IN my laste sermō (moste noble audience) enteringe thys pece of the parable wheras our Sauiour Christ saith y^e sume of the sede fell by the waies syde:Matthe xiij. a. Marce. iij. a. Luke. viij. a. I promised y^e declaraciō of fower thinges.

First what was ment by this worde waye. Secon­darely what it was that hath so hardened, that thing which is fygured by this word way. Thirdly what seede it is that hath bene lost in this way.

And fourthly what byrdes they be and what men they be that hath deuowerid, & trodē thesame seede. Of the two first pointes I saied somwhat my mynde the last tyme whan I was in this place. And I am come at this presēt to per­fourme my promes touchyng the two latter pointes. Wherof the first is, touchyng what seede it is that hath bene lost in this way. For declaraciō whereof ye shall vnderstande that it is the doctrine of the [Page] heuenly banket wher w^t our heauenly father fedeth all his elect and chosen people wyth the verye bodye and bloud of hys sonne our Sauioure Ie­sus Christ, which doctryne is so necessary, that without the comfort thereof it is impossy­ble, y^t any man shoulde be sauid.

It is not ynough for a man to haue a knowledge of thys doctryne: but also so many as shalbe sauyd, must haue a practyse and a lyuely felynge of it in hys harte, and a pleasaunt tast of the swetnes of this he­uenly comfort. The scripture sayth not that he whych kno­weth the doctryne of eatynge of Christes flesh and dryn­kyng of hys bloude shalbe sa­uyd, but it sayth. [Page] ‘Nisi ederitis et biberitis.Ioh. vi.’ (that is) onles ye haue y^e acte of eatyng of Christes fleshe & of drynkinge his bloude.

Non habetis uitam in uobis.

Ye haue no lyfe in you, So y^t here is not only a knowledge & an vnderstandinge, but also an acte & a worke required at euery mans hand. Forasmuch therefore as it standeth vpon euery mans saluacion & dampnaciō euerlastingly to haue or lacke y^e inward felyng of this comfort, it is very expedient & necessarye that all suche as be called to thys offyce of prea­ching goddes most holy word should instruct & leade euery man into the trew knowlege thereof especially for y^t it is a doctrine whiche hath not ben receaued, but ben a loste & cast [Page] away sede vpon y^e most sortes of people thus many yeres.

Therfore for declaracion of this doctrine of the heauenly banket, ye shall vnderstande that it is our heauenly father whiche make the this heauen­ly banket as it appeareth by the parable in the 22. of Mat. and the 14. of Luc.Matthe xxij. a. Luke. xiiij. b. Apoca. xix. b. And so so desirouse he is to haue all men come and fede vpon thys banket, that after his preparacion of all thinges in a readi­nes, he sendeth fourth his ser­uaūtes to bydde not some mē only, but al mē to come to hys feast. And euē as ther is no li­beral harted gentelman y^t maketh a feast but he is desirous y^e his gestes should haue a lu­sting gredy & hungry stomake [Page] Euen so our heuenly father is desierouse, that al men which are bydden to thys feast shuld haue hungringe & thurstinge stomakes.Nota. But here ye muste note y^t as this bāket whervnto our heuēly father byddeth vs, is a banket for our soule & not for our body, euen so must thys hungrynge & thursting, be hunger and thurste of the soule and not of the bodye: Wherefore it is conuenyente that fyrst and foremost I de­clare vnto you, how the soule of mā is made hungry & thursty, & also when it is hungry & thurstye. Whiche lesson shall geue a great lyght to all the rest of our purpose.

For declaration whereof ye shall vnderstande that the [Page] soule of man is made hungry and thurstye by the meanes and workyng of the law, and that after thys sorte as I shal declare vnto you.

The law worketh foureRo. iij. b vij. thynges for and in the soule of man, Fyrst and formost theGal. iij. Heb. vij. law maketh the soule of man knowe and see her offences and synnes committyd and done againste the mayestye of almighty god. And it shew­eth them as lyuely to the eyei. Co. xiij. Iac. i. c. of the soule, as a glasse shew­eth the spotes and markes of mans face vnto hys bodylye eye. And if the lawe did not shewe to our soules, oure syn­nes after thys sort, we should not know that we be synners (as Saint Paule witnesseth [Page] to the Romayns.

I had not knowen synne butRo vij. b by the law. Therfore is thys one office and worke of the lawe to make mans soule knowe here offences.

The seconde thynge that the law worketh for the soule of mā is, that it sheweth vnto mā goddes displeasure & god­des punishement for synne, & euerlastinge death & hell fyer for her offences. Stipendium peccati mors y^e reward of syn is death.Ro. v. b. vi. c.

The third office & worke of the law is to make man dis­paire quiet of hym selfe. For when the law of God hath geuen thus muche knouledge to the soule of mā, then doth mās soule begyn, to dispaire and to [Page] thinke verely that there is no way with her but one which is euerlasting damnacion.

Now when mans soule se­eth her self in such great daun­ger, then is man in a wonder­full agony and sorow, & quiet out of all comfort, and is driuē to seeke som other meanes for helpe then at the hādes of the law whiche sheweth no mercyDeut. xxvij. c. xxviij. b. Ie. xi. a. but extreme punishment. And for this forssyng that the lawe straineth man with al, the law is called pedagogus ad christū a sholemaster whiche teacheth man to goo to christ for helpe &Gal. iij. this is the fourth office of the lawe but all men cannot by & by se christ in this agony, mās nature is so naturally by rea­son blinded y^e first man seketh all other means for helpe and [Page] comfort before it seke for the true and right helpe. For de­claracion whereof ye shall vn­derstande that when mannes soule seeth her selfe in suche daunger, first and formost per­aduenture man will fall to ab­stinence frō this or that kynde of meate, and once or twice a weeke, or els at some such time in the yere whē as y^e pleasan­tenes of the bloud increaseth see whether he can pacify God the father, by that meanes for that thing wherwith the law doth charge his conscience or not. But the law replieth vnto hym and telleth hym that that abstinēce whiche he now vseth wil not satisfie and make amē ­des for his former offendyng almighty God. And y^e law tel­leth [Page] him that in absteining now he doth no more but his duty. For if absteining from this or that kynde of meate were ac­ceptable in the sight of God for it self, then shoulde man bee al­wayes bound to asteine from this or that kinde of meate, be­cause, y^t man is alwaies bound to doo that thinge whiche is acceptable in the sight of God. And so man doing that thyng whiche semeth to hym accep­table in the sight of almightie God, doth nothing els but his dutie. So that this abstinence now can not bee a recompense for his former offenses. Then the soule of man beyng thus thwartid and charged by the law doth remayne and stande still in her former feare, thyn­kynge [Page] verely that she shallbe dāpned not withstandinge al here abstinence. Well when it wil not be this way thē peraduenture this soule of man moueth hym to weare a shirte of hayre or to weare no lynnen next his body or to lye w^toute a bed vpon the ground eyther in straw only or vpon y^e harde stones or elles to forsake the company of men and to go into wyldernes, or elles to wyppe and beat wyth roddes and scourges that body whyche hath offended & hath brought hym in to suche distres and misery:

All thys notwythstan­dinge the lawe layeth damp­nacion to mennes charge,Ro. vij. and telleth man that he is a sinner [Page] thoughe he haue committed but one synne, And that he is not onely bounde to haue so muche care for him selfe onely and for hys owne saluacyon, but he must haue the lyke care for the salua­cyon of the soule of hys bro­ther,Mat. v. yea euen of hys very enemy, by meanes whereof man standeth still in hys com­fortles estate consyderynge his negligence eyther in that or elles in sum other poynt.

When all thys wyll not serue then falleth man to aske counsell, and here almightye God knoweth that it is most mennes chaunces to lyghtei. Reg. xxviij. vpō naughty counsellares, for when man commeth to hys ghostly father as they cal him [Page] haue hys conscyence loused from those boundes wherein the law hath boūd it, The by­shopp, person, vycar, paryshe prieste, or other vsuall myni­sters therevnto appointed, commonly hath not the keye of knowledge, wherewith to open and lose theresaied con­sciences, and delyuer them from the charge of the lawe, And therfore of custome such blind counsellars, which men cal confessors, send man being in this agony, to fasting, prai­yng, and geuing of almes, & to other workes of mannes owne handes. But allwaye the lawe is at hande and tel­leth man that thys can be no satisfaction for y^e former offenses, For in so doing he doeth [Page] nothinge els, but his dewtye if it stand with Goddes glory. When all thys wyll not serue man is so afraid of almightye God, that he dareth not goo immediatly vnto him for help, but thinketh that he shall find more mercy at S. Peter his hand or S. Paules hande, or S. Iames hād, or S. Iohns hand, or at the blessed virgin Maries hande, then at the hande of allmightye God, by meanes whereof man falleth on callinge vpon some or many of them trustynge to haue some help that way. But whē man perceaueth not that way to be alowed in scripture, but in consyderyng fyndeth that thys comminge fyrst to sayn­tes before he commeth to god, [Page] semeth rather to include a di­strust in allmightie god, then to be a frut of a suer belefe in him, still she remaynet in hys former agony & vnquietnes, and harkeneth to the saynge of Saint. Iohan.

Yf we say that we haue no synne we belyars and ther is no truth in vs. Thus mans soule travellith from one devise to another devise, and so to the thyrd, & so to the fourth and so forth serchinge if she can helpe herself or not. And in conclusion she percea­ueth well y^t she can not helpe her self with all y^e wittes that she hath. Euen as a man who by chaunce is fallen into a [Page] deepe drye pyt farr frō succor cā not by any meanes possible help him selfe out onles, some mā come with some ladder or other instrument to help him out: desiereth to be deliuereid oute of the pit, but by his own wit he can not tell how: euen so y^e soule of man desiereth to be deliuerid of this sorowfull agony, but she cā not tell how. This earnest desier y^t the soul of man hath to be made righ­tuouse again when she is fallē from god by synne is the .iiij. office & working of the lawe. And it is called in scripture y^e Psal. xiij. hungring & thurstinge of the soule. And y^t thing which doth satisfye that desier, and doeth comfort the soule in this ago­ny is called in the scrypture [Page] meate and drynke,Ioh. vii because of the symylytude and lyklyhod that it hath wyth meate and drynke. For euē as that thing which comforteth the desyre­full body in extreme hunger and thurst is callid meate and drinke. Euen so y^e same thinge whych comforteth the desier­full soule in this extreme ago­ny and miserie is called meat and drinke.

So doth our sauiour Christ him self in the fift of Mathew & in the sixt of Luke.Mat. v. Luk. vi. Terme and name the desyer of the soule, calling this desyer hun­gryng and thursting in these wordes.

Beati qui esuriunt & sitiunt iustitiam, quoniam ipsi saturabuntur.Mat. v.

Happy be they that hunger [Page] and thurst for rightuousnes, for they shalbe fylled: By the whyche wordes it is euydent, y^t Christ calleth the desyering of the soule for rightuousnes a hungring and a thurstynge. So is this desier called hun­gringe and thurstinge in sun­dry other places of the scryp­ture. As the desier to heare Gods words, is called hunger in the .viij. of Amos.

I will send a hunger into the earth, not a hunger for bread, but a hunger for hea­ring of the word of the lorde. Here ye see that the desier to heare Goddes worde is cal­led hunger. And in the, 55. cha. of Esai.

Al ye y^t be thyrsty come to the waters,Eccls. lv come & bey it wyth­out money. Thyrsting in this place is a desier of comforte & saluation. And also in the first of Luke. in the hymne of the blessed virgin Mary.Luk. i. v [...]

Esurientes impleuit bonis, & diuites di­misitinanes.

He fylled them that were hungry with good thinges, That is to say, he satisfied the desier of them, which instruc­ted them selfes and ther own worckes, and dyd put there hole truste in him onlye. But contrarywyse, suche as dyd put some trust in themselues, and were not so desierouse of Christ, as the other were, not [Page] so hungry as the other were, them he sent away empty, le­uynge them to themselues. And in the seuenth of Saynt Iohn.Ioh. vij. This desier is likened to a thurstynge.

If any mā be a thirst, that is to saye, if his soule be desierouse to haue remission of synne, let hym come to me and dryncke. And also in the .21. chapter of the Apocalypse.

A will geue to him that is thyrsty the water of lyfe. By all these places it is playne, that y^e desier which the soule of man hath to haue forgeue­nes of her synne, is called in scripture hungring and thur­stynge.

[Page] Now then agayn, the scripture calleth that thing which doth comfort and satisfye this desier of the soule, meate and drynke. And when the soule of man hath that same thinge geuen vnto her that she desie­red and longed for so sore, thē is she fed. For a profe where of Mathew and the reste of the Euangelistes doeth vse these termes, faturabuntur, & aqua & cibus. And in the .4. of S. Iohns Gospell.Ioh. iiii. Christe was desierouse to satisfy the wyll of his father, and he called the satisfyenge of that desier hys mete.

My metes (sayeth he) is to doe the wyll of my father. His [Page] hunger and his thurst that he had, was the desier that he had to doe the will of hys fa­ther: And the doing of it, was his meat and drynke, as it ap­peareth before in this texte, when as answering to hys disciples he said,

Ego habeo alium cibum comedendum, quem nos nescitis.

I haue other meate to eat, whych ye know not.

Thus farre I haue decla­red vnto you, most noble au­dyens, howe the soule of man is made hungry and thurstye by the workynge of the lawe, And also howe that thynge whych doth satisfy this desi­er of the soule, is named in the scrypture mete.

Lett vs now then procede [Page] to the declaracion of the hea­uenly banket, wherby our heauenly father doth feed & com­fort the soule of man whyche is made hungry and comfort­les by the lawe.

When our heauenly and most mercyfull father perceaueth y^t his law hath wroughte her feat in the soule of man, and hath brought man euen to very desperacyon.

Ad inferos ducit & reducit.

Then he feedeth and comfor­teth mans soule & soweth the seed of saluation vpon him in thys wyse. Here I muste desier you to licence me most noble audience to change my parson, & to speake in y^e name of god the father, who calleth al men to feed & comfort there [Page] hungre & thursty soules with such meat & drinke as he hath prepared in his most heauen­ly banket for them. Thus saith our heauenly father to y^t man & all men whiche be com­fortles and afrayed of eternal dampnation for ther offenses. Man dispaire not for thy syn­nes that thou haste cōmitted.God the father spea­keth to the solue of man. Folow my counsel & although thy synnes be neuer so greate and manyfolde, yet shall they not dampne the. Be sory for thyne offenses, euen from the botom of thyne hart and pur­pose earnestly to amende thy former lyfe, & beleue that my sonne Christe Iesus hath ta­ken the paynes vpon hym, that thou hast deseruid for thy synnes, and thou shalt not be [Page] dampned, but thou shalt haue life euerlasting. Let his death ease thy stomake, comfort thy fearfull and sorowefull hun­gringe soule with the puny­shing of hys body, and the she­ding of hys preciouse bloude. And euen as meat doth com­fort thy body, when it is hun­gry, & drinke when it is thur­sty, euen so let hys punishmēt, comforte thy soule, For I as­suer the that his paines, his punishment and death is able to saue both the and all the whole worlde from eternall dampnation.

I will no more be angrye with the, for the sinnes that thou haste done, If my sonne Christ will take vpon him to answere for the, as no dout he [Page] if thou wilt come to him, & put thy hole truste in him. Feede thy hungrye stomake w^t thys meate, that I haue prepared for the, and thou shalt haue remission of all thy synnes.

Feare not any of those daun­gers that sinne, that fleshe, the world, or the deuel hath brou­ght the into, for my sōne hath for thy sake ouercome all hys and thine enemies, whom o­therwise thou waste not able to ouercome with all the wit­tes thou haddest.

Fyrst and formoste he hath ouercome synne for thy sake, in that he hath payd his deth to me, not for his own sinnes, but for thy sinnes, and for the synnes of all the world, so that allthough thou hast commit-may [Page] so be that he will tempte the, as in dede he doth daylye tempt all such as I haue cho­sen to possesse my kingedome, but of this thing thou maiest be well assuerid, that he can not hurte the, because my son hath made him, both hys and thy bonde seruaunt with hys death.

The deuell in tempting the shall be my seruaunt, for I wil vse him as an instrumente to trye thy faieth, and to exer­cise thy belefe from tyme to tyme. So that for this pur­pose I suffer him to tempt the from tyme to tyme, that by that meanes thou shouldeste waxe stronger in thy fayeth and stronger.

Now seest thou that where [Page] as before tyme thou waste a­frayed of the deuell fearinge that he had rule and power ouer the: Nowe my sonne Christe and I do vse hym for our slaue and bond seruaunt, to exercyse the fayeth of the good by daylye temptacions, & to punishe the wicked with continual affliccion and mise­rye.

My sonne also hath for thy sake ouercome death, and yet not after suche a sort as thou­gh it were vtterly takē away, but he hath so taken it awaye, that it can not hurt the.

For whereas before suche as hath deyed without belefe in my sonne, went out of thys lyfe into eternall death: Now shall death be a dore for the [Page] and them to euerlastinge lyfe, in so much that thou shalt confesse in thyne hart, that which is written in the fyrste to the Philippians, saiyng:Phil. i

Christ is my lyfe, and it is aduantage for me to dye.

Death shall no more be vnto the, neyther vnto anye of my chosen bitter, but sweet: not so rowfull but ioyfull: not losse but gayne, not to be feared, but to be desiered, death shall not be worthye to haue the name of death, but rather of the waye and entry vnto eternall lyfe. Death shall haue no power to hurte the for hys stinge is cut of accordinge to my promes.

O death,i. Cor. xv I wyll by thy death.

Thus hath my sonne for thy sake ouercome synne, he hath ouercome death, he hath ouercome the deuell, and all thyne enemyes and myne: and when he made an ende, he said, Consummatum est, nowe all finyshed:Ioh. xix. He hath done all those thinges that I requy­red at thy handes to haue do­ne. Despaire not therefore comforte thy selfe wyth thys death of my sonne. Trust that this death and bloudsheding is a sufficient ransom and re­compence for thy sinnes. Comfort thy hungry stomake with this restoretish dishe, (whiche [Page] may so be well called, for that it hath restored the, & all suche as beleue in hym, agayne into my fauor.)

Whosoeuer comforteth his hungry soule with this dishe, shall haue remission of all hys synnes. Whosoeuer fee­deth with a sure fayth and eat thereof hartyly, not doutinge but that Christ is sufficient to saue his soule, that Christe is sufficiente to slaake hys hun­ger, and to quenche his thurst, he shall not nede of any other dyshes diuised by men to feed vpon: but he shall be suer, that the death and bloudshedinge of myne only begotten sonne, is sufficient to comfort his pe­nitent hungry soule so, that it shall not be famishid, it shal not [Page] sterue, nor peryshe, but haue lyfe euerlasting.

This is the ioyfull tydyn­ges the comfortable doctrine, the sede of goddes most holye worde, (most noble audience) which hath bene so longe tro­den and cast away vnder neth the fote of the people.

This is the lost seed which when it was sowen, woulde not, this manye yeares, enter into the hartes, and vnder­standinges of men.

But here I moste humbly desier you,Nota. to note, that it is not meant by these wordes, (eatinge of Christes flesh, and drynkynge of hys bloude, and feding vpon Christe,) that ye should so feed of Christe, as ye woulde feed of a pece of mot­ton, [Page] a pece of beefe, or a pece of venson: For that kynd of ca­ting, profetteth nothing at al.

The fleshe profeteth no­thynge at all.

Thys grosse kynde of fee­dinge vpon Christe, profeteth nothing at all: But it is ment, that euen as ye comfort your earthly and corruptible body, with bread, and meat when it is hungry, and with ale, bere, or wyne when it is thurstye:

Euen so doeth the soule of man, (when the lawe sheweth to her, her faultes and eter­nal damnation, and the dred­full iudgementes of God for her offenses,) comforte her selfe in her greate hunger and thurste: beleuynge that [Page] almightye God, hath forge­uen her synnes, for Christes sake. So that where as be­fore she was hungry, and comfortles, and afraied of eternall dampnation: Now is she fed, and comforted, with thassue­rance, that her synnes be for­geuen her of god, for Christes sake her sauiour.

It is an vnreuerente, and an vngodly opinion, and voyd of all Godlye religion, to saye or thynke, that we muste eate and chame with our corporall teeth, or that we muste swal­low with our corporal throte, Christes blessed fleshe and bo­nes, after so grosse a sorte, as we eat other kyndes of meat.

Yea, and it is a thynge abhorred of nature, that [Page] mannes should feede of mans fleshe, hyde thesame fleshe of man in pastes or culles or by any meanes otherwyse neuer so conningly. Man detesteth and abhorreth to be [...], that is to say a man ea­ter.

The Centuryon of a rely­gyouse mynde, and of a godly feare, thoughte hym selfe vn­worthye, that oure sauioure Christ shoulde enter into hys house,mat. viij saiynge:

And S. Peter in theLuk. v .v. of Luke, had a certeyne relygy­ouse, & a godly feare to come nighe to Christ, and sayed vn­to him.

[Page] Departe from me O lorde, for I am a synnar.

Euen so all suche as haue a­ny Iote of Godly religyon in ther hartes, shoulde be asha­med once to desyer, to bruse with there teeth, to eate raw, and to swallowe the fleshe, bloud, and bones of oure sauy­oure Christe, euen as it was borne of the blessed vyrgyne Mary. S. Austen wytnes­seth that the Capernaites to­ke our Sauiour Christe after that sort, when he sayd,

Onles a man eate my flesh, and drinke my bloude, he shall not haue euerlastyng lyfe.

They toke him (saieth he) [Page] grosly, as it appeareth by ther question that they demaun­ded immediatly, saiynge:

How can this fellow geue vs his fleshe to eat? Is not he the sonne of Ioseph? Thys grosse opinion of thers, Saint Austen calleth heresye, as it is a playne heresye in dede to say, that we must eat of neces­sitie. Christ after such a grosse sort.

They thought that Christ had offered hys bodye to be eaten, as fleshe that hangeth in the bucherye, so that the fleshe of his armes, and sydes that stode there before them, shoulde be chewed and swal­lowed of them.

But (sayth Saint Austen, that was not hys meaninge: [Page] For that kynde of eatinge of Christes fleshe, profeteth no­thyng at all.)

Caro non prodest quicquam:

But that they whych were made sorowfull and hungrye by the terror of the law, shuld be fed, and comfortedwith the death of his fleshe, and wyth his blessed bloudshedynge.

And he that feedeth not hys soule after this sort wyth Christes fleshe, and bloude, is not alyue in Christe, but he is in desperation,

He dwelleth in death.Ioh. iii. v. xi. yea beynge alyue in thys wor­lde, he hath a taste of hell, be­cause hys conscyence is com­fortles, and the worme byteth him cōtinually, so that he hath [Page] deuell in his conscience. And he is alltogether comfortles, because there is none other meet & comfort, that can com­fort oure soules, but onely the cōfort that we haue by Christ. And whosoeuer eateth thys fleshe, and drinketh this bloud wyth y^e mouth of belefe, that thys very fleshe of Christ was put to death for him, and this very bloud was once shed for him: He shall haue euerlasting life, and the lord will raise him againe at the latter day. And he had a tast of the kingdome of God,Ioh. vi euen beyng alyue. He hath peace and quyetnes in his conscyence. Whyche is Gaudium & pax in spiritum sanctum.

And thys kind of eatinge,Ro. xiij. is called of learned men, an [Page] of Christe, Spiritualiter (that is to say) a comfortinge with oure soules wyth Christ spiritual­ly. And as oft as we comforte oure soules of thys sorte, we haue a sure knowledge, and a felinge that the wrath of god the father against vs is pacy­fyed, and so be we of oure for more hunger eased.

There is another kinde of eatinge of Christes body, and drinkinge of his bloud, & that is called eatinge and drinking Sacramentaliter. Sacra­mentally. And we eate Christ on this fashion, as oft as we Ioyne the outward signes of breade and wyne, (that is to say) the sacrament of the holy communion, wyth oure fayth and inward belefe, receauing [Page] a visible testimony of our in­warde belefe in the face of the congregacion.

And if it chaunce any man, to receaue this outward pledge and testimony of the lordes death, & haue not this inward belefe: the same man, in taking of that visible Sacrament in the face of the congregaciō, maketh a lye to the holy gost, be­cause he sheweth him self out­wardly as though he comfor­forted his soule inwardelye with Christ, and yet in deed he doth not and therfor when he taketh this heuenly Sacra­ment, his conscience cōdemp­neth hum, and telleth him that he is not inwardly so affected, and disposed as his outward [Page] receauinge of the Sacrament doth pretend. Wherfore saint Paule geueth sentence of eue­ry suche man, and sayth.i. Cor. xi.

He eateth and drynketh his owne condempnacion and iudgemente whiche is an vnwor­thy kynde of eatinge.

Because he hath no consideracion why he eatith of that bred and drynketh of that cuppe, wherof he eatith & drynketh for an outwarde Sacrament and testimony before the hole congregacion, that he is in­wardly fed and confortith by Christus death, but inwardly indeed he feleth no suche con­fort.

[Page] Wherefore thus I may con­clude, he that beleueth, eateth: And he that beleueth not, ea­teth not, although he eate the Sacrament euery day in the weeke.

And S. Austen beyng of the same minde, saith:

Quid paras dentem & uentrem, crede & manducasti.

Why doest thou prepare thy teeth, and thy bely, beleue and thou hast eaten.

Therfore should man proue hymself (as S. Paule saieth) and examen diligentlye hys owne conscience, within hys breste, and way with him selfe wel, before he come to this holy communion, whether he be indued with the spirit of god, and lyuely fayth in Christe or [Page] not. And if he perceaue hym selfe to be a fleshly & a sensuall man, without faith, and with­out the spirit of almighty god he ought not to receaue thys holy sacrament: but to with­draw him self vntil such time, as almighty God shall more plentyfullye indue him wyth his most heauenly grace. But if he perceaue by his faith that he is knyt holly to Christ, and that he is a liuelye member of him, let him then goe forward and eat of this bread & drynke of this cuppe to his most hea­uenly comfort. And lette hym say to him selfe on thys wyse, when he goeth to receaue the communion. I goe now to make a solempne professyon before God and his congregation [Page] of my fayeth, and to re­ceaue that comfortable Sa­crament and misticall pledge that Christ hath appointed.

And besydes the quyeting of myne owne conscience, to declare to other of the flocke of Christ, that I beleue assue­redlye, that oure Sauyoure Christe shedde hys precyouse bloude, and dyed for the re­missyon of my synnes, And that he, and none but he, hath geuen me a wysdome, where­by I am returned againe into the fauor of God. The lawe told me, that I was not able of my selfe (searchinge all the wittes that I had) to returne againe to God, but Christ.

Factus est mihi sapientia a Deo.

Hath geuen me a wisedome [Page] and a knowledge howe to co­me with hys helpe agayne to God. I was altogether wic­ked and vnholly and he hath made me holy in that he hath made me partaker of his ho­lynes. I was alltogether vn­rightuouse, and he hath made me rightuouse, in that it plea­seth him to make me partaker of his rightuousnes. By mea­nes wherof my former offen­ses shall not be imputed vnto me. I thought that I coulde by no means haue pacified the wrath of God the father, and haue made amendes for mine offences, but nowe I am sure, that Christe is become my re­demer, and hath made a quietnes & an attonement betwene almighty god & me. So that [Page] I fele and perceaue this, to be trew that Christ is god & mā.

Factus est mihi sapiencia a Deo. Iusticia (que) sanctificatio & redemtio.

Christ is become my wisdom frō God my righteousnes my holynes and my redemption: In witnes wherof I wil eate of this bred and drinke of this cup, that our sauiour Christ hath appointed me to eate & drynk of to my most heuenly comfort and consolacion.

After this examinacion, our conscience wil tel vs whether we bee apte or not to receaue this holycōmunion, according to Christes right institucion.

Whiche is appoynted for vs to perpetuall memory of his death, vntyl his comminge a­gayne in glory.

[Page] For this ende was the holy sacrament first instituted, and not to be holden vp in the handes of the priest ouer his hed: not to be hāged vp in y^e church to be worshipped with a goodly honor of y^e people, not that the minister thereof, shoulde by the ministraciō therof, pur­chase remission of synnes for y^e quicke and the dead, not that he should get reyne therby or fayer wheter, not y^t he should clense the ayer thereby from euell infections, no more y^t the receyuer therof should be the better for the receuing therof, (that is to say for the doiynge of that worke) but rather the worse, if he were not a goodly beleuinge man before.

The right vse of this holy sa [Page] Sacramente is as often as it is taken for a heuenly meanes to putt vs in rememberanrce of the death and bludshedinge of our Sauiour Christ.

Whiche right vse being once trewely and plainely percea­ued of the people, all vayne vses wyll fall awaye of them selfes, euen as falsed fayleth when truth commeth, and as darcknes geueth place when light cometh.

And at the last the maintey­ners of these fond diuises will be ashamed of their ignorance when all the worlde shall see the truth to ther open confu­sion, and perceaue sensibily how blynd bussardes they be, & what shift they make, both to lyue themselfes, and also to [Page] bringe vp and confyrme other in blyndnes.

Yt is a sport to here these ignorant blyndlynges what shiftes they make, when they be dryuen to their answer, ei­ther concernynge the Sacra­ment it selfe, or elles concer­nynge the presence of Chri­stes body in the Sacrament. Some saye that Christ is in this Sacrament realiter et substancialiter but not natu­raliter: (that is to saye) really & substancially: but not natu­rally: And of this opinion be the mooste parte of the schole Doctors.

Some other holde that, that opynion is false, and wyl in any wyse haue thys worde [Page] naturally, saiynge that Christ his bodye is there natural­ly whiche terme I meruayle much wher they fynd. seynge that it is not vsed eyther of Saint Austen saint Ambrose saint Hierom or of any other of the old aunceant doctors & writers, either in greek or la­tin, old or new.

And yet is there one who hath of late writtē a boke cal­led the detection of the deuels Sophistry, whiche vsed this terme naturally twyse or thrise in his boke, belyke he lerned this terme in that schole wheras he learned the deuels So­phistry (that is to saye) in the schole of lyes, of whom the de­uel is the chefe scholemaster. Some saye that he is there.

[Page] Iisdem dimencionibus quibus pendebat in cruce.

Euen of thesame lenght brea­deth and thyknes as he dyd hange vpon the crosse.

Some say that the bread is transubstanciated, (that is to say) that the substance of the bread is gone and the quali­ties onely of the breade doeth remayne which opinion is an heresy in logike, to saye that accidens may be sine subiecto.

Some saye the bread is the body, and some saye, the body is vnder the bread. And if a man alledge vnto them the article of our Crede & say, that that body which was borne of the blessed virgin Mary, & lyued here in earth .xxxiii. yere & suffryd vnder pontius [Page] pylat, and that honge vpon the crosse, and that was dead and buryed.

That theselfe same body a­rose agayne the third day frō death, no fantastical body but euen thesame fleshe and bone and the selfe same bodye that was felt of Thomas, and that it remayneth here .xli. dayes with his disciples after his re­surrection from death, and that the selfe same body is as­cendit into heuen, and sitteth at the right hand of God the father (that is to saye) in the glory of the father, and that he shall not come agayne vntyll the latter day, when he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead, and to restore all thynges whiche were spoken [Page] of by the prophetes accordin­glyAct. iij. as we reed in the third of the actes: they wyll saye con­stantly that all thys gere is playne false.

For (say they) a preste may fetche Christe his manhoode downe from heuen when he wyll before the latter day co­me, with saiynge.

Be he neuer so viciose a gen­telman that saieth the wor­des, he hath Christes body at his beck and commandement to bringe hym doune when him lusteth.

And for the mayntenance of thys there erroneus and Anthechristian opinyon they wyll not styke to saye, that [Page] Christes body may be in son­dry places at one tyme graunting, that it may be at Rome, at Paris, in London, in Can­terbery, and in a thousand o­ther dyuerse places at once.

Whereas if ye read the scri­ptures through ye shall neuer fynd, that Christes body was in two places at one tyme, or that after hys resurreccion it appeared in two sundry pla­ces at one tyme.

This deuilishe opinion of thers openeth a dore to Martion and the Manicheis, who defyed Christes bodye after suche a sorte, that they denied it to be of like substance as other mens bodies be:

Agaynst whych doctryne S. Austen geueth this rule.

We must take hede (sayeth S. Austen) that we doe not so affirme the diuinitie of his manhode, that wee take a­waye thereby of the trueth of hys body.

And Saint Austen doeth plainelye affyrme that thys body muste be in one place of heauen, whereas it pleaseth hys dyuine maiestye to be.

And he sayeth in the .30. treatyse vpon Iohn .xvi.

The bodye wherein he dyd ryse must be in one place. I am not ignoraunt that the prynted copy of saynt Austen [Page] hath in that place, Vno loco esse potest. (that is) maye be in one place. But I praye you what is he that douteth of that thing, that Christes bo­dy maye be in one place.

Surelye Saynt Austen woulde neuer haue vsed so vayne a sentence in so weigh­tye a matter, and it is playne in the decrees.

De consecratione, distinctionei. ca. Prima quidem heresis.

And in the maister of the sentence in the fourth booke distinctione decima, that S. Austen is faslye prynted in that pointe. For in both these places ye shal haue these plain wordes.

Corpus enim in quo resurrexit in uno loco esse oporter.

[Page] The body of Christ, in which he arose, must be in one place.

These two of there owne schole be sufficiente witnesses to me, and to all men, that S. Austen was playnely of thys opinion, that Christes bodye muste be at one tyme in one place, and can not be at one tyme in sundrye places.

In uno loco esse oportet.

It must be in one place.

The best waye to confute this sorte of men, is to set the one of them agaynst another, him that sayth that Christes body is ther naturaliter, naturally against thē that say, it is the natural body of Christ, but not naturallyter. And them whiche sayeth that there is a [Page] transubstanciation in the Sa­cramēt agaynst them that say, that ther is the body and the bread together.

And them that say, the mou­se may eat the Sacrament, agaynst theim that saye, the mouse cā not eat it. And them that say it may moule agaynst them that say it cā not moule.

And so shal we ease our selfes of a great deale of paynes, in sufferinge the one of them to cōfute the other, who as they haue many hedes so haue thei many wittes, and their is euē as great a confusion amōgest them, as their was amongest the tonges in babylon, wher­fore whē they striue to hit the matter, they lightly alwayes misse euē as men that threshe [Page] heynes blyndfyld.

But ye wyll say to me.

Syr ye haue told vs what some saye, but what say yow? Forsoth, Sir I say as I haue sayeth, that Christes blessed body is not eaten with oure teeth so grosly and so carnally as they take it to be.

But I beleue that that very body whiche was borne of the virgine Mary, and was cruci­fyed, ded, and buried, and that very body whiche arose agay­ne the third day, and that was felt of Thomas after Christes resurrection, that it had fleshe and bones otherwise then spi­rites hath, & that whych dyd eat and drynk with the duci­ples after his resurrectiō,Io. xxi. And that whiche was seen of theAct. x. [Page] disciples when it ascendid into heauen, and that whiche sit­teth at the right hand of God the father accordynge to the article of our Creed: I beleue (I say) that that body is in he­uē only, and is not in the earth accordyngly as Saint Augu­stenAugust. tract. L. in Io. sayth in the 50 treatyse vpon Iohn.

That is to say. He was here conuersant wyth the presence of his body forty dayes with his disciples, and they goyng with him, and folowynge him, he ascendid into heuē in their sight: and he is not here, for he [Page] sitteth ther on the right hand of his father.

By his diuinitie, his godhed, hys diuyne mayestye, hys po­wer, and his prouidence, he is here and euery where.

But his manhod is a crea­ture and is in heuen only, and ther shall he remayne vntyll the latter day. And yet is it trew that Christes very body is present at the mynistracion of the lords supper. Yea euen flesh blud and bone as he was borne of the virgyn Mary.

Why but what mean I to say so? Thys geer semeth to be quiet contrary, to al that euer I haue sayth befor, his body is in heuen, and his body is pre­sent at the mynistracion of the Sacrament of hys Supper, [Page] These sayenges seme to be directly repugnant the one of them to the other.

To put you out of dout in this poynt, ye shal vnderstād, that euen as the sonne which is far of dystand, is absent from myne eye and yet is pre­sent to my syght euen so is Christes body absent from my mouth, and yet present to my belefe.

For my belefe ascendith in to heuen, euen to that body of Christ, whiche sytteth ther at the ryght hand of God the fa­ther, whiche is his very trew and no fantasticall body fleshe blud and bone as it was bor­ne of the virgyn Mary.

And when I receaue the holy communion,

[Page] Mea conuersatio est in celis.

My conuersacion is in he­uen. Wher Christes body is euen so present to my fayth as the sone is present to my sight and as the bred and wy­ne bepresent to my mouth.

So that yf I haue no fayth Christ is not present to me when I receaue the Sacra­ment of the body and blud of Christ:

Yf I haue fayth Christes body beynge in heuen in one onely place is present to my fayth: and when I receue the holy cōmunion I inbrase him by fayth, euen fleshe blud and bone as he was borne of the virgyn Mary. And so doth al mē through out the hole worl­de hange vpon hym and com­fort [Page] them selues with that on­ly body, beynge in one place of heauē, though they be disper­sed into neuer so many sundry places through out the world.

Thus farre I haue declared vnto you (most noble audiēce) The heauenly banket that all mighty god hath prepared for the rōfort of the soule of man, which notwithstandyng that it is so comfortable a doctrine, yet this many yeres it coulde not be receaued of y^e people, & therfore may it wel be likened to that seed, whiche hath bene lost in the way, & couldnot en­ter to take rote, growe & bring forth fruite, accordyng to the expectacion of the seed sower.

Now because I haue deter­mined to speake somewhat of [Page] the fourth paynt for the satis­fyenge of my promes, I will leaue & make an end of my for more matter. and procede to the latter pece of my purpose this day. Which is cōcerning what burdes they be, & what men they be, that hath troden and deuowered this seed. As touching the burdes our Sauiour Christ maketh it plaine sayng, that they figure the de­uell, who inueigleth & inchan­teth so the eares and hartes of many people with heretical doctrines and false opinions, that the good seed of Goddes most holy word can fynde no place ther, to take rote grow, and bring forth fruite. But as­sone as it is sowen, it is by & by forgotten, and (as it were) [Page] drowned and swalowed vp amongest wicked opinions of the martians, the manycheis the arrians, the Pellagyans the Libertines, the Annabap­tistes, and so fort.

These and suche lyke hath been the deuelles instrument, the deuels throte, wherby he hath deuoureth the seed of Gods most holy worde.

And as touchyng the trea­dynge of thesame worde vn­derneth the feete of y^e people.

The chefe & arche capitayn tread worde is the Antichri­stian Biishope of Rome who (as they report) neuer sayth masse but he treadith the holy bible vnder neth his feet in to­kē that he & his ministers ha­ue an aucthoritye greater thē [Page] is thaucthoritye of the scrip­ture: or rather that he and his mynisters wilbe alwaye ready to treade downe the word of god vnderneth their feet, and wyth their wycked doctrines, stop vp the hartes of the people that they shalbe made vnapt to receaue it.

Ther be a greate nomber (god knoweth) that stampe and tread downe gods word vnderneth their feet.

And very hard they be to be knowen. Yet shall ye knowe them by two tokens commonly whether they be stampers and treaders of Gods worde vnder neth their feet or not.

The one is by their talkes, and the other is by their lyfe.

As thouchynge their tal­kes, [Page] they be of many sortes, yet all tend to thys one end, that is to say to the pullynge down of Christ, and to the set­tynge vp of Anthechrist.

And Amongest sundry other of ther talkes this is one.

Christ say they is not sufficiēt but we must haue some other bye merites, and bye satisfac­tions not meaning ciuile satis­factions betwene man and man, but satisfaction to god the father for ther offences.

And they contend playnly that god can not saue man ex­cept man helpe hym.

And for this they brynge out a place of Saint Austen.

Whiche in deed is in his .xv.de uerbis apostoli sermone xv. sermon de verbis Apostly and these be hys wordes.

(That is to say) he that ma­de the without the, shal not sa­ue the without the.

But the lyuynge almyghty god he knoweth that holy S. Austen myndyd no thynge lesse, then by this or any other sentence in his workes, to rob be god of hys omnipotentie, as thoughe he were not able as well to saue man, without mās helpe as he was hable to make man without mās help.

But for the defence of thys holy doctor Saynt Austen,

Ther is one who hath writ­ten a tragedy. De libero arbitrio.

In the Italian tonge, and is not translated into any other [Page] thonge to my knowledge: he is an ytalian and semeth to be singularly well learned.

He sayth that at Rome in that worthy library (most vn­worthy to be in so wycked a place) named, Biblioteca Vaticana.

Their remayneth an old written copy of Saint Augu­sten, wher in thesame senten­ce, is word by word, as I haue rehersed it vnto yow: but in the ende of the sentence (he sayth) that ther is an intero­gatif poynt, that so it is not a determinynge sentence, but a question. Thus.

Qui fecitte sine te, non saluabit te sine te?

He that made the without the, shall he not saue the with­out the? Oh lorde what a change here is now in thys [Page] sentence.

How smal aduantage now can our merit prechers, & our satisfactioners take of thys doctrine? Trewly none ad­uantage at all, for the wordes sound now to thesittingforth of gods omnipotēcy, and they declare that God is euen as hable to saue man withoute mans helpe, as he was to ma­ke man withoute mans helpe Saint Augusten confuteth this opinyon of thy merites no man more, and namely in his workes agaynste the pel­lagians.Ambro. 1. Cor. x. And Saint Ambrose vpon the fyrst Epistle to the Corynthes vtterly condem­neth that opynyon of other satisfactions besydes Christ, saynge.

This is thapointemēt of god, that he y^t beleueth in Christe, shalbe saued without work, by faith only, frely receauing re­mission of his sinnes. So that although our workes declare our at tonement with almighty god, yet do they not make satisfaction & attonement be­twene god and vs. Such as vse this talke of satisfactions besydes Christ for ther sinnes be stāpers & treders of Christ and his word vnder ther feet with ther talke. Another talk ther is, wherby ye shall know them to be treaders doune of gods word, which is thesame in effect as y^e other was but in words diuerse: They say y^t we shal be saued & iustified in the [Page] sight of god by our workes, & not by faith only. & here they condemne al prechars, which teach the doctrine of y^e kings Mai. homelies of saluation, & of good workes, saing wrong­ly of them, y^t they condempne al good workes, which thinge is very vntrue. For the true prechers of goddes most holy word, (whō they take for this point as heretiques) doo not condempne good workes, but they set faith in her place, and good workes in ther place, teaching a diuerse office of y^e one, from y^e other (y^e is to say) that fayth maketh a man iust in y^e sight of god, & good workes doth declare a man iust in the sight of god y^t faith maketh a man a good tree, & workes declare a man to be a good tree. And therfore y^e prophet dauid [Page] lykeneth the good man to thePsal. 1. a tree that is planted by the waters syde,Iere. xvii. which bryngeth forth hys frute in season con­uenient.

That man sayth, he hath fayth, and lyueth vngodly, he sayth, vntreuly for fayth can not be frutles, no more then fyer with out heat.

And therfor is fayth in the scripture alwayes lykned not to barren and frutles trees, but to herynge, and frutfull trees, as to the fygge tree the olyue,Ioh. xv. and the vyne, whiche exede in plentifulnes of frute aboue other trees.

In the .xxi.Mat. xxi. of saint Math. gospell oure sauioure Christ cursed the figge tree when he found no fruyt vpon in why? [Page] Not because the fygge tree had offendid, but to geue vs example that all suche as be frutles trees be accursed of God. Wherfore ye see that all good men wyldoe good wor­kes euen as a good tree wyll brynge forth good fruts, they wyl cloth the naked, feed y^e hū ­gry, house the harbolles, hel­pe to delyuer the prysoner, vi­sit the seeke. yea and ther hart is at newgat, and at ludgat, and so foorth geuynge almes though they haue neuer a penny in their purse, so that when they be of habilitie, they wyll brynge forth frute and geue almes and doe all other good workes accordyngly.

Thys is the doctrine of the trew preachers whom these [Page] that tread doun gods woord, & hinder the goyng forward of it with ther talke, impeache as teachers of false, and arro­neus doctrine, to the intend to make the people vnapt to receaue the sead that is sowē.

I beseche god stoppe them of ther talke when it shalbe hys pleasure.

Another talke ther is wherby ye shall knowe suche as tread the sead of Gods most holy word, vnder their feet. I can say (say they) my pater noster, mine Aue mary, and my creed, and the ten commandemētes, and that is enoghe for me.

Let them preche and teache, as muche as they wyll I care for none of them all. But S. Paule saith y^t ye must fele a cer­tayne [Page] quiknes in your hartes of your belefe, which quiknes shal make you confesse Christe with your mouthe when so e­uer tyme and occasion shal serue, So that it is not enoge to say these lessons of our fayth with out the booke, but these lessons must procede out of a quike fayth, without whiche, it is impossyble to please al­mighty God.

Another talke ther is wher­by they tread the seed of gods most holy worde vnder their feet, whiche is thys. Beleue say they as your fore fathers hathe done before yow.

And in this mynd they coun­sel al men to stand and remay­ne styl styfly without searchin­ge any further.

[Page] To these I say that if it were a sufficient excuse for men to say: We beleue as our fathers hath belefet, then had the Ie­wes, the Turkes, and all in­fydelles a sufficient excuse, sa­ynge that they beleue as ther fore­fathers belefet before thē. And by this reason, if our fore fathers denyed Christe, we must also deny Christ: if oure forefathers acknoweledged the bishop of Rome, to be the supreme head of the churche, we must doe the lyke, and so forth of the popishe masse, and all such lyke trumpery, which is to great an inconuenience to graunte.

Therfore for Christes sake good people from henceforth, geue no eare to such talkers, [Page] as say they will doe as ther fathers hath done before them. Some other say, looke howe most men doe, and so will I. For he that doth as most men doeth shalbe blameles.

This saynge also beynge blowen abrode into the eares of the people. Doth stey them from the hearinge and recea­uynge of Goddes moost holy worde. For a confutation of this founde talke, ye shall vn­derstand, that the great mul­titude and number of men be ignoraunt, then if we shoulde folow most men we should fo­low the ignorant sort. Agayn if the good men should folow the most part, then should the good men become noughte, for the moste parte of all the [Page] world is nought.

And agayne yf such mē as ha­ue ther fayth grounded vpon the multitude had been in the thapostles tyme, they would not haue receauyd Christ, for the multitude of the peo­ple wold not receaue hym.

But cried Crucifige, crucifige eum. Crucyfy hym, Crucify hym.

Moreouer yf suche men as vse this sentence in their mou­the, dwelled in Turkey, thynkye not but that they wold doe as most men doth? What is that? For soth worshipe ma­hometh, for so dothe the most men ther.

Yea and yf the matter went by the greatnes of the number and foloweth the multitude: Then should the Turkes, the [Page] Iewes the hethen and al infi­deles be sauid, for they be most in number.

But our Sauior Christ saith:

Many be called but few be chosen.

And in the .xiii. of Saint Luk. ‘Pauci sunt qui saluabuntur.’

They be but few in number that shalbe saued.Luc. xiii.

Yesee, that this sentence is an vn meet saynge to be in a Christian mans mouth.

Wherfor for Christes sake let vs both shune it our selues, and aduertise and counsell all other to take head, that they vse it not. Another sayng and talke they haue whereby they occupy the eares, and de­ceaue the hartes of the people, [Page] and make them vnapte to re­ceaue y^e seed of goddes word, by meanes whereof the good seed is loste, troden, and caste awaye: and that is thys.

I beleue saye they as the Churche beleueth, then aske them, howe the churche bele­ueth? & they say as I beleue, and so they teache all men to make answere, as it were in a circule. Truely this answere might peraduenture be borne and alowed, if they meant by this word churche, none but the chosen flock of Christ.

Which church in dede can not erre. But they meane the church of Rome, by this word churche, though they pretend otherwise.

Notwythstandynge for [Page] the confutacion of there tread worde talke, I will vse there generall diuision of the chur­che whyche is thys. They deuide the churche into the Greke, and into the Latyn churche.

Nowe if I can proue, that bothe these members of the church haue erred, then haue I proued, that suche as saye they will beleue as the church beleueth (meaninge eyther the greke, or the latinchurch) may be deceaued.

Fyrste then touchynge the Greke churche, it is ma­nifeste, that it dyd erre in sai­ynge, that the holy ghost pro­ceaded from the father onely, and not from the father, and [Page] the sonne,Libro. l. dist. xi. as it apperyth by the maister of the sentence, & bysundry places, in Basill, and Nazianzen, and especially by the creed which was made in the Nicen counsell, where­as these wordes be.

And I beleue in the holye ghoste, the lord and geuer of lyfe, whiche procedeth from the father.

This opinion is vtterly con­dempned, and Nicen Creede is amended with an addicion, that the holy ghost procedeth from the father, & the sonne. So that it can not be denied, but that the Greeke churche was in a manyfeste error in [Page] thys poynt.

Now as touchyng the la­tyn church, whosoeuer sayth that it can not erre, lett hym consider well the scriptures, which geue iustly and truelye vnto the kinges Maiesty hys tytle of the supreme hed of the church: and he shall perceaue, that he is both an heretyque, and a traytor.

And that may be proued by two reasons, which be of such strenght, that they can not be auoyded, And this kinde of reasoninge the Logicians call Syllogismus, it was my chance to vse them ones in a lyke argumente at Paules crosse. The fyrste of them is thys.

[Page] Who soeuer concluded that the kynges mayestye is not supreme hed of the churche he is a traytor: but whosoeuer saith the latine church can not erre concludeth that the kyn­ges mageste is not supreme hed of the churche. Ergo.

Whosoeuer sayth that the latyn churcche can not erre he is a traytor.

And agayne: Whosoeuer concludeth the bushop of Ro­me to be supreme hed of the churche he is an heritique, but whosoeuer sayth that the latyn church can not erre con­cludeth that the bushop of Ro­me is supreme hed of the chur­che, Ergo. Whosoeuer sait that the latyn churche can not erre is an heretique.

[Page] The partes of thys Sylo­gisme be so trew, and the con­sequentes doth folow, insuche a dialecticall forme that al the Sophistry in christendom cannot reproue them.

Then good Christian au­dience, let not this carnal sai­ynge, and Anthechristian tal­ke diuisyd by romyshe myni­sters any more blynd yow.

No it is not enoge for yow to say that ye beleue as the churche of the electes and chosen of god doth beleue, oneles ye know and feele in your hertes what thynge it is that the churche beleueth.

Your fayth must not be grounded vpon any other mans fait, but vpon Christ on­ly. Yet is necessary for euery [Page] man to haue eyes of hys own, whereby he may discerne the true churche from the false, and the good doctryne from the bad, the spyrytuall prea­cher from the carnall, Chri­stian learninge from Papy­stry, and Christe from Anty­christ.

Wherfore serche the scriptu­res your selues, that ye be not deceaued, and trye whether your fayth be a true fayeth or not. Use youre owne eyes, in readyng, vse your own know­ledge in iudginge, lean not v­pon anye other mans fayeth, and so shall ye not be decea­ued.

Doe ye as the people of Berrheadyd as it appeareth in the actes.

They dyd daylye searche the scriptures in the temple to trye Paules doctrine, whe­ther it were true or not.

Beleue not the doctryne because I or anye other prea­cher doth preache it vnto you: but beleue it to be true: becau­se your own fayth doth assuer you it to be true, as the peo­ple of Samaria sayed to the woman:

Now sayd they, we beleue that Christ is the sauior of the worlde, not because thou hast said so, but because we know it our selues to be true.

[Page] These and suche lyke talke cause the people to contemp­ne, & to tread the seed of god­des most holy word, vnder­neth ther feet, wherfore they muste be shunnyd of all them that mynde to be true folow­ers of Christe, and to receaue the sede of Goddes most holy word, according to the intent of our Sauiour Christ.

And here is a question, By what meanes chiefelye hath these talkes bene sowen abrode, and bruted amongest the people? Forsothe by the iudges in there circuites, and the iustices of peace that be popishely affected. By by­shoppes and there officers in there synodes, and other me­tinges of ecclesyastycall par­sons, [Page] by Schole Masters in their grammer Scholes, be stuwardes when they keepe their courtes, by preestes whē they sytte to here auriculare confession and suche lyke as mynde nothynge els but the playn subuersion of the kyng­dom of Christ, and all Chri­styan doctryne and settynge vp agayn of the doctryne and kyngdom of the romishe Anti­christ to Gods greath disho­nor.

The iudge in his circute in tymes past when the people hath been assembled, hat per­swaded the people to doe as ther forefathers hath done before them, And to doe as the most men doth, and so they shall be most in quiet.

[Page] And to be content with such godly doctrine as was conteined in the sixe articles, and so forth.

The byshop and his officers perswade the priestes of the contrey that they shal also fo­low aunceant customes and vsages in the churche, and to beleue and doe as the church beleueth, and hath thaught them: meanynge by the chur­ch, the church of Rome thou­ghe they saye not so expresly.

Now here hath all the iusti­ces of peace and gentell men and other whiche were at the cessions: and all the priestes and other that were at the si­nod, learned ther lessons how they shal talke to their neygh­bors when they come home.

[Page] In so muche that the Scho­lemaster in the grammer, schole herynge of it wyll power this talke into the eares of his scholars.

Oh what hurt these popish Scholemasters doth.

They will sharsly suffer any good doctrine to be talked on in their Scholes.

Yea yf ther be a chyld that haue his father honestlye and godly affected towarde gods woord, they wyl pyk sum such matters agaynst hym that he shall be suer to be thryse bre­ched against his felowes once.

They marre all most noble prynce, poysining the childers eares with popry in their youth.

For redresse wherof I would [Page] whish (most noble prince) that ther might be a Cathechisme made in the Latten tonge, which shuld be red by cōman­dement in al grammer Scho­les through out your noble realme, and so should the broode of this most noble realme, not be brought so popishely vp as tey be. They shal lyue and en­ioye thesame land whiche we now possesse and inhabit, yf they be brought vp in popry, they wil alter & marre as mu­che in one yere as your grace shal make and amend in forty The good educacion of them in trew religion, shall be a for­tresse to all your graces most godly procedynges. The euel deducacion of that brood of England in popry and super­sticion [Page] shall inconclusion be an ouerthrow to all your graces most godly procedynges.

Wherfor for Gods loue and the welth of this your realme moost noble prince. I wishe that they should be re­membred.

The stewardes of the cour­tes abrode in the contrey han­ge vpon the sleues of the iud­ges and iustices of the peace and other gentelmen in the countrey.

So that they dare doe none other but as they see and here there elders and chefe capi­tayns in the lawe doe before them.

And as the stewardes of courtes lerne ther lesson at the sessions, so doth the popy­she [Page] prest at the Synod. When he getteth once a poer symple man in the contrey vn­der his benedicite.

O lord what stuf he whistel­leth in to his eare ther lacketh no treadword talk, I wil warrant you he hath all in a redi­nes and more to.

He wanteh none of these communicacions wherby the sim­ple peopell be seduced, when thys confessioner hath hym ther vpon his knees he hand­leth him, as him lystith, & ma­keth him beleue that the layn­ge of his hand vpon his hed is a sufficient recompence for his sinnes.

Yea and they bere the poer man in hand that that laynge of his hand vpon their hed, is [Page] ther quytaunce.

Oh pestylent generacion.

What shall I say by the thro­tes of these people? Forsote I wyl say as the prophet Dauid sayth, as Saint Paule recy­teth. Ro. 3.Rom. iij ‘Sepulchrum apertum est guttur eorū, Psal. v. linguis suis ad dolū usi sunt ue­nenum aspidum sub labijs eorum. Quorum os execracione & amaerulentia plenum est ueloces pedes eorum ad effundendum san­guinem. Contritio & calamitas in uijs eorū & uiam pacis non cognouerunt, non est ti­mor dei ante oculos eorum.’The throte of suche slanderouse talkers, of such iudges, iustices, bysho­pes and ther officers, of suche Scholemaysters, stuerdes, confessioners and so forth:

Ther throt (I say) is an open sepulcher. They haue vsed there tonges to disceyt the poyson of serpentes is vnder­neth [Page] ther lyppes.

Their mouth is full of cursin­ge and bitternes ther feet are swyft to shed blud.

They are very wretches in ther doynges, they know not the way of peace, the feare of god is not before their eyes.

These be they that tread downe the good seed of gods most holy woorde with their talke through out this realme moost noble prince.

Some also tread this sead down with ther vnamended lyfe. For when they be told and cryed out vpon for ther adultery they lyue in adulte­ry styll when they be cryed out vpon for ther popery they be popishe styll.

When they be cryed out vpon [Page] for their extorsion and oppre­ssion of the poore, they conty­newe in ther extorsion and oppression styll. Whan they be cryed out vpon for there diso­bedience, they norishe rebelli­ouse hartes in there brestes styll.

When they be cryed out vpon for their slanderose tonges they leaue not ther slander & their blasphemy.

These be they that tread the sead of Gods moost holy word vnderneth their feet wyth ther vnamended lyfe.

I beseche almyghtie God amend all our talkes, and ly­ues that the seed of his moost holy woord be not cast away vpon vs as the seed whiche is cast by the wayes syde is lost [Page] deuowred and cast away, tro­den and destroyed wyth the burds of the ayer, and the feet of the people.

That almyghty God may be glorifyed with the Godly­nes of our talke and with the amendement of our lyues vn­to whom be all honor & glory world without ende. Amen.