A Song of the Lord's Supper

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¶Here beginneth a song of the Lordes Supper.

O God who is worthy thy great loue to expresse

Which thou on vs hast showid or with word it inlarg

For when Sathan , with sin was like vs to oppresse

Thou sendyst thin own begotten son vs to discarg

Through his godli life & or the end of his viage

He ordeyned a sygne, for oure weke soules moost holsom

Wherby we shulde thynk on the loue of his personage

And remember his deathe, vntyll the tyme he comme.

Gyue attentyue eares, I hartely you desyre

To heare thinges profytable, leest profyt scape by

Therfore diligently to harken I you requyre

Ye wyll call it profyt, I dare well veryfy

To be inflamed with Christes loue, as with fyer heuenlye

For with goddes grace, I wyll tell you the hole som

Of Christes supper, assigned very necessary

For vs to remember the Lordes death tyll he com.

Dyuers vertuous namynges, hath this holy signe

Callyd the Lordes supper, in the pistle of saynt Paule

Agayn a Communion, Christes churche to conioyne

In charytie by a supper vniuersall

And thankes-geuyng to God, for his benefyttes all

And a wyll of synnes forgyuenes, to deaf and dom

And by this text, do thus me to your mynde to call

A remembraunce of the Lordes death, vntyll he com.

The Lordes supper, is Christes institution pure

In the which, breade and wyne geuen & his worde adioyned

Was geuen his body and blood, which dyd oure soules cure

Set furth now, that all they which haue a faythfull mynde

In these wordes, broke and shed for you, with a lowe kinde

Shall haue remission of there synnes most noysom

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And great quyetnes of conscience they shall fynde

In remembryng the Lordes death, vntyll he com.

The occasion whi Christ this supper dyd begyn

Where: the time of his deathe was com oure soules to saue

An-other, he knewe, we were forgetfull by syn

And that of his memory som wolde vs depraue

Therfore effectually his corps to vs he gaue

In a supper for our soules a meat most houlsom

And this is the very finall cause which he then draue

That we shold remember his great loue tyl he com.

The order of this supper who-soeuer do breake

Alter, peruert or, torne, otherwyse then Chryst made

He is a sismatike and doth the churche great wreake

And blindeth mens consciens and makyth faythe to fade

In cawlinge Christes body that very popishe trade

Making vs knele thereto lyke blind Ipocryts dom

Thus with a false sauior they do our myndes perswade

Causinge vs to forget Christes deth vntyl he com.

It sholde be orderyd as the apostels vse the same

Teaching before, a worthye preparacion.

That al such maye suppe, which to heare of synnes do shame

Repenting and sekinge their soules consolacion

Beleuinge to haue of al theyr synnes remyssion.

And to confyrme theyr fayth receauinge this sygne holsome

Euen as a wytnes, of goddes benediction.

In Chryst: rememberynge his deathe vntyll he do come.

The partakers of the supper, shold be put in mynde

To take a suere holde, of there promyse of baptysme

And to forsake the deuell, with al his workes blinde

With euerye false Antechryst, euen the dyuelles lymme

As the Pope: which with foule Idolles the church doth trim

Therby to make them in gods knowlege deffe and dome

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And al to maintayn the tradicions of hym

Utterly to forget the Lordes death, tyl he come.

Then the minister must purge the congregacion

For euery-one, whiche lyueth in great fautes manyfest

Shold be put from the borde, by excommunication

Al such as gods word [s]lander, yrke, slake, or detest slander] flander 1550

Al wylful weake, which in blind cerymonies wyl rest

Ar to be refused tyl they wyshe for gods kingdome

And when they mend, to be taken in amonge the rest

For to remember the lordes death tyll he come

The receyuers also, must them-selues suerly proue

Whether they may worthely eate & drynke of the lordes cuppe

That is, yf with his brethren he be in pure loue.

Or yf he canne for gods glory, a bytter death suppe

Or that he do not by muche eatinge, in slothfulnes drope

Or else by great fasting, for his owne supper lost and glome

In suche case from the flocke, ye were best to ryse vp

Least he be gyltye of the lordes deth, tyl he come.

When al myndes be cleane, the seruer must come to the borde

And be plaest in the mydest, most lyke Chrystes example

To showe them of the pascal lambe, in a short worde

And what it signyfyed, in playnnes he most tell

That Chryste sholde saue vs from deuil / death / sinne & hell

For that which, he made sacrifyce sweter then gomme

And wyllyth by his ordinance, vs in loue to dwel

Breking breade, to remember his death tyl he com.

Then must he sytte downe lyfting vp his eyis to heuin

Thankinge god the father for his benefyttes all

That to vs pore sinners hath his only sonne geuyn

Which vnto his fathers mercy dyd vs agayn call

And by his death, is become meat vnyuersal

To al soules, which therby beleue synnes remyssion

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Therfore the misticall body of Christ receyue ye shall

That ye may remember the Lordes deathe, tyll he com.

Then must he take bread & break it showyng Christes act

Sayeng our Lord Iesu_Christe the nyghte he was betrayed

Toke a loef of breade & when he had geuyn thankes brake it

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All the twelue Apostels present, to whome he sayd

Take it, and eate, these his wordes ought to be wayed

This is my body which shall suffer passyon

For you do thus that on me your mynde may be layd

To remember my great loue and death tyll I com.

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Here Christes wordes he shold expound that none vnderstand

Falsely, as som do, that Christ made his body of breade

Rather then shold with all diligence Christes wordes stande

And they shall fynde, he gaue vs that body in-dede

Whose woundes after he sufferyd on the Crosse to bleade

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That is, the merites of his body he gaue in som

At that one tyme, for all them that of his death shold nede

And the signe caulyd his body tyll agayn he shall come.

His mystycall body in this wyse they do eate

When that soules are satisfyed or fylled by fayth sure

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That his body redemed vs, and is our soules meate

Wherby our soules please God and liueth as saith scripture

For were not his body ours, we could not endeuour

But God hath gyuen hym vs, with his workes and wisdom

And hym-self gaue vs his body, our soules to cure

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Yf that we do remember his death, tyll he com.

The aduersarye wyll resist and with wordes saye

How can he gyue his body? from which he can not part

Agaynst such an enemy, lo thus I will inuay

Euen as a frend, which wold me good with all his hart

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Geueth me his body, to helpe me by all his art

Where-euer he be, my profyt he wyll se don

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I may call his body myne, which kepes me from smarte

So shal the Lordes body be ours, when he doth com.

Then must he delyuer to them the broken breade

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Byddyng them thinke how Chryst gaue his body for ours

The Iust, for the vniust as .S. Paule sayeth in-dede

To couer our fautes and kepe vs from al sharp shoures

And therfore commaundeth them, to pray with al there powers

Worthely to eate his body, there f[aythe] to confirme faythe] fautes 1550

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And to him, as to god, g[i]ue prayse and honours giue] gaue 1550

Leuing a remembrance of his death, tyll he come.

Then must he retorne againe, to Chrystes wordes or text

Shewing that Christ after supper when thankes was geuin

Wrought as he dyd with the breade and toke the cuppe nexte

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Sayinge drinke al here-of, with equal mynde and euen

This is my blode, in the newe Testament dyscryuen

Which for you and many shal be shed for synners pardon

Whose frute I wyl no more drynke, tyl with you newe in heauen

As oft as ye drynke thus, remember my death, tyl I com.

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Here is to be wayd the text of Paul, with Chrystes vowe

Wher Chryst sayeth, this is my blod of the newe Testament

Paule semeth playne, that Chryst doth it in this wyse alowe

This same cuppe is of my blod the newe Testament

Chryst shewyd that his blod, which afterwarde he spent

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Paul cau[l]eth the takyng of the lordes supper in some cauleth] causeth 1550

The newe Testament of his blod verament

That is, his wyll to thynke on his blod, tyll he come.

The blod of his Testament, is this moch to saye

His owne blod, that partayneth to his last wyl

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Namly the blode, which he wolde to geue awaye

To saue those, which by trew fayth wolde come hym tyll

The Testament in his blode, is an-other skyll an-other] and other 1550

Euen a wylle to remember his blod and kingdome

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Whiche doutles, they shal haue in Ioye euer-more styll

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Yf they drynke this cuppe, to mynd his death, tyl he come.

Then he must make them al drinke with repentant mind

Showing that christes blod, is for our soules the offring Showing] Sshowing 1550

To cleanse the thoughtes of our hartes from yngnorance blind

Euen that wyth hym in heauen, we myght be euer lyuinge

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As the .xvii. of Leuyticus is afore showing

Where god sayeth / the fleshe is to porge the lyffe noysom

And the blode / is for the soules offence a clensynge

Wherfore remember ye / the lordes death tyl he come.

Then, must they al prayse the father most reuerently

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Wyth the sonne and the holy-gost, for this there gyfte

And ordynance / to confyrme our fayth faruently

Wherby from our trust in hym we can not be lyft

Through Sathans [wyles] dryue he neuer so great a dryfte wyles] wyldes 1550

And thus we praye now, that the lordes supper is done

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That at our next metyng, from synne we maye be ryft

Firmly to remember the lordes death tyl he come.

Here haue you the fyrst parte of this notable songe

Whiche I wolde desyer you marke / or I furder wente

A thing is harde to be remembred, that is longe

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Therfore thinke on yt, I desier you with pure intente

And by that tyme you haue this in-to your mynde sent

I wyl shewe you the seconde parte, in a shorte some

Wherby, you maye knowe more stedfastly verament

Howe / you shall remember the lordes death tyl he come

¶The ende of the fyrst parte by .E._T.

¶The begynninge of the seconde parte of the diuision and particion with contraryes of the Lordes supper.

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SOm there be whiche despise the popysshe sacramente

(As worthye it is for it doeth god dysshonor)

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But to seke for the trueth, was neuer theyr entent

And som agayne / do the abuse so moche abhor

That by the most ryght vse, they set at al no store

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Wherefore, the minister to teache sholde not be dome

That the text sayethe, do thus alwaye and euer-more

That ye maye styll remember my death / til I come

Somwhat of the circumstances here showed shold be

As, why it is called a supper and no dinner

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Bycause / after supper most comenly we see

How men from there greate labor vse, to rest euer

The syttinge, the same sygnifies / and to perseuer

In rest of conscience, through Christes death most holsom

And when to Iudgement, he shal him-selfe endeuer

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To haue an heuenly rest, after that he is come.

To constrayne, vnder payne, to knele stand or sytte

Is not mete nor yet fit, though sitting be most sure

For the strayght and strong wayght, consystith not in it

For standing, partaking, one may be good and pure

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Be wyttinge that sytting is nerer the scrypture

To auoyd knelinge lewed of th'ancient costome

To a thing, yl-seminge, in blindnes to endure

A false god, and forbod, in mynding Christ to come.

Here the minister may make a ronning-out

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Into the causes, partes effectes and contraries

Bycause, he wolde bring the hearers from euery dought

And that nothing may be left hyd, vnto there eyes

Saing Christ is the causer as the act it tries

Breade wine and the worde, be the hole matter in som

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The formes be feding, which causeth our fayth to ryse

We are the end, to remember the lordes death, tyl he com

Chrystes last supper is not deuided into partes

But the matter thereof in partes we may deuyde

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Namely bred which mistically to vs aduertes

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His owne body wich was persed on the right syde

And the wyne his blode / which ranne out of that wonde wyde

The ioyninge of these partes this error haue begon

That from the lay-men Christes misticall blod is hid

And should be except god mend it vntill Christ com.

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The formall cause also may be pa[r]ted in twayne parted] pacted 1550

Euen into a spirituall eatyng and corporall

The corporall makes vs vse Christes supper in vaine

That is to eate without christen memoriall

And he that so vnworthly eateth or drincketh sayth Poule

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He surely eateth and drynketh his damnacyon

Bycause he perceyues not the Lordes body at all

Nor therby remembreth the Lordes deth tyll he come.

Let not him that so eateth thynk that his partaking

Of Christes supper clensyth or taketh away his synne

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Nay suerly it must be fayth that must do that thyng

The which fayth to confirme, Christe this signe dyd begyn

Euen as the signe wher Steuin sawe Christ the cloudes within

Not saued hym but strength[ed] his fayth toward gods kingdom strengthed] strength 1550

So the vse of this signe, to strength our faith doth not blind

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Fyrmely to remembre the Lordes death, tyll he come.

Som perchaunce against this wyll make an argument

No outward thyng confyrmed fayth, but the holy-goost

The vse herof / is an outward experyment

Therfore, it confyrmes no fayth, nother lest nor most fayth] faytth 1550

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The mater is trewe, of it / I dare bouldly bost

Yet as with instrumentes / by signes / he moues our spretes dom

Being to the weake a felt worde / lest fayth shulde be lost

To make them remember the Lordes death, tyll he com.

The spiritual eatyng is done by fayth chefly

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After wi[c]h, a goostly refection doth flowe wich] with 1550

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That is, he conceuyth in hym the profyt heuenly

And by worthy examinacyon, does know

The differens of this supper, from his owne, I trow

That it is not a fleshly supper, of crust or crom

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But suche a supper, as shall hym the ryght way showe

How he shall remember the Lordes death, tyll he com.

Oftentymes christen persons, with outwarde signe

Use dayly, the spiritual etyng of Chrystes body

When spiritually as true gyftes in Christ, they inclyne

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To abide in Christ, and in them Christ most holy

Of this etyng Iohn the sixt hath a puer story

Wher Christ, long before his last supper tought in some

Wh[i]che of his membres shuld haue in memory Whiche] Whoche 1550

That al his benyfittes be owers, vntyl he come.

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Notwithstanding, both of eting must be kept

Namely with the mouthe, but with faythe in specyal

None of bothe, amonge Christes flocke may be oure sheperd

For of these bothe, the lordes supper is made formal

And by the sensyble tast of thinges corporall

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Wecklinges shal fele the profit of Christes body in som

Howe he came to f[e]de and fyl our hongry soules al fede] fyde 1550

Remembering the ioye we shal haue when he doth come

The effectes of the sygnes of the new testament

Be remission of synnes and her ryghtuosnes

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And in this, euerlasting life and permanent

And that god is plesyd with vs, to be wytnes

And that he with Chryst, dwellyth with vs, of his goodnes

To styre fayth and make charyte worke thinges holsome

And there-in to bringe Ioy of consciens with gladnes

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And to make vs, not departe from Christ tyl he come.

Of Chrystes supper here was the diffinicion

The causes partes and the effectes be now here declaryd

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Of the most true sowen a true descripcion

Nowe restyth by hym to be showed and not be sparde

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Errou[r]s or contraries, so thys sygne of safgard Errours] Errous 1550

Before that the ende of this songe we do come

That we maye lerne to auoyd such perylles ieberd

In remembring the lordes death vntyl he come.

Of this voyce / hoc, very many haue desputyd

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Some, it atributinge to his body onely

And some to the blood onely / it attributyd

The fyrst / concludes Chr[y]st le[f]t no sygne of memorie Chryst] Chrst 1550; left] lest 1550

The seconde sayth, Chryst made him-selfe a new body

But I attrybutyd to nother, onely in some

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But gether to the hole acte don openly

And to his congregat members, tyl he doth come.

¶Also / some-tyme Paul callyd it the body and blood

And sometyme agayne, he calleth it but bread and wyne

This textes of many haue ben falsly vnderstode

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Thorowe ygnorans of fygurs in scrypture dyuyne

The fyrst is netho_nemya / where-as the sygne

Hath the name of the thing sygnifyed in my dome

By reason wherof, I may it this waye inclyne

This is my body or sygne therof tyl I come.

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¶These .ii. is senechdoche some part wher-in

Is taken for the hole, as here for Chrystes supper brede

Or els where-so-euer any-tyme, breade hath bin

There hath ben chrystes supper, whiche is not trew in-dede

And yf it were the very body, which dyd blede

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To be called breade it wer but an yll costome

And a doutful fayth, at lenght in vs it wyll brede

And cause vs, take an Idol for Chryst tyll he come.

Errors agaynst the supper, there be full many

As to saye, the popysshe masse is ther[_to] equall ther_to] ther which 1550

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Callyng it the lordes supper which is a greate lye

For in no porcion trulye they gre at al

But in comparyson hereof, is beastiall

Both of quicke and deade for the faultes that they haue don

And oblacion or sacrifice, they it calle

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Forgettynge Chryst, offring ons for al, tyll he come.

¶Contrary to the supper it is to deny

That vnder breade and wyne to vs is mynistred

The pure body and blode, of Iesu which dyd dye

That our soules, by his body and blod myght be fed

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For in this his supper, he gaue to vs in-dede

His selfe-same bodye that he ment syn to consume

The sure trust whereof truly is our soules brede

Wherefore, we ought to giue thankes to him tyl he come.

Here is to be marked that geuen vnder breade and wyne

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Is not as muche to saye, as breade is Chrystes body

Or wyne chrystes blod, nay we do it not so defyne

But geuen vnder, is as muche to saye verely

As when-so-euer you do thus which belefe truely

You fele in your conscience, chrystes promyssion

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That as wel for you, as for them that were him by

He gaue him-selfe to be remembryd tyl he come.

That breade is the body, or the body is in breade

Shal men haue resoned, with wordes supersticius

Of the presence of chrystes body and bloud so redde

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And of what facion, or howe bigge to dyscus

They haue, not bin a_shamed lyke foles pernicius

To the fayth of christ for vs a stay most holsome

Forgettinge christes ascenssion, so maruelos

Into the ryght hande of the father / tyl he com.

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For suche cause, the Cataphrigians dyd wring out

Childrens blod of a yere ol, through many smale pricke

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Which they dyd mix with flower to bringe there mynde about[e] letter broken

Trustynge that in that breade, there was a bodye quicke

Thus they made the lordes supper with theyr folyshe tricke

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And they did set vp a false body, in Christes rome

Wast any meruel then though in soule they were sycke

Whyche vtterly forget chrystes death before he come

Theyr acte, is lyke the wychecraft of one Pope Gregory

Which bounde the fynde in the host lyke a man to pere

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Al to illude the good Emperour the .iiii. Henry

But when of his pu[r]pose, he was neuer the nere purpose] pupose 1550

He began to vex and chafe, fret, stompe, stare, and swere

And axed the fynd, whi? to hym he was not buxum

To whome he sayd, where fayth is: I cannot be there

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Happy be the myndful of Chrystes death tyl he com.

To put or take from the lordes supper is errore

To approche to the supper, with-out al reuerence

(By outwarde preparacions, god settes no store)

To deny that suche as lyue in incontinence

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Are to be put from the Lorde, and banishid from thence

To saye this supper without fayth in hart holsom

Iustifieth b[y] errors, ful of maleuolence by] be 1550

In wyllyng vs, to forget Chrystes death, tyl he come

¶Here, ye knowe the occasio[n] of Chrystes supper

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And the names of the same, to you be explicate

The dyfinition, to you we dyd vtter

The appostolical order, to you we delate

The dew proffe, in scrypture you maye inuestygate

Of Chryste geuyng his body, the intencion

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With the agrement of Paules text, with Christes alterate

We showid / and a thankes-geuing for it, til he com.

For the seconde part of our songe, we haue nombryd

The office of the minister, Chrystes flocke teachinge

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The causes also, together we haue gethered

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And why Chrystes flocke, this supper, oft, shuld be eating

Bycause Chrystes churche is lyke a fysher repletyng

His shyppe, with al kinde of fyshe: where-of bad be som

That the weake maye taste ioye, and the stoborne thretening

To be cast out into fyer, w[h]en the lorde doth come. when] wen 1550

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Of the effectes of this supper, also ye haue harde

How comfortyng they be to worthy receyuers

And to other / howe greuos and full of iubarde

Ye maye knowe by Iudas, and suche-lyke deceuers

Which receue the deuel, by there yl endeuers

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Of contrarys also, you haue harde a great som

Where-in you spye the yl workes of vnbeleuers

Fouly defoyling Christes supper / before he come.

¶Knowing that hereby Chrystes loue towarde vs is showid

I admonysh, that yf thou eate it but as bread

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It shal helpe no more then brede, bycause thou art lewed

But shal hurt the, forgettinge Christes loue and death in-ded

Therfore receyue chryst with thy mynd, thy soule to fede

Before thou take with the mouth as a thyng that is done

So shalt thou perseue, that chryste is thy frynde at nede

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Yf thou loue thy bretherne for his loue tyl he come

Why it shal hurt eaten but as brede I wyl tel

One ought not to eate the lordes supper as his owne

With-out consydering the vse, whiche is not well

Christ scorged from the temple, as it is wel knowen

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The marchauntes, for the blasphemy that they had blowne

In cauling it gods house, whiche with thinges vnholsom

They had stufte: and goddes ordinance ouer_throne

So wyl he do those that forget him: when he doth com

A meruelos thing it is, that any bouldly dorst

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Presume to take awaye or turne this supper pure

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Knowinge that those mynisters be helde a_corst

Yf a master commaunde thinges thus to be in vre

And the seruau[n]t torne them: you wolde thinke I am sure

He stode in his conceite, to haue a better wysdome

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Then his master: and could wyslyer do the cure

But such wysdom shal be naught, when the lord dothe come.

Suche godly ordinaunce perteyning to conscience

No christen magistrate ought torne: but rather shold

With al his power of swerde, be thereto a defence

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And it abused, redust to the pristine state ould

Although the styffe neckes take neuer so stronge a houlde

Then wyl god giue him this answer for his wysdom

A pesable day shalt thou haue, o kinge, be bould

For that thou defendest my memory, tyl I come.

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O most worthi supper, what grace woldest thou encreace

Among vs forgetful men, in mynding Chrystes loue

Yea what Charyte concord vnite and peace

Yf thy trewe institucion we hadde, our hartes to moue

It wold teache vs, one an-others proffet to approue

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So it wold not be plesant, by his gracis houlsom

Only for the soule, but also to oure behoue

Proffytable for our bodies[:] tyl Chryst com. :] ? 1550

O dificile hardnes, to bring this matter to pas

Through the obdurate blindnes of the owld papistri

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No doute, it is beyonde the strength of mannes compas

But, O god, helpe our magistrates to destroy

That pestelent cage of fowle birdes, and wycked fry

Let them (o God) wyth michaells strength them consume

That euen ouer fowle sprites, they maye haue victory

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To deffend the lordes memory, tyl he come.

O heuenly supper of the to speke I wold end

But I can not, whyle that thy worthines is met

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With my feruentnes, though al my brethe I shold spend

Considering thy facillyte very great

445

Most easly woldest thou bring, and in our myndes set

That corps of Chryst, of whome al faythful are become

The mother, with Mary a virgen most mel

And so in most godly workes beare chryst, tyl he com.

Euen al that do the wyl of my father, sayth chryste

450

Be vnto me, bothe bryther, sister, and mother

Here-by we may se that christes body doth consyst

In trewe godlines of good men and here no other

The which to increse [in] loue betwene brother and brother in] and 1550

Chryst gaue vs this signe of his body most holsom

455

And grace also to receaue (I dare say forther)

His mystical body remembring him to come.

¶Seing this vse tornith men into Chrystes nature

Euen as some meates alters mannes dysposition

We maye calle it Chrystes body and therof be sure

460

Which makes vs Chrystes, by faythful inquisition

Of o[u]r oulde synnes, to make mortificacion

Therfore, o God for thi most fatherly wysdome

Now send it, for thy flockes glorificacion

That they may remember thy kindnes tyl christe come.

465

¶Now that our kinge Edward maye rule godly we pray

And for quene Caterine, in [her] good state so vertuos her] here 1550

Which my lorde protector to deffend night and daye

King Edward the sixt from al enimise traytors

God make the hole councell in scrypture prosperos

470

That they may suppres antechristes faynid kingdome

As god helping they wyl sprede the wyll of Iesus

To stablishe, the remembrance of Chrystes deth, tyl he come.

Finis quot .E._T.

¶Imprynted at London by Wylliam_Copland. and are to be solde by Robert_Stoughton dwelling wythin Ludgat at the [sygne of the bisshopes miter]lower margin trimmed