DEarly beloued sy­ster in Chryste, at our late being to­gether in our ve­rye worshyppeful frendes house in the countie of Glocester, at a supper meale, with diuerse other of worthye reputation (whiche was the fyrst and last tyme that euer I sawe you or spake wyth you) And that tyme and ther by occasyon as we sate at the table (yf you call to your memorye) we entrede into a lytle talke, and afterward continued the same standyng at a wyndow, whych talke albeit it was but breife and shorte, yet the same (as our lorde knoweth) was more than Inough to declare to me, not onely your hygh pretended [Page] knowledge, but also your much ignoraunce which I do not a lytle in my harte lament, for I perceyue you haue to litle knowlege and to much ignoraunce. For in verye dede, for lacke of the vertue of mekenes, and the spyryte of truthe, (whych teacheth al goodnes) it appereth that blynde igno­raunce, permyxte with arro­gancye, hath greately ouer­whelmed your sences, muche like as the obfusked and darke cloudes of the fyrmament, doo many times shadowe and ob­tenebrate the radiaunt & clere shynyng beames of the sonne. And this commeth (yf you ad­uyse your selfe well) thorough the wycked arte and crafte of [...] enemye the deuyll, [Page] whiche goeth alwaye aboute to shadowe the truth of gods most holye word, and the true vnderstandynge of the same, namelye from them whyche haue professed the Catholyke fayth, to brynge them into the daungerous whyrlepoole of wycked ignoraunce, yea and many tymes he playeth wyth them, muche lyke as doeth the miller with his horse y^t drawe­eth his mille: for whan he hath made hys horse blynde that he canne not se nor perceyue hys waye by the meanes of a vy­sarde of leather that he coue­reth hys face with all, than he maketh hym continuallye all day longe, to go round aboute keping one trade, as thoughe he wente fourthe ryghte the [Page] strayte waye. And at euenyng whan he commeth to his sta­ble, than he shall haue for hys prauendere, the worste of hys labour, that is a quantytye of course branne, or a boolle full of drowsye draffe, Such is his rewarde for his blinde trauel. And euen thus fareth the de­uyll with the weake and feble chrystyans, for whan he goeth aboute to gryende the worde of god in his deuylleshe mylle of scismaticall and heretycall Doctryne, than because the weake and feble chrystians, shoulde not perceyue the fyne meale of gods word, from the roughe and grosse branne of wicked doctrine, he goeth and maketh them blynde with the [...] mauncye, & stout­ [...] [...] [...]the them, with [Page] gret arrogancy & wyth much pryde, to maintaine ther euyll conceiued opinions, makinge them to beleue that they be in the ryghte strayghte waye. And so in conclusyon he bryn­geth them to hys fylthye and stynkynge stable, there perpe­tuallye to be fedde wyth the roughe and course prauender of euerlastyng payne and tor­ment,Mat. xxii. where shalbe weapyng and gnasshyng of teath. This is the rewarde that he prepa­reth for the arrogaunte igno­rauntes, whych wyll and doo defend their wicked and damnable opiniōs with their rashe temeryte, and wyll not be in­structed to folowe and beleue the doctrynes, decrees, and determinations, which the vny­uersal church of Chryst throgh [Page] oute the whole worlde, dothe confesse and acknowledge. And therfore suche arrogaunt ignoraunce in a christian man oughte muche to be reproued and dispraysed, namely when he shall so greatly erre, that he thynketh hym selfe lerned and to knowe much, when in very dede he is nether learned nor knoweth any thyng at al, and yet stoughtly and arrogantlie many times such persons will not stycke wyth muche impu­dence, to approue and verefye that thynge whyche is false, and vtterlye and craftelye re­nege and denye (wyth tothe and nayle as y^e prouerbe saith) that thyng which is most true

Thys is not onelye a greate [...] and a wycked errour in [Page] a chrystyan man, but also it is such a pernicious and a dampnable synne in the syghte and presence of GOD, that it re­quyreth noo lesse than euerla­styng payne and ponishment. And therefore such arrogante ignoraunce ought much to be feared and eschewed, whyche procedeth of a kākered malice, towardes God and his truth, and is the specyalle cause, of mans greate blyndenes, that he cannotte conceyue the true sence and meanynge, of Gods most holy word. And thys the wyse man approueth in the se­conde Chapiter of hys boke,Sap. 2. where he sayeth. The vngod­lye goo astray, and their owne malyce hath blynded them. And the worthy auncient doctoure [Page] Chrysostome sayeth al­so,Omel. xli opera im­periorum that ignoraunce of the kno­ledge of truth, can be no excuse of condempnatyon, namelye whan a man by occasion, may receaue and fynde knowledge yf he had good and towarde mynde to learne. And also the noble doctor, & pyller of Chri­stes churche,Sc. lxxviii De. Ver. Domi Saynte Augu­styne sayeth lykewyse, that a wycked man hatethe the true vnderstandyng, and somtime agayne of a peruerte mynd he fearethe to knowe or vnder­stand, because he wyll not be constrayned afterwarde, to do and folowe y^t thing which he knoweth. Of suche Dauyd in his Psalmeste dothe prono­ [...]ke and saye.Psa. xxxv The wycked [...] not be instructed, that he [Page] might do good. And this ignoraunce (as I sayd before) pro­cedeth of an arrogant malyce, and of a speciall contempte to be taught or learned the true catholyke doctrine. For whan they be once noeffled in error they be loth to be plucke from there owne wycked concey­ued opinions, to knowe God and his infallible truth, which is the verye lyght and saluati­on of there soules, their arro­gant pryde to maintaine their own blind ignoraūce is so gret And therfore mooste louynge syster (to be shorte) I exhorte you in the bowels of our lorde Iesu Christe, vtterlye to repel frō you that wicked maystres and mayntayner of all perni­cious doctrine (I meane your [Page] arrogancye) whych so muche puffethe vp youre ignoraunte mynde, that it maketh you be­leue that you are fully instruct and perfectlye learned, wyth the readyng of your Englyshe Pamflettes, and yet she greatlye deceaueth you, as I truste hereafter you wyll no lesse confesse and acknowledge. For I assure you, yf you haue not the vertue of mekenes to vnclaspe the booke of gods word vnto you, and in the readyng of the same, the holy ghost to be your teacher, your labor and studye shalbe alwaye frustrate and in vayne, and your knowledge, no knowledge at al. The worthye Prophete Kyng Dauyd, albeit he was hyghe inspyred (by instincte diuyne) wyth the [Page] holly spiryte of truthe and also the gyfte of mekenes, yet he desysted not (wyth the same spy­ryte and gyfte) continually to praye to almightye GOD (as one not satysfyed) y^t he myght haue from time to time a more deper and a more perfecte vn­derstandyng and knowledge of hym and of hys moste holye worde. And amonge other of hys deuyne oracles, thus he prayed and sayde.Psa. cxiii O Lorde geue me vnderstandynge, and I shall diligently seke out thy lawe, yea and I shall kepe it with my whole harte. Let my supplycatyon O Lorde, come before thy presence, and geue me vnderstandyng according vnto thy worde. And agayne, O Lorde teache me goodnes, [Page] disciplyne, and knowledge, for I went wronge, and therfore nowe I haue kept thy worde. These wordes (O Lorde geue me vnderstanding) so often in culcat and so many tymes ite­rate, do no lesse then euidently declare thys holye Prophetes humble hart, and earnest de­syre and meanynge, how glad he was to be taught, howe desyrous he was to learne, and how wyllyng he was to haue vnderstandynge, and not to stand in y^e defence of his owne iudgement, as the sturdy and blynde ignorauntes do. And therefore thys holesome lesson (louynge Syster in Chryst) I wolde wyshe you to learne of thys moste godlye Prophete, and with a stedfast harte and [Page] a faythefull mynde to embrace the same. And than no doute you shall be well assured, God wyll poure into you (as he did into hym out of hys plentifull treasures) the true vnderstan­ding of hys moste holly word, euen as our hollye mother the Church techeth and beleueth. For his dyuyne word may not be taken, nether yet expoūded after the rasshe fantastycall myndes of the blynd and ignoraunte, but after the true and syncere meaning of the holye Apostles, blessed martirs, and worthye fathers and rulers of Chrystes mooste catholyke Churche, from whome and by whome the chrystian congre­gation, hath alwaye bene ru­led and gouerned, euer sythen [Page] the deathe and passion of oure Sauyour Iesu Chryste. And therfore let no other doctryne then theirs lede you, trade you or instructe you in the truth of goddes mooste lyuely worde, for yf you be otherwise scoled, or yf you stande to your owne iudgemente, or yf you be wed­ded to youre owne erronious opynions, then wyl the spirite of truethe flee farre from you, and leaue you alone to youre selfe, as barren as the wythe­red fygge tree.Mat. xxi. Nowe to come to the matter which I entend (thoroughe goddes myghte) to wryght to you of. As farre as I doo remember, the lytle talke whyche we entred into, and not fynished by reasone of your departure, send for by [Page] the worshypfull Lad ye of the house, and your other neygh­boures and frendes whyche you came in companye wyth all) was thys, that the blessed bodye of oure Sauiour Iesu Chryste, cannot be presentlye here in earth, and also in hea­uen at one time and together. O lytel faythe, If this youre saying should be true (as it is playne false) than in vayne were oure chrystyan religyon. But you shall clerely be putte out of doute, and playnely vn­derstand, that our fyrme faith and beleue is grounded, foun­ded and rered vpon the head corner stone, electe, and preci­ous, that is vpon Chryst him selfe, in whose mouth was ne­uer fraude ne guyle fou [...] [Page] And he that beleuethe in hym (sayth Saynt Peter) shal not be cōfounded. Therefore vnto thē which beleue he is precius but to thē which beleue not he is a stone to stomble at, and a rocke to offend them that stō ­ble at the worde, and beleaue not that, where on they were set. And therefore now seynge that chryste our Sauioure is the truth,Ihō. xiiii and also the auctour of all truthe, as he saythe hym selfe, I am the way, the truthe and the lyfe, who than dare be so bolde to denaye that thinge which he affyrmeth and approueth. For he hym selfe sayde at his moste godlye maundye (in the presence of al his disciples) [...] hys blessed Bodye was [...]d there really presente [...] [...]e fourmes of breade [Page] and wyne. And this the holye Euangelyst Saynt Mathew in hys Gospell, declarethe in wordes euydent and playne,Ma. xx. where he thus sayeth. As they were eating, Iesus toke brede and when he had geuen than­kes, he brake it, and gaue it to hys disciples and sayde. Take eate, this is my bodye. And he toke the cuppe, and whan he had geuen thankes, he gaue it to them saying. Drynke you al of this, for this is my bloude of the newe testamente, that shal be shedde for manye for the re­mission of synnes. Nowe here haue you harde, how playnly our sauyour Chryst hym selfe, affyrmeth that his moste holy and blessed bodi bothe fleshe & blud was really, corporally naturally [Page] and substancially present at this worthy maundy vnder the accedental fourms of bred and wyne. And as thys holye euangelyste, hath here mooste truely declared, the maner and fourme of this godlye institu­tion and ordinaunce, euen soo and no lesse do al y^e other thre euangelistes & also the blessed Apostle Saynt Paule, whose sayinges at thys tyme I doo here omyt, because I truste in God, this frutefull declaraty­on shalbe sufficiente vnto you, yf that you wyll with a sted­fast fayth, open your hart and faythfully receyue and folowe the same. And although christ alsoso be in heauen, and syttethe at the ryght hand of God the [...] yet whosoeuer shal eate [...] breade in the supper of [Page] our lorde, accordyng to Chry­stes institution and ordinaūce is assured by chrystes promis and testament, that he recey­ueth Chrystes very body, whiche suffered for vs vppon the crosse. And lykewyse he that drynketh of that holy cuppe in that supper of oure Lorde (ac­cordyng to chrystes instituty­on) is certified by Christes le­gation and testament, that he drynketh the bloude of Chryst which was shed for vs. Soo that no man can contempne or lyghtlye esteme this mooste holy and blessed communion, excepte he contempne also chrystes blessed body & bloud. And because it shoulde not be thought, but that thys mooste godlye instytution and ordi­naunces, [Page] shoulde alway here­after be put in vre, and to haue a perpetuall contynuaunce in Chrystes church to all forces, purposes, and effectes, lyke as Chryste hym selfe dyd leaue it, and set it fourth vnto vs, at his most blessed maundy, he went farther with vs, and gaue vs a commaundement and sayd.Luc. xxii Thys doo, in remembraunce of me. Now what was Chry­stes mening by these two wordes this do, but that we must promptlye, fyrmely, and fayth­fullye followe hys example & doyng. That is, Take bread, geue thankes breake it, saye these wordes, Thys is my bo­ [...] And than eating the same [...]ate his very blessed body. [...]kinge the cup and do­yng [Page] y^e like, we drinke his most precious bloude. Here it hath bene shewed now, what is vnderstand by these two wordes Thys do. Now to fynyshe vp the whole sentence and saying of the Euangelist Luke yf we faithfully (this do) than it shal folowe that we must nedes of verye duetye, and of a very cō gruence call to our remēbrāce not onely this infinite benefit and most louyng dede of oure Sauyoure, leauynge here in earthe with vs to oure greate comforte, thys moste precious treasour (I meane his mooste blessed body fleshe and bloud) but also by the often receuyng of the same, we shal daily hourly, and timely, cal to our remē braunce lykewise, his mo [...] [Page] paynefull deathe and passion which he suffered for vs moste myserable offenders, to bryng vs to the fruition of his euer­lasting glory. Now here haue you hard also this whole text truelye declared.

Thys do in remembraunce of me. I thynke verelye there is no person that wyl be so bolde (lokyng a chrysten man in the face wyth open eyes) to say or affyrme the contrarye, seinge that al the foure Euangelists, and also the blessed Appostle Sayncte Paule (declarynge the true and playne fourme and maner of thys godlye in­stitution and ordinaunce) doo ground them selues vpon the [...]lyble truthe, that is vpon [...] and vppon hys owne [Page] wordes, sayinges, & doinges. And therfore I truste louinge Syster, that these plaine assercions and manifest probatiōs are sufficiente for you at thys time, to verefie and proue that Chrystes blessed bodye fleshe and bloude, is conteyned real­lye, naturallye, corporally, and substantiallye, here in earthe wyth vs and amonge vs, vn­der the formes of breade and wyne. Peace, euen nowe me thinke I here you and such o­ther (as it wer behind a cloth) whisperynge one in a nothers eare, saying: What he speketh al to gether against the whole course of nature, to saye that breade and wine is chaunged into fleshe and bloude, as I [...] well it is a whote suppe th [...] [Page] you wil let fall, but I am glad that you haue taken vp thys matter, for I trust (the circumstaunce well considered in the resoluynge therof) not onelye your muche infidelitie, but al­so your great ignoraunce will a great deale the better apere, for your instruction & amend­mēt. I pray you, what though it be against nature to chaūge bread & wyne, in to flesshe and bloude, shall not the worde of Chryste be of that powere, to chaunge and to alter the kyn­des of the elementes, aswel as the grace and blessynge of the Prophets did alter & chaunge other thinges against nature. [...] not the grace and bles­ [...] [...] Moises of suche pow [...] [...] chaunged a rod into [Page] a serpent, and the serpēt again into a rod.Exo. [...]. Was not the grace and blessynge also of the same Prophette of the lyke pow­er, whan it torned the floud­des of Egypt from water so­daynely into bloud, and from bloude agayne into water?Exo. xiiii And lykewise was not the grace and blessing of this worthy and constante prophete of as much power, whā the peo­ple of the Hebrues, were com­passed aboute on the one syde wyth the Egyptians, and on the other side with the sea, and he lyfted vp his rodde, and the water deuyded it selfe, & stode vppe like a wall, and betwene the waters was left away for him and his company to passe on fote, and Iordaine against [Page] the course of nature, tourned backe to the head of his spring And in like maner was not y^e grace and blessing of Moyses of great power,Exo. xvii whan he tow­ched the rocke stone and wa­ter came out haboundauntlye which it hadde not of nature?Exo. xv. Also Marathe was a bytter floud, so that the people being drye coulde not drinke therof, but whan Moyses had put a certayne wodde into the wa­ter than the nature of the wa­ter left his bytternes, whyche grace infused dyd sodaynelye moderate.iiii. Reg. vi. And lykewyse how wrought grace against nature whan an axe heade fell from [...] the prophetes seruants [...] water, and he that lost [...] desyred the prophet [Page] Elyseus helpe, who put the helfe into the water, and receiued the yron agayne, whyche thing we playnly knowe was done aboue nature, for yron is heuyar then the lyquor of wa­ter? Thus we maye perceyue that grace is of more force and strengthe than is nature. And yet hetherto I haue rehearsed vnto you, nothyng els but the grace of the blessyng of the prophetes. Now than yf the bles­synge of men be of suche pow­er, that it may or can chaunge nature, what maye we saye or what maye we thynke, of the blessed consecration of GOD, wherin is the operation of the wordes of our sauiour Christ? For thys sacramente whyche we here treat of, is done [...] [Page] worde of Chryste? Than if the worde of Helyas was of suche power that it could bryng fyre downe from heauen,iii. Reg. xvi. shall not than the myghtye worde of Chryste be of that power (yea rather of muche more power) to chaunge and to aulter, the kindes and natures of elementes into fleshe and bloude? The infynyte workes and the incomprehensyble doynges of Chryste, may not be measured by our humaine reasō, neyther yet by the course of nature, but by the spirite of GOD and by stedfaste fayth. What saye we of the makynge of the whole world? Rede we not that God spake, and the thynges were [...]ne▪ He commaunded, and [...] created? The word [Page] than of Chryste that coulde of nothynge make thynges that were not, can it not chaunge those thīges that be, into those thīges which before they were not? For it is no lesse matter, to geue to thynges newe natures, then to alter natures.

And therefore yf there be so muche strength in the wordes of our lord Iesu, that thynges had theyr begynnyng therby, which neuer were before, how muche more then be they able to worke, that those thynges that were before should rema­ine, and also be chaunged into other thynges? Thus is a suf­ficyente aunswere made vnto your whisteringe for the firste parte of your fonde oppinyon prouyd vnto you bye no prophane [Page] nouelties, nor disceitfull aucthorytyes, but euen by the diuyne scryptures of antiqui­tye. And therfore I most har­tely exhorte you, worthelye to receyue and enbrace the same, and combyne it and lyncke it fast vnto your sences, with the fyrme and infregible chaine of stedfast fayth,Vincenti. and glutten not your selfe wyth the filthy dragges of hereticall opinyons. For greatly you and all other oughte to feare and to dreade the daungerous punishement which y^e doctrine of ecclesiastical cōstitution & also y^e censurs of the apostolyke aucthoritye do threaten vnto you, for that you be so lyghtly deceiued and seduced by swete preachynge [...]eryng wordes, from [Page] the grounded veritie of gods most holye word, geuyng your selues vp to fables hauing dāpnatiō.Ro. xvi. And therfore you ought depely to remember, and ear­nestly to enpresse in your harte the feareful and vehement sayinge of the blessed Apostle S. Paule, whyche he wrote not only to the Galathians, but al­so to the vniuersall churche of Chryst that for the affirminge and stablysshing of the faythe, newelye receyued, he neyther auored hym self nor any other of the Apostles, but dyd so execute his apostolical aucthory­tie that with gret seueritie he pronounced these wordes and sayde. Althoughe eyther we, or an angel from heauen prech vnto you,Gala. i. any other gospel thā [Page] that which we haue preached holde hym accursed.Vincentius Here it suffised not this blessed apostle for the retention, of the true christian fayth (which the vniuersall churche of Chryste tho­roughoute the whole worlde, doth cōfesse and acknowlege) to touch the condicion and nature of man (which is mutable variable, and chaungeable, & apte of it selfe to decline from the truth) but also herein he cō prehendeth the angelicall ex­cellencye. For althoughe wee (sayethe he) or an angell from heauen, not meaning that the holye and heauenly Angeles, can preache any euil doctrine. but his meaninge is this. If y^t myght be, which cannot be. And therefore he enlarged his [Page] spech and sayd. Whosoeuer he be that shal attempt to chaūge and alter the true catholyke fayth lette hym be, sayethe he, Anathema, that is to say, lette him be seperated, segregated, and excluded as one accursed, leaste the dangerous infectiō of one corrupte shepe, may poi­son and infect to whole sound flocke of Chryst with his venemous permyxtion and companye. And therefore it is not laufull for you, nor for anye other priuate personne, to alowe and folow any other doctrine than such as y^e catholike chur­che, doth vniuersallye prech & teache. I cannot sufficientlye wonder at you, and at certain suche other,vincentius. whiche cannot be contented with the auncyente [Page] beleyfe, taughte and receyued vniuersally in Christes church but must seke daylye for newe toyes and games, euermore coueitinge to alter & innouate the chrystyan relygion, eyther by addynge some thing that is new, or else by takyng awaye parte of that whyche was old (as you doo here declarynge your fonde opinion which wil take away chrystes beinge in earth, because he is in heauen) as though the christian religiō of the churche were not an he­uenly ordinaunce and decree, but rather an earthly prouisy­on and institution. But wo be to thē which phantisie to prac­tise suche rydles and dreames to shadowe the glorye of God and his truthe. The blessed [Page] Apostle Sainte Paule, wry­ting to his disciple Tymothe, did earnestly counsayle hym & aduertise him to forsee and be­ware, the daunger and peryll of such innouations and alte­rations, whan he wrote these wordes and sayd.i. Timo. vi. O Timothe kepe that doctrine which was lefte vnto the, and auoyde all prophane nouelties of wordes and opposicions of scyence falsly so called. What can be more vehementlye spoken or sayde, agaynst innouations and alterations, contrary to the aun­ciente order of the vniuersall Churche of Chryst, than this?vincentius Yet for al this we se the stony indurate hartes, the shameles impudency, the styffe and out­ragious pertinacye of dyuerse [Page] whom nether the gret waight of so manifest scripturs canne moue to yelde, nor the waigh­tye importans of so high auc­thorities can force to retyre, ne yet soo terryble threatnynges of hygh vengeaunce can per­swade to repent. And therfore deare Syster I would wishe you to be none of thys sorte of people, but rather to be an earneste folower of the holsesome counsell of the blessed Apo­stle Saynte Paule, where he sayth as it is before rehear­sed. Kepe that doctrine which was lefte vnto the, and auoid all prophane nouelties of wor­des and opposycyons of scy­ence faulselye soo called. Whyche is no more to meane, but that you hold assuredly, ye [Page] and also saue and kepe fast, the inuiolat and pure talent of the catholyke faythe, receyued by the consent of the hole vniuer­sall Church of Christ, and commytted vnto you faythfully to obserue and kepe. Exchaunge it not for no newe fangeled nouelties but what you haue re­ceyued holde that styll and no other. And yf you coapte and apply your selfe, to thys sound and perfect doctrine, than the heauenlye prouydence of God wil not suffer you to erre, from y^e catholyke sayth in any point

For that man or woman is a true and a perfecte catholyke person, which loueth the truth of God,vincentius. whyche preferreth no synguler persons aucthorytye, wytte, loue, affection, iudge­ment, [Page] knowledge or eloquence before y^e true religion of Christ and hys vnyuersall catholyke fayth. But dispysyng all those thynges, dothe abyde perma­nent, constaunt, and stable, in fayth, and resolueth with hym selfe to receyue, holde, and be­leue, that whiche he knoweth the catholyke churche vniuer­sallye and continually to haue receyued, holden and beleued.

Nowe here I entende (after thys littell dyscourse) to make an ende of the fyrste parte of youre phantastycall opinyon, where you saye that the bles­sed bodye of our sauiour Iesu christ, cannot be presently here in earth, and also in heauen at one tyme and together, which fonde opynyon of youres for [Page] the fyrst parte, I truste I haue suffyciently approued the con­trarye (that is) that he is here remayning presently in earthe amonge vs, and wyth vs, vn­der the formes of breade and wyne moste assuredlye bothe fleshe and bloude. And nowe to proue the other parte, that he is also in heauen, it shal not be nedefull to bryng the mat­ter in question, For I knowe well there was neuer any tru chrysten person yet, of chrystes fayth and beleue, that at anye time doubted thereof, the thinges it selfe being so cleare, soo playne, and so manifest in the whole body of scrypture. And therefore because I woulde not be sene prolyxe or tedyous vnto you, here I purpose to fynyshe [Page] and conclude this hole­some exhortation for this time And thus much haue I wry­ten vnto you, not for any gret acquayntaunce that I haue had with you, as I said at my beginninge, for I was neuer in your companye more than one suppere meale. But the thing that moued me to take this finale labour in hād was partly for that I am now ap­pointed (by gods prouidence) to be your pore adioined neighboure and youre gentell hus­bonde my very louinge frend. But the cheife and principall cause (you shall vnderstande) was for that god hath conducted and hyred me with his pe­nye to trauell and to laboure in his vyneyarde,Mat. xx. not onelye [Page] to declare the mutuall bond of charitie, and chrystyan loue which we chrystians ought to shewe, the one vnto the other for Chrystes sake, in tyme of temptation. But also to pre­serue his faythfull flocke from the raueuynge mouthe of that monstruous beast, which S. Peter settethe fourth vnto vs in his fyrst epistle and last chapyter, saying in this wyse.i. Petre. v Be sobere and watch, for your aduersary the deuyll as a roryng lyon walkyth aboute, sekyng whom he maye deuoure whō resyst stedefast in faithe. And therefore according to the coū sell of thys holye Apostle, lette stedefast fayth be your shylde of defense, & shake of the wyc­ked armour of the Deuyll (by [Page] that I mene) the fylthy skorfe and the stynking froth of your daungerous opynion, where you dreame and saye, that the blessed body of our Sauiour Iesu Chryst cannot be present lye heare in earthe and also in heauen at one time and toge­ther. And whā I shal perceiue that you do digest this holsom preparatyue well (whyche I haue here addressed vnto you) than hereafter I wyll not sese (yf nede so requyre) to send vnto you some other godly cordi­als to strengthen you with al, So that by the same (I truste in our Lorde) you shall fall in­to thys accompte with youre selfe that your faith once tried beinge muche more precious than golde, [...]. Petre. i. which is tryed by [Page] fyre, shalbe founde vnto lande, glorye and honor, at the appe­ring of Iesus Christ. But now on the other syde, yf you be so precise and soo hardened in your harte, that you will not beleue this my aucthor of tru­the (euen Chryste hym selfe) whome I haue here preduced and alledged for my foundation, but wil haue him tryed by a quest of wytnesses, than I wyl endeuer my selfe here af­ter, to impanel you soo auncyente, so worthye, and so autē ­tycall a quest of his most true and trusty frendes (vnspotted vncorrupted & vndefamed) that you shalbe faine I doute not, to let youre matter fall to a nonsute, and to beleue sted­fastlye from thenceforthe that [Page] christ is presently here in earth with vs, and also in heauen at one time and together. Grace be with you,Ephe. vi. and with al them whiche loue oure Lord Iesus Chryst in purenes and truth. Amen.

Thys brefe exhortation was thus finished and directed to the aboue named Margarete Burges of kyngeswod by the said Paule Bushe late Bishop In the yere of our Lord God, a thousand, fyue hundred, fifty and syxe, The seuenth daye of August, In the yeares also of [Page] the reigne of our moste drede Soueraygne Lorde and La­dye, Phylyppe and Marye, oure Kynge and Queene, the third and fourth.