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the same; and these sixteen hundred years he hath been a doer, only purposing to evacuate Christ's death, and to make it of small efficacy and virtue.

For whereas Christ, according as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, so would He himself to be exalted, that thereby as many as trusted in Him should have salvation. But the devil would none of that. They would have us saved by a daily oblation propitiatory, by sacrifice expiatory, or remissory. Now if I should preach in the country among the unlearned, I would tell what propitiatory, expiatory, and remissory is; but here is a learned auditory. Yet for them that be unlearned, I will expound it. Propitiatory, expiatory, remissory, or satisfactory, for they signify all one thing in effect, and is nothing else but a thing whereby to obtain remission of sins, and to have salvation. And this way the devil used to evacuate the death of Christ, that we might have affiance in other things; as in the daily sacrifice of the priest, whereas Christ would have us to trust in His only sacrifice. So He was "Agnus occisus ab origine mundi” [“ The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. xiii. 8)], the Lamb that hath been slain from the beginning of the world; and therefore He is called, "Juge sacrificium" ["A daily sacrifice" (Dan. viii. 11, 12)], a continual sacrifice, and not for the continuance of the mass, as the blanchers have blanched it, and wrested it, and as I myself did once mistake it. But Paul saith-" Per semetipsum purgatio facta" ["When He had by Himself purged our sins" (Heb. i. 3)], by Himself, and by none other, Christ made purgation and satisfaction for the whole world. Would Christ this word (by Himself) had been better weighed and looked upon, and in sanctificationem, to make them holy; for He is juge sacrificium, a continual sacrifice, in effect, fruit, and operation, that like as they who, seeing the serpent hung up in the desert, were put in remembrance of Christ's death, in whom as many as believed were saved; so all men that trusted in the death of Christ shall be saved, as well they that were before as they that came after. For He was a continual sacrifice, as I said, in effect, fruit, operation, and virtue, as though He had from the beginning of the world, and continually should to the world's end, hang still on the cross; and He is as fresh hanging on the cross now, to them that believe and trust in Him, as He was fifteen hundred

years ago when He was crucified. Then let us trust upon His only death, and look for none other sacrifice propitiatory, than the same bloody sacrifice, the lively sacrifice, and not a dry sacrifice, but a bloody sacrifice. For Christ himself said—“ Consummatum est" [" It is finished " (John xix. 30)]. "It is perfectly finished. I have taken at my Father's hand the dispensation of redeeming mankind. I have wrought man's redemption, and have despatched the matter." Why then mingle ye Him? why do ye divide Him? Why make you of Him more sacrifices than one? Paul saith-" Pascha nostrum immolatus est Christus" [" Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. v. 7)], Christ our passover is offered up; so that the thing is done, and Christ hath done it, and He hath done it semel, once for all. And it was a bloody sacrifice, not a dry sacrifice.

Why, then, it is not the mass that availeth or profiteth for the quick or the dead! Woe worth thee, O devil! woe worth thee! thou hast prevailed so far and so long that thou hast made England to worship false gods, forsaking Christ their Lord. Woe worth thee, devil. Woe worth thee, devil, and all thine angels; if Christ by His death draweth all things to Himself, and draweth all men to salvation and to heavenly bliss that trust in Him, then the priests at the mass (at the Popish mass, I say), what can they draw when Christ draweth all, but lands and goods from the right heirs? The priests draw goods and riches, benefices and promotions to themselves; and such as believed in their sacrifice they draw to the devil. But Christ it is that draweth souls unto Him by His bloody sacrifice. What have we to do, then, but "Epulari in Domino" ["To eat the Lord's Supper" (I Cor. xi. 20)], to eat in the Lord at His supper. What other service have we to do to Him? and what other sacrifice have we to offer, but the mortification of our flesh? What other oblation have we to make, but of obedience, of good living, of good works, and of helping our neighbors? But as for our redemption, it is done already, it cannot be better. Christ hath done that thing so well that it cannot be amended. It cannot be devised how to make that any better than He hath done it. But the devil, by the help of that Italian bishop yonder, his chaplain, hath labored by all means that he might to frustrate the death of Christ and the merits of His passion. And they have devised for that purpose, to make us believe in other vain

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things by his pardons, as to have remission of sins for praying on hallowed beads; for drinking of the bakehouse bowl, as a canon of Waltham Abbey once told me, that whensoever they put their loaves of bread into the oven, as many as drank of the pardon bowl should have pardon for drinking of it. A mad thing to give pardon to a bowl. Then to Pope Alexander's holy water, to hallowed bells, palms, candles, ashes, and what not?

And of these things, every one hath taken away some part of Christ's sanctification. Every one hath robbed some part of Christ's passion and cross, and hath mingled Christ's death, and hath been made to be propitiatory and satisfactory, and to put away sin. Yea, and Alexander's holy water yet at this day remaineth in England, and is used as a remedy against spirits, and to chase away devils; yea, and I would this had been the worst. I would this were the worst. But woe worth thee, O devil, that hast prevailed to evacuate Christ's cross, and to mingle the Lord's Supper. These be the Italian bishop's devices, and the devil hath pricked at this mark to frustrate the cross of Christ; he shot at this mark long before Christ came, he shot at this prick four thousand years before Christ hanged on the cross, or suffered His passion.

For the brazen serpent was set up in the wilderness to put men in remembrance of Christ's coming, that like as they who beheld the brazen serpent were healed of their bodily diseases, so they that looked spiritually upon Christ that was to come, in Him should be saved spiritually from the devil. The serpent was set up in memory of Christ to come, but the devil found means to steal away the memory of Christ's coming, and brought the people to worship the serpent's self, and to cense him, to honor him, and to offer to him, to worship him, and to make an idol of him.

And this was done by the market men that I told you of.

And the clerk of the market did it for the lucre and advantage of his master, that thereby his honor might increase, for by Christ's death he could have but small worldly advantage. And even now so hath he certain blanchers belonging to the market, to let and stop the light of the Gospel, and to hinder the king's proceedings in setting forth the Word and glory of God. And when the king's majesty, with the advice of his honorable council, goeth about to promote God's Word, and to

set an order in matter of religion, there shall not lack blanchers that will say, "As for images, whereas they have been used to be censed, and to have candles offered unto them, none be so foolish to do it to the stock or stone, or to the image itself, but it is done to God and His honor before the image." And though they should abuse it, these blanchers will be ready to whisper the king in the ear, and to tell him that this abuse is but a small matter. And that the same, with all other like abuses in the Church, may be reformed easily. "It is but a little abuse," say they," and it may be easily amended. But it should not be taken in hand at the first, for fear of trouble or further inconveniences-the people will not bear sudden alterations: an insurrection may be made after sudden mutation, which may be to the great harm and loss of the realm. Therefore all things shall be well, but not out of hand, for fear of further business." These be the blanchers that hitherto have stopped the Word of God, and hindered the true setting forth of the same. There be so many put-offs, and so many put-byes, so many respects and considerations of worldly wisdom. And I doubt not but there were blanchers in the old time, to whisper in the ear of good King Hezekiah for the maintenance of idolatry done to the brazen serpent, as well as there hath been now of late, and be now, that can blanch the abuse of images and other like things. But good King Hezekiah would not be so blinded; he was like to Apollos, fervent in spirit. He would give no ear to the blanchers; he was not moved with these worldly respects, with these prudent considerations, with these policies; he feared not insurrections of the people. He feared not lest his people would not bear the glory of God; but he (without any of these respects, or policies, or considerations, like a good king, for God's sake, and for conscience sake) by-and-by plucked down the brazen serpent, and destroyed it utterly, and beat it to powder. He out of hand did cast down all images, he destroyed all idolatry, and clearly did extirpate all superstition. He would not hear these blanchers and worldly-wise men, but without delay followed God's cause, and destroyed all idolatry out of hand. Thus did good King Hezekiah; for he was like Apollos, fervent in spirit, and diligent to promote God's glory. And good hope there is that it shall be likewise here in England; for the king's majesty is so brought up in knowledge, virtue, and godliness,

that it is not to be mistrusted but that we shall have all things well, and that the glory of God shall be spread abroad throughout all parts of the realm, if the prelates will diligently apply their plough, and be preachers rather than lords; but our blanchers, who will be lords, and no laborers, when they are commanded to go and be resident upon their cures, and to preach in their benefices, they would say, "What! I have set a deputy there! I have a deputy that looketh well to my flock, and the which shall discharge my duty." A deputy, quoth he. I looked for that word all this while. And what a deputy must he be, trow ye? Even one like himself. It must be a canonist, that is to say, one that is brought up in the study of the Pope's laws and decrees. One that will set forth papistry as well as himself will do, and one that will maintain all superstitious idolatry.

And one that will nothing at all, or else very weakly, resist the devil's plough, yea, happy it is if he take not part with the devil; and when he should be an enemy to him, it is well if he take not the devil's part against Christ. But in the mean time the prelates take their pleasures. They are lords, and no laborers; but the devil is diligent at his plough. He is no unpreaching prelate. He is no lordly loiterer from his cure, but a busy ploughman, so that among all the prelates, and among all the pack of them that have cure, the devil shall go for my money. For he still applieth his business. Therefore, ye unpreaching prelates, learn of the devil to be diligent in doing of your office. Learn of the devil. And if you will not learn of God nor good men, for shame learn of the devil. "Ad erubescentiam vestram dico" ["I speak to your shame” (1 Cor. vi. 5)]. I speak it for your shame. If you will not learn of God nor good men to be diligent in your office, learn of the devil. Howbeit there is now very good hope that the king's majesty, being by the help of good governance of his most honorable councillors, he is trained and brought up in learning and knowledge of God's Word, will shortly provide a remedy, and set an order herein; which thing that it may so be, let us pray for him. Pray for him, good people, pray for him; ye have great cause and need to pray for him.

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