as the breade made of grayne taken frome the grounde called by consecration is no more nowe commentable breade but the bodye and bloude of Christe stonding vpon .ii. thinges an earthly and an heauenlye euen so oure bodyes perceauing the sacrament be no more now corruptible hauīg hope of resurrection And ī his fyft boke agaynst heresyes By what meanes therfore both the myxed cup and the frute of breade perceaueth the worde of God is made the Eucharist of the body and bloude of Christ For God in that he is God hathe nether breth bones ne fleshe But speakynge as cōcernynge that disposition and proportion whiche is like vnto man whiche standeth compacte of flesh synowes and bones whiche is norished with the cuppe whiche is the bloode and is enoreasyd with the breade whiche is his body Tertulyane in his boke of resurrection of the flesh OVre fleshe eateth the bodye bloode of Christ that the soule also may be replenyshed and fully fed with God And in his boke of prayer he saith bread is the worde of the lyuinge God which came doune īto his fote stole of the earth from his throne of heauen Then his veraye bodye is demyd and thought to be in the similitude of breade Saynge This is my body Therfore we clamynge requirynge our dayelye bread do aske a perpetuite cōtynuaunce in Christ and an vnseperable vnite with his body Agaynst Marcyon he saith we do knowe receaue and beleue all the gospelles of Christ by the churche and not otherwyse S. Cypryan martyr ccxlix Cypryan Martyr in the fyrste boke of his Epistelles in the seconde epistle NOw not onely to the weake or sycke but to the valyant peace is necessarye Not only to persones departyng but to the liuinge communion shoulde be minystred to the intent we maye not leaue thē naked and weaponles whome we exhort to battayle But that we maye defend them with the shelde of the bodye and bloude of Christ And whē the body bloud of Christ is ministred that it maye be a sauegarde to the receauers and that we Arme them with the armour of the Lordes health whō we wolde saue agaynst our gostely enemy For why should we teache or moue them to spende their bloud in confessinge Christes name yf in this chiuallry we deny them the bloude of Christe Or by what meanes do we make them fyt for the cup of martirdome if we do not admyt them fyrste to drynke of the chalice of the righteous cōmunicatynge of the Lorde in the churche De cena domini Our Lorde maketh euen cōtinually vntill this daye in the sacramēt this his moste trew holy body maketh it holy blesseth it and deuideth it to them which deuoutely receaueth it In the same THe breade which the Lorde gaue to his disciples chaūged not in forme but in nature and by the omnipotente power of the worde is made fleshe And as in the personne of Christ the manhod was sene and the Godhed hydde so in the visible sacramente the diuine nature inuisible infundeth hym selfe to the entent that aboute the sacrament shoulde be deuotion And in the same This common bread chaūged into fleshe and bloude procureth to bodyes lyfe and increase Idem The high prest bryngeth forth bread wyne this is saith he my body they eate and drynke of the same bread after a visible forme but afore these words that meat was common only it was profitable for the body to be norished gaue help of a corporall lyfe But from what tyme it was of the Lorde spoken this do in remembraunce of me it is fleshe bloud As often as with these wordes and this faithe it is done that supersubstancial bread and cup of benediction solemplye consecrate it doth profight to life and health of the hole Man Also being a medecyn brent offeringe to heale infirmyties and pourge iniquities That it was an other thinge that fyrst was sette forth consumed and an other that was geuen of the master and destributed whan the false mynde of Iudas touched the holy meate The holy sanctifyed breade enteryd into the cursed mouthe the murdering mynde not beynge able to susteyne the myght of so greate a sacrament was blowen away lyke chaffe frome the floure and ran hedlynge to perdition to desperation and to the rope The sacrament Christe sōtyme calleth it hys bodye sometyme his fleshe and bloud sometime bread Origen in his .v. Homilye Domine non sum dignus WHan ye receaue the holy meat and vncorrupted dishe thou dost vse the breade and the cup of lyfe thou eatest and drinkest the body and bloud of our Lorde ther the Lorde enterest into thy house Dist Viii The sacramēt the Lord dyd institute when after the figuratyue lambe he dyd reache his body to his disciples at supper When these wordes be spokē saith Origen This is my body and this is my bloud ther is a certayne conuersion made of breade and wyne into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of Christ Therfore the Lord Iesus goynge to the inuisible thinges of his Fathers magestie the figuratyue paschall beinge scelebrate with the disciples wyllynge to commende vnto them a certayne memoryall vnder forme of breade and wyne he dyd so geue his bodye and bloude to them that he myght shew the sacramentes of the olde law amonge which the sacrifice of the paschal lambe was chefe to be ended in his death the sacraments of the new law to be institute in whiche the mistery of Eucharistia excelleth Chrisostem in his .lxxxiii. Homili Vpon Saynt Math. LEt vs beleue God in euery thinge and not saye agaynst hym Verba dei defraudari non pūt yea although the thing that he sayth doth appere an inconuenience both to our sences thought vnderstandinge and dothe also exceade our sences capacite and reasone Let vs I beseche you beleue his wordes in al thinges but chefly in the sacrament not onely vpō those thinges which lye before vs His wordes can no the deceaued our sences ma◠easely be deceiued but considerynge also his wordes For by his wordes we can not be deceaued His wordes can not be false oursences are most easy to be dyssayued Wherfore seyng Christe hathe sayde This is my bodye let vs nothinge doute therof but beleue and perceaue it with the eyes of our vnderstanding In his .iii. boke Dialogorum Cap. iiii Beholde the dignite of the preisthode whervpon we speake for it is done in earth but his office is cōtayned in heuenly busynesses For consequently neither man nor Angell Non homo non Angelus nec Archangelus hoc sacramentū instituit nor archangell nor vertu nor any other creature but the holy gost hath institute this office and yet remayning in fleshe hath geuen to peruse the minystery of angelles For the which thing the byshop must as he that were in heuen and wer mixed to the vertues do this thing so it is lightenyd with the brightnes of lyfe For when
that is outewardly felte Agayne dayely this oblation though Christ once offeryd be cause we synne dayely in synnes withoute whiche mortall infirmitie cannot lyue And therfore be cause we dayely do fall christ dayly misticallye for vs is offered within the Catholike church in mystery of christes body Nothinge more is done of a good prest nothinge lesse of an euell preist Nothīg more is done of a good Preists then of an euyll for he is not consecrated in the merite of the consecratour But in the worde of the creatour and in the vertue of the holy sprite For if it were in the merite of the preist it should not pertayne to Christ But now as he is which baptiseth so is he whiche by his holy sprite dothe make this creature of breade his fleshe and wyne his bloude In Glo. ord superi Cor. ca. xi Ther be two maners of eatynge of our Lorde one is sacramentall by whiche Ther be two maner of eatings of Christe do eate as well the good as the euell An other is spirituall wherby the good onely dothe eate And this is not only to eat Christ and in his sacrament to take his boodye but to dwell in Christ and haue Christ dwellinge in hym For they do eate hym spiritually whiche in the vnitie of the Churche whiche that sacrament dothe signifye doth abide For he that discordeth frome Christ nor eateth Christes flesh though he do dayly to his Iudgement take a sacrament so greate a thinge Contra. Epist fundament ca. v. I wolde not beleue the gospell except the auctorite of the churche had moued me In his .iii. boke .xxii. cha xxviii sermon agaynst Maximinum The Sacrament of the alter is a figure of Christes death and passion of the misticall body of the Churche and of his naturall bodye ther in present Augustin de uerbis diu Ser. xi That same that he also saithe Who eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym how shall we vnderstāde it Maye we vnderstande also thē of whom the Apostle spake that they did eate to them selfe drinke iudgement when they did eate the same fleshe and drinke the same bloude the fleshe it selfe the bloude it selfe Dyd not Iudas the wicked sellar and betrayer of his master when he dyd eate and drinke as Luke the Euangelist declareth the Fyrst Sacrament of the fleshe bloude of Christ made his owne handes dwell in Christ or Christ in hym Finally many that with fayned herte eate that fleshe drinke the bloude or when they haue eaten and dronken be come apostatase do they dwell in Christ or Christian in them But withoute doute ther is a certayne maner of eatinge that fleshe drinkinge that bloude after whiche maner whosoeuer eateth and drinketh dwelleth in Christ and Christ in hym Therfore not in what soeuer maner any man eateth the fleshe of christ and drinketh the bloude of christ he dwelleth in Christ and christ in hym but after a certayne maner whiche maner he saw where he sayde these wordes Ang. de bap li. v. ca. viii It was neuerthelesse the bodye of our Lorde also vnto them to whom the Apostle sayde he that eateth vnworthely eateth and drinketh iudgement to hym selfe ¶ Here foloweth the worde of Saynt Ierome vpon the .xxi. cha of Ose I Haue geuen to the Iewes the eatinge of my bodye I beinge both the meate the gest so dyd he vnderstande christes wordes Also vpon these wordes of Malachye the fyrst chap. ye offered vpon myne alter poluted breade saithe Ierome we poluted breade that is the bodye of Christ when we vnworthelye come to the alter and being foule do drinke clene bloud for when sacramentes be defiled he whose they be is defyled super Math. ca. xxvi They supping Iesus toke bread whan the figuratyue passeouer was fulfilled and he had eaten the fleshe of the lambe with his disciples he toke breade whiche dothe comfort mans harte and he went ouer to the sacrament of the trew passeouer that as in prefiguringe of hym Melchisedech the preist of the highe god did offeringe breade and wyne he dothe also represent the truthe of his owne bodye God forbyd that I speake any wronge thinge of them whiche succedyd the apostolyke degre do with their holy mouthe make the bodye of Christ Ad Litū Cap i. by whom euē we be christians If lay men be commaunded that for prayer they abstayne frome the company of theyr wyues what is to be done of the byshope or preist whiche is dailye aboute to offer cleane sacrifice for his owne synnes and the peoples Let vs rede the bokes of the kinges and we shall fynde that the preist Abimalech wolde not fyrst gyue vnto Dauid and his seruauntes of the shewbreades But that he dyd aske hym whether that his seruantes were clene frō theyr wyues not frō straungers but frō their owne wiues and but that he hard that they abstayned yesterday the daye before frome worke of wedloke he wolde not haue graunted them the breades whiche he had afore denyed So moche is betwene the shewbredes and the body of Christ as is betwene a shadowe a bodye betwyxte an ymage and the truthe betwene exemplaries of thinges to come and those thinges whiche were prefigured by the exemplaries Vpon the fyrst chapter of Tyte Preistes do offer dailye for their synnes and the peoples also pure sacrifices and the preist maketh christes bodye at masse Saynt Barnard sayth as Christ gaue his fleshe for vs so he gaue his fleshe to vs in that mistery to redeme vs in this to fede vs. ¶ Petrus Lumbardus in his .iiii. boke Chap. xii PEtrus Lumbardus sayth in his .iiii. boke and the .xii. chap. After this it is asked whether that that the preist doth maye be sayde properly a sacrifice or immolation and whether Christ be dayly immolate and offered or onely once Whervnto it may be shortly aunswered that whiche is offered and consecrated of the preist is called a sacrifice and oblation because it is a memorye and representation of the true sacrifice and holy immolation done in the aulter of the crosse And Christ was once deade on the crosse and ther was offered in hym selfe but he is dayly immolate or offered in the Sacrament because in the sacrament there is made a memorye of that is once done Whervpon saynt Augusten in his .xxiii. Epistle written vpon the .vi. chap. vnto the Romaynes sayth We are assured that Christe rysing from death dyeth not now c. yet least we shoulde forget that is once done in oure memorye euery yeare is done that is to saye as often as the Pascha is celebrate is Christ as often kylled No onely a yearely remembraunce representeth that was once done and causeth vs to be moued as though we sawe oure LORDE on the crosse Also Christe was once offered in hym selfe and yet is dayly offered in the sacramente whiche is thus to be vnderstande that in the open shewynge of his bodye
thou maiste dailye deserue to take it Dailye holy Iob dyd offer for his children sacrifice lest any thinge either in heart or worde they shold offend Therfore thou hearest that as often soeuer the sacrifyce is offered the death of the lorde the resurrection of the lord the ascention of the lord is signified remission of sinnes and the daily bread of euerlasting lyfe thou doest not take He that hathe a wounde desireth a medison it is a wounde that we be vnder synne The heauenly honorable sacrament is a medison The fyrst sacramentes which were obserued by the law Contra Faustū lib 19. ca 13 were for messyngers of Christe to come whiche when Christe dyd fullfill with his commynge were taken awaye And therefore were they taken awaye because they were fulfilled For Christ came not to breake the law but to fulfill it And there be other institucions greater in vertu better in profyte easyar to be done fewer in nombre as by the Iustice of God shewed into the libertie to them that be called the childern of God If in the olde tyme righteouse men for this foreshowinge sacramentes figures of thinges not yet fulfilled Dani 13 2 Mac 7 were redy to suffer harde horrible thinges as of the thre children whiche in Danyell is manifest and of the Machabes how moche the more now for the baptysme of Christ for the bodye or Eucharist of Christ euery Christian ought to be more redy to suffer all maner of thinges We worshyppe the fote stole of his fete for it is holy What is the fotestole of his fete The earth is the fotestole of his fete Here I am in a doubte I am afrayde to worshippe the earth lest he should condempne me that made heauen and earth Agayne I am afrayde not to worshippe the stoole of my LORDES feete because the Psalme nynetye and eyghte sayinge vnto me Thou shalte worshippe the stole of his fete I aske what is the stole of his fete Beynge thus tossed to and fro I turne me to Christ for hym I seke here and fynde how that without violence of Goddes honor the earth maye be worshypped and so withoute violation of GODDES honoure the stole of his fete may be worshypped For christ toke of the earthe earthe for the fleshe is of the earthe and he toke flesh of the flesh of Mary and because in that fleshe he walked here We eate the same flesh that was borne of the vyrgin Mary and gaue the same fleshe to be eaten of vs for our saluation no man eateth that fleshe except he fyrst haue worshipped it It is so founde oute how souche a fotestole of the Lorde maye be worshipped And not onely that we synne not in worshippinge of it but that we synne in not worshippynge of it And though it be necessary that it be visible celebrate I wolde not that ye toke my wordes so grossely as they which beleuinge me to cutte forth certayne peces of my body and to geue them in meate But I haue commended vnto you a certayne sacrament vnder these wordes my fleshe shal be geuē you vnder sacramentes that it may be eaten not accordinge to this grosnes that ye se but spiritually it must be vnderstande and spiritually vnderstanded it wyll geue life vnto you for visibly must this Sacrament be celebrate but my fleshe shal be vnder the same inuisible and inuisible there beynge present it must be vnderstand Visibiliter celebretur sed inuisibiliter intelligitur And though it be necessary it to be celebrate visible it must nedes be vnderstande inuisible Conciōe .ii. Psal 33 DAuid fled to Achimalech and before him he chaunged his countenaunce Fugit Dauid ad Achimelech eoram to mutauit multū suū 1 reg 21 and lefte hym and went his wayes for there was a sacrifice after the order of Aaron afterwarde he of his body bloud institute a Sacrifice after the order of Melchisedech He chaunged his countenaunce in the preisthod he lefte the people of the Iewes and came to the Gentyles He was borne in his owne handes when he gaue his bodye and his bloude He toke into his own handes that the faithfull knoweth and he dyd beare hym selfe after a manner when he sayde This is my body Eodē psal contione primo The Sacrifice of Aaron is take away and the Sacrifice is begonne after the order of Melchisedech Therfore hathe he chaunged his countenaunce I can not tell how ▪ who is this I can not tell who I knowe who for our Lorde Iesus Christe is knowen in bodye and bloude He woulde be oure health wherfore he hath geuē vs his body bloude of his owne humilite for except he had ben meke he wolde neither haue ben eaten nor drōken Sermo 4. Our daily bread whether we aske exhibition necessarye to the bodye of the father signifienge in bread what soeuer is necessarye to vs or we do vnderstande that daiely bread which we are wōt to receaue of the alter We aske wel that he may geue it vs. For what is that we aske or praye for but that we commyt none euell wherby we be seperate from souche breade and the worde of God that is daiely preached is breade for because that it is breade of the soule For when this lyfe shall passe away Sacramen altaris we do not seke for that breade whiche honger seketh for nor we ought not to take the sacramēt of the alter that we shal be ther with Christe whose bodye we take nor the wordes ought not to be sayde to vs whiche we say vnto you nor the boke is not to be redde that we shal se hym which is Gods worde Serm. 46 by whiche all thinges be made The Lorde Iesus hathe exhorted by promyse of eternal lyfe to eate his fleshe and drinke his bloude as it is manifest in the gospell in these wordes He that eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud Therfore they that now do eat and drink let them think what they eat what they drinke least as the Apostle saith they eate and drinke their owne iudgemente not iudginge the Lordes body They that eat not and drinke not let them make haste to suche dayntyes beinge hidden Christ doth daiely feed his table is that whiche is set in the myddes What cause is it Christus quotidis pascit Oh herears that ye see the table and cōmeth not to the daynties perauenture ye thinke Fideles norunt quo modo caro manducatur Infideles nesciunt how is the Lordes fleshe eaten and his bloude dronken with infideles it is not knowen but the faithful know Come to the profession and thou hast assoyled the question Let the faithefull lyue well that they eate not into iudgement and drinke Thinkinge vpon your degrees and kepinge your profession come to the fleshe of our Lorde vntill the worlde be ended Oure Lorde is aboue but yet for all that the truthe of the
if one dyed for all that they euen whiche lyue nowe lyue not to them selues but to hym that dyed for them and rose agayne Souche affecte and faith therfore shoulde he prepare in his mynde whiche dothe participate of the breade and cup. If there be greate threatenynges put for them in the olde lawe that rashely go to those holy thinges whiche be of men sanctifyed What is to be sayde on hym whiche vnto souche so greate a misterye that is to saye of the body bloude of our Lorde is folyshly rashe For the greater that any thinge is then they in the temple after the Lordes voyce so moche the more greuouse and terrible it is to hym that is constitute in the vnclennes of the soule rashely to touch the body of Christ the Apostle sayinge he that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthely shal be gyltye of the body bloude of our Lorde yea a more vehement and more terrible iudgement expressynge by repeticion Let man proue hym selfe If a man onely beinge constitute in vnclennes haue so terrible iudgement how moche more he whiche when he is in synne presumeth to attayne to our Lordes bodye dothe get to hym selfe iudgement Therfore let vs make cleane our selues frome all filthynes and so let vs come to the holy thinges that we escape the iudgemente of them that put our Lord to death Gycrilius super Ioh. lib. iiii cap. xiii WHen the Capharnytes whiche perceaued the power of godly vertues of our Sauiour by miracle of tokens shoulde gladely receaue his sermon and yf any thinge semyd harde they humblye shoulde haue desyered the solucion of them To ask this questioÌ„ how is a Iues word but they allway do contrary sayinge how can he geue vs his fleshe they cryed together of God with greate wyckednesse nor it came to their myndes that nothinge is impossible with God For when they were carnall as Paule saithe they coulde not vnderstaÌ„d spirituall thinges But let vs I beseche you take a ensample at the synnes of others and puttinge sure faith to mysteryes euer in so high thinges this worde how Let vs eyther thinke or pronounce for this is a Iewes worde and the cause of extreme torment Therfore Nicodemus when he sayde how can this thinge be done he harde worthely Arte thou a master in Israel and knowest not these thinges Therfore we being taught by the faute of other when God worketh let vs not aske how But let vs graunte to hym onely the waye of knoweleage of his owne worke For as thoughe none knew what god is after nature yet by faith he iustified when he beleueth hym to geue rewardes to them that seke hym So though he knew not the maner of his workes when yet by fayth he doubteth not hym to be able to do all thinges he getteth rewardes of this goodnes not to be contempned For our Lorde by Esaye represseth vs sayinge My counsayles be not as yours nor my wayes as yours As the heauens be exalted from the earth so be my wayes exalted from youre wayes and my thoughtes from your thoughtes Be not they worthy greate tormentes which do so contempne God the maker of all thinges that they dare in his workes saye howe whom Scripture hath taught that he is able to do all thinges O thou Iewe howe cryest thou also now this is folishnesse I also gladly folowyng wyll aske the how dyddest thou go out of Egypt How was Moses rodde turned into a serpent How dydde waters goo into the nature of bloude Howe dyd oure fathers escape through the myddes of the seas as by dry lande Howe dydde welles of water fly out of a stone Howe stode Iordane How by onely crye dyd stronge Hierico fall There be innumerable thinges Quomodo euertiâ— totam dei scripturaÌ„ eius opera deâ— struit in the whiche yf they aske howe thou must nedes turne all scripture wherfore it dyd rather behoue you to beleue Christ and yf any harde thinge be sene vnto you to aske of hym mekely then lyke dronkards to crye out how can he geue vs his fleshe In the same boke Cap. xiiii It behoueth fyrst to stablysh the rootes of fayth in thy mynde and then to enquire these thinges that be for man to be enquired for to teacheth Esayas Except ye beleue ye shall not vnderstand But they afore they dyd beleue dyd importunately aske and for that cause our Lorde howe it myghte be done dyd not disclose But vnto his disciples beleuinge he gaue the fragmentes of breade sayinge Take and eate this is my bodye and of the cuppe Drinke ye of this all this is the cup of my bloude Thou doest perceaue that vnto them enquyringe withoute fayth he dyd not shewe the maner of the mistery Christus misterium exposuâ—t credentibus non infidelibus But to them that beleued and not askinge howe he dydde expounde Lette them here this whiche wyll not yet by reason of pryde receaue Christes fayth Excepte ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shall not haue lyfe in you For thei cannot with sanctifienge of a blessed lyfe be parteners of fayth whiche by mysticall blessynge hathe not receaued Iesu Christe For he is lyfe after nature whiche is gotten afore of maÌ„ But no lesse doth his bodye quicken For it is ioyned vnspeakeably to the sonne of GOD of whome all thinges be quickened Therefore it is called his bodye and is one with him For after the incarnation it is one and abydeth one without deuision at all But onelye that the worde of the father The word of the father and the teÌ„ple taken of the virgin be not in natur one thiÌ„g and the temple taken of the vyrgin be not in nature one thynge For man taken is not of the same substaunce with the worde of GOD yet one with it in a communication ineffable Howe than the flesshe of oure Sauioure to the worde of God whiche is naturallye lyfe beinge ioyned is made lyuely when we eate it then haue we lyfe Not onely to the worde alway but also touchinge often tymes Our Lord Iesus dyd rayse deade men as we reade Luke .vii. that he myghte shewe his bodye also to be able to geue lyfe that if by his onely touchinge corrupt thinges were made hoole agayne how shal not we liue whiche both taste and eate that fleshe for he wyll alwaye reforme to his immortalitie the parteners of hym Desyre not thou Iewe to ask how Nor desyre not thou Iew to aske howe but remember though water be naturally colde yet by the comminge to of fyre forgettynge his coldenes it doth scalde This same way also we thoughe our nature be corruptible yet by partakinge of lyfe beinge called from our wyckednes to the proper tye of it we be fashyoned agayne to lyfe He that eateth Christes fleshe hath lyfe euerlastynge For the fleshe hath the worde of God that is lyfe eternall naturallye Therefore he sayth I wyll rayse hym
whether the body of a perfight man maye be vnder so litle a broken peace of breade And many such other folysh questions which behoueth with sobernesse to be entretyd of amongest suche persons as haue theyr wyttes exercysed in disputynge reasonyng vpon souche high matters But as vnto the laye people it dothe suffise that they do beleue that after the wordes of consecration be once by the minister spoken ouer the creatures of bread and wyne that ther is incontinent the very body bloud of our sauiour christ which nether can be deuided nor yet receaue any hurt nor is not mete to receue any maner of iniury whatsoeuer chauÌ„ces do become of the outward formes of bread and wyne For if the sacred body of our lorde should be throwne into the myre or into any vyle gonge or any otherwise vnto any irreuerent parsonnes thinkinge should be iniured or soylde in dede the mooste iniury that can be done vnto it is whan it is receued into the mouth of a wicked synfull parson whiche is sore soyled spotted with greuouse and odible sinne Now surely it is therfore sittinge for our christian religion to entreat and order the outwarde formes of breade and wyne of the holy sacrament with all due reuerence But as concerning the very body of our Sauiour it self lyke as God after his nature is no lesse glorious in a vyle synke than he is in heauen and canne by no malyce of man or chaunce by man or otherwyse happeninge receaue any hurt or iniurye no more can the glorified body of our sauiour Christe what iniurye soeuer be doone vnto the outewarde tokens of breade and wyne And to be breife agaynste all doubtes and seruples of mannes weake knowledge Lette vs fyrst call to oure myndes the immesurable power of God vnto whome nothinge is impossible yea vnto whoÌ„ ther is nothing but it is light to be done so it be his pleasure that it should so be whiche saide Take eate This is my bodye And in a nother place of the same Epistle he saithe At the masse tyme the Angelicall sprites do with moste humble reuerence staÌ„de a boute the Alter ther to do there worshippe and lowly reuerence he also is there present whome all the heauenly hoostes of blessed sprites do desire to behold and loke vpoÌ„ And a litle after Let all preistes therefore consider the highnes of their profession whan they do staÌ„d at the aulter they haue aungels to minister vnto them These be the wordes of the famous clerke Erasmus Rothorodame whereby all Christian people maye knowe what was his opinion in the Sacrament not disagreing from the olde fathers here before written ¶ Thomas Cramner in his Cathechisme in the .cc.xxxv. lefe of the fyrst syde CHrist sayth of the breade this is my bodye and of the cuppe this is my bloude Wherefore we ought to beleue that in the sacrament we receaue truely the bodye and bloud of Christ For God is almighty and he is able therfore to do all thinges what he wyl Wherfore when Christ taketh bread and saith Take eate this is my body we oughte not to doubte but we eate his very body And whan he taketh the cuppe and saith Take drinke this is my bloude we ought to thinke assuredly that we drinke his very blode And this we muste beleue yf we will be counted christiâ—n men And where as in this pâ—â—illous tyme certayne dysceytfull persons be founde in many places who of very frowardnes will not graunte that there is the body and bloude of Christe but deny the same for none other cause but that they can not compasse by mannes blynde reasone howe this thinge shoulde be brought to passe ye good children shall with all diligence beware of suche persons that ye suffer not youre selues to be deceaued by them For suche men surely are not true Christians neyther as yet haue they learned the firste Article of the Crede whiche teacheth that God is almyghtye whiche ye good children haue already perfectlye learned wherfore eschew suche erronious opinions and beleue the wordes of oure Lorde Iesus that you eate and drinke his verye boâ—â—e and bloude in the Sacrament aâ—thoughe mannes reason cannot comprehende howe and after what maner the same is there present Wherfore doubte not good chyldren but there is the bodye and bloude of our Lorde whiche we receaue in the lordes supper For he hath sayde so and by the power of his worde hath caused it so to be Wherefore seynge Christ sayth do this as often as ye do it in remembraunce of me it is euident thereby that Christe causeth euen at this tyme his bodye and bloude to be in the Sacrament after the maner and fasshion as it was at that tyme when he made his mauÌ„dye with his disciples For else we coulde not do it in the remembraunce of hym that is to saye to receaue his bodye and bloud euen so as he hym selfe dydde geue it to hâ—s disciples And let not the folysshe talke of vnbeleuers moue you who are wonte to aske this question How can the preiste or minister make the bodye and bloude of Christ To this I answere that the mynister dothe not this of hym selfe But Christ hym selfe dothe gyue vnto vs his fleshe and bloude as his wordes dothe euideÌ„tly declare In the .cc.xxxiiii. And this is the meanynge and playne vnderstandyng of the wordes of the Lordes supper Wherfor learne them diligently I praye you that when ye be asked what is the coÌ„munio or the Lordes supper ye maye answer it is the true bodye true bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ hymselfe to be eaten and dronken of vs Christen people vnder the forme of breaâ—e and wyne ¶ In the fyrste booke of common prayer set forth by kynge Edwarde the syxt fol. c.xvi HEre vs O mercifull father we beseche the and with thy holy sprite and worde vouchsafe to blesse and sanctifye these thy gyftes of breade and wyne that they maye be vnto vs the bodye and bloude of thy moste dearly belouyd sonne Iesus Christ And in the .cxxi. lefe And ye muste not thinke lesse to be receaued in parte then in the hoole But in euery of them the hole bodye of our sauiour Iesu Christ ¶ Of prayinge for the deade BE liberal vnto al men liuinge yet let not to do good euen vnto them that are dead Ecclesiasticus .vii. Set thy bread and wyne vpon the burieng of the iust and eate and drinke not therof with synners Tob. iiii So he gathered of euery one a certayn insomuch that he brought together two M. Dragmes of siluer whiche he sente vnto Ierusalem that there might a sacrifice be offered for the misdeede In the whiche place he dyd wel and right for he had some consideration and ponderinge of the lyfe that is alter this tyme. For if he hadde not thoughte that they whiche were slayne dyd yet lyue it had ben superfluouse and vayn to make any vowe or sacrifice for them