John iv.

John vi.

But as Christ, when he said unto the woman of Samaria, The water which I will give, shall spring into everlasting life, he meant neither of material water, nor of the accidents of water, but of the Holy Ghost, which is the heavenly fountain that springeth unto eternal life: so likewise when he said, The bread which I will give, is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world, he meant neither of the material bread, neither of the accidents of bread, but of his own flesh. Which although of itself it availeth nothing, yet being in unity of person joined unto his Divinity, it is the same heavenly bread that he gave to death upon the cross for the life of the world.

But here Mr. Smyth asketh a question of the time, saying thus: "When gave Christ that bread which was his very "flesh that he gave for us to death, if he did it not at his "last Supper, when he said, This is my body that shall be "given for you?"

I answer, according to Cyril'se mind upon the same place, that Christ alone suffered for us all, and by his wounds were we healed, he bearing our sins in his body upon a tree, and being crucified for us, that by his death we might live.

But what need I, Mr. Smith, to labour in answering to your question of the time, when your question in itself containeth the answer, and appointeth the time of Christ giving himself for the life of the world? when you say, that he gave himself for us to death, which, as you confess scant three lines before, was not at his supper, but upon the

cross.

And if you will have none other giving of Christ for us but at his supper, (as your reason pretendeth, or else it is utterly naught,) then surely Christ is much bound unto you, that have delivered him from all his mocking, whipping, scourging, crucifying, and all other pains of death, which he suffered for us upon the cross, and bring to pass that he was given only at his supper without blood or pain, for the life of the world. But then is all the world little beholding

с

[Cyril, In Joan. lib. iv. cap. 12. See Authorities in the Appendix.]

unto you, that by delivering of Christ from death will suffer all the world to remain in death, which can have no life but by his death.

St. Paul.

AFTER the Gospel of St. John, Mr. Smyth allegeth for The place of his purpose St. Paul to the Corinthians, who biddeth every 1 Cor. xi. man to examine himself before he receive this sacrament, for he that eateth and drinketh it unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of Christ, eating and drinking his own damnation, because he discerneth not our Lord's body.

Here by the way it is to be noted, that Dr. Smyth in reciting the words of St. Paul doth alter them purposely, commonly putting this word "sacrament," in the stead of these words "bread and wine," (which words he seemeth so much to abhor as if they were toads or serpents, because they make against his transubstantiation,) whereas St. Paul ever useth those words, and never nameth this word "sacrament.”

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But to the matter: "What need we to examine our"selves," saith Dr. Smith, "when we shall eat but common "bread, and drink wine of the grape? Is a man guilty of "the body and blood of Christ, which eateth and drinketh nothing else but only bare bread made of corn, and mere "wine of the grape ?" Who saith so, good sir? Do I say in my book, that those which come to the Lord's table do eat nothing else but bare bread made of corn, nor drink nothing but mere wine made of grapes? How often do I teach and repeat again and again, that as corporally with our mouths we eat and drink the sacramental bread and wine, so spiritually with our hearts, by faith, do we eat Christ's very flesh and drink his very blood, and do both feed and live spiritually by him, although corporally he be absent from us, and sitteth in heaven at his Father's right hand. And as in baptism we come not unto the water as we come to other common waters, when we wash our hands or bathe our bodies, but we know that it is a mystical water, admonishing us of the great and manifold mercies of God towards us, of the league and promise made between him and us, and of his wonderful working and operation in us: wherefore we

Master

come to that water with such fear, reverence, and humility, as we would come to the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and of Jesus Christ himself both God and man; although he be not corporally in the water, but in heaven above: and whosoever cometh to that water, being of the age of discretion, must examine himself duly, lest if he come unworthily, (none otherwise than he would come unto other common waters,) he be not renewed in Christ, but in the stead of salvation receive his damnation:

Even so it is of the bread and wine in the Lord's holy Supper. Wherefore every man, as St. Paul saith, must examine himself when he shall approach to that holy table, and not come to God's board as he would do to common feasts and banquets, but must consider that it is a mystical table, where the bread is mystical, and the wine also mystical, wherein we be taught that we spiritually feed upon Christ, eating him and drinking him, and as it were sucking out of his side the blood of our redemption and food of eternal salvation, although he be in heaven at his Father's right hand. And whosoever cometh unto this heavenly table, not having regard to Christ's flesh and blood, who should be there our spiritual food, but cometh thereto without faith, fear, humility, and reverence, as it were but to carnal feeding, he doth not there feed upon Christ, but the Devil doth feed upon him, and devoureth him, as he did Judas.

And now may every man perceive, how fondly and falsely Mr. Smyth concludeth of these words of St. Paul, that our Saviour Christ's body and blood is really and corporally in the sacrament.

AFTER this he falleth to railing, lying, and slandering of Peter Mar- Mr. Peter Martyr, a man of that excellent learning and godly living, that he passeth Dr. Smyth as far as the sun in his clear light passeth the moon being in the eclipse.

tyr.

"Peter Martyr," saith he, " at his first coming to Oxford, "when he was but a Lutheran in this matter, taught as Dr. Smyth now doth. But when he came once to the Court,

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"and saw that doctrine misliked them, that might do him "hurt in his living, he anon after turned his tippet and "sang another song."

Of Mr. Peter Martyr his opinion and judgment in this matter no man can better testify than I. Forasmuch as he lodged within my house long before he came to Oxford; and I had with him many conferences in that matter, and know that he was then of the same mind that he is now, and as he defended after openly in Oxford, and hath written in his book. And if Dr. Smyth understood him otherwise in his lectures at the beginning, it was for lack of knowledge, for that then Dr. Smyth understood not the matter, nor yet doth not, as it appeareth by this foolish and unlearned book which he hath now set out.

No more than he understood my book of the Catechism, and therefore reporteth untruly of me, that I in that book did set forth the real presence of Christ's body in the sacrament. Unto which false report I have answered in my fourth book the eighth chapter.

But this I confess of myself, that not long before I wrote the said Catechism, I was in that error of the real presence, as I was many years past in divers other errors, as of transubstantiation, of the sacrifice propitiatory of the priests in the mass, of pilgrimages, purgatory, pardons, and many other superstitions and errors that came from Rome, being brought up from youth in them, and nouseled therein for lack of good instruction from my youth, the outrageous floods of papistical errors at that time overflowing the world. For the which and other mine offences in youth, I do daily pray unto God for mercy and pardon, saying: Delicta juventutis meæ et ignorantias meas, ne memineris, Domine. Good Lord, remember not mine ignorances and offences of my youth.

But after it had pleased God to show unto me by his holy word a more perfect knowledge of his son Jesus Christ, from time to time as I grew in knowledge of him, by little and little I put away my former ignorance. And as God of his mercy gave me light, so through his grace I opened

mine eyes to receive it, and did not wilfully repugn unto God, and remain in darkness. And I trust in God's mercy and pardon for my former errors, because I erred but of frailness and ignorance. And now I may say of myself as St. Paul said; When I was like a babe or child in the know1 Cor. xiii. ledge of Christ, I spake like a child and understood like a child; but now that I am come to man's estate, and growing in Christ through his grace and mercy, I have put away that childishness.

Now after that Doctor Smith hath thus untruly belied both me and Master Peter Martyr, he falleth into his exclamations, saying: "O Lord! what man is so mad to believe "such mutable teachers, which change their doctrine at “men's pleasure, as they see advantage and profit? They "turn and will turn as the wind turneth."

Do you not remember, Mr. Smith, the fable, how the old crab rebuked her young, that they went not straight forth; and the common experience that those that look a squint, sometimes find fault with them that look right? You have turned twice, and retracted your errors, and the third time promised, and breaking your promise ran aways. And find you fault with me and Mr. Peter Martyr, as though we for men's pleasures turn like the wind, as we see advantage? Shall the weathercock of Paul's, that turneth about with every wind, lay the fault in the Church, and say that it turneth?

I will not here answer for myself, but leave the judgment to God, (who seeth the bottom of all men's hearts, and at whose only judgment I shall stand or fall,) saving that this I will say before God, who is every where present, and knoweth all things that be done, that as for seeking to please men in this matter, I think my conscience clear, that I never sought herein but only the pleasure and glory of God. And yet will I not judge myself herein, nor take Dr. Smyth for my judge, but will refer the judgment to him that is the rightful Judge of all men. But as for Dr. Peter Martyr, hath he sought to please men for advantage?

[See Strype, Cranmer, pp. 172, 203.]