The copy of the letter of Iohn Lacels written out of prison.
SAint Paule because of sectes and dissention among the Corinthians,* 1.1 wrote his epistle vnto them: and in lyke case pertaining to my conscience, I doe protest my whole hart in the blessed supper of the Lord, wherein I trust in God to bryng nothyng for me, but I shall be able wyth Gods holy worde, to declare and manifest the same. And herein I take occasion to recite the saying of saint Paule in the sayd Epistle the xi. chapter. That which I deliuered vn∣to you,* 1.2 I receyued of the Lorde. For the Lorde Iesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, tooke breade, gaue thankes and brake it, and sayd, take ye, eate ye, this is my body, which is bro∣ken for you.
Here me seemeth S. Paule durst not take vpon hym hys Lord and maisters authoritie. Wherefore, as at Gods hand the breaking of the most innocent and immaculate body and bloud of Christ, is the quietnes of all mens con∣sciences, the onely remedy of our sinnes, and the redemp∣tion of mankynd which is called in the scripture the dailye offering: so the Masse whiche is the inuention of man (whose author is the Pope of Rome, as it doth appeare in Polydore Uirgill▪ and many others) is the vnquiet∣nesse of all Christendome,* 1.3 a blasphemy vnto Christes bloud, and (as Daniel calleth it) the abhominable deso∣lation, as the Scripture shall hereafter more manifest it. S. Paule was belyke to learne of the Romaines church,* 1.4 the manner of the consecration (as they call it) wyth the breathyng ouer the hoste, and other ceremonies besides, that he durst not take vpon him to say: Hoc est corpus me∣um.* 1.5 But this I will admitte: it was the Lord Iesus that made the supper, which also did finish it, and made an end of the onely acte of our saluation, not onely here in this world, but with his father in heauen, as he declareth hym selfe: that he will drinke no more of this bitter cuppe, tyll he drinke it new in his fathers kingdom, where all bitter∣nes shall be taken away.
Now if any man be able to finish the acte of our Saui∣our, in breakyng of hys body, and sheadyng of his bloude here, and also to finish it with the father in heauen, then let hym say it. But I thinke that if men will looke vpon saint Paules wordes well,* 1.6 they shall be forced to say, as Saint Paule sayth: the Lord Iesus sayde it, and once for all, which onely was the fulfiller of it. For these wordes: Hoc est corpus meum, were spokē of his natural presence (which no man is able to deny) because the acte was finished on the crosse, as the story doth plainly manifest it to them that haue eyes. Now this bloudy sacrifice is made an ende of, the supper is finished, forasmuch as Christ hath once suffe∣red for sinnes,* 1.7 the iust for the vniust, to bring vs to God, and was killed as pertainyng to the fleshe, and hath entered in by hys owne bloud once for all, into the holy place, and found eternall redemption.* 1.8
Here now followeth the administration of the supper of the Lorde, which I will take at Christes handes after the resurrection, although other men will not bee asha∣med to bryng the wicked Councels of foolish inuentions for them. And it came to passe as Christ sate at meate with them, he tooke bread,* 1.9 blessed, and brake it, and gaue it to them, and their eyes were opened and knewe hym, and he vanished out of their sight. And the Apostles did know him, in breakyng of breade.* 1.10
Here also it seemeth to me the Apostles to follow their Maister Christ, and to take the right vse of the Sacra∣ment, and also to teache it to those that were conuerted to Christ, as mention is made in the Actes of the Apostles: where as is sayd: They continued in the Apostles 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and fellowship in breakyng of bread and prayer, and they con••••∣nued daylie with one accord in the temple,* 1.11 and brake bre••d 〈◊〉〈◊〉 e∣uery house, and did eate there with gladnesse and singlenesse o•• heart, praysing God, and had fauour with all the people. And Saint Paule followyng the same doctrine, doth plainely shew the duetie of the Minister, and also of them that shal receiue it: As oft as you shall eate this bread, and drinke th••s cuppe, ye shall shewe the Lordes death vntill he come.* 1.12 Here I doe gather that the Minister hath no further power and authoritie,* 1.13 then to preach and pronounce the lordes death, or els to say the Lord Iesus sayd it, which did fulfill it on the crosse.
Furthermore I doe stedfastly beleeue, that where the bread is broken according to the ordinaunce of Christ, the blessed and immaculate Lambe is present to the eyes of our fayth, and so we eate his flesh, and drinke hys bloud••, which is to dwell with God, and God with vs.* 1.14 And in this we are sure we dwell with God, in that he geueth vs his holy spirite, euen as the forefathers that were before Christes commyng, did presently see the Lordes death, and did eate his body, and drinke his bloud.
In this do I differ from the Popes Church, that the priestes haue authoritie to make Christes naturall pre∣sence in the bread,* 1.15 for so doth he more then our Lorde and Sauiour did: As the example is manifest in Iudas, which at Christes handes receyued the same wyne and bread, as the other Apostles did. But the Pope and his adherents, are euen they whom Daniel speaketh of, saying: He shall set men to vnhallow the sanctuary, and to put downe the dailye offering, and to set vp the abhominable desolation. Yea,* 1.16 he (of Rome) shall speake meruailous things against the God of hea∣uen, and God of all Gods, wherin he shall prosper so long, till the wrath be fulfilled, for the conclusion is deuised already. He shall not regard the God of heauen, nor the God of his fathers, yea in his place shall he worship the mighty Idoll, and the God whome his fathers knew not, which is the God Maozim.
For lacke of tyme, I leaue the commemoration of the blessed supper of the Lord,* 1.17 and the abhominable idoll the masse, which is it that Daniel meaneth by the God Mao∣zim. Read the second and last chap. of Daniel, the ij. to the Thes. the 2. Epistle: where as they recite the abhominati∣on of desolation, which Mathew sayth, standeth in the ho∣ly place, which is the consciences of men. Marke sayeth, where it ought not to stand, which is a plaine denial of all the inuentions of men. Further Luke sayth, the tyme is at hand. Paule sayth, the mysterie of iniquitie worketh alre∣die, yea, and shall continue till the appearaunce of Christ, which in my iudgement is at hand.
Now for the supper of the Lord, I do protest to take it as reuerently as Christ left it, and as his apostles did vse it, according to the testimonies of the Prophets, the Apo∣stles and our blessed sauiour Christ, which accordingly S. Paule to the Ephesians doth recite.
Now with quietnes I commit the whole world to their pastor and heardman, Iesus Christ the onely Sauior and true Messias, and I commend my soueraigne Lorde and Maister, the Kings maiestie, King Henry the 8. to God the father, and to our Lord Iesus Christ: the Queene and my Lord the Prince, with this whole realme, euer to the innocent and immaculate lambe, that his bloud may wash and purifie their hartes and soules from all iniquitie and sinne, to Gods glory, and to the saluation of their soules. I doe protest that the inward part of my hart doth gront for this, and I doubt not but to enter into the holy taber∣nacle which is aboue: yea and there to be with God for e∣uer. Farewell in Christ Iesu.
Iohn Lacels seruaunt late to the king, and now I trust to serue the euer∣lasting king, with the testimony of my bloud in Smithfield.