleth it ſtill bread euen after the Popes conſecration) and drinke the cuppe (he ſayth not drinke this bloude) ſee that ye gyue thākes, be ioyous and preach the death of the Lord, for ſo much ſignifieth, An…ciate, in this place, vntill hee come that is to ſay, frō the tyme of his death and Aſcention vntill hee come agayne to iudgement. Furthermore (ſayeth S. Paule calleth the Sacramēt bread after the conſecration.Paule) who ſo eateth this bread (he calleth it ſtill bread) or drinke of the cuppe of the Lord vnworthely: is giltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. The body and bloud of the Lorde Paule calleth here the congregation aſſembled together to eate the Lordes Supper. For they are his body and bloud which are redemed with his body and bloud, as he ſaid in the x. chapter before. The cup of thankes giuyng whiche we receiue with thākes: is it not the felowſhyp of the bloud of Chriſt? The bread whiche we breake, is it not the felowſhyp of the body of Chriſt? For we beyng many together are one bread, and one body. Loe here Paule expoundyng hym ſelfe vſeth the ſame forme of ſpech that is vſed in theſe woordes. This is my body, takyng is, for ſignifieth. We are By one loafe of bread, we are fignified to bee one body in Chriſt.one bread & one body, that is to ſay, we are ſignified by one loafe of bread to be one body, he ſheweth the cauſe, addyng becauſe we be all partakers of one lofe or peece of bread. And in the xij. chapter folowing, he ſayth plainly, ye be the body of Chriſt and his particular members, and in the firſt to the Epheſians. God dyd ſet Chriſt to be the head ouer all vntounto hys congregation whiche is his body. &c.

And bicauſe the compariſon in the x. chapter betwene the Lordes borde and his cup, and the deuils borde and his cup, do declare this matter. I ſhall The cup of the Lord, … the cup ofrecite Paules wordes, ſaying: ye may not drinke the cup of the Lord, and the cuppe of the deuill both together. Ye the deuill, how they differte.may not bee partakers of the Lordes borde & the deuils borde both at once. The deuils borde and hys cuppe was not his body and bloud, but the earing and drinkyng before their images and Idols as dyd the heathen in the worſhyppe and thankes of theyr Gods. Of the which thyng thou mayſt gather what Paul meant by the Lordes borde and his cuppe. Now let vsus returne to Paule in the x…. chapter. They eate this Who they are that eate of the bread and drinke of the cup vnworthely.bread, and drinke of this cup vnworthely, that come not vntounto this borde with ſuch faith and louelove as they profeſſed at their Baptiſme. They eate vnworthely that thruſt them ſelues in among this congregation hauyng not the louelove that this Sacramēt and ſigne of vnity teacheth and ſignifieth. Which maner of people Paule in y^e ſame chapter rebuketh, and bendeth all his Sermon agaynſt them: for that they were contētious, and came together not for the better but for the woorſe. So that their commyng together which ſhould hauehave bene a token of fayth, and louelove, was turned into the occaſion and matter of diſſcution and ſtrife: bycauſe eueryevery man dyd eate (as Paule ſayth) hys owne ſupper and not the Lordes ſupper: wherein the bread and drinke is common as well to the poore as to the riche. But here the rich diſdayned the EueryEvery … did eate his own ſupper and not the Supper of the …rd.poore and would not tarye for them. So that ſome (as the rich) went theyr way dronken and full: and the poore departed hungry and dry, whiche was a token of no equall diſtribution of the bread and drinke: and that the rich contemned the poore, and ſo became ſclaū derous and giltie of the body & bloud of Chriſt: that is to witte, of the poore congregation redemed with Chriſtes body and bloud. Thus they that came together appearyng to hauehave had that louelove whiche the Supper ſignified and had it not, vttered them ſelues by this contētious and vnlouyng dealyng not to be members of Chriſtes body, but rather giltie and hurtfull vntounto them. As if a ſouldier of our aduerſaries part ſhoulde come in among vsus with our Lordes badge, hauyng not that hart fayth and louelove to our captaine that we hauehave, we would (if we eſpyed it by any token) take him for a ſpye and betrayer We muſt firſte examine out ſtlues, and thē come to the table of the Lord.rather then one of vsus.

Let a man therefore (ſayth Paule) proue him ſelfe well before, whether he hath this fayth to Chriſt & louelove to God and his neighbour which all he profeſſed p. 473at Baptiſme, and this Supper ſignified: and ſo come in among the congregation to eate of this bread & drinke of this cup (he calleth it ſtill bread and wyne: & neither his body nor bloud.) For he that eateth & drinketh vnworthely, eateth and drinketh hys owne damnation: bycauſe he diſcerneth not the Lordes body. He calleth ſtill the Lordes body the congregation redemed with Chriſtes body as he dyd before, Loke more of this in the Epiſtle to the reader.and alſo in the chapter folowyng fetching his analogie and ſimilitude at the naturall body. In which although there be diuers members one excelling an other, one inferiour, vyler and more cōtemptible then an other, yet may not the body want them: but muſt couer them reuerently, and hold them in honour. Agayn, in the body, though there be diuers members of diuers offices: yet is there no diſcorde among them: but eueryevery member bee it neuer ſo, low and vyle: yet doth it miniſter and ſerue an other, and all together hold vp and helpe the whole body. This conſideratiō with theſe cōpariſons ſo eloquently, ſo plenteouſly, ſo liuely doth Paule ſet forth in that xij. chap. that no mā cā deſire any more. And all to bryng vsus into the conſideration and diſcretion of the body of Chriſt which is his congregation: without whiche conſideration and diſcretion, if we thruſt our ſelues If we come not thankfully and charitably vntounto y^t Lordes borde, we eate and drinke our damnation.in with his ſigne and recogniſance faynedly: we be but hypocrites and eate and drinke our owne iudgement. For this cauſe many are ſicke among you, and many are a ſlepe, that is, are dead. Here it ſemeth ſome plage to hauehave bencaſt vppon the Corinthians for this abuſe in the eatyng of the Lordes Supper. For both the law & the Prophetes threatened vsus plagues, as peſtilence, famine, and ſword for our ſinnes. For if we had iudged our ſoules, that is, if we had diligently examined our owne liuyng & repented: we ſhould not hauehave ben iudged, that is to ſay, puniſhed of y^t Lord. But while we be puniſhed, we be corrected of the Lord leſt we ſhould be condemned with the world. Wherfore my brethren, when ye come together to eate, tary one for an other. Here is the cauſe of all this diſſention wherfore Paule rebuketh them. But here might ſome of them obiect & tell Paul. Syr we come thether hungry and may not tary ſo long: wherunto Paul aunſwereth as he dyd before: ſaying. HaueHave ye not houſes to eate & drinke in? Do ye contemne the cōgregation of God, and ſhame them that hauehave none? Here S. Paule calleth the poore the Church of God.he calleth the poore the church of God, whom afterward he called the body of the Lord: and now at laſt he ſayth. If any mā be ſo hūgry, let him eate ſomewhat at home, and ſo delay his hunger that he may the better tary for the pore, leſt ye come together vntounto your condemnation. And as for other thynges This place the Papiſtes alledge to proue vnwritten be ritie.I ſhall diſpoſe and ſet in order when I come. Theſe other thynges were concerning this Supper and ſuch as were out of frame among them whiche if ye read the whole Epiſtle are eaſie to ſee: & that they were no neceſſary truthes for their ſaluation. For all ſuch truthes Paule had preached them before and written them to. Neither were theſe other thinges, Lent, Faſt, the Aſſumption of our Lady, halowyng of bowes, Belles, and Aſhes, halowyng of Ʋeſtimentes, and crepyng to the Croſſe, with ſuch other vnwritten vanities, as M. More lyſteth to leſt and tryful out the truth.

Now hauehave ye the very pure ſenſe of theſe Chriſts wordes, this is my body, that is to ſay. This ſignifieth or repreſenteth my body takyng Eſt, for ſignificat. As M. More hym ſelfe vttered it in his Dialogue put forth in William Barlowes name, recityng the opinions of Oecolampadius and Zwinglius: ſaying, this is my body, is as much to ſay as this ſignifieth my body, where he ſaith that Oecolampadius alledgeth for hym More belyeth Decolamp…dius; and Zuingitus.Tertulian, Chriſoſtome and Auſten, but falſely ſometyme addyng more to their wordes, ſometyme takyng away from theyr ſentēces. Which ſaying is playne falſe and hee belyeth the man now departed, for firſt his incomparable learnyng and verye ſpirituall iudgement would not ſuffer hym to be ignoraunt in the vnderſtandyng of theſe old holy Doctours (whom I dare ſay he vnderunder ſtode as well as More. And his couſcience and faythfulnes would not ſuffer hym falſely to peruert them as M. More belyeth and peruerteth Chriſt & Paule and all holy Scripture. And if this mā had thus dealt with theſe Doctours ſayinges: Luther agaynſt whom he did cōtende in this matter would not hauehave left it vntold hym.

But (Chriſtē reader) to put thee out Loke more of this in the Epiſtle to the reader.of doubt hauehave here theſe doctours own wordes both in Latine and Engliſhe. And firſt heare Tertulian, where thou muſt firſt vnderſtād that there was an hereticke called Marcion, ſaying that Chriſt tooke not to hym the very body p. 474of man, but an imagiued and a phantaſticall body, to put of, and on, when he lyſted: and ſo not to hauehave ben borne verely of the virgine Mary nor yet to hauehave ſuffered verely death &c. agaynſt whom, thus writeth Tertulian in hys fourth booke.

Profeſſus ita que ſe concupiſcentia concupiſſe Tertulian.edere paſcha, vt ſuum acceptum panem & diſtributum Diſcipulis corpus ſuuni illum fecit, hoc eſt corpus meum dicendo: id eſt figura corporis mei. Figura autem non fuiſſet, niſi veritatis eſſet corpus. Caeterū, vacua res, quod eſt phantaſma, figuram capere non poſſet. Whiche wordes are thus in Engliſh ſpoken of Chriſt. Whiche acknowledgyng hym ſelfe with how feruent deſire he longed to eate the paſſeouer, as his bread taken and diſtributyng to his Diſciples: made it his body, ſaying: This is my The wor…es of Tertulian.body: that is to ſay, the figure of my body. For figure had it bene none, except it were a very body. For a voyde thyng which is a phantaſie can receaue no figure. Here it is playne, that this is my body after the old holy Doctour, is as much to ſay, as this is the figure or ſigne that repreſenteth or ſignifieth my body.

Alſo, thus ſayeth Auſten. Lex dicit non eſſe manducandū ſanguinem, quod anima ſit ſanguis: Quod lex dicit, ſanguis Auſtē cap. xij. againſt, …dim…nt.eſt anima: eſſe poſitum dicimus, ſicut alia multa & penè omnia Scripturarum illarum Sacramenta ſignis & figuris plena futurae predicationis, quae iam per Dominum noſtrum Ieſum Chriſtum declarata eſt. &c. Poſſum etiam interpretari praeceptum illud in ſigno eſſe poſitum. Non enim dubitauit Dominus dicere. Hoc eſt corpus meum, quum ſignum daret corporis ſui. Sic eſt enim ſanguis anima, quomodo petra erat Chriſtus. Nec tamen quum haec diceret, ait: petra ſignificabat Chriſtum, ſed ait: petra erat Chriſtus. Quae rurſus ne carnaliter acciperetur, ſpiritualem illam vocat, id eſt ſpiritualiter intelligi docet. Whiche woordes be thus in Engliſh. The law ſayeth that bloud ſhould not Gene. 6. Leui. 7. Deut. 12.Gen 6Deut 12be eatē, becauſe the life is bloud. Which precepte of the lawe and bycauſe that bloud is lyfe: we affirme it to be ſet like as many other almoſt innumerable ſacramentes of thoſe Scriptures, full of ſignes and figures of the preachyng to come: whiche now is declared by our Lord Ieſu Chriſt &c. And I may interprete that precept to bee layed in a ſigne. For the Lord doubted not to ſay. This is my body: when hee gaue the ſigne of his body. And euen ſo is the bloud lyfe, and the ſtone was Chriſt. Auſten calleth Sacrament the ſigne of his body.And yet when he ſayd theſe wordes: he ſayd not the ſtone ſignified Chriſt: but he ſayd, the ſtone was Chriſt, whiche leſt they ſhould be taken carnally, hee calleth it ſpirituall, that is to ſay, he teacheth it to bee vnderſtand ſpiritually. Where is now Mores litteral ſenſe, and materiall meate?

Now ſhall ye heare Chriſoſtome. Hom…. 83. operiti… imperfect….Nihil ſenſibile tradidit Chriſtus: licet dederit panem & vinum: non quod panis & vinum non ſint ſenſibilia, ſed quod in illis mentem haerere noluit. Nam in ſuum corpus, quod eſt panis vitae, ſubuehit dicens. Hoc eſt corpus meum: perinde ac dicat. Hoc licet panis ſit, ſignificat tamen tibi corpus. Thus it is in Engliſhe. Chriſt geuyng bread and wyne, gaue no ſenſible thyng: not that bread and wine be not ſenſible: but that he would not our mynde to ſticke ſtill in them. For hee lifted vsus vp into hys bodye, Chriſoſtome calleth the ſacramēt the ſigne of Chriſtes body.which is the bread of lyfe: ſaying. This is my body: as though he ſhould ſay. Though this be but bread, yet it ſignifieth vntounto thee, my body. Now iudge thou (Chriſtē reader) whether M. More reporteth right, of this mā that alledgeth theſe holy Doctours, or no.

Now hauehave ye the pure vnderſtandyng The confutatiō of the Papiſtes gloſes.of the wordes of the Lordes ſupper confirmed with the old holy Doctours. That, this is my body, is as much to ſay, as this ſignifieth my body. And this is my bloud: is, this ſignifieth my bloud. But yet was there neuer ſuch maner of ſpeaking in the ſcripture. This is that: that is to ſay. This is conuerted and tranſubſtanciated into that. Or this is conteined in that: the thyng conuerted and chaunged kepyng ſtill her forme, qualities, quantities &c. As to ſay. This is my body, The Papiſtes are wre…ters & peruerters of the ſcriptures.that is to ſay. This bread is conuerted into my body, the bread abydyng ſtill in his faſhion, taſt, colour, waight. &c. For Chriſt when hee conuerted water into wyne, dyd not leaue the fourme, colour, and taſt ſtill in the water. For ſo had it bene no chaungyng. But let our couetous conuerters choppe and chaunge bread and wyne till we there feele, ſee, & taſt neither bread nor wyne, and then will we beleue them ſo they bryng for them the word of God. For as for their falſe iugglyng we feele it at our fingers ende: we ſee it, had we but halfe an eye: we taſt it at our toūgs end, and know it with all our wyttes and vnderſtandyng ſo manifeſtly, that we perceiued them openly long agoe, p. 475to be the very Antichriſtes, of whom Chriſt and his Apoſtles warned vsus to come in this laſt tyme.

And if they ſay. That this conuerſion The Papiſtes ſay that the trā ſubſtantion is done by miracles.is made by miracles. Then muſt eueryevery one of them as hee ſay a Maſſe, make vsus many a miracle the very markes of M. Mores Churche. For it is oue great miracle that Chriſts body ſhould come ſo ſodenly inuiſible and ſo oft out of heauen, and that ſuch a miracle as the worde of God neuer knew. An other that ſo great a body ſhould be conteyned in ſo litle a place, and that one body ſhould be at once in ſo many places and two bodyes in one place. An other that it is eaten, neither the cater feelyng it, nor the body eaten ſufferyng nor feelyng the teeth of the eater. With as many moe maruelous & like miracles or rather abſurdities of the bread and wyne, that there muſt be the forme, colour, taſt, wayght, broken &c. and yet neither to be bread nor wyne in our belefe except we will be burned of thē bycauſe we beleue not their iugglyng caſtes. O miſchieuous miracle makers. O cruell conuerters: O bloudy butchers.

But hearke (Chriſten reader) and I ſhall learne thee to knowe Chriſtes playne and true miracles, from the ſleighty iuggling of theſe crafty cōneyers. Chriſt would neuer hauehave done miracle had men beleued hym onelyonly by hys woordes, but when hee ſayd firſt theſe wordes. This is my body, no mā doubted at them, no man was in any vnbeleue of them, wherfore theſe wordes muſt needes bee playne ſingle and pure without miracle, as theſe. The iij. braunches are thre dayes: without any ſubtile tranſubſtantiation, ſuch inſenſible conuerſion, or any falſe miracle. All true miracles are done to let forth the glory of God.Chriſt wrought all his miracles for the glory of God to declare hym ſelfe both God and man, ſo that all Chriſtes miracles were cōprehended vnderunder mans ſences or commō wyttes, which bryng in ſuch knowledge vntounto the vnderſtā dyng. As when he chaunged water into wyne, the miracle was firſt receiued with the ſight, open at the eye, taſted with the mouth and ſo conuayed vntounto the vnderſtandyng. And now though Chriſt dyd miracles to declare h…m ſelfe to be both God and man.we neither ſee nor taſt that miracle, yet we heare it, ſee it, read it, and ſo vnderſtād that it was once a miracle done of Chriſt? whē he reſtored the ſight to the blynd, healed the lame, clenſed the leproſe, reared the dead: all was ſeen, heard, and ſo comprehended vnderunder our moſt ſwete ſenſes: that his very enemyes were compelled to coufeſſe them for miracles. But our miracle makers, that make dayly ſo oft and ſo many, are ſo farre from this cleare poynt, that their miracles in this matter, be not, neither ſhalbe cōtained nor comprehē ded …vnderunder any of our fiue wittes, but they rather delude and deceyue both ſight, taſt, feelyng, hearyng, and ſmellyng: ye our fayth and vnderſtandyng to. Beware therefore of theſe miſchieuous miracle makers for theyr owne glory and profite and will kill thee to, if thou beleueſt not their lyes. Beware I ſay of thoſe Marchauntes that will ſell the wares, which they will not ſuffer thee to ſee, nor to taſt, nor to touch but when they ſhewe the white, thou muſt beleue it is blacke: If they geue …the bread, thou muſt beleue it without any word of thy fayth, that it is Chriſtes body, and that of their owne makyng. If thou taſt, ſee and feele it bread yet thou muſt ſay it is none though the Scripture calleth it bread xx. tymes. Beware, beware I ſay of Antichriſt: whoſe commyng ſayth Paule (He is come alredy ſayth Iohn, now are there 1. Theſ. 2. 1. Iohn. 2.1 Thess 21 John 2many Antichriſtes) ſhall be after the workyng of Sathan with an almighty power, with falſe ſignes and wouders lying miracles, & with all deceite of vnrighteouſnes. &c.

To be to curious in ſo playne a Sacrament and ſigne, to cauill Chriſtes cleare wordes with ſophiſticall ſo… mes, and to tryfull out the truth with tauntes and mockes, as M. More doth, is no Chriſten maner. And if our Papiſtes, and Scholaſticall Sophiſ…r… will obiect and make aunſwere to thus Supper of the Lorde, bringyng …o …or them, their vnwrittē wordes, dedes, & dreames (for we hauehave compelled More … ſcriptures.with ſhame to flitte frō the Scripture) ſtrewed with their vame ſtraunge termes which Paul damneth, and geueth Timothe warning of: I ſhall by gods grace ſo ſet the almighty word of God againſt them, that all Chriſten ſhall ſee falſhead and deceite in this Sacramēt: and ſo diſcloſe theyr deuiliſh doctrine and fleighty iugglyng, that all that can read Engliſhe, ſhall ſee the trouth of Gods word openly beare downe their vnwritten lyes. For it is verely the thyng that I deſire, euen to be written agaynſt in this matter, for I hauehave the ſolutions of all theyr obiections ready, And know right well, that the more they ſtyrre this Sacrament, the broder p. 476ſhall theyr lyes be ſpread, the more ſhal theyr falſehead appeare and the more gloriouſly ſhall the trouth triumph: as it is to ſee this day by long contention The contē tious and wicked doctrine of y^• Papiſtes hath prouoked the lyght of gods truth to be ſet forth to the vnderſtandyng of the people.in this ſame, and other lyke Articles: which the Papiſtes hauehave ſo long abuſed, and how More hys lyes vtter the truth eueryevery day more and more. For had he not come beggyng for the Clergy from Purgatory, with his ſupplication of ſoules, and Raſtel and Rocheſter had they not ſo wyſely played theyr partes: Purgatory peraduenture had ſerued them yet another yeare: neither had it ſo ſoone hauehave bene quenched, nor the poore ſoule and Proctour there bene with his bloudy Byſhop Chriſtē …atte, ſo farre coniured into hys owne Vtopia with a ſachell about hys necke to gather for the proude Prieſtes in Synagoga Papiſtica.

When Chriſt was aſcended into heauen: and had ſent his Apoſtles the ſpirite of truth to leade them into all truth perteinyng vntounto our ſaluation, euen …nto hym that ſayd: I am the truth of whiche truth hee inſtructed them after his reſurrection. Luke. xxiiij. and they had preached the ſame truth nowe at Ieruſalē Actes. ij. at which preachyng there were that receiued their wordes How the ….and were Baptiſed, about iij. M. hys Apoſtles remembryng how their maiſt… Chriſt at his laſt Supper did inſtitute and leaue them this holy Sacrament of his body and bloud to be cele…ated and done in his remembraunce among ſuch as had receiued his Goſpell, were Baptiſed, had profeſſed hys fayth, and would perſeuer in his Religion: dyd now in this firſt congregation celebrate the Lordes Supper breakyng the bread and eatyng it as Chriſt dyd teach them, which Supper, Luke and Paule called afterward the breakyng of the bread. As Actes. ij. ſaying. That they which gladly had now received Peters acte, & were baptiſed: were perſeuering in the doctrine of the Apoſtles, and in the communiō, and in the breakyng of the bread, and in prayer, whiche Sacrament was now a token of the perſeueraunce in theyr Chriſten Religion now profeſſed. Of this breakyng of bread, Luke writyng of Paule commyng vntounto Troades, ſayth alſo, A… …2.that their vponupon a Sabboth day, when the Diſciples were come together vntounto the breakyng of the bread: Paule made a Germon duryng to mydnight &c. And that this was no common nor prophane vſe but an heauenly Sacrament and a reuerent rite and vſage, the circumſtaunces of the action declare, both in Luke and Paule, ſhewyngit to be the very inſtitutiō that Chriſt ordeyned at his Supper. Paule thus recitynge this breakyng of the breake: ſaying. The bread whiche we breade, is it not the felowſhyp of the body of Chriſt? y^t is to ſay, doth it not ſignifie vsus to be the body of Chriſt that is hys congregation and people, as doth the wordes folowyng declare? Paule addyng the cauſe ſaying. For we beyng many are all together ſiguified by the one loafe to be one body: for that we be partakers of the ſame bread. Alſo before, he calleth in the ſame Supper, the cup of thankes geuyng the felowſhyp of the bloud of Chriſt: that is to ſay, the congregation redemed with Chriſtes bloud.

The holy Sacrament therefore, The Sacrament is not vſed in theſe dayes as it was in the tyme of the Apoſtles.would God it were reſtored vntounto the pure vſe, as y^e Apoſtles vſed in it their tyme. Would God, the ſecular princes which ſhould be the very paſtours and head rulers of their congregations cō mitted vntounto their cure, would firſt cō maunde or ſuffer the true preachers of Gods woorde to preache the Goſpell purely and playnly with diſcrete libertie: and conſtitute ouer eche particulare Pariſh ſuch Curates as cā and would preach the word, and that once or twiſe in the Weeke, appoyntyng vntounto theyr flocke certeyne dayes after their diſcretion and zeale to Godward, to come together to celebrate the Lordes Supper. At the which aſſemble the Curate A good doctrine for al ſuch miniſters as hauehave cure of ſoules, to vſe to his flocke.would propone and declare them firſt this texte of Paule. i. Corinthians. xj. So oft as ye ſhall eate this bread and drinke of this cuppe: ſee that ye be ioyous, prayſe, and giuegive thankes preachyng the death of the Lord &c. whiche declared, and eueryevery one exhorted to prayer, he would preach them purely Chriſt to hauehave dyed and bene offered vponupon the altare of the Croſſe for theyr redemption: whiche onelyonly oblation to be ſufficiēt ſacrifice to peace the fathers wrath, and to purge all the ſinnes of the world. Then to excite them with humble diligence, eueryevery man vntounto the knowledge of hym ſelfe & hys ſinnes: and to beleue and truſt to the forgyueneſſe in Chriſtes bloud: and for this ſo incomparable benefite of our redemption, (whiche were ſold bondemen to ſinne) to geue thankes vntounto God the father for ſo mercyfull a deliueraunce through the death of Ieſu Chriſt, eueryevery p. 477one, ſome ſingyng, and ſome ſaying deuoutly, one or other Pſalme or prayer Thankes geuyng.of thankes gyuyng in the mother toung. Then the bread and wyne ſet before them in the face of the Churche vponupon the table of the Lord purely and honeſty layed: let hym declare to the people the ſignifications of thoſe ſenſible ſignes, what the action and deede moueth, teacheth and exhorteth them vntounto: and that the bread and wyne be no prophane common ſignes: but holy Sacramentes reuerently to be conſidered The bread and wyne are not prophane but Sacramentes to holy vſe.and receiued with a depe fayth, and remembraunce of Chriſtes death and of the ſhedyng of his bloud for our ſinnes, thoſe ſenſible thynges to repreſente vsus the very body and bloude of Chriſt, ſo that while eueryevery man beholdeth with his corporall eye thoſe ſenſible Sacraments: the inward eye of his fayth may ſee & beleue ſtedfaſtly Chriſt offred and dying vppon the Croſſe for his ſinnes, how his body was broken and his bloud ſhed for vsus, and hath giuen hym ſelfe whole for vsus, hym ſelfe to be all ours, and what ſoeuer he dyd to ſerue vsus, as to bee made for vsus of hys father our righteouſnes, our wiſedome, 1. Cor. 1.1 Cor 1holyneſſe, redemption, ſatiſfaction. &c.

Then let this preacher exhort them A wholeſome and good leſſon namely for all miniſters.louyngly to draw neare vntounto this table of the Lord, and that not onelyonly bodely, but alſo (their hartes purged by fayth, garniſhed with louelove and innoceney) eueryevery man to forgyue eche other vnfaynedly, and to expreſſe or at leaſt wiſe to endeuour them to folow that louelove whiche Chriſt dyd ſet before our eyes at his laſt Supper when he offered hym ſelfe willyngly to dye for vsus hys enemyes: Whiche incomparable louelove to commende, bryng in Paules Argumentes, ſo that this, hys flocke Rom. 5.Rom 5may come together, and be ioyned into one body, one ſpirite, and one people. This done let hym come downe: and accompanyed honeſtly with other Miniſters come forth reuerently vntounto the Lordes table, the congregatiō now ſet round about it, and alſo in their other At the miniſtration of the Sacrament let the miniſter exhorte all men to hauehave faith and lone & to pray for grace.conuenient ſcates, the paſtour exhorting them all to pray for grace, faith and louelove, whiche all this Sacrament ſignifieth and putteth them in mynde of. Then let there be read apertely and diſtinctly the vi. Chapter of Iohn in their mother toung: Wherby they may clearely vnderſtand, what it is to eate Chriſtes fleſh and to drinke his bloud. This done, and ſome brief prayer and prayſe ſong or read, let one or other miniſter read the xj. chapter of the firſt to the Corinthians, that the people might perceiue clearely of thoſe woordes the miſtery of this Chriſtes Supper, and wherfore he did inſtitute it.

Theſe with ſuch lyke preparations I good and neceſſary exhortatiō to be mate to y^• people of the t… they receaue the communiō.and exhortations had, I would eueryevery man preſent ſhould profeſſe the Articles of our fayth openly in our mother toung, and confeſſe his ſinnes ſecretly vntounto God, praying intierly that hee would now vouchſafe to hauehave mercy vponupon hym, receiue his prayers, glewe hys hart vntounto hym by fayth and louelove, encreaſe his fayth, geue hym grace to forgyue and to louelove his neighbour as him ſelfe, to garniſh hys lyfe with purenes and innocency, and to confirme hym in all goodnes and vertue. Then againe it behoueth the curate to warne and exhorte eueryevery man deepely to conſider and expende with hym ſelfe, the ſignification & ſubſtaūce of this Sacrament, ſo that he ſit not downe an hipocrite and a diſſembler, ſith God is ſearcher of hart and raines, thoughtes and affectes: and ſee that he come not to the None may come to the commu… without y^• weddyng germent … …ayth.holy table of the Lorde without that fayth whiche he profeſſed at hys Baptiſme, and alſo that louelove which the Sacrament preacheth and teſtifieth vntounto hys hart, leſt hee now, founde gilty of the body and bloud of the Lord (that is to wytte a diſſembler with Chriſtes death and ſclaunderous to the congregregation, the body & bloud of Chriſt) receiue his own damnation. And here let eueryevery man fall downe vppon hys knees ſaying ſecretly with all deuotion their Pater noſter in Engliſh, theyr Curate as example kneelyng downe before them. Which done, let hym take the bread and eft the wyne in the ſight of the people hearing him with a loude voyce, with godly grauitie, and after a Chriſten religious reuerence rehearſyng diſtinctly y^e wordes of the Lordes Supper in their mother toung. And thē diſtribute it to the miniſters, which taking the bread with great reuerence. will deuide it to the congregation eueryevery man breakyng and reaching it forth to hys next neighbour and member of the miſtike body of Chriſt, other miniſters folowyng with the cuppes powring forth & dealing them the wyne, all together thus …yng now partakers of one bread and one cuppe, the chyng thereby ſignified and preached printed faſt in their hartes. But in this mean… while muſt the miniſter or paſtour be p. 478readyng the communicatiō that Chriſt had with his Diſciples after his Supper, beginnyng at the waſhing of their feete: ſo readyng till the bread & wyne Iohn. 13.John 13be eaten and dronken and all the action done. And then let them all fall downe on their knees geuing thankes highly Thankeſgeuyng to God.vntounto God the father, for this benefite and death of his ſonne, whereby now by faith eueryevery man is aſſured of remiſſion of his ſinnes, as this bleſſed Sacrament had put them in mynde, and preached it them in this outward action and Supper. This done, let eueryevery man commende and geue them ſelues whole to God and depart.

I would hauehave hereto put my name, (good Reader) but I know well that thou regardeſt not who writeth, but what is writtē: thou eſtemeſt the word of the veritie, and not of the authour. And as for M. More, whom the veritie moſt offendeth, and doth but mocke it out when he cannot ſoyle it: he knoweth my name well inough. For the deuill Thoſe wordes of his are in his booke that he made for y^t pore ſoules in Purgatory.his gardian, as him ſelfe ſayth: commeth eueryevery day into Purgatory, (if there be any day at all) with his haynous and enuious laughter, gnaſhing his teeth and grynnyng, tellyng the Proctour with hys Popes priſoners, what ſoeuer is here done or written againſt them, both his perſon and name to. And he is now, I dare ſay, as great with his gardian, as euer he was.

If any man tel ye, loe here is Chriſt, or there is hee, beleue hym not: For Marke. 42.there ſhall aryſe falſe Chriſtes falſe annoynted giuyng great miracles. Take hede, I hauehave told ye before, if they therefore tell ye: loe, hee is in the deſert, go not forth, loe hee is in the preuy pixe, beleue it not.

FINIS.