selues which are represeÌ„ted therby But why wil they not grauÌ„t the same thinges of the bread if it remain in yâ— sacrameÌ„t yâ— it shal not be worshipped it selfe but those things which the same bread doth note signifie ThaÌ„ further I prai you whi did they by the like reasoÌ„ reproue take a wai the accideÌ„tes also lest peradueÌ„ture the same accideÌ„tes might apere to be worshiped praied to in the sacrameÌ„tâ— But peradueÌ„ture they wil excuse this matter sai yâ— no maÌ„ wil worship yâ— accideÌ„tes in yâ— sacrameÌ„t wheras we al do very wel know that the pictursâ— images which thei stil suffer worship in their churches are nothinge but accidentes nether before which thei bow knele down to worship theÌ„ For and if they longed to do worshyppe to the substaunce of woode or of stone and not to the accideÌ„tes they mighte fynde euery where in the woodes and in the streates store inoughe of stockes stones to worshyppe and praye vnto Further the plaine and rude and ignoraunt people haue no suche learnynge nor knoweledge that they can iudge nor discerne or put anye difference betwene the schole termes of Accidentes and Substaunce And these men that feygne theim selues to be moued wyth suche greate and hole zeale in thys matter for auoydinge thys Idolatrie should haue done very well to haue made a transubstantiation of the cuppe selfe too leste peraduenture the cuppe myght chaunce to be worshypped and prayed vnto whan it is lifted vp aboue the priestes heade shewed And truly thys argumente hath euer semed vnto me a veray slender a vayn argumeÌ„t though in dede it be obiected of schole doctours yea and such schoole doctours as be of no small name The fift reason auoided that was made for traÌ„substaÌ„ciatioÌ„ It was further argued agaynste vs that except we graunte and put a traunsubstantiation there shal in thys sacramente two natures or substauÌ„ces of bodilye quantitye be putte togyther at one tyme and in one place Who woulde not maruaile to see these men to be of suche holines and confidence towardes ladye Nature and of such hygh reuerence as though they woulde not by theyr wylles in anye poynt breake or violate hyr lawes Where as yet they wilnedes haue certayne accidentes to hange by them selues and to be without anye subiecte of materiall substaunce which thinge is most of all others contrarye to the course lawes and ordre of nature and yet neuertheles they do not by this their folishe deuise and imagination escape or auoyde the inconuenience whiche they mooste feare For whan they leaue the accidentes remaynynge there is of necessitie a bodye emiddes the same accidentes whyche body vndoubtedlye perteyneth to quantitie and can not be withoute a quantitie and bignes and doeth without doubte fill a rowme and a place And where they will neades haue that the fleshe of Christe is bodily there presente wythal whych bodye of Christe hath also a quantitie and bygnesse and that the sayde bodie of Christe muste lye there as a thinge hydden vnder the accidentes they can not chose but remediles consounde and mengle togither sondry thynges of quantitye and do mengle togither two bodies hauynge their seuerell quantities But folowynge oure sentence and determiâ—ation that we shall putte in thys matter there is no daunger nor perill of anye suche folyshe and vnreasonable inconuenience The auoydinge of the seuenth reason brought in to confiâ—me establishe transubstantiation They sayde further that it was not semynge nor fitte for the dignitie of Christe that hys body should be ioygned and annexed to the substauÌ„ce of breade whiche is a verye fonde and a folyshe try flynge opinion For wee dooe not saye that there is made one essensuall thynge of the bodye of Christe and of nature of the bread in such sort as of the diuine nature the humayne nature in Christ ther is made one person nor we can not perceiue what greater dignitie or hygher prerogatiue there should be in the accidentes theÌ„ ther is in the bread So that if the body of Christ shoulde be put to be in the sacramentes wyth the accidentes as they would haue it we see no cause or reason whye the same bodye of Christe may not euen as wel stand togyther and remayne with the substaunce and nature of breade And for as muche as the diuine nature of Christe is sayed and affirmed to be euen in hell by hys power without any losse or derogation of hys dignitye and for as muche as thys same bodye of Christ as them selues thyncke and holde is geuen trulye and substaÌ„ciallye to the wicked sorte also to be receiued and eaten of theym beinge men mooste corrupte and moste vnworthy to receyue it Whye dooe they so greatelye feare the dymynishynge of hys dignytye in case it so were that the bodye and bloude of Christe shoulde be ioygned to the breade and wyne speciallye seynge that the ioygninge and knittynge togyther for a signification or betokenynge of the thinge ought to be putte and appoynted therein An aâ—swere to the eight â—eason that the traÌ„substaÌ„tiatours alledge for their purpose They made also an other reason or argument coÌ„cernynge oblation and sacrifiynge of it For the bodye and bloude of Christe saye they are offered vp in the masse that if there shoulde be no suche mutation nor transubstanciationâ— than shal we offer vp nought but the signification and shadow of the body What sacrficeis in thâ— supper of the Lorde But here shall Ciprian make answere for vs and shall satisfye them at large who in the seconde booke and thyrde Epistle to Ceciliusâ— sayeth that it is the passion of Christe that wee offer vppe at the Lordes Supper And who is so rude so grosse or so ignoraunt that he doeth not knowe the passion of Christe not to be nowe presente in the handes of the minister for as muche as it was a thynge done and paste long sence Wherof there is at this supper a memoriall celebrabrated and kepte and thanckes are geuen to God for the same But all that euer they laye for theym selues as a cloke in thys argument is but a thyng feigned and a veraye lye by the whyche they deuise and imagine the very sonne of God trulye and substanciallye and veraylye to be sacrificed and offered vp to the father by the priest and minister In whyche matter howe wyde they are howe farre they swerue from the trueth there is no place at thys presente tyme to shewe Nowe haue wee to declare to shewe that all that they dyd after thys brynge in and obiecte agaynst vs out of the sayinges and testimonies of the fathers as coÌ„trarye to oure purpose and opinion An answere to the argument that the schoolemen aledge for their tâ—aÌ„suâ—stanciation oute of the doctors doth in very dede make nothynge at all agaynste vs. But before I come to the expoundynge of them I intende to speake diuerse thynges in the waye
knolege and a token of his owne propre nature because they be two distincte natures and vnconfounded forlyke as before yâ— bread is sanctifyed we call it breade but whan the diuine grace hath sanctified it the priest beeyng minister it is deliuered from the name of bread and is couÌ„pted worthy the name of the Lordes bodye althoughe the nature of bread hath styl remained in it and it is called not two bodies but one body of the sonne in lykewise this diuine constitution the nature of the bodye adioyned the two bothe together make on sonne and one persone Hesechius in the twentieth booke vpon the eighte chapitur of Leuitici commaundyng fleashe sayth he for this cause to be â—aten with breade Hesechius that we might vnderstandeâ— that he meaned that mysterie whiche is bothe breade and fleashe Gelasius Gelasius ageynst Entichetes wryteth that the substance and nature of breade and wyne doeth not ceasse to bee in the sacrament of the Lordes supper called Eucharistia and he maketh a comparison of this sacramente with Christe in whome remayneth the diuine and humain nature both the natures beyng hole and perfect as in this Sacrament do remaine the nature of breade and the bodye of Christe Gregorius Gregorie in his registre sayeth as well whan we receyue vnleauened breade as leauened we bee made one body of the Lorde our Sauiour Bertram Bartram in his booke of the bodye and bloude of the Lorde sayeth of the nature of the signes Looke what they wer as concernyng the substaunce of the creatures before the consecration the same they continue also afterwardes Bernarde in his sermon of the supper of the Lord Bernarde doeth make a manifeste similitude of a ringe whereby a manne doeth receyue either the promesse of Matrimonie or the possession of any dignitie as it is vsed in makyng of Byshoppes whereas the ryng or croasier staffe or Rotchet be signes or tokens of the thinges whiche are geuen or graunted and yet thei bee no vayne signes for thei do moste surely bringe with them the thynges that they signifie the whiche same thynge also he declareth to be dooen in the Sacramentes Nowe muste we answere to the argumentes of these menne where with thei gooe aboute to proue their transubstantiation And as concernyng the first we aunswere that Christ did promisse vs his fleashe or his bodye and bloude to be our meate and dryncke and that in the sixth Chapitur of Ihon whiche thing he dooeth as ofte as we dooe truelye beleue that he dyed for vs he dyd also perfourme the same whan at his laste Supper he ordeyned this Sacramente for he ioygned the sygnes to that spirituall eatyng But they dyd most chiefelye and principally laye agaynste vs this sentence This is my bodye aboute the veritie of whiche sayinge is nowe all oure controuersie but all oure contencion consisteth in this onelye poyncte howe and in what mannier it is his bodye for bothe partes that is to weete as well oure aduersaries as we dooe holde that it is a true proposicion or sentence And all oure contencion and striefe is onelye aboute the sense or meanynge of it Thei saye it is a playne sentence we on the other syde put them in remembraunce of that whiche Augustine teacheth in his booke entitled de doctrina Christiana that is of ChristiaÌ„ doctrine Where he saieth that one place must not be so expouned that it be contrarie to manye other but rather so as it agree with manye others Neither muste we euermore allege the plainenes of the sentence and stande altogether vpon the woordes for than where it is sayed Leate vs make man after our Image and lykenesse The heritiques named Anthropomorphita Anthropomorphitae A kinde of heritiques that affirmed god to haue a bodely substauÌ„ce or beeing shape as we haueâ— do by by aryse and make an argumente that God hathe a bodye and a soule and other membres as we se to be in mans bodye Thou sayest in thys behalfe that this similitude or lykenes of maÌ„ to God the image of god muste be referred to the mynd or soule of man wherby man hath rule ouer all other Creatures lyke vnto God but the sayde heritiques wyll saye againe that these thynges are there in playne wordes wrytten of manye and that thou doest in vayne go about to applye that whyche is written of the whole man to the one parte onelye that is to wete to the soule or mind Thou alledgeste agayne that Gâ—d is a spirite and that a spirite hath no fleshe bones and â—o thou gathereste the sence of thys one place oâ—te of other places of scripture In lyke maner the Arians sayde that they hadde the playne and cleare sence of thys place of scripture Some senteÌ„ce in scripture whiche seme moste playne in woordes muste not alwayes be vnderstaÌ„ded without soÌ„e interpretacion My father is greater then I Thou dost apply this saying onely to the humayne nature of Christ bycause that in other places of the scripture the godheade of Christe is declared and playnelye taught as in the fyrste chapter of Iohn in the ninthe chapter of the epistle to the Romains and in the fyrst Chapter of the first epistle of sainte Iohn Also Christ sayeth In expouning of one place aâ— eie must be had vnto other places of scripâ—ure He that hath no swerd let hym bye him one in whyche wordes it semeth that he prouoketh men to auengemente But if ye haue an eye to other places ye shall see that it is figuratelye spoken Saincte Paule hath this sayinge Pray ye without intercession or ceassing And anone ther started vp a kynde of heritiques called Euchite Euchitae a kinde of heritiques coÌ„cerninge prayer whyche thought that we ought to vse continual prayers neuer ceasyng to murmure then wher as yet it is sayde in an other place He that hathe not care of them that belonge to hym specially of such as be of hys houshold hath renounced the fayth is worsse then an infidell And againe Let al thinges be done in ordre in an other place he that laboureth not let him not eate Also a certeine secte of Heretiques named Chiliastae that is to say Chiliastae a kinde of Heretiques a certaine secte that taught how Christ should reigne a thousand yeares This secte thought that they had the moste euident word of god that coulde bee for theyr opinion in the Reuelacion of Ihon in the twentieth chapitur of these thousande yeares in the whiche Christe should reigne with his And the SabelliaÌ„s did hold that there was no difference of personnes betwene the father and the soonne Sabellians another sect of Heretiâ—ues and that same thei did of this place I and the father bee one and also of this place Philip he that seeth me seeth the father also And againe As I doe remayne in the father so doeth the father remaine in me these places thei said wer plain places sayinges
a transubstanciacion take a similitude sayeth he of the outward voyce or woorde that a man dooeth speake of talke that is made by sounde of the ayer Unto what soeuer persones suche woordes dooe come it conteineth and hath wyth it hys owne propre sense and menyng But if it come to men of good vnderstaÌ„dyng thesame dooe heare it wyth some profit for they dooe well perceiue the thynges that are spoken But in case it come to the vnlearned and to men that lacke knowelage it dooeth neuerthelesse beare wyth it the ê“pre sense of the wordes but yet it is wythout any profit to the hearer because he is not a man of capacitee to vnderstande it Thys man lacketh here for hys argumente the woordes beare theyr sense and menyng wyth theÌ„ but he dooeth not marke that the sense is not included or enwrapped really as the terme is in the sonne or in the caractes of the lettres but onely by the waye of signifiyng Whyche self same thyng if it should bee sayed vnto hym of the breade and the wyne in the sacramentes that they offre vnto vs the bodye of Christe by the waye of signifiyng or betokenyng none other wyse he shal bee conuinced in hys owne similitude and comparison And by thesame also it is proued that the wyeked dooe not receiue the lordes bodye euen lyke as vnskilful or ignoraunt persones whan they heare talke in greke or latin dooe not perceiue the sense and menyng therof Wherupon conclude that there could not any thyng haue been spoken more strongly on our syde theÌ„ thys similitude of Algerius Thesame Algerius also in the fyrst chapitur of the second booke aduoucheth that the accidentes in thys sacramente dooe not veraily and truely susteme rottenesse or mouldryng away but onely that it so appereth vnto vs and yet is not so in dede whyche thyng euen the veray scholemen would not haue sayed For what other thyng is thys but to establishe a perpetual illusion and blyndyng of mannes senses Thus than we nede not muche to passe of Algerius though he labour by all meanes possible to ratifie and sette vp hys transubstanciacion We haue now traicted of the fyrst opinion and that at large For the sayd opinion of transubstanciacion remoued and taken away there shall there wyth also many supersticions bee taken away Of the other twoo opinions we shal not talke so muche at length For whether of theÌ„ bothe bee putte or affirmed we doee not so greatly passe so that it bee well vnderstanded as it should bee We shall at thys present onely shewe of them as ferre as we maye see iÌ„ it what we iudge mete to bee eschewed or to bee receiued in either of them There haue been many whiche haue reteined and kept still in the sacramente the substance of breade and wyne but they haue ioygned the bodye bloud of Christe wyth these materiall signes remainyng still in theyr owne natures these haue they ioygned together with a veray streight and fast knotte but yet as I trow not in suche sorte that of the boke beeyng so ioygned together there should bee made one substaunce or one nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet neuerthelesse they haue sayed that the bodye and bloud of Christe are present in the breade wyne really as they terme it bodyly and naturali Some others again haue ioygned them together onely by the waye of betokenyng Of these twoo determinacions the former is fathered vpon Luther the later vpon zwynglius Of the conteâ—cion betwene Luther and zwynglius albeeit I haue heard of persones right credible that neither Luther was in veray dede of so grosse an opinion in thys matâ—er nor zwynglius of so slendre and light a belief concernyng the sacramentes And theyr saiyng is that Luther bowed lened vnto phrases of speakyng by the figure hiperbole of whiche figure we haue afore noted and to suche phrases of speakyng as in the veray woordes did after a manier excede the trueth because he supposed that zwynglius and others mynded to stablishe the sacramentes to bee naked vain signes wheras zwynglius neuer went about any suche matier Yea zwynglius again on the other syde feared lesce Luther would putte suche thynges as might bothe bee derogatiue preiudicial to the trueth of the humain nature in Christ aâ—d also would enclose the bodye of Christe in breade whereby supersticion myght yet stil bee more and more nourished and therefore he semed more slendrely to geue honour to this sacrameÌ„te And thus did the contencion betwene them enkâ—endle more then was behoufful and was the cause of many great euils wheras yet neuerthelesse the contencion and strife was in veray dede about wordes rather then about the thyng self We shall therefore remoue our discoursing vpon these two opinions from the said two persones For we dooe not affirme that either zwynglius or els Luther wer of suche opinions as aboue saiâ—d but we shall onely examin the said sentences and opinions suche as they are carryed about and supposed to bee These persones whiche dooe so grossely ioygne the bodye of Christe wyth the outward and material signes to the ende that they maye the better wynde out of all entangleynges are woont to beyng in for theyr purpose two similitudes or comparisons The fyrst similitude is thys If one haue a potte or a pitcher ful of wyâ—e pronounce these woordes Thys is wyne he shal make no lye at all because he â—â—eweth the â—eraâ— wyne in dede conteined in the potte And euen lykewyse shal it bee if thou take a piece of glowyng iron and shewyng foorth the fyâ—â— thou saie these woordes This is fyer there shal iÌ„ this case no thing agaiâ—st reasoÌ„ bee spokeÌ„ or ê“nouÌ„ced of thee And eueÌ„ so do these men saye that it is to bee vnderstaÌ„ded that the lorde saiethâ— This is my bodye and so dooe they manifestely admitte yeâ—â—ope or â—iguratiue manier of speakyng called Synecdothe of which also we haue dâ—clared afore For whan they shewe the thyng whyche theimselfes suppose to bee compouned that is to saye made of two sondrie partes as in thys sacrament of breade and of Christes bodye c. it is not a true proposicion or clause to saye Thys is the bodye of Christe but as touchyng the one parte of the thyng that is shewed forth in syght Yet neuerthelesse it is to bee knowen that these similitudes or comparisons are not taken of these men as though they wer of the opinion that they dooe in all pointes or all manier of wayes agree wyth the thyng that the comparison is made by for theimselfes dooe earnestely affirme and reasoÌ„ that Christe is not thâ—re present locallye that is to saye after suche sorte as thynges are commonly in places conuenient for theyr likenesse and quantitee but onely diffinitiuely that is to saye by the waye of determinacion and assignemente whyche they vnderstande than to bee so whan a thyng is encompaced wyth the measure and
and lyued in Cyrilles tyme was in the counsell kept at Ephesus and CalceÌ„donie and was estemed for a man of excellent learnyng and a man of wonderfull eloquence And where as in the counsell holden at Ephesus there be fell a variaunce betwixte Iohn the Patriarke of Antioche and Cyrill the Byshop of Alexandria Thys Theodoritus semed to leaue to the Patriarke of Antioche but that variaunce was taken vp and pacified and set at an ende euen in that counsell And then afterwarde at the counsell of Calcedonie the sayde Theodoritus was acknowledged and demed aÌ„ maâ— singulerly well learned and an holy membre of Christes churche Yea and in the bookes whyche he wrote Nestorius an heritike he dothe of sette purpose resiste Nestorius and writeth agaynste him by name The boke was printed at Rome And the Papistes for as much as they haue espied that he is moste playnelye agaynste transubstanciation they haue excused him two waies Fyrste that the churche had not as yet in his time determined this matter as thoughe we did searche what the Pope with hys Cardinals haue decreed either at Constaunce or in the counsell where Beringatius was condempned and not rather what was bothe preached and taught also beleued in the olde church Secondelye they excuse Theodoritus and saye that in writing against the heritikes whan he traicted of mysteries he leaned some what to muche the other waye agaynste transubstantiation to thys intent and purpose that hys aduersaries mighte the better and the more effectuallye be confuted But howe triflynge an excuse thys is it maye very well appeare of the whole sequell of thys wryters processe in hys wrytynge where as one maye â—â—e not the scape of a word or twaine but the whole argumente and pythe of the mattier to be fette and to be taken oute of the nature of a Sacramente so that if ye mengle transubstanciation therewyth all the matter canne be broughte to no conclusion on hys parte but contrarywyse the heritykes should wynne the whole victorye They alledge furthermore that he speaketh sumetime verye honourablye and reuerentelye of the sacramente in thys same boke But if ye loke it all thorowoute he neuer speaketh so honourablye or so reuerentelye of it that he is anye thyng agaynste thys sentenâ—e whiche we do here holde Hys boke is a disputation agaynst suche persons as denye that Christe had a true bodye and do saye that hys bodye in the tyme of hys ascention was all togyther chaunged into a diuine nature Firste he bringeth in for his purpose the prophecy of the aunciente Patriarke Iacob out of the .xlix. Chapter of Genesis to the ende that he might therby make him selfe awaye to bringe his argumentes oute of the sacramentes And his wordes ben these But for the better and more plainer declaration of the matter I the translatour haue thought necessarie to admonish the good christian reader to vnderstand to note yâ— the purpose of Theodoritus is to proue that the body of Christ as it is nowe in heauen raignynge in the glorye of hys father is hys verye true and naturall bodye and the same bodye whyche he hadde whan he was conuersaunte here on earth in hys manhoode and that the same bodye remaynethe euen styll and euer shall do in the same his verye true nature of manhoode that it than hadde and is not chaunged into the nature and substaunce of hys godheade For euen at those dayes some heritiques did beginne to deuise and to write of Christe that after hys resurrection and ascention hys manhoode was now chaunged into his godhead and was no longer a natural bodye so that he was not now both god man sayde they but God onelye for as muche as by rysynge frome deathe to lyfe and by ascending into heauen he hadde ouercomed al corruptebilitie and hadde cast of all earthlinesse of hys natural body and of his manhoode And the wordes are written in Theodoritus in maner and forme of a dialoge betwene a good Christian maÌ„ beyng of right opinioÌ„s in matters of religioÌ„ whoÌ„ we shal here at thys tyme cal by the name of Orthodoxus as the auctoure doeth and a Compaigâ—ion of hys beynge as it were an Heritique or miscreaunte whome wee shall here for thys presente call by the name of Aduersaries to the trueth and thus do they talke togyther Theodoritus as hereafter foloweth he washed hys stole in wyne and hys garmente in the bloude of the grape Ortho. Doest thou know that God called bread his own body Ad. Yea I know it very wel Ortho. Dost thou know also that in an other place againe he called his body wheat corne Aduer Yea I knowe that too euen verye well For I haue heard that he sayde The houre is come that the sonne of man muste be glorified And except the wheate corne being caste downe into the earth do there dye it remayneth it self alone but if it dye it bringeth forth muche frute Orthod Trulye in the very geuing and deliuerynge of the mysteries he called the breade hys body and the cup he called hys bloud Aduer In dede so did he name it Orthod But euen a body after nature too that is to saye hys owne bodye his bloude might it haue bene so called Aduer It is a playne matter to graunte Orthod Yea and trulye our sauiour hym selfe chaunged the names and gaue to hys bodye the name of the sygne and to the sygne the name of hys bodye And in the same maner whan he hadde called him selfe a vyne he called the verye sygne by the name of hys bloude Aduersa In dede that worde hath thou spoken verye truly And I woulde fayne learne the cause too whye he so chaunged the names Ortho. That is an open marke to knowe vnto all suche as are entred to be partakers of oure holy sacramentes For his wyll was that suche as wer partakers of the heauenly mysteriesâ— should not haue respect to the nature of the thynges whiche thei see but that by the chaungyng of the names thei should beleue the alteracion whiche is made through grace For the same Christe whiche called his naturall bodye a wheate corne and breade also named hymself a vyne the selfe same Christ honoured the visible â—ignes with the name of his bodye aâ—d bloude not chaungyng the nature of the thynges but geuyng grace vnto the nature of them Aduers In dede the mysâ—icall thynges wer mystically spoken And now hath it been of thee clerely expouned and opened that is not knowen to all folkes Orthodoâ— Forasmuche therfore as he openly protesteth the Lordes bodye to be called of the Patriarche Iacob in the olde testamente both a stoole and a garmente and we are now entred into a talke of the heauenly mysteries Tell me plainly and truely whereof thynkest thou that same most holy meate to be a signe and a figure whether of the verai godhead of Christe our Lorde or els rather of his body and bloud Aduer Truly of these same verai
of scripture that the same made for theÌ„ The Ebionites did take Christe to be a creature only Hebionitâ—s an other secte of heriques sayd that this saying god my god why hast thou leaft or forsaken me could be none otherwise vnderstanded for God sayed they dooeth neuer leaue ne forsake himselfe And of thys sentence written in the sixte of Iohn He that eateth my fleshe dryncketh my bloude shall not dye for euer Manye sayde that it folowed that those whych dyd once come lawfullye to the communion coulde not peryshe for euer The whyche erroure saynte Austen in hys boke entituled De ciuitate dei that is of the Cytye of God doeth clearelye reproue Also the wordes of the canticles whych are entitled Cantica canticorum â— if ye take theÌ„ as they sounde in wordes at the firste apprearaunce they are but songes or ballades of loue or maryage Songes We must not therfore alwayes alledge the plainenes of the words go no further Christ saith He that hath eares to hear let him hear and he that readeth let him vnderstand Neyther is it conueniente by and by to take the fyrste sence that sheweth or offreth it selfe without regardynge or considerynge and conferryng of other places wyth it Christe sayde to hys Apostles Beware of the leuen of the Phariseis The Apostles by and by thoughte that he hadde spoken of breade where as Christe spake of theyr doctrine He sayed also Lazarus our frende slepethe Here dyd the Apostles slepe also and sayde If he slepe he shall do well inoughe recouer agayne where as Christe spake of hys death The Lorde sayeth in an other place Destroye you thys temple and in three dayes I shall builde it vp agayne neyther dyd the Apostles vnderstande that he spake of hys bodye He that kepeth my commaundementes shall not dye for euer And here also dyd the Iewes thynke that he spake of the bodilye deathe Necodemus dyd grosselye vnderstande the newe generation byrthe that Christe spake of Neither was the Samaritane woman anye thing lesse deceyued aboute that matter whyche Christ promised hyr The Hebrues also were deceyued whan Christe sayde vnto them Abraham did se my dayes and did reioyce Let theim not therefore saye euermore vnto vs thys scripture is plaine This is my body for we answere theÌ„ that it is plaine as coÌ„cerning the significatioÌ„ of the wordes But the sence of the words is not plaine as apeareth in such other like seÌ„teÌ„ces as these Christe is a stone Christe is a lambe Ye are the bodies of Christe Wee though we be many ar one bread one body Al these be the wordes of god we may saye of theym that they be playne and that they be euident and yet none of theÌ„ al proueth transubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ Wherefore there is no cause why the plainnes of the wordes shoulde so muche be alleged We muste of other places of scripture and of the circumstaunces wel consider what is in thys mattier mente aud intended We wyl therfore expoune this proposition somwhat depelye repetynge the matter from the bottome God was wyllynge to drawe man vnto hym wyth large and greate promises as that he woulde make him happye and blessed And bycause he knewe oure beleuynge herte he woulde that there shoulde be manye benifites of hys shewynge towardes mankind remayne and appeare in memorie whereby he might allure and drawe man vnto hym Wherefore he dyd not onelye giue all creatures vnto man but also in the tyme of the floude he deliuered our kinde whiche hadde full euyll deserued it from the destruction of the water To Abraham he declared hym selfe very fauorable and louinge To Isaac also to Iacob his sonnes sonne He prospered their stocke whan they were oppressed he deliuered them and gaue them a fruitefull contrye to dwell in and promoted them to the dignitie of kynges and priestes and yet were they continually men of a harde beliefe and did not perfectelye thincke that God owed them good wyll Wherefore for their infidelitie he cast them oute into diuers captiuities agayne manye sondrye tymes he deliuered them In conclusion to the entente that there shoulde be no place lefte of doubtinge of hys goodnesse he gaue them the greateste and highest benefite of al benefites that is to wete hys sonne takynge on him our fleshe that he shoulde dye on the crosse for oure healthe saluation the whiche benefite was suche and so greate that Paule to the Romaynes sayeth howe hath he not geueÌ„ vs al thinges with his soÌ„ne And than lefte thesame so greate and so hyghe a benefite should any more bee forgotten his wil and pleasure was that it should euermore nowe and than bee renewed in this sacrament of thankes geuyng to then tente that we should continually by faith thinke in our myndes that Christ was geueÌ„ by his father to death and that by the beleuyng thereof we shoulde eate his fleashe and drincke his bloud whiche thing to th enteÌ„t that it might the more effectually bee dooen the signes of bread and wyne were ioygned vnto it whiche should more earnestly moue vs then bare woordes alone had been wont to dooe Therfore whan he saith This is my body he vnderstoode none other thing than he promised in the sixthe of Iohn whan he sayed I am the bread of life he spake of himself as concernyng his body and fleashe deliuered to death or rather that should afterward be deliuered as plainly appereth by his woordes Neither ment he eny other thyng but that these thinges shoulde be vnto vs breade and meate wherwith our solles might be comforted and coÌ„firmed and by the mynde or solle the body also should be confyrmed and so consequentlye all the whole man Christ therfore at his last supper meÌ„t nor went about nothyng els but turned and sette the woordes of his former saying one in anothers place and lyke as afore he had sayde his bodye and fleashe to be bread so now placyng the wordes in the contrary ordre and shewyng forth the bread he saieth that the bread is his body And whyle he pronouÌ„ced these woordes This is my body it was eueÌ„ as much as if he should haue sayed My body receiued by feith shall be vnto you in stede of breade and shall bee lyke as it wer bread wherewith ye maie be spiritually fed and nourished Leat therfore the sence and plaine meaning be this I geue you breade to eate and in the meane tyme I propoune and set foorthe vnto you my body which shall bee nailed vpon the crosse that ye maye with feithefull remembraunce and with moste attentiue mynde spiritually eate thesame with youre selues and that as ye eate breade with your body so ye maye eate my fleashe with your solle What canne there bee either more easie or more clere and plaine to vnderstand then this interpretacion and exposicion or that maye better agree with the promise whiche oure Lorde Iesus Christ made vnto vs in the sixthe chapitur of Ihon
godhede of Chryste is euery where Yet will we not attribute the same to hys bodye in hys humanytee And this dooeth Austen moste plainly teache in an epistle of his to one Dardanus And as touching that whyche is alleged out of the thyrde chapitur of Iohn the same Austen dooeth interprete and expoune it that it must be vnderstanded of his deuine nature that the soonne of man was in heauen Neither dooeth Chrysostome take it any other wyse whan he expoundeth thys place For he affyrmeth that to bee in heauē is not alttributed vnto the sonne of man but according to this most excellent nature of the godhed But how weake thys argumente is that these twoo natures are ioygned together ergo what so euer is graunted to the one must olso bee altributed to the other maye bee well shewed and proued by other argumentes The bodye or balle of the sunne that shyneth in the skye the lyght of the same sunne haue betwene them selues a naturall and a moste high coniunctyon and yet the same bodye of the sunne dooeth not really and verayly reache to al places that the light dothe extende it self vnto Item the bodye or substaunce of our yie and the sight of thesame are verai nere coupled and knitte together and yet for al that our sight cometh and reacheth to many thynges whyche our bodily yie doeth not extende it self vnto Thei argue furthermore that many thinges ought to be geuen graunted attributed to the body of Chryste a boue the cōmon course cōdyciōs of other bodies And that for two causes partely because it is glorified partely for that it hath the word ioygned vnto it For aunswer wherof we confesse that many thīges must be attributed confessed of it but as for this that it should be euery wher can not bee attributed vnto it wythout preiudice of the nature of a true humayn and naturall bodye And in case we shoulde graunte somuche vnto Chrystes humayn bodye it should not make fore hys dygnytee but rather quyte and clene to the derogacyon and destructyon of it For than shoulde he bee as it wer thruste oute and depriued frō his true nature Furthermore thissame coulde make but litle for our aduersaires purpose in this matier For although we should graūt that the body of Christe might haue this prerogatiue to bee in manye places at once Yet shoulde it not folow that God wil so doe in this sacrament Yet ferther they laboure and trauaile to proue this corporall presence of Christe in the Sacrament by the similitude of a teacher that readeth a lecture to an audience who in that that he maie extende his woordes to many hearers doeth also in thē cōmunicate and vtter vnto all his hearers and audience all that lyeth in his mynde to vtter vnto them so that all the sayde audience euery one of them maye fully and perfectly vnderstande the botome of his hert as well one as another In lyke manier say they doeth our lorde in the wordes that are pronounced ouer the Sacrament He dooeth as it were enwrappe his bodye in them that by the same it maye be conueyghed vnto all those signes or cakes of breade and maye so bee communicated and distributed vnto all the receyuers thereof howe manye soeuer bee of them If therefore suche a gyfte or power saye they bee geuen and graunted to a scholemaister or a preacher beyng but an yearthly and a mortall man why shall not thesame bee muche more geuen to Christe But in this comparison is a righte greate dyuersitie oddes And besides that also as we haue sayed before the woordes dooe not carye nor conueyghe thynges nor dooe not conueyghe the conceites of the mynde to the hearers but onely by the waye of signifyinge and betokenyng And where as they goe aboute afterwardes to establishe and confyrme that the bodye of Christe is in all places by the fyrste chapitur of the Epistle to the Ephesians where it is sayed that Christ is made the heade of the Churche whiche is his body the fulnesse of him that fylleth all in all thinges The Greke wordes bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. is of no force at all to this purpose For there it is not signifyed ne ment that the bodye of Christe filleth all thynges and is in all places as they doe bryng in and conclude vpon it But because the significaciō of this Greke word or participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is indifferente to bee taken twoo manier of wayes for it is a verbe common as the Gramarians call it that is to say of suche nature that it may signifye eyther dooyng or sufferyng as ye lust For ye maye chose whether ye will take it and Englishe it fillyng or els beyng fylled If ye Englishe it beynge fylled than shall the sense and menyng of it bee that Christe beeyng the heade of the churche is in his membres made full and perfect in all poyntes not that he is made perfecte on his owne behalfe for he is bothe perfeicte and full enough as touchyng hymselfe but it is to be vnderstanded that he is fulfylled and made perfeyct as touchyng vs that are his bodye and his membres For as the heade is cōpared vnto Christe he called the heade euen so is the congregation called the fulnesse of Christe because it fulfylleth and maketh vp his mysticall body But if ye Englishe it fyllynge than shall the sense bee that Christe is the heade of his Chuche because he fylleth and maketh perfeicte his gyftes vertues in all his membres Neyther can the sense bee that he is in all places after his humanitee And I thynke that the same maye well be proued by the scriptures For Christe dooeth manifeste saye and graunte that Lazarus dyed while he was absente from thence That yf the aduersaries wyll contende that he hadde not at that tyme a glorifyed bodye Chris◠as touchinge his manhoode is not in euery place it maketh not muche to the matier For he had neuerthelesse the god head ioygned vnto his bodye But to putte the mattier out of all doubtes the Aungell euen after his resurrection sayed vnto the weomen he is arisen he is not here And agayne he shall goo before you into Galilee And agayn he was taken vp out of their sight whan he ascended into heauen Therfore he filleth not all thynges neither is he in al places after his humanitee Thei are woont also to allege a place out of the fourth chaptur to the Ephesians He that came downe is euen the same also that ascēded vp euen aboue all heauens to fullyll all thynges Which place for all that proueth nothyng agaynst vs and it is exponnded two manier of wayes Fyrste that to fulfyll all thynges bee referred to al those thynges which were prophecied and wryten of Christe whereof a litell before he rehearsed a scripture saying he is gon vp on high and hath led captiuitie captiue and hath geuen giftes vnto menne And