of senseis whiche conflicte if we proceade to continue our faith by soche exercise shall be perfected and in the ende by Gods mercie for this trauaill crowned Therfor that this crown maie be obteined God graunt all catholique people stronglie to cōtinue the fight of this battaill ād all Sacramētaries to leaue their carnall heresies and to come to this spiritual faith and battaill therof that they also with vs maie be crowned THE FOVRTETH CHAP. ENDETH THE EXPOsition of this text and so of the processe of the sixt of S. Iohn by Euthymius and Lira NOwe one coople mo and then we end this scripture and this processe of the sixt of sainct Iohn The coople shall be Euthymius and Lyra. Euthymius saieth thus Verba quae ego loquor In. 6. Joan. vobis spiritus vita sunt Spiritualia viuifica sunt Oportet namque non simpliciter ea intueri id est carnaliter intelligere sed aliud quippiā imaginari interrioribus oculis ea aspicere tanqā misteria Nā hoc est spiritualiter intelligere The woordes that I haue spokē to yowe are spirit and life that ys they are Spirituall vnderstanding what yt ys spirituall and quickning For we must not simplie heholde thē that ys carnallie to vnderstande but ymagen some other thinge and with the inwarde eies beholde these thinges as misteries For this ys spirituallie to vnderstand Thus he Ye maie perceaue thys authour still to proceade and continue in one maner of vnderstanding and allwaies declaring one spirituall maner of Chrystes flesh in misterie wher thinges maie not be taken as they appeare simplie but considering that they be misteries ther must be considered some other thing ther to be present which ys to be beholden not with the outwarde eye but with the inwarde eie whiche thing ys the verie bodie of our Sauiour Iesus Chryst by faith ther in verie dede as verilie to be beleued as the outwarde forme be by the senseis verilie to be seen All violent mocions saieth he Philosopher be slacke or slowe in the beginning and quicke in the ending so man violētly moued to vertuouse and godlie dedes goeth slacklie and slowlie in the beginning but whē he approcheth to the end he maketh moche spede to come to yt And euē so I miself drawing to the ende of the exposition of the matter of the Sacramēt by the sixt chapter of S. Iohn make hast to the ende as though bothe I in the writing ād the reader in the reading were violēly caried in this verteuouse worke ād businesse ād nowe as yt were with a natural desire runne hastilie to the ende Wherfor as I haue breiflie ouerpassed this last authour so will I his yockelowe which in this place ys Lira who saieth thus Verba quae ego locutus sum vobis Jn 6. Joan. de carne mea māducāda spiritus vita sunt quia spiritualē habēt intellectū nec mirū quia sunt à Spiritu sancto Ista tamē spiritualitas non est sic accipiēda quia caro Christi sit in sacramēto Eucharistiae tantū modò sicut in signo vt dixerūt aliqui haeretici quia est ibi realiter vt dictū est sed quia māducatur caro Christi in hoc Sacramēto quodd spiritualli modo in quantū species visibiles atterūtur comeduntur spiritus ex virtute Dei carni vnita reficitur The woordes whiche I haue spokē vnto yow of my flesh to be eaten they are spirit and life for they haue a spirituall vnderstanding And no merueill For they be of the holie Gost This spiritualitie for all that ys not so to be taken that the flesh of Chryst ys onely in the Sacrament as in a signe as certain heretiques did saie for yt ys ther reallie as yt ys saied but bycause the flesh of Chryst ys eaten after a certain spirituall maner forsomoche as the visible formes are bruised and eaten and the spirit by the power of God vnited to the flesh ys refreshed In this sentence of this authour ye see the spiritual maner of the flesh of Chryst in the Sacrament whiche the Sacramentaries had diuised plainlie reiected Reall presence called spirituall for diuerse causes as hereticall and the right spirituall maner taught which ys that the flesh of Chryst ys reallie vnder the formes of bread and wine ād so receaued Whiche maner of presence and receipt ys called spirituall for diuerse causes of the whiche this authour reciteth diuerse One ys that this presence of Chryst ys wrought by the holy Spirit of God And therfore as workes doen .1 by Gods Spiritt are called spirituall of the woorker so ys this being wrought by the holie Spirit called spirituall An other cause ys that the bodie of .2 Chryst although yt be verilie present yet yt ys not perceaued by anie corporall knowelege but onelie by the spirituall knowledg of faith Wherfore as all thinges not atteigned vnto by corporall knowledge but by spirituall are spirituall So ys this whiche as before ys saied ys by faith beleued but not of naturall knowledge comprehended An other cause this authour rehearseth .3 Whiche ys that our spirit by the vertue and power of God vnited to the slesh ys refreshed As the refection wher with the bodie ys refreshed ys a corporall refection so the refection of the spirit ys a spirituall refectiō Forasmoche then as our spirit ys by this meat refreshed yt ys a spirituall refection And in his last cause this authour toucheth an other cause whie yt ys spiritual though he do not so expresse yt And that ys by cause the powre and spirit of God whiche ys the Godhead ys vnited to this flesh which diuine Spirit so being vnited and made one with the flesh in the vnitie of person not in the vnitie of nature maketh this flesh a spirituall flesh though neuer the lesse yt be also the verie naturall flesh of man Nowe gentle Reader wher the Aduersaries wolde haue wrested and peruerted this chapter of S. Iohn to haue not ben vnderstāded of the Sacramēt whether they were obcecated and blinded through malice nowe iudge Heretiques maliciouse arrogant and impudent Whether also they were not arrogant whiche contemning the authoritie of so manie noble famouse and auncient Fathers as ye haue hearde nowe faith fullie alleaged wolde seke and procead most arrogantly to preferre their owne vain and false Commentes and gloses before the others expositions Whether also they were not impudent shamelesse yea and clean past shame that so boldie wolde commēd their lies to the people not onelie by their sermons but also to their continuall shame with their pennes in their bookes as a most substanciall and godlie trueth when so manie godlie and auncient wittnesses reclamed by their testimonies and conuinced them to be lies Wherfor nowe Reader being aduertised beware of them and learn as ye Doctrine flieng the comon receaued vnderstāding of the script ys to be suspectd haue
that we be all Theodidacti that ys to saie taught of God and of his Spirit so that yt shall not nede for one man to teache an other or for one to learn of an other Of whiche mynde this Aduersarie semeth also to be in that he woolde the scriptures shoulde be commō to all men Whiche doctrine yf yt were true then ys my pourpose here vain and superfluouse which ys to seke oute the true meening of the scriptures by the holie fathers and doctours Wherfore as a preamble to this rude worke I haue thought good to discusse and by discussion to make plain to the vnlearned Reader that the scriptures be obscure darke and harde to be vnderstāded and for that cause not of all men indifferentlie to be red Wherbie yt shall appeare that my pourpose shall be to good effecte And for the better cōpasing therof I minde to shewe to the vnlearned the waie to atteign to the true vnderstanding of the scriptures and that doen to proceade to my matter principallie intended And wher our cheif pourpose ys to treact of the blessed Sacrament this 1. Scriptures to be hard prooued by seuen argumentes 2. maie iustlie be the first argument that the controuersies therof in theise oure daies moued whiche be to manie do make yt more then manifest that ther be difficulties in the scriptures Yf difficulties then be they not plain The secōde the disciples whiche heard Christes owne disputacion of this mysterie proceading oute of his owne mouthe as oute of the liuelie welspring ād who for that they were disciples shoulde better haue disgested Cristes woordes then the people of the Iewes who groslie saied Quomodo potest hic dare nobis carnem suam ad manducandum howe can this man geue vs his flesh to eate Yet they the disciples I meen in the ende of the disputacion saied Durus Ioan. 6. The disciples vnderstode not Christes owne woordes est hic sermo quis potest eum audire This ys an hard saieng who can abide to heare him So that neither the people of the Iewes nor yet the verie disciples of Christe whiche shoulde moch haue exceaded the other did atteign to the trewe vnderstanding of Christes woordes carnall reason preuailing against humble and lowlie submission to faithe Vpon the whiche woordes of the disciples Chrystome saieth Quid ergo est Durus difficilis intellectu quē capere non posset eoram imbecillitas plenus formidinis Chrysost in 6. Joan. What then ys this woorde harde A saieng not easie to be vnderstanded and whiche being full of dread their imbecillitie coulde not beare or take Yf then the woordes whiche Christe spake being the gospell although vnwritten were as Chrisostome saieth not easie to be vnderstanded what more easinesse maie we thinke to be in thē nowe being the gospel written And further yf we trulie saie that the scriptures be easie and plain for euerie man to vnderstande yt shoulde appeare that yt was no great benefet 3. that Christe did to his Apostles in opening their wittes that thei might vnderstande the scriptures Neither was it anye great matter that he Luc. 24. did to the two disciples that went to Emaus vnto whome beginning at Moyses and the prophettes he interpreted in all scriptures whiche were written Jbid. of him But certenlie yt was agreat benefet that Christe did at theise two sundrie Christes interpreting of the scripturs and opēnig of wittes to vnderstād them argueth the difficultie 2. Petr. 3. tymes geue in openyng theyr wittes to vnderstand the scriptures to the one and in interpreting the scriptures to the other For withoute this benefet neither the one nor the other coulde haue atteigned to that gifte Wherfore the depenesse of the scriptures weighed and oure infirmitie considered we maie verie well conclude with saincte Peter that as he wittnessing the epistles of saincte Paule be hard so be the rest of the scriptures harde Of this the chamberlain of queen Candace of whome ys made mencion in the actes of the Apostles beinge so well affected to the scriptures that passing from Hierusalem homewarde and sitting in his chariette he was reading 4. Acto 8. them and yet vnderstoode them not had good experience That he vnderstoode them not yt dothe well appeare by his owne confession For Philippe beinge moued by the Spirit of God to ioin him self to his chariette heard him reade Esaie the Prophete and asked him saing vnderstandest thowe what thowe readest and he aunswered and saied howe can I except I had a guide wherefore when Philippe was with him in his chariette and the scripture was red the camberlain asked him saieng I praie thee of whome speaketh the Prophet this of him self or of some other man Philippe opened his mouthe and beganne at the same scripture and preached vnto him Iesus This place teacheth vs that not onelie by the saing and doing of the chamberlain but also by the doing of the holie Goste the scriptures be obscure Philippe sent by the holie Gost to expownd the Scriptures to the Eunuche and harde For the holie Spirit of God dothe nothing in vain wherfore when the same Spirit mercifullie beholding the good affection of this man and knowing the scriptures to be soche as he coulde not vnderstand them withoute an interpretour did send Philippe vnto him to open and declare that vnto him that was obscure and dake before yt dothe inuinciblie proue oure pourpose Whiche facte of the holie Goste had ben vainlie doen yf the scriptures were plain and easie of all men to be vnderstanded Nowe yf this man coulde not vnderstande them withoute an interpretour no more can anie other common man doo And then what dothe yt auaill the scriptures to be commonlie red withoute an interpretour The Apostles them selues when our sauiour Christe spake vnto them of 5. Ioan. 16. The Apostles vnderstood not Christes liuelie voice his passion and resurrection as yt appeareth in the xvj of Iohn coulde not vnderstande him For when he saied vnto them After a while ye shall not see me and again after a while ye shall see me For I go to the Father then saied some of them emongest them selues what ys this that he saieth vnto vs after a while ye shall not see me and again after a while ye shall see me and that I go to the father they saied therfore what ys this that he saieth after a while we can not tell what he saieth As this maner of speache beinge vttered by the liuelie voice of Christe was darke vnto the Apostles so the same beinge nowe written in deade letters ys yt not trowe ye as darke to manie as yt was to them till yt be opened and declared yf yt were not easie to them that heard Christe himself speake yt howe shoulde yt be easie to the vnlearned that do but read yt For as saincte Hierom saieth Habet nescio quid latentis aenergiae viua vox in dures discipuli de Autoris ore
maie be by this perceaued that the Aduersaries figuratiue speache hath no place as they vnderstande yt in this saing of Chryste But this ys raither to be saied that his interprise in so wresting and abusing of Chrystes woordes ys wicked and detestabele For yf that sense might haue ben here vpon these woordes placed who can doubte that S. Ambrose so often rehersing them wolde not in one place or other haue reported the true sense and saied yt had ben but a signe But forasmoche as in no place he so doeth but continuallie and constantlie saieth yt ys the bodie of Chryst let no man doubte of the trueth of that that he teacheth Consecracion the terme of the Papistes vsed of S. Ambr. seriousâ—ie but embracing that let him flie the feigned figures In these sainges also of S. Ambrose this ys breiflie to be touched with a note that wher the Aduersarie in skorne when he happeneth to speake of this woorde consecracion for the most parte addeth as the Papistes teare yt yet ye perceaue that yt ys vsed of S. Ambrose and not sknorned And howe so euer yt liketh him to dallie and trifle withe that woorde yet S. Ambrose in so weightie a matter dothe vse the woorde seriouslie And if for that he vseth this woorde the Aduersarie will also accompte him for a papist I had leuer be a Papist wiht the one then an heretique with the other But yt ys time to call in an other coople THE THREE AND FIFTETH CHAP. CONTINVeth in the exposition of Chrystes woordes by Gregorie Nissen and S. Hierom. AS a man permitted to come into a councell chambre and admitted through speciall fauoure to talke withe eche of the counselours and haue their senerall aduertisementes howe he shall safelie beare him self in the state that he ys called vnto or as a man desierouse to be resolued in a matter of learning entreth an assembley of learned men and gentlie receaued heareth their seuerall iudgementes vttered with great and full agreement to his full resolucion and contentacion can not be but therwith moche delighted so I trust the reader being as yt were in Godes counsell chambre or in Gods Schoole and hearing the aduertisementes and iudgementes of Gods counselours and learned men so seuerallie and yet so agreablie vttered to his full and perfect resolucion I trust I saie he ys delighted and the more for that all these with whiche he hath conference and yet for a good nombre shall haue be all verie auncient and with in the compasse of sixe hondreth yeares after Chryst Wherfor let vs in Gods name proceade with delight and pleasure to heare the other that remain to be conferred with all for they be as ys saied a good nombre of theÌ„ bothe auncient and learned and though all be not auncient yet all learned and approued Of these auncientes that remain the first ys Gregorie Nissen the brother of S. Basill and therfor in the greke church meet next to folowe him This ys his iudgement in this matter Thus he writeth Qua ex cause panis in co corpore mutatus in diuinam virtutem transiit eadem de causa idem nunc fit Vt enim illic verbi Greg. Nissen anserm catathetico de diuinis sacram Dei gratia sanctum efficit illud corpus cuius firmamentum ex pane constabat ipsum etiam quodammodò panis erat sic panis vt ait Apostolus per verbum Dei orationem sanctificatur non quia comeditur eo progrediens vt Verbi corpus euadat sed statim per verbum in corpus mutatur vt dictum est à Verbo Hoc est corpus meum By what cause bread in that bodie chaunged passed into the diuine vertue by the same cause that same thinge ys nowe doen. For as ther the grace of the Sonne of God made that bodie whose substanciall nutriment was of bread and yt also in a maner was bread so also this bread as the Apostle saieth ys sanctisied by the woorde of God and praier not tending to this poinct that bicause yt ys eaten yt ys the bodie of the Sonne of God but that furthwith by the woorde yt ys chaunged into the bodie as yt was saied of the Sonne This ys my bodie By this authour who vndoubtedlie geueth a notable testimonie for the veritie of the Sacrament be ouerthrowen three heresies in the same matter Three heresies ouerthrowen by one saing of Gregor Nissen Of the whiche Luther or at the least the Lutherans did settfurth one which was that the Sacrament was the bodie of Chryst if yt were receaued and to him that receaued yt yt was the bodie of Chryst otherwise yt was not Another ys sett furth bothe by Luther and all the Lutherans and by Oecolampadius and all the Oecolampadians and by this Proclamer whiche ys that the bread and wine be not chaunged into the substance of the bodie and bloode of Chryst of the whiche we haue somwhat at large spoken before The thirde ys settfurth by Carolstadius Oecolampadius and their disciples and also by this Proclamer whiche ys that Chrystes substanciall bodie ys not verilie present in the Sacrament Against these three this authour teacheth vs very good documentes according to that that the catholique Churche now teacheth And nowe for the first that the Lutherans doo teache wher they saie that in the Sacrament ys the bodie of Chryst to him that receaueth the Sacrament otherwise yt ys not the bodie of Chryst this authour hath direct What warrant haue the LutheraÌ„s for this woordes to the contrarie wher he saieth Hic panis sanctificatur per verbum Dei orationem non quia comeditur eo progrediens vt verbi corpus euadat This bread ys sanctified by the woorde of God and praier not tending to this poinct that bicause yt ys eaten therfore yt ys the bodie of the Sonne of God So that yt ys not receauing or not receauing eating or not eating that causeth the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament Receauing or notreceauing causeth nor presence nor absence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacr. but the power of God with the woorde of Chryst as before ys saied The cause of so great a worke as to make present the bodie of Chryst dependeth not of so simple and weake cause as the will of man whiche yt should dooe if yt should depende vpon the receipte For yf the man wolde receaue yt then were yt the bodie of Chryste yf he wolde not receaue yt were not the bodie of Chryst so willing and not willing shoulde make bodie or no bodie after that fonde opinion But to adde somwhat beside the authoritie of this auncient Father which ys more then sufficient to conuince so vain and foolish an heresie what apparance haue they of anie scripture or holie writer For substanciall grownde in ame of them both they haue none to make some shewe or counteinance for the maintenance of their heresie yt ys certen that they haue
healthe in the remembrance of our Lordes passion suffred for vs. Whiche thing when yt ys brought by the handes of men to that visible forme yt ys not sanctified that yt maie be so great a Sacrament but by the Spirite of God woorking inuisiblie Hitherto sainct Augustin Of whome ye see that we are taught that thoug Chryst be by diuerse meanes settfurth and preached as by scriptures preachinges and by the Sacrament yet these thinges be not all of like degree For ther ys none of these called the bodie of Chryst but onelie the bread that ys consecrated by the mysticall praier that ys by the woordes of Chryst Thys ys my bodie that onelie ys called the bodie of Chryste Oecolamp craftilie abuseth S. Augustin Nowe Oecolampadius wolde that bicause sainct Augustin saieth that Chryst ys preached by scripture woorde and Sacrament that these three be of one sorte no more being in the Sacrament then in the other two But note I praie thee gentle reader howe he abuseth sainct Augustin to proue that hys wicked sainge Of this place of sainct Augustin nowe alleadged he taketh onely thus moche Paule might by signifieng preache our Lorde Iesus Chryst otherwise by hys toung otherwise by epistle otherwise by the Sacrament of his bodie and blood And vpon thys he growndeth hys argument and wolde be seen well to haue confirmed Not toung nor writing nor soche other shewing furth Chryst be called his bodie but bread and wine consetrated hys doctrine But all the rest of sainct Augustines woordes whiche folowe whiche ouerthrowe all his building he craftelie lefte oute For yt foloweth Yet doe we call neither his toung neither his epistle nor his writinges the bodie of Chryste but onely we call that the bodie of Chryste that ys taken of the fruictes of the earth and ys by the mysticall prayer consecrated that doe we call the bodie of Chryst All thys doth he leaue oute Soche was the synceritie of the man in alleaging the holie Fathers So good ys the cause that he defended that the doctours muste be mutilated and brought oute in peice meall or ells yt coulde not stand Ys yt not merueilouse that he coulde bring this place of sainct Augustin whiche although the first peice taken alone seemeth somwhat to sownde to his pourpose yet the wholl taken together ys alltogether against him Alas that euer anie man wolde so deceaue the people of God and by soche frawde and abuse of the holie writers make them to embrace erroure in stead of trueth weigh the place throughlie and yowe shall perceaue howe yt mainteineth the catholique trueth of the presence of Chrystes boin the Sacrament verie moch Ye haue nowe heard that neither the worde written nor the woorde spoken though Chryst be preached by them be called the bodie of Chryst but onely the Sacrament ys called the bodie of Chryst And why yt ys called the bodie of Chryste he declareth Not bicause saieth he by the handes of man yt ys brought to be a visible forme but bicause yt ys sanctified and made so great a Sacrament by the inuisible woorking of the holie Goste Note these two poinctes that S. Augustine saieth that the bread ys sanctified and made so great a Sacrament And again that he saieth yt ys so sanctified and made by the inuisible worke of the holie Goste Ther ys great difference betwixt the sanctificacion of the Sacrament yt self and the soule of man that receaueth the Sacrament Now Oecolampadius and Cranmer saie that the Sacramentes being dumbe Oecolamp and Cranmer their heresies creatures receaue no sanctificacion but onely the sowles of men They saie also that the holie Gost woorketh not in the thinges that be the Sacramentes but in the men that receaue the SacrameÌ„tes Thys they saie bicause they wolde auoid the presence of Chryste in the Sacrament which ys made ther present by sanctificacion of the bread But against these their saings S. Augustin saieth that the same bread that ys made by the handes of men ys sanctified S. Augustin plain against Oecolamp aÌ„d Cranmer and receauing sanctitie ys made so great a Sacrament Against them also he saieth that the holie Goste woorketh inuisiblie in the bread I wolde now learn of the Aduersaries what S. Augustine meneth by calling the SacrameÌ„t so great a Sacrament and what worke yt ys that the holie Goste woorketh inuisiblie in the bread The woorkes of the holy Gost be no trifles Yt ys great and miraculouse that he woorketh And what he woorketh S. Iames in his Masse S. Basill also and Chrysostom in their Masses by their humble praiers doe declare S. Iames thus Spiritum tuum sanctissimum demitte nunc Domine in nos in haec sancta dona proposita vt superueniens sancta bona gloriosa sua praesentia sanctificet Diuus Iac. in Missa efficiat hunc panem corpus sanctum Christi tui calicem hunc preciosum sanguinem Christi tui Sende downe now o Lord thy most holie Spirit vpon vs and vpon these holie giftes settfurth that he coming ouer them maie with his holy good and gloriouse presence sanctifie and make this bread the holie bodie of thy Chryst aÌ„d this cuppe the preciouse blood of thy Chryst Thus S. Iames. S. Basill and Chrysostome haue the like woordes See ye not nowe then howe the bread ys sanctiâ—ied See ye not what ys the worke of the holie Goste Perceaue ye not howe that S. Augustine vpoÌ„ good cause called the Sacrament so great a Sacrament ys yt not a great Sacrament Bread sanctified contrarie to Cranmers assertion aÌ„d Oecolamp in which by worke of the holie Gost ys made present the bodie of Chryst To haue hidden this trueth Oecolampadius by peice meall brought in S. Augustine But now ye haue seen the catholique faith well testified the falshead of the Aduersaries detected and to return to oure matter and to conclude ye perceaue this Sacrament by mystical praier which ys by Chrystes woordes to be consecrated the effecte of which consecracion being the bodie of Chryste as ys saied the woordes must nedes be taken without figuratiue sense Thus if my iudgement faill me not ye haue hearde two other noble men of Chrystes schoole and Parliament house very plainlie testifieng the enacted trueth of the vnderstanding of Chrystes wordes yea so plainly that yt caÌ„not but moch confirme the good Chrystian and confute the Pheudochristian But to go forwarde I will ende with these two and call other two THE FIVE AND FIFTETH CHAPITER tarieth in the exposition of the same woordes by Chrysostom and Sedulius NOw among the learned Fathers of the greke church we are descended to Chrysostome of whome I maie saie as besore ys saied of S. Ambrose that he ys so full of godlie testimonies testisieng to vs the true vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes that as I knowe not whiche of them first to take so doe I merueill that they being so manie the Proclamer coulde for shame saie
added And they haue all eaten of one spirituall meate As thowe saieth he cominge vppe frō the wasshing place of the waters doest hast the to the table so they also cominge vppe from the sea came to a newe and a woonderfull table I speake of Manna In these woordes ye perceaue Chrysostome to expownde this same one meate whiche all the Fathers did eate of after they had passed through the red Sea to be Manna Agreablie wherunto S. Augustin also speaking of this text of S. Paule whiche we haue nowe in hande saieth thus Quando autē manducauit Manna populus Israel Cùm transisset mare rubrum When did the people of Tract 11. in Ioan. Israell eate Manna When they had passed through the red sea And a litle after he saieth Si ergo figura maris tantum valuit species Baptismi quantum valebit Si quod gestum est in figura traiectum populum ad Manna perduxit quid exhibebit Christus in veritate Baptismi sui traiecto per eum populo suo Yf then the figure of the Sea was of so great force of what force shall the veritie of the Baptisme be Yf that was doen in figure did bring the people that was ledde ouer vnto Manna what will Chryst in the veritie of his baptisme geue vnto his people led and cōducted by him Manna then as by the holy Fathers we are taught was the meate that all the Fathers did eate of Tho. Aqui Jn. 10. 1 Cor. But yt ys to be considered whie sainct Paule did call yt spirituall meat seing yt was sensible and corporall and did corporallie feade He dothe so call yt bicause yt was miraculouslie geuen vnto them as sainct Thomas in the exposition of this same text saieth Vocat cam spiritualem cùm esset corporalis miraculosè fuit data He calleth that meat spirituall when yet yt was corporall bicause yt was miraculouslie geuen The like cause why yt was called spirituall Jn. 10. 1. Cor. doth Chrysostome also assign Quamuis quae dabantur in sensu perciperentur spiritualiter tamen dabantur non secundùm naturam consequentium sed secundùm muneris gratiam Although those thinges whiche were geuen were perceaued in sense or sensiblie yet they were geuen spirituallie not according to the course Manna why it was called a spirituall meat of nature but after the gifte of grace For although Manna were a corporall thinge yet yt was made by God in the cloudes by his especiall worke causing yt to fall as yt were dewe vpon the earth whiche thing we see not to be doen by common course of nature for that the like ys not nowe done So that yt maie well be called a spirituall meat bicause yt had no naturall cause As their meat whiche God sent them in the desert was spirituall so was also ther drinke in the desert spirituall Wherfore sainct Paule saieth Et omnes eundem potum spititualem biberunt And all drank of one spirituall drinke Thys Water of the rock why yt was called spirituall drinke drinke ys called spirituall bicause yt was miraculouslie geuen them oute of the rocke by the powre and worke of the spirituall rocke which was Chryst as S. Paule immediatelie declareth Bibebant despirituali consequente eos petra Petra autem erat Christus They dranke of that spirituall Rocke that folowed them The Rocke was Chryste Yt ys moch against nature that an harde and a drie stone shoulde bring furth streames of water that ys both soste and moist So ys yt against nature that the great rocke whiche once gaue them water shoulde folowe them through the desert and geue them drinke sufficient for so great a multitude of people at all times and places But as the spirituall Rocke Chryste by his great powre and work gaue them gusshing streames of water in great plentie to serue their necessitie in that place oute of a materiall stone or rocke So did that spirituall rocke also and not that materiall rocke folowe them in their iourneie through the desert and gaue them drinke sufficient to satisfie their necessitie Whiche thing sainct Paule very plainly by expresse woordes saieth Bibebant de spirituali consequente eos petra They dranke of the spirituall rocke that folowed them Petra autem erat Christus but that Rocke was Chryst Note that sainct Paule saieth not they dranke of that materiall rocke but they dranke of a spirituall rocke whiche folowed them which spirituall Rocke was Chryst I wishe this to be well noted here bicause Oecolampadius the Archenemie Oecolāp abuseth S. Paules wordes The rock was Chryste of the Sacrament of the bodie and blood of Chryst affirmeth this text of sainct Paule the rocke was Chryst to be a figuratiue speache And vseth yt for his probaciō to proue the saing of Chryst This ys my bodie to be also a figuratiue speache Nowe forsomoche as this text ys here to be expownded being nowe in handling yt ys meet that yt be not onelie expownded in the natiue sense but also deliuered from all adulterine and violent expositions Oecolamp in Expsitiō Hoc est Corpus whiche the saied Oecolāpadius wolde wrest yt vnto for a further mischeif Let vs therfor heare his woordes and examin his expositiō and see yf the text of the scripture will beare yt His woordes be these Tēpus est vt probemus verba caenae Dominicae eodē tropo dicta quo illa quae Apostolus dixit Petra autē erat Christus hoc est petra significabat Christum vel erat figura Christi Yt ys time saieth he that we proue the woordes of the Lordes supper to be spoken by the same figure by the whiche the woordes which the Apostle saied are spoken The rocke was Chryste that ys to saie the rock fignified Chryste or the rocke was a figure of Christ Thus he Yf Oecolampadius will haue the woords of Chryst This ys my bodie vnderstanded with the same sense that these woordes of S. Paule The rocke was Chryst are to be vnderstanded I shall ioin with him For the woordes of S. Paule are to be vnderstanded withoute trope And by that parte of his argument so are These wordes The rocke was Chryste cānot be expownded by a Trope the woordes of the Lordes supper as he termeth them wherin I saie I shall ioin with him That the woordes of S. Paule are to be vnderstanded without trope yt ys manifest for he calleth not Chryste the materiall rock but the spirituall rock saing that they dranke all of the spirituall rocke which ys Chryst So that this sentence Chryst ys the spirituall rocke of the whiche the Iewes did drinke neadeth no tropicall or figuratiue sense to be expownded by Neither in this place and maner as S. Paule speaketh yt can yt beare a figuratiue sense as Oecolampaduis wolde patche and peice one to yt but the plain literall sense To this vnderstanding of this text as the scripture yt self enforceth vs so ys also Chrysostome a wittnesse
ablata sunt ideo ablata sunt quia impleta Non enim venit legem soluere sed adimplere Et alia sunt instituta virtute maiora vtilitate meliora actu faciliora numero pauciora The first sacramentes which were obserued and celebrated of the olde lawe were foreshewers of Chryst to come the whiche when in his coming he Sacramentes of the newe lawe be greater in power better in profitte easier to be doen then the sacr of the olde lawe had fulfilled they were taken awaie and therfore taken awaie bicause they were fullfilled For he came not to breake the lawe but to fullfill yt And other were instituted greater in power better in profitt easier to be done and fewer in nombre Thus S. Augustin Obserue gentle reader these woordes He saieth that after the sacramentes of the olde lawe were taken awaie ther were other instituted which were greater in power and better in profitte Wher in be they greater in power but in this that the sacramentes of the olde lawe had no power but to signifie onely our sacramentes haue power not onely to signisie but also to geue that that they signifie As the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie signifieth the same bodie and yt geueth also to the receauer the same bodie that yt signifieth And as Baptisme signifieth by the washing of the bodie the clensing of the soule so yt geueth remission of sinnes both originall and actuall by taking awaie of of which the soule ys pourged clensed and washed from all her filthinesse And so in other Sacramentes what they signifie that they geue yf ther be no stoppe nor let in the receauer And therfor as they in geuing that they do signifie be in power greater then the Sacramentes of the olde lawe for they coulde but signifie but to geue that that they signified they had no power So to vs warde in that they geue vs soche benefittes as they signifie they are more profitable The Aduersarie maketh no more difference betwixt the Sacramentes of the olde lawe and newe but that they signified Chryst to come and owers Chryst that ys comed in the whiche ther appeareth to me no difference either in power or in profit But S. Augustine maketh a great difference For he saieth that our Sacramentes are greater in power and better in profit Howe so euer the Aduersarie will vnderstande S. Augustin yf he will anie other waie make our Sacramentes better and profitablier then the Sacramētes of the olde lawe he must nedes also graunt that they be more excellent then those Nowe therfor he must either denie S. Augustin or ells graunt that he hath before denied and saie that our Sacramentes be more excellent To the confirmacion also of this matter maketh moche the common consent of learned men vpon the difinition of a Sacrament Thus do they define yt Sacramentum est sacrae rei signum ita vt imaginem gerat causa existat A Sacrament what yt ys Sacrament ys a signe of an holy thing in soche maner that yt maie beare the image and be the cause In the which definition are put the two offices of a Sacrament of the newe lawe The one office ys to be a signe but not onelie a signe but an euident or a liuely sign hauing some properties or condicions like to the thing that yt signisieth so that yt maie signifie yt euidentlie as the Two offices of a sacrament image of a man signifieth a man The other office ys that yt be the cause of the thing that yt signifieth not a cause of the being of yt but a cause of the effectuall woorking of yt in him that receaueth the Sacrament As for example Baptisme ys an euident sign of the washing of the soule and beinge ministred ys a cause that the washing of the soule ys effectuallie wrought and doen. For yf Baptisme be not either in facte or in vowe howe moche soeuer otherwise the partie beleueth the soule ys not clensed from sinne Wherby yt ys euident that Baptisme ys a cause effectuall But here ys to be noted ther be as to the pourpose sufficeth two causes effectuall one principall the other instrumentall As for example The soule ys the principall cause efficient of the seight of man The eye ys Two effectuall causes one principal the other instrumentall the organ or instrumentall cause efficient of the seight So bothe be causes but the soule the principall the eye the instrumētall so called bicause yt ys the orgā or instrumēt by which the soule doth see So in the geuing of grace which cometh to man by the sacramentes God ys the principall cause efficient of that benefitt or gist or grace for he ys the geuer he ys the doer the sacrament ys his instrument or organ by the whiche yt hath pleased him to take ordre to woorke his graciouse pleasure and to giue his gift of grace to men So that as the soule yf the eie be not altered from his due ordre that nature hath appointed infalliblie and most assuredlie dothe see by the eie so God yf the sacramentes be ministred in that ordre that he hath appointed them infalliblie and most certenly he woorketh and geueth his grace to the receauers by them yf the receauers put no stoppe nor lette to the entrie of the grace of God into them Nowe wher the Aduersaries make exclamacion for that we saie that the sacramentes of Chryst geue grace and saie that we robbe Chryst of hys Sacramentes of the newe law how they geue grace honour and committe Idolatrie in geuing the same to dumbe creatures as to bread and wine water oyle and soch other ye maie perceaue howe litle they see or vnderstand or ells blinded by malice will not see or vnderstand For although yt be so saied and trulie saied what catholike learned man yet saieth not with all that God geueth grace by hys sacramentes And who ys ignoraunt of this saing that the sacramentes are effectual by the merit of Chrystes passiō ād blood sheding And who being learned and catholike saith not that Baptisme of yt self hath no soch power to geue grace but the power of Chryst which assisteth his sacramentes geueth yt according to his pact or promesse made in the institucion of the sacramentes So that when soeuer the sacramentes be duely mynistred to woorthie receauers vndoubtedlie the grace which they signifie ys also geuen In the whiche they geue the principalitie to God Chryst our Sauiour to whom they geue their due honour and yet withall confessing and acknowleging Gods ordeinance that he by his sacramentes hath taken order to geue his grace saie that the sacramentes as gods organs do geue grace And this maner of speach ys common to asscribe the effecte of the cause principall to the cause instrumentall For Chryst himself abhorreth not from yt but vseth yt As when he saieth Vestri beati oculi quia vident aures quia audiunt But blessed be yowr eyes for they see and
maie be an exemplar or figure of the same bodie after or in an other maner Chryst shewed his bodie to Thomas and other the Apostles with the signes and tokens of his woundes was not that bodie now immortall and impassible an exemplar of the same both mortall and passible Chrysosthom decru Latrone The scripture saieth that the wicked shal in iudgement see Chryst whom they pricked and perced For as Chrysostom saieth he shall appeare with his crosse and woundes in the face of the worlde This ys his saing Sed cur cùm cruce veniat videamus scilicet vt hi qui eum crucifixerunt suae sentiant dementiae caecitatem ideo dementiae eorum signum portatur Ideo Propheta ait Tunc lamentabuntur tribus terrae videntes accusatorem agnoscentes peccatum Et quid mirum est si crucem portans adueniet quando vulnera corporis ipse demonstrat Tunc enim inquit videbunt quem compunxerunt Et sicut post resurrectionem Thomae voluit diffidentiam commutare illi clauorum loca monstrauit laterum vulnera declarauit dixit Mitte manum tuam vide quoniam spiritus carnem ossa non habet sic tunc ostendet vulnera crucemque demostrabit vt istum ostendat illum esse qui fuerat crucifixus But whie he cometh with a crosse let vs see forsooth that they that crucified him maie perceaue the blindenesse of their madnesse And therfor ys the signe of their Chryst shal come to iudgemēt with the signe of the crosse ād the printes of the woondes he suffred madnesse caried Therfore the Prophet saieth Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourne seing the accuser and they acknowleging the sinne And what wonder ys yt yf he come bringing a crosse seing that he himself doeth shewe furth his woundes For then saieth he shall they see whom they haue pricked And as after the resurrection he wolde amende the lacke of beleif in Thomas and did shew him the places of the nailes and opened the woundes of his sides and saied Put furth thy bande and see that a spiritt hath not flesh and bones So then also shall he shewe his woundes and shall openlie setfurth his crosse in seight that he maie shew this man to be him that was crucified Thus Chrysostome Seing then Chryst shall cōme to the generall iudgement with woundes ād crosse representing the state and condicion of himself somtime a passible ād a mortall man he yet now being impassible and immortall and being soche an examplar of himself as he shall cause the faithfull vpon the remembrance of that seight to reioice that they embraced his faith and receaued the benefett of their redemption wrought and doen vpon the crosse and by the suffring of the woundes nowe ther shewed and the wicked contrariwise vpon the same seight to waile and mourne that through their madnesse they contemned him by whom they now perceaue they might haueben saued Why maie not the same bodie in the Sacrament cause the faithfull nowe to their comforte as well to remembre the passion and death and their redemption wrought by yt and so to be a memoriall to them as yt shall be both to the faithfull and wicked at the daie of iudgement At the daie of iudgemēt that same bodie shall be a memoriall and an examplar of yt self yt being the same verie bodie in substance that yt was but chaunged in maner as ys saied why maie not the same bodie be now likewise to vs that be faithful who by faith see yt as certenlie though in a darke maner as then we shall see yt with open face Of these kindes of examples ther be manie in the scriptures but to him that will be satisfied these be sufficient For by these yt ys made euident that that Chryst in one maner of being maie be a figure of himself in an other maner of being Wherfore Chryst in the Sacrament vnder the formes of bread and wine maie right well be and ys a figure of himself hanging vpon the crosse and suffring for our redemption Thus ye see the true vnderstanding of this scripture laied before yowe oute of the holie doctours and the cauills of the Aduersarie solued which be against the same Now to the next scripture THE SIX AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINNETH the exposition of this text Who soeuer therfor shall eate of this bread and drinke of the cuppe c. AS ye haue seen the scripture last handeled recouered from the wresting and wicked abusing of the Aduersarie so by Gods grace shall yowe see this that foloweth Thus ymmediatelie saieth S. Paule Itaque quicunque manducauerit panem hunc biberit calicem Domini indigne reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini Whosoeuer therfor shall eate this bread and shall drink of the cuppe of our Lorde vnwoorthilie shall be giltie of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde After the Apostle had declared the institucion of the honorable Sacrament and ther vnto had added the cause of the same namelie that yt shoulde be doen in the remembrance of Chrystes passion and death that neither the Corinthians to whome he wrote who abused the same Sacrament neither other chrystians shoulde thinke them selues to haue doen to God their high and due seruice if they onelie had receaued the same Sacrament as the memoriall of Chrystes passion and death other circumstances not regarded he goeth aboute to open vnto them two maner of receiptes and the rewardes apperteining vnto them that ys to saie an vnwoorthie receipt and condempnacion for the rewarde of yt and a woorthie receipt and grace ād glorie for the reward of yt Forasmoch thē as their ys soch difference in receauing meet yt ys that the difference be knowē that we maie discerne who ys a woorthie receauer and who ys an vnwoorthie receauer As woorthinesse and vnwoorthinesse be contraries and therfor the one ys knowen by the other So the woorthie receauer being knowen yt shall be easie to knowe the other TWoo thinges are required to a woorthie receauer true faith and perfight charitie For as Ignatius saieth Fides est principium vitae Charitas est consummatio Jgnatius epla ad Ephesios Faith and charitie together make woorthie receauers of the bless Sacr. Hae duae simul iunctae in vnitate factae Hominem Dei persiciunt Faith ys the beginning of life Charitie ys the consummacion These two ioined together and made in one doe perfect a man of God As the one of these withoute the other doth not make a perfect mā in God so the one without the other dothe not make a woorthie receauer But if both be ioined together in the receipt of the Sacrament then ys that man a woorthie receauer Faith here spoken of ys not a peiced or patched faith that beleueth one part of the catholique faith and refuseth and other but yt ys a true and an wholl faith Wherfor heretiques be no woorthie receauers Charitie here