Christ of his euangelists and of his Apostles that in this aforesayd controuersie the light of thy trueth by the lanterne of thy worde maie shine vnto all them that loue thee Of the Lordes laste Supper do speake especially three of the Euangelists Matt. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 10.11 Mathewe Marke and Luke But none more plainelie nor more fully declarethe the same then doeth S. Paule partelie in the 10. but especiallye in the 11. Chapiter of the firste Epistle vnto the Corinthianes As Mathewe and Marke doe agree muche in forme of woordes Soe doeth lykewise Luke and S Paule But all foure no doubte as they were all taught in one schole and enspired with one spirite so taughte they all one trueth God graunte vs to vnderstande it well Mathewe setteth forth Christes Supper thus Matthev Vuhen euen vuas comme he satt dovune vuith the 12. c. Matt. 26. As they dyd eate Ihesus tooke bread and gaue thākes brake it ād gaue it to the disciples and sayd Take Eate This is my body And he tooke the cuppe gaue thankes and gaue it to them sayng Drynke ye all of this For this is my bloud of the nevue testament that is shedd for many for the remission of sinnes I saie vnto you I vuill not drinke henseforth of this fruyte of the vyne tree vntyll that daye vuhen I shall drinke that nevue in my fathers kingdome And vuhen they had sayd grace they vuent out Marke Novve Marke speaketh it thus And as they ate Iesus tooke breade blissed and brake Marke 14. and gaue to them and saide Take eate This is my bodie And he toke the cuppe gaue thankes and gaue it them and they all dranke of it and he saide vnto them This is my bloud of the nevve testamente vvhich is shedde for manye Verelie I saie vnto you I vuil drinke no more of the fruite of the vine vntyll that daie that I drinke that nevve in the kingedome of God Here Matthew and Marke doo agree not onely in the matter but also allmost fullye in the fourme of wordes Sauing that for thies wordes in Mathew gaue thankes Marke hath one word blessed which signefieth in this place al one And wher Mathew saithe drinke ye al of this Marke saith and they all dranke of it And wher Matthew saithe of this fruyte of the vyne Marke leaueth owt the worde this and saith of the fruyte of the vyne Nowe lett vs see likewise what agrement in forme of wordes is betwixte S. Luke and S. Paule Luke Luke vuriteth thus He toke breade gaue thankes brake it and gaue it to them saing This is my bodye vuich is geuē for you This doo in remembraunce of me Likevuise also vuhen they had supped he tooke the cupp saynge Luc. 22. This cupp is the nevue testamēt in my bloud vuich is shed for you S. Paule S. Paule setteth fourthe Christes supper thus the Lord Ihesus the same night in the vuich he vuas betrayed tooke bread and gaue thankes and brake and said ◠Cor. 11. Take eate this is my bodie vuiche is broken for you This doo in remembrance of me After the same maner he tooke the cupp vuhen supper vuas done saing This cupp is the nevue testament in my bloud This doo as often as ye drinke it in the remembraūce of me for as ofte as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe ye shall shevue the Lordes death tyll he comme Here wher Luke sayth which is geuen Paule saythe which is broken And as Luke addeth to the wordes of Paule spoken of the cuppe which is shedd for yow so likewise Paule addeth to the wordes of Luke this doo as often as ye shall drinke it in the remēbraunce of me The rest that followeth in S. Paule both ther and in the x. chapter perteineth to the right vse and doctrine of the Lordes supper Thus the Euangelistes and S. Paule haue rehersed the wordes and worke of Christ wherby he dyd institute and ordeine this holye Sacrament of his blessed bodye and bloud to be a perpetuall remembraunce of hym selfe vntill his comminge agayne of hym self I saye that is of his bodye geuen for vs and of his bloud shedde for the remission of sinnes But this remembraunce thus ordeined as the awthor therof is Christ both god and man so by thallmighty power of god farre passeth all kind of remembraunces that any other man is able to make either of hym self or of any other thing for who so euer receueth this holye sacrament thus ordeyned in remembraunce of Christ he receyueth therwith either deathe or lyfe In this I doo trust we all agree For saincte Paule saith of the godlie receuers in the x. chapter of his first epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the partaking or felowshipp of Christes bloud And also he saieth the bread which we breake and meaneth at the Lords table is it not the partaking or felowshippe of Christes bodie Nowe the partakinge of Christes bodie and of his bloude vnto the faithfull and godlie is the partaking or felowship of life and of immortalitie And againe of the bad and vngodly receiuers S. Paule plainlie saieth thus 1. Cor. 11. He that eateth of this breade and drinketh of this cuppe vnworthily he is gilty of the bodie and bloude of the Lorde O howe necessarie then is it if we loue life and would eschewe death to trie and examine oure selues before we eate of this breade and drinke of this cuppe For els assuredlie he that eateth and drinketh vnworthilie eateth and drinketh his own damnation because he estemeth not the Lords bodie that is he receiueth not the Lords bodie with the honoure whiche is due vnto hym And yet by that whiche was saide that with the receipte of the holie Sacramente of the blissed bodie and bloude of Christ is receiued of euerie one good or badde either life or death it is not meant that they whiche are deade before God hereby maie receiue life or the liuing before God cā herby receiue deathe For as none is meete to receiue naturall foode wherby the naturall life is norished excepte he be borne and liue before so no man can feede by the receipte of this holie Sacramente of the foode of eternall life excepte he bee regenerated and borne of god before And on the other side no man her receiueth damnation whiche is not deade before God Thus hitherto withoute all doubte God is my witnes I saie so farre as I know there is no controuersie among thē that bee learned in the church of Englāde concerning the matter of this Sacramente but all doe agree whether they be newe or olde and to speake plaine and as some of them odiouslye either do call other whether they bee protestantes papistes pharisies or Gospellers And as all do agree hitherto in the aforesaide doctrine so all doe deteste the wicked herisie of the
the studente in Gods worde Of the whiche one I will reherse which is this Yf saieth he the scripture doeth seame to commaund a thinge whiche is wicked or vngodly Or to forbidde a thing that charitie doeth require then knowe thou saith he that the spech is figuratiue And for example he bringeth the saiyng of Christ in the 6 Chapter of Sainct Ihon. Except ye eate the fleash of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye canne not haue life in you ▪ It seameth to commaund a wicked or an vngodlye thing wherfore it is a figuratiue speache commaundinge to haue communion and felowshippe with Christes passion and deuoutelye and wholesomelie to laie vp in memorie that his fleashe was crucified and wounded for vs. And here I can not but maruaile at some men suerelye of muche excellente finesse of witte Vuinch in his ansvuers to the 16. and 226. obiection and of greate eloquēce that are not ashamed to write and saie that this aforesaide saiynge of Christe is after Saint Austen a figuratiue speach in dede but not vnto the learned but vnto the vnlearned here lette any man that indifferently vnderstandeth the lattē tounge reade the place in S Austen and if he per ceiue not clearlye S Austens woordes and minde to be contrarie let me abide therof the rebuke This lesson of S Austen I haue therfore the rather sette forth because as it teacheth vs to vnderstande that place in Ihon figuratiuelye euen soe suerlye the same lesson with the example of S Austens exposition therof teacheth vs not only by the same to vnderstande Christes wordes in the institution of the Sacrament both of his bodie and of his bloud figuratiuelye but also the very true mening and vnderstanding of the same For if to commaund to eate the fleashe of the sonne of man and to drinke his bloude semeth to commaunde an inconuenience and an vngodlines and is euen so in dede if it be vnderstanded as the wordes do stand in their proper signification and therfore muste be vnderstanded figuratiuely and spirituallye as S Augustin doth godlie and learnedlie interpretate them Then suerlie Christe commaundinge in his last supper to eate his body and to drīke his bloud semeth to commaund in sound of words as great and euen the same inconuenience and vngodlines as did his woordes in the 6. Chapiter of S. Ihon and therfore muste euen by the same reason be likewise vnderstanded and expounded figuratiuelye and spirituallie as S Austin did the other Wherunto that exposition of S Austen maie seame to be the more mete for that Christe in his supper to the commaundement of eatinge and drinkinge of his bodie and bloud addeth do this in remembrance of me whiche wordes suerlye were the keye that opened and reueled this spirituall and godlye exposition vnto S Austen But I haue taried longer in settinge fourth the forme of Christes woordes vpon the Lordes cuppe written by Paule and Luke then I intended to do And yet in speaking of the forme of Christs wordes spoken vpon his cuppe it commeth now vnto my remembraunce the forme of wordes vsed in the lattin Masse vpon the Lordes cuppe Wherof I doe not a litle maruaile what should be the cause seing the latten Masse agreeth with the Euangelistes and Paule in the forme of woordes saied vpon the breade Vuordes of the latin Masse why in the wordes saiede vpon the Lordes cup it differeth from them all yea and addeth vnto the wordes of Christe spoken vpon the cuppe these woordes Misterium fidei that is the Misterie of faith which are not redde to be attributed vnto the sacrament of Christes bloud neither in theuangelistes nor in Paule nor so farre as I do knowe in anie other place of holie scripture yea and if it maie haue some good exposition yet why it shoulde not be aswell added vnto the wordes of Christe ▪ vpon his breade as vpon his cuppe suerlie I doe not see the misterie And because I se in the vse of the lattin Masse the sacrament of the bloud abused when it is denied to the laie men The abuse of the sacramente in he latin Masse cleane contrarie to gods moste certaine worde For why I beseche the shoulde the sacramente of Christes bloude be denied vnto the laye Christian more then to the priest dyd not Christ shead his bloude aswell for the laye godlye man as for the godlye preste yf thow wilt saye yeas that he dyd so but yet the sacrament of the bloud is not to be receyued with owt the offering vpp and sacrifycing therof vnto god the father both for the quicke and for the dead and no man maye make oblatyon of Christes bloude vnto god but a priest and therfore the priest and that but in his masse onelie maye receiue the sacrament of the bloud And call ye this maisters mysterium fidei alas alas I feare me this is before god mysteriū iniquitatis the mysterie off iniquitee such as saint Paule speketh of in his epistle to the Thessaloniās 2. Thess. 2 Psal. 67. The lord be mercifull vnto vs and blesse vs lighten his cowntenaunce vppon vs and be mercifull vnto vs. That we maye knowe thy waye vppon earth and among all people thy saluation This kind of oblation standeth vppon transubstantyacion his germayne coosyn and doo growe both vppon one grownd the lord weede it owt of his vyneyard shortlie if it be his blessed will and pleasure that bitter roote To speke of this oblation howe muche it is iniuryous vnto Christes passion The Masse sacrifice is iniuriouse to Christespassiō howe it can not but with high blasphemie and hainous arrogancie and intollerable pride be claymed of any mā other then of Christ him self how much and how plainly it repugneth vnto the manyfest wordes the trewe sense and meanyng of holye scripture in many places especially in thepistle to the Hebrues Hebr. 9.10 The matter is soe longe and other haue written in it at large that my mind is now not to entreat therof any further For only in this my scribling I intended to searche out and set furth by the scriptures according to gods gratious gift of my poore knowledge whether the true sense and meaninge of Christes wordes in the institution of his holy supper do require anye transubstantiation as they call it or that the verye substaunce of bread and wine doe remayne styll in the Lordes supper and be the materiall substaunce of the holye sacramente of Christe oure sauioures Blissed bodie and bloude Yet there remaineth one vaine Quiddite of Duns in this matter the which because some that write nowe do seme to like it so well Vuīch in the aunsvuere to the 15 obiection that they haue strypped hym oute of Dunses dustie and darcke termes and pricked him and painted him in freshe colores of an eloquente stile may therfore deceiue the more excepte the error be warely escheued Dunse saith in these wordes of Christ this is my body this
to his disciples and that whiche he tooke brake and gaue to his disciples he sayd hym self of it This is my bodye So it appeareth plainlye that Christ called verye bread his bodye But very bread can not be his bodye in verye substāce therof therfore it muste nedes haue an other meanyng whiche meanyng appeareth plainlye what it is by the nexte sentence that followeth immediatlie both in Luke and in Paule and that is this Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Doo this in remēbraūce of me wher vppon it seameth vnto me to be euidēt that Christ dyd take bread and called yt his bodye for that he wold institute therby a perpetuall remembraunce of his bodye specially of that singular benefyte of our redemptyon whiche he wold then procure and purchase vnto vs by his bodye vppon the crosse But bread retayning still his owne very naturall substance maye be thus by grace and in a sacramentall signification his bodye wheras elles the verie bread which he tooke brake and gaue them could not be in any wise his naturall bodye for that were confusyon of substances And therfore the verye wordes of Christ ioyned with the nexte sentence following bothe enforceth vs to confesse the verye bread to remayn still and also openeth vnto vs howe that bread maye be and is thus by his diuine power hys bodye which was giuen for vs. But here I remembre I haue redde in soome writers of the contrarie opinion An obiection whiche doo denye that that whiche Christ dyd take he brake For saie they after his taking he blessed it as Marcke doth speke Marc. 14. ād by his blessing he chaunged the naturall substance of the bread into the naturall substance of his bodye and so althowgh he tooke the bread and blessed it yet because in blessing he chaunged the substance of it he brake not the bread which then was not ther but onely the forme therof Vnto this obiection I haue ij playne answers Ansvuer boeth grounded vpon Godds woorde Thone I wyll here reherse thother aunsweare I will differ vntill I speake of the Sacrament of the bloude Mine aunsweare here is taken out of the plaine wordes of S Paule whiche doth manifestlie confound this phantastical inuention first inuented I wene of Pope Innocentius and after confirmed by the subtill sophister Dunse and latelye renued nowe in our daies with an eloquent stile and muche finesse of witte It is mente of a booke firste sette forth vnder the name of M. Antonius Constantius And after vuard of Ste ▪ Gard. Bishop of Vuinch But what can crafty inuention subtiltie in sophismes eloquence or finesse of witte preuaile against the infallible worde of god What nede we to striue and contēd what thing we breake for Paule saith speking vndoubtedlie of the Lordes table the breade saieth he whiche wee breake is it not the partakinge or felowshyp of the Lordes bodie Wherupō it foloweth that after the thankes geuing it is bread whiche we breake And how often in the Acts of the Apostles is the Lords supper signified by breakinge of breade They did perseuer saieth S Luke in the Apostles doctrine communion and breakyng of breade Act. 2. ibidem And againe they brake breade in euerie house And againe in an other place When they were come together to breake breade Act. 20. S Paule whiche setteth forth moste fullye in his writing boeth the doctrine and the vse of the Lordes supper and the sacramentall eatynge 1. Cor. 10.11 and drynkinge of Christes bodie and bloude calleth it fiue tymes breade breade breade breade breade The sacramentall breade is the misticall bodye The 2 reason and so is called in scripture 1 Cor. 10. as it is called the naturall bodye of Christe But Christes misticall bodye is the congregacion of Christians 1. Cor. 10. Now no manne was euer so fonde as to saye that that sacramentall bread is transubstantiated and changed into the substaunce of the congregatiō Wherfore no manne shoulde lykewise thynke or saie that the breade is transubstantiated and chaunged into the naturall substaunce of Christes humaine nature But my mynde is not here to wryte what maye bee gathered oute of scriptures for this purpose but onelye to wryte here briefelye those whyche seeme to me to be the mooste playne places Therfore contented to haue spoken thus muche of the sacramentall breade nowe I wyll speake a litle of the Lordes cuppe And this shal be my thirde argument grounded vpon Christes owne woordes The. 3. argument The naturall substance of the sacramentall wine remaineth stil and is the materiall substance of the sacramente of the bloude of Christe therfore it is likewise so in the sacramentall bread I knowe that he that is of a contrarie opinion will denie the former parte of my argumente But I will proue it thus by the plaine wordes of Christe himselfe Matt. 26. Mar. 14. both in Mathewe and in Marke Christes wordes be thus after the wordes saide vpon the cuppe I saye vnto you saieth Christe I will not drinke henseforth of this fruite of the vine tree vntill I shall drinke that newe in my fathers kingedome Here note how Christ calleth plainelye his cuppe the fruite of the vine tree but the fruite of the vine tree is very natural wine wherfore the naturall substance of the wine doeth remaine still in the sacramente of Christes bloude And here in spekinge of the Lordes cup it commeth vnto my remembrance the vanitye of Innocentius his phantasticall inuention whiche by Paules wordes I did confute before and here did promise somewhat more to speake and that is this Yf the Transubstantiacion be made by this worde blissed in Marke saide vpon the bread as Innocentius that Pope did saie then suerlie seing that worde is not saide of Christe neither in any of the Euangelistes nor in Paule vpon the cuppe there is no Transubstantiation of the wine at all for where the cause doth faile there can not folow the effecte But the sacramentall breade and the sacramentall wine do both remaine in their naturall substance alike and if the one be not changed as of the sacramētall wine it appeareth euidentlye then there is noe suche Transubstantiation in neither of them boeth All that put and afferme this change of the substaunce of breade and wine into the substance of Christes body and bloud called transubstantiation doe also saie and affirme this change to be made by a certaine forme of prescript wordes and none other but what they bee that make the chaunge either of the one or of the other vndoubtedlye euen they that do write moste finelie in these oure daies almoste confesse plainelie Vuinch in the ansvuer to the 48. obiection that they can not tell For although they graunt to certaine of the olde Soctours as Chrisostome ād Ambrose that these wordes This is my bodie are the wordes of Consecration of the sacrament of the bodie yet saie they these wordes maie well bee so
called because they doe assure vs of the Consecration therof whether it be done before these wordes be spoken or no. But as for this their doubte concerning the sacrament of the bodie I let it passe Let vs now consider the wordes which pertaine vnto the cuppe This is firste euident that as Mathewe muche agreeth with Marke and likewise Luke with Paul doth much agree herein in forme of woordes so in the same the forme of wordes in Mathewe and Marke is diuerse from that which is in Luke and Paule The old Authors doo most reherse the fourme of wordes in Matthew and Marke because I wene they semed to them most cleare But here I wold knowe whether it is credible or no that Luke and Paule when they celebrated the Lordes supper whith their congregations that they didde not vse the same forme of woordes at the Lordes table whiche they wrotte Luke in hys Gospell and Paule in his Epistell Of Luke because he was a Phisition whether some will graunt that he mighte be a Priest or no and was able to receiue the order of Priesthode which they say is geuen by vertue of these words said by the Byshoppe take thou autoritie to sacrifice for the quick and the dead I can not tel Vuith vuhat vuordes the popish priestehod is geuen But if they shoulde be so straite vpon Luke either for his craft or els for lacke of suche power geuen hym by vertue of the aforesaide wordes then I wene both Peter and Paul are in danger to be deposed of their priestehode for the crafte either of fishing whiche was Peters Peter and Paule vuere no priestes of the popish order or of makīg tēts which was Pauls were more vile then the scyence of phisike And as for those sacramentall wordes of the order of priesthod to haue authoritye to sacrifyce both for the quicke and the dead I wene Peter and Paule if they were both a liue were not able to proue that euer Christ gaue them suche authoritye or euer sayd any such wordes vnto them But I will lett Luke go And because Paule speketh more playnely for hym self I will reherse his wordes That sayth Paule whiche I receaued of the Lorde I gaue vnto yow 1. Cor. 11. for the Lord Ihesus c. And so he setteth fourthe the whole instituciō and right vse of the Lordes supper Nowe seing that Paule here saythe that which he receiued of the Lord he had geuen them and that which he had receiued and geuen them before by word of mowthe nowe he reherseth and writeth the same in his epistle ys it credible that Paule wold neuer vse this fourme of wordes vppon the Lordes cuppe whiche as he saithe he receiued of the Lord that he had geuen them before and nowe reherseth in his epistle I trust no man is so far from all reason butt he will grawnt me that this is not likelye so to be Nowe then if yow graunte me that Paule dyd vse the forme of wordes whiche he writeth let vs thē reherse and cōsyder Paules wordes which he saithe Christ spake thus vppon the cuppe This cupp is the newe testament in my bloud this doo as often as ye shall drinke it in the remembraunce of me Here I wold knowe whether that Christes wordes spoken vppon the cupp were not as mightye in worke and as effectuall in signification to all ententes constructions and purposes as our parlyamēt men doo speke as they were spoken vppon the bread Yf this be grawnted which thinge I thinke no man can denye then further I reason thus But the worde ys in the wordes spoken vppon the Lordes bread doth mightelye signefye saye they the chaunge of the substance of that which goeth before yt into the substance of that which followeth after that is of the substance of bread into the substance of Christes bodye when Chryst sayeth This is my bodye Nowe thē if Christes wordes whiche be spokē vppon the cupp whiche Paule here reherseth be of the same might and power both in working and signefyinge then must this word ys when Christ saith This cuppe is the newe testamēt c. turne the substance of the cuppe into the substance of the newe testament And if thow willt saye that this word ys neither maketh nor signefieth any suche chaunge of the cuppe althowgh it be sayd of Christ that this cuppe is the newe testament yet Christ ment no suche chaunge as that Mary syr euen so saye I when Christ sayd of the bread which he tooke and after thankes geuen brake and gaue them sayinge take eate This is my bodie he meant no more any suche chaunge of the substance of bread into the substance of his naturall bodye then he meant of the chaunge and transubstantiacion of the cuppe into the substance of the newe testament And if thow wilt saye that the worde cuppe her in Christes wordes doth not signefye the cuppe it self but the wyne or thinge conteyned in the cupp by a figure called Metonymia for that Christes wordes meant and so must nedes be taken thow sayest verye well But I praye the by the waye here note two thinges fyrst that this word ys hath no such strength or signification in the Lordes wordes to make or to signifie any transubstantiacion 2. necessarie Notes secondly that in the Lordes wordes wherby he instituted the sacramente of his bloude he vseth a figuratiue speache Howe vaine then is it that some soe earnestlye do saie as it were an infallible rule that in doctrine and in thinstitution of the sacraments Christ vseth no figures but all his words are to be streined to their proper significations when as here what soeuer thou saieste was in the cuppe yet neither that nor the cuppe it selfe was taking euerie woorde in his proper signification the newe testament But in vnderstanding that which was in the cuppe by the cup that is a figuratiue spech Yea and also thou canste not verifie or truely saie of that whether thou saiste it was wine or Christes bloude to bee the new testament without a figure also Thus in one sentence spoken of Christe in the institution of the sacrament of his bloude the fygure muste helpe vs twise So vntrue is it that some doe write that Christe vseth no figure in the doctrine of faith nor in the institution of his sacramentes But some saie if we shall thus admitte figures in doctrine then shall all the articles of our faieth by figures and allegories shortlye be transformed and vnloused I saie it is like fault and euē the same to denie the figure where the place soe requireth to be vnderstanded as vainelye to make it a figuratiue speche whiche is to be vnderstanded in his proper signification The rules wherby the speche is knowen when it is figuratiue and wherby it is none Augu. de doc Chri. l. 3. cap. 16. S Austine in his booke called de doctrina Christiana geueth diuerse learned lessons verie necessari to be knowē of
pronoune demonstratiue meaning the worde this if ye will know what it doth shewe or demonstrate whether the bread that Christ toke or no he answereth no but only one thing in substāce it pointeth wherof the nature or name it doeth not tell but leaueth that to be determined and tolde by that which foloweth the word is that is by predicatum as the Logician doeth speake and therfore he calleth this pronowne demonstratiue this indiuiduum vagum that is a wanderynge proper name whereby we maie pointe out and shewe any one thing in substance what thing soeuer it be That this imagination is vaine and vntruly applied vnto those wordes of Christ this is my body it maie appeare plainly by the wordes of Luke and Paul saide vpon the cup conferred with the forme of wordes spoken vpon the cuppe in Mathew and Marke for as vpon the bread it is saide of all this is my bodie so of Mathewe and Marke is saide of the cup this is my bloud Then if in the wordes This is my bodye the woorde this be as Dunse calleth it a wanderynge name to appointe and shewe furthe anye one thinge whereof the name or nature it doeth not tell so muste it bee lykewyse in those woordes of Mathewe and Marke vpon the Lordes cup This is my bloud But in the wordes of Mathewe and Marke it signifieth and pointeth out the same that it doth in the lordes wordes vpon the cuppe in Luke and Paule where it is saide This cuppe is the newe testamente in my bloude c· Therefore in Mathewe and Marke the pronowne demonstratiue this doeth not wander to poynte onelie one thynge in substaunce not shewyng what it is but telleth it plainelie what it is no lesse in Mathewe and Marke to the eye then is done in Luke and Paul by putting to this word cuppe boeth vnto the eye and vnto the eare ▪ For taking the cuppe and demonstrating or shewing it vnto his disciples by this pronowne demonstratiue this and sayng vnto them drynk ye all of this it was then all one to saye This is my bloud as to say This cupp is my bloud meaning by the cuppe as the nature of the spech doth require the thing cōteyned in the cupp so likewise withowt all dowbte when Christ had taken bread geuen thankes and broken it and geuing it to his disciples sayd Take and so demonstrating and shewing that bread which he had in his handes to saye then This is my bodye and to haue sayd this bread is my bodye As it were all one if a man lacking a knyffe and going to his oysters wold saye to another whom he sawe to haue ij knyfes Syr I praye yow lend me th one of your knyfes were it not nowe all one to answer him Syr hold I will lende yow this to eate your meate but not to open oysters with all ād hold I will lend yow this knyf to eate your meate but not to open oysters This similitud serueth but for this purpose to declare the nature of spech whithall wher as the thing that is demonstrated and shewed is euidētly perceaued and openly knowen vnto the eye But o good Lord what a wonderfull thing is it to see howe soome Vuinch in the ansvuer to the 13 obiectiō men doo labour to teache what is demonstrated and shewed by the pronowne demōstratiue this in Christes wordes when he saith This is my bodie this is my bloud howe they labour I saye to teache what that this was then in dede when Christ spake in the beginning of the sentence the word this before he had pronownced the rest of the wordes that followed in the same sentence so that their doctrine maye agree with their transubstantiation which in dede is the verye foundacion wherin all their erroneous doctrine doth stand And here the transubstantiators doo not agree amongest them selfes The papistes them selfes doo not agree no more then they doo in the wordes which wrought the transubstātiacion when Christ did first institute his sacrament Wherin Innocentius Bisshopp of Rome of the latter dayes and Duns as was noted before do attribute the worke vnto the word benedixit blessed But the rest for the most part to Hoc est corpus meum This is my bodye c. Dunse therfore with his secte because he putteth the chaunge before must nedes saye that this when Christ spake it in the beginning of the sentēce was in dede Christes bodye For in the chaunge the substance of bread did departe and the chaunge was nowe doone in benedixit sayth he that went before And therfore after him and his that this was then in dede Christes bodye thowgh the word did not import so muche but onely one thing in substance which substāce after Duns the breade being gone must nedes be the substance of Christes bodye But they that putt their transubstantiacion to be wrought by these wordes of Christ This is my bodye and doo saye that when the hole sentence was finished then this chaunge was perfected and not before they can not saie but yet Christes this in the beginninge of the sentence before the other wordes were fully pronoūced was breade in deede For as yet the change was not done and soe longe the bread must nedes remainer and so longe as the substance of the bread doth remaine so long with the vniuersal consent of al trāsubstantiators the natural substance of Christes body cānot come and therfore muste their this of necessitie demonstrate and shew the substance which was as yet in the pronouncing of the first worde this by Christ but breade But how cā they make and verifie Christs words to bee true demostrating the substance whiche in the demonstration is but breade and saie therof This is my bodie that is as they saie the naturall substance of Christes bodie except they wolude saie that the verbe is signifieth is made or is chāged into and so thē if the same verbe is be of the same effecte in Christes wordes spoken vpon the cuppe and rehearsed by Luke and Paule the cuppe or the wine in the cuppe must be made or turned into the newe testament as was declared before Vuinch is become a Neutrall There bee some amonge the transubstantiators whiche walke soe wilely and soe warely betwixte these ij aforesaide opinions allowinge them both and holding plainelye neither of them boeth that me thinke they maie be called Neutrals Ambidexters or rather suche as canne shifte on boeth sides They plaie on boeth partes for with the latter they doe allowe the doctrine of the laste sillable whiche is that transubstantiation is done by miracle in an instante at the sound of the laste sillable um in this sentēce hoc est corpus meum And they do alow Dunses phantastical imaginacion of indiuiduū vagum that demonstrateth as he teacheth in Christes wordes one thing in substaunce then beinge after his mynde the substaunce of the bodie of Christe A marueilous thing howe anye manne can agree with both these
were a laboure to greate for to gather and to tedyous for the reader but one or twoo places of euerye one The whiche howe plaine and howe full and cleare they bee againste the erroure of Transubstantiation I referre it to the iudgemente of thindifferente reader And nowe I wil likewise rehearse the saiynges of other three olde aunciente writers of the Lattin Churche and soe make an ende Tertulliā And firste I will begin with Tertullian whom Cypriane the holy Martyr so highlie estemed that whēsoeuer he would haue his booke he was wōt to say geue vs now the Master Lib. 4. contra Martionē This olde writer in his 4. booke against Martion the heritike saith thus Iesus made the bread which he toke and distributed to his disciples his body saiyng This is my body that is to say saieth Tertullian a figure of my bodie In this place it is plaine that after Tertullians exposition Christ ment not by calling the bread his body and the wine his bloude that either the bread was his natural bodie or the wine his naturall bloude but he called them his bodye and his bloud because he would institute them to be vnto vs Sacramentes that is holie tokens and signes of his bodie and of his bloud that by them remembringe and firmelie beleuing the benefites procured to vs by his body whiche was torne and crucified for vs and of hys bloude whiche was shedde for vs vpon the crosse and soe with thankes receiuinge these holye sacramentes according to Christes institution myghte by the same be spirituallie noryshed and fedde to thencrease of all Godlines in vs here in oure pylgremage and iorney wherin we walke vnto euerlasting life This was vndoubtedlie Christe our Sauiours mynde and this is Tertullians exposition The wranglynge that the papistes doe make to elude this saiynge of Tertullian is so far out of all frame that it euen wearieth me to thinke on it Vuinch in his āsuuer to the 161. obiect Tertullyan writeth here saye they as none hath done hitherto before him This saiyng is to to manyfest false S. Augustine and other olde awthors likwise doo call the Sacrament a figure off Christs bodye And wher they saie that Tertullian wrott this whē he was in an heat off disputation with an heretike coueting by al meanes to ouercō his aduersarye As who saye he wolde not take hede what he dyd saye ād specialy what he wold write in so high a matter so that he might haue the better hand off his aduersarie Ys this credible to be trewe in any godly wyseman Howe much lesse then is it worthy to be thowght or credited in a man off so great wyt lernyng and excellency as Tertullian is worthely esteamed euer to haue bene Lykwise this author in his first booke against the the same heretike Martion writeth thus God dyd not reiect bread which is his creature for by it he hath made a representation off his bodye Nowe I prai you what is this to say that Christ hath made a representation by breade of his bodye but that Christ hath Lib. 1. cōtra Mar. instituted and ordeined bred to be a sacrament for to represent vnto vs his bodye Nowe whether the representation of one thinge by another requireth the corporall presence of the thinge which is so represented or no euery man that hath vnderstanding is hable in this pointe the matter is so cleare of it lsefe to be a sufficient iudge The second doctor and wryter off the latine churche whose saiynges I promised to set furth S. August is S. Augustine off whose lernyng and estimation I neede not to speake for all the churche of Christ both hath and euer hath had hym for a man of moost singular learning witte and dilygence both in setting fourth the true doctrine of Christes religion and also in the defense off the same againste heretikes This awthor as he hath written most plenteously in other matters off our faith so like wise in this argument he hathe written at large in manye off his workes so plainli against this error of transubstantiation that the papistsloue least to heare of him off all other writers partly for his authoritye and partly because he openeth the matter more fully then any one other doth Therfore I will reherse moe place off him then heretofore I haue done of the other And firste what can be more playne then that whiche he writeth vppon the 89. psalme speking of the sacramente of the Lordes bodye and bloud and rehersing as yt were Christes wordes to his disciples affter this maner Yt is not this bodie which ye doo see that ye shal eate neither shall ve drincke this bloud which the Soudiares that Crucefye me schall spille or shedde I doe commende vnto you a misterie or a sacramente whiche spiritually vnderstanded shall geue you life Nowe if Christ hadde no moe naturall and corporall bodies but that one whiche they then presentlie boeth harde and saw And none other naturall bloude but that whiche was in the same bodie and the whiche the souldiers cruellye did after shedde vppon the Crosse and neither this bodie nor this bloude was by this declaration of S. Augustine either to be eaten or dronken but the misterie therof spirituallye to be understanded Then I conclude if this saiyng and exposition of S. Augustine be trwe that the misterie whiche the disciples shoulde eate was not the natural bodie of Christe but a misteri of the same spirituallye to be vnderstanded For as S. Augustine saieth in his 20. booke contra faustum Cap. 21 Christes fleashe and bloude was in the olde testament promised by similitudes and signes of their sacrefyces and was exhibited in deede and in trueth vpon the crosse but the same is celebrated by a sacrament of remembrance vpon the aulter And in his booke de fide ad Petrum Cap. 19 he saeth that in these Sacrifices meaninge of the olde lawe it is figuratiuelie signified what then was to be geuen But in this Sacrifice it is euidentlie signified what is alreadie geuen vnderstanding in the sacrifice vpon the aulter the remembraunce and thankes geuing for the fleashe whiche he offred for vs and for the bloude whyche he shedde for vs vppon the Crosse as is in the same place and euidentlye there it maie appeare Another euidente and cleare place wherein it appeareth that bythe Sacramentall breade whyche Christe called hys bodye he meante a fygure of hys bodie is vppon the thyrde Psalme Where Sancte Augustine speaketh thus in plaine tearmes Christe did admit Iudas vnto the feast in the whiche he commended to his disciples the fygure of hys bodye Thys was Christes laste supper before hys Passion Wherein he dydde ordayne the Sacrament of hys bodye as all learned menne doe agree S. Augustine also in his 23. Epistle ad Bonifacium teacheth howe Sacramentes doe beare the names of the thinges wherof they be sacraments boeth in Baptisme and in the Lordes table August Epi.
Certē godly learned and comfortable conferences betwene the two Reuerende Fathers and holye Martyrs of Christe D. Nicolas Rydley late Bysshoppe of London and M. Hughe Latymer Sometyme Bysshoppe of Worcester during the tyme of theyr emprysonmentes Wherunto is added A Treatise agaynst the errour of Transubstantiation made by the sayd Reuerende Father D. Nicolas Rydley M.D.LVI Ryghte deare in the sighte of the Lorde is the death of his sainctes Psal. 116. To The Reader GRace and peace c. Good Christian Reader her are sett forthe for thine instruction and comforte certen learned and comfortable conferences Betwene the two Reuerende and godly fathers M. Rydley and M. Latymer whose bodies the Romishe tyrannie of late hathe tormented and fier hathe consumed whose sowles mercie hathe embraced and heauen hathe receiued yelding th one vnto the enemie to deathe for testimonie of the truthe commending thother vnto god in suer hope of lyfe Wher vnto is also added a learned treatise and a cleare confutation of the fonde and wicked opinion of Transubstantiation written by the said M. Ridley And forasmuche as these their scrolles and writynges wer by goddes good prouidence preserued and as it wer raked owte of the asshes of thauthors cōteinīge as well cōfortable cōsolatiō for suche as are in the schole of the crosse as also goode ād profitable admonitiō for them which eyther of ignorāce either of infirmitie or by flattering of them selfes with vayne pretenses do yelde vnto the wicked worlde the reuerence due to the reuerende fathers the zeale towardes the setting forthe of the tried truthe and the readye goode will to conforte and confirme weake consciences would not suffer the any lenger to wante these smalle treatises and yett no smalle treasures That as in life thei profited the by teaching and in deathe by example so after death they may doe the goode by writing And albeit the matter of it selfe is sufficiente to commend it selfe yet it cannot be but the worthines of the writers will encrease creditte and giue no small authoritie to the writynges M. Latymer came earlier in the morning and was the more auncient workeman in the lordes vineyarde Matt. 20. who also may verie well be called as diuerse learned men haue termed hym the Apostle of Englād as one much more worthie of that name for his true doctrine for his sharpe reprouinge of sinne and superstition then was Augustine bisshop of Canturburie for bringing in the popes monkerie and false religion M. Ridley came later aboute theleuenth howre but no doubte he came when he was effectuallye called and frō the time of his calling became a faithfull labourer terrible to the enemies for his excellent learning and therfore a meete man to ridde owte of the lordes vineyarde the sophisticall thornes of the wrangling aduersaries which dyd well appeare in all disputations and conferences that wer in his tyme and partlye doth appeare in these shorte treatises folowing But what shal it nede in manye wordes to prayse them whose lyfes wer moste commendable whose deathes wer most glorious in office and vocation bothe lyke in labour and trauail bothe faithfull in learning and iudgemēt both sounde in minde and maners bothe milde but in goddes cause bothe stoute For neither threatned deathe neither loue of present lyfe could shake the foundation of theyr faithe firmely grounded apon the suer rocke Christe Matt. 7. They redemed libertie of conscience with the bondage of the bodie and to saue their lyfes they wer content to lose their lyfes This was not the worke of the fleshe but the operation of goddes mightie spirite who hathe euer frome the beginning not onlye builded but also enlarged his churche by the sufferance of his sainctes and sealed his doctrine with the bloude of his martyrs as S. Augustine speaking of the persecutions in the primatiue church doth well declare in theis wordes Ligabantur includebantur caedebantur De ciuita Dei lib. 22 cap. 6. torque bantur urebantur multiplicabantur That is to saye The Christians wer bounde wer emprisoned wer beaten wer tormented wer brente and yet wer multiplyed Yf Iustinus Martyr when he was yet an heathen Philosopher as he confesseth of hym selfe was moued to embrace the fayth and religion of Christe Apolog. 1 in beholding the constante patience of the martyrs which suffred for Christe in his tyme how muche more oughte the patiente suffringe and voluntarie death of these notable fathers with many other learned godlye men in our dayes whose names are writtē in the booke of lyfe not only moue but also pearce ād perswade all godly heartes constantely to remayne in the truthe knowen For vndoubtedly the truthe of the cawse they suffred for is moste euidente by goddes worde and hath ben so fully taughte so clearly sette forthe by many and sundrye writynges that it is open to the Consciences of all the worlde euen of the verie aduersaries themselfes that persequute it greater is theyr damnation excepte it be to such whome the godde of thys worlde 2. Cor. 4. malice ambition auarice or ignorance hath blynded Which thynge nedeth none other proofe especially for the realme of englande but only to call to mynde with what conscience and constancie these pyllers of the church that can nott erre haue walked in Religion these twentye yeares by paste how they not longe agoo receiued and allowed thynges which with fyre and fagotte they persequute now and shranke frome that thē which now they moste earnestly mainteyne And allthoughe ther appeared in the latter dayes a shadow of stowtenesse in a few yet it was in dede nothynge For it sprange not owte of any zeale to the cawse or clearenesse of conscience but rather owte of a lyke subtylle and foxye presumption as the Syrians once conceiued when they putte themselfes in the daunger of Kinge Achab sayeng 3. Reg. 20. Beholde we haue hearde that the kinges of the howse of Israel are pitefull and mercyfull For owte of all dowte K. Henry theyghte coulde as easely haue obteined at winchesters handes and others a conformytee in puttyng downe the Masse and all the reaste what so euer hath ben done by order sence if he hadde earnestly minded it as the abolisshinge of the pope monkerye pylgremages reliques with lyke baggage all which are now agayne thinges well estemed and couered as all the resydew is with the clooke of the Catholike church But to returne to the matter we haue in hāde in this littel treatise goode read thow shalte perceiue another māer of spirite thow shalte thīke if thow thi selfe be not verie dulle that thow hearest men speake which hadde learned the lessō of thapostles that is Acto 4. to obei godde rather thē mā ād hadde not learned the Romisshe Epicures lesson to applye fayth and religiō to the presente state of policie to turne with the tyme and serue all seasons men before death deade vnto the worlde accowmptynge with S. Paule all other thynges to be
Idolatrie and sacrilege is not be done to the holie Sacramēt then also the wicked I meane the impenitent murtherer adulterer or suche like do not receiue the naturall substāce of the blissed body and bloud of Christ finallie then doth folow that Christes blissed bodie and bloud which was once onely offered and shed vpon the crosse beinge auailable for the synnes of all the worlde is offered vp no more in the natural substaunce therof neither by the prieste nor anie other thinge But here before we goe any further to searche in this matter and to wade as it were to searche and trie oute as we maie the trueth therof in the scripture it shall do well by the way to knowe whether they that thus make aunswere and solution to the former principall question doe take awaye simplye and absolutlye the presence of Christes bodie and bloud from the sacrament ordeined by Christ and duely ministred according to his holye ordinances and institution of the same Vndoutedlye they do denie that vtterly either 〈◊〉 to saie or to meane the same And therof if any 〈◊〉 doe or will doubte the bookes whiche are written alreadye in this matter of them that thus doe answeare will make the matter plaine Nowe then you will saie what kinde of presence do they graunt and what do they denie Vuhat kīde of presence is to be graunted in the lordes supper Briefelye they denie the presence of Christes bodye in the naturall substance of his humaine and assumpte nature and graunt the presence of the same by grace That is they affirme and saie that the substance of the naturall bodie and bloud of Christ is onelie remainynge in heauen and so shall be vntill the latter daie when he shal come againe in glorie accompained with the angelles of heauen Matt. 24 ▪ to iudge both the quicke and the deade And the same naturall substance of the verie bodie and bloude of Christe because it is vnited to the diuine nature in Christe the seconde person of the Trinitie therfore it hath not onelye life in it selfe but it is also able and doth Ioan. 6. geue life vnto so manie as bee or shall be partakers thereof that is that to all that doo beeleue on his Ioan. 1. name which are not born of bloud as Iohn saith or of the will of the fleshe or of the will of man but are borne of God though the selfe same substance abide still in heauen and they for the tyme of their pilgremage dwell here vpon the earth by grace I saie that is by the life mētioned in Ihon Ioan. 6. and the properties of the same meete for oure pilgremage here vpon earth the same bodie of Christe is here presente with vs Euē as for example wee saie the Sunne whiche in substaunce neuer remoueth hys place out of the heauens is yet presente here by his beames light and natural influence where it shineth vpon the earth For gods worde and his Sacraments be as it were the beames of Christ which Malach. 4 is Sol Iustiticie The Sunne of righteousenes Thus thou haste hearde of what sorte or secte soeuer thou be wherin doth stande the principall state and chiefe pointe of all the cōtrouersies whiche doe properlie perteine vnto the nature of this Sacrament As for the vse therof I graunt ther be many other thinges wherof here I haue spoken nothing And now leste thou iustly maist complaine and saie that I haue in openinge of this matter doone nothing els but digged a pitte and haue not shutt it vp againe or broken a gap and haue not made it vp or opened the booke and haue not closed it againe or elles to call me what thou listest as Newtrall Dissembler or what soeuer els thy luste and learning shall serue thee to name me worse Therfore here nowe I will by Goddes grace not onlye shortly but also so clearely and plainelie as I can make the nowe to knowe whether of the foresaide two aunsweres to the former principall state and chief pointe doth like me beste Yea and also I will holde all those accursed whiche in this matter that nowe soe troubleth the churche of Christe haue of God receiued the Keye of knowledge and yet goe about to shutte vp the doores so that they them selues will not entre in nor suffre other that woulde And as for myne owne parte I considre boeth of late what charge and cure of soule hath been cōmitted to me wherof God knoweth howe soone I shall be called to geue an accoumpt and also nowe in thys worlde what peryll and daunger of the lawes concerning my life I am now in at this presente time what folye were it then for me nowe to dissemble with God of whome assuredlye I loke and hope by Christ to haue euerlasting life Seing that suche charge and daunger both before God and manne do compasse me in rounde aboute on euery side therfore God willing I will franklye and freelye vtter my minde And thoughe my bodie be captiue yet my tounge and my penne as longe as I maie shall freelye set furth that whiche vndoubtedlye I am perswaded to bee the trueth of Gods worde And yet I will doe it vnder this protestation call me a protestante who liste A protestation I doe not passe therof My protestation shall be this that my minde is ād euer shal be God willing to set furth syncerlye the true sense and meaning to the beste of myne vnderstanding of Gods most holye worde and not to decline from the same either for feare of worldly danger or els for hope of gaine I do protest also dew obedience and submission of my iudgment in this my writing and in all other mine affaires vnto those of Christes churche whiche bee truelye learned in Gods holye worde gathered in Christes name and guided by his spirite An ansvvere to the cheefe question ▪ After this protestation I doe plainelye affirme and saie that the seconde aunsweare made to the chiefe question and principal pointe I am perswaded to be the verye true meaning and sense of Gods holie worde That is that the natural substaunce of breade and wine is the true materiall substaunce of the holie sacramente of the blissed bodie and bloude of oure sauioure Christe And the places of scripture wherupon this my faithe is grownded be theis both concernyng the Sacrament of the bodye and also of the bloud Fyrst lett vs repete the begynning of the institution of the Lordes supper wherin all the three Euāgelistes and S. Paule almost in wordes do agree sayng that Ihesus tooke bread gaue thankes brake and gaue it to the Disciples sayng take eate This is my bodye Christe calleth verie breade his bodie Here it appereth plainlye that Christ calleth verye bread his bodye For that which he tooke was very bread in this all mē doo agre and that which he tooke after he had gyuen thankes he brake and that which he tooke and brake he gaue it
place therfore some whiche haue written sence that tyme haue forged two other answeres euē of the same mould The former wherof is that Origene in this place spake not of the Sacramentall breade or wyne of the lordes table but of an other misticall meate of the whiche S. Augustin maketh mencion to be geuen vnto them that were taughte the faith before they were baptised But Origenes owne wordes in two sentences before rehersed beinge put to gether proueth this aunswere vntrue For he saieth that he meneth of that figuratiue and misticall bodye whiche profiteth them that doe receiue it worthyly alluding so plainly vnto S Paules wordes spoken of the Lordes supper that it is a shame for any learned manne once to open his mouth to the contrarie And that breade whiche S Augustine speaketh of he can not proue that any suche thinge was vsed in Origenes time Yea and though that could be proued yet was there neuer breade in any tyme called a sacramentall bodie sauing the sacramentall breade of the Lordes table which is called of Origene the typicall and symbolicall bodie of Christe The seconde of the two newe founde answeres Vuich in the same place is yet moste monstrous of all other whiche is this But let vs graunt saie they that Origene spake of the Lordes supper and by the matter thereof was vnderstanded the materiall substaunce of breade and wine What then saie they for though the ma teriall substaunce was once gone and departed by reason of transubstantiation whileste the formes of breade and wyne did remaine yet nowe it is no inconuenience to saie that as that materiall substaunce did depart at the entryng in of Christes bodie vnder the aforesaide formes soe when the saide formes be destroied and doe not remaine then cōmeth againe the substance of bread and wine and this saie they is verye meete in this misterie that that which began with miracle shal ende in a miracle Yf I hadde not red this phantasie I would scarselye haue beleued that any learned man euer would haue set furth suche a folish fantasie which not onely lacketh all ground either of Gods word reason or of anie anciente writer but is also cleane contrarie to the commen rules of schoole diuinitie whiche is that no miracle is to be affyrmed and putte withoute necessitie And although for their former miracle whiche is their trasubstantiation they haue some collour though it be but vaine saynge it is doone by the power and vertue ofthese woordes of Christe This is my bodie yet to make this second miracle of returning the material substaunce againe they haue no colloure at all Or els I pray them shew me by what wordes of Christe is that seconde miracle wrought Thus ye maie see that the sleigthes and shiftes whiche crafte and witte can inuente to wreste the true sense of Origene can not take place But now lette vs heare one other place of Origene and soe we shall lette him goe Origene in the 11. Homelye Super Leuiticum saeth that there is also euen in the fower gospelles and not onely in the old Testamente a letter meanynge a litterall sense whiche kylleth for if thowe followe the letter saieth he in that saiynge except ye eate the fleash of the sonne of manne and drinke his bloude The second authoritie furth of Origene c. This letter doth kill Yfin that place the letter doth kyll wherin is commaunded the eating of Christes fleash then suerlie in those wordes of Christ wherin Christe commaundeth vs to eate his bodie the literall sense theroflikewise doth kill ▪ For it is no lesse crime but euen the same and all one in the literal sense to eate Christes body and to eate Christes fleashe Wherfore if the one doth kyll except it be vnderstanded figuratiuelie and spirituallie then the other suerly doth kill likewise But that to eate Christes fleashe doeth kill so vnderstanded Origene affirmeth plainli in his words aboue rehersed Wherfore it can not be iustlie denied but to eate Christes body literallie vnderstanded must nedes after him kill likewise The aunsweare that is made to this place of Origene of the papistes is soe folishe that it bewraeyeth it selfe withoute anye further confutation It is the same that they make to a place of S Augustine in his booke de doctrina Christiana Li. 3. ca. Whereas S. Augustine speaketh in effecte the same thynge that Origene doth here The papistes answeare is this to the carnal man the literall sense is hurtful but not soe to the spirituall As thoughe to vnderstande that in hys proper sense whiche oughte to be taken figuratiuelie were to the carnall manne a daungerous perrill but to the spirituall manne none at all Nowe to Chrisostome whome I bring for the seconde writer in the Greke churche Chrisostome He speakinge againste the vnholie vsyng of mans bodie whiche after S Paule ought to bekepte pure and holie as the verie temple of the holy ghoste saith thus If it be a faulte saith he to translate the holied vesselles in the whiche is not contained the trwe bodie of Christe In opere imperfect Hom. 11. in Matth. but the misterie of the bodie to priuate vses howe muche more offence is it to abuse and defile the vesseles of our bodie These be the woordes of Chrysostome But I trowe that here many foule shiftes are deuised to defeate this place The authoure saith one is suspected I answere but in this place neuer fault was founde with him vnto these oure daies And whether this authour were Ihon Chrisostome himselfe the Archbishoppe of Constantinople or no that is not the matter for of al it is graūted that he was a writer of that age and a man of greate learninge Soe that it is manifest that this which he writeth was the receiued opiniō of learned men in his daies or els vndoubtedly in suche a matter his saiyng should haue bene impugned of some that wrote in his time or nere vnto the same Nay saith another if this solution wil not serue we maie saie that Chrysostome did not speak of the vesseles of the Lordes cuppe Vuinch in theansvuer to the 198. obiection or suche as was then vsed at the Lordes table but of the vesselles vsed in the temple in the olde lawe This answere will serue no more then the other For here Chrysostome speaketh of suche vesselles wherin was that whyche was called the bodye of Christ although it was not the true body saith he of Christe but the misterie of Christes bodie Now of the vesselles of the olde lawe the writers doe vse no suche maner of phrase for their sacrifices were not called Christes bodie for Christe then was but in shadows and figurs and not by the sacrament of his bodie reuealed Erasmus whiche was a man that coulde vnderstand the wordes and sense of the writer although he woulde not be seene to speake againste this error of transubstantiation because he durste not yet in his time declareth plainlie
23. Euen as we call euerie good fryday the daye of Christes passion and euerie Easter day the daie of Christes resurrection When in verie dede there was but one daie wherin he suffered and one daie wherein he rose And why doe we then call them so which are not so in dede but because they are in like time ād course of the yeare as those dais were wherin those things wer done Was Christ saeth S. Austin offred any more but once and he offred hīself And yet in a sacramente or representation not onely euery solempne feast of Easter but also euery daie to the people he is offered For if sacramentes had not some similitude or likenes of those things wherof they be sacramentes they could in no wise be sacramētes And for their similitudes and likenes commēly they haue the names of the thinges wherof they bee sacramentes Therfore as after a certaine maner of spech the sacramente of Christes bodie is Christes bodie the sacramente of Christes bloud is Christes bloud so likewise the sacrament of faith is faith c. After this maner of speache as S. Augustine techeth in his questions Super Leuiticum et contra adimantum Question 57. it is sayed in scripture that seuen eares of corne be seuen yeares seuen kyne be seuen yeares and the rocke was Christe and bloud is the soule The whiche laste saiynge saieth S. Austen in his booke contra adimantum is vnderstanded to be spoken in a signe or figure for the Lorde himselfe did not sticke to saie This is my bodie when he gaue the signe of his bodie Cap. 13. For we muste not considre in sacramentes saieth S. Augustine in an other place what they be but what they do signifie Contra Maximium lib. ca. 22. For they be signes of things being one thing in themselues and yet signifiyng an other thing For the heauenly breade saieth he speakinge of the sacramentall breade by some maner of speach is called Christes bodye when in verye dede it is the sacrament of the bodye c. What can be more plaine or more clearely spoken then are theis places of S. Augustine before rehersed if men were not obstinately bent to mainteyne an vntrewth and to receiue nothing what so euer doth sett it fourth Yet one place more of S. Augustine will I alledge which is verie cleare to this purpose that Christes naturall bodye is in heauen and not here corporally in the sacrament and so lett him depart In his 50. Tract 50. in Ioan. Treatyse which he writeth vppon Ihon̄ he teacheth plainly and clearlie howe Christ being both God and man is both here after a certaine maner and yet in heauē and not here in his naturall bodye and substaunce which he tooke of the blessed virgine Marie speking thus of Christ and saing By his diuine maiestye by his prouidence by his vnspeakable and inuisible grace that is fulfilled which he spake Behold I am with yow vnto the ende of the worlde But as concerning his fleash whiche he tooke in his incarnation as towching that which was born of the virgine as concerning that which was apprehended by the Iewes and crucified vppon a tree and taken downe from the crosse lapped in lynen clothes and buryed and rose agayn and appeared after his resurrecton as coocerning that fleash he sayed Ye shall not euer haue me with yow why so For as concerning his fleashe he was conuersaunt with his disciples 40. dayes and they accompanying seing and not following him he went vpp into heauen and is not here By the presence of his diuine maiestie he did not depart as concerning the presence of his diuyne maiestie we haue Christ euer with vs but as concerning the presence of his fleash he said truly to his disciples ye shall not euer haue me with yow For as concerning the presence of his fleashe the church had him but a fewe dayes nowe yt holdeth him by fayth thowgh it seeth him not Thus much S. Augustine speketh repeting one thing so ofte and all to declare and teach howe we should vnderstand the maner of Christes being here with vs which is by his grace by his prouidence and by his diuine nature and howe he is absent by his natural bodie which was born of the virgine Marie dyed and rose for vs and is ascended into heauē and ther sitteth as is in tharticles of our faith on the right hand of god and thense and from none other place saith S. Augustine shall comme on the latter daye to iudge the quicke and the dead At the which daye the righteous shall then lift vpp their heades and the lighte of godes truth shall so shine that falsehood and errors shal be putte to perpetuall confusion Righteousnes shall haue the vpper hand and trewth that daie shall beare awaie the victorie all the Enemyes therof quyte ouerthrowen to be troden vnder foote for euermore O Lord Lord I beseach the hast this daye thē shalt thow be glorifyed with the glorye dewe vnto thy holy name and vnto thy diuine maiestie and we shall singe vnto the in all ioye and felicitee laude and prayse for euermore Here now wold I make an end for methink S. Augustine is in this matter so full ād playne and of that authoritye that it should not neade after this his declaration being so firmely grownded vppon goddes word and so well agreing with other awncyene awthours to bring in for the confirmation of this matter anye moe And yet I sayed I wold alledge three of the Latyne church to testefye the truthe in this cause Nowe therfore the last of all shal be Gelasius Gelasius which was a Busshop of Rome but one that was Busshopp of that Sea before the wicked vsurpation and Tyrannye therof spredde and brast owt abroade into all the worlde For this man was before Bonifacius yea ād Gregory the first In whose daies both corruption of doctrine and tyrannicall vsurpatiō did chiefly growe and had the vpper hand Gelasius in an Epistle of the two natures of Christ contra Eutichen writeth thus The sacramentes of the bodie and bloud of Christ which we receue are godly thinges wherby and by the same we are made partakers of the diuīe nature ād yet neuertheles the substaunce or nature of the breade and wyne doth not departe or go awaye Note thes wordes I beseach yow and cōsyder whether any thing can be more playnlye spoken then theis wordes be against the error of Transubstantiation which is the grownd and bitter roote whervppon springeth all the horrible errours before rehersed Wherfore seing that 〈◊〉 falsehood hereof doth appeare so manyfestly and by so many wayes so plainely so clearelie and so fullye that no man nedeth to be deceiued but he that will not see or will not vnderstand Let vs all that doo loue the truth embrase yt and forsake the falsehed for he that loueth the truth is of god and the lacke of the loue therof is the cause why God suffereth men to fall into errours and to perish therin yea and as S. Paule saith why he sendeth vnto them illusyons that they beleue lyes vnto their owne condemnatyon because sayth he they loued not the truthe This truth no dowbt is Goddes word for Christ him self sayth vnto his Father Thy word is truthe the loue and light wherof Almightye God heauenlye father giue vs and lighten it in owr hartes by his holye Spiryte throwghe Iesus Christ our Lorde AMEN Faultes escaped in printing and to be corrected as foloweth The 3. leafe pag. 1.21 lyne hym helfe reade himselfe In the seconde page 9. lyne ignoranee reade ignorance The 5. leafe pag. 1. lib. 6. trew wor reade trew worde The 7. leafe pag. 1. li. 9. phaatasticall reade phantasticall The 13. leafe pag. 1. li. 13. that is daungerouse reade that it is daungerouse The 16. leafe pag. 2. lin 19. te remayne reade to remayne The 18. leafe pag. 1. laste lyne maye bones reade marye bones The 21. leafe pag. 2. lin 25. pophetes reade prophetes The 24. leafe pag. 1. li. 26. thinke thinke putte forthe th one thinke The 50. lea pag. 2. li. 20. Christes reade Christe The 53. lea pag. 1. lin 6. whrein reade wherin The 55. lea pag. 2. li. 12. misterers reade misteries The 62. leafe pag. 2. li. 2 as none hath done hiterto before hym adde therūto Neither yet anie other Catholike man after hym