which is in hand Therfore it representeth the great and heauenly things which the holy words of the high priest of our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Jesus doe declare This is my body sayth he which is broken for you doe this in rememberance of me Againe of the Cup of wine This Cup is the newe Testament in my bloude which is shedde for you What meane these wordes what sence haue they what signifye they some prodigious thing or newe thing or light thing or thing of smale value No. But the most certaine testifycation and assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes saluation life euerlasting which we obtaine by the death of Christ and which is exhibited by the outwarde elementes of bread and wine but receiued only by y inward hand of fayth and séene onely by the inwarde eye of Fayth Christ gaue to his disciples bread and wine ye he gaue also vnto theÌ„ his body and blood that they by fayth being fed with this heaeÌ„nly bread this heauenly drinke might haue life euerlasting which to printe more surely in their harts he playnly telleth theÌ„ of his blessed body y was to be rent for them and his precious blood that was to be shedde for them and for many other that God the Father being pacified with this rich sacrifice might forgeue theÌ„ there sinnes Therfore he called this a new league a new testament often promised by the holy Prophets which was to be confirmed not by the blood of beastes but by the sheadding of his holy and precious blood wherefore his will and pleasure was that this mistery of so great things should be celebrated euer in publique assemblies both that the remembrance of hym might euer be freshe with hys and that often thankes might be geuen to God the father that his louers and professoâ—â— might be stirred to mutuall loue by so godly a presideÌ„t also signed wyth the holy seale of eternall blisse But thus much at large the rest more briefly that truth may be sooner picked out and more plainely appere For as Marcus Tullius saieth of Philosophers So I thinke Deuines bounde to briefe arguments That which christ toke he brake that which he brake he gaue to his Disciples that which he gaue to his disciples he called his body Therefore he called breade his bodye For he toke breade brake breade and gaue it to his Disciples But that which is breade by nature is not the substance of Christes bodye Except we will prodigiously confounde the substance of things and so by consequente the naturall bodye of Christ is not really and bodily in the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ But here is made a stoppe that Christ blessed the bread after he had takeÌ„ it as S. Mathew and S. Marck sayeth by vertue whereof there followed such a chaunge that although he tooke bread yet he neyther brake bread nor gaue bread This sophistication is called of the Logitians Petitio Principij For fyrst S. Marcke doth not say that Christ blessed the bread but that when he had taken he blessed Secondly the gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth as well sygnify to geue thanks as to blesse and that it sygnifyeth there to geue thankes because the holy ghost is the best expounder of it selfe Both S. Luke S. Paule declare which both for that worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vse this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifyeth so geue thanks and not to blesse Thirdly as it was meÌ„t touching the bread So was it mente touching the Cuppe and Wyne But both Mathew and Marcke themselues speaking of the Cuppe or wyne vse not thys worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the saide worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therfore it is manifest that both they ment hée gaue thankes after that he had takeÌ„ the bread and he gaue thanckes after he had taken the Cuppe Briefely thus that that is true about the bread is true also about the Cuppe of wyne but the cuppe or the wyne haue ioyned vnto them no wordes of consecration or transubstantiation or chaunging of one substaunce into another as it appereth by S. Luke and S. Paule Therefore the first principle is God that breade was taken the bread was broken and that bread was geuen to the Disciples Adde to these that S. Paule in the xx Chapter and fyrst Epistle to the Corinthians aduisedly purposely speaking of the Lords supper sayeth is not the bread which we breake the partaking of body of Christ And Luke in the secoÌ„d of the Actes They did continue together in the doctrine of the Apostles in pertaking and breaking of bread a little after he sayeth that the Disciples came together to breake bread by the which it is necessarily concluded that the same was broken which was taken and that that was broken was geuen 〈…〉 and of that that was geuen did Christ say this is my body Therefore christ did say of bread this is my body For as Christe ment of the bread so he ment of the wine but he ment of wyne to be drawen and drunke as it appeareth by Marcke and Mathew where he sayd I will drincke no more of the fruite of this wyne c. Therefore he ment also that bread that was eaten Agayne if the substaunce of the bread be chaunged into the substaunce of the body Then the substaunce of the wine should be chaunged to the substaunce of the blood but in the second place not the substaunce of wyne but the substaunce of the cuppe should be chaunged into the new Testamente by the wordes of coÌ„secration as their terme is For wheras Mathew and Marck briefely saye This is my blood Luke and Paule doe set downe at large this cuppe is the new testameÌ„t in my blood But you will say that the cuppe doth signify the wine in the cuppe by a fygure called Metonomia Then you graunt that the holy Ghost doth speake fyguratiuely in the matter of the Sacrament but let that goe and let it be this wyne is the new testament in my blood if the wyne should be chaunged it must be changed into the newe Testamente of Christes blood but that spéech caÌ„not stand except it be vnderstood fyguratiuely and spiritually thus This Wine is a visible signe of mine new inuisible league couenaunt will grace and mercy which shall be confirmed and sealed with the sheadding of my blood Then neyther the fyrste wordes touching the bread implye any chaunge of substaunce but haue a spirituall and figuratiue meaning For whether you say the cuppe or the wyne the spéech must needes be fyguratiue For neither the cuppe or the wyne eyther is or can be properly called a testamente Nowe if the second spéech of the wyne do necessarily imply two figures at the leaste why should it seeme so strange to saye that the first spéech of the bread deth also imply a figure Doe you then saye you thinke that Christ spake doubtfully and woulde in his last
that his godhead and manhood be plucked asunder because we auouch that the naturall body of Christ is in heauen at the right hand of God the Father and yet his godhead to be euery where did not his godhead then fill heauen and earth when his naturall body was in a corner of the earth wheÌ„ it lay in the graue And may not nowe the Godhead fill the whole world and his naturall body be onely in heauen and the two natures not seuered Away then away with quarrels and let truth preuayle and tryumphe by the which the two natures of christ tyed togeather with the merueylous bonde of the vnion be distinguished but not seperated And truely to continue in the same resemblance of saint Basill the fyre doth not chaunge all the properties of the Iron for the Iron fyred and hotte is heauy falleth downward is a solidde and thicke body This is S. Basils meaning that these forces of the fyre be transferred into the Iron of the which the nature of the yroÌ„ is capable not those which ouer throwe the nature of the yron And in like manner that those forces and proprieties of the godhead be transferred into the body of Christ of the which the nature of the body is capable not those which ouerthrow the nature of the body For we must â—uer haue recourse to that worthy shying of S. Austen he gaue immortallity to his body but he tooke not awaye the nature of the body neyther is the godhead of the man so to be mainteined that the truth of the body be destroyed But why do I stand vpon this poynt why doth my spéech so long waÌ„der why doe I not open the spring of this controuersy For al this conteÌ„tion floweth froÌ„ the question aboute the presence of the naturall body of Christ being in the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ For if that matter be once ordered and adiudged the other will soone be ended But that is a matter of great importaunce of the greatest in the worlde it oughte not to be handled but warely and reuerently most warely and most reuerently Your good name shal be rent with the bad spéeches not only of the enemies but of the enuious I refer that to god The matter is very hard The questyon to too darke discoursed in Sermons Jossed in disputations varyed of through all Christendome and as it should séeme of passing great difficulty God will helpe out with that whose both helpe we most humbly pray and busines most faythfully do out of whose most blessed and most certayne most true wordes all the reste of our spéeche shall grow It is written in the .26 Chapter of the Gospell after S. Mathewe in this wise when Jesus had taken bread and blest he did breake and gaue to the Disciples and sayd take ye eate ye this is my body And taking the Cup after he had geuen thanks he gaue to them saying drink all ye of this For this is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the forgeuenesse of sinnes And in the .14 after S. Marke when Jesus had taken the bread and geuen thanks he did breake and gaue to them and sayd Take yée eate yée this is my body and when he had taken the Cuppe and geuen thanks he gaue to them and sayd Drinke ye all of this and he sayde to them this is my blood of the newe testament which is shead for many And in the .22 after S. Luke when he had taken bread and geuen thankes he brake and gaue to them saying This is my body which is geuen for you doe you this in remembraunce of me Likewise also the cuppe after he had supped saying This cuppe is the new testameÌ„t in my blood which is shed for many Lastly saint Paule to the Corinthians the .xj. Chapter and the fyrst Epistle The Lorde tooke breade and when he had giuen thankes he brake and said Take ye eate ye this is my body which is broken for you do ye this in remembrance of me Likewise also the cup after he had supped saying this cup is the newe testament in my bloude Doe ye thys as often as you shall drinke in remembraunce of me For as oft as you shall eate this bread and drinke of this cup you shall shewe the Lordes death vntill his comming I haue set downe the whole words of the holye ghost done out of greeke into Englishe worde by worde That so good a foundation being layde the rest that foloweth myght be the more fyrmly builded thervpon Let vs nowe view and waigh all these things Christ toke the same bread in his hande which was vpon the table Christ gaue to his Disciples the same breade and whiles he was giuing the breade to his disciples he speaketh as before whiles his Disciples eate this breade whiles they did broose it with their téeth and swallowed it into their stomaks where was christ was be not at the table did he not speak to theÌ„ did he not both eate drink with them was he not séene hearde and touched In which place was the bodye of Christ In the mouth and stomack of his disciples or at the table where they both sawe Christ and heard Christ if you say in both places Then this followeth That eyther Christ had two bodies or else that there was two christs both which aunsweres be very vngodly and absurde But you wil say the words be plaine for Christ saide plainely and distinctly This is my body This is my bloude Neyther is it lyke that Christ woulde speake doubtfully in the last talke that he had with his disciples I graunt the words be plaine after the maner of misteries in the which things subiect to the sense doe represent and shewe things which be taken onely of a godly minde and by a religious fayth I graunt that Christ gaue his bodye and that his Disciples toke it and eate it not after a naturall and grosse maner but after a supernaturall that is he heauenly and spirituall What then doe you denie that the breade is the bodye of Christ That the wine is the bloud of Christ not I truely But I saye that they be so in truth of religion sacrament and mistery and not by chaunging of nature element or substaunce For Christ doth call the breade his body but he doth not say that it is chaunged into his bodye Then you call it breade and the holye writer of this holy Storie doth himselfe call it breade the wordes be these He toke breade he gaue thankes he brake he gaue doth he not meane by this circumstance of wordes to make the matter plaine I praye you what toke he bread What brake he the same bread What gaue he the same bread For that that he toke that he brake and that that he brake that he gaue to hys Disciples and that that he gaue to his disciples that did his disciples eate But bicause it is a mistery
departure leaue hys Churche doubtfully Not I truely Why then do you talke of figures and troupes and figuratiue speeches and spirituall senses â–ª Not euerye figuratiue speeche is doubtfull and it is as great a faulte to refuse a figure when the place geueth it as to force a figure when there is none And it is most manifest by Saint Luke and saint Paule that the second speech of the Cup or wine is figuratiue and hath a spirituall sence For bothe they expounding the briefe wordes set downe by saint Mathew and S. Marke expressely saye that Christ saide this Cup is the newe Testamente in my blood And what sence or meaning can these wordes haue but this that in this sacrament there is deliuered vnto Christians a visible and most certayne signe or seale of that new inuisible truse will grace and mercie which God hath made and assured hys church of in these more mylde and gracyous dayes and would seale and ratify with the bloude of his sonne For the words in S. Luke doe proue this sence which he addeth of Christ saying Doe this in rememberance of me and also of saint Paule Ye shall thewe the Lordes death vntill he come Neyther here do I doubt that the true godly learned wil thinke that I haue not spokeÌ„ reuerently of this most holye and blessed misterie For I geue more honor and reuerence to it by a great deale then any that doth fansye a grosse and carnall presence But some will saye that I ouerthrowe all bring all to naught and make the holy sacrament nothing else but a péece of bread and a little wine that is a most false and malicious slaunder For I most certainely beléeue it to be one of the most precious Jewels that Christ left to hys church and that both the body and blood of Christ is truely and effectually exhibited by the power and grace of God and truely and effectually receaued by the fayth of the christian receyuer But such men deale with me as they such other deale with good preachers which to pull downe the pryde of mans harte telleth him that he is nothing but dust earth ashes and smoke and grasse and then a worldling wyll saye that that preacher maketh a man no better then a beast Whereas the preacher mente this onely of the one parte of man that is his body wisedome beautie glorye pompe and porte which in déede be nothing else but dust and grasse smoke that fade and perishe away and not of the seconde parte of manne that is hys soule which is immortall and eternall and certainly as man hath two partes the first the bodys which is visible fading the seconde his soule which is inuisible and eternall euen so this holye and blessed sacrament hath two partes The fyrst of the element of breade and wyne which is visible and fading the second the grace and fruites and benefites of the bod of Christ rent and his blood shed for the raunsome of man And as he that sayeth the body of man is meere flesh and fading flesh and nothing but flesh deeth not deny the immortality of â—â—e so de therby nor make whole man nothing the but body and flesh for he meaneth onely of the fyrste and fading parte of man which is sensible and not of the second part of man which is insensible euen so he that sayeth that the elemente of breade and wyne be n 〈…〉 re bread and wyne fading bread and wyne and nothing but bread and wyne doth not therby deny or take away the grace and benefyte of the body and blood of Christ nor make that blessed sacrameÌ„t nothing else but bread and wyne For he meaneth onely the fyrst and fading part of that sacrament which is sensible and not of the seconde which is insensible And let any indifferent man iudge whether he speaketh more honourably or doth more set forth the maiesty of that sacrament which sayth that free forgeuenesse of all our sinnes and a sure possession of eternall life springing froÌ„ the free mercy of God is deriued and poured into christian heartes by that sacrament and as a Conduite thorough the force of a true liuely fayth in the death and merittes of our only Sauyoure Christ Jesus or he which by fancying of a real carnal or corporall presence doth binde and tye al the grace and power to creatures I confesse with all my harte â— Christ hath left vnto his church nothing eyther if a man consider profite more fruitfull or if swéetenesse more pleasant or if honour more glorious then the most holy and blessed sacramente of the body and blood of Christe by the which the moste aboundaunt grace and mercy of God is dropped into holy and faythfull soules but to speake otherwise of creatures then can be iustified by the word of god is wicked and damnable And such as would haue al things litterally vnderstood let them view the wordes well and neyther this worde Cuppe nor Is can be litterally vnderstood which also Thomas Aquinas there Archscholeman doth confesse saying By that that is contayned in this Cuppe is remembred the new Testamente confyrmed by the bleed of Christ For this worde cuppe he sayeth that that is contayned in the Cuppe For this worde Is he sayeth is remembred is represented or is sygnifyed And although in others they condemne necessary plaine figures yet they themselues be forced to immagine vnnecessary to to straunge fygures fyrst where the Tert sayeth Hoc meaning this bread they will not haue it so but theyexpound it to be indiuidium vaguÌ„ which is not any certayne determined thing but onely one certayn thing at large in generality where y text doth say Est is they saye transubstantiatur transelementatur is chaunged into the substaunce the nature of the element is changed These wordes take ye eate ye this is my body they turne thus this is my body take ye eate ye by a fygure called Husteron Proteron which setteth that behind that should goe before He blessed sayeth the text he transubstantiated he chaunged the substaunce saye they he brake sayeth the text the accidentes the formes or sheaues of bread say they Do ye sayth the text sacrifyce ye say they This word bread hath a Quatermon of fygures Fyrst because it was bread Secondly because the Infydell taketh it onely to be bread Thirdly because the fourme and shewe of bread remayneth stil Fourthly because the forme or shew of bread doth nortish as perfectly as though it were bread Frangitur is broken sayth the Texte frangebatur it was broken or videtur frangi séemeth to bée broken say they Now seemeth to be broken is as much as is not broken Then the word of the Text Is is broken their word or expositioÌ„ Is is not broken and this is a to too straunge kinde of fygure For Is broken and is not broken imply a playne and full contradiction Much like as the glose expoundeth the Texte statuimus
but had not his purpose then he plucked forth the shirt of Iuâ—ius Caesar all to bée sprinckled with blood and sayd the forth before the eyes of the people which as soone as the people behealde with their eyes they were inflamed by and by as it were with the seÌ„sible old loue of their good Soueraigne and ran fourthwith fyred the houses of the traytors and killed them Euen so when the Preacher setteth forth the graces and mercies of God obtained to man by renting of the blessed body and shedding of the precious blood of the vnspotted Lambe Christ Jesus it moueth man much but when the said Preacher doth pluck forth the shirte of Christ be sprinckled with blood that is by breaking of bread sheweth to the eye how his body was broken and by drinking of the Wyne how his blood was shed it inflameth man as it were with the sensible old loue of his grand Soueraigne Christ Jesus The like example is drawen out of the holy writ wheÌ„ the Leuites wife was killed by the wickednesse of the Sabionittes he the said Leuite cut his wife into twelue péeces sent one péece to eche Tribe of Israell with this message that one might vpon necessity be lodged in the Citty of Gabia where his wife was not only most vngodly abused but also cruelly murthered which moued theÌ„ somewhat but when the messenger plucked forth the parts of the woman and shewed the head to one the arme to an other and so forth all the people by by were moued as one to reuenge that fact euen so when the preacher telleth the people of the whipping scourging of Christe of the nailing to the Crosse of the pearsing of his heart of the sweating dropping of water blood it moueth man much but when he sheweth vnto the eye in the wine as it were the droppes of Christes blood it moueth man a thousande times more to the remembraunce of his death and thanckfulnesse So that the Sacramentes be both most necessary for instruction and also for vse For he that contemneth to be renued by water and the holy ghost contemneth eternall saluation he that contemneth to eate of the sacramental bread and drinke of the sacramentall wyne contemneth to bée pertaker of the death passion of Christ For albeit the grace of God is not tyed to these ordinances yet because they were ordayned of our sauyour for the comfort and instructioÌ„ of his people and to moue them to be thankfull for the great benefites which they haue receiued froÌ„ God in christ to despise the same is to despise God and to run and to get eternal damnation and yet to bind God to the outward elementes and rytes is méere superstition And that this is not my doctrine but the ancient fathers I shall show briefelye and plainely by the most famous of them Origin which liued aboue xij hundred yeares agoe writing vpon the .xv. chapter of saint Mathew saieth thus it is not the materiall substaunce of bread but the worde which is spoken ouer it that is profitable to the man that eateth it worthely And this I meane of the Tupical and simbâ—â—icall body of Christ Origin ascribeth all grace to the force of the word the worthinesse of the Receauer nameth the materiall substaunce of bread and calleth it the Tupical that is figuratiue and simbolical that is sacramentall body Before the bread sayeth Chrisostome to Cesarius the Monke be hallowed we call it bread but after the grace of God hath sanctifyed it by the meanes of the Minister it is deliuered new from the name of bread and estéemed worth to be called the body of Christ although the nature of bread remayneth still Theodoreto in his first dyalogue writing against Vtiches saieth thus he that calleth his naturall body Corne bread and nameth himselfe a vine trée euen he the same hath honored the sacramentall signes with the names of his body bloud not chaunging in déede the nature it self but adding grace vnto the nature Theodorete doth saye that Christ did not in déede chaunge the nature of bread and wine but added grace vnto the nature by vertue whereof they receyued force to féede the soules of the faithfull receyuers which naturall breade and wine cannot doe Augustine vpon the 89. Psalme speaking in the name of our Lorde and Sauiour to his Disciples and recyting and expounding the wordes of the institution of this blessed sacrament sayth thus It is not this body that you doe sée that ye shall eate nor the bloud that the souldiours shall shed that shall crucify me that ye shall drinke but I doe commend vnto you a misterie which spirituallye vnderstoode shall giue you life Saint Augustine doth say that they did not eate of his naturall body for that was séene of them nor drinke his naturall bloode for that was shed of the souldiors And he addeth further to refute the bald gloses of the Scholemen that that is a misterie and is to be vnderstood spirituallye not really or corporally And although he take away the litterall sence and corporall pertaking yet doth he not take awaye the heauenly blessing and grace For he addeth which spiritually vnderstoode geueth life So that that is â—plaine slaunder that manye doe vrge against those that deny the reall and corporall presence make an heauenlye spirituall foode that they make nothing of this blessed sacrament For saint Augustine teacheth to vnderstande the wordes spiritually and yet affirmeth that spirituallye vnderstode they geue life The fyre simplie and naturally is adustine that is hath force to burne to the stone called Amanthos to the Vermine called Salamandra it is not adustie nor doth burne them Euen so the sacramentall breade and drinke be simply and properly spirituall but after a sort and by accident that is vnto the vnworthy receyuer it is not spiritual nor the body and bloud of Christ And the S. Augustine doth teach vs saying That Iudas did eate spiritual bread and he did eate the Lorde his bread but it was not to him spirituall it was not to him the Lorde Some also say we do make nothing of this most blessed sacrament Let any indifferent person consider who doeth more They ascribe and binde al the graces of the sacrifice to the intencion of the sacrificer For Gabriell Biell doeth saye that it belongeth to the priest to determine and limit the force vertue and grace of this sacrifice that it may be bestowed vpon such and suche néeding it as a rewarde to be geuen And Summa Angelica in the Masse The Masse sayeth he is auaileable vnto them vnto whom it pleaseth the Priest in his intencion to apply it We know teach beléeue and confesse in and by the faithfull recept of this blessed sacrameÌ„t that Christ his body is rent for our sins and that by his woundes we were all made whole that Christ in his bodye caryed our sinnes vpon the trée and by the
oblation thereof once made vpoÌ„ the Crosse hath sanctifyed vs for euer and hath purchased for vs euerlasting redemption and that there is none other name or sacrifice vnder heauen wherby we can be saued but only by the name of Jesus christ That these things ought to make the heart to tremble For that therin is laid forth the mistery that was hidde from worlds and generations the horrour of sinne the death of the sonne of God that he tooke our heauinesse and bare our sorrowes and was wounded for our offences and was rent and tormeÌ„ted for our wickednesse that he was carryed like an innocente Lambe vnto the flaughter that he cried vnto his Father O God my God why haste thou for saken me There we call to remembraunce the shame of the Crosse the darckning of the ayre the shaking of the earth the renting of the vale the cleaning of the rockes the opening of the graues how Christ came to his passion how he was wounded in the syde howe blood and water issued and streamed froÌ„ his wounde They thinke it ynough to bow the knées of the body to stretche forth the handes of the body to lifte vp the eyes of the body and to looke vppon the sacramentall bread and the sacramentall Cuppe and that they thinke might serue once a yeare We teach quarterly monthly weekely dayly to bow the knées of the body and the knées of the seule to stretch forth the handes of the body and the handes of the soule to lift vp the eyes of the body and the eyes of the soule and by farth the mouth of the soule to feede of the blessed glorious body of our Lord sauiour christ Jesus They teach that in it they doe eate the naturall body of Christ and drinke the naturall blood of Christe naturally and seÌ„sibly But by this spiritual faithfull and heauenly receipt of the blessed sacrameÌ„t we say teach and beleeue that we receaue though not naturally and corporally yet spiritually truely and effectually our Lord and sauyour Christ Jesus the true and naturall sonne of God consubstantiall and coequall with the Father in all poyntes and that hée is made vnto vs the fulnesse of all grace and truth The Lambe of God that taketh away our sinnes the ladder gate of heauen the aduaunced Serpent that healeth our poysoned soules the sonne of God that reconsileth vs to the father the bread of life the light of the worlde the dore the way the truth the life to be briefe a full and perfect helth wisdome rightcousnesse redemption satisfaction and saluation They thinke they doe much aduance she omnipotent power of God greatly exercise their faith for that they teach and beleue that the substaunce of the breade is changed into the substance of the body of Christ and the substaunce of wine into the substance of the bloude of Christ naturally corporally and really We knowe that we doe a great deale more aduaunce the omnipotent power of God and more mightily exercise our faith and further carrie our selues from sence and reason in beleeuing the inuistble but most marueylous graces blessings that God hath graunted and appointed to this most blessed sacrament For we beleue that we spiritually heauenly truely and effectually eate the fleshe of Christ and drinke his bloude Dwell in Christ and Christ in vs be one with Christ and Christ with vs that our sinneful bodies be made cleane by his body and our soules washed thorowe his most precious bloude that we be assured of the forgiuenesse of oure sins and all other benefits of the death and passion of Jesus Christ that we be filled with heauenly grace and benediction that we be assured of God his fauor and goodnesse towarde vs that we be liuely members incorporated in the misticall bodye of Christ Jesus and be beyres thorowe hope of his euerlasting kingdome The Lorde Jesus for his mercie sake graunte vnto vs his heauenlye grace that we may abandon sence reason and our owne fansies and so by fayth builde vpon the rock of his worde and institution that we maye be partakers of the fruits and ioyes purchased by his death and geuen graunted sealed deliuered and possessed of the Christian heart by the true and faithfull recept of that most holye and blessed Sacrament FINIS Rom. 1. 〈…〉 August â–ª ad Dardanum Tertullianus aduâ—rgus Praxâ—am Hiâ—ron â–ª tomo 1. epist. ad Eustoch Aug. lib. 26. cap. 5. Theodor. in 3. dial Basillius lib. de â—â— 5. Vigilius in dâ—all Cirillus lib. 〈…〉 cap. 1. Theodo dial 2. Cirillus lib. 2. tom â— de Trinitate August in Iohan. tract 30. Theodoretus Cirillus August Iustinianus lib. institut Aug. ad Dard. Act. 17. Aug. in Ioh. tract 56. Aug. liber de essente diuinite Cirill tract 59. Gregorius Beda Fulgenti ad trac in Vigilius John. 16. Coloss 3. Acts. 2. Irenens Ambrâ—s Iâ—â—eron Vigilius Aug. Vigillus lib. 2. contra Eâ—ty Theodoretus Iohan. prâ—â— Math 26. Coloss 1. Coloss 2. Simile Basill Math. 26. Marck 14. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Thomas Aquinas Augustinus Horatio Chrisost Theodoretus Theodoretus August August August Iabriel Biel.
that all bewtie of things séene doeth consist in fower pointes Let vs nowe runne ouer euerye one of them in order and learne how by them the hid wisdome of God doth appeare I know truely that I can speake nothing worthy enough yet notwithstanding it is not méete that we shoulde be altogither dumbe in that point of the which we are most bound to speak most ⧠The second branch I Made mention of fower Sight moouing shape and qualitie Let vs fyrst discusse the fyrst Sight is in compownding and order that is to say in setting things together and placing them in order Compownding ought to haue two pointes fitnesse fyrmnesse that things to be compownded or put together may fittely méetely agrée and beyng compownded or put together may fyrmely sticke together Such compownding is verie commendable Fitnesse is reputed to be in the quantitie quality In quantity lesse things very thin and smale be ioyned to things thicke and corpulent In qualitie least things verie moyste be mirt to things dry very hote to colde very light to heauy and so forth without discreation Marke if any of these fower be wanting in the beautifulnesse of GOD hys works and if thou fynde nothing wanting now hast thou somthing wherupoÌ„ thou mayest in this behalf glorify God. And fyrst truely if you note the frame of this whole worlde you shall sée howe maruaylously wisely the compownding of all thinges is perfected Howe fyttely agréeingly and fyrmely and in all poyntes absolutely In the which not only lyke things do agree but also those which the power hath made diuers and differing the wisedome hath tyed lincked as it were in one friendshyp true What can be more contrarie then fyre and water which yet in the nature of things the wisdome of God hath so tempered together that not onely they doe breake the common band of friendship but also yéelde liuely nourishment to all things newly born y they may coÌ„tinue What should I speake of the frame of man his bodye in the which eche parte ioyned together do so agree among theÌ„selues that no member at all can be founde which doth not helpe an other So euery nature loueth the selfe and y agréeing of many and diuers thinges merueylously pacte together in one maketh one harmony in all I graunte say you that the compounding of thinges is fit and agréeing but how is the same fyrme and strong who doth not wonder at it Behold the Heauens which imbrase all thinges howe firme and strong they be and as it were spred and powred downe round aboute of molten brasse The earth ballanced with her weight in the middest doth euer continew vnmoueable that on the one syde the fyrmenesse of the Heauen and on the other syde the stablenesse of the earth may kéepe together and as it were binde together all other thinges flowing in the middest least they running out of their bowndes breake the concord of the world Behold how the vaynes of water inwardly spred through the bowels of the earth and outwardly brought forth by Channels or streames into diuers places do inwardly giue together the earth thinking least it should be seuered and outwardly water it being drye least it should â—hinke or choppe Beholde how in the frame of mans body the bondes of the sinewes do bind together the ioyntes of the bones and the Marowe being inwardly dispersed by the pipes of the bones the Conduites of the vaynes doe carry liuely blood through the whole body and then wrappeth the tender fleshe within the skin that both the strength of the bones may inwardly beare vp the body and the fence of the skin may outwardly defend and kéepe harmelesse the same Who can expresse the hardnesse of the stones or the fyrmnesse of Mettals the strength of Okes the holding faste of Glue and infinite such others whereby it appeareth how fyrme the bondes of thinges be and how all thinges very strongly coupled together do mainteine their nature and being Neither can they euer be seuered at once from the concord of their fellowship Now that we haue spoken of the compounding putting together of thinges Let vs speake of the disposing and setting of them in order for this must needes bréede great admiration if any will dilligently marke that the wisedome of GOD hath appointed to euery place to euery time to euery thing their course so that the order of thinges in no poynt is broken Behold the Firmament is aboue and the earth beneath God hath set the Sun and the Moone and the Starres in the Firmament that they may geue lighte to all thinges belowe God hath made pathes in the ayre for the windes and the clowdes that they being dispersed through their mouing mighte poure rayne downward God hath commaunded the heapes of waters to be kept in the bosome of the Earth that at his becke they might run any whether God hath appoynted the ayre for the Byrdes the water for the Fishes the earth for the Beastes and Serpentes and infinite thinges that créepe and Wormes God hath inryched some Countreyes with Corne some with Vines some with Rootes some with Cattell some with Hearbs of great vertue some with precious Stones some with monstrous Beastes some with diuers coloures some with the knowledge of dyuers Artes some with Mettalles some with diuers kinds of Spices and perfumes in so much that there is no Country in the world that hath not some rare and speciall thing that the other haue not And yet maye each Countrey receaue some other rare and spectall thing from another What néede I tell howe the prouidence of God hath layde those thinges open which be necessary for mans vse but those thinges which nature doth not desyre for necessity but appetite for pleasure it hath hid in the secret bowels of the earth that whome the loue of vertue cannot restrayne the tediousnesse of laboure might bridle ⧠The thirde branch THus much of the disposing of the places Now to the disposing of times Who can sufficiently commend and set forth the prouidence of God that hath so exâ—elently distinguished tymes Behold after the nighte commeth the day that laboure may excercise such as haue bene sluggish after day followeth night that rest may comfort and refresh the weary Neyther the day is euer or the night euer nor the day and the night euer equall Leaste eyther to much labour should â—il the weakned or to much case bréede diseases or the same continuing 〈…〉 ll should grow tedious and yrkesome to the minde Also euen as the mutuall rechange of day and nighte doth refreshe all liuing thinges So the fower seasons of the yeare following one an other in course d ee alter the 〈…〉 te of the whole yeare First by warmnesse of the Spring the world is after a sorte borne againe Then by the heat of Sommer it groweth as it were into strong youth Afterward in the fall it wareth rype Last of all in Winter it doth as it
to the godhead to be lesse then the Father Of this point be the Fathers Irencus Ambrosius Ierononius Vigilius Augustinus and almost all the rest most sufficient witnesses As sayth Irenens the soule is present to the flesh dying and suffreth nothing so the godhead of Christ is present with the manhood suffring and suffering nothing onely rested Ambrose of that vpon S. Iohn Hereafter you shall see the sonne of man sitting on the right hande of the vertue This sitting doth so appertayne to the man sayeth he that in no case it is applyed to the Godhead which is infinite for God that is euer euery where cannot goe from place to place Ierâ—me Christ did die according to that he could die Vigilius agaynst Vtiches he one and the same sonne of God the Lord Jesus Christe both died according to the fourme of a seruaunt and died not according to the fourme of god Austen vpon that of S. John. None went vp into heauen but he that came down from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen â–ª he was here sayeth S. Austen by flesh in heauen by Godhead yea euery where by Godhead and a little after shall not man Christ be called the sonne of God which his fieshe alone deserued to be called in the graue For what else doe we confesse when we say that we beléeue in the only begotten son of God which was crucifyed and suffered vnder Pontius Pilate died and was buryed what was buryed of him but his flesh without his soule And more playnly afterwardes who is he by whome the world was made Christe Jesus but in the fourme of God who was nayled to the crosse vnder Pontius Pilate Christ Jesus but in the fourme of a seruaunt Who was net lefte in Hell Christ Jesus but in soule alone Who lay thrée dayes dead in the graue and rose agayne the same Christe Jesus but in flesh alone Christ is sayd in ech one of these but all these be not two or thrée but one Christ Whereby it is playne the certayne properties or peculier graces of the one nature may be ascribed to the other in word thorough the vnion of the person but cannot agree in déede thorow the difference of the two natures The which Vigilius doth most playnly expresse agaynst Vtiches Then according to the property of nature onely the flesh died only the flesh was buried but according to the vnion of the person God dyed and was buryed For the person of the word is in the flesh which died Also according to the propertie of the nature the word came downe from heauen not the flesh And according to the property of the nature the flesh died and not the word but according to the vnion of the person both the flesh came downe from heauen and the word dyed and was buried Then when we saye that God died and suffred Let not Nestoreus be afrayde For we speake according to the vnion of the person Againe when we say that God neyther died nor suffered Let not Vtiches dreade for we speake according to the proprietie of the nature To this purpose writeth Theodorete you are to vnderstande that the vnion of the two natures doth make the names and proprieties common you will not say I suppose that the fleshe of God came downe from heauen For it was made in the Virgins wombe Howe then doeth the Lorde saye if you shall see the sonne of manne go vp the ther where he was before And againe none goeth vp into heauen but he that came downe from heauen the sonne of manne which is in heauen this he meaneth not of the flesh but of the godhead And the godhead is of God the father how then doth he call him the son of man They be reckned common to the person thorowe the vnion which be peculier to the seuerall natures So we are to expounde the rest in this sorte as the Fathers do The word became fleshe What is the mind what is the meaning of this spéeche was the deuine nature made the humayne nature God forbidde Naye it did take vnite to the selfe the humaine nature God did purge his church by his bloude What meaneth this hath the deuine nature bloud God forbidde that anye body should so think but God did purge his church by the bloude of that nature which he did appropriate by inâ—arnation or taking our flesh vpon him They nayled to the crosse the GOD of glory what is the the sence of these wordes was the godheade pierced or nayled to the woode God forbidde Nay that nature was so affected which the godhead did take to the self of the virgins wombe Wherefore thorowe the vnion of the person such things maye be spoken in worde but they cannot agrée in déede Neyther doth that of saint Basill of the birth of Christ disagrée with these How is the godheade in the fleshe as the fyre is in the yron not transitiuely but distributiuely For the fyre doth not runne into the yron but abyding in the place doth imparte and bestowe the peculier facultie vppon it Howe then was not God the word fylled with bodily weaknesse as the fyre doth not get to it selfe the proprieties of the yron IroÌ„ is black and colde and yet fyred it becommeth bright and hotte So the humayne nature of the Lorde was made partaker of the denine nature but did not poure into the deâ—â—e nature the owne weaknesse And so I see certaine proprieties dispersed but I doe not vnderstand all for after the vniting of the godhead the body of Christe was hungrie coulde thirstie wearie and gréeued and this is true of Christ the voyce My Soule is heauier euen vnto death And nayled vpon the crosse he sayeth I am dry He suffred truely he dyed truely hée was compassed about with place truly I would therefore gladly learne why the two natures should be sayd to be deuided because the seuerall proprieties of ech nature be set downe after his rysing agayne rather then they were wheÌ„ the seuerall proprieties of eache nature were set downe before his death For I reasoÌ„ thus the body of Christ liuing vpon earth was in one certayne and peculier place but the Godhead was in euery place And yet none will say that the person of Christ was then deuided why then may we not likewise say that the body of christ being in heauen is in one certayn and peculier place and yet not deuide the person of Christe For in Christes person being vpon earth perfecte God and perfect man were coupled together As S. Paule doth exceleÌ„tly say to the Colossians In him doeth dwel all the fulnesse of the Gohhead bodily The true full and absolute Godhead did dwell in the true full and absolute body comprised in one certayne and peculier place and yet was there no renting of the person of Christ What ground then haue these lameÌ„table and bitter outeryes that the persoÌ„ of Christ is denided
c. we do decree enact or determine WheÌ„ the glose hath made many expositions of this law none of theÌ„ to the meaning of the law well sayth it Statuimus We doe decrée or determine is as much to say as abâ—â—gamuâ— we doe abrogate or disaâ—â—ll which apposition unplyeth a playne and ful contrariety So they obscure deuine the playne words of this blessed sacrament the heauenly foode of our soules dasill our eyes with Indiuidium vagum transubstantiacon transelementacon â–ª Concomitontia pendula in aere accidents without subiectes Quantum sine modo quaÌ„ti and such other chaffe of their own Stories doe tel that Lisander picked out a great summe of Golde out of the bottome of a bagge and sowed it vp agayne cunningly But Lisander his doinges were spyed by a Billet that was lefte in the Bagge And the Billet that Christ hath lefte vnto his church that is his holy word doeth shewe the subtill seames of these crafty sophisters which so subtilly haue picked christ his bagge that is the institution of his most blessed sacrament And as the sacrament of the old law had a spiritual heauenly meaning and not a litterall euen so haue ours For they differ only in respectes and not in substaunce And to this purpose sayeth S. Augustine right wel Tune Christus venturus modo Christus venit venturus et venit diuersa verba sunt Sed idem Christus Then was Christ to come now Christ is come To be to come and to be come be Verbes of diuers times but the same Christ The Jewish sacrifices or sacramentes did represent and signifye to them the blood of Christ that should be shed for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes And our sacrifices or sacramentes doe represent and signify vnto vs the blood of Christ that hath bene shed for the forgeuenesse of our sinnes And eueÌ„ as we be saued and the gates of heauen opened vnto vs for that we certainly do beléeue that Christ dyed for vs euen so were they saued and the gates of Heauen opened vnto them for that they certaynly beléeued that Christe shoulde dye for them So that the same fayth carryed them vp into heauen which now carryeth vs as the same Aucthour doth playnly declare writing vpon S. John. Videte side mauente signa variata Marke how the same fayth continuing the signes or sacramentes be varied or become diuers In diuers signes or Sacraments the same fayth is but most playnly in the 2 Tractat vpoÌ„ S. John S. Augustine setteth forth this differeÌ„ce showing that our â—acramentes be fewer easyer more signifying and of more maiesty then the Israeleticaâ— sed quod significata paria but equall as touching thinges signifyed Chrisostome doth set out the matter by this simillitude A Paynter sayeth he that is to paynt the story of some famous victory doth fyrst draw the Line amentes of men Horse Citties and Castles in obseure lines and then he that would discerne them must both know them perfectly and view them earnestly Secondly he addeth to the colloures and due proportion to eache and then any that knew them shall discearne them at the fyrst syght GOD is this Paynter that paynteth the Story of the famous victorye of his deare sonne which he had ouer the Deuill Death Hell and sinne The Sacrament of the Israelites be like vnto the fyrst draught The Sacramente of the Christians be like vnto the seconde draught The same Aucthour compareth their sacraments to the lighte of a Candle and ours to the brightnesse of the sunne Saynt Paule compareth them to a childe and vs to a ful perfect man So that Christ that is seene or signified is al one the séers or the thing signifying be diuers For the Jewes sawe Christ in the law we in the ghospell The law is a darke shadowe the ghospell is a perfect Image The Jewes saw Christ in the sea in the clowde in the rocke in Manna in the bloude of Eoates and Calfes We sée Christ in the sacrament of baptisme in the sacrament of hys bodye and bloud by himselfe ordayned The difference is this they sawe hym somwhat darkly we sée him very plainly They saw the same light that we do but not in like quantitie they sawe the same Image that we doe but not with lyke colours and furniture And if he would also then inferre that the sacramentall breade by this reason were no better then common breade I vtterlye deny that too For they differ as much as heauen and earth as the spirite and the bodie For the common breade is earthly foode the sacramentall bread heauenly foode the common breade hath force onely to foode the body the sacramentall breade hath force to féede bothe bodye and soule and to vnite and make them partes of Christes misticall body For by the faithfull recepte of it our bodies and soules be made cleane by hys bodye and soule and there to spiritually ioyned But yet euen as old bread when it is set vpon the table is in substaunce the selfe same that it was when it was taken hotte oute of the Ouen but in qualitie muche differing as the one time colde stale and drye at the other tyme hotte newe and moysâ—e Euen so the sacramentall breade in substance is the selfe same when it is eaten of the faythfull that it was when the minister tooke it fyrst into his handes but yet in qualitie excéeding much differing as at the one time earthly and bodely at the other time heauenly and spirituall So that this matter doeth consist chiefly in faith as our master doth tel in the â—â—xt of S. John the Euangelist to whoÌ„ when the people had sayd what shall we doe that we may worke the workes of God Jesus aunswered and sayd vnto them this is the worke of god that ye beléeue in him whom he hath sent and it is thus substantially coÌ„cluded out of the words of our sayd mayster out of the sayd sixte chapter whosoeuer hath life euerlasting eateth the flesh of the sonne of maÌ„ and drinketh his blood but he that beleeueth in Christ hath life euerlasting therefore he that beleeueth in Christ eateth the flesh of the sonne of man and drinketh his blood but then you wil say to what purpose is the sacrament to very great For man néeds not only to be taught by the eare but also by the eye and the teaching by the eye is more effectuall theÌ„ by the eare as the Poet wel sayeth Signius irritant animos dimossa per aures quam que sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus Such thinges doe moue the minde lesse which doe enter in at the eare then those which be layde downe before the eye as for example when Marcus Anthonius moued the people of Roome to reuenge the murther of Caius â—uâ—ius Caesar He did set forth the valiantnesse wisedome learning liberallity and other good giftes of â—uâ—ius Caesar to the vttermost that he could both in words and iesture he stirred the people somewhat