receyued as wel as though the substaūce of breade or wyne were there Idē Thomas in .4.5 6 7. articulis Yea also the consecrate hoost maye be broken it maye be burnte it maye be moulded as the verye breade maye And yet is not there the substaunce of bread nether is the fraccion the mouldnes nother the burnynge executed or done in the body of Christe for that is impassyble can suffer no suche passyons But it is onely the properties of breade that is broken moulded or burnt These myraculus secretes secreat myracles be as I haue sayd deprehēded only by fayth not onlye bycause they surmounte and excede the altitude and compasse of mannes wytte and reason as the other visible myracles do But also they are directlye contrarye vnto our sensible experiens Wherfore they brynge no small doubte vnto vs and specially vnto all suche that leaneth more vnto theyr naturall experiens then they do vnto the infallible verite of goddes word which affirmeth nothynge to be impossible with God Namely Luce. 1. whē they presume to be curious serchers of the archane secret workes of goddes singuler power with the blynde lanterne and lyght of naturall reason and calleth impotent and blynde nature to coūsel in the peculiar workes of God appropriated onely to hys diuine power and excedyngly passynge the prospecte and power both of nature and mannes naturall wyttes For what can only nature shewe or barren reason of man see or vnderstande in that thynge that is out of the lymyttes and order of all nature surmountynge incomperably all wytte and reason of man Saue onely of a doubte to collecte an errour and out af an errour to fall into an heresye blasphemous For the presumpcion of the carnall mā that preaseth and contendeth by naturall reason to compryse the inuestigable and incomprehensible wysedome of god in hys myraculus workes he wrappyth and intricateth hym selfe in more error then other For the more that he by reason ransacketh and sercheth for reason in those thinges that passeth reason the lesse reason he fyndeth into the further doubte he falleth and asketh with the murmeryng Caphernaites Howe Vnto the whych question for as muche as nature can make no answere reason can not perceiue neither vnderstāde suche as are voyde of fayth as our Iewyshe and grosse sacramentaries haue well declared them selfe of late answereth and concludeth openly suche thynges to be impossible therfore vnworthy to be beleued But yf that such slender faythed christians wold in such inscrutable questiōs leue fleshly iugemēt vnto the carnall Caphernaites for the fleshe Ioh. 6. here in as Christ sayth auaileth nothynge and wolde counsel wyth the spirite of God whyche gyueth the lyuely and playne vnderstandynge of all verytie wythout doubte they shulde be induced thorow out fayth into the clere and syncere verite of these myraculous workes in thys moost sacrate sacramēt that according to the holy scriptures the whych in mooste manyfest playne sentence approueth not onely the verite of the reall presence of the bodye and bloode of Christe in the sacramēt of the aulter as it shal be largely declared in the next sermon but also wyth a great number of myracles the monumentes of the power of God declareth and setteth forth moste sufficiently vnto a dilygent and a faythfull reader the possibilite of all suche wonderfull myracles that the Churche catholyke beleueth and teacheth to be wrought in this holy sacrament as I shall breuelye make manyfest declaration in thys sermon And fyrste as concernynge the transubstanciation Cipriande cena domini Panis iste quē dn̄s discipulis porrigebat nō effigie sed natura mutatus oīpotentia vervi factus est raro wherein the myghtye worde of God doth of breade make the very substaunce of the bodye of Christe as euery true christian is wholy persuaded and beleueth For al suche beleueth it to be lytell dyfficultie vnto almyghtye God vnto whome ther is nothyng impossible to create to brynge to nought to make to destroye to continue to mayntayne to alter to chaunge howe and when and what he lyst Wherfore they beleue that it is not onely possible but very facile and easye vnto God omnipotent of bread to make hys very bodye 〈◊〉 of wyne to make hys very blood The whych thynge maye apere very apertlye by the workes of nature who by her natyue power altereth breade by masticatiōs decoction Saynt Ambrose also in the 5. boke of his exameron the .23 chapiter and digestions into bloode and consequently into fleshe muche more able is almyghtye God which gaue thys power vnto nature by the infinite myghte of hys power of breade to make hys very bodye and that wythout intermeane alterations The wonderfull chaūge of the Phenix of whome when she is deade there succedeth another in thys maner Afterter that she hath made her neest of Gen. xix Myrre Franke insense wyth o-Ex iiii ther swete spices she therin dy-Exo vii eth and of the moystnes of her fleshe there commeth a worme that whych in cōtinuāce groweth vnto the nature of a very Phenyx as mastication and digestion the whych nature muste nedes haue ear she can alter conuert one substaunce into an other And like as nature doth with her powers chaunge the substaunce of bread and wyne vnto blood and fleshe wyth muche more facilitie dothe God by the power of hys myghtye worde of bread by trāsubstanciation maketh hys uery naturall fleshe of wyne hys uery and natural blood Thys is made very credyble yf we remember wyth what facilitie God almyghtye altered and chaūged the fleshe of Lothis wyfe into the nature of salte there of fleshe made a salte stone Yf we also consyder how wonderfully the rodde of Aaron was chaunged into a very serpent and agayne that serpente into the naturall rod. Howe meruelously the waters of Egypte were turned into very blood the water in Cana of Galile turned into very wyne And thoughe al thynges be of equall facilite vnto God yet the thinges in them selfe consydered one is of more facilitie then thother Bycause that ther is more or lesse dystans betwyxte theyr natures therfore requyre they the more or lesse alteration Wherfore sythe that we beleue that God did chaūge fleshe into salte and woode into a serpence we shall a great deale the rather beleue that he can of breade make hys fleshe for there is lesse distance betwene the nature of breade and fleshe then betwene the natures of fleshe and salte or of fleshe and woode For nature can not alter fleshe into salte or woode into fleshe wythout almoste innumerable meane alterations yet with very fewe she altereth breade into the nature of fleshe Wherfore then shuld it not seme credible and possible that the myghtye worde of God maketh by transubstanciation of breade hys body of wyne hys verye bloode sythe he worketh so wonderfully in nature by many meane alterations and hathe
tedyous to the reader in recytynge onelye theyr names Ireneus ✿ Ireneus in hys fyrst boke that he wryteth agaynst heresies sayeth When the chalice wyth water wyne myngled and the breade broken receaueth the worde of God it is made the blessed sacrament of the bodye blood of Christe Of the whych the substance of our fleshe encreaseth and consisteth Howe can they then denye that the fleshe is partaker of the gyfte of God which is euerlastinge lyfe syth that it is noryshed wyth the blood and body of Christ and is made the member of the same as the apostle sayth in the epistle vnto the Ephesians For we be members of hys body and of hys fleshe and bones Not speakynge these thinges of the spiritu all and inuisible man For the spirite hath neather fleshe neather bones but speakynge of the connection and disposition of the naturall bodye the whiche consysteth of fleshe bones the whiche naturall disposition of the body is fedde and encreased with the cuppe whiche is his blood and with the bread whych is his body ✿ There can be no playned wordes spoken for the veritie of the reall presens of Christe in the blessed sacrament ✿ Ignatius Ignatius In episto ad Roma that glorious martir the disciple of saynt IohnÌ„ Euangelist and the thyrd byshop of Antioche after saynt Peter In episto ad Ephe. in hys epistle that he wryteth vnto the Romaynes hath these moste deuoute wordes I wyll not eate sayth he corruptible meate I desyre not the voluptuousnes of thys worlde But I desyre the breade of God the breade celestiall the bread of lyfe whiche is the fleshe of Iesu Christ the sonne of the lyuyng God the which was borne of the seede of Dauid and Abraham in the latter tyme I desyre the drynke which is his blood Therfore he exhorteth the EphesiaÌ„s in thys wyse Make you hast sayeth he to approche oft tyme vnto the sacrament of the Aulter the glorye of God For when that is ofte frequented then are the powers of sathan expelled And in the ende of the same epistle Breakynge the breade the which is the medicine of immortalitie the tryacle not of dyenge but of the lyuynge in god by Iesu Christ These are wordes plain ynough to perceaue what beleue he had of the blessed sacrament ✿ Tertullian in hys boke intituled de Resurrectione carnis wryteth in thys maner Tertullianus Nowe let vs see and beholde the forme and bewtie of a christeÌ„ man what and how great prerogatiue hath this our frayle and fylthye fleshe wyth God Although that thys were dignitie ynoughe there can no soule at all attayne helth or saluation excepte that whyles that it is in fleshe it beleue or receaue the fayth The fleshe is so necessarye thynge of our saluation When the soule of the fleshe is knyt to God it is the fleshe that maketh that the soule maye be so knytte For the fleshe is washed that the soule maye be purifyed The fleshe is anoynted that the soule myght be consecrated The fleshe is signed that the soule might be strengthed The fleshe is shadowed with laing on of handes that the soule myght be illumined with the holy goost The fleshe eareth the bodye and bloode of Christ that the soule myght be fedde with god ✿ Here we may ryght wel perceaue the belefe of Tertullian of thys sacrament whych confesseth opeÌ„ly here that the fleshe doth eate the bodye and blood of Christe and not the fygure of the bodye and bloode And bycause that saint Cyprian was so diligeÌ„t a reader of TertuliaÌ„ I shall place hym Ciprianê° lib 2. epistola 3. next vnto Tertullian ✿ That blessed martyr saint Ciprian wrytyng vnto Cecilium in hys seconde boke the thyrde epystle sayeth That the blessyng of AbrahaÌ„ by Melchisedech the preest might by dewly celebrated the fygure of the sacrifice went before in breade and wyne The which thynge our lorde accomplyshynge and fulfyllynge offered breade the cuppe myxt with wyne and he that was the fulnes hath fulfylled the fygure prefygured Behold there went afore in Melchesedech the fygure of the sacryfice of breade and wyne but Christe whych is the plenitude it selfe fulfylled the veritie of the fygure prefigured namelye in the supper And after he sayth also De cena domini vpoÌ„ the lordes supper ✿ Our lord Christ whose bodye we do touche is breade That thys breade myght be gyuen vnto vs we praye daylye lest we that are in christe and receaue the sacrament of the aulter dayly as the meat of our saluation by meane of any great offence abstaynynge beynge forbydden from the hauenly breade we shulde be separated in dede from the body of Christe he preachynge and mouyshynge vs. I am the breade of lyfe that cam froÌ„ heauen yf any eate of thys bread the same shal lyue euer The breade that I wyl gyue it is my fleshe for the lyfe of the world Therfore when he sayeth that he shall lyue for euer yf he eate of hys breade it is manyfest and playne that they shall lyue whyche toucheth hys bodye and receaueth the sacrameÌ„t of the Aulter after the maner of coÌ„munion Origenes comes â—elsum ✿ Origene wytnesseth wrytynge against Celsus saith Let Celsus ignoraunt of God gyue thaÌ„kes vnto beuels But we thaÌ„ke the creator of al thinges for the benefites that he hath gyuen to vs. When we geuynge thankes do eate the breade the which bread by oration supplication and prayers is made a more holyer bodye the whyche body also verely maketh vs more holy the receaueth the same with a whole pure herte Origenes suê‘ Numeros vt supra ✿ And in the seuenth homilie vpon the boke of Numbres he more playnly wryteth and sayeth Those thynges which before tyme were done in figure nowe are they accomplyshed in the veritie and in dede Before baptisme was in the see and in the cloude but now the generation is in very dede in water and in the holy goost Then was Manna the meate as in the fygure but nowe the fleshe of the worde of God is in dede is very meate as he hym selfe sayeth My fleshe is very meate and my blood is very drinke By these his wordes we may perceaue that the Iewes had the fygure but we christiaÌ„s haue now the thynge it selfe that is the very bodye and blood in very dede ✿ IuueÌ„cus also in hys verses sayeth As sone as he had spoken Inuencus in carminibus he wyth hys owne handes brake the bread and geuynge thankes he taught and tolde his disciples that he gaue his owne proper bodye And then he toke the cuppe replete wyth wyne he sanctifyed it geuynge thankes and gaue it and taught them also that he had deuided vnto them hys precious bloode and sayd Thys bloode shall remytte the synne of the people Drynke it and beleue nowe these trewe and vnfayned wordes ✿ Hyllary whome saynt Ierome calleth the trompe of the latyn tonge
where nature is workyng Euen so thys voice Thys is my bodye was ones spoken yet at al tables or aulters of the churche of Christ vnto thys daye and shal vnto Christes commynge geue vnto thys sacrifice strength ✿ These wordes of Crisostome are to playne to be detorted or wreasted froÌ„ theyr true meaniÌ„g which is that when the wordes of Christe are duelye spoken by the preest at masse theÌ„ are the breade and wyne consecrated made the very bodye blood of Christe by the secret myght power of god so is Christes body blood really in the sacrament ✿ Saynt Augustine Augustinê° ad CresconicuÌ„ gramancum thought that he hath innumerable playne euident testimonies for this veritie yet amonge many I wyll recyte one or two Fyrst he sayth in his fyrst boke ad cresconicuÌ„ gramaticuÌ„ what shall we saye of the very bodye bloode of our lorde the onely sacrifice for oure helth For though that he hym selfe sayth Except that a man eate my fleshe drynke my bloode he shall haue no lyfe in him Yet dothe not the apostle Paule also teach that the same is pernitious and dedly vnto suche as misuseth it For the apostle Paule sayth Whosoeuer eateth the breade and drynketh of that cuppe of our lorde vnworthely he shal be gyltye of the bodye and bloode of our Lorde Agayne saynt Augustine ad Iulianum comiteÌ„ wryteth these wordes The mercye of our lord Iesu Christe delyuer vs from these thynges And he graunte or gyue vnto vs him selfe to be eateÌ„ which sayde I am the lyuely breade whych came from heauen And he that eatythe my fleshe and drynketh my blood hath eternall lyfe in him selfe But let euerye man examyne hym selfe accordyng vnto the precept of the apostle before that he receaue the bodye and bloode of our lorde Iesus Christe so let hym eate of that bread drinke of the cuppe For he that eatith the body blood of our lord vnworthelye he eateth and drynketh it vnto his owne iudgement makynge no differens of the bodye of our lorde For when we shall receaue hym we ought to haue recourse vnto confession and penans and to dyscusse curiously all oure actes and yf we perceaue mortall synnes in vs we ought speadely to make haste to washe them a waye by coÌ„fession and penans lest we lyke Iudas that traytor hyding the deuyll with in vs do perishe ✿ These are the wordê of S. Augustyne The which shewith verye playnely Cyrillus in IoheÌ„z what beleue he had as coÌ„cernyng the blessed sacrameÌ„t ✿ Cyrill the patriarche of Alexandria vpoÌ„ the syxt of IohnÌ„ wryteth very playnly for this veritie Whose wordê are these They can not be ê‘takers in holynes of the lyfe etÌ„nal which hath not receyued Iesus by the mistical benediction And againe he sayth Christ is not with his worde onely but also with his touching he araiseth vp the deade that he myght shew declare that his body coulde also rayse vp the deade Yf then by onely towchynge the corrupte are restored the dead araysed How shuld not we lyue or receaue lyfe which doth taste eate his fleshe For playnly he wyll reforme vnto hys immortalytie suche as be the ê‘takers of hym and after a few wordes he sayth For it must nedes come to passe that not onely the soule of man by the holy goost shuld assend vnto blessed lyfe but also that this rude terrenal body by lyke tast touchiÌ„g of lyke meate as it is it self sholde be brought vnto immortalytie Damascene in hys .iiii. boke of the catholike fayth in the .xiiii. Damascenus lib. 4. cap. 14. chapter sayth these wordes As coÌ„cernyng the veritye of the body bloode of Christe in the sacrament That body verely is ioyned vnto the diuinitie the which body he toke of the immaculate virgine And not that the body assumpted shold come downe from heauen But that the breade and wyne are traÌ„smuted and changed into the body blod of god Thou wylt aske the maner howe that maye be let it suffyce the to heare how that by the holy ghoste in a mooste Godlye vyrgyne he by hym selfe and in hym selfe receaued fleshe and wee can saye no more but that the worde of God is trew effectuous and omnipotent but the maner howe it is That is intractable or vnsearcheable Neyther can thys be redely tolde how breade by eatyng and wyne and water by drinking are chauÌ„ged naturally into the natural body of the eater and drynker and not into a nother body but into the very same bodye that the eater or drynker had before Euen so the purposed breade wyne and water by inuocation and commyng of the holy goost are chaunged supernaturally into the body and blood of Christ and there are not two bodyes but onely one and the very same IoheÌ„s Cassianê° collatione â—2 capi 12 ✿ IohnÌ„ Casiane hath these wordes in the .xxii. collation the .xii. chapiter Wyth so greate dilygens of humylytie we ought to kepe our hart that we kepe al waie this one thing stable coÌ„stantly in oure remembrans That we cannot attayne to so greate puritie and cleanes al though that by the great gyft of God we do al these thynges that I haue spoken of before Yet let vs Iudge our selues moche vnworthy to coÌ„municate or receaue that holye sacrate bodye For fyrst the maiestye of that heueÌ„ly Manna is so great that no man compassed abought with this claye and fleshe can worthely and condyngly receaue that meat but onely of the mere and benefycyall gyft of Godes grace Here in these wordes Cassian confesseth the maiestie of the celestiall Manna and the veryte of the bodye of Christe whome no man can receyue worthely Athanasi ad primaÌ„ Pauli ad Corin. but onely he that thynketh hym selfe vnworthy ✿ Athanasius vpoÌ„ the fyrst epistle vnto the Corinthians confyrmeth the veritye of the reall presens of Christes bodie and bloode in the sacrament For we sayth he hauyng that cuppe in our handes we geue thankes without doubte vnto hym that shed his bloode for vs and haue uoutchsaf to indew vs wyth ineffable gyftes He sayd not onelye that it is the partakyng but rather the communion bycause he wolde expresse some greater thyng That is the wonderful very nye coniuÌ„ction And this is the sence of that whych he spake Thys same blood whyche is contayned in the cuppe is the same that floued oute of the syde of Christ and when we receaue it we do partake it that is to say we be coÌ„nexed and knyt vnto Christ And the breade that we breake is it not the communion of the bodye of Christe That bodye whych our lorde dyd not suffer to be broken vpon the crosse for there was no bone broken of him that same for oure sake he suffereth nowe to be brokeÌ„ Athanasius in these wordes manyfestly sheweth that the blessed sacrameÌ„t brokeÌ„ for vs is the same bodye that honge on the crosse had
praysed so hyghly before but men and lyears and suche as were blynded and had not the spirite of God therfore saye they they are not worthye of credite in all thynges We wyl haue no mennes auctoritie but onely the scriptures Yet these wycked wretches they can be content to take Luther Ecolampadius Coralstadius and Melanthon and Buzere wyth all the rabylment of suche deuylyshe lyars and leude lyuers the whyche hath no more of a christian maÌ„ saue onely the name to be theyr auctours and that of no lesse auctoritie theÌ„ the scriptures These I saye whose learnynge lyffes are as much vnlyke vnto the fathers as were the lyffes of Socrates Sardanapalus or the lyfe of Diogenes and the lyfe of Epicure Here shall you heare some of the auctorities that they haue torne out by peace meale froÌ„ the monumentes and wrytynges of the auncient and mooste catholyke doctours Augusti contra AdamantuÌ„ Fyrste of saynt Augustyne contra Adamantum Manicheum the .xii. chapiter Oure Lorde doughted not sayth he to saye Thys is my bodye when he gaue vnto them the signe of hys bodye Saynt Augustyne calleth the sacrameÌ„t a signe Thys is theyr reason ergo it is but onelye a signe and not the bodye of Christe Euen so myght I argue for Nestorius and saye Christe is called in the scriptures the sonne of man ergo he is onely the sonne of man and not the sonne of God Where you shall vnderstande that saynct Augustyne dysputeth in thys place agaynst one of the Manichees secte whych sayd that the bloode in man was the soule of man bycause that he dyd read in the .xii. chapiter of Exodus that they shoulde not eate any bloode for the bloode sayeth the letter is the lyfe or soule of the fleshe To thys saynt Augustyne sayeth that thys precepte oughte to be vnderstanded that the bloode was the token or sygne of the lyfe or soule For our lorde sayth he doubted not to saye Thys is my bodye when he gaue the token of hys hodye Now let Fryth answere me vnto thys Hathe not the bloode of a best lyfe in it thoughe it be the token of lyfe He muste nedes saye yea Euen so the sacrament is a token of Christes bodye and yet neuerthelesse it contayneth the same very body ✿ Also saynt Ierome vpon .xxvi. Ieronimê° super Matheum chapter of saynt Mathew sayth After that the fyguratyue Passeouer was coÌ„plete and fullfylled and he had eaten the fleshe of the lambe wyth hys apposteles he taketh the breade that comforteth the harte of man and passeth ouer towarde the sacrament of the verye trew Passeouer and lyke as Melchy sedech dyd the preest of the hyest in the fygure here of offerynge breade and wyne he in lyke sorte dothe represent the verite of hys bodye and blood All theyr game lyeth in thys word He representyth Yf he do represent saye they the verytie of hys bodye then the very body is not there This argumeÌ„t is of no force neather streÌ„gth For though that by the sacrament is represented the bodye of Christe yet neuerthelesse the same verye bodye is there also present whych is represeÌ„ted But I wold fayne learne of them why saint Ierome calleth thys the verye sacrament or the sacrament of the veryte Was not the paschall lame a verye sacrament of the Passiouer yeas treuly But this he calleth the verye sacrament by cause that bysydes that it doth sygnyfye the bodye and bloode of Christe it contayneth also no lesse Or whye dothe saynt Ierome saye The verytie of Christes bodye and bloode Dyd not the paschall lambe represent the same bodye and bloode Yes trewly But saynt Ierome here in sygnified the dyfference bytwyxte Moyses lambe and Christes mandye By cause the one was but a bare fygure and nothyng els but a fygure and the other though it were also a fygure yet it contayned the veryte of the thynge that is sygnified by that fygure ✿ Therefore saynt Ierom sayde the Christe represented the veryte of his bodye and bloode You wyll aske me how that the bodye of Christe can represent it selfe or be a signe or figure of it selfe To this I answere that the bodye of Christe vnder the two formes of breade and wyne representeth vnto vs nowe the same bodye as it honge vpon the crosse when the blood was dyuyded frome it for the remyssion of synnes Ambrosiê° âœ¿ S. Ambrose also they allege in hys boke of the sacramentes Where he sayeth in thys wyse He that dyscordyth frome Christe that same eateth not hys fleshe neather drynketh he hys bloode all though that he taketh the sacrament of so worthye a thinge vnto the iugement of hys perdition Also Prosper hath the same wordes in hys boke of sentences Prosper Saynt Augustyne in hys boke intytuled de Ciuitate dei Augustinê° de ciuitate dei lib .xxi. capi xv He that remayneth not in me and in whom I remayne not let not the same say eather thinke that he eateth my bodye For they remayne not in Christe that be not his meÌ„bres ✿ These fathers in the same places where we fynde these wordes thoughe that they saye that the vnworthye receyuers do not receyue the bodye and blood of Christe Yet they saye not that it is not the bodye and blood of Christe But certaynlye they haue playnlye expressed what they mente by these theyr sayenges For as we maye ryghte well collect of them there are thre maner of receyuynges of the blessed sacrament The fyrst is onely sacramentally this terme saynt Augustine vseth The seconde is onely spiritually The thyrde is both spiritually and sacramentally The onely sacramentall receyuynge is when we vnworthelye do receyue the blessed sacrament And by thys receyuynge we are neather incorporated vnto Christe spiritually partakynge the merytes of Christes blessed passion neather incorporated vnto hys naturall bodye as the worthye receauers are but we eate it to the greate dampnation of our soules By the onelye spirituall receauynge whych is by fayth as in hearynge godlye and deuoutlye the masse or els hauynge a godlye and a deuoute memorie of Christes death we are partakers of Christes merytes passion made the membres of hys spirituall or mysticall bodye yet are we not by thys maner of eatynge incorporated vnto the naturall bodye of Christe as we are by the worthye receyuyng of the sacrameÌ„t The thyrde maner of receauyng of this blessed sacrament whych is when we worthely do receaue it doth incorporat vs vnto Christes naturall bodye maketh vs the membres of hys moost blessed bodye of hys fleshe and of hys bones and worketh in vs eternall lyfe of bodye and soule For thys is the propertie of that fleshe and bloode worthelye receyued to worke euerlastynge lyfe as Christ sayeth He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloode hath euerlastynge lyfe Nowe for as muche as in all suche as are diuided from Christe by heresye or froÌ„ god by mortall synne the blessed sacrameÌ„t receiued worketh not in them
that same blessed babe was borne of hys immaculate mother Marye into thys worlde not vnloosinge the virgineal gyrdel or clausure of her pure maidenhed Secondlye howe soone and sodenlye was the shyppe at the shoore when the disciples Ioh. 6. wold haue receiued christ walkynge on the sea as saint IohnÌ„ reporteth in hys syxte chapiter there we maye perceaue howe spedye and myraculous mocyon the shyppe and also the bodye of Christe hadde yet beynge passible and mortall Howe maye we doubte then Mathei Marci â—ltimo that thys bodye maye be here sodenlye wythout any meane passage or corporally penetratyng the cloudes or other meane places sythe that also the same bodye slayne Angelus auÌ„t dnÌ„i descendit de celo accedens reuoluit lapideÌ„ and deade dyd aryse the thyrde day from deathe and passed out from the graue of stone couered sealed and watched wyth soldyers and that not breaking the stone neyther vnsealyng neyther vncouering the graue For we may not thynke that the angell that descended froÌ„ heaueÌ„ rolled the stone dyd let out Christe For certainly he was myraculusly rysen ear the angel apered And the same day the same bodye entred in amonge the dysciples where all the dores were shutte Why shulde we thinke it vnbeleueable or impossible then Ioh. 20. that the same glorifyed bodye shoulde so sodeynlye be reallye and verallye present in the holy sacrament sythe that we rede and beleue by the holye scripture these myraculous mocions of the verye same bodye Furthermore the faythfull and catholyke cristiane oughte to retayne as an artycle catholyke as an ineffallible veritie as the church of Christe teacheth that in thys mooste holye blessed sacramente are the naturall quantitie qualities and the other accydentary properties of bread subsystant or alone by theÌ„ selues myraculouslye wythout any staye or ayde of the substauÌ„ce of breade where in they were before the consecration For that substaunce is not there as we haue sayde neyther any other substance is there where in these accydentall propertes shulde be saue only the substauÌ„ce of the body of Christ the whyche bodye is not subiect vnto them but they are subsistente wyth out the staye of any substance by the myght and omnipotent power of God Not wythstandynge that the faythfull are fully perswaded in this verite wyth constant fayth ledeth captyue all theyr senses vnto the seruice of Christ in this myracle sayth wyth Dauid agaynst all reason made to the contrarye All thynges what euer he wold God hath wrought Psal 134 bothe in heauen and in erthe Yet for lake of fayth and trewe beleue of this one article many of weak fayth do oft staggar And many of late dayes are prostrate fallen flat downe whiche is to be lamented in to detestable duÌ„geon of herises for whiles they grossely stycke vnto the principles of nature consyderynge that nature hathe gyuen vnto bread and fleshe and vnto euerye substaunce his dystincte and peculyar quaÌ„tite qualytes as color fygure tast wyth other accydentall properties and where euer are founde all such naturall properties together is naturally found the substaunce whose properties these are suche grosse reasonars finding also in thys blessed sacrament al the ê“perties of bread as coler quantite figure taste wyth all other on the other syde fyndynge in the sacrament no maner of propertie of fleshe they collecte and coÌ„clude that there is only the substauÌ„ce of bread not the bodye of Christ of the whyche number Frythe was one as it aperethe in hys boke This is the chefe and only cause of theyr errour But vnto thys argumente and vnto al suche carnall and blasphemous dyscussers and dysputers of the myraculous workes of God I shall make answere in the ende of my thyrde sermon And though that thys artycle semeth and is impossible and incredible by nature yet shall I shewe it very credible and possible vnto the power of God and that by these examples whyche al readye are credyble It is as an vnnatural a thinge that the Sonne whose chiefe moost natural propertie is to gyue lyghte beynge created for that purpose shulde at the myddaye hauynge no interposition or lette gyue no maner of lyghte but rather horrible and palpable darkenes Yet the scripture teacheth that when God plaged Egypte the space of thre dayes the Sonne and the Moone gaue no lyght vnto the Egyptians but there remayned Huge and horrible darkenes for by the myghtye power of God the propertye of illuminacyon was wyth holden and suspended not onely in the Sonne Moone Starres but also in all other thynges that naturally shulde haue shewed lyghte for neyther candel neyther fyer gaue them lyghte no more then the fyer of hell gyueth lyght vnto the dampned spirites there Forthermore is it not the naturall propertye of fyer to bourne to incynerate and brynge to asshes Dani. 3. all thynge combustyble sparynge none And yet we reade in Danyell that when the .iii. yonge men faste bounde were cast in to the whote burnyng furnesse of fyer there the fyer burnt a sonder theyr bondes and burned not theyr bodyes nether dyd it any molestacyon vnto them but they walked vp downe in the myddest of the flammynge furnesse as it had byn in a fresshe colde dewe Beholde then In Egypte the sonne geueth no lyght In Caldey the fyer an element of moste actiuitie yet it burneth not Lyke as in these myraculus workes of god the natural ê“pertes of thynges were suspended agaynst nature euen so in the holy sacrament are the naturall propertyes of breade and wyne myraculously sustayned wyth out any sustentacyon of any substaunce eyther of bread or wyne eyther of anye other for there is not the substaunce of bread neyther any other but onely the substaunce of the naturall bodye and bloode of Christ whyche is vnder and with these properties of bread wyne and yet these propretyes are not in that moost impassible substaunce and precious bodye Moreouer the faythe catholyke affyrmeth that these accideÌ„tarie ê“perties of breade and wyne though there be not the substaunce of bread or wyne yet haue they by the power of God al the natural operacyons of breade and sustayneth all the naturall passyons of bread and therfore these propertes Thomas AqÌ„nas Citas her gregorii verba Species sacramentales sunt â—â—aruÌ„ rerum vocabula qÌ„ antea fue ruÌ„â— sz panis et vini In suÌ„ma q. 77. â—â—i primo do norysshe they do replete satisfye they are brokeÌ„ eaten they are dygestyd they maye be mouldye burnt and generally sustayne al the other corruptioÌ„s as thoughe the very substaÌ„ce of bread were there Therfore it is not bread that is so brokeÌ„ eateÌ„ digested norisheth satisfyeth repleieth is burnt mouldy or suffreth any other corruptions for there is no substaunce of breade as I haue sayd neither in the bodye of Christe are any of these accioÌ„s or passions For that body is impassible and can suffre none suche but lyke
traditam etnat in so weyghtye a matter And we maye be sure that the churche hath alwaye the true vnderstaÌ„dyng of the scripture for as muche it is alwaye gouerned by the spirite of veritie Wherfore the expositions of suche catholyke and auncient wryters are to be thought of muche more trueth then are the false newe fangled expositions of those that wyth theyr gaye gloses confoundeth the text and swarueth from the whole churche of Christ The auncient wryters vniformely doth vnderstande this place of saynt IohnÌ„ to be ment of the blessed sacrament as you shall see that lysteth to reade and can iudge in theyr workes And for the trial hereof I shal recyte here some of the mooste auncient of them Origenes super numeruÌ„ Homilia 7. Origene wrytyng vpon the nuÌ„bers allegeth the same texte of S Ioh. vnderstandyng it of the holy sacrameÌ„t whose wordê be these ✿ Those thyngê that were done before were done obscurelye but nowe are they in theyr owne nature and veritie accomplished before baptisme was obscurely in the cloude and in the sea but nowe the generation is in the own nature in water the holy goost Then was the meate obscurely iÌ„ maÌ„na but now it is in the owne nature and the fleshe of the sempiternall worde of God is very meate accordyng as Christ said My flesh is verely meate and my bloode is verely drinke Crisostome also sayth vpoÌ„ the .vi. of s IohnÌ„ in this wyse Ioh. 6. Crisostâ—Ì„e in IoheÌ„z ✿ Christe sayth he in these wordes I am the bread of lyfe spake of the breade of hys diuinite or Godhed but by and by he wyl entreate of the mysteries sygnifinge the sacrameÌ„t for so doth Criosostome cal it Yet First he here disputith of his diuinitie sayng I am the breade of lyfe For this was not spoken of that body of whom about the ende of this chapter he speaketh of sayng And the bread that I wyl geue it is my fleshe For the diuiniâ—ie of him was bread bycause it was god the worde or the second person in trinitye euen as this bread is made by coÌ„myng therunto of the holy ghost the celestiall bread Now be holde good reader how diligently apertly Criosostome maketh distinctioÌ„ and puttyth differeÌ„s betwene the wordes that were spoken of the diuinitie of Christ and the wordes that Christe spake appertayning-vnto his bodye vnder the mysterie of the holy sacrament And sayth that from these wordes in the syxt of saint IohnÌ„ And the bread that I wyl geue it is c. and so vnto the ende of the chaptre Christ speaketh of the blessed sacrament Nowe where our peruerse herytikes denyeth that anye worde in this chapter apperteynyth or was ment of the sacrament they haue here Crisostome an auncient wryter ther aduersarie who expoÌ„dith the latter part of thys chapter vnderstandyng it of the blessed sacrament Cyrillus in IoheÌ„z Cyrill vpon saynt IohnÌ„ declaryng the vi chap. vnderstandyth it also of the blessed sacrament whom he nameth the misticall benedictyon and saythe vpon thse wordes of Christ Except you eate the fleshe of the son of man and drynke his blood you shall haue no lyfe in you ✿ And how he wyll geue sayth Cyrill hys fleshe to be eaten he teachith them not for thei cold not perceaue yet how greate benefites they sholde obtayne yf they eate it in faythe He declareth ones or twyse that by the loue and desyre of eternall lyfe they myght be forced vnto faythe whereby they myghte be the easelyer and soner taught For thus sayth Esaie the prophete Yf you wil not beleue you shal not vnderstaÌ„d Wherfore it was neccesarye firste to radicate faith in the mynde and theÌ„ to aske the thynges that a man ought to seke and enquyre But they before they beleued inquired and asked importunely For thys cause oure Lorde howe it shulde come to passe dyd not declare but exhorted theÌ„ to enquire it by fayth But wheÌ„ his disciples had firme fayth then he brake breade and gaue them saynge Take eate this is my body the cuppe also he gaue aboute saynge Drynke of thys al this is the cuppe of my blood that shal be shede in remission of synnes Nowe thou ê‘ceauist that he declared not the difficultie of the misterie vnto them askyng without faythe But when they had faythe he declared vnto them without askyng These are Civil wordes ✿ Saynt Cipriane Ciprianê° suê‘ orationem dominicam the martir expouÌ„ding the pater noster vpoÌ„ this peticioÌ„ Gyue vs this day our dayly bread saythe Christ whose body we do touche is our cottidiane bread this bread we do desire to be geuen to vs euery day lest we that are in the church do receyue oft times the holy sacrameÌ„t of the aulter for the bread of our helth by anye great or notorius cryme abstainiÌ„g seperated froÌ„ the celestial bread shuld be seperated froÌ„ the bodi of christ he pÌ„achiÌ„ge warning vs him selfe I am the bread of lyfe that came frome heauen yf anye eate of this he shal liue euer The bread that I wyll geue it is my fleshe for the lyfe of the world Then where he sayth that he shall lyue euer that eateth that bread it is manyfest that he speaketh of them that toucheth Hyllarii de trinita te lib. 8. his body And after the maner of coÌ„munion receyuith the blessed sacrament ✿ Hillarie in his eight boke De trinitate vnderstandith this sixt chapter of IohnÌ„ to be spoken of the sacrament and so doth he allege it I wold haue brought in saint Augustine with manye moo holy wryters but the breuenes of a sermon wyll not suffer so longe matter Wherefore I refer the reader vnto saynt Augustines fyrst boke against Cresconium the .xxv chapter also to the fyrst boke De precatoruÌ„ meritis et Remissione the .xxx. and .xxiiij. chapters and vnto many other of his workes wherin he playnly declareth him selfe to vnderstand this syxt chapter of IohnÌ„ of the blessed sacrament And so doth all the catholyke wryters vpon the scriptures take and vnderstande vniformely thys place of scrrpture For they expound interpret the same of the blessed sacrament Vnto whose expositioÌ„s any cristyane man yf he be not besydes hym selfe wyll geue more credite then vnto the erronyous and false gloses of blasphemus apostataes frome Christes fayth For in such serious matters of the fayth Augustinê° post Yre Eligo in bis verbis hoc intelligere quod oiÌ„s vel pe ne oiÌ„s frequeÌ„tat ecclesia the fathers wold neither flater neither faine but in the feare of God speake the verite of scrypture accordyng as they beleued to be the truthe theyr conscience berynge wytnesse Whose fayth vnderstaÌ„ding was none other but the fayth and the vnderstanyng of the churche of Christ which cold not erre Wherefore firmely staÌ„deth the veritie of thys text maketh most euidently for the real presens of the body and blod of Christ in the sacrameÌ„t by cause
fell efte sone not to that heresye but vnto the heresye that Luther doth holde affirmyng that in the sacrament of the Aulter with the real presens of Christes body there is also The counsell of Rome vnder Gregorie the .vii. the substaunce of breade styl remaynynge ✿ Then was there a consell called vnto the citie of Rome by Gregory the .vii. whereunto also came BereÌ„garius opeÌ„ly reuoked thys hys heresye as Sabellicus wytnesseth in hys thyrde boke the .ix. Eneades Pretereo concilium sub innocentio tertio celebratum Fynallye the counsell of Basyll and also the counsell of Constaunce whome I do passe ouer dyd most openlye condempne this heresye Thus many counsels haue we that ratifieth the veritie of Christes bodye in the sacrament and condemneth the contrarye as an horryble heresye where the sacramentaries for theyr syde can not shew one that eather ratifyed theyr opinion eather condemned oure fayth as an errour or heresye Wherfore it is mooste manyfeste that they haue framed and fashioned this new faith of theyr owne blynde and fonde fantasye or rather they haue newe furbushed olde heresies and thus deluded and deceaued by the spirite of pryde and errour are nowe brought cleane from the trewe catholyke fayth of the churche of Christe downe into the darke dongion and hel of errour and heresye Yet I haue thought it somwhat necessarie for the more credite to be gyuen vnto the auctorities and sayinges of these moste holy and catholyke wryters whome we shall cyte and allege in thys present sermon to preuent the christiaÌ„ reader wyth these thre verities folowynge The fyrst veritie The fyrst is that none of all these auncient fathers whome I shal name here for testimony of this blessed sacrameÌ„t with innumerable moo catholyke wryters but that constantly beleued that the blessed body blood of christ was really in the blessed sacrament The seconde veritie The seconde is that none of all these neyther anye other catholyke wryter eather taught eather wryt the contrary of thys beleue and veritie of the holy sacramet The thyrde whiche I collecte of both these is that whatsoeuer he be The thyrde veritie that receyuith not or beleueth not this article of thou blessed sacrament that same is none of the churche of Christe and therfore is the same in ieoberdy of daÌ„pnacioÌ„ The certaynte of these verities is very manyfest vnto such as hath diligentlye sene red theyr lucubratioÌ„s workes where is to be gathered the faith that they were of for it were more theÌ„ sacrilege to thynke that so faythful fathers void of al flattery of maÌ„ shold wright coÌ„trary to theyr owne coÌ„scieÌ„ce belefe Forthermore who caÌ„ iustly thinke that these so gelous fauorers ernest frendes of the trewe honour of God wolde haue suffered and not resysted rather wyth worde penne and bloode suche an heynous horrible heresie as thys were yf Christes bodye were not really in the sacrament whereby men shulde be led not onely into an open heresy but also iÌ„to the detestable enormitie of ydolatry the whyche had ben impossyble to haue ben wynked at or borne wyth all amonge so many and so dylygent vehement and moste circumspecte defenders of the Christen fayth Who wolde iudge that so great and pernytious an error shulde haue byn noryshed and escaped the taxation and controlement of so eloqueÌ„t and catholyke wryters and namely forasmoche as certayne of them layde and employed ther chefest labore and industrie to coÌ„uince hereses as it may appere by they re workes wherein is litle matter els then the confutatyon of hereses of theyr tyme. For there coulde no man ons stere vp an heresy but as sone as he was perceaued to put forth hys hed the same was dysputed with all conuinced and confuted and his heresy abolyshed Example of these same we haue of Theodoritus in the tripertitie historie who wryteth that there a rose certayne heretikes in valentiniane the Emperours tyme called The Massians the whiche erred in the blessed sacrameÌ„t affyrmed sayth he that the deuyne meate of whome Christ sayde He that eatyth my fleshe and drynketh my blod shal lyue euer dothe neyther ê“fect neyther harme at all the same denied that the sacrameÌ„t of baptysme was ê“fitable for christeÌ„ people the prayer onely was sufficeÌ„t The which hereses were immediatly of the excelleÌ„t learned meÌ„ byshopes at the time coÌ„uinced coÌ„deÌ„ped After this Nestor stered vp an error agaynst the verytie of Christes fleshe in the sacrameÌ„t in the consel of Ephe. of whoÌ„ we spoke before he was charged by CC. fathers to leue his abhominable heresye or els he shulde be accursed out of the church of Christ Then came Berengarius This BereÌ„garius as platina wryteth as I sayd afore was coÌ„dempned by Leo the .ix. bys of Rome After whose death Berengarius coÌ„tinued obstinate in hys heresy vntyl that at the synode of Turone one Lanfranke bysh of Cantorbury coÌ„uinced hym Yet ê‘uersly continued he in that opinion And at the length Berengariê° abiured opeÌ„ly his heresye After this Berengariê° folowed Petrus Halebardus a maÌ„ of an halt mynde luciferyne pryde whoÌ„ S. Barnard accused coÌ„futed of the heresie about this sacrameÌ„t TheÌ„ succeded wycked wycclyf that taught opeÌ„ly thys heresie abominable of the sacrameÌ„t he was coÌ„deÌ„pned by two general counsels as the cronicles of that tyme reporteth Thus these apostolyke fathers most ernestly mooste assiduously wresteled against the hateful enemyes of the euangelical and catholyke faythe Wherfore yf they hadde beleued that the bodye and blode of Christe had not byn really in the blessed sacrament they wold not haue coÌ„tended and labored so vehemeÌ„tly to conuicte and to confute the contrarye opynion Neather wolde they in open synode and generall consell haue condempned it for an horible heresye Wherefore it is then very manifest that they beleued the very reall presens of Christes body and bloode in the sacrament The second veritie is the none of these fathers neather any of the other catholyke wryters eyther taught eyther wryt that the body and blode of Christ was not really in the sacrament and that we ought not so to beleue but paynly they wryte the contrarye as shall appere here after ✿ Yf we well ponder way and consider what carefull feare and what assyduous dilygens they had towardes the pure readynge and trew teachyng of the flocke of Christ commended vnto theyr charge by the holy goost we shal soone perceaue that they wold not eather teache eather wryhgt that thynge whereby the flocke of Christe shulde be led frome the pure and synceare faythe of Christes churche For I suppose that there is no honest cristiane harte that can Iustely iudge theÌ„ eyther necligeÌ„t wtout regarde eyther remysse and voyde of care but rather mindeful of the great charge very vigilant and circumspect what they taught and howe they led the christiane flocke whome Christe bought wyth his most precyous blod Specially for as moche as
the prestes hed at the masse into the ayre calleth vs vnto remembrans how Christ was lyfted vpon the crosse and hong in the ayer vntyll all hys bloode was spente And the bloode bodye of Christe vnder the forme of wyne lyfted vp also at the masse admonyssheth vs to remember the effusyon of the same bloode vpon the crosse And thus verye lyuelye it sygnyfyeth and representeth vnto vs in the sacryfyce of the masse the holy memoriall of the precious death passioÌ„ of Christ The other significacyon of the sacrament is the mystical bodye of Chryste that is to say the whole church of Christ For in the forme or shape of breade is represented vnto vs the vnion and coniunction of al the menbres of Christ vnto theyr hed Christ and the vnyon and conexion of eche membre vnto other in that mysticall bodye For lyke as of many granes of where ariseth one lofe and of many grapes ysseweth one lyquore of wyne so of many distynct persons of Christen men and women resulteth and cometh but one mystical body of Christe as saynt Paule saythe we many are but one bread and one bodye 1. Cori. 10. in that we al be partakers of one breade This mystical bodye of Christe is not onelye signified and represented vnto vs in the blessed sacrament for so myght any other prophane breade be a sacrament or signe and such a sacrameÌ„t was the shew bread of the temple but also this blessed sacrameÌ„t worthely receaued doth effectually cause the vnion kepeth that body for it knytteth and kepeth to gether the lyuely membrers of Christe and knytteth theÌ„ also vnto the hed christ and combynyng the members together with the hed it maketh but one body of christ his church Not only spiritually for that dothe also fayth and charitie wythout the receauynge of this sacrament but also by the admirable power of God it coÌ„uerteth oute nature in to the naturall bodye of Christe and so maketh vs Ephe. 5. the meÌ„bres of hys body as saint Paule sayth and of hys fleshe and of hys bones These are the two sygnifycatyons of the blessed sacrament The one that is the reall body of Christ is not onely signyfyed but is also contayned in the sacrament The other that is the mystycall bodye of Christe is not onely sygnified but is also in maner caused and continuyd by the worthye receauynge of this holy sacrament Thus is the blessed sacrament a sygne or a sacrament but yet a great deale more worthier and a more excellent sacrament then were any of the olde sacramentes of the olde lawe for they neyther contayned neyther wrought that thinge that they signyfied August de 17. ciuitate dei cap. 20. ✿ The fathers also hauinge respect vnto the thyng that is chestye sygnifyed in the sacrament whyche is the naturall bodye and bloode of Christe they named the sacrameÌ„t as they myght ryght well a sacrafice This sacrameÌ„t is named is a sacrifice ✿ By cause it is the onely sacryfice that succeded in place of al the figuratiue sacrifes whiche were offered vp in figure significacioÌ„ of this most ê‘fect sacrifice that was offered vpon the crosse and redemed the worlde And the very same now also is the busie contynual and dailye sacrifice of the church Ciprianê° 2. lib. epist epistola 3. ad CeciliuÌ„ ✿ Saynt Cipriane in many places but specially in hys second boke of epistles callyth it a sacrifice whose wordes are those in the second epistle ad Cecilium ✿ The sacrament of the sacrifyce of oure lord was prefigured in Melchisedech the preest accordynge vnto the scripture whyche sayth Gene. 14. And Melchisedech brought forth bread and wyne for he was the preiste of the hyest and he blessed Abraham And that he beareth the figure of Christe the holy goost declareth in the Psalmes by the persone of the father vnto the son sayng Be for lucifer I haue begotten the. Oure Lorde dyd swere and he repenteth not Thou art a prest for euer accordynge vnto the order of Melchisedech The whyche order commyth by the same offeryng For hereof it procedeth and comyth By cause that Melchisedech beyng the preeist of the hyest offered bread wyne bycause that he blessed Abraham For who is more rather or more aptly the preeist of the hyest then our lord Iesus Christ The whych offered sacrifice vnto his father he offered the same that Meschisedech dyd offer that is bread wyne that is to say his body bloode I do omyt of purpose Crisostome diuerse other by cause I wold be breue Collect now diligeÌ„t reader of these former thingê what we do honor what we do offer in this blessed sacrameÌ„t Note what thynge we do honour and what it is that we do offer in the blessed sacrament We do not ê“perly honour the outewarde aparens of the sacrameÌ„t which is the forme shape of bread wine but we do honour the thing couered verely contained vnder the formes shapes of bread wyne which is none other theÌ„ the very real body blod of our sauiour christ We do not offer at the masse proprely those formes or shapes of bread wyne as a sacrifice for they are no sacrfyce neyther do we cal or name theÌ„ a sacryfice but we offer vp vnto God the father at the masse the very blessed bodie blod of our sauior christ not crewelly sleyng him for so he was offered but ones but with a lyuely louely memorie of chirstes death passioÌ„ we pÌ„sent in maner of an oblatyon the same very bodye bloode now impassible geuynge thankes vnto hym for that inestymable and ineffable mercye that he hathe shewed vnto vs mysers and synners in reconsylynge vs hys ennymyes vnto hym selfe by the deathe and passyon of hys onelye sone Iesus Christe oure Lorde And with this bodie blood of our sauior Christ our hed we offer vp also vnto our father celestiall the whoole bodye mystycall of Christes churche geuynge vnto hym thankes also for the creatyoÌ„ redemptyon and iustificatyon hereof Commyttynge it vnto hys mooste godly and mercyful tuition besekynge him that he vouchsafe to pacifie to kepe to knyt to gether and to gouerne rule it thoroughout al the hoole world The sacrament is named Dynaxis Saynt dyonyse the grecyan namyth thys sacrament synaxis that is communyon or coÌ„men pertakyng by cause there is sygnifyed effectuously wroughte by this blessed sacrameÌ„t not onlye the vnyon and knot of Christes meÌ„bres vnto the hed Christ but also there is sygnyfyed and in verye dede there is by it a coÌ„men partakynge of al gostly goodnes whyche is in eche of the membres or in the hoole For as much as by the condigne and worthye receauynge of thys blessed sacrament we are made one with Christe and incorporated vnto hym therfore by this coniunctioÌ„ and incorporatyon we are made commen partakers wyth the other membres of the grace and
no bone brokeÌ„ therof ✿ Cassiodorus sayth vpoÌ„ this text Cassiodorus iÌ„ psalmum 110. of the psalme Thou art a preest for euer accordyng to the order of melchisedech Thys thyng sayth he doth the ê“phete tell that the father hath ê“mised to his soÌ„ne For vnto whom can this be truely plainly applyed sauyng only vnto our Lorde sauiour The whych moste helthsomly hath coÌ„secrated hys bodye bloode in the gyfte or erogation of breade wyne Euen as he in the gospel sayth Except that you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man drynke his blood ye can haue no lyfe in you But in thys fleshe and in thys bloode lette not mannes mynde ymagyne any thynge crewell or corruptible Leste as the apostle saythe he that eateth the body of our Lorde vnworthely he eateth drinketh it to his iudgement But let the mynde of man thynke ymagyne vnderstaÌ„d the same substance that gyueth lyfe and helthe That same I saye whych is made the verye body ê“pre substaÌ„ce of the word eternall by the whyche both remission of synne and the gyfte of eternall lyfe are gyueÌ„ ✿ Thys blessed father Cassiodor sayth that we shuld not thynke or ymagyne in the sacrament to beholde see the cruel or mortall bloode or bodye in theyr owne shape fashion but we must vnderstaÌ„de sayth he the helthsome substance that gyueth lyfe the substance whych is Christes substaÌ„ce the whyche gyueth lyfe remission of synnes eternal lyfe ✿ It can not be the substaÌ„ce of bread that can gyue remission of synnes But the substaÌ„ce of Christe Fulgentiê° ad Monimum that dyed for the synnes of the world ✿ FulgeÌ„tius answeryng vnto a question as concernyng the sacrifice of the bodye bloode of Christe that one Monimus a frende of his demauÌ„ded whether it were offered onely to the father or no. Vnto hym thus he sayd amonge muche more matter Thys same I saye spiritual edification can not be asked better or more oportunely theÌ„ wheÌ„ in the sacrament of the breade cuppe the very body blood of Christ is offered vp of his bodye the churche For the cuppe that we drynke of it is the coÌ„munion of Christes bloode the breade that we breake it is the coÌ„munion of Christes bodye ✿ Here expressely sayth Fulgentius that the body blood of Christe is offered in the sacrameÌ„t ✿ S. Gregory Gregoriê° primo dea logoruÌ„ lib capi 58. in hys fyrst boke of hys dialoges the .lviii. chap. wryteth in this sort We ought with al our hert to coÌ„teÌ„pne this pÌ„sent world for bycause we may ê‘ceaue that it wasteth and to offer dayly vnto God sacrifices of teares and to offer dayly hoostes of hys fleshe and blood For thys is the sin guler and speciall oblation that saueth the soule froÌ„ death eternal The which oblatioÌ„ representeth vnto vs in a mysterye the death of the onely begotten sonne of God For though he rysynge from death dyeth nomore and death hath no more dominion ouer hym is immortaly and vncorruptibly lyuynge in hym selfe Yet in the mystery of that holy sacrifice he is offred vp for vs for there is hys body receaued there is his fleshe diuided for the helth of the people there hys bloode is distributed powred not into the handes of infydells but into the mouthe of the faythefull ✿ Se deuout reader howe expressly he sheweth that Christe remaynynge immortall and impassible in him selfe yet he is in the blessed sacrament really receaued of the faythful Cedulius presbiter in carmini bus ✿ Sedulyus the preeste in hys verses of the deuyne maruayles saith Our lorde sayth he geuynge bread vnto Iudas dyd knowe afore hande hys dysceatful mynd bewrayed his treason by geuynge hym bread which lorde was the breade hym selfe after that he had stablyshed that two gyftes of his body blod he gaue there vnto his dyscyples the meat and drynke whereby the faythful and cleane soules Beda in Lucam lib. 6. shuld neuer thurst ether hunger hereafter ✿ Beda in his syxt boke vpoÌ„ S. Luke writeth thus where it shuld moue any wyth doubth for asmoche as Christe gaue hys body and blood vnto his discyples when they had supped why we shulde be taught by the costome of the vniuersall churche to receaue the same sacrament fastynge Let the same perceaue in few wordes The appostles therfore dyd receaue it wheÌ„ they had supped for it was necessary the figuratyue passeouer to take an ende to be consumed so to approche vnto the sacrament of the veritie of the trew passeouer It hathe pleased the maysters of the churche in the honour of so great terrible a sacrameÌ„t that we shuld fyrst be strengthed with the partitipacion of oure lordes passion bothe inwardely and outwardely to be saÌ„ctified with the goostly spirituall meates and theÌ„ the hungrie body to be refreshed with the vyle earthely meates ✿ Haymo also vpoÌ„ the epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s wryteth in this sort Hâ—ymo in Paulum Hic virit ciriter annum dnÌ„i 832. As the fleshe of Christe the which he receaued in the wombe virginyall is his very body slayne for our saluacyon euenso the breade whych Christ gaue vnto his disciples to al that be elected to the euerlasting lyfe the which also the preestes dayly do coÌ„secrate in the church by the mighte power of the diuinitie the which diuinitie repleteth the same breade is the very body of Christ Neither are the body that he toke in the woÌ„be virginial and this bread two bodyes but they make but one very body of Christ In so much that when it is broken and eaten theÌ„ is Christ offered a sacrifice eateÌ„ yet he remayneth whole alyue And lyke as the bodye put vpon the crosse was offered vp for our redeÌ„ption euen so dayly for our helth is offered vp thys breade the which though it seme bread yet is it not bread but the body of Christ For our lorde redemer helpinge our frayltie bycause he knewe how frayle we are toward synne he hath gyueÌ„ vnto vs thys sacrameÌ„t that where he can not suffer death dayly we dayly do offende we myght haue a very true sacrifice wherby we might haue expiacioÌ„ be purged And therfore bycause the same whyche was offered on the crosse thys in the sacrameÌ„t make but one body are offered vp for our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ he sayd This is my body that shal be gyuen for you These wordes of Haymo are so plaine that anye maÌ„ may right sone perceaue what thys blessed father beleued of this blessed sacrameÌ„t whose auctoritie is not to be suspected syth it is .vii huÌ„dreth yere agone syth he wryte And yet syth his tyme there hath also many both godly excelleÌ„t learned meÌ„ writen As Theodore the gretian the scole maister of bede Alcuinus scole maister to Charles the great S. Bernard Rupert Hugh desctoÌ„ Victore with a great nuÌ„bre mo whoÌ„ to
agaynst the Arrians agreyth fully with this catholike veritie Hyllarius in lib. 8. de Trinitate and sayth in the eyght boke of the Trinitie We maye not speake or coÌ„mon in the matters of God after the manlyke or worldly maner Neather ought there peruersitie eather vnhoneste preachyng to be extorted by violence vnto a wycked and vngodly intelligence or vnderstandynge out of the helthesome celestiall saynges let vs reade the scriptures but let vs vnderstande those that we reade Then shal we do the offyce of a perfect christiane For as concernynge the naturall veritie of Christe in vs the thing that we hereof do lerne excepte we learne of hym we both folyshely and wyckedly do learne For he hym selfe saythe My fleshe verely is meat and my blood is verely drinke he that eateth my flesh drynkyth my blood dwelleth in me and I in hym As coÌ„cernyng then the verite of the fleshe and bloode of Christe there is no place lefte to doubte at For nowe bothe by the wordes of oure lord hym selfe and also by oure faythe it is very fleshe and bloode And these receaued and dronken dothe cause that we be in Christ and that Christe is in vs. ✿ What can be more euidently and manyfestly spoken then these wordes ✿ Saynt Basyll who not onelye Basilius in regulis monachotum lede hym selfe a monastical and Godly lyfe but also he taught a certayne trade of suche sorte of lyfe in that boke where he entreateth of the â—â—ules of monastycall lyfe he is demaunded of hys brethreÌ„ Wyth what maner of feare fayth affectyon the grace of the body and bloode of Christe ought to be receaued Verey sayth he the apostle saynt Paule teacheth vs wyth what feare saynge He that eateth and drynketh vnworthely he eatheth and drynketh his owne iudgement or condempnacyon not puttyng dyfferens betwene the body of oure lorde and other coÌ„mon meates But the wordes of our sauiour Christ teacheth vs fayth whyche sayth Thys is my bodye the whych is geuen for many do thys in the remembrans of me ✿ Thys is the fayth that faynt Basyll wolde that hys brethren shulde retayne as concernyng the blessed sacrament ✿ Gregory Nysene the brother of saynt Basyll who for his excellente learnynge and Godlynes was called the deuine Intreatynge the lyfe moysaycall mystically or spiritually he geueth consel that we shuld receaue with a pure and cleane mynde the celestyall breade whome sayth he no sowynge nor tyllage hath brought forthe but it is breade whych is prepared for vs wtoute tyllage and wythout any helpe of man Thys is founde flowynge froÌ„ aboue vpoÌ„ the earth For the bread that came from heuen the which is very meate whyche is fygured also by thys hystore of Manna is no spirituall or vncorporall thyng For how can an vncorporall thynge be come meate and the thynge whyche is not vncorporall muste nedes he a very body And surely the breade of hys bodye neyther plowynge neyther tyllyng nether housbandmanes worke hath brought this forth But an earthe remainyng vndefyled yet was the earthful of this bread with the which the huÌ„gry that knoweth the misteriê° birth of a dgin maye sone be satysfyed ✿ These wordes of thys dyuine doctor were playnly ment of the sacrameÌ„t as it may appere in the ê“cesse of the same that he ther entreated Ambrosiê° in primam Pauli Ep stola ad Corinthios ✿ Saynt Ambrose wrytynge vpoÌ„ the fyrst epystle of saint Paul vnto the Corinthyans the .xi. chapitre saythe For bycause that we are redemed with the death of our lorde wee beare in remeÌ„brans the same thyng in eatyng drynkinge the fleshe blood the whych he offered vp for vs And we do singnifie the death of oure lord Christ in these thynges obtayning now the new testameÌ„t the which is the new law that briÌ„geth vnto heueÌ„ euery one that cruely is obedient to it Here apertely saynt Ambrose affirmyth the verytie of the body blood of Christ in the blessed sacrameÌ„t sayth that we do eate drynke the fleshe blood of christ And in many other places he writeth as openly as he doth here Ieronimê° in epistolaÌ„ Pauli ad Titum specially in his boke of the sacrameÌ„tes ✿ Also S. Ierom in his coÌ„meÌ„tareis vpoÌ„ the epistle at TituÌ„ shewiÌ„g the vertues that beloÌ„geth vnto a byshoppe sayth in this maner Yf it be coÌ„mauÌ„ded vnto the laymen that they abstaine froÌ„ theyr wylies for praiers sake what shuld we suppose of the byshop which for his own synnes for the synnes of the people must offer vnto God vndefyled hoostes let vs reade the bokes of the kyngê we shall fynde the abymelech ther wold not geue vnto Dauid hys seruauÌ„tes that shewe breade before that he had knoweÌ„ whether they were cleane froÌ„ womeÌ„s coÌ„pany or no. Not of harlotes but of their one wiues And vntyl that he had knoweÌ„ certainly that they had abstayned froÌ„ the marytall copulation he wolde not grauÌ„t theÌ„ the bread which he denied theÌ„ before Ther is as moch dyfferens betwene the shew bread of the teÌ„ple the body of christe as is betwene the shadow the bodye the ymage the veritie the exaÌ„ples or figures of the thingê to come the thingê whiche by these exaÌ„ples were prefigured And as for mekenes pacieÌ„s sobryetie softenes abstynens frome monye hospitalitie also benignitie shulde chefely be in a byshop and shulde excell in hym aboue all the laytie Euen so pure chastitie as I myght saye a preestly shamefastnes shuld be in hiÌ„ That he shuld not only abstaine hiÌ„ self froÌ„ the vncleane dede but also his miÌ„de which shal coÌ„secrat the body of christ shuld be fre froÌ„ the casting of his eye error of euyl cogitacion This testimonye of saynt Ierome is so playne that it neadeth no monytyon Crisostomus in homilia de Iude tradiâ—ione ✿ Crysostome wryteth in thys sort in the homelie of the treason of Iudas Speake Iudas sayth he whome dyddest thou sel for thyrty pences Thys is the bloode of whome thou dyddest bargayne euen nowe wyth the pharisees O the mercye of Christe O the madnes of Iudas He was at a poynt to sel him for thyrty pences and Christ offered vnto him the bodye whych he had solde that he moght haue remission of synnes And after a fewe wordes Crisostome sayth agayne And nowe is he here present that adorned that table and the same dothe also consecrate this table For it is not man that of the thynges set before the on the consecrate table of God maketh the bodye and the bloode of Christe but he whych was crucifyed for vs Christe The wordes are spoken by the mouthe of the preest and the thinges set forth before vs are consecrated by the grace of the power of God This is sayeth he my bodye And lyke as the voyce the whyche sayde encrease and multiplye spoken ones yet it taketh effecte at al tymes in generation
lyfe whyche is the proper operatiō of the body blood of Christ but worketh dampnable death Therfore the blessed fathers sayde that they receyued not the bodye of Christe For thoughe it verelye be the verye bodye and bloode of Christe yet vnto them in suche state it semeth not to be so bycause that it worketh not in them lyfe but death For lyke as of a moost excellent medicine receaued of the pacient out of dewe tyme and order and therby diminisheth not the dysease but encreaseth it we maye saye that vnto hym thys was no medicyne but a presēt poyson Euen so maye we saye of all suche christians and heretikes that lyke Iudas vnworthely receaueth the sacrament that they receaue not the bodye bloode of Christe whyche as a mooste helthsome medicine worketh lyfe in the good and in the bad it worketh present death In the tyme of these blessed fathers there were certayne ouerthwart people as we also haue some nowe a dayes that hearynge the great and wonderfull operation of thys blessed sacrament howe it wrought lyfe in the receyuers had fallen into a wonderfull presumption and had persuaded to them selues that though they were neuer so farre gone in heresies and lyued neuer so dyssolutely and wyckedly yf they receaued thys sacrament whyche was taught them to be the verye bodye and bloode of Christe that they shulde eskape perpetuall dampnatyon Wherefore the fathers to brynge them out of thys blynd and dampnable presumptyon vsed thys maner of speache to saye that they dyd not receaue the bodye of Christ neather drinke his blod though they dyd receaue the sacrament to the dampnation ✿ Tertulliane in his in hys forth boke agaynste Marcyon Tertulianus aduersus Martionem li. 4. sayeh Christe professynge that he had a great desyre to eate hys Passeouer wyth them and the breade that he toke and gaue to hys discyples he made it hys bodye saynge This is my body that is to saye sayth Tertulliane the fygure of my bodye Thys place is recyted of Ecolāpadius wyth no smale commendacyon and tryumphe In lyke sorte saynt Augustine in the prologe of the thyrde Psalme sayeth speakynge of Iudas Christe thoughe he were not ignorant of hys vnhappe thoughtes yet he made hym one of his geastes of that bāket where he exhybyted and gaue vnto hys dysciples the fygure of hys body and bloode Fyrst dylygent reader I praye the expende wel the wordes of Tertulliane and thou shalt sone perceaue that Tertulliane cōfyrmeth our fayth maketh nothynge with the sacramentaryes For he saith Christe had a greate desyre to eate hys Passeouer not sayth he the Passeouer that was the slaughter of shepe for that was Moyses passeouer but thys he called hys by cause that in thys was hys owne naturall fleshe and bloode and in the other the fleshe and blood of a shepe Yf ther had ben nothynge els in thys then breade the fygure of his fleshe why shulde he call this more his then the other whiche was also a more expresse fygure of his death then the bread and wyne were Furthermore Tertulliane sayth that Christ made the bread that he toke and dystrybuted to hys dyscyples hys bodye saynge Thys is my bodye In these wordes he moste apertely sheweth that Christe made the bread hys bodye Yf ther be none other thyng there then breade neyther no alteracyon ther in the sacramēt then ther was before I maruayll what thyng Christ dyd make But Tertullianes wordes be to playne to be deludyd or doubted of for he confesseth that Christe made the breade his bodye saynge This is my bodye But that wordes that foloiuith semeth to haue all the dyfycultye bycause Tertulliane added that is to say the fygure of hys bodye And in lyke sorte also saynt Augustine Tertullyanes contre man callyth it a fygure ✿ No dougth but it is very trew that the sacramēt is a fygure an example a sygne and token of the bodye of Christe For euery sacramēt is a fygure or example and sacrate token of an holy thynge Euen so is the blessed sacramēt called a sygne or a fygure of the bodye of Christ in the wrytynges of these ancient fathers The cause why they so named it I haue declared before amōg the names of the sacrament And yet I wyll touch breuely the same agayne For as moche as in the blessed sacrament which is the very sacrifice of the churche catholyke is cōtayned in two dystinct formes that is of bread wyne the same blessed bodye blood that was offered vpō the crosse in ther own lyknes that is in lykenes of fleshe blood the same bodye and blod vnder the forme of bread at the masse lyfted vp in to the ayer ouer the prestes hed it is a token or a remēbranc how that the same body in the tyme of Christes passion dyd hang vpon the crosse in the ayer and was so offered vp by death for our redēption the same body blood contained reali also vnder the shape or forme of wyne lyffted vp at the sacrynge of the masse it is a token callyng vs to remēbrans how the blessed blood was shed on hye vpō the crosse for the remissiō of our synnes And thus the blessed body blode of christ vnder these two formes of bred wyne in the blessed sacramēt signifieth vnto vs how that in the passiō and death of christ the body of christ hong pale wan vpō the crosse frō whō al the blessed bloode was dyuyded by crewel payne passyō is thus a very lyuely memorie remēbrans of hys death for thys cause also S. Basyl calleth it The exemplar bycause it is so lyuely and so expresse an example memorie of the death of Christ Thus is the blessed sacrament where in is contayned verely the bodye and blood of Christ a sygne a fygure a tokē or example of the death of Christ And in this consideration the fathers some tyme and that very seldome dyd cal it a sygne or fygure And in thys sort we graunt no lesse But that it is but a fygure onlye a fygure or nothynge els thē a figure That we vtterly deny For neither in the scripture neyther in any catholyke wryter can they fynde that the sacramēt is called only a fygure or but a fygure or any lyke saynge The fathers though they named it a figure or a token yet they playnlye declare and shew that they beleued that very real presens of the bodye and blood of Christ in the sacramēt as I haue shewed bi their owne wrytinges So I conclude and answere that though the sacrament be a sygne or a fygure yet neuerthelesse it is verely really the verye bodye and bloode of Christ therfore is it not only a fygure or onely and nothinge els then a fygure or a sygne Thys answere in my iudgemēt is sufficient for all suche places that they can brynge in of anye of the auncyent wrytters It is a lacrymable case and
many as doth partake of that one bread so many are one body in Christe Yf the apostle shulde vnderstaÌ„de by thys one bread material bread it had neade to be an exceadynge greate loffe that shulde fede corporally all the whole bodye of Christe spred and sparkeled abrode in so many and sondry places of the worlde It can not therfore be anye one materiall breade whereof all the lymmes and membres of Christ do partake and are thereby made one bodye But it is one celestiall breade the verye bodye and bloode of Christe whome all the whole congregacion of Christ doth partake in euery place and thys is but one breade but one the very same body of Christe partaken of so many in so many places is whole is receyued of euery man euery where And thys bread whorthely eaten maketh them all by that partakynge but one where euer they eate it And it incorporateth theÌ„ vnto Christ and maketh them the membres of hys bodye to be of his fleshe and of hys bones And that I saye by thys corporall eatynge and receyuynge of hys bodye and bloode in the holye sacrament ¶ And certaynly mooste christen reader it maketh not a lytell for the veritie of the reall presence of Christes bodye in the sacrameÌ„t that it is not sufficient for vs to beleue that we receyuing this sacrameÌ„t are fedde wyth the bodye and blood of Christe onely by fayth spiritually partakynge it But we muste beleue also that we receyuynge it worthelye are fedde and are partakers corporally of the body bloode of Christ For ther by are we incorporated vnto the very natural body of Christ as we are by fayth spiritually incorporated vnto his misticall bodye But yf there be none other thynge in the blessed sacramente then onelye bare breade then coulde not we be thus incorporated vnto the naturall bodye of Christe For there is no material meate that caÌ„ geue vnto vs that in corporation but onely the very bodye bloode of oure sauiour Christe The whyche beynge eaten is not coÌ„uerted into our fleshe and bloode as other oure materiall meates are but by hys suê‘-excellent power he altereth conuerteth our fleshe blod iÌ„to his And yet neuerthelesse the natural ê“perties of bread and wyne norysheth vs also as wel as though the very substauÌ„ce of breade wyne were there Thus by the worthy receyuyng of thys blessed sacrament the body and bloode of Criste our sauiour conuerteth oure fleshe into hys fleshe and the qualities of breade in the sacrament myraculouslye neuerthelesse norysheth oure bodyes ¶ Thys corporall eatyng and incorporacyon of vs vnto Christes very naturall body is not newly fantysed of late yeres but it hath ben taught wryten and beleued syth the time of S. Paule whome I call fyrst vnto wyttnes wyth me in this matter For he wrytyng vnto the EphesiaÌ„s sayth these playn wordes ✿ No man euer yet hated his owne fleshe but chereshith noryshyth it euen as our Lorde doth the church For we are membres of hys bodye of fleshe and of hys bones ✿ By these wordes saynt Paule teachith vs that Christe dothe feade and cherysheth hys church not onely spiritually but also corporally that may wel appere by the wordes of S. Paule For he norysheth his church sayth he as euery maÌ„ cherisheth naturally his owne fleshe But euery man doth not cheryshe naturally his owne fleshe with spirituall foode for the fleshe is not fedde wyth ymaginations beleue of good meate but rather with the corporall receate eatynge of very and naturall meate Then doth not Christe fead hys church onelye wyth spirituall foode but also he feadeth corporally hys church with the very meate of hys fleshe and blode Furthermore the ê“cesse of the letre ledeth vs directly thus to vnderstaÌ„d this text For S. Paule in this place exhortith the men to loue theyr wyfes as Christe loueth hys church and to noryshe and cheryshe them as there one fleshe and as Christ doth also his spouse the church But it is oute of doubte that saynte Paule dyd not intende here to exhorte the men to cheryshe and noryshe theyr wyffes onely in soule instructyng them the faythe and dewty vnto God and man as they are also bounde other that they shulde cheryshe theyr bodys wyth imagynacyons or thoughtes of necessary foode But rather he exhorted the men to cherishe corporally theyr wyffes provydyng for them not onely spirituall but also corporal meate necessaryes euen so as Christ doth also for the congregacyon Not onelye feadynge the churche wyth spiritual foode of fayth charytie suche other graces vertues but he also feadeth cherysheth it with the very meate of his natural body and bloode in the blessed sacrament For as it foloweth there in the letter we are sayth saynt Paule the meÌ„bres of hys bodye not of hys mysticall body onely but of hys naturall body of that bodye that hath fleshe and bones And that coÌ„meth to passe without doubt by the eatynge of that meate the Christ doth noryshe vs with al for that is the effecte of that myghty meate and moste delectable foode to transforme the eater into his mooste blessed fleshe and bones And certaynely it is not breade as I haue sayd eather any other meat wherwith Christ fedeth and cherisheth vs corporally and that can by eatynge therof incorporate vs vnto the naturall body of Chryst and make vs of his bones sauynge onely the natural body and blod of our sauyour Christ And thys we receaue not corporally in any other thing saue onely in the blessed sacrameÌ„t TheÌ„ must we nedes graunte that the naturall body of Christe is in the sacrameÌ„t wherewyth that moste louyng lorde deare husbaÌ„de of the church norysheth cherysheth his iÌ„terely beloued spouse the church wyth this moste precious and moost delycious meate of hys very and natural body bloode incorporateth her vnto hys very natural bodye And thus is made of the blessed man Christ and his holy wyffe the churche one body And be made as saynt Paule sayth two in one fleshe For this is the great mystery Ephesi 5. that Paule speaketh of in that place of Christ and the church Lyke as Christ of his infinite goodnes and inestimable charitie ChrisostoÌ„e in Iohannem became a meÌ„bre of our corupt nature receauing our fleshe which was a greate knot of loue Yet in tokeÌ„ of a greater vnion Vester ego frater esse volul coiÌ„caui carne propter vos et sanguineÌ„ Hoc est vestraÌ„ carnem et sauguineÌ„ curaui mi hi vobiscuÌ„ fieri coÌ„munem Et ê‘ qÌ„vobis coÌ„iunctê° suÌ„ ea russus vobiserhi hui. Yreneus lib. 5. aduersus hereses knot of his loue he wolde that we shulde be also of hys fleshe and bones as saynt Paule sayeth we are membres of hys bodye and of hys fleshe and bones And thys mooste blessed vnion and incorporation we do attayne onely as I said by eatyng of his very body dryn
kynge of hys very bloode in the blessed sacrament wherewyth he feadeth and norysheth vs. ✿ Yreneus that holy and auncient wryter recordeth also wyth vs in thys matter in hys fyft boke aduersus hereses where he speaketh very manifestly of thys oure incorporacyon vnto Christ by receuyng the sacrameÌ„t sayth The mengled cuppe the bread brokeÌ„ when they haue receyued the worde of God then be they made the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ Of the which body and bloode the substaunce of oure fleshe is augmented subsistent How can they deny that our fleshe is not partaker of the gyft of God which is eternall lyfe for as moche as oure fleshe is fedde wyth the bodye and bloode of Chryste and made the membre of hym euen as the appostle sayth in the epistle vnto the Ephesians We are the meÌ„bres of his bodye of hys fleshe of hys bones Se now good cristiane how this holy catholyke and verye auncient wryter playnly affirmeth wyth apostle Paule that our fleshe is fedde wyth the bodye and bloode of our sauiour Christe by that we are made the meÌ„bres of his bodye not spirituall membres onely but of hys fleshe and of hys bones Cyrel also shall recorde wyth vs whyche affirmeth the same wrytynge agaynst a certayne heretyke Cyrillus in Ioh. 15 vppon the .xv. of saynt Ioh. ✿ We do not denie saith he that we by trewe fayth syncere charitie are vnyted and knytte to Christ But that we haue no maner of coniunction wyth hym corporally that we vtterly denye and that sayinge is besydes and contrarye to all scripture For who euer doubted Christ to be in suche sorte the vyne tre that we be brauÌ„ches which receiue lyfe thereby Herke euen the same of Paule We are all one bodye sayth he in Christe and though we be many yet in hym we are but one for we do ê‘take all one breade Dothe he thynke that we knowe not the power of the mysticall blessynge the whyche is done or receyued amonge vs Dothe it not cause Christe corporally to dwel in vs by the coÌ„munion or coÌ„men receauynge of Christes fleshe Wherfore els be the meÌ„bres of christen men the membres of Christe Knowe you not fayth he that out meÌ„bres be the membres of Christ shall I make then the membres of Christ the membres of an harlot God for byd Oure sauiour also sayth Ioh. 6. He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloode dwelleth in me in I him In eodem ✿ Thys is the wytnes of Cyril Wherein you here playnely how that he sydes the spirituall coniunction of vs vnto Christ as his membres by fayth and by charyte there is a another vnyon by the whych Christ is ioyned and vnytyd vnto vs corporally and we are made here by the membres of hym corporally A similitude of ware where by Cyrill proueth the corporall coniunction of vs vnto the naturall bodye of Christe Crysosto in IoheÌ„n Home 46 And yet Cyrill sayth moreouer ✿ Wherfore we must consyder that Christ is not in vs spiritually onelye by charite But also he is in vs by a certayne naturall and corporall particypatyon For lyke as yf a man shulde take waxe and melt it and myngle the same wyth other waxe melted ther shulde be made but one ware of them bothe euen so by receauynge of the body and blod of christ he is in vs and we in him Vnto the same subscrybeth Crysostome vpoÌ„ IohnÌ„ ✿ After that he had sayd that we are one bodye wyth hym and the membres of hys bodye and of hys fleshe and of hys bones he layde the reason thereof by and by sayng By cause that we myght be conuerted and tourned not onely by loue into his flesh but in very dede that same is done brought to effecte by the meate whiche he hath geuen vnto vs. And by cause he wolde set forthe or declare vnto vs his iÌ„tyre loue He by his own body hath miÌ„gled him selfe with vs. ✿ How playne a thinge is thys to confyrme our sentence or sayng For he sayth that the meate that Chryst gaue vnto vs that is the body of Christe in the blessed sacrameÌ„t is that same where by he hath mengled hym selfe with vs And that same maketh vs one body corporally wyth hym Not onelye spiritually for that doth faythe and charitye cause but by this we are made membres of hys body and of hys bones Hereby this we are may perceiue that be sydes the spirituall coniuncyon whyche faythe and charytie causeth and therby maketh vs spirituall membres of hys mysticall body howe necessary it is to be knyt also vnto christ corperally by the eatyng of his body in the blessed sacrament Whereby we do not only participall Christ spiritually for so do we partake Christ as ofte as we with perfect faythe and charitie remembre the deathe of Christe But also we do partake Christes fleshe corporally and verely we be come the membres of hys bodye and be of hys fleshe and of hys bones And in thys poynte we are in better state and in more blessed coÌ„dytyon then were the people vnder the former lawes eather of nature eyther of Moyses Thoughe the fayth full and holy amonge them were in graffed and knyt vnto Christes mystycall bodye as all other are that retayneth perfect faythe and charytye wythout receyuyng of the sacrament yet none of them dyd partake the very fleshe and bloode of Christe For as yet the eternall and omnipotent worde was not in fleshe But bycause these faythefull people beleued that thys fleshe shulde come and be theyr redemptyon by there faythe they receaued and dyd spiritually eate thys fleshe and where thereby partakers of the merytes thereof and so counyted and knyt vnto Christes mysticall bodye as membres spirituall thereof Christ had a mysticall bodye before that he toke vpon hym oure nature and he hathe now also by hys incarnatyon a naturall bodye And nowe he hathe two bodyes a spirituall body or a mystycall body also a natural body It was sufficieÌ„t to saluacioÌ„ befor his death passioÌ„ by fayth charite to apê‘taine to be knyt vnto his mystycal body so to partake hys merytes But nowe out sauiour Christe sayth vnto all of sufficient age and discretion hauynge no impediment Ioh. 6. ✿ Except that you eate my fleshe drynke my bloode you can haue no lyfe in you So that nowe we muste be connexed and ioyned not onely vnto hys spirituall mysticall bodye but also vnto hys naturall body by the corporall receyuynge and eatynge of the same fleshe and bloode There in as I haue sayde standeth the great worthynes preferment and dygnitie of the table of Christe aboue the table of Moyses For Moyses set on his table onely the myraculous breade Manna the fygure of Christes bodye But Christ setteth before vs vpon hys table the reall and verye presens of hys natural bodye and bloode Theophi in IoheÌ„z Quomodo inquit noÌ„