The third examination.
HOw say you to the Sacrament of the Altar: I said he ment the Sacra∣ment of the body and bloud of Christ, and not of the Altar of stone: He said▪ yes that he did: How vnderstand you the Altar otherwise?
It is written in the 18. of Mathew, wheresoeuer two or three be gathe∣red together in Christs name, he is in the middest of them: whatsoeuer they aske in earth, shall be granted in heauen: And in the 5. of Mat. When thou commest vnto the Altar and remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leaue thine offe∣ring, and be first reconciled to thy brother, and then offer thy gift. In these two pla∣ces of Scripture, I proue Christ is the true Altar, whereon euery one ought to offer his gifts: First Christ being in the middest of them that are gathered together in his name, there is the Altar: so we may be bold to offer our gifts, if we be in Cha∣ritie, if we be not, we must leaue our gift, and be first reconciled vnto our Brother: Some will say, how shall I agrée with mine aduersary when he is not néere by 100. miles, may I not pray vntill I haue spoken with him: if thou presume to pray in the congregation, and thinke euill vnto any, thou askest vengeance vpon the selfe: Therefore agrée with thine aduersarie, that is make thy life agréeable to Gods Word; resolue in thy heart that thou aske God & the world forgiuenes, intending neuer to affend them more: all such may be hold to offer their gift.
I neuer heard any vnderstand it so, no not Luther that great here∣ticke, that was condemned by a generall Councell and his picture burned. I will shew you the true vnderstanding of the Altar and the offering: wee haue an Altar said Paul, that you may not eat off: meaning that no man might eat of that which was offered vpon the Altar, but the Priest: For in Pauls time all the liuing that the Priests had the people came and offered it vpon the Altar: mony or other things, and when the people came to offer it, and remembred that they had any thing against there Brother, then they left their offering vpon the Altar, and went and were reconciled vnto their Brother, and came againe, and offered their gift, and the Priest had it: this is the true vnderstan∣ding of it.
That was the vse of the old law, Christ was the end of it; and though it were offered in Pauls time that maketh not that it was well done, but he rebuked it, therefore you are deceiued.
Who shall iudge betwixt vs in the matter: I said the word, as it is in the 12. of Iohn: And S. Peter saith, the Scriptures haue no priuate interpretati∣on, but one scripture must be vnderstood by another: then he said if you vnderstand it one way, & I another who shal be Iudge: the true Church of God is able to dis∣cusse all doubts: He said the Church of God doth allow the sacrament of the Altar.
What doe you offer now vpon the Altar?
We offer vp the body of Christ to pacific the wrath of God in the blessed Sacrament, and there withall all put off their caps vnto the abhominable Idoll.
S. Paul saith in the tenth to the Hebrewes, wee are sanctified by the of∣fering of the body of Christ vpon the Crosse once for all: and euery Priest is dayly ministring and offering one manner of sacrifice, which can neuer take away sins, and that it is the offering that you vse to offer as farre as I can see you be Priests