A caueat for the Christians agaynst the arch-papist

¶ An admonition for all Christians to beware of the Pharisaicall leuen , of the Archepapist , Hereis not half his worthy style . the gloriouse Hipocrite the subtile Sophester , and the fraudulent coum trefeyctour of Gods holy worde : Where the absurditee of his late abused termes of Consecratinge himselfe in remembraunce of himselfe is merely well refelled , confuted and audyded : And at the last the selfe wordes ( thorowe the conference of tongues ) restored to these olde sincere and trewe meanynge .

SVrely good Christian brether I can do no lesse of Christian charitie than toad monishe you of a certayne notable Papist who ( accordyng to hys accustomed maner ) dyd priuely truste in to a greate lump of dowe euen a lytle leuen but truely no lesse than leuened the whole doughe . The confection and makynge of the leuen was after thys sorte , Consecrating himself in remembraunce of him self . Nowe you maye se the leuen is a very lytle pece in quantitee but yet veray greate in qualitte ( I meane of sowernes . For it was digged vp of the slimy pyttes of mannes doctrine , and seasoned not wyth the water of life but with very poddel water which hath bene so long kepte in the Popeg fylthye cesternes that nowe it stynketh agayne , not in the Papistes noseg ( who haue euer be brought vp with it , and haue seasoned euen their mooste delycate wafrons therwith ) but in the christians sense that lyue on the newe water of the welsprynge that so swetely sauoureth of Christ . Therfore ( I save ) let vs with all endeuour go about to auoyde thys vnsauerye leauen , for it is nothynge worth but to be eiecte and cast out and troden downe of men vnderfoote . For it hathe in it no whit of the salt of trew wysedome , but altogether smellyng of carnall wit , worldely inuention , and deuely she imaginacion . Pourge therfore the olde leuen , that ye maye be newe dowe , as ye are swete breade . But I praye you where shall a manne fynde suche wordes or any equiua lent to those leuenouse woordes of his , among all the wordes of Christ spoken at his last supper : And verely I would neuer haue thought that a man beyng no lesse polityke than learned woulde so pertly and so portely , so openly and so opiniously vtter his Phransye and disclose either his heresie or ignorancie after suche sort as he dyd , and that before the chiefe in earthe of Christes churche , and before the eyes & wysedome of al the wholeroialme . But yet I praye you holde the mācxcused for he nedes muste so do , els his perled mytre shulde haue maxed lyke a Christenmans cap : his pontifical maiestie shuld haue bene more ministerlyke , his holye crochear must haue be more shepehoke lyke . Els the God of the Altare shulde be remetamorphosed , vniuggled , and vnconiured again into a wafron cake : The Iewyshe stony alter shulde haue no longer stande in stede . The leuiticall dysguysed vestimentes with the Reliques of the Hopysh churches ceremonies , shulde cleane haue vanished away , and the whole flocke of popyshe secre ( of whom he was the chiefe and surest leanynge post ) shulde haue fall down into a deadly swone : and all Eardiners garde shulde neuer be regarded . But yet I say I woulde neuer haue expected suche newe founde termes to haue gushed out at his mouth beyng a man no lesse ware , than wyly , no lesse wyly , than circomspecte , no lesse circomspecte than worldly wyse : Sauinge onelye the sacred Scripture muste be true , and nedes muste be fulfylled which saieth .

I will destroye the wisdome of the wyse / and wilcast a way the vnderstandyng of the prudent . Esa. xxix .

Therfore let vs geue thankes with oure Lorde Iesu vnto God the father , that he hath hyd his deuine inisteries from the wyse and sheweth them vnto babes : verelye we se nowe that it so pleaseth hys moost druine maiestee . But to you master Craftye ( and pleaseth your consecration ) me thynketh ye were a lytle to folyshe hardy to bragge out your self before so couragious a Lyon who could dasihe , quayle , & hwisht al your bragginges with the lest rorynge of his mouth . Prou. 20. Me thynketh , ye toke a lytle to muche payne , to go about to cast dust into suche mens eyes as there were : for they cold clearely forse whether tended your dusty endeuour wyth out any forayn spectacles .

O syg ( I am sorye for youre chaunce ) ye were a lytle ouer sene that ye woulde playe the Sophester so kyndly , before so many perfect Logicians ( as there were ) who colde espie out your solemne subtile sophesmes , and entryp you at their wyll and pleasure .

But you knewe well ynough that ye shoulde not be disputed nor resoned wyth all , nor yet interrupted for the while , and that by lyke made you so bolde to lashe out what soeuer came vpon your tonges ende . But syra shall I be sorye or you and the Papistes that ye spente so vaynely your Rhetorical colours ? for there were in that Auditorye to greate a nombre that coulde espye thorowe ( for all youre freshe colours and darke shadowynges ) the rotten postes of the Romyshe churche .

But I promyse you mayster Sophester and ye hadde bestowed the saine goodly ambiguouse sermon of yours , in anye place elles in Englande ( bothe the Vniuersities excepted ) you shoulde haue lefte youre audyence in a greate doubte whether ye were an Archepapiste or a microchristian , and whether ye lesse fauoured mannes lawe or Goddes lawe .

But in deade ye semed than , rather to kepe youre selfe wythin the prescripte boundes of mannes lawe , than to leane to the sure postes of Goddes lawe .

Yea it was wyttyly done of you to kepe you styl with in the reache of youre cauell , for thence you mought safely snarre and snatche at whom you woulde , if they dyd myslyke your lordshyppe : But I trust you wyll saue one , yf mans pollecie can preuayle . But alas I am sorye that deade mens boues ( I do not meane . Barnes moare than others ) are nowe sene in your whyted sepulchre : Yet I praye God ( and his pleaser be not the contrarye ) to auerte the vengeange of Saynetes prayers from you , Apoea . 6. and to directe yet your harte to cleaue to the immaculate lawe of the Lorde , & receyue the head corner stone into your buyldynge . I praye God euen hartely to make you a new Christian brother , of an old papistical Saul : I pray God that we maye haue iust occasion to prayse God of youre godly conuersion . And I pray God that ye haue not the power to play the .ii. pyked staffe no more . For ye haue dalyed to long , ye haue dissimuled to long , ye haue haulted on both sydes to long : I pray God that you maye yet remembre the commen prouerbe that affirmeth euer to be better than neuer : yet may you be Paul , yf Christ wyll . And I praye you to be no more offended with thys my wrytyng than ye woulde haue me to be offended with youre sermon : I forgiue you on my parte and I pray God forgeue you also : & I pray you to do lykewyse vnto me . For surely if ye be so wise a man as ye are estemed , ye woll rather couet to loke in a trew glasse , than in a flatteryng myrrour : But thorow your good pacience I muste go about to pourge out that same lytle leauen that you hyd of late purposely in the dowghy lumpe of your pharasaicall sermon . Why do not you yourselfe knowe ( but euery Christian knoweth ) that it is a sower leuenouse doctrine to alter the institution of the Lordes supper ? And you knewe wel ynough that all papistes and al the vnlearned people take this worde ( consecratinge ) for transubstantiatyng , changing , or alteryng of the sacramental bread and wyne into the very natural bodye of Christe ( and as they call it ) fleshe bloude and bone : But I praye you was this well done of you ? or where founde you the worde ( Consecrating ) of yours . But I am sure ye wyll say that it counteruaileth benedixit whiche signifieth also in Englysh ( he blessed . ) Wel I wyl graunt al that : but why than dyd you wrest the blessynge into consecration ? Mary bicause it was a more glad some euangeli for your disciples & a more to the some swillig for your hoggyshe Massers : but ( thankes be to the lord ) the triumph was but short and the banket but a dreame . But paraduenture you wyl relent som what , and yelde so far ( by cause ye can donone other ) as to forgo this worde Consecratynge , so that ye maye haue blessynge for it : Than ye wil procede and say that ( he blessed hymselfe ) whiche ( after youre mynde ) is all one in effecte , as the Euangelist , had said he consecrated hymselfe : why than be it so , for a whyle yet . But than from whence conueyed you in , that worde ( himselfe ) for there is no suche woorde in the texte : but than wil you straight way say there is panis breade in the texte : That do I graunte also neuērthelesse you spell to wel , and put to gether to fast , if that ye wyl saye ( he blessed the bread ) . I praye you of whence haue you the woorde ( he blessed ) Mary of benedixit but I pray you farther ( by cause ye be learned in the tongues ) tel me yet of whence had you that benedixit ? you wyll say of eulogese the Greke worde whiche betokeneth in Engloshe he blessed , he praysed , or he spake wel of . Wel in so much , that you tolde me what answered to benedixit in the Greke texte : I wyl lykewyse tell you what answereth to it in the Hebrue . For I am assured , ye wil not denye but Matthew wrote his Gospell in hebrewe : And wryteth ueieuarech for et benedirit and he blessed . How be it the Hebrue verbe barech betokeneth as wel and as indifferentlye ( gratias egit ) he , gaue thankes , as he blessed : whan that soeuer the place may suffre to be so vnderstande : And I praye you what place els in the whole scripture may better suffer yea or rather dothe require 〈…〉 barech , to signifie to geue thankes more than this same place dothe I praye you was not euen the same Iesus Christ before this tyme of his laste supper , accustomed to geue thankes vnto his heauenly father at receyuyng of his bodely sustenaunce or not ? you woll paraduenture say nay : No , but than on what shall we grounde oure godly custome of saying Grace or geuyng thankes vnto God , at meate tyme ? It semeth to me that that laudable and godly ceremouye ( as an imitacion of Christes owne maner ) came vp , emong the Christians euen from his tyme . For the Euangelist Matthew in the . rxvi . cap , sayeth Wcheshamer weth-tehillah , that is : whan they had sayde prayse , whan they said grace , or whan they had geuen thankes : erge , there were more than Christe hymselfe : And who shoulde , they be but the Apostles whiche ( as it becōeth a disciple ) folowed their masters trade , & so successiuely the christians accustomed themselfes after the maner vntyll this day . Yee but than wil you say the ther be .ii. kynd of Graces , one sayde after meate named Gratias actiorum a thankes geuyng : and an other sayd before meate called Consecratio mense the consecration of the table , the blessyng or halwyng of the meat . Now by all halowes it passeth my braines to auoide thys blyssynge and halowyng of yours , onles I halowe out on the Angell of heauen who ( and you will accepte it ) shall answer you with the same wordes as he spake to Peter whan he was of your opinion , his wordes were these : what God hath clensed call not thou comun or vncleane . To the which Sainct Paule subscribeth on this wyse :

All the treatures of God are good : 1. Tim. iiii

Than yf all maner of fourfoted beastes of the earth , and vermen , Actuum .x. and wormes , and foules of the ayer be cleane : And yf all the creatures of God be good , what neade thei than so muche of our blessing and halowyng ? but we oughte in very dede to render most hyghest thankes vnto God for his bounteouse lyberalitee of his creatures whom we haue the fruition not only in our dayly fode but in the rest of our sustentation . Agayne Matthew writeth in the .xv. chapter of his gospell . That Christ toke seuen loues in his handes and seuen fyshes & gaue thankes : But here the Euangelyste ded not vse uaiebarech ( whiche you expounde always he blyssed ) but uaiomer todha which is after the hebrue phrase ) and sayeng knowledge , ( and after the Englyshe speache ) & he gaue thankes : But paraduenture you wyll englyshe it , that he was confessed than , or sayd his confiteor . But what should I make so many wordes of the hebrue phrase of barech ? for haue not we borowed the same phrase of the Hebrues and do euen vse it right well in the commen speache whan we speake on this sorte : Nowe we haue dyned blessed be God , or thus : My Lord Protectors grace hath had a faire day on our enemyes ( blessed be God ) and sende vs styll scoch newes . And what do we meane by this ( blessed be God ) but thankes be geuen vnto God for his benefites that he vouch saued to bestow theym on vs that so vnworthely haue deserued them at his hand ? And therefore we can do no lesse at the rehersal of so many benefites ( seyng we acknowledge that that we receyued them al together of him ) as it wer in a recompence but saye , blessed be God , or thanked be God , which is all one effecte , sauing the one is the phrase of the Hebrues , and the other the verye englyshe phrase . And after this maner is the woorde ( blissed ) take in the .xlvii. chapter of : Genesis : wheare it is wrytten :

Ioseph brought in / Iacob his father & set him before Pharao : and blessed Pharao .

which was as who say in english , he thanked Pharao for so manye benefites shewed vnto his father . Lyke wyse is it most euident that ( blesse ) must be taken for geuyng thankes in the Psalm. C.iii. whiche begynneth .

Blesse the lorde ( O my soule ) and al that is with in me / blesse his holy name . Blesse the Lorde O my soule / and forget not all his benefits . whiche forgeueth all thy synnes / and healeth al thyne infirmites . Whiche saueth thy lyfe from destruction / and crownethe the with mercy & louing kyndnes . whiche satisfieth thy desire with good thinges / makynge the yonge and lusty as an Egle. &c.

Wo therfore be to al the wresters of the worde of God . And twyse wo vnto him the purposelye depraueth the same . I praye you why woulde you not call the woordes of consecration , the wordes of christifieng ? or the wordes of creatyng of Christ ? or the wordes that make christ a new ? No , no : ye wer wyser than so for than dame Hypocrisye coulde neuer so smothely haue crepte in , nor so manye hundreth yeares haue continued . And euen lyke sleyght ye practysed whan ye vsed the straunge vocable Exorcizo te : for coniuro te , I coniure the &c. for we shoulde neuer haue strayed so far ( the coniuryng terme knowen ) as to say . A qua benedicta sit nobis salus et uita . The holy water be oure health and lyfe . Alas alas what seas of myschiefes haue we runne headlyng into by reason of youre straunge termes ? whiche yf I should prosecute to reherse one by one I shoulde rather be tediouse vnto the reader than perswade you to take your penne & to wryte for to redresse the same . Such stiffe obstinacie ( the more to be pytyed ) is so euidetly seene in you . I pray God yet of his tender clemencye to souple a lytle the Pharao hardnes of your flynty harte . But away than with your papistical con secratyng : away with your hypocritical Necromancia & coniuryng ? Away with al such couloured holynes : God can not be mocked . Galat. vt . Therfore it wyl not preuayle you to prattle to hym saycnge .

Lorde Lorde haue not we prophecied in thy name : haue not we cast out deuiles thorow thi name ?

And done many miracles thorow thy name ?

For than wyll he answere you , euen thus : For all youre phantasticall preachynge for all your holy consecratyng and for all youre coloured cuniuryng . I neuer knew you departe from me , ye that worke iniquitie . But how long wyll you de voyde of the Lordes feare-how long wyll you defye hys louynge kyndnes ? And how long wyll you abuse his most holi word ? But yet take hede , take heed , in the meane whyle , lest an euil sprite saye vnto you

Iesus I knowe & Paule I know : but who are ye ?

And with that ( for deprauynge of their woordes ) haue power to runne on you and wounde you . But to returne to the propose . Nowe paraduenture for all this spelling of the mater , the papistes be scant yet wholy resolued : wherfore we must diuine by what meanes Christe woordes at his laste supper , began to be called , nerba consecrationis the workes of consecration : And I saye they mought wel be called so yf thei wer vnderstande , ment , and construed , after the true meanyng of the Hebrue speach , that is : uerba consecrationis .i. uerba consecrata hoc est uerba sacra : the sacred words : And So ought all the woordes of the holy scripture be named , as well as they . But now to confirme that the hebrues vsed suche maner of speach neadeth no probacion : But yet , for their sake that be not much conuersant in readynge of the holye scripture ( which euery wher is euen ful of suche phrases ( we wyl adde an example or two : Math. xxiiii .

Whan ye shall se the abomination of desolation .

Whiche shulde be englyshed whan ye shall se the abhominable desolacion . And after the maner of the same language spake Paule ( thoughe he wrote in an other tongue ) to the Romaynes . cap. vii .

O wretched man that I am ( sayeth he ) who shall delyuer me from this body of death :

That is frome thys deadlye or mortall body .

So Dauid hath in the fyrst verse of the .xv. Psalme .

Lorde who shal be receined into thy pauilyon : or who shall dwell in the mountayne of thy holynesse .

Wher the Englyshe tongue woulde requyre it to be translated , in thy holye mountayne .

But yet in as moche as euery man ( for whose behofe the holye scripture is indifferently wrytten and preāched ) doth not vnderstand the same Hebrew phrase : let vs no more chop & change with speches : Let vs no more make the vocables and termes of the hyghe mysteries of our Religion more mysticall & and confuse than Christe hymsel euer made theim . Let vs neyther adde nor take ought awaye frome the worde of God , lest we shal be accursed not of the Pope ( whiche is not wont to accurse for suche mattiers ) but of GOD . Therefore I praye you for the reuerence that ye owe vnto the trueth ( I meane ) vnto Iesus Christ the verye truethe , that ye wyll no longer vsurpe nor practice the darke termes and ( as they be comenly taken ) wicked , the termes I say of consecratynge , ( or as ( you commenly call theym ) the wordes of consecration . I praye you euen for Iesus Christes sake to forgo suche popyshe termynge . And call theym whan neade shall requyre to talke of theym ) whether soeuer ye will , the holy woordes , or the woordes of holy scripture . And if ye must neade yet a whyle name theym by a diffuse and a straunge terme , call theym the Sacred wordes : and I am assured ye maye awaye wyth Sacred because he semeth to be nere of kinne to maister Sacryng your good lorde . The Popes owne derely beloued countrey papistes who made and sette fourth of late the Romyshe Constitutions ( called for the meane seasone ) were euen ashamed to vsurpe any longer the termes of verba concecrationis in their booke , * * Called Interim . but the same haue they ( as it were ) abholyshed & abrogated namynge theym by a newe terme , but more tollerable & lesse odible to christen mens eares . Yet are not these popish priestlynges nothing abashed to terme Christes wordes as they wil them selfes . Therfore O ye al godli prie stes that pretende to be of Christs congregacion , do away such fonde termes : Play no more the popish prie stes with so many external blessing & crossing , & with your outwarde wassyng & shauyng . Cesse of your mumbling of straūgelangages before the congregacion . Play no more ( I sai ) Aarons priestes with your dedicated temples , with seuered chauncels , with your carnal frequented sacrifices : with your prescrpition of vestures , of time , of meates , of fasting , & fasting dayes , Hebre. x. for these wer but shadowes of good thinges to come whiche be also come already : the cloudi night is past the gladsom dai is sprong , Iohn . xii . let vs walke in the lyght while we haue the lyght among vs , lest the darknesse come on vs . For he that walketh in darnes , woteth not whether he goeth . And while we haue light , let vs beleue in the lighte , that we maye be chyldren of lyght .

And this is the condempnation that after the lyght hath come into the worlde men haue yet styll loued darkenes rather than lyghte . We be past chyldehod , away than wyth childish phantasyes . For the houre , commeth and now is , Iohn . iiii . whan the true worshippers worshipp the father in spirite , and in truth . For he as a sprete : and therefore loueth he no carnal thynges , nor outward thynges , but spirituall thynges , and inwarde thinges . Therfore al you that be called and chosen to be the ministers of Christe , and the Stewardes of hys secrets : 1. Cor. iiii . whan you shall ministre the Lordes supper , you may teherse and alledge Christes holy woordes vnto them after this maner : Good Christen brethren this godly Institucion of eatynge the Lordes supper : came not vp at the fyrst of mannes inuention , nor was not maintened bymānes pollicie nor continued so many yeares ( as diuerse other blynde cetemoniall customes dyd ) withoute playne auctoritie of GODS mooste holy worde . Therfore dare not I no more than Saynt Paul ( for feare of beinge founde an vnfaytheful stewarde , and a counterfayte executour of the Lordes new Testament and last wyll ) alledge and bryng in , for thastablyshment of receyuyng this moost comfortable supper , any wordes ymagined of mannes braynes , ( appeare neuer so eloquent , neuer so holylyke , or neuer so gloriouse ) but euen the veray pure and holy woordes spoken of Christe himselfe , ( the same nyghte that he was betrayed ) and afterward most faythfully wryten by his owne disciples & our Euangelistes : and nowe at the laste ( by GODS grace ) by me pronounced worde for woorde as the texte of the Lorde Iesus Christes newe Testament declareth theym : Therfore good Christians , lyft vp your hartes to Godwarde , that ye maye heare his holye woordes wyth the eare of faythe : and that you maye take them for the stedfast ground-werke of your buyldyng , for the originall auctoritie , for the trew report , the directe lyne that iust squiere , the vndeceyuable compasse and the verye lymites of the true vnderstandynge and sincere meanynge of the effectualll signification of eatyng the Lordes supper .

But hearken nowe to the holy wordes of the auctoritie , whiche ye shall fynde wrytten in the .xxvi. chapter of Matthewe , the .xiiii. of Marke : the .xxii. of Luke , the .vi. of Iohn and in the eleuenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthi , 〈…〉

And as they dyd eate / Iesus toke bread : & whan he had geuen thankes he brake it / & gaue it to the disciples / & sayd : Take / eate / thys is my bodye / whiche is geuen for you . This do / in the remembraunce of me . Lykewise also whan he had supped / he toke the cuppe & thanked / sayeng : drynke ye all of this . For this cup is the new testament in my bloude / whiche is shedde for many / for the remission of synnes . Verely I saye vnto you I wil drinke no more of the frute of the vyne tree : vntill that day I drynke it newe in the kyngdome of God . Verely verely he that putteth his trust in me / hathe euerlastinge life . I am that bread of life / whiche came doune from heauen : If any man eate of thys bread he shal not die / but shall haue life for euer .

And the breade that I wyll geue / is my fleshe / whiche I wil geue for the lyfe of the world . Verely verely I saye vnto you / excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man / and drinke his bloud / ye haue no life in you . whosoeuer eateth my fleshe / & drynketh my bloud / hath eternall lyfe / and I wil rayse hym vp at the last day . For my fleshe is meate in dede / and my bloud is drinke in dede : He that eateth my fleshe / & drynketh my bloud / dwelleth in me / & I in him . Doeth this offende you ? What & if ye se the sonne of man ascende vp thether wher he was before ? It is the sprete that quickeneth / the fleshe profyteth nothyng . The wordes that I speke vnto you / are spirite and lyfe . But there are some of you / that beleue not .

Hetherto haue I rehersed vnto you the veray wordes of the Lorde , as for moost infallible principles of the chyefe Authore of the Christians doctrine : as a veray testimoniall of his inestimable loue towarde mankynde : and as the wordes of C̄hristes commission wherby we dare enterpryse to approche to the Lordes table , and there to eate the Lordes body as it was crucyfied on the crosse : and drynke his veray bloud the was shed for oure redemption who wer borne by nature the children of wrath and his veray enemyes . This must we do for the remembraunce of his most beneficial death : and neuer ceasse vntyll the Lorde come . For there is not a more odiouse , nor so hatefull a thyng : eyther vnto God or man , as the vice of ingratitude & beastely vnkyndnes which is nothing els but the forgetfulnes of benefits employed ? & the vnthankefulnes for good tournes vndeseruedly shewed . And as he that yet banketeth being not anhongred hapneth some tyme to take surfet vntyll the death of his body : Euen so he that eateth this supper not dryuen to with spirituall hongre taketh deadely surfet of his soule And contraryly as the bodely meat eaten of our hongry stomackes is sone disgested and norysheth our bodyes : so the fleshe and bloud of Christ eaten of vs with a spirituall hongry desier norysheth our soules into euerlastyng lyfe . Amen .

Here haue I treacted somwhat largier of the Lordes supper than I had entended , for I proposed nothynge els but to touche a lytle euen superficially of the termes that wer so impudently and vnshamefastly abused of the Archepapist , which termes the preacher at Paules Crosse ( as I heard saye ) pretermitted to speake of , though he ( questionles ) ful entierly & pyththely handled and cofounded the rest of his sermon . But by like eyther the prescription of the accustomed tyme beynge scarce for to repete in , the whole rablemente of that papistical sermon & the same vtterly to confute : either els the childyshe and vnlerned rudenes of the sayde termes made hym ( as he is verely a man so highly learned ) rather to wynke at theim , & neglect theim , than vnworthely to spende any tyme in disputyng aboute so grosse , so playne , and so tryflynge a matter . Therfore I praye God sende vs lesse acquayntance with suche preachers as the fourther was : and more familiaritee with al those that be of that christian crudition and godlye conuersacion as the later was Amen .

FINIS .