est ad eum c. Tu es sacerdos Hebr. 5. in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Euen so Chryste also glorified not him self to be made the high pteist but he that said vnto him c. Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech And declaring the great benefitte that came by him being the high preist to all beleuers he saieth again Et consummatus factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae appellatus à Deo Pontifex iuxta ordinem Melchisedech And Ibid. he being perfight was the cause of eternall saluacion vnto all them that obeied him and ys called of God an high preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Likewise he calleth him in the VI. chapiter And the wholl VII chap. he occupieth in applieng Melchisedech to Chryst prouing by this prophecie the abrogacion of the preisthead of the lawe and so consequētlie of the lawe yt self Wherfore he saied Yf nowe therfore perfection came by the preistheade Hebr. 7. of the Leuites for vnder that preisthead the people receaued the lawe what neadeth further that an other preist shoulde rise to be called after the ordre of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron For yf the preisthead be translated then of necessitie must the lawe be translated also c. For after this maner dothe he testifie Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Then the commaundement that went before ys disanulled bycause of weakenesse and vnprofitablenesse And further declaring the excellencie of Chrystes preisthead aboue the preisthead of Aaron he saieth For these preistes were made withoute an othe but this preist with an othe by him that saied to him The Lorde sware and will not repent him Thowe art a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Thus as the lawe of nature hath in Melchisedech figured Chryste And the lawe of Moyses by prophecie forespoken yt So hath the lawe of the Gospell as ye haue nowe learned by sainct Paule fullfilled the same and most plainlie and euidentlie proued yt so to be Yf then Chryste be a preist after the order of Melchisedech we must seke what the order of the preistheade of Melchisedech ys and wherin yt consisteth And therbie shall we knowe the preistheade of Chryste wherin yt consisteth Sainct Paule generallie declareth the order of a preist when he saieth Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs Hebr. 5. quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis Euery high preist that ys taken from amonge men ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God to offer giftes and Sacrifices for sinne By whiche description of saincte Paule yt dothe appeare that the order of preisthead standeth in two partes The first he teacheth when he saieth Ordre of preisthead standeth in two partes Pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum He ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God Wherby ys ment the preaching to the people and teaching them the lawes of God and ministring the Sacramentes to them as yt was saied vnto Moyses Esto tu populo in ijs quae ad Exod. 18. Deum pertinent vt referas quae dicuntur ad eum ostendasue populo ceremonias ritum colendi viam per quam ingredi debeant opus facere Be thowe vnto the people to Godward that thowe maist bringe the causes vnto God And thowe shalt teache them ordinaunces and lawes and shewe them the waie wherin they must walke and the worke that they must doo The seconde parte of the order of preistheade standeth in offring giftes and sacrifices for the sinnes of the people Then they that be called of God as was Aaron and doo preach and teache one faith of God vnto the people and offer vnto God one maner of sacrifice they be one order of preistheade So that these two must concurre or ells yt ys not a perfight order For Elias the prophet of God and the 3. Reg. 18. preistes of Baall did offer one maner of thinge in sacrifice for they both offred oxen yet they differed in preisthead For Helias was the preist of God the other the preistes of Baall And why was this difference bycause they taught not one faithe in one God Melchisedech and Aaron taught one God and were bothe preistes of Gen. 14. Leuit. 8. Heb 5. God For Melchisedech was the preist of the most high God as the booke of Genesis wittnesseth and Aaron was called of God as the booke of Leuiticus and saincte Paule to the Hebrues testifie And yet they were not of one order of preisthead bycause their sacrifices were not of one maner By this then yt maie be taken for a trueth that Chryst not being a preist after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchidech whiche two orders differed not in faith but in maner of sacrifice ys so called a preist after the order of Melchisedech for the maner of the sacrifice For he must agree with Melchisedech in that thing that maketh the difference betwixt the order of Aaron and the order of Melchisedech and that was and ys in the maner of sacrifice For Aaron offred in blood the other in bread and wine But here the Aduersarie will saie that Chryst ys not likened to Melchisedech for anie sacrifice by all the processe of saincte Paule But for Obiection that Melchisedech was Rex Salem kinge of Salem and withall the preist of God and for that he was with oute Father withoute Mother hauing neither beginning of daies nor ending in these pointes he ys the figure of Chryste who ys both king and preist hauing no Father in earth nor mother in heauen neither as concerning his Godhead anie beginning and as touching his Godhead and Manhead no endinge And so ys he a preist for euer To this I saie that the thing that saincte Paule principallie intended ys to be considered And then yt shall easilie be perceaued why he did not Principall entent of S. Paule in his epist to the Hebrues make rehersall of the maner of the sacrifice of Melchisedech nor mencion of the doing of the same in Chryste The principall entent of saincte Paule in this place was to proue and make manifest the excellencie of Chryst and his preisthead aboue Aaron and his preisthead Whiche excellencie in nothing more appeared then in that that Chryst was an euerlasting preist and his preisthead euerlasting and not in the maner of sacrifice For yf he had alleaged that Melchisedech did sacrifice in bread and wine The Hebrues wolde quickly haue saied that their sacrifices in that respecte moche excelled and had a moche more gloriouse shewe and cowntenance then the sacrifice of Melchisedech being but bread and wine And therfor saincte Paule omitted to make mencion VVhie S. Paule spake nothing of she sacrifice of Melchisedech in his epist
Manna was froÌ„ the aier Christe our bread ys from heauen the figure For wher the bread of the Iewes was but froÌ„ the aier our bread Christe ys from heauen in dede and not from heauen as a comon heauenlie thing but from heauen as a thing heauenlie as the Father ys heauenly and withall not as a coÌ„mon bread but as a bread that ys proprelie called and ys heauenlie bread in verie dede bicause yt confirmeth and maketh strong the heart of man And yet immediatelie by expresse woordes this authour declareth as a cause why that MaÌ„na was not the trewe bread and speaketh yt in the person of Chryst Siquidem panis ille siguratiuus erat me inquit praesigurans Manna a figure of Chryste oure bread In 6. Joan. hom 44. qui sum ipsa veritas For that bread was a figuratiue bread prefigurating me saieth Chryst whiche am the treuth yt self Here vnto agreablie also saieth Chrysostome Panem autem simpliciter non verum illum appellat non quòd falsus esset in Manna miraculum sed quòd figura esset non veritas He calleth yt onelie bread and not the true bread not that in Manna was a false miracle but bicause yt was a figure and not the veritie Nowe then as in the woordes of Chryst comparing and also preferring him self before and aboue the bread that the Iewes had vnder Moises in the desert he declareth him self to be the thing figured by that breade and that bread to be the figure so haue ye hearde these learned men expownding this scripture to teache the like or raither the verie same Yf nowe the aduersarie will obiecte and saie that Manna was a figure of the Godhead but not of his Manhead and so consequentlie not of his bodie for that these textes and scriptures speake of the deitie or God head of John 6. Euthim. ibidem Chryst and not yet of his humanitie as Euthimius whom we haue alleaged doeth also testifie expownding this saing of Chryst Ego sum panis vitae I am the bread of life Panis viuificans qui vt dictuÌ„ est dat vitaÌ„ aeternaÌ„ NaÌ„ ea proprie dicitur vita quae aeterna est Quae enim ad teÌ„pus durat noÌ„ vita est sed vitae imago Panem auteÌ„ vitae suaÌ„ vocat diuinitateÌ„ SiquideÌ„ ipsa panis est quae de caelo descendit I am the bread of life the bread that maketh to liue aÌ„d which as yt ys saied geueth eternal lif For that proprelie ys called life which ys euerlasting That that endureth but for a time yt ys not life but an image of life The bread of life he calleth his Godhead For yt ys the bread that descended from heauen Thus Euthim. Yt ys true that all that Chryste hath spoken of him self hitherto sithen he began to speake of Manna ys spoken of his Godhead For so dothe Chrysostome also wittnesse And therfor we accept that that Euthimius saieth and graunt the same But then I wold ye weÌ„t to the next line of Euthymius aÌ„d read Euthim. what he addeth to this sentence that ys nowe oute of him alleaged Yt foloweth ther immediatelie Tandem verò etiam corpus panem vocat Afterwarde also he calleth his dodie bread Whiche he doth when he saieth And the bread Chryste called bread two waies whiche I will geue ys my flesh whiche I will geue for the life of the worlde vpoÌ„ the which text he saieth Duobus modis Christus dicitur esse panis secundùm diuinitatem scilicet bumanitatem Postquam ergo docuit de modo qui secundùm Diuinitatem est nunc etiaÌ„ docet de modo qui est secundùm humanitateÌ„ Two maner of waies Chryste ys saied to be bread that ys to saie after his Godhead and after his Manheade Therfore after he hath taught of the maner whiche ys after his Godhead nowe also he teacheth of that maner whiche ys after his Manhead Thus then yt ys manifest Chryste him self teaching and Euthimius Chrysostom with diuerse other so declaring as ye maie see in the second booke wher the sixt chapter of S. Iohn ys by a nombre of learned Fathers expownded that Chrystes bodie ys called bread and yerie well both for that by that name yt aunfwereth the figure And also as Manna fedde the Iewes so in a more excellent maner the bodie of Chryste feadeth the Chrystians he him self witnessing and speaking of his owne bodie thus Qui manducat Joan. 6. hunc panen viuet in aeternum He that eathe this bread shall liue for euer And here I can but merueill at the maliciouse blindnesse of Oecolampadius who trauaileth by all means to proue that the bodie of Chryst feadeth not the soule and so wolde make Chryst contrarie to him self bothe in this sentence last alleaged and also in this sentence wher he faieth Caro mea verè est Jbid. â— cibus sanguis meus verè est potus My flesh ys meat in dede and my bloode ys drinke in dede But Oecolam wolde haue that the soule ys fedde onely whith the worde of God and faith and therfor speaking of the flesh of Chryste he saith Neque opus est carnem in ipsam ingredi animam Quod ne imaginaremur satis cauerat Dominus dicens Caro non prodest quicquam Neither yt ys nedefull that the flesh entre into the soule whiche thing that we shoulde not imagen the lord did diligently prouide sainge The flesh profitetb nothinge And yet Chryste saieth Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye haue no life in yowe I am loath as in the prouerbe yt ys saied Actum agere to doo that thing In the xxxvi chap. c. that ys doen all readie and so with prolixitie and tediousnes to greue the readie Wherfor all these scriptures of the sixt chap. of S. Iohn being sufficiently declared in the second booke and among other this text whiche Oecolampadius bringeth inwhiche ys The flesh profiteth nothing ther truly by S. Augustine Chrysostom Theophilact and other expownded and declared to be of an other maner of sense then he deuilishlie wolde wrest yt to and ther also being shewed howe the flesh of Chryst feadeth and profiteth the soule very moche I shall referr the reader thither wher he shall finde Oecolampadius fullie aunswered and matter sufficient I trust wherwith he him self shall be satisfied Wherfor nowe I will but touche a woorde of Oecolampadius wher he saieth that the inwarde man ys fedde by faithe Yt ys a maner of feede that I haue not redd in anie autentike authour But this maie be and ys red that Chryst and his woorde receaued by faith doth feed the soule but not faithe yt self Neither haue I red anie catholique authour that Jnward maÌ„ ys fedde by â—aith the glose of OecolaÌ„p touched teacheth that the flesh of Chryst entreth in to the soule as yt liketh Oecolampadius whith his feigned speache
example of godlie liuing that God bothe in his pastours and people maie be glorified As cōcerning the second that the scriptures haue doubtes and difficulties Scriptures ful of doubres Yt appeareth by the expresse woorde of God when he saieth Yf ther rise a matter to hard for thee in iudgemēt c. Thow shalt get thee vppe to the preistes the Leuites But forsomoch as this matter ys allready sufficiētlie treacted of and proued yt ys enough here nowe to haue touched yt and so to passe to the third Which ys that the people must be taught and learn the lawes of god of the preistes Which thīg ys so manifestlie declared ād in so plain woordes Doubtes in the lawe of God must be dissolued by the preistes opened in the scriptures alleaged that I shal not nede to make any further declaraciō therof forasmuche as yt ys plainlie ther saied that the doubtes of the people in the lawe of God must be dissolued bi the preistes to whose sentēce and iudgemēt they must in any wise stande and not decline frō yt neither on the right hand nor on the left and that on the pain of deathe In the which saing of God yt ys euidēt howe moche God wolde that the determinaciō of his church in the doubtes of his lawe should be estemed ād reuerēced and his preistes in that respecte obeid Which howe moche yt ys nowe disdained and contēned and gods ordre and cōmaūdemēt neclected his holie faith and religion infringed and violated yt ys more with Sithes and teares to be lamented then beinge so manifest as yt ys nedefull to be opened and declared Of whose mouthe the people should learn the lawe AlmightieGod by his prophete Malachie telleth Likewise that of the preistes the people should aske People must learn of the preistes the lawe God by the Prophete Aggaeus cōmaundeth Who shoulde teach the people the newe Testamēt he also prescribeth Appointing some Apostles some Prophetes some Doctours or teachers who to theise offices are appointed to rule and instruct the people In ijs quae ad Deū pertinēt in those thinges that appertein to God But nowe al this ordre ys inuerted in manie places The people teache the preistes and not the preistes the people The people dissolue the doubts of the lawe the preistes not being asked for The people God his ordre inuerted speake the preistes holde their peace The people make lawes in religion the preistes are cōpelled to obeie The people take in hande the thinges that appertain to God the preistes are put to scilence A moch like state we finde in the time of Moyses emōge the children of Israel in the time when Moyses was in the moūt with God For they perceiuing him to be lōg absent and thinking that he wolde no more come they began to take the rule vpō thēselues And wheras Aarō before cōmaūded and taught thē the religiō of the true God nowe they taking the rule and inuerting the ordre cōmaunded Aaron and taught him soche Religion as lyked them of a false God When the people sawe saieth the booke of Exodus that yt was long er Moyses came downe oute of the Mountain they gathered themselfes togeather Exod 32. vnto Aaron and saied vnto him Vppe make vs Gods to go before vs. For of this Moises the felowe that brought vs oute of the lande of Aegypte we wote not what ys become Hereby maie yt be perceiued what religion shall be when the ordre that God appointed being broken they will teache and commaunde which in matters to godwarde shoulde be taught and commaunded But with all yt ys to be remembred that for this wickednes the wrathe of God waxed hote against the people and notwithstanding that ther was immediatelie Plaguesfor breaking Gods appoincted ordre in religiō and mynisterie a greate slaughter of the people aboute the nōbre of three thousand and that Moyses made intercession to God for the people Yet allmightie God in the ende saied Neuer the latter in the daie when I viset I will viset their sinne vpon them and the Lorde plagued the people bicause of the calfe whiche Aaron made Wherfore seinge that the moche like trangression ys committed emonge the Chrystian people yt ys to be feared that the wrathe of God will waxe hote against vs. But God graūte vs a Moyses that by earnest intercessiō maie yet mittigate the plague of God that shall come for this wickednesse The plague I feare me will be sore vpon Corah Dathan and Abiron and vpon the capitanes of the multitude whiche be the great and famouse mē in the Num. 16. congregacion which haue gathered thē selues together against Moyses and Aaron and cā not contēt thē selues with soche ordre as God hath put in his Church and which by hys pleasure hath so long continued But yet they come to Moyses and Aaron and saie ye make muche to doo seing all the multitude are holie euery one of them and the Lorde ys emonge them Whieheaue ye your selues vppe aboue the Congregacion of the Lorde I must staie my hand I shall ells be to tediouse to the reader in this matter in the whiche I thought not to haue writtē the fourth parte of that that ys written and for expedicion leaue vnto him to reade the strory in the booke of Nombres and so further to consider yt And wher ther be manie stories declaring the displeasures of God to haue commed vppon the people bicause they wolde not submitte them selues to the ordeinaunce of him and his ministres but wolde vsurpe vpon them both Yet I will speake but of one in the first booke of the kinges which ys that where God appointed Samuel his beloued and holie Prophet to be the ruler of the people they being a stiffnecked and disobedient people to gods 1. Reg. 8. ordre so long before vsed al the elders gathered themselues together and came to Samuel and saied vnto him Beholde thowe arte olde and thy Sonnes walke not in thy waies Nowe therfore make vs a king to iudge vs as al other nacions haue See their phantasticall prouidence and therwith their disobediēce They take in hande to prouide for their common wealth as though God coulde not prouide them as good a ruler after Samuel as he did in prouiding of Samuel And therfore the ruler whiche God appointed reiected make vs saie they a kinge But what saied Almightie God to Samuel Heare the voice of the people for they haue not cast thee awaye but me that I shoulde not reign ouer them 1. Reg. 12. And after that they had a kinge Samuel to cause them to vnderstand that their offence was great saied I will call vnto the Lorde and he shall send thunder and rain that ye maie perceaue and see howe that yower wickednesse ys great which ye haue doen in thee seight of the Lorde in asking yowe a king And they saied Praye for vs thy seruauntes vnto the Lorde thy God that
the substance of euerlasting life and who soeuer shall eate this bread he shall not die for euer and yt ys he bodie of Chryst Thus farre he What this bread ys that descended from heauen and what the profit and benefitt of yt ys sainct Ambrose hath in this his saing declared the bread ys the bodie of Chryst saieth he whiche bodie ys the meat that the faithfull doth take and the benefite of this so taken ys euerlasting life Wherfor sainct Ambrose being so plain I will bring in his yocke folowe Chrysostome who hath according to the counsell of sainct Paule not caried the yocke with the vnfaithfull but with the faithfull whiche ys the yocke of Chryst whiche as he himself saieth ys sweet Thus he saieth Dicit ergo Qui manducat carnem meam in morte non peribit neque damnabitur Sed non de communi dicit resurrectione siquidem omnes resurgent sed de clara illa gloriosa quae 2. Cor. 6. Math. 11. Homiti 46 in Ioan. praemium meretur Patres vestri manducauerunt Manna in deserto mortui sunt Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum Frequenter idem repetit vt auditorum animis imprimatur Vltima enim haec erat doctrina vt resurrectionis vitae aeternae fidem confirmaret Quocirca post vitae aeternae promissionem resurrectionem proponit postquam illaÌ„ futuram ostendit hoc vnde constat à scripturis ad quaâ— eos semper relegat vt inde erudiantur Cùm autem dare vitam mundo dicit in aemulationem eos adducit vtsi aliorum bono mouentur nolint ipsi excludi Frequenter autem Mannae meminit differentiam conferendo ad fidem allicit Nam si possibile fuit vt quadraginta annos sine messibus frumento aliis ad victum necessarijs viuerent longè magis nunc cùm ad matoâ—… venerint Nam si in illis figuris sine labore expositum colligebant nunc profectò magis vbi nulla mors verae vitae fruitio Vitae autem vbique meminit Nam eius trahunur cupiditate nihil suauius quà m non mori Etenim in veteri Testamento longa vita multi dies promittebantur Nunc verò non simpliciter vitae longitudo sed vita sine fine promittitur He saieth therfor he that eateth my flesh shall not perish in death neither shal be damned But he doth not speake of the common resurrection for all shall rise but of that clere and gloriouse whiche deserueth rewarde Yower fathers haue eaten Manna in the wildernesse and be dead He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer he doth often repete the same that yt might be ymprinted in the mindes of thearers This was the last doctrine that he might confirme the faith of the resurrection and euerlasting life wherfor after the promisse of eternall life he proueth the resurrection after he had shewed that yt was to come And from whence doth his appeare by the scriptures vnto the whiche he doth allwaies send them that from theÌ„ce they might be taught When he saieth yt to geue life to the woorlde he bringeth them to folow that if they be moued with the profit or commoditie of other they wolde not be excluded Often he maketh mencion of Manna and conferiring the difference allureth them to faith For if yt were We cometo greater thiÌ„ges in the Sacr â–ª then the Jewes did in MaÌ„na possible that they shoulde liue fortie years withoute haruestes and other necessares to their liuing moch more nowe when they are comed to greater things For if in these figures they did gather withoute labour the thing settfurth or made ready to their handes nowe truly moche more wher ys no death and the fruicion of true life Of life he maketh mencion euery where For we be drawen with desire therof and nothing ys more pleasaunt then not to die For in the olde Testament long life and manie daies were promised Nowe not simplie lenght of life but life withoute ende ys promised Thus he Albeit Chrysostom in this sentence maketh no great mencion of the Sacrament in open and expresse woordes yet folowing the sense in the beginning of this part of this chapter whiche by his iudgement ys of the Sacrament if yt be well considered he saieth sufficiently as also wher he saieth that yf yt were possible for the Iewes to liue fortie yeare without haruest or corne moche more nowe when we be commed to greater thinges Manna was a great miracle as sainct Ambrose saieth and if they did well receaue yt they did MaÌ„na and the Sacrament compared receaue spirituallie Chryst Then if our SacrameÌ„t be as the Sacramentaries saie a peice of bread whiche ys no like thing to Manna the one being from heauen by miracle the other by common course from the hand of the artificer withoute any miracle or wonder and in the receipt of yt Chryst spiritually receaued as in the receipt of Manna howe then be we comed to greater thinges then the figure of Manna was seing that in both Chryst ys receaued but spirituallie And Manna ys from heauen by God the bread from the earth by the baker Wherfor by these woordes of Chrysostome that we be comed to greater thinges ys signified to vs that the SacrameÌ„t coÌ„teineth a woorthier thing and a thing of greater miracle then Manna was whiche also was a miraculouse thing which thing conteined in the Sacrament ys the very bodie of Chryst of the whiche Manna was the figure of the whiche more shall be saied in the thirde booke But here to be short if the reall presence of Chrystes bodie be not in the Sacrament then ys Manna a woorthier and greater thing then yt by al meanes as by that that ys allready saied yt maie appeare And so shall Chrysostome be reproued of an vntrueth for that we are not comed to greater thinges But I shall sooner refuse the sainges of these aduersaries then I will the sainges of Chrysostome and so I trust will the wise reader THE ONE AND THIRTITH CHAP. PROCEAdeth in the the exposition of the same text by S. Hierom and S. Cyrill LEt vs heare the testimonie of an other coople for the vnderstanding of this text S. Hierom saith Si ergo panis qui de coelo descendit corpus Hieron ad Hedibiq 2 est Domini vinum qùod Discipulis dedit sanguis illius est noui Testamenti qui pro multis effusus est in remissionem peccatorum iudaicas fabulas repellamus ascendamus cum Domino coenaculum magnum stratum atque mundatum accipiamus ab eo sursum calicem noui Testamenti ibiue cum eo Pascha celebrantes inebriemur ab eo vino sobrietatis Non enim est regnum Dei esca potus sed iusticia gaudium pax in Spiritu sancto Nec Moyses dedit nobis panem verum sed Dominus Iesus ipse conuiua conuiuium ipse comedens qui
sentence of S. Ambrose left oute by Oecolampadius dothe not a litle impugn his pestilent doctrine whiche he mainteined against the presence of Chrystes bodie in the blessed Sacrament and also ouerthroweth by plain woordes his heresie against the excellencie of the Sacramentes of Chrystes Churche wherbie I think yt maie wel appeare of what wicked pourpose he left yt oute And as in this he ys deprehended to be a falsarie so I doubte not but he shall be fownde the like herafter in the sentences and sainges of other holie fathers Nowe to proceade with S. Ambrose yt ys euident that he calling the bodie of Chryste born of a virgen the perfect thing in comparison of Manna Manna a figure of the bodie of Chryst. whiche he meneth to be the vnperfect thing as euery figure ys in respecte of the thinge figured that he doth vnderstande Manna to be the figure of our true Manna the bodie of Chryst our heauenly foode and verie bread geuē frō heauen whiche ys not ment of the bodie of Chryste absolutely as the bodie onelie born of the virgen but of the bodie born of the virgen and geuē vs in sacrament to fede on to our spirituall comforth which thing S. Ambrose signifieth in that same epistle wherwith also Oecolampadius wolde not medle but coulde ouerpasse yt as yt were a thing in a mist which he coulde not see Oriente autem iusticiae Sole plendidioribus Christicorporis sanguinis sacramentis refulgentibus cessarent inferiora perfecta illa sumenda populo forent The Sunne of rightwisnesse appearing and the bright Sacramentes of Chrystes bodie and bloode shininge the inferiour thinges shoulde ceasse and those perfect thinges shoulde be taken of the people Thus S. Ambrose By whiche he dothe not onelie teache vs that the sacramentes of Crystes S. Ambro. his magnifieng of the blessed Sa. argueth it to be more thē a figure bodie and blood are the perfect things and the figures therof inferiour thinges but also that the bodie and blood of Chryst as in Sacramentes whiche Sacramentes for the presence of that bodie and bloode are bright and shining Sacramentes ys the clere light of the whiche Manna was the figure and the shadowe In whiche maner of speache yt ys notable howe S. Ambrose doth magnifie this most wrouthie and excellent Sacrament I wish yt of the Reader to be cōsidered Yf that blessed Sacrament were but a bare sign or figure as they terme yt why shoulde yt be called of S. Ambrose the bright and shining Sacrament aboue Manna wher as yf yt were not for the presence of him that ys the light of the worlde Manna in and hundreth partes were more wonderfull more excellent and farre surmounting the figure or signe of Chrystes bodie as here after shall most clerelie appeare vnto yowe Wherfore we are not onely taught by S. Ambrose that Manna was the figure of the bodie of Chryst but also that the same bodie ys present in the Sacramēt of his bodie and bloode wherby yt ys made a wonderfull an excellent and a bringt shining Sacrament Neuer the lesse the same S. Ambrose teacheth vs that the woorde of God whiche he calleth the rain of spirituall wisdom ys also a spirituall Manna whiche vndoubtedlie well and dewlie taken feadeth the soule Non in solo pane viuit homo sed in omni verbo quod procedit de ore Dei Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery woorde whiche proceadeth from the mouth of God Dent. 8. Matth. 4. Thre kinds of Manna So that of S. Ambrose yt maie be learned that ther be three kindes of Māna Manna whiche God rained frō heauen to the people in the deserte whiche ys the figure Manna the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament which duely taken feadeth both bodie and soule to euerlasting life And Manna the worde of God whiche illumineth nourisheth and feadeth the soule and moysteth yt with the dewe of gods wisdom and maketh man wise in God This doctrine ys not dissonant from the Gospell for in the sixte of S. Iohn we are taught that Manna the figure was geuē to the Iewes and that yt figured not onelie the woord and the Godhead of Chryst but also his manheade whiche both are called the breades of life as in the seconde booke ys declared The declaracion of the figure and applicacion of yt to the thinge figured ys plainlie settfurth by Chryste when the Iewes saied vnto him Patres nostri Ioan. 6. manducauerunt Manna in deserto Owre Fathers haue eaten Manna in the desert To whom Chryste minding to bring them frō the bread Manna whiche did but nourish the bodie to the mainteinance of the corporall life whiche bread and life in respect of the heauenly bread and euerlastinge life be no true bread and true life to him self the true bread and geuer of true life saied Non Moises dedit vobis panem de coelo sed Pater meus dat vobis panem de coelo verū Moyses did not geue yowe breade from heauen but my father geueth yowe the true bread from heauen This text Euthymius verie liuely and plainlie expowdeth Quia putabant Manna esse panem ab eo quod coelum propriè appellatur eò quòd scriptum esset Panem de coelo dedit eis corrigit erroneam eorum opinionem Nam ibi scriptura impropriè aerem vocauit coelum Quemadmodum etiam dicuntur volucres coeli In. 6. Ioan. Et rursum Intonuit de coelo Dominus Ait ergo Non Moyses dedit tunc nationi vestrae panem qui de coelo propriè sit sed Pater meus nunc dat vobis panem ab eo quod propriè coelum appellatur Nam sicut Pater propriè dicitur coelestis ita filius coelestis propriè panis vtpote cor hominis confirmans Bicause they thought Manna to be Heauen taken for the aier bread from that that ys proprelie called heauē bicause yt ys written He hath geuen them bread from heauen He doth correcte ther erroniouse opinion For the scripture ther called the aier vnproprelie heauen as also the birdes be called the birdes of heauen And again The Lorde thondered oute of heauen He saieth therfore Moyses did not geue then vnto yower nacion bread whiche ys from that whiche ys proprelie called heauen but my Father geueth yowe nowe bread from that ys proprely called heauen Eor as the Father ys called heauēly euē so the Sonne ys heauēly and called breade as cōfirming the heart of Man Thus Euthymius In whiche expositiō this ys first taugh that wher the scripture saieth that God gaue the Iewes bread frō heauē yt ys not ment that he gaue thē that breade or foorde of Manna frō heauē in dede but frō the aire whiche in diuerse places of the scriptures ys called heauen as in the exāples yt ys shewed ād diuerse other places maie likewise be produced A gain vpon this ys taught the excellencie of Chryst the thing figured aboue
also in his saing signifie moche difference whē he saied that Manna was meate in darke maner and nowe the flesh of the Sonne of God ys true meat in a plain maner Yf the balance be in a true mans hand the one will weigh moch more then the other euen as moche as the bodie more then the shadowe Thus ye haue heard the minde of Origen and S. Ambrose in these three pointes that ys that Manna ys a figure of the bodie of Chryste that the bodie of Chryste ys present in the Sacrament and that the thinges of the new Testament are of more excellencie then the thinges of the olde Testament In particular I meen of that thing that they haue spoken of A place shall be had that they shall be spoken of vniuersallie In the mean while as I do passe through the Authours as they do touche yt so yt shall be noted and so likewise of the other two THE SIXTH CHAPITER DECLARETH THAT Manna was a figure by the testimonie of saincte Cyprian and Chrysostom THe holy Martyr S. Cyprian whose faithe ys well to be perceaued in the matter of the Sacrament by hys plain and manifold godlie sainges in the first and second booke alleaged wil also be a notable wittnesse for the same here In the first booke he hath most clerely declared vnto vs the figures that were there spokē of as of Melchisedech and the Paschal lābe so here also as plainly as breiflie he toucheth this figure saing Huius panis figura fuit Manna quod in deserto pluit Sicvbi ad verum panem in terra promissionis ventum est cibus ille defecit Of this bread Māna was a figure which rained in the desert So when we came to the true bread Cyprian de caena Do. in the land of promesse that meat ceassed That the bread which he speaketh of here of the which he saieth that Manna was the figure ys the holie bread of the blessed Sacrament yt ys more manifest than that yt can be denied For this his Sermon wherin these woordes be written being of the supper of our Lorde he onely treacteth of yt This will also be proued not onely by the sentence on the whiche this dependeth Ibid. and hangeth but also very manifestlie where he openeth himself in the ende of the sermon by expresse woordes saing Sed nos ipsi corpus effecti Sacramento re Sacramenti capiti nostro connectimur vnimur Singuli alter alterius membra ministerium dilectionis proinuicc̄ exhibentes communicamus charitate participamur The one meate and drinke that we fead on ys our Lord Iesus Chryste solicitudine eundem cibum manducantes eundem potum bibentes qui de spiritali prosluit petra emanauit Qui cibus potus est Dominus noster Iesus Christus But we our selues also saieth Cyprian being made his bodie by the Sacrament and the thing of the Sacrament we are connected and vnited to our head euery one being membres one of an other we communicate in charitie we are partakers of one care eating of one meate and drinking of one drinke whiche did flowe oute of the spirituall stone Which meat and drinke ys ower Lord Iesus Chryst. Thus moche S. Cyprian In this saing yt ys manifest that he alludeth to the same text of S. Paul that we haue in hand for he vseth the very woordes of S. Paule saing that we eate all of one meat and drinke all of one drink whiche drinke did flowe oute of the spirituall stone I nede not to conferre the one to the other for he that knoweth the one dothe well perceaue the other But what this one meat ys that we all eate of and what this drinke ys that flowed oute of the spirituall stone of the whiche we all drinke he furth A plain saing for the Procla with expowndeth and saieth Which meat and drinke ys our Lord Iesus Chryst A more plain speache can not be desired As the Iewes did eate of one Manna and dranke of one water flowing out of the stone so all we Chrystians eate one meate and drinke one drinke the bodie and blood of Chryst The bodie of Chryst being the one meat figurated by the one meat of the Iewes whiche was Manna The blood of Chryst being the one drinke of the Chrystians figurated by the one drinke of the Ioan. 19. Iewes whiche did flowe oute of the stone as the bloode flowed oute of the spirituall stone the bodie of our Lord and Sauiour Chryst Iesus For as the Euangelist saieth vnus militum lancea latus eius aperuit continuò exiuit sanguis aqua One Sacramentaries glose of spiritual lie impugned of the soldiers with a spere thrust him into the side and furthwith there came oute blood and water This clere testimonie of S. Cyprian can not be darkned with the comon obscure glose of the Aduersaries as to saie that our Lorde Iesus Chryst ys our meat spirituallie We confesse as before that Chryst ys our spirituall meat and that we fede vpon him spirituallie and we wish and praie that all chrystians will so frame their liues and conuersacions that they maie dailie fede on him spirituallie But with all we confesse and beleue that we recea him reallie and substanciallie in the Sacrament as S. Cyrill saieth whose phrase ys not vnlike this that we haue nowe saied Thus he writeth Non negamus Cyrill in 15 Joan. Chrystes bodie ys receaued both spirituallie and reallie nos recta fide charitateue sincera Christo spiritualiter coniungi sed nullam nobis coniunctionis rationem secumdùm carnem cum illo esse id profectò pernegamus idue à diuinis scripturis omnino alienum dicimus We denie not but that we are ioined to Chryst spirituallie by right faith and sincere charitie But that we haue no maner of coniunction with him after the fleshe that in verie dede we vtterlie denie and saie yt to be farre wide from the scriptures And a litle after An fortassis putat ignotam nobis misticae benedictionis virtutem esse quae cùm in nobis fiat nonne corporalliter quoque facit cōmunicatione carnis Christi Christum in nobis habitare Dothe he thinke peraduenture that the vertue of the misticall benediction ys vnknowen to vs whiche when yt ys doen in vs dothe yt not make also by the cōmunicacion or receauing of Chrystes flesh Chryst corporallie to dwell in vs Nowe therfor with S. Cyrill confessing both maners of receauing and feading of Chryst we do not with the Aduersaries so confesse the one that we denie the other wherfor not denieng but affirming with the holy martir Ciprian we saie that we receaue Chryst verilie and that our lorde Iesus Chryst as Cyprian speaketh yt ys our meate and his bloode our drinke reallie and substanciallie And that S. Cyprian so meneth yt will withoute all scruple appeare manifestlie to the reader yf he will consider and vnderstande where he speaketh these woordes
flesh not being chaunged into flesh but by taking flesh vpon him So bread and As rightlie as we cōfesse Chryste to haue ben crucified so rightlie we cōfesse him to be in the Sacr. wine both lifte vppe from the lowest ys made the bodie and bloode of Chryste not chaunged into the taste of flesh or into the horriblenesse of bloode but inuisiblie taking the veritie of bothe the immortall substances whiche be in Chryst that ys to saie both of God and man Therfor as we rightly and catholikely confesse the man whiche being born of the Virgen hanged on the crosse to be God So this that we receaue at the holie aultar we trulie saie to be Chryst we openly confesse yt to be the lambe of God Thus Rupertus This saing nedeth no commentarie Wherfor breifly note gentle Reader that he saieth that the bread and wine be made the bodie and bloode of Chryst Note that the bread and wine haue the veritie of the substances of both natures of Chryst Note that as catholikely as we confesse Chryst to be God So catholikely do we confesse yt that we receaue at the Aultars holie holy aultar to be Chryst and the lambe of God Also yf the aultars be holie as this Authour saieth they be Yt can be no holie dede to pull them down with despite as Germanie and Englond haue doen. This I trust sufficeth to open this Authours faith as concerning the presence of Chryst in the holie Sacrament Wherfor nowe leauing him his folowe shall be hearde who ys Holkot an english man who writing vpon the booke of wisdom saieth thus Per Manna in sacra scriptura figuratur signanter Holkot in li sap cap. 16 Eucharistiae Sacramentum Sicut enim filij Israel transeuntes per desertum versus terram à Domino promissam cibi refocillabantur alimento ita nos per mundum ad coelum pergentes corporis sanguinis Christi quotidiano viatico recreamur By Manna in the holie scripture the Sacrament ys notablie figured For as the Manna a notable figure of the Sacrament children of Israell going through the desert towarde the land promised vnto them of God they were recreated with the foode of that meat Euen so we going through the worlde to heauen are recreated with the dailie iourneing meat of the bodie and bloode of Chryst Of this Authour though he be of the later daies we learn no other thing in this matter but euen the verie same that the great auncientes haue before taught and auouched So that I can not perceaue why the masters of wickednesse shoulde reiect him and soche other but onely of malice for there plain testimonie As all that before be alleaged haue taught Manna to be a figure of the Sacrament So doth this Authour likewise As they haue auouched the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament So doth this Authour also For he saieththat we are fedde in this worlde in our iourneie to heauen warde with the bodie and bloode of Chryst. Nowe ye haue hadde these matters reported and testified to yowe by twelue witnesses whiche be sufficient by the lawes yf were in matter of life and death as in dede this ys for they that beleue this as they haue testified maie haue life but they whiche do not shall die the death They haue testified that Manna ys a figure of the Sacrament they haue testified that in the same Sacrament ys Chryst verilie and therwithall some of them by expresse woordes haue testified the excellencie of this Sacrament aboue the Sacramentes of the olde lawe and in effecte so haue they euery one For sainge that we haue the veritie wher they hadde but the figure yt declareth as moch excellencie in owres ahoue theirs as ys of the bodie aboue the shadowe These be not twelue bare witnesses but they are substanciall witnesses all being of Chrystes Parliament house and most of them of the higher house I meen of them that were aboue nine hundreth yeares agon who testific vnto vs no other but that trueth and faithe whiche then was receaued as an enacted trueth Wherfor Reader contemne not their testimonie contemne not their aunciencie and with all neclect not thy saluacion but yf thowe will yt obtein heare these witnesses reuerently beleue them faithfullie abide in that beleif constantly and yf all other poinctes of life and faith be in thee agreablie thowe shalt no doubte liue perpetually Nowe finallie to conclude and shet vppe the exposition of this text I haue thought good to adde the thirtenth witnesse who shall be Gagneius a mān of the later daies but not to be contemned but woorthilie for his learning to be receaued Whom for that he breiflie expowndeth the wholl text of Sainct Paule here treacted of I haue placed him in the last place for the Readers better remembrance Thus he writeth Admonet hoc capite Paulus Corinthios ne de donis à Deo perceptis efferantur Futurum enim vt per elationem Gagneius in Paulum 1. Cor. 10. hanc atque alia peccata ijs donis excidant à Christo eijciantur idue exemplo Iudaeorum docet Quos licet in figura similibus tamen donis ab eo affectos probat sed hinc tamen ob sua delicta excidisse Sicut enim Corinthij in spiritu sanclo aqua baptisati veri Pharaonis seruitutem excusserunt Christi carne pasti eius sanguine potati sunt It a patres Iudaei excussa Pharaonis seruitute transgresso marirubro quodam modo in mari nube baptisati sunt similitudinariè scilicet Quod enim illis nubes protegens conducens ac refrigerans id nobis spiritus sanctus actionum nostrarum dux ptotector libidinumue moderator extinctor Quod illis mare hoc Corinthijs aquae Baptismatis Corinthij Christi carnem manducabant illi figuram eius Manna quam spiritualem vocat escam quod miraculosè coelitus descenderit Corinthij Christi sanguinem bibebant Iudaei spiritualem potum quem miraculosè petra sudit biberunt neque tame ntot affecti beneficijs praeter duos tantùm in terram promissionis peruenerunt sed in deserto prostrati sunt ac mortui Qua in re sigura nostri fuere vi scilicet à vitijs illorum abstineamus alioquin in deserto perpetuae vastitudinis perituri neque veram promissionis terram ingressuri Paule doth admonish the Corynthians in this chapiter that they be not prowde of the giftes whiche they haue receaued of God For yt maie come that by this pride and other sinnes they maie fall from these giftes and be cast oute from Chryst And that he teacheth by the A notable conference of the figures and the thirges figured and of the benefittes of bothe example of the lewes whom he proueth to haue had the like benefittes although in figure and yet by their sinnes to haue fallen from them For as the Corynthians baptised in the holie Gost and water brake of the seruitude of
birth in her age shoulde conceaue and bring furth Iohn the Baptist but yt was more miraculouse that a maide withoute man shoulde conceaue and bring furth a childe And therfore this conception ys more excellent than the other but thys increaseth the excellēcie that here be mo miracles thā in the other For in this cōceptiō was cōceaued God ād mā in the other mā onelie But that this excellēcie maie appeare betwixt two figures I shall bring exāple of two figures of the Sacramēt As yt ys sufficiētly proued in the first book the Shew bread was a figure of the Sacramēt And as yt ys here proued Manna ys a figure of the same The Shew bread was but plain artificiall bread about the whiche was no speciall work of God but soch as ys aboute all other thinges formed and made to the conseruacion of man Aboute Manna ther was no artificial worke but a speciall worke of God and that beside the naturall custome and Cōparison of the B. Sacr. to the figure Manna ordre Wherfore Manna ys the more excellent figure in that respect For the one was made by man the other was wrought by God Aboute the one also was no miracle aboute the other were manie miracles and therfor in that respect yet more excellent In these three poincts yf cōparison be made betwixt our Sacramēt and Māna yf our Sacramēt haue not the presence of Chrystes bodie then Manna farre excelleth For first our Sacrament being a figure of Chryst and not conteining Chryst as the Aduersarie saieth nothing exceadeth Manna For Manna was a figure of Chryst also So that as touching the thing figured ther ys no excellencie For they be figures of one thing In the second poinct which ys the liuely significacion and ful figuracion of the thing signified and figured Manna moche excelleth the Sacrament For as Chryst was a bread frō heauen so was Manna a bread from heauen As Chryst descended frō heauen that his people might feed vpon him to euerlasting life so Manna descended frō heauen that the people might feed vpon yt to the mainteinance of their life As Chryst ys aboue naturall ordre sent vnto vs by God the Father so was Manna aboue naturall ordre sent to the Israelites from God as by Chrysostome yt ys before testified Now yt cōparison be made betwixt the Sacrament and Chryst the Sacrament ys nothing so liuely a figure so fullie figuring Chryst as Manna hath doen. For Chryst ys a bread frō heauen the Sacrament a bread frō the earth as Irenaeus saieth and as oure cōmon knowledge testifieth Chryst ys our food to euerlasting life the Sacrament in respect that yt ys a Sacrament feedeth vs not to the sufficiēt mainteinaunce of this life as Manna did the Israelites Chryst was sent to vs aboue naturall ordre as also Manna was the Sacramēt by natural and artificiall ordre Who then seith not that Māna in all respects more liuely and more fullie signifieth and figureth Chryst then our Sacrament doth Wherfor yt maie then well be saied that Manna ys the more excellent figure As touching the third poinct ther can be no controuersie but that Māna was alltogether miraculouse our Sacrament in no poincte miraculouse yf yt contein not the presence of Chrystes bodie and blood About Manna were manie miraculous woorkes of God aboute our Sacrament not one Manna was frō heauen our Sacramēt frō the earth Manna wrought by the especial worke of God our Sacrament by the cōmon work of man Manna besides naturall order our Sacrament by naturall and artificiall ordre Manna tasted in euery mans mouth as he listed our Sacrament but as bread and wine Māna although yt putrified being kept more then one daie in the weke daies yet yt remained vnputrified vpō the Sabboth daie And although being reserued after the Sabboth daie yt wolde putrifie yet of the same reserued in the goldē pott in the Arke ther remained manie years vnputrified swete ād good Owre bread and wine neither putrifieth sooner neither remaineth lōger thē other bread and wine after the comon ordre doth Yt ys then a most plain matter that yf our Sacramēt be robbed of the real presence of Chrystes bodie and blood that yt ys in nothing more excellent thē the figure of yt But contrariwise the figure in all respects ys moch more Yf our Sa. haue not the reall presence of Chrystes bodie and blood yt ys moche baser figure then Māna excellent then yt as by that that ys saied yt doth manifestly appeare Wherfore the Aduersarie must of necessitie graunt one of these two that either in the Sacrament ys the presence of Chrystes bodie and so ys yt more excellēt then the figure Manna or ells denieng the presence graunt that our Sacrament ys not equall but a baser and inferiour Sacrament to Manna But to graunt that a Sacrament of the newe lawe ys inferiour or baser then a Sacrament of the olde lawe ys a plain absurditie wherfore so ys that likewise that yt floweth oute of that ys that ther ys no presence of Chryst in the Sacrament Yt must then of very necessitie be concluded that Chrystes bodie ys verilie in the Sacrament THE THIRTENTH CHAP. PROVETH THE the same by scriptures and doctours SOche hath ben the malice of Sathan against God and hys Chryst and against his beloued church that to hinder the honoure of God to shadowe or abase the woorthinesse of the mediacion of Chryst and to drawe men from saluacion he ceasseth not hys laboure and industrie he sleapeth not frō his inuencions and deuises he spareth not hys engines and waies but bussier ys he to impair and destroie then we be to repair and saue Wherfore as before the coming of Chryst he drewe mē from the true honour of God to Idolatrie and therin deceaued the very Iewes whiche were speciallie called to the true knowledge of God So to abase the woorthinesse of his annointed after his coming he stirred vppe diuerse wicked membres as Cerinthus Ebion Sabellius Paulus Samosatenus Marcion Arrius Ne storius Eutiches and a great nombre mo of like rable By some of the which he impugned his Godhead and by other some he impugned his manhead and Luther allowed two sacramētes Melācthō three The Saxons foure Postellus six Suenckfeldiut neuer one withall miserablie tormented and diuided hys church to the losse of many a soule So nowe in these daies he hath inuented some other engins as wher Chryst had instituted sacramentes by the which as by certain instrumētes or conductes the merit of his passion in sondrie sortes shoulde come and be applied vnto his people and by the whiche the people should haue moch comforte he hath to sett furth his engins stirred vppe other disciples and wicked mēbres as Luther Oecolampadius Caluine Zuinglius Bucer Brentius Cranmer Radley Iuel and a filthy nōbre of soch like by the which he hath not onelie by some of thē laboured to take awaie three of thē by other some
speaketh plentifullie of yt We read in no place of S. Iohns Gospell that he speaketh plentifullie of Chrystes bodie and blood in the Sacrament but in the sixt chapiter Wherfor S. Augustine vnderstandeth the sixt chapter of S. Iohn to speake of the bodie and bloode of Chryst In these woordes also of S. Augustin yt ys not to be ouerpassed but by the waie to be noted that he saieth not that S. Iohn speaketh of the Sacrament figure or sign of the bodie of Chryst but plainlie he calleth yt the bodie and bloode of Chryst and saieth that S. Iohn speaketh of them in the sixt chap. This then being certen and euident that the woordes of Chryst in the sixt of S. Iohn as by Chrysostom and Euthymius by S. Augustin and Teophilact they are distincted be spoken and vnderstanded of his bodie and blood according to the distinction we shall bring in the woordes of Chryst for the proof of this that ys here to be prooued Thus Chryst saieth Non sicut manducauerunt patres vestri Manna mortui sunt Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum Not as yowr Fathers did eat Ioan. 6. Manna and be dead he that eateth this bread shall liue for euer In the whiche saing of Chryst we are taught two thinges The first that Manna ys a figure of our heauenly Manna I meen of Chryst in the Sacrament our most pleasant foode as the comparison of the one to the other made by Chryst him self doth well proue and as at large yt ys testified by the testimonie of manie Fathers in the. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. and tenth chapiters of this booke Thexcellēcie of the B Sacr. aboue Manna The second thing ys the excellencie of our Manna the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament the thing figured by the other Manna Whiche excellencie Chryst very manifestlie declareth when he saieth that the eaters of Manna are dead but the eaters of this Manna in the Sacrament shall not onely liue but they shall liue for euer As life in naturall thinges ys moch more excellent then death so that which geueth naturall life ys moche more excellent then that whiche geueth yt not life As betwixt life and death ther ys no iust cōparison both for that inter ens non ens nulla est comparatio betwixt some thing and nothing ys no comparison and also for that no comparison can be grownded wher ys no positiue so betwixt temporall life and eternall life ys no comparision for that as S. Gregory saieth Temporalis vita aeternae vitae comparata mors est potius dicenda quà m vita The temporall life compared to the eternall life ys raither Gregorius to be called death them life Then the eternall life so farre passing the temporall life as life doth death how moch then surmounteth the Manna Māna the figure gaue but tēporal life Māna the thing eternall life of the chrystians the Manna of the Iewes wher as this geueth but temporall life the other eternall as saieth S. Augustin Manna de coelo apertè ab ipso Domino exponitur Patres vestri inquit manducauerunt Manna in deserto mortui sunt Quādo enim viuerent Figura vitam praenunciare posset vita esse non posset Manducauerunt inquit Manna mortui sunt id est Manna quod manducauerunt non illos potuit de morte liberare non quia ipsum Manna mors eis fuit sed quia à morte non liberauit Ille enim liberaturus erat á morte qui per Manna figurabatur De coelo certè Manna veniebat Attende A figure maie fore the we life but yt can not be life quem figurabat Ego sum inquit panis vinus qui de coelo descendi Manna from heauen ys plainly expownded of our lorde himself Yowr fathers saieh he haue eaten Manna in the wildernesse and are dead for when shoulde they liue A figure maie foreshewe life but yt can not be life They haue saieth he eaten Manna and are dead that ys to saie Manna which they haue eaten could not deliuer them from death not that that Manna was death vnto them but bycause yt deliuered them not from death He shoulde deliuer them from death who was figured by Manna Certenlie that Manna came frō heauen Take hede whom yt did figure I am saiethe he the liuing bread whiche descended from heauen Thus farre S. Augustin Seing then that Manna the figure whiche rained to the Iewes coulde not deliuer from death as here yowe haue heard S. Augustin testifie and Manna the bodie of Chryst the thing figured and conteined in our Sacramēt doth Our Sacr. geuing lise sarre excelteth Māna that gaue got life deliuer from death and therfor of consequent geueth eternall life as Chryst him self also auoucheth in the text alleaged yt can not otherwise be concluded but that our Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys incomparablie excelling Manna and anie other sacrament that in the olde lawe did figure Chryst As here by the comparison which Chryst hath made betwixt Manna and his bodie the excellencie of the one aboue the other ys easie to be discerned so nowe shall we see the like handling of the figure and the veritie by the holy fathers Holy Cyprian sheweing the meting and applicacion of the olde Paschall lābe which was a figure of our new Paschall lābe declareth most plainlie the excellencie of the one aboue the other Caena disposita inter sacramentales epulas obuiarunt sibi instituta noua antiqua Et consumpto agno quem antiqua traditio proponebat Cyprian de cana Do. inconsumptibilem cibum magister apponit Discipulis Nec iam ad elaborata impensis arte conuiuia populi inuitantur sed immortalitatis alimoniae datur à comunibus cibis differens corporalis substantiae retinens speciem sed virtutis diuinae invisibili efficien tia probans adesse praesentiam The supper being ordined emong the Sacramentall The inconsumptible 〈◊〉 geuē to the Apostles both conteined the presēce of diuine power and also reteined the forme of corporall substance meates ther mett together the newe and the olde ordinances and the lambe which the olde tradiciō did sett furth being consumed the master sett before his disciples inconsumptible meate Neither are the people bidden to feastes prepared with charges and conning but the foode of imortalitie ys geuen differing from comon meates reteining the forme of corporall substance but prouing by inuisible woorking the presence of the diuine power to be present Thus S. Cyprian As in this sentēce ye see the applicaciō of the ordinaūces of the old law to the newe so maie ye easilie perceaue that the one farre excelleth the other The meat whiche was geuen according to the olde ordeinaunce was consumed but the meat whiche was geuen according to the new ordeinance was inconsumptible That that ys of a limited power and finite yt maie haue a certain degree of excellencie cōpared
declareth to be in two poinctes The one ys that yt ys doen by consecracion which ys doen by the woord of Chryst Wherfor he saieth We perceaue grace to be of greater power then nature For In the consecracion of the B. Sac. the woordes of our Sauiour do woorke yf the benediction of a man was of so great power that yt might turne nature what shall we saie of the diuine consecracion yt self wher the verie woordes of our Lord and Sauiour do woorke As who might saie Yf Moyses did cast downe the rodde and yt was turned into a serpent and tooke yt vppe again and yt was turned into a rodde and soch like Yf Helyseus did make the axe against his nature to swimme aboue the water Yf Helyas by his woorde caused fire to descend from heauen Yf the woorde of these men but seruantes did woork soch wonders how moch more maie the woorde of the Lord and master of these men woorke The second poinct ys that he sheweth by what means the woord of Chryst woorketh the presence of his bodie in the Sacrament that ys saieth he by the chaunging of the natures of the creatures into the nature of his bodie ād blood which he signifieth when he saieth Yf the woorde of Helyas was of soch power that yt might bring down fire frō heauen shall not the woorde of Chryst be of soch power that yt maie chaunge the natures of the elementes And again the woorde of Chryst that coulde of nothing make that that was not can yt not chaunge those thinges that be in to that thing that they were not The meā then by the which the woorde of Chryst maketh the bodie of Chryst present in the Sacrament ys by chaunging the natures of bread and wine into the nature of his bodie ād blood which bicause the chaunging of natures ys the chaunge of substances Transubstanciation what yt ys therfor the Church doth call yt Transubstanciacion forsomoch as the nature or substance of one thing ys chaunged by Gods power into the nature or substance of an other thing The thirde thing that we are taught of S. Ambrose which also ys diduced of these two ys the verie presence of Chryst in the Sacrament Which so being as most certenly yt ys we maie conclude that this ys in comparablie a more excellent Sacrament then either Manna or the Paschall lambe notwithstanding the saing of the Aduersarie And although S. Augustin saieth that Sacramenta in signis diuersa in re tamen quae significatur paria sunt Sacramentes in signes being diuerse in the thing yet that ys signified they are like Yet that taketh not awaie the excellencie of Difference betwē Māna and the blessed Sac. this Sacrament For although Manna and the Paschall lambe did signifie the same Chryst that our Sacrament doth and so in that respect of significacion be like yet for that the other sacramentes did but signifie and this Sacramēt doth both contein and geue that yt doth signifie therfor yt doth farre excell them To this that ys saied although yt be sufficient to proue that that ys here entended yet yf the reader will adde the saing of S. Ambrose in the eight chapter of the booke last alleaged whiche to auoide tediousnesse I ouerpasse and wil remembre what the saied S. Ambrose saieth in the fourth chapter of this booke and Chrysostom in the sixth chapter and Theophilact and Haymo in the ninth chap and other treacting of Manna and the bodie of Chryst of which he shall find diuerso from the fourth chapter to the eleuēth chapiter of this booke I doubte not but he shall see so moche that he will merueill that euer anie heretike could so shamelesly teach soch wicked doctrine so repugnant to the catholique faith and so direct contratie to the sainges of so manie holy Fathers being wittnesses of this trueth but aboue all that they shoulde so blasphemously dishonour the sacramentes of God and his Chryst Who for the setting furth of his honour and sor owre helpe and comfort in the perigrinacion of this life that we maie haue strength against owre enemies whiche cruelly lie in wait for vs and our assured hope of the mercie of God in the ende of our iourney hath instituted these sacramētes and by them woorthilie vsed and receaued hath geuen vs manie benefittes of all which as also of Gods honour they wolde robbe both him and vs. But Reader beware of them and be not led awaie with soch doctrines as were born but yesterdaie But cleaue to that ys tried receaued approued and testified manie hondreth years of the whiche thowe shalt learn that the Sacramentes of Chryst and of the newe lawe are moch more excellent then the sacramentes of the olde lawe THE FYFTENTH CHAPITER PROVING all our Sacramentes generallie to be more excellent then the sacramentes of Moyses AS ye haue heard by sufficient testimonie that the blessed Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys more excellent then Manna and the Paschall lambe the figures of the same of the which I haue speciallie treacted bicause this wholl rude woork ys cheifly settfurth for the commendacion of the trueth of the same Sacrament Nowe that the other sacramentes be not left in the handes of the enemies and by them spoiled ād ouer moche wronged somwhat also shall be breiflie saied wherby they maie be knowen as they be and be deliuered from the handes of their enemies who falselie report of them and deuellislie trauaill to dishonour them Among all the sacramentes next vnto this blessed and most honorable Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and blood yt ys to be merueiled that they could Baptisme instituted by Chryste and commēded by the wholl Trinitie so vnreuerentlie speake of the sacrament of Baptisme which was so instituted and commended to the Chrystian worlde as no sacrament more solemnelie At the setting furth of this Sacrament Chryst himself being present and baptised the voice of the Father was heard saing This ys my wel beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heauen was opened and the holy Gost was seen in the forme of a doue descending from heauen and abyding vpon Chryst So that in the ministracion of this sacrament was present the Father the Sonne and the holie Gost Which noble presence semeth to bring with yt some more noble gift than a bare sign or token as the wicked saie that yt ys But what shall I nede to stand to declare the woorthinesse of this sacrament against these enemies of God seing that heauen and the wholl Trintie testifieth against them Wherfore leauing to speake any more of this sacrament speciallie or of the other particularlie for feare of prolixitie and for that yt ys spoken of here but by occasion we shall heare sainct Augustin speaking of Aug. cōt Faustū li. 19 cap. 13. them generallie Prima sacramenta quae obseruabantur celebrabantur ex lege praenunciatiua erant Christi venturi quae cùm suo aduentu Christus impleuisset