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A boke made by John Fryth, prysoner in the Tower of London

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A boke made by John Fryth, prysoner in the Tower of London

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1¶ A boke made by John Fryth prysoner in the Tower of London,
answerynge vnto
M. Mores letter, which he wrote agaynst
the fyrste lytle treatyse that John Fryth
made concernynge the Sacramente of the
body and bloode of Christ: vnto whiche
boke are added in the ende the artycles of
hys examynacyon before the Byshoppes
of London, Wynchester and Lyncolne, in
Paules churche at London, for whyche
John Fryth was condempned
and after brente in Smythfelde
wythout Newgate,
the fourth daye of
July. Anno. 1533.
Now newly reuysed corrected & prynted.
In the Yeare of our Lorde, 1546,
the last daye of June.
¶ Deade men shall ryse agayne.

The Preface

2

Grace and increace of knowelege frō God the Father through oure Lorde Jesus Christ, be with the Christen reader, and with all thē that loue the Lorde vnfaynedly Amen.

1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1.

I chaunced beynge in these partyes, to be in companye with a Christen brother which for hys commendable conversaciō, and sobre behaueoure myght better be a Byshoppe thē many that weare myters, yf the rule of .S. Paule were regarded in their electyon. Thys brother after moche cōmunycacyō, desyred to knowe my mynde as touchynge the sacramēt of the body ād bloode of our sauyoure Christ. Which thynge I opened vnto hym accordynge to the gyfte that God had geuen me. Firste I proved vnto hym that yt was no article of oure fayth necessarye to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyon. Then I declared that Christe had a naturall bodye, euen as myne ys (savynge synne) and that yt coulde no more be in two places at ones then myne can. Thyrdly, I shewed hym that it was not necessarye, that the wordes shulde so be vnderstonde as they sownde. But that yt myght be a phrase of scrypture, as there are innumerable. After that I shewed hym certen suche phrases ād maner of speakynges. And that yt was well vsed in oure Englyshe tongue. And fynally, I recyted after what maner they myght receyue yt accordynge to Christes institucyon, not fearynge the frowarde alteracyon that the Prestes vse, contrarye to the fyrste forme and institucion.

When I had suffycyently publyshed my mynde, he desyred me to entitle the some of my wordes, ād write them for hym, because they semed ouerlonge to be well reteyned in memorye. And albeit I was loth to take the matter in hāde, yet to fullfyll his instaunte intercession, I toke vpon me to touche this terryble tragedye, and wrote a treatyse, whiche beside my paynfull impresonment, is lyke to purchace me moste cruell death, which I am readye ād gladde to receyue with the spiryte and inwarde man (although the fleshe be frayle) when so euer yt shall please God to laye yt vpon me. Notwithstondynge to saye the truthe, I wrote yt not to the intent that yt shulde haue bene publyshed. For thē I wolde haue towched the matter more earnestlye, and haue wryten, as well of the 3spyrytuall eatynge & drynkynge whiche is of necessyte, as I ded of the Carnall, whiche is not so necessarye. For the treatyse that I made was not expedyent for all men, albeit yt were suffycient for thē whō I toke in hande to instructe. For they knewe the spyrytuall and necessarye eatynge and drynkynge of his bodye and bloode, whiche is not receyued with the teth and belye, but with the eares and fayth, and onely neaded instructyon in the outwarde eatynge, which thynge I therfore onely declared. But now it is commen a brode and in many mens mowthes, in so moche that master More which of late hathe busyed hym selfe to medle in all soche mattres (of what zele I wyll not defyne) hath sore laboured to confute yt. But some mē thynke that he is ashamed of his parte, ād for that cause doth so dylygently suppresse the worke whiche he prynted. For I my selfe sawe the worke in prynte in my Lorde of Wynchesters howse, upon S. Stephens day last paste. But neyther I, nor all the fryndes I coulde make, myght attayne any copye, but onely one wryten copye whiche as yt semed was drawen out in greate haste. Not withstondynge I can not well Judge, what the cause shulde be, that hys boke is kept so secrete. But this I am ryght sure of, that he neuer touched the foundacyō that my treatyse was buylded upon. And therfore syth my foundacyon stondeth so sure and invyncyble (for els I thynke verely he wolde sore haue laboured to haue undermyned yt) I wyll therupon buylde a lytle more, and also declare that hys ordynaunce is to slender to breake it downe although it were sett vpon a worse foundacyon.

❧ 4The foundacyon of that lytle treatyse was, that it is no artycle of our fayth necessarye to be beleued under payne of dampnacyon, that the Sacramēt shuld be the naturall bodye of Christe: which thynge is proued after this maner as foloweth.

Firste we muste all aknowlege that it is no artycle of our fayth whiche can saue vs nor whiche we are bounde to beleue under the payne of eternall dampnacyon. For yf I shulde beleue that hys verye naturall bodye bothe fleshe and bloode were naturally in the breade and wyne, that shulde not save me, seynge many beleue that, and receyue it to their dampnacyon, for it is not hys presēce in the breade that cā saue me, but hys presence in my harte through fayth in hys bloode, which hathe washed out my synnes and pacyfyed the Fathers wrathe towarde me.

Obiection.

And a gayne yf I do not beleue hys bodelye presence in the breade and wyne, that shall not dampne me, but the absence out of my harte through vnbeleue. Now yf they wolde here obiecte that thoughe yt be true that the absence out of the breade coulde not dampne vs: yet are we bounde to beleue it because of Goddes worde, whiche who beleueth not, as moche as in hym lyeth, maketh God a lyer. And therfore of an obstynate mynde not to beleue hys worde, maye be an occasyon of dampnacyon.

Soluciō

To this we may answere, that we beleue Goddes worde and knowlege that it is true: but in this we dissent, whether it be true in the sense that we take it in, or in the sense that ye take it in. And we saye agayne, that though ye haue (as yt apereth vnto yow) the evidēt wordes of Christe, and therfor consiste in the barke of the letter: yet are we compelled by conferrynge of the scryptures together, within the letter to serche out the mynde of our sauiour whiche spake the worde. And we saye thyrdly, that we do it not of an obstinate mynde. For he that defendeth a cause obstinatly (whether yt be true or false) is euer to be reprehended. But we do yt to satysfye our consciences whiche are compelled by other places of scripture, reasons, and doctours, so to Iudge of yt.

And euen so ought yow to Iudge of youre partye, and to defend youre 5sentence not of obstinacye, but by the reason of scriptures which cause you so to take yt. And so ought neyther partye to dispyse other, for eche seaketh the glory of God, and the true vnderstondynge of the scripture. This was the foundacyon of my fyrste treatyse that he hathe left vnshaken, which ys agreate argument that yt is very true. For els hys pregnant witte could not haue passed yt so cleane over. But wolde haue assayled yt with some sophisticall cavillacyon which by hys paynted poetrye he myght so haue colloured, that at the least he myght make the ignoraunt some apparēce of truthe, as he hathe done agaynste the resydue of my fyrste treatyse, which neuertheles ys true ād shall so be proved. ¶And firste that it is none article of our faythe necessarye to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyon, may thus be furder cōfyrmed. The same faithe shall saue vs whiche saued the old fathers before Christes incarnacyon: But they were not bounde vnder payne of dāpnacyon to beleue this poynte, therfore yt foloweth that we are not bounde therto vnder the payne of dampnacyon. The fyrste parte of myne argument ys proued by S. Austen ad Dardamum. And I dare boldly say almost in an .C. places more. For I thynke there be no proposicyon which he doth more often inculcate then thys, that the same faythe saved vs which saued our fathers. The secōde parte ys manyfest, that yt nedeth no probacyon. For how coulde they beleue that thynge which was neuer sayde nor done, and without the worde they coulde haue no faythe. Upon the truthe of these two partes muste the conclusyon neades folowe. Not withstōdynge they all ded eate Christes bodye and dronke hys bloode spirytually, although they had hym not presēt to their teth. And by that spirytuall eatynge (which is the fayth in hys body ād blode) were saued as well as we are. For assoone |Adam.| as our fore father Adam had transgressed Godes precepte, & was fallē vnder cōdēpnacyō, oure moste mercyfull father of hys gracyous favoure gaue hym the promyse of helthe and conforte, wherby as many as beleued yt, were saued frō the thraldome of their transgressyon. The worde and promyse was this. I shall put enmyte betwene thy sede and her sede, |Gene. 3.| that sede shalt treade the on the heade, and thou shall trede yt on the hele. In this promyse they had knowlege that Christe shulde destroye the devyll with all his power, ād delyuer hys faythfull from their synnes. And where he sayd that the devyl shulde treade yt on the hele, they vnderstode ryght well that the devyll shulde fynde the meanes by his wyles and wycked 6mynysters to put Christe to deathe. And they knewe that God was true, and wolde fulfyll hys promyse vnto them, and hartely longed after this sede, and so dede bothe eate hys bodye and drynke his bloode, acknowlegynge with infynyte thankes, that Christ shulde for their synnes take the perfecte nature of manhode upon hym and also suffer the deathe: This promyse was geuen to Adam, and saued as many as ded beleue and were thankefull to God for his kyndnes, ād after yt was |Abrahā. Gene. 12| establyshed vnto our father Abraham by the worde of God, which sayde, in thy sede shall all nacyons of the earthe be blessed. And with hym God made a couenāt, that he wolde be his God and do hym good. And Abraham a gayne promysed to kepe his preceptes and walke in hys wayes. Then God gaue hym the sacrament of circumsicion and called that hys couenaunte, which thynge notwithstōdynge was not the very couenaunt in dede although yt were so called. But was only a sygne, token, sacrament, or memoryall of the couenaunte that was betwene God and hym, whiche myght expounde our matter, yf men had eyes to see. After that God promysed him a sone whē hys wyfe was past chylde bearynge and he also very olde. Neuerthelesse he doubted not of Goddes worde. But surely beleued, that he which promysed it was able to perfourme it. And that was recounted vnto hym for ryghtuousnes. This Abraham ded bothe eate hys bodye ād drynke hys blode (through faythe) belevynge verely that Christ shulde take our nature and sprynge oute of hys seede (as touchynge his fleshe) and also that he shulde suffer deathe to redeme vs. And as Christ testifyeth, |Ioan. 8.| he hartely desyred to see the day of Christ. And he sawe it and reioysed. He sawe yt in faythe ād had the day of christ, that is to say, all those thynges that shulde chaunce hym, playnly revelated vnto hym, albeit he were deade many hundred yeres before yt were actually fulfylled ād reuelated vnto the worlde. And by that fayth was he saued, and yet neuer ded eate hys fleshe with hys teth, nor neuer beleued that breade shulde be hys bodye and wyne hys bloode. And therfore syth he was also saued without that fayth, and the same faythe shall saue vs which saued hym, I thynke that we shall also be saued yf we eate hym spiritually (as he ded) although we neuer beleued that the breade ys hys bodye. Furthermore that mercyfull |Moses.|Moses (which brought the chyldern of Israell out of Egypte in to the wyldernes) obtayned of God by prayers, both manna from heauen to feade hys people, 7also water out of the stone to refresh and comforte them. This māna and water were even the same thynge vnto thē that the breade and wyne ys to vs. For as S. Austyn saythe: |Aug. de uite agē darum.| Quicunque in manna Christum intellexerunt eumdem quem nos cibum spiritualem manducauerunt. Quicunque autem de manna solam saturitatem quesiuerunt manducabant et mortui sunt. Sic etiam eundem potum: petra enim erat Christus.

That is to say, as many as in that manna vnderstoode Christ, ded eate that same spirytuall meate that we do, but as many as sought onely to fyll their bellyes of that māna (the fathers of the unfaythful) dyd eate and are dead. And lykewyse the same drynke, for the stone was Christ. Here maye you gather of S. Austyn, that the manna was vnto them, as the breade ys to vs, and lykewyse that the water was to them, as the wyne ys to vs, whiche anone shall apeare more playnly. s. Austyn sayth further. |Aug. super Ioā. tract. 26.| Manducauit & Moyses manna manducauit & Phinees, manducauerunt ibi multi qui deo placuerunt & mortui non sunt. Quare quia uisibilem cibum spiritualiter intellexerunt, spiritualiter esurierunt, spiritualiter gustauerunt, ut spiritualiter satiarentur, omnes eandem escam spiritualem māducauerunt, & omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt, spiritualem utique eandem nā corporalem alterā (quia illi manna, nos aliud) spiritualem uero eandem quam nos. Vt omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt aliud illi, aliud nos: sed spem uisibili quod tamen hoc idem significaret uirtute spirituali. Quomodo eundem potum biberant (inquit Apostolus) de spirituali sequenti petra: petra autem erat Christus. That ys to saye, Moses also dede eat manna, and Aaron, ād Phinees, ded eate of yt, which plesed God and are not deade. Wherfore? Because they understode the visyble meate spiritually. They were spiritually an hongred, they tasted yt spiritually, that they myght spiritually be replenyshed. They ded all eate the same spyrytuall meate and all drāke the same spyrytuall drynke. Euen the same spyrituall meate albeit an other bodely meate, for they ded eate manna, and we eat an other thyng, but they ded eate the same spirituall which we doo. And they all ded drynke the same spirituall drynke. They dranke one thynge, and we an other: But that was in the outwarde apparence, which neuerthelesse ded sygnyfye the same thynge spiritually. Nowe dranke they the same drynke. They (sayth Thapostle) drāke of the spirytuall stone folowynge them, and that stone was Christ. And therunto Bede added these wordes. Videte autem fide manente signa uariata. That is to saye. Beholde that the sygnes are altered, and yet the 8faythe abydeth one. |Beda super. 1. Cor. 10.| Of these places you may playnely perceyue not onely that yt is non artycle necessary to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyō, seynge the olde Fathers neuer beleued yt. And yet ded eate Christ in fayth bothe before they had the manna, and with no lesse frute whan the manna was ceased. And albeit the māna was to them as the sacrament ys to vs, and they eate even the same spirytuall meate that we do, yet were they neuer so madde as to beleue that the manna was chaunged in to Christes owne naturall body. But vnderstode yt spirytually, that as the outwarde man ded eate the materyall manna which comforted the bodye, so ded the inwarde man through fayth, eate the bodye of Christ, belevynge that as that manna came downe from heavē and conforted their bodyes, so shulde their savyoure Christe which was promysed thē of God the Father, come downe from heauē and strēgthē their soules in euerlastynge lyfe, redeamynge them from their synne by his death and resurrectyon. And lyke wyse do we eate Christe in fayth both before we come to the sacrament, ād more expresly through the sacrament, and with no lesse frute after we haue receyued the sacrament, and neade no more to make yt hys naturall bodye, thē the manna was, but myght moche better vnderstonde yt spirytuallye, that as the outwarde mā dothe eate the materyall breade which cōforteth the bodye, so doth the inwarde mā through faythe eate the bodye of Christe, belevynge that as the breade ys broken, so was Christes bodye broken on the crosse for our synnes which cōforteth our soules vnto lyfe euerlastynge. And as that faythe ded saue thē without belevynge that the manna was altered into hys bodye, even so dothe this faythe saue vs, although we beleue not that the substaunce of breade ys turned in to his naturall bodye. For the same fayth shall saue vs which, saved them. And we are bounde to beleue no more vnder payne of dampnacyon, thē they were bounde to beleue. They beleued in God the Father almyghty maker of heaven and earth, and all that ys in them. |Gene. 1.| They ded beleve that Christe was the sōne of God. They ded beleue that he shuld take our nature of a virgyn. |Psalm. 2.| They beleued that he shulde suffer the death |Esay. 7.| for our delyuerāce, which thynge was |Actes. 3.| sygnyfied in all the sacryfyces, and besydes that testyfyed in euery Prophete. For |Actes. 2.| there was verely not one Prophete, but he spake of that poynte: |Psal. 15.| They beleued that hys soule shuld not be lefte in hell, but that he shulde aryse from death and reynge euerlastyngly with his Father.

And to be shorte, there is no poynte in oure 9Crede, but that they beleued yt, as well as we do, and those artycles are onely necessarye vnto saluacyon. For them, am I bounde to beleue, and am dampned without excuse yf I beleue them not. But the other poyntes contayned in scripture although they be vndoubted verytees, yet may I be saued without them. As be it in case that I neuer harde of them, I canot vnderstande them nor comprehende them, or yf that I heare them, yet by the reason of another texte mysconstrue thē, as the Bohemes do the wordes of Christe in the .6. chapiter of Iohan. All these thynges I saye may be done without any Ieoperdye of dampnacyō. In every texte ys but onely one veryte, for which it was spoken, ād yet some textes there be which of catolycke doctours are expounded in vi. or, vij. sondry fashyons. Therefore if we beleue the artycles of our crede, in the others ys no parell, so that we haue a probable reason to dyssent from them. But now to retourne to our purpose. Yf we wyll examyne the autorytees of S. Austyn and Beda before alleged, we shall espye that besyde the probacyon of this forsayde proposicyon, they open the mysterye of all our matter to them that haue eyes to see. For, S. Austyn sayth, that we and the olde fathers do dyffer as touchynge the bodely meate, for they ded eate manna, and we breade, but albeit yt varyed in the outwarde apperaunce, yet neuerthelesse spirytually yt ded sygnyfye one thynge. For both the māna ād breade sygnyfyed Christe. And so both they and we do eate one spirytuall meate, that ys to saye, we bothe eate the thynge which sygnifyeth and representeth vnto vs the very one spirituall meate of out soules, which is Christe.

And beda doth playnely call both the māna and the breade sygnes, sayēge. Beholde that the sygnes are altered and yet the fayth abydeth one. Now yf they be sygnes, than they do sygnyfye and are not the very thyng yt selfe which they do sygnyfye. For the sygne is a thynge dyuerse from the thynge yt selfe which it doth sygnyfye and represent. As the ale polees are not the ale yt selfe which they do sygnyfy or represēt. Here thou wylt obiecte agaynste me, that yf this fayth be suffycyent, what nedeth the institucyō of a sacramēt? I answere, that sacramētes are instituted for. iij, causes: The fyrste ys assygned of S. Austyn, which sayth on this maner. |Aug. cōtra Faustum. Li. 19. ca. 11.| In nullum autem nomen religionis, seu uerū, seu falsum, coagulari homines possunt, nisi signaculorum seu sacramentorum uisibilium cōsortio colligantur, quorum sacramentorum uis inenarrabiliter ualet plurimum, & ideo contempta sacrilegos facit. impie quippe cōtemnitur sine qua persici nō potest pietas. That 10ys to saye: mē cā not be ioyned in to any kynde of relygyō whether yt be treue or false, excepte they be knytte in felowshyppe by some vysyble tokēs or sacramētes, the power of which sacramentes ys of suche efficacyte, that cā not be expressed. And therfor yt maketh them that dyspyse yt to be abhorred, for it is wyckednes to despyse that thynge without which godlynes can not be brought to passe. Thus yt apereth that necessyte ys the fyrst cause. For there can no congregacyon be severed out of the multytude of men, but they muste nedes haue a sygne, tokē, sacramēt, or commō badge, by the which they may knowe eche other. And there is no defferēce betwene a sygne or a badge ād a sacrament, but that the sacrament sygnyfyeth an holy thynge, and a sygne or a badge dothe sygnyfye a worldly thyng. |Augustī ad Marcellinū.| As S. Austē sayeth. Sygnes when they are referred to holy thynges are called sacramētes. The seconde cause of their instytucyōys, that they may be a meane to brynge vs vnto hys fayth, & to enprēte yt the deper in vs, for yt doth customably the more move a man to beleue, when he perceyueth the thynge expressed to dyuerse sēses at ones. As yf I promyse a mā to mete hym at aday appoynted, he wyll sōwhat trust my worde, but yet he trusteth not so moche vnto it, as yf I ded both promyse hym with my worde and also clappe handes with hym, or holde vp my fynger, for he counteth that this promyse ys stronge ād more faythfull then ys the bare worde, because yt moveth mo senses. For the worde doth but onely certyfye the thynge vnto a mā by the sence of hearynge; but whē with my promyse immedyatly after I holde vp my fynger, then do I not onely certyfye hym by the sense of hearynge: But also by hys syght, he perceyueth that that facte confyrmeth my worde. And in the clappynge of handes he perceyueth both by hys sight ād fealynge, besyde the worde, that I wyll fulfyll my promyse. And lykewyse yt ys in this sacramente, Christ promysed them, that he wolde geue hys bodye to be slayne for their synnes. And for to establyshe the fayth of this promyse in them, he ded instytute the sacrament which he called hys bodye, to thentēt that the very name yt selfe myght put them in remembraunce what was mēt by yt, he brake the breade before them, sygnyfyenge vnto them outwardly euen the same thynge, that he by his wordes hadde before protested And euen as hys wordes hadde enformed thē by their hearynge, that he entended so to do: so the breakynge of that breade enformed their eye syght that he wolde fulfyll hys promyse. Then he dede dystrybute yt amonge them to enprynte 11the matter more depely in them, sygnyfyenge therby, that even as that breade was devyded amonge them, so shuld hys bodye and frute of hys passyon be dystrybuted vnto as many as beleued hys wordes. Fynally he caused them to eate yt, that nothynge shuld be lackynge to cōfyrme that necessarye poynte of fayth in them, sygnyfienge therby, that as verely as they felte that breade within them, so sure shuld they be of hys bodye through fayth. And that euen as that breade doth nouryshe the bodye, so doth the fayth in hys bodye breakynge nouryshe the soule vnto euerlastying lyfe. Thus ded our mercyfull savyour (which knoweth our fraylte ād weakenes) to establyshe ād strengthē their fayth in hys bodye breakynge ād bloode shedynge, which is our shoteāker and laste refuge, without which we shulde all peryshe. The thyrde cause of this institucyon and profyte that cōmeth of yt ys this. They that haue receyued these blessed tydynges and worde of health, do loue to publyshe thys felycyte vnto other men. And to geue thankes before the face of the congregacyon vnto their bounteous benefactoure, and as moche as in them is, to drawe all people to the praysynge of God with them, which thynge though yt be partely done by the prechynge of Godes worde ād frutefull exhortcyons, yet doth that vysyble token & sacramente (yf a man vnderstāde what ys mēt therby) more effectuously worke in them both fayth and thankesgeuynge, thē doth the bare worde: But yf a man wote not what yt meaneth, ād seketh healthe in the sacrament and outwarde sygne, thē may he well be lykened vnto a fonde felowe, which when he ys very drye, & an honest man shewe hym an ale pole, and tell hym that there is good ale ynough, wold go ād sucke the ale pole, trustynge to get drynke out of yt, and so to quench hys thurste. Now a wyse man wyll tell hym that he playeth the foole. For the ale pole doth but sygnyfye that there ys good ale in the howse, where the ale pole stādeth, ād wyll tell hym that he must go nere the howse, ād there he shall fynde the drynke, ād not stāde suckynge the ale pole in vayne. For yt shall not ease him, but rather make him more drye. For the ale pole doth sygnyfye good ale: yet the ale pole yt selfe ys no good ale, neyther ys there any good ale in the ale pole. And lykewyse yt ys in all sacramentes. For yf we vnderstande not what they meane, ād seke health in the outwarde sygne: thē we sucke the ale pole ād laboure in vayne. But yf we do vnderstāde the meanynge of thē, thā shal we seake what they sygnyfye, and go to the thynge 12sygnyfyed, and there shall we fynde vndoubted health. As to our purpose, in this Sacrament wherof we speake, we muste note what yt sygnyfyeth, ād there shall we fynde our redēpcyon. It sygnyfyeth that Christes bodye was broken vpon the crosse to redeame vs from the thraldome of the deuyll, ād that his blode was shedde for vs to washe away our synnes. Therfore we muste ronne thyther yf we wyll be eased. For yf we thynke to haue our synnes forgeven, for eatynge of the sacrament, or for seynge the sacrament ones a day, or for prayenge vnto yt: then surely we sucke the ale pole. And by thys you may perceyue what profytte commeth of these sacramentes the which eyther haue no sygnyfycacyons put vnto them, or els when their sygnyfycacyons are loste and forgotten. For then no doubt they are not commended of God, but are rather abhomynable. For whan we knowe not what they meane, then seake we health in the outwarde dede, and so are iniuryous vnto Christe and hys bloode. As by example, the sacryfyces of the Iewes were well allowed and accepted of God as longe as they vsed them a ryght and vnderstoode by thē the death of Christe, the sheadynge of hys blood, ād that holy oblacyō offred on the crosse ones for euer. But when they begane to forget this sygnyfycacyon and sought their healthe and ryghtuousnes in the bodely worke and in the sacryfyce yt selfe, then were they abhomynable in the syght of God, and then he cryed out of them bothe by the Prophete Dauid and Esaye: And lykewyse yt is with our sacramentes. Let vs therfore seke vp the sygnyficacyōs, & go to the very thyng which the sacramēt ys set to presēt vnto vs. And there shall we fynd such frutefull foode as shall neuer fayle vs, but cōforte our soules into lyfe euerlastynge.

Now wyll I in order answere to master Mores boke, and as I fynde occasyō geuen me, I shall indeuoure my selfe to supplye that thynge which lacked in the fyrste treatyse. And I trust I shall shewe suche lyght that all men whose eyes the Prynce of thys worlde hath not blynded, shall perceyue the truthe of the scripture and glorye of Christe. And where as in my fyrste treatyse the truthe was set forthe with all symplycyte, and nothynge armed agaynste the assaultes of sophysters, that haue I somwhat redressed in this boke, ād haue brought bones fytte for their teth, which yf they be to busy, may chaunce to choke them.

Thus endeth my lytle treatyse that I wrote vnto my frynde, beynge sufficyent for hys instructyon.

Here begynneth the preface of Master Mores boke.

13

|Master. More.| In my moste hartye wyse I recommende me vn to you, & sende you by thys brynger the wrytynge agayne whyche I receyued from you. Wherof I haue bene offered a cople of copyes mo, in the meane whyle, as late as ye wote well yt was.

|Fryth.| ¶ Deare bretherne consyder these wordes & prepare you fo the crosse that Christe shall laye vpon you, as ye haue ofte bene counselled. For even as whan the wolue |1. Pet. 2.| howleth the shepe hadde neade to gather |Luc. 22.| them selues to their shepharde, to be delyuered from the assaulte of the blodye beaste, lykewyse hadde you neade to flye vnto the shepharde of your soules Christe Iesus, and to sell your cootes and bye hys spirituall sworde |Ephe. 6.| (whiche is the worde of God) to defende and delyuer you in thys present necessyte. For now is the tyme that Christ tolde vs of, |Mat. 10.| Math. 10. that he was come (by hys worde) to sette varyaunce betwene the sonne and hys father, betwene the doughter and her mother, betwene the doughter in lawe & her mother in lawe, |Mich. 3.| and that a mans owne housholde shalbe hys enemyes. But be not dysmayed nor thynke it no wonder, for Christ chose .12. and one of them betrayed hys master. |Ioan. 6.| And we that are hys dyscyples may loke for no better than he hadde hym selfe: |Mat. 10.| For the scoler is not a boue hys master.

Saynt Paul protesteth that he was in |2. Cor. 11.| parell amonge the false bretherne, and surely I suppose that we are in no lesse Ieopardye. For yf it be so that hys mastershype receyved one copye and hadde acople of copyes mo offered in the meanewhyle, then may ye be sure that there are many false bretherne which pretende to haue knowlege, and in dede be but pyke thākes, prouydynge for their belye. Prepare ye therfore clokes, for the wether wexeth clowdye, and rayne is lyke to folowe. I meane not false excuses and forswerynge of your selfes: but that ye loke substancyally vpon Goddes worde, that you may be able to answere their sotle obectyons. And rather chose māfully to dye for Christe and hys worde, than cowardly to denye hym, for this vayne and transytory lyfe, consyderyng that they haue no further power but ouer this corruptible bodye, which yf they put it not to deathe, muste yet at the length peryshe of yt selfe. |2. Cor. 10.| But I truste the Lorde shall not suffer you to be 14tēpted a boue that you may beare, but accordynge to the spirite that he shall poure vpon you, shall he also sende you the scourge, ād make hym that hath receyued more of the spyryte, to suffer more, ād hym that receyueth lesse therof, to suffer accordynge to hys talent. I thought it necessarye fyrst to admonyshe you of thys matter, and now I wyll recyte more of master Mores boke.

|More.| ❧ Whereby men may see how greadely these newe named bretherne wryte it out, and secretely spreade it a brode.

|Fryth.| ¶ The name is of great antiquite, althoughe you lyste to iest. For they were called bretherne before our Byshoppes were called Lordes, ād had the name gyuē thē by Christe sayenge, Mat. xxiij. All ye are bretherne. And Luc. xxij. Cōfyrme thy bretherne. And the name was cōtynued by the Apostles, & is a name that norysheth loue ād amyte. And very gladde I am to heare of their greadye affectyon in wrytynge out the worde of God, for by that I do perceyue the prophesye of Amos |Amos. | to haue place, which sayth in the person of God. I wyll sende hōger ād thurste in to the earth, not honger for meate nor thurste for drynke. But for to heare the worde of God. Now begynneth the kyngdome of heuē to suffer vyolēce: |Mat. 11.| Now rōne the poore Publicanes whiche knowelege them selfes synners, to the worde of God, puttynge both goodes and bodye in |Luc. 18.| Ieoperdye for the soule health. And though our Byshopes do calle it heresye, and all them heretyques that honger after yt, yet do we knowe that it is the Gospell of the leuynge God, for the health and saluacyon of all that beleue. |Rom. 1.| And as for the name doth nothynge offende vs, though they call it heresy a thousande tymes.|Act. 24.| For saynte Paule testyfyeth that the Pharysees and Prestes whyche were counted the very churche in hys tyme, ded so call it, and therfore it forseth not though they, rulyng in their rowmes, vse the same names.

|More.| ❧ Which yonge man I here say hathe latelye made dyuers other thynges that yet ronne in hoker moker so close amonge the bretherne that there cometh no copyes abrode.

|Fryth.| ¶ I answere, that surely I can not spynne, and I thynke no man more hateth to be ydle than I do. Wherfor in suche thynges as I am able to do, I shalbe dylygent as longe as God lendeth me my lyfe. And if ye thynke I be to busye, you may rydde me the sooner, for euen as the shepe is in the bochers hādes ready bounde & loketh but euen for the grace of the bocher when he shall shedde hys blode: Euen so am I bounde at the Byshoppes pleasures, euer lokynge for the day of my deathe. In so 15moche that playne worde was sent me, that the chaunceloure of London sayde, it shulde coste me the best bloode in my body, which I wolde gladly were shedde tomorowe, yf so be it myght open the Kynges graces eyes.

And verely I maruell that any thynge can ronne in hoker moker or be hydde frō you. For seynge you myght haue suche store of copyes, concernynge the thynge which I moste desyred to haue bene kepte secrete, how shuld you than lacke a copye of those thynges wich I moste wolde haue publyshed? And hereof ye maye be sure, I care not though you and all the Byshoppes within England loke vpon all that euer I wrote, but rather wolde be gladde that ye so ded. For yf there be any sparcle of grace in your breastes, I trust it shulde be an occasyon somwhat to kyndle it, that you may consyder and know your selfes, which is the first poynte of wysdome.

❧ And wolde God for hys mercye |More.| (sayeth M. More) that syth there can nothynge refrayne their studye, from devyse and compassynge of euill ād vngracyous wrytynge, that they wolde ād coulde keape it so secretely that neuer man shulde see it. But suche as are so farre corrupted, as neuer wolde be cured of their canker.

|Fryth.| ¶ It is not possyble for hym that hath hys eyes and seeth hys brother which lacketh syght in Ieoperdye of peryshynge at a perellous pytte, but that he muste come to hym ād guyde hym, tyll he be past that Ieoperdye, and at the least wyse, yf he can not come to hym, yet wyll he call and crye vnto hym to cause hym chose the better waye, excepte hys harte be cankered with the contagyon of suche hatred that he can reioyse in hys neyghbours dystructyon. And euē so is it not possyble for vs which haue receyued the knowelege of Goddes worde, but that we muste crye and call to other, that they leaue the perellous patthes of their owne folyshe fantasyes. |Deut. 12.| And do that onely to the Lorde, that he commaundeth them, neyther addynge any thynge nor dymynyshynge. And therfor vntyll we see some meanes founde, by the which a reasonable reformacyon may be had on the one partye, and suffycyent instructyon for the poore cōmons, I insure you, I neyther wyll nor can cease to speake. For the worde of God boyleth in my bodye, lyke a fervente fyre, & wyll neades haue an yssue and breake out, whā occasyon is geuē.

But this hath bene offered you, is offered, and shall be offered. Graunte that the worde of God, I meane the texte of scrypture, maye go abrode in oure Englyshe tonge, as other nacyons haue it in their tōges, and my brother Wyllyā Tyndall ād I haue done, & wyll promyse you to wryte 16no more. Yf you wyll not graunte this condycyō, then wyll we be doynge whyle we haue breathe, and shewe in fewe wordes that the scripture doth in many: and so at the least saue some.

|More.| ❧ But a lacke this wyll not be. For as S. Paule sayeth, the contagyō of heresye creapeth ou lyke a cāker. For as the cāker corrupteth the bodye forthere and forther, & tourneth the hole partes in to the same deadly sycknes, so doth these heresyes crepe forth amonge good symple soules, tyll at the laste it be almost past remedye.

|Fryth.| ¶ Thys is a very true sayēge ād maketh well agaynst hys owne purpose. For in dede thys contagyō begā to sprynge euē in S. Paules tyme. In so moche that the Galathyans were in a maner wholy seduced from hys doctryne. And he sayde to the Thessalonyans, |1. The. 2.| the mystery of iniquyte euen now begynneth to worke. |1. Ioā. 4.| And saynt Iohn testyfyeth that there were all readye many Antichrystes rysen in hys dayes. And also Paule prophesyed what shulde folowe after hys tyme. |Act. 20.| Actes. xx. sayenge: Take ye hede to your selues and to all the flocke, ouer whyche the holye Gost hath put you overseers, to feade the congregacyon of God whyche he purchased wyth hys owne bloode. For I knowe thys well, that after my departynge shall enter in greuouse wolues amonge you, which shall not spare the flocke. And euen of your selues shall aryse men, speakynge perverse thynges, to drawe dyscyples after them, and therfore watche, & ce. Thys canker then began to sprede in the congregacyon, and ded full sore noye the bodye, in so moche that within .iiij. C. yeare there were very many sectes scatered in euerye coste. Notwithstandynge there were faythfull fathers that dylygently subdued thē wyth the swerde of Goddes worde. |Siluest.| But surely sens Siluester receyued suche possessyons, hath the canker so crepte in the churche, that it hath almoste lefte neuer a founde member. And as Cistercensis wryteth in the .viij. boke, that day that he receyued revennues, was a voyce harde in the ayre cryeng ouer the courte which sayde, Thys daye is venome shed in to the churche of God. Before that tyme there was no Byshope greadye to take a cure. For it was no honoure & profytte as it is now, but onely a carefull charge which was lyke to cost hym his lyfe at one tyme or other. And therfore no man wolde take it, but he that bare suche a loue and zele to God and his flocke, that he coulde be content to shedde hys bloode for them. But after that it was made so honorable and profytable, they that were worste bothe in lernynge and leuynge, moste laboured for it. For they that ware vertuous wolde 17|Mat. 7.| not entangle them selues with the vayne pryde of thys worlde, ād weare .iij. |Mar. 15.| Crownes of golde, where Christe ded weare one of thorne. |Ioā. 19.| And in conclusyon it came so farre, that who so euer wolde geue moste money for it or beste coulde flatter the Prynce (which he knewe well all good mē to abhorre) had the prehemynence and gotte the best Byshopryke, and then in steade of Goddes worde, they publyshed their owne commaundemētes, and made lawes to haue all vnder them, and made men beleue they coulde not erre what so euer they ded or sayde, ād euē as in the rowines ād stede of Moses, Aarō, Eliazer, Iosue, Calib, and other faythfull folke, came Herode, Annas, Caiphas, Pylate and Iudas, which put Christ to death: So now in the steade of Christe, Peter, Paule, Iames, ād Iohn, and the faythfull folowers of Christe, we haue the Pope, Cardynalles, Archebyshoppes, Byshoppes, and proude prelates, with their proctoure the malycyous mynyster of their master the Deuyll, which not withstondynge transforme thē selues in to a lykenes, |1. Cor. 11.| as though they were the mynysters of ryghtuousnes, whose ende shalbe acordyng to their workes. So that the bodye is cākered longe agone, ād now are lefte but certayne small mēbres, which God of hys puyssante power hath reserued vncorrupted. And because they see that they can not be cankered as their owne fleshe is, for pure anger they burne them, leaste yf they cōtynued there myght seame some deformyte in their owne cankered carcase, by the comparynge of these whole membres to their scabbed body.

|More.| ¶ Techeth in a fewe leaues shortely all the poyson that Wyclefe, Ecolāpadius, Tyndall, & Zwynglius haue taught in all their bokes before, cōcernynge the blessed Sacramente of the aulter: not onelye affyrmynge it to be verye breade styll (as Luther doth) but also (as these other beastes do) sayeth it is nothynge els. And after the same syr Thomas More sayeth. These dregges hath he dronken of Wyclefe, Ecolāpadius, Tyndall, and Zwynglius, and so hath he all that he argueth here besyde, whych .iiij. what maner folke they be, is metely well perceyued and knowen, and God hath in parte, wyth hys open vengeaunce declared.

|Fryth.| ¶ Luther is not the prycke that I ronne at, but the scrypture of God. I do neyther affyrme nor denye any thynge, because Luther so sayeth but be cause the scrypture of God doth so conclude and determe. I take not Luther for soche an autoure that I thynke he cānot erre, but I thynke verely that he both may erre and doth erre in certayne poyntes, although not in suche as concerne saluacyon and dampnacyō. 18For in thē (blessed be God) all these whome ye call heretykes do agre ryght well. And lykewyse I do not alowe thys thynge because Wyclefe, Decolampadius, Tyndall, and Zwinglius so saye, but because I see them in that place more purely expounde the scrypture, and that the processe of the texte doth more fauoure their sentence.

And where you saye that I affyrme yt to be breade styll as Luther doth, the same I saye agayne, not be cause Luther so sayeth, but because I can proue my wordes true by scrypture, reason of nature, and doctours. Paule calleth it breade saynge: |1. Cor. 10.| The breade which we breake, is it not the felowshyppe of the bodye of Christe: For we though we be manye, are yet one bodye and one breade: as manye as are pertakers of one breade. And agayne he sayeth. |1. Cor. 11.| As often as ye eate of this breade, or drynke of this cuppe, you shall shewe the Lordes death vntyll he come. Also Luke calleth it breade in the actes sayenge: |Act. 2.| they contynued in the felowshyp of the Apostles and in breakynge of breade, & in prayer. |Luc. 22.| Also Christe called the cuppe, the frute of vyne, sayenge. I shall not from hence forthe drynke of the frute of the vyne, vntyll I drynke that a newe in the kyngdome of my Father.

Furthermore nature doth teche you that both the breade and wyne contynue in their nature. For the breade mouldeth yf it be kepte longe, yea, and wormes breede in it. And the poore mouse wyll ronne away with it, and desyre none other meate to her dyner, whiche are euydēt ynough that there remayneth breade. Also the wyne yf it were reserued wolde wexe sower, as they confesse thē selues, and therfore they howsell the laye people but wyth one kynde onely, because the wyne can not contynue nor be reserued, to haue readye at hande when neade were. And surely as yf there remayned no breade it coulde not moulde nor wexe full of wormes: Euē so yf there remayned no wyne, it coulde not wexe sower, and therfore it is but false doctryne, that our Prelates so lōge haue publyshed. Fynallye that there remayneth breade myght be proued by the auctoryte of many doctours, which call it breade and wyne, as Christ and hys Apostles ded. And thoughe some sophysters wolde wreste their sayenges and expounde them after their fantasye, yet shall I alledge thē one doctoure (which was also Pope of Rome) that maketh so playne wyth vs that they shalbe compelled with shame to holde their tonges. For Pope Gelasius wryteth on this maner. Certe sacramenta quæ sumimus corporis et sanguinis Christi diuinæ res sunt & propterea per illa, participes facti 19sumus diuinæ naturæ, & tamen non desinit esse substantia uel panis & uini, sed permanēt in suæ proprietati naturæ. Et certe imago & similitudo corporis & sanguinis Christi in actione misteriorum celebrantur. That is to saye, surely the sacramentes of the bodye and bloode of Christe, are a godly thynge, and therfore through them are we made partakers of the Godly nature. And yet doth it not cease to be the substaunce, or nature of breade and wyne, but they contynue in the propertye of their owne nature. And surely the Image and symylytude of the bodye and bloode of Christe, are celebrated in the acte of the mysteryes. Thys I am sure was the olde doctryne which they cā not avoyde. And therfor wyth the scrypture, nature, ād fathers, I wyll conclude that there remayneth the substaunce, and nature, of breade and wyne.

|More.| And where ye saye that we affyrme it to be nothynge els, I dare saye that ye vntrulye reporte of vs all. And here after I wyll shewe you what it is more then breade. And where ye saye that it is meately well knowen what maner of folke they be, and that GOD hath in parte wyth hys open vengeaunce declared.

|Fryth.| ¶ I answere that Master Wyclefe was noted whyle he was lyuynge, |Wiclefe.| to be a man not onely of moste famous doctryne, but also of a very syncere lyfe and conversacyon. Neuerthelesse to declare your malycyous myndes and vengeable hartes (as men saye) xv. yeares after he was buryed, you toke hym vp and brente hym, whiche facte declared your furye, although he felte no fyre. |Mat. 10.| But blessed be GOD whiche hath geuen suche tyrauntes no further power, but over thys corruptyble bodye. For the soule ye can not bynde nor burne, |Mal. 2.| but God maye blesse where you curse, and curse where you blesse.

|Ecolampadius.| ¶ And as for Oecolampadius, that notable learned man, hys moste aduersaryes haue euer commended hys conversacyon and Godlye lyfe, which when God has appoynted hys tyme, gaue place vnto nature (as euery man muste) and dyed of a canker.

|Tyndal.| And Tyndall I truste lyueth, well contente with suche a poore Apostles lyfe, as GOD gaue hys sone Christe, and hys faythfull mynysters in thys worlde, whiche is not sure of so many mytes, as ye be yearly of poundes, although I am sure that for hys learnynge and Iudgement in scripture, he were more worthye to be promoted, then all the Byshoppes in Englande. I receyued a letter from hym, whiche was wrytten sens Chrystmas, wherin amonge other matters he 20wryteth thus. I calle GOD to recorde agaynst the daye we shall appere before our Lorde Iesus to geue a rekonynge of our doynges, that I neuer altered one syllable of Godes worde agaynste my conscyēce, nor wolde do this daye, yf all that is in earth, whether it be honoure, pleasure, or ryches, myght be geuen me. Morover I take GOD to recorde to my conscience, that I desyre of GOD to my selfe in this wurlde no more then that without whiche I can not keape hys lawes, & ce. Iudge Christen reader whether these wordes be not spokē of a faythfull clere innocent harte. And as for hys behauyoure is suche, that I am sure no man can reproue hym of any synne, howbeit no man is innocent before God which beholdeth the harte.

|Zwynglius.| Fynallye Zwinglius was a man of suche learnynge and grauyte (besyde eloquence) that I thynke no man in Christendome myght haue compared with hym, notwithstondynge he was slayne in battayle in defendynge hys cytye, and cōmōwelth, agaynste the assaulte of wycked enemyes, whiche cause was moste ryghtuouse.

And yf hys mastershyp meane, that that was the vēgeaunce of God, and declared hym to be an euyll parson because he was slayne: I maye say nay, and shewe euydēt examples of the contrarye. For somtyme God geueth the vyctorye agaynst them that haue moste ryghtuouse cause, as it is evydent in the boke of Iudicum, |Iudi. 20.| where all the chylderne of Israell were gathered together to punyshe the shamefull sodometrye of the trybe of Beniamyn, whyche were in nōbre but .25. thousande. And the Israelytes were .CCCC. thousāde fyghtynge men, whiche came in to Silo, and asked of God who shulde be their capytayne agaynst Beniamyn. And they beynge but .xxv. thousāde slewe of the other Israelytes .12. thousande in one day: Thē fledde the chylderne of Israell vnto the Lorde in Silo, and made greate lamentacyon before hym euen vntyll nyght. And asked hym counsell sayenge. Shall we go any more to fyght agaynste the trybe of Beniamyn oure brotherne or not? God sayde vnto them yes, go vp and fyght agaynste them. Then went they the nexte day and faught agaynste them, and there were slayne agayne of the Israelites .18. thousande men: Then came they backe agayne vnto the house of God, and sate downe and wepte before the Lorde, and fasted that daye vntyll euen, and asked hym agayne whether they shulde anye more fyght agaynste theyr bretherne or not. God sayde vnto them yes, to morow I wyll delyuer thē in to your hādes. 21And the nexte day was the trybe of Bēiamyn vtterly dystroyed, sauynge .600. men which hydde themselues in the wyldernes. Here yt is evydent that the chylderne of Israell loste the vyctorye twyse, and yet not withstondynge had a iuste cause, and faught at Godds commaundement. Besydes that, Iudas Machabeus, was slayne, in a ryghtuouse cause, as yt is manyfest in the fyrst boke of the Machabees. |Machabe. 9.| And therfore yt can be no evydent argument of the vēgeaunce of God, that he was slayne in battayle in a ryghtuouse cause, and therfore me thynketh that this manne ys to malaperte so bluntly to enter in to Goddes Iudgement, ād geue sentence in that matter before he be called to counsell. Thus haue I suffycyētly touched hys preface, for those poyntes that he afterwarde towched more largely haue I wyllyngly passed, because I shall towche them earnestly hereafter. Nowe lette vs see what he proueth.

|Master More.| ❧ It ys a greate wonder to see vpon how lyght and sleyght occasyons, he ys fallen vnto these abhomynable heresyes. For he denyeth not nor can not say nay, but that our sauyour sayde hym selfe, my fleshe ys verely meate and my bloode ys verely drynke. He denyeth not also that Christ hym selfe at his last souper, takynge the breade in to hys blessed handes, after that he had blessed yt sayde vnto hys discyples. Take you thys and eate yt, thys is my bodye, that shall be geuen for you. And lykewyse gaue them the chalyce after hys blessynge and consecracyon, and sayde vnto them, thys ys the chalyce of my bloode of the newe testament, whyche shalbe shedde out for manye, do ye thys in remembraunce of me.

|Fryth.| ¶ It is a greate wonder to see howe ygnoraunte their proctoure ys, in the playne textes of scrypture. For yf he had any iudgement at all he myght well perceyue that when Christe spake these wordes, my fleshe ys verely meate and my bloode ys verely drynke, he spake nothynge of the sacramēte. For yt was not instytuted vntyll hys laste souper. And these wordes were spoken to the Iewes longe before, and ment them not of the carnall eatynge or drynkynge of hys bodye or bloode, but of the spirytuall eatynge, which is done by faythe and not wyth tothe, ād bellye. Wherof Saynt Austen sayeth vpon thys Gospell of Iohan, why preparest thou other tothe or bellye? beleue and thou haste eaten hym. So that Christes wordes must here be vnderstonde spirytually. And that he calleth hys fleshe verymeate, is because that as meate by the eatynge of yt & digestynge yt in our body dothe strengthen these corruptyble membres, 22so lykewyse doth Christes fleshe (by the beleuynge that yt taketh our synne vpon yt selfe and suffered the death to delyuer vs) strengthen our immortall soule. And lykewyse as drynke when yt is dronken, doth comforte and quycken our frayle nature, So lykewyse both Christes bloode by the drynkynge of yt in to the bowells of our soule, that ys by the belevynge and remembrynge that yt ys shedde for our synnes, comforte and quycken our soule vnto euerlastynge lyfe. And thys is the eatynge and drynkynge that he speaketh of in that place. And that yt is so you may perceyue by the texte folowynge which sayeth. He that eateth my bodye & drynketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in hym, which ys not possyble to be vnderstonde of the Sacrament. For it is false to saye, that he that eateth the Sacrament of hys bodye and drynketh the sacrament of hys bloode, dwelleth in Christe and Christe in hym. For some man receyueth yt vnto hys condempnacyō. And thus doth .S. Austen expounde yt sayenge. Hoc est enim Christum manducare, in illo manere, & illum manentem in se habere. Thys is the very eatynge of Christe, to dwell in hym, and to haue hym dwellynge in vs. So that who so euer dwelleth in Christ (that ys to saye) beleueth that he is sent of God to saue vs from our synnes doth verely eate ād drynke hys bodye and bloode, although he neuer receyued the sacrament. Thys ys the spirytuall eatynge necessarye for all that shalbe saued. For there ys no man that cōmeth to God without this eatynge of Christ, that is the beleuynge in hym. And so I denye not but that Christ speaketh these wordes, but surelye he ment spyrytually. As S. Austen declareth, ād as the place playnely proueth.

And as towchynge the other wordes |Mat. 26.| that Christe spake vnto hys dyscyples at hys laste souper, I denye not but that he sayde so, but that he so steshely mēt as ye falsely fayne, I vtterly denye. For I saye that hys wordes were then also spyrite and lyfe, and were spyritually to be vnderstonde. And that he called yt hys bodye, |Ioan. 6.| for a certayne propertye, euen as he called hym selfe |Ioan. 15.| a very vyne, and hys dyscyples very vyne braunches, and as he called hym selfe a dore: |Ioan. 10.| not that he was so in dede, but for certayne propertyes in the symylytudes. |Gen. 35.| As a man for some propertye sayeth of hys neyghbours horsse, this horsse is myne vp and downe, meanynge that yt is in euery thynge so lyke. |Gen. 32.| And lyke as Iacob buylded an aulter and called yt the God of Israel, and as Iacob called the place where he wrasteled with the Angell, the face of God, and as the pascall 23lambe was called the passynge bye of the Lorde. |Ezech. 5.| And as a broken potsherde was called Hierusalem, not for that they were so in dede, but for certayne symylytudes in the propertyes, and that the very name yt selfe myght put men in remembraunce what ys ment by the thynge, as I suffycyently declared in my fyrste treatyse.

|More.| He muste neades confesse, that they that beleue that yt ys the very bodye and hys very bloode in dede, haue the playne wordes of our sauyoure hym selfe vpon their syde, for the grounde and foundacyon of their faythe.

|Fryth.| ¶ That is very true, and so haue they the very wordes of God, whiche saye a broken potsherde ys Hierusalem, and that Christe is a stone, and that Christe is a vyne and a dore. And yet yf they shuld beleue or thynke that he were in dede any of these thynges, they were neuerthelesse deceyued. For though he so sayde, yet I saye hys wordes were spirituall ād spiritually to be vnderstonde.

|More.| ❧ And where you saye that I flye from the faythe of playne and open scryptures, and for the allegorye destroye the true sence of the letter.

|Fryth.| ¶ I answere that some textes of scripture are onelye to be vnderstonde after the letter: As when Paule sayeth, Christ |Rom. 4.| dyed for our synnes & rose agayne for ourre iustificacyō. And some textes are onely to be vnderstonde spirytually or in the way of an allegory: As whē Paule sayth, |1. Cor. x.| Christe was the stone. And when Christe sayeth hym selfe. |Johā. xv.| I am a very vyne. |Johan. x.| I ā the doore. And some must be vnderstōde both lytterallye, and spirytuallye: As when God sayde, out of Egypte called I my sonne, |Ozee. 11.| whyche although it were lytterallye fulfylled in the chylderne of Israel when he brought them out of Egypte with greate power and wōders, yet was yt also mente ād veryfyed in Christ hym selfe, |Math. 2.| hys very spyrytuall sonne, which was called out of Egygte after the death of Herode. And agayne yt is very spiritually fulfylled in vs whyche through Christes bloode are delyuered from the Egypte of synne, and from the power of Pharao the devyll. And I say that this texte of scripture, this is my bodye, ys onely spirytually to be vnderstonde, ād not lytterallye. And that doth S. Austen also confyrme, which wryteth vnto Adamantus and sayeth. These sentences of scripture, Christ was the stone, the bloode ys the soule, and thys is my bodye, are fyguratyuelye to be vnderstonde (that is to say) spiritually, or by the way of ā allegorye, & thus haue I. S. Austē whollye vpon my syde, whiche thynge shall yet 24hereafter more playnely appere.

|More.| ❧ Nowe hys example of hys brydgromes rynge I very well alowe. For I take the blessed sacramēt to be left with vs for a very token and a memoryall of Christe in dede. But I say that the whole substaūce of the same token & memoryall, is hys owne blessed bodye. And so I saye that Christe hathe lefte vs a better token then this man wolde haue vs take yt for. And therin he fareth lyke a mā, to whō a brydgrome had delyuered a goodly golde rynge with a ryche Rubye therin, to delyuer to hys bryde for a token. And then he wolde lyke a false shrewe, keape a waye that golden rynge and geue the bryde in steade thereof, a proper rynge of aryshe, and tell her that the brydgrome wolde sende her no better. Or els lyke one that when the brydgrome hadde geuen soche a rynge of golde to hys bryde for a tokē, wyll tell her playne, ād make her beleue, that the rynge were but coper or brasse, to mynyshe the brydgromes thanke.

|Fryth.| ¶ I am ryght gladde that ye admytte myne exāple, ād graūte that the sacramēt is lefte to be a very tokē and memoryall of Christe in dede. But where you saye, that the whole substaunce of the same token ād memoryall is hys owne blessed bodye, that is sooner sayde than proued. And where you saye that we fare lyke a false shrewe that wolde keape the golde rynge from the bryde, and geue her a rynge of a ryshe, or tell her that her golde rynge were coper or brasse, to mynyshe the brydgromes thāke. I answere that we deny not but that the ryng ys most fyne golde, and is sette wyth as ryche Rubyes as can be gotten. For that rynge (I meane the Sacrament) ys not onely a moste perfecte token and a memoryall of the brydegromes benefyttes ād vnfayned fauoure on hys partye, but yt is also on the other partye a thankes geuynge for the gracyous gyftes which she vndoubtedly knowlege her selfe to haue receyued. For as verely as that breade ys broken amōge thē, so verely was Christes bodye broken for their synnes. And as verely as they receyue that breade in to their bellye through eatynge yt, so verelye do they receyue the frute of hys death in to their soules by beleuynge in hym. And therfor they assemble to that souper, not for the valoure of the breade, wyne, or meate, that ys there eate, but for the intent to geue hym thankes commonly a monge them all, for hys inestymable goodnes. But to procede vnto our purpose, yf a man wolde come vnto the bryde, and tell her that thys goodly golde rynge were her owne brydgrome, both fleshe bloode ād bones (as you do) 25then I thynke yf she haue anye wytte, she myght answere hym, that he mocked, and the more he sayde yt, the lesse she myght beleue hym, and saye that yf that were her owne brydgrome, what shulde she thē neade any remēbraunce of hym, or why shulde he geue it her for a remembraunce. For a remembraunce presupposeth the thynge to be absent, and therfore yf thys be a remembraunce of hym, than can he not here be present.

|More.| ❧ I meruell therfore moche, that he is not a frayde, to affyrme that these wordes of Christe, of hys bodye and of hys bloode, muste neades be vnderstonde by waye of a symylytude or an allegorye, as the wordes be of the vyne and the doore. Nowe this he knoweth well, that though some wordes spokē by the mouthe of Christe be to be vnderstonde onely by waye of a symylytude or an allegorye, yet foloweth it not thervpon, that euery lyke worde of Christe in other places was non other but an allegorye, for suche was the shyfte and cauyllacyon that the wycked Arryans vsed which toke from Christes parson hys omnypotent Godhed.

|Fryth.| ¶ I graunte that the Arryans erred, for as Master More sayeth, though in some place a worde betakē fyguratyuely, it foloweth not therfor that in euery other place, it shulde lykewyse be takē. But one questyō muste I aske hys mastershyppe, how doth he knowe that there is any worde or texte in scripture that muste be takē fyguratyuely, that is by the waye of a symylytude, or as he calleth yt a necessarye allegory? I thynke (though some mē may assygne other good causes ād euydences) that the fyrst knowelege ys by other textes of scrypture. For yf other textes be cōferred vnto yt, and wyll not stonde with the litterall sence, then I thynke yt muste neades be taken spirytually or fyguratyuelye, as there are infynyte textes in scripture. Now when I see that .S. Thomas whiche felte Christes woundes ād put hys fynger in hys syde, called hym hys Lorde and God, and that no texte in scrypture repugneth vnto the same, but that they may well stonde together, me thynketh yt were foly to affirme that this word, God, in that texte shulde be taken fyguratyuely or by waye of an allegorye: But nowe in our matter the processe of scripture wyll not stonde with the lytterall sence, as shall here after appeare. And therfor necessyte compellethe vs to expounde yt fyguratyuelye, as doth also S. Austen and other holy doctours, as hereafter shall playnely appeare.

|More.| ❧ If euery man that can fynde out a newe fonde fantasye vpon a text of holy scrypture, may haue his owne mynd takē, 26and hys owne exposicyon beleued agaynste the exposycyons of the olde connynge doctours and sayntes, then may you surely see that none artycle of the Christen fayth, can stonde and endure longe. And then he alleageth .s. Hierome, which sayth, that yf the exposycion of other interpretours, and the consent of the common catholycke churche, were of no more strēgth but that euery mā myght be beleued that coulde brynge some textes of scrypture for hym, expounded as it pleaseth hym selfe, then coulde I (sayth this holy mā) brynge vpe a newe secte also, and saye by scrypture, that no man were a true Christen man, nor a membre of the churche, that keapeth two cootes. And in good fayth (sayth master More) yf that waye were alowed I were able my selfe to fynde out fyftene newe sectes in one fore none.

|Fryth.| ¶ Saynte Peter sayeth that the scripture is not expounded after the appetyte of any pryuate parson, but euē as yt was geuen by the spyrite of God, and not by mānes wyll: so muste yt be declared by the same spiryte. And therfore I wyll not that any mā shalbe beleued, by bryngynge hys owne mynde and fantasye. But yf he wyll be beleued, let hym brynge eyther an other playne texte, which shall expounde the fyrste, or els at the leaste he muste brynge suche a manyfest sentence, as wyll stonde wyth the processe of the scripture. Whye was Saynt Hierome alowed agaynst the determynacyon of the counsell of Meldeley, syth he was alone, and they a greate multytude, but onely because he brought euydent scrypture, which at the tyme of their sentence, none of them remembred ād yet when yt was brought, they coulde not auoyde yt. And lykewyse excepte I brynge euydent scripture which they all shall expounde as I do, I desyre not to be beleued. And where master More sayeth, that in good fayth he were able to fynde out fyftene newe sectes in one fore none, he may thanke GOD that he hathe suche a pregnaunte wytte: But yet I truste he shulde not fynde one (yf there were any parell of dāpnacyō therin) but that we wolde with a playne texte confute yt, which he shulde not be able to avoyde.

|More.| ❧ And ouer this, the very cyrcumstaunces of the places in the Gospell in which our sauyour speaketh of that sacramente, may well make open the defference of hys speache in this matter, and of all the other, and that as he spake all those but in an allegorye, so spake he this, playnely meanynge that he spake of hys very bodye and hys very bloode, besyde all allegoryes. For when our Lorde sayde, 27he was a very vyne, and when he sayd he was the dore, there was none that harde hym, that any thynge merueled therof. And whye: For because they perceyued well, that he ment not that he was a materyall vyne in dede, nor a dore neyther: But when he sayde that hys fleshe was very meate, and hys bloode very drynke, and that they shulde not be saued but yf they ded eate hys fleshe and drynke hys bloode, then were they all in suche a wonder therof, that they coulde not abyde. And wherfor, but because they perceyued well by hys wordes and hys maner of circumstaunces, that Chryste spake of hys very fleshe and hys very bloode in dede.

|Fryth.| ¶ It is openly knowen and confessed amonge all learned men, that in the |Ioan. 6.| .6. chapytre of Ioan, Christe spake not one worde concernynge the sacrament of hys bodye and bloode (which at that tyme was not yet instytuted) but all that he there spake was of the spyrytuall eatynge ād drynkynge of hys bodye, and bloode, as I haue towched before. And the circumstaunces of this place do in dede proue that they were fleshly mynded, and vnderstoode not the spirytuall wordes of our sauyoure Christ, and therfor wondered and mourmured. In so moche that Christe sayde vnto them, doth this offende you: What wyll ye say then whē ye shall see the sone of man ascendynge thyther where he was before: Thē (addeth S. Austen) you shall knowe that he ment not to geue hys fleshe to eate with your teth: for he shall ascende whole. And Christ addeth, it is the spirite that quyckeneth, the fleshe profyteth nothynge, the wordes that I speake, are spirite ād lyfe: that is to say, sayeth S. Austen, are spirytually to be vnderstonde. And where Christ sayeth, that the fleshe profyteth nothynge (meanynge of hys owne fleshe, as S. Austē sayeth) he meaneth that it profyteth not, as they vnderstoode hym, that is to saye, it profyteth not, if it were eatē. But it doth moche profyte to be slayne, that through it and the shedynge of hys blode, the wrath of God our Father is pacyfyed, ād our synnes forgeuen. And where his mastershyp sayeth that the people perceyued well what he ment, and therfor wōdered so sore ād coulde not abyde, because they perceyued well by hys wordes ād maner of cyrcumstaunces what hys meanynge was. I wyll say as I ded before, that they vnderstoode hym not. Nowe here he wyll saye vnto me, if it be but your naye and my yea, then I wolde thynke to be beleued as soone as you, and surelye that were but reason. Not withstondynge (thankes be to God) 28I am able to brynge in auctoryte to Iudge betwene vs bothe, whose Iudgemēt I truste hys mastershyp wyll admytte. Thys autoure is .S. Austen which sayeth. |Augusti in sermo ad infan.| Discipuli enim eius qui cum sequebantur expauerunt & exhorruerunt sermonem non intelligentes. That is to saye, his dyscyples whiche folowed hym, were a stoyned, and abhorred hys wordes, ād vnderstoode thē not. And because your mastershype shall not thynke that he over schotte hym selfe, and spake he wyste not what, we shall alledge hym sayenge the same wordes in an other place. |Aug. 54.| Cum diceret. Nisi quis manducauerit carnem .& c. Illi non intelligentes dixerunt ad inuicē. Durus est hic sermo, quis potest eum audire? That is, when Christ sayde, excepte a man eate my fleshe and drynke my bloode, he shall haue no lyfe in hym, they because they vnderstoode hym not, sayde to eche other, this is an harde sayenge, who can heare hym? Thus I truste you wyll geue place (although not to me) yet at the leaste vnto Saynte Austen, and receyue the truth whiche is so playnelye proved.

And where hys mastershyp alleageth this texte for the Sacramente, that excepte they ded eate hys fleshe and drynke hys blode they coulde not be saued, yt seameth that he is fallen in to the erroure of Pope Innocēt, which lykewyse vnderstōdynge this texte vpon the Sacrament (as master More doth) caused yonge chylderne and infantes to receyue the Sacrament, as though they had all bene dampned which dyed and had not receyued it. And of thys Carnall mynde were many mo Byshoppes a greate whyle (as are now the Bohemes, whome he after dysprayseth, and yet expoundeth the texte as they do) but afterward they loked more spirytually vpō the matter and confessed their ignoraunce, as I truste master More wyll. But now wyll I shew you .S. Austens mynde vpō this texte, which shall helpe for the exposycyon of all thys matter. |Augustinus libro 3 de doctrina christiana.| S. Austen in the thyrde boke de doctrina christiana the .16. chapytre, teachynge how we shall knowe the tropes, fygures, allegoryes, and phrases of the scrypture sayeth. Si aūt flagitium aut facinus iubere uidetur, figurata locutio est. Nisi manducaueritis (inqt) carnem filij hominis et biberitis eius sanguinē, non habebitis uitam in uobis. Facinus uel flagitium uidetur iubere. Figura est ergo precipiens passionis dominicæ esse comunicandū et suauiter atque utiliter in memoria recondendum, quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa & uulnerata sit. That is to saye: when so euer the scrypture or Christe seameth to commaunde any fowle or wycked thynge, than muste that texte be taken fyguratyuelye, and that it is a phrase, allegorye, and maner of speakynge, 29ād muste be vnderstonde spyrytually and not after the letter. Excepte (sayeth Christ) ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke hys bloode ye shall haue no lyfe in you. He seameth (sayeth S. Austen) to cōmaunde a fowle and a wycked thynge. It ys therfore a fygure, commaundyng vs to be partakers of hys passyon, and swetely ād profytablye to prynte in our mynde that hys fleshe was crucyfyed and wounded for vs. This truth (thankes be to God) doth S. Austen declare vnto vs, which thynge besyde the openyng of thys texte agaynst master Mores mynd, doth playnely shew what he thought in the holye wordes of Christes souper. For syth he called yt a fowle and wycked thynge to eate hys fleshe, than may you soone perceyue, that he thought yt ys fowle and as wycked a thynge to eate hys bodye, seynge hys bodye ys fleshe, and then consequently yt shall folowe, that eyther thys worde eate (where Christe sayde take thys and eate yt) muste be taken spirytually, or els that thys sayēge of Christe, thys is my body, muste be fyguratyuely spoken, but this worde, eate, ys taken after the letter (for they ded in dede eate the breade) therfore yt muste neades folowe, that thys sentēce (thys is my bodye) muste be fyguratyuely spoken. Or els ys .S. Austen not to be approued in thys place, which thynge our Byshoppes I thynke, wyll not saye naye.

Besydes that .S. Austen sayeth. |Augustinus in sermone ad infantes.| Quando loquebatur dominus noster Iesus Christus de corpore suo, nisi (inquit) quis manducauerit carnem meam et biberit sanguinè meum, non habebit in se uitam. Caro enim mea uere est cibus, & sanguis meus uere est potus. Intellectus spiritualis credentem saluum facit, quia littera occidit, spiritus est qui uiuificat. That is to saye: when our Lorde Iesus Christe spake of hys bodye, excepte (sayeth he) a man eate my fleshe and drynke my bloode, he shall haue no lyfe in hym selfe, for my fleshe is verye meate, and my bloode is very drynke. The spyrytuall vnderstondynge saueth hym that beleueth, for the letter kylleth, but the spirite quyckeneth. Here may you playnlye perceyue, that thys texte muste onely be taken spyrituallye. For he sayeth, that to take it after the letter it kylleth and profyteth nothynge at all, & therfor I wonder that we haue bene ledde so longe in this grosse erroure.

|Orig. in leuiti. homi .7.| This sayenge doth that famous clarke Origene, confyrme sayēg. Agnosce, figuræ sunt que in uoluminibus Domini scriptæ sunt: & ideo tanquā spirituales & non tanquam carnales, examinate & intelligite quæ dicuntur. Si enim secundum litteram sequaris hoc ipsum quod dictum est, Nisi manducaueritis 30carnē &c. Occidit hæc littera. That is to saye: Marke that they are fygures which are wrytē in the scrypture of God. And therfore examyne them as spyrytuall men and not as Carnall, ād vnderstonde those thynges that are spoken. For if thou folowe after the letter, this thynge that is spokē: excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sone of man and drynke hys bloode, you cā haue no lyfe in you, this letter kylleth. Alas deare bretherne why shulde any mā be offended with thys doctryne, seynge it is approued so playnelye, by suche auncyent and holy Fathers.

|Augusti sermo circa sacraferia pasche.| Agayne .S. Austē sayeth. Qui manducat carnem meā & bibit meum sanguinem in memanet & ego in illo. Hoc est ergo manducare illā escam & illū bibere potum, in Christo manere & illum manentē in se habere, ac per hoc qui non manet in Christo & in quo non manet Christus proculdubio non manducat eius carnem nec bibit sanguinē, etiā si tanterei sacramentum ad iudicium sibi manducet & bibit. That is to saye, he that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloode, abydeth in me, and I in hym. This is therfore the eatynge of that meate and drynkynge of that bloode, to abyde in Christe and haue hym abydynge in vs. And therfor he that abydeth not in Christe, and in whome Christe abydeth not, without doubte he eateth not Christes fleshe nor drynketh not hys bloode, although he eate and drynke that sacramēt of so greate a thynge vnto hys dampnacyon. And euē the same wordes |Idē Beda super Cor. 10.| hath Bede vpon the Corynthyās 1. Corin. 10. Thys one place is suffycyent for to proue my purpose though he sayde not one worde more. For here he doth playnelye determyne, that he whiche abydeth not in Christe: that is to saye: he that is wycked or vnfaythfull, doth not eate hys fleshe nor drynke hys bloode, although he eate and drynke the Sacramēt of so greate a thynge. And so muste it neades folowe, that the Sacramente is not the verye naturall bodye of Christ. For then the vnfaythfull shulde eate hys fleshe, seynge he eateth the Sacrament of hys bodye. But that doth S. Austen denye, wherfor it muste neades folowe, that it is but onely a token of a remembraunce, ād a sygne of hys bodye breakynge, and a representacyon of hys passyon, |Rom. 5.| that we myght keape hys facte in memorye, and geve hym thankes for hys tender loue and kyndenes, whiche when we were hys enemyes toke vpon hym to suffer moste vyle death, to reconcyle vs vnto his Father, and make vs hys frendes. Thys sayenge hath S. Austen in a nother place also, |Augusti deciuita: dei lib. 21.| where he wryteth on this maner. Qui non in me manet, & in quo ego non maneo, non se dicat aut existimet māducare corpus meum, aut bibere sanguinem 31meum. |capi. 25.| Non itaq; maneat in Christo qui non sunt eius membra: non sunt autem membra Christi qui se faciunt membra meritricis. That is to saye, he that abydeth not in me, and in whome I abyde not, let hym not saye or thynke that he eateth my bodye or drynketh my bloode. They abyde not in Christe which are not hys mēbers. And they are not hys membres whiche make them selues the membres of an harlote. And these are also the verye wordes of Bede. Here is it playne proued agayne by the auctoryte of S. Austen and Bede, |Beda super. 1. Cor. 6.| that the wycked and vnfaythfull (whiche are not the membres of Christe) do not eate hys bodye nor drynke hys bloode, and yet they do eate the Sacramēt as well as the other. Wherfore you muste neades, graunte, that the Sacramēt is not the naturall bodye of Christ but a fygure, tokē, or memoryall therof. Now good Christē people counte not thys new learnynge which is confyrmed by suche olde doctoures and faythfull fathers.

Now were thys ynough for a Christē man that loued no contencyon. But because there are so manye sophysters in the worlde whiche care not what they saye, so they holde not their peace, I muste neades sette some bulwarke by this holy doctoure, to helpe to defende hym, for els they wyll shortelye ouer rone hym (as they do me) ād make hym an heretyck also. Therfore I wyll alleage hys master saynt Ambrose. Saynte Ambrose sayeth |Ambrosi de sacra.| Non iste panis qui uadit in corpus a nobis tā anxie queritur, sed panis uitæ æterne que anime nostre substanciam fulscit, qui autem discordat a Christo non manducat carnem eius, nec bibit sanguinem eius, & si tante rei sacramentum iudicium sue perdicionis accipit. That is, this breade that goeth in to the bodye ys not so gredelye sought of vs, but the breade of euerlastynge lyfe which vpholdeth the substaunce of our soule. For he that dyscordeth from Christ, doth not eate hys fleshe, nor drynke hys bloode, although he receyue the sacramente of so greate a thynge vnto hys dampnacyon and destruccyon. Furthermore, the greate clarke Prosper confyrmeth the same, sayenge. |Prosper in libro sentenciarum.| Qui discordat a Christo nec carnem Christi manducat, nec sanguinem bibit, etiam si tantæ rei sacramentum ad iudicium sue presumptionis quotidie indifferenter accipiat. That is, he that dyscordeth from Christ, doth neyther eate hys fleshe, nor drynke hys bloode, although he receyueth indyfferently euery daye the sacrament of so greate a thynge vnto the condempnacyon of hys presumpcyon. And these are also the very wordes of Bede |Idē Beda super 1. Cor. 11.| vpō the xi. Chapiter of the fyrste Epystle to the Corynthyans.

Now you may see, that it ys not saynt 32Austens mynde onely, but also the sayēge of many mo. And therfore I truste you wyll be good vnto hym. And yf ye cōdempne not these holye Fathers, then am I wrongfullye punyshed. But, yf you condempne them, then muste poore Iohan Fryth be contente to beare the burthen wyth them.

The mynde & exposiciō of the olde doctours upon the wordes of Christes maundye.

|More.| And where master More sayeth, that yf Chryste had not ment after the playne litterall sense, that both the hearers at that tyme, and the expositours sens, and all Christen people besyde thys xv.c. yeare wolde not haue taken onelye the litterall sens beynge so straunge and mervelous that yt myght seame impossyble, ād declyne from the letter for allegoryes in all suche other thynges, beynge (as he sayeth) and as in dede they be, so manye farre in nombre mo.

|Fryth.| ¶ As towchynge the hearers they were deceyued and vunderstoode hym not (I meane as manye as toke hys wordes fleslye as you do). And they had their answere of Christe (when they mourmured) that hys wordes were spyrite and lyfe: that is (as S. Austen sayeth) spirytually to be vnderstonde & not fleslye, as ys before declared. And as for the exposytours, I thynke he hath not one of the olde fathers for hym, but certen newe felowes: as Dominicus, S. Thomas, Occam, ād suche other 33which haue made the Pope a God. And as I haue shewed S. Austen maketh full for vs, and so do all the olde fathers. As Oecolompadius hath well declared in hys boke. Quid ueteres senserint de sacramento eucharistiæ. And some of their sayenges I shall alleage a none. And where you saye that all Christen people haue so beleued this .1500. yeares, that is very false. For there ys no doubte, but that the people thought as holye Saynt Austen and other faythful fathers taught thē. Which as I sayde, make with vs. Notwithstondynge in dede syth oure prelates haue bene made lordes and haue sette vp their lawes and decrees contrarye to the prerogatyue of all Prynces, and lyke moste subtle traytours, haue made all men beleue that they may make lawes & bynde mens cōscyences to obeye them: and that theyr lawes are Gods lawes, blyndynge the peoples eyes wyth two or thre textes wrongfully wrested, to avaunce their pryde, where they ought to obeye Kynges & Princes & be subiect to their lawes, as Christ & hys Apostles were euē vnto the death. Syth that tyme I say, they haue made mē beleue what they lyst, & make artycles of the faythe at their pleasure. One artycle must be that they be the church, ād cā not erre. And this ys the grounde of all their doctryne. But the truth of this artycle ys now suffycyently knowē. For yf quene Katheryne be Kynge Hēryes wyfe, thē they do erre, & yf she be not, they haue thē erred. It is nowe become an artycle of our fayth that the Pope of Rome must be the hede of the churche ād the vycar of Christe: & that by Gods lawe. It is an artycle of our fayth, that what soeuer he byndeth in earth, is boūde in heauē, in so moche that yf he curse wrōgfully, yet yt must be feared, ād infynite suche other which are not in our crede, but blessed be god that hath geuē some lyght in to oure Prynces harte. For he hath lately put forth a boke called the glasse of truth, which proueth many of these artycles very folysh fātasyes, ād that euē by theyr owne doctours, and so I truste you shall be proued in this poynt of the sacramēt. For though it be an artycle of our fayth, yt is none artycle of our Crede in the .xij. artycles, whiche are suffycyent for our saluacyon. And therfore we may thynke that you lye without all Ieoperdye of dampnacyon.

Neuerthelesse seynge hys mastershyp sayeth that all make for hym, & I say cleane contrarye, that allthe olde fathers make agaynste hym, it were necessarye that one of vs shulde proue hys purpose. But in dede in this poynte he wolde loke to haue the vātage of me. For he thynketh that mē wyll sooner beleue him which is a greate 34mā, thē me which am but a poore mā, ād that therfor I had more neade to proue my parte true, thē he to proue hys. Well, I am content, and therfor geue eare dere reader and iudge betwene vs.

|Tertullianus libro. 2. cōtra Marcionem. Tertullianus libro 4. cōtra Marcionem.| First I wyll begynne with Tertulyan, because he is of moste antiquyte. Tertullyan sayeth. Ipse (Christus) nec panem reprobauit quod ipsum corpus suum representat. That is to saye: Christ hym selfe ded not reproue or discōmēde breade which doth represent hys bodye. For the vnderstōdynge of thys place, you must know that there was an heretyke called Marcyō, which ded reproue creatures, & sayde that all maner of creatures were euell. This thynge doth Tertullyā improue by the sacramēt & sayeth. Christ ded not reproue or dyscōmende breade the which doth represēt his bodye: as though he shulde say, yf Christ had counted the breade euell, then wolde he not haue lefte yt for a sacrament to represent hys bodye, meanynge that it is a sacramente, sygne, token, and memoryall of hys bodye, and not the body ytselfe. And that this is hys mynde, doth playnly appeare in his fourth boke, where he sayeth. Christus acceptū panē et distributū discipulis, corpus suū illud fecit: hoc est corpus meū dicēdo, id est figura corporis mei. Figura autē non fuisset, nisi ueritatis e ēt corpus. Vacua res quod est phātasma, figuram capere non posset.

That ys to saye: Christe takynge breade and dystrybutynge vnto hys discyples made yt hys bodye, sayēge. This ys my body. But thys breade coulde not haue bene a figure of yt, excepte Christ had had a true bodye. For a vayne thynge or a fantasye can take no fygure. For the vnderstondynge of this place, you muste marke that this heretycke Marcyō agaynst whome thys auctoure wryteth, ded holde opynyon that Christ had no naturall bodye, but onelye a fantastycall bodye, ād this opynyon doth thys doctoure improue by the sacrament of the aulter sayenge. The sacrament ys a fygure of hys bodye: ergo Christ had a true bodye, ād not a fantastycall bodye: For a vayne thynge or fantasye can take no fygure. Loo, here doth this olde father which was longe before .S. Austen or .S. Hierome, expounde these wordes of Christe. This is my bodye: that is to saye, a fygure of my bodye. Therfor ye are to blame to call it new lernynge. Nowe because they shall not of temeraryous presumpcyon reiecte this olde father, I shall establyshe hys wordes by S. Austen, which commendeth Christes meruelous pacyence for sufferynge so lōge that traytour Iudas, as though he had bene a good man, and yet was not ignorāt of hys wycked thoughtes. |Augusti.| Adhibuit (inquit) ad cōuiuium in quo corporis & sanguinis 35sui figura discipulis commendauit ac tradidit. That is to saye: |in prefa. Psalm. 3.| he admytted hym sayeth S. Austē vnto the mandye wherin he dede be take and delyuer vnto the dyscyples the fygure of hys bodye and bloode. Here doth thys holye father .S. Austē call yt the fygure of hys body. And I am sure there is no mā so chyldyshe, but that he knoweth that the fygure of Christe ys not Christe hym selfe, the fygure of .S. Peter ys not saynt Peter hym selfe. And yet we do neuerthelesse commōly call those fygures by the name of the thynge that they do represente. As I maye saye when I see the fygure of .S. Peter, thys ys S. Peter to whome Christe delyuered the keyes of the kyngdome of heauē. And yet he were a foole that wolde thynke that fygure to be S. Peter hym selfe. For yt is onelye a representacyon of hym. Besydes that S. Austen sayeth. |Augusti in prefa. Psalm. 98.| Non hoc corpus quod uidetis estis manducaturi, nec bibituri illum sanguinem quem effusuri sunt qui me crucifigent. Sacramentum aliquod uobis commendaui, spiritualiter intellectum uiuificat nos, caro autem non prodest quicquam. That ys to saye: you shall not eate thys bodye that you see, nor drynke that bloode which they that crucyfye me shall shedde out. I haue geuen a certayne sacramente vnto you, yf yt be spirytually vnderstonde, yt quyckeneth you: but the fleshe profyteth nothynge. What thynges can be more playnely spoken?

Furdermore S. Austen sayeth. Sepe ita loquimur ut Pascha appropinquante crastinam uel perendinam Domini passionem dicamus: cum ille ante tam multos annes passus sit, nec omnino nisi semel illa passio facta sit. Nempe ipso die dominico dicimus bodie dominus resurrexit cum ex quo surrexit tot anni transierunt. Quare nemo tam ineptus est, ut nos ita loquentes arguat esse mentitos, quia istos dies secundum illorum quibus hæc gesta sunt similitudinem nuncupamus: ut dicatur ipse dies qui non sit ipse, sed reuolucio ne temporum similes eius: & dicatur illo die fieri propter sacramenti celebrationem, quod non illo die, sed iam olim factum est. Nonne semel immolatus est Christus in seipso? & tamen in sacramento non solum per amnuas Paschæ solennitates, sed omni die pro popuslis immola tur: nec utique mentitur qui interrogatus, responderit eum immolari. Si enim sacramenta quandam similitudinem earum rerum quarum sunt sacramenta non haberent, omnino sacramenta non essent. Ex hac autem similitudine plerumque etiam ipsarum rerum nomina accipiunt. Sicut ergo secundum quendam modum sacramētum corporis CHRISTI corpus CHRISTI est. Et sacramentum sanguinis CHRISTI sanguis CHRISTI est, ita sacramenta fidei fides est, Nihil est autem aliud 36ud credere, quam fidem habere, ac per hoc respondetur fidem habere propter fidei sacramenta. Et conuertere se ad Deum propter conuersionis sacramentum. Quia & ipsa responsio pertinet ad celebrationem sacramenti. Sicut de ipso baptismo Apostolus dicit. Consepulti (inquit) sumus Christo per baptismum in mortem, Non ait sepulturam significauimus, sed prorsus ait, consepulti sumus. Sacramentum ergo tantæ rei non nisi eiusdem rei uocabulo nuncupauit.

That is to saye: We often vse to saye, when Easter draweth nyghe, that to morow or the nexte day is the Lordes passyō, ād yet yt is many yeares sens he suffered, and that passyon was neuer done but ones. And vpon that sondaye we saye, thys daye the Lorde ded ryse agayne, and yet yt ys many yeares sens he rose. Now ys there no man so folyshe to reproue vs as lyers for so sayenge, because we name these dayes after the symylytude of those in which these thynges were done, so that yt is called the same daye, which is not the verye same, but by the reuolucyon of tyme lyke it. And yt is named to be done the same daye through the celebracyon of the sacramēt (through kepynge the memoryall of the thynge ones done) which ys not done that daye, but was done lōge before. Was not Christe ones crucyfyed in hys owne parson? ād yet in a mysterye (which is the remembraunce of hys very passyon) he ys crucyfyed for the people not onely euery feaste of Easter, but euery daye. Neyther doth he lye which (whē he is asked) answereth that he is crucyfyed. For yf the sacramentes, had not certayne symylytudes of those thynges wherof they are sacramentes, then shulde they be no sacramentes at all. And for thys symylytude for the most parte they take the names of the very thynges, and therfore after a certayne maner the sacramente of Christes bodye ys Christes bodye, & the sacramēte of Christes bloode, is christes bloode, so the sacramēt of faythe, is fayth. For yt ys nō other thyng to beleue, thē to haue fayth, & therfore whē a mā āswereth that the infante beleueth which hath not the affecte of fayth, he answereth that yt hath faythe for the sacramēt of fayth: And that yt turneth yt selfe to GOD, for the sacrament of conuersyon. For the answere yt selfe perteyneth vnto the mynystrynge of the sacrament. As the Apostle wryteth of Baptyme: we are buryed (sayeth he) wyth Christ through Baptyme vnto death. He sayeth not, we sygnyfye buryenge, but vtterlye sayeth, we are buryed. He called therfore the sacrament of so greate a thynge euen wyth the propre 37name of the verye thynge it selfe. & ce. If a man wolde avoyde contencyon and loke soberly vpon those wordes of Saynte Austen, he shall soone perceyue the mysterye of thys matter. For euē as the nexte good frydaye shalbe called the daye of Christes passyon: and yet he shall not suffer death a gayne vpon that daye, for he dyed but ones and is nowe immortall, euē so is the Sacrament called Christes bodye. And as that daye is not the verye daye that he dyed vpon, but onelye a remembraunce therof: So the Sacrament is not hys very naturall bodye, but onelye a remembraunce of hys bodye breakynge and bloode sheadynge. And lykewyse, as the nexte Easter daye shall be called the daye of hys resurrectyon, not that it is the very same daye that Christe ded ryse in, but a remembraunce of the same: Euen so the Sacrament is called hys bodye: not that it is hys bodye in dede, but onely a remembraunce of the same. And furdermore, euē as the Preste doth offer hym, that is to saye, crucyfye hym at Masse, euē so is the sacramēt hys bodye. But the Masse doth but onely represent hys passyon. And so doth the Sacrament represent hys bodye. And yet though the Masse dothe but represent his crucyfyēge, we maye trulye saye he is crucyfyed, euen so though the Sacrament do but sygnyfye or represent hys bodye, yet may we trulye saye that it is hys bodye. Why so? verely (sayeth he) for the sacramentes haue a certayne symylytude of those thynges wherof they are sacramentes. And for thys symylytude for the moste parte, they take the names of the verye thynges. Blessed be God which hathe so clearelye dyscussed this matter by thys faythfull Father. Notwithstondynge he doth yet expresse it more playnelye sayēg: After a certayne maner the sacrament of Christes bodye is Christes bodye. Beholde deare bretherne he sayeth, after a certayne maner the sacramēt is Christes bodye. And by that you maye soone knowe that he neuer mēte that it shulde be hys verye naturall bodye in dede, but onelye a token and memoryall to keape in memorye the death of hys bodye, and so to nouryshe our fayth. Besydes that, hys symylytude which he after allegeth of Baptyme, doth througlye expoūde this matter, for (sayeth he) the Apostle sayeth not, we sygnyfye buryenge: but he sayeth, we are buryed, & yet in dede the Baptyme doth but sygnyfye it. And therevpon .S. Austen addeth, that he called the sacrament of so greate a thynge euen with the name of the verye thynge it selfe. And lykewyse it is in our sacrament. Fynallye to be shorte, I wyll passe ouer many places which I haue gathered out of this holye father, and wyll 38towche but this one more. Saynte Austē sayeth. |Augusti cōtr. adamantū.| Non enim Dominus dubitauit dicere, Hoc est corpus meum, cum daret signum corporis sui. Et in eoden capite exponit. Sic est enim sanguis anima, quomodo petra erat Christus, nec tamen petra (ait) significabat Christū, sed ait petra erat Christus. That is to saye: The lorde doubted not to saye, this is my bodye, whē he gaue a sygne of hys bodye. And after in the same chapyter he expoundeth it. For trulye so the bloode is the soule, as Christe was the stone. And yet the Apostle sayeth not, the stone ded sygnyfye Christ, but he sayeth the stone was Christ.

Here S. Austen sayeth playnelye, that Christe called the sygne of hys bodye, his bodye, and in this chapyter doth compare these thre textes of scrypture, this is my bodye, the bloode is the soule, and Christe was the stone: And declareth them to be one phrase, and to be expounded after one fashyō. Now is there no mā so madde, as to saye, that Christe was a naturall stone (excepte he be a naturall foole) whose Judgemēt we neade not greately to regarde. Therefore we may well cōclude that the sacrament is not his naturall bodye, but is called his bodye, for a symylytude that it hath, wherin it sygnyfyeth & representeth his bodye. And that the sacramēt of so greate a thynge is called euē with the name of the very thynge it selfe. As s. Austē sayde. Thys were prove ynough to conclude that all the olde Fathers ded holde the same opynyon, for who wolde ones surmyse (seynge we haue. S. Austen so playne for vs which is the cheafest amonge thē all) who wolde ones surmyse I say, that they dyssented in thys greate matter frō the other faythfull fathers, or they from hym? Neuerthelesse I dare not lett hym stōde post alone, leaste ye dyspyse hym. And therfore I wyll shewe you the mynde of certayne other also: and fyrste of hys master Saynt Ambrose.

|Ambrosi super illud mortē domini annuncia.| S. Ambrose wrytynge vpon the Epystle of Paule to the Corynthyans in the .xi. Chapter sayeth. Quia enim morte Domini liberati sumus, huius rei in edēdo & potādo, carnem & sanguinem qui pro nobis oblata sunt, significamus. That is to saye: because we be delyuered by the death of the Lorde, in eatynge and drynkynge of thys thynge, meanynge of the Sacrament, we sygnyfye the fleshe and bloode which were offered for vs. Here doth S. Ambrose saye ynough, yf men were not sophysters, but wolde be content with reason. For he sayeth that in eatynge and drynkynge the Sacramēt of Christes bodye, we sygnyfye or represent the fleshe and bloode of our sauyoure Iesus. Notwithstondynge be cause you are so slyppery, we shall bynde you a lytle better by thys mās wordes.

39|Ambrosi de sacra.| S. Ambrose sayeth. Sed forte dices speciem sanguinis non uideo, sed habet similitudinem. Sicut enim mortis similitudinem sumpsisti, ita etiam similitudinem preciosi sanguinis bibis. That is to saye. But perauenture thou wylte saye, I see no apperaunce of bloode, but it hathe a symylytude. For euē as thou haste taken the symylytude of death, euen so thou drynkest the symylytude of the precyous bloode. Here maye ye see by the conferrynge of these two Sacramentes, what .S. Ambrose iudged of it. For he sayeth, euen as thou haste taken a symylytude of hys death in the sacramēt of baptyme, so doste thou drynke a symylytude of hys precyouse bloode in the Sacrament of the Aulter. And yet as S. Austen sayde before, the Apostle sayeth, not we sygnyfye buryenge, but sayeth, we are buryed. And lykewyse here Christe sayde, not this sygnyfyeth my bodye, but this is my bodye, callynge the Sacrament, a sygne, token, and memoryall of so greate a thynge, euen with the name of the verye thynge it selfe. Thus doth S. Ambrose choke our sophysters.

Neuerthelesse I wyll alleage one place more out of Ambrose, where he sayeth. |Ambrosi lib .3. de sacramē.| Dicit sacerdos fac nobis hanc oblationē scriptam rationabilem, quod est figura corporis Domini nostri Iesu Christi. That is: the Preste sayeth, make vs this oblacyon acceptable. & ce. For it is a fygure of the bodye of our Lorde Iesus Chryst. Here he calleth it playnelye a fygure of Christes bodye, which thynge you can not avoyde. Therfore geue prayse vnto God and lette hys trouth sprede, which is so playnelye testyfyed, by these holye Fathers. Now lette vs see what S. Hierome sayeth.

|Hieronimus super eccle.| Saynte Hierome wrytynge vpon Ecclesiastes sayeth on this maner. Caro Domini uerus cibus est, & sanguis eius uerus potus est, hoc solum habemus in presenti sæculo bonum, si uescamur carne eius cruoreque potemur, nō solum in misterio, sed etiam in scripturarum lectione, uerus enim cibus est & potus, qui ex uerbo Dei sumitur scientia scripturarum. That is to saye: the fleshe of the lorde is verye meate, and his bloode verye drynke. This is onelye the pleasure or profytte that we haue in this worlde, that we maye eate hys fleshe and drynke his bloode, not onely in a mysterye, but also in the readynge of scryptures. For it is very meate and drynke, which is taken out of Godes worde, by the knowelege of scryptures. Here maye ye see S. Hieroms mynde in fewe wordes. For fyrste he sayeth that we eate hys fleshe and drynke hys bloode in a mysterye, whiche is the sacrament of hys remembraunce, and memoryall of his passyon. And after he addeth, that we eate his fleshe ād drynke hys bloode in the readynge 40ād knowelege of scriptures, ād calleth that very meate ād very drynke. And yet I am sure ye are not so grosse, as to thynke that the letters whiche you reade are tourned in to naturall fleshe ād blode. And lykewyse it is not necessarye that the breade shulde be tourned in to hys bodye, no more than the letters in scrypture are tourned in to his fleshe. And neuerthelesse through faythe we may as well eate hys bodye in receyuynge of the sacrament, as eate hys fleshe in readynge of the letters of the scrypture. Besydes that S. Hierome calleth the vnsterstōdynge of the scripture verye meate and very drynke: whiche you muste neades vnderstonde in a mysterye and spyrituall sense. For it is no materyall meate nor drynke that is receyued with the mouth and teth, but it is spyrytuall meate and drynke, and is so called for a symylytude and propertye: because that as meate and drynke counforte the bodye and outwarde man, so doth the readynge and knowelege of scrypture conforte the soule and inwarde man. And lykewyse it is of Christes bodye, whiche is called verye meate and verye drynke, whiche you muste neades vnderstonde in a mysterye or spyrytuall sense (as Saynte Hierome called it) for hys bodye is no materyall meate nor drynke that is receyued with the mouth or teth: But it is spyrytuall meate and drynke, and so called for a symilytude and propertye, because that as meate and drynke conforte the bodye, so doth the fayth in hys bodye breakynge & bloode sheadynge refreshe the soule vnto lyfe euerlastynge. We vse it customablye in our daylye speache to saye, when a chylde setteth all hys mynde and delyght vpō sporte and playe: It is meate and drynke to thys chylde to playe. And also we saye by a man that loueth well hawkynge and huntynge: It is meate and drynke to thys man to hawke and hunte. Where no man doubteth, but it is a fyguratyue speache. And therfore I wonder that they are so blynde in thys one poynte of Christes bodye. And can not also take the wordes fyguratyuelye, as these olde doctours ded. |Hieronimus super Matheum.| Agayne S. Hierome sayeth. Postquam mysticum pascha fuerat impletum & agni carnes cum apostolis comederat, assumit panem qui confortat cor hominis, & ad uerū paschæ transgreditur sacramentum, quomodo in prefiguratione eius Melchisedech uinum & panem proferens fecerat, ipse quoq; ueritatem corporis repræsentaret. That is to saye: after the mystycall Easter lābe fullfylled, and that Christe had eaten the lambes fleshe with the Apostles, he toke breade which conforteth the harte of man, and passeth to the true sacramēt of the Easter lambe: that as Melchisedech brought forthe breade 41and wyne fygurynge hym, so myght he lykewyse represent the truth of hys bodye. Here doth S. Hierome speake after the maner that Tertullyā ded before: that Christe with breade and wyne ded represent the truth of hys bodye. For excepte he had had a true bodye, he coulde not leaue a fygure of it nor represent it vnto vs. For a vayne thynge or fantasye can haue no fygure, nor can not be represented. As by example. How shulde a mā make a fygure of hys dreame or represent it vnto our memorye? But Christ hath lefte vs a fygure and representacyon of hys bodye in breade and wyne: therfore it foloweth that he had a true bodye. And that this was .S. Hieroms mynde doth manefestly appeare by the wordes of Bede, which doth more copyouslye sette out this sayenge of Hierome. |Beda super Luc.| For he wryteth on this maner. Finitis paschæ ueteris solennijs que in commemorationē antiquæ de ægypto liberationis agebantur, transit ad nouū quod in suæ redemptionis memoriā ecclesia frequētare desiderat, ut uidelicet pro carne agni uel sanguine suo, carnis sanguinisq; sacramentum in panis ac uini figura substituens, ipsum se esse monstraret cui iurauit Dominus. Tu es sacerdos in æternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech. Frangit autem ipse panem quem porrigit, ut ostendat corporis sui fractionem non sine sua sponte futuram. Similiter & calicem postquam cœna uit dedit eis. Quia ergo panis carnē cōfirmat, uinum uero sanguinē operatur in carne, hic ad corpus Christi mystice, illud refertur ad sanguinem. That is to saye. After the solempnyte of the olde Easter lambe was fynyshed, which was obserued in the remēbraunce of the olde delyueraūce out of Egypte, he goth vnto the newe which the churche gladlye obserueth in the remēbraunce of hys redempcyon, that he in the steade of the fleshe and bloode of the lambe, myght instytute and ordeyne the sacramēt of hys fleshe and bloode in the fygure of breade and wyne, and so declare hym selfe to be the same vnto whome the Lorde sware, thou arte a perpetuall Preste after the order of Melchisedech. And he hym selfe brake the breade which he gaue, to shewe that the breakynge of hys bodye shulde not be done without hys owne wyll. And lykewyse he gaue them the cuppe after he had supped. And because breade doth confyrme or strengthen the fleshe, and wyne worketh bloode in the fleshe, therfore is the breade mystycallye referred vnto the bodye of Christe, and the wyne referred vnto hys bloode.

Here maye you note, fyrste that as the lambe was a remembraunce of theyr delyueraunce out of Egipte (and yet the lābe delyuered them not) so is the sacrament 42a remembraunce of our redemptyon, and yet the sacrament redeamed vs not. Besydes that he sayeth, that Christ in the steade of the fleshe and bloode of the lambe, ded instytute the sacrament of hys fleshe and bloode in fygure of breade and wyne.

Marke well, he sayeth not that in the steade of lambes fleshe and bloode he ded instytute hys owne fleshe and bloode, but sayeth that he ded instytute the sacrament of hys fleshe and bloode. What thynge is a sacrament? Verelye it is the sygne of an holye thynge, and there is no dyference betwene a sygne and a sacrament, but that the sygne is referred vnto a worldlye thynge, and a Sacrament vnto a spyrytuall or holye thynge.

|Ad Marcellum.| As Saynte Austen sayeth. Signa cum ad res diuinas pertinent, sacramenta appellantur. That is to saye: sygnes when they partayne vnto godlye thynges are called sacramentes.

Therfore when Bede sayeth, that they ded instytute the Sacrament of hys fleshe and bloode in the fygure of breade and wyne, it is as moche to saye (by Saynte Austens dyffynycyon) as that he ded instytute the fygure of hys holye fleshe and bloode in the fygure of breade and wyne, that is to saye: that breade and wyne shulde be the fygure and sygne representynge hys most blessed holye fleshe and bloode vnto vs, for a perpetuall remēbraunce. And afterwarde he declared the propertye for whiche the breade is called the bodye ād the wyne the bloode: savynge he speaketh not so darkelye as I now do, but playnelye sayeth that the breade is mystycallye referred vnto the bodye of Christe: because that as breade doth strēgthē the fleshe, so Christes bodye which is fygured by the breade, doth strēgthen the soule through fayth in hys death. And so doth he clearlye proue my purpose.

|Crisost. super Matth.| Now lette vs see what Chrisostome sayeth, whiche shall descrybe vs the fayth of the olde Grecyans, who had not loste the true fayth, howsoeuer the wordle go now adayes. Chrisostome sayeth in thys maner. Si enim mortuus Iesus nō est cuius signum & simbolū hoc sacrificū est? uides quantum ei studium fuerit ut semper memoria teneamus pro nobis ipsum mortuum fuisse. That is to saye: Yf Iesus haue not dyed, whose memoryall and sygne is this sacryfyce? Thou seest what dylygence he gaue that we shulde cōtynuallye keape in memorye that he dyed for vs. Here you maye see that Chrisostome calleth the sacramet symbolum et signum: That is to saye, a memoryall and sygne of Christ, and that it was instytute to keape hys death in perpetuall remembraunce. But of one thynge thou muste be ware or els thou 43arte deceyued, he calleth it also a sacryfyce, and there thou muste wyselye vnderstonde hym. |Sacryfyce.| For yf it were the sacryfyce of Christes bodye, then muste Christes bodye be slayne agayne, which thynge God forbyd. And therfore thou muste vnderstōde hym whē he calleth it a sacryfyce, that he meaneth it to be a remēbraunce of that holye sacryfyce, where Christes bodye was offered on the crosse ones for all. For he can be sacryfyced no more, seynge he is immortall. Notwithstondynge our Prelates wyll here note me of presumptiō, that I dare be so bolde to expounde hys mynde on this fashyon. For in dede they take hym otherwyse, and thynke that it is a verye sacryfyce. And therfore I wyll brynge one other texte, where Chrisostome shall expounde hym selfe. Chrisostome sayeth: |Crisost. ad Hebre. hom. 17.| Nonne per singulos dies offerrimus? offerrimus qdem, sed ad recordationem mortis eius facientes. Hoc autem sacrificium (sicut pontifex) sed id ipsum semper facimus: imo recordationē sacrificij. That is to saye: do we not daylye offer or do sacryfyce: yes suerlye. But we do it for the remembraunce of hys death, for this sacryfyce is as an example of that we offer, not an other sacryfyce (as the Byshopp in the olde lawe ded) but euer the same: yea rather a remembraunce of the sacryfyce. Fyrste he sayeth that they daylye do sacryfyce, but it is in remembraunce of Christes death. Then he sayeth that the sacryfyce is an example of that. Thyrdlye he sayeth, that they offer not an other sacryfyce (that is to saye an oxe or a gotte) as the Byshoppes of the olde lawe, but euer the same.

Marke thys poynte: For though it seame at the fyrste syght to make wyth them, yet doth yt make so derectelye agaynste them, that they shall neuer be able to avoyde it. Chrisostome sayeth, they do not offer an other sacryfyce as the Bysshoppes ded, but euer the same. They offer other breade and wyne thys daye, then they ded yesterdaye: they shall saye an other Masse to morowe, then they ded this daye.

Now yf thys breade and wyne or the Masse be a sacryfyce, then do they offer an other sacryfyce, as well as the Byshoppes of the olde Lawe. For thys sacryfyce ded sygnyfye that Christe shulde come and shedde hys bloode, as well as the breade, wyne, and Masse, do represent that he hath done it in dede. And therfore yf it be a sacryfyce, then do they offer an other sacryfyce, representynge hys passyon, as well as the Byshoppe of the olde Lawe. But that doth Chrisostome denye, and sayeth that they offer euerye daye the same. What same? Verelye euen the same 44that was done and sacryfyced when Christe shedde hys bloode. In thys sacryfyce is Christe euerye daye bounde and buffetted, and ledde from Anna to Cayphas: he is brought to Pylate and condempned; he is scourged ād crowned with thorne, and nayled on the crosse, and hys harte opened with a spere, and so sheadeth hys bloode for our redempcyon. Why Chrisostome, and do you the selfe same sacryfyce euerye daye? Yea verelye. Then why doth Saynte Paule saye to the Romaynes |Rom. 6.| in the syxte Chapter: that Christe is rysen from death, and dyeth no more? Yf he dye no more, how do you daylye crucyfye hym? For sothe Paule sayeth trouthe.

For we do it not actuallye in dede, but onelye in a mysterye. And yet we saye, that we do sacryfyce hym, and that thys is hys sacryfyce, for the celebracyon of the Sacrament and memorye of the passyon whiche we keape: and for thys cause it hath the name of the thynge that it doth represente and sygnyfye. And therfore, as Saynte Austen declareth a fore ad Bonifacium, |Augustinus ad Bonifacium.| I expounde my mynde by a rethorycall correctyon and saye, Imo recordationem sacrificij. That is to saye: Yea rather the remembraunce, and fygure of the sacryfyce.

Graunde mercyes good Chrisostome, now do I perceyue the pyth of thys matter: euen as the Masse is the verye death and passyon of Christe, so is it a sacryfyce. Now it doth but onelye represente the verye death and passyon of Christe, therfore it doth folowe that the Masse in verye dede doth but onely represente a sacryfyce. And yet not withstandynge manye tymes it is called a sacryfyce of holye doctours, and hathe the name of the verye same thynge that it doth represent ād sygnyfye. And euen so we maye saye of this sacrament, that as the Masse is the verye sacryfyce and passyon of Christ, so is the sacrament hys verye bodye and sacryfyce that is offered. Nowe the Masse doth but onely represent and sygnyfye the passyon: so the sacrament doth but onelye represent and sygnyfye the bodye and very sacryfyce ones offred for euer. Notwithstondynge manye tymes the Masse is called the bodye and a sacryfyce. And hath the name of the verye same thynge that it doth represent and sygnyfye.

|Crisostome.| Furthermore Chrisostome sayeth. Ipse quos; bibitex eo, ne auditis uerbis illis dicerēt. Quid igitur sanguinem bibimus & carnem commedimus? ac ideo perturbarentur, nam & quando prius de his uerba fecit, etiam uerbis ipsius offendabantur. Ne igitur tunc id quoque accideret, primus ipse hoc fecit, ut ad 45communionem misteriorum induceret intrepidam. That ys to saye: he also dranke of yt, leaste when they harde hys wordes, they shulde saye: why do we than drynke bloode and eate fleshe? and so shulde be troubled. For when he spake before of those thynges, they were offended wyth hys wordes. And because that shulde not now also chaunce, he hym selfe dranke fyrst of yt, that he myght cause thē to come without feare to the partakynge of those mysteryes. Here Chrisostome noteth that Christe dranke of yt, to drawe them from the grosse vnderstōdynge of hys wordes, and by hys drynkynge to testyfye vnto them, that yt was not hys naturall fleshe in dede, but onely memoryalles and representacyons of hys bodye and bloode. And therfore he calleth them mysteryes: that is to saye sacramentes. For in thys place a sacramente ād a mysterye ys all one thynge. Notwithstondynge some tyme thys worde mysterye ys more common ād large in signyfyenge then this worde sacrament. And I haue shewed you before, that a sacrament ys the sygne of an holy thynge, and not the thynge it selfe that yt representeth: albeit somtyme yt beare the name of the verye thynge yt selfe. As the Image of .S. Peter ys not saynt Peter hym selfe, and yet yt beareth hys name.

Chrisostome sayeth. Caro non prodest quicquam: hoc est, secundum spiritum uerba mea audienda sunt. Qui secundum carnem audit, nihil lucratur, nihil utilitatis accipit. Quid est autem carnaliter intelligere: simpliciter ut res dicuntur, neque aliud quippiam excogitare. Misteria omnia interioribus oculis consideranda, hoc est spiritualiter. That is to saye. The fleshe profyteth nothynge, that is: my wordes muste be vnderstonde after the spiryte, he that vnderstondeth them after the fleshe wynneth nothynge, nor taketh no profytte. What meaneth this, to vnderstonde after the fleshe or carnallye? Verelye to take the thynges symplye as they are spoken, and to thynke none other thynge. All mysteryes or sacramentes muste be consydered with the inwarde eyes, that is to saye: spyrytuallye.

And after he expoundeth hym selfe on this maner. Interiores autem oculi ut panem uiderint, creaturas transuolant, & non de illo pane a pistore cocto cogitant: sed de eo qui dixit se panem uitæ, qui per mysticum panem significatur. That is to saye. The inwarde eyes as soone as they see the breade, they passe ouer the creatures, ād thynke not of that breade which is baken of the baker, but of hym that called hym selfe the breade of lyfe, which is sygnyfyed by the mystycall or sacramētall breade. Wolde you haue hym saye any more? he telleth you playne, that Christe which ys the very 46breade of lyfe, ys sygnyfyed by this sacramentall breade. And that is the thynge which our Byshoppes so fleshlye denye now adayes, which thynge yet you maye see, the olde Fathers cōclude with one assente. Notwythstōdynge yet I wyll alleage mo olde doctours, so that from hence forthe they maye be a shamed to call yt newe learnynge. Fulgentius sayeth. |Fulgentius 2. libro de fide.| In illis enim carnalibus (tèpore legis) uictunis, significacio suit carnis Christi quam pro pctis nostris & ipse sine pctō fuerat oblaturus, & sanguinis quem erat effusurus in remissionè peccarorum nostrorum. In isto autè sacrificio gratiarum actio atq; cōmemoracio est carnis Christi quam pro nobis obtulit, & sanguinis quē pro nobis idē Deus effudit. That is to saye. In these carnall sacrifyces in the tyme of the lawe, was a sygnyficacyon of the fleshe of Christe, which he without synne, shuld offer for our synnes, ād of the bloode which he shulde shedde out in remyssyon of our synnes. But this sacryfyce is a thankes geuynge ād remembraūce of the fleshe of Christe which he offered for vs, and of the bloode which the same God shedde for vs. Fyrste note that he calleth yt a sacryfyce, which notwithstōdyng is but a remēbraūce of that sacryfyce offered on the crosse ones for all: Thā he playnely calleth yt a thankes geuynge, and remembraunce of Christes very fleshe and bloode: and so concludeth with vs. Neuerthelesse because sophysters wolde soone thynke to avoyde thys place, I wyll alleage one other sayenge of the same autoure which they shall neuer be able to avoyde.

|Fulgen.| ¶ Fulgentius sayeth, as Haymo testyfyeth. Hic calix nouum testamentum est, id est, hic calix quem uobis trado, nouum testamentum significat. That is to saye. Thys cuppe or chalyce is the newe testament: That is: thys cuppe or chalyce which I delyuer you doth sygnyfye the newe testament. In this place he doth playnelye shewe hys mynde, which cā not be avoyded. For euen as the cuppe is the newe testament, so ys the breade the bodye. Nowe the cuppe dothe but sygnyfy the new testament. And therfore I may conclude, that the breade doth but sygnyfye the bodye.

|Eusebius.| Eusebius sayeth. Quia corpus assumptum ablaturus erat ex oculis nostris & syderibus allaturus, necessarium erat ut uobis in hac die sacramentum corporis & sanguinis consecraret, ut coleretur iugiter per mysterium quod semel offerebatur in precium. That is to saye: Because he wolde take awaye out of our eyes the bodye that he toke, and carye yt in to heauen, it was necessarye that in thys tyme he shulde consecrate to vs the sacramēte of hys bodye ād bloode: that that which was ones offered for the pryce of our redemptyon, myght 47contynuallye be honoured through the mysterye.

|Consecrate.| To consecrate a thynge, is to applye it vnto an holye vse. Here you maye see that he calleth yt the sacrament of hys bodye and bloode, which bodye is caryed vp into heauen. And also he calleth it a mysterye, which is ynough for them that wyll see.

|Druthmarius.| Also Druthmarius expoundeth these wordes, thys is my bodye on this maner: Hoc est corpus meum in mysterio. That is to saye: thys is my bodye in a mysterye. I thynke you knowe what a mysterye meaneth. Christe is crucyfyed euery daye in a mysterye: that is to saye: euery daye hys death ys represented by the sacramentes of remembraunce. The Masse is Christes passyon in a mysterye: that is to saye: the Masse doth represente hys passyon and keapeth yt in our memorye. The breade ys Christes bodye in a mysterye: that is to saye: it representeth hys body that was broken for vs, and keapeth yt in our remēbraunce.

You haue harde already the mynde of the doctours, how the sacrament ys Christes bodye. And now I shall shewe you how the sacrament ys our bodye, which doth not a lytle healpe to the vnderstōdynge of these wordes whych are in controversye. The sacramēt of the Aulter ys our bodye as well as it is Christes bodye. And euē as it is our bodye, so yt is Christes. But there is no man that cā saye that it is our naturall bodye in dede, but onely a fygure, sygne, memoryall, or represētacyon of our bodye: Wherfore yt must also folowe, that it is but onely a fygure, sygne, memoryall or represētaciō of Christes bodye. The fyrste parte of this argument maye thus be proued. |Augustino in sermone ad infantes.| S. Austen wrytynge in a sermon sayeth on this maner. Corpus ergo Christi si uultis intelligere, apostolum audite dicentem. Vos estis corpus christi & mēbra .1. Cor. 12. Si ergo estis corpus christi & membra, mysteriū uestrumque in mensa Domini positū est, mysteriū Domini accipitis, ad id quod estis. Amē respōdetis et respōdēdo subscribitis. That is to saye: Yf you wyll vnderstōde the bodye of Christe, here the Apostle which sayeth. We are the bodye of Christe and mēbres .1. Cor. 12. Therfore yf ye be the bodye of Christe and membres, your mysterye is put vpon the Lordes table, ye receyue the mysterye of the Lorde, vnto that you are you answer Amē. And in answerynge subscrybe vnto yt. Here you maye see that the sacramēt ys also our body, ād yet is not our naturall body, but onely our body in a mysterye, that is to saye: a fygure sygne, memoryall, or represētacyō 48of our body. For as the breade ys made of many graynes or cornes, so we (though we be manye) are one breade ād one bodye. And for this propertye and symylitude it is called our bodye, and beareth the name of the verye thynge which yt doth represēt & sygnyfy. Agayne s. Austē sayth. |Augusti in ser. de sacra feria Pasche.| Quia Christus passy est pro nobis, cŏmēdauit nobis in isto sacramēto corpus & sanguinem suum, quod etiam fecit & nos ipsos. Nam & nos ipsius corpus facti sumus, & per misericordiā ipsius quod accipimus nos sumus. Et postea dicit. Iam in nomine Christi tanquam ad calicem Domini uenistis, ibi nos estis in mensa & ibi uos estis in calice. That is, because Christ hath suffered for vs, he hath betakē vnto vs in thys sacramēt hys bodye and bloode, which he hath also made euen our selfes. For we also are made hys bodye, and by his mercye we are euē the same thynge that we receyue. And after he sayeth. Now in the name of Christe ye are come, as a man wolde saye, to the chalyce of the Lorde: there are ye vpon the table, and there are ye in the chalyce. Here you maye see, that the sacrament is our bodye. And yet yt is not our naturall bodye, but onelye in a mysterye, as it is before sayde.

|Augusti de sacra feria pasche.| Furthermore S. Austen sayeth. Hunc itaq; cibŭ & potū societatē uult intelligi corporis & mēbrorū suorū quod est sācta ecclesia in predestinatis & uocatis & iustificatis & glorificatis sanctis & fidelibus eius. Huius rei sacramentum alicubi quotidie, alicubi certis interuallis dierum in dominico preparatur, & de mensa Domini sumitur, quibusdà ad uitam, quibusdam ad exitium. Res uero ipsa cuius est sacramentum, est omni homini ad uitam, nulli ad exitium, quicumque eius particeps fuerit. That is to saye: he wyll that this meate and drynke shulde be vnderstōde to be the felowshyp of hys bodye and membres, which ys the holy churche in hys predestynate and called and iustyfyed and gloryfyed sayntes and faythfull. The sacrament of thys thynge ys prepared in some place daylye, and in some place at certayne appoynted dayes, as vpon the sondaye. And yt is receyued at the table of the Lorde, of some vnto lyfe, and of some vnto destruccyō. But the thynge yt selfe whose sacrament thys ys, is receyued of all men vnto lyfe, and of no mā vnto destruccyon, whosoeuer is partaker of yt. Here doth S. Austen fyrste saye, that this sacrament ys the felowshyppe of his bodye and membres which are we. And yet is not our naturall bodye, as ys before sayde. And then he sayeth, that the sacrament of thys thynge ys receyued of some vnto lyfe and saluacyon, and of some vnto death and dampnacyon. For both faythfull and vnfaythfull maye receyue the sacramēt. 49And after he sayeth, that the thynge yt selfe whose sacrament yt ys, is receyued of all men vnto lyfe, and of no man vnto destruccyon, who so euer ys partaker of yt. And of thys sayenge yt muste neades folowe, that onely the faythfull eate Christes bodye, and the vnfaythfull eate hym not. For he is receyued of no mā vnto destruccyon. And of thys yt muste also folowe that the sacrament ys not Christes bodye in dede, but onelye in a mysterye. For yf the sacrament were hys naturall bodye, then shulde yt folowe, that the vnfaythfull shulde receyue hys bodye. Which is contrarye to the mynde of saynt Austen, and agaynst all truth. Thus haue we suffycyentlye proued the fyrste parte of our argumēte, that the sacrament is our bodye, as well as yt is Christes. And nowe wyll I proue the secōde parte more playnely (although yt be ynough declared already, to them that haue eares) that euen as yt is our bodye so it is Christes.

Fyrste you shall vnderstonde that in the wyne, which ys called Christes bloode, is admyxed water, which doth sygnyfye the people that are redeamed with hys bloode: so that the heade which is Christe, ys not without hys bodye which is the faythfull people, nor the bodye without hys heade. Now yf the wyne when it is consecrated, be tourned bodelye in to Christes bloode, then is it also necessarye that the water which is admyxed be bodelye tourned in to the bloode of the faythfull people. For where as is one cōsecracion muste folowe one operacyō. And where as is lyke reason, there muste folowe lyke mysterye. But what so euer is sygnyfyed by the water as cōcernynge the faythfull people, is taken spirytually. Therfore whatsoever is spokē of the bloode in the wyne, muste also neades be taken spyrytuallye. This reason is not myne, but it is made by one Bartrame |Bartrame.| vpō a .700. yeares sens, when this matter was fyrste in dysputacyon. Whervpō at the instaunce of greate Charles the Emperoure, he made a boke professynge euen the same thynge that I do, and proueth by the olde doctours & faythfull fathers, that the sacrament is Christes bodye in a mysterye, that is to saye: a sygne, figure, or memoryall of hys bodye, whiche was broken for vs, and not hys naturall bodye. And therfore that doctryne is newe which otherwyse teacheth, and not myne, which is not myne, but the doctryne of Christe and of the olde fathers of Christes churche, tyll Antichriste began to sytte and reigne in the temple of God.

|Cyprianus ad Cecilium.| Besydes that Cypriane sayeth, that the people is ānexed in the sacramēt through 50the myxture of water. Therfor I mervell moche that they are so cōtēcyous ād wyll not see, that as the water is the people, so the wyne ys Christes bloode, that is to saye: in a mysterye, because yt represēteth Christes bloode, as the water doth the people. Furthermore Eusebius sayth. |Eusebius.| Dū in sacramētis uino aqua miscetur, Christo fidelis populus incorporatur & iūgitur & quadā ei copula perfecta charitatis unitur. That is to saye: whyles in the sacrament water is admyxte with the wyne, the faythfull people is incorporate ād Ioyned with Christ, ād is made one with him, with a certayne knotte of perfecte charyte. Now where he sayeth, that we are Ioyned ād incorporated with Christe, what fondnes were it to cōtēde, syth we are there onelye in a mysterye, ād not naturallye. To cōtēde I say with suche pertynacyte that his naturall bodye must be there: ād not rather that he is Ioyned with vs, as we are Ioyned with hym, ād both in a mysterye, by the knotte of perfecte charyte. |More.| ❧ The yōge man perceyueth well ynough that an allegory vsed in some place is not a cause suffycyēt to leaue the proper sygnyfycacyōs of Godes worde in euery other place ād seke an allegorye, ād forsake the playne cōmō sence. For he cōfesseth that he wold not so do saue for necessyte: because (as he sayeth) that the cōmon lytterall sence is impossyble. For the thynge he sayeth that is mente therbye can not be true. That is to saye: that the verye bodye of Christe can be in the sacrament, because the sacrament ys in many dyuerse places at ones, and was at the maundye: that is to wete, in the handes of Christe ād in everye of hys Apostles mouthes. And at that tyme yt was not gloryfyed. And thē he sayeth that Christes bodye not beynge gloryfyed, could no more be in two places at ones than hys owne cā. And yet he goth after furder, ād sayeth, no more yt can whan yt is gloryfyed also. And that he proueth by the sayenge of S. Austen whose wordes be, that the body with the which Christ arose muste be in one place. &c.

|Fryth.| ¶ Hetherto hath master More reasoned reasonablye: but now he begynneth to declyne from the dygnyte of dyuynyte into the dyrty dregges of vayne sophystry. For where I saye that I muste of necessyte seake an allegorye, because the lytterall sence is impossyble and can not be true, meanynge that it can not stonde with the processe of holy scrypture, but that other textes do of necessyte constrayne me to cōstrue yt spyrytuallye. There catcheth he thys worde, can, and thys worde impossyble, and wolde make men beleue that I mente, yt coulde not be true because reason can not reache yt, but thynketh 51it impossyble. And there he triūpheth before the vyctorye, and wolde knowe what artycle of our fayth I coulde assygne, in which reason shall not dryue awaye the strengthe of my proue, and make me leaue the lytterall sence wherin my profe shulde stonde, and sende me to seake an allegorye that myght stonde wyth reason, and dryue awaye the fayth. But now deare bretherne, seynge I speake not of the impossybylyte of reason, but of the impossybylyte to stōde with other textes of scripture, ye maye see that this royall reasō is not worth a ryshe. Then wolde he fayne knowe the place where S. Austen so sayeth, which thyng although, yt were harde for me to tell, syth I haue not hys bokes to loke for it, yet I thanke God my memorye is not so bad, but I can shewe hym where he shall fynde yt. And because I thynke that he is more accustomed to the Popes lawes then to S. Austens workes, syth he is become the prelates proctoure and patrone: I saye he shall not fayle but fynde it in his lawes de consecracione. And where as he wolde wreste the wordes of S. Austē, which sayeth that the bodye in which Christ arose muste neades be in one place: sayēge, that he myght meane not that hys body myght not be in dyuerse places at ones, but that yt muste be in one place, that is to saye: in some one place or other. He speaketh (sayth master More) nothynge of the sacrament, nor sayeth not that his bodye with which he rose muste nedes be in one place, & that it cā by no possybylyte be in any mo. Thys seameth to some a goodly glose, ād yet yt shall proue but a vayne evasyon. For yf a mā wolde saye that the Kynges graces body muste be in one place, and then a nother wolde expounde that (notwithstondynge hys wordes) hys graces bodye myght be in two places at ones, I thynke men myght soone Iudge that he delyted to delaye, ād myght saye, what neade he to determyne, that he muste be in one place excepte he thought in dede, that he myght be in no mo but onely one; And though mē myght so argue vpō other mens wordes, yet of saynte Austēs wordes thys must neades folowe, for he bryngeth them in (as God wolde) by a contrarye antithesis sayenge. |Ad Hieronimū.| Corpus in quo resurrexit in uno loco esse oportet, ueritas autem eius ubique diffusa est. That is to saye: hys bodye wherin he rose must be in one place, but hys truth ys dyspersed in all places. Where he playnelye concludeth by the contrarye antithesis, that as hys truth ys dyspersed in all places, so muste hys bodye neades be in one place onelye. As by example, yf a mā shulde saye. The Kynges graces bodye muste neades be in one place, but hys power 52is through out hys Realme. Where no man doubteth, but that in sayenge one place, he meaneth one place onelye: And therfore though in some place that worde, muste, doth not sygnyfye suche a necessyte as excludeth all possybylyte, yet in this place yt doth so sygnyfye, as the contrarye antithesis doth evydently expresse.

And where ye saye, that he speaketh no thynge of the sacrament, I wolde ye shulde stycke styll to that sayenge. For this is playne, that he speaketh of hys naturall bodye. And therfore yf he speake not of the sacrament, then haue you cōcluded that the sacramēte is not hys naturall bodye: the contrarye wherof you wolde haue men beleue. Thus haue I shewed evydence, bothe where he shall fynde the wordes of S. Austen and also that I haue ryght alleaged them.

Notwytstondynge syth he maketh so moche of hys paynted sheth, I shall alleage hym more auctorytes that Christes naturall bodye is in one place onely. Which thynge proued doth vtterly conclude that the sacrament ys not hys naturall bodye, but onelye a memoryall representynge the same. And fyrste let vs see S. Austēs mynde.

|August. ad Dardanium.| S. Austen wrytynge vnto Dardanius doth playnly proue that the naturall body of Christe muste neades be in one place onelye, and also that hys soule can be but in one place at ones. The occasyon of hys Epystle is this: Dardanius ded wryte vnto S. Austen for the exposycyon of those wordes that Christe spake vnto the thefe sayenge: This daye shalt thou be with me in paradyse: & wyste not how he shulde vnderstonde yt, whether Christe mēte that the thefe shulde be in paradyse with Christes soule, or with hys bodye, or with hys Godhed. Thervpon S. Austen wryteth that as towchynge Christes bodye, that daye it was in the sepulchre. And sayeth that it was not paradyse, although it were in a gardē that he was buryed. For Christe (he sayeth) mēt of a place of Ioye. And that was not (sayeth S. Austen) in hys sepulchre. And as for Christes soule, yt was that daye in hell. And no mā wyll saye, that paradyse was there. Wherfore (sayeth Austen) the texte muste neades be vnderstonde, that Christ spake yt of hys godhed. Now marke thys argumēt of S. Austen, and ye shall see my purpose playnelye proued. For seynge he expoundeth thys texte vpō Christes Godhed, because hys māhod as towchynge the body was in the graue, and as towchynge hys soule was in hell: you may soone perceyue that Austē thought, that whyls hys body was in the graue, yt was not in paradyse also: & because hys soule was in hell, yt coulde 53not be in paradyse also. And therfor he verefyeth the texte vpon hys dyuynyte. For yf he had thought that Christes bodye or soule myght haue bene in dyuerse places at ones, he wolde not haue sayde, that the texte must neades be vnderstōde of his dyuynyte, but it myght full well, yea and moche better haue bene vnderstōde of hys manhode. Marke well thys texte whiche doth determyne the doubt of this matter. Notwithstondynge the faythfull Father leaueth not the matter on thys fashyō, but also taketh a waye soche fonde ymagynacyons as wolde cause mē to surmyse, that Christes bodye shulde be in mo places at ones then one. For he sayeth. Cauendum est ne ita diuinitatem astruamus hominis ut ueritatem auferamus corporis. Non est autem consequens ut quod in deo est, ita sit ubiq;. Nam & de nobis ueracißime scriptura dicit, quod in illo uiuimus, mouemur & sumus. Nec tamē sicut ille, ubiq; sumus, sed aliter homo ille in Deo, quam & aliter deus in illo homine, proprio quodam & singulari modo. Vna enim persona deus & homo est, et utrumq; est unus Christus Iesus, ubiq; per id quod deus est, in celo aūt per id quod homo. That is to saye: we muste beware that we do not so affyrme the dyuynyte of the man, that we take awaye the truth of hys bodye. For it foloweth not that the thynge whiche is in God, shulde be in euery place as God is. For the scrypture doth trulye testyfye vnto vs, that we lyue, moue, and be in hym. And yet are we not in everye place as he is. Howbeit, that man is otherwyse in God, and God otherwyse in that man by a certayne peculyer and synguler waye. For God and man is one parson, and bothe of them one Christe Iesu, whiche is in euery place in that he is God, and in heauen, in that he is man. Here Austen doth saye, that yf we shulde graunte Christe to be in all places as towchynge hys manhode, we shulde take a waye the truth of hys bodye. For though hys manhode be in God and God in hys manhode, yet it foloweth not, that it shulde be in everye place, as God is. And after he concludeth, that as towchynge hys Godhed he is in euery place, and as towchynge hys manhode, he is in heauē. What neade he to make these wordes and antithesis, but because he thought verelye that though hys Godhed were in euery place, yet his māhode was in heauen onelye.

|Augustinus ibidē.| But yet thys holye doctoure goth furder (so that they maye be ashamed of their parte) and sayeth. Secundū hominē namq; in terra erat, non in cœlo (ubi nunc est) quādo dicebat, nemo ascendet in cœlum nisi qui descendit de cœlo, filius hominis qui est in cœlo. That is to saye; as towchynge hys manhod 54he was in the earth and not in heauen (where he now is) when he sayde, no man ascendeth into heauē but he that descended from heauen, the sone of man whiche is in heaven. Now I truste ye wyll be content and let the truth spreade. For I am sure it is not possyble for you to avoyde it, for he sayeth, that as towchynge hys manhod he was in the earth and not in heauē, whē he spake those wordes: and so proueth that he was not in mo places at ones then onelye one place. For els yf S. Austen had thought that he coulde haue bene in mo places at ones then one wyth hys bodye, then myght he not haue sayde, that he was in earth and not in heauen. For then a mā myght soone haue deinded hym and haue sayde. Austen you can not tell, for he maye be in euery place. But they that so thynke after Austens mynde, do take awaye the truthe of hys naturall bodye, and make it a very fantastycall bodye: from the which heresye God delyuer hys faythfull. Besydes thys S. Austen doth saye. Christum Dominum nostrum unigenitum DEI suium equalem patri, eundemq; hominis filium quo maior est pater, & ubiq; totum presentem esse non dubites tanquam DEVM, & in eodem templo DEI esse uerum DEVM, & in aliena parte cœli propter corporis modum. That is to saye: Doubt not but that Christe our Lorde the onlye begottē sonne of God equall to the Father, and the same beynge the sonne of mā wherin the father is greater, is whole present in all places as to towchynge hys Godhed, and dwelleth in the same temple of God as God, ād in some place of heauen, for the condycyon of hys very bodye. Here is it euydent by .S. Austēs wordes, that as towchynge hys Godhed he is in all places. And as towchynge hys manhod, he is onelye in heauen: yea and not that onelye, but that he beynge in heauen as towchynge the measure, nature, condycyon, and qualyte of hys naturall bodye, is onelye in one certayne place in heauen, and not in many places at ones. Thus moche is proued out of Saynte Austen.

This truth is not onelye proued by S Austens auctoryte, but also by the noble clarke Fulgentius, which wryteth on this maner. Vnus idemq; homo localis ex homine, qui est Deus immensus ex patre, unus idemq; secundum humanam substantiam absens cœlo cum esset in terra, et derelinquens terram cū ascendisset in cœlum. Secundum diuinam uero immensamq; substantiam, nec cœlum dimittens cum de cœlo descendit, nec terram deserens, cum ad cœlum ascendit. Quod ipsius Domini certisisimo sermone potest cognosci, qui ut localem ostenderet suam humanitatem, dicit discipulis 55suis: Ascendo ad patrem meum & patrem uestrum, Deum meun & Deum uestrum. De Lazaro quoq; cum dixisset, Lazarus mortuus est, adiunxit dicens, & gaudeo propter uos (ut credatis) quoniam non eram ibi immensitatem uero suæ diuinitatis ostendens discipulis dicit: Ecce ego uobiscum sum usq; ad consummationen sæculi. Quomodo autem ascendit in cœlum nisi quia localis & uerus est homo, aut quomode adest fidelibus suis, nisi quia idem inmensus & uerus Deus est. That is to saye. The same one man is locall (that is to saye: conteyned in one place) as towchynge hys manhod, whiche is also God vnmesurable from the Father. The same one man as towchynge the substaunce of hys manhod, was absent frō heauen, whē he was in earth, and forsakynge the earth, when he ascended in to heauē, but as towchynge hys Godly ād vnmeasurable substaunce he neyther forsoke heauen whē he descēded frō heauen, nor forsoke the earth, whē he ascēded vnto heauē, which may be knowē by the moste sure worde of the Lorde, whiche to shewe hys humanyte to be locall (that is to saye: contayned in one place onelye) ded saye vnto hys dyscyples. I ascēde vnto my Father and your Father, my God and your God. Of Lazarus also when he sayde, Lazarus is ded, he sayde further. I am gladde for your sake (that you may beleue) for that I was not there. And agayne, shewynge the vnmeasurablenes of hys Godhed, he sayde vnto hys discyples. Beholde, I am with you vnto the worldes ende, how ded he ascende in to heauen, but because he is locall and a verye mā? Or howe is he present vnto hys faythfull, but because he is vnmeasurable and verye God? Here maye you conclude by the auctoryte of thys doctoure also, that Christes bodye is onelye in one place at ones. For he sayeth, that Christ as towchynge hys manhod is locall: that is to saye: contayned in one place onelye. And that he proueth by the scrypture euen of Christes owne wordes. Now yf thys be true (as my conscyence doth testyfye, how so euer other men shall Iudge) then muste it neades folowe that this naturall bodye can not be in the sacrament. And the auctorite, I am sure no man can avoyde, yt is so playne.

|More.| ❧ Now as for hys naturall reasons be not worthye the reasonynge. For fyrste that the bodye of Christe vngloryfyed coulde no more be in two places at ones then hys owne can, because he is a naturall bodye, as he is. I wyll not examyne no comparyson betwene their two bodyes: but yf Christe wolde tell me that he wolde eche of both their bodyes to be in fyftene places at ones, I wolde beleue hym, and wolde neuer aske hym whether 56he wolde fyrste gloryfye them or not. But I am sure gloryfyed or vngloryfyed, yf he sayde it, he is able to do it. For the matter is not impossyble to God.

|Fryth.| ¶ Truthe it is that yf Christe so sayde and in so sayenge so mente, there is no doubte, but he were able so to do. But that he in dede so grosselye mēt, ye shall neuer proue. And in dede yf he had so mēte that hys owne naturall bodye shulde haue contynued in the sacrament which is the meate of the soule through faythe, and not of the bodye by eatynge it, and maye as well be eaten through fayth, although it remayne in heauen, as yf it were here present to our mouthes: yf (I saye) he had so mente, then wolde he neuer haue geuen vs suche scriptures as he ded. For I saye that thys grosse ymagynacyon may not stonde with the processe of the scrypture which is receyued, as it shall appeare by certayne textes.

Fyrste where our sauyoure sayeth: the fleshe profyteth nothynge. The wayght of those wordes doth compell vs to vnderstonde our matter spyrytuallye. For by thys shorte sentence we are no lesse plucked from the carnall eatynge, then was Nichodemus that he shulde not ones dreame of the carnall regeneracyon, whē Christe sayde vnto hym: that whatsoeuer thynge was of the fleshe was fleshe. For this is a playne conclusyon, that whē Christe sayde the fleshe profyteth nothynge, he ment it euē of hys owne fleshe, that it coulde not profyte (as they vnderstode hym) to be eaten with the teth. Albeyt it doth moche profyte to be slayne for our redemptyon, & eaten through fayth. Which thyng we may do although hys naturall fleshe be not in the sacrament. For I maye as well beleue in hym though he be in heauen, as yf he were in earth and in the sacrament, and before myne eyes. And that Christe spake these wordes of hys owne bodye, it is playne by S. Austens wordes wrytynge vpon the same place. |Augustitract. su. 6. Joan.| And therfore he sayeth, that they muste be vnderstonde spyrytuallye, and addeth: yf thou vnderstonde them spyrytuallye, they are spyryte and lyfe. And though thou vnderstonde them carnallye, yet neuerthelesse they are spyryte and lyfe: But vnto thē, they are not spyryte and lyfe, which vnderstondest not spyrytuallye those thynges that I haue spoken.

|Athanasius. 3. li. qui dix. verb.| Also Athanasius sayeth. Spiritus est qui uiuificat, caro non prodest quicquà: uerba que ego locutus sum, spiritus sunt & uita. Nam & hoc loco utrumque de seipso dicit carnem & spiritum, & spiritum ab eo quod est secundum carnem distinxit, ut non solum uisibile, sed etiam inuisibile quod in ipso erat credentes discant, quod & ea que dicit non sunt carnalia 57sed spiritualia. Quod enim comedentibus suffecisset corpus, ut totius mundi alimonia fiat? Sed ea propter meminit ascensus filii hominis in cœlum ut illos a corporali cogitacione auelleret, & post hac discant carnem dictā cibum cœlestem superne uenientem & spiritualem alimoniam quam ipse det, nā quæ locutus sum (inquit) uobis spiritus sunt & uita. That is to saye: it is the spyryte that quyckeneth, the fleshe profyteth nothynge. The wordes which I speake vnto you, are spiryte and lyfe. For in this place also he meaneth both of hys owne fleshe and his owne spyryte, and he deuyded the spiryte from the fleshe: that they myght knowe through faythe not onelye the vysyble parte, but also the invysyble parte that was in hym, and also that the wordes which he spake were not carnall, but spirytuall. For what bodye shulde haue suffysed to haue bene the meate of all the worlde? And euen therfore ded he make mencyon of the ascensyon of the sonne of man in to heauen, that he myght wythdrawe them from the bodelye ymagynacyon, that they myght hereafter learne, that the fleshe was called heauēly meate which cōmeth frō a boue, & spirytuall meate which he wolde geue. For (sayeth Christe) the wordes that I haue spokē vnto you, are spiryte & lyfe. Here you maye see that Christe spake yt of his owne fleshe, & playnely that yt ded nothynge profyte as infideles ded vnderstonde hym: For els yt geueth lyfe, as yt is receyued of the faythfull in a mystery. |Bartrame.| For as Bartrame sayeth, in this mysterye of the bodye and bloode, is a spirytuall operacyon which geueth lyfe. Without the which operacyon those mysteryes do no thynge profytte, for surelye (sayth he) they may feade the bodye, but the soule they can not feade.

Besydes that the scrypture sayeth, that that entreth in by the mouth doth not defyle a man, for as Christe sayeth, it is caste forthe in to the drawght. And by the same reason it foloweth that it doth not sāctyfye or make a man holye. But the sacrament entreth in by the mouth: therfore yt doth folowe that (of it selfe) it doth not sāctyfye or make holye any mā. And of this texte shulde folowe two incōueniences, yf the sacramēte were the naturall bodye of Christ. Fyrste it shulde folowe that the body of Christ shulde not sāctyfye the faythfull because it ētreth in by the mouth. And agayne yt shulde folowe, that the bodye of Christe shulde be caste out in to the drawght, whych thynge is abhominable. Wherfore yt muste neades folowe, that the sacramēt cā not be his naturall bodye.

Furthermore Christ wolde not suffer that devoute womā which of loue sought hym at hys sepulchre, to touche his naturall 58bodye, because she lacked a poynte of faythe, & ded not counte hym to be equall with hys father. And moche more yt shall folowe that the wycked which haue no faythe nor loue towardes hym, shall not be suffered to eate hys fleshe with their teth, & swallowe yt in to their vncleane bodyes: for that were moche more then to touche hym. And yet notwithstandynge they receyue and eate the sacrament. Whervpon yt shulde folowe yf the sacrament were hys naturall bodye, that they shulde in dede eate hys bodye. Which thynge may be recoūted a blasphemye agaynste God. Moreouer Christe sayeth, he that eateth my fleshe ād drynketh my blood dwelleth in me & I in hym: Now we knowe ryght well that the wycked do eate the sacrament, ād yet neyther dwell in Christe, nor Christ in thē. Wherfore yt muste folowe that the sacramēt is not the very fleshe of Christe. And surelye I can not excuse thē of blasphemye which so dyrectlye do cōtrary Christes wordes. Howe can you avoyde these textes which Christ speaketh vnto hys dyscyples sayēge. Yet a lytel whyle am I with you. And then I departe to hym that sente me. |Ioan. 6.| And agayne it is expedyent for you that I departe. For excepte that I departe, that counforter shall not come vnto you. |Ioan. 6.| And agayne he sayeth. I forsake the worlde |Ioan. 6.| and go to my Father. And to be shorte, he sayeth, |Mat. 25.| poore mē ye shall euer haue with you, |Mar. 14.| but me shall you not euer haue. Now we knowe ryght well that hys Godhed is in all places, |Ioan. 12.| and that as towchynge hys Godhed he forsoke not the worlde, when he ascended vnto hys Father. Wherfore it muste neades folowe that he fors oke yt as towchynge hys fleshe and manhode. And therto agreeth the exposycyons of Saynte Austen, and Fulgentius before alleaged, yea and all other olde faythfull Fathers. Now yf he haue forsaken the worlde as towchynge the presence of hys naturall fleshe and māhode (as all doctours defyne) then mente he not that hys naturall fleshe shulde be presente in the sacrament, to be eaten with our tethe. And therfore though Christe so tell you, yet muste you take hym as he meaneth, or els you be begyled. For yf ye thynke that GOD both maye and wyll fulfyll and veryfye all thynges accordynge to the letter as he speaketh them, I maye call you an obedyent man, as Saynte BARNARD doth hys Monke Adam. And maye saye (as he doth) that yf that be the ryght waye, so symplye to receyue all thynge, we maye put out the texte of scrypture which warneth vs to be wyse as serpētes. For the texte folowynge is suffycyent, which byddeth vs to be 59symple as doves.

Why doth your mastershyppe graunte a necessarye allegorye, whē Paule sayeth, CHRISTE is a stone, or when Christ sayeth, that he is a dore? The scrypture sayeth he is both twayne. And syth God so sayth, he is able so to make it. And therfore by your reason we shall neade none allegorye in all scrypture, & thē he that is moste symple ād folyshe, may be counted moste faythfull. And so shall we neade no faythfull Fathers to expounde the texte, but it shalbe moste meryte, to beleue the letter. This I denye not, but that God coulde haue done yt, yf he had so entēded, when he spake the wordes: But nowe the scrypture stondynge as it doth, I thynke he can not do it. As by exāple. I thynke that God by the bloode of hys sone Christe myght haue saued all men, both faythfull and vnfaythfull, yf he had so intēded, ād that yt had so pleased hym. But nowe the scrypture stōdynge as it doth, I saye he can not do yt, and that it is impossyble for hym. For then he myght make hys sone a lyer which sayeth, |Ioan. 3.| he that beleueth not is dampned. And agayne, he that beleueth not shall not see lyfe, but the wrathe of God abydeth vpon hym. And euen as it is impossyble to stonde with the processe of scriptures (wherin God hath declared hys wyll) that the vnfaythfull shulde be saued, although God myght haue done it at the fyrst yf he had so wolde. Lykewyse it is impossyble the scryptures stondynge as they do, that the naturall bodye of Christ shulde be presente to our teth in the sacrament. And as for our faythe, yt neadeth not to haue hym presente in the breade. For I maye as well eate hym ād drynke hym through faythe, that is to saye: beleue in hym, as though he were as presente in the sacramēte, as he was hangynge vpon the crosse.

And because you saye, that my naturall reasons be not worth the reasonynge, I wyll alleage you some mo, to see what you can saye to them. Fyrste euery sacrament is the sygne of an holye thynge: but the sacramente of the aulter is a sacramēt (as all faythfull men confesse) ergo it muste folowe that the sacrament of the aulter is the sygne of an holye thynge. Nowe yf it be the sygne of an holye thynge, then it is not the holye thynge yt selfe which yt doth sygnyfye & represent. Why shulde we then feare, to call that breade a fygure, that is to saye: a sacrament of that holye bodye of our Lorde and Sauyoure.

Besydes that I wolde knowe of what necessyte or profyte hys fleshe muste be present in the sacrament. For the presence of hys fleshe can no more profyte vs, thē 60doth the remembraunce of hys bodye, but this remembraunce maye as well be done by the sacrament, as though hys bodye were present. And therfore syth God and nature make nought in vayne, it foloweth consequentlye, that his naturall fleshe is not there, but onelye a memoryall therof.

Furthermore, the ende and fynall cause of a thynge is euer better then those thynges which are prouyded for the ende (as the house is better than the lyme, stone, & tymber, which are prouyded for the howse) but the ende and fynall cause of the sacramente is the remembraunce of Christes bodye: and thervpō yt muste folowe that yf the sacramente be hys naturall bodye, that the remembraunce of Christes bodye shulde be better then hys bodye it selfe. Whiche thynge is to be abhorred of all faythfull men.

It were fondnes to fayne that the soule ded otherwyse eate then do the Angelles in heauē, and their meate is onelye the Ioye and delectacyon that they haue of God and of hys glorye; And euen so doth the soule which is here vpon the earth eate through faythe the bodye of Christe which is in heauen. For it delyteth & reioyseth whyles yt vnderstōdeth through faythe, that Christ hath takē our synnes vpō hym and pacyfyed the Fathers wrath. Neyther yt is necessarye, that for that or for thys cause, that his fleshe shulde be present. For a man maye as well loue ād reioyse in the thynge which is from hym and not present, as though yt were presēt by hym of that maner.

More ouer, the breade is Christes bodye, euen as the breakynge of the breade is the death of hys bodye. Nowe the breakynge of breade at the maundye is not the verye death of Christes bodye, but onelye a representacyon of the same (albeit the mynde through faythe doeth spirytuallye beholde hys verye death) and euen lyke wyse that naturall breade is not the verye bodye of our Lorde, but onely a sacramēt, sygne, memoryall, or representacyō of the same, albeit through the admonycyō therof, the mynde through fayth, doth spirytually beholde the verye body. And surely yf a man be faythfull, the spirite of God worketh in his harte very swetelye at his communyon.

Fynallye, it was not laufull to eate or drynke the bloode not onelye of man, but also of a brute beaste, and the Apostles them selues moued by the rule of charyte, ded instytute that men shulde abstayne from bloode, somewhat fauourynge the infyrmyte of the Iewes. Now yf the Apostles had taught (as ye do) that in the sacrament hys verye fleshe and 61bloode is eaten and dronken with the teth and mouthe of faythfull and vnfaythfull, what coulde haue bene a greater occasyō to haue excluded the Iewes frō Christes fayth euen at ones? Thynke you that the Apostles wolde not haue bene to srupulous to haue dronken hys very bloode, seynge it was so playne agaynst Moses lawe, yf they had vnderstonde hym so grosselye as ye do? |Act .10.| Peter had a clothe sente downe from heauen, in whiche were all maner of beastes forbydden by the lawe, and was commaunded to fle and eate thē. And he answered, God forbyd, for I neuer eate any vncleane thynge, meanynge therbye that he neuer eate any thynge forbyddē by the lawe. Wherof it muste neades folowe, that eyther he neuer receyued the sacrament (whiche is playne false) or els that he more spyrytuallye vnderstode the wordes of Christes maundye then ye falselye fayne. For it was playnelye forbydden by the lawe, to eate or drynke any maner of bloode. |obiectyō.| And I knowe but one reason, that they haue which they counte as insoluble: how be it by Goddes grace we shall soone avoyde it. Their reason is this. Paule sayeth, he that eateth and drynketh this sacrament vnworthelye, shalbe gyltye of the bodye and bloode of the Lorde. Now saye they, how shulde they be gyltye of the Lordes bodye ād bloode whiche receyue it vnworthelye, excepte it were the verye bodye and bloode of the Lorde.

|Solutiō.| This argument I saye, is verye weake and slender. For I can shewe manye examples by the whiche it may be dyssolued. For he that dyspyseth the Kynges seale or Letters offendeth agaynste hys owne parson, and yet the Letters or Seale is not hys owne parson. He that vyolentlye plucketh downe hys graces Armes, or breaketh hys brode Seale wyth a furyouse mynde or wyth vyolence, commytteth treason agaynste hys owne parson. And yet hys Armes and brode Seale are not hys owne parsō. He that clyppyth the Kynges coyne, commytteth treason agaynste the Kynges parson and the common wealth: and yet the money is neyther hys graces parson nor the common wealth. And therfore your argument is but weake and slēder. For euē as a man doth offende agaynste the Prynces parson by dyspysinge his Armes, Seale, or Letters, so doth a mā offende agaynste Christes bodye and bloode, by abvsynge the sacrament of hys bodye and bloode, although he be not there present, as the Kynges parsō is not presente in hys Armes, Seale, or Letters.

Besydes that S. Paule sayeth, that euerye man whiche prayeth or preacheth with covered heade shameth hys heade, & hys head is Christe; shall we therfore Imagen 62that Christe is naturallye in euerye mās heade, as your argument cōcludeth? Forsoth that were a preatye fantasye. Fynally S. Austen sayeth, that he doth no lesse synne whiche neglygētlye heareth the wordes of God, thē doth the other which vnworthelye receyueth the sacrament of Christes bodye and bloode. Nowe yf this be true, then is your reason not worth a ry she, for Christes naturall bodye is not in the worde whiche is preached, as all men knowe. And yet he synneth no lesse that neglygentlye heareth it, then doth he that vnworthelye receyueth the sacramēt. And thus you see their insoluble argument easelye dyssolued.

|More.| ❧ But now muste thys yonge man consyder agayne that he hym selfe confesseth, that the cause for which hym selfe sayeth, that Christe in so sayenge ded so meane, is because that yf he shulde haue mēt so, yt was impossyble to God to brynge hys meanynge a bought: that is to saye, that Christes bodye myght be in two places at ones. And therfore but yf he proue that thynge impossyble for God to do, els he confesseth that God not onelye sayde it but also mente it in dede. And yet ouer thys, yf Christ had neuer sayde it, yet doubt I nothynge, but he is able to do it, or els were there somwhat that he coulde not do; And then were God not almyghtye.

|Fryth.| ¶ Here Master More wolde myre me with his sophystrye, ād wyth wyles wolde wynne hys spores. For as he before ded discant on these wordes, can, and impossyble, and wolde haue made mē beleue that I mente it coulde not be, because it coulde not be by reason, and that I mente it was impossyble, because reason coulde not reache it: So now he dysputeth with lyke maner of sophystycacyon, concludynge that I confesse that it is impossyble and cā not be, because that yf God shulde so haue mente, it was impossyble for God to brynge hys meanynge a bought. Deare bretherne, thys bablynge is suffycyentlye discussed alreadye. For I mente not that it was impossyble for God to brynge it aboute, yf he had so mēte, but I mente that it is impossyble to stonde with the processe of the scrypture whiche we haue receyued. And I saye more ouer, that though it was possyble for God to haue done it (yf it had pleased hym) yet now, the scrypture thus stondynge, it is impossyble for hym to do it. For then he muste make hys sone a lyer. And I saye, that yf he had so ment as the letter stondeth, that he wolde then haue geuen vs other scrypture, and wolde not haue sayde that he muste departe to hym that sente hym, with other textes as are before rehearsed.

And where master More sayeth, that 63yf there were somwhat that he coulde not do, than were God not almyghtye. I saye it is ashame for our Prelates that they haue gottō suche an ignoraunte proctoure to defende them. And I am sure that they thēselues coulde haue sayde moche better. For els how shulde they enstructe other and leade them in the ryght waye, yf they themselues were so rude and vnlearned? Shulde they not knowe what thys meaneth, that God is almyghtye, whych is a peace of the fyrste artycle of our Crede? Then how shulde their shepe haue any sure syght? More thynketh that God is called almyghtye, because he can do all thynges. And then in dede it shulde folowe that he were not almyghtye. For all thynges he can not do, he cā not saue the vnfaythfull, he can not restore vyrgynyte ones vyolated, sayeth S. Thomas and also (as I remember) S. Hierome wrytynge of vyrgynyte vnto Paula and Eustochium: he can not synne sayeth Dunce: he can not denye hym selfe sayeth .S. Paule. |2. Tim.| Now yf thys mans learnynge were alowed, thē myght not God be almyghtye, because there is sumwhat that he cā not do. But they that are a customed with scrypture, do knowe that he is called almyghtye, not because he can do all thynge: but because there is no superyour power aboue hym, but that he maye do all that he wyll: and all that hys pleasure is to do that maye he brynge to passe. And no power is able to resyste hym. But he hath no pleasure nor wyll to make hys sone alyer nor to make hys scripture false, and in dede he maye not do it. And yet notwithstondynge he abydeth almyghtye. For he may do all thynge that he wyll.

|More.| ❧ Then master More as towchynge the reason of repungnaunce sayeth, that many thynges may seame repungnaunte both to hym and me, which thynges God seeth how to make them stonde together well ynough, and addeth such blynde reasons of repungnaunce as induceth manye men in to a greate erroure: some ascrybynge all thynge vnto destenye without any power of mans fre wyll at all. And some genynge all to mans owne wyll. And haue no fore syght at all to the provydēce of God, and all because the poore blynde reason of man can not see so farre, as to perceyue how Goddes prescyence and mans fre wyll can stonde together, but seame clerelye to be repungnaunte.

|Fryth.| ¶ As for hys dygressyon of mans fre wyll, I wyll not greatlye wrestle with hym. But thys one thynge I maye saye, |Ioan. 8.| that yf the sone of God delyuer vs, then are we verye free. |2. Cor. 3.| And where the spyryte of God is, there is fredome. I meane not fredome to do what you wyll; but fredome 64|Rom. 6.| frō synne, that we maye be the saruaūtes of ryghtuousnes. But yf we haue not the spyryte of Christe, then wyll I saye with S. Austen, |Augustinus de spiritu & litera.| that our fre wyll is wretched, and can do nought but synne. And as towchynge suche textes of repugnaunce, yf they be so dyffuse that mans reason (which is the lyght of hys vnderstōdyng) can not attayne to set them together, then were you beste to make thē none artycles of our faythe. For I thynke as manye as are necessarye vnto our salvacyon, are conteyned in the Crede, which I thynke euery mā beleueth: I beseche you laye no bygger burthen vpon vs then those faythfull Fathers ded, which thought that suffycyent. And then I am sure, we shulde haue fewer heretykes. For I neuer harde of heretycke that euer helde agaynste any artycle of our Crede, but all that ye dyffame by thys name, are onelye put to death, because they saye that we are not bounde to beleue euerye poynte that the lawes and tyrannye of the cleargye alowe and maynteyne, which thynge how true it is (blessed be God) is meatelye well knowen alreadye. For els had I and many mo bene deade before thys daye.

|More.| ❧ I wote well that many good folke haue vsed in thys matter manye frutefull examples. As of one face beholden in dyuerse glasses, and in euerye peace of one glasse broken in to twentye, ād of one worde comynge whole to an hundreth eares at ones: and the syght of one lytle eye presently beholdynge an whole greate contrye at ones, with a thousande suche meruelles mo: suche as those that see thē daylye done (and therfore meruell not at thē) shall yet neuer be able, no not this yonge man hym selfe, to geue suche a reason by what meane they maye be done, but that he maye haue suche repugnaunce layde agaynste it, that he shalbe fayne in conclusyon (for the chefe and moste euydent reason) to saye, that the cause of all those thynges, is because God that hath so caused them to be done, is almyghtye of hym selfe, and maye do what hym lyste.

|Fryth.| ¶ As towchynge the examples that master More doth here alleage, I maye soone make answere vnto them. For they that are lyke our matter, make cleane agaynste hym, and the other can not make for hym. The glasse I graunte is a good example. For euen as the glasse dothe represent the verye face of man, so doth this sacrament represent the verye bodye and bloode of Christe. And lyke as euery peace of the glasse doth represent that one face, so doth euery peace of that sacrament represent that one bodye of Christe. But euerye mā knoweth ryght well, that thoughe the glasse represent my face, yet the 65substaunce of the glasse is not my verye face, neyther is my very face in the glasse. And euen so though the sacrament do represent the bodye of Christe, yet the substaunce of the sacrament is not hys verye bodye (no more then the glasse is my face) neyther is hys verye bodye in the sacrament, no more thē my verye face is in the glasse. And thus this example maketh well for vs. And for that one worde commynge whole to an hūdreth eares, I saye that worde is but a sounde ād a qualyte & not a substaunce, and therfore yt is nothynge to our purpose, and can not be lykened to Christes bodye which is a substaunce. And as concernynge the syght of the lytle eye, I say that though the eye dyscrye and see an whole contrye, yet is not that whole contrye in the eye: but as the contrye is knowen by the syght of the eye (though the contrye be not in it) so is the death of Christe and his bodye breakynge and bloode sheadynge knowen by the sacrament, though hys naturall bodye be not in it. And thus hys exāples make nothyng with hym, but rather moche agaynste hym. And where he sayeth that the yonge mā hym selfe cā geue no reasō, by what meane they may be done: I maye saye vnto hys mastershyppe, that whan I was seauen yeare yonger then I am thys day, I wolde haue bene ashamed yf I coulde not haue geuen an evydent reason at the Austēs in Oxforde before the whole vnyuersyte. And albeit I now wochesaue not to spende laboure and paper abought Aristotles doctryne, yet haue I so moche towched hys examples, that he may be werye of them.

|More.| ❧ Also I cā not see why it shulde be more repugnaunt that one bodye maye be by the power of God in two places at ones, then that two bodyes maye be together in one place at ones. And that poynte I thynke thys yonge man denyeth not.

|Fryth.| ¶ The beynge of our bodye in two places at ones is agaynste nature, and scrypture cā not allow it. But that two bodyes shulde be in one place seameth more reasonable. For I haue good experyence that though my bodye can not be in two places at ones (both in the tower and where I wolde haue it besyde) yet blessed be god in this one place, I am not without cōpanye. But yf master More meane that in one proper & severall place, maye be two bodyes at ones, that I wyll denye, tyll he haue laysure to proue it. And yet at the length I am sure, hys proue shall not be worth a podynge prycke. For I am sure it muste be, Ratione porositatis ut in igne & ferro: nam penetracionem dimensionum nunquam probabit. And then he is as nyghe as he was before.

66|More.| ❧ Now hys laste reason wyth which he proueth yt impossyble for the bodye of christe to be in two places at ones, is this: You can (sayeth he) shewe no reason whye he shulde be in many places at ones & not in all. But in all places he can not be: Wherfore we muste cōclude that he can not be in many places at ones. This is a mervelous cōcluded argumente. I am sure that euery chylde may soone see that this consequent can neuer folowe vpō these two premysses of thys antecedent.

|Fryth.| ¶ When I made thys reason & compyled my tretyse I had no regarde to the cavyllacyons of sotle sophysters. For I thought no sophysters shulde haue medled wyth that meate. But neuerthelesse syth now I perceyue that they pryncipallye are porynge vpon yt, seakynge some praye to sette their teth a warke, in this boke I haue samwhat prouyded for thē, and haue brought suche harde bones, that yf they be to busye, maye chaunce to choke thē. And yet is not the argumēt so feable as he fayneth. For the fyrst part (if he lyst to cōsyder the sēce & mynde, & be not to curyous) where I say that they cā shewe no reasō why he shulde be in many places & not in all, is thus to be vnderstōd of wyse mē, that the very reasō & cause that he shulde be in many places must be, because the body is so ānexed with the godhed, that yt is in euery place as the Godhed is. Thys I saye, muste be the cause and reason of hys beynge in many places. And neyther you nor no man els cā iustely asygne any other. Now of this maior or fyrste proposycyon thus vnderstonde doth the conclusyon folowe dyrectlye. For yf this shulde be the cause (as they muste neades graūte) and thys cause proued false by scrypture: then muste they neades graunte that the thynge whiche so foloweth of this cause, muste neades be false. And so is my purpose proued, and they concluded. As by example. The Astronomers saye: that the naturall course of the sonne is from the Weste to the Easte. Nowe yf a man shulde aske them what ys then the cause that we see hym daylye take the contrary course, from the East to the Weste agaynste hys nature: they answere. Because the heyghest spere (whose course is from the Easte to the Weste) wyth hys swyfte movynge doth vyolently drawe the inferyoure speres with hym. This is the cause that they alleage, and no man can asygne any other. And now syth I can proue thys sense false by scrypture (for scrypture sayth that the spere is fastened Heb. viij and S. Austen expoundynge that texte improueth the Astronomers which affyrme that it moueth) they muste neades graunte that the thynge which foloweth 67of this cause muste neades be false. And so we maye conclude agaynste them all, that the naturall course of the sonne is not from the Weste to the East (as the Astronomers saye) but contrarye from the Easte to the Weste. And lykewyse syth the cause that Christes bodye shulde be in many places, is asygned of learned men to be, because hys bodye is so annexed with the Godhed (which is in euerye place) that it is also in all places with it, and no man can asygne any other. And this cause is proued false by scrypture. For when the women sought Christ at hys graue, an Angell gaue the answere that he was not there. |Mar. 14.| But yf hys bodye had bene in euery place, then had the Angell lyed. |Luc. 16.| Also Christ sayde vnto hys dyscyples of Lazarus which dyed at Bathania. |Ioan. 11.| Lazarus ys deade. And I am gladde for your sakes (that you maye beleue) because I was not there. Now yf hys body were in euery place as is the Godhed, then Christ sayde not trulye, when he sayde he was not there. Therfore syth (as I sayde) this is the cause asygned, and yet proued false by scrypture, they muste neades graunte, that the thynge which foloweth of this cause, muste also neades be false. And so we maye conclude agaynste them all, that Christes bodye is in one place onely. And now you maye see how my consequent folowe the premysses.

|More.| ❧ For he can no further cōclude, but that we can shewe no reason whye he shulde be in many places at ones. What had he wone by that: Myght he thā conclude thervpon, that he coulde not be in manye places at ones? As though yt were not possyble for God to make hys bodye in two places at ones, but yf we were able to tell how, and why, and wherbye, and shewe the reason.

|Fryth.| ¶ How farre I cā conclude is shewed immedyatly before. For though of the bare wordes as ye toke them, it was harde to conclude any thynge, yet haue I nowe declared them, and so farre concluded, that you can not avoyde them. And where he sayeth that though they can shewe no reason, yet I had wonne nought by it, I thynke he wolde be angrye yf I shulde so answere. But surely they are in good case, for yt is ynough for them to saye, thus it is, and neade neuer to shewe any cause or reason whye they so saye. For they are the churche and can not erre: so that yf they teache contrarye thynges, yet all is good ynough. And when they see that no man can make the scryptures to agre wyth their doctryne, then they saye, that their doctryne is true ynough, but no mā can vnderstōnde the scrypture. And though the scrypture seame neuer so repugnaunte 68both to them ād vs, yet God seeth well ynough (saye they) how to sette thē together, and it is possyble for God to make it agree, though they can not tell how. But thys doctryne hath longe ynough deceyued vs. For mē haue seane to lōge wyth your spectacles, yet now (thankes be to God) they begynne to see with their owne eyes. And as towchyng how thys matter was possyble to God and how it is not possyble, is suffycyently declared before to all them that lyste to loke.

|More.| ❧ Howbeit as for me (though I be not bounde to yt) I am cōtēt yet to proue, that God maye make the body of Christ to be in all places at ones. And because thys yōge mā coupleth that proposycyō with the other: so wyll I do also. And I wyll proue therfore that God cā make hys bodye be bothe in many places at ones, & in all places at ones, by that he is almyghtye, and therfore can do all thynge.

|Fryth.| ¶ Now ys the good man in hys olde dreame agayne, and thynketh that God is called almyghtye, because he can do all thynges. And then in dede yt shulde folowe that he were not almyghtye. For all thynges he can not do, he can not saue the vnfaythfull, he can not restore virgynyte ones vyolated, he cā not synne, he cā not denye hym selfe. Yf thys mās lernynge were alowed, thā myght not god be called almyghty, because there is somwhat that he can not do. But they that are accustomed with scrypture, do knowe that he is called almyghtye, not because he can not do all thynges, but because there is no superyour power aboue hym, but that he may do all that he wyll, and all that hys pleasure is, maye he brynge to passe. But he hath no wyll nor pleasure, to make his sone a lyer, & to make hys scrypture false and yet notwitstondynge he abydeth almyghtye and may do what he wyll. And euē as it is impossyble to stonde with the processe of the scryptures (wherin God hath declaeed hys wyll) that the unfaythfull shulde be saued (although at the fyrst god myght haue done it, yf he had so wolde) lykewyse it is impossyble the scryptures stōdynge as they do, that the naturall bodye of Christ, shulde be present to our teth in the sacramēt. And as for our fayth, yt neadeth not to haue hym present in the breade. For I may as well eate hym and drynke hym through fayth (that is to say, beleue in hym) though he contynue styll in heauen, as though he were as present in the sacramēt, as he was hangynge on the crosse. But yet hys mastershype hath lefte one thynge vnproued, and that is euen the pyth of hys purpose. For though he had proued (as he hath not) that God by hys almyghtynes myght make Christes 69bodye in many places, and in all places, & in the sacrament, yet he forgotte to proue that God hath so done. And therfore albeyt I dyd graūte hym (as I wyll not) that he myght so do, yet therof it doth not folow, that he hath so done in dede. For god maye do manye thynges whiche he doth not. And therfore hys argument doth not proue hys purpose. Now yf he do but thynke that God hath so done, I am well pleased ād wyll not put hym to the payne to proue it. For anone ye shall see hym so intaungled in bryars, that he shall not wete where to be come.

|More.| ❧ But yet this yonge man goeth aboute to proue thys poynte by scrypture. For excepte we graunte hym that poynte to be true, he sayeth that els we make the Angell a lyer that sayde, he is not here, ād also that els we make as though Christes bodye in hys assensyon ded not go vp in the cloude in to heauē from earth, but onelye hyd hym selfe in the cloude, and playeth boo pyppe and taryed beneth styll. Here in the ende he forgetteth hym selfe so fowle, that whan he was a yonge sophyster he wolde I dare say, haue bene full sore ashamed so to haue oversene hym selfe at Oxforde at a pervyse. For ye wote well that thynge whiche he sayeth, and whiche he muste therfore proue, is that the bodye of Christ cā not be in euerye place at ones by no meane that God coulde make. And the textes that he bryngeth in for the proue, saye no further but that he was not in all places at ones.

|Fryth.| ¶ There are two thynges dysputed betwene master More and me: the one is whether God cā make the bodye of Christe in manye places, and in the sacramente. And therto hys mastershyppe sayeth yea. For God is almyghtye and maye do all thynges. And I saye naye, and affyrme that God is not called almyghtye because he maye do all thynges, but because he maye do all that he wyll. And I saye that he wyll not make hys sonne a lyer, nor hys scrypture false, and that he can not do it, and yet abydeth almyghtye. The other thynge is thys, whether he haue done it or not. For albeyt I ded graunte hym that it were possyble, yet is he neuer the nere excepte he eyther can proue that he hath done it in dede, or els thynke that God hath so done. For as I sayde God can do manye thynges which he doth not. And the controversye of thys doubte is dyssolued by the Aungell and scrypture whiche (as master More graunteth hym selfe) proueth that he was not in all places at ones, And therof it foloweth, that God hath not done it, although it be possyble. And so is hys mastershyppe at a poynte. For yf I shulde graunte it neuer so possyble, 70yet yf scrypture proue that it be not so in dede, then is he neuer the nere hys purpose, but moche the further from it. And thys is euen it that I sayde before: that it was not possyble to stonde with the processe of the scrypture which we haue receyued. And now hys mastershyppe hath graunted it hym selfe, which you maye be sure he wolde not do yf he coulde otherwyse avoyde it. And here you maye see howe sore I haue overseane my selfe.

|More.| ❧ God forbyd that any man shulde be the more prone and readye to beleue thys yonge man in thys greate matter, because he sayeth in the begynnynge that he wyll brynge all men to a concorde and a quyetnes of conscyence. For he bryngeth men to the worste kynde of quyetnes that maye be deuysed, when he telleth vs as he doth, that euery man in thys matter, maye with out parell beleue which waye he lyste. Euery man maye in euerye matter without any counsell, soone set hym selfe at reste, yf he lyste to take that waye and to beleue as he lyste hym selfe, ād care not how. But ād yf that waye had bene sure, Saynte Paule wolde neuer haue shewed that manye were in parell of sycknes and death also, for lacke of dyscernynge reuerentlye the bodye of our Lorde in that Sacramente, when they came to receyue hym.

|Fryth.| ¶ When Christe shulde departe thys worlde and go to hys Father, |Ioan. 15.| he gaue hys dyscyples a commaundement that they shulde loue eche other, sayenge by thys shall all men knowe, that ye are my dyscyples, yf ye loue eche other, as I haue loued you. Thys rule of charyte wolde I not haue broken, which notwithstondynge is often in Ieopardye a monge faythfull folke. This thynge consydered, I thought it necessarye to advertyse both partyes to saue thys rule of charyte, and proued in the fyrste chapter of my treatyse, that it was none artycle of the fayth necessarye to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyon, and therfore that they were to blame that wolde be contencyous for the matter. For syth it is none artycle of the fayth, they may lawfullye dyssente without all Ieoperdye: and neade not to breake the rule of charyte, but rather to receyue eche other lyke weake bretherne.

This I saye I proued in the fyrste chapter agaynste which master More maketh no busynes, and improueth it not. Wherbye you maye soone gather that it is very true. For els syth hys mastershyppe so laboureth in these other poyntes, he wolde not haue lefte that vntowched you maye be sure. Thys is the concorde that I wolde brynge them vnto. And as towchynge quyetnes of conscyence, I haue knowen 71manye that haue sore bene combrede wyth it. And amōge all, a certayne master of arte which dyed in Oxforth, confessed vpon hys death bedde, that he had wepte lyenge in hys bedde an hundreth nyghtes wythin one yeare space, because he coulde not beleue it. Now yf he had knowen that it had bene no necessarye artycle, what cōforte and quyetnes shulde it haue bene vnto hym. Furthermore, euerye man can not so quyet hymselfe, as master More Imageneth. For there are manye that thynke them selfes no smalle foles, which whan they haue receyued some folyshe superstycyon, eyther by their owne Imagynacyon, or by belevynge their gossepes gospell ād olde wyfes tales, by and bye thynke the cōtrarye to be deadly synne, and vtterly forbydden by Chrystes gospell. As by example, I knowe an house of relygyon, wherin is a parson that thynketh it deadly synne to go ouer astrawe yf it lye acrosse. And yf there be vpon the pauemente any paynted pycture, or any Image grauen vpon a deade mans graue, he wyll not treade vpon it, although he shulde go a forelonge a bowte. What is thys but vayne superstycyon wherewith the conscyence is combred and corrupted? May not thys be weded out wyth the worde of God, shewynge hym that it is none artycle of the fayth so to thynke, & then to tell hym that it is not forboden by the scrypture, ād that it is no synne? Now albeyt hys conscyence be so cankered that the ruste wyll not be rubbed out: yet wyth Godes grace, some other whome he hath infected with the same, maye come agayne to Godes worde and be cured full well, whiche shulde neuer haue bene able to quyete them selfes. And lykewyse there are some whiche beleue as your superstycyous hartes haue informed them, and these can not quyete thēselues, because they beleue that you haue featched your doctryne out of scrypture. But when it is proued to them, and they themselues perceyue that scrypture sayeth not so, then can they be contente to thynke the contrarye, ād Iudge it no synne at all. And as towchynge S. Paule, surelye ye take hym wronge. For I wyll shewe you what processe he taketh, and how he is to be vnderstonde. But because it is not possyble to fynyshe it in fewe wordes, I shall deferre it vnto the bokes ende, and then I shall declare hym at large.

|More.| ❧ And what a fashyon is thys, to saye that we maye beleue yf we lyste, that there is the verye bodye of our Lorde in dede, and then to tell vs for a trouth, that suche a faythe is impossyble to be true: for GOD hym selfe can neuer brynge it abought, to make hys bodye to be there.

72|Fryth.| ¶ Yf a man take the bare wordes of Christe, and of symplycyte be deceyued, and thynke that hys verye bodye be in the sacramente present to their teth that eate it, I dare not saye that he synneth therin, but wyll referre the matter vnto Godes Iudgement, and yet without doubt, I dare saye he is deceyued. As by example, yf a man deceyued by the litterall sence, wolde thynke that men shulde preache to fysshes (as S. Fraunces ded) because Christe badde hys dyscyples go preache to all creatures, yet wolde not I thynke that he synned therin. But wyll referre hym vnto Goddes Iudgement. But yet I wene euerye woman that hath anye wytte, wyll saye that he was deceyued.

|More.| ❧ I am verye sure that the olde holye Doctours which beleued Christes bodye and bloode to be there, and so taught other to beleue, as by their bokes playnelye doth apere, yf they had thought eyther that it coulde not be there or that it was not there in dede, they wolde not for all the good in thys worlde haue wryten as they haue done. For wolde those holye men (wene you) haue taught that men be bounde to beleue, that the verye bodye and bloode of CHRISTE is there, yf they them selfes thought that they were not bounde thervnto? Wolde they make men honoure and worshyppe that thynge as the very bodye and bloode of Christe whiche they thē selues thought were not it? Thys gere is to chyldyshe to speake of.

|Fryth.| ¶ That the olde doctours and faythfull Fathers so taught or thought as ye fayne of them, is verye false. For S. Austen as I haue shewed, maketh whollye for vs. Besydes that, there is none of the olde Fathers but they call it a sacramēte, a mysterye, and mystycall meate, which is not eaten with toth or belye: but with eares and faythe. And as towchynge the honoure and worshyppe done vnto it, I saye it is playne Idolatrye. And I saye, that he falselye reporteth vpon the olde holy Doctours. For they neuer taught men to worshyppe it, neyther can he alleage one place in any of them all whiche wolde haue men to worshyppe the sacramente. Peraduenture he maye alleage me certayne new felowes for hys purpose, as Dunce, Dorbell, Durande, and suche draffe, whiche by their doctryne haue deceyued the worlde wyth dampnable Idolatrye. But I speake of the olde holye Fathers ād doctours, S. Austen, Ambrose, Hierome, Cypriane, Cirille, Chrisostome, Fulgentius, and suche other: These I saye, do not teache men to worshyppe it, and by that I dare abyde. Of thys poynte I am so sure, that I 73wyll vse it for a contrarye argument, that hys naturall bodye is not there presente. For yf the holye Fathers before named had taken thys texte after the letter and not onelye spyrytuallye, thē in their workes they wolde haue taught men to worshyppe it, but they neuer taught mē to worshyppe thys sacrament, therfore it foloweth they toke not the texte after the letter, but onelye spyrytuallye. Now do I prouoke you to seake a proue of your purpose. Neuer the lesse I wyll not denye, but that these holye Doctours in dyuerse places, do call it hys bodye, as Christe and Paule do, and so do we lykewyse: and saye also that this verye bodye is there eatē. But yet we meane, that it is eaten with fayth (that is to saye by beleuynge that hys bodye was broken for vs) ād haue his bodye more in memorye at thys maundye thē the meate that we there eate. |Note.| And therfore it hathe the name of hys bodye: because the name it selfe shulde put vs in remēbraunce of hys bodye. And that hys bodye is there chefelye eaten, euen more (through fayth) then the meate wyth the mouth. And so are they also to be vnderstonde.

|More.| ❧ Yet one greate pleasure he doth vs, in that he putteth vs all at lyberte, that we maye with out parell of dampnacyon beleue as we ded before: that is to wete, that in the blessed sacramēt the whole substaunce of the breade ād the wyne is transmuted ād chaunged in to the verye bodye and bloode of Christe. For yf we maye wythout parell of dampnacyon beleue thus, as hym selfe graunteth that we maye, then graunteth he that we maye also without parell of dampnacyō beleue that he hym selfe lyeth, where he sayeth, the trouth of that beleue is impossyble.

|Fryth.| ¶ The beleuynge of thys poynte, is of it selfe not dampnable, as it is not dāpnable to thynke that Christe is a very stone or a vyne, because the litterall sence so sayeth: or yf you beleue that you ought to preache to fyshes and go Christen them another whyle, as ye do belles. And I insure you, if there were no worse myschefe that ensued of thys beleue, then it is in itselfe, I wolde neuer haue spoken agaynste it. But now there foloweth vpon it dampnable Idolatrye. For through the beleue that thys bodye is there, men fall downe and worshyppe yt. And thynkynge to please God, do dampnable synne agaynste hym. Thys I saye, is the cause that I so earnestlye wryte agaynste it, to avoyde the Idolatrye that is cōmytted through it. Parte of the germanes do thynke that hys naturall bodye is present in the sacramēt, ād take the wordes fleshelye, as Martyn taught them. But none of them worshyppe 74it, for that Martyn forbyddeth both in hys wordes ād workes, and so (blessed be God) they auoyde that Ieoperdye, which thynge yf you wyll also graunte, and publyshe but this one proposycyon, that it ought not to be worshypped, I promyse you I wyll neuer wryte agaynste it. For then is the Ieoperdye taken awaye, and then I am contēt that your mastershyppe thynke I lye. But in the meane season I muste thynke that ye fulfyll the worlde with dāpnable Idolatrye. And thus haue you also answere vnto the conclusyon, which you alleage out of the kynges graces boke. For I saye in your waye is no hurte, as longe as you do but onelye beleue the bare wordes of the texte, as S. Fraunces ded, when he preached to fyshes. But yf through the occasyon of those wordes, ye fall in to the worshyppynge of it, then I saye that in your waye is vndoubted dampnacyon. And so is there greate Ieoperdye in your waye, and none at all in ours. For though he were there in dede, yet do not we synne yf we worshyppe it not. For we are not commaunded to worshyppe the sacrament. But yf he be not there, then do you dampnable Idolatrye.

¶ The consecracyon of the Sacrament.

|More.| Now as for a nother quyetnes of euery mans conscyencethys yonge man byddeth euerye man be bolde, whether the blessed sacramēt be consecrate or vnconsecrate (for though he moste specyallye speaketh of the wyne, yet he speaketh it of both) and byddeth not care, but to take it for all that vnblessed as it is, because the Preste (he sayeth) can not deceyue vs nor take from vs the profyte of Christes instytucyon, whether he alter the wordes or leaue them all vnsayde. Is not thys a wonderfull doctryne of thys yonge man. We knowe well all, that the Preste can not hurte vs by hys oversyght or malyce, yf there be no faulte vpō our owne partye, for that perfectyon that lacketh vpon the Prestes parte, the great mercye of God as we truste of hys owne goodnes supplyeth it. And therfore as holye Chrisostome sayeth, no man can take harme but of hymselfe. But now yf we see the thynge dysordered our owne selfe, by 75the Preste, and Christes instytucyon broken, yf we than wetynglye receyue it vnblessed and vnconsecrated, and care not whether Christes instytucyon be kepte and observed or no, but reaken it is as good wythout it as with it, then make we our selfes partakers of the faulte and lose the profyte of the sacrament, and receyue it with dampnacyon: not for the Prestes faulte, but for our owne.

|Fryth.| ¶ I had thought that no Turke wolde haue wrested a mannes wordes so vnfaythfullye. For he leaueth out all the pythe of my matter, for my wordes are these. I wyll shewe you a meanes how ye shall euer receyue it accordynge to Christes instytucyon, although the Prest wolde withdrawe it from you. Fyrste ye neade to haue no respecte vnto the Prestes wordes whiche mynystreth it. For yf ye remember for what entent Christe ded instytute thys sacramente, and knowe that it was to put vs in remembraunce of hys bodye breakynge and bloode sheadynge, that we myght geue hym thankes for it, and be as sure of it through fayth accordynge to his promyses, as we are sure of the breade by eatynge of it: yf as I saye, ye remember thys thynge (for whiche intēte onelye the Preste speaketh those wordes) then yf the Prest leaue out those wordes or parte therof, he can not hurte you. For you haue already the effecte and fynall purpose for the whiche he shulde speake them. And agayne yf he shulde whollye altre thē, yet he can not deceyue you. For then ye be sure that he is a lyer, and though you se the Preste brynge you the wyne vnconsecrated, yet neuer stycke at that. For as surelye shall it certyfye your conscyence and outwarde sences though he consecrate it not (so thou consecrate it thy selfe: that is to saye, so thou knowe what is ment therbye and geue hym thankes) as though he made a thousande blessynges ouer it. And so I saye that it is euer consecrated in hys harte that beleueth, though the Preste consecrate it not. And contrarye wyse yf they consecrate it neuer so moche, and thy consecracyon be not bye, it helpeth the not a ryshe. For excepte thou knowe what is ment therby, and beleue, geuynge thākes for hys bodye breakynge and blood sheadynge, it can not profytte them.

|More.| ❧ Nowe where you saye, that yf we see the thynge dysordered by the Preste, & Christes instytucyon broken, and wetynglye receyue it, we make our selfes partakers of the cryme.

|Fryth.| ¶ I answere that yf the reformacyon therof laye in our handes, then sayde you trouth, but syth thys is wryten to pryuate parsones whiche maye not reforme this matter, and that the reformacyon therof 76resteth onelye in the hande of your Prynce and Parlyamente (for the erroure consysteth not in the mysorderynge of the matter by one Preste onely, but rather of the doctryne of them all, sauynge suche as God hath lyghtened) to these pryuate persons I saye that your doctryne shulde soner be the occasyon of an insurreccyon (whiche we laboure to eschewe) then anye quyetynge of them by Christes doctryne. And therfore syth there is an other waye to the woode, sauynge all vpryght, we wyll auoyde that parellous pathe. But when ye see Christes instytucyon broken and the one kynde lefte out vnto the laye people, why are ye partaker therof?

|More.| ❧ How be it as for hys beleue that taketh it no better but for bare breade and wyne it maketh hym lytell matter consecrated or not, sauynge that the better it is consecrated the more it is ever noyous to hym that receyueth it, hauynge hys conscyence combred with suche an execrable heresy, by which well apeareth that he putteth no dyfferēce betwene the bodye of our lorde in the blessed sacramēt and the comō breade that he eateth at his dyner. But rather he esteameth it lesse. For the one yet I thynke or he begynne, yf he lacke a Prest, he wyll blesse it hym selfe, as for the other he careth not, whether it be blessed or not.

|Fryth.| ¶ What I reaken it more then breade and wyne I wyll shewe you herafter in declarynge the mynde of S. Paule vpon thys sacrament, and that in the conclusyō of thys boke. And in the meane season I wyll saye no more but that he belyeth me. And as for their blessynges and consecracyon profyte not me, excepte I consecrate it my selfe with fayth in Christes bloode, and wyth geuynge hym prayse and thankes for hys inestymable goodnes, whiche whē I was hys enemye recōcyled me vnto hys Father by hys owne death. This consecracyon muste I sette by, yf I wyl haue anye profyte of hys death which the sacrament representeth vnto me. And yf I my selfe do thus consecrate it, then shall I be sure of the frute of hys death. And I saye agayne, that as the Prestes do now vse to consecrate it, it helpeth not the poore comons of a ryshe. For their consecracyon shulde stonde in preachynge vnto them the deathe of Christe whyche hath delyuered them out of the Egypte of synne, and from the fyerye fornace of Pharao the devell.

And as for their waggynge of their fyngers over it, and sayenge syxe or seauē wordes in Latyn, helpeth them nothynge at all. For how can they beleue by the meanes of hys wordes, when they knowe not what he sayeth? And as towchynge the daylye and commō breade that 77I eate at my dynner, whether I haue a Preste or not, I blesse it with my harte (ād not with my fyngers) and hartely geue God thankes for it. For yf I haue an hundreth Prestes to blesse it, yet am not I excused therbye. For excepte I blesse yt my selfe, yt profyteth me no more then yf it were vnblessed. And I blesse yt my selfe, thā I care not what the Preste prate. For as longe as I vnderstonde hym not, yt profyteth me nothyng. But in good fayth I wene the Byshoppes and their proctoure wote not what a blessynge meaneth. Therfore deare bretherne harken to me. To blesse God, is to geue hym prayse ād thankes for hys benefyttes: |To blesse.| To blesse a Kynge or a Prynce, is to thanke hym for hys kyndenes, and to praye to God for hym, that he maye longe reygne to the laude of God and wealth of hys commons. To blesse a mās neyghboure, is to praye for hym and to do hym good. To blesse my breade or meate, is to geue God thankes for it. To blesse my selfe, is to geue God thākes for the greate benefyttes that I haue receyued of hym, and to praye God that of hys infynyte goodes he wyll increase those gyftes that he hath geuen me, and fynyshe hys worke which he hath begonne in me, vnto hys laude and prayse. And as towchynge thys fleshe, to fulfyll hys wyll in it, and not to spare yt, but scourge cutte ād burne it, onelye that it maye be to hys honoure & glorye. Thys is the forme of blessynge, and not to wagge two fyngers ouer them. But alacke, of this blessynge our Byshoppes be ignoraunte.

|More.| ❧ But as for those that are good & faythfull folke, and haue any grace or any sparcle of reason in their heades, wyll (I verely thynke) neuer be so farre overseane, as in thys artycle (the trouthe wherof God hath hym selfe testyfyed by as many opē myracles as euer he testyfyed any one) to beleue thys yonge man vpon hys baren reasons agaynste the faythe ād reasō both of all olde holy wryters ād all good Christen people thys xv.C. yeares.

|Fryth.| ¶ As for the myracles, I mervell not at them, neyther may they make me the sooner to beleue it. For Christe tolde vs before |Mat. 24.| that suche delusyons shulde come, that yf it were possyble, the very electe shulde be deceyued by them. |2. Tes, 2.| And S. Paule exorteth vs to be ware of such sygnes ād wōders. And therfore I do as Moses teacheth me |Deu. 13.| when I here of suche a wonder, then strayght I loke vpon the doctryne that is annexed wyth it. Yf it teache me to referre all the honoure to God and not to creatures, and teache me nothynge but that wyll stonde with Goddes worde, then wyll I saye, that it is of God. But 78yf it teache me suche thynges as wyll not stonde with hys worde, then wyll I determyne that it is done by the deuell, to delude the people with dampnable Idolatrye. When Paule and Barnabas preached at Lystra |Acte. 24.| and had done a myracle amonge them, the people ranne and wolde haue done sacryfyce vnto them. But the Apostles ranne amonge them and tare their clothes, cryenge vnto them, syrs what do you? We are euen corruptyble men as ye are, and preache vnto you, that you shulde leaue thys vayne superstycyon, ād worshyppe the leuynge God, which made heauē, earth, the see, and all that is in thē et c. Here the Apostles refused suche honour & worshyppe. And therfore I am sure they wolde not suffer their Images to haue it. Now when I see a myracle done at any Image, and perceyue that it bryngeth mē to the worshyppynge of it selfe, cōtrarye to the facte and doctryne of the Apostles, whiche wolde not receyue it them selues, I must neades conclude, that it is but a delusyon done by the deuell to deceyue vs, ād to brynge the wrath of God vpon vs. Euē so I saye of the sacramēt, syth the myracles that are don by it, do make mē thynke otherwyse thē scripture wyll, ād cause mē to worshyppe it: I doubte not but they are done by the deuell, to delude the peple. Thou wylt perauēture say, that god wyll hym to abuse the sacrament of hys bodye and bloode. Yes verelye, god wyll suffer yt, and doth suffer yt, to see whether we wyll be faythfull and abyde by hys worde or not. And mervell not therof, |Matt. 4.| for God suffered hym to take vppe the verye naturall bodye of his sonne Christ and set hym vpon a pynnacle of the temple. And after he toke hym vppe agayne, and ledde hym to ā exceadynge moūtayne. And therfore thynke not but that he hath more power over the sacramēt thē he had ouer christes owne bodye. And therfore when they tell me, lo here is Christ: lo there is Christ (as Christ prophecyed) lo, he is at thys aultre, lo, he is at that, I wyll not beleue them.

Neuerthelesse yf I shulde graunte that all the myracles whiche were done and ascrybed vnto the sacramente, were very true myracles and done of God hym selfe (as I doubt not but some of thē be true) yet there vpon yt doth not folowe that the Sacrament shulde be the verye naturall bodye of Christe. For we haue evydent storyes that certayne persones haue bene delyvered from bodelye dyseases through the sacrament of Baptyme. And yet the water is not the holye Gost nor the very thynge yt selfe wherof it is a sacramente. |Actes. 5.| The shadowe of Peter healed many. And yet was not that shadowe 79Peters owne parson. |Actu. 19.| We reade also that napkyns and hande kerchers were caryed from Paule vnto them that were sycke and possessed with vncleane spiretes and they receyued their health. And yet it were neuerthelesse madnes, to thynke that Paules bodye had bene actuallye or naturallye in those thynges. And therfore thys is but a verye weake reason, to Iudge by the myracles the presence of Christes bodye. And surelye you myght be ashamed to make so slender reasons. For God maye worke myracles through manye thynges which are not hys naturall bodye. And as towchynge the olde doctoures whome you fayne to make wyth you, & the trouth of your opynyon which you saye hath bene beleued of all good Christen people this xv. C. yeares, is suffycyently declared before, and proued to be but a poynte of your olde poetrye.

¶ Doctoure Barnes ded gracyouslye escape Master Mores handes.

|More.| And also Fryre Barnes, albeit that as ye wote well he is in many other thynges a brother of thys yonge mās secte: yet in this heresye he sore abhorreth hys heresye, or els he lyeth hym selfe. For at hys laste beynge here he wrote a letter to me. Wherin he wryteth that I laye that heresye wrōgfullye to hys charge. And sheweth hym selfe so sore greved therwith that he sayeth, he wyll in my reproche make a boke a gaynst me. Wherin he wyll professe and proteste hys faythe concernynge this blessed sacramente. But in the meane season it well contenteth me, that fryre Barnes beynge a man of more age, and more rype dyscrecyon, and a doctoure of dyuynyte, and in those thynges better learned then thys yonge man is, abhorreth thys yōge mannes heresye in thys poynte, as well as he lyketh hym in many other.

|Fryth.| ¶ The more your mastershyppe prayseth Doctoure Barnes, the worse men maye lyke your matter. For in many poyntes he doth condempne your dampnable doctryne, as in hys boke appeareth. And therfore yf suche credence must be geuē to hym, then moche the lesse wyll be geuen to you. But peraduenture you wyll 80saye, that he is to be beleued in this poynte, although he erre in other. Wherevnto I answere, that yf you wyll consent vnto hym, I wolde be well apayed and wyll promyse you to wryte no more in that matter. For in this we both agre, that it ought not to be worshypped, yea and (blessed be God) all the other whome you call heretyckes. And so both of vs do avoyde the Idolatrye which you with so greate daunger do daylye cōmytte. And therfor yf you folowe hys learnynge, then am I content that you dyssent from me. For lette it not be worshypped, ād thynke as yow wyll, for then is the parell paste. And syth we agre in thys poynte, doubte not but we shall soone agre in the resydue, ād admytte eche other for faythfull brothers. And where your mastershyppe sayeth, that he wrote you a letter protestynge that you laye that heresye wrongfully to hys charge, I thynke it was more wysdome for hym twyse to haue wryten to you, then ones to haue come hym selfe ād tell you of it. For it was playnelye tolde hym, that you had conspyred hys death, ād that notwithstondynge hys saue conduyte, you were mynded to haue murthered hym. And for that cause he was compelled both beynge here, to kepe hym selfe secretelye, and also preuylye to departe the realme.

¶ And blessed be God you haue suffycyentlye publyshed your purpose in your answere agaynste Wyllyan Tyndall, where you saye, that you myght laufullye haue burnte hym. Here men maye see how percyallye you are addycte to our prelates. And how prone ye were to fulfyll their pleasures contrarye to our Prynces prerogatyue royall. And thākes be to God which gaue you suche grace in the syght of our soveraygne, that he shortelye withdrewe your power. For els it is to be feared that you wolde further haue proceded agaynste hys graces prerogatyue, which thynge whether yt be treason or not, let other men defyne. But thys I dare saye, that it is prynted and publyshed to our Prynces greate dyshonoure. For what learned man maye in tyme to come truste to hys graces saue conduyte or come at hys graces instaunce or requeste, syth not onelye the spirytualte (which of their professyon resyste hys prerogatiue) but also a laye man promoted to suche preemynence by hys graces goodnes, dare presume so to depresse hys prerogatyue and not onelye to saye, but also to publyshe it in prente: that notwithstondynge hys graces saue conduyte, they myght laufullye haue burnte hym.

But here he wolde saye vnto me as he dothe in hys boke, that he had forfayted 81hys salue conduyte, ād therbye was fallē in to hys enemyes handes. Where vnto I answere, that thys your sayenge is but a vayne glose. For I my selfe ded reade the salue conduyte that came vnto him, which had but onelye thys one condycyon annexed vnto it, that if he came before the feaste of Christmas then nexte ensuynge, he shulde haue free lyberte to departe at hys pleasure. And thys condycyon I knowe was fulfylled. How shulde he than forfayte hys salue cōduyte? But master More hath learned of hys masters our Prelates (whose proctoure he is) to depresse our Prynces prerogatyue, that mē ought not to keape any promyse with heretyckes. And so hys salue cōduyte coulde not saue hym. As though the Kynges grace myght not admytte any man to go and come frelye into hys graces realme, but that he muste haue leaue of our prelates. For els they myght laye heresye agaynst the parson, and so sleye hym cōtrarye to the Kynges salue cōduyte, which thynge all wyse men do knowe to be preiudycyall to hys graces prerogatyue royall. And yet I am sure that of all the tyme of hys beynge here, you can not accuse hym of one cryme, albeit (vnto your shame) you saye that he had forfayted hys salue conduyte. These wordes had be verye extreame and worthy to haue bene loked vpon, although they had bene wryten by some presumptuous Prelate. But that a laye man so hyghlye promoted by hys Prynce, shulde speake them and also cause them openlye to be publyshed amonge hys graces comons, to deyecte the estymacyon of hys royall power, doth in my mynde, deserue correccyon. Notwithstondynge I leaue the iudgement and determynacyon, vnto the dyscrecyō of hys graces honourable counsell.

|More.| ❧ And as for that holy prayer that this devoute yōge man (as a newe Christe teacheth all hys congregacyon to make at the receyuynge of thys blessed sacrament) I wyll not geue the parynge of a peare, though it were moche better thē it is, pullynge away the true fayth (as he doth) frō the Sacrament. Howbeit hys prayer there is so devysed, penned, and paynted with laysure and studye, that I truste euery good Christen woman maketh a moche better prayer, at the tyme of her howsell, by faythfull affectyō & by Gods good inspyracyō sodēlye. Fryth is an vnmete master to teache vs what we shulde praye at the receyuynge of the blessed sacrament, whē he wyll not knowlege it as it is, but take Christes blessed body for no thynge but bare breade, & so lytle esteame the receyuyng of the blessed sacramēt, that he forsyth lytle whether it be blessed or not.

82|Fryth.| ¶ Where he dyscommendeth my prayer & sayeth, that I am an vnmete master to teache men to praye, seynge I take away the true fayth from it, and sayeth that euery woman can make a better when she receyueth the sacramente, I wolde to God that euery woman were so well learned that they coulde teache vs both. And surely I intended not to prescrybe to all men that prayer onely, but hoped to healpe the ygnoraunt, that they myght eyther speake those wordes, or els (takynge occasyon of them) to saye some other, to the laude and prayse of God. And as for your fayth (which you call the true fayth) must I neades improue. For it wyll not stōde with the true texte of scrypture, as it playnelye appeareth. But to the fayth in Christes bloode I exhorte all men, and teach them to eate hys bodye with fayth (& not with teeth) which is by hauynge hys death in cōtynuall remembraunce, and digestynge it in to the bowels of the soule. And because you so sore improue my prayer, to cōclude my answere agaynst you, I wyll rehearse yt agayne. And lette all mē Iudge betwene vs. Blessed be thou most deare and mercyfull Father, which of thy tender fauoure & benygnyte, notwithstōdynge our greuous enormytees cōmytted agaynste thee, vouchsauedst to sēde thyne owne deare sone, to suffre moste vyle death for our redempcyon.

Blessed be thou Chryst Iesu our Lorde & sauyour, which of thyne haboundāt pytye consyderynge our myserable estate, wyllyngly tokest vpon the to haue thy moste innocent bodye broken & bloode shedde to pourge vs and washe vs which are loadē with inyquyte. And to certyfye vs therof, hast lefte vs not onely thy worde which maye enstructe our hartes; But also a vysyble token to certyfye euen our outwarde sences of this greate benefytte, that we shulde not doubte, but that the bodye and frute of thy passyon are ours (through fayth) as surelye as the breade, which by our sentes we knowe that we haue within vs. Blessed be also that spiryte of veryte which is sente from God our father through our sauyour Christ Iesu, to lyghten our darcke ignoraunce, and leade vs through fayth in to the knoweleage of hym which is all veryte. Strength we beseche the our frayle nature, and encreace our faythe: that we maye prayse God our moste mercyfull Father, and Christe hys sonne our Sauyoure and redeamer. AMEN.

A comparyson betwene the Paschall Lambe, & our Sacrament.

83

Now we shall shortely expresse the pyth of our matter and borowe the fygure of the paschall Lambe, which is in all poyntes lyke vnto it. That the offerynge of the Paschall Lambe ded sygnyfye the offerynge of Christes bodye, is playne by Paule which sayeth, |1. Cor. 5.| Christe our Paschall Lambe is offered vp for vs. When the chylderne of Israell were very sadde and heauy for their sore oppressyon vnder the power of Pharao (for the more myracles were shewed, the worse were they handeled) God sente vnto them by Moyses, that euerye housholde shulde kyll a Lambe to be a sacryfyce vnto GOD, and that they shulde eate hym with their staues in their handes, theyr loynes gyrded, and showes vpon their feete: euen as men that were goynge an hastye Iorneye. This Lambe muste they eate hastelye and make a merye maundye. Now because they shulde not saye, that they coulde not be merye for their oppressyon, and what coulde the lābe helpe them: he added gladde tydynges vnto it and sayde, This is the passynge bye of the Lorde. Whiche thys nyght shall passe by you and slee all the fyrste begotten within the Londe of Egypte, and shall delyuer you out of your bondage, & brynge you in to the Londe that he hath promysed vnto your fathers. Marke the processe and conveyaunce of thys matter, for euen lykewyse it is in our sacrament. The apostles were sadde & heauye, partelye consyderynge the bondage of synne wherwith they were oppressed, & partelye because he tolde them that he muste departe frō thē, |Ioan. 16.| in whō they ded put all their hope of their delyueraunce. Whyles they were in thys heauynes, Christ thought to conforte them ād to geue them the seale of theyr delyueraunce, and toke in hys hande breade, blessed and brake it, and gaue it to hys dyscyples sayēge: This is my bodye which shalbe geuē for you. For this nyght shall the power of Pharao the deuell be dystroyed, and to morowe shall you be delyuered from the Egypte of synne, and shall take your Iourneye towardes that heauenlye mansyon which is prepared of God for all that loue hym. Now compare them together.

|1.| The Paschall Lambe was instytute ād eaten the nyght before the chylderne of Israell were in dede delyuered frō Egypte. 84Lykewyse was the sacramēt instytute ād eaten the nyght before we were delyuered from our synnes.

|2.| The Paschall Lābe was a verye Lābe in dede. And so is the sacrament very breade in dede.

|3.| The Paschall Lābe was called the passynge bye of the Lorde which dystroyed the power of Pharao ād delyuered them. The sacrament is called the bodye of the Lorde which dystroyed the power of the deuell and delyuered vs.

|4.| As many as ded eate the Paschall Lābe in fayth, were very merye and gaue God greate thankes. For they were sure the nexte day to be delyuered out of Egypte. Lykewyse as many as ded eate thys sacramēte in fayth, were merye and gaue God greate thankes, for they were sure the nexte daye to be delyuered from their synne.

|5.| They that ded not eate the Paschall Lambe in fayth, coulde not be merye. For they were not sure of delyueraunce from the powre of Pharao. They that ded not eate thys Sacramente in fayth, coulde not be mery: For they were not sure of delyueraunce from the power of the deuell.

|6.| They that beleued the worde of the Lord ded more eate the passyng bye of the Lorde which shulde delyuer thē, thē they ded the Lambe. They that dede beleue the worde of the Lorde ded more eate the bodye of the Lorde which shulde be geuen for their delyueraunce, then they ded the breade. For that thynge doth a man moste eate that he moste hath in memorye & moste revolueth in mynde: as appeareth by Christe Ioā. 4. I haue meate to eate that ye knowe not.

|7.| They that beleued not the nexte daye to be delyuered from Egypte, ded not eate the passynge bye of the Lord, although they eate the Lambe. They that beleued not the nexte daye to be delyuered from synne, ded not eate the bodye of the Lorde, although they eate the breade.

|8.| The chylderne of Israell were but ones delyuered from Egypte, notwithstōdynge they ded euery yeare eate the Lambe, to keape that facte in perpetuall remēbraunce: Euen so Christ bought ād redeamed vs but ones for all, and was offered ād sacryfyced but ones for all, though the sacramēt therof be daylye brokē amonge vs, to keape the benefytte in contynuall memorye.

|9.| As manye as ded eate the Paschall Lābe in faythe and beleued Godes worde as towchynge theyr delyueraunce from Egypte, were as sure of their delyueraunce through faythe, as they were sure of the Lābe by eatynge it. As many as do eate 85this sacrament in fayth and beleue Goddes worde as towchynge their delyueraunce from synne, are as sure of their delyueraunce through fayth, as they are sure of the breade by eatynge it.

|10.| As many as ded eate of that Paschall Lambe ded magnyfye their God, testyfyenge that he onely was the God almyghtye, ād they hys people styckynge to hym, to be delyuered by hys power from all daunger. As manye as do eate of thys sacrament do magnyfye their God, testyfyinge that he onelye is the God almyghtye, and they hys people styckynge by hym to be delyuered by hys power frō all daunger.

|11.| When the Israelytes were delyuered from Egypte, they eate neuerthelesse the Paschal Lambe whiche was styll called the passynge bye (because it was the remēbraunce of the passynge bye of the Lorde) and hartelye reioysed, offerynge hym sacryfyce and knowelegynge with infynite thankes, that they were the felowshyppe of them that had suche a mercyfull God. Now Christes electe are delyuered from synne, they eate neuerthelesse the sacramēt which is styll called hys bodye that ones dyed for their delyueraunce, and hartelye reioyse, offerynge to hym the sacryfyce of prayse and knoweledge with infynite thākes, that they are of the felowshyppe of them that haue suche a mercyfull God.

|12.| The Paschall Lambe (after their delyueraunce beynge yearlye eaten) brought as moche myrthe and Ioye vnto them that ded eate it in fayth, as it ded to their fathers which felte Pharaoes furye, & were not yet delyuered. For they knewe ryght well that excepte God of hys mercye and wōderfull power had so delyuered them, they shulde also them selfes haue bene bounde in the Londe of Egypte, and vnder that wycked Prynce Pharao, of whiche bōdage they greatelye reioysed to be rydde alreadye, and thanked God hyghly because they founde them selfes in that plentuouse Londe whiche God prouyded for them. The sacramēt which after our delyueraunce is yearlye and daylye eatē, bryngeth as moche myrth and Ioye vnto vs that eate it in fayth, as it ded to the Apostles which were not yet delyuered. For we knowe ryght well that excepte God of hys mercye and through the bloode of his sonne had so delyuered vs, we shulde also our selfes haue bene bounde in the Egypte of synne vnder that wycked Prynce the deuell, of which bondage we greatelye reioyse to be rydde alredye, and thanke God hyghlye because we fynde our selues in the state of grace, and haue receyued throughe fayth the fyrste frutes and taste of the spyryte, which testyfyeth vnto vs that 86we are the chylderne of God.

This maundye of remembraunce was it that Paule receyued of the Lorde and delyuered to the Corynthyans in the .xi. chaptre. For though he borowe one propertye and symylytude of the sacramente in the .x. chapter, which in my mynde maketh neyther with vs nor agaynste vs, albeit some thynke that it maketh whole for the exposycyon of Christes wordes, |1. Cor. 10.| thys is my bodye. But in my mynde they are deceyued. For the occasyon whye Paule spake of it in the tenthe chapter, was thys.

The Corynthyans had knoweleage that all meates were indyfferent, and whether it were offered to an Idoll or not, that the meate was not the worse, ād that they myght laufullye eate of it, whether it were solde them in the shambles or sette before them when they dyned or souped in an vnfaythfull mannes house, askynge no questyons: excepte some man ded tell thē that it was offerred to an Idoll, and then they shulde not eate of it for offendynge hys conscyence that so tolde them (albeyt they were els free and the thynge indyfferente) thys knoweledge because it was not annexed wyth charyte, was the occasyon of greate offendynge.

For by reason therof they sate downe amonge the Gentyles at their Feastes, where they ded eate in the honoure of their Idolles, and so ded not onelye wounde the conscyēce of their weake bretherne, but also cōmytted Idolatrye in dede. And therfore S. Paule sayde vnto them. My deare beloued flee from worshyppynge of Idolles. I speake vnto them whiche haue dyscrecyon. Iudge ye what I saye. Is not the cuppe of blessynge which we blesse the felowshyppe of the bloode of Christe? Is not the breade which we breake the felowshyppe of the bodye of Christe? For we though we be manye are yet one breade and one bodye, in as moche as we are partakers of one breade. Christ ded call hym selfe bread ād the breade hys bodye. And there Paule calleth vs breade and the breade our bodye. Now maye you not take Paule that he in this place shulde dyrectelye expounde Christes mynde. And that the verye exposycyō of Christes wordes, whē he sayde, thys is my bodye, shulde be that it was the felowshyppe of his bodye, as some saye, whiche seakynge the keye in thys place of Paule, locke them selfes so faste in, that they can fynde no waye out. For Christe spake those wordes of hys owne bodye which shulde be geuē for vs, but the felowshyppe of Christes bodye (or congregacyon) was not geuen for vs. And so he mente not as Paule here sayeth, but mēte hys owne bodye. For as Paule 87calleth the breade our bodye for a certayne propertye, euen so doth Christe call it hys bodye for certayne other propertyes. In that the breade was brokē, it was Christes owne bodye, sygnyfyēge that as that breade was broken, so shulde hys bodye be brokē for vs. In that it was dystrybuted vnto hys dyscyples, it was hys owne bodye, sygnyfyēge that as verelye as that breade was destrybuted vnto them, so verelye shulde the death of hys bodye, and frute of hys passyon be dystrybuted to all faythfull folke. In that the breade strengtheneth our bodyes, it is hys owne bodye, sygnyfyenge that as our bodyes are strengthened and conforted by breade, so are our soules by the fayth in hys bodye brekynge. And lykewyse of the wyne in that it was so dystrybuted, conforteth vs and maketh vs merye. Furthermore, the breade and wyne haue a nother propertye, for the whiche it is called our bodye. For in that the breade is made one breade of manye graynes or cornes, it is our bodye, sygnyfyenge that we though we be manye, are made one breade, that is to saye: one bodye. And in that the wyne is made one wyne of manye grapes, it is our bodye, sygnyfyenge that though we are manye yet in Christe & through Christe we are made one bodye and membres to eche other. But in thys thynge Paule and Christe agre. For as Paule calleth the breade our bodye and vs the breade, because of thys propertye that it is made one of manye: euen so doth Christe call it hys bodye, because of the propertyes before rehearsed. Furthermore in thys they agre, that as Paules wordes muste be taken spyrytuallye, for I thynke there is no man so madde, as to Iudge that the breade is our bodye in dede although in that propertye it representeth our bodye: Euen so muste Christes wordes be vnderstonde spyrytuallye, that in those propertyes it representeth hys verye bodye. Now when we come together to receyue thys breade, then by the receyuynge of it in the congregacyon, we do openlye testyfye that we all whiche receyue it, are one bodye, professynge one God, one Fayth, & one Baptyme, and that the bodye of Christe was brokē and hys bloode shedde for remyssyon of our synnes. Now syth we so do, we maye not acompanye nor sytte in the congregacyon or felowshyppe of thē that offer vnto Idolles and eate before them. For as Paule sayeth, ye cā not drynke the cuppe of the Lorde and the cuppe of the deuels: ye can not be partakers of the table of the Lorde and of the table of the deuelles. I wolde not that you shulde haue felowshyppe with deuelles. The heythen which offerred vnto Idolles were the felowshyppe of 88deuelles, not because they eate the deuelles bodye or drāke the deuelles bloode, but because they beleued and put their confydence in the Idoll or devyll as in their God, and all that were of that fayth had their ceremonyes, and gaue hartye thankes to their God with that feaste which they kepte. They came to one place and brought their meate before the Idoll and offered it. And with their offerynge gaue vnto the devyll Godlye honoure. And then they sate downe and eate the offerynge together, geuynge prayse and thākes vnto their God, and were one bodye and one felowshyppe of the devell, which they testyfy by eatynge of that offerynge before that Idoll. Now dothe S. Paule reprehende the Corinthyans for bearynge the gentyles companye in eatynge before the Idoll. For they knowe that the meate was lyke other meate. And therfore thought them selues fre to eate it or leue it. But they perceyued not that that congregacyō was the felowshyppe of develles whiche were there gathered (not for the meate sake) but for to thanke, and prayse the Idoll their God in whome they had their confydence.

And all that there assembled and ded there eate, and ded openlye testyfye, that they all were one bodye, professynge one fayth in their GOD that Idoll: So S. Paule ded sharpelye rebuke them, for because that by their eatynge (in that place and felowshyppe) they testyfyed openlye, that they were of the develes bodye, and reioysed in the Idoll their God, in whome they had fayth and confydence. And therfor sayeth Paule, that they cā not both drynke the cuppe of the Lorde, testyfyenge hym to be their God in whome onelye they haue truste and affyaunce, ād the cuppe of the devell, testyfyenge the Idoll to be their God and refuge.

Here you maye note that the meate and the eatynge of it in thys place and felowshyppe, is more then the common meate ād eatynge in other places. For els they myght lawfullye haue dronken the deuelles cuppe with them the one daye, and the cuppe of the Lorde the nexte daye with his dyscyples. What was it more? Merelye it was meate, whiche by the eatynge of it in that place and felowshyppe, ded testyfye openlye vnto all men, that he was their God whose cuppe they dranke, and before whome they eate in that felowshyppe; and so in their eatynge they praysed and honoured the Idoll. And therfore they that had their truste in the leuynge God and in the bloode of hys sonne Christ, myght not eate with them. And lykewyse it is in the sacrament, the breade and the eatynge of it in the place and felowshyppe where it is receyued, is more then commō breade. 89What is it more? Verelye it is breade which by the eatynge of it in that place & felowshyppe, doth testyfye openlye vnto all men, that he is our verye God whose cuppe we drynke, and before whome we eate in that felowshyppe, and that we put all our affyaunce in hym and in the bloode of hys sonne Christe Iesu, geuynge God all honoure ād infynyte thankes for hys greate loue wherwith he loued vs, as it is testyfyed in the bloode of hys sonne, which was shedde for our synnes. So that in this place and felowshyppe maye no man eate nor drynke with vs, but he that is of our fayth and knowleageth the same God that we do. As by example, If a mā were well beloued amonge hys neyghboures (albeyt he haue some enemyes) & were longe absent from hys fryndes in a straunge contrye: when he were come home, hys neyghboures that loued hym wolde greatelye reioyse, and peraduēture wolde bye a copon or a nother peace of meate to geue hym hys welcome home, ād gette the to some honeste mans house or to a taverne, and make good chere together, to testyfye opēlye that he is welcome home, and that they all whiche are at that banket reioyse of hys commyge home. Nowe I saye, that this banket is more then another meate, for at thys banket hys enemyes maye be loth to come, because they can not reioyse at hys comynge home, ād therfore can not make good chere amonge thē, testyfyenge that he is welcome home; but rather abhorreth the meate and drynke that is there eatē, because their harte doth not fauoure the parson for whose sake it is prepared. Notwithstondynge yf a capons legge were reserued for one of hys enemyes and afterwarde geuen hym whā the banket were done, he myght laufullye eate it. For then it were but bare meate, suche as he eateth at home. And lykewyse the enemyes of Christe which beleue not that they haue remyssyō of synnes throughe hys bloode sheadynge, can not reioyse of hys bodye breakynge. And therfore can not make good chere amonge them, but yf any be reserued after the maundye, he maye laufullye eate it, for it is but breade. And hys louers that are there present do rather come thy der to geuehym hys welcome home then for the meate, ād they more eate hys welcome home, then the meate.

But yf anye of hys enemyes fortune to be there, they eate onelye the meate, ād not hys welcome home. For they reioyse not at hys commynge home. Lykewyse the faythfull that are there present, do rather come thyther to reioyse in the fayth of hys bodye breakynge, then in breakynge or eatynge of the breade or meate. But yf anye 90of the vnfaythfull fortune to be there, they eate onelye the breade, and not hys bodye breakynge. For they reioyse not at hys bodye breakynge. Here peraduenture some wolde suppose that I were contrarye to my selfe. For before I sayde, that it was more thē meate that was eaten at the gentyles feastes, ād more thē meate that was eaten at my neyghbours welcome home, and more then breade that is eaten at the receyuynge of the sacrament of the bodye and bloode of Christe. And nowe I saye, that yf a mans enemye be there, he eateth onelye the meate and not the welcome home. And lykewyse the vnfaythfull eateth onelye breade and not the bodye and bloode of Christe. How maye these wordes stonde together? I answere, that they eate but onelye breade or meate that profyteth them, but in dede they eate more to their hynderaunce, and euen theyr owne dāpnacyon. For they that ded eate in the fellowshyppe of Gentyles, ded but onelye eate the meate to their profytte, but in eatynge their meate their facte ded opēlye testyfye, that they honoured that Idoll for their GOD (although their harte were other-wyse) wherin they comytted Idolatrye. |1. Cor. 8.| And besydes that they wounded the conscyences of their weake bretherne, and so synned agaynste God.

Besydes that, he that ēvyeth hys neyghboure and commeth to that banket, eateth but onely the meate that profyteth hym: not withstondynge in hys owne harte, he eateth the rancoure & malyce of hys mynde, to hys greate greavaunce, whē he seeth them so reioyse. And of hys owne companyons whiche are also these mannes enemyes, he doth purchace hym selfe hatred, because with hys facte he testyfyeth that he loueth hym, although hys harte be otherwyse, ād of God shalbe condempned. |1. Joā. 3.| For he that hateth hys brother, is a murtherer. Furthermore he that is vnfaythfull and commeth to the maundye, eateth but onelye the breade that profyteth hym, notwithstondynge he eateth besyde that hys owne dampnacyon, because he beleueth not that the bodye of our sauyoure which the sacrament representeth, is broken for hys synnes, and hys bloode shedde, to washe them awaye. This I am compelled to do, to stoppe the chaterynge mouthes of sophysters, albeit to them that be sober it had bene ynough to haue sayde, they eate onelye breade, and not the bodye breakynge & ce. For they ryght well vnderstonde it by the contrarye antithesis, and knowe that I ment not by that (onelye) that he shulde eate the breade and nothynge els but onelye breade: but that I ment by this worde (onelye) that he shulde eate the breade without the bodye. And so 91lykewyse in other examples. Thus haue we suffycyentlye declared Paules mynde in the .x. Chapter.

|1. Cor. 11.| In the .xi. chapter Paule maketh moche mencyon of the maundye and dyscrybeth it to the vttermoste. Fyrste (he sayeth) whē ye come together in one place, a man can not eate the Lordes souper. For euerye mā begynneth afore to eate hys owne souper, and one is houngrye and an other is drōken. Haue ye not howses to eate and drynke in? Or els dyspyce ye the congregacyō of God and shame them that haue not? What shall I saye vnto you? Shall I prayse you? In thys I prayse you not. Paule ded instructe accordynge to Christes mynde, that the Corinthyans shulde come together to eate the Lordes souper. Whiche lyeth not so moche in the carnall eatynge as in the spyrytuall: and is greately desyred to be eaten, not by the hounger of the bodye, but by the hounger of the faythfull harte. Whiche is greadye to publyshe the prayse of the Lorde and geue hym hartye thankes, and moue other to the same, that of many, prayse myght be geuen vnto our moste mercyfull Father, for the loue whiche he shewed vs in the bloode of hys owne moste deare sonne Christe Iesu. Wherwith we are washed from our synnes, ād surelye sealed vnto euerlastynge lyfe. With suche hounger ded Christe eate the Paschall Lambe, sayēge to hys dyscyples: I haue inwardelye desyred to eate this Easter Lambe with you before that I suffer. |Luc. 22.| Christes inwarde desyre was not to fyll hys belye with hys dyscyples, but he had a spyrytuall honger: bothe to prayse hys Father with thē, for their bodely delyueraunce out of the lande of Egypte: and specyallye to altre the Paschall Lambe & memorye of the carnall delyueraunce, in to a maundye of myrth and thankes geuynge for our spyrytuall delyueraunce out of the bondage of synne. In so moche that when Christe knewe that it was hys Fathers wyll and pleasure, that he shulde suffer for our synnes (wherin his honoure, glorye, & prayse, shulde be publyshed) then was it a pleasure vnto hym to declare vnto hys dyscyples that greate benefytte, vnto hys Fathers prayse and glorye: and so ded instytute that we shulde come together and breake the breade in the remembraunce of his bodye breakynge & bloode sheadynge: & that we shulde eate it together reioysynge with eche other & declaryng his bēfytes.

Now were the Corynthyās fallē from this honger, & can not together to thētent that Goddes prayse shulde be publyshed by thē in the myddes of the cōgregacyon, but can to feade their fleshe & to make carnall chere. In so moche that the ryche wolde haue meate ād drynke ynough, ād take 92suche habundance that they wolde be drōke, ād so made it their owne souper ād not the Lordes, as Paule sayeth, ād ded eate onelye the breade & meate, ād not the bodye breakynge as I sayde before, ād the poore which had not, (that is to saye that had no meate to eate) were shamed ād hōgrye, and so coulde not reioyse ād prayse the Lorde: by the reason that the delycate fare of the ryche was an occasyō for the poore to lament their pouertye, ād thus the ryche ded neyther prayse God themselfes, nor suffered the poore to do it, but were an occasyō to hynder them.

They shulde haue brought their meate and drynke ād haue deuyded it with their poore bretherne, that they myght haue bene mery together, and so to haue geuē thē occasyō to be merye and reioyse in the Lorde with thankes geuynge. But they had neyther luste to prayse God, nor to confyrte their neyghboure. Their fayth was feable, ād their charyte colde, ād had no regarde but to fyll their bodye ād feade their fleshe: And so dyspysed the poore cōgregacyō of God, whome they shulde haue honoured for the spyryte that was in thē and fauoure that God had shewed indyfferētlye vnto thē in the bloode of hys sonne Christe. When Paule perceyued that they were thus fleshlye mynded and had no mynde vnto that spyrytuall maundye whiche chefelye shulde there be aduertysed, he reproueth thē sore, rehersynge the wordes of Christe. That which I gaue vnto you I receyued of the lorde. For the lorde Iesus the same nyght in the which he was betrayed toke breade and thanked and brake it and sayde: take ye and eate ye, this is my bodye which is broken for you, this do ye in the remembraunce of me. After the same maner he toke the cuppe whē souper was done sayenge: this cuppe is the newe testament in my bloode, this do ye as ofte as ye drynke it in the remembraunce of me. For as ofte as ye shall eate thys breade and drynke thys cuppe, ye shall shewe the Lordes death, tyll he come. As though he shulde saye, ye Corynthyans are moche to blame which at this souper seake the foode of your fleshe. For it was instytute of Christe, not for the intent to nouryshe the belye, but to strenght the harte and soule in God. And by this you maye knowe that Christe so mente: For he calleth it his bodye whiche is geuen for you, so that the name it selfe myght testyfye vnto you, that in this souper you shulde more eate his bodye which is geuē for you (by digestynge that in to the bowelles of your soule) then the breade, which by the breakynge and the dystrybutynge of it, doth represent his bodye breakynge ād the dystrybutynge therof vnto all that are faythfull. 93And that he so meaneth is evydēte by the wordes folowynge, which saye, thys do in the remembraunce of me: and lykewyse of the cuppe. And fynallye concludynge of both, Paule sayeth, as often as ye shall eate thys breade and drynke thys cuppe (in thys place and felowshyppe) ye shall shewe the Lordes death vntyll he come, praysynge the Lorde for the deathe of hys sonne, and exhortynge other to do the same, reioysynge in hym with infynyte thākes. And therfore ye are to blame which seake onelye to feade the bellye with that thynge, which was onelye instytute to feade the soule. And thervpon yt foloweth.

Wherfore whosoeuer doth eate of this breade or drynke of thys cuppe vnworthelye, is gyltye of the bodye and bloode of the Lorde. He eateth thys breade vnworthelye, which regardeth not the purpose for the which Christe ded instytute it: which commeth not to it with spyrytuall honger, to eate through fayth hys verye bodye, which the breade representeth by the breakynge and dystrybutynge of yt: whiche commeth not with a merye harte geuynge God hartye thankes for their delyueraunce from synne: whiche do not moche more eate in their harte the death of hys bodye, thē they do the breade with their mouth. Now syth the Corynthyans ded onelye seake their bealy and fleshe, ād forgatte Goddes honoure and prayse (for which it was instytute, that thankes shulde be geuen by the remembraunce of hys bodye breakynge for vs) they eate it to Goddes dyshonoure and to their neyghbours hynderaunce, and to their owne cōdempnacyon, and so for lacke of fayth were gyltye of Christes bodye which (by fayth) they shulde there chefelye haue eaten to their soules health. And therfore it foloweth.

¶ Lette a man therfore examyne hym selfe, & so lette hym eate of the breade, and drynke of the cuppe.

Thys provynge or examynynge of a mans selue, is fyrste to thynke with hym selfe with what luste ād desyre he commeth vnto the maundye ād wyll eate that breade: whether he be sure that he is the chylde of God and in the fayth of Christe: and whether hys cōscyence do beare hym wytnes that Christes bodye was broken for hym: and whether the luste that he hath to prayse God ād thāke hym with a faythfull harte in the myddes of the bretherne, do dryue hym thytherwarde. Or els whether he do it for the meates sake or to keape the custome: For then were it better that he were awaye. For he that eateth or drynketh vnworthely, eateth ād drynketh hys owne 94dampnacyon, because he maketh no dyfference of the Lordes bodye. That is, as is sayde before, he that regardeth not the purpose for which it was instytute, and putteth no dyfference betwene thys eatynge and other eatynge, for other eatynge doth onelye serue the bellye, but thys eatynge was instytute and ordeyned, to serue the soule and inwarde man. And therfore he that abvseth it to the fleshe, eateth ād drynketh hys owne dampnacyon. And he commeth vnworthelye to the maundye where the sacrament of Christes bodye is eaten: yea, where the bodye of the Lorde is eatē, not carnallye with the teth and bellye, but spyrytually with the harte ād faythe. Upon thys foloweth the texte that master More alleageth and wresteth for hys purpose.

For thys cause manye are weake and sycke amonge you, and manye sleape. Yf we had trulye Iudged our selues, we shulde not haue bene Iudged. When we are Iudged of the Lorde, we are chastened because we shulde not be dampned with the worlde. Wherfore my bretherne, whē ye come together to eate, tarye one for another. Yf any man hunger, lette hym eate at home, that ye come not together vnto condempnacyon.

For thys cause (that is) for lacke of good examenynge of our selues (as is before towched) manye are weake and speke in the fayth, and manye sleape, and haue loste their fayth in Christes bloode, for lacke of remembraunce of thys bodye breakynge and bloode sheadynge: Yea and not that onelye, but manye were weake and sycke euen stryken with bodely dyseases for abvsynge the sacrament of hys bodye, eatynge the breade with their teth ād not hys bodye with their mynde, and peraduenture some slayne for it by the stroke of God, which yf they had trulye iudged and examyned them selues for what intēt they came thyther, and why it was instytuted, shulde not haue bene so Iudged ād chastened of the Lorde. For the Lorde doth chasten, to brynge vs vnto repentaunce, & to mortyfye the rebellyous membres, that we maye remember hym. Here ye maye shortely perceyue the mynde of Paule.

FINIS.

¶ An Epytome and shorte rehearsall of all thys boke, shewynge in what poyntes Fryth dyssenteth from our Prelates.

Now to be shorte, in these iij. poyntes Fryth dyssenteth from oure Prelates ād from master More, which taketh vpon hym to be their proctoure. Our Prelates beleue that in the sacrament remayneth no breade, but that it is tourned in to the naturall bodye of 95Christ both fleshe bloode & bones. Fryth sayeth, that it is none artycle of our Crede: and therfore lette them beleue yt that wyll. And he thynketh that there remayneth breade styll. And that he proueth. iii. maner of wayes. Fyrste by the scripture of Paule, |1. Cor. 10.| which calleth it breade sayenge: the breade which we breake, is it not the felowshyppe of the bodye of Christe? For we though we be manye, are yet one bodye and one breade, as manye as are partakers of one breade. And agayne he sayeth, |1. Cor. 11.| as often as ye eate of thys breade or drynke of this cuppe, you shall shewe the Lordes death vntyll he come. And Luke calleth it breade sayenge. |Actes. 2.| They contynued in the felowshyppe of the Apostles, and in the breakynge of the breade and prayer. |Mat. 26.| Also Christe called the cuppe the frute of the vyne, sayenge. |Mar. 14. Luc. 22.| I shall not frō hence forwarde drynke of the frute of the vyne vntyll I drynke that newe in the Kyngdome of my Father.

Furthermore nature doth teache you that both the breade and wyne contynue in their nature. For the breade mouldeth yf it be kepte lōge, yea and wormes breade in it. And the poore mouse wyll ronne awaye with it and eate it, which are evydence ynough that there remayneth breade. Also the wyne yf it were reserued, wolde waxe sower, as they confesse them selues. And therfore they howfell the laye people but with one kynde onelye: because the wyne can not contynue nor be reserued to haue readye at hande, when neade were. And surelye as yf there remayned no breade, it coulde not moulde nor waxe full of wormes: euē so yf there remayned no wyne, it coulde not waxe sower. And therfore it is but false doctryne that our Prelates so lōge haue taught & publyshed.

Fynallye that there remayneth breade, myght be proued by auctoryte of manye doctoures which call yt breade ād wyne, euen as Christe and hys Apostles ded. And though some sophysters wolde wreste their sayenge, and expounde thē after their owne fantasye, yet shall I alleage thē one doctoure which was Pope, that maketh so playne with vs that they shall neuer be able to avoyde hym.

|Gelasius in concilio Ro.| For Pope Gelasius wryteth on thys maner. Certe sacramenta que sumimus corporis et sanguinis Christi, diuinæ res sunt, propter quod et per eadem diuine efficimur cōsortes naturæ. Et tamen nō desinit esse substantia uel natura panis et uini, sed permanet in suæ proprietate nature. Et certe imago et similitudo corporis et sāguinis Christi in actione misteriorum celebrantur. That is to saye: surelye the sacrament of the bodye and bloode of Christe which we receyue, are a Godly thynge, and therfore through thē are we 96made partakers of the godly nature. And yet doth it not cease to be the substance or nature of breade and wyne, but they cōtynue in the properte of their owne nature. And surelye the Image and symylytude of the bodye and bloode are celebrated in the acte of the mysteryes. Thys I am sure, that no man cā avoyde it, nor so wreste it, but that all men shall soone espye hys folye, and therfore I maye conclude that there remayneth the substaunce and nature of breade and wyne.

The seconde poynte wherin Fryth dyssenteth from our Prelates and their proctoure.

The Prelates beleue that hys very fleshe is present to the teth of them that eate the Sacramēte, and that the wycked eate hys verye bodye. Fryth sayeth that it is none artycle of our Crede, and therfore he reakeneth that he is in no Ieoperdye though he beleue it not. And he thynketh that hys fleshe is not presente vnto the teth of thē that receyue the Sacramente. For hys fleshe is onelye in one place at ones. And that he proueth both by the auctoryte of Saynte Austen ad Dardanum, and also by the auctoryte of Fulgentius ad Thrasauandum libro. 20. as before appeareth in the boke. And Fryth sayeth that the wycked eate not hys verye fleshe, although they receyue the Sacramente. And that he proueth by the scrypture, doctours, and good reason, grounded vpon the scryptures.

|Ioan. 6.| The scrypture is thys, he that eateth Christes bodye hath euerlastynge lyfe, ergo then the wycked eate not hys bodye. Agayne the scrypture sayeth, he that eateth Christes fleshe ād drynketh hys bloode abydeth in Christe and Christ in him: but the wycked abyde not in Christe nor Christe in them, ergo the wycked eate not hys fleshe nor drynke hys bloode.

|Augustin ser. desacra fe. Pasche.| This maye also be cōfyrmed by good auctoryte. For saynte Austen sayeth, he that abydeth not in Christe ād in whome Christe abydeth not, without doubte he eateth not hys fleshe nor drynketh hys bloode, although he eate and drynke the Sacramente of so greate a thynge vnto hys dampnacyon.

|Beda.| And euē the same wordes hathe Bede vpon the tenth chapter of the fyrste Epystle to the Corynthyans.

|Augusti de ciuitate Dei in libro. 21. cap. 25.| Agayne S. Austen sayeth, he that abydeth not in me ād in whome I abyde not, let hym not saye nor thynke, that he eateth my bodye or drynketh my bloode. And euen the same wordes hath Bede vpon the syxte Chapter of the fyrste Epystle to the Corynthyans. And euen the same sentence hath Ambrose, and Prosper, & Bede 97vpon the xi. chapter of the fyrste Epystle to the Corynthyans.

Fynallye thys may be proued by good reasō grounded vpō the scrypture. Christ wolde not suffer marye (though she loued hym well) to towche hym, because she lacked one poynte of faythe, and ded not beleue that he was equall with hys Father. And therfore by reason yt muste folowe, that he wyll not suffer the wycked (which neyther haue good fayth nor loue towardes hym) both to towche hym and eate hym in to their vncleane bodyes.

Now syth thys is proued true that the wycked eate not hys bodye, it must also therof neades folowe, that the sacramente is not hys naturall bodye. For they do eate the sacramēte as all men knowe. Besydes that the faythfull do not eate Christes bodye with their teth. And therfore it muste folowe that the wycked do not eate it with their teth. The antecedēt or fyrst parte of the reason is proued by the wordes of Christe which sayeth, |Ioan. 6.| that the fleshe profyteth nothynge at all, meanynge that it doth not profyte as they vnderstode hym: that is to saye: yt profyteth nothynge to be eaten carnallye with their teth and bellye, as they vnderstode hym. For els it profyteth moche to be eaten spyrytuallye, that is to saye: to beleue that through hys bodye breakynge ād bloode sheadynge our synnes are pourged. And thus doth Origene, S. Austē, Bede, Chrisostome, ād Athanasius expounde it, as appeareth in the boke before. And therfore Fryth sayeth, that onelye faythfull men eate hys bodye: not with their teth and mouth, but with their fayth ād harte, they dygeste it in to the bowelles of their soules through beleuynge that it was broken on the crosse, to washe awaye their synnes. And the wycked eate not hys bodye but onelye the breade and their dampnacyon, because they eate him not spirytually, that is: because they beleue not in hys bodye breakynge and bloode sheadynge.

¶ The thyrde poynte wherin Fryth dyssēteth frō your Prelates & their proctoure.

The Prelates beleue that mē ought to worshyppe the Sacramēte, but Fryth sayeth naye, and affyrmeth that it is Idolatrye to worshyppe it. And he sayeth that Christ and hys Apostles taught vs not so to do: neyther ded the holy fathers so teache vs. And Fryth sayth, that the autours of thys worshyppynge are the chylderne of perdycyō which haue ouerwhelmed thys worlde with synne. Neuerthelesse we muste receyue it reuerētlye, because of the doctryne that it bryngeth vs. For it preacheth Christes death vnto vs, & descrybeth it before our eyes, euē as a faythfull preacher by the worde 98doth instyll yt in to vs by our eares and hearynge. And that yt supplyeth the rowme of a preacher, is evydēt by the wordes of S. Austen which sayeth. Paulus quamuis portaret sarcinā corporis quod aggrauat animā, potuit tamen significando predicare Dominū Iesum Christum, aliter per linguā suam, aliter per epistolā, aliter per sacramētū corporis Christi. That is to saye: though Paule ded beare the burthen of the bodye which doth honorate the soule, yet was he able in sygnyfyenge to preache the Lorde Iesus Christe, one waye by hys tonge, and another waye by a Ēpystle, & a nother waye by the Sacrament of Christes bodye .&c. For as the people by vnderstondynge the sygnyfycacyō of the wordes which he spake ded heare the gloryous gospell of God, & as by the readynge of hys Epystle they vnderstode hys mynd, & receyued the wordes of the soules health, so by the mynystracyon of the sacrament they myght see with their eyes the thynge which they harde & red, & so haue their sēces occupyed a boute the mystery, that they myght the more earnestlye prynte it in their mynde. As by exāple: |Hier. 27.| The prophete Ieremye beynge in Ierusalē in the tyme of Sedechias Kynge of the Iewes, prophesyed ād preached vnto thē, that they shuld be takē presoners of Nabugodonosar the Kyng of Babylō. And the Iewes were angrye with hym & wolde not beleue hys wordes. And therfore he made a chayne or fetter of woode ād put thē a boute hys necke, ād prophecyed agayne, ād preached that they shulde be taken presoners ād ledde captyue in to Babylon. And as hys wordes ded certyfye their eares that they shulde be subdued, so the chayn ded represēt their captyuite euē before their eyes, which thynge ded more vehementlye worke in them then the bare wordes coulde do, ād euen so it is in the sacrament. For lykewyse as the wordes ded instyll it in to our eares, that hys bodye was geuen for vs, ād hys bloode shedde for the remyssyon of our synnes, euen so ded the mynystracyon of the Sacrament expresse the same thynge vnto our syght and dothe more effectuouslye moue vs, thē the bare wordes myght do, and make vs more attentyue vnto the thynge, that we maye whollye geue thankes vnto God ād prayse hym for hys boūteous benefyttes. And therfor seynge it is as a preacher, expressynge vnto our syght the same thynge that the wordes do to our eares, you muste receyue yt with reverence ād sober behavyoure, aduertysynge the thynge that it representeth vnto you. And euen the same honoure is due vnto it which is geuē vnto the scrypture that is the worde of God. For vnto that must a man devoutlye geue eare, ād reverentlye take the boke 99in hys hande: yea, & yf he kysse the boke for the doctrynes sake that he learneth thereout, he is to be commended. Neuerthelesse yf he shulde go sense hys boke, men myght well thynke that he were verye chyldyshe. But yf he shulde knele downe and praye to hys boke, then he ded cōmytte playne Idolatrye.

Consyder deare bretherne what I say, and avoyde thys Ieoperdye. Which thynge avoyded, I care not as towchynge the presence of hys bodye, though you beleue that hys naturall fleshe be there in dede, and not onelye in a mystery, as I haue taught. For when the Ieoperdye is paste, he were a foole that wolde be cōtencyous for a thynge, as longe as there commeth no hurte therbye.

The Germaynes which beleue the presence of hys bodye, do not worshyppe it, but playnly teache the contrarye, and in that poynte (thankes be to God) all they whome you call heretyckes do agre full well. Onelye avoyde thys Idolatrye, and I desyre no more.

The cōclusyon of thys Treatyse.

Nowe deare bretherne I beseche you for the mercye that ye loke for in Christ Iesu, that you accepte thys worke with a syngle eye ād no contencyous harte. For necessyte hath compelled me to wryte it, because I was informed both of my Lorde of Wynchester ād other credyble parsons, that I had by the meanes of my fyrst treatyse offended many mē. Which thynge maye well be true: For it was to slender to enstructe all them which haue sens seane it, albeit it were suffycyent for their vse to whome it was fyrst delyuered. And therfore I thought it not onelye expedyent but also necessarye, to enstructe them further in the truth, that they myght see playne euydence of that thynge, wherin they were offended.

By thys worke you shall espye their blasphemyes ād venemous tonges wherwith they slaunder not one ly thē that publyshe the truthe, but euen the truth yt selfe. They shame not to saye, that we affyrme yt to be onelye breade, and nothynge els. And we saye not so: but we saye 100that besyde the substaunce of breade, it is the Sacrament of Christes bodye ād bloode. As the yvye hangynge before the taverne doore is more then bare yvye. For besyde the substaunce of yvye, it is a sygne, and sygnyfyeth that there is wyne to be solde. And thys sacrament sygnyfyeth vnto vs, and poynteth out before our eyes, that as verely as that breade is broken, so verelye was Christes bodye brokē for our synnes: And as that breade is dystrybuted vnto vs, so is hys bodye and frute of hys passyon dystrybuted vnto all hys faythfull. And as the breade comforteth the bodye, so doth the fayth in Christes death comforte our soules. And as surelye as we haue that breade and eate it with our mouth and teth, and knowe by our sences that we haue it within vs, and are partakers therof; no more neade we to doubte of hys bodye and bloode, but that through fayth, we are as sure of thē, as we are sure of that breade. As it is suffycyentlye declared in my boke.

Agayne you maye perceyue how wyckedly they reporte vs which affyrme that we dyshonour it which geue yt the ryght honoure that it ought to haue. And you do playnlye dyshonoure it, which geue vnto it the honoure that is onelye due vnto God. We geue yt the same honoure that we geue vnto the holye scrypture ād worde of God, because it expresseth vnto our sences the death of our sauyoure, and doth more depely prynte it within vs. And therfore we call it an holye sacrament, as we call Goddes worde, holye scrypture. And we receyue thys sacrament with greate reuerence, euen as we reuerentlye reade or heare preached the holye worde of God, which conteyneth the healthe of our soules. And we graunte that hys bodye is presente with the breade as it is with the worde, and wyth both it is verelye receyued and eaten through faythe. But if we shulde knele downe and praye vnto the holye scrypture, men myght cownte vs foles, and myght lawfullye saye, that we do not honoure the scrypture by that meanes but rather dyshonoure yt. For the ryght honoure of a thynge is, to vse it for that intent that was instytute of God. And he that abvseth it to any other purpose, doth in dede dyshonoure it. And lykewyse it is in the sacrament which was instytute to keape in memorye the death of Christe, which yf we do any other wyse honoure, then we do the holye scrypture (vnto the which we maye in no wyse make our prayers). I saye that then we shulde vtterlye dyshonoure it. Avoyde therfore thys poynte of Idolatrye, and all ys safe.

Fynallye we saye that they speake 101well and faythfullye, which saye that they go to the bodye and receyue the bodye of Christ, and that they speake vyllenouslye and wyckedlye which saye that they onelye receyue breade or the sygne of hys bodye. For in so sayenge they declare their infydelyte. For the faythfull wyll reaken that he is euell reported of and reputed for a traytoure and a nother Iudas, yf men shulde saye of hym that he ded onelye receyue the sacrament, and not also the thynge whiche the sacrament doth sygnyfye. For albeit he onelye eateth the breade ād sacrament with hys mouth and teth: yet with hys harte and fayth inwardlye, he eateth the verye thynge it selfe whiche the sacrament outwardlye dothe represente.

And of thys sprynge the maner of speakynges that the olde fathers do somtyme vse, which at the fyrste syght mought seame contrarye to our sentence. But yf they be well pondered, it maye soone be seane, how they shulde be taken. For manye tymes when they speake of the sacramente and outwarde eatynge, they applye vnto the sacrament and outwarde eatynge, the frute and condycyons of the inwarde eatynge and thynge it selfe, because that in a faythfull man they are so Ioyntlye Ioyned, that the one is neuer without the other. As by example. Marye is named the mother of God, and yet she is not the mother of hys Godhed, by the which parte onelye he is called God, but because she is hys mother, as towchynge hys manhode, and the Godhed is so annexed with the manhode that they both make but one parson, therfore is she called the mother of God, whiche in dede yf it be wyselye weyed, shalbe founde to be abvsed speache.

And yet neuerthelesse it maye verye well be vsed, yf men vnderstonde what is ment therbye, but yf through the vse of thys speache, men shulde fall in to suche an erroure that they wolde affyrme our lady to be in dede the mother of hys Godhed, then necessyte shulde compell vs to make a dystynccyon betwene the nature of hys Godhed and the nature of hys manhod, and so to expounde the matter vnto them, and brynge them home agayne in to the ryght vnderstondynge. As we are now constrayned to do in thys sacrament, because you mysconstrue the sayenges of the scrypture ād Doctours. Which notwythstondynge (yf a man vnderstōde them) saye verye well.

And manye soche maner of speaches are contayned in the scrypture: As where Christ sayeth in, Iohā in the .iii. chap. There shall no man ascende in to heauen, but he that dyscendeth from heauen, the sone of man whiche is in heauen.

102Thys texte doth saye that the sonne of man was then in heauen, when he spake these wordes vnto Nicodemus here vpon earth, whiche thynge all wyse men consente to be vnderstonde, propter unitatem personæ: That is to saye: for the vnite of the parson. For albeit hys Godhed was in euerye place at that tyme, yet was not hys manhod (by the whiche he was called the sonne of man) in heauen at that tyme. And yet Christe sayde that it was in heaven for the vnite of hys parson. For hys Godhed was in heauen, and because the Godhed and manhode made one parson, therfore it was ascrybed vnto the manhod which was onelye verefyed vpō the Godhed, as |August.| S. Austen ad Dardanum doth delygentlye declare.

And lykewyse in the sacrament of baptyme, because the inwarde workynge of the holye Goste is euer ānexed in the faythfull vnto the outwarde ceremonye: therfore somtyme the frute of the inwarde baptyme is ascrybed vnto the outwarde worke. And so the scrypture vseth to speake of the outwarde baptyme as though it were the inwarde: that is to saye: the spyryte of GOD. And therfore Saynte Paule sayeth that we are buryed wyth Christe through baptyme.

And yet as Saynte Austen expoundeth it, the outwarde baptyme dothe but |Augustinus ad Bonifacium.| sygnyfye thys buryall. And agayne Paule sayeth, as manye as are baptysed haue put Christe vpon them. And yet in dede our outwarde baptyme doth but sygnyfye, that we haue put Christe vpon vs.

But by the inwarde baptyme (whiche is the water of lyfe and spiryte of God) we haue in dede put hym vpon vs and lyue in hym and he in vs. Whiche not withstondynge is verye false for all the outwarde baptyme, in them that receyue it not in fayth. And vnto them it is but abare sygne, wherof they gette no profytte, but dampnacyon.

And here you maye evydentlye perceyue, howe it is sometyme in scrypture ascrybed vnto the outwarde worke and ceremonye, whiche is onelye true in the inwarde veryte. And this place shall expounde all the olde doctours whiche seame contrarye to our sentence. And therfore marke it well.

Thus haue you my mynde further vpon the sacrament of the bodye and bloode of Christe. Wherin yf you reaken that I haue bene to lōge in repetynge one thynge so often, I shall praye you of pardone. But surelye me thought I coulde not be shorter. For the worlde is suche now adayes, that some wolde heare and can not: and some do heare and wyll not. And therfore I am compelled so often to repete 103that thynge whyche a wyse man wolde vnderstonde wyth halue the wordes.

❧ Praye Christen reader that the wordes of GOD maye increace, and that GOD maye be gloryfyed through my bondes. AMEN.

The Artycles wherfore Iohan Fryth dyed, whiche he wrote in Newgate the .23. daye of Iune, the yeare of our Lorde .1533.

I doubt not deare bretherne, but that it doth some deale vexe you, to see the one parte haue all the wordes, and frely to speake what they lyste, and the other to be put to sylence, and not to be harde indyfferently. But referre your matters to God, whiche shortelye shall Iudge after a nother fashyon. But in the meane seasō, I shall rehearse vnto you the artycles for which I am condempned.

❧ They examyned me but of two artycles whiche are these.

|1. Article.| Fyrste whyther I thought there were any Purgatorye to pourge the soule after thys present lyfe. And I sayde, that I thought there was none. For man is made but of two partes, the bodye and the soule. And the bodye is pourged by the 104crosse of Christe, whiche he layeth vpon euery chylde that he receyueth: as afflyctyon, worldlye opressyon, persecucyon, emprysonment & cet. and deathe fynysheth synne. And the soule is pourged by the worde of God, which we receyue through fayth, vnto the healthe and saluacyon bothe of bodye and soule.

Now and yf I ded knowe any thyrde parte wherof we are made, I wolde also gladly graunt the .3. purgatory, but seynge I knowe none suche, I must denye the Popes purgatorye. Neuertheles I cownte neyther parte a necessarye artycle of our faythe, necessaryly to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyon, whyther there be soche a purgatory or not.

|2. article.| The seconde artycle was thys, whyther that I thought, that the sacrament of the aulter was the bodye of Christe. And I sayde yea, that I thought that it was bothe Christes bodye and also our bodye, as Saynt Paule sayeth to the Corynthyans. i. Cori. 10.

In that it is made one breade of manye graynes it is our bodye, sygnyfyenge that we though we be manye, are yet one bodye: lykewyse of the wyne in that it is made one wyne of manye grapes.

And agayne in that it is broken, it is Christes bodye, sygnyfyenge that hys bodye shulde be broken, that is to saye: suffer deathe, to redeame vs from our iniquitees.

In that it was dystrybuted, it was Christes bodye, sygnyfyenge that as verelye as that sacramēt is dystrybuted vnto vs, so verelye is Christes bodye and the frute of hys passyō dystrybuted vnto all faythfull men.

In that it is receyued, it is Christes bodye, sygnyfyenge that as verelye as the outwarde man receyueth the sacramente with hys tethe and mouthe, so verelye dothe the inwarde mā, through faythe receyue Christes bodye and frute of hys passyon, ād is as sure of it, as of the breade that he eateth.

|Another questyō.| Well sayde they, do you not thynke that hys verye naturall bodye, bothe fleshe and bloode is reallye contayned vnder the sacrament, and there actuallye present, besyde all symylytudes? |¶ An answere.| No sayde I, I do not so thynke. Notwithstondynge I wolde not that anye shulde counte that I make my sayenge (whiche is the negatyue) anye artycle of the faythe. For euen as I saye that you oughte not to make anye necessarye artycle of the faythe of your parte (whiche is the affyrmatyue). So I saye agayne, that we make none necessarye artycle of the faythe of oure parte, but leaue it indyfferent for all men to Iudge therin, as GOD shall open 105hys harte, and no syde to condempne or dyspyse the other, but to nouryshe in all thynges brotherlye loue, and to beare others infyrmytees.

|S. Austens texte.| The texte of Saynt Austē which they there aleaged agaynste me, was thys: that in the sacrament Christe was borne in his owne handes. Whervnto I sayde: that S. Austen dothe full well expounde hym selfe. For in a nother place he sayeth. Ferebatur tanquā in manibus suis. That is, he was borne after a certayne maner, in hys owne handes. And by that he sayeth after a certayne maner, ye maye soone perceyue what he meaneth.

How be it yf. S. Austen had not thus expounded hym selfe, yet he sayeth ad Bonifacium, that the sacrament of a thynge, hath a symylytude or propertye of the thynge which it sygnyfyeth. And for that cause it hath manye tymes the name of the verye thynge whiche it sygnyfyeth. And so he sayeth that he bare hym selfe, because he bare the sacrament of hys bodye and bloode, whiche ded so earnestlye expresse hym selfe, that nothynge myght more do it. If you reade the place of S. Austen ad Bonifacium, whiche I alleage in my laste boke, ye shall soone see them answered.

|Chrisostomus.| A nother place they alleaged out of Chrisostome, which at the fyrste blushe seameth to make well for them. But yf it be well wayed, it maketh moche lesse for thē then they wene. The wordes are these.

|Chrisostomes wordes.| Doste thou see breade and wyne: Do they departe from thē into the draughte as other meates do? God forbydde. For as in waxe when it cōmeth to the fyer, nothynge of the substaunce remayneth nor aboundeth: so lykewyse thynke that the mysteryes are consumed by the substaunce of the body.

These wordes I expounded, by the wordes of the same doctoure Saynt Chrisostome, which in a nother homelye sayeth on thys maner. The inwarde eyes as soone as they see the breade, they flye over all creatures ād thynke not of the breade that is baken of the baker, but of the breade of euerlastynge lyfe, which is sygnyfyed by the mystycall breade.

Now conferre these places together ād you shall perceyue, that the laste expoundeth the fyrste clerely. Fyrste he sayeth, dost thou see breade and wyne? I answere by the seconde, nay. For the inwarde eyes as soone as they see the breade, thynke not of it, but of the thynge it selfe that is sygnyfyed therby. And so he seeth it and seeth it not. He seeth it with hys outwarde and carnall eyes, but hys inwarde eyes seeth it not. That is to saye: regarde not the breade or thynke not vpon it. Euen as 106we commonlye saye, when we playe a game necglygentlye (by my truthe I see not what I do) meanynge that our myndes is not vpon that thynge whiche we see with our outwarde eyes. And lykewyse we maye answere the nexte parte, where he sayeth.

|The exposycyō of S. Chrisosto, texte.| Do they departe from thē in to the draughte, as other meates do? Nay for sothe sayde I. For other meates do onelye come to nouryshe the bodye, and to departe in to the draught: But thys meate that I here receyue, is spyrytuall meate, receyued with faythe, and nourysheth vs euerlastynglye bothe bodye and soule, and neuer entereth into the draughte. And euen as before the outwarde eyes do see the breade, and yet the inwarde eyes do not regarde that or thynke vpon it: So lykewyse the outwarde man dygesteth the breade, and casteth it in to the draughte. And yet the inwarde mā doth not regarde that nor thynke vpō it: But thynketh vpon the thynge it selfe that is sygnyfyed by that breade.

|The true meanynge of Chrisostomes wordes.| And therfore sayde Chrysostome euen a lytle before the wordes whiche they here alleaged. Lyfte vp your mynde and hartes (sayde he) whereby he monysheth vs, to loke vpon and consyder those heauenly thynges, whiche are represented and sygnyfyed by the breade and wyne, and not to marke the breade and wyne in it selfe.

Here they wyll saye vnto me, that that is not Chrisostomes mynde. For by hys example he playnlye sheweth that there remayneth no breade nor wyne. That I denye. For the example in thys place proueth no more but that ye shall not thynke vpon the breade and wyne, no more then yf they were not there, but onelye vpon that thynge whiche is sygnyfyed by thē. And that ye maye euydently perceyue by the wordes folowynge where he sayeth, thynke that the mysteryes are consumed by the substaunce of the bodye.

|Soluciō| Now whyther Chrisostome thought that there remayned breade or none, bothe wayes shall our purpose be proued. Fyrst yf he thought there remayned styll breade and wyne, thē we haue our purpose. Now yf he thought that the breade and wyne remayned not, but were chaunged, thē are the breade and wyne neyther mysteryes nor sacramentes of the bodye and bloode of Christe. For that that is not, cā neyther be mysterye nor sacrament.

|Conclusyon.| Fynalle yf he spake of the outwarde apperaunce of breade: then we knowe that that remayneth styll and is not consumed by the substaunce of the bodye. And therfore he muste neades be vnderstonde as I take hym.

I thynke many men wonder how I can 107dye in thys artycle, seynge that it is no necessary artycle of our faythe, for I graunte that neyther parte is an artycle necessary to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyon, but leaue it as a thynge indyfferent, to thynke therin as God shall instyll in euery mans mynde, and that neyther parte condempne other for thys matter, but receyue eche other in brotherly loue, reseruynge eche others infyrmyte to God.

|Beholde the cause of my death.| The cause of my deathe is thys, because I can not in conscyence abiure and swere, that our Prelates opynyon of the Sacramente (that is) that the substaunce of breade ād wyne is verely chaunged into the fleshe and bloode of our sauyoure Iesus Christ is an vndoubted artycle of the faythe, necessarye to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyon.

|Note.| Now thoughe thys opynyon were in dede true (whiche thynge they cā neyther proue true by scrypture nor doctours) yet coulde I not in conscyence graunte that it shulde be an artycle of the faythe necessarye to be beleued, etc. For there are many verytees, whiche yet may be no soche artycles of our faythe. It is true that I laye in Irons whan I wrote thys, howbeit I wolde not receyue thys truthe, for an artycle of our fayth. For you may thynke the contrary without all Ieoperdy of dampnacyon.

¶ The cause why I cā not beleue their opynyon of transmutacyon or transubstanciacyon whether ye wyll, is thys.

|1.| ❧ Fyrste because I thynke verely that it is false and can neyther be proued by scrypture nor faythfull doctours, yf they be well pondered.

|2.| The second cause is thys, because I wyll not bynde the congregacyon of Christe by myne example to admytte any necessary artycle bysyde our Crede, and specyally nonesuche as can not be proued true by scrypture. And I say that the churche, as they call yt, can not compell vs to receyue any soche artycles to be of necessyte vnder payne of dampnacyon.

|3.| The thyrde cause is, because I dare not be so presumptuous in enterynge in to Goddes Iudgement, as to make the Prelates in thys poynte a necessarye artycle of our faythe. For then I shulde dampnably condempne all the Germaynes and Almaynes, with infynyte moo, whiche in deade do not beleue nor thynke that the substaunce of breade and wyne is chaunged in to the substaunce of Christes naturall bodye. And surelye I can not be so folyshe hardy as to condempne soche an infynyte nombre for our Prelates pleasures.

Thus all the Germaynes and Almaynes, bothe of Luthers syde and also 108of Decolampadius, do wholye approue my matter. And surelye I thynke there is no man that hathe a pure conscyence, but he wyll thynke that I dye ryghtuouslye. For that thys transubstanciacion shulde be a necessary artycle of the faythe, I thynke no man can saye yt with a good conscyence, although yt were true in dede.

∴

Per me Iohan Frythe.

❧ Be wyse as Serpentes, and innocent as Dooues.

  • Transcriber’s Notes:
    • The original book's archaic spelling, abbreviations, and punctuation have been retained.