AFter the mynd of Saynte Augustyne A Sacrament is a vysyble shappe or sygne of an inuysyble grace that is as moch to saye a sacrament is an owtward signe whereby God thorowghe hys worde declared in the admynystracyon of the same testyfyeth and assureth our cōsciēce of his fauour & good wil & ī this differth a sacramēt frō other natural synnes. For euerye naturall sygne representeth & sygnyfyeth the thynge whreof it is a sygne, But it hath no promysse of God, ther vnto annexed. But a Sacrament hath a promisse of god ther vnto annexyd. Whych maketh the same sygne and outward substaūce to be a sacrament. And yf the receyuer of the sacramente beleue not the worde of promysse declared to hym before the admynystracion of the sacramēt then he receyueth not any spyrytuall grace represented ād offered in the sacrament. Allthough he receyue the sacramēt a thousād tymes. Thys suffyseth for the dyscrecyon of a sacrament and allso the dyuersyte of a sacramente from other naturall sygnes.
The partes wherof a sacrament consisteth and is by these folowyng. An owtward vysyble substaunce and a promysse of God made vnto vs: whych pronounced and declared vnto vs, makyth the vysyble substaūce to be a sacramēt vnto vs whych heare the promisse of god declared the thynge and Spyrytuall grace represented and offred in ye sacrament is such a Parte of the Sacramente that they only receyue it whych beleue ye promysse of god declared vnto them. And al such as beleue not the promysse of god declared vnto them in the admynystracyon of the sacramente. Allthough they receyue the sacrament, yet they receue not ye grace represented therein.
The cause wherefore sacramentes were Instytuted, is to declare and set fourthe the benyfyttes of god exhybyted ād done to vs. And to prynte and grafte them yn owre Myndes: And so confyrme owre fayth so that we maie boldlye reyoyce & saye, that christe and al chrystes merytes and deseruinges beowres.
The effect of Sacramentes is to comfort [Page] euery conscyence troubled vexed, & oppressed wyth the condemnacyon and iudgemente of goddes lawe and sentence, gyuen vpon al synnes. Also to comfort them whyche be greued wyth the syght of the multytud and gretnes of theyr Synnes and no lesse wyth the long cotynuaunce, vse, and perseueraunce in the same. Such Iudgement and sentence gyuen agaynst Synnes, wyth the syght of their synnes, and of the multytude and greatnes, and the long contynuance therein, desperacyō must nedes ensue, & folowe, vntyll they here this promysse of God vnto thys sacramēt annexed or such other lyke wc they heryng, reioyce inwardly, & wt great gredenes & cofort come to receue the sacramēt, as an erneste pledg, of remyssyon of synnes purchased by Christ onlye, wtout theyre deseruynges bi faith ī the promisse they beleue chrystes body and bloude to be flaī & shed for the remyssyō of their sīnes And thus they eate Chrystes flesshe, and drynk hys bloude, the clargy of englād be herein to be reformed by cause they mayntayne errours cōtrary to these true prīciples, [Page] taught by ye premitiue church & al ye blessed fathers, & auncient doctores,
The fyrst abuse.
Fyrste where saynct Augustyne ād other Auncyent wrytters haue taught that the worde of God in the mynystracyon of the vysyble substaūce, maketh a sacramēt there of oure clergye admynyster, the vysyble substance, wythout any declaracyon of any worde of Chrystes Instytutyon, wc is not onely agaynst the doctrine of the primityue church, but also agaynst Chrystes fyrste Practysse wc he vsed whan he fyrste instytuted the Same and mynystred it vnto hys Appostles. It is allso agaynst the Appostles practyse, as it aperyth by Paule whyche saythe. He hath deliuered to them, that which he receyued of the lorde, The lord Iesus in the same nyght that he was betrayed, toke breade, and gyuynge thankes, brake it, and sayde, take, eate, Thys is my body whych shall be betrayed for you, do thys in the remē braūce of me. Lykewise after he had supped he toke the cuppe. Sayenge. Thys cuppe is ye newe Testament, ī my bloud [Page] as oft as ye shal drink of it, drynk it in ye remembraunce of me.
Thys practyse of Chryst and of his dyscyples so longe also continued, vsed & frequēted in ye church of god shuld haue ben a suffycyēt doctryne, to all Christes church ouer and besydes that, Chryste in the admynistracyon of the Sacramente demaūded hys dyscyples, saying, do this in remēbraunce of me, which word (thys) hath relacyon to the hole maner of dooynge and also speakyng of Chryste
Also our clergye speake the woordes of Chrystes instytutyon secretely which can not proffytte hym whyche heareth the not and also yf that he shuld heare ye wordes of chrystes institucyon pronounced in the latin tong as our clergy vse to speake thē, it could not ꝓfyt ye herer, wc vnderstādeth not ye latīg tōg, for he heareth not thē so yt he by hys heryng vnderstandeth them,1. Cor. ij. & so the vysyble substaū ce is not become a sacramente vnto hym for Paule sayth, that he whych speaketh in the tong or straunge langage or speach speketh to God and not vnto men for no [Page] man heareth hym meanynge therbye no man vnderstandeth hym / because the hearer knoweth not the speache as it appeareth after, wher Paul sayth, yf I knowe not ye vertue & meaning of the voyce, I shalbe to hȳ wc speaketh an alyaunt, & to me he shalbe an alyaun [...] or straunger, further he sayth, Bretheren yf I shall come vnto you speakyng in tonges or straung speaches what shall I profyt you, except I speake vnto you eyther in reuelaciō or knowledg or in prophesy, or in lernīg, for he wc preacheth or prophecyeth, speaketh vnto me, for edyfyeng and confort, he wc speketh in the tong edyfyeth hī selfe he ye prophesyeth edyfyeth the church of god. Wherfore Paul comaundeth all thinges to be done accordyng to an ordre, & to the edyfyeng of the Church so ye Paul sayth yt he had rather speke fyue wordes in his sence, yt he might therwt instruct & teach other then x.M. wordes in the tounge, in so much as he concludeth yt if any man speake in a straung tong in the church let hī pray that hys speach may be interpreted and yf there be no interpreter to declare [Page] the meanynge of hys tonge or straung speache then let, hȳ hold hys pease & kepe sylence in the Church, & speake to hȳ self and to God. By al this chapter meanȳg yt no mā shuld speake in ye church, to ye cō gregatiō in such tōg or spech wc they kno not nor vndstād not because ye church cā take no comodity & proffit thereby. And bicause ye clergy speke ye wordes of Christes institucyon in latin secretly they take awai frō such as vnderstād ye latin tong [...]he sacramēt & further bycause they speke ye woordes of Chrystes instytucyō, so secretly yt nether latin mā nor inglysh mā do know or vnderstād what they signify or mean therfor the clergy administer no sacramēt to ye people, for the wordes of CHRISTS institucyon pronounced and declared in the admynystracyon of the visykle substaunce, causeth it to be a sacrament but doubtles the blind errour is ouerflowen the hole Chrysten church for ye punyshmēt of the people for their iniquitie committed agaynst God, as it apereth in Deu. wher God for the synne of the people declarethe manye curses,deu. xxviij. & [Page] malcoyetyons, to come vppon them amō gest the whych punyshement is rehearsed that God wyll send a myghtye people from afarre and froward, styfnecked and olde people whose voyce the People shall not knowe nor vnderstande what they speake. The same punysshemente the pr [...]phet Ieremye doth prophesye, to come vpon the people.
Chryst gaue the Appostles the grace of tongues,Actes. ij. that who so euer hearde them, speake, dyd vnderstand them ī their owne language and Speache by thys gyft it appereth manyfestly, that god wold hys people, to be taught in such forme and cō dycyones, that they myght perceyue the sence and vnderstandynge, of the woord & mysteryes oft spoken in a straūge tong which they do not vnderstand, profyteth thē not. But bycause owre clergye wyll not obey gods commaundemente, which is to preache the gospell, and to teache the people accordynge to goddes commaundemēt god hathe gyuē thē ouer, to folow theyr wycked thoughtes frō the wc they wolde haue turned thē yf they had folowed [Page] hys coūcel: & declared, & made opē hys wordes to the people as i [...] is pla [...] Iohn .viij. and Ieremye .xxiii sayenge yf they had stand in my coūcel & taught my people to know my wordes truly I wolde haue turned thē from theyre euyll wayes, and from theyr mooste wycked thoughtes. And bycause they haue not fedd the flocke, God threreneth them by hys [...]phete Ezechyell, Sa [...]ng, I wyll requyre my flock vpon the hands of my Shepperdes. I wyll make them crasse yt they shal not fead thē no more, nor shal not fead theyr selues doutles thys punysshemēt, is come euen vppon owre clergye for ther were neuer so many ygnoraunt sheperdes, whych cā not fead theyr flocke nor excute theyre offyce
The seconde abuse
The Clergy be no lesse to be reprehendyd and also reformed whych receue the hole sacrament to them selues not dystrybutynge it to the people, contrary to christes practysse whyche at hys laste supper dyd not onely eate and drynk, hym selfe, But also gaue the same vnto all whych were [Page] ther present, sygnyfyeng and expressyng, therby yt he wyth all hys merytes, and benyffytes, shulde be common to all hys Electe, & Chosen, & no synguler, and peculyar, to one a lo [...]e thys churlysshe faciō of eatyng & Drynkyng, by themselues, not expectyng & tari [...]g for theyr neybours is ernestly reprouyd by the Appostle,j. Cor. xi. Saying bretheren when you come together, to eate, loke or Expect, & tarye one for the other yf any man be hungrye let hym eate at home.
Yf saynct Ambrose doctryne be true, as dowtlesse it is who so euer Eateth / and Drynketh so Churlysshelye (that is to receyue the sacrament in the church so priuatly doth receyue it vnworthelye,Ambrose vpon the .i. Corin ye .ii. Chapyter to hys eternall Damnacion, These be ye words of saynct Ambrose, he receyueth vnworthelye whych Celebrateth, the mysterye Otherwyse then of the lorde it was delyuered for he can not be deuoute whyche presumeth otherwyse, then it was gyuen of the Author or first instytutor. Also the same sayth Therfore yf you so come together that euerye man myght eate hys owne these shuld not be don in the church [Page] wher the commynge to gether shulde be, bycause of vnyte & of the mystery, & not for dyssensyon, or for the belly. Athanasyus that auncyente wryter whych wrot before Sayncte Ambrose sayth ye haue defyled, Trulye thys supper,Athanasyus vpō the i. of ye Cor. ye .ij. Chap whych beyng the lordes and commen to all men ye haue made it synguler, and probate also that auncyente clarke and Bysshoppe, of Constantynople, Chrysostome, no lesse reprouethe this Pryuate and chorlyssche opynyon Saynge Trulye, these thynges whyche be the Lordes,vpō the of ye fyrste of the Cor. ye xx. vij. homylye they be not of thys seruaūt or of an Other, but commen to all, it is all one thyngt thys word the Lordes, and the woord commen for yf it be of the Lordes as dowbtles it is, yu oughtest not to receiue it to thy selfe as thine own, but to set it forth, as ye thīg of ye lord cōmēly to al for truly yt is to be ye lords but now yu sufrest not, yt to becōmē but eatest it to thy self wherfor ye apostle did ad euery one p̄sumeth to eat his own supper. Also ī ye same homylye he sayth. The lorde for thy Sake, dyd gyue hym self but the [...] for ye loue of thine own self dost not make thi brother ꝑtaker wt they [Page] Chryst comaundeth al hys people, to ca [...] no master in earthe, not therby prohybiting the seruaunt and euery inserycure or meane parson to call hys superyoure lorde or master but Chryst meaneth by hys prohybytyons that hys electe shuld not accept any in earthe concernyng the chrysten relygyon to teache them any other doctryne or lernyng than he hathe taughte them whyche was doubtles suffycyent for them.
Wherfore saynt Ihon the euangelyst exhortyng all men to cleaue to chrystes doctryne and not to followe or regarde any mans doctryne,i. Iohn .ij. sayth. Let that (meanynge) learnynge abyde in you, whych ye haue herde from the begynnynge, for yf that abyde in you whych you haue hard from the begynnyng? ye shall also abyde in the sōne and in the father, yea chryste hym selfe sayd yf ye abyde in my worde ye shalbe my dyscyples and you shal knowe the truth / and the truth shall delyuer you wherfor doutles the forsakīg of christes doctryne and followyng mens doctryne is the onely cause of all erroure,Iohn. viii. as [Page] it appereth playnely where God by hys prophet Hyeremye,Iere. xxiij forbyddeth vs to here anye preacher whyche Preacheth not hys word saying heare not the wordes of the prophetes, wc prophecy to you & deceue you, they speke the visions of theyr oune hartes & not of the mouthe of the lorde. I dyd not sende the Prophetes / & they dydde ronne,Ierem. ix I spake not to them and they dyd prophecye. The same is also reproued by the same prophet. Therfore Paule pronounceth them accursed whych preache any other gospell,Gallat. iij than yt whych was preached.
The Auncyent wryters Latynist Tertulyan, faythe it is not lawfull,Tertllian in hys bo [...] called prescripcions xcv. leafe [...] for vs to Cheryshe or Fauour anye thynge of oure owne Fre wyll, nor yet to chose any thyng that any other man shall brīg in hys owne wyl, we haue the Apostles of the Lorde, authores and Examples, whych dyd not chose any thynge of ther owne Fre wyll that, they wolde brynge in but dyd sett forthe that doctryne faith fullye to the nacyons whych they had receyued of Chryste.
Nowe I truste euery Chrysten manne maye perceaue, howe oure clergy contrary to Chrystes doctryne, and also practise, haue abused thys mooste blessed sacrament of hys body and bloud, and no lesse contrary to all the auncyent wryters as it appeareth by saynt Sipriane,Sypryane to Sesyliū whyche sayth yf chryst ought onely to be hard, we ought not to take hede or regard what any man before vs haue, taught to be done, but what he whych before al is, chryst fyrst hath done, nor we ought not to follow the custume of men but the truth of God.
Nowe chrysten Reader pondre and also wel remember that CHRIST when he Admynistred the Sacramente to hys dyscyples declared what benefyt & proffit they shuld receaue by hys death wc was remissyō at theyr sȳnes but our clergy whan they adminystre the sacrament to the congregatyon eyther speake so secretlye that no man heareth them or speake in suche a speache, that the congregacyon vnderstand them not or, els whē they adminystre they speake of theyr o [...] ne [Page] and not the wordes of chrystes instytucyon, whych is manyfeste, contrarye to chrystes instytucyon and commaundement so that euerye man / whych wel consydereth theyr doīges / cā not otherwyse Iudge them, but the naturall seade of Antychryste. also where chryste admynystred / he destrybuted the sacrament to all his dysciples, but oure clargy receyue, all the sacrament in their pryuat Masse to them selues, and dystrybute it vnto none other, contrarye to the practis of Chryste, and of hys Appostles / ād no lesse contrary to the practyse & doctrine of the pryuat Church, and the most godly & clarkly ancyent wryters: so that I think ther is nether godly nor lerned mā yt compareth the lernynge vse and practysse of Chryste / and hys Appostelles / wt the lernynge vse & practysse of our clargy: But that he will Iudge our clargy to be the moost hatefull ennemyes, of Chryste, and all the chrysten Relygyon.
The thyrd abuse
Wher I sayde ī mi third princyple / yt ye effecte of sacramētes was to cōforte al [Page] troubled conscyences whych be oppressed wyth the knowledge & remembraunce of the sentence of Gods lawe pronoū ced, & geuen agaynst all synners, and wt the inward remembraunce and consyde rasyons of the multytude, and greatenes of theyr synnes, and of the longe cō tynuaunce in the same, so that they in remembrance of those thynges, be vtterlye adacted and dryuen to extreme desperacyon for remedy wherof Chryst mooste mercyfullye and louyngly (as the true bysshop of our soules, which suffered al our temptacyons in hys fleshe,Hibre. ix. that he knowyng them myght haue the more compassyon vpon vs dyd instytute and ordeine thys most blessed sacrament of hys body & bloud in the admynystratyon wherof he declared and dyuulged to all the receauers therof that hys body shuld be betrayed for vs, and his bloud shuld be shed for the remyssyon of theyr Synnes, all thys whych he dyd to the adminystracyon of thys blessed sacrament he dyd it for cure example comaunding vs that as of [...]n as we shuld do this we shuld do it in [Page] remembraunce of him. And his Appostle commaunded also that as often, as we shulde receyue thys sacrament, we shuld shewe the death of the lorde: To shewe ye death of the lorde, is to declare that we through oure synnes, haue deserued most Iustly eternall deathe, from the whyche, we be delyuered onelye thoroughe the passyon, bloudshedynge, and deathe of oure Lorde Iesu Chryste, and by none other meanes.
O what comfort, quyetnes / and ioye is thys to the troubled and vexed conscyence, when he consydreth this inestimable Loue, whych god hath shewed vnto him in thys most paynefull passyon, mooste cruell and shamfull death, of hys only begotten sonne, and owre onlye sauyoure Iesu christe. The fearfull and myserable synner, can nowe Boldelye wyth greate gladnes, reyoyce, and saye, seyng that god oure father hath gyuen vnto vs hys onlye begotten sonne, for oure redempcyon, we then beyng hys enemyes howe can it be possyble, yt he shuld not also now geue vs all thīges (brīge his fryndes) wt hym yea [Page] doutles remyssyon of Synnes, and eternall lyfe. Thys comfort and yoye, is taken a waye from vs by oure cleargye wt whan they admynystre the Sacramente, they neuer shewe the Death, of the lorde, suffred for oure Redempcyon, not onlye hydynge and kepynge, secret, thys estymable Benyfytte, doone for and to vs, by Iesu Chryste / but also moost wyckedly conuerte and tourne, the benefytte of owr redempcion to them selues, declaryng the sacrament offred vppe to God, by them to be a Sacryfyce, whych Worke, for the workes sake, deserueth remyssyō of Sȳ nes, and eternall lyfe. yf that doctryne be True then ther is no thanke to be gyuen to Chryste, but to oure Pryestes, whych dayly do make innumerable Sacrifyces, as they saye and Thynke, therbye to take a Waye, and remytt Synnes, Although the holye scryptures Saye / that chryste was the onlye sacryfyce for synne which offred vppe vppon the crosse ones, was a suffycyente sacrifyce, for euer / and the sacramente duelye Admynystred, in the fourme instytuted of Chryste by the olde [Page] fathers called a sacrifice, because it was a memoryall of chrystes sacrifyce, & not because it is in it self a sacrifice ether propiciatory or satisfactorye, but onely called by the name of a sacryfyce bycause it was a memoryall therof to bryng to our remē braunce and to prynte therein the sacryfice of Chryste ones parfectlye done and ꝑformed for vs for euer: euen so the auncyent wryters call the sacrament of christes body and bloud a sacryfyce to God for twoo causes wherof I haue rehearsed the one, that is to saye, because it is a memoryall therof if it be duelye admynistred accordyng to chrystes instytucyon / An other cause is that we that be christes church, and membres be represented, and sygnyfyed in and by the sacramente, for our bodyes truly mortyfyed from all lustes and concupyscence be an acceptable sacrifice to God as it apereth in the .xii. to the romaynes There Paull saythe, bretheren I besech you by the mercy of god that ye exhybite youre bodyes a lyuelye and holy sacryfyce acceptable ād pleasing to GOD also Peter saythe. And you [Page] as lyuynge stones, be buylded a spyritual house / an holy presthode, offerenge spyrytual sacrifyces / acceptable to god, by Iesu Chryste also sayncte Augustyne, in a sermon to yonge Chyldren sayth, yf ye wyll vnderstande what is the body of Chryst, heare the Appostles sayinge. Ye be the body of chryst, membres of membre, yf therefore ye be of the bodye Chryste, and membres? your mysterye is see vpon the boorde, of the lorde / you receyue the mystery of the lord, vnto that you be, ye Answere, Amen. And so answerynge you subscrybe or affyrme, also the same doctours wrytynge vpon the holye feaste of Easter, saythe because Chryste hath suffred for vs, he hath commended to vs, ī thys sacramente hys bodye and bloude, whych also he hath made vs, our selues, for we be made his body, and through his mercy, we be the same, whych we receyue
Thus the holy doctors, in the prymatiue Church, cauled the, sacramente, a sacrifice wherin we offer owre selues a lyuynge Sacryfyce, from all synnes mortyfyed, [Page] and deade not meanynge that the pryests shulde offre a Sacryfyce to GOD for synne, whych oblacyons should defyne remyssyon of Synne, euer for the workes sake as folysh Sophysters wryte contrary to the holy scryptures.
What lyuynge Creatures hearynge Sayncte Augustyne wrytting in thys maner of the sacrament wyl not Iudg it the speache a Mystycall speache, and not to be taken as the woordes sounde, Also oure clargye offerynge vs the Sacramē te, geue it to GOD as a Sacryfyce for Synne, whyche we be commaunded of Chryste to receaue as a memoryall of a benefytte geuen by hym vnto vs, to nourysshe and confyrme oure faythe thereby and not to be geuen by vs vnto hym.
Thus they declare them selues, to be ryghte Antychrystes whyche manyfestlye chaunge CHRISTES or: denaunces and vse them cleane contrary turnyng receauyng, to geuing, thys is not [Page] to do these thynges, in the remembraunce of Christ, but rather to put al Christes doynges out of remembraunce.
They sell the same to vs for moneye whych Christ hath geuen vs frely, wherfore they make vs very fooles, to bye wt our money that thynge whych is our oune most surely alreadye, by goddes gyfte And thus by byenge of oure owne, we not only lo [...]se our monye, but also commit Simony, byeng the spyrytuall gyfte of God for temporall rewarde.
The clergy also robbe not onelye the poore wyddowes but manye other also takyng money for the applyenge of a sacrament as a sacrifyce, for the dead wc cā not eate it nor do it in the remēbraunce of Chryste nor geue thankes for it which is required of euery faythfull receauer therof, to do. For as the wordes of God profyteth no man, but only such as hereth it & beleueth it that so in lyke maner the sacrament profyteth not any man except he receue it and beleue the promyses therto annexed, thys is the moost wycked crafte & subtilty of the deuel, that all such thing [Page] whych be moost Godly, & so proffitable to all men that by theyr craft or subtilty they can not cause such thinges to be had in hatred then seke they, out newe pellices & craftes wherby ye vse of such godly thī ges way be kept secret or els vnknowen or not regarded or els so altered & chaunged yt the proffytable effect therof be not perceyued yet whyle they permyt and let the name of the thing continue in a graet admyration and estimacyon but not profytable to men. And thus oftentymes it is come to passe that such thinges wc we reinstituted and ordeyned very proffytable to men nowe through the vse (or more truly sayde abuse) of them, they be bee [...] me very vnpoffytable, hurtfull and also wycked.
The onely cause of thys is yt we followe not Chryste, in doctryne, and exāple but with great gredynes folow the fond opynyon of men, where God by hys prophet reproueth vs saying my people haue done twoo euelles,Esaye [...]. they haue forsaken me the fountayne of lyfe and dygged thē sesternes euen such as can not holde waters [Page] also Cypryane that blessed Martyr, and auncyent wryter,Sypryane to Sesyliū sayth, Iesus christ our lord he is the hygh Pryst, by god the father, and he fyrste offred Sacryfyce, to god the father, and commaunded that to be done, in the remembraunce of hym. Verelye that pryste occupyeth trulye the Roume / and stede of chryst whych foloweth that, whych chryste dyd, and then offreth a true sacryfyceful in the church, to god the father: when he Begynnythe, euen so to offer, as he seeth and parceyueth chryste to haue offred. But otherwyse all the Lernyng, of relygyon, and of the trueth is conuerted and ouerthrowē yf that whych is spyrytually commaunded be not faythfully obserued and kept. Therfore the cleargye ought to be reformed, by the kynge and hys honorable coū sell, that from Henceforthe, they shulde not make any sacryfyce, for quycke and dead, of the sacramente whych sacryfyce, for the workes sake, shulde deserue remyssion of synnes for ther is no thyng more contrarye to remyssyon of synnes / frely gyuen by grace, also it is playne contrary [Page] to Christes fyrst institucyon of the sacrament which ordeyned it to be a memory all of Chrystes onely sacryfyce wherin we receaue remyssyon of Sinnes.
And yf the pryestes sacramente be a sacryfyce, for the synnes of the quick and of the deade. why than is not the sacrament whych the lay men receyue, as well a sacryfyce for the quyck and the dead or els let our clergy shewe by the scrypturs howe theyr sacrament, is of more value, befor God then ours of the layety? And yet I doubt not but yf a laye man shuld dayly receaue the sacrament and take money therfore sayinge that he dyd make a sacryfyce for the remissyon of the synnes of the quyck and the dead that our clergy wold not sease vntyl they wyth fyer had made hym dead, and not lyuing and quicke. Thus it is come to pas that the vse of the sacrament onely serueth the couetouse appetyte, Dronkennes, whordome and iust of the wycked pryests. And not one ministre therof, administre it duely as [Page] Chryste instytuted, it that is for the spyrytuall comforte, and for the confyrmacyon of the faythe of the receyuer of the sacrament because the word of Christes Instytucyon, is not declared in the admynystracyon of the Sacrament chryste is not Receyued, whyche onelye by faythe muste be receyued, thorough the hearynge of hys woorde declared. And because in the admynystracyon of the Sacrament, the cleargye doo not declare the woordes of chrystes Instytucyon, whych woordes by Goddes promysse of remyssyon of Synnes, through Chrystes Bodye betrayed, and hys bloud shedde: The receyuers of the Sacrament, receyue it wyth out Fayth, to theyre Dampnacyon, for Faythe, commeth by herynge of goddes woorde whyche they here not declared wherfore they can not beleue.
Note well Chrystē Reader, whether our clargy be not most detestable sacramētaryes, wc take awaye chrystes woordes of Instytucyō, of ye sacramēte of hys body and bloude in the admynystracyon there of wherby the materyal substaūce of bred [Page] and wine, shuld be made a sacrament to ye receyuers therof marke well also whether they doo not contrarye to Goddes comaundement, adde and put to wordes of theyr oun faynt imagynacyon & tātas [...] whych nother chryste nor hys Apostles nor the prymatyue church dyd other practysse or commaunde.
Thyrdely consydere gentell reader that oure cleargye do not declare any benyfytes of god shewed to vs in Iesu Chryst nor they [...]omforte not vs whych be oppressed wythsynne nor confyrme owre fayth through chrystes bodye be trayed:
And hys bloude shed for the remyssyon of oure synnes thus depriue they vs both of the sacrament and of all chrystes benefytes and of all consolacyon and yoye wc we shulde receyue therby. so that bothe ye cause porpose and effecte, wherfore chryst instytuted thys sacrament of hys bodye and Bloud, be vtterly obscured and taken awaye from vs: And yet when we other preache or wryte agaynst these theyr errours, by them practyssed contrary to the hosy scryptures and all the auncyent doctours, [Page] they call vs sacramentaryes, and when we desyre to haue the ryght sacramentes practysed by Chryste and hys apostles to be restored, vnto hys Churche than they crye a fagot a fyre, for these heretykes. But nowe Chrysten Reader by the authorytyes before alleged, Iudge yt who be both heritikes and sacramentaryes. And thus I commytte the Chrysten Reader to God, who sende true and faythfull administratours of his sacramēt and true preachers of hys woord. Amen.