coÌ„municate of one bread i. Cor. xi In another place As ofteÌ„ as ye shal eate this bread ye shal shewe the Lordes death vntill he come Also whosoeuer shal eate this bread and drinke this cuppe of the Lorde vnworthilye shall be guiltie of the bodye and bloud of the Lorde Lastly Leat a maÌ„ examine himselfe and so leat him eate of that breade and drinke of that cuppe Forasmuche as these wordes and saiynges of Paule are clere and open therfore if an Aungel from heauen shall preache other doctrine accursed bee he In dede I could here haue brought in that is often and in soondrie places of Scripture mencioned of breakyng bread To breake breade a coÌ„mon phâ—ase of the Hebrues but yet because I se that suche phrase of speakyng maye be taken in another sence as it wer spoken of the vulgar and common foode of people as for example in the fiftie ninth chapitur of the prophet Esai Breake thy bread vnto the houngry and in the fowerth chapitur of the Lamentacions of Hieremie Their litel babes craued breade there was none to breake it vnto theÌ„ therfore I leaue out all suche places will allege for this purpose none but strong reasons and substanciall Forasmuche therfore as the places of Paule aboue cited are plain and euident thei ought to bee taken accordyng to the playn woordes without any ferther gloses A sophistical obieccioÌ„ or addicions But some make a sophisticall cauillacion that it is called by the name of breade because of the natures whiche are chaunged and to vse thesame phrase of speaking that suche sophisters dooe thei affirme thesame to be a denominacion a termino a quo that is froÌ„ the point that it came fro that is to saye it hath the name of breade because it was once breade and now chaunged from breade or out of breade And for confirmacion herof thei allege other lyke places out of Scripture As whan the Serpent that was made of Aarons rodde deuoured the Serpentes of Pharao his Magians or wisemen whiche thei also had made of their roddes it is sayed in the Scriptures that Aarons rodde deuoured the Serpentes of the Magiaâ—s Also man is in diuerse and many places of Scripture called yearth because that mans body was fyrst made therof Also the woman was called of Adam a bone of his bones and fleashe of his fleashe because God fourmed and shaped hir therout Aâ— auÌ„swere to the obieccioÌ„ afore goyng But these and all other lyke obieccions are made in vaine For in the holy scriptures is conteyned open and playne mencion of these conuersions so that the necessitie of the storie and of the woordes enforceth driueth vs to suche tropes that is to saye to suche phrases of speakyng and therfore we admitte and receiue them But nowe leat these felowes likewise on their part first declare and proue out of the holy scriptures suche a conuersioÌ„ or chauÌ„ge to bee made that is to wete of breade and wyne into the body and bloud of Christ and than will we grauÌ„t and yelde vnto them the abouesaid tropes also which is that it is called breade not because it is breade still but because it was breade afore And to thesame effect and purpose it is that thei ferther allege If a maÌ„ had geuen me wyne which wyne did immediately weaxe soure I hauyng in my punchâ—on or vessel thesame beyng now turned into vineagre might verai well saie This is your wine not for that it is wyne at this present but because it had been wyne to fore But there of the conuersion of wyne into vine agre the sense of tastyng dooeth iudge whiche thyng in the sacramente doeth not happen where neither any of the fiue senses nor any reason Aâ—other sophisâ—ical obieccion nor yet the holye Scripture enforceth vs to confesse or graunt any suche coÌ„uersion or chauÌ„ge to bee made They obiect also another place out of the second chapitur of S. Ihons ghospell Whan the maister of the feast had tasted the water that was now made wyne c. Wherby thei well declare proue the wyne newely made of Christ by miracle to kepe yet styl the name of water But the Euangeliste did not saye water and there leaue The auÌ„swer but he sayed water now made wyne But in al the holy scripturâ—s they shall not fynde anye suche declaracion concernyng the Sacrament that the breade is saied to be conuerted or chaunged into the body of Christe Thei take also their refuge sometimes vnto the sixth chapitur of Ihon Another obieccioÌ„ so that thei affirme the Apostle in the places aboue cited to name it breade not wheaten breade nor any other common breade but the Lordes body whiche in the sixth chapitur of Ihon is called by the name of bread where Christ saied I am the bread of life The answer But agaynst theÌ„ it maketh that Paule saieth The bread whiche we breake is it not a participacion of Christys bodye The mâ—teriall bâ—eade of the Sacrament Whiche cannot conueniently agree with Christes body that it should bee broken forasmuche as it is written a bone of hym shall ye not breake But these so fewe and high witted men althoughe thei haue fouÌ„d in the sixth chapitur of Ihon that Christe called himselfe breade yet where will thei finde I beseche you that he hath at any tyme called hymselfe wyne For in this supper the one parte of the Sacrament is called wyne although by a strauÌ„ge manier of speaking as appereth in those woordes in the gospell expressed I wyl not from hensefoorth drinke of this fruiâ—te of the vynetree c And it is a thyng out of doubt to all men lyuyng that oâ—te of the vine trees is produced brought foorth not accidentes but the substaunce of wine Morouer by this reason it should be vtterlye madâ— frustrate voyd that is with a great general agreemente spoken of the aunciente fathers which is A confirmâ—cion of the auâ—swer afore goyng that by these outwarde and materiall tokens of this Sacrament is signified and represented the misticall bodye of Christeâ— by lyke reason as breade is made of the mele of many cornes of wheat and wyne is made of the iuice of many grapes together whiche thinges in the accidentes haue no suche veritee For the accidentes of wheate or grapes doâ— not yelde bread or wine but the substaunce of them Now dooe we not a litle meruayle at suche manier of men who if at any tyme thei heare vs bryng in for oure parte any suche lyke places as for exaumple The soÌ„ne was Christ The lambe or the hoste is the passeouer Circumcision is the couenaunte with other like placâ—s by and by they crye with an open mouthe that suche manier allegories serue nothyng for this place and now thâ—imselfâ—s dooe on euery syde bring bothe tropes and allegories euen by whole heapes Another obieccioÌ„ Thei ferther allege that breade is here taken for euery
opinioÌ„ that auoucheth transubstanciacion the ninthe the tenthe and the leuenth distinctions of his fourth boke And in a briefe summe to speake it thus in effect sayeth the booke Whyle the minister thereunto deputed and ordeined pronounceth the wordes of the Lordes institucion ouer matier and stuffe due and conueniente for the purpose that is to wete ouer bread wyne so that he haue an intencioÌ„ as they terme it so to do the substaunce of breade and wyne is conuerted and chauÌ„ged into the substauÌ„ce of the body and bloud of Christ and is in suche wise chaunged that the accidentes of the substaunce aswell that it is turned into as also that it is turned out of doe still remayne without a subiâ—cte whiche accidentes neuerthelesse manye wryters haue determined to rest in the body of Christ that the breade is tuâ—ned into But in dede that supposicioÌ„ is for this reason a false supposicion because that Christes body doeth not recraue any suche accidentes Some others haue laboured to constitute and appoynte the ayer as the naturall fundamente and subiecte of the saied accidentes which thing lykewise because it can not be proued al those for the moste part that are maynteyners and defendours of this sentence dooe agree that they are but as byhangers and dooe remayne withoute a subiecte Than ferther they wyll these accidentes whiche are seen felt tasted to signifie vnto vs the very true bodye of Christe whiche they conteyne within them couered and hidden From this they procede ferther and affirme this body of Christ the lyeth hyd vnder the sayed accidentes to be a signe aswell of the verye selfe body of Christ that haÌ„ged on the crosse as also of his body misticall that is to saye of the congregation and felowshyp of the electe sorte and predestinate Wherupon the Mayâ—â—er of the sentences affirmeth some thynge here to be that is onely a signe and that same doeth he put to be the likenesses and matiers visible and some other thyng agayne that is bothe the thynge and the signe too that is to wete the body of Christ that is hidden vnder the accidentes For the sayde bodye if it bee referred to the visible lykenesses of breade and wyne is the thyng selfâ— and in case ye haue respect to his body misticall it is a signe Another thynge also there is sayeth he whiche a man can by no mâ—anes saye to be a signe but to be the thyng onely that is to weete the body misticall because it is so signifyed that it is a thing present and no more a signe of any other or ferther thing to come The rest of the wordes whiche are sette before or after in the executing of these misteries he affirmeth to bee not of anye nâ—ceâ—sitie of the Sacramente but to be onelye thankes geuynge and prayers enterlaced And yf ye demaunde of them how sâ— great a body maye possibly be conteyned in suche a litle piece of breade they aunswere that it is noâ— by the waye of quantitie nor yet as other thinges that doe fyll vp a roome or a place or as they terme it definitiâ—ely that is to saye by circumscription of place but by the waye of substaunce and sacramentally as they cal it Neither doe they take it for thinges contrarie to reason that in this Sacrament two distincte bodyes should be conteyned in one selfe place For they are constreined to take that for one of theyr posions and conclusions For emiddes the accidentes of the breade there is a thing of quaÌ„titeâ— yea and the same of quantitee corporal Agayne they thynke it nothing agaiâ—st reasoÌ„ that one self body be verely in dinerse soÌ„dry places at once And graunt they do that a man of full groweth and statuâ—e as Christe was on the crosse and as he shall come to iudge the world is in veray true dede though inuisibly conteyned not onely in a litell cake of breade but also in the very least piece therof Many thynges mothere might yet be here brought in coÌ„cernyng this sentence but thus muche I thynke to be sufficiente for our discoursyng at this time Who so requireth any ferther to knowe of this mattier maye seke it in the Maister of the sentences in the places aboue cited with his expositours innumerable Now the Argumentes that they bringe for this conuersion or transubstanciacion The Argumentes for traâ—substanciacioÌ„ are these Fyrst formost The holy scripture doth enforce it For in the sixt of Iohn the lord promised that he wold geue his flâ—she not onely for the lyfe of the worlde but also to be eaten and added these wordes thereto Except a manne eate my fleashe and drinke my bloud he shal not haue life He moreouer affirmed hymselfe to bee the bread from heauen yea and the liuely breade whiche the father hadde geuen in which place he promised in playn wordes that he wolde geue hymselfe to be eatâ—n after the lykenesse of bread and the thyng that he promised he did truely and vprightly perfourme as the Euangelistes do beare witnesse that it was done at his last supper And that the thing which is geuen to eate is the lordes body Paule doeth playnly shew whaÌ„ he saieth Whoso eateth and drinketh it vnworthilye shall be guiltie of the bodye and bloude of the Lorde And agayne He eateth and drinketh iudgemente agaynste himselfe in that he maketh not a difference of the Lordes bodye But all the strength and pith of this argumente they auouche to consist in these wordes in which it is sayd This is my body which wordes they wil iÌ„ any wyse to be cleare to haue no nede of any ferther exposicion or declaracion And to vs say they for the reuerence that we oughe to the word of God it is behouable to beleue the wordes For the Euangeliste Mathew Marke and Luke doe with a full consent agree vpon those wordes yea and the Apostle Paule also in his former Epistle to the Corinthians And onlesse it were a mattier of great weyght and importaunce and so to be taken as it souneth without any ferther or other circuÌ„staunce the Apostles wold neuer with so greate concorde haue agreed among themselues That if it were a thing lawful with tropes that is to say with figurate maners of speakynges to defeact or auoyde it than shal nothyng saye they be safe ne sure for the Heretiques but that they wyl corrupte it with counterfaicte exposicions Secondarily such proposâ—cioÌ„s as these This is my body ought so to be taken that the former part of the clause the later part doe represent specifie one selfe thyng and that the whole proposicion or clause be as in the schoole terme it is called Identica that is to saye of suche sorte that one and thesame thynge is ment and signifyed by bothe partes of it except there be some thyng founde commyng eyther before or after in the processe of it that muste driue vs to some trope or allegorie whereas in this place is founde no suche thyng
Yea and in case a maÌ„ vieu rightly as he should dooe the processe that foloweth it rather calleth vs backe to the simple and playne vnderstandynge of the wordes as they lye For thus goeth the texte forthe Whiche is deliuered for you And manifest it is that the very true and selfe body of Christe it was that was deliuered for vs. Thirdly suche thynges as by nature and kynde are distincte thynges and as the Logicians in theyr terme call it disparata that is to saye so disseuered that their natures disagree and haue some contrarietie one to the other as for example a manne a horse and a stone al suche thynges I say are of suche rate that it cannot by any meanes be truely sayd that the one is the other For it cannot in any manner of speakyng be truely sayed that a man is a stone or a stone is a man And that breade and Christes body are of this rate that is to saye are thynges of two distincte and contrarie natures no man nedeth to doubte Wherfore it shall neuer be true to saye of breade that it is Chistes body And therefore whan the lorde pronouÌ„ced these wordes This is my body it must of necessitie be that the substaunce of bread was gone Another reason also that is made is this In saying This is my body Christ did not without a due coÌ„sideracion vse this word is whiche is in graÌ„mer a verbe substantiue that is to saye it playnly signifieth being it is of the present teÌ„se that is to say it signifieth yâ— tyme that is no we presente For els he might euen aswell haue sayed This signifyeth or betokeneth my body or this reprâ—seÌ„teth my body or this is a figure of my body or this is a signe and tokeÌ„ of my body or he might haue sayed This breade is my body c. all whiche maniers and phrases of speakynge forasmuche as he did eschewe the saying is to be playnlye taken as he pronounced it withoute any ferther addiâ—ion circumstaunce or menyng Furthermore if the substauÌ„ce of bread saye they shoulde remayne still than shoulde two soondrie substaunces yea the same corporal substaunces of quaÌ„titie be together in one thyng shold enterchauÌ„geably entâ—r and pâ—rce the one through the othâ—r whiche inconuenience is taken awaye by puttynge and aduouching of transubstanciacion Agayn There should be no small peryll towarde lâ—ast the people should fall into ydolatrie For wheras the body of Christ is to be adoured and worshipped in case ther should any bread there remayne thaÌ„ shold the breade also be adoured and wurshipped which to do wâ—re ydolatrie Agayne It semeth to be a thynge not well standyng with the dignitie of Christes bodye that it shoulde in this wyse be coupled or mengled either with bread or with wyne They also take an argument out of the forme the nature and the ordre of doing sacrifice For if the body of Christe be offred vp by the mynister it is necessary that he haue it there and that he there presente it vnto the sight of God excepte we will saye that he offereth no more but a thyng onely signifyed and betokened or a thing represented vnder a shadowe After all this they roare with an open mouthe that auncient fathers are altogether on theyr syde the fathers are cited for transubstanciacioÌ„ And afore al others they cite Irenaeus Irâ—neus who in his .v. booke sayeth thus Whan the cup beyng mingled and the bread beeyng broken dooeth receiue of the woord of God there is made the Sacramente of Christes bloud and body And afore in his fourth boke he sayed in a manier the selfe same thing Tertullianus Tertullia also sayeth in the fowerth booke that Christe of the breade taken into his handes and distributed vnto his disciples made his owne bodye And Origines Origines vpon Matthew in the twenty sixt chapitur saieth This bread which God the soonne confesseth to bee his owne body c. Cyprian in his Sermon of the Lordes supper Cyprianus saieth This common bread beeyng chaâ—nged into fleashe bloud procureth lyfe And eftsons in the same Sermon This breade whiche the Lorde gaue vnto his disciples beeyng not in fourme and similitude but in nature chauÌ„ged by the almightifulnesse of the worâ—e became fleashe Ambrose in his fowerth booke of the sacramentes Ambrosius Breade it is before the wordes of Consecracion but as soone as consecracion is come to it it is of breade made the fleashe of Christe And many thynges mo of lyke sorte he hath in his litell traictises of the Sacramentes Chrisostomus also in the sixtienth Homelie of the Sacramente of Eucharistie Chrisostomus whiche Homelie is to be found in the sixth tome of his weorkes as thei bee nowe sette foorth affâ—rmâ—th this Sacrament to beelyke vnto a piece of waxe put into the fyer where no part of the substaunce of waxe remaineth but is all together made lyke to the nature of fyer And euen so â—aieth he by this substaunce of Christes bodye the breade and the wyne is coÌ„sumed clene awaye Augustine also in the prologue of the twentye .iii. Psalme saieth Augustine that Christe bore and held vp hymselfe in his owâ—e handes whan he did at his last supper institute and ordein this Sacrament And in the .xc. and eight Psalme expouninge the wordes worship ye the stooâ—e of his feete he auoucheth that the â—eash of Christe is to be worshipped in the Sacramente Whiche wer not a thyng of ceÌ„gruence if thâ—re wer bread still remainyng in the Sacramente Also in the third booke of the Trâ—niâ—ie he affirmeth that there can not any Sacrament bee made but by vertue of the spirite weorkyng together with the woorde Hilarius also in hâ—s sixth boke of the Trinitie â—ilarius affirmeth Christ to bee in vs after the veritie of nature and not onely through the agrâ—eablenesse of will and aduoucheth vs at the Lordes bourd truely and veraily to â—â—ceyue the woorde beeyng become fâ—â—ashe Leo Bishoppe of Rome in his twoo twentieth Epistle to the Clergie and people of Constantinople wryâ—eth in this manier Leo. Râ—ceyuyng sayeth he the vertue and strength of heauenly meate leat vs passe and bee turned into the fleash of hym who became our fleash Thei aduouche furthermore that Damascenus is ful and whole on their syde Theophilactus also is brought in of them Throphilactus who dooeth in moste plain termes make mencion of transubstanciacion Now as for Aâ—selmus and hugo de Sancto Victore who haue been wryters of a later tyme there is no doubte but that thei bothe are aduouchers of transubstanciation wherefore thei allege aswel the auncient fathers as the newe to make all on their syde Thei cite ferthermore general councels The councel Ephesine that is to wete the councell that was holden at Ephesus againste the Heretique Nestorius where Cyrellus Cirillus an auncient father of the churche was present and chiefe president of
will excuse the matier saiyng that they dooe it because we should not cleue to muche vnto the outward or material signes it is to bee aunswered that thys sore maie bee easely remedied by a doctrine whereby men maye bee instructed that Christe is ioygned wyth vs by a moste excelent coniunction or knotte whan we dooe communicate in that that he abideth in vs and we in him Secoundly in that that he is ioygned wyth vs by the wordes Christe is ioygned vnto vs by three thynges and that by the waye of signifiyng or betokenyng Thyrdly he is ioygned vnto vs by the material signes and that also by the waye of signifiyng whyche not wythstanding is lesse then that whyche belongeth to the woordes Yea and the material signes take theyr signifiyng or betokenyng of the former coÌ„ioynyng and couplyng whiche coÌ„meth of the wordes If these thynges bee diligently duely and ordrely taught there shall bee no daungier in the matier I graunte that the writers of this opinion haue somtime treated and made mencion of thys sacramental chauÌ„ge but yet veray seldome Morouer they haue not allwaies aydded theruÌ„to that efficacye whiche is due vnto it Of the efficacie of the sacrament For these thynges are not made vulgare or comon signes but suche signes as maye myghtily strongly stiere vp that mynde They wyl saie theÌ„ shal ye attribute to muche vnto the elementes material thynges of this world WheruÌ„to we aunswer that these thynges are not attributed vnto theym for theÌ„ selfes but for the lordes institutioÌ„ ordinaunce for the power of the holy ghoste for the clerenes plainnesse of the wordes If they demauÌ„de where I finde that the holy ghoste weorketh in thys matier The holy ghoste weorketh at the receiuing of the communion the aunswer there to is easie For we haue alreadie putte coÌ„cluded that thys eatyng is spirituall And how caÌ„ we eate spiritualli wythout the holy ghoste As touching the institucioÌ„ of the lorde there is no doubte to bee made of the efficacie of the worde the scriptures speake in dyuers places Paule sayeth that the gospel is the power of god vnto saluacioÌ„ that is to wete because god doeth by the instrumeÌ„te of the ghospel declare hys power And what other thyng is the sacrameÌ„te of Eucharistia but the ghospel or the woord visible Paule sayeth also that fayth coÌ„meth by hearyng the hearyng by the worde of God not that the worde maketh vs beleue for it is the holy ghoste through whoÌ„ we dooe beleue but he vseth the instrumeÌ„te of the wordes also of the sacrameÌ„tes whiche are the wordes of God suche as maye bee coÌ„prehended with our outwarde bodyly senses Who knoweth not also that by the worde of God the creatures are sanctified as it is in the epistle to Timothe whyche also must bee ryghthely takeÌ„ For the holy ghoste is he that saÌ„ctifieth in dede neuerthelesse he dooeth it by the instrumeÌ„te bothe of the wordes of the sacramentes Therefore thys mutatioÌ„ or chauÌ„ge maye not bee takeÌ„ awaye froÌ„ the breade the wyne by the whyche they are made signes of the bodye bloud of Christe effectual myghty in operatioÌ„ that is to saye suche as by theym the spirite of the lorde woorketh in vs myghtely not after the coÌ„mon sorte if â—o bee that we on our parte bee endewed wyth feyth and godlynesse For we dooe not here establyshe an efficacie whyche tyeth our saluacioÌ„ to the thynges of thys worlde Neither leat any man here obiecte saye Seing thys receiuing of the coÌ„munioÌ„ is dooen by feyth what shal they bee the better that do coÌ„municate seeying that in case they bee feythful they haue Christ alreadie ioygned vnto theym For suche persones maie easily bee auÌ„swered Christe is in dede alreadie ioygned vnto vs but he is daily by receiuing the coÌ„munioÌ„ more nerer nerer ioygned vnto vs whan we dooe coÌ„municate he is more more vnited made one with vs. Besides thys in receiuing of it we doe fulfil the coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t of the lorde who coÌ„mauÌ„ded that we should eate drinke thys sacrameÌ„t Ye myght els saye eueÌ„ the lyke of baptisme too For whaÌ„soeuer any man dooeth beleue he is iustified wtout delaye hath forgeuenesse of his sinnes yet notwtstaÌ„dyng he is not Baptised in vayne If ye demaunde again whether thys efficacye of the sacrameÌ„te of Eucharistia Whether the efficacie of Eucharistia doe exteÌ„de equally indifferently to all men doeth extende equally indiffereÌ„tely vnto al men I aunswer no. But it is accordyng to the rate porcioÌ„ of feithe in the parties that dooe coÌ„municate as Origen sayed vpon the fifteenth chapitur of Mathewe It is not the substaunce of thys sacrameÌ„te that dooeth profite sayeth he but it is that whiche is by the worde by prayer that heireth our myndes accordyng to the quaÌ„titee and porcion of our feith There is yet another thyng that I would haue theim to beate in to the mindes of the people which is that through the coÌ„munioÌ„ we are incorporated as ye would saye enbodied vnto Christe whiche worde of enbodyeng is no straunge nor no newe deuised worde in scripture For in Paule to the Ephesians it is saydâ— that the Gentiles are made felowe heyres and concorporall wyth Christe and the greke woorde therof is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For although we putte that the vnderstanding and takyng of Christes bodye is dooen by feyth yet notwythstanding at thys conceiuing and takyng there foloweth effectually a true coniunction I saye betwene vs and Christe and not a feigned or ymaginatiue coniunction whiche first perteyneth to the solle and then redoundeth vnto the bodye We are incorporated vnto Christe whaÌ„ we dooe coÌ„municate And the same coÌ„iunctioÌ„ and incorporacion of vs wyth Christe is commended vnto vs in the holy scriptures of Paule vnder a comparison of the head and the bodye whan he calleth vs meÌ„bres of one bodye vnder Christe whiche is the head and vndre a comparison of the state and condicion of wedlocke wherin twoo are made one fleashe Whyche thyng to expresse Cyrillus brought forth a like exaumple of molten wax whyche beeyng myxte wyth other waxe becoÌ„meth of two substauÌ„ces one substaunce Euen so is it Cyrillus mynde that Christe is ioygned vnto vs. And to this purpose dooe the woordes of Paule to the Ephesians make verai greatly Where it is saied that we are of his fleshe and of his bones Whether Christ be of our fleshe or we of hys fleashe Which woordes at the first sight whan a man looketh on theim seme to haue another menyng and seme that thei ought to haue ben spoken another waie that is to wete that the sonne of God is of our flesh and of our bones because he toke fleashe of our kynde But Paule vnderstode not bare and coÌ„mon fleashe but suche fleashe as wer clene from synne fleashe apte to receiue the resurrectioÌ„ and immortalitee Whyche kynde of fleashe the