hensforth of this fruite of the vine vntil that day when I shal drink it new w t you in my fathers kyngdom This thyng is rehersed also of saynt Marke in these woordes As they dyd eate Iesus toke bread and when he had blessed he brake it and gaue it to theim and sayd Take eate this is my body And takyng the cuppe when he had geuen thankes he gaue it to them and they all dranke of it And he sayd to them This is my bloud of the newe testament which is shed for many Uerily I saie vnto you I will drynke no more of the fruite of the vine vntyl that daie that I drinke it newe in the kyngdome of God The Euangelist S. Luke vttereth this matter on this wyse When the howre was come he sat down and the .xii. apostles with hym And he sayd vnto them I haue greatly desired to eate this pascha with you before I suffre For I saie vnto you Hensforth I wil not eat of it any more vntyll it be fulfylled in the kyngdome of god And he toke the cup and gaue thankes and sayd Take this and diuide it amōg you For I say vnto you I wil not drink of the frute of the vine vntill the kyngdom of God com And he toke bread and when he had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto them sayeng This is my body whiche is geuen for you This dooe in remembrance of me Likewise also whā he had supped he toke the cup saiyng This cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud whiche is shedde for you Hytherto you haue heard all that the Euangelistes declare that Christ spake or did at his last supper concernyng the institucion of the Cōmunion and sacrament of his body bloud Nowe you shall heare what sainct Paule sayth cōcernyng the same in the tenth chapiter of the first to the Corinthians where he writeth thus Is not the cup of blessynge whyche we blesse a comunion of the bloude of Christe Is not the bread whiche we breake a communyon of the bodye of Christ We beyng many ar one bread and one body For we all ar partakers of one bread and of one cuppe And in the eleuenth he speaketh on this maner That whiche I deliuered vnto you I receaued of the Lorde For the lord Iesus the same nyght in the which he was betraied toke breade and whan he had geuen thankes he brake it and sayde Take eate this is my bodye whiche is broken for you Doo this in remembrance of me Likewise also he toke the cup whan supper was doone saiyng This cuppe is the newe testament in my bloude Doo this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me For as often as you shal eat this bread and drinke this cuppe shew forthe the Lordes death tyll he come Wherfore who so euer shall eate of this breade or drynke of this cuppe vnworthily shall be gyltie of the body and bloude of the Lord. But let a man examine him self and so eate of the bread and drynke of the cuppe For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drynketh his owne damnation bycause he maketh no difference of the Lordes body For this cause manny are weake and sycke among you and many do sleape By these wordes of Christ rehersed of the Euangelistes and by the doctrine also of saynte Paule whiche he confesseth that he receaued of Christe two thynges specially are to be noted Fyrst that our sauiour Christ called the materiall bread whiche he brake his body and the wyne whyche was the fruite of the vyne his bloud And yet he spake not this to the intente that men shulde thynke that materiall bread is his very body or that his very body is materiall bread neither that wyne made of grapes is his very bloud or that his very bloud is wyne made of grapes but to signifie vnto vs as S. Paule saith that the cuppe is a communion of Christes bloud that was shedde for vs and the bread is a cōmunion of his fleshe that was crucified for vs. So that although in the truth of his humane nature Christe be in heauen and sitteth on the ryghte hande of God the father yet who so euer eateth of that bread in the supper of the Lorde accordynge to Christes institution and ordinaunce is assured by Christes owne promyse and testament that he is a membre of his body and receyueth the benefittes of his passion whych he suffered for vs vpon the Crosse. And lykewise he that drynketh of that holly cuppe in that supper of the Lorde accordynge to Christes institution is certified by Christes legacie and testament that he is mad partaker of the bloude of Christe whyche was shed for vs. And this ment saynte Paule when he saith Is not the cuppe of blessyng which we blesse a communion of the bloude of Christe Is not the breade whiche we breake a communion of the body of Christe So that no man can contemne or lyghtly esteme this holy communion excepte he contemne also Christes body and bloud and passe not whether he haue any felowshyp wyth hym or no. And of those men saynte Paule saieth that they eate and drynke their owne damnation bycause they esteme not the body of Christe The seconde thyng whiche may bee lerned of the forsayd wordes of Christe and saynt Paule is this that although none eateth the body of Christ and drynketh his bloud but they haue eternall lyfe as apereth by the wordes before recited of S. Iohn yet both the good and the bad do eate and drynk the bread and wyne whiche be the Sacramentes of the same But beside the Scaramentes the good eateth euerlastyng lyfe the euyll euerlastyng death Therefore S. Paule saith Whosoeuer shall eate of this breade and drynketh of the cuppe of the Lorde vnworthyly he shall be giltie of the body and bloudde of the Lorde Here sainte Paule saith not that he that eateth the bread and drinketh the cup of the Lorde vnworthyly eateth and drynketh the body and bloud of the Lorde but is giltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. But what he eateth and drinketh S. Paule declareth saiynge He that eateth and drynketh vnwoorthyly eateth and drynketh his owne damnation Thus is declared the summe of all that scripture speaketh of the eatyng and drynkynge bothe of the body and bloud of Christ and also of the sacrament of the same AND as these thynges be most certainly true because they be spoken by Christe hym selfe the author of all truth and by his holy apostle S. Paule as he receaued them of Christ so all doctrines contrary to the same be moste certainly false and vntrue and of all christian men to bee eschued bycause they be contrary to gods word And al doctrine concernyng this matter that is more than this whiche is not grounded vpon Goddes word is of no necessitee neither ought the peoples heades to be busied or theyr consciences
body and blud is not receaued in the mouthe and digested in the stomacke as corporall meates and drynkes commonly bee but it is receaued with a pure harte and a sincere faithe And the trewe eatyng and drinking of the sayd body and bloude of Christ ys wyth a constant and a lyuely faith to beeleue that Chryste gaue hys bodye and shedde hys bloude vppon the Crosse for vs and that he doeth so ioyne and incorporate himselfe to vs that hee is our heade and wee his membrâ—s and fleshe of his fleshe and bone of his bones hauinge hym dwellynge in vs and wee in hym And herein standeth the whole effecte and strength of this sacrament And this faith God woorketh in wardely in our hartes by hys holy spirite and confyrmeth the same outwardly to our eares by hearinge of hys woorde and to our other senses by eatynge and drynkynge of the sacramentall breade and wyne in hys holy supper What thynge then can be more comfortable to vs than to eate thys meate and drynke thys drynke Wherby Christ certyfyeth vs that we bee spirytually and trewely fedde and nouryshed by hym and that wee dwell in hym and he in vs. Canne this bee shewed vnto vs more playnly than whan he saith hym selfe He that eateth me shall lyue by me Wherfore whosoeuer doth not contemne the euerlasting lyfe how can he but highely esteme this sacrament How can he but imbrace it as a sure pledge of his saluacion And whan hee seeth godly people deuoutly receaue the same howe can he but be desyrous oftentymes to receiue it with them Surely no man that wel vnderstandeth and diligently wayeth these things can bee without a greate desire to come to thys holy supper All men desyre to haue goddes fauoure and when they knowe the contrary that they be in his indignacion and caste out of his fauoure what thinge can comforte them Nowe be theyr myndes vexed What trouble is in their consciences All goddes creatures seme to be against them and do make theym afraide as thinges being ministers of goddes wrath and indignacion towards them And rest and comfort caÌ„ they finde none neither within them not withoute them And in this case thei do hate as well God as the diuel God as an vnmerciful and extreme iudge and the dyuell as a moste malicious and â—ruel tormentour And in this sorowful heauines holy scripture teacheth theim that our heauenly father can by no meanes be pleased with theim againe but by the sacrifice and deathe of his only begotten sonne whereby God hathe made a perpetuall amitee and peace with vs doth pardon the sinnes of them that beleue in him maketh theim his chyldren giueth them to his first begotten son Christe to be incorporate into him to be saued by him and to be made heires of heuen with him And in the receauing of the holy supper of our Lorde wee bee putte in remembraunce of this his deathe and of the whole mysterye of our redemption In the which supper is made mention of his testamente and of the aforesayde Communion of vs with Christe and of the remission of oure sinnes by his sacrifice vppon the crosse Wherefore in this sacrament yf it be rightly receaued with a true faithe we bee assured that our sinnes bee forgiuen and the leage of peace and the testament of God is confirmed betwene hym and vs so that who so euer by a true faithe doth eate Christes flesh and drinke his bludde hath euerlastinge lyfe by hym Whiche thynge when wee feele in oure hartes at the receauynge of the Lordes supper what thing can be more ioyfull more plesaunte or more comfortable vnto vs All this to bee trewe is moste certaine by the woordes of Christe hym selfe whanne hee dydde fyrst institute his holy supper the nyght beefore his deathe as it appeareth as well by the woordes of the Euangelistes as of S. Paule Dooe thys saythe Christe as often as you drynke it in remembraunce of me And Saint Paule saithe As often as you eate this breade and drynke this cuppe you shall shewe the Lordes death vntyll he come And againe Christ saide This cup is a newe testament in mine owne bloud whiche shal be shed for the remission of sinnes This doctrine here recited maye suffice for all that be humble and godly and seek nothing that is superfluous but that is necessarye and profitable And therefore vnto suche persones may bee made here an ende of this booke But vnto them that be contencious Papists ydolaters nothing is enough And yet bicause thei shall not glory in their subtile inuencions and deceiuable doctrine as though no man were able to answere them I shall desire the readers of pacience to suffre me a litell while to spend some time in vaine to confute their most vaine vanities And yet the time shall not bee altogither spent in vaine for there by shall more clearly appeare the lyghte frome the darkenes the truth from false sophisticall subtelties and the certaine word of God from mens dreames and phantasticall inuentions BUt these things can not manifestly appear to the reader except the principall pointes be first set out wherin the Papistes vary froÌ„ the truth of Gods worde whiche be chiefely fower Fyrst the Papisâ—s say that in the supper of the Lorde after the words of consecracion as they call it there is none other substaunce remaynyng but the substaunce of Christes fleshe and blud so that there remaineth neither bread to be eaten nor wyne to be dronken And althoughe there be the colour of bread wyne the sauour the smell the bygnes the fashion and all other as they call them accidentes or qualities and quaÌ„tities of bread and wyne yet say they there is no very bread nor wyne but they bee turned into the fleshe bloud of Christ. And this coÌ„uersion they call Transubstantion that is to say turnyng of one substaÌ„ce into another substaÌ„ce And although all the accidentes bothe of the bread and wyne remayne styl yet say they the same accidentes be in no maner of thyng but hang alone in the ayre without any thyng to stay them vpon For in the body and bloud of Christ say they these accidentes can not be nor yet in the ayre for the body and bloud of Christ and the ayre be neither of that bignes fashion smell nor colour that they bread and wyne be Nor in the bread and wyne say they these accidentes can not be for the substaÌ„ce of bread and wyne as they affirme be cleane gone And so there remaineth whitnes but nothing is white there remayneth colours but nothing is coloured therwith there remaineth roundnes but no thyng is round and there is bygnes and yet no thyng is bygge there is swetenes without any swete thyng softnes without any soft thyng breakyng without any thyng broken diuision without any thyng deuided and so other qualities quantities witout any thyng to receyue them And this doctrin they teache
as a necessary article of our fayth But it is not the doctrine of Christe but the subtill Inuension of Antechrist fyrst decreed by Innocent the thyrd and after more at large set furth by schole authors whose studye was euer to defende and set abrode to the worlde all suche matters as y e byshop of Rome had once decreed And the deuil by his minister Antichrist had so daseled the eyes of a great multitude of christen people in these latter dayes that they sought not for their fayth at the cleare light of Gods worde but at the Romishe Antichrist beleuyng whatsoeuer he prescribed vnto thē yea though it were against all reason all senses and Gods most holy worde also For els he could not haue been very Antichrist in dede except he had been so repugnaunt vnto Christe whose doctrine is cleane contrary to this doctrine of Antichrist For Christ teacheth that we receiue very bread and wyne in the most blessed supper of the Lord as sacramentes to admonishe vs that as we be fedde with bread wyne bodely so wee be fedde with the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ spiritually As in our baptisme we receiue very water to signifye vnto vs that as water is an element to washe the body outwardly so be our soules washed by the holy ghost inwardly The seconde principall thyng wherein the Papistes varry from the truth of Gods worde is this They say that the very natural fleshe and bloud of Christe whiche suffered for vs vpon the crosse and sitteth at the right hand of the father in heauen is also really substancially corporally and naturally in or vnder the accidentes of the sacramental bread and wyne which they cal the fourmes of bread and wyne And yet here they varry not a lytle among them selues For some say that the very natural body of Christ is there but not naturally nor sensibly And other saye that it is there naturally and sensibly and of the same bygnes fashion that it is in heauen and as the same was borne of the blessed virgyn Mary and that it is there broken and torne in peeces with our teethe And this appeareth partly by the schole authors and partly by the confession of Beringarius whiche Nicholaus the second constrayned him to make whiche was this That of the sacramentes of the Lordes table the sayd Beringarius should promise to holde that fayth whiche the sayd Pope Nicholas and his counsail held whiche was that not onely the sacramentes of bread and wyne but also the very fleshe and bloud of oure Lorde Iesu Christ are sensibly handeled of the priest in the altare broken and torne with the teethe of the faythfull people But the true catholike fayth grounded vpon Gods moste infallible woorde teacheth vs that our sauiour Christ as concernyng his mannes nature and bodely presence is gone vp vnto heauen sitteth at the right hand of his father and there shall he tarry vntyl the worldes ende at what tyme he shal come agayn to iudge both the quicke and the dead as he sayth him selfe in many scriptures I forsake the worlde sayth he and go to my Father And in another place he sayth You shal haue euer poore men among you but me you shall not euer haue And again he sayth Many hereafter shall come and laye Loke here is Christe or looke there he is but beloue them not And sainct Peter sayth in the Actes that heauen must receiue Christe vntyll the tyme that all thynges shall be restored And saint Paule writyng to the Colossians agreeth hereto saiyng Seke for thinges that be aboue where Christ is sittyng at the right hand of the father And sainct Paule speakyng of the very sacrament sayth As often as you shall eate this bread and drynke this cuppe shewe furth the Lordes death vntyll he come Tyll he come sayth S. Paule signifiyng that he is not there corporally present For what speeche were this or who vseth of him that is already present to say Untyl he come For Untyl I come signifyeth that he is not yet present This is the catholike fayth whiche we learne from our youth in our common Crede and whiche Christ taught the Apostles folowed and the martyres confirmed with theyr bloud And although Christ in his humayne nature substantially really corporally naturally and sensibly be present with his father in heauē yet sacramentally and spiritually he is here present in water bread and wyne as in signes and sacramentes but he is in deede spiritually in the faythfull christian people whiche accordyng to Christes ordinaunce be baptised or receyue the holye communion or vnfainedly beleue in him Thus haue you hard the seconde pryncipal article wherin the Papistes vary from the truthe of Goddes worde and from the catholike faith Nowe the thyrde thynge wherin they varye is this The Papistes saye that euell and vngodlye men receaue in this sacramente the very bodye and bloud of Christe and eate and drynke the selfe same thinge that the good and godly men doo But the truthe of Gods woorde is contrary that al those that be godly mēbres of Christe as they corporally eate the bread and drinke the wyne so spiritually they eate and drinke Christes very fleshe and bloude And as for the wycked membres of the dyuell they eate the sacramental bread and drinke the sacramental wyne but they doo not spiritually eate Christs fleshe nor drinke his blode but they eate and drinke theyr owne damnation The fourthe thynge wherein the Popyshe preestes dissente frome the manifest woorde of God is this They saie that they offre Christe euery day for remission of sinne and distribute by their Masses the merites of Christes passion But the prophetes apostels and euangelistes doo saye that Christe him selfe in his owne person made a sacrifice for our sinnes vppon the Crosse by whose woundes all our diseases were healed and our sinnes pardoned and so dyd neuer no preest man nor creature but he nor he dyd the same neuer more than ones And the benefite hereof is in no mannes power to gyue vnto any other but euery man muste receaue it at Christes handes him selfe by his owne faith and beliefe as the prophete saieth HERE ENDETH THE fyrste booke THE SECONDE BOOKE IS AGAINST THE ERROVR OF Transubstantiation THVS HAVE you hearde declared fower thynges wherein chiefly the papisticall doctrine varieth from the true worde of God and frome the olde catholyke Christen faith in this matter of the lordes supper Nowe lest any man shuld thynke that I faine any thinge of myne owne heade without any other ground or authoritee you shall heare by Goddes grace as well the erroures of the Papistes confuted as the catholike truthe defended both by goddes most certaine woorde and also by the moste olde approued authors and martyrs of Christes churche And fyrst that breade and wine remain after the woordes of consecration and bee eaten and drunken in the
other common bread but for the dignitee whervnto it is taken it is called with addition Heauenly breade the breade of lyfe and the bread of thankes gyuyng The fift that no man ought to be so arrogant and presumptuous to affirme for a certayn truth in religion any thynge whiche is not spoken of in holy scripture And this is spokē to the great and vtter condemnation of the Papistes which make and vnmake newe articles of oure faithe from tyme to tyme at their pleasure without any scripture at all yea quite and cleane contrary to scripture And yet wyll they haue all men bounde to beleue what so euer they inuent vpon peryll of damnation and euerlastyng fyre And they woulde constrayne with fyre and fagotte all men to consent contrary to the manyfest woordes of God to these their erroures in this matter of the holy sacramente of Christes body and bloude Fyrst that there remaineth no bread nor wyne after the consecration but that Christes fleshe and bloud is made of them Seconde that Christes body is really corporally substancially sensibly and naturally in the bread and wyne Thyrdely that wycked persones doo eate and drynke Christes very body and bloude Fourthly that priestes offer Christ euery day make of him a new sacrifice propiciatory for syn Thus for shortnes of tyme do I make an end of Theodoretus with other olde auncient writers which do moste clerely affirme that to eate Christes body and to drynke his bloude be figuratiue speches And so be these sentences like wyse whiche Christe spake at his supper This is my body This is my bloudde And meruail not good reder that Christe at y e time spake in figures whan he did institute that sacrament seing that it is the nature of al sacramentes to be figures And although y e scripture be ful of Schemes tropes figures yet specially it vseth theim whā it speketh of sacramentes When the Ark which represented Gods maiestee was come into the army of the Israelites the Philistians said that god was come into the army And God hym selfe sayd by his prophete Nathan that from the time that he had brought the children of Israell out of Egypte he dwelled not in houses but that he was caried about in tentes and tabernacles And yet was not God hym selfe so caried aboute or wente in tentes or tabernacles but bycause the arke whiche was a figure of God was so remoued from place to place he spake of hym selfe that thyng whyche was to be vnderstand of the Arke And Christ hym selfe often tymes spake in similitudes parables and figures as whan he said The field is the worlde the enemy is the dyuell the sede is the worde of God Iohn is Helias I am a vine and you be the brāches I am bread of lyte My father is an husband mā and he hath his fanne in his hand and wil make cleane his flower and gather the wheat into his barne but the chaffe he wyll caste into euerlastyng fyre I haue a meate to eate whiche you knowe not Woorke not meate that perisheth but that endureth vnto euerlastyng life I am good shepherd The sonne of man wyl set the shepe at his right hand and the goates at his left hād I am a doore One of you is the deuil Whosoeuer dothe my fathers wylle he is my brother syster and mother And whan he sayd to his mother and to Ihon. This is thy sonne this is thy mother These with an infinite numbre of like sentences Christe spake in Parables Metaphores tropes and figures But chiefly whan he spake of the sacramentes he vsed figuratiue speches As whan in Baptisme he sayd that wee must bee baptised with the holy ghost meanyng of spiritual baptisme And lyke speeche vsed sainct Ihon the Baptiste saiyng of Christe that he should Baptise with the holy ghoste and fyre And Christ sayd that wee must be borne againe or els wee can not see the kyngdome of God And sayd also Whosoeuer shall drynke of that water whiche I shall geue hym he shall neuer bee drye agayne But the water whiche I shall geue him shall bee made within him a welle whyche shall spryng into euerlastyng lyfe And sainct Paule sayth that in Baptisme wee clothe vs with Christe and be buryed with him This baptisme washing and newe byrth by the fyre and the holy ghoste and this water that spryngeth in a man floweth into euerlastyng life can not be vnderstande of any material water material washyng and material byrthe but by translacion of thynges visible into thynges inuisible they must bee vnderstande spiritually and figuratiuely After thesame sort the mystery of our redemption and the passion of our sauiour Christ vpon the crosse aswel in the newe as in the old Testament is expressed and declared by many fygures and figuratiue speeches As the pure Paschal lambe without spot signified Christ. The effusion of the lambes bloud signified the effusion of Christes bloud And the saluacion of the children of Israel from temporal death by the lambes bloud signified our saluacion from eternall death by Christes bloud And as almightie God passyng through Egipt killed all the Egyptians heyres in euery house and lefte not one aliue neuerthelesse he passed by the children of Israels houses where he sawe the Lambes bloud vpon the doores and hurted none of them but saued them all by the meanes of the Lambes bloudde so lykewyse at the last iudgement of the whole worlde none shall be passed ouer and saued but that shall be founde marked with the bloud of the moste pure immaculate lambe Iesus Christe And forasmuch as the sheddyng of that lambes bloud was a token figure of the sheddyng of Christes bloud than to come and forasmuche also as all the sacramentes and figures of the old testament ceassed and had an end in Christ leste by our great vnkyndnes we should peraduenture bee forgetfull of the greate benefite of Christ therfore at his last supper when he toke his leaue of his apostles to departe oute of the worlde he dyd make a new wyll and testament wherin he bequeathed vnto vs cleane remission of all our synnes and the euerlastynge inheritance of heauen And the same he confirmed the nexte daie with his owne bloud and death And leste we should forget the same he ordeyned not a yerely memory as the Paschall lambe was eaten but ones euery yere but a dayely remembrance he ordained therof in bread wyne sanctified and dedicated to that purpose saiyng This is my body This cuppe is my bloud whiche is shed for the remission of synnes Do this in the remembrance of me Admonyshyng vs by these wordes spoken at the makyng of his laste wyll and testament and at his departyng out of the worlde bycause they should be the better rememored that whensoeuer we do eate the bread in his holy supper and drynke of that cup
wee should remembre howe muche Christ hath done for vs and howe he dyed for our sakes Therefore saith saint Paul As often as ye shal eate of this bread and drinke the cuppe you shall shew foorth the Lordes death vntyll he come And forasmuche as this holy breade broken and the wine deuided doo represent vnto vs the death of Christ nowe passed as the kyllynge of the Paschall lambe dyde represent y â— same yet to come therfore our sauiour Christ vsed the same maner of speeche of the bread and wyne as God before vsed of the Paschall lambe For as in the olde Testament God sayd This is the Lordes Passeby or Passeouer euen so sayth Christ in the new Testament This is my body This is my bloude But in the old mistery and sacrament the Lambe was not the Lordes very Passeouer or passyng by but it was a figure whiche represented his passynge by So likewise in the newe Testament the breade and wine be not Christes very body and bloude but they be figures whiche by Christes institution bee vnto the godly receauers thereof Sacramentes tokens significations and representations of his very fleshe and bludde instructyng their faith that as the bread and wine fede them corporally and continue this temporall lyfe so the very fleshe and bloud of Christ feedeth them spiritually and geueth them euerlastyng lyfe And why shulde any man thinke it strange to admit a figure in these speches This is my body This is my bloude seyng that the coÌ„munication the same nyghte by the Papistes owne confessions was so full of figuratiue speeches For the Apostles spake figuratiuely whan they asked Christ where he would eate his passeouer or passeby And Christe hym selfe vsed the same figure when he sayd I haue muche desyred to eate this passeouer with you Also to eate Christes body and to drynke his bloude I am sure they wyl not say that it is taken proprely to eate drike as we doe eate other meates and drynkes And when Christe sayde This cup is a newe testament in my bloude here in one sentence bee two figures One in this worde Cup whych is not taken for the cup it selfe but for the thynge conteyned in the cup. An other is in this worde Testament for neyther the cuppe nor the wyne contained in the cuppe is Christes Testament but is a token signe and figure whereby is represented vnto vs his Testament confirmed by his bloudde And if the Papists wil say as thei say in dede that by this cup is neither ment the cup nor the wine conteyned in the cuppe but that therby is ment Christes bloud contained in the cuppe yet must they nedes graunt that there is a fygure For Christes bloude is not in proper speche the New testameÌ„t but it is the thyng that coÌ„firmed the new testament And yet by this strange interpretation the Papistes make a very straunge speche more strange then any figuratiue speche is For this they make the sentence This bloud is a newe testament in my bloud Which saiyng is so fonde and so farre from all reason that the foolyshenes therof is euident to euery man Nowe forasmuch as it is plainly declared and manifestly proued that Christe called bread his body and wyne his bloud and that these sentences be figuratiue speeches and that Christe as concernyng his humanitee and bodily presence is ascended into heuen with his whole fleshe and bloudde and is not here vpon earthe and that the substance of breade and wyne doo remayne styll and be receaued in the sacrament and that although they remayne yet they haue changed theyr names so that the bread is called Christes bodye and the wyne his bloudde and that the cause why theyr names bee chaunged is this â–ª that we should lyft vp our hartes and myndes frome the thynges whyche we se vnto the thinges whyche we beleue and be aboue in heauen wherof the bread and wyne haue the names althoughe they bee not the very same thynges in dede These thynges well considered and waied all the auctoritees and argumentes whyche the Papistes fayne to serue for theyr purpose be cleane wyped awaie For whether the authors which they alledge say that we doo eate Christes fleshe and drynke his bloudde or that the bread and wyne is conuerted into the substance of his fleshe and bloud or that we bee tourned into his fleshe or that in the Lordes supper we do receaue his very fleshe and bloudde or that in the breadde and wyne is receaued that whyche dydde hange vppon the Crosse or that Christe hathe lefte his fleshe with vs or that Christe is in vs and wee in hym or that he is whole here and whole in heauen or that the same thynge is in the Chalice whyche flowed oute of his syde or that the same thynge is receaued with our mouthe whyche is beleued with our faythe or that the breade and wyne after the Consecration bee the body and bloudde of CHRISTE or that we bee nouryshed with the body and bloude of Christ or that Christe is bothe gone hence and is styll here or that Christe at his laste supper bare hym selfe in his owne handes These and all other like sentences may not be vnderstanded of Christes humanitee litterally and carnally as the wordes in common speeche doo proprely signifie for so doothe no man eate Christes fleshe nor drinke his bloudde nor so is not the bread and wyne tourned into his fleshe and bloud nor we into hym nor so is the breade wyne after the consecration his flesh and blud nor so is not his fleshe and bloud whole heere in earth eaten with our mouthes nor so dydde not Christe take hym selfe in his owne handes But these and all other lyke sentences whiche declare Christe to be here in earth and to be eaten and dronken of christian people are to bee vnderstande eyther of his diuine nature wherby he is euâ—ry where or els they must be vnderstanded figuratiuely oâ— spiritually For figuratiuely he is in the breade and wyne and spiritually he is in them that worthyly eate and drinke the bread and wyne but really carnally and corporally he is onely in heauen frome whence he shall come to iudge the quycke and deade This briefe aunswere wyll suffice for all that the Papistes can bryng for their pourpose yf it bee aptely applyed And for the more euidence hereof I shall applye the same to somme suche places as the Papistes thynke doo make moste for theym that by the aunswere to those places the reste maye bee the more easyly aunswered vnto They alledge saint Clement whose words be these as thei report The sacramentes of Gods secretes are coÌ„mitted to thre degrees to a priest a Deacon and a minister whiche with feare and tremblyng ought to kepe the leauynges of the broken peeces of the Lordes body that no corruption be founde in the holy place least by negligence great iniury bee done to the portion
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
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
offered vnto him but now that we be spiritual we must offre spiritual oblatiōs in the place of calues sheepe goates and doues We must kyll diuelish pryde furious angre insatiable couetousnes filthy lucre stinking lechery deadly hatred malice foxy wilines woluish rauening deuouring and al other vnreasonable lustes and desires of the fleshe And as many as belonge to Christe muste crucifie kyll these for Christs sake as Christ crucified himselfe for their sakes These be the sacrifices of chrystian men these hostes oblations be acceptable to Christ. And as Christ offered himselfe for vs so is it our duties after this sorte to offre our selues to hym againe And so shal we not haue the name of christian men in vaine but as we pretend to belong to Christe in woorde and profession so shall wee in deede be his in lyfe and inward affection So that within without we shalbe altogither his cleane from al hyporisie or dissimulacion And if we refuse to offre our selues after this wise vnto hym by crucifiyng our own willes cōmittyng vs wholy to the wyl of god we be moste vnkind people superstitious hypocrites or rather vnreasonable beastes worthy to be excluded vtterly from all the benefites of Christes oblation And if wee putte the oblation of the prieste in the steede of the oblation of Christe refusing to receaue the sacrament of his body and bludde our selues as hee ordained and trustinge to haue remission of our sinnes by the sacrifice of the prieste in the Masse and thereby also to obtayne release of the paines in Purgatorye wee doo not onlye iniurye to Christe but also committe moste detestable ydolatry For these bee but false doctrines without shame deuised and fayned by wicked Popishe priestes Idolatres Monkes and Friers whiche for lucre haue altered and corrupted the moste holye supper of the Lorde and tourned yt into manifeste Idolatrye Wherefore all godly men ought with all their harte to refuse and abhorre all suche blasphemy againste the sonne of God And forasmuche as in suche Masses is manifeste wyckednes and Idolatrye wherein the prieste alone maketh oblation satisfactorye and applieth the same for the quicke and the dead at hys wyll and pleasure all suche popishe Masses are to bee clearlye taken awaye oute of chrystiane Churches and the trewe vse of the Lordes supper is to be restored again wherin godlye people assembled togither maye receaue the sacrament euery man for himself to declare that he remembreth what benefite he hathe receaued by the deathe of CHRIST and to testifye that he is a membre of Christes body fed with hys fleshe and drinkynge hys bludde spiritually CHRIST dyd not ordayne his sacramentes to this vse that one should receiue them for another or the priest for all the laye people but he ordayned them for this intent that euery man should receiue them for him selfe to ratify confirme and stablishe his owne faith and euerlastyng saluacion Therefore as one man may not be baptized for another and if he be it auayleth nothyng so ought not one to receiue the holy Communion for another For if a man be drye or hungry he is neuer awhit eased if another man drynke or eate for him or if a man bee all befyled it healpeth him nothyng another man to be washed for him So auayleth it nothyng to a man if another man bee baptized for him or bee refreshed for him with the meate and drynke at the Lordes table And therfore sayd sainct Peter Let euery man bee baptized in the name of Iesu Christe And our sauiour Christe sayd to the multitude Take and eate And further he sayd Drynke you all of this Whosoeuer therfore wyll be spiritually regenerated in Christe he must bee baptized him selfe And he that wyll lyue him selfe by Christe must by him selfe eate Christes fleshe and drynke his bloud And briefely to conclude he that thynketh to come to the kyngdome of Christe himselfe must also come to his sacramentes him selfe and kepe his cōmaundementes himselfe do all thynges that partaine to a christen man and to his vocation himselfe least if he referre these thynges to another man to do them for him the other may with as good right clayme the kingdom of heauen for him Therfore Christ made no suche difference betwene the priest and the lay man that the priest should make oblacion and sacrifice of Christ for the lay man and eate the Lordes supper frō him al alone and distribute apply it as him liketh Christ made no suche difference but the diffrēce that is betwene the priest and the lay mā in this matter is onely in the ministration that the priest as a common minister of the church doth minister and distribute the Lordes supper vnto other and other receiue it at his handes But the very supper it selfe was by Christ instituted and geuen to the whole church not to be offered and eaten of the priest for other men but by him to be deliuered to all that would duely aske it As in a princes house the officers ministers prepare the table and yet other aswell as they eate the meate and drynke the drynke so do the priestes and ministers prepare the Lordes supper reade the Gospell and reherse Christes woordes but all the people say therto Amen All remembre Christes death all geue thankes to God all repent and offre themselues an oblacion to Christe all take him for their Lorde and sauiour and spiritually feade vpon him and in token therof they eate the bread and drynke the wyne in his mistical supper And this nothing diminisheth the estimation and dignitee of priesthod and other ministers of the church but auaunceth and highly commendeth their ministracion For if they are muche to bee loued honored and estemed that bee the Kynges Chauncelours Iudges officers ministers in temporal matters howe muche than are they to be estemed that be ministers of Christes wordes sacramentes and haue to them cōmitted the keyes of heauen to let in shut out by the ministration of his worde and Gospel Nowe forasmuche as I trust that I haue playnly enough set furth the propitiatory sacrifice of our sauior Iesu Christ to the capacitee comfort of all men that haue any vnderstādyng of Christe and haue declared also the heynous abhominacion Idolatry of the Popish Masse wherin the priestes haue taken vpon them the office of Christ to make a propitiatory sacrifice for the synnes of the people and haue also tolde what maner of sacrifice christen people ougt to make it is nowe necessary to make answere to the subtyll persuacions and sophisticall cauillacions of the Papistes wherby the haue deceiued many a symple manne both learned and vnlearned The place of sainct Paule vnto the Hebrues whiche they do cite for their purpose maketh quite and cleane against them For where sainct Paule sayth that euery high priest is ordayned to offre gyftes sacrifices for synnes
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
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