that lacketh in me I supplye of thee O moost sweateste reconciliation See howe Saynte Bernarde ioyneth the offeryng of oure bodyes and of Christes bodye together that yf the oblation of our bodyes be imperfecte suffise not the oblation of christes body may fulfyll and supplye that lacketh in vs And to what ende that we might be reconciled that the body of synne myghte be destroyed that it reygne not in oure bodyes ¶ Here the Prayer was made NOw entryng to speake of y e sacrifice of the churche I pre suppose one thyng whych is the foundation of the same to be most certaynlye and constantly beloued of all vs that be here present which is that in the most blessed SacrameÌ„t of the aultare is presente the true bodye and bloude of oure Sauiour Christe the price of our redemption not in figure only but in trueth and verye dede whiche the learned men call really and essentially that is to saye that thynge that substaunce that was vpon the crosse is nowe verely presente in the blessed Sacrament before we receaue it the cause of whych real presence is the omnipotente power and wyll of God assistyng the due administration of the Priest the whiche body and bloude we christen men receaue by the seruice of our bodyes and senses though not by the iudgement of our senses but onely by the iudgement of fayth because it is gyuen not in the outwarde fourme of the selfe same bodye and bloude as it was slayne shedde vpon the crosse but in the fourmes of our dayly and speciall nutrimentes of breade and wyne and that for sondry weyghtye and necessary causes foresene by our Sauioure Christ. For â–ª seyng the substaunce of our sacrifice of the newe Testament is the verye reall and naturall bodye of Christe as may be proued by many auctorities Saynte Cypriane sayeth In sacrificio quòd Christus est non nisi Christus sequendus est In that sacrifice that is Christ no manne is to be folowed but Christe Here he sayeth that Christ is that sacrifice that we offer to almyghtye God Also Saynte Basyl wryteth in hys forme of Masse Tu es qui offers offerris qui suscipis et impartis Christe Deus noster O Christ our God thou art he that both doest offer is offered that bothe giuest the offeryng and receaueth Saynt Basyl by this meaneth that the sacrifice whyche the churche offered to GOD is Christ hym selfe who in that he is the heade of hys body the churche is one offerer with y e churche and so is bothe offerer and offered as Basyl sayeth Lykewyse Saynte Ambrose wrytynge of the inuention of the bodyes of two gloriouse martyrs Geruasius and Prothasius and of the burying of them vnder the aultare sayeth thus Succedant uictimae triumphales in locum ubi Christus hostia est sed ille super altare qui pro omnibus passus est â—sti sub altari qui illius redempti sunt passione Let these triumphynge sacrifices meanynge the bodyes of the martyrs go into y t place where Christe is a sacrifice But Christe is a sacrifyce aboue the aultare who suffred for all men these two vnder y e aultare that were redemed by his passion Of this place I note my purpose whiche is that the sacrifice of the Churche and newe Testament is the verye reall bodye and bloude of our Sauiour Christ which is also testified by Chrysostome in his homelye he wryteth of the praise of GOD in these woordes Vereamini mensam quaue desuper uictima illa iacet Christus scilicet qui nostri causa occisus est feare and reuerence that table aboue y t which lieth that sacrifice that is to saye Christ whyche for oure cause was slayne By which wordes Chrysostome declareth his faythe that the sacrifice of y e churche is Christ and also that christ is not onely in heauen as some men damnably beareth you in hand but is placed lyinge aboue y e table of the aultare as y e substaunce of our sacrifice And in an other homely he writeth Mensa mysterijs instructa est et agnus dei pro te immolatur The table is furnished with mysteries and the lambe of god for the is offered teachinge vs that the holye mysteryes wherewith the table of our aultare is furnyshed be the body bloude of Christ that is to saye the lambe of god which is also then offered for vs. Saint Augustyne is full of such saynges as writinge of his mothers deathe howe that he wepte nothinge for her all the tyme the Masse was sayde for her soule which he expresseth by these wordes Cum offerrâ—tur pro ea sacrificium praecij nostri When the sacrifice of our pryce was offered for hyr I leaue out all the rest of the sentence contented to alledge onely this that proueth the sacryfice whiche is offered by the priest for the deade to be our pryce which is and can be nothinge else but the bodye bloude of Christ which he gaue vpon the crosse as the pryce of our redemption But playnest of al he writeth in a booke intituled Liber Sententiarum Prosperi which booke is alledged of Gratian in the decrees in these wordes Hoc est quod dicimus quòd modis omnibus approbare contendimus sacrificiuÌ„ Ecclesiae duobus confici duobus constare uisibili elementorum specie inuisibili Domini nostri Iesu Christi corpore sanguine Sacramento re Sacramenti id est corpore Christi This is that we saye that we labour to proue by al meanes that the sacrifice of the church is made and consisteth of two thinges of the visible fourme of the elementes and of the invisible bodye bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ bothe the outwarde Sacrament and y e thinge or substaunce of y e Sacrament that is the bodye of Christ. These wordes nede no declaringe but poyntinge and for that cause why shoulde I tarye in this point any longer seing that our bokes be full of suche like aucthorities Therfore as I began seinge the substaunce of our Sacryfyce of the new Testament is the very reall and naturall bodye of Christe if this bodye be not present in the SacrameÌ„t as the enemyes of Christes crosse the destroyers of our faythe falsely pretend then be we christen men lefte all together desolate without any sacrifyce priuaâ—e vnto vs for bothe the sacrifice of Christe vpon the crosse and also the inwarde sacrifice of mans hearte be not priuate but common to vs to all faythfull men from the beginning of the worlde to the last end And furthermore seinge a sacrifice is an outwarde protestation of our inward faithe deuotion if we christen men now haue no sacrifice priuate vnto vs then be we the moost miserable men that euer were beinge without any kynde of religion For take awaye our sacrifice and take awaye our religion as S. Cyprian confutinge the carnall
Israell The lyke sayinges he hath wrytynge vpon the .106 Psalme and in hys booke contra aduersarium legis lib. 1. ca. 20. which I omit lest I shuld be tedious to you and to curiouse in so playne a matter Ye haue heard the thynge proued by the Gospell by the Prophet now heare the profe of the figure taken oute of the lawe The Psalme sayeth Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech Thou art meanyng Christ a prieste after the ordre of Melchisedech Melchisedech was a priest of the moste hygheste God as appeareth bothe by hys wordes and factes in that he blessed Abraham and also receaued tythes of hym whose oblation was breade and wyne whych he offered to God meeting with Abraham comming from the spoyle of the kinges As for suche fonde cauillations as some make for that the booke sayeth non obtulit â—ed protulit I let passe as thinges nothyng furthering their purpose nor yet hynderynge ours Thys is playne by Saynt Paule that euery Bysshoppe and priest is ordeyned to offre sacrifice If Christe our sauioure be a priest and that after the ordre of Melchisedech as the Psalme and S. Paule do witnes then it must nedes folowe that Christ hadde some thynge to offre whyche is nothynge but hym selfe and to no creature but to god whith he was hym selfe seynge euerye sacrifice is that honoure that is due only to God And that he offered him selfe after the ordre of Melchisedech whych must be vndre the formes of breade and wyne For that was the ordre and maner of Melchisedech Whyche kynde of offerynge he neuer made excepte it were in his last supper and for that cause and reason we may conclude that Christ in hys supper dyd offre hym selfe to hys father for vs not by sheddyng of hys bloude by death whyche was the ordre maner of Aarons offerynge but wythout sheddyng of hys bloude vndre the fourmes of breade and wyne whyche was the ordre of Melchisedech And that thys is not my priuate collectioÌ„ but the mind of all the aunciente fathers I shall wyth youre patience recite their sentences Saynte Cyprian sayeth Qui magis Sacerdos Dei summi quaÌ„ Dominus noster Iesus Christus qui sacrificium Deo patri obtulit obtulit hoc idem quod Melchisedech id est panem uinum suum scilicet corpus sanguinem Who is more the Prieste of the hyghest GOD then our Lord Iesus Christ who offered a Sacryfyce to GOD the father and offered the same that Melchisedech dyd that is to saye bread and wyne that is to saye his body and bloude And a lyâ—le after he sayeth qui est plenitudo ueritatem prae figuratae imaginis adimpleuit Christ whych is the fulnes fulfilled the truth of thys ymage that was figurate before By these places of Cyprian we learne â–ª that Melchisedech hys offeryng were figures of Christ and hys offering in his supper and lyke as Melchisedech offered bread and wine so Christ being the truth offered hys bodye and bloude vnder the formes of breade and wyne And lest any man shuld be offended wyth that Cyprian sayeth hoc idem quod Melchisedech the same that Melchisedech Heare what S. Hierome sayeth more playnly Quomodo Melchisedech obtulit panem uinum sic tu offeres corpus tuum sanguinem uerum panem uerum uinum Lyke as Melchisedech offered breade and wyne so thou shalt offre thy body bloude y e true bread the true wine The other was the figuratiue breade and wyne thys is the true breade and wyne the trueth of that figure not the same in substaunce but y e same in mysterye The same S. Hierome among hys epistles hathe an epistle of the godly matrone Paula ad Marcellam wherin be these wordes Recurre ad Genesim Melchisedech regem Salem Huius principeÌ„ inuenies ciuitatis qui iam tunc in typo Christi panem uinum obtulit et mysterium Christianum in saluatoris sanguine corpore dedicauit Returne sayeth Paula to the booke of Genesis to Melchisedech the kynge of Salem thou shalte finde the prince of that citie whych euen then in the figure of Christe offered bread and wine and did dedicate the mistery or sacrament of the Christians in the bloud and body of our sauiour Marke in thys most manifest place the oblation of the figure â–ª whyche is breade and wyne and the oblation of the trueth whyche is the mystery of vs Christen men the bodye and bloude of oure Sauioure Christ. And it is to be noted what is meant by this word ordre whych S. Hierome expoundeth thus Mysterium nostrum in uerbo ordinis significauit nequaquam per Aaron irrationabilibus uictimis immolandis sed oblato pane uino .i. corpore et sanguine Domini Iesu. By thys worde ordre he did signifye and expresse oure mysterye not by offerynge of vnreasonable and brute beastes as Aaron did but by the oblation of breade and wyne that is to saye the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus After this fathers mynde order is taken for the maner of offeryng not by sheddynge of bloude but vnbloudelye as we offre Christes bodye and bloude in oure misterye For Christes offering concerning the substaunce of it was but one but concernyng the ordre and maner it was diuerse vpon the crosse after the ordre Aaron in the supper after the ordre of Melchisedech For so S. Augustyne sayeth Coram regno patris sui id est Iudaeorum mutauit uultum suum quia erat ibi sacrificium secundum ordinem Aaron postea ipse de corpore sanguine suo institu it sacrificium secundum ordineÌ„ Melchisedech â–ª Before y e kingdome of hys father that is to saye the Iewes he chaunged hys countenaunce for there he was a sacrifice after the ordre of Aaron and afterwarde he dyd institute a sacrifice of hys bodye and bloude after the ordre of Melchisedech Marke the diuersitye and distinction of these two offerynges of Christe not in substaunce but in ordre that is to saye the maner and that christ dyd institute the sacryfyce of hys bodye and bloude to be offered of vs after y e ordre of Melchisedech whych thynge he expresseth more playnly in an other booke expoundynge a place of Ecclesiastes Non est bonuÌ„ homini nisi quod manducabit bibet sayinge thus Quid credibilius dicere intelligitur quà m quodad parti cipationem mensae huius pertinet quaÌ„ sacerdos ipse media tor noui Testamenti exhibet secundum ordinem Melchisedech de corpore sanguine suo Id enim sacrificium successit omni bus illis sacrificijs ueteris testamenti quae immolabaÌ„tur in umbra futuri What is more credible we shuld thinke he ment by those woordes then that perteyneth to the participation of this table whych Christ him selfe a prieste and mediatour of the newe Testamente
thoughtes of the Capernaites that thought they should haue eaten Christes fleshe eyther rosted or sodde and so shoulde haue consumed it to nothinge wryteth thus Cum illius personae caro si in frusta partiretur non omni humano generi posset sufficere qua semel consumpta uideretur religio interisse cui ne quaquà m ulte rius uictima superesset Seyng that yf the fleshe of hys person were dyuyded into peeces it could not suffise al mankind to eate vpon which fleshe after it were once cleane wasted â–ª consumed our religion might like wise seme to perishe and be destroyed whych hadde no more any sacrifyce remaynynge Wherevpon I conclude that yf we haue not Christes bodye and bloude presente in the Sacrament for our external sacrifice wherby we may mitigate and please almighty God and obteyne remission of synne spirituall grace gyftes then shuld we be no better then the Turkes seinge all nations froÌ„ the begynnyng of the worlde both gentils and Iewes haue had one kynd of outwarde sacrifice to declare and expresse their inward deuotion and religion eyther to the true God of heauen or to suche as they fantasied or feyned to be gods sauyng onlye the Turkes as Petrus Cluniacensis wryteth Wherby it appeareth that thys secte that denyeth and destroyeth y e Masse whyche is the sacrifyce of the Churche is verelye the sect of Mahumette preparing a waye for the Turke to ouerrunne all Christendome as he hathe done a greate peece already For what could the Turke do more agaynst oure fayth yf he dyd ouercome vs besyde our thraldome and tyrannical oppression but as these men do nowe to take awaye oure Sacramentes and sacrifice and to leaue vs nothyng â–ª but the bare name of Christ and yf there be anye good man that hath true religion in his heart to compel hym to kepe it within hym y t he shal not expresse it outward lye and in verye dede diuerse notable and godly wryters at thys daye call thys heresye against y e sacrifice of the church which Luther first began and most manteyned by this name Secta Mahumetica the secte of mahomet But for y e auoydinge of these absurdities and for suche causes as I shal God willinge declare hereafter I presuppose this foundation of christes bodye to be really present in the blessed sacrament to be stedfastly beleued of vs all vpon the which I buylde al that remaineth now to be sayed Whych foundation although it hathe bene vndermyned of many men and many wayes therefore requireth a full and perfecte treatise to be made of it alone yet as I intende not to occupye al this time in that so I may not well so sclenderlye leaue it that hathe bene so muche and often assaulted but shall declare the summe of that moueth me to continue styll in that trueth I was borne in to kepe styll that fayth I was baptized in and putte on Christe which fayth seyng it is vniuersal yf I shuld leaue it I shulde forsake Christ and be an heretike not folowyng that forme of doctrine I receaued of my fathers and they of theyrs froÌ„ the begynnyng but choosinge my selfe a newe waye and new maysters that please me being so condemned by mine owne conscience iudgement which is the very propertye and definition of an heretike There be thre thinges that holde meâ—â— this fayth the manifest and playne scripture the vniforme aucthorities of holy men and the consent of the vniuersall churche These thre be the argumentes that a christen man maye sticke vnto and neuer be deceaued specially yf they be knytte and ioyned together coÌ„cerning one matter but yf they be separate then some of theÌ„ be but weak staffes to leane vnto As for example The scripture without the consent of the churche is a weapoÌ„ as mete for an heretike as for a catholike for Arius Nestorius suche other heretikes did alledge the scripture for theyr opinions as the catholikes did but theyr alledgynge was but the abusyng of the letter whiche is indifferent to good and euyll deprauyng of the true sense which is only knowen by the tradition and consente of the catholike churche so that the one withoute the other is not a direction but a seduction to a symple man because the verye scripture in dede is not the bare letter as it lieth to be taken of euery man but y e true sense as it is delyuered by the vniuersal consente of Christes churche Lykewyse the wrytynges and sayinges of the fathers yf they be but the mynde of one man wythout the consent of other were he neuer so wel learned and vertuouse otherwyse yet hys wrytynges I saye in that poynt be not a coÌ„firmation for an ignoraunte manne to holde him in the trueth but a temptatioÌ„ to seduce hym pul hym from the trueth The consent of the churche is alwayes a sure staffe the verye pyller of trueth whether it be in thynges expressed in y e letter of the scrypture or in thinges delyuered vnto vs by tradition of the Apostles He that holdeth him by this staffe caâ— not fall in fayth but stande in trueth Nowe concernynge thys matter of the present I am able by Gods helpe to shewe all these thre thinges ioyned and knitte together so that we can not be deceaued in this poynt except we wyll deceaue our selues as many wilfully do The scrypture by playne manifest wordes agaynste the whyche hell gates shall neuer preuayle dothe testifye confyrme our fayth in manye places but specially in the wordes of our sauiour Christ hym selfe in hys laste supper sayinge to hys Disciples Take eate this is my bodye whyche is gyuen for you Thys is my bloude of the newe Testament whyche is shedde for many and for you in remission of synnes whyche most playne scriptures manye haue gone aboute to delude to reduce theÌ„ to a base vnderstandynge by figuratiue speches contendyng these wordes This is my bodye This is my bloude to be spoken figuratiuelye and not as the wordes purport because other lyke sayinges in the scripture be taken figuratiuely as these I am the waye I am the doore The stone is Christ and suche other wherein they haue declared their deuelyshe and detestable sophistrye too their owne damnation the subuersion of a greate manye other They professe them selfes to be learned menne but who hearde euer tell of anye suche kynd of learnyng as to proue one singulare by an other as yf one shuld reason thus Thomas is an honest manne ergo Iohn is an honeste man The swan is white ergo the crowe is whyte Which argumentes be like thys I am the waye is a figuratiue speache ergo lykewise Thys is my bodye is a figuratiue speache With such fond folyes and sophismes is the trueth assaulted agaynste all good learnyng and the rules of all true reasonyng GOD open theyr eyes to see and folowe hys heauenly wisdome But yf we wyl consider the circuÌ„stancies of the texte who
was the speaker for what intente what tyme and suche other it shal playnlye appeare that the literall sense as the woordes purporte is the true sense that the holy Ghost dyd principally intende As for example Fyrst it appeareth euidentlye the speaker to be Iesus Christ oure Lorde Gods sonne equall and omnipotent God wyth the father that these hys wordes be not wordes of a bare narration teachyng but wordes whereby a sacrament is instituted And for that reason we muste considre that it is otherwise with Christ then with vs for in maÌ„ the woorde is true when the thyng is true wherof it is spoken In God the thing is true when the woorde is spoken of the thing Mans word declareth the thyng to be as it is before Gods worde maketh the thyng to be as it was not before In man the trueth of hys word dependeth of the trueth of the thyng Contrarye in God the trueth of the thynge dependeth vpon the speaking of the woorde as the Psalme sayeth Ipse dixit facta sunt He spake the word the thynges were made And thys thynge the deuill knewe well ynough being sure that yf Iesus were Christe and God he could with his word both create newe thynges and also chaunge the nature and substaunce of any thynge therfore sayd vnto him temptyng him whether he was Gods sonne or no yf thou be Gods sonne speake the woorde that these stoones maye be made bread Wherbi we may learne that although in maÌ„s speache it is not true to saye these stones be breade yet yf GOD should saye so it shuld be true the inferior nature of creatures gyuyng place to the omnipotent power of God the creator After which sort Ireneus reasoneth agaynste those heretikes that denied Iesus Christ to be Gods sonne vsyng that most constantly beleued truth of the sacrament that we hold now grounded vpon Christes wordes for an argumente to conuince Iesus the speaker to be Gods sonne His woordes be these Quomodo autem constabit eis eum panem in quo gratiae actae sunt corpus esse domini sui calicem sanguinis eius si non ipsum fabricatoris mundi filium dicant Howe shall it be certayne vnto them that that breade vpon whiche thankes are giuen that is to saye the Eucharistical bread is y e body of theyr Lorde and the cuppe of his bloude yf they saye not that he is the sonne of hym y t made the world as though he should reason thus These wordes which Iesus spake of the blessed breade sayinge This is my body This is the cuppe of my bloude be eyther true or false If the speaker of them be pure man and not god as they say then can they not be true for mans word chaungeth not the nature of thynges as it is here But yf the woordes be true as they certeynlye beleue then the speaker of theÌ„ must nedes be gods sonne of infinite power able to make the thynges to be as he sayeth they be And also in his 57. Chapiter the fame 4. booke he maketh the lyke argumente in these woordes Quomodò iuste Dominus si alte rius patris existit huius conditionis quae est secundum nos accipiens panem suum corpus confitebatuâ— temperamentum calicis sui sanguinem coÌ„firmauit If our Lord be a pure man of that nature condition that we be of the sonne of an other father then God How dyd he iustly and truely taking bread into hys hande confesse saye it to be his body and confirme that mixture of wyne and water that was in the chalyce to be his owne bloude By these two places of Ireneus that liued within 150. yeares of Christ we are taught not to flye to oure figures of grammer to make these wordes of Christ true which in dede we must nedes do or else say they be false yf Christe the speaker be but only man and not God but we be taught by him to be leue them to be most true and for that reason to beleue also that Christe the speaker is Gods sonne by whose almighty power the thynges be chauÌ„ged and made as he speaketh so that we may iustly after the minde of Ireneus diuerse other olde auctours whiche were longe to rehearse nowe conceaue this opinioÌ„ of these men that say these wordes of christ can not be true except they be vnderstanded by a figuratiue speache that they eyther beleue not them selfes y t Christe is Gods sonne or els gyue occasion to other to reuiue that olde damnable heresye of Arius that denyed Christes Godheade thexperience whereof we haue had of late dayes of some that from Sacramentaries by necessary consequence of that heresye became Arianes The seconde circumstance I spake oâ— was â—o considre to what purpose intent Christ spake these wordes I sayde they were woordes not of a bare narration teaching some doctrine but the woordes of thinstitution of a Sacrament of the newe Testamente And then it foloweth that yf they be the forme of a Sacrament as they be in dede then muste they nedes be that instrument whereby Gods almightie power assistinge the dewe ministration of his priest worketh that grace inwardly that the wordes purport outwardlye For so it is in al other Sacramentes In Baptisme these wordes Ego baptizote I baptise thee and so forth lyke as outwardly to the eares of the hearer they signifie a washing so almightie God assisting the due pronouncing of theÌ„ dothe inwardlye worke the grace of washynge the soule of him to whome the wordes be spoken yf there be no stoppe or impediment of his partye And likewise in penaunce as the woordes of the Prieste saying Ego absoluo te ab omni bus peccatis tuis in nomine Patris filij spiritus sancti I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the father and the sonne and the holye ghoste do signifie forgiuenes so God doth inwardly forgiue yf the partye be truelye penitent Likewise in mariage that knotte the man knitteth with the woman in takynge hir to his wife she him to hir husband God also inwardly doth knitte the same which manne can not lowse and so forthe of al other Sacramentes Now to our purpose The grace whyche is included in these wordes This is my bodye This is my bloude is not only accidental grace as in the other but the body of Christe to be our Sacrament whiche is the substaunce of grace the aucthor fountayne and well of al grace as S. Bernarde sayth Dicitur Eucharistia per excellentiam In hoc enim Sacramento non solum quaelibet gratia sed ille à quo est omnis gratia sumitur This Sacramente is called Eucharistia for some excellencye aboue al other for in this sacrameÌ„t is receaued not only anye other grace but he of whome procedeth al grace Then it foloweth y t whereas the grace of this sacramente which the wordes purport to the outward
eares of all men is the essential grace of Christes bodye and bloude to be there presente it foloweth I saye that Christ by these wordes as by a conuenient instrument worketh inwardlye in that he gaue to his disciples y ◠reall presence of his owne body and bloud as Eusebius Emesenus sayth Fide aestimandi non specie nec exterioris censenda est uisu sed interioris hominis affectu To be estemed by fayth not by the outwarde forme and not to be iudged by the sight of the outward man but by the affection of the inward man Thirdly we maye considre that these wordes be the performance of a former promise where Christe as it is wrytten in the .6 Chapiter of S. Iohn promised to giue vs y e same fleshe to eate that he woulde giue to the deathe for the life of the worlde sayinge Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est quam ego dabo pro mundi uita The breade which I shal giue vnto you is my fleshe whiche I shal giue for the lyfe of the world Whiche promise we neuer reade that Christ whiche is y e verye trueth and can not lye did euer at any time performe but in his last supper when he gaue his bodye and bloude to his disciples and to promise his fleshe to giue bare bread and not his fleshe is no performyng but a breakynge of hys promise and a deludynge of them to whome he made the promise for as for the interpretation whiche some menne make of Christes wordes that he wyl gyue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spirituallye by sayth is but a vaine and feined glose for that text And although Christ do so gyue it to be eaten by faythe yet we maye not exclude one trueth by an other trueth as sophisters do For Christ gaue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spirituallye by fayth euer from the beginning of the world also at that presente when he spake those wordes so that it were a very vayne thyng for Christe to promise to gyue a thyng which he euer before also at that present and euer after continually doth giue But it was neuer so taken of any good auncient aucthor which al with one consent doo expounde this text of Saynt Iohn of the giuing of his flesh in his laste supper vnder the forme of bread and therefore Cirillus wryteth that oure sauiour Christ dyd not expounde and make plaine the maner of the misterye and the performaunce of this his promise to them that asked the vnfaythful question Howe withoute fayth but to his disciples that beleued him and asked no such question of hym he declared the maner of it in his last supper Wherfore we may wel conclude vpon this circumstance that Christes fleshe is verelye present in the Sacrament to be giuen vnto vs because he promised before that he wold giue vs the same fleshe for our foode that he would gyue on the crosse for our redemption The tyme also is to be considered that he spake these wordes the nyghte before he suffered death at which tyme and the next daye after he ended and fulfilled all fygures saying on the crosse Consummatum est All figures shadowes be ended and expired whyche was no tyme then to institute and beginne newe figures It is likely or probable that our Sauiour Christ then enteryng into his agony and beginnynge his passion accustomynge commonlye before to teache his disciples in playne wordes without parables or figuratiue speaches woulde then so lightly behaue him self as to delude his choysen and intierlye beloued disciples in callyng those thynges hys bodye that is gyuen for them his bloude that is shedde for them whiche were neyther his bodye nor his bloude but bare breade and wine Or is there any religion in oure christen fayth in nycknanamyng thynges or callynge thē otherwyse then they be Yf any man thynke him self able to aunswere that because Christ sayd he was a vyne he was a doore beynge neyther vyne nor doore that man semeth to me not substantiallye to waye the woordes speaches of scripture For lette him considre thoroughoute all the Scripture wheresoeuer he shal find that Christ spake any thing of him selfe by woordes of oure common speache for the godhead and the properties of the god heade be ineffable and can not be expressed to our capacitye but by woordes and names of worldly and naturall thinges here among vs. He shall alwayes fynd that Christe was a better and more syngulare thyng then the worde dyd properlye signifye that was attribute vnto him and to make thys matter more playne by examples Where Christe sayde I am the way he meant not that he was the waye that leadeth to the city or to some other place but that he was a more excellent waye A waye that leadeth to the father to heauen to euerlastyng lyfe When he sayde he was the doore he meante not that he was the doore of the shepefold here in earth but a farre better doore the doore of the churche the spirituall shepefolde by the which doore who soeuer entreth shall be saued Also calling him selfe a vine he meant that he was the spirituall vyne whereof all christen men be braunches better then suche a vine as groweth in the fieldes And lykewyse by that he calleth himselfe the lighte we vnderstande that he was not the sensible light of this world but the heauenlye lyghte ▪ that neyther by course is chaūged nor by shadowe is darkened So that it maye be obserued for a rule when Christe dothe attribute the name of anye sensible creature to hym selfe euer the vnderstandyng exceadeth and excelleth the word in dignitie And yf this be true in all kind of teaching and doctrine shall we now in the high misteries and sacramentes of God come from the hall to the kitchin from the better to the worst y t where Christ sayeth This is my body we shall vnderstande that it is breade a worse thinge then his bodye This is my bloude that is to saye wine a worse thing then his bloude These be fonde false gloses neyther true nor likely nor yet tolerable Wherefore leauynge oute a great many other circumstancies that woulde serue verye well to set forth the trueth of this doctrine I shall conclude thus seing S. Mathew sayth in playne termes it is my body it is my bloude S. Mark sayth it is my body S. Luke sayth it is my body S. Paul sayth it is my body S. Iohn sayeth it is my fleshe shall we nowe fyftene hundreth yeare after them handle the matter so finelye and waye the scripture so substantiallye that we shall affirme the contradictorye to be the true sense saying this is not my bodye this is not my bloude but a figure a signe of my bodye bloude These euidēt scriptures moue me to continue styll stedfast in that fayth I was borne in not to be moued wyth vayne
wordes and reasons without probabilitye agaynste all rule and forme of true reasonyng Moreouer the nature of a sacrament dothe moue me very muche to beleue styll as I do For whereas euery sacrament of the newe Testament is a visible forme of an inuisible grace as S. Augustyne sayth it can not be a sacramente of y â— newe Testamente excepte it haue a promise of some suche grace to be gyuen to the worthye receauer as is signifyed by the outwarde forme of the sacrament As in baptisme the water which is the outwarde forme signifieth the grace of saluation and remission of synnes whych grace is bothe gyuen to the worthy receauer is also promised in scripture to be giueÌ„ by the mouth of christ saying Qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit saluus erit He that beleueth and is baptized shalbe saued Euen so the outwarde element of this sacrament which is bread and wine doâ—h signifye the grace of the vnitye of Christes misticall bodye that lyke as one breade is made of manye graynes one wyne is pressed out of many grapes so one mysticall body of Christ is compact vnited of the multitude of all Christen people as S. Cypriane sayeth Nowe yf our sacrament be breade and wine as they saye then shal they find the promise of this grace or of some other in the scriptures made to the receauer of breade and wine And yf there be no promise in all the scriptures made to the receauing of bread and wine then be they no sacramentes But yf they wyll loke in the sixt chapiter of S â–ª Iohn they shal find thys grace of the mysticall vnitye promised not to the receauynge of breade and wine but to the worthye receauyng of Christes body and bloude where Christ sayeth he that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloude he abydeth in me and I in hym and so is ioyned and incorporate into one mysticall bodye wyth him Oure sacramente therfore that hath the promise annexed vnto it is not breade wyne be they neuer so muche appoynted to signifye heauenly thynges as they saye but the very body and bloude of oure Lord Iesus Christ the bread that came from heauen Luther and suche as be of hys sect as take hys dreames for the ground of their fayth were muche pressed with this argument deduced of the propertye of the sacramente and sawe playnly that it could not be a sacrament of the newe testameÌ„t except it had a promise annexed to the worthy vsyng of it And yet for al that he would not condescende to say as the Churche sayeth that res SacrameÌ„ti the thing of the sacrament signified and not conteyned whych is the vnitye of the mystical body were that grace whych by Christ in S. Iohn was promised to the worthye receauer of it but went and sought about for an other promise and after much pooringe at laste he broughte forth a promyse as he thoughte mete and conueniente which is the wordes of christ Quod pro uobis tradetur which shalbe gyuen for you And in this poynt he shewed w t what violence he handled other matters of our fayth that in thys greate matter so muche ouershotte himselfe Fyrst wyth what face could he call that a promise whyche hathe no apparaunce of anye promise but that the wordes in Latyne be spoken in the future tense whych in Greke be wrytten in the present tense both in Saynt Paule and in S. Luke Quod pro uobis datur whyche is gyuen for you And yf they were spoken in y e future tense as they were not yet they be wordes not promising a thyng to be done but declaryng what shalbe done And further yf we shoulde graunt them to be wordes of a promise yet they promyse not the grace of the sacrameÌ„t whyche is to be gyuen to the worthy receauer â–ª For the passion of Christe or the giuinge of Christes body vpon the crosse is not a grace giuen by the sacramente to the receauer but it is that worke that hath deserued grace to be gyuen by the sacrament for al our sacramentes take their vertue of y e passion of Christe and do not promise the passion of Christe This may suffise for thys shorte time to shewe vnto you the folye of these men that neyther wote nor care what they affyrme in these weyghty matters I coulde saye more in it but that I haue more necessary matter behynde to be sayd S. Augustyne in diuerse places other auncieÌ„t aucthors haue this doctrine in their bokes E latere Christi fluxerunt duo Sacramenta Two Sacramentes dyd yssue forth of christes syde and in those places he teacheth vs by comparyng the creation of Eue the wyfe of Adam the firste man and of the churche y â— spouse of christe the second man Lyke as god castyng AdaÌ„ into a slepe toke forth a bone oute of hys syde and therof buylded and created hym a wyfe euen so when Christ dyd slepe by death vpoÌ„ the crosse vpon water and bloude that came forth of hys side when it was opened with a speare God dyd forme and buylde the churche the spouse of Christ in that by water we be regenerate by bloude we be redemed and nourished Now concernyng our purpose yf two sacrameÌ„tes came oute of Christes syde we are sure there came out no wyne excepte ye wyll saye the wyne of the true vyne whych christ shall neuer drynke wyth vs any more but after anewe sort in the glory and kyngdome of hys father Therfore it muste nedes be that our sacrament is Christes bloude and not wyne Besyde these circumstancies and argumentes deduced vpoÌ„ the scrypture there be also other of no lesse strength then these able to coÌ„firme any true Christen man in the fayth of the reall presence of Christes body and bloude in the blessed sacrament And these be the effectes of the sacrament expressed in the scripture whych be so great so gloriouse so excellent and heauenly that it were great blasphemy to ascribe the same to breade and wyne whyche be only the workes and effectes of almighty GOD and of suche creatures only as gods sonne hath taken and vnited to him selfe in vnitie of person whych be the body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ. The fyrst effect is that our Sacrament is the confirmation of the newe Testament as S. Mathewe and S. Mark also do wryte Hic est sanguis meus noui Testamenti Thys is my bloude of the newe Testament that is to saye which confirmeth the newe Testament as all holye wryters do expounde Like as the bloude of calues did confirme the old Testament as the booke of Exodus doth declare so the bloude of Christ our prieste sacrifice doth coÌ„firme the new Testament which Testament because it is eternall and shall neuer haue ende is confirmed by the eternall bloude of the lambe of God that euer is receaued and neuer consumed and not by anye corruptible bloude or any other creature
of heauen as S. Ihon writeth Yet we reade that the theâ—e on the ryght hand of Christe was saued and neuer baptyzed and many conuerted sodenly to our fayth were made martyrs before they coulde come to baptisme in water And saynt Ambrose thynketh Vâ—lentinian the Emperoure to be saued whych dyed in his iourneye before saynt Ambrose which he sent for could come vnto hym And therfore though baptisme be necessary and the ordinary doore to saluation yet the propre grace of baptisme is sometimes gyuen by Gods extraordinarye and absolute power to suche as wythoute contempt of the sacrament by theyr wyll and earneste desire receaue the sacrament of baptisme though not in dede eueÌ„ so they that be baptized and haue an earnest desyre and longyng to receaue Christes body and bloude in the sacrameÌ„t and by some violence or impediment are letted to receaue it in dede or suche children as by baptisme haue fayth infused into theyr heartes and are preueÌ„ted by death before they can proue and trye theÌ„ selfes whych probation saynt Paule semeth too require before the receypte oâ— Christes body hauyng no contempt nor refusal of the same but departe in the fayth of christ These I say receaue the grace of the sacrament whych is the immortality of theyr bodyes and lyfe eternall by Gods extraordinary workyng wythout the receypte of the sacramente in dede By this litle ye may perceaue what maye be further sayd to thys obiection yf the tyme and my principal matter wold suffre me Thys effect is commonlye taught of many auncient aucthors with one consent For Ignatius one of the oldest calleth this sacrament medicamentum immortalitatis antidotum non moriendi a medicine of immortalitye a preseruatiue agaynst death And the great general counsel at Nice wryteth that they beleued these sacramentes of the body and bloude of Christ to be Symbola resurrectionis nostrae the pledges or causes of our resurrection And Athanasius who was one of the chiefe men in that counsell calleth it Conseruatorium ad immortalitatem uitae aeternae A conserue or a thing that preserueth our bodyes to the immortalitie of eternall lyfe Ireneus that was a great deale older writyng agaynst the heretikes that denyed the resurrection of the fleshe proueth it and confuteth them by the effect of this sacrament sayinge thus Quomodò dicunt carnem in corruptionem deuenire quae à corpore sanguine Domini alitur By what reason do thei saye that our flesh goeth wholy to corruption seyng that it is nouryshed wyth the bodye and bloude of our Lord and in hys fyfte booke he sayeth Quomodò carnem negant capacem esse donationis Dei quae est uita aeterna quae sanguine corpore Christi nutritur Howe do they denye our fleshe to be able to receaue the gyft of god which is eternal lyfe whych is nouryshed wyth the body and bloude of Christ The greateste argumente that Ireneus could bring to proue the resurrection of our flesh to lyfe eternall was to alledge the cause of that resurrection whych was the nouryshynge of our fleshe wyth the lyueâ—ye fleshe of Christ in the sacrameÌ„t not to this temperal lyfe as other earthly meates do but to eternal lyfe as onely Christes flesh doth and this cause was beleued and coÌ„fessed of al men at that tyme both catholykes heretikes Insomuche that these heretikes of oure tyme that denye this cause that is to saye Christes fleshe to be really gyuen in the sacrament eaten of our flesh do giue occasioÌ„ yea I am affrayed do gyue more then occasion for vs to thynke of them that they denye also the resurrectioÌ„ of our fleshe whych is the propre effect of it although as yet they dare not impudentlye burste out wyth it in playne wordes though they expresse the same euidently to all mens eyes in their carnall beastly lyues To proue this effect further I could bring in many mo aucthorities as the saying of Hilalarius Haec uero uitae nostrae causa est quòd in nobis carnalibus manenteÌ„ per carneÌ„ Christum habemus Thys is the very cause of our life y â— we haue Christ by his fleshe dwellynge in oure fleshe But I wyl not in so playne a matter through my curiosity seme to mistrust the credite of you that be faythfull men Therfore to conclude knowing the greatnes and thexcellencye of thys effecte shall we ascribe it to so basse creatures as be bread wyne whiche be not able to worke suche an effect God forbidde The principal effect of all is to make vs one bodye wyth Christ whyche is declared in saynt Paule in these wordes Panis quem frangimus nonne communicatio corporis Christi est The breade whyche we breake is it not the communion of Christes body that is to say doth it not ioyne knitte vs in the vnitye of one body of Christ Upon the whyche place of saynt Paule Chrysostome noteth that he sayd not it is the participation but it is the coÌ„munion of one bodye Declarynge therby the higheste and greatest coniunction that can be sauyng the vnitye of person for the breade whych we breake that is to saye the natural body of Christe vnder the forme of breade whyche we breake and diuide amonges vs not takyng euerye man a sondrye part but euerye man takynge the whole and the same And as Cyrill sayth Gods sonne going into euery man as it were by diuision of hym selfe yet remayneth whole wythout any diuision in euery manne thys breade I saye is the communion of Christes body that is to saye maketh vs that be diuerse in our owne substaunce to be all one misticall bodye in Christ indued all wyth one holye spirite wherby y e influence of Christes grace that is oure head is deriued and deduced vnto vs that be membres of his body fleshe of his fleshe bones of his bones Thus doeth Chrysostome expounde y e wordes of S. Paul Quid enim appello inquit communicationem idem ipsum corpus sumus quidnam est panis corpus Christi quid auteÌ„ fiunt qui accipiunt corpus Christi noÌ„ multa sed unum corpus What meaneth S. Paule when he sayeth the coÌ„munion he meaneth that we be all one bodye What meaneth he by thys word bread the body of christ What are they made that receaue the body of Christ they are made not manye bodyes but one bodye And therefore S. Paul sayeth by by after unus panis unum corpus multi sumus omnes enim de uno pane participamus We that be many are made one bread one bodye forbecause all we do receaue and eate of one bread Here he telleth playne why we that be manye in numbre are all made one breade one misticall body because sayeth he all we eate of one breade whych is one naturall bodye And this worde breade here must nedes be taken for Christes naturall body and not for materiall bread
Christ dydde eate his body drynke his bloude in the mysticall supper neyther figuratiuely as he did in the paschall lambe nor yet spirituallye as we do by fayth then it is certayn that he eate it only sacramentally whyche is not only in signe as the sacramentaryes expounde the worde but in truth vnder a sacramēt wherof the substaunce is the reall and natural bodye and bloude of Christ our lord After thys sorte wryteth Chrysostome of Dauid sayinge thus Non contigit Dauid gustare talem hostiam neque particeps fuerat sanguinis dominici sed legibus imperfectioribus educatus neque tale quicquam exigentibus tamen ad euangelicae philosophiae fastigium peruenit animi moderatione It neuer chaunced to Dauid to tast of suche a sacrifice nor he was not receauer and pertaker of our Lordes bloude but being broughte vp vnder lawes not so perfecte and requiringe no suche thyng yet by the moderation and tēperaunce of his owne mynde he came to the hyght of all euangelicall diuinitye Here is playne that Dauid didde neuer taste and receaue Christes bloude as we do in the gospell and yet Dauid did receaue Christes bloude figuratiuely being partaker of the sacrifices of the old law which were figures of christes bloud and also he dyd drynke of the same bloud spirituallye as we do whose fayth was as good or rather greater then ours Therefore there remayneth one other way that we drinke of it which was not graunted vnto him that is to say verely and really in the sacramēt To auoyde this place well they must haue moo solutions then they haue inuented yet for neyther figuratiuelye nor spirituallye will serue it were beste for them to yelde to the trueth and confesse that it is there really the very same substaunce of his bloude y t was shedde vpō the crosse thoughe not in that forme for the relief of our weake nature whyche els could not susteyne it And further then this S. Augustyne sayeth Si dixerimus Catechumeno credis in Christo respondit credo et signat se cruce Christi portat in fronte non erubescit de cruce domini sui ecce credit in nomine eius Interrogemus eum manducas carnem filij hominis bibis sanguinem filij hominis nescit quid dicimus quia lesus non se credidit ei Yf we shall saye to one y e learneth professeth our fayth being yet not baptized doeste thou beleue in Christe he aunswereth I beleue and he dothe signe him selfe with the crosse of Christ he beareth it in his forheade and is not ashamed of the crosse of hys Lord Loo be beleueth in hys name But lette vs aske hym doeste thou eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke the bloud of the sonne of man he can not tell what we saye for Iesus hathe not beleued committed him selfe to hym Besyde other thynges that may be fruytfully gathered of thys place for oure erudition I note but this one that a mā beleuyng in Christ professing the fayth of Christe wyth hys word and worke and for that cause eateth Christes fleshe drinketh his bloude spirituallye yet he wote not what the eatyng of Christes fleshe meaneth whereof Christ spake in the .6 of saynt Iohn But we that be baptized are admitted to oure Lordes table we know by our experiēce what it is to eate Christes flesh and to drinke his bloude for to vs Christ doth truste gyue him selfe to the other that beleue as wel as we he doth not committe him selfe Wherby I conclude beside the spirituall eating of Christ by faith there is also a real eating of him in y e sacrament by the seruyce of oure bodies to the confirmation in grace and sanctification both of oure bodies and soules And concernyng the drinkyng of Christes bloude reallye ▪ S. Cyprian writeth an other argument whyche I thynke can not be auoyded by anye figuratiue speaches he sayeth thus Noua est huius Sacramenti doctrina scholae euangelicae hoc primum magisterium protulerunt doctore christo primum haec mundo innotuit disciplina ut biberent sanguinem Christiani cuius esum legis antiquae authoritas districtissimè interdicit Lex quippe esum sanguinis prohibet Euangelium praecipit ut bibatur c. Origen also wryteth thys same thyng very playnly vpō Numeri hom 16. The Englyshe is this of Cyprian The doctrine of this Sacramente is newe and the euangelicall schoole taught this lessō first of all this discipline was neuer knowē to the worlde before oure mayster Christ who was the firste teacher of it that Christen menne shuld drynke bloude the eating of which bloude the aucthority of the olde lawe dothe mooste strayghtly forbidde for the law forbiddeth the eating of bloud the gospell cōmaundeth bloude to be dronken c. Now this is most certeyne that the lawe dyd neuer forbyd the drinking of Christes bloud figuratiuely but dyd cōmaund drinke offeringes whych were figures of this bloude and the Iewes drank of the water that came forth of the stone whyche was a figure of the bloude that came foorthe of Christes syde which bloud as Chrysostome sayth is in our chalyce Id est in calice quod fluxit è latere illius no◠sumus participes y e same thinge is in the chalyce that slowed oute of Christes syde and we are partakers of the same Nor the law dyd neuer forbyd the drynking of christes bloude spyrytuallye by fayth but sette forth the fayth of Christ beyng a scholemayster to Christ poyntynge to hym in whome they shoulde beleue and receaue all grace But to make short the lawe forbadde the externall and real drynkyng of bloude whych the gospell commaundeth sayinge excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke hys bloude ye shall not haue lyfe in you and drynke ye all of thys Thys is my bloude of the new Testament Therfore it foloweth necessarelye that the drynkyng of thys bloude is not figuratiuely nor yet only spirituallye but reallye by the seruyce of our bodyes ▪ as Chrysostome sayeth Si uiderit inimicus non postibus impositum sanguinem typi sed fidelium ore lucentem sanguinem ueritatis Christi templi postibus dedicatum multo magis se subtra hit Yf oure enemye the deuyll shall see not the bloude of the figuratiue lambe sprynkled vpon the postes but the bloude of Christe the trueth shynynge in the mouth of the faythful much more he wyll runne away There is a place of the prouerbes whych as diuerse authors do expounde maketh much for the real presence of Christes bodye and bloude in the Sacrament the place is this after the greke whych these authors folowed Cùm sederis ad mensam potentis sapienter intellige quae apponuntur mitte manum tuam sciens quia talia te oportet praeparare When thou sytteste at the table of a great man vnderstand wysely what thinges are set before thee and
putte to thy hand knowynge that thou must prepare such lyke thinges agayne S. Augustyne vpon saynt Iohn and Chrysostome vpon the Psalme and Hesichius and other moo whose wordes it were to longe to reherse in Latyne do expounde this place of the prouerbes thus Who is this great man but Iesus Christ our lord gods sonne and what is the table of this great maÌ„ but where is receaued his bodye and his bloude that hath giuen hys life for vs And what is to sytte at that table but to come to it humbly and deuoutly what is to considre and vnderstande wisely what thinges be sette before thee but to discerne the body bloude of Christe to be set there verelye in trueth and to knowe the grace vertue and dignitie of theÌ„ and the daunger for the misusyng of them and what is to put to thy hande knowynge that thou muste prepare suche like agayne but to eate of them knowynge that christen men in the cause of Christ and defence of the trueth are bounden to shedde theyr bloude and spend their lyues for their brethren as christ hath done the same for vs before that lyke as we haue receaued at Christes table hys bodye and his bloude so oughte we to giue for our brethren our bodyes and bloude Thys comparyson of taking giuing the like agayne auoydeth all the triflynge cauillations of these figuratiue speaches that the simple peoples heades be combred wythal Here is no place for eatyng only by fayth for the martyrs dyd not only beleue in Christe but also in very dede gaue theyr bodyes and shedde their bloude really for Christ. I nede not stande longer in so playne a matter although I could alledge muche more oute of al the auncient fathers yea more playner then these I haue touched yf any can be playner If I did but tel the bare names of the Sacrament whyche the authors gyue it I shuld proue manifestlye that it were the very body and bloude of Christ not breade and wyne Ignatius calleth it Medicamentum immortacitatis antidotum non moriendi a medicine of immortalitye a preseruatiue agaynste deathe Dionisius Ariopagita S. Paules scholer calleth it hostia salutaris the sacrifice of our saluation Iustinus martyr sayeth it is caro sanguis incarnati Iesu the fleshe bloud of Iesus incarnate whyche names be gyuen to it of the scripture and all other wryters Origen calleth it Panis uitae dapes saluatoris epulum incorruptum Dominus the breade of lyfe the deynties of oure sauioure the meate that is neuer corrupted yea our Lorde hym selfe Cyprian calleth it SanctuÌ„ domini the holy one of God gratia salutaris the sauyng grace Cibus inconsumptibilis the meate that can neuer be coÌ„sumed Alimonia immortalitatis the foode of immortalitye Portio uitae aeternae the portion of eternal lyfe Sacrificium perpes holocaustum permanens a coÌ„tinual sacrifice an offerynge alwayes remaynynge Christus yea he calleth it Christ The greate general counsell at Nice calleth it Agnus Dei qui tollit â—eccatum mundi the lambe of God that taketh awaye the synnes of the world Optatus an olde author gyueth it diuerse names as in this sentence Quid tam sacrileguÌ„ quà m altaria Dei frangere radere remouere in quibus uota populi membra Christi portata sunt unde à multis pignus salutis aeternae tutela fidei spes resurrectionis accepta est What is more sacrilege then to breake the aultares of God as the Donatiâ—tes dyd or to scrape them or to remoue them vpon the whych aultares the vowes of the people y t is to saye the members of Christ are borne from whych aultares also the pledge of eternall saluation the defence and buckeler of fayth and the hope of resurrection be receaued Hilarius calleth it cibus dominicus our Lordes meate uerbum caro the worde made fleshe S. Basyll in hys Masse calleth them sancta diuina impolluta immortalia supercelestia uiuifica sacramenta Holy Sacramentes godly pure vndefyled immortall heauenly and gyuyng lyfe What wyttelesse and vngodlye man woulde gyue these names to breade and wyne S. Ambrose calleth it gratia dei the grace of God not an accidental grace receaued of God into mans soule but the very reall Sacrament he calleth the grace of God the whych hys brother Satyrus being vpon the sea and hys shippe broken sekyng for none other ayde but onelye the remedy of fayth and the defence of that Sacrament toke thys grace of God of the priestes and caused it to be bounde in a stole whych he tied about his necke and so trusting in that committed hym selfe to the waters by vertue whereof he escaped drownyng and afterward of a catholike Bysshop he receaued that same grace of God wyth hys mouth Chrysostome O wyth what eloquence doth he vtter thys matter heare but thys one place Ipsa namque mensa animae nostrae uis est nerui mentis fiduciae uinculum fundamentum spes salus lux uita nostra The very table sayeth he meanynge the meate of the table is the strengthe of our soule the synewes of oure mynde the knotte of our trust the foundation oure hope oure health oure lyght and our life What names what effectes be these and in an other Homelye he calleth it Rex coeli Deus Christus The kyng of heauen God hym selfe Christ which he sayth goeth into vs by these gates dores of our mouthes Cyrillus calleth it sanctificatio uiuifica The very sanctification that gyueth lyfe And S. Augustyne calleth it Praetium nostrum The pryce of our redemption whych Iudas receaued What shuld I trouble you any longer in so playn a matter Why shoulde these holye fathers deceaue vs by callinge this Sacramente w t so gloriouse and highe names yf they meante not so but that it was but breade and wyne they lacked no grace that had so muche grace as to shedde their bloud for christes fayth they lacked no wytte nor eloquence to expresse what they meant Thus dyd they wiâ—h one consent after one maner alwayes speake and wryte by whose playne preachynge and wrytinge the whole worlde of Christendome hathe bene perswaded and establyshed in this fayth of the real presence these fiftene hundreth yeres If they haue seduced vs meaning otherwise then they wrote then may we iustly say that they were not martirs confessors in dede but very deuyls errynge them selues and bringynge other also in erroure But good people the truth is they erred not but taught vs as they beleued the very truthe confirmyng and testifyinge that faythe whyche their bloud y t they had taught with their mouthe And yf there be anye errour it is in vs that for the vnlearned talkinge and wytlesse sophistical reasonyng of a fewe men will headlinges destroye our soules forsaking not coÌ„tinuing in that faythe whyche was taught by the mouth of christ â–ª sealed with his
the fleshe of an holy man ioyned to the word of God by vnitye of dignitye nor as the fleshe of hym in whome God dwelleth but as the flesh only propre to gods sonne verely giuing life to the receauer By this determination of this general couÌ„cel we learne that in the mysticall benediction by whyche word is meant thys blessed Sacramente we receaue Christes owne propre fleshe and of it we receaue sanctification and lyfe before the receypt whereof we celebrate the vnbloudye sacrifice of the same in our churches declaring our Lordes death resurrection and ascension and by this place we plainly perceaue that the doinges and wordes whych be vsed daylye in oure Masse were also vsed in the time of this councel muche aboue a thousand yeares agoo This doctrine also was determined in the general councell holden at Constantinople in the time of Iustyniane y e Emperoure the yeare of our Lorde 552. where be wrytten these wordes Omni sensibili creaturae supereminet is qui salutari passione coelestem nactus digni tatem edens bibens ChristuÌ„ ad uitam aeternam perpetuo coÌ„iungitur anima corpore diuinae participatione gratiae saÌ„ctificatur and so forth He farre excelleth euerye sensible creature that by the passion of our sauioure obteynyng heauenlye dignitie eatyng and drynkyng Christ is continually ioyned to eternal lyfe and is sanctified bothe in soule and body by participation of the heauenly grace Thys place is notable declarynge the dignitie of hym that eateth Christ and the effecte of that eatynge to be euerlastynge lyfe and sanctification bothe of bodye and soule Likewyse the general couÌ„cell called Lateranense holden at Rome the yeare of our Lorde 1215. determyned thys matter in the same termes that we expresse it nowe Vna est fidelium uniuersalis Ecclesia extra quam nullus omnino saluatur in qua idem ipse sacerdos sacrificium Iesus Christus cuius corpus sanguis in Sacramento altaris sub speciebus panis uini ueraciter continentur tran substantiatis pane in corpus uino in sanguinem potestate diuina There is one vniuersall churche of all faythfull people wythoute the whych no man is saued at anye tyme in the which Iesus Christ hym selfe is both the priest and the sacrifice whose bodye and bloude be truely conteyned in the sacrament of the aultare vnder the forme of breade and wine the breade beyng transubstantiate into hys body the wine into hys bloude by the power of God This forme of doctrine after this sort in these termes hath bene taught professed beleued throughoute y e whole catholike Churche euer sence that tyme howsoeuer some he retikes forsaking their fayth procedynge from Gods omnipotent word and the vnitye of hys churche and leanynge to their sensualitye and blind reason agaynst fayth haue repyned and barked agaynste the same But I put no doubtes but by Gods grace yf the time wolde suffer me â–ª to make thys matter oâ— transubstantiation as playne as the other of the reall presence The generall councell also of Constance holden of latter dayes the yeare of our Lord 1415. doth agree and testifye the same in that they condemned Iohn Wyclefe the heretike all his errours agaynst this blessed Sacrament Thus haue I shewed you the consente of the churche by the determinations of the generall councels It shal not be nedeful to rehearse any particular and prouincial councels which al in this doctrine agre with the other generall Furthermore the consente of the churche appeareth by y e condemnation of the heretykes of al ages whych hold any false opinion in anye poynte agaynst the veritye and the institution of Christ concerning this blessed Sacrament The first heretike that euer we reade of in this matter father to all the Sacramentaries that lyue nowe was one in the time of Ignatius by and by after y e Apostels whose name we know not but what he and his sect that folowed him did Theodoretus in his thyrd dialoge maketh mention sayinge that Ignatius who lyued within one hundreth yeare of Christ writeth in an epistle ad Smyrnenses in these wordes Eucharistias oblationes non admittunt eoque non confiteantur Eucharistiam esse carnem seruatoris nostri Iesu Christi quae pro pecâ—atis nostris passa est quam pater sua benignitate suscitauit They do not allowe and admitte our Sacrament offerynges because they do not confesse the Sacrament called Eucharistia to be the fleshe of oure sauioure Iesus Christe whych fleshe suffered for oure synnes and which the fathers goodnes dyd rayse froÌ„ deathe agayne By this we learne what was the fayth in the primitiue churche both that the Sacramente was the verye fleshe of Christ whych suffered for vs also that it was offered for vs by the priestes which thinges those heretykes denyed then as their scholers nowe springing vp vpon their ashes denye nowe that they were condemned as heretykes by the primitiue churche then as these most worthely be condeÌ„ned by the catholike Churche nowe And where as the due matter wherein this blessed Sacrament is coÌ„secrated oughte to be vnleauened breade of wheate and wine myxed with water accordyng to the scriptures the example of christ there were one sort of heretykes called Artotoritae of whome speaketh Epiphanius contra Quintillianos whych were so called for y â— they vsed not in their sacrifyces the necessary and due matter but in their mysteries dyd coÌ„secrate and offer bread and cheese An other sort of heretikes were called Fermentarij because they did consecrate in leuened breade as our men of late dyd commaunde to be done â–ª who were condemned by the generall councell at Basyll Other were called Aquarij or Hydroparastae for that they preteÌ„dyng sobrietye did consecrate in water only wythout wine agaynst whome wrytte saynt Cypriane Chrysostome other who also were coÌ„demned by the generall councell of Constantinople in trullo cap. 32. Other were called Armenij who in their sacrifices consecrated and offered wyne onelye wythoute water agaynst whome wryteth Theophilactus All these helde false opinion agaynste the necessary and due matter of the Sacramente There were other heretykes that denyed the effecte of the Sacrament as Messaliani who as it is wrytten by Theodoretus sayd that the heauenly foode whereof our lorde spake he that eateh my fleshe drynketh my bloude shal lyue euer more dyd neyther profite nor hurte any man Nestorius also the pernicious herytyke and Archebyshoppe of Constantinople destroyed the vertue of the sacramente as Theophilactus writeth for y t he graunting christes very fleshe to be really and truely present in the Sacramente denyed that fleshe beynge receyued in to our bodyes to be the propre fleshe of gods sonne and therfore to haue no vertue to giue life to our mortal bodies this heresy was condemned by the generalcouncel holden at Ephesus And where as thys sacrament can not
taketh not away originall synne not because it can not but because God hath so ordeyned For as it is sayd in the olde Testament whose fleshe is not circumcised hys soule shal be putte away from the people so it is sayde in the newe Testamente excepte a manne be borne agayne of the water and the holye Ghoste he can not see the kyngedome of God and excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke his bloude ye shal not haue lyfe in you and except ye do penaunce ye shall all lykewyse peryshe And so muste we thynke of all other Sacramentes of both the testamentes that they be meanes ordeyned of God to atteyne y t grace they signifye whych grace is fully purchased and deserued by the passion of Christ whereof onelye they take their effect for the olde sacramentes haue their vertue and strength ex opere operando as the schole menne saye y t is to saye of the worke that is to be wroughte vpon the crosse by Christ in whome onely they beleued the newe Sacramentes haue their vertue ex opere operato of the worke of Christ that is already wrought vpon the crosse not of anye worthynes of the priest the minister by the merite of whych worke vpon the crosse they haue vertue and efficacye appropryed vnto thē to gyue that grace they signifye to suche as worthelye receaue them or at leaste y t haue no impedimente nor putte no stoppe but that the grace may be receaued Besyde the Sacramentes there be sacrifices instituted of GOD as meanes wherby the passion of Christe the true sacrifice is signified represented applyed as the paschall lambe the continuall sacrifice for synne a sacrifice for giuing thankes for the synnes of the priest and of the people for infirmitie omission for peace for anye benefite to be atteyned for chastitye and suche other whych had strength not by their owne nature but by the vertue of Christes passion whych they signified And as these were sacrifices propre to the olde Testament so Christ hath instituted a newe externall sacrifice propre to the newe Testamente by hys passion abrogating the other whych were shadowes signifyinge and stablyshynge thys whych is the trueth representyng for thys intente that the vertue and sufficiencye of hys bloudy and sauyng sacrifice may be wythout iteration of it selfe cōtinually transferred vnto vs. For seynge there is but one God author of both the Testamentes one body one fayth of Christ to vs both thoughe they beleued in Christ to come we in Christ al ready commed it foloweth cōsequently that we of the new Testament may not lacke this meane of sacrifice so necessary and expediente for vs for so shoulde we as I haue partlye touched in my laste sermon be wythout all kinde of religion hauynge nowe no sacrifice remaynynge propre vnto oure selfes Lyke as to the vnperfyte lawe there succeded a perfyte lawe and to the figuratiue sacramentes there succeded perfyte and effectuall workynge sacramentes euen so to the figuratiue and typicall sacrifices there succedeth one true and perfyte sacrifice of Christ one in substaunce but diuerse in maner Law sacrifice priesthoode and aultare be as the Logitians saye relatiua that is to saye one hangyng and dependyng vpon an other as saynt Paule sayeth Translato facer dotio necesse est ut legis translatio fiat Yf the priesthoode be translate then the lawe muste nedes be translate lykewyse And then lyke as yf there be a father there is a sonne yf there be a mayster there is a seruaunt so yf there be a new lawe of the newe Testament there is also a priesthoode a sacrifice and an aultare properlye belongyng to the new Testament A perfyte and continuall lawe requireth a perfyte sacrifyce of lyke continuaunce the newe lawe of it should lacke a priesthoode and sacrifice priuate to it selfe it shulde eyther be imperfite or els vtterly destroyed For thys cause our sauiour Christ in hys laste supper dyd institute the sacrament of his body and bloude cōmendinge vnto vs two seuerall vses of it the one that it should be receaued of vs as our heauenly foode to nourishe vs in spirituall lyfe tyll we come to be perfite men in Christ saying take eate this is my body The other vse that it shuld be offered in the remēbraunce of his passion the ministratiō of whych offeryng he hath cōmitted to his Apostels as to priestes of the newe lawe sayinge do thys in my remembraunce for the whych function they and their successors be specially priestes Thys is the doctrine of christes catholike churche which I haue as yet but simplye declared not euidentlye proued which is sufficiēt to persuade an obediēt catholike man that foloweth the churche but not sufficient to conuince an obstinate heretike that denieth the Churche impugnyng the doctrine and determination of y e Churche But to oure purpose ▪ that the oblation of Christes body and bloude in the Masse is the sacrifice of the Churche and propre to the new Testament I shall proue it you by the best argumentes that we haue in our schoole of diuinitie that is to saye first by the institution of our Sauiour Christe then by the prophecye of Malachie the Prophete thirdlye by the figure of Melchisedech in the olde lawe and thys shal I doo not expoundyng the scriptures after myne owne heade but as they haue bene taken frō the beginning of the moste auncient Catholike fathers in all ages This sacrifice was instituted by the commaundemente of CHRIST saying to hys Apostles do this in my remēbraunce Our new men laughe at vs where we saye that this commaundement of Christe doth proue the oblation of the Sacrament But we pitye them that sette so lyghte by that they are bounden to beleue can not disproue semyng euidentlye not to regard waye the facte of Christe and their obedience to his commaundement When Christe sayde Do this by thys word this must nedes be vnderstande all that he did concerning the institution of this Sacrament Let vs nowe see what Christ did First he did consecrate hys preciouse body and bloude by blessing the bread saying this is my body this is my bloude for yf this consecration be not cōprehended vnder this word Hoc this then haue we no cōmaundemente nor authoritye to consecrate this sacrament and so shoulde we be vsurpers to do that thynge we haue no warraunt to shew for vs in holye scripture But wythoute doubte this is so playne that we nede saye no more of it except we shoulde vtterly denye this sacrament and the whole ministration of it whiche I thinke no man doth Secondarely Christe dyd offre ▪ that he did consecrate whych appeareth by these his woordes This is my bodye whyche is giuen for you And although this oblation maye be proued sufficientlye otherwise yet to my simple iudgemēt there semeth to be no litle argument in this worde datur is giuen for seinge the scripture
maiestate By the fleshe and bloude of oure Lorde Iesus Christ both beynge in the sacrament inuisible spirituall intelligible is signified the visible body of Christ and palpable full of the grace of all vertues and of the godlye maiestye And euen so likewise very Christ is offered in the mysterye in signe and commemoration of him selfe offered vpoÌ„ the crosse as S. Augustyne sayth Christiani iam peracti sacrificij memoriam celebrant sacrosancta oblatione perticipatione corporis sanguinis Christi Christen menne nowe do celebrate a memorye of Christes sacrifice alreadye paste by the most holy oblation and partitipation of Christes body and bloude The lyke saying hath S. Gregorye diuerse aucthors whyche I omitte to rehearse because the tyme is paste They say that neyther the Apostles nor none in theyr tyme dyd offre Christes body in sacrifice And yet I haue shewed you before that Dionisius Areopagita S. Paules disciple of whome mention is made in the .17 chapiter of the Actes of the Apostles dyd offre the sacrifice of Christes bodye alledgyng Christes commaundement for his warraunt Ireneus that lyued wythin fiftye yeare of saynte Iohn the Euangelist and Polycarpus scholer doth make mention of this offerynge sayinge Ecclesiae oblatio quam Dominus docuit offerri in uniuerso mundo purum sacrifiâ—ium reputatum est apud Deum acceptum est eâ— The oblation of the Churche whych our Lord taught to be offered in the whole world is reputed of God a pure sacrifice and acceptable to hym And in the same chapiter confutynge them that denied the immortalitye of the fleshe by this reason that oure fleshe was nourished with Christes fleshe to eternall lyfe concludeth thus Aut sententiam mutent aut abstine ant offerendo quae praedicta sunt Eyther let them chaunge their opinion or elles absteyn from offering the same bodye and bloude of Christ we spake of Also the generall councell of Constantinople sayth that saynt Iames dydde write the forme of a Masse I omytte the Latyne the woordes in Englyshe be thus faythfullye translate Saynt Iames brother to Christ our God accordynge to the fleshe to whome the churche of HierusaleÌ„ was first committed Basilius which was Bysshop of Caesarea whose fame is knowen throughoute the worlde â–ª whiche deliuered in wrytynge the mysticall celebration of y e sacrifices haue declared that the cuppe in our holye ministerye oughte to be of water and wyne mengled And the holye fathers that were assembled at Carthage haue thus lefte in wrytynge that in the sacrifices nothinge els be offered but the bodye bloude of oure Lorde as oure Lord him selfe hath ordeyned so forthe I neuer redde S. Iames his booke my self nor I thinke it be not nowe to be had but I tel you so much as I knowe that S. Iames dyd write the forme of a Masse as S. Basill did which we haue in greke now If this greate and learned generall councell doth truelye reporte as I beleue doth Let no man therefore beleue them that saye the Apostles did not sacrifice theÌ„ selues nor none in their time except they can proue the negatiue which they shall neuer do There be other some that wyll graunte the sacrifice but denye that it is propitiatorye for the synnes of the quycke and the deade And therefore they disalowe the last senteÌ„ce of the Masse Where the priest sayeth graunt good lord that this sacrifice whyche I haue offered to thy diuine maiestie be propitiable or a meane to obteyne mercye to me to al for whome I haue offered it And surely these be most foolishe of al for yf it be a sacrifice it must nedes be a propitiatory sacrifice taking propitiatory as it ought to be taken not coÌ„foundyng the meanynge of it by sophistrye but vnderstanding the diuerse acception of y e word but these men dally seduce the people with amphibologies and doubtful sayinges Distinctions they admit none nor can not abyde to haue the matter opened and wyth a confuse general saying sclaunder the churche Thys is their priuate sophistrye and yet they call other men sophisters that detecte open their collusions that diuyde the sentence that men might see howe it is true and howe it is false For example They crye out of this that we saye the Masse is a sacrifyce propitiatorye By the worde Masse maye be vnderstanded two thynges the thynge it selfe that is offered and the acte of the priest in offeryng of it If ye take it for the thynge offered whych is the bodye of Christ who can iustly denye but that the body of Christe is a sacrifice propitiatory seyng saynt Iohn sayeth he is the propitiation for our synnes euer was and euer shall be and neuer cease so to be tyll oure synnes be ended and deathe the last enemye be ouercomed in vs hys mysticall body and as Oecumenius sayeth Caro Christi est propitiatorium nostrarâ—Ì„ iniquitatum The flesh of christ is the propitiation for our iniquities But yf by the word Masse be vnderstaÌ„ded the acte of the priest and the vse of the sacrament as they would haue it then it is not propitiatorye in that degree of propitiation as Christes body is but after an other sorte And therefore I must diuide the word propitiatory whyche is taken two wayes also First for that that worthely deserueth mercy at Gods hand and so the acte of the prieste in offerynge is not propitiatorye of it selfe deseruyng mercy as Christe doth Nexte for that prouoketh God to gyue mercye and remission alreadye deserued by Christ. And so the oblation of the priest is propitiatory mouyng and prouokinge God to applye hys mercye vnto vs. So Prayer is a sacryfyce for synnes as Saynte Iames sayeth Oratio fidei saluabit infirmum fi in peccatis sit remittentur ei The Prayer of fayth shall saue the sycke and yf he be in synne they shalbe remitted vnto him And christ taught vs to praye thus forgyue vs oure trespases as we forgyue them that trepase agaynste vs. And also promised to gyue vs that we aske in CHRISTES name Then ye see that prayer beynge a sacrifyce is a prouocation of GOD and a meane to atteyne remyssion of oure synnes and therefore maye be well called propitiatorye So is a contryte hearte a Sacryfyce propitiatorye and almose as appeared by the story of the Niniuites of Daniell For all good workes y t we do both fastynge prayer almose forgyuyng of my neygâ—bourâ— is done for thys ende to mitigate Gods angre agaynst our synnes and to prouoke hym to haue mercye of vs for christes merites Euen so the Mosse taking it for the acte of the priest is a sacrifice propitiatori for sinne Whych I shal proue vnto you by the holy fathers Origen writeth thus Si referantur haec ad mysterij magnitudinem inueni es commemorationem istam habere ingentem repropitiationis effectum Si redeas ad illum panem propitiationis quem propo
wordes of oure sauiour Christ saying Thys is my bodye Thys is my bloud duelye perfectly pronunced vpon y e bread wine Our newe maysters y t styl crye vpon the institution of Christe some sayde it was a sacrament or euer the wordes were spoken assoone as it was brought to y â— churche for y e vse of the communion some woulde haue the wordes sayde but as one shoulde reade a Lesson or tell a tale not directed to the breade and wyne but that the Minister shoulde looke awaye frome the breade and wyne in the tyme of the pronuncynge Fearynge belyke the wordes shoulde haue moore strengthe than they woulde they shoulde haue And thus howsoeuer nowe they pretend a zeale to maintayne the institutioÌ„ of Christ then they vtterly destroyed the institution of Christ eyther deniyng or defraudinge the necessary consecration of the sacrament The minister ought only to be a priest duelye consecrated and ordereed after the rite of the Catholike church whose ministration god only doeth assiste These men dyd not only maintayne y t it was lawfull but also did appoynte and permitte mere laye men to minister yea and laye women somtymes as some said without anye lawfull vocation or orderynge at al not regarding what Arnobius writeth Quid tam magnificum quà m sacramenta dei coÌ„ficere et quid tam perniciosum quà m si is ea conficiat quâ— nulum sacerdotij gradum accipit What is so excellent than to consecrate y e sacramentes of god what is so perniciouse than yf he consecrate them that hath receyued no degre of priesthode The intent also to doe that the churche doeth withoute mockynge dissimulation or contrary purpose is required For although the priest in the consecration may haue hys thoughtes distracte to some other thynge so lacke attention whiche is a greate negligence in the worke of God deadly synne to y e minister yet yf he lacke intention not intendyng to doe that God commaundeth and the churche doeth there is no coÌ„secration nor no sacrameÌ„t at all And for this point what intentioÌ„ shall we thinke these men had of late that vtterlye dinied to consecrate or receiue Christes bodie and bloud vnder the formes of breade and wyne but onelye to receyue the creatures of bread and wyne therby to be pertakers of Christes body and bloude For in the boke of their laste communion these were the wordes of the inuocation Good lord graunt vs that we receyuing these thy creatures of bread and wine according to thy sonnes institution maye be partakers of hys bodye and bloude â–ª Was there euer hearde of anye suche institution Loke throughout all the scripture and shewe me where euer Christe did institute that by eatinge of bread wine men shoulde be partakers of hys body and bloud And if it can not be shewed as I am sure it can not than it was a playne forged lye bearing meÌ„ in haÌ„d that Christ instituted that he neuer thought whereby appeareth y t thei had not this intentioÌ„ which is required to y e due coÌ„secratioÌ„ also y t they in wordes preteÌ„dinge to haue a zeale to maintain Christes institutioÌ„ iÌ„ their dedes shewed theÌ„selfes enemies aduersaries to y e same â–ª And as thei vsed themselues in consecration so they dyd in the oblation whiche they dyd not corrupt as the other but vtterly toke awaye deniynge anye suche thynge to be as I haue proued it is in so muche that in all their newe communion they could not scarcely abide the name or worde of oblation but pulled it oute of the boke so muche dyd they fauour the instituton of Christ whiche they nowe pretende Now when they haue taken awaye the due matter as swete vnleuened bread y e meixture of the chalice peruerted the forme by leauyng oute the principall verbe est in the wordes of Christ as it was in y e last boke in the firste pryntyng howe it came in agayne I can not tell and neglected the due orderynge of the minister sufferyng them to vsurpe the office of a priest that neuer receyued that authoritie neyther of God nor man in that they dyd whiche was verye bad neuer intended to doe as the churche doeth and whollye dyd abrogate as muche as laied in theÌ„ the oblation of Christes bodye in remembraunce of hys passion and at lengthe would haue nothynge to remayne but a bare communion what face haue they to crye vpon Christes institution institution whiche they haue in so many pointes broken and violated as I haue shewed and yet y t they wold haue is no part of Christes instituâ—ion For the vse of the sacrameÌ„t is y t it should be receyued and eaten therefore in diuerse counsels it was decreed that whoso euer tooke the sacrament at the priestes hand dyd not eate it for the which ende Christe dyd ordayne it was holden accursed and excommunicate Thus farre exteÌ„deth y â— institution of Christ concernynge thys poynt because he sayde Accipite manducate et bibite Take eate drynke and also that all shoulde eate and drynke of it that coulde proue themselues after S. Paules admonition But suche thynges as pertayne to the Ceremonye of the eatynge as howe manye in one place together what tyme place maner order and suche lyke be thynges pertaynynge to the ordinaunce and direction of the churche and not to the institution of Christe as necessarye vpon payne of damnation to be obserued of euery christen man For els yf al the rytes that Christe vsed at hys supper were of necessitie and pertaynyng to hys institution then there muste nedes be thyrtene together at the communion and neyther moo nor fewer And it must be celebrate after supper and in the night after the washynge of the fete and in a parler or chamber and al that receyue must be priestes and no women For all these thynges were obserued of Christ hys apostles at hys last supper But for our instruction to declare that they be not fixed by the institution of Christe but left to the disposition of y e church y e churche hath taken an other order in these thinges wyllynge that all shall communicate that be worthy and disposed So that the numbre whether ther be manye or fewe or but one in one place that receyue maketh not the ministration of the prieste for that thynge vnlawefull And it hath ordered that it shalbe celebrate in the mornynge receyued fasting before all other meates in the church except necessite other wise require And therefore S. Augustine taught Ianuarius after thys sorte Ideo saluator non praecepit quo deinceps ordine sumeretur ut apostolis per quos dispositurus erat ecclesiaÌ„ seruaret hunc locuÌ„ Therefore our Saluiour dyd not commauÌ„de by what order it shuld be receyued after hym but reserued that matter to the apostles by whome he woulde order and dispose his church â–ª By this we may conceyue that the receyuynge of the sacrament is
as the heretikes saye for it can not be conceaued neyther by reason nor by fayth howe that al we christen folkes that liue nowe and haue liued since Christes time and shall lyue tyll domesdaye can eate all of one the same breade and eate also at sondry times al of the same one bread beyng one bread in numbre not one bread in kind as some would make cauillation seing we be not fedde cum generibus speciebus wyth kyndes of breade as the Logityanes say but with singulare bread except we vnderstand by this one breade the breade of lyfe that came from heauen the breade of Christes natural body in the sacrament whych he promised to giue vnto vs all wherof as S. Cypriane sayeth Aequa omnibus portio datur in teger erogatur distributus non dimembratur incorporatur non iniuâ—iatur and so forth â–ª wherof equal portion is giuen to al this deliuered whole and beyng distributed is not dismeÌ„bred and being incorporate in to vs is not iniuryed and beyng receaued is not included and dwellyng with those that be weake is not made weake And the reason why all we shuld be made one bodye that receaue one body is declared in Cyrill the Latine is long â–ª but the Englyshe is this We men beyng all diuerse in our owne propre substaunce accordynge to y â— which one man is Peter an other is Thomas an other Mathewe yet are we al made one body in Christ because we be fedde with one fleshe are sealed in vnitye with one holy spirite and because Christes body is not able to be diuided therfore beyng of infinite power and receaued of al our diuerse bodyes maketh all vs one body wyth hym selfe Whych vnitye of bodye S. Chrysostome expressth by a similitude of dough and leuine that we are made one bodye as mele of many granes and water when it is knedde are made one doughe or leuyne his wordes be these Veniat tibi in mentem quo sis honore honoratus qua mensa fruaris ea namque re nos alimur quam angeli uidentes tremunt nec absque pauore propter fulgorem qui in de resilit aspicere possunt et nos in unam cum illo massam reducimur â–ª Christi corpus unum caro una c. Remembre with what honour thou art honoured of what table thou eatest for we are fedde with y t thing at whych the aungels lokyng vpon do tremble and quake without great feare be not able to behold it for the brightnes that cometh from it and we are brought into one heape of leuine with him beyng one body of Christ and one fleshe for by this mistery he ioyneth hymselfe to all the faythfull those children whome he hath brought forth he doth not coÌ„mitte them to be nourished of an other but he him selfe most diligently and louingly doeth fede them with him selfe Let my maysters of the new learninge tell me howe that these woordes canne be anye wayes applyed and verifyed of breade and wyne wyth all theyr figuratiue speaches and hyperbolyes Thys coniunction also of vs wyth CHRIST Cyrill expresseth by a similitude of two waxes melted and mengled together QuemadmoduÌ„ si quis igne liquefactam ceram aliae cerae similiter liquefactae ita miscuerit ut unum quid ex utrisque factum uideatur sic coÌ„municatione corporis sanguinis Christi ipse in nobis est nos in ipso c. Lyke as yf a man mingle one waxe melted wyth an other waxe melted so that one whole thynge of them both be sene to be made euen so by the communion receauynge of Christes bodye and bloude he is in vs and we in hym for otherwyse the corruptible nature of our bodies could not be brought to incorruption except the body of naturall lyfe were ioyned to it Hilarius also the greate learned and godly byshop sayeth per communionem sancti corporis in communioneÌ„ deinceps sancti corporis collocamur By the communion of hys holy body we are afterward placed and brought into the communion of his holy body In such a playne matter as this is what nede I to heape places one aboue another all the fathers be ful of it Wherfore seing the effect of this sacrament is to be made one misticall body wyth Christ fleshe of his fleshe and boones of hys boones as saynt Paule sayth whych vnion as Cyrill sayeth is not onlye by will affection fayth and charitie but also carnall natural as Hilarye sayth by Christes fleshe mingled w t our fleshe by the way of meat I canne not see but that it is greate wickednes and playne blasphemy to ascribe thys gloriouse effecte to the nedye elementes of this worlde as to bread and wyne but onlye to the body and bloude of our sauiour Christe as to the onlye substaunce of the blessed sacrament of the aultare Beside these effectes gathered out of the new TestameÌ„t there be also other mentioned in the Psalmes Whereof one is that this sacrament is an armoure and defence agaynste the temptations of our ghostlye enemye the deuyll as it is written in the .22 Psalme Parasti in conspectu meo mensam aduersus eos qui tribulant me Thou haste prepared in my syght a table agaynst theÌ„ that trouble me By this table sayeth Chrysostome vpon this place is vnderstanded that thyng that is coÌ„secrated vpon the aultare of our Lorde Euthymius a greke author sayeth so also Per hanc mensam intelligit altaris mensam in qua coena mystica illa iacet by this table he vnderstandeth the table of the aultare vpon whych lyeth the misticall supper of Christ whych doeth arme and defende vs agaynst the deuyll which some times craftly layeth in wayte for vs sometimes fyersly and cruelly assaulteth vs that be fedde at Christes table S. Cypriane teacheth vs the same lesson saying Quos excitamus exhortamur ad praelium non inermes nudos relinquamus sed protectionâ— sanguinis corporis Christi muniamus Those persons whome we prouoke exhort to fyght agaynst theyr enemies be it eyther the deuils our ghostly enemies or y â— deuyls limmes the persecutours of Christes Churche let vs not leaue theÌ„ naked and vnarmed but lette vs harnesse and defende them wyth the protection of Christes body and bloude And a lytle after he sayth Cùm ad hoc fiat Eucharistia ut possit accipientibus esse tutela quos tutos esse contra aduersarium uolumus munimento dominicae saturitatis armemus Seyng thys Sacramente is ordeyned for this purpose y t it shuld be a defence to the receyuers let vs arme theÌ„ with the shielde and harnesse of our lordes meat whome we wold shuld be saffe agaynst their aduersary Thys is that foode that maketh a man mete and prepareth him too martirdome This bloude of Christ is dronken dayly of vs y t we mighte in hys quarell shedde oure bloude agayne
to do and therefore some of them blynded by their owne foolyshe suspicion conceaued and publyshed amonges other as it was most likely vnto them that we in oure secrete misteries did kil yonge chyldren eatyng their fleshe and drynkyng their bloude therevpon accused certayn before the magistrates of thys haynouse crime whiche they coulde neuer trye oute to be true as they dyd accuse But for oure purpose it appeareth plainly that we wold neuer haue kept our mysteries so secrete yf they had bene but ceremonies of eatynge of bread wine nor they would neuer haue accused vs of such beastly and vnnatural crimes beyng men of such reason learnynge and equitie as they were yf there hadde not bene some trueth in theyr accusation whyche in dede was true for the substaunce of that they alledged but not for the maner of the thinge for it was is true that we in oure mysteries eate fleshe drynk bloud but yet we do not kyl and murdre younge children and eate theyr fleshe and drynke theyr bloude And therfore I alledge the sayinges of Tertullian and Eusebius the whych is also in Origen the .6 booke contra Celsum to declare the accusation of the gentiles agaynste vs concernyng the eatyng of fleshe and drynkynge of bloud whyche could neuer haue commed into theyr heades so too haue done yf there had not bene a trueth in that matter whych they by theyr reason could neuer see otherwise then they alledged which we by our fayth do playnly see and know as it was ordeyned by Christ oure Lorde And for that cause Tertulliane dyd cast in a vayn word sayinge that we were accused of the sacrament of kyllyng of children whych word Sacramente standeth there for no purpose but to declare vnto vs that this their accusation dyd rise for lacke of the true precyse knowledge of our Sacrament whyche is true concerning the eatyng of fleshe drynkynge of bloude but not true concernyng the kyllynge and murderyng of chyldren And yet afterward our mysteries as they came in more knowledge amonges the gentiles so they came into more contempt for when the multitude of Christen men were so increased that they cared not who did looke vpon them in the time of theyr mysteries beinge out of feare of any externall violence and persecution then the gentyles seyng them knocke and knele make adoration to the Sacramentes not knowyng them to be anye thinge els but as their eyes senses and reason dyd iudge that is to saye breade wine as oure Sacramentaries do nowe beynge blynded nowe with heresye as they before were with infidelitye then I saye they sayde that we dyd not worshyppe and adore one God as we pretended but many gods as they were accustomed for they sayde as saynte Augustyne wryteth that we dyd worshippe Ceres and Bacchus the goddes of corne and wyne takyng our Sacramentes to be nothyng els but bare bread wine as the Sacramentaries do and not to be Christe oure Lord God his flesh and his bloude as al true faythful men do whyche appeareth by the adoration of them the whych adoration we learne y t it was done to the Sacramentes froÌ„ the begynnynge as is proued by the testimonies of our enemies the gentiles as S. Aâ—gustyne reporteth And also by their adoration we learne y â— the thynges whyeh they dyd adore were not simple creatures but Christes body and his bloude vnited to the seconde person in Trinitie S. Basyll beyng asked wyth what feare persuasion fayth and affection we shuld come communicate the bodye and bloude of Christ aunswereth thus Concernyng the feare we haue the saying of the Apostel He that eateth and drynketh vnworthelye eateth and drynketh his iudgemente and damnation What fayth we shuld haue the wordes of oure Lorde do teache who sayd This is my boâ—y whych is gyuen for you do this in my remembraunce And Hesichius sayeth likewyse Sermo qui prolatus est in dominicum mysterium ipse liberat nos ab ignoraÌ„tia The wordes of Christ whych were spoken vpon oure Lordes mysterye they deliuer vs froÌ„ ignorauÌ„ce that is to say they teache vs what fayth what estimation we shuld haue of them Nowe excepte they be taken as they sound to euery man although he be vnlearned and not instructed in oure fayth before thei could not teache vs what fayth we shoulde haue concernynge the Sacramentes and therfore in that they be wordes whervpoÌ„ we must learne our fayth whyche deliueâ— vs from ignoraunce what y e thinges be that be deliuered for that cause they must be taken as they sounde that is to say that the sacramentes deliuered be the very body bloude of Christ that gaue them Chrysostome sayth Quod sacerdos de manu sua dat non solum sanctificatum est sed etiam sanctificatio est That thyng that the priest doth gyue out of his hand is not only a thyng sanctified but it is sanctification it selfe Therfore our Sacrament must not only be an holy thing as they sayd holy breade and holy wyne but it muste be the substaunce of holines making all other thynges holy And here I thinke it worthy to be noted and to be opened somwhat vnto you wyth what sophistrye and vnlearned folye they deluded the saÌ„ctification and consecration of this Sacrament Children at the vniuersitie can tell that it is a deceytfull waye of reasoning by a generall description to exclude and dryue awaye a speciall and singulare definition as they dyd in this case For they sayd that the consecration of the sacrament was no more but an appoyntynge of bread wine to an holy vse which vse they sayd was to signifye vnto vs Christes body that is in heauen and therefore some sayd that the bread was consecrate when the paryshe clerke did bring it to the churche and set it vpon the table and these were no small men but our greatest bishops God forgiue it them other sayd it was not consecrate tyl the wordes of Christ were spoken but yet they noted that the Priest should not looke at the breade in the tyme of the pronouncyng for this ende be lyke that they shuld not be deceaued and that God shoulde worke no more then it pleased theÌ„ that their doctrine might some waye be true And therefore they sayde euery man and woman might consecrate speake the woordes as wel as a priest but thei neuer redde what Arnobius sayeth Quid tam magnificuÌ„ quam Sacramenta diuina conficere et quid tam perniciosum quam si ea is conficiat qui nullum sacerdotij gradum accepit what is so excellent then to consecrate the sacramentes of God and what is so pernicio use then yf he do consecrate that hath receaued no ordre and degree of priesthode And as they erred in the time and person so they erred in the nature of the consecration making thys of the same sort that al other coÌ„secrations be receauynge the general description and denyinge
the degrees and specialties of sanctification whyche be many for some thinges be holy not for any holines that is in them but for that they be brought to the churche and dedicate to some holy vse as is the temple of God the vestures about the aultare and other thinges vsed in Gods seruice whyche thynges too steale and conuey is sacrilege and amonges those thynges there be degrees of holynes as saynt Augustyne sayeth Quod accipiunt Catechumeni quamuis non sit corpus Christi sanctum est tamen sanctius quà m cibi quibus alimur Holye breade whyche those that be learners receaue although it be not the body of Christe yet it is holy and more holye then the meate with which we are fedde dayly which also is sanctified by the word prayer There is also holines a qualitie a vertue and gift of God makynge him in whome it is acceptable in the sight of god The soule of man is likewyse sanctified and holye because it is that substaunce and subiect wherin holines consisteth and dwelleth beyng a vessell created to gods ymage and prepared to receaue gods gift of saÌ„ctification and holines And the bodye of a godlye man is also sanctified and holy because it is the membre of Christ the temple of the holye ghost and the house and tabernacle of the soule replenyshed with gods grace and sanctification and for this reason we haue in reuerence and estimation the reliques and bodyes of holy martyrs and coÌ„fessors whyche beynge members of Christ were also pleasinge sacrifices to almightie god eyther for austeritie of lyfe or for sufferynge of vndeserued deathe for the fayth or in the quarell of Iesus Christe oure Lord. The sacramentes of Gods churche be iustly called holye because they be the instrumentes wherby God doth worke holines in the soule of manne and be as causes of the same by Christes owne ordinaunce and institution But aboue all other this Sacrament of the aultare is holy beyng as Chrysostome sayde not only a thyng sanctified but the very sanctification it selfe for in that it is the body of Christ by consecration wherevnto is annexed y e godheade by vnitie of person it must nedes be holines it self not in qualitie but in substance seing whatsoeuer thinge is in God is also God who for hys simplicitie receaueth no qualitye into him selfe but is the author and principal cause of all good qualities and graces giuen to manne Wherfore thys place of Chrysostome that calleth it sanctification it selfe â–ª can not be auoyded by no figuratyue speaches nor suche lyke cauillations The same Chrysostome in hys epystle to Innocentius Bysshoppe of Rome wryteth of the maner of the persecution in hys time not vnlyke to thys of ours Nam sanctuarium ingressi sunt milites quorum aliquos scimus nullis initiatos mysterijs uiderunt omnia quae intus erant quin sanctissimus Christi saâ—guis sicut in tali tumultu contingit in praedictorum militum uestes eflusus est The souldiers came violentlye into the holye place of whome we knowe that some were not baptized and there they sawe all thynges that were within and the most holy bloude of Christ as chauncheth often in suche a tumult was shedde vpon the garmentes of those souldiers Here I marke that he sayth not the figure or signe of christes bloude but the most holy bloude an other inferiour creature can not be moste holye Also I marke that thys most holye bloude was reserued there in the holye temple and was not onlye in heauen to be receaued by fayth of the faythful but also was in the temple and violently handeled of the vnfaythfull beinge there contemned abused and spilt vpon their garmentes Doeth not this barbaricall violence and externall situation of the most holy bloude of Christ proue a reall presence of the same in the Sacrament Gregorye Nazianzene speaketh after the like maner howe that the Arianes would not suffre the Catholikes to praye in theyr temples but troubled them and killed theÌ„ and mingled Christes mystical bloude wyth the bloude of the catholike priestes whych they slew and so forth whereby we vnderstande a reall presence of Christes bloude by that violence that was shewed vnto it of the heretikes part though Christe were there after that sort that he could suffre no violence of his part We reade in saynte Hyerome and in diuerse other Ipse conuiua conuiuium comedens et qui comeditur that Christe is both the eater of the feast and the feast it selfe both the eater and the meate that is eaten Wherby we vnderstand that Christ gyuyng hys bodye and hys bloude to hys discyples dyd receaue the same him selfe before And as Chrysostome wryteth that lest hys disciples shoulde haue bene troubled and offended hearyng hym saye This is my bloude dryncke ye all of thys as y e Caparnaites were before â–ª and so shuld abhorre to haue droncke of the same Christ dyd fyrst drynke of the same cuppe before them that he myght by hys example induce hys disciples to drynke lykewyse And Hesichius sayeth Ipse dominus primus in coena mystica intelligibilem accepit sanguineÌ„ atque deinde calicem Apostolis dedit Our Lorde hym selfe in the mistical supper first drank hys owne bloude that was not sene but vnderstanded then gaue the cuppe to hys Apostels By thys facte of Christ we maye learne that in the cuppe was verely and reallye Christes owne bloude for yf christ did eate hys body drank his bloude but in figure then he dyd eate and drynke it before after that maner in the typical and legall supper then how can thys mysticall supper be the trueth and the other the fygure yf thys be but a figure likewise And then why shuld the Apostle be affrayed to do that nowe they were wont to do alwayes before It was no newe thing worthy the newe Testamente to eate drynke Christe in a fygure and therfore it is certayne that Christ in hys mysticall supper dydde not eate and drynke his body and bloude onlye fyguratiuely And yf ye wyll saye that he eate it and dranke it spiritually onlye then ye must say that Chryst dyd eate it by fayth for spirituall eatyng is beleuyng And yf ye saye Christ dyd beleue then it foloweth y t Christ was not God Who hath perfyte knowledge of all thinges by syghte and not vnperfecte knowledge by fayth as we haue seing as through a glasse in a darke rydle And surelye they harpe muche vpon thys string for this heresy agaynst the presence of Christ in the sacrament is an hygh way leadyng to the other heresy that Christ is not God as is proued by diuerse wayes and argumentes into which pitte diuerse be fallyng by thys meanes yf God do not put vnder hys hande to staye them betimes for yf they continue long in this they wyll fall into the other no remedye whereof we haue already seene experience Then yf
for the buylding and vpholdyng of it in truth that hys flocke be not seduced and caried about wyth euery blaste of newe doctrine by the craftines of men to the destruction of their soules Of thys I haue spoken somethyng alreadye Thirdly we may know the consent of the churche by the determination of the general councels where the presidentes of Gods churches the rulers and learned priestes of christendome assembled in the name of our lord Iesus christ representyng the holy church of God militaunt being ledde not with priuate affection but by Gods holye spirite to hys glorye instant in prayer feruent in deuotion purely diligently and freely haue intreated determined those thynges that perteyne to y e fayth of Christ and the purgyng of hys churche to whose determination as to Goddes ordinaunces we are bounde to obeye Wherein appeareth manifestlye the consente of the churche The fyrst general councell both for the callyng and also for the cause was holden at Nice in Bithinia by .318 bisshops in the tyme of Constantinus Magnus twelue hundreth and thirtye yeares agoo where it was determined and publyshed to y ◠worlde in these wordes Exal altata mente fide consideremus situm esse in sancta illa mensa agnum Dei qui tollit peccatum mundi qui à sacerdotibus sacrificatur sine cruoris effusione et nos uerè preciosum illius corpus sanguinem sumentes credere haec esse resurrectionis nostrae symbola c ▪ Let vs lyfte vp our myndes vnderstandynge and considering by fayth that the lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde is situate and lyeth vpon that holy table whych is offered of the priestes wythoute the sheddyng of bloude that we receauynge verelye hys preciouse bodye bloude do beleue them to be the pledges or causes of our resurrection Thys aucthoritye serueth me very wel to declare the cōsent of the churche both in the matter of the reall presence also of the sacrifice whych we haue in hande For the wordes be couched meruelouslye euery one seruyng to expresse the trueth and to auoyde all doubtes For fyrst he byddeth vs lift vp our myndes and considre by faythe wyllynge vs not to stycke only to our senses thinkyng nothyng els to be there but that we see outwardlye teachynge vs that the iudgemente of thys matter perteyneth not to oure senses but to our fayth only as Eusebius Emesenus sayeth Verè unica perfecta hostia fide aestimanda nō specie nec exterioris cēsenda est uisu hominis sed interioris affectu Thys hoste and sacrifice is verely one and perfect to be estemed by fayth and not by forme and apperaunce to be iudged not by the syghte of the outward man but wyth y e affection and persuasion of the inward man for to fayth only and not to senses perteyneth the knowledge and iudgemēt of Gods mysteries and sacramentes Then the councell declareth what fayth teacheth that is to saye that the lambe of GOD not materiall breade wyne nor the figure of the lābe but the lambe that taketh awaye the synne of the worlde is placed lying vpon the holye table of the aulter whych externall situation proueth a reall presence of Christe to be there before we receaue it and not a phantasticall or an intellectual receauyng of Christe by fayth in the tyme of the receauinge only as these men contende Further it teacheth that this lambe of God is offered to almightye God by the priestes whiche is a distincte offeryng from that Christe made vpon the crosse for there he offered hym selfe by sheddyng hys bloude whiche he did but ones and neuer shall do it agayne any more Here is he offered of the priestes not by sheddynge of bloude but as the councell sayeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not after a bloudy maner whych is not a new kyllynge of Christe but a solempne representation of hys deathe as hym selfe hathe ordeyned After this it declareth the receauing of it saying that we verelye receaue his preciouse body and bloude which word verelye is as muche as that we call reallye and declareth the vse of the sacrament in the receypte of it wyth the seruice of our mouth as Christe commaunded sayinge Take eate whyche is a corporall eatinge not a spirituall beleuyng And last of al it sheweth the effect of the sacrament whych is the resurrection of oure bodyes to eternal life for because Christes body being the body of very life is ioyned to our bodies as our foode it bryngeth oure bodies that be deade by sentence of deathe to hys propertye which is life wherof in my laste sermon I spake more at large O Lord what hard hartes haue these men to doubte thē selfes or to denye or to bryng in question that manifest open trueth in so highe and necessarye a matter whiche in moost playne woordes hathe bene taught of our sauiour Christe his Apostels and euangelistes declared so to be vnderstand by the holye ghoste oute of the mouthes of all these holye fathers whome the holy ghoste dyd assemble and inspire wyth the spirite of truth to the confusion of the greate heretyke Arius that troubled the worlde then and also did inspire their hartes to declare so playnlye the mystery of thys blessed sacramente whyche then was wythout al contention beleued of all Christen men onlye to preuente these heretikes y e aryse and sprynge vp nowe in these latter dayes that the worlde maye see howe they stryue agaynste the knowen trueth their owne conscience and the determination of the whole churche being enemies of God breakyng hys peace diuiding them selfes from the churche whose ende is eternal confusion Lykewise the next general councell holden at Ephesus in the tyme of Theodosius the Emperor eleuen hundreth and twentye yeares agoo dothe determine this trueth lykewyse in these wordes Necessario igitur hoc adijcimus Annunciantes enim sicut secundum carnē mortem unigeniti filij Dei id est Iesu Christi resurrrectionem cius in coelis ascensionem pariter confitentes incruentum ce lebramus in Ecclesijs sacrificij cultum sic etiam ad mysticas benedictiones accedimus sanctificamur participes sancti corporis et preciosi sanguinis Christi omnium nostrum redemptoris effecti non ut communē carnem percipientes quod absit nec ut uiri sanctificati uerbo coniuncti secundum dignitatis unitatem aut sicut diuinam possidentis habitationem sed uerè uiuificatricem ipsius uerbi propriam factā We adde this also necessarely We shewynge and declarynge the corporall death of Gods only begotten sonne Iesus Christ and lykewise confessing his resurrection and ascension vnto heauen do celebrate the vnbloudy oblatiō and sacrifice in our churches for so we come to the mysticall benedictions are sanctified being made partakers of the holy body and preciouse bloude of Christ all our redemer not receauyng it as common fleshe God forbidde nor as
dothe exhibite after the ordre of Melchisedech of his body bloude For that sacryfyce did succede all the other sacrifices of the olde Testament whiche were offered in the shadowe of thys to come What can be playner then this to shew the figure of our mysterye to be abrogated and the trueth whyche is oure sacrifyce in the bodye and bloud of Christe in forme of breade and wyne to succede But to ende thys matter heare one place playnest of al whyche Oâ—cumenius hathe vpon thys place of Saynte Paule Tues sacerdos inaeternum c. in these wordes Significat ser mo quod non solum Christus obtulit incruentam hostiam siquidem suum ipsius corpus obtulit uerum etiam qui ab ipso fungentur sacerdotio quorum Deus pontifex esse diguntus est sine sanguinis effusione offerent Nam hoc significat inaeternum Neque enim de ea quae semel à deo facta est oblatio hostia dixisset inaeternum sed respiciens ad praesentes sacrificos per quos medios Christus sacrificat sacrificatur qui etiam in mystica coena modum illis tradidit huiusmodi sacrificij The word meaneth that not only Christ offered an vnbloudy sacrifice for he offered hys owne body but also that they whyche vnder hym vse the function of a priest whose Bishop he doth vouchesafe to be shall offre wythout sheddinge of bloude For that signifyeth the word euermore For coÌ„cernyng that oblation and sacrifice whych was ones made of God he woulde neuer saye euermore But hauynge an eye to those priestes that be nowe by whose mediation Christ doth sacrifice and is sacrificed who also in hys mysticall supper dyd by tradition teache them the maner of such a sacrifice This authoritie yf it were any thinge doubtful I woulde stande in it to open such poyntes as were conteined therin but beinge so manifeste as it is it neadeth nomore but to desier the hearer or reader to weye it he shal see this matter we goo aboute to proue fully resolued bothe by the institution of christe in his laste supper and also by the figure of Melchisedech in the olde lawe This aucthorities althoughe there be many moo yet I thinke them sufficiente and I thinke therby the matter sufficiently proued Other Scriptures there be thoughe not so plaine yet they conteyn an argument to proue y e same as this of Saynt Paule Non potestis participes esse mensae do mini et mensae daemoniorum ye can not be partakers of our lordes table and the table of diuels The word table here is taken for the meate of the table For men be not partakers of the material borde but of the meate that is ministred vpon the bord Nowe y e table of deuyls is taken for that meat that is offered to Idols in whyche dyuels dyd reigne and therfore that meate was called in greke Idolothyton meate offered to Idols Nowe this is certeyn by al good learning that in euery coÌ„parison there muste neades be a proportion similitude wherin the thinges compared muste agree â–ª then wheras these two tables be compared in offeringe and eatinge it must nedes folowe that yf the table of dyuels be a very sacrifice made to diuels in dede the table of our lorde likewise muste be a sacrifice offered to our lorde in dede And yf our lordes table be a very sacryfyce made to hym by vs then haue we oure purpose proued and confessed The lyke argumente maye be made of the word aultare in S. Paule Habemus altare de quo edere non habent potesta tem qui tabernaculo deseruiuÌ„t We haue an aultare of whych they may not eate that serue the tabernacle If aultare and sacrifice be â—o annexed together that the one can not be without the other then when saynte Paule sayeth we haue an aultare speakynge also of the eatynge of that aultare he must nedes meane the sacrifice made vpoÌ„ the aultare so that oure Sacramente before we eate it is also a sacrifice For so dothe Theophilactus take this place Et nos inquit obseruationem habemus haud tamen in esculentis hisce fed in ara siue in hostia illa incruenta et cor pori uitam elargiente And we also haue an obseruation yet not in these common meates but in our aultare or vnbloudye sacrifice whyche gyueth lyfe to our bodyes Here we maye see that he meaneth by the aultare the vnbloudy sacrifice of Christes body whych beinge eaten of vs corporally in the Sacrament gyueth lyfe to our bodies Moreouer yf tyme would serue me I could make an argument of Daniels Prophecye of the comminge of Antechrist â–ª because he sayth that in that tyme the continual sacrifyce shall be by Antechriste taken awaye per tempus tempora dimidium temporis by y e space of three yeares and an halfe as many take it Whether thys shal be done al Christendome ouer at one time or in euerye particulare region at diuerse times â–ª it is not certeynlye knowen to vs and therefore I wyll not certeynly determine it But this is certeyne that Antechriste can not take awaye the sacrifice of Christe vpon the crosse â–ª whych was but ones made shall neuer be iterate nor frustrate Nor he can not take awaye the inward spiritual sacrifice of mans heart whyche then shal flourishe most of al iâ— the elect For why shulde they then flye to the mountaynes â–ª as the booke sayeth but that for the vehemencye of the persecution they might more feruently do spiritual sacrifice to almightie God Therfore it foloweth that the sacrifice of Christen men is suche an one as maye be taken away by Antechrist whiche in my iudgement canne be nothynge els but the sacrifice of the Masse or elles let them tell what other sacrifice it is besyde the Masse Ye see now what Scriptures I haue broughte to proue the oblation of Christes body in the Masse to be the sacrifice of the Churche and newe Testament whych hath bene assaulted many wayes of many men But to the oppugnatioÌ„ of it they neuer yet to this houre alledged anye one direct scripture nor doctor nor good reason They haue gone aboute it and by tyrannye in some places they haue preuayled for a time but alwayes trueth the doughter of tyme hath ouercomed Some scriptures they abuse what thei be ye shal heare They alledge saynt Paule to the Hebrewes Semel oblatus est ad multorum exhaurienda peccata Christ was ones offered to take away the sinnes of manye Vnica oblatione consuÌ„mauit inaeternum sanctificatos Wyth one oblation he hathe perfited for euermore all that be sanctified These be the Scriptures they alledge agaynst the Masse they saye Christes oblation is perfyte no man can offre Christe but him selfe whych he dydde but ones and neuer but ones as thoughe we shoulde saye that Christ was crucified twyse or often times To this obiection of theirs we
deuyllishe and perniciouse sophistrie Furthermore yf any man as yet doeth stande in doubt whether men lawfully offer Christ to the father or no let hym call to remembraunce what I haue sayd before out of Dionisius Areopagita where the byshoppe as he saieth doeth excuse hym selfe that he offereth the hoste of our saluacioÌ„ alledgyng that Christ dyd so commaunde to be done sayinge doe this in my remembraunce Let hym also remember the sayinge of the counsell at Nice That the lambe of god that taketh away the synnes of the world is offered of the priestes not after a bloudye maner Saynct Augustine saieth Per hoc sacrificium in forma serui et sacerilos est ipse offerens ipse et oblatio cuius rei sacramentum quotidianum esse uoluit ecclesiae sacrificium cum ipsius coporis ipse sit caput et ipsius capitis ipsa sit corpus taÌ„ ipsa per ipsum quam ipse per ipsam suetus offerri By thys sacrifice in the forme of a seruaunt Christ is a priest beinge hym selfe bothe the offerer and the oblation of whiche oblation he woulde the dayly sacrifice of the churche shoulde be a sacrament and seynge he is the head of that body and the churche is the bodye of that head aswel the churche by Christ as Christ by the churche is accustomed to be offered A notable place resoluyng diners doubtes declarynge that the dayly sacrifice of the churche whiche is the masse is a sacrament of Christes passion represeÌ„ting the same and further that Christ offerynge hym selfe vppon the crosse dyd also in him selfe offer hys misticall bodye the churche and thirdelye that the churche Christes bodye not onely once or twise but is accustomed to offer Christ her head to god in her dayly sacrifice Heare yet a place of S. Augustine as playne as this Hebrâ—i in uictimis pecoruÌ„ prophetiaÌ„ celebrabant futurae uictimae quam Christus obtuliâ— unde iam Christiani peracti eiusdem sacrificij memoriam celebrant sacro sancta oblatione perticipatione corporis sanguinis Christi The Iewes in their sacrifices of beastes did celebrate the prophecye of the sacrifice to come whiche Christ offered The christen men nowe doe celebrate the memorie of y e same sacrifice of Christ that is past by the moste holye oblation and perticipation of Christes bodye and bloude Marke how that he sayeth christen men celebrate the memorye of Christes passion wherwithal euen by the offeryng of the same body that suffered passion I nede saye no more for this poynte that men do and dyd vse from the beninninge to offer Christe to the father They saye the sacrifice of the masse diminisheth and taketh awaye the glorye of Christ they saye so but proue it not But in very dede nothyng doth more set furth the glory of Christ his true honour the honour of god is considered two wayes inwardlye by fayth outwardly by external adoration â–ª Latria whiche in English signifieth the honor that is due onely to God and to no creature is the worke of faith and sacrifice is a kind Latriae of godlye honoure as Sainct Augustine sayeth Ad hunc cultum latriae pertinet oblatio sacrificij c. To this godlye honoure called Latria the oblation of sacrifice doeth pertayne and for that cause it is called Idolatrye if any sacrifice be done to Idoles therfore we do sacrifice neither to martir nor yet to an angel but onelye to god Fayth ought to be vnfayned and lyuely and then it is true honour For he that erreth in fayth or fayneth to haue fayth doeth not exhibit honour and reuerence due to God Agayne he that hath true fayth but yet dead for lacke of charitie he geueth reuerence to god but not perfite and therfore not pleasaunte to god because he honoureth god with his vnderstandyng but not with hys affection He that hath true and liuely fayth honoureth worshyppeth god in spirite and trueth The external and outward honour procedeth from the inwarde honour and is the protestation practise and vse of it the worke of fayth outwardly declared And wheras sacrifice is the speciall and chiefest adoration that canne be therefore this sacrifice of Christes owne body bloud in the masse beynge institute of Christ by his own expresse commaundement as I haue shewed alreadye doeth not only not diminishe y e glory of God but is the very highest honour of God that manne canne geue They saye it is a derogation to the passion of Christe but it is not so good people for the sacrifice of the masse â–ª doeth ascribe altogether to Christ for it is the passion of Christ. Understande well what I say iudge not tyll ye heare what I meane Saynct Cypriane sayeth Passio domini sacrificium est quod offerimus That sacrifice which we offer is the passion of Christ. A straunge saying but yet S. Augustine declareth more playnelye what is ment by it in these wordes Vocatur ipsa immolatio carnis quae sacerdotis manibus fit Christi passio mors crucifixio noÌ„rei ueritate sed significante mysterio The oblation of Christes flesh which is made in the handes of the priest is called Christes passion death and crucifienge not by the trueth of the thynge but by the misterye signifiynge As though he shoulde saye it is called Christes passioÌ„ not for that Christ in verye dede suffereth passion agayne but for that in misterye it renueth representeth and signifieth his passion agayne For while that we haue no worthye thynge of oure selues nor in our selues to render to god for all hys benefites as the Psalme sayeth Quid retribuam domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi What shall I geue to God agayne for al y t he haue geueÌ„ to me we maid o eueÌ„ as y e psalm doth answere CaliceÌ„ salutaris accipiam nomen domini inuocabo I shall take the cuppe of our sauiour and call vpon the name of our Lord. I shal take his passion representing to God the father the worke of our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ y t we therby beyng partakers of his bloudy sacrifice ones made vpon the crosse now by thys our coÌ„memoration renued again may be replenished with the fruite of hys passion death For S. Augustine sayeth Ex ipsis reliquijs cogitationis id est ex ipsa memoria quotidie sic nobis immolatur quasi quotidie nos mouet qui prima sua gratia nos innouauit Of the leauynges of our cogitation that is to saye of this verye memorie and commemoration Christ is so dayly offered of vs as he doeth make vs newe menne daily which by his first grace in baptisme dyd ones make vs newe See how we offer Christ daily in commemoration and what benefite of innouation we receyue therby Chrisostome also sayeth Non aquam de hoc nobis fonte largitur sed sanguinum uiuuÌ„ qui quamque ad mortis dominicae testimonium sumitur nobis tamen
causa fit uitae Christ out of this fountayne of the chalyce geueth vnto vs not water but lyuelye bloude which although it be receyued for the testimonye of Christes death yet to vs it is made a cause of lyfe Is not this to haue fruite of Christes passioÌ„ applied vnto vs when we receyue lyfe by receyuynge of that which is offered in commemoration of Christes death â–ª S. Gregorye sayeth Quoties ei hostiam suae passìonis offerimus toties nobis ad absolutionem nostram passionem illius reparamus As often as we offer to hym the hoste or sacrifice of his passion so often we renewe and repayre his passion to vs for our absolution and perfection And in another place he sayeth Haec uictima singulariter ab aeterno interitu animam saluat quae illam nobis mortem unigeniti per mysterium reparat Thys sacrifice doeth singularelye saue the soule from eternall destruction which by mysterye renueth to vs the death of gods only begotten sonne By these authorities ye see that the sacrifice of the masse doeth nothyng derogate froÌ„ the passion of Christ but most of all doeth exalte it repayrynge and renewynge it for vs in the syght of the father that we therby maye be renewed in grace and receyue life perfection and saluation Furthermore thei say we make our owne workes meanynge the masse a sauioure besyde Christe whiche is nothyng so but by this sacrifice of the masse we declare that we beleue there is no sauiour but onely Christ For what doe we in the masse We coÌ„fesse our synnes our vnworthynesse our vnkindnes our manifold transgressions of hys eternal law we graunt that we be not able to satisfie for the least offence we haue done therfore we runne to his passion whiche after this sort as he hath ordayned we renew and represent We beseche our most mercifull father to loke vpon Christes merites and to pardone our offences to loke vp on Christes passion and to releue our affliction We knowledge that what so euer we haue done is vnparsite and vnpure and as it is our worke doeth more offende his maiestie then please hym therfore we offer vnto hym hys welbeloued sonne Iesus in whome we knowe 〈◊〉 is well pleased most humâ—â—ye prayinge hym to accept him for vs in whom only we truste â–ª accomptynge hym all our righteousnes by whome onely we coÌ„ceyue hope of saluation And therfore in the ende of the canon of the masse we saye thus Non aestimator meriti sed ueniae quaesumus largitor admitte per Christum dominum nostrum O Lorde we beseche thee to admitte vs into the company of thy saynctes not wayinge oure merites but grauntynge vs pardon by Christ our Lorde Also whatsoeuer thynge we lacke â–ª all plagues all misfortunes all aduersitie bothe ghostly and temporal we require to be released of them not through our worthynes â–ª but for the merites of Christes passion Consider al this good people and see whether in thys doinge we make our workes a newe sauiour besyde Christ or no We beleue also that our prayer is of more efficacie and strengthe in the presence of Christ in the tyme of the sacrifice then at anye other tyme. For so sayeth S. Cypriane In huius corporis presentia non superuacue mendicant lachrimae ueniam nec unquam patitur contriti cordis holocaustum repulsam â–ª In the presence of this body the teares of a manne doeth not begge forgeuenesse in vayne nor the sacrifice of a contrite hearte doeth neuer suffer repulse And as Chrisostome sayeth In illa horadum mors illa perficitur et horrendum sacrificium quasi sedente rege quaecuÌ„que uolueris perficies In that houre whiles that Christes death is celebrate and hys fearfull sacrifice euen as the kynge were sittynge vppon hys mercye seate what soeuer thou wilte thou shalte brynge to passe Stante siquidem uniurso populo manus in celum extendente caetu item sacerdotali uerendoque posito sacrificio quomodo deum non placaremus pro istis orantes For when al the people staÌ„deth holdyng vp their handes to heauen and the companye of the priestes like wise and the fearfull and honorable sacrifice is vpon the aulter howe shall not we mitigate god praying for them And therfore speciallye then in the masse tyme we praye for the whole churche for all prynces and highe powers for al byshoppes and pastors for our selues our frendes and all that be present for peace for plentye for all that we haue nede vpon as Chrisostome wryteth In manibus est hostia adsunt angeli adsunt archaÌ„geli adest filius dei cum tanto horrore astent omnes astent illi clamantes omnibus silentibus putas temere hec fieri ergo et alia temere quae pro ecclesia pro sacerdotibus offeruntur quae pro plenitu dine acubertate absit The host of our sacrifice is in the priestes handes the angels be present the archangels be present the sonne of God is present When all men stande with such tremblynge when the angels staÌ„d criyng the other holding their peace dost thou thynke these thynges are done in vayne Then the other also be done in vayne bothe that be offered for the churche for the priestes and also for plentye and abundaunce god forbydde One notable place of Chrisostome I thinke yet expedient to rehearse vnto you coÌ„cernynge thys matter Vt homines ramos olearum ge rentes mouere reges consueue runt eoque arboris genere miseri cordiam commemorant humanitatem sic angeli tunc pro ramis oleaginis corpus domini ipsum protendentes rogant pro genere humano quasi dicant pro his domine rogamus quos tu adeo dilexisti ut pro eorum salute mortem obires animam cruce efflares pro his supplicamus pro quibus ipse tuum largitus es sanguinem pro his oramus pro quibus corpus hoc immolasti Lyke as men bearynge braunches of Olyue trees are wont to moue kinges to compassion and with that kynd oftre do put them in remembraunce of mercye and pitie euen so the angels then in the sacrifice tyme in steade of Oliue braunches holdynge forth the bodye of Christ pray for mankinde as saying thus Lorde we pray for theÌ„ whom thou hast so loued that for theyr saluation thou hast suffered death and spent thy lyfe vpon the crosse we make supplication for theÌ„ for whome thou haste geuen thy bloud for them we pray for whome thou hast offered thys same very body Now considerynge thys felowshyppe with angelles this humilitie of man this pacifiynge of God this efficacie of praier for the sacrifice sake this knowledgynge of oure vnworthynes this our only trust in the passion of Christ can any manne iustly burden vs that we make our workes a new sauiour beside Christ Furthermore beside prayinge for those thynges we lacke we also by this sacrifice geue thankes for our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ for the hope of our health and