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TO HIS

SINGULAR AND DEAR FRIEND,

MASTER WILLIAM GYBBES',

THOMAS BECON WISHETH LONG LIFE, CONTINUAL HEALTH,
AND PROSPEROUS FELICITY.

Ir is greatly to be lamented, most gentle master Gibbes, that in this so clear and open light of Christ's gospel (which through the singular benefit of God shineth in these our days almost throughout the whole world, so that not only those nations which profess Christ, but also the rude, savage, barbarous, and heathenish people, as the Moors, the Turks, the Saracens, and such-like, begin to walk in the same, unto their great comfort and solace, unto their singular joy and unoutspeakable delight, yea, and daily more and more spreadeth forth and stretcheth out his golden and glistering beams even unto the furthest and uttermost parts of the earth, that this prophecy of our Saviour Christ in these latter days and last age of this old and crooked sinful world may be verified, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the Matt. xxiv. world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come,") there are so many found, which of an obstinate and malicious blindness choose rather to tumble and wallow in the cloudy constitutions and dark decrees of antichrist, unto the great danger of their souls' health, than joyfully and pleasantly to walk in the most joyful and pleasant light of the most sweet and comfortable doctrine of our most loving Lord and sovereign Saviour Jesu Christ, unto the undeceivable and sure state of their everlasting salvation.

xxx ii.

Verily, when I consider this their careful case and woful state (I consider it often, yea, and that not without troublous tears), I can none otherwise than lament and sorrow this their too much miserable and damnable condition, into the which they are cast, not by God's appointment, nor by his determinate counsel, which "will not the death Ezek. xviii. of a sinner, but rather that he turn and live," which also "will have all men to be 1 Tim. ii. saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth," but through the envy of the devil, and through their own wilful, obstinate, froward, and malicious blindness, while they rather choose to be deceived with the false persuasions of the most false and fleshly hypocrites, than to lean, to consent, and to agree to the manifest truth of God's most blessed word; yea, and that so much the more, because it is thus written by the apostle: "If our gospel be yet hid, it is hid among them that are lost; in 2 Cor. iv. whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, which is the image of God, should shine unto them." Likewise saith our Saviour Christ: "This is the condemnation, that John iii. light is come into the world; and men have loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that evil doeth hateth the light, neither cometh he to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be known, how that they are wrought in God." Again: "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin. But now ye say, We see; there- John ix. fore your sin remaineth." Once again: "If I had not come and spoken unto them, John xv. they should have had no sin; but now have they nothing to cloke their sin withal.”

[1 Various branches of the family of Gibbe or Gibbes were settled in the counties of Devon, Somerset, Warwick, and Kent, and were descended from ancestors existing in Britanny or Normandy before the conquest. The William Gybbes, who most probably was addressed in the dedication of this treatise by Becon, appears to have been of the Kentish branch, seated at Folkestone in the time of Henry VII. He purchased the manor of Elmstone

[BECON, III.]

2

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Isai. xxx.

Job [xxii.]

Jer. xliv.

Matt. viii.

1 Cor. i. Isai. xxix.

1 Cor. i.

354

A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE LORD'S SUPPER, &c. These owls and light-flying birds are like to those kind of people which by the prophet speak to the prophets and preachers of God's truth on this manner: "See not, say they unto the seers; and to them that be clear of judgment they say, Look not out right things for us, but speak fair words unto us, look our errors, get you out of this way, depart out of this path, and turn the Holy One of Israel from us." And, as it is written in Job: "Depart thou from us; for we will not have the knowledge of thy ways." They are like to those obstinate and stiff-necked people which said to Jeremy the prophet: "As for the words that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will in no wise hear them; but whatsoever goeth out of our own mouth, that we will do. We will do sacrifice and offer oblations unto the queen of heaven, like as we and our forefathers, our kings, and our heads have done in the cities of Juda, and in the streets and fields of Jerusalem. For then had we plenteousness of victuals; then were we in prosperity; and no misfortune come upon us. But since we left to burn incense and to do sacrifice unto the queen of heaven, we have had scarceness of all things, and perish with the sword and hunger," &c. They are like to the gross Gergesites, which, hearing that their filthy swine were drowned, and that Christ was coming toward them, "went out to meet Jesus, even the whole city of them; and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts." They esteemed their filthy swine more than all the sweet, pleasant, comfortable, and healthful words of Christ, yea, more than their salvation.

After this manner be many people affected among us at this present day, yea, and that in this so clear light of the gospel, that I can none otherwise than marvel at this their blindness. But who is more blind than he which will not see? They have such and so great delight in their filthy swine, (I mean their popish ceremonies and trifling traditions of men,) that they regard nothing at all the truth of God's word. Of this sort are not only many of the simple, but also divers of such as will be counted wise and learned: which thing is the chief occasion that many in this our age do so stubbornly resist the Lord's truth, and by no means will learn, consent, and agree unto it; so truly is it said of the apostle: "Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many of high degree, are called." And God himself saith: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will cast away the understanding of the prudent."

And albeit divers sorts of divers people be of set malice and wilful blindness given to all kind of papistry, their minds utterly estranged from all love of God's truth, yet have they the popish mass in such reverence and in such admiration, that they think that mass to be the most high and principal service of God, and nothing in this world so greatly to please God as this popish mass; when, to say the truth, nothing done among the Christians doth so greatly displease God, and obscure the glory and honour of his most glorious and most honourable name, as this vile and idolatrous mass, being the puddle of all evil, the fountain and well-spring of all idolatry, superstition, false worshipping of God, hypocrisy, counterfeit religion, &c., and in all points so repugnant and contrary to the holy institution of the Lord's supper, that darkness is not more contrary to light, truth to falsehood, sickness to health, Christ to Belial, righteousness to unrighteousness.

Now, that all true English hearts may understand and perceive how greatly the greatest part of all them that are called Christians have been in times past, as many yet are, seduced and deceived by this glorious strumpet and gallant harlot the mass, while they only beheld and considered the outward gorgeous apparel of that Babylonical whore; I have plucked from her all that her glorious array, and disclosed her filthy nakedness, and set her forth to the eyes of all men even as she is; so that from henceforth none needeth to be deceived by her, except they will willingly cast themselves into her danger, and again be entangled and snarled with her whorish and filthy love, unto the great danger, yea, loss of their salvation.

And because the truth of this matter should the more evidently and plainly appear even to the mean-sighted, and to such as be of most gross judgment in matters of God, I have made a comparison between the Lord's supper and the pope's mass, in the which I have so set forth their contrarieties, that it shall for ever after be no hard thing to the diligent reader or hearer, on the one side, to see the truth of the

Lord's supper, and, on the other part, the falsehood of the pope's mass, with the doctrine of them both, and by this means easily judge what is to be thought of this wicked idol the mass, that glorious and gorgeous strumpet, "of whose wine of the Rev. xviii. wrath of her fornication all nations have drunken, and with whom the kings of the earth have committed whoredom," and so for ever avoid and flee from her, as from a most extreme pestilence, yea, as from death, devil, and damnation, according to this most wholesome admonition of God: Come away from her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins are gone up to heaven; and God hath remembered her wickedness," &c.

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This my labour in framing this comparison between the Lord's supper and the pope's mass I dedicate unto you, most gentle master Gybbes, partly that it may be unto our posterity a memorial of my singular love and right hearty good-will toward you, partly for the good affection that you have ever borne, even from your tender years, both toward the true religion of God and toward good letters, with the knowledge whereof God hath also, through the power of his Spirit and the working of his grace, abundantly enriched you; which thing you do both in your daily conversation, which is most honest, godly, virtuous, and quiet, practise, and also in the godly and comely education and bringing up of your children not only in the doctrine of true religion and good letters, but also in the right institution of virtuous manners; as I may speak nothing at this present of the most loving life between you and the virtuous gentlewoman your wife, of the commendable order used in your house among your servants, of the friendly and gentle entertainment of all men that come unto you, and of your liberality toward them that be of the household of faith. Go forth, as ye have begun, to bring forth these fruits of God's Spirit, and labour daily more and more to excel in them, that God also may go forth to have pleasure and delight in you, and to

enrich you from day to day abundantly more and more with

his graces and gifts; that you, enjoying his favour in this

world, may here obtain at his hand many and joyful days,

unto the great joy of all your friends and hearty good

willers, and after this life have the fruition

of his most glorious Majesty: which God

grant us all for his dear Son's sake,

Christ Jesus our Lord and alone

Saviour! Fare ye well, and

pray that God may short

ly tread down Satan
under our feet.

Amen.

A COMPARISON

BETWEEN THE

LORD'S SUPPER AND THE POPE'S MASS.

John xiii.

CHRIST, before he delivered to his disciples the holy signs of his body and blood, xiv. xv. xvi. made openly unto them an heavenly and godly sermon, of most heavenly and godly matters, wherewith he did allure, stir up, and inflame their minds unto true godliness.

Matt. xxvi.
Mark xiv.
Luke xxii.

The invoca

tion of dead saints is

wicked and ungodly.

Rom. x.
Psal. I.
Psal. cxvi.

Lib. xxii. cap. 10.

The massmonger, making none end of massing, never preacheth, neither declareth he the word of God and the true use of the sacraments, that by this means he may kindle and stir up them that stand by, and such as hear him, unto pure religion and unto a life worthy of Christ.

2. Christ, when he should minister the mysteries of his body and blood to his disciples, sat at a table, beholding and looking upon them most friendly and familiarly. The massmonger, altogether unhonestly and ungently turning himself from the people, standeth at an altar after the manner of Aharon, the unclean parts of his body turned to the people.

3. Christ, going about to celebrate his mystical supper, called upon God his Father with a devout and thankful mind.

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The massmonger, handling his scenical and stage-like supper, calleth upon the dead very busily, and desireth their help, when notwithstanding he is not certain whether the greatest part of them be in heaven or in hell. And what other thing is this, I pray you, than plain idolatry and a mere worshipping of idols, utterly to be abhorred of all godly persons? "How shall they call upon him," saith Paul, they have not believed?" "Call upon me," saith the most Highest, "in the time of thy trouble." That prince-like prophet saith also: "What reward shall I give again to the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done unto me? I will take the cup of saving health, and I will call upon the name of the Lord."

on whom

St Austin doth witness that the ministers of the church in the old time did call upon God, and not upon the saints departed, when they were about the ministration De Civ. Dei. of God's blessed sacraments, or doing any other service in the temples. "Unto the martyrs," saith he, "we do not offer our sacrifice, but unto God alone, which is the God both of the martyrs and of us, do we offer our sacrifices: at the time of the which sacrifices they, as the men of God which in confession of him have overcome the world, are named in their place and order; howbeit they are not prayed unto nor called upon by the priest'."

et Anima.

For God alone is to be called upon, and to be prayed unto, yea, and that only Lib. de Isaac in the name of Christ, "who is our mouth," as St Ambrose saith, "by whom we speak to the Father; our eye, by the which we see the Father; our right hand, by the which we offer unto the Father; which Christ except he maketh intercession for us, neither we nor any of the saints have any thing to do with God"."

"For the prayer which is not made in the name of Christ can not only [not] put away sin, but even the self-same prayer also is very sin3," as St Austin writeth.

[Nec ibi erigimus altaria, in quibus sacrificemus martyribus, sed uni Deo et martyrum et nostro : ad quod sacrificium, sicut homines Dei, qui mundum in ejus confessione vicerunt, suo loco et ordine nominantur; non tamen a sacerdote, qui sacrificat, invocantur.-August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. De Civ.

Dei, Lib. XXII. cap. x. Tom. VII. cols. 673, 4.]

[2 Ambros. Op. Par. 1686 -90. De Isaac et Anim. Lib. cap. viii. 75. Tom. I. col. 380. See Vol. I. page 150, note 2.]

[3 August. Op. Enarr. in Psalm. cviii. v. 7. Tom. IV. col. 1219. See Vol. I. page 149, note 3.]

A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE LORD'S SUPPER, &c.
unto you,

Therefore saith Christ himself: "Verily, verily, I say shall [ask] the Father in my name, he shall give it you."

357

Whatsoever ye John xvi.

4. Christ, in delivering the mystery of his body to his disciples, said: "This is Luke xxii. my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

The massmonger, in his conversation', as they term it, corrupting and depraving the words of Christ, sometime addeth, sometime diminisheth, and sometime utterly omitteth and speaketh of them nothing at all. For in the conversation of the bread this word enim is added, which word in that place is neither found in the evangelists nor in Paul; to the which word, notwithstanding, some papists do attribute and give so much that they plainly affirm that the conversation is imperfect, and that the body of Christ can by no means be made at mass, if the priest leave it out. And here the massmonger committeth [no] small offence against God; seeing that he is nothing afraid to add rashly unto the word of God, not considering that he hath this commandment given of God: "Ye shall not add any thing to the word which I command Deut. iv. you, neither take ought therefrom." Hereunto agreeth this saying of Salomon: "Put Prov. xxx. nothing unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." But if this one word enim be so necessary unto the consecrating and making of the body of Christ, is not Christ rightly and worthily to be accused of oversight and ignorance; seeing that, in so earnest and weighty a matter, he hath shewed himself so unadvised and so negligent? Besides this, what is to be thought of those churches and of their ministry, which, rejecting and laying aside the popish religion, recite the words of the Lord's supper, not out of men's decrees, but only out of the holy bible? What, is Christ therefore absent from the supper, which they simply and according to the institution of Christ do celebrate, because this word enim is absent? Moreover, in the consecration of the bread that promise, which is the whole substance of your salvation, even this, "Which is given for you," the massmonger utterly omitteth and leaveth out, making no mention at all of it, as though it appertained nothing unto your salvation; when, notwithstanding, we must freely confess, that although the body of Christ were never so much given, betrayed, delivered up, broken, scourged, and lifted up on the altar of the cross, yet doth that profit us nothing at all, except we most constantly and most assuredly believe that he suffered those most cruel torments and that most despiteful death for us, for our health, liberty, freedom, wealth, comfort, joy, commodity, and profit. And here also doth the massmonger

not a little offend, while he taketh and plucketh away so wholesome and fruitful words from the Lord's supper: yea, he committeth sacrilege, and is a plain soul-slayer, which craftily and like a thief stealeth away from the christian people a promise full of so great comfort and sweetness.

5. Christ, delivering the cup of the mystery of his blood to his disciples, said: "Drink ye all of this. This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed Matt. xxvi. for you and for many into the remission of sins."

Luke xxii.

The massmonger, in the consecration of the wine, useth not altogether the very same words which Christ used, but he addeth and bringeth other words of his own, as though (if I might so say) the consecration of Christ were mangled and unperfect. These are the massmonger's words: "Verily this is the cup of my blood, a new and everlasting testament, the mystery of faith, which shall be shed for you and many into the remission of sins"." Albeit in this adding and heaping of words together no great evil and deceit is hidden, yet doth it not become a mortal man, whose property it is to fall, to err, to deceive, and to be deceived, who also is flesh, earth, ashes, and Isai. xl. dust, to add to the words of Christ, which is the everlasting Wisdom of the Father, and "in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," as Paul saith, “are hidden.” Col. ii. If any man shall add any thing to the testament of any mortal man, or shall take Gal. if. any thing from it, he for ever after is so evil departed with all men, that he is never credited nor believed after. What therefore is to be thought of them which either

[ In all these places the true reading is most probably either conversion or consecration. Compare 1. 17.]

[ Missal. ad Us. et Consuet. Sar. Par. 1527. Canon Missæ, fol. 158. See Vol. II. page 456, note 2.]

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