A treatise of the right honouring and wourshypping of our saviour jesus Christ in the sacrament of bread and wine, when it is ministered with thanks giving at the holy supper: set forth by richard Bonner priest, in the year of our lord god. M. ccccc xlviii. and the xii of November.  john four 
The hour cometh & is now when true worshippers, shall worship the father in spirit & verity, for the father seeketh such, that may worship him.  
 printer's device of N. Hill, a compartment with the blazon or coat of arms of Queen Mary I at the base, the winged female personification of Victory seated with a palm branch and laurel wreath at the top, the female personification of Justice standing with a sword on the left, and the female personification of Prudence standing holding a snake by the neck to the right (not in McKerrow) 
DIEV ET MON DROYT  
VICTORIA  
JUSTITIA  
PRUDENTIA    

To the right reverend father in God/ Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, and of all England Metropolitan, richard Bonner wisheth grace and peace in our saviour jesus Christ, with the increase of all godly knowledge.  
IN as much, right virtuous father, as god hath not only called you for long (as many men have well perceived) to such a knowledge of his most holy word, as did stir up in you both a great reverence towards the same, and cause you right earnestly to desire to have it truly taught & set forth to the glory of god in all places, but specially amongst us his people, of this your native country: but hath also, after it hath now pleased him to offer the same freely unto us, called you to have the oversight thereof, I have thought it not only meet, but therewithal my bound duty to present this my poor work unto your faithful discretion. And not because I did either judge any thing to be in it which I would declare unto you, as if you were ignorant of the same, or else that I feared you would not provide (as much as in you lay) the truth in all things to be known and set forth without the uttering of my rude and simple mind in it: but only because I, knowing the slenderness of my learning, and being yet constrained to write of this so weighty a matter, feared that there might be somewhat written of me in it, that should not fully agree with the verity of god's word, which is now so greatly desired almost of all men to be sincerely declared, that it seemeth they would even devour the same, if they might but once spy it out. I have therefore humbly give this poor work unto you inspecially, that it might rather be corrected by your godly judgement and discrete oversight, them thought worthy to be thankfully received. And less the rudeness thereof might yet let you from the reading of it for the same, I have here also, in a brief sum, set forth the special matters of it, which are these.  
first, in declaring how our Lord jesus Christ might be honoured a right in this sacrament, when it is ministered at an holy souper, I have showed what God giveth us by his holy word and sacraments, & specially what he giveth us by this most holy sacrament of his body and blood, by the which I have said, that our lord Christ, (though thorough his heavenly spirit also) offereth and presenteth unto us his very body and blood, as it was both in suffering death for us here and as it is also at the right hand of God for us now, that is to say, as his very bodily Passion & true Resurrection and ascension, was and is continually the only means that purchaseth us the grace and good will of God for the remission of all our sins, and presenteth the same freely unto us by his most mighty spirit & by this his holy sacrament, for to help us both to a sure faith and trust in the same free remission, and for to work in us also all the hole strength and virtue of his very body and blood: as the very same meekness, love and charity with all the holiness, righteousness and purity that hath always been and is in it. These ii things chiefly doth our lord jesus Christ offer and freely present unto us by his mighty and most heavenly spirit and by this holy sacrament, to th'intent that we might so receive by the virtue of his bodily passion, which he suffered yet but once for all, the free remission of our sins at all times, and by his true resurrection and ascension our full justification: like as he hath died for the one aswell as for the other. By means whereof I have said also, that this sacrament is called the body and blood of Christ, and the very testament or promise of them being present with it thus, at all such times as it is ministered according to his institution. Whereupon I have in likewise further declared, that forasmuch as there is present thus the body and blood of Christ, so must this needs be the honour and worship specially due unto it when it is ministered. That we do first and before we will receive it, being the treasure of all heavenly virtues, conceive such a faith and trust in his bodily passion and true resurrection, thorough this his free and undeserved calling of us to the better remembrance of it by this sacrament of his own instituting for the same purpose, as may cause us both to lay away all the vices within our corrupt bodies with such a repentance as feeleth us somewhat to have need of the great virtues offered in it, and to believe also that we shall the more assuredly receive then the full remission of all our sins thorough the worthiness of the same passion and resurrection.  
And secondly that we do forth with up on this calling of us unto faith by this sacrament, receive it externally also according to his ordinance, for the strengthening & confirming of the same faith the more assuredly in us, and for our better increasing in his most godly virtues. And thirdly that we from thence forth do give over ourselves holly to the rest of his laws, but specially to the charitable and loving expressing of his meekness and patience to our neighbours again, like as he hath most gently dealt with us in giving them unto us freely before. These iii things, repentance, faith, and amendment towards our neighbour, are the special honours due unto this sacrament at all such times as it is ministered according to his ordinance, wherewith we must honour it in spirit & verity. And yet do not these kinds of honouring it, let that we should not at all such times as we will receive it, humbly honour it with all the powers and members of our bodies also (if some necessity do not debar the same) as with the uncovering of our heads, with the kneeling and bowing down of our bodies, and with the praising of his goodness therein with our tongues: but the honouring of it in spirit and verity doth seclude all other tokens to be done unto it, but when we can so worship it before. As to weet: we can never honour this sacrament a right with hands and knees, but when we can first conceive such a faith and trust in the bodily passion and true resurrection of Christ for the remission of our sins, by his free calling of us unto it thorough the presenting of this his sacrament to be externally received in the remembrance of the same, as causeth us both to repent of our former sins, and to be ready and glad to receive it also according to his ordinance for the better assurance of the same faith in us. The which faith as we can never conceive it by this sacrament, but only when it is presented to be externally received according to Christ's ordinance (for his ordinance in it and in all other things is the only thing that causeth us to gather a sure faith in him) so is it then only to be wourshypped externally also, and at none other time.  
And thirdly I have showed by a plain declaration taken both out of the holy scripture and of the use of the primitive church, that there should no mess be done wherein the souper of the Lord is handled, without communicantes, that is to say, without such as may have the sacrament communicated unto them. And that this is true, sayncte Cyprian speaking of the right using of the lords supper said also, in writing of it thus: utique ille sacerdos uice Christi fungitur, 
Lib. two. Epist. iii  qui id quod Christus fecit, imitatur. That is to say, that priest doubtless doth execute the office and doing of Christ in this sacrament, that doth follow even the same thing, which he did in it. Now if that priest do execute the office and doing of Christ a right, that followeth it only the Christ himself did in it, then do not those priests use this sacrament a right that will not intend, when they will hold the souper of the Lord, to stir up a true faith in Christ for the freremytting of all sins and for the conferring of all other virtues, by the offering of it to be received externally, and that with the giving of such thanks, thorough the reciting up of the great goodness of god showed forth in our saviour jesus Christ, as may quicken in the people both a sure faith in Christ and also a reverence towards his ordinances, or ever they shall receive it: but will make them believe either that they shall receive as much profit if they do but look upon the sacrament as God hath ordained to put into their minds by the corporal eating and drinking thereof, or else that they shall take as much profit if they do receive it but in one kind only, as they should if they did take it in both.  
And four I have declared that it ought to be much reproved in a true christian man, to be present at the holy souper of the Lord, and not to receive the sacrament. Because the doing thereof must needs proceed of the imperfection of faith: as either because men do not believe these words a right when they are spoken unto them: take, eat, take, drink, or that they do not esteem dear enough the healthful meat & drink of his body and blood, or else they have some superstitious fear of the sacraments, in thinking them to require a full perfection of life to be in us before we should receive them, when they require none other perfection to be in us then that we will but ones desire unfeignedly to have our imperfection and weakness strengthened by such things as they freely offer us to do the same with all. Now which of all these three do hold a man from receiving of the sacrament, it is doubtless worthy great reproof.  
These four things specially, dear father, have I declared in this little work, and for the better proof of them to be as they are here declared (as it seemeth to my poor judgement) I have also confuted some of the principal arguments, which the Pope, thorough his adherentes, was wont to make for the contrary. Most humbly desiring your good lordship now, that if there be any thing in it which do not agree with the verity of god's word, to admonish me of the same, that it might so thorough your godly correction, at the least way do not hurt, though it be like to do but little good. Which thing if it might please you of your goodness to do, I would not only retract and with all diligence revoke again all such faults as your discretion shall find in it, but also think myself bound to pray for your good estate so long as my life should endure. The which I beseech the living God, thorough his dearly beloved son jesus Christ long to continue, to the glory of his most holy name, and to the profit of your soul.  
And thus most heartily far ye well. written the second year of the reign of our sovereign lord king Edward the sixth, and the xiiii. of Novembre. by Your obedient Diocesen and daily orator richard Bonner.   

¶ Of the right honouring and worshipping of our saviour jesus Christ, in the sacrament of bread and wine, when it is ministered at the holy souper.  
THat the good and simple people might have a grounded & sure instruction of this, it shall be expedient for them to know first what honouring and worshipping in the scripture, is called, and is, and wherein the true honouring of our lord jesus Christ doth specially consist and stand. Out of the which then it shall be easy to perceive how we should honour Christ a right in this holy sacrament.  

To honour outwardeli, what it is.  Now to honour or worship, (as it is taken outwardly) is to show unto one, whom we will honour, tokens of a good will and mind, and of having him in estimation and reverence in our hearts. As to praise him with words, to kneel or fall down before him, in showing him obedience therewith, or else to give him such gifts as we judge him to have most pleasure in. All these be outward tokens of a good will and mind within, and of having one in estimation and reverence in our hearts. Therefore to whom so ever we do show these tokens, there doth every man say, that we do honour and wourshippe him therewith.  
But as they are oftentimes of diverse conditions or sundry degrees amongst us, unto whom we do thus show honour and worship, so do we use diverse and sundry tokens also in honouring them. For they that be our superiors, are otherwise honoured of us, than they that are either our inferiors or like unto us. And likewise do we honour them also that are our high governors, otherwise than them that are not in so high authority. For some do we honour only with the putting of of our caps, other some with cap and knee, and other some again with kneeling hole down, with kissing of their hands, and such like. And if we will honour any man with gifts, so are the same diverse with us also. For most commonly we will give unto every man such kind of gifts as we know to be meet for him, and as we think he will thankfully take. As to great men do we give great gifts, and though not great in cost and value, yet costly in being according to their pleasures. And to honour men thus doth even natural reason learn us: which teacheth, that for asmuch as honouring must be a showing of a singular good will and mind, & of having one in reverence in our hearts, so must we have a great respect both to the dignity, and to the will and pleasure of the person also, whom we will honour either with our bodies or gifts. Whereupon it cometh, that if we perceive them, whom we will honour with gifts, to have pleasure in huntynge, we do rather give them sweft grey hundes, than good drawing oxen. Have they pleasure in halking, so do we sooner give them a spar halke, than the best singing bird that can be gotten. And thus doubtless do we in all our gifts, we have always our chief respect to the delight and pleasure of him, unto whom we will show our selves benivolent and thankful.  
Now seeing than that every nature learneth us thus to honour every man, according to it that we hold of his dignity, and to have a special respect always to the delight and pleasure of him whom we will honour with gifts or other thankfulnesses: and that Christ our saviour, is the highest in all degrees, and therewithal of so great dignity that we neither have nor can get of ourselves it wherewith we might honour him according to his degree, and as we of duty are bound: so must we, specially in the honouring of him, have a great respect unto it, wherein he will be honoured of us, and what may be to him pleasant and acceptable.  
If we will then look upon the holy scripture aright, out of the which only, we may be in certain of this, so do we find that our Lord and God requireth this honour of us specially: 
What the true honouring of God is and the special tokens thereof.  first that with all our hearts & minds we give faith unto all his words & works: and secondly that we freli and to the praising of his name & enlarging of his kingdom, confess and acknowledge the same faith outwardly, with the giving of our holelynes to the exercising of all his laws and commandments: as to the hearing of his word desirousely, to the receiving of his sacraments thankfully, and to the applying of ourselves humbly to fasting, prayer, and to all the deeds of charity: that our bodies therewith, might be kept under, and gently serve both him & our neighbour in all holiness & righteousness. This is the true honouring of our lord God, & the special tokens thereof. Under the which these tokens are also comprehended, both that we with our bodies do show all humility and meekness when with our souls we perceive the grace of God to be specially present unto them, 
Other tokens of the true honouring of god.  as it is in the ministration of his word and sacraments, & also that we provide his word to have a place & time appointed convenient for the honourable ministration thereof, & his sacraments to have instruments both honest & seeming. And that these latter tokens are also a kind of the honouring of God, may well be seen by them of the old time, unto whom he gave commandment for the decent ministration of his holy word and sacraments, both that there should be builded, first a costly tabernacle, & after that a grievous temple with an altar, & all so that there should be provided many instruments of gold, silver, precious stone, of silk, cypress & such other, for ornaments of religion, & let it be an acceptable thing unto him that they should honour him with the falling down before the Ark of promise, 
i Re. two.  and towards the same, as also towards heaven, to lift up their hands and eyes, for the showing of their obedience towards him therewith: because men should the more surely know, his grace to be right present, at the ministration of all such things as he had ordained himself, to give forth the same by, and that the ministration of them was therefore right precious and honourable.  

Gal. iiii  But seeing these things are now out of use, (as touching to the express commandment of God whereby they had a sacramental signification) to weet, both temple, ceremonies, and also the instruments used for the same: and that the lord in the new testament hath appointed neither temple nor instrument, like as there was in the old, but did both he himself, and his Apostles also after him, use every comen houses at their assemblings together and when they would yet preach the word of life, and admit even comen instruments for the ministration of right holy sacraments: we may well gather thereby, both that he will be aswell present with us now, being gathered together in his name, either to hear his most lively word, or to use his most holy sacraments, or to do any other Godly exercise else, as he was before, in what place so ever it be, and with what kind of instrument so ever his holy religion be used or set forth: and also that the grace given us by his holy word and sacraments now, doth chief call us to the despising of all pleasant worldly things, and will us to remember only things heavenly & permanent. Out of the which it doth also follow, that seeing he hath neither given commandment nor showed example himself, nor none of his apostles after him, that we should show us to worship him or his religion with the building of gorgeous temples, or with the preparing of golden instruments for the ministration of his holy sacraments, so can there no man say, that the building of grievous temples, or the preparing of goodly instruments should be any of the special tokens of the true honouring of God or of his holy religion, more than even very simple and plain. And in likewise, seeing that he hath neither given commandment nor showed any ensample that we should now either lift up hands or eyes, or kneel down to his holy sacraments, like as they did in the old testament, but did hold the most dainty feast of his holy supper with his disciples as they were sitting at the table, according to their accustomed manner, so can there no man appoint these things to appertain specially to the honouring of god in his most holy sacraments.  
Yet seeing God is even of the same spirit and mind towards mankind now that he was then in the old time, 
Hebrew. xiii.  and that he doth give us even the same thing now by his holy word and sacraments, 
i. cor. x.  that he then gave forth unto them, yea and that so much the larger doth he give them unto us now as Christ hath opened all things more plainly by his coming into our nature corporally: it must needs therefore be a token also of having him in honour & reverence now aswell as it was then, both to prepare an honest place & instruments, convenient for the better using of his word & sacraments, & also with hands & knees applied to the humble meekness of the spirit, to receive the same with all reverence, when so ever they shall be ministered unto us. But because the humble meekness of the spirit only, must appoint in every man, when, and how far forth these things shall be tokens of the true honouring of God in his holy word and sacraments, (and not because they belong unto it specially of them selves) so will I first declare what things God giveth us now by his holy word and sacraments, that the special honour due unto the same might the better be known, as the only means which may cause these other kinds to have place with them also.  
What time as our saviour christ should offer up his blessed body upon the cross for the redemption of mankind, 
i Io. two. Ephe. v  he did it with so much meekness, love, and charity, that the heavenly father was fully therewith content and pacified: right thankfully accepting the same into his divine nature, as a mean most sufficient & fully able for the working in all men not only of a sure faith & trust in the remission of all their sins, 
i Ti. two. Heb. ix.  but for the working also of all holiness & righteousness in them. For first, in that it was the blessed body of his dearly beloved son which was so offered up upon the cross, he saw it to be able enough for the working of a sure faith in all men, and to cause them to trust unto the worthiness of it for the full remission of their sins, how sore so ever they had offended, or how long so ever they had lain therein. And again, in that it was done with so much meekness, love, and charity as did exceed all other in plentifulness, he saw it able enough to make all men partakers of those his heavenly virtues: both for the stablysshing of them in the same faith against all such sin as death & the devil might lay against them afterward, & for to be as a sure earnest unto them also, whiles they were yet in this world, of that godly life, which they might hope to receive more fully in another world.  
most thankfully therefore did the infinite goodness of God accept and take the meek passion and loving death of our saviour jesus Christ, 
Ephes. i. Hebre. ix  that man thereby might not only be justified, but also be wholly reconsylled and brought again unto his first state of innocency, that is to say, that he might not only be loosed and quit from his sins committed thorough faith conceived in the worthy accepting of his passion, but receive thorough the same faith also such a part of his full and abundant meekness, love, and charity, as might both reconcile and bring him again to the right expressing of this his Godly image unto other, and also put him in a sure hope whiles he were yet in this life, of the full receiving of these heavenly virtues in another life.  
And although our most merciful saviour, of his omnipotent wisdom, knew well enough, his meek passion and loving death should right thankfully thus be accepted and taken into the divine nature of his heavenly father, as a thing most sufficient and fully able to be the only means of man's salvation, and that man therefore should finally be saved: 
Because of our weakness, were the sacraments ordained.  yet for bycause he saw the weakness of man to be such that he would be very slack in giving faith to this glad tidings of the worthy accepting of his passion, either for the continual remission of his sins, or for the receiving of his abundant grace to amend them always again, if the effect of the same his passion and only means should always be brought and presented unto him, only thorough the secret inspiration of God: so did he most mercifully therefore institute and ordain, before he should suffer, certain signs and tokens, to cause all them, unto whom he should peculiarly, and more than to all other nations, send or give the same, to trust so much the better unto his passion continually, both for the remission of their sins, & for the receiving of his heavenly grace and goodness also, to amend them again. Yea and that these signs might the better for our capacity, do this thing, he ordained them of such of his good creatures as might, by their natural proprytyes which he had given unto them to do service unto our bodies, partly declare what goodness he would now show by them also, unto our souls. As first, 
Rom. v.  for bycause the nature of man was by derivation holy defiled, and brought with it such a vicious and corrupt infection as could not lie still, but continually ●●●uoke us to all kind of syn● 〈…〉 ●●●●mall instinction, or 〈…〉 punishment thereof. 〈…〉 ●efore his good crea●● 〈…〉 (●or that it had this natural ●●●rytte with it to wash away the filth of the body when it was powered on) to certify us that our souls were inwardly washed from the filth of sin, and we admitted into his flock, thorough the merits of his passion, when this water was powered upon us after his commandment in token of the same.  
And further lest man should think the strength and virtue of this washing away of the filth of our souls, given us at our baptism, might yet decay and not be sufficient for us at all times, if by frailty we fell unto sin again afterwards, and so fell also from the faith & trust in the favour of God which we had ones conceived by our baptism, he ordained the common preaching and familiar declaring of his comfortable passion and loving death, (because the familiar talking which one of us hath with an other doth often times comfort such greatly as are in any adversity or heaviness) to certify us, that he would renew us unto the same favour of God again which we had ones conceived at the first, and take away our sins by the means of his passion, when so ever his passion and death was preached and declared unto us after his commandment, in token of the same.  
And thirdly, to th'intent we should doubt nothing of this our renewing unto the grace and favour of God again, and unto the clean taking away of our sins after our fall, when we were called to the trusting unto it by the preaching and familiar declaring of his meek passion and loving death, for that the ministration thereof was a thing done in common and to a great numbered at ones, whereof some of them might peradventure fear whether the words of it did specially belong unto them or no: he did ordain his good creatures bread and wine (because they had this natural property with them of nourishing the body) to certify us by the giving of a sign of the same unto every man, as it were into his own hand, that his body breaking and blood shedding should at all times nourish and feed our souls from all sin, death, and the devil, when so ever this bread and wine was ministered unto us after his commandment in token of the same.  
These iii signs and tokens specially, did our most loving saviour institute and ordain for our weak necessity, to cause us at all such times as he should present or send the same unto us, to trust so much the more assuredly to his passion and death, both for the remission of our sins, and for the receiving of his plentiful grace and goodness also, to amend them again.  
And now that these signs and tokens may certify and cause us the more assuredly to believe in the remission of all our sins first, when so ever any of them is ministered unto us, shall easily be perceived. For inasmuch as they be of Christ's own instituting, and that to put us continually in remembrance of the worthy accepting of his passion, so are they plain promises which do show and most certainly witness his passion to pacify so the wrath of God for our sins that it doth continually both purchase us the remission of all our sins, and also offer and present unto us freely the grace and good will of God by these signs and tokens to help us to believe surely in the same, when so ever any of them is ministered unto us after his commandment. For to what purpose else, should he have ordained such signs and tokens to put us continually in remembrance of the worthy accepting of his passion, saying we are so far unable to give faith to the same for the remission of our sins (how plainly so ever it be declared unto us) that we can not think one good thought of ourselves, yea so far unlike are we to have that godly gift faith of ourselves, 
two. co. iii.  that all the powers of our body are enemies to the whole laws of God, if the grace and good will of God, 
Ro. seven.  were not of promise thorough the merits of Christ's passion, freely presented with these signs, to help us unto faith, when they be offered un us? but surely as these signs and tokens are of Christ's own instituting, and that to put us continually in remembrance of his passion and death suffered for our sins, so are they plain promises which do show and witness his passion and death to offer and present unto us freely by them, 
God openeth the door of faith. Act. xiiii  the grace and good will of God for to open our hearts, to give faith unto them, when so ever they are ministered unto us after his commandment. And therefore as the grace & good will of God which is freely presented and applied by these signs for the merits of Christ's passion, can easily at all times open our hearts to give credence unto all such things as they do show and witness: so may it well be said therefore that they do certify & cause us the more assuredly to believe in Christ's death for the remission of our sins first, when so ever any of them is ministered unto us according to his institution. And so for bycause they do thus, freely offer & present unto all men indifferently the grace & good will of God thorough the merits of Christ's passion, at all such times as they be ministered according to their institution, therefore doth the scripture plainly say: 
Titum. iii Act. two. and xxii Mathe. xviii. i Cor. xi.  baptism is the bath of regeneration, & washeth away our sins: the minister of the gospel doth forgive men their sin: & the bread & wine in the holy souper communicateth unto us the holy and blood of Christ: though in deed they do no more in it at the first, but help us the more surely to believe that our sins are freely washed away and forgiven us by the body and blood of Christ in suffering death for us here: by showing us that the effect of the same passion and death, doth, at all such times as they are ministered unto us, offer and present unto us the grace and good will of God freely to help us to believe surely in the same.  
Well thus ye see that these signs and tokens do of promise (as far forth yet as they be moved of their promiser) offer and present unto us freely the grace and good will of God, for the merits of Christ's passion, that they might cause us the better to believe in the remission of our sins first, when so ever any of them is ministered unto us, according to their institution, and that because they be of Christ's own instituting, for the same purpose.  
And further that they may well certify and cause us the better to believe that we shall receive by them also, the very same meekness, love, and charity, which Christ offered up for us upon the cross, may in likewise be easily perceived. For in that Christ did not give his blessed body to be broken and his precious blood to be shed, that the hole effect, virtue, and substance thereof, might be no more but to obtain us freely the grace and good will of God for to help us unto faith in the remission of our sins, and so to let us fall by and by unto sin again, but that it might be all our holiness and righteousness also: so may we well believe that seeing the grace and good will of god is thorough the merits of Christ's passion, freely presented with these signs for to help us unto a sure faith and confidence in the remission of all our sins first, that it is there present to apply and give us by them also, all the holiness and righteousness of his death and body, that is to say, both the very same meekness, love, and charity, that was in his natural body when he suffered death for us here, and as the same is also of effect, strength and virtue in him sitting at the right hand of God for us now: for to make us like unto his own image in expressing of these his heavenly virtues or spiritual substance unto other. For how might he else be called our hole righteousness and holiness in this world also, if he should not set our faith in such possession of these his virtues, being the substance of his very body and heavenly life, as might both keep us from the falling unto sin again (so long as we will apply our lives unto them) and also cause us to hope surely to have the full use of them in another world? But surely saying the effect strength, and virtue of Christ's body is not only the means whereby we come unto a sure faith and trust in the remission of all our sins, first by his suffering death for us here, but is also the very effectuous means whereby we come unto all other holiness and righteousness, by his sitting at the right hand of God for us now, we may well think that as he freely presenteth and giveth us first by these signs the grace & good will of God for to help us the better unto a sure faith in the remission of all our sins, that the same grace & good will of God shall help us by them also, unto all the other strength and virtue of his body and heavenly life.  
And so for bycause they do freely thus present unto us the grace and good will of God for to help us to both these things, thorough the effect of Christ's body, as it was both in suffering death for us here and as it is in sitting at the right hand of God for us now also, when so ever they be ministered according to their institution, therefore did saint Paul speaking of holy baptism, 
Ro. vi.  say also: we are buried with him by baptism, for to die: that likewise as Christ was raised up from death by the glory of his heavenly father, so we also should walk in a new life. By the which words doubtless he meaned not that baptism was a sign that caused us the better to believe our sins passed only to be buried in the death of Christ, in that it did witness the grace of God to be freely presented unto us for to help us to do the same: but that we were endued by it also, with the same life that Christ did rise again in, that is to say, with the same meekness, love, and charity that was in his body when he did rise again: for to bury in us (if we would apply our lives thereafter) those remanentes of sin also, which did yet abide in us after faith, and which might else cause us to fall unto sin again afterward.  
And he speaking also of the souper of the lord, 
i. cor. xi.  called it the communion or partaking of the body and blood of Christ. By the which saying he meaned not that this bread and wine which was used in the holy souper, was a sign that might cause us the better to believe in the body and blood of Christ for the remission of our sins passed only, in that it did present unto us freely, the grace of God to help us to do the same, but that they did communicate unto us also the very substance of his nature, as his natural meekness, love, and charity, for to nourish our bodies to an heavenly life, if we would apply ourselves unto them.  
Yea and this was his meaning also when he called the preaching of the gospel: the power of god to all them believing in it. 
Rom. i.  For it giveth forth such a strength and power of god's grace, thorough the merits of Christ's passion, as doth not only deliver us from sins past, in presenting of our faith unto us to help us to believe in the same surely: but also it delivereth us from those sins that might come upon us again afterward, if we will diligently give over ourselves to it and to the rest of his laws.  
Well by these things now a foresaid, it is somewhat manifest, what the word and sacraments are, and what things god giveth us by them: to weet, these ii things specially First he giveth us our faith the better by them, that is to say, he causeth us the better to believe his passion & death to be ours at all times, in that he showeth & witnesseth by them, as by tokens of his own instituting for the same purpose, that his passion is continually of so much strength and virtue for us, that it doth freely offer & present the grace & good will of God unto us by them: for to help us to believe surely in the same for the remission of all our sins first, when so ever any of them is ministered unto us after his commandment. And secondly, seeing that Christ died not to help us unto faith only in this world, but to give us a part of his heavenly life also for to cause us the better to hope after a more full use of it here afterward, as he did now give us an earnest thereof, so doth he give us by these signs also the very substance of his body and heavenvly life, for to help us to reform our lives according to the same.  
Wherefore I may well conclude upon this sacrament of bread and wine (as I may now from hence forth let the other ii pass) that it is a sign, & token whereby our saviour Christ doth minister and give both these things in speaking this signification unto us thus by it: as this bread and wine is at my commandment given unto you to be eaten and drunken into your bodies as your own food, so is my death & resurrection your own food in presenting unto you, at all such times as this sign shall be offered unto you, the grace and good will of god freely, for to make you believe surely in my death and resurrection both for the remission of your sins, and for the receiving of all the strength and virtue of my heavenly life also, for to help you from falling unto sin again hereafterward, so far forth as you will apply your diligence thereunto, and suffer my spirit to rule you in it. And therefore seeing that thorough this signification there is of promise present spiritually both the virtue & substance of Christ's body in suffering death for us here, & also the effect & spiritual substance of his body being now in heaven, so might Christ well say of the bread which he used at his holy souper:  This is my body which shall be given for you: 
And of the cup in likewise might he well say:  This cup is the new testament in my blood which shall be shed for you and for many unto the remission of sins. 
And finally, forasmuch as these signs and tokens do thus prevent us with the grace and good will of god, only for the merits of Christ's passion to help us to a sure faith in the remission of our sins, and to all the strength and virtue of Christ's body and heavenvly life also, that we might amend our lives afterward and serve him in all holiness and righteousness, therefore are these signs and tokens (for the better declaration of their office) called sacraments, that is to say godly ceremonies, or exercises ordained of god, for to sacrat and make us holy even with Christ's own holiness and goodness.  
These things now being had in remembrance, do of themselves, in a manner, declare what honour dynaunce, this is to be judged of all Christian men. That as we can not be sure that it is the sacrament of Christ, or of his body and blood, but when it doth the office that he hath appointed unto it, in minystring forth of his mind and signification, so ought we not to say that we can conceive as much comfort and faith by the using of it any otherwise, than even after his own institution & ordinance. And again, saying that Christ hath ordained this sacrament to be oftentimes presented unto us, as well as he would have us oftentimes called upon for the diligent hearing of his holy gospel, and for the using of his holy commandments, as fast, prayer & almose deeds, so ought this to be judged also of all christian men: that as he would never have done this, if the weakness of our faith had not so required it, so ought we to obey his commandment in making of our faith sure that we be led and possessed still of his holy spirit within, by the receiving of this sacrament when so ever we can conveniently come unto the same. Wherefore this is the second honour dew unto this sacrament, that we, by the receiving of it after the same manner & order that he hath appointed it to be a sacrament unto us, do strengthen our faith by it both for the remission of our sins, & for the receiving of his heavenly body & life also, to amend them again.  
The third honour is, that seeing god doth of his mere goodness give unto us such gifts in this his holy sacra. as the very effect & spiritual substance of his own precious body & blood, as it was both in suffering death for us here, & as it is now making intercession for us at the right hand of God, so is it our bond duty again to apply our hole lives to the uttering and bestowing of these same his gifts so after we have received them that his most holy will thereby, might the better both in ourselves and other be fulfilled, and his kingdom enlarged. And specially seeing he doth so lovingly, yea most charitably join us together into his own body, as flesh of his flesh & bone of his bones, by making us partakers of the effect and substance of himself, thorough the faithful receiving together of this his mystical bread, that is to say, thorough the receiving of his godly spirit, mind, and will in it, so ought we again to be charitable & loving one to an other, & one to feed & nourish another with all our words & deeds, that we might grow up & walk forth together in the strength of the same meat unto the mount of Oreb, the felicity of heaven. Well, these iii kinds of honour then are specially due unto this sacrament or rather to the grace of god present in it, at all such times as it shall be presented unto us after Christ's ordinance.  
And now that these iii kinds of honouring this sacrament, are so specially due unto it when it is ministered according to Christ's ordydinaunce, that without the effect of them all iii together, it can be had in no reverence nor honour of us, may well be perceived by the honour that they of the old time, should have given to their sacrifices, which were unto them sacraments. Whom the lord did greatly reprove as manifest abusers and despisers of his holy ordinaunes, because they did leave undone the honour and reverence which he had specially appointed them to do unto him in them, by saying thus unto them thorough his holy prophet jeremy. 
jere. seven  Thus saith the lord of hosts, the God of Israel: put your burned offerings, & other offerings together, and eat up the flesh. For I have not, the day that I brought your fathers out of Egipte, spoken unto them, nor given them commandment of burned offerings and other offerings. But this I commanded them, saying: hearken & obey my voice: and I shall be your God, and you shallbe my people. Walk therefore in all the ways that I have commanded you that ye may prosper. But they would not hear me, nor incline their ears unto me. Behold, whiles the jews did offer up their sacrifices, which were such holy ceremonies as God had commanded himself to be offered unto him, without repentance had before for their former sins, & without the strengthening again of their faith in christ for the same, not giving ear to this his mind and meaning in them, for the which they were chief ordained, he said unto them: they should but put their offerings together, and eat up the flesh of them themselves, for he had given them no commandment of them. As to weet, that they should offer them so unto him, in putting their hole trust of honouring him or of doing him service, in the outward doing of them, without the receiving of repentance, faith, & purpose of amendment, by the fire presenting of his grace & good will in them before And in like wise, when the jews would live out of charity with their neighbours, or requit evil for evil, without compassion taking in all things, and think yet to please the lord with the outward doing of such ceremonies & sacrifices as he had commanded, the lord said thus unto them by the prophet Amos: 
Amos. v  I will have mercymeat and no sacrifice. By the which saying he did not yet forbidden ●hem to do that thing with all reverence, which he had ones commanded: ●ut he wylled them not to do it in ●ruste to honour or please him any ●hynge thereby, without they had con●eyued before, such a faith and trust ●n the free remission of their sins thorough Christ, by the instituting of ●hese sacrifices, as had made them of ●ynde to follow and obey all his commandments, but specially in chewing of mercy unto all men, like as ●e had showed it freely unto them.  
Thorough Isaiah the prophet the ●orde said also that such offerings ●nd sacrifices as he had yet highly commanded himself to be offered, 
Esay. i.  ●ere abomination unto him, and ●hat he could not once abide them. ●ote here, good reader. this wyt●esseth God of the service, which ●●e people would yet seem to do ●nto himself and not to any strange Gods, and that in such things as were not commanded to be done by man, but, as touching to the doing of them in form and manner outwardly as they were commanded, by God himself. Only because they would needs do him service in them, without the conceiving before of such a faith and trust in the free remission of their sins by the merits of Christ, as had brought them in mind both to repent them of their sins, and also to amend their lives. Now if the using of the sacraments were thus abominable to him once, that he could not abide the sight of them when they had not their true honour given unto them, how dwely so ever they were observed and honoured outwardly: what will he say then i● we do now use his holy sacraments which be of no less strength & virtue than were theirs in old time but rather of more, without these three things be surely grounded in our minds before? wherefore it is manifest that neither our gold nor other goods, neither our bowing down nor kneeling before them, neither yet our often using of them outwardly, can be any thing to the honouring of the holy sacraments, or to the grace of God present in them, except we do first with hearty repentance call to mind the great need that we have of the free grace presented in them thorough Christ, for our daily sins, and except we do then strengthen our faith the better by the using of them according to his ordinance, and so give over ourselves holly to all other his laws. And although these iii things now afore said, be the special kinds of honouring this sacrament of the body & blood of Christ when it is ministered unto us, & that so due unto it that with out the effect of them all three together it can not be honoured or had in any reverence of us (like as I have said:) yet seeing the humble meekness of our penitent and faithful hearts, doth always require that both all our goods and members should serve to the better expressing of the same, when soever we will show it forth either in the receiving of this sacrament, or in the doing of any other godly exercise: so doth it require these tokens or kinds of honouring this sacrament to be present also when we will receive it. First, that we provide a place both honest, comely, and several from all other business, for the common ministration of this holy sacrament, with instruments right seeming for same. And secondly, that we apply all the membres of our bodies to serve to the humble meekness of our penitent and faithful hearts, at the reverent receiving of this sacrament: as to weet, that we receive it with the humble uncovering of our heads, with the bowing of our bodies or kneeling down, & with the lauding and praising of his goodness in it with our tongues also. These be tokens of the true honouring of this sacrament also, as far forth as they do assure both ourselves and other of our unfeynednesse and true receiving of it. For as that mind is truly penitent, which causeth all the body to show meekness, as the heart to sigh for sorrow, the hands to be lifted up or the knees to be bowed down for fear, & the tongue to break forth in crying for mercy: so are these sure tokens of the true honouring of god also, when the heart doth show them forth, whether they be done at the receiving of this sacrament or at any other godly exercise. And for bycause they do most certainly thus, assure both our selves and other of our unfeigned heart and pure mind, therefore are these tokens taken in the scripture for the honouring of God itself. 
Mathe. iiii.   
But as no man can express these outward tokens a right, which hath not partly received before, thorough the signification or meaning of Christ in this his holy sacrament, the other iii special tokens, that is to say, which hath not partly with an humble and penitent heart before, considered so far forth the goodness of Christ in the ordaining and presenting of this sacrament for to show his death to appertain unto us at all such times as it is ministered, that he both trusteth so much the more assuredly in it, for the remission of his sins, and fully purposeth also to amend his life thorough the assistance of the same grace & goodness which he shall then presently receive by it: so are these outward tokens not to be taken as signs of the true honouring of Christ in this sacrament, but when the other iii are from with in joined with them.  
The which iii inward tokens can not be joined with the other outward signs a right, but in and at the receiving of this sacrament only (for then only doth this sacrament give us a sure faith in the death of Christ, out of the which the inward repentance of the mind & the purpose to amend with all other tokens of humility doth spring) therefore are these outward tokens plain idolatry, if they be at any other time expressed or done to this sacra. but when it is ministered according to Christ's ordinance. Wherefore thus I will conclude upon these latter kind of tokens wherewith we do honour this sacra. If we can first conceive by the presenting of it unto us, a hearty repentance for our sins past, and then a sure faith in the death of Christ for the remission of the same again, with a good purpose to amend, we do honour the grace of god and the presence of Christ in this sacrament (for the bread and wine have no power of themselves to give us such things) though we do kneel or bow down our bodies to it also, when we do receive it. But if we can not first honour it thus, then do we honour the creatures of bread and wine for themselves, if we do either bow down or life up our hands unto them, committing therewith plain idolatry. And therefore as thine own heart must be thy guide in this matter, so is it needful that thou say thus with David, in going to receive this holy souper: direct my footsteps, o lord, and teach me to do thy will. For thou only must give us before the gift of grace and knowledge, of thy mere goodness and for the merits of thy son jesus Christ, or else we can not take it unto us neither in this sacrament nor in any thing else. We humbly beseech the therefore so to illuminate our hearts with the presnce of thy holy spirit, that we, in receiving of this holy sacrament, may receive also thy blessed will therein: Amen.  
Well, thus much is said, for this time, concerning the right honouring of our Lord jesus Christ in this sacrament, when it is ministered at the holy souper. Whereby may be perceived that both these kinds of honouring it are requisite, though not of like, nor in like place. For the inward worshipping of it must needs have the first place, and is so special, that with out the tokens thereof, this sacrament can be had in no kind of reverence: where the outward tokens are not only but in the second place, but are also subject to all kinds of necessity. As to weet, if our own necessity or our neighbours, or else that the time and place will not conveniently permit us to life up our hands, or to kneel down when we shall receive it, they are not so greatly to be passed on, nor to be tarried for, necessity holdeth us excused. But the inward worshipping of it with sure faith in the death of Christ, whereout repentance and amendment of living doth ensue, is so due unto it, that no necessity can excuse it. And yet the Pope had brought this sacrament to such an use, that it was continually reserved and daily set forth before the people in the mass, without any mention making of the inward worshipping of it, but only that it might be outwardly worshipped with the lifting up of hands and bowing of knees, with candles, torches and such like: the stirring up of repentance, faith, & amendment of living being left to the blind conscience of man, which is yet dull enough when it is most sharply pricked forward unto them. Yea and to prove this abusing of it to be yet the cause of much good devotion amongst the people, he brought forth not only goodly arguments and reasons, (as they appeared outwardly) but also certain places and ensamples of the scripture for the same. And so thus he said for to prove that we should continually honour this sacrament with hands and knees, whether we did inwardly worship it or no.  

¶ In this sacrament there is present the body and blood of Christ: and therefore ought we to worship it with hands and knees whether we do strengthen our faith by the corporal receiving of it, or no.  
¶ The answer. Christ saith that he and the father will be so present with them that keep his commandments, 
john xiiii  that they will both come and dwell with them. And Saint Paul saith also that the lord Christ dwelleth thorough faith in the hearts of the elected. 
Eph. iii.  And yet it doth not follow of this, that we should fall down upon our knees before godly and devout people, as though we could receive Christ presently, by the honouring of him so, in them. The lord in deed giveth effectually his very body and blood in this sacrament when it is ministered according to his ordinance, and yet we can not receive it with the worshipping of it with hands and knees only. But specially we must first worship it with the hands and knees of our faith, like as we do only receive and feel him present there with the mouth of our faith. The presence of Christ's body and blood in this sacrament, is an heavenly work, that is to say, it is wrought into us by the sprite of God only and thorough the declaring of the goodness and merits of Christ's passion, and is no work of this world, that he is present to be given us there. And therefore when we will either receive or worship it there, 
By the sacrament we must sing sursum corda.  we must first sing thus with the church: Sursum corda, et non huc corda. That is to say, we must first lift up our hearts above all that can be felt or seen in it, & thorough faith lay hand upon the goodness of Christ, in considering this sacra. to be a plain promise which doth most certainly witness & show his passion to have pacified so that wrath of God for our sins that it doth continually purchase us both the remission of them all, & freely offer and present unto us also the grace and good will of god no less for to help us to believe surely in it than to amend them again, when so ever it is ministered unto us. The which faith as no man can have that intendeth not to receive it when so ever it is ministered unto him, even so can there no man worship this sacrament a right with hands and knees that doth not receive it also.  
Wherefore although true faith bringeth well to pass, 
What outward worship true faith bringeth forth.  that we, by this most holy ministration, do oftentimes fall down upon out knees and life up our hands, either when we hear these most wholesome words of the lord: take, eat, this is my body which shall be given for you: take, drink ye all out of this: this cup is the new testament in my blood & cetera: or when we do receive the most comfortable meat and drink at the ministration of the sacrament in the holy souper: yet that we should therefore take it for an acceptable honouring or worshipping of our Lord Christ, to fall down upon our knees before this sacrament either when it is showed, hanged up, or borne about, or to do it any kind of reverence when it is lifted up, & yet not to receive it according to Christ's ordinance, that doubtless can not only be gathered out of no word of God, but is also plain against the same, where it sayeth: take eat. etc. take and drink. For what we must forthwith as it is ministered unto us, eat and drink corporally to the strengthening of our faith, and to the stirring up of all godliness in us, that may we not think to receive by the seeing of it when it is lifted up or carried about. wherefore it can not be the true honouring of Christ in this sacrament, but rather a despising of his goodness, to go about to amend and change his ordinance in it after our blind reason, in saying we will honour him in it, when we will not receive it.  
And therefore to kneel down before the sacrament lifting up hands & eyes towards it either when it is in ministering or otherwise showed, of the which kind of honouring it either Christ nor his apostles hath any thing taught, and yet not to receive it according to his ordinance, a thing which the lord commanded to be done with all diligence, can be nothing else than a vain worshipping of him in it with the doctrine of man, as I shall plainly prove by this argument.  
It is all a vain worshipping of Christ in this his holy sacrament, when we will not humbly and with all faithful obedience receive the gift and benefit which he offereth us by the ministration of these words in it: take eat, take, and drink. But they do not worship Christ a right with the humble receiving of the benefit which he presenteth unto them by the ministration of these words that will not take, eat, and drink this sacrament after his ordinance, when he commandeth them to do it. And therefore all the worshipping of Christ in the sacrament, without the humble and faithful receiving of it also after his ordinance, is but a vain worshipping of him in it, and the doctrine of man.  
Besides this, to worship Christ in the sacrament with hands and knees, and yet not to receive it after his ordinance, what other thing may it show else, than that we will enclose Christ our lord in the bread comprehensyblye, binding him so unto it, and bring him therewith into an earthily living and being again? 
To worship Christ a right in this sacrament what it is.  where we should yet lift up our selves by and by as it is presented, from the visible sign to the invysyblye grace which it doth signify, and from the earthily ministration of it, to the heavenvly goodness of him that ordained it to be ministered, and so worship in it Christ our lord in spirit and truth, that is to say, most inwardly and heartily remembering then the goodness of our saviour jesus Christ, which would show us by it that his passion had so pacified the wrath of god, for our sins, that it did continually purchase us the remission of them all, and freely offer and present unto us therefore by this sacrament the grace and good will of god, for to help us both to believe surely in it, & also to amend our lives again. The which faith (as I have said) as no can have truly, which is not by & by ready to receive after Christ's ordinance, his holy sacrament & that with all humble reverence both of body and mind, as soon as it is presented unto him, so is this only the worshipping of God in spirit and truth in or by this holy sacrament: first to conceive such a faith in the goodness of Christ by it, as may cause us surely to trust both to the remission of our sins & to the receiving of so much grace and goodness also by the corporal eating and drinking of it, as may help us to amend our lives. And then to give over ourselves holly to the lawding and praising of his name, and to the following of his commandments, both in the humble receiving of this sacrament, and in following of his other laws.   

¶ The second argument wherewith the pope would prove that this sacrament should be reserved, kept, and showed to be honoured of the people with hands and knees, though they did not receive it, is this. The Ark of promise, & the Mercy seat was continually worshipped of them in the old time, which was a sacrament. And therefore (saith he) we ought to do the like unto this sacrament at all times, though we do not receive it.  
¶ The answer. God did ordain this Ark and Mercy seat for them of the old time to put them continually in remembrance that he would surely be present amongst them, to fulfil all the promesses that he had made unto them. The which Ark and Mercy seat because it should continually put them in remembrance of the sure fulfilling of his promises, therefore was it both reserved continually, and also had in all reverence amongst the people when they would receive this remembrance at it. But the bread and wine hath not the lord ordained to be reserved continually, or to be lifted up for a show, but given it to be eaten and drunken at an holy souper with this signification: as I do give you this bread and wine to be eaten & drunken into your bodies as your own food, so shall my body and blood nourish and feed your souls with the grace & good will of God, for to help you both to believe surely in it for the remission of your sins, and also to amend the same again. And therefore as this sacrament doth not ministre this signification, neither by the reserving of it, nor by the showing of it after any such means, as the Ark did, but only when it is given us to be eaten and drunken with this remembrance, so is it then only to be honoured, when it is so received in the holy souper. But before I speak any further of the true worshipping of this sacrament I will first show how the primative church used to worship it.  
¶ What the faith and use of the primative church hath been of worshipping this sacrament.  
That they of the primative church have with all reverence and honour ministered, handled, & received this holy sacrament, of it we find witness enough. But that they have worshipped it, kneeled down before it, with the lifting up of hands & eyes towards it, and set it forth in gold and silver to be worshipped, or borne it about in processions, honouring it with candles, torches, ringing and singing, and all other melody, of that we find not only no witness, but rather it whereout we may gather clean the contrary. For we find how that certain bishops of Rome did use to send the sacrament to the gates, 
Eusebius, libro v. capi. xxiiii.  for to be received there of other strange bishops when they came to visit them. 
Eusebius. libro vi. capi. xxxiiii.  And we find how that a priest did give the sacrament unto a boy for to bear home to his father and to give it him there. Also we may see in the books of saint Cipriane, 
Cipri. in sermo de Lapsis. Hiero. in apollo. pro libris adversus jovianum.  tertullian, and Hierome, how that men were wont in the time of those holy fathers, to give the sacrament unto the lay people for to bear home with them: and how that the people were wont, after they had so received it, to lay it up in their chistes, or other special custodies, 
Ambrose de suo fratre satiro.  yea some would hang it about their necks, and receive it when they list themselves. Out of the which we may well gather, that men in those days, knew nothing of worshipping the sacrament, at the least ways as it was now worshipped.  
Honorius tertius, a Pope that lived and writ in the year of our Lord. M.cc.xvi did ordain that men should reserve and keep the sacrament in a place appointed, & that the priests should oftentimes learn the people, reverently to kneel down when the sacrament was lifted up in the mass, or when it was borne unto the sick folk. Behold, this Pope which lived but iii hundred and xxxii years a go, ordained first that men should reserve the sacrament in a place appointed, and that the priests should learn the people to kneel down when they saw the sacrament lifted up, or borne about. Where was than, before those days, the goodly pyxes, canopies, & lamps, with all the crouchings and kneelings which we have used? but after the right use of the sacrament which god himself had commanded to be kept, was one fallen, it was easy enough for the devil to bring in all such superstitious abuses, and to cause men believe that they were to the true honouring of god and his holy sacraments.  
Now is it true also that in the primitive church there were some that did reserve the bread which they had remaining over the communion in a secret place till the next time, & that they had an use also to show the bread in the holy souper. For as Dionysius in the iii chapter De eucharistia maketh mention, it was the use in his time, that the priests should first set forth upon the altar the bread & chalice covered, and after they had consecrated, to uncover them, and bring them so forth into the sight of the people, and then to deal the bread by and by in pieces, & to give forth the cup in likemanner. And in the Greek Liturgia we read that the priest, a little before the ministering and receiving of the sacrament, 
The showing of the sacrament hath been 〈…〉 ●●ip ●●●ge of 〈◊〉, when it was to lifted up, was never used, till of late.  did life up a little the bread, modicum sustolteus, like as we used to do in our mess by and by, after the pater noster. But that either the chalice was at any time lifted up in those days, or else that the people fell down upon their knees and worshipped the bread being so lifted up, of it we read nothing, before this Pope Honorius did ordain it.  
Whereby we may perceive, that all though that showing of the bread in the holy souper, be well old, yet to fall down and worship it when it was so showed, or to life up hands and eyes to it, and not to receive it, as the lord commanded, is an abuse crept in of late, which was utterly unknown to them of the old time. The which kind of honouring can as little stand with the pleasure of god in this sacrament, which commandeth us to take, eat, and drink it, as could the honouring of the brazen Serpent with hands & knees, after they had left out and forgotten the remembrance of it that god had ordained it to present and give unto them.   

¶ But thou sayest: when I see the sacrament either lifted up in the mass or set forth by any other means, I can the better call to remembrance by it, the merciful help of God which is universally present. And therefore it is good to see the sacrament at all times, and to worship it, though we do not receive it.  
¶ The answer. first, for asmuch as Christ hath not ordained this sacrament to put us in any godly remembrance, but by the eating and drinking of it, at an holy souper, so ought we not to say, that we can the better call to remembrance the goodness of God by the seeing of it then by the corporal receiving of it. Nether is it to be taken for the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, but for one of his good creatures, except it do put us in remembrance of his body & blood, after his own ordinance. And secondly, to worship a creature with hands and knees, is not enough to say, thou wilt, when thou seest it, call to remembrance the universal help of God, but we must be sure also, that the creature be ordained of god himself, for to put us in such a remembrance. For a man, and specially a godly man, is the excellent creature to put us in remembrance of the goodness of God, that may be either in heaven or in earth. The Sun, the Moon, & all manner of beasts upon earth are the precious works of God, and the very images of his godly power, which do manifestly show forth also, his wondered wisdom and goodness at all times: like as he witnesseth himself in his word. And yet so far is it of that we should therefore worship any of these his creatures, that it is plainly foreboden by his holy word.   

¶ Thou sayest further peradventure: why do we then worship our parents, princes and magistrates with cap and knee, seeing they are but creatures.  
¶ The answer. These persons are appointed of God to teach us to follow the laws of Christ, yea and to put us in remembrance of the same with corporal punishments, if we do not follow their instructions. And therefore we are bound to be both obedient to all their good ordinances, and also to show the same obedience towards their persons, with the humble uncovering of our heads, with the kneeling down unto them, or such like, according to the use and manner of every country. But God hath not appointed the sacrament of his body and blood to be worshipped, for any thing that we can call to remembrance by it, but when we do receive the same remembrance by it which he hath appointed to give unto us by the corporal eating and drinking of it. And therefore seeing God hath not appointed it to put us in any remembrance of his power or goodness by the seeing of it, but hath given us a plain commandment to receive it, affirming it to be his body and blood when he speaketh unto us by it, these words: take, eat, this is my body: take, drink this is my blood: by the which saying of Christ, as this use can not stand that we should receive his body and blood, either by the looking upon it or by the kneeling before it, for any other remembrance besides this: so ought we to follow & fulfil this commandment of the Lord, and to let the setting of it up for to be kneeled unto, without the receiving thereof, fall, as the plain invention of man.  
And yet seeing the lord doth in the holy souper, thorough his word and sacrament, offer himself unto us after a singular grace, and showeth himself to be more mercifully present in this sacrament when it is ministered at his holy souper, than in other of his creatures, so shall we worship him there also accordingly, that is to say, first, 
How 〈◊〉 worship's christ in the sacrament  conceive an earnest repentance for our sins passed with a sure faith by it in his death and body both for the remission of our sins and for the receiving of his own grace and strength to amend them again: and then with the same faith receive it humbly and with the falling down up on our knees, and with the showing of all other corporal reverence: like as we may read, 
Genes. xxiiii. Exo. iiii and xii  that they of the old time did worship God with the falling down upon their knees, and with other tokens of honour & reverence, so often as he did present himself unto them, after any special or singular manner, as by the ministration of his word & sacraments.  
Wherefore this doth well agree with the scripture: that saying we have in the holy souper the lord himself present amongst us, as he was present with them of the old time in their sacraments, that we should worship him there also both with heart and mind, and with all the powers and membres of our bodies, as well as they did worship him so in times past and yet committed therewith no idolatry. But that we should therefore reserve the bread which hath been once at the souper, and cause the people to lift up hands and eyes unto it, as though god were bound thereunto, whether it did minister his word and signification unto us after such sort as he had appointed it or no, that can not stand with the word of God which requireth but this honour & obedience only of us in this sacrament, that we strengthen our faith by it. The which strengthening of our faith as be it, it can not be wrought into us by any other means, than by the receiving of it only, after Christ's ordinance, so is it then only to be worshipped and taken for the sacrament, and none otherwise.  
Furthermore, there can no man say, that the bread and wine should be Christ himself comprehensyblye, or naturally bind him unto them, because they have been once presented at his holy souper. But we must needs grant this sacrament to be then only a sign & token that God doth present unto us his very body and blood, when it doth present and speak these words unto us: take, eat, this is my body: take, drink, this is my blood etc. And therefore as we can not say that we receive these words by the sacrament but when we receive it corporally in and at the holy souper, so can we not say that we do reserve Christ amongst us after the souper, but by the applying of our hole lives to his holy will, 
How to reserve Christ amongst us.  as by the often receiving of this sacrament, and by the following of his other commandments.  
But to prove the external wourshypping of the sacrament when it was not received, all that ever the Pope could bring in out of the holy doctors, was this saying only of saint Austyne. No man eateth the flesh of Christ, that doth not worship it before. Which saying we judge to be right godly spoken. But that in these words saint Austyne meaned of the worshipping of the sacrament with hands and knees without the receiving of it (a thing which was utterly unknown in saint Austin's days) and not rather of the spiritual worshipping of it, is not to be thought. For to worship the flesh of Christ can be nothing else than with an humble and penitent mind to show us to believe this surely of our saviour Christ's flesh: first, that he hath offered it up upon the cross, & instituted this sacrament to assure us that the same one offering hath purchased us the remission of our sins for ever, 
To worship th● flesh o● Christ.  & did therefore present & offer unto us freely the grace & good will of God by it, for to help us to believe surely in it both for the remission of our sins, and for the receiving of his grace and strength to amend them again: and then, humbly to receive this sacrament in the same faith, & with a good purpose to use the grace given us by the same to the utter mortifying of our own flesh. This is the true wourshypping of the flesh of Christ, either at the receiving of this sacrament or at the exercising of any other of Christ's commandments. And thus may we worship the flesh of Christ and receive it also thorough faith and by the applying of ourselves to his hole laws, as to the hearing or reading of his holy word, or to the exercising of fast, prayer, and almose deeds, even aswell as by the receiving of this holy sacrament. And therefore to worship the flesh of Christ before we do eat it, can be nothing else, than to believe surely in the death and resurrection of it. first, and than to obey and follow his commandments with all diligence. And that we can not worship the flesh of Christ any otherwise than thus as is aforesaid, neither yet reserve or comprehend it in the sacraments for to be worshipped, though the elements or creatures of that bread and wine which hath been once used at the holy souper, may be reserved, but only when they do ministre unto us these words: take eat, take, drink, like as God hath appointed them, may easily be perceived by the holy sacrament of baptism. Unto the which we judge no honour to be due but only when the water doth certify us that our souls are washed within, thorough the body and blood of Christ, by having it powered upon our bodies outwardly, in token or remembrance of the same.   

¶ But to this the Pope hath said: the water of baptism ought not to have so much honour done unto it, as the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, both because Christ is not naturally and substantially in that water, and also because there is no such change of that water into the body and blood of Christ as there is in the bread which hath been at the holy souper.  
¶ The answer. After what sort his change was, or how he thought Christ to be present in the holy sacrament of Baptism, I cannot tell. But this I am sure of, that if the holy sacrament of baptism be ministered a right, and according to the ordinance of Christ, there baptizeth by it: God the father, God the son, and God the holy ghost. These iii doubtless are given in the name of baptism. And how it should be then, that Christ is not as naturally and substantially present there, as in the other sacrament, is to be wondered at. But doubtless as both these sacraments are the ordinances of Christ, and instituted both for one purpose, (as touching to their effect) so is he as naturally present with the one as with the other: and his presence is to be honoured in the one, like as it is in the other   

¶ The Pope himself doth grant the substance and effect of baptism to consist chiefly in the ministration of these words: I baptize thee in the name of the father & cetera. And yet he will not grant the substance and effect of this other sacrament to consist chief in the ministration of these words likewise: take, eat, this is my body etc. take, drink, this is my blood. etc. but saith that the bread is alway the body of Christ, if it hath been once consecrated, whether it be ministered or hanged up for a show.  
¶ The answer. first, that the substance of holy baptism doth not chiefly alone but also wholly consist in the ministration of the words appointed unto it, is good to be known. For except there be a person baptized with the water, 
The virtue of baptism consisteth in the ministration of the words only.  in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost, the water of itself is of none effect. For as Saint Austen saith: when the word cometh together with the water, then is there a sacrament. By the which saying he meaned as if he would have said thus: when these words. I baptize the in the name of the father, the son, & the holy ghost, are ministered by the water of baptism, & received with believe of him, unto whom they are ministered, then is there a sacrament presented and given unto him. Whereupon this doctor said further thus also: in the water doth the word purify. Take away the word, and what is it then other than water. Behold, without these words be ministered by the water: I baptize the in the name of the father, etc. the water of itself is of none effect. And where is then I pray you the virtue of so many blessings and brethinges as were wont to be made over the font, when there did none yet receive the effect of these words together with the water? but as these words of baptizing, which only make the water of it of effect, can not be received, but when the water is ministered to one that is baptized in deed, so doth the hole effect and substance of this holy sacrament of baptism, consist chiefly and only in the mynistring of the words.  
And even so doth the hole substance and effect of both these ii sacraments, baptism & the souper of Lord, consist and stand in the ministering of the words that Christ hath appointed unto them. For if they be not so used, that the word may go together with the ministering of them, after the same form and manner that their lord and master did ministre them himself, and appointed or ordained us to do it after him, but are altered of us, then are they not his sacraments, but our own inventions. Wherefore as in the sacrament of baptism there must be present first the minister, whose faith is so far forth required that he do intend to minister it both according to Christ's ordinance, and for the same purpose also that he did institute it, to weet, for the stirring up of faith in him for the free remission of their sins: and then there must be present also the person which may have it ministered unto him: and thirdly there must be with both these in likewise, the sacrament of baptism, which is not the water of itself, but the dipping in, or the pouring on of the water upon the person together with these words: I baptize the in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost: even so is it with the souper of the Lord. For there must be present first, the minister, whose faith is thus far forth required, that he do intend to stir up a true faith in Christ, and that by the ministering of it according to his ordinance, and there must be present also them that will receive the holy souper, and then the sacrament, 
The substance of the holy souper doth consist in the ministering of the words.  which is not the bread and wine of themselves, but the ministering of the bread and wine together with these words: take, eat, this is my body etc. take drink, this is my blood etc. do this in the remembrance of me. Therefore seeing our Lord jesus Christ hath joined all these words and the ministering of them together thus, and commanded us to do even the same thing that he did himself, in the remembrance both of his passion and of instituting this sacrament, with all other things that he hath done or doth for us, so shall it not be lawful for us either to divide or part insunder these holy words and the ministering of them together with the sacrament making the holy sacramental words to be only these: this is my body. Or to take the bread and wine for the sacrament of his body and blood, though they had been once prepared for them, when these other words: take, eat, take, drink, do this in the remembrance of me, are excluded from them. For these words: take, eat, take, drink, and do this in the remembrance of me, do make the sacrament to be of effect unto us, in showing this, that he would never have put us in remembrance thus, 
These words: take, eat, & drink do consecrate the sacrament aswell as these: this is my body  of his body breaking & blood shedding for our sins, if he would not have us to gather first a sure faith in the remission of all our sins, by the same, at all such times as they were ministered and spoken unto us according to his commandment, aswell as he would by these other words: this is my body, declare what it is that we shall receive afterward. Wherefore as we do first gather a sure faith in our Lord jesus Christ, 
We do first gather faith in the remission of all our sins by hearing of the priest speak the words holly together, when he will present the sacra. And we dostreng then the same faith by the receiving of it afterwards  by the hearing of this his commandment: take, eat, take, drink, and do this in the remembrance of me, as well as we do by the other words which declare the sacrament to be his body that we shall then receive, so should these words be always spoken together unto the people, when the sacrament may be ministered with them also. Lest the words which do declare the sacra. to be his body, might else be spoken to our damnation, if the other words which do declare his goodness in presenting of it unto us, did not first give us this faith before, that he would never so have said & done if he would not have showed by the same that his body & blood was always the remission of our sins. And yet the school doctors, being deceived thorough the abuse which was crept in by the reserving of that bread which had been once prepared at the souper, made the sacramental words only these: this is my body.  
Now out of all this, may every good christian man perceive, that the hole virtue, substance, and effect of this holy sacrament of the lords souper, doth no less consist & stand only in the ministering of the words and sacrament together, like as he did use them himself, than doth the holy sacrament of baptism, and that these ii sacraments are in this point both of one nature, and not unlike, that is to say, the water of baptism is a sacrament when these words are ministered by it: I baptize the in the name & cetera. and the bread and wine is a sacrament when these words are ministered by it of Christ himself (though yet by the mouth of a ministre appointed): take, eat, this is my body & cetera. take, drink, this is my blood etc. and do this in the remembrance of me. Wherefore they are neither of them sacraments but when they are in ministering of the words which Christ appointed to them, although the Pope would have that bread which hath been once at the holy souper to be hanged up, and borne about in processions as a sacrament, for to maintain therewith all this abuse: that it might be corporally worshipped, as though that should be more to the honouring of the sacrament then to have it offered to be received spiritually. Let every good christian man judge this by the word of God.   

¶ But thou sayest: if the hanging up of the sacrament, and the bearing of it about, for to be corporally worshipped should be laid a side as an abuse, so should we condemn therewith, as manifest idolaters, both all them that have so worshipped it without the receiving, and then also that do so worship it yet in other countries.  
¶ The answer. Though the worshipping of it, as it hath been used, should be laid a side as an abuse, yet is there not therewithal condemned all the people, that have done, or do yet worship it so in other countries. But therewithal is condemned this abuse, that men should not hold, take and receive this holy sacrament as Christ hath ordained it to be taken, to the strengthening of their faith in him, both for their sins past, & for the receiving of his grace to amend them again, but to show it, to hang it up, and to bear it about, to have it corporally worshipped only. Which kind of honouring it, with out the receiving thereof, as the lord hath made no mention of it, neither by word nor deed in all his holy scriptures, and doth therefore serve to the vain trusting in the invention of man, so hath he foreboden it as a thing most abominable in his sight. This abuse is to be condemned, although we do not therewith condemn the hole church of Christ, that either hath or doth yet abide in the same unwittingly. For as many of the children of god as hath or doth yet follow this abuse, not knowing any better but being seduced by their pastors, that do they not as the members of jesus Christ, and of his church, 
The membres of the church may well ●●re but not as the membres of Christ.  but as they are unperfit and ignorant persons, which ignorance god our heavenly father, for his sons sake jesus Christ, shall forgive them withal their other offences like as he doth forgive us our daily sins also, when so ever they or we do repent.   

¶ But for an excuse of this cloaked holiness, the Pope sayeth further: it can be none abuse, nor any evil thing, what so ever is, of good devotion, done to the honour of God and to the having of his sacraments in higher reverence.  
¶ The answer. This were very well spoken if all men knew truly what good devotion were. Which doubtless can be in nothing, where God's word and commandment is not. King Vzia did of a good devotion (as he thought) save certain of the best cattle which he took from his enemies, 
two. para. xxviii.  to do sacrifice unto the lord with all, for the great victory he had given him. And yet because it was not according to gods commandment that he so did, he was puinished for it. And therefore we may not look what we think to be good devotion & use it, but we must count that the best devotion which doth most agree with gods commandments. Wherefore let us count this to be then chief honouring of this sacrament to receive it with such a pure faith as causeth both repentance for our former sins, & a good purpose to amend them again, to spring forth in us. Well, thus have we proved that this sacrament, ought not to be reserved for to be corporally wourshypped also, as the Ark was.  
And as this was a great abuse to set up the sacrament or to carry it about in processions for to have it corporally wourshypped without the presenting of it to be corporally received, saying once in the year only, so was this no less abuse, to receive it than neither but in one kind only. And that this was also an abuse, consider first, that it must needs be granted to be an abuse, to alter any of God's ordinances otherwise than he used them himself, 
To use any thing otherwise than the lord hath commanded, is an abuse.  and commanded them to be used of other. Now is it plain and of all men confessed, that the lord in his first souper did communicate the sacrament in both kinds unto his disciples, commanding them also to do the same that he himself had done before them. The which commandment was observed, and the sacrament in both kinds communicated for long time in the church after Christ, yea and it hath been always used to this day in Ethiopia and Gretia. And how it came to pass that men of late days did use to receive it thus in one kind only, we find no good testimony. Where by we judge it to have crept in by the negligence of priests and pastors.  
But seeing the Lord hath ordained the bread to be the sacrament of his body for itself, and the wine to be the sacrament of his blood, we ought to speak of them as he hath ordained them, and none otherwise. The lord hath appointed these words to be ministered by the bread: take, eat, this is my body which shallbe given for you. And these to be ministered by the cup: take, drink, this cup is the new testament in my blood, which shallbe shed for you and for many, to the remission of sins. And wherefore will we then be wiser than Christ hath taught us, in saying: the bread alone is the body and blood of Christ, and the cup the blood and body? in deed in himself the lord hath his body and blood inseparable, and giveth them to us wholly together and undivided. Yet as he hath ordained the bread for the distributing of his body, and the cup for the giving forth of his blood, so ought we to use them, & to speak of them, with out any further reasoning.   

¶ But for the ministering of the sacrament in one kind only, and for the maintenance of all other abuses contrary to god's commandments, the Pope is wont to bring in this reason: The church hath in all outward things power to dispose and order, as they shall think best: and therefore they may keep this ordinance of receiving the sacrament in one kind only, if they shall think it good.  
The answer. The holy church of Christ, being grounded with his spirit, 
Who be the church of christ, & what is their authority.  hath doubtless power to order & dispose all outward things in time, place, measure and manner, so far forth as the same may make to the increase of godliness amongst the people, that is to say, devote people both of the clergy & layte, may order and dispose the time & place that gods word and the holy sacraments shall be ministered in, and they may order the manner, measure, and time of praying together in the church, & appoint the day and time when the common fast shallbe observed of all the people together. In all these things hath the hole church of Christ full authority and power to dispose, that the things might so much the better for such appointing of time, place, measure, and manner, be observed and holden as Christ hath commanded them, that is to say, that men might the more conveniently by the appointing of such a place and time, hear the word of God and receive the sacraments, and the more quietly come to the end that fasting and prayer was ordained for. Out of the which ground the church hath even from the beginning made ordinances, both for the word and sacraments, and also for other godly exercises. As for this sacrament, that men should receive it fasting in the morning (if necessity did not otherwise require) because that time seemed, and is, (as every man well knoweth) more meet for the stirring up of devotion and earnest godliness, than is the time after we have eaten our full. And further, saying that the coming together to the lords souper is the godliest and most wholesome work that one of us may exercise & use with another, so hath the church thought it good, and to the furtherance of much devotion, that it should be holden in a place both several from all other, and also with out the using of any worldly business with it, as not only saint Paul, 
i Cor. x.  but all the hole congregation of Christ also, ordained that men should keep none other feast in the church, when they would go unto the table of the Lord, but it alone. Also, seeing that Christ hath not showed by express commandment what prayers of thanks giving, or what other godly instructions he would have used at his holy souper, and did yet use it himself with great plenty of them both, therefore ought the church of Christ to describe some godly form and manner of giving instructions unto the people before they come unto the receiving of so high a mystery, 
The church, that is to say, the devout people both of the Magistrates and clergy in every country shall provide for them selves, that all things be done after a decent order.  and of rendering thanks unto god for it, after they have received it. Wherefore this is the hole authority and power that the church hath in the word and sacraments, and other of god's ordinances, that they may thus, and shall with all their diligence, both aswell the Princes and Magistrates them selves, as the ministers of the word, order and dispose them so in time, place, measure, and manner, that the people thereby might not only have the more devotion to use them with all fear and reverence, but also come the better to the same end and purpose of them that they were ordained for of god. 
The church hath no authority to take away any of the sacraments, no more than it can forbid us to fast or pray.  But to change them unto any other fashion, (as this sacrament was changed from the corporal receiving of it into a looking glass) or to leave them utterly undone (like as men had left the receiving of the cup in the holy souper) that authority hath no man, till Christ, which is the end that they lead us unto, come himself. For it can be called no right ordering or disposing of the sacraments to the increasing of any godliness amongst the people, for to take them clean away: no more than it can be called a right ordering of our prayers, to say we will pray truly with our hearts, though we do wilfully leave out the prayer of the mouth also. Wherefore it must needs be an abuse to receive the sacrament in one kind only, other wise than god hath ordained it.  
Moreover that we ought to receive this sacrament, in both kinds may well be perceived, in that the lord himself, after he had taken the cup into his hands, given thanks, & reached it unto his disciples, did & that with great ferventness, and with more plain and comfortable words, express our redemption and communion in him by the cup, than he did by the bread or by any other sacrament. For at baptism, he commanded no more to be said then: I baptize the in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost. And at the ministering of the bread of thanks giving, no more then: take, eat, this is my body, which shallbe given for you. But at the ministering of the cup he said, & commanded other in his name to say: take, drink, this cup is the new testament in my blood, which shallbe shed for you and for many unto the remission of sins. Behold, good reader, how comfortable a gospel our saviour Christ hath ordained this sacrament of wine to express. Wherefore it may well be called the most holy and comfortablest sacrament of all other. 
The cup is the most comfortable sacrament.  For seeing it is the word, when it is ministered by the creature, that maketh the creature to be a sacrament, so doth it doubtless follow, that so much the more comfortable as the words are when they are ministered, so much the greater is the sacrament that ministereth them And therefore no christian man, yea no angel from heaven, ought to have taken away from the weak & sinful flock of Christ, this most comfortable sacrament specially seeing the lord himself commanded it to be used also, with so great ferventness. Wherefore he that would with hold this sacrament of wine from the people in the holy souper, should (as much as in him lieth) keep from them the ministration of this holy gospel, that Christ hath shed his most precious blood for them. For although we do in deed receive even the same thing before by the bread when it doth ministre unto us the body of Christ, that we do afterward when we receive the cup which ministereth unto us his blood: yet as he that loseth the profit of them both again, which will not for all this give himself, with all diligence, unto fast, prayer, almose deeds and all other Godly exercises, but wilfully followeth the works of the flesh: so doth he lose the profit that he had received before by the bread which ministered unto him the body of Christ, that wilfully will refuse to receive the wine, which should also minister unto him his blood.  
Wherefore if it be an abuse to neglect gods commandments, when opportunity serveth us to obey the same, than must it needs be a great abuse to refuse the receiving of the holy cup of thanks giving, when it is ministered in the holy souper. But because men should not so greatly pass upon the true receiving of this holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, either in one kind or in both, the pope was wont to bring in this argument chief.   

¶ This sacrament of the body and blood of Christ (sayeth he) may aswell be received spiritually by calling to remembrance that Christ hath died for us when we do but look upon it, as it may be outwardly: though we should receive it once in the year outwardly also.  
¶ The answer. To say that the sacrament may aswell be received spiritually, as it may be corporally or outwardly, must needs be a wonderful saying. For turn it what way ye will, and it shallbe yet wholly against Christ & his manifest commandment. For if ye understand by the spiritual receiving of this sacrament that it must be received in true faith, 
The sacrament was instituted to be received both corporally and spiritually.  but yet corporally also, then is that the only receiving of it according to gods spiritual ordinance, and none other. But if you understand your saying of such a spiritual receiving of this sacra. as is with out the corporal receiving of it also, so can not that be the receiving of it according to gods spiritual ordinance. For he gave the bread unto his disciples and commanded them to take, and eat it, & that corporally also, and in like manner gave he them the cup to drink. And therefore as it is manifestly against the commandment of Christ, to make a gazing stock of the sacrament & not to receive it, in saying thou canst call asmuch to mind when thou dost but see it, as the Lord hath ordained to put into thy mind by the corporal receiving of it after his most loving and spiritual institution, so is there no spiritual receiving of this sacrament but to take it corporally with such a spirit and faith, as stirreth us both to repentance for our sins past, 
To receive the spirit of god in the sacrament when we receive it corporally, what it is.  and also to amend them again by the humble following of his laws.  
And yet for the maintenance of a spiritual receiving of this sacrament, many have brought forth this saying also of saint Austyne: Crede et manducasti, that is to say, believe & thou hast received. The which saying hath yet been diversely understand, like as the appetites of men are diverse. For many of them which will seem to favour the word of god, have understand it thus: if a man believe truly in Christ it forceth little for the receiving of the sacrament, a man may be saved well enough without it, say they: and so they are become as negligent in receiving of this holy sacrament as ever they were before. But of such I would fain know, what the corporal receiving of this sacrament is, and where to it serveth, if to believe in Christ be the only receiving of it. Other some again, (as the Pope enspecially) hath said, that if a man believe truly upon the sacrament he hath fulfilled these words of saint Austyne: Crede et manducasti, that is to say, believe and thou haste received. But to all such I answer, that we may not believe upon the sacrament as if it were able to work or give us our salvation of itself, but we must believe upon Christ and upon the merits of his passion, the virtue and strength whereof he giveth us in this sacrament. Wherefore when saint Austyne spoke these words: Crede et manducasti, that is to say, believe & thou hast received, it must needs be that he meaned them of their believe that could not come unto the use of the sacrament. Unto whom he might well say, Quid paras ventrem et dentes, crede et manducasti, that is to say, what dost thou prepare either belie or teeth, believe in Christ, & thou hast eaten even the same thing that he would give the by the sacrament if thou mightest come unto it. 
We must use all these things, spiritually, & yet corporally also.  For if we can not come unto this sacra. for lack of opportunity, neither fast by means of weakness, nor pray for lack of tongue, neither give almose for lack of substance, yet if we believe surely in jesus Christ, this same faith shallbe reckoned unto us for all righteousness. But again, if we may use either any of these things, or can come unto this sacra. we ought to use it, and that as often as it is presented, (except our delighting in sin fear us to the contrary) & neither make a gazing stock of it, as if we could receive the strength thereof by what means we would, nor yet think us to have no need of it because we do somewhat believe in Christ already. We have the holy gospel, thorough the which we may continually eat and receive Christ spiritually: and yet when the sacra. is presented, we shall to the furthering of our faith and to the increasing of our obedience towards god's laws, use it also, & that after the same manner that the lord used it himself, & not turn or pervert the sacra. into any other use, but abide by these plain words of the lord: take, eat etc. take and drink etc.   

¶ But thou sayest: our saviour Christ hath not bound himself or the works of our salvation unto any outward work or ceremony, and therefore it is not necessary to our salvation to receive this sacrament but at our liberty.  
¶ The answer. Undoubted it is that our saviour Christ hath not bound his grace & the works of our salvation upon any outward work or ceremony, but we may receive and eat to everlasting life, Christ our lord, that true heavenvly food, thorough his word, not only with out this sacrament, but with out all other his ordinances also. For if we can neither have the use of them, or not have them according to the institution of Christ, yet if we do believe these words truly of the holy gospel: Christ hath died for our sins, so shall we then eat the flesh of jesus Christ and drink his blood to everlasting life, even aswell as we had had the use of all his ordinances. But therewithal, when Christ sendeth us opportunity of time and place, and that we may conveniently come together in his name, and hold his holy souper, if we do not then hold the same, & that even after his own fashion and commandment, so can or may this spring of none other occasion then that we do not aright know jesus Christ our saviour in this his holy ordinance and commandment of the holy souper, 
To believe in Christ a right requireth our obedience towards all his laws and ordinances.  as our only God and saviour. For we do not believe aright that he hath ordained & commanded us, like as in all other, so in this sacrament also, that, which shall serve us certainly (if we will use it only so, as & whereunto he hath ordained and set it forth) to our salvation, in furthering more assuredly our healthful receiving or eating of his flesh and blood by it: but we hold the corrupt judgement of man to be wiser and more careful for our salvation then our saviour jesus Christ, the everlasting wisdom of the father, and the which was yet so desirous of our health, that he did not only bestow his body and blood for us upon the cross, but hath provided this sacrament for to give us the same effectually by it also.  
But two causes specially there are wherewith the Pope hath letted the simple people from receiving the sacrament according to Christ's commandment. The first was, because he taught (by making of ordinances for the same) that the priests might use the holy souper of the Lord privately for them selves, and that they might therefore use also as many Masses in their churches upon one day, or together, as they list. The second, because the priests were not commanded to teach the people, that it was go, & negligence, and worthy to be much reproved in a true christian man, to be present at the souper of the lord, and yet not to receive the sacrament. The which ii causes doubtless are not only contrary to the duty and service that god doth in his word require both of the priests and people, but also to the use that hath been in the old and primitive church afore times. And yet to stablish the first cause and error, the Pope hath brought in this reason.   

¶ The lord hath instituted this sacrament, that there might and should receive it, who so doth of a pure heart desire it. The which desire shall neither by the multitude nor fewness of the people, be hindered. And therefore (saith he) may any priest privately & for himself alone, use this sacra. when so ever he doth with a pure heart desire it, though there be no man to be comunycated with him.  
¶ The answer. That the sacrament was of the lord instituted, 
The souper of the lord is not bound to any time, place, or people: and yet the faithful ought not to hold it otherwise than the lord commanded.  that there might and should receive it, whosoever of a pure heart and good devotion did desire it, must needs be granted. But to desire it with a pure heart and good devotion can doubtless be none other thing, than to desire it according to the ordinance and institution of the lord. Now is it verily the institution of the lord that the faithful shall in common and being gathered together, receive it one with an other, as the lord did hold it himself at the first, and commanded it of other to be holden: like as saint Paul well witnesseth, and concludeth upon this, that it is not the holding of the lords souper, when it is not kept in common, but every company for itself. Whereupon he learned and exhorted the Corinthians doing the contrary, to tarry one for another, 
i Cor. xi.  and so to hold it in comen together.   

¶ Thou sayest: if this ordinance of Paul should be observed of all men, than were the sick folk like to be evil seen unto, which can not come unto the church to receive the sacrament there in common.  
¶ The answer. Because the sick folk can not come unto the church, therefore ought the Church, thorough certain of their ministers and members, to come unto them, and so to hold a communion with them at home in their own houses, rather than so godly an ordinance should be broken. But if it should so chance that this ordinance of receiving the sacra. one with another in common, could not so be kept for lack of time, and persons convenient, 
Christ himself showed an ensample of this in healing a sick man upon the sabbothe day. Mar. two.  than may the ministre dispense with this ordinance in time of necessity, and prefer the succouring of the sick man's conscience, before the observing of any outward ceremony. But where the people may come together, there ought this godly ordinance to be observed, with all diligence. For thus have the good holy fathers used it in the primative church always. The which did yet, hold the souper of the lord privately for themselves in their oratory's, (which were little chapels in their houses) when they could not have the people together to the sacrament and had yet a good devotion to hold the holy souper, though not alone but with their devout brethren: like as we may read of saint Vlrichus and other holy fathers and godly bishops, which had their private masses in their own houses, but not without communicantes.  
Wherefore seeing it is the ordinance of the lord that we should hold the holy souper one with another in common, as Paul well witnesseth, and that it hath been always used to be holden so of the most holy martyrs, confessors and other godly fathers, till now of late, it can be no good devotion to desire to receive the sacrament after another order then god did both use it himself, and gave commandment to have it used of other, saying there can no man amend his order and fashion in it. If a man do desire to have his devotion exercised and strengthened through the using of godly things, he may use such things as god hath ordained for every man's sudden necessity: as the hearing or reading of the holy scripture, or he may devouteli give himself to fast, prayer, and almose deeds. In the which godly exercises, a true and devout faithful man, may aswell receive and eat that heavenvly bread, Christ our lord, as in the holy souper. But if he have devotion to eat the souper of the lord, so let him tarry for the congregation that with the eating thereof together with them in common, he may profess and show, that as the bread is made of many grains which ministereth unto him the very body of Christ, & the wine of many grapes which ministereth forth his blood, so will he be of one mind, will, & power with all them specially, that receiveth it together with him.  
Now is it true also, that there is mention made in the old doctors, both of the Greeks and Latins, that the people used in their days to receive the sacrament some at Easter only, some twice or thrice in the year, and some oftener, but very few daily, where the mass was yet daily observed. But yet can not this prove than t men have kept the souper of the lord with out communicantes, and that in every corner of the church, like as we have done. For there was always some good devout people, besides the clerks and scholars which were then many in every church, that tended upon the ministration of the sacraments, that would receive it together with the priest. And less any should doubt of this, I shall manifestly prove it to have been so.   

¶ A plain declaration out of the holy scripture, and of the use of the primative church, that there should no mass be held wherein the souper of the lord is used, with out communicantes.  
The word of god showeth this plain enough where it saith: do this in the remembrance of me. By the which words we may well perceive that we ought to do even the same thing in the holy souper of the lord, that he did himself in it. Now do the evangelists manifestly witness that he took the bread and the cup in his hand, gave thanks, & communicated them both unto his disciples, commanding them therewith to take them both and receive them. The which commandment, being so manifest that nothing can be more plainli spoken, aught to be so highly esteemed of us, that we should think it utterly unlawful to handle or use this sacrament otherwise than the lord hath done with it himself. Wherefore this plain & earnest ordinance of Christ shallbe sufficient for to declare unto all Christian men that to hold the supper of the lord with out communicants, that is to say, without the mynistring or communicating of it unto some body, is not lawful. And that the holy fathers of old time have also thought it unlawful may easily be perceived by this: 
The holy fathers make always mention of the distributing & receiving of the sacrament  in that they do at all times, when they make mention of the souper of the Lord, and speak of it at any time fully, make mention of the hallowing and distributing of the sacrament together, as the chief part and substance thereof. As is to be seen first by saint Cyprian, who writing of the mass brought forth this ensample for to fear such as were unworthy from coming to the sacrament. 
Sermone de lapsis.  When the common prayers & ceremonies were fully done, and that the deacon had begun offer, 
Note how the old fathers used this word, offer.  that is to say, to offer & present the chalice unto them that were present, a certain maid, thorough fear of the godly majesty, because she had given unto her aunt in the time of persecution part of it that had been offered unto Idols, turned her face, holding her mouth together, and would not receive the chalice.  
Saint Ambrose also, 
Sermone viii in psal. cxviii.  writing of the holy souper of the Lord, exhorteth the people to the receiving of the sacrament with these words: when the holy souper is prepared, see thou stand ready, that thou mayst receive a preservation, and that thou mayst receive the body of jesus Christ And thus is the holy souper set forth by the same Ambrose also, libr. v. ca i two. iii. Where he showeth plainly that the folk, when they did hold the holy souper, did come up unto the alter, to receive the body & blood. 
Lib. two. retract. xi.   
And saint Austyne, speaking of the songs that men used by the altar, & making mention of the holy souper of the lord, as it was holden in those days, writeth, that men have song psalms before the offering, or as that was distributed which was offered.  

Epis. lix.  He writing also ad Paulinam, and speaking of the prayer of the mass, setteth together the hallowing and breaking of the bread that was for to be distributed, & sayeth, that all these things were concluded with prayer.  

Lib. two. cap. xviii  The same saint Austen writing contra Faustum sayeth thus: We christian men do keep the remembrance of the offering of Christ with the offering et participationae, that is to say, with the common partaking of the body and blood of Christ.  
By these sayings now, every man seeth well, that with them of the old time, the distributing & receiving of the sacrament was taken forth effect and substance of the holy souper. And without the which they did not use the hallowing or offering of the h. sacra, but did only bliss & hallow it with thanks giving, that it might be distributed & offered unto other that were present. So that the lay people did always use it in common together with the priests. Whereupon that holy father chrysostom did say: 
Homel. xviii. upon the epistle to the Corinthians  that in the h. souper there shallbe set forth unto all them that are present, one body and one cup. And the priests shall have it (saith he) in common with the folk.  
And further said he: the priests do stand in vain at the altar, 
sermone iii add Ephes.  and daily offering is done in vain, where no man doth communicate with them.  
And he writing upon the epistle to the Hebrews said thus also: 
Lioness xvii. to the Heb.  I do not say that it is enough to prepare thyself xl days to the communion at Easter, as if I did forbid the thereby the communion at any time of the year, but I will thou go always unto it with true godliness.  
Now seeing this holy doctor chrysostom affirmeth both that the priests do stand at the alter in vain, where no man doth communicate with them, and also that he would have men at all times of the year to go unto the sacrament in true godliness, it is to be thought, that if this holy bishop had had none of the clerks nor of the lay people to communicate with him, that he would not have kept the souper of the Lord. 
By blessing of the folk was understand the reciting of the goodness of god showed forth in our saviour Christ, whereby the people were so stirred to faith, that they were blessed thereby.   
In acts concilii Toletani have we, as certain priests had begun to communicate by and by for themselves, so soon as they had said the prayer of the Lord, before they did bliss the folk how that in the same counsel it was ordained, that when the prayer of the Lord (called in latin the pater noster) was said, the blessing of the folk should follow, & that then first the holy sacrament should be received, & that after this order: the priests should receive it before the altar, the clerks in the quere, and the people without the quere. In the which counsel there was also set forth a reformation, and an order describe for the saying of mess. Whereby we may plainly see, how that the holy fathers in those days, 
All the Canons that ever have been made for the saying of Mass, do witness the communicating of the sacra. to be a substantial part thereof. And therefore the old fathers never knew any mass said with the communicating thereof  did take the communicating of the folk with the sacrament, to be the chiefest, part, effect, and substance of the mess. Yea and not only is this found by all the old holy fathers of the primitive church, but it is stablished also with all the ordinances of holy counsels, where the contrary can never be found in any good author, but special in no counsel. And that doth all the orders and canons made for the saying of mess, not only amongst the Greeks, but the Latinistes also, most plainly witness: like as we may well see by the form and canon which hath been daily used amongst us for the same. As where it is ordained in the canon of the mass, that the priest, should after the consecration, speak always these words: we meek men do desire thee, O almighty god, command these things, through the hands of thy holy angels, to be carried up to thy high altar, in the sight of thy divine majesty, that we all, which of the communion of this altar, shall receive the holy body and blood of thy son, may be replenished with all grace & thankfulness. saying now that this prayer was made for a part of the canon & rule which was set forth for the right order of saying mass, & was therefore to be continually said, when so ever there was any mass holden, it is doubtless good to perceive, that when this prayer was made first, and a right, it was not made to be said in mockage to the divine majesty, like as it hath now for long been used, but because the people in those days should use to receive the body & blood of Christ with the priest, when so ever there was any mass said.  
Mark these four words specially in this prayer which was thus in Latin:  quotquot ex hac altaris participatione corpus et sanguinem filii tui sumpserimus, that is to say, we beseech the that as many of us, first as have received, second, of this communion of the altar, third, the body and blood of thy son, fourth, may be replenished with all grace and thankfulness. Which prayer can not be said of any man a right, where the body and blood of Christ is not so received as the Lord appointed it to be done, by taking and eating of the bread, and by drinking of the cup at an holy souper. And upon the receiving of the sacrament thus, goeth many of the prayers also, which were made to be said after the communion, and were therefore called in latin Post communionem, whereof some of them did begin thus: Sacramenta que sumpsimus that is to say, that sacraments which we have received. Item misteria que sumpsimus, that is to say, the mysteries which we have taken, and such like. Also in the canon and order which Dionysius set forth for the saying of Mass, and in other old forms and canons made both amongst the Gekes and Latinistes, there is plainly declared that the ministering of the sacrament to the people, was always a special part of holding the holy souper. For in all these forms and canons there is an order set forth how the priests should exhort the people to the receiving of the sacrament and how they should ministre the same unto them.  
Therefore is it true, and shall remain true for ever, that as the ordinance of our saviour jesus Christ is manifest and plain that men should always when his souper is in hand, take and eat the bread and drink of the cup, even so hath the holy fathers used it in the primitive church also, following the lords commandment herein, and holden no Mass without there were some that would receive the sacrament together with the priest. Wherefore it must needs be an error unlawful to do the contrary.  
Well thus have ye heard a plain declaration both by the ordinance of Christ, and by the use of the primitive church also, that there ought no Mess to be said wherein the souper of the lord is handled, without communicants, tha● is to say, some such as will receive the sacrament together with the priest And now to declare also that there ought to be no more masses than one in a church at ones, ye shall first consider the word of god, given us thorough the holy apostle Paul, wh●● he saith thus: when ye come together men do not eat the souper of the lord for every man taketh of the meat● his own souper for himself. 
When we hold more than one souper together, we do not hold the souper of the lord.  Behold, he called it here not the eating of the lords souper, when every m● eateth a souper for himself. Whereupon, after he had set forth the example and commandment of the lord as how he had held his holy soup● himself, and commanded it of other to be holden: and after he had mad● mention also of the great punishments which god had sent vpo● the Corinthians for their holding 〈◊〉 the holy souper without godly order, he concluded with these words: therefore my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. Now if this be the right order of holding the lords souper, for one to tarry gently for another, and that the holy souper is not kept after a dew order, when there is kept in one congregation more than one souper at ones, than may every man well know that it is a thing unlawful so to do. And therefore was it a thing unheard of by them of the old time also, than in one church there should be more than one altar, or that there should be more than one souper kept together. How oft doth saint Cypryane, when he speaketh of the unity of the church, bring in the one altar, like as it is of the other old fathers also?  
Yet is it true also, that at such time as the churches were yet but small, and could not conveniently receive the people that were for to come together in them, 
They have holden in one church more than one mess upon a day, but not for all one & the same people, but for another sort of them.  that the good holy fathers, have at high feasts, holden in one church more messes than one, but always one of them after another, and every one of them for a part of the people which could not well come to the holy souper before. Like as we have a plain instruction of this by pope Leo, writing ad Dioscorum Alexandrinum & thereof there is somewhat spoken also, de consecrat. distinc. i cap. necesse. And therefore the contrary is not to be thought, but that all they that came to any of these messes, and did abide by the handling of the holy souper in them, did receive also the sacrament all together, that they might show thereby they would be all of one mind, will, and power, like as they had all together taken part of one sacramental bread. And unto this receiving of the sacrament together did saint Ambrose exhort the people coming together to the mass, saying: 
The people used in those days to bring their offerings of bread & wine unto the church and to lay them upon the altar, that the ministre might give god thanks for them and so distribute them unto the poor: of the which there was one portion reserved for the sacra. also. And because of this use, the Mass was called a sacrifice.  the offered gifts, laid upon the altar for the poor folk, shall be of the hole folk: for thorough one bread they are all signified, because that we being one, do eat all of one bread. And even unto this uniform manner did saint Paul exhort the people also when he said: We many are one bread and one body. For we all, (although every man yet in his own place, or in the same congregation that he cometh into) do alway take part of one bread in the holy souper.  
And further, seeing the priest in the ministration or handling of the holy souper, shall represent & show Christ our Lord, and that all the prayers made in one congregation shall go together as out of one mouth & heart, and finally seeing that Christ ordained this his holy souper to be keep together of the people, which use the holy apostles delivered unto the church, and the old church of holy Martyrs and Confessors have kept it none otherwise, what godly occasion than can there be imagined, wherefore men should in one church, and in one congregation of the faithful, specially where all they that are present may hear well one priest, and at one altar receive the sacra. together, hold more Masses than one at once? But all this notwithstanding, after the Pope had brought in that Dns nobiscum should be sungen in Latin to the people the understood it not, then began the priests to pass little whether the people took any heed to the answering to it or no, so they might have a living thereby: & after the priests had persuaded the people that if they saw the sacra. lifted up in the Mass, it was even as good as if they had examined their conscience and come to the receiving of it, than came it to pass by and by that the multitude of Messes were brought up, to the great destruction not only of the holy souper of the Lord, but of the christian people also. For the poor simple people began then to put their trust in the seeing and hearing of Mass, without any faith in Christ, and without repentance for their sins, gathered by the same. And that they so did may easily be peceyved. For how should they either have gathered a sure faith in Christ by saying the sacrament (as it was thought to be) to be lifted up, when they knew no thing whether it was Christ's will and mind to have it so showed unto them, or no? without the sure knowledge of the which, there can no man, gather a sure faith. Or how should they have gathered any true repentance by the hearing of a priest say mass before them, when they heard him speak never a word against them that broke the laws of God, whereout the true knowledge of sin and repentance for the same doth always spring: seeing he spoke in such a language as they understood nothing at all. And therefore it did rather comfort them in their sins, then move them from them, so long as it did not bring them truly unto these ii things.  
Well, we have declared thus both these ii things, to weet, first, that there ought no mass to be said, wherein the souper of the Lord is handled, without communicants. And secondly that there ought no more masses to be said in a church then one at ones, if the people may all together conveniently hear one priest. And so there resteth to declare now, whether it be worthy reproof & punishment for a true christian man to be present at the souper of the lord, and not to receive the sacrament.  
The word of god is doubtless manifest enough in this, which to all them indifferently that are present at the souper is spoken thus in the name of the lord Christ: take, eat, this is my body: take, drink, this is my blood. Now to be present at the speaking of these words & to give no credence that Christ doth offer & present unto us in them, together with the sacra. the very meat & drink of everlasting life, 
It is a plain token of unfaithfulness and disobedience, to be present at the souper & not to receive the sacra.  is surely worthy to be reproved in a christian man. But it is not possible that we should believe this truly & yet not be obedient unto the lord in receiving at his hands, with all thankfulness & devotion such meat and drink as may give him everlasting life, when it is freely offered him. And therefore if not to believe that Christ doth offer us here his body and blood as the meat of everlasting life be worthy reproof, so must it also be worthy reproof not to take it when it is freely offered. And if thou sayest thou art not at all times worthy to receive it when thou art at it, so do I answer that again, that thou art not worthy them to be present at it neither. For it is also worthy reproof for a man to give himself unto any godly exercise, 
To the souper pertain they only that will receive.  to the which he findeth himself not meet or worthy, but specially to be present at the exercising of the godly souper. For it is manifest, that Christ held this his holy souper with such disciples only as were worthy (as it appeared outwardly, according to the which we must judge) & as unto all the which he gave his body and blood, & commanded all that same to take & eat it. Therefore can no man be present, or is meet to be at this godly exercise, which knoweth not that he may receive the h. sacra. to his salvation and so be a disciple Christ. For he that hath not given himself so far in to the doctrine of Christ, that he will abide in the lord & desire the lord to abide in him, he is not meet to hear these words spoken unto him: take, eat, this is my body. etc. 
The holy fathers would suffer no man to be present at the holy souper whom they thought not meet to receive  Wherefore the h. fathers of old time have kept this use very strongly & earnestly, that they, after the common prayer & sermone was made, & before they begun to hold the h. souper, would put out of the christian congregation being assembled together in the church, not only such as were yet learners of their faith & not christened, whom they called Cathecumeni, and such as were possessed with evil spirits & were not well by themselves or by the spirit of christ, whom they called Euergumeni, with them also that did continued in any open crimes or manifest ungodliness, but then also which stood yet in doing of the penance which had been laid upon them for their great offences, wherewith they had offended the christian congregation openly, and were not yet reconciled unto Christ, by satisfying of his faithful people whom they had offended, that they would amend, nor absolved of them, for the same. All these they would put out of the church when they would hold the holy souper of the lord, as men unworthy to be present at it. Which thing they did not without a good cause. For saying Christ (as I have said,) did hold this his holy feast, with those disciples, only to all the which he gave his body and blood, and all the which did rceive & eat the same: and seeing he hath commanded us to do even the same thing in his holy souper that he did himself, so is it doubtless right seeming that we should hold this holy feast but in the presence of such disciples only (so far forth as we can judge them by their works) as are both meet, worthy, and desirous to receive the holy sacrament. For as it is very unmeet & worthy great reproof, as holy chrysostom saith, to be called of a right gracious lord for to come unto a costly and precious feast, and yet when thou comest unto it not to prove of the meat and drink that is set before thee, so must it needs be worthy great reproof to be called of thy lord and saviour, and that to the feastful eating of his most precious body and blood, and yet not to prove ones of it. And because of this the holy fathers have acknowledged all them to be unworthy also to be present at the holy souper and to behold the godly ministration thereof, that are not worthy and meet to receive the holy sacrament also.  
Which unmetenesse, unfaithfulness, and despising of the heavenly meat and drink, holy chrysostom doth sore speak against in writing thus of it. Who so abideth and standeth present at the holy souper, & doth not with other receive the sacrament, he standeth there stubbornly and without all shame. For (sayeth he) as by the table of a lord which is but a man, the servants shall not be present that have made angry or offended their master, even so shall there be done also by the holy souper, where there is brought forth the killed offering, the Lord Christ, the lamb of God. Therefore men do bid them go their way that are in sin: Now when this is done, and they that know them selves in sin, do not go their way, they show therewith an unshamefast stubborness, & shall hear of the lord these words: Friend, how art thou comen herein. And hast not the marriage cloth on? etc. And this h. doctor chrysostom noteth these words specially here, that the lord said not: Wherefore art thou sitten down, but wherefore art thou comen herein. Whereby he would show that there should no man come in or tarry at this feast, which is not clothed with the marriage cloth Christ, that is to say, which is not meet to receive wholesomely the holy sacra. to his salvation. But if it be so, that a man do not know himself to be in wilful sin, that is to say, that he will wilfully abide in it, when he is present at the souper, so were it then a great shame to despise and contemn the king our lord Christ, & his heavenly meat & drink, in not receiving it when it is so gently offered. And such a one doth chrysostom compare to him that is desired of a friend to a good souper, and cometh, washeth his hands, and lytteth down at the table, and yet toucheth nothing, nor once proveth of the meat: whom doubtless (saith he) he that desired such a one, can do none other than take him up again to his great shame.  
This holy father giveth this answer also unto all them that will say they are unmeet or unworthy to receive the sacrament, 
He that is not meet to the communion of the sacrament is not meet to pray together with the church.  and will yet be present at the holy souper. He that is not meet to receive the sacrament, is neither meet with the church to pray nor ones to behold the sacrament. But he shall do penance first, and then come unto the table of the lord, when he findeth himself meet to receive the holy sacrament also.  
And this ordinance did Pope Calixtius acknowledge to have been received of the Apostles & to be observed in his time in the church of Rome, 
e. peracta. de consec. distinc. xi.  as he witnessed saying. When the hallowing and preparing of the people to the sacrament by thanks giving unto the Lord for it, 
Thapostles ordained that such should be shut out of the church, as would not receive the sacrament in common.  is done, then shall they all be communycated, that will not be shut out of the church. For thus (saith he) have the Apostles ordained it, and thus doth the church of Rome keep it. What would this Pope say (think you) if he might now come into the church of Rome and see the sacrament (as it is thought to be) handled in every corner of the church, and yet neither the priests to offer it unto any man, nor any of the people once to desire it? would he say that this Pope were either his successor or the successore of th'apostles? no truly. For if he thought it to be a godly ordinance and worthy to be kept of all men once, and that so much the more as it had been used of th'apostles themselves, that all they should be shut out of the church, that would not receive the sacrament when the souper of the lord was kept, he would doubtless the say both that this were not the keeping of the right souper of the lord which is now used in the church, & also that he which was now Pope, were no true Christian man.  

Be consent. ●istinc. i.  The ix cannon also which Gracianus witnesseth to have been the ordinance of th'apostles, commandeth all faithful that come into the church and hear the scripture, if they will not also continue in praying and receiving of the sacrament, to be shut out of the church, as them that set up a misorder amongst the people. Which thing was ordained also in the ii canon concilii Antiochini.  
And the viii canon of th'apostles doth require, that if a bishop, priest, deacon, or other clerk will not be communicated when the supper of the lord is holden, he should show the cause thereof. And if the cause be lawful, he should be pardoned, that he did not communicate. But if he do not show the cause of it, so shall he be she● out of the congregation, as one that offendeth the people, and stirreth up a suspection of him that offered the sacrament to be received.  
Now these iii canons or holy ordinances do acknowledge it to be so great a fault, to come into the congregation where the holy souper of the lord is holden, and yet not to be communicated, that they command such to be excluded and shut out of the church. shewing this to be the cause of their appointing so hard a punishment to the offenders. Because they that did so abstain or with hold themselves, from the communion, did bring in a misorder into the church. As if it were done of a bishop, priest, deacon or other clerk, it caused the people to suspect his living or learning, which did ministre the sacra. to besuch, as with whom men should not be communicated. For who so did not hold himself in the true doctrine received and agreed upon in the church (as there were many such in those days) with him did no devout bishop, priest or clerk, communicate. He shall therefore (saith the canon) show the cause, why he is not communicated, & not bring in, or stir up a vain suspection of any man, thorough the which the holy ministration might be despised, or a division set up amongst the people.  
Who seeth not now by these words, that to appear by the holy souper, and not to be communicated with the congregration, hath been condemned both in lay men and also in the clergy. And that therefore, because it brought in a misordre amongst the people which were in use to be communicated together.  
But specially we may see by this latter canon, that all the people in those days when this order was taken, did use to be communicated together, & that such should be expulsed as would not come to the sacrament. For else how should that ministre have been brought in an evil suspection with the people, that ministered the holy souper, when a bishop, priest, deacon or other clerk had comen in and not been communicated with him at his ministration, if it had not been the comen use that all they which were present at the holy souper should be communicated? and in like manner, how should they of the layte which did not receive it together, have been accused thereof, as men that set up a misordre in the church, if it had not been the comen use, that when the holy souper was holden, all they that were present should receive the sacrament together? but doubtless it was the comen order in those days, that men should shut out of the church and comen congregation both them of the clergy and laity, that were present at the holy souper, and were not communicated together. And that for this purpose, because the doing thereof, when it was done of a lay man, did bring in a misordre in the church where the people were wont to receive the sacrament all together: and when it was done of any of the clergy it stirred up an evil suspection towards him that ministered the holy souper.  
Out of all these now it is manifest and plain to every christian man, that both after the word of god, and use of the old or primitive church, it was worthy reproof, to be present at the holy souper, and not to receive the sacrament together. For the lord hath ordained his holy souper, for all them his disciples only, that will and may receive it together. And he that will not be such a disciple, to him is not this souper prepared. For the lord hath not instituted it to be a looking glass, or a gazing stock, but said: take, eat: take & drink. And likewise Paul: the bread that we break, etc. we, saith he, & not I, 
Cor. xi.  or the priest alone. And further saith he: one bread one body, for we all take part of one bread: we all, saith he. And thus hath the old church used it also, till the true governing of the same did fall, & till men begun to hold the h. souper of the lord, not thereto that we might the more perfiteli live in christ, & he in us, but that the priests might get them a living by it, without any true teaching or preaching of Christ, & without any moving of the people to repentance & amendment of living by their handling of the h. sacra. Which thing to do the better, the priests said the mass was a sacrifice for sin. And then the people were content to look at the sacra. a far of, because the priests had persuaded them, that if they were present at the hearing and saying of the Mass, or gave any thing thereunto, so should it obtain them all good fortune, and save them from all peril & danger. whether they understood it, or not, whether they were communicated or not, they having repentance for their sins and purpose to amend there lives, or not. But as god and our saviour jesus Christ, hath ordained this holy sacrament for to move us first unto a sure faith and trust in the free remission of our sins, that he might the better so, cause us both to repent of our sinful lives, and to be bold also to follow his most loving commandments, and that by the ministering of his blessed body and blood to be received of us by the corporal receiving of it: he grant us also so to behave ourselves at all such times as it shallbe presented unto us, that we may continually be thankful both to him and to our neighbour for the same.   
Grant this, good Lord, for thy sweet sons sake jesus Christ. Amen.   

¶ Imprinted at London for Gawlter Lynne dwelling on Summer's kaye by Byllyngesgate.  Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.