|7.| They that beleued not the nexte daye to be delyuered from Egypte, ded not eate the passynge bye of the Lord, although they eate the Lambe. They that beleued not the nexte daye to be delyuered from synne, ded not eate the bodye of the Lorde, although they eate the breade.
|8.| The chylderne of Israell were but ones delyuered from Egypte, notwithstōdynge they ded euery yeare eate the Lambe, to keape that facte in perpetuall remēbraunce: Euen so Christ bought ād redeamed vs but ones for all, and was offered ād sacryfyced but ones for all, though the sacramēt therof be daylye brokē amonge vs, to keape the benefytte in contynuall memorye.
|9.| As manye as ded eate the Paschall Lābe in faythe and beleued Godes worde as towchynge theyr delyueraunce from Egypte, were as sure of their delyueraunce through faythe, as they were sure of the Lābe by eatynge it. As many as do eate this sacrament in fayth and beleue Goddes worde as towchynge their delyueraunce from synne, are as sure of their delyueraunce through fayth, as they are sure of the breade by eatynge it.
|10.| As many as ded eate of that Paschall Lambe ded magnyfye their God, testyfyenge that he onely was the God almyghtye, ād they hys people styckynge to hym, to be delyuered by hys power from all daunger. As manye as do eate of thys sacrament do magnyfye their God, testyfyinge that he onelye is the God almyghtye, and they hys people styckynge by hym to be delyuered by hys power frō all daunger.
|11.| When the Israelytes were delyuered from Egypte, they eate neuerthelesse the Paschal Lambe whiche was styll called the passynge bye (because it was the remēbraunce of the passynge bye of the Lorde) and hartelye reioysed, offerynge hym sacryfyce and knowelegynge with infynite thankes, that they were the felowshyppe of them that had suche a mercyfull God. Now Christes electe are delyuered from synne, they eate neuerthelesse the sacramēt which is styll called hys bodye that ones dyed for their delyueraunce, and hartelye reioyse, offerynge to hym the sacryfyce of prayse and knoweledge with infynite thākes, that they are of the felowshyppe of them that haue suche a mercyfull God.
|12.| The Paschall Lambe (after their delyueraunce beynge yearlye eaten) brought as moche myrthe and Ioye vnto them that ded eate it in fayth, as it ded to their fathers which felte Pharaoes furye, & were not yet delyuered. For they knewe ryght well that excepte God of hys mercye and wōderfull power had so delyuered them, they shulde also them selfes haue bene bounde in the Londe of Egypte, and vnder that wycked Prynce Pharao, of whiche bōdage they greatelye reioysed to be rydde alreadye, and thanked God hyghly because they founde them selfes in that plentuouse Londe whiche God prouyded for them. The sacramēt which after our delyueraunce is yearlye and daylye eatē, bryngeth as moche myrth and Ioye vnto vs that eate it in fayth, as it ded to the Apostles which were not yet delyuered. For we knowe ryght well that excepte God of hys mercye and through the bloode of his sonne had so delyuered vs, we shulde also our selfes haue bene bounde in the Egypte of synne vnder that wycked Prynce the deuell, of which bondage we greatelye reioyse to be rydde alredye, and thanke God hyghlye because we fynde our selues in the state of grace, and haue receyued throughe fayth the fyrste frutes and taste of the spyryte, which testyfyeth vnto vs that we are the chylderne of God.
This maundye of remembraunce was it that Paule receyued of the Lorde and delyuered to the Corynthyans in the .xi. chaptre. For though he borowe one propertye and symylytude of the sacramente in the .x. chapter, which in my mynde maketh neyther with vs nor agaynste vs, albeit some thynke that it maketh whole for the exposycyon of Christes wordes, |1. Cor. 10.| thys is my bodye. But in my mynde they are deceyued. For the occasyon whye Paule spake of it in the tenthe chapter, was thys.
The Corynthyans had knoweleage that all meates were indyfferent, and whether it were offered to an Idoll or not, that the meate was not the worse, ād that they myght laufullye eate of it, whether it were solde them in the shambles or sette before them when they dyned or souped in an vnfaythfull mannes house, askynge no questyons: excepte some man ded tell thē that it was offerred to an Idoll, and then they shulde not eate of it for offendynge hys conscyence that so tolde them (albeyt they were els free and the thynge indyfferente) thys knoweledge because it was not annexed wyth charyte, was the occasyon of greate offendynge.
For by reason therof they sate downe amonge the Gentyles at their Feastes, where they ded eate in the honoure of their Idolles, and so ded not onelye wounde the conscyēce of their weake bretherne, but also cōmytted Idolatrye in dede. And therfore S. Paule sayde vnto them. My deare beloued flee from worshyppynge of Idolles. I speake vnto them whiche haue dyscrecyon. Iudge ye what I saye. Is not the cuppe of blessynge which we blesse the felowshyppe of the bloode of Christe? Is not the breade which we breake the felowshyppe of the bodye of Christe? For we though we be manye are yet one breade and one bodye, in as moche as we are partakers of one breade. Christ ded call hym selfe bread ād the breade hys bodye. And there Paule calleth vs breade and the breade our bodye. Now maye you not take Paule that he in this place shulde dyrectelye expounde Christes mynde. And that the verye exposycyō of Christes wordes, whē he sayde, thys is my bodye, shulde be that it was the felowshyppe of his bodye, as some saye, whiche seakynge the keye in thys place of Paule, locke them selfes so faste in, that they can fynde no waye out. For Christe spake those wordes of hys owne bodye which shulde be geuē for vs, but the felowshyppe of Christes bodye (or congregacyon) was not geuen for vs. And so he mente not as Paule here sayeth, but mēte hys owne bodye. For as Paule calleth the breade our bodye for a certayne propertye, euen so doth Christe call it hys bodye for certayne other propertyes. In that the breade was brokē, it was Christes owne bodye, sygnyfyēge that as that breade was broken, so shulde hys bodye be brokē for vs. In that it was dystrybuted vnto hys dyscyples, it was hys owne bodye, sygnyfyēge that as verelye as that breade was destrybuted vnto them, so verelye shulde the death of hys bodye, and frute of hys passyon be dystrybuted to all faythfull folke. In that the breade strengtheneth our bodyes, it is hys owne bodye, sygnyfyenge that as our bodyes are strengthened and conforted by breade, so are our soules by the fayth in hys bodye brekynge. And lykewyse of the wyne in that it was so dystrybuted, conforteth vs and maketh vs merye. Furthermore, the breade and wyne haue a nother propertye, for the whiche it is called our bodye. For in that the breade is made one breade of manye graynes or cornes, it is our bodye, sygnyfyenge that we though we be manye, are made one breade, that is to saye: one bodye. And in that the wyne is made one wyne of manye grapes, it is our bodye, sygnyfyenge that though we are manye yet in Christe & through Christe we are made one bodye and membres to eche other. But in thys thynge Paule and Christe agre. For as Paule calleth the breade our bodye and vs the breade, because of thys propertye that it is made one of manye: euen so doth Christe call it hys bodye, because of the propertyes before rehearsed. Furthermore in thys they agre, that as Paules wordes muste be taken spyrytuallye, for I thynke there is no man so madde, as to Iudge that the breade is our bodye in dede although in that propertye it representeth our bodye: Euen so muste Christes wordes be vnderstonde spyrytuallye, that in those propertyes it representeth hys verye bodye. Now when we come together to receyue thys breade, then by the receyuynge of it in the congregacyon, we do openlye testyfye that we all whiche receyue it, are one bodye, professynge one God, one Fayth, & one Baptyme, and that the bodye of Christe was brokē and hys bloode shedde for remyssyon of our synnes. Now syth we so do, we maye not acompanye nor sytte in the congregacyon or felowshyppe of thē that offer vnto Idolles and eate before them. For as Paule sayeth, ye cā not drynke the cuppe of the Lorde and the cuppe of the deuels: ye can not be partakers of the table of the Lorde and of the table of the deuelles. I wolde not that you shulde haue felowshyppe with deuelles. The heythen which offerred vnto Idolles were the felowshyppe of deuelles, not because they eate the deuelles bodye or drāke the deuelles bloode, but because they beleued and put their confydence in the Idoll or devyll as in their God, and all that were of that fayth had their ceremonyes, and gaue hartye thankes to their God with that feaste which they kepte. They came to one place and brought their meate before the Idoll and offered it. And with their offerynge gaue vnto the devyll Godlye honoure. And then they sate downe and eate the offerynge together, geuynge prayse and thākes vnto their God, and were one bodye and one felowshyppe of the devell, which they testyfy by eatynge of that offerynge before that Idoll. Now dothe S. Paule reprehende the Corinthyans for bearynge the gentyles companye in eatynge before the Idoll. For they knowe that the meate was lyke other meate. And therfore thought them selues fre to eate it or leue it. But they perceyued not that that congregacyō was the felowshyppe of develles whiche were there gathered (not for the meate sake) but for to thanke, and prayse the Idoll their God in whome they had their confydence.
And all that there assembled and ded there eate, and ded openlye testyfye, that they all were one bodye, professynge one fayth in their GOD that Idoll: So S. Paule ded sharpelye rebuke them, for because that by their eatynge (in that place and felowshyppe) they testyfyed openlye, that they were of the develes bodye, and reioysed in the Idoll their God, in whome they had fayth and confydence. And therfor sayeth Paule, that they cā not both drynke the cuppe of the Lorde, testyfyenge hym to be their God in whome onelye they haue truste and affyaunce, ād the cuppe of the devell, testyfyenge the Idoll to be their God and refuge.