The answere to the fyrst parte of the poysened booke, which a namelesse heretyke hath named the souper of the lorde. By syr Thomas More knyght

The thyrd boke, (Book 3)

The fyrste chapyter.

IN the fyfthe lefe vppon his exposy∣cyon of these wor∣des, and the brede which I shal geue for the lyfe of the the worlde thus he argueth.

And euyn her syth Chryste came to teche, to take 〈◊〉〈◊〉 waye all dowt and to breke stryfe, he myghte (〈◊〉〈◊〉 wordes otherwyse declared than he hath declared & wyll hereafter expoune them) haue soluted theyr questyon: sayenge (yf he had so ment as More ex∣pouneth) that he wolde haue ben conuayed and con∣nerted (as our iuglers sleyghtly can conuaye hym with a fewe worde) into a syngynge lofe, or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (as the Chomystycall papystes saye) ben inuisyble wyth all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dymencyoned body vnder the forme of bredetranssubstancyated into it. And after a lyke Chomistycall mystery, the wyne transsubstancyated to into hys blonde, so that they sholde eate his flesh and drynke his blonde after theyr owne carnall 〈◊〉〈◊〉

andynge (but yet in another forme) to put away all grudge of stomake. Or syth saynt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (yt he had thus vnderstode hys maysters mynde, and toke vpon hym to wryte hys maysters wordee) wold leue this sermon vnto the worlde to be redde, he my 〈◊〉〈◊〉 now haue delyuered vs and them from this dowte. But Chryst wolde not so satysfye theyr questyon, but answered, veryly veryly I say vnto you, excepte ye eate the flesshe of the sone of man and drynke his bloude, ye shall not haue that lyfe in your selues. He that eateth my flessh and drynketh my blonde, hath lyfe euerlastynge, and I shall steve hym vp in the laste daye. For my flesshe is very meate & my bloude the very drynke. He sayth not here that brede shalbe transsubstancyated or conuerted into his body, nor yet the wyne into his bloude.

¶〈◊〉〈◊〉 good chrysten readers thys man here in a folysshe iestynge and mych blasphemouse raysyng maner, agaynst the conuersyon of the brede and wyne into the blessed body and bloude of Chryste in the hlessed sa∣crament, in conclusyon as for a clere confutacyon of me & of saynt Tho∣mas bothe, vppon whyche holy doc∣tour and saynt he foly shely iesteth by name, he argueth as youse, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉

Chryst had entended to haue geuen them his flesshe and his bloude in the sacrament, than myght he haue decla red it more openly with mo wordes and more playnly. And than mayster Masker deuiseth Chryst the wordes that he wold haue had hym say yf he had so ment. And therin the blasphe∣mouse beste deuyseth, that he wolde haue had our sauyour say, y^t he wold play as iuglers do, and slyly conuay hym selfe into a singyng lofe / & that our sauyour so doth, he sayth is myne opinion. wherin the man is shameles & shamefully bylyeth me. For I saye as the catholyke fayth is, that he not conuayeth but conuerteth the brede into his owne body, and chaungeth it therin to / and neyther conuayeth (as he speketh) his body into the brede (for than were the brede and his bles sed body bothe together styll, which

false opinion is Luthers heresy and that knoweth this man well inough, and therefore sheweth hym selfe shamelesse in layenge that opinion to me) nor also conuerteth not his bles∣sed body into brede, for that were yet mych worse. For thā remaineth there nothynge ellys but brede styll / & that is ye wote well mayster Maskers owne heresy for whiche he wryteth agaynste me / and therfore is he dowble shamelesse (as you se) to say any suche thynge of me.

¶ But in conclusion theffecte of all his fonde argumēt is, that euynthere in that place to breke stryfe & to soyle all theyr dowte, our lorde myghte & wolde haue done at the selfe cōmuni∣caciō, or els at y^e lest wyse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 at y^e tyme of his wrytyng, myght and wold haue told thē playnly that they shold ete it, noti forme of flesh but in

forme of bred. But neyther our sa∣uyour than tolde them so, nor theuan∣grelyste hath tolde vs so in the repor∣tynge of his wordes spoken to them: ergo it must nestes be that Chryste ment not so.

¶ This is mayster Maskers argu ment whiche he lyketh so specyally, that afterwarde in another place, he harpeth vppon the same strynge a∣gayne. But surely yf the man be in scrypture any thynge exercysed, than hath he a very poore remembraunce. And whrthet be be scryptured or not he hath a very bare barayne wytte, whan he can wene that this argumēt were aught.

¶ For fyrste (as for the scrypture) can he fynde no mo places than one, in whych our sauyour wolde not tell out playnely all at onys?

¶ Coulde Chryst of the sacrament* 1.1

of Baptysme haue tolde no more to Nichodemus yf he had wolde?* 1.2

Coulde he to the Iewes that asked hym a token, haue told them no more of his deth, sepulture, and resurrec∣cyon, but the fygure of the prophete Ionas thre dayes swalowed in to y^t whalys bely?

¶ Whan his dyscyples asked hym* 1.3 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the restytucyon of the kyngdome of Israell, and mysse toke his kyng∣dome for a worldely kyngdome: dyd he forth with declare theym all that euer he coulde haue tolde theym? or all y^t euer he tolde them therof at any other tyme after? nay nor theuange∣lyste in the rehersynge neyther.

¶ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this mā eyther neuer redde or ellys forgotten, that all be it our sauyour came to be knowē for Cryst & somtyme declared hym so him self: yet at some other tymes he forbode

his dysciples to be a knowen therof? So that as for y^e scripturys (excepte he haue eyther lytell redde, or lytell remēbered of them) wold haue made mayster Masker to forbere thys fo∣lysshe argument for shame.

¶ But now what wyt hath this mā that can argue thus, whan he sholde (yf he had wytte) well perceyue his argumēt answered, by the lyke made agaynste hym selfe vppon the very selfe same place.

¶ For mayster masker sayth here that our lorde ment nothynge ellys, but to tell them of the geuyng of his flesh to y^e deth for y^e life of the world, and to make them byleue that. Now aske I therfore mayster Masker, whyther Chryste coulde not haue tolde them by more playne wordes than he dyd there (yf it had so ben his

pleasure) that he sholde dye for the synne of the world, and in what wyse also. If mayster Masker answere me no: I am sure euery wyse man wyll tell hym yes. For he spake there not halfe so playnely of the geuynge of his body to be slayne, as he dyd of geuynge it to be eaten. For as for his deth, not so myche as onys named it, but onely sayeth,

And the brede that I shall geue you is myne owne flesshe, whyche I shall geue for the lyfe of the worde.

In whyche wordes he not onys na∣meth deth. But of the eatyng, he spe keth so expressely by and by, and so spake before, all of eatynge, & mych more afterwarde to, that he gaue them lytle occasyon to thynke that he ment of his deth any worde there at all, but of the eatynge onely.

¶ And some greate holy doctours also, construe those whole wordes, And the brede that I shall gyue is my flesshe which I shall gyue for the lyfe of the worlde, to be spo ken onely of the gyuynge of hys bles sed body in the sacramēt, and neyther the fyrste parte nor the seconde to be spoken of his deth. But that in the fyrste parte Chryste sheweth what he wolde gyue them to eate, that is to wytte his owne flesshe, and in the se∣conde parte he shewed them why he wolde geue the worlde hys flesshe to eate, and what commodyle they shold haue by the eatynge of it / sayenge, y^t he wolde geue it men to eate for the lyfe that men sholde haue by the ea∣tynge of it. And therfore he pursueth forth bothe vpon the eatynge therof, and vppon the lyfe that they shall lacke that wyll not eate it, and of the lyfe that they shall haue that wyll

eate it. So that as I saye Chryste spake and ment after the mynde of some holy cunnynge men, but of the eatynge onely / but by all good men of the eatyng specyally, and without any maner questyon of the eatynge moste playnely, as of whiche he spe∣keth by name expressely. And of hys deth (yf he there spake of it as diuers holy doctours thynke he dyd) yet he spake it so couertly, y^t he rather ment it than sayd it / as the thynge wherof he nothynge named, but onely the ge uynge to eate. So that where as mayster Masker argueth, y^t Chryste nothynge ment of geuynge of hys flesshe to be eaten in the sacrament, but onely of his flessh to be crucified bycause that yf he hadde ment of his flesshe to be eatyn in the sacrament, he coulde and wolde haue tolde them playnely so: ye se now good readers

very playne proued by the self same place, that syth mayster Masker can not saye nay, but that of his body to be geuyn by deth, Chryst could haue spoken myche more playnely than he dyd in that place, as well as he could haue spoken more playnely of the geuynge of hys body to be eaten in the blessed sacrament, mayster Mas kers owne argument (yf it were aught as it is nought) vtterly de∣stroyeth all his owne exposycyon whole. And therfore ye maye se that the man is a wyse man and well ouer seen in arguynge.

The. ii chapyter.

IN the. xi. lefe he hath an other argument, towarde whiche he maketh a blynde induccyon by∣fore. And bycause ye shall se that I wyll not go about to begyle you: I

wyll reherse you his induccyon fyrst, and than his argumēt after. These arre his wordes

Whan the Iewes wolde not vnderstande thys spyrytuall sayenge of the eatynge of Chrystes flessh and drynkynge of his bloude so ofte and so playnely declared: he gaue them a stronge tryppe, and made them more blynde for they so deserued if (suche are the secrete iudgementes of god) addyng vnto all hys sayenges thus. who so eate my flessh and drynke my bloude, abydeth in me and I in hym. These wordes were spoken vnto the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into theyr farther obstynacyō, but vnto the faythfull for theyr better instruccyon. Now gather of thys the contrary, and saye, who so eateth not my flessh and drynketh not my bloude, abydeth not in me nor I in hym / & ioyne thys to that foresayd sentence, excepte ye eate the flesshe of the sone of man and drynke hys bloude, ye haue no lyfe in you. Lette it neuer fall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thy mynd chrysten reader, that fayth is the lyfe of the ryghtwyse, and that Chryst is thye lyuynge brede whom thou eatest that is to saye in whom thou by∣leuest.

¶ Here is mayster Masker fall to iuglynge so / and as a iugser layeth forth hys trynclettes vpon the table and byddeth men loke on this & loke on that and blo we in hys hande / and

than with certayne straunge wordes to make men muse / whurseth his iu∣glynge stycke about his fyngers to make men loke vpon that / whyle he playeth a false caste and conuayeth with y^e tother hand some thynge slyly into his purse or his sleue or some where out of syght / so fareth maister Masker here / that maketh Christes holy worde serue hym for his iugling boxes and sayeth them forth vppon the borde afore vs / and byddeth vs lo loke on this texte / and than soke so vpon this / and whan he hath she wed forth thus two or thre textes and byd vs loke vpon them he telleth vs not wherfore / nor what we shall fynde in thē. But bycause they be so playne agaynste hym he letteth them slynke awaye / and than to blere our eyen / and call our mynde fro the mater / vp he taketh his iuglynge stycke the cōmendacyon

of fayth / and whyrleth that about hys fyngers / and sayeth, Let it neuer fall fro thy mynde chrysten reader that sayth is the lyfe of the ryghtuouse, and that Chryst is thys lyuynge brede whom thou eatest, that is to saye in whom thou byleueft.

¶ What are these wordes good chry sien reader to the purpose. All thys wyll I pray you remember to. But I wyll pray you remēber there with all, where about this iugeler goth, y^t wolde with bryddynge vs loke vppe here vppon fayth / iugle awaye one great poynt of farth from vs / and make vs take no hede of Chrystes wordes playnely spoken here of the very eatyng of his holy flesshe. And therfore let vs remēber fayth as be byddeth. But let vs remember well therwith specially this piece therof y^t this iugler with byddynge vs remē∣bre, wold fayne haue vs forgette.

¶ But now after thys induccyon /

forth he cometh with his wyse argu ment in this wyse,

For yf our popystes take eatyng and drynkyng here bodyly as to eate the naturall body of Chryste vn∣der the forme of brede / and to drynke his bloud vn∣der the forme of wyne / than must all yonge chyldren that neuer came at goddes borde departed, and al lay men that neuer dranke his bloude be dampned.

If our sauyour Chryste whyche is the waye to trouth / and the trouth it selfe, and the very trewe lyfe also / coulde and wold say false, and breke his promyse by whyche he promysed* 1.4 his chyrche to be therwith hym selfe vnto the worldes ende, and to sende it also the spyrite of trouth, that shold* 1.5 teche it and sede it into al trouth: than wolde there of trouth / bothe of these wordes of Chryste and these other wordes of his also, But yf a man be* 1.6 borne agayne of the water and the holy goost he can not se the kyngdom of god / and of many other wordes of his mo many greate dowtes aryse /

ryght harde and inexplycable. But now am I very sure / sith trouth can not be but trew / Chrystes promyse shall euer stande and be kepte, & ther* 1.7 fore shall his chyrche euer more by y^e* 1.8 meane of his holy spyryte which ma∣keth men of one maner and mynde in the howse of his chyrche / so fall in a concorde and agrement togyther vp∣pon the trew sense / and so be led into euery necessary trewth / that by misse takynge of any parte of scrypture, it shall neuer be suffred to fall into any dampnable errour. Whiche thynge what pratynge so euer mayster mas∣ker make / I haue so often & so surely proued for the comen knowen catho∣lyke chyrch of good and badde bothe / agaynst Willy ā T indale / y^t neyther he nor all these heretikes among thē all, shall neuer be able to voyde it.

¶Now as for his argument con∣cernynge laye men of age, it were

alytell more stronge / yf the blessed body of our lorde were in the blessed sacramēt vnder forme of brede with out his bloude / whiche whyle it ys not / nor theyr receyuynge is not the sacryfyce nor oblacyon, which to the integrite therof requyreth bothe the formys / that the thynge sholde agre with the fygure / the fygure I saye of the brede and wyne that was of∣fered* 1.9 by Melchysedech / mayster Maskers argument is of a feble force. Of whyche thynge bycause I purpose onys to touche god wyllyng in answerynge to doctour Barons treatyse specyally made of that ma∣ter / I wyll holde here mayster Mas ker for this tyme with no longe tale therof. But to thentent ye may shor∣tely se how lytell wytte is in his wise argument with whych vppon Chry¦stes general wordes,

but yf you eate

the flesshe of y^e sone of man & drynke his bloude ye shall not haue lyfe in you

/ he argueth vniuersally of all men and women & chyldrenthat dye, and neuer eate his flesshe or neuer drynke his bloude shalbe dampned / by the selfe same forme of arguyng vppon these generall wordes, But yf a man be borne of water and the spyryte, he shall neuer se the kynge∣dome of god. Mayster Masker may argue generally, that who so dye by∣fore he be baptysed by water and the spyrite, shalbe dampned. And therup pon conclude that many martyres be dampned for lacke of baptysynge in water, for all theyr baptysynge in theyr owne bloude. And thus you se good readers how substancyall his argumentis.

The. iii. chapyter.

IN the. xii. lefe to proue, y^t Cryst ment nothynge to geue his body to be eaten, mayster masker vp∣pon these wordes that the dyscyples whiche were offended with his wor∣des sayde, This is an harde worde who maye here hym, bryngeth in an other wise argument vnder colour of expownynge y^e texte in this wyse. These wordes dyd not onely offende them that ha∣ted Chryst, but also some of his dyscyples. They were offended sayth the texte and not meruayled as More tryfleth out of trouth. These wordes good reader of offendynge and mer∣uaylynge I shall answere anone in a more conuenyent place. whyche dyscy∣ples sayd, Thys is an harde sayenge who may here hym? These dyscyples stoke no lesse in Chrystes vi∣syble flesshe, and in the barke of his wordes, than doth now More byleuynge hym to haue spoken of his naturall body to be eaten wyth theyr teth

¶ Here mayster masker maketh as though the catholyke faith in the bles sed sacrament, were but my fayth. But lyke wyse as I do cōfesse that his heresye is not onely his, but that he hath felowes in the same falsed / not onely fryth and Tyndale, but Wicliffe also and zuinglius, & frere Huyskyn to, bysyde a lewde sorte of wreched heretykes moo: so must he confesse yf he wyll say trew, that my fayth is not onely my fayth, but that I haue felowes in the same fayth / not onely the comen hole multytude of all good chrysten cuntrees this fyftenne hundred yere, but specyally by name those holy saīts whose wor∣des I haue rehersed you before vp∣pon this same mater / as Theophy∣lactus, & saynt Bede, saynte Hyri∣neus, and saynt Hilary, and saynte Austayne, saynte Cyryll, and saynt Chrisostome / the playne wordes

of euery one of all whome, I haue here all redy brought you forth a∣gaynste mayster Masker, prouynge them selfe felowes of myne in my fayth all redy, now in this answere of this fyrste parte of his. And yet kepe I for mayster Masker mater inough bysyde, of holy sayntes autho rytees, as well the same sayntes as other, to fyll vp the messys at the se∣conde course. And where he bringeth forth for hym in his seconde parte, Austayne, Tertullyan, and saynte Chrysostom (For in all this his fyrst course he bryngeth forth neuer one) those thre dysshes I warraunt you shall whan I come to them, but ba∣rely furnysshe hys borde.

¶ But where mayster masker saith that More stycketh in the vysyble fleshe of Chryst, to beaten as those dyscyples and those Iewes dyd: he

is holde to saye what hym lyste by∣cause he goth inuysyble. For ellys how coulde he for shame say that we y^t are of the catholyke chyrth, thynke that Chryste geueth vs his visyble flesshe to eate, as those dyscyples & those Iewys thought / whan euery man 〈◊〉〈◊〉 woteth, that those dyscy∣ples and those Iewes, thought that they sholde receyue hys flesshe visy∣ble cutte out as saynt Austayne de∣clareth in visyble dede piecys / and euery man as well knoweth & may∣ster Masker to, that we thynke that we do (and so in dede we do) receyue and eate his flesshe inuisyble, not in dede pyeces, but his quycke blessed body whole, vnder the visible forme of brede. And therfore you se good readers what trouth is in this man.

¶ But now goth he forth and com∣meth to hys wyse wurshypfull ar∣gument

and sayth.

whyche offence Chryste seynge sayed, doth thye offende you, what than wyll you saye yf you se the sone of man ascende thyther where he was before? If it offende you to eate my flessh whyle I am herre: it shall myche more offende you to eate it whan it shalbe gone out of your syght ascended into heuyn, there syttynge on the ryght hande of my father, vn tyll I come agayne as I went, that is to iudgement.

¶ The exposycyon of these word{is} of Chryste, I haue good readers shewed you before, accordyng to the myndes of holy doctours and saynts that by those wordes of his ascencyō he gaue them warnynge before, that be wolde by his ascendyng vp to he∣uyn, make them a playne profe that thei were deceiued whā they thought it could not be that he was descended downe from heuyn, and by his ascen dyng vp with his body hole & vnmi∣nyshed, make them a playne profe y^t they were deceiued, whan they thou∣ght he wold in pyeces cut out, and so geue his fleshe to them as he sholde

gyue it from hym selfe, & therby lese it hym selfe. For hys whole body as∣cendynge, shold well proue y^t though his apostles had euery one eatyn it: yet had he it styll whole hym selfe / y^t they sholde therby not dowt after∣ward, but that as eche of them had it and dyd eate it, and yet hym selfe had it styll, and all at onys in. xiii. dyuerse places in erth, and hym selfe ascen∣ded after whole therwith into heuin: so sholde euer after all good chrysten folke receyue it whole here in erthe, and hym selfe neuer the lesse haue it whole styll wyth hym in heuyn.

¶ Thys beynge good chrysten rea∣ders y^e mynde of our sauiour in those wordes, as by the holy doctours and sayntes well doth appere of old: now cometh this new dronkē doctour mai∣ster masker, and with a wyse expo∣sycyon of hys owne brayne, wolde make vs wene that those wordes

with whiche (as the olde doctours testyfye) Chryste confermed the sa∣crament, in declarynge his power by whyche he wurketh that wonderfull miracle in the sacrament, our sauiour had hym selfe spoken agaynste his myracles in the sacrament. For thus lo doth maister Masker make Cryst expowne his owne wordes and say, If it offende yon to eate my 〈◊〉〈◊〉 whyle I am here: it shall mych more offende you to eate it whan my body shalbe gone out of your syght ascended into be upn, there syttynge on the ryght hande of my father vntyll I come agayne agayne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I went.

¶ There were good readers two causes, for whiche those Iewes and those dyscyples were offended at the herynge of Cryste, whan he sayde they shold eate his fleshe. One was, the straungenesse and the impossyby∣lyte that they thought was therin / y^t tother was the lothsomnes that they had therto. Now yf mayster Mas∣ker mene here for the impossybylyte

by reason of the dyfference of his pre sence and his absence: I can not se why they sholde be more offended after his ascencyon than before. For yf it be possyble for hym to make his body to be in many dyuerse places at onys in erth: than it is as possyble for hym to make it at onys in those two dyuerse places erth and heuyn. For the meruayle standeth not in the farre dystaunce of the two places a sunder, but in the dyuersyte of y^e two places hauyng in them both one body be they neuer so nere togyther. And as for the dyfference of his presence here in erth, and his absence hense, by his ascensyon into heuyn: mayster Masker is more than madde, to put that for a dyfference, as a cause after thascensyon to make theym more of∣fended to here of the eatynge of hys body. For yf he make (as he can and

doth) his body to be as well here in erthe as in heuyn: than is hys body no more absent from hense thā from thense, as for the veryte of hys pre∣sence in the place, though it be more absent in consyderacyon to vs that se not his body here, but in y^e forme of brede. But the blessed 〈◊〉〈◊〉, se that one blessed body of his in heuyn and here in the blessed sacramēt both at onys. And thus you se that may∣ster Maskers argument hathe no pyth or strenght, yf he mene for im∣possybylyte.

¶ Nowe yf mayster Masker here mene, that after Chrystes ascensyon into hyuyn, it sholde be a thynge that sholde of reason more offende the Iewes to eate hys flesshe, than at y^e tyme whyle he was here, as a thyng that wolde be than a mych more loth some mete: what deuyll reason hath

mayster Masker to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that madde mynde with all, & to thynke that hys gloryfyed flessh shold be more loth∣some to receiue, than yf it were vn∣gloryfyed.

¶ And yet either he meneth thus / or els he lacketh the waye to fynde the wordes, with which he wold expresse his mynde. For these are the wordes, that he maketh Chryste to saye, If it offende you to ente my flessh whyle I am here: it shall mych more offende you to eate it whan my body shalbe gone out of your syghte.

You se now that he sayth it shal more offende you to eate it whan it is gone out of your syght into heuyn. Now yf he hadde ment in the tother maner for thimpossibylyte, he wolde haue sayd (except he can not speke) that it sholde more offende theym to here it tolde them that they sholde than eate his flessh, whā his flessh were so far absent from them, than to here it told

them that they sholde eate it whyle it were present wyth them / and not say it sholde than more offende theym to eate it. For they shall not be offended with the eatynge yf they eate it not. And therfore (yf he can tell how to speke and expresse his owne mynde) he meneth here whyle he sayth it shal more offend you to eate it, he meneth I saye that they sholde of reason thynke his flesshe than more lothely to eate after his gloriouse ascencyon, than it was ere he dyed. Thus it ap∣pereth that mayster Masker ment. And veryly yf he so mene, he hath a madde menynge. And yf he mene not so: than hath he a madde maner of spekynge. And yet hysyde that hys menynge is as madde that waye as the tother.

¶ For as I haue shewed you, the thyng is no more impossible to Crist,

to geue them his body to eate after his ascensyon than byfore / and ther∣fore is maister Masker a fole to say, that it sholde more offende them to here that they sholde eate it after his ascencyon than before. For by theyr eatynge he sholde not lese it / but both men may haue his body here in erth with them, and y^e angelys may haue it in heuyn with them, and hym selfe may haue it both in erth and in heuyn with hym, and all thys at onys.

¶ Wherin leste mayster Masker myghte make some wene, that I do as he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I do, and as in dede may ster Masker doth hym selfe, that is to wyt mocke in this mater and lye: ye shal good readers here what holy saynt Chrysostome sayth,

Helyas lefte vnto Heliseus his man * 1.10 tell, as a very greate enherytaunce. And in very dede a great enheritaūce

it was, and more precyouse than any golde. And Heliseus was a dowble Hely / & there was than helyas aboue and helyas beneth. I knowe wel that you thynke he was a iuste and a bles sed man / and you wold fayne eche of you be in his case. what wyll you say than, yf I shew you a certayne other thynge, that all we that are seasoned with the holy sacramentes, haue re∣ceyued that farre excelleth helyas mantell. For helias in dede lefte hys dyscyple his mantell. But the sone of god ascendyng vp, hath lefte vntovs hys flesshe. And as for helias leuyng hys mantell to his dyscyple, lefte it of from hym selfe. But our sauyour Chryst hath bothe lefte it styll with vs, and yet in hys ascensyon hath ta ken it wyth hym selfe to. Lette neuer therfore our hartes fall for fere, nor let vs not lament and by wayle, nor drede the dyffycultees of the troube∣louse tymes. For he that neither hath

refused to shede his bloud for vs all, and hath also bysyde that, geuen vn to vs all his fleshe to eate, & the same bloude agayne to drynke: he wyll refuse nothynge that maye serue for our saluacyon.

¶ How say you now good chrysten readers? doth not saynt Chrysostom with these word{is}, afferme you play∣nely the substaūce of that that I say & as playnely destroye all that may∣ster masker sayth in his heretycall ex posycion of these wordes of Chryst / whych he constre weth so as he wold therby make a repugnaunce bytwen the beynge of Chrystes blessed body in y^e blessed sacrament, and the beyng of his body by his ascension in heuyn? For though mayster masker saye they canne not stande together, but is vtterly repugnaunt that his bo∣dy sholde be here in erthe before

domysdaye, bycause that vntyll do∣mysdaye it shalbe styll in heuyn: yet sayth saynt Chrysostome playnely, that mayster Masker in his exposy∣cyon lyeth. For he sayth that Chryste blessed body is bothe in heuyn & also in erth in the blessed sacramēt in dede.

¶ And therfore let mayster Masker leue his iestynge with me, & go ieste and rayle agaynste saynte Chryso∣stome. For he confuteth you mayster Masker you se well, a lytell more clerer than I. And than whyther of them twayne ye shal byleue and take for the more credyble man, mayster Masker or holy saynt Chrysostom, euery mannye owne wytte that any wyt hath, wyll well serue hym to se.

The. iiii. chapyter.

BUt mayster Masker to shewe you a ferther declaracyon of his wytte, forth with vpon his wyse and

wurshypfull exposycyon of those wordes of Chryst, he repeteth that fonde argument agayne, that Chryst ment not of eatynge his flesshe in the sacrament / bycause that yf he hadde ment it, he coulde and wolde haue de clared his menynge more playnely. And in that mater thus maister Mas ker sayth.

Here myght Chryste haue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the trouth of the eatynge of hys fieshe in forme of brede, had thys ben his menynge. For he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them neuer in any perplexite or dowt, but sought all the wayes by symylytudes and famylyare examples, to teche them playnely, he neuer spake them so harde a parable, but where he perceyued theyr feble igno∣raunce, anone he helpt them and declared it them.

ye and somtymes he preuented theyr askynge wyth his owne declaracyon. And thynke ye not that he dyd not so 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 veryly. For he came to teache vs and not to leue vs in any dowt and ignoraunce, especyally the chyefe poynt of our saluacyon, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 standeth in the bylyefe in hys deth for our synnys.

Wherfore to put them out of all dowt as concernyng this eatyng of his flessh and drynkyng of his bloud, that sholde geue euerlastynge lyfe, where they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it for his very body to be eaten with theyr tethe: he sayed, It is the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that geueth this lyfe. My

flesshe profyteth nothynge at all to be eaten as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 meane so 〈◊〉〈◊〉: It is spyrytuall meate that I here speke of. It is my spyryt that draweth the har tes of men to me by fayth, and so refresheth them gostesy. ye be therfore carnal to thynke that I speke of my flesshe to be eaten bodyly. For so it profyteth yow nothynge at all. How longe wyll you be wyth out vnderstandyng? It is my spyryte I tell you that geueth lyfe. My flesshe profyteth you nothynge to eate it, but to byleue that it shalbe crucyfyed & suffre for the redempcyon of the worlde it profyteth. And when ye thus byleue, than eate 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my flesshe and drynke my bloude / that is ye byleue in me to suffre for your synnes. The veryte hath spoken these wor des: My flesshe profyteth nothyng at all: it canne not therfore be false. For bothe the Iewes and hys dyscyples murmured and dysputed of his flessh, how it sholde be eaten / and not of the offerynge therof for our synnes as Chryst ment. Thys therfore is the fure anker to holde vs by, agaynst all the obieccions of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, for the eatynge of Chrystes body as they say in forme of brede. Chryst sayd, My flesh profyteth nothyng, menyng to eate it bodely. Thys is the key that solueth all theyr argumentes & ope∣neth the waye to shew 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all theyr false and abomy nable 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lyes vppon Chrystes wordes, and vttereth theyr sleyght ingesynge ouer the brede to mayntayne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 kyngdome therwyth.

And thus when Chryste had declared it, and taught them that it was not the bodyly eatynge of hys ma∣teryall body, but the eatynge wyth the spyryte of faythe: he added sayenge, The wordes whyche I here speke vnto you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 spyryte and lyfe / that is to

saye, thys mater that I here haue spoken of with so many wordes, must be spyrytually vnderstanden, to geue ye this lyfe euerlastynge. wherfore the cause why ye vnderstand me not, is that ye byleue not.

Here is lo the conclusyon of all hys sermon.

¶ Many a fonde processe haue I redde good chrysten readers, but ne∣uer redde I neyther a more folysshe nor a more false than this is. For the effecte and the purpose of al this pro cesse is, that Chryst in all his wordes spoken in thys syxte chapiter of saint Iohn̄, ment nothynge of the eatyng of his blessed body in the blessed sa∣crament, but onely of an alle gorycal eatynge of his body / by whyche he ment onely that they sholde byleue that he sholde be crucyfyed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shedde his bloude and dye for redempcyon of the worlde.

¶ Now that our saniour bysyde al such allegories & other spirituall vn∣derstādings, playnely ment of y^e very

eatyng of his blessed body in the bles sed sacrament, you haue good reders all redy sene by so many holy doc∣tours and sayntes / whose playn wor des I haue rehersed you, that no mā can dowte but that in the whole con∣clusyon of his argument and his ex∣posycyon, mayster 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath a shamefull fall / except any mā dowt whyther mayster Masker be better to be byleued alone, or those holy doc tours amonge them all.

¶ But now thys false conclusyon of hys, how febly and how folyshely he defendeth, y^t is euyn a very great pleasure to se.

¶ In this processe hath he. ii. poynts The fyrste is that Chryste coulde & wolde haue made it open and playne in thys place by clere and euydent worde, yf he had ment of the eatynge of his flesshe in the sacrament.

The second is, that by these word{is}

It is the spyryte that geueth lyfe, my fleshe profyteth nothynge at all, The wordes that I haue spoken to you be spyryte and lyfe:

Chryste doth playn and clerely declare, both that he ment not the eatynge of his flesshe in the sa crament, and also that he ment onely the bylyefe that he sholde dye for the synne of the worlde.

¶ Now touchynge his fyrste folysh poynt, I haue confuted it all redy, & shewed you some samples, where Chryste coulde at some tyme haue declared the mater mych more open∣ly than he dyd, and that in great ma∣ters of our fayth.

For I thynke the sacrament of bap∣tysme, is a pryncypall poynt of our fayth. And yet Chryste taught not Nichodemus all that he coulde haue tolde hym therin as I sayd before.

¶ And longeth it nothyng to y^e fayth to byleue the remyssyon of mortall sinnes? I suppose yes. And yet could Chryste yf he had wolde, haue decla red more clerely those worde of his,* 1.11 who so blaspheme the sone of man it shalbe forgeuen hym. But he that blasphemeth the holy gooste, it shall neyther be forgeuē him in this world nor in the world to come.

¶ No good chrysten man thynketh other, but that it is a pryncypall arty∣cle of the chrysten fayth, to byleue y^t Chryst is one equale god with his father. And yet Chryste (albe it that by all places sette togyther, he hath declared it clere inough in conclusion, to them that wyll not be wylfull & contencyouse) yet dyd he not in euery place where he spake therof, declare the mater so clerely as he could haue done yf he than hadde wolde. whiche

appereth by that that in some other places, he declared it more clerely af ter. And yet in all the places of the scrypture set togyther, he hath not, nor wolde not, declare it in so playne wordes / as he coulde haue done. For than sholde there neuer haue neded any of those commētes, that all the holy doctours haue made vppon it synnys. And surely so sayth Luther and these other heretykes, that there neded none. For all the scrypture (they saye) is open & playne inough. And therfore they put euery manne and woman vnlerned in boldenesse and corage, to be in the scrypture suf ficyently theyr owne maysters them selfe. But whyle they thus teache them, they forgete that by theyr own techyng they shold holde theyr peace thē selfe. And indede so were it good they dyd, but yf they taught better.

¶ And thus for his fyrst poynt; you se good readers that mayster Mas∣ker maketh men perceyue hym for a dowble fole whan it was not inough for hym to come forth with this foly onys, but he muste a goddes name brynge in this his one foly twyse.

The. v. chapyter.

NOw as to wchyng his second poynt, in that it is a worlde to se how strongly the man hādeseth it. For where as Chryst hath by so ma∣ny open playne worde before, taught and declared, that he wolde geue his owne flesshe to be eaten, and his own bloude to be drunken, and so often re∣peted it, and in suche effectuall wyse inculked it, and as who sholde saye bette it into theyr hedds, that (sauyng for the forme & maner of the eatynge

whyche he declared by his word and hys dede at his holy maundye) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as for to make men sure that veryly eate it and drynke it they sholde, there could neuer more clere wordes haue ben of any man desyred, nor by may∣ster Masker hym self deuysed: now cometh mayster Masker forth with certayne wordes of Chryst, by whi∣the he sayth that Chryste clerely de∣clareth, that he ment clere the cōtrary that is to wytte that his fleshe shold not be eaten / and also that by thys worde eatyng of hys flesshe, he ment nothynge ellys, but the bylyefe of hys deth for mennys synnes.

¶ Now the wordes of our sauyour that (as mayster masker saith) proue these two thynges, are these.

It is the spyryte that geueth lyfe, my flesh profyteth nothynge at all. The wor∣des that I haue spoken to you be spy ryte and lyfe.

¶ These wordes haue good reders in them selfe neyther any thynge in dysprofe of the very eatynge of hys flesshe, nor for the profe that he ment the bylyefe of his deth. For these wor des as saynte Austayne declareth, speke not precysely agaynst y^e eatyng of his fleshe, as he ment to geue it them wrth the spyryte and the lyfe therin / but agaynste the eatynge of his flesshe alone, dede and cutte out in gobbettes, as they cōceiued a false opinion that he ment to make theym eate it. And as I haue shewed you before, saynt Cyrill expouneth these wordes after the same maner, and other holy doctours to. And now yf ye rede agayn mayster maskers wor des here: ye shall fynde that all that semeth to proue his purpose, is onely the wordes of hym selfe, & nothynge the wordes of Chryst / but hym selfe

expounyng Chrystes worde in such wyse, that (as I haue shewed you) saynt Austayne and saynt Cyrill and other holy doctours, expoune it clere agaynste hym.

¶ If his own argumēt were aught worth that he layeth against the inter pretacyon of all that expowne those wordes of Chryste, to be spoken of the very eatynge, by whiche we eate his blessed body in the sacrament, it wolde make agaynste no man so sore as agaynst hym self euyn here in this place.

¶ For if it be trew that he sayth, that yf Chryst had ment of the eatyng of his flesh in the sacrament, he myght & wold haue in this place told it them playnely / & bycause he told them not that poynt out playnely, therfore it is clere that he ment it not: than say I that syth in these wordes / whyche

mayster Masker sayth, is the very anker holde, Cryst doth not so play∣nely declare, that he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by the eatynge of his flessh the bylyefe that he sholde dye for our synnys, as he coulde yf he had wolde, and wolde as mayster Masker sayth yf he had so ment. Thys is therfore a playne profe by mayster Maskers argumēt agaynst mayster Maskers mynde, y^t our sauyour ment not so / and than is all master Maskers mater go.

¶ Now that our sauyour doth not here declare that poynt clerely / that he ment nothynge but that they shold byleue that he sholde dye for theym: I wyll haue mayster Maskers own wordes to bere me recorde. whyche wyll I wene make mayster Mas∣ker somwhat wroth wyth hym selfe, for wrytyng them in hym self, so fo∣lyshely agaynste hym selfe.

¶ For where he sayth that bothe the Iewes and the dyscyples, murmu∣red and dysputed of his flesshe how it sholde be eaten, and not of the of∣ferynge therof for our synnes: thys declareth and wytnesseth well for our parte agaynste his own / that our sauyour declared more playnely his mynde for the eatyuge of his flessh, than for the offerynge therof to the deth for our synnys. And of very trouth so he dyd in dede, though may∣ster Masker saye naye an hundred tymes. For of the eatyng of his flesh as I haue before said, he spake very precysely, and playnely, and often / and of his offerynge vp vppon the crosse, he neuer spake playnely so mych as one worde.

¶ For as for these wordes whyche maister masker calleth y^e anker hold: It is the spyrite that geueth this lyfe

my fleshe profyteth nothynge at all, hath not one playne word for his pur pose at all. For all the vttermost that he coulde take of these wordes, were no more but that Chryste sholde tell them that the spyryte is the thynge that geueth his flesshe the lyfe, with out whiche of it selfe it coulde not profyte them at all / and therfore the wordes that he spake were spyryte & lyfe, and to be vnderstanden spyry∣tually, that they sholde eate his flesh wyth hys spyryte, and not carnally that they sholde eate hys flessh alone without his spyryte, cut out in dede peces of flesshe, as they had concey∣ued a fonde opinion therof, out of whyche he sayed all this to brynge them, but yet not so mych as he could haue sayd and he had wold, nor wold not bycause of theyr vnworthynesse to here it / and yet that they shold eate

his flessh, he tolde them clere inough.

¶ But as I say, what one worde is there in all these word{is} of his anchor holde, wherby mayster Masker may take one handefull holde, y^t Chryste here shewed them so clerely, that he ment the offerynge of hym selfe for our synnys? he speketh ī al these wor¦des not one word of offeryng; nor of crucifyeng, nor of deth. And by may∣ster Maskers owne argument yf he had ment y^t way, as he well could, so he wold also haue told them playnly thus: Sirs I mene not that you shal eate my flessh, but y^t you shall byleue y^t I shall dye for your synnys. And syth he sayd not thus, mayster Mas∣kers own argument hath cutte of his cable rope, & lost his anchore, & runne his shyppe hym self agaynst a rocke. For he sayth that yf he had ment it, he wold haue tolde them playne the tale to put them out of all dowte.

¶ And here you se now good reders by mo meanys than one, as wel by y^e exposycyons of olde holy doctours & sayntes, as by the wyse argument of mayster masker hym self, to what wyse wurshypfull ende, thys ryall brage of his is come to passe, in whi∣che he triumpheth ouer the catholike chyrch & the blessed sacramēt, where he bosteth thus. Thys therfore is the sure anker to holde vs by, agaynst all the obieccions of the papystes, for the eatynge of Chrystes body as they say in forme of brede. Chryst sayd, My flesh profyteth nothyng, menyng to eate it bodely. Thys is the key that solueth all theyr argumentes & ope∣neth the waye to shew vs all theyr false and abomy¦nable blasphemouse lyes vppon Chrystes wordes, and vttereth theyr sleyght ingelynge ouer the brede to mayntayne Antichrystes kyngdome therwyth. And thus when Chryste had declared it, and taught them that it was not the bodyly eatynge of hys ma∣teryall body, but the eatynge wyth the spyryte of faythe: he added sayenge, The wordes whyche I here speke vnto you are spyryte and lyfe / that is to saye, thys mater that I here haue spoken of with so many wordes, must be spyrytually vnderstanden, to geue ye this lyfe euerlastynge. wherfore the cause why ye vnderstand me not, is that ye byleue me not. Here is lo the conclusyon of all hys sermon.

¶ Syth your selfe haue sene good readers, that in this mater and in this whole exposycyon, there are agaynst mayster masker not onely the catho∣lyke chyrche of our tyme, but also all the olde holy doctours and sayntes, which with one voyce expoune these wordes of Chryste to be spoken and ment of that eatynge of Chrystes flesshe, by whyche it is eaten in the blessed sacrament / agaynste whiche poynt mayster masker here rageth in this his furyouse boste, raylynge vp pon them all that so teche or byleue, vnder his spygstuff name of papy∣stes: I wold wytte of mayster mas∣ker, whyther saynt 〈◊〉〈◊〉, saynt Au∣stayn, and saynt Ambrose, saynt 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and saint 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Theophi∣lactus, saynt Cyrill, and saynt Chry sostome, were all papystes or not? If he answere ye, and saye the were:

than shall he make no man (that wise is) asshamed of the name of papyste (as odyouse as he wolde make it) yf he graunte vs that suche good godly men, & such holy doctours & sayntes were papystes.

¶ Now yf he answere me nay, and say that they were no papystes: than he maketh it playne and open vnto you good reders, that he playeth but the part of a folyssh rayler & aiester, and doth but deceyue and mocke all his owne fratexnyte / whan by ray∣lynge agaynste papystes, whom he wold haue taken for folke of a false fayth, he dyssembleth the trouth, that his here sye is not onely dampned by them that he calleth papystes, but by them also whom he cōfesscth for no papistes, and whom he cannot but cō fesse for old holy doctours & saintes / nor cannot so blynd you, but that you

playnely perceyue by theyr own wor des / which I haue rehersed you, and yet shal hereafter more playnely per ceyue, by mo holy doctours & saynts of the same sort, & by mo playne wor des also of y^e same, y^t they do all with one voyce expoune these wordes of Chryst mencyoned in the syxte chapi ter of saynt Iohn, to be spokē & ment of y^t eatyng of his flesh, by which we eate it in the blessed sacrament.

¶ And thus haue I good reders an∣swered you all mayster Maskers ar gumentes, by whych he reproueth in generall vnder the name of papyste, all those, that is to wytte all the olde holy doctours and sayntes, that con∣trary to hys heresye expowne the sayde wordes of Chryste to be ment of the very eatynge of hys flesshe, and not onely of the byleuynge of his deth for our synne.

And now wyll I come to his subtyll dysputacyōs, that he maketh against me by name in specyall, to soyle such thynges as I in my letter wrote a∣gaynst Iohn Fryth.

Here endeth the thyrde booke.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iohn. 3
• * 1.2

  Math. 12
• * 1.3

  Actu. I
• * 1.4

  Math. 18
• * 1.5

  John. 16.
• * 1.6

  John. 3
• * 1.7

  Psal. 67.
• * 1.8

  John. 16.
• * 1.9

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 14
• * 1.10

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. hom. 2. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 popu 〈◊〉〈◊〉. m
• * 1.11

  Matth. 12