of the texte and sterting holes and do not take the proposition or the clause playnelie as the wordes sound without any ferther addicion or circumstauÌ„ce And the selfe same thynge also ye maye see in the wordes is betraighed or deliuered and is shedde forth The which wordes if while we pronounce the wordes in the conâ—ecration and halowing they betakeÌ„ as they soâ—ne the body of Christe shall be signified that euen now it is deliuered vnto the crosse and hys bloude is euen nowe at thys presente shedde forthe or els immediatlye to be shedde forthe But nowe they wyll haue these wordes to be referred to the tymes pasâ—e so that we muste vnderstand the body to be already deliuered the bloud already to be shed a great while ago so to do is haÌ„dle the matier with tropes and figuratiue speakinges whaÌ„ one tyme is taken for another and one tyme referred to an other or vsed for another Nowe where Paule sayd that they were gyltye of the body bloud of the lord which eat it vnworthely also that such persons dooe eat iudgement vnto them selues bicause they make no difference of the Lordes bodye all this is no matter at all For Ambrose maketh answere as touching the fyrst while he enterpreteth that same very place of scripture and there he thus sayeth They shall be punished for the Lordes deathe bycause he was put to deathe for such as accoumpt and reken his benifite in vaine Ambrose dothe expoune such to be guiltye of the Lordes deathâ— as we haue heard and yet â—s not transubstaÌ„tiation thereunto required And suche as take it vnworthelye are iustelye affirmed not to put such difference as they oughte that is they are iudged not to haue the lordes body in due price and estimation For so great a coniunction there is betwne the signes and the things that are signified that the despisyngâ— or vnreuerente vsinge of the one redoundeth to the other The vnreueâ—ent vsinge of the sacrament redouÌ„â—eth to the bodi of Christe which is the thing of the Sacrameâ—te After the same maner spake Paule whan he sayde A man prayinge or preachynge wyth hys heade couered dothe open vilanye vnto Christe Where Paule playnely determined that it redounded to Chriâ—t and touched Christes honoure that was done about the heade of a man bycause it was a sygne and token of Christe It is further to be considered that Paule wrote vnto the Corinthians whyche were a people not altogyther destitute of fayeth but they were infected wyth certaine infirmities and as for such kinde of people we haue not sayde that they receyue onelye the sygnes and not to haue the body of Christe but it is of infideles EpicuriaÌ„s that thynke there is no god and of suche as are cutte of frome the congregation of suche it is I saye that we pronounce that they receyue the sygnes onelye Wherfore it myght well be sayd to the CorinthiaÌ„s not only as coÌ„cernyng the signes but also as touching the thyng of the Sacrament that they were guiltie of the bodye and bloud of the lorde and that they didde not putte a difference betwene the Lordes bodye for asmuche as thei receiued the thynges with feith and did not expresse the same feith in theyr liuyng And here this thyng also is diligently to be marked that Paule whan he traicteth of the sacramentall accion or dooing that is to wete of eatynge and drynkynge of the sacrament at the veray receyuyng of it he so speaketh of it that he calleth it breade saying Who so eateth this breade c but afterwarde whan he goeth about to shewe the fault of ill receiuing it how great and grieuous it is than doeth he so make mencion of it that he calleth it the lordes bodye Ferthermore if the matier bee well examined and iustely rekoned it shall bee found that in all his traiâ—â—yng of this Sacramente the Apostle hath oftener expressed the name of bread then he hath mencioned the Lordes body For ye maye well fynd that fiue tymes he made expresse mencion of breade but of the Lordes bodye no more but fower tymes But now is it to bee seene and considered what occasions thei bee that dooe so earnestly moue vs to take this clause and sayinge of Chrâ—ste This is my body as a thing figurately spoken Fyrst and formoste we dooe consider that Christ himselfe was presente at the supper so that it was a thyng nedelesse for hym to shewe his bodye to the Apostles For thei sawe hym there presente with theyr yies Secondly how coulde it possibly bee doen that hymselfe should really and corporally or bodylye eate his owne selfe And that he did coÌ„municate with his Apostles is not onely affâ—rmed by the old fathers and auncient wryters but also Christ hymselfe doeth saye it as thou haste in the ghospell of Matthewe wher Christ sayeth After this tyme I shall not drynke of this fruite of the vinetree Ferthermore we haue a regard that here it is treated of the memoryal and remembraunce of his death and passion wherein is well to be notifyed that there is a figuratiue speakyng in the woordes And as for these transubstanciatours we se that thei dooe chaunge the tymes so that that whiche is spoken by the future tense that is to saye for the tyme to come or by the presentense that is to saye for the tyme that is nowâ— present of the delyueryng of the Lordes bodye and of the sheddyng foorth of his bloud that same dooe thei expoune by the preter tense that is to saye for the time past After all this we ferther consider that they can not lacke tropes in the consecratyng of the sacrament for this woorde Est is they take for conuertitur is chaunged or transubstanciatur is transubstanciated or chaunged insubstaunce or els forfyt is made And forasmuche as Christ did institute it as a sacrament and for a sacrament it is conuenient that the signes be taken accordinge to their significacions and betokenynges of the thyng and that they bee taken as figuratly spoken accordyng to the nature of a sacrament whiche is that it be a signe We haue also a respecte to the ascension of Christe into heauen and to the veritee and trueth of his humayne nature whiche he toke here vpon hym and also to that that is conteyned in S. Iohns ghospell whan it is sayed to the Capernaites My woordes are spirite and lyfe the fleashe profiteth nothyng as in dede true it is if it bee carnally and fleashly eaten the spirite it is that geueth lyfe And agayne we consider Paule who in this place to the Corinthians doeth in moste playne woordes put the terme of Breade where neuerthelesse these men will nedes haue that there is a trope and a figure thoughe they so greatlye abhorre that in the other place of oures there shoulde bee anye trope We heare also Paule hymselfe witnessing that the auncient fathers of the olde testament had the veray selfe same sacramentes that we nowe haue For
stone set for to be the ruine fall and also the arisynge agayne of manye in Israell In the Deuteronomie it is written The bloud is the soule Where as it is but that thing wherby the soule is conserued and signified Iudas the brother of Iosephe speakynge of Iosephe and speakynge that he myghte not be slayne sayd He is our owne fleshe By the whyche phrase of speakynge the natural knyttyng togyther and necessitie of bloud and kynred was signifyed Saynte Paule sayeth that we beynge manye are one breade c. whyche sayinge it canne not be chosen nor auoyded but that it muste â—e vnderstanded to bee fyguratelye spoken And Christe breathed forthe vpon hys disciples and sayde Take ye the holye Ghoste c. Yet was not hys breathynge transubstanciated into the holye ghoste Geneâ— vi In the boke of Genesis it is sayd My Spirite shall not styll dwell in man bicause he is fleshe and in the fyrste Chapitur of Iohn The worde became fleshe c. in whyche place is the plain figure of Sinecdoch For the whole maÌ„ is vnderstanded vnder the name of flesh And our lord Iesus haÌ„ging on the crosse said to Mary his mother Woman behold thy sonne And to his disciple IhoÌ„ Behold thy mother Yet were neyther of theim traÌ„substanciated but remained styl the selfe same persons that they were afore but there was constituted betwene them a newe ordre and degree a newe referrynge and respecte Of Christe it is saide in the scriptures that he is oure peace where as he is only the cause of our peace Also in an other place My wordes are spirite and life where as they did but betoken the same or else were cause of them to the beleuers Iohn Baptiste sayde of Christ. Behold the lambe of god and yet was not his nature chaunged into the nature of a Lambe It is reade here and there in manie places of the holie scriptures that the Lordes wordes are iudgemente and trueth and ryghtuousâ—nes where as these thinges are but signified expressed in the saide wordes of the Lorde And this similitude or comparison doeth passinge wel serue and agre to the sacramentes whych are said to words visible In the Apocalipes it is reade I am α and ω Alpha Omega whereby is mente the firste begynnynge and the laste ende of all thynges And Paule speakynge of hys owne gospell which he preached sayeth The power of God it is to saluation vnto euery one that beleueth Where as it is but onely whereby the power of God declareth it selfe for the sauinge of men And of the preachinge of the crosse he sayeth that vnto the wicked sorte it is folishenes that is to saye it signifieth vnto suche maner of menne but a folishe thynge but to the Godly sort he saith it is the power and wysedome of God for bicause it sheweth and declareth the saide power and wisedome of God vnto the godlye And of the lawe of Moses God sayd that it did put deathe and lyfe blessinge and curssinge vnto the people of the Hebrewes which is none other but by the signification and notifiynge of the lawe the promises and threatenynges of God whiche were in them expressed In the boke of Genesis Gene. xlâ— the seuen kyne and the seuen yeares of corne are saide to be seuen yeres and that is no more but in signifiynge the same Ahias the Prophete a Silonite gaue vnto Hieroboam ten pieces of a cut or torne cloke iii. Kiâ— xi and sayde that he gaue to Hieroboam the kyngedome of ten of the tribes of Israell Also in this same very epistle to the Corinthians and the same eleuenth chapitur whyche we nowe traicte of S. Paule wrote that a woman shoulde haue a power on hyr heade by the whyche worde power he signifieth a coueringe by the whiche couerynge is signified the power and superioritie of the man ouer the woman And in the seconde epistle to the same Corinthians it is coÌ„tayned that God made Christe to be sinne whiche was nothinge els but to the likenes of synne and representation of our fleshe Yea and the ghoste that was offred vp for synne was called sinne And the prestes were saydâ— to â—ate the synnes of the people whyche mente nothinge els but eating the hostes that were slayne and offred vp for the sinnes of the people In the prophet Ezechiel it is written I wil poure forthe cleane water vpon you by the waâ—er he signifieth the holy ghostâ— whych selfe same thing we reade of Christ whan he sayth Who so drinketh of this water c. In whiche place the Euangeliste mencioneth that Christe spake of the holye ghoste whyche they shoulde afterwarde receiue Of the Lambe we heare that it was called Pascha thoughe some there be that attempte the same to denye But the playne words of the Hebrue doth declare it where it is sayd The sacrifice is Pascha that is the passeouer By the sacrifice there can not be vnderstanded anye other thinge but either the slaine hoste that was offred vp or els that same veray acte of sacrifisynge the sayde host So we haue the body of Christ expressed bothe by breade and wine and also by the acte as well of eatynge as of drynkinge And the said Lambe was not the passinge ouer of the Aungel but onely a monumente and token or signification of hym so passing ouer Christ sought a place wher he might eat the passeouer with his Apostles and by the word of passeouer he vnderstode those meates those consecrate or hallowed thynges which dyd betoken and signifie the passe ouer S. Paule also said Christe our passe ouer hath bene offered vp c. And in the same place he called Christe hymselfe our solemnitie oure passage or passeouer whych thinges can not be taken nor vnderstanded but as figuratelye spoken And the sayde lambe was not the passinge ouer of the aungell whyche was theÌ„ to be done or in doyng but whiche was done in old tyme many hundred yeres afore the remembraunce whereof was represented by these same externall signes Here also in thys sacrament we haue the bodye of Christ that heretofore suffered not that is nowe at thys present deliuered vnto the crosse or whose bloud is now at thys day shedde forth but a great while ago And in case these meÌ„ wold straightly expoune the words of Christ wheÌ„ he saith This is my bodye whyche is betrayed for you They coulde not chose but saye that the breade shoulde be crucified or at leaste wyse Christe couered vnder the accidentes of the bread in the sacramente as their exposition and determination is For Christe shewinge forthe that yâ— he theÌ„ had in hys handes sayd that the same it was that shoulde be betrayed and deliuered and shedde forthe for them That if they saye that in dede the same it was that was betraied and deliuered but not after the same manier nor in the same fourme or shape than do they seke interpretacions and expositions
ignoraunt that there be many ill folke which in the scripture be called fleshe bloud of whom neuertheles we be molested and vered haue a continual conflicte or wresting with the same But Paules menyng was of that same chiefe and especiall contâ—â—cion or striuyng from the which all these other striuinges take their begynnyng Paule sayed also in another place that there is in Christe neither he nor she neither bondeman nor free man c. Yet neuerthelesse these offices and these sortes of people are not reiected or put awaye from Christe or from the congregacion of Christians yea and commaundementes and rules of ordre wrytten in scripture seuerally of the sayde sortes of people But Paule ment that these thynges be not in Christe as touchyng regeneracion in Christ as touching forgeuenesse of synnes and as touchyng the obteynynge of euerlastyng lyfe which thynges are the highest and chiefest pointes in the profession of Christe And in distributing of the sayd thinges Christ hath not any parciall respecte to these states to these degrees of men The same Apostle wryteth these woordes The kyngdome of God is not in woordes and yet he would not for that cause bannyshe out of the congregaâ—ion or put awaye exhortacions admonicions and readynges whiche bee dooen with woordes but he had oâ—elye a respecte to that chiefe strength efficace of the holy ghostâ— whereby al thinges ought to bee ruled or gouerned in the congregacion And euen after thissame manier dooe the fathers and olde wryters speake whan they denye that the same nature or substaunce of the signes dooe styll remayne in the sacrament which thing as we haue said is not to bee vnderstanded as the plain wordes â—oune without any ferther addicion circumstaunce or consideracion but as touching our feith and as touching our thynkyng whiche our feith and thoughtes ought not ouer muche to leane or cleaue to the sayed signes or tokens Aman may ferther saye The seueÌ„th rule or vnderstanding of the Dâ—â—tours that feith is of suche vertue strength and efficacie that it can make thynges to be presente yet not onely really or in substaunce but spiritually For feyth doeth veraily comprehend suche thynges And in this sence or meanyng the Apostle sayd that Christe was crucified euen before the eyes of the Galathians The presence that feith causeth And after the same manier was Abraham sayed to haue sene the daye of the Lorde And after thesame manier the olde aunciente fathers of the olde testament had the same Christe in theyr sacramentes that we haue nowe in ours And thus ye see that to this presence it is not requisite that thynges dooen in their naturall constituâ—ion and beyng shoulde chauÌ„ge their place and come from place to place or that they should be present before our yies with all their materiall and naturall qualitees states condicions and all other appurtenaunces It is also to be obserued and marked The eighte reason how to vnderstaÌ„d the writinges of the fathers that thinges maie bee so spoken by alternacion that is to saye for the respect of a certayne enterchaungeablenesse of the propretee whiche is after suche sorte that such thinges as do properly belong to his godhead are some tyme applyed to the humanitie and contrarye wyse those thynges that belong to his humanitie are sometymes applyed and referred to his godhead and this I call alternacion and communicating of propretees and by this alternacion because the deitee or godhead of Christe is moste truely present with vs thesame self thyng maye be made commune to his humanitie also As when Christe beyng vpon earthe saide that the sonne of manne was in heauen and in so saying he applyed that thinge to his humanitie or manhoode which belonged to his deitie or godhead And after this fashion of speache I wold graunte that Christes manhode is present to vs when we receyue his body Albeit I wold than expoune it that it wer by the fore sayde communication of alternation of propretees Finally why the fathers dooe somtymes speak more then the truth is vsyâ—g the fygure Hiperbole yf you demaund why old wryters vsed suche maners of speche as some vnpossible it was for these causes partly that they wold folow the phrase or maner of speche read in scripture and partlye that they might moue mennes myndes with a greater zeale and also that they might declare that this signification of sacramentes was not like to thynges signifyed in a comediâ— or tragedie For in suche enterludes any of the players beyng disguised in his players apparell maye represente the persone of 〈◊〉 or Priamus but than getteth he thereby 〈◊〉 or nothynge els to speake of but whan he hathe placed his parte he is thesame man that he was before But in the receiâ—yng of Christes body the thyng beynge represented with the strength of the holy ghost is both geueÌ„ and emprinted in our hertes and our solles through faith and many giftes graces do folow and specially a secrete and an vnspeakeable knittinge and vnion of vs with Christe doeth folowe so that we are made one thing with Christ. The reasoÌ„s auoyded yâ— was broght for transuâ—â—â—anciacionâ—â—ut of the doctours Nowe the fyrste obiection was broughte out of Ireneus whiche sayeth that yearthly breade when it hath receiued another name is not common bread but it is made Eucharistia that is to saye a sacrament of thaÌ„kes geuyng We gladli graunt this to be true for we do not hold yâ— it is prophan and coÌ„mon bread suche as we vse daily to eate but that it is an holy breade and a breade appointed to an holy vse and purpose whiche at the receiuing of Chrystes bodye is made as Irenens saied Eucharistia but all the wordes that folow in Ireneus do muche make for our part For he wryteth that Eucharistia doeth consist of twoo partes that is to wete of an heauenly thyng and of an yearthely thyng And he did nat saie that it is made of the accideÌ„tes of an yearthely thynge and after wardes he wryteth our bodyes receyuyng the sacramente of Eucharistia to bee on thys condicion not corruptible if the same haue hope of resurrection And in case that so great a chaunge bee graunted and putte of hym to bee in oure bodyes that he made it equal with the chaunge of the breade for as that breade sayeth he is no longer CoÌ„mon bread so our bodies be no longer corruptible what nede shall it be to sette vp thys transubstanciatyon seyng he maketh the twoo chaungeynges on bothe sydes equall And a playne mattier it is that the substaunces of oure bodyes bee notte tratysubstancyated Secondartyly Tertullian was alleged Tertullian aunswer vnto And he also bryngeth a declaraâ—ion wyth hym to shew what he meneth for Tertullyan dooeth not onely speake in thys manyer Oure lorde tooke breade and made it hys bodye whan he sayed thys is my bodye but also Tertullyan putteth thus muche more to it to declare it and sayeth id est
same bloud Also the same ambrose in his fourth boke of the sacramentes and the fourth chapytur putteth plainly our chaungeynge into Christe whyche selfe same pointe we haue noted marked oftentimes in others of the olde fathers and wryters Now remayneth that we see concerning Chrisostome what is to bee saied Chrisostom aunswered vâ—to They brought in for their purpose hys similitude of waxe whyche waxe beeyng put to the fyer is distroyed as touchyng his substaunce so that nothyng of the waxe remayneth or eskapeth So thynke thou saieth Chrysostome that the mysteryes are coÌ„sumed of the substaunce of Christes bodye Our aduersaryes saye What thing can be spoken more plainly to declare that the substaunce of the bread is gon but here I thinke it no labour loste but a profytable excercyse to examin dyligently some places oâ— Chrysostomes weorkes that ye maye vnderstande plainly how wel the thynges be marked which we spake of before as touchyng such phrases founde in olde wryters In the .lxxxiii. homelye vpon Matth. he wrytteth thus Many men say that they wisshe and wolde fayn see the fourme and shape and likenes of Christ yea and that they would veraye fayne beholde his garmentes and shooes but he deliuereth himselfe to thee not onely that thou mayest see hym but also that thou maist touche hym Doe not we here vnderstande how he appliâ—th that to the thyng of the sacrament which belongeth or pertayneth to the sygnes as for example Chrystes bodye maye bee touched and maye bee seen whiche thing to bee true of the signes onelye what it is that doeth not receiue and see Again in the same homelie or exhortacioÌ„ Christ reduceth and bringeth vs with him selfe into one masse or lumpe and that not onely by fayth but also he maketh vs in veray dede his bodye Whiche same selfe thinge also he wrote in the sixtieth and sixtieth one Homelie vnto the people of Antioche affyrmyng that we not onelye by faithe and charitee but in veray dede are made and are ioyned and anexed to Christes body And if it so be that our substauÌ„ce is not turned into Christes substaunce and yet that we bee so nyghe to Christe why muste the substaunce of the breade bee chaunged whan it muste bee made Christes body But a doubt mighte here arise as though Chrisostome made against vs in that we holde that this receyuynge is by feythe where he sayeth that we be ioyned and turned or chaunged in to Christe not onely through feyth but also in veraye dede But here is to bee marked that althoughe we holde Christes bodye to be eaten and his bloud to be drounke through feith in receyuing of this sacrament yet vpon this receyuyng by feyth there doeth foorthe with folowe not a feyned ioygning but a true and an effectuall couplyng betwene vs and Christe through the whiche ioygning of vs to Christe not onelye oure mynde and solle is vnited and knitte vnto Christe and made one with hym but also oure body and our flesh hath therby a certayne restoryng and renewyng so that we are therby truly and verayly made the members of the Lorde and we receyue Christe whiche is our head of whom we draw and take our spirite aâ—d our life continually And this it is that Chrisostome ment whan he said that we be truely and veraily ioigned to Christ. And thus muche more maie yet be said herein that Chrisostome in the selfe same homelie and sermon vpon Mathew saieth that thâ—se be the signes or tokâ—ns of Iesu Christ with the whiche signes we stoppe the heretikes mouthes whan they demaunde of vs after what sort or facion Christ did suffer For if he had not had veraie true fleshe in deede and also if he had not truly and vâ—rily suffred passion in dede thaÌ„ were these signes or tokens but vayne thynges He sayeth also in thesame homelye that our tongue is made blouddye in the receyuing of the Sacramentes And leste one myghte make some cauillacion and saie that this bloude muste bee vnderstande to bee inuisible bloud that is to saâ—e suche bloud as cannot bee sene with ourâ— yies with the which bloude beyng conteyned in the wyne or in the accidentes of the wyne as themselues doe terme it oure toungue is made blouddie the same fathâ—r Chrisostome in the sixtieth homelie to the menne of Antioche sayeth that oure toungue is made redde with this bloud of the sacrament In the which wordes who doth not se that he speaketh by the figure Hiper boâ—e which is whan a man for the more vehemeÌ„t and more earnest expressing of a thing will speake more then the trueth is or maye withoute playne myracle as for exaumple if one shoulde saye that al the world heard a thyng spokeÌ„ whan his meaning is that a veray great noumber heard it this manier of speakyng is called hiper bole and in his homelye made in Eucherius he sayeth that in the cuppe there is bloud taken out euen from the lordes syde Whiche thyng can not be beleued in the verai same fourme that it is spoken Chrisostome himselfe declareth his owne hyperblicall speakynges forasmuche as Christes side is not nowe at this daye open neither any bloud takeÌ„ out therefrom He wrytethe morouer in thesame Homelie after this manier Doest thou see any bread or wyne And hymselfe in this wyse maketh the auâ—swere to the question Nay god forbyd Surely yf he should aske the sences of a manne suche a question they woulde aunswere yf thei could speake that it wer not true that Chrisostome sayeth For after the iudgemente of oure senses there is present bothe bread and wyne too But he speaketh truly whan he sayeth afterwardes non ita cogites that is thinke no suche thinge in thy mynde that there is breade there For as touchyng our mynde or thynkynge all suche thinges must awaye Thesame Chrisostome wryteth in this mannier Ne putes te ex homine accipere corpus Christi sed a seraphin qui astet et forcipe tradat tibi Carbonem ignitum That is to saye think not thy self to receyue the bodye of Christ at a mortall mannes hand but of an Aungel of the ordre of Seraphin who standeth by and deliuereth thee an hoate fierye coale with a payre of tonguesâ— c. here in this place I dooe not suppose that these men wolde haue that the minister or the pastour whiche ministreth the Sacramentes vnto vs is transubstanciated into an Aungell And thesame Chrisostome writeth afterwardes Accurramus ad exugendum sanguinem qui ex latere domini profâ—uit That is to saye leat vs renne to sucke out the bloude whiche floweth oute of the Lordes syde The veray schoolemenne themselues dare not speake so large as this For they wryte that the bread and the wyne are turned into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of Christe but yet not so that anye thynge is added to the veraye true substaunce of Christes body or abated from the substaunce of the same And in the lx and one homelie
he might conclude that the sonne of God also is naturally ioyned to the father in very substaunce The prouing therfore of Hilarius coÌ„clusioÌ„ renneth thus If the sonne of God did truly verily take the nature or substaunce of man vpoÌ„ hym he agreeth with vs naturally in his fleshe we bee sayed to abide in him be cause he hath oure nature in hym And agayn for the other side when we receyue the meate which was instituted of Christe yf we dooe truely and veraily receyue his fleshe we are partakers with hym naturally and he doeth trulye and veraily abide in vs. And thus doeth Hilarius take and frame his argumente of the veritee and trueth of the sacramentes whiche veritee or to bee in the sacramentes we dooe not denye And this was a common custome emong the auncient wryters to fetche the grounde of theyr argumentes out of the Sacramentes as thinges most perfitly knoweÌ„ to al ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ And of al these thinges there is not one iote that is contrary to our sentence and determinacion For it is no part of Hilarius entente to proue that Christes fleashe lieth hidden vnder the accidentes of bread or in this sacrament but he maketh proufe onely and so concludeth that we bee truely and verayly ioyned vnto Christes fleshe whan we receyue the sacrament which thing we do not deny nor say agaynst But ye that make so muche a do for transubstanciacion marke me this poinct that the same self Hilarius a litle before these wordes whiche he writeth of Eucharistia doeth say the very same thinge of baptisme that through baptisme we be ioyned vnto Christ euery onâ— of vs to other not only by an vnion of consent agreyng to gether in minde will but also in an vnitie of nature substaunce Wherfore it the same thinge so be than are ye coÌ„pelled driuen of force to putte a traÌ„substanciacion in Baptisme too yf ye beeyng a transubstanciacion into the sacrament of Eucharistia for the respect aboue mencioned Chrisostome doeth not muche varie from this custome of framing his argumentes out of the sacramentes For in his eightie eighte Homelie vpon the ghospell of Mathew he sayeth as we alledged before that these bee the signes or Sacramentes of oure Lorde Iesus with the whiche wee do both brydle and stop the mouthes of Heretiques For they oftentimes saie howe did Christe suffer And we on oure side obiecte agaynst them again If Christ had not verai true natural fleash in dede thaÌ„ are these signes but vain thinges whych thing foloweth veray well For els the sacramentes shoulde signifye and represente vnto vs feigned thynges And thus the mouthes of the Manichees of the Marcionites and of suche other pernicious heretiques wer stopped of Chrisostome and suche others as he was As touchyng Leo byshope of Rome An auÌ„swere to Leo Bysshoppe of Rome there is no cause why to take muche caâ—e or peine to aunswer him For he in the sentence and determinacion of the sacramentes that is layd vnto vs doth both grauÌ„t a mystycal dystribucyon of it to mo then one and also dooeth putte a spirytuall nourishyng and an heauenly vertue and affyrmeth that we bee transfourmed and chaunged into Chrystes fleashe as he tooke our fleashe and nature vpon him They bryng Emisenus againste vs whose woordes bee reade in the tytle De consecratione that is to saye Emisenus aunswered vnto of consecration and in the second distinction But ther if thou looke well thou shalt finde these woordes Mente attingas et manu cordis accipias corpus Christiâ— that is to saye touche thou Chrystes bodye wyth thy mynde and take thou his bodye wyth the hande of thy herte In the whyche woordes it is plain that he dooeth affyrme and holde that we dooe eate Chrystes bodye spirytually when we receue the sacrament And he moreouer byndeth earnestly as the other olde wryters dooe vpon the chaungeyng of vs into Chryst whych chauÌ„geinge neuerthelesse is doen as we see without any transubstancyatynge of vs. I knowe that many men maye meruaile why we so often times dooe matche that same chaungeing whyche the olde wryters seme to speake of in the sygnes or sacramentes wyth the chaungyng of vs into Chryst whyche they all dooe graunte and constauntly affyrme And some men dooe imagin that there is another manier of ioygnynge betwene Chrystes bodye and the sacramente then there is betwene vs and Chrystes bodye and that therefore thys proporcion and comparisoÌ„ hath no place in this matier although the old wryters affirme avouche both chaunginges To suche persones we aunswer and saye that oure argumente is moste pithie and strong For the reason dooeth argue as the Logicyans termes be a maiore ad minus that is to saye from the more necessarye requisyte to the lesse and that regatiuely that is to saye in the waye of denyinge a thing to bee so or so For ther is a greater coniunction and couplyng together of Chryste vnto vs and to suche as dooe receyue the communion then there is of Chryste wyth these outwarde signes of the sacramente For somuche therfore as in vs to bee knitte vnto Christ and to bee made one wyth hym there is no transubstanciacion required muche lesse is there any suche transubstanciacion requyred in the sayd outward sygnes of the sacrameÌ„te And that we be more nere ioygned and knitte vnto Chryste then the outeward signes of the sacramente we are more nere ioyned â—o Chrisâ— theÌ„ the signes it is manifestli proued by this reason that the ioynyng of Christe with the sayde sygnes was first inuented deuised and wrought to none other ende but the we might be ioigned to Christ made one with hym as aforsaid Morouer yâ— wordes of holi scripture pronouÌ„ce before the receyuyng of the Sacramentâ— the holy spirite by which two thinges the signes be coÌ„secrated do much lesse appertaine belong to the sayde said signes then they do appertaine be long to man that receyueth yâ— signes And as touchyng Theophylactus we saie that he is but a newe wryter and a man that wrote but of late dayes Theophilactus aunswered vnto and paraduenture that chaunced to lyue in those daies whan many doubtes and disputacions be gonne to bee moued aboute thys transubstanciacyon that is to wete Nycolas the byshop of Rome at what tyme Ranfrancke and Berengarius were alyue Morouer Theophylactus was a man of no great iudgemente as it maie full well appere by hys declaracyon and exposicyon of the thyrde chapytur of the ghospell of Iohn towardes the later ende of the chapytur where he châ—cketh expressely by name the latin Churche concernynge the procedynge of the holy Ghoste because the latin Churche hade determined that the procedinge of the holy Ghoste is from the father and the soonne Therfore we wyll not thinke nor repute his aucthoritye to be of so greate weight that it ought to bee preiudicyall to the trueth Yet neuerthelesse leat vs ponder weighe his woordes he
a transubstanciacion take a similitude sayeth he of the outward voyce or woorde that a man dooeth speake of talke that is made by sounde of the ayer Unto what soeuer persones suche woordes dooe come it conteineth and hath wyth it hys owne propre sense and menyng But if it come to men of good vnderstaÌ„dyng thesame dooe heare it wyth some profit for they dooe well perceiue the thynges that are spoken But in case it come to the vnlearned and to men that lacke knowelage it dooeth neuerthelesse beare wyth it the ê“pre sense of the wordes but yet it is wythout any profit to the hearer because he is not a man of capacitee to vnderstande it Thys man lacketh here for hys argumente the woordes beare theyr sense and menyng wyth theÌ„ but he dooeth not marke that the sense is not included or enwrapped really as the terme is in the sonne or in the caractes of the lettres but onely by the waye of signifiyng Whyche self same thyng if it should bee sayed vnto hym of the breade and the wyne in the sacramentes that they offre vnto vs the bodye of Christe by the waye of signifiyng or betokenyng none other wyse he shal bee conuinced in hys owne similitude and comparison And by thesame also it is proued that the wyeked dooe not receiue the lordes bodye euen lyke as vnskilful or ignoraunt persones whan they heare talke in greke or latin dooe not perceiue the sense and menyng therof Wherupon conclude that there could not any thyng haue been spoken more strongly on our syde theÌ„ thys similitude of Algerius Thesame Algerius also in the fyrst chapitur of the second booke aduoucheth that the accidentes in thys sacramente dooe not veraily and truely susteme rottenesse or mouldryng away but onely that it so appereth vnto vs and yet is not so in dede whyche thyng euen the veray scholemen would not haue sayed For what other thyng is thys but to establishe a perpetual illusion and blyndyng of mannes senses Thus than we nede not muche to passe of Algerius though he labour by all meanes possible to ratifie and sette vp hys transubstanciacion We haue now traicted of the fyrst opinion and that at large For the sayd opinion of transubstanciacion remoued and taken away there shall there wyth also many supersticions bee taken away Of the other twoo opinions we shal not talke so muche at length For whether of theÌ„ bothe bee putte or affirmed we doee not so greatly passe so that it bee well vnderstanded as it should bee We shall at thys present onely shewe of them as ferre as we maye see iÌ„ it what we iudge mete to bee eschewed or to bee receiued in either of them There haue been many whiche haue reteined and kept still in the sacramente the substance of breade and wyne but they haue ioygned the bodye bloud of Christe wyth these materiall signes remainyng still in theyr owne natures these haue they ioygned together with a veray streight and fast knotte but yet as I trow not in suche sorte that of the boke beeyng so ioygned together there should bee made one substaunce or one nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet neuerthelesse they haue sayed that the bodye and bloud of Christe are present in the breade wyne really as they terme it bodyly and naturali Some others again haue ioygned them together onely by the waye of betokenyng Of these twoo determinacions the former is fathered vpon Luther the later vpon zwynglius Of the conteâ—cion betwene Luther and zwynglius albeeit I haue heard of persones right credible that neither Luther was in veray dede of so grosse an opinion in thys matâ—er nor zwynglius of so slendre and light a belief concernyng the sacramentes And theyr saiyng is that Luther bowed lened vnto phrases of speakyng by the figure hiperbole of whiche figure we haue afore noted and to suche phrases of speakyng as in the veray woordes did after a manier excede the trueth because he supposed that zwynglius and others mynded to stablishe the sacramentes to bee naked vain signes wheras zwynglius neuer went about any suche matier Yea zwynglius again on the other syde feared lesce Luther would putte suche thynges as might bothe bee derogatiue preiudicial to the trueth of the humain nature in Christ aâ—d also would enclose the bodye of Christe in breade whereby supersticion myght yet stil bee more and more nourished and therefore he semed more slendrely to geue honour to this sacrameÌ„te And thus did the contencion betwene them enkâ—endle more then was behoufful and was the cause of many great euils wheras yet neuerthelesse the contencion and strife was in veray dede about wordes rather then about the thyng self We shall therefore remoue our discoursing vpon these two opinions from the said two persones For we dooe not affirme that either zwynglius or els Luther wer of suche opinions as aboue saiâ—d but we shall onely examin the said sentences and opinions suche as they are carryed about and supposed to bee These persones whiche dooe so grossely ioygne the bodye of Christe wyth the outward and material signes to the ende that they maye the better wynde out of all entangleynges are woont to beyng in for theyr purpose two similitudes or comparisons The fyrst similitude is thys If one haue a potte or a pitcher ful of wyâ—e pronounce these woordes Thys is wyne he shal make no lye at all because he â—â—eweth the â—eraâ— wyne in dede conteined in the potte And euen lykewyse shal it bee if thou take a piece of glowyng iron and shewyng foorth the fyâ—â— thou saie these woordes This is fyer there shal iÌ„ this case no thing agaiâ—st reasoÌ„ bee spokeÌ„ or ê“nouÌ„ced of thee And eueÌ„ so do these men saye that it is to bee vnderstaÌ„ded that the lorde saiethâ— This is my bodye and so dooe they manifestely admitte yeâ—â—ope or â—iguratiue manier of speakyng called Synecdothe of which also we haue dâ—clared afore For whan they shewe the thyng whyche theimselfes suppose to bee compouned that is to saye made of two sondrie partes as in thys sacrament of breade and of Christes bodye c. it is not a true proposicion or clause to saye Thys is the bodye of Christe but as touchyng the one parte of the thyng that is shewed forth in syght Yet neuerthelesse it is to bee knowen that these similitudes or comparisons are not taken of these men as though they wer of the opinion that they dooe in all pointes or all manier of wayes agree wyth the thyng that the comparison is made by for theimselfes dooe earnestely affirme and reasoÌ„ that Christe is not thâ—re present locallye that is to saye after suche sorte as thynges are commonly in places conuenient for theyr likenesse and quantitee but onely diffinitiuely that is to saye by the waye of determinacion and assignemente whyche they vnderstande than to bee so whan a thyng is encompaced wyth the measure and