as the breade made of grayne taken frome the grounde called by consecration is no more nowe commentable breade but the bodye and bloude of Christe stonding vpon .ii. thinges an earthly and an heauenlye euen so oure bodyes perceauing the sacrament be no more now corruptible hauīg hope of resurrection And ī his fyft boke agaynst heresyes By what meanes therfore both the myxed cup and the frute of breade perceaueth the worde of God is made the Eucharist of the body and bloude of Christ For God in that he is God hathe nether breth bones ne fleshe But speakynge as cōcernynge that disposition and proportion whiche is like vnto man whiche standeth compacte of flesh synowes and bones whiche is norished with the cuppe whiche is the bloode and is enoreasyd with the breade whiche is his body Tertulyane in his boke of resurrection of the flesh OVre fleshe eateth the bodye bloode of Christ that the soule also may be replenyshed and fully fed with God And in his boke of prayer he saith bread is the worde of the lyuinge God which came doune īto his fote stole of the earth from his throne of heauen Then his veraye bodye is demyd and thought to be in the similitude of breade Saynge This is my body Therfore we clamynge requirynge our dayelye bread do aske a perpetuite cōtynuaunce in Christ and an vnseperable vnite with his body Agaynst Marcyon he saith we do knowe receaue and beleue all the gospelles of Christ by the churche and not otherwyse S. Cypryan martyr ccxlix Cypryan Martyr in the fyrste boke of his Epistelles in the seconde epistle NOw not onely to the weake or sycke but to the valyant peace is necessarye Not only to persones departyng but to the liuinge communion shoulde be minystred to the intent we maye not leaue thē naked and weaponles whome we exhort to battayle But that we maye defend them with the shelde of the bodye and bloude of Christ And whē the body bloud of Christ is ministred that it maye be a sauegarde to the receauers and that we Arme them with the armour of the Lordes health whō we wolde saue agaynst our gostely enemy For why should we teache or moue them to spende their bloud in confessinge Christes name yf in this chiuallry we deny them the bloude of Christe Or by what meanes do we make them fyt for the cup of martirdome if we do not admyt them fyrste to drynke of the chalice of the righteous cōmunicatynge of the Lorde in the churche De cena domini Our Lorde maketh euen cōtinually vntill this daye in the sacramēt this his moste trew holy body maketh it holy blesseth it and deuideth it to them which deuoutely receaueth it In the same THe breade which the Lorde gaue to his disciples chaūged not in forme but in nature and by the omnipotente power of the worde is made fleshe And as in the personne of Christ the manhod was sene and the Godhed hydde so in the visible sacramente the diuine nature inuisible infundeth hym selfe to the entent that aboute the sacrament shoulde be deuotion And in the same This common bread chaūged into fleshe and bloude procureth to bodyes lyfe and increase Idem The high prest bryngeth forth bread wyne this is saith he my body they eate and drynke of the same bread after a visible forme but afore these words that meat was common only it was profitable for the body to be norished gaue help of a corporall lyfe But from what tyme it was of the Lorde spoken this do in remembraunce of me it is fleshe bloud As often as with these wordes and this faithe it is done that supersubstancial bread and cup of benediction solemplye consecrate it doth profight to life and health of the hole Man Also being a medecyn brent offeringe to heale infirmyties and pourge iniquities That it was an other thinge that fyrst was sette forth consumed and an other that was geuen of the master and destributed whan the false mynde of Iudas touched the holy meate The holy sanctifyed breade enteryd into the cursed mouthe the murdering mynde not beynge able to susteyne the myght of so greate a sacrament was blowen away lyke chaffe frome the floure and ran hedlynge to perdition to desperation and to the rope The sacrament Christe sōtyme calleth it hys bodye sometyme his fleshe and bloud sometime bread Origen in his .v. Homilye Domine non sum dignus WHan ye receaue the holy meat and vncorrupted dishe thou dost vse the breade and the cup of lyfe thou eatest and drinkest the body and bloud of our Lorde ther the Lorde enterest into thy house Dist Viii The sacramēt the Lord dyd institute when after the figuratyue lambe he dyd reache his body to his disciples at supper When these wordes be spokē saith Origen This is my body and this is my bloud ther is a certayne conuersion made of breade and wyne into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of Christ Therfore the Lord Iesus goynge to the inuisible thinges of his Fathers magestie the figuratyue paschall beinge scelebrate with the disciples wyllynge to commende vnto them a certayne memoryall vnder forme of breade and wyne he dyd so geue his bodye and bloude to them that he myght shew the sacramentes of the olde law amonge which the sacrifice of the paschal lambe was chefe to be ended in his death the sacraments of the new law to be institute in whiche the mistery of Eucharistia excelleth Chrisostem in his .lxxxiii. Homili Vpon Saynt Math. LEt vs beleue God in euery thinge and not saye agaynst hym Verba dei defraudari non pūt yea although the thing that he sayth doth appere an inconuenience both to our sences thought vnderstandinge and dothe also exceade our sences capacite and reasone Let vs I beseche you beleue his wordes in al thinges but chefly in the sacrament not onely vpō those thinges which lye before vs His wordes can no the deceaued our sences ma◠easely be deceiued but considerynge also his wordes For by his wordes we can not be deceaued His wordes can not be false oursences are most easy to be dyssayued Wherfore seyng Christe hathe sayde This is my bodye let vs nothinge doute therof but beleue and perceaue it with the eyes of our vnderstanding In his .iii. boke Dialogorum Cap. iiii Beholde the dignite of the preisthode whervpon we speake for it is done in earth but his office is cōtayned in heuenly busynesses For consequently neither man nor Angell Non homo non Angelus nec Archangelus hoc sacramentū instituit nor archangell nor vertu nor any other creature but the holy gost hath institute this office and yet remayning in fleshe hath geuen to peruse the minystery of angelles For the which thing the byshop must as he that were in heuen and wer mixed to the vertues do this thing so it is lightenyd with the brightnes of lyfe For when
vyrgin Take an other example Exod. 14 The children of Israell was oppressed of the Egiptians closed in with the sea on euery syde by the commaundement of God Moyses touched the water with his rodde and the water deuided her selfe a sonder which verely was not after the custome of her nature but according to the grace of the heauenly commaundement Take an other example Exod 15. The children of Israell was thurstye and came to a fountayne of water the whiche was bytter not able to be dronke Holy Moyses dyd cast a tre into the water and it was made swete which before was bitter that is to saye it chaunged the custome of nature and toke the swetnes of grace Take also the fourth example It fortuned as a man was felling doune a tre besides the floude Iordayne 4 Reg. 6. the axe hed full into the water and sonke to the botome as the custome of Iron is to do the prophet Heleseus dyd cast a sticke of woode into the water and immediately the Iron came vp swymmed aboue the water the whiche verely is against the nature of yron For the stuffe substaunce of Iron is moch heuyer than is the element of water Dost thou theÌ„ by these examples vnderstande how mightily the heauenly worde worketh yf the heaueÌ„ly worde hath wrought in an earthy foÌ„tayne yf it hath wrought in other thinges doth not it also worke in the heauenly sacramentes Pauis fâ—eory 9 christi than thou hast learned that of bread may be made the body of Christ And the wine and water is put into the chalice but it is made bloude by the consecration of the heauenly word But perauenture thou wilt saye I se not the forme of bloude Euen as thou hast taken the similitude of death in baptyme Respoâ— so dost thou drinke the similitude of the preciouse bloude that there be no feare of bloude and yet that it maye worke the price of redemption Thou hast therfore learned that the thing which thou takest is the bodye of Christ and the bloude of our Lorde Wilt thou know that it is consecrate with heauenly wordes Here what the words be The prest sayth Make sayth he this oblation enrolled reasonable whiche is a fygure of the bodye and bloude of our Lorde Iesu Christ Qui pridie whiche the daye afore that he suffered he toke breade in his holy handes loked to heauen to his holy father almighty God geuynge thankes blessed brake and beinge broken gaue it to his Apostels and Disciples sayinge Take and eate of this all for this is my body that shall be broken for many And in lyke maner he toke the cuppe after he had supped the daye before that he shoulde suffer and loked to heauen to the holy father almyghtye euerlastynge God geuynge thankes blessed gaue it to his Apostels and Disciples sayinge Take and drynke of this all for this is my bloude Se al these be the wordes of the Euangelyst vnto Take ye whether it be the body or bloude then be the wordes of Christe Take and drynke of it all Afore it is consecrate it is breade â— Corpus christi est but when the wordes of Christe come it is the bodye of Christ Furthermore heare hym sayinge Take and eate of it all this is my body And afore the wordes of Christe the cuppe is full of wyne and water When the wordes of Christe haue wroughte there is the bloude made whiche hath redemed the people Then se in howe greate kyndes is the word of Christ myghty and able to conuert all maner of thinges Further more the Lorde Iesus hym selfe doth testifie vnto vs that we may take his bodye and bloude should we then doubte of his fayth and wytnessynge Lib. 4. de Sacramentis Nowe come with me to my proposition It is surelye a greate and worshypfull thynge that he dyd raygne Manna from heauen to the Iewes But vnderstand what is more the Manna from heauen or the body of Christ Surelye the bodye of Christe whiche is maker of heauen Farthermore he that did eate Manna is deade But he that hath eaten this bodye it shal be to hym forgeuenes of synnes and he shall neuer dye Therfore thou sayst not in vayne Amen So be it Now thou confessinge in sprite that thou takest the bodye of Christe the preist saith to the The body of Christ And thou faiste Amen That is true that which he confesseth hath the desyre It is to be knowen that in pronounsing of these wordes Bread is turned into the body of Christe This is my bodye a misterye is done And breade is turned into Christes bodye If thou aske how we leauinge these thynges not certayne do affirme that which is of auctorities that is to say that the substaunce of bread and wine is conuerted into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of our lorde And we be not ashamed to confesse that we knowe not the maner of turnynge For the thynges that remayne of the former substaunce accidentia manent be accidentes that is the coloure sauour fourme and weyghte Nor yet they do make the bodye of Christ nor can be grounded therin But if it be asked where they be founded we saye Hic deo ideÌ„s manet sine subiectodo uirtute diuina that by diuyne miracle they be sustayned without substaunce This is truely a greate misterye and vnsearcheable We be commaunded to beleue we be not permitted to discusse We be commauÌ„ded to beleue but not to discusse all thinges that the Lorde wolde he dyd in hea-and in earth And because so he wolde so it was So thoughe the figure of breade and wyne be seene yet after the consecration we muste beleue nothinge els but the fleshe and bloude of Christe Wherefore the truth doth saye to his Disciples This is my fleshe for the lyfe of the worlde and that I might speake more maruelously it is playnely none other but that which was borne of the virgin Marye and suffered on the crosse and rose out of the graue This I saye is it And therfore is it the fleshe of Christ which for the lyfe of the worlde yet to daye is offered the breade of angelles is made the meate of men wherfore he sayth I am the lyuely bread which cam doune from heauen Also the breade which I will gyue is my fleshe for the lyfe of the world By these two sentences it is geuen openly to be vnderstanded that this breade and that be not two but one breade and one fleshe and withoute doute is made one bodye That verely that surely which was taken of the virgyn that suffered that was buryed that arose agayne and ascended into heauen sitteth on the right hande of God the father and which is to come to Iudge the quicke the dead And that thou mayste knowe this to be a sacrameÌ„t the figure of this went before afterwarde know how gret a SacrameÌ„t it is
Lorde is here with vs The bodye wherin he arose in that kind it becommeth to be in one place but the very body in forme of breade is euery where Corpus Christi in omni altari that is to say in euery aulter where it is consecrate Sermo ii de uerbis Apostoli We haue hard the true master theÌ„ godly redemer mans sauiour commeÌ„ding to vs our praise his blud For he hath spoken to vs of his body bloud that he called his body meat his bloud drink A sacrameÌ„t of the faithfull the faithfull knowe for hearyng what other thinge do they heare but lyfe coÌ„mending suche meate souche drinke ye shall haue saithe he lyfe in you Qui integer ascendere potuit consumi noÌ„ potuit if you eate when some wer offended that this saying was herd He aunswereth dothe this offende you ye wene that of this bodye that ye se I am about to make partes to cut a sonder my meÌ„bers to geue to you what and yf ye se the sonne of man ascendynge where he was before Surelye he that coulde go vp hole coulde not be consumed Therfore of his body his bloude hathe he geuen to vs a holsome refection and so greate a question of his holenes doth he assoyle For so arte thou refreshed that it can not fayle wherevpon thou shalte be refreshed Eate lyfe drinke lyfe thou shalte haue lyfe and the lyfe is hole and that shall be that is to say the bodye bloude of Christe shal be lyfe to euery one yf that whiche in the sacrament is taken visiblye be eaten spiritually in very truth be dronken spiritually Caro nihil prodest Spiritus est qui uiui ficat Super Ioh Cap. 6. We haue harde him selfe saying It is the spirite that quickeneth fleshe profiteth not at all your fathers haue eaten Manna and be deade Whye be they deade For that they dyd se they beleued That that they dydde not se they vnderstode not Moyses dyd eate Aaron did eate Phinees dyd eate and manye other dyd eate whiche pleased the Lorde and were not deade for they vnderstode a visible meate spiritually spirituallye they dyd hunger and spirituallye they tasted that spirituallye they myghte be fylled For to daye we take a visible meate but the sacrament is one thynge and the vertu of the sacrament is another Verye manye do take of the aulter and dye Altare and in takynge they dye Wherfore the Apostle sayth he eateth and drinketh his iudgement Was not the Lordes morsell poyson to Iudas and yet he receiued De Iuda and when he receiued the enemye entred into hym Not that he receaued an euell thynge but that he beyng euyl receaued that which was good Se therfore brethern receaue the heauenly breade spiritually bringe innocency vnto the alter Synnes though they be dayely yet they be not deadly Afore ye come to the aulter take hede what ye saye forgeue vs our trespaces He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude Ioh ca. 6 hath lyfe euerlastynge That is not geuen in the meate whiche we take to sustayne the fleshe but it is in this meate and drynke that is in the body and bloude of our lorde For he that taketh not it hath not lyfe and he that taketh it hath lyfe and that euerlastinge The sacrament of this thynge that is of the vnite of the bodye and bloude of Christ In some place it is done daily In some by certayne space of dayes betwene In the Lordes table let it be prepared and of the Lordes table it is taken of some to lyfe of some to deathe of this matter se more in the sixte of Iohn Here is the sayinge of the Lordes body whiche he sayde he woulde geue to be eaten for eternall lyfe He dyd expounde the maner of thattribution and of his gyfte He that abydeth in me and I in hym Tractus super Iohan nom 27. hath eaten a token hath dronken that we might be in his bodye vnder that heade in his meÌ„bers eatinge his flesh not leuinge his vnitie many hearinge these thinges not vnderstanding were offeÌ„ded for they thought not heainge these thinges but flesh that they were to ê‘ceiue after the flesh is deth And yet so it behoueth to be spoken that it shoulde not be vnderstande of all the secrete thinges of God it must make theÌ„ attempt not coÌ„trary for these dyd some shrynke from God speaking suche thinges And in those wordes they dyd not beleue our Lord Iesu Christ speaking a greate thing couering a certayne grace eueÌ„ as they wolde so they vnderstaÌ„de after the maner of men For Iesus might that or Iesus dyd dyspose that the fleshe wherewith the worde was clothed as cut in peces destribute to the beleuers in hym Quomodo caro non prodest quicquam the fleshe auayleth no thinge O Lorde good master how doth not the flesh auayle any thinge seynge that thou saide Except one eate my fleshe and drynke my bloud he shal not haue lyfe in him Doth not the lyfe profit any thinge And wherefore be we that we be but that we maye haue euerlastynge lyfe which thou promyseste by thy flesshe What is it therfore It profiteth nothinge the fleshe profiteth nothinge But how dydde they vnderstande truely thus They vnderstand the fleshe as it is rent in the deade bodye or solde in the shambles not as it is quickned with the sprite Let the spirite come to the flesh and it profteth much Ibidem Let the sprite come to the fleshe and it profiteth moch or else the worde shoulde not haue ben made fleshe that it might abyde in vs. Thou hast the wordes of lyfe sayde Peter one for all why sayde he that but that he beleued Thou hast euerlastinge lyfe in the ministracion of thy bodye bloud and we beleue and knowe For yf we shoulde knowe before and then wolde beleue we shoulde neyther be able to knowe nor vnderstande What beleue we and what know we That thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuinge God For thou arte eternall lyfe and thou geuest not in thy flesh but that that thou arte All that the Lorde spake of his fleshe and bloude and that in the grace of his distribution he promysed to vs euerlastynge lyfe and therby he woulde to be vnderstanded the eaters and drinkers of his flesh bloud that they mighte abyde in him and he in them And that they vnderstandinge carnallye thinges spirituall were offended And that they beyng offended perishinge comforte of the Lorde might be to the disciples which remayning whom to proue he asked And wyll you also go away that the aunswer of the abyding of theÌ„ mighte be knowen to vs for he knewe who wolde abyde Therfore all this is auayleable to vs most dearely beloued that we eate not the fleshe and bloude of Christe in Sacrament whiche manye euyll doth but that we eate it vnto the participation of the spirite and drinke it
the bloude of Christ Euen to this I aunswere the The holy gooste shadoweth euen these workes aboue speache and vnderstandinge For the bread and wyne be chaunged for GOD knowynge mans infirmitie doth tourne awaye Transmutatio and not beare many thinges that be not commen in vse Therfore he doth by his acustomed coÌ„desceÌ„ding vse those thinges whiche be aboue nature Aquaeo unctio gratiae â—ritus seâ—ctis regeneratio by thinges accustomed to nature And as in baptisme because it is a custome to men to be wasshed and anoynted with oyle be ioyned to the oyle and water the grace of the holy goste and made it a lauer of regeneration after the same maner because it is the maner to men Fâ—cit â— neÌ„ corpi suum to eate bread and drink wine he ioyned to these same his godhead and made them his body and his bloud that be accustomed thinges and whiche are aboue nature That we maye be placed in those thinges that be aboue nature For the bodye after the trueth is coyioyned to the godheade that of the holy virgin is the bodye not that the bodye ye takinge came downe from heauen but that the breade and wyne is chaunged into the bodye and bloude of God And if thou doste require the maner how it is done Let it be ynowgh for the to hear that it is done by the holy goste Euen as of the holy virgin mother of God with hym selfe and in hym selfe the Lord susteyned fleshe and nothing else knowe we but that the worde is trew pytthy and allmighty But the maner is vnspeakeable and vnserchable nor it is not redy that to be tolde how naturally by eatinge of breade and wyne and water by drynkinge into the bloude of the eater and drinker shoulde be chaunged and made a nother body besydes that that it was of hym Euen so the breade of settinge forthe and wyne and water by inuocation and commynge of the holy gost supernaturally is chauÌ„ged into the bodye and bloude of Christ they be not two but one Therfore it is done to them that take it in faith worthely in remission of synnes and eternall lyfe and for the kepynge of the soule and the bodye But to them that in mysbeleue vnworthely do take they take it to ponyshment and payne Morcebristi Euen as Christes deathe to the beleuers is made lyfe and incorruptibilite into the fruction of eternall blessednes But to the infideles and murderars of Christ to torment an euerlastyng payne The breade and wyne is not a figure of the bodye and bloude of Christ God forbyd Non est fygura but it is the body of our Lorde deifyed The same Lorde saying this is my bodye not a figure of my bodye but my bodye and not a figure of my bloude but my bloude And therefore this be saide to the Iewes Excepte ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shall not haue lyfe eternall My fleshe verely is meate and my bloude verely is drynke and afterwarde he saithe he that eateth me shall lyue for me Therfore with all fear pure conscience and vndoutynge fayth let vs come and let it allwaye be to vs as we beleue not doutyng and let vs worshyppe hym with all clennes of mynde and bodye Let vs come to hym with brynnynge desyre Manus in moduÌ„ crucis formaÌ„tes formyng our haÌ„des after the fashion of the crosse and let vs take the bodye of Christ crucified Melchisedech toke bread and wyne to Abraham commyng frome the killinge of straungers whiche was the preist of the highest God Figur christi Melchisedech That table prefigured this misticall table as that preist of Christ the true preist afore hym hath prefigured the figure and image Panis propitiationis Hostia in cruenta This breade did the shew breades figure this is a pure host bloudeles whiche frome the sonne rysynge to the sittinge whiche the Lorde speaketh by the prophet to be offered vnto hym That is the bodye and bloude of Christ for a stablishment of our soule and bodye vnconsumed vncorrupt Non in secessum iens not goynge frome the bodye as other meate God forbyd that but into your substaunce and conseruation Let vs with all vertu awayte that we take not parte in the participacion of heretikes nor geue Heretici obstinatiam fugiamus For do ye geue holy thinges to dogges that we be not made parteners of their error and euyll faith and condemnation For we be all one bodye bycause we participate of one breade They be called also exemplaries of thinges to come Not as not trwely beynge the bodye and bloude of Christ but by cause now by them we participate the diuinitie of Christ and then intellectually by onely vision Eusebius Emissenus Anno. ccxciiii In as moche as he was aboute to take awaye his assumptid bodye from their eyes and to brynge it in emonge the sterres It was necessary that in the day of his supper he shoulde coÌ„secrate to vs a sacrameÌ„t of his bodye bloude that he myght be contynually worshypped by mistery whithe was once offered for a pryce and that the daiely neuer ceassynge redemption whiche dyd ronne for the helth of all shoulde be a perpetuall oblation of redempcion And that that euerlastynge oblation myght lyue in memorye â–ª alwaye present in grace one true and perfight hooste to be estemyd in faith not in forme not to be iudged by exterior loue Wherfore the heauenly auctorite confyrmeth for my flesh is veray meate and my bloude is veray drynke Awaye therfore with all doute of infidelitie For he that is the auctor of the gyfte is also the wytnesse of the truthe For he conuerteth the visible creatures by his secrete power into the substaunce of his bodye bloude in his wordes saying thus Take ye eate ye this is my bodye the sanctifyenge repetyd Take drinke this is my bloud Therfore as at the appoyntemeÌ„t of our Lorde commauÌ„ding sodenly of nawght stode vp the highthes of heaueÌ„ the depenesse of the flouds the largenes of th earth So by lyke power in spirituall sacramentes where power coÌ„mauÌ„deth the effect seruith How greate howe muche honorable benefites doth the strength of the deuine blessinge worke How shuld it not be vnto you a newe thinge and impossible that earthly and mortall thinges maye be turned into the substaunce of Christ Aske thyne owne selfe whiche arte regenerate in Christ lately thou was a straunger from lyfe a straunger from mercy and from the way of helth Inwardelye thou beynge deade was outlawed sodenly beynge entered within the lawes of Christe and made newe throughe holsome misteries into the body of the churche Not by seing but by beleuing thou haste ouerpassed And of the sonne of perdition haste deserued by pryuy clemency to be made the elected sonne of God abydinge in a visible measure arte made greater than thy selfe
inuisible ▪ without augmentinge when thou was the selfe same thinge Muche other wayes was thou in the procedinge of fayth nothinge is added to in the outwarde parte and all is chaūged in the inward part And yf manne beynge made the sonne of Christ and Christ beynge formed in the mynde of manne as therefore withoute corporall sence the olde wylynes put down thou haste sodenlye put on a newe dignitie And as in that that GOD hath cured in the thinges hurte He hath wasshed thynges infected he hathe wyped awaye thinges defiled They be not commytte to thyne eyes but to thy wittes And when thou goeste vp to the alter to be filled with spiritual meats behold yea with thy faith a sacramente the body and bloude of God honoure meruell towche with thy minde take it with thy hande of thy harte and most of all take a hole drawght of the inward man S. Hierom in his .iii. boke against the Pellagians sayth Christ taught his apostels that they beleuinge should be bolde to saye daylye in the sacrifice of his body the Pater noster S. Barnard in festo Martini Anno dom M.xiii The very substaunce of Christes flesh is now also present with vs no doute truelye but in the sacrament of the alter Rupert in the vi chapt of Ihon. Anno domini M.xiii This is our Lordes body which dyd hange vpon the crosse this is his bloude that was shedde out for all the worlde Hugo in annotationibus in i. corinth xi quest xcix Anno. M ccc xxxiiii It is knowen vnto the faythfull person that the substaunce of bread passeth into the bodye and wyne into the bloude As Christ saying Take this is my body dydde then chaunge by his worde that breade and wyne into his very bodye and bloude Euen so do we vndoubtedly beleue that the wordes sayde of a preist by that order and with the same intent that Christ sayd thē do chaunge the breade and wyne into Christes very bodye and his very bloude Bruno Anno dom M.C lii This thinge whiche was a lyttell before breade is now verely my bodye whiche bodye shal be geuen to death for you althoughe I nowe wyll geue to you immortall and not apte to suffer He speaketh in the person of Christ Ioannes Gerson Anno. M. cccc.xxix We must say that albeit Christe is vnderneth the kinde of bread wyne but yet the bread passeth into christes body wine into his blod Oecumenius whiche was a greke in his .x. Epist vnto the Heb. The Apostell Paule would not haue sayde thou arte a preist for euer of that oblation and host or sacrifice which is once made but he sayd it hauing a respect to the preistes which be now a daies by whome as meanes Christ maketh sacrifice and is offered in sacrifice whiche taught them also in the misticall supper the maner of such a sacrifice And further we make a memory of one and the same Christes death and we eate at al tymes one body of Christ Sedulius whiche was M.c.xix past writeth thus Beware that ye eate not the body vnworthely whiles it is christes body Gregory Emissene which was aboue M.c. yeares past The inuisible preist Christ turneth the visible creatures of bread and wine by his worde and secrete power into the substaunce of his body and blud thus saying Take and eate this is my body And farther he saith it is Christes fleshe which we do receaue in the sacramēt couered with the forme of bread his bloud which we drink vnder the kind of apearāce sauor of wyne Rabanus Lib. i. in Exodum What auayleth it to receaue with thy mouth Christes body bloud And to do againste hym with all euell maners Nicolaus de Lyra which was about vc.xxxiii yeres past These wordes that I spake sayth Christ Iohn .vi. are sprite lyfe But yet this spiritually is not so vnderstande sayth Lyre or so to be taken that Christes flesh shuld be in the sacrament of the aulter onely as a signe lyke as certayne heretikes haue sayd for it is there really But because Christes fleshe is eaten in this sacrament after a certayne spirituall manner in as muche as the visible kyndes are rent with the teeth and eaten and mannes spirite the soule is refresshed therby through the power of God knit vnto the fleshe Damasus Epistola ad Stephanum Anno dom viii c.lxx Let not any man lightly agre in backbytinge or accusyng or condempning of their brethren Christians and whiche also do make Christes bodye with their owne mouthe Athanasius Lib. de passione imaginis Christi cap. vii Anno dom ccclxxix It is not otherwyse to be iudged of euery catholyke person besides that whiche is written of vs as thoughe some thinges mighte be found in the world of Christes flesh but that whiche is dayly made vpon the aulter spirituallye by the priestes handes Felix martyr almoost a. M.ccc yeares past It was not semely that they whiche do dayly make Christes bodye with their owne proper mouthe shuld suffer so great persecution The counsell of Laterane in the whiche were assembled M.ccc.xv learned men which determined the presence of Christ to be in the sacrament of the aulter There is one vniuersall church of the faithfull without which no mā vtterly is saued in whiche the same preist him selfe Iesus Christ is the sacrifice whose body and bloude is truely contained in the sacrament of the aulter vnderneth the kyndes of bread wyne and the substaunce of breade and wyne is turned into the bodye and bloude of Christ through goddes power The determination of the hole vniuersitie of Paris in the time and raygne of kynge Frauncis Euery Christen man is bounde to beleue stedfastly that in the consecration of the Sacramente the breade and wyne are turned into the very body and bloud of Christ the kyndes and formes of the breade and wyne onely remayninge Vnderneth the which the very bodye of Christ is really or in very dede contayned which was borne of the vyrgin and hath suffered vppon the crosse ¶ The sayinges of Martyn Luther in his boke intituled the chief articles of the christian fayth Of the sacrament of the alter hold we that breade and wyne at the supper is the very body bloude of Christ And is not onelye ministred and receiued of the rightous but also of wicked christians In the same Except that they before dyd alter and falsely interpretate gods wordes and ordinaunce as the present enemies of the sacrament do whiche would in very dede haue nothinge but breade and wyne because they haue not also the wordes and ordinaunce instituted of god but haue peruerted and altered the same after their fantasy In the same For euen ther is in this Christianitie and where as she is remission of synnes that is a kingedome of grace and of right pardon For ther is the gospell baptisme and the sacrament of the Alter wherin remission of synnes is offered gyuen and receaued and euen
you all which haue in hand any spiritual charge to holde vse kepe and execute the same with oute any repyne or reprehension Here after foloweth the order of the wordes which Saynt Clement vsed in saying masse after this maner We desyre the O Lorde that thou wilte send thy holy sprite vpon this sacrifyce whiche maye make this breade the body of thy Christ and that which is in the cuppe the blode of thy Christ ¶ S. Denyse the Arapagyte whom Paule makyth mencion of in the Actes of thappostelles .xvii. Chapter and was his disciple SAynte Denyse one of the nomber of the seuere Iudges of Athens conuerted by Saynt Paule And by Saynte Clement with these holy men Rusticus and Elutherius sent into Fraunce In the thyrde parte of the seconde Chapter entreatynge of Ecclesiasticall gouernaunce In the last ende of al thinges dew to be done in perfight baptysinge The bishop calleth the baptyzed to the most holy Eucharist and geueth vnto them the Godly communion of the chefe and moste souerayne sacrament of the body blode of our Lorde Iesus Christ And in the fyrst part of the .iii. chap. Nor it is almoste Godly or right any deutye belongynge a preistes office to be executed oneles he accōplishe this diuine and moste riall sacrament of Euchariste And in the seconde parte of the sayde chapter And the principalles of the same order together with the preistes do put vppon the aulter the holye bread the chalyce of benedictiō when there hathe gone before an vniuersall prayse and confession of the hole quere That done the reuerente prelate makinge an holy prayer doth shew holy peace to all the congregacyon And when they haue one another saluted the mysticall reheresall of holye thinges is made And when the prelate and other preistes haue washed their handes the Byshoppe standeth at the myddes of the aulter All the onelye electe and chosen preistes that shall receaue taken oute of the nombre of the mynisters do stande aboute But the byshoppe as sone as he hath praysed and extolled the Godly gyftes maketh the holy and high misteries and sheweth openly those thinges whiche he hath extolled before hyd and couered with reuerent tokens And holdinge in sight reuerently the Godly rewardes he hym selfe is turned to the holy cōmunion of the Lordes maundeth and dothe exhort the people to take parte At the last communion receaued and geuen to all that come to receaue it he geueth thankes and fynyssheth the mysterys And in the third parte of the same Chapiter in this maner trulye whan that the last moste excellent bounty of God is praysed magnified the diuine drink and cuppe of blessynge is handled propoūded And it foloweth but marke this also that the reuerent tokens being set vpon the aulter by the which Christ is betokened taken and by by without delay the description of sayntes is there present declaringe their inseperable coniunctions and moste holye and high vnyon with Christe And it foloweth wherefore reuerently of his Byshoply office after his holy prayse of the diuine workes he humbly excusethe hym selfe for that he offeryth and sacrifyseth the helthfull hoost whiche is ouer hym cryinge vnto hym comely at fyrste sayinge Thou hast sayd do this in remembraunce of me Then thus great a mysterye being of God inymytation of hym selfe he doth require and praye to be made a semblable to Christ as frayle mā may that he maye bothe make the sacrament worthely and purely distribute it And that they who be aboute to receaue the holy communion may worthely take parte with hym And so he mynistreth the moste reuerente mystery and setteth them in sight propounded holilye vnder signes Either else he openeth and discouereth the couert and vndeuyded breade brekynge it in peces partynge one chalyce amonge thē all he dothe multyply shaply distribute the vnite of our Lordes blood contayned within the sayde chalyce Thus consumyth the holy mysterye For that wyne symply and secretly the bloud of our Lorde by his dyuyne worde in his assumption of our humayne nature hathe gone before and occupied place or he was entered that compound and visible signe of his incomparable bownty power wherein it is mercyfully made euident with how suer a knot of socyetye he hath fastened vs to hym ioyninge his diuine excellent existence to our earthy matters Surely let vs agre with hym euen as members with the body let vs be glued vnto hym by semblablenes of clene godly lyuing Lest murdered with vglye vyce we may be made vnmete for the dyuine and moste delicate members being not able to styck with him but slydynge into cōtynuance of naughty lyfe The wordes of the holy man Marcial which was sent of saynt Peter to preache the gospell A Sacrifice is offered vpon an alter vnto God not to man nor Angell Nor that is not onely done vpon an alter halowed but a clene sacrifyce is offered vnto God in euery place as he dothe testifye whose boody and blood we offer to optayne euerlastynge lyfe Truely euen the same offerynge which the Iewes made in despyte wenynge to haue abolished his name oute of the earthe whiche we make in the consecrate alter for our saluation knowyng beleuing onely by this remedy to attayne lyfe and escape death For this the Lorde commaunded vs to do in remembrance of hym ¶ Ignatius the disciple of Saint Iohn the Euangelist LEt the stable Eucharist be demed affirmydly the bodye and bloode of Christ And in his epistle that he writeth vnto the Romayns I desyre saith he the fode of God the heauenly fode of lyfe which is the fleshe of Iesu Christ the sonne of the lyuinge God who was borne in the last tyme of the fead of Dauid Abraham I desyre for to drynk the bloode of hym who is loue with out corruption and lyfe euerlastyng They do not admyt the Eucharist and oblations bycause thei do not confesse the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Sauiour Iesu christ which flesh suffred for our synnes whiche fleshe the father by his benignitye hathe steryd vp Saynt Alexander byshop the Fyrst martyr C.xx ¶ Alexanderin his Epistle to all churches IN the oblation of Sacramentes whiche be made solemply at masses the passion of our Lorde is to be mengled to the intente that his passion may be celebrate whose body and bloud is made so that all wicked and supersticious opynions abolyshed breade only and wyne myxte with water maye be offered in the sacrifyce for synnes and crymes therby are done awaye with the whiche oblations the Lorde is contented and pleased and will forgeue high and gretious offēces for what more myghty and suffering sacrifice maye be then of the body and bloud of Christ ¶ Saint Ireneus Polycarpus disciple in his .iiii. boke AGaynst the heresyes of Valentius and suche other We offer those thinges vnto hym whiche belongeth vnto hym preachinge accordinglye the communion and vnitie of fleshe and sprite for lyke
Of the excellencie gretnes of this Sacrament se what he saith As ofte as ye shall do this so ofte shal ye make a remembrance of me vntil I come Therfore we hauing in mind his most glorious passion resurrection from hel his ascentioÌ„ to heaueÌ„ we do offer vnto this spotles sacrifice reasonable host bloudlesse offering this holy bread and Cuppe of lyfe euerlastyng We bothe aske and pray the that thou woldest take this oblation into thy high alter by the handes of thy holy Angelles as thou haste vouchesafe to receaue the rewardes of thy Iust seruante Abell and the sacrifice of our patriarke Abraham and that which the high preist Melchisedech hathe offered vnto the. Therfore how oft soeuer thou dost receaue what saith the Apostel to ye. Howe ofte so euer we do take we do show the Lordes death If we showe deathe we showe remission of synnes Remission of synnes howe ofter so euer bloude is shed it is shed in remission of synnes I muste alwaye take it that my synnes maye be remytted I that alwaye do synne muste alwaye haue a medison De Sacramentis li. 6. Cap. 1 For as our Lorde Iesu Christ is the true sonne of God not as men by grace but as a sonne of the substaunce of his father So is it the veray fleshe as he sayde and the veray bloude whiche we drinke But perauenture ye may saye how veray fleshe I that se the similitude se not the truthe of the bloude Fyrst I tolde you of the worde of Christ which worketh that it is able to chaunge and conuert kyndes of nature institute Farthermore whan his disciples dyd not take the worde of Christ but hearinge that he wolde gyue them his fleshe to eate and his bloude to drynke they went backe yet Peter onely sayde thou hast the wordes of lyfe and shal I go from the Therfore least that mo shoulde saye so as ther were a certayne fear of bloud but that the grace of the redemer might abyde styll therfore in a similitude thou takest the sacrameÌ„t but yet thou gettest the grace and vertue of the true nature In his firste prayer at masse I O Lorde remeÌ„bringe thy passion do come vnto thyne alter all though I be a synner that I may offer to the that sacrifice which thou dydest ordayne and commaunde to be offered for our saluation in remembraunce of the. Aduersus uigilantium I reproue all opinions agaynste the churche openly condempne theÌ„ Amb. de fide ab Garcianum Away with Argumentes where fayth is sought Thomas had a greate cause to maruel when he saw Christes body brought into the house with oute hurte through the gates closed whiche coulde not be passed through with mennes bodyes Saynt Ambrose in his boke De spiritu sancto lib iii. Cap. xii It is therfore no meane question and therfore we should the more diligently consyder what is the fotestole For we reade in a nother place heauen is my throne and the earthe the fotestole of my fete But yet the earth is not to be worshipped of vs because it is a creatur of God And yet let vs se though lest the Prophete name the earth to be worshypped which our Lord Iesus toke in the takinge of fleshe So theÌ„ by the fotestole let the earth be vnderstand then by the earth the flesh of Christ which we do now worship also in the misteries and which the Apostelles as we haue before sayd worshiped in our lord Iesu for christ is not deuided but one S. Augustyne Fo. xxxviii Here begynneth the sayinge of Saynt Augustyne priore contione Psal 33. Cum fugerit Dauid Saul persecutorem iniquiens ait Christ was borne in his own haÌ„des CHrist was borne in his owne handes Howe can that be in man Who can vnderstand for who is borne in his owne handes A man may be borne in other mens handes no manne is borne in his owne handes Howe it may be vnderstande in Dauid after the letter I fynde not in Chryste we fynde Christ truely was borne in his owne handes when he geuing his bodye sayth This is my body That body verely was borne in his owne handes Contra literas Petiliani Lib. ii It is another passeouer that the Iewes do celebrate with a shepe an other that we celebrate in the bodye and bloude of our Lorde Christe in Sacramentes fewe in nombre moost excellent in signification hath bounde together a felowshyppe of newe people As baptysme is consecrate in the name of the Trinitie Ad Ianuarium Epi. 118. and the communicatynge of the bodye and bloude of hym And if anye other thynge be commended therin Scriptures canonicall it doth playnely appeare what tyme the Apostels toke fyrst the bodye and bloude of oure lorde that they dyd not take it fastynge is it therfore to accuse maliciously the vniuersall churche that it is alway receaued of the fastynge For that cause it pleased the holye gost that in the honour of so great a sacrament that the bodye of our Lorde shoulde firste enter into the Christian mouth before other meates Therfore thoroughout all the worlde this maner is obserued Let vs heare oure Lorde not speaking of the sacrament of baptysme De peccatorum merites et remissionem but of the sacrament of his holy table Except ye eate my fleshe drynke my bloude ye shall not haue lyfe in you What do we seke more What can they aunswer to this excepte with stubbornes they do bend their brawling synowes contrary to the cleare trueth Was not the Lorde ones offered in hym selfe and yet in the Sacrament not onely by al the solempnities of Easter but euery daye to the people is offered Nor he doth not lye Omni die populus immolatur which beynge demaunded dyd aunswer him to be offered For if the Sacrament had not a certaine similitude of those thynges whereof they be Sacramentes they shulde not be Sacramentes at all Therfore they be called sacramentes because one thing is seene in them another thinge vnderstanded That which is sene hath a bodelye forme Epistola ad bonifacium that whiche is vnderstande hath a spirituall frute He that taketh the mysterye of an vnitie and kepeth not the bonde of peace he taketh not the bonde of mistery for hym selfe but a wytnesse agaynst hym self I remember my sayinge when I dydde treat of Sacramentes I told you that after the words of Christ that whiche is offered is called breade but when the wordes of Christe is spoken then it is not called bread Ante consecrationeÌ„ pa. drÌ„ post consecrationem corpus appellatur but it is called the bodye Therefore in the Lordes prayer we pray Oure breade but as it is sayde in greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supersubstancial not that whiche goeth into the bodye but that of eternall lyfe which vpholdeth the substaunce of our soule Quâ—tidie Take dailye that maye dailye profite the. So lyue that
fleshe Super Marc. cap. xiiii Whan Chrâ—st had blessed he brake the breade and that do we also puttinge therto prayers saynge This is my body This that I do geue and you now take For the breade is not only a figure of our Lordes bodye but it is turned into our Lordes body For he sayth the bread that I wyll geue is my fleshe He sayd not it is a figure of my flesh but it is my fleshe And howe saith he Cur earo non uidetur is not fleshe sene Oh man for oure infirmitie this is done For breade and wyne be of those thinges wherewith we be accustomed withall Them we do not abhorre but bloude and fleshe set forth we beholdynge coulde not beare but shoulde abhorre Therfore the mercifull God condescending to oure infirmitie Transelementatio doth kepe the forme or kynde of breade and wyne and into the vertu of fleshe and bloude he chaungeth them Super Iohannem Cap. vi Take that the breade that is eaten of vs in misteries is not onely a certayne figuringe of our lordes fleshe but the very flesh For it is transformed by secrete wordes That breade by a misticall blessing and comming of the holy goste Transformatio is chaunged into the body and bloud of Christ And how sayest thou the fleshe appeareth not to vs but breade that we shulde not abborre the eatinge of it For if flesh shuld haue appeared we shoulde haue ben vnsemelye mynded agaynste the communion but now our lord condescendinge to our infirmitie appeareth to vs in suche misticall meat as we haue ben accustomed to The Iewes when they harde of the eatinge of his fleshe dydde misbeleue and therfore they spake a word of infidelitie that is How For when the thoughtes of mysbeleiffe entered into the harte then entered also how Wherefore he wyllynge to shew that it is not impossible but very necessary and that lyfe can none otherwyse be had except ye eate my fleshe ¶ Leo in his .xl. Epistle LEt those phantastical Christians tell me what body Iesus brought into the sight of his disciples the gates beynge shut ¶ Anselmne Byshoppe of Canterbury almost fyue hundred yeares paste sayeth vppon these wordes This is my body It appeareth vnto the vtter senses of man to be but breade But know ye by the sences of the mynde bycause saith Christ this is my body none other but that same in substaunce which shal be geuen to death vpon the crosse and crucified for you Oure Lordes body is consecrated with the signe of the Crosse the fount of baptisme is hallowed and also preistes are made by the same signe Aug. in psal xxxiii Haymo Homil passione Christi Math. li. The breade is chaunged into our Lordes fleshe and the wyne into his bloude not by a fygure nor by a shadowe but by the veritie ¶ Damascen in his .iiii. boke of the ryght catholyke faith The .iiii. Chapter Doest thou aske of me howe breade is made Christes body and wine and water his bloud I aunswer vnto the that the holy goost worketh these things aboue mans vnderstandynge but the breade and wyne are turned The bodye is ioyned vnto the deitye whiche body is of the virgin not that the bodye taken of the virgin commyth downe frome heauen but that the breade it selfe and wyne are chaunged into the bodye and bloude of God The bread wyne water through inuocation and the coÌ„mynge of the holy goste vnto them are aboue nature chaunged into Christes bodye and bloude and they are not two bodyes but one and the same bodye The breade and wyne be not a figure onely of Christes bodye and bloude God forbyd but the bodye and Bloude of Christ Dost thou se breade dost thou se wyne do they auoyde beneth as other meates do God forbyd Thinke not so for as wax if it be put once into the fyer no substaunce remayneth nothinge is lefte so here also thinke thou that the misteryes be consumed by the substaunce of the bodye Damasen lib. iiii ca. xiiii For as moch as our Lord is the spirituall Adam it hath be semed mannes natiuite to be spirituall And also his meate natiuite is geuen to vs by water and the sprite through holy baptizme I saye and the meate breade of lyfe Our Lorde Iesus Christ whiche came doune from heauen For he was aboute to suffer for vs voluntarye deathe in the nyght whiche he offred his owne selfe He dyd dispose a new testament to his disciples and Apostelles by theÌ„ to all others beleuing in hym In the parlor of the holy and gloriouse Syon eatinge the olde passouer with his disciples fulfillinge the olde testament He washed his Disciples fete gyuinge them a token of holy baptisme Afterwarde breakinge breade he gaue to them saying Take eate this is my bodye whiche for you shal be broken in remâ—ssion of synnes In like maner takyng the cupe of wyne and water gaue to them sayeng Drynke of this all This is my bloude of the newe Testament whiche shal be shed for you in remission of synnes Do ye this â—n remembraunce of me For how often so euer ye shall eate this breade and drinke this cuppe ye shall shewe the death of our Lord and confesse his resurrection vntil he come If the worde of God be a lyuynge thinge and of efficacite And all thinges that our Lorde woulde he dyd If he sayde let the lyght be made and it was made Be the fyrmamente made and it was made If by the worde of God the heauens were made and with the sprite of his mouth euery vertue of them If heauen and earth water fyer and ayer and al the ornament of them by the worde of our lorde be made perfight man him self an expressed beast Vis uerbi dei continuo manet If god hym selfe a wylling worde be made man and of the most pure and vndefiled bloude of the holy vyrgyn and in him selfe without seed haue susteyned fleshe Can not he make breade his bodye and wyne and water his bloude Argumentum a minori He sayde in the begynninge let the earth brynge forth grene grasse and euen vntyll nowe after rayne it bringeth forth fruites beinge helped and strengthed with Goddes worde For god sayde This is my body and this is my bloude Hoc SacramentuÌ„ tuÌ„ continuo fiet denec ueniat and this do in remembraunce of me And by the almyghty precepte of God vntyll he shall come it is done for as all thinges that God dyd the holy goost workinge he dydde And so nowe by the operation of the holy gooste these he doth aboue nature whiche nothinge but onely fayth can take Howe shall this be done to me saith the holy vyrgin for I knowe not manne The Aungell aunswered The holye gooste shall come vpon the and the vertue of the highest shall ouershadowe the. And nowe asketh thou Quomodo howe is breade made the body of Christ wyne and water