the prestes hed at the masse into the ayre calleth vs vnto remembrans how Christ was lyfted vpon the crosse and hong in the ayer vntyll all hys bloode was spente And the bloode bodye of Christe vnder the forme of wyne lyfted vp also at the masse admonyssheth vs to remember the effusyon of the same bloode vpon the crosse And thus verye lyuelye it sygnyfyeth and representeth vnto vs in the sacryfyce of the masse the holy memoriall of the precious death passioÌ„ of Christ The other significacyon of the sacrament is the mystical bodye of Chryste that is to say the whole church of Christ For in the forme or shape of breade is represented vnto vs the vnion and coniunction of al the menbres of Christ vnto theyr hed Christ and the vnyon and conexion of eche membre vnto other in that mysticall bodye For lyke as of many granes of where ariseth one lofe and of many grapes ysseweth one lyquore of wyne so of many distynct persons of Christen men and women resulteth and cometh but one mystical body of Christe as saynt Paule saythe we many are but one bread and one bodye 1. Cori. 10. in that we al be partakers of one breade This mystical bodye of Christe is not onelye signified and represented vnto vs in the blessed sacrament for so myght any other prophane breade be a sacrament or signe and such a sacrameÌ„t was the shew bread of the temple but also this blessed sacrameÌ„t worthely receaued doth effectually cause the vnion kepeth that body for it knytteth and kepeth to gether the lyuely membrers of Christe and knytteth theÌ„ also vnto the hed christ and combynyng the members together with the hed it maketh but one body of christ his church Not only spiritually for that dothe also fayth and charitie wythout the receauynge of this sacrament but also by the admirable power of God it coÌ„uerteth oute nature in to the naturall bodye of Christe and so maketh vs Ephe. 5. the meÌ„bres of hys body as saint Paule sayth and of hys fleshe and of hys bones These are the two sygnifycatyons of the blessed sacrament The one that is the reall body of Christ is not onely signyfyed but is also contayned in the sacrament The other that is the mystycall bodye of Christe is not onely sygnified but is also in maner caused and continuyd by the worthye receauynge of this holy sacrament Thus is the blessed sacrament a sygne or a sacrament but yet a great deale more worthier and a more excellent sacrament then were any of the olde sacramentes of the olde lawe for they neyther contayned neyther wrought that thinge that they signyfied August de 17. ciuitate dei cap. 20. ✿ The fathers also hauinge respect vnto the thyng that is chestye sygnifyed in the sacrament whyche is the naturall bodye and bloode of Christe they named the sacrameÌ„t as they myght ryght well a sacrafice This sacrameÌ„t is named is a sacrifice ✿ By cause it is the onely sacryfice that succeded in place of al the figuratiue sacrifes whiche were offered vp in figure significacioÌ„ of this most ê‘fect sacrifice that was offered vpon the crosse and redemed the worlde And the very same now also is the busie contynual and dailye sacrifice of the church Ciprianê° 2. lib. epist epistola 3. ad CeciliuÌ„ ✿ Saynt Cipriane in many places but specially in hys second boke of epistles callyth it a sacrifice whose wordes are those in the second epistle ad Cecilium ✿ The sacrament of the sacrifyce of oure lord was prefigured in Melchisedech the preest accordynge vnto the scripture whyche sayth Gene. 14. And Melchisedech brought forth bread and wyne for he was the preiste of the hyest and he blessed Abraham And that he beareth the figure of Christe the holy goost declareth in the Psalmes by the persone of the father vnto the son sayng Be for lucifer I haue begotten the. Oure Lorde dyd swere and he repenteth not Thou art a prest for euer accordynge vnto the order of Melchisedech The whyche order commyth by the same offeryng For hereof it procedeth and comyth By cause that Melchisedech beyng the preeist of the hyest offered bread wyne bycause that he blessed Abraham For who is more rather or more aptly the preeist of the hyest then our lord Iesus Christ The whych offered sacrifice vnto his father he offered the same that Meschisedech dyd offer that is bread wyne that is to say his body bloode I do omyt of purpose Crisostome diuerse other by cause I wold be breue Collect now diligeÌ„t reader of these former thingê what we do honor what we do offer in this blessed sacrameÌ„t Note what thynge we do honour and what it is that we do offer in the blessed sacrament We do not ê“perly honour the outewarde aparens of the sacrameÌ„t which is the forme shape of bread wine but we do honour the thing couered verely contained vnder the formes shapes of bread wyne which is none other theÌ„ the very real body blod of our sauiour christ We do not offer at the masse proprely those formes or shapes of bread wyne as a sacrifice for they are no sacrfyce neyther do we cal or name theÌ„ a sacryfice but we offer vp vnto God the father at the masse the very blessed bodie blod of our sauior christ not crewelly sleyng him for so he was offered but ones but with a lyuely louely memorie of chirstes death passioÌ„ we pÌ„sent in maner of an oblatyon the same very bodye bloode now impassible geuynge thankes vnto hym for that inestymable and ineffable mercye that he hathe shewed vnto vs mysers and synners in reconsylynge vs hys ennymyes vnto hym selfe by the deathe and passyon of hys onelye sone Iesus Christe oure Lorde And with this bodie blood of our sauior Christ our hed we offer vp also vnto our father celestiall the whoole bodye mystycall of Christes churche geuynge vnto hym thankes also for the creatyoÌ„ redemptyon and iustificatyon hereof Commyttynge it vnto hys mooste godly and mercyful tuition besekynge him that he vouchsafe to pacifie to kepe to knyt to gether and to gouerne rule it thoroughout al the hoole world The sacrament is named Dynaxis Saynt dyonyse the grecyan namyth thys sacrament synaxis that is communyon or coÌ„men pertakyng by cause there is sygnifyed effectuously wroughte by this blessed sacrameÌ„t not onlye the vnyon and knot of Christes meÌ„bres vnto the hed Christ but also there is sygnyfyed and in verye dede there is by it a coÌ„men partakynge of al gostly goodnes whyche is in eche of the membres or in the hoole For as much as by the condigne and worthye receauynge of thys blessed sacrament we are made one with Christe and incorporated vnto hym therfore by this coniunctioÌ„ and incorporatyon we are made commen partakers wyth the other membres of the grace and
many as doth partake of that one bread so many are one body in Christe Yf the apostle shulde vnderstaÌ„de by thys one bread material bread it had neade to be an exceadynge greate loffe that shulde fede corporally all the whole bodye of Christe spred and sparkeled abrode in so many and sondry places of the worlde It can not therfore be anye one materiall breade whereof all the lymmes and membres of Christ do partake and are thereby made one bodye But it is one celestiall breade the verye bodye and bloode of Christe whome all the whole congregacion of Christ doth partake in euery place and thys is but one breade but one the very same body of Christe partaken of so many in so many places is whole is receyued of euery man euery where And thys bread whorthely eaten maketh them all by that partakynge but one where euer they eate it And it incorporateth theÌ„ vnto Christ and maketh them the membres of hys bodye to be of his fleshe and of hys bones And that I saye by thys corporall eatynge and receyuynge of hys bodye and bloode in the holye sacrament ¶ And certaynly mooste christen reader it maketh not a lytell for the veritie of the reall presence of Christes bodye in the sacrameÌ„t that it is not sufficient for vs to beleue that we receyuing this sacrameÌ„t are fedde wyth the bodye and blood of Christe onely by fayth spiritually partakynge it But we muste beleue also that we receyuynge it worthelye are fedde and are partakers corporally of the body bloode of Christ For ther by are we incorporated vnto the very natural body of Christ as we are by fayth spiritually incorporated vnto his misticall bodye But yf there be none other thynge in the blessed sacramente then onelye bare breade then coulde not we be thus incorporated vnto the naturall bodye of Christe For there is no material meate that caÌ„ geue vnto vs that in corporation but onely the very bodye bloode of oure sauiour Christe The whyche beynge eaten is not coÌ„uerted into our fleshe and bloode as other oure materiall meates are but by hys suê‘-excellent power he altereth conuerteth our fleshe blod iÌ„to his And yet neuerthelesse the natural ê“perties of bread and wyne norysheth vs also as wel as though the very substauÌ„ce of breade wyne were there Thus by the worthy receyuyng of thys blessed sacrament the body and bloode of Criste our sauiour conuerteth oure fleshe into hys fleshe and the qualities of breade in the sacrament myraculouslye neuerthelesse norysheth oure bodyes ¶ Thys corporall eatyng and incorporacyon of vs vnto Christes very naturall body is not newly fantysed of late yeres but it hath ben taught wryten and beleued syth the time of S. Paule whome I call fyrst vnto wyttnes wyth me in this matter For he wrytyng vnto the EphesiaÌ„s sayth these playn wordes ✿ No man euer yet hated his owne fleshe but chereshith noryshyth it euen as our Lorde doth the church For we are membres of hys bodye of fleshe and of hys bones ✿ By these wordes saynt Paule teachith vs that Christe dothe feade and cherysheth hys church not onely spiritually but also corporally that may wel appere by the wordes of S. Paule For he norysheth his church sayth he as euery maÌ„ cherisheth naturally his owne fleshe But euery man doth not cheryshe naturally his owne fleshe with spirituall foode for the fleshe is not fedde wyth ymaginations beleue of good meate but rather with the corporall receate eatynge of very and naturall meate Then doth not Christe fead hys church onelye wyth spirituall foode but also he feadeth corporally hys church with the very meate of hys fleshe and blode Furthermore the ê“cesse of the letre ledeth vs directly thus to vnderstaÌ„d this text For S. Paule in this place exhortith the men to loue theyr wyfes as Christe loueth hys church and to noryshe and cheryshe them as there one fleshe and as Christ doth also his spouse the church But it is oute of doubte that saynte Paule dyd not intende here to exhorte the men to cheryshe and noryshe theyr wyffes onely in soule instructyng them the faythe and dewty vnto God and man as they are also bounde other that they shulde cheryshe theyr bodys wyth imagynacyons or thoughtes of necessary foode But rather he exhorted the men to cherishe corporally theyr wyffes provydyng for them not onely spirituall but also corporal meate necessaryes euen so as Christ doth also for the congregacyon Not onelye feadynge the churche wyth spiritual foode of fayth charytie suche other graces vertues but he also feadeth cherysheth it with the very meate of his natural body and bloode in the blessed sacrament For as it foloweth there in the letter we are sayth saynt Paule the meÌ„bres of hys bodye not of hys mysticall body onely but of hys naturall body of that bodye that hath fleshe and bones And that coÌ„meth to passe without doubt by the eatynge of that meate the Christ doth noryshe vs with al for that is the effecte of that myghty meate and moste delectable foode to transforme the eater into his mooste blessed fleshe and bones And certaynely it is not breade as I haue sayd eather any other meat wherwith Christ fedeth and cherisheth vs corporally and that can by eatynge therof incorporate vs vnto the naturall body of Chryst and make vs of his bones sauynge onely the natural body and blod of our sauyour Christ And thys we receaue not corporally in any other thing saue onely in the blessed sacrameÌ„t TheÌ„ must we nedes graunte that the naturall body of Christe is in the sacrameÌ„t wherewyth that moste louyng lorde deare husbaÌ„de of the church norysheth cherysheth his iÌ„terely beloued spouse the church wyth this moste precious and moost delycious meate of hys very and natural body bloode incorporateth her vnto hys very natural bodye And thus is made of the blessed man Christ and his holy wyffe the churche one body And be made as saynt Paule sayth two in one fleshe For this is the great mystery Ephesi 5. that Paule speaketh of in that place of Christ and the church Lyke as Christ of his infinite goodnes and inestimable charitie ChrisostoÌ„e in Iohannem became a meÌ„bre of our corupt nature receauing our fleshe which was a greate knot of loue Yet in tokeÌ„ of a greater vnion Vester ego frater esse volul coiÌ„caui carne propter vos et sanguineÌ„ Hoc est vestraÌ„ carnem et sauguineÌ„ curaui mi hi vobiscuÌ„ fieri coÌ„munem Et ê‘ qÌ„vobis coÌ„iunctê° suÌ„ ea russus vobiserhi hui. Yreneus lib. 5. aduersus hereses knot of his loue he wolde that we shulde be also of hys fleshe and bones as saynt Paule sayeth we are membres of hys bodye and of hys fleshe and bones And thys mooste blessed vnion and incorporation we do attayne onely as I said by eatyng of his very body dryn
kynge of hys very bloode in the blessed sacrament wherewyth he feadeth and norysheth vs. ✿ Yreneus that holy and auncient wryter recordeth also wyth vs in thys matter in hys fyft boke aduersus hereses where he speaketh very manifestly of thys oure incorporacyon vnto Christ by receuyng the sacrameÌ„t sayth The mengled cuppe the bread brokeÌ„ when they haue receyued the worde of God then be they made the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ Of the which body and bloode the substaunce of oure fleshe is augmented subsistent How can they deny that our fleshe is not partaker of the gyft of God which is eternall lyfe for as moche as oure fleshe is fedde wyth the bodye and bloode of Chryste and made the membre of hym euen as the appostle sayth in the epistle vnto the Ephesians We are the meÌ„bres of his bodye of hys fleshe of hys bones Se now good cristiane how this holy catholyke and verye auncient wryter playnly affirmeth wyth apostle Paule that our fleshe is fedde wyth the bodye and bloode of our sauiour Christe by that we are made the meÌ„bres of his bodye not spirituall membres onely but of hys fleshe and of hys bones Cyrel also shall recorde wyth vs whyche affirmeth the same wrytynge agaynst a certayne heretyke Cyrillus in Ioh. 15 vppon the .xv. of saynt Ioh. ✿ We do not denie saith he that we by trewe fayth syncere charitie are vnyted and knytte to Christ But that we haue no maner of coniunction wyth hym corporally that we vtterly denye and that sayinge is besydes and contrarye to all scripture For who euer doubted Christ to be in suche sorte the vyne tre that we be brauÌ„ches which receiue lyfe thereby Herke euen the same of Paule We are all one bodye sayth he in Christe and though we be many yet in hym we are but one for we do ê‘take all one breade Dothe he thynke that we knowe not the power of the mysticall blessynge the whyche is done or receyued amonge vs Dothe it not cause Christe corporally to dwel in vs by the coÌ„munion or coÌ„men receauynge of Christes fleshe Wherfore els be the meÌ„bres of christen men the membres of Christe Knowe you not fayth he that out meÌ„bres be the membres of Christ shall I make then the membres of Christ the membres of an harlot God for byd Oure sauiour also sayth Ioh. 6. He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloode dwelleth in me in I him In eodem ✿ Thys is the wytnes of Cyril Wherein you here playnely how that he sydes the spirituall coniunction of vs vnto Christ as his membres by fayth and by charyte there is a another vnyon by the whych Christ is ioyned and vnytyd vnto vs corporally and we are made here by the membres of hym corporally A similitude of ware where by Cyrill proueth the corporall coniunction of vs vnto the naturall bodye of Christe Crysosto in IoheÌ„n Home 46 And yet Cyrill sayth moreouer ✿ Wherfore we must consyder that Christ is not in vs spiritually onelye by charite But also he is in vs by a certayne naturall and corporall particypatyon For lyke as yf a man shulde take waxe and melt it and myngle the same wyth other waxe melted ther shulde be made but one ware of them bothe euen so by receauynge of the body and blod of christ he is in vs and we in him Vnto the same subscrybeth Crysostome vpoÌ„ IohnÌ„ ✿ After that he had sayd that we are one bodye wyth hym and the membres of hys bodye and of hys fleshe and of hys bones he layde the reason thereof by and by sayng By cause that we myght be conuerted and tourned not onely by loue into his flesh but in very dede that same is done brought to effecte by the meate whiche he hath geuen vnto vs. And by cause he wolde set forthe or declare vnto vs his iÌ„tyre loue He by his own body hath miÌ„gled him selfe with vs. ✿ How playne a thinge is thys to confyrme our sentence or sayng For he sayth that the meate that Chryst gaue vnto vs that is the body of Christe in the blessed sacrameÌ„t is that same where by he hath mengled hym selfe with vs And that same maketh vs one body corporally wyth hym Not onelye spiritually for that doth faythe and charitye cause but by this we are made membres of hys body and of hys bones Hereby this we are may perceiue that be sydes the spirituall coniuncyon whyche faythe and charytie causeth and therby maketh vs spirituall membres of hys mysticall body howe necessary it is to be knyt also vnto christ corperally by the eatyng of his body in the blessed sacrament Whereby we do not only participall Christ spiritually for so do we partake Christ as ofte as we with perfect faythe and charitie remembre the deathe of Christe But also we do partake Christes fleshe corporally and verely we be come the membres of hys bodye and be of hys fleshe and of hys bones And in thys poynte we are in better state and in more blessed coÌ„dytyon then were the people vnder the former lawes eather of nature eyther of Moyses Thoughe the fayth full and holy amonge them were in graffed and knyt vnto Christes mystycall bodye as all other are that retayneth perfect faythe and charytye wythout receyuyng of the sacrament yet none of them dyd partake the very fleshe and bloode of Christe For as yet the eternall and omnipotent worde was not in fleshe But bycause these faythefull people beleued that thys fleshe shulde come and be theyr redemptyon by there faythe they receaued and dyd spiritually eate thys fleshe and where thereby partakers of the merytes thereof and so counyted and knyt vnto Christes mysticall bodye as membres spirituall thereof Christ had a mysticall bodye before that he toke vpon hym oure nature and he hathe now also by hys incarnatyon a naturall bodye And nowe he hathe two bodyes a spirituall body or a mystycall body also a natural body It was sufficieÌ„t to saluacioÌ„ befor his death passioÌ„ by fayth charite to apê‘taine to be knyt vnto his mystycal body so to partake hys merytes But nowe out sauiour Christe sayth vnto all of sufficient age and discretion hauynge no impediment Ioh. 6. ✿ Except that you eate my fleshe drynke my bloode you can haue no lyfe in you So that nowe we muste be connexed and ioyned not onely vnto hys spirituall mysticall bodye but also vnto hys naturall body by the corporall receyuynge and eatynge of the same fleshe and bloode There in as I haue sayde standeth the great worthynes preferment and dygnitie of the table of Christe aboue the table of Moyses For Moyses set on his table onely the myraculous breade Manna the fygure of Christes bodye But Christ setteth before vs vpon hys table the reall and verye presens of hys natural bodye and bloode Theophi in IoheÌ„z Quomodo inquit noÌ„
lyfe whyche is the proper operatiō of the body blood of Christ but worketh dampnable death Therfore the blessed fathers sayde that they receyued not the bodye of Christe For thoughe it verelye be the verye bodye and bloode of Christe yet vnto them in suche state it semeth not to be so bycause that it worketh not in them lyfe but death For lyke as of a moost excellent medicine receaued of the pacient out of dewe tyme and order and therby diminisheth not the dysease but encreaseth it we maye saye that vnto hym thys was no medicyne but a presēt poyson Euen so maye we saye of all suche christians and heretikes that lyke Iudas vnworthely receaueth the sacrament that they receaue not the bodye bloode of Christe whyche as a mooste helthsome medicine worketh lyfe in the good and in the bad it worketh present death In the tyme of these blessed fathers there were certayne ouerthwart people as we also haue some nowe a dayes that hearynge the great and wonderfull operation of thys blessed sacrament howe it wrought lyfe in the receyuers had fallen into a wonderfull presumption and had persuaded to them selues that though they were neuer so farre gone in heresies and lyued neuer so dyssolutely and wyckedly yf they receaued thys sacrament whyche was taught them to be the verye bodye and bloode of Christe that they shulde eskape perpetuall dampnatyon Wherefore the fathers to brynge them out of thys blynd and dampnable presumptyon vsed thys maner of speache to saye that they dyd not receaue the bodye of Christ neather drinke his blod though they dyd receaue the sacrament to the dampnation ✿ Tertulliane in his in hys forth boke agaynste Marcyon Tertulianus aduersus Martionem li. 4. sayeh Christe professynge that he had a great desyre to eate hys Passeouer wyth them and the breade that he toke and gaue to hys discyples he made it hys bodye saynge This is my body that is to saye sayth Tertulliane the fygure of my bodye Thys place is recyted of Ecolāpadius wyth no smale commendacyon and tryumphe In lyke sorte saynt Augustine in the prologe of the thyrde Psalme sayeth speakynge of Iudas Christe thoughe he were not ignorant of hys vnhappe thoughtes yet he made hym one of his geastes of that bāket where he exhybyted and gaue vnto hys dysciples the fygure of hys body and bloode Fyrst dylygent reader I praye the expende wel the wordes of Tertulliane and thou shalt sone perceaue that Tertulliane cōfyrmeth our fayth maketh nothynge with the sacramentaryes For he saith Christe had a greate desyre to eate hys Passeouer not sayth he the Passeouer that was the slaughter of shepe for that was Moyses passeouer but thys he called hys by cause that in thys was hys owne naturall fleshe and bloode and in the other the fleshe and blood of a shepe Yf ther had ben nothynge els in thys then breade the fygure of his fleshe why shulde he call this more his then the other whiche was also a more expresse fygure of his death then the bread and wyne were Furthermore Tertulliane sayth that Christ made the bread that he toke and dystrybuted to hys dyscyples hys bodye saynge Thys is my bodye In these wordes he moste apertely sheweth that Christe made the bread hys bodye Yf ther be none other thyng there then breade neyther no alteracyon ther in the sacramēt then ther was before I maruayll what thyng Christ dyd make But Tertullianes wordes be to playne to be deludyd or doubted of for he confesseth that Christe made the breade his bodye saynge This is my bodye But that wordes that foloiuith semeth to haue all the dyfycultye bycause Tertulliane added that is to say the fygure of hys bodye And in lyke sorte also saynt Augustine Tertullyanes contre man callyth it a fygure ✿ No dougth but it is very trew that the sacramēt is a fygure an example a sygne and token of the bodye of Christe For euery sacramēt is a fygure or example and sacrate token of an holy thynge Euen so is the blessed sacramēt called a sygne or a fygure of the bodye of Christ in the wrytynges of these ancient fathers The cause why they so named it I haue declared before amōg the names of the sacrament And yet I wyll touch breuely the same agayne For as moche as in the blessed sacrament which is the very sacrifice of the churche catholyke is cōtayned in two dystinct formes that is of bread wyne the same blessed bodye blood that was offered vpō the crosse in ther own lyknes that is in lykenes of fleshe blood the same bodye and blod vnder the forme of bread at the masse lyfted vp in to the ayer ouer the prestes hed it is a token or a remēbranc how that the same body in the tyme of Christes passion dyd hang vpon the crosse in the ayer and was so offered vp by death for our redēption the same body blood contained reali also vnder the shape or forme of wyne lyffted vp at the sacrynge of the masse it is a token callyng vs to remēbrans how the blessed blood was shed on hye vpō the crosse for the remissiō of our synnes And thus the blessed body blode of christ vnder these two formes of bred wyne in the blessed sacramēt signifieth vnto vs how that in the passiō and death of christ the body of christ hong pale wan vpō the crosse frō whō al the blessed bloode was dyuyded by crewel payne passyō is thus a very lyuely memorie remēbrans of hys death for thys cause also S. Basyl calleth it The exemplar bycause it is so lyuely and so expresse an example memorie of the death of Christ Thus is the blessed sacrament where in is contayned verely the bodye and blood of Christ a sygne a fygure a tokē or example of the death of Christ And in this consideration the fathers some tyme and that very seldome dyd cal it a sygne or fygure And in thys sort we graunt no lesse But that it is but a fygure onlye a fygure or nothynge els thē a figure That we vtterly deny For neither in the scripture neyther in any catholyke wryter can they fynde that the sacramēt is called only a fygure or but a fygure or any lyke saynge The fathers though they named it a figure or a token yet they playnlye declare and shew that they beleued that very real presens of the bodye and blood of Christ in the sacramēt as I haue shewed bi their owne wrytinges So I conclude and answere that though the sacrament be a sygne or a fygure yet neuerthelesse it is verely really the verye bodye and bloode of Christ therfore is it not only a fygure or onely and nothinge els then a fygure or a sygne Thys answere in my iudgemēt is sufficient for all suche places that they can brynge in of anye of the auncyent wrytters It is a lacrymable case and