A01268:232
A book made by John Frith prisoner in the tower of London answering unto…A boke made by Iohn Frith prisoner in the tower of London answeringe vnto…
A book made by John Frith prisoner in the tower of London answering unto M mores letter which he wrote against the first little treatise that John Frith made concerning the sacrament of the body and blood of, christ unto which book are added in the end the articles of his examination before the bishops ... for which John Frith was condemned a[n]d after bur[n]et ... the fourth day of Juli. Anno. 1533.A boke made by Iohn Frith prisoner in the tower of London answeringe vnto M mores lettur which he wrote agenst the first litle treatyse that Iohn̄ Frith made concerninge the sacramente of the body and bloude of, christ vnto which boke are added in the ende the articles of his examinacion before the bishoppes ... for which Iohn Frith was condempned a[n]d after bur[n]et ... the fourth daye of Iuli. Anno. 1533.
Imprinted at Monster i.e. Antwerp : Anno 1533 by me Conrad Willems i.e. H. Peetersen van Middelburch?, 1533Imprinted at Monster i.e. Antwerp : Anno 1533 by me Conrade Willems i.e. H. Peetersen van Middelburch?, 1533
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now dear brethren I beseech you for the mercy that ye look fore in Christ Jesus / that you accept this work with a single eye and no contentions heart For necessity hath compelled me to write it / because I was informed both of my lord of winchester and other credible persons / that I had by the means of my first treatise offended many men. Which thing may well be true: For it was to slender to instruct all them which have sins seen it / alb• it it were sufficient for their use to whom it was first delivered, And therefore I thought it not only expedient but also necessary / to instruct them further in the truth / that they might see plain evidence of that thing where in they were offended.
NOwe deare brethern I beseche you for the mercye that ye loke fore in Christ Iesu / that you accept thys worke wt a syngle eye and no contentyons harte For necessite hath cōpelled me to wryte yt / because I was informed both of my lorde of winchester and other creadyble persons / that I had by the meanes of my fyrst treatise offended many men. Which thinge maye well be true: For yt was to slender to enstructe all thē wc haue sins sene yt / alb• yt yt were suffecyent for their vse to whom yt was fyrst deliuered, And therfore I thought yt not onlye expedient but also necessarie / to enstructe them further in the truth / that they might se plaine euidēce of that thing wher in they were offended.
By this work you shall espy their blasphemies & the venomous tongues where with they slander not only them that publish the truth / but even the truth it self. They shame not to say / that we affirm it to be only bred and nothing else. And we say not so: but we say that beside the substance of bred / it is the sacrament of Christs body and blood. As the ivy hanging ⟨image 81⟩before the tavern door is more then bare ivy. For beside the substance of ivy / it is a sign / and signifieth that there is wine to be sold. And this sacrament signifieth unto us and pointeth out before our eyes that as verily as that bred is broken / so verily was christs body broken for our since: And as that bred is distributed unto us / so is his body and fruit of his passion distributed unto all his faithful. And as the bred comforteth the body so doth the faith in Christs death comfort our souls. And as surely as we have that bred and eat it with our mouth and teeth / and know by our senses that we have it with in us / and are partakers thereof: no more need we to doubt of his body and blood / but that thorough faith / we are as sure of them / as we are sure of that bred As it is sufficiently declared in my book.