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
as the breade made of grayne taken frome the grounde called by consecration is no more nowe commentable breade but the bodye and bloude of Christe stonding vpon .ii. thinges an earthly and an heauenlye euen so oure bodyes perceauing the sacrament be no more now corruptible hauīg hope of resurrection And ī his fyft boke agaynst heresyes By what meanes therfore both the myxed cup and the frute of breade perceaueth the worde of God is made the Eucharist of the body and bloude of Christ For God in that he is God hathe nether breth bones ne fleshe But speakynge as cōcernynge that disposition and proportion whiche is like vnto man whiche standeth compacte of flesh synowes and bones whiche is norished with the cuppe whiche is the bloode and is enoreasyd with the breade whiche is his body Tertulyane in his boke of resurrection of the flesh OVre fleshe eateth the bodye bloode of Christ that the soule also may be replenyshed and fully fed with God And in his boke of prayer he saith bread is the worde of the lyuinge God which came doune īto his fote stole of the earth from his throne of heauen Then his veraye bodye is demyd and thought to be in the similitude of breade Saynge This is my body Therfore we clamynge requirynge our dayelye bread do aske a perpetuite cōtynuaunce in Christ and an vnseperable vnite with his body Agaynst Marcyon he saith we do knowe receaue and beleue all the gospelles of Christ by the churche and not otherwyse S. Cypryan martyr ccxlix Cypryan Martyr in the fyrste boke of his Epistelles in the seconde epistle NOw not onely to the weake or sycke but to the valyant peace is necessarye Not only to persones departyng but to the liuinge communion shoulde be minystred to the intent we maye not leaue thē naked and weaponles whome we exhort to battayle But that we maye defend them with the shelde of the bodye and bloude of Christ And whē the body bloud of Christ is ministred that it maye be a sauegarde to the receauers and that we Arme them with the armour of the Lordes health whō we wolde saue agaynst our gostely enemy For why should we teache or moue them to spende their bloud in confessinge Christes name yf in this chiuallry we deny them the bloude of Christe Or by what meanes do we make them fyt for the cup of martirdome if we do not admyt them fyrste to drynke of the chalice of the righteous cōmunicatynge of the Lorde in the churche De cena domini Our Lorde maketh euen cōtinually vntill this daye in the sacramēt this his moste trew holy body maketh it holy blesseth it and deuideth it to them which deuoutely receaueth it In the same THe breade which the Lorde gaue to his disciples chaūged not in forme but in nature and by the omnipotente power of the worde is made fleshe And as in the personne of Christ the manhod was sene and the Godhed hydde so in the visible sacramente the diuine nature inuisible infundeth hym selfe to the entent that aboute the sacrament shoulde be deuotion And in the same This common bread chaūged into fleshe and bloude procureth to bodyes lyfe and increase Idem The high prest bryngeth forth bread wyne this is saith he my body they eate and drynke of the same bread after a visible forme but afore these words that meat was common only it was profitable for the body to be norished gaue help of a corporall lyfe But from what tyme it was of the Lorde spoken this do in remembraunce of me it is fleshe bloud As often as with these wordes and this faithe it is done that supersubstancial bread and cup of benediction solemplye consecrate it doth profight to life and health of the hole Man Also being a medecyn brent offeringe to heale infirmyties and pourge iniquities That it was an other thinge that fyrst was sette forth consumed and an other that was geuen of the master and destributed whan the false mynde of Iudas touched the holy meate The holy sanctifyed breade enteryd into the cursed mouthe the murdering mynde not beynge able to susteyne the myght of so greate a sacrament was blowen away lyke chaffe frome the floure and ran hedlynge to perdition to desperation and to the rope The sacrament Christe sōtyme calleth it hys bodye sometyme his fleshe and bloud sometime bread Origen in his .v. Homilye Domine non sum dignus WHan ye receaue the holy meat and vncorrupted dishe thou dost vse the breade and the cup of lyfe thou eatest and drinkest the body and bloud of our Lorde ther the Lorde enterest into thy house Dist Viii The sacramēt the Lord dyd institute when after the figuratyue lambe he dyd reache his body to his disciples at supper When these wordes be spokē saith Origen This is my body and this is my bloud ther is a certayne conuersion made of breade and wyne into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of Christ Therfore the Lord Iesus goynge to the inuisible thinges of his Fathers magestie the figuratyue paschall beinge scelebrate with the disciples wyllynge to commende vnto them a certayne memoryall vnder forme of breade and wyne he dyd so geue his bodye and bloude to them that he myght shew the sacramentes of the olde law amonge which the sacrifice of the paschal lambe was chefe to be ended in his death the sacraments of the new law to be institute in whiche the mistery of Eucharistia excelleth Chrisostem in his .lxxxiii. Homili Vpon Saynt Math. LEt vs beleue God in euery thinge and not saye agaynst hym Verba dei defraudari non pūt yea although the thing that he sayth doth appere an inconuenience both to our sences thought vnderstandinge and dothe also exceade our sences capacite and reasone Let vs I beseche you beleue his wordes in al thinges but chefly in the sacrament not onely vpō those thinges which lye before vs His wordes can no the deceaued our sences ma◠easely be deceiued but considerynge also his wordes For by his wordes we can not be deceaued His wordes can not be false oursences are most easy to be dyssayued Wherfore seyng Christe hathe sayde This is my bodye let vs nothinge doute therof but beleue and perceaue it with the eyes of our vnderstanding In his .iii. boke Dialogorum Cap. iiii Beholde the dignite of the preisthode whervpon we speake for it is done in earth but his office is cōtayned in heuenly busynesses For consequently neither man nor Angell Non homo non Angelus nec Archangelus hoc sacramentū instituit nor archangell nor vertu nor any other creature but the holy gost hath institute this office and yet remayning in fleshe hath geuen to peruse the minystery of angelles For the which thing the byshop must as he that were in heuen and wer mixed to the vertues do this thing so it is lightenyd with the brightnes of lyfe For when
to be farre away and calleth Angelles to vs And the Lorde of Angels for where they se the Lordes bloud deuils fly away and angelles come to this bloudeshed wassheth all the worlde More saynges of Chrisostom in his Homily .xxiiii. 1. Cor. x. The thinge that is in the chalice is that which ranne oute of Christes syde we are partakers of it Liber iiii cap. iii. de dignitate sacerdotali O Greate good will of God towardes vs O myracle he that syttethe vpon the right hande of his father in heauen aboue is contayned in mennes handes in the tyme of sacrifice Homili XVii Episcopi ad heb ix ca. There is one bodye of Christ dayly offered in sacrifice and one Christ in euerye place where the Sacrament is which is here in this place full and there in that place also full or hole Homil. ad Antiochenum populum Helias the Prophete ascending vp left his mantell vnto his disciples but the sonne of God ascendynge vp into heauen lefte vnto vs his owne fleshe As for Helyas leauinge his mantell vnto his disciple left it from him selfe but our sauioure Christ hath both left his fleshe with vs and also taken it with hym selfe in his Ascencion Homil xlv super Iohannem It is not man that maketh our Lordes bodye and bloude of those thinges set forth vpon the table to be consecrated but it is Christe that was crucified for vs The wordes are pronounced of the preist and these thynges breade and wyne are consecrated by Goddes power and grace for he sayde This is my body By these wordes the breade and wyne are consecrated If a man loke in howe muche he is bounde to flesh and bloud To. li 6 〈◊〉 alogoruâ— Cap. 5. to be able to be made nigh to the blessed simple nature then diligentlye should he vnderstand that it were mete to honor preists by the grace of the holy gost Sacerdotes honorandi for by them these misteries be fulfilled other no lesse then these beinge so greate either because of our helth or els because of dignitie For they the inhabit erth and be conuersauÌ„t in it hath deserued to dispence heuenly thinges Potestatem ligandi et soluendi dedit hâ—meÌ„nibus non Angelis nec archâ— angelis they haue receaued power whiche god nether gaue to Aungels nor Archaungels nor it was not sayde to theÌ„ what things soeuer ye bind on earth they shal be houÌ„de also in heuen and what thinges so euer ye loose they shal be loosed The prynces of the world hath also a certayn power of byndinge but which is only laufull in bodyes Que sacer dotes aguÌ„t in terris Christus confirmat in celis but this boÌ„de which is commyt to preistes it goyth to the soule passeth to heuen That those thinges that preistes do beneth God dothe also confirme in heauen and corroborateth the sentence for it is no other thinge to be called but woodnes to contempne that misterye Sine sacramento Eucharistie nulla salus nec promissa red duntur with oute which neither is helthe geueÌ„ vs nor those good things that be promysed shoulde be geuen for none shal be able to go into the kingdome of heauen but those that be borne agayne of water and of the spirite And he that eateth not the fleshe of oure LORDE and drynketh not his bloude shall not haue lyfe euerlastynge which be made with no other handes then with the holy handes of the prest Solue sacerdos coÌ„secrat nor can haue the rewarde of promyses nor escape the fyer of hell but by the office of these things These be they that bring vs forth in a spirituall generation and execute them by the generation of baptim by them we be clothed with Christ and by them we be ioyned to the sonne of God by them we be also made members of that blessed head ¶ Saynt Ambrose was within .cclxxx. after Christ in his .iiii. boke of sacramentes the .xiiii. cap. WHo is the author of the sacramentes but our Lorde Iesus these sacrameÌ„tes came froÌ„ heauen for all counsell is frome heauen but verely greate Godly is the myracle that God rayned from heauen to the people Angelles foode Exod. 16. And the people labored not and yet did eate Thou perauenture sayest my bread is had coÌ„meÌ„ly in vse but this bread is bread before the sacramentall wordes but after consecration hathe approched of bread is made the flesh of Christ Let vs therfore fortefye and approue this how it which is breade can be the body of Christ by consecration Of what wordes than and of whose sayinges consisteth the consecration euen of our Lord Iesu for by al other thinges which are spoken prayse is offered to God and prayer supplication is made for the people for the kynge for other thinges But whaÌ„ it is come to passe that the sacrameÌ„t worthy to be honoured must be coÌ„secrated now the preist vseth not his owne worde but the wordes of Christe Therfore the worde of Christ doth make or consecrate this sacrameÌ„t Whiche word of Christ it truly by the whiche al thinges are made The Lorde commaunded and heauen was made The Lord commauÌ„ded and the earth was made The lord commaunded the seas was made The Lord coÌ„maunded euery creature was begotten borne Seest thou than how mighty in working the word of God is therfore if so great power strength vertu be in the word of our lorde Iesu the thinges whiche were not began to be howe muche more is it able to worke that the things were might be chaunged into another thing heaueÌ„ was not the sea was not Psa 14 â–ª the earthe was not But here the prophet Dauid speaking of god he spake the word the thinges were made he commaunded and the thinges was created Than let me answer it was not the body of christ before the consecration but after the consecration I say vnto the that now it is the body of Christe He spake the word and it was done he commaunded and it was created Thou thy selfe was but thou was an olde creature After that thou was dedicated to God baptisyd thou began to be a new creature Wylt thou knowe how new a creature thou arte Euery man saith Saynt Paule is by Christ anew creature here therfore 2. Cor. 5. lo the worde of Christe hathe bene wonte to chaunge euery creature and chaungeth whan it will the customes and ordinauÌ„ces of nature Thou requirest how Harken And fyrst of all let vs take example of Christes generation The custome is that man can not be generate but of man and woman and wedlocke company but bycause it was our Lordes pleasure who choose this Sacrament Christ was borne of the holy ghost and of a vyrgyn that is to saye the mediatoure of God and men Christe Iesus verye man Than thou seest that against the custome and order of nature a man was borne of a
vyrgin Take an other example Exod. 14 The children of Israell was oppressed of the Egiptians closed in with the sea on euery syde by the commaundement of God Moyses touched the water with his rodde and the water deuided her selfe a sonder which verely was not after the custome of her nature but according to the grace of the heauenly commaundement Take an other example Exod 15. The children of Israell was thurstye and came to a fountayne of water the whiche was bytter not able to be dronke Holy Moyses dyd cast a tre into the water and it was made swete which before was bitter that is to saye it chaunged the custome of nature and toke the swetnes of grace Take also the fourth example It fortuned as a man was felling doune a tre besides the floude Iordayne 4 Reg. 6. the axe hed full into the water and sonke to the botome as the custome of Iron is to do the prophet Heleseus dyd cast a sticke of woode into the water and immediately the Iron came vp swymmed aboue the water the whiche verely is against the nature of yron For the stuffe substaunce of Iron is moch heuyer than is the element of water Dost thou theÌ„ by these examples vnderstande how mightily the heauenly worde worketh yf the heaueÌ„ly worde hath wrought in an earthy foÌ„tayne yf it hath wrought in other thinges doth not it also worke in the heauenly sacramentes Pauis fâ—eory 9 christi than thou hast learned that of bread may be made the body of Christ And the wine and water is put into the chalice but it is made bloude by the consecration of the heauenly word But perauenture thou wilt saye I se not the forme of bloude Euen as thou hast taken the similitude of death in baptyme Respoâ— so dost thou drinke the similitude of the preciouse bloude that there be no feare of bloude and yet that it maye worke the price of redemption Thou hast therfore learned that the thing which thou takest is the bodye of Christ and the bloude of our Lorde Wilt thou know that it is consecrate with heauenly wordes Here what the words be The prest sayth Make sayth he this oblation enrolled reasonable whiche is a fygure of the bodye and bloude of our Lorde Iesu Christ Qui pridie whiche the daye afore that he suffered he toke breade in his holy handes loked to heauen to his holy father almighty God geuynge thankes blessed brake and beinge broken gaue it to his Apostels and Disciples sayinge Take and eate of this all for this is my body that shall be broken for many And in lyke maner he toke the cuppe after he had supped the daye before that he shoulde suffer and loked to heauen to the holy father almyghtye euerlastynge God geuynge thankes blessed gaue it to his Apostels and Disciples sayinge Take and drynke of this all for this is my bloude Se al these be the wordes of the Euangelyst vnto Take ye whether it be the body or bloude then be the wordes of Christe Take and drynke of it all Afore it is consecrate it is breade â— Corpus christi est but when the wordes of Christe come it is the bodye of Christ Furthermore heare hym sayinge Take and eate of it all this is my body And afore the wordes of Christe the cuppe is full of wyne and water When the wordes of Christe haue wroughte there is the bloude made whiche hath redemed the people Then se in howe greate kyndes is the word of Christ myghty and able to conuert all maner of thinges Further more the Lorde Iesus hym selfe doth testifie vnto vs that we may take his bodye and bloude should we then doubte of his fayth and wytnessynge Lib. 4. de Sacramentis Nowe come with me to my proposition It is surelye a greate and worshypfull thynge that he dyd raygne Manna from heauen to the Iewes But vnderstand what is more the Manna from heauen or the body of Christ Surelye the bodye of Christe whiche is maker of heauen Farthermore he that did eate Manna is deade But he that hath eaten this bodye it shal be to hym forgeuenes of synnes and he shall neuer dye Therfore thou sayst not in vayne Amen So be it Now thou confessinge in sprite that thou takest the bodye of Christe the preist saith to the The body of Christ And thou faiste Amen That is true that which he confesseth hath the desyre It is to be knowen that in pronounsing of these wordes Bread is turned into the body of Christe This is my bodye a misterye is done And breade is turned into Christes bodye If thou aske how we leauinge these thynges not certayne do affirme that which is of auctorities that is to say that the substaunce of bread and wine is conuerted into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of our lorde And we be not ashamed to confesse that we knowe not the maner of turnynge For the thynges that remayne of the former substaunce accidentia manent be accidentes that is the coloure sauour fourme and weyghte Nor yet they do make the bodye of Christ nor can be grounded therin But if it be asked where they be founded we saye Hic deo ideÌ„s manet sine subiectodo uirtute diuina that by diuyne miracle they be sustayned without substaunce This is truely a greate misterye and vnsearcheable We be commaunded to beleue we be not permitted to discusse We be commauÌ„ded to beleue but not to discusse all thinges that the Lorde wolde he dyd in hea-and in earth And because so he wolde so it was So thoughe the figure of breade and wyne be seene yet after the consecration we muste beleue nothinge els but the fleshe and bloude of Christe Wherefore the truth doth saye to his Disciples This is my fleshe for the lyfe of the worlde and that I might speake more maruelously it is playnely none other but that which was borne of the virgin Marye and suffered on the crosse and rose out of the graue This I saye is it And therfore is it the fleshe of Christ which for the lyfe of the worlde yet to daye is offered the breade of angelles is made the meate of men wherfore he sayth I am the lyuely bread which cam doune from heauen Also the breade which I will gyue is my fleshe for the lyfe of the world By these two sentences it is geuen openly to be vnderstanded that this breade and that be not two but one breade and one fleshe and withoute doute is made one bodye That verely that surely which was taken of the virgyn that suffered that was buryed that arose agayne and ascended into heauen sitteth on the right hande of God the father and which is to come to Iudge the quicke the dead And that thou mayste knowe this to be a sacrameÌ„t the figure of this went before afterwarde know how gret a SacrameÌ„t it is
Of the excellencie gretnes of this Sacrament se what he saith As ofte as ye shall do this so ofte shal ye make a remembrance of me vntil I come Therfore we hauing in mind his most glorious passion resurrection from hel his ascentioÌ„ to heaueÌ„ we do offer vnto this spotles sacrifice reasonable host bloudlesse offering this holy bread and Cuppe of lyfe euerlastyng We bothe aske and pray the that thou woldest take this oblation into thy high alter by the handes of thy holy Angelles as thou haste vouchesafe to receaue the rewardes of thy Iust seruante Abell and the sacrifice of our patriarke Abraham and that which the high preist Melchisedech hathe offered vnto the. Therfore how oft soeuer thou dost receaue what saith the Apostel to ye. Howe ofte so euer we do take we do show the Lordes death If we showe deathe we showe remission of synnes Remission of synnes howe ofter so euer bloude is shed it is shed in remission of synnes I muste alwaye take it that my synnes maye be remytted I that alwaye do synne muste alwaye haue a medison De Sacramentis li. 6. Cap. 1 For as our Lorde Iesu Christ is the true sonne of God not as men by grace but as a sonne of the substaunce of his father So is it the veray fleshe as he sayde and the veray bloude whiche we drinke But perauenture ye may saye how veray fleshe I that se the similitude se not the truthe of the bloude Fyrst I tolde you of the worde of Christ which worketh that it is able to chaunge and conuert kyndes of nature institute Farthermore whan his disciples dyd not take the worde of Christ but hearinge that he wolde gyue them his fleshe to eate and his bloude to drynke they went backe yet Peter onely sayde thou hast the wordes of lyfe and shal I go from the Therfore least that mo shoulde saye so as ther were a certayne fear of bloud but that the grace of the redemer might abyde styll therfore in a similitude thou takest the sacrameÌ„t but yet thou gettest the grace and vertue of the true nature In his firste prayer at masse I O Lorde remeÌ„bringe thy passion do come vnto thyne alter all though I be a synner that I may offer to the that sacrifice which thou dydest ordayne and commaunde to be offered for our saluation in remembraunce of the. Aduersus uigilantium I reproue all opinions agaynste the churche openly condempne theÌ„ Amb. de fide ab Garcianum Away with Argumentes where fayth is sought Thomas had a greate cause to maruel when he saw Christes body brought into the house with oute hurte through the gates closed whiche coulde not be passed through with mennes bodyes Saynt Ambrose in his boke De spiritu sancto lib iii. Cap. xii It is therfore no meane question and therfore we should the more diligently consyder what is the fotestole For we reade in a nother place heauen is my throne and the earthe the fotestole of my fete But yet the earth is not to be worshipped of vs because it is a creatur of God And yet let vs se though lest the Prophete name the earth to be worshypped which our Lord Iesus toke in the takinge of fleshe So theÌ„ by the fotestole let the earth be vnderstand then by the earth the flesh of Christ which we do now worship also in the misteries and which the Apostelles as we haue before sayd worshiped in our lord Iesu for christ is not deuided but one S. Augustyne Fo. xxxviii Here begynneth the sayinge of Saynt Augustyne priore contione Psal 33. Cum fugerit Dauid Saul persecutorem iniquiens ait Christ was borne in his own haÌ„des CHrist was borne in his owne handes Howe can that be in man Who can vnderstand for who is borne in his owne handes A man may be borne in other mens handes no manne is borne in his owne handes Howe it may be vnderstande in Dauid after the letter I fynde not in Chryste we fynde Christ truely was borne in his owne handes when he geuing his bodye sayth This is my body That body verely was borne in his owne handes Contra literas Petiliani Lib. ii It is another passeouer that the Iewes do celebrate with a shepe an other that we celebrate in the bodye and bloude of our Lorde Christe in Sacramentes fewe in nombre moost excellent in signification hath bounde together a felowshyppe of newe people As baptysme is consecrate in the name of the Trinitie Ad Ianuarium Epi. 118. and the communicatynge of the bodye and bloude of hym And if anye other thynge be commended therin Scriptures canonicall it doth playnely appeare what tyme the Apostels toke fyrst the bodye and bloude of oure lorde that they dyd not take it fastynge is it therfore to accuse maliciously the vniuersall churche that it is alway receaued of the fastynge For that cause it pleased the holye gost that in the honour of so great a sacrament that the bodye of our Lorde shoulde firste enter into the Christian mouth before other meates Therfore thoroughout all the worlde this maner is obserued Let vs heare oure Lorde not speaking of the sacrament of baptysme De peccatorum merites et remissionem but of the sacrament of his holy table Except ye eate my fleshe drynke my bloude ye shall not haue lyfe in you What do we seke more What can they aunswer to this excepte with stubbornes they do bend their brawling synowes contrary to the cleare trueth Was not the Lorde ones offered in hym selfe and yet in the Sacrament not onely by al the solempnities of Easter but euery daye to the people is offered Nor he doth not lye Omni die populus immolatur which beynge demaunded dyd aunswer him to be offered For if the Sacrament had not a certaine similitude of those thynges whereof they be Sacramentes they shulde not be Sacramentes at all Therfore they be called sacramentes because one thing is seene in them another thinge vnderstanded That which is sene hath a bodelye forme Epistola ad bonifacium that whiche is vnderstande hath a spirituall frute He that taketh the mysterye of an vnitie and kepeth not the bonde of peace he taketh not the bonde of mistery for hym selfe but a wytnesse agaynst hym self I remember my sayinge when I dydde treat of Sacramentes I told you that after the words of Christ that whiche is offered is called breade but when the wordes of Christe is spoken then it is not called bread Ante consecrationeÌ„ pa. drÌ„ post consecrationem corpus appellatur but it is called the bodye Therefore in the Lordes prayer we pray Oure breade but as it is sayde in greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supersubstancial not that whiche goeth into the bodye but that of eternall lyfe which vpholdeth the substaunce of our soule Quâ—tidie Take dailye that maye dailye profite the. So lyue that
thou maiste dailye deserue to take it Dailye holy Iob dyd offer for his children sacrifice lest any thinge either in heart or worde they shold offend Therfore thou hearest that as often soeuer the sacrifyce is offered the death of the lorde the resurrection of the lord the ascention of the lord is signified remission of sinnes and the daily bread of euerlasting lyfe thou doest not take He that hathe a wounde desireth a medison it is a wounde that we be vnder synne The heauenly honorable sacrament is a medison The fyrst sacramentes which were obserued by the law Contra Faustū lib 19. ca 13 were for messyngers of Christe to come whiche when Christe dyd fullfill with his commynge were taken awaye And therefore were they taken awaye because they were fulfilled For Christ came not to breake the law but to fulfill it And there be other institucions greater in vertu better in profyte easyar to be done fewer in nombre as by the Iustice of God shewed into the libertie to them that be called the childern of God If in the olde tyme righteouse men for this foreshowinge sacramentes figures of thinges not yet fulfilled Dani 13 2 Mac 7 were redy to suffer harde horrible thinges as of the thre children whiche in Danyell is manifest and of the Machabes how moche the more now for the baptysme of Christ for the bodye or Eucharist of Christ euery Christian ought to be more redy to suffer all maner of thinges We worshyppe the fote stole of his fete for it is holy What is the fotestole of his fete The earth is the fotestole of his fete Here I am in a doubte I am afrayde to worshippe the earth lest he should condempne me that made heauen and earth Agayne I am afrayde not to worshippe the stoole of my LORDES feete because the Psalme nynetye and eyghte sayinge vnto me Thou shalte worshippe the stole of his fete I aske what is the stole of his fete Beynge thus tossed to and fro I turne me to Christ for hym I seke here and fynde how that without violence of Goddes honor the earth maye be worshypped and so withoute violation of GODDES honoure the stole of his fete may be worshypped For christ toke of the earthe earthe for the fleshe is of the earthe and he toke flesh of the flesh of Mary and because in that fleshe he walked here We eate the same flesh that was borne of the vyrgin Mary and gaue the same fleshe to be eaten of vs for our saluation no man eateth that fleshe except he fyrst haue worshipped it It is so founde oute how souche a fotestole of the Lorde maye be worshipped And not onely that we synne not in worshippinge of it but that we synne in not worshippynge of it And though it be necessary that it be visible celebrate I wolde not that ye toke my wordes so grossely as they which beleuinge me to cutte forth certayne peces of my body and to geue them in meate But I haue commended vnto you a certayne sacrament vnder these wordes my fleshe shal be geuē you vnder sacramentes that it may be eaten not accordinge to this grosnes that ye se but spiritually it must be vnderstande and spiritually vnderstanded it wyll geue life vnto you for visibly must this Sacrament be celebrate but my fleshe shal be vnder the same inuisible and inuisible there beynge present it must be vnderstand Visibiliter celebretur sed inuisibiliter intelligitur And though it be necessary it to be celebrate visible it must nedes be vnderstande inuisible Conciōe .ii. Psal 33 DAuid fled to Achimalech and before him he chaunged his countenaunce Fugit Dauid ad Achimelech eoram to mutauit multū suū 1 reg 21 and lefte hym and went his wayes for there was a sacrifice after the order of Aaron afterwarde he of his body bloud institute a Sacrifice after the order of Melchisedech He chaunged his countenaunce in the preisthod he lefte the people of the Iewes and came to the Gentyles He was borne in his owne handes when he gaue his bodye and his bloude He toke into his own handes that the faithfull knoweth and he dyd beare hym selfe after a manner when he sayde This is my body Eodē psal contione primo The Sacrifice of Aaron is take away and the Sacrifice is begonne after the order of Melchisedech Therfore hathe he chaunged his countenaunce I can not tell how ▪ who is this I can not tell who I knowe who for our Lorde Iesus Christe is knowen in bodye and bloude He woulde be oure health wherfore he hath geuē vs his body bloude of his owne humilite for except he had ben meke he wolde neither haue ben eaten nor drōken Sermo 4. Our daily bread whether we aske exhibition necessarye to the bodye of the father signifienge in bread what soeuer is necessarye to vs or we do vnderstande that daiely bread which we are wōt to receaue of the alter We aske wel that he may geue it vs. For what is that we aske or praye for but that we commyt none euell wherby we be seperate from souche breade and the worde of God that is daiely preached is breade for because that it is breade of the soule For when this lyfe shall passe away Sacramen altaris we do not seke for that breade whiche honger seketh for nor we ought not to take the sacramēt of the alter that we shal be ther with Christe whose bodye we take nor the wordes ought not to be sayde to vs whiche we say vnto you nor the boke is not to be redde that we shal se hym which is Gods worde Serm. 46 by whiche all thinges be made The Lorde Iesus hathe exhorted by promyse of eternal lyfe to eate his fleshe and drinke his bloude as it is manifest in the gospell in these wordes He that eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud Therfore they that now do eat and drink let them think what they eat what they drinke least as the Apostle saith they eate and drinke their owne iudgemente not iudginge the Lordes body They that eat not and drinke not let them make haste to suche dayntyes beinge hidden Christ doth daiely feed his table is that whiche is set in the myddes What cause is it Christus quotidis pascit Oh herears that ye see the table and cōmeth not to the daynties perauenture ye thinke Fideles norunt quo modo caro manducatur Infideles nesciunt how is the Lordes fleshe eaten and his bloude dronken with infideles it is not knowen but the faithful know Come to the profession and thou hast assoyled the question Let the faithefull lyue well that they eate not into iudgement and drinke Thinkinge vpon your degrees and kepinge your profession come to the fleshe of our Lorde vntill the worlde be ended Oure Lorde is aboue but yet for all that the truthe of the
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
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
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
fleshe Super Marc. cap. xiiii Whan Chrâ—st had blessed he brake the breade and that do we also puttinge therto prayers saynge This is my body This that I do geue and you now take For the breade is not only a figure of our Lordes bodye but it is turned into our Lordes body For he sayth the bread that I wyll geue is my fleshe He sayd not it is a figure of my flesh but it is my fleshe And howe saith he Cur earo non uidetur is not fleshe sene Oh man for oure infirmitie this is done For breade and wyne be of those thinges wherewith we be accustomed withall Them we do not abhorre but bloude and fleshe set forth we beholdynge coulde not beare but shoulde abhorre Therfore the mercifull God condescending to oure infirmitie Transelementatio doth kepe the forme or kynde of breade and wyne and into the vertu of fleshe and bloude he chaungeth them Super Iohannem Cap. vi Take that the breade that is eaten of vs in misteries is not onely a certayne figuringe of our lordes fleshe but the very flesh For it is transformed by secrete wordes That breade by a misticall blessing and comming of the holy goste Transformatio is chaunged into the body and bloud of Christ And how sayest thou the fleshe appeareth not to vs but breade that we shulde not abborre the eatinge of it For if flesh shuld haue appeared we shoulde haue ben vnsemelye mynded agaynste the communion but now our lord condescendinge to our infirmitie appeareth to vs in suche misticall meat as we haue ben accustomed to The Iewes when they harde of the eatinge of his fleshe dydde misbeleue and therfore they spake a word of infidelitie that is How For when the thoughtes of mysbeleiffe entered into the harte then entered also how Wherefore he wyllynge to shew that it is not impossible but very necessary and that lyfe can none otherwyse be had except ye eate my fleshe ¶ Leo in his .xl. Epistle LEt those phantastical Christians tell me what body Iesus brought into the sight of his disciples the gates beynge shut ¶ Anselmne Byshoppe of Canterbury almost fyue hundred yeares paste sayeth vppon these wordes This is my body It appeareth vnto the vtter senses of man to be but breade But know ye by the sences of the mynde bycause saith Christ this is my body none other but that same in substaunce which shal be geuen to death vpon the crosse and crucified for you Oure Lordes body is consecrated with the signe of the Crosse the fount of baptisme is hallowed and also preistes are made by the same signe Aug. in psal xxxiii Haymo Homil passione Christi Math. li. The breade is chaunged into our Lordes fleshe and the wyne into his bloude not by a fygure nor by a shadowe but by the veritie ¶ Damascen in his .iiii. boke of the ryght catholyke faith The .iiii. Chapter Doest thou aske of me howe breade is made Christes body and wine and water his bloud I aunswer vnto the that the holy goost worketh these things aboue mans vnderstandynge but the breade and wyne are turned The bodye is ioyned vnto the deitye whiche body is of the virgin not that the bodye taken of the virgin commyth downe frome heauen but that the breade it selfe and wyne are chaunged into the bodye and bloude of God The bread wyne water through inuocation and the coÌ„mynge of the holy goste vnto them are aboue nature chaunged into Christes bodye and bloude and they are not two bodyes but one and the same bodye The breade and wyne be not a figure onely of Christes bodye and bloude God forbyd but the bodye and Bloude of Christ Dost thou se breade dost thou se wyne do they auoyde beneth as other meates do God forbyd Thinke not so for as wax if it be put once into the fyer no substaunce remayneth nothinge is lefte so here also thinke thou that the misteryes be consumed by the substaunce of the bodye Damasen lib. iiii ca. xiiii For as moch as our Lord is the spirituall Adam it hath be semed mannes natiuite to be spirituall And also his meate natiuite is geuen to vs by water and the sprite through holy baptizme I saye and the meate breade of lyfe Our Lorde Iesus Christ whiche came doune from heauen For he was aboute to suffer for vs voluntarye deathe in the nyght whiche he offred his owne selfe He dyd dispose a new testament to his disciples and Apostelles by theÌ„ to all others beleuing in hym In the parlor of the holy and gloriouse Syon eatinge the olde passouer with his disciples fulfillinge the olde testament He washed his Disciples fete gyuinge them a token of holy baptisme Afterwarde breakinge breade he gaue to them saying Take eate this is my bodye whiche for you shal be broken in remâ—ssion of synnes In like maner takyng the cupe of wyne and water gaue to them sayeng Drynke of this all This is my bloude of the newe Testament whiche shal be shed for you in remission of synnes Do ye this â—n remembraunce of me For how often so euer ye shall eate this breade and drinke this cuppe ye shall shewe the death of our Lord and confesse his resurrection vntil he come If the worde of God be a lyuynge thinge and of efficacite And all thinges that our Lorde woulde he dyd If he sayde let the lyght be made and it was made Be the fyrmamente made and it was made If by the worde of God the heauens were made and with the sprite of his mouth euery vertue of them If heauen and earth water fyer and ayer and al the ornament of them by the worde of our lorde be made perfight man him self an expressed beast Vis uerbi dei continuo manet If god hym selfe a wylling worde be made man and of the most pure and vndefiled bloude of the holy vyrgyn and in him selfe without seed haue susteyned fleshe Can not he make breade his bodye and wyne and water his bloude Argumentum a minori He sayde in the begynninge let the earth brynge forth grene grasse and euen vntyll nowe after rayne it bringeth forth fruites beinge helped and strengthed with Goddes worde For god sayde This is my body and this is my bloude Hoc SacramentuÌ„ tuÌ„ continuo fiet denec ueniat and this do in remembraunce of me And by the almyghty precepte of God vntyll he shall come it is done for as all thinges that God dyd the holy goost workinge he dydde And so nowe by the operation of the holy gooste these he doth aboue nature whiche nothinge but onely fayth can take Howe shall this be done to me saith the holy vyrgin for I knowe not manne The Aungell aunswered The holye gooste shall come vpon the and the vertue of the highest shall ouershadowe the. And nowe asketh thou Quomodo howe is breade made the body of Christ wyne and water
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
inuisible ▪ without augmentinge when thou was the selfe same thinge Muche other wayes was thou in the procedinge of fayth nothinge is added to in the outwarde parte and all is chaūged in the inward part And yf manne beynge made the sonne of Christ and Christ beynge formed in the mynde of manne as therefore withoute corporall sence the olde wylynes put down thou haste sodenlye put on a newe dignitie And as in that that GOD hath cured in the thinges hurte He hath wasshed thynges infected he hathe wyped awaye thinges defiled They be not commytte to thyne eyes but to thy wittes And when thou goeste vp to the alter to be filled with spiritual meats behold yea with thy faith a sacramente the body and bloude of God honoure meruell towche with thy minde take it with thy hande of thy harte and most of all take a hole drawght of the inward man S. Hierom in his .iii. boke against the Pellagians sayth Christ taught his apostels that they beleuinge should be bolde to saye daylye in the sacrifice of his body the Pater noster S. Barnard in festo Martini Anno dom M.xiii The very substaunce of Christes flesh is now also present with vs no doute truelye but in the sacrament of the alter Rupert in the vi chapt of Ihon. Anno domini M.xiii This is our Lordes body which dyd hange vpon the crosse this is his bloude that was shedde out for all the worlde Hugo in annotationibus in i. corinth xi quest xcix Anno. M ccc xxxiiii It is knowen vnto the faythfull person that the substaunce of bread passeth into the bodye and wyne into the bloude As Christ saying Take this is my body dydde then chaunge by his worde that breade and wyne into his very bodye and bloude Euen so do we vndoubtedly beleue that the wordes sayde of a preist by that order and with the same intent that Christ sayd thē do chaunge the breade and wyne into Christes very bodye and his very bloude Bruno Anno dom M.C lii This thinge whiche was a lyttell before breade is now verely my bodye whiche bodye shal be geuen to death for you althoughe I nowe wyll geue to you immortall and not apte to suffer He speaketh in the person of Christ Ioannes Gerson Anno. M. cccc.xxix We must say that albeit Christe is vnderneth the kinde of bread wyne but yet the bread passeth into christes body wine into his blod Oecumenius whiche was a greke in his .x. Epist vnto the Heb. The Apostell Paule would not haue sayde thou arte a preist for euer of that oblation and host or sacrifice which is once made but he sayd it hauing a respect to the preistes which be now a daies by whome as meanes Christ maketh sacrifice and is offered in sacrifice whiche taught them also in the misticall supper the maner of such a sacrifice And further we make a memory of one and the same Christes death and we eate at al tymes one body of Christ Sedulius whiche was M.c.xix past writeth thus Beware that ye eate not the body vnworthely whiles it is christes body Gregory Emissene which was aboue M.c. yeares past The inuisible preist Christ turneth the visible creatures of bread and wine by his worde and secrete power into the substaunce of his body and blud thus saying Take and eate this is my body And farther he saith it is Christes fleshe which we do receaue in the sacramēt couered with the forme of bread his bloud which we drink vnder the kind of apearāce sauor of wyne Rabanus Lib. i. in Exodum What auayleth it to receaue with thy mouth Christes body bloud And to do againste hym with all euell maners Nicolaus de Lyra which was about vc.xxxiii yeres past These wordes that I spake sayth Christ Iohn .vi. are sprite lyfe But yet this spiritually is not so vnderstande sayth Lyre or so to be taken that Christes flesh shuld be in the sacrament of the aulter onely as a signe lyke as certayne heretikes haue sayd for it is there really But because Christes fleshe is eaten in this sacrament after a certayne spirituall manner in as muche as the visible kyndes are rent with the teeth and eaten and mannes spirite the soule is refresshed therby through the power of God knit vnto the fleshe Damasus Epistola ad Stephanum Anno dom viii c.lxx Let not any man lightly agre in backbytinge or accusyng or condempning of their brethren Christians and whiche also do make Christes bodye with their owne mouthe Athanasius Lib. de passione imaginis Christi cap. vii Anno dom ccclxxix It is not otherwyse to be iudged of euery catholyke person besides that whiche is written of vs as thoughe some thinges mighte be found in the world of Christes flesh but that whiche is dayly made vpon the aulter spirituallye by the priestes handes Felix martyr almoost a. M.ccc yeares past It was not semely that they whiche do dayly make Christes bodye with their owne proper mouthe shuld suffer so great persecution The counsell of Laterane in the whiche were assembled M.ccc.xv learned men which determined the presence of Christ to be in the sacrament of the aulter There is one vniuersall church of the faithfull without which no mā vtterly is saued in whiche the same preist him selfe Iesus Christ is the sacrifice whose body and bloude is truely contained in the sacrament of the aulter vnderneth the kyndes of bread wyne and the substaunce of breade and wyne is turned into the bodye and bloude of Christ through goddes power The determination of the hole vniuersitie of Paris in the time and raygne of kynge Frauncis Euery Christen man is bounde to beleue stedfastly that in the consecration of the Sacramente the breade and wyne are turned into the very body and bloud of Christ the kyndes and formes of the breade and wyne onely remayninge Vnderneth the which the very bodye of Christ is really or in very dede contayned which was borne of the vyrgin and hath suffered vppon the crosse ¶ The sayinges of Martyn Luther in his boke intituled the chief articles of the christian fayth Of the sacrament of the alter hold we that breade and wyne at the supper is the very body bloude of Christ And is not onelye ministred and receiued of the rightous but also of wicked christians In the same Except that they before dyd alter and falsely interpretate gods wordes and ordinaunce as the present enemies of the sacrament do whiche would in very dede haue nothinge but breade and wyne because they haue not also the wordes and ordinaunce instituted of god but haue peruerted and altered the same after their fantasy In the same For euen ther is in this Christianitie and where as she is remission of synnes that is a kingedome of grace and of right pardon For ther is the gospell baptisme and the sacrament of the Alter wherin remission of synnes is offered gyuen and receaued and euen
whether the body of a perfight man maye be vnder so litle a broken peace of breade And many such other folysh questions which behoueth with sobernesse to be entretyd of amongest suche persons as haue theyr wyttes exercysed in disputynge reasonyng vpon souche high matters But as vnto the laye people it dothe suffise that they do beleue that after the wordes of consecration be once by the minister spoken ouer the creatures of bread and wyne that ther is incontinent the very body bloud of our sauiour christ which nether can be deuided nor yet receaue any hurt nor is not mete to receue any maner of iniury whatsoeuer chauÌ„ces do become of the outward formes of bread and wyne For if the sacred body of our lorde should be throwne into the myre or into any vyle gonge or any otherwise vnto any irreuerent parsonnes thinkinge should be iniured or soylde in dede the mooste iniury that can be done vnto it is whan it is receued into the mouth of a wicked synfull parson whiche is sore soyled spotted with greuouse and odible sinne Now surely it is therfore sittinge for our christian religion to entreat and order the outwarde formes of breade and wyne of the holy sacrament with all due reuerence But as concerning the very body of our Sauiour it self lyke as God after his nature is no lesse glorious in a vyle synke than he is in heauen and canne by no malyce of man or chaunce by man or otherwyse happeninge receaue any hurt or iniurye no more can the glorified body of our sauiour Christe what iniurye soeuer be doone vnto the outewarde tokens of breade and wyne And to be breife agaynste all doubtes and seruples of mannes weake knowledge Lette vs fyrst call to oure myndes the immesurable power of God vnto whome nothinge is impossible yea vnto whoÌ„ ther is nothing but it is light to be done so it be his pleasure that it should so be whiche saide Take eate This is my bodye And in a nother place of the same Epistle he saithe At the masse tyme the Angelicall sprites do with moste humble reuerence staÌ„de a boute the Alter ther to do there worshippe and lowly reuerence he also is there present whome all the heauenly hoostes of blessed sprites do desire to behold and loke vpoÌ„ And a litle after Let all preistes therefore consider the highnes of their profession whan they do staÌ„d at the aulter they haue aungels to minister vnto them These be the wordes of the famous clerke Erasmus Rothorodame whereby all Christian people maye knowe what was his opinion in the Sacrament not disagreing from the olde fathers here before written ¶ Thomas Cramner in his Cathechisme in the .cc.xxxv. lefe of the fyrst syde CHrist sayth of the breade this is my bodye and of the cuppe this is my bloude Wherefore we ought to beleue that in the sacrament we receaue truely the bodye and bloud of Christ For God is almighty and he is able therfore to do all thinges what he wyl Wherfore when Christ taketh bread and saith Take eate this is my body we oughte not to doubte but we eate his very body And whan he taketh the cuppe and saith Take drinke this is my bloude we ought to thinke assuredly that we drinke his very blode And this we muste beleue yf we will be counted christiâ—n men And where as in this pâ—â—illous tyme certayne dysceytfull persons be founde in many places who of very frowardnes will not graunte that there is the body and bloude of Christe but deny the same for none other cause but that they can not compasse by mannes blynde reasone howe this thinge shoulde be brought to passe ye good children shall with all diligence beware of suche persons that ye suffer not youre selues to be deceaued by them For suche men surely are not true Christians neyther as yet haue they learned the firste Article of the Crede whiche teacheth that God is almyghtye whiche ye good children haue already perfectlye learned wherfore eschew suche erronious opinions and beleue the wordes of oure Lorde Iesus that you eate and drinke his verye boâ—â—e and bloude in the Sacrament aâ—thoughe mannes reason cannot comprehende howe and after what maner the same is there present Wherfore doubte not good chyldren but there is the bodye and bloude of our Lorde whiche we receaue in the lordes supper For he hath sayde so and by the power of his worde hath caused it so to be Wherefore seynge Christ sayth do this as often as ye do it in remembraunce of me it is euident thereby that Christe causeth euen at this tyme his bodye and bloude to be in the Sacrament after the maner and fasshion as it was at that tyme when he made his mauÌ„dye with his disciples For else we coulde not do it in the remembraunce of hym that is to saye to receaue his bodye and bloud euen so as he hym selfe dydde geue it to hâ—s disciples And let not the folysshe talke of vnbeleuers moue you who are wonte to aske this question How can the preiste or minister make the bodye and bloude of Christ To this I answere that the mynister dothe not this of hym selfe But Christ hym selfe dothe gyue vnto vs his fleshe and bloude as his wordes dothe euideÌ„tly declare In the .cc.xxxiiii. And this is the meanynge and playne vnderstandyng of the wordes of the Lordes supper Wherfor learne them diligently I praye you that when ye be asked what is the coÌ„munio or the Lordes supper ye maye answer it is the true bodye true bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ hymselfe to be eaten and dronken of vs Christen people vnder the forme of breaâ—e and wyne ¶ In the fyrste booke of common prayer set forth by kynge Edwarde the syxt fol. c.xvi HEre vs O mercifull father we beseche the and with thy holy sprite and worde vouchsafe to blesse and sanctifye these thy gyftes of breade and wyne that they maye be vnto vs the bodye and bloude of thy moste dearly belouyd sonne Iesus Christ And in the .cxxi. lefe And ye muste not thinke lesse to be receaued in parte then in the hoole But in euery of them the hole bodye of our sauiour Iesu Christ ¶ Of prayinge for the deade BE liberal vnto al men liuinge yet let not to do good euen vnto them that are dead Ecclesiasticus .vii. Set thy bread and wyne vpon the burieng of the iust and eate and drinke not therof with synners Tob. iiii So he gathered of euery one a certayn insomuch that he brought together two M. Dragmes of siluer whiche he sente vnto Ierusalem that there might a sacrifice be offered for the misdeede In the whiche place he dyd wel and right for he had some consideration and ponderinge of the lyfe that is alter this tyme. For if he hadde not thoughte that they whiche were slayne dyd yet lyue it had ben superfluouse and vayn to make any vowe or sacrifice for them
disciplyne And this ye confesse yourselfe that no man can be a byshoppe that be getteth chyldern after he is made a byshop For if he be takeÌ„ to haue so done he shall not be counted as a laufull husband but condemned for a veri aduoutrer S. hiero lib. i. contra Iouinianum A preist if he do mary ought to be degraded if he commyte fornication or aduoutry he ought to be cast out of the churche and be forced to penaunce amonges the laite Consilium Neocesnense We vtterly forbyde sayth S. Clement preistes deacons Subdeacons and monkes to kepe concubynes or to contract mariage He only sayth Origen may offer the continuall and euerlasting sacrifice which maketh a vow of coÌ„tinuall euerlastyng continencie Orig. against preistes mariages We do vtterly forbyd preistes deacons subdeacons and monkes to haue concubynes or marye for all suche mariages shal be found vnlaufull and the parties dryuen to do open penaunce Calixius the holy man Aboue all thynges the preist whiche is assistant at the alter of God ought to be garnished with chastitie Orig. in leuiti O Susan sayth S. Ierome for gettyng this holy purpose whych had bounde thee to chastitie forgettinge thy parentes the holy church the glory of virginitie the honor of that high dignitie the promisse of heaueÌ„ the terrible day of Iudgement thou hast catched in thyne armes corruption thou hast brought forth the fruit of coÌ„fusion and at the end a most cruâ—ll and paynefull deathe euerlastynge hiero lxxiii episto ad rusticum Finis ¶ The auctors contained in this boke Anacletus Alexander Ambrose Augustine Aucelme Athanasius Basyll Barnard Bruno Clement Chrisostome Ciprian Cirill Catho Deonyse Damason Damasus Eusebius Erasmus Felyxmartir Gregori Emissen Gerson Haymo Hyllary Hieromâ— Hugo Ignatius Ireneus Leo papa Luther Marciall Melancton Nicolaus de Lyra Origen Oecumenius Petrus Lumbardus Rupertus Rabanus Sedulius Tertullian Theophilactus The Kynges boke of common prayer The counsel of Loterane The determination of the hole Vniuersitie of Pariâ—◠¶ A table of the principal matters contayned in the boke A. Of breade is made the flesh or bodye of Christ fol. 10 11 12 21 24 25 31 46 61 63 71 73. B Bread and wyne is turned chaunged â— conuerted into the body and bloud of christ Fol. 12 13 25 43 44 61 63 66 69 71 72 73. C Of wyne and water is made the bloud that redemed the people Fol 9 24 25 63 65 66 D Bread doth appeare but it is flesh 61. E Of the royall presens of Christ in the sacrament and of his corporall eatyng fol. 72 73 74 75 76. F We eate the same fleshe that was borne of the virgin and walked here in earth Fol. 26. 27. 32. 50. 74. G Christ sitteth on the right hande of the father yet at the tyme of sacrifice he is coÌ„tayned in the handes of men and geuen vnto them fol 15 19. H Christ hath not only taken his flesh vp with him into heauen but also hath lefte it with vs here in earth Fol 19. I After consecration it is not called bread and wyne but the body and bloud of christe Fol. 21 56 79 K Christ was hole with the father when he came into the vyrgin and fylled her and hole in euery parte of the host being broken Fol. 40 L The body of Christ is both the figure the veritie Fol. 34 6 15 63 67. M How the body of Christ that honge on the crosse is receaued inuisibly and not visiblye Fol. 42. N We offer on the aulter the body bloud of Christ to optayne euerlastinge lyfe Fol 8 37 57 58 O In the sacrament of the aulter is remission of synnes fol. 25. 49 74. P There is but one sacrifice one Christ offered though it be done in neuer so many places at once Fol. 15 16 19 35 48. Q Christ was borne in his owne handes Fol 31 29 34. R If Christ had not ben meke he woulde nether haue ben eaten nor yet dronken Fol 34 41 S In the bread and wine which we do se we do honour and worship that we do not se fleshe and bloud Fol. 15 21 29 32 33 43 67 68 70. T There is as muche difference betwene the shew breades and the body of Christ as is betwene a shadow and a body Fol 47 V The preist doth not make the body and bloud of Christ but it is Christe that was crucified for vs. 7 8 19 21 44 46 47 71 72 73 X The Eucharist is the fleshe bodye and bloud of Christ Fol 0 10 13 Y Christ gaue to his disciples that that he was him selfe that was his owne bodye Fol. 15 13 18 33 3â— 46 z There be to maners of the eating of our Lorde fol 44 The holy porcion passeth not throughe the body as heretikes woulde haue it lyke other meates Fol 63 68 71 Aa At the time of sacrifice the description of sainctes is present Fol 78 80 Bb In olde tyme all that were within the church degrees did receaue Fol. 2 6. Cc In olde tyme they that were baptised receaued the body of our lorde Fol 2 6 Dd It is not lawfull to do sacrifice or masse in euery place Fol 1 4 Ee Inuocation vpon the bread and wine vsed at masse both by S Clement and also by S Ambrose Fol 5 24 27 Ff The gospell is not to be beleued but by the churche Fol 11 44 75 Gg Of almose and fastinge Fol 41 Hh Of confession penaunce and satisfaction Fol 42 87 Ii Of inuocation and praying vnto sainctes Fol â—9 Kk Of the councels and of the auctorities of the fathers of Christes church fol 76 For the dead Fol 73 Ll Of the crosse Fol 63 67 98 Mm Of ymages Fol 97 Nn Against the mariage of preistes fo 46 Oo The sacramentes are committed to iii degrees fol 3 Pp Of the fragmentes of our lordes body and place of reseruation Fol 3 4 Qq The cheifest office beloÌ„ging to a preist is to minister the Eucharist fol 6 Rr Preistes are to be honored for they haue power both to minister also to bind lose in earth so hath nether angels archangels nor potestates Fol 14. 20 ¶ Imprinted at LoÌ„don in Aldersgate strete by William Harford for Wylliam Seres Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum
that is outewardly felte Agayne dayely this oblation though Christ once offeryd be cause we synne dayely in synnes withoute whiche mortall infirmitie cannot lyue And therfore be cause we dayely do fall christ dayly misticallye for vs is offered within the Catholike church in mystery of christes body Nothinge more is done of a good prest nothinge lesse of an euell preist Nothīg more is done of a good Preists then of an euyll for he is not consecrated in the merite of the consecratour But in the worde of the creatour and in the vertue of the holy sprite For if it were in the merite of the preist it should not pertayne to Christ But now as he is which baptiseth so is he whiche by his holy sprite dothe make this creature of breade his fleshe and wyne his bloude In Glo. ord superi Cor. ca. xi Ther be two maners of eatynge of our Lorde one is sacramentall by whiche Ther be two maner of eatings of Christe do eate as well the good as the euell An other is spirituall wherby the good onely dothe eate And this is not only to eat Christ and in his sacrament to take his boodye but to dwell in Christ and haue Christ dwellinge in hym For they do eate hym spiritually whiche in the vnitie of the Churche whiche that sacrament dothe signifye doth abide For he that discordeth frome Christ nor eateth Christes flesh though he do dayly to his Iudgement take a sacrament so greate a thinge Contra. Epist fundament ca. v. I wolde not beleue the gospell except the auctorite of the churche had moued me In his .iii. boke .xxii. cha xxviii sermon agaynst Maximinum The Sacrament of the alter is a figure of Christes death and passion of the misticall body of the Churche and of his naturall bodye ther in present Augustin de uerbis diu Ser. xi That same that he also saithe Who eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym how shall we vnderstāde it Maye we vnderstande also thē of whom the Apostle spake that they did eate to them selfe drinke iudgement when they did eate the same fleshe and drinke the same bloude the fleshe it selfe the bloude it selfe Dyd not Iudas the wicked sellar and betrayer of his master when he dyd eate and drinke as Luke the Euangelist declareth the Fyrst Sacrament of the fleshe bloude of Christ made his owne handes dwell in Christ or Christ in hym Finally many that with fayned herte eate that fleshe drinke the bloude or when they haue eaten and dronken be come apostatase do they dwell in Christ or Christian in them But withoute doute ther is a certayne maner of eatinge that fleshe drinkinge that bloude after whiche maner whosoeuer eateth and drinketh dwelleth in Christ and Christ in hym Therfore not in what soeuer maner any man eateth the fleshe of christ and drinketh the bloude of christ he dwelleth in Christ and christ in hym but after a certayne maner whiche maner he saw where he sayde these wordes Ang. de bap li. v. ca. viii It was neuerthelesse the bodye of our Lorde also vnto them to whom the Apostle sayde he that eateth vnworthely eateth and drinketh iudgement to hym selfe ¶ Here foloweth the worde of Saynt Ierome vpon the .xxi. cha of Ose I Haue geuen to the Iewes the eatinge of my bodye I beinge both the meate the gest so dyd he vnderstande christes wordes Also vpon these wordes of Malachye the fyrst chap. ye offered vpon myne alter poluted breade saithe Ierome we poluted breade that is the bodye of Christ when we vnworthelye come to the alter and being foule do drinke clene bloud for when sacramentes be defiled he whose they be is defyled super Math. ca. xxvi They supping Iesus toke bread whan the figuratyue passeouer was fulfilled and he had eaten the fleshe of the lambe with his disciples he toke breade whiche dothe comfort mans harte and he went ouer to the sacrament of the trew passeouer that as in prefiguringe of hym Melchisedech the preist of the highe god did offeringe breade and wyne he dothe also represent the truthe of his owne bodye God forbyd that I speake any wronge thinge of them whiche succedyd the apostolyke degre do with their holy mouthe make the bodye of Christ Ad Litū Cap i. by whom euē we be christians If lay men be commaunded that for prayer they abstayne frome the company of theyr wyues what is to be done of the byshope or preist whiche is dailye aboute to offer cleane sacrifice for his owne synnes and the peoples Let vs rede the bokes of the kinges and we shall fynde that the preist Abimalech wolde not fyrst gyue vnto Dauid and his seruauntes of the shewbreades But that he dyd aske hym whether that his seruantes were clene frō theyr wyues not frō straungers but frō their owne wiues and but that he hard that they abstayned yesterday the daye before frome worke of wedloke he wolde not haue graunted them the breades whiche he had afore denyed So moche is betwene the shewbredes and the body of Christ as is betwene a shadowe a bodye betwyxte an ymage and the truthe betwene exemplaries of thinges to come and those thinges whiche were prefigured by the exemplaries Vpon the fyrst chapter of Tyte Preistes do offer dailye for their synnes and the peoples also pure sacrifices and the preist maketh christes bodye at masse Saynt Barnard sayth as Christ gaue his fleshe for vs so he gaue his fleshe to vs in that mistery to redeme vs in this to fede vs. ¶ Petrus Lumbardus in his .iiii. boke Chap. xii PEtrus Lumbardus sayth in his .iiii. boke and the .xii. chap. After this it is asked whether that that the preist doth maye be sayde properly a sacrifice or immolation and whether Christ be dayly immolate and offered or onely once Whervnto it may be shortly aunswered that whiche is offered and consecrated of the preist is called a sacrifice and oblation because it is a memorye and representation of the true sacrifice and holy immolation done in the aulter of the crosse And Christ was once deade on the crosse and ther was offered in hym selfe but he is dayly immolate or offered in the Sacrament because in the sacrament there is made a memorye of that is once done Whervpon saynt Augusten in his .xxiii. Epistle written vpon the .vi. chap. vnto the Romaynes sayth We are assured that Christe rysing from death dyeth not now c. yet least we shoulde forget that is once done in oure memorye euery yeare is done that is to saye as often as the Pascha is celebrate is Christ as often kylled No onely a yearely remembraunce representeth that was once done and causeth vs to be moued as though we sawe oure LORDE on the crosse Also Christe was once offered in hym selfe and yet is dayly offered in the sacramente whiche is thus to be vnderstande that in the open shewynge of his bodye
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
ther is also Christ and his sprite and God And yet Luther is condempned as an erityke because he wolde haue bread to be Ioyned with the body whiche is contrary to the catholyk churche Melancton Saynt Ambros wold neuer haue traueled sayth Melancton vnto Oecolampadius so many miracles as he doth speake of this matter to the declarynge of goddes omnipotencye and he had not thought the nature of breade to be chaunged in this mystery ¶ Erasmus Rothorodamus vnto Coradus Pellicanus in his Epist vi c.lxxvi pag. WHat maddnes were it for me yf I shoulde pronounce that there is nothinge else in the sacrament of the Alter but onely breade wyne I do acknowelege my selfe that I were worthy of death if euer eny man harde this of me either in earnest or in boorde that there is nothinge else in the blessed sacrament but onely breade and wyne or that ther is not really there present the very bodye bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christ And farther he saithe saynte Paule dothe thinke that an Angell is not to be harde if he do preathe an other gospell than the catholyke churche dothe approue and alowe â–ª yea the same churche hathe perswaded vnto me to beleue and to geue credence to the gospell by hyr instruction haue I euer learned how I ought to expouÌ„de the wordes of the gospell hitherto haue I euer worshypped in the sacrameÌ„t Christ which suffered death passion for me as all other trwe christenyd men hath done Nor yet hitherto dyd I neuer se any thing wherefor I ought to go from this mynde and stedfast opynion Nor no mans reasonynge shal be able to cary me awaye frome the holy senteÌ„ce and agrement of the fathers of Christes church For those eight wordes of Moyses in the begynnynge god made heaueÌ„ earth be of more strengthe with me theÌ„ al the argumentes reasons of Aristotle and all other philosophers True it is that the verye bodye of our Lorde and Sauiour Christ is there in the sacrament thoughe it be not to mans sences or reason perceptible But yet is that sacrament a pleage and wonderful memory of his inestimable loue towardes vs and a stedfost comfort wherby to stablysh oure hope towarde God The scripture doth make for vs. We haue these playne wordes in holy scripture This is my body whiche is geuen for you And this is my bloud which shal be shed for you Where do they fynd in holy scripture This is not my body or this is but a figure or signe and token of my bodye They shall neuer be able to bringe forth any place of the auncient doctors which shal by playne and expresse wordes contayne that there is not in the blessed Sacramente of the aulter the very body bloude of our sauiour Christ I pray you what thinge is in this matter whiche moueth you thus highly to extoll this spiritual receauing of the body bloud of our lorde in the sacrament Wolde you therby perswade vnto me that I should not holde with the corporal eatinge and drinkinge of the same body and bloude of our Lord also And wold you by that menes that I should now forsake the true doctrine whiche the catholike church hath euer still taught so manye ages together one folowinge and succedinge after another to harkeÌ„ vnto your newly inuented onelye spirituall eating and drinking of those high misteries therby vtterly secludinge the corporall eatinge and drinkinge of the same self blessed Sacrament Erasmus in his epistle to Balthasar byshop of Heldesyn pag. M. ccccc.lxxvii And suerly there is nothing more effectuall to norish in oure mother holy churche a perfight and an indissoluble concorde than that the same oure mother the Catholyke churche eatinge of one bodye and drinkinge of one bloude by one spirite is made and compacte into one bodye by whom she also receauinge life is knit vnto our lyuing head Christ And yet do we nowe se that all these great benefittes and high promocions notwithstandinge how that through the flighty craftes of oure desaytefull and stronge aduersarye Sathan it is brought to passe that the same most beneficial gifte of the sacramente of the body and bloud of our most mercyfull moste teÌ„derly louynge Sauiour geueÌ„ vnto vs to bringe all ê‘sons into vnite coÌ„cord hath ben the matter where vpoÌ„ in olde tyme so many discencions haue rysyn and of late yeares are now agayne renewed while the some ther be whiche do deny that ther is any thinge else in the blessed sacrament but onely the outwarde tokyns of the body bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Some others do knowlege christ in the sacrameÌ„t but yet vnder the substance of bread and wine And again some ther were that sayde how that through the wordes of consecration the substaunce of breade and wyne do fyrst perishe and so succedeth after the bodye and the bloude of our Sauiour Christ Some others do holde that our Sauiour by the wordes of the consecration dothe become breade and wyne by their fantastical mindes making it but a light matter that was once incarnate and dyd for our sakes become man There haue also ben some that were called Starcoraniste whiche irreuerent parsons deserued well so vile a name because they both ymagin and speake so vylye and withoute all reuerence of so highe a Sacramente The countreye of Grece also to disquiet the vnitie of the Catholyke Churche hathe sente forth amongeste vs theyr leuayners so called because they dare presume contrarye to holy Scripture to leue the vse of pure bread vnlayuened and do consecrate in breade whiche is leuayned And after he sayth woulde to GOD that such persons as haue folowed Berengarius in his maner of erryng concerning the veritie of the body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ to be in the blessed sacrament of the Alter whiche thinge he denyed so to be woulde in lyke wyse folow hym in repentynge of theyr selues as he dyd and that whiche now in our dayes be infected with the same erroure wolde so vnyte them selues vnto the catholyke Churche as he dyd whiche dyed for his offence full sore repentauÌ„t Farthermore ther hath rysen aboute this blessed sacrameÌ„t innumerable questions As how is the transubstaÌ„tiacioÌ„ brought to passe that is to saye how dothe the substaunce of breade geue place vnto the very substaunce of the bodye of our Sauioure Christ Also how the accident of breade and wyne be preserued and do remayne after theyr former substauces be gone And howe is it that these accidentes do kepe styll theyr color theyr smel their sauor and also haue power to fyll lyke other fode All whiche qualytyes the breade and wyne had in them selues afore that they were consecrate Also at what moment the body bloude of Christ doth seace to be in the sacrament Also whether that after the formes be corrupted any other fubstaunce do succede Also how that one selfe same body maye be at once in places innumerable Also
thou seest oure Lord offered and the preist staÌ„ding at the aulter with insence praing for hym selfe and for the people thou thinkest thou arte with men and not strayght way translatyd into the heuenes excludinge al sence of the fleshe oute of thy mynde thou doest with naked soul with most clere remeÌ„brance behold those thinges that be in heauenly places O myracle oh beneuolence of God in vs that Christe sytteth aboue at the righte hande of the father and yet at the time of sacrifice he is contayned in the handes of men and is geuen vnto them that desyer to taste of hym and to be enbrased with worshyppynge In his sermon of Iudas the traiter Where wilte thou that we prepare the passeouer Not that that is ours Sermons de Iude proditione but in the meane season he vnderstode the Iews passeouer And the disciples dyd prepare but this that is ours he hym selfe dyd ordayne and not only ordayne but he is it that made it Why dyd Christe eate it yea for he dyd fulfill al thinges thar were of the lawe And bycause the Iewes passed away by forgettiÌ„g the benefyttes of God he with the scelebracion of the festiuitie dyd strenketh memory vnto them of his benefittes and therfore dyd he commaunde the passeouer to be saÌ„ctified And by that also was another greatter benefyt shewed that that lambe was a figure of a lambe to come Agnus paschalis umbra Christus veritas Super Epistolam ad Hebreos Cap. 17. And that bloude shewed the coÌ„myng of the Lordes bloud That lambe was a shadow this a verite And therfore in it both the passouer of the fygure verite is celebrat Now therfore their swete breades be vnclene their festiual dayes vnlauful Quotidie offerenduÌ„ What do we do not we offer euery day we offer truly but makinge remembrance of his deathe And this sacrifice is one Vna est hostia not many For that was offered into the holy of the holynes this sacrifice is an ensample of that the very same do we offer and not now one lamb to morowe an other but alway one Therfore this sacrifice is one Vbique Deus offertur else by the reason bycause it is offered in many places ther be many Christes No Commemoratio but the Lord is euery where one and here beinge ful and ther ful one body for as he that is offered euery where is one bodye and not many bodys eueÌ„ so also is the sacrifice one He is our byshop which offered the hoost makynge vs clean and that same do we now offer Idem sacri sicium which then offered can not be consumed and that we do is done in remembraunce of hym None other sacryfyce do we but alway the same Super Math. Let all men beleue that euen now also is celebrate the supper in which Christe hym selfe dyd sit For ther is no dyfference betwene that and this For that is not made of man this of hym Therfore when thou seist the prest geue that the body thinke not that it is reached to the by the handes of the prest but by christes For as in baptisme thou art not baptised of the prest but of God So hath not God to Aungelles commytted this office But he being present byddeth and saieth let vs here therfore as wel the prestes as other How greate how meruelous a thynge is graunted to vs. Let vs here I praye you be afrayde of his flesh geuen to vs his owne fleshe offered hath he sette forth to the Iewes euery year in remembrance of his benefyttes Christus quotidie nobis proponitur God hathe set forth holy dayes to the daylye that thou shouldest not forget is he set forthe For this is a sacrament of peace Let no Iudas no Simon come to this thy table The Iewes passouer was an example but that is voyd and past but now is com vnto vs the spiritual passeouer whiche Christ hym selfe made For when they dyd eate and drinke he toke breade and brake it and sayde this is my body which shal be geuen for you They knowe what I speake which be consecrate to deuine misteris And afterward he toke the cup and sayde this is my bloud which shal be shed for you in remission of synnes And Iudas was ê‘sent Christ saying these wordes this is my bloud Say Iudas whom hast thou sold for .xxx. pense This is the same bloud of which thou madest a bargayne afore with the Pharyseys Oh mercy of Christ Dementia Iude Oh madnes of Iudas He made a bargyn to sel Christ for .xxx. pense And Christ of his clemency offered to hym the same bloude that he had sold that he myght haue had remissioÌ„ of his sinnes if he had not ben vnfaithful Remissio peccatoruÌ„ sanguine Christi For he was present at the communicacion of that Sacrifice And his fete also Christ dyd washe as of the others that he shold haue had none excuse of his malice But he being detestable thought the lyinges in waight of his mynde But now a conuenient tyme doth inuite vs to the terrible table and with a congruent watching Let no Iudas be founde ther Let no wycked person come therto nor none priked with poyson nor no dissayteful wordes be pronounced with the tonge nor that the lyinge in wayt be not hyd in the mynd but that that the will possesseth yea let the speche declare the same For now is Christ hym self redy which adornyd that table and he dothe also consecrate this whiche we now haue For it is not man which consecracion of the table being set forthe doth make the body and bloud of Christ but it is Christ whiche is crucifyed for vs. The wordes be spoken by the prestes mouth but they be consecrated by the power of God De sacrorum perttcipacione misterioruÌ„ quod communicare noleÌ„s nec oracioneÌ„ dignus est interesse to iiii fo ccxi Hom. lx Ioh. Euang. Parentes do often put their childern to other to be norsyd but I saye saithe christ do not so But with my fleshe I do norishe I put my self vnto you willyng you al to be gentelmen pretending good expectatioÌ„ of you of thinges to come Which do here geue my self to you moch more in the world to come I haue willed to be your brother I haue taken fleshe bloud for you vnto you agayn I geue that same flesh bloud by which I am made your cosyn This bloud maketh to vs a floryshing ymage of a kinge This bloud is an honor the can not be done awaye This bloude doth not suffer the gentelnes of the soule to consume euer freshinge it norishing it For of meats blod springinge in vs is not strayghtwaye made that but some other thinge But this is not so but by and by it wateryth the mynde and bringeth in a certayn grace vertue or strengthe This mistical bloud putteth away deuelles and causeth them