The Assault of the Sacrament of the Altar

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The assault of the sacrament of the Altar containyng as well sixe seuerall assaultes made from tyme to tyme against the sayd blessed sacrament: as also the names and opinions of all the heretical captaines of the same assaultes: Written in the yere or oure Lorde 1549. by Myles_Huggarde, and dedicated to the Quenes moste excellent maiestie, beyng then ladie Marie: in whiche tyme (heresie then raigning) it could take no place.

Now newly imprynted this present yere. 1554.

¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

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¶To the reader.

SEldome is seene matters of weyght

Rudelye in ryme to be set out,

Yet make I not this thing so sleyght,

Although in ryme I go about,

To make this worke, the whiche no doubt,

Muche hygher matter doth containe,

Then ought in ryme to be made plaine.

But Yet because saint Paule doth say,

That God his gyftes geueth diuersly,

The whiche eche man ought here alway,

After his gyfte him to apply,

Thereby other to edifie,

For eche man shall when it is spent,

Render accompte of his talent.

Whiche thinge when I consider well,

Seing of men many a score,

Whiche in Gods giftes do farre excell

Many other whiche were before

Their dayes, and yet neuer the more

I se set furth, for the whiche I

Do my slacknes muche lesse set by.

For none is there that aught can do,

That in suche thinges can lesse then I.

Therfore my coumpte lesse shall come to, 'coumpte': see OED count n1

Then those that hath Gods gyftes more hye,

But yet the least I feare truelye,

Shall be more then they well may bere,

Whiche dothe make me my coumpte to feere.

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The cause wherfore that I do make,

This treatise small, only is this,

Because men may example take,

Of those whiche did stray farre amisse,

Assaulting faith, that moost true is:

The cheife of whom as they shall se,

Did not amonge them-selues agree.

Of whiche my simple enterprise,

Pardon of all men I do craue,

For my rude style my wit here tryse,

Suche wit suche termes alwaye wyll haue,

Therfore if fautes, ye do persceiue,

Do them correcte as ye cause see,

Iust cause can no-thing displease me.

Finis.

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WHen Sagittary had dominion,

The nightes then being very long and cold

I mused on the straunge opinion,

The which diuers men did diuersly hold

Against our sauiours own wordes plainly tolde

Which troubled me so, that as it did chaunce,

With the same study, I fell in a traunce,

Then with that I had a wonderfull dreame,

In the which me-thought Morpheus drue neere

And toke me by the hande and with strength extreme

He drue me furth, and bade me nothing feare,

But go with him, and as we going were,

Let not my comming quod he the displease,

For thou shalt finde, it shall be for thine ease.

I know that thou dost sore trouble thi minde

With the fondnes of men which thou doest see,

Against Christes wordes cauillation to finde,

The which in the scripture so plaine written be,

And how one with an-other do not agree:

Is not this thy trouble, I pray the tell trewe,

It is trueth quod I, euen as thou dost shewe,

Well quod he, I shall shew the more anone,

Then came we in-to an hall long and wide,

The like before I neuer loked vpon,

Most gorgiously hounge it was on eche side,

With noble storyes which I wyll not hide,

Wrought in fine arrase, with pure silke and golde,

It rauishte my witte this hall to beholde.

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Then did I loke vpon the lefte hande,

There sawe I the Arke of God purely wrought [E]xod. xxv and [x]xvii. [De]vte. ix. [Ex]od. xvi.

Of fine golde as it orderly doth stande

In the byble, whiche seing I me be_thought,

Of the stories ther, which to my minde brought, [T]he first fi[g]ure of the [Ar]ke.

What the Arke, and all the reste did signifye,

Whiche on the lifte side of this hall did lye.

First there I sawe Melchizedech the king [G]ene. xliii. [T]he s[e]cond fi[gu]re of Mel[chi]zedech.(second] socond 1554)

Meting Abraham the great Patriarche

From slaughter of the .iiii. kinges, for which thing

He offred to God in a mystery darke,

Breade and wine, the which thing as I did marke,

A hande in the cloudes wrote this him before:

Thou arte a priest it saied for euer more.

Then stode ther king Dauid redy with his penne, [P]sal. cx.

And wrote it in the spirite of prophecy,

Pointing to that priest which shuld saue al men,

Saying thou arte a priest eternally,

After Melchizedeches order truely:

The which when I sawe, I burnt in desire,

To se all the rest my hart was on fyre.

There I sawe howe that the Iewes also [E]xod. xii. [T]he thirde fi[g]ure of the pas[c]hal lambe.

Did eate the paschall lambe as God commaunded,

When he did saue them from wicked Pharao,

Whiche with all his army was there confounded

In the rede_Sea, where he deliuered,

His people drye-foote, to shewe his powre great,

In remembrance wherof, the lambe they did eate.

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Nexte to this story I sawe rychely wrought,

Howe that Manna from aboue did discende, Exod. xvi. The fourth figure of Manna.

To fede those whom god out of thral had brought

Thus God his goodnes to them did extende:

Kyng Dauid stoode by and this truely pende,

Prophesieng therby a mystery great,

Saying, man the bread of Angels hath eate,

A goodly table then sawe I there spreade, Leui. xxiiii. The fifthe figure of the shewe-breade.

By the which the high priestes stode honorably,

And did set theron the holy shewe-breade,

Of the whiche none might eate but they only,

Then in that place also I did espye,

Where king Dauid did writ this sentence cleare:

God geueth meat to those that him truely feare. Psal. cxi.

Then as I stode musing these thinges to scanne

I could not with all my wyttes them define,

Then came there to me an auncient man,

Whiche semed to be some noble deuine,

He bad me mine eares to him incline,

And he would open to me by and by,

What all these thinges did truely signifie.

Of that I was glad, and gaue attendaunce,

To here how he would these figures discusse,

Whiche he did truely with noble vtteraunce,

And first of the Arke his saying was thus.

The Arke quod he whiche is so glorious,

Doth signifye Christ his churche be thou sure,

Which hath in it the swete Manna most pure.

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This Manna is the holy sacrament,

Of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord,

Whiche he lefte here to be permanent,

As a pledge most sure of our soules comford:

Aarons rodde also doth signifie his worde,

By the whiche his churche is gouerned here,

But by Manna is figurde his body most nere.

Secondly where Melchizedech the king,

Brought furth breade and wine before Abraham ,

That did signifie Christes holy offryng,

Whiche he offred when he to his maundy came,

Christes order of priesthod consisteth in the same,

Sith Melchizedeches order in his sacrafice,

Was none other but that, scripture plaine trise,

And where he saieth. thou art a priest for euer,

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Did not only signifie Christes eternitee,

But also his order whiche ende shall neuer,

Whiche he ordained, here at his maundie,

Fulfylling Melchizedeches order truely,

Yet is he the priest which doth worke this thinge

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In his ministers, dayly ministring.

Stay there sir quod I, by your pacience,

Did Melchizedeches order only consyst,

In these two thinges, me-thinke of congruence,

It doth extende farther or els I haue mist,

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Ye for-soth quod he who wyll that resyst,

For when Christ offered him-selfe by his passion

He became for-euer our propiciation. Christ is not offred now too merit a_new, as he did by his passion, for that was suffici[e]ntlye done ones for all, but we do desire that this sacrifice offered in remembra[u]nce [...]of his death may be a mea[n] to applye the merite of tha[t] his death vn[to] vs.sufficientlye] sufficiontlye 1554 [...]of his death may be a mea[n] to applye the merite of tha[t] his death vn[to] vs.sufficientlye] sufficiontlye 1554sufficientlye] sufficiontlye 1554

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In consideration wherof we do here,

Offer to the father this swete sacrifice,

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Of his blessed sonne, to him moost dere,

Whose death for mercy for vs dayly cryes,

For workes haue we none, that before his eyes,

Are worthy of mercy, therfore we do all,

In that same death for mercy dayly cal.

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The next figure quod he to this agreeth wel, Exod. xii.

Where-as the Iewes the paschal lambe did eate

In the remembraunce as scripture doth tell,

Of their deliueraunce by myracle great,

Out of Egypte, of whiche figure to entreate, Exod. xiiii.

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It wyll require a longe circumstaunce,

But lette not the tyme to the be greuaunce,

Egypte the darknes of synne doth signifie,

In the whiche man was after his fall,

And by Pharao is figured the deuill truely,

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Under whom man was both subiecte and thral,

And Moyses in figure Christ I may call,

Which Moyses ledde the children of Israel,

Through the redde_sea from Pharao cruell.

Euen so our Moyses Christ our sauiour,

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Deliuered his people through his redde bloud,

From Pharao the deuill and all his hole power,

Under whom man then in great daunger stood:

Now when God by Moyses, was to man thus good

He wilde man yerely for a memoriall,

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To eate a lambe which they named the paschall.

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Then for-as-muche as our lord did fore_se,

How the nature of man was corrupted

With forgetfulnes, for the whiche he,

For mens commoditee this ordeined,

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That they shoulde eate a male lambe vnspotted,

In a remembraunce how they deliuered were

From wicked Pharao as ye before did here.

In like maner our sauiour Christ_Iesu,

Ordeined for a perpetuall memorye

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A lambe to be eaten our mindes to renewe

In dayly remembraunce of his mercy,

Whiche he procured by his death truely,

The lambe that he lefte was himselfe in-dede,

As in the Euangelistes plaine we do reade.

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That christ is the lambe it doth plaine appeare.

Beholde the lambe of God, saint Iohn doth say,

That taketh awai the sinnes the world cleare Ioan. i.

Which he did truely by his death that day,

That his fleshe was broken, none can this denay.

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Now then to Christes maundy let vs resorte,

And se there what weight his wordes doth importe.

Christ at his last supper toke bread in his hand: Math. xxvi.

He blest it, and brake it, and those wordes saied,

This is my body, thus doth his wordes stande,

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The whiche for you, saith he, shalbe betrayed.

These were his wordes it can not be denaied.

But he spake thus, quod I, only in figure,

That doth not, quod he, agree with scripture.

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Tho[u] must nedes graunt, quod he, that christ came here

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The figures of the olde lawe to fulfyll,

Cheifely all suche as of his comming were,

And that not with figures, to thinke so were yl,

Whoso affirmeth that, can litle skyll

In the scripture, for thus writteth saint Paule, i. Cor. xi.

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That the lawe to the Iewes was in figures al.

And yet this same sacrament is a figure,

But not only of Christes body naturall,

For that it containeth, but this we read in scripture,

That the fourme of bred, which we se material,

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Is a figure of Christes body mysticall,

As to the Corynthes we do plainely reade,

To recite the wordes I thinke shall not nede.

But now to note christes words how thei were spoken

This is my body, that geuen for you shalbe,

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Whiche the next day on the crosse was broken

For the sinnes of all men, this by faith we se.

Now that christ is trueth, needes we must agre,

Wel then, of the bread, truth these words did say.

Which truely was true, if he died the next day.

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Thus is Christ the lambe that continuallye

Is eaten of vs in his memoriall,

Because we should not forget his mercy,

Whiche by his death he purchast for vs all.

This to his comming truely continue shall.

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The Iewes then eate the lambe in figure onlye,

But we eat the true lambe, the scripture doth try.

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The Manna also which came from aboue,

To feede Gods people in the wildernes, Exo. xvi.

Doth signifie this great token of loue,

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With whiche Christ doth fede his people doubtlesse,

As the Prophetes saying, here plain doth expresse

The breade of Angels, man hath eate, saith he,

And christ this same breade, nameth himself to be.

I am the breade of lyfe saieth our sauiour, Ioan. vi.

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Whiche from heauen aboue did truely descende,

To geue lyfe to man doth passe mannes power,

I am the true breade, which doth to that extende:

Manna from hounger, did man only defende,

But who that eateth of this bread, sure of life shalbe

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And the breade that I wyll geue, is my fleshe saieth he.

Came his flesh from heauen quod I, that wold I here

For I beleue of trueth, he toke it of Marye,

And yet by your wordes, me-thinke it doth appere

That that bread was his flesh which came from a hie

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I thinke this saying true ye can not trye,

For if ye can so, my faith I wyll forsake,

For I do beleue his fleshe he did here take.

Loo, here thy ignouraunce thou dost shew to me,

Did not christ like case, say these wordes plainly:

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No man ascendeth to heauen but only he, Ioan. iii.

Which came downe from heauen, the sonne of man truly,

Which is in heauen, marke what these wordes doth try

The son of man which is in heauen, and yet he,

Was in his manhode here, as all men might se.

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To discusse that quod I doth farre passe my wit,

Why wilt thou then quod he, in thy faith dispute,

Thou wouldest dig a pitte, and thi-selfe fall into it,

As many other doth, them-selues to confute,

But do not thou like case from thi faith transmute,

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And now to shew the I wyll take in hand,

How these two places true together stand.

But first one text I wyll note to the more:

What wyll ye say saieth Christ, when ye shal see, Ioan. vi.

The sonne of man ascende where he was before,

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Doth not this text now expresse vnto thee,

His manhode in heauen before that to be,

May not I say than, his fleshe is that bread,

Which came from heauen, wherwith our soules be fed.

Then toke he no fleshe here that I perceiue wel,

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Yes forsoth quod he this dothe not that disproue,

For why, s. Iohn doth writ in his gospel

That the word was made flesh, euen Gods sonne aboue

By eternal generacion, none can that remoue, Ioan. i.

So God and man was knyt, alwayes to remaine,

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But one in personage, though in natures twaine:

Nowe syth our nature vnto God is knyt,

Beyng one in person as I before did say,

To know how this should be, doth passe al mens wyt

Yet that this is true, no man can denay,

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But that man is God, and God is man alway:

Now then Christes holy fleshe by this vnitie,

May truely be said alwaye in heauen to be.

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Now this heuenly bred vnder which christ is here

The breade of Angels the prophet well may cal,

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For the foode of Angels is the glorie clere

Of the blessed godhead most celestiall,

With the whiche godhead Christ was euer equal

So then where christ is, the godhead is alway,

Then the bread of Angels we eate, we may say.

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Then, quod he, here the shew-breade is set out Leui xxiiii.

Whereof none but the priestes alone might eate,

The which doth signifie, no christen man wil dout

This most blessed bred, which is of vertu great,

The shew-bread was vsed as an heauenly meat:

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For none but the priestes God did therto admit,

And all the people did reuereuce to it.

This most heauenly meat of christes fleshe and bloud,

Being, as I saied, the perfitte veritie,

Figured by this shew-bread, by which the priestes stood,

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Only of priestes also eaten here must be:

Of priestes made by order, nay so take not me,

But both priestes and kings, as Peter doth vs cal, i. Pet. ii.

Which offreth to god the sacrifice spirituall.

Now we are kinges, and priestes thou must vnderstand:

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We are not all priestes in ministracion,

No more then we are kinges gouerning a lande:

Yet kinges we are by Peters nominacion,

And so are we priestes by Paules probacion:

Make your bodies, saieth he, a liuely sacrifice. Roma. ii.

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By this mean and such other al men priests he tries.

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He may be called a king, learned men doth say,

Which doth his carnall affections subdue,

But if he do not that as muche as he may,

He is in this case, neither king nor prieste true:

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But if he be a king thus then will insue,

He is a worthy priest so spiritually,

Whose godly workes then God doth accept hye.

Now this kingly priesthod whoso doth attaine,

Without the feare of God it can neuer be,

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Then the prophetes promisse, here doth folow plain:

God geueth meat to those, that feare him saith he:

Geueth he meat to none els? yis forsoth, we se

By his gifte infidelles haue their sustenaunce,

Then doth he mean meat, of an hygher substaunce.

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And what that meat is, christ doth plain declare:

My fleshe, saieth he is very meate in-dede,

And my bloud is drinke, this is no figure bare,

These wordes are plain, the gospel thou maist rede:

Now thou seist to what end this figure doth lede

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To the faithful christ his fleshe and blod doth geue:

Then they eate it not, quod I, that beastly do liue.

Nay I say not so, thou dost me mistake,

For euen the wicked receiueth Christes body,

Or els our receite should it his body make,

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And if I so ment, I should meane wickedlye,

For Paule saith, who that eateth it vnworthily,

Eateth his own iudgement, because no difference

He maketh of christes body, this is plain euidence.

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The say quod I that S. Austen doth say,

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That wicked men eat[e] not Christes flesh and bloud, eate] eath 1554

Tho they eate the sacrament euery day,

Upon which thei conclude that none but the good

Only eateth christes fleshe, this with stout mood

They do defende and say, this doth trye,

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That it is not Christ, but to the good only.

Thou must vnderstand, quod he , that this worde Iesus

Is as much to say as a sauiour true,

And to all men Christes wyll is to be thus,

Yet is he not so, the scripture do shewe,

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But why, because they folowe not vertue,

By whiche they loose the benefite of that name,

Yet Iesus is a sauiour thou wilt grant the same.

Blessed are those saith christ whiche are not hurt by me

Who can be hurt by Christ, who is all goodnes,

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Truely suche as wicked and vnfaithfull be,

Whiche receiueth him not after his worthines,

Whose iugement, as I sayd, s. Paule doth expresse

Now like as Christ was with the Iewes present

So is he with vs in the sacrament.

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Christ is not quod I, with vs now present,

As he was with the Iewes, I mean not so quod he

That he so should be, is not conueniente,

For with them he walked in his humanitee,

Fulfylling all thinges that fulfyld should be,

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Which done vp to heauen he did ascende,

And from thence shall come againe at the last end.

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Than can he not be here, quod I, by your owne tale.

That canning, quod he, will not be let by me:

For if I said, as thou saist, we should both faile,

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But the tale that I tell, if it mine should be,

My canning could neuer proue vnto the,

How his body could be both here and aboue,

But loking who spake it, faith wil how remoue.

Now wher saint Austen saith that the wicked here

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Eateth not Christes fleshe, but the good only,

Meanes not, but that Christ is eaten eueriwhere,

Both of good and ill, him-selfe doth plaine trye:

The euill doth eate it, and not eate it truely:

Sacramentally thei eat Christes fleshe and bloud,

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Though not to their soule health, as doth all the good.

Now those that do not eate it to that effecte,

Are counted then not to eate it at all,

As he that with any sickenes is infecte,

And digesteth not his meat, it norisheth but smal

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For which as not eaten be counted it shall.

Euen so he that eateth Christ with a faith vntru,

Is counted not to eate, because hurt doth ensue.

Christ must be Iesus, to those that him receiue,

Or els to their hurt, the receiue him, we se,

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As did the euil Iewes, by this thou maist perceiue

That for to eat Christes flesh, in such sort must be.

To nourishe his soule in Christ, or els he,

Eates not a sauiour, though it be Christ in-dede,

But greater iudgement, as in S. Paul we rede. i. Cor. xi.

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By this thou mayest perceiue, s. Austens minde,

Is not to deny Christ in the sacrament,

For the truth in his workes most plain thou maist finde,

Therfore nothing lesse then thou saist he ment,

As vnto the I haue proued euidente.

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I lyke your proffe quod I, I wyl no more contend.

Then for this tune, quod he, I haue made an ende.

Nowe whan he had all these figures declared,

Sodainly he vanisht fro me a_way.

Then whan I sawe that, I me-selfe prepared

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To se more in this hall, and then with-out stay,

I loked on my ryght hand, on the which side lay

But two stories of the newe testament,

Which were the verites that the figures mente.

The first was the solemne supper of our lord,

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At the whiche his body he did consecrate, [E]rasm. in his [P]araphrases [vp]on the .xxiiii. [of] Luc.

Plasing a newe sacrifice for the comforde,

Of his newe churche, which shall not consummate,

Untyll he come againe hir to congregate, [H]ebr. ix.

To raigne with him: which sacrifice he did ordaine,

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In place of all the olde, tyll than to remaine.

Next vnto this was very rychly wrought,

Howe Christ on the crosse suffred passion,

Wherby all mankind with his bloud he bought,

Procuring therby eternall redemption,

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Leuing on his parte, scripture doth mention,

Not one iote concerning his death and suffraunce,

Therfore he is not now offred, but in remembraunce.

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For there remaineth no sacrifice for sinne,

By any shedding of bloud or death suffring:

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For Christ ones by deth Gods fauour so did win,

He needes to dye no more: for that one offring

Was sufficient, whiche death as remembring,

We offer to God, as was tolde me before,

As our cheife meane of mercy to him euermore.

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Then betwen these stories stood Dauid the king,

With a scrole in his hande all alonge spreed,

And indifferently to these stories pointing,

This verse he had written which I theron redde:

Thou arte a priest for euermore, it [s]ed, sed] fed 1554 Psalm. cx Hebr. vii.

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After Melchizedeches, order then in fine

I thought of the worde tolde me by the deuine.

This done euen sodainlye I did espye,

A goodly lady of beauty excellent,

Decte with golde and stone wondrous costly,

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Whiche glistred like the sterres in the firmament:

Then the Euangelistes I sawe redy bente,

Hir to defende with the apostell saint Paule,

And also there was the ancient doctours all,

This lady on a thre-cornerde sto[n]e did stande,

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In the whiche, Christus was grauen very well,

And an hoost consecrate she helde in hir hande,

With muche more reuerence then I can tell,

Then stood the Euangelistes ech with his gospel

And S. Paule also, eche shewing euident

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The place wher they defende this holy sacrament.

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Then al the doctors, toke of them for their defence,

Eche of them a sworde sharpe and durable,

And faith toke them targattes of noble science,

By which to withstande, al men they were able.

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Thus they stood stoutly lyke men firme and stable,

Alway redy with these wepones to fight,

Against all that woulde not lady faith vse right.

Then sawe I on their targattes written plaine

Scutum fidei , and farthermore lyke case,

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Upon their swordes uerbum dei certaine,

Thus orderly they stood eche in his place,

This lady to defende assisted with grace,

Whiche had on her breest, in letters of golde,

Fides catholica , moost goodly to beholde.

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Then I seing all this, with great reuerence,

On my knees to Christ I kneled by and by,

And with diuine honour as God in one assence,

With the father and the holy ghost truely,

I did him there worship in that mystery.

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Then reason in a corner spied me right soone,

And calde me Idolater, for that I had done. [R]eason rebel[le]th againste [Fa]ieth

Then, quod I to him, why dost thou reproue me

For geuing of honour, where honour is due?

I would agree, quod he, if I that could se,

445

But til then, I wyll not thinke it to be true.

I se but very bread, therfore doth ensewe,

It is but bread, which is not honour worthy,

For whiche I call it plaine Idolatry.

sig: C3

Thou maist se here, quod I, that scripture doth hold

450

That vnder the forme of bread is christes body,

Which here is defended by the doctours olde:

Do not all these proue the a very nody?

To dispute this, quod he, I wyll not stody:

For why of me-selfe my power is but small,

455

But being ioyned with man then dispute I shal.

Thou knowest, quod he, that I am but a powre,

Geuen by god to mans soule, to know good and ill,

I haue no grosse body, though at this houre

I appeare to the thus, because thou canst no skill,

460

Of a gifte as I am, but this say I wyll.

In that I am a gifte in mannes soule to dwel,

The number of my dwellinges no tongue can tel.

Therfore now seing that I can not attaine

How Christes body vnder fourme of bread can be

465

Some men I wyll sure, earnestly constraine

To assaulte this faith, whiche I here do se.

For in no case, I wyll thereto agree. agree] agrree 1554

Therfore in-to some heades suche blastes I wyll blowe,

That I trust anone her cleane to ouerthrowe.

470

Then in a great fume he vanished a_way,

Which seing, towardes faith I turned my face.

O man quod she now in me thy hart stay,

And let not reason out of thy hart race

This holy sacrament, called good grace,

475

For the great profyte, that to man it doth bring,

If he it receiue with faith according.

sig: [C3v]

Then with that sodainely came rushing in The firste assaulte of the sacrament, by Berengarius.

Reason with a standerde, which would not bowe,

Faring as though al the feelde he would winne,

480

Crying thou false faith defende thy-selfe nowe.

And on his standard was written, how how how.

His captaines name theron also was written thus

The noble archedeacon Berengarius.

Then when I sawe this I was abashed,

485

Cheifly to se them come for suche intent,

Asyde for a tyme then I reculed:

But not fro the sight of the sacrament,

Nor out of the reache of faith I neuer went,

But ioyned my-selfe vnto the doctours olde,

490

Whiche to defende faith did styll together holde.

Then vewing these warriours of wicked mind.

I meene Berengarius, with his retenue,

Their wepons were such, that I mused to finde

Any suche, excepte it were of a turke or Iewe,

495

Whiche are the enemies that doth faith persue.

Turkey bowes they bare all, on whiche I did se

This worde plainly written incredulitie.

Then eche of them had an arowe in his hande,

The which had heades very sharp, named error,

500

Fetherd with scripture falsly vnderstand,

Because to perse hartes they should haue the more powre

Than began they all to shote a great scowre:

And gaue a sore assaulte with an out-crye.

Hoc est , quod they, this is, doth signifie.

sig: [C4]

505

Then the olde doctours hering this out-crye,

Made by christen men, thought it monstruous.

And they sawe the arrowes of errour flye

To distroy this sacrament moost glorious,

Then thei with their targetes, like men vertuous

510

Bare of their great shoote, and then againe,

With their swordes they cut al these arrowes in twaine,

Then soberly eche man did say his sentence,

According as the Euangelistes doth tell,

Affirminge the trueth in the litterall sense,

515

Alowing no glose that trueth to repell,

But to be taken, as it standes in the gospell:

Whiche is, hoc est corpus meum , to be ment,

That Christ lefte his own body in the sacrament.

Then as Berengarius was preparing,

520

More arrowes against the sacrament to shote,

A number of doctours was redy, not sparyng

Their studies to spende his errour to roote

Out of his hart, so that he coulde not boote

Any more against the sacrament to striue,

525

Then with their swordes to the grounde they did him driue.

Then with that reason did let his stanndard fal,

And at the foote of faith he fell prostrate.

Then Berengarius for Gods grace did call, This Berengarius recanted thrise.

And forsoke his errour so contaminate,

530

Doinge penaunce therfore after suche rate,

That God was pleased, and his penaunce did take,

As he doth of all those that doth sinne forsake.

sig: [C4v]

Then this assaulte for that time finished,

And faith stood constaunt as she did before,

535

Holding the sacrament nothing diminished,

But stood in honour as it did euermore.

Then of people I sawe there many a score,

Which gaue to the sacrament honour diuine,

Without any checke therefro to recline.

540

Thus lady faith quietly stoode a great while,

Tyll sathan the deuill therat had enuy,

Which sought busely some men to begyle,

As he had done before ful deceitfully.

The which came to passe experience did trye.

545

For anone I hard a great trumpet blowe,

Then some enemies was nigh, by that I dyd know

Then came in reason with a standard new,

Which had theron the same superscription,

That the other had, which did faith persewe,

550

Changing but only in one condicion

There captaines names, which had the tuicion,

Of that wicked hoost, then was Iohn_Wyikcleffe.

Hierom of Prage and Husse workers or mischeif. The seconde assaulte of the sacramente, by wykcleiffe and his felowes. Hierome of Prage, Hus and zuinglius .etc.

All their weapones were of the same sorte

555

As the other were, sauing as I did here

Their out-crye was so terrible and short,

As though lady faith thei wold cleane ouer_bere.

Their arrowes flew so thicke, my flesh shoke for fere.

Then al their cheife crie as these arrowes came

560

Was these wordes, caro non prodest quicquam . Ioan. vi.

sig: D1

Then the doctors all their targets furth did hold,

From their cruel shot faith for to defende,

And with their swerdes like warriours most bold,

Thei stroke at them sore, but yet thei would not bend,

565

But arrogantly much tyme thei did spend

Against lady faith, but nothing preuailing,

The doctors so well withstode their assailyng.

Who all with one voice did wholy agre,

That this text, the fleshe doth profite nothing,

570

Was in this sense onely taken to be,

Nothing it profites after the Iewes meanyng,

For thei vnderstode a carnal eating,

As though thei should eate it in gobbets dedde,

As we do eate fleshe wherwith we are fedde.

575

Whiche errour to remoue, Christ before sayth:

The spirit it is that quickneth, as he would say,

To eate this fleshe of mine as your iudgementes hath

Conceiued, so would profite you no way,

But because therby profite haue ye may,

580

Ioyned with the holy spirit ye shal haue it plain,

By whiche to geue life, the fleshe shall attaine.

Thinke ye that I meane that ye my flesh shal eat

In this forme, as I stande here before you all

Mangled out in pieces, as ye do other meat?

585

Nay, that ye are deceiued well perceiue ye shall.

For this body ye shall se by power potencial,

Ascend wher it came fro. What will ye say than?

Then shal ye well know I am more then a man.

sig: [D1v]

Thus the doctours all did affirme and say,

590

That of Christes words this was the perfite sense,

Prouing that Christ these wordes to the Iewes did lay

Because of his godhead they shuld haue intelligence,

And then to his words to haue geuen credence.

But yet thei wold not beleue more then they sawe,

595

Whiche was his manhod, his godhod they would not knowe.

Nedes would thei know how thei his flesh shuld eat,

Or els they would not beleue him at all.

Plainly he tolde them of this heauenly meate,

But in contention with Christ they would fall,

600

The tyme thei wold not tary, but stil on Christ cal

With a doubtful howe, whiche Christ knew full well,

Therfore howe they should eat it, Christ would not tell.

But afterwarde to those that would not contend,

But with humble silence Christes wordes did beleue,

605

At the tyme whiche he before did intende,

He gaue them his fleshe their soules to releue,

Under suche a fourme, that it did not greue

Their stomakes, for vnder the forme of bread it lay

With whiche their bodies were fed euery day.

610

Yet these enemies of Christ hearing all this,

Would not in any case thervnto agre:

But cryed that all they had sayd amys,

And that in their sense taken it must be:

Whiche was, that Christes fleshe could profite in no degre

615

To be eaten: and then the doctors this seyng

With their swordes droue them away, they had there no beyng.

sig: D2

Thus when with their words thei had ouerthrown

This wicked host, which against Christ did striue,

That long after thei wer neither seen nor knowen,

620

Tyl that the deuil another drift did dryue

Against fayth, the whiche plainly to discriue:

When fayth a great while had stande at a stay,

New trumpettes I heard blowe, and great horses bray.

Nowe as my duetie was, and as I did before,

625

I worshipped Christ there with honor diuine.

In came reason, and with him many a score, The third assault of the sacrament, by Luther and his felowes

And at this my dede they did sore repyne,

Saiyng, an idol I made of bread and wyne.

Then sawe I their standardes, whiche were in numbre thre

630

Their names I wyll tell you as I did them se.

The first standard had theron Martine_Luther,

Whiche of that wicked host was cheif captaine,

He gaue his assault like a wycked tuter,

With great gunshot, but yet for to be plaine,

635

He shot not so sore as did the other twayne.

For in their crye, but a signe thei did it make.

But Luther and his the litteral sense did take,

Whiche was, that hoc est , must litterally

Be taken as it standes, as Christ had it tolde,

640

But yet because bread remayned to his eye,

That it was bread styl, styfly he did hold.

And yet Christes body, that by Iudas was sold.

But thei wer sore withstand by the doctors stout.

Then with that Luther on saint Paule cried out

sig: [D2v]

645

I will sayth Luther take witnes here of Paul,

Whiche I am sure spake by the holy ghost.

For euen as it is, bread he doth it call:

And you maister doctors in eche place almost,

Where ye treate of this matter this I dare bost,

650

You call it bread also, defende this and ye can,

Then to honor bread God hath forbidden man.

Then one of the doctors hearing this reason,

In person of all began to dispute.

Errour quod he with the is not geason.

655

Why doste thou thy-selfe madly confute

With saint Paule, and vs after the same sute?

Nay quod Luther, your own wordes against you I lay,

For I am sure you cal it bread, as I say.

Saint Paule quod that doctor doth cal it bread,

660

Not meanyng it is so, but doth so appeare:

Because it so was, our iudgementes is led,

To call it bread styll, as though it bread were,

The whiche kynd of speche the scripture doth bere,

Whiche sayth that the rods of Aaron did deuoure,

665

The rods of the Egyptians made by the deuils power.

Yet were they no roddes, but serpentes aliue,

But because thei were rods, rods they be called.

Also when Christ in Galile by prerogatiue Ioan. ii.

Turned water to wyne, and then commaunded

670

To geue it to the bridegrome, which anone thei did

When he had tasted of the water, sayth S Iohn:

Here he calde it water, when it was wine alo[n]e.

sig: [D3]

Euen so saint Paule and all these doctors here

Calth the sacrament bread, because bread we se,

675

Which proues it no more bread, then the serpents rods were

Nor the wyne water in Cana_Galile:

But here nowe one thing obiected may be. Obiection

The serpentes were seen serpentes natural,

And the wyne tasted wyne material.

680

So here was two of the senses satisfied,

Therfore that this was true, reason must agre,

But now howe can this be verified

In the sacrament, where we no chaunge do se,

In sight nor in tast that perceiued can be?

685

Where the senses can not reache, faith doth attain, Answere.

This for our soules health, Christ hath lefte vs plaine.

For him-selfe vnto saint Thomas did say,

Thou beleuest, sayth he, because thou dost se:

But I say to the, blessed be all they,

690

That though they se not, yet wil beleue in me.

To beleue in Christ what iudgest thou to be

Is it not to beleue all that Christ doth teache

In mysteries of fayth aboue reasons reache?

Of the whiche among all that Christ hath left here,

695

This sacrament doth all other excel:

First, because Christ is there and yet seen no-where

But by fayth, which in this doth reason down fel,

Whiche with all our senses against it doth rebel,

And yet fayth doth byd vs it to defende,

700

Whiche we intende to do vnto our lyues ende.

sig: [D3v]

Now while this doctor and Luther talked thus,

In came a standard all abrode displayed,

Under whiche came in Oecolampadius , [T]he fourth [as]sault of the [sa]crament, [by] Oecolam[pa]dius and [hi]s felowes

Faring as though he wold make them all afrayde,

705

And against the sacrament like a beast he brayde,

And as did Beringarius, so did he it assayle,

But the doctours defended it, he could not preuail.

Then Oecolampadius in his assaultyng

Heard Luther defende Christes presence bodily

710

To be vnder the sacrament, and not-withstanding

The substaunce of bread to byde with the body,

For the whiche he did reproue Luthers foly,

Saiyng that no learned man would agre,

Two substances in one body to be.

715

Christ was promist quod he to be incarnate,

So that God and man one substaunce should be,

But who-euer red he should be impanate,

And take the nature of bread in vnitee

Of person, and so make his natures thre,

720

Of the whiche, one wyll corrupt we spye,

And then shalbe false, the prophetes prophecie. Thou shalt [n]ot suffre thy [h]oly one to see [c]orruption. [P]sal. xxv.

These inconueniences with diuers other mo,

Oecolampadius plainly declared,

With the doctors all confirmed to be so:

725

But then to speake more he him-selfe prepared.

For to be mistaken very sore he feared,

All inconueniences cleane to put a_way,

It was but onely a signe of Christ he did say.

sig: [D4]

Thus Luther and he began to contend,

730

Though thei both did erre, yet did thei not agre,

Of the whiche debate or they had made an ende.

Carolstadius cummyng anone I did see, The fift assault of the sacrament, by Carolstadius and his felowes

His assault before Luther gaue he,

But hearing them newe gloses to inuent,

735

To lose his fame so, he was not content.

Fyrst he hearing Luther defende so stoutly

That hoc est corpus meum , must be vnderstand,

That with bread was Christes own very body,

And then on the other side how he was withstand

740

By Oecolampadius whiche that text scand,

That hoc est must nedes be, this doth signifie,

And stepping betwene, he sware thei both did lye

Than of proud Nembroth I though[t] at that houre thought] though 1554

Whom God preuented with all his company,

745

At buildyng of the Babilonical towre.

By confusion of tongues of God letted their foly,

And so did he theirs, experience did trye,

For when they thought lady faith to ouerrunne,

They were as nye as when they fyrst begunne.

750

For when the other twayne as I before say,

Had these wordes of Christ to interpretate,

He affirmed plain that thei toke the wrong way,

And that the spirit of truth did his heart inflate:

The sense of these words sayth he, are in this rate

755

To be vnderstande, not est for signifie,

But est , for is, euen as the text doth lye.

sig: [D4v]

So then, this is my body, Christ did say plaine.

But to what pointed he, when he did so say,

To the bread? nay there deceiued are ye twayne:

760

He pointed to him-selfe sitting there that day,

Not meanyng of the bread by any way,

But that thei should eate it in the remembrance,

Both of his great loue, and also his sufferance.

Then eche of them affirmed his owne sense

765

To be the very truth, although contrarie

They were eche to other, they stode in defence

Of their sayinges, and so beganne to vary.

Yet, though eche showde him-selfe aduersarie

Unto ladie fayth, yet at the last they fell,

770

Through pryde one against another to rebel.

But when the doctors harde Carolstadius

Of christes plain wordes, so false a glose to take:

O wicked man, quod thei, herken vnto vs,

What scripture hast thou that for thi part doth make?

775

For what cause toke Christ bread and these words spake:

Take, eat, this is my body, marke this thing well,

And to what thing Christ did point this wyll the tell.

Christes taking of the bread in his holy hand,

His geuing of thankes, blessing and breaking

780

And bidding them eate, can no way be scande,

But that his act did concurre with his speaking,

Saiyng, this is my body, what playner thing

Can there be, to proue that that which thei did eat

Was his owne body, that most heauenly meat?

sig: E1

785

Of all foolishe gloses, that is moost madde,

To say that of the bread Christ ment not at all,

And if that should be true, then the Iewes had

A better repast in eating their paschall,

That was fleshe and bloud, and had life naturall,

790

Then with christ in figure they were truely fedde,

But we haue not so muche, if Christ ment not of the breade.

When he had this saied, these wretches all

Began against faieth to be more vehement, Euery kingdome deuided in it-selfe shall be desolate. Math. xii.

But then because in-to sectes, they did fall,

795

Hauing amonge them no kinde of agrement,

Conserning the right faieth in the sacrament,

Eche against other his fancye did defende,

Thus brauling with them-selues this assaulte did ende.

Then lyke brainles beastes they fell in decay,

800

Lyke those that had sought their own confusion,

Leuing lady faieth in hir olde godly staye,

To whom all the doctours in conclucion,

Submitted them-selues with-out abusion,

And vnto Christ there in the sacrament,

805

They kneled downe with deuotion reuerent.

Then stood lady faieth quietly in rest,

Holding the sacrament honorably,

Yet some now and then would haue hir opprest,

Whiche were souldiours of wicked heresye, Meane souldiers Frythe, Lambert, Tyndall .etc.

810

Assaulting hir ofte very cruelly,

Whom for to hurte when they sawe they lacked power,

They fled backe all to the tente of errour.

sig: [E1v]

Wherin they did rest, I sawe them no more,

Then kneled I downe doyng reuerence,

815

Vnto Christ there as I had done before,

Suppossing the deuilles deadly diligence,

Had bene debarde by the doughty defence,

Of all the doctours, and as I there stood,

I harde horses bray as they had bene woode.

820

Then began my hart for great feare to quake The .vi. assault against the sacrament here in Englande.

Me-thought al the world against faith was bent,

But then faith bad me a good hart to take,

For this assaulte, quod she, wyll be feruent,

But looke that fro me thou be not absent,

825

And take here, quod she, this target and sworde, The target of faith and the sworde of the word of God.

Glad was I then of hir to heare that worde.

Then as I toke these my-selfe to defende,

In came reason whiche a standard did beare,

Upon the whiche in blacke letters was pende.

830

The names of al those which his captaines wer.

Whom when I beheld like byshoppes did appere, appere] apppere 1554

Whiche in my mynde was a straunge sight to se,

Byshoppes on that sort disgysed to be.

The first was two Archbyshops whom I did know,

835

The third Rydley, which on the quene did raile,

The fourth was Hoper, the fifte was Barlowe,

The syxt was Poinet, and the seuenth was Bale,

The eight was Brown, and the ninth Couerdale,

Farrer and Tayler made twelue with Skory,

840

To se them in this case my hart was sory.

sig: E2

Their foote-men thei had which by them did ronne

As Rogers, Rose, Horne, Saunders and Harlay,

Cardmarker, Becon Crouley, and Sampson,

Peter_Hart, Carter, and olde Bylney,

845

Tomson, Kyrkame, Douglas, Knokes, and Makbray

Bradforde, old Steuens and yong Samuel,

With the two Turners, and mo then I can tell.

For whom I did then most hartly praye,

That our lord in time would turne their hartes all,

850

For by their yll doctrine many a daye,

They haue caused many from faieth to fall,

But God graunte that his churche Catholicall,

They may learne to knowe and to hir to come,

Then shall they reigne with hir in his kingdome.

855

In armour as blacke as any ynke they were,

And on the creast of their helmetes on hye,

A womans fore[s]leue eche of them did bere, foresleue] forefleue 1554

The which as I toke it, did signifye,

That for womens loues their manhoodes they wold trie,

860

Turkey bowes eche of them had redy bent,

To shote out therof their errours pestilent.

Then sawe I the cheife byshop of them all, Cranmer

Rushe to the doctours vnreuerently,

And rent out of their bookes in gobetes small,

865

Peices for his purpose, whiche peruersly,

He chewde with his teeth, and then spitefully,

Shot them at lady faieth in pellet-wyse,

And beastly did the sacrament despise.

sig: [E2v]

Then certaine byshoppes on lady faithes part

870

Began against him hir stoutly to defende, [C]atholyke by[sh]oppes. [W]inchester. [L]ondon. Worcestor. Chechester and [D]uresme.

Which when I sawe did comfort my hart.

But then or this their debate had an ende,

The deuyl new souldiors against faith did sende,

Whiche came vnder the standerd of ignoraunce,

875

Of whom selfe-wyl had the cheife gouernaunce.

By helpe of these the byshoppes effeminate,

Against lady faith did so much preuaile, The byshopes aboue named.

That certain of hir men to them was captiuate,

And for hir sake was laide fast in gayle,

880

Then before hir was drawne such a vaile, The dayly oblation was taken away.

That she was so hid, fewe men could hir se,

Tyll God sawe time, that seene she should be.

For the whiche as I a longe time did pray,

I harde trompetes blowe very swete and hye, The commynge in of quene Mary.

885

Then did my hart reioyce putting care a_way,

Me-thought the sounde was of some victory,

With that comming in I sawe sodainly,

A noble standard all of white and grene,

Imbrodred with roses royally beseene.

890

After the whiche standard did enter in,

One tryumphantly as the cheife captaine,

Whiche was a crowned quene and vyrgin,

Who seing lady faieth so had in disdaine,

Drue backe the vaile that I might se plaine, The dayly offring set vp againe.

895

Lady faieth styll holding the sacrament,

To the which the quene did knele continent.

sig: [E3]

Geuing to our lorde harty laudes and prayse,

Whiche had geuen to hir so great a victory,

Against hir enemies in so fewe dayes,

900

With-out bloude-shede most miraculously,

Commaunding streight to set at libertye, The prisoners deliuerd which suffred for lady faiethes sake.

All these whiche imprisonment did take,

And were punished for lady faiethes sake.

Whiche done euen sodainely as I there stoode,

905

Al that I had seene vanisht fro my sight,

The which sodaine chaunge made me chaunge my mood

But then Morpheus came again to me right,

And bade me feare nothing, then fast as he might

He brought me to my bed, and with that I did wake,

910

Then to write this vision some paines I did take.

Finis.

sig: [E3v]

¶The booke speaketh.

NEedes must I speke, thoughe I be domme,

Some mennes malice for to preuent,

In whose handes when I chaunce to come

Be sure I shall of euyll iudgement,

Because myne aucthour doth inuent,

My matter in a dreame to se,

As a mans dreame they wyll counte me.

For the whiche here as wysdome is,

Who that in ieste doth me so call,

For an aunswere let them take this.

Some wordes written by Iames and Paule,

In Luthers bookes plaine finde ye shall,

Called their dreame because he knewe,

That his errours they ouerthrewe.

In lyke maner I do not doute,

But that because I do inuay,

Against all suche as went aboute,

The perfite faieth for to decay,

Some men which nowe fauour that way,

Haply my matter to defame,

Wyll saye that I haue a meete name.

But sith as I do say before,

That Iames and Paule they do deny,

And by Christes wordes to passe nomore,

Then they do now, no cause se I,

To meruaile though they say I lye,

And only dreame all that I tell,

Though first and last, they knowe full well.

sig: [E4]

Cheiflye they knowe whiche learned be,

That these assaultes hath trulye been,

As for the laste, all we did see,

Tyll God did sende our noble quene,

Whiche nowe wyll haue as hath been seene,

The christen faieth truely confest,

As Gods worde hath it plaine exprest.

Therfore I say, for to conclude,

What they do say I do not passe,

And mine authour thoughe they delude,

Yet wyll I shewe plaine who he was,

Because no lawe I wyll trespasse,

Myles_Hogarde, men do call his name,

Who to this ende did me first frame.

Finis:

Imprinted at London by Robert_Caly, within the precinct of the late dissolued house of the graye-Freers, nowe conuerted to an Hospitall, called Christes_Hospitall.·.

The .xx. daye of September.·.

1554.