occupation to get their living upon. They only receive it worthily, which receive it as a most worthy sacrament and sign, representing unto us the communion and participation we have in all that ever Christ did or purchased for us by taking our nature, and suffering therein all manner of most miserable afflictions, and finally by his most cruel and dolorous death. Therefore to hoise it over their heads, to dance it over the cup, to carry it in the streets with great pomp and glory, to bow their knees, and to knock their breasts before it, and to lock it up in a pix, to have it ready to serve at all hours all such chapmen as shall call for it, is but a politic cast of the merchants, which display and set abroad to be seen such merchandise as they would fainest sell. As they do offend, which neglect and common this most holy mystery, esteeming it no better than the common bread wherewith our bodies be fed; so do they also offend, which honour it with divine honour, making it thereby an idol of all other most to be abhorred, both for that, as they use it, it is a plain antichrist, spoiling Christ of his victory achieved by the once offering of himself for all; and also for that it pulleth the believers thereon from the true adoration of God the Father, and maketh them to honour, for the invisible, immense, and eternal God, that visible, measurable, and corruptible bread and wine. Yea, as they use it, it is not the communion of Christ's body and blood at all, but a fond invention of their own. For Christ did not make so many crossings and blessings, and then eat up all himself; but we must believe that they receive it for us, and in all our names. Well, I shall remit the faithful readers to the author of this little book, most humbly beseeching the Lord our God plenteously to pour out of his spirit of knowledge upon us all, that we may daily more and more find out the hid and secret abominations, to the utter extirpation and routing out of the same. And in the mean time let us pray together, that it may please the Lord to augment the number of his faithful, turning Sauls into Pauls, that the hard hearts may be mollified by hearing the persecutors preach Christ, whom they persecuted. The Spirit of truth be with you all! So be it.

It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing at all. John vi.

[COVERDALE.]

28

FORASMUCH as the most holy supper of our Lord Jesus Christ hath of long time been wrapped up in manifold and great errors, and even of late days wrapped in many opinions and contentions, nothing so quiet as was beseeming; no marvel though certain weak conscienced persons cannot well determine what thing they ought chiefly to follow, but do with indifferent and suspensed mind look, when the servants of God, setting all contention apart, shall agree among themselves, and bring the matter to some concord and unity. And seeing that such kind of doubt hath no small incommodity annexed, and that it is a thing most dangerous to have no certain determination of that mystery, the knowledge whereof is so necessary to our salvation; I have thought it a thing most profitable, briefly to speak of the chief sum of the matter, and yet plainly to declare, what thing we ought chiefly to stick unto therein. Moreover, certain honest men, perceiving the matter to require no less, desired me earnestly to take it in hand; whose request I could by no means deny, unless I would have been slack in doing my duty. And that the difficulty thereof may the more easily be opened, it is needful to declare what order we intended to follow herein.

First, I shall declare, for what cause and to what end the Lord hath instituted this most holy sacrament.

Then, what fruit we take thereof; and herein I will declare, how the body of Christ is given us in it.

Thirdly, what is the right use thereof.

Fourthly, I shall rehearse the errors and superstitions, whereby it hath been defaced; and so will I declare, how the servants of God ought to differ from the papists.

Finally, I will declare the original of that contention, which hath been so earnestly maintained even of the same men, which in our time have applied all their study to bring the gospel to light again, to replenish again the congregation, and to restore the sincere and pure doctrine.

As concerning the first, when it pleased the Almighty, our God, by baptism to choose us into the congregation,

that is to say, into his house, which he will nourish and defend; and that he hath received us, not only as household servants, but also as his children; it behoveth him, if he will play the part of a good father, to bring us up, ministering unto us all things necessary to food and clothing.

But as concerning the things that pertain to the education of the body, because they be common to all men, so that as well the evil persons as the good be partakers thereof, they are not to be taken for things appertaining to his household only. No doubt, in that he feedeth and defendeth our bodies, and whiles we be partakers of all those good things which he most plenteously and liberally giveth us, is declared a great token of his fatherly goodness towards us. But in like manner as the life wherein he hath regenerate us is spiritual, so is it needful that the meat, wherewith we should be sustained and strengthened, be also spiritual. For we must understand, that we are not called to possess the celestial inheritance in time to come only; but that through hope we are in manner set in possession thereof already so that he hath not only promised us life; but delivering us from death, he hath already led us into it in very deed. And this thing obtained we, when he begat us anew with the seed of immortality, that is to say, his word, which through the Holy Ghost he hath printed and fastened in our hearts. That we therefore may defend and sustain this life, we must not seek the caducal and corruptible meats wherewith the belly is fed; but we must provide for our souls much better and more excellent food. And the whole scripture witnesseth, that the selfsame word, whereby the Lord hath begotten us anew, is the spiritual bread whereby our souls are sustained and fed: the reason is this, because in it Christ our only life is given and ministered unto us. For when God would that all abundance of life should remain in Christ, to the intent that by him he might make us partakers thereof, he ordained the word also, whereby Christ and all his mercies might be ministered unto us. This sentence therefore is infallibly true, that our souls are fed and nourished with none other food than Jesus Christ.

Wherefore the heavenly Father, being careful for our education, gave us none other food; yea, rather he committed this unto us singularly. And forasmuch as it is suf

ficient enough for the recreation and sustenance of our souls, he willed us to content ourselves therewith, and that our souls should rest together therein; because we may by no means be without that food, which being taken away, none other can be found. Now do we perceive, after what sort Christ is the only food wherewith our souls be fed; but because he is distributed unto us by the word of the Lord, as by the instrument appointed for the same purpose, he is named bread and wine.

And that which is spoken of the word, appertaineth also to the sacrament of the supper, whereby the Lord leadeth us unto the partaking of Christ. For because we be so weak and feeble, that we cannot with unfeigned trust of mind receive him, when he is offered unto us in the bare preaching of the doctrine; the Father of mercy, willing to accommodate himself unto our infirmity therein, hath joined unto the word a sign to be seen with the eyes, whereby he might represent unto us the very substance of his promises, that, all doubt and wavering taken away, we might be confirmed and strengthened in him.

Seeing therefore this mystery is high and hard to attain to, and that we cannot by wit comprehend, or by study understand, how the body and blood of Christ may be communicated unto us; and that we be so rude and ignorant, that we understand not the very least of the divine matters; it was needful to declare and open this mystery after such sort as the ability of our wit might away withal.

And for that cause did the Lord institute the supper, that he might print in our consciences those promises, wherewith he hath in the gospel promised to make us partakers of his body and blood; and that he might establish us in this persuasion, our spiritual life to be remaining in him, that we, receiving so noble a pledge, may conceive a sure hope of salvation. Furthermore, that we should be exercised in acknowledging his great goodness towards us, and in celebrating and setting forth of the same with all laud and praise. Thirdly, that we should be provoked to embrace holiness and innocency, forasmuch as we acknowledge ourselves to be the members of Christ; and that above all other we set forth and maintain friendship and brotherly concord, whereof we have an especial commandment. When we have

well and diligently marked these three causes, (to which no doubt the Lord had respect, when he instituted the supper,) an entry shall be opened unto us, that we may the better understand, what fruit we receive thereby, and by what mean we may use it aright.

We must therefore now come unto the second part, that we may declare, what wholesome fruit the supper of the Lord bringeth unto us, so we will understand and gather the same. And that shall we know, when we will diligently perpend our own great lack which it succoureth. No remedy we must needs be vehemently troubled and vexed in mind, so often as we consider what we are ourselves, and when we examine all that is in us. For there is not one of us, that can find so much as one little crumb of justice in himself; but contrariwise, we are defiled with so many vices and wicked deeds, stuffed full of so great a multitude of sins, that there needeth none other accuser than our own conscience; neither needeth it to seek for any other judge to give sentence against us. Whereof it followeth, that the ire of God is stirred against us, and that none of us can be able to escape the judgment of eternal death.

And unless we will be very dreamers and blockheads, no remedy but we shall through that horrible cogitation be vexed and troubled, as it were with a continual hell-fire; for we cannot remember the judgment of God, but incontinent our own damnation is before our eyes. We are therefore already swallowed up by the devouring sink of death, were it not that Almighty God delivereth us. And what hope of resurrection may we have, when we consider our own flesh, so rotten and full of all corruption? And therefore, whether we consider body or soul, nothing can be more miserable than we are, so long as we shall consider but ourselves only; and whiles we perceive sa great miseries, no remedy we must needs be miserably tormented and affected with extreme heaviness. That the heavenly Father therefore might succour this our calamity, he gave unto us the supper, as a glass wherein we might behold Christ crucified and raised again: crucified, that our sins might be forgiven; raised again, that we, delivered from corruption and death, might be restored to the heavenly immortality. This singu