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
troubled with the same So that thynges spoken and done by Christe and written by the holy Euangelistes and S. Paule ought to suffise the faith of christen people as touching the doctrine of the Lordes supper and holy communion or sacrament of his body and bloud Whiche thynge beeyng well consydered and waied shalbe a iust occasion to pacifie and agree bothe parties as well them that hytherto haue contemned or lyghtly estemed it as also theym whiche haue hitherto for lacke of knowledge or otherwyse vngodly abused it CHRISTE ordeyned the sacrament to moue and styrre all men to frendeshyp loue and concorde and to put away all hatred variance and discord and to testifie a brotherly and vnfained loue betwene all theim that bee the membres of Christ but the diuell the ennemy of Christ and of al his membres hath so craftily iuggled herein that of nothyng ryseth so muche contention as of this holy sacrament God graunt that al contention set aside both the parties may come to this holy communion with suche a liuely faith in Christe and such an vnfained loue to all Christes membres that as they carnally eate with their mouth this sacramentall bread and drink the wine so spiritually they maye eate and drynke the very fleshe and bloud of Christe whiche is in heauen and sitteth on the right hande of his father And that finally by his meanes they may enioy with him the glory and kyngdome of heauen Amen Altho in this treatie of the sacramente of the body and bloude of our sauiour Christ I haue already sufficiently declared the institution and meanynge of the same accordynge to the very wordes of the gospell and of saint Paule yet it shall not bee in vayne somewhat more at large to declare the same accordyng to the mynde as well of holy scripture as of olde auncient authors and that so sincerely and plainly without doubtes ambiguitees or vayn questions that the very symple and vnlerned people may easily vnderstande the same and be edified therby And this by Goddes grace is myne only intent and desyre that the â—locke of Christ dispersed in this realme among whom I am appointed a speciall pastour may no longer lacke the commoditee and fruite which springeth of this heauenly knowledge For the more clerely it is vnderstande the more swetenes fruit comfort and edification it bryngeth to the godly receauers thereof And to the clere vnderstandynge of this sacramente dyuers thynges muste bee consydered FYRST that as all men of them selues bee synners and thorough synne bee in Goddes wrathe banyshed far away froÌ„ hym condemned to hell and euerlastyng damnation and none is clearely innocent but Christe alone so euery soule inspired by God is desyrous to be deliuered from synne and hell and to obteyn at Goddes handes mercy fauour righteousnes and euerlastyng saluation And this earnest and greate desyre is called in scripture The hunger and thirst of the soule with whyche kynde of hunger Dauid was taken whan he sayde As an harte longeth for sprynges of water so doth my soule long for the O God My soule hath thyrsted after God who is the well of lyfe My soule thyrsteth for the my fleshe wysheth for thee And this hunger the sely poore synfull soule is dryuen vnto by meanes of the lawe whiche sheweth vnto her the horriblenes of synne the terrour of Goddes indignation and the horrour of death and euerlastyng damnation And whan she seeth nothyng but damnation for her offences by iustice and accusation of the lawe and this damnation is euer before her eies than in this great distresse the soule beyng pressed with heuynesse sorowe seketh for some comfort and desireth some remedy for her miserable and sorowful estate And this feelynge of her damnable condicion and gredy desyre of refreshyng is the spirituall hunger of the soule And who soeuer hath this godly hunger is blessed of God and shal haue meate and drynke ynough as Christ hym self said Blessed be they that hunger and thirst for rightousnes for they shalbe fylled ful And on thother side they that see not their owne synfull and damnable estate but thynke theim selues holy ynoughe and in good case and condicion ynough as they haue no spirituall hunger so shall they not bee fed of God with any spirituall foode For as almighty God feedeth them that be hungry so doth he sende awaie empty all that be not hungry But this hunger and thyrst is not easily perceyued of the carnall man For when he hereth the holy ghoste speake of meate and drynk his mynde is by and by in the kytchen and buttery and he thynketh vpon his dyshes and pottes his mouthe and his bealy But the scripture in sundry places vseth speciall wordes wherby to drawe our grosse myndes from the phantasyeng of our teeth and belly and from this carnall and fleshely imagination For the Apostles and disciples of Christe when they were yet carnall knew not what was ment by this kynde of hunger and meate and therfore when they desired hym to eate to withdrawe their myndes from carnall meate he said vnto theim I haue other meate to eate whiche you knowe not And why knewe they it not Forsothe because their myndes were grosse as yet and had not receyued the fulnesse of the spirite And therfore our sauiour Christ myndyng to drawe them from this grossenes tolde theim of an other kynd of meate then they phantasied as it were rebukyng them for that they perceiued not that there was any other kynde of eating and drinkyng besides that eatyng and drinkyng whiche is with the mouth and the throte Likewyse whan he sayd to the woman of Samaria Who so euer shall drynke of that water that I shall geue hym shall neuer be thirsty agayn They that heard hym speake those wordes might well perceyue that he went about to make them wel acquaynted with an other kynd of drinkynge than is the drynkynge with the mouth and throte For there is no suche kynd of drynke that with ones drynkyng can quenche the thirst of a mans body for euer Wherfore in saiyng He shall neuer be thirsty agayn he dyd drawe theyr myndes from drynkynge with the mouth vnto an other kind of drinkyng wherof they knew not and vnto an other kynd of thirsting wherwith as yet thei wer not acquainted Also when our sauiour Christe saide He that commeth to me shal nat hunger and He that be leueth on me shall neuer bee thyrstye he gaue them a plaine watche worde that there was an other kynd of meat and drinke then that wherwith he fedde them at the other syde of the water and an other kynde of hungryng and thyrstynge then was the hungrynge and thirstyng of the body By these wordes therfore he droue the people to vnderstand an other kynde of eatyng and drinkyng of hungring and thyrstyng then that whiche belongeth onely for the preseruation of temporal lyfe Nowe then as the thyng that comforteth
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
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
sacrifice of Christe that was to comme whyche should be the very true and perfecte sacrifice for the synnes of the whole worlde And for this signification they had the name of a sacrifice propiciatorie and wer called sacrifices for synnes not bycause they in dede toke away our sinnes but bycause they were ymages shadowes and fygures wherby godly men wer admonyshed of the trewe sacrifice of Christ than to come whyche shulde truely abolyshe syn and euerlastyng death And that those sacrifices whyche were made by the priestes in the olde lawe coulde not be able to purchase our pardon and deserue the remission of oure synnes S. Paule doeth clerely affirme in his said epistle to the Hebrues where he sayth It is impossible that our synnes shuld be taken awai by the bloud of oxen and goates Wherfore all godly men althoughe they dyd vse those sacrifices ordeined of God yet they did not take them as thynges of that value and estimation that therby they shulde be able to obteyn remission of their synnes before God But they toke theym partely for fygures and tokens ordeined of God by the whiche he declared that he wold sende that seede whiche he promysed to be the very true sacrifice for synne and that he would receaue them that trusted in that promyse and remytte theyr synnes for the sacrifice after to come And partely they vsed them as certayne ceremonies wherby suche persones as had offended against the lawe of Moyses and were cast out of the cōgregacion were receiued again among the people and declared to be absolued As for lyke purposes we vse in the Churche of Christ sacramentes by him instituted And this outwarde castyng out from the people of God and receiuyng in agayne was accordyng to the lawe and knowledge of manne but the true reconciliation and forgeuenes of synne before God nother the fathers of the olde lawe had nor we yet haue but only by the sacrifice of Christ made in the mount of Caluary And the sacrifices of the olde lawe were pronostications and figures of the same than to come as our sacramentes bee fygures and demonstrations of the same nowe passed Nowe by these foresayd thynges may euery manne easily perceiue that the offeryng of the priest in the Masse or the appointyng of his ministration at his pleasure to them that be quick or dead can not merite and deserue neither to himselfe nor to theim for whom he lyngeth or sayeth the remission of their synnes but that suche Popishe doctrine is contrary to the doctrine of the Gospell and iniurious to the sacrifice of Christ. For yf only the death of Christ be the oblation sacrifice and price wherfore our synnes bee pardoned then the acte or ministration of the priest can not haue the same office Wherefore it is an abhominable blasphemy to geue that office or dignitee to a priest whiche perteyneth onely to Christ or to affirme that the Churche hath nede of any suche sacrifice as who shoulde saye that Christes sacrifice wer not sufficient for the remission of our synnes orels that his sacrifice shuld hange vpon the sacrifice of a priest But all suche prestes as pretende to be Christes successours in makynge a sacrifice of hym they be his most haynous and horrible aduersaries For neuer no persone made a sacrifyce of Christ but he hym selfe only And therfore sainct Paule sayth that Christes priesthood can not passe from him to another For what nedeth any mo sacrifices if Christes sacrifice be perfect and sufficient And as sainct Paule sayth that if the sacrifices and ministration of Aaron and other priestes of that tyme had lacked nothyng but had been perfect and sufficient then should not the sacrifice of Christe haue been required for it had been but in vain to adde any thyng to that whiche of it selfe was perfecte so lykewyse yf Christes sacrifice whiche he made him selfe bee sufficient what nede wee euery day to haue mo mo sacrifices Wherefore all Popishe priestes that presume to make euery daye a sacrifice of Christe either muste they needes make Christes sacrifice vaine vnperfect and vnsufficent or els is their sacrifice in vaine whiche is added to the sacrifice whiche is already of it selfe sufficient and perfect But it is a wonderous thinge to see what shiftes and cautels the Popishe antichristes deuise to colour and cloke theyr wycked erroures And as a chaine is so ioyned togither that one lynke draweth an other after it so bee vyces and erroures knit togither that euery one draweth his felowe with him And so doth it here in this mattier For the Papists to excuse them selues do sai that they make no newe sacrifice nor none other sacrifice then Christe made for they bee not so blynde but they see that then they should adde an other sacrifice to Christes sacrifice and so make his sacrifice vnperfecte but they say that they make the selfe same sacrifice for sinne that Christe him selfe made And here they runne hedlonges into the fowlest and most haynous errour that euer was immagined For yf they make euerye daye the same oblation and sacrifice for sinne that Christ himselfe made and the oblation that hee made was his deathe and the effusion of hys moste preciouse bludde vppon the crosse for our redemption and price of our synnes then foloweth it of necessitie that they euerye daye slaye Christ and shed his bludde and so be they worse then the wicked Iewes and Pharises whiche slewe him and shedde his bludde but ones Almighty god the father of lyght and truthe banish all suche darkenes and errour out of hys churche with the authors and teachers thereof or els conuerte their hartes vnto hym and giue this light of faithe to euery man that hee maye truste to haue remission of his sinnes and be deliuered frome eternall death and hell by the merite only of the death and bludde of Christe and that by his owne faith euerye man maye apply the same vnto himselfe and not take it at the appoyntement of Popishe priestes by the merite of their sacrifices and oblations If we be in deed as we professe christian mē we may ascribe this honour and glory to no mā but to Christe alone Wherfore lette vs giue the whole laude and prayse hereof vnto hym let vs flye only to him for socour let vs holde him faste hange vppon him gyue our selues wholy to him And forasmuch as he hathe giuen himselfe to death for vs to be an oblation and sacrifice to his father for our sinnes let vs giue our selues again vnto him making vnto him an oblation not of goates sheep kine and other beastes that haue no reason as was accustomed before Christes coming but of a creature that hath reason that is to sai of our selues not killing our owne bodies but mortefying y e beastly vnreasonable affections that wold gladly rule raigne in vs. So long as the lawe did raigne god suffered dum beasts to be
euery side the scripture condemneth the aduersaries of goddes worde And this wickednes of the Papistes is to bee wondred at that thei affirme Christs flesh blud soule holy spirite and his deite to be a man that is subiect to sin and a limme of the diuell They be wonderfull iuglers and coniurers that with certayne woordes can make god and the dyuell to dwel togither in one man and make him both the temple of god and the temple of the diuell It apeareth that they be so blinde that they can not see y ◠light frō darknes Beliall from Christ nor the table of y ◠lord from the table of diuels Thus is confuted this third intollerable errour and heresye of the Papistes That they which be the lymmes of the diuell do eate the very bodye of Christ and drinke his bludde manifestly and directly contrary to the wordes of Christ himself who saith Who so euer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bludde hath euerlasting life But leaste they shuld seeme to haue nothinge to say for themselues they alleag S. Paule in the eleuenth to the Corinth where he saith Hee that eateth and drinketh vnwortheli eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not discerninge the lordes bodye But S. Paule in that place speaketh of the eatinge of the breade and drinkinge of the wine and not of the corporall eating of Christes flesh blud as it is manifest to euery man that wyll read the text For these be the words of S. Paul Let a mā examine himselfe and so eat of the bread and drynk of the cuppe for he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not discerninge the Lordes bodye In these wordes S. Paules mynde is that for asmuche as the breade and wyne in the Lordes supper do represent vnto vs the very bodye and blud of our sauiour Christe by his owne institution and ordinance therfore although he sit in heauē at his fathers right hand yet shuld we come to this mysticall bread wine with faithe reuerence purite and feare as we wold do if we should come to see and receaue Christe himselfe sensibly present For vnto the faithfull Christ is at his owne holy table present with his mightye spirite and grace and is of them more frutefully receaued than if corporally they shulde receaue him bodely present And therefore they that shal worthely come to this goddes bord muste after due triall of themselues considre first who ordained this table also what meate and drinke they shall haue that come therto and how thei ought to behaue themselues therat He that prepared the table is Christ himselfe The meat drynke wherwith he feedeth theim that come thereto as they ought to do is his owne body ▪ flesh blud They that come therto muste occupy their myndes in considering howe his bodye was broken for them and his blud shed for their redemptiō and so ought they to approache to this heauenly table with all humblenes of hart and godlynes of minde as to the table wherin Christe himselfe is gyuen And they that come otherwise to thys holy table thei come vnworthely and do not eat drinke Christes flesh blud but eat and drink their owne damnacion bicause thei do not duely considre Christes very fleshe and blud which be offered ther spiritually to be eaten and drunken but dispising Christs most holy supper do come therto as it were to other meates and drinkes without regard of the lordes body which is the spirituall meat of that table But here maye not be passed ouer the answere vnto certain places of auncient Authors which at the firste shew seeme to make for the Papists purpose that euel men do eate and drink the very fleshe and bludde of Christe But if those places be truely and throughely waied it shall appeare that not one of theym maketh for theyr errour that euel men do eat Christes very body The first place is of S. Augustin contra Cresconium grāmaticum wher he saith that although Christ himselfe say He that eateth not my fleshe and drinketh not my bludde shall not haue lyfe in him yet doth not his apostels teache that the same is pernicious to theim whiche vse it not well for hee saith Whosoeuer eateth the bread and drinketh the cuppe of the Lorde vnworthely shalbe gylty of the body and bloud of the Lorde In whiche wordes S. Augustyne seemeth to conclude that aswell the euil as the good do eat the body and bloud of Christ although the euil haue no benefite but hurt therby But consider the place of S. Augustyne diligently and then it shall euidently appeare that he ment nat of the eatyng of Christes body but of the sacrament therof For the intent of sainct Augustyne there is to proue that good thinges auaile not to suche persons as do euil vse them and that many thynges whiche of them selues be good and be good to some yet to other some they bee not good As that light is good for whole eyes and hurteth soore eyes that meate whiche is good for some is euil for other some One medicine healeth some and maketh other sicke One harnes doth arme one and combreth another one coate is mete for one to straight for another And after other examples at the last S. Augustyne sheweth the same to bee true in the sacramentes both of Baptisme and of the Lordes body whiche he sayth do profite onely them that receiue the same worthely And the wordes of sainct Paule which sainct Augustyne citeth do speake of the sacramental bread and cuppe not of the body and bloud And yet sainct Augustyne calleth the bread and the cuppe the fleshe and bloud not that they be so in dede but that they so signifie As he sayth in another place contra Maximinum In sacramētes sayth he is to be considered not what they be but what they shewe For they be signes of other thynges beyng one thyng and signifiyng another Therfore as in baptisme those that come faynedly and those that come vnfaynedly both bee washed with the sacramental water but both be not washed with the holy ghost clothed with Christ so in the Lordes supper bothe eate and drynke the sacramental bread wyne but bothe eate not Christ himselfe and bee fedde with his fleshe and bloud but those only which worthely receiue the sacrament And this answere wyll serue to another place of sainct Augustyne against the Donatistes where he sayth that Iudas receiued the body and bloud of the Lorde For as S. Augustyne in that place speaketh of the sacrament of Baptisme so doth he speake of the sacrament of the body and bloud whiche neuerthelesse he calleth the body and bloud because they signifie and represent vnto vs the very body fleshe and bloud And as before is at length declared a figure hath the name of the thyng that is signifyed thereby As a mannes ymage is called a man a Lyons image a