hensforth of this fruite of the vine vntil that day when I shal drink it new w t you in my fathers kyngdom This thyng is rehersed also of saynt Marke in these woordes As they dyd eate Iesus toke bread and when he had blessed he brake it and gaue it to theim and sayd Take eate this is my body And takyng the cuppe when he had geuen thankes he gaue it to them and they all dranke of it And he sayd to them This is my bloud of the newe testament which is shed for many Uerily I saie vnto you I will drynke no more of the fruite of the vine vntyl that daie that I drinke it newe in the kyngdome of God The Euangelist S. Luke vttereth this matter on this wyse When the howre was come he sat down and the .xii. apostles with hym And he sayd vnto them I haue greatly desired to eate this pascha with you before I suffre For I saie vnto you Hensforth I wil not eat of it any more vntyll it be fulfylled in the kyngdome of god And he toke the cup and gaue thankes and sayd Take this and diuide it amōg you For I say vnto you I wil not drink of the frute of the vine vntill the kyngdom of God com And he toke bread and when he had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vnto them sayeng This is my body whiche is geuen for you This dooe in remembrance of me Likewise also whā he had supped he toke the cup saiyng This cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud whiche is shedde for you Hytherto you haue heard all that the Euangelistes declare that Christ spake or did at his last supper concernyng the institucion of the Cōmunion and sacrament of his body bloud Nowe you shall heare what sainct Paule sayth cōcernyng the same in the tenth chapiter of the first to the Corinthians where he writeth thus Is not the cup of blessynge whyche we blesse a comunion of the bloude of Christe Is not the bread whiche we breake a communyon of the bodye of Christ We beyng many ar one bread and one body For we all ar partakers of one bread and of one cuppe And in the eleuenth he speaketh on this maner That whiche I deliuered vnto you I receaued of the Lorde For the lord Iesus the same nyght in the which he was betraied toke breade and whan he had geuen thankes he brake it and sayde Take eate this is my bodye whiche is broken for you Doo this in remembrance of me Likewise also he toke the cup whan supper was doone saiyng This cuppe is the newe testament in my bloude Doo this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me For as often as you shal eat this bread and drinke this cuppe shew forthe the Lordes death tyll he come Wherfore who so euer shall eate of this breade or drynke of this cuppe vnworthily shall be gyltie of the body and bloude of the Lord. But let a man examine him self and so eate of the bread and drynke of the cuppe For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drynketh his owne damnation bycause he maketh no difference of the Lordes body For this cause manny are weake and sycke among you and many do sleape By these wordes of Christ rehersed of the Euangelistes and by the doctrine also of saynte Paule whiche he confesseth that he receaued of Christe two thynges specially are to be noted Fyrst that our sauiour Christ called the materiall bread whiche he brake his body and the wyne whyche was the fruite of the vyne his bloud And yet he spake not this to the intente that men shulde thynke that materiall bread is his very body or that his very body is materiall bread neither that wyne made of grapes is his very bloud or that his very bloud is wyne made of grapes but to signifie vnto vs as S. Paule saith that the cuppe is a communion of Christes bloud that was shedde for vs and the bread is a cōmunion of his fleshe that was crucified for vs. So that although in the truth of his humane nature Christe be in heauen and sitteth on the ryghte hande of God the father yet who so euer eateth of that bread in the supper of the Lorde accordynge to Christes institution and ordinaunce is assured by Christes owne promyse and testament that he is a membre of his body and receyueth the benefittes of his passion whych he suffered for vs vpon the Crosse. And lykewise he that drynketh of that holly cuppe in that supper of the Lorde accordynge to Christes institution is certified by Christes legacie and testament that he is mad partaker of the bloude of Christe whyche was shed for vs. And this ment saynte Paule when he saith Is not the cuppe of blessyng which we blesse a communion of the bloude of Christe Is not the breade whiche we breake a communion of the body of Christe So that no man can contemne or lyghtly esteme this holy communion excepte he contemne also Christes body and bloud and passe not whether he haue any felowshyp wyth hym or no. And of those men saynte Paule saieth that they eate and drynke their owne damnation bycause they esteme not the body of Christe The seconde thyng whiche may bee lerned of the forsayd wordes of Christe and saynt Paule is this that although none eateth the body of Christ and drynketh his bloud but they haue eternall lyfe as apereth by the wordes before recited of S. Iohn yet both the good and the bad do eate and drynk the bread and wyne whiche be the Sacramentes of the same But beside the Scaramentes the good eateth euerlastyng lyfe the euyll euerlastyng death Therefore S. Paule saith Whosoeuer shall eate of this breade and drynketh of the cuppe of the Lorde vnworthyly he shall be giltie of the body and bloudde of the Lorde Here sainte Paule saith not that he that eateth the bread and drinketh the cup of the Lorde vnworthyly eateth and drynketh the body and bloud of the Lorde but is giltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. But what he eateth and drinketh S. Paule declareth saiynge He that eateth and drynketh vnwoorthyly eateth and drynketh his owne damnation Thus is declared the summe of all that scripture speaketh of the eatyng and drynkynge bothe of the body and bloud of Christ and also of the sacrament of the same AND as these thynges be most certainly true because they be spoken by Christe hym selfe the author of all truth and by his holy apostle S. Paule as he receaued them of Christ so all doctrines contrary to the same be moste certainly false and vntrue and of all christian men to bee eschued bycause they be contrary to gods word And al doctrine concernyng this matter that is more than this whiche is not grounded vpon Goddes word is of no necessitee neither ought the peoples heades to be busied or theyr consciences
shall liue for they may dye for age sickenes or other chaunces But in this meat and drynke of the body and bloud of our Lord it is otherwise For both thei that eate and drynke them not haue not euerlastyng life And contrary wyse whosoeuer eate and drynke them haue euerlastyng life Note and ponder well these wordes of sainct Augustyne that the bread and wyne and other meates and drynkes whiche norishe the body a man may eate neuerthelesse dye but the very body and bloud of Christ no mā eateth but that hath euerlastyng life So that wicked men can not eate nor drynke them for then they must nedes haue by them euerlastyng life And in thesame place sainct Augustyne sayth further The sacrament of the vnite of Christes body and bloud is taken in the Lordes table of some men to life of some men to death but the thyng it selfe wherof it is a sacrament is taken of all men to life and of no man to death And moreouer he sayth This is to eate that meate and drynke that drynke to dwell in Christ to haue Christ dwellyng in him And for that cause he that dwelleth in him And for that cause he that dwelleth not in Christe and in whom Christe dwelleth not without doubt he eateth not spiritually his fleshe nor drynketh his bloud although carnally and visibly with his teethe he byte the sacrament of his body and bloud Thus wryteth sainct Augustyne in the xxvi Homelie of sainct Ihon. And in the next homelie folowyng he sayth thus This day our sermon is of the body of the Lorde whiche he sayd he would geue to eate for eternal life And he declared the maner of his gift distribution howe he would geue his fleshe to eate saiyng He that eateth my fleshe drynketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him This therefore is a token or knowlege that a man hath eaten and dronken that is to say if he dwell in Christe and haue Christe dwellyng in him If he cleaue so to Christe that he is not seuered from him This therfore Christe taught admonished by these misticall or figuratiue Wordes that we should be in his body vnder him our head among his membres eatyng his fleshe not forsakyng his vnitee And in his boke De doctrina Christiana sainct Augustyne sayth as before is at length declared that to eate Christes flesh and to drynk his blud is a figuratiue speache signifiyng the participation of his passion the delectable remembrance to our benefite and profite that his fleshe was crucified and wounded for vs. And in another sermō also De verbis Apostoli he expoundeth what is the eatyng of Christes body the drinkyng of his bloud saiyng The eatyng is to be refreshed and the drinkyng what is it but to liue Eate life drinke life And that shall be when that whiche is taken visibly in the sacrament is in very deede eaten spiritually and drunken spiritually By all these sentences of S. Augustyne it is euident manifest that all men good and euil may with their mouthes visibly sensibly eate the sacrament of Christes body bloud but the very body and bloud them selues bee not eaten but spiritually that of the spirituall membres of Christ whiche dwell in Christ haue Christ dwellyng in them by whom they be refreshed haue euerlastyng life And therefore sayth sainct Augustyne that when thother Apostles did eate bread that was the Lorde yet Iudas did eate but the bread of the Lorde and not the bread that was the Lorde So that the other Apostles with the sacramentall bread did eate also Christ him selfe whō Iudas did not eate And a great numbre of places moe hath sainct Augustyne for this purpose whiche for eschewyng of tediousnes I let passe for this tyme wyll speake some thyng of sainct Cyrill Cyrill vpon sainct Ihon is Gospell sayth that those whiche eate Manna dyed because thei receyued thereby no strength to liue euer for it gaue no life but only put away bodely hunger but they that receyue the bread of lyfe shalbe made immortal and shall eschewe all the euils that partayne to death liuyng with Christ for euer And in another place he sayth Forasmuche as the fleshe of them to Christe doth naturally geue life therefore it maketh lyfe that bee partakers of it For it putteth death awaye from them and vtterly dryueth destruction out of them And he concludeth the matter shortly in another place in fewe woordes saiyng that when wee eate the fleshe of our sauiour then haue wee life in vs. For if thynges that were corrupt were restored by onely touchyng of his clothes howe can it bee that wee shall not liue that eate his fleshe And further he sayth that as two waxes that be molten together do rūne euery part into other so he that receyueth Christes fleshe and bloud must needes be ioyned so with him that Christ must be in him and he in Christ. Here sainct Cyrill declareth the dignitee of Christes fleshe beyng inseperately annexed vnto his diuinitee saiyng that it is of suche force and power that it geueth euerlastyng life And whatsoeuer occasion of death it fyndeth or let of eternal life it putteth out and dryueth cleane away all the same frō them that eate that meate and receiue that medicine Other medicines or plaisters somtyme heale and somtyme heal not but this medicine is of that effect and strength that it eateth awaye all rotten and deade fleshe and perfectely healeth all woundes and sores that it is laide vnto This is the dignitie and excellencie of Christes fleshe and bloode ioyned to his diuinitie of the whyche dignytie Christes aduersaries the Papistes depriue and robbe him when they affirme that suche men do eate his fleshe receiue this plaister as remaine styll sicke and sore and be not holpen thereby And now for corroboration of Cyrils saying I would thus reason with the Papistes and demaunde of them When an vnrepentant synner receiueth the sacrament whether he haue Christes body within him or no If they saye no than haue I my purpose that euel men although they receaue the sacramente of Christes body yet receiue they not his verye body Yf they saye yea Then I wolde aske them further Whether they haue Christs spirit with in them or no If they say nay then do they separate Christs body from his spirite and his humanitye frome his diuinite and be condemned by the scripture as very Antichristes that diuide Christe And yf they say yea that a wicked man hathe Christes spirit in him then the scripture also cōdemneth them saying that as he which hath no spirite of Christes is none of his so he that hathe Christe in him lyueth because he is iustified And yf his spirite that raised Iesus from death dwell in you he that raised Christe from death shall gyue lyfe to your mortall bodyes for his spirits sake whiche dwelleth in you Thus on
euery side the scripture condemneth the aduersaries of goddes worde And this wickednes of the Papistes is to bee wondred at that thei affirme Christs flesh blud soule holy spirite and his deite to be a man that is subiect to sin and a limme of the diuell They be wonderfull iuglers and coniurers that with certayne woordes can make god and the dyuell to dwel togither in one man and make him both the temple of god and the temple of the diuell It apeareth that they be so blinde that they can not see y ◠light frō darknes Beliall from Christ nor the table of y ◠lord from the table of diuels Thus is confuted this third intollerable errour and heresye of the Papistes That they which be the lymmes of the diuell do eate the very bodye of Christ and drinke his bludde manifestly and directly contrary to the wordes of Christ himself who saith Who so euer eateth my flesh and drinketh my bludde hath euerlasting life But leaste they shuld seeme to haue nothinge to say for themselues they alleag S. Paule in the eleuenth to the Corinth where he saith Hee that eateth and drinketh vnwortheli eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not discerninge the lordes bodye But S. Paule in that place speaketh of the eatinge of the breade and drinkinge of the wine and not of the corporall eating of Christes flesh blud as it is manifest to euery man that wyll read the text For these be the words of S. Paul Let a mā examine himselfe and so eat of the bread and drynk of the cuppe for he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not discerninge the Lordes bodye In these wordes S. Paules mynde is that for asmuche as the breade and wyne in the Lordes supper do represent vnto vs the very bodye and blud of our sauiour Christe by his owne institution and ordinance therfore although he sit in heauē at his fathers right hand yet shuld we come to this mysticall bread wine with faithe reuerence purite and feare as we wold do if we should come to see and receaue Christe himselfe sensibly present For vnto the faithfull Christ is at his owne holy table present with his mightye spirite and grace and is of them more frutefully receaued than if corporally they shulde receaue him bodely present And therefore they that shal worthely come to this goddes bord muste after due triall of themselues considre first who ordained this table also what meate and drinke they shall haue that come therto and how thei ought to behaue themselues therat He that prepared the table is Christ himselfe The meat drynke wherwith he feedeth theim that come thereto as they ought to do is his owne body ▪ flesh blud They that come therto muste occupy their myndes in considering howe his bodye was broken for them and his blud shed for their redemptiō and so ought they to approache to this heauenly table with all humblenes of hart and godlynes of minde as to the table wherin Christe himselfe is gyuen And they that come otherwise to thys holy table thei come vnworthely and do not eat drinke Christes flesh blud but eat and drink their owne damnacion bicause thei do not duely considre Christes very fleshe and blud which be offered ther spiritually to be eaten and drunken but dispising Christs most holy supper do come therto as it were to other meates and drinkes without regard of the lordes body which is the spirituall meat of that table But here maye not be passed ouer the answere vnto certain places of auncient Authors which at the firste shew seeme to make for the Papists purpose that euel men do eate and drink the very fleshe and bludde of Christe But if those places be truely and throughely waied it shall appeare that not one of theym maketh for theyr errour that euel men do eat Christes very body The first place is of S. Augustin contra Cresconium grāmaticum wher he saith that although Christ himselfe say He that eateth not my fleshe and drinketh not my bludde shall not haue lyfe in him yet doth not his apostels teache that the same is pernicious to theim whiche vse it not well for hee saith Whosoeuer eateth the bread and drinketh the cuppe of the Lorde vnworthely shalbe gylty of the body and bloud of the Lorde In whiche wordes S. Augustyne seemeth to conclude that aswell the euil as the good do eat the body and bloud of Christ although the euil haue no benefite but hurt therby But consider the place of S. Augustyne diligently and then it shall euidently appeare that he ment nat of the eatyng of Christes body but of the sacrament therof For the intent of sainct Augustyne there is to proue that good thinges auaile not to suche persons as do euil vse them and that many thynges whiche of them selues be good and be good to some yet to other some they bee not good As that light is good for whole eyes and hurteth soore eyes that meate whiche is good for some is euil for other some One medicine healeth some and maketh other sicke One harnes doth arme one and combreth another one coate is mete for one to straight for another And after other examples at the last S. Augustyne sheweth the same to bee true in the sacramentes both of Baptisme and of the Lordes body whiche he sayth do profite onely them that receiue the same worthely And the wordes of sainct Paule which sainct Augustyne citeth do speake of the sacramental bread and cuppe not of the body and bloud And yet sainct Augustyne calleth the bread and the cuppe the fleshe and bloud not that they be so in dede but that they so signifie As he sayth in another place contra Maximinum In sacramētes sayth he is to be considered not what they be but what they shewe For they be signes of other thynges beyng one thyng and signifiyng another Therfore as in baptisme those that come faynedly and those that come vnfaynedly both bee washed with the sacramental water but both be not washed with the holy ghost clothed with Christ so in the Lordes supper bothe eate and drynke the sacramental bread wyne but bothe eate not Christ himselfe and bee fedde with his fleshe and bloud but those only which worthely receiue the sacrament And this answere wyll serue to another place of sainct Augustyne against the Donatistes where he sayth that Iudas receiued the body and bloud of the Lorde For as S. Augustyne in that place speaketh of the sacrament of Baptisme so doth he speake of the sacrament of the body and bloud whiche neuerthelesse he calleth the body and bloud because they signifie and represent vnto vs the very body fleshe and bloud And as before is at length declared a figure hath the name of the thyng that is signifyed thereby As a mannes ymage is called a man a Lyons image a
offered vnto him but now that we be spiritual we must offre spiritual oblatiōs in the place of calues sheepe goates and doues We must kyll diuelish pryde furious angre insatiable couetousnes filthy lucre stinking lechery deadly hatred malice foxy wilines woluish rauening deuouring and al other vnreasonable lustes and desires of the fleshe And as many as belonge to Christe muste crucifie kyll these for Christs sake as Christ crucified himselfe for their sakes These be the sacrifices of chrystian men these hostes oblations be acceptable to Christ. And as Christ offered himselfe for vs so is it our duties after this sorte to offre our selues to hym againe And so shal we not haue the name of christian men in vaine but as we pretend to belong to Christe in woorde and profession so shall wee in deede be his in lyfe and inward affection So that within without we shalbe altogither his cleane from al hyporisie or dissimulacion And if we refuse to offre our selues after this wise vnto hym by crucifiyng our own willes cōmittyng vs wholy to the wyl of god we be moste vnkind people superstitious hypocrites or rather vnreasonable beastes worthy to be excluded vtterly from all the benefites of Christes oblation And if wee putte the oblation of the prieste in the steede of the oblation of Christe refusing to receaue the sacrament of his body and bludde our selues as hee ordained and trustinge to haue remission of our sinnes by the sacrifice of the prieste in the Masse and thereby also to obtayne release of the paines in Purgatorye wee doo not onlye iniurye to Christe but also committe moste detestable ydolatry For these bee but false doctrines without shame deuised and fayned by wicked Popishe priestes Idolatres Monkes and Friers whiche for lucre haue altered and corrupted the moste holye supper of the Lorde and tourned yt into manifeste Idolatrye Wherefore all godly men ought with all their harte to refuse and abhorre all suche blasphemy againste the sonne of God And forasmuche as in suche Masses is manifeste wyckednes and Idolatrye wherein the prieste alone maketh oblation satisfactorye and applieth the same for the quicke and the dead at hys wyll and pleasure all suche popishe Masses are to bee clearlye taken awaye oute of chrystiane Churches and the trewe vse of the Lordes supper is to be restored again wherin godlye people assembled togither maye receaue the sacrament euery man for himself to declare that he remembreth what benefite he hathe receaued by the deathe of CHRIST and to testifye that he is a membre of Christes body fed with hys fleshe and drinkynge hys bludde spiritually CHRIST dyd not ordayne his sacramentes to this vse that one should receiue them for another or the priest for all the laye people but he ordayned them for this intent that euery man should receiue them for him selfe to ratify confirme and stablishe his owne faith and euerlastyng saluacion Therefore as one man may not be baptized for another and if he be it auayleth nothyng so ought not one to receiue the holy Communion for another For if a man be drye or hungry he is neuer awhit eased if another man drynke or eate for him or if a man bee all befyled it healpeth him nothyng another man to be washed for him So auayleth it nothyng to a man if another man bee baptized for him or bee refreshed for him with the meate and drynke at the Lordes table And therfore sayd sainct Peter Let euery man bee baptized in the name of Iesu Christe And our sauiour Christe sayd to the multitude Take and eate And further he sayd Drynke you all of this Whosoeuer therfore wyll be spiritually regenerated in Christe he must bee baptized him selfe And he that wyll lyue him selfe by Christe must by him selfe eate Christes fleshe and drynke his bloud And briefely to conclude he that thynketh to come to the kyngdome of Christe himselfe must also come to his sacramentes him selfe and kepe his cōmaundementes himselfe do all thynges that partaine to a christen man and to his vocation himselfe least if he referre these thynges to another man to do them for him the other may with as good right clayme the kingdom of heauen for him Therfore Christ made no suche difference betwene the priest and the lay man that the priest should make oblacion and sacrifice of Christ for the lay man and eate the Lordes supper frō him al alone and distribute apply it as him liketh Christ made no suche difference but the diffrēce that is betwene the priest and the lay mā in this matter is onely in the ministration that the priest as a common minister of the church doth minister and distribute the Lordes supper vnto other and other receiue it at his handes But the very supper it selfe was by Christ instituted and geuen to the whole church not to be offered and eaten of the priest for other men but by him to be deliuered to all that would duely aske it As in a princes house the officers ministers prepare the table and yet other aswell as they eate the meate and drynke the drynke so do the priestes and ministers prepare the Lordes supper reade the Gospell and reherse Christes woordes but all the people say therto Amen All remembre Christes death all geue thankes to God all repent and offre themselues an oblacion to Christe all take him for their Lorde and sauiour and spiritually feade vpon him and in token therof they eate the bread and drynke the wyne in his mistical supper And this nothing diminisheth the estimation and dignitee of priesthod and other ministers of the church but auaunceth and highly commendeth their ministracion For if they are muche to bee loued honored and estemed that bee the Kynges Chauncelours Iudges officers ministers in temporal matters howe muche than are they to be estemed that be ministers of Christes wordes sacramentes and haue to them cōmitted the keyes of heauen to let in shut out by the ministration of his worde and Gospel Nowe forasmuche as I trust that I haue playnly enough set furth the propitiatory sacrifice of our sauior Iesu Christ to the capacitee comfort of all men that haue any vnderstādyng of Christe and haue declared also the heynous abhominacion Idolatry of the Popish Masse wherin the priestes haue taken vpon them the office of Christ to make a propitiatory sacrifice for the synnes of the people and haue also tolde what maner of sacrifice christen people ougt to make it is nowe necessary to make answere to the subtyll persuacions and sophisticall cauillacions of the Papistes wherby the haue deceiued many a symple manne both learned and vnlearned The place of sainct Paule vnto the Hebrues whiche they do cite for their purpose maketh quite and cleane against them For where sainct Paule sayth that euery high priest is ordayned to offre gyftes sacrifices for synnes
body and blud is not receaued in the mouthe and digested in the stomacke as corporall meates and drynkes commonly bee but it is receaued with a pure harte and a sincere faithe And the trewe eatyng and drinking of the sayd body and bloude of Christ ys wyth a constant and a lyuely faith to beeleue that Chryste gaue hys bodye and shedde hys bloude vppon the Crosse for vs and that he doeth so ioyne and incorporate himselfe to vs that hee is our heade and wee his membrâ—s and fleshe of his fleshe and bone of his bones hauinge hym dwellynge in vs and wee in hym And herein standeth the whole effecte and strength of this sacrament And this faith God woorketh in wardely in our hartes by hys holy spirite and confyrmeth the same outwardly to our eares by hearinge of hys woorde and to our other senses by eatynge and drynkynge of the sacramentall breade and wyne in hys holy supper What thynge then can be more comfortable to vs than to eate thys meate and drynke thys drynke Wherby Christ certyfyeth vs that we bee spirytually and trewely fedde and nouryshed by hym and that wee dwell in hym and he in vs. Canne this bee shewed vnto vs more playnly than whan he saith hym selfe He that eateth me shall lyue by me Wherfore whosoeuer doth not contemne the euerlasting lyfe how can he but highely esteme this sacrament How can he but imbrace it as a sure pledge of his saluacion And whan hee seeth godly people deuoutly receaue the same howe can he but be desyrous oftentymes to receiue it with them Surely no man that wel vnderstandeth and diligently wayeth these things can bee without a greate desire to come to thys holy supper All men desyre to haue goddes fauoure and when they knowe the contrary that they be in his indignacion and caste out of his fauoure what thinge can comforte them Nowe be theyr myndes vexed What trouble is in their consciences All goddes creatures seme to be against them and do make theym afraide as thinges being ministers of goddes wrath and indignacion towards them And rest and comfort caÌ„ they finde none neither within them not withoute them And in this case thei do hate as well God as the diuel God as an vnmerciful and extreme iudge and the dyuell as a moste malicious and â—ruel tormentour And in this sorowful heauines holy scripture teacheth theim that our heauenly father can by no meanes be pleased with theim againe but by the sacrifice and deathe of his only begotten sonne whereby God hathe made a perpetuall amitee and peace with vs doth pardon the sinnes of them that beleue in him maketh theim his chyldren giueth them to his first begotten son Christe to be incorporate into him to be saued by him and to be made heires of heuen with him And in the receauing of the holy supper of our Lorde wee bee putte in remembraunce of this his deathe and of the whole mysterye of our redemption In the which supper is made mention of his testamente and of the aforesayde Communion of vs with Christe and of the remission of oure sinnes by his sacrifice vppon the crosse Wherefore in this sacrament yf it be rightly receaued with a true faithe we bee assured that our sinnes bee forgiuen and the leage of peace and the testament of God is confirmed betwene hym and vs so that who so euer by a true faithe doth eate Christes flesh and drinke his bludde hath euerlastinge lyfe by hym Whiche thynge when wee feele in oure hartes at the receauynge of the Lordes supper what thing can be more ioyfull more plesaunte or more comfortable vnto vs All this to bee trewe is moste certaine by the woordes of Christe hym selfe whanne hee dydde fyrst institute his holy supper the nyght beefore his deathe as it appeareth as well by the woordes of the Euangelistes as of S. Paule Dooe thys saythe Christe as often as you drynke it in remembraunce of me And Saint Paule saithe As often as you eate this breade and drynke this cuppe you shall shewe the Lordes death vntyll he come And againe Christ saide This cup is a newe testament in mine owne bloud whiche shal be shed for the remission of sinnes This doctrine here recited maye suffice for all that be humble and godly and seek nothing that is superfluous but that is necessarye and profitable And therefore vnto suche persones may bee made here an ende of this booke But vnto them that be contencious Papists ydolaters nothing is enough And yet bicause thei shall not glory in their subtile inuencions and deceiuable doctrine as though no man were able to answere them I shall desire the readers of pacience to suffre me a litell while to spend some time in vaine to confute their most vaine vanities And yet the time shall not bee altogither spent in vaine for there by shall more clearly appeare the lyghte frome the darkenes the truth from false sophisticall subtelties and the certaine word of God from mens dreames and phantasticall inuentions BUt these things can not manifestly appear to the reader except the principall pointes be first set out wherin the Papistes vary froÌ„ the truth of Gods worde whiche be chiefely fower Fyrst the Papisâ—s say that in the supper of the Lorde after the words of consecracion as they call it there is none other substaunce remaynyng but the substaunce of Christes fleshe and blud so that there remaineth neither bread to be eaten nor wyne to be dronken And althoughe there be the colour of bread wyne the sauour the smell the bygnes the fashion and all other as they call them accidentes or qualities and quaÌ„tities of bread and wyne yet say they there is no very bread nor wyne but they bee turned into the fleshe bloud of Christ. And this coÌ„uersion they call Transubstantion that is to say turnyng of one substaÌ„ce into another substaÌ„ce And although all the accidentes bothe of the bread and wyne remayne styl yet say they the same accidentes be in no maner of thyng but hang alone in the ayre without any thyng to stay them vpon For in the body and bloud of Christ say they these accidentes can not be nor yet in the ayre for the body and bloud of Christ and the ayre be neither of that bignes fashion smell nor colour that they bread and wyne be Nor in the bread and wyne say they these accidentes can not be for the substaÌ„ce of bread and wyne as they affirme be cleane gone And so there remaineth whitnes but nothing is white there remayneth colours but nothing is coloured therwith there remaineth roundnes but no thyng is round and there is bygnes and yet no thyng is bygge there is swetenes without any swete thyng softnes without any soft thyng breakyng without any thyng broken diuision without any thyng deuided and so other qualities quantities witout any thyng to receyue them And this doctrin they teache
as a necessary article of our fayth But it is not the doctrine of Christe but the subtill Inuension of Antechrist fyrst decreed by Innocent the thyrd and after more at large set furth by schole authors whose studye was euer to defende and set abrode to the worlde all suche matters as y e byshop of Rome had once decreed And the deuil by his minister Antichrist had so daseled the eyes of a great multitude of christen people in these latter dayes that they sought not for their fayth at the cleare light of Gods worde but at the Romishe Antichrist beleuyng whatsoeuer he prescribed vnto thē yea though it were against all reason all senses and Gods most holy worde also For els he could not haue been very Antichrist in dede except he had been so repugnaunt vnto Christe whose doctrine is cleane contrary to this doctrine of Antichrist For Christ teacheth that we receiue very bread and wyne in the most blessed supper of the Lord as sacramentes to admonishe vs that as we be fedde with bread wyne bodely so wee be fedde with the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ spiritually As in our baptisme we receiue very water to signifye vnto vs that as water is an element to washe the body outwardly so be our soules washed by the holy ghost inwardly The seconde principall thyng wherein the Papistes varry from the truth of Gods worde is this They say that the very natural fleshe and bloud of Christe whiche suffered for vs vpon the crosse and sitteth at the right hand of the father in heauen is also really substancially corporally and naturally in or vnder the accidentes of the sacramental bread and wyne which they cal the fourmes of bread and wyne And yet here they varry not a lytle among them selues For some say that the very natural body of Christ is there but not naturally nor sensibly And other saye that it is there naturally and sensibly and of the same bygnes fashion that it is in heauen and as the same was borne of the blessed virgyn Mary and that it is there broken and torne in peeces with our teethe And this appeareth partly by the schole authors and partly by the confession of Beringarius whiche Nicholaus the second constrayned him to make whiche was this That of the sacramentes of the Lordes table the sayd Beringarius should promise to holde that fayth whiche the sayd Pope Nicholas and his counsail held whiche was that not onely the sacramentes of bread and wyne but also the very fleshe and bloud of oure Lorde Iesu Christ are sensibly handeled of the priest in the altare broken and torne with the teethe of the faythfull people But the true catholike fayth grounded vpon Gods moste infallible woorde teacheth vs that our sauiour Christ as concernyng his mannes nature and bodely presence is gone vp vnto heauen sitteth at the right hand of his father and there shall he tarry vntyl the worldes ende at what tyme he shal come agayn to iudge both the quicke and the dead as he sayth him selfe in many scriptures I forsake the worlde sayth he and go to my Father And in another place he sayth You shal haue euer poore men among you but me you shall not euer haue And again he sayth Many hereafter shall come and laye Loke here is Christe or looke there he is but beloue them not And sainct Peter sayth in the Actes that heauen must receiue Christe vntyll the tyme that all thynges shall be restored And saint Paule writyng to the Colossians agreeth hereto saiyng Seke for thinges that be aboue where Christ is sittyng at the right hand of the father And sainct Paule speakyng of the very sacrament sayth As often as you shall eate this bread and drynke this cuppe shewe furth the Lordes death vntyll he come Tyll he come sayth S. Paule signifiyng that he is not there corporally present For what speeche were this or who vseth of him that is already present to say Untyl he come For Untyl I come signifyeth that he is not yet present This is the catholike fayth whiche we learne from our youth in our common Crede and whiche Christ taught the Apostles folowed and the martyres confirmed with theyr bloud And although Christ in his humayne nature substantially really corporally naturally and sensibly be present with his father in heauē yet sacramentally and spiritually he is here present in water bread and wyne as in signes and sacramentes but he is in deede spiritually in the faythfull christian people whiche accordyng to Christes ordinaunce be baptised or receyue the holye communion or vnfainedly beleue in him Thus haue you hard the seconde pryncipal article wherin the Papistes vary from the truthe of Goddes worde and from the catholike faith Nowe the thyrde thynge wherin they varye is this The Papistes saye that euell and vngodlye men receaue in this sacramente the very bodye and bloud of Christe and eate and drynke the selfe same thinge that the good and godly men doo But the truthe of Gods woorde is contrary that al those that be godly mēbres of Christe as they corporally eate the bread and drinke the wyne so spiritually they eate and drinke Christes very fleshe and bloude And as for the wycked membres of the dyuell they eate the sacramental bread and drinke the sacramental wyne but they doo not spiritually eate Christs fleshe nor drinke his blode but they eate and drinke theyr owne damnation The fourthe thynge wherein the Popyshe preestes dissente frome the manifest woorde of God is this They saie that they offre Christe euery day for remission of sinne and distribute by their Masses the merites of Christes passion But the prophetes apostels and euangelistes doo saye that Christe him selfe in his owne person made a sacrifice for our sinnes vppon the Crosse by whose woundes all our diseases were healed and our sinnes pardoned and so dyd neuer no preest man nor creature but he nor he dyd the same neuer more than ones And the benefite hereof is in no mannes power to gyue vnto any other but euery man muste receaue it at Christes handes him selfe by his owne faith and beliefe as the prophete saieth HERE ENDETH THE fyrste booke THE SECONDE BOOKE IS AGAINST THE ERROVR OF Transubstantiation THVS HAVE you hearde declared fower thynges wherein chiefly the papisticall doctrine varieth from the true worde of God and frome the olde catholyke Christen faith in this matter of the lordes supper Nowe lest any man shuld thynke that I faine any thinge of myne owne heade without any other ground or authoritee you shall heare by Goddes grace as well the erroures of the Papistes confuted as the catholike truthe defended both by goddes most certaine woorde and also by the moste olde approued authors and martyrs of Christes churche And fyrst that breade and wine remain after the woordes of consecration and bee eaten and drunken in the
wee should remembre howe muche Christ hath done for vs and howe he dyed for our sakes Therefore saith saint Paul As often as ye shal eate of this bread and drinke the cuppe you shall shew foorth the Lordes death vntyll he come And forasmuche as this holy breade broken and the wine deuided doo represent vnto vs the death of Christ nowe passed as the kyllynge of the Paschall lambe dyde represent y â— same yet to come therfore our sauiour Christ vsed the same maner of speeche of the bread and wyne as God before vsed of the Paschall lambe For as in the olde Testament God sayd This is the Lordes Passeby or Passeouer euen so sayth Christ in the new Testament This is my body This is my bloude But in the old mistery and sacrament the Lambe was not the Lordes very Passeouer or passyng by but it was a figure whiche represented his passynge by So likewise in the newe Testament the breade and wine be not Christes very body and bloude but they be figures whiche by Christes institution bee vnto the godly receauers thereof Sacramentes tokens significations and representations of his very fleshe and bludde instructyng their faith that as the bread and wine fede them corporally and continue this temporall lyfe so the very fleshe and bloud of Christ feedeth them spiritually and geueth them euerlastyng lyfe And why shulde any man thinke it strange to admit a figure in these speches This is my body This is my bloude seyng that the coÌ„munication the same nyghte by the Papistes owne confessions was so full of figuratiue speeches For the Apostles spake figuratiuely whan they asked Christ where he would eate his passeouer or passeby And Christe hym selfe vsed the same figure when he sayd I haue muche desyred to eate this passeouer with you Also to eate Christes body and to drynke his bloude I am sure they wyl not say that it is taken proprely to eate drike as we doe eate other meates and drynkes And when Christe sayde This cup is a newe testament in my bloude here in one sentence bee two figures One in this worde Cup whych is not taken for the cup it selfe but for the thynge conteyned in the cup. An other is in this worde Testament for neyther the cuppe nor the wyne contained in the cuppe is Christes Testament but is a token signe and figure whereby is represented vnto vs his Testament confirmed by his bloudde And if the Papists wil say as thei say in dede that by this cup is neither ment the cup nor the wine conteyned in the cuppe but that therby is ment Christes bloud contained in the cuppe yet must they nedes graunt that there is a fygure For Christes bloude is not in proper speche the New testameÌ„t but it is the thyng that coÌ„firmed the new testament And yet by this strange interpretation the Papistes make a very straunge speche more strange then any figuratiue speche is For this they make the sentence This bloud is a newe testament in my bloud Which saiyng is so fonde and so farre from all reason that the foolyshenes therof is euident to euery man Nowe forasmuch as it is plainly declared and manifestly proued that Christe called bread his body and wyne his bloud and that these sentences be figuratiue speeches and that Christe as concernyng his humanitee and bodily presence is ascended into heuen with his whole fleshe and bloudde and is not here vpon earthe and that the substance of breade and wyne doo remayne styll and be receaued in the sacrament and that although they remayne yet they haue changed theyr names so that the bread is called Christes bodye and the wyne his bloudde and that the cause why theyr names bee chaunged is this â–ª that we should lyft vp our hartes and myndes frome the thynges whyche we se vnto the thinges whyche we beleue and be aboue in heauen wherof the bread and wyne haue the names althoughe they bee not the very same thynges in dede These thynges well considered and waied all the auctoritees and argumentes whyche the Papistes fayne to serue for theyr purpose be cleane wyped awaie For whether the authors which they alledge say that we doo eate Christes fleshe and drynke his bloudde or that the bread and wyne is conuerted into the substance of his fleshe and bloud or that we bee tourned into his fleshe or that in the Lordes supper we do receaue his very fleshe and bloudde or that in the breadde and wyne is receaued that whyche dydde hange vppon the Crosse or that Christe hathe lefte his fleshe with vs or that Christe is in vs and wee in hym or that he is whole here and whole in heauen or that the same thynge is in the Chalice whyche flowed oute of his syde or that the same thynge is receaued with our mouthe whyche is beleued with our faythe or that the breade and wyne after the Consecration bee the body and bloudde of CHRISTE or that we bee nouryshed with the body and bloude of Christ or that Christe is bothe gone hence and is styll here or that Christe at his laste supper bare hym selfe in his owne handes These and all other like sentences may not be vnderstanded of Christes humanitee litterally and carnally as the wordes in common speeche doo proprely signifie for so doothe no man eate Christes fleshe nor drinke his bloudde nor so is not the bread and wyne tourned into his fleshe and bloud nor we into hym nor so is the breade wyne after the consecration his flesh and blud nor so is not his fleshe and bloud whole heere in earth eaten with our mouthes nor so dydde not Christe take hym selfe in his owne handes But these and all other lyke sentences whiche declare Christe to be here in earth and to be eaten and dronken of christian people are to bee vnderstande eyther of his diuine nature wherby he is euâ—ry where or els they must be vnderstanded figuratiuely oâ— spiritually For figuratiuely he is in the breade and wyne and spiritually he is in them that worthyly eate and drinke the bread and wyne but really carnally and corporally he is onely in heauen frome whence he shall come to iudge the quycke and deade This briefe aunswere wyll suffice for all that the Papistes can bryng for their pourpose yf it bee aptely applyed And for the more euidence hereof I shall applye the same to somme suche places as the Papistes thynke doo make moste for theym that by the aunswere to those places the reste maye bee the more easyly aunswered vnto They alledge saint Clement whose words be these as thei report The sacramentes of Gods secretes are coÌ„mitted to thre degrees to a priest a Deacon and a minister whiche with feare and tremblyng ought to kepe the leauynges of the broken peeces of the Lordes body that no corruption be founde in the holy place least by negligence great iniury bee done to the portion
spirituall and pure eatinge with hart and mind which is to beeleue in oure hartes that his fleshe was â—ente and torne for vs vppon the crosse and his bludde shedde for our redemption and that the same fleshe and bludde nowe sitteth at the ryght hande of the father making continual intercession for vs and to imprint and digest this in our mindes puttinge our whole affiaunce and trust in him as touchinge our saluacion and offering ourselues clearlye vnto hym to loue and serue hym all the dayes of our lyfe thys is trewely sincerely and spiritually to eate his flesh and to drinke his bludde And this sacryfyce of Christe vpon the crosse was that oblation whyche Cypriane saithe was figured and signifyed before it was done by the wyne whiche Noe dranke and by the breade and wyne whiche Melchisedech gaue to Abraham and by many other figures which Cyprian there reherseth And nowe when Christe is come and hath accomplished that sacrifice the same is figured signified and represented vnto vs by that bread and wine which faithfull people receaue daylye in the holy communion Wherein lyke as wyth their mouths carnally thei eat the bread drink the wyne so by their faithe spiritually they eate Christes very fleshe and drinke his very bloode And herby it appeareth that S. Cyprian clearly affirmeth the moste true doctrine and is wholy vpon oure side And against the Papistes hee teacheth moste plainly that the communion ought to be receaued of all men vnder bothe the kindes and that CHRIST called breade his body and wyne hys bloude and that there is no transubstantiation but that breade remaineth there as a figure to represent Christes body and wine to represente his blud and that those whyche bee not y â— lyuely membres of Christe doo eate the breade and drynke the wyne and bee nouryshed by theym but the verye fleshe and bludde of CHRIST they neyther eate nor drinke Thus haue you hearde declared the mynde of Saint Cyprian But Hylarius thynke they is plainest for theym in this matter whose woordes they translate thus If the worde was made verely fleshe we verely receiue the worde beyng fleshe in our Lordes meate howe shall not Christ be thought to dwel naturally in vs who beyng borne man hath taken vnto him the nature of our fleshe that can not be seuered and hath put together the nature of his fleshe to the nature of his eternitee vnder the sacrament of the communion of his fleshe vnto vs. For so wee bee all one because the father is in Christe and Christe in vs. Wherfore whosoeuer will denye the father to be naturally in Christe he muste denye fyrste either him selfe to be naturally in Christ or Christ to be naturally in him For the beyng of the father in Christe and the beyng of Christ in vs maketh vs to be one in them And therfore if Christ haue taken verily the fleshe of our body and the man that was verely borne of the virgyn Mary is Christ and also we receiue vnder the true mysterye the fleshe of his body by meanes whereof wee shall bee one for the father is in Christ and Christ in vs how shall that be called the vnitee of wylle when the naturall propertie brought to passe by the sacrament is the sacrament of vnitee Thus doth the Papistes the aduersaries of Gods woorde and of his trueth allege the authoritee of Hilarius either peruersely and purposely as it seemeth vntruely cityng him and wrastyng his wordes to their purpose or els not truely vnderstandyng him For although he sayth that Christe is naturally in vs yet he sayth also that we be naturally in him And neuerthelesse in so saiyng he ment not of the natural and corporal presence of the substance of Christes body of ours for as oure bodyes bee not after that sorte within his body so is not his body after that sorte within our bodyes but he ment that Christe in his incarnacion receyued of vs a mortall nature and vnited the same vnto his diuinitee and so be we naturally in him And the sacramentes of Baptisme and of his holy supper if we rightly vse the same do moste assuredly certifye vs that wee bee partakers of his godly nature hauyng geuen vnto vs by him immortalitee and life euerlastyng so is Christ naturally in vs. And so bee wee one with Christ and Christ with vs not onely in wylle mynde but also in very naturall properties And so concludeth Hilarius against Arrius that Christe is one with his father not in purpose and wylle onely but also in very nature And as the vnion betwene Christe and vs in baptisme is spiritual and requyreth no real and corporall presence so lykewise oure vnion with Christ in his holy supper is spiritual and therfore requyreth no real and corporall presence And therfore Hilarius speaking there of both the sacramentes maketh no difference betwene our vnion with Christ in baptisme our vnion with him in his holy supper And sayth further that as Christ is in vs so be wee in him â–ª whiche the Papistes can not vnderstand corporally and really except they wyll say that all our bodyes be corporally within Christes body Thus is Hilarius answered vnto both plainly shortly And this answere of Hilarius wyll serue also vnto Cyril whom they allege to speake after the same sort that Hilarius doth that Christ is naturally in vs. The wordes whiche they recite be these We denye not sayth Cyril against the heretike but we be spiritually ioyned to Christ by fayth and syncere charitee but that we shuld haue no maner of coniunction in our fleshe with Christ that we vtterly deny and thynke it vtterly discrepant from Goddes holy scriptures For who doubteth but Christ is so the vyne tre we so the branches as we get thence our life Heare what sainct Paule sayth Wee be all one body with Christe for though we be many we be one in him All we participate in one foode Thynketh this hereticke that we knowe not the strength and vertue of the mistical benediction whiche when it is made in vs doth it not make Christ by coÌ„munication of his fleshe to dwell corporally in vs Why be the membres of faythful mens bodyes called the membres of Christe Knowe you not sayth sainct Paule that your membres be the membres of Christ And shall I make the membres of Christ partes of the whoores body God forbyd And our sauiour also sayth He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Although in these wordes Cyril doth say that Christ doth dwell corporally in vs whan we receiue y â— mistical benediction yet he neither sayth that Christ dwelleth corporally in the bread nor that he dwelleth in vs corporally onely at suche tymes as wee receiue the sacrament nor that he dwelleth in vs not we in him but he sayth aswel y t we dwel in him as that he dwelleth in vs. Whiche dwellyng is
a thing that we should knowe that the eatyng is our dwellyng in him and our drinkyng is as it were an incorporation in him beyng subiecte vnto him in obedience ioyned vnto him in our wylles and vnited in our affections The eatyng therefore of this fleshe is a certaine hunger and desire to dwell in him Thus wryteth Cyprian of the eatyng drynkyng of Christe And a lytle after he sayth that none do eate of this lambe but suche as be true Israelites that is to say pure christian menue without colour or dissimulacion And Athanasius speakinge of the eatinge of Christes fleshe and drinking of his bloud sayth that for this cause he made mention of his ascēcion into heauen to plucke them from corporall phantasie that thei might learne hereafter that his fleshe was called the celestiall meate that came from aboue and a spirituall foode which he would geue For those thinges that I speake to you saithe he be spirite and life Whiche is as muche to say as that thinge which you see shalbe slayne gyuen for the norishment of the worlde that it maye bee distributed to euerye body spiritually and be to all men a conseruacion vnto the resurrection of eternall lyfe In these woordes Athanasius declareth the cause why Christ made mention of his ascention into heauen whan hee spake of the eatinge and drinking of his fleshe and blud The cause after Athanasius mynde was thys that his hearers shuld not thinke of any carnal eating of his body with their mouths for as concerning the presence of his body he should be taken from them and ascende into heauen but that they shuld vnderstande him to be a spirituall meate and spiritually to be eaten and bi that refreshing to giue eternall lyfe which he doth to none but to suche as be his lyuely membres And of this eatinge speaketh also Basilius that we eate Christes flesh and drinke his blud beynge made by hys incarnation and sensyble lyfe partakers of his worde and wysedome For his fleshe and bludde he called all his mysticall conuersation here in his fleshe and his doctrine consistinge of his whole lyfe pertaininge bothe to his humanitie and diuinitye whereby the soule is norished and brought to the contemplacion of thinges eternall Thus teacheth Basilius howe we eate Christes flesh and drinke his blud which pertaineth only to the true and faithful membres of Christ. Saint hierome also saith All that loue pleasure more than god eate not the fleshe of Iesu nor drinke his bludde of the whiche himselfe saith He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my blud hath euerlastynge lyfe And in an other place S. Hierome saith that heretiques do not eat and drynk the body and bludde of the Lorde And moreouer he saithe that heretiques eate not the fleshe of Iesu whose flesh is the meate of faythfull men Thus agreeth S. Hierome with the other before rehersed that heretiques and such as folow wordly pleasures eat not Christs flesh nor drink his blud bicause that Christ said He that eateth my flesh drinketh mi blud hath euerlastīg life And S. Ambrose saith that Iesus is y e bread which is the meat of Saintes and that he that taketh this breade dieth not a sinners deathe For this breade is the remission of sinnes And in an other booke to him intituled he writeth thus This breade of lyfe whiche came frome heauen doth minister euerlasting life and whosoeuer eateth this bread shall not dye for euer and is the bodye of Christe And yet in an other booke sette forth in his name he saith on this wise He that did eat Manna died but he that eateth this body shal haue remission of his synnes and shall not dye for euer And againe he saith As oftē as thou drinkest thou haste remission of thy sinnes These sentences of S. Ambrose be so playne in this matter that there needeth no more but only the rehersall of theim But S. Augustine in many places plainlye discussing this mattier saith He that agreeth not with Christe doeth neither eate his bodye nor drinke his bludde although to the condemnation of hys presumptiō he receiue euery day the sacramente of so highe a mattier And moreouer S. Augustine most plainly resolueth this matter in his booke De ciuitate Dei disputīg agaīst two kinds of heretiques Wherof the one said that as many as were christened and receaued the sacrament of Christs body and bludde shuld be saued howe so euer thei liued or beleued bicause that Christe saide This is the breade that came frō heauē that whosoeuer shal eate thereof shall not dye I am the bread of life which came from heauen whosoeuer shall eate of this breade shall lyue for euer Therfore said these heretiques all such men must needes be deliuered from eternall deathe and at length to be brought to eternall life The other said that heretiques and scismatiques myghte eate the sacrament of Chrystes bodye but not his verye body bicause they be no membres of his bodye And therfore they promised not euerlasting life to all that receaued Christes baptisme and the sacrament of his body but all suche as professed a true fayth althoughe they lyued neuer so vngodlye For suche sayde they doo eate the bodye of Christe not only in a sacrament but also in deede bicause they bee membres of Christes body But Saint Augustine aunsweringe to bothe these heresyes saith That neither heretiques nor such as professe a true fayth in their mouths in their lyuyng shew the contrary haue either a true faith which worketh by charity and doth none euel or are to be counted among the membres of Christ. For they cā not be both membres of Christ and membres of the diuell Therefore saith he it maye not be saide that any of theim eate the bodye of Christe For when Christe saythe he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bludde dwelleth in me and I in him he sheweth what it is not sacramentally but in deede to eate his bodye and drynke his bludde whiche is when a man dwelleth in Christe that Christ dwelleth in him For Christe spake those wordes as if he should say He that dwelleth not in me and in whom I dwell not lette him not saye or thinke that he eateth my body or drinketh my bloode These be the plaine wordes of S. Augustine that suche as liue vngodly although they may seme to eate Christes body because they eat the sacrament of his body yet in deede they neither bee membres of his body nor do eate his body Also vpon the gospel of sainct Ihon he sayth that he that doth not eate his fleshe and drynke his bloud hath not in him euerlastyng life And he that eateth his fleshe and drynketh his bloud hath euerlastyng life But it is not so in those meates whiche we take to sustayne our bodyes For although without them we can not liue yet it is not necessarye that whosoeuer receyueth them
said that Christ was a crafty iuggler that made thinges to appere to mens sightes that in dede were no suche thynges but formes onely figures and apparances of them But to conclude in fewe wordes this processe of our senses let al the Papistes lay their heades togither and thei shal neuer be able to shew one article of our faith so directely contrary to our senses that all our senses by dayly experience shall affirme a thynge to be and yet oure fayth shall teache vs the contrary thervnto Nowe for as much as it is declared how this Papisticall opinion of Transubstantiation is against the woorde of God agaynst nature against reason and agaynste all our senses wee shall shewe furthermore that it is agaynst the fayth and doctrine of the old authors of Christes churche begynnyng at those authors whiche were nerest vnto Christes tyme and therefore myght best knowe the truthe herein Fyrst Iustinus a great learned man and an holy martyr the oldest author that this day is knowen to write any treatie vpon the sacramentes and wrote not muche aboue one hundred yeres after Christes ascension He wryteth in his seconde apologie that the bread water and wine in this sacrament ar not to be taken as other cōmon meates and drinkes be but they bee meates ordeyned purposely to geue thankes to god and therfore be called Eucharistia and be called also the body and bloude of Christ. And that it is laufull for none to eate or drynke of them but that professe Christ and lyue accordyng to the same And yet the same meate and drynke saith he is chaunged into our fleshe and bloud and norisheth our bodies By which saiyng it is euident that Iustinus thought that the bread and wine remained still for els it could not haue been tourned into our fleshe and bloud to nourishe our bodies Next hym was Ireneus aboue 150. yeres after Christ who as it is supposed could not be deceiued in the necessary pointes of our faithe for he was a disciple of Polycarpus which was disciple to saint Iohn the Euangelist This Ireneus foloweth the sense of Iustinus wholly in this matter and almoste also his woordes sayenge that the bread wherein we geue thankes vnto God although it be of the yearth yet whan the name of God is called vpon it it is not than common bread but the bread of thankes geuyng hauyng two thyngs in it one earthly and the other heuenly What ment he by the heauenly thyng but the sanctification whyche cometh by the inuocation of the name of God And what by the earthly thynge but the very bread which as he sayd before is of the earth and which also he saith doeth nourishe our bodies as other bread dothe whiche we doo vse Shortely after Ireneus was Origen about 200. yeares after Christes ascension Who also affirmeth that the materiall bread remaineth saiyng that the mattier of the breade auayleth nothyng but goeth doune into the bealy and is auoided dounewarde but the woorde of God spoken vpon the breade is it that auaileth After Origen came Cyprian the holy martyr about the yeare of our Lorde 250. who wryteth against theym that ministred this Sacrament with water onely and without wyne For as muche sayth he as Christ sayd I am a true vyne therefore the bloud of Christ is not water but wyne nor it can not bee thouhgt that his bloud wherby wee bee redemed and haue life is in the cuppe whan wyne is not in the cuppe whereby the bloud of Christ is shewed What woordes could Cyprian haue spoken more plainly to shewe that the wyne doth remayne than to say thus If there bee no wyne there is no bloud of Christ And yet he speaketh shortly after as plainely in the same Epistle Christ sayth he takyng the cuppe blessed it and gaue it to his disciples saiyng Drynke you all of this for this is the bloud of the newe testament whiche shall bee shedde for many for the remission of synnes I say vnto you that from hencefurth I wyll not drynke of this creature of the vyne vntyll I shall drinke with you newe wyne in the kyngdome of my father By these woordes of Christe sayth sainct Cyprian we perceiue that the cuppe whiche the Lorde offered was not onely water but also wyne And that it was wyne that Christ called his bloud whereby it is cleare that Christes bloud is not offered if there be no wyne in the Chalise And after it foloweth Howe shal we drynke with Christ newe wyne of the creature of the vyne if in the sacrifice of God the father and of Christ we do not offre wyne In these wordes of sainct Cyprian appereth moste manyfestly that in this sacrament is not only offered very wyne that is made of grapes that come of the vyne but also that we drynke the same And yet the same geueth vs to vnderstand that if we drynke that wyne worthely we drynke also spiritually the very bloud of Christ whiche was shed for our synnes Eusebius Emissenus a mā of syngular fame in learnyng about CCC yeres after Christes ascention did in fewe wordes set out this matter so plainely bothe howe the bread and wyne be conuerted into the body bloud of Christ and yet remayne styll in their nature and also howe besydes the outwarde receiuyng of bread and wyne Christ is inwardely by fayth receyued in our heartes al this I say he doth so plainly set out that more playnnesse can not be reasonably desyred in this matter For he sayth that the cōuersion of the visible creatures of bread wyne into the body and bloud of Christ is lyke vnto our cōuersion in baptisme where outwardly nothyng is changed but remayneth the same that was before but all the alteration is inwardely and spiritually If thou wylt knowe sayth he howe it ought not to seme to the a newe thyng and impossible that yearthly and corruptible thynges be turned into the substance of Christ loke vpon thy selfe which art made newe in baptisme whan thou wast farre from life and banished as a straunger frō mercy and fro the way of saluation and inwardely wast dead yet sodeynly thou beganste another lyfe in Christ and wast made newe by holsome mysteris and wast turned into the body of the churche not by seyng but by beleuynge and of the childe of damnation by a secrete purenesse thou waste made the chosen sonne of God Thou visibly dyddest remayne in the same measure that thou haddest before but inuisibly thou wast made greater without any increase of thy body Thou wast the self same person and yet by increace of faythe thou wast made an other man Outwardely nothynge was added but all the chaunge was inwardly And so was man made the son of Christ and Christe fourmed in the mynd of man Therfore as thou puttyng away thy former vilenesse diddest receaue a newe dygnitee not feelyng any change in thy body and as the curynge of thy
treatinge of this mattier of transubstantiation â–ª sheweth playnlye the cause thereof For saith hee the woordes of the Scripture myghte be expounded more easylye and more plainlye withoute Transubstantiation but the churche dydde choose this sense whiche is more harde â—eeynge moued thereto as it seemeth chyefelye â–ª bicause that of the sacramentes men ought to holde as the holy churche of Rome holdeth But it holdeth that breade is transubstantiate or turned into the bodye and wine into the bloode as it is shewed De summa Trinitate et fide catholica Firmiter credimus And Gabriel also who of all other wrote most largely vpoÌ„ the Canon of y â— Masse sayth thus It is to bee noted that although it be taughte in the scripture that the body of Christ is truely contayned and receiued of christen people vnder the kindes of breade and wine yet howe the body of Christ is there whether by conuersion of any thinge into it or without conuersion the body is there with the bread both the substance and accidentes of bread remainynge there styl it is not founde expressed in the Bible Yet forasmuche as of the sacramentes menne muste hold as the holy churche of Rome holdeth as it is written De hereticis Ad abolendam And that churche holdeth and hath determined that the bread is traÌ„substantiated into the bodye of Christe and the wyne into his blood therefore is thys opinion receaued of al theÌ„ that be catholike that the substance of breade remayneth not but really and truelye is tourned transubstatiated and chaunged into the substaunce of the body of Christe Thus you haue hard the cause wherfore this opinion of transubstantiation at this present is holdeÌ„ and defended among christen people that is to saye bicause the churche of Rome hathe so determined although the contrary by the Papistes owne confession appeare to be more easy more trewe and more accordinge to the Scripture But bicause to our Englishe Papistes who speak more grossely herein thaÌ„ y e Pope himselfe affirming that the natural body of Christ is naturally in the bread and wine can not nor dare not grounde theâ— faith conâ—erning transubstaÌ„tiation vpon the churche of Romeâ— whiche although in name it may be called moste holy yet indeed it is the moste stynking doâ—gehill of all wickednes that is vnder heauen and the very synagoge of the deuil whiche whosoeuer foloweth can not but stumble and fall into a pit ful of errours Because I say the Englishe Papistes dare not now stablishe their fayth vpoÌ„ that foundacion of Rome therfore they seeke Fegge leaues that is to say vayn reasons gathered of their owne braynes and authorities wrested froÌ„ the intent and mynde of the authors â–ª wherwith to couer and hide their shameful errors Wherfore I thought it good somewhat to trauaile herein to take awaye those Fygge leaues that their shamefull errors may plainly to euery maÌ„ appeare The greatest reason and of most importance and of suche strength as they thynke or at the least as they pretend that all the worlde can not answere therto is this Our sauiour Christ takyng the bread brake it and gaue it to his disciples saiyng This is my body Nowe say they assone as Christ had spoken these woordes the bread was straight way altered and chaunged and the substaunce thereof was conuerted into the substaunce of his precious body But what christian eares can paciently heare this doctryne that Christe is euery day made a newe and made of another substaunce than he was made of in his mothers wombe â–ª For where as at his incarnation he was made of the nature and substaunce of his blessed mother nowe by these Papistes opinion he is made euery day of the nature and substaÌ„ce of bread wyne whiche as they say be turned into the substaÌ„ce of his body and bloud O what a meruailous Methamorphosis and abhominable heresye is this to say that Christ is dayly made a newe of a newe matter wherof it foloweth necessarily that they make vs euery day a newe Christ and not the same that was borne of the virgyn Mary nor that was crucifyed vpon the crosse as it shall be plainly proued by these argumentes folowyng Fyrst thus If Christes body that was crucifyed was not made of bread but the body that was eaten in the supper was made of bread as the Papistes say than Christes body that was eaten was not thesame that was crucified And againe If Christes body that was crucified was not made of bread and Christes body that was crucified was thesame that was eaten at his last supper than Christes body that was eaten was not made of bread And moreouer If Christes body that was eaten at the last supper was the same that was crucifyed and Christes body that was eaten at the supper was made of bread as the Papistes fayne than Christes body that was crucifyed was made of bread And in lyke maner it foloweth If the body of Christ in the sacrament bee made of the substaÌ„ce of bread and wyne and thesame body was conceiued in the virgyns wombe than the body of Christ in the virgyns wombe was made of bread and wyne Or els turne the argument thus The body of Christ in the virgyns wombe was not made of bread wyne but this body of Christ in the sacrament is made of bread and wyne than this body of Christ is not the same that was conceiued in the virgyns wombe Another argument Christ that was borne in the virgyns wombe as concernyng his body was made of none other substance but of the substance of his blessed mother but Christ in the sacrament is made of another substance than he is another Christ. And so the Antichrist of Rome the chiefe author of all Idolatry would bryng fayfthul christen people froÌ„ the true worshippyng of Christ that was made and borne of the blessed virgyn Mary through the operacion of the holy ghost and suffered for vs vpon the crosse to worship another Christ made of bread wyne through the consecracion of a Popishe priest And thus the Popishe priestes make them selues the makers of God For say they the priest by the woordes of consecracion maketh that thyng whiche is eaten and dronken in the Lordes supper and that say they is Christ him selfe both God and man and so they take vpon them to make both God and man But let all true worshippers worship one god one Christ ones corporally made of one only corporall substance that is to say of the blessed virgyn Mary that ones dyed and rose ones agayne ones ascended into heauen and there sitteth and shall sit at the right had of his father euermore although spiritually he be eueryday amongest vs whosoeuer come together in his name he is in the myddes among them And he is the spiritual pasture and foode of our soules as meate and drynke is of our bodies whiche he signifieth vnto vs by the institution of his most holy supper
Galathiās that Christ was painted and crucified before their eies Therfore saith Chrysostom in the same homily a litle before the place rehersed What dost thou O man dyddest not thou promise to the prieste whiche sayd Lift vp your myndes and hartes and thou dyddest answere We lift them vp vnto the Lord Art not thou ashamed and afrayde beyng at that same houre found a lyar A wonderfull thyng The table is set furth furnished with Goddes mysteries the Lambe of God is offered for thee the priest is careful for thee spiritual fyer cōmeth out of that heauenly table the Angels Seraphyn be there presēt coueryng their faces with vi wynges All the Angelical powers with the priest be meanes intercessors for thee a spirituall fyer commeth doune from heauen bloud in the cuppe is drunke out of the most pure syde vnto thy purification And arte not thou ashamed afrayde and abashed not endeuorynge thy selfe to purchase Goddes mercy O man doth not thine owne conscience condemne thee There be in the weke 168. houres and God asketh but one of them to bee geuen wholly vnto him and thou consumest that in worldly busynesse in triflyng and talkyng with what boldnesse than shalte thou come to these holy mysteries O corrupt conscience Hytherto I haue rehersed sainct Ihon Chrysostomes woordes whiche do shewe howe our mindes should be occupied at this holy table of our Lorde that is to say withdrawen from the consideracion of sensible thynges vnto the contemplacion of moste heauenly and godly thynges And thus is answered this place of Chrysostom which the Papists toke for an insoluble and a place that no man was able to answere But for a further declaracion of Chrysostomes mynde in this matter reade the place of him before rehersed fol. 26. and 28. Yet there is another place of sainct Ambrose whiche the Papistes thynke maketh muche for their purpose but after due examinacion it shal plainly appeare howe muche they be deceyued They allege these wordes of sainct Ambrose in a booke intituled De ijs qui initiantur mysterijs Let vs proue that there is not that thyng whiche natur formed but whiche benediction did cōsecrate and that benediction is of more strength than nature For by the blessyng nature it selfe is also chaunged Moyses helde a rodde he cast it from him and it was made a serpent Againe he tooke the serpent by the tayle and it was turned againe into the nature of a rodde Wherfore thou seest that by the grace of the prophet the nature of the serpent and rodde was twyse chaunged The fluddes of Egypt ranne pure water sodenly bloud beganne to brast out of the vaynes of the sprynges so that men could not drynke of the fludde but at the prayer of the prophet the bloud of the fludde went away and the nature of water came againe The people of the Hebrues were compassed aboute on the one syde with the Egyptians and on the other syde with the sea Moyses lyfted vp his rodde the water deuided it selfe stoode vp like a walle and betwene the waters was left a waye for them to passe on foote And Iordane against nature turned backe to the head of his sprynge Dothe it not appere now that the nature of the sea fludds or of the course of freshe water was changed The people was dry Moyses touched a stone and water came out of the stone Dyd not grace here woorke aboue nature to make the stone to bryng forthe water whyche it had not of nature Marath was a most bytter floud so that the people beyng drye could not drinke therof Moyses put woode into the water and the nature of the water lost his bytternes whiche grace infused did sodeynly moderate In the tyme of Heliseus the prophete ▪ an axe head fell from one of the prophetes seruauntes into the water he that loste the yron desyred the prophet Heliseus help who put the helue into the water and the yron swam aboue Which thyng we know was done aboue nature for yron is heuier than the liquor of water Thus wee perceaue that grace is of more force thā nature and yet hitherto we haue rehersed but the grace of the blessing of the prophets Nowe yf the blessynge of a man be of suche valewe that it may chaunge nature what dooe wee saye of the consecration of God wherein is the operation of the woordes of our sauiour Christe For this sacrament whiche thou receauest is doon by the woord of Christe Than if the worde of Helias was of suche power that it coulde brynge fyer downe frome heauen shall not the woorde of Christe be of that power to chaunge the kyndes of the elementes Of the makynge of the whole worlde thou haste redde that God spake and the thynges were doone He commaunded and they were created The worde than of Christe that coulde of no thynges make thynges that were not can it not change those thynges that be into that thynge whiche before they were not For it is no lesse mattier to geue to thynges newe natures than to alter natures Thus farre haue I rehersed the woordes of Saynt Ambrose yf the sayd boke bee his whiche they that bee of greatest learnyng and iudgement doo not thynke by which woordes the Papistes would proue that in the supper of the Lorde after the woordes of Consecration as they bee commonly called there remaineth neither bread nor wyne bycause that S. Ambrose saieth in this place that the nature of the bread and wyne is chaunged But to satisfie their myndes let vs grant for their pleasure that the forsaid boke was Saint Ambrose owne worke yet the same boke maketh nothynge for their purpose but quite agaynste them For he saieth not that the substaunce of bread and wyne is gone but he sayth that theyr nature is chaunged that is to saye that in the holy communion we oughte not to receaue the bread and wyne as other common meates and drynkes but as thynges cleane chaunged into a hygher estate nature and condition to be taken as holy meates and drynkes wherby we receaue spirituall feedyng and supernaturall norishement from heauen of the very true body and bloud of our sauior Christ through the omnipotent power of God and the wonderfull workyng of the holy ghost Whiche so well agreeth with the substance of bread and wyne styl remainynge that if they were gone awaye and not there this our spirituall feedyng coulde not be taught vnto vs by theim And therfore in the most part of the exāples whiche S. Ambrose allegeth for the wonderful alteration of natures the substaunces dyd styll remayne after the nature and proprieties were chaunged As whan the water of Iordane contrary to his nature stoode styll lyke a wall or flowed against the streame towardes the head spryng yet the substaunce of the water remayned the same that it was before Lykewyse the stone that aboue his nature and kynde flowed water was
doest thou in this sacrament drinke the similitude of Christes precious bloud And againe he sayth in y e sayd boke The priest sayth Make vnto vs this oblaciō to be acceptable whiche is the figure of the body and bloud of our lord Iesu Christ. And vpon the Epistle of sainct Paule to the Corinthians he sayth that in eatyng and drinkyng the bread and wyne we do signifie the flesh and bloud whiche were offered for vs. And the old testament he sayth was instituted in bloud because that bloud was a wytnes of Gods benefite in significacion and figure wherof wee take the mistical cuppe of his bloud to the tuition of our body and soule Of these places of sainct Chrysostome sainct Hierom and sainct Ambrose it is cleare that in the sacramentall bread and wyne is not really and corporally the very natural substance of the flesh and bloud of Christ but that the bread and wyne be similitudes mysteries and representacions significations sacramentes figures and signes of his body and bloud and therefore be called and haue the name of his very fleshe and bloud And yet S. Augustyne sheweth this matter more clearely and fully than any of the rest specially in an Epistle which he wrote ad Bonifatiū where he sayth that a day or two before good fryday we vse in common speeche to say thus To morowe or this day .ii. dayes Christ suffered his passion where in very dede he neuer suffered his passion but ones and that was many yeres passed Lykewise vpō Easter day we say This day Christ rose frō death where in very deede it is many hundred yeres sithens he rose frō death Why than do not menne reproue vs as lyers when we speake in this sort But because we cal these dayes so by a similitude of those dayes wherein these thynges were done in deede And so it is called that day whiche is not that day in dede but by the course of the yere is a like day And suche thinges be sayd to bee done that day for y e solemne celebracion of the sacramēt which thinges in dede were not done that day but lōg before Was Christ offereed any more but ones And he offered him selfe yet in a sacrament or representacion not onely euery solemne feast of Easter but euery day he is offered to the people so that he doth not lye that saith he is euery day offered For if sacramentes had not some similitude or likenes of those thynges whereof they be sacramentes they could in no wyse bee sacramentes And for their similitude and lykenes commonly they haue the name of the thynges whereof they bee sacramētes Therfore as after a certayne maner of speeche the sacrament of Christes body is Christes body the sacrament of Christes bloud is Christes bloud so lykewise the sacramēt of fayth is fayth And to beleue is nothyng els but to haue fayth And therfore whē we answere for yong children in their baptisme that thei beleue whiche haue not yet the mynd to beleue we answere that they haue fayth because they haue the sacramēt of fayth And we say also that they turne vnto God because of the sacrament of the cōuersion vnto God for that answer partaineth to the celebracion of the sacrament And likewyse speaketh the Apostle of Baptisme saiyng that by Baptisme wee bee buryed with him into death he sayth not that wee signifie burial but he sayth plainly that we be buried So that the sacrament of so great a thing is not called but by the name of the thyng it selfe Hytherto I haue rehersed the answere of S. Augustine vnto Boniface a learned Byshoppe who asked of him howe the parentes frendes coulde answere for a yong babe in baptisme and saye in his person that he beleueth and conuerteth vnto God when the childe can neither doo nor thinke any suche thinge Whervnto the answere of S. Augustine is this that for as muche as baptisme is the sacramente of the profession of our faith and of our conuersion vnto God it becometh vs so to answere for yong children comming thervnto as to that sacrament appertaineth although the children in deede haue no knowledge of suche thinges And yet in our said answeres we ought not to be reprehended as vain men or liers forasmuche as in cōmon speche we vse daily to cal sacramēts and figures by the names of the things that be signified by them although thei be not the same thing in dede As euery Good fryday as oftē as it returneth from yere to yere we cal it the dai of Christes passion and euery Easter daye we call the day of his resurrection and euery day in the yeare we saye that Christe is offered and the sacrament of his body we call it his body and the sacramēt of his blud we cal it his blud and our baptism S. Paul calleth our burial with Christ And yet in very deede Christe neuer suffered but ones neuer arose but ones neuer was offered but ones nor in very dede in baptisme we be not buried nor the sacrament of Christs body is not his bodye nor the sacrament of his bloud is not his bloud But so they be called bycause they be figures sacraments and representacions of the thinges theym selfe whiche they signifye and whereof they beare the name Thus doth S. Augustine most plainly open this matter in his epistle to Bonifacius Of this maner of speache wherein a signe is called by the name of the thing which it signifieth speaketh S. Augustine also right largly in his questions super Leuiticum contra Adamantium declaring how bloud in scripture is called the soule A thing which signifieth saith he is wont to be called by the name of the thing whiche it signifieth as it is written in the scripture The vii eares be vii yeares The scripture saith not signyfieth vii yeares And vii kine be vii years and many other lyke And so saide S. Paule that the stone was Christe and not that it signified Christ but euen as it had bin he in deed which neuertheles was not Christ by substance but by significaciō Euen so saith S. August bicause the bloud signifieth representeth the soul therfore in a sacramente or significacion it is called the sowle And Cōtra Adamantiū he writeth much like saying In such wise is blud y e soule as the stone was Christ yet thapostle saith nor that the stone signified Christ but saith it was Christ. And this sentence Bloud is the soule may be vnderstand to be spokē in a signe or figure for Christ did not stick to say This is my body when he gaue the signe of his body Here S. Augustine rehersing diuers sentences which were spoken figuratiuely that is to saye whan one thinge was called by the name of an other and yet was not the other in substance but in significacion as that bludde is the soule vii kyne be vii yeares vii eares be vii yeares the stone
other common bread but for the dignitee whervnto it is taken it is called with addition Heauenly breade the breade of lyfe and the bread of thankes gyuyng The fift that no man ought to be so arrogant and presumptuous to affirme for a certayn truth in religion any thynge whiche is not spoken of in holy scripture And this is spokē to the great and vtter condemnation of the Papistes which make and vnmake newe articles of oure faithe from tyme to tyme at their pleasure without any scripture at all yea quite and cleane contrary to scripture And yet wyll they haue all men bounde to beleue what so euer they inuent vpon peryll of damnation and euerlastyng fyre And they woulde constrayne with fyre and fagotte all men to consent contrary to the manyfest woordes of God to these their erroures in this matter of the holy sacramente of Christes body and bloude Fyrst that there remaineth no bread nor wyne after the consecration but that Christes fleshe and bloud is made of them Seconde that Christes body is really corporally substancially sensibly and naturally in the bread and wyne Thyrdely that wycked persones doo eate and drynke Christes very body and bloude Fourthly that priestes offer Christ euery day make of him a new sacrifice propiciatory for syn Thus for shortnes of tyme do I make an end of Theodoretus with other olde auncient writers which do moste clerely affirme that to eate Christes body and to drynke his bloude be figuratiue speches And so be these sentences like wyse whiche Christe spake at his supper This is my body This is my bloudde And meruail not good reder that Christe at y e time spake in figures whan he did institute that sacrament seing that it is the nature of al sacramentes to be figures And although y e scripture be ful of Schemes tropes figures yet specially it vseth theim whā it speketh of sacramentes When the Ark which represented Gods maiestee was come into the army of the Israelites the Philistians said that god was come into the army And God hym selfe sayd by his prophete Nathan that from the time that he had brought the children of Israell out of Egypte he dwelled not in houses but that he was caried about in tentes and tabernacles And yet was not God hym selfe so caried aboute or wente in tentes or tabernacles but bycause the arke whiche was a figure of God was so remoued from place to place he spake of hym selfe that thyng whyche was to be vnderstand of the Arke And Christ hym selfe often tymes spake in similitudes parables and figures as whan he said The field is the worlde the enemy is the dyuell the sede is the worde of God Iohn is Helias I am a vine and you be the brāches I am bread of lyte My father is an husband mā and he hath his fanne in his hand and wil make cleane his flower and gather the wheat into his barne but the chaffe he wyll caste into euerlastyng fyre I haue a meate to eate whiche you knowe not Woorke not meate that perisheth but that endureth vnto euerlastyng life I am good shepherd The sonne of man wyl set the shepe at his right hand and the goates at his left hād I am a doore One of you is the deuil Whosoeuer dothe my fathers wylle he is my brother syster and mother And whan he sayd to his mother and to Ihon. This is thy sonne this is thy mother These with an infinite numbre of like sentences Christe spake in Parables Metaphores tropes and figures But chiefly whan he spake of the sacramentes he vsed figuratiue speches As whan in Baptisme he sayd that wee must bee baptised with the holy ghost meanyng of spiritual baptisme And lyke speeche vsed sainct Ihon the Baptiste saiyng of Christe that he should Baptise with the holy ghoste and fyre And Christ sayd that wee must be borne againe or els wee can not see the kyngdome of God And sayd also Whosoeuer shall drynke of that water whiche I shall geue hym he shall neuer bee drye agayne But the water whiche I shall geue him shall bee made within him a welle whyche shall spryng into euerlastyng lyfe And sainct Paule sayth that in Baptisme wee clothe vs with Christe and be buryed with him This baptisme washing and newe byrth by the fyre and the holy ghoste and this water that spryngeth in a man floweth into euerlastyng life can not be vnderstande of any material water material washyng and material byrthe but by translacion of thynges visible into thynges inuisible they must bee vnderstande spiritually and figuratiuely After thesame sort the mystery of our redemption and the passion of our sauiour Christ vpon the crosse aswel in the newe as in the old Testament is expressed and declared by many fygures and figuratiue speeches As the pure Paschal lambe without spot signified Christ. The effusion of the lambes bloud signified the effusion of Christes bloud And the saluacion of the children of Israel from temporal death by the lambes bloud signified our saluacion from eternall death by Christes bloud And as almightie God passyng through Egipt killed all the Egyptians heyres in euery house and lefte not one aliue neuerthelesse he passed by the children of Israels houses where he sawe the Lambes bloud vpon the doores and hurted none of them but saued them all by the meanes of the Lambes bloudde so lykewyse at the last iudgement of the whole worlde none shall be passed ouer and saued but that shall be founde marked with the bloud of the moste pure immaculate lambe Iesus Christe And forasmuch as the sheddyng of that lambes bloud was a token figure of the sheddyng of Christes bloud than to come and forasmuche also as all the sacramentes and figures of the old testament ceassed and had an end in Christ leste by our great vnkyndnes we should peraduenture bee forgetfull of the greate benefite of Christ therfore at his last supper when he toke his leaue of his apostles to departe oute of the worlde he dyd make a new wyll and testament wherin he bequeathed vnto vs cleane remission of all our synnes and the euerlastynge inheritance of heauen And the same he confirmed the nexte daie with his owne bloud and death And leste we should forget the same he ordeyned not a yerely memory as the Paschall lambe was eaten but ones euery yere but a dayely remembrance he ordained therof in bread wyne sanctified and dedicated to that purpose saiyng This is my body This cuppe is my bloud whiche is shed for the remission of synnes Do this in the remembrance of me Admonyshyng vs by these wordes spoken at the makyng of his laste wyll and testament and at his departyng out of the worlde bycause they should be the better rememored that whensoeuer we do eate the bread in his holy supper and drynke of that cup
of the Lordes bodye And by and by foloweth So many hostes muste bee offered in the altare as wyll suffice for the people And yf any remayn they must not be kept vntill the mornyng but be spent and consumed of the clearkes with feare and tremblynge And they that consume the residue of the Lordes bodye may not by and by take other common meates least they shoulde mixte that holy portion with the meate which is dygested by the bealy and auoyded by the foundament Therfore if the Lordes portion bee eaten in the mornynge the ministers that consume it must faste vnto sixe of the clocke and if thei do take it at thre or four of the clocke the minister must fast vntyl the euenyng Thus much writeth Clement of this matter If the Epistle which they alledge were Clementes as in dede it is not But they haue fayned many thynges in other mennes names thereby to stablyshe their fayned purposes But whose so euer the Epistle was if it be throughly consydered it maketh muche more agaynst the Papâ—stes than for their pourpose For by the same Epistle appereth euidently thre speciall thyngs against the errours of the Papistes The fyrst is that the breade in the sacramente is called the Lordes body and the peeces of the broken bread be called the peeces and fragmentes of the Lordes body whyche can not bee vnderstande but fyguratiuely The seconde is that the bread oughte not to be reserued and hanged vp as the Papistes euery where doo vse The third is that the priests ought not to receyue the sacrament alone as the Papistes commonly do makyng a sale therof vnto the people but they ought to coÌ„municate with the people And here it is diligently to bee noted that we ought not vnreuerently and vnaduisedly to approche vnto the meate of the Lordes table as we doo to other common meates and drynkes but with great feare and dreade least we shulde come to that holy table vnworthely wherein is not onely represented but also spirytually geuen vnto vs very CHRISTE hym selfe And therfore we ought to come to that boord of the Lorde with all reuerence faythe loue and charitee feare and dread accordyng to the same Here I passeouer Ignatius and Ireneus whiche make nothyng for the Papistes opinions but stand in the commendacion of the holy Communion and in exhortacion of all men to the often and godly receiuyng therrof And yet neither they nor no manne els can extolle and coÌ„mende the same sufficiently accordyng to the dignitee therof if it bee godly vsed as it ought to be Dionysius also whom they allege to praise extoll this sacrament as in dede it is most worthy beyng a sacrament of moste high dignitee and perfection representyng vnto vs our moste perfect spiritual coniunction vnto Christ oure continual norishyng feadyng comforte spiritual life in him yet he neuer sayd that the fleshe and bloud of Christ was in the bread and wyne really corporally sensibly and naturally as the Papistes wold beare vs in hand but he calleth euer the bread and wyne signes pledges and tokens declaryng vnto the faythfull receiuers of the same that they receiue Christ spiritually and that they spiritually eate his flesh drynke his bloud And although the bread and wyne bee the figures signes and tokens of Christes fleshe and bloud as sainct Dionyse calleth them bothe before the consecracion and after yet the Greke annotations vpon the same Dionyse do say that the very thynges them selfes be aboue in heauen And as the same Dionyse maketh nothing for the Papistes opinions in this point of Christes reall and corporall presence so in diuers other things he maketh quite and clean against them and that specially in thre pointes In transubstantiation in reseruacion of the sacrament and in the receauinge of the same by the priest alone Furthermore they do alleage Tertulian that hee constantly affirmeth that in the sacramente of the altare we do eate the body and drinke the blud of our sauiour Christ. To whoÌ„ we graunte that our flesh eateth and drinketh the bread and wyne whiche be called the bodye and bloude of Christ bicause as Tertulian saith they do represent his body and bloude although they bee not really the same in very deed And we graunt also that oure soules by faith do eate his verye body and drinke his bludde but that is spiritually suckinge out of the same euerlastinge lyfe But we deny that vnto this spirituall feedinge is required any reall and corporall presence And therefore this Tertulian speaketh nothinge against the truthe of our catholicke doctrine but he speaketh many thinges most plainly for vs and against the Papistes and specially in thre pointes Firste in that he saithe that Christe called breade his body The second that Christ called it so bycause it representeth his bodye The thirde in that he saithe that by these wordes of Christe This is my bodye is mente This is a figure of my body Moreouer they allege for theym Origen because they would seeme to haue many aunciente authors fauourers of their erronious doctrine whiche Origen is moste clearely against them For although hee do saye as they allege that those things which before were signified by obscure figures be nowe truely in dede and in theyr very nature and kinde accomplished and fulfilled And for the declaration therof he bringeth forth thre examples One of the stone that floweth water an other of the sea and cloude and the thirde of Manna whiche in the olde testamente did signifie Christ to come who is now come in deed and is manifested and exhibited vnto vs as it were face to face and sensibly in his worde in the sacrament of regeneracion and in the sacramentes of breade and wine Yet Origene mente not that Christ is corporally either in his worde or in the water of baptime or in the breade and wine nor that we carnally and corporally be regenerated and borne againe or eate Christes flesh blood For our regeneracion in Christ is spiritual and our eating and drinking is a spirituall feeding which kinde of regeneration and feeding requireth no real and corporall presence of Christ but onlye his presence in spirite grace and effectuall operacion And that Origen thus mente that Christes fleshe is a spirituall meate and his bludde a spirituall drinke and that the eating and drynkinge of his fleshe and bloude maye not bee vnderstande literallye but spirytually it is manifested by Origenes owne woordes in his seuenth homylye vppon the booke called Leuiticus where hee sheweth that those wordes must bee vnderstande figuratiuely and who so euer vnderstandeth theim otherwise they bee deceaued and take harme by their owne grosse vnderstandinge And likewise ment Cypriane in those places whiche the aduersaries of the truthe alleadge of hym concernynge the true eatinge of Christes very fleshe and drinkinge of his bludde For Cyprian spake of no grosse and carnal eatinge with the mouth but of an inward
neither corporal nor local but an heauenly spiritual supernatural dwellyng wherby so long as we dwell in him he in vs we haue by him euerlastyng life And therfore Cyril sayth in the same place that Christ is the vyne and wee the braunches because that by him wee haue life For as the braunches receiue lyfe and nourishement of the body of the vyne so receiue we by him the natural propertie of his body whiche is life and immortalitee by that meanes we beyng his membres do liue and are spiritually norished And this ment Cyril by this worde Corporally when he sayth that Christ dwelleth corporally in vs. And the same ment also sainct Hilarius by this woorde Naturally whan he sayd that Christ dwelleth naturally in vs. And as sainct Paule whan he sayd that in Christ dwelleth the full diuinitee Corporally by this worde Corporally he ment not that the diuinitee is a body so by that body dwelleth bodely in Christ. But by this worde Corporally he ment that the diuinitee is not in Christ accidentally lightly and slenderly but substantially and perfectely wyth all hys mighte and power so that CHRIST was not onely a mortall manne to suffre for vs but also hee was immortall God able to redeeme vs. So S. Cyril whan he sayd that Christ is in vs corporally he mente that we haue him in vs not lightly and to small effecte and purpose but that we haue him in vs substantially pythelye and effectually in suche wise that wee haue by hym redemption and euerlastinge lyfe And this I sucke not out of myne owne fyngers but haue it of Cyrils owne expresse words where he saith A lyttle benediction draweth the whole manne to god and filleth him with grace and after this manner Christe dwelleth in vs and we in CHRIST But as for corporall eatinge and drinkinge with our mouths and digesting with our bodies Cyril neuer ment that Christ doth so dwel in vs as he plainly declareth Our sacrament saith he doth not affirme the eatinge of a manne drawynge wickedly christen people to haue grosse imaginacions and carnal fantasies of suche thinges as be fine and pure receiued onely with a sincere faithe But as twoo waxes that be molten put togither they close so in one that euery part of the one is ioyned to euery parte of the other euen so saith Cyril he that receiueth the flesh and bloode of the Lord muste needes bee so ioyned with Christ that Christ must be in him and he in Christ. By these wordes of Cyril appeareth his mind plainly that wee maye not grossely and rudelye thinke of the eating of Christ with our mouths but with our faith by which eatinge although he be absente hence bodely and be in the eternall life and glorye with his father yet we bee made partakers of hys nature to bee immortal and haue eternall lyfe and glorye with him And thus is declared the minde aswell of Cyryll as of Hylarius And here may be wel enough passed ouer Basilius Gregorius Nissenus and Gregorius Nazianzenus partely bycause they speake lyttle of this mattier and partely bycause they maye bee easyly aunswered vnto by that which is before declared and often repeted whiche is that a fygure hath the name of the thing wherof it is the figure and therefore of the fygure maye be spoken the same thinge that maye be spoken of the thynge it selfe And as concerninge the eatinge of Christes fleshe and drinkinge of his bludde they spake of the spirituall eatinge and drinkinge thereof by faith and not of corporall eating and drnkinge with the mouth and teethe Likewise Eusebius Emissenus is shortly answered vnto for he speaketh not of any real and corporall conuersion of breade and wyne into Christes body and bludde nor of any corporall and reall eating and drinkinge of the same but hee speaketh of a sacramentall conuersion of bread and wyne and of a spirituall eatinge and drynkyng of the body and bloode After whiche sorte Christe is as well present in baptisme as the same Eusebius plainly there declareth as he is in the Lordes table Which is not carnally and corporally but by faithe and spiritually But of thys authour is spoken beefore more at large in the matter of transubstantiation fo 24. And now I wyll come to the saying of S. Ambrose whiche is alwaies in their mouthes Before the consecration saith he as they allege it is bread but after the woordes of consecration it is the body of Chryste For answere herevnto yt muste be fyrste knowen what Consecration is Consecration is the separation of anye thing from a prophane and wordely vse vnto a spirituall and godly vse And therfore whan vsual and common water is taken frome other vses and put to the vse of baptisme in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost than it may rightly be called Consecrated water that is to saye water put to an holy vse Euen so whan cōmon bread wine be taken seuered frō other bread and wyne to the vse of y e holy cōmunion that portion of bread and wyne although it be of the same substance that the other is frō the whych it is seuered yet it is nowe called consecrated or holy bread and holy wyne Not that the bread and wine haue or can haue any holynes in them but that they be vsed to an holy worke and represent holy godly thinges And therfore S. Dionyse calleth the breade holy breade and the cuppe an holy cuppe as soone as they bee sette vppon the aultate to the vse of the holy communion But specially they maye be called holye and consecrated when they be separated to that holy vse of Christes owne wordes whiche he spake for that purpose saying of the breade This is my body And of the wyne This is my bloude So that commonly the authors before those wordes be spoken do take the breade and wyne but as other common bread and wine but after those woordes be pronounced ouer theym than they take theym for consecrated and holy breade and wyne Not that the bread and wine can be partakers of any holynes or godlynesse or can be the body and bloode of Christ but that they represent the very bodye and bloude of Christe and the holy foode and nourishement which we haue by him And so thei be called by the names of the body bloud of Christ as the signe token and figure is called by the name of the very thinge whiche it sheweth and signifieth And therefore as S. Ambrose in the wordes before cited by the aduersaries saith that beefore the consecration it is bread and after the cōsecration it is Christes body so in other places he dothe more plainly sette forth his meaninge saying these wordes Before the benediction of the heauenly wordes it is called an other kinde of thinge but after the consecration is signified the body of
eatynge of CHRISTES very bodye and drynkyng of his bloude Thus endeth the thirde booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE IS OF THE EATYNG AND DRINKYNG OF the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christe THE GROSSE errour of the Papistes is of the carnal eatyng and drynkyng of Christes fleshe bloud with our mouthes For they say that whosoeuer eate and drynke the sacramentes of bread and wyne do eate and drynk also with their mouthes Christes very fleshe and bloud be they neuer so vngodly and wicked persons But Christ hym selfe taughte cleane contrary in the .vi. of Iohn y t we eate not hym carnally with our mouths but spiritually with our faith saiyng Uerely verely I say vnto you he y t beleueth in me hath euerlastiÌ„g life I am y e bread of life Your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernes and died This is the bread that cam froÌ„ heauen that who so euer shall eate therof shall not dye I am the liuely bread that cam from heuen If any man eate of this bread he shal lyue for euer And the bread whiche I wyll geue is my fleshe whyche I wyll geue for the lyfe of the worlde This is the moste trewe doctrine of our sauiour Christe that who so euer eateth hym shall haue euerlasting life And by and by it foloweth in the same place of Iohn more cleerely Ueryly verely I say vnto you except you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke his bloud you shall not haue lyfe in you He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloud hath lyfe euerlastyng and I wyll rayse hym agayne at the laste daye For my fleshe is very meate and my bloudde is very drynke He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym As the lyuyng father hath sente me and I lyue by the father euen so he that eateth me shal lyue by me This is the bread whiche came downe from heauen not as your fathers dyd eate Manna and are dead he that eateth of this bread shall lyue for euer This taught our sauiour Christe as well his disciples as the Iewes at Capernaum that the eatyng of his fleshe and drynkyng of his bloude was not lyke to the eatyng of MaÌ„na For both good and badde dyd eate Manna but none do eate his fleshe and drynke his bloudde but they haue euerlastyng lyfe For as his father dwelleth in hym and he in his father and so hathe lyfe by his father so he that eateth Christes fleshe and drynketh his bloud dwelleth in Christ Christ in him by Christ he hath eternall lyfe What nede we any other witnesse whaÌ„ Christe hym selfe doth testifie the matter so plainly that who so euer eateth his fleshe and drynketh his bloud hath euerlastynge lyfe and that to eate his fleshe and to drinke his bloud is to beleue in hym And who so euer beleueth in him hath euerlastyng lyfe Whereof it foloweth necessaryly that vngodly persons beyng lymmes of the diuell do not eate Christes fleshe nor drynke his bloud excepte the Papistes wold saie that suche haue euerlastyng lyfe But as the dyuell is the foode of the wycked whiche he nourisheth in all iniquitee and bryngeth vp into euerlastyng daÌ„nation so is Christe the very fode of al them that bee the liuely membres of his body and them he norisheth fedeth bringeth vp and cherisheth vnto euerlasting life And euery good and faythfull christian man feeleth in hym selfe bowe he feedeth of Christe eatyng his fleshe and drynkyng his bloud For he putteth the hole hope and trust of his redemption and saluation in that only sacrifice which Christ made vpon the Crosse hauyng his body there broken and his bloud there shedde for the remission of his synnes And this greate benefite of Christe the faithfull man earnestly considereth in his mynde chaweth and digesteth it with the stomake of his harte spiritually receauynge Christe wholly into hym and gyuyng agayne hym selfe wholly vnto Christe And this is the eatyng of Christes flesh drinkyng of his blud the felyng wherof is to euery maÌ„ the felyng how he eateth drynketh Christ which none euil maÌ„ nor meÌ„bre of the diuel can do For as Christ is a spiritual meate so is he spritually eaten digested with the spirituall part of vs and geueth vs spirituall and eternall lyf and is not eaten swalowed and dygested with oure teeth tungues throtes and bealyes Therfore saith S. Cyprian he that drynketh of the holy cup remembrynge this benefite of God is more thirsty than he was before And lifting vp his hart vnto the lyuyng God is taken with suche a singular hunger and appetite that he abhorreth all gally and bytter drynkes of synne and al sauour of carnall pleasure is to him as it were sharpe sowre vineger And the synner beyng conuerted receauyng the holy mysteries of the Lordes supper geueth thankes vnto God boweth downe his head knowyng that his sinnes be forgeuen and that he is made cleane and perfecte and his soule whiche God hath sanctified he rendreth to God agayne as a faythfull pledge and than he glorâ—eth with Paule and reioyseth saieng Nowe it is not I that lyue but it is Christ that lyueth within me These thynges be practised and vsed among faithfull people and to pure myndes the eatyng of his fleshe is no horrour but honour and the spirite delyteth in the drynkyng of the holy and sanctifyenge bloude And dooyng this we whette not our teethe to byte but with pure faith we breake the holy breade These be the woordes of Cyprian And acording vnto the same S. Austen saith Prepare not thy iawes but thy hert And in an other place as it is cited of him he saith why dost thou prepare thy bely thy teeth beleue thou hast eaten But of this matter is sufficiently spokeÌ„ before where it is proued that to eate Christs flesh and drinke his bloud bee figuratiue speeches And now to returne to our purpose that only the liuely membres of Christ do eate his fleshe drynke his blud I shal bryng furth many other places of auncieÌ„t authors before not meÌ„cioned Fyrst Origen writeth plainly after this maner The worde was made fleshe and very meat whiche whoso eateth shall surely liue for euer whiche no euil man can eate For if it could be that he that contynueth euil might eate the woorde made fleshe seyng that he is the woorde bread of life it should not haue been written Whosoeuer eateth this bread shall liue for euer These wordes be so plaine that I nede say nothyng for the more cleare declaracion of them Wherfore you shal heare howe Cyprian agreeth with him Cyprian in his sermon ascribed vnto him of the Lordes supper sayth The author of this tradicion sayd that except we eate his fleshe and drynke his bloud we should haue no life in vs instructyng vs with a spiritual lesson and openyng to vs a way to vnderstaÌ„d so priuy
he spake not that of the priestes of the Newe testament but of the olde whiche as he sayth offered calues goates And yet they were not suche priestes that by their offerynges and sacrifices they could take awaye the peoples synnes but they were shadowes and figures of Christ our euerlastyng priest whiche onely by one oblacion of himselfe taketh away the synnes of the worlde Wherfore the Popishe priestes that apply this text vnto them selues do directly coÌ„trary to the meanyng of sainct Paule to the great iniury preiudice of Christ by whom only sainct Paule sayth that the sacrifice oblacion for the synne of the whole worlde was accoÌ„plished fulfilled And as litle serueth for the Papistes purpose the texte of the Prophete Malachie that euery where should be offered vnto God a pure sacrifice and oblation For the prophet in that place spake no worde of the Masse nor of any oblacioÌ„ propitiatory to bee made by the priestes but he spake of the oblation of all faythfull people in what place soeuer they bee whiche offre vnto God with pure heartes and myndes sacrifices of laude and prayse propheciyng of the vocacion of the Gentyles that God would extende his mercy vnto them and not be the God onely of the Iewes but of all nations from East to West that with pure fayth call vpon him and glorify his name But the aduersaries of Christe gather together a greate heape of authors whiche as they say cal the Masse or holy communion a Sacrifice But all those authors be answered vnto in this one sentence that they called it not a sacrifice for sinne bicause that it taketh awaye oure synne which was taken away only by the death of Christ but bicause it was ordained of Christ to put vs in remembraunce of the sacrifice made by him vpon the crosse And for that cause it beareth the name of that sacrifice as S. Augustine declareth plainlye in his Epistle ad Bonifacium before rehersed in this booke fol. 64. And in his boke De fide ad Petrum diaconum before rehersed also And in his booke De ciuitate Dei he saith That which men call a sacrifice is a signe or representacion of the true sacrifice And the Maister of the sentence of whom all the schoole authors take their occasion to write iudged truly in this point saying That which ys offered consecrated of the priest is called a sacrifice and oblation bicause it is a memorye and representacion of the trewe sacrifice and holye oblation made in the altare of the crosse And S. Iohn Chrysostome after he hath said that Christe is our Byshop whiche offered that sacrifice that made vs cleane and that we offre the same nowe least any man might be deceaued by his manner of speakinge he openeth his meaninge more plainly saying That whiche wee doo is doone for a remembraunce of that whiche was doone by Christe For Christe saith Do this in remembraunce of me Also Chrysostome declaring at length that y e priests of the old law offered euer new sacrifices and changed them from time to tyme that christiaÌ„ people do not so but offre euer one sacrifice of Christ yet by by lest some meÌ„ might be offeÌ„ded w t this speache he maketh as it were a correctioÌ„ of his wordes saying But rather we make a remembrance of Christes sacrifice As though he shuld say Although in a certaine kinde of speach we may sai y t euery day we make a sacrifice of Christe yet in very deede to speake properly we make no sacrifice of him but only a coÌ„memoration remembrance of that sacrifice whiche he alone made neuer none but he Nor Christ neuer gaue this honor to any creature y t he shuld make a sacrifice of him nor did not ordain the sacrameÌ„t of his holi supper to the inteÌ„t y t either the people shuld sacrifice Christ againe or that y e priests shuld make a sacrifice of him for y e people but his holy supper was ordained for this purpose that euery man eating drinking therof shuld remembre that Christ died for him and so shuld exercise his faith and comforte him selfe by the remembraunce of Christes bnefites and so giue vnto Christ most harty thanks and giue himselfe also clearly vnto him Wherfore y e ordinance of Christ ought to be folowed y e priest to minister the sacrameÌ„t to y e people they to vse it to their consolation And in this eating drinking and vsing of the lords supper we make not of Christ a newe sacrifice propitiatory for remission of sinne But the humble confession of al penitent hartes theyr knowledgyng of Chrystes benefytes their thanks giuing for the same their faith and consolation in Christe their humble submission and obedience to goddes wyll and commaundementes is a sacrifice of laude praise accepted and alowed of god no lesse then the sacrifyce of the priest For almyghty god wythout respect of persone accepteth the oblatyon and sacrifyce of priest lay person of kyng subiect of mayster and seruaunt of man and woman of yonge and olde yea of English French Scot Greek Latine Iewe and Gentyle of euery maÌ„ accorig to his faithfull obedient hart vnto him and that through y e sacrifice propiciatory of Iesu Chryst. And as for the sayiÌ„g or singing of Masse by y e priest as it was in time passed vsed it is neither a sacrifyce propiciatorye nor yet a sacrifyce of laud praise nor in any wise alowed before god but abhominable and detestable and therof mai well be verefied the saying of CHRIST That thing which seemeth an high thinge before men is abhominacion before God They therfore which gather of the doctours that the Masse is a sacrifice for remission of syn and that it is applied by the prieste to theim for whom he saith or singeth they whiche so gather of the doctours do to them most greuous iniury and wronge moste falsely belying them For these monstrous thinges were neuer seen nor knowen of the olde and primitiue churche nor there was not than in one Churche manye Masses euery daye but vppon certayne dayes there was a common table of the lordes supper where a numbre of people did togither receive y â— body and blud of the lord but there were then no daily priuate Masses where euery preest receaued alone lyke as vntill this daye there is none in the Greeke churches but one common Masse in a daye Nor the holy fathers of the old church would not haue suffered suche vngodly and wicked abuses of the Lordes supper But these priuate Masses sprange vppe of late yeares partelye throughe the ignoraunce and supersticion of vnlearned Monks and Fryers whiche knewe not what a saâ—ifyce was but made of the Masse a sacrifice propiciatorye to remytte both synne and the paine due for the same but chiefely they sprange of lucre and gaine when priestes founde the meanes to