The communication had betweene the Ladie Iane and Fecknam.
Madam, I lament your heauy case, and yet I doubt not,* 1.1 but that you beare out this sorow of youres wyth a constant and patient minde.
You are welcome vnto me sir, if your comming be to geue Christian exhortation. And as for my heauye case (I thanke God) I do so litle lament it, that rather I accompt the same for a more manifest declaration of Gods fauor to∣warde me, then euer he shewed me at any time before: And therefore there is no cause why either you, or other, whych beare me good wil,* 1.2 should lament or be grieued wyth thys my case, being a thing so profitable for my soule health.
I am heere come to you at this present sent from the Queene and her counsaile, to instructe you in the true doc∣trine of ye right faith: although I haue so great confidence in you, that I shall haue (I trust) little neede to trauaile wyth you much therein.
Forsooth I heartely thanke the Queenes highnesse, which is not vnmindful of her humble subiect: and I hope likewise that you no lesse will doe your duety therein both truely and faithfully according to that you were sent for.
What is then required of a Christian?
That he should beleue in God the Father, ye Sonne, and the holy Ghost, three persons and one God.
What? is there nothing els to be required or looked for in a Christian, but to beleeue in him?
Yes, we must also loue him with all our heart, with all our soule, and with all our minde, and our neighbor as our selfe.
Why? then faith iustifieth not, nor saueth not.
Yes verely, faith (as Paule sayth) only iustifieth.
Why? S. Paul sayeth: If I haue all faith without loue it is nothing.
* 1.3True it is: for how cā I loue him whom I trust not? or how can I trust him whome I loue not? Faith and loue go both together, and yet loue is comprehended in faith.
How shall we loue our neighbour?
To loue our neighbor is to feede the hungry, to cloth the naked, and geue drinke to the thirsty, and to doe to him, as we would doe to our selues.
Why? then it is necessary vnto saluation, to doe good workes also, and it is not sufficient only to beleeue.
I denye that, and I affirme that faith onely saueth:* 1.4 but it is meete for a Christian, in token that hee followeth his Maister Christe, to doe good workes: yet may wee not say that they profit to our saluation. For whē we haue done all, yet we be vnprofitable seruāts, and faith only in Chri∣stes bloud saueth vs.
How many Sacraments are there?
Two. The one the Sacrament of Baptisme,* 1.5 and the other the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper.
No, there are seuen.
By what Scripture finde you that?
Well, we will talke of that heereafter.* 1.6 But what is signified by your two Sacraments?
By the Sacramente of Baptisme I am washed wyth water, and regenerated by the spirite, and that wa∣shing is a token to mee that I am the childe of God. The Sacrament of the Lordes Supper offered vnto mee,* 1.7 is a sure seale and testimonie that I am by the bloude of Christ, which he shedde for me on the Crosse, made partaker of the euerlasting kingdome.
Why? what doe you receiue in that Sacrament? Doe you not receiue the very body and bloud of Christ?
No surely, I doe not so beleeue. I thinke that at the Supper I neyther receiue flesh nor bloude,* 1.8 but bread and wine: Which bread when it is broken, and the wine when it is dronken, putteth mee in remembraunce howe that for my sinnes the body of Christ was broken, & his bloudshed on the Crosse, and with that breade and wine I receiue the benefites that come by the breaking of his body, & sheding of his bloud for our sinnes on the Crosse.
Why? doeth not Christ speake these woordes: Take eate, this is my body? Require you any plainer words? doeth he not say it is his body?
I graunt hee sayeth so: and so he sayth, I am the vine, I am the doore,* 1.9 but hee is neuer the more for that the dore not the vine. Doth not S. Paul say, He calleth things that are not as though they were? God forbid that I should say that I eat the very naturall body and bloud of Christ: for then eyther I should plucke away my redēption, either els there were two bodies, or two Christes. One body was tormēted on the Crosse. And if they did eate an other body, then had hee two bodies: either els if his body were eaten, than was it not broken vpon the Crosse: or if it were broken vpon the Crosse, it was not eaten of his Disciples.
Why? is it not possible that Christe by hys power coulde make his body both to be eaten and broken, as to be borne of a woman wythout seede of man, and as to walke vppon the sea hauing a body, and other suche like myracles as he wrought by his power onely?
Yes verely:* 1.10 if God would haue done at his Supper any myracle, he myght haue done so: but I say that then he minded no worke nor myracle, but onely to breake his bo∣dy, and shed his bloud on the Crosse for our sinnes. But I pray you to answere me to thys one question: where was Christ when he sayd: Take, eate, this is my body? Was hee not at the table when he sayde so? Hee was at that time alyue, and suffered not till the next day. What tooke he but bread? What brake he but breade? and what gaue hee but breade? Looke what he tooke, he brake: and looke what hee brake, he gaue: and looke what he gaue, they did eate: and yet all this while he himselfe was aliue, and at Supper before his di∣sciples, or else they were deceiued.
You ground your faith vppon such authours as say and vnsay both with a breath, and not vpon the Church,* 1.11 to whom ye ought to geue credite.
No, I grounde my faith on Gods woorde, and not vpon the Churche. For if the Churche be a good Churche,* 1.12 the faith of the Churche must be tried by Gods worde, and not Goddes woorde by the Churche, either yet my Faithe. Shall I beleeue the Churche because of antiquitye? or shal I geue credite to the Churche that taketh away from mee the halfe parte of the Lordes Supper, and will not lette a∣ny man receiue it in both kindes?* 1.13 Whych thing if they de∣nie to vs, then denie they to vs part of our saluation. And I saye that it is an euill Churche, and not the Spouse of Christ, but the Spouse of the Deuill that altereth the Lor∣des Supper, and both taketh from it, and addeth to it. To that Church (say I) God will adde plagues, and from that Church will he take their parte out of the booke of life. Doe they learne that of S. Paule, when he ministred to the Co∣rinthians in both kindes? Shall I beleeue this Churche? God forbid.
That was done for a good intent of the Churche, to auoide an heresie that sprong on it.* 1.14
Why? shal the church alter Gods wil & ordinance for a good intēt? How did king Saul? The Lord God defend.
With these and such like persuasions he would haue had her leaue to the Church, but it woulde not be. There were