|Fryth.| ¶ Where he dyscommendeth my prayer & sayeth, that I am an vnmete master to teache men to praye, seynge I take away the true fayth from it, and sayeth that euery woman can make a better when she receyueth the sacramente, I wolde to God that euery woman were so well learned that they coulde teache vs both. And surely I intended not to prescrybe to all men that prayer onely, but hoped to healpe the ygnoraunt, that they myght eyther speake those wordes, or els (takynge occasyon of them) to saye some other, to the laude and prayse of God. And as for your fayth (which you call the true fayth) must I neades improue. For it wyll not stōde with the true texte of scrypture, as it playnelye appeareth. But to the fayth in Christes bloode I exhorte all men, and teach them to eate hys bodye with fayth (& not with teeth) which is by hauynge hys death in cōtynuall remembraunce, and digestynge it in to the bowels of the soule. And because you so sore improue my prayer, to cōclude my answere agaynst you, I wyll rehearse yt agayne. And lette all mē Iudge betwene vs. Blessed be thou most deare and mercyfull Father, which of thy tender fauoure & benygnyte, notwithstōdynge our greuous enormytees cōmytted agaynste thee, vouchsauedst to sēde thyne owne deare sone, to suffre moste vyle death for our redempcyon.
Blessed be thou Chryst Iesu our Lorde & sauyour, which of thyne haboundāt pytye consyderynge our myserable estate, wyllyngly tokest vpon the to haue thy moste innocent bodye broken & bloode shedde to pourge vs and washe vs which are loadē with inyquyte. And to certyfye vs therof, hast lefte vs not onely thy worde which maye enstructe our hartes; But also a vysyble token to certyfye euen our outwarde sences of this greate benefytte, that we shulde not doubte, but that the bodye and frute of thy passyon are ours (through fayth) as surelye as the breade, which by our sentes we knowe that we haue within vs. Blessed be also that spiryte of veryte which is sente from God our father through our sauyour Christ Iesu, to lyghten our darcke ignoraunce, and leade vs through fayth in to the knoweleage of hym which is all veryte. Strength we beseche the our frayle nature, and encreace our faythe: that we maye prayse God our moste mercyfull Father, and Christe hys sonne our Sauyoure and redeamer. AMEN.
A comparyson betwene the Paschall Lambe, & our Sacrament.
Now we shall shortely expresse the pyth of our matter and borowe the fygure of the paschall Lambe, which is in all poyntes lyke vnto it. That the offerynge of the Paschall Lambe ded sygnyfye the offerynge of Christes bodye, is playne by Paule which sayeth, |1. Cor. 5.| Christe our Paschall Lambe is offered vp for vs. When the chylderne of Israell were very sadde and heauy for their sore oppressyon vnder the power of Pharao (for the more myracles were shewed, the worse were they handeled) God sente vnto them by Moyses, that euerye housholde shulde kyll a Lambe to be a sacryfyce vnto GOD, and that they shulde eate hym with their staues in their handes, theyr loynes gyrded, and showes vpon their feete: euen as men that were goynge an hastye Iorneye. This Lambe muste they eate hastelye and make a merye maundye. Now because they shulde not saye, that they coulde not be merye for their oppressyon, and what coulde the lābe helpe them: he added gladde tydynges vnto it and sayde, This is the passynge bye of the Lorde. Whiche thys nyght shall passe by you and slee all the fyrste begotten within the Londe of Egypte, and shall delyuer you out of your bondage, & brynge you in to the Londe that he hath promysed vnto your fathers. Marke the processe and conveyaunce of thys matter, for euen lykewyse it is in our sacrament. The apostles were sadde & heauye, partelye consyderynge the bondage of synne wherwith they were oppressed, & partelye because he tolde them that he muste departe frō thē, |Ioan. 16.| in whō they ded put all their hope of their delyueraunce. Whyles they were in thys heauynes, Christ thought to conforte them ād to geue them the seale of theyr delyueraunce, and toke in hys hande breade, blessed and brake it, and gaue it to hys dyscyples sayēge: This is my bodye which shalbe geuē for you. For this nyght shall the power of Pharao the deuell be dystroyed, and to morowe shall you be delyuered from the Egypte of synne, and shall take your Iourneye towardes that heauenlye mansyon which is prepared of God for all that loue hym. Now compare them together.
|1.| The Paschall Lambe was instytute ād eaten the nyght before the chylderne of Israell were in dede delyuered frō Egypte. Lykewyse was the sacramēt instytute ād eaten the nyght before we were delyuered from our synnes.
|2.| The Paschall Lābe was a verye Lābe in dede. And so is the sacrament very breade in dede.
|3.| The Paschall Lābe was called the passynge bye of the Lorde which dystroyed the power of Pharao ād delyuered them. The sacrament is called the bodye of the Lorde which dystroyed the power of the deuell and delyuered vs.
|4.| As many as ded eate the Paschall Lābe in fayth, were very merye and gaue God greate thankes. For they were sure the nexte day to be delyuered out of Egypte. Lykewyse as many as ded eate thys sacramēte in fayth, were merye and gaue God greate thankes, for they were sure the nexte daye to be delyuered from their synne.
|5.| They that ded not eate the Paschall Lambe in fayth, coulde not be merye. For they were not sure of delyueraunce from the powre of Pharao. They that ded not eate thys Sacramente in fayth, coulde not be mery: For they were not sure of delyueraunce from the power of the deuell.
|6.| They that beleued the worde of the Lord ded more eate the passyng bye of the Lorde which shulde delyuer thē, thē they ded the Lambe. They that dede beleue the worde of the Lorde ded more eate the bodye of the Lorde which shulde be geuen for their delyueraunce, then they ded the breade. For that thynge doth a man moste eate that he moste hath in memorye & moste revolueth in mynde: as appeareth by Christe Ioā. 4. I haue meate to eate that ye knowe not.