A confutation of a popishe, and sclaunderous libelle in forme of an apologie: geuen out into the courte, and spread abrode in diuerse other places of the realme. VVritten by VVilliam Fulke, Bacheler in Diuinitie, and felowe of S. Ihons Colledge in Cambridge.

The aunswere.

The primitiue churche obserued in the sacramēt, that, which in drinking of wine, they commonly vsed, that is to put water among the wine, to allaie the strength of it, in whiche thyng, there was no harme, so long as superstition, and opinion of ne∣cessitie was awaie, but that it should bee as you saie, lex Euangelica & traditio domi∣nica, the lawe of the Gospell, and the tra∣dition of our Lorde, I suppose, you are not able to proue, by aucthoritie of those Doc∣tours, whose names you recite. In deede Cypriane, verie earnestly vrgeth the law of the Gospell, & the institution of Christ, for wine to bée vsed therein, againste cer∣taine heretikes, of his tyme, whiche con∣tended, that it should be ministered onely with water. And so he writeth lib. 2. Epist.

3. to Caecilius. Admonites autem nos scias, vt in Calice offerendo, dominica traditio seruetur, ne{que} aliud fiat à nobis, quam quod pro nobis do∣minus prior fecit. Vt Calix qui in comemorati∣onem eius offertur mixtus vino offeratur. Nam cum dicat Christus, ego sum vitis vera, sanguis Christi non aqua est vti{que}, sed vinum. That is. Knowe thou, that wee are admonished, that in offeryng the Cuppe, the tradition of our Lorde be obserued, and that none o∣ther thyng be doen of vs, then that which our lorde before did for vs. That the cuppe whiche is offred in remembraunce of him be offered mingled with wine. For seyng that Christe saieth, I am the true Vine, not water truely, but wine is the bloude of Christe. By this testimonie, it is mani∣feste, that Cypriane vrgeth wine, and not water, to be of the institution of Christe, and the lawe of the Gospell. But I mar∣ueile how any Papiste can bee so shame∣lesse, to accuse vs for takyng awaie water out of the Cuppe, whiche was no parte of Christes institution, when thei them sel∣ues are so bolde, to take awaie the cuppe altogether, whiche is the one halfe of the Sacramente, of Christes owne instituti∣on,

and continued in the Churche 1400. yeres after Christe, vntill the late Coun∣saile of Constance, whiche was but. 155. yeres agoen. Thei maie robbe the people of the bloodde of Christe, whiche Christe appoincted for theim, and we are heinous heretikes, for not vsing water in the Cup, whereof as there is no vse, so was there none institution. This is the iudgemente of those, that bée blinded with their owne pride, to espie a mote in an other mannes iye, and not to see a beame in their owne.