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THE WORKS
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BISHOP RIDLEY.
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, THE
WORKS
OF,
NICHOLAS RIDLEY, D.D
, SOMETIME LORD BISHOP OF LONDON,
MARTYR, 1555.
EDITED FOB
BY THE REV. HENRY CHRISTMAS, M.A. F.R.S. F.S.A.
, 5-
CAMBRIDGE:
PRINTED AT
THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
M.DCCC.XLIII.
5/-3D
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE
BIOGRAPHICAL Notice of Ridley i
ORIGINAL TREATISES.
1. Brief Declaration or Treatise against Transubstantiation ... 1
2. Piteous Lamentation 47 v
3. Treatise against Image Worship 81
CONFERENCES.
4. Conferences with Latimer 97
5. Conference with Secretary Bourne 163
JUDICIA.
6. A Determination concerning the Sacrament 167
7. Judicium de Epistolis Decretalibus 180
DISPUTATIONS AND EXAMINATIONS.
8. Disputation at Oxford 185
9. Examination before the Queen's Commissioners 253
SMALLER DOCUMENTS.
10. Ridley's account of his disputation at Oxford 303
11. The Theological Variations of Stephen Gardiner 307
12. Answer to certain Queries touching the abuses of the Mass... 316
13. Injunctions to the Diocese of London 319
14. Reasons why the Lord's board should be in the form of a table 321
LETTERS.
15. Letters.— XXXIV 325
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
APPENDICES.
PAGE
I. DISPUTATIO habita Oxonii
II. Articles of accusation against Ridley
III. Letter of Dr Turner to John Fox
IV. Letter from Gardiner to Ridley....
V. the Protector to Ridley
V1 .... Edward VI. to Ridley 50?
" 509
Notes
513
Index
A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE
OF
NICHOLAS RIDLEY, D.D.,
BISHOP OF LONDON, 1550— 1553.
DR NICHOLAS RIDLEY l was born in the beginning of the sixteenth century (the exact date is not known), in North -
1 Ridley. The allusions made by Bp Ridley to his family in his letters, and especially in his " Farewell," where he specifically addresses its several branches, render it desirable to give some account of his relatives and their possessions. The origin of the name may be traced more satisfactorily than that of many others now equally illustrious. It appears to have been Scottish, and originally Riddle, or rather Ryedale, of which Riddle is a corruption; and the Riddles of Glen- riddle might have traced their descent to a common stock with the Ridleys of Willymotswick. The Ridleys appear to have had their full share in the disturbances so frequent in the border territory, and in works which treat on Border History occur many instances both of their courage and their importance. Turner speaks of one of Ridley's uncles who was a knight; it is just possible that he may have been the same person with the Richard Ridley of Hardriding, of whom mention is made by Ridpath. A passage in the Border Minstrelsy mentions those branches of the Ridley family located at Willymots wick, Hardriding, Hawden and Waltown ; the first of whom was pro bably the uncle of Nicholas Ridley, and father to the "worshipful cousin of Willowmountswick," addressed by the Bishop in his last farewell. To this passage the editor appends the following note, the information of which he derived, he says, from Mr Surtees. " Willi- moteswick" (the etymology of which name is given in a note to Appendix III.), "now called Ridley Hall, is situated at the confluence of the Allon and Tyne, and was the chief seat of the ancient family of Ridley. Walltown, where another branch of the same family was settled, was so called from its situation on the great Roman wall." 1 "A feud did certainly exist between the Ridleys and the Featherstonehaughs, another border family, and which led on more than
one
a [RIDLEY.]
11 A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF
umberland, not far from the Scottish border. Thus much he states himself; and to this his friend and fellow-collegian, Dr Turner1, adds, that the place of his birth was Wilmonts- wick. " His father," says Dr Glocester Ridley, " was the third son of a very ancient family, which had been seated there through a long descent of knights for many genera tions ; the second son was John, father to Dr Lancelot Ridley, and a fourth son was Dr Robert Ridley."
"Descended from this ancient stock, he degenerated not from the virtues of his ancestors, but gave a much greater lustre to his family than he derived from it." His school education he received at Newcastle upon Tyne, from whence he was removed, about A. D. 1518, to Pembroke College in Cambridge, at the expence of his uncle Dr Robert Ridley, then a Fellow of Queens1 College.
The following dates of the chief events in Ridley^s life are collected from Dr Glocester Ridley and Bp Godwin2:
Born in the beginning of the sixteenth century.
Entered at Pembroke College, about A.D. 1518
B. A 1522
Elected fellow of University College, Oxford, but declined the
honour 1524
Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge 1524
one occasion to fatal results, as may be seen by the following ex tracts from the Inquis. Calend. '24 Oct. 22do Henrici 8vi Inquisitio capt. apud Hautwhistle sup. visum corpus Alex. Featherstone Gen. apud Greenselhaugh, felonice interfecti 21 Oct. per Nicolaum Ridley de Un- thanke, Gen. — Hugon. Ridle. Nicolaum Ridle et alios ejusdem nominis.' Nor were the Featherstones without their revenge, for in 36to Henrici 8vi we have, fUt legatio Nicolai Featherston ac Thomee Nyxon, &c. pro homicidio Willmi. Ridle de Morale.' These extracts are here given as much with a view to shew the various modes of spelling the name, Ridley — Riddle- -Ridle — Rydley— of which the first only is now pre served, as to throw some light on the allusions in the Bishop's letters."
1 See Appendix III.
2 Ridley's Life of Dr N. Ridley, London, 1763, 4to. F. Godwini de Prfesulibus Anglise Commentarius (p. 192) with Dr Richardson's Notes. Cantabrigiae, 1743. fol.
BISHOP RIDLEY. Ill
M.A 1525
College agent for Tylney, Soham, and Saxthorpe Churches 1526
Went to Paris, and studied at the Sorbonne 1527
Returned to England. Junr. Treasurer of Pembroke College ... 1530
Senior Proctor 1533
Signed the decree against the Pope's Supremacy at Cambridge ... 1534
B.D 1534
Chaplain to the University and Public Orator 1534
Chaplain to Archbishop Cranmer 1537
Vicar of Herne 1538
Master of Pembroke College, and D.D 1540
Chaplain to Henry VIII 1540
Prebendary of Canterbury 1541
Prebendary of Westminster 1545
Vicar of Soham 1547
Bishop of Rochester 1547
Commissioner to visit Cambridge 1549
Bishop of London 1550
Nominated Bishop of Durham 1553
Excepted from the Amnesty by Mary 1553
Committed to the Tower, July 1553
Sent to Oxford to dispute 1554
Martyrdom, October 16 1555
From the preceding list of dates it will be seen that the college career of Bishop Ridley was highly honourable and equally successful ; and so great were the hopes excited by his learning and abilities, that a fellowship at University College, Oxford, was offered for his acceptance. This honour he thought it best to decline, preferring the prospects which his own University presented him, and was accordingly the next year elected a Fellow of his own College, to the Master ship of which he subsequently attained. Impelled by that thirst for knowledge which ever distinguished him, he went in the year 1527 to Paris, for the purpose of studying at the Sorbonne ; and here doubtless he availed himself of every advantage presented to him by that then celebrated seat of learning. But the University of Paris was already in its
a— 2
IV A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF
decline, and Ridley has given a picture by no means favour able of the then prevailing style of disputation among its members. His absence was not long, for we find him, in 1530, Junior Treasurer of Pembroke Hall. He signed, as Proctor, in 1534, the Decree against the Pope's supremacy, and continued steadily rising in his University career. In 1538 he appeared in a new capacity, that of a parish- priest. The Vicarage of Herne, in Kent, was bestowed upon him ; and with the intense but well-directed zeal which formed so essential a part of his character, he applied him self to the duties of his new situation. So successful was he as a preacher, that he attracted to his church numbers who had hitherto altogether omitted the duty of attendance on the services of the church ; nor was he less attentive to the other parts of his parochial duty.
His subsequent history will be given in the words of Fox, which, brief as they are, form nearly all that can be known of this great and good man's life.
The " Life and Story" of Bishop Ridley preserved in the "Acts and Monuments", is valuable and interesting, more especially as it gives many particulars of his domestic life, which are preserved in no other author. The mar- tyrologist, after some introductory remarks, proceeds thus: " Among many other worthy and sundry histories and notable acts of such as of late days have been turmoiled, murdered, and martyred for the true gospel of Christ in queen Mary's reign, the tragical story and life of Dr Ridley I thought good to commend to chronicle, and leave to perpetual me mory : beseeching thee, gentle reader, with care and study well to peruse, diligently to consider, and deeply to print the same in thy breast, seeing him to be a man beautified with such excellent qualities, so ghostly inspired and godly learned, and now written doubtless in the book of life, with the blessed saints of the Almighty, crowned and throned
BISHOP RIDLEY.
amongst the glorious company of martyrs. First descending
of a stock right worshipful, lie was born in Northumberland- Nicholas
Ridley born
shire, who being a child, learned his grammar with great y^
dexterity in Newcastle, and^ was removed from thence to a the University of Cambridge, where he in short time became Newcastle. so famous, that for his singular aptness he was called to higher functions and offices of the University, by degree attaining thereunto, and was called to be head of Pembroke Nicholas
Ridley
Hall, and there made Doctor of Divinity. After this, de- Master of
* Pembroke
parting from thence, he travelled to Paris, who at his return
was made Chaplain to King Henry the Eighth, and pro- Ridley made
moted afterwards by him to the Bishoprick of Rochester :
and so from thence translated to the See and Bishoprick
• TT~- T^T 111 Chaplain.
of London in King Edwards days . Nicholas
J . Ridley made
" In which calling and offices he so travelled and occu- Chester pied himself by preaching and teaching the true and whole- Ridley-made some doctrine of Christ, that never good child was more London.
The fruitful
singularly loved of his dear parents, than he of his flock and diocese. Every holiday and Sunday he lightly preached
God's word.
in some one place or other, except he were otherwise letted by weighty affairs and business, to whose sermons the people resorted, swarming about him like bees, and coveting the sweet flowers and wholesome juice of the fruitful doctrine, which he did not only preach, but shewed the same by his
1 Ridley was not promoted to the see of Rochester till after the king's death, but it would appear that he was intended to be placed in that see as soon as the death of Longland, the aged bishop of Lincoln, made a vacancy for the translation of Holbeach, then bishop of Rochester. Gloucester Ridley remarks, that the historians of the latter part of Henry's reign and the beginning of that of Edward VI. speak of him as having been appointed to preach the funeral sermon of Francis I. at St Paul's, calling him elect of Rochester; but that even in this particular they are inaccurate, as this sermon was preached on the 19th of June, 1547j, and the conge d'elire was not issued to the chapter of Rochester till the first of August following, Henry VIII. having died on the 28th of January in the same year. Gloucest. Ridley's Life of Bishop Ridley, pp. 184, 210, 211.
A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF
life, as a glittering lantern to the eyes and senses of the blind, in such pure order and chastity of life (declining from evil desires and concupiscences), that even his very enemies could not reprove him in any one iota thereof. fey of^reat" " Besides this, he was passingly well learned, his memory SSaudwas great and he of such reading withal, that of right he deserved to be comparable to the best of this our age, as can testify as well divers his notable works, pithy sermons, and sundry his disputations in both the Universities, as also his very adversaries, all which will say no less themselves.
"Besides all this, wise he was of counsel, deep of wit, and very politic in all his doings. How merciful and care ful he was to reduce the obstinate Papists from their erro neous opinions, and by gentleness to win them to the truth, his gentle ordering and courteous handling of Doctor Heath, late Archbishop of York, being prisoner with him in King Edward^s time in his house one year, sufficiently declareth. In fine, he was such a prelate, and in all points so good, godly, and ghostly a man, that England may justly rue the loss of so worthy a treasure. And thus hitherto concerning these public matters.
Bishop Rid- " Now will I speak something further particularly of his " Person anc* conditions. He was a man right comely and
complexion. ^^ proportioned in all points, both in complexion and lineaments of the body. He took all things in good part, bearing no malice nor rancour from his heart, but straight- ways forgetting all injuries and offences done against him.
Thefaircon- He was very kind and natural to his kinsfolk, and yet not
ditions of
teffiJte?' bearing with them anything otherwise than right would re- dred,yetnot quire, giving them always for a general rule, yea to his
otherwise
own brother and sister, that they doing evil should seek or required. jook ^ j^^ing a^ hjs hand, but should be as strangers
and aliens unto him, and they to be his brother or sister, which used honesty and a godly trade of life.
BISHOP RIDLEY. Vll
" He using all kinds of ways to mortify himself, was given Bishop^ Rid- to much prayer and contemplation : for duly every morning, JSJ2ij£r °f so soon as his apparel was done upon him, he went forth with to his bedchamber, and there upon his knees prayed the space of half an hour, which being done, immediately he The order of went to his study, (if there came no other business to m-anddiet- terrupt him,) where he continued till ten of the clock, and then came to common prayer, daily used in his house. The prayers being done he went to dinner, where he used little talk, except otherwise occasion by some had been ministered, and then was it sober, discreet, and wise, and sometimes merry, as cause required.
" The dinner done, which was not very long, he used to sit an hour or thereabouts talking or playing at the chess : that done, he returned to his study, and there would con tinue, except suitors or business abroad were occasion of the contrary, until five of the clock at night, and then would come to common prayer, as in the forenoon, which being finished he went to supper, behaving himself there as at his dinner before ; after supper recreating himself in playing at j^gr°jje)r chess the space of an hour, he would then return again to pcr> his study ; continuing there till eleven of the o'clock at night, which was his common hour to go to bed, then saying his prayers upon his knees, as in the morning when he rose. Being at his manor of Fulham, as divers times he used to be, he read daily a lecture to his family at the common The careful
i diligence of
prayer, beginning at the Acts of the Apostles, and so going Bishop Rid- throughout all the Epistles of St Paul, giving to every man that could read a New Testament, hiring them besides with money to learn by heart certain principal chapters, but especially the thirteenth chapter of the Acts ; reading also unto his household oftentimes the one hundred and first Psalm, being marvellous careful over his family, that they might be a spectacle of all virtue and honesty to
Vlll A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF
other. To be short, as he was godly and virtuous him self, so nothing but virtue and godliness reigned in his house, feeding them with the food of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
" Now remaineth a word or two to be declared of his gentle nature and kindly pity in the usage of an old woman called Mistress Bonner, mother to Doctor Bonner, sometime bishop of London: which I thought good to touch, as well for the rare clemency of Doctor Ridley, as the unworthy immanity Thebeha- and ungrateful disposition again of Doctor Bonner. Bishop
viur of
[d- Ridley, being at his manor of Fulham, always sent for the J"er's said Mistress Bonner, dwelling in an house adjoining to his house, to dinner and supper, with one Mistress Mungey, Bonner's sister, saying, Go for my mother Bonner ; who coming, was ever placed in the chair at the table's end, being so gently entreated, welcomed, and taken, as though he had been born of her own body, being never displaced of her seat, although the king's council had been present, saying, when any of them were there (as divers times they were), By your lordships' favour, this place of right and cus- Thecourte- torn is for my mother Bonner. But how well he was re-
sy of Ridley,
ness ofrish" compensed for this his singular gentleness and pitiful pity scribed! and after at the hands of the said Doctor Bonner, almost the together, least child that goeth by the ground can declare. For who
afterward was more enemy to Ridley than Bonner and his?
Who more went about to seek his destruction than he ? Bishop Rid- recompensing his gentleness with extreme cruelty. As well
appeared by the strait handling of Ridley's own natural sister,
r' un- and George Shipside her husband, from time to time : whereas churlish to the gentleness of the other did suffer Bonner's mother, sister,
Bishop Rid-
other his kindred, not only quietly to enjoy all that
MS brother/ which they had of Bonner, but also entertained them in his house, shewing much courtesy and friendship daily unto them : whereas on the other side Bishop Bonner, being
BISHOP RIDLEY. IX
restored again, would not suffer the brother and natural sister of Bishop Ridley, and other his friends, not only not to enjoy that which they had by the said their brother Bishop Ridley, but also currishly, without all order of law or honesty, by extort power wrested from them all the livings they had.
" And yet being not therewith satisfied, he sought all the means he could to work the death of the aforesaid Shipside, saying that he would make twelve godfathers to go upon him ; which had been brought to pass indeed, at what time he was prisoner at Oxford, had not God other wise wrought his deliverance by means of Doctor Heath, bishop then of Worcester. Teste Georgia Shipsidio.
" Whereby all good indifferent readers notoriously have to understand, what great diversity was in the disposition of these two natures. Whereof as the one excelled in mercy and pity, so the other again as much or more excelled in churlish ingratitude and despiteful disdain. But of this matter enough.
" Now concerning God's vocation, how Doctor Ridley was first called to the savouring and favouring of Christ and his gospel, partly by his disputation before, and other his treatises, it may appear, that the first occasion of his con version was by reading of Bertram's book of the Sacrament, Bishop md- whom also the conference with Bishop Cranmer and with verted by
Bertram's
Peter Martyr did not a little confirm in that behalf. Who Books- now by the grace of God, being throughly won and brought to the true way, as he was before blind and zealous in his old ignorance, so was he as constant and faithful in the right knowledge which the Lord had opened unto him, (as well appeared by his preachings and doings during all the time of king Edward,) and so long did much good, while authority of extern power might defend and hold up the peace of the church and proceedings of the gospel. But
X A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF
Bishop Rid- after that it pleased so the heavenly will of the Lord our
ley one of *
troubteafter ^°^ to bereave us of our stay, and to call from us King Kin/Ed-° Edward that precious Prince, as the whole state of the
ward.
Church of England was left desolate and open to the ene mies1 hand; so this Bishop Ridley, after the coming in of Queen Mary1, eftsoon and with the first was laid hands upon
1 Ridley while Bishop of London had visited the (then) Princess Mary, and offered to preach before her. This interview seems to have created in Mary's mind a dislike to Ridley. An account of it has been preserved by Fox, in the following words:
About the eighth of September, 1552, Dr Ridley, then bishop of London, lying at his house at Hadham in Herts, went to visit the Lady Mary, then lying at Hunsden two miles off, and was gently en tertained of Sir Thomas Wharton and other her officers, till it was almost eleven of the clock, about which time the said Lady Mary came forth into her chamber of presence, and then the said bishop there saluted her Grace, and said that he was come to do this duty to her Grace; then she thanked him for his pains, and for a quarter of an hour talked with him very pleasantly, and said that she knew him in the court when he was chaplain to her father, and could well remember a sermon that he made before King Henry her father at the marriage of my Lady Clinton that now is to Sir Anthony Browne, &c. and so dismissed him to dine with her officers. After the dinner was done, the bishop being called for by the said Lady Mary, resorted again to her Grace, between whom this communication was: first the bishop beginneth in manner as followeth. "Madam, I came not only to do my duty to see your Grace, but also to offer myself to preach before you on Sunday next, if it will please you to hear me."
At this her countenance changed, and after silence for a space, she answered thus : " My Lord, as for this last matter, I pray you make the answer to it yourself."
Ridley. — " Madam, considering mine office and calling, I am bound to make your Grace this offer to preach before you."
Mary.—" Well, I pray you, make the answer, as I have said, to this matter yourself, for you know the answer well enough ; but if there be no remedy, but I must make you answer, this shall be your answer, the door of the parish church adjoining shall be open for you, if you come, and ye may preach if you list, but neither I nor any of mine shall hear you."
Ridley.—" Madam, I trust you will not refuse God's word."
Mary. — " I cannot tell what ye call God's word — that is not God's word now, that was God's word in my father's days."
Ridley. — "God's word is one at all times, but hath been better understood and practised in some ages than in other."
BISHOP RIDLEY. XI
and committed to prison, as before hath sufficiently been expressed : first in the Tower, then after translated from i£shoj> Rid- thence with the Archbishop of Canterbury and Master La- to the prison
of Jiocardo
timer to Oxford, was with them inclosed in the common in Oxford- gaol and prison of Bocardo, while at length being dissevered from them, he was committed to custody in the house of one Irish, where he remained till the last day of his death and martyrdom, which was from the year of our Lord, 1554, till the year 1555, and 16th day of October."
Mary. — " You durst not for your ears have avouched that for God's word in my father's days that now you do ; and as for your new books, I thank God, I never read any of them, I never did nor ever will do."
And after many bitter words against the form of religion then established, and against the government of the realm, and the laws made in the young years of her brother, which she said she was not bound to obey till her brother came to perfect age, and then she said she would obey them; she asked the bishop whether he were one of of the council ? He answered, " No." " You might well enough," said she, "as the council goeth now-a-days." And so she concluded with these words : " My lord, for your gentleness to come and see me I thank you, but for your offering to preach before me I thank you never a whit."
Then the said bishop was brought by Sir Thomas Wharton to the place where they had dined, and was desired to drink, and after he had drunk, he paused awhile, looking very sadly, and suddenly brake out into these words, — " Surely I have done amiss." " Why so ?" quoth Sir Thomas Wharton. " For I have drunk,'' said he, " in that place where God's word offered hath been refused, whereas if I had remembered my duty, I ought to have departed immediately, and to have shaken off the dust of my shoes for a testimony against this house." These words were by the said bishop spoken with such a vehemency, that some of the hearers afterward confessed their hair to stand upright on their heads. This done, the said bishop departed, and so returned to his house. Testified by a certain reverend per sonage yet alive, being then the bishop's chaplain.
2 Bishop Ridley appears to have had forebodings of the kind of death by which he should depart this world. Humphrey, in his " Life of Bishop Jewell," records the following anecdote :
Similiter et Dr Ridlaeus, tametsi indignante in tempcstate factatus, suot> jam territos cohortans, " Bono" inqmt " animo estate, et remis in- cumbite : hccc, cyiriba fert cpiscopum, qucm non mergi sed comburi oportet." P. 258, 9, A.D. 1573.
Xll A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF
His character is sufficiently depicted in his works : they indicate a mind of the very highest order, both as to power and acuteness, and where he fairly entered into a subject he left but little for after writers to touch upon. In matters of controversy his immense patristic learning gave him a de cided advantage over all his antagonists, and the general idea of his importance to the cause of the Reformation may be estimated from the words of one of his most distinguished adversaries : " Latimer leaneth to Cranmer, Cranmer leaneth to Ridley, and Ridley leaneth to his own singular wit."
The quaint lines wherein Quarles gives the character of Ridley may not be unacceptable to the reader:
Read, in the progress of this blessed story,
Home's cursed cruelty and Ridley's glory:
Rome's siren's song; but Ridley's careless ear
Was deaf: they charm'd, but Ridley would not hear.
Rome sung preferment, but brave Ridley's tongue
Condemned that false preferment which Rome sung.
Rome whispered death; but Ridley, (whose great gain
Was godliness) he waved it with disdain.
Rome threatened durance, but great Ridley's mind
Was too, too strong for threats or chains to bind.
Rome thundered death, but Ridley's dauntless eye
Star'd in death's face, and scorn'd death standing by.
In spite of Rome for England's faith he stood,
And in the flames he sealed it with his blood.
Bishop Ridley complied with the apostolic maxim, " Let your moderation be known unto all men." The share which he took in the arrangement of the Book of Common Prayer, and other ecclesiastical formularies, enables us to judge with some accuracy as to his correct views of church-government. As a bishop, both at Rochester and in the more important see of London, his conduct was beyond all praise ; his judg ment and his activity were alike called into exercise, and were but too painfully contrasted with those of his prede-
BISHOP RIDLEY. Xlll
cessor and successor1. The account of his martrydom will be found after that of his last examination at Oxford. The lists of his works have been various, that by Bishop Tanner, given in the Bibliotheca Brittanico-Hibernica, is the most complete. It is as follows :
I. Treatise concerning Images not to be set up nor worshipped in churches. Pr. First the words of the comm. — Fox, p. 2128.
1 A remarkable instance of the beneficial effect of Ridley's counsels is to be seen in the foundation of three institutions in the reign of Ed ward VI., and which in point of date may be called the first fruits of the Reformation. Both in the council chamber and the pulpit did this eminent prelate resist the sacrilegious spirit of his day; and though the young King was but partially able to resist the tide of corruption, he yet founded, at the suggestion of Ridley, no less than sixteen gram mar-schools, and designed, had his life been spared, to erect twelve colleges for the education of youth. Shortly before his death he sent for the bishop, and thanking him for a sermon in which he strongly pressed the duty of providing for the poverty and ignorance of our fellow-men, added ; " I took myself to be especially touched by your speech, as well in regard of the abilities God hath given me, as in regard of the example which from me he will require ; for as in the kingdom I am next under God, so must I most nearly approach him in goodness and mercy; for as our miseries stand most in need of aid from him, so are we the greatest debtors— debtors to all that are miserable, and shall be the greatest accountants of our dispensation therein ; and there fore, my lord, as you have given me, I thank you, this general exhorta tion, so direct me (I pray you) by what particular actions I may this way best discharge my duty." The bishop, who was not prepared for such a request, begged time to consider, and to consult with those who were more conversant with the condition of the poor. Having taken the advice of the Lord Mayor and aldermen of London, he shortly returned to the King, representing that there appeared to be three different classes of poor. Some were poor by impotency of nature, as young fatherless children, old decrepit persons, idiots, cripples, and such like, these required to be educated and maintained ; for them accordingly the King gave up the Grey Friars' Church, near Newgate Market, now called Christ's Hospital. Other he observed were poor by faculty, as wounded soldiers, diseased and sick persons who required to be cured and relieved, for their use the King gave St Bartholomew's near Smithfield; the third sort were poor by idleness or unthriftyness, as vagabonds, loiterers, &c. who should be chastised and reduced to good order; for these the King appointed his house at Bridewell, the ancient mansion of many English Kings.
XIV A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF
II. Answers to certain Queries concerning the abuses of the Mass. Pr. No man can take unto himself anything. MS. Bibl. Bodl. NE. B. 2. 7. et Burnet Hist. Reform, torn. ii. app. p. 123.
III. Brief Declaration of the Lord's Supper. Pr. Many things confound. — 1555 et 3586, Svo. et Oxon. 1688, 4to. Latine per Guliel. Whyttyngham Genev. 1556, h. t. "de ccena dominica assertionem e carcere scriptam." Pr. Cum duse res sint quse mihi. Latina autem versio in principio unam aut alteram sententiam habet quse non est in originali. Libro huic respondit Alban Longdale, S. T. Professor e colK D. Johan. Cantabr. in " confutatione Catholica Nic. Ridley de Eucharistia." Par. 1556, 4to.
IV. Certain Godly and Comfortable Conferences be tween him and Mr Hugh Latimer during the time of their Imprisonment. Pr. A bishop ought to be unrepr. — London, 1555, 1556, Svo. et Oxon. 1688, 4to. Et in partibus trans- marinis, 1556, 12mo. Editioni Londinensi additur, 1A Treatise against the Error of Transubstantiation. Et ite- rum cum prsefatione Henrici Wharton, Lond. 1688, 4to. In MS. Bodl. NE. B. 2. 7. Extat conferentia una contra Missam. Pr. All worldly respects put apart. — Et in Fox. 1 edit. p. 1285, extat altera cum Antonio qusedam. Pr. All men do much marvell.
V. A Friendly Farewell written during his Imprison ment at Oxford unto all his true lovers a little before his Death. Pr. partis 1. At the name of Jesus Christ let.— Pr. partis 2. Farewell, my dearly beloved brethren. — Lond. 1558. Extant apud Fox, p. 1770, 1776.
VI. A Piteous Lamentation of the Miserable State of the Church of England, in the time of the late Revolt from the Gospel. Pr. Alas, what misery is. — Lond. 1566, Svo. Extat in Fox, p. 1778. 2A Comparison between the Com-
1 Same as No. III. 2 Same as No. VI.
BISHOP RIDLEY. XV
fortable Doctrine of the Gospel and the Traditions of the Popish Religion. Ibid.
VII. An Account of a Disputation held at Oxford, A. D. 1554. Pr. I never yet sithens I was born. — Prodit Latine cura Gilb. Ironside. Oxon. 1688, 4to.
VIII. The Way of Peace among all Protestants, being a Letter sent by him to Bishop Hooper, with Observations upon it. — Lond. 1688, 4to.
3 A Letter of Reconciliation written to Bishop Hooper. — Lond. by Samuel Johnson, 1689, 4to.
IX. De Abominationibus Sedis Romanse et Pontificum Romanorum. — Strype in Vita Cranmeri, p. 343.
X. Annotationes in Tonstalli libros de Transubstan- tiatione. Ibid.
4 Collectanea ex Evangeliis et D. Paulo, tribus docto- ribus Ecclesise Grsecse, sc. Origene, Chrysostomo et Theodo- reto, et tribus Ecclesise Latinse, sc. Tertulliano, Augustino et Gelasio de verbis Institutionis Ccense Dominicse figurative intelligendis. Ibid.
XI. Tres positiones de sacrificio missse expiatorio. Ibid, (same as VII, but in Latin).
XII. Epistolas ad Fratres in diversis carceribus. Ibid.
XIII. De Electione et Prsedestinatione. Ibid. p. 350. Vide Literas Martyr, in Bibl. Emman. Cant. fol. 70.
XIV. Judicium ejus de epistolis decretalibus, sc. de mentis, Anacleti, Luciani et Pontiani. et aliorum vetustissi- morum pontificum. Pr. Ego censeo sane esse supposititias. MSS. Bibl. Emman. Cant. 1. c. finit ita : Hsec esse respon- denda censeo Bradfordo meo ad suam Qusestionem de auc- toritate harum epistolarum.
XV. Annotationes in duas Watsoni conciones quad- rigesimales coram regina. MSS. ibidem.
XVI. Certain Matters wherein Stephen Gardiner dif- :{ Same as No. VIII. 4 Same as No. III.
XVI A BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF BISHOP RIDLEY.
fereth from others of the Papists, and from himself, as touching the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Pr. Other say that the body.— Fox, 1 Ed. p. 1384.
1 Answer to M. Ant. Constantius. Ibid. p. 1503.
XVII. Articles to be Enquired of in the Visitation of the Diocese of London, 1550. Concil. M. Brit, et Hib. torn. iv. p. 60. seq.
XVIII. Injunctions given at the Visitation of the Dio cese of London, 1550. Burnet Hist. Reform, torn, ii. App. n. 52.
XIX. His Letter to the Preachers within the Diocese of London, setting out the Sins of that time. Ibid. n. 58.
XX. His Letter to the Protector concerning the Visi tation of the University of Cambridge. Ibid. n. 59.
XXI. Diverse Letters. Strype in Vita Grindall, 19. Id. in Vita Cranmer, Ap. Ixxxvi. Id. in Vita Parker, 29. Fox, 1464, 1504, 1724. MSS. Epist. Martyr, in Bibl. Emm. Coll. Cant. MSS. C. C. C. C. Miscell. i. 401 2.
1 Same as No. IV.
2 Of these, the works numbered I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. XL XII. XIV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. have been pre served, and are given in this Edition ; those numbered IX. X. XIII. and XV. have unhappily perished.
A BRIEF DECLARATION
THE LORD'S SUPPER,
A TREATISE
AGAINST THE
ERROR OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION,
WRITTEN BY
NICOLAS RIDLEY,
BISHOP OF LONDON,
DURING HIS IMPRISONMENT, A.D. 1555.
[RIDLEY.]
tfje HLorta* Supper, umtttn fcj 0in&ular leartwlr man, anti meet con^taunt tnartir of ^0u
llptriry i3t0ftop of ^ prisoner in ©xfortr^ little Jjtfort fjr 0ufftrctr Ueatfte for tje true lr0tttnoit|>r of
. 8.
JFor tl)B safee arc toe fcilUtJ all iage
long, anti are tomptctJ as sliepc
appotntctr to be slasne.
i^cbcrilielcss in all
tljesc things toe
overcome tl)tougl;
l)im tfjat lo=
beU us.
1555.
TO THE READER.
UNDERSTAND, good reader, that this great clerk and blessed martyr Bishop Nicholas Ridley sought not (by set ting forth this notable godly piece of learned work) the vain glory of the world, nor temporal friendship of men for his present advancement, much less he hunted hereby for Bishop rics and benefices, as all his adversaries (the enemies of Chrisfs truth and ordinance) the papists commonly do : but, having consideration of the great charge of souls committed unto him, and of the account thereof which the justice of God would require at his hands, intending therewithal to be found blameless in the great day of the Lord, seeing he was put apart to defend the gospel ; he not only forsook lands, goods, world, friends, and himself withal, and testified the truth specified in this book by his learned mouth, in the presence of the world, but also (to leave a sure monument and love- token unto his flock) he hath registered it by his own pen in this form ensuing, and sealed it up with his blood. For asmuch, then, as he hath approved himself no vain disputer, no weathercock, no hypocrite ; seeing he hath willingly given his life for the truth; and inasmuch also as his love and most constant Christian conscience speaketh freely unto thee, gentle reader, I beseech thee, for Christ's sake and thine own, lend him thine indifferent heart and patient hearing.
1—2
A TREATISE
AGAINST THE
ERROR OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION,
MADE BY THE
REVEREND FATHER
NICOLAS RIDLEY,
BISHOP OF LONDON,
IN THE TIME OF HIS IMPRISONMENT.
MANY things confound the weak memory: a few places well weighed and perceived lighten the understanding. Truth is there to be searched, where it is certain to be had.
Though God doth speak the truth by man, yet in man's word (which God hath not revealed to be his) a man may doubt without mistrust in God. Christ is the truth of God revealed unto man from heaven by God himself; and there fore in his word the truth is to be found, which is to be embraced of all that be his. Christ biddeth us ask, and we shall have; search, and we shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto us.
Therefore, 0 heavenly Father, Author and fountain of all truth, the bottomless sea of all true understanding ; send down, we beseech thee, thy holy Spirit into our hearts, and lighten our understanding with the beams of thy heavenly grace.
We ask thee this, 0 merciful Father, not in respect of our deserts, but for thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ's sake. Thou knowest, 0 heavenly Father, that the contro- The blessed versy about the sacrament of the blessed body and blood prayers. of thy dear Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, hath troubled, not of late only, thy church of England, France, Germany, and Italy, but also many years ago. The fault is ours, no doubt, thereof, for we have deserved thy plague.
But, 0 Lord, be merciful, and relieve our misery with some light of grace. Thou knowest, 0 Lord, how this wicked world rolleth up and down, and reeleth to and fro, and careth not what thy will is, so it may abide in wealth.
6 A BRIEF DECLARATION
if truth have wealth, then who are so stout to defend the a<|ctK>n truth as they? But, if Christ's cross be laid on truth's back, friends. then they vanish away straight, as wax before the fire. But these are not they, O heavenly Father, for whom I make my most moan, but for those seely1 ones, 0 Lord, which have a zeal unto thee : those, I mean, which would and wish to know thy will, and yet are letted, holden back, and blinded, by the subtilties of Satan and his ministers, the wickedness of this wretched world, and the sinful lusts and affections of the flesh.
Alas! Lord, thou knowest that we be of ourselves but flesh, wherein there dwelleth nothing that is good. How then is it possible for man without thee, 0 Lord, to un derstand thy truth indeed? Can the natural man perceive icor.ii. the will of God? 0 Lord, to whom thou givest a zeal for thee, give them also, we beseech thee, the knowledge of thy blessed will. Suffer not them, 0 Lord, blindly to be led, for to strive against thee, as thou didst those, alas! which crucified thine own dear Son : forgive them, 0 Lord, for thy dear Son's sake, for they know not what they do. They Johnxvi. do think, alas! 0 Lord, for lack of knowledge, that they do unto thee good service, even when against thee they do most grievously rage. Kemember, 0 Lord, we beseech thee, Acts vii. for whom thy martyr Stephen did pray, and whom thine holy Rom. ix. Apostle did so truly and earnestly love, that, for their salva tion, he wished himself accursed from thee. Remember, 0 heavenly Father, the prayer of thy dear Son our Saviour Luke xxiii. Christ upon the cross, when he said unto thee : " 0 Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." With this for giveness, O good Lord, give me, I beseech thee, thy grace, so here briefly to set forth the sayings of thy Son our Sa viour Christ, of his Evangelists, and of his Apostles, that, in this aforesaid controversy, the light of thy truth, by the lantern of thy word, may shine upon all them that love thee. Of the Lord's last supper do speak expressly three of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke ; but none more Q1 Seely — hodie silly, the original meaning of the word was happy, for tunate : from that signification it varied through the successive changes inoffensive, weak, or foolish, infirm in body, in which last sense it is even now used in the north of England. It is derived from the Saxon > happy. ED.]
OF THE LORDS BT'PPER.
plainly nor more fully declareth the same, than doth St Paul, partly in the tenth, but especially in the eleventh chapter of the First Epistle unto the Corinthians. As Matthew and Mark do agree much in form of words, so do likewise Luke and St Paul ; but all four, no doubt, as they were all taught in one school, and inspired with one Spirit, so taught they all one truth. God grant us to understand it well. Amen.
Matthew setteth forth Christ's supper thus :
" When even was come, he sat down with the twelve, Matt- xxvi- &c. As they did eat, Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said : Take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying : Drink ye all of this ; for this is my blood of the New Testament, that is shed for many for the remission of sins. I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine-tree, until that day when I shall drink that new in my Fathers kingdom. And when they had said grace, they went out," &c. Matt. xxvi.
Now Mark speaketh of it thus :
"And, as they ate, Jesus took bread, blessed, and brake, Markxiv. and gave to them, and said: Take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them ; and they all drank of it. And he said unto them : This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. Verily, I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink that new in the king dom Of God." Markxiv.
22 — 25.
Here Matthew and Mark do agree, not only in the matter, but also almost fully in the form of words, 2 'saving that, for these words in Matthew, " gave thanks," Mark hath one word, " blessed ;" which signifieth in this place all one. And, where Matthew saith, " drink ye all of this ;" Mark saith, " and they all drank of it." And, where Matthew saith, " of this fruit of the vine ;" Mark leaveth out the word " this," and saith, " of the fruit of the vine."
Now let us see likewise what agreement in form of words is between St Luke and St Paul. Luke writeth thus:
" He took bread, gave thanks, brake it, and gave it to Luke xxii.
[2 The words in Italics are not in the editions of this treatise sub sequent to 1556. En.]
8 A BRIEF DECLARATION
them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. Likewise also, when they had supped, he took the cup, saying: This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you." St Paul setteth forth Christ's supper thus :
i Cor. xi. " The Lord Jesus, the same night in the which he was
betrayed, took bread, and gave thanks, and brake, and said: Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me. After the same manner he took the cup, when supper was done, saying: This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do, as often as ye shall drink it, in the remembrance of me. For as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye shall show the
i Cor. xi. Lord's death until he come."
23 25.
Here, where St Luke saith, " which is given ;" Paul saith, "which is broken." And as Luke addeth to the words of Paul spoken of the cup, " which is shed for you ;" so like wise Paul addeth to the words thereof, " This do, as often as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me." The rest that followeth in St Paul, both there and in the tenth chapter, pertaineth unto the right use of the Lord's supper.
Thus the Evangelists and St Paul have rehearsed the words and work of Christ, whereby he did institute and ordain this holy sacrament of his body and blood, to be a perpetual remembrance until his coming again of himself (I say), that is, of his body given for us, and of his blood shed for the remission of sins.
But this remembrance, which is thus ordained, as the author thereof is Christ (both God and man), so by the almighty power of God it far passeth all kinds of remem brances that any other man is able to make, either of him self, or of any other thing : for whosoever receiveth this holy sacrament thus ordained in remembrance of Christ, he re ceiveth therewith either death or life. In this, I trust, we do all agree. For St Paul saith of the godly receivers in iCor. x. the tenth chapter of his First Epistle unto the Corinthians: " The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the partaking or fellowship of Christ's blood 2" And also saith: "The bread which we break (and meaneth at the Lord's table), is it not the partaking or fellowship of Christ's body?"
OF THE LORD S SUPPEll.
Now the partaking of Christ's body and of his blood, unto the faithful and godly, is the partaking or fellowship of life and immortality. And again, of the bad and ungodly receivers, St Paul as plainly saith thus : "He that eateth 1 Cor. xi. of this bread and drinketh of this cup unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord."
Oh ! how necessary then is it, if we love life and would eschew death, to try and examine ourselves before we eat of this bread and drink of this cup ! for else, assuredly, he that eateth and drinketh thereof unworthily eateth and drinketh his own damnation, because he esteemeth not the Lord's body; that is, he reverenceth not the Lord's body with the honour that is due unto him.
And that which was said, that with the receipt of the holy sacrament of the blessed body and blood of Christ is received of every one, good or bad, either life or death; it is not meant, that they which are dead before God may hereby receive life; or the living before God can hereby receive death. For as none is meet to receive natural food, whereby the natural life is nourished, except he be born and live before ; so no man can feed (by the receipt of the holy sacrament) of the food of eternal life, except he be regene rated and born of God before : and on the other side, no man here receiveth damnation, which is not dead before.
Thus hitherto, without all doubt, God is my witness, 1 say, so far as I know, there is no controversy among them that be learned among the church of England, concerning the matter of this sacrament, but all do agree, whether they be new or old; and to speak plain, and as some of them do odiously call each other, whether they be Pro testants, Pharisees, Papists, or Gospellers.
And as all do agree hitherto in the aforesaid doctrine, so all do detest, abhor, and condemn the wicked heresy of the Messalians, which otherwise be called Euchites, which said, that the holy sacrament can neither do good nor harm : and do also condemn those wicked Anabaptists, which put no difference between the Lord's table and the Lord's meat, and their own. And because charity would, that we should (if it be possible, and so far as we may with the safeguard of good conscience, and maintenance of the truth)
10 A BRIEF DECLARATION
agree with all men; therefore, methinks, it is not charitably
done, to burden any man (either new or old, as they call
them) further, than such do declare themselves to dissent
from what we are persuaded to be the truth, and pretend
thereto to be controversies, whereas none such are in deed ;
charity win and so to multiply the debate, the which, the more it doth
man. increase, the further it doth depart from the unity that the
true Christian should desire.
And again, this is true that the truth neither needeth, nor will be maintained with lies. It is also a true common what it is proverb, " that it is even sin to lie upon the devil : for though by thy lie thou dost never so much speak against the devil, yet in that thou liest, indeed thou workest the devil's work; thou dost him service, and takest the devil's part."
do bSie the Now, whether then do they godly and charitably, which PJ|a^ers of either by their pen in writing, or by their words in preach ing, do bear the simple people in hand, that those which thus do teach and believe, do go about to make the holy sacrament, ordained by Christ himself, a thing no better than a piece of common baken bread? or that do say, that such do make the holy sacrament of the blessed body and blood of Christ nothing else, but a bare sign, or a figure, to represent Christ, none otherwise than the ivy-bush doth represent the wine in a tavern; or as a vile person gor geously apparelled may represent a king or a prince in a play : alas ! let men leave lying and speak the truth every one, not only to his neighbour, but also of his neighbour, . for we are members one of another, saith St Paul.
The controversy (no doubt), which at this day troubleth the church (wherein any mean1 learned man, either old or new, doth stand in2), is not, whether the holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ is no better than a piece of common bread, or no ; or whether the Lord's table is no more to be regarded than the table of any earthly man; or whether it is but a bare sign or figure of Christ, and nothing else, or no. For all do grant, that St Paul's words do require that the bread which we break is the partaking of
[* Moderately learned. ED.]
|~2 Doth stand in— doth agree. En.~|
OF THE LORD^S STJPPRR. 11
the body of Christ: and all also do grant him, that eateth of that bread or drinketh of that cup unworthily, to be guilty of the Lord's death, and to eat and drink his own damnation, because he esteemeth not the Lord's body. All do grant that these words of St Paul (when he saith, " If * Cor- viii- we eat, it advantageth us nothing;" or, "if we eat not, we want nothing thereby") are not spoken of the Lord's table, but of other common meats.
Thus then hitherto yet we all agree. But now let us wherein the see wherein the dissension doth stand. The understanding SnsSteth.y of that wherein it chiefly standeth is a step to the true searching forth of the truth. For who can seek well a remedy, if he know not before the disease I
It is neither to be denied nor dissembled, that in the matter of this sacrament there be divers points, wherein men counted to be learned cannot agree : as, Whether there be any transubstantiation of the bread, or no? Any corporal and carnal presence of Christ's substance, or no? Whether adoration, only due unto God, is to be done unto the sacra ment, or no? And whether Christ's body be there offered in deed unto the heavenly Father by the priest, or no? Or whether the evil man receiveth the natural body of Christ, or no ? Yet nevertheless, as in a man diseased in divers parts, commonly the original cause of such divers diseases, which is spread abroad in the body, doth come from one chief member, as from the stomach, or from the head ; even so, all five aforesaid points do chiefly hang upon this one question, which is, What is the matter of the sacrament, whether it is the natural substance of bread, or the natural substance of Christ's own body ? The truth of this question, truly tried out and agreed upon, no doubt will cease the controversy in all the rest. For if it be Christ's own natural body, born of the Virgin; then assuredly (seeing that all learned men in England, so far as I know, both new and old, grant there to be but one substance), then, I say, they must needs grant transubstantiation, that is, a change of the substance of bread into the substance of Christ's body: then also they must grant the carnal and corporal presence of Christ's body : then must the sacrament be adored with the honour due unto Christ himself, for the
12 A BRIEF DECLARATION
unity of the two natures in one person : then, if the priest do offer the sacrament, he doth offer indeed Christ himself; and finally, the murderer, the adulterer, or wicked man, receiving the sacrament, must needs then receive also the natural substance of Christ's own blessed body, both flesh and blood.
Now, on the other side, if, after the truth shall be truly tried out, it be found that the substance of bread is the material substance of the sacrament ; although, for the change of the use, office, and dignity of the bread, the bread indeed sacramentally is changed into the body of Christ, as the water in baptism is sacramentally changed into the fountain of re generation, and yet the material substance thereof remaineth all one, as was before; if (I say) the true solution of that former question, whereupon all these controversies do hang, be, that the natural substance of bread is the material sub stance in the sacrament of Christ 's blessed body; then must it follow of the former proposition, (confessed of all that be named to be learned, so far as I do know in England,) which is, that there is but one material substance in the sacrament of the body, and one only likewise in the sacra ment of the blood, that there is no such thing indeed and in truth as they call transubstantiation, for the substance of bread remaineth still in the sacrament of the body. Then also the natural substance of Christ's human nature, which he took of the Virgin Mary, is in heaven, where it reigneth now in glory, and not here inclosed under the form of bread. Then that godly honour, which is only due unto God the Creator, may not be done unto the creature without idolatry and sacrilege, is not to be done unto the holy sacrament. Then also the wicked, I mean the impenitent, murderer, adulterer, or such-like, do not receive the natural substance of the blessed body and blood of Christ. Finally, then doth it follow, that Christ's blessed body and blood, which was once only offered and shed upon the cross, being available for the sins of all the whole world, is offered up no more in the natural substance thereof, neither by the priest, nor any other thing.
But here, before we go any further to search in this matter, and to wade, as it were, to search and try out, as
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 13
We may, the truth hereof in the Scripture, it shall do well by the way to know, whether they, that thus make answer and solution unto the former principal question, do take away simply and absolutely the presence of Christ's body and blood from the sacrament, ordained by Christ, and duly ministered according to his holy ordinance and institution of the same. Undoubtedly, they do deny that utterly, either so to say, or so to mean. Hereof if a man do or will doubt, the books, which are written already in this matter of them that thus do answer, will make the matter plain.
Now then you will say, what kind of presence do they What kind, grant, and what do they deny ? Briefly, they deny the pre- isr*j£* jn sence of Christ's body in the natural substance of his human *he Lor(1's
» Supper.
and assumed nature, and grant the presence of the same by grace : that is, they affirm and say, that the substance of the natural body and blood of Christ is only remaining in Matt- "fr- heaven, and so shall be unto the latter day, when he shall come again in glory, accompanied with the angels of heaven, to judge both the quick and the dead. And the same na tural substance of the very body and blood of Christ, be cause it is united in the divine nature in Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, therefore it hath not only life in John vi. itself, but is also able to give, and doth give life unto so many as be, or shall be partakers thereof: That is, that to all that do believe on his name, which are not born of blood, as St John saith, or of the will of the flesh, or of the John i. will of man, but are born of God — though the self-same substance abide still in heaven, and they, for the time of their pilgrimage, dwell here upon earth; by grace (I say), that is, by the gift of this life (mentioned in John) and the John vi. properties of the same meet for our pilgrimage here upon earth, the same body of Christ is here present with us. Even as, for example, we say the same sun, which, in substance, never removeth his place out of the heavens, is yet present here by his beams, light, and natural influence, where it shineth upon the earth. For God's word and his sacraments be, as it were, the beams of Christ, which is Sol justitice, Mai. iv. the Sun of righteousness.
Thus hast thou heard, of what sort or sect soever thou be, wherein doth stand the principal state and chief point of
A BRIEF DECLARATION
all the controversies, which do properly pertain unto the nature of this sacrament. As for the use thereof, I grant, there be many other things whereof here I have spoken nothing at all. And now, lest thou mayest justly complain and say, that I have, in opening of this matter, done no thing else but digged a pit, and have not shut it up again; or broken a gap, and have not made it up again ; or opened the book, and have not closed it again ; or else, to call me what thou listest, as neutral dissembler, or whatsoever else thy lust and learning shall serve thee to name me worse; — therefore here now I will, by God's grace, not only shortly, but also clearly and plainly as I can, make thee to know, whether of the aforesaid two answers to the for mer principal state and chief point doth like me best. Yea, and also I will hold all those accursed, which in this matter, that now so troubleth the church of Christ, have of God received the key of knowledge, and yet go about to shut up the doors, so that they themselves will not enter in, nor suffer other that would. And, for mine own part. I con sider, both of late what charge and cure of souls hath been committed unto me, whereof God knoweth how soon I shall be called to give account, and also now in this world what peril and danger of the laws (concerning my life) I am now in at this present time: what folly were it then for me now to dissemble with God, of whom assuredly I look and hope by Christ to have everlasting life ! Seeing that such charge and danger (both before God and man) do compass me in round about on every side ; therefore (God willing) I will frankly and freely utter my mind ; and though my body be captive, yet my tongue and my pen, as long as I may, shall freely set forth that which undoubtedly I am persuaded to be the truth of God's word. And yet I will do it under this protestation, call me a Protestant who listeth, I pass not thereof1. My protestation shall be thus : that my mind is and ever shall be, (God willing), to set forth sincerely the true sense and meaning (to the best of my understanding) of God's most holy word, and not to decline from the same, either for fear of worldly danger, or else for hope of gain. I do protest also due obedience and submission of my f1 I pass not thereof. I care not for it. ED.]
OF THE LORD'S SUPPEK. 15
judgment in this my writing, and in all other mine affairs, unto those of Christ's Church, which be truly learned in God's holy word, gathered in Christ's name, and guided by his Spirit. After this protestation, I do plainly affirm and say, that the second answer ', made unto the chief2 question and principal point, I am persuaded to be the very true meaning and sense of God's holy word ; that is, that the ^nesJJ£,J° natural substance of bread and wine is the true material question, substance of the holy sacrament of the blessed body and blood of our Saviour Christ : and the places of Scripture whereupon this my faith is grounded, be these, both con cerning the sacrament of the body, and also of the blood.
First, let us repeat the beginning of the institution of the Lord's supper, wherein all the three Evangelists and St Paul almost in words do agree ; saying, that " Jesus Christ call- took bread, gave thanks, brake, and gave to the disciples, bread his saying, Take, eat, this is my body." Here it appeareth plainly, that Christ calleth very bread his body. For that which he took was very bread (in this all men do agree); and that which he took, after he had given thanks, he brake ; and that which he took and brake, he gave it to his dis ciples; and that which he took, brake, and gave to his disciples, he said himself of it : " This is my body." So it appeareth plainly that Christ called very bread his body. But very bread cannot be his body in very substance thereof. Therefore it must needs have another meaning, which mean ing appeareth plainly, what it is, by the next sentence that folio weth immediately, both in Luke and in Paul.
And that is this : " Do this in remembrance of me." Argument. Whereupon it seemeth to me to be evident, that Christ did1Cor-xi- take bread, and called it his body, for that he would thereby institute a perpetual remembrance of his body, specially of that singular benefit of our redemption, which he would then procure and purchase unto us by his body upon the cross. But bread, retaining still its own very natural sub stance, may be thus by grace, and in a sacramental signifi cation, his body : whereas else the very bread, which he took, brake, and gave them, could not be in any wise his
[2 The words in Italics are wanting in the editions subsequent to 1556. ED.]
16 A BRIEF DECLARATION
natural body, for that were confusion of substances. And therefore the very words of Christ, joined with the next sentence following, both enforce us to confess the very bread to remain still, and also open unto us, how that bread may be, and is thus, by his divine power, his body which was given for us.
objection. But here I remember, I have read in some writers of the contrary opinion, which do deny, that that, which Christ did take, he brake. For, say they, after his taking, he
Mark xiv. blessed it, as Mark doth speak ; and by his blessing he changed the natural substance of the bread into the natural substance of his body: and so, although he took the bread and blessed it, yet because in blessing he changed the sub stance of it, he brake not the bread, which then was not there, but only the form thereof.
Answer. Unto this objection I have two plain answers, both
grounded upon God's word. The one I will rehearse ; the other answer I will defer, until I speak of the sacrament of the blood. Mine answer here is taken out of the plain words of St Paul, which doth manifestly confound this fan tastical invention, first invented, I ween, of Pope Innocentius1,
it is meant and after confirmed by that subtle sophister Duns, and lately
of a book . i • i i
nrst set renewed now m our days with an eloquent style and much
forth under J . J
the name of fineness of wit. But what can crafty invention, subtilty m
Marcus . . .
Antonius sophisms, eloquence or fineness of wit, prevail against the tins, and unfallible word of God 2 What need have we to strive and
afterward of
Stephen^ contend what thing we break? For Paul saith, speaking undoubtedly of the Lord's table : " The bread, saith he, which we break, is it not the partaking or fellowship of the Lord's body?" Whereupon followeth, that after the thanks giving it is bread which we break. And how often, in the Acts of the Apostles, is the Lord's supper signified by
Acts ii. breaking of bread 2 " They did persevere," saith St Luke, "in the Apostles' doctrine, communion, and breaking of bread."
ibidem. And, "They brake bread in every house." And again, in
Acts xx. another place, "When they were come together to break bread, &c." St Paul, which setteth forth the most fully in his writings both the doctrine and the right use of the
[* Innocent III., in the fourth Lateran Council, held A.D. 1215. ED.]
OF THE LORD'S 3UPPER. 17
Lord's supper, and the sacramental eating and drinking oi'icor.x. Christ's body and blood, calleth it five times, " bread," 1 Cor. xi. "bread," "bread," "bread," "bread."
The sacramental bread is the mystical body : and so it is called in Scripture, as it is called the natural body of 1 cor. x. Christ. But Christ's mystical body is the congregation of Jjjj^econd Christians. Now no man was ever so fond, as to say, that that sacramental bread is transubstantiated and changed 1 cor. x. into the substance of the congregation. Wherefore no man should likewise think or say, that the bread is transub stantiated and changed into the natural substance of Christ's human nature.
But my mind is not here to write what may be gathered out of Scriptures for this purpose, but only to note here briefly those which seem unto me to be the most plain places. Therefore, contented to have spoken thus much of the sacramental bread, I will now speak a little of the Lord's cup.
And this shall be my third argument, grounded upon The third Christ's own words. The natural substance of the sacra- ' mental wine remaineth still, and is the material substance of the sacrament of the blood of Christ : therefore it is likewise so in the sacramental bread.
I know, that he that is of a contrary opinion, will deny the former part of my argument : but I will prove it thus, by the plain words of Christ himself, both in Matthew and Matt. xxvi in Mark. Christ's words are these, after the words said Mark xiv. upon the cup2: "I say unto you (saith Christ), I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine-tree, until I shall drink that new in my Father's kingdom." Here note, how Christ calleth plainly his cup the fruit of the vine-tree. But the fruit of the vine-tree is very natural wine. Wherefore the natural substance of the wine doth remain still in the sacra ment of Christ's blood.
And here, in speaking of the Lord's cup, it cometh unto my remembrance the vanity of Innocentius his fantas tical invention, which by Paul's words I did confute before,
£2 Aeyto oe i>/.ui/ on ov /ji>/ TTUO air apTi ex TOUTOV TOV <yei/i/»7- /iaro<? TJ/S a/X7reAou ew? Ttjs ^e'joas CK€ii*f« orav CIVTO THI/CO pe& vptt* Kaivov ev rtj fiaaiXeia TOV trctTpos pov. Matth. xxvi. 29.]
2 [RIDLEY.]
18 A BRIEF DECLARATION
and here did promise somewhat more to speak; and that is this : If the transubstantiation be made by this word " blessed" in Mark, said upon the bread, as Innocentius, that Pope, did say; then surely, seeing that word is not said of Christ, neither of any of the Evangelists, nor in St Paul, upon the cup, there is no transubstantiation of the wine at all. For where the cause doth fail, there cannot follow the effect. But the sacramental bread, and the sacramental wine, do both remain in their natural substance alike; and if the one be not changed, as of the sacramental wine it appeareth evidently, then there is not any such transub stantiation in neither of them both.
All, that put and affirm this change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ's body and blood (called transubstantiation), do also say and affirm this change to be made by a certain form of prescript words, and none other. But what1 they be that make the change either of the one or of the other, undoubtedly even they, that do write most finely in these our days, almost confess plainly that they cannot tell. For although they grant to certain of the old doctors, as Chrysostom and Ambrose, that these Winchester words, " This is my body," are the words of consecration of
in the an- * J •
swerjothe the sacrament of the body: "yet," say they, " these words
tion- may well be so called, because they do assure us of the
consecration thereof, whether it be done before these words
be spoken, or no." But, as for this their doubt (concerning
the sacrament of the body), I let it pass.
Let us now consider the words which pertain to the cup.
This is first evident: that, as Matthew much agreeth with
Mark, and likewise Luke with Paul much agreeth, herein
in the form of words ; so, in the same, the form of words in
Matthew and Mark is diverse from that which is in Luke
and Paul. The old authors do most rehearse the form of
words in Matthew and Mark, because, I ween, they seemed
with what to them most clear. But here I would know, whether it is
popish credible or no, that Luke and Paul, when they celebrated
priesthood t . . J
is given. the Lord's supper with their congregations, did not use the same form of words at the Lord's table, which they wrote, Luke in his Gospel, and Paul in his Epistle. Of Luke, f1 But which be the words. ED.]
OP THE LORD'S SUPPER. 19
because he \vas a physician, whether some will grant that he might be a priest or no, and was able to receive the order of priesthood, which (they say) is given by virtue of these words said by the Bishop, "Take thou authority to Peter and sacrifice for the quick and the dead," I cannot tell. But, no priests if they should be so strait upon Luke, either for his craft, pish order. or else for lack of such power given him by virtue of the aforesaid words: then, I ween, both Peter and Paul are in danger to be deposed of their priesthood ; for the craft either of fishing, which was Peter's, or making of tents, which was Paul's, were more vile than the science of physic. And, as ] / < for those sacramental words of the order of priesthood, to have authority to sacrifice both for the quick and the dead, I ween, Peter and Paul (if they were both alive) were not able to prove, that ever Christ gave them such authority, or ever said any such words unto them. But I will let Luke go: and, because Paul speaketh more for himself, I will re hearse his words. "That (saith Paul) which I received of1Cor-xi- the Lord, I gave unto you : for the Lord Jesus, &c. :" and so setteth forth the whole institution and right use of the Lord's supper. Now, seeing that Paul here saith; that, which he received of the Lord, he had given them ; and that, which he had received and given them before by word of mouth, now he rehearseth and writeth the same in his Epistle : is it credible that Paul would never use this form of words upon the Lord's cup, which (as he saith) he received of the Lord, that he had given them before, and now rehearseth in his Epistle? I trust, no man is so far from all reason, but he will grant me that this is not likely to be.
Now then, if you grant me that Paul did use the form of words which he writeth, let us then rehearse and con sider Paul's words, which he saith Christ spake thus upon the cup: "This cup is the New Testament in my blood; this do as often as ye shall drink it in the remembrance of me.1'
Here I would know, whether that Christ's words, spoken upon the cup, were not as mighty in work, and as effectual in signification, to all intents, constructions, and purposes (as our Parliament men do speak), as they were, spoken upon
20 A BRIEF DECLARATION
the bread? If this be granted, which thing, I think, no man can deny, then further I reason thus : but the word "is" in the words spoken upon the Lord's bread, doth mightily signify (they say) the change of the substance of that which goeth before it, into the substance of that which followeth after ; that is, of the substance of Christ's body, when Christ saith, This is my body. Now then, if Christ's words, which be spoken upon the cup, which Paul here re- hearseth, be of the same might and power both in working and signifying ; then must this word " is," when Christ saith, "This cup is the New Testament, &c." turn the substance of the cup into the substance of the New Testament. And, if thou wilt say, that this word "is" neither maketh nor signifieth any such change of the cup, although it be said of Christ, that this cup is the New Testament, yet Christ meant no such change as that ; marry, Sir, even so say I, when Christ said of the bread which he took, and after thanks given, brake, and gave them, saying, " Take, eat, this is my body;" he meant no more any such change of the substance of bread into the substance of his natural body, than he meant of the change and transubstantiation of the cup into the substance of1 the New Testament.
And, if thou wilt say, that the word ("cup") here in Christ's words doth not signify the cup itself, but the wine, or thing contained in the cup, by a figure called metonymy, for that Christ's words meant, and so must needs be taken; thou sayest very well. But, I pray thee by the way, here Twoneces- note two things: first, that this word ("is") hath no such
sary notes. \ '
strength and signification in the Lord's words, to make or to signify any transubstantiation : secondly, that, in the Lord's words, whereby he instituted the sacrament of his blood, he used a figurative speech. How vain then is it, that some so earnestly do say, as if it were an infallible rule, that in doctrine and in the institution of the sacraments Christ used no figures, but all his words are to be strained to their proper signification; when as here, whatsoever thou sayest was in the cup, neither that, nor the cup itself (taking every word in its proper signification), wras the New Testament:
[] These words are found in the edition of 1556, but not in those subsequent. ED.]
OF THE LORD S SUPPER.
21
but in understanding that, which was in the cup, by the cup, that is a figurative speech. Yea, and also thou canst not verify, or truly say of that (whether thou sayest it was JJJJJ con- wine or Christ's blood) to be the New Testament, without a figure also. Thus, in one sentence spoken of Christ in the institution of the sacrament of his blood, the figure must help us twice : so untrue is it that some do write ; that Christ useth no figure, in the doctrine of faith, nor in the institu tion of his sacraments.
But some say: if we shall thus admit figures in doctrine; then shall all the articles of our faith, by figures and allegories, shortly be transformed and unloosed. I say, it is like fault, and even the same, to deny the figure where the place so re- quireth to be understood, as vainly to make it a figurative speech, which is to be understood in its proper signification.
The rules, whereby the speech is known, when it is a figurative, and when it is not, St Augustine, in his book called De Doctrina Christiana, giveth divers learned lessons, Qmsti very necessary to be known of the student in God's word. llb-m-c- 16- Of the winch one I will rehearse, which is this : " If2"" (saith he) "the Scripture doth seem to command a thing which is wicked or ungodly, or to forbid a thing that charity doth require; then know thou (saith he) that the speech is figur ative." And, for example, he bringeth the saying of Christ in the 6th chapter of St John : " Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye cannot have life in you." It seemeth to command a wicked or an un godly thing. Wherefore it is a figurative speech, commanding to have communion and fellowship with Christ's passion, and devoutly and wholesomely to lay up in memory that his flesh was crucified and wounded for us."
And here I cannot but marvel at some men, surely of
much excellent fineness of wit, and of great eloquence, that
.
£2 Si autem flagitium aut facinus videter jubere, aut utilitatcm aut beneticentiam vetarc, figurata cst. " Nisi manducavcritis (inquit) carncm filii hominis, et sanguinem biberitis, non habebitis vitam in vobis." Faci nus vel flagitium videtur jubere: figura est ergo, pnecipiens, passioni Dominicie communicandum, et suaviter atque utiliter recondendum in memoria quod pro nobis caro ejus crucifixa et vulnerata sit_ S. Augustini de doctr. Christ, lib. in. c. 16. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. vol. ii. col. 52. En.]
22 A BRIEF DECLARATION
are not ashamed to write and say, that this aforesaid saying of Christ is (after St Augustine) a figurative speech indeed, howbeit not unto the learned, but unto the unlearned. Here ^ any man' ^ia^ indifferently understandeth the Latin tongue, and226thst reac* ^ie P^ace *n ^ Augustine •" and, # ne perceive not clearly objection, gfc Augustine's words and mind to be contrary, let me abide thereof the rebuke.
This lesson of St Augustine I have therefore the rather set forth ; because, as it teacheth us to understand that place in John figuratively, even so surely the same lesson with the example of St Augustine's exposition thereof teacheth us, not only by the same to understand Christ's words in the insti tution of the sacrament, both of his body and of his blood, figuratively, but also the very true meaning and understanding of the same. For if to command to eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and to drink his blood, seemeth to command an inconvenience and an ungodliness ; and is even so indeed, if it be understanded, as the words do stand in their proper sig nification, and therefore must be understanded figuratively and spiritually, as St Augustine doth godly and learnedly interpret them; then surely Christ, commanding in his last supper to eat his body and to drink his blood, seemeth to command, in sound of words, as great and even the same inconvenience and ungodliness, as did his words in the 6th chapter of St John ; and therefore must even by the same reason be like wise understanded and expounded figuratively and spiritually, as St Augustine did the other. Whereunto that exposition of St Augustine may seem to be the more meet, for that Christ in his supper, to the commandment of eating and drinking of his body and blood, addeth : " Do this in the remembrance of me." Which words, surely, were the key that opened and revealed this spiritual and godly exposition unto St Augustine.
But I have tarried longer in setting forth the form of
Christ's words upon the Lord's cup, written by Paul and
Luke, than I did intend to do. And yet, in speaking of the
form of Christ's words spoken upon his cup, cometh now to
words of the my remembrance the form of words used in the Latin mass
' upon the Lord's cup. Whereof I do not a little marvel, what
should be the cause, seeing the Latin mass agreeth with the
Evangelists and Paul in the form of words said upon the
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 23
bread, why, in the words upon the Lord's cup, it differeth from them all; yea, and addeth to the words of Christ, spoken upon the cup, these words, mysterium fidei, that is, "the mystery of faith;" which are not read to be attributed unto the sacrament of Christ's blood, neither in the Evan gelists, nor in Paul, nor (so far as 1 know) in any other place of holy Scripture. Yea, and if it may have some good exposition, yet, why it should not be as well added unto the words of Christ upon his bread, as upon his cup, surely I do not see that mystery.
And, because I see in the use of the Latin mass the ThUbuse sacrament of the blood abused, when it is denied unto the ment in the lay people, clean contrary unto God's most certain word ; for why, I do beseech thee, should the sacrament of Christ's blood be denied unto the lay Christians, more than to the priest? Did not Christ shed his blood as well for the lay godly man as for the godly priest? If thou wilt say, Yes, that he did so ; but yet the sacrament of the blood is not to be received without the offering up and sacrificing thereof unto God the Father, both for the quick and for the dead ; and no man may make oblation of Christ's blood unto God, but a priest, and therefore the priest alone (and that but in his mass only) may receive the sacrament of the blood : and call you this, my masters, mysterium fidei?
Alas ! alas ! I fear me, this is before God mysterium iniquitatis, the mystery of iniquity, such as Paul speaketh of in his Epistle to the Thessalonians. The Lord be merciful 2 Thesis, n.
1 Ps. Ixvn.
unto us, and bless us, and lighten his countenance upon us, and be merciful unto us; that we may know thy way upon earth, and among all people thy salvation.
This kind of oblation standeth upon transubstantiation, its german cousin, and do grow both upon one ground. The Lord weed out of his vineyard shortly (if it be his will and pleasure) that bitter root !
To speak of this oblation; how much it is injurious unto The mass
• sacrifice m-
Christ's passion, how it cannot but with high blasphemy, and |uriou^to heinous arrogance, and intolerable pride, be claimed of any passion, man, other than of Christ himself ; how much and how plainly it repugneth unto the manifest words, the true sense and meaning, of holy Scripture in many places, especially in the
- A BRIEF DECLARATION
Heb.ix. Epistle to the Hebrews; the matter is so long, and others have written of it at large, that my mind is now not to entreat thereof any further.
For only in this my scribbling I intended to search out and set forth by the Scriptures (according to God's gracious gift of my poor knowledge), whether the true sense and meaning of Christ's words in the institution of his holy supper do require any transubstantiation (as they call it), or that the very substance of bread and wine do remain still in the Lord's supper, and be the material substance of the holy sacrament of Christ our Saviour's blessed body and SStnswer Wood. Yet there remaineth one vain quiddity of Duns in objection? this matter, the which, because some that write now do seem to like it so well, that they have stripped him out of Duns' dusty and dark terms, and pricked him and painted him in fresh colours of an eloquent style, may therefore deceive the more, except the error be warily eschewed.
Duns saith in these words of Christ, This is my body, " This pronoun demonstrative, meaning the word ' this,' if ye will know what it doth shew or demonstrate, whether the bread that Christ took or no, he answereth, no ; but only one thing in substance it pointeth, whereof the nature and name it doth not tell, but leaveth that to be determined and told by that which followeth the word, 'is,' that is, by predica- tum, as the logician doth speak:" and therefore he calleth this pronoun demonstrative "this," indimduum vagum, that is, a wandering proper name, whereby we may point out and shew any one thing in substance, what thing soever it be.
That this imagination is vain and untruly applied unto those words of Christ, " This is my body," it may appear plainly by the words of Luke and Paul, said upon the cup, conferred with the form of words spoken upon the cup in Matthew and Mark : for as upon the bread it is said of all, " This is my body ;" so of Matthew and Mark is said of the cup, " This is my blood." Then, if in the words, " This is my body," the word ("this") be, as Duns calleth it, "a wandering name," to appoint and shew forth any one thing, whereof the name and nature it doth not tell; so must it be likewise in these words of Matthew and Mark upon the
OF THE LORD^ SUPPER. 25
Lord's cup, " This is my blood." But, in the words of Matthew and Mark, it signifieth and pointeth out the same that it doth in the Lord's words upon the cup in Luke and Paul, where it is said, " This cup is the New Testament in my blood, &c." Therefore, in Matthew and Mark, the pro noun demonstrative ("this") doth not wander to point out only one thing in substance, not shewing what it is, but telleth plainly what it is, no less in Matthew and Mark unto the eye, than is done in Luke and Paul, by putting too this word "cup" both unto the eye and unto the ear.
For taking the cup, and demonstrating or shewing it unto his disciples by this pronoun demonstrative "this," and saying unto them, "Drink ye all of this;" it was then all one to say, " This is my blood," as to say, " This cup is my blood," meaning by the cup, as the nature of the speech doth require, the thing contained in the cup. So likewise, without all doubt, when Christ had taken bread, given thanks, and broken it, and giving it to his disciples, said, " Take ;" and so demonstrating and shewing that bread which he had in his hands1, to say then, "This is my body," and to have said, " This bread is my body." As it were all one, if a man, lacking a knife, and going to his oysters, would say to another, whom he saw to have two knives, " Sir, I pray you lend me the one of your knives ;" were it not now all one to answer him : " Sir, hold, I will lend you this to eat your meat, but not to open oysters withal :" and " Hold, I will lend you this knife to eat your meat, but not to open oysters 2"
This similitude serveth but for this purpose, to declare the nature of speech withal : whereas the thing that is de monstrated and shewed, is evidently perceived, and openly known to the eye. But, 0 good Lord, what a wonderful thing is it to see, how some men do labour to teach, what is demonstrated and shewed by the pronoun demonstrative, Gardiner to •"this," in Christ's words, when he saith : "This is myjection. body;" "this is my blood:" how they labour (I say) to teach what that " this" was then in deed, when Christ spake in the beginning of the sentence the word "this," before he had pronounced the rest of the words that followed in the same sentence; so that their doctrine may agree with E1 Subaudi— it is all one. ED.]
26 A BRIEF DECLARATION
their transubstantiation : which indeed is the very foundation wherein all their erroneous doctrine doth stand. And here the transubstantiators do not agree among themselves, no more than they do in the words which wrought the transub stantiation, when Christ did first institute his sacrament. iiT°Ep?st.us Wherein Innocentiusa, a Bishop of Kome, of the latter days, iih.v. ep. an(j ]3uns (as was noted before), do attribute the work unto the word benedixit, " he blessed :" but the rest for the most The papists part to hoc est corpus meum. "this is mv body/1 Duns,
themselves L • i i • , ,
do not a- therefore, with his sect, because he putteth the change be fore, must needs say, that "this," when Christ spake it in the beginning of the sentence, was indeed Christ's body. For in the change the substance of bread did depart, and the change was new done in "benedixit," saith he, that went before. And therefore, after him and his, that " this" was then indeed Christ's body, though the word did not then import so much, but only one thing in substance, which substance, after Duns, the bread being gone, must needs be the substance of Christ's body. But they, that put their transubstantiation to be wrought by these words of Christ, " This is my body," and do say, that, when the whole sen tence was finished, then this change was perfected, and not before : they cannot say, but yet Christ's " this" in the beginning of the sentence, before the other words were fully pronounced, was bread indeed. But as yet the change was not done, and so long the bread must needs remain : and so long, with the universal consent of all transubstantiators, the natural substance of Christ's body cannot come ; and, there fore, must their "this" of necessity demonstrate and shew the substance, which was as yet in the pronouncing of the first word "this" by Christ, but bread. But how can they make and verify Christ's words to be true, demonstrating the substance, which, in the demonstration, is but bread, and say thereof, "This is my body," that is, as they say, the natural substance of Christ's body; except they would say, that the verb "is" signifieth, "is made," or "is changed into?" And so then, if the same verb "is" be of the same effect in Christ's words spoken upon the cup, and rehearsed by Luke and Paul; the cup, or the wine in the cup, must a See note A. at the end of the volume.
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 27
be made or turned into the New Testament, as was de clared before.
There be some amonnr the transubstantiates, which walk Winchester
is become
so wilily and so warily betwixt these two aforesaid opinions, neutral. allowing them both, and holding plainly neither of them both, that methink they may be called neutrals, ambidexters, or rather such as can shift on both sides. They play on both parts : for, with the latter, they do all allow the doctrine of the last syllable ; which is, that* transubstantiation is done by miracle in an instant, at the sound of the last syllable ("itr/i") in this sentence, hoc est corpus nieuin: and they do allow Duns1 fantastical imagination of indiciduum vac/urn, which demonstrated (as he teacheth) in Christ's words one thing in substance, that being (after his mind) the substance of the body of Christ.
A marvellous thing, how any man can agree with both those two, they being so contrary the one to the other. For the one saith; The word ("•tins'") demonstrated the substance of bread : and the other saith ; " No, not so ; the bread is gone, and it demonstrated a substance, which is Christ's body." "Tush," saith the third man, "ye understand nothing Gardiner to at all : they agree well enough in the chief point, which is jectiou. the ground of all ; that is, both do agree and bear witness, that there is transubstantiation. ^
They do agree, indeed, in that conclusion, I grant : but their proofs and doctrine thereof do even as well agree to gether, as did the false witnesses before Annas and Caiaphas against Christ, or the two wicked judges against Susanna. For against Christ the false witnesses did agree, no doubt, God-makers to speak all against him. And the wicked judges were both themselves? agreed to condemn poor Susanna : but, in examination of their witness, they dissented so far, that all was found false, that they went about ; both that wherein they agreed, and all those things which they brought for their proofs.
Thus much have I spoken, in searching out a solution for this principal question : which was ; What is the material substance of the holy sacrament in the Lord's supper 2 Now, lest I should seem to set by mine own conceit, more than is meet ; or less to regard the doctrine of the old ecclesiastical The consent writers, than is convenient for a man of my poor learning authors.
28 A ERIEF DECLARATION
and simple wit for to do ; and because also I am indeed persuaded, that the old ecclesiastical writers understood the true meaning of Christ in this matter ; and have both so truly and so plainly set it forth in certain places of their writings, that no man, which will vouchsafe to read them, and without prejudice of a corrupt judgment will indifferently weigh them, and construe their minds none otherwise than they declare themselves to have meant : I am persuaded (I say), that, in reading of them thus, no man can be ignorant in this matter, but he that will shut up his own eyes, and blindfold himself. When I speak of ecclesiastical writers, I mean of such as were before the wicked usurpation of the See of Borne was grown so unmeasurably great, that not only with tyrannical power, but also with corrupt doctrine, it began to subvert Christ's Gospel, and to turn the state, that Christ and his Apostles had set in the church, upside down.
For the causes aforesaid, I will rehearse certain of their sayings : and yet, because I take them but for witnesses and expounders of this doctrine, and not as the authors of the same ; and also for that now I will not be tedious, I will rehearse but few : that is, three old writers of the Greek church, and other three of the Latin church, which do seem unto me to be in this matter most plain: the Greek authors are Origen, Chrysostom, and Theodoret: the Latin are Ter- tullian, St Augustine, and Gelasius.
I know, there can be nothing spoken so plainly, but the crafty wit, furnished with eloquence, can darken it, and wrest it quite from the true meaning to a contrary sense. And I know also that eloquence, craft, and fineness of wit, hath gone about to blear men's eyes and to stop their ears in the aforenamed writers, that men should neither hear nor see what those authors both write and teach so plainly, that, except men should be made both stark blind and deaf, they cannot but of necessity, if they will read and weigh them indifferently, both hear and see what they do mean, when eloquence, craft, and fineness of wit, have done all that they can. Now let us hear the old writers of the Greek church.
Origen. Origen, which lived above twelve hundred and fifty years
Lib. vi. cap. ago ; a man, for the excellency of his learning, so highly
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 21)
esteemed in Christ's church, that he was counted and judged the singular teacher, in his time, of Christ's religion, the confounder of heresies, the schoolmaster of many godly mar tyrs, and an opener of high mysteries in Scripture : he, writing upon the 15th chapter of St Matthew's Gospel, saith thus: "'But if any thing enter into the mouth, it Origen in goctli away into the belly, and is avoided into the draught. Yea, and that meat which is sanctified by the word of God and prayer, concerning the matter thereof, it goeth away into the belly, and is avoided into the draught. But, for the prayer which is added unto it, for the proportion of the faith, it is made profitable, making the mind able to perceive and to see that which is profitable. For it is not the material substance of bread, but the word, which is spoken upon it, that is profitable to the man, that eateth it not unworthily. And this I mean of the typical and symbolical (that is, sa cramental) body." Thus far go the words of Origen ; where it is plain, first, that Origen, speaking here of the sacrament of the Lord's supper, as the last words do plainly signify, doth mean and teach, that the material substance thereof is received, digested, and voided, as the material substance of other bread and meats is : which could not be, if there were no material substance of bread at all, as the fantastical opinion of transubstantiation doth put.
It is a world to see the answer of the Papists to this place of Origen.
In the disputations, which were in this matter in the par- The <uspu-
••• tations 111
liament house, and in both the universities of Cambridge and JJe ^Jj*" Oxford, they that defended transubstantiation said, that this an(.1 in *he
. umversi-
part of Origen was but set forth of late by Erasmus, andties- therefore is to be suspected. But how vain this their an-
Q1 Hoi/ TO da-TTopevofjicvoi' ek TO a-Topa ek KoiXiav "X_taptl KCU ek tK/3a\\€Tai* xat TO eryja^o/xei/oi/ /3pdau.a Cia Ao'you Geou eM, KCIT avro jueV TO J/XtKoY, ek Ttjv noiXiav ^(apel KO.\ ek afyetpwva eK/3a\\€Tac KaTa Be TY^V eViyii/o/je'i/f/i/ ayVu> eir^j/V, KciTa Tt]v avaXoyiav T^ Ti(TTea><? w^fXuiov yiveTCti, KCCI T^C TOU vov aiTtov 3ta/3\e'\//ew?, opwvTos CTTI TO' (a<f)e\ovv, KCU ov% tj v\tj TOV ctjOTOi/, a/\X o €7r ai/Vw clprjfjievos /\dyo<? tcrTiv o ca(pc\wi' TOV /JLIJ ai/afi'w? TOU Kvplov e<r6iovTa O.VTOV. Orig. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. I7<f3, vol. iii. pp. 499, 500. In Matth. Comment. Horn. xr. , ED.]
SO A BRIEF DECLARATION
swer is, it appeareth plainly. For so may all the good old authors, which lay in old libraries, and are set forth of late, be by this reason rejected : as Clemens Alexandrinus, Theodoretus, Justinus, Ecclesiastica Historia Nicephori, and other such.
Another oi>. Another answer they had, saying : that Origen is noted to have erred in some points ; and, therefore, faith is not to be given in this matter unto him. But this answer, well weighed, doth minister good matter to the clear confutation of itself. For indeed we grant that in some points Origen did err. But those errors are gathered out and noted both of St Hierome and Epiphanius, so that his works (those errors excepted) are now so much the more of authority, that such great learned men took pains to draw out of him whatsoever they thought in him to be written amiss. But, as concerning the matter of the Lord's supper, neither they nor yet ever any other ancient author did ever say, that Origen did err. Gardiner to Now, because these two answers have been of late so con- jection. futed and confounded, that it is well perceived, that they will take no place ; therefore some, which have written since that time, have forged two other answers, even of the same mould.
The former whereof is, that Origen in this place spake not of the sacrament of bread or wine of the Lord's table, but of another mystical meat, of the which St Augus tine maketh mention, to be given unto them, that were taught the faith, before they were baptized. But Origen's own words in two sentences before rehearsed, being put to gether, prove this answer untrue. For he saith, that "he meaneth of that figurative and mystical body, which profiteth them that do receive it worthily:" alluding so plainly unto St Paul's words, spoken of the Lord's supper, that it is a shame for any learned man once to open his mouth to the contrary. And that bread, which St Augustine speaketh of, he cannot prove that any such thing was used in Origen's time. Yea, and though that could be proved, yet was there never bread at any time called a sacramental body\ saving the sacramental bread of the Lord's table, which is called of Origen the typical and symbolical body of Christ.
p The words in Italics, though found in the edition of 1556, are not in those subsequent. ED.]
OP THE LORDS SUPPER. 31
The second of the two new-found answers is yet most monstrous of all other, which is this. "But let us grant (say i)lace- they) that Origen spake of the Lord's supper, and by the matter thereof was understanded the material substance of bread and wine: what then?*" say they. "For though the material substance was once gone and departed by reason of transubstantiation, whilst the forms of the bread and wine did remain; yet now it is no inconvenience to say, that as the material substance did depart at the entering in of Christ's body under the aforesaid forms, so, when the said forms be destroyed and do not remain, then cometh again the substance of bread and wine. And this," say they, uis very meet in this mystery, that that which began with a miracle, shall end in a miracle." If I had not read this fantasy, I would scarcely have believed, that any learned man ever would have set forth such a foolish fantasy; which not only lacketh all ground either of God's word, reason, or of any ancient writer, but is also clean contrary to the common rules of school divinity ; which is, that no miracle is to be affirmed and put without necessity. And, although for their former miracle, which is their transubstantiation, they have some colour, though it be but vain; saying, it is done by the power and virtue of these words of Christ, "This is my body:" yet to make this second miracle, of returning the material substance again, they have no colour at all. Or else, I pray them shew me, by what words of Christ is the second miracle wrought? Thus ye may see, that the sleights and shifts, which craft and wit can invent, to wrest the true sense of Origen, cannot take place. But now let us hear one other place of Origen, and so we will let him go.
Origen, in the seventh Homily, super Lemticiim, saith, The second 2 that there is also even in the four Gospels, and not only in the Old Testament, a letter (meaning a literal sense),
\_2 Est enim in Evangeliis litera qua? occidet, non solum in veteri tcstamento occidens litera deprehenditur. Est et in novo testamcnto litera qua? occidet cum qui non spiritaliter quae dicuntur adverterit. Si enim secundum literam sequaris hoc ipsum quod dictum est "Nisi nianducaveritis carnem meam et biberitis sanguinem meum," occidit hacc litera. Orig. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. 1733, vol. ii. p. 22.5. Horn, sup. Levit. vii. Interp. Ruf. Eu/j
32 A BRIEF DECLARATION
which killeth : for, if thou follow (saith he) the letter in that saying, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, &c." this letter doth kill. If in that place the letter doth kill, wherein is commanded the eating of Christ's flesh ; then surely in those words of Christ, wherein Christ commandeth ns to eat his body, the literal sense thereof likewise doth kill. For it is no less crime, but even the same and all one in the literal sense, to eat Christ's body, and to eat Christ's flesh. Wherefore, if the one do kill, except it be understanded figuratively and spiritually ; then the other surely doth kill likewise. But, that to eat Christ s flesh doth kill, so understanded, Origen affirmeth plainly in his words above rehearsed. Wherefore, it cannot be justly denied, but to eat Christ's body, literally understanded, must needs (after him) kill likewise.
The answer that is made to this place of Origen of the Papists is so foolish, that it bewrayeth itself without any further confutation. It is the same, that they make to a Lib. iii. cap. place of St Augustine, in his book De Doctrina Christiana, whereas St Augustine speaketh in effect the same thing that Origen doth here. The Papists' answer is this: "To the carnal man the literal sense is hurtful, but not so to the spiritual." As though to understand that in its proper sense, which ought to be taken figuratively, were to the carnal man a dangerous peril, but to the spiritual man none at all.
Cjuysostom, ]\TOW £o Chrysostom, whom I bring for the second writer
Hwn^Mn m *ke ^ree^ church. He, speaking of the unholy using of
Matt. nian's body, which, after St Paul, ought to be kept pure and
holy, as the very temple of the Holy Ghost, saith thus :
"'If it be a fault (saith he) to translate the holy vessels (in
\_ l Si ergo vasa sanctificata ad privates usus transferre, sic periculo- sum est, in quibus non est verum corpus Christi, sed mysterium corporis ejus continetur ; quanto magis vasa corporis nostri, quae sibi Deus ad habitaculum prseparavit, non debemus locum dare Diabolo agendi in eis quod vult.
S. Chrysostomi Op. Latin. Op. Imperfect, in Matth. Horn. xi.
Ed. Ben. Par. 1724. in fine tomi sexti p. Ixiii.
Ed. Antwerp Nomeceius vol. ii. (of the Commentary) p. 35. ED.]
in brackets, and with a side-note, indicating a doubt of its genuine
ness.
OF THE LORDS SUPPER.
33
the which is contained not the true body of Christ, but the mystery of the body) to private uses ; how much more offence is it to abuse and defile the vessels of our body ?"
These be the words of Chrysostom : but, I trow, that here many foul shifts are devised to defeat this place.
"The author," saith one, "is suspected." I answer, but in this place never fault was found with him unto these our days. And whether the author were John Chrysostom him self, the archbishop of Constantinople, or no, that is not the matter : for of all it is granted, that he was a writer of that age, and a man of learning. So that it is manifest, that this which he writeth was the received opinion of learned men in his days: or else, undoubtedly in such a matter his saying should have been impugned of some that wrote in his time, or near unto the same.
" Nay," saith another, " if this solution will not serve, we may say, that Chrysostom did not speak of the ves-jectum> sels of the Lord's cup, or such as were then used at the Lord's table, but of the vessels used in the temple in the old law." This answer will serve no more than the other. For here Chrysostom speaketh of such vessels, wherein was that which was called the body of Christ, although it was not the true body (saith he) of Christ, but the mystery of Christ's body. Now of the vessels of the old law, the writers do use no such manner of phrase ; for their sacrifices were not called Christ's body : for then Christ was not, but in shadows and figures, and not by the sacrament of his body revealed. Erasmus, which was a man that could understand the words and sense of the writers, although he would not be seen to speak against this error of transubstantiation, because he durst not, yet in this time declareth plainly, that this say ing of the writer is none otherwise to be understanded.
" Yet can I," saith the third Papist, "find out a fine and tGhaer^erin subtle solution for this place, and grant all that yet is said, place' both allowing here the writer, and also that he meant of the vessels of the Lord's table. For (saith he) the body of Christ is not contained in them, at the Lord's table, as in a place, fcut as in a mystery." Is not this a pretty shift, and a mys tical solution? But, by the same solution, then Christ's body is not in the Lord's table, nor in the priest's hands, nor in
3
[RIDLEY.]
°* A BRIEF DECLARATION
the pix : and so he is here no where. For they will not say, that he is either here or there, as in a place. This answer pleaseth so well the maker, that he himself (after he had played with it a little while, and sheweth the fineness of his wit and eloquence therein) is content to give it over and say, "But it is not to be thought, that Chrysostom would speak after this fineness or subtlety:" and therefore he re- turneth again unto the second answer for his sheet anchor, which is sufficiently confuted before.
Another short place of Chrysostom I will rehearse, which (if any indifference may be heard) in plain terms setteth forth the truth of this matter. "'Before the bread," saith
Monachum. Chrysostom, writing ad Cwsarium* monacfaim, "be hallowed, we call it bread: but, the grace of God sanctifying it by the means of the priests, it is delivered now from the name of bread, and esteemed worthy to be called Christ's body, although the nature of bread tarry in it still." These be Chrysostom's words, wherein I pray you, what can be said or thought more plain against this error of transubstantia-
SoiSVb- tion> tnan to Declare, that the bread abideth so still? And yet this so plain a place some are not ashamed thus shame fully to elude, saying : " We grant the nature of bread remaineth still thus, for that it may be seen, felt, and tasted ; and yet the corporeal substance of the bread therefore is gone, lest two bodies should be confused together, and Christ should be thought impanate."
What contrariety and falsehood is in this answer, the simple man may easily perceive. Is not this a plain con trariety, to grant that the nature of bread remaineth so still, that it may be seen, felt, and tasted, and yet to say, the corporeal substance is gone, to avoid the absurdity of Christ's impanation? And what manifest falsehood is this, to say or mean that, if the bread should remain still, then
£ * Sicut enim antequam sanctificetur panis, Panem nominamus, di- vina autem ilium sanctificante gratia, mediante Sacerdote, liberatus est quidem appellatione panis, dignus autem habitus est dominici corporis appellatione, etiamsi natura panis in eo permansit. S. Chrysostomi Op. Ep. ad Caesarium Monachum. Ed. Ben. Par. vol. iii. p. 744. — 1717. ED.]
£a See note B. at the end of the volume* ED.]
OF THE LORDS SUPPER. OO
must follow the inconveniency of impanation? As though the very bread could not be a sacrament of Christ's body (as water is of baptism), except Christ should unite the nature of bread to his nature, in unity of person, and make of the bread God.
Now let us hear Theodoretus, which is the last of the Theodoret. three Greek authors. He writeth in his Dialogue contra Dial. i. Eutychen thus: u2He that called his natural body corn and bread, and also named himself a vine tree ; even he, the same, hath honoured the symbols (that is, the sacramental signs) with the names of his body and blood, not changing indeed the nature itself, but adding grace unto the nature.1'
What can be more plainly said than this, that this old writer saith? That although the sacraments bear the name of the body and blood of Christ, yet is not their na ture changed, but abideth still. And where is then the Papists1 transubstantiation ?
The same writer, in the second dialogue of the same Dial. 2, work against the aforesaid heretic Eutyches, writeth yet more plainly against this error of transubstantiation, if any thing can be said to be more plain. For he maketh the heretic to speak thus against him that defendeth the true doctrine, whom he calleth Orthodoxus : " 3 As the sacraments of the body and blood of our Lord are one thing before the in vocation, and after the invocation they be changed, and are made another; so likewise the Lord's body (saith the
2 O yap drj TO <£>u<rei trwjua <T?TOI/ Kai dpTov 7rpo(rayopev(ra<;, Kai av TraXiv eavTov a/HTreXov oi/o/jiacras, OUTO? Ta opcafjieva (rv[j./3o\a TT] TOV (rw/jcaTo? Kai aifjiaTos 7rpo<rrjyopia TCTijU^Kei/, ov Tr\v (bv<riv peTa(3a\tav, aAAa Trjv ")(dpiv Trj (pvcrei irpoa-TedeiKM. Theod. Dial. 1. Op. Ed. Par. 3642, torn. iv. p. 18. ED.]
[_ Epai/. "Qairep TOIVVV ra (ruV/3oAa TOV SCO-TTOTIKOV <rw'/AaTo'<? TC Kai a//xaro5 aAAa fj.ev elvi -npo T»7? tepaTiKrjs e7riK\t]<reias, jucra Be ye Ttjv €7riK\r](yiv /-leTapaAAerat Kai eT6pa yivcTai' OVTOJ TO BecrTTOTtKOi/ /j.6Ta Trjv ava\rj\lsiv, ei? Tt}v ovcriav fJLeTe(3\t]6r] TI-JV deiav. joo^o?. EaAw? al? vcprives apKixnv ov$e ydp, peTa TOV dyiaa--
eVt Trjs TrpOTepas ouo-i'a? KOI TOV (t^r/'juaTO? Kat TOV eTSouc, Kat opaTa €<TTI Kai aVra, o7a Kai -jrpoTepov fa. Theod. Dial. 2. Op. Ed. Par. 1642, torn. iv. p. 85. ED.]
3—2
S6 A BRIEF DECLARATION
heretic) is, after the assumption or ascension into heaven, turned into the substance of God:" the heretic meaning thereby, that Christ, after his ascension, remaineth no more a man.
To this Orthodoxus answereth thus, and saith to the heretic : " Thou art taken (saith he) in thine own snare ; for those mystical symbols or sacraments, after the sanctification, do not go out of their own nature, but they tarry and abide still in their substance, figure, and shape ; yea, and are sensibly seen, and groped to be the same as they were before, &c."
At these words the Papists do startle; and, to say the
truth, these words be so plain, so full, and so clear, that
they cannot tell what to say: but yet they will not cease
The cuttle is to go about to play the cuttles, and to cast their colours
a sea-fish r J
SSitweVe over t^iem5 tnat tne trutn> which is so plainly told, should hSrin?ndbs?t not have Place' "Tllis author wrote" (say they) "before tKaS* *he determination of the church." As who would say, what- ethtakfnip" soever tnat wicked man Innocentius, the Pope of Rome, capn>4Iib' ix- determined in his congregations with his monks and friars,
that must needs be (for so Duns saith) holden for an article,
and of the substance of our faith.
so answered Some do charge this author, that he was suspected to be man in the a Nestorian : which thing, in Chalcedon council, was tried,
Convocation ° '
House. and proved to be false. But the foulest shift of all, and yet the best that they can find in this matter, when none other will serve, is to say, that Theodoret understandeth by the word substance accidents, and not substance indeed. This gloss is like a gloss of a lawyer upon a decree, the text whereof beginneth thus : Statuimus, that is, " we de cree." The gloss of the lawyer (after many other pretty shifts there set forth, which he thinketh will not well serve to his purpose), therefore at the last, to clear the matter, he saith thus : " after the mind of one lawyer, vet die1'1 (saith he) " statuimus, id est, abrogamus1" that is, as expounded,
caististatui " we ^° ^ecree' ^na* *s> we ^° abrogate or disannul." Is
mus- not this a worthy and goodly gloss? Who will not say,
but he is worthy in the law to be retained of counsel, that
can gloss so well, and find in a matter of difficulty such
[x The words "vel die" do not occur in the passage. Decreta Gratiani. Ed. Par. 1585, p. 14. ED.]
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 37
fine shifts? And yet this is the law, or at the least the gloss of the law. And therefore who can tell what peril a man may incur to speak against it ; except he were a lawyer indeed, which can keep himself out of the briers, what wind soever may blow?
Hitherto ye have heard the writers of the Greek church, not all what they do say, for that were a labour too great for to gather, and too tedious for the reader, but one or two places of every one. The which how plain, and how full and clear they be against the error of transubstantiation, I refer it to the judgment of the indifferent reader. And now I will likewise rehearse the sayings of other three old ancient writers of the Latin Church, and so make an end.
And first I will begin with Tertullian ; whom Cyprian, the Tertuiiian. holy martyr, so highly esteemed, that, whensoever he would have his book, he was wont to say, " Give me the master." This old writer, in his fourth book against Marcion, the heretic, saith thus: ul Jesus made the bread, which he took and distributed to his disciples, his body, saying, This is my body : that is to say (saith Tertullian), a figure of my body." In this place it is plain that, after Tertullian's exposition, Adv. Marc. Christ meant not, by calling the bread his body and the 40.' wine his blood, that either the bread was his natural body or the wine his natural blood : but he called them his body and blood, because he would institute them to be unto us sacraments, that is, holy tokens and signs of his body and of his blood ; that, by them remembering and firmly believing the benefits procured to us by his body, which was torn and crucified for us, and of (by) his blood which was shed for us upon the cross, and so with thanks receiving these holy sacraments according to Christ's institution, (we) might by the same be spiritually nourished and fed to the increase of all godliness in us here in our pilgrimage and journey, wherein we walk unto everlasting life. This was undoubtedly Christ our Saviour's mind, and tin's is Tertullian's exposition. The wrangling, that the Papists do make to elude this saying of Tertullian, is so far out of frame, that it even
\} Acceptum panem et distributum discipulis corpus suum ilium fecit, "hoc est corpus meum" dicendo: id est, figura corporis mei. Tertul. Adv. Mar. lib. iv. c. 40. Op. Ed. Par. 1641, p. 571. ED.")
38
A BRIEF DECLARATION
Tertullian, lib. i. cap. 14, contra Marcion.
the'iethVb0- wearietn me to tnmk on tt- " Tertullian writeth here (say jection. they) as none hath done hitherto before him, neither yet any other catholic man after him."
This saying is too manifestly false: for Origen, Hilary, Ambrose, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, St Augustine, and other old authors likewise, do call the sacrament a figure of Christ's body. And where they say, that Tertullian wrote this when he was in a heat of disputation with an heretic, coveting by all means to overthrow his adversary; as who should say, he would not take heed what he did say, and specially what he would write in so high a matter, so that he might have the better hand of his adversary; is this credible to be true in any godly wise man? How much less then is it worthy to be thought or credited in a man of so great a wit, learning, and excellency, as Tertullian is worthily es teemed ever to have been?
Likewise this author in his first book against the same heretic Marcion writeth thus: ulGod did not reject bread, which is his creature ; for by it he hath made a representa tion of his body." Now I pray you, what is this to say, that Christ hath made a representation (by bread) of his body, but that Christ had instituted and ordained bread to be a sacrament, for to represent unto us his body? Now. whether the representation of one thing by another requireth the corporeal presence of the thing which is so represented or no, every man that hath understanding is able in this point (the matter is so clear of itself), to be a sufficient judge.
The second doctor and writer of the Latin church, whose saying I promised to set forth, is St Augustine, of whose learning and estimation I need not to speak. For all the church of Christ both hath and ever hath had him for a man of most singular learning, wit, and diligence, both in setting forth the true doctrine of Christ's religion, and also in defence of the same against heretics.
This author, as he hath written most plenteously in other
Q1 Sed ille quidem usque nunc nee aquam reprobavit creatoris qua suos abluit, nee oleum quo suos unguit, nee mellis et lactis societatem qu§, suos infantat, nee panem quo ipsum corpus suum repraesentat. Ter- tul. Cont. Mar. lib. i. c. 14. Op. Ed. Par. 1641, pp. 439, 440. ED.]
St Augus tine.
OF THE LORD S SUPPER.
39
matters of our faith, so likewise on this argument he hath written at large in many of his works so plainly against this error of transubstantiation, that the Papists love least to hear of him of all other writers; partly for his authority, and partly because he openeth the matter more fully than any other doth. Therefore I will rehearse more places of him, than heretofore I have done of the other.
And first, what can be more plain, than that which he writeth upon the 98th Psalm, speaking of the sacrament of p the Lord's body and blood; and rehearsing (as it were) Christ's words to his disciples, after this manner? "2It is not this body, which ye do see, that ye shall eat, neither shall ye drink this blood, which the soldiers that crucified me shall spill or shed: I do commend unto you a mystery, or a sacrament, which spiritually understood shall give you life." Now, if Christ had no more natural and corporal bodies, but that one which they then presently both heard and saw, nor other natural blood, but that which was in the same body, and the which the soldiers did afterward cruelly shed upon the cross; and neither this body nor this blood was (by this declaration of St Augustine) either to be eaten or drunken, but the mystery thereof spiritually to be under- standed ; then I conclude (if this saying and exposition of St Augustine be true), that the mystery, which the disciples should eat, was not the natural body of Christ, but a mys tery of the same, spiritually to be understanded.
For as St Augustine saith, in his 20th book, " 3 Christ's Aug. contra
Faustum,
flesh and blood was in the Old Testament promised by simili- ™*. **• ca?- tudes and signs of their sacrifices, and was exhibited in deed and in truth upon the cross : but the same is cele brated by a sacrament of remembrance upon the altar."
[2 Non hoc corpus, quod videtis, manducaturi cstis ; et bibituri ilium sanguinem, quern fusuri sunt qui me crucifigent. Sacramentum ali- quod vobis commendavi ; quod, spiritaliter intellectum, vivificabit vos. S. Aug. in Psal. xcviii. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. vol. iv. col. 1066. Basil Edit, vol. viii. col. 1105. ED.]
Q3 Hujus sacrificii caro et sanguis ante adventum Christi per victi- marum similitudinem promittebatur, in passione Christi per ipsam veri- tatem reddebatur, post adscensum Christi per sacramentum memoriae celebratur. S. Aug. cont. Faust, lib. xx. c. 98. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. torn, viii. col. 348. ED.]
40 A BRIEF DECLARATION
DC Fide, ad And in his book De Fide ad Petrum, cap. 19, he saith, that
Petrum,cap.
"'In these sacrifices, (meaning of the old law,) it is figu ratively signified what was then to be given: but in this sacrifice it is evidently signified, what is already given (under standing in the sacrifice upon the altar), the remembrance and thanksgiving for the flesh, which he offered for us upon the cross :" as in the same place evidently there it may appear.
Another evident and clear place, wherein it appeareth, that by the sacramental bread, which Christ called his body, he meant "a figure of his body," is upon the third Psalm,
inUi£Siiiie wnere St Augustine speaketh thus in plain terms : " Christ did admit Judas unto the feast, in the which he com mended unto his disciples the figure of Ms body2" This was Christ's last supper before his passion, wherein he did ordain the sacrament of his body, as all learned men do agree.
Augustine, gt Augustine also in his 23rd Epistle to Bonifacius teacheth how sacraments do bear the names of the things whereof they be sacraments, both in baptism and in the Lord's table ; even as we call every Good Friday the day of Christ's passion, and every Easter Day the day of Christ's resurrection; when, in very deed, there was but one day wherein he suffered, and but one day wherein he rose. And why do we then call them so, which are not so indeed, but because they are in like time and course of the year, as those days were wherein those things were done ? " Was Christ
Q1 In illis enim carnalibus victimis figuratio fuit carnis Christ!, quam pro peccatis nostris ipse sine peccato fuerat oblaturus, et san guinis quern erat effusurus in remissionem peccatorum nostrorum ; in isto autem sacrificio gratiarum actio atque commemoratio est camis Christ! quam pro nobis obtulit et sanguinis quern pro nobis idem Deus effudit. Fulgentius, Edit. Lug. 1633.
The Liber ad Petrum de Fide is a work not of Augustine, but of Fulgentius. In the Benedictine Edition of St Augustine, printed at Paris, 1679, the book is prefaced with an Admonitio commencing thus : Liber "de fide ad Petrum" inter Augustini opera olim impressus est, veterum aliquot manuscriptorum auctoritate, verum non esse Augus tini probe monstravit Erasmus ex ipsa phrasi, aliisque argumentis quae hie referre superfluum putamus. Nam indubitatus ejus auctor a nemine jam ignoratur Fulgentius. ED.]
[2 Cum adhibuit ad convivium in quo corporis et sanguinis sui figu- ram discipulis commendavit et tradidit. S. Aug. in Psal. iii. Op. Ben. Ed. Par. vol. iv. col. 7. ED.]
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 41
(saith St Augustine) offered any more but once? And he offered himself. And yet in a sacrament or representation, not only every solemn feast of Easter, but also every day to the people he is offered. So that he doth not lie, that saith, 4He is every day offered.1 For if sacraments had not some similitude or likeness of those things, whereof they be sacraments, they could in no wise be sacraments : and, for their similitudes and likeness, commonly they have the names of the things whereof they be sacraments. Therefore, as after a certain manner of speech the sacrament of Christ's body is Christ's body, the sacrament of Christ's blood is Christ's blood ; so likewise the sacrament of faith is faith3."'
After this manner of speech, St Augustine teacheth in Quest. 57, his question, Super Leviticum et cont. Adamantum, it is ''said in Scripture, that seven ears of corn be seven years; and 'the rock was Christ;' and 'blood is the soul4:' the which last saying (saith St Augustine in his book cont. Ad- Ep. 102, cap. amant.5) is understanded to be spoken in a sign or figure ; for the Lord himself did not stick to say, ' This is my body,'
[3 Nonne semcl immolatus est Christus in seipso ? et tamen in sacra- mento non solum per omnes Paschte solemnitates, sed omni die populis immolating nee utique mentitur qui interrogatus eum respondent im- molari. Si enim sacramenta quamdam similitudinem earum rerum quaram sacramenta sunt, non haberent, omnino sacramenta non essent ; ex hac autem similitudine plerumque etiam ipsarum rerum nomina accipiunt. Sicut ergo, secundum quemdam modum, sacramentum cor- poris Christi corpus Christi est, sacramentum sanguinis Christi sanguis Christ! est; ita sacramentum fidei fides est. S. Aug. Epist. xxiu. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. 1679. vol. ii. col. 267. F. ED.]
{j4 Solet autem res quae significat ejus rei nomine quam significat nuncupari, sicut scriptum est, septem spicae septem anni sunt; non cnim dixit, septem annos significant. Septem boves septem anni sunt, et multa hujusmodi. Hinc est quod dictum est, Petra erat Christus; non enim dixit, Petra significat Christum, sed tanquam hoc esset quod uti que per substantiam non hoc erat, sed per significationem. Sic et sanguis quoniam propter vitalem corpulentiam animam significat in sacramentis , anima dictus est. S. Aug. Quaest. 57. lib. in. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. vol. iii. col. 516. ED.]
[5 Nam ex eo quod scriptum est sanguinem pecoris animam ejus esse, prseter id quod supra dixi, non ad me pertinere quid agatur de pecoris anima, possum etiam interpretari prseceptum illud, in signo esse positum; non enim Dominus dubitavit dicere, "Hoc est corpus meum," cum signum daret corporis sui. S. Aug. Epist. cii. c. 12. sect. 3. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. vol. iii. col. 124. ED.]
42 A BRIEF DECLARATION
when he gave the sign of his body." "For we must not consider in sacraments (saith St Augustine in another pkce) what they be, but what they do signify. For they be signs of things, being one thing in themselves, and yet signifying anotner thing1." " For the heavenly bread (saith he), speak- m& °^ ^e sacramental bread, by some manner of speech is called Christ's body, when in very deed it is the sacrament of his body, &c."
What can be more plain or more clearly spoken, than are these places of St Augustine before rehearsed, if men were not obstinately bent to maintain an untruth, and to receive nothing, whatsoever doth set it forth? Yet one place more of St Augustine will I allege, which is very clear to this purpose, that Christ's natural body is in heaven, and not here corporally in the sacrament, and so let him depart. ^n ^s ^s* Treatise, which he writeth upon John, he Evan. cap. teacheth plainly and clearly, how Christ, being both God and man, is both here after a certain manner, and yet in heaven, and not here in his natural body and substance which he took of the blessed Virgin Mary, speaking thus of Christ, and saying, "2By his divine majesty, by his provi-
t1 Haec enim sacramenta sunt, in quibus non quid sint, sed quid os- tendant semper adtenditur, quoniam signa sunt rerum, aliud existentia, aliud significantia. S. Aug. cont. Max. lib. u. c. 22. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. vol. viii. col. 725. ED.]
P Accipiant hoc et boni, sed non suit soliciti; loquebatur enim de praesentia corporis sui. Nam secundum majestatem suam, secundum providentiam, secundum ineffabilem et invisibilem gratiam, impletur quod ab eo dictum est, "Ecce ego vobiscum sum usque in consum- mationem saeculi." Secundum carnem vero quam Verbum assumsit, secundum id quod de virgine natus est, secundum id quod a Judaeis prehensus est, quod ligno confixus, quod de cruce depositus, quod lin- teis involutus, quod in sepulchre conditus, quod in resurrectione mani- festatus, non semper habebitis vobiscum. Quare? Quoniam conversatus est secundum corporis prsesentiam quadraginta diebus cum discipulis suis, et, eis deducentibus videndo, non sequendo, adscendit in coelum, et non est hie. I bi est enim et sedet ad dexteram Patris, et Me est : non enim recessit praesentia majestatis. Aliter, secundum praesentiam majestatis., semper habemus Christum : secundum praesentiam carnis, recte dictum est discipulis, "me autem non semper habebitis." Habuit enim ilium Ecclesia secundum praesentiam carnis paucis diebus; modo fide tenet, oculis non videt. S. Aug. Tract LI. in Johan. Ev. c. 12. Op. Ed. Ben. Par. 1679, torn. iii. pars in. col. 634. ED.]
OF THE LORDS SL'PPER. 4J
dence, by his unspeakable and invisible grace, that is fulfilled which he spake, 'Behold, I am with you unto the end of the world.1 But as concerning his flesh which he took in his incarnation ; as touching that which was born of the Virgin; as concerning that which was apprehended by the Jews, and crucified upon a tree, and taken down from the cross, wrapped in linen clothes, and buried, and rose again, and appeared after his resurrection ; as concerning that flesh, he said, ' Ye shall not ever have me with you/ Why so \ For, as concerning his flesh, he was conversant with his dis ciples forty days; and, they accompanying, seeing, and not following him, he went up into heaven, and is not here. By the presence of his divine majesty, he did not depart ; as concerning the presence of his divine majesty, we have Christ ever with us : but, as concerning the presence of his flesh, he said truly to his disciples, c Ye shall not ever have me with you.1 For, as concerning the presence of his flesh, the church had him but a few days : now it holdeth him by faith, though it see him not.11
Thus much St Augustine speaketh, repeating one thing so often; and all to declare and teach how we should un derstand the manner of Christ's being here with us, which is by his grace, by his providence, and by his divine nature ; and how he is absent by his natural body which was born of the Virgin Mary, died, and rose for us, and is ascended into heaven, and there sitteth, as it is in the articles of our faith, on the right hand of God, and thence, (and from none other place, saith St Augustine) he shall come on the latter day, to judge the quick and the dead. At the which day, the righteous shall then lift up their heads: and the light of God's truth shall so shine, that falsehood and errors shall be put unto perpetual confusion. Righteousness shall have the upper hand, and truth that day shall bear away the victory ; and all the enemies thereof be quite overthrown, to be trodden under foot for evermore. O Lord, Lord, I be seech thee, hasten this day. Then shalt thou be glorified with the glory due unto thy holy name and unto thy divine majesty ; and we shah1 sing unto thee, in all joy and felicity, laud and praise for evermore. Amen.
Here now would I make an end : for methinks St Augus-
44 A BRIEF DECLARATION
tine is in this matter so full and plain, and of that authority, that it should not need, after this his declaration, being so firmly grounded upon God^s word, and so well agreeing with other ancient authors, to bring in for the confirmation of this matter any more. And yet I said, I would allege three of the Latin church, to testify the truth in this cause. Now, therefore, the last of all shall be Gelasius, which was a bishop of Rome ; but one that was bishop of that see, before the wicked usurpation and tyranny thereof spread abroad and burst out into all the world. For this man was before Bonifacius, yea, and Gregory the First, in whose days both corruption of doctrine and tyrannical usurpation did chiefly grow, and had the upper hand.
Gelasius, in an epistle of the two natures of Christ, (contra Eutyclien^ writeth thus : " The sacraments of the body and blood of Christ, which we receive, are godly things, whereby, and by the same, we are made partakers of the divine nature; and yet, nevertheless, the substance or nature of the bread and wine doth not depart or go away1." Note these words, I beseech you ; and consider, whether any thing can be more plainly spoken, than these words against the error of transubstantiation ; which is the ground and bitter root, whereupon spring all the horrible errors before rehearsed.
Wherefore, seeing that the falsehood hereof doth appear so manifestly and by so many ways, so plainly, so clearly, and so fully, that no man needeth to be deceived, but he that will not see, or will not understand ; let us all that do love the truth embrace it, and forsake the falsehood. For he that loveth the truth is of God: and the lack of the love thereof is the cause why God suffereth men to fall into errors, and to perish therein ; yea, and, as St Paul saith, why he sendeth unto them illusions, that they believe lies, unto
\} Certe sacramenta, quas sumimus, corporis et sanguinis Christi, divina res est; propter quod et per eadem, divinae efficimur consortes naturae : et tamen esse non desinit substantia vel natura panis et vini ; ct certe imago et similitudo corporis et sanguinis Christi in actione mysteriorum celebrantur. Gelasii Op. adv. Eutych. et Nest, de duab. Christ. Natur. in Bibliotheca Patrum, Colon. 1618. Sec. v. Part in. p. 671. ED.]
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. 45
their own condemnation : " because (saith he) they loved not the truth;1
This truth, no doubt, is God's word : for Christ himself saith unto his Father, "Thy word is truth." The love John xvii. and light whereof Almighty God our heavenly Father give us, and lighten it in our hearts by his holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Vincet Veritas.
PITEOUS LAMENTATION
OF THE MISERABLE ESTATE
OF THE CHURCH IN ENGLAND,
IN THE TIME OF THE LATE RJEVOLT FROM THE GOSPEL.
WRITTEN BY
NICHOLAS RIDLEY,
BISHOP OF LONDON.
of (Tljrist in (?nglanfte, in ttjc time of
fHarp, Uj^n^in i0 contepnet)f a leatneD com*
pari0on tiettpene tljc comfortatilt troctrgme of
tftr go^pclU anH tftr traditions of t!jt popp0f|
religion; tuitl) an instruction fjotoc tlje true
ougfjtr to tcljaue Qimoelfe in tfie tptne of tr^ali— Ujri?tten &g tjat Ujortt)^ martpr of late of
before tf)i0 t|)me imprpntetr*
anlr allotoe* according to tfte Iniunetions.
LAMENTATION OF THE CHURCH.
and la-
ALAS ! what misery is thy church brought unto, 0 Lord, at this day ! Where of late the word of the Lord was truly preached, was read and heard in every town, in every church, mented in every village ; yea, and almost every honest man's house ; alas ! now it is exiled, and banished out of the whole realm. Of late, who was not glad to be taken for a lover of God's word, for' a reader, for a ready hearer, and for a learner of the same? And now, alas, who dare bear any open counte nance towards it, but such as are content in Christ's cause, and for his word's sake, to stand to the danger and loss of all that they have 2
Of late there was to be found, of every age, of every degree and kind of people, that gave their diligence to learn, as they could, out of God's word the articles of the Chris tian faith, the commandments of God, and the Lord's prayer. The babes and young children were taught these things of their parents, of their masters, and weekly of their curates, in every church : and the aged folk, wiiich had been brought up in blindness, and in ignorance of those things which every Christian is bound to know, when otherwise they could not, yet they learned the same, by often hearing their chil dren and servants repeating the same ; but now, alas, and alas again, the false prophets of Antichrist, which are past all shame, do openly preach in pulpits unto the people of God, that the catechism is to be counted heresy : whereby their old blindness is brought home again ; for the aged are afraid of the higher powers, and the youth is abashed and ashamed, even of that which they have learned, though it be God's word, and dare no more meddle.
Of late in every congregation throughout all England was made prayer and petition unto God, to be delivered
4 [RIDLEY.]
50
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
of religion in the church.
from the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome, and all his detest able enormities1; from all false doctrine and heresy: and now, alas ! Satan hath persuaded England, by his falsehood and craft, to revoke her old godly prayer, to recant the same, and provoke the fearful wrath and indignation of God upon her own pate.
Of Iate bv strait laws and ordinances, with the consent °^ ^ie no1°les an^ commonality, and full agreement and council Of the prelates and clergy, was banished hence the beast of Babylon, with laws (I say), and with oaths and all means that then could be devised for so godly a purpose : but now, alas ! all these laws are trodden under foot : the nobles, the commonality, the prelates, and clergy, are quite changed ; and all those oaths, though they were herein made in judge ment, justice, and truth, and the matter never so good, doth no more hold than a bond of rushes, or of a barley straw ;
Jerem.iv. nor public perjury no more feareth them, than a shadow upon the wall.
Of late it was agreed in England of all hands, according to Paul's doctrine and Christ's commandment, as Paul saith
icor.xiv. plain, that nothing ought to be done in the church, in the public congregation, but in that tongue which the congre gation could understand, that all might be edified thereby, whether it were common prayer, administration of the sacra ments, or any other thing belonging to the public ministry of God's holy and wholesome word : but, alas ! all is turned upside down, Paul's doctrine is put apart, Christ's command ment is not regarded : for nothing is heard commonly in the church, but in a strange tongue, that the people doth no thing understand.
Of late all men and women were taught, after Christ's doctrine, to pray in that tongue which they could understand, that they might pray with heart that which they should speak with their tongue : now, alas ! the unlearned people is brought in that blindness again, to think that they pray,
[x In the Litany of Edward VI. occurs the Petition :
Priest. From all sedition and privy conspiracy, from the tyranny of
the Bishop of Rome, and all his detestable enormities; from all false
doctrine, &c. &c.
Ans. Good Lord, deliver us. ED.]
Ignorance in prayer.
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. 51
when they speak with their tongues, they cannot tell what, nor whereof their heart is nothing mindful at all, for that it can understand never a whit thereof.
Of late the Lord's supper was duly ministered and taught to be made common to all that were true Christians, with SuPPer- thanksgiving and setting forth of the Lord's death and pas sion, until his returning again to judge both quick and dead : but now, alas ! the Lord's table is quite overthrown, and that which ought to be common to all godly, is made private to a few ungodly, without any kind of thanksgiving, or any setting forth of the Lord's death at all, that the people is able to understand.
Of late all that were endued with the Iteht and grace The sacra- .
O & ment turned
of understanding of God's holy mysteries, did bless God, out of his
• ' right use
which had brought them out of that horrible blindness and and kin(1- ignorance, whereby in times past being seduced by Satan's subtilties, they believed that the sacrament was not the sacra ment, but the thing itself whereof it is a sacrament ; that
the creature was the Creator ; and that the thing; which hath creaturesfor
° the Creator.
neither life nor sense, (alas, such was the horrible blindness !) was the Lord himself; which made the eye to see, and hath given all senses and understanding unto man. But now, alas ! England is returned again like a dog to her own vomit and spewing, and is in a worse case than ever she was: for it had been better never to have known the truth, than to forsake the truth once received and known: and now, not only that light is turned into darkness, and God's grace is received in vain; but also laws of death are made by high court of Parliament, masterfully to maintain by sword, fire, and all kind of violence, that heinous idolatry, wherein that adoration is given unto the lifeless and dumb creature, whicli is only due unto the everliving God : yea, they say, they can and do make of bread both man and God by their transub- stantiation. 0 ! wicked invention, and Satan's own brood !
Of late was the Lord's cup at his table distributed, ac- The cup de-
,. - . barred from
cording to his own commandment by his express words in the minis- his Gospel, as well to the laity as to the clergy, which order the L°™ Christ's church observed so many hundred years after, as all the ancient ecclesiastical writers do testify, without con tradiction of any one of them, that can be shewed, unto
52 A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
this day : but now, alas ! not only the Lord's commandment is broken, his cup is denied to his servants, to whom he commanded it should be distributed, but also with the same is set up a new blasphemous kind of sacrifice, to satisfy and pay the price of sins, both of the dead and of the quick, to the great and intolerable contumely of Christ our Saviour, his death, and passion, which was and is the one only suf ficient and everlasting available sacrifice, satisfactory for all the elects of God, from Adam the first to the last that shall be born in the end of the world.
Deut.v. Of late that commandment of God, "Thou shalt not
make to thyself any graven image, nor any similitude or likeness of any thing in heaven above, or in earth beneath, or in the water under the earth, thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them," this commandment of God, I say, was graven1 almost every where in churches, was learned of every body, both young and old ; whereupon images that provoked the simple and ignorant people unto idolatry, as the wise man saith, were taken out of the churches, and straitly forbidden that none should any where either bow down to them, or worship them : but now, alas ! God's holy word is stockslnd' blotted an^ razed out of churches, and stocks and stones are stones, [ gef. Up -m £ne pjace thereof. God commanded his word so to be ordered, that it might be had in continual remembrance at all times, and in every place ; and on the other side he forbad images and idols, so to be either made or set in any place, where any should bow or worship them: but now, alas ! that which God commanded is not passed upon2, and that which he forbiddeth is masterfully maintained by false hood and craft, and wickedly upholden.
Of late all ministers that were admitted to the public office and ministry of God's holy word, in their admission made a solemn profession before the congregation, that they should teach the people nothing, as doctrine necessary to
t1 "Graven almost every where in churches." In the reign of king Edward VI. texts of Scripture were painted in most of the churches, particularly the second commandment, and 1 John v. 21, " Babes, keep yourselves from images." On the accession of Queen Mary these texts were erased. ED.]
£a Regarded. ED.]
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. 53
attain eternal salvation, but that which is GocTs own holy word, or may be thereof grounded without any doubt, where by vanished and melted away of themselves many vain, yea, wicked traditions of man, as wax before the fire : but now at one brunt they are revived, and are in full hope all to return again, in as great strength as ever they have been. And how can any man look for any other thing, but when you have received the head, you must also receive the whole body withal; or else how can the head abide? The head, under Satan, of all mischief is Antichrist and his brood; and the same is he which is the Babylonical beast. The beast is he whereupon the whore sitteth. The whore is that city, saith John in plain words, which hath empire over the kings of the earth. This whore hath a golden cup of abominations in her hand, whereof she maketh to drink the kings of the earth, ancl of the wine of this harlot all nations hath drunk; yea, and kings of the earth have lain by this whore ; and merchants of the earth, by virtue of her pleasant merchandise, have been made rich.
Now what city is there in the whole world, that when The whore
J of Babylon
John wrote, ruled over the kings of the earth; or what city w'th her cup
& J ofabomina-
can be read of in any time, that of the city itself dial- tions e.\- lenged the empire over the kings of the earth, but only the APOC. x\ii. city of Rome, and that since the usurpation of that See hath grown to her full strength? And is it not read, that old and ancient writers understood Peter's former Epistle to be writ ten at Rome, and it to be called of him in the same Epistle, in plain terms, Babylon ! By the abominations thereof, I un derstand all the whole trade of the Romish religion, under the name and title of Christ, which is contrary to the only rule of all true religion, that is, God's word. What word of God hath that devilish drab, for the maintenance of her manifold abominations, and to set to sale such merchandise, wherewith, (alas, the madness of man !) the wicked harlot hath bewitched almost the whole world? Did not Peter, the true Apostle of Christ (of whom this stinking strumpet beareth herself so high, but falsely and without all just cause), did not he, I say, give all the world warning of her pelf and trash, of her false doctors and apostles (for this whore and beast will be called Domini® Apostolicw, whosoever say nay), after this
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
2 Pet. ii. manner in his latter Epistle I " There were among the people in times past false prophets, as there shall be also among you, in time to come, false teachers, which shall privily bring in pestilent sects, even denying the Lord which hath bought them, and redeemed them, procuring to themselves swift, damnation; and many shall follow their damnable ways, by whom the way of truth shall be railed upon, and through covetousness by counterfeit tales or sermons, they shall, saith Peter, make merchandise upon you, &c." And doth not John likewise in his Revelation, after he hath reckoned up a great rabblement of this whore's mystical merchandise, at the last (as though he would knit up all in plain words, without any mist at all, setting out the whore's merchan dise) reckon up among the rest, and concludeth saying, et animas hwninwn, "and the souls of men too?" Whereupon AH things at I pray you else rose this true proverb, Omnia Romce venalia, money. "All things for money are set to sale at Borne?" Was not that a worthy commendation of Christ's vicar in earth, that was written of our holy father, one of the Alexanders, a bishop of Rome, thus I ween in Latin :
Vendit Alexander claves, altaria, Christum; Vendere jure potest, emerat Hie prius.
These two verses in Latin, I have read thus of one translated into English rhyme :
Verses a- Alexander our holy father, the Pope of Rome,
AiStndeT Selleth for money both right and doom :
VI- And to sale the holy father doth not stick to set
All kinds of holiness, ready money for to get :
And eke Christ himself he dare be bold,
To chop and change for silver and gold.
And why should any think this to be sore?
For what doth he sell, but that he bought before?
I grant these verses to be light gear, and the verse is but rude ; but, alas ! such conditions were more wicked and lewd than any wit could express. If these had been but the faults of one or a few in number, they had been less pernicious, and might have been taken for personal crimes, not to be imputed unto that See : but now, alas, the matter is more than evident to all that hath godly under standing, that these crimes be grounded upon laws, be es-
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. 55
tablished by custom, and set forth by all kind of wicked doctrine, falsehood, and craft : and therefore are not now to be esteemed for any one man's or of a few men's personal crimes, but are now by laws, custom, and doctrine, incorpo rated into that wicked See ; and maketh indeed the body of the beast, whereupon the abominable whore doth sit.
But you would know, which be those merchandise, which I said this whore setteth forth to sell, for the which all her false prophets, with all their juggling? and crafty gloses, can not bring one jot of God's word. Surely, surely, they be not only all these abominations which are come into the church of England already (whereof I have spoken somewhat before), but also an innumerable rabblement of abominations and wicked abuses, which now must needs follow : as Popish wicked % pardons, pilgrimages, Romish purgatory, Romish masses, see of Rome placebo et dirige, with trentals, and scala cwli, dispensations and immunities from all godly discipline, laws, and good order, pluralities, unions, tot quots, with a thousand more1.
Now shall come in the flattering friars, and the false pardoners, and play their old pranks and knavery; as they were wont to do. Now you shall have (but of the See of Rome only, and that for money) canonizing of such saints as have stood stout in the Pope's cause, shrining of relics, and from any kind of wickedness, if you will pay well for it, clear absolution, a posna et culpa, with thousands of years; yea, at every poor bishop's hands and suffragan, ye shall have hallowing of churches, chapels, altars, superaltars, chalices, and of all the whole household stuff and adornment, which shall be used in the church after the Romish guise; for all these things must be esteemed of such high price, that they may not be done, but by a consecrate bishop only. O Lord, all these things are such as thy Apostles never knevv\~_ ^s ^or conjuring (they call it hallowing, but it is conjuring indeed) of water and salt, of christening of bells3 and such like light things, what need I to speak 2 For every priest that can but read, hath power, they say, not only
[x Placebo, dirige, etc. See note C. at the end of the volume. ED.] [2 The forms for these and other offices may be found in the Ritualc Romonum. ED.]
56 A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
to do that, but also hath such power over Christ's body, as to make God and man, once at the least every day, of a wafer-cake1.
After the rehearsal of the said abominations, and re membrance of a number of many more, which, the Lord knoweth, irketh me to think upon, and were too long to describe; when I consider on the other side the eternal word of God, that abideth for ever, and the undefined law of the Lord, which turneth the soul from all wickedness, and giveth wisdom unto the innocent babes; I mean that milk that is without all guile, as Peter doth call it, that good The true word of God, that word of truth, which must be graven
word of God, . .
and the within the heart, and then is able to save mens souls; that
office of the
samede- wholesome seed, not mortal but immortal, of the eternal and
dared.
everliving God, whereby the man is born anew, and made the child of God ; that seed of God, whereby the man of God, so being born, cannot sin, as John saith (he meaneth, so long as that seed doth abide in him) ; that holy Scripture which hath not been devised by the wit of man, but taught from heaven by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, which is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct, and give order in all righteousness, that the man of God may be whole and sound, ready to perform every good work ; when, I say, I consider this holy and wholesome true word, that teacheth us truly our bounden duty towards our Lord God in every point, what his blessed will and pleasure is, what his infinite great goodness and mercy is, what he hath done for us, how he hath given his own only dear beloved to death for our salvation, and by him hath sent us the revelation of his blessed will and pleasure ; what his eternal word willeth us both to believe and also to do, and hath for the same purpose inspired the holy Apostles with the Holy Ghost, and sent them abroad into all the world, and also made them, and other disciples of Christ, inspired by the same Spirit, to write and leave behind them the same things that they taught, which as they did proceed of the Spirit of truth, so by the confession of all them that ever were endued with the Spirit of God, were sufficient to the obtaining of eternal sal-
Q1 A priest of the Roman church may perform mass once a day only, and then fasting. ED.]
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION". 57
vation : and likewise when I consider that all that man doth profess in his regeneration when he is received into the holy catholic church of Christ, and is now to be ac counted for one of the lively members of Christ's own body, all that is grounded upon God's holy word, and standeth in the profession of that faith, and obedience of those command ments, which are all contained and comprised in God's holy word: and furthermore, when I consider whom our Saviour Christ pronounceth in his Gospel to be blessed, and to whom Moses giveth his benedictions in the law; what ways the law, the Prophets, the Psalms, and all holy Scriptures, both new and old, do declare to be the ways of the Lord ; what is good for man to obtain and abide in God's favour; which is that faith that justifieth before God; and what is that charity, that doth pass and excel all; which be the proper ties of heavenly wisdom ; and which is that undefined religion that is allowed of God ; which things Christ himself calleth the weighty matters of the law; what thing is that which is only available in Christ ; and what knowledge is that, that Paul esteemed so much, that he counted himself only to know ; what shall be the manner of the extreme judgment of the later day; who shall judge, and by what he shall judge ; and what shall be required at our hands at that fearful day; how all things must be tried by the fire, and that that only shall stand for ever, which Christ's wrord shall allow, which shall be the judge of all flesh, to give sen tence upon all flesh, and every living soul, either of eternal damnation or everlasting salvation, from which sentence there shall be no place to appeal, no wit shall serve to delude, nor no power to withstand or revoke : when, I say, I con sider all these things, and confer to the same again and again all those ways wherein standeth the substance of the Romish religion, whereof I spake before; it may be evi dent and easy to perceive, that these two ways, these two religions, the one of Christ, the other of the Komish See, in these latter days, be as far distant the one from the other, as light and darkness, good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness, Christ and Belial. He that is hard of belief, let him note and weigh well with himself the places of holy Scriptures, which be appointed in the margent where-
58 A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
upon this talk is grounded, and by God's grace he may re- Note here, ceive some light. And unto the contemner I have nothing
that these
Prewritten n°W ^° Sa^' ^ut ^° renearse ^ie sajmg °f the Prophet Esay,
In tti(Mnariy wn^c^ ^au^ sPake to the Jews in the end of the Acts of the Apostles. After he had expounded unto them the truth of word, and declared unto them Christ, out of the law Moses anc* ti16 Prophets, from morning to night, all the day long, he said unto them that would not believe : " Well," said he, " spake the Holy Ghost unto our fathers, saying : Go unto this people and tell them, ye shall hear with your ears, and not understand, and seeing you shall behold, and not see the thing ; for the heart of this people is waxed gross or dull, and with their ears they are hard of hearing, and they have shut together their eyes, that they should not see, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts, that they might return, and I should heal them, saith the Lord God1."
Alas ! England, alas ! that this heavy plague of God should fall upon thee. Alas! my dear beloved country, what thing is it now that may do thee good? Undoubtedly thy plague is so great, that it is utterly uncurable, but by the bottom less mercy and infinite power of Almighty God. Alas! my dear country, what hast thou done, that thus thou hast pro voked the wrath of God, to pour out his vengeance upon thee for thine own deserts? Canst thou be content to hear thy faults told thee? Alas! thou hast heard oft, and wouldest never amend. England, thy faults of all degrees and sorts of men, of the magistrates, of the ministers, and of the com mon people, were never more plainly told, since thou bearest that name, than thou didst hear them of late, even before the magistrates, in King Edward's days, but thou heardest them only, and didst amend never a whit. For even of thy greatest magistrates, some (the King's Highness then, that innocent, that godly-hearted and peerless young Christian Prince excepted) evermore unkindly and ungently, against those that went about most busily and most wholesomely to cure their sore backs, spurned privily, and would not spare to speak evil of them, even unto the prince himself, and yet
Q1 The texts are—Is, vi. 9; Mark iv. 12; Acts xxviii. 25, 2G, 27. ED.]
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. 59
would they towards the same preacher outwardly bear a jolly countenance and a fair face.
I have heard that Cranmer, and another whom I will not g^J ;lieth name, were both in high displeasure, the one for shewing his conscience secretly, but plainly and fully, in the Duke Somerset's cause, and both of late, but specially Cranmer, for ;?aSe!set's repugning as they might against the late spoil of the church p^in^ rt goods, taken away only by commandment of the higher powers, J^oifof tile without any law or order of justice, and without any request j of consent of them to whom they did belong. As for Latimer, Lever, Bradford, and Knox, their tongues were so sharp, they fefej ripped in so deep in their galled backs, to have purged them, no doubt, of that filthy matter, that was festered in their hearts, of insatiable covetousness, of filthy carnality and vo luptuousness, of intolerable ambition and pride, of ungodly loathsomeness to hear poor men's causes, and to hear God's word, that these men, of all other, these magistrates then could never abide. Other there were, very godly men and well learned, that went about by the wholesome plasters of God's word, howbeit after a more soft manner of handling the matter ; but, alas ! all sped in like. For all that could be done of all hands, their disease did not minish, but daily did increase, which, no doubt, is no small occasion in that state, of the heavy plague of God, that is poured upon Eng land at this day. As for the common sort of other inferior magistrates, as judges of the laws, justices of peace, ser- jeants, common lawyers, it may be truly said of them, as of the most part of the clergy, of curates, vicars, parsons, pre- The corrupt bendaries, doctors of the law, archdeacons, deans, yea, and I may say, of bishops also, I fear me, for the most part, although I doubt not but God had and hath ever, whom he in every state knew and knoweth to be his, but for the most part, I say, they were never persuaded in their hearts, but from the teeth forward, and for the king's sake, in the truth of God's word ; and yet all these did dissemble, and bear a copy of a countenance, as if they had been sound within.
And this dissimulation Satan knew well enough, and therefore desired, and hath ever gone about, that the high magistrates by any manner of means might be deceived in matters of religion; for then he being of counsel with the
60
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
dissimulation in the worldly, knew well enough that he should bring to pass, and rule all even after his own will. Hypocrisy a Hypocrisy and dissimulation St Hierom doth call well a
double evil. .
double wickedness, for neither it loveth the truth (which is one great evil), and also falsely it pretendeth, to deceive the simple, for another thing1. This hypocrisy and dissimulation with God in matters of religion, no doubt, hath wholly also provoked the anger of God. And as for the common people, although there were many good, where they were well and diligently taught ; yet, God knoweth a great number received God's true word and high benefits with unthankful hearts. For it was great pity and a lamentable thing, to have seen in many places the people so loathsomely and so unreligiously to come to the holy communion, and to receive it accord ingly, and to the common prayers, and other divine service, which were according to the true vein of God's holy word in all points so godly and wholesomely set forth, in com parison of that blind zeal and indiscreet devotion, which they had aforetimes to those things, whereof they understood never one whit, nor could be edified by them any thing at all. The slack- And again, as for alms deeds, which are taught in God's was in that word (whereby we are certain that God is pleased with them, works. ° and doth and will require such at our hands, which are a part of true religion, as St James saith, and such as he saith himself he setteth more by than by sacrifice, as to provide for the fatherless, infants and orphans, for the lame, aged, and impotent poor needy folk, and to make public provision that the poverty that might labour, should have wherewith to labour upon, and so be kept from shameful beggary anc^ stealing), in these works, I say, how wayward were many, in comparison (I mean) of that great prodi gality, whereby in times past they spared not to spend upon flattering friars, false pardoners, painting and gilding of stocks and stones, to be set up and honoured in churches, plainly against God's word. And yet because no place is to be de frauded of their just commendation, (in) London, I must con fess, that such godly works, in Sir Richard Dobs, knight, then lord mayor, his year, began marvellous well : the Lord grant the same may so likewise persevere, continue, yea, Q1 And it deceiveth the people, which is another evil. ED.]
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
61
and increase, to the comfort and relief of the needy and helpless, that was so godly begun. Amen.
All these things do minister matter of more mourning and bewailing the miserable state that now is ; for by this it may be perceived, how England hath deserved this just plague of God. And also it is greatly to be feared that those good things, whatsoever they were, that had their be ginning in the time when God's word was freely preached, / now with the exile and banishment of the same they will depart again.
But to return again to the consideration of this miser able state of Christ's church in England, and to leave fur ther and more exquisite searching of the causes thereof unto God's secret and unsearchable judgments, let us see what is best now to be done for Christ's little 2silly flock. This is one maxim and principle in Christ's law : " He that denieth me before men, him shall Christ deny afore his Father, and all his angels of heaven." And therefore every one that He exhort- looketh to have by Christ our Saviour everlasting life, let stantcon"" him prepare himself so, that he deny not his master Christ, Christ! or else he is but a castaway and a wretch, howsoever he be counted or taken here in the world.
Now then, seeing the doctrine of Antichrist is returned again into this realm, and the higher powers (alas!) are so deceived and bewitched, that they are persuaded it to be truth, and Christ's true doctrine to be error and heresy, and the old laws of Antichrist are allowed to return with the power of their father again; what can be hereafter looked for by reason, to the man of God and true Christian abid ing in this realm, but extreme violence of death, or else to deny his Master ? I grant the hearts of princes are in God's hands, and whithersoever he will, he can make them to bow ; and also that Christian princes in old time used a more gentle Punishment kind of punishment, even to them which were heretics in- more gentle deed, as degradation, and deposition out of their rooms and t£ne,eand offices ; exile and banishment out of their dominions and used, countries; and also (as it is read) the true bishops of Christ's church were sometime intercessors for the heretics unto princes, that they would not kill them, as is read of [3 Sec page G, foot-note. ED.]
62
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
St Augustine. But as yet Antichrist's kingdom was not so erected at that time, nor is now accustomed so to order them, that will not fall down and worship the beast and his image ; but even as all the world knoweth, after the same manner that both John and Daniel hath prophesied before, that is, by violence of death: and Daniel declareth farther, the kind of death accustomably should be by sword, fire, and imprisonment.
Therefore if thoti, O man of God, do purpose to abide in this realm, prepare and arm thyself to die : for both by Antichrist's accustomable laws, and these prophecies, there is no appearance or likelihood of any other thing, except thou wilt deny thy Master Christ, which is the loss at the last, both of body and soul, unto everlasting death. Therefore, my good brother or sister in Christ, whatsoever thou be, to thee that canst and mayest so do, that counsel that I think is the best safeguard for thee, both for thy body, and most surety for thy souFs health, is that which I shall shew thee hereafter. But first I warn thee to understand me, to speak to him or her which be not in captivity, or called already for to confess Christ, but is at liberty abroad. counsel My counsel, I say, therefore is this, to fly from the plague,
these days and to get thee hence. I consider not only the subtleties of
ofpersecn- ' f ^
tionwhatto Satan, and how he is able to deceive by his false persua sions, if it were possible, even the chosen of God, and also the great frailty, which is oftentimes more in a man, than he doth know in himself, which in the time of temptation then will utter itself — I do not only consider these things, I say, but that our Master Christ, whose life was and is a perfect rule of the Christian man's life, that he himself avoided oftentimes the fury and madness of the Jews, by departing from the country or place.
such as re- Paul likewise, when he was sought in Damascus, and the
mained out . . .
of captivity, gates of the city were laid in wait for him, he was conveyed
counselled 6 J . J
to depart the by night, let down in a basket out at a window over the wall : and Helias, the Prophet, fled the persecution of wicked Jeza- bel. And Christ our Saviour saith in the Gospel, " When they persecute you in one city, flee unto another : " and so did many good, great, learned, and virtuous men of God, which were great and stout champions nevertheless, and stout
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. 63
confessors and maintainers of Christ and his truth, in clue time and place. Of such was the great clerk Athanasius. But this is so plain to be lawful by God's word, and exam ples of holy men, that I need not to stand in it.
Having this for my ground, I say to thee, O man of God, this seemeth to me to be the most sure way for thy safe guard, to depart and flee far from the plague, and that swiftly also: for truly, before God, I think that the abomination that "Daniel prophesied of so long before, is now set up in the holy place. For all Antichrist's doctrine, laws, rites, and religion, contrary to Christ, and of the true serving and worshipping of God, I understand to be that abomination : Enslana- therefore now is the time in England for those words of Christ, Tune, inquit, qui in Judea sunt fuglant ad monies. " Now then," saith Christ, " let those that be in Judea fly to the mountains." " Then," saith he, — mark this Christ's " then" ; for truly I am persuaded, and I trust by the Spirit of God, that this "then" is commanded — "then, saith Christ, they that be in Jewry, let them flee into the mountains, and he that is on the house-top, let him not come down to take away any thing out of his house; and he that is abroad in the field, let him not return to take his clothes. Woe be to the great-bellied women, and to them that give suck! but pray, saith Christ, that your flight be not in winter, or on the Sabbath-day."
These words of Christ are mystical, and therefore have need of interpretation. I understand all those to be in Jewry spiritually, which truly confess one true living God, and the whole truth of his word, after the doctrine of the Gospel of Christ. Such are they whom Christ here biddeth, in the time of the reign of Antichrist's abominations, to flv unto Christ com-
, . . ..„. . mandeth to
the mountains : which sijmifieth places of safeguard, and all % to the
O w*rtii<n + ni«-t.
such things which are able to defend from the plague: that he biddeth him that is on the house-top, not come down; nor him that is in the field, not to return to take with him his clothes — he meaneth that they should speed them to get them away betimes, lest in their tarrying, and trifling about worldly provision, they be trapped in the snare or ever they be aware, and caught by the back, and for gain of small worldly things endanger and cast themselves into great perils
mountains.
64 A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
of more weighty matters. And where he saith, Woe be to great-bellied women, and to them that give suck; women great with child, and nigh to their lying down and to be brought to bed, are not able to travel : nor also those women, which are brought to bed, and now give their babes suck. By these therefore Christ spiritually understandeth all such as be in extreme danger, which this word " woe" signifieth : all such, I say, as are so letted by any manner of means, that they no ways be able to fly from the plague. That which Christ saith, " Pray you that your flight be not in the winter, nor on the Sabbath-day :" in winter, the common course of the year teacheth us, that the ways be foul, and therefore it is a hard thing then to take a far journey, for many in- commodities and dangers of the ways in that time of the year ; and on the Sabbath-day it was not lawful to journey, but a little way. Now Christ therefore, meaning that we should have need, both to speed our journey quickly, which cannot be done in the winter, for the incommodities of the ways, and also to go far, which cannot be done on the Sab bath-day ; he biddeth us therefore pray that our flight be not in winter, nor on the Sabbath-day: that is, to pray that we may fly in time, and also far enough from the danger of the plague. Now the causes why we should fly followeth
Matt.xxiv. in the same place of St Matthew's Gospel, which I now pass over: thou mayest read them there.
Apoc.xviii. And in the eighteenth chapter of the Revelation, the angel is said to have cried mightily with a loud voice : " Fly, my people, out of Babylon, lest you be infected with her faults, and so be made partners of her plagues: for her offences and sins are grown so great, that they swell and are come unto the heaven: certainly the time doth approach, and the Lord's day is at hand." Hear, I beseech you, also holy Paul, that blessed Apostle: he plainly forbiddeth us ducere jugum cum incredulis, that is, to join or couple our-
2Cor.vL selves with the unfaithful; "for what fellowship can there be," saith he, " of righteousness with unrighteousness ; what company hath light with darkness; or what agreement hath Christ with Belial; or what part can the faithful have with the unfaithful; or how doth the temple of God agree with images or idols? for you are the temple of the living God:
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. 00»
as God hath said, I will walk and dwell in them ; I will be their God, and they shall be my people : wherefore depart from amongst them, and get you from them, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive you, and be to you in the stead of your father, and you shall be unto me as my sons and daughters, saith the Almighty Lord."
This counsel to depart the realm, I do not marvel if it do seem to divers (even of them, I mean, that bear favour to God-ward) diversely. Many, I trust, that be learned shall think the counsel good. Others there be peradventure, that will think it rather a thing to be more tolerable, and that it may be indeed by God's word lawfully done, rather than to be counselled to be done ; for they will peradventure say, we should counsel a man always to do that, which is best of all and of most perfection : but boldly in Christ's cause to spend a man's life is best of all and of most perfection, and to JJ^JI/y fly it may seem to smell of cowardness. In many things, debated. that which is best for one at some times is not best for all at all times ; and it is not most perfection, nor meet for a child to covet to run before he can go. I will not here make a discourse in this matter, what might here be ob jected, and what might be answered again: I leave that to the witty and eloquent men of the world.
This is my mind, which I would thou shouldest know, 0 man of God, as I would wish ; and I do pray to Almighty God it may be, that every true Christian, either brother or sister (after they be called, and brought into the wrestling place, to strive in Christ's cause for the best game, that is, to confess the truth of the Gospel and of the Christian faith, in hope of everlasting life), should not shrink, not relent one inch^ or give back, whatsoever shall befall, but stand to their tackle, and stick by it even unto death, as they will Christ shall stick by them at the latter day: so likewise, I dare not wish nor counsel any, either brother or sister, of their Presump-
. *. tuous provo.
own swing to start up into the stage, or to cast themselves cation, and either before or farther in danger than time and need shall ninjr into
danger, for-
require. For undoubtedly when God seeth his time, and his bidden, pleasure is, that his glory shall be set forth and his church edified by thy death and confession, means shall be found by Jiis fatherly universal Providence, that thou, without thine
5 [RIDLEY.]
66 A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
own presumptuous provocation, shalt be lawfully called to do thy feat and to play thy part. The miserable end that one Quintus came unto, may be a warning and a fearful exam ple, for all men to beware of presumption and rashness in such
Eccies* His things, as Eusebius writeth in Eccles. Historia, for evermore.
Ca^is -^u* a third sort of men there be, which also will be
counted favourers of God's word, and are, I fear, in number far more, and worse to be persuaded to that which is the godly mean : I mean, of such as will peradventure say or think, that my former counsel, which was to flee the in fection of the antichristian doctrine by departure out of the realm, is more than needeth, and other ways and means may be found, both to abide, and also to be clear out of danger of the foresaid plague. If that could be found indeed truly / agreeable to God's word, I would be as glad to hear it, God is my witness, as who is the other. Yes, peradventure, will some say, thus it may be. Thou mayest keep thyself, thy faith, and thy religion close to thyself, and inwardly and privately worship God in spirit and truth, and outwardly see thou be no open meddler, nor talker, nor transgressor of com mon order : so mayest thou be suffered in the commonwealth, and yet use thy religion without offence of thy conscience.
Conscience In other countries somewhere this peradventure might be
would not used : but in England what shall be, God wot ; but it was
be dissem bled, never yet, so far as ever I have known or heard. And also
how can it be, but either thou must transgress the common order, and the Komish laws and customs, which have been used in England in the times past of Popery, and now, it is certain, they return again : I say, thou must either be a breaker of these rites, laws and customs, and so bewray thy self; or else if thou be indeed a man of God, thou shalt offend thy conscience ; for in observing of them, thou shalt be compelled to break God's law, which is the rule of con science to the man of God. For how canst thou resort every holy day to the church, and bear a face to worship the creature for the Creator, as thou must do, and perad venture confess it too with thy mouth, and to sprinkle thyself with their conjured water?
Thou must be contributor also to the charges of all their popery, as of books for Antichrist's service, of lights of the
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. 67
roodloft, of the sepulchre, for setting up and painting of images, nay indeed of idols, and thou must bear a face to worship them also, or else thou must be had by the back1. Thou must serve the turn, to give the holy loaves, as they call it, which is nothing else but a very mockery of the Lord's holy table. Thou must be a contributor to the charges of all the disguised apparel, that the popish sacrificing priest, like unto Aaron, must play his part in. Yea, when the par doner cometh about, or the flattering friar, to beg for the maintenance of superstition, except thou do as thy neigh bours do, look not long for to live in rest. If any of the household die, if thou wilt not pay money for ringing and singing, for requiem, masses, dirige, and commendations, and such-like trumpery of the antichristian religion, thinkest thou that thou shalt be reckoned for a catholic man, or for ami- A hard
dwelling in
cus Ccesaris ? A hundred things more may be reckoned, England for
0 * a good man,
and many of more weight, and of more evident superstition either with-
» . out danger
and idolatry', than some of these which I have now re- of con-
» 7 p science or
hearsed, which God knoweth be ill enough: but these are peril of life. enough to declare, and to set before thine eyes the thing that I intend; that is, if thou abide and wilt dwell in England, thou must either do these, and many other more contrary to God's word, which forbiddeth not only the thing which is evil, but also saith, ab omni specie mail abstinete vos, " Abstain from all things that have any appearance of evil ;" or else, if thou wilt not do them, how thou canst live in England in rest and safe from the stake, truly I cannot tell.
But peradventure (as a man is ready to find and invent some colour to cloke his conscience, to do that thing that his heart dcsireth) thou wilt say, Though at any time I shall be forced to do any of these things and such-fike, yet will I have no confidence in them, but outwardly with my body; I will keep mine heart unto God, and will not do that of mine own mind willingly, neither but to avoid another inconvenience : I trust therefore God will hold me excused, for he shall have my heart — what can I do more?
O my friend, beware for God's sake, and know that the invent not subtleties of Satan are deep. He that is not able by God's word to perceive them, is heavily laden ; pray therefore with [* Be imprisoned. ED.]
68 A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
David : " Lord, let me not have a mind to invent excuses for to cloke my sin." Examine, my dear friend, these thy wily ways with the word of God, and if they do agree, thou mayest use them : if not, know, though they may seem never so fine and goodly, yet indeed they be of Satan's brood. God's word is certain, that forbiddeth to worship the creature for the Creator ; for that is heinous idolatry, and against the first commandment of God. And it is also against the second commandment of the first table to bow down, or to do wor ship, unto any images of God or of any other thing : and God's word requireth not only the belief of the heart, but also the confession of the mouth. And to bear part of the charges to the maintenance of things ungodly, what is that but, in thy so doing, a consent to the thing done? Now consenters and the doers, God's word accounteth to be guilty both. And it is not lawful by St Paul's doctrine, which was inspired him by the Spirit of God, to do ill, that thereof the thing which is good may come.
Thy heart, thou sayest, God shall have, and yet wilt thou suffer thy body to do the thing that God doth abhor. Be ware, 0 man; take heed what thou sayest. Man may be deceived, but no man may deceive God, for he is called, and is truly, KapSioyvuxTTrjs, that is to say, "the Searcher of the heart." Now, to give God thy heart is to give him thy whole heart, to love him, to dread him, and to trust in him above all other things. " He that hath my commandments," saith Christ, "and observeth and keepeth them, it is he that loveth me :" and to dread God above all other, is rather wil lingly to incur the danger and peril of all fearful things, than willingly to do that thing which is contrary to his blessed will TO trust in and commandment; and to trust in him above all things, is
God, what it
is. assuredly to trust to his promise of his reward, and of his
tuition, and of his goodness and mercy, and to prefer that above all things in the world, seem they never so strong, so wise, or so good. Now how canst thou say truly, that God hath thy heart after this manner of sort (which is to have thy heart indeed), when thy deeds do declare far another thing? Thy body, 0 man, is God's, and all the parts thereof, even as thy soul is ; he made them both, and Christ with his blood hath redeemed them both, and is Lord of both, for he
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. 69
hath bought them both dear; and darest thou suffer any parts of either of them to do service to Satan? Surely in so doing, thou committest sacrilege and dost rob God ; thou defilest the lively temple of the living God, if thou suffer i Cor. iii. thy body to do Satan service. "Do you not know, saith i cor. vi. St Paul, that your body is a lively temple of God ?" And may a man then take and use any part thereof but in the service of God? No surely, it is not lawful so to do for the man of God, neither with hand, tongue, nor foot, nor any part of the whole body.
Doth not Paul command to the Romans, which pertaineth to every Christian soul: "As you have in times past," saith Rom. vi. he, "given your members to do service unto uncleanness and wickedness, from one wickedness to another ; so now give your members to do service unto righteousness, that you may be sanctified." And I pray thee, good brother, what dost thou think is to bear the mark of the beast in the forehead and in the hand, that St John speaketh of? I know we ought warily to speak of God's mysteries, which be shewed by the spirit of prophesying to his servant John ; yet to read them with reverence, and to pray for the understanding of the same so much as God knoweth is necessary for our time to know, I think it necessary and good. Wherefore what I suppose is to bear the beast's mark, I will tell thee, and commit the judgment of mine interpretation, as in all other things, to the spiritual man. I suppose he beareth the beast JJl°ebbeaar t, of Babylon's mark in his forehead, which is not ashamed of ™»jk» what the beast's ways, but will profess them openly to set forth his master the beast Abaddon. And likewise he beareth his Apoc.xm. mark in his hand, that will and doth practise the works of the beast with his power and hand.
And likewise I will not let to tell thee, what I think to be signed in the forehead for the servant of God, whereof John also speaketh, reckoning up many thousands so to have been signed of every tribe : I suppose he is signed in the forehead for the servant of God, whom God hath appointed of his infinite goodness, and hath given him grace and strength, stoutly to confess him and his truth before the world. And to have grace and strength to confess Christ, and the doc trine of the cross, and to lament and mourn for the abo-
70 A PITEOUS LAMENTATION*.
urinations of antichrist, I suppose is to be signed with Tau1, whereof Ezekiel the prophet doth speak. Thus I suppose these prophecies are spiritually to be understood: and to look for other corporal marks, to be seen in men's fore heads, or in their hands, is nothing else but to look that there should come some brute beast out of Babylon, or some elephant, leopard, lion, or camel, or some other such mon strous beast with ten horns, that should do all the wonderful things spoken in John ; and yet of a beast speaketh John ; but I understand him so to be called, not for that he shall be any such brute beast, but for that he is and shall be the child of perdition, which for his cruelty and beastly manners is well called a beast.
The carnal Jews knew there was a promise made, that Helias should come before Christ Messias, the anointed of God, to prepare his ways : they knew also that there was a pro mise of Messias, that he should come and be a king, and The literal reign in the house of David for evermore ; but they under- thVscrfp- standed all so grossly and so carnally, that they neither knew
tures made •»/»•• i i /» iii/»
the Jews Helias nor Messias, when they came, for they looked for Helias to come down from heaven in his own person, and for Messias to come and reign in worldly pomp, power, riches, and glory : when as the prophecies of both were spi ritually to have been understanded of Helias, that he should come not in person, but in spirit, that is, one which should be endued with the spirit and gifts of grace of Helias, which was indeed John Baptist, as Christ himself did declare to his Apostles. And of Messias1 reign, all the Prophets were to be understanded of the reign of his spiritual kingdom over the house of Jacob and the true Israelites for evermore. And so by that their gross and carnal understanding, they mistake both Helias and the true Messias; and, when they came, knew neither of them both. So likewise I fear me (nay it is certain), the world that wanteth the light of the Spirit of God (for the world is not able to receive him, saith John) neither doth nor shall know the beast nor his marks, though The pope's he rage cruelly and live never so beastly, and though his Sen.e marked men be in number like the sand of the sea. The
Q1 Tau, the letter Tau, or a cross, see Ezek. ix. and Rev. xiii. xiv. xx. ED.]
A PTTEOFS LAMEXTATTON. 7l
Lord therefore vouchsafe to open the eyes of the blind with the light of grace, that they may see, and perceive, and un derstand the words of God, after the mind of his Spirit. Amen.
Here remaineth two objections, which may seem weighty, and the which may peradventure move many not to follow the former counsel. The former reason is, a man will say : "O, Sir, it is no small matter ye speak of, to depart from a man's own native country into a strange realm. Many men have so great lets, as how is it possible that they can or may do so ? Some have lands and possessions, which they cannot Carnal ob- carry with them : some have father, mother, wife, children, answered. and kinsfolk, from whom to depart is as hard a thing, (and all one almost) as to suffer death, and to go to a strange country, that thou knowest not, neither the manner of the people, nor how thou mayest away either with the people or with the country. Oh ! what a hard thing it is to live among a strange people, whose tongue thou dost not under stand," &c.
I grant here thou mayest heap a number of worldly in- commodities, which are surely very like to ensue the departure out of a man's own native country — I mean out of the whole realm, into a strange land : but what of all these, and a thou sand more of the like sort ? I will set unto them one saying of our Saviour Christ, which unto the faithful child of God, and the true Christian, is able to countervail all these, yea, and to weigh them down. Christ our Saviour saith in Luke: " If any come to me, and do not hate his father and mother (he meaneth, and will not in his cause forsake his father and mother), his wife, children, and brethren, yea, and his life too, he cannot be my disciple : and whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, he cannot be my dis ciple." And in the same place he declareth by two parables, one of a builder, and the other of a king that is a warrior, that every man that will not in Christ's cause forsake all that ever he hath, he cannot be his disciple. Look the place who will : the matter is so plainly set forth, that no glosses nor cloaking of conscience to the man of God can serve to the contrary. Many places there be for the same purpose, for the embracing of Christ's cross, when Christ and his cause
1 3 A PITEOUS LAMENTATION;
layeth it upon our back : but this is so plain, that I need here to rehearse no more.
The latter reason and objection, whereof I spake before,
is of more force, and includeth a necessity, which, after the
Another common saying, hath no law, and therefore it is more hard
worldly ob- J .
jection to shape for it a good answer. This may be objected of some: "Alas! Sir, I grant all these things do grieve me, and because I understand they do not agree with God's word, which is the rule of my conscience, I loathe either to look on them or to hear them. But, Sir, alas ! I am an impotent man, an aged man, a sick man, a lame man, or I have so many small infants and a lame wife, which all liveth by my labour and by my provision : if I leave them they shall starve, and I am not able to carry them with me, such is my state. Alas ! Sir, what shall I do 2" And these causes may chance to some men of God, whereby either it shall be for them utterly impossible to depart the country, or else in departing they shall be enforced to forsake such in extreme necessities, of whom both God and nature hath committed unto them the care.
Alas ! what counsel is here to be given ? 0 lamentable state ! 0 sorrowful heart ! that neither can depart, and with out extreme danger and peril is not able to tarry still ! And these are they whom our Saviour Christ saw before should be, and called them in his prophecy of the latter time preg nant women or travailing women, and women that give, after they be brought to bed, their small babes suck. Of the state of such as are not able to fly the infection of the pestiferous plague of antichrist's abominations, Christ lamenting, and not cursing, saith : " Woe be to the pregnant women and travail ing women, and women that give suck in those days !" For these, alas ! my heart mourneth the more, the less I am able to give any comfortable counsel, but this, that always, as they look for everlasting life, they abide still in the confession of this truth, whatsoever shall befall ; and for the rest to put their trust now wholly in God, which is able to save them against all appearance, and commonly in extremities, when all worldly comfort faileth, and the danger is at highest, then unto his he is wont, after his accustomed mercy, to be most ready for to put his helping hand. Daniel God suffered to
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. /J
be cast into the den of lions, and the three children into the hot burning furnace, and yet he saved them all. Paul was plucked out of the mouth of the lion (as he saith of himself), and in Asia he was brought in such trouble, that he looked for no other thing but for present death ; and yet He that raiseth the dead to life again, did bring him out of all his troubles, and taught him and all other that be in troubles for Christ's cause, not to trust to themselves, but in Al mighty God.
Of God's gracious aid in extreme perils toward them that put their trust in him, all Scripture is full, both old and new. What dangers were the patriarchs often brought into, as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but of all other Joseph ; and how mercifully were they delivered again ! In what perils was Moses when he was fain to fly for the safeguard of his life ! and when was he sent again to deliver the Israelites from the servile bondage ? Not before they were brought into Examples extreme misery. And when did the Lord mightily deliver ready help
• J in extreme
his people from Pharaohs sword? ISot before they were perils, brought in such straits, that they were so compassed on every side (the main sea on the one side, and the main host on the other), that they could look for none other, (yea, what did they else indeed look for then?) but either to have been drowned in the sea, or else to have fallen on the edge of Pharaoh his sword. Those judges which wrought most won derful things in the delivery of the people, were ever given when the people were brought to most misery before, as Othoniel, Aioth1, Sangar, Gedeon, Jephtha, Samson. And so was Saul endued with strength and boldness from above, against the Ammonites, Philistines, and Amalechites, for the defence of the people of God. David likewise felt God's help most sensibly ever in his extreme persecutions. What shall I speak of the Prophets of God, wrhom God suffered so oft to be brought into extreme perils, and so mightily delivered them again ; as Helias, Hieremy, Daniel, Micheas, and Jonas, and many other, whom it were but too long to rehearse and set out at large? And did the Lord use his servants other wise in the new law after Christ's incarnation? Read the Acts of the Apostles, and you shall see, no. Were not the C1 Ehud. ED.]
/ •* A PITKOTT3 T.A MENTATION*.
ofXSSfsede Apostles cas^ mt° prison, and brought out by the mighty liverance. hand of Q.O(J ? j){^ not the angel deliver Peter out of the strong prison, and bring him out by the iron gates of the city, and set him free? And when, I pray you? Even the same night before Herod appointed to have brought him in judgment for to have slain him, as he had a little before killed James, the brother of John. Paul and Silas, when after they had been sore scourged, and were put into the inner prison, and there were laid fast in the stocks; I pray you, what appearance was there that the magistrates should be glad to come the next day themselves to them, to desire them to be content, and to depart in peace 2 Who provided for Paul, that he should be safely conducted out of all dan ger, and brought to Felix, the Emperors deputy, when as both the high priests, the pharisees, and rulers of the Jews had conspired to require judgment of death against him, he being fast in prison, and also more than forty men had sworn each one to other, that they would never eat nor drink until they had slain Paul? A thing wonderful, that no reason could have invented, or man could have looked for: God provided Paul his own sister's son, a young man, that disap pointed that conspiracy and all their former conjuration. The manner how the thing came to pass, thou mayest read in the twenty-third of the Acts; I will not be tedious unto thee here with the rehearsal thereof.
Now, to descend from the Apostles to the martyrs that followed next in Christ's church, and in them likewise to de clare how gracious our good God ever hath been to work wonderfully with them which in his cause have been in ex treme perils, it were a matter enough to write a long book. I will here name but one man and one woman, that is, Athanasius, the great clerk and godly man, stoutly standing Lib.v.Cap.i. jn Christ's cause against the Arians ; and that holy woman, Blandina, standing so constantly in all extreme pains, in the simple confession of Christ. If thou wilt have examples of Lib. iv.v.vi. m0re, look and thou shalt have both these and a hundred TriP- more in Ecclesiastica Historia of Eusebius, and in Tripartite Historia.
But for all these examples, both of holy Scripture and of other histories, I fear me the weak man of God, encum-
A PITEOUS LAMENTATION. "75
bered with the frailty and infirmity of the flesh, will have now and then such thoughts and qualms (as they call them) to run over his heart, and to think thus : " All these things which are rehearsed out of the Scripture, I believe to be true, and of the rest truly I do think well, and can believe them also to be true : but all these we must needs grant were special miracles of God, which now in our days are ceased, we see, and to require them at God's hands, were it not to tempt GodT
Well-beloved brother, I grant such were great wonderful works of God, and we have not seen many of such miracles in our time, either for that our sight is not clear (for truly ever°yUman God worketh with his his part in aU times), or else be- S™' se cause we have not the like faith of them for whose cause God wrought such things, or because, after that he had set forth the truth of his doctrine by such miracles then suffi ciently, the time of so many miracles to be done was expired withal. Which of these is the most special cause of all other, or whether there be any other, God knoweth : I leave that to God. But know thou this, my well-beloved in God, that God's hand is as strong as ever it was; he may do what his gracious pleasure is, and he is as good and gra cious as ever he was. Man changeth as the garment doth ; but God, our heavenly Father, is even the same now that he was, and shall be for evermore.
The world without doubt (this I do believe, and there fore I say) draweth towards an end, and in all ages God hath had his own manner, after his secret and unsearchable wis dom, to use his elect; sometimes to deliver them, and to keep them safe ; and sometimes to suffer them to drink of Christ's cup, that is, to feel the smart, and to feel of the whip. And though the flesh smarteth at the one, and feel- eth ease in the other, is glad of the one, and sore vexed ii} the other; yet the Lord is all one towards them in both, and loveth them no less when he suffereth them to be beaten, yea, and to be put to bodily death, than when he worketh wonders for their marvellous delivery. Nay, rather he doth The Lord's more for them, when in anguish of the torments he stand- less in ad- eth by them, and strengthened them in their faith, to suffer in the confession of the truth and his faith the bitter pangs ty
76 A PITEOUS LAMENTATION.
of death, than when he openeth the prison-doors and let- teth them go loose : for here he doth but respite them to another time, and leaveth them in danger to fall in like peril again; and there he maketh them perfect, to be without danger, pain, or peril, after that for evermore : but this his love towards them, howsoever the world doth judge of it, is all one, both when he delivereth and when he suffereth them to be put to death. He loved as well Peter and Paul, when (after they had, according to his blessed will, pleasure, and providence, finished their courses, and done their ser vices appointed them by him here in preaching of his Gospel) the one was beheaded, and the other was hanged or cruci fied of the cruel tyrant Nero (as the ecclesiastical history saith), as when he sent the angel to bring Peter out of prison, and for PauTs delivery he made all the doors of the prison to fly wide open, and the foundation of the same like an earthquake to tremble and shake.
Thinkest thou, 0 thou man of God, that Christ our Sa viour had less affection to the first martyr, Stephen, because he suffered his enemies, even at the first conflict, to stone him to death