Chapter VI: Part 6

The Prelates beleue that hys very fleshe is present to the teth of them that eate the Sacramēte, and that the wycked eate hys verye bodye. Fryth sayeth that it is none artycle of our Crede, and therfore he reakeneth that he is in no Ieoperdye though he beleue it not. And he thynketh that hys fleshe is not presente vnto the teth of thē that receyue the Sacramente. For hys fleshe is onelye in one place at ones. And that he proueth both by the auctoryte of Saynte Austen ad Dardanum, and also by the auctoryte of Fulgentius ad Thrasauandum libro. 20. as before appeareth in the boke. And Fryth sayeth that the wycked eate not hys verye fleshe, although they receyue the Sacramente. And that he proueth by the scrypture, doctours, and good reason, grounded vpon the scryptures.

[Sidenote: Ioan. 6.] The scrypture is thys, he that eateth Christes bodye hath euerlastynge lyfe, ergo then the wycked eate not hys bodye. Agayne the scrypture sayeth, he that eateth Christes fleshe ād drynketh hys bloode abydeth in Christe and Christ in him: but the wycked abyde not in Christe nor Christe in them, ergo the wycked eate not hys fleshe nor drynke hys bloode.

[Sidenote: Augustin ser. desacra fe. Pasche.] This maye also be cōfyrmed by good auctoryte. For saynte Austen sayeth, he that abydeth not in Christe ād in whome Christe abydeth not, without doubte he eateth not hys fleshe nor drynketh hys bloode, although he eate and drynke the Sacramente of so greate a thynge vnto hys dampnacyon.

[Sidenote: Beda.] And euē the same wordes hathe Bede vpon the tenth chapter of the fyrste Epystle to the Corynthyans.

[Sidenote: Augusti de ciuitate Dei in libro. 21. cap. 25.] Agayne S. Austen sayeth, he that abydeth not in me ād in whome I abyde not, let hym not saye nor thynke, that he eateth my bodye or drynketh my bloode. And euen the same wordes hath Bede vpon the syxte Chapter of the fyrste Epystle to the Corynthyans. And euen the same sentence hath Ambrose, and Prosper, & Bede vpon the xi. chapter of the fyrste Epystle to the Corynthyans.

Fynallye thys may be proued by good reasō grounded vpō the scrypture. Christ wolde not suffer marye (though she loued hym well) to towche hym, because she lacked one poynte of faythe, and ded not beleue that he was equall with hys Father. And therfore by reason yt muste folowe, that he wyll not suffer the wycked (which neyther haue good fayth nor loue towardes hym) both to towche hym and eate hym in to their vncleane bodyes.

Now syth thys is proued true that the wycked eate not hys bodye, it must also therof neades folowe, that the sacramente is not hys naturall bodye. For they do eate the sacramēte as all men knowe. Besydes that the faythfull do not eate Christes bodye with their teth. And therfore it muste folowe that the wycked do not eate it with their teth. The antecedēt or fyrst parte of the reason is proued by the wordes of Christe which sayeth, [Sidenote: Ioan. 6.] that the fleshe profyteth nothynge at all, meanynge that it doth not profyte as they vnderstode hym: that is to saye: yt profyteth nothynge to be eaten carnallye with their teth and bellye, as they vnderstode hym. For els it profyteth moche to be eaten spyrytuallye, that is to saye: to beleue that through hys bodye breakynge ād bloode sheadynge our synnes are pourged. And thus doth Origene, S. Austē, Bede, Chrisostome, ād Athanasius expounde it, as appeareth in the boke before. And therfore Fryth sayeth, that onelye faythfull men eate hys bodye: not with their teth and mouth, but with their fayth ād harte, they dygeste it in to the bowelles of their soules through beleuynge that it was broken on the crosse, to washe awaye their synnes. And the wycked eate not hys bodye but onelye the breade and their dampnacyon, because they eate him not spirytually, that is: because they beleue not in hys bodye breakynge and bloode sheadynge.

¶ The thyrde poynte wherin Fryth dyssēteth frō your Prelates & their proctoure.

The Prelates beleue that mē ought to worshyppe the Sacramēte, but Fryth sayeth naye, and affyrmeth that it is Idolatrye to worshyppe it. And he sayeth that Christ and hys Apostles taught vs not so to do: neyther ded the holy fathers so teache vs. And Fryth sayth, that the autours of thys worshyppynge are the chylderne of perdycyō which haue ouerwhelmed thys worlde with synne. Neuerthelesse we muste receyue it reuerētlye, because of the doctryne that it bryngeth vs. For it preacheth Christes death vnto vs, & descrybeth it before our eyes, euē as a faythfull preacher by the worde doth instyll yt in to vs by our eares and hearynge. And that yt supplyeth the rowme of a preacher, is evydēt by the wordes of S. Austen which sayeth. _Paulus quamuis portaret sarcinā corporis quod aggrauat animā, potuit tamen significando predicare Dominū Iesum Christum, aliter per linguā suam, aliter per epistolā, aliter per sacramētū corporis Christi._ That is to saye: though Paule ded beare the burthen of the bodye which doth honorate the soule, yet was he able in sygnyfyenge to preache the Lorde Iesus Christe, one waye by hys tonge, and another waye by a Ēpystle, & a nother waye by the Sacrament of Christes bodye .&c. For as the people by vnderstondynge the sygnyfycacyō of the wordes which he spake ded heare the gloryous gospell of God, & as by the readynge of hys Epystle they vnderstode hys mynd, & receyued the wordes of the soules health, so by the mynystracyon of the sacrament they myght see with their eyes the thynge which they harde & red, & so haue their sēces occupyed a boute the mystery, that they myght the more earnestlye prynte it in their mynde. As by exāple: [Sidenote: Hier. 27.] The prophete Ieremye beynge in Ierusalē in the tyme of Sedechias Kynge of the Iewes, prophesyed ād preached vnto thē, that they shuld be takē presoners of Nabugodonosar the Kyng of Babylō. And the Iewes were angrye with hym & wolde not beleue hys wordes. And therfore he made a chayne or fetter of woode ād put thē a boute hys necke, ād prophecyed agayne, ād preached that they shulde be taken presoners ād ledde captyue in to Babylon. And as hys wordes ded certyfye their eares that they shulde be subdued, so the chayn ded represēt their captyuite euē before their eyes, which thynge ded more vehementlye worke in them then the bare wordes coulde do, ād euen so it is in the sacrament. For lykewyse as the wordes ded instyll it in to our eares, that hys bodye was geuen for vs, ād hys bloode shedde for the remyssyon of our synnes, euen so ded the mynystracyon of the Sacrament expresse the same thynge vnto our syght and dothe more effectuouslye moue vs, thē the bare wordes myght do, and make vs more attentyue vnto the thynge, that we maye whollye geue thankes vnto God ād prayse hym for hys boūteous benefyttes. And therfor seynge it is as a preacher, expressynge vnto our syght the same thynge that the wordes do to our eares, you muste receyue yt with reverence ād sober behavyoure, aduertysynge the thynge that it representeth vnto you. And euen the same honoure is due vnto it which is geuē vnto the scrypture that is the worde of God. For vnto that must a man devoutlye geue eare, ād reverentlye take the boke in hys hande: yea, & yf he kysse the boke for the doctrynes sake that he learneth thereout, he is to be commended. Neuerthelesse yf he shulde go sense hys boke, men myght well thynke that he were verye chyldyshe. But yf he shulde knele downe and praye to hys boke, then he ded cōmytte playne Idolatrye.

Consyder deare bretherne what I say, and avoyde thys Ieoperdye. Which thynge avoyded, I care not as towchynge the presence of hys bodye, though you beleue that hys naturall fleshe be there in dede, and not onelye in a mystery, as I haue taught. For when the Ieoperdye is paste, he were a foole that wolde be cōtencyous for a thynge, as longe as there commeth no hurte therbye.

The Germaynes which beleue the presence of hys bodye, do not worshyppe it, but playnly teache the contrarye, and in that poynte (thankes be to God) all they whome you call heretyckes do agre full well. Onelye avoyde thys Idolatrye, and I desyre no more.

The cōclusyon of thys Treatyse.

Nowe deare bretherne I beseche you for the mercye that ye loke for in Christ Iesu, that you accepte thys worke with a syngle eye ād no contencyous harte. For necessyte hath compelled me to wryte it, because I was informed both of my Lorde of Wynchester ād other credyble parsons, that I had by the meanes of my fyrst treatyse offended many mē. Which thynge maye well be true: For it was to slender to enstructe all them which haue sens seane it, albeit it were suffycyent for their vse to whome it was fyrst delyuered. And therfore I thought it not onelye expedyent but also necessarye, to enstructe them further in the truth, that they myght see playne euydence of that thynge, wherin they were offended.

By thys worke you shall espye their blasphemyes ād venemous tonges wherwith they slaunder not one ly thē that publyshe the truthe, but euen the truth yt selfe. They shame not to saye, that we affyrme yt to be onelye breade, and nothynge els. And we saye not so: but we saye that besyde the substaunce of breade, it is the Sacrament of Christes bodye ād bloode. As the yvye hangynge before the taverne doore is more then bare yvye. For besyde the substaunce of yvye, it is a sygne, and sygnyfyeth that there is wyne to be solde. And thys sacrament sygnyfyeth vnto vs, and poynteth out before our eyes, that as verely as that breade is broken, so verelye was Christes bodye brokē for our synnes: And as that breade is dystrybuted vnto vs, so is hys bodye and frute of hys passyon dystrybuted vnto all hys faythfull. And as the breade comforteth the bodye, so doth the fayth in Christes death comforte our soules. And as surelye as we haue that breade and eate it with our mouth and teth, and knowe by our sences that we haue it within vs, and are partakers therof; no more neade we to doubte of hys bodye and bloode, but that through fayth, we are as sure of thē, as we are sure of that breade. As it is suffycyentlye declared in my boke.

Agayne you maye perceyue how wyckedly they reporte vs which affyrme that we dyshonour it which geue yt the ryght honoure that it ought to haue. And you do playnlye dyshonoure it, which geue vnto it the honoure that is onelye due vnto God. We geue yt the same honoure that we geue vnto the holye scrypture ād worde of God, because it expresseth vnto our sences the death of our sauyoure, and doth more depely prynte it within vs. And therfore we call it an holye sacrament, as we call Goddes worde, holye scrypture. And we receyue thys sacrament with greate reuerence, euen as we reuerentlye reade or heare preached the holye worde of God, which conteyneth the healthe of our soules. And we graunte that hys bodye is presente with the breade as it is with the worde, and wyth both it is verelye receyued and eaten through faythe. But if we shulde knele downe and praye vnto the holye scrypture, men myght cownte vs foles, and myght lawfullye saye, that we do not honoure the scrypture by that meanes but rather dyshonoure yt. For the ryght honoure of a thynge is, to vse it for that intent that was instytute of God. And he that abvseth it to any other purpose, doth in dede dyshonoure it. And lykewyse it is in the sacrament which was instytute to keape in memorye the death of Christe, which yf we do any other wyse honoure, then we do the holye scrypture (vnto the which we maye in no wyse make our prayers). I saye that then we shulde vtterlye dyshonoure it. Avoyde therfore thys poynte of Idolatrye, and all ys safe.

Fynallye we saye that they speake well and faythfullye, which saye that they go to the bodye and receyue the bodye of Christ, and that they speake vyllenouslye and wyckedlye which saye that they onelye receyue breade or the sygne of hys bodye. For in so sayenge they declare their infydelyte. For the faythfull wyll reaken that he is euell reported of and reputed for a traytoure and a nother Iudas, yf men shulde saye of hym that he ded onelye receyue the sacrament, and not also the thynge whiche the sacrament doth sygnyfye. For albeit he onelye eateth the breade ād sacrament with hys mouth and teth: yet with hys harte and fayth inwardlye, he eateth the verye thynge it selfe whiche the sacrament outwardlye dothe represente.

And of thys sprynge the maner of speakynges that the olde fathers do somtyme vse, which at the fyrste syght mought seame contrarye to our sentence. But yf they be well pondered, it maye soone be seane, how they shulde be taken. For manye tymes when they speake of the sacramente and outwarde eatynge, they applye vnto the sacrament and outwarde eatynge, the frute and condycyons of the inwarde eatynge and thynge it selfe, because that in a faythfull man they are so Ioyntlye Ioyned, that the one is neuer without the other. As by example. Marye is named the mother of God, and yet she is not the mother of hys Godhed, by the which parte onelye he is called God, but because she is hys mother, as towchynge hys manhode, and the Godhed is so annexed with the manhode that they both make but one parson, therfore is she called the mother of God, whiche in dede yf it be wyselye weyed, shalbe founde to be abvsed speache.

And yet neuerthelesse it maye verye well be vsed, yf men vnderstonde what is ment therbye, but yf through the vse of thys speache, men shulde fall in to suche an erroure that they wolde affyrme our lady to be in dede the mother of hys Godhed, then necessyte shulde compell vs to make a dystynccyon betwene the nature of hys Godhed and the nature of hys manhod, and so to expounde the matter vnto them, and brynge them home agayne in to the ryght vnderstondynge. As we are now constrayned to do in thys sacrament, because you mysconstrue the sayenges of the scrypture ād Doctours. Which notwythstondynge (yf a man vnderstōde them) saye verye well.

And manye soche maner of speaches are contayned in the scrypture: As where Christ sayeth in, Iohā in the .iii. chap. There shall no man ascende in to heauen, but he that dyscendeth from heauen, the sone of man whiche is in heauen.

Thys texte doth saye that the sonne of man was then in heauen, when he spake these wordes vnto Nicodemus here vpon earth, whiche thynge all wyse men consente to be vnderstonde, _propter unitatem personæ_: That is to saye: for the vnite of the parson. For albeit hys Godhed was in euerye place at that tyme, yet was not hys manhod (by the whiche he was called the sonne of man) in heauen at that tyme. And yet Christe sayde that it was in heaven for the vnite of hys parson. For hys Godhed was in heauen, and because the Godhed and manhode made one parson, therfore it was ascrybed vnto the manhod which was onelye verefyed vpō the Godhed, as [Sidenote: August.] S. Austen ad Dardanum doth delygentlye declare.

And lykewyse in the sacrament of baptyme, because the inwarde workynge of the holye Goste is euer ānexed in the faythfull vnto the outwarde ceremonye: therfore somtyme the frute of the inwarde baptyme is ascrybed vnto the outwarde worke. And so the scrypture vseth to speake of the outwarde baptyme as though it were the inwarde: that is to saye: the spyryte of GOD. And therfore Saynte Paule sayeth that we are buryed wyth Christe through baptyme.

And yet as Saynte Austen expoundeth it, the outwarde baptyme dothe but [Sidenote: Augustinus ad Bonifacium.] sygnyfye thys buryall. And agayne Paule sayeth, as manye as are baptysed haue put Christe vpon them. And yet in dede our outwarde baptyme doth but sygnyfye, that we haue put Christe vpon vs.

But by the inwarde baptyme (whiche is the water of lyfe and spiryte of God) we haue in dede put hym vpon vs and lyue in hym and he in vs. Whiche not withstondynge is verye false for all the outwarde baptyme, in them that receyue it not in fayth. And vnto them it is but abare sygne, wherof they gette no profytte, but dampnacyon.

And here you maye evydentlye perceyue, howe it is sometyme in scrypture ascrybed vnto the outwarde worke and ceremonye, whiche is onelye true in the inwarde veryte. And this place shall expounde all the olde doctours whiche seame contrarye to our sentence. And therfore marke it well.

Thus haue you my mynde further vpon the sacrament of the bodye and bloode of Christe. Wherin yf you reaken that I haue bene to lōge in repetynge one thynge so often, I shall praye you of pardone. But surelye me thought I coulde not be shorter. For the worlde is suche now adayes, that some wolde heare and can not: and some do heare and wyll not. And therfore I am compelled so often to repete that thynge whyche a wyse man wolde vnderstonde wyth halue the wordes.

❧ Praye Christen reader that the wordes of GOD maye increace, and that GOD maye be gloryfyed through my bondes. AMEN.

The Artycles wherfore Iohan Fryth dyed, whiche he wrote in Newgate the
.23. daye of Iune, the yeare of our Lorde .1533.

I doubt not deare bretherne, but that it doth some deale vexe you, to see the one parte haue all the wordes, and frely to speake what they lyste, and the other to be put to sylence, and not to be harde indyfferently. But referre your matters to God, whiche shortelye shall Iudge after a nother fashyon. But in the meane seasō, I shall rehearse vnto you the artycles for which I am condempned.

❧ They examyned me but of two artycles whiche are these.

[Sidenote: 1. Article.] Fyrste whyther I thought there were any Purgatorye to pourge the soule after thys present lyfe. And I sayde, that I thought there was none. For man is made but of two partes, the bodye and the soule. And the bodye is pourged by the crosse of Christe, whiche he layeth vpon euery chylde that he receyueth: as afflyctyon, worldlye opressyon, persecucyon, emprysonment & cet. and deathe fynysheth synne. And the soule is pourged by the worde of God, which we receyue through fayth, vnto the healthe and saluacyon bothe of bodye and soule.

Now and yf I ded knowe any thyrde parte wherof we are made, I wolde also gladly graunt the .3. purgatory, but seynge I knowe none suche, I must denye the Popes purgatorye. Neuertheles I cownte neyther parte a necessarye artycle of our faythe, necessaryly to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyon, whyther there be soche a purgatory or not.

[Sidenote: 2. article.] The seconde artycle was thys, whyther that I thought, that the sacrament of the aulter was the bodye of Christe. And I sayde yea, that I thought that it was bothe Christes bodye and also our bodye, as Saynt Paule sayeth to the Corynthyans. i. Cori. 10.

In that it is made one breade of manye graynes it is our bodye, sygnyfyenge that we though we be manye, are yet one bodye: lykewyse of the wyne in that it is made one wyne of manye grapes.

And agayne in that it is broken, it is Christes bodye, sygnyfyenge that hys bodye shulde be broken, that is to saye: suffer deathe, to redeame vs from our iniquitees.

In that it was dystrybuted, it was Christes bodye, sygnyfyenge that as verelye as that sacramēt is dystrybuted vnto vs, so verelye is Christes bodye and the frute of hys passyō dystrybuted vnto all faythfull men.

In that it is receyued, it is Christes bodye, sygnyfyenge that as verelye as the outwarde man receyueth the sacramente with hys tethe and mouthe, so verelye dothe the inwarde mā, through faythe receyue Christes bodye and frute of hys passyon, ād is as sure of it, as of the breade that he eateth.

[Sidenote: Another questyō.] Well sayde they, do you not thynke that hys verye naturall bodye, bothe fleshe and bloode is reallye contayned vnder the sacrament, and there actuallye present, besyde all symylytudes? [Sidenote: ¶ An answere.] No sayde I, I do not so thynke. Notwithstondynge I wolde not that anye shulde counte that I make my sayenge (whiche is the negatyue) anye artycle of the faythe. For euen as I saye that you oughte not to make anye necessarye artycle of the faythe of your parte (whiche is the affyrmatyue). So I saye agayne, that we make none necessarye artycle of the faythe of oure parte, but leaue it indyfferent for all men to Iudge therin, as GOD shall open hys harte, and no syde to condempne or dyspyse the other, but to nouryshe in all thynges brotherlye loue, and to beare others infyrmytees.

[Sidenote: S. Austens texte.] The texte of Saynt Austē which they there aleaged agaynste me, was thys: that in the sacrament Christe was borne in his owne handes. Whervnto I sayde: that S. Austen dothe full well expounde hym selfe. For in a nother place he sayeth. _Ferebatur tanquā in manibus suis._ That is, he was borne after a certayne maner, in hys owne handes. And by that he sayeth after a certayne maner, ye maye soone perceyue what he meaneth.

How be it yf. S. Austen had not thus expounded hym selfe, yet he sayeth ad Bonifacium, that the sacrament of a thynge, hath a symylytude or propertye of the thynge which it sygnyfyeth. And for that cause it hath manye tymes the name of the verye thynge whiche it sygnyfyeth. And so he sayeth that he bare hym selfe, because he bare the sacrament of hys bodye and bloode, whiche ded so earnestlye expresse hym selfe, that nothynge myght more do it. If you reade the place of S. Austen ad Bonifacium, whiche I alleage in my laste boke, ye shall soone see them answered.

[Sidenote: Chrisostomus.] A nother place they alleaged out of Chrisostome, which at the fyrste blushe seameth to make well for them. But yf it be well wayed, it maketh moche lesse for thē then they wene. The wordes are these.

[Sidenote: Chrisostomes wordes.] Doste thou see breade and wyne: Do they departe from thē into the draughte as other meates do? God forbydde. For as in waxe when it cōmeth to the fyer, nothynge of the substaunce remayneth nor aboundeth: so lykewyse thynke that the mysteryes are consumed by the substaunce of the body.

These wordes I expounded, by the wordes of the same doctoure Saynt Chrisostome, which in a nother homelye sayeth on thys maner. The inwarde eyes as soone as they see the breade, they flye over all creatures ād thynke not of the breade that is baken of the baker, but of the breade of euerlastynge lyfe, which is sygnyfyed by the mystycall breade.

Now conferre these places together ād you shall perceyue, that the laste expoundeth the fyrste clerely. Fyrste he sayeth, dost thou see breade and wyne? I answere by the seconde, nay. For the inwarde eyes as soone as they see the breade, thynke not of it, but of the thynge it selfe that is sygnyfyed therby. And so he seeth it and seeth it not. He seeth it with hys outwarde and carnall eyes, but hys inwarde eyes seeth it not. That is to saye: regarde not the breade or thynke not vpon it. Euen as we commonlye saye, when we playe a game necglygentlye (by my truthe I see not what I do) meanynge that our myndes is not vpon that thynge whiche we see with our outwarde eyes. And lykewyse we maye answere the nexte parte, where he sayeth.

[Sidenote: The exposycyō of S. Chrisosto, texte.] Do they departe from thē in to the draughte, as other meates do? Nay for sothe sayde I. For other meates do onelye come to nouryshe the bodye, and to departe in to the draught: But thys meate that I here receyue, is spyrytuall meate, receyued with faythe, and nourysheth vs euerlastynglye bothe bodye and soule, and neuer entereth into the draughte. And euen as before the outwarde eyes do see the breade, and yet the inwarde eyes do not regarde that or thynke vpon it: So lykewyse the outwarde man dygesteth the breade, and casteth it in to the draughte. And yet the inwarde mā doth not regarde that nor thynke vpō it: But thynketh vpon the thynge it selfe that is sygnyfyed by that breade.

[Sidenote: The true meanynge of Chrisostomes wordes.] And therfore sayde Chrysostome euen a lytle before the wordes whiche they here alleaged. Lyfte vp your mynde and hartes (sayde he) whereby he monysheth vs, to loke vpon and consyder those heauenly thynges, whiche are represented and sygnyfyed by the breade and wyne, and not to marke the breade and wyne in it selfe.

Here they wyll saye vnto me, that that is not Chrisostomes mynde. For by hys example he playnlye sheweth that there remayneth no breade nor wyne. That I denye. For the example in thys place proueth no more but that ye shall not thynke vpon the breade and wyne, no more then yf they were not there, but onelye vpon that thynge whiche is sygnyfyed by thē. And that ye maye euydently perceyue by the wordes folowynge where he sayeth, thynke that the mysteryes are consumed by the substaunce of the bodye.

[Sidenote: Soluciō] Now whyther Chrisostome thought that there remayned breade or none, bothe wayes shall our purpose be proued. Fyrst yf he thought there remayned styll breade and wyne, thē we haue our purpose. Now yf he thought that the breade and wyne remayned not, but were chaunged, thē are the breade and wyne neyther mysteryes nor sacramentes of the bodye and bloode of Christe. For that that is not, cā neyther be mysterye nor sacrament.

[Sidenote: Conclusyon.] Fynalle yf he spake of the outwarde apperaunce of breade: then we knowe that that remayneth styll and is not consumed by the substaunce of the bodye. And therfore he muste neades be vnderstonde as I take hym.

I thynke many men wonder how I can dye in thys artycle, seynge that it is no necessary artycle of our faythe, for I graunte that neyther parte is an artycle necessary to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyon, but leaue it as a thynge indyfferent, to thynke therin as God shall instyll in euery mans mynde, and that neyther parte condempne other for thys matter, but receyue eche other in brotherly loue, reseruynge eche others infyrmyte to God.

[Sidenote: Beholde the cause of my death.] The cause of my deathe is thys, because I can not in conscyence abiure and swere, that our Prelates opynyon of the Sacramente (that is) that the substaunce of breade ād wyne is verely chaunged into the fleshe and bloode of our sauyoure Iesus Christ is an vndoubted artycle of the faythe, necessarye to be beleued vnder payne of dampnacyon.

[Sidenote: Note.] Now thoughe thys opynyon were in dede true (whiche thynge they cā neyther proue true by scrypture nor doctours) yet coulde I not in conscyence graunte that it shulde be an artycle of the faythe necessarye to be beleued, etc. For there are many verytees, whiche yet may be no soche artycles of our faythe. It is true that I laye in Irons whan I wrote thys, howbeit I wolde not receyue thys truthe, for an artycle of our fayth. For you may thynke the contrary without all Ieoperdy of dampnacyon.

¶ The cause why I cā not beleue their opynyon of transmutacyon or transubstanciacyon whether ye wyll, is thys.

[Sidenote: 1.] ❧ Fyrste because I thynke verely that it is false and can neyther be proued by scrypture nor faythfull doctours, yf they be well pondered.

[Sidenote: 2.] The second cause is thys, because I wyll not bynde the congregacyon of Christe by myne example to admytte any necessary artycle bysyde our Crede, and specyally nonesuche as can not be proued true by scrypture. And I say that the churche, as they call yt, can not compell vs to receyue any soche artycles to be of necessyte vnder payne of dampnacyon.

[Sidenote: 3.] The thyrde cause is, because I dare not be so presumptuous in enterynge in to Goddes Iudgement, as to make the Prelates in thys poynte a necessarye artycle of our faythe. For then I shulde dampnably condempne all the Germaynes and Almaynes, with infynyte moo, whiche in deade do not beleue nor thynke that the substaunce of breade and wyne is chaunged in to the substaunce of Christes naturall bodye. And surelye I can not be so folyshe hardy as to condempne soche an infynyte nombre for our Prelates pleasures.

Thus all the Germaynes and Almaynes, bothe of Luthers syde and also of Decolampadius, do wholye approue my matter. And surelye I thynke there is no man that hathe a pure conscyence, but he wyll thynke that I dye ryghtuouslye. For that thys transubstanciacion shulde be a necessary artycle of the faythe, I thynke no man can saye yt with a good conscyence, although yt were true in dede.

∴

Per me Iohan Frythe.

❧ Be wyse as Serpentes, and innocent as Dooues.

● Transcriber’s Notes:
○ The original book's archaic spelling, abbreviations, and
punctuation have been retained.
○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).