The occasion that moved to write on ment. certain phrases and manner of speakings, and that it was well used in our English tongue; and finally, I recited after what manner they might receive it according to Christ's institution, not fearing the froward alteration that the priests use contrary to the first form and institution. When I had sufficiently published my mind, he desired me to entitle the sum of my words, John Frith and write them for him, because they seemed the Sacra- overlong to be well retained in memory. And, albeit I was loth to take the matter in hand, yet, to fulfil his instant intercession, I took upon me to touch this terrible tragedy, and wrote a trestise, which, besides my painful imprisonment, is like to purchase me most cruel death, which I am ready and glad to receive with the spirit and inward man, although the flesh be frail, whensoever it shall please God to lay it upon me. Notwithstanding, to say the truth, I wrote it not to the intent that it should have been published; for then I would have touched the matter more earnestly, and have written, as well of the spiritual eating and drinking, which is of necessity, as I did of the carnal, which is not so necessary. For the treatise that I made was not expedient for all men, albeit it were sufficient for them whom I took in hand to instruct. For they knew the spiritual and necessary eating and drinking of his body and blood, which is not received with the teeth and belly, but with the ears and faith, and only needed instruction in the outward eating, which thing I therefore only declared. But The spiri. tual eating of the Sacrament is by faith. now it is come abroad, and in many men's mouths, insomuch that M. More, which of late hath busied himself to meddle in all such matters, (of what zeal I will not define,) hath sore laboured to confute it; but some men think that he is ashamed of his part, and for that cause doth so diligently suppress the work which he printed; for I myself saw the work in print in my Lord of Winchester's house, upon St. Stephen's day last past. But neither I, neither all the friends I could make, might attain any copy, but only one written copy, which, as it seemed, was drawn out in great haste. Notwithstanding, I cannot well judge what the cause should be that his book is kept so secret; but this I am right sure of, that he never touched the foundation that my treatise was builded upon. And, therefore, since my foundation standeth so sure and invincible, (for else, I think verily he would sore have laboured to have undermined it,) I will thereupon build a little more, and also declare that his ordnance is too slender to break it down, although it were set upon a worse foundation. A BOOK MADE BY JOHN FRITH, ANSWERING UNTO M. MORE'S LETTER. The Sacrament to be the natural body of Christ, is no article of our faith necessary to be believed upon pain of damnation. THE foundation of that little treatise was, that it is no article of our faith necessary to be believed under pain of damnation, that the sacrament should be the natural body of Christ; which thing is proved in this manner : First, we must all acknowledge that it is no article of our faith which can save us, nor which we are bound to believe under the pain of eternal damnation. For if I should believe that his very natural body, both flesh and blood, were naturally in the bread and wine, that should not save me, seeing many believe that, and receive it to their damnation; for it is not his presence in the bread that can save me, but his presence in my heart, through faith in his blood, which hath washed out my sins, and pacified the Father's wrath towards me. And again, if I do not believe his bodily presence in the bread and wine, that shall not damn me, but the Objection. absence out of my heart through unbelief. Now, if they would here object, that though it be truth, that the absence out of the bread could not damn us, yet are we bound to believe it, because of God's word, which who believeth not, as much as in him lieth, maketh God a liar: and, therefore, of an obstinate mind not to believe his word, may be an occasion of damnation : To this we may answer, that we believe God's word, Solution. and acknowledge that it is true; but in this we dissent, whether it be true in the sense that we take it in, or in the sense that ye take it. And we say again, that though ye have (as it appeareth unto you,) the evident words of Christ, and, therefore, consist in the bark of the letter, yet are we compelled, by conferring of the Scriptures together within the letter, to search out the mind of our Saviour which spake the words. And we say, thirdly, that we do it not of an obstinate mind; for he that defendeth a cause obstinately, whether it be Obstinate true or false, is ever to be reprehended. But we do it to satisfy our consciences, which are compelled by other places of Scripture, reasons, and doctors, so to judge of it. And even so ought you to judge of your part, and to defend your sentence, not of obstinacy, but by the reason of Scriptures, which cause you so take it. so ought neither part to despise other, for each eth the glory of God, and the true understanding of the Scripture. And defending cause is worthy of reprehen of any sion. The foun dation of John seek- Frith's This was the foundation of my first treatise, that he hath left unshaken, which is a great argument that it is very true; for else his pregnant wit could not have passed it so clean over, but would have assoiled it with some sophistical cavillation, which by his painted poetry he might so have coloured, that at the least he might make the ignorant some appearance of truth, as he hath done against the residue of my first treatise, which, nevertheless, is true, and shall so be proved. first treatise upon the Sacra ment. It is no arfaith to be ticle of our lieve it to be the na And first, that it is none article of our faith necessary to be believed under pain of damnation, may thus be further confirmed. The same faith shall save us which saved the old fathers before Christ's incarnation; but they were not bound under pain of damnation to tural body believe this point; therefore it shall follow that we are not bound thereto under the pain of damnation. The first part of mine argument is proved by St. Augustine, of Christ. The same faith saveth us that saved our fathers. Adam. Gen. iii. How our fathers did eat the body of Christ, and drank his blood. ad Durdanum, and I dare boldly say, almost in an This |