A68658:19
A brief declaration of the Lords Supper, writtenA brief declaracion of the Lordes Supper, written
A brief declaration of the Lords Supper, written by the singular learned man, and most constant martyr of Jesus Christ, Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London prisoner in Oxford, a little before he suffered death for the true testimony of ChristA brief declaracion of the Lordes Supper, written by the syngular learned man, and most constaunt martir of Iesus Christ, Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London prisoner in Oxforde, a litel before he suffred deathe for the true testimonie of Christ
Emden: printed by E. van der Erve, 1555
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.
And that which was said, that with ⟨image 6⟩the receipt of the holy Sacrament of the blessed body and blood of Christ is received of every one, good & bad, either life or death, it is not meant, that they which are dead before God, may hereby receive life: or the living before God can hereby receive death. For as non is mete to receive natural food, whereby the natural life is nourished, except he be borne & live before: so no man can feed (by the receipt of this holy sacrament) of the food of eternal life, except he be regenerated & borne of God before. And on the other side, no man here receiveth damnation which is not dead before.
And that which was sayd, that wt ⟨image 6⟩the recept of the holy Sacrament of the blessed body and blood of Christ is receaued of euery one, good & badde, either life or deathe, it is not mēt, that they which are dead before God, maie hereby receaue life: or the lyuing before God can hereby receaue deathe. For as non is mete to receaue natural fode, wherby ye natural life is nourished, except he be borne & liue before: so no man cā fede (by the recept of this holy sacrament) of the fode of eternal life, except he be regenerated & borne of God before. And on the other syde, no man here receaueth damnacion which is not dead before.
Thus hitherto without all doubt, God is my witness, I say so far as I do know, there is no controversy among them that be learned, in the church of England (concerning the matter of this sacrament) but all do agree, whether they be new or old: and to speak plain, and as some of them do odiously call either other: whether they be protestants, papists, Pharisees, or gospellers. And as all do agree hitherto, in the aforesaid doctrine, so all do detest, abhor & con den the wicked heresy of the Messalonianes, ⟨image 7⟩which other wise be called Euticheres, which said, that the holy Sacrament can neither do good nor harm. Al do all so condemn those wicked Anabaptists, which put no difference between the Lords table and the lords meat, & their own. And because charity would, that we should, (if it be possible, and so far as we may with the safeguard of good conscience, & maintenance of the truth) agree with all men: therefore me thinks, it is not charitably done to burden any man (either new or old, as they call them) further, than such do declare them selves, to dissent from that we are persuaded to be truth, or pretend thereto to be controversies, where as non suche are in deed: and so to multiply the debate, the which the more it doth increase, the further it doth depart from the unity, that the true christian should desire.