grasse And vnto thys day the earth when it raineth bringeth forth his owne buddynges beynge by goddes precepte styred strengthened to do the same God sayde This is my body and this is my bloud and doo this in remembraunce of me whiche by his precepte that is omnipotente is done vntyll he commeth For so he sayde vntyll he came vnto whiche newe kynde of tyllage the vertue of the holye ghoste ouershadowyng it is by speciall inuocation in the stead of raine for lyke as all thyng that god hathe made is made by the operation of the holy ghost So nowe the efficacye of the same holye ghoste worketh these thynges that be aboue nature whiche can not be comprehended but by faith onely How shall this be said the holy virgin seinge I know no man The archeangel Gabriel answered The holy ghost shall come downe to the and the vertue of the higheste shall shadowe the. And nowe thou askest howe this bread is made the bodye of Christe and the wyne and water the bloude of Christ Wherein I aunswere also vnto the. The holye ghoste commeth and worketh these thinges aboue reason and vnderstandynge The breade and wyne be taken to this mysterye For god knowethe mans weakenes whiche with some displeasure eschueth many thinges that be not before by vse made smothe familier vnto hym wherfore our sauiour Christ so condescendeth to our infirmitie as he vseth thinges to vs accustomed and agreable wherewith to make thinges that be aboue nature And lyke as in baptisme seinge men commonlye vsed to wasshe them selues in water and annoynte thē selues with oyle Christe added to the oyle and water the grace of y e holy ghoste and made it the wasshynge of regeneration So for that men were accustomed to eate breade and drynke wyne and water Christe ioyned vnto them his godhed and made them his body and bloude that by thynges accustomed and agreable to nature we myght be placed in thinges that be aboue nature The body is verely vnited to y e Godhed I meane the same body that was taken of the holy virgin not that the same body taken descended from heauē but that the bread wyne be transfourmed into the body and bloude of God If thou doest aske me the maner how it is done it shuld suffyce the to heare aunswered that by the holy ghost lyke as of the holy mother of God by the holye ghoste oure lorde made to hym selfe flesshe and in hym selfe withoute seede of manne In whiche matter we know no more but that the worde of god is true of efficacie and omnipotent but as for the maner is vtterly inscrutable and such as can not by serche be deprehēded foūde And yet it were not amisse to say thus that like as the breade by eatynge and wyne by drynckynge is naturallye chaunged into the bodye and bloude of hym that eateth and drinckethe nowe are become another body other then their owne body whiche they had before euen so the breade prepared to be consecrate and the wyne and water by inuocatyon and commynge downe of the holy ghoste be aboue nature chaūged into the body bloude of Chryste and be not two but one and the same Whiche worke is wroughte and is to the that worthely receiue it in fayth the remyssyon of synne for lyfe euerlastynge and to be a safegarde for bodie and soule And to them that be vnfaithfull and receiue it vnworthely to their punish mente and vengeaunce For so is lykewyse the deathe of oure lorde That is to say to suche as beleue lyfe and incorruptiō with the fruition of euerlastynge blesse and on the other parte to them that be vnfaithfull and were murderers of our lorde punysshement and vengeaunce euerlastynge The breade and wyne be not a figure of the body and bloud of Christ That may not be sayde but the very body of our lorde deified that is to saye made god For our lorde saide this is not the fygure of my body but my body and not the fygure of my bloude but my bloude And before that sayde to the Iewes that yf ye eate not the flesshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue not lyfe in your selfe For my fleshe is very meate and my bloud is very dryncke And agayne he that eateth me shall lyue Let vs then come to it w t a fearfulnes a cleane conscience and stedfast fayth and then in al thynges shalbe to vs as we byleue constantly Let vs honour it with all clennes bothe of the body and soule also as it were with a double worshyppynge For the same we worshyp is also double that is to say the fleshe of our sauiour Christe and godhed also Come we vnto it with an ardent fyry desyre and facyonynge oure handes in the figure of a crosse let vs so receaue the body of hym that was crucified fynally approching with our eyes lyppes and forehed let vs receiue that godlye cole so as the fyre of our feruent desyre receyuynge the fierynes of that cole maye burne vp our synnes and lyghten our hartes and by partetakynge of that godlye fyre be throughly enflammed and deified Esaias sawe a cole A cole is not wood onely but woode vnited vnto fyre So the foode of our communion is not foode onelye but foode vnited to the godhead The body vnited to the godhed is not to be sayed one nature but the nature of the body is one and the nature of the godhed vnited vnto it is an other So as both together be not one nature but two Melchisedech the preist of god that is highest receiued and chered Abraham with bread and wyne when he returned from the slaughter of the foraine straungers That table fygured this mysticall table lyke as that preiste was y e fygure and ymage of our true prest christ Thou arte sayth god a preist for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech Those loues whiche in the olde lawe were called the breades of proposicion that is to saye the breades appointed to an holy vse were a figure of this bread This sacrifice is the pure vnbloudy sacrifice which god sayde by his prophet shuld be offered vnto hym from the east to y e west The bodye and bloude of Christe for the establyshmente of body and soule receiued be not cōsumed or corrupted nor passeth with our corruptions through vs into y e vyle place fy on y e speach but encreaceth our substaunce and preserueth it It is tharmour of defence frome all maner of annoyaunce and lykewise the purgation and cleansynge of all fylthe Certaynlye if it fyndeth the golde adulterate that is to say corrupt with any other mettall it purgeth it by the same vertue whiche is apprropriate to fyre wherby it disceuereth frō the gold and putteth away that is corrupt to thintent we shulde not be condemned in the worlde to come It purgeth diseases and all sortes of annoiaunce And as saith the godly apostle If we iudge
not to be allowed for in eueryplace of offering is but the same one Chryst here ful hole Christ and there full hole christ and euery where y e same one bodye And as the sacrifice euerye where where it is offered is one body and not many bodyes so it is also but one sacrifice And our chiefe byshop is he that offred the hoste that clensed vs and the same hoste we offer also nowe whiche beinge then offred could not be consumed For that we do is in remembraūce of that was done For Christ saide Do this in remembraunce of me Wherein we do not make another sacrifice as the byshop of the olde lawe dyd but make alwaies the same sacrifice or rather worke the represētatiō of y e same But because I haue made mention of this sacrifice I wil speake a fewe wordes to you whiche ye remember a fewe wordes in measure but conteynynge greate pyth and commodite for you That I shal say procedeth not of my selfe but of thinstigatiō of gods holy spirite What wyll I say then This it is that many be partakers of this sacrifice ones in the yere some twyse and some oftener My speache is directed to all not only to those that be here but also those that syt in wyldernes For such be houseled ones in the yere peraduenture not in two What is the matter then Whome do we moost allowe Those that receyue ones in the yeare those that receiue oftner or those that receiue seldome Neither those that receiue ones nor them that receiue oftner nor them that receyue seldome but those that alwayes comme to be partetakers of thys sacryfyce with a cleane conscience with a clene harte and a lyfe wythoute reproche And those that be not suche I allowe them not to come ones Why so Bycause they receyue iudgement damnacion and punishment And hereof maruaile not For as meate beinge naturally nourishynge when it happeneth to come into hym that is corrupted with euyl meates marreth and corrupteth all and is occasion of a sycknes and disease So lykewise y t is cōteined in this dredful sacramēt where thou hast fruition of spirituall foode haste fruition of the kynges table and after defylest thy mouthe againe w t fylthy mire y u art throughly anoynted with y e precious anointmēt and fyllest thy selfe againe with euyl sauering stēches I pray the tel me Ones in the yere thou reparest to this holy communion Doest thou thinke .xl. dayes sufficient to clense thy synnes of all that tyme past within a weke after returne to thy former filthynes How saiest thou to me If y u wart in .xl. daies healed frō a long bodely disease shuldest returne to that meate that was cause of thy disease haddest thou not lost thy former labour If the natural partes of man be so sone altered with moch lesse the partes of mās wyll may be chaunged wherein I mene this that as we naturally se and haue by natures ordre hole eyes yet by some alteration oure syghte is hurte And yf thynges y t be natural in vs be so sone chaūged moch more that is ordred by our wyl is voluntarie Sparest thou onelye .xl. dayes to to prouyde for thy soule helthe I thinke not al togither so muche and yet thou hopeste to haue god pleased with the. Thou doest rather tryfle Hitherto I haue translate Chrysostomes sentence and to note vnto the these fewe wordes laste spoken What wolde Chrisostome saye to the state of this worlde nowe in whiche a nombre do not onelye neglecte to appoint so much tyme as the lente is whiche Chrisostom meneth to attayne goddes fauoure againe but thinke it al superfluous and not necessarie And bost onlye the mercy of god without feare of his iustice Marke this place of Saynte Chrisostome and compare it to onely faith marke this place of saynte Chrisostom note how the .xl. dayes in y e lēt were spēt not by the byshoppe of Romes ordinaunce but by directiō of y e true discipline in christes church in whiche Misecordia veritas abuia uerūt sibi iustitia pax osculatae sūt As wherin mercy was so preached as y e truth of gods iustice was not neglected iustice in due order of al thinges was so decētly obserued as peace and concord remained in christes church But this matter is besides the principall purpose and yet not out of al purpose for this time In s Chrisostoms interpretation concernyng daily sacrifice of christes body bloud thou maist se reader how the church hath obserued this most preciouse continual sacrifice of Christ hym selfe by himselfe the high preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech offred on the aulter where the minister of the church by Christes commaundemente executethe the same whiche commaundement as Chrysostome saythe is conteyned in these wordes Hoc facite Nowe I returne to reherse other that haue spoken of the moost blessed sacrament of the aulter among whome Ignatius a gloriouse martyr and nexte vnto the apostles in an epistle that he writeth to y e Romaines saith in this wise Panem dei uolo panē coelestem uitae qui est caro Iesu Christi filij dei uiui qui natus est in nouissimo ex semine Dauid Abrahae potum volo sanguinem eius qui est dilectio in corruptibilis vita aeterna I desyre saith Ignatius the fode of god the heauenly foode of lyfe whiche is the flesshe of Iesu Cyrist the sonne of the lyuynge god who was borne in the laste tyme of the sede of Dauid and Abrahā and I desyre for drincke the bloud of hym who is loue without corruption and lyfe euerlastinge And to thintent thou mayest perceiue reader that this nourriture is vnderstanded of the body and soule togyther so as in this holy communion mans flessh is also comforted herewith Note what Ireneus sayth Quomodo negant carnem capacem esse donationis dei qui est uita aeterna quae sanguine corpore Christi nutritur membrū eius sit quēadmodum Apostolus ait in ea quae est ad Ephesios epistola Quoniā membra sumus corporis eius de carne eius de ossibus eius non de spirituali aliquo inuisibili homine dicens haec Spiritus enim neque carnem neque ossa habet sed ea dispositione quae est secundum hominem quae ex carnibus neruis consistit qui de calice qui est sanguis eius nutritur de pane qui est corpus eius augetur Whyche may be englyshed thus Howe cā it be denied that mans flesshe may be partetaker of the gifte of god who is lyfe euerlastynge consyderynge it is nourysshed wyth the bloude and body of Christe as the apostle sayth in his epystle to the Ephesians For we be membres saith the apostle of his bodye of the flesshe of hym and of the bones
remembraunce of him And yet euyll men do receaue the same to their owne condemnation whiche good men do with a perfit remembraunce of christ whose benefites w t his preceptes they haue in effectual remembraunce Wherin forasmuch as the Corinthyans abused them selfe Saynt Paule threteneth them with gods sharpe iudgement whyche euerye manne procureth hym selfe when he receiueth the blessed sacrament vnworthely not consyderinge nor vnderstandynge that there is in that feast the very naturall bodye and bloud of our sauiour christ which s Paul signifieth in those wordes non dijudicans corpus domini Whiche wordes be translate in englyshe puttynge no difference betwene the lordes bodye And this place by suche as presumynge of their owne knowlege frame also a sense of their owne makynge or folowinge suche as willingly abuse their knowledge to subuerte the truth hathe ben mystaken and of some so taken as though the CorinthiaÌ„s were in those wordes blamed because they which is a fond imaginacion and yet men that waÌ„der alone go easely farre wide out of the right waye toke the sacrament to be the very body of christ and put no difference betwene it breade But saint Paule contrarywyse as tholde authors expounde that place declareth in those wordes non dijudicans corpus domini howe suche as eate vnworthely do not acknowledge whom they receiue For if they dyd they could not so abuse them selfe and therefore the worde dijudicans signifieth not puttinge no difference but not vnderstandynge not consyderynge as the greake interpreters say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not considerynge not vnderstandynge who is in that feast to be receiued whose presence if men considered they shoulde neade none other admonyshment howe to prepare them self to come thither and howe to vse them selues at the same And other scripture is lykewise misconstrued and crokedly expounded Spiritus viuificat caro non prodest quicâ— As thoughe it were to be vnderstanded that the presence of the natural bodye and bloude of our sauiour our christ were not fruteful to vs therefore by theyr reason shulde not be there where in dede our sauyour Christ refelled in those wordes the grosse vnderstandinge of y e Capharnaites as though oure sauiour christ had ment to distribute his natural body in lumpes of flesshe and so make them a feest of it and thervpon gaue a generall lesson vnto them whiche serueth for y e true vnderstandyng of our hole relygion which is that our godly lyfe is engeÌ„dred in vs not of the flesshe but of the spirite for quod natum est ex carne caro est quod auteÌ„ ex spuÌ„ spiritus est y t is borne of the flesshe is flesh and that is borne of the spirite is spirite and the faithfull men be not borne of the flesshe nor the flesshe reuealeth not the truth of god for the flesshye manne can not se goddes mysteries and they that dwell in the flesshe can not please god and thus scripture speakethe of the flesshe the carnal parte of man not illuminate by y e spirite of god and the Capharnaites fansied of Christes flesshe grossly to be cutte as buchers do in the market whiche so coÌ„sidered profiteth nothing but onely the spirite giueth lyfe And so spiritus viuificat caro non prodest quicquam the spirite gyueth lyfe and the flesshe profitethe nothing By which maner of spech the fleâ—she of our sauyour christes moost precious bodye beinge caro viuifica lyuely flesshe and whiche hath the holy spirite inseparablye annexed vnto it is not improued but as it is by goddes hygh power ministred vnder fourme of breade wyne is also most holsom most confortable vnto such as receyue it worthely of which christ spake Caro mea vere est cibus sanguis meus uere est potus panis quem dabo uobis caro mea est My flesshe is verely meate and my bloude verely drinke and the breade whiche I shall geue you is my flesshe And the speache of this scripture Caro non prodest quicâ— is in such wise to be taken as wheÌ„ saint Paule saith Scientia inflat charitas edificat wherein knoweledge is not vtterlye condemned but onely suche knowledge as waÌ„teth and is not tempered with charitie And lykewise littera occidi spiritus viuificat wherein not all letters and wrytinges be noted to do hurte but onely suche as be destitute and want right spiritual vnderstandinge And after y e same fourme said christ Spiritê° viuificat caro noÌ„ prodest quicâ—â— The spirit giueth lyfe y e flesshe profiteth nothyng whiche is as muche to saye after the order of vnderstaÌ„ding in the former speaches that the flesh porfiteth nothynge where the spirite of god wanteth whiche in the most blessed body of our sauiour Christ is alway present can not be seperate from it Thus I haue somwhat trauailed in thexpositioÌ„ of this text Caro non prodest quicâ— whiche in dede ê‘teyneth not to y e purpose of y e matter but only as the deuil wrangleth with it as he doth in susteining heresyes with many other and amonge other in this matter these If I go not from you sayth Christe the holy ghoste shall not comme to you And in an other place ye shall not se me for I go to my father And also in an other place I leaue the worlde and go to my father With suche lyke whiche sounde to improue the presence of Christes naturall body and blood in the sacrament of thaulter but sounde so onely to suche as before they marke this souÌ„de of wordes wold haue them to sounde so For that meane the deuyl vseth to inueigle men fyrste to allure them by â–ª some worldelye temptation to be incline able rather to this or that opinion and in many men not for anye respecte they haue to any truthe or falseshed but onelye bycause they had rather haue it vnderstanded so as they fansye then otherwyse And beynge so waywardlye affected they conceaue then of the scripture as they do of a confuse souÌ„de of belles that is to saye the selfe same sentence and meaning which they wolde haue taken and estemed for truth and none other And to such men so inueigled by the deuyll it is harde to induce the persuasion of truthe for they care not for it or be maliciouse and euyl wyllynge against the truthe And therfore wysedome as y e wyse man saith can not entre into them The deuyl for mayntenaunce of his errour he ceasseth not to note to the simple reader how Christ speaketh of goynge his waye and goyng to his father and in an other place of leauynge the worlde in an other place that he wyll be seene no more of theÌ„ And when y e spouse is gone then we shall wayle and faste All whiche in the true vnderstandyng signifie to vs the absence from vs of Christe in his bodely coÌ„uersatioÌ„ among vs in such sorte as he was before his passyon and before