[The principal points which are at this day in controversy, concerning the holly supper…[The principal points which are at this daye in controuersie, concerning the holly supper…

Chapter. vi.

Of the chief different that is between the reformed Church and the Romaine, touching the Supper and the Mass, and of the mean to agree it.

Of the chiefe different that is betweene the reformed Church and the Romaine, touching the Supper and the Masse, and of the meane to agree it.

IF then they be able to show that their Mass is in substance the very supper of the Lord, and their sacrament of the Altar his very table, our strife is ended. For we will never strive against the truth, when they shall make it appear unto us by good and sure testimonies of the word of God, the which is revealed unto us by the scriptures. But if they cannot show the same unto us by this mean, and that we be able to show them the contrary by the same mean which we require of them, to wit, that the Mass such as it is at this day, is not only not the very table and supper of the Lord, but is wholly contrary to the same, we beseech them that they would not resist the manifest truth, but that they give glory to God, and do suffer that their Mass be so reformed according to the ordinance of Jesus Christ, that ⟨image 7⟩as it hath been perverted into the same, even so the same may be restored again to the true form which he gave to his holy supper, and was observed in the ancient Church. And then when that shall be done, which is so just and reasonable that nothing can be more, all the controversies shall be ended, and they shall be no more divided nor banded the one against the other for the supper and for the mass: wherein every man may judge whether we demand any thing that is not very just and very reasonable, and whether they may justly refuse the same. It resteth yet that I do declare the principal reasons which do hinder us from the accepting of the mass, such as they do set forth unto us for the true supper of the Lord, and for what cause we may in no wise receive nor accept the same, but are constrained to reject it, as a thing which cannot agree with the true Christian religion, if there be not such reformation that it be no more that which it is at this present, but that it be the true supper of the Lord, such as it is set forth unto us by the Evangelists and the Apostles, who are sure and true witnesses of the doctrine and of the ordinances and works of Jesus Christ their master, who did choose and call them to that office.