our bodies be fedde nourished and preserued with meate and drink so as touchynge our spirituall lyfe towardes God we be fed nourished and preserued by the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ and also that he is such a preseruation vnto vs that nother the deuils of hell nor eternall deth nor syn can be able to preuaile against vs so long as by true and cōstant faith we be fed and nouryshed with that meate and drynke And for this cause Christ ordeyned this sacrament in bread wine whiche we eate and drynke and be chiefe nutrimentes of our body to the intent that as surely as we see the breade and wine with our eies smell theim with our noses touche theym with our handes and tast them with our mouths so assuredly ought we to beleue that Christ is our spirituall lyfe and sustinance of our soules like as the sayd bread and wyne is the foode and sustinaunce of our bodies And no lesse ought we to doubt that our soules bee fedde and lyue by Christe then that our bodies be fed and lyue by meate and drinke Thus oure sauiour Christe knowing vs to be in this world as it were but babes and weakelynges in faith hath ordeined sensible signes and tokēs wherby to allure and drawe vs to more strengthe and more constaunt faith in hym So that the eatyng and drinkyng of this sacramentall breade and wyne is as it were a shewyng of Christ before our eies a smellyng of hym with our noses a feelyng and gropyng of hym with our handes and an eatyng chawyng digestyng and feedyng vpon hym to our spirituall strength and perfection Fyftly it is to be noted that although there be many kyndes of meates and drynkes whych feede the body yet our sauiour Chryst as many auncient authours write ordeyned this sacrament of our spyrytual feedyng in bread wine rather than in other meates drinkes because that bread and wyne doo moste lyuely represent vnto vs the spiritual vnion and knot of al faithfull people aswell vnto Christ as also emonges them selfs For lyke as bread is made of a great numbre of graynes of corne grounde baken so ioyned together that therof is made one lofe And an infinite numbre of grapes be pressed togyther in one vessell and therof is made wyne likewyse is the whole multitude of true christiā people spyrytually ioyned fyrste to Christe and then among them selues togyther in one faith one baptisme one holy spyrite one knotte and bonde of loue Sixtely it is to bee noted that as the breade and wyne whiche we do eate be turned into our fleshe and bloude and bee made our very fleshe and very blud and be so ioyned and mixed with our fleshe bloud that they be made one whole body togither euen so be al faithful christians spiritually tourned into the body of Christ and be so ioyned vnto Christ also together among themselues that they do make but one misticall body of Christ as sainct Paule saithe We bee one bread and one body as many as bee partakers of one bread and one cuppe And as one lofe is geuen amonge many men so that euery one is partaker of the same lofe and lykewyse one cup of wyne is distributed vnto many persons wherof euery one is partaker euen so our sauiour Christ whose fleshe and bloud be represented by the mystical bread and wine in the lordes supper doeth geue hym selfe vnto all his true membres spiritually to fede them noryshe them and to geue them continuall lyfe by hym And as the braunches of a tree or membre of a body if they be dead or cut of they neyther lyue nor receiue any nourishement or sustinaunce of the body or tree so lykewyse vngodly wycked people which be cut of from Christes misticall body or be dead membres of the same doo not spiritually fede vpon Christs body bloud nor haue any lyfe strength or sustentation therby Seuenthly it is to be noted that where as no thynge in this lyfe is more acceptable beefore God or more pleasaunt vnto man than christen people to lyue togither quietly in loue peace vnitee and concorde this sacrament doth most aptly and effectuously moue vs thervnto For when we bee made all partakers of this one table what ought we to thynke but that we be al membres of one spiritual body wherof Christ is the head that we bee ioyned together in one Christ as a great numbre of graines of corne be ioyned together in one loofe Surely they haue very harde and stony heartes whiche with these thinges be not moued And more cruel vnreasonable be they then brute beastes that can not be persuaded to bee good to their christian brethren and neighbours for whom Christ suffred death when in this sacrament they be put in remembraunce that the sonne of God bestowed his life for his enemies For we see by dayly experience that eatyng and drynkyng together maketh frendes and contynueth frendshippe Muche more than ought the table of Christ to moue vs so to do Wylde beastes and byrdes bee made gentle by geuyng them meate and drynke why then should not christen men waxe meeke and gentle with this heauenly meate of Christe Herevnto wee bee stirred and moued as well by the bread and wyne in this holy supper as by the woordes of holy scripture recited in the same Wherfore whose heart soeuer this holy Sacrament Communion and supper of Christ wil not kindle with loue vnto his neighbours and cause him to put out of his heart all enuye hatred and malice and to graue in the same all amitee frendshyp and concorde he deceaueth hym selfe if he thynke that he hath the spirite of Christe dwellyng within hym But all these forsayd godly admonitions exhortations and comfortes doo the Papistes as muche as lyeth in them take away from al christen people by their transubstantiation For if we receaue no breade nor wyne in the holy communion than al those lessons and comfortes be gone whiche we shulde learne and receyue by eatyng of the bread and drynkynge of the wyne And that phantasticall imagination giueth an occasion vtterly to subuert our whole faythe in Christe For yf this sacrament bee ordeyned in bread and wyne whiche be foodes for the body to signifi and declare vnto vs our spirituall foode by Christ then yf our corporal fedyng vpon the bread and wine be but phantasticall so that there is no bread nor wine there in dede to fede vpon although they apere there to be than it doth vs to vnderstande that our spirituall feedyng in Christe is also phantasticall and that in dede we fede not of him Which sophistrie is so diuelyshe and wicked and so much iniurious to Christ that it could not come from any other person but onely from the diuell hym selfe and from his speciall minister Antichriste The eyght thyng that is to bee noted is that this spirituall meate of Christ is
a thing that we should knowe that the eatyng is our dwellyng in him and our drinkyng is as it were an incorporation in him beyng subiecte vnto him in obedience ioyned vnto him in our wylles and vnited in our affections The eatyng therefore of this fleshe is a certaine hunger and desire to dwell in him Thus wryteth Cyprian of the eatyng drynkyng of Christe And a lytle after he sayth that none do eate of this lambe but suche as be true Israelites that is to say pure christian menue without colour or dissimulacion And Athanasius speakinge of the eatinge of Christes fleshe and drinking of his bloud sayth that for this cause he made mention of his ascēcion into heauen to plucke them from corporall phantasie that thei might learne hereafter that his fleshe was called the celestiall meate that came from aboue and a spirituall foode which he would geue For those thinges that I speake to you saithe he be spirite and life Whiche is as muche to say as that thinge which you see shalbe slayne gyuen for the norishment of the worlde that it maye bee distributed to euerye body spiritually and be to all men a conseruacion vnto the resurrection of eternall lyfe In these woordes Athanasius declareth the cause why Christ made mention of his ascention into heauen whan hee spake of the eatinge and drinking of his fleshe and blud The cause after Athanasius mynde was thys that his hearers shuld not thinke of any carnal eating of his body with their mouths for as concerning the presence of his body he should be taken from them and ascende into heauen but that they shuld vnderstande him to be a spirituall meate and spiritually to be eaten and bi that refreshing to giue eternall lyfe which he doth to none but to suche as be his lyuely membres And of this eatinge speaketh also Basilius that we eate Christes flesh and drinke his blud beynge made by hys incarnation and sensyble lyfe partakers of his worde and wysedome For his fleshe and bludde he called all his mysticall conuersation here in his fleshe and his doctrine consistinge of his whole lyfe pertaininge bothe to his humanitie and diuinitye whereby the soule is norished and brought to the contemplacion of thinges eternall Thus teacheth Basilius howe we eate Christes flesh and drinke his blud which pertaineth only to the true and faithful membres of Christ. Saint hierome also saith All that loue pleasure more than god eate not the fleshe of Iesu nor drinke his bludde of the whiche himselfe saith He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my blud hath euerlastynge lyfe And in an other place S. Hierome saith that heretiques do not eat and drynk the body and bludde of the Lorde And moreouer he saithe that heretiques eate not the fleshe of Iesu whose flesh is the meate of faythfull men Thus agreeth S. Hierome with the other before rehersed that heretiques and such as folow wordly pleasures eat not Christs flesh nor drink his blud bicause that Christ said He that eateth my flesh drinketh mi blud hath euerlastīg life And S. Ambrose saith that Iesus is y e bread which is the meat of Saintes and that he that taketh this breade dieth not a sinners deathe For this breade is the remission of sinnes And in an other booke to him intituled he writeth thus This breade of lyfe whiche came frome heauen doth minister euerlasting life and whosoeuer eateth this bread shall not dye for euer and is the bodye of Christe And yet in an other booke sette forth in his name he saith on this wise He that did eat Manna died but he that eateth this body shal haue remission of his synnes and shall not dye for euer And againe he saith As oftē as thou drinkest thou haste remission of thy sinnes These sentences of S. Ambrose be so playne in this matter that there needeth no more but only the rehersall of theim But S. Augustine in many places plainlye discussing this mattier saith He that agreeth not with Christe doeth neither eate his bodye nor drinke his bludde although to the condemnation of hys presumptiō he receiue euery day the sacramente of so highe a mattier And moreouer S. Augustine most plainly resolueth this matter in his booke De ciuitate Dei disputīg agaīst two kinds of heretiques Wherof the one said that as many as were christened and receaued the sacrament of Christs body and bludde shuld be saued howe so euer thei liued or beleued bicause that Christe saide This is the breade that came frō heauē that whosoeuer shal eate thereof shall not dye I am the bread of life which came from heauen whosoeuer shall eate of this breade shall lyue for euer Therfore said these heretiques all such men must needes be deliuered from eternall deathe and at length to be brought to eternall life The other said that heretiques and scismatiques myghte eate the sacrament of Chrystes bodye but not his verye body bicause they be no membres of his bodye And therfore they promised not euerlasting life to all that receaued Christes baptisme and the sacrament of his body but all suche as professed a true fayth althoughe they lyued neuer so vngodlye For suche sayde they doo eate the bodye of Christe not only in a sacrament but also in deede bicause they bee membres of Christes body But Saint Augustine aunsweringe to bothe these heresyes saith That neither heretiques nor such as professe a true fayth in their mouths in their lyuyng shew the contrary haue either a true faith which worketh by charity and doth none euel or are to be counted among the membres of Christ. For they cā not be both membres of Christ and membres of the diuell Therefore saith he it maye not be saide that any of theim eate the bodye of Christe For when Christe saythe he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bludde dwelleth in me and I in him he sheweth what it is not sacramentally but in deede to eate his bodye and drynke his bludde whiche is when a man dwelleth in Christe that Christ dwelleth in him For Christe spake those wordes as if he should say He that dwelleth not in me and in whom I dwell not lette him not saye or thinke that he eateth my body or drinketh my bloode These be the plaine wordes of S. Augustine that suche as liue vngodly although they may seme to eate Christes body because they eat the sacrament of his body yet in deede they neither bee membres of his body nor do eate his body Also vpon the gospel of sainct Ihon he sayth that he that doth not eate his fleshe and drynke his bloud hath not in him euerlastyng life And he that eateth his fleshe and drynketh his bloud hath euerlastyng life But it is not so in those meates whiche we take to sustayne our bodyes For although without them we can not liue yet it is not necessarye that whosoeuer receyueth them
shall liue for they may dye for age sickenes or other chaunces But in this meat and drynke of the body and bloud of our Lord it is otherwise For both thei that eate and drynke them not haue not euerlastyng life And contrary wyse whosoeuer eate and drynke them haue euerlastyng life Note and ponder well these wordes of sainct Augustyne that the bread and wyne and other meates and drynkes whiche norishe the body a man may eate neuerthelesse dye but the very body and bloud of Christ no mā eateth but that hath euerlastyng life So that wicked men can not eate nor drynke them for then they must nedes haue by them euerlastyng life And in thesame place sainct Augustyne sayth further The sacrament of the vnite of Christes body and bloud is taken in the Lordes table of some men to life of some men to death but the thyng it selfe wherof it is a sacrament is taken of all men to life and of no man to death And moreouer he sayth This is to eate that meate and drynke that drynke to dwell in Christ to haue Christ dwellyng in him And for that cause he that dwelleth in him And for that cause he that dwelleth not in Christe and in whom Christe dwelleth not without doubt he eateth not spiritually his fleshe nor drynketh his bloud although carnally and visibly with his teethe he byte the sacrament of his body and bloud Thus wryteth sainct Augustyne in the xxvi Homelie of sainct Ihon. And in the next homelie folowyng he sayth thus This day our sermon is of the body of the Lorde whiche he sayd he would geue to eate for eternal life And he declared the maner of his gift distribution howe he would geue his fleshe to eate saiyng He that eateth my fleshe drynketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him This therefore is a token or knowlege that a man hath eaten and dronken that is to say if he dwell in Christe and haue Christe dwellyng in him If he cleaue so to Christe that he is not seuered from him This therfore Christe taught admonished by these misticall or figuratiue Wordes that we should be in his body vnder him our head among his membres eatyng his fleshe not forsakyng his vnitee And in his boke De doctrina Christiana sainct Augustyne sayth as before is at length declared that to eate Christes flesh and to drynk his blud is a figuratiue speache signifiyng the participation of his passion the delectable remembrance to our benefite and profite that his fleshe was crucified and wounded for vs. And in another sermō also De verbis Apostoli he expoundeth what is the eatyng of Christes body the drinkyng of his bloud saiyng The eatyng is to be refreshed and the drinkyng what is it but to liue Eate life drinke life And that shall be when that whiche is taken visibly in the sacrament is in very deede eaten spiritually and drunken spiritually By all these sentences of S. Augustyne it is euident manifest that all men good and euil may with their mouthes visibly sensibly eate the sacrament of Christes body bloud but the very body and bloud them selues bee not eaten but spiritually that of the spirituall membres of Christ whiche dwell in Christ haue Christ dwellyng in them by whom they be refreshed haue euerlastyng life And therefore sayth sainct Augustyne that when thother Apostles did eate bread that was the Lorde yet Iudas did eate but the bread of the Lorde and not the bread that was the Lorde So that the other Apostles with the sacramentall bread did eate also Christ him selfe whō Iudas did not eate And a great numbre of places moe hath sainct Augustyne for this purpose whiche for eschewyng of tediousnes I let passe for this tyme wyll speake some thyng of sainct Cyrill Cyrill vpon sainct Ihon is Gospell sayth that those whiche eate Manna dyed because thei receyued thereby no strength to liue euer for it gaue no life but only put away bodely hunger but they that receyue the bread of lyfe shalbe made immortal and shall eschewe all the euils that partayne to death liuyng with Christ for euer And in another place he sayth Forasmuche as the fleshe of them to Christe doth naturally geue life therefore it maketh lyfe that bee partakers of it For it putteth death awaye from them and vtterly dryueth destruction out of them And he concludeth the matter shortly in another place in fewe woordes saiyng that when wee eate the fleshe of our sauiour then haue wee life in vs. For if thynges that were corrupt were restored by onely touchyng of his clothes howe can it bee that wee shall not liue that eate his fleshe And further he sayth that as two waxes that be molten together do rūne euery part into other so he that receyueth Christes fleshe and bloud must needes be ioyned so with him that Christ must be in him and he in Christ. Here sainct Cyrill declareth the dignitee of Christes fleshe beyng inseperately annexed vnto his diuinitee saiyng that it is of suche force and power that it geueth euerlastyng life And whatsoeuer occasion of death it fyndeth or let of eternal life it putteth out and dryueth cleane away all the same frō them that eate that meate and receiue that medicine Other medicines or plaisters somtyme heale and somtyme heal not but this medicine is of that effect and strength that it eateth awaye all rotten and deade fleshe and perfectely healeth all woundes and sores that it is laide vnto This is the dignitie and excellencie of Christes fleshe and bloode ioyned to his diuinitie of the whyche dignytie Christes aduersaries the Papistes depriue and robbe him when they affirme that suche men do eate his fleshe receiue this plaister as remaine styll sicke and sore and be not holpen thereby And now for corroboration of Cyrils saying I would thus reason with the Papistes and demaunde of them When an vnrepentant synner receiueth the sacrament whether he haue Christes body within him or no If they saye no than haue I my purpose that euel men although they receaue the sacramente of Christes body yet receiue they not his verye body Yf they saye yea Then I wolde aske them further Whether they haue Christs spirit with in them or no If they say nay then do they separate Christs body from his spirite and his humanitye frome his diuinite and be condemned by the scripture as very Antichristes that diuide Christe And yf they say yea that a wicked man hathe Christes spirit in him then the scripture also cōdemneth them saying that as he which hath no spirite of Christes is none of his so he that hathe Christe in him lyueth because he is iustified And yf his spirite that raised Iesus from death dwell in you he that raised Christe from death shall gyue lyfe to your mortall bodyes for his spirits sake whiche dwelleth in you Thus on
glory For when I se his vineyard ouergrowen with thornes brambles wedes I know that euerlastyng woâ— apperteyneth vnto me if I holde my peace and put not to my handes tonge to labour in purgyng his vineyard God I take to witnes who seeth the harts of al men thrughly vnto the bottom that I take this labour for none other consideration but for the glory of his name the discharge of my duetie and the zeale that I beare toward the flock of Christ. I knowe in what office god hath placed me to what purpose that is to say to set forthe his word truly vnto his people to the vttermost of my power without respect of ê‘son or regarde of thyng in the world but of him alone I know what accompt I shall make to hym hereof at the last day whan euery maÌ„ shal answere for his vocation and receiue for the same good or yl accordyng as he hath done I know how Antichriste hath obscured the glory of God the true knowlege of his word ouercastyng the same with mystes and cloudes of errour and ignorance thorough false gloses and interpretations It pitieth me to see the symple and hungrye flocke of Christ ledde into corrupt pastures to be caryed blyndfield they know not whether and to be fed with poyson in the stede of holsome meates And moued by the duetie office and place wher vnto it hath pleased God to call me I geue warnyng in his name vnto all that professe Christe that thei flee far from Babylon if they wyl saue their soules to beware of that greate harlot y t is to saye the pestiferous sea of Rome that she make you not dronk w t her pleasaÌ„t wine Trust not her sweet promises nor banket not with her for in steed of wine she wil giue you sower dregs and for meate she will feede you with ranke poisoÌ„ But come to our redemer and sauiour Christ who refresheth all that trewely come vnto him be their anguishe and heauines neuer so great Giue credite vnto him in whose mouth was neuer found gile nor vntruth By him you shalbe clearly deliuered from all your diseases of hym you shall haue full remissyon A pena à culpa Hee it ys that feedeth contynually all that beelong vnto hym with his owne flesh that hanged vppon the crosse and gyueth them drinke of the blud flowyng out of his owne syde and maketh to springe within them water that floweth vnto euerlasting lyfe Lysten not to the false incantacyons sweete whisperinges and craftye iuglynges of the subtyl Papystes wherwith they haue thys manye yeares deluded and bewytched the world but harken to Chryst gyue ear vnto hys wordes whych shall lead you the ryghte waye vnto euerlastyng lyfe there wyth hym to lyue euer as heyres of hys kyngedome AMEN THE FYRST BOKE IS OF THE TRVE AND CATHOLIKE DOCTRINE AND VSE OF the sacrament of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christe THE SVPPER OF the Lorde otherwise called The holy Communion or Sacrament of the body and bloode of our sauiour CHRISTE hathe beene of many men and by sondry wayes very much abused but speciallye within these fower or fiue hundreth yeares Of some it hathe beene vsed as a sacrifice propiciâ—torye for synne and otherwise supersticiously farre frome the intent that CHRIST dyd fyrst ordaine the same at the beginning doing therin greate wronge and iniurye to his death and passion And of other some it hath beene verye lyghtly esteemed or rather contemned and dispised as a thynge of small or none effect And thus betwene bothe the parties hath been muche variance and contention in diuers places of Christendome Therefore to the intent that this holy sacrament or Lordes supper may here after neither of the one partie bee contemned or lyghtly estemed nor on the other partie be abused to any other purpose than Christe hym selfe dyd fyrste appoynte and ordeyne the same and that so the contention on bothe parties may be quieted and ended the most sure and playn way is to cleaue vnto holy scripture Wherin what so euer is found must be taken for a moste sure grounde and an infallible truthe and what soeuer can not bee grounded vpon the same touchyng our faithe is mans deuise chaungeable and vncertayne And therfore here are set forth the very wordes that Christe hym selfe and his apostle saynt Paule spake bothe of the eatyng and drynkyng of Christes body and bloud and also of the eatyng and drynkynge of the sacrament of the same FYRST as concernyng the eatyng of the body and drinkyng of the bloude of our sauyour Christe he speaketh hym selfe in the .vi. chapiter of saynt Iohn in this wyse Ueryly verily I saie vnto you except you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no life in you Who so eateth my fleshe drinketh my bloud hath eternall lyfe and I will rayse hym vp at the laste daye For my fleshe is very meate and my bloud is very drink He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym As the liuyng father hath sent me and I liue by the father euen so he that eateth me shall lyue by me This is the bread whiche came doune from heauen Not as your fathers dyd eate Manna and ar dead He that eateth this breade shall lyue for euer Of these wordes of Christe it is playne and manyfest that the eatyng of Christes fleshe and drynkyng of his bloude is not lyke to the eatyng and drynkyng of other meates and drinkes For although without meate and drynke man can not lyue yet it foloweth not that he that eateth and drynketh shall lyue for euer But as touchyng this meate and drynke of the body and bloude of Christe it is true bothe he that eateth and drinketh them hath euerlasting life and also he that eateth and drynketh them not hath not euerlastynge life For to eate that meate and drynke that drynke is to dwell in Christe and to haue Christ dwellyng in him And therfore no man can say or thynk that he eateth the body of Christ or drinketh his bloud excepte he dwelleth in Christe and hath Christe dwellyng in hym Thus haue ye hearde of the eatynge and drynkynge of the very fleshe and bloud of our sauiour Christ. Nowe as touchynge the sacramentes of the same our sauiour Christe dyd institute them in breade and wyne at his last supper whiche he had with his apostles the night before his deth At whych tyme as saynt Mathewe sayth When they were eatyng Iesus toke breade and when he had geuen thankes he brake it gaue it to his disciples and sayd Take eate this is my body And he toke the cup and when he had geuen thankes he gaue it to theim saiynge Drynke ye all of this for this is my bloud of the new testament that is shed for many for the remission of synnes But I saie vnto you I will not drynke
the body is called Meate and drynke of a lyke sor the scripture calleth the same thynge that comforteth the soule Meate and drynke Wherfore as heâ—e before in the fyrste note is declared the hungre and drought of the soule so is it nowe secondly to bee noted what is the meate drynke and foode of the soule The meate drynke foode and refreshynge of the soule is our sauiour Christe as he sayd him selfe Come vnto me all you that trauayle and bee laden and I will refreshe you And Yf any man be drye saieth he let hym come to me and drynke He that beleueth in me flouddes of water of life shall flowe out of his bealy And I am the bread of life sayth Christ He that commeth to me shal not be hungry and he that beleueth in me shal neuer be dry For as meate and drynke do comfort the hungry body so doth the death of Christes body the sheddyng of his bloud comforte the soule when she is after her sort hungry What thyng is it that comforteth norisheth the body Forsooth meate and drynke By what meanes than shall we call the body and bloud of our sauiour Christe whiche doo comforte and nouryshe the hungrye soule but by the names of meate and drynke And this similitude caused our sauiour to say My fleshe is very meate and my bloud is very drynke For there is no kynde of meate that is comfortable to the soule but onely the death of Christes blessed body nor no kynde of drynke that can quenche her thyrst but only the bloudsheddyng of our sauiour Christe whiche was shed for her offences For as there is a carnall generation and a carnal feedyng nourishement so is there also a spiritual generation and a spiritual feadyng And as euery maÌ„ by carnal generation of father and mother is carnally begotten and born vnto this mortall lyfe so is euery good christiaÌ„ spiritually borne by Christ vnto eternall life And as euery man is carnally fedde and nourished in his body by meate drynke euen so is euery good christian man spiritually fedde and nourished in his soule by the fleshe and bloud of our sauiour Christ. And as the body liueth by meate and drynke and thereby increaseth and groweth froÌ„ a yong babe vnto a perfect man whiche thyng experience teacheth vs so the soule lyueth by Christe him selfe by pure fayth eatyng his fleshe and drynkyng his bloud And this Christ him selfe teacheth vs in the sixt of Ihon saiyng Uerely verely I say vnto you excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke his bloud you haue no life in you who so eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloud hath eternal life and I wyl raise him vp at the last day For my fleshe is very meate and my bloud is very drynke He that eateth my fleshe drynketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him As the liuyng father hath sent me and I liue by the father euen so he that eateth me shal liue by me And this S. Paule confessed of him selfe saiyng That I haue life I haue it by fayth in the sonne of God And nowe it is not I that liue but Christ lyueth in me The third thyng to be noted is this that although our sauiour Christ resembleth his fleshe and bloud to meat drynke yet he farre passeth and excelleth all corporall meates and drynkes For although corporall meates and drynkes do norishe and continue our life here in this world yet they begyn not our lyfe For the beginnyng of our life we haue of our fathers and mothers and the meate after we be begotten dothe feede and nourishe vs and so preserueth vs for a time But our sauiour Christ is bothe the first beginner of our spiritual lyfe who first begetteth vs vnto God his father and also afterward he is our lyuely foode and nourishement Moreouer meate and drinke doth fede and norishe onely our bodies but Christ is the true and perfect norishement both of body and soule And besides that bodily food preserueth the lyfe but for a tyme but Chrst is such a spirytual and perfect foode that he preserueth both body soule for euer As he said vnto Martha I am resurrection and life He that beleueth in me although he dye yet shall he lyue And he that liueth and beleueth in me shall not dye for euer Fourthly it is to be noted that the true knowlege of these thynges is the true knowlege of Christ and to teache these thynges is to teache Christe and the beleuyng and feelyng of these thynges is the beleuyng and felyng of Christe in our hartes And the more clerely we see vnderstande and beleeue these thynges the more clerely we se and vnderstande Christ and haue more fully our faithe and comfort in hym And although our carnall generation oure carnall nourishement be knowen to all men by dayly experience and by oure common senses yet this our spirituall generation and our spirituall nutrition be so obscure and hyd vnto vs that we can not attayn to the true and perfecte knowledge and feelyng of theym but onely by faith whyche muste bee grounded vpon Gods moste holy worde and sacramentes AND for this consideration our Sauioure Christe hath not onely sette forth these thynges moste playnly in his holy woorde that we maie heare them with our eares but he hath also ordeyned one visible sacrament of spiritual regeneration in water and an other visible sacrament of spiritual norishment in bread and wine to the intente that as muche as is possible for man we may se Christ with our eies smell him at our nose taste hym with our mouthes grope hym with our handes and perceue him with all our senses For as the word of god preched putteth Christ into our eares so likewyse these elements of water bread and wine ioyned to gods word do after a sacrameÌ„tal maner put Christ in to our eies mouthes handes and al our senses And for this cause Christ ordeyned baptisme in water that as surely as we se fele and touch water with our bodies and be washed with water so assuredly ought we to beleue whan we be baptised that Christ is veryly present with vs and that by hym we bee newly borne agayn spiritually and washed from our synnes and grafted in the stocke of Christes own body and be apparailed clothed and harnessed with hym in suche wyse that as the dyuel hath no power agaynst Christe so hath he none against vs so long as we remayne grafted in that stocke and be clothed with that apparel and harnesed with that armour So that the washyng in water of baptisme is as it wer shewyng of Christ before our eyes and a sensible touchyng feelyng and gropyng of hym to the confirmation of the inwarde faithe whiche we haue in hym And in lyke maner Christ ordeined the sacrament of his body and bloud in bread and wine to preach vnto vs that as
as the Papistes do fondly phantasy And likewise the substances of bread wyne do feede and norishe the body of them that eate the same and not the only accidentes In these answeres is no absurditie nor inconuenience nothyng spoken either contrarye to holy scripture or to natural reason Philosophy or experience or against any olde auncient author or the primatiue or catholike churche but onely against the malignant and Papisticall church of Rome Where as on the other syde y t cursed synagoge of Antichrist hath defined and determined in this matter many thynges contrary to Christes wordes contrary to the olde catholike church and the holy martyrs and doctoures of the same and contrary to all naturall reason learnynge and phylosophy And the final end of all this Antichrists doctrine is none other but by subtelty and crafte to bringe christian people from the true honouringe of Christ vnto the greatest ydolatry that euer was in this worlde deuised as by goddes grace shalbe plainly sette forth hereafter Thus endeth the seconde booke THE THIRDE BOOKE TEACHETH THE MANNER HOWE Christe is present in his supper NOW THIS MATTER OF transubstantiation being as I trust sufficiently resolued which is the fyrst part before rehersed wherin the papistical doctrine varieth from the catholicke truth ordre requireth next to intreate of the seconde part whiche is of the manner of the presence of the body and bloode of our sauiour Christe in the sacramente thereof wherein is no lesse contention then in the fyrste parte For a plaine explication wherof it is not vnknowen to all true faithfull christian people that oure sauiour CHRIST beeinge perfecte God and in all thinges equall and coeternall wyth his father for our sakes beecame also a perfect manne takynge fleshe and bloode of his blessed mother and virgine Marye and sauing synne beinge in all thinges lyke vnto vs adioyninge vnto hys diuynitie a moste perfecte soule and a moste perfecte bodye hys sowle beinge indued with lyfe sence wyll reason wysdome memory and all other thinges required to the perfect soule of man and hys body being made of very fleshe and bones not onlye hauinge all membres of a perfecte mannes bodye in due ordre and proportion but also beinge subiect to hunger thyrste laboure sweate werines colde heate and all other lyke infirmyties and passions of man and vnto death also and that the moste vile and painefull vppon the crosse And after his death he rose againe with y e selfe same visible and palpable bodye and appeared therwith and shewed the same vnto hys Apostels and specially to Thomas makinge him to put his handes into his syde and to feele hys woundes And with the selfe same bodye he forsooke this worlde and ascended into heauen the Apostels seeynge and beholdinge hys body when it ascended and nowe sytteth at the right hand of his father and there shall remaine vntyll the laste daye when he shal come to iudge the quick and the deade This is the trewe catholicke faythe whâ—che the scrripture teacheth the vniuersal churche of Christe hathe euer beleued frome the begynnynge vntyll within these fower or fyue hundreth yeares last passed that the Byshoppe of Rome with the assistaunce of his Papists hath sette vp a newe faithe and beliefe of theyr owne deuising that the same body really corporally naturally and sensiblye is in this worlde styll and that in an hundreth thousand places at one tyme beynge inclosed in euerye pyxe and bread consecrated And althoughe we do affirme accordinge to Gods word that Christ is in all persones that truelye beleue in him in suche sorte that with his flesh and bloode he dothe spiritually norishe theim and feede theim and giueth theim euerlasting lyfe â–ª and doth assure them therof aswell by the promise of his word as by the sacramentall bread and wine in his holy supper which he did institute for the same purpose yet we do not a little varye frome the hainous erroures of the Papistes For they teache that Christe is in the breade and wine But we say according to the truth that he is in them that worthely eate and drink the breade and wine They saye that when anye manne eateth the breadde and drynketh the cuppe CHRIST goeth into his mouth or stomake with the breade and wyne and no further But wee saye that CHRIST is in the whole man bothe in the body and soule of him that worthely eateth the bread and drinketh the cuppe and not in hys mouthe or stomacke onely They saye that CHRIST is receiued in the mouth and entreth in wyth the bread and wyne Wee saye that hee is receaued in the harte and entreth in by faithe They saye that Christe is reallye in the sacramentall breade beeynge reserued an whole yeare or so longe as the fourme of breade remaineth but after the receiuynge thereof hee flyeth vp say they frome the receiuer vnto heauen as soone as the breade is chawed in the mouth or chaunged in the stomacke But wee say that Christ remayneth in the man that worthely receiueth it so longe as the manne remayneth a membre of Christe They say that in the sacrament the corporall membres of Christe be not distaunt in place one from another but that wheresoeuer the head is there be the feete and wheresoeuer the armes be there be the legges so that in euery parte of the bread wyne is altogither whole head whole feete whole fleshe whole bloud whole hearte whole lunges whole brest whole backe and altogither whole confused and mixte withoute distinction or diuersitie O what a foolishe and an abhominable inuencion is this to make of the moste pure and perfect body of Christe suche a confuse and monstruous body And yet canne the Papistes imagine nothinge so foolishe but all Christian people must receyue the same as an oracle of God and as a moste certayne article of their fayth without whisperyng to the contrary Furthermore the Papistes say that a dogge or a Catte eate the body of Christe if they by chaunce do eate the sacramental bread We say that no yearthly creature can eate the body of Christ nor drynke his bloud but onely man They say that euery maÌ„ good and euil eateth the body of Christe We say that bothe do eate the sacramental bread and drynke the wyne but none do eate the very body of Christ and drynke his bloud but only they that be liuely membres of his body They say that good menne eate the body of Christ and drynke his bloud only at that tyme whan they receiue the sacrament We say that they eate drinke and feede of Christ coÌ„tinually so long as they be membres of his body They say that the body of Christe that is in the sacrament hath his owne proper fourme and quantitee We say that Christ is there sacramentally and spiritually without fourme or quantitee They say that the fathers prophetes of the olde testament did not eate the body nor drunke the bloud of Christ We
was Christe Amonge suche maner of speeches he reherseth those words which Christ spake at his laste supper This is my bodye whiche declareth plainly S. Augustines mynd that Christ spake those woordes figuratyuelye not meaning that the breade was hys bodye by substaunce but by signifycacion And therfore S. Augustine saith Contra MaximinuÌ„ that in sacraments we must not considre what they be but what they signifye For thet be signes of things beyng one thyng and signyfiyng an other Whych he doth shew specyally of thys sacrament saying The heauenly bread which is Christes flesh by some manner of speache is called Christes body when in very deede it is the sacrament of his body And that offering of the flesh whiche is doone by the priestes handes is called Christes passion deathe and crucifiyng not in very deede but in a mystycall signyfycacion And to this purpose it ys both pleasaunt comfortable and profytable to reade Theodoretus in hys Dyaloges wher he dysputeth sheweth at length how the names of thyngs be changed in scrypture and yet thynges remayne styll And for exaumple he proueth that the fleshe of Chryst ys in y e scrypture sometyme called a vaylor couerynge someâ—yme a clothe sometyme a vestiment and sometime a stole the blud of the grape is called Christes blood and the names of breade and wine and of his fleshe and bloode Christe doth so chaunge that sometyme he calleth his body corne or bread and sometime contrarye he calleth breade his body And likewise his bludde sometime he calleth wyne and sometyme contrary he calleth wyne his bludde For the more plaine vnderstandinge whereof it shall not be amysse to recite his owne saiyngs in his foresaid dialogs touchiÌ„g this matter of the holy sacrament of Christes fleshe and bluâ— The speakers in these dialoges bee Orthodoxus the ryghte beleuer and Eranistes his companion but not vnderstanding the right faith Orthodoxus saith to his companion Doest thou not knowe that God calleth breade his fleshe Eranistes I knowe that Orth. And in an other place he calleth his bodye corne Eran. I know that also for I haue heard him saye The hower is come that the sonne of man shalbe glorified and Except the grain corn that falleth in the ground dye it remaineth sole but if it dye than it bringeth forth much frute Orth. Whan he gaue the mysteries or sacramentes he called bread his body and that which was myxt in the cuppe he called bloude Eran. ' So he called them Orth. But that also which was his natural bodye maye well be called his body and his verye bludde also maye be called his bludde Eran. ' It is playne Orth. But oure sauiour without doubt chaunged the names and gaue to the body the name of the signe or tooken and to the tooken he gaue the name of the body And so when he called himselfe a vyne he called blud that whiche was the token of blud Era. Suerly thou hast spoken the truth But I would knowe the cause wherfore the names were chaunged Orthod The cause is manyfest to theim that bee experte in true religion For he would that they whiche bee partakers of the godly sacramentes should not sette their myndes vppon the nature of the thynges whiche they see but by the chaungyng of the names should beleue the thynged whiche be wrought in them by grace For he that called that which is his natural body corne and bread and also called him selfe a vyne he dyd honour the visible tokens and signes with the names of his body and bloud not chaungyng the nature but addyng grace to nature Eran. Sacramentes bee spoken of sacramentally and also by theim bee manyfestly declared thynges whiche all men knowe not Ortho. Seyng than that it is certaine that the Patriarche called the Lordes body a vestiment and apparelle and that nowe we be entred to speake of godly sacramentes tel me truely of what thyng thynkest thou this holy meate to be a tooken and figure of Christes diuinitee or of his body and bloud Era. It is cleare that it is the fygure of those thynges wherof it beareth the name Orth. ' Meanest thou of his body and bloud Era. ' Euen so I meane Orth. Thou haste spoken as one that loueth the trueth for the Lorde when he tooke the token or signe he sayd not This is my diuinitee but This is my body and This is my bloud And in another place The bread whiche I wylle geue is my fleshe whiche I wylle geue for the life of the worlde Era. The thynges be true for they be Gods wordes All this wryteth Theodoretus in his fyrst Dialogue And in the second he wryteth thesame in effect and yet in some thynges more plainly against suche heretikes as affirmed that after Christes resurrection and ascencion his humanitee was chaunged froÌ„ the very nature of a maÌ„ turned into his diuinitee Against whoÌ„ thus he writeth Orth. Corrupcion health sickenes death be accidentes for they go and come Era. ' It is meete they be so called Orth. Mens bodyes after their resurrection bee deliuered from corrupcion death and mortalitee and yet they lose not their propre nature Era. ' Trueth it is Orth. The body of Christ therfore did ryse quit cleane from all corruption and death and is impassible immortall glorifyed with the glorye of God and is honoured of the powers of heauen and yet it is a body and hath the same bygnes that it had before Era. Thy saiynges seme true and accordyng to reason but after he was asceÌ„ded vp into heauen I thynke thou wylt not say that his body was turned into the nature of the Godhead Orth. I would not say for the persuacion of mans reason nor I am not so arrogaÌ„t and presumptuous to affirme any thyng whiche scripture passeth ouer in silence but I haue heard S. Paule crye that God hath ordayned a day whan hee wyll iudge all the worlde in iustice by that maÌ„ which he appointed before performyng his promise to all men raisyng him from death I haue learned also of the holy angels that he wyll comme after that fashion as his disciples sawe him go to heauen But they saw a nature of a certaine bygnes not a nature whiche had no bygnes I heard furthermore the Lord say You shall see the soÌ„ne of maÌ„ come in y â— cloudes of heaueÌ„ And I knowe that euery thyng that menne see hath a certaine bygnes For that nature that hath no bignes can not be seen Moreouer to sytte in the throne of glory and to sette the Lambes vppon his right hande and the goates vpon his left hand signifyeth a thyng that hath quantitee and bygnes Hytherto haue I rehersed Theodoretus wordes And shortly after Eranistes sayth Era. Wee must turne euery stone as the prouerbe sayth to seeke out the truth â–ª but specially whan godly matters be propounded Orth. Tel me than the sacrameÌ„tal signes whiche
be offered to God by his priestes wherof they be signes sayest thou Era. ' Of the Lordes boby and bloud Orth. ' Of a very body or not a very body Era. ' Of a very body Orth. Uery wel for an mage must be made after a true paterne for Paynters folowe nature and paynt the images of suche thynges as wee see with our eyes Era. ' Truthe it is Orth. If therfore y e godly sacramētes represent a true body than is the Lordes body yet styll a body not conuerted into the nature of his Godhead but replenished with Gods glory Era. It cōmeth in good time that thou makest mencion of Gods sacramentes for by the same I shall proue y e Christes body is turned into another nature Answer therfore vnto my questions Orth. ' I shall answere Era. What callest thou that which is offered before the inuocation of the priest Orth. We must not speake plainly for it is like that some be present whiche haue not professed Christ. Era. ' Answere couertly Orth. ' It is a norishmēt made of seedes that be like Era. ' Than howe call we the other signe Orth. It is also a cōmon name that signifieth a kynde of drynke Era. But howe doest thou cal them after the sanctification Orth. ' The body of Christ and the bloud of Christ. Era. And dost thou beleue that thou art made parttaker of Christes body and bloudde Orth. ' I beleeue so Era. Therfore as the tokens of Goddes bodye and bloude be other thynges before the priestes inuocation but after the inuocation they be chaunged and be other thynges so also the bodye of Christe after his assumption is chaunged into his diuine substaunce Orth. Thou art taken with thyne owne nette For the sacramentall signes goe not from their owne nature after the sanctification but continue in theyr former substance forme and figure and may be sene and touched as well as before yet in our myndes we do consyder what they bee made and do repute and esteme them and haue them in reuerence acordyng to the same thynges that they be taken for Therfore compare the ymages to the paterne and thou shalt se them like For a figure must be lyke to y e thyng it selfe For Christes bodye hath his former fashion figure and bygnesse and to speake at one worde the same substance of his body But after his resurrection it was made immortall and of suche power that no corruption nor deth coulde come vnto it and it was exalted to that dignitee that it was set at the ryght hande of the father and honoured of all creatures as the body of hym that is the Lorde of nature Era. But the sacramentall token chaungeth his former name for it is no more called as it was before but is called Christes boyde Therefore must his body after his ascention be called God and not a body Orth. Thou semest to me ignorant for it is not called his body onely but also the bread of lyfe as the Lorde called it So the bodye of Christe we call a godly body a body that geueth lyfe Goddes body the Lordes body our maisters bodye meanyng that it is not a common body as other mens bodies be but that it is the bodye of oure Lord Iesu Christ both god and man This haue I rehersed of the great clerke and holy byshop Theodoretus whome some of the Papistes perceyuynge to make so playnely agaynst them haue defamed sayeng that he was infected with the errour of Nestorius Here the Papistes shewe their old accustomed nature and condition whiche is euen in a manifest matter rather to lye without shame than to geue place vnto the truthe confesse their owne errour And althoughe his aduersaries falsely bruted suche a fame agaynst hym whan he was yet alyue neuerthelesse he was pourged thereof by the whole councel of Calcedon about aleuen hundred yeares ago And furthermore in his boke which he wrote against heresies he specially condemneth Nestorius by name And also all his .iii. bookes of his dialoges before rehersed he wrote chiefly agaist Nestorius and was neuer herein noted of errour this thousande yere but hath euer been reputed and taken for an holy byshop a great lerned man and a graue author vntyl now at this present tyme when the Papistes haue nothyng to answere vnto hym they begyn in excusyng of them selues to defame hym Thus muche haue I spoken for Theodoretus which I praie the be not wery to rede good reder but often and with delectation deliberation and good aduertisement to rede For it conteyneth playnly and brefely the true instruction of a christian man concernyng the matter whiche in this boke we treate vpon First that our sauiour Christe in his last supper when he gaue breade and wyne to his apostles sayeuge This is my bodye This is my bloud it was bread which he called his body wyne myxed in the cuppe whyche he called his bloud so that he changed the names of the bread and wine which were the misteries sacraments signes figures tokens of Christes fleshe and bloude called them by the names of the thinges which they dyd represent and signifie that is to say the breade he called by the name of his very fleshe the wyne by the name of his blud Second that although the names of breade and wyne were changed after sanctification yet neuerthelesse the thyngs them selues remayned the selfe same that they were before the sanctification that is to say the same breade and wyne in nature substance forme and fashion The thyrde seynge that the substance of the bread and wyne be not chaunged why bee then their names changed and the bread called Christes flesh and the wyne his bloud Theodoretus sheweth that the cause therof was this that we shuld not haue so muche respect to the breade and wyne whiche we see with our eies and tast with our mouthes as we shuld haue to Christe hym selfe in whom we beleue with our hertes fele and tast him by our faith with whose flesh and bloud by his grace we beleue that we bee spiritually fedde and nouryshed These thynges we ought to remembre and reuolue in our myndes and to lyfte vp our hartes from the bread and wine vnto Christ that sytteth aboue And bicause we shuld so do therfore after the consecration they be no more called bread wyne but the body and bloud of Christe The fourth It is in these sacraments of bread and wyne as it is in the very bodye of Christe For as the body of Christe before his resurrection and after is al one in nature substance bignesse forme and fashion and yet it is not called as an other cōmon body but with addition for the dignitee of his exaltation it is called a heauenly a godly an immortal and the Lords body so lykewyse the breade and wyne before the consecration and after is all one in nature substance bygnesse forme and fashion and yet it is not called as