my body And by this reason prooueth our Sauiour Christs bodie to be not spectrum or phantasma a ghost or phantasticall body as Marcion that monster blasphemed but a true body like vnto ours because the Sacrament is a figure of it which it could not be except it were a true body But the Papists doctrin in this point sauoreth strongly of Martions blasphemie for to say that Christs body is in heauen and earth yea and in infinite places of the earth at one instant and that the natural real body of Christ is vnder the formes of bread and wine without any forme quality or quantity of a body without breadth length or thicknes what is this but to make it no true body as Martion did And euen so S. Augustine intreating of Christs bodie saith Epist 57. ad Dardanum NaÌ„ spatia locorum tolle corporibus nusqueÌ„ erunt quia nusquam erunt non erunt Tolle ipsa corpora qualitatibus corporum non erit vbi sint ideo necesse est vt non sint i. for take from bodies the spaces of place they shal be no where and because they be no no where they be not at al. Take the bodies from the qualities of bodies there can be no place where they may be and therfore it must of necessitie be that they be not But the Papists attribute neither place nor qualitie to Christs bodie in the sacrament therefore by S. Augustines iudgement they make it no body and so as I said agrée in one with that monster Martian But to returne to my purpose and to shew that the fathers haue expounded those words of our sauiour Christ in that sense which I haue before declared Augustine saith I may expound that commaundement to be put in the signe Lib. cont Adunantum Maneche dist cap. 12. for our Lord did not doubt to say This is my body when he gaue a signe of his bodie In Psal 3. in 1. â—or 11. Again he admitted him Iudas to the feast wherein he commended and deliuered to his disciples a figure of his bodie and blood Ambrose saith De iis qui initiantur cap. 9. In eating and drinking we do signifie the bodie and blood of Christ which were offered for vs. Againe De Conseâ—ra dist 2. cap. Reuera before Consecration it is named an other kind after Consecration the bodie of Christ is signified The gréeke Fathers in like maner call the sacrament a signe figure or token of Christs body Gegory NazianzeÌ„ Apâ—lâ—g pâ—g 1◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how dare he which first hath not offred himselfe a liuely sacrifice offer to God that outward sacrifice which is a signe or example of those great mysteries and the like he hath in his oration vpon his sister Gorgonia Basile saith Pag. 56. In Canâ—â—â—â—â—turgia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath left vnto vs memorials or remembrances of his passion by which commeth saluation which according to his commaundement we propound vnto you So Theodoritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tell me therfore Dialog 2. those mysticall signes which of the priests bee offered to God of what things be they signes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lords bodie and blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his true bodie or not of his true bodie or not of his true bodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his true bodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verie wel for an image must haue a patterne whereof it is an Image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen as Painters also do imitate nature and paint the images of those things that be séene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if then the diuine mysteries be signes or figures of a true bodie the bodie of our Lord is yet a bodie not changed into the nature of the godhead but replenished with diuine glory Homil. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So saith Macarius In the Church is offered bread and wine examples of his flesh and blood These places that I alledge no moe sufficiently shew that it was not straunge to the godlie fathers to call this sacrament a signe token figure and example of Christs bodie and that they vnderstood these words This is my bodie in that sense the bread to be called Christs bodie because it is an holie signe example and pledge of Christs bodie offred vpon the crosse for vs. Now although I may seeme to haue sufficientlie spoken of the true sense and meaning of these words This is my bodie withall to haue opened the true doctrine of this sacrament yet because many men be not as yet satisfied in this point but the popish doctrine of Transubstantiation and carnall presence of Christs bodie vnder the formes of bread and wine sticketh still in their stomaks I haue thought it very néedfull further to prosecute this matter and more particularly and largely to confute the said errors and to lay open the nakednesse and weaknesse of them The false doctrine of the Papists concerning their Transubstantiation which they corruptly gather of those words of our Sauiour Christ consisteth in two speciall points the one in that they say that after the words of Consecration there remaineth no substance of bread and wine but onely the outward accidences thereof as whitenes roundnes c. The other that the very naturall bodie of Christ which was borne of the blessed virgin is there vnder the said formes of bread and wine As touching the first that there remaneth no substance of bread wine I say that this is contrary to the holy scriptures contrary to the writings of the auncient godly fathers contrarie to the iudgement of all our senses contrarie to the nature of a Sacrament lastly such a doctrin as bringeth with it many absurdities Matth. 26.29 That it is contrary to the scriptures I proue it thus Christ saith I wil drinke no more of the fruit of this vine vntill that day that I shall drinke it with you new in the kingdome of my father Our Sauiour Christ heere speaking of his supper and after his supper calleth it the fruit of the vine which is wine and not blood S. Paul saieth the bread which we break is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ 2. Cor. 10.16 S. Paul here not onely saith that bread is the Communion of Christs body but also saith Which we breake Now what do we breake onely accidences without a substance that is an absurd follie or doe we breake Christs body as Pope Nicolas with his counsell compelled that learned man Berengarius to affirme Dâ— Consec dist 2. cap. Ego Berengarius but that is wicked blasphemie Therefore it is manifest that that which is broken is bread and that bread broken is the communion of the bodie of Christ that is as I before declared a Sacrament and pledge vnto vs of our spirituall and yet
vnderstand that which I haue spoken You shall not eate this bodie which you sée nor drinke that blood which they shall shead that crucifie mée I commend vnto you a certaine sacrament which being spiritually vnderstood shall quicken you For although it must of necessity be visiblie celebrated yet it must inuisibly be vnderstood Iustinus Martyr saith Iustinus Apol. 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 162. that the substance of the sacrament is turned into vs and that thereby our flesh and blood is nourished But it were a great absurdity to say that our flesh and blood is nourished of Christs bodie and blood conuerted into them Therefore it is bread wine which be turned into vs and whereby we are nourished By these places that I alledge no more it is as cleare as the sunne that the godly fathers did nothing at all doubt of this our doctrin but were of this iudgement that the substance of bread and wine remaine still in the sacrament Now it followeth that I shew that this doctrine of the Papists is contrary to the nature of a sacrament the which sufficiently appeareth by that which is before declared for I shewed that a sacrameÌ„t consisteth of two things an earthly and an heauenly the signe the thing signified and that there must be a similitude and agréement betwéene these two or else as I alledged out of Augustine it can be no sacrament Epis 13. for as bread and wine féede strengthen and comfort mans heart and bodie so Christs bodie and blood féed strengthen and comfort our soules Now if there be no bread nor wine then it cannot féede strengthen and comfort vs and then it hath no similitude and agréement with Christs bodie and blood and so by consequent according to Augustines iudgement it is no sacrament And thus the Papists striuing through blinde ignorance to take bread and wine from the sacrament do indéede take away the sacrament it self and so haue nothing but an Idole of their owne Now it remaineth that I proue it to be contrarie to the iudgement of our senses the which néedeth no proofe for who knoweth not that to the eie it is bread and wine to the taste it is breade and wine to the féeling and smelling it is breade and wine and not the body blood of Christ Therefore I conclude that it is bread wine But here me thinke I heare some Papists exclaiming and saying phy for shame that you should vse such Arguments to measure these mysteries by the externall iudgement of our senses I answere that I am nothing at al ashamed of this argument séeing that the best disputer that euer was in the world and that most mightily maintained the truth and confounded his aduersaries vsed the same which was neither Chrisippus nor Aristotle but Iesus Christ the son of God for when he appeared after his resurrection to his disciples and they were abashed affraid Luke 24 37. Ioh. 20 2â— supposing they had séene a spirit he said vnto them why are ye troubled wherefore do doubts arise in your hearts 17. behold my hands my féete for it is I my self Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee sée me haue Here we sée that our sauiour proueth by séeing and handling his bodie to be no spirit but a true bodie The same reason doth Tertullian vse against that monster Martion of whom I before spake his words be these Hic primum manus ei iniectas animaduertens Lib. 4. adueâ—â— Martionem necesse habeo iam de substantia eius corporali prefinire quòd non possit phantasma credi qui contactum quidem violentia plenum detentus captus ad precipitium vsque protractus admisserit i. I considering that heere first hands were laid vpon him Christ I must of necessitie determine of his Corporall substance Luk. 4. that he cannot bée thought to be a spirit or ghost who being detained and kept and brought euen vnto the steypie place suffered himselfe so violently to be handled and to that purpose immediatly after alledgeth a verse of Lucretius Tangere enim tangi nisi corpus nulla potest res i. Nothing can touch and be touched but a bodie Therfore either our sauiour Christ and Tertullian vsed a reason that hath no reason which I trust our aduersaries will not say or else our reason is verie strong that trie it by touching séeing tasting and it will appeare to be bread And so much the stronger is this reasoÌ„ for that our said aduersaries caÌ„not shew one example in all the scriptures where one substance by Gods mighty power being changed into an other there was not also an outward change of the qualities and properties thereof to be deserued by the outward senses As when Moses rodde was chaunged into a serpent Exod. 4.3 it was not onely in substance but also in externall shew a serpent so that Moses for feare fled from it Exod. 7.21 When the water in Egypt was turned into blood it was blood not onely in substance but also in external appearance to the eye tast so that the Egyptians could not drinke of it Iohn 2.9 When our sauiour Christ had in Cana of Galile turned the water into wine the gouernour of the feast as soone as he tasted it perceiued it to be verie good wine And therefore this should séeme to be very straunge that here should be such a chaunge or transubstantiation as they terme it of one thing into another and no alteration of any outward qualities to be discerned by the iudgement of the senses This were contrarie to Gods working in all other myracles So that it is hereby euident that this is no such myracle as they imagine as also Augustine flatly affirmeth in his third Booke and 10. Chapt. of the Trinitie Aug. de mirabâ—â— libus Script And the same Augustine writing a particuler booke of all the myracles in the scriptures maketh no mention at all hereof by these reasons before alledged it doth I trust plainely appeare that the substance of bread wine in the sacrament do remaine and continue well then say the Papists it is but bread and we may receiue it as onely a péece of bread Nay not so we teach and beléeue Iustinus Apog 2 Ireneus lib. 4. cap. 34. that it is not to compted nor receiued as common bread and wine but a sacrament of Iesus Christ a seale of Gods promises yea and an effectual instrument of Gods grace whereby Iesus Christ with his righteousnes and al other benefits of his passion is offred vnto vs. And to make this matter more plaine by an example euen as the Queenes maiesties seale ioyned to her Letters pattents is in substance waxe stil but yet not to be reputed as commoÌ„ waxe but to be reuerenced as her maiesties seale and it and the said Letters pattents to the which it is ioyned carry a power
by faith Ephes 3.17 by the which he dwelleth in vs as the Apostle saith we be made flesh of his flesh 5.30 and bone of his bones Moreouer Christ did breake the bread not to eat it all himselfe as masse priests do Durand lib. 4. cap. 53. nor to offer one part for the soules in heauen an other for them that be aliue and the third for the soules in purgatory as it is also their vse but to distribute it to his disciples that they might take and eate it And therefore my text saith he brake it and gaue it to his disciples saying take ye eate ye this is my body Wherein we are to note that he saith not looke vpon it knéele and knock vnto it and worship it but he saith Take ye eat ye promising then it shal be his body vnto them so that here is a commaundemeÌ„t and also a promise The commaundement in these words take ye eate ye the promise in these This is my bodie wherefore if we looke to be partakers of the promise we must yeeld obedience to the commandemeÌ„t the which if we refuse to doe we cannot looke to be partakers of the promise As for example God saith psal 50.15 call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thée if we obey the commaundement and call vpon God in the time of our trouble we may be assured of the performance of the promise that God will deliuer vs then and in that sort as he knoweth to be best for vs for our God is not more liberall in promising then he is most faithfull in performing But if we doe not in our trouble call vpon God we cannot looke that he should deliuer vs. Euen so here if we obey not Christes commaundement and do not take and eate it but looke knéele adore it we cannot looke that it shal be Christs body vnto vs for it is not further a sacrament to vs then we according to our sauiours institution do take and eate it No saith B. Boner I wil easily confute that In M. Philpots examinations is not a capon a capon vnlesse I eat it euen so saith he it is a sacrament and Christs bodie although we doe not receiue it I answere that B. Boner had as it appeared by his fat face greasie belly by his foolish reasoning better skil in a fat capon then in the doctrine of diuinity and namely of this sacrament for a capon being a natural thing is a capon as bread is bread and wine is wine although they be not receiued but a sacrament being a thing not of nature but by grace is not further a sacrament then it is ioyned to Gods promise and institution applied to that vse whereunto it was ordayned The water which flowed in the wildernes out of the rocke was a sacrament of Iesus Christ to the Israelits which drank of it 1. Cor. 10.4 as Saint Paul sheweth but whereas not onely the Israelits but also their cattel did drink of the same water was it a sacrament to the cattel No. If one should take the water wherein a child hath bene baptised and apply it to some common prophane vse is it then a sacrameÌ„t No. It is not a sacrament further then it is ioyned to Christs inâ—titution and one baptised in it Euen so the bread and wine is no further a Sacrament then according to Christs institution and cammaundement it is taken eaten Therefore to the Papists in their priuate masses not taking eating it according to Christs commandement but gaping knéeling to it worshipping it which he hath neuer commanded Hierem. 7.31 neither euer came into his heart as the prophet speaketh it is not Christs body but they commit most abhominable Idolatrie in giuing that worship to the creature which is due to Christ the Creator who is blessed for euer But further of this their Idolatrous adoration I will not now intreat but come to that which followeth This is my body in expounding of which words many respecting more the outward sound of the wordes then considering the simple sense meaning of Iesus Christ haue bene fouly deceiued and haue hereof gathered sundrie great errors And euen so the verie Euangelists do shew that diuers more regarding the externall sounde of Christs words then marking his meaning haue bene greatly deceiued As when our Sauiour Christ warned his disciples to beware of the leauen of the Pharises and Saduces Matth. 16.6 his Disciples did thinke that he spake of outward breade whereas his meaning was to admonish them to take heed of the sower corrupt doctrine of the Pharises and Saduces 12. So when our Sauior said vnto the Iewes Iohn 2.19 destroy this temple in three dayes I wil raise it vp againe they thought that Christ had spoken of the materiall temple of Ierusalem and therfore they said fortie and sixe yeares was this Temple a building and wilt thou reare it vp in three dayes But he spake of the temple of his bodie In like maner when our Sauior Christ said to Nicodemus Ioh. 3.3 except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdome of God Nicodemus taking it grosly of the outward byrth sayd how can a man be born that is olde can he enter into his mothers wombe againe be borne But Christ spake of spiritual regeneratioÌ„ wrought by the holy Ghost Many such other examples might be alledged but I will content my selfe onely with that one of the Capernaits the cosen germans or rather deare brethren of our papists for whereas our sauiour Christ said Iohn 6.51 I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world They grosly vnderstanding this of the carnal external eating of Christs flesh said how can this man giue vs his flesh to eat and againe this is an hard saying who can heare it 60. But Christ spake spiritually of the spirituall and not of carnall eating of his flesh therefore he saith 63. it is the spirite that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you are spirit and life In like manner let vs in this matter take diligent héed that by too much grating vpon the letter respecting the outward sound of words not considering Christs meaning we be not seduced and caried into errour in grossely and carnally taking that which Christ our sauiour spiritually sacrameÌ„tally did speak Aduers Praxca The counsel of Tertullian herein is to be regarded and followed who saith Malo te ad sensum rei quam ad sonuÌ„ vocaboli exerceas i. I would that thou exercise thy selfe rather to the sense of the matter theÌ„ to the sound of the word Therefore that we may vnderstand the true sense meaning of these