Lorde is here with vs The bodye wherin he arose in that kind it becommeth to be in one place but the very body in forme of breade is euery where Corpus Christi in omni altari that is to say in euery aulter where it is consecrate Sermo ii de uerbis Apostoli We haue hard the true master theÌ„ godly redemer mans sauiour commeÌ„ding to vs our praise his blud For he hath spoken to vs of his body bloud that he called his body meat his bloud drink A sacrameÌ„t of the faithfull the faithfull knowe for hearyng what other thinge do they heare but lyfe coÌ„mending suche meate souche drinke ye shall haue saithe he lyfe in you Qui integer ascendere potuit consumi noÌ„ potuit if you eate when some wer offended that this saying was herd He aunswereth dothe this offende you ye wene that of this bodye that ye se I am about to make partes to cut a sonder my meÌ„bers to geue to you what and yf ye se the sonne of man ascendynge where he was before Surelye he that coulde go vp hole coulde not be consumed Therfore of his body his bloude hathe he geuen to vs a holsome refection and so greate a question of his holenes doth he assoyle For so arte thou refreshed that it can not fayle wherevpon thou shalte be refreshed Eate lyfe drinke lyfe thou shalte haue lyfe and the lyfe is hole and that shall be that is to say the bodye bloude of Christe shal be lyfe to euery one yf that whiche in the sacrament is taken visiblye be eaten spiritually in very truth be dronken spiritually Caro nihil prodest Spiritus est qui uiui ficat Super Ioh Cap. 6. We haue harde him selfe saying It is the spirite that quickeneth fleshe profiteth not at all your fathers haue eaten Manna and be deade Whye be they deade For that they dyd se they beleued That that they dydde not se they vnderstode not Moyses dyd eate Aaron did eate Phinees dyd eate and manye other dyd eate whiche pleased the Lorde and were not deade for they vnderstode a visible meate spiritually spirituallye they dyd hunger and spirituallye they tasted that spirituallye they myghte be fylled For to daye we take a visible meate but the sacrament is one thynge and the vertu of the sacrament is another Verye manye do take of the aulter and dye Altare and in takynge they dye Wherfore the Apostle sayth he eateth and drinketh his iudgement Was not the Lordes morsell poyson to Iudas and yet he receiued De Iuda and when he receiued the enemye entred into hym Not that he receaued an euell thynge but that he beyng euyl receaued that which was good Se therfore brethern receaue the heauenly breade spiritually bringe innocency vnto the alter Synnes though they be dayely yet they be not deadly Afore ye come to the aulter take hede what ye saye forgeue vs our trespaces He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude Ioh ca. 6 hath lyfe euerlastynge That is not geuen in the meate whiche we take to sustayne the fleshe but it is in this meate and drynke that is in the body and bloude of our lorde For he that taketh not it hath not lyfe and he that taketh it hath lyfe and that euerlastinge The sacrament of this thynge that is of the vnite of the bodye and bloude of Christ In some place it is done daily In some by certayne space of dayes betwene In the Lordes table let it be prepared and of the Lordes table it is taken of some to lyfe of some to deathe of this matter se more in the sixte of Iohn Here is the sayinge of the Lordes body whiche he sayde he woulde geue to be eaten for eternall lyfe He dyd expounde the maner of thattribution and of his gyfte He that abydeth in me and I in hym Tractus super Iohan nom 27. hath eaten a token hath dronken that we might be in his bodye vnder that heade in his meÌ„bers eatinge his flesh not leuinge his vnitie many hearinge these thinges not vnderstanding were offeÌ„ded for they thought not heainge these thinges but flesh that they were to ê‘ceiue after the flesh is deth And yet so it behoueth to be spoken that it shoulde not be vnderstande of all the secrete thinges of God it must make theÌ„ attempt not coÌ„trary for these dyd some shrynke from God speaking suche thinges And in those wordes they dyd not beleue our Lord Iesu Christ speaking a greate thing couering a certayne grace eueÌ„ as they wolde so they vnderstaÌ„de after the maner of men For Iesus might that or Iesus dyd dyspose that the fleshe wherewith the worde was clothed as cut in peces destribute to the beleuers in hym Quomodo caro non prodest quicquam the fleshe auayleth no thinge O Lorde good master how doth not the flesh auayle any thinge seynge that thou saide Except one eate my fleshe and drynke my bloud he shal not haue lyfe in him Doth not the lyfe profit any thinge And wherefore be we that we be but that we maye haue euerlastynge lyfe which thou promyseste by thy flesshe What is it therfore It profiteth nothinge the fleshe profiteth nothinge But how dydde they vnderstande truely thus They vnderstand the fleshe as it is rent in the deade bodye or solde in the shambles not as it is quickned with the sprite Let the spirite come to the flesh and it profteth much Ibidem Let the sprite come to the fleshe and it profiteth moch or else the worde shoulde not haue ben made fleshe that it might abyde in vs. Thou hast the wordes of lyfe sayde Peter one for all why sayde he that but that he beleued Thou hast euerlastinge lyfe in the ministracion of thy bodye bloud and we beleue and knowe For yf we shoulde knowe before and then wolde beleue we shoulde neyther be able to knowe nor vnderstande What beleue we and what know we That thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuinge God For thou arte eternall lyfe and thou geuest not in thy flesh but that that thou arte All that the Lorde spake of his fleshe and bloude and that in the grace of his distribution he promysed to vs euerlastynge lyfe and therby he woulde to be vnderstanded the eaters and drinkers of his flesh bloud that they mighte abyde in him and he in them And that they vnderstandinge carnallye thinges spirituall were offended And that they beyng offended perishinge comforte of the Lorde might be to the disciples which remayning whom to proue he asked And wyll you also go away that the aunswer of the abyding of theÌ„ mighte be knowen to vs for he knewe who wolde abyde Therfore all this is auayleable to vs most dearely beloued that we eate not the fleshe and bloude of Christe in Sacrament whiche manye euyll doth but that we eate it vnto the participation of the spirite and drinke it
you all which haue in hand any spiritual charge to holde vse kepe and execute the same with oute any repyne or reprehension Here after foloweth the order of the wordes which Saynt Clement vsed in saying masse after this maner We desyre the O Lorde that thou wilte send thy holy sprite vpon this sacrifyce whiche maye make this breade the body of thy Christ and that which is in the cuppe the blode of thy Christ ¶ S. Denyse the Arapagyte whom Paule makyth mencion of in the Actes of thappostelles .xvii. Chapter and was his disciple SAynte Denyse one of the nomber of the seuere Iudges of Athens conuerted by Saynt Paule And by Saynte Clement with these holy men Rusticus and Elutherius sent into Fraunce In the thyrde parte of the seconde Chapter entreatynge of Ecclesiasticall gouernaunce In the last ende of al thinges dew to be done in perfight baptysinge The bishop calleth the baptyzed to the most holy Eucharist and geueth vnto them the Godly communion of the chefe and moste souerayne sacrament of the body blode of our Lorde Iesus Christ And in the fyrst part of the .iii. chap. Nor it is almoste Godly or right any deutye belongynge a preistes office to be executed oneles he accōplishe this diuine and moste riall sacrament of Euchariste And in the seconde parte of the sayde chapter And the principalles of the same order together with the preistes do put vppon the aulter the holye bread the chalyce of benedictiō when there hathe gone before an vniuersall prayse and confession of the hole quere That done the reuerente prelate makinge an holy prayer doth shew holy peace to all the congregacyon And when they haue one another saluted the mysticall reheresall of holye thinges is made And when the prelate and other preistes haue washed their handes the Byshoppe standeth at the myddes of the aulter All the onelye electe and chosen preistes that shall receaue taken oute of the nombre of the mynisters do stande aboute But the byshoppe as sone as he hath praysed and extolled the Godly gyftes maketh the holy and high misteries and sheweth openly those thinges whiche he hath extolled before hyd and couered with reuerent tokens And holdinge in sight reuerently the Godly rewardes he hym selfe is turned to the holy cōmunion of the Lordes maundeth and dothe exhort the people to take parte At the last communion receaued and geuen to all that come to receaue it he geueth thankes and fynyssheth the mysterys And in the third parte of the same Chapiter in this maner trulye whan that the last moste excellent bounty of God is praysed magnified the diuine drink and cuppe of blessynge is handled propoūded And it foloweth but marke this also that the reuerent tokens being set vpon the aulter by the which Christ is betokened taken and by by without delay the description of sayntes is there present declaringe their inseperable coniunctions and moste holye and high vnyon with Christe And it foloweth wherefore reuerently of his Byshoply office after his holy prayse of the diuine workes he humbly excusethe hym selfe for that he offeryth and sacrifyseth the helthfull hoost whiche is ouer hym cryinge vnto hym comely at fyrste sayinge Thou hast sayd do this in remembraunce of me Then thus great a mysterye being of God inymytation of hym selfe he doth require and praye to be made a semblable to Christ as frayle mā may that he maye bothe make the sacrament worthely and purely distribute it And that they who be aboute to receaue the holy communion may worthely take parte with hym And so he mynistreth the moste reuerente mystery and setteth them in sight propounded holilye vnder signes Either else he openeth and discouereth the couert and vndeuyded breade brekynge it in peces partynge one chalyce amonge thē all he dothe multyply shaply distribute the vnite of our Lordes blood contayned within the sayde chalyce Thus consumyth the holy mysterye For that wyne symply and secretly the bloud of our Lorde by his dyuyne worde in his assumption of our humayne nature hathe gone before and occupied place or he was entered that compound and visible signe of his incomparable bownty power wherein it is mercyfully made euident with how suer a knot of socyetye he hath fastened vs to hym ioyninge his diuine excellent existence to our earthy matters Surely let vs agre with hym euen as members with the body let vs be glued vnto hym by semblablenes of clene godly lyuing Lest murdered with vglye vyce we may be made vnmete for the dyuine and moste delicate members being not able to styck with him but slydynge into cōtynuance of naughty lyfe The wordes of the holy man Marcial which was sent of saynt Peter to preache the gospell A Sacrifice is offered vpon an alter vnto God not to man nor Angell Nor that is not onely done vpon an alter halowed but a clene sacrifyce is offered vnto God in euery place as he dothe testifye whose boody and blood we offer to optayne euerlastynge lyfe Truely euen the same offerynge which the Iewes made in despyte wenynge to haue abolished his name oute of the earthe whiche we make in the consecrate alter for our saluation knowyng beleuing onely by this remedy to attayne lyfe and escape death For this the Lorde commaunded vs to do in remembrance of hym ¶ Ignatius the disciple of Saint Iohn the Euangelist LEt the stable Eucharist be demed affirmydly the bodye and bloode of Christ And in his epistle that he writeth vnto the Romayns I desyre saith he the fode of God the heauenly fode of lyfe which is the fleshe of Iesu Christ the sonne of the lyuinge God who was borne in the last tyme of the fead of Dauid Abraham I desyre for to drynk the bloode of hym who is loue with out corruption and lyfe euerlastyng They do not admyt the Eucharist and oblations bycause thei do not confesse the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Sauiour Iesu christ which flesh suffred for our synnes whiche fleshe the father by his benignitye hathe steryd vp Saynt Alexander byshop the Fyrst martyr C.xx ¶ Alexanderin his Epistle to all churches IN the oblation of Sacramentes whiche be made solemply at masses the passion of our Lorde is to be mengled to the intente that his passion may be celebrate whose body and bloud is made so that all wicked and supersticious opynions abolyshed breade only and wyne myxte with water maye be offered in the sacrifyce for synnes and crymes therby are done awaye with the whiche oblations the Lorde is contented and pleased and will forgeue high and gretious offēces for what more myghty and suffering sacrifice maye be then of the body and bloud of Christ ¶ Saint Ireneus Polycarpus disciple in his .iiii. boke AGaynst the heresyes of Valentius and suche other We offer those thinges vnto hym whiche belongeth vnto hym preachinge accordinglye the communion and vnitie of fleshe and sprite for lyke
that we abide in the Lordes bodye as members that we maye be quickened with his sprite and be not offended yea yf manye eate with vs and drinke temporallye this Sacramentes whiche shall haue in the ende eternall tormentes For nowe the bodye is mixt as vpon the flore but the lorde knoweth who is his We be sure brethren that all we that be in the lordes bodye abyde in hym that he maye abyde in vs. In this worlde we muste neades vnto the ende lyue amonge the euyll Not amonge these euyll I saye that blaspheme Christ For they be seldome founde whiche with tounge do blaspheme but many with life We must nedes therfore lyue with them vnto the ende Lib. 21. e◠25. De ci Dei He that is in the vnitie of hys bodye that is in the ioyninge of Christian members of whose body the faythfull communicatinge of the alter are acustomed to take it is true to be sayde that he receaueth Christes body drinketh Christes bloude And by this heretikes and scismatikes beyng seperated from this vnitie of body they may ther vpon perceaue a sacramente but not to them profitable yea rather noysome wherby they maye be the more greuouselye iudged or more slowly deliuered for that they be not in that bond of peace which is expressed in the sacrament Christe eaten by partes and abydeth hole hole in heauen He is eaten by partes in sacrament and abydeth hole in thy harte He was hole with the father Christus cōmestus intigre manet when he came into the vyrgyn and fylled her and he wente not from hym He came in flesshe that men myght eate hym and he abode hole with the father Sermo Io De uerbis domini that he might fede Aungels He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude abydeth in me and I in hym Howe must we vnderstande Maye we not here vnderstande them of whome the Apostle speaketh on that they eate and drinke theyr iudgement when they eate that flesh and drinke that bloude Dyd not Iudas seller and betrayer of his master De Iude touch hym fyrst in his handes beinge made a sacrament of his fleshe and bloude vnworthely with other Disciples as more playnely Luke declareth eate and drinke dyd he abyde in Christ and Christ in hym Many also that with fayned harte eate that fleshe and drink that bloude or when they haue eaten and dronken be made Apostelles Do they abyde in Christ or Christ in them But ther is a certayn maner of eatinge that fleshe and drinkynge that bloude as he that eateth drinketh in Christ abydeth in Christ and Christ in hym That is a cercertayne waye which waye Christ sawe whan he sayde these wordes my fleshe is very meate Sermo xxxii Let vs Ioye moste derely belouyd and be glad in the Lorde whiche in this daye hathe consecrated to vs misteryes of holsome comforte Howe hathe the Lorde commended to vs his bodye and his bloude How but of his humilitie for yf he were not meke he wolde nether be eaten nor dronkē Beholde the highnes of hym The worde was in the begynninge Se what meate is euerlastinge Aungels eate highe vertues eate heauenly spirites eate they eate and be full and he abideth hole that he filleth them and gladdeth them For who can ascende to that meat Because man can not ascende to that meate Quia homo ad hūc nequibat ascendere Christus descende bat ut panis fieret this breade vouchesafe to descende to man and that with vnspeakable pitie was done for it was necessarye that that table of Aungels should geue mylk come to littell ones Therfore ye beinge about to come to the aulter of the Lorde loke out all the priuie places of your hart lest peraduenture there be any synnes whiche be not yet healed with almose and fastinge And feare this he that eateth the Lordes bodye and bloude vnworthely he shal be gylty of the bodye and bloude of oure Lorde Therfore let a man proue him self and so let hym eate and drinke of that cuppe Howe the bodye of Christe that honge on the Crosse is receaued and howe not in his Epistle ad Hyreneumin expositi Psal liiii NOt this body that ye se ye be about to eate and drink that bloude whiche they be aboute to shed whiche wyl crucifie me that and not that that inuisible and not that visible Wherfore it foloweth yf it be necessarye that to be celebrate visible it is necessary it to be vnderstande inuisible Ad Iulianum comitem in the decres .ii. Dist Frome these thinges the pitie of our Lorde Iesu Christ delyuer vs and geue vs him selfe to be eaten which sayde I am the lyuely breade whiche came downe from heauen he that eateth my fleshe and so forthe But euery one afore he receaue the bodye and bloude of our Lorde Iesu Christe let hym proue him selfe and after the commaundemente of the Apostle so let hym eate of that breade and drinke of that cuppe For whan we must receaue hym we muste fyrst go to confession and do penaunce and discusse diligently all our actes noysome synnes yf we do perceue them We must strayght way make haste by confession true penaunce to wasshe them awaye leaste with Iudas the traytor hydynge within vs the deuell we perishe deferryng and concelynge or kepynge our synnes frome daye to daye Austen in libro Sent. prosperi Therfore we in forme of breade and wyne which we se we do honor thinges inuisible that is the fleshe and bloude of Christ Nor in lyke maner we comprehende not those formes as before consecration we dyd comprehend them when we do faithfully confesse afore consecration to be bread and wyne whiche nature hathe formed But after the consecration the flesh and bloude of Christ whiche the blessinge hath consecrated whether vnder a fygure or vnder a trewthe this misticall sacrament of the cuppe be done the truth saythe My fleshe verely is meate and my bloud verely is drynke or else how shal it be great The bread that I will geue is my fleshe for the lyfe of the worlde Except it be verye fleshe it cannot geue lyfe It is not lawful to tear christ with teath But bycause it is not leful to deuour christ with teath our Lord wold this bread and wyne in mystery truly his fleshe and his bloude by the consecration of the holy goste potencially to be create and dayely mistically to be offered As the virgin by the holy gost true fleshe with oute generation is create so by the same of the substaunce of breade and wyne the same bodye of Christ and his bloude by vertu of the holy gost mystically is consecrated The bodye of christ is both the veritie the figure The bodye of Christ is a veritie and a fygure It is a verite when the bodye of Christe and bloude throughe vertue of the holy goost is made of the substaunce of breade and wyne And a figure is that
and distinction of his members he dyd hange onely once vpon the crosse offerynge hym selfe to God the father an hoost of redemption effectuall for them whom he hathe predestinate Also Saynte Ambrose In Christ the host was once offered beinge of power to helth what do we then Do we not offer euery daye and if we offer euery daye it is done in the remembraunce of the death of hym And the host is one and not many How one and not manye because Christ is once offered This is the example of that and the same and alwayes the same is offered Therfore this is the same sacrifice or else it maye be sayde because it is offered in many places there be many Christes whiche is not so But one Christ euery where and here full and there full so as that whiche is offered euery where is one bodye and so also one sacrifice Christ hath offered the host we do offer the same also now but that we do is a remembraunce of the sacrifice Nor ther is no cause found of the one inualidite or weaknes because it perfiteth the man Here is gathered that to be a sacrifice and to be so called that is done in the alter and Christ to be onse offered and daily offered But other wyse then and other wyse now and also it is shewed what is the vertu of this sacrament that is to saye remission of veniall synne and perfection of vertu Hillarye in his boke of the Trinite lib. viii OVr Lorde leauinge nothinge to the conscieÌ„ce of the faithful he taughte the effecte of naturall efficacye sayinge that they may be one euen as we be one I in them and they in me that they be perfect in one Them I do nowe sake that do put an vnitie of wyll betwene the father the sonne Whether or no by the truth of nature Christ be to day in vs or by concorde of wyll For yf we take truelye the worde beinge fleshe in our Lordes meate Howe is it not to be estemed hym to abyde in vs naturallye whiche toke the nature of oure fleshe then inseperable to hym beinge borne man And the nature of his fleshe to the nature of eternitie vnder a Sacrament of his fleshe to vs to be geuen hathe myngled for so we be al one For euen in Christe is the father and Christe in vs. Therefore whosoeuer doth generally deny the father in Christe let hym deny fyrste not naturally ether hym in christ or Christ to be in hym For the father in Christ and Christ in vs maketh vs to be one in them If therfore Christ haue truely taken flesh of the bodye of the vyrgyn and that that verye man whiche was borne of Marye be Christ and we truely vnder a mysterye take the fleshe of his bodye and shal be one therby because the father is in him and he in vs. Howe is the wyll of vnite affyrmed whan a propertye naturall by sacramentes is perfyghtlye a Sacrament of vnitie It is not for the wytte of man or the wytte of the worlde to speake in Goddes wordes nor by violent and shamefull preachynge of heauenlye wordes with straunge health the frowardenes of a wycked vnderstandinge to be gotten oute Let vs reade those thinges that be written and then we shall vse the offyce of perfight saith For those thinges that we speake of the naturall veritie of Christ except we learne them of Christ whiche we speake of hym we saye and learne folyshly and wyckedly For he saith my fleshe verely is meate and my bloud verely is drinke He that eateth my fleshe drinketh my bloud he abideth in me I in him There is no place left of doutinge of the verite of fleshe and bloud For now by our Lordes profession and our faith he is verely fleshe and verely bloude And these taken and dronken do that thinge that bothe we be in Christ and Christ in vs is not this a truthe let it happen playnely to them not to be trewe whiche deny that Christe is veray trew God And therfore is he in vs by fleshe and we in hym when he with hym selfe that that we be he is in God And for asmoche as by sacrament of flesh bloud coÌ„municate we be in hym he beareth witnesse saying and this worlde doth not nowe se me but you shall se me For I am in my father and you in me and I in you If he wolde onely the vnite of will to be vnderstande why dyd he expounde a certayne degre and order of vnite to be consummate but that when he shulde be in the father by nature of diuinite we agayne shoulde be in hym by his corporall natiuite And he afterwarde in vs myght be beleued to be by a mystery of sacramentes And that this naturall vnite is in vs he doth thus witnes He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude dwelleth in me and I in hym For none shal be in hym but in whome he will be Thou hast onely his fleshe taken into hym selfe whiche toke his owne ¶ Basell the greate fo i. v c.lxi Anno do ccc.lxxx BAsill in the rule that he gaue to his brethreÌ„ taught the same of the Sacrament of the whiche by them there is a question put forth after this maner With what maner of feare Timer dei fides or faith or affect we owght to take the grace of the bodye and bloude of Christ is opeÌ„ vnto that whiche question thus he answereth The Apstle teacheth vs feare saying He that eateth drinketh vnworthely he eateth drinketh his iudgemente not iudgeginge the body of our Lorde The worde of our Lorde teacheth vs faith sayinge This is my bodye whiche shal be geuen for you Fides doâ—cetur desacramento this do ye in remembraunce of me Agayne the sayinge of Iohn that the worde is made flesshe and hath dwelt in vs and we haue sene his glory as of the onely begotten sonne of the father full of grace and truth Also the Apostle saithe whiche when he was in the forme of God thought it no robery to be equall with god But he dyd make hym selfe of no reputacion takynge on hym the shape of a seruaunte and became lyke vnto men and was founde in his apparell as a man he humbled hym self and becam obediente vnto the deathe euen the deathe of the crosse he therfore that beleuith these wordes and considereth the greatenesse of his glory and doth meruell at the greatenesse of his humilite howe suche and so so greate a one was obedient to the father vnto death for our lyfe I thinke that the soule maye be prouoked to affection of God the father whiche spared not his owne sonne but gaue hym for vs all and vnto the loue of his onely begotten sonne he shall the more be prouoked that he feith hym suffer most shamefull deathe for our redemption 2. Cor. 5. Euen as the Apostle dyd saye of hym For the loue of God dothe constrayne vs iudgyng that that
if one dyed for all that they euen whiche lyue nowe lyue not to them selues but to hym that dyed for them and rose agayne Souche affecte and faith therfore shoulde he prepare in his mynde whiche dothe participate of the breade and cup. If there be greate threatenynges put for them in the olde lawe that rashely go to those holy thinges whiche be of men sanctifyed What is to be sayde on hym whiche vnto souche so greate a misterye that is to saye of the body bloude of our Lorde is folyshly rashe For the greater that any thinge is then they in the temple after the Lordes voyce so moche the more greuouse and terrible it is to hym that is constitute in the vnclennes of the soule rashely to touch the body of Christ the Apostle sayinge he that eateth and drinketh vnwoorthely shal be gyltye of the body bloude of our Lorde yea a more vehement and more terrible iudgement expressynge by repeticion Let man proue hym selfe If a man onely beinge constitute in vnclennes haue so terrible iudgement how moche more he whiche when he is in synne presumeth to attayne to our Lordes bodye dothe get to hym selfe iudgement Therfore let vs make cleane our selues frome all filthynes and so let vs come to the holy thinges that we escape the iudgemente of them that put our Lord to death Gycrilius super Ioh. lib. iiii cap. xiii WHen the Capharnytes whiche perceaued the power of godly vertues of our Sauiour by miracle of tokens shoulde gladely receaue his sermon and yf any thinge semyd harde they humblye shoulde haue desyered the solucion of them To ask this questioÌ„ how is a Iues word but they allway do contrary sayinge how can he geue vs his fleshe they cryed together of God with greate wyckednesse nor it came to their myndes that nothinge is impossible with God For when they were carnall as Paule saithe they coulde not vnderstaÌ„d spirituall thinges But let vs I beseche you take a ensample at the synnes of others and puttinge sure faith to mysteryes euer in so high thinges this worde how Let vs eyther thinke or pronounce for this is a Iewes worde and the cause of extreme torment Therfore Nicodemus when he sayde how can this thinge be done he harde worthely Arte thou a master in Israel and knowest not these thinges Therfore we being taught by the faute of other when God worketh let vs not aske how But let vs graunte to hym onely the waye of knoweleage of his owne worke For as thoughe none knew what god is after nature yet by faith he iustified when he beleueth hym to geue rewardes to them that seke hym So though he knew not the maner of his workes when yet by fayth he doubteth not hym to be able to do all thinges he getteth rewardes of this goodnes not to be contempned For our Lorde by Esaye represseth vs sayinge My counsayles be not as yours nor my wayes as yours As the heauens be exalted from the earth so be my wayes exalted from youre wayes and my thoughtes from your thoughtes Be not they worthy greate tormentes which do so contempne God the maker of all thinges that they dare in his workes saye howe whom Scripture hath taught that he is able to do all thinges O thou Iewe howe cryest thou also now this is folishnesse I also gladly folowyng wyll aske the how dyddest thou go out of Egypt How was Moses rodde turned into a serpent How dydde waters goo into the nature of bloude Howe dyd oure fathers escape through the myddes of the seas as by dry lande Howe dydde welles of water fly out of a stone Howe stode Iordane How by onely crye dyd stronge Hierico fall There be innumerable thinges Quomodo euertiâ— totam dei scripturaÌ„ eius opera deâ— struit in the whiche yf they aske howe thou must nedes turne all scripture wherfore it dyd rather behoue you to beleue Christ and yf any harde thinge be sene vnto you to aske of hym mekely then lyke dronkards to crye out how can he geue vs his fleshe In the same boke Cap. xiiii It behoueth fyrst to stablysh the rootes of fayth in thy mynde and then to enquire these thinges that be for man to be enquired for to teacheth Esayas Except ye beleue ye shall not vnderstand But they afore they dyd beleue dyd importunately aske and for that cause our Lorde howe it myghte be done dyd not disclose But vnto his disciples beleuinge he gaue the fragmentes of breade sayinge Take and eate this is my bodye and of the cuppe Drinke ye of this all this is the cup of my bloude Thou doest perceaue that vnto them enquyringe withoute fayth he dyd not shewe the maner of the mistery Christus misterium exposuâ—t credentibus non infidelibus But to them that beleued and not askinge howe he dydde expounde Lette them here this whiche wyll not yet by reason of pryde receaue Christes fayth Excepte ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shall not haue lyfe in you For thei cannot with sanctifienge of a blessed lyfe be parteners of fayth whiche by mysticall blessynge hathe not receaued Iesu Christe For he is lyfe after nature whiche is gotten afore of maÌ„ But no lesse doth his bodye quicken For it is ioyned vnspeakeably to the sonne of GOD of whome all thinges be quickened Therefore it is called his bodye and is one with him For after the incarnation it is one and abydeth one without deuision at all But onelye that the worde of the father The word of the father and the teÌ„ple taken of the virgin be not in natur one thiÌ„g and the temple taken of the vyrgin be not in nature one thynge For man taken is not of the same substaunce with the worde of GOD yet one with it in a communication ineffable Howe than the flesshe of oure Sauioure to the worde of God whiche is naturallye lyfe beinge ioyned is made lyuely when we eate it then haue we lyfe Not onely to the worde alway but also touchinge often tymes Our Lord Iesus dyd rayse deade men as we reade Luke .vii. that he myghte shewe his bodye also to be able to geue lyfe that if by his onely touchinge corrupt thinges were made hoole agayne how shal not we liue whiche both taste and eate that fleshe for he wyll alwaye reforme to his immortalitie the parteners of hym Desyre not thou Iewe to ask how Nor desyre not thou Iew to aske howe but remember though water be naturally colde yet by the comminge to of fyre forgettynge his coldenes it doth scalde This same way also we thoughe our nature be corruptible yet by partakinge of lyfe beinge called from our wyckednes to the proper tye of it we be fashyoned agayne to lyfe He that eateth Christes fleshe hath lyfe euerlastynge For the fleshe hath the worde of God that is lyfe eternall naturallye Therefore he sayth I wyll rayse hym
vp in the laste day I he sayd that is my body that shal be eatē I wyll rayse vp hym For he is not another thinge but his owne flesh I saye not that that by nature he is another thinge but that after his incarnation he doth not suffer him selfe to be deliuered into two sonnes I therfore sayth he whiche am made man by fleshe wyll in the last daye rayse them vp that eate me My flesshe is very meate and my bloude is very drinke Christe maketh a difference here betwene the misticall benediction and Māna and the riuers of waters oute of the stone and the commynge of the holy cuppe Thei did not bring eternall lyfe but a shorte remedye of hunger But the holy bodye of Christ is noryshynge meate to immortalitie and lyfe eternall Therfore we be the body and members of Christ because by this blessinge of the mistery we do take the veraye sonne of God He that eateth my fleshe c. For as muche as it is an harde thynge and by faith rather then otherwayes He is receaued manye and dyuerse wayes he expoundeth the maruelouse profight of it consernynge the foundation ground to be faith Exemplū de cord Vnum corpus Christosumus Eodem lib cap. 19 as yf one dyd put to molted wax other wax he muste nedes mengle the one with the other Euen so if one receaue the flesh and bloud of our Lord he must be ioyned with him that Christe be founde in hym and he in Christ This is the bread that came doun from heauen surely they be great thinges whiche be done of greate men Therfore those thinges that be geuen of Christ is breade frome heauen for it geueth to the eaters euerlastynge lyfe A greate signe of the Godhead in his bodye surelye nature to inhabite For these thinges be therfore geuen whiche passe al other nature And therfore they of the rude sorte be lesse beleued but the most riche nature geueth greatest riches whiche Paul also merueilinge cryeth The eye hath not sene nor the eare hath not hard nor into many hath not come those thinges whiche God hath or deined to them that loue him Let vs not therfore misse here only the wordes of Christ but let vs geue credit to him the teacheth vs faith for els we shal be vexed with the mysbeleuers Iesus knowinge that they murmered by experiēce that many whiche folowed Christ not perceyuinge his wordes were trobled they thought thei were called of Christ to the cruell maners of wilde beastes and to be styred that they shoulde eate the rawe fleshe of mā and drinke the bloude whiche to heare is horrible For as yet they dyd not know of this mistery the forme and moste Godly dispensacion They thought how the flesh of this man coulde gyue eternall lyfe but he vnto whose eyes all thinges were naked and opē dothe by another marueylouse thinge bringe them to faith you be saith he troubled in vayne for my wordes What and if ye do not beleue lyfe to be geuen to you in my bodye what will ye do when ye shall se me ascende vp to heauen what will ye saye then seyng that will not that be a greate argument of youre madnesse If ye do thinke that my fleshe is not able to geue you lyfe howe shall it ascende into heauen as a byrde howe shall it fly through the ayer This in like maner is vnpossible to mankinde If so be that my fleshe agaynst nature shall ascende to heauen what letteth that also agaynste nature it maye quicken For he the made this earthely body heauenly he also made it quicknynge thoughe by the nature of it selfe it be corruptible But remember agayne Christ to be one and not two as many do folishly affyrme Consyder I say that euery where after incarnacion he sheweth hym selfe to be inuisible Super Iohannem The sprite it is that quickenyth the fleshe dothe nothing profight at all though the nature of flesh as it is fleshe cannot quicken yet it maye do this be cause it hathe taken so greate operation of the worde for it is a bodye not of euery man whose fleshe can any thinge prosight For not of Paul or Peter or of others But of the veray lyfe and the bodye of our Sauiour Iesu Christ into whiche the fulnes of the Godhead dothe inhabite maye do it For seynge that hony is naturally swete it maketh them swete with whome it is myngled Wolde it not be a folyshe thinge to beleue the lyuely nature of the worde not to geue to man in whome it dwellith a vertu of quickenynge For the fleshe of Christ because in it the onely sonne of God dwelleth maye alone quickē For he calleth hym selfe a sprite For God is a sprite And how the sprite quickenyth we can neither vnderstande nor with tonge expresse But by scilence and sure faithe we do take that What doth Christ promyse what dothe he bringe to beleuers Surely no corruptible thinge but a besechinge whiche we get by cōmunicating of Christes bodye and bloude wherby we maye be brought hole to the incorrupcion For it is a bodye of veray lyfe retayninge in it the vertue of the worde incarnate And full in power of hym wherby all thinges do lyue and be whiche thinges seynge they be so let men baptysed and beinge made partenars of the godly grace Though they go to the Churche more seldome and by longe space of tymes for a cloked religion refuse to communicate mistically Christ they do expulse them selues farre frome eternall lyfe for souche refusynge though it seme to come of religion it both causeth offence and layeth snares wherfore it behoueth with all strengthes to be clensyd from synne and foundacions of good lyuing sette with great confidence to ronne to take lyfe and pleasure of the fleshe by continencye ouercome that we go to the heauenly grace that we be made partenars of the body of Christ For so shall we chase awaye the deuill and beinge partenars of the godly nature maye ascende vnto lyfe and incorruptible ¶ Certayne sayinges of Theophilactus viii.c.lxiii vpon the xxvi of Math. THey eatinge Iesus tokē breade and set it to the eaters that he might shew the cruelty of Iudas For at the table communion of the meates of it whē he if he had not ben a wilde beast shoulde haue shewed hym selfe more tame then he neither whan he was reproued vnderstode But tastinge his bodye he dyd not repent for saying this is my body he sheweth that the bodye of our Lorde is breade whiche is sanctifyed in the alter and not an answeringe figure Non est figura sed corpus For he sayde not this is a figure But this is my bodie For it is transformed by an vnspeakeable operaciō yea though it seme to vs breade for we be weake Panis uidetur in specie sed caro est and feare to eate rawe fleshe chefely the fleshe of a man Therfore dothe breade appere But it is
the bloude of Christ Euen to this I aunswere the The holy gooste shadoweth euen these workes aboue speache and vnderstandinge For the bread and wyne be chaunged for GOD knowynge mans infirmitie doth tourne awaye Transmutatio and not beare many thinges that be not commen in vse Therfore he doth by his acustomed coÌ„desceÌ„ding vse those thinges whiche be aboue nature Aquaeo unctio gratiae â—ritus seâ—ctis regeneratio by thinges accustomed to nature And as in baptisme because it is a custome to men to be wasshed and anoynted with oyle be ioyned to the oyle and water the grace of the holy goste and made it a lauer of regeneration after the same maner because it is the maner to men Fâ—cit â— neÌ„ corpi suum to eate bread and drink wine he ioyned to these same his godhead and made them his body and his bloud that be accustomed thinges and whiche are aboue nature That we maye be placed in those thinges that be aboue nature For the bodye after the trueth is coyioyned to the godheade that of the holy virgin is the bodye not that the bodye ye takinge came downe from heauen but that the breade and wyne is chaunged into the bodye and bloude of God And if thou doste require the maner how it is done Let it be ynowgh for the to hear that it is done by the holy goste Euen as of the holy virgin mother of God with hym selfe and in hym selfe the Lord susteyned fleshe and nothing else knowe we but that the worde is trew pytthy and allmighty But the maner is vnspeakeable and vnserchable nor it is not redy that to be tolde how naturally by eatinge of breade and wyne and water by drynkinge into the bloude of the eater and drinker shoulde be chaunged and made a nother body besydes that that it was of hym Euen so the breade of settinge forthe and wyne and water by inuocation and commynge of the holy gost supernaturally is chauÌ„ged into the bodye and bloude of Christ they be not two but one Therfore it is done to them that take it in faith worthely in remission of synnes and eternall lyfe and for the kepynge of the soule and the bodye But to them that in mysbeleue vnworthely do take they take it to ponyshment and payne Morcebristi Euen as Christes deathe to the beleuers is made lyfe and incorruptibilite into the fruction of eternall blessednes But to the infideles and murderars of Christ to torment an euerlastyng payne The breade and wyne is not a figure of the bodye and bloude of Christ God forbyd Non est fygura but it is the body of our Lorde deifyed The same Lorde saying this is my bodye not a figure of my bodye but my bodye and not a figure of my bloude but my bloude And therefore this be saide to the Iewes Excepte ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloude ye shall not haue lyfe eternall My fleshe verely is meate and my bloude verely is drynke and afterwarde he saithe he that eateth me shall lyue for me Therfore with all fear pure conscience and vndoutynge fayth let vs come and let it allwaye be to vs as we beleue not doutyng and let vs worshyppe hym with all clennes of mynde and bodye Let vs come to hym with brynnynge desyre Manus in moduÌ„ crucis formaÌ„tes formyng our haÌ„des after the fashion of the crosse and let vs take the bodye of Christ crucified Melchisedech toke bread and wyne to Abraham commyng frome the killinge of straungers whiche was the preist of the highest God Figur christi Melchisedech That table prefigured this misticall table as that preist of Christ the true preist afore hym hath prefigured the figure and image Panis propitiationis Hostia in cruenta This breade did the shew breades figure this is a pure host bloudeles whiche frome the sonne rysynge to the sittinge whiche the Lorde speaketh by the prophet to be offered vnto hym That is the bodye and bloude of Christ for a stablishment of our soule and bodye vnconsumed vncorrupt Non in secessum iens not goynge frome the bodye as other meate God forbyd that but into your substaunce and conseruation Let vs with all vertu awayte that we take not parte in the participacion of heretikes nor geue Heretici obstinatiam fugiamus For do ye geue holy thinges to dogges that we be not made parteners of their error and euyll faith and condemnation For we be all one bodye bycause we participate of one breade They be called also exemplaries of thinges to come Not as not trwely beynge the bodye and bloude of Christ but by cause now by them we participate the diuinitie of Christ and then intellectually by onely vision Eusebius Emissenus Anno. ccxciiii In as moche as he was aboute to take awaye his assumptid bodye from their eyes and to brynge it in emonge the sterres It was necessary that in the day of his supper he shoulde coÌ„secrate to vs a sacrameÌ„t of his bodye bloude that he myght be contynually worshypped by mistery whithe was once offered for a pryce and that the daiely neuer ceassynge redemption whiche dyd ronne for the helth of all shoulde be a perpetuall oblation of redempcion And that that euerlastynge oblation myght lyue in memorye â–ª alwaye present in grace one true and perfight hooste to be estemyd in faith not in forme not to be iudged by exterior loue Wherfore the heauenly auctorite confyrmeth for my flesh is veray meate and my bloude is veray drynke Awaye therfore with all doute of infidelitie For he that is the auctor of the gyfte is also the wytnesse of the truthe For he conuerteth the visible creatures by his secrete power into the substaunce of his bodye bloude in his wordes saying thus Take ye eate ye this is my bodye the sanctifyenge repetyd Take drinke this is my bloud Therfore as at the appoyntemeÌ„t of our Lorde commauÌ„ding sodenly of nawght stode vp the highthes of heaueÌ„ the depenesse of the flouds the largenes of th earth So by lyke power in spirituall sacramentes where power coÌ„mauÌ„deth the effect seruith How greate howe muche honorable benefites doth the strength of the deuine blessinge worke How shuld it not be vnto you a newe thinge and impossible that earthly and mortall thinges maye be turned into the substaunce of Christ Aske thyne owne selfe whiche arte regenerate in Christ lately thou was a straunger from lyfe a straunger from mercy and from the way of helth Inwardelye thou beynge deade was outlawed sodenly beynge entered within the lawes of Christe and made newe throughe holsome misteries into the body of the churche Not by seing but by beleuing thou haste ouerpassed And of the sonne of perdition haste deserued by pryuy clemency to be made the elected sonne of God abydinge in a visible measure arte made greater than thy selfe