that christ him selfe sayd Ioh. 6. Theophilactê° supê‘ IoheÌ„z ✿ The bread that I wil geue it is my fleshe ✿ And as Theophilact sayth He sayth not that it is a fygure of my fleshe but it is my fleshe for the life of the worlde More ouer let the indyfferent reader examine well and consider diligently the processe of the text circumstans of the matter ther by shal he euideÌ„tly ê‘ceaue that this place of saynt IohnÌ„ is not wreasted or detorted vnto the sacrameÌ„t as the heretykes doth falsly charge vs with al but is mooste iustely applyed vnto the same thyng whereof it was both ment spokeÌ„ In the ê“cesse of this chapiter we haue first declared vnto vs the greate meracle of the .v. loffes of bread And sone after foloweth as great a meracle how the Christ by might walked vpon the vnstable water of the see of Tyber and that in a storme tyde Thyrdlye howe sodenlye by myracle the shyppe and they all wyth Christe were at the shore when they were .xxv. or thyrtye furlonge of from the shore wolde haue receyued hym into theyr shyppe And the nexte daye after these wonderfull factes when the people that had fedde and eaten of hys myraculus breade were come into CaphernauÌ„ vnto hym then beganne he hys disputation of thys blessed sacrament And he hym selfe offered Ioh. 6. the fyrst occasion of the same and sayd You folowe me by cause you haue eaten of my bread He mynistred not thys coÌ„munication vnto the people by chauÌ„ce or fortune but of certeyn sciens foreknowledge and purpose And therfore he wrought these myracles before to gyue eÌ„tre by one myracle and wonder vnto a more myracle and a greater wonder Therfore also he wrought thys myracle purposely in breade hereby to make preparation and introduccion towardes the fayth and credulitie of the wonderful and moost necessarye doctrine that he entended to open to declare vnto theÌ„ of the bread of his body that shulde be eaten in the holy sacrameÌ„t That they seyng so late with theyr eyes suche experimeÌ„tes of his diuine power they might that rather giue credite vnto his doctrine beleue the miraculê° bread of his body For he that could fede suche a great multitude with so smale a noÌ„bre of loffes with his blessed word cause the few lofes to encrease to be multiplied vnto such great habuÌ„daÌ„s the .v. thousand meÌ„ besydes womeÌ„ childreÌ„ were fully satisfyed yet to remaine .xii. baskets ful of the fragmentes How much more was is he able to make of bread his fleshe to gyue it to be eaten wtout any diminutioÌ„ of it The miracle of the multiplied bread they se wrought before theyr eyes bycause they shuld beleue the other which they shuld not se Wherfore Cyril rebuketh the Caphernaites in this maner 1. Cor. 10. Cyrillus in IoheÌ„z ✿ Where as those that had sene euideÌ„tlye the deuine power of our sauiour that might of his signes miracles ought to haue receyued redely wyllingly haue beleued his word yf there had apered there in any difficile or hard thyng they shuld haue enquyred of hym the resolution therof Nowe all in the contrarie they all together crye out vpoÌ„ god that not wtout great wickednes Howe can thys felowe gyue vs hys fleshe to eate Neather remeÌ„bred they that there is nothyng impossible to God Luce. 1. But bycause they were beastly or carnall as Paule sayth they could not vnderstand the spirituall thynge but so great a mysterie semed vnto them a very folyshnes But let us I pray you collecte take no smale profite by the example of theyr offences retaynynge a firme and stable faith And in these so hygh sublimius mysteries let vs neuer eather thinke eather speake that worde Howe For it is a Iewyshe worde ✿ Crysostome also gyueth lyke reproche vnto those people that had sene Christes former miracle in the multiplication of the breade and asked no question there in and yet wolde be so inquisitiue in thys myracle of hys body in the blessed sacrament saying vnto them ✿ Yf thou sayeth he doiste inquire and aske thys question in thys thynge Why dydest not thou aske the same in the former myracle of the fyue lofes Howe coulde he encrease the lofes to so great a quaÌ„titie perhaps the people had more mynde of theyr bellyes then of the myracle But yet was the thynge it selfe very playne dyd teache you euideÌ„tly TheÌ„ by that myracle thou shuldest haue beleued these thinges to be very facile and easy for hym to do And thefore dyd he these myracles bicause that the people shulde not be vnfaythfull in suche thynges that he enteÌ„ded to preach and teache vnto them afterwarde ✿ It is then very euident and playne by the order of the facte done of Christ that in thys dysputation wyth the Caphernaites he mente of the hye misterie of the myraculous bread of hys bodye blood in the sacrament and with the other myracle of the fyue lofes of bread he made as it had beÌ„ a preaÌ„ble or a pÌ„paratioÌ„ vnto the belefe of the doctrine that he enteÌ„ded to gyue vnto them as concernyng the very heuenly breade of hys bodye myraculously in the holy sacrament Yet the sentence that cheffely maketh for the veritie of the sacrament amonge manye other is thys Ioh. 6. The breade that I wyll gyue it is my fleshe the whyche I wyll gyue for the lyfe of the worlde Thus hath the greke texte Wherfore yf we diligentlye do marke well and iustelye waye these wordes we shall perceyue verye redely and playnly that they were and muste nedes be spokeÌ„ and ment of the sacrament In thys texte we haue these wordes twyse spoken ✿ I wyll gyue ✿ And for as muche as Christe spake no worde vaynly nether any tytle in the scripture can be frustrate Then was there some cause why Christ shulde saye twyse ✿ I wyll gyue ✿ And plainlye so was there For Christ in these wordes made ê“mise to gyue twyse his fleshe for vs. Fyrst he ê“mysed that he wolde gyue it as breade vnto vs. Therfore he sayd The bread that I wyll gyue it is my fleshe SecoÌ„dly he promysed to gyue his fleshe for the lyfe of the worlde vpon the crosse to death And therfore he added sayde The whych fleshe I wyl gyue for the lyfe of the worlde Christe can not be false in hys promyse therfore hath he wythout doubte geuen vs hys fleshe twyse Ones on the crosse vnto death for our lyfe And the other as our cotidiane supê‘ substanciall breade in the sacrament of the Aulter For we haue not reade that he gaue hys fleshe for vs any were els as bread sauynge onely vpon MauÌ„dy thursdaye when he gaue hys fleshe for vs in the sacrament where he gaue to hys apostles not bread onely as the sacramentaries do say but as he made promyse the same tyme twelue moneth before that
remayninge there is also in the blessed sacrament In the .xvi. Ioh. 16. of saynt IohnÌ„ Christe sayeth ✿ I leaue the worlde and I go to my father In another place I ascende vnto my father and your father my god and your God Agayne I go to hym that sent me none of you asketh me whether goest thou Agayne It is expedient for you that I go For yf I go not the conforter wyl not come vnto you Yf I go I wyll sende hym to you Agayne My lytle ones Yet I am a whyle wyth you Agayne Now a lytle you shall not se me and agayne a lytle you shall se me for I go to the father Ye shal vnderstande that Christ in these wordes meÌ„t nothyng lesse The answere theÌ„ so to take away his bodely pÌ„sens froÌ„ the world or froÌ„ his apostles that it shuld not be with theÌ„ after no maner a sort neither visibly neither inuisibly But he ment that he wolde chauÌ„ge the maner of his bodely pÌ„sens conuersation whiche then was temporall visible and mortall And after his death and resurrection it shulde be heauenly inuisible and immortal ✿ Yf Christe faye they haue left the worlde then is not he in the world and coÌ„sequently he is not in the sacrament of th aulter The trew meaning of these wordes of christe I leaue the worlde wyth such other and how Christe hath lefte the worlde we may redely collect and gather of the other wordes that he spake vnto his appostles after hys resurrectioÌ„ saynge vnto them These be the wordes whyche I spake vnto you when I was yet wyth you In these wordes our sauyour Christe sygnyfyed vnto his appostles that he had then left theyr companye and the wordlye conuersation and was gone from them as he sayd before his death I wyl depart from you and I wyll leaue the worlde And after hys death beynge present speakeynge with them he sayth These be the wordes that I sayd vnto you before my death and passion when I was wyth you vysible mortall and passyble Then did I tel you that I wolde forsake that corruptyble state but now I am not wyth you for now accordynge vnto my promyse I am gone frome you and frome the worlde Wherefore you shall vnderstand that our sauiour Christe before his death and resurrection was mortall and had a natural a mortall lyfe a lyfe as other mortall men had that shal haue an ende by death so in hys lyuynge and conuersacion he was lyke other naturall and mortall men as saynt Paule sayeth habitu inuentus est vt homo hauynge and susteynynge all naturall calamities paynes except synne for he thursted hungered he eate he dronke he slept he waked he rested and was wery he walked and traueled c. Thus was he conuersant wyth the apostles in all thynges lyke an other naturall man and had a bodye of lyke condition as the apostles had excepte synne but after hys resurrection hys lyfe and coÌ„uersation was chaunged and hys bodye altered clene and deputed from the erthly and mortall state vnto a spirituall and an heauenlye state He was chaunged froÌ„ mortalitie to immortalitie and can not dye froÌ„ passibilitie to impassibilitie he can not suffer hoÌ„ger thurst colde heate neather any suche naturall penalties Neather neadeth he meate drynke slepe neather any suche lyke erthlye and naturall necessities He was conuersant wyth the apostles before visiblye but nowe they can not se hym neather fele hym but when and where he wyll Wherfore all thys inculcation and the oft rehersall and repetition of hys goynge awaye from the worlde and from the apostles is no more theÌ„ the chauÌ„ge of his lyfe and conuersation and of the state of hys body that where that they had the visible and mortal conuersation of hys bodye that bodye beynge onely in earthe here after the same shulde be in heauen visiblye yet in earth also in the sacrameÌ„t inuisibly Wherefore when he sayeth I leue the worlde that is to saye I wyll leue thys wordlye lyfe and alter this natural and mortal lyfe and take on an heauenly lyfe And when he saythe I wyll leue you or you shall not haue me alway wyth yow He signified this You shall not haue me in this maner of conuersorion and in this mortall and transytarye and indigent lyfe This bodye that is now mortall visible subiect to al naturall penalties it shal not be so alwaye but it shal be altered and chaunged vnto an heauenly lyfe Now thou mayst ê‘ceaue good christiaÌ„e reader how Christe hath left the world yet he is in the blessed sacrament Euen as he leuynge the world and went froÌ„ hys appostles yet was presente wyth them and spake vnto them Euen so thoughe that Christes body be altered and chauÌ„ged in to an immortal and an heauenly maner of life froÌ„ this corruptyble mortal and visible lyfe and hath left so the world takynge from vs hys mortall and vysible conuersatyon yet it folowyth not that he is not in the sacrament For we saye not that he is in the sacrament after that sorte that he was before hys passyon amonge hys disciples mortall corruptyble passyble and vysible But we beleue and say that the naturall bodye and blood of Christe is in the sacrament verelye and yet invisibly immortally impassybly For the bodye of Christe nowe can not be sene or fealte but when and where it please hym ✿ And where they allege thys texte of saynt Mathew Pore men you shall haue wyth you but you shall not haue me allwaye wyth you ✿ Yet marke gentle reader that Christe sayde not The answere you shall neuer haue me no more wyth you for he sayde in saynt IohnÌ„ I go and I come vnto you And agayne ✿ I wyll see you and youre hartes shall reioyce And after hys resurrection he sayde Beholde I am wyth you vntyll the worldes end now by cause that Christ sayd that they shulde not haue hym alwaye wyth them therefore saye they he is not in the sacrament Here they vnderstand not the wordes of christ for Christe sayde that he shulde not be wyth them in that maner of lyfe as he was then mortall passible and indigeÌ„t and nedye of bodelye refreshynge and confortes And after suche a sorte he wold not be wyth them alwaye for as that tyme it was a good and a charytable dede vpon Christe to exhibite an office of charite toward hym as to geue him or his meat drynke to washe or anoynt his feete For he had then nede as other men had hungeryng and thurstynge and trauelynge in this necessite He sayd that he wolde not be wyth theÌ„ alway in the nedie and corruptible sort but he sayd that they shuld haue poore men wyth them alwaye And as saynt Marke sayth and you maye do almys alwayes vpon them when you wyll And therfore Christe a lowed greatly the facte of Mary Magdelen that she dyd exhibite to hym so precious oyle before
conuinceth maÌ„nes reason and sheweth suche thinges in the worde of God that semys impossible vnto mannes wytte reason to be very easye and possible vnto god as is thys wonderfull mysterye of the blessed sacrament Also buyldeth and confirmeth the fayth and treuth of goddes worde and promyse For where anye thynge in the word or promyse of god semyth vnto our weake wytte blynde reason impossible bycause that reason can not reache wysedoÌ„e or wytte attayneth not the senses lacketh experiens and the carnall or natural maÌ„ beleueth not there myracle shewyth it possible easye to God and fayth teacheth vs to lede captiue to subdue al wytte reason vnto the worde and power of God vnto whome there is nothynge impossible For we muste vnderstande that the miraculus workes of god were not wrought before the former people and lefte truely faythfully reported vnto vs in the holy scriptures to teache persuade only the possibilite of theÌ„ selfes for they were to euideÌ„t to be dowbted of But they were wrought writteÌ„ to declare set forth the possibilitie verite of al thiÌ„ges that the word of god teacheth vs to beleue As for exaÌ„ple Exodi 4. Ait MoydnÌ„o Non credent mihi neque audieÌ„t vocem meaz sed dicent non appa ruit tibi dnÌ„o Dixit ergo ad â—nÌ„ Quid est ê™ tenes in manu tua Respondit Virga Dixit dnÌ„s Proiâ—ce iÌ„ terraÌ„ Pro iecit c. Vt credaÌ„t ê™ apparu it tibi dnÌ„s deus tuus c. Ioh. 10. Et si mihi non vultis credere operibê° credite vt cognoscatis c. The woÌ„derful workes that God almyghty wroughte by Moyses hys deare and faythfull seruaunt before the chyldren of Israell and before the Egiptians dyd not onely declare that God almyghty was hable to shewe suche wonders sygnes and myracles But they manyfestly declared bothe the myghte and power of the Lorde God that sent vnto them Moses hys seruaunt and also confirmed ratifyed the veryte of all suche promyses and commaundementes that Moyses brought vnto them from the mouth of God For thys cause had Moyses power of myracles that these wonders whyche they se hym do before theyr eyes myght teache perswade theÌ„ the veryte and possibilite of hys tydynges and message whych semed both vntrew and impossible Not that they shuld beleue only the myraculous workes that they dyd see but that they by the euydens of these workes shulde beleue the word of God the Moyses ministred brought vnto theÌ„ The holy fathers ê“phetes ratifyed persuaded the verite of goddes message sent by them vnto the people with lyke testimonye of miracles Our sauioure Christe and after hym hys disciples confyrmed and dyd corroborate the verite and possibilitie of hys holye gospell wyth the wytnes of hys wonderfull workes Wherfore I thynke it an argument of no small efficatie and strengthe to perswade and proue by the experiens of gods power in the former myracles the possibilitie of the excedynge great myracles in the moste blessed sacrameÌ„t of the Aulter the whych goddes worde teacheth vs to beleue seme they vnto mans reason neuer so vntrewe and vnpossible For these myraculus workes left vnto vs in the sacrat scripture are none other then the very playne experimentes and euident tryal of goddes myghtye power and registred in the byble to corroborate stablyshe as I haue sayd oure faythe and the doctrine of goddes holy word to conuynce and reprehende all vnbelefe and heresye But specially suche grosse and stubburne blyndnesse that wolde not haue reason subiugate and obedieÌ„t vnto goddes myghtie worde power but wolde that the omnipotent worde and power of God shulde take suche auctoritie place as theyr blynd carnall wytte wyll gyue leue as oure grosse frowarde and obstinate caphernaites doth nowe a dayes aboute the mooste sacrate and blessed Sacrament of the Aulter the blessed monument and memoriall both of the death and also of the might and power of our sauiour and Lorde God Christe The sacrament besydes that it contayneth that vyry bodye bloode of Christ is also a memorial of Christes death and therfore stereth vp our charitie towardes hym And in that that it is inuisibly myraculus it excercyseth our fayth For whyles they denye the reall and verye presens of Christes bodye and bloode in the sacramente contendynge agaynste the scripture by reason to be impossible that it shulde be so they extenuate and imbecyl the power of God also they here in denye and subuerte the verite of Goddes worde ratifyed and confirmed by Christ and his disciples with innumerable sygnes wonders and miracles And why semeth thys incredible Playnly for thys cause onely that in thys moste holy sacrament nature is altered and loseth her coÌ„men course order reason can shewe no persuasion The senses hathe contrarie experiens Therfore these carnall infideles voyde of the spirite of God for wante of faith sayeth and thynke it impossible For manyfest scriptures truely taken and vnderstaÌ„de to proue theyr heresy they haue none Saue that where the scripture in hys natiue sence wyll not sustayne eyther helpe theyr horrible heresie and detestable blasphemye they vyolently wrynge it wreste it they toose it and rugge it wyth tropes and fygures catacreses alligories and metaphers to force it to bowe vnto theyr phanaticall frensye and frantyke heresye And althoughe that the blynde obstinacie of these blasphemous heretykes be suche that there semeth lytle remedye to recouer them TituÌ„ 5. sythe they subuerted are as saynt Paule sayeth condeÌ„pned in theyr owne iudgement Yet for the confirmation and comforte of the faythfull I shall set forth and proue by goddes adiutorie the possibilitie of suche myracles as the faith catholique doth teach and sheweth vs to be wrought by the infinite power of goddes myghtye worde in the holy sacrament of the Aulter Thys shal I do by the testimony of these myraculus workes that the scripture reporteth vnto vs. That whyles we perceyue the scripture to set forth before vs so euident open plaine demonstratioÌ„s and experimeÌ„tes of the oiÌ„potent power deuine that they can not be denyed saue onely of an infidele it maye euidentlye apere vnto euery faythfull christiane howe lykely and possible it is that almyghtie God can and doth by the power of hys myghtye worde these wonderful myracles in the holy sacrament And thys maner of argument maye not seme straunge vnto anye man in that that the veritie and possibilitie of thys mysterye and archane of oure faythe by proued and declared by other myracles wrytten whome we beleue in the holye scripture for there in I haue myne example of saynte Paule 1. Cor. 15. who wrytyng vnto the Corinthians and dysputynge the artycle of the generall resurrection proueth by the myraculous resurrection of Christe the whyche they had receyued and beleuyd by the preachynge of saynt Paule the verytie and possibilitie of the generall resurrection Oure sauioure Christe also
hys deathe and resurreccion but vpon easter daye when she offered to hym dewty and office agayne he refused it and wolde not let her anoynte hym for he was not then in suche state and indigencie as he was afore Therfore it folowyth not that though that Christ be not alway with vs a mortal passible man as he was before his passion therfore he is not with vs inuisybly immortally impassibly in the blessed sacrament For bothe these be trew That he is not wyth vs nowe uisible passible and mortall as he was before his death and resurrection and yet he is with vs inuisible impassible immortal The argument ✿ Lyke argumēt they gather of the wordes of saynt Paule in the seconde epistle to the Corynthyans the fyft chapiter And though we haue knowen Christe affter the fleshe yet now we know hym no more so By cause that saynt Paule sayth that he dothe not knowe Christ after the fleshe therfore Christe say they is not in the sacrament The answere after the fleshe Yf thys reason were good then dyd Paule knowe no man neyther the Corynthyans vnto whom he wryt that epystle neyther hym selfe for paule sayde that he knewe no man after the fleshe Then bylyke he knewe not hym selfe for he was then in fleshe and a man for he knewe no man But they are dysceaued in mystakynge and mysunderstandynge thys worde After the fleshe _____ Whyche is nat as moche to saye as in the fleshe But it is as moche to saye as fleshely or carnally for fleshely affection or after any carnall sort ✿ Here good christen reader What Crisostome saythe vpon the same place of saynt paule What then sayth he Tell me Hath he cleue lefte the fleshe And is he not nowe in the bodye God forbyd For this same Iesus whyche is taken from you euen so he shall come agayne How wyth a body How sayth Paule then Thoughe we haue knowē Christ after the fleshe yet so do we not nowe For oure beynge after the fleshe is to be in synne and not to be after the fleshe is not to be in synne But Christ to be after the fleshe is to be in or to suffer the passions penalites of nature as hunger thurst labor or slepe and suche other But he commytted no syn at all neyther was ther founde disceat in his mouth Therefore sayde he whyche of you can rebuke or argew me of synne Then Christ not to be after the fleshe is to be deliuered from these penalties of nature and passyons of mortalytye and corruption Not that he is nowe wythout fleshe For wyth that fleshe he cometh to iudge the world hauynge the same fleshe now impassible and immortall and incorruptyble ✿ Then thus wyth Crisostome we may answere That thoughe that Paule knoweth not christ now after the fleshe that is to say passible corruptible mortall and visible yet he knoweth hym now to be incorruptyble immortal and impassible and euen so do we with Paul knowe Christe in the sacrament not after the fleshe carnally as the Carpharnaites thought that is to se and to eate that fleshe of hym hewen and cut in gobbettes and peaces as fleshe is in the shambles but we knowe hym verely ther inuisibly impassibly immortally and eaten of vs is neyther harmed neyther consumed ✿ Bycause that saynt Paule saith vnto the Corythyans The argument in the tenth chapter Is not the bread that we breake the perticipatyon of the body of Christe And agayne he saith in the eleuenth chapter As oft as ye shal eate of this bread and drynke of thys cuppe you shall declare or shewe hys deathe vntyll he come Of these they collecte and gather that the sacrament is nothyng but breade and wyne Thys maner of reasonynge is nothynge worthe For in thys sort of arguyng we myght conclude and proue that there were neather bloode nether wyne but onelye a cuppe As for example Saynt Paul in the same tenth chapter to the Corinthians sayth Is not the cuppe whom we do blysse the participatiō of the blood of Christe And agayne in the eleuenth he sayeth As oft as ye shal eat of thys bread and drinke of this cuppe ye shall remember the lordes death vntyll he come And in the same chapiter who so euer eate of thys breade drynketh of the cuppe or oure lorde vnworthely he shal be gyltye of the body and bloode of our lorde Here saynt Paule calleth the blessed sacrament a cuppe ergo there is nothynge but a cuppe You shall vnderstande therfore that in the blessed sacrament there is not the substance of breade though saint Paule do name it bread For saynt Paule do call the same the body of our Lorde twyse in the same chapter And in namynge it breade he doth folowe the maner of the scripture the whyche in suche maner of transmutations alterations of thynges doth vse oft tyme to gyue vnto the thynge that is altered and chaunged the name that it had before that alteration and chaunge as I haue declared before by these examples Fyrst of the admirable transmutation and chaunge of the rod of Aaron into a serpent The scripture calleth it a rod styll thoughe it was turned into a serpent Lykewyse of the myraculous chaunge of the water into wyne There the scripture namyth that wyne water and gyueth the very same name vnto the thynges that were clene chaūged that suche thinges had before they were chaunged and altered from theyr former natures Euen so the holy apostle and the fathers ofte tyme do call thys blessed sacrament breade bycause that it was breade before the wonderful transmutation and chaunge by the power of goddes myghtye worde into the verye substaunce of Christes blessed bodye and bloode ¶ They haue also collected out of the auncient doctours lompes and fragmētes of theyr sayinges as wel vnderstāded and taken as they vnderstode the scriptures haue lefte out the chefest thynges that shulde declare the verye true sense of the wrytter and there by they go about to proue that these auncient wrytters shulde muster wyth them and be on theyr syde and that those fathers shulde beleue that in the sacramēt were not the verye bodye and bloode of Christe but to be but only a fygure or a signification therof Wherfore al such places of the auncient wryters that semeth to cal it a misterie a sacramēt a fygure or signification of Christes bodye ▪ At suche places they clappe theyr handes and triumphe as though they had wonne the feld and that the game were theyrs These places they brynge in and that wyth theyr gaye paynted prayses and flatterynge commendations of the doctoure or wrytter whose auctoritie they allege as of saint Augustine they wyll saye That mooste excellent and wyttye clerke saynt Augustine That mooste golden mouthe Crysostome the flower of the Greke eloquens c. But when these same be alleged and proued manyfestly to be theyr aduersaries and contrarye to theyr heresye then are they whome they