And if this be to gratisie the Papists, to shewe that they ought not to be compelled to receyue the supper of the Lorde, as long as they continue in their Popery, I am well contente to shewe them thys pleasure, so that bothe they and you forget not what I haue before sayde, (*) 1.1 that the Magistrate ought to compell them to heare the worde of God, and if they profite not, nor wyth suffycient teaching correct not them selues, that then they shoulde be punyshed. And if you doe aske why they should be more cōpelled vnto ye sermons, than vnto the supper of the Lord, or why they are not as wel to be admitted vnto the one as vnto the other: you see ye like done in the sacra∣ment of baptisme, whiche may not be ministred vnto all to whome the worde may be preached.
The reason also is at hande, for the preaching of the worde of God to the Papistes, is an of∣fer of the grace of God, whiche maye be made to those whiche are straungers from God, but the ministring of the holy sacraments vnto them is a declaration and seale of Gods fauour and re∣conciliation with them, and a playne preaching, partly that they be washed already from theyr sinnes, partly that they are of the housholde of God, and suche as the Lorde wyll feede to eter∣nall lyfe, whiche is not lawfull to be done to those, whiche are not of the housholde of fayth. And therefore I conclude, that the compelling of Papistes vnto the Communion, and the dismissing and letting of them goe, when as they be to be punished, for their stubbornesse in Poperie (wyth this condition if they wyll receyue the Communion) is very vnlawfull, when as althoughe they would receyue it, yet they ought to be kepte backe, vntyll suche tyme as by their religious and gos∣pellike behauiour, they haue purged them selues of that suspition of Poperie, whiche their former life and conuersation hath caused to be conceyued.
This is directly contrarie to that which you before affirmed, page. 118. For there* 1.2 you saye, that those whiche are not meete to receyue the holy sacrament of the Supper, are not meete to heare the worde of God: if they be meete for the one, they be meete for the other, and that with what lawfulnesse they may offer them selues to the prayers, and to the hearing of the worde of God, they may also offer them selues to the Lordes supper, and to whome so euer of them the Lorde will cōmunicate him selfe by preaching the worde, vnto the same he will not refuse to cōmu∣nicate him selfe by receyuing of the Sacraments. These be your wordes there, and nowe