IX.

But our Saviour Christ himself hath given us warning CHAP. beforehand, that such false Christians and false teachers should come, and hath bid us to beware of them, saying, If any man tell you that Christ is here, or Christ is there, Matt. xxiv. believe him not; for there shall arise false Christs and Mark xiii. false prophets, and shall show many signs and wonders, so that if it were possible, the very elect should be brought into error. Take heed, I have told you beforehand.

Luke xvii.

Thus our Saviour Christ, like a most loving Pastor and Saviour of our souls, hath given us warning beforehand of the perils and dangers that were to come, and to be wise and ware, that we should not give credit unto such teachers as would persuade us to worship a piece of bread, to kneel to it, to knock to it, to creep to it, to follow it in procession, to lift up our hands to it, to offer to it, to light candles to it, to shut it up in a chest or box, to do all other honour unto it, more than we do unto God; having alway this pretence or excuse for our idolatry, Behold, here is Christ." But our Saviour Christ calleth them false prophets, and saith, Take heed, I tell you before, believe them not: if they Matt. xxiv. say to you, Behold, Christ is abroad, or in the wilderness, go not out; and if they say that he is kept in close places,

believe them not.

X.

papists that

ceived the

And if you will ask me the question, who be those false CHAP. prophets and seducers of the people, the answer is soon made; the Romish Antichrists and their adherents, the au- They be the thors of all error, ignorance, blindness, superstition, hypo- have decrisy, and idolatry. people. For Innocentius the Third, one of the most wicked men Innocentius that ever was in the see of Rome, did ordain and decree Tertius. that the host should be diligently kept under lock and key.

Tertius.

And Honorius the Third not only confirmed the same, Honorius but commanded also that the priests should diligently teach the people from time to time, that when they lifted up the bread called the Host, the people should then reverently bow down, and that likewise they should do, when the priest carrieth the Host unto sick folks. These be the statutes

IV.

BOOK and ordinances of Rome, under pretence of holiness, to lead the people unto all error and idolatry; not bringing them by bread unto Christ, but from Christ unto bread.

CHAP.

ation to the

nouring of

Christ in

But all that love and believe Christ himself, let them not XI. think that Christ is corporally in the bread, but let them An exhort- lift up their hearts unto heaven, and worship him sitting true ho- there at the right hand of his Father. Let them worship him in themselves, whose temples they be, in whom he the sacra- dwelleth and liveth spiritually: but in no wise let them worship him as being corporally in the bread; for he is not in it, neither spiritually, as he is in man; nor corporally, as he is in heaven; but only sacramentally, as a thing may be said to be in the figure, whereby it is signified.

ment.

Thus is sufficiently reproved the third principal error of the papists, concerning the Lord's Supper, which is, that wicked members of the Devil do eat Christ's very body, and drink his blood.

THUS ENDETH THE FOURTH BOOK.

The Fifth Book is of the Oblation and Sacrifice of our Saviour Christ.

I.

fice of the

mass.

THE greatest blasphemy and injury that can be against CHAP. Christ, and yet universally used through the popish kingdom, is this, that the priests make their mass a sacrifice The sacripropitiatory, to remit the sins as well of themselves as of other, both quick and dead, to whom they list to apply the same. Thus, under pretence of holiness, the papistical priests have taken upon them to be Christ's successors, and to make such an oblation and sacrifice as never creature made but Christ alone, neither he made the same any more times than once, and that was by his death upon the cross.

II.

ence be

sacrifice of

priests of

the old law.

For as St. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews witnesseth, CHAP. Although the high priests of the old law offered many times, at the least every year once, yet Christ offereth not him- The differself many times, for then he should many times have died: tween the but now he offereth himself but once, to take away sin by Christ, and that offering of himself. And as men must die once, so was of the Christ offered once, to take away the sins of many. And furthermore St. Paul saith, that the sacrifices of the Heb. ix. old law, although they were continually offered from year to year, yet could they not take away sin, nor make men perfect. For if they could once have quieted men's consciences by taking away sin, they should have ceased, and no more have been offered. But Christ, with once offering, hath made perfect for ever them that be sanctified; putting their sins clean out of God's remembrance. And where remission of sins is, there is no more offering for sin.

Heb. x.

And yet further he saith, concerning the old testament, that it was disannulled and taken away, because of the Heb. vii. feebleness and unprofitableness thereof; for it brought nothing to perfection. And the priests of that law were many, because they lived not long, and so the priesthood went from

V.

BOOK one to another; but Christ liveth ever, and hath an everlasting priesthood, that passeth not from him to any man else. Wherefore he is able perfectly to save them that come to God by him, forasmuch as he liveth ever to make intercession for us. For it was meet for us to have such an High Priest that is holy, innocent, without spot, separated from sinners, and exalted up above heaven; who needeth not daily to offer up sacrifice, as Aaron's priests did, first for his own sins, and then for the people. For that he did once, when he offered up himself.

CHAP.

Here, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, St. Paul hath plainly and fully described unto us the difference between the priesthood and sacrifices of the old testament, and the most high and worthy priesthood of Christ, his most perfect and necessary sacrifice, and the benefit that cometh to us thereby.

For Christ offered not the blood of calves, sheep, and goats, as the priests of the old law used to do; but he offered his own blood upon the cross. And he went not into an holy place made by man's hand, as Aaron did, but he ascended up into heaven, where his eternal Father dwelleth; and before him he maketh continual supplication for the sins of the whole world, presenting his own body, which was torn for us, and his precious blood, which of his most gracious and liberal charity he shed for us upon the cross.

And that sacrifice was of such force, that it was no need to renew it every year, as the bishops did of the old testament; whose sacrifices were many times offered, and yet were of no great effect or profit, because they were sinners themselves that offered them, and offered not their own blood, but the blood of brute beasts; but Christ's sacrifice, once offered, was sufficient for evermore.

And that all men may the better understand this sacrifice III. of Christ, which he made for the great benefit of all men, Two kinds it is necessary to know the distinction and diversity of sacri

of sacri

fices.

fices.

One kind of sacrifice there is, which is called a propitiatory or merciful sacrifice, that is to say, such a sacrifice

III.

as pacifieth God's wrath and indignation, and obtaineth CHAP. mercy and forgiveness for all our sins, and is the ransom for our redemption from everlasting damnation.

fice of

Christ.

And although in the old testament there were certain The sacrisacrifices called by that name, yet in very deed there is but one such sacrifice whereby our sins be pardoned and God's mercy and favour obtained, which is the death of the Son of God our Lord Jesu Christ; nor never was any other sacrifice propitiatory at any time, nor never shall be.

This is the honour and glory of this our High Priest, wherein he admitteth neither partner nor successor. For by his one oblation he satisfied his Father for all men's sins, and reconciled mankind unto his grace and favour. And whosoever deprive him of this honour, and go about to take it to themselves, they be very Antichrists, and most arrogant blasphemers against God and against his Son Jesus Christ whom he hath sent.

fices of the

Church.

Another kind of sacrifice there is, which doth not recon- The sacricile us to God, but is made of them that be reconciled by Christ, to testify our duties unto God, and to show ourselves thankful unto him; and therefore they be called sacrifices of laud, praise, and thanksgiving.

The first kind of sacrifice Christ offered to God for us; the second kind we ourselves offer to God by Christ.

And by the first kind of sacrifice Christ offered also us unto his Father; and by the second we offer ourselves and all that we have, unto him and his Father.

And this sacrifice generally is our whole obedience unto God, in keeping his laws and commandments. Of which manner of sacrifice speaketh the prophet David, saying, A Psal. 1. sacrifice to God is a contrite heart. And St. Peter saith of all Christian people, that they be an holy priesthood, to 1 Pet. ii. offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesu Christ. And St. Paul saith, that alway we offer unto God a sacri- Heb. xiii. fice of laud and praise by Jesus Christ.

But now to speak somewhat more largely of the priest- CHAP. hood and sacrifice of Christ: he was such an high Bishop, IV. that he once offering himself, was sufficient by one effusion A more plain decla