Answer to the Devilish Detection of the Bishop of Winchester

An answer cōcerneing the knowledge of The sēses, and a declaracion of all the. xii. Articles of the faith, which every true Christian man must believe in heart and Confess with moUth.

THus far have I brought in mi faith plainly, contrary to no place of scripture (except you call Your glosses scripture) And where I might have your own doctors to confirm the same, yet will I not stir contencion so far. Knoweinge that no thing hath been so popeishlie thaught, neither worshiping of Images and Idols, praieing to saints and fond pilgrimages, nor yet monasteries, monks, purgatory and the poppe him self, but it hath been by thē and their subtle arguments diuised: and by their writeinges set forth and maintained. Wyth dainger therefore, have we followed them over long. But now you may not think, still to lead us captives from Christ, whom we loke for spedilye to come into judgment with us, when we shall be judged by his word, and not by their writeinges. We have followed you to longe (being but blind guides) gropeinge after your blind ways, in the dark, without wit, reason, or faith, but only because your holy father of Rome, and that holy mother church, did so believe and teach (and now at lengh, as our holy mother church of England doeth lead) and therefore may you worthyly cal us (as you do) beastely blind, and therefore far from the knowledge of our religion.

But now that your father is fallen and weseke for our father in heaven desireinge his kingedom to come upon the erthe, and praieing for the food of our souls (his heavenly bread) which you have so longe banished, and neither would yourself enter into his kingdom, nor suffer them that would to enter, accordeinge to the sayeinge of Christ our savior: we (knoweynge; that what so ever is not of faith is sin, and that faith is of heareynge, not of you Bishops and your doctors, but of the word of God which can deceive no man nor yet be deceived, desire and require you to beat into our heads no longer (as articles of our faith) your change of su •… sta •… your accidents, qualities and quātities, in form and under the form of dread, to go away from it when the bread musteth and brenneth you know not how. For this your answer is an evident argument: that you know as little howe it came there. And think not much (I pray you) that we do (in this matter) •… ye your craft •… d falsehode, not only with scriptures. but also with our reasons and outwar • e senses The which three, that is to say, Fayeth grounded upon the word of God, reason that ca •• e not be resisted, and the senses, as sight, tasteinge, smellinge and felinge, which can by no learneinge (but by your school be deceived. Yet you would have us wholly captivated unto you in all these things, that you might lead us where you lyste, to make vnsēsible chaūg where you blow and bless cross and kiss.

No fail, in things far distant (as is the▪ sin, move and sterres and diverse other things) he senses may be deceived, without the help of reason set in man to be their lady and masters, and with hir help, they may judge of all bodily and sensible creatures, much more are they able to judge of bread, their continual object daily offered unto them, wherein, not one sense, but the sigh taste, smelle and feleinge, do wittnesse together, reason approveth and alloweth their judgment, and faithfully established in the word of God: affirmeth the same.

Christ him self (as we have said) calleth it • read and wynne. Paul to the Corth▪ calleth it bread that we break, and saith that wea • e one bread, and one body, so many as are partakers of the same bread. Again in the. xi. So often as we • ate th • s br • ode and drink this cup: we show the death of the Lord unto he come. Therefore, who so • ateth this bread & drinketh this cup unworthily: is gilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

Let a man prove him self therefore, and so ea • e of this bread and drink of this cup. Agayne, in the Acts of the Apostles. Thei co •… ed in the doctrine of the apostles. In feloweshipe and breaking of bread. Again he was known unto them in breakeinge of bread. Luke. xxiiii. daily continuinge with one accord in the temple, and brake bread frō house to house, our senses also do (one after other) bear witness hereunto. We hear Christ and his apostles say. This is bread. We smell, taste, and feale it to be bread. We se it is bread, and so conclude • i reason, after this sor • e. The baker did bake it as bread before it was put to this use, and in this use it is nothing changed frō the kind of bread (for it musteth, mouldeth, and will be eat̄ of •… sse as other bread will) Wherefore, we be inge enstructed, first by li •… faith, and thā by our senses ruled by reason: dare boldelye conclude this same to be bread. If you might lead captive all these three▪ then should we follow where you would have us, as our fathers have done before. As for the mysteries and principles of our religion (whereof you say we stand great neade) to be taught▪ (you teache f • ll slender lie, that is to say, only with a sentence of doctor, and a verse song in the church. But we know that so many of them as be corporal (and therefore sensual) it hath pleased God so to wrocke them, that the very senses may perceive them, and therefore be as a testimony of our faith beareinge witness of their truth. Now, as for the mystery of the Trinity and the unity of godhead, you do know full well, they are not in the number of sensible and bodily things, and therefore can in no wise be offerred unto the s • ses: wherefor it is no good proffe, to judge them unable to declare unto our reason, what is bread and what is wine, because the cannot attain to that, wherewith they may by no means meddle. Or to think them not murtified in other things, because thei witness hear against you. But you go aboutte to slander us as thought we did not believe.

We know by our faith grounded upon the boke of Genesis, and all other scriptures setting forth the almyghtie pour of God, teacheinge us to believe in God the father almyghtie, maker of heaven an erth, and in his only begotten son our Lord Jesus Christ, who was cōcerned by the holy ghost and borne of the virgins Marie, wherein resteth the chief point of religion and only salvation.

So sone as he came into the world, there were called to wittenesse three herdemen or shepeherdes: and three wise men out of the easte, to se with their eyes and testify unto other, this the chief mystery of our religion, that Christ was come in the flesh: bisides the resort of the men of Bethlehem, to se their savior with their eyes, and the plain testimony of Simion saieinge. Now have mine eyes seen thy saueing health. More over Christ thus comeinge in the flesh was bodily present in the sight and eyes of all the world, the space of. xxx. years, and what so ever miracle he wrought in the dodient appeared to the eyes and outward senses. As when he changed water into wyne: streigh way it appeared wyne to all the outward senses. Inlyke manner, such as Christ healed bodeli, were thei lame, blind or lazar: streigth way they appeared whole. And so conseqētly in all the miracles that Christ wrought in sensible things bodily: they so appeared unto our senses. Whan he raised Lazar us frō death to lyffe, it was not countertaite: for he did eat and drink in the sight of all men. So likewise, when Christ suffered moste painful death in the sight of the whole world under ponce Pilate, he was crucified, dead and buried, that no eye or tongue should wittnesse the contrary. He desended into hell (as Peter witnesseth) in spirit, which falleth not under the knowelege of our senses, because the spirit goeth and cometh, man knoweth not howe. Than have we witnesses that God raised him the third day, and shown him to all the people, but first to his witnesses appointed for the same purpose, which did eat and drink with him after he was risen from death.

Moreover, that we should nothing doubt of this mystery, so dark unto reason: christ appeared unto them again, and commanded. Thomas Didimus (who was before in doubt to put his fynger in his side, to see h • s hands and the wounds of the nails, that thei all might know it to be his natural body thus risen from death, yea a body which hath flesh and bones, contrary to your doctrine, which will have ve believe in a body, that hath neither flesh nor 〈◊〉 , quantity nor quality, that is as much to • aie as no propretie of a body, except it be borrowed of the bread, But we beieue according to the •… e spirit, that John describeth: that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, and hath died in the same (according to the saieinge of Paul and testimonies of all scripture) in the which he is also raised again, and • owe sitteth at the right hand of God the father, frō whence he shall come to judge the▪ quick and the dead. Unto whom all the propheres give wittnesse, that who so ever believeth in him: shall have remission of • ynnes by his name.

We believe in the holy ghost one God with the father and the son even from the beginning, as appea • eth by the first creation of the world. Now that the euerlasteing Lord and ever liueinge God, hath created all things by his word, our Christ and savior, with so uniform pour of this holy ghost that nothing could come forth to any shap or form, until this spirit procedeing from them both, did mone upon the walte depe or unformed waters.

Wherefore, this almyghtie pour, of the tr • and ever lasting God is in Hebrew called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (plurallye for the diversity of persones) throughout the old testament, where the Idols of the heathē ar named in the singular 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 And 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and yet for to set • forth the unity of the godhead: always with this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of the plural nūbre, is adjoined a verb of the singular as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . And also in the high name of God which the Jews had in so high estimaciō 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ? which doth sig • ifie unto us that only euerlasteing pour, wherbi all things have their being: is manifestli opened the unity indi •… sible. Of this spirit is it writē thus He that hath not the spirit of Christ, is none of his, And again. Who so ener are led by the spirit of God, they are▪ the childrē of God. So▪ that as we cannot be without God or Christ: su can we not be without this spirit proceadeinge from them both, as Christ him self witnesseth, saieinge, The conforter, even the holy ghost, whom my father shall send in my name. Again. Whā the holy▪ ghost shall come, whom I shall send from my father. Of this spirit did the prophets speak much under the name of water and fire, as Isaiah. I shall pour forth my spirit vpō the thirsty, & mi • floods upon the dry land, I shall pour forth my spirit upon thy seed and my blesseing upon thy buds, and the same shall say. I am the lords Lyke unto these are there other places as in Isaiah xii. Eze. xxxvi. Psal. C. xlvi. lxiii. This spirit together with the father and the son, this Trinity and Unity that cannot be divided: do we believe and teach, not by a blind saying of any doctoure (as you do) but by the word of God and the work of his spirit, which is able to lead us into all truth, & never faileth his church built upon the rock Christ, against the which the gates of hell cannot prevail, For by this spirit, thus working faith in Christ, and love to God and ma • : is known the true church, as John saith. By this do we know that we dwell in him and he in us: because he hath given us of his spirit. And Paul saith generally to all • the faithful. Do you not know that you are the church of God and the spirit of God dwelleth in you. If any man do defile the temple of God: him will God destroy. Thys church of God is holy which you are, where he doeth not mean of the Popes Church though it wer built of v. M. proud cardinales and bishopesse, much les of our english church built vpō the blind ignorance & sinful lyueing but of. x. o • xi. horned. Miters (for three or four of you would all were well, so it were not longe of the •… ) but of that only Church which doeth always know hear, and follow the voice of Christ the •• head and shepeherde, and will not hark • to the voice of any stra • nger. Who though they be but. ii. or. iii. gathered together in the name of Christ (being always dispersed abroad, by the Idole shepherd) yet is Christ in the middes of them, and shall at the length gather them all in one that there may be one shepherd and one fold. Thys church is washed, this church is sanctified and made holy This church is justified by the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God, saith Paul. Christ so loved this church that he spent him self for her to make her holy, clen • ed through the fountain of water by his word, that he might make hir unto him self, a glorious church haueinge no spot, blemish or wrinkle or any such thing But you will doubt still (O byshopes) whether of us be this church. Whether you glorious in the world: or we despiced. Firste therefore, mark the foūdaciōs of this church for there can no man lay any other then that is all redye laid, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The resolusion of certain doubts contained in Winchesters book

THus have I put you out of doubt▪ that we doubt in no article of the christiā faith. But I doubt that you b • e not yet out of doubt in those things that you doubt of in your detection, amongst which this is the greatest doubt. You doubt (you say) how the son of god whom you cal I •… sus) should be contained in the womb of the virgins. Unto this your boubt, I answer, that as he was and is God: so was▪ he and is without beginning and ende. And the heaven, yea the heaven of all heavens, cannot contain him (much less a littlle box to be shut therein (but as he was very man, so was it true that the prophet did speak. That a woman should cōpass a man. And this body (that was borne of of the woman) can you not prove to be scatterred throught out all corners of the erthe and to be in heaven also. For so should you make him a spirit and nobody (yea all together God & no crature, for no creature can be in •… o places thē one at one) cōtrari to the chieffest article of our faith, which is that he was incarnate & became mā like unto us in all things (sin only excepted) and that in the same flesh he died once, rose again, and ascended into heaven, and there sitteth at the right hand of God the father, from when 〈◊〉 he shall come even very man as he asended, having all the propreties of an incorruptible body, that is to say, being visible and local, having quantity and qualities as his faithful disciples and Apostles saw and perceined him to have after his resurrection which proprites declared him to di •• er frō a spirit (much more from God) as concerneinge the body wherein these qualitites be. The godheade differeth and is known frō the body by that it is immense, and can be contained in no place neither is it sensible, nor can be perceived by any of the senses. Wher as contrariwyse, the body is sensible and may be both felt and seen, and must needs be always contained in someone place, other else is it nobody. And thought by miracle, God have carried any corporal body frō place to place, contrary to the cours of nature as he did Elias, in the firely chariot. Or as he carried Abacuke for the confort of daniell, and as the spirit of God toke away Philip, when he had christened the Ennuche of queen Candaces, and set him at Azotū. And as by the spirit, Peter was brought out of prison, taken from the four quaternians of soldiers, his body lowsed forth of all the chains and prisons sodaynelye, yea the • ate of Irone openeinge against him, contrary to the natural order: yet can no man prove by these or any like miracle, that one body hath ben in. ii. places at once, much les that any of these bodies may be eueri where, as you do maynetayne (by miracle of Christ comeinge into the house when the Apostles had shette the doors and windows, for the fear of the Jews) that the natural body of Christ may be in ten thousand boxes and aultres, when you do not know whether the doors did open against Christ as the Iron gate did against Peter. But you bring in your sophistry against all reason, with out any scripture, and therefore without any faith, affirmeinge that. ii. bodies are in one place together & occupi the same place at one time, which neither faith, reason, nor any of the sēses (that ought bi the ordinaū • of God to judge of all bodily things) could at any time, either by miracle or otherwise perceive.

We read in the. v. of the Acts, that the sect of the Sadduceis, did caste the Apostles into prison, & that they were brought fourth by an angel. Yet when the ministers were sent to bring them to examinacion, thei found the prison diligently shot and the kepers standeinge at the gates. But now it were a very slender reason, to prove that the bodies of the Apostles may be in many pla • • es at once. And yet is this even like matter with the entering in of Christ to his Apostles when the doors were shette. But both these miracles were wrought to cōfirm the faith of the Apostles, not that Christ might lie hid in a little bread, for they never taught this faith to the world. But this was their doctrine, that their God could deliver from prison, and raise from death, for as much as he was the true God, even Christ Jesus the soune of the lyueinge God, whom they preachede to be as then risen from death.

But you are not contented with this because it hath some shadow of the of the truth your purpose is to deceive by snbtyle words, But now you myxt open falsehod and say that Christ did rise out of the grave the same being still shet, where all the four euangelistes do witness against you sayeing that the stone was taken away or roled from the door of the grave or monument. It is no marvel therefore, thought you would banishe as many as is possible from readeinge of the scripture, for if no man might read the scripture but you and your cōpleis then might you lie at the large without • heke, and play your legerdemayne without being esspied of any man. Firste John, the chief secretarie of God, writeth thus. The first day of the Sabuthe, Marie magdalene did come perlie when it was yet darely unto the grave: and she did se the stone take •… away from the grave. And Matthew telleth▪ howe the stone was taken away▪ The Angel of the Lord (saith he) did come dow •… from heaven and did rolle the stone from the door and sit upon it.

In Mark and Luke (good Christians) yo •… may read (if the bishop will give you leave to loke on Christ's holy word) that the stone was rolled a way, and the womē went into the grave. By this may all men se that lust, that you ar better seen in the popes learning thē inthe gospel of Christ. Who so listeth to be deceived: let them trust such byshopes

More over, leste it should seme strange to you that the graves should open: we read in Matthew, that the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints which were dead did rise, and after the resurrection of Christ, did come into Jerusalem and appeared to many. What if one of your doctors lay that Christ's grave did not open whā he rose: must you gather thereof a new article of our faith, to be defended with fyr • , and conclude, that eithere there were. ii. bodies together in one place, and occupied the same place at one time (which is but a sophistry matter, which if you could prove we care not greatly) or else (which is like madness) that one body natural, may be in. ii. thousand places at once?

In the. viii. leaf of your boke, where you labor a bout certain reasons that have been made coucernemge your God these be your words.

If it were true that is taught in the sacrament of the altar by the papists (which term serveth • or a tokē to them to prove the matter naught) such and such inconneniēces should not follow to our senses. By these words you do minister occasion to speak of. ii. things. One is, wh • you donot cal this the sacrament of Christ, and the remābraunce of his death and passion, accordeinge to the scriptures, which say. Do this in the remembrance of me. And agaiue. So often as ye shall drink of this cup and eat of this bread: you shall show the Lord's death till he come or else the supper of the Lord, as Paul calleth it in the same Chap, or else as Luke calleth it, the breakeinge of the bread. But gods holy word you care not for, your own glosses delight you so much. The cause is, that you are papists & do as your father hath done before you. Whoe (as he is the very antichrist and the wicked man sowing the iuil wede, which you would fain deni and you durst be so bold) so likewise must you lift yourself a boue that which is God or godly, & think that you can name all things better and teache, enerie thing more wisely then the spirile of God could do it in his holy scriptures. For this do you call it the sacrament of the Aultare, and do hange it up in a bande, full vnreuerendelie (if it be a god) sheweing the shame of your god (as Baruch saith) that cannot stand alone. Thys must we worship with all godly honor (say you) and so forth in all other cere monies, bloweing, blessing, crosseing, kissing and other mad gestures. All this must we do even as your father the pope taught. Are ye not worthy to be called papists, when you rage and revel, burn and broyle, both the word of God and the mayntainers there of because you cannot have the poppe and his name still, and for that you perceive that the people begin to loeth the baggage brought in by his subtle legerdimayne? Do ye not declare yourselves hearein to be righ papists: All that is crept into the mas (more then the Epistle and Gospel, and these words Hoc est corpus meum, with a few wodes fuloweinge) for the which you prouid • very well that we shall neither hear them nor understand thē.) what other thing are they then the documentes of your father the pope: Not of Peter, but of his superstitious successors and vieares as you call them.

Eche of thē cobbled on his cloute. As Celestinus for his parte, or deined the prayers that the priest saith when he rauisheth himself to mass (as you place your terms) Damasus ordained Confiteor. Gregory caused Kirie lesone to be said. ix. times together. Gregory and Gelasius gathered the collectes, whereof many are plain heresy if they were weighed to their worthiness. Thei ordained also the grayle. The tract was diuised by Telesphorus. And the sequences were first invented bi one Notherus an Aabbt Anasta sius, commanded that men should stand up at the Gospel. Eutichianus, did ordain the offertorie to be song whylse the people offered for the comfort of the poor, Gelatius made the preface, and sextus put to the sanctus. Pope Leo the threde ordeyneh the in sense. The secretes of the mass called the cannon (which is made gear) was patched up by diverse. Gelasius made Teigitur. Siritius added communicantes and pope Alexander made qui pridie. Leo made Hancigitur Gregory patched the petitions, diesque nostros. Innocentius the first ordained that the priest should kiss, and the paxe should be given▪ to the people. Sargins ordained the agnus dei. Alexander the first did ordain that the bread should be unleavened, & water should be mixed with wine. In your secretes, you have a beadrol of benefactors, & another of halowes▪ makeinge your mas a memory of thē, & not of christ, so that in good faith we think in conscience that we cannot have a fi • ter term to handle our matter with all, thē to cal this mas of yours popeish, for vpō the pope it is grounded, he was woētte to be named in the middle of it, & was the only maker of it, & in his remembrance it is done. Chrisogonus and other popeishe have it done in theyre remembrance, what better name (therefore) can we give it then popeishe: You also, mayntayneing the same, in mine opinion can have no fitter name given you then papists, for the fautours and maintayners▪ of the same sects & religions are named after the authors of the same sects and religions, as well in the good parte as in the ill. If the pope therefore wer author of these things: thē is it but reasō that you (the mayntayners thereof) be called papists. And I think not contrary but you like the name very well, for you renownce it not at all, neytther do you mislyke any thing that subtle Antichrist did invent but do stiffly take parte with the cruel papists in the defense thereof I think you are ashamed or else your heart will not serve you, to renownce that your profession perchance the oath that you made of old doeth somewhat trouble your conscience. Well ye pass it over with silence, so that we may take you as you are and be nothing deceived in calleyng you papiste. For if we were deceived in you: you would neither maintain popeishe mattiers so styfelye, nor yet accuse so greuousely, the wickedness of this time, wherein men labor so greatelye to de face the Popes doeynges. Yea ye would (at the lease way, once in so longe a boke) have taken occasion to speak against some popeishe madness. But clean contrary, the more do ye establysh the popes kingdom.

And at the length in the ende of your boke to declare yourself a sworn papiste: you make the popeishe ceremonies, as gown, crown, and other baggage of popeishe inventions: the farthynges whereof your religion wholly standeth. Let them that have eyes to se and ears to hear: judge what you ar. Thā bring you a proof, made bi reasonne and senses of man, against your God.

That the papists call their God some time is eaten of a mouse, sometime waxeth grene mould, red moulde, and blue mould and so forth. Therefore it is no God.

Al this you solute with the devil saith, the devil refresheth his yongelynges, and still your tongue renneth upon the devil, wherefor I fear me he is with in you For, of the a boundaunce of the heart, doeth the mouthe speak, saith Christ. It would become a Christian bishop to name Christ more oft then the devil. You confess afterward that these thiges be true: and yet your solucion is hear that the devil saith it. Than add you this reason of the Deuel you say.

God is impassible, incorruptible and immortal. But that which the papists mak their God is corruptible (for the mouse doth eat it, the hands do break it man's teeth may tear it, It may also be burned, Ergo it is no God, but an Idolle.

Then go you about to illude this with a like argument (which is very crafty sophestrie) sayeinge that you will reason after the same sort and say,

God is impassible, Christ was God, ergo he suffered not. Or thus.

God is impassible. Christ suffered, ergo he was not god.

Surelye you are a subtle Sophiste, and full able to deceive. But take your solution with you. You do reason (as the sophisters say) a simuli, but not a sufficienti simlitudine. The sufferinge by a mousse is nothing like the sufferinge of Christ who must needs thus suffer for us and so enter into his glory. In whom no thing was doene, but that his father did decree before

That by death (as Paul saith) he might do away him that had the authority over death, even the devil, who could not keep him captive, but he did rise again and triumph in the flesh, neither could his fleshese corruption. Thus are you deceived double. First for that you have no scriptures whithys your handywork should be called God. Secondly because it can by no ordinance, profit or commodity: suffer of the mouse or corruption as Christ hath done for our si • nes. So that I marvel greatly you be not a shamed to compare it with Christ either in calleinge it God, or in the suffering of it by a mouse. Is the passiō of Christ our) only, salvation) no more regarded of you, but that you dare couple it with such similitudes? Christ (as he was God) could not suffer, but in his flesh he suffered for us, and yet▪ could not that same flesh of his se corruptiō, as David wittnesseth. But this your white • and rownde thing doeth daily corrupt and perish •… wherefor it is not Christ's flesh. Wherefore, if I might optaine so much fa •… e of my prince and people, as did Ih •… among the Israelites: I would both destray this your Idole, and his groves of ceremones wherein you hid him, & bid Ba • ll auēge him self. But your God is so weak that you must desende him with fire. Let him do but so much as a snayle doeth, and put o • t his horn forth of his sh • ll to afayre his enemies: and we will say he is God and all together that you desire. But the backs, cattes and birds are not afraid of him in the church. Therefore, as Baruch saith, he is no God. But we will leave all the revenge aunce, both of this Idole it self and you the makers thereof: unto our Lord the liueinge God, for he promyseth he will repair it, and so hath he doene even from the beginning of the world, and yours is at hand.

Your boke (byshopye Stephane) is very longe and tediousel, and your talk subtle, that if I should to your worthiness examine every sentence: it would not be answered in few words. Yet I trust your matter and arguments shall be sufficiently ope ned, and your popeishe heart vtterred, and your sophistry confuted in this mine answer of my faith and hope which I have conceived of the liueing God and his sonne Christ our savior.

In your tenth leaf, you do vehemently provoke unto faith, grounded upon the word of God and his omnipotency. For the omnipotency, you are already answered, that it is no good argument, to say that because God is almighti, he is a piece of bread dust, asshes or such vile thing. No you do blaspheme the majesty of God in compareinge him to such vile creatures. As for that he did become very man, it was for this purpose to advance this his noble creature the whole kind of man (accordeinge to his promise) even a bone the angelles, whom we shall judge, for they are all spirits, and are sent forth to do service unto them which are the heirs of salvation. Agayne, he did not take the angelles, but the seade of Abraham. Therefore ought he in all pointes to be like his bretheren. If there were any such worthiness to be looked for unto the creature of bread, by the word of God after this life, then lo, we would grant that he had assumpted this form of bread with him▪ But oh thou man, thou vile wretch and caytife to thy maker. Was it not enough was it not enough, I say that Christ did come down from the bosom of the godheade, & the glory of his father, to take the form af asernaunte, refuseinge the form of angelles, and did be come (for a space) inferior unto them, very man of the seed of Eve subject unto all human misery (sin only excepted) humbled unto the death, even the spitful death of the cross? That he now in his manhood exalted above all things heavenly, erthelye, and infernal: should sit at the right hand of his father aperpetuall mediator and peace maker between us an his father, were not this enough man for his humblinge him self, unto the, unless thou call him down into other vile creatures (bread and wyne) & make him assūpt a new form of bread, with a mernaylouse Metamorphosis, a sudden and insensible chaung, to make. ii. sponeful of wine a God for to be worshiped with all godly honor (as your statut of the. vi. articles of the faith of your English church doeth blaspheme) to make a littell bread, the whole natural and real body, flesh, blood and bones and all as he hanged on the cross, or as he was borne of the vergine marie:

Truly, truly I say unto the, because he 〈…〉 omnipotent he will not be changed into any new forms, by the mūbling and breathing of an whormōger or sodomitical priest that you may se your own reason of the om • ipotēcie to be clear against you whose omnipotent power if you did once dred or fear his majesty, you durst never vt • er this blasphemy. Now, our whole contention and strife is about the faith g •… d upon the word of god. All the world may judge that we seek and require none other thing.

You have but one scripture, which is this. Hoc est corpus meum. The Arrieus (whom you mencion very often) had as much as that for their purpose, that is to say this text.

Pater major me est. They had as plain words in that text as you have in yours. They have the Verbe est (or is) that you make of so great strength. But yet you are in your proceading upon your text somewhat worse thē they. For where you say that this faith is groundid vpō the word of god whereby we believe every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God, as be these. This is my body which is given for you.

And this cup is the new testament in thy blood, which shall be shed for many to the forgiveness of their sins▪ you say but right and we believe no les. But whē you proceed withe your sophistry and philosophy of the body really and carnally, substancially (and naturally? consecrated, altered and changed i • to the form of accidents, qualities, and qu • tities: Then go you farther then did the Arians. For herein you bring with you a rabble of terms, fetchide forth of the bottom of sophistry and philosuphy, and this deuilishe gronde must we either believe or else be brent.

It is for these terms, for these your glosses that you do strive & mak your cruel laws For you never despred nor procured Acte of parliament, that he which had not, or understood not the word of god. should be brent, nor yet lose one farthynge.

But many times have you bisshopes burned (and do daily) both the new testament & the old (all that we have left of the word of life) together with the maynteners and professers of the same, and all them that will not maintain your glosses. That you bisshopes, the blood sheders of the new testament may follow the trade of your holy • athers of the old law, who did slay Christ him self as you do his beloved members. But our living god is the revenger.

This Arius did draw unto his wicked opinion, the emperoure▪ Constantius, the excellent learned bisshope Eusebius, and many other excellent bisshopes and learned men.

Then god stired up, Athanasius, who confuted, his error with the hole course of scripture, as many godly men have done yours, if you had grace to se it.

But lo, then did Arius seek for false accusers, to have caused the Emperor to have put this good man to death, but god did preserve him in his innocentie, and shown his vengeance upon, Arius, so that he died most shamfully, his intralles and guts fallinge from him in to a preuie in the Sinode of Nece (as Athanasius doth writ) upon the psalm. Quicūque vult. Beware, you are admonisshed.

Whereas you reasō, that your god must mould & putrefy, must be devoured, and corrupt, to the open confusion of your senses, because your faith cā not other wise merit, verily, it is done to the confusiō of your fond brains and madness, that will make so vile a creature (as cannot help it self) your god honouringe with all godly honors, the thing that is weaker and worse thē a worm or mouse that wasteth it. Not only leaving the everlasting and almyghti god yourself (who hath your breath in his hand to take it from you or lend it you so long as it lykethe him) but also teaching other always that this cūiured • ache is god. And yet so sone as you put him to your mouth, your breathe only (which can hurt no other creature) chaungethe him into clammy past, that cleaveth by the ro • fe of your mouths.

Have you not learned, that the thing which goeth into the mouth doth nether make the man holy, nor unholy.

But god lokethe upon the hearts the ground of all holiness. For the beauty of this Kings daughter, is inward. Can you not perceive how shamful a change you make from the almighty to him that can do nothing. Frō him that sauethe all, to him that cannot save him self. Frome the strongest creator, and maker of all, to the weakest of all creatures. From the hest to the worst.

Surely your senses be confounded, and you may worthily be ashamed, yea, you yourselves and your god shall be confounded and ashamed, when the wrath and vengeance of god shall come down vpō all Idols and Idolators, which is at hand be ye sure. But you say that this must moulde and putrefy that your faith may merit. What shall it merit for this lewdly estemynge god and his son Christ, but everlasting damnation For this is life Euerlastinge to know the true God and whō he hath sent Ihesu Christ Thē must it needs be everlasting death, thus blasphemously to Judge of them both.

He that beleuethe in me hath Euerlastinge life (saithe Christ) we do thus believe on the sone of god therefore have we this witness within our selves.

And seeing we have life everlasting and are made the children of God by the testimony of the spirit, we do seek no farther merit. But this word merit is one of our juggling terms, wherewith you blind the people You promise merit for your mattēs, merit for your mass, merit for your eating of fish, merit for all manner holiness that you haunte. Worshippinge of, Images, Creping to the cross, Setting up of Candles, and all our works must be done for our merits so that the merits of Christ (who only hath deserved everlasting life for us) is clean for gotten and fordone. Agayne you say.

A good true Christian beleuinge man, knoweth this by faith, that god is inviolable impassible, incorruptible, immortal, and that our savior the seconde person in trinity, very god, having the human nature now unite to the godhead, which being glorified cannot anymore suffer violence or corruptiō nor be violated or brought to mortality.

All this is plain against your own doctrine, for seeing that the body of bread is clean gone, and yet there remaineth a body that the mouse or ape catcheth in his mouthe (or e • s they could not carry it awey) What shall we conclude by your doctrine: but that the mouse or ape runneth away with that body which by your enchauntment, is conceived into the place of the bread, which (blasphemously) do name the body of Christ consecrated into the form of bread? But, you do answer, that like as Christ whē he was here in the flesh, did first escape the hands of Herod, when he slew the children, and afterward the furious Jews, when they would have precipitate him: transiens per medium illorum ibat. Christ escapped thorough the midst of them. So doth he now say you. Your similitude is evil applied. For besides that there is no comparison of Christ comynge in the flesh for the wealth of the world, unto the bread thus altered for your pomp and pride: we know, and Joseph and Mary do witness unto us that they knew and perceived by the benifite of their senses, that this same our Sauioure Christ was in shape a very man. And we know also (by the testimonies of the scriptures) that he continued here very man in form and shape, being subjected unto all our infirmities (sin alway excepted) for the space of. xxx. years and more, and that then he suffered death and rose again, his flesh neither being consumed nor putrefied, but still remaineth flesh incorruptible and immortal. Whereas in the form of bread (wherein you say we see him and eat him) we perceive neither incorruption nor immortality. For it never continueth paste the date of one month (if you incur not the danger of your fathers decrees) and commonly not one quarter of an hour, much after the rate of the daily new created monstros, of whō Aristotle maketh mention. Who doubtless if he had hard of these monstrous gods (made and marred all in an hour) would have written wonders unto his posterity. If the cakes were preserved from corruption and did continue still immortal, as Christ his flesh did: then would your similitude (in these two miracles) serve you somewhat better. But seeing that your cakes do mould and corrupt, and his flesh escaped Herod, and the hands of his enemies, and could never see any corruption: this your similitude proveth, that those cakes of yours can by no means be his natural body. These two miracles therefore (as all his other) were done to declare him to be subject to no power of man, but to work all his works so, that no man can let and hyndre ought that he hath determined to be done, but you must wrest all that you can, to cloke your Sophistry withal.

Now, your affirmation of. xv. hundred years without any proof, but only because you say so: hath ben answered by many learned men. As • adinius, Ecolāpadius, Zwin glius, and other: proving by your doctors, that the true faith and spiritual understanding of this matter, continued longe in the best sort of them. Howe be it, surely I will grant this much unto you, that this blind, gross and carnal opinion of the carnal eating of Christ, hath ben crept up ever sense the devil was lowsed. This thousāde years that this enemy hath troubled the world with popish pomp and pride, keepynge and lockyng up the word of God from us: God hath not destituted and forsaken, but hath always, from time to time, steared up witnesses of his truth, whom partly the popish have slain, but some God hath reserved, and always the good simple people have had their eyes unto the living God in heaven, what so ever the priest did babble of this his own hādy work. Neither could those terms of your strait laws really, & substātially, the change of the bread so that • here remain only accidents without subject, and consecration into the quantity and quality of bread) ever be understand of the pore simple people. For those terms do spring and have their beginning of the school learning and Sophistry (as all men of knowledge can testify with me) and were never given in commandment to this bloody generation, to be delivered under pain of death. It were but folly to strive with you concerning your doctors. Howe they have in order and course, by little and little, fallen from the truth in this and other things. For it is no marvel though you cā expound your doctors to maintain your opinion, seeing you dare be so bold to cause Christ's words to serve for your carnal purpose. I entende not therefore, to bring in any proof of doctors but only of the word of God, leaving you to your doctors to try them at leisure. But this one thing I shall desire you. To bring some apparent proof of your terms: and I promise you it shall be answered.

Good men be never offended with the breaking of the host, being persuaded Christ's body to be present in the sacrament really and materially, whereunto with worshiping, they did lift up their hands, and nothing doubted but God was impassible, • e used not to mist • uste God his immortality, when they have seen a sick man receive the sacrament a quarter of an hour before his natural death, as though in that mā the host consecrated wherein the body of Christ is present) should with God's injury, moulde or corrupt, wast or consume.

Here is much matter offered, but that I perceive myself to tarry somewhat to longe upon your occasions. Who shall try the • e good men therefore, but evē the boke of wisdom: where it is said. Blessed be the good man for he hath no Idol. I know there have ben good men, which have hated all Idolatry, and the persecution of all ages can report the same. The books also of their faith (so many as have escaped your hands) do yet testify that they were sore offended with this blind change of these dead ceremonies, in the steed of the lively feast of the Lord where all men should be fed with the body and blood of Christ the son of God not turned into bread but lively working by the spirit in our souls. And they do a • he this question, why you do break his body in three, and why you do put one piece into the chalice to the wyne: seeing you d • teache that the wine alone is flesh & bones, though you do put, no grosser substance thereunto. For because it is liquidum, you can make it what you lust, and dare entre some deal far there then Christ did, for he at the uttermost made it but blood, but you will make it blood, bones and flesh, & say we shall be brēt if we do not believe you, and yet for all the stickinge to the bare letter, you have not one word through out the whole Bible, whereby you may clooke this matter, that the wyne shall be the whole body, flesh, blood & bones: though ye cry. The word, the word. Faith, fatyh. These heritickes will not believe the word of God.

For your term really present: you shall understand that after Boniface the third, about the yere of our Lord. vi. C. and. iii. obtained of Phocas the false Emperor, to be the head of the church (by the crafty practice of the monks, Paschasius, Humbertus, Guimundus, Algerus, Rogerus, Fraucisc{us} Anselmus and such other) was reality invented, and termed to the sacrament: Before that time, the spiritual eating only was magnified among the old doctors. But then began the church of Rome to be givē over to all pōpe. wickedness and Idolatry, the mother church of all mischief. The bishop & his adherētes of the Antichistes generation, are now fully bent to lift up thē selves against every thing that is good and godly, commanding Images, and other vile creatures to be worshipped. But the Emperor Leo the. iv. gathered a counsel at Bysantium, of CCC. bishops, which decreed that only God ought to be worshipped, and caused the Images to be brēt and destroyed. Then Damas • en becometh their proctoure, stubbornly resistynge the Emperor so longe: till he had his right hand cut of, howe he gatte it again (you must bring some credible author, or else we will not believe you) longe after, when Idolatry had gotten the upper hand, then did Petrus Lombardus, (master of your sophistical sentences) bring up your transmutation, and transaccidentatiō (About the yere of our Lord, M. Cxlvi) gathered out of certain blind words of the doctors afore his time. Then Pope Innocent the third gave it this new name, that you maintain with fire. He called it Accidens sine subiecto. Of the which Sophism, doctoure Duns, doctoure Dorbell and doctoure Thomas de Aquino, do dispute very subtilely. Theyr terms you may see more at large, by the moste diligent confounder of their errors Ihou Bale in his boke named the mystery of iniquity. Then followed the blind rabble of Scotistes, and Thomistes, and they have brought the world into this contention, that we now hear and are busyed with all. Thus was this high mystery of man's salvation, and moste comfortable sacrament, clean changed from the institution of Christ, which was to be taken (with thankesgyuynge) in commune amongst Christian men, that (with open heart) every man might rejoice in the death of his Savior, and give thanks for his redemption, that thereby, faith might be established, and brotherly love nourished. But now it is become a vain gasyng and starynge upon the sacrament in the steed of the Savior, taking the sacrament, for him that made it a sacrament. Worshippyng the creature in the steed of the creature, as we see now this blind swarm, which for the lively preaching of the death of Christ to be the life of the soul: do cause mumbling all in a strange tongue, that the people might surely be kept from the consideration of the mystery.

And where Christ commandeth us to devide it amongst us, and that we should all dry •… of the •• ppe: the popish priest must get him into a corner alone, and there so many shall be part takers of the merits of his blowing, blessing and other coniuringe, a •… will give him any thing. They shall be prayed for in the midst of his Mass, and shall have their sins takē away. This win • they that will be the priests benefactou • s. The other shall see Christ really (they say) but because he is dumb there and cannot speak, and the priests lesson is no penny, no Pater noster: they may knock hand on breast and worship they wot not what, lift up their hands and stroke their heads, like the Popes own dear chyldrē: but they shall have no parte there, neither of the sacrament (whereof they are appointed to be part takers, by the opē word of Chiste (eat and drink of this you all) nor yet of the remissiō of those sins that the priest wor • heth for, • nlesse they give some money.

Thys money it is that causeth it to fight so sore against Christ's institution, and to maintain your gaynful sacrifice and real presence. This money, for the maynteinaunce of your dignities and Lordelyke porte: hath caused you ever since you were first poisoned therewyth, to magnify your own handy work. But the God immortal will aduenge his injuries upon all Idols, and Idolators.

Now, to mistrust the immortality of the everlasting God (as you lay unto our charge) by whom all things endure: were extreme blindness. And so likewise, to compt your God (which never had breath of life) immortal, when the priest that hath made him, and perchance eaten him, the same day that he dieth, is mortal, and goeth to the grave, with his new made God, and many other mē (as you say) that die within a quarter of an hour after they have eaten him. In whō you make the doubt whether the host consecrate, shall mouide, corrupt or cōsum, lying in their bodies, being dead, for you are the first (to my knowledge) that ever moved that question.

To call this immortal, I say, that never lived, & lieth in the ground with the dead man: may well be called fo • de Sophistry. But to toutche your words a little more. You call this the host wherein the body of Christ is present. You begin (me thinketh) to wax ashamed to call this your host the body of Christ, contrary to your plain text of scripture. Thys is my body. I must also lay this unto your charge. Why you dare call him host, by a new term, and not bread by the old term. Some think it is because you take your own words to be wiser then the words of Christ and his chosen Apostles. And surely it is needful that you bishops, which build yourselves a new church, clean coutrar • (both in life and learning) unto the church o • Christ: should have all things new changed, both rites or ceremonies & words, th • things them selves and their names. An • yet in the. xiv. leaf, you say thus.

The true church hath taught plainly • that the substance of bread is changed in •… to the substance of Christ's natural body.

Is it not the church of Rome that you mean? I am sure it is. For unto such time as your holy father Boniface and Innocentius (Bishops of Rome) became the universal heads and fathers, and their stout chāpion Peter the Lōbarde and other worldly clerks, blinded with ambitiou, and bewitched with school learning and such like doctrine of the Deuyll, Sophistry and contentious babblynge: this change of substaunces was never imagined. But clean contrary wise. The true church, even from the beginning, hath fed of the spiritual meat that followed them, that is, hath had their comfort in Christ, being the lamb all ready slain before the beginning of the world. The promised seed of the woman, who should break the serpentes head. The seed in whom all nations of the earth should be blessed. They have, I say, by their faith, eat̄ the same spiritual meat, and drūckē the same spiritual drink, and therefore have ben fed with this only food of the soul, and have gotten the forgyuenes of their sins, and therefore life everlasting, by the same faith in the death of Christ that we have. Who if he be a sufficient Savior, in that he did come in the flesh, and thereby only taketh away sin: you shall never drive us to seek him (as a savior & raūsome for syn) in your • oniured bread, & vnsēsible change of substance.

This spiritual feadeinge of Christ crucifiede: you may learn in Augustine, Chrysostom and all the old doctors, saueinge that some of thē (in all things that they will magnify) do speak so at learge: that they open many holes to subtle sophisters. to establyshe their craftily invented sophisms of sacrifice and reality. And some of them slide from the spirit, to the flesh, both in this and other mattiers.

A declaracion of the true church, what, sort of people have been the same church even from the beginning.

TO try therefore, this true church, which hath continued in the doctrine (not of the flesh) but of the spirit even frō the the beginning Who, also did not know any other way to heaven then Christ: not eaten (flesh, blood and bones) but hoped for and beleaued upon to be the light of the heathen, the glory of Israel, and the salvation of the whole world. That like as by flesh and by man (even the first man Adam) all the world was lost and dead: so by Christ, taking the flesh of man (named the secound Adame) all should be saved and have life.

Vnderstande, that the true church hath always had this belife of Christ. Firste that he was to come, and now that he is come in the form of mā, & in none other form of any other creature. And this church, though it were always a little flock, as Christ our head calleth it: yet was it never destitute either of this spiritual knowledge, or yet of true teachers and maintainers of the same.

But God, always of his goodness, hath continually stirred up his faithful witnesses of his truth, to the cōdēnation of the world, which can go no farther then the flesh leadeth.

Firste had we Adame, who lived many years after Abel was slain, and taught his posterity of this seed promised by God. For he perceived by the death of this innocent, that▪ a lamb should be slain (as John saith he was Nain even from the beginuing of the world) and did firmly believe, because of the promise made, that by the seed of the womā, and none other creature, the head of the serpent should be broken. After these we had Seth, Enoch, Mathusalem, Noah and Sem.

After them, or rather in the time of Sem, so sone as wickedness did begin to springe again: God sent faithful Abraham & taught him the sacrifice of his sonne Christ. In whom (taking the nature of man, and so offered a sacrifice unto his father, lest we should seek any other sacrifice but Christ comeyng in the flesh, and dieyng for us in the same) the true faith, hath this only foundation.

Than followed Isac, Iacobe and Iosephe Men taken forth of their own kinredes and • ontries, and but a few and small number in regard of the great multitude that might be laid against thē, if any multitude might appres the truth, yet did they spread & leave behind them the true trade of the spiritual worship of God and full trust in him only unto the worlds foloweinge. Than whan Joseph was almost forgottē (not of the faith full but of the Egyptians) God stirred up Moses, and he teacheth plainly, that the lord shall raise up a man, even like him, and he that will not hear him, shall die.

Thus teacheth he life by the spiritual▪ eating of Christ, that is to say, by the hearing of his word and receiueinge him into our hearts by saith, acknoweledgeing, that by the death of his flesh, all flesh liveth. Yet for all the wonderful works that this Moses wrought, for all the plain teacheinges that he taught, so that he was worthyly called the faithful minister of the house of God: only Joshua, and Caleb, are allowed of God, among the great number of many thousands that Moses led, that it may clearly appear, that many are called, and few found faithful witnesses of the truth to his chosen church, which hangeth only on the hand of the liueinge God not regardeing flesh or any outward thing but only the work of the spirit and the promise to be performed bi Christ (GOD and man) in all things.

After all these, God sterred up Gideon, (the beater down of Idolatry) and other such judges unto the time of Samuel, David and Elias, who made his complainte sayeinge, Lord, they have destroyed thine altares, and slain thy Prophets, and I am left alone, and they seek my life. In this man's stead was Eliseus taken from the 〈◊〉 low, to be an ernest witness. After him followed Isaiah, and streighte after him Hiere •… ias. Than Daniel and after him Zacharias, Onias, and the faithful witnesses of the Maccabees. Than Simion, Zacharias, and John Baptist, who always called upon the living God, and trusted upon him: so that no man can deny me but that this your God impanate, is your God only, whom our fathers knew not at any time Worthy therefore, is he to be stoned to death that teacheth any such new God to the posterietie.

All these had the same spiritual meat and the same spiritual drink for the refreshing of their souls, that we now have: because they were of the true church whereof Christ is the head, of whom (as of the first begotten) all spiritual kinreddes have their begin ninge, who coming down from our heavenly father did declare him self to be the hed corner stone of the true church, though the bishops refused him in their buildeinge.

And when he ascended up again, leading capteyue with him, captivity hyrselfe: he gave gifts unto men, making one sort Apostles, another sort Prophets, some other Evangelists, some Shepeherdes, and • eachers. These only be appointed to be the ministers of his church in the new testament that they should all together in spirit and truth, both worship him and cause other to do the same, for the spirit is the worcker of all, dividing to eueri one as pleaseth him.

The body of this church then, is not one member, as of long time you have named yourselves only to be the church, but it is many members, as the Apostle witnesseth, among the which members, I fear me you shall not be worthy to be numbered unless you do amende your life, so contrary to Christ the head of this church. For this church hath he begotten unto him self by his word, as the parent and only mother thereof: that it should be without spot or wrinkle, glorious, holy, and without blame, and especially, saithe, Paul, the bisshope must be such a one that no man should find, any faute with him. Thus writethe he to his dearly beloved Timothy and Titus: making it moste evident and plain unto us, that you bishops & priests, teaching for your gain sake, or else teaching nothing at all: are not the true byshopes and members of the true church, but the hierlinges and hypocrites, that have no parte in the Kyngdom of God and his Christ, who did come▪ pore, not having where to lay his head, and did choose pore sheperdes to be his first witnesses, and after them fishers, toulers, and tentmakers, And the words that he spake to his disciples are far over hard for you byshopes to bear Who so doeth not (saith he) for sake father mother, goods, life, and all together for my sake and the Gospel: cannot be my disciple

Moreover, where as the bishops of the Jews and chife priests do cry Tēplum domini, Templum domini, As though they them selves and none other were the true church: Christ answereth that the son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and they shall condemn him unto the death, so that they were none of the true church, though they were of the seed of Levi, to whom the governance▪ of the church was promised and performed. In like manner you, so longe as you persecute Christ his members and burn his word: cry you holy church never so much, you shall be no more of the true church then▪ they were For there is all one work and purpose in you both, that is to say, to miantayne your pomp and estimation, your pour and your holiness before the people. But now is the time come that the thing which▪ was most holy in the sight of the world (as you & your jewels have been) shall be abominable▪ unto God.

Yet one other thing, nothing pleasant to your lordlike stomachs. He that will be the chief in this church must be the seruante of all, Like as the son of man did come, not that he should have service done unto him: but that he him self should serve, and give his soul for many.

As many therefore, as we find agreeable withe this head Christ, as were the. xii. Apostles and all the true disciples, who continued together in the breaking of bread and prayer, acceptinge none of the possessions of this world as their own, but making all that was theirs commune to the necessity of their brothers: we esteem to be the true and faiethful members of this church. Paul also, geueinge him self (for the Gospel) to be imprisoned, stoned and slain: was of this church. Stephane also, stoned for the defense of GOD his glory, and Antipas, the true and faithful witness of Christ, slain at Pergamis, Ignatius the scholar of John, who suffered for the Gospel. Ignatius I say, Who so earnestly desired the bread of God the heavenly bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, the son of the living God who was borne in the last ende of the world of the seed of David and Abraham, and desired to drink the blood of him that is without corruption, and the life everlasting All these, I say we know to be the lyuelye members of Christ's true church, but not these only which sufferred under the Romish tirantes: but them also the which in all countries and at all times have witnessed and suffered for the truth▪ of God his word for all are created for his glory, and God hath not at any time or in any place ben altogether without his witnesses, if the world would receive them. He sent into our na • ion, Iosephe of Aramathia. He stirred up Gildas, he enstructed the plowemen o • kent and other contries of whom we have the monuments.

After ward did he send Robert Grosheade, who both by word and by writing did rebuke the world of blind judgment Then came the great clarke, that wrate so mani godli books, John Wicklife, of whose works though Subincolepus the bishop of Prague, did bren to the uombre of two hundred: yet are there many of them reserved vn to this day, by the provision of God, to the confusion of the kingdom of Antichrist, & clear testimony that the world before us, hath not ben utterly destituted of true know ledge, though from time▪ to time whan the lyghtte hath come into the world, the kingdom of darkness, the children of prid • have loved darkness better then light, and therefore have labored to extinguishe it and have prohibited these bright, sterres to geu • light, save only to a few whom he had chosen and longe a fore appointed, even to the weak abiectes and caste awaies in the sight of the world, of the which sort, parte were slain, and part lived unknown to the world, for this little flock even from the beginning, hath not been of the wife and stout wordly men: and therefore saith Christ I thank the father that thou haste hid these things from the wise and prudent, and haste shown the same to littleones smallye regarded. And Isaiah saith, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of the prudent will I caste away. And again. Where is the wise: Where is the scribe and interpreter of the law? where is the disputer of this world? Hath not the Lord made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that the world by hir wisdom, could not know God, in his wisdom: it pleased god by the folishenesse of preaching, to make salfe them that believe.

This preaching, of the living god (which sent his son, an everlasting sacrifice for the life of the world) caused the sacrifices to wax cold, and that was it that caused the priests of the Jews, to persecute the Christians so sore, that not only the Apostles, were scaterid among the heathen, but also Joseph of Arimathia (a capitain that buried Christ) did flee, as our old cronicles do report bi the providēc of & god brought the faith into this realm of England, then called Bretan.

This persecutiō of the true church (which was the flock dispiced) was still increased by the bisshopes of the Jews, criynge that the disciples of Christ were disceyuers teaching a new faith, errors and herisies going about to withdraw from the law of Moses as aperithe throughout the boke of the Acts of the Apostles, And this endured xlii. years, until the Jews were cōpellid to forsake their own country, being vanquishide and overcome, and by the great and just punishemēt of god, distroyed by Titus and vespasianus.

The disciples also, being scatered thorough the heathen, but few in number, and as yt were a seed for harvest apointyd, did so preach the only and everlasting god and his sone Christ sent in the flesh to gyne light unto the world: that Idols began to decay, so that the priests of the Idols and the work men and makers of all such Idols, yea and their own brethren the Jews, did in all places move and sterre persecution. Thus was this pore church, being but here and there an hanfull to gether, carried before kings & Emperowres, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, beheaded, but in all this did they over come through their head Christ, who gave thē such spirit and wysedom that no man could resist. So that the more christiā men wer put to death, by fore and cruel torments: the more boldli and manfulli did new soldiers arise in their stedes.

Now when the helly pour cannot prevail by this way of open tyranny, against Christ's true church: then doth the deuille send forth the disciples and shcolars of the priests of these Idols, which were the subtle philosophers and especially the Greeks of Athens who bringgynge forth reasons of Aristotle and such other: did subtly dispute against the resurrection. In so much that in his time Paul said. we do preach Christ crucified, to the Jews an occasion of falling and to the grekes, folishnes.

The Romaines also, were at that time, both enstructed withe the Greeks sciences and puffed up so proudely, with their great conquestes • : that they accounted all other men barbarouse and foleyshe in regard of them selves. So that thei smalli regarded this weak and wearish company of Christ and his scholares, that the saying of Christ might be true, the world loveth his own, and though the sound of their voice went thorough the world, and they did continually grow and increase: yet did the world persecute them for the space of. iii. hundred years And at that time wer they most cruelly handled, bi Maxentius, the tirant. Then god stirred up Constantine who shown great favor to Christian men, suffered them freely to preach, gave them leave to build churches, and at the later ende of his life was christened in Nicomedia. Now persecution of the church began to cease and than straight began the name of christen men and Christ's church to be commune to many, but so many heresies, sects, and dissensions did arise up by subtelite of the devil, and by this craft stopped the truth in such sort that the true church was but in few. Even then the chief of your doctors (men surely whom I never do despise, but when you do bring them as witnesses against the truth) the best learned I sai, of all your doetours, partli blinded by the greek philosophy, wherein they were noselled even from their infancy, and partly driven thereunto by the subtle arguments of the crafti heretics. Arius, Macedonius Nestorius, Eurites and such other. were compelled to write many such things, as they did afterward retracte and recante (as their own works do sufficiently witness) testifyinge of them selves that they were fa • e to take such weapons in hand, some time, as had but small ground in holy scripture.

But to go forth withe our purpose, thus was the church of Christ in the time of Constantine (even in the despite of the wicked) groune up into estimation, and made so general of so small beginning: that all the children of god might openly behold, that the folyshenes of god is wiser then men, and the weakness of god is stronger then men. But such is the estate & condition of men again (by the providence of God) that nothing should longe continue in prosperite. And if at any time it chance so to do: we wax over proud, and so forget, who is the giver thereof.

Yet did the church flourish so long as the bishops did preach the gospel of Christ in poverty, so longe as the bishop of Rome was not lord over the empier, but a feder of Christ's flock, so long as all other bishops were no lords, but pastors and heard men watching carefully up on their fold, not de sirynge dominion, rule, and worldly governance, neither seeking their own honor and gain? But teaching their britherne the kingdom of God. Suche good bishops were Athanasius and Epiphanius.

Such good bisshopes were the members of the true church, for yet wer they not so proud to name them selves God makers, but ministers of God, servants appointed to bestow his treasures. And as they wer begotten children of the church of Christ by the word of truth: so did thei live and grow up by the same word and by no man's doctrine.

Thus continued they in Christian poverty, to the yere of our Lord. ccccc. xix. When Iustinius the Emperor of Constantinople did call them forth again, being longe disquietid and sore oppressed by the continual wars of all realms and provinces, and both he and Iustinianus his sisters son, did show unto thē great be • euolence and favor. He gave them great gifts and appointed them salares and wages. Thē was Agapitus bishop of Rome sent to the emperor by Theodocius, to bring all things vn to a Christian unity. This Agapitus was so holy a man, that as he entered the gates of Cōstātinople, a certain blind man received his sight. Then followed Gregorius magnus, after whom we read of no true preaching of the word of god by any bishops. And therefore did the bishops and their scholars (from that day forward) grow into a S • nagoge of sathā, first gounded in pride and ambition (as appeareth by their own histories) Boniface the third optaiueinge of Phocas to be bishop of all bishops, and to be the spiritual head of the church, puttinge Christ from his office, whom only all christiā mē must acknolege the spiritual head of his church, though all Kings and governors be by god appointed the civil heads of the body political. This did he grow up by little and little, he I say and his successors, even to the highest estate of Antichrist, banisheinge Christ, his word, and his form of liueinge, setting him self in the hearts and consciences of men (the uerie true church of God) naming him self an erthly God, that could not err •… deceived, yea offerring his shoes to be ki •… kings and Emperors.

Thus, I say, this Romeish church changed from poverty to pride, creepeinge up, like the Iuie by the roots of the great trees be gan to over renne and subdue kingedōes and empieres, yea to put down kings and Emperors.

For the mainteners of this diuellishe life and doctrine, they had tāken such away and order: that if we take them and their adherents, that is to say all their sworn doctors, anointed bishops, and shaven priests for the true church: we must neades by their learning, living and all their works condemn Christ and his members. The true church remaineth still pore, persecuted and sore oppressed all the time of their tyranny, which could never beriefe Christ of his witnesses, for in all times and ages there have ben faitheful witnesses of the truth, though their names and doctrine have always been obscured and sclaundered by these papists who were always both the Judges and accusers, the scribes and reporters of their doeynges.

This church as it was always ruled by the spirit of Christ: so did it understand the scripture spiritually by the spirit of god and worship him in spirit and truth.

Like as among the fathers of the old testament, the ambitiouse scribes and phariseis and the fleashly minded both priests and people: did know non other holmesse by the circumcision of the flesh and the bodily sacrifices (where contrary wife. Moses and David and the little chosen flock, led bi th • spirit of god, did know circumcision of the fleashe to be nothing • without the circumcision of the hert, and the sacrifices to be but shadows of our Christ upon whom all ways they did feade and s • tt their delight knowing him to be the vnspoted lamb and red heyfer offered for the sins of the people even so the hole popeyshe church (clean contrary to the doctrine of the spirit) hath fol lowed fleashely Imaginations of their own brain in all their doctrine, and sete up their own works and sacrisices to take awai sins (as did the old phariseis) whereby it commethe to pass that all Idolatry i •… stablished their own doctors and decres strongly maintained, and the word of god •… alli regarded

The pore sheep of Christ, fisshers and shepherds, plowemen, and all under the degree of gentilmen, are (by your decrees) banished frō the sweet pastors and food of they • souls. And if it chance any of thē to break in to the pleasant banks of Christ his do trin, and fead on the hills of saluatiō: the popish bishops can smell him. xl. miles frō thē and then shall the innocent lamb be burned and suffer death, for the reding of this word for the which Christ his shepeherde and head died, for the establisheynge thereof by the sh • adynge of his heart blood.

Judge now who is the true church. for Christ did not cheuse the wise, nor the men of pour, nor many men of noble birth. But the eternal wisdom of god chose that which was foleishe before the world, that he might shame the wise, And those that are weak in the world: did he cheuse to shame the mighty and strong powrs. And those that are vile and despised and of no reputacion.

The vtteringe of the popeyshe Sophismes.

BVt to return to your words, and to consider how you of this popeish church would captive our wits about this sacrament: thus you say and writ.

Ther is in the sacrament of the altar non other substance, but the substance of the body and blood of our savior Christ, and yet remaynethe the form and accidents of bread and wyne, not altered by this miracle from knowelege of the senses, wherewithe they were before known, and also by god his sufferance, subjects to the passibilitie that they were in before.

Oh when will you wax • ashamed: The mouse may eat yt (as you say yourself) 〈◊〉 yet it must be the self same substa • nce of the body of Christ, wer it not for shame to bable longe in this matter: I would bring in the scriptures that prove all them to have everlasting life, that eat his flesh and drink his blood, But go to, I will stope your monthe withe your own madness. Pope Victor the third was poisoned in this sacrament. and yet must it be the body of Christ, which can bring nothing but health and life. The Emperor Henry the seventh was poisoned by a Dominik frier, named Barnardinus de monte policiano, in receyuinge the sacrament and yet may it be non other substance but the body and blo • de of our savior Christ God and man, where if he had ben man they had poisoned him first, but if he had been God he would first have espied their poison by cause he cannot be deceived, and because he cannot deceive, he would not have poisoned the Emperor, who mistrustid no thing. But let them pass, they be the learning and practices of your church. You goo on still with the same Sophistry of the form and accidents of bread and wyne. Alwaye synginge one song, that with often rehearsal, you may bring it into credence. If you preach this form, these accidents, 〈◊〉 this passibilitie, to the pore people: they may well wonder at your high learning, but thei can know little what you mean. These things I have somewhat touchide, and shall d • more here after. You say that these accidētes are not altered unto the senses but are subject to the same passibilitie. I pray you what sophistry hath taught you, that accidents are become subjects of passibilitie? If ever you learned Logike or philosophi: you know that the subject to passibilitie must neades be a substance. Wherfor, seeing you will have such passibilitie, such changes, both corruptiō of the cake, and generation o • anewe body: you must confess some other substance in thes chaūges that sustaynethe the accidents after the change, for the infallible rule of Logike is this Ther is no accident without his subject & periculiar substance. And consequently, if you will wade in these dark terms of sophistry▪ you shall be compelled to grant another substance (which sustayneth the accidētes) bysides the body and blood of Christ. And seeing that Godhath created none other substance, which hath these peculiar qualities, that we feel, smell, se and taste still to remain, but onli bread and wyne: we must needs by the properties bi god onli attributed to these creatures, conclude against you? that here be the two substātes and creatures of bread and wyne, unto whom God did in their creation, attribute and give these qualities, these accidents, these self same properties, the self same form and shape that we se doth still remain vuchainged, under your fingers and in your mouths. As for your holy entralies: I know not what passibilitie thei suffer there. In this place of your book, I must pas over with scilence certain of your words as are these

The creator of all is present, the substance of the body and blood is received: under accidents and the true feast and feadinge is in the mass.

For this your assersion, I demand some scripture wherbi you may declare it to be of Christ. And for the later parte thereof: I utterly deny that in your mass is any • uche feast or feading: for it is but a gaping upon shadows and dumb cerimoneis. Agayne, where the Apostles cal it the breking of bread you cal it the breaking of accidents, or of the host for you ar fa •… to sheft your termis for shame, because never man yet could handle an accedent, nor break it handsomely, except it had a body or a subject. As for you, I trow you be Iuglars, for you will have the body of Christ there present, you will handle it, make it hop about your chalice, tear it in ii. or iii. pieces, but yet you will not break it, for you say it is impassible and cannot be broken, nor can suffer any violence. But I shall tell you If you were not plain Iuglars and conjurers, we would swear (so many of us as stand by you) that you do break the same thing that you handle. • ou swear nay by the holy mass, for you break (you say) but a few accidents, under which the body lurk the, and that the same precious body is after in eche of the partes wholly, and whole Christ in the pieces broken without increase of number, you will not give an a •• e leave to tell, one, two three, as Inglers will, I am ashamed that I have occasion thus to wr •• . But • alde propositions, must have balde solutions.

And now (say you) men ash how a mouse can eat God: And how can God corrupt & wax moulde: howe can god be broken in pieces,

We demand the same questions still, & warn you that give the occasiion of such questions to repent you. For as Bell in Babylon and all the other Idols were by the wrath of God destroyed: so shall you with your false god, be consumed, excuse the matter with accidents as longe as you list And this causeth us to speak of your Idole as Baruche the prophet did. But you make a godly answer or twayne.

Beleue (say you) that a mouse cannot devour god, believe that god cannot corrupt Beleue that god cannot be broken. Al this do we believe, and therefore▪ we cōcl •… that this your cake is no God. And where you add yet one other precept, and bed, us believe, that Christ god and mā is naturally present in the sacrament of the altar: if you were a right bishop of Christ, you would be ashamed to belie your master, for he saith in no place of the scripture, that he is naturally present. Be ware therefore for you may not add unto the words of Christ: lest he do ad and increase your plages. Liars, worshy ppars of Idols, sleiars of mē, sorcerers and dogs are judged without the gates of the new Ierusalē. But you have a cōmone refuge, the church (you say) saith it. And when you will bite us, thā the devil saith it. But it is no new or straing thing to hear this of your mouth, seeing that the sam your mother holy church: multiplieth like language against • ure master Christ. He is mad (said the phariseis) he hath the great devil Belzebub. And by the prince of devils, casteth he forth deuels (said the Scribes) Iufine, they all agred that he had a wicked spirit. Thus can you not gofrō your nature, and we must needs be like our master in sufferinge your reproach Then (vpō other mens reasoning with you, you proceed thus.

If hear be nothing but this body: thē either it corrupteth, or else whē goeth it away: or where have you scripture to declare the going away of Christ from this host.

This cā you not answer, and therefore are you fain to dal • ie in words. But I shall answer for you. He renneth away whē he spieth the mouse coming, and all the strength of your God is lost, whā he once begineth to mould, for it is no more able marchaunte or man's meat, after it is mouled and corrupted Than speak you gravely, acknowledginge your ignorance: sayeinge.

Shall the true faith perish, because I or such other cannot answer thi sophistical reason:

We answer, that you blind bishops ought to thrust nothing with so great violence of sword and fire (into your churches but that you can fulli give answer unto, by the word of God. For if you do not bring this doctrine in all your lessones: we are commanded not to receive thē, nor to say a • e unto thē, lest we be partetakers of your il works. For the scripture of god is able to teach to reprove, to correct and enstructe in righteousness: that the mā of god may be perfect & redi to eueri good work. And you bishops are commanded whā you teach: that you teach the word of god▪ yea christwold say nothing but that which he had hard of his father.

Some scripture in deed you bring for your purpose (and you have it in Paul) that men's words do not persuade our faith, Whyche saying maketh so clear against you, that nothing can be more evident.

For you go about to establish a faith, with natural, real, accidents, quantities, qualities, and such philosophy terms, takē forth of the wisdom of the subtle boke of the greek sophistes, which had much disputed with Paul and were highly esteemed in Corhinth. And therefore (saith he▪ I do not come in such high and dark terms of wisdom. No I do judge myself to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified. You might and would have answred (I dout not) that you did know him naturallye in the bread and the chalice •… if your generation had thē ben spronge up. And think you this gear had not ben •… ete for Paul to preach, if it had ben so necessary as you make it: But Paul preached such wisdom as none of the wise of this world knoweth. For if they had they would never have crucified the Lord of glory, neither would you persecute him still in his menbres. He spake words that he learned not of man's wisdom, but such as the holy spirit teacheth, so that he compareth spiritual things unto spiritual things, & not 〈…〉 you do heap up flesh and carnal doctrine • nto the spirit, making the bodily eatinge and the spiritual, to be all one thing hear you accuse us of our belief, to bring us into slander, as though we were warueringe and unstable. But what our belief is in god we have already shown. And whether our religiō be wavering or no, God shall judge. Our religion is grounded on the word of God, that cannot stacker nor change. And wherther bishops, or else we pore abiectes do live as there were no God (which thing you lay to our charge) all the world may judge As for Augustine and Solomone, for sercheinge the majesty of God: are nothing for your purpose. For we seek out your vile Idole as the prophets have done in their time. And to that thing which is more vile thē mā, we may not loute unto because god hath set us in erth to bear his sēblauce, and • o be masters and Lord's over all his creatures, and obeie him and his commandments.

Shoulde Moses have suffered the calf to have remained still because Israel called it theyre God, that brought them out of Egypt, as you call this your maker which was made but the last day.

Was it not lawful for Daniel to break bell in pieces because the Babylonians 〈…〉 led it a God, and to destroy the dragō w •… they compted the liueing God: Thus may the Idolatrouse priests of all ages, stop the mouths of the prophets, saying as you done. Beware that ye search nothing of God: least thou be oppressed with his glory. But always at his time appointed, by the spirit that cannot be resisted, God stereth up his vessels, who know that the Idols (whom you call gods) are nothing and that there is but one ever liueinge God: by whom we live and are moved, and have our being, without the knowledge of whom we cannot live unless we will be worse thē beasts, altogether careless of his benifitesso plentuouselye set forth in the wonderful workemanshippe and creation of the world wherein his everlasting pour and godhead is so plain, that all men are without excuse (as Paul faith) that will not se it, be thank full for it, and glorify him as God, but deceived by their own thoughts, sticking to their own wisdom, which is uerie foleishe, do change the glory▪ of the immortal God, to the mortal and corruptible creature. And though Augustine (speakeinge of the trinite) do did us remember our own weakness, and though Solomon say, that who so shercheth the majesty, shall be oppressed of the glory • yet ought we not thereby to be driven to the duluesse of asses and daweishe doteage of Idiotes, so that if any profitable thing be propouned, we should not regard it, if any holy thing be revealed and disclosed, we should despise it. If the father of life do cōmunicat and show anything, that we should rather ren to the darkness, then to the light which he publisheth at his time appointed. You are very fond therefore, if you reason thus. Thou mayest not search such things as pass man's capacity? therefore thou mayste not meddle with the sacraments that we priests do minister. You must first prove that the sacraments which were instituted for the knowledge of mā to enstructe him in high mysteries: be impossible for mā to cōprehende, wherein you shall adjoin and compel to gether. ii. cōtraries that is to say, to make that impossible to be known which Christ commanded all mē not only to know, but also to do the same▪ in his remembrance. But this is the juggling of thē that will blind their scholars, to bind thē to be believe whatsoever thei shall hear thē babble. And if any mā ask thē a reason of their saieinges: thei will stop their mouths with so it is, & thus it is, but we know not howe. These are high mysteries, they are not to be searched, but it is enough for the to believe as our holy father of Rome and mother holy •… church hath believed these thousands yer •… If thou ask still, howe can this be▪ thou shall • be called an heretic a Caparnaite, & yet doth Christ (our savior and good school master (bid us search the scriptures, for they bear witness of him and his doctrine. By searcheinge the scriptures: our faith is estashed, and our knowledge increased in all such sacraments as are given for the exercise of our • ayeth, and confession of the same. For this were to open a lie to report any man to •… fect in the Christian faith, & yet the same •… weth not what is done in the chief sacrament • s and ceremonies of Christ's religion. For seeing that the sacraments are set up for our learning, as things whereby we may be led as it wer by • he hand and sensibly, from things sensible, unto things that are insensible, & cannot be comprehended by the pour of the senses. How can our minds be stirred up by such things as ar and must be hid and unknown unto us? Yea howe can it be unknown that is done in the sacraments seeing that we our selves bring the substance of the sacraments. We make the prayers in the sacraments & Christ, the author of the sacraments, hath taught us what they do mean and signify.

Agayne, you bring for your purposse against us▪ the saying of Ecclesiasticus. Serch not things that thou canst not reach, and such as be above thy strength. But what so ever God commandeth to do, think on thē ever, and in many of God his works, be not over curious.

Verily, we know not that your Idole hath any work of God in it, as Baruch saith. As for our strength and capacity, first the spirit and the spiritual cōpareinge of the scriptures and spiritual things: do teach us that your cake is not God. Then the mouse and muldynge, do testify unto reason and senses even the same thing. So that now, our talk is about avile creature, whom you cal the creature of all, the most weak Idole that ever was named in the world, whom you call God and man. In comparison there fore, of our liueing God and savior Christ Jesus: we abhor and deteste, what so ever you name God upon earth. And therein do we follow the first commandment, which is that we shall have none other God, upon erth, but the Lord, that liueinge God, who appeared never in any similitude or Image: because the fond Brain of mā should worship him in no such Image, & so deceived, be driven frō the true worshiping in the spirit And for that cause doeth he in the second commandment give great charge, that man make no manner of Image, similitude or likeness of any thing in heaven erth or the seas, and that in no wise he fall down and worship them, being deceived by the vanity of his mind. Than if this bear any similitude or likeness of any earthly thing: how dareste thou worship it, seeing that thou art cōma • ded by the mouth of god (the lord thi god) that thou worship, & serve him oneli

As for captiueing our sēses, which you labor so sore about, know it for certaintie, that we know our selves to have ben far to long captives under the whore of Babylon your mother of Rome, the head spring of Idolatri. And now we thank our almighty & ever liueing God, for our deliverance, & will no longer be led with tradiciōs and doctrines of •… ē, which have the outward similitud of wisdom, by superstitious humblinges our selves to thē that cause us to shote at a wrong mark, by an humbleness & holiness as it wer of Angels, in the things thei se not being pu • fed up (without cause) through their own fleshly minds, not having the head whereof the whole body bi ioincies and cōplings (receiveth nourishemēt and is •• it together and encreseth with the ēcreasing that cōith of god

Of this kind is all your doctrine, because it is not grounded on the word of God. I mean vain superstition and blind holiness. Evē very belied and misnamed knowledge, as this is which followeth concerning Judas and the wicked. For you say.

Judas and evil men, having the Deuyll in them, have yet received into their bodies, the host consecrate, wherein was the body of Christ God and man.

Now must we of necessity demand of you, what felowshippe there could be of light and darkness, life and death, Christ and Belzabub, God and the Deuyll. Scripture teacheth us, that the wicked have the Deuyll dwelling in them, and the faithful have Christ and the spirit of Christ dwelling in them. But howe Christ and the Deuyl can dwell together: I am right sure you cannot declare. The good spirit departed from Saul, and the wicked did entre into him. Likewyse the Deuyll possessed Judas wholly when he ran busily about his mischief, for God departed from him immediately after the soppe was given him. We must therefore at all times make our bodies temples of the holy go • te, and our members the weapons of ryghtuousnes, or else are we a dwelling place for the Deuyl, and our menbres prepared for vnrightuousnes. For there is no couplynge of good and evil together, heat and cold, fire and water. This is our doctrine that we have learned of the word of God contrary to that you teach by your Pope holy Doctors. We affirm that no wicked man (much less any unreasonable beast) can eat the body of Christ. Our reason grounded vpō scripture is this? No wicked mā or brute beast hath faith. But Christ cannot be eaten otherwise then by faith: no wicked man therefore, or brute beast, can eat Christ. Agayne. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life, and I will reyse him at the last day. But the wicked have not everlasting life, neither shall any unreasonable beast be reysed again to life: wherefore neither of them doth eat the flesh of Christ. Agayne. He that eateth my flesh and drynketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. But no beast or wicked man can dwell in Christ, or have Christ dwelling in him: wherefore they eat him not. Agayne. He that eateth me, he liveth for me. And he that hath the son hath life.

An hundrede places mo there be which move us to speak more reverently of Christ then you do (that is) that the true faithful man only may be parte ta • ar of the body, blood and death of our Sauioure Christ. Who as they only are parte takers of the life everlasting: so are they only: and continually fed with the food, which fedeth into the life everlasting, with this bread that cometh down from heaven, whereof who so eateth shall never die: who so eateth or drinketh thereof: shall never be hun grie or thirsty.

Now for your substantial solution, for the subduinge of the senses. You say thus.

The true church of Christ, hath subdued their senses: that they have continually seen such notable repugnaunce to their senses, and yet were not moved in their faith.

For this cause ought we not to believe their tales. Thys is like as the Pharisees might have answered Isaiah, Hieremie, and other of the Prophets, cryinge out on their Idolles, saying that they had eyes and could not see, ears and could not hear, mouths and could not speak. And feet and could not go.

They might have answered as they did to Jeremiah. Templum domini, templum domini.

The church of the Lord, chosen by God forth of the stock of Leuie, hath so captivated their senses that they have seen continually these Idolles to be such as you speak, and yet were they never moved with them. Let these tales pass therefore. For thus did the priests keep the Israelites captive in the time of Christ to their own damnation. We are the disciples of Moses (say they) and God did speak unto Moses. But we know not this Christ frō whence he cometh. None of the princes or heads of holy church believe in him, nor yet any of the Pharisees, but only this unlearned multitude. The Rabbies see his miracles, they hear his preachings: but they captive their wits and say that he is a sinner, and all that confess his name, they caste out of their churches.

Thys church, adourned and decked with much outward holiness, having their office or duitie prescribed or appointed unto them by the word of God, longe time together: rebuked the poor blind man that reasoned the cause of Christ with them, saying. Thou art borne all in sin, and wilt thou teache us? Now because in all ages this cloke and crafty argument hath deceived many, wherefor we will are no more what you of the church do say: but what Moses, the Prophets, the Apostles, the scripture of God, and Christ him self, do say. Of whō with clear voice and manifest miracle, it was heard from heaven. This is my dearly beloved son in whō I delight, hear you him. For if we should hear you in this reason, you would by the same bring upon our necks again, the Pope, his Pardones, Pilgrimages, Abbayes, yea the filthy Stews, maintained continually in your eyes, and under your nose, so longe. And yet in all these things you gentlemen of the church, have so well captivated your wyttes: that you have believed and thought the open mainteinaunce of whoredom (both bodily and speritually) to be worthily cherished, and that the one was seruiseable for the commune wealth: the other profitable to Christ's religion.

You have so longe deceived us, that unless you do bring the word of Christ with you: we dare not trust you any longer under the name of Christ's vicares, and Christ's church, which terms you do use (as appeareth by your books) not for any love you have unto Christ, for then would you persecute no mā, professing Christ and cleaving unto him only and his word, but be ready to e • danger your soul • for you •… therne. And by this badge of love should we know you to be Christ's disciples. In the mean season we will follow the commandment of Christ, we will not follow the voice of any stranger, we will plainly proteste our faith in the simplicity of lambes or doves. Yet will we always have regard unto our head Christ. And that is the propriety of the serpent. And we will stop our ears whē you bring in your inchauntmentes. For those words of yours are of wouderfulle force. Fyrste you do by them, call down into a little cake, or (as you do gloss it more fynely) into a few accidents: God the seconde person in trinity, who sitteth at the right hand of the father. Then, when you have wrought so wittilie and myghtely with Christ: you take man in hand, and would bewitche him to believe that, that cake is no cake, and that the bread is flesh, blood and bones. You tell him his eyes be blind. His taste and senses deceive him. His reason is nothing worth in your mattiers. For though all the miracles of Christ did evē appear as he wrought them. As if they were spiritual, they so appeared unto the soul of man, and were felt spiritually, as the forgyuenesse of sins, the healynge of souls and such like: so doubtless, the miracles that Christ wrought bodily, did appear in the bodies wherein he wrought them. But this strange miracle of yours. must clearly mock and delude all our senses and understanding, and lead us captive to believe that you can make God by his word, of a vile piece of paste. Yet surely (in conscience I think it) yourselves do not believe that there is so great power in the words of God For if you did: surely you could not be so bold as to burn it. For no fail, if it can make God, it can destroy wicked men, yea though they be bishops. Moreover you say.

Two things are to be considered in the Sacrament of the altar, one that it is a Sacrament. An other that it is the thing it self of the Sacrament, that is to say Christ's most precious body and blood.

Upon this I demand, what you do mean by this term Sacrament. If you say that a Sacrament is a sign or remembrance of an holy thing (as all your own Doctors have defined a Sacrament) then will we say (as the truth is, and as we have taught heretofore) that this is the moste holy sign, and blessed remembrance of Christ our Savior, which offered his body for our sins, and commanded us to frequent and use the same in the remembrance of him, who died once for us, and sitteth now at the right hand of God, a perpetual mean between God and man. And hear is the full profit, use and commodity that any man can have by this Sacrament. Yet this will not satisfy you, unless you have us so captive, that we will say after you. The Sacrament is the self same thing that it signifieth. Christ must be made in the remembrance of Christ. I demand of you in all other things, be they holy or profane, where you cā find me one thing that is both the sign and the thing it self. The holy Sacrament of Baptism is not so. The holy Sacrament of circumcision was not so. The holy Sacrament of the Paschal lamb, was never named so in the old testament. Yet had they as plain words for them, as you have for yours. For the circumcision is called the covenant, and the lamb is called the passeo • er. But you will have the Sacrament to be the thing it self, and the sign to be the Savior. For this intent no fail, that you being but the signs and shadows of true Bishops, your two forked cappes and labelles, the signs of much holiness and knowledge in both the testamētes, your white raichet, the sign of chastity and pureness, your precio • s shoes, the signs of precious fnote steppes in preaching the Gospel: may be accounted the very things thē selves that be signified. So should we neither loke into heaven for our only Savior sitting at the righte hand of his father, nor yet for true holiness in you upon earth, being satisfied by your signs and shadows, your lying Poprie, dumb and deceyueable ceremonies. It followeth in your text.

When we cal the Sacrament of the altar God, we understand the substance of the Sacrament, which is Christ God and man there present. And according to that understanding, we attribute all goodly honor unto it. And in this speech, the word Sacrament, signifieth and giveth understanding by a special significacion, and by excellency (as learned men speak of it) the thing signified, being there present, that is to say, the body and blood of our Savior Christ, which cannot be broken with hand, cā not be torn with teeth, or denoured of beasts, or putrefied. Neither can the bodily senses, herein bear any witness to the contrary, for they cannot attain that. But when we use the word, Sacrament, or the word, host, and apply the speech of it to such a matter as may not be said of the natural body of Christ: then the speech is verified in those forms of bread and wyne, under the which the most precious body and blood of Christ is covered, as when we say the sacrament is broken or molded, or altered, it is only understanded of the said form of bread and wine, being the outward accidētes as the qualities or dimētiōs, which god there preserveth not otherwise by outward miracle, being thē sustained: by his moste precious bodily substance. Then when they be naturally joined to the substance of bread, whereof that God thus doeth not, man's senses (because those accidents be sensile) may Judge for we se it so and those accidents be perceptible, by the bodelie sight and sense▪ and withe the eye of the soul in faith, we se the presence of our moste blessed savior Christ, who there is the only substance of the sacrament, so longe remayninge under those accidents, as the form of bread and wyne, under which (by the omnipotēcie of his word, it pleaseth him to exhibit him self unto us) do remain and contynewe.

In your first lives (wherein is taught, that the sacrament is god and man, and therefore must be worshiped withe all godly honor is intolerable blasphemy. For neither have you any scripture to prove it to be God, nor yet that ever Christ or his dearly beloved apostles, taught that it should have all godly honor. At his holy supper he cōman̄ded thē all to eat this bread and drink this cup deviding it among thē. To set up any new God therefore, not taught in the scriptures, is blasphemy▪ and the setting up thereof, deserveth stoning to death by the law of Moses. And Paul byddeth that if an Angel come down frō heavē, to preach any other Gospel then that which the Apostles have preached; we should take him as accursed.

And is not this a new Gospel, to teach a Sacrament to be a God? to teache that the bread (which is a vile creature) is very God, and that it ought to be worshipped with all divine honor & worship? The sacrament that Christ made and ordained to be a memorial of his death & redemption by him: to be made Christ him self, is it not blasphemy? A piece of past which was made but yesterday, can it be made a sacrifice to take away sin without blasphemy? If a man should call the sacrament of baptism god, and do all godly honor thereunto: would you not say he were mad? And yet is Baptism the chief sacrament, both because it is the first sacrament 〈◊〉 sign wherein the free mercy of God is declared and opened unto us: and that in it no les, thē in the other, we do receive the promises of God, and his holy spirit, to the confirmation of our faith and sure trust in him.

Moreover our Savior Christ saith thus of Baptism. John baptized you in water, but I will baptize you in the name of the holy ghost. And for a plain evidence and tokē of the same he sent down the holy ghost in a visible form, both upon the Apostles and them that they baptized in his name.

If you had so much in the scripture for the divinity of the other Sacrament: I would not so greatly wonder if your fleshly judgment did take it for a very God.

But seeing that with these scriptures you esteem the one little or nothing at all, and yet without these or any other like scriptures, you maintain and defend (yea and that with sword, fire and faggot) that the other is God and worthy of all godly honor: I cannot but marvel, and that greatly. Yea and much the more, for that you having the experience of the feigned miracles that have been wrought for the establishynge of the fleshly presence of Christ in this Sacrament (as I am sure you had by one Nicholas Geruis priest, who pricked his fingar in the time of his mass that the blood might seme to fall from the bread, upon the corpresse and altar cloth, as appeared at Paul's cross, within the. v. years last paste) should yet so blindly and tirānously maintain this deuelishe and most wicked error, I mean the deity and godly honor that you attribute to this sign or Sacrament.

If the whole course of your tale (which I have rehearsed) be not altogether Sophistry: surely, I never learned Sophistry: For when you come to tell us what is broken, what is molded, and what the mise do eat: then say you that the Sacrament is the host, the form of bread and wyne, and the vtwarde accidents, as the qualities and dimēsions. And this form, these outward accidents, these qualities, these dimensions, are broken, are molded, are altered, and must no more be God.

Thus you would blind us with your Sophistry, and make us to believe that it is God when you call it so: and no God but accidents, qualities and dementions, when you will have it so. Agayne notwythstandyng you do eat the same thing that you do break, and break the same thing that you do eat: yet when you eat it, it must be God, and when you break it it must be but accidētes & no God. Moreover, if it chance you to touche it with your teeth, and swalowe it down your throat, make it suffer heat in your stomach, and become passable other ways: then is it only the form, the outward accidents, the qualities, and dimēsiōs, and no God. But you deceive yourselves with vain words, and therefore, like as you do break the outward things: so do you eat and are fed with the same sophistical ware, where of ye dream. Thys is much like a man that dreameth a • the night longe. that he hath eat̄, quail, rail, and cur lewe, and that he hath drokē pleasant wine his fill: and yet in the morning he is never the less hūgery and thurstie, because he had nothing, but the fourmes, shadows, outward accidences, and qualities. But the little mouse is much wiser, then you make yourselves. For she can know the form of your cake from the cake it self. Paynt it in form and qualities as craftelie as you can, she neither will nor cā feed upon any such qualities or fourmes. Neither is she so foolish to be mocked with any such dreams. I speak plain englishe now: yea I cannot nor will not use any sophistry. And we all that be englishe men, do earnestly desire you, to tell us in englishe, what you do mean by those terms, accidents, qualities, and dimensions, which I do know you cā never do, unless you do reign in the bowels of sophistry. For thei are the peculiar terms of that deuelishe art. Yet amongst so many your subtlie terms you have one good sentence, howe it escaped you I cannot tell. Wyth the eye of the soul (you say) in faith we see the presence of the moste precious body of our Savior Christ. These your words are evē the very words of our belief. This is the thing only & wholly that cā work in this sacrament. For if it be the food of the soul only (as doubtless if is) thē cā not the bodily instrument meddle therewith. It must be received by the powers of the soul only, which are spiritual. But no bodily & carnal thing cā be eat̄ of the spirit for the spirit must be borne & nourrished of the spirit, likeas the flesh is borne & norished of bodily things. I conclude therefore, that in the sacrament, we do not eat bodily, carnally & really the body of christ, but onli spiritually as you have in this place said full well (with the eyes of our soul in faith) for the soul hath none other instrument, whereby it may take food of life, but faith & the knoledge of god which fedeth everlastingly as Christ saith. This is the will of him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the son & believeth in him, shall have everlasting life. And I shall reps • him at the last day. God send us soul priests that will teache us this food of the soul more diligently thē you bishops have done. For you have always told us a crafty tale, saying that Christ remaineth so longe under the accidents, as the form of bread and wyne doth remain.

Lo this is it that you doubt upon, fearing to make such play • e answer whē you bring in these doubts, in the sixtene leaf of your boke.

If there remain no substance but the substance of the body and blood of Christ, it must needs be then, that the same corrupteth, or elles when goeth it away? or where have you scripture to declare the going away of Christ from the host?

Before you answer subtly like a Sophister, saying. What if I and such other prelates cannot tell, deludynge one question with another (as the master of Sopistrie Johannes de lapide teacheth to delude arguments) but now boldly like a bishop without'any scripture, only because your father and mother church of Rome doeth say the same: you affirm that Christ remaineth so longe as the form of the bread remaineth, that is, from the time it is made, to the time it is devoured ether by man or mouse, or else • oth by other miss fortuue, or by mouleyng miscarry.

Oh foleishe & blind guides. To what filthy absurdities must ye of necessity be drivē by this fond opinion that here is no substance but the substance of Christ: and that this substance remaineth so longe only as the form of bread remaineth: For this form remaynethe even when the mouse rennethe away withe it. The form of bread remaineth, when it is broken, eaten, and mouldeth. And what so ever goeth into the mouth (saith Christ) the same goeth into the bealie, and so is conueighed farther. So that this which you teach of the real, carnal, and bodily presence of Christ, may well be called deuellish sophistry. For seeing that all lies are of the devil (as the father and author of them) these lienge blasphemies must neades be of him, and very dyuellesh sophisms to set forth his kingdom of darkness.

The spirit of God, and the spiritual doctrine of the holy ghost, cannot dwell yn you because you be fleashe. The spiritual eating of the body of Christ by faith.

How Christ, who sitteth now at the right hand of his father and hath by his death and passion paid sufficient ransom for all our sins, hath pacified the wrath of his • ather, by the taking our sins on his back hath gotten us life by his death, and wh •• so ever benefit we have received by the death of our savior Christ, this will you never teache and preach unto us in the ministering of the Sacrament and in your Pope holy Mass: but you teache us to gase and galpe at a thing we know not, which you say is in your chalice and is holden up betwexte your fingersto be worshiped with all godly honor under the form of bread under outward accidents, qualities, and dimensions And thus do you bliude us with your sophistry terms, that we cannot perceive what you mean. But if you would answer simpliciter (as you are wont to lay to our charge) either that this sacrament is Christ God and man, or that it is not Christ him self, really, carnally, and naturalli: then should this strife be son • at an end. But seeing that it shall be Christ, God, and man bodily present whan you will name it so, and qualities, accidents, and dimensions, when you will have it so: surely we cannot but of force call you sophisters. Agayne when Christ must be in the form of bread, and under the form of bread, I cannot tell what scripture you have for you, you go from your sh •… • nchor (this is my body) and other handfast I can se you take no • e. Then proceed you with your sophistry and thereby charge us with the things in this wise.

• i. First you say that we would have all in out ward miracle.
• ii. Thē, that if accidētes were made imp • ssible, the devil would require that man's body should be imp • ssible.
• iii. Thirdly, that the senses may not empayre our faith.

For the first, we answer, that we do re •… ier no miracle other wise thē whā we sa •… that Christ is the lamb of God. But you would have such a miracle daily wrought is Christ never did upon the erth even such • ne as 〈◊〉 her scripture testifieth, nor any common sense, wit, nor reason, should perceive. A miracle good for nothing, but to maintain your pour. A miracle that no mā cā espy but priests and such as give ears to pophish li •… . A miracle much more blind then Magipharaonis, for theirs did at the lestway s • appear as they enchaunted it to be.

Secondly, that man's body should be impassible▪ you ar the first that named it. Wherefore if it be of the deuel (as I think no less) take it to yourself, for it is your own term

〈…〉 •• l the sēs •• and reasō • to do service and bear witness unto our faith, i • like manner as the Apostles do witness the things that they saw with their eyes, hard with their ears, and handled with their hand •

We ask no forder sign nor miracle but those that Christ hath wrought already. But you must have •… ie new miracles to strēgthē your faith, cōtinualli▪ making this cake of yours, Christ, both God and man. And besides this (which is more like madness thē miracle) eve •… whoremoungar, dr •… ckarde and Idi •… shall have a God of his own making, so sone as he hath •… nbled▪ up. iiii. latin words. And that the devil may play his pagia • t among the childrē of darcknesse, he helpeth you forth with many pretty miracles, both by the appearaūce of the deed and other ways, as your lieing books do testify.

Thus may you worthily be called Gens incredula que signum querit, et signum non dabitur ei nisi signum Ione prophet.

You have the sign of Jonah the prophet that is to say, of Christ lieinge in the erth and rising again. Yet this will not serve you unless you have him impanate, and bodily, carnallye, really, by a wonderful miracle in an hundred thousand places at once. Whether of us twain is now more like the capparnites? You that will eat christ flesh, blood and bones as they required, and may not abyd that we should • eke in this supper, only the bread that did come down from heaven, as Christ taught: or we that have abundantly found this bread into life everlasting, and do cō •… esse with Peter that the words of Christ are l • fe everlasting, and not the •… heli eat inge of his body▪ We believe Mosses and the prophets, for they have given clare testimonies of this that I do writ, in that thei teach one Messias and savior of the world▪ We believe also, that which Paul doth say of them all, that all the fathers were under the cloud. Thei were'all Baptized in the sea, they did all eat of one spiritual meat and drink one spiritual drink, for thei drank of the spirttual stone which followed them, the stone was Christ.

We do believe all things that are written tuen frō the first beginning of Genesis to the last word of the reuelasions. But as you say we cannot believe your new miracles, nor the appeareing of the dead. No nor yet you bishops, priests, nor any of your doctoures forther then you bring the word of God in your inouthes So long will we say Ane unto you, and receive you most willing lie. For our faith hath hir only ground upon hear inge, not of every fable, but only the word of God. Now bishops consider, that if you will have us hear ani doctrine that is not grounded on the scripture (as your doctors, you • dreams, and visions) you cause us to sin For that which is not of faith is sin. Again without faith it is impossible to please god and as fa • e impossible is it to have faith and to believe the doctors. For they are one cōtrari to another, so that no faith can be grounded upon thē. Yea they thē selves would not be believed father thē they bring the scripture for them. Their own confession therefore and the cōtrarietie that is in them, declareth them to be flesh, and we were accursed if we should make flesh our arm and settle our faith vpō mans words, for every mā is a lia •

Of the words and the meaneinge, wherein the meaneinge of Christ is declared at large by the manifold circumstances and certain other things, towcheing the occasion offered.

AN other point of the diuelles sophistry is between the words and the meaneinge, wherein the devil shifteth the matter thus. Where the words of scripture be plain, evident, manifest, and cōfirm the catholic truth: there the devil diuiseth another meaneing, & adu •… eth his scholars that the words be nothing without the meaning, and therefore saith he we must understand Christ's words as he •… eut thē, & therefore saith the devil, be ware of the words & take hede to the meaning. Christ (saith) the devil) saith this is my body. But take hede (saith the devil) what Christ ment.

Thus far you bring in the words of the devil, you say. Now if you will give me leave to bring in your words following a litel after: thei will declare the meaning of these faithful interpretours of Christ's words, whom you do slander by the name of sathā & the devil: for non other cause (as I suppose) but for that you lack matter scriptures and substācical arguments. Your words be these

Who so hath the words of scripture per uersely taken: is therewith infected and poisoned to his confusion, as the Arians and Sabel liās, and an infinite number of heretics have ben. So that it must needs be granted that in the meaning of scriptur, is the marrow and kenel, the swetenes, the food & the honey of scripture without which the words be bitter shale and an hard bone without food or sustinance This must needs be confessed of all men as an evident truth. Hitherto you agre full well, but now, lo you braste fourth into your father like eloquence, and say.

The devil abuseth this by ca • ellaciō and sophistry, to ouertourne the truth in the most bessed sacrament of the altar.

It is a more ready manner of sophistical solusiō, thā substā • ical, form of artificicial cōfutacion, to cry cavillation, cauillaciō, sophistry, sophistry, the devil saeth it, when you yourself do speak the same thing. Forther more, you add hereunto, these words.

It is in deed a t • ue lessō that the very word of God is the true meaning of scripture.

If you would speak plainli & say, the comparing of scriptures which are the very word of god, uttereth the will, meaning, & pleasure of God unto us: you should make much for our purpose. If you say otherwise that the word is the meaning: you make the letter to be the spirit, the bitter shale to be the kernel it self for such is your own similitude. Yea If the very word be the meaning so that we may weigh no farther (which thing if you be •… ed in heart, you would not stick so much to your own interpretaciōs (I could drive you to much inconvenience. But how & whau the scriptures ar to be examined and the true meaning, as the kernel, to be tried: the old rule of all ages, may lead and teach sufficiently. That is that no one place of scripture be set or aledged contrary to other. But if such one place be alleged, it ought to be declared and made plain, by the cōpareing of mo places more plain, & by the sense and understanding agreeable unto the faith gethered of other. Read the rule of Augustine for that same purpose, how scripture (which commandeth any absurdity) is to be understanded Thē say you.

But for the opening of this sophistry: it is to be considered, that sometime in scripture the words be so placed and ordained, as the meaning is uttered and opened with the words at once and hath such light of the words, as they appear both to gether, and without farther serche, be strayte co • ueyed to our vnderstādynge.

If these words. This is my body, & this cup is the new testament were so plain for your purpose, that they needed no farther serche or interpretation: what needed it you to seek these glosses. The body is in the qualities, accidents, quātities, dimēsions ann other pretty words which I am sure cannot be found among the words of god noz his son Christ. really, carnally, naturally, and other terms of trāsubstāciasiō, bisides other wrasted glosses. That the cup is not the new testament, but the whole bod • flesh and bones as well as it is in the bread, and such like But by your strait slightes and subtle interpretasiōs, it may be percey • ed, that these word • are such as follow.

Somtime again, the words be such and so placed, that they bring not their meaning straight with thē in the same light: but more darkly and as it were hyd under the words

Your scripture Humiliauit, hespethe to fill your boke, more over you say.

When we read of Christ, that he said him self, I am a way, I am a door, I am a vpne: here should the meaning be callid for and here should good men say, these words must be taken as Christ meant them, For the meaning is hyden and appeareth not straight with the words, which be such as in their commune known sense? be not spokē of Christ but by a similitude, and in another meaning as the circumstances of the place do declare b • which circumstances, the words vary frō their commune significacion.

So likewise must we like good men: call for the meaning of these words (Thys is my body, This cup is the new testament) seeing we know perfectly that in the • onmune seus and significatiō: nether the bred is Christ's body, nor the cup the new testament. And seeing that we have so just occasion offered of the circumstances: First let us loke what Christ did intend at his last supper when he spake the • e words. Truly his intent was to admonish his disciples, that all the old sacrifices of the old testament (which wer but shadows) should in this only offering of his body upon the cross: have an ende, as he him self saith unto thē before he goeth from supper. The things that wer of me have an end, according to the psalm. Sacrifice and oblatiō thou wouldest not: but a body thou hast ordained me. And also to arm them with comfortable words a gainst the daingers that were at hand, both of his betraynge by him that did eat of the same dyshe with him self: and of his death and departynge forth of the world as appeareth in all the Euaugelistes, but especialli in John the. xiii. xiiii. xv. xvi. xvii. Chapi.

I beseech all christen herts to mark the circumstances, and judge whither they do lead Christ saith in the. xxi. of Luke. Wyth gret desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer. Christ joineth together, this old sacrifice of the passover, and the giving of his body in this only ceremony. Wherfor, we may not part them in searchinge the meaning of his work and words: seeing that, he him self coupled thē to gether, both in deed and speech.

We must therefore consider and mark, how and after what manner Christ and his disciples are named to eat the passover: when they eat the lamb only, which was only the sign or remembrance of the passover. In the passover, they gave thanks for their deliverance, whē the Egyptiās and the kings seed were slain. In this sacrament thankes are givē that the son of the high king is slain for the saluatiō of the world.

The lamb and the feast itself are called the passover. The one was but a sign, the other was but the remembrance of the passing angel. So likewise this bread or sacrament is callyd the body of Christ, when it is but the remembrance and thanks giving, for the death which Christ suffered in his body The cupe also he calleth the new testament in his blood, where the blood of the lamb sprynkled vpō the posts was but a shadow of the old testament and a token to the angel of godes favor. And this blood of our savior Christ is a cōfirmaciō and establishemēt of his testament, as both the epistle to the galathians and the Hebrews do witness. and the testament so long before promised was this

I will be their God and they shall be my people. Agayne, In the boke of Exodi, he commandeth them to tell their children of that great benifite.

So now when they shall no leuger speak of their delyueraūce forth of Egypt, but of a far greater deliverance from all the infernal pours by his death. He commandeth them to do this in the remembrance of him. Thus he going from the old testament to the new, from the old passover in shadow to the body which is Christ our passover off • ed for us (as Paul saith) useth the same phrase in speaking. And after that he had eaten this passover which he desired so greatly, he preached of his betrayeing and departeynge, saying. The son of man must go as it it writē. But woe unto that man by whō he is betrayed. It had bē better for him that he had never ben borne.

This text may somewhat make for the declaracion that Judas, though he were par takare of the same bread and cupe: yet he did not eat the fleashe and blood of Jesus Christ which he must neades have done, if the things had ben changed, and therefore have had euerlasteynge life, as it is said in John the vi. cha. Who so eateth my fleash. &c so that he had ben happy that ever he was borne. The most parte of the long • sermon that John reherseth, is concerning his departing from his disciples, where as after your doctrine) he mygh have comforted them with one word, sayeinge. I will not depart frō you, but will be inuiseble with you unto the worlds ende in a little cake. But he saith plainly that he must go from thē, and that he will no more drink of that fruit of the vine, unto he drink it new again in the kingdom of his father where he manifestly calleth it the fruit of the vine even after the cōsecrasion (as you cal it) and that the very same thing that you cal the blood, the body, the flesh and altogether. Christ saith this is my body. You mark no circūstaūces, but add her unto, realli, naturally, carnalli christ saith do this in the remembrance of me. You say, Naie, we will make a little cake to be Christ God and man. Christ saith, this is the cup of the new testament in •… blood You say Nay we will make. ii. sponeful of wyne, whole Christ, body, blood and bones Loke your Estatute of. vi. Articles, Christ saith, my little children, yet a little while am I with you. The papists do say, we have him hear still. Christ saith, you shall seek me, but you cannot come to me. The papists d • say thei make him and have him in there hands, there mayest thou seek him. But I believe thou canst not find him there, for Christ did give warneinge alitle before his death, that there should arise false Christ's and false prophets to deceive the elect (if it wer possible) with false miracles and wonders. Thei shall 〈◊〉 . • o hear is Christ and there is Christ But believe them not (saith Christ) for like as the lightning cometh frō the east, and appeareth unto the weste: so shall the comeinge again of the son of man. Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, and believe in me. I go to prepare you a place, and though I go yet I will come again and take you unto me. The papists say, believe in the bread that we have cōscerated, for it is both God and mā. Christ shall not go away. We will have it so that every shauelinge shall ma • e him a place in a round cake and break one pice of him into the chalice and drink it and rate the residue dry. I am the way, the truth the life (saith Christ) no man cometh to the father but bi me. Yes marie, • aith the bishop of Winchester (bringeing in the blind lessons of Damascene, concerning the worshipeinge of Image • ) by the intercessione of saints come we to God. And by the sacrament of the a •• tare are we made partetakers of the god head of Jesus Christ.

Christ going frō the erth saith (for the c •… forte of his disciples) whatsoever ye ask in my name, I will do it. But the papists will have us as • e in the name of other, and by the prayer of saints do they promise many ver •… ▪ but without any word of scripture, and therefore ought we not to believe them. Christ promiseth none other comforter but the spirit of truth which shall dwell with us forever. The papists promise comfortin all dead creatures.

Again Let not your hert be troubled (saith Christ) nor be ye afraid though I go: I do lean my pease with you, I give you my peace. Not as the world giveth, do I give it unto you. Well say the papists If thou say that Christ is gone: thou shalt have little peace among us, keep the peace of Christ as well as thou canst. For we have him whē we lust, bodielie, really naturallye, carnally, present. But O you papists, all your words ende in a lie. For Christ saith, You have heard that I have said unto you I go and come again to you. And if you loved me suerli you would rejoice: that I said, I go unto my father. You papists (I say) do ye not believe that Christ died, did rise again, ascended into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of the father bodily, really naturally, carually, that is to say in plain euglishe, in body: in substance as he was a natural man and very flesh taken of the virgyne Marie? If you did believe this thing you would rejoice that man is so highly exalted, that our kind is so far above, the angelles auaunced that we have our bishop not in the erth but in the heavens, not offering often times for our sins (which were imperfection) but once for all making perfect forever, so many as by him will go unto the father.

Agayne Christ saith. I am the very vine, and my father is the housbande man▪ I am the vine, and you are the branches. And continuinge in these parables (which he accustomed his speech unto in all his sermons, and now moste specially towards his death) he opened his mysteries, for to rauishe the minds of his disciples, that he might prynte them the better in their memory, and contrariwyse that the wicked should hear with their ears and not understand, see with their eyes and not perceive, as Christ alledgeth out of the. vi. of Isaiah: in the. xiii. of Math.

Thus is the high wisdom of God, always used from the beginning. In Moses with his figures. In Solomon with his Proverbs. And right so in all the scriptures, to the intent that the precious Margarite should not be caste to the hogs. He wonderfully enstructed his disciples of his departing. Sometyme in parabbles, so •… time without parables, in this and the. ii. chapters following. Whereas he might have conforted them substancially •… t one word (as you teache) if he had said. I will not go from you, for always when you will have me, do only blow these. iiii. words (this i • my body) over a little bread, and you shall have me straighte ways at hand. But oh blind guides, Christ telleth you, that the flesh profiteth nothing, though you have it present, as the Jews, Judas, and the bishops had. Yea though Judas had eaten it (as you write that he did) in the supper. No though he had eaten him alive when he kyssed and betrayed him. Though he had then eaten Christ, I say, even as he went on the ground, which is the thing that you do so sore strive about, that he must be eaten as he went on the earth, saving only that this must be done invisibly. Thoughe (as you say) he were thus eat̄ in flesh, Christ saith, the flesh profiteth nothing at all. And where as you cal this the chief holiness and chief worship: Christ saith, his father seeketh such worshippers as will worship him in spirit and truth, and not in the flesh, shadows and ceremonies.

Agayne Christ saith, I did not speak these things unto you from the beginning: because I was with you. But you papists will answer. So art thou present still, though thou be hid in a box or a little bread. Christ saith now do I go unto him that sent me, and I demand of you papists: howe he went unto his father that sent him. Not the Deuyl, but the scripture and the angelles of God shall answer for you. Christ (after he was risen frō death) gathered his Apostles together, and commanded them to tarie at Jerusalem, and to awayte for their confor • our, the holy spirit whom he had promised to send them when he departed in flesh frō the earth. And whilse he spake thus unto thē: he was in the sight of them all, taken up, and a cloud covered him. And whylse they looked steadfastly up into heaven beholding his going: behold. ii. men stood by thē in white garments which said. Ye men of Galesee, why stand you gasyng up into heaven? Thys same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come as you have seen him go into heaven. He is gone none otherwise but in the flesh: his flesh therefore is not in the bread. When he cometh again, he shall come visibly, even as he went in the sight of them all, as the angelles witness. He is not therefore invisible in the bread. Now this your opinion of his being upon the earth in the flesh, and suffering of him self to be hid in a little box, and such cakes, whereof an hundrede are scarce worth one halfpeny: is to shameful. There is no reverence of God in his son remaynynge i •… your hearts. And therefore (as the Prophe •… Osee saith) though God show the truth of his law never so often unto you: yet do you take it but for a strange doctrine. Whereas they do sacrifice (saith the Prophet offering the flesh and eating it: the Lord will have no pleasure therein, but will remember their wickedness, and punish their sins. Israel would turn again into Egypt to the flesh pots. They put flesh their arm, which is meant by seekinge to Egypt. In many places of the kings also. Yea always, both in figures and open words, the following of the flesh and outward holiness (which is communely voied of the spirit) is sore rebuked & grievously punished. Therefore addeth the prophet. They have forgotten him that made them, they build churches and Judah maketh many strong bulworkes. I will therefore send a fire into their cities, and it shall consume their palaices.

Agayne saith Ose. As for the Prophet you hold him a fole, a • d him that is rich in the spirit for a mad man. So great is your wickedness. Fleshe you are, flesh you seek, voied and destitute altogether of the spirit of God, the only author of all truth and unfeigned holiness.

Christ saith, I tell you truth it is profitable to you that I go, for if I do not go frō you: the spirit of comfort cannot come unto you. But if I go, I shall send him unto you. These words were first proved true in the Apostles, which were conforted by the spirit after their mournyng for the bobily absence of their master. And now also doth it appear true in you papists, that the lively comfort of the spirit is • mally felt or regarded amongst you, whilse you think yourselves to have Christ bodily among you.

Agayne, Christ saith unto his father. Thys is everlasting life to know the only the true God, and whom thou host sent Jesus Christ. You say & is everlasting life and the chief mystery of our religion, to know this cake to be a God, to know the wyne to be a whole Christ, God and man, where all faithful hearts must needs confess that it is no god, nor cā be god, what so ever is made with man's hand. For both the thing that is made (as the boke of wisdom telleth) is inferior to the man that made it: and because mā him self is mortal, the thing that he maketh cā not be god immortal. But I know your answer. The priest maketh it by the word of God. I answer you again. We can neither see nor perceive any manner of thing there, but only the bread that is made by the hand of the bakar, and therefore made and facioned by the hands of man, who hath but a borrowed spirit, and unhappy are they, and among the dead is their hope: that call them God's which are the works of men's hands. Thys is the error of man's life, when men ascribe unto stocks and stones and other vile creatures, the name of God, which ought to be given unto no creature.

Yea they are twice unhappy and accursed that do hereby make the creature abominable: also deprive the creature and maker of all: of his dew honor. But mark again that which Christ saith in the same chapter of John Now am I not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to the O father. Save them (evē for thy names sake) whom thou haste given unto me, that like as we are one, so they may be one also. Whē I was in the world, I did keep them in thy name.

So often it is said, that Christ is gone forth of the world. that he is not in the world. If he were here God and man what needeth these things to be so of •… rehearsed? What needeth the comfort of the spirit to be always appointed & set forth, and never once named for their comfort, that they should have Christ present with them so often as they lust to whisper a few words over a piece of bread:

These things have you occasioned me to speak, by the naming of the circūstāces. For thei are spokē in continual course after the supper was done, unto the time that Judas came to betray him. And I suppose you have no one place of scripture, that hath so many circumstances to declare it (not to be spoken as the words seme) as this hath.

As 〈◊〉 Theophilactus, maketh rather with us thē against us, for he seeketh the meaning by circumstances and stycketh to the words, in their commune senses, but we will not contend about trifles.

Sōtime they preach and sontime they write to the unlearned on this wise. Christ's words be true when he said this is my body. But as he meant thē For so he said he was awai, he was a vine, he was a door, but he was not a natural vine, he was no such way as mē walk in, no such door as mē do commonly enter into: but only a sēblan̄ce of all these, because he is our way to heavē, our door to enter into life, our vinestocke in whom we as branches be nourished & kept in life. And so likewise, whē Christ saith this is my body: he meaneth only, that it is a resēblaunce, a figure, a tokē, a sign of his body. etc.

These words cā you reprove none other wise, but the Devil saith, & so might a young sophister confute all your boke at one word & truly say, that the Devil saith it. But it is mere sophistry (you say) for in those other places, the matter showeth that they be spokē in parable. And why doth not the matter show the same here? I pray you, because you do say so, or because your father of Rome and his doctors did teache so ever sense he ga • e the primamacie and upper hand of kings & emperors these. viii. C. years, as you name it. If the presumption of longe time be a sufficient argument against the truth: thē cal again the Pope, the worshipping of images begun in Babylon setting up the Image of Belus and continued always in some corner of the world unto this day. But now you think you have hit the nail on the head, and you weary yourself longe about this matter.

Christ spake sontime in parables, but therefore we may not say that he spake always in parables.

You never hard us thus reason frō the particular to the universal proposition. But we being taught by the circumstances of the place and by the whole course of scripture, of the bodily departing of Christ, and of the spiritual eating of his body: do likewise open this text (this is my body) by plain texts both of the old and new testament, where one thing is named to be the thing which it only representeth in figure & shadow, as are these in the old testament. The. vii. fat ox̄, are. vii. years of plētie, and the. vii. leaneones, are. vii years of scarcity. Also the sacrifices are called the sins of the people. The red heyfer, is the sin. The priest eateth the sin of the people. It is the passover of the Lord. The circumsition is called the couenaunte. And such like. In the new testament. The stone was Christ. Thys is Helias. And by words spoken of the same sacrament at th • same time. This cup is the new testament, which you must needs grant to be spoken in parable and figure.

But mark the matter without malice. We may not nor will not say, that Christ did speak always in parables. No more may you say that Christ doth not speak here in a parable, unless you can prove it to be true, by some other means then your own words & writings, which are these.

Est signifieth being, and the learned can not be deceived, good men cannot be moved.

Thus bring you in false interpretations of your own faynynge to make the matter odious. As though any of us at any time (out of place) did deny the name of Christ to have his own evident signification of Christ's own person. But your malice and the Deuyl (whom you name so often) blyndeth you, and covetise leadeth you captive.

I could answer Cyprian with another of your doctors, but as I told you in the beginning (and as Paul affirmeth) our faith may have his foundation, only on the hearing of the word of God, without the which word what so ever any doctor bringeth: we may not fay, aue unto it, nor receive it, for fear leste we be part takers of their yuel works, and writings. Let thē beware therefore, that affirm without the word of God, that the bread is changed in nature, and that it is made flesh, contrary to the scriptures, which teache that Christ is gone in the flesh, and shall come again visible as he went, contrary to faith, which can seek him in no place, but where he him self assigneth (that is to say) sitting at the righte hand of his father, till he have made his enemy his foot stole, yea contrary to reason and the commune judgment of the senses, and therefore against all the knowledge that man can have in this world, following so much their superstition and outward show of wisdom, that they are deceived in things open by nature unto their senses.

Now whether of us are more like the Caparnites, we that profess (with the Apostles) that Christ hath the words of life, and do believe and teache that his doctrine is not carnal, but spiritual, and his words spirit and life: or you that carnallie and grossly do believe that he must be eaten as he went upon the earth, flesh, blood and bones, which the Caparnites did seek for: and the carnal disciples did flee from him for the same. All Christian hearts and spiritual eyes, may easily judge.

The Apostles sittynge at the table, did not fall down and worship this bread, newlie made God, as you call it, which is an evident argument that they had it in no such estimation as you have it. And that they made no demand or questian, (as they did at other times) of doubts in Christ's speaking: may be a token that they were used and exercised, with the familiar phrase of ea • ynge Christ by faith, and therefore was it comfortable to them to be taught presently in open signs, howe they should ever after have him in remembrance, in his absence. That they had this matter in no admiration: is an euidente argument that they did take it for no such strange miracle, above all miracles (as you do make it) for the circumstaūces, as we have largely spoken before, and for the plainness of the words, we merueyle why you will dark them with your terms of really, carnallie, and such other. Why you • y • de glosses, saying. Thys is in the form, qualities, quantities, and accidents of bread, and do not say plainly, this bread is the body of Christ, God and man. This cup is the self same new testament that God did swear by him self he would perform unto Abraham.

And even like as the • uppe is not the testament, but the sign of the testament made before unto the fathers, and now performed in the death of Christ the unspotted lamb: so this bread which we see is not the flesh of Christ given for the life of the world. For then the world might have been saved, and the sins done away by the offering of the bread longe before Christ • ad suffered. For you do moste blasphemouslie teache, that the offering of the same bread doeth take away sins, notwithstanding that Christ hath by his own only suffering, fully satisfied and taken them away. But to your words again.

I think it much better to pretermitte further occasion of that might be my praise, to expound unto you the scriptures.

Byshoppe Stephane. You need very little to fear this matter. For I never hard man praise you, nor but few of your fellows for expoundynge of the scriptures. But for burning them I hear many men talk much of you, and say it is no me • ueyle though you hate them, because you were brought up in the Popes law, who in his moste high holiness treadeth the holy word of God under his wicked feet. In the bringing in of your greek author, where you taunte them that love not your Popish bablynge in the latin tongue, that no man understandeth, sclaunderynge them that they love not the latin tongue (wherein no doubt they labor more and are greater fartherers then you can or will be) it might right well have been passed over with silence, if you had loved your own honesty. For you and all the Popish Prelates in the world, are not able to justify it, that you should thus babble before the people in a tongue they do not understand, if we moghte be heard with indifferent justice. But you have the world on your side, because you are of the world and the world loveth his own. And the light is come into the world, but man loveth darkness more then the light. It must needs be true that Christ our master saith to the Prelates before your time. The world cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I do wytuesse of it that the works of it be evil.

The answer to Doctoure Damascene, whom Wynchester rehearseth in greek.

FOr the testimony of Damascene) whō you bring in as your chief witness) this I have to say. Fyrste, he is a suspected person, being at the time when the Pomp of the Roman bishop or Antichrist, began to exalte him self above every thing, that was god and godly.

Secondly, he maintained Idolatry with such contention, that he deserved to have his right hand stryken of, and hanged in the markette place as an open offender, • oeth in that crime and other, whereof he was before the Emperor Leo accused and condemned.

Thyrdelie, you would mayuteyne his honesty by the witness of an honest man, Ecolampadius. But we discharge you of this testimony, even-by the testimony of the same Ecolampadius, in the beginning of his boke which he did write concerning the words of the supper, and reproved your blindness even by your own Doctors. I am not minded said this great Clerke Ecolampadius (who translated your Doctoure Dasmascen) to accuse and publyshe to their shame, Thomas Aquinates, neither Alberte, nor yet Dunsse, nor any of the new fellows: but Peter the patcher of the sētences: whom they call their master, who also hath rubbed his error upon other that patche up other men's writings: As Damascene, and Gracian did. Agayne a little after. Peradventure Damascene and other that followed him. write in such sort, but the reader that is wise can be little moved thereby. For he doeth by many arguments declare him self, neither to be sound nor substantial. Agayne, Lyke as Paul said. When I was a child, I did speak like a child: saith he. When I had small knowledge, and had all things in admiration, without judgment, I did write some things which now I do not only not defend, but I wish them abolyshed and burned, if they be vnprofitablie published in any place, and if I obtain my desire therein, I will be glad and rejoice. By like this boke of Damascene (which he had translated) was one of them which he did not greatly allow: for it was not published whylse Ecolampadius lived: but after his death, within these six years.

Surely, Augustine, in that he made a boke of retractations, willing us to receive the writings of no man farther then they are agreeable to the scriptures: may teache us right well that we may refuse Damascene: I will therefore ask none of your fellows: whether you be an honest man. But I will try both Damascene and all your Doctors, by the infallible testimony of the word of God. And because you do defend him with a miracle: we put you out of doubt: such lying miracles, openly maynteynynge Idolatry', cause us to give the less credit unto him. For Christ saith, that Antichrist shall come with wonders and lying signs, in such sort, that the very elect (if it were possible) shall be deceived. Wherefore, saith Christ, if they say, lo here is Christ, lo there is Christ, believe them not. etc.

Irenaeus writing against heresies, at the beginning of this iuglynge about this Sacrament in his time witnesseth, that there was one Marcus Magnus the scholar of Valentyne the heretic, which putting mixed wyne into the chalice: did fain him self to give thanks therewyth, and caused the wyne to change color, sometime red and sometime purple, by longe multipliyng of his enchaunting words, that grace from above, might seme to drop down blood into his chalice, by his invocation.

And therefore he did covet that they which were present should taste of that cup, that the grace, which was called down by his enchauntment, might also drope upon them. Again, he gave • uppes of mixed wine unto women cōmaundeinge them to give thanks in his presens. And when they had so done, he toke a much greater chalise than the other which he had given to the woman, and poured out of the cupe, wherein the Eucharistia and thankes geueing of the womā was made: into the other greater cup, and reherseing his charms, he caused the grater cup to be filled with the wine that was in the cup that was much less, and yet did there remain some in the other. Other strāg things this Marcus wrought, wherbi he drew many to his madness. The prophaue histories do tell us of an hundred strange wonders wrought by the devil: Li • ius saith that blood did flowe out of the thoumbe of the Image of Jupiter which stood in mount albino. He saith also, that it rained flesh at Rome. Julius saith that the erth did flowe with rivers of blood Cur •… s saith that whan Tire was beseged of Alexander: the bread did sweet blood on the table. The Sucerers of pharao, did they not work wonders in the sight of Moses and Aaron? But what neadeth us to seek for old lies and feigned miraces Oure time and our abbayes have ben fruitful enough of such ware. In every monastery, thou mightest read an hundred such painted and set up to the show in goodly tables, & all for maintenaūce of these two mattiers, which your man Damascene, doeth so stowtely defend. The prayeinge to Saints and the rotten stocks and Images. But all the sort of you may full worthily hear. Why have you forsaken me the fountain of liuelyke water and digged you broken cisterns that can hold no water? And, because you have loved lies, an have forgotten me and trusted in lies: I will descouer your shame.

Yet one other thing there is which canseth me not greatly to favor your doctor Damascene. He reporteth the thing untruly whereof he is called to bear witness. These he his words, where he alledgeth the saieing of Christ for your purpose. Take ye and eat this is my body which is broken for the forgiveness of sins. Like wise the cup of wyne and water, after he had taken it, he gave it unto thē saieing, drink of this you all What dare not this Damascene do (trow you) seeing that he dare of his own brain put water into Christ's cup, alledgeinge for his lie our master Christ Let them take him for a witness, whom it delighteth to hear Christ belied and his holy sacraments all tered and changed.

The •… reasoneth this doctor of yours in this wise, Is it not possible for God (saith he) which hath made althinges: to make the bread his own dodie, and the wine together with the water his own blood: 〈◊〉 your doctor will make moe creatures to be changed, then Christ named. For now must water be the blood of Christ, for all that cōeth into the chalice must be changed, and every drope must be the whole body and whole blood for the one cannot be without the other as you reason in your statute of. vi articles. Falsehode is very frutfull, and engendereth ever more new errors. But you loke for an answer to this reason which is clearly delated with so many examples. What doeth your doctor conclude in so many his vain w • rdes: Forsoeth that it is possible for Christ to change bread into his own body, and wyne and water into his blood Yea he laboreth the matter as sore as thought he feared that no man would believe him. And this is the thing that you would so fain have us grant you.

Well go to, were it not that we are ashamed to speak so unreverantly, lewdly and vylely of our master Christ: we would grant you that it is possible for him to change him self into bread, wine, water, stone, door •… e and what you will. And to satisfy your desire, we grant you no less but that all this is possible. But that Christ is changed into these creatures or that they are changed into Christ's body: is not possible for you to prove You say, Christ's words be plain Thys is my body. So are the words plain, I am a door, a vyue, I am the fountayn of lyueing water, Christ was the stone. But Christ in his Godheade is vnchaūgeable, and in his manhood he continueth our bishop still, and is gone in sancta sāctorum, the place of most holiness where he sitteth on the right hand of God, and will take unto him no • other nature, no not the nature of angelles. Again the word of God is pure and no dross can be found therein. Al the gross blindness therefore, that you do admit in making Christ thus chaungeable into his creatures, and making one Christ that is veri God and mā in heavē, and another that is bread wine, and water in erth: shall be found abhominable, whē it shall be examined by his word. You answer again by a similitude. That like as the angel Gabriel maketh answer to the vyrgyn Marie, when she axed how Christ should be borne of hir being a vyrgyn: so dare you make answer that this is done and changed by the holy ghost. Your similitud is nothing worth, nor in any poyut agreeable, For both the angel was the mess̄ger of god set down from heaven for the same purpose: and the matter that he promised was prophesied to the world, longe before. But neither is your matter of this change, named in any place of the scripture, nor yet are you angels when you bring not the word of God with you except we should call you such angelles as can change them selves into the angeles of light. And to declare your similitude to be no thing fit for your purpose: the thing that the angel promised, was so performid that all men might with their senses perceive it to be truli performed. It is but a li • all matter with you to • elpe Christ, as you have done a lyt • le before: except you do belie the holy ghost also, and say that in his name, which you are not taught by the spirit of God.

Due error must neades draw another after it, as it appeareth by you. For after you have tied Christ to these creatures, bread, wyne, and water, you must have the grace of the holy ghost in like manner tied to oil and water, and straight after the godhead to bread and wine. Me thinketh you be wours then the Pharisees. For they compted it blasphemy for Christ (being a very man) to make him self a God. What think you they would say, if they heard you speak thus of bread and more vile creatures?

In his prayers, your doctor Damascene calleth the dead Images Sanctas et Diuinas, Holye and godly, thought you help to cloke him with more clenly terms, as you are full crafty in your generation. And now (saith he) hath he joined his godheade to bread and wine.

Now do I perceive, that the worshiping and high estimation of Images: is the beginning, middes and ende of all wickedness and blindness, as the wiseman teacheth. For after that Damascene hath taken upon hand to defend the dead stocks to be holy and godly: he careth not what he teacheth after ward. Truly, I would have wished more shame in your foreheade, thē to have brought in such a doctor for your chief foundation whose words you dare not for shame report truly as they lie. Agayne where we be taught to cal upon the father in the name of his son Christ, and that we have none other name under heaven whereby health is promised to men: your doctor will be healed by the prayers of our lady.

Ther is much other made stuff in your doctor, which I do pass with silence, because all men may judge him what he is, by that he hath spokē already. Yet this one thing may not be omitted. He addeth more over that the body cometh not down from heaven, and yet the bread and wine be tranfourmed into the body and blood of God.

Thus confoundeth he the natures, calling it the blood of God. He bringeth in new and strainge school learneinge of transubstāciacion. He maketh. ii. bodies of Christ One that cometh not down frō heavē, and another that is in this transformacion upon earth. Thys is your great clarke and principal witness, worthy to be set forth in all languages, and his learneinge enlarged with your annotatiōs, and all the conning and wit you have. You are much more mete to be an interpretour of such one, thā to trouble yourself with commentaries upon scripture.

But ask him how it is transformed and changed: and he saith, the manner is inscrutable, and cannot be searched. Yet will he not be ashamed (as thought he knew things that could not be known) to teache howe. ii. ways. First, as Christ was borne of the virgins marie Thē as the bread by eateing and the wine by drinkeinge, are changed in to the body and blood of him that eateth and drinketh naturallye: so are these changed into the body of Christ a boue nature. But neither of your similitudes agreth. For these two works afore named, are works of truth, and therefore do thy so appear unto the knowledge of man, as they are done in deed. Christ was borne of Marie the virgins, very mā accordeinge▪ to the Prophecies that were spoken of him before, and was seen conuersaunte with mē, the space of. xxx. years. But your miracle did never appere one moment.

The meat is changed bi a natural course and order, digested in the stomach, and parte sent into the veins, parte sent forth other wayse. But I cannot perceive what like similitude you can fetch hereof, to the things above nature. wherefor you renne to your shote anchor. This is my body. No man denieth but this is true, You bring the word and we bring the word. But the doubt is only in the signification and meaneynge. You say that (est is) signifieth, is changed is trāsformed, whē both the form remaineth still, and you have never one scripture that maketh for you: but many that maketh against you, bysides the lively feleynge of our faith, which must have God in higher estimation, then for to tie him to any dyle creature. Yea, the whole course of the christen religion, which acknowledgeth that▪ Christ is ascended up from the earth to the heavens and there sytteth on the right hand of God the father to be our mediator and mean whom he hath chosen there to reign till he come again to tread down his enemies under his fete.

We can therefore receive non so gross fōtense of the change and traunsformacion of bred and wine into the body of Christ. But according to the whole course of scripture: we worshype our lord God, spread thorough all over all and in all his creatures, Infinite, in cōprehensible, whom the heaven of heuenes cannot contain, and his son Christ, humblynge him self unto our vile nature, but now exalted far above the Angels. And where we find any thing spoken or writ̄ not agreeable with this doctrine of our faith and christē religiō, if a man do say it (though he take unto him the face of an a • gell by cōterfayte holiness) we compt him Anathema, that is accursed, bi the lessō of Paul. And all such scriptures as might serve for his purpose and maintenance of his error: we must confute with more opē places and testimoneis of the same.

Now where as you speak unworthily of God his sacred majesty, and his son Christ, haueynge not one like place of scripture whereby this word est is) doeth make a sudden change and transformation we have both in the old testament and the new, veri many, where est (is) is spoken of the thing represented. As. vii. fat kyne are. vii. years vii. good ears of corn: are. vii. years.

This is the pasouer. Circūcision, is the covenant. And, he is Helias, The sto • was christ I am the door, I am the very vine. You are one bread and one body: so many as be partakers of one bread.

We have & believe the words (this is my body) as well as you. We strive only a gainst youre glosses. We grant the omnipotency and almighti pour of God that he might have changed creatures in all these sentences. But that he did so is our controversy and this thing are you not able to try nor justify.

But you think it is enough to deny all this at one word, and say, this is not the figure or sign of Christ's body (no fie for shame) but the very body of our Lord glorified. For our Lord said, this is not the figure of my body: but my body. And even so, and more plainly, Christ said. I am the very vine, and not the figure of the vine. But your doctoure (as Ecolāpadius giveth warneinge in the begininge of his boke) is nothing substāciall. The text that he bringeth out of John: maketh clear against him For no man can be saved unless he eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blonde. Moses and the prophets were saved therefore did they eat his flesh and drink his blood. And yet had they never Christ bodily, naturally, and carnalli amongst them. It is not meant therefore of the carnal and bodily eateinge, but (as Christ teacheth in the beginning of the same sermon) he is eaten by faith, for so only might the old fathers eat him. And so doth Paul witness that the fathers did eat him. The fathers (saith he) did eat the same spiritual meat and drink the same spiritual drink. They did all drink of the same spiritual stone. The stone was Christ. Again, where Damascene bringeth in this text, he that eateth me liveth for me: it may prove plain, that the •• eshelie and carnal eateinge, is not meant thereby. For thē the wicked have life by Christ. Streight after your doctor cōeth to the point you would have him, to teach Idolatry both with outward gesturs and in ward affections. And upon this do you discant in your annotaciōs. But to handle this matter worthily: would ask a whole boke I will therefore bring in one only text, which Christ bringeth out of Deu. against the diuil. The Lord thy God shalt thou worship & him only shalt thou serve And whē you can prove me y ^t this bread, Images, or ani other creature is god: thā will I promise you to fall down & worship it. But if I should do it before I know I should commit Idolatry. Which thing was full well considered of the old counsayles, for they did forbid kneleing upon the same days in these mysteries. Now your mā scrapeth together certain figures out of the old teastament, to be the figures of this figu • e. And yet they serve little for your purpose. The cole that Isaiah saw, the bread and wine of Melchizedeche, the bread of proposiciō, make very little for this purpose, but that you must wreaste some what leste you be utterly destituted of scriptures Let all men (that dare for fear of your threatenings read the scriptures) judge the places.

Now concerneinge your unbloody sacrifice, it is to be noted you will have him eaten body, blood, bones, and sacrificed again for sins: and yet you say it is no bloody, sacrifice. I think no mā will be so mad as once to take your parte herein, notwithstandeinge the text of Malachi the prophet, which you rehersse for your purpose, but nothing to the purpose. From the easte to the west (saith he) my name is great a monge the heathen, and everywhere do they bren insēse and offer unto my name, even a pure offering for great is my name among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. Al men may easily perceive how little this maketh for your purpose

It is hard shift of scriptures when you bring in such places for your purpose, as do rather make against you then with yow as here after this shall be declared to do.

That the body of Christ cannot be cha • ged into our corruptiō: every man knoweth and believeth, and this is one reason that month us to say that this bread which is received into our mouths and so goeth into the st •• alie, and sometime is vomited up again (as we have seue in speak folk) & sometime goeth forth other ways: is nothing (the figure set apart) but very bread the substance nothing changed Wher your doctor hath learned to ca • it the remedy for all diseases, and upon what cōsideratiō you term it, the armoure of defense from all ad •• yaunce, the fire that trieth out gold, the purgacion of all fylth and diseases: I cā not tell. I know no such titles it hath by the scriptures, though your doctor allege the apostle for his purpose. Notwithst • dyng make it what you will, so you make it not God setting it up as an Idole to be worshyped: I will neither cō • end nor strive against you But the lord that made both heaven and the earth, he is the lord, besides whō there is none other God▪ He is the true God and savior and there is none but he.

He is the cole that consumeth wickedness He is the fire that purgeth and cleanseth. He is the lord the living God. As for the healeyng of all diseases: I doubt not but the phisicians will answer you.

Your doctor dareth not bring in the sentence of the Apostle truly as it is: for fear least we should call it bread as the Apostle doeth. But he saith. who so ever eateth the body and blood vnworthelye: he eateth and drynketh condemnation to him self. And this seemeth quite contrary to the text of John which he cited but a little before (he that eateth me shall live) for doubtless Christ cannot be eaten without profit. He being the food of life, bringeth life to all them that once may feed of his fleashe.

For this cause saith Christ, if any man be thyrsty, let him cum unto me and drink He that believeth in me, the floods of living water shall flowe forth of his bealy. But he that believeth not is condemned all ready.

Thus do we either eat this sacrament of Christ's death with fayt he, and thē have we life abundantly: or else nothing regarding the body and blood whereof we should be partakers spiritually in this sacrament we offend in vnbelyfe or lack of charity. Both the which things Paul layeth to the charge of the Corinthians, and therefore biddeth he them Judge them selves leste they be condemned with the world.

Agayne, where your doctor saith that this bread is the first fruits of the bread to come: compare his last words to the same and you shall se he speaketh like a doctor. These be his words, though you cloke thē with your interpretation. They are called the examples of things to come. Not that they are not the very body and blood of Christ in very deed: but because, that by thē we be made now partakers of the Godhead of Christ. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 But then by the contemplacion of the mind, by the only vision.

If this man's doctrine be true: we have not only the fruits in this life, but the veri fullness. For we have Christ bodilye and are also partakers of the God head. Yet in time to come we shall have him by the vision of the mind only, as he affirmeth in his last lines.

Oh how much better were it to follow the open scriptures, then blind doctoures? For the scriptures teach, that now we do see •… t in a dark shadow, whereas after this life in the new Jerusalem, we shall se face to face Then shall we know as we be known▪ we shall eat and drink at his table. Yea no tongue cā tell, no eye hath sen • or ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man. The glory that God hath prepared for thē that love him. Excuse your author as well as you can from the heresy of the Marcionistes, he must needs be in the danger thereof, so longe as he reasoneth that Christ's body is a spirit. For a spirit hath neither flesh nor bones.

Agayne when your doctor taketh upon him to make glosses, he descanteth upon the words of the godly enstructed Basilius, and when he calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the example: your marchaunt saith that he spake this of the bread and wyne before the consecration. I pray you who was ever so mad to say that it did signify any thing before it was taken to this holy use: but that it was commune bread, as other is which we eat.

Then giveth he warning like a doctor, that heretics should have no parte hereof, leste the margarites be caste unto hogs, notwithstanding that Christ suffered Judas to be parte taker thereof.

I know you are a great lawyer (bishop Stephane) and have been much used in the triynge of witnesses. I pray you what cre • ite should such a man have, that is found fantie so many times in so small examination.

The foundation whereupon our faith is grounded.

BUt I do take our doctors and read them with like judgment as I do the Rabines of the Hebrews. That is to say, to be mē learned and highly endued with knowledge of secret things, and therefore that they cā open deaply hid mysteries. But yet all men of judgment may know that they have their gifts but unto a certain measure, and as they are mē, so do they err many times, in the mattiers of moste weight & importance. Whereby is wrought the marvelous wisdom of God, who only will be accounted always true, upright and just in all his words, and that all men should appear (as they are) liars. If in any one man should rest the fullness of all truth, we would by our weakness very proudely swear into his words, thereupō establish our belief, and make him as it were an earthly God.

Paul therefore led by the spirit of God, taketh his master Gamaliell and the great Rabines, to no counsel in the setting forth of the high mysteries, which God had revealed unto him. No he would not confer with flesh and blood, that is, with any man, notwithstanding he him self was wonderfully enstructed in the law, and became irreprehensible therein, being a pharisei, that is to say, an interpreter, and (as your men are) a doctoure him self. Notwythstandynge he bringeth nothing of Talmud, he teacheth not hynge by the traditious of their fathers, but by Moses, by the prophets, and the open word of God, whereupon only faith can have his foundation. Faith is of hearing saith Paul, and this is by the hearing of the word of God, and not of man's doctrine.

Though you therefore, do cal this your doctrine of the real and carnal presence of Christ under the form of bread and wine, the foundation of our faith: yet were they never set in our old Crede & belief, nor numbered among the. xii. articles of our faith. And Paul, whē he said, I do only know Jesus Christ and him crucified, which is the very foundation of our faith, whereby we might be saved, though we lived in wyldernesse, or died upon the seas without this sacrament. Yea though we be murdered in your presence and by your formentes put to death, without the receyueinge of this Sacrament. For our • ayth standeth fully grounded upon this word. Wh • so ever confesseth Christ to be come in the flesh, he is borne of God, and who so ever believeth and is baptized, the same is saved. Add you hereunto what new foundations you please. We feel in our hearts (being taught by the open word) that no man can lay any other foundation but Jesus Christ. By whose death we die from confidence in all creatures, and by whose rysynge from death: we do rise again and do seek things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.

Of contrariety and contradiction.

THe Deuyll hath another piece of Sophistry, which is in conterfaite contradictions, wherein he useth for a preface and introduction: a moste certain truth, which is, that truth agreeth with it self, and hath no parte contrary to another. Wherefore, seeing the word of God is an infallible truth, it hath no contrarieties in it self. All the world must assent hereunto. But thus the Deuyll proceedeth to his cavillations, from things evidently true, by little change, to things evidently false. Heauē and earth have a kind of contradiction, Christ is in heaven where saint Stephane did se him. Ergo he is not in the earth, in the sacrament of the altar. Christ ascended into heaven, Ergo he taryeth not here. He sitteth at the righte hand of God, Ergo he is not in the sacrament of the altar. He is the creature. Omnia per ipsum sacta sunt. All things be made by him. Ergo, he is not a creature made of bread.

He dwelleth not in the temples made with man's hands, Ergo he is not in the box upon the high altar.

Your solution to these opē scriptures and moste evident arguments: is at one word, and that is this.

They be taken for notable cōtradictions and insoluble sophisines, and in effect, in all these arguments there is no contrariety or contradiction in the things, but only a repugnaunce, and impossibility to man's carnal capacity.

But I beseech you (good bishop) is there no contrariety in the things? Is not heaven and earth clean contrary? Have you so captivated your wits, and dulled your understanding, that you cā not perceive those two things to the contrary? God is the creature and maker of all, therefore can he not be a creature made of bread. He dwelleth not in the temples made with man's hands, for the heavē of heavens cannot contain him: therefore is he not enclosed in a little box, and hanged up by a bande. It is to much shame, for any priest, bishop, or Christian man, to think so unreverantly of the secrete majesty of God, as that he might be bound unto a place, enclosed in a cake or a little box, seeing both heaven and earth be full of his dreadful majesty, and we, what so ever we be, do live, be moved, and have our being of him.

He is infinite, incomprehensible, immeasurable, higher then the high heavens, lower then the deape & botomles waters, he measureth the wyde world with his span, and cōteyneth all enclosed in his fiste. Wyth him the light dwelleth, and the sun beams are at his orderynge. By him is ruled light and darkedesse, life and death, and altogether. Wherefore when thou can • t inclose in the box the rageyng seas, when thou canst catch the move in a corner a • d sparre her up in a case, when thou canst pen up the sun (being but a creature) in thy pix: then will I grant the to have power over things infinite and incomprehensible. In the mean time I must take it impossible not only by carnal capacity: but also by spiritual judgment grounded upon the word of God, & by the gift of reason, whereby all men considering the work of God in the cretion, may know their creature to exeell all creatures far, and that he can therefore be made by no creature, neither of any creature, much less can he be enclosed in a box of an y • che and an half deape, when the priest will •… mble four words in a corner: and there lie tied till he wax foystie, unless the priest lose him. Oh abominable Idolators, howe much doeth this derogate to the majesty of God? And howe far contrary is this to his godly nature.

Now, that it is contrary to the human nature of Christ to be enclosed in bread and sparred in a little box: thus mape we more largely prove unto you.

Christ in his human body, forsaketh the world, he goeth unto the father. He did keep those that were his, so longe as he was in the world. And when he departed out of the world, he desired his father to keep them. He comforted them when he went away, saying that it was profitable for thē that he departed, that the spirit of comfort might come. He promised to come again visibly and with glory as he went, and in the scriptures there is none other comynge of Christ taught us, but the coming first in humility to take our flesh vpō him, & afterward in glory, to judge all flesh, which things are declared, Math. xxvi. Mark. xvi. Luke, xxiiii. John. xiii. xvi. xxii. Actuum. i. vii. Rom. viii. Ephe. i. ii. Corhi. vi. Hebru. viii. ix. x. xii. i. Thess. iiii. i. Petre. ii. So that by the scriptures we must needs be compelled to deny the body of Christ and his human nature, to be now anywhere upon the earth, • or else with the Marcionistes, must we take from him, the verity of his body: and deny that he hath a body according to our nature.

This thing doeth Augustine handle at large in the epistle he writeth to Dardam{us}, unto whom I send you that stick so much to doctors. There he teacheth you, that, as he is God, Christ is in every place. But in that he is man, he is in heaven only, which all the scriptures do testify. And it is the chiefest point of our belief, that he is in heaven and sitteth at the righte hand of the father.

Now our faith which can be grounded on no man • saying: can seek him in non • other place, but where the word of Christ declareth him to be, seeing Christ him self warneth us that false prophets shall come and say, lo here is Christ, lo there is Christ, and commandeth us, that in nowife we believe them. But we shall then only loke for him when he shall come with such shine and brightness, as is the lighteninge from the east to the west throughout the whole world. Which words, though they may be well understand of the fall and decay of all these outward rites wherein the Jews and hypocrites of all times have set the high worship and kingdom of God, and also of such seducers as would promise them selves false Christ's and saviors: yet nevertheless as the spirit of God hath all things present, which are, which have been and shall be: so are the words of the spirit general, serving for all times, fit, apt and meet to reprove all abuses. And here may we plainly espy that they are spoken against all manner of bodily presence of Christ, both in the aultares here, and there in the bread, and in the chambers and corners where he is hold̄ up and shown between the priests fingers to be worshipped.

But if you desire yet someone place of scripture so plain that it cannot be resisted, by any glosses or sophistry, but that it shall stand plain contrary and cantradictorie to your doctrine, read the third of the Acts. That heaven must receive and have Jesus Christ, unto the time that all things be restored. The words of that place are very plain, for he doeth not only make Jesus Christ a very man, as Moses was, whose nature was not to be in two places at once: but he addeth also these plain words. That the heaven must receive this same Jesus Christ unto the time that all things be restored. Quē oportet celum accipere vsque ad tempus restitutionis omnium.

Thus do we proceed therefore. Christ hath (by his departynge, his sittynge at the right hand of his father, and returnynge again at the time appointed) so plainly appointed by the scriptures, one only place where we shall seek his natural body: that, so many of us as will not strive against the manifest truth cannot double, but that his body remaineth there only, where he showeth him self to be. We conclude therefore, that it is contrary to Christ's religion to seek him vpō the earth enclosed in a box.

Secondly, Christ hath shown where he will be until the day of judgment, that is to say, at the right hand of God his father, till that he hath made all his enemies his foot stole. Wherefore we can seek him in none other place, with sure faith to find him.

Thirdly against your whole doctrine, (that the body of Christ may be infinitely scattered throughout the world and your words a little after following, which are that the human body is not diuisible by time or place, wherein you do confound the natures of Christ 〈◊〉 give that unto the manhode, which is only the propriety of the godheade, and so opē the way unto two heresies) we have the plain testimony of the Angel. You do seek Christ crutified, he is risen, he is not here. Whereas if his manhode had ben infinite as is the godhead: thē should he have ben there present. For no mā cā deny but there was his godhead presently. Neither cā you escape by this cauillatiō, that then he is infinite, indivisible 〈◊〉 without circūscriptiō of time or place whē you will have him, like as you do multiply your cakes into millions and thousādes of thousādes at Easter, which do all perish as it were in a moment, for that which is infinite or indivisible cannot chaung the nature to have his bonds and finite order aypoynted him, Wherefore we do most truly cal God & his power only infinite: where man in all his nature hath his determinate measure of substance, quātities, qualities and knowledge, as appeareth in Christ (who as he was very mā) did not know the hour and time of the day of judgment of all flesh, was enclosed in the grave, and did walk upon the earth and appear always unto his disciples in that sort and manner, that at no time any occasion might be taken that he infinitely did fill all places, no not that at any time he might appear to be in two places at once, all his miracles do so faithfully witness and report the truth of his human nature, and natural body, which your vain opinion of enclosing him in bread, and making him infinite, goeth about to subvert.

But now when you have no scripture to prove your matter true, that Christ as he is man, may be in heaven and yet fill all the Aultares of the earth: you do renne to the saying of Isaiah the prophet. If you believe not, you shall not understand. The which words being spoken to Ahaz and the unfaithful house of David, that was afraid at the coming of two kings of Syria and Damascus, whom the prophet doth threaten to be destroyed because Ahaz will not believe: serve nothing to your purpose. The words be these.

If you do not believe: the cause is, you will not be faithful. And so agreeth it well with the words following, when Ahaz will ask no sign. Is it but a small thing (saith, Isaiah) to werie men with your infidelity, onelesse you do werie my God? And thus in the true sense we may ryghtly tourne it upon your own heads, which will weary both God and man with your braynelesse Imaginations, and will not believe the open word of God, because you are unfaithful. Then come you in with your Lordelyke sentence.

In this high mystery, where God worketh his special work miraculous • ie, it is sufficient to know that it is wrought, though I cannot tell howe it is wrought, nor howe it agreeth with other his works.

I marvel (bishop Stephane) that you wax not ashamed of your writing. You say that here is a wonderful miracle wrought, but you know not howe it is wrought: nor our senses, understanding and faith, (in which three, lieth all the knowledge that man can have of things natural or above nature, as is afore proved) can perceive no manner of miracle, seeing the bread and wine remain in their kind vnchaunged, as Luke and Paul do witness. So that (by your own words) you seme worthy to be one of those that affirm you know not what, being puffed up with the fleshly Imaginations of your own minds.

Seinge all the other works of God do appear as God made them, if they were spiritual, they did appear spiritually, if they were bodily, they did so appear, you might have added with like shameless forehead. This thing that we bishops do say must needs be true, though it agree neither with his works nor his word. For all men may see that you maintain both this and all your other doings.

But in this sophistry, the devil maketh mā to forget gods omnipotēcie, exceeding our capacite, & causeth us to measure gods doings by our natural imbecility: because we cā not be in two places at once distant one from another: we judge the same repugnant in God.

For soeth here you speak untruly of us. For we all do believe in hert and confess with mouth: that God only is almighty, and filleth all the heaven and the earth with his presence: even as sure as he made all things in the heaven, the earth and the seas.

This high estimation that we have conceived of god by lively faith: causeth us to take it as a thing clean contrary to the power of the almighty, to be enclosed in a box, turned or consecrated (as you cal it) into alitle cake.

But the manhood of Christ which was very man as we are (sin only excepted) have we already proved to be in heavē, at the right hand of his father, and therefore not in earth in the box hanged over the altar.

But Christ's being in heavē, which s. Stephane truly confesseth, was nothing contrary to saint Paul's true affirmation, that Christ was seen to him in earth after his ascencion.

Now surely both their visions of the glory of Christ our savior & the testimonies of the wonderful sight that they did se: doth both stablish our purpose and confute your error, but that you deal like a sophister with this word erth speaking it after such sort, that the simple reader should refer it unto Christ being vpō the erth after the ascētiō, which Paul never taught, nor any of the apostles. These are the plain words of the scripture, touching this matter. After that he had taught, that the highest dwelleth not in temples made with mans hand, against the opiniō of the hie priests: Stephan, replenished with the holy spirit, looking up into heavē, did see the glory of god, and Jesus standing at the right hand of god. And he cried with a loud voice. Lo I se the heavens opē, and the son of mā stādyng at the right hand of God. Here it is described wonderful plainly, that Stephane being upon earth, did see Christ in heaven, by the wonderful work of God, thus confortynge his first martyr and witness of the glory of his son Christ.

Paul likewise (prepared from his mothers womb, to bear the testimony of Christ among the heathen) as he went to Damascus, was so daynely beset with a wonderful great light from heaven. And then falling to the ground, he heard a voice which said unto him. Saul, Saul, why doest thou persecute me? Then answered he. Who art thou Lord? And the Lord said. I am the same Jesus of Nazareth whom thou doest persecute. Of this vision and such like doeth Paul say. Dyd not I see Jesus Christ: He saith also. Last of all, as unto one borne out of course, did Christ appear unto me. Whyche be the words which you do allege, as making much for your purpose. And you did bring in this text out of course (if you be well advised▪ against Lamberte, as though it should have gotten the victory, and stopped the mouths of all men. At what time I promise you me thought your Arguments were not so strong as your shameless audacity was out of measure which without any cause or commandment, did in the presence of so noble a prince, take the tale out of the mouth of your Archbishop, to whom in that Audience, it might right well have becomed your sclender divinity, to have shown some reverence.

But if the mind of Paul may serve you for this declaraciō: he saith in another place, that whether he were in the body or out of the body, he could not tell, but wrapped he was into the thread heavē, and into Paradise, where he saw such things as is not lawful for man to speak. Which wonderful visions were shown by God to strengthen his chosen vessel (like as the other were unto Stephane) and are written to increase our faith and hope which do believe in Christ bi them. I marvel much what fantasie was in your head at that time, and how it remaineth still in you causeinge you to bring this vision of Paul, for the confirmation of Christ's natural body to be present in the sacrament. But you are of such pour, that for to stric • your pore brethren, whom you compt worse then doges calling them diuelles at every word: everything is weapon good enough.

God is the aduenger of his people and will callenge unto him self his own glory.

It repugneth not to Christ's pour to sit at the right hand of the father in heavē, and yet to feed the infinity nūbre of his people, with the saine his precious body in earth. It is not repugnaūte to gods goodness, being creature of all, there with, in the form of brea • e to feade us his creatures.

Surely it is no repugnaunce unto his pour, thus to fead all that shall believe in him takeing the words spiritually as thei are in deed spirit and life and admi • no gross nor carnal vnderstandeing. But carnally as you do understand thē with the fleshely minded Caparnites, that the natural body shoude be eaten, flesh, blood and bones: a few men should devour it. But I am in doubt whether they be men that have so cruel hearts to eat man's flesh. Nam canis • aninam non tangit, that is (to you that understand not the latin I speak it) A dog will not eat dogs flesh Tel •… thē whether it do not abhor nature, that man should eat man's flesh. Yet se •… e you to have a cloke for this Scithian cruelty, in that you change him into the form of bread. In the which words if you show the spiritual understanding, that is to say. That like as the body is fed with bread so liveth the soul by this food of life, the offering up I say of the body of our savior Christ upon the cross, to save us frō death. Or like as we eat the bread with our mouth bodily: so do we receive Christ into your souls by faith. These senses and • uch like, being spiritual, do we knowledge and confess. But to eat Christ any other way in the form of bread, we judge impossible And to eat him bodili, carnallie, really, and substancially as a liueing man: it is cruel, unnatural, unprofitable, yea impossible.

In the which we say not that God is become the creature of bread (as the devil inspireth his menbres to report blasphemouselie) but that Christ familiarly, and of a maruailouse intier love towards us, cōsecrateth him self in those fourmes of bread and wine to be so eaten and druncken of us.

This Iudggeling have we touched before We cannot understand you bishops when you speak of your transubstantiation, consecracion and your chaunginge, unless you do say, this cake, this bread, this creature, is become the body of Christ God and man, and this thing is changed into that. For your demonstrative Hoc, this must demonstrate or show something unto us. But you clock it like a spiritual father, and point us the form of bread, with your demonstrative as it is the chief pointe of your professiō, to adulterate the word of God which teacheth that Christ did take bread in his hand, blessed and said, this is my body.

A wonderful matter, that it should now be deuelles doctrine to speak thus, not groslye, but spiritualli. This is my body, which words we would fain have rydde of your blind glosses, and do wish that all the world should have them taught and believe them in spirit to be true, as they were spoken and written. So that herby might be preached and •… h, the inestimable love that God bare to the world, when he gave his own and only begotten son, that who so believe i • him should not perish, but have euerlasteinge life: and not this strange doctrine never •… d before neither in the old nor in the new testament, that Christ. familiarly, of •… tier love towards us) consecrateth him self in those fourmes of bread and wyne, whereby you do not only adulterate the words of Christ with your strange terms and doctrine of Christ cōsecrateing him self into fourmes▪ but you would bring on flepe the faith and hope that we have of our advocate sitting at the right hand of God a continual mediator for us and bury that great benifite and singular lo • e of Christ our savior, offering him self once for all upon the cross, setting up a new Idole that the old fathers Hahraham, Isaac and Jacob, never hard once named, Bring einge in a new gospel and glade tidings, that Paul & the Apostles never preached. Wherefore by the mouth of Paul, we may pronouce you accursed, and by Moses worthy to be stoned to death blasphemers.

As for the familiarity that you calenge in coniureinge him into a cake: I fear me it will have this Answer, • ade post me Satana.

Now, to declare howe unjustly you do change the blesseing of the bread into these found words (Christ cōsecrateth him self) because I have shown it before, I will only note that, that Christ (always whan he did use the creatures of God) did bless and give thanks unto his father. But you do use this dark term to deceine the people, and would have us believe that straight after your consecracion (as you cal it, yea after your bloweinge, as we do se it) there should be such a sudden change, and insensible: as can nowhere else be shown but after your moste holy finger. And in your other blesseinges, whan ye do wag your pope holy fingers: they have, you say, like pour of holiness in heaven earth and the third place, I wot not where. It were great pity that these holy blesseinges and consecracions the chife establishementes of your popeishe empier, should be uttered to their worthiness. For then your triple crowns, proud miters, and bloody hattes would fall, your croyser sta • es & glittereing gloves: would be despised. For whē in your pontificalibus you do give your orders of Antichrist: you c • n not be content to tell your prosilites, that christ cōsecrateth himself, but▪ you say thus.

We give the pour to consecrate and offer to God sacrifice to pacify his wrath. Thus do you make the doing and offering of Christ on the cross of none effect, and set up your own consecracion. And For this is all your contencion.

God filleth haven and earth and is not cōprehensible to be contained in temples made with man's hands, no man can limit gods dwellinge place. God hath pour over man but man hath not pour over God, and therefore Solomon's temple was no habytacion to restrain gods presence from other places.

If this be t • we (as you dare not deny it for shame) why did the old bishops your prodecessours stone Stephane to death for so sayeinge? And howe dare you Byshopes brenne us for sayeinge that God dwelleth not upon your Alutares in your temples, neither that you can limyt him his place of dwellinge in your little boxes till he wax mould, & thē bren him at your Altaries end? If this be not to lymyt him a place, to challenge pour over that you cal god: what shall we cal pour? Fyrst you have pour (you say) to cal by your inchauntyng words: Christ God and man into your bread and chalice, Thē to create him as your own books shall bear▪ witness against you, After this to consecrate & sacrifice him, for the quike & the dead For this pour is givē to everyone of your mark, be he never so moche an horemonger drunkard or Sodomite. Accipe potestarem sacrificandi pro viuis et mortuis. Damus ti bi potestatem consecrandi, et offerendi placabiles hostias. That is to say Take pour to make sacrifice for the quyke and the dead, we give the pour to consecrate & offer pleasant sacrifices unto God. All this is said to everyone of your shauelyngs. Thē have you pour to break him to eat him, or keep him in the corporasse as you cal it, or in your pyx or where you lust, which are manifest blasphemies and gross blindness of the flesh wyteout the manifest word of God to invent such fond toys of your own brain as be manifest dexogation to the sacrate majesty of the euerlyueyng God.

And yet scripture telleth us how our savior christ, god & man, hath taught in temples, tarried in temples made with manes hand, and that he dwelleth with good men, and also in temples made with mans hand for the assēble of good men, where good men trust to be relieved with cōmun prayer, and refreshed with the most precious food of his body & blood and he is present and • arieth in the sacrate host

Thys do we confess more playnlye, that Christ the sonne of God did become man, did suffer hūgre and cold, was conversant among men, walkeynge and teaching upon the ear the, did all things that man doeth only sin excepted. But this doth not prove therefore, that you may spar Christ (either as he was God or as he was man) in a box, or • haung him into a piece of bread in your temples, and keep him out in one host consecrate, as you, call it but in a thousand cakes as you would have it. what like reason of conparisōe is between Christ teaching in the temple very man (as the scriptur witnesseth and all the people saw and hard) and your Imaginaciō of Christ god and man to be presently at one time upon infinite aulteres which no scripture •… o • s nameth, nor eye can espy, nor reason approve? Yea further, where you have no place of scripture, to tech that Christ was ever in two temples at once, or. in. ii. places at one time present in bodelie presence cōuersāt?

Therefore will I set Stephane the first martyr, against the Auctorite of Stephane Gardinar. And if men be not blinded with this man because he is a byshope: I doubt not but the first Stephā shall have the more Credite. The first Stephan (against the hypocrityshe byshopes of the old law, bosting of Solomon's temple and the holiness there only esteemed) confirmed with his death, that God doeth not dwell in the temple of Solomon (though it pleased him afore tym to show therein the tokens of his favor & pour most presently, unto all them that firmlye and steadfastly called upon his •… her) but he confessed with the prophet Isaiah, that the heaven is his seat and the earth is his foot stole. The highest therefore dwelleth not in any temple made with man's hand. For what house (saith the prophet) cā you build unto me? or what place shall I rest in? hath not myn hands made all these things: saith the Lord.

If this be not clear testimony enough: mark what Paul witnesseth with Stephā.

God which made this world and all things that are in it, seeing he is the Lord of heaven and earth: he doth not dwell in temples made with manes hand. &c. These. iii. faithful witnesses (Isaiah the prophet, Stephane the first martir and Paul the Apostle) are more worthy to be believed, and may be followed with less danger then half a dosen braggeynge englyshe byshopes (I mean such as you are) which would have such a new chaunglynge church as shall not be found again throughout the world.

Of the word instituciō, and how that the papists do make Christ to have a body Imaginatyue or phantastical.

THat you do use here this word, the institutiō of Christ, against the which word you do dispute so spit fully in your boke following, I am glade you may be found your own cōfon̄der And now I trust you will give us leave to name the institution of Christ, because you being a bishop, do use this term institution. But let pass such triflynges.

Again, that by the alteracion of place the body is not multiplied, but is all ways one & the same body in. x. thousāde places at once

Thys you do affirm in effect though your terms be darkened with variacion, the application and Alteracion, because you are ashamed to speak plainly. All mē that have any wit, reason or knowledge: may per ceaue your folly. And especially by that you have • o • other thing to prove your impossible proposition, but that the Imagination of man may be in so many places. Oh wicked bishop wilt thou make Christ to have • n Imaginatiue body, like unto man's Imaginacion or fantasy: how standeth this with the argument of Paul, wherein resteth the chief hope of our resurrection? If Christ be risen (saith he) so shall we rise again. If his fleash therefore, be otherwise thē ours shall be (as no doubt it is if it be like the Imaginacion of man, being in every place whē it lusteth) then is this argument of Paul but vain. Again if our bodies shall be thus able to be in all places when we shall rise again then shall we not rise like men, but like spirits, Yea like gods. Surely Paul in that he saith that we shall be like the heavenly Adā and bear the Image of him, like as we have borne the Image the earthely: maketh Christ very man, which must be the first fruits of them that rise again. And therefore our only hope of resurrection, is that as he did arise, so shall we in our fleash see our God. Thy • assersion of yours calleth again the error of Marcion, if it be not resisted. And your doctor Damascene, can scantly excuse him self of the same heresy.

The philosophers that▪ said, anima est tota in toto, et tota in qualibet parte, the whole in the whole, & y ^e whole in eueri part: thei could not se howe it was, & yet nevertheless toke it so to be, & yet what a cōtradictiō is it to say the parte is the whole? And further, do not the words of men spoken to a multitude pass wholly to everyone of the hearers ears indyfferently, that sta de within the cōpass of hearing? And if the matter be intelligible to them all, do not eche one hear and understand, one as moche as another, being the speech but of one and not diminished by the participation of the multitude?

You bring in for similitudes, these things that are so fare contrary as can be. For what can be more v • like and disagreyng in their proprities: then the soul and the body than the voice of a man: and the man him self? what a blind reason is this? The soul is spread thorough out the body: ergo the body may be scatered into places infinitely distant. What reason is in this? The voice and words of man may be hard of an infinite number: Ergo Christ as he is very mā may be in all places innumerable: vnlese you will make Christ to have a fantastical body, as the sophisters dispute whether a voice have a body or no.

As for your excuse (because your own conscience doth prick you) wherein you say that these similitudes do nothing attain to express this your mystery: you deser • like thanks with Albinus that was over busy in writing the histories, of the which he professed him self ignorant. You say they be in many things unlike, but you can show nothing wherein they be like, but in your Imaginacion. If you would have proved by similitudes that Christ's body is in many places at once: you should have shown and declared unto us that someone body hath been in two places at once, and than we would have believed you. Or thus might your similitude have served. The soul of man is spread throughout his members: and so like wise is the spirit of Christ spread, though row out his church which consisteth of his spiritual members: compareinge thus spiritual things unto spiritual, and not spiritual unto bodilily for they differ moste clearly in the things wherein you would have them like. For the body, by the creation of God, hath always his determinate quantity, and therefore his certain place. But as the spirit for lack of quantity occupieth no place: so can it not be in any place circūscribed or sensibly contained, except you will follow their schools that can when they lyft have a be in a box, or conjure a spirit into a bote. But these are vanities, and your argument is frō one contrary to another not from one like to another, for the body and spirit are • ontraries, and have cotrarye propreties.

Of the quotidian miracles wherein i •… opened Escam se dedit.

FInally to make an ende of your Chap •… which is spent in setting forth of co •… une and quotidian miracles, as the alteracion and dissolueinge of stones in the earth to norishe the corn and seed and such like, which are compted no miracles be •… cause thei are so common: it maketh clear against you. For if these things be well worthy to be had in admiracion, as they are in deed: yet for their continual course and re course, no man compteth thē as miracles or wonders. Howe much more vanity and fōdnesse is it to compt those things for miracles, which no man can either se, fele, or perceive: Whyche neither can be taught by reason nor bi seriptures, to be miracles or wonders, but are the imaginacions of Idle brayues, which by such fai • ed miracles would maintain their own holiness▪ Histories do witness that Hildebrand, otherwise called Gregory the. vii. commanded a fast for. iii. days, that this miracle might appear in his kind. But the matter was concluded without anireuelacion.

A like tale is there written in your popeish boke Idlay that should be done at haye a •… •… aye in Sussex. But remember always, dear brethren, that Antichrist shall come with be •… yed miracles and wonders with all pour after the workeynge of the devil and disceit fullness of vnryghtfulnesse

The text that you bring in (Memoriam •… irabilium suorum • t escam se dedit) smelleth of the porteous, where the psalms are so corrupted, that if dauid that made them were upon the earth, he would not▪ acknowledge them to be his, The lively spirit of the prophet is so far gone from them, and such aconfuse barbarouse stainmeringe is almost in them all, In the Hebrew the words ar these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 In englyshe, he made a memory of his maruaylouse works. The lord is gracious and merciful, he did give a pray to them that feared him, And he will remember his covenant forever. This psalm is written of the wonderful works of God, which he wrought in destroieyng the Egyptians, and saueyng the Israelytes, where in appeareth a perpetual memory to be made of his pour, justice and mercy. As for any fedeing of them carnally and bodily with him self, neither the Israelites nor yet▪ David knew any such But only they all drank of the spiritual •… stoue that followed thē, the ston was Chri •… And the word which is traunslated in la •… esca, in englishe meat: doth signify a spoil or a pray, which agreeth very well to the rich spoil that God gave to the Israelyte • at their departynge out of Egypt. Thus may every man (that hath eyes) se how they wreaste all things for their purpose. And though 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be sometime translated esca because in the old time they did get their meat by pray: yet do the papists falsely corrupt this text, For they read in their por •… teous Escā se dedit. He gave him self meat •… And you bishops allegyng it for your purpose, are far deceived As for the exposicion of the scriptures (though you do accuse us there in) even as we will answer before God at the great and dredful day, we have brought them forth plainly in the same words and sense that they were spoken, neither by craft wreasted, nor bi ignorance adulterated as many of yours may sone be proved, and that welmost throughout the whole porteous and mass boke, where they be wholly disfygured. The living God • e Judge between us in this crime, as he will I doubt not.

The vo • istes (whō you deride) I do not maintain in their seuses concerning the spiritual understanding of the scriptures, not being yet clearly opened and exercised, but in the hearts and consciences, whereby they did grudge and were offended at the open blasphemies and Idolatry that they saw maintained, and therefore went about (according to the measure of their knowledge) to reform errors. Wherefore though they did fail because the time of clear light was not yet come, and God worketh his work by certain degrees: yet so longe as they profess Christ to be come in the flesh and agree with us in the. xii. articles of our faith, we must acknowledge them as our brethren, not deridynge their simplicity, but releauinge their ignorance and weakness, with our wisdom and learning, as we our selves would desire to be handled. For if we should have ben cast away when we were ignorant: howe should we have come to knowledge? Their matter I do not defend. But in that you would oppress us with their ignorance: it seemeth rather sophistry, then any substantial argument.

Return you therefore unto our interpretation in the beginning, and the declaration of our fayt • , which you are not able to confute: and lay not other men's ignorance to our charge, And know that God (though he have a longe time suffered your ignorance and Idolatry: yet now doeth he send • you warning to repent, showing his light even unto the unlearned, and to little babes. For now is the time at hand, when Christ▪ God and man shall come down from heavē with glorious majesty, whom you hang up in a hand (if it be all true that you say) full vn reverently. Whom every whoremonger and sodomite, feareth not to handle: yea, and to brag abroad that they make him, and sacrifice him when they lust. He shall come (I say) right shortly, to make the wicked tremble and quake for this contempt, which shall then be confessed.

The plain opening of this text, Do this in the remembrance of me, and other texts of the scripture.

DO this in the remembrance of me doth much busy your brains (O bishop) and first for that you bring in the Deuyl lurkynge in so little a word as (but) you make us to suspect that he may lurk in a bishop, especially if we can prove that you bishops ought to be the angels of light, and some of you are now be come, both in learning and living, the stout soldiers of Satan, breathyng forth nothing out at your mouthe but the Deuyll saith it, when you yourself teach nothing in a manner but Idolatry and deuylyshe doct • yne. For what thing I pray you (answer if you dare for shame) is there in the world or hath been at any time, concerning any deuylishe doctrine: but Bishops have defended it •… In living (when you say Christ must be preached) Bishops ar • so abhominable, and so contrary to Christ: that ether Christ and his Apostles (which thing is horible to be imagined) or else you proud bishops, are the devils dearlynges. Whoso lusteth to compare the text and open word to your interpretations and similitudes: shall sone perceine your glosses to be of small knoledge.

For Paul knowing that such should come after him, as would not suffer wholesome doctrine: expouneth his own words straight ways, declaring them to be of the outward remembrance of Christ's death, which is done in this Sacrament, as in all other, both of the old Testament and of the new: and not of the inward memory, must be continual at all times, and not in the eating of this bread only. So oft as you eat th • s bread and drink this cup (saith Paul) you show forth the death of the Lord to the time that he come (as Erasmus doeth translate it) and after the old translation: you shall show forth the death. The greek word▪ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 causeth this ambiguity. For it may be either the present time of the indicatyue, or the present of the imparatiue: commanding the memory to be done. And so agreeth it with Luke. Do this in the remembrance of me. So agreeth it with the passover, in whose steed we have it, for they had special commandment of like remembrance of the work of God.

Thus agreeth it with diverse other commandments, for the merueylous work of God to be had in memory, as appeareth by Joshua the. iv. and Erod. xiiii And upon these are the verses of David known to be true. Great are the works of the Lord and worthy to be searched forth that all delight and pleasure may be in them. Glory and majesty are his works, and his ryghtuousnes remaineth forever. He made a memorial of his works. etc. The Hebrews do use the imparatyue for the future tens, of whose phraces the new testament is full.

Thys memory of the works of God, and high estimation of his loueinge mercies: ought to be had in perpetual remembrance, & therefore doth David brast forth into such words, by the vehemēcie of the spirit, saying. Oh all you servants of the Lord, praise you the Lord. Optabilis laus eius. Psalm. Cxlvii. His praise is to be wished and desired and therefore we desire & pray that his name may be sanctified, hallowed, renowned, and praised. Sanctificetur nomen tuum. Ex ore infantium et lactantium perfecisti laudem. The prophet truly instructed by the spirit of God: knoweth that he hath made perfect his praise by the mouth of infautes, suckelynges and babes, and therefore byddeth he that young men and maidens, old men and childrē should praise the name of the Lord, saying that this praise becometh all his holions. It was the course of the old testament (and the Jews use the same at this day) that the whole congregation, should (after the law and prophets read unto them) acknowledge their sins and give thanks for their beuefi • es, or elles promise to do the things commanded, and with one heart and mouth thus glorify God. And the same order continued amongst us till such time as you bishops by your arrogant ignorance did shut up the kingdom of heaven (which standeth chiefly in the renowmynge, praysynge, and glorifiynge of God) and neither would entre in yourselves: no suffer them that would entre.

Paul alloweth this general praysynge and preaching of Christ's benifites and woē derous works, saying. So oft as you come together, everyone of you hath a song, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Agayne you may all prophecy one by one, that all may learn and all may have comfort. But bishops will none of this. It is enough (say you) to have it done once for all, it needeth not to be done again. Yea you will not have it done at all. You will have us mūble all our life longe in a blind and unknown language. But the sermon and preaching, and showing forth of the lords death, must be in our living after the exēple of the bishops and prelates in love, charity, and the contempt of the world. Not in making a sermon with the tongue declaring howe Christ died for us.

Oh blind guides, you ought to wish that the name of God and the special work of his mercies, in the death of his son Christ might be moste largely renowned, praised and sanctified in the congregation, not only by the mouth of sucklinges and babes) by the lowest, by the highest, by the smallest by the greatest: but if it were possible, that the very stones should brast forth his praise.

And whereas we are all to slack and negligent in rēdering thanks for this great benefit that we have thorough the death of Christ: good bishops would encourage us and steare up this heavy slackenes in us, calling vpō us to be thankful. But contrariwise, you discourage us so much as you can possibly, commaundinge that we shall not every man preach forth the Lord's death in this moste worthy sacrament, but in steed thereof, you do by your cōma •• demēt establish your Idolatrous sacrifice, wherewith we must be fully contented and satisfied, and not so hardy as once to demand in it any one word to be spokē to the edification of the unlearned. So that your bishop Deuyll, lurketh in this word (not) more wickedly working his purpose, to put to silence the death of Christ: thē in the greatest (but) that ever was made. Howe be it if we might opteyne of our noble Prince (as no doubt we shall, if your Deuyll do not over renne all together) if we might opteyne I say (the thing that Paul commandeth) that nothing should be spoken in strange language in the congregation, without an enterpretoure: that we might all with knowledge, and not with blind mumblynge matte • s worship god & give glory to his name: your Idol would wax so sick (Idoubte not) that you should stand need of some expert master of physic to see his water. Doctor Buttes (if he were on live) could do it right well.

Whereas you deride this thing, that every man should make a sermon: I wish that every man could do it, and will exhort them that can do it (enē for the love of God) that they do it more diligently. For I do nothing fear that they will be over ready to the thing that is good. No, I have dwelled fully seven years in a place where I never heard sermon. But for the declaration of the text: understand that we do not think every mā bounden and commanded to make a sermō, but to rejoice & bless God. Which is all one (borrowed of the Hebrew language) to acknowledge in our heart, and (if occasion to profit the congregation or the order of the church and assemble do permit it) to confess with the mouth, the death and benifite of Christ, and generally to gyu • thank • together in comliness and order, that by the multitude thus praysyng and giving thanks: the honor of God may be amplified, and we the better resēble that heavenly Hierusalē, where they do incessantly sing praise criynge with one voice. Sanctus, sanctus, that is holy, holy, holy. And this is ment by the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in diverse places of Deutronomie. The words are these. Thou shalt come to the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him. I acknowledge this day before the Lord my god: that I am entered into the lande for the which he swear to our fathers, that he would give it unto us. Here is a like memory of God, commanded by Moses. Whereby (as in this sacrament) is meant a reverent thanks giving and acknowledgyng, for s • is the Hebrew word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 translated 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Iudicum. i • . Whereby we may perceive the word blessing to agree with the other greek word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Thus we therefore have by the help of the Hebrew tongue and the old testament, forth of the which two, all rites and ceremonies, and the truth of all the principal places of the new testament: have both their confirmation and declaration, and by the circumstances of the places: proved unto you, first that in this sacrament, there must be a general profession of our saith in the death of Christ outwardly, and thē privately, everyone must in hert acknowledge & give thankes. And if the profit of his brethren do so require it, or the order of the cōgrega • iō permit: they must with mouth celebrate and praise this great benifite, to the glory of God and the comfort of the congregation.

Your first declaration that we must have Christ present in this memory by faith: maketh nothing against us. For this is it that we do believe and teach, that unto the eyes of our faith, there is present in the sacrament, the natural body of our savior Christ, the same body that suffered. And your similitude of the married womā that will make an Image of her husbāde for a remembrance of him: maketh much against you. For this I dare say, that all the eloquence you have • ā not prove vn to a righte selêder witted woman: that the Image thus made for a memorial, is hir own natural housbāde, and so make hir do honor and reverence unto him at bed and at bourd, as you would have us to do to this very Image (as you cal it) of Christ, being departed in body frō his church, and leaving this most perfect Image of him self (and as you say, him self) for a memory.

Furthermore. If you could prove unto this womā that this image were the natural body, • lesh, blood and bones of hir husband: what need she to loke for him in any other place absēt, whō she hath thus really present at all times. What shall we say: Is hir husband gone? Nay verily, hir husband lieth hid, in and under the Image. Lo whither your blind similitudes do lead you.

But to prove his body to be in diverse places without any change of place: you had need to ask better counsel of your sophisters, and then we shall answer you again.

For the text following. Non d •… dicans corpus domini, making no difference of the Lord's body: which words be so translated in the Bible that you have allowed by Act of parliament. For the scriptures (such is our misery) can be no farther good and profitable for us, but as yon will allow it. That is to say, the last yere good for all men: but this yere good for gentlemen only. In the last proclamation, you condemned three translations and saved one. But in this your boke, you seme to be weary of that one, for you find faults therein, and will not have at read at such times as men meet together in the church.

But God is the Judge of your doings. You do not Judge and know that God is as presently in his words and scriptures (which you do burn) as he is in the Sacraments, which are made and take their strength of the same word. Oh bishops. If this thing that you do, be for the pure • eale of God's word: then take so much pains (amongst you all) as to set forth one trāslatiō, so true▪ that no man may find any faut therwyth. But you cā not hear on that side. You have burned five thousand: but of your translation we find not one. It is easy therefore to judge what your purpose hath been.

But to return to the words. Non diiudi cans. etc. Your english text is, making no difference of the Lord's body. But your own interpretation is, not understanding, not cōside ring. But if you will add thereunto the signification of the greek word (not judging) I will say all is true and agreeth very well. For who so ever doeth eat this bread and drink this cup unworthily, eateth his own judgment, making no difference, not understanding considering or iudgynge the Lord's body. Where he that doeth eat it worthily: doeth by his faith, eat the very body of the Lord, so often as he eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cup, and fedeth his soul by the rejoicing in the death of the lord. For who soever seeketh the spiritual food: he regardeth nothing but the body of Christ offered for his sins, though with his mouth bodily he receive the bread, the figure of the same. If any have •… scōstrued this text: do not charge us therewyth. But if we do take it wrong, reprove us by scripture. No man doubteth but that he is guilty of the blood of Christ, which taketh Baptism unreverantly. Yet dare we not say that in the water is really present the body and blood of Christ. He despiceth me (saith Christ) that despiceth you, speaking of his Apostles. Yet is it no good argument to say therefore, that Christ is corporally in his Apostles. But spiritually we must both behold & most thankefully receive our Christ in all his sacraments & in all his messengers.

The third text. Spiritus viuificat, caro nō prodest quicquā. In english, the spirit giveth life, the flesh profiteth nothing: maketh much against you. Yea though you take it after your own gloss, which is, that this text is a general lesson for the true understanding of our whole religion. But this gloss shall we touche hereafter. This text. The spirit giveth life, the flesh profiteth nothing: is both proved true and manifestly declared, in the. xvi. chapter following, where Christ saith. I tell you truth that it is profitable for you that I depart, for if I do not go away: that confortynge spirit shall not come unto you. But if I go: I will send him unto you, etc. Whereby it appeareth plainly (against your words) that the presence of the body carnally, is not profitable unto us now after his ascendynge into heaven, because Christ saith it is profitable that in body he should depart, but you say it is profitable to have him here in a cake, notwythstandyng that he saith, that unless he go his way the spirit of comfort cannot come. The example of Peter and all the Apostles (who were stronger by the confort of the spirit, then by the presence of the body) doeth declare the same thing. This thing may be made evident also, to him that with a clear conscience, marketh the same, considerynge that thereof chiefly and only we have cause to rejoice that Christ being very man upon earth, hath for our sakes overcome • n all helly and earthly powers, and now sitteth at the righte hand of God our perpetual advocate. Thys is the spiritual feedynge and not the fleshly, which who so feeleth: he will never route upon the earth for flesh anymore.

Of the profit of the spirit and the departing of the flesh, read John the. xiv. Thou mayst also mark in all the scripture, howe the flesh is smally regarded. As to be mother and brother after the flesh. Matthew. xii. Mark. iii. and Luke. viii. Agayne, Christ himself doth attribute the true bliss and in fallible felicity, nether carnally to bear him 〈◊〉 the womb, nor yet to give him suck of •… e breasts (which are the greatest things •… at can be touching the flesh) but to hear the word of God and to do the same. Thys thing because it is of the spirit only, profiteth and maketh a man blessed.

You do well that you couple these two texts, Caro non prodest quicquam, et quod natum est ex carne, caro est, spoken to Nicodemus. For in very deed they teache both one thing, and are a general rule of the true understanding of our whole religion as you do say. Which is that all godly life and holiness is borne in us (not of the flesh, neither visibly nor invisibly) but of the invisible power of the spirit, whereof we must be borne a new, if ever we entre into the kingdom of God, as our savior Christ taught Nicodemus. The which words if any man should so grossly interpret, as to expound it thus, saying, that by the power of God invisible, a man might enter his mothers womb, and so this flesh borne invisibly should be profitable: every man would laugh at his foliyshnesse. And this is evē much like your glosses, contrary to the which we have proved by the scriptures, that it is profitable that the flesh do depart that the spirit may come unto us, & that the flesh which in this humility hath once suffered 〈…〉 the cross, and done the will of the father: is no longer profitable unto us upon the earth▪ but now we must be borne of the spirit▪ all our comfort, all our hope must be of the spirit. For what so ever is borne of the flesh, is flesh, and therefore carnal, and no parte of our spiritual religion and spiritual birth. You add these glosses, that invisibly we must have this flesh present in the fourmes of bread and wine, and so must we eat the flesh of Christ really, but yet invisibly you say. And shall we by invisible flesh (but yet very flesh) bring life unto oureselues, and be borne a new against the lessons of the spirit? If the presence of the flesh in the bread be so profitable (which you can prove by no word of scripture, and therefore we need not believe you except we lust.) wherefor think you, would Christ rather hide him self in bread, then show him self openlie, seeing both are like possible unto him: He saith that this is the will of the father that sent him, that whosoever seeth the son and believeth in him hath everlasting life. Now for this doubt that you do move, whether his flesh be caro viuifica, that is flesh giving life: that it is so, is the very foūdacion of our faith, and we both agree in this point▪ But here ariseth the doubt, howe this flesh giveth life. You say by eateinge the same reallye, and naturally in the bread without any scripture. But we taught by the whole course of the scriptures that the spirit only is profiteable: do understand a spiritual eateinge of this flesh, which is taught in the. vi▪ of John to be by the beliefein this flesh, offered for the life of the world as it is taught at length before.

And where as you say that Christ did by these words rebuke the gross and earnal Caparnaites: it is very true an serveth still against all them that say Christ must be carnallie eaten, be it in lōpes (as you speak) or the whole body swallowed down all together, as you defend yourself. If you say (as you do) again in this place that Caro flesh, is taken for the carnal parte of man, then do you nothing consider the circumstance howe Christ laboreth in this place, to teach the people, howe his own flesh is profitable unto them. Thys doctrine of yours therefore, is confused to gether, makeinge the spiritual eateing, carnal, and the very fesh and body to be the spirit. For in your change, howe can this be his very body, which you cause to go and come, no man knoweth how • • einge he him self saith unto Didimus his body hath very flesh and very bones, and is not like the spirit. You make him like a spirit to come and go into thousand miliōs of cakes and aultares insensibly. You make him give life also which is the chief and only property of the spirit. And where you would cloke the first matter sayeinge that his body may be in so many places, and be insensible because it is adjoined to the God head: you must learn to be ware, that in no wise you confound the natures, as I have spoken before. And likewise, whan you say that this flesh giveth life always, because it is inseparably adjoined to the spirit: you must acknowledge the proprieties of these. ii. in sunder, grauntinge it to be the properietie of the spirit only, to give life, according to this text spiritus est qui viuificat: though it do (by the flesh and dodie of Christ, as the only instrument and peculiar sacrifice wherewith the wrath of God might be pacified) work in us that be faithful, the same life. And this same flesh of Christ, is a stumbling stone in Zyon, to the wicked (as the prophet wittnesseth) and is set up to the rniue and resurrection of many. It was unto the Pharisees a blindyng, and lively to them only, that were ordained to life, Unto the Jews which handled it, and to Judas which kyssed it, and (as you would have it) did eat it: it was death being of it self the savior from death. So that we may very well conclude, that the spirit only giveth lyffe, and to them only that have this spirit in their hearts, to thē I say, the flesh of Christ is profitable, and to them his fleash is very meat and his blood very drink, for they only can feade spiritually of Christ God and man. For it is the bread that cometh frō heavē (saith John) that giveth life unto the world. And this heavenly bread of the spirit doeth feed unto life everlasting, so that who so ever doth once taste thereof, shall no more be hongrye nor thyrstie after the carnal food. And as for your opiniō cōcernynge that the fleash (carnally eaten) should be lively and comfortable: you are not able to iustifi by any scriptures. And therefore beware how you establish it with your tyranny. we have learnyd this gospel, that Christ was crucified to save sinners, and to give life unto the world.

But that he must be eaten bodylye to give life: is a new gospel. For John in his syxte chapiter, doeth wholly declare and set forth the spiritual eateynge of the fleash of Christ by faith, as is before declarede, contrary to your carnal writings.

Whē you say that we make the scripture like a cōfuse son of belles: I do take all mē to witness (yea I dare appeal your own conscience) whether of us hath the scriptures in more estimation, You and your doctors which do accostomably preach and writ that the scriptures are like a nose of wax, easy to be tuurned to all purposes: or we that compt no lerneing of mā, nor yet ani doctrine taugh by the apearans of Angels, to be sure and stable, unless it be confirmed by the word of God and his infallible scriptures? A gain how lightly and unreverantly you judge of the authority of the scriptures of God: your • larckelye cloaked 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , shall testify to the whole world, wherein you are nothing ashamed, to recite, how that openly in the great cownsaile (like A byshope) streightwayes at your beginning (to be sure to follow the foundation of your Romeish church) you compted the authority of scriptures unprofitable for your purpose, because the sense thereof (as you say) may be drawn at pleasure to both partes. You cloke the matter with clēliar terms (O bishop, as you do all your mattiers) but in effect, this is all one with the nose of wax & cōfused soune of belles. Your words be these. Prefatus sum, inutiliter me verba effusurum, si ad frāgendam hominum pertinaciam scripture authoritati (vt nunc sunt hominum ingenia) inniterer, cuius sēsus pro arbitrio vtrinque distahatur. Judge (O you that do syte & have not your consciences all ready marked) both of these words and of the brennyng of the scriptures for loe here may you se the cause why the bishop will neither meddle with them him self in his disputacions, nor suffer them that would (so much as in him self lieth) but burn them and banysh the diligent interpretatours of them, because he and his fellows do think that they may so easily be wrasted to the madness of man. Oh what shall we say or think of such bishops: It is no marvel though you have your brethren in small reputacion and rail upon them at your pleasure, seeing the word of God is so smally regarded with you. Yea how can you love God whom you see not when you hate your brethren, with whom you live, conversant derydeyng, despiseing, and brenninge all that you can have of God, in this world, his holy word and scriptures. we take God to our Judge, that to our knowledge, we do not abuse the scriptures, neither write we any thing, but with such minds, hearts & conscience, as we are redi to stand before him and make answer at the great day when he shall appere. And because we do know the scriptures inspired above, from God him self to be profitable to teache, to improve, to amende, to enstructe in ryghtuousenese that the man of God may be perfect and prepared unto all good works: therefore have we it in such estimation, that we can count no learning good, but that is hereby confirmed and establysshed.

But let us▪ return to your first expositiō of these words. Caro non prodest quicquā, spiritus est qui vinificat. and Quod natum est ex carne caro est. That is The fleash profiteth nothing, it is the spirit that giveth life, that which is borne of the fleash is flesh Thys (you say) is the true rule of our whole religion. The fleashe when it is carnallye eaten (as you will have it) engendereth naught else but fleash. Then if it be but fleash that it engendereth: then have we no profit therbi for the fleash doeth nothing profit. Contrary wise, the spiritual eatinge giveth life and engendrethe the spirit which only feadeth the soul therefore we need nothing to regard the carnal eatinge, which neither feadeth the soul nor body, for no bodily thing can enter the soul nor no spiritual thing can feade the body.

Now, where you would myxte the fleashe and the spirit to gether by this solusiō, that the fleash of Christ cannot be without the spirit, mark what we do answer.

If we have life by the spiritual eating of Christ once offered for us (as thepistle to the Hebrews doeth witness) if we have all one spiritual food with the fathers, if we have lif so many of us as do thus believe in him, by the benefit of the spirit, as the. vi. of John doeth tell at large, if the righteous live by the faith and not by bodily eating, if that which cometh from the heart do make the man holy or propha • e, and not that which goeth into the mouth. if he that believeth in Christ shall not be condemned, but have everlasting life, if God have granted to all them that receive Christ that they shall be the children of God (that is to say) as many as believe in his name, as John doeth interpret him self, if he that drinketh of the fountayn of life by faith, shall never be thyrsty, but be refresshed into everlasting life, if he that heareth the word of God and believeth, have everlasting life? what availeth the fleashly eating, or what can you wyn thereby.

As doctor Cyprian, calling the bread of this sacrament, Sacramentalem panem (that is to say) bread signifying by sacrament farther thing than bread: it is a matter so evident that we need not to strive for it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , panis, bread in all languages, have all one proper signification of the bread made of grain. An other significatiō they have by translaciō, whereby they signify all manner of food but your doctor must have a long gloss of your bishoplyke brain, whereby (you are so wyttie) you can deprave everything. For you are not content to have glosed your doctor: but you must forbid Paul to cal it ani lenger bread, because that you bishops have espied that (panis) may signify food. But I prei you good bishop leave your daliing and tell us what christ did take in his hands as he sat at supper. It was not a piece of the lamb to have a similitude of fleash, but it was bread the general substance of man's bodily life, even like as Christ is the only bread of life and spiritual food of the soul. Bread (I say) it was to declare that like as bread is made of many graynes, which all to gether do make but one body: so likewise we (being many beleueynge in Christ) are all one body in Christ, We are one bread and one body, saith Paul, so many as be partakers of one bread. Why then should we call it food? Yea marie say you. For there is a great error spread a broad about the sacraments that there remaineth bread after the consecraciō. And the heretykes say that they will speak plain as Paul doeth▪ But can you teach these heretics to speak better: speak they not well when they speak as paul the apostle did: Yea Paul is hard and cannot be understand. Oh it is a wonderful hard thing for a plow man to understand what bread is. Thus would you cap • tue our wyttes, to take Christ and his Apostles as blind guides. leadynge us wrong by their dark terms, but your doctors and you bishops do teache all so plainly, that unto you only we must herken and le • e the other go with all their books and writings pains and burning.

But I pray you, have these heretykes no more to allege for their purpose but Paul: Yes truly, they have the plain words of Christ for them also, or else we would condemn them to gether with their man Paul and drive them out of all credit by the authority of our doctors. But Christ after he had consecrated and blessed this bread and this wine (as you say) he calleth it still bread and the fruits of the vine. But truly Christ and Paul speak darkly, and would not have us understand them. Hearken therefore to our doctors and you shall learn the matter substauncially. Thus ren you about the bush to keep us in captivity. Thys is babilo ••• all bondage and captivity of conscience. Frome the which we beseech the allmyghtye and euerlyuyng God to deliver his little flo •…

But what shall we now do? you cal them heritikes, which bring your doctors for thē as plainly as you have thē for your purpose as appeareth by Fryth whom you have not yet confuted, but with your laws and authority put him to silence, and than with one word you call him an herityke, and say he defameth the doctors. This is an ea • y way to answer. And thus might a man make answer to your boke spedilie, saying at one word, that it is crafty sophistre. As for Ecolāpadi • s a man of singular learning, vertu & sobrenesse: whom you • o ligtly regard and despise: You bishop Stephane and all your fellows (cōterfayte bishops) compared to such a notable clerk, are but shadows, and your learning and eloquence, but cōterfaits to his. How excellent was he in the Hebrew Greke and laten tongue: how well learned in all scienses? How deape a serchear of the mysteries of the prophets and other scriptures How learned & faithful trāslatour of your own doctors? This shall his works declare and witness with me unto the worlds ende, do what you cā to destroy thē, that you may triumph alone like a cradē cock on his own •… ghil. Think you that if Ecolampadius were a live, & heard such a foleishe sētense of • our writing, as here followeth, that he had not rather be dispraised thē praised of such a fōde brain? your words be these without any addicion.

This is in deed convenient, that Christ in his body living, should be a figure sign & memori of his body dead vpō y ^e crose for us: & christ in the sacrament of the altar to be a figure ofhys mystical body the church.

Who techeth you to speak thus fōdely but your dotyug doctors: Is christ in his body living a figure sign & memory of his body dead on the cross? where learn you this thing in the scriptures? No forsoeth. Thē need we not to believe your lies. Had this be a likely tale for Christ to have told his disciples whē he did site at the table in his living body, and did give thē, in the figure of his living body which was thē ready to depart frō them, this creature bread which could not move because it had no life: At that time his body was not glorified nor changed frō the cōdicion of our natural body, to be infinite without chaung of time or place, how so ever you have changed it sense that time. It was thē a living body & no figure or sign of a body. Neither hade it be possible to have persuaded the Apostles this preposition of yours to be true▪ If you had said the contrary, that the dead body had ben the figure, sign or memory of the living body: some simple soul, that knoweth not what a figure, sign or memori meaneth might have been deceived bi your subtlety▪ But to go nere you. You know that these words figure, sign, memory must be referred and applied unto other things thē their own selves, and are therefore (in learning) called relatyues because they cannot be fully known, but only by such things as are by thē figured, signified and brouggt into memori. And can you show me any thing in the world either spiritual or worldly that is both the figur and the thing figured the sign and the thing signified: the memory of a thing done, and the self same thing by the memory repeated? Yea it is a strong argument (by all the learning that ever I heard) to reason a relative oppositis. So that one and the self same thyngecan by no means (in regard and respect of it self in the same effects, as you speak afterward) be both the relative and correlatyue, the figure and the thing figured, the sign and the thing signified: more then the ale p • le or yuie bushe, can be the ale or wyne thereby represented, or circumcision the covenant and the brazen serpent Christ.

Now in the seconde sentence, where you say that Christ is the figure of his mystical body: what reason is in it: For scripture have ye none. Whoe ever hard before that the head polyticke, spyrituall or bodily: should be named the figure of the body, whereof it is the head? Is the Kings majesty figure of England: Is or can the husband be the figure of his wife: Oh fond and deceivable sophistry confoundeyng all things together. But mark the spiritual doctrine (christen reader) & thou shalt be taught that it is the bread that is both. Christis body and ours in figure, and that for. ii. purposes, without change of either of our substāces First, for that in Christ it representeth him to be the general food of all souls, and right so in us, the manifold menbres, united and knyte unto the same our head. Thus is it truly said of Christ, This is my body and of us, we are one bread and one body, so many as are partakers of one bread. Thys same verb substātiue Sumus we are) maketh no chaung in our selves: Wherefore then shall we imagyne it to have such an enchaunteynge power over Christ God and man.

In the opinion of the Arians may be perceived somewhat if yours, for that you are so busy with the proverb, Malum been cōditū ne moueas, an old error. As for luther (though he were the little David that killed grat Goliath) it is easily perceived by comparing of his books with Ecolāpadius & zwin glius: how far unable he was to defēde this cause. What mildenes of spirit, & over much care of Christian quietness, caused Bucere, in words (so far as the truth could anything yield) to agre with you: all men that read his books with judgment may judge. Zwinglius works (who so readeth thē) as he was a man of in comparable eloquence and lerneing: are able to confound all the rabble of the papists, and all his adversaries that speak against him. But now come you into your ruffe again with your doctors of thousand years, yet may we prove some of thē to have ben scarselie. v. hundred years, & other some of small Authority, and the best smally serueing for your purpose. Amōgest thē all, the most ancient is S. Andrew the apostle you say, whom you allege, not out of the scripture (for we have nothing of his writeinge there) but out of your holy legēda auria, as I suppose, or else I pray you whens shall this thing have his authority? of the porteous perchan̄ce, which techeth us to lock for saluaciō, by the merits of Thomas Beket, by setting up a candle or building a chapel in the name of. S. Margarete It appeareth that you would fain have the matter, good whē you fly to your popeish portous. Thus would you craftily deceine the people. Let Paul answer your porteouse mā, which saith he doth daily sacrifice Christ on the aul •… re of the cross. We learn in the Epistle of Paul to the Heb. that it is the proper & peculiar office of Christ to offer him self, & that with his own offering he hath made his, holy forever, by his own offering once don, & therefore was he made priest after the order of Melchizedek, without successor. Wher for, they that go about to sacrifice Christ: do rob him of his priesthood. For Christ only was called unto that office, for he ouelie was called as Aaron was, and no mā may take unto him that office: unless he be called as Aaron was Not with standing, that we may please all and offend no mā (if it be so possible) take the words of S. Andre. spiritually, as no doubt he was spiritual, & would speak thē none otherways but spiritually, and thā make thei nothing against us. He sacrificed, not on the altar of stone, but vpō the altar of the cross. And for the maintenance of this sacrifice: he him self was also sacrificed on the cross. What did he sacrifice: The unspotted lamb. Where he alludeth to the old figure, as is said, whose flesh and blood being spiritually received: feadeth all the faithful people. Thus mayest thou answer (gentle reader) even unto the best of the doctors vnderstandeinge them spirituallye. And that they should be so understanded, appeareth by the first words that you bring out of Chrysostom we offer (saith he) but for the remembrance of his death. Again, this sacrifice is a resemblan̄ce of the other. Agayne alludeinge to the old figure he saith. We do offer one lamb, or else should there be many Christ's. Then showeth he who is the bishop that offereth the sacrifice. Not Chrysostom nor Andrew▪ but Christ. And this which they do is the remembrance of that which is done already These old writtes had much more liberty to speak such words because at that time there wer no such errors hard of as you do defend now by your popeishe prerogative.

But whan you answer that Christ bide • h you priests sacrifice him because he saith Hoc facite: I dare say you sin in willful blindness. And that both for that you lea • e out thef •• t and principal parte of the sentence which moste declareth the purpose of Christ (in the remembrance of me) and also because you know well inowghe what significacion Hoc facite must have both in this place and all other. I know well that you english bishops be not so slēderly learned as the Sorbouistes or doctors of Parise which in their determinations, do bring incum faciam vitulam. Take the whole sentence together therefore, and make of it what you can. Hoc facite in mei memoriam, do this in the remembrance of me.

Donec veniat, till he come, maketh clear against you that say he is hear all ready, let Damascene dote as longe as he lusteth. If you wreast this plain text, do this in the remembrance of me until I come: what scripture can be salfe from your glosses: Yet by your doctoures by whom you cā gloss forth all things: I will not greatly contend with you, as I did proteste in the beginning. First and principally, because our faith may be grounded upon no mans saings, but upon the word of God only, which is able to teach to reprove, and to enstructe a man to every good work. Secondly, because this contencion shall never have an ende, so long as you may have authority to gloss every word of the doctors according to your own pleasure. Thirdely, because there hath ben no •… ning so lewed, but it hath ben proved, and is at this day allowed, by the authority of the doctors. Fourthli, because the scripture must be the to • chston and i • dge of all other things, words, sayings and writeynges, and may be Iudged by non other. Sixtli because we our selves shall be Iudged and examined whether we have kept that which Christ commanded us and not that which doctors have written, Seventhly and finally because in the word of god, lieth all truth and we have an especial commandment from the father to here Christ the author thereof, the spirit comeynge down from heaven with his open testimony, Thys is my dearly beloved sonne in whom I delight, hear him. where the doctors contrary wife as they are men, and this scripture must needs be true Omnis homo mendax, every man is a liar: so do they try. them selves as men contendeynge one with another, eche one contrary to his fellow. Yea and the self same man retracteynge and recanteynge that, that he had written before, that we may learn to trust in no man nor to put flesh our arm, for fear of the great curse, but to stycke unto the everlasting word of God as a lantern unto our fete, whereof there shall not one Iote or title perish, though the heaven and the earth do melt away. In this we shall find sufficient food for our souls (if we can patiently rest and fead therein. Wherefore (for this time) all your doctors set apart, and your devil saith neglected, because your hope is so much in man, and you are not ashamed so often to brinde in: the devil saith I pray you here the complaint of God by his prophets, vpō the Idolators of all ages and do not think much to herkē what God saith of you of this time, which cā non other ways maintain your pomp, but with the cōtumely of your creator, & the plain denial of the only sacrifice of his son Christ. Think not straing that the thing is writ̄ in the person of God, for all truth is of god. G • ie patient ear therefore unto our God saith: as we have done toyour devil saith, all this while.

The complaint of God against Idolators

HEare the word of the Lord thou proud Babylon. Thou people of Sodom & spiritual Egypt: hear the word of the Lord? For asmoche as the lord Jesus Christ, is daily crucified, daily slain, daily set forth in mocking sacrifice: the blood of the testament is trodē under foot and the ark of the covenant is driven away. He that despiseth the law of Moses, saith the Lord, is under. ii. or. iii. witnesses condemned: and howe much more shall he be punished, that treadeth under fo • e the son of god, despiseth his word, and doeth vnhalow the blood of the testament whereby he was sanctified, and worketh cōtumeliously against the spirit of grace? It is God (O you princes of Sodom) that giveth sentence in this matter. Before the high Judge shall you be condemned (you seed of Babylon) because it hath pleased God to admonish you, first bi Moses and then by the prophets, and last of all by his own son to turn into the way of truth. But you contrary wise, do wyllingly follow the way of wickedness. And whereas the Lord sendeth daily for the fruit of his vini •• rd▪ you entreat his servants at your pleasure, Some of them you do beat some other you slay, and that more is, you do neither reverence nor forbear his only begotten son, but rageynge like men in a fury, you have with one whole consent taken him, slain him, and cast him out of the vyneyarde, which was his own enheritaunce.

Hear therefore thē wicked naciō, and know that he whom thou hast caste away: in the corner stone where upon whatso ever building is stablisshed, it groweth up to be a holy temple unto the Lord, and who so ever doeth fall upon this stone, he shall be shakē in pieces which thing the Jews stōblyng upon his humiliti, do show unto the world to have▪ ben truly spoken, even like as the ru • n • of the gentyls shall shortly declare, upon whom 〈…〉 uer this stone shall fall, for he shall most speedily be broken to powder that the whole world may at lēgh learn, how horible a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God, whose vengaunce is sore and grievous against his enemies, Lyke as his mercy is ready toward the children of mercy, the Ninevites for an example, who at the preaching of Jonah only, did penance in ashes and sakclothe, and so escaped the aduengeynge hand of the almighti. But you that live now in the later ende of the world, being admonishede by a thousand oracles and warninges of the prophets, threateninge battle, famine an pestilence: do not change your wicked purpose, but suffer all the words of Christ his prophets and Apostles concerning the wrath of God in the later days: to be spokē in vain. No man, reneweth his heart, no man changeth his manners. Ther is not one that doeth good, no not one. But the more that your wyckednese is opened by the scriptures the more that Moses chasteneth your malice: the more earnestly that my true messengers (saith the Lord) would draw you frō your errors: so much the more fyersly you resist my spirit, boastyng forth your pour wisdom, and counsels so filled with your own •… es and subtyl inuencions: that you resist all spiritual knowledge, and nourish even against your conscience these gros er rours and carnal blindness, not much unlike unto Cayn your forefather, which not being contented with the dignity of the first birth, neither yet restrained bi the word of chastimēt: killed his brother Abel, deseruyng no such thing at his hand. I pray you what did Pharaoh and the Egyptians, when they were admonished by Moses and Aaron: but in resisteing the opē will of God, heap up his displeasure against thē? Herod also and the wicked phariseis, always persecuteynge the Just, and ascribing the works of the spirit to the pour of Belzebub or the devil with sinneing against conscience, brought ven geaunce upon their heads. So doeth the world (saith the Lord) always strive against the spirit. And this is the only sin that condemneth the world, that I send forth the ligh of the spirit to drive away the darkness of vice & error: and men love darkness more thē light. It is my use (saith the Lord) always to send forth my word before I judge the world, that they which with brazen forheades and Irō necks do obstinately opprese the truth▪ should have nothing to excuse their sin. Thus did I send Noah and Loth before I destroyed the world with water and the. v. cities with fire. Thus have I sent my prophets also to give warneynge unto Israel and Judah of my wrath toward them And this same order do I observe continually like as I am the same god today & to morewo and for evermore. And now shortly I must go into Iudgmēt. Wherefore morne & howl Oh you wicked, upon the miseries which shall chance unto you, you I say, which are the inuēters of new Idols and the dispisers of me your euerlasteing God. For your god (in whom your hope resteth) shall perish And whē you shall strech forth your hands unto heavē, yet will I not here you (saith the Lord) because you have made you Idols with the same hands that you lyft up toward me Your Idols therefore shall be turned into sparks of fire, & yourselves into stubble, & there shall be none to quentche it, Once I will awake, and not always suffer so great reproach as to be dispiced, where a dead Idole which hath neither sense, moueynge, life nor breath shall be received and embraced.

It is I (I say), that doeth give life and breath to all creatures, it is I that lend strēgh and all the natural pours, which you do mispēd in making of your Idols, utterly for gettynge that I am the same that made your parent Adam unto mine own likeness, I adourned and decked him with no small gyfts Reason and judgment I gave him, and ordained him governor over all other creatures You have forgotten also, that immediately after this my great mercy shown unto youre said parent: He (despising the commandment of me his creator chose rather to be subject unto the most vile creature of all foloyng the Idole of his own heart, thā to cleave firmly to my word. Thys newfound God therefore, doeth unto this day dwell under my curse, and shall do forever, and shall crepe on his breaste sucking therth in stead of his bread. Yet have I not utterly forsaken this your rebelliouse kind at diverse and sundry times. Firste I called again to my mercy, the same your forefather, who by the remorsse of his conscience, fled my sight. Again after that man kind was increased and wickedness did grow more and more, in so much that if I might repent me of my works, I had evē thē just occasiō to have sorowed for the benifites that I had shown unto your wicked kind, the wickedness whereof was so great that I could not other wise express it to the worthiness, then to say that it repented me to have made man. Idolatry was then spread thorough the whole earth, and few or none would call upon my name. For • embroth the stout hunter raised Idols in Babylon, and the Cha • ane • s worshiped the fire. After that Belus with his cōplices built a tower to withstand my vengeance, Sodom and Gomore provoked mine heavy displeasure, with their manifold enormities. To be short, all the whole world refused▪ me, the leueinge God, the well of living waters, and digged them cisterns which can hold no water. Every city inuē • ed a strange god. Saturnus, Jupiter, Juno Mars, Mercury, and such othere monstrous Idols are newelye invented whylse I destroy the old. But Israel, whom I had chosen to be my people, to be my holy people, cōmaūding him to have no manner of Image doeth (after so many my great mercies shown unto Aabraham, Isaac, Jacob and the fathers: after such wonderful deliverance from Pharaoh) set up a gold̄ calf, the Idole of their idle brain. They ren • e to Baal Pheger. They fill the holy lande (which I gave them in heritage) full of most filthy Idols. Worthily therefore, are thei destroyed, with pistelence famine and sword.

But you that hear the name of my sonne Christ, and are named Christians, whom I have by the death of the same mine only begot̄ son made •… e own: you are much more blame worthy, and pour miserable wa • wardnesse is no longer to be sufferred. For you have these. xv. hundred years, provoked my wrath upon you, renneing head long into all kinds of wickedness. But to pas with silence all other things wherein you have offended my majesty: there is nothing so vile amongst all my creatures, but that you have assaed to set up the same as your God, dispiceing therein, both my pour, and the rule that I gave you over all other creatures, forgettinge clearly that I have exalted mine elect above the Angels, and have fent mine heavenly spirits io do service unto them. Al this notwithstanding, have not you worshipped stocks and stones, dome and dead blocks, and given my glory (which I do not wyllingely imparte unto any other) ab • un dantly to such monsters and I do les polluteinge your bodies with boweinge and beckeing, crowcheing 〈◊〉 kneleing, kisseing and more filthily defiled your minds and souls with worshipeinge as gods, such insensible creatures, so that you leave no place of dew reverence unto me (your creature) nor to my son Christ who suffered moste bitter death to bring you out of bondage. You do often̄ cry, Lord, Lord. If I be your lord▪ where is my fear? where is the worship mete for a Lord? wherefor do you forsake me your lord? You do often times call me father: but I marvel whither the childeli reverence is banished, or into what country all brotherly love is flede. Yea much more do I marvel, where you have hyd the memory of my sonne Christ, of whom all fatherhod, brotherhode and kindred (frō me to you ward) taketh his beginning. For he is the first begotten of every creature of whō all kindred in heaven and in earth hath his original. Who suffering most cruel death for your sins and most bitter tormētes in his body: asketh nothing again but that you will celebrate some thankful memory of his name and not suffer his bountuouse benifite to be forgotten by unworthy scilence. For when he departed from the earth to come again to his heavenly mansion: what did he command to any of you but only this: that as he had after his last supper ministered the bread and wyne in mystery: so should you, so often as you eat and drink in the remembrance of him. Certifiinge you that so often as you should eat this bread and drink of his cup: you should show his death till he come again unto you. The charge that he giveth you, is to do it in the remembrance of him, promiseing you that he will not forget you where he siteth at the right hand of me his father, where he is a continual mediator and mean for you, never ceasynge to opteyn for you what so ever you ask of me in his name. But loe your ingratitud, you acquit us our mede. Me you do cast clean from you, and to a stone do you say. Thou art my father, and to a bloke thou hast begotten me. Agayne, to my son you are so unkind and ungentle: that you have pute away the memory of his death, whereby you live, not only forgetful of the labors which he susfered for your • aches, but also if any of my servants would renew his memory among you, he shall with much cruelty be put to silence. And you boast of a certain vain and conterfayte gesture and mumblynge called the mass, which you say is more holy and more wisely set forth, then Christ my son could do it when he was in the world. Thus do you forsake his commandment of preaching his death to your brethren and posterity: for the maintenance of popish ceremonies, the ware of Antechriste where in you bable blasphemous collectes, with blind mumblinges, Yet pache you your matters with my scriptures, that you may deceive so much the more craftelie, day lying so with the pore people in a tongue that they do not understand, nor know no • • ne word what you say, least they should chance to dream any thing at all of the death of my son and have him in any remembrance at all. Yea and to keep the matter more secrete, you are right well ware that when any mention is made of his body given for the world, you speak not only in a strange tongue, but also under such, scilence that a man had nead to crepe very nere you and har • en very diligently if he should understand any thing, though he were learned in y ^e tongue that you whisper in. Yea you blow forth your words so closeli into your chalice as though you intended naught else but to deceiveth people. And they sil • y souls, being all • o gether astooied through their own ignorance and your strange gestures: cease not to renne about you like men amazed. They fall down and worship, they wonder at this new and strange • God in so little a piece of bread. They strive who shaldo most honor and reverence to this weak Idole. Yea they falone in a • others neck at the sonne of the little bell. They kiss their fingers they parte pardō to their • ies and other partes of their bodies. They stroke their heads. What god, Yea what mortal man could abid to be worshiped with such mad gestures? But I the lord of host • s, for as much as I am a spirit and the creator of a • pure spirits, with bodily gestur am I nothing delited, but in spirit and truth will I be worshiped. And such worshipers do I seek, as with pure minds fly up above the heavens, and wish that mine impere and kingdom may be delated and my name helowed and renow •• ed, celebrated and prased, in all & though all creatures. Such worshipers, I say, do I seek, as can comprehend and perceive, Christ sitting▪ at my right hand: and will seek him without the help of any creature. These worshipar will I regard, and to their sacrifices will I have respect. For their high bishop hath an everlasting priesthood, wherbi he may fully save all thē that will come unto me by him, whom I have made the governor of holy things and of the true ta bernacle which I myself (and not man) have made, which must therefore be comprehended & received without the help of any creature upon earth, neither must these worshipers seek Christ here nor there, nor renne after him in any places upon earth, where any man shall name him to be. Muche less shall these true worshipers, seek me (the incomprehensible God) tied to any one place or creature, for heaven is mi seat and thearth my fotestole, even as my prophet Isaiah did witness unto you when he demanded what house you would build unto me, or what place I would rest in, seeing that my hand hath made all. My servant Paul also, hath said unto you that I (the Lord God) have made the world and all that is therein, yea the heavens also have I made howe should it be thē that I might dwell in temples made with man's hand who is one of the creatures that I myself have made? And evē as I dwell not in the temples made with man's hand: so am I not worshiped with the works of man's hand, as once standing need of any thing. For I the Lord give breath to all living things, and have of one blood, made all the kind of man and have caused him to spread over the whole face of earth, appointinge prescript times and limeting the borders of their dwellynges, that they may seek me their God and try whether they can by gropeing find me. Yet not withstandeinge I am not far frō everyone of you. For through me you are, do live and are moved. So that there is no ignorance can excuse you, because you need not • o seek my kingdom farther then in yourselves. And to ressemble my Godly pour and worship with gold, silver, stone or ani other creatture, named and converted into the stead of me the only and almighty your god you shall not be excused • i any ignorance, for by my works you may know me from my works and much more from your own works. If you therefore cannot be able resemble my godly pour by any of your Imaginacions? howe much less able shall you be to shet up me (the immortal, immensurable, and incomprehensible God, whom the heaven of heavens is not able to contain (in a little box of gold silver or any other meatall? in bread wine, or any other creature, setteinge up a new and strainge I dole, of the which neither you nor your fathers have heard one word of my mouth, imagineinge a strange worship of your own Idle brains, not withstandeinge that my son Christ doeth cry against you sayeinge. In vain do you worship me, teacheinge the doctrines and precepts of men. His most fayethful servants also ceased not to threaten sharp plages unto all them that should add to or take fro, change or alter, any one word of all that theye had received of their Lord, the father of spirits.

Wherefore, because your fathers have forsaken me and followed strange gods, served them and worshiped them: they have forsaken me▪ and my law have they not kept. And you have done worse thē your fathers. For everyone of you walketh after the wickedness of his own heart, striuinge always howe you may stop your ears against my words and admonicions. Loo therefore, I will fill all the inhabitauntes of the earth and the kings, which sit in their high thrones, the priests and the Prophets together with drunkenness. And I will scatter them, one brother from another, and the father frō the child. I will not spare them, nor have pity on them, but will utterly destroy them.

Hearken and give ear, and beware you do not rage, for the Lord hath spokē it. Geue glory unto the Lord your God, before it wax dark, and before your fete do stumble in the dark hills, when you shall loke for light, and lo, there is nothing but the shadow of death, and deep darkness. Oh Popes and Princes, and glorious Prelates (high coūterfait names) called bishops: to you all I say, which hold the world in darkness. If the Morian can change his skin, or the Leoparde her spots: then can you also do well, suckyng wickedness with the milk of your mothers. This shall be your charge, therefore and the portion prepared for you. Because you forget me and trust unto lies, I will disclose your thoughts, and your shame shall appear. Your lusts, your lechery, your wicked fornication shall I disolose. Let no man pray for this sort of people. They sin unto death, and their plages are incurable. If you fast I will not hear your prayers. If you offer offerings: I will not receive them. For when you were corrected with famine: you did not regard it. Whē you were chastened whyth the pestilence and diseases: you refused all discipline. Stormes, tēpestes, and earthquakes, flo • des and breaches of the sea, you count not to be sent by my hand. One of you therefore, shall dygge in the bealy of another: and you shall be consumed with the sword of my fury. Lo I will send fishers which shall f • she after you by the sea: and hunters which shall hunt you in every hill, mountain and cragy rock. For mine eyes are upon your ways, and shortly I will send my spirits which I have created for a vengeance, the fire, the stormy hail, famyne, death, the teeth of beasts, serpentes and the sword, which being ready in my wrathful displeasure, do torment all things at my commandment, and especially death, blood, debate, oppression, tyranny and the sword: are create for the wicked, and therwyth I beat down mine enemies, be they never so proud.

I the Lord do create all these things, that my name may be terrible unto the heathen, and my power known throughout the earth. I demand of you (O Bishops of my flock) I will ask you, stand up and give me answer of your ways. Is there any of your new found God's that can give you rain, or that can save them selves from the tyranny if need require: Is there any of these God's that can save him self and his worshyppers forth of my hand, when I send fire and the sword upon them?

Yea tell me this rather. Hath either you or your parents found any wickedness in me, that you are departed from me and follow vanities.

Coulde it never (in all the time that you have found out these gross & bodily gods) enter into your hearts to search for me the living God: but according to your own grossness, deuiynge in your words and de spisynge in your doing, my providence, graun tynge that I dwell in the heavens, nothing careful of man's doings? And therefore (even like the old Israelites) you will have gods that shall go before you, whō you will salu •… with a longe rabble of salutatiōs, with manifold gestures and curtesies, and with vain imaginations of man's commandments. But, oh, so far as the heavē is from the earth so far as the east is from the west: so far are my ways from your ways, and my thoughts from your thoughts. I the Lord which trouble the seas and their floods, do reign The Lord of hosts is my name. I am the self same that I am wont to be. Terrible vn to the kings of the earth. Doth it nothing move you, that I daily change so many kingdoms. I drown the proud Pharaoh's in the deape sea. I subdue with worthy aduengeaunce: the cruel Adonibesech I put to flight the blasphemous Sennacherib, & gave him the death that he deserved. I pass with silence Nebuchadnezzar (a terrible example unto kings) and his son Balthaser. I pas with silence, howe neither with their bow, nor sword, but bi mi mighti arm, I subdued unto the Israelites. xxx. kings. The Canaanites, Heuites, Jebusites, Amoristes, Herites Ferisites, and Gargasites. And this people Israel, chiefly chosen, and most dearly beloved: I did clearly forsake, when they fell from me, the living God. I gave them first to the Babylonians, and after to the Greeks and last of all to the Romans, to whom I gave power to spoil my people, and scatter them throughoute all the world, as you se this day.

Now seeing that I am the same God and no changelyng: how chanceth it that the posterite following, doth not fear like destruction: But the children fed with my benefits and filled therwyth: do leap frō me as their fathers did before, countyng their woul, flax oil, and grayne, to be preserved by their Idols, giving me thanks for nothing, and yet do I minister all these things unto thē, aboundauntly, giving meat even to the birds of the crows. But because this people doth not know that I have given thē grain wyne, silver, and gold, which they have offered unto Idols, abusing my creatures, therefore will I turn, and take away my corn, and my grain in the time thei loke for it: and the wyne in his time appointed. I will also deliver my creature from the bondage of corruption under the wych it mourneth, subject unto vanity. And I shall cause all joy, and solemn feasts to cease, and I will destroy the vinepard, and the fig trees, which you have called the gifts of your God's, which you set up to be your helpers and defenders Twyse mad ye are therefore, both for that you forsake me, the fountain of living water, and also that you dygge broken cisterns that hold no water. Hiterto have I (the lord of hosts) made complaint against all nations for all kinds of Idolatry. But now give ear unto my words which I shall speak against an Idol, but weak in power and small in substance, but yet notwithstanding, in the delusion of the people he hath gotten great strength, and thorough feigned miracles is merueylously maintained, yea and that so styfly with sword and fire, that the blind world knoweth none other God. Of this Idol it is written. O priest have not I created the and given the power to create me? Which intolerable blasphemy being so great derogation unto my glorious majesty, who only have created all things of nought) I can no longer suffer.

But before I take open vēgeaunce: I will give warning unto the maynteyners thereof, willing them to have recourse unto the brute beasts, the ox and the Ass, and learn at them to know their duties, toward their Lord and master, their creature and maker. What madness is it that causeth these madbraynes to compte this new made Idol, their creature, or that it is possible for the creature to be created of mortal men and miserable wretches? No I their creator and maker have made them but once, where they boast and brag, that they have made me thousand milions of times, whereby they bring me so far in their dept, that the residue of my benifites are not able to recompense and satisfy.

But now they begin to wax ashamed of these open words, for my servants have of late laid them • ore to their charge. But yet they cloke the matti • r with new found blasphemies. Now they say. God consecrateth him self into the form of bread and wyne. But yet (pretily) when the Byshoppe giveth his holy orders: then he giveth power unto every shauelynge, to consecrate this chaungelynge. So that the young priest comynge home to the parishoners, telleth them strayghte way, that he is above Emperors and Kynges, and doeth far excel the Angels. For he can make that thing which will be made of none other but of them only that be marked by the beast for the same purpose.

Thys wretch (be he never so abominable in living) thinketh that by the •… bling of. iv. words over a cake: he shall cause my son (which is the express Image and lively resemblance of my substance, even equal with me in power) to come down at his call, and to be changed God and man into a vile wafer, which change they have with deceyueable terms named, the consecratynge of him into the form of bread.

But away with this gross blindness (O you sophisters) for all men may perceive that you love to walk in darkness. Accordynge to your gross and carnal imaginations therefore, and after the dullness of your capacities which can perceive no spiritual things, because you are not borne of the spirit: I will begin to talk with you, to see whether a rude and fleshly talk in matteir that shall be open unto the commune senses and judgment of all men, may cause you to herken to my voice, and perceive your own blindness.

Oh howe gross opinions have you conceived of me the Lord God? Howe leudly do you esteem my power infinite, which do think it possible that I the living God creature and maker of heaven and earth: should be changed, or would be consecrated into bread, wyne, stock, stone or any other creature. Thys is not consecration or holy making: but this is contamination, polutinge and defilyng of the name of God with intolerable blasphemies.

My sacrate majesty (to bring you out of doubt and error, O you miserable men) can suffer no such alteration nor change, of fourmes insensible. Wherefore, if ye require in me (the God incomprehensible) the poetical changes of Jupiter: you are worse thē mad. For I am 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ? I am, I have been, and shall be. I am God evermore and not changed. What comparison can be betwixt me and your feigned gods? I am that ancient in years that doeth feel▪ none age. For a thousand years are but one day in my sight. For in the twynckelynge of an eye, do I behold all things, be they present, paste, or to come.

Your Saturn whom you hange up in a cord as a wicked fellow: had need to have Jupiter his son sought out to help to defend him in his old age, when his chaungable flesh and bones (which you feyne him to have and defend the same with sword and fire) begin once to musker and moulde, after he passeth once the age of one month. But who shall revenge the little gods which live but the space of one minute and so perish continually. Thei are takē streighte from the wafer box to the chalice, and there are they devoured. A wonderful matter, so sone made God, and so sone-brought to naught again.

Olde Aristotle, your great master coūpteth for a great miracle, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is in englishe beasts that • yue but one day. But if he had known this sodeyne change of so many God's in one minute: what might he have writ̄ to his posterity?

I appeal to your own conscience in this matter, your conscience (I say) that do make and mar so many God's in so little space, you (I say) that do seek out so strange ingines for the preservation of your God's. You close him in a box of harder metal then myse teeth can penetrate, you hange him up in a cord leste the gredie myse should besiege him, you cover him with a canopie, so that the myse cannot come at him: and what meaneth all this, but that you know by experience, that the myse do nothing fear him, because he is made but of bread, and hath no life in him nor hardiness to beat a mouse? Let your own conscience be Judge in this matter.

But O wicked Idolators. If this were God that you do this handle, he would sometime break open his prison (wherein he is enclosed) by his power and strength. How be it he can do nothing. Or if he can do any thing, cry upon him as did the priests of the old Idolators that he will do so much as put one horn out of his shel & box wherein he is enclosed; to assray his enemies, or else to your great confusion, he shall be less set by then a creping snaple. Or if you dare make a proof of his power: leave him without but one night out of his box, and you shall see the little mise will not be much afraid of him, neither do the cattes, backs, owls, swallows, and sparowes greatly fear him. Then tell me I pray you, why man should be so mad as to stand in fear of the thing which is of no reputation.

Fear him not therefore (O my little flock) for he can neither do good nor • uyll. No he hath neither life nor feeling. He felt not when he was baken into a cake, neither feeleth he whē the priest breaketh him, because there is no spirit of life in him. Be you ashamed therefore, all you that worship him, for if by the negligence of the priests he fall to the ground: he cannot arise alone, neither if he be raised can he stand. In vain therefore do you worship such a God as in no point can help him self. Howe can you then desire his help in your adversity.

The God's that you worship are none other thing, but as the baker that baketh them will have them and the priest that maketh them. And neither of these two workmen is of longe continuance. Howe cā their works be God's therefore.

These gods of yours cā not deliver them selves frō thieves and robbers, which have often̄ times spoiled them of their boxes. And you have of late seen in the suppressiō of the Abbayes (which I did send for a punishment of Idolaters) they were then left succu • less, turned out of their silver boxes, and were not able to resist. Therefore, whē you see the people worshiping round about you: say in your hearts. O Lord that hast laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens, the must we worship. And so doing mine Angel is with you, and I will require your souls at the hand of the oppressors.

Oh hearts barraine of all heavenly doctrine. Oh minds voied of all godliness. Howe can I (the true God) be known, whilse the bread God and the cake insensible, is in so high reputation? Yea what needeth it men to lift up their minds unto heaven, seeing they have him in earth which can grant their prayers? Howe can they worship in spirit and truth, seeing they worship the thing that hath neither spirit nor life: Howe cā you understand or cōprehēde my dreadful majesty, whilse ye do take this for a god, whō a blast of wind will klowe down from his altar and his superaltare?

Al such gods therefore as have not made the heavens, shall perish frō the earth and frō under the heavē. Mark howe the breath of mā (a thing of small strength against any other creature) is able to change, alter & trāsfourme the bread, so sone as he hath it in his mouth: and it shall be enough (to him that hath reason) to declare how shāfull the chaūg is, from the most strong to the moste weak, frō the greatest to the least, from the best and most mighty: to the worst & most impotent.

Oh miserable and chaungeable nature of man. Oh twice miserable God, whom this miserable man maketh. Yea thrice miserable, for he must come down into the chalice, at the call of every whoremonger and sodomite, drunckarde and covetous caytyfe, and be straight ways swallowed into his filthy and vusaciable paunch, that the first beginnynge and endynge of his godhead may he like miserable.

If the scripture do describe you any such. If Adā, Enoch, Noah,, Abrahā, Isaac, Moses, Aarō, or Samuel: do know any such. If Isaiah, Jeremiah or Daniel, have described him in their prophecies. If Math. Mark or Luke (whō you leudly allege) had told you that there had ben any such God on the erth. If Peter, Paul, James and John (the faithful witnesses of my son Christ) and the openers of his secretes had taught you this crusted cake might be changed into God or his son Christ: show me one place.

But I know your craft and subtlety. Nothynge is impossible to God, you say. What then? Shall God at your commandment, be a stone, a tree, or bread? By the same possibility make him your Ass. All mine therefore, shall answer you in this sort, Because all things are possible: unto our God: he is able to escape your blind iugelynge, and is of power enough, to destroy you all together with your Idols. And what so ever he be that teacheth any God that I have not opened to my servants in the scriptures: the same I have commanded by my servant Moses to be stoned to death. Which law I do now ratify, and will that all such be put out from among my people.

And who so ever will not reap̄t this gross error, being admonished: be it known unto them, that they are not of my sheep. For my sheep do hear my voice. And being once raised with my voice: they will follow no stranger, but will with open voice cry unto the stranger and say. Oh Idole shepeherde.

Al this have I spokē, because I your god am so openlie contemned, and a weaks Idol embraced. Gyue ear now and herken what I shall say for my son whō I sent to be your savior, and the only sacrifice that can take away sin in my sight. You make him of none effect, that so you may establish your own glorious works and sacrifices. I was and am fully contented and satisfied with the offering of his body once done. What need is there then of your lyeinge sacrifice? If his only sacrifice be enough (as it is enough & more then enough to satisfy for all) what needeth you to sacrifice and offer him up again? Wyl you or cā you kyl him again? For that which is sacrificed, must needs be slain, and without blood can there be no remission of sins. I know your hearts (bloody bishops) by the betrayinge of him whē he was in the earth among you, & now by the brennyng of his word, & by the tirānous destroyinge of his flock, which would cal again the memory of his passiō, which you have extinguished with your sacrifice for the quycke & the dead, making it a cloke for your covetousness and a buckler for the pomp and rigorous authority, you chalendge over my little flock.

I appointed him priest according to the order of Melchizedek, without successoure or fellow. I anointed him with the spiritual oil of my spirit, that I might have a bishop to offer unto me sacrifice which should be pure and without spot, which should not need many times to offer or to be offered, but making all things perfect, by one only offering of him self unto me his father, and by his blood which all other sacrifices (so oft iterated and repeated as things imperfect) did only signify. In this my dearly beloved son, is my delight. He is the great bishop which once for all, hath entered into the place most holy. And being found like one of you in all things (sin only excepted) he hath now penetrated and passed through into the heavens, there to be your bishop forever, to offer him self always for you in my sight, by whom you may come to the throne of my grace, to have help by time. If you will seek any other bishop to offer for yo • : I tell you he is polluted, and must first offer for him self. And because of the imperfection that is in him: he cannot please me nor pacify forhim self. Yea you may also perceive that his offering is imperfect, or else should he not need to reiterate it so often̄. If you will not be deceived therefore, stick fast unto the offering ofmy sonne once for all made for you. And as I have givē him to the death for your sakes, so will I deny you nothing that you ask in his name be you sure. Hōse comethit that you be called Christians, that Christ my son was for your sakes manifestly made man in the flesh, was justly declarede God by the spirit, and shown unto the Angels, and after received into glory. This must you believe if you will be partakers of the same glory. That he was very man as one of you are, sin only excepted, conversant upon the earth in all humility, care and misery at my commandment. whereby for his obedience toward me, he deserved to be▪ crowned with a crown of glory, wherefor I (sendynge the holy ghost unto you at his desire which may teach you how you are become my children by him) did take him unto myself and raised him above all the heavens, even to sit at my right hand forever, Wher you shall seek him if you intend to find hime But neither here nor there in ani corner of the earth He told you that he must depart from you. And if you loke for my favor: you must not compt him a liar.

But wilt thou seek my son? Lo, he hath offered one offering for sin, and sytteth forever at the right hand of me his father, looking for that which remaineth. That is that his enemies be made his foot stole. And thus doeth my spirit witness unto you: that in this my new testament (established in his death) your sins should be done away so that I would no more remember them.

Then if you believe them to be forgiven how can you offer for them anymore: It is a manifest token therefore that all you which will be still sacrificeynge for your sins: do not believe that they beforgeuē by the death of my son Christ.

You also which will carnally and grossly eat him and feade upon him, as chaungeynge bread into his flesh cannot worthly believe upon him. For he departeyngefrō the earth, did command you to eat the bread of this supper (which he lovingly called his body) for your weak remembrance and for the declaracion of the benefit which he then shown unto all the faithful believers in his death and blood shedeynge, For the declaracion and remembrance I say of this benefit he commanded all his faithful followers, brotherly to devide among them? the bread and wyne so often as they would, eat or drink in the remembrance of him, whom they should not have any longer presently conversant among them. For he was then coming unto me his father for your profit, And therefore byddeth he you do this thing in the remembrance of him, will you then know what it is to do the work that he commandeth you: or to work the meat that ne never perisheth, which meat he promised to give unto you, and I have sent him down and appointed him for the same purpose. If you will know this work, read in the. vi. of John where you shall learn that the work of God is to believe in him whom he hath sent. This is all that you can give me. This is all that I require at your hands. I give you therefore the bread of life, if you can receive it by faith vnfainedlie. That is to say trusteinge to my promise only in the death of my son, and to none other creature. Yea my son is this bread of life, and he that cometh unto him, shall not be hongry, he that believeth in him, shall not be thirsty. And this he told you was my will and pleasure, that who so ever doeth see him and believe in him: hath euerlasteynge, life. For this is the life euerlasteynge to know me, and to know my son whom I have sent Jesus Christ.

By this knoweledg do the Angels and blessed spirits live, rejoice and take their comfort. Thys is the heavenly food. Thys is the Manna that comethe from heaven. Therefore so much haste thou of euerlasteinge life: as thou haste of the knowledge and fealeinge of my grace and goodness, why che chiefly and principally was openned unto the world, in the sendeinge of my son into the world to be made flesh, leste all flesh should have perished for wickedness

Thys is the bread then that comethe from heaven whereof who so eateth shall not perish, but live forever. And this bread is the flesh of my son, as it was given for the life of the world, for so was it a very heavenly gift and heauely bread comeinge from heaven. Other ways was it but an erthly thing and nothing profitable. For the phariseis and all the wicked that do not compt this only thing (to know me the father and my only son Christ given for the life of the world) to be the only salvation thereof, but seek more help of salvation at any creature in heaven or earth, be it man saint or Angel, be it works, sacraments or any other thing that man can imagyne (as they cannot unless they compt some insufficiency and lack in me) shall not have any parte in my son Christ whom they have in so small estimation, howe grossly so ever they imagine to eat him. No to them that this slenderly and vilely esteem the hilpeinge and saueing that I have given him: he is the savor of death unto death and the stumblynge stone. But unto them that wholly and only do cleave unto him feadeinge on his body thus offered for the life of the world, and drinckeinge of his blood given for the remission of sins: he is the bread of life, his flesh is very meat and his blood very drink: so that you have always in mind, that it is the spirit that giveth life and that the flesh profiteth nothing.

And take it for a general lesson to under stand the word of godly doctrine, that the words which I and my son do teache you are spirit and life. And to believe them, is to eat the meat of the soul, to work the work of God, and therefore to have life. For the ryghtuouse liveth by his belyefe▪ And Abraham did believe: wherefor it was compted unto him as ryghtuousenesse before circumsicion or any other out ward sacrament was given him.

Yea this Abrahame may teache you, that without the regard of any creature, yea contrary to the workeinge of all creatures thou must believe and be made sure of my goodness: that thou mayeste (with▪ an upright face up towordes the heavens) say. O Lord I have believed in the, I shall never be ashamed. For this is the nature of faith to loke straight up unto me your heavenly father, and to receive at my hand, by the merit of my son all grace, favor and goodness. Wher if you declyne asyd and appoint yourself means, aids and helps of any creature otherwise thē I have commanded: you must be compted miscreāts mistrustinge my goodness, Here falleth the Justice that you seek for by your works and sacraments, and here ariseth the Justice of faith, which is only acceptable in my sight For Israel in the old time follow ynge their laws of righteousness, by their works, sacraments and ceremoneis, could not come to righteousness, And wherefor I pray you? Because they did not follow there upon by faith but only by works of the law. They stombled at the stomblinge stone as it is written. Lo I will put in Zion a stombling stone, and a stone to fall vpō: & who so believeth in him, shall not be ashamed.

Because they have believed, they have attained this righteousness which is of faith, of which if they will follow and not forsake: they shall never suffer shame. This faith one lie in the seed promised (and no sign or sacrament) was it that refreshed your first father Adain Neither was there any other sign given unto Ahaz: but that a virgins should conceive a child, which (by an holy and pure birth of the holy gofle) might take away and purify the corrupt birth of the old Adaine, and deliver the house of Judah from the bloody Sennacherib. Unto the which sign you must always loke: for you shall have none other sign of salvation, but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

All the Israelites drinckeinge of the same spiritual drink, and eateinge of the same spiritual meat that you do (for it is all one faith that saveth you both, even as I am all one God and no chauncelinge) did in their lamb unspotted, feade and take comfort of no sign or sacrament, but only of the blood of our unspotted lamb which I had promised to send into the world. For by the straight commandments and son dry charges, which my servant Moses did give them for the choseynge and eateynge of this lamb: they did perceive a thing far more spiritual, then could be finished in so gross a banket. Much more thē the Apostles of my son being used to such spiritual feadeinges: might perceive what my son meant in abolisheinge of the old ceremonies of the lamb and cōmaundynge a new memory to be made of his body given for them and his blood shed for the remission of sins and for to deliver us from the helly Pharaoh.

They did know that this word of the promise (which is given for you) should be fulfilled upon the cross, and therefore ought not to be applied unto any sacrament It is not the offering of ani sign or sacrament that I regard but the osferinge of my son upon the cross, which you must by your sacraments show yourselves to have in perpetual memory as the only life whereby your souls can live. Lyke as they also had learned before of the Prophets, that the Messias whom I should send, should be stricken for the sins of the people, and then should be exalted and send his gifts plentuouslye from above spoyleinge all his enemies with triumph.

Thys did my son beat in their ears. But he never told them of any such changes of bread into his flesh, & such carnal consecracions as you do teach: wherein you will have that (without any profit) my son christ should come down frō my bosom into your bread and Chalice blown and blessed by your inuencion: and work so great a miracle without either necessity or profit. Have you not enough that you have everlasting life by him▪ hath not he humbled him self low enough that he hath become man for your sakes and died for your sins?

What would you have more of him: would you that he should take the form of bread for your sakes: what are you the better if he so did: Yea how much the worse should you be: This is one thing, you should bring the verity of his body into suspicion for that it should go and come so like a spirit, which is no small hinderance to the perfection of your kind. For mine intent was, whē I made my son man, to have just occasiō thereby to advance your kind above the Angels. And now you will have him cowpled with your wrechede creatures, worse then yourselves, But he hath taken the form of the children of Abraham, And for his elect seed was he content to be come man, disdayneing all other forms

Loke no more therefore for my son Christ vpō the earth in the bread, the box or the chalice. But hear in heaven shall you seek him where he reigneth at liberty with me his father, from whom he sendeth down the holy ghost (the spirit of comfort) into the hearts of mine elect, to strengthen them against all the assaults of the serpent. I feade inwardly my sheep drivē from the pasture of my word Yea I give life everlasting to so many as by him only will come to me his father.

Thus doeth he sit at my right hand, and fulfilleth all in all things, spiritually. Not being bodylie present in every place, where you will like charmers mūble four words upon dumb creatures. Here in heaven you are sure to have him your advocate. In the bread, you have no such promise. With what faith then can you seek him there. He promised you that he would send the holy ghost after his going frō you: but he never taught that he was profitable to be changed into bread.

When he returned unto me frō the earth then did he send (in fiery tongues visibly) the spirit of our pour & wisdom, which taught the clear understanding of the mystery that he had wrought before in the earth.

This spirit taught the hope of your calling, and that our wonderful work in you that believe how that I raised my son Christ from death, and set him at my right hand in heavenly things. Whense you would most vilaniousely pluck him down, turn him into bread, and swalowe him like flesh into your bealies, which gross blindness, and Sythiā cruelty, my flol •… l abhor. My flock shall learn now other •… inge of the flesh of my son Christ▪ • ut that only which is by the knoweledg •… and beleueing of my mercies in my son •… nd therefore shall they follow no traditions of the world nor stick to any creatures, but say with mine old servant David I wl love the, O lord, my strenth, the lord of my succor, my refuge, my savior, my bu • lar, & the horn of my saluciō. Yea the more boldly because of my new testament. Sai • thus. O heavenly father, though heavē and earth do perish and all creatures tourne to naught: yet livest thou (O lordof heavē and earth) & in me thou livest, whose son I am bi adoption, thi spirit geueing witness of this thing. Yea & Christ (the strength might and pour of thi right hand liveth, & no mā is able to drive him frō the place whether thou hast exalted him. Of this am I sure, and so long as he is saulfe I am sure to be saulfe: for I am partaker of his nature, substance & pour, according to the gift of Jesus my savior that dwelleth in me. Not carnally eat̄: but spirituallye received by faith, whereby I know that he is my head, and I one of his members. Thus may you learn (O my little flock) whan you have for sakē all creatures: to be assured of favor and optaine the sound and sure taste of y •… salvation and euerlasteynge life and 〈…〉 and fele the hope of your calleinge •… hall never suffer you to come to confu •… and so rejoice as my son wilded you of no pour earthly neither of carnal eatinge of Christ, nor 〈◊〉 dynge upon serpentes: but that your names are written in the boke of life in the heauenes.

Unto the other sort which may worthily boast of their pour (if it be true that they say) because they cā make God, or cal down God into the chalice, for all is one matter in effect: I will an swer as I did of old by my prophet Isaiah. I abhor your Sabothes, your sacrificies and all your ceremonies. Yea what do I care for your mass mūbling which banisheth the memory of my son and setteth a new Idole to provoke my zelouse indignation against you? What care I for your gletteringe miters, seeing you banishe my word: What care I for your fasteyuge and prayeinge: seeing your hands are of full of blood? your fingers full of▪ wickidnes? What care I for the swarm of your ceremonies, y ^e whole heap of your farthings where vpō your religion standeth: sei • g your lips tell lies: Geue • are and tremble for the wickedness of your hands, for the Lord hath spoken it.

An answer to the principal pointes that follow after the doctors in the bishop of winchesters boke.

NOw go to you papists (who had rather er with your father the pope with his doctors, his furred hods and forcked caps then to say truth with Christ's despised members) will you follow the broud way that leadeth to perdiciō because the multitude doeth enter into it? Nay rather, contend and labor to enter the narrow and straight way which leadeth unto life, which is the way of knowledge and truth wherein few do walk. I know your doctors are glorious. You call them saints, and I trust they be so accepted of God. But Christ and his Apostles, though they were not so glorious and well taken in the world: yet was there more truth in their words and writings. Yea sure it is to be fea red▪ there is some privy flattery and untruth closely▪ cloaked in the dark sentence of their longe books, where the writings are so commendable in the world, and so phausible in generally to all the heap of the papists, the upholders of Antichrist. For after old custom and ancient order: the scriptures of God may not be read in the schools til such time as the master of the sentences and the heap of your other doctoures, have stopped Jacob's welles, the louelye fountaynes of the heavenly water with the fillthy mud of their glosses▪ Yea the filthieste of that flo •… let him lie, let him dote, let him bable wha • helusteth: yet shall he be allowed, both in l •… ten and in englishe, when the word of God whē the new and old testament) shall be brē •… with fire. Yea the maynteners thereof, wh •… are the only holions of God because they maynetayne the holy word of God (shalb •… destroyed and brent together with the boke • of the Gospel that they maintain.

Surely your persuasion may do much to the wordly minded, when you compa •… these. ii. contraries together. The glorious doctors (the saints by the pope canonised and by all wordly powers maynetayned, renowned and worshiped) unto the out castes of the world still barkynge at the vices which are abominable, scrapeing the ears of men with the sharp reaseinge truth, and thereby deserueinge (as the worldly suppose) worthily to be expelled, banished or burned. But unto the godly (whose desire is to be like their master Christ in sufferinge with him in this world, that they may after rain with him in the world to come, haueynge before their eyes all the prophets (who suffered for the truth) and all other martyrs and witnesses (whom the world hated and was unworthy to have still among them) considerynge that the scriptures cannot lie, which saith, that who so ever will live godly in Christ shall suffer persecution: all your persuasions are but vain and of none effect. For they loke only up into heaven for their reward, where Christ their head (which suffered likewise, at the hand of the wicked sinners, reproach, rebukes, and moste bitter torments, spytefull shame and paynful death rayneth for euermorewith me his father.

Further more, where you are about to oppress with the Manichees, Messalyans, and other sinister opinions: you follow your father, whose nature is to accuse the chyldrene of God. You stand up like Sathane our adversary, like the devil our accuser.

Frythe (if you had suffered him to live would have ben able to have answered you for his boke which is yet on live, you are not able to confute.

That only faith (which Luther taught) hath destroyed a great parte of your popeysh kingdom. Wycklifes Wycket did open the way to perceive your wylful blindness.

Hys necessetie setteth forth the glory of God who as he alone created all things, in heaven earth and hell without the help of any other: so by his wisdom and pour •… lone without the help of any creature: do •… he govern and preserve all things, or •… reinge every thing unto the end moste wi •… lie, and so myghtily that no man can let the same.

If this our myghtie Lord and mayst •… have by his secrete works stirred our h •… tes to bewail your blindness, and to be wrath and grieved with your tirannye, and by the same works, long suffered you, that he might make manifest the vesse • les' of his mercy (whom he hath created unto glory (differing his vengeance, that you might have inste time of repentance, suffereinge the cruel Pharaoh's to oppress his chosen, and all you wicked tirantes and Lord like byshopes, to deride and scorn not only thē but his son Christ also: yet know for certain, that God our father doeth not leave his work vnperfete and unfinished. But leke as Satan could streach out his hand no farther upon Job, then God permitted and appointed him: and as the rageinge princes and wicked priests could do nothing unto Christ but that the hand of the father had longe before appointed (for the lamb was slain even frome the beginning of the world) like as the princes arisinge and rageyng •… gainst good & his Christ, can do nothing, but that which his counsel hath first decreed and determined: so when they have shown all their cruelty, and laughed their fill▪ at the fall of the innocent, he will finish his work. he will destroy the wicked and laugh at their destruction. The Lord shall deride and skorn them. Then shall he speak to them in his angre, and in his wrath shall he over whelme them. This is the work of the Lord, and the necessity inevitable. Beware, beware I say, that you do not suffer the aduengeing hand of God, as More and other mockers have done, for wadeinge into this secret work of God, with such lewd oppression and dirision. As for us, we do (according to the scriptures) confess this same necessity, and give God our merciful father most hertie thanks that he hath so wisely and inyghtilye established his works, that no man or any other creature can change any one of them, No not so much as to make one hear white or blake

For this cause do we singe in our hearts and give thanks unto God for all his works, For all the works of the Lord are exceeding good and convenient in their due seasone. Man ought not to ask what is this or what is that for at time convenient they shall be found all perfect. The works of all flesh are before hymrand there is nothing hyd from his eien. He seeth from euerlasteinge unto euerlasteinge, and there is nothing to wonderful to him, Ther is no evil done in the city but he turneth it to his glory. The vnrightuousenes of us doeth commend his justice.

Than may not man say, what is this or that? For unto the good, all things are turned into good. And all the▪ ways of the Lord are plain and strayte unto the Iuste: but the ungodly stumble at them.

For the good: good things are created even from the beginning, and evil things for the ungodly. All things necessary for manues life were created from the beginning, water, fire, Iron, salt, wyne, oil, and clotheinge. All these things are created, to the faithful, to the best: but to the ungodly all these things are created for vengeance and in their rigorousenesse have they fastened their torments▪ In the time of the ende they shall pour out their strength, and pacify the wrath of him that made them. Fire death, hunger, hail, oppression, strife, swerd and blood shedeynge, noisome beasts scorpions and serpentes: are created for the wicked. And though all flesh be troubled with such like miseries: yet vii. fold are they poured forth upon the ungodly. And they shall be all found ready to fulfill the commandments of their Lord upon the earth, and whē their hour & measure is appointed: they shall not over pass his commandments

Thus may all men (considering the works of God) Judge without wauerynge, that all his works are perfect, firm, stable▪ and unchangeable, and he worketh everyone in due seasone, and when need is. So that a man needeth not to say this is worse thē that, for in due seasone they are all pleasant and good.

Wherefore ge • e praise and thankes with whole heart and mouth unto his name which worketh all in all things after his good pleasure.

Agayne, you say it is a more easy thing to live well then to live evil. Ah, than why will you not play the good byshope and live well accordeynge to your calling? unless you intend to be more rewarded for the labourouse parte, of the tyrant papyste accordeynge to your own mockeynge doteynge.

But now have you yet one only thing to say for yourselves and that is this. This doctrine hath continued a thousand years & hath be so longe maintened by our doctors

If this be a good argument? cal again into England your great Idole the pope and all his pardons. Buylde up his monasteries and restore his Images and Idols, which have by the pope and his church ben so long mayntened and defended, with the tyranny of fire and fagottes. Yea if time may be prejudicial unto the truth: by it may you maintain the murder of Abel, the Sodomi • rie of the five cities and the Idolatry of the Babylonians: because all these things be of such auncientie. And because▪ we have nothing that hath so longe continued in the world, neither that hath ben so generally received and maintened as sin hath been: we shall by this reason prefer it before vertu as his ancient, But let us discuss no lenger, how longe your popery hath ben used: but let us try by the touchston of God his holy word how truly you popish prelates have del • with Christ's floke, these thousand years that Satan hath ben louse among you, and how diligently you have handled, led and fed them. For no length of time may make wickedness good. No no, the abomination of things that be wicked: doeth daily increase. For the second day addeth▪ something to the wickedness of the first, And so doeth error (being wicked) daily grow and increase til it come to the highest abomination: so that in cōtinuaunce it uttereth it self most clearly. For as time by) the providence of God) doeth first cloke, cover and hyde all things good and bad: so doeth the same opē and disclose all things even by the same providence and wisdom. And for this cause hath God appointed the dark night and confusion of things to go before, both in the creaciō and order of his creatures: that after • at the time appointed) whan the bright light, measure and order of all things should appear, & that his glory might the more worthelye be extolled, magnified and renowned by the comparison of these things so far contrary.

This is it that Solomō saith. He hath always made. ii. against. ii, and everything is well done in his due time. First darkness then light, First night, then day. First sin thē grace. First wrath thē mercy. First blindness, then knowledge. Firste erreoure, then truth. For what worthy cause could we have had to renown and praise the grace and mercy of God: if there had ben no sin felt or wrath deserved or feared.

And now contrary wise, what an inestimable richese of God's goodness may we accompt where we are delivered from sin shame, wrath, death, and restored unto grace favor, joy, confort, & life. We are brought from darkness, unto this marueilouse light from blindness unto the clear sight of the treasures of God, laid up in his son Christ

Of the word sacrament,

ABout the word sacrament,. I intēde not long to trifle. But to take your own words and somthinge to examine them. You do bring in an argument of your adversaries, made by the strong places of reasoning called. Definitiorei, in english the definition of the thing, that is (to them that understand not these terms) grounded upon the oracion or sentence that declareth what the thing is.

A sacrament therefore, is (as well by the definition that your doctors have made, as that you yourself do make) a visible sign of an invisible grace. Upon this definition followeth a double argument. First, because it is a sign: it is not the thing signed or tokened. And this reason is proved true, a relative. oppositis (if you have learned so much logic) and by many fold examples. As the ale pole, the yuie bush, being the signs of wyne & ale within the tauerne house: cannot be the thing signed and tokened. your. 〈◊〉 fo • ked myter signifiynge the. ii. laws cannot be. ii. laws. Your white rachet signifiynge chastity: cannot be chastity it self. Your glitteringe shoese: signifiynge the precious fete of the preachers of the gospel: are not the fete signed and tokened. Your broad shaven crown signifying folishnesse: is not the thing it self, I trow unless you have changed all the things into their signs & shadows You have caused us longe, and would have us still, to gape after signs and shadows as the dog doeth in Isopes fables, and so lose the thing it self which should be our food and confort. You tell us, that the sign token or shadow: is the thing it self. Shall we believe you still?

Nay, your definition telleth us of two things to be in this sacrament. That is to say, A visible sign, and an invisible grace. What other thing (I pray you without contencion) can this visible sign be, but the bread which Christ taketh in hand and breaketh? For other visible thing there is▪ none.

That is to say in plain englyshe (that all men may know what we speak and write) there is none other thing • open to the eyes of man to be seen.

Thys bread thus broken therefore, is the sign or token (that may be seen) of a grace, that cannot be seen. That is to say of the forgiveness of sins in this blood of the new testament of Christ our savior.

Thus frame I therefore the secounde reason. A thing visible and invisible cannot be both one, to be senne and not seen. But this sacrament (as you have confessed in your definicion) is a thing visible and may be seen: therefore can it not be the thing invisible, thereby represented. Al that you have spoken in this cause (byshoup Stephane) is of your own head, without either scripture or reason.

Of the name bread.

WHer you say that we dally with this word bread, and would in the mean time, yourself prove that it is no bread: we dare (because Paul calleth it bread) take any christiā heart to judge, who doeth more dally and trifell. Will you reason in like manner of the cup, and say, that because in the same place he calleth it, this cup: it is not the cup? And a little after he calleth it that cup and that bread: shall they now continue in their own kind still?

What if he call it bread without any addicion, as he doeth in the same Chapiter? Jesus the same night he was betrayed: toke the bread. And the Evangelists do name it bread without any addicion. shall it yet be bread? You have your▪ excuse in redinesse

It is not consecrated for so the. Well go to foxes, seek your holes. What is it in the breakeinge? is it not then▪ consecrated? You cannot for very shame deny that. Hear what Paul saith without addicion of this or that. Panis quē frangimus nonne cōmunicatio corporis Christi est? The bread that we break, is it not the partakeinge of the body of Christ? Wyll you now strive for the bread as you did for the Lord? scrape it out thē, if you lust. You are to much a wrāng lynge sophiste. Wyl you hear no scriptures that you may seek some starteynge holes? we are one bread and one body (saith Paul) so many as are partakers of one bread. Again, he was known unto them in the breakeinge of bread. They did continue in the doctrine of the Apostles, in feloweshipe and breakeing of bread. Dailie continuing with one accord in the temple, and brake bread from house to house.

But lo now the wily fox, stealeeth into agreate borough where he waloweth at will, sayeynge that it beareth the name of bread, because it was so before the chaung.

But if a man keep him from takeynge air at this change: he will be smothered and killed in his hole. For this change is it that succoreth the foxes. They are so wylye, subtle and chaungeable: that they can change the thing that they do but once breath upon. Prove it once to be changed: and I will never call it bread again.

But because you can prove no change: your similitude of the rod of Moses (which was turned into a serpent & strength way retorned to a rod again) is not like. For the same rod was afterward declared (ever in the sight of Pharaoh and all the Egyptians) to be the aduengeing rod of God whereby all the waters of Egypt were turned into blood, and all the wonderful plages wrought, which are terrible unto us, unto this day. Worthely therefore, was this called a rod, for it was the chastesyng rod of God, and always returned into a rod again, so often as Moses or Aaron did take it in their hands.

Now for that you bring Jacob for your purpose, there was no change of substance in him: for he was still Iacobbe, & his house was still called the house of Jacob through out all the prophets, as well as Israel.

Micah saith. I am full of strength to show the house of Jacob their wickedness, and the house of Israel their sin. Agayne, ye rulers of the house of Jacob and ye judges of the house of Israel.

You are far deceived in the Etimologie and true significacion of this word Israel. For the name was given him not of seeing the Lord, neither will the Hebrew word Israel serve thereunto, but as is plainly declared in the text of Genesis? it was because he had strived princely with God and with men, and had prevailed: therefore was it said unto him. Thy name shall be Israel that is to say, one that hath myghtilye prevailed against God and mē, for this is the true Etimologie of the word Israel.

All your other exemples make for us, but that we will not be tediouse in appling them to our purpose, because the time is to little for your other matter.

The church and elders.

NOw doth the fox renne to his old used paths. Stoppe thin ears and be deaf. Thou must believe the church, and learn to spell ( 〈◊〉 ) with a little, as we men of the church teache the (The fox hath small shif • e when for fear of espiynge in plain paths, he rennethe to 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 this hedgerowe of (ē. est. ē. en) but we have answered to this church before and taught you it hath deceived us with false spelles & dark glosses. And we may well be contented with this answer that Samct Paul calleth it bread, and it is called bread also in other places of the scripture, how so ever the bishops men do name it. For there is no word truer or better then the words of scriptures are, neither any spellinges or speakings more certain then those that be taught by the word of God

But you ask us this question. Hath not the church had and understand these words and yet notwithstanding, taught this lesson, That the bread is by consecracion turned into the body of Christ, Yea they have condemned and brent all them that would say that bread remaineth, Yet did they keep Paul still, as they did John giving occasiō to the Arians.

To this I answer, that the Romeish church had the scriptures, but the father of this church, did tread them under his fete, Not only bodily when he was coniuringe at his mass: but also by his pour and the spirits that he sent abroad, commaundeinge that no man should otherwise understand them, then he and his church determined. And therefore he assigned that eueri man that should meddle with the study of them, should first be trained in the schools of his doctors: and so be sinered with the black coles of their helly doctrine, that their souls should never be clear again, as for all other pore men, not brought up in the popeishe learning of his schools and therefore having their consciences like a white wall, ready to receive all truth of God his holy word: the scripture was clearly forboden them, like as you have also with shame enough procured in this our time, that pore men shall not read it for fear lest they dispice your shamlesse pomp and pride, and utterly renownce all your wicked errors,

For the understanding of it, I cannot be leave that the popeishe prelates had the true understanding thereof, because they maytened many blind errors clean contrary to the scriptures, which doeth manifestli declare that they were void of the spirit of truth which only openeth the way to the vnderstādinge of the heavenly mysteries.

How blindly have they taught (without the word contrary to the judgment of reasō or the perceiueynge of the senses) that this bread is changed: this bitter contenciō about the matter declareth. Surely they have condemned and brenned men (and that right many) for this matter, whereby they declare thenselves to be of the cursed seed of Cain and the wicked serpent, who was the murderer even from the beginning. Finally, they have kept the gospel and scriptures still (we thank God and not them) for god hath caused the phariseis before thē, and our bishops following, to keep these Iewelles for our use and profit, and for their own confusion, that by the sam books which they kept and where upon they boasted, they should be openly convinced and overcome.

Wherefore, in that your doctor Damascene and you would have us learn of our elders: we answer that frō the elders, all iniquity is sprongen. A senior • bus ingressa est iniquitas And the Israelites are always by the threateninges of the prophets: forbidden to follow the way of their fathers and elders We must therefore cry with David Peccauimus cum patribus nostris, injust egimus iniquitatē fecim • s. We have sinned with our fathers we have done unrighteously we have done wickedness.

Ask your father and mine (O bishop) ask their fathers and grandfathers, what they have believed, and they will answer (according to the time that they were in) that they believe as the church of Rome doeth believe. For so my father taught me, and so did the priests generally teach in all place chargeinge the people (under the pain of the great curse) to believe as their holy father of Rome believed. And farther could they not teache us their children, neither being suffered to have the scriptures in englyshe, neither heareynge any thing but the lies of the Romeishe Antichrist by their popeishe curates.

In this church you can find nothing amiss. And this blind church is it that you labor so sore to defend, or else would you in someone place have given us warneinge that we follow not this Romeishe church. But doutlesse, all your boke thorough, you spend all your wits, to bring us under the captivity of this church, that you might worthily triumph as you have done makeinge merchandise of our souls.

Woulde God, the king our master, head, ruler and leader, would search forth such Romeishe traitors. For they can never take him for they only head, so longe as they have another head upon the earth, whose honor they labor to enhaunce even with all their might and diligence, endeavor and studi: whose kingdom the labor to enlarge, with books, with writings, with sermons and preachings, with faggot • es, fire, brenninges, and all means they can possible.

Oh bishop and Idole, dyddest thou not vilainouselie at Paul's cross (not long sense) seek and bring forth all the Arguments of thy subtle brain, for to stop the kingdom of Christ, spreadeinge by his word and scriptures, from the which thou dideste affraye men by the terrible inventions of thy diueillishe subtleties. A traitor to God and man. But the aduengeinge hand of God thou canst not escape.

Qui vos spernit, me spernit, he that despiceth you despiceth me, was never meant of such bishops as drive men from the word but of the faiethful Apostles and mesengers of Christ, which dare speak nothing but that they have heard and learned by the spirit of God in his holy scriptures. Whyche must be received, not for their own authority: but because thei are prophets and preachers of the heavenly mysteries, and the disciples and scholars of Christ Not preachers against Christ (as you & such other prelates are in your sermons) than who so receiveth him in the name of a disciple or the name of a prophet: the same shall have the reward of a prophet. And who so despiseth him thus being the disciple of Christ, setting forth and promoting the glory of his master: he despiseth Christ, and not only him but his father, the author of his message.

But you priests, you preach for lucre. Oh you prophets, you prophecy for your own gain and for money. Yet will you be takē as those that hold upon God, & say. Is not the Lord among us? But would God • ure heads would esteem the matter as it is, & be no longer blinded with your clokes of hypocrisy. Let them but cōsidre the cause only as Cicero doeth monishe in his oration. Cui commodo sit et bono.

It is your commodity and profit, to maintain popery and dumb ceremonies. It is greatly your gain to keep the world in blindness. For by these things have you crept up to this lordely pomp, and ever as they decay: so decreaseth some thing of your dignity. So it is no mer •• yle, though you being carnal men do strive very sore for your advantage.

We pore men of the contrary part, which (of a zeal grounded upon the knowledge of the word of God) do speak against your superstition, your pomp and Idolatry: do not only, not gain one farthynge thereby (as I take God to witness before whom I shall answer at the great day, I desire nothing of yours, but your soul health) we pore caytyfes I say, do not only loke for no gain, but for telling of the truth, we loke to lose the little goods that we have, our wives and dear children to be spoiled, & ourelyues (with moste spiteful torments of • ackyng and burning) to be taken from us. Vide iam cui sit commodo.

To the governors of the people.

Wherefore seek you knowledge, ye that judge the earth? Judge a right in all controversies betwixt a man and his neighbor. Hear O you heads of the house of Jacob, and ye leaders of the house of Israel. Should not ye know what were lawful and right? But ye hate the good and love the yuell. The Lord hath ben sore displeased with your forefathers, but turn you unto me saith the Lord of hosts: and I shall turn unto you. Be not you, like your forefathers unto whom the prophets cried afore time, saying. Turu • from your yuell ways and wicked Imaginations: but they would not hear, nor regard me, saith the lord. What is now become of your forefathers and the prophets? &c.

I must needs say with Iheremie▪ Wa •… to the prophets that prophecy their own Imaginations, mine hert breaketh in my body▪ All my bones do tremble, I am become like a drunken man, without rest, disquieted with wyne, even for the very fear of the Lord and his holy words: because the land is full of aduouteres, where thorough it is destroyed. Yea the way that men take is wicked, and their governance is nothing like the holy word of the Lord. For the prophets and the priests them selves, are polluted hypocrites, & their wickedness have I found in my house, saith the Lord. Theyr way therefore shall be slepperie in darkness, that they may stacker and fall therein. For I will hrynge a plage upon them, even the yere of their visitasion, saith the Lord.

If you doubt of whom you shall seek for knowledge: remember what was spoken by God the father from heaven, of Christ our savior when he was sent into the world. This is my dearly beloved son, hear you him. He is the only master & opener of the wisdom of his father. Which wisdom who so lacketh: let him ask of him that giveth, evē of God that giveth unto all men indifferently and casteth no mā in the teeth: and he shall have it. But let him ashe in faith nothing doubting. But always use the means that God hath appointed. As for perfect understanding of the scriptures, it must needs be granted convenient to have the knowledge of the Hebrew, greek and latin tongue to use the diligent comparinge of the scriptures together, and counsel of learned teachers, diverse interpretations & writings of men of all ages. For hapely thou mayest perceive by one, that thou canst not understand by another. But for the pore lay man which cannot have these later healpes and furtherance: let him be diligent in reading the englishe text, & no fail God will grant him so much knowledge, as shall be expedient for the ordering of his life. And therefore may he nothing doubt but that his master Christ, which did vouchsafe to shed his blood for him: will also grant unto him so much knowledge as shall be thought meet for the saving of that soul which he hath so dearly boughte. And you must always beware that you call you no master upon earth to be sworn into any man's sayings, but have you eye unto the heavenly master only, upon whom only resteth all truth. Where men (be they doctors or bishops: if they bring not the word of God with them) they are but liars.

To the bishops.

IT may well appear what minds you bishops have to the furtherance of the knowledge of God: by that you do without cause, find faute with the diligent translations of good men, cōdemnyng them by your counsayles, and yet will not translate any parte thereof yourselves. Yea all your life and labors do teach us plain, that you would stop our eyes and lead us capty • e in your blind ways. Therefore if we should follow you being blind guides, false prophets and Idole pastors: we shall be still scattered abroad in the blind ways of ignorance, we shall be led with your lies even together with you into the blind pit of darkness. Thus have you led our fathers before us, so many as would take you for their scho masters, and had none other secrete motion of the spirit, to lift their hearts up into the heavens, d •… nge the aid and help of all other • r •…

And yet 〈◊〉 cannot content yourselves with the kingdom that you have usurped in the consciences of men (where none ought to reign but God) more then these thousand years: unless you may still have the same authority in establishinge your popetrie and Idolatry, beating evermore into our ears, that your Idolatrous and superstitious religion, hath continued these. M. D. years. Whereas we partly have declared, & might more at large declare (were it not to tedious) that it hath crept up only with your wicked papacy and possessions of the church, and hath continued only the time that Satan hath been lose and sent forth into the world to work his will, when you his stout soldier did shit up the kingdom of God his word, and neither would enter in yourselves, nor suffer them that would entre. But now that the lamb hath unlocked the boke: Satan beginneth to roar for fear of the fall of his kingdom, and you bishops (his champions) do rage and fight against God his word, yea against every thing that is God or godly. But we shall overcome by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of his witness. And therefore do we ieoperde our souls unto death, not only against the Romish Antichrist: but the Mahumetaine also who is like to reign over us as a worthy plage for slidynge from the word of God, evē as he hath many years reigned over many Christian nations, which both in life and learning were as holy as we be now cōpted.

If this thing (I say) shall come to pass (as no man knoweth God's secrete working but such only as it shall please him to endue with this knowledge) we shall be ready, both to speak and write, as we now do, for the glory of God, against all Idolators so far as God shall open our hearts and give us strength. For without his audacity and boldness of spirit poured into us: we shall stand in as gerate fear to perform this, as we should be to write against your abominations, knowing your cruelty towards thē that have heretofore moved your patience.

What other men have written in the favor of Mahumete I cannot tell. But this do I see with mine eyes, that you bishops do opē a great door for him to entre in at: by the Idolatry that you do maintain, in setting up so weak a creature to be God. For what plainer way can ye have to impunge the Christian religion: then to find it to be grounded upon so fond a foundation as this weak Idol of yours?

And on the other side, by your wicked life and tirannouse handlynge of the pore flock of Christ: you ministre great occasion for us to thyinke, that we shall live under the turckes, as quietly and safly as under you, both in auoydynge the Popish Idolatry, and also in escapynge of outragiouse tyranny. Beware howe your malice leadeth you to minister such occasions. For though we abhor (evē frō the bottoms of our hearts) the turrkeshe Mahumete and his laws, and are ready to write and speak against them in the defense of our Christ and his religion, rather wishyng to die, then to be subject unto him: yet this present necessity and more grievous bondage that we suffer now under the bishops the lymes of the Romish Antichrist are so intolerable, that we had rather prove any thing, then longe to abide it.

If they overcome here, the victory will hardly be stayed from conquest in the rest.

Call back your tyranny therefore about the worshipping of this Idol. Surely it is full time (as you say) for you to strive for your God, and to encourage your companions to stick to their taklynge, for if we may once get the victory herein, all the residue of your Popery will have a foul fall.

Note our simplicity as much as you will, and skoffe on still (with the Deuyll is simple iwys) we will never be ashamed to call bread, bread, so longe as we have Luke the Evangelist and Paul the Apostle of Christ to take our parte.

Come you in with your double glosses, and put forth two faces in own hoode in every thing you go about, as longe as you lust. But it is an high matter to understand what bread meaneth and what the world signifieth you say.

Go to, go to. And all the world (what so ever the world signifieth) will shortly deride you and think you worthy of your. ii. forcked myters, for your doubleness.

Of this name Mass, and of the diriuation of the same.

NOw labor you to have this name Missa, or Mass, diriued of an Hebrew word, wherein I will not greatly contend though it make not much for your purpose: because I know the subtlety of the generation that first named it, whose caste it is always to busy men's minds with strange names, dark terms and subtle disputations about the same to hold men occupied in trifles, and to keep them frō the playnes of the truth. Other wise they could have ben content to have named it the breaking of the bread with Luke or the supper of the Lord with Paul.

But for the nature of the Hebrew word: Lerne what Sanctes Pagninus writeth in Thesauro lingue sancte 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Missa sufficientiā significat. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 id est. Sufficientiam voluntatis (aut spontis) manns tue.

Targhū, Deut. xv. &. xviii. pro, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quod est sufficiētia, habet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rabbi Selomoh, in comētaries, exponit, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sufficiētiā. Rabbi Abrahā hoc pacto scribit. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Daghessatur samech, nam deducitur a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quod est sign • m. Ihero • i • nus. Oblationē spontaneā man • tue. Vnde dicūt nō nulli, quod 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 est oblatio que fit deo propter aliquod munus personale, quibus non assentior, cum nullus ex Hebreis doctoribus ho • dicat, quos legerim. Hactenus Pagninus.

These words declare the nature of this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by diriuatiō even frō the original. Which howe well it agreeth with our englishe word mass: let the learned judge. It cā not be tried hereby, that it is a sacrifice for the quick & for the dead: but rather clean contrary, by that which Pagninus affirmeth.

Ther is yet another Hebrew word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifiynge a tribute, which some men say is the original: because of the contribution and payment that was gathered for the relief of the pore in the beginning.

There is also a verb 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which betokeneth to melte or to be dissolved away, where of you may diriue Missa, if you will because the hour is at hand, whē the Mass and all man's inventions, shall melt like wax before the brenning fire of the word of god. But what matter maketh it whereof this word cometh: seeing all the world seeth that your Mass is a Mass and heap of ceremonies and fond gestures & nothing after the form that Christ our master did institute it?

Seinge therefore, you have both given it a new name, & changed the thing it self also: men that do mislyke your doings, may without blame give it the name that they find in scriptures, to call Christ's deed into remembrance, which you have almost extinguished.

We therefore do cōmunely call it the supper of the Lord as Paul doeth, because at his last supper Christ did ordain this sacrament for a memory & remembrance. But for the word Cena, it is enough for children to daly as you do in the schools. And the text of Paul is plain enough. It is the matter that we cōtend for & not the terms. Thys term the supper of the Lord doeth signify unto us, the work that Christ did, and the thing that should be had in memory. Your mass you say signifieth (but no mā cā tell by what property of language) all these things.

The glorious presence of the body and blood of Christ, the whole circumstaūces used and ceremonies done, & the devout prayers that be spoken by the priest.

Well, it is a small matter for you that can change things and creatures, to change words and names at your pleasure.

Polidore seemeth to speak in differētly for us both in this matter, where he saith that in the Mass there was an offering and gathering for the poor, which favoreth some thing of the Hebrew word. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Tributum collectum. But the pore are despised, and therefore there remaineth only the song that is called the Offertorie (saith he) which was song whi • se the money was in gathering.

Finally, whether you prelates (which cal yourselves the church) may say with Paul. Ego accepi a domino quod et tradidi vobis: Let all me judge that have knowledge to perceive what is in your Mass, and what the Lord did at his supper when he commanded us to do this in the remembrance of him, and that we should all drink thereof. Yea that so often as we eat of this bread & drink of this cup, we should show forth the death of the Lord unto that he come, which is the only thing that we desire, to have the death of Christ preached in this sacrament (for that is the only food & life of the soul) where you will have nothing but blind diguisinges wherewith neither the body nor soul cā be fed

Of thieves that ste • e away the food of the soul.

THey would steal away the precious food of the body and blood of Christ & make it a bare drinking of bread and wine.

Judge you that be of god, how we would steal away the precious food of the body & blood of Christ, whē we do continually teach that this is the only food of the soul, and the working of the meat that never perisheth: to believe him whom the father hath sent. And would have therefore the coming & suffering of Christ preached unto the people by this sacrament that they might continually feed of his body brokē for them, for the only food of their souls. Yea rather you are the thieves (the whole world to witness) that rob the sheep of the food of their souls. You rob the pore people of the testament of their father. You rob us lay & lewd mē of the one half of the sacrament. You take frō us the testament which only, was strikē and established in the blood which was commanded in the old testament to be sprinkled vpō all the people, of the which we were all commanded (in the new testament) to drink. And bisides that, in the ministering of this sacrament, you will preach nothing of the death of Christ unto us, though it be the sacrament thereof. No you will not speak one word of his death & passion, nor once name unto us his body broken and his blood shed for our sins, that it might be the food of our souls. You cause us to gape & gase at dead & dumb ceremonies, whereby the soul that is spiritual, cā not be fed. Yea (& that is worst of all) in the steed of this food of Christ, you do kyl the soul, not only with famine, for lack of this food: but also with the moste present poison of Idolatry. The utter confusion and destruction of all that willingly follow it.

And where they will pass none of their own suppers (on the greatest fasting day) without flesh: yet in this supper of the lord they diuise a diete without deinties, to have nothing present but bread and wyne.

In our own suppers, we do use no superstitiō of meats nor days, because God hath created all his creatures to be takē with thanks giuinge as his good creatures, and hath made mā Lord over days and times, to use thē to his necessity, & to serve to his use, And though the Jews were nourterid for a time, with shadows of days & meats, & like ordinances, till Christ the body did come & set us at liberty, frō all such bondage: yet because we Christians have once professed to worship god in spirit & truth: we may not turn back frō the same to follow the gross superstitiō that the Pope hath sow̄ throughout his kyngdō: but labor to break it, & to take it away for the wealth of our brethrē, leste peradventure they that be weak, & do still think it an high honor unto god & great holiness to eat fish vpō certain days commanded by the Pope to be so fasted, and contrariwise, that the eating of flesh on those days, is dishonor unto him & a crime deserving sore punishment. And thus by our strength the weak be offended & established in their error. Evē as thei did that did still eat of the meat offered unto the Idols amongst the Corhinthians, though thei did know that nothing was polluted or vucleane of it self: yet thei sitting at the table of the Idols, were the occasion that the weak brothers (who fraimed their faith after thexēple of thē that had knowledge) were established in their error, by seeing thē sit at the meat of Idols. For it was not the manner that any mā should sit at the Idols table but such as would be partakers of the Idolatry. In this point did Peter offēde also, whē he dissēbled in the eating of • eat, & paul rebuked him therefore. In our own suppers therefore, we eat flesh or fish indifferently (as is offered unto us) & give god thankes for his creatures. Whē we fast, we abstain frō both. And not regarding bodily things, for the time we do occupy our selves in spiritual meditation in mournynge for our sins & the sins of the people. And whē we return to bodily food to comfort the body withal, then (knowing that the thing which entereth in at the month, defileth not the body) we do without superstition and excess, use indifferently all such meats as occasion ofsereth. And why should not we as well do thus, as you bishops, to eat on the greatest fasting days you have: sweet sucket, grene ginger, marmilade, & such like deinties for the punishinge of your Pope holy carcases? Is a piece of biefe or bakō more perilous for the provocation of sleshly appetite in us pore mē of the country that labor all the day long in hunger & cold: thē these subtleties are to your sleuthful, & idle bealies? If we do not fast the true fast & lament for our sins so oft as were convenient: the great cause is, that we are never taught of this true fast, & very seldō do we hear the word of god truly preached, which might move us to this reap̄tāce & mourning for our sins. So that always the faults of the people must needs return vpō your necks (O bishops) & the blood of the sheep that perish must berequired at your hands, because you are negligent in doing of your duties. Now this great matter that ye do lay so oftento our charge. Thatin the lords supper we diuise a diete without ani dainties & that we will have nothing present but bread & wine: we have partly proved to be untruly reported of us, who do in the Lord's supper set forth the food that feadeth into life euerlasteynge. But the same thing, may well & justly be spoken of you that do set up the mūblinge of a mass (in a tongue not understand) in the stead of the lively fedyng of the faithful in the death of Christ. which ought all ways to be preached & shown forth in this supper of the Lord, that the flock of Christ may continually feade on these dainties of the heavenly manna according to the sayeinge of Christ. Not Moses, but my father giveth the true bread from heaven. For it is the bread of God that cometh from heavē and giveth life unto the world. I am the same bread that am come down from heaven He that cometh unto me, shall not be hongrie & he that believeth in me, shall never be • hyrstie Lo, what dainties we do set forth in our supper. But what daintis do the pore people find in your mass? You say that there is raw flesh, blood and bones: which things (compared unto ours) are no daynties. The people say that you do eat all in a cornar, and will give no man part with you. What so ever daynties you have, they go home hongrie, both in their bodies and souls. Yea what gear is there in your mass (the gospel and epistle, & Hoc est corpus meum, onli excepted) that can fead the soul of the unlearned man Yea how doeth that gospel & epistle fed their souls that understand not one word that you speak? As for yourblasphemus collectes geueing so much to the merits of sanctes: your secretes where in you do talk with Annas and Caiaphas: your beadroles one of benefactors, and another of hallowes, as Peter Paul and Crisogonus (whose memorial you name it to be, & not the memory of Christ) by whose merits and prayers you desire to be defended in all points, If all this, I say, were in english and understand, what daynteis (Yea what deuellieshnes) should hereby enter into the hearers heart • ?

This is no food, but filth, this is no bread but poison. But you think perchance, that we lewd people, may feed upon fond gestures upon youre fond bloweynges and blesseinges, mockeinge and, moweynge, vpō your cake holden up betwyxt your fingers and hopped about the chalice. These be all your spiritual works. But they neither feed souls nor yet bodies. For you are those shep herdes that feed them selves and despise the flock. The best you have to say, is that you do eat this supper for us, & that you drink this cup of the new testament for us. But now have we learned of late in the testament of our master (which you have most vilanouslye plucked forth of our hands being no gentillmen) that it is his will and pleasure, that all we should eat & drink of the bread and wyne of this supper. Wherefore I pray you eat our meat no lenger, neither for us nor from us. For that which you do eat, cā do us no more good? thē if you did eat away from us our bodily diner. And if you will be partakers of our bodily labors & goods: let us be partakers with you in this supper. And if you compt us saved & redeemed by the blood of the new testament: thē suffer us to drink of the cup of the same in Christ's blood If you do caste us frō it, & esteem us so lewdly as you have done herebefore: think non other but the arm where upon you have trusted shall be broken, & the donge of your solēnyties, shall be scatered upon your faces. But to come to your dainties again. You do mixed the third parte of your cake with the wyne, & then you say Hec sacro sancta commixtio, this▪ holy mixture be health of body & soul. By the which blasphemous words, wherein you wish that this same mixture that you make, should be salvation of body and soul: we may espy that you have here dainties prepared for the devils own toth Your preparatives to these daynties, are like to the daynties them selves, That is to say deuillishe.

Read the Rubrica of the mass to eschew mortality, and the mass of the five woūdes where as it is written that what priest so ever saith the office of this mass. v. times either for him self or any other: he shall in this world have grace and health, & in the world to come euerlasteynge life, if he continue in good.

And in what so ever tribulaciō a man shall be in this world, if he procure this office to be said for him. v. times by a priest: without dout he shall be delivered And if it be read for the soul of the dead: strayt after it is read v. times the soul shall be delivered frō pain

Wyth such lies and blasphemies do you prepare the people's minds to your dayntie dyshes.

Now your cautiles & subtillities that you have about these daynties: declare you to be more supersticiouse, then were the phariseis, and far more foleish then the heathen: In so much that I am ashamed to write them,

Of the pure sacrifice of Malachi the prophet.

BVt you do establish your mass and▪ sacrifice (as you suppose) very strong lie, by the prophet Malachi, whom your doctor Damascē doeth allege for the unbloody sacrifice. And you bring him in again here in the ende of your boke though he speak clear against you.

These be his words after he hath rebuked the priests of covetousness.

I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of hosts, I will allow none offering of your hands: For from the easte to the west, my name is great amongst the heathen. And everywhere do they bren incense and offer unto my name, even a pure offering. For great is my name among the heathen (saith▪ the Lord of hosts) and you have polluted it in your words.

The phariseis to whom this was spoken: thought them selves and their sacrifices so acceptable in the sight of God, that they despised all other people (as you do now. And therefore this text serveth against you both. That enerie where, in every nation and people (as Peter was taught in the Act. the pure offering in spirit and truth, shall be offere •… So that we may truly say, that Malachi doeth make against you, teacheing that (a • all prophecies are general) as the Jews priests were refused for their covetousness: so shall you for yours. And as he declared that their sacrifices & ceremonies, where vpō they boasted & bragged so much, should cease: so are yours now at the same point He declared also, that God should be honored in spirit & truth throughout all nations: even as we have an example of. C xx. M. in Nineveh, of diverse private persons in diverse cōtreyes, as Naamā in Siria, the wydow of Serephtha Jethro the father inlawe of Moses, Hira of Tirus & the queen of the south. which though they were not of the outward Israel did nevertheless magnify the name of the lord, & offer the ca • ues of their lyps offering: a pure offering of thankes geueing & offering their own bodies a liueinge sacrifice, holy & acceptable unto God, & this is the pure offering that the prophet Malachi did speak of

I will not strive with you about your doctors anymore because I intend to avoid the infinite contēcions which I perceive do a rise of them. Notwithstandinge here is a just occasiō offered (as there hath ben many times) where Gregory Nazianzeue, calleth fasteynge (in Christ) a bulworke and defense against tētaciō. As though christ which could not sin neaded any such bulworke. And yet so far as we know, he was tempted when he was fasteynge. The same Gregory, calleth fasteyngein us apurgacion or cleanseynge. What should we cōtēde about this matter? Lyke as it pleased God to give pour unto Moses to fast. xl. days twice in the mountain, not for the a voydeinge of tentacion: but for to set forth the glorious law and will of the father, then to be published. And Elias being sent to anoynte a Kynge over Siria, & a Kynge and a prophet over Israel, by whō both thief kingdomes shouldbe clean tered & changed, did fast forty days from all manner meat, for the declareinge of the pour of God in his works.

So did it please Christ of his own pour to fast forty days that the Jews should have none occasion to think him inferionre to those. ii. their greatest prophets, in the publisheynge of his gospel and glad tithinges unto the world, and his renewynge of all things: Not to the intent that we should follow him, and thereby have purgaciō of our sins, For beside that it is impossible to follow him (without an especial work of the spirit) either in that he fasted. xl. days or in that he was never hongrie: this were a plain denial of the benefit of his passion, and the setting up of our own work which is imperfect. For what great matter is it to eat meat but once eueri day and drink. ii. or. iii many have so lived in the old time.

And what holiness is it to eat fish only? do not cormor • ntes and such as live by the sea side live so likewise?

Christ hath commanded us to follow him in love, peace, mercy, and such like: but in this example (as a thing imposseble) we have no such commandment, except we be drawn into wilderness by the spirit as Christ was, or by any other work of God we be desti •• te of food & the comfort of creatures: then Lo the example of Christ may strength us, and teach that not by bread only do we live but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Woulde God that true fasteynge and prayer were taught and used, and popeish abuse abolished, for truth and falsehood cannot be coupled to gether. But you bishops must bear the blame for all these things if it be not amended shortly. For you have taken the charge of the flock.

An answer to diverse questions

IN the ende of your boke, we looked for a substantial rehearsal of your strong arguments where with you have confirmed this matter that you have taken in hand But we find a rabble of confused questians nothing partaynige to this purpose) which we must touch, or else you will say that you are not answered. And therefore do you craftily heap these to gether in the ende of your boke, that in the wrappeynge up of so many matters you may have credit of the commune people, as a professed patron of they • used errors: and cause us to be despised as the contemners of all these things that you do styfly maintain. This is deuillishe sophistry & subtlety of Satan, mindeinge nothing but contencion, debate & strife, when one sting is stinged, to shote forth another. Yea it is rather the mōstrouse & poisonfull nature of Hidra that Hercules slew, whē thou haddest stricken of one head, to have. vii. or moe ariseinge in his place. When you cā not overcome by arguments in the matter we have in hand: then stricke you up new alarm to a new field of contencion.

Thus shall we never have don, if we now a fresh take in hand to answer you. Fyrste you demand, which is the true fast? which is the true prayer? Then what place the preaching of God's word owght to have in the church? what place the doctri • e of men may have in the worshype of God? Again, whether the sacrament ought to be ministered in both the kinds, or but in bread only? For you will ever be inuentynge new mat tiers to occupy men's minds in contencion, and to affraye simples souls from the scriptures. And because you will maintain all popery (thought you perceive it is nothing) you can find faute with nothing that the popehath invented. But when you are demanded of any of his trifles a lone: you say they are nothing. And yet you will have this large heap of nothinges, to be the mass (as you call it) and whole heap of our religion and everyone severally, to be necessary to your estate. Agayne by your boke we have just occasiō ministered (were it not that we would gladly avoid cōtēcionto examine this mōstrouse gear to their worthiness, and to speak of all your nothinges, dumb signs, & lieing shadows, that your father & you have heretofore invented. But thā should we never have done, for everyone of these arguments would ask an whole boke, like as the matter of the sacrament hath done: you have so blinded the truth in thē all with your deceiveable Hypocrisy. I desire all good hearts therefore: to mark the matter as it is, howe you labor to stir cōtēciō, how we in no case would enter therinto, unless we were provoked. Right sorry that we have so great occasion. First through your gros blindness, which being the eyes & seeing nothing, the salt & become vnsaneourie and the doumbe dogs that cannot bark: have brought the world into the pyte of blindness. And again, because you like swine will not only wallow in your mire still: but also like wild boares labor to destroy the vine • ard, to root forth all the sweet rotes of the chosē vine, & crashe the branches with your teth Settinge up your bristles & sharpeing your teeth against all thē that would drive your wicked gardiuars out of the lords viniyard. We are therefore compelled to shap you some answer, least you glory still in your wickedness, & cōtinewe so terrible that no mā dare resist you. For fasting & prayeing therefore, read the. vi. and. vii. of Math. where you may learn of Christ's own mouth, the true prayer & fasting much better thē by the bishops bablinge, For they teach the mattēs & mass (mūbled in a tōge that the people do not understand) to be the prayer unto the which the holy word of god & the preaching of his glad tidings of y ^e gospel, must give place. And for this the bishop alledgeth this saieing of Gregory. The preaching of the gospel is not good: when it occupieth the time of prayer. And therefore on Christemas day whē the church hath. iii. masses: he said he could not spend so much time with his audience that day as he was woe • t to do.

And by their often mumbling of mattēs and mass, patched together by popes & Pretates, and seldom or never preaching of the pure word of God it: may appear that they prefer the inuencions of man before God & his gospel. But if thou mark the. xiiii. to the Cor. thou shalt perceive these to be madness.

And to understand what fast God requireth, read Isaiah, the. lviii. Chap, and Zechariah the. vii. For the reproufe of their fish fast: mark that Christ saith. That thing which goeth into the mouth, defileth not a mā. And Paul saith. The kingdom of god consisteth not in meat & drink, and that nothing is profane or vnholi of it self. Also that the mea • e comēdeath no mā unto god for then should the monks of the charterhouse have been more comēdable. And cormorātes in their kind, were moste to be praised. But Paul saith, that if we do eat, we gain no thing thereby, & if we do not eat, we shall lose nothing at all. This doctrine that teacheth us to abstain frō flesh or any other creature that God hath created to be taken with thankes geueing: is called the doctrine of diuil les, because butter eggs, & flesh, are as well sā • ified in the creatiō as other creatures, and were created of God to be takē with thankes giving, at the will, pleasure & commandment of man whom he made Lord over them, to use them for his necessity.

Paul therefore commandeth, that no mā judge us in our meat and drink or parte of the holy day, which were but shadows: before the comeinge of Christ, who was the body. A • d seeing we have him already and yet gape after shaowes: may not Paulle say as he did to the Galatians. You observe days, months, times and years? I fear me leste I have labored in vain amongst you.

For the chasteinge forth of deueles by fasting and prayer: first marcke what Christ answereth. He saith that the Apostles could not because of their incredulity, and weakness of faith. And afterward he addeh these two (fasteinge and prayer) as weapons and works of faith which cannot be separated from saith, • either can be found in the old bottelles of the hypocrites.

Thys prayer, when it striveth against the devil: it surmounteth all wordly things and pleasures. And the same is also the only true fast. To neglect (for the time) all worldly things to neglect meat & drink a • d what so ever bodili pleasure or desire may be imagined: that in prayer the mind may be lifted above the heavē unto the throne of God.

But than (say you) your good Hipocrites and popeish votaries have experince of this. But Christ shall witness against you where he teacheth that these are the works of the new man, and cannot be received in the patched clokes of hypocrisy. You have experience you say, of driueinge away Diuelles by prayer and fasteing. But what devil it is you dare not tell, leste we should take you with a lie. For if you do mean the devil of lecherie: I have heard Phisians say, that your fyshe fast stireth him up, and we se everywhere that he reigneth amongst you for all your fasting and conjuring of holy water for the same purpose. But we will let pass this lieinge doteage. As for the diligent preaching of Christ's word and his glade tiding: it should not need to contend with you if you were christē byshopes. For Christ admonisheth his Apostle Peter to feed, his sheep & his lambes. Paul saith, he is sent to preach and not to baptize. Muche less to mumble a paier of mumbling matins, full of blasphemous collectes. He saith again. Woe be vn tome if I do not preach. He admouisheth Timothy (yea he obtesteth him before God and the lord Jesus Christ which shall judge the quick & the dead whā he shall appear in his kingdō (to preach the word & to be instant there 〈…〉 , in lyme and out of time. Naie say our byshopes, not in •• atens time, nor in the fore • one because the word 〈…〉 must give place to our popeishe matens and mass.

Yea some of thē can preach openly at Paul's cross, that we have little need of the word either written or preached, because our hearts may teache us what is good or bad.

A they have all agreed with one accord, that the word of God is il for pore men under the degree of gentell men. But remember (O bishops) that Moses hath taught us that the heart of man (with all his inuencions) is and hath been naught else but evil, even from the cradle. And therefore the same Moses by the spirit of God giveth warneinge unto all men both gentle men and yeomē: to have the word of his doctrine in their hearts and there souls, and to hang them for a sign in their hands (though you deride them that carry it at their girdles) he commandeth also that it be continually before their eyes, and written in the gates, the doors, and the posts of our houses. He commaundethe to teache it our Children, that they may continually occupy their minds therein. He commandeth farther, that whan we sit in the house, whan we walk in the way, when we lie down & arise again we should be therein occupied,

Read the psalm (Blessed are the undefiled in the way, which walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they which search his testimonies) and there shall you perceive that the word of God should be the delight of the life the food of the soul, the light • o the fo • e stepes, the rode of the young man to break his lusts, the exercise of his life, the comfort in aduersite, the bridle in prosperity, the medicine in sickness, the only food in health, the relefe in werinesse, the banisment of vilanie, sufferinge no shame to assalt, the cause of reioyseinge in banisment and imprisoneinge, in extreme age, the releyfeinge of werinesse, causeynge all quietness. Yea in death the giver of life, and in life joy euerlasteinge.

Is not this thing worthy to be preached in the time of matins and mass? to be preached, red, and heard inmattens, mass and euensonge time? to be learned of men women, children, plowemen, yemen, gentillmen free men, bound men, and generally of all christen men? Oh bishop recant for shame.

Now to discuse what place the doctrine of mē should have in the worship of God marck that God saith. That which I command the that only do thou, neither add thou any thing, nor diminishe therfrom. Marcke again, howe Mada • and Abihu, the chyldrē of Aaron, did offer unto the Lord strange fire that was not commanded them: & fire came forth frō the Lord & devoured them. So strange a thing it is to set up a strange thing of our own brain. Oze for touching the Ark of God, was stryken to death, notwithstanding he did it of a good intent. Howe think you then will God receive your fond doctrines and ceremonies?

Saul the first king of the Israelites, was thorough a foolish intent of his own put from his kingdom. Beinge commandment̄dded to destroy the Amalechites with all theirs, he saved the best and fairest, intēding to do sacrifice therwyth unto the Lord. But God asked him by the prophet, in this wise. Wyl the Lord have holocastes & offerings, and not rather obedience unto the voice of the Lord? But this place do you falls • y allege for the obedience unto men: even in like manner as you do wraste this text also. In • ayne do they worship me teaching the doctrines and precepts of men. But we dare examine the ma • tier by your own glosses.

You are content to grant that such doctrines and precepts of men, as be taught of their own brains whē they were but in the state of men only: were but vain worship. And then talk you of Lycurgus and of Numa Pompilius, but in the popes kingdom all doctrine was good, for he was above this state of a man (as it should seme, because you can find no faute with his doings) yea & all you bishops and your priests are more then mē also (as may appear by your boke) for what so ever you say, we must believe you or else we despise God. Thus cā you allege scriptures, and can prove this by a text of Paul. Non spernit hominem sed De • m. He doeth not despise man but God. Which text is spoken of the precept of God written in Leviticus, which forbiddeth the to defraud thy brother, which Paul alledgeth a little before, and therefore warneth the Thessalonians, not to set light of that law the author whereof was not any mā but God. But you write of authority. You may writh scriptures as ye lust.

As for your place to the Hebrews, maketh for thē that preach the word of God, whose faith we should follow, and consider the ende of their conversation.

If you will be tried to be such ministers: you must prove unto us your ministration, in much sufferance, in afliction, in necessity, in carefulness, in strokes, in imprisonment, in seditiōs, in labors, watchyng, fastynges, in pureness, in knowledge, in gentleness of mind and liberality, in the holy ghost, in love not feigned, and in the word of truth. &c.

Dare you still cal yourselves ministers? Then must you be the disposers of these mysteries of God. And so longe as you sit in the seat of Moses preaching the word of God: so far will we believe you. And so far as you are the followers of Christ: we will follow you. But if you bring not his word, we dare not say A • e unto you, nor receive you into our▪ houses. No we do take you for the unclean beasts that do not divide the houffe.

Suche are the shepeheardes (as Iheremie saith) that are fed with the wind, which scatter the sheep, caste them forth, and do not visit the flock. The priest and the prophet are both defiled, wherefor they do doeth follow a slippery way in the dark, wherein they shall be driven forth, and fall in the same: for I shall bring the day of their visitation upon them, saith the Lord.

They are all like Sodomites in my sight, & the people like Gomorrhah. With wormewod and ga •• e therefore, will I feed thē. For all pollution is common upon the earth (saith the Lord) by the prophets of Iherusalem (men moste highly esteemed in outward holiness) But thus saith the Lord of hosts. Gyue none ear to the words of these prophets that deceive you. For they speak the visiō of thir own hearts, & not of the mouth of the Lord.

Thus are we plainly taught howe perilouse a thing it is, to follow the doctrines of men, be they never so highly advanced with titles of holiness. Yea we are by the mouth of God admonished above all things to beware of them that promise peace & quietness, following but the shreudnesse of their own hearts and foolish inventions, for it is a kind of Idolatry, not to stick unto his word, as unto the thing only sufficient. Of such prophets therefore, as bring their own inventions: doeth he say. I did not send them, & they ran. I did not speak unto them, and they did prophecy. If they had stand in my counsel and published my words to my people, they should have turned them from their wicked ways, and from their wicked inventions. I did hear howe they told lies & dreams in my name by the disceites of their heart, causynge the people to forget my name for their dreams, (as is it come to pass this day) Therefore saith the Lord of hosts against such prophets. He that hath a dream, let him tell his dream, and he that hath my word let him speak my word truly. What minglest thou chaff with the • heat? Are not my words like fire, saith the Lord, and like the mall that breaketh the stone? Therefore to you prophets, that steal my words, everyone frō his brother, dreamynge forth your lies deceyuyng my people with your lies & your miracles, where as I did never send you, nor yet command any such thing to my people as did not profit them. You are the heavy burden that I can no longer bear and therefore I will caste you away.

Agayne Ezekiel in the spirit of God, doeth thus prophecy against you that have the names of shepeherdes and will not feed his flock with his word but feed yourselves by your crafty inventions and cause the sheep to go astraye in the wild mountains of your errors.

Woe unto the shepeherdes of Israel (saith the Lord) which do feed them selves, ought not the flock to be fed of the shepeherdes? But you have eaten the milk, you are clothed with their wool, you sley that which is fat and feed yourselves and will not feed my flock. You comfort not the weak, you heal not the sick, you bind not up the broken, you seek not that which perisheth, but with power and rigor do you rule over them. Thus are my sheep scattered because they have no shepeherde, and devoured with wild beasts. They go wanderynge in the mountains and are scattered thorough the earth, and no man doeth seek them. No man doeth seek them, I say. As truly as I do live (saith the Lord God) because my flock is thus spoiled & my sheep denoured, whylse the shepeherdes do feed them selves and despise my flock. Lo, I myself will require my flock at the hands of these shepeherdes, and they shall neither feed my flock nor yet them selves any longer. For I will deliver my flock out of their mouths saith the Lord.

Thys is the talk that God the father hath throughout the old testament against you that will not be content to feed his flock with his word only, without the sour leaven of man's doctrine. He calleth you men fed and led with the wind of errors, Idole shepeherdes, yea devouring wolves that will never be saciate.

Seinge then, that both the scriptures and your own lives do testify of you, that you are such rotten trees or rather poisoned stocks: what fruits of heavenly doctrine shall we loke to springe from you? Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thystles? The yuyl tree canbring no good fruit. Christ therefore (in the new testament, and in his first sermon) giveth us warning of such Idole shepeherdes, saying. Beware of these false prophets which come to you in shepes clothynge, for inwardly they are ravening wolves.

And after that he had rebuked them that would seme to know all things, & yet could not see the time of their visitation, calling them Hypocrites, wicked nation & aduoulterouse generation that could not marcke or ponder the sign of Jonah the Prophet: streightwaye he admonished his to take hede not of the leaven of bread, but of the seven of the doctrine of the scribes and phariseis. Neither did he at any time rebuke so sharply, as when he did speak of these blind shepeherdes, & their doctors showing how theido teach the traditous of mē to put the precepts of God out of place, & that all their doctrine maketh for their corban and lucre, & that thei do all things to be seen of men. Thus do you also, following the trade of your fathers. For covetise, worldly pomp and hypocrisy: do establish all the works and doctrines of men that you do cal so necessary.

Read the damnation that Christ him self pronounceth against you in the. xxiii. of Matthew. Where he giveth us our lesson also, that we shall keep & observe your doctrines so longe as they come forth of the seat and doctrine of Moses. But in no wise to follow your works.

He teacheth in the beginning of his preaching, that o • les our ryghtuousnes do far pass the ryghtuousnes of the scribes & phariseis (who only were accounted the church in those days as you would be now) we cannot entre the kingdom of God.

The state of the phariseis and you (O bishops, lest you should murmour and grudge at my plain writings) is in this case of your doctrines for the feedynge of Christ's • lock, all one. Neither hath any of you authority either to make laws or interpret the scriptures (for both have one strength & must be done by the same spirit) you have none authority, I say, o • er the flock, further then you have the word of God for you. And bringing that word, you may say: he that despiseth you, despiseth God.

As for things indifferent, you must say as Paul said upon this your own exēple. If any mā be cōtentiouse: the church of God knoweth no such custom. So that rather then any such bitter contention as is now adays, should continue it were better that all your in uentions were refused. For seeing that your authority is givē to edify by love and charity: you may not abuse it and destrye by bitter braulynge and cruel contention, for such things as were not good before you named them so, nor yuyl before you did forbid them.

Thus do I take many of your doctrines of men to be indifferent. As to stand up at the Gospel, to pray or preach bare headed, to eat fish this day or that day. All these things being indifferent in their kind, that is to say, nothing yuyll being voyed of superstition: are by superstition made yuyll. For that changeth good into yuyll. Yet are the best of these doctrines but vain worship of God, even in their best use. For his worship standeth in spirit and truth.

But you have other doctrines and that very many, that are manifestly yuyll, because you do therein adulterate the word of God as did the phariseis when they added their glosses to the commandments of God. As when God said. Thou shalt love thy neighboure: they added, hate thine enemy. God said. Thou shalt not swear, but they added unto the precept. Paye unto the Lord the thing that thou swearest. Agayne, did not the old pharisees with their sour leavē, (which is Hypocrisy) make vnpleasante and unsavory the two special works of the new man, Fastynge and prayer. Dyd not Christ him self continually rebuke them, because thei brake the commandments of God for their own traditions & doctrines? where God the father had given commaunmente to honor father and mother: they cried for their gain, their corban and offerings.

Where God asketh the whole heart and thereof only measureth all our doings: their teaching is to worship with the lips, though the heart be far from me, saith the Lord by his Prophet. In vain therefore do they worship, teaching the doctrines as precepts of men. The which doctrines, sith their first beby •• ynge, the true Prophets of Christ seekynge the only honor of God: have frō time to time, labored to confute, & to restore to their worthy • es, the precepts of God, & his holy cōmaūdementes which ever more (amongst hypocrites) have ben in small reputation in comparison of their own inventions. In so much that all these Prophets whom God sent to beat down the blind errors of men's dreams: were hated, persecuted from City to City, scourged, slain and crucified. So that all the blood of the just which was and shall be shed upon the earth from Abel to the worlds ende: may be heaped upon the Hypocrites in the day of aduengeaunce, when they shall be adjudged to the fire and torments prepared for the Deuyll and his Angels.

If any man do not fully perceive by this we have spoken, that the old Pharisees and ours be not all one in their doctrines, their Hypocrisy and cruel tiraunie: I desire him to considre the matter depely, and to compare substantially, the old and new things together. Concerning the holy words of our master Christ, and most depe opening of the law of God his father, corrupted by the glosses of the old Pharisees: our new Pharisees have found out a new doctrine. They say that Christ's words are counsayles and no precepts. And thereof have they founded and grounded opera supererogationis. Works that they may distribute for money. For fasting & praying (which are the new wynes that will break the old vessels) he that hath eyes may see that the old phariseis were not so yuyll as are the new, who have added more to the wickedness of their predicessours. For where Christ did rebuke the other bu •… of hypocrisy & vain glory. Ours have added hereunto, superstition of days, times, meats & drynkes, & have made their prayers utterly nothing but a lip labor, because it is done in appointed words and prescript number, in a tongue that the man which prayeth doeth not understand. And therefore his lips labor, but his heart is voyed of knowledge what he saith, wherefore it can have no profit.

The honoring of the father and mother: they compt chief • y to be done in their corban, offering mass pence and trentalles for them when they be dead. Muche worse is this pointe then that of the old Pharisees.

To turn away the heart frō the living God, that delivered out of Egypt: They have sought up and maintained ten thousand Idols. They bind heavy burdens of law, doctrines and traditions, to oppress the pore people. Yet do they all things under the pretence of holiness, even when they devour widows houses. They love the first seats in feasts and counsayles, & to be saluted▪ lords & masters, they shit the kingdom of heavē, they make proselytes, they teache blind doctrine, they are blind guydes, they are but painted sepulchers, full of deadly poison of the old serpentes seed. Wherefore they d • still slay the true preachers, that do admonish them of their wicked life, false doctrines and vain worship: that they (being both in the miserable & malicious blindness of the Pharisees and like cruelty of Cain their father) may be judged guilty of all the blood of their bretheren.

Beware of such false prophets (saith our master Christ) thei come unto you in shepes clothinge, but inwardly they are raueninge woulfes. By their fruits shall you know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns and figs of thistles? Can such wicked woulfes bring forth doctrines and lessons good and profitable for Christ's poor flock? Nay such as the tree is, such must the fruit needs be.

If the black Morian may change his skynne, or the Leoparde hir spots: then may you teache good doctrine (O Popish doctors) you proud prelates, brought up in Sophisticall sciences and Ceremonies, and sworn proctours of all popish maonesse.

Your doctrine standeth only in meat and drink, which is nothing of the kingdom of God. In distributions of holy days and sa •… thes, which are but shadows. You have a conterfaite humility and superstition as it were of Angels: but you go forth proudely in things you know not, puffed up in vain by your carnal minds. &c. To be short, what are all your doctrines? Are they not of this sort?

Toutche not the chalice, for it is holy. Toutch not the bread, for it is God. Toutch not the wyne, for then thou wilt judge it to tarry still vnchaunged in his kind. Hādle not the corporace nor the karchiefe there •… , unless thou have glo • es. Taste not steshe on the friday nor in the vigils of dead saints. Taste no butter nor cheese, nor in a •… wise no eggs in lent. Which lent would be handled if we had leisure, but God will grant us some other time more meet for this matter.

Fish you say is an holy meat in this your superstition. Thus hurt you the body, & by your bodily doing, do nothing further true holiness. For God him self is a spirit, & is worshipped in spirit, not in carnal doctrine & precepts of toutching, tasting & handling.

Therefore (saith Paul) if you be dead with Christ frō traditions of the world: why are ye (as yet living in the world) led with their doctrines that say toutch not, taste not, handle not. Which all do perish in the vsinge of them, and are after the commaundemētes of men, which things have the similitude of wisdom in chosen holiness and humbleness, and in that they spare not the body, and do the flesh no worship unto his need.

Mark howe Paul calleth all your doctrines 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 will holiness. Because they come of your fond willes, & of no precept or commandment of God. Such is your doctrine forbidding men to receive the sacrament in both the kinds (make the best you can of it) grounded 〈◊〉 will holiness. For you say that the sacrament is not ministered in both the kinds as Christ did distribute it: because we lay men will not have it. If we lay men have any such will contcarie to the will of Christ (who said, Bibite ex hoc omnes, drink of this you all. Diuidite inter vos, divide this among you) it is a fond will holiness, and chosen holiness. But you say we do forbear it of a reverence.

If it be good to follow our will holiness and phantastical reverence in this kind: why do we not of like reverence forbear the bread also, leste it wax clammy and cleave to the roufe of our mouths? for in the wyne we feel • one so irreverent a thing. But for spillynge the wyne your doctrine is that we may not meddle there with. But we think there is far more danger in your great sleaues and Faunelles whē you turn, toss and toye over and about the cup: then in us that have the cup holden to our heads like babes. So that if it be well done upon such reverence to forbear the wyne: you (upon whom much greater danger hangeth) ought to have the greater reverence. Therefore are either you vnreuerēt, or else are we not reverent, but foolish in our will holiness, so many of us as will not drink of this cup as our master Christ hath commanded us.

This is like the reverence that the kentishmen had to the kings horsse when the king commanded him to open the gate. Iche am not worthy (quod he) to open the gate to my master your horsse, but hereby dwelleth master Pecham a man worthy to do it. In like manner do they that will not come to drink of the cup of the new testament, whē Christ commandeth them, saying with the kentishe man. Iche am not worthy to toutch it nor to drink there of: but our master person or our sir John are worthy men for the purpose.

But (oh blind bishops) we are not all so fond, to be illuded still. For many have read your books written for this purpose to maintain your pomp and to keep us as your vnderlynges: and therefore will we no longer suffer you to say that we lewd men will not have it. But we desire and require you for the love of God in his son Christ by whom we are made all one perfect and knigeli priesthood to offer up our selves a lyueing sacrifice, purified by the blood of his unspotted lamb, which maketh perfect all things in this uewe testament, which he cōmaūdeath us to devide & generalli willeth us all to be partakers thereof, that you do set up no doctrine of will holiness against the manifest word of Christ the son of God who said. Drink of this you all. For if you do, it must neades be still spoken of you that is said by the prophet Isaiah. They worship me in vain, teaching the doctrynes & precepts of men.

Now leste any simple man should be deceived with your iuglinge words, when you say that good men might by the order of the church communicate under both the kinds though they have contented thē selves with the communion of one kind, and that it was never denied but that all states of mē might communicate in both the kinds, and that there was • ever law made to the contrary, neither any estate of men repelled a • unworthy to receive the one kind as well as the other, but that they have of their selves forborne reerently: I have against you not only your canon law and popeishe decrees, which you have so perfectly learned, but your cruel statute of the syxt articles also, wherein you made it death to defēde these open words of our Master Christ, Drink of this you all. This is enough to cast you in this matter. For if it were lawful for all christē men to communicate in both kinds what cruelty cal you this, to make it to be proclaimed fourth times in the yere in every church, and every month in all sessions, assizes, courts, & law days, that who so mayntayneth it to be lawful shall be judged an herityke and as an heryteke suffer death by burning? Is there any such charity in you as Paul had in the setting forth of his doctrine concerning that a woman ought to be covered in the congregation? Or is the drinkinge of this cup a more wayghtie matter, or more hurtful to them that do it? Christ commandeth us to do this, and Paul doeth but reason in the other accordeynge to the law of nature. Why are you so shameless then (Oh byshopes) to kill Christ's sheep for doeinge their masters commandment, and mayntaynynge his will, declared in his scriptures: seeing that Paul is ready (rather then there should be any coutencion about it) to call his doctrine back again, teaching most plainly that the church of god ought not to maintain any such doctrine of any man as may styre any contencion, debate or strife

The determinaciō of the doctoures of the great university of Paris against the ministracion of the sacrament in both the kinds.

FVrther more, to open unto the simple (as I have promised) what your popeishe divinity doeth determine in this cause: in the yere of our Lord God a thousand. v. hundredth forty and. ii. the. x. day of march, all the doctoures and bachilers of diuinitye of the vniuersitye of Paris, gathered to gether into their school called Sorbona, have by solemn oth professed this article of communion in one kind to be truly and worthyly maintained, and many such like nolesse shameful then wicked, which are published in the new statue • of that faculty, with shame enough. Theyr fond foleish and wicked words be these in the. vii. article.

The communion under both kinds is not 〈…〉 unto lay men unto salvation.

And it is rightly and justly in old time decreed by the church: that they should communicate under one kind only, the kind of bread.

Whych they prove by these worthy reasons. For thē were it dainger leste the blood should be spilled. But where the lutherians do demand whether the church be wiser thē Christ: because it provideth for this inconvenience, whereof Christ was not ware in commaundeynge the wyne to be taken: I do answer, that Christ did forse the thing, but he kept it secrete to prove the wisdom of his church.

Ther is also another inconvenience, For the body of the Lord must be kept in Cibario, to be given to the sick. But if the wine should be reserved also: it would be made vinacre, and so for the corruption, it should be no longer blood. Ye • the lutherians would deride us sayeinge, doeth it not well appear that there is wyne still. And so this should make against the opinion of traunsubstantion and change of substance.

Thyrdely, this is also reasonable, that the priests should have some priueledge, to suppress and hold down the pride of the people.

Fourthly, this doeth auayll to prove the opinion. De concomitantia, of what so ever the Lutherians do clatter, that we should follow, observe & keep, the ordinances of Christ which he hath appointed for our infirmity.

Also there should be another daynger if the blood should be given to drink, for thē the taste thereof might engender a suspicion to the lay men there remained wyne still, whereof would arise many slanders.

But if they do reason that the church hath no pour to dispense with the commandments of God: I do answer, that the word Bi bite. Drink you, must be takē as a counsel and no precept.

Ther is yet one thing that I dare scarcely allege, which is well worthy to be deeply pondered. For there be some that drink no wyne, which may not be deprived of those kinds. But I did defer to bring this same because the Lutherians will deride us and say, that there is no wyne now but blood

This is the very doctrine that your popish doctors were wont to teach & preach in all plares. But now that it hath pleased the Lord to open the eyes of his people to e • pie the lewd reasons of you so blind guides, so that you can no longer hope to work your wickedness so openly: the Deuyll steareth up Stephane Subtile & his fellows, by deceyuable words, to maintain the same matters.

Fyrste you lay all the fault in the lay men (as surely we are much to blame, doeth in this and other things, because we have suffered you so longe) sayeinge that the lay mē compelled by no law have of their own foleishenesse (holiness you say▪ for borne the one kind. Secondly, you establish your purpose full craftily, with the ministeryng of one kind to the disciples in Emmaus. And the breaking of bread mentioned in the Acts. Where unto you add this exclusive, Alone. And yet when Ioye saith that faith alone doeth justify: you can bark & brale at him biding him bring some opē scripture where it is written faith alone. We may justly therefore (if you will give us leave) ask you wherit is written in scripture bread alone.

In the. xxiiij. of Luk, it is writ̄ that Christ did take the bread, blessed and brake it and did give it to thē & their eyes were opened.

But▪ whether we will understand that Christ used herein his accustomed & old manner of thanks giving (as he did always whē he did take bread or such like creatures to teach his to be always thankful, as appeareth John. vi. Luke, ix. Mark. vi. &. viii. Math. xiv. and. xv.) or we will say that he did also bless the cup and not the bread alone: you have not one word to confute us.

If you dare then put to your gloss and exclusyue (A lone) in the seconde of the Acts where it is said that they did cōtynewe in the doctrine of the Apostles breaking bread by every house (besides that you make the Apostles very lewd, so sone to be forgetful of their Masters example and special commandment to devide this brotherlye cup among thē) you may likewise be demanded (because you take so much lybertye sometime to speak merylie) whether you will add your exclusyue (alone) unto the words next following, which are these▪ Inuicem sumebant cibum, They did take meat to gether. As though they should eat meat alone without drink.

But surely you prelates do right well know howe unmeet and perilouse a thing it is to eat bread without drink: and therefore have ye granted us pore lewede people, to have three draftes of your chalyce to wash dow • e your clammye God when he cleaveth to the roufe of our mouths.

And though you do not bless the wyne that you give us, no not so much as once blow upon it or wag your holy fingers over it: I yromise you I like it never the worse. For I know that God hath blessed it as his good creature, and I cannot perceive howe your blessing should amende it. Whether you will or not therefore, I receive it as the sacrament and holy semblaunce of the blood of the unspotted lamb in the new testament that like as the fathers of the old testament had the natural blood of their lamb and passover sprinkled on all their posts and doors: so likewise we of the new testament seeing we cannot have the natural blood of this lamb of the new testament, neither stand we need of any such carnal imaginacion, to us that are spiritual. Yea some of the disciples of Christ would have drunken the blood that ran forth of his side if this had ben so profitable.

We of the new testament (I say) knowing that our vnspoted lamb Christ Jesus, hath delivered us out of the Egypt of sin, and the hellye Pharaoh: do also knowledge our deliverance by this cup of the new testament in his blood offered for the sins of the whole world according to the sayeinge of Paul in his Epistle to the Corhinihyās.

The cup of thanks geueinge (saith he) where with we give thanks: is it not the partakinge of the blood of Christ? Thys cup, sayteh Paul (on his masters word) is the new testament in my blood. Do this so often as you drink in the remembrance of me. For as oft as you shall eat of this bread and drink of this cup: you shall show the Lord's death till he come.

What so ever he be therefore, that would stope this well of Iacobbe, and this spiritual spring wytholdeing us from drinckeing of this cup wherein we do spiritually receive the blood of the immaculate lamb that was slain for us, he doeth not only break the commandment of Christ our master and savior, refuseinge the cup of brotherly love, which ought to be divided amongst all them that be of Christ: but he doeth also stop the memory of our deliverance by Christ, hynder us from the communion and partaking of his blood, and extinguish and blot forth (so far as in them lieth) the remembrance of him that hath by his blood bought us.

But now, because you know that all you have said, hath but a feeble foundation: you ren still to the cornor stone of your buildeinge, and say.

Unto this day we be only assertayned by tradicion of the church, in the true vnderstandeynge of the Evangelists, of our order in the consecracion of the said sacramēte, and the circumstance of the pronunciacion of Christ's words whereby the same is wrought.

Al thought this intricate sentence of yours of the order of consecracion, and the circumstance of the pronunciacion might minister just matter of an whole boke: yet because I have this one marcke chiefly before mine eyes, to teache howe that you neither in this nor in any other matter will cla • e to the in fallible certainty and truth of the scriptures, but accompt yourselves to be ascertayned by the only traditions of your doctors whom you call the church, I give warneinge to all good men that they give no credence to this your deceiveable sophistry. For by these terms of traditions of the church continued so long time: you may bring in popes pardons, pilgrimages and what ye lust.

But howe can any good hert believe, that you would truly minister your traditions secretly taken at the hands of your fathers when we se you minister falsely the things that are taught in scripture? Cā you bewitch us to believe that you will minister the traditions that you have learned in secrete, for our profit: when we se you corrupt the openscripturs with your glosses for your own profit Drincke of this you all, are the plain words of our savior Christ the master of all truth And shall we believe you in your unwritten verities, when you go about to glosses this & such like places of scripture? Nay it is an hundred times more likely that you would be falser in secrete things, thā in opē. Wher fore, as you might cal him a fole that would trust such one to tell his money in his absence as hath picked his pursse and done falsely before his face: even so might you reckon us worse thē mad, if we (haueinge experience of you, seeing you takē with the manner and reproved for the corrupting of y ^e opē scriptur before our eyes, yea & • o taken that you cā not deny i • ) would believe that which hath these. M. years lien in your roten mawes in the fleshly mire of man's inuēcions, should now be wholesome for us: seeing that your fathers the Popes, have so ming led all their traditions with the open blasphemies against God and all godliness (which is the very doctrine of Antichrist) and the phariseies that followed them have thriste all things so full of their leaven of Hypocrisy, and you their successors have strayned them to such ungodly purpose, and maintained them with such cruelty.

The ceremoneis (whereof the popeish religion standeth) the bishop calleth nothing, and yet like Farthynge, they all joined together make up the heap.

THerfore may we speak generally of your tradicious and ceremoneis which you cal farthynges, that fill up the heap of your fond religiou, if everyone of thē • eperate alone be nothing (as you do plainly grant) surely it is a goodly mass and heap that ariseth of so many nothinges.

Consider your own example doeth a shaven crown make a priest? you answer, nay it is nothing. And you say the dwell cal • eth it a flesh mark. But I cal it the marcke of the beast, because the pope • (no doubt) is that cruel beast and Antichrist painted in the prophets and Apocalipses, whose marck you must needs grant it to be that you may use his marchaundise. For God the father commanded his priests that in no case they should be shaven round on their heads, neither by shaueinge deform their bearders. And Christ his son which came to appoint a more spiritual priestehode: would not command any such gross, carnal and fleshelye ceremony, but left such things to our liberty. Now because you would declare yourselves whō you would follow: you will be shaven round in your heads, and for to kiss women more swetelie your beardes shall no sooner wax sharp but you will shave thē smothe again. You will be like the Idolatrouse priests of Isis, both in your shauinge and your womanlyke wearinge of lyuen and side garments that like may favor like. But to proceed with your popeish • priesthood. Doeth a longe gown make aprieste? Nay, it is nothing. For thā the phariseies (who loved to walk in longe robes, and made wyde the skyrtes of their gowns as ours do) had been priests good •… outh. Doeth the name make a priest. As master person. sir John, or my Lord byshope Nay (saith our master Christ) woe unto you phariseis that will be called masters and have the vain title of Rabbi, he that exalteth him self shall be brought low.

Doeth the anoynteinge make a priest? Nay Christ (the chief priest yea the first and only priest of the new testament, because he only could offer unto his father a sacrifice pleasant and acceptable, in whom all the ceremonial priestehode ceased being now a ppoynted to an euerlasteinge priesthood, not standeinge in Ceremonies as did the Levites, but after the order of Melchizedek was not anointed with bodilye oil in to his pristehode. Peter, Paul, James, John and all the other Apostles and disciples, the ministers and disposers of the treasurs of God and his mysteries: were not anointed with outward oil, but with the in ward oil of the spirit. They had the thing it self, and we have the shadows only and the outward ceremoneis, which are nothing in very deed, seeing that they be void of the body and things that they signify and are become lyeynge signs. Thus is your anoynteinge in very deed nothing. Or else to speak in plain English, it is a lyeynge sign and deceyuable shadow.

Doeth the pour that you byshopes give to sacrifice Christ again for the quike and the dead make a priest? Nay surely.

For you have no pour tobe come new priests, and so to sacrifice Christ again, as the Epistle to the Hebrews doeth teache you & we have spokē hereof at the beginning. Wherfor this is a lie intolerable, and less thē nothing to ground the true priesthood upon.

If you blow upon your consecrate creature that you call priest, and say Accipe spiritum sanctum, Doeth that make him a priest? You dare not say this were nothing for then were it some what that you use in Christenynge of children, wherein you make miracles even after the same sort. It must • eades be some what therefore, and surely it is somewhat.

Yea it is agreate deal to much, that you should take upon you to give that you never had and mock the giver thereof with your massinge gestures and mumblinges, even as you do in your mass when you breath out the words of Christ over the bread and wyne, to the intent to work the straungeste miracle by them that ever was wrought.

But as all your whole heap is but a multitude of nothinges: so are you yourself nothing (yea and that less is) the shodowe of no thing. And all your creatures that you have conjured up of nothing shall shortly be dissolved again into nothing, When Christ only and his priesthood shall be something, as he him self is all in all things & continueth our one oneli Bishop & hight priest forever who hath satisfied for the sins of all, by ffering him self (once for all) a lively sacrifice unto god his father at whose right hand be sitteth as it is writ̄ Hebrews the tenth. Thys high priest or bishop offering one oblaciō for si • e sitieth at the right hand of god forever.

Truly, the priests of the old law were many because death did take them away. But Christ because he remaineth forever, hath an everlasting priesthood. And because their priesthood was imperfect, therefore was Christ appointed to be a priest after the order of Melchizedek, without any such successiō of other priests, to follow in his stead and therefore said the prophet. Thou art a priest for evermore, after the order of Melchisedeche.

The law of Moses made men priests but the word of the oth which was above the law, did ordain the son a priest, made perfect for evermore. He made this priesthood perfect and fulfilled all his sacrifices at once when he offered him self.

Thus do we perceive it to be a lyeynge pour that bishops do challenge in making their priests.

To take a priest therefore (as you do) for a sacrifier for sin is iniuriouse unto Christ and we know none such in the new testament, for that priesthood must neades ende with the law of sacrifice. But to take a priest as Malachi doeth the lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they require the law at his mouthe, for he is the angel and minister of the Lord of hosts. Here find we a better mark then the beasts mark or the flesh mark: that is to say, knowledge, whereby only he doeth the message of his Lord and master, and instructeth his sheep in the law of God. By this mark are true priests tried and known.

Wherefore saith God by his prophet Osee. Because thou hast refused knowledge I will put the back that thou shalt be no priest before me. This knowledge is the anointing of the spirit, without the which the bodily anoyntinge is plain derision of the spirit and hypocrisy, and without this, the side gown and wyde skyrtes, serve to nothing but to make them to be magnified before men. Suche therefore as have the anointinge of the spirit, may you bishops anoint if you please, and appoint to be ministers of Christ's flock, to distribute his word and sacraments.

Now may we mark by this we have heard: whether we may sty • cal your disguised priesthood (w •• che standeth in shauinges, oyntings, garments, gestures, beckinges, blowynges, crossynges, kyssynges, and the farthynges whereof the whole heap ariseth) the true priesthood, or rather judge all these things to be nothing, and therefore your priesthood to be conterfaite, which followeth no learning or knowledge to be the messengers of the Lord, but Idleness, whoredom and Idolatry, to be the menbres of Sathā, following holiness in outward show only of your ceremonies, killinge & sleaing the true priests, preachers and messengers which are the angels of God. These knowing the stewardship appointed unto thē: fear the woe & everlasting damnation hanging over their heads, if thei do not preach the message of their master: But (I am righte sure) you think me ouerlonge in this matter.

Let us go farther with your farthinges therefore. What maketh a bishop? An whole heap of ceremonies (you say) which considered severally alone, are nothing. What is a broad crowme, as broad as. x. priests crowns: doeth not this make a bishop? No this is nothing. Doeth a miter make a bishop. No surely. Do the glistering gloves make a bishop? No, they are nothing. What do all the lordly possessions, & the long train following? Ah now we steare, for these things are somewhat. Thei make you lords, but not bishops What maketh you bishops then? for we can see nothing in you but this gear & such like Wherefore, you make us believe that you be like bishops as the other be priests, That is to say, cōterfaite, patchinge together of the cloths of ceremonies, & things of nought (if you were weighed in the ballāce of equite) less thē farthinges, yea lighter thē nothing.

But Paul setteth forth other manner of farthinges, where he describeth a bishop. The bishop (saith he) must be fautles, the husband of one wife, watchful, sobre, mild harberouse, apt to teache, no drunckarde, no fighter, not desirouse of filthy gain, but upright, flyinge strife, flyinge covetousness, that ruleth his own house well, which hath his children in subjection with all reverence. Lo, here be farthinges of great weight and value, even whē they be considered everyone alone by him self. These are the good farthynges therefore, that make the good bishops, and the other are the nothinges that make the Idol bishops, things of no value. All the first farthinges may well be wiped away & the man never the worse: but wype away these farthynges that Paul nameth, and you can have no good bishop.

Now for the substance of our religion which as you say standeth in these farthinges of your popish ceremonies: if you do mean of the popes religion, we do grant it only and wholly to stand in ceremonies and shadows, as your priesthood doeth. And if may well enough be wiped away as nothing. Your mumbling in a tongue not understand (which you call your prayer) is nothing. Your crossing, blessing and wagging of fingers, is nothing. Your creeping to the cross is nothing: yea it is an evil thing. Your halowyng and caryinge of candles, is nothing. Your kneeling, knockyng, and holdynge up of hands to this, which we have proved to be bread, is nothing, if an Idole may be nothing, or Idolatry nothing. Your super stitious coniurynge of the good creatures of God, to drive away diuylles and disases, which you call the making of holy water, is notynge. Your casting of the same about your beds, is nothing. No, your superstitiō of creatures in your chosē fasts, is nothing. Yea all that ever the Pope hath bylt (which you bishops do maintain) is nothing, yea less then nothing, the shadows of nothing, and the vain dreams of nothing. Thus is your popish religion nothing, & worse then nothing, and shall come to nothing, even as your abbayes have done, which had their foundations of so many nothinges, and by their nothing had heaped together all things, riches, lands and tenements.

But learn, O bishop, I pray you, that all your nothynges are not regarded before God. But this is everlasting life, to know God, and whō he hath sent Jesus Christ, that the knowledge of god may make the christē man, like as it maketh the good priest & true bishop. And this is always somthynge (divide it as small as yo • can) continually ministered by our head Christ, according to the capacity of every menbre. Thys knowledge of god bringeth forth love, peace, righteousness and joy in the holy ghost, which is the substance of the Christian religion, as Paul saith. The kingdom of God (saith he) is not meat and drink: but ryghtuousnesse, peace, and joy in the holy ghost.

Bishop Stephane, you talk fondly in reporting us to bid men eat all the day longe, and other things that follow. Your popish doctrine is, that men may drink all the day longe, so they eat but once in the day, howe much they eat then it forceth not, nor howe deinteth meat, so it be not flesh. Fyue dishes of fish, for one of flesh, breaketh no fast at all, mary it is to be thought, that the multitude of dishes is the perfectiō of your fast as appear • h in your service on fish days (as you • all them) & that evē in your most holy houses & coleges. Yea the scholars in your coleges are allowed as much to their diners on the fasting days as they have to diner & supper both on other days. But if a mā eat a piece of biefe or bakon, an hen or a capon: Oh abominable heresy, treason and lowlardy. He is worse then a Jew or a Turk.

Agayne, where you cal the hearing of the Gospel preached (which ought to be the chief cause of our assēble) the false teaching of the Devil: you declare of what spirit you be. You never heard man disprayse prayer, unless it were popish prayer, which is lip labor that no man taketh profit by.

But lo thus are you led by your fantastical farthynges, frō one tristle to another, frō one creature to another. You lynke together your wickedness as it were with a chain and draw together your wretchedness as it were with a cable, till such time as you come to the greatest abomination (as you say) by degrees. Your phanell is nothing, your albe is nothing, your stole is nothing, your gyrdle is nothing, your vestiment is nothing, your blowyng is nothing, your blessing is nothing, your crossyng and kykyssyng is nothing. But the holding up of your Idol to be worshipped, is something. For, the set up any creature to be worshipped as God, is abomination, and abominable Idolatry.

Thus by degrees come you to the high mystery of wickedness. And this causeth you that you cannot be contented with the state of bishops, but you will be Lord's, yea above lords & princes, as you do both preach and write, because you can make that which neither king nor angel can make, that is to say Christ God and man. You are the chyldrē of this world and therefore the world cannot hate you. And therefore have you ben so crafty to creep in by little and little & to make up the great heap of your baggage, which you cal the substance of your religion. And therefore do you now fight with fire & faggot, for the conservation of the same, that it may conserve you in your lordly dignities.

Thus hath your worldly witted fathers even from the beginning fought with the saints of God, whose blood crieth frō under the altar and asketh vengeance, & shall be heard right speedily.

Mark (good bishops) whom▪ you have alway murdered even frō the beginning. Which of the Prophets of the old testament, did escape chief priests and bishops?

And sith the coming of Christ: your murders are innumerable. I will not, nor cā not reckon them. Dyd not Christ him self die by the conspiracy of Annas, Caiaphas and other bishops, because he rebuked the world of blyndenes? Al such as you have murtherd sense that time: have clear testimonies of their innocence, by some of your own scribes and writers. Had not Hus (whō yon accompt the Arche heretic) four seals of the noble men of Morania, to witness his innocent life and godly learning to your cursed & cruel counsel at cōstaunce. Doeth not Pope Pi{us}, otherwise called Eneas Silnius, Pogius the Florentyne, Platina Sabellicus and other your own men, report well of him?

But to come home, both to your own time & country. Who doth not bewail the tyranny that you shown unto that innocent lamb Bylnaye, who (being demanded in derision by a proud papist, when he went to his death, why he wrought no miracles (being so holy as he was accounted) answered with mylde voice & countenance. God only (said he) worketh miracles and wonders and he it is that hath wrought this one wonder in our eyes, that I being wrongfully accused, falsely belied, opprobriously and spytefully handled, imprisoned, buffeted, and condemned to the fire: yet hitherto have I not once opened my mouth with one evil word against any of you. This passeth the work of nature, & is therefore the manifest miracle of god, who will by my suffering & death, be glorified and have his truth enhaunced.

What report have you got̄ for the murthering of Hunne in the lowlars tower? You had neither felony nor treason to lay to his charge: yet most vilanously did the chauncelour of London murder that honest man for his own childes crisome. I will say nothing of the priest that was found hanging in your porters ward. And five hundredth mo, whereof some have by your tirannouse handling, for sworn the truth & forsakē their masters.

Some for fear of your tyranny have renne out of their wits, some have forsaken their coūtreis, chosyng rather to •… ue like banished men: then to suffer your cruel and babilonical bondage. I could reken many, whose life is yet in the eyes of the world, and the cause of their death utterly unknown, unless it were for speaking against your popish madness.

Wherefore died Barns, Therome, & Garret? in the late storm of your capitayne of Norfolk, steared for his kinswoman. They were neither declared felons nor •… aytours. They did not strive with you against the god of bread. But this was their death (so far as I could learn) because they preached man to be justified by faith in the blood of Christ only, & by none of your popish inventions.

Ohtirāny intolerable. You have to long blinded our governors & made them your butchars and tormentors.

What should I speak of the last persecution, whē you caused to be proclaimed that no boke of Christian religion should be brought into this Realm frō beyond the sea? Howe many did you then murder, & would have done mo, had not the Kinge by his power plucked out of your claws, one whom you had with small equity examined, and with less justice condemned? What justice did you show in that you did so shamefully rack Anne Askue after she was condemned? But she showing more constancy then hath been communely seen in a woman: shall now after the death of hir body, work you shame to all your posterity?

Was Lassels with the other his fellows martyrs (cōfessinge the living God and his son Christ the only savior) worthily burned with fire, & (as you did rashly determine and judge) condemned and destroyed in body and soul?

What were they? whoremongers, Idolators, adulterers, thieves, extorsiouers, or manquellers? Upon such cometh the wrath of God, & such have no parte in the kingdom of God. But you suffer to live & you show no power against them. No you are not any thing terrible unto such: for they dwell at your noses, they eat at your tables, and are your darlinges. But who that speaketh any thing against your popish Idols & brainsicke inventions (have he never so faithful an hert to God, and be he never so trusty to his prince) yet must he be an heretic, a traitor a lowlar and all together.

This doeth the world espy at the length & talketh of you. I would this talk might make you leave your evil doings: and to learn at the least to do some parte of your duty before the wrath of God fall upon you. But I do fear me all words are but wind with you. Only vexation and chastisement will give you understanding. For lo, here you say full finely and like a popish prelate that would have all thing brought to the old blyndenes and ignorance, and to such captivity, and bondage that no man should talk of his faith but under my Lord's license, though Peter commanded the contrary. You say that of faith there is so much talk & tattelinge (to use your own terms) that true belief is gone. Surely if you call this true belief, the Romish belief of pardones & pilgrimages, when we might have no talk of • ure faith, but were commanded in pain of cursinge, and burninge, to believe •… as the church of Rome believeth, like as you can know none other true church, nor none other good men, but such as follow that church: I grant your belief is fore wasted, & I trust shall right shortly cōsum like stubble with the fire of God's word, and true works of mercy, peace, and loving kindne •… shall springe forth whē men (knowing tha • your Pope holy works are but the madness of idle brains) shall worship the living God in spirit and truth. But lo, you will have here the carte to go before the horsse, and will have us to do these works before we know them, saying that doing is the way to knowledge, where contrary wise, all well doing must needs springe of knowledge, as the only thing that maketh our deeds good.

And because you bishops are so slow in preaching good works that God requireth: the people must needs be stacke in doing them. For you should be the salt of the earth. But seeing that you be become unsavory, howe cā you season other? You preach your own inventions, the precepts and commandments of men, and them must we needs know and confess, or else must we be brent. But it is a dangerous thing to know the scriptures (and especially for pore men) and to talk of our faith. Thys doctrine of yours spoileth us of faith, and bringeth us into the Idleness of works. Oh devilish sophistry, and the spiritual subtlety, stryuing against all godliness.

Satan him self could not diuise such a reason to hinder our faith and stop knowledge. The Popes bishops only could do it.

But mark howe this sophistry is confirmed and proved. The Bishoppe (for lack of scriptures) bringeth forth Cato an heathē mā who despised the Greek poetes, because the youth of Rome waxed effeminate, & whi • se they set their delight in them, thei rather rejoiced in reading of battayles then fightinge them selves. But what is this to us christen men, which ought to be ready to give answer of our faith to e • e • ie one that asketh us? which should talk of the will of God towards us, and his holy commandments when we lie down and when we rise, when we go by the way and when we sit at the table, compting our selves then to be most happy when we were moste delited therein, day and night as David saith.

But this is strange doctrine unto you, because you are none of Paul's bishops. For he gave his bishops in commandment to be iustant in the word in time and out of time. No, you are an englishe bishop, thynkinge the word of God to be good but at those times that you will appoint, and that to a few gentlemen to whom you durst not deny it. And to busilie occupied merchants whom you do espy not so much to regard it as they have done, giuinge them this knot in the ende of your boke, that 〈◊〉 they wax wā ton, they shall be put to silence as well as women, and yomen are all ready.

Oh Stephane, this is thy work, as the chiefest englishe captitaine that ever Antichrist had. For thou workest thy works as his enemy, but thou art his friend. Thou wouldeste seem an Angel, but thou art a fiende.

I beseech all good men therefore, that as they tendre their souls health, they will take heed to your sweet poison and flattering words, & also to your dark terms which you do bring forth of other languages. For by them chiefly have we ben deceived, & ever sith we have mistrusted your fair words, and marked the matter in our own mother tongue and natural language. We have by little and little, ever more & more espied your subtleties.

Before we had the Creed in English: we •… lde not know that this presence of the body naturally and really, that is to say, in his very nature as he was man and a sensible thing and substance, was contrary to three of the moste manifest article of our faith.

Moreover, where you add as a couclusion, fully proved and persuaded unto all good men, that Christ is really present in the Sacrament 〈◊〉 the altar, to feed our weak bodies & souls, whereby to make us strong to come to him and lie • e without ende: surely I cannot perceive howe you can persuade this thing to any good man, that marketh the Articles of his faith concerning the ascendyng of Christ, and his sittynge at the right hand of his father and his comynge thence to judge the quick & the dead, though you have with your dark terms deluded and blinded many good simple souls, whō you would not suffer to have and know their belief otherwise then in the lati • e tōge, and so taken at your hands, that you might mixed therewith your glosses, so craftily handled and blinded with your sophistry terms (as really to be in the sacrament which you say before is accidents) that the thing it self and substance may be really in accidents. And then shall it not only be a spiritual meat to feed the soul: but also a bodily food to feed your bodies like fleshly Ca parnaites that will eat Christ as he was man walking vpō earth, to the food of your bodies.

To make you strong (you say) to come unto him. What strength is it whereby you come to him? Bodily, or spiritual? Oh men voyed of the spirit. You will feed the body, to have the strength of the spirit to come vn to Christ. Where learned you any like lesson in the scriptures?

This is your well doing and well speaking without knowledge. Firste labor for knowledge of the word of God and leave the subtlety of your own brain, and you shall both speak more wisely & work more godly I warrant you.

Christ teacheth in the. vi. of John, that to come unto him is to believe in him, saying. He that cometh unto me shall not be hungry, and he that believeth in me, shall never be thirsty. And a little after, he calleth this the eatinge of the bread of life, the eatinge of him self, and his flesh, saying. I am the living bread that came down from heaven, if any man eat of this bread, he shall love forever. And the bread which I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life. And he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth in me and I in him. Then answereth he to the blind Caparnaites, that would eat him really and bodily, as the meat of their bodies. My words are spirit & life, the flesh profiteth nothing. Wherefore I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given him of my father. And this power given of the father to receive Christ: is taught in the first of John. He came into his own (saith John) and his own did not receive him. But so many as did receive him, he granted them to be made the children of God. They (think you) that did receive him bodily, & eat him really (to use your terms) to feed their bodies and souls, to make them strong to come to him.

What need such mē to make thē strong to come to him, when they have him in their bealies, and have eaten him already?

Leave of all gross imaginations of the flesh that profiteth not, and follow the doctrine of the spirit: and John will teach you and declare playnelie who receiveth Christ and cometh unto him. For all must needs be one thing, to come to Christ and to receive Christ. Read this that • oloweth therefore, which you mumble up at every Mass in every corner, and yet will you not suffer the people to understand it. Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis vt liceret filios dei fieri, videlicet hijs qui credidissent in nomen ip • ius. Quino • exsanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex deo nati sunt. So many as receive him, he granted thē to be made the children of God (that is to say) so many as believe in his name. Mark home diligently John declareth him self of the receiuinge of Christ by faith And further Which are not borne of blood, neither by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but are borne of God, as Peter saith. Borne again, not of mortal seed, but by the word of the living God.

This is the milk not of the body (saith Peter) but it is the meat and milk of the soul, that knoweth no gile.

Thus renneth all the scripture, by metaphors and borrowed speech from bodily meat to spiritual meat, from the bodily teeth and eatinge, to the spiritual eatinge by the soul, which can be done by faith only. So that he which is not borne from above of the spirit: can neither see the kingdom of God, nor come unto Christ, let him eat the bread (wherein you say is really the flesh) so longe as you lust. For this must needs be true. That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh, and that which is borne of the spirit, is spirit.

Even like as Moses set up the serpent in the wilderness, that so many as would come unto it might be saved from the fiery serpentes: so likewise was the son of man exalted that all that do believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Again. So hath God loved the world, that he hath given his only son, that who so believeth in him, shall not perish, but have life everlasting.

Again. He that believeth in him shall not be condemned. And he that believeth not in him is condemned all ready, because he believed not in the name of the only begotten son of God.

Thus may we see that faith (and not ea •… inge of Christ really in the sacrament) doeth •… aue, and bring life everlasting. And not to •… eleue in the only begot̄ son of God: is •… amnation of body and soul. So is it not to •… enie your glosses really present, and bodily •… aten. Yea mainteininge this gross opinion: •… ou cannot esteem him to be the son of the •… uinge God, nor believe the work that his •… ather hath wrought in his death.

For God the father did not send his •… ne in the form of bread or any other creature, but only in the form of man, to the intent to exalt man thereby, to make man of his household, to give life unto man by his son Christ, to raise him again with Christ and cause him to sit together with Christ among the heavenly spirits. And to show forth in the world to come, the passing richesse of his grace, in his godnesse towards us by Christ Jesus.

We believe in the only begotten son, which was made man to save the world▪ wherefore we cannot be condemned, though we do seek none other strange belief of really present and bodisie eaten to feed the bodies, which things are not taught in the scriptures.

You do not believe in the only begotten son made man, but made bread to take away sins: wherefor unless you do repent, your dānatiō is at hand, because you believe not in the name of the only begotten son of God, which is the only begotten son, as he is man, conceived by the holy ghost and borne of the virgin Mary, not as he is bread blown with your stinkinge breathes. Neither is he the only begot̄ son of God, as he is wine whispered into your chalice.

Howe do you believe in this name (the only begotten son of God) whē the scriptur •… teacheth you that there is none other name under heaven, whereby men should be saved, and yon do say that there is another thing (which some name the Mass, and some the sacrament of the altar) that saveth from sins, and is a sacrifice both for the quick and the dead, and (as your man Damascene writeth) it purgeth all diseases and incommodities.

Furthermore. We do believe, that Jesus Christ is the Christ that is the anointed of God to offer the sacrifice wherewith only, the father could be pleased, and therefore are we borne of God.

You do say, that you are the Christ's and anointed priests to offer still for the sins of the people. Who is your father but he that would darken the sacrifice of the only begotten son of God and sit in the temple of God, boasting him self for God, being in deed the adversary and is lifted up against every thing that is God or godly, the wicked man, the cursed child.

Again. God the father said, this is my dearly besoued son, in whō I am pleased and pacified, hear you him.

We believe this word, and will seek no further, but to this only begotten & dearly beloved son of God. Neither to pacify the wrath of God for our trespasses: nor yet to seek any other teacher of his will, then the son of God, whom we are commanded to hear.

You will set up the Mass your own work to pacify the father for the sins of the quick & the dead. You will have your own doctors to descant new glosses, and these must the pore flock of Christ hear, believe and confess, or else they shall be brent.

But to hear Christ, the only begotten son of god, speak in the scriptures: is poison to all men under the degree of gentlemen, and punishable by your laws, as in the cases of heresy.

What call you this, but to make the only begotten son of God an heretic? Call you this the believing in his name? Thus may we prove that you believe in the Popes name, whose laws and writings are reserved of certeyue men for certeyue purposes and are as much practiced and more stoutely defended then any thing that Christ commandeth.

Yea, howe can we think but that you believe more in the Pope, when you defend his Acts more styfly, then the laws of the living God?

What if it should be proclaimed, that no manner boke concerning any parte of the Popes re • igion, should be brought into the Realm? and that all those which are brought in already, should be brent, could you byshopnes bear this thing so guietly as you did diligently labor to have all s • che books of christen religion brent and banished?

But to make an ende where we began. John saith that every spirit that contelleth Christ to be come in the flesh: is borne of God. Thys do we con • esse that deny him to be come in bread: wherefore we be borne of God. And thus bele • ing in the 〈◊◊〉 o • ten son of God, we cannot be condemned.

But that spirit which doeth not confess Christ to be come in the flesh, is not of. God. And this is the spirit of Antichrist of whom you have heard that he shall come, and he is in the world already.

Now seeing that we (so many of us as confess Christ to be come in the flesh) be borne of God: why should nor we for the glory of our heavenly father a • d for our salvation, be so ready to lay down our souls, in the faithful hands of his c •… todie, as the spirit of Antichrist, and the children of this world are to speak & 〈◊〉 • or the mainteinaunce of Ido atric, • he kingdom of Antichrist, to their own 〈◊〉 • amnation. Worldly Pomp and dignity, the maintenance of Idolatry & Popetrie: hath caused the bishop to write his boke, and to rail against the truth. And shall not the crown of glory (which can never decay, the glory of the only everlasting God) steare faithful men to make answer for the truth against falsehode? specially, seeing that we have this plain testimony, spoken by the mouth of our savior. He that confesseth me before men him will I confess before my father that is in heaven, and him that denieth me before men, shall I deny also, before my father and his holy angels.

If I be blamed, if I be imprisoned, yea if I be burned for Christ's cause & the truth: yet am I happy, by the opē testimony of Christ in Math. My name shall be restored in the heavens in the boke of life, to be a faithful witness. I shall be set at liberty forever with Christ the son of God, my body brent into ashes (where it hath put of mortality) shall be restored unto me much better, immortal and incorruptible. If I lose wife and child, father and mother: I shall receive for them an hundredth fold. And for advantage above all, for f • ll recompense: life everlasting. Who will not be ammate and encouraged by such large promises?

God save Kynge Edward from all errors. God defend his tender age from all • he subtle malice of all Hypocrites and tray •… urs. The living God establish his heart in the way of the truth forever and ever. So be it.