flesh of Chryst was to be estemed by faith But I wolde the Aduersaries and all that be doubtful of the presence of Chrystes blessed bodie and blood in the Sacrament wolde regarde and folowe the counsell of this auncient father to let all doubte of infidelitie departe from them Which counseill yf they wel weigh was geuen for the beleuing of a weightier and greater matter of faith then to beleue that the bread maye be or ys the figure of Chrystes bodie A chrystian man shall do no great matter to beleue soch a thing which shall be no higher aboue reason nor no more repugnaunt therto then that ys But the authour speaking these woordes vpon the saing of Chryst which ys our text now in hand ment a greater matter to be beleued whiche reason can not atteign to whiche ys that the flesh and blood of Chryste in the Sacrament which thinges are estemed by faith ther to be though not so to be iudged by the outward seight are verily meat and drinke And to shewe vs by whome this great matter ys wrought he addeth Qui authour est muneris ipse est testis veritatis He that ys authour of the gift he ys the wittnesse of the trueth Chryst ys the wittnesse of the trueth wherfore he ys Bread and wine turned not into Sacramentall bread and wine but in to the bodie and bloode of Chryst the authour of the gift that ys of the Sacrament And yet that he wolde certifie the weake beleuer he teacheth by what meās the authour doth woork this miraculouse gifte and worke saing Inuisibilis sacerdos c. The inuisible preist doth turne the visible creaturs of bread and wine into the substance of hys bodie and bloode Note that the bread and wine be turned not to be a sacramentall bread as the Aduersaries wolde glose yt but into the substance of the bodie and blood of Chryst O merueilouse God what be they that will sticke still in the filthie mire of detestable heresie when they heare the trueth so plainly so simplie so expresly spoken and vttered as they be not able to against saie yt and that not of one of this time neither of the time since the heresie against thys Sacrament beganne but of one being aboue a thousande years agon when the Church was in most godly and quiet peace in thys matter Open yowr eyes and see and beholde yowr filthinesse and in time seke to gett oute of yt Now that this authour being on the one side of Chrystes Parliament house hath so manifestly declared this our text to be vnderstanded of the very reall and substanciall flesh of our Sauiour Chryst in the Sacrament to be our verie meat we will heare the other which ys S. Augustine who vpon the same Tractatu 26. in Ioā text saieth thus Cùm enim cibo potu id appetant homines vt non esuriant neque sitiant hoc veraciter non praestat nisi iste cibus potus qui eos à quibus sumitur immortales incorruptibiles facit id est societas ipsa sanctorum vbi pax erit vnitas plena atque perfecta Propterea quippe sicut etiam ante nos intellexerunt homines Dei Dominus Iesus Christus corpus sanguinem suum in eis rebus commendauit quae ad vnum aliquid rediguntur ex multis Namue aliud in vnum ex multis granis conficitur constat Aliud in vnum ex multis acinis confluit Forasmoche as by meat and drinke men do this desire that they shoulde neither hunger neither thirst this doth nothing truly geue but that meat and drinke which maketh them of whom yt ys receaued immortall and incorruptible that ys the feloshippe of saincts wher shall be peace and vnitie full and perfight Therfore truly as also before vs the men of God haue vnderstanded this our Lorde Iesus Chryst hathe commended hys bodie and blood in those thinges which to one certen thing be brought of manie For the one ys made into one of manie graines and so consisteth the other cometh into one of manie grapes Thus he Three thinges in the Sacrament to be considered Yf ye call to remembrance what was saied of a certain authour vpon this text The bread whiche I will geue c. Yt will helpe yow well to vnderstand S. Augustin here Yt was saied ther that in the Sacrament be three things The first ys the sacrament onelie which doth signifie or ys the sign of an holie thing and that ys the forme of bread The second ys that that ys signified ād cōteined which ys the verie bodie of Chryst The thirde ys signified but not cōteined which ys the mysticall bodie of Chryst that ys the cōpanie of all hys electe ioined to Chryst the head by faith ād charitie for the which thing this sacramēt ys called the sacramēt of vnitie bicause manie be made one ād ioined in vnitie So yt ys called the sacramēt of loue bicause yt signieth that by loue this vnitie should be brought to passe Now forsomoch as these three thinges be in the Sacramēt a mā maie speak of eche of thē seuerallie and yet whē he speaketh but of one he denieth not the other So S. Augustin here speaking of the societie of Sainctes speaketh of the thirde thing of the Sacramēt but denieth not the other For by the learning of the Aduersaries the Sacramēt ys as wel a sacrament of Chrystes bodie brokē vpō the Crosse as yt ys of the vnitie of Chrystes bodie mysticall And that ye maie perceaue that S. Augustin excludeth not the bodie ād blood of Chryst frō the Sacrament but raither includeth yt note he saied that our Lord Iesus Chryst commended his bodie and blood in these thinges which be made one of manie that by the bread made of manie graines nowe turned into one bodie of Chryst and by the wine made of manie grapes nowe turned into the bloode of Chryst all we as S. Paule saieth eating of this one bread and drinking of this one cuppe might be one bodie in Chryste and eche of vs one an others membres That S. Augustin denieth not the very presence of Chryst in the Sacramēt though here vpon S. Iohn he speaketh moch of the effect of the same the consideracion wherof we haue declared in the exposition of the last text before this yt doth appear in a great nombre of places of the whiche manie haue ben allready alleaged and mo by Gods helpe shall be As this Hoc est quod dicimus quod modis omnibus approbare contendimus sacrificium Ecclesiae August lisentē Pros duobus modis confici duobus constare visibili elementorum specie inuisibili Domini nostri Iesu Christi carne sanguine sacramento re sacramenti id est corpore Christi Sicut Christi persona constat ex Deo homine cum ipse Christus verus sit Deus verus sit homo quia omnis res illarum rerum naturam
to thinges of like condiciō but whē yt ys cōpared to a thing that ys insinite yt maie not stād in comparison for Finiti ad infinitum nulla est comparatio of a thing finite to a thing infinite ther ys no comparison Wherfore the inconsumptible meat of our lambe in our Sacrament so farre excelleth being infinite that the consumptible meat of the olde lawe being finite maie not stande with yt in comparison Again S. Cyprian calleth our Sacramēt the foode of immortalitie the Paschall lambe of the Iewes was none soche Wherfore our Sacrament by all meanes excelleth that sacramēt of the Iewes S. Cyprian also applieng our Sacrament to the figure of the same vsed by Melchisedech doth most plainlie Cyprian ibidē vide sup li. 1. cap. 39. declare the excellencie of yt Significata olim à tempore Melchisedec prodeunt sacramenta filiis Abrahae facientibus opera eius summus sacerdos panē profert vinum Hoc est inquit corpus meum Manducauerant biberant de eodem pane secun dùm formam visibilem c. The sacramentes signified in the olde time from the time of Melchisedech come nowe furth and the high preist to the children of Abraham doing his woorkes bringeth furth breade and wine This ys saieth he my bodie They had eaten and dronken after the visible forme of the same bread But before those woordes that cōmon meat was profitable onely to nourish the bodie and did ministre helpe to the corporall life Sacrifice propitiatorie But after yt was saied of our lorde This do ye in the in the remembrance of me This ys my flesh and this ys my bloode as often as yt ys don with these woordes and this faith this substanciall bread and cuppe consecrated with the solemne benediction yt doth auail to the health and life of the wholl man and ys both a medicin and sacrifice to heale infirmities and to pourge iniquities Thus moche S. Cyprian But forasmoch as these two sainges are handled in the first booke wher the figure and the thing figured be at large opened I thinke yt not meete anie more of them here to saie then toucheth this present matter whiche they do wonderfullie set furth Yt ys more then manifest that the sacrifices Hebr. 10. The blood of bulls and goates in the olde lawe did not take awaie sinnes but the sacrifice of the newe lawe pourgeth iniquities of the olde lawe were not of that force power and vertue to pourge or take awaie sinnes S. Paule saing Impossibile est sanguine taurorum aut hircorum auferri peccata Yt ys vnpossible sinnes to be taken awaie with the bloode of bulls and goates But this owre sacrifice of the newe lawe whiche ys the flesh and blood of Chryste ys auailable to the wholl mā that ys to the health both of the bodie and soule of man For yt ys a medicin to heale infirmities and a sacrisice to pourge iniquities Yf this then be not a notable excellencie whiche the holie martir Cyprian geueth vnto this gloriouse and blessed Sacrament aboue the excellencie of these figures I knowe not what excellencie ys But the matter requireth to haue other holy Fathers to speake what they thinke in this matter S Ambrose for that he speaking of this matter affirmeth the like operacion and effect of this Sacrament as S. Cyprian did he shall be ioined vnto him Thus he saieth Ipse Dominus Iesus testificatur nobis quod corpus suum accipiamus sanguinem Nunquid debemus de eius fide testificatione dubitare Iam redi me cum ad propositionem meam Magnum quidem venerabile quod Manna Iudaeis pluit Li. 4. de sacram cap. 5 è coelo Sed intellige quid est amplius Manna de coelo an corpus Christi Corpus Christi vtique qui author est coeli Deinde Manna qui manducauerit mortuus est qui manducauerit hoc corpus fiet ei remissio peccatorum non morietur in aeternum The Lorde Iesus him self saieth S. Ambrose testifieth vnto vs that we receaue his bodie and bloode awght we of his testificacion and trueth to doubte Nowe come again with me to my proposition Yt ys a great thing trulie and venerable Manna ae creature frō heauen moche inferiour to Christe the authour of heauen that he rained Manna to the Iewes from heauen But vnderstand whiche ys the greater Manna from heauen or the bodie of Chryst The bodie of Chryst trulie who ys the authour of heauē Farder he that hath eatē Manna hath died he that eateth this bodie he shall haue remission of sinnes and shall not die for euer Thus farre S. Ambrose Doest thowe not Reader in this goodly saing see the great excellencie of the Sacrament aboue Manna as thow didest in S. Cyprian aboue the Paschall lambe and the sacrifice of Melchisedec Doest thowe not also note the goodly argrement of these two in cōmending vnto vs the great and woorthie Effectes of the S. Sacr. prouing the excellencie of yt effectes of this Sacrament by the whiche yt doth withoute all controuersie woonderfully excell all the sacramātes and sacrifices of the olde lawe As S. Cyprian applieng the bodie of Chryst to the Paschall lambe called yt the inconsumptible meat wherby yt excelleth the figure whiche was consumed So S. Ambrose applieng the bodie of Chryst to Manna as to his figure saieh that though Manna came from heauen Yet Chryst who ys the authour of heauen ys more excellent As S. Cyprian called the bodie the foode of imortalitie So S. Ambrose saieth that he that eateth this bodie he shall newer die As S. Cyprian saieth that yt ys a sacrisice to pourge iniquites So S. Ambrose saieth that he that eateth this bodie his sinnes shall be remitted These goodly effectes were not in the sacramentes and sacrifices of the olde lawe Wherfore they being in this Sacrament yt excelleth them all Yf thowe aske why or howe these effectes be in this Sacrament I answere bicause he ys ther verily substancially and reallie in quo inhabitat omnis plenitudo diuinitatis corporaliter in whom dwelleth all the fullnesse of the deitie corporally Colloss 2. and vnto whom Non ad mensuram dat Deus Spiritum God geueth not his Spirit by measure Et cui data est omnis potestas in coelo in terra And to whō Joan. 3. ys geuen all power in heauen and in earth whose flesh coniuncta ei quae naturaliter Math. 28. vita est viuifica effecta est being ioined vnto that whiche naturally ys life ys made also able to giue life as S. Cyrill saieth Cyrillus Of this his presence in the Sacrament for that that Chryst him self saieth and testifieth vnto vs that we do receaue his bodie we sholde not neither we aught as S. Ambrose saieth to doubt of his wittnesse and trueth Of the whiche as also of farder testimonie to the proof of the excellencie of the Sacrament he saieth in
furth or sacrifice Chrystes reall bodie The churche nowe teacheth that we offer the reall bodie of Chryst on the altar This holy man teacheth that we offre the bodie and blood of Chryst vnto euerlasting life And that we shoulde knowe that this ys a sure doctrine grownded Chryst cōmaunded his bodie and blood to be offred vpon a sure fundacion he endeth hys sentence thus Hoc enim ipse Dominus Iesus iussit nos agere in sui commemorationem Thys saieth he hath our Lorde Iesus commaunded vs to doo in the commemoracion or remembrance of him Weigh this saing with me I besech thee gentle Reader Manie of the wicked teachers haue wounderfullie deceaued the simple people with this sentence A fond obiection of the Aduersaries answered by the holie Martyr Martialis of Chryste which this Father here alleageth saing that Chryst instituted this Sacrament for a memoriall or a remembrance of him But a memoriall saie they ys of a thing that ys absent and not of a thing that ys present wherfore Chryste ys not present in the Sacrament Yf he were what neadeth anie other memoriall but hys presence A more full aunswer shall be made to this by the helpe of Gods grace in the thirde booke wher this matter shall be treacted of more at large But at this present this holy man onely shall aunswer Whose aunswer his grauitie Cap. 41. holinesse and auncientie ys soche that they that flee not from gods grace to their owne singular affection and opinion shall perceaue that in yt ys soche pith and substance that they maie well staie them selues vpon the same For when the holie Father had declared the reall presence of Chryste in the Sacrament and that he ys offred in sacrifice then he added that our Lorde Iesus commaunded vs so to doo Wherby what ells dothe he meen but that as our Lord Iesus did consecrate and sacrifice his own bodie and gaue the same also to hys Apostles to eate in his last Supper as ys allreadie declared So doo we nowe consecrate and offre the same bodie and receaue yt according to his commaundement and that in the remembrancece of his death This I saie maie serue and suffice for an aunswer to a man that ys not contenciouse nor listeth to make euery parte of his faith a doubte and call yt Let master Iuell conferre this with hys priuate glose vpon the same text in his sermō fol. 34. into question Thys man I saie his auncientie in the Parliament house of Chryst considered ys of authoritie more sufficient and better to be beleued then Lutherus Oecolampadius Zuinglius Caluimus or our owne contrie men Cranmer Ridley Latimer or ther complices dead or liuing whose saings hauing no grownde of auncient trueth and so of congruence none authoritie yet haue they ben the more ys the pitie to rashlie beleued to the casting awaie of manie a soule and to then crease of the damnacion of the speakers But further to proceade to learn the enacted trueth of this matter I meen the true vnderstanding of the Prophet Malachie we haue an other auncient elder of the same house Irenaeus the disciple of Polycarpus whiche Polycarpus was disciple of S. Iohn the Euangelist as Eusebius wittnesseth in the ecclesiasticall historie And therfore ys this auncient Father not to be suspected of hys trueth nor distredited Thus he writeth Sed et suis Discipulis dans consilium primitias Deo offerre ex suis creaturis non quasi indigenti sed vt ipsi nec infructuosi nec ingratisint eum qui ex creatura panis est accepit gratias egit dicens Hoc est corpus meum Et Li. 5. ca. 5. Irenaeus Li 4. c. 32. calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundùm nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo ei qui alimenta nobis praestat primitias suorum munerum in nouo testamento de quo in duodecim Prophetis Malachias sic praesignauit Non est mihi voluntas in vobis dicit Dominus omnipotens sacrificium non accipiam de manibus vestris c. But also geuing instruction to hys disciples to offre the first fruites of the creatures to God not as to one hauing nede but that they shoulde neither be vnfruictfull nor vnthankfull he tooke that bread whiche ys a creature and gaue thankes saing Thys ys my bodie And the cuppe likewise whiche ys a creature as we he confessed to be hys bloode And of the newe testament he taught the newe oblacion the whiche the churche receauing of the Apostles Chryst taught the newe sacrifice of the newe Testament the Church receaued yt of the Apostles offreth to God in all the woorlde euen vnto him who geueth vs foode being the first fruictes of his sacrifices in the newe testament Of the whiche emong the twelue Prophetes Malachie did this speake before hand I haue no pleasure in yowe saieth the Lorde omnipotent and I will take no sacrifice of your handes And so furth he reherseth the wholl sentence of the Prophet In the saing of this holie Elder of Chrystes house ye se a goodlie agreement with the other Elder before recited For thys Elder teacheth that Chryst of the creatures of bread and wine made hys bodie and bloode and therwith all instituted and taught the newe sacrifice of the newe testament the whiche sacrifice the Churche receauing of the Apostles doth offre throughoute all the worlde of the whiche the Prophet Malachie saieth he spake before Make nowe then comparison betwen Martialis and Irenaeus Martialis teacheth the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament Irenaeus teacheth the S. Martialis and Irenaeus cōpared together in their doctrine of the Sacrament same saing that Chryst confessed the bread and cuppe to be hys bodie and bloode The other saied that the bodie and bloode of Chryst were offred in sacrifice Thys man saieth that Chryst confessing his bodie and blood to be present taught a newe oblacion of the newe testament The other saied that Chryst commaunded vs so to doo This man saieth that Chryst taught the newe sacrifice of the newe testament to the Apostles and that the Church receauing the same of the Apostes dothe offre yt to God troughoute all the worlde The other alleaging Malachie treacteth of the sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and bloode This man treating of the bodie and blood of Christ the newe sacrifice of the newe testament offred of the Churche throughout all the worlde alleageth Malachie saing that he spake of the same Aboue these goodlie notes of agreement betwē these two great aunciēt Two notable documentes out of Iren. wherby the gloses of the Aduersaries are reproued ād ouerthrowen Fathers this ys in Irenaeus speciallie to be obserued that in saing that Chryst taught the newe oblacion of the newe Testament he geueth vs two goodly documentes for
As Chryst yt the verie SoÌ„ne of the Father so ys his verie in flesh the Sacr. flesh of Chryst onely But of the verie substanciall flesh of Chryst For he maketh yt by similitude plain that as Chryst ys the very Sonne of God euen of the substance of the Father Euen so ys yt verie flesh that we receaue whiche ys thus moche to saie As Chryst ys the very Sonne of God So ys this verilie flesh that we do receaue And as he ys the Sonne of the substance of the Father So ys this flesh whiche we receaue of the substance of Chrystes fleshe By whiche woordes of sainct Ambrose the fonde phansies of these phantasticall men be taken awaie For here ys not alowed the figure of Chrystes flesh but the thing in dede not a spirituall receauing of Chryst onely but a reall and spirituall receauing of the substanciall flesh of Chryste And thus ye maie see the trueth of the faith to be had in this matter vttered plainlie withoute any darke maner of speache and so stronglie set furth that yt can not be draweÌ„ to any other vnderstanding And therfor I maie boldely chalenge this scripture from the heretikes which so euidentlie refuseth the figure and so plainly teacheth the reall and substanciall presence of Chryst in the Sacrament THE NINETENTH CHAPITER PROCEAdeth vpon the same text by Eusebius Emis and S. Augustine NOwe that ye haue heard two auncientes vnderstanding thys text nowe in hande we will heare one other coople of eche side of Chrystes ParliameÌ„t house one as the other were aÌ„d these agreyng in one minde as the other did which shall be Eusebius Emisenus and sainct Augustin Of the which Eusebius being the elder shall shewe hys minde who in hys time was a great learned man as sainct HieroÌ„ witnesseth and wrote many workes as against the Iewes aÌ„d also against the gentiles and vpon the Gospells and the epistles of S. Paul also Thys maÌ„ being so profowndly learned so auncient in time as liuing aboute the yeare of our Lord. 344. so famouse in constancie of faith and holy in liuing ys woorthie of credit In a certain homelie alleaging this text he sheweth the same to be vnderstanded thus Quia corpus assumptum ablaturus erat ab oculis illaturus sideribus necessarium erat vt in die coenae sacramentum nobis corporis sanguinis consecraret vt coleretur Euseb Emisen homil spasch iugiter per mysterium quod semel offerebatur in precium vt quia quotidiana indesessa currebat pro omnium salute redemptio perpetua esset redemptionis oblatio perennis victima illa viueret in memoria semper praesens esset in gratia vera vnica perfecta hostia fide aestimanda non specie neque exteriori censenda visu sed interiori affectu Vnde coelestis consirmat authoritas quia caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Bicause he wolde take awaie hys assumpted bodie from our eyes and bring yt vppe into the heauens yt was necessarie that in the daie of hys Supper he should consecrate vnto vs the Sacrament of hys bodie and of hys blood that yt might continuallie be woorshiped in mysterie that once for vs was offred in price that bicause the dailie and incessaunt redemption did renne for the health of all men the oblacion of the same redemption should be perpetuall and that perpetual sacrifice should liue in memorie and alway be present in grace A true one onelye and perfect sacrisice to be estemed by faith and not by outwarde forme nor to be iudged by the outwarde seight but by the inwarde affecte Wherfor the heauenly authoritie consirmeth saing that my flesh ys verilie meat and my blood ys verilie drinke Thus Eusebius In this sentence yt ys first to be considered that this authour declaring the cause of the institucioÌ„ of the Sacrament and of the continuaÌ„ce of the same and also instructing vs how we shoulde esteme yt beleuing ther to be another maner of thing then ther doth appear in outward seight teacheth vs by the allegacioÌ„ of this scripture that yt ys the verie flesh aÌ„d blood of Christ which we must esteme by faith and iudge by our inward affect And therfor he saieth not that Chryst doth saie but that the authoritie of Chryst confirmeth yt so to be wherfor thys ys without all controuersie that this scripture now in hand ys by this authour vnderstanded of the Sacrament But here the Aduersaries do triumphe as allwais they doo when any authour Obiection of the Sacramentaries oute of Eusebius speaketh anie woord that maie by any wresting be drawen to their vnderstanding though in verie dede he ment nothing lesse First they saie that this authour doth no affirme that Chryst did consecrate hys bodie and blood but did consecrate the Sacrament of his bodie and blood And after saieth again speaking of the sacrifice of Chrystes bodie vpon the Crosse that the euerlasting sacrifice shoulde liue in memorie and allwaies be present in grace But note saie they that he doth not saie that that he ys present in bodie but in grace But staie a while Reader and be not troobled with these their notes For ye shall see immediatelie that these notes shall be the notes of their coÌ„fusioÌ„ Aunswer aÌ„d declaracioÌ„ of their false doctrin For God be praised though this authorment yea and did set furth the true faith of Chryst by this that ys allreadie alleadged whiche yet might be peruerted by mysvnderstanding of the maliciouse who haue peruerted euen the very plain woordes of Chryst Yet adioining immediatelie to this sentence more of this matter he addeth woordes so plain that they will neither suffer theÌ„selues neither the woords which the Aduersaries haue gone aboute to wrest to be so vnderstanded as the Aduersaries wolde haue them His woordes immediatelie adioined to the sentence of Chryst by him alleaged be these Recedat ergo omne infidelitatis ambiguuÌ„ quandoquidem qui autor est muneris ipse est testis veritatis Nam inuisibilis sacerdos visibiles Eusebins ibid. creaturas in substantiaÌ„ corporis sanguinis sui verbo suo secreta potestate conuertit Let therfore al doubt of infidelitie go awaie for truly he that ys the authour of the gifte he also ys the wittnesse of the trueth For the inuisible preist by a secret power with hys woorde doth conuert or turne the visible creaturs into the substance of bys bodie and blood Thus he What can the Aduersaries now saie Do ye not heare what this authourment by the sainges whiche the Aduersaries wolde wrest and peruert to The presence plainlie auâ—ached by Euseb against M. Iuell their wicked vnderstanding Did not he as well ther as here though not with so plain woordes teache the treuth of this matter that Chrystes bodie and blood ys in the Sacrament Do ye not nowe perceane that he allead ged the text of S. Iohn to declare that the
all other of the cleargie whensoeuer they receaue as priuate persons that ys when they doe not that publique ministracion and solemne action of Chrystes memoriall for and before the Churche then doe they as all other doe receaue vnder one kinde contenting them selues in their so doinge by the example of Chryste as ys afore saied As Chryst by his doinges hath left vs an example what we maie laufullie doe as concerninge the receipt of the blessed Sacrament by whiche the Proclamer ys answered for that part of his obiection that obiecteth Chrystes institucion So shall we nowe answere for that he obiected of Sainct Paule He saieth that the woordes of Sainct Paule are sufficient also to prooue that the Sacrament aught to be receaued of all men vnder both kindes Yt ys a plain matter that Sainct Paule maketh no speciall institucion of the Sacrament but onely maketh a Proclamers 〈…〉 of S. Paule for receauing vnder both kindes anuswered rehersall of Chrystes institucion then this parte of his obiection maie be aunswered with that that ys saied to his obiection of Chrystes institucion forsomoche as this ys but a rehersall of that But yet shal we to the furtherance of the trueth make a farder aunswere Wherfor vnderstand that although S. Paule did deliuer to the Corynthians the institucion of Chryst as then deliuered vnder both kindes yet S. Paule teacheth not that of necessitie yt must allwaies be vsed in both kindes and no other For yf he had taught yt with an exclusiue excluding all other maner but this yt had some force But so he doeth not The scope of S. Paules doctrine resteth in these two poinctes that the Sacrament be receaued The scope of S. Paule touching the Sacra 1. Cor. 11. in the remembrance of Chrystes death And that yt be receaued woorthilie Wherfor I saie that so farre wide yt was from the minde of S. Paule by his doctrine there taught to forbidde the receipt of the Sacrament vnder one kinde that as Chryst did to his two disciples in Emaus so did S. Paule to Luke and his felowes in the shippe as Chrysostome witnesseth geue the Sacrament vnder the one kinde of bread Although these actes of Chryst and Sainct Paule are sufficient to prooue that the receipt of the Sacrament vnder one kinde ys laufull and good in maner aboue saied yet the same maie also appeare by the other place of the actes alleaged in the last chapiter Wher also mencion ys made that the Sacrament was ministred vnder one kinde namely of bread no title of mencion made of the other kinde And beside the good catholique men that doe vnderstand this place of the Sacrament the Waldenses also did so vnderstand yt Then sith the multitude of the faithfull euen immediatelie after the coming Acto 2. of the holie Gost did receaue the Sacrament vnder one kinde yt ys manifest that yt maie without offence be doen and vsed nowe in Chrystes Churche and maie not be reputed as yt ys of the Proclamer for an vnlaufull facte For he that impugneth the Churche for doing of that that the scripture sheweth the example and saieth that the acte of the Churche ys vnlaufull impugneth the scriptures and importeth that they be vnlaufull These actes of Chryst and Sainct Paule and the doinge of the multitude in the seconde of the actes doe not abbridge the first institucion of Chryst or take yt awaie as his seconde ordeinance in sending his Apostles to preache Acto 2. taketh awaie the first but they doe raither teache that oute of the solemne action of Chrystes memoriall whiche must be doen vnder both kindes of him that doeth that action other maie verie well receaue the Sacrament vnder one kinde And as yt maie be doen bycause the scriptures saie yt hath ben doen so shall yt appeare to euerie faithfull man that yt ys well doen yf he trulie conceaue and vnderstand what ys doen. In the catholique faith yt ys taught that after the consecracion as by manie yt ys allreadie testified in the Sacrament vnder the forme of bread ys the verie bodie of Chryst and vnder the forme of wine the verie bloode of Chryst not in this bloode withoute a bodie nor in that a bodie withoute bloode For Chryst as Sainct Paule saieth rising from the dead nowe dieth not death shall no more haue lordshippe ouer him Nowe yf the bodie were withoute bloode yt coulde not be liuinge and so shoulde death be in the bodie of Chryst again wherfor yt ys a bodie with bloode and so a liuing and a perfight bodie as the holie Martyr Cyprian testisieth yt to be sainge Panis iste communis in carnem sanguinem Domini mutatus procurat vitam This Cypr. de coena Dom Vnder forme of bread both fleshe and bloode of Chryst. Iren lib. 5. Vnder forme of wine the bodie of Chryste comon bread chaunged into the flesh and blood of our Lorde procureth life The bread then chaunged into the flesh and blood of Chryst teacheth vs that yt ys not flesh alone but yt ys both flesh and bloode So likewise vnder the forme of wine ys not the bloode of Chryst onelie but the bodie also Wherof we haue the testimonie of the auncient Martyr Irenaeus who saieth thus Calicem qui est creatura suum corpus consirmauit He affirmed the cuppe whiche ys a creature to be his bodie So that vnder eche of the kindes ys verilie and substanciallie the bodie and bloode of Chryste For where a liuelie bodie ys ther must be bloode also And where bloode ys ther must be slesh and veines also as Irenaeus saieth Sanguis non est nisi a venis carnibus à reliqua quae est secundum hominem substantia Bloode ys not but of the veines and slesh and the other substance whiche ys as man Wherfor I saie that Iren. ihid vnder eche of these kindes ys the bodie of Chryst Whiche thing also S. Bernarde teacheth by expresse woordes in his sermon of the supper of our Lorde sainge Idipsum o Christiane de vino sentias id Bern. serm de coen honores in vino quod scilicet de panis specie sensisti in ea honorasti Vnderstande euen the same o chrystian of the wine honour that in the wine that thowe didest vnderstand of the forme of bread and didest honoure in yt And wher Melancton saieth that this necessitie that where the bodie ys there must be bloode and where the blood ys ther of necessitie must be the bodie ys but mens inuencions and tradicions hauing a contenance of trueth but not the thing Thowe seest Reader that we stand not vpon phantasies but we stande and staie vpon the authoritie of the great auncient Fathers and holie Martyrs Sainct Irenaeus S. Cyprian and S. Bernarde who teache what in this poinct ys to be saied And therfor Melancton and his likes sainge that the one kinde ys but half the Sacrament and diuiding Chryste confesse him not to be whollie vnder
accipiunt sanguinem autem redemptionis nostrae haurire omnino declinant Quod ideo vestram volumus scire sanctitatem vt vobis huiusmodi homines ijs manisestentur indicijs quorum depraehensa fuerit sacrilega simulatio notati proditi à sanctorum societate sacerdotali authoritate pellantur They with drawe them selues from the Sacrament of the health of man And as they denie Chryst our Lorde to be borne in the veritie of our nature So doe they not beleue him to haue ben verilie dead and risen again And therfor doe they condemne the daie of our health and gladnesse with the sadnesse of their fasting Manichies fasted on the sundaie And when to couer their infidelitie they are so bolde to be at the ministracion of our mysteries to the entent they maie be the longer vnknowen they tempre themselues so in the communion of the Sacramentes That with vnwoorthie mouthe they receaue the bodie of Chryst but to drinke A plain place for reall presence against the Proclamer the bloode of our redemption they vtterlie refuse Whiche thing we will your holinesse to vnderstande that these maner of men by these tokens maie be knowen and whose sacrilegall dissimulacion ys perceaued being disclosed and noted they maie be by the preistlie authoritie banished from the so cietie or felowshippe of true Chrystian people In these woordes ye maie learn the heresies of the Manicheis ye maie perceaue their wicked dissimulacion ye maie vnderstand the verie cause whie they wolde not receaue the Sacrament vnder the forme of wine finallie ye maie perceaue to what pourpose bothe kindes were commaunded to be receaued namely that soche cloaked heretiques might by soche means be disclosed and knowen Nowe Gelasius succeading this man and finding this of springe of vipers not yet destroied he folowed him in pronowncing against them as he did folowe him in time and gouernement and saied thus Comperimus Gelasius autem quòd quidam sumpta tantùm sacri corporis portione à calice sacrati cruoris abstineant qui procul dubiò quoniam nescio qua superstitione docentur astringi aut integra Sacramenta percipiant aut ab integris arceantur quia diuisio vnius eiusdemue mysterij sine grandi facrilegio non potest peruenire We certenlie finde that certain men when they haue receaued the porcion of the holie bodie they doe abstein from the cuppe of the holie bloode who forasmoche as I knowe not by what supersticion they are taught so to be Porcion of the holie bodie and cuppe of the holie blood witholden let them without all doubte either receaue the wholl Sacramentes or ells let them be forbidden from the wholl For the diuision of one verie mysterie can not be doen withoute great sacriledge Thus he Nowe yf ye will referre this sentence of Gelasius to the sentence of Leo ye shall perceaue that Gelasius writeth not against the doing of the catholique Churche receauing the Sacrament vnder one kinde But against the Manychies who by their heresie diuided the blessed mysterie of Chryst and teaching that he had but a phantasticall bodie denied anie verie blood to be in yt And therfor in their dissembling maner receauing one kinde as a Sacrament of soche phantasticall bodie as they phantasied him to haue they refused the other kinde as a Sacrament of his bloode and so in their conceat they diuided the bloode from the bodie and so diuided the mysterie whiche as Gelasius saieth can not be doen withoute great sacrilege which thing euery good catholique affirmeth and embraceth For yf ye will call to remembrance yt ys declared in the last chapiter that the catholique Churche teacheth that the verie bodie and bloode of Chryst euen wholl Chryst God and man ys vnder eche kinde so that we Doctrine of the catholike churche touching eche kinde of the Sacr. make no diuision of the bodie from the bloode or of the bloode from the bodie or of the godhead from the manheade or of the manhead from the godhead but we teache the wholl verie bodie and the wholl verie bloode whol God and wholl man iointelie to be in these Sacramentes of Chrystes bodie and bloode albeit the one ys more principallie the Sacrament of his bodie and the other more principallie the Sacrament of his bloode Weigh then therfor that these sainges were not spoken against Catholiques but against heretiques that by their wicked heresie diuided the bloode of Chryst from his bodie phantasieng him a bodie withoute bloode whiche in dede ys a great sacriledge Seing then yt ys spoken against soche maner of heretiques whie doeth this Proclamer so wrest and wring this Authour to make him appeare to the vnlearned that he spake against the catholique vse of one kinde in the Churche when the Authour hath not one title against yt Bothe kindes were commaunded to be vsed But whie Not that one kinde were not sufficient but that those heretiques as Leo saieth might therby be knowen and therfor was yt expedient at that time to be commaunded to the confutacion of that heresie as in the Councells of constance and Basill yt was expedient to be doen vnder one kinde for the confutacion of soche heresies as Wycleff and Husse had raised And as these thinges haue ben altered as yt hath ben thought good to the Churche for the wealth of Gods people and the confutacion of his enemies So ys this commaunded but for a time and maie be altered as occasion shall serue but not by euerie priuate man but by the Church onelie But will ye besides all this wresting of this Authour see also the synceritie or raither the false sleight of this Proclamer who to deceaue his audience wolde not faithfullie bring in the whol saing of the Authour as I haue nowe doen. But brought in half a skore of the last woordes and left oute I thinke I maie saie of verie pourpose an wholl skore that go before bycause they made so moche against him that he durst not for shame bring them whollie in For in the former woordes be two thinges verie plainlie taught against Gelasius truncatlie alleaged by the Proclamer auoucheth two thinges against him whiche he concealed him The first ys the verie reall presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in that he so reuerentlie calleth the Sacrament vnder one kinde the porcion of the holie bodie and the other he calleth the cuppe of the holie bloode As this ys spoken reuerentlie So ys yt spoken plainlie For when he saieth that they abstein from the cuppe of the holie bloode he plainlie teacheth that the content of the cuppe ys holie bloode which holie blood ys not mere spirituall For that as yt ys diuerse times saied ys not conteined in extern or outwarde materiall vessells but in the inwarde spirituall vessells And although this one parte of the Authours sainge whiche the Proclamer left oute doeth prooue the reall presence Yet marke an other as affectuall as this whiche ys that he saieth that
marke them that ye maie conferre them with the praier of the catholique Church that now ys declaring the intent and faith of the same The praier of the Church ys thus Facere digneris hanc oblationem tu Deus omnipotens in omnibus quesumus benedictam ascriptam ratam rationabilem acceptabilemue vt nobis corpus sanguis fiat filii tui Do. n. Iesu Christi Vouchsafe we beseche thee o God Almightie to make this oblacion blessed allowed approoued reasonable and acceptable that yt maie be made vnto vs the bodie and blood of thy beloued Sonne oure Lord Iesus Chryste Yf ye note the first part of this praier yt agreeth almost woord for woord The praier in the Masse now vsed agreeth with the Apostolique ād primitiue church with the praier of S. Ambrose yf ye note the second part wher yt saieth and desiereth that yt maie be made the bodie and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ yt agreeth with S. Iames S. Clement S. Basill and Chrysostom all whiche desiered the like So that the praier of the catholique Church declaring the intent and faith of the same agreeth fullie with the Apostolique primitiue and auncient Church euerie one of them desiering that the bread and the wine maie be made the bodie and blood of oure Lord Iesus Chryste But the intencion withoute faith of the newe feigned Church ys sooen perceaued to dissent and disagree from all these princes pillers and Fathers of the Church for soch a countenaunce of praier they make Heare vs o mercifull Father we beseche thee and graunt that we receauing these creatures of bread and wine according to thie Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christs institucion in remembrance of his death and passion maie be partakers of his most blessed bodie and blood Thus they Here first let vs before we haue of other make conference of this praier with the praiers of the Apostles woordes of the Communion and primitiue Church and then after we shall examen the treuth of yt and of their intent Remembre gentle reader obserue and note that S. Iames S. Clement in remembrance of his death Yf anie place be yt must be the place of the S. Basill S. Chrysostom S. Ambrose and so of all the Churche which they liued in both greks and latines for the space of foure hundreth years immediatlie The praier of the newe Church varieth from all the praiers of the Apostolique ād primitiue Churche after Chryste praied not that they might receaue the creatures of bread and wine but that the creaturs of bread and wine might be made the bodie and blood of Iesus Chryste Wherfor the newe Church making to them selues a newe fownd praier so farre dissenteth here from the Apostolique and primitiue Churche that I can not proprelie make a conference betwene them but raither shewe the great difference of them The Apostolique and primitiue Churche desire the bread and wine maie be made the bodie and bloode of Chryste The newe Churche that the bread and wine maie remain to be receaued and so of consequent contrarie to the other church desiereth that they maie not be made the bodie and blood of Chryste See ye not then howe farre these two praiers are different They are so farre different as two contraries euen as yea and naie I will and I will not so neerlie and iustlie doth this newe fownde Church folowe the primitiue Church of the which this Proclamer so moche braggeth The Apostolique and primitiue Churche desiereth not to receaue the creatures of bread and wine in the B. Sacrament but the verie bodie and blood of Chryste as their plain woordes do plainlie testifie This erring Churche desiereth not by expesse woordes to receaue the verie bodie and blood of Chryste in the Sacrament but the creaturs of bread and wine and then to be made partakers of the bodie and blood of Chryste but howe or whiche waie wher or by what means what maner of bodie spirituall or corporall reall or phantasticall they ourpasse with silence Thus still ye see that they in all these weightie matters alltogether dissent frō the Apostolique and primitiue Churche and do no lesse varie from yt then they do from the catholique Churche nowe being whiche they so feercelie persecute And that they so doo this shall well prooue yt that neuer yet did anie catholique Father or authour greke or latin young or olde vse this phrase The praier of the newe Cōmunion neuer vsed nor heard of before of woordes of theirs either in praier sermon or writing Whiche if yt had ben agreable yt must nedes haue ben fownde in some of them and learned of some of them But this newe praier of this newe churche ys so newe that the like of yt could neuer vntill this newe degeneraciō be seen heard or knowen Yf yt were let the Proclamer and all his complices learned and vnlearned bring furth some president Yf they can I will ioin this issue with them that I will praie and receaue with them Yf they can not as I am sure they can not let them praie and receaue with vs. We haue brought furth presidents for oure praiers let them bring furth presidents for theirs I prouoke them to yt What autoritie hath the Proclame or all the Protestants to shewe that the eating and drinking of bread and wine ys of Chrysts institution Thus moche being saied of the difference of the praier of the newe Churche from the praier of the Apostolique Churche let vs nowe examen the trueth of the same praier Their praier hath these woordes that we receauing these they creaturs of bread and wine according to thy sonne our Lord Iesus Chrysts institucion in remembrance of his deathe c. I wolde learn of the masters of this Churche wher that institucion of Chryste ys that we shoulde eate the creatures of bread and wine in remembrance of his death The proclamer requireth some plain and expresse sentence of the Catholiques to proue what they affirme against his articles I require of him and his companie some plain sentence in the scriptures to prooue that that he and his companie affirme that Chryste by expresse woordes cōmaunded vs to eate bread and drinke wine in remembrance of his death Yf anie place be yt must be the place of the institucion of the Sacrament in whiche place although yt be testified that he tooke bread in his holie hands yet yt testifieth withall that he sanctified and blessed the same bread and when he had so doen yt was so farre chaunged from the nature of bread that Chryst who ys the trueth and in whose mouth was no guile might and did boldlie saie Take and eate not a peice of bread but my bodie euen the same that shal be deliuered for yowe And likewise of the cuppe he said Take ād drinke ye this ys not a cuppe of wine but euē my blood that shall be shedd for yowr sinnes and the sinnes of manie This eate ye and this
this pure and vndefiled sacrifice to be the holie bread on the aultar liēg before the preist in that he saieth hunc panem sanctum this holie bread and that he tearmeth the cuppe to be the cupp of euerlasting health For as the bread ys holie and the fountain of holinesse from whence to vs floweth all holinesse so ys the cuppe the cuppe of euerlasting health For sanguis Iesu Christi emundat nos ab omni delicto The blood of Iesus Chryst doth clense vs from all sinne and so pourging the grosse and filthie humoures of sinne which make the soule sicke geueth vs euerlasting health and wher euerlasting health ys ther ys euerlasting life And so cometh to passe that Chryst saieth Qui manducat meam carnem et bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aternā He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath euerlasting life Thus then maie yt be perceaued that this holie bread and cuppe of life euerlasting Chrysts bodie in the Sacr ys the vnbloodie sacrifice of the Church ys the holie vndefiled and vnbloodie sacrifice which S. Ambrose testifieth to be offred in the Church which as ys saied well considered and weighed and these tearms the vndefiled and vnbloodie sacrifice and the holie bread and cuppe of life euerlasting compared and ioined together as meening one thing as they doo in dede cā signifie no other thing to vs but the verie bodie and blood of oure Lord and Sauiour Iesus Chryst offred as the vndefiled and vnbloodie sacrifice of his Church And Reader in case the Aduersarie wold bleer thine eie expownding thys woord of S. Ambrose Masse panem sanctum holie bread to be the sacramētall bread and the bread of their holie cōmunion so to delude thee and to elude the argument and to auoide the presence of Chrysts blessed bodie in the Sacramēt yet the woords adioined which be that the cuppe ys called the cuppe of euerlasting life do ād shal so streict him that he cā not but vnderstand thē of the bodie ād blood of Chryst ād not his sacramētal bread and cuppe For the one bi the cōfession of Oecolāp ād Crāmer cā receaue no holines being a dumbe creature and the other wil be confessed of all men yf yt be but a cuppe of wine that yt ys not the cuppe of euerlasting life Yt remaineth then that they are vnderstanded of the bodie and blood of Chryst which be the holie bread and cuppe of euerlasting life and the vndefiled and vnbloodie sacrifice of the Church Hitherto ye haue perceaued that S. Ambrose agreeth with S. Iames S. Clement S. Basill and S. Chrysostome in this poinct namelie in the oblacion of sacrifice And now that by S. Ambrose yt ys perceaued that he and the Church that he liued in did offre sacrifice and that that sacrifice was the bodie and blood of Chryst ther remaineth now that we conferre with him and the rest the doing of the catholique Church now in their Masse and of the hereticall Woords of the Canon in the Masse cōgregacion in the Cōmunion as they vntruelie tearm yt The catholique Churche as in the practise of all the Fathers yt was vsed immediatelie after the consecracion ys doen proceadeth thus saing Vnde memores nos Domine serui tui sed plebs iua sancta eiusdem Christi Filii tui tam beate passionis necnon ab inferis resurrectionis sed in caelos gloriosae ascensionis offerimus praeclarae maiestati tuae de tuis donis ac datis hostiam puram hostiam sanctam hostiam immaculatam panem sanctum vitae aeternae calicem salutis perpetuae Wherfore o Lord we thie seruantes and the holie people also being mindeful of the blessed passion of the same Chryste thie Sonne and of his resurrection and also of his gloriouse ascensiō into heauē we offre to thie excellēt maiestie of thie gifts and graunts a pure sacrifice and holie sacrifice an vndefiled sacrifice the holie bread of euerlasting life and the cuppe of euerlasting saluacion Thus the Church Wher ye perceaue that as S. Iames. S. Clement S. Basill and other did offre sacrifice and that in the remembrance of Chrysts passion resurrection c. So dothe the catholique Church now likewise offre in this praier which forasmoch as yt dependeth of somthing going before vnderstand that as in the Masse of S. Iames and the other so in this Masse rehersal ys made of this cōmaundement of Chryst Do ye this in remēbrance of me Wherupō this praier wherin in euerie of these Masses oblaciō ys made of the sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blood ys furthwith added as the fulfilling of that cōmaundemēt and therfore saieth Wherfor we mindeful o Lord of the blessed passion c. Whiche ys asmoch to saie forasmoch as thie Sonne our Lord and Sauiour hath commaunded vs to offre in sacrifice his blessed bodie and blood in the remēbrāce of that death which he did once suffre in that bodie ād of other his great and wōderfull actes that he did in the same as his resurrectiō ascension c. Therfor o Lord according to this thy Sonne his cōmaundemēt being mind full of those great ād wonderful actes we offre vnto thee this holy sacrifice And here by the waie let the Proclamer note that wher he wold be certified wher we be commaunded to offre Chryst in sacrifice he maie by all these Masses be taught that we are so cōmaunded by Chrysts owne woord we be commaunded to offre Chryst in sacrifice wherupō if he wil see he maie perceaue that oblaciō ys made of the bodie ād blood of Chryst in eche of thē euen by his cōmaūdemēt as ys allreadie saied That the bodie and blood of Chryst ys the sacrifice that ys here offred yt maie suffice to repete a fewe words of S. Same 's our first witnesse ād of S. Ambrose our last witnesse for the profe of the same this being oute of all doubte Sacrifice of fred by S. James that the Fathers betwē thē dissented not frō thē S. Iames saied Offerimus tibi Domine sacrificiū verendū et incruentū We offre vnto thee o Lord this dreadful ād vnbloodie sacrifice This sacrifice being dreadfull and vnbloodie cā be none other as ther yt ys proued but the bodie of Christ And in that he calleth yt an vnbloodie sacrifice he beateth downe the grosse hereticall obiection of the enemies of Chrysts euerlasting sacrifice saing that if he be offred in sacrisice he must be slain again and his blood as often shedd as he ys offred wher the faith of all holie Fathers acknowlegeth yt to be an vnbloodie sacrifice for that no violence ys now wrought to the shedding of Chrysts blood S. Ambrose saieth Offerimus tibi hanc immaculatā rationabilē incruentā hostiā We offre vnto thee this pure reasonable and vnbloodie sacrifice And determining what this sacrifice ys he addeth Hunc panē sanctum calicē vitae aeternae This holie Sacrisice was
one doctour one example c. The time wolde not serue to nombre all that haue written in this matter and tedyousnesse wolde encombre the Reader wherfore leauing manie as Gropperus who right learnedlie and largelie hath haÌ„dled and setfurthe the Gropperus faithe of the Churche in all times of the high pointes of the SacrameÌ„t auouching the same by scriptures doctours and Councells And Wernierus who like vnto the Nycen Councell hath made Collection of three hondreth Vernierus eighten places of scriptures doctours and Councells for the assertion of the trueth of the Sacrament And also Tauernerius Eckius Pighius Hoffmeisterus Garetius Tauernerius Eckius Pighius Hosfmeister Garetius with other manie I will onelie bring two who be soche as I suppose this man will better regard and better like their iudgementes in this matter then of these before mencioned The one of them shall be Erasmus who in hys epistle aboue alleaged wryteth thus Ex euangelio habemus Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradiâ—ur Ex Paulo Erasmus ad Balthas Episcop habemus Ego enim accepi à Domino quod tradidi vobis c. Et qui ederit biberit indignè reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini Hoc nobis immobile fundamentum Oute of the Gospell we haue This ys my bodie whiche ys delyuered for yowe Oute of Paule we haue I haue receaued of our lorde which I delyuered also vnto yowe and so furthe And he that eateth and drinketh vnwourthylie Erasmus his iudgement of the SacrameÌ„t shall be giltie of the bodie and blood of our lorde This ys vnto vs an vmnoueable foundacion And after a fewe woordes he saieth Cum igitur tam euidens à Christo Paulo habeamus testimonium quum per hos viros euidentissimè declaratum sit priscos quibus non sine causa tantum auctoritatis tribuit ecclesia concorditer sensisse in Eucharistia veram esse substantiam corporis sanguinis Domini quum ijs omnibus etiaÌ„ accesserit SynodoruÌ„ constaÌ„s autoritas tantusque populi Christiani coÌ„sensus simus et nos concordes in tam caelesti mysterio hic sub enigmate edamus de pane et calice Domini donec aliter edamus bibamus in regno Dei Vtinam autem qui Berengarium secuti sunt errantem sequantur paenitentem Seing then we haue both of Christ and of Paule so euident testimonie seing also by these men meening Guitmundus and Algerus yt ys most euidentlie declared that the olde auncyent Fathers vnto whom the Churche not withoute cause yeldeth so moche authoritie haue agreablie vnderstand the verie substaÌ„ce of the bodie and blood of our Lorde to be in the Sacrament Seing also that to all theise agreeth the constant Authoritie of the Councells and so great a consent of Christian people let vs also agree in so heauenly a mysterie and let vs here in a darke maner as vnder a couert eate of the bread and drinke of the cuppe of our lorde vntill otherwyse we maye eate and drinke in the kingdom of God Wolde to God that all they that haue folowed Berengariut in errour wolde folowe hym also in penaunce Thus farre Erasmus Note gentle Reader and I wolde the Aduersarie shoulde note also that here ys most euident testimonie affirmed and auouched out of Christ and Paule and the common concorde of all the doctours the constante Authoritie of Councells the vniuersall and wholl consente of Christian people all agreyng beleuing and teaching the very substance of Christes bodie and blood to be in the Sacrament Forasmoch then as here ys produced asmoche and more to then thys chalenger did require for he did require but anye one scripture one doctour one couÌ„cell and here be produced sundrie scriptures all the olde doctours the Authortie of the Councels and besydes these the common and vniuersall consent of the Christian orbe yf ther be anye trueth in thys man he will perfourme his promisse and subscribe to this trueth whiche wolde to God were doen by him that to conclude with Erasmus his sayng he might folowe Berengarius in penaunce as he hath folowed hym in erroure Nowe to the better confirmacion of this matter and to the more confutacion of this hys impudent boast and shamefull blasphemye I shall ioyn his owne schoole with hym I meen the learned of the Germanes whiche write thus Decimus Articulus approbatus est in quo confitemur nos sentire quod in coena Domini verè Apologia Confess August substantialiter adsint corpus sanguis Chrysti verè exhibeantur cum illis rebus quae videntur pane vino his qui sacramentum accipiunt Hanc sententiam constanter defenderunt concionatores nostri Et comperimus non tantùm Romanam ecclesiam affirmare corporalem praesentiam Chrysti sed idem nunc sentire olim sensisse Graecam ecclesiaÌ„ vt testatur canon Missae apud Graecos Et extant quorundam scriptorum testimonia Nam Cyrillus in Ioannem cap. xv inquit ChrystuÌ„ nobis corporaliter exhiberi in coena Sic enim ait Cyrillus Non tamen negamus recta nos fide charitateue syncera Chrysto spiritualiter coniungi Sed nullam nobis coniunctionis rationem secundùm carnem cum illo esse id profectò pernegamus idue à scripturis diuinis omnino alienuÌ„ dicimus An sortasse putaÌ„t ignotaÌ„ nobis mysticae benedictionis virtuteÌ„ esse quae cum in nobis fit nónne corporaliter quoque facit coÌ„municatione carnis Chrysti ChrystuÌ„ in nobis habitare Et paulo post Vnde consideranduÌ„ est non habitudine solùm quae per charitateÌ„ intelligitur ChrystuÌ„ in nobis esse verumetiam participatione naturali etc. Haec recitauimus vt clarius perspicerent qui ista legent nos defendere receptam in tota ecclesia sententiam quòd in coena Domini verè et substantialiter adsint corpus The Germanes acknowlege the verie presence of Chryst in the Sacrament et sanguis Christi The tenthe article ys approued in the whiche we confesse that we beleue that in the supper of our Lorde be verilie and substantiallie present the bodie and blood of Chryst and that they be verilie geuen with those thinges that be seeÌ„ that ys with bread and wine vnto them that receaue the SacrameÌ„t Thys senteÌ„ce haue our preachers coÌ„stantlie defended And we finde not onelie the churche of Rome to affirme the corporall presence of Chryst in the SacrameÌ„t but also the greke churche both nowe to beleue The greke and latine Churches both nowe and in olde time affirme the corporall presence and of olde time to haue beleued the same as the CanoÌ„ of the Masse emoÌ„g the grekes dothe testifie And ther be also extant the testimonic of certain writers For Cyrillus vpon Iohn in the fiuetene chapter saieth that Chryst ys corporallie deliuered vnto vs in the Supper Thus he saieth We do not denie that we be spirituallie ioyned vnto
Chryst by faith and syncere charitie But that we haue no maner of cōiunctiō with him after the flesh that we verilie denie and that we saie ys altogether against the scriptures Doth he thinke the power of the mystical benediction to be vnknowen vnto vs which whē Chryst dwelleth in vs corporallie not onlie spirituallie The receaued doctrine in all the Church ys that Chryst ys verily and substātiallie present in the Sacramēt yt ys doen in vs doth yt not also by the communication of Chrystes flesh make Chryst corporallie to dwell in vs And a litle after he saieth Wherfor yt ys to be consydered that not by inward disposition onelie wihiche ys vnderstand by charitie Chryst dwelleth in vs but also by naturall participaciō c. These thinges haue we recited that what soeuer they be that shall read thys they shoulde the more clearly perceaue that we defende the doctrine receaued in all the Churche whiche ys that in the supper of our Lorde are verilie and substanciallie present the bodie and bloode of Chryst Thus moche the Germans in their Apologie I suppose this proclamer will nowe take a better minde with him and somwhat contracte and drawe in the large sales of his great bragge so vehementlie puffed vppe with a mightie vain gloriouse winde when he seeth the learned of Germanie so franklie and plainly publishing their faith whiche though yt be not in euery point sownde yet auouche they the contrarie to the doctrine of this proclamer and encoūter with him in this chalenge For first they cōfesse the very substāciall presence of the bodie and blood of Chryst in the Sacrament Secondarely they confirme the same by the authoritie of all the Christian churche as well the latin as the greke church for that in them both not nowe onely but of olde time also yt hath ben so taught receaued and beleued Thirdly they alleadge a clere and most plain place oute of Cyrill whiche by their iudgement as yt dothe appeare doth manifestly and inuinciblie proue the corporall presence of Chryst in the Sacrament And as yt so doth by their iudgement so doth yt by the iudgement of all catholike men not onelie withstand this prowde Goliath But yt plainly ouerthroweth hym Of the force of whiche sentence more shall be saied hereafter Fourthlie earnestly acknowledging this trueth and willing yt to be knowen to all the worlde they declare that the cause of their thus writing ys that all men might knowe that they do defende the trueth receaued of all the Churche which ys saie they that the bodie and blood of Chryst be verilie and substanciallie in the Sacrament This then being a treuth that ys and hath ben receaued of all the wholl Church of Chryste as besides these mens confession all catholique people through oute all christendome do acknowlege yt so to be I praie thee good Reader what parte doth this mā take to defende who with might and main dothe maintein the cōtrarie And impugneth that that the wholl Churche receaueth reuileth that that the whol Church reuerenceth blasphemeth that that the wholl Churche honoureth and that so arrogantlie and impudētlie Yt ys pittie that ther ys so moche impudencie and so moche arrogancie The Proclamer ys to be pitied mixed with vntrueth in him I saie pittie for that he ys Gods creature and in Baptisme once professed Christes name in this respecte charitie moueth me to pittie him and the more for that he receauing the plentifull giftes of God doth so wickedlie to the more encrease of his damnacion abuse them and forsaking God and his trueth becometh enemie to them bothe which he well declareth in that with soche violence he impugneth and blasphemeth them both In this parte and respecte as I cā not ioin with him so for my masters cause and the defence of my Mother the catholique Churche in whose house I desire to cōtinewe I cōtende with him and contēne him yea and hate him not the substance that God hath created in him but the wicked heresie that the Deuell hath breathed into him by which as he ys become enemie to God so must all the people of God become enemies to him as of the Prophet Heresiemaketh mā enemie to God Psalm 148 Dauid we haue good example Do not I o lord saeth he hate them that hate thee And am not I greiued with those that ryse vppe against thee Yea I hate them right sore euen as though they were my enemies And yet as I moue my penne against him So shall I moue my tounge to praye for him Possible yt ys that he being in the highest of his mischief maye be stryken downe as Paule was in the hyghest of his rage of persecucion Saincte Augustine when he walked in heresie and did most stowtly contempne the catholique professiō of Christes name yt pleased God sodenlie as yt were to geue him a newe minde and caused him to reuerence that that before he despiced The like happie chaunce I wishe this mā against whom yf I haue ben or in this boke shall seme to be sharpe let yt be referred to the euel cause wich the man defendeth and not the person himself The doctrine ys so wicked so directly against Gods holie woord so discrepant from the holie Councells so dissonant from the auncient Fathers so dissenting frō the common consent of Christian people so iniuriouse and contumeliouse to the wholl Churche that hath ben from Christ vntill this daie that yt ys by no means tollerable Nowe Reader I trust thowe seist that as moche as this iolie Chalenger required ys nowe perfourmed to him let him therfor perfourme his promesse and subscribe to the catholique faith and confesse Christes reall presence in the Sacrament Yf he will yet maliciouslie persist and saie ther ys no scripture nor doctour nor Councell brought furth that plainly proueth yt thē we must prouoke to iudges Yf he will not beleue the Germanes being Protestantes not Erasmus who ys accompted of them an vppright man not the Catholiques of our owne contrie and of other contries not the Councells which be alleaged not Cyrills plain and manifest sentēce not the cōmon receaued faith of the wholl Churche as well of that of the olde time as that that ys nowe bothe of the latines and of the grekes not the plain woordes of Christ who plainlie saith This ys my bodie Whiche woordes Erasmus saieth be owre sure and vmmoueable fundacion I praie thee Reader whome will he beleue besides himself Who shal bringe furth that one scripture doctour or Councell that he will accept as plainlie prouing the matter None but he himself or his likes moche like to the Felon that pleadeth not giltie and stoutlie crieth to be tried by God and the contrie And when by verdict of the iurie and sentence of the iudge he ys cōdēned he defieth thē all callinge bothe iudge and q̄st false harlotts ad saieth that true mē wolde neuer haue cōdēned him But the true mē that he meeneth be
soche as heys himself Soche true mē they be nowe also that this mā wil creditte in this matter euē soche as he ys himself yf he doe refuse all these kindes of mē aboue produced But howesoeuer he shall take this and the rest of my booke in outwarde countenance I trust yt shal touche his conscience And then as Chrysostom Smalle conforte wher conscience ys consounded saieth Leuis erit consolatio vbi conscientiae sentiunt se esse confusas Yt ys but a light or small comfort when the consciences of men perceaue them selues confownded God of his mercie reduce him and all that be gone astraie home to hys folde again that they be not in his terrible iudgement confownded before him and all his Angells Nowe Reader that the order of this my rude worke maye be knowen vnto Ordre of the Booke thee vnderstād that wher the enemie of Gods trueth hath in his saied sermō made his boast that he ys sure that not one sentēce cā be brought by the catholiq̄s to proue the Articles ther by him rehersed amōge the which beside the reall and substāciall presence of Christ in the Sacramēt he addeth manie other thinges apperteininge to the same which he ioineth together vnder one predicamēt that ys that we haue no proof for them that he maye be perceaued to be a vain and false man I will proue yt by scriptures doctours and Councells And incidentlie diuerse other of his rehersed matters to this principal apperteining Whiche allthough I ouerpasse them not in soche maner as he doth onelie to saie and nothing to proue or improue thē as they be of him vttered yet ye shall finde thē answered wher occasion ys ministred to speake of soche matter And although manie profownde and excellent learned men whose latchettes of their shoes I am not woorthie to loose haue woorthlie written in this matter yet for that none of them to my knowledge hathe after this maner proceaded orderlie to expownde the scriptures that treact of the Sacrament whiche methinke to the confutacion of this man ys necessarie I will by the helpe of God that waie proceade and not by mine owne phantasie but by the verie mindes of the doctours truely seke oute the true vnderstanding of them And for that these scriptures be in three sundrie bookes of the Bible that ys in the olde Testament in the Gospells and in the epistles ther The contens and ordre of this work for the matter beinge lōg I haue diuided this rude worke into three bookes In the first booke are opened soche promisses figures and prophecies of the olde Testament as appertein to the Sacrament The seconde booke geueth yow vnderstanding of the scriptures apperteininge to the same conteined in the vj. of sainct Ihon his Gospell the xxvj of sainct Matthew and in the xxiiij of saincte Luke The thirde booke expowndeth so moche of the tenth and the eleuenth chapiter of the first epistle to the Corinthians as toucheth that matter and also one sentence of the epistle to the Ephesians and one other to the Hebrues In this exposition to the more confutacion of the Aduersaire and confirmacion of the catholique I for the most part bringinge sundrie and diuerse doctours vpon euerie text doe ioin a greke doctour and a latine together that the concord and agreement of bothe churches maye well appeare and fullie be seen So haue I also ioined the doctours that haue written within the compasse of these nine hondreth yeares to them that haue written before that yt maie be iudged whether that these of the later time doo differ or dissent from them of the auncient time in the substanciall poinctes of our faith as the aduersarie saieth they doo By which processe gētle Reader thow shalt I trust perceaue that where the arrogante Philistine both blasphemouslie and vntruelie hathe said of the Catholique Church of the liuing God that yt hathe not one scripture one doctour nor one Councell yt hathe vndoubredly as touching the blessed Sacramēt and other articles apperteining to the same not onelie al the holie Scriptures that treact of that holie mysteric but also the holie Fathers and Councells that speake of the same both Grekes and latines and them aswel of the auncient time before a thousand yeares as thē that were of the later time within the cōpasse of a thousand yeares So that the scriptures being thus explained by the common consent of so manie doctours and all the same also conspiring vpon this one trueth as yt shall be perceaued not by a vain bragge withoute proofe but by euident and plain testimonie we maic as truelie as boldlie returning his bragge into his owne lappe saie that this philistine and his cōplices for the maintenance of their heresie against the presence of Christ in the blessed Sacramēt haue not one scripture one doctour nor one Catholiq̄ Coūcel to make for thē Which thīge I dare saie the indifferēt Reader whē he shal haue perused this booke wil not feare to auouche with me And wishinge that this my laboure might be profitable to the simple and Catholique Church Christes Parliamēt house vnlearned for whose helpe I haue most speciallie taken yt I haue framed my writing as neare as the matter will suffre to their capacities And wher in ciuill and politike regiment Lawes Actes and statutes haue their force by Councells and Parliamentes therfor wher the veritie of Christes reall presence in the Sacrament ys a trueth establissed enacted and receaued by Christes Parliament house I meen the catholique Churche yt liketh me oftentimes to allude to the name and therto agreablie to name this booke I haue Title of the booke not entēded to fall one heere breadth frō the faith of the catholiq̄ Churche Yf anie thing hath slipped from me I submitte yt to the correction of Christes catholique Churche and my self also Prainge thee god Reader to accept my labours in good part and remembre me in thy prayers Vale. THE FIRSTE BOOKE THE FIRST CHAPITER VPON OCCASION THAT THIS ADVERSARIE THIS PROCLAMER AND CHALENger wolde haue the scriptures red of all men presupposing the same to be easie to be vnderstanded entreth as by preamble to treact of the difficultie of the scriptures and to prooue that they aught not of all men to be red without an hable interpretour or teacher HAVING in pourpose to declare by the testimonie of the noble men of Christes Parliament house the enacted and receaued treuth or true meening of all or most of soche scriptures as treact of the blessd Sacrament of the bodie and bloode of our Sauioure Christe ther cometh to my minde the doctrine of Luther the great Progenitour of this Aduersarie who in his booke De seruo arbitrio Luther de seruo arbitr as other his ympes likewise in their bookes teacheth that the scriptures of them selues be easie of all men to be vnderstanded and nede no interpretour Wherunto also the more to infatuate the people he addeth
heare how manie wittnesses they laye against thee And he aunswered him neuer one woorde insomoche as the deputie merueiled greatlie Wherbie was fulfilled the prophecie which saieth Tanquam ouis Esay 53. ad occisionē ducetur et tanquam agnus corā tondente se obmutescet et non aperiet os suū He shall be led as a shepe to be slain yet shall he be as still as a lambe before the sherer and not open his mouth This ys the prophecie which the Chāberlain of queen Candace did read Act. 4. sitting in his chariet retourning frō Hierusalē To whose chariett the Spirit of God cōmaunded Philippe to ioin himself who hearing him reading this place asked him vnderstandest thow what thowe readest c. And Philippe went yppe into the chariette and began at the same scripture and preached vnto him Iesus By the which yt ys manifest that this scripture or prophecie ys to be vnderstanded of our Sauioure Chryst Iesus When Pilate as yt foloweth in the storie sate in iudgemēt and asked the people what he shoulde doo with Iesus which was called Chryste They all Math. 27. saied Let him be crucified Whē Pilate saied what hath he doen They cried the more let him be crucified Whē Pilate called for water and wasshed his handes saieng I am innocent of the blood of this iust person their feircenesse and crueltie was so great that they cried His bloode be vpon vs and on owre children Which their lionlike crueltie and fiercenesse was foreseen by God and spokē by the Prophete in the psalm Aperuerūt super me os suū sicut leorapiēs et rugiēs They haue opened their mouth vpō me as yt were a rāping ād roringe Lion Whē Pilate sawe their importunitie he willing to cōtēt the people let Barrabas loose vnto thē ād whē he had scourged Iesus deliuered him to be crucified Accordinlie saieth the Prophete Corpus meū dedi percutientibus et genas meas Esay 50. vellentibus I offred my backe to the smiters and my chekes to the nippers Which prophecie dothe not onelie declare the scourginges that Chryste shoulde sustein in his bodie but also the buffettes and blowes that he suffred on the face in the house of the high preist and of other ministres as the Euangelist doth declare Then Iudas seing that Chryst was condemned he hanged him self fullfilling Matth. 26. Mar. 15. Luc. 22. the prophecie whiche saieth Fiant dies eius pauci et episcopatum eius accipiat alter Let his daies be fewe and let an other take hys office That this was prophecied of Iudas saincte Peter dothe testifie saing Ye men and bretheren this scripture must nedes haue ben fullfilled whiche the holie Gost through the mouthe of Dauid spake before of Iudas whiche was Acto 1. guide of them that tooke Iesus c. And when he was hanged he brust in sundre and his bowels gusshed oute For yt ys writtē in the booke of psalms Fiat Commoratio c. After all theise persecutions when Chryst was deliuered to the soldiers to be crucified they led him into the common haul wher they entreacted him like a most vile man putting on him a purple Robe and plectinge a Crowne of thornes vpon his head and a rede in his hand and they on their knees saing Haill king of Iewes Wherin was verified the prophecie of Esaie spoken in the person of the Iewes We haue recknid him so vile that we haue turned our faces frō him yea Esay 53. he was despised ād therfor we regarded him not So that our Sauiour might verie well saie at that same time with his owne mouthe that the Prophet Dauid spake before by the spirit of prophecie in the person of Chryste Ego sum vermis et non homo opprobriū hominū et abiectio plebis I am a woorme and no Psal 21. man a verie scorne of men and the outcast of the people Those cruell handlinges of him doen yet most cruellie to his vnspeakeable pain percinge hys most blessed and swete handes and feete they crucified him in this also fulfilling the scripture prophecieng that yt should so be and speaking yt in the person of Christe who suffred yt Foderunt manus meas Ibid. pedes meos dinumerauerunt omnia ossa mea They perced my handes and my feet I maie tell al my bones What prophecies coulde more liuelie expresse this parte of Chrystes passion then this dothe But I shall haste me to other speaking as plainlie as this And to folow the ordre after the narration of saincte Luke they crucified with him two euell doers one on hys right hand the other on hys left fulfilling the prophecie which saieth Et cum iniquis reputatus est And he was reputed with the wicked Esay 53. Marc. 15. Whiche prophecie S. Marke applieth to this pourpose sainge yt here to be fullfilled When he was thus crucified they parted his garment and cast lottes for yt The prophecie agreablie saieth Diuiserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem Psal 21. Math. 27. meam miserunt sortem They parted my garments amōg them and vpon my ve sture they cast lottes That this prophecie ys fulfilled by this facte S. Matthew ys wittnesse who saieth They parted hys garmentes and cast lottes that yt might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet c. When this was doen they passed by reuiling him and wagging their heades Accordinglie was yt prophecied and spoken in the person of Chryste Omnes videntes me deriserunt me locuti sunt labijs et mouerunt caput All that Psal 21. did see me laught me to skorne they spake with their lipps and wagged their heades Likewise the high priestes with the Scribes and the elders mocked him and saied He saued other himself he can not saue He trusted in God let Math. 27. him deliuer him nowe yf he wil haue him Nowe beholde if the prophecie haue not almoste euen the same woordes Sperauit in Domino eripiat eum saluū Psal 21. faciat eum quoniam vult eum He trusted in God that he wolde deliuer him let him deliuer him if he will haue him All these their wicked mockes and cruell tormentes not with standinge hanging vpon the crosse he praied for them to his Father sainge Pater dimitte Luc. 23. illis non enim sciunt quid faciunt Father forgeue them for they knowe not what they doo Herin also he fullfilled the prophecie whiche saied of him Pro transgressoribus Esay 53. orauit He made intercession for misdoers And when the sixt howre was commed darknesse arose ouer all the earth vntill the ningth howre as saincte Marke writeth Iesus cried with a loude voice saing Eloy Eloy Lamasabathani whiche ys if one interprete My God my God why Mar. 15. hauest thow forsaken me In the whiche crie Christ spake the verie woordes of the prophecie Deus Deus meus respice in me quare me dereliquisti My God
do against the Moone hearing and seing so manifest so plain and so cleare a sentence spoken and vttered withoute anie confuse or obscure tearmes breiflie knitte and compacte withoute anie long am bages hearing will not heare and seing will not see but wilfullie will be blinde and not vnderstande and yet malicioustie barke against the clear light whiche they can not extinguish As the dogges doo against the Moone whiche they can not vanquish But lett thē brak as long as they list Veritas Domini manet in aeternum The trueth of our Lorde abideth for euer To the whiche God geue them grace to turne But let the true Christian heare and marke what enacted and receaued Psalm 116 truth was in the parliament house of Christes Churche nowe opened and testified by the Auncient elder of the same whiche ys that Christe made the bread which he did take and distribute to his disciples his bodie Heretiques build tehir faith vpon reason and senses whiche was and ys the true Pascall Lambe figured by the olde Paschall lambe And by this let him cōforte him self in the true faith that the hath receaued ād cōfirme him self to be mightie against all the assauts of heresie how moche so euer their sainges shall delight or please reason or the knowe ledge of our senses wherpon they do so builde their faith that they wolde haue no poincte ne parte therof directlie repugnant to reason or Iudgment of sense as Cranmer or the Authour of that booke which ys sett furth in his name with moche boldenesse affirmeth Whose verie woordes for the triall I will asscribe Thus shall ye ther Cranmers sensuall sentence Li. 2. read But to conclude in fewe woordes the Papistes shal neuer be able to shewe one article of our faith so directlie contrarie to our senses that all our senses by daile experience shall affirme a thinge to be And yet our faith shall teache vs the contrarie therunto Thus he In whiche saing gentle Reader yowe maie perceaue that these sensuall men were so moche captiue to sensuall knowledge that not cōtent to haue faith a knowledge aboue or at leste equall with reason whiche in dede surmounteth Faith surmounteth reason or senses and passeth all reason wolde abase her to be an hand maiden to the knowledge of our senses as one that shoulde teach no article contrarie to them which yet teacheth all aboue the knowledge of senses and moche directlie contrarie As for example Owre senses by dailie experiēce teach vs that men do die And that some of their bodies being burned ther ys nothing lefte but Asshes blowē abroad Faith teacheth many thinges contrarie to the senses with the winde And some consumed of the foules of the aire Some of the fishes of the sea Some vtterly doo putrifie in the earth as thinges that shoulde neuer be the same flesh the same substance the same man again And yet faith teacheth vs directlie contrarie that ys that the thing which the senses Iudge to be dead whiche ys so diuided and separated from life that yt shall neuer liue the same thing in nombre again that in dede yt ys not dead but sleapeth and shall be the same in person again that yt was before The senses taught none other but that the woundes whiche Christe had in his bodie after the resurrection and specially the wounde of his side into the which he willed Thomas to pute his hande were verie fore and painfull and yet faith saieth directlie contrarie For a glorified bodie yt not passible Thus these men building ther faith vpon their senses when their senses perished their sensuall faith preished with all Wherfor cleaue not to soche a faith whiche neadeth to be mainteined with vntruthe and false sensuall knowledge But embrace that faith whiche ys grownded vpon Christ and lined oute and tried by the sure and streight piller of truthe the Catholique Churche But perchaunce the Aduersarie will saie that although the sentence of Obiection out of Tertull Tertullian for so moche as I haue brought in sowndeth plainlie to my pourpose yet yf I had brought in the wholle sentēce yt wolde haue ouerthrowē the same Wherfore I deale not sincerelie but vse crafte To this I saie that this that ys alleadged oute of Tertulliā ys his verie saing ād neadeth no dependence to make yt perfecte but ys of yt self a perfecte proposition and therfore hath yn yt self a trueth or falshood and maie then well be alleaged to confirme my pourpose And yet I haue not so omitted yt as though I wolde not see yt but I haue reserued yt to be handled wher we shall seke the exposition of his texte Hoc est corpus meum But that we maie perceaue in the meā while that Tertullian in his place minded no other wise then these his woordes alleaged pourporte I meen that Christs bodie ys made present in the Sacrament and in the same geuen and dipensed I shall bring himself to wittnesse in an other place wher he testifieth that the slesh that ys to saie the natural man eateth the bodie of Christ Caro inquit abluitur vt anima emaculetur Caro vngitur vt anima consecretur Caro signatur Note that the flesh eateth the bodie and blood of Chryst. vt anima muniatur Caro corpore sanguine vescitur vt anima de Deo saginetur The flesh saith Tertullian ys washed that the Soule maie be pourged The flesh ys enoynted that the soule maie be consecrated The flesh ys signed that the soule maie be defended The flesh eateth the bodie and bloode of Christe that the soule maie be made fatte or lustie in God Thus Tertullian In the whiche woordes he teacheth that as verilic as we be washed with verie water and enointed with verie oile and signed with the verie signe of the crosse and not with the figures of these So be we fedde with the verie bodie and blood of our Sauiour Christe and not with the figures of them Teflesh saieth he eateth the bodie and blood of Christ and not the spirit onlie Nowe then that yowe haue heard one of the one side of the parliamēt house yowe shall heare one of the other side Iyschius an aunciente author Disciple to the great learned father Gregorie Naziancen saieth thus Non oportet eos qui Pascha euangelicum celebrant quod nobis tradidit Ecclesia legale Pascha peragere quod bouem ouem legislator dicens significauit Jsychius in Le. lib. 6. cap. 22. quia haec praecepit Moises in die Paschae quod traditum est Iudaeis immolare They that doe celebrate the euangelicall Passouer whiche the Churche hath deliuered vs maie not celebrate the legall Passour whiche the lawegeuer commaunding hath declared to be an oxe and a shepe For Moises hath commaunded to offer these thinges in the daie of the passeouer that ys appointed to the Iewes And a litle after foloweth Non ergo oportere nos habentes in manibus
bodie our true Paschall lambe In nocte quippe inquit agnum comedimus quia in sacramento modò Dominicum corpus accipimus quando adhucinuicem nostras conscientias non videmus In the night saieth he do we eate the lambe forsomoche as we do nowe receaue our lordes bodie in the Sacrament when as yet we doe not see one an others conscience In this his sainge ys not onelie perceaued the applicacion of the figuratiue Paschall Lambe to the verie true Paschall Lambe but to the full agreement with other holie Fathers before alleaged he doth most plainlie testifie the reall presence bothe by his woordes terming yt the bloode of our Redemer and the bodie of our lorde and also by the maner of the receauinge of yt In the whiche note that he teacheth that the bodie and bloode of Chryst ys receaued by two distincted and diuerse maners of receauinge One maner ys with the mouthe of the bodie whiche argueth the reall presence The other maner ys with the mouthe of the hearte and that ys the spirituall maner of receauing So that the learned men in Chrystes faithe doo teache the good Chrystian man to receaue Chrystes bodie both corporallie and spirituallie But the maliciouse learned man against Chrystes faith teacheth that the good Chrystian man receaueth Chryste but onelie spirituallie and so robbeth him of the other the contrarie of the whiche Doctrine ye see here auouched by sainct Gregorie as yt was also by other before alleaged with whom he well agreeth To this sainct Gregorie shall be yoined Damascen one of the other side of the Parliament house of Chryst that ys of the greke church and of the lowe house but one of the first and cheif in that place as ys before saied a man so excellentlie will seen in the statutes of Chrystes Parliament house that ys to saie in the knowledge of the receaued trueth of Chrystes faithe that he did write foure bookes of the same both learnedlie and godlie and in the fourthe booke of his workes emong other explicacions of matters of faith he declareth also the faithe of the Churche in this matter of the Sacrament at large wher as touching the same matter he saieth thus Natiuitas nobis per spiritum donata est per sanctum dico baptismum Cibus verò ipse Li. 4. de orthod sid c. 14. panis vitae Dominus noster Iesus Christus qui de coelo descendit Nam suscepturus voluntariam pro nobis mortem in nocte qua seipsum obtulit testamentum nouum disposuit sanctis Discipulis Apostolis per ipsos omnibus alijs in ipsum credentibus In coenaculo sanctae gloriosae Sion antiquum Pascha cum Discipulis manducans et implens instrumētum antiquum lauit pedes Discipulorum signum sancti baptismatis praebens Deinde frangens panem dedit illis dicens Accipite comedite Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur in remissionem peccatorum Similiter accipiens calicem ex vino aqua tradidit illis dicens Bibite ex eo omnes hic est sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro vobis effunditur in remissionem peccatorum Hoc facite in meam cōmemorationem Quotiescunque enim manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibetis mortem filij hominis annunciatis resurrectionem eius cōfitemini donec veniat Si igitur verbum dei viuens est efficax omnia quaecunque voluit Deus fecit Si dixit Fiat lux facta est lux Fiat firmamentum factum est Si verbo Dei coeli firmati sunt spiritu oris eius omnis virtus eorum Si coelum terra aqua ignis aer omnis ornatus eorum verbo Dei perfecta sunt homo ipse vbique diuulgatum animal Si volens ipse Deus Verbum factus est homo c. Non potest panem suum ipsius corpus facere vinum cum aqua sanguinem Dixit in principio Deus Producat terra herbam virentem vsque nunc pluuia facta producit germina diuino coädiuta vigorata praecepto Dixit Deus Hoc est corpus meum hic est sanguis meus hoc facite in meam commemorationē omnipotentieius praecepto donec veniat efficitur A newe birth ys geuen to vs by the Spirit and the water I saie by holie Baptisme but the meat ys the verie bread of life our lorde Iesus Christ who descended from heauen For willing to take for vs a willing death in the night in the whiche he offred vppe him self he disposed a newe testamēt to his holie Disciples and Apostles and by them to all other beleuing in him In the parlour Chrystes cuppe cōteined wine ād Water therfore of holie gloriouse Sion eating the olde Passeouer with his disciples and fulfilling the olde lawe he washed the feet of his disciples geuing a sign of holie Baptisme Afterwarde breaking bread he gaue yt to thē saing Take eate This ys my bodie whiche shall be deliuered for yowe in the remission of sinnes Likewise taking the cuppe of wine and water he deliuered yt vnto them saing Drinke ye all of this This ys my bloode of the newe Testament whiche shall be shedde for yowe in the remission of Sinnes This do ye in my remembrāce For as often times as ye shall eate this bread ād drinke this cuppe ye shew furth the death of the Sōne of mā ād acknowledge his resurrectiō vntill he come Yf then the woorde of God be liuing ād mightie in operaciō and al thinges whatsoeuer he hath willed he hath doē Yf he saied The light be made and the light was made The firmament be made and yt was made Yf by the woorde of God the heauens were made and all the power of them with the breath of his mouthe Yf heauen earth water fire and the Ayer and al the furniture of them by the woorde of God were made perfect and man himself being euery where a knowen liuing creature Yf God the Sonne himself being willing was made man c. Can not he make breade his owne bodie and wine and water his bloode God saied at the beginning Let the earth bring furth green herbe And vntill this daie being holpen and made strong with Gods commaundement the rain comming Effect of Chrystes woordes of consecraciō yt bringeth furth fruicts God saied This ys my bodie and this ys my blood and this do ye in the remembrance of me And by hys allmightie commaundement yt ys so made and brought to effecte vntill he come Thus farre Damascen Whose saing ys long but as pithie and weightie as yt ys long In the which he hath not onelie declared hys faith but the faith of Chryst receaued in his Churche which ys the wholl matter and onelie argument of hys worke as the title of the same doth purporte And to the matter which we haue in hande he geueth woorthie testimonie declaring the accomplishment of the olde lawe in
eating the olde Paschall Lambe and the beginning of the newe testament with the newe Paschall Lambe Which Paschall Lambe how yt was and what yt was and how yt ys wrought ād made he leaueth yt not vndeclared He tooke bread saieth he mening Chryst and brake yt and gaue yt to his disciples saing Take eate This ys my bodie And that he might leaue no place to the enemies to misconstrue him and to wrest him to their pourpose he addeth the probacion of yt by the powre of God in other of hys workes which ys also a most plain declaracion of hys faith That as God by his woorde made heauen and earth and all thinges in Chryst turned the bread into his bodie and the wyne and water into his blood them conteined So by his woorde saing Thys ys my bodie yt ys euen so made in dede as yt ys saied For can not he saieth Damascen make the bread his bodie and the wine and water his bloode Which woordes being so plain nede no in terpretaciō For he affirmeth that God by hys woord and allmightie powre dothe make the bread his bodie and the wine and water his bloode And wher the Aduersarie hath against this saied that he doubteth not of the power of God but that he ys able to do yt yf he will or yf yt be his pleasure but we finde not saieth he in the scripture that his pleasure ys that the preist pronouncing the woordes shoulde by gods power consecrate the bodie of Chryste This ys their ignoraunt scruple But if they had leuing all arrogancie mekelie consulted with thys Damascē they shoulde haue fownd yt in the scripture that Gods pleasure ys that the bodie of Chryste shoulde be consecrated by the poower of God and by the preist as his mynister For God saieth Damascen Chryst commaunded his bodie to be cōsecrated saied at the beginning Let the earth bring furth grene herbe and vntill this time the earth being holpen with Godes commaundement doth bringe furth fruict God saied This ys my bodie this ys my bloode this doe ye in remembrance of me And by his allmightie commaundement yt ys so made Note then that when Chryst by his powre had of bread made his bodie for he saied yt was his bodie and his saing ys making Then he gaue commaundement to his mynistres saing Hoc facite This doo ye by the whiche allmightie commaundement saieth Damascen yt ys doen. But nowe when the scripture ys produced and laied before their face hauing no good will to accept the trueth they procead to questioning and aske howe How the question of the faithlesse aūswered proue ye that Chryst by these woordes commaunded the consecracion THE ONE AND TWENTETH CHAPITER CONcludeth this matter of the figure of the paschall lambe by Haymo and Cabasila THe nombre ys great that might be called oute of this lower house whiche for that yt wolde make thys rude worke to growe into to great a volume I will content my self and staie after I haue brought furth one coople mo and so leaue this figure The first of theise shall be Haymo for that he ys the elder being aboute the yeare of Chryst 734. and so aboue eight hundreth yeares agon before the time of Berengarius who was the first open and notable Aduersaire of this Sacrament that laboured to take awaie the reall presence of Chryste Therfor this learned Father maie wel be cōsulted with all who being before this controuersie was moued ys to be thought to speake vpprightlie ād not parciallie In his exposition therfore vpon S. Matthew he saieth thus Coenantibus Haymo in 26. Matt. autem eis accepit Iesus panem c. Expletis solemnijs veteris Paschae transit Dominus ad sacramenta noui Paschae demonstranda Postquam coenauit dedit eis panem et vinum in mysterio videlicet corporis et sanguinis sui Quia enim panis cor hominis confirmat vinum auget sanguinem in homine meritò idem panis in carnem Domini mutatur et idem vinum in sanguinem Domini transfertur non per figuram neque per vmbram sed per veritatem Credimus enim quia in veritate caro est Christi similiter et sanguis As they were eating at Supper Iesus tooke bread c. When the Solemnities of the olde Passouer Bread and wine chaūged into the bodie and blood of Chryst not in figure but in trueth were fullfilled our Lorde goeth to shewe furthe the Sacrament of the newe Passouer After he hadde Supped he gaue them bread and wine in mysterie of his bodie and bloode For bicause bread doth strenghten the hearte of man and wine encreaseth the bloode in man the same bread ys woorthilie chaunged into the flesh of our Lorde and that same wine transferred into the bloode of our Lorde not by figure nor by shaddowe but by the verie trueth For we beleue that in trueth yt ys the flesh of Cbryst and likewise his bloode Thus farre Haymo The two principall pointes here enquired this holie Father hath agreablie bothe to the elders of the higher house and also to them of the lower house declared First hys comparing of the olde Passeouer to the newe ys easie to be perceaued And then what the newe Passeouer ys he doth most plainlie manifest Yf he had left the matter of the newe Passeouer when he had said He deliuered bread and wine in mysterie of hys bodye and bloode then the Aduersaries wolde haue vsed their accustomed violence to haue drawen him by force to be a wittnesse of their syde I saie by force bicause this Authour not mening as they do as after yt shall appeare yet they wolde with great boast haue saied that he had mened as they doo Heretiques how they alleage the Fathers Which maner of doinge Reader ys their cōmō practise For wher they in their workes alleage the holie Fathers they alleadge thē in doubtful places wher they vse the common termes of Sacrament mysterie and soch other whiche when controuersie and contencion ys raised by wicked men maie Sacramētaries can not bring one Father teaching the Sacrament to be only a figure be drawen to either parte Albeit the Authours intended and ment but the onelie one true waie of Chrystes trueth and faith as this Authour nowe alleaged did But gentle reader yf thow perusest their bokes and findest that they bring anie allowed Authour saing by expresse woordes and plain sentence that the Sacrament ys but a figure or a sign or by plain deniall shall saie that Chrystes bodie ys not in the Sacrament reallie or in verie dede we shall yelde and geue them the victorie for certen I am that they can not But on our syde that ys on the parte of the catholique faithe of Chrystes Churche ye shall heare a nombre that by expresse woordes shall affirme the verie presence of Chrystes bodie of whiche nōbre ye haue allreadie heardsome And by like expresse woordes shall denie that yt
made hys bodie and that the Apostles receaued his bodie But neuer after was yt geuen to anie This was a verie euell cankre but yt hath encreased since to so moche vngodlinesse and hath Cankrelike fretted so sore that nowe in our time men haue denied the bodie of Chryst to be consecrated and geuen either by the preistes or ministres of the churche or yet by Chryst him self in the last Supper For he gaue saie they but the figure of hys bodie to hys Apostles as the ministres doo nowe to the people But as Chrysostome in hys sentence hath aunswered the Petrobrusians So hath he also aunswered the Oecolampadians Caluinistes and the rest of the vypers that brake oute of Luthers beallie of the which generacion this chalenger ys one who like vipers in dede whiche gnawe and frette their dames beallie chryst doth sanctisie aÌ„d transmute the bread and wine to come from her euen so these impugning the doctrine of ther Father haue endeuoured to destroye bothe him and his doctrin to be ridde therof Qui verò haec sanctificat transmutat ipse est Yt ys euen he saieth Chrysostom meening Chryst that dothe sanctisie and transmute these thinges Owre heresiarke of Englande Cranmer saieth in his booke that the creatures of bread and wine can not be sanctified But by Chrysostomes sentence they be sanctified in to some other thing Which ys so in dede and therfore TransubstanciacioÌ„ auouched he addeth transmutat and dothe transmute or chaunge them For Chryste sanctifieng dothe chaunge the substance of the creatures of bread and wyne into the substance of his bodie and bloode For as Origen saieth the bread ys made in to an holier bodie Nos conditori rerum morem gerentÌ„es pro eius in nos collatis beneficijs vbi gratias diximus oblatis Orig. cont Cels li. 8. The bread ys turned into an holier bodie panibus vescimur qui vtique ex oratione precibus in sanctius quoddam corpus conslantur quod sanè sanctiores hos reddit qui mente integriore hoc ipso vtuntur We obeing saieth Origen the creatour of thinges when we for the benefittes whiche he hath geuen vs haue geuen him thankes we eate the breades that be offred whiche by oracion and praiers are made into a certain holier bodie which maketh them holier which with an wholl minde doo vse the same Thus Origen Do ye not heare that the breades that be offred be made into a certain holier bodie And what a bodie ys yt Soche a bodie as maketh those holier whiche receaue yt withe a pure and godlie minde What bodie ys yt that we receaue hauing power to make vs holier but the holie bodie of him who ys owre sanctificacion iustificacion and redemption Nowe here ys no place for the Aduersaries comon glose to saie that we receaue the bodie of Chryst spiritually whiche maketh vs holier that receaue yt and therby to seclude the receauing of Chrystes bodie reallie For he saieth that the breades whiche be offred be made into an holier bodie And Li. 4. de Sâ—cramentis that bodie that ys made of the bread I vse saincte Ambrose hys phrase Depane fit corpus Christi maketh them holier whiche receaue yt with a good and godly minde Whiche bodie being soche that the bread ys turned or made into yt must nedes be the reall and substanciall bodie of Chryst Vnderstande me not here that I reiecte the spirituall receauing of Chryst in the Sacrament But I wishe bothe the receauinges to go together He can not receaue Chryst spirituallie whiche beleueth not that he receaueth him reallie For as the receauing of Chryst reallie profiteth not withoute the receauing of him spirituallie So he can not receaue him spirituallie that beleueth not him to be receaued reallie And therfor when oportunitie serueth as I wishe bothe the receauinges to go together so must they in dede go together yf the receauer will take and haue anie profitte therbie Albeit these might sussice that be hertofore alleaged to testifie vnto vs what ys the enacted and receaued trueth of Chrystes Parliament house as concerning the preisthead and sacrifice of Chryst after the ordre of Melchisedech Li. 4. de de thod side Melchisedech and his sacrifice a sigure of Chryst aÌ„d his sacrifice yet that S. Augustine maie haue one of the other side of the house that ys of the greke churche ioined with him I will bring yowe Damascen who in fewe woordes saieth thus Pane vino suscepit Melchisedech AbrahaÌ„ excaede alienigenarum reuertenteÌ„ qui erat sacerdos Dei altissimi Illa mensa hanc mysticam praefigurabat mensam veluti sacerdos ille Christi veri sacerdotis figuraÌ„ praeferebat imagincÌ„ Tu es inquit sacerdos in aeternuÌ„ secundùm ordineÌ„ Melchisedech With bread and wine did Melchisedech receaue Abraham returning from the slaughter of the straungers That table did prefigurate this mysticall table as also that preist did bear the figure and image of Chryst the verie preist Thowe arte saieth he a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Thus Damascen In whiche sentence ye see the comparison applicacion of table to table Table signisieth sacrifice as in S. Paule 1. Cor. 10. of preist to preist Damascen teaching the one to be figure of the other Wher I wolde that the Aduersarie did note that the table of Melchisedech whiche all men of learning doo knowe ys taken for the sacrifice as in sainct Paule ye can not be partakers of the table of God and the table of Deuells also In whiche saing what ells ment sainct Paule but that the Corinthians coulde not be partakers of that that was offred to God in sacrifice and of that that was offred in sacrifice to Deuells also The table of Melchisedech I saie whiche ys the sacrifice of Melchisedech did prefigurate the table that ys the sacrifice of Chryste The sacrifice I saie which he offred after the ordre of Melchisedech Nowe see o thowe Aduersarie the concorde and plain testimonie of these right auncient elders and famouse learned Fathers of Chrystes Parliament house howe all they with one mouth as yt were haue reported what was the receaued trueth in the house of Chryst in their tymes which tymes were the times of pure and sincere knowledge in this matter a time wheÌ„ ther was no heresie nor controuersie to moue theÌ„ to writte of yt but quietly and godlie for the instruction of Gods people in the trueth of his faithe and to leaue certain both monumentes and munimentes of the same to the posteritie they haue expressed their faithe in this and other diuerse matters And not onelie their priuate faith but the vniuersall faith of Chrystes catholique Churche And left the same in writing for the staie and confirmacion of them that remain in the faithe and for the calling home again of them that haue erred Therfore wher thowe erring from the true faith hauest taught that Melchisedech
corruption and controuersie taught beleued and folowed I claime also creditte to be geuen to the holie aunciēt Fathers whom I haue alleaged who being in that pure time when faith was purely taught do cōmunicate to vs soche doctrine as the Churche of God then had whose doctrine howe moche yt ys different from the doctrine of this wicked teacher that hathe thus exclamed and howe repugnāte his doctrine ys to the teaching of these Fathers yt ys as easie to discerne as darknesse frō light or white frō blacke Wherfore gentle Reader nowe being by me aduertised after soche sorte as yt hath pleased my lorde God to imparte his grace vnto me yf thowe hauest not erred reioice in God and be confirmed Yf thowe hauest erred repent before God and be reduced And thus moche of the scriptures of the olde Testament THE SEVEN AND THIRTITH CHAP. MAKETH a breif Recapitulacion of thinges before written with thapplicacion of them to the Proclamacion of the aduersarie and so concludeth this first booke ALthough I am not ignorante gentle Reader that in the Psalmes be diuerse other prophecies whiche according to the minde of saincte Hierom do speake of this blessed Sacrament and sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and bloode that shoulde be offred in the Churche of Chryst and of the whiche the poour in spiritte shoulde eate and be satisfied as in the xxi xxij lxxj cx psalmes Yet for that the figures of this Sacrament be allreadie aunswered by prophecies to them aunswerable And these that be lefte maie by iust occasion be spoken of hereafter I shall for the Readers ease disauauntage my self of the allegacion of them to the setting furth of the matter here taken in hand by me to be defended and so cōclude this booke with a breif recapitulacion of some thinghes bfore saied to the entent they maie be applied to aunswere some one or mo mēbres of the Aduersaries proclamacion not yet spoken of I did of pourpose omitte to applie that ys saied as aunswer to that parte of his wicked proclamacion whiche yt doth fullie confute by cause I wolde not to moche trouble my processe but thought yt best to reserue yt to this place as in other matters I haue also doen the like in this booke Wherfor that yt maie well be perceaued that this that ys saied doth clean ouerthrowe this mans doctrine vnderstand first what ys his doctrine Thus in his proclamacion he crieth Yf any one of all our Aduersaries be able plainlie and clerely to proue by soch authoritie of the scriptures the old Doctours and Councells as ys before saied that the preist had then authoritie to offre vpp Chryst vnto his Father c. In which his proclamaciō he denieth the Sacrifice of the Churhe which ys the bodie and blood of our sauiour Chryst which he saieth the Churche hath none authoritie to offre to God in sacrifice Against this his false doctrine call to minde what ys in this booke saied speciallie in the setting furthe of the prophecies of the preisthood of Chryst The deuell hath bewitched the Proclamer after the ordre of Melchisedech of the prophecies of Daniel and Malachie wher but that the deuell hath bewitched this man and to his perdition hath cast a mist before his eies that he shoulde not see the trueth he coulde not ells but see that the bodie and blood of Chryste were of him self offred in his last supper and ther and then instituted and ordeined to be offred and continued in his Church as the memoriall of his passion and death S. Ciprian as yt ys alleaged saieth that our Lorde Iesus offred the same Cyprian that Melchisedech offred that ys bread and wine that ys to saie saieth he his bodie and blood Isychius saieth that we haue the sacrifice of Chryst the intelligible Melchisedech Isychius whiche sacrifice was perfectlie doen in bread and wine when Chryste saied This ys my bloode that shal be shedd for yowe S. Hierom saieth that as Melchisedech offred bread and wine so shall Chryste Hieron offred his bodie and blood the true bread and true wine S. Augustin saieth Chryst did institute the sacrifice of his bodie and blood according to the ordre of Melchisedech to succeade the sacrifice after Augustin the ordre of Aaron Wher note that he saieth Chryst did institute the sacrifice of his bodie and bloode after the ordre of Melchisedech Yf he did institute the sacrifice then ys ther authoritie by the same institution geuen to the Church to offre the same Whiche well appeareth by the saing of Origen whiche foloweth in this processe We saith Origen being obedient to the Creatour of thinges when we Origen haue geuen thankes we receaue the breades that were offred whiche be turned into a certain holier bodie whiche bodie trulie maketh them holier that with a sownde and pure minde vse yt Note then that our obedience standeth not onely to eate the bread but to eate the bread that ys offred and therforre we must both offre and eate The church must both offre and eate yf we will be obedient Yf yt be our obedience to offer then ther ys commaundement geuen to offre Yf commaundement be geuen then Authoritie also Theophilact saieth that the oblacion conteining Chryste our Lorde Bishoppe and Sacrifice ys continuallie offred by the ministres of God Seing that Chryste ys offred Theophila as Theophilact saieth by the ministres of God yt ys euident that yt ys doen with authoritie For withoute authoritie can none offre him Martialis one of the disciples of Chryste saieth that we for our health offre that vpon the holie Altar that the Iewes did offre vpon the Crosse for enuie And yf ye S. Martia We offre ou the altar that the Iewes offred on the crosse Irenaeus require by what authoritie we do it he saieth that our Lord cōmaunded vs so to doo in the remembrance of him And yf ye will vnderstande howe the authoritie cometh ordrely to vs to offre the bodie of Chryste to God the Father Irenaeus will teache you For he saieth that Chryste geuing instructions to his Apostles to offre sacrifice to God tooke the creature of bread and gaue thankes and saied this ys my body And the cuppe also he tooke and confessed yt to be his bloode and so of the newe Testament taught the newe oblacion whiche the Churche taking of the Apostles offreth yt yn all the worlde to God according to the prophecie of Malachie Can not nowe this Proclamer or raither Blasphemer see or perceaue what authoritie the preist hath to offre Chryst to God the Father Yt ys deriued from Chryst to the Apostles from the Apostles to the Church and so vsed through out all the worlde S. Augustine saieth that the pure and clean sacrifice that Malachie speaketh of that shall be offred in euery place ys the sacrifice after Augustin the ordre of Melchisedech What the sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech ys by the minde of S.
gratiis sanctificauit quòd dixit ea per quae significauit mysterium cùm ea ipsa verba dixit deinde procidit orat supplicat diuinas illas voces ipsius vnigeniti seruatoris nostri etiam in donis propositis applicans vt suscepto eius sanctissimo omnipotente Spiritu conuertatur quidem panis in ipsum preciosum sanctum eius corpus vinum autem in ipsum immaculatum sanctum eius sanguinem Haec cùm orauit dixit vniuersum sacrificium peractum perfectum est dona sunt sanctificata hostia integra perfecta effecta est magna hostia victima quae pro mundo mactata est supra sacram mensam sita cernitur Panis enim non ampliùs figura Dominici corporis neque donum ferens imaginem veri doni neque ferens aliquam descriptionem ipsius seruatoris passionum tanquà m in tabula sed ipsum verum donum ipsum sanctissimum corpus Domini quod omnia illa verè suscepit probra contumelias vibices quod crucifixum quod interfectum quod sub Pontio Pilato pulchrum testimonium confessum est quod colaphis appetitum quod contumelijs affectum sputa passum est felgustauit Similiter vinum ipse sanguis qui exilijt occiso corpore hoc corpus et sanguis qui ex Spititu sancto constitutus est natus ex Maria virgine qui sepultus est qui resurrexit tertio die qui ascendit in coelos sedet ad dexteraÌ„ Patris When he hath declared that honourable Supper and howe he gaue yt before hys passion to hys holie disciples and that he tooke the bread and tooke the cuppe and geuing thankes sanctified them and saied those woordes by the which he declared the mysterie And when he hath spoken those woordes then he falleth down and praieth and maketh humble request applieng those sainges of God the onely begotten Sonne our Sauiour to the giftes The bread of the Sacrament ys turned into the verie bodie of Chryst aÌ„d wine into his blood and ys no figure of them sett furth that hys Almightie and most holie Spirit being receaued the bread maie be turned into the self same preciouse and holie bodie of him and the wine into the self same immaculate and holie bloode of him When he hath praied and saied these thinges all the whol sacrifice ys throughlie doeÌ„ and perfected and the giftes are sanctified and an wholl and perfecte host ys made And the great host and sacrifice whiche was ssain for the worlde ys seen sett vpon the holie table For the bread ys no more a figure of our Lordes bodie neither ys yt the gifte bearing the image of the true gifte neither as in a table but the very gifte yt self the verie most holie bodie of our Lord whiche verilie suffred reproches contume lies beatinges which was slain whiche confessed a goodlie testimonie vnder Ponce Pilate which being buffited and with contumelies affected suffred spitting and tasted gall Likewise the wine ys the self same blood that gusht oute of the ssain bodie This ys the bodie and bloode that was made by the holie Gost borne of the virgen Marie which was buried which rose again the thirde daie whiche ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Thus moch this Authour who as he hath verie plainly and fullie testified the sacrificing of Chrystes bodie in the holie table So doth he immediately in the next chapiter declare the commaundement of Chryst vnto the Apostles Idâ—ca 28. and the Church to doo the same aÌ„d saieth thus Ipse dixit Hoc est corpus meum hic est sanguis meus Ipse etiam inssit Apostolis per Apostolos vniuersae Ecclesiae hoc facere Hoc enim inquit facite in meam recordationem Non iussisset autem facere nisi esset potestatem daturus vt possent hoc facere He saied this ys my bodie this ys my blood He also commaunded his Apostles and by hys Apostles the vniuersall Churche this to doe For do ye this saieth he in my remembrance But he had not commaunded them to doo yt except he wolde geue theÌ„ power that they might doo yt And in the end of this chapiter he saieth thus Dominus autem videtur contrectatur per veneranda sacra mysteria vt qui naturant nostram susceperit ferat in aeternum Haec est sacerdotij potestas hic est sacerdos Etenim qui seip sum semel obtulit sacrificauit à sacerdotio non cessauit sed perpetuum hoc sacrificij munus nobis obit per quod etiam est aduocatus pro nobis ad Deum in aeternum Owre Lorde ys seen and felt by the honourable and holie mysteries as he who hathe bothe taken our Nature vpon him and will beare yt for euer Thys ys the power of the preisthead This ys the preist For be that hath once offred and sacrificed himself Chryst ceasseth not to execute his perpetuall preist hood and Sacrifice ceaseth not from hys preisthead but he dothe execute the perpetuall office of sacrifice in vs by the which also he ys Aduocate for vs to God for euer Nowe this Authour as other before haue don hath taught vs both that Chrystes bodie ys sacrificed and also that he hath commaunded hys Apostles and by the Apostles all the Churche to doo euen the same And therto he hath also geuen power to hys Church to offre Chryst For as this Authour saieth except he had geuen powre to doe yt he wolde neuer haue commaunded yt to be doen. And that the verie bodie and blood be sacrificed and not onelie a peice of bread eaten in the remembrance of Chryst this Authour so plainlie teacheth that this Proclamer can not auoid him but as hys Father Luther did aunswer saincte Iames epistle in the matter of iustificacion reiecting the same epistle For first to auoid the figures tropes and signes whiche the Aduersaries comonlie cast vpon this matter this Authour saieth that by the Almightie powre of the Spirit of God the bread ys turned into the very bodie of Chryst and not into an image of Chryst And the wine into hys immaculate bloode Secondarely to auoyd their figures by expresse woordes he saieth that Note this master Juel aÌ„d see your hereticall doctrine directlie impugned after the consecracion the bread ys no more a figure of our Lordes bodie neither ys yt an image of the verie thing neither an onely description of Chryst as a thing might be described in a table but yt ys the thing yt self euen the verie same bodie that was crucified and the self same bloode that yshued out the same crucified bodie What can we haue more What more plainesse can be desiered Ye see that the bodie of Chryst ys offred in sacrifice ye see that powr authoritie and commaundement ys geuen to the Church so to doo And nowe I doubte not but the reader seeth good plain
to be wise in oure owne conceiptes we maie embrace the trueth of yt earnestlie and vnfeignedlie beleuinge the same trueth and by beleuing also vnderstand yt for Nisi credideritis non intelligetis saieth the Prophete Except ye beleue ye shall not vnderstande And therfor let vs all call to the Esay 7. Authour of grace and geuer of faithe with the Apostles and saie Domine adauge nobis sidem Lord encrease our faithe and I doubte not but yf he see that Luc. 17. we come to him he will haue compassion vpō vs and renne and mete with vs and fall one oure neckes and kisse vs and so receauinge vs with moche Luc. 15. ioie and gladnesse walke with vs on the waie and interprete the Scriptures vnto vs and so open oure eyes whiche were holden before that we shall Ibid. 24. knowe him in breaking of the bread And here be aduertised Reader that yf thowe be not with Chryste in the breaking of bread thy eies shall neuer be opened to knowe Chryste For saincte Augustine shewing that the eies of the two disciples that went in Emaus were holden from the knowledge of Chryst vntill the breaking of bread saieth Non enim incōgruenter accipimus hoc impedimentū in oculis eorū à Satana fuisse ne agnosceretur Iesus sed tantùm à Christo propter eorum sidem ambiguam facta Agust de consensu Euāgelist est permissio vsque ad sacramentum panis vt vnitate corporis eius participata remoueri intelligatur impedimentum inimici vt Christus posset agnosci We do not take yt incongruentlie that this impediment in their eies mening the two disciples that went to Emaus was of Satan that Iesus shoulde not be knowen But onelie yt Luc. 24. was permitted of Chryste for their doubtfull faith sake vntill they came to the sacramēt of breade that the vnitie of Chrystes dodie beinge participated yt might be perceaued that the impediment of the Enemie was remoued that Chryste might be knowen Agreablie to this also saieth Theophilact vpon Luk. Insinuatur aliud quiddam Theop. in Luc. ca. 24 nempe quod oculi eorum qui benedictum panē assumunt aperiuntur vt agnoscant illum Magnam enim indicibilem vim habet CARO DOMINI An other thinge also ys here insinuated that ys that the eies of them which do take the blessed breade are opened that they maie knowe him mening Christe For the slesh of oure Lorde hathe a great and vnspeakable powre or strenght Thus moche Theophilacte Thus although the two disciples were in the companie of Chryste and hearde him interprete the scriptures vnto them yet he was a straunger vnto Soche as haue not a sowndfaith in the veritie of the Sacrament are straungers to Chryst. them for they knewe him not And verie well For as they for lake of perfecte and full faith in him were straungers to him So he agreablie as a straunger appeared vnto them And euen so though manie haue hearde the interpretacion of scriptures yea and can them selues interprete and vnderstande manie of them and can speake and talke of Chryste as these disciples did yet be they straungers to Chryste they knowe not Chryste for that they haue not a sownde faith in the veritie of the Sacrament and so in diuerse other poinctes and matters of faithe Whiche happeneth to all sohe as will not be with Chryste in the breaking of the breade For note well this Reader that whosoeuer he be that erreth in the matter Who erreth in the Sacrament erreth in many other matters of faithe of the Sacrament he erreth in manie mo So did Luther the Raiser and stirrer vppe of heresies in oure time So did Oecolampadius Zwinglius Bullingerus Bucerus and Petrus Martir So did our contrie men Cranmer Ridley Latimer and Taler So dothe this Chalenger as his owne confession in his sermō well prouethe So do soche as yet liue conuertlie cloaking and dissemblinge their heresies So that though some other heresie maie be alone in a mā yet be well assured the heresie against the blessed Sacrament ys neuer alone in anie man but accompanied with so manie other heresies as he that hath them becometh a straunger to Chryste and for lacke of a sownde faithe knoweth not Chryste Come therfore and ioin with Chryste in the breaking of the breade be partaker of the vnitie of Chrystes bodie that as saincte Augustine saieth the impediment of the Enemie whiche letteth thee to knowe Chryste maie be remoued and taken awaie For the flesh of Chryste as Theophilacte saiethe hath an vnspeakeable powre or strenght soche power or strenght that after the receipt The ffesh of Chryst in the Sacrament hath an vnspeakable powr of yt in due maner of faithe and sincere deuocion yt will open thine eies that thowe shalt knowe him trulie whiche nowe phantasieng that thowe doest knowe him knowest him but phantasticall Seing then this blessed Sacrament ys of soche great and vnspeakable vertue and geueth so great a benefitt let vs heare the Authour of veritie and of the Sacrament also commending to vs the veritie of the same THE SECONDE CHAPITER EXPOVNDETH THE sixt of saincte Iohn according to the letter THe holie gospell teacheth vs that the Authour of this blessed Sacramēt made two notable mencions therof at two sondrie Two notable menciōs made by Chryst of the Sacrament times The one was the promisse of the institution of yt with a declaracion of the befitte that shoulde ensewe to men therbie whiche ys sett surth and declared in the sixt chapiter of saincte Iohn The other was the plain and certen institutiō of yt in the last supper accomplishing the promisse before made Of these two by the helpe of the Authour of them with thassistance and direction of that his Spirit of trueth whiche he hathe promised shoulde lead vs into all trueth this booke shall tell the verie trueth And forasmoch as by ordre the promisse goeth before the accomplishment of the promisse although saincte Iohn who ys the writer of yt did write yt manie years after the other Euāgelistes had written the last supper yet will I as yt was spoken of Chryst first before the other was doen so first treacte of the same Oure Sauiour Chryst being God and man and knowinge for that nothing was hidden to him all thinges as well the present secrete thinges and thoughtes of man as also the ordre and succession of thinges to come foreseeing that the people wolde resorte vnto him and that mete occasiō shoulde be geuen and that the time wolde verie well serue for the preparinge of the mindes of soche as wolde beleue in him to speake of the high misterie of the receauing of his bodie and bloode he began with the great miracle of the multiplieng of fiue batlie loaues and two fishes By the whiche miracle they being moued to consider his great power might the more easilie be induced to the beleif of the greate miracle
vt imago in nobis regia storeat Hic sanguis pulchritudinem atque nobilitatem animae quam semper irrigat Chrisost ibid. nutrit languescere non sinit Sanguis enim à eibo non fitâ— repentè sed prius aliud quiddam Hic quà m primùm irrigat animam eamue vi quadam magna râ—buit Hic mysticus sanguis Daemones procul pellit Angelos Angelorum Dominum ad nos allicit Daemones enim cùm Dominicum sanguinem in nobis vident in fugam vertuntur Angeli auteÌ„ procurrunt Hic sanguis effusus vniuersum abluâ—e orbem terrarum de quo multa Paulus ad Hebraeos prosecutus est Hic sanguis abdita sancta sanctorum purgabat Quòd si eius figura tantam habuit vim in templo Hebraeorum in medio Aegypto limmibus aspersus longe magis veritas Hic sanguis aureum altare significauit Sine hoc Princeps sacerdotum in penetralia ingredi non audebat Hic sanguis sacerdotes faciebat Hic sanguis in figura peccata purgabat in qua si tantam habuit vim si vmbram ita mors horruit quantoperè quaeso ipsam formidabit veritatem Hic animarum nostrarum salus est hoc lauatur hoc ornatur hoc incenditur Hic igne clariorem nostram mentem reddit auro spleÌ„ didiorem Huius sanguinis effusio coelum peruium fecit Admiranda sanè Ecclesiae mysteria admirabile sacrarium Ex Paradiso fons scaturiit à quo sensibiles stuuij emanarent A meÌ„sa hac prodiit fons qui flunios spirituales diffundit This blood maketh that the kinges The great excellencie of the blood of Chryst in the Sacrament image dothe florish in vs. This bloode dothe neuer suffer the beautie and nobilitie of the soule whiche it dothe allwais water and nourishe to fade or waxe fainte Bloode ys not made of meate furth with but first yt ys some other thing This bloode at the first do the water the soule and indewe yt with a certain great strenght This bloode driueth Deuells a farre of and allureth vnto vs Angells and the Lorde of Angells When the Deuells see the blood of our Lorde in vs they are turned to fleight but the Angells runne furth to vs. This bloode bing shedde did washe all the wholl worlde of the whiche Paule hath made a great processe to the Hebrues This bloode did pourge the secrete places and the most holie place of all Yf then the figure of yt had so great power in the temple of the Hebrues and in Aegipte being sprinkeled vppon the vpper postes of the dores moche more the veritie This bloode did signifie the golden Altar Withoute this bloode the cheif preist durst not go into the inwarde secrete places This bloode made the preistes This bloode in the figure pourged sinnes in the whiche if yt had so great might and power yf deathe so feared the shadow how moche I praie thee wil yt feare the veritie it self This blood ys the health of our soules With this bloode our soule ys wasshed with yt she ys decked with yt she ys kindled This bloode maketh our minde clerer then the fire more shining then golde The effusion of this bloode made heauen open Trulie the misteries of the Churche are wonderfull the holie treasour house ys wonderfull From The misteries of the Churche be wonderfull Paradise a spring did runne from thence sensible waters did flowe from this table commeth oute a spring whiche diffundeth and powreth oute spirituall floudes Hether to Chrysostom In the whiche processe ye maie perceaue how moche this holic man estemed the blessed Sacrament Euen so moche did he esteeme yt so moche did he regard yt so moche he reuerenced it that after so moche praise and magnifieng of it as a man beholding the vnspeakable highnesse of it he brake oute and saied Admiranda Ecclesiae mysteria wonderfull be the misteries of the Churche Obiection But perchaunce the aduersarie will gladlie here seke a starting hole as commonlie he dothe when he is charged with the ineuitable trueth and will saie that all these great praises be not of the blood of Chryste whiche we saie ys in the Sacrament but of the blood of Chryste that was shed vpoÌ„ the crosse Answere To the whiche I aunswer that trueth yt ys that all this praise ys of the blood of Chryst whiche was shed vpon the Crosse Bloode of Chryst on the crosse and in the Sacrament all one For I vnderstand the blood of Chryste in the Sacrament to be the same and none other that did flowe oute of Chrystes side vpon the Crosse For as in the Sacrament ys the veraie same bodie in substance that was crucified vpon the Crosse so ys ther the self same blood in substance that was shed vppon the Crosse But in maner diuerse Ther the bodie and blood of a man mortall Here of Chryst immortall Ther passible here impassible Ther visible here inuisible Ther sensiblie perceaued Here faithfullie beleued Neuerthelesse I saie that Chrysostom spake all these praises of the blood of Chryste in the Sacrament the praise of which ys the praise of the other for that they be all one But that my bare saing shall not be sufficient authoritie to answere the vntreu saing of the Aduersarie and that I seke raither to satisfie then to contende Chrysostom him self shal sufficiently aunswer this by his authoritie And that both by that that ys alleaged of him allreadie and also by that that foloweth the same Call therfore to remembrance the sentence of ChrysostoÌ„ To proue that he spake of the Sacrament immediately preceading this long saing nowe last alleaged and let them be ioined together and then by the dependance of the one to the other ye shall perceaue whether all this praise was directed The sentence going before was this I wolde be yowre brother and for yowr sakes I tooke flesh and bloode with yowe And by what thinges I was conioined to yowe those same again haue I exhibited And theÌ„ entreth into this long praise wherby when he speaking of the geuing to vs of his flesh and blood of the whiche also he made a long disputacion before and of the whiche the wholl homelie treacted ioined this saing to it wherof shoulde he speake but of that blood in this sentence that he spake of before in the other and in the wholl homelie And also when he had so greatlie and highly magnified the bloode of Chryst Yet he declareth wherto he looked when he exclamed and saied Admiranda Ecclesiae mysteria The misteries of the Church are wonderfull and then proceading declareth him self manifestlie to speake of the Sacrament by a similitude saing From Paridise runneth a spring from the which floweth sensible riuers from this table goeth oute a wellspring whiche diffundeth spirituall riuers all whiche woordes do clerely showe that all this his processe tendeth to the blood of Chryste as being in the Sacrament And although this aboue saied dothe sufficientlie proue this
to be spoken of the Sacrament yet this that foloweth doth more proue yt and maketh it so clere that yt can not be gainst said Vt enim homo seruos suos emit ornat ita nos sangume suo Christus Qui huius sanguinis sunt participei cum Angelis ArchaÌ„gelis supernis virtutibus commorantur ipsam regiam stolam Christi induti spiritualibus armis muniti Sed nihil dixi ipsum induti sunt regem Sed sunt purum est admirabile ita si purè accesseris ad salutem accessisti siue praua conscientia ad poenam supplicium Partakers of the blood of Chryst dwell with Angells Qui enim manducat bibit indignè SANGVINEM Domini indicium sibi manducat bibit As a man saieth Chrysostom dothe both buie his seruauntes and deck them euen so dothe Chryst vs with his bloode They that be partakers of this bloode they dwell with Angells and Archaungells and with the powers aboue being cloathed with the kinglie garment of Chryste are defended with spirituall armour But I haue saied nothing They haue putte on the King himself But as yt ys a great thing and a wonderfull eueÌ„ Note here that he speaketh of the Sacrament so if thowe come to it purelie thowe hauest comed to health or saluacion But if with an euell conscience thowe hauest commed to pain and punishment For he that eateth and drinked the blood of our Lorde vnwourthelie eateth and drinketh his owne damnation Thus Chrysostom What can the enemie nowe saie hath not nowe Chrysostome opened him self and fullie and plainly certified vs that all this his communicacion was of the blessed Sacrament Dothe not his allegacion of saincte Paule invinciblie proue yt yf sainct Paule in the place alleaged spake of the Sacrament then Chrysostom that alleaged him spake of the Sacrament and vndoubtedlie he did so Wherfore chrystian Reader observe here and note that Chrysostom dothe not onely vnderstand the text of saincte Iohn of the Sacrament But also that therwith both by plain opening of the woordes of S. Paule by moste goodlie and high praise he teacheth vs that in the same Sacrament ys the verie presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode And in his so doinge teacheth God plagueth vs for abuse of the Sacrament also all good chrystian men highlie to esteme and greatlie to reuerence and magnifie this wonderfull misterie of Chrystes blessed bodie and bloode coÌ„sidering and by faithe perceauing verie Chryste God and man ther to be present And not so lightlie so irreuerentlie so vndeuoutlie to vse it as heretofore euen before the time of heresie yt was vsed or raither abused For the whiche abuse I assure yowe I earnestlie beleue that as in yt we did sore offende So by it God hath sore plagued vs. Let vs therfor be admonished and learn to amend our selues And the like I wolde wish the Aduersarie to do that wher he in this wicked time hath forsaken his faith and with defiled mouthe hath railed in blaspheming this most holie Sacrament and hath called the faitfull Chrystians Idolaters and robbers of God robbing him of his honour and geuing yt to a peice of bread he wolde nowe learn that he hath gon astraie and that not the Catholique Chrystians but he and soche like haue ben Idolaters and robbers of God his honour not honouring him wher he was present but with all vile means dishonouring him whiche he and they maie repent Wolde this famouse and noble clerke holie Chrysostom haue so extolled Honourable titles and great effectes of the Sacrament proue the presence of Chryst therin and magnified this Sacrament so oftentimes calling it blood and atributing to yt goddes power in fearing and driuing awaie of Deuells in wasshing our sowles in geuing remission of sinnes in putting death to flight in being our health and saluacion with a nombre of soche effectes as ye haue heard yf it were but wine Can a cuppe of wine woorke soche wonderfull workes and effectes ys yt of soch force and strength if yt so be the chamberlain of king Darius that tooke vpon him to proue that forte est vinum wine ys strong wold not haue omitted so great praises of yt in his oracion for it wolde haue made moche for his pourpose But surelie this ys spoken by Chrysostome of the verie blood of Chryste whiche in dede hath this great might and power or ells this great Father wold neuer so haue magnified yt And nowe thow that wast once in Chrystes faith and hauest runne astraic return again and magnifie this diuine Sacrament with Chrysostom and all other faithfull in Chryste Return I saie while the time serueth thee and while yt ys daie for Venit nox quando nemo potest operari The night will come when no man can woorke Therfore I do aduertise thee with sainct Paule Cum metu et tremore saluteÌ„â—nam operare with feare and trembling woork thy saluacion Return and saie with the Prophet Dauid Erraui sicut ouis quae Philip. 2. Psal 118. periit quaere seruum tuum Domine I haue erred like the shepe that hath perished seke thy seruannt o Lorde And nowe although I haue a litle digressed froÌ„ the right line of the proofe of the sixt chapiter of saincte Iohn to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament Yet I haue not digressed from charitie nether from the principall pourpose of this booke whiche ys to laboure to reduce them that haue erred to the trueth and to confirme and comforth them that be in yt THE SIXT CHAPITER PROCEADETH IN THE opening of the vnderstaÌ„ding of the same texte of saincte Iohn by Beda and Cyrillus THe trueth of this matter ys soch that ytys testifiedaÌ„d auouched by manie mo fathers of the which we will heare first Beda and Beda in 6. Ioan. Cirille Beda expowndeth the forsaid text of S. Iohn thus Hunc paneÌ„ Dominus dedit quaÌ„do mysteriuÌ„ corporis et saÌ„guinis suis Discipulis tradidit et quaÌ„do semetipsum Deo patriobtulit in ara crucis Quòd verò dicit pro muÌ„di vita noÌ„ debemus intelligere pro elemeÌ„tis sed pro hominibus qui muÌ„di nomine designaÌ„tur This bread saieth Beda our lord gaue when he deliuered the misterie of his bodie and blood to his disciples and when he offered him self on the Altar of the Crosse to God the Father And wher he saieth for the life of the worlde we maie not vnderstaÌ„d it for the ElemeÌ„tes but for meÌ„ whiche by the name of the worlde are signified Thus haue ye Bedes expositioÌ„ whiche al thoug yt be breif and shorte yet it ys plain and clere As he text saeth that Chryst wolde geue twice a bread that shoulde be his flesh So Bede declareth two sundrie maners and times for the geuing of the same First wher Chryste saied the bread which I shall geue that saied Bede our Lorde gaue wheÌ„ he deliuered vnto his Disciples the misterie of his bodie aÌ„d blood The
Deo defertur oratione petitur pro populo pro regibus pro caeteris Vbi venitur vt cōsiciatur venerabile Sacramētū iā non suis sermonibus vtitur sacerdos sed vtitur sermonibus Christi Ergo sermo Christi hoc conficit Sacramentum Let vs then teache this How Cōsecraciō how yt ys doen cā that that ys bread be the bodie of Chryste By consecraciō By what ād whose woordes ys the consecracion Of our Lord Iesus For all the other things that be saied laude ys geuē to God peticiō ys made in praier for the people for kinges and other Whē the time ys comed that the honorable Sacrament shall be made then the preist vseth not his owne woordes but the woordes of Chryste Therfor Yt ys the woorde of Christe that maketh this Sacrament A plain place of S. Amb. for master Iuell Thus moche S. Ambrose whose woords are so plain that I nede not by notes vnto yow declare the same ād his testimonie so cōsonaunt and agreable with the Fathers before alleaged for this matter her hādled that ye maie euidētlie perceaue howe one trueth and the self same doctrine hath bē cōstantly taught in the diuerse ages in the whiche these Fathers liued And to ascend a litle higher and nearer to the Apostles time we will for the full declaracion of this treuth and doctrine allready auouched heare Eusebius Emis in homil pasch Christ doth consecrate his own bodie by turning the substance of bread c. the testimonie of Eusebius Emissenus an auncient Father in Chrystes church who saieth thus Inuisibilis sacerdos visibiles creaturas in substantiam corporis sanguinis verbo suo secreta potestate conuertit The inuisible preist with his woord by a secret power turneth the visible creatures into the substance of his bodie and bloode Thus Eusebius Whome heare yowe here tomake the bodie of Chryste dothe not the inuisible preist which ys our Sauiour Iesus Chryste and not the preist who ys but the ministre as the Auersaries maliciouslie blaspheme But leauing to thee gentle reader to weigh and consider what maner of people they are that haue feigned soche abhominable vntrueths as to saie to deceaue with all that the preist made God and to iudge what credite aught to be geuen to soche as with lies slaunders and blashemies go aboute to maintein their detestable heresies I will ioin one more of like auncientie to this Eusebius and then I trust this maie satisfie thee in this matter And this shall be Cyprian that holie martir who speaking of euell receauers Cypr. decoena Dom. saieth thus Melius erat illis mola asinaria collo alligata mergi in pelagus quà m illota conscientia de manu Domini accipere qui vsque hodie hoc veracissimū sanctissimū corpus suū creat sanctificat et benedicit piè sumentibus diuidit Yt were better for thē a milstone tied to their neckes to be drowned Christ doth create sanctisie and blesse his own bodie a plain saig of S. Cyp. in the sea then with an vnwasshed consciēce to take the morsell at the hāde of our Lorde who vntill this daie doth create and sanctifie and blesse and to the godlie receauers diuide this his most true and most holie bodie Thus Cipr. Do ye not see and learn by this holy martir who doth make the bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament Oure Lord saieth he dothe euen till this tune create sanctifie and blesse this his most holie bodie Note also against these signe makers and figure feigners that he saieth not he createth a bodie But his bodie Corpus suum and not an imaginatiue bodie but veracissimū sanctissimū corpus suū his most true ād most holie bodie And he did not onelie so do in his last supper as the Petrobrusiās saied sed vsque hodie creat vntil this daie he dothe create sanctisie and blesse this his most true and most holie bodie Wherbie ys taught that Chryste and none other dothe cōtinuallie create in that holie ministraciō ād make his bodie Nowe ye haue heard frō the latter daies vntill the time of this holie martir Cipriā and Eusebius before alleaged who were nere to the primitiue churche what hath bē taught as cōcerning this matter in diuerse ages and that Supra li. 1. cap. 31. aswell in the Greke Church as in the Latin Churche whiche ys that Chryste himself doth woorke this wonderfull worke of consecracion to make present in this blessed sacrament his verie bodie and bloode and not the preist who as Chrysostom hath taught speaketh the woordes but the power and grace of God dothe consecrate the thinges Wherfore Reader take hede of this wicked sorte of people who as ye maie perceaue haue not onelie for the setting furthe of their wicked heresies wickedlie slaundered the wholle Churche and the holie ministerie of the same But also most impudētlie haue spoken the contrarie of that that the famouse learned holie Fathers haue taught What trueth maie be thought to be in thē in other matters by this ye maie coniecture But nowe leauing this matter as sufficientlie declared and proued against them I will resume my entended pourpose to expownde the sixt of saincte Iohn wherof ye haue heard one texte and the testimonie of diuerse Fathers auouching the same to be vnderstanded of the blessed Sacrament and of the reall presence of Chrystes bodie in the same Nowe will I proceade to other textes in the same chapiter touching this matter THE NINTH CHAPITER EXPOVNDETH THE next text that foloweth in sainct Iohn THe next text folowing in the sixt chapiter of saincte Iohn ys this Litigabant ergo Iudaei adinuicem dicentes Quomodò potest hic nobis carnem suam dare ad manducandum The Iewes stroue emong them Ioan. 6. selues sainge How can this felowe geue vs his flesh to eate The Iewes vnto whom as saincte Paule saieth vsque in hodiernum diem cùm legitur Moyses velamen positum est super cor eorum Vntill this daie when 2. Cor. 3. Moyses ys red the veill ys putt vpon their heartes their vnderstandinges being carnall and couered with so grosse a veill that they coulde not perceaue the spirituall talke of Chryste they stroue together and asked howe he coulde geue them his flesh to eate They lacked the right principle of the vnderstanding of his matter whiche ys faith Esay 7. For Nisi credideritis non intelligetis Vnlesse ye beleue ye shall not vnderstaud They did not vnderstand yt bicause they did not beleue yt No more shall they vnderstande vntill they turne vnto God by true beleif as saincte Paule saieth Cùm autem conuersi fuerint ad Dominum auferetnr velamē de corde eorū Neuerthelesse when they turne to our Lord the veile shall be taken awaie frō their hearte And then shall they not vse this woorde of incredulitie and doubtfullnesse whiche neuer passith from man but in the wante of faithe as saieth Chrysostom
taken and dronken do bring it to passe that both we be in Chryst and Chryst in vs. Thus he Among many goodlie notes to be gathered in this saing three thinges will I breifly note The first ys that this our text ys vnderstanded of the Sacrament but not of the Sacrament as of a bare figure but as conteining the thing that yt dothe signifie whiche thing ys the bodie and bloode of Chryst And this matter appeareth so plain so euident and so certen to this great learned and holy man that by the instruction that faithe gaue him to vnderstande this scripture he saied that of the veritie of Chrystis flesh and bloode ther A plain saing for M. Iuell ys no place to doubte And why was ther no place left to doubt He sheweth the cause For nowe saieth he by the suing of oure Lorde and our faith it ys verilie flesh and verilie bloode O this was a blessed simplicitie a godlie obedience that curiously wolde not aske with the Iewes howe yt should be flesh and bloode and howe his flesh and bloode shoulde be meate but reuerently captiuating his vnderstanding to the obsequie of Chryst saieth by cause Chryst did saie that his flesh was verilie meate ther ys no place of doubte lefte but that yt ys flesh in dede and bloode in dede And in this saing yt ys not to be ouer slipped that he faith that by the saing of our Lorde and our faith So that he putteth our faith to the saing of Chryst Faith how yt ys requisite in the Sacrament not that our faith ys a woorker with the saing of Chryst to woorke the substance of the thing but that as by the saing of Chryst the thing in yt self ys most certenly true so by faith beleuing and accepting yt yt ys certen also to vs. For as Chryste hath died for the sinnes of the wholl worlde whiche in yt self ys most certen So yet to all yt ys not so certen but to soche as by faith beleue and accepte yt And so yt ys also certen to vs. Wherfor though to S. Hilary by the faith that he gaue to Chrystes woorde yt was very flesh and very blood yet to heretikes that haue not soche faith as Hilary had yt ys not the flesh and bloode of Chryst not that yt ys not so in dede but vnto them yt ys as though yt wer not so How moch then maie they be abasshed at this saing of S. Hilary who declareth that by his faith he beleued yt to be the very flesh and blood of Chryst and they like shamelesse obstinate men leauing the faith that S. Hilary had and cleauing to their owne inuented imaginacions and naturall reason saie they can not beleue yt But God geue them a better minde The second note ys that this verie flesh and verie bloode ys taken of vs and drokē Flesh and blood of Chryst verilie eaten and dronkē in the Sacr. of vs whlche dothe teache vs the corporall receauing of Chryst in the Sacrament corporall I saie in two respectes that bothe we receaue his very reall and substācial dodie and that we with our bodie and into our bodie receaue that same self blessed bodie So yt ys a corporall receipt in respecte of the thing receaued and of the receauer also This thing the same S. Hilarie in the same booke dothe open more at large when he saieth Si enim verè verbum caro factum est nos verè verbum carnē Hilar ibid. cibo Dominico sumimus quomodò non naturaliter in nobis manere existimandus est qui uaturam carnis nostrae iam inseparabilem sibi natus assumpsit naturam carnis fuae ad naturam aeternitatis sub sacramento nobis communicandae carnis admiscuit Yf the worde were verilie made flesh and we receaue the woorde made very flesh in our Chryst naturallie in vs by receipt of the Sacra Lordes meat howe ys yt to be thought that he doth not naturallie abide in vs who being born man hathe bothe taken the nature of our flesh vpon him nowe inseparablie and also vnder the Sacrament of his flesh to be cōmunicated vnto vs hath admixed the nature of his flesh to the nature of the eternitie Thus he In the whiche saing what wolde we wishe to be more plainly spoken thā that the Sonne of God was made flesh and that same Sonne of God A plain place of S. Hilar. for the Proclamer being made flesh we receaue in the Lordes meate Neither maie that glose here be hearde that we receaue him verilie in the Sacrament but spiritually For that whiche foloweth in the text will not beare that glose Whiche ys when he saieth Howe ys he to be thought not naturallie to abide in vs Marke well these woordes howe can Chryste naturallie abide in vs but by the receipt of his naturall flesh and bodie The spirituall receauing woorketh not a naturall abiding but eche of them agreablie the spirituall receauing maketh a spirituall abiding and the corporall receauing of his naturall bodie maketh a naturall abiding of Chryst in vs. Wherfor if he be naturally abiding in vs by the receipt of his flesh in the Sacrament that receipt ys agreablie of his very naturall and reall flesh into our naturall bodies and then yt must nedes be that we receaue Chrystes bodie really in the Sacrament The thirde note ys that Chryste thus receaued woorketh in vs this effect that we therby be in Chryste and Chryst in vs of the whiche maner of being the text whiche foloweth in saincte Iohn will geue vs occasiō to speake more Wherfor we will diffre yt till we come thither And now wil we come to Euthymius who in fewe woordes saith thus Caromea verè est cibus verus est cibus siue aptissimus vtpote animā quae proprijssima hominis In. 6. Joan. My fleshys verilie meat ys no parabolical or figuratiue speache pars est nutriēs Et similiter de sanguine Aut hoc dixit confirmans quod nō enigmaticè neque parabolicè loqueretur My flesh ys meat in dede Yt ys the verie or most aptest meate as whiche nourisheth the soule whiche ys the most propriest or wourthiest parte of a man And likewise of the blood Orells he saied thus confirming that he did speake neither obscurelie nor parabolicallie Thus Euthymius Doest thowe not perceaue reader that one spirit was in the mouthe of all these holie and auncient Fathers do they not agree in sentence Marke well howe this Auncient Father expowndeth this text remouing and denieng the figure wherby he declareth him self to vnderstand this text of the very reall flesh of Chryst as Hilarie doth yt ys saieth he no parabolicall speache yt ys no figuratiue speache but yt ys a plain speache signifieng no other waies then the woordes sownde that ys the very flesh and the very bloode not the figure of them Whiche maner of exposition thowe shallt see Reader in other that do folowe especiallie
meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aeternam Et vt ostenderet quanta distantia sit inter corporalem cibum spirituale In Joan. mysterinm corporis sanguinis sui adiecit Caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus He had saied before he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode hath euerlasting life And to the intent he might shewe howe great difference ys betwen the corporall meat and the spirituall mystery of his bodie and bloode he added My flesh ys meate in dede and my blood ys drinke in dede Thus Beda That this Authour vnderstandeth this text of the Sacrament yt can not be obscure to anie man seing that he so plainlie saieth that Chryst to shewe the differēce of corporall meat and spirituall mysterie of his bodie and blood added this saing My flesh ys meat etc. And let no man take occasion to maintein his erroure against the presence Howe the Sacr. ys a mysterte and what a mysterte ys of Chryste in the Sacrament bicause he calleth yt the mystery of Chrystes bodie and bloode For a mysterie ys that couertlie conteineth a thing not by senseis or comon knowledge to be perceaued So this mystery conteineth the very bodie of Chryst as a thing secretly hidden from the senseis as Eusebius saieth Non exteriori censenda visu sed interiori affectu Not to be iudged by outwarde seight but by inwarde affecte that ys by faithe Hom. 5. Pasch Wherfor Wherfor yt ys very well called a misterie for that yt conteineth the very bodie and Chryste whiche the senseis can not perceaue eaten and dronke they becom Apostaties and forsakers of Chrystes religion do they abide in Chryst or Chryst in them But ther ys in dede a certain maner of eating that flesh and of drinking that bloode after the whiche maner he that eateth and drinketh dwelleth in Chryst and Chryst in him Thus farre S. Augustin Do ye not here see two maners of eatinge of the flesh of Chryst and Two maners of eating the flesh of Chryst drinking of his bloode the one to eate and drinke them verilie which yf yt be doen with a feigned heart or when they haue so doen they forsake Chrystes faith as manie of late yeares haue doen and do in this matter of the Sacrament they though they haue receaued Chrystes very flesh and blood in the Sacrament yet Chryst dothe not dwell in them Then ther ys an other maner of eating Chrystes bodie saieth S. Augustin which ys a spirituall maner of receauing by true and right faith and feruent charitie And he that eateth Chrystes flesh after this maner he hath Chryst dwelling in him But as yt ys before said he that eateth Chrystes flesh spirituallie hath Chryst dwelling in him spiritually But he that eateth Chrystes very flesh in the Sacrament with perfect faith and godly charitie he hath Chryst dwelling in him bothe naturallie as S. Hilary saieth and also spirituallie as S. Augustin saieth So that the one of these denieth not the other neither ys anie of them by any catholique writers denied but they be both raither wished yea required and commaunded And bothe these maners of receuing iointlie vsed of the faitfull christian do augment the benefitt very moche And here I wish the Reader diligently to note that S. Augustin saieth that euell men do eate the flesh of Chryst whiche inuincible proueth the reall and substanciall flesh of Chryst in the Sacrament For otherwise the euell man can not eate the flesh of Chryst Thus ye see to what pourpose I haue ioined these two holie learned Fathers together though they be both of the latin Churche that ye maie Two waies of dwelling in Chryst that ys spirituallie and naturallie perceaue the abiding and dwelling of Chryst in vs to be not onelie spirituall by faith and charitie but also natural by the receauing of Chrystes very flesh in the Sacrament And that th one of these maners ys not to be onlie affirmed as a treuth and thother denied as an erroure but bothe to be receaued and beleued as a treu catholike doctrine auouched and taught by holie Fathers whiche expownde this text of sainct Iohn nowe in hande bothe to meen te naturall abiding of Chryst in vs as sainct Hilary hath here doen and also the spirituall abiding as sainct Augustin expownded yt THE FIVE AND TWENTETH CHAPITER proceadeth in the exposition of the same by Chrysostom and sainct Gregorie CHrisostome very breiflie expowndeth this text on this wise Qui manducat meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem in me manet Hom. 45. in Joan. ego in eo Quod dicit vt cumipso se admisceri ostendat He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him Whiche he saieth that he might shewe himself to be mingled with him What he meeneth by this mingled yf ye remembre what ys alleadged of him before that shall ye soon perceaue and vnderstande therwith that Chrisostom according to our two maners of receauing maketh mencion of two maners of being in Chryst saing thus Vt autem non solùm per dilectionem sed reipsa in illam carnem conuertamur per cibum id efsicitur quem nobis largitus est That Jbid. we shoulde saieth Chrysostom not onelie by loue but in very dede be turned into his flesh that ys doen by the meat whiche he hath graunted vs. Wher note that he teacheth that we be turned into Chryste two maner of waies by loue whiche ys the spirituall maner by the whiche we be spiritually Two maners of being or dwelling in Chryst. in Chryst euen dwelling in him as saincte Iohn saieth Deus charitas est qui manet in charitate in Deo manet Deus in co God ys charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him And also in verie dede when we woorthilie eate his flesh whiche ys our hauenly meate by whiche meate saieth Chrysostom yt ys brought to effect and that not by an imaginacion but in very dede Thus ye perceaue that these be two sondrie effectes to dwell in Chryst spirituallie and to dwell in him in very dede as Chrysostom saieth or naturallie as S. Hilary saieth whiche two sondrie effectes haue two sondrie causes whiche be to eate Chrystes flesh spirituallie and to eate id reallie or in verie dede So that ye maie perceaue that this ys not an horrible matter as the Proclamer with blasphemouse exclamacion pretendeth yt to be when so manie auncient Fathers so plainly speake of yt But nowe come we to S. Gregorie ioined with Chrysostom who vpon Iob saieth thus Natus Dominus in praesepi ponitur vt significaretur quòd sancta animalia Greg. in Job cap. 6. quae ieiuna diu apud legem inuenta sunt incarnationis eius foeno satiarentur Praesepe natus impleuit qui eibum semetipsum mortalium mentibus praebuit dicens Qui
bodie of Chryst yt self Hath not Origen and Chrysostome saied as moche before and diuerse other And when thys Authour remoueth figures from the Sacrament doth not he thē both impugn the clowdie doctrine and the obscure shadowes of the Aduersaries figures signes and tokens and teacheth that the verie substance of Chrystes bodie and blood ys present in the Sacrament He saieth that we receaue no other bodie in the Sacrament but that bodie of Chryst that was betraied forvs and that same blood that was shedd for vs The like woordes speaketh Chrysostome as before ys alleaged more then once or twice and herafter more shall be Thus then we maie conclude that this Authour both vnderstandeth the sixt of sainct Iohn of the Sacrament and that also in yt he confesseth withoute figure the very bodie of Chryst THE EIGHT AND TVENTETH CHAP. ENdeth the exposition of this text by Haymo and Euthymius SVfficient testimonie being produced for the right and rtue vnderstanding of this text I haue determined nowe to ende the same with this one onely coople mo whom I will breiflie alleadg and ouerpasse The first of these shall be Haymo who alleaging this scripture declareth well howe yt ys to be vnderstanded For speaking of the Haim in 10. 1. Cor. flesh and bodie of Chryst he saieth thus Sicut illa caro corpus Christi est it a iste panis transit in corpus Christi Nec sunt duo corpora sed vnum corpus Diuinitatis enim plemtudo quae fuit in illo replet istū panē ipsa diuinitas Verbi quae implet coelū et terram omnia quae in eis sunt ipsa replet corpus Christi quod à multis sacerdotibus per vniuersis The God head of the Sonne filleth the bodie of Chryst sanctisied by the preistes orbē sanctificatur Et facit vnū Christi corpus esse Et sicut ille panis sanguis in corpus Christi trāseunt ita omnes qui in Eccle sia dignè comedūt illud vnū corpus Christi sunt sicut ipse dicit Qui māducat carnē meam bibit sanguinē meū in me manet ego in eo As that flesh ys the bodie of Chryst euen so this bread passeth in to the bodie of Chryst Neither be they two bodies but one bodie For the plenitude or fulnesse of the Godhead that was in him doth also fil this bread ād the sāe Godhead of the Sōne of God which doth sil heauē ād earth ād al things that be in them the same doth fill the bodie of Chryst which ys sanctified of manie preistes through all the worlde and makety yt to be one bodie of Christ And as that bread and blood do passe into the bodie of Chryst Euen so all that do woorthilie in the Church eate yt they are one bodie of Chryst as he himself saieth He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in him Thus farre Haymo I do merueill howe the Aduersarie could haue the face to denie this the sixt of S. Iohn to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament seing that soch a nombre with so great consent do not onely in generall woordes saie that yt ys vnderstanded of the Sacrament but do also expownde euery sentence particularly as hytherto gētle Reader thowe maist perceaue euen to this authour Who when he had declared the wholl matter of the Sacrament as first howe the bodie of Chryst shoulde be in the Sacrament which he saieth ys by that that the bread passeth into the bodie of Chryst which ys doen by the turning of the substance of the bread into the substance of the bodie of Chryst vnto thys he addeth and teacheth by whom thys merueilouse worke ys wrought and doen saing that yt ys doen by the power of the Godhead euen the same that was fullie in Chryst euen the same that filleth both heauen and earth that same ys fullie saieth he in the bodie of Chryst whiche ys sanctified of manie preistes And here note Reader against the carnall disputers that allthough he saie that the bodie of Chryst be consecrated of manie preistes through the whol The bodie of Chryst consecrated of manie preistes ys but one bodie worlde yet he saieth not that they be manie bodies of Chryst but onely one bodie And sheweth also howe that ys brought to passe and who ys the woorker of yt The Godhead saieth he that ys fullie in Chryst maketh thys to be one bodie Thus when he had shewed howe great a thing the Sacrament ys in yt self then he beginneth to shew what yt ys towarde vs and what yt woorketh in vs yf we receaue yt woorthilie As the bread saieth he ys become the bodie of Chryst So all they that woorthilie eate the same are the bodie of Chryst. And to proue this he alleageth the saing of Chryst whiche we haue in hande He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in hym So then in this discourse yt ys easilie perceaued that he teacheth the bread to be turned into the bodie of Chryst that the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament and not alone but with the Godhead in yt and so perfect God and man that though the bodie of Chryst be cōsecrated of manie preistes yet by the powre of the Godhead yt ys wrought to whom nothing ys vnpossible Finallie that we receauing this bodie of Chryst in the Sacrament according to Chrystes saing we maie dwell in Chryst and he in vs. And thus yt ys manifest that thys Authour vnderstandeth thys text of the Sacrament Now this being plain we will breiflie heare hys yocke felowe whom for thys time we make Euthymius Thus writeth he Si inquit de vno corpore Jn Matth. 26. sanguine omnes fideles participamus omnes vnum sumus per ipsam horum mysteriorum participationem in Christo omnes Christus in omnibus Qui edit inquit meam carnem bibit meum sangumem in me manet ego in eo Verbum siquidem per assumptionem The flesh that the Sōne of God tooke by in carn ys vnited to vs by the Sacra carni vuitum est haec rursus caro vnitur nobis per participationem Yf all we saieth Euthymius do partake of one bodie and one blood all we are one by participacion of these mysteries and we be all in Chryst and Chryst in vs all He saieth Chryst that eateth my bodie and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him For trulie the Sonne of God by taking of flesh vpon him ys vnited to the flesh Again this flesh ys vnited to vs by participacion Thus Euthym. This sentence ys but short but yt ys effectuouse But hasting to ende the exposition of this text I will note here but one thing leauing the rest to the diligent reader to consider The thing that I note ys that this Authour saieth that the flesh whiche the Sonne of God by assumption did
comeditur Yf therfor the bread that descended from heauen be the bodie of our Lorde and the wine that he gaue to his Disciples be his blood of the newe Testament whiche was shed for The bread that descended from heauen ys the bodie of our Lorde manie in remission of sinnes let vs repell and cast from vs Iudaicall fables and let vs ascende with our Lorde in to the great parlour paued and made clean and let vs from aboue take of him the cuppe of the newe Testament and ther celebrating with him the Passeouer let vs be satisfied of him with the wine of sobrietie For the kingdom of God ys not meat and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioie in the holy Gost Neither did Moyses geue vs the true bread but our Lorde Iesus he ys the feaster and he ys the feast he ys he that eateth and ys eaten Thus farre S. Hierom. By these woordes we are after the vnderstandinge of S. Hierom fullie Chryst ys the feast and the feester enstructed what the bread ys that our Sauiour Chryst speaketh of when he saied This ys the bread that descended from heauē Yt ys saieth S. Hierom the bodie of our Lorde and the wine ys the bloode that was shed for manie in the remission of sinnes By the which woordes he doth not onelie teache vs that this scripture ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament but by the same also he hath testified with other holie Fathers the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament For in the beginning he saied that the bread that descended from heauen ys the bodie of our Lorde and to shewe vs wher he ment yt to be in the ende he saieth that not Moyses did geue the true bread but our Lorde Iesus he ys the feaster and the feast he ys he that doth eat and ys eaten Wherby he well sheweth that that bread ys the bodie of our Lorde which ys in that holie feast wher our sauiour Chryst ys the feaster and he him self also ys the meat and drinke of the feast and so the wholl feast In the whiche as he doth in his membres being the head of them eate the blessed meat of that holie feast So yt ys euen he euen his very dodie and bloode that ys ther eaten and dronken Wherfor soch a noble feaster being present and so holie meat being ther eaten the Church right well with goodlie concorde and consent singeth O sacrum conuiuium in quo Christus sumitur O holie feast in the which Chryst ys receaued But the prolixitie of this matter if yt shoulde be woorthilie folowed calleth me backe and moueth to staie and heare the other that ys ioined to saincte Hierom whiche ys S. Cyrill who saieth thus Non enim prudenter quae ad breue tempus sufficiunt hoc nomine appellabuntur nec panis erat ex Deo quem maiores Iudaeorum comederunt mortui sunt Nam side coelo ex Deo fuisset liberasset à morte participantes Contrà verò corpus Christi panis de coelo est quia aeternam comedentibus vitam largitur Those thinges which for a short time suffice shall not wisely be called by this name Neither that bread which the elders of the Iewes did eate and be dead was of God For if yt had ben from heauen and of God yt had deliuered the partakers of yt from death Contrary wise the bodie of Chryst ys the bread from heauen For yt graunteth the eaters eternall life As S. Hierom saied that the bodie of Chrystes ys the bread that descended from heauen So by like woordes saieth S. Cyrill here And that we shoulde knowe what he meneth he applieth the figure of yt eaten by the elders of the Iewes whiche did not giue life whiche was Manna vnto the bodie of Chryst whiche being eaten doth giue life eternall Wherfor Manna being a figure of Chrystes bodie eaten in the Sacramēt yt must nedes folowe that he vnderstandeth this scripture of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament of the whiche no man that hath redde Cyrill can doubte whose wholl processe ys so plain in the matter THE TWO AND THIRTETH CHAP. ENDETH THE exposition of this text by saincte Augustin and Theoph. NOwe let vs heare as breifly one coople mo and then we shall leaue this text S. Augustin saieth thus Hic est panis qui de coelo descendit vt illum man ducando viuamus quia aeternam vitam ex nobis habere non possumus Non sicut inquit manducauerunt patres vestri Tract 26. in Joan. Manna mortui sunt Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aetenum Quòd ergo illi mortui sunt ita vult intelligi vt non viuant in aeternum Nan temporaliter profectò hi moriuntur qui Christum manducant sed viuunt in aeternum quia Christus est vita aeterna This ys the bread that descended from heauen that we eating him maie liue For we can not of our selues haue eternall life Not saieth he as yower Fathers haue eaten Manna and are dead he that eateth this bread shall liue for euer That they then be dead thus he wolde yt shoulde be vnderstanded that they liue not for euer For tēporallie these truly shall also die which do eate Chryst but they liue for euer For Chryst ys eternall life Thus farre he What gloses the Aduersaries do here vpon S. Augustins saing inuent I leaue them to their the same inuencion But forsomoche as Chryste him self and S. Augustin expownding Chrystes saing doth applie the figure of Manna and the eating of yt to this bread that came from heauen and Manna by all the Fathers iudgementes ys the figure of the holie Sacrament yt ys manifest that therfor this scripture ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament Whiche Theophilact who at this present ys ioined with S. Augustin will Jn 6. Ioan. by expresse woordes declare Patres vestri comederunt Manna in solitudine Hoc saepe multum versat in ore vt persuadeat hominibus Nan si possibile fuit quadraginta annis sine messe semente pasci homines conseruari illorum vitam multòmagis nunc conseruabitnaturam spiritualem meliori pane Dominus carne sua quae absque semine viri ex virgine constituta est Yower fathers haue eaten Manna in the wildernesse Thys saieth Theophilact oftē and moche he speaketh that he might perswade men For yf yt were possible men to be fedde and their liues to be conserued fortie yeares withoute sowing or haruest moche more nowe shall our lorde with a better bread that ys his flesh which without the seed of man ys made of a virgen conserue our spirituall life Thus he Obserue as ys before noted that the applicacion of the figure argueth the thing figured here to be spoken of which thing ys the Sacrament And for the veritie of the same yf this authour had nothing spoken here expresselie yet that whiche he hath hitherto vpon this part of the sixt
iust cause to mistrust them and flie from them And cleaue to that cōpanie wher ye see the auncient trueth taught by auncient fathers as here ye haue doen And not by prowde arrogant will as the other haue doen flie from the trueth Their doctrine ys to be suspected that flie from the common vnderstanding of the scripture receaued in the Churche as yt ys nowe to be perceaued that these singular men haue doen by their single sigularitie As our Sauiour Chryst saied to the Iewes Si non venissē locutus eis non fuissē peccatū non haberent Nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo Yf I had not Ioan. ca 15. comed and not spoken vnto them they shoulde haue had no sinne but nowe they haue no excuse of their sinne Yf then soche as haue heard the woorde of Chryste teaching thē his promesse of the geuing furth of his verie bodie and bloode and do not beleue yt haue no excuse to saue them frō eternall dānacion moche more when they haue the same woorde expownded and declared by the holie Churche of the whiche the holie Gost ys the master the guide and leader in to all trueth and yet wil persist in peruerting the scriptures and through arrogancie will credit none but them selues they be not onely voide of all excuse but their damnacion ys greatlie encreased Wherfore ye that haue erred staie and looke vppe in time beholde all the chrystiā worlde professing Gods true faith and religiō and come to the same Lurke not in the corners of darkenesse whiche will bring yowe to extreā darknesse but com to the light which Chryst hath lefte in his Churche which shall lighten yowe the waie to that light that euer hath shewed and shined and neuer was darkned nor shadowed THE ONE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BEGINneth the exposition of these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie after the minde of the Aduersaries GReate and manifolde are the maliciouse inuencions and deuiseis of the graund enemie of mankind against the same Whiche enemie perceauing man to be in that state to come and enioie the glory and felicitie that he was fallē frō enuied him and subtellie vnder the countenāce or pretēte of a cōmodtie brought him to a most miserable incōmoditie vnder the colour of their aduaūcemēt dignitie and great exaltaciō he wrought vnto thē their deiectiō ouerthrowe and dānacion Ye shall not die saieth the enemie to the womā but God doth knowe that the same daie that ye eate therof yower eies shall be opened and ye shal◠be as Gods knowing good and euel To whiche his perswasiō and false assertiō the womā geuing place by to light Gen. 3. creditte seing also the fruit of the tree to be delectable and pleasaunt to the eies not regarding the certē and most true woorde of her Lorde God who before had saied that in what daie they did eate of the tree of the knowledge of good and Jbid. 2. euell that they shoulde die the death she tooke of the forbidden fruit and did eate therof and gaue to her husbande who did eate of yt also and so not beleuing the woorde of their Lorde God but transgressing his commaundemēt they were not onely expelled oute of that pleasaunt garden of Paradise but also being fallen vnder the heauie burden of gods wrathe and iustice were nowe banished from the eternall felicitie and glorie of heauen and made bonde to hell and euerlasting damnacion Euen so the same enemie seing the chrystiā people redemed with Chrystes most preciouse bloode and restored to that felicitie and ioie whiche by his Temptaciō of our first parentes and of Christians in these daies compared meās he had once caused thē to lose ād that they were nowe quiet ād in godlie order in the eartlie Paradise of Chrysts Church he not bearing their happinesse in the vnitie of faith and godlie cōuersaciō hath vsed his like subtletie and craft to make vs trāsgresse the cōmaundemēt of our lorde God as he did our first Parētes to the entēt he wolde cause vs to be banished frō the inheritāce of the glorie of God wherunto by Chrystes bloode we are made free And will ye see howe like his subtilties be Owre first Parentes had an order appointed to thē what meat they shoolde eate in the Paradise wher they liued The builder of our Paradise hath appoincted vs what the meat shall be that we shall eate saing Take eate this ys my bodie The enemie tempted them to breake their order about their meat and foode he tempteth vs to breake our order about our meat and foode Their meat was the fruit of euerie tree in Paradise sauing the tree of knowledge of good and euell God saing Of euerie tree that ys in the gardē thowe shalt eate but as touching the Gen. 2. tree of knowledg of good and euell thowe shalt not eate of yt Owre meat in the Paradise of Chrystes Churche ys his verie bodie and bloode he him self saing Take eate this ys my bodie Take drinke this my blood The enemie not withstāding gods owne saing to our Paretes In what daie soeuer ye eate of that tree ye shall die the death he directlie cōtrary saied Ye shall not die The same enemie notwithstāding Chrystes owne saing This ys my bodie This ys my blode directlie cōtrarie saieth yt ys not his bodie yt ys not his bloode yt ys but a peice of bread but a cuppe of wine figures signes or tokēs of his bodie and his bloode and to cōpasse that this his perswasion and assertiō maie be receaued as to our first parētes he saied that yf there did eate of that fruict they shoulde be as Gods knowing both good and euell pretēding a great cōmoditie so nowe he saied Esteem this no better thē a peice of bread ād a cuppe of wine and not as the bodie and bloode of Chryst For so foramoch as Chrystes bodie ys in heauen and therfor can not be here ye shall not cōmitte idolatrie whych ys yower great commoditie And as to the furtherance of the temtacion of owre Parētes the pleasing of their senseis in seing the fruict fair and pleasaunt and not regarding the woorde of their Lorde God did moche prouoke thē so in this our tēptaciō he willeth vs not regarding the woorde of Chryst our Lorde God to folowe the pleasant iudgemēt of our sensies And for somoche as we see nothing but bread and wine we tast nothing but bread and wine we feell nothing but bread and wine Therfore we must beleue nothing to be ther but bread and wine By whiche maner of iudgement we are moche prouoked the sooner to assent to his temptacion Nowe if we so assent and eate of the meate which the enemie perswadeth vs to eate of and not of the meat whiche our Lorde and God hath appoincted we shall not onely be expelled oute of this Paradise of Chrystes Church by the Angell of God but also being disherited frō the inheritāce of
solemnia Domino offeruntur passio Domini miscenda est vt eius cuius corpus sanguis consicitur passio celebretur ita vt repulsis opinionibus superstitionum panis tantùm Alexand. 1 epist 1. vinum aqua permixtum in sacrificio offerantur Non debet enim vt à patribus accepimus ipsa ratio docet in calice Domini aut vinum solum aut aqua sola offerri Sed vtrumque permixtum quia vtrumque ex latere eius in passione sua profluxisse legitur Ipsa verò veritas nos instruit calicem panem in sacramento offerre quando ait Accepit Iesus panem benedixit deditue Discipulis suis dicens Accipite manducate Hoe est enim corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur Similiter postquam coenauit accepit calicem deditue Discipulis suis dicens Accipite bibite exco omnes Hic est calix sanguinis mei qui pro vobis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum Crimina atque peccata oblatis ijs Domino sacrificijs delentur Idcirco passio eius in iis commemoranda est qua redempti sumus saepius recitanda haec Domino offerenda Talibus hostijs delectabitur placabitur Dominus peccata dimittet ingentia Nihil enim in sacrificijs maius esse potest quà m corpus sanguis Domini Nec vlla oblatio hac potior est sed haec omnes praecellit Quae pura conscientia Domino offerenda est pura mente sumenda atque ab omnibus veneranda Et sicut potior est caeteris it a potiùs excoli venerari debet In the oblacions of the Sacramentes whiche in the solemne doinges of the Masses be offred the passion of our Lorde ys to be intermedled that the Masse passion of him whose bodie and bloode ys consecrated maie be celebrated so that the supersticions of opinions repelled onely bread and wine mixed with water maie be offred For ther aught not as we haue receaued of our Fathers Neither wine alone nor water alone aught to be offred in the sacrifice and also reason yt self dothe teache either wine alone or water alone to be offred in the cuppe of our Lorde but bothe mixed together bycause yt ys redde that both in the time of his passion did flowe oute of his side The verie trueth yt self doth teache vs to offer bread and wine in the Sacrament when he taking the bread and blessing yt saied Take ye and eat This ys my bodie whiche shall be deliuered for you Likewise when he had supped he tooke the cuppe and gaue yt to his disciples saing Take ye and drinke ye all of this For this ys the cuppe of my bloode whiche shall be shedde for yow in remission of sinnes These sacrifices being offred to our Lorde crimes and offences are wiped awaie Therfor his passion also by the whiche we are redemed ys in these to be remembred and often to be recited and yt also ys to be offred to our Lorde For with soche sacrifices Among all sacrifices none of more estimacion then the bodie and bloode of our Lorde our Lorde will be delighted and appeaced and will forgeue great sinnes Among all sacrifices nothing can be of more estimacion then the bodie and bloode of Chryst Neither ys ther any oblacion more woorthie But this doth precell all Whiche ys to be offred to our Lorde with a pure conscieÌ„ce and with a pure minde to be receaued of al and woourshipped And as yt ys more woorthie then other Euen so yt aught more woorthilie to be honoured and woourshipped Thus farre Alexander Who alleaging the woordes of Chryst This ys my body And this ys my bloode doth by other his woordes therwith declare that they are not to be vnderstanded by figure or trope but in their propre sense And among manie notes that maie here be made I will take but three to prooue the same Threenetes plainite unpâ—gning three articles of the Proclamer The first ys that he confesseth the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament for that he agreablie to holie Iustine who saied that the bread and wine after the consecracion be the bodie and bloode of Iesus incarnated He I saie agreablie saieth that the bodie and bloode of him ys in the Masse consecrated Whose passion ys ther celebrated The passion of Chryst Reall presence auouched ys in the Masse celebrated wherfore his bodie and bloode be ther consecrated Who soeuer confesseth Chrystes bodie to be consecrated on the aultar confesseth that consecracion to be doen by these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie c. Wherfore who soeuer confesseth soch consecracion confesseth the woordes to be vnderdanded withoute figure and trope This Authour confesseth soche consecracion Wherfor he confesseth soche vnderstanding And here by the waie note that this auncient olde Authour hath that maner of phrase and speache that the catholike Churche at this daie vseth namehe when he saieth that the bodie and bloode of Crhyst be consecrated in the Masse and not the maner of speache of the Aduersarie saing that yt ys made a sacramentall bread a figure signe or token of Chrystes bodie He hath no soche woorde no more hath anie one of all these fathers and holy doctours that shall be alleaged in that sense and vnderstanding that the Aduersarie most vntruly blustereth abroade And yet euery learned catholike man confesseth the SacrameÌ„t to be a figure but soche a figure as denieth not the reall presence of Chryst The second note to prooue the woordes of Chryste to be vnderstaÌ„d withoute figure ys that alleaging these wooordes This ys my bodie This ys my bloode Sacrifice propiciatorie auouched immediatelie he saieth By these sacrifices offred offences and sinnes be wiped awaie by whiche woordes calling those thinges whiche Chryste before spake of in the woordes of the Supper sacrifices and that soche sacrifices as put awaie sinnes and we haue no sacrifice to put awaie sinnes but the Sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and bloode Yt ys more then manifest that the vnderstandeth the woordes of Chryst in theirpropre sense of the bodie and blood of Chryste and not of the figure of his bodie for that ys no sacrifice to putte awaie sinnes That he calleth the bodie and bloode of Chryste in the Sacrament of the aultar sacrifices the woordes folowing in the same processe do well prooue and declare when he saieth Nihil in sacrificijs maius esse potest quà m corpus sanguis Domini Among the sacrifices ther ys nothing greater then the bodie and bloode of our Lorde And that he speaketh this of the sacrifice and oblacion of Chrystes bodie and bloode in the Sacrament of the aultar yt ys made certen by the woordes that do folowe whiche be these Nulla oblatio potior est sed haec omnes praecellit quae pura Domino conscientia offerenda est puramente Sacrament of the aultar ys a sacrifice sumenda There ys no
oblacion woorthier then this but this excelleth all other whiche ys to be offred to our Lorde with a pure conscience and to be receaued with a pure minde Among the Chrystians ther ys no sacrifice to be offred and with pure minde to be receaued but the sacrifice offred on the aultar And thus of necessitie yt foloweth that this Authour graunteth the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament and that yt ys a sacrifice and that the woordes of Chrystes supper are to be vnderstanded without figure The thirde note ys that when he had taught that the sacrifice must be of Adoracion of the Sacrament auouched fred with a pure cōscience and receaued with a pure minde he teacheth also that yt must be woourshipped and honoured and that with no lowe degree of woorshippe and honour but as this sacrifice saieth he doth precel al so it ys aboue all to be honoured By whiche doctrine yt maie appeare that yf the thinge of the sacrifice dothe excell all other and ysaboue all other to be honoured and the onely sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blood excelleth all other ys to be honoured that then that blessed bodie and blode are there present to be honoured wher they be offred They be offred wher they be receaued they be receaued in the Sacrament wherfore they are to be honoured in the Sacrament Now when all this disputacion of this holie Father ys graunted vpō these woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie this ys my bloode yt can not be but that these woordes of Chryst must be vnderstanded simplie and plainly in their propre sense with oute figure or trope And thus to conclude for these two great Seniours of Chrystes schoole and Parliament house ye perceaue that they vse Chrystes woordes in ther propre sense And also thervpon testifie to vs the enacted trueth of Chrystes very presence in the holy Sacrament whiche ys the cheifest matter here sought THE FOVRE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. BY occasion of the woordes of Alexander treacteth of the adoracion and honouring of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament BVt occasion being geuen by this holie Father Alexander to speake of the adoracion of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament I can not ouerpasse somewhat more to saie of yt to the confutacion of the most impudent and blasphemouse vntrueth spoken and vttered by this Proclamers woordes against adoracion recited and cōfuted Proclamer for thus he saieth Chryst that best knewe what aught to be doen herein when he ordeined and deliuered the Sacrament of his bodie and bloode gaue no commaundement that anie man should fall dowen to it or woourshippe it S. Paule that tooke the Sacrament at Chrystes hande and as he had taken it deliuered it to the Corynthians neuer willed adoracion or godlie honour to be geuen vnto it The olde doctours and holie Fathers of the Churche S. Cyprian S. Chrysostom S. Ambrose S. Hierom S. Augustine and others that receaued the Sacrament at the Apostles hands and as it maie be thought continued the same in soche sorte as they receaued it neuer make mencion in any of all their bookes of adoring or woourshipping of the Sacrament Yt ys a verie newe deuise and as it ys well knowen came but lately into the Churche oboute three hundreth yeares past Honorius then being Bishoppe of Rome commaunded the Sacrament to be lifted vppe and the people reuerentlie ta bowe downe vnto yt After him Vrbanus the fourth appoincted an holie feast of Corpus Christi And graunted oute large pardons to the kepers of it that the people shoulde with the better will resorte to the Churche and kepe it holie This ys the greatest antiquitie of the wholl matter aboute three hundreth yeares ago it was first fownde oute and putte in practise But Chryst and his Apostles the holie Fathers in the primitiue Churche the Doctours that folowed them and other godly and learned men what soeuer for the space of a thousand and two hundreth yeares after Chrystes ascension into heauen this woourshipping of the Sacrament was neuer knowen nor practised in any place within the wholl catholike Churche throughout the wholl worlde Thus moche the Proclamer Whē I readde these his woordes I staied as one astoined considering that they coulde not proceade from anie man but either by ignorance or ells by peruerse malice that wittinglie wolde al shame set apparte vtter soche an vntrueth as the meā learned I suppose of all the catholike Churche knoweth it so to be And the more did I merueill that it was so impudētly setfurth with a repeticiō as therbie with moch boldnesse to auouche the matter Nowe for that the Authour of the woordes ys not vnlearned I coulde not asscribe thē to ignorance And considering his callinge ther shoulde be in him no soche peruerse malice But remembring howe Macedonius Nestorius and diuerse soche other leauing the doctrine of the catholike Church and the mociou of the spirit of God in the same and folowing the doctrine of priuate men according to the mocion of the spirit of Sathan did forget their calling and peruersedlie vsed them selues So likwise I perceaue this man doth the more ys the pittie But that we maie perceaue howe farre wide he ys from the trueth we will examen his woordes His first argument ys that Chryst neuer gaue commaundement to woourshippe the Sacrament Ergo yt ys not to be doen. To this first I saie to him as to one exercised in schooles that an argument of negatiues concludeth The ngatiue argumēt of the Proclamer concludeth nothing nothing But for more large declaracion to the vnderstanding of the Reader yt ys not redde in the Gospell that Chryst commaunded anie bodie to adore him while he here liued in the earth yt ys therfore a good argument that he was not to be adored The three wise men of the east came with their giftes and offringe them adored the babe Chryst They had no cōmaundement of Chryst so to do shoulde they not therfore haue doen yt or did they offende in so doing Diuerse that were cured of Chryst came and adored him but not commaunded of Chryst so to do Yt ys not redde in the Gospells that the Apostles during their familiare conuersacion withe Chryste before his passion that they fell down and adored him Shall we therfore frame an argument that Chryst in his mortall state was not to be adored by cause the Apostles be not readde to haue adored him And that Mary Magdalen the woman of Canaan and the Leeper that did adore him did offende Yt ys a faint kinde of argumentacion I will in like maner reason with this disputer in his owne kinde of disputacion Chryst gaue the Sacrament of his bodie to his Apostles onelie and gaue no commaundement that all people indifferentlie shoulde receaue the same as nowe they doe Wherfor yt aught not to be doen. Yf this argument be good then ys his good But the trueth ys this argument ys naught and so ys his but this disputer knewe well
damnacion but not to the hurte of the people if they knewe yt not And here also to saie I beleue that if any catholique preist had ben knowen to this man so to haue doen as he saieth he wolde without all dowbte to the helpe of his cause wher vnto he hath none haue named him But forasmoche as he speaketh yt of him self and his conspired complices which secretly Conuenerunt in vnum adnersus Dominum aduersus Christum eius haue conspired against our Lorde and against his annoincted when they durst not vtter what they had wickedly conceaued he ys a shamed to name him self to haue committed so heinouse a facte Yf yt be not so yt ys like to be a feigned matter to supplie when certen and true matter lacketh But to returne to the matter and to moue the same scruple to him that he moueth against the catholique Churche What if some that ministre the communion after the sorte that ys nowe receaued do neither speake the woordes of Chryst vpon the bread For Richerus a Caluinist reiecteth the woordes of consecracion as not nedefull to be spoken or munbled as his terme ys vpon insensible creatures neither entende to make anie sacramentall bread what then do your people receaue Yf they receaue no sacramēt as yt ys none if bothe woordes and intencion be lacking then they receaue no promisse they receaue no remission of sinnes nor soch other benefittes for the promisses be annexed to the sacramentes howe are they then deceaued Howe then ys the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode in due forme ministred Howe ys the death of Chryst shewed furthe according to Chrystes minde whiche must be shewed furth when we eate that bread and drinke that cuppe as S. Paule teacheth vs As often as ye shall eate of this breade and drinke of the cuppe he saieth not bread generallie but this breade mening the bread of the Sacrament Thus if men shall improue the great matters of religion withe why what and howe and inuented daungers and abuses your owne religion whiche yowe magnifie as most sure and good maie be proued vnsure and weake To be short all his argumentes grownded vpon if and and are to no pourpose For if maketh no certen argument Wherfore leauing them as sufficiently touched I shall reuert to matter of more substance and proceade in the allegacion of the fathers for the exposition of Chrystes woordes nowe in hande THE NINE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. PROCEAdeth in the vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes by Irenaeus and Tertullian ALlthough betwen Iustine and Irenaeus ther were some holy Fathers that haue left behinde them goodly testimonies for the proofe of Chrystes very presence in the Sacrament Yet I finde Irenaeus li. 4. cap. 32. cont heres none that doe alleage Chrystes woordes and therby geue vs light to vnderstand them vntill we come to Ireneus who writeth thus Sed Discipulis suis dans consilium primitias Deo offerre ex suis creaturis non quasi indigenti sed vt nec ipsi infructuosi nec ingrati sint eum qui ex creatura panis est accepit gratias egit dicens Hoc est corpus meum Et calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundum nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo Geuing also instruction to his disciples the authour speakethe of Chryste Sacrifice of the new Testament instituted ād taught by Chryst in consecraciō of his bodie and blood to offre to God the first fruictes of his creatures not as to one hauing nede but that they shoulde be neither vnfruictfull neither vnthankfull he tooke that breade whiche ys a creature and gaue thankes saing This ys my bodie And the cuppe likewise whiche ys a creature as we be he confessed to be his bloode and of the newe Testament taught a newe oblacion whiche the Churche receauing of the Apostles offreth to God in all the worlde Thus Irenaeus who when he had declared howe allmightie God instituted and appoincted sacrifices and oblacions in the olde testament as thinges to be geuen to him not as to one that neaded soche thinges or giftes but for the exercising of their obedience and faithe in the whiche God ys delighted not yet that God had anie profitt or aduantage therbie but that they doing these thinges profitt and aduantaie might ensewe to them from God for whose commodities sake God did institute them So he declareth that in the newe Testament also the people of the same might exercise their faith and obedience New sacrifice of the new Testament what yt ys and therbie pourchase gain and profitte and for benefittes receaued be fownde thankfull Chryst also taught his Apostles to offre sacrifice And what the sacrifice ys he teacheth saing that yt ys his bodie made of the creature of bread and his bloode made of the creature of wine Howe this thinge ys brought to passe he sheweth when he saieth that Chryst tooke the bread whiche ys a creature and gaue thankes saing This ys my bodie And likewise the cuppe which also ys a creature and confessed yt to be his bloode In whiche woordes wher he hath expressedly saied that Chryst confessed yt to be his bloode and the like ys ment of the bread to be his bodie what more plain speache wolde we desire of anie authoure Yf Chryst confessed yt to be his bodie Li. 4. de Sacramēt c. 6 and his confession ys allwaies true howe then standeth the sainge of the Aduersarie that yt ys not his bodie Shall we doubte of the trueth of Chryste as S. Ambrose saieth Ipse Dominus Iesus testificatur nobis quod corpus suum accipiamus sanguinem Nunquid debemus de eius fide testificatione dubitare Owre Lorde Iesus testifieth vnto vs that we receaue his bodie and bloode ought we to doubte of his treuth and testimonie Seing then this authour saieth that Chryst confessed his bodie and bloode Jrenaeus auoucheth both reall presence ād sacrifice to be present and that by these woordes This ys my bodie This ys my bloode yt ys plain that he vnderstandeth them in their propre sense withoute figure or trope and so acknowledgeth the very reall presence of Chrystes bodie ād blood in the Sacramēt For farder proof wherof the woordes that immediately in the same authour doe folowe do make very moch wher he saieth Et noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblacionem And of the newe Testament he taught a newe oblacion This newe oblacion of the newe Testament ys the bodie and bloode of Chryste as before in the first booke ys declared and prooued And here to the pourpose farder to saie yf the sacrifice that Chryst instituted to be the newe oblacion of the newe testament were but a peice of Sacramentall breade yt were no newe oblacion For then yt were the same that Melchisedech offred who offred bread
Chryst deliuered to his Apostles his own bodie Of these verseis this maie be the sense in english When Chryste had thus saied he tooke bread in his handes and when he had geuen thankes he diuided yt to his Disciples and taught them that he deliuered vnto thē his owne bodie And after that our Lorde tooke the cuppe filled with wine he sanctifieth yt with thankes geuing and geueth yt to them to drinke and teacheth them that he hath geuen them his blood and saieth This bloode shall remitte the Sinnes of the people Drinke ye this my bloode c. This Authour setting furth the historie of the Gospell in verse and therwith oftentimes geuing vs with the historie the sense and vnderstanding of yt dothe euen so here For he dothe not onely saie that Chryst saied Thys ys my bodie but geueth the vnderstanding of yt saing that Chryst taught his Apostles that he deliuered vnto them his owne bodie In whiche maner of speache note this also that he saieth not onelie that Chryst deliuered them his bodie But addeth this woorde owne and saieth that he taught them that he deliuered to them his owne bodie Whiche maner of speach hath soche force and strenght with yt that as yt declareth the catholique saith and geueth great testimonie of the same so yt beateth and driueth awaie the wicked glose of onely figures and signes inuented by the Aduersaries to peruert the trueth For what more plain testimonie wolde we desire for the vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes then to saie that when Chryst saieth Take eate this ys my bodie that he taught his Apostles that he gaue them his owne bodie A plain saing for the Procla Thus maie yow see that for the catholique faith yow haue plain testimonie for the heresie of the Aduersarie yow haue not one woorde For I assure yowe of this as partlie before ys saied ther ys not one catholique writer neither olde nor yong from Chryst to Berengarius that euer taught or wrote that the Sacrament ys onely a figure or signe of the bodie of Chryst And therfor Reader looke to thie self be not caried awaie from Chrystes faith with onely bragges and glosing woordes voide of all good proofe But raither settle thy self wher thowe findest the trueth sett furth to thee with simplicitie and plainnesse commended with moche proofe and authoritie But hauing yet manie mo wittnesses let me hast me to bring him that ys appoincted to be this authours yockfelowe to declare the continuance of the vnderstanding of Chrystes woordes in the greke churche as the other hath doen in the latin churche This ys Eusebius Emisenus who by the supptacion of learned men liued in the same time that Iuuencus did He writeth thus Recedat omne infidelitatis ambiguum quoniam quidem qui author est muneris ipse est etiam testis veritatis Nam inuisibilis sacerdos visibiles creaturas in substantiam corporis sanguinis sui verbo suo secreta potestate conuertit ita dicens Hoc est corpus meū Et sanctificatione repetita Accipite bibite ait Hic est sangnis meus Let all doubte Euseb Emis Homil 5. Pa. Visible bread and wine turned into the substance of the bodie and blood of Chryst of insidelitie or vnbeleif departe For truly he that ys the authour of the gifte he also ys the wittnesse of the trueth For the inuisible preist by his secret power dothe with his woorde conuert or turne the visible creatures into the substance of his bodie and bloode saing thus Take and eate This ys my bodie and the sanctificacion repeted Take and drinke saieth he this ys my bloode In this saing of Eusebius ther ys no soche darke maner of speache that the reader nede to doubte of the true presence of Chryste in the Sacrament or howe to vnderstand the woordes of Chrystes supper seing that he so plainlie saieth that Chryste whom he calleth the inuinsible preist with his power and woorde saing This ys my bodie This ys my bloode turneth the visible Reall presence and transubstātiaciō plainlie auouched by Euseb Emis creatures of bread and wine into the substance of his bodie and bloode Yf they be turned into the substance of his bodie and bloode as by the testimonie of this authour they trulie be then these woordes Corpus sangnis bodie and blode in the sainges of Chryst doe not signifie the figures of the bodie and bloode of Chryst but the substance of the bodie and bloode of Chryste into which substance to make the bodie and blood verilie present the creatures of bread and wine be turned and so Chryst saing This ys my bodie this ys my blood yt ys asmoch as he had saied This ys the substāce of my bodie this ys the substance of my blood This doctrine ys so certen so sure and so true that this authour gaue exhortacion and admoniciō in the beginning of his saing that in this matter ther should be no doubte all vnbeleife should departe and so faithfullie to beleue Chrystes woordes that forasmoch as he ys the authour of all trueth and saieth This ys my bodie This ys my blood vndoubtedly so to take yt Beside this doctrine of faith of the presence of Chrystes verie substanciall bodie and blood in the Sacrament this authour also teacheth the meā how Transubstantiacion treacted of God woorketh yt and saieth that yt ys doen by turning the creatures of bread and wine into the substance of the bodie and blood of Chryst which turning or chaunging of one substance into an other as the holy Fathers do diuersly terme some of thē calling yt a conuersion or turning some of thē mutaciō or chaūging some communicacion or translacion some transelementaciō some trāsmutacion so the Church fullie and liuelie to expresse the thing that ys doen and therby the better to repell the heresies that haue risen and encōbred the Church since the time of Berengarius hath tearmed yt Transubstanciatōn which terme importeth no more in this matter then transmutacion or transelementacion but yt sowndeth and openeth the thing that yt signifieth more liuelie and suffreth notthe heretiques to wrest yt as they doe the other Which ys the cause that manie be so greuouslie offēded with the terme But bicause the Proclamer doth lightlie ouerpasse yt I will not tarie lōg vpō yt But in the allegaciō of the Fathers as thei shal make mēciō ofit so shal I breleiflie not it And yet that the reader shall not thinke that that matter ys so barren that nothing can be saied of yt or being desielrouse to learn should be frustrate of his desire ād expectaciō I shall somewhat here saie of yt desiering withal that as they do read the doctours that shall be hereafter alleaged they will note in them what they shall finde as therunto I shall geue thē occasion in euerie one that doth speake of this matter And for that we haue taken occasiō of this authours woordes to speake of yt we wil first
heare what he saieth farder of yt that yt maie fullie appeare to the reader that yt ys not reputed of him as a doubtful matter but as a certen and substaÌ„cial sure matter Wherfore let him vnderstand that to the more full declaracion of this that ys before Euseb Emiss ibid. saied the authour immediatelie addeth this that foloweth Ergo vt ad nutuÌ„ Domini praecipientis repentè ex nihilo substiterint alta coelorum profunda sluctuuÌ„ vasta terrarum ita pari potentia in spirituall 〈◊〉 Sacramentis verbo praebetur virtus reiseruit effectus Quanta itaque quà m celebranda vis diuinae benedictionis operetur quomodò tibi nouuÌ„ impossibile videri non debeat quòd in Christi substantiam terrena mortalia coÌ„mutantur teipsum qui iam in Christo es regeneratus interroga Therfor as at the will of our Lord coÌ„maunding sodenlie of nothing the heightes of the heauens the deapths of the waters the greatnesse of the earth were in substaÌ„ciall being Euen so in the spirituall Sacramentes vnto the woorde ys geuen vertue or power and the effect ys brought to passe Therfore how great and How the bread and wine beturned into the bodie aÌ„d blood c. notable things the power of the diuine benediction maie woork and howe yt should not seme to thee as newe or impossible that earthlie and mortall things are coÌ„muted or chauÌ„ged into the substaÌ„ce of Chryst aske of thy self who art now regenerate in Chryst Thus Eusebius Who to proue that which he had before saied that the visible creaturs of bread aÌ„d wine are turned into the substaÌ„ce of the bodie aÌ„d blood ofChryst bringeth this argumeÌ„t that asat as the coÌ„maundement of God hys onelie woord sodeÌ„lie the heaueÌ„s the waters and the wholl worlde was made of nothing So by like power he woorketh in the Sacrament to make the substance of his bodie and blood of the substance of the bread and wine An other argument he bringeth by the chaunge that God maketh of a man in Baptisme that he that was a straunger and a banished maÌ„ from God yea and dead before God sodenly ys reuiued and of a banished man ys made a frende and of a straunger ys made an adoptiue Sonne of God Wherby he wolde not haue yt thought impossible but that earthlie and mortal thinges as the bread and wine in the Sacrament maie be and are chaunged into the substance of Chryst In the same homelie to this pourpose also he maketh this perswasion Nec dubitet quispiam primarias creaturas nutu diuinae poteÌ„tiae praesentia summae maiestatis in domiaici Euseb ibid corporis posse transire naturaÌ„ cùm ipsum hominem videat artificio coelestis misericordiae Christi corpus effectum Neither let anie man doubte that by the commaundement of the diuine power by the presence of his high maiestie the former creatures mening bread and wine can passe or be chaunged into the nature of 〈◊〉 of â—… 〈◊〉 and â—…me the bodie c ys not to be doubted of the bodie of our Lordes bodie seing that he maie see man himself by the workmanshippe of the heauenlie mercie made the bodie of Chryst And ther again yt foloweth immediatelie Sicut auteÌ„ quicunque ad fideÌ„ Christiâ—… eniens ante verba Baptismi adhuc in vinculo est veteris debiti ijs verò memoratis mox exaitur omni fece peccatiâ—ta quaÌ„do benedicendae verbis coelestibus creaturae sacris altaribus imponuntur antequà m inuocacione summi nominis consecrentur substantia est illic panis vun post verba auteÌ„ Christi corpus sanguis Christi Quid auteÌ„ miruÌ„ est si ea quae poâ—…t Eused ibid. verbo creare verbo possit creata conuertere As anie maÌ„ coming to the faith of Chryst before the woords of Baptisme ys yet in the baÌ„d of the old debt but as soen as they be spokeÌ„ furthwith he ys deliuered froÌ„ al filth of sinne Euen so when the creatures are sett vpoÌ„ the holie altars to be blessed with the heaueÌ„ly Before the woordes of Chryst ther ys the substance of brâ—ad after the bodie of Chryst a plain samâ— for M. Juel woords before they be coÌ„secrated with the inuocacioÌ„ of the most high name ther ys the substaÌ„ce of bread aÌ„d wine but after the woords of Chryst the bodie aÌ„d blood of Chryst What wooÌ„der ys yt if he that could create these things with his woord caÌ„ now being created turn theÌ„ with his woord And he addeth Imo iaÌ„ videtur minoris esse miraculi stid quod ex nihilo agnoscitur coÌ„di lisse â—am condituÌ„ in melius valeat coÌ„mutare Yea raither yt semeth to be a lesse miracle if that that he ys knowen to haue made of nothing he can now when yt ys made chaunge yt into a better thing Thus moch Eusebius Whome ye see by diuerse goodly examples and meaÌ„s teaching the presence of Chrysts bodie in the Sacrament by the turning or chaunging of the bread and wine into the substance and nature of the bodie and blood of Chryst But yt shall doo well to heare some other besides him what testimonie they geue in this matter that therbie the reader maie haue morefull instruction Among these we wil first heare Gregory Nissen the brother of Basil who saieth 〈◊〉 Nisâ—… 〈…〉 thus Sicut auteÌ„ qui paneÌ„ videt quodaÌ„modò corpus videt humanuÌ„ quoniaÌ„ panis incorpore existens corpus euadit ita diuinuÌ„ illud corpus panis nutrimentuÌ„ accipieÌ„s ideÌ„ quodammcdò erat cum illo cibo vt diximus in eius naturaÌ„ immutato Quod enim cuiusque carnis proprâ—im est id etiam illi conuenisse confitemur Nam corpus illud pane sustentabatur corpus autem proptereaquod Deus Verbum in illo habitauit diuinam obtinuit dignitatem QuamobreÌ„ rectè nunc etiam Dei verbo sanctificatum paneÌ„ in Dei Verbi corpus credimus immutari As he that seeth bread in a maner seeth the bodie of a maÌ„ for bread being in the bodie becometh a bodie Euen so that bodie of God taking the nutriment of bread was in a maner all one with the same meat that was as we haue saied chaunged into the nature of his bodie For that that ys propre to euery man that same do we confesse to haue apperteined to him For that bodie also was susteined with bread but that bodie for that God the Sonne did abide in him yt obteined the dignitie of God wherfore nowe also doo we very well beleue the bread sanctified by the woord of God to be chaunged into the bodie of the Sonne of God Thus he Let not this eschape thee reader without diligent note that this authour Transubst beleued of the auncieÌ„t fathers doth not onelie saie that the saÌ„ctified bread ys chauÌ„ged into the bodie of the SoÌ„ne of God but he saieth also as yt were in the persoÌ„ of the wholChurch that we beleue yt so to be
none Nowe then shall we not condemne them by their owne iudgement Lutherans doctrine hauing no apparāt scripture ys ouer throwen by ther owne argument wherwith they haue trauailed in manie thinges to condemne the catholique Church What ys defined decreed or determined by the Churche if ther be not manifest scripture for the same yt ys condemned of them as a tradicion of man and a doctrine of Sathan But this their doctrine hath no manifest scriptures Wherfore yt ys a tradicion of man and a doctrine of Sathan Thus as Aman was hanged vpon the same Galowes that he had made for innocent Mardochaeus So ys their wicked doctrine ouerthrowen with their owne iudgement and vanquissed with their owne swoorde But what shall I occupie the time and trooble the reader in refelling this fonde heresie seing as a litle before ys declared by Eusebius that the inuisible preist Chryst by his power with his woorde doeth turne the visible creatures into the substance of his bodie and bloode Chrysostome also saieth that the preistes be in the place of the mynisters of God but yt ys Chryst that doeth sanctifie and chaunge the substances of bread and wine And breiflie to saie sainct Ambrose in the last chapiter Euthymius Damascen and Theophilact in the chapter before doe testisie that the worke of consecracion ys doen by the power of God by the accession of the holie Gost and by the woorde of Chryst spoken by the preist in the person of Chryste As yt ys also testified in the Florentine Concilium Florent Councell wher yt ys thus declared Forma huius sacramenti sunt verba Saluatoris quibus hoc conficit Sacramentum Sacerdos enim in persona Christi loquens hoc conficit Sacramentum Nam ipsorum verborum virtute substantia panis in corpus Christi substantia vini in sanguinem conuertuntur The forme of this Sacrament be the woordes of our Sauiour by the whiche he consecrateth this Sacrament For the preist speaking in the person of Chryst doeth consecrate this Sacrament For by the vertue of those woordes the substance of bread ys turned into the bodie of Christ and the substance of wine Trāsubstātiacion into hys bloode Thus the Councell By whiche woordes as by the woordes of them also before alleaged yt ys manifestly declared that the power of the consecracion of the bodie of Chryst ys not depending of the will of the receauer but of the power of God of the worke of the holie Gost and of the vertue of the woordes of Chryst spoken by the preist in the person of Chryste And as this fonde heresie semeth to be mother of that heresie that impugneth reseruacion so that that ys before saied for the defence of reseruacion will also impugne this heresie here nowe spoken of Wherfore I referre the reader to that place wher he findinge plentie of proofe that the Sacrament maie be reserued and being reserued that yt still remaineth the bodie of Chryst this wicked doctrine that teacheth that yt ys but the bodie of Chryst when yt ys in vse shal be ouerthrowen and prooued as it is a false and a deuellish doctrine The other heresie which ys settfurth both by the Lutherans and the Oecolampadians ys that the substance of bread and wine be still remaining in the Sacrament and not chaunged into the bodie and bloode of Chryst And yet here by the waie vnderstand this that though they agree in this poinct yet here Sathan ys deuided against Sathan and his kingdom also Diuision among the Protestantes as kingdom against kingdom For Luther graunteth the presence of Chrystes bodie Oecolampadius denieth the presence of Chrystes bodie and in this they are more then enemies But in the other as ys saied they doe agree And as in this they agree amonge themselues So in the same they disagree from the true faith from the catholike Church and from Gregorie Nissen whom we haue nowe in hand For by expresse woordes he affirmeth that the substance of the bread ys chaunged into the bodie of Chryst These be his woordes speaking of the bread before the consecracion Hic panis statim per verbum in corpus mutatur This bread ys by the woorde furthwith Greg. Niss in vita Moiseos chaūged into the bodie Who so listeth maie read the like saing of the same authour in his booke of the life of Moyses Neither doeth he here meen of soche a chaunge as the Aduersarie dreameth of that yt ys chaunged to be called the bodie of Chryste whiche proprely ys no chaunge but raither an addicion But this authour meeneth of a substanciall chaunge as hys woords doe most plainlie declare which he vseth to proue this chaunge For thus he saieth Qua ex causa panis in eo corpore mutatus in diuinam virtutem transiit eadem de causa idem nunc fit By what cause bread in that bodie chaunged passed into the diuine vertue euen so by the same cause the verie same thing ys now doen. For the better weighing of this saing of the authour consider first that Chryste was and ys bothe God and man consider that the bodie of man was so ioined to the Godhead in vnitie of person that Chryst God and man was one person one Chryste Consider then that this bodie by this merueilouse coniunction ys the bodie of God Nowe this bodie liuing here vpon the earth although as yt liued fortie daies and fortie nightes wihout foode so yt might haue liued fortie wekes and fortie moneths yet as yt was a naturall bodie So yt liued in natural order and did eate foode This foode which by a generall terme ys called bread allthough yt were but comon meate euen soche as the Apostles and other did eate yet this comon bread eatē of Chryst was chaunged in the bodie of Chryst into the substance of the bodie of Chryst and became now the substance of his bodie and being so yt came to be the substance of the bodie of God Nowe saieth Gregbrie Nissen by what cause the bread was chaunged into the bodie of Chryste and became the substance of the bodie of God As bread while Chryst liued was turned into his diuine flesh so nowe in the Sacr. which as I take yt he meneth by these woordes diuine vertue euen by the same cause the same thing ys nowe doen. Yf the same thing be doen nowe then the bread ys chaunged into the substance of the bodie of God for that ys the thing that was doen then Wherfor good reader note this wel that he saieth the same thing ys doen nowe wherbie the dreame of the Aduersarie ys dissolued that the bread ys chaunged but in name For that was but a cauill and in dede but a bare shifte to auoide the force of the trueth And what the thing ys that nowe ys doen thys authour tolde when he saied Panis mutatur in corpus per verbum The bread by the worde ys chaunged into the bodie Seing then this auncient
will therfor leaue him and heare the minde of his yocke felowe whom we Hieron ad He did q. 2. haue in this place appointed to be S. Hierō who writeth thus Nos autem audiamus panē quem Dominus fregit deditue Discipulis suis esse corpus Domini saluatoris ipso dicente ad eos Accipite comedite Hoc est corpus meū calicē illū esse de quo iterum locutus est Bibite ex hoc omnes Hic est sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro multis effundetur Iste est calix de quo in Propheta legimus Calicē salutaris accipia alibi Calixtuus The bread which our Lord gaue was his bodie ād the cuppe hys blood inebrians quà m praeclarus est Si ergo panis qui de coelo descendit corpus est Domini vinum quod Discipulis dedit sanguis illius est noui testamēti iudaicas fabulas repellamus c. But let vs heare that bread which our Lord brake and gaue to hys Disciples to be the bodie of our Lord our Sauiour forasmoch as he saied vnto thē Take and eate This ys my bodie And the cuppe to be that of the which again he saied Drinke ye all of this This ys my blood of the newe Testament which shall be shedd for manie This ys the cuppe of the which we read in the Prophete I wil receaue the cuppe of saluacion And in an other place Thy cuppe inebriating ys verie noble Yf therfore the bread that descended frō heauen ys the bodie of our Lord and the wine which he gaue to his Disciples ys his blood of the newe Testament let vs repell the Iewish fables Thus moch S. Hierom. For the better vnderstanding of this saing yt ys to be considered that a certain vertuouse woman named Hedibia sent to sainct Hierom to be resolued in certain questions Among the which she desiered to be instructed how the saing of Chryst in S. Matthew was to be vnderstanded wher he saied I will not from hencefurth drinke of this generacion of the vine vntill that daie in whiche I shall drinke yt newe with yow in the kingdome of my Father To the answeringe wherof he declareth vnto her first the fond opinion of some that vpon that place inuented a fable that Chryst shoulde reign a thousand yeares corporally in which time of his reign he shoulde drinke wine and so shoulde be fullfilled hys saing that he wolde drinke no more wine Heresie of the Millenaries vntill he dranke yt in the kingdom of his Father in the whiche he shoulde then reign But sainct Hierom well vnderstanding howe great and howe weightie a matter was spoken of in the place wher from these woordes were taken namely of the bodie and blood of Chryst and being greued that yt being so great a worke of God so great a benefitt to man shoulde be intermengled and obscured with soche vain inuentions of soche fables he openeth the true sense of the place and moueth the good woman Hedibia that all soche phantasies reiected and forsaken she shoulde regarde the woordes of Chryst and credit them and that the bread and wine that Chryst spake of in that place were no soch thinges as vpon which soch vain fables should be grownded but they were the bodie and bloode of Chryst forasmoch as he that can speake but trueth saied Thys ys my bodie Thys ys my bloode Now cōsider with me yf Chryst had geuē to hys Apostles but Bread ād wine S. Hierom his woordes weighed ād conferred with the doctrine of the Protestātes as figures of hys bodie and blood wolde S. Hierō being required to geue the true vnderstāding of the scriprure ād he taking vpō him so to doe wold he trowe ye haue saied Let vs vnderstād that the bread which our Lord gaue to his Disciples was his bodie ād that the wine which he gaue was hys blood except we should beleue ād vnderstād thē so to be in dede Were this an opening of the true vnderstanding of the scriptures Were yt not raither an hiding or a darkning of the scriptures to bid vs to beleue one thing ād the scripture biddeth an other He biddeth vs beleue that yt ys the bodie ād blood of Chryst that Chryst gaue to his Apostles ād the scriptur as the Aduers saieth biddeth vs beleue that they be but figurs Wold S. Hierō being alwaies an enemie to heresie teache soche an heresie Wolde not he raither if the trueth had ben so haue taught this vertuouse woman the trueth of the matter that she sought at his hand and saied vnto her This vnderstand that the bread and wine which Chryst gaue to his Apostles were but figurs of the bodie and bloode of Chryst and not the thinges themselues And alleaging Chrystes woordes This ys my bodie This ys my bloode wolde he not if they had ben so to be vnderstanded haue saied these woordes are spoken by a figure they be figuratiue speaches and are thus to be vnderstanded this ys a figure of my bodie this ys a figure of my bloode To instructe thē that Nomenciō of figuratiue speache in S. Hierōs woordes wolde learn the true vnderstāding of this scripture if yt were so to be vnderstanded this were the right waie of teaching But here ys no soche woorde here ys no soche maner of teaching And yt ys to be thought that S. Hierō was not ignorant howe to teache neither was he ignorāt of the trueth that in this place shoulde be taught Wherfor seing he knewe the trueth and knewe howe to teache yt and nowe he was in place to teache and had good occasion being as ys saied therunto required for somoche as he willeth vs to vnderstande that the bread and wine whiche Chryst gaue to this Apostles were his bodie and bloode and the cause why we shoulde so vnderstāde thē ys the woorde of Chryst saing This ys my bodie This ys my bloode Let vs thinke and beleue that the trueth of this matter ys that his bodie and bloode be present verilie in the Sacramēt and that the woordes of Chryste are to be vnderstanded withoute figure simplie and plainlie as they lie And that yt ys the bodie of Chryst the woordes which S. Hierom vseth as the conclusiō of the matter dothe also prooue For thus he concludeth Si ergo panis qui de caelo descendit c. Yf then the bread that descended from heauen be the bodie of our Lorde and the wine that he gaue to his Disciples be his bloode of the newe testamēt let vs cast awaie Iewish fables As who might saie forasmoche as these woordes of Chryst speake of no cheering nor banquetting that the Iewes doe dreame shall be in Chrystes worldlie kingdom but they speake of the bread which Chryst gaue to his Apostles which they saie to be his bodie and of the wine which they saie to be his bloode therfor let vs cast awaie soche vain fables and cleaue to the true
blood in of Chryst in dede wher ys nowe the bread and wine that the Aduersarie so moche talketh of wher be the onely figures and signes As signes oftentimes be tokens of thinges that be not in dede so these sainges of the Aduersaries be signes of a thing that they wold haue brought to passe and yet yt ys not in dede For all their talke in this sorte of this matter ys but vain A plain place for the Proclamer and issue ioined with him thervpon fond and withoute grownde Here ye see in this auncient authour that we haue good grownd For he saieth yt ys the bodie ād blood in verie deed Let the Proclamer bring one of like aunciētie saing that yt ys not the bodie and bloode in dede and as before I haue ioined with him so will I nowe again that I will subscribe Yf he can not let him performe his promesse and subscribe to the catholique Churche For here ys one that by expresse woordes saieth that the Sacrament ys the bodie and blloode in verie deed wherbie the onelie figure of the Aduersaries ys excluded And here maie the Proclamer and all that ioine with him in this matter see their state whiche ys the state of ignorance For he saieth this authour that receaueth thys Sacrament and knoweth not the power and dignitie of yt and that yt ys Protestantes not taking the Sacr. to be the bodie and blood of Chryst in verie dede receaue yt by ignorance the dodie and bloode in deed as the Proclamer and his complices doe he receaueth yt in ignorance I wish yt maie please our mercifull Lorde God to haue mercie vpon them and to open their eies that they maie see their owne ignorance and with humilitie mollifie their stonie hartes that vain singularitie and pride forsaken they maie humblie receaue the commaundement of God figuratiuelie spoken and plainlie expownded by this authour that their ignorance maie be remoued from them What ys the commaundement of God that they shoulde doe They must saieth allmightie God putto a fifte parte vpon the holie thing and that will make them clerelie to vnderstand Gods misteries This sifte part saieth Isichius ys the woorde that was spoken of Chryst himself vpon the mysterie of God What woorde that was yt ys doubted of neither partie neither of the catholiques neither of the aduersaries to be this This ys my bodie This ys my blood Ipse liberat nos ab ignoratia That woorde saieth Isichius deliuereth vs from ignorance Nowe remembre that the ignorance ys that a man receaueth the Sacrament Ignorance of the Sacrament what yt ys and howe yt ys remoued and knoweth not the power and dignitie of yt whiche power and dignitie ys that in yt ys the bodie and bloode of Chryst in verie dede This ignorance ys remoued by this woorde This ys my bodie This ys my bloode bicause this woorde simplie without any trope or figure teacheth that in the Sacrament ys the bodie and blood Ioin then the woordes of this authour to gother He saied before that the bodie and bloode be in the Sacrament in verie deed and he saieth that these woordes of Chryst doe make vs clerely to vnderstand yt wherfor these woordes are to be vnderstanded as spoken of the bodie and blood of Chryst in deed and not of the figure of them Yf ye will yet heare more and be more fullie certified of the trueth of this matter this authour as other did that be allreadie alleaged teacheth who ys the woorker of yt and by what mean yt ys brought to passe For proceading in the exposition of the text he saieth thus Quicunque ergo sanctificata per ignorantiam comederit ignorans eorum virtutem sicut diximus addet quintam eius super eo dabit sacerdoti in sanctnarium Sanctificationem enim mystici sacrificij à sensibilibus ad intelligibilia translationem siue commutationem ei qui verus est sacerdos videlicet Christo oportet dari id est ipsi de eis miraculum cedere imputare quia pen eius virtutem prolatum ab eo verbum qua videntur tam sanctificata sunt quà m cunctum carnis excedunt sensum Whosouer therfor shall eate the holie thinges by ignorance not knowing their power as we haue saied he shall putto a fifte parte of yt vppon yt and shall geue yt vnto the preist into the Chaunge of sēsible thinges to intelligible in the Sacr. must begeuē to Christ sanctuarie For the sanctificacion of the misticall sacrifice and the translaciō or commutacion from sensible to intelligible thinges must be geuen to him that ys the true preist that ys to saie to Chryste that ys to geue and impute the miracle wrought in these thinges to him bicause by his power and the woorde spokē of him the things that are seen are so sanctified as they passe al the witte of man Thus he See ye not here who ys the dooer of this matter perceaue ye not who woorketh this miracle The dooing of all this saieth Isichius must be referred and imputed to Chryste For he by his power and the woorde spoken of Bread and wine so sanctisied in the blessed Sacr. as yt passeth mās witte him sanctifieth the visible bread and wine as yt passeth mans witte to knowe Let vs here then first vnderstand that if the bread and wine were but made figures of Chrystes bodie and bloode signifienge to vs that as these feed the bodie so Chryst feedeth the soule yt were not a matter passing mans witte But mans witte maie well atteign to perceaue that in soch sorte they maie be figures Wherfor ther ys a greater matter wrought in the bread and wine then that whiche we maie perceaue by that he saieth that they be sainctified By which woorde ys not onelie refelled the wicked saing of Cramner that bread and wine can not be sanctified but also ther ys geuen a farder matter to consider in the worke of Chryste Wherfor vnderstand again that this sanctificacion declareth the mean howe this worke ys brought to passe that ys wrought For by this sanctificacion ther ys wrought as Transubstantiacion proued by Isych the termes of this authour be a translacion or a commutacion from sensible thinges to intelligible that ys ftom breade which ys perceaued by senseis to the bodie of Chryst which ys in this maner not perceaued by senseis Which tearmes importe that that the Churche calleth Transubstantiacion For when ther ys a translacion commutacion or chaunging of thinges sensible to thinges not sensible which ys a chaunge of one thing of one nature or substance into an other thing of an other nature or substance what shoulde let that yt maie not be called Transubstantiacion But what doe I tarrie in these thinges fullie and esfectuouslie testified by this authour For he hath thaught vs that Chrystes bodie and bloode be in the Sacrament in verie deed he hath taught vs that to be wrought by the trāslacion or
sit eo manifestè dicente Hoc est corpus meum sed potius suscipe verbum Cirill ad Calosyriū Chrystes woordes manifest and without doubt saluatoris in side Cùm enim sit veritas non mentitur Doubt not whether this be true or no seing that he manifestlie saieth This ys my bodie But raither receaue the woord of our Sauiour in faith For lie forasmoch as he ys tureth he lieth not Weigh these fewe woordes of S. Cyrill well gentle Reader and first that he willeth Calosirius not to doubte whether this that Christ manifestlie saied This ys my bodie be true or no. For in that he willed him and by him all chrystians not to doubte what clls willeth he but that al errour heresie opinion wandering wauering and colde faith shoulde be remoued and firme suro and fast faith should be geuen to the woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie S. Cyrill she weth the Proclamer plain woordes whiche woordes he saieth be manifest Yf they be manifest then they haue no obscure sense then they must be taken in the sense that manifestlie lieth open before vs. That sense ys the grāmaticall sense Then the figuratiue sense ys taken awaie For that sense as the woordes be nowe spoken ys not manifest but obscure Then also must the Proclamer subscribe For by the iudgemente of S. Cyrill the woordes of Chryst be manifest Yf they be manifest as vndoubtedlie they be then ther ys one scripture that manifestly teacheth the presence of Chrystes bodie Again sainct Cyrill saieth that forasmoche as Chryst ys the trueth he lieth not but he taking the bread and wine saied This ys my bodie Therfore he being the trueth and lieng not the thinges were as he saied then were they his bodie and bloode For so saied he that they were Yf the bread and wine he saing Thys ys my bodie This ys my bloode were not made by his allmightie power and woorde the bodie and blood of Chryst these woords being spoken by demōstraciō of certain singular things in nature without anie circūstance to declare anie other sense vpō these woordes then in the first hearing they sownde to haue Yf I saie these creatures remain still in their nature and substances and be but figures of Chrystes bodie and blood then I saie that Chrystes woordes were not true For he saied that they were his bodie and bloode And by the opinion of the Aduersarie they be not so but bread and wine figures of Chrystes bodie and blood Forasmoche as my cheef pourpose ys to helpe and staie them in their faith that be vnlearned to whome quiddities in learning be raither trooblesom then pleasaunt or profitable I haue determined not to dispute with the Proclamer in anie quidditie or ells I wolde somwhat haue saied to him for The Proclamer to disgrace our faith plaieth with indiuidū vagum that yt liketh him to dallie and to aske where we finde that this woord hoc in english this poincteth not the bread but indiuiduum vagum For if yt shall be his phantasie to disgrace the trueth before the comon people by plaing with some quidditie that they can not vnderstand he maie so soen disgrace our faith in the holie and blessed Trinitie For if he lyst so to plaie he might moue matter of the distinction and relacion of the persons and by soche toieng bring the people to stagger in their faith in the blessed Trinitie as by this mockerie of the demonstracion he wolde make them fall from their faith of the blessed Sacrament Yt were conuenient that as the people should be taught simplie to beleue in God the Father God the Sonne and God the holie Gost and not to be troobled with the learned quiddities of the generacion of the Sonne of the spiracion as touching the holie Goste of the procession of the same from the Father and the Sonne and with the distinction and relacion of the persons so shoulde they be taught simplie to beleue as the scripturs doe teache and the holie fathers doe declare and expownde the same that the bodie and bloode of our Sauiour Chryst euen People are simplie to be taught not with Quiddities full Chryst God and man after the consecracion which as before ys declared ys doen by the secrett power of God by the worke of the holy Goste at the pronunciacion of Chrystes woordes by his sufficient mynister ys verilie reallie substanciallie and naturally present in the Sacrament and not to be troobled with demonstracions with accidentes with substances with placing of that bodie circumscriptiuelie definitiuelie by the maner of substance or by the maner of quantitie For these matters are for learned men to dispute not for good Chrystian vnlearned people to call in question of beleue In the schooles yt had ben a meit matter to dispute in the pulpitie yt was no matter to teache to edifie But yt liked him to talke of soche quiddities bicause by their obscuritie and darkenesse they being vnpleasaunt vnto the people shoulde the more myslike them and by that means haue the redier waie to deface the catholique faith and to sett vppe his heresie But I minding for that litle that in me ys to maintein that holie faith of Chryst my Sauiour that ys taught in his catholique Churche I will leaue these quiddities and simplie treact of the thing that we haue in hande And therfore nowe returning to Cyrill from whom I haue a litle digressed I saie with him that Chryst being trueth and saing This ys my bodie yt must nedes be as he saied and so simplie we must beleue the bodie and blood of Chryst according Cyrillus ibidem to his woorde to be present in the Sacrament Whiche thing as he saied here that Chryst manifestlie saied Thys ys my bodie So he manifestlie in the same epistle after a fewe lines doth open and Chryst turneth the bread into his owne verie flesh declare to be true wher he thus writeth Ne horreremus carnē et sanguinē apposita sacris altaribus cōdescendēs Deus nostris fragilitatibus instuit oblatis vim vitae cōuertēs ea in veritatē propriae carnis vt corpus vitae quasi quoddā semē viuificatiuū inueniatur in nobis That we shoulde not loath flesh and bloode sett vpon the holie aultars God condescending to our fragilities hath powred into the thinges offred the power of life conuerting or turning them into his verie owne flesh that the bodie of life maie be fownde in vs as a certain quickning seede For that I haue vpon this place of Cyrill saied somthing allreadie I will nowe no more but note vnto yowe howe manifestlie howe apertlie and howe plainlie he teacheth vs not onely that the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament but also the meanes howe yt ys ther which ys that God turneth the bread sett vpon the holie aulanrs into his verie flesh After this he rendreth to vs two Two causes whie the substāce in the Sacr. being
sense and vnderstanding of them Wherfor we maie verie well conclude that the woordes of Chryst are to be vnderstanded withoute figure or trope accordinglie as this learned auncient hath taught Perchaunche the Proclamer will saie that although this authour denieth a figure in Chrystes woordes yet he doeth not as by him ys requested in his proclamacion saie plainlie by expresse woordes that Chrystes naturall bodie ys in the Sacrament To see the vanitie of this shift let vs searche howe manie thinges be called Chrystes bodie and by applicacion we shall perceaue that yt can not otherwise be but that this authour speaketh of the naturall bodie of Chryst Ther be foure thinges that be called the bodie of Chryste The figure the Churche the meritt fruit or vertue of his passion and his bodie naturall Foure thinges called the bodie of Chryst. The figure ys called the bodie of Chryst For S. Augustine saith that figures oftentimes haue the names of the thinges of the whiche they are figures This maner of bodie ys not here to be vnderstanded for yt ys by expresse woordes denied of this authour Yt ys not the Churche which S. Paule calleth the bodie of Chryst For to all men yt ys euident that the Sacrament ys not the Churche other wise then bicause the Sacrament ys a figure of the Churche Yt ys not the spirituall bodie of Chryst I meen the meritte vertue and grace of Chrystes passion For the bread and wine cannot be transmuted into yt as the Aduersarie him self doth graunt Yt remaineth then that yt must nedes be spoken of the naturall bodie of Chryst And wher of necessitie one thing must be vnderstanded and none other can ther be vnderstanded that place must nedes be called plain To be short wher a thing ys spoken of and if yt can not be applied to the figure of the thing yt must nedes be applied to the thing yt self speciallie Plain tearmes for proof of reall presc̄ce when the circumstance shall also fully prooue the same as here yt doeth For the transmutacion of the bread and wine into the thing and these terms his owne verie bodie and his own verie bloode with the comparisons of the propreties of the breade and wine to the propreties of the bodie and bloode of Chryst maketh the matter so plain that yt can not be but confessed so to be but as a man in a bringht Sunne shining daie will maliciouslie saie that the Sunne shineth nott But what doe I stande so long vpon so clere a place Yt ys time that the other that shall declare the faith of the latin Churche be produced who shall be Isidore This Isidore although he be not with in six hondreth yeares of Jsidorus cōmended Chryst yet he ys verie neare For he liued the yeare of our Lorde 626 I haue yet produced him to make vppe the coople with Euthymius both that he ys the eldest of the latin Church of them that remain and treact of the woordes of Chryst and also that he ys one that liued before anie controuersie Isydor de offic eccle cap. 18. was risen in the matter of the holie Sacrament Wherfore I might produce him as a sufficient and a meet wittnesse in this matter this ys his testimonie Sacrificium quod à Christianis Deo offertur primum Christus Deus noster magister instituit quando commendauit Apostolis corpus sanguinem suum priusquam traderetur Chryst instituted the sacrifice of fred of the Chrystiās sicut legiturin Euangelio Accepit Iesus panem calicem benedicens dedit eis The sacrifice that ys offred of the chrystians vnto God Chryst our Lorde and Master did first institute when he gaue to his Apostles his bodie and bloode before he shoulde be betraied as yt ys redd in the gospell Iesus tooke the bread and the cuppe and blessing them gaue them vnto them Thus Isidor In this breif saing of this authour ye learn not that Chryst gaue vnto his Apostles a figure of his bodie and bloode but that he gaue them his bodie The blessing of Chryst of great force and power and bloode We be here also aduertised of the time that yt was before he shoulde be betraied as yt ys readde in the Gospell whiche was in his last supper at which time as this authour maketh mencion he tooke the bread and the cuppe and blessing them gaue them to this Disciples Great ys the prowe of the blessing of Chryst And as the power ys great so ys the Matth. 14 Ioan. 6. Matth. 15 effect answerablie great He blessed the fiue loaues ād two fishes and by that blessing they so multiplied as they fedde fiue thousande people And when they were satisfied ther were gathered vppe twelue baskettes full of the fragmētes that they had lefte He blessed vii loaues and a fewe fishes and by the Effect of Chrystes blessing of the breade power of his blessing they were sufficient not onely to feede and satisfie foure thousande people but also to fill seuen baskettes after they had doen. Great therfor I saie ys the power of Chrystes blessing Wherfor taking in his last supper the breade and the cuppe and blessing them he wrought ther by soche and so great an effect the he saied This ys my bodie This ys my bloooe This great effect ys aunswerable to so great a power Yf by this blessing he had made the bread and wine onelie figures of his bodie and blode and not his verie bodie and bloode the effecte in respect had ben very small For manie Ioan. 3. To saie Chryst made but a figure of hys bodie by blessing the bread ys a derogacion of his power and honour thinges were figures without the expresse blessing of God The lambes the calues the oxen that were slain in the lawe of Moyses The brasen Serpent as Chryst him self testifieth was a figure of himself exalted vpon the Crosse And yet we read not that yt was blessed to be made a figure yt ys therfor but a vain dreame of the aduersarie and an abasing of Goddes power and a derogacion to his honour to saie that Chryst blessing the breade and wine did no more but make thē figures of his bodie and bloode Therfor acknowleadging the great power of Chrystes blessing with this holie Bishopp Isidore let vs saie as he saieth that Chryst gaue to his Apostles after he had blessed the bread and wine not nowe bread and wine in substance but the bodie and bloode of himself according to the trueth of his owne saing This ys my bloode As who might saie before I blessed yt yt was bread Amb. li. 4 de Sac. c. 4 Ang. de verbis Do. serm 28. Consent of doctrine among the holie and auncient sathers and wine but nowe that I haue blessed yt and by my blessing chaunged yt nowe I saie to yowe Take and eate This ys my bodie Take and drinke this ys my bloode This like maner of vnderstanding as ys
exposition of the Aduersaries so ys yt consonaunte and agreable to the doctrine and exposition of the elders In the next chapter before this yowe sawe the exposition of Euthymius vpō these woordes of Chryst not vnlike vnto this but altogether like Euth in 26. Matt. Doctrine of the Sacramentarie contrarie to the sathers bothe in woordes and sentence yt ys not saieth he a figure of Chrystes bodie but his bodie not a figure of hys bloode but his bloode Wherfore Reader when thowe seeist the authours agree and agreyng saie the contrarie of that that the Aduersarie teacheth thowe maist be well adsured that the doctrine of the Aduersarie ys false Wherfore seing yt plain before thine eyes flee the falhead and cleaue to the trueth The third note also maketh for the declaracion of this matter that he alleaging the sixt of sainct Iohn referreth yt to the Sacrament in the same sense that he vnderstoode Chrystes other woordes which ys as Theophilact also vpon the same sixt of sainct Iohn saieth Non figura carnis sed caro med est Not a figure of my flesh but yt ys my flesh So that by these authours the sixt of S. Iohn perteineth to the Sacrament notwithstanding the contrarie saing of Luther and Oecolampadius and other of that rable In which chapter ys promised the geuing not of a figure of his flesh but his verie flesh And as yt was ther promised verilie to be geuen so was the same to the accomplishment of the same promesse in verie dede deliuered and receaued euen the verie flesh and verie blood of Iesus Chryst and not the onelie figure of them The fourte note also whiche ys for the due receauing of the Sacrament geueth also light to the vnderstanding of the presence of Chrystes verie bodie in the Sacrament But for that the conuenient place to speake of this matter ys in the thirde booke we shall not here trooble the reader with all We haue nowe seen a goodlie and an euident testimonie testifieng howe Chrystes woordes were vnderstanded in the greke Church we will likewise heare one that shall declare the vnderstanding of them in the latin Church Who shall be Haymo who vpon these woordes of Chryst writeth thus Expletis solemnijs veteris Paschae transit Dominus ad sacramenta noui Paschae demonstranda Haymo in 26. Matth Postquam coenauit dedit eis panem vinum in mysterio videlicet corporis sanguinis sui Quia enim panis cor hominis confirmat vinum anget sanguinem in homine meritò idem panis in carnem Domini mutatur idem vinum in sanguinem Domini transfertur non per figuram neque per vmbram sed per veritatem Credimus enim quia in veritate caro est Christi similiter sanguis The Solemnities of the olde passeouer being fullfilled our Lord goeth to shewe the sacramentes of the newe Passouer After he had supped he gaue them breade and wine in mysterie Breadchaūged into the bodie and wine into the blood of Chryst not in figur but in trueth that ys of his bodie and bloode Bicause bread doeth make strong the heart of man and wine encreaseth blood in man therfor the same bread ys verie well chaunged into the flesh of Chryst and the same wine ys transferred into the blood of our Lorde not by figure nor by shadowe but by trueth For we beleue that in verie dede yt ys the flesh of Christe and likewise that yt ys hys bloode Thus moch Haymo Yowe see nowe here in the latin Church also a goodlie testimonie and a clere exposition of Chrystes woordes so clere and plain that I shall not nede to trauaill to open the same but onely I haue thought good to note to thee Reader the goodlie order that this authour obserueth in his exposition First he ioneth our newe Passouer to the olde as the verie trueth to the figure whiche being in place the figure vanisheth awaie Wherbie yt ys consequent that yf the Passouer whiche Chryst did institute were the trueth whiche the olde passouer did prefigurate that the newe Passeouer was a true thing in dede and not a bare figure For otherwise shoulde the figure be the figure of a figure and not of a trueth which ys against the nature of a figure And when he had thus ioined the trueth to the figure he declareth whē yt was doen saing that after he had supped he gaue them bread and wine in the mysterie of his bodie and bloode Then proceading he geueth a cause whie Chryst vsed bread and wine in this mysterie of his bodie and blood bicause saieth he the materiall bread comforteth the heart and the materiall wine encreaseth the blood therfor to signifie that as these twoo things doe A chaunge in the Sacr. in trueth not in figure woorke ther effectes in our material bodies so thy being transmuted and chaunged into heauenlie bread and wine of Chrystes bodie and blood the bread of the life they woorke the like effect spirituallie in our soules And forasmoche as he had saied that the bread and wine be turned and chaunged into the bodie and bloode of Chryst he immediatelie teacheth howe yt ys chaunged They are chaunged saieth he not by figure nor by shadowe sed per veritatem but in verie dede whiche ys asmoche to saie as yt ys chaunged or turned into the verie flesh and blood of Chryst in verie dede and not into a bare Sacramentall bread as the Aduersarie tearmeth ys Now as I haue doen with Damascē so will I with this authour first cōferr this dictrine with the doctrine of the elders to see howe they agree and after the doctrine of the aduersarie both that yt maie appeare which of thē best agree with the auncient Churhe and whether ther be anie iust cause why the Aduersarie shoulde reiect this authour or his likes This authour Greg. Nissen serm cathec de diuinis Sacramen saieth that the bread ys chaunged into the bodie of our Lorde and the wine into his bloode doeth not among the elders the great elder Gregorie Nissen vse the like woordes Quamobrem saieth he rectè nunc etiam Dei verbo sanctificatum panem in Dei Verbi corpus credimus immutari Wherfor we doe nowe also verie well beleue the bread that ys sanctified by the woorde of God to be chaunged into the bodie of the sonne of God See ye not then that the doctrine which Haymo here teacheth of the transmutacion chaunging or turning of the bread into the bodie of Chryst Trāsubstāciacōn that ys chaunge of bread ād wine into the bodie and bloode of Chryst a matter of faith which nowe the Church tearmeth Transubstantiacion ys an auncient doctrine and if yowe will conferre them diligentlie ye shall haue occasion to thinke that this authour Haymo did in this matter folowe Gregorie Nissen their sainges be so like For as Gregorie maketh this matter of the chaunging of the bread into the bodie of Chryst no matter
to this and soche notes as be ther maie be referred also to this Onelie I shall remoue the cauill of the Aduersarie whiche Cauille of the Sacramentaries vpon the woord vertue he wolde grownde vpon these woordes of Theophilact wher he saieth that God trāselementated the bread ād wine into the vertue of his flesh ād bloode By this sentence and speciallie by this woorde vertue wolde the Ad uersarie wrest all the sainges of this Authour that wher he saieth that God transmuteth transformeth turneth or chaungeth the bread and wine into his flesh and bloode they are saieth the Aduersarie to be vnderstanded of the vertue of his flesh and bloode and not of the flesh and bloode them selues Oecol de verb. coena Dom. For this ys his saing Panem vinum conuertuntur dignè comedentibus non in corporalem presentiam sed in virtutem carnis sanguinis Christi The bread and wine are turned to them that woorthilie eate not into the corporall presence but into the vertue of the flesh and bloode of Chryste Let vs nowe weigh this their violent exposition They saie that the bread and wine be turned into the vertue of the flesh and bloode of Chryste yt Sacramētaries teache cōtrarie to their owne rules ys a pretensed rule among them that nothing maie be taught withoute scriptures What scripture haue they to proue this their saing Wher finde they in all the scripture that the bread ys turned into the vertue of Chrystes flesh Certen I am they haue no one title and yet they teache nothing they saie but the sincere woorde of God but vnder soche coolour of sinceritie they vtter manie vntrueths as we shall prooue this to be one First their owne doctrine ys as before ys saied that these dumbe and insensate creatures are not partakers of sanctificacion or holinesse But the vertue of Chrystes flesh ys not onelie an holie thing but also the cause of sanctificacion and holinesse wherfor bread and wine being insensate creatures are not partakers of yt muche lesse can they be turned into yt To prooue this we will open someparte of the vertue of Chrystes flesh for yt ys great and large and hath manie partes But the bread and wine cā Vertue ▪ of Chrysts flesh be turned into none of them The vertue of Chrystes slesh ys to vnite vs to the same his flesh as S. Hilarie saieth The vertue of the same flesh ys to make Chryst naturallie to abide in vs as he also saieth The vertue of the same flesh Hilar. li. 8. de Irini maketh vs membres of Chrystes bodie as saieth Irenaeus The vertue of the same flesh which ys quickning and making to liue or geuing power of life maketh our flesh after the resurrectiō to liue euerlastinglie as saieth S. Cyrill Iren. li. 5. aduers heres Chrysostom rehersing the vertues of Chrystes bloode amonge a great nombre which were to long to reherse saieth thus Hic sanguis facit vt imago in nobis regia sloreat hic animarum nostrarum salus hoc lauatur hoc ornatnr hoc incenditur hic igne clariorem mentem nostram reddit auro splendidiorem This bloode causeth Cyrill in 15. Ioan. the Kinges ymage to florish in vs this bloode ys the saluacion of our soules with this she ys wasshed with this she ys beautified with this she ys enkindled Chriso hō 45 in Ioan. this bloode maketh our minde more clear and more glistering then golde To be shorte the vertue of the flesh and bloode of Chryste ys our redemption iustificacion and saluacion Be the bread and wine turned into these vertues or into anie one of thē yf the breade and wine can receaue no holinesse can they receaue these vertues As by this ye maie perceaue that their doctrine ys neither consonant and agreeable within yt self nor yet sownde and good so shall yt be made plain Sacramentaries doctrine conferred with Theophilact to yowe that yt will not agree with Theophilact whom they labour to wrest They saie that the bread and wine be turned into the vertue of Chrystes flesh and blood and not into the flesh and blood yt self yf the bread be turned into the vertue and not into the flesh then standeth this proposicion of theirs that the bread and wine be still but figures But howe standeth that their saing with the sainge of Theophilact who by expresse woordes saieth Non est figura Yt ys not a figure Again saing that the bread ys not turned into the flesh howe agree they with Theophilacte who saieth also by expresse woordes Panis conuertitur in ipsum corpus Christi The bread ys turned into the verie bodie of Chryste or into the bodie of Chryst yt self Whiche woordes haue great force and limite this turning of the breade solie and onelie into the flesh of Chryste I meen wholl Chryste him self and no other thing for him Again yf the breade be not turned into the flesh of Chryst howe agreeth yt with that Theophilacte saieth that although yt appeare bread yet yt ys flesh Tus then ys maie perceaue that this Authour by expresse woordes denied the breade to be a figure and also affirmed the same bread to be turned into the bodie of Chryst yt self and that the Sacrament ys flesh though yt appeare breade What impudencie than What shamelesnes ys ther in these men that after so plain and manifest asseueracion of the turning of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloode of Chryst made by this authour not in one place as a thing vnaduisedly spoken or sodenlie fallen from him but with good deliberacion both vpon S. Matthew and vpon the sixt chap. of S. Iohn and ther also more then once and here likewise vpon S. Marke denieth the figure and affirmeth the turning of the bread to be into the verie bodie of Chryst yet nowe they wolde vpon one woorde drawe him violentlie to theeir wicked pourpose and make him as yt werewith one breath to saie yea and naie to one thing and in one sentence to denie and again to affirme the same But that we maie once ende this matter and let yowe perceaue the true vnderstanding of this woorde of Theophilact which the Aduersarie abuseth ye shall vnderstand that the woorde Vertue in that place ys taken for the flesh of Chryst and not for the vertue as diuided from the flesh of Chryst Which thing first the processe of Theophilact doeth well prooue and among other this that he saieth that although yt appeare bread yet yt ys slesh which maner of speach prooueth inuinciblie the presence of Chrystes flesh which presence ys no otherwise there but by turning of the substance of bread into yt Besides this the holie doctours vse this woorde Virtus vertue and this Vertue and power takē for the flesh of Chryste Tractatu 26. in Joan. woorde Vis power for the flesh of Chryst in the Sacrament As for the first yt appeareth
after he had once blessed yt and saied this ys my bodie he deliuered no breade but his bodie according to the trueth of his woorde Other thinges woorthie of note ther be in this authour but hauing declared that that sufficeth to the pourpose for the expownding of Chrystes woordes I leaue the rest to be considered by the reader and will hast me to bring in an other coople THE TVO AND SIXTETH CHAP. ABIDETH in the exposition of the same woordes by Rupertus and Nicolaus Methonen WIshing that the reader should fullie perceaue the descent of the faith of the Sacrament howe yt ys deduced frō Chryst to the Fathers and so from age to age and from time to time euen vnto this our time and therwith howe the woordes of Chryst are to be vnderstanded euen from Chrystes time of the speaking of thē vntill this our time forsomoch as I haue passed so neare to our time I will with thy pacience gentle reader go on vntil I bring the within a verie litle of this our time In Gods name then let vs proceade and go to the time of Rupertus who ys thought to haue liued the year of our Lord MCCXXiiii ād so about CCCCXXXViii agon of whome we shall learn what faith was in the latin Churche in his time as concerning the blessed Sacrament and howe the woordes of Chryst were vnderstanded Thus he writeth Coenantibus id est sedentibus adhuc in coena Rup de operib lib. 3. qua manducauerant carnes agni carnes Paschae veteris accepit panem benedixit Panem communem accepit sed benedicendo longè in aliud quà m suerat transmutauit vt veraciter diceret sic Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur Item vini substantiam accepit sed itidem gratias agendo vel benedicendo sic in aliud vertit vt diceret veritas quae non mentitur Hic est sanguis meus noui Testamenti qui pro multis effundetur Sed non videtur oculis carnis non sentitur gustu oris quòd panis ille caro factus sit quòd vinum illud in sanguinem versum sit Nimirum si videretur color aut sentiretur sapor carnis sanguinis humani homini non plus salutis sed plurimum adferret horroris Being at supper that ys sitting yet at supper in the whiche they had eaten the flesh of the Yf Chryst blessing the bread transmuted yt into a better thing M. Pilkintons argument healteth lambe the flesh of the olde Passouer he tooke bread and blessed yt he tooke comon bread but blessing yt he did transmute yt into a farre other thing than yt was that he might trulie saie This ys my bodie which shall be deliuered for yowe He did also take the substance of wine but likewise geuing thankes or blessing he did so turne yt into an other thinge that the trueth which lieth not might saie This ys my bloode of the newe Testament whiche shall be shedde for manie But yt ys not seen with the eies of the bodie yt ys not perceaued by the taste of the mouthe that that bread ys made the flesh of Chryst that that wine ys turned into bloode For trulie yf the cooloure of the flesh and bloode of man should be seen or the taste shoulde be perceaued yt shoulde bring no more health to a man but yt shoulde bring moch loathsomnesse Thus moche Rupertus In this authour as in Anselmus who went last before him in the last chapter ys declared the vertue and power of the benediction of Chryst when he Effect of Chrystes blessing of the bread blessed the bread and wine in his holie supper For as Anselmus saied that by the blessing of the bread and wine they were made the bodie and bloode of Chryst So this authour saieth that Chryst blessing the bread did transmute or chaunge yt into a farre better thing Whiche thing was soche that Chryst might trulie saie by yt This ys my bodie whiche ys geuen for yowe Neither let this seem straunge to the Aduersarie that these two authours saie that by the blessing of Chryst the bread and wine be chaunged or turned into the bodie and blood of Chryst For yt ys not a sainge yesterdaie inuented but yt ys a sainge of the great Fathers the auncientes and pillers of the Church Howe moche doeth sainct Ambrose speake of this thing how large a discourse doeth he make of yt treacting of the blessed Sacrament and prouing by examples of the scripture howe the grace and blessing of God doeth chaunge the nature of one thing into an other thing Amb. li. de imit myst cap. 9. He saieth thus Quantis igitur vtimur exemplis vt probemus non hoc esse quod natura formauit sed quod benedictio consecrauit maioremue vim esse benedictionis quam naturae quia benedictione etiam natura ipsa mutatur Howe manie examples haue we to proove that this ys not yt that nature formed but yt that the blessing hath consecrated and that the power of the blessing ys greater then the power Power of blessing greater thē power of nature of nature Bicause that by the blessing nature yt self ys chaunged And after manie examples ther produced to that pourpose he maketh this conclusion Quodsi tātum valuit humanabenedictio vt naturā cōuerteret quid dicimusde ipsa cōsecratione diuina vbi verba ipsa Domini saluatoris operātur Yf thē the blessing of mā were of so great force that yt might turn or chaunge nature what saie we of the diuine consecracion wher the verie woordes of owre sauiour doe woorke them selues Thus S. Amb. And thus maie we perceaue the great power of Chrystes blessing to be soche that not onelie yt maie but yt doeth also chaunge the nature of one thing into an other as the nature of bread and wine in the Sacrament into Transubstanciacion auouched the verie nature of the bodie and bloode of Chryst verilie and substanciallie And therfor this chaunge wrought and doen by the blessing of Chryst for somoche as yt ys a turning or chaunging of one nature or substance into an other nature or substance yt maie verie well beare the name of Transubstanciacion For that name doeth liuelie declare the acte that ther ys doen. Holie Cyrill also considering that the great worke of God whiche maketh present in the Sacrament the bodie and bloode of Chryst ys doen by the denediction of God doeth commonlie in his workes call the blessed Sacrament the misticall benedictiō As then this authour hath taught no other wise then he heard his Fathers speake before him of the power of Chrystes blessing no more doeth he in teaching the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode although our senseis can not perceaue the same presence For saieth he though the bread be made the flesh of Chryst and the wine be turned into his bloode yet neither doe we see yt neither tast yt so to be By whiche his teaching he
exclude all other bodies sensible or insensible after he had saied Take this yt a bodie he adioined this worde mine he gaue then his owne bodie to his Disciples and not the bodie of anie other Again least anie priuie thought shoulde come to anie man that he might haue created in his handes a bodie that shoulde be his in deed but not that shoulde be yt that he was himself he added Whiche shall be deliuered for yowe As who shoulde saie doubte yowe not feign yowe not this or that to yowr self thinke not an other thing and an other thinge For thisys the bodie not an other or of an other but mine not permuted or newlie created but that which shall be deliuered for yowe shall be crucified for yowe shall die for yowe So like wise also of the cuppe This ys saieth he bloode not of an oxe nor of a Ramme nor of a lambe or of anie man but mine not an other or produced by a newe creation but which shall be shedde for yowe prouoked by skoorges extorted with nailes thrust oute with a speer Thus moch this authour To this exposition to adde anie thing as therbie to make yt plain to the reader I thinke yt superfluouse Yt ys allreadie so plain as no man in my iudgement can make a more plain exposition Onelie I will open the cause why he wrote this Ther was afect of heretiquesbegonne by one Peter de Bruys ād one Hēricus whose disciples were called Petrobrusions and Hēricians These had inuented a newe phantasticall heresie as yt ys propre to all soche men to make Phansies of Heretiques called the woorde of the Lorde their phantasies matters of faith and cuerie of their phantasies ys the pure and sincere woorde of the lord These had I saie inuented this phantasie that Christ alone at his last supper did cōsecrate his bodie and blood ād gaue yt to ys disciples ād they al receaued his bodie ād blood But since that time was yt neuer nor yet ys receaued of anie man Against these men did thys holie father write against whome taking the sword of the Spiritte which ys the woorde of God he fought with them with yt and ouerthrew rhē by the the woorde of Chryst that saied that the blood which he gaue in the cuppe to his disciples was the bloode of the euerlasting Testament wherupon taking an argument he saieth in the beginninge Saie o Lord the restatour of the newe testament whether this testament be of one daie as these men saie thow woldest yt to be or whether thow hauest decreed yt to be an euerlasting testament An other argument he maketh also of the commaundement of Chryste who saied This doe ye in the remembrance of me Wherby Chryst geuing them commaundement to doe that that he had doen and he by their owne confession consecrated his bodie wherin theye are more gentle to Chryste thē the Aduersaries and the Proclamer The argument ys good that soche to whom the authoritie ys deriued doe that that Chryst did that ys doo consecrate his blessed bodie and bloode I write thus moche that ye maie perceaue into what varietie and diuersitie of phantasies men doe fall in that beginne to withstande Gods holie faith of which varietie I haue allreadie spoken in the xli chapiter of this booke wherunto yf ye add this phantasie then shal yowe perceauc howe manie contrarie phantasies Sathan can deuise vpon these foure woordes of Chryst This ys my bodie And can as ys saied vtter thē all to the people for the pure woorde of God But to return to this authour as by these argumentes he hath ouerthrowen the heresie of the Petrobrusians so with these and the plain exposition of Chrystes woordes he conuinceth all the other wicked phantasies and leaueth Chrystes woordes in their propre and natiue sense figures and tropes not remembred I shall not nede to conferre him with the auncient and elder Fathers the conference of other saing as he doeth maketh good that he hath saied as yt did theirs which were cōferred with him Wherfor omitting that cōference with his seniours I shall bring in his iuniour to be conferred with him who ys Bessarion Patriarch of Constantinople and Cardinall who liued the yeare of our Lorde 1471. Wherfore not fullie one hondreth yeares agon And yet as his disputacion in the Florentine Councell against the grekes and his booke against Marcus Ephesinus doe proue he was an excellent learned man in this matter thus he writeth Nemo est quem lateat quemadmodum panis vini in corpus sangumem Christin instanti facta transubstautialitas humanam Bessarion li. de Sacr. Euchar. omnem excedit facultatem ingensue opus est certè diuinum it a etiam huius Sacramenti efficientia verba instar ipsius Sacramenti eximiae cuiusdam virtutis esse debere Christs verò dtuints verbis nihil esse potentius nihil ess◠acius esse posse manfestum est Quamobrem fateri necesse est Dominicis illis verbis nullis aliis dtuinum hoc sacramentum confict posse Nec enim diuinissima per diuinam potentiam confict negauerit quispiam nec verbis Christi nihil effiacius esse cùm non modò homo verumetiam Deus sit creatorue omnium qui solo nutu cuncta produxit qui verbo aegros curauit mortuos suscitauit caeteraue miracula fecit quae in Euangelio recitantur Ther ys no man but knoweth how that the trāsubstanciacion of the bread and wine doen in an instant into the bodie and bloode of Chryst doeth excede all power of man and ys a great and verie worke of God Euen The Sacrament maie be consecrated by noother woords then with these Hoc est cor etc. so also the efficient woordes of this Sacrament shoulde be of some great power like as the Sacrament ys Nowe yt ys manifest that nothinge can be more mightie more effectuouse then the diuine woordes of Chryst Wherfor we must nedes cōfesse that this diuine Sacram. maie with no other woords be cōsecrated thē with those woords of our Lord Neither will anie man denie these most holie thinges to be cōsecrated by the diuine power neither that anie thing ys more mightie in woorke then the woordes of Chryste sithen he ys not onely man but also God the creatour of al things who at his onelie pleasure produced all thinges of nothing who with his woorde healed the sicke raised the dead and did other miracles whiche be written in the Gospell Not the merites of man but the power of God consecrateth the Sacr. And within a fewe woordes he saieth thus Panis vini in corpus sanguinem transmutatio non petentium meritis sed eius potentia qui ex nihilo cuncta produxit per sacerdotem tanquam per instrumentum quoddam efficitur The transmutacion of the bread and wine into the bodie and bloode ys doen not through the merittes of the peticioners but by the preist as by a certain instrument through
which cōtrouersie yt ys nowe easie to be saied first for the first parte of yt that neither the holie Euangelistes neither sainct Paule nor anie of all the holie Fathers of the higher house hathe taught or saied as the Aduersarie dothe teache and saie that Chrystes An Epiloge of authours denieng the Sacramentaries figure woordes are to be vnderstanded figuratiuelie I meen that the Sacramēt ys onelie a figure I saie not one But contrarie wise a nombre of them by expresse woordes denie that Chrystes woordes are so to be vnderstanded and that the Sacrament ys a figure onelie And for the better memorie to be had of them I shall make a breif epiloge of their sainges Chrysostom vpon the the sixt of sainct Iohn saieth that Chryst did not speake these woordes My Chrysost in 6. Joan. flesh ys verilie meat obscurelie or in parables Yf not so thē plainlie and withoute figure Euthymius vpon Chrystes woordes saied He did not saie these be signes of my bodie and bloode but these thinges be my bodie and bloode Damascen saied The bread and wine ys not a figure of the bodie and blood of Chryst God Euthy in 26. Math. forbidde that anie man shoulde so beleue Haymo saied That same bread ys chaunged into the flesh of our Lorde and the wine ys transferred into the bloode of our Lorde not by a figure nor by a shadowe but by trueth or in Damascen li 4. cap. 14 verie dede Theophilact saied that the bread that ys sanctified on the aultar ys the verie bodie of our Lord and not an aunswering figure For Chryst did Haim in 26. Math. not saie this ys a figure but thys ys my bodie The like saieth he vpon sainct Iohn that yt ys not a figure but the bodie Paschasius saied that he meruciled what they ment that saied that in the Sacrament was not in verie dede the Theophilact in 26. Math. flesh of Chryst and his blood but the vertue the figure and not the veritie the shadowe and not the bodie Anselmus saied Chryst tooke bread and by his blessing of yt the bread was made the bodie of Chryst not onelie significatiuelie or by significacion but substantiuelie or in substance Neither doe Paschasius lib. de corp sang Domini we saieth he from this Sacrament alltogether exclude the figure neither doe we admitte the onelie figure Innocentius saied As the bodie of Chryst was verilie deliuered so was yt verilie demonstrated nor in a figure whiche nowe had ceassed but in trueth which was nowe comed Bessarion saied that we be not so bolde that bicause the Sacrament ys called a figure that we either Ansel li. de offic diui saie or thinke that yt ys not the verie bodie of Chryst God kepe saieth he so great a blasphemie from the mindes of men by which woordes he denieth Innocēt 3. li de offi Miss the onelie figure to be in the Sacrament without the presence All these stād directlie against the Aduersarie For wher he saieth that the Sacrament ys a figure onely they saie yt ys not onely a figure by plain woordes And forasmoche as S. Augustin and Hillarie doe teach that the Sacrament ys both the Bessariō li de sacra Eucha figure and the veritie maie they not be adnombred to this companie as denienge the onelie figure for asmoch as with the other they affirme as well the presence as the figure And in that they doe so they denie the onely figure August Hilar. Thus ye see the first proposition of the Aduersarie by so manie wittnesses denied and the proposition of the catholique Church affirmed Yf the Aduersarie for all these can bring anie one catholique writer that ys auncient and approued that doeth saie as he saieth that the Sacrament ys onely a figure I for my part shall confesse the trueth to be on hys side Yf he can not bring one as I am sure he can not and the catholique Church for the trueth An Epiloge of authours assirming the reall presence that she teacheth bringeth so manie what madnesse ys ther in him that will still persist in his phantasie for the maintenance wherof he hath no authoritie But let vs gather as breif an epiloge for the proposition of the catholiques which ys that Chryst in these woords This ys my bodie spake of his verie bodie Although yt be allreadie sufficientlie prooued and declared by that yt ys not a figure onelie and so importeth that Chryst spake of his bodie yet that Just. apolog 2. the matter maie be plentifullie plain before yowr face I shall take the like pain in this as I haue doen in the other Iustinus who ys the first saied that as Iesus Chryst our Sauiour had flesh and bloode for our saluacion euen so we are taught the foode wher with our flesh and blood be nourished by alteracion when yt ys consecrated by the praier of his woode to be the flesh Iren. cōtrahaeres li. 4. ca. 32. and blood of the same Iesus incarnated Irenaeus saied that Chryst tooke bread whiche ys a creature and gaue thankes sainge This ys my bodie and the cuppe likewise whiche ys a creature as we be he confessed to be his bloode and of the newe Testament taught a newe oblacion Tertullian saied that the bread which Chryst did take and geue to his disciples he made yt his bodie Tertulli 4 cont Marcion Cypr. de caena Dom. Cyprian saied after our Lorde had saied This doe in the remembance of me This ys my flesh and this ys my bloode that substanciall bread and cuppe as often as yt ys doē with these woords and this faith that substancial bread and cuppe consecrated by the solemne benediction doth profitt to the health and life of the wholl man being also a medicin and a sacrifice to heale infirmities and to pourge iniquities Iuuencus saied when Chryst tooke bread in his handes and had geuen thankes he diuided yt to his Disciples and taught them that Juuenc li. 4 bisto euāg he deliuered vnto them his owne bodie And that he tooke the cuppe and sanctified yt and gaue yt to them to drinke and taught them that he gaue them his bloode and saieth drinke this bloode Eusebius Emisenus saied The inuisible preist turneth the visible creatures into the substance of his bodie Eusebius Emis hom 5. Pasch and blood by his secret power with his woorde saing This ys my bodie And the sanctificacion repeted take and drinke saieth he This ys my bloode Again he saieth when the creatures are sett vpon the holie aultars to be blessed with the heauenlie woordes before they be consecrated with the inuocaciō of the most high name ther ys the substance of bread and wine but after the Amb li. 4 de sacr ca 5 woordes of Chryst the bodie and bloode of Chryste S. Ambrose saied before yt ys consecrated yt ys bread but when the woordes of Chryst haue cōmed to yt yt ys
we must creditt the Fathers So that yt ys of this holie martyr to be learned howe moche the elders are to be esteemed howe moche to be credited and howe Which fathers are to be cōsulted with in controuersies for certen knowledge of thinges that be in doubte and controuersie they must be consulted with which were in the auncient church before the controuersie was euer moued Of the whiche matter we reade a like counsell in the tripartite historie Therfore as heretofore I haue not vsed mine owne iudgement or phantasie in the exposition of soche scriptures as Li. 9. ca. 19 do speake of this mysterie by me treacted of No more will I hereafter in soche as shall be brought oute of S. Paule for the proof and confirmacion of the trueth of the matter of the blessed Sacrament and the mynistracion therof And first to take the places and sentences here to be handled in order as they are written by sainct Paule we will beginne with this Nolo enim vos 1. Cor. 10. ignorare fratres quontam patres nostri omnes sub nube fuerunt omnes mare transierūt omnes in Moyse baptizati sunt in nube in mari omnes eandem escam spiritualem manducauerunt omnes cundem potum spiritualem biberunt bibebant autem de spirituali consequente cos petra Petra autem erat Christus Brethren I wolde not that ye shoulde be ignorant how that our fathers were all vnder the clowde and all passed through the Sea and were all baptised vnder Moyses in the clowde and in the sea and did all eate of one spirituall meate and did all drinke of one spirituall drinke and they dranke of that spirituall rocke that folowed them whiche rocke was Chryst Yt shall not be without profit for the better vnderstanding of this scripture yf we do search the cause why sainct Paule maketh rehersall of soche benefittes as the Iewes receaued at the hand of God at their departure oute of Egypte and in the desert The cause ys bothe breiflie and clerelie Homel in dictū Apostli Nolo vos ignor declared by Chrysostom who asketh the question and solueth yt thus Quare vnde incidit in hanc historiam Increpabat eos qui temerè non requisiti ad Idola ingrediuntur pollutam comedentes mensam tangentes Idolothyta Et cùm ostendisset quòd duplex damnum illi inde sustinerent nam insirmiores offendebant ipsi Daemoniorum participes erant cùm per praedicta satis spiritus corum humilasset docuisset ostendit fidelem spectare non solùm quae sua sunt debre sed quae multorum Volens eis incutere timorem veterem historiam eis recenset Siquidem illi magna de se sentiebant quasi sideles ab errore liberati scientiam assecuti ineffabilium sacramentorum participes effecti necnon ad regnum coelorum vocati Volens ergo declarare quòd illorum nulla sit vtilitas nisi adsit vita tantae gratiae respondens ex veteri historia ipsos erudit Wherfore Why S. Paule reherseth the benefittes that the Iewes receaued 1. Cor. 10. and from whence fell he into this storie He did rebuke them whiche rashlie and not being required did enter in to the Idolls eatinge the defiled table and touchinge thinges offred to Idolls And when he had shewed that they by yt did suffer double harme For they bothe offended the weak and thy themselues wer partakers of Deuells And when by the forsaied thinges he had sufficientlie humbled their spirittes and had taught them He declareth that the faithfull aught not onely to looke to those thinges that appertein to himself but also to thinges that appertain to other manie Nowe willing to strike feare into them he reherseth good religiō without good life not auaiable the olde historie vnto them For they also did thinke moche of themselues as that they were become faithful and deliuered from errour ād had obteined the knowledge of the vnspeakeable sacramentes and made partakers of the same and also that they were called to the kingdom of heauen Willing therfore to declare that of these thinges ther ys no prositte except ther be a life aunswering to so great grace he doth teache them oute of the olde historie Thus moch Chrysostom In whiche sentence ye perceaue the cause of the rehersall of the benefittes geuen to the Iewes and so in that place recited by sainct Paule to be to put the Corinthians in feare and to diswarde them from euell by the example of the Iewes who notwithstanding the receipt of so manie benefittes for that they were ingrate and disobedient not seking by an aunswerable life to please their Lord God as he by soche benefites did pleasure Benefites of the Jewesas they were figures of our benefites so their plagues of our plagues them God in them had no pleasure but plagued them and ouerthrewe them in the desert Euen so the Corinthians who had receaued the verie thinges and true benefittes as the Sacrament of Baptisme the holie Gost and had eaten the bodie of Chryst and dronken hys bloode Whiche benefittes were figured by the benefittes geuen to the Iewes that yf they wolde be prowde vnthankfull and disobedient and wolde not lead a life wourthie their vocacion that God wolde after the gift of so manie benefittes and so great as their demerittes required haue no pleasure in them but plague them and ouerthrowe them as he did the Iewes For as their benefittes were figures of our benefittes So their plagues and punishmentes we figures In 10. 1. Cor. hom 23. of our plagues and punishmentes as Chrysostom saieth Quemadmodnm enim dona figurae sunt ita supplicia Wherfore sainct Paule saieth Haec autem infigura facta sunt nostri vt non simus concupiscentes malorum sicut illi concupierunt These are figurs or examples vnto vs that we shoulde not lust after euell thinges as they lusted Faith with out woorks sufficethnot in persons of discretiō Here by the waie to note by these scriptures ys ouerthrowen the wicked heresie of them whiche haue taught that yf a man beleue in Chryst and haue receaued hys sacramentes howe wicked so euer hys life be he shall be saued For here ye perceaue that though the Corinthians had receaued the faith and the sacrament annexed to the same yet yf ther life and conuersacion were not agreable and aunswerable that they shoulde fall into Gods displeasure and neither faith neither sacramentes shoulde auaill them as Chrysostome doth expownde The cause thus knowen why sainct Paule recited these thinges yt were Foure benefites of the Jewes nombred not amisse to knowe what thinges they were and what commoditie or benefitt happened vnto the Iewes by these These thinges in nombre be foure The clowde the Sea Manna and the water that flowed oute of the rocke Of these foure Esdras reciting vnto God hys
to dallie or raither as a man in darknesse goeth he can not tell whether so he in this darknesse of heresie speaketh he can not tel what and wandereth he can not tell whether But to conclude this parte that the sixt chapter of S. Iohn or raither Chryste in that chapter teacheth that Manna ys a figure of his bodie in the Sacramēt as before yt ys taught to be a figure of his God head Marke what Chryst saieth in that parte wher Chrysostom saieth he speaketh of his bodie Joan. 6. He that eateth me shall liue by the means of me This ys that bread which came down frō heauen Not as yowr fathers did eate Manna and are dead He that eateth this bread shall liue euer In whiche woordes of Chryste ys made a iust comparison of him self the thing figured to Manna the figure of the whiche as Chrysostom saieth he often maketh mencion as yt were by yt to allure them to the faith Homil. 46. in Ioan. This ys his sentence Frequenter autem Mannae meminit differentiam conferendo ad fidem allicit Nam si possibile fuit vt quadraginta annos sine messibus frumento aliis ad victum necessariis viuerent longè magis nunc cùm ad maiora venerint Nam si in illis figuris sine labore expositum colligebant nunc profectòmagis vbi nulla mors sed vaere vitae fruitio Often he maketh mencion of Manna and conferring the difference allureth them to faith For yf yt were possible that they shoulde liue fourtie years without haruest and corne and other necessaries to their liuing moche more nowe when they are come to greater thinges For yf in those figures they did gather withoute labour the thing made readie to ther handes nowe truly moch more wher ys no death but the fruycion of the true life Thus moche Chrysostome Why Chryste made so often mencion of Māna 90. 6. In whose saing as yt first offreth yt self ▪ so yt ys first to be noted that Christ often maketh mencion of Manna but to what pourpose that by conferring of himself and Manna as the thing and the figure he might allure thē to the faith of him vnto whom the lawe and all the figurs of yt did lead them Another that Chrysostome by expresse woordes calleth yt a figure For saieth he yf in those figurs they withoute laboure did gather that that was readie laied before them moch more now c. By which he meneth Manna which God raining from heauen and so being prepared withoute their laboure they did but gather yt and had sufficiēt to serue their necessitie Thus I trust yt ys manifest that Manna ys a figure of the bodie of Chryst bothe by the woordes of Chryst himself in the sixt of S. Iohn and also by holie learned men in the exposition of the same chapiter so teaching vs wherfore nowe leauing yt we will repair to our text of S. Paule and seke howe yt ys taken their of the auncient Fathers Likewise what the water that flowed oute of the stone whiche for the most parte are ioined together did signifie THE FIFTE CHAP. TEACHING THAT MANna and the water of the stone were figures of the bodie and blood of Chryst by Origen and S. Ambrose AS our Sauiour Chryst hath taught that Manna was a figure of his bodie And as he laboured with the Iewes by yt to make thē to vnderstande him and from yt the sign and figure of him to lead and bring thē to him the thing signified and figured so S. Paule trauaileth with his Corinthians by figures to vnderstand the verities as well of verie benefites by figurs of benefites as of verie plagues by the figurs of plagues that they should not be puffed vppe with pride neither led with a negligēce of holie life now that they be vnder Chryst and haue receaued the great gift of the newe byrthe by baptisme and haue ben fedde with the bodie and blood of Chryst For yf they did these great giftes notwithstanding God wolde haue no pleasure in them no more then he had in manie of the Iewes whiche were vnder Moyses and were baptised in the clowde and in the sea and did eate of one spirituall meat and drink of one spirituall drinke whiche were figures of these benefittes but he wolde cast them of as he did the Iewes For they were ouerthrowen in the wildernesse of the which more at large was spoken in the first chapter Wherfore I will not now detein the reader but entre to the pourpose and heare the mindes of the fathers what they thinke of these figures and whether they be figurs of figures and signs of signes or ells figures of verie things and signes of thinges now present and not absent In this processe Origen for that he ys right auncient shall first be heard Modo Origen homil 7s in Num. enim cum Moyses venit ad nos coniunctus est nostrae Aethyopissae lex Dei iam non in figuris in imaginibus sicut priùs sed in ipsa specie veritatis agnoscitur Et quae priùs in aenigmate designabantur nunc in specie veritate complentur Et ideo ille qui species figurarum anigmatum disserebat dicit Scimus quoniā patres nostri omnes sub nube erant omnes mare transierunt omnes in Moyse baptisati sunt in Nube in mari omnes eandem escam spiritualem manducauerunt omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt biberunt autem de spiritali consequente eos petra Petra autem erat Christus Vides quomodò aenigmata legis absoluit Paulus species aenigmatum docet Nowe when Moyses came vnto vs and was ioined to this owre Ethyopisse the law of God ys not nowe knowen in figurs and images as before yt was but in the If Chryst be nowe receaued in figure he ys receaued as in Moyses lawe in darke maner plain forme of trueth And soche things as before were appoincted in a dark maner now they are fulfilled in plain formād trueth And therfor he who declared the plain formes of darke thinges saieth We knowe that all our Fathers were vnder the clowde and all passed through the Sea and all were baptised vnder Moyses in the clowde and in the Sea and all haue eaten one spirituall meat and all haue dronke one spirituall drinke They dranke of that spirituall rocke that folowed them The rocke was Chryst Thowe seest howe Paule openeth the darke thinges of the lawe and teacheth the plain formes of the darke thinges And after he had shewed of the rocke the clowde and the sea he cometh to Manna and saieth Tunc in Acnigmate erat Manna cibus nunc autem in specie caro Verbi Dei est verus cibus sicut ipse dicit Caro mea verè est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus Then in a darke maner Manna was meat but nowe in plain and open maner the flesh of
flesh not being chaunged into flesh but by taking flesh vpon him So bread and As rightlie as we cōfesse Chryste to haue ben crucified so rightlie we cōfesse him to be in the Sacr. wine both lifte vppe from the lowest ys made the bodie and bloode of Chryste not chaunged into the taste of flesh or into the horriblenesse of bloode but inuisiblie taking the veritie of bothe the immortall substances whiche be in Chryst that ys to saie both of God and man Therfor as we rightly and catholikely confesse the man whiche being born of the Virgen hanged on the crosse to be God So this that we receaue at the holie aultar we trulie saie to be Chryst we openly confesse yt to be the lambe of God Thus Rupertus This saing nedeth no commentarie Wherfor breifly note gentle Reader that he saieth that the bread and wine be made the bodie and bloode of Chryst Note that the bread and wine haue the veritie of the substances of both natures of Chryst Note that as catholikely as we confesse Chryst to be God So catholikely do we confesse yt that we receaue at the Aultars holie holy aultar to be Chryst and the lambe of God Also yf the aultars be holie as this Authour saieth they be Yt can be no holie dede to pull them down with despite as Germanie and Englond haue doen. This I trust sufficeth to open this Authours faith as concerning the presence of Chryst in the holie Sacrament Wherfor nowe leauing him his folowe shall be hearde who ys Holkot an english man who writing vpon the booke of wisdom saieth thus Per Manna in sacra scriptura figuratur signanter Holkot in li sap cap. 16 Eucharistiae Sacramentum Sicut enim filij Israel transeuntes per desertum versus terram à Domino promissam cibi refocillabantur alimento ita nos per mundum ad coelum pergentes corporis sanguinis Christi quotidiano viatico recreamur By Manna in the holie scripture the Sacrament ys notablie figured For as the Manna a notable figure of the Sacrament children of Israell going through the desert towarde the land promised vnto them of God they were recreated with the foode of that meat Euen so we going through the worlde to heauen are recreated with the dailie iourneing meat of the bodie and bloode of Chryst Of this Authour though he be of the later daies we learn no other thing in this matter but euen the verie same that the great auncientes haue before taught and auouched So that I can not perceaue why the masters of wickednesse shoulde reiect him and soche other but onely of malice for there plain testimonie As all that before be alleaged haue taught Manna to be a figure of the Sacrament So doth this Authour likewise As they haue auouched the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament So doth this Authour also For he saieththat we are fedde in this worlde in our iourneie to heauen warde with the bodie and bloode of Chryst. Nowe ye haue hadde these matters reported and testified to yowe by twelue witnesses whiche be sufficient by the lawes yf were in matter of life and death as in dede this ys for they that beleue this as they haue testified maie haue life but they whiche do not shall die the death They haue testified that Manna ys a figure of the Sacrament they haue testified that in the same Sacrament ys Chryst verilie and therwithall some of them by expresse woordes haue testified the excellencie of this Sacrament aboue the Sacramentes of the olde lawe and in effecte so haue they euery one For sainge that we haue the veritie wher they hadde but the figure yt declareth as moch excellencie in owres ahoue theirs as ys of the bodie aboue the shadowe These be not twelue bare witnesses but they are substanciall witnesses all being of Chrystes Parliament house and most of them of the higher house I meen of them that were aboue nine hundreth yeares agon who testific vnto vs no other but that trueth and faithe whiche then was receaued as an enacted trueth Wherfor Reader contemne not their testimonie contemne not their aunciencie and with all neclect not thy saluacion but yf thowe will yt obtein heare these witnesses reuerently beleue them faithfullie abide in that beleif constantly and yf all other poinctes of life and faith be in thee agreablie thowe shalt no doubte liue perpetually Nowe finallie to conclude and shet vppe the exposition of this text I haue thought good to adde the thirtenth witnesse who shall be Gagneius a mān of the later daies but not to be contemned but woorthilie for his learning to be receaued Whom for that he breiflie expowndeth the wholl text of Sainct Paule here treacted of I haue placed him in the last place for the Readers better remembrance Thus he writeth Admonet hoc capite Paulus Corinthios ne de donis à Deo perceptis efferantur Futurum enim vt per elationem Gagneius in Paulum 1. Cor. 10. hanc atque alia peccata ijs donis excidant à Christo eijciantur idue exemplo Iudaeorum docet Quos licet in figura similibus tamen donis ab eo affectos probat sed hinc tamen ob sua delicta excidisse Sicut enim Corinthij in spiritu sanclo aqua baptisati veri Pharaonis seruitutem excusserunt Christi carne pasti eius sanguine potati sunt It a patres Iudaei excussa Pharaonis seruitute transgresso marirubro quodam modo in mari nube baptisati sunt similitudinariè scilicet Quod enim illis nubes protegens conducens ac refrigerans id nobis spiritus sanctus actionum nostrarum dux ptotector libidinumue moderator extinctor Quod illis mare hoc Corinthijs aquae Baptismatis Corinthij Christi carnem manducabant illi figuram eius Manna quam spiritualem vocat escam quod miraculosè coelitus descenderit Corinthij Christi sanguinem bibebant Iudaei spiritualem potum quem miraculosè petra sudit biberunt neque tame ntot affecti beneficijs praeter duos tantùm in terram promissionis peruenerunt sed in deserto prostrati sunt ac mortui Qua in re sigura nostri fuere vi scilicet à vitijs illorum abstineamus alioquin in deserto perpetuae vastitudinis perituri neque veram promissionis terram ingressuri Paule doth admonish the Corynthians in this chapiter that they be not prowde of the giftes whiche they haue receaued of God For yt maie come that by this pride and other sinnes they maie fall from these giftes and be cast oute from Chryst And that he teacheth by the A notable conference of the figures and the thirges figured and of the benefittes of bothe example of the lewes whom he proueth to haue had the like benefittes although in figure and yet by their sinnes to haue fallen from them For as the Corynthians baptised in the holie Gost and water brake of the seruitude of
the beleuers the true bread from heauen whiche Manna did signifie which ys the meat of Angells in dede whiche Sonne of God feedeth the corruptible incorruptiblie who that man might eate was made flesh and dwelled among vs. As Sainct Hierom and Sainct Augustin be well agreing in the exposition of the sainges of the Prophet Dauid So also Cassiodorus a man well towarde their time in nothing dissenteth from them expownding the same psalme of Dauid Et pluit illis Manna ad manducandum Pluit dixit vt Cassiod in Psal 77. ostenderet escae mmiam largitatem quae tanquam pluuia de caelo descendit Et ne dubitares quae fuerit illa pluuia sequitur Manna manducare Manna interpretatur quid est hoc quod sanctae communioni decenter aptamus quia dum admirando cibus iste perquiritur corporis dominici munera declarantur Addidit Panem coeli dedit eis Quis est alter panis coeli nisiChristus Dominus vnde coelestia spiritualem escam capiunt deleclatione inestimabili perfruuntur Denique sic sequitur Panem Angelorum manducauit homo Panis ergo Angelorum bene dicitur Christus quia aeterna ipsius laude pascuntur Neque enim corporalen panem Angeli manducare credendi sunt Sed illa contemplatione Domini quia sublimis creatura reficitur verim hic panis in coeloreplet Angelos nos pascit in terris And he rained down Manna vnto them to eate He saied rained that he might shewe the great plentie of the meat which like vnto rain came down from heauen And that thowe shouldest not doubte what that rain was yt foloweth To eate Manna Manna ys interpreted what ys this Whiche we verie well Manna what yt ys by interpretacion applie to the holie communion For while this meat ys gotten with woondering the giftes of our Lordes bodie be declared He added He gaue them bread from heauen Who ys the other bread from heauen but Chryst our Lorde of whome heauenly thinges do receaue spirituall meat and ioifullie vse inestimable delectacion Then yt foloweth thus Man hath eaten the bread of Angells Chryst than ys well called the bread of Angells bycause they are fedde with his euerlasting lawde and praise Neither are Angells to be thought to eate corporall meat but with that contemplacion of our Lorde with the whiche the high creature ys fedde they are fedde But this bread filleth Angells in heauen yt feadeth vs in the earth Thus farre Cassiod The testimonies of these Authours whiche here be produced vpon the Prophet Dauid are so consonant and agreable that I dissere to make anie note of them vntill we heare one mo who shall be Titelman a writer vpon the Psalmes not to be contemned though he be of the later daies Whom I ioin with the better will to these auncientes that yt maie well appeare to the Reader that these later writers being agreable and nothing dissenting from them the false slaunders of the Aduersaries be but vain and without cause moued This Authour in his annotacions for the Hebrue and Caldeie toung saieth that the bread whiche in our communion text ys called Panis Angelorum the bread of Angells in the Hebrue as Sainct Titell in annot super Psal 77. Hierom and other do translate yt ys called Panis fortium robustorum the bread of strong and mightie men And giuing two causes why yt ys so called he putteth this for one Aut fortè propter significationem panis viui illius tempore gratiae mundo descensuri desuper cuius non dubium est Manna corporeum fuisse figuram panis fortium aut robustorum dictus intelligatur quia is cuius typum gerebat panis viuus de coelo mittendus confortaturus erat corda sumentium in vitam aeternam inxta quod apud Ioannem Saluator testatur dicens Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum qui manducat me ipse viuet propter me Or ells this bread maie be vnderstanded to be called the bread of the strong and mightie for the significacion of that liuely bread that shoulde descend from aboue to the worlde of the whiche bread without doubte that corporall Manna was a figure for that liuing bread to be sent from heauen of the whiche the other was the figure shoulde make strong the heartes of the receauers to euerlasting life according to that our Sauiour testifieth in Sainct Iohn saing He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer And he that eateth me shall liue through me Thus moche this Authour Nowe ye haue hearde these Authours with great concorde expownding the Prophet Dauid And forsomoche as their sainges here be euen like to them that before are saied vpon Sainct Augustine to auoide prolixitie I shall raither geue a breif note vpon their sainges then long to stand vpon them This ys to be obserued in them all that they applie this Prophecie to Chryst as the foode of heauen the very liuing bread that geueth soche strengh to them that duely eate therof that they liue for euer which foode ys receaued in the Sacrament of his bodie and bloode For Sainct Hierom applieng yt to Chryst as the foode of mans soule alleageth the sixt Chapiter of Sainct Iohn which Chapiter as yt ys inuinciblie proued in the second booke treacteth of the Sacrament Wherof also Sainct Hierom ys ther a witnesse as a great nombre mo be And for the more plain proofe of this in the exposition of the hundreth and fourth Psalme he saieth by expresse woordes that we be fedd with the bodie of the lambe as they were with Manna whiche plain maner of speache leaueth vs in no doubte what faith Sainct Hierom was of and howe he vnderstandeth the Prophet Dauid And thus considering howe long I haue ben vpon this one text of Sainct Paule and remembring howe manie mo ther remain likwise to be expownded I shall leaue the rest of the Authours here alleaged to be weighed by the Reader and in the next chapiter make an ende of that that vpon this scripture ys to be saied THE TWELTH CHAPITER PROVETH BY occasion of that that ys saied with farder Authoritie that the Sacramentes of the newe lawe are more excellent then the Sacraments of the olde lawe FOrasmoche as all the Anthours alleaged for the exposition of the text of Sainct Pāule nowe last handled and treacted of doo all together conspire and agree in this trueth that Manna was the figure and the bodie of Chryst whiche we receaue in the Sacramēt the veritie and the veritie allwais ys more excellent in good thinges then ys the figure euē as moche more excellent as the bodie of a man ys aboue the shadowe Yt must nedes then of necessitie folowe that the Sacraments of the newe lawe whiche be the thinges figured by the figures of the olde lawe must as farre excel them as the veritie doth the figure and as the bodie doth the shadowe For further proof of this consider as yt ys declared at
declareth to be in two poinctes The one ys that yt ys doen by consecracion which ys doen by the woord of Chryst Wherfor he saieth We perceaue grace to be of greater power then nature For In the consecracion of the B. Sac. the woordes of our Sauiour do woorke yf the benediction of a man was of so great power that yt might turne nature what shall we saie of the diuine consecracion yt self wher the verie woordes of our Lord and Sauiour do woorke As who might saie Yf Moyses did cast downe the rodde and yt was turned into a serpent and tooke yt vppe again and yt was turned into a rodde and soch like Yf Helyseus did make the axe against his nature to swimme aboue the water Yf Helyas by his woorde caused fire to descend from heauen Yf the woorde of these men but seruantes did woork soch wonders how moch more maie the woorde of the Lord and master of these men woorke The second poinct ys that he sheweth by what means the woord of Chryst woorketh the presence of his bodie in the Sacrament that ys saieth he by the chaunging of the natures of the creatures into the nature of his bodie ād blood which he signifieth when he saieth Yf the woorde of Helyas was of soch power that yt might bring down fire frō heauen shall not the woorde of Chryst be of soch power that yt maie chaunge the natures of the elementes And again the woorde of Chryst that coulde of nothing make that that was not can yt not chaunge those thinges that be in to that thing that they were not The meā then by the which the woorde of Chryst maketh the bodie of Chryst present in the Sacrament ys by chaunging the natures of bread and wine into the nature of his bodie ād blood which bicause the chaunging of natures ys the chaunge of substances Transubstanciation what yt ys therfor the Church doth call yt Transubstanciacion forsomoch as the nature or substance of one thing ys chaunged by Gods power into the nature or substance of an other thing The thirde thing that we are taught of S. Ambrose which also ys diduced of these two ys the verie presence of Chryst in the Sacrament Which so being as most certenly yt ys we maie conclude that this ys in comparablie a more excellent Sacrament then either Manna or the Paschall lambe notwithstanding the saing of the Aduersarie And although S. Augustin saieth that Sacramenta in signis diuersa in re tamen quae significatur paria sunt Sacramentes in signes being diuerse in the thing yet that ys signified they are like Yet that taketh not awaie the excellencie of Difference betwē Māna and the blessed Sac. this Sacrament For although Manna and the Paschall lambe did signifie the same Chryst that our Sacrament doth and so in that respect of significacion be like yet for that the other sacramentes did but signifie and this Sacramēt doth both contein and geue that yt doth signifie therfor yt doth farre excell them To this that ys saied although yt be sufficient to proue that that ys here entended yet yf the reader will adde the saing of S. Ambrose in the eight chapter of the booke last alleaged whiche to auoide tediousnesse I ouerpasse and wil remembre what the saied S. Ambrose saieth in the fourth chapter of this booke and Chrysostom in the sixth chapter and Theophilact and Haymo in the ninth chap and other treacting of Manna and the bodie of Chryst of which he shall find diuerso from the fourth chapter to the eleuēth chapiter of this booke I doubte not but he shall see so moche that he will merueill that euer anie heretike could so shamelesly teach soch wicked doctrine so repugnant to the catholique faith and so direct contratie to the sainges of so manie holy Fathers being wittnesses of this trueth but aboue all that they shoulde so blasphemously dishonour the sacramentes of God and his Chryst Who for the setting furth of his honour and sor owre helpe and comfort in the perigrinacion of this life that we maie haue strength against owre enemies whiche cruelly lie in wait for vs and our assured hope of the mercie of God in the ende of our iourney hath instituted these sacramētes and by them woorthilie vsed and receaued hath geuen vs manie benefittes of all which as also of Gods honour they wolde robbe both him and vs. But Reader beware of them and be not led awaie with soch doctrines as were born but yesterdaie But cleaue to that ys tried receaued approued and testified manie hondreth years of the whiche thowe shalt learn that the Sacramentes of Chryst and of the newe lawe are moch more excellent then the sacramentes of the olde lawe THE FYFTENTH CHAPITER PROVING all our Sacramentes generallie to be more excellent then the sacramentes of Moyses AS ye haue heard by sufficient testimonie that the blessed Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys more excellent then Manna and the Paschall lambe the figures of the same of the which I haue speciallie treacted bicause this wholl rude woork ys cheifly settfurth for the commendacion of the trueth of the same Sacrament Nowe that the other sacramentes be not left in the handes of the enemies and by them spoiled ād ouer moche wronged somwhat also shall be breiflie saied wherby they maie be knowen as they be and be deliuered from the handes of their enemies who falselie report of them and deuellislie trauaill to dishonour them Among all the sacramentes next vnto this blessed and most honorable Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and blood yt ys to be merueiled that they could Baptisme instituted by Chryste and commēded by the wholl Trinitie so vnreuerentlie speake of the sacrament of Baptisme which was so instituted and commended to the Chrystian worlde as no sacrament more solemnelie At the setting furth of this Sacrament Chryst himself being present and baptised the voice of the Father was heard saing This ys my wel beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heauen was opened and the holy Gost was seen in the forme of a doue descending from heauen and abyding vpon Chryst So that in the ministracion of this sacrament was present the Father the Sonne and the holie Gost Which noble presence semeth to bring with yt some more noble gift than a bare sign or token as the wicked saie that yt ys But what shall I nede to stand to declare the woorthinesse of this sacrament against these enemies of God seing that heauen and the wholl Trintie testifieth against them Wherfore leauing to speake any more of this sacrament speciallie or of the other particularlie for feare of prolixitie and for that yt ys spoken of here but by occasion we shall heare sainct Augustin speaking of Aug. cōt Faustū li. 19 cap. 13. them generallie Prima sacramenta quae obseruabantur celebrabantur ex lege praenunciatiua erant Christi venturi quae cùm suo aduentu Christus impleuisset
vpon the crosse which he graunteth to be moche more excellent then the sacrifices of the olde lawe the seconde note of the saied Chrysostome shall clerely wipe awaie his glose and disapoint him of his cloake Wherfor obserue that when he saied that Chryst prepared this woonderfull sacrisice he opened the time also when he did prepare yt He did saieth he prepare this woonderfull sacrifice when he did chaunge the sacrifice of the olde lawe and when he commaunded A plain saing for M. Juell himself to be offred When did he these two thinges Reader yf thowe marke here be two thinges the one ys that Chryst chaunged the sacrifice the other that he commaunded himself to be offred When did he these two thinges In his last supper when as sainct Cyprian saieth obuiarunt sibi instituta noua antiqua consumpto agno quem antiqua traditio proponebat inconsumptibilem Cyp. de Cae. cibum magister apponit Discipulis The newe and the olde ordeinaunces mett together and the lambe which the olde tradicion did settsurth being consumed the master did sett to his disciples inconsumptible meate De prodition Iudae So that for this lambe of the olde tradicion he gaue nowe inconsumptible meate to his Disciples whiche was his bodie and bloode whiche was the veritie of that shadowe as Chrysostom saieth Ille agnus futuri agni typus fuit ille sanguis Dominici sanguinis monstrabat aduentum ouis illa spiritalis ouis fuit exemplum Ille agnus vmbra fuit hic veritas Sed postquam sol iusticiae radiauit vmbra soluitur luce ideo in ipsa mensa vtrumque Pascha typi veritatis celebratum est That lambe was the figure of the lambe to Blood of the Paschall laÌ„be figure of the blood of Chryste in the Sacr. come And that bloode shewed the coming of the bloode of our Lord and that shepe was an example of the spirituall shepe that lambe was the shadowe this the veritie But after the Sunne of righteousnesse did shyne with beames the shadowe was taken awaie with the light And therfore in that table bothe the passeouer of the figure and of the trueth was celebrated Thus he In which saing ys declared that the olde lambe was a figure of our lambe Chryst whiche were together in the table as two passeouers the olde and the newe But when the newe passeouer whiche was the bodie of Chryst ther consecrated was settfurth ther as a newe passouer whiche he calleth the sonne of righteousnesse then the olde Passeouer was taken awaie and this placed in the stead Then was the olde sacrifice chaunged and a newe sacrifice appointed So that ys true that S. Augustin saieth Aliud Cont. literas Petilia est Pascha quod Iudaei celebrant de oue aliud autem quod nos in corpore sanguine Domini celebramus Yt ys an other Passouer that the Iewes do celebrate with a shepe and an other whiche we celebrate in the bodie and bloode of Chryst Yt caÌ„ not be saied that Chryst did chaung the sacrifice of the olde lawvpoÌ„ the crosse for that sacrifice was after the maner of the sacrifices of the ordre of Aaron a bloodie sacrifice as they were But this chaunge of sacrifice must nedes then be when the shewing of the chaunge of preisthead was For as S. Paule saieth Necessarium fuit secundùm ordinem Melchisedec alium surgere sacerdotem non secundùm ordinem Aaron dici Yt was necessarie that an other preist Heb. 7. shoulde rise to be called after the order of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron Chryst neuer shewed himself a preist after the order of Melchisedec but in the last supper in the which he sacrificed after that order Wherfore then was the olde sacrifice chaunged when this newe preist after the ordre of Melchisedec did shewe himself in sacrificing The trueth of this ys well proued by the seconde note in the saing of Chrysostome whiche ys that he commaunded himself to be offred Let al the volume of the Gospell be turned and searched and in no place shall ye finde that Chryst commaunded himself to be offred but in the last supper when he had instituted this holie sacrifice of his and bodie and blood Then he saied Hoc facite This do ye By which woordes he gaue coÌ„maundement to all to whoÌ„ coÌ„mission of this holie ministracioÌ„ should be geueÌ„ that they should doe that that he had doeÌ„ In that high and woonderfull institucion he did three thinges that ys he Three notable thinges doen by Chryst in the inst it â—cion of the B. Sacr. consecrated his blessed bodie and blood he offred yt in sacrifice after the ordre of Melchisedech and receaued yt with his Apostles Wherfore saing and commaunding that his preistes shoulde that do that he then did forsomoch as among other his doinges he did then offre sacrifice Therfore he coÌ„maunded that he himself should be offred And thus yt maie be perceaued that Chrysostom looked to this place when he saied that Chryst commaunded himself to be offred Li. 4. ca. 32 Of this same sentence and minde be a nombre of the holie Fathers Irenaeus saieth Eum qui ex creatura panis est accepit gratias egit dicens Hoc est corpus meuÌ„ Et calicem similiter qui est ex ea creatura quae est secundùm nos suum sanguinem confessus est Et noui Testamenti nouam docuit oblationeÌ„ c. He took the bread saieth Irenaeus speaking of Chryst which ys a creature and gaue thankes saing This ys my bodie And the cuppe likewise which ys a creature as we he confessed to be his blood And of the newe Testament he taught a newe oblacion c. Jn primaoration praepar S. Ambrose also in his praier saieth Ego enim Domine memor venerandae passionis tuae accedo ad altare tuum licet peceà tor vt offeram tibi sacrificium quod tu instituisti offerri praecepisti in commemorationem tui pro salute nostra I Lorde mindefull of thy woorshippefull passion come vnto thy aultar although a sinner to offer vnto thee the sacrifice which thow hauest instituted and commaunded to be The Proclamermaie her learn that Chryst coÌ„manded his bodie to be offred in sacrifice offred in the remembrance of thee for our health Ye see these two graue and auncient wittnesses testifieng with ChrysostoÌ„ that Chryst commaunded this sacrifice which he instituted to be offred What the thing ys that we offre Chrysostome by moste plain woordes declareth when he saieth that Chryst commaunded himself to be offred So that Chryst himself ys our oblacion and sacrifice which we offre not vpon our owne inuencion but vpon his holie and most louing commaundement By this latter part then of Chrysostome his saing the two other partes before noted be well proued For by that that Chryst hath commaunded vs to offre him in our sacrifice yt ys most clere
maketh vs partakers of the bodie of our Lorde So the partaking of meates offred in sacrifice to An argumeÌ„t grownded vpon the sacrifice by S. Hierom. Deuells maketh vs partakers of Deuells And thus ther must be a sacrifice vnderstanded in both sides aswell in the one as in the other Which being so yt must nedes be confessed that the bread which S. Paule speaketh of here by the whiche we are made partakers of the bodie of Chryst ys a sacrifice and in that yt ys a sacrifice yt necessarily foloweth that yt ys the very bodie of Chryst whiche ys owre onely sacrifice And thus yt maie be perceaued that this short exposition well weighed had good matter in yt to coÌ„mende and settfurth the catholique faithe and to teache the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament and yt also to be the sacrifice of chrystians And nowe that yow haue hearde the expositions of these two we will proceade to heare other two vpon the same scripture THE FICHTTENTH CHAP. PROCEADETH IN the exposition of the same text by sainct Augustin and Damascen SAincte Augustine openeth the minde of S. Paule thus Nolo vos socios Daemoniorum fieri eos quippe ab Idololatria prohibebat Propter quod eis osteÌ„ dere volebat ita illos fieri socios Daemoniorum si Idolothita sacrificij manducauerint Aug. coÌ„t immie legis Prophet quomodò Israël carnalis socius erat altaris in templo qui de sacrificiis man ducabat Hinc enim caepit vt boc diceret Propter quod dilectissimi mihi fugite ab idolorum cultura Deinde secutus ostendit ad quod sacrificium debeant iam pertenere dicens Quasi prudentibus dico iudicate vos quod dico Calix benedictionis quem benedicimus non ne communicatio est sanguinis Christi Et panis quem frangimus nonne communicatio est corporis Domini c. I will not that ye be made felowes of Deuells He did truly forbidde them from Idolatrie For the which thing he wolde declare vnto them that they shoulde euen so be made felowes of Deuells if they did eate Idolathites of the sacrifice as the carnall Israell whiche did eat of S. Aug. câ—lleth the bread and cuppe of the B. Sacr. a sacrifice the sacrifices in the temple was felowe of the Aultar By occasion of that he began that he wolde saie this wherfor my most beloued flee from the honouring of Idolls Afterwarde folowing he sheweth to what sacrifice they aught now to pertein saing I speake as vnto wise men iudge what I saie ys not the cuppe of blessing whiche we blesse a coÌ„municacion of the bloode of Chryst And ys not the bread which we breake a comunicacion of the bodie of our Lorde Thus farre S. Austen This expositioÌ„ yf yt be well marked aÌ„d coÌ„pared to the expositioÌ„ of this text of S. Paul which ys in the xvi chap. of this book yt shall be perceaued that yt doth iustly agree with the same aÌ„d moch also coÌ„firme yt But leauing all other things therin coÌ„teined aÌ„d onely to touch that that to this matter apperteineth this ys here to be noted in S. August that he saieth this to be the minde of S. Paule that he labouring to bring the Corinthians from Idolothites by the whiche they were made felows of deuells he willed them to flee from them as nowe being of the calling they be of hauing nothing to do with them And therfore leauing the sacrifices of Idolls saieth S. Augustin he sheweth them to what sacrifice they shoulde nowe pertein And what sacrifice ys that euen the cuppe of blessing whiche we blesse and the bread which we breake by the which we are made partakers of the bodie and blood of Chryst By the which woords who seith not that the minde of S. Paul ys after the Sacrifice auouched by S. Paule after the vnstanding of S. August mening of S. Augustin that the SacrameÌ„t of Chrystes bodie aÌ„d bolde ys a sacrifice vnto the which as he wolde theÌ„ the CorinthiaÌ„s So aught al ChrystiaÌ„s to pertein For S. Augustin saing that S. Paul by these woords ys not the cuppe of blessing which we blesse a partaking of the blood of Chryst c. did shew theÌ„ the sacrifice vnto the whiche they did nowe pertein what can be saied but that he ment yt to be a sacrifice That S. Augustine taketh yt to be a sacrifice as yt ys most plainlie shewed in the first booke So in this also hereafter yt shall be made so euident that yt shall not be denied Damascen whom here we will ioin with S. Austen although he doth not by waie of exposition folowe the letter of S. Paule yet treacting of the Sacrament he expowndeth the tearmes namelie participacion and coÌ„municacion whiche here S. Paule vseth and applieth to the Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode And forsomoche as the exposition of these termes geueth a great light to the clere vnderstanding of the minde of S. Paule as whether he ment that the Sacrament were a bare signe of the bodie and blood of Chryst or ells verilie conteining the same I thought to bring in that his saing And wher as this holie Sacrament for that yt ys of infinite vertue can not sufficientlie be expressed deuoute and godlie men minding as the measure of our weaknesse in the capacitie of so great misteries wolde permitte and suffer to signifie some parte of yt haue called yt by sondrie and diuerse names of the whiche Damascen remembring some doth thus saie of them Damascen li. 4. ca. 14 Et si quidam exemplaria corporis sanguinis Domini panem vinum vocauerunt vt deifer vocauit Basilius non tamen post sanctificationem dixit sed priusquam sanctificaretur ipsa oblatio ita vocabant Participatio etiam dicitur Nam per ipsam Iesu dininitatem participamus Dicitur coÌ„munio est reuera quia coÌ„municamus per ipsam Christo participamus eius carne Diuinitate quia coÌ„municamus vnimur inuiceÌ„ per illaÌ„ Although some haue called the bread and wine exemplaries of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde as the godly man Basill hath called yt yet they Bread and wine called exeÌ„plaries of the bodie and blood of Chryste before sanctificacion but not after did not so after the sanctificacion but before the oblacion was sanctified they did so call yt Yt ys also called a partaking For by yt we partake the God head of Iesus Yt ys also called a CoÌ„munion and yt ys in verie dede for by yt we coÌ„municate with Chryst both that we partake his flesh and God head and also that by yt we be vnited one with an other I nede not to tarie to open this saing of Damascen whiche lieth so open and plain that the simplest maie see the true vnderstanding of yt And wher S. Paule here speaketh of the partaking and of the coÌ„municacion of the bodie and bloode of Chryst which as before ys noted some wolde
enim naturae vitis palmites sunt Ita spiritualiter corporaliter nos palmites Christus vitis est Maie not the manheade of Chryst be very wel called the vine and we the braunches for that we be all of one nature for the vine and the braunches be of one nature So both spirituallie and corporallie Chryst ys the vine and we be the braunches Thus Cyrill Wherfore Isidore to proue that that ys in the cuppe to be the bloode of Chryste as the wine or iuice whiche shoulde be receaued of vs the naturall braunches of Chryst the true vine did very well alleadge the sainge of Chryst I am the true vine And by this also yowe maie perceaue the minde of S. Cyrill that we be not onely of one Spirit with Chryst by faith but we be also of one nature with him not onely that he hath taken our nature vpon him wherby he ys one with vs but that we receaue his naturall flesh and bloode wherby we are of one nature with him This his natural flesh and bloode we receaue not but in the Sacrament Wherfor the Sacrament conteineth the naturall flesh and bloode of Chryste And nowe that we haue hearde Isidore who was of the latin churche so breifly and plainly expownde this text we will also heare Oecumenius who was of the greke churche howe he breifly expowndeth the same He saieth In. decins 1 Cor. Poculum voeat benedictionis poculum sanguinis Christi quod benedicimus quod prae manibus habentes benedicimus eum qui gratiosè sanguinem suum nobis largitus est He calleth the cuppe of the bloode of Chryst the cuppe of blessing whiche we blesse whiche hauing before vs we blesse him who hath graunted vs his bloode The cuppe of blessing ys the cuppe of the blood of Chryste Is not this as plain an exposition as yt ys breif ys yt not wonderfull that anie man wolde open his mouth against a trueth so plainlie vttered as this ys Here maie ye see what maner of cuppe yt ys that S. Paule calleth the cuppe of blessing Yt ys saieth this authour the cuppe of the bloode of Chryste And when he hath expownded to yowe what yt ys than he geueth yowe a cause why yt ys called of S. Paule the cuppe of blessinge being in dede the cuppe of Chrystes bloode Yt ys so called saieth he because hauing yt before vs we blesse and geue thankes to him that hath graunted vs his bloode ▪ and woorthily we blesse him both for that he hath commaunded vs that as oftē as we eate of that breade and drinke of that cuppe we shoulde shewe furth his death vntill he come and also for that besides an infinite nombre of benefittes whiche he hath pourchased vnto vs by his passion and bloode shedding ther ys graunted vnto vs as a pledge of his vnspeakable loue towardes vs as this authour saieth his bloode For asmoche then as the cuppe of bloode conteineth his bloode who hath wrought vs so great mercie and quickneth in vs the liuelie remembrance of the same we are prouoked to The cuppe of the blood why yt ys called the cuppe of blessing lawde praise and blesse him by whom these mercies were wrought and therfor yt ys very well called the cuppe of blessing that ys to saie the cuppe that moueth stirreth and prouoketh to blesse Chryst our Sauiour whose bloode yt ys And here Reader to commend this trueth better to thee I meen that the cuppe which S. Paule calleth the cuppe of blessing that yt ys as this authour saieth the cuppe of Chrystes bloode call to thy remembrance the saing of Chrysostome what he saied expownding this text dothe not he saie this ys the meening of S. Paule that that ys in the cuppe ys yt that flowed oute of the side Nowe this ys a cōmon maner of speache that the vessell ys named by the thing that yt conteineth as a cuppe conteining wine ys called a cuppe of wine a cuppe conteining water ys called a cuppe of water Nowe whē Chrysostom saieth that the bloode that flowed oute of the side of Chryst ys in the cuppe and Oecumenius saieth that yt ys the cuppe of bloode what difference ys ther in the thinge that they speake of ▪ ys yt not all one Therfor thowe maist see that these authours agree and haue consent bitwixt thē For this authour though he differ in maner of speach from Chrysostom yet in the thing that they speake he saieth euen the same that he dothe And nowe as for these two wittnesses Isidorus and Oecumenius let not the Aduersarie attempt to corrupt them with his wicked glose for they be allreadie alleadged and again shall be withe soch euident and strong sentence declaring their faith that they can not be altered THE TVENTETH CHAP. PROCEADETH vpon the same text by Haymo and Theophilacte THis being true that our Sauiour Chryst saieth In the mouth of two or three wittnesses standeth all trueth these that be alleaged might suffice to testifie this trueth that I haue taken in hand to settfurthe Neuerthelesse for that yt hath pleased him who ys the verie trueth him self who neded no testimonie to call twelue and when one of them the childe of perdicion perished to haue an oiher chosen that the nombre of twelue might be continued yt shall like me tofolowe his example and as I haue doen in the exposition of the first text of S. Paule wher I haue produced twelue wittnesses to do the like here in the exposition of this text And allthough the trueth of this matter ys soche that being spoken of him that ys the trueth him self as ys saied yt nedeth no other commendacion yet to the confusion of the enemie and the comforte of the fauourer and louer of gods catholique faithe twelue be and shall be cauled that yt maie beseen howe largely this trueth hath ben spred and receaued and in what diuersitie of times yt hath ben euer cōtinued as I do not hing doubte but yt shall be continued to the worldes ende But to go a boute that that here ys entended that the rest of this nombre which remain maie geue also their testimonie and shewe their mindes in the vnderstanding of S. Paule we shall first heare Theophilacte whose exposition Theoph. in to prioris ad Corin. of this text ys this Calix benedictionis hoc est gratiarum actionis In manibus namque habentes gratias ei haud dubiè agimus qui nostri gratia sanguinem sum effuderit dignatutue nos sit bonis ineffabilibus Non enim participatio dixit sed vt plus alialiquid exprimat summam scilicet coniunctionem Quod autem dixit tale est Sanguis enim iste qui calice continetur ille est qui Christi è latere profluit Hunc ipsi cùm sumimus participamus Cōmunication vsed of S. Paule to expresse a nearer coniūction betwen Chryste and vs then participacion cā signifie hoc est Christo coniungimur The cuppe
one or two yf he list to see affirming the bodie of Chryst to be vnder formes of bread and wine that we can not shewe one doctour that saieth that the outwarde shewes or formes of bread and wine remain withoute their substances Although yt hath ben sufficiently proued in that place wher we haue treaicted of transubstancion yet here by occasion of these authours alleadged we maie note the same again For when S. Cyprian saieth that the bread ys chaunged in nature but not in outwarde shewe what doth he saie but that the outwarde shewe remaineth aÌ„d that the substance of bread ys chaunged And when S. Austen saieth of the Sacrament that yt ys the flesh and blood of Chryst that we receaue vnder the formes of bread and wine dothe he not saie the same that S. Cyprian saied except the Proclamer will saie that vnder the formes of bread and wine ther be bothe the substances of the bodie and blood of Chryste and also the substances of the bread wine withall whiche ys to great an absurditie And to be shorte when Theophilact saieth that yt doth appeare bread but yt ys flesh And Haymo saieth that yt semeth bread but in verie dede yt ys the bodie of Chryste And this authour saieth that yt ys the flesh of Chryst vnder the forme of bread All which what do they ells teache but that ther be in the Sacrament the outwarde shewes of bread and wine and the substance of Chrysts bodie and bloode and not the substance of bread and wine See ye not theÌ„ howe great a smooke the Proclamer wolde make withoute anie fire See ye not howe greate reproache he wolde laie to the Church See the malice of the Prorcl see in what depe sleape of heresie he lieth that can not or will not see all these doctours withoute iust cause See yowe not howe greatt bragges he maketh withoute anie grownde to buill then vpon Or raither see ye not howe he hath prouoked matter to be shewed to his shame So that euery man that readeth this maie well saie yt ys a shame for him to saie that the catholikes haue nothing to shewe for that they teache when ther ys soche plentie produced to proue and confirme that they saie But as for him self he hath nothing that ys of any substanciall authoritie to maintein his sainges but resteth onely vpon his bare bragges and his owne priuate authoritie Neither do I doubte but the Proclamer him self knoweth yt Manie mo maie in this matter be produced Feare not then Reader neither be thowe cast in doubte to continewe the olde auncient saing of the church that thowe hauest seen in the Sacrament Chryst vnder the formes of bread and wine for somoche as tho we seist S. Cyprian S. Augustin whiche were aboue a thousand years agon and other whiche were eight hondreth seauen hondreth and foure hondreth yeares agon saie that yt ys so Wherby we maie conclude against this article of this Aduersaries proclamacion that in the Sacrament after the consecracion remain the outwarde shewes of bread and wine with oute their substances but not withoute the substances of the bodie and bloode of Chryst THE TWO AND TWENTETH CHAP. ENDETH the exposition of this text by Dionise and Gagneius YT shall auaill to declare the continuance of consent of doctrine in all ages if we also heare the exposition of Dionise the Carthusian who was somwhat nearer to our time then the other were Thus he expowndeth S. Paule his saing Calix benedictionis id est contentum in calice vt pote sanguis Christi per quem sanguinem benedicimur id cst dona gratiarum consequimur cui calici seu Dionisius Carthu in 10. 1. Cor. sanguini benedicimus id est quem consecramus cùm per prolationem sacrorum verborum à nobis conuertitur vinum in sanguinem Christi nonne communicatio sanguinis Christi est id est nonne veraciter est sanguis Christi nobis comunicatus seu datus faciensue nos comunicationem habere cum Christo incorporando nos ei faciendo nos participes meriti suoe ef fusionis Et panis quem frangimus id est corpus Christi consecratum ex pane quem panem consecratum cuius dimensiones seu species frangimus porrigendo eum fidelibus nonne participatio corporis Christi est id est nonne vtique est corpus Christi verè acceptum à nobis faciens nos vnum cum Christo qui ait Qui manducat meam carnem bibit meum sanguinem in me manet ego in â—eo The cuppe of blessing that ys the thing conteined in the cuppe that ys to witte the bloode of Chryst by the which CoÌ„municacion of the blood ys when the blood of Chryst ys verilie geuen to vs. blood we are blessed that ys we obtein giftes of graces whiche cuppe or bloode we blesse that ys we consecrate wher by the prolacion of the holy woordes the wine ys turned into the bloode of Chryst ys it not a Communicacion of the bloode of Chryst that ys ys not the bloode of Chryst verilie communicated or geuen to vs and making vs to haue a communioÌ„ with Chryst incorporating vs to him and making vs partakers of the meritte of his effusion And the bread whiche we breake that ys the bodie of Chryst Participacion of the bodie ys likewise as of the bloode ys saied consecrated of bread which bread consecrated whose dimensions and formes we breake geuing yt to the faithfull ys yt not a partaking of the bodie of Chryst that ys ys yt not also the bodie of Chryst verilie taken of vs making vs one with Chryst who saieth he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode abideth in me and I in him Thus mouch Dionise In this as in the other expositions as ye see moche plainnesse so ye se no parte of S. Paule his sentence left vnexpownded But yet as truly as simplie and plainlie That in the cuppe S. Paule meent to be the very bloode of Chryst yt ys so plainlie here spoken as yt nedeth no addicion for better declaracion In the whiche his exposition that he agreeth with all that hitherto haue ben induced the matter being so clere I trust ye will be easilie perswaded for anie futher proof to be made by me for the same And therfor leauing this authour to the discrecion of the reader farder to be considered we will descende a litle lower to one of this our time and ther ende the exposition of this text of S. Paule This shall be Ioannes Gagneius who treating of this text dothe thus open Ioann Gagneius in decim 1. Cor. the same Calix benedictionis cui benedicimus id est quem cum gratiarum actione sumimus noune communicatio sanguinis Christi est id est nonne calicem Christi sumentes ac sanguinem illius bibentes cum illo communicamus cum illo commercium nobis esse declaramus Et panis quem frangimus id est corpus Christi quod
vsed as yt ys declared the argument might seem to haue force but nowe yt ys to vain yt ys as good an argument as the heritique might make that denied the Sonne of God to be incarnate bycause the scripture saieth directlie against him Verbum caro factum est The woorde was made flesh that bycause Verbum signifieth a materiall woorde therfor he shall argue that yt doth none otherwise signifie ther and so as he thinketh ouerthrowe the faith of the incarnacion of the Sonne of God and maintein his heresie as this Aduersarie wolde ouerthrowe the faith of the presence of Chryst in the Sacrament and by this woorde bread maintein his heresie But as the one hath small force or strenght so hath the other Wherfor nowe leauing this note in this Authour as which mightilie destroieth one of the fundacions of the Aduersarie and confirmeth the catholique faith I will in fewe woordes touche the other note whiche ys for our incorporacion to Chryste by partaking of his bodie in the Sacrament whiche incorporacion he so plainly setteth furthe that yf his saing be considered verie fewe woordes shall nede to explain yt Note therfor that thus he saieth And where that first nature of our slesh was corrupted and was made voide of that heauenlie life be gaue vs his nature of slesh being like vnto owers the whiche did both lack sinne and shoulde geue life that we being made partakers of yt we shoulde be mixed with him Doest thowe not Reader see here that he saieth that Chryst hath geuen vs the nature of his flesh not the figure of his flesh but the nature of yt the substance of yt but to what pourpose hath he geuen vs his naturall flesh he declareth to this pourpose that we shoulde be partakers of yt Yf we procead and aske what commoditie or profitte haue we by the partaking of his What profitte we haue by partaking Chrystes flesh flesh He aunswereth by the partaking of his flesh we are mixed with him in soche sorte that we receauing his bodie and nowe being ioined to the same the great vertue and poower of that bodie turneth our bodies into his bodie So that nowe we are be come one bodie of Chryst Neither let the grosse Capharnait saie that yf all faithfulll and woorthie partakers of the Sacrament be one bodie of Chryst that then Chryst hath an huge great bodie but let him remembre that the naturall man hauing twentie children euery one of them ys his flesh and bloode and yet the Father ys neuer the greater So manie of the faith becoming the flesh of Chryst by partaking of the Sacrament yet the flesh of Chryst ys nothinge bigger of the person of Chryst And howe soeuer this Aduersarie listeth grosselie to dallie in soche diuine mysteries yet this ys the trueth as by this Authour ye haue perceaued yt clerelie to be testified and the like shall you see in him that foloweth who ys Sainct Dionise who expowndeth this text of Sainct Paule almost woorde by woorde in this maner Quoniam vnus panis per proprietatem vnum corpus mysticum vnitate fidei spei charitatis Dionysius Carthus cuius corporis caput est Christus multisumus videlicet omnes qui de vno pane de vno calice participamus id est de singulari vero corpore sanguine reficimur Sacramentum tantum dignè recipimus For we are one bread by propertie and one bodie mysticall by the vnitie of faith hope and charitie of the which bodie Chryst ys the head we being manie that ys to saie all we whiche do partake of one bread and one cuppe that ys all we whiche be refreshed of the singular and verie bodie and blooode of Chryst and worthilie receaue so great a Sacrament-Thus Dionyse In this exposition let this be diligentlie noted against the Aduersarie that the bread which all we receaue and by the whiche we are made all one bread and one bodie yt ys not materiall bread but the singular and verie bodie and bloode of our Sauiour Chryst and so did Sainct Paule meen yt as this Authour agreablie with all other before alleaged dothe testifie expownding and declaring the minde of Sainct Paule Wher then ys the great argument that the Sacrament shoulde be nothing Argument of the woorde bread ouerthrowē but bare bread Bycause Sainct Paule calleth yt breade What bread yt ys and what the cuppe conteineth not onely this Authour but also one many hondreth yeares elder then he doth declare Whiche auncient Authour shall ende the exposition of bothe these last textes and ioin them together Thus he saieth Calix benedictionis cui benedicimus Remigius in 1. Cor. nonne communicatio sanguinis Christi est Idcirco primùm calicem nominauit quia de pane posteaplus erat disputaturus Calix autem benedictionis dicitur qui benedicitur à sacerdotibus in altari Appellatur ipse calix communicatio quasi participatio quia onmes communicant ex illo partemque sumunt ex sanguine Domini quem continet in se Et panis quem frangimus in altari nonne participatio corporis Domim est vtique primùm consecratur benedicitur à sacerdotibus spiritu sancto deinde frangitur cùm iam licet pants videatur in veritate corpus Christi est Ex quo pane quicunque communicant corpus Christiedunt Quoniam vnus panis subaudis Christi vnum corpus Christi multi sumus qui comedimus illum panem The cuppe of blessing whiche we blesse ys yt Cuppe of blessing howe yt ys called not a communicacion of the bloode of Chryst Therfor did he first speake of the chalice bicause he wolde afterwarde more at large treacte of the bread Yt ys called the cuppe of blessing bicause yt ys blessed of the preistes on the aultar The same cuppe also ys called the cōmunicacion for that yt ys a participacion bicause all do communicate of yt and do partake of the bloode of our Lorde whiche the cuppe conteineth in yt self And the bread whiche we breake in the aultar ys yt not a partaking of the bodie of our Lorde Yt ys so for first yt ys consecrated of the holie Gost and of the preistes and afterwarde yt ys broken when nowe although yt seem to be breade yet in verie dede yt ys the bodie of Chryst of the whiche breade as manie as do cōmunicate do eat the bodie of Chryst yt ys one bread of Chryst and one bodie of Chryst and we being manie do eate the same bread Thus moche Remigius Who being aboute the yeare of our Lorde 511. liued before this our time aboute 1050. Whose confession yet of the veritie of the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament ys as plain as yf yt had ben made in this our time What can be more plainlie spoken then to saie that the cuppe conteineth the bloode of Chryste Who can better opē the trueth then to saie although yt seem breade yet in verie deed
God the whiche Aultar of God aultar with the mencion and wholl remembrance of yt he hath laboured to deface and vtterlie to wipe awaie What ye maie thinke and iudge of the doctrine of this man that to maintein yt dothe so manifestlie falsifie the doctours and dare not alleadge them as they be written but as he listeth him self I leaue to be considered What synceritie also he vseth so truncatelie alleadging Sainct Augustine that wher he taught the twoo S. August truncathe alleaged by the Proclamer to deceaue the people and to robbe the B. Sacr. of the prefence of Christe partes of the Sacrament namely the outwarde corporall forme and the inwarde substance of Chrystes bodie and bloode the one knowen by the eye of the bodie the other by the vnderstanding of faith this man snatcheth the first parte and renneth awaie with yt leauing the other parte behinde him and so truncating Sainct Augustin deceaueth the people and abuseth the holie doctour I shall not nede to geue farder aduertisement here Sainct Augustine as he did write and as this man alleageth him lieth before yow ye maie compare them and trie the trueth Wherfore I will leaue to speake of them anie more and proceade in my matter As of these Fathers before alleaged we haue learned that in the primitiue Churche the aultars werein vse So nowe learn withall what in those daies was thought of them that did abuse aultars To geue vs vnderstanding in this matter we will heare Optatus the holie auncient Bishoppe who liued before Sainct Augustine Sainct Hierom or Sainct Ambrose and was almost xij hondreth yeares agon This learned Father and Bishoppe writing against the Donatistes who threwe downe the aultars and spoiled the Churches saieth thus Quid est tam sacrilegum quam altaria Dei in Optatus li. con Donatist quibus vos abquando obtulistis frangere radere remouere in quibus vita populi membra Christi portata sunt quo Deus omnipotens inuocatus sit quo postulatus descendit Spiritus sanctus vnde à multis pignus salutis aeternae tutela fidei spes resurrectionis accepta est Alcaria inquam in quibus fraternitatis munera non iussit saluator poni nisi quae essent de pace condita Depone inquit munus tuum ante altare redi priùs concorda cum fratre tuo vt pro te possit sacerdos offerre Quid est enim altare nisi sedes corporis sanguinis Christi Haec omnia furor vester aut rasit aut fregit aut remouit Quid vobis secit Deus qui illic inuocari consueuerat Quid vos offenderat Christus cuius illic per certa momenta corpus sanguis habitat Quid vos offen ditis etiam vos ipsi vt altaria frangatis in quibus ante nos per longa temporum spatia 3. Reg. 19. sanctè vt arbitramini obtulistis Hoc modo Iudaeos estis imitati Illi iniecerunt manus Christo in cruce à vobis pereussus est in altari De quibus apud Dominum Helias Propheta quaerelam deponit ijs enim locutus verbis quibus vos inter alios ab ipso accusari meruistis Domine inquit altaria tua confregerunt Dum dicit tua indicat quia res est Dei vbi Deo aliquid à quocumque oblatum est What ys so great sacrilege as to breade See here the vse the regard the estimation and reuerēce of aultars in the auncient churche rase and remoue the Aultars of God in the whiche yowr selues somtyme haue offred in whiche the praiers of the people and membres of Christ were born wher allmightie God ys called on wher the holy Spirit desired descendeth from whence of manie the pledge of euerlasting health and the sauegarde of faith and the hope of resurrection ys taken the Aultars Isaie on the which our sauyour commaunded the offrings of the bretheren not to be put except soche as were seasoned with peace Laie downe saith he thy offring before the Aultar and go first and agree with thy brother that the preist maie offer for thee What ys the Aultar but the seat of the bodie and bloode of Chryste But all theise hath yowr furie either raced broken or remoued and taken Aultar what yt ys ād the spoil of aultars awaie what had God doen to yowe who was wount ther to be called on What had Chryst offended yowe whose bodie and bloode somtime dwelleth ther what doe yowe yowr selues offende yowr selues to breake those aultars in the whiche a long time before vs ye haue offred as ye thinke godlie By this ye haue folowed the iewes They smitte Chryst vpon the crosse of yowe he ys smitten on the aultar of whome the Prophet Heltas maketh cōplaint to our lordre For he speaketh soche woordes wher with yowe also are woorthie to be blamed Lorde saieth he they haue broken downe thine aultars When he saieth Thine he declareth that that thing ys gods or belongeth to God wher anie thing of ani man ys offred to God thus moch Optatus Who was not born yesterdaie to tell vs the fashion of religion in the latter daies But he talleth vs the religion of the auncient Churche whiche was almost twelue hondreth yeares agone at which time he liued and in that tyme yt was thought that ther coulde be no Let the Proclamer and his folowes see and saie howe they agree in their doings withe the auncient church wherof in woordes they bragg somoche greater sacriledge then to breake and pull downe the aultars In those daies as by this authour yt maie be perceaued yt was religion to saie that the aultar ys the seat of the bodie and bloode of Chryst Wherby as the presence of the verie bodie and blood in the Sacrament maie euidently be perceaued to haue ben faithfullie beleued and taught So maie yt that the aultars for that they were accompted the seat of the bodie and bloode of Chryst were reuerently vsed Yt ys easie also to perceaue howe that in those daies the vse of the aultar was to offer vpon as ye maie perceaue by hys allegacion of Chrysts sainge Yf then to pull downe and destroie aultars be so heynouse and great an offence that ther ys no sacrilege greater than yt and thys was so thought aboue eleuen hondreth years agon I wish them that finde them selues giltie of soche facts to haue consideracion of their dooings yf they haue anie regarde to the iudgments and aduertisements of the auncient Fathers Yf they will not creditte their iudgements let them creditte the iudgements of God who in times passed hathe euedently declared the same Wherfore as ye haue hearde the vse of the aultars testified by diuerse Fathers and the abuse of them also reputed as an heinouse crime and offence yea more heinouse then sacrilege So shal ye nowe perceaue the contemptuouse abuse of them to haue ben sore and greuouslie punished of God therby well appearinge
per Melchisedech Sacerdotem benedictio circa Abraham possit ritè celebrari praecedit antè imago sacrificij in pane vino scilicet constituta Quam rem perficiens adimpleus Dominus panem calicem vino mixtum obtulit qui est plenitudo veritatem praesiguratae imaginis adimpleuit That the benediction in Genesis by Melchisedech the preist might be celebrated accordinglie aboute Abraham the image of the Sacrifice appoincted in bread and wine goeth before Which thing our lotde perfecting and fullfilling offred bread and the cuppe mixed with wine and he that ys the fullnesse hath fullfilled the veritie of the presigurated image Holy Ciprian teacheth here that the bread and wine offred by Melschisedechi were the prefigurated ymage of the veritie fullfilled by Chryst What the veritie ys he doth in the same epistle declare when he saieth Obtulit hoc idem quod Melchisedec obtulerat id est panem vinum suum scilicet corpus sanguinem He did offre euen the same that Melchisedech offred that ys to saie bread and wine that ys to witte his owne bodie and blode Christ then fullfilling the veritie of Melchisedechs bread and wine made bread and wine his bodie and bloode which fullfilling of the veritie and making the bread and wine his bodie and bloode what ys yt ells but that we call consecracion This bodie so consectated ys offred of vs in sacrifice as the same Sainct Ciprian disputing against them that vsed onelie water in the Sacrifice testifieth and saieth Quaerendum est enim ipsi quem sint secuti Nam si in sacrificio quod Christus est non nisi Christus sequendus est vtique id nos obaudire facere oportet quod Christus secit quod faciendum esse mandauit Yt must be asked whome they haue folowed The Sacrifice in the Maste ys Chryste himself For yf in the Sacrifice whiche ys Chryst none ys to be folowed but Chryst we must then obey and doe that that Chryst did and that he commaunded to be doen. Marke well these woordes that in the Sacrifice whiche ys Chryste none ys to be folowed But Chryste The sacrifice then that the christian Churche in the time of holie Ciprian did offre was the bodie of Chryst yt was Chryst him self In the Sacrifice saieth he whiche ys Chryst That the Churche ys commaunded by Chryst to offre this sacrifice in the remembrance of him the same Sainct Ciprian by most expresse and plain woordes doth teache saing Quodsi nec minima de mandatis Dominicis licet soluere quanto magis tam magna r tam grandia tam adipsum Dominicae passionis nostrae redemptionis Sacramentum pertinentia fas non est infringere aut in aliud quà m quod Diuinitus institttum est humana traditione mutare Nam si Iesus Christus Dominus Deus noster ipse est summus sacerdos Dei Patris sacrificium ipse primus obtulit hoc fieri in sui commemorationem praecepit vtique ille Sacerdos vice Christi verè sungitur qui id quod Christus fecit imitatur Et sacrificium verum plenum tunc offert in Ecclesia Deo Patri si sic incipiat offerre secundùm quod ipsum Christum viderit obtulisse Yf then yt be not laufull to breake the least of the commaundementes of our Lorde howe moche more yt ys not laufull to infringe or breake thinges so great so weightie so apperteining to the verie Sacrament of the passion of our Lorde and of our Redemption or ells by mans tradicion to chaunge yt into anie other thing then that that by God was instituted For yf Iesus Chryst our Lord and God yf he be The same sacrifice that Christe did ys cōmaunded to be offred in his church the high preist of God the Father and he first did offre this sacrifice and commaunded this to be doen in the remembrance of him that prest doth the office of Chryst trulie that doth folowe that that Chryst hath doen. And then dothe he offre in the Churche vnto God the Father a true and a full sacrifice yf he so beginne to offre as he hath seen Chryst him self to haue offred Thus moch S Ciprian Manie thinges are in this saing of Ciprian to be noted whiche I shall breiflie touche and passouer First yt ys to be obserued that to alter the institucion of Chryst ys a great and a weightie matter whiche he accompteth to be altered when either water alone or wine alone ys ysed in the ministracion and not both together mixed Wherin I wish the Aduersarie to weigh whether he offende not in a weightie and a great matter when he breaketh and altereth the institution of Chryst as Sainct Ciprian saieth in that he vseth but wine alone in the ministracion And farder obserue The Communions in Englond test ifie the breach of these ordōnances and mo to that yf to take awaie wine or water from the ministracion be a great and a weightie matter howe moche greater and more heinouse matter ys yt to take awaie the blessed boodie of Chryste from the Sacrament Which Sainct Ciprian teacheth not onely in this place but in diuerse other as before maie be seen that Chryst aswell instituted his bodie and bloode ther to be present as he did the matters of bread wine and water ther to be vsed And yet in these two poinctes to alter the institucion of Chryst the Proclamer thinketh yt no great matter And here by the waie to note yt ys merueilouse to beholde howe the Deuell bewitcheth this man For he sindeth great fault with the Church and wolde make those which he reputeth faultes to be as Mowntaines in the seight of the people as the vsing and wearing of ornamentes in the ministracion the speaking of the woordes of consecracion high or lowe and soch other And yet the deniall of the presence of Chrystes bodie and bloode to be in the Sacrament he accompteth yt but a small matter In the Apologie of the Churche of Englonde which semeth an arrowe The Appologie and the Proclamaciō both like bolts that came oute of the same quoiuer that this Sermon did and to be both feathered whith the feathers of one Goose of like maner and coolor I meen of phrase and matter so near and so like are they or raither the same that a man maie well thinke they be one mans boltes In that Apologie I saie the Authour being so desirouse to hide and cloake the famouse and notable dissention in weighty matters of Faith betwixt Luther and Zwinglius saieth that they were both good and excellent men and they did not saieth he varie in great matters of faith as of iustificacion and soche like but they varied in a litle matter a matter of no great weight And yet that litle matter was the matter of the Sacrament For Luther taught the presence of Chrystes bodie in the Sacrament But Zuinglius denieth yt as this proclamer dothe And so that which Sainct
he did sanctifie and blesse yt The catholique Churche folowing them saieth likewise that he gaue not onelie thankes but also that he blessed yt The Proclamers Church saieth no more but that he gaue thanks and liketh not to saie that Chryst blessed yt or sanctified yt And wote yow whie Bicause they feared that the trueth might be sooner perceaued that by the blessing and sanctificacion of Chryste his verie bodie and blood were consecrated as they were in dede which by all shiftes and meanes they labour to hide But I wishe the wholl woordes of S. Iames Masse not onely to be well noted but also continuallie to be remembred that he saieth that Chryste gaue thankes he sanctified he blessed and fylled the cuppe with the holie Gost For these woordes not onelie impugne the wicked assertion of the Sacramentarie but also commende to vs the excellencie of the B. Sacrament and Woordes of S. James Masse proue the presence of that blessed bloode whiche the catholique Churche teacheth there to be present For who can saie that after these great doings of Chryste of sanctifieng blessing and filling with the holie Gost that ther ys nothing ells made but a bare hungrie figure This godlie acte of Chryste the Apostles and Fathers foloweing as S. Iames in his Masse S. Basill and Chrysostom in their Mases did not onelie make mencion of his blessiing and sanctifieng but did them selues sign and blesse the Sacrament as in their Masses yt ys plain to see Which acte of Chryst of the Apostles ād fathers the catholike church embrancing signeth with the sign of the crosse and blesseth the Sacrament signifieng the sanctificacion their doen to be doen by the power of him that by his crosse sanctified all the faithfull But these wicked bretheren of the late fownd Church geue as fewe termes of excellencie to yt and vse as fewe gestures and actes signifieng blessing and sanctificacion as they maie that the estimacion of that gloriouse Sacrament maie be impaired Thus nowe ye haue seē the conference made ye see the catholique Churche Conference of the catholeque authoritie of preists withe the lacke of authoritie of newe ministers in euerie poinct agreing with Chryste withe Apostles and with the pritiue Churche Contrarie wise ye see the newe fownd Churche allmost in all pointes disagreing Finallie I thinke yt expedient that as I haue here spoken of consecracion and conferred the doing of the catholique Churche and of the newe Churche with the Apostolique and primitiue Churche So to saie a fewe woordes of the preist of the one and of the minister of the other And here not moche to tarie the reader yt ys to be remēbred that Chryste when he had instituted this diuine and noble Sacrament willing yt to be continued gaue his Apostles and in them to all their successours power authoritie and commaundement to doo that that he had doen. By which commaundement euery catholique preist duelie executing this ministracion doth consecrate the verie bodie and blood of Chryste by vertue of Chrystes ordeinance and woordes duelie pronouced The ministres of the newe churche not being of the catholique succession as they haue no soche power authoritie or cōmaundement from Chryste Newe ministres haue no authoritie to consecrate to consecrate his bodie and blood and as their monstrouse heades neither can geue them soche neither mindeth that they shoulde doe anie soche thing but raither as they finde yt bread and wine so to let yt remain and so to receaue yt they do not so rehersing Chrystes woordes consecrate his blessed bodie no more then they doo that read those woordes vpō the booke in their cōmon studies For if the historie of Chrystes supper rehersed of a minister not endewed with laufull authoritie descending to him by catholique ordre did consecrate then shoulde consecracion haue ben doen in manie a querulouse and contenciouse dinner and supper aswell in Tauerns as ells wher wher the like woords haue ben spokē and rehersed of men of as good authoritie for that pourpose as the ministre Be not deceaued therfor gentle readers to thinke that of sochemens hands yowe receaue the bodie of Chryste Yt ys to moche that yowe receaue ther schisinaticall bread yt were lamentable therwith also to committee Idolatrie And now although this might suffice to prooue the Masse to haue benvsed of the Apostles yet for thy better confirmaciō gentle reader I shall adde Addias hist Apost li. 7. the testimonie of Abdias Bishoppe of Babilon and a Disciple of the Apostles who writeth thus of the Masse and death of S. Matthewe Cumue respondissent amen misteria Domini celebrata Missāsuscepisset omnis Ecclesia retinuit se vt iuxta altare vbi corpus ab eo fuerat Christiconfectum illic martyriū Apostolicū exultaret S. Matt hew saied Masse And when all had saied Amen and all the Churche had receaued the Masse and the ministeries that were celebrated he staied him sem self that by the aultar wher the bodie of Chryste was by him cōsecrated ther should his martidom be solemnised Thus ther. In this place ye heare plain menciō made of the Masse doen and celebrated by S. Mathewe whiche if the Aduersarie wil seke to auoid as put in by the translatour yet he can not denie these two thinges whiche be in effect equiualent that ys the aultar and the consecracion of the bodie of Chryste Nowe if he did clerebrate at the aultar and on the aultar did consecrate the bodie of Chryste yt foloweth that he did celebrate the Masse And here I wish these two thinges to be well noted forsomoch as they were written of one that was disciple to the Apostles and did write diuerse bookes of their liues The one ys that S. Matthew did celebrate at the aultar the other that he did consecrate the bodie of Chryste Yf these two were to be writtē as in vse thē yt maie easelie be iudged who doth offēd he that doth vse both in these daies or he that refuseth both And wher the Proclamer as ys of late saied prouoketh so moche to the primitiue Churche iudge nowe again Reader how well yt liketh him to folowe the order of the primitiue Churche whē he abādoneth and flieth frō these two thinges as frō a serpēt and yet both vsed as ye perceaue of the Apostles and the Primitiue Church Hauing nowe saied sufficiētlie for the vse of the Masse in the Apostles time to cōclude this chapter this maie be saied that as yt pleased our Sauiour Christe to cōmend to the worlde the trueth of his holie Gospell principallie by foure Euāgelistes and S. Paule his chosē vessell So yt hath pleased him to cōmēd the trueth of the holie ministracion of his bodie and blood called the Masse by foure Apostles namelie S. Peter S. Andew S. Iames and S. Matthew and also by S. Paule He of his mercie graūt that as by the Euangelistes his Gospell was receaued and beleued so by the testimonie and doinges
hoc sacrificium testem passionum Dom. Iesu vt efficiat panem hunc corpus Christi tui ealicem hunc sanguinem Christi tui We praie thee that thowe wilt vouchsafe to send thie holie Spirit vpon this sacrifice a wittnesse of the passions of our Lorde Iesus that he maie make this bread the bodie of thie Chryste and this cuppe the blood of thie Chryste Thus moche S. Clement Yf in anie place the faith and intent of holie men maie appear that shoulde yt most cheiflie doo in their holie praiers deuoutlie and simplie powred oute in the seight of God S. Clement then S. Clement beliu◅ the bread and were to be made the bodie and blood of Chryste by the work of the holie Goste making his deuoute praier in the holie diuine mynistracion of this blessed and gloriouse Sacrament and desiering God that the holie Gost might be sent to make by his diuine power the bread and the wine vpon the aultar the bodie and blood of Chryst his intent and faith was that yt should so be No man will saie that he praied against or contrarie to that that he beleued and intended His faith therfore and intent was that by consecracion ther was made present the bodie and blood of Chryste As in the last chapiter I referred the reader to S. Dionyse to see his mynistracion in his booke so doe I here also And therfore the practise of the Apostles perceaued by S. Iames and of their Disciples by S. Clement thinking that yt will do well to vnderstand the like in the Fathers that by the receauing and continuall practise of the same one thing in diuerse times in diuerse churches and of diuerse Fathers the more adsured and perfect knowledge maie be had and so occasion maie be taken for the reader to staie and confirme himself in the veritie of Chrystes Sacrament we shall descend to the Fathers that were more then two hundreth years after them to make trial whether they kept like order as the Apostles and their Disciples did or varied from them And in this processe we will first see what S. Basill intended and what he beleued to be wrought in the Sacrament what he intended and beleued his owne praier will liuelie and fullie declare Thus in his Masse he praieth Tepostulamus te obsecramus sancte sanctorum beneplacita tua benignitate venire Spiritum sanctum super nos super proposita munera ea benedicere ista sanctisicare ostendere panem quidem istum ipsum honorisicum corpus Dom. Dei et saluatoris nostri Iesu Christi quod autem est in calice isto ipsum sanguinē Dom. Det saluatoris nostri Iesu Christi qui effusus est pro mundi vita We besech and desire thee o most holie of al holie that by thie wellpleasing goodnesse thie holie Spirit maie come vpon S. Basil by the sanctisicacio of the holie Gost beleued the bread and wine to be made Chrysts bodie and blood vs and vpon these proposed giftes and to blesse and sanctifie them and to shewe this bread to be the verie honorable bodie of our Lord God and Sauiour Iesus Chryste And that ys in this cuppe the verie blood of our Lord God and Sauiour Iesus Chryste which was shedde for the life of the world Thus moch S. Basill Yf ye call to remembrance the maner of S. Iames his praier in his Masse and compare yt to this so litle difference ys ther betwen them that they might be thought all one so well doo they agree in woordes so well in faith that as thei speake all one thing so they beleued all one thing namelie the consecracion of Chrystes bodie and blood to be wrought in the holie mynistracion by the worke of the holie Gost And yet thus moche hath S. Basill more then S. Iames that he doth not onelie desire that the bread and wine maie be made the bodie and blood of Chryste but that the holie Gost will make thē ipsum corpus et ipsum sanguinē Domini the verie self same bodie ād blood of our Lord. So that ther ys no doubt but that in the Masse he beleued by the cōsecracion the bodie and blood of Chryst to be made verilie present That the reader be not lōg deteined frō the pleasure ād godliedelight that he maie cōceaue ād haue by the heauenlie harmonie of the iust cōsent ād agree mēt of the holie fathers breiflie laied together we will also heare Chrysostō ād by his own woords learn of him what intēciō and faith he had about the mynistraciō of the blessed Sacr. Thus he like vnto other praied Precamur et Chrysost in Missa supplicamus vt mittas Spiritum sanctum tuum super nos et super haec apposita munera et fac panem istum quidem preciosum corpus Christi tui et quod in calice est preciosum sanguinem Christi tui permutans ea sancto Spiritu tuo We praie and beseche thee that thowe wilt sende thy holie Spirit vpon vs and vpon these gifts setfurth and make this bread the preciouse bodie of thy Chryste and that ys in this cuppe the preciouse blood of thy Chryste permuting or chaūging them by thine holie Spirit Thus farre Chrysost Yt ys not hard to perceaue either his agreement will other before alleaged or his like intencion and faith when he vseth the same maner of woordes that they did and the like request or praier sauing that wher they desiered Chrysostō beleued the bread and wine by sanctificaciō to be the bodie ād blod of Chryste Li. 4. de Sacram ca. 5 the bread and wine to be made the bodie and blood of Chryste by the high and great woorke of the holie Gost he declareth also by what meā the holie Gost doeth yt saing Permutans ea spiritu tuo sancto chaunging them by thy holie Spirit mening that yt ys doen by the holie Gost chaunging the bread and wine into the bodie and blood of Chryste To procede by as manie in this matter as we did in the other treacted of in the last chapiter we must than also heare S. Ambrose who declareth the faith and intent of the Latine Church aboute the consecracion saing thus Vis scire quia verbis coelestibus consecratur Accipe quae sunt verba Dicit sacerdos Fac nobis inquit hanc oblationem ascriptam rationabilem acceptabilem quod est figura corporis sanguinis Do. n. Iesu Christi Wilt thow knowe that the Sacrament ys consecrated with heauenlie woordes Marke what be the woordes The preist saieth Make this oblacion saieth he allowed reasonable and acceptable which ys a figure of the bodie and blood of oure Lord Iesus Chryste As S. Ambrose willeth yowe to marke the woordes of the praier of the preist wherby ye maie perceaue what intent and faith was in S. Ambrose and in the holie Fathers that mynistred and consecrated the holie Sacrament in those daies So wish I yowe to
drinke in the remembrance of me What should they eate That that he tooke vnto them what did he take vnto them The Euangelists do testifie Take eate this my bodie They shoulde drinke in the remēbrance of him What shoulde they drinke ▪ That also that he did take them What did he take them The Euangelists likewise declare Drinke ye all of this saieth Chryste for this ys my blood of the newe testament c. Here be the woordes of the institucion Here ys instituted that the bodie and bloode of Chryste should be receaued in By Chrysts institucion we shoulde receaue his bodie and bloode in 〈◊〉 c. the remembrance of his passion and death that bread and wine shoulde be so receaued here ys not one title Chryste saied not eate this bread and drinke this wine in my remembrance Wher then be we commaunded to receaue the creaturs of bread and wine according to the institucion of Chryste yf yt be not commaunded here As touching the institucion of Chryste yt ys at the full treacted of in the second booke wher be produced xii cooples of the higher house of Chrystes Parliament and vi cooples of the lower house of the which a great nombre declare the verie substance of Chrystes bodie and blood to be verilie dispensed and geuen in the Blessed Sacrament The newe church chargeth Chryst with an vntrueth and a good nombre of them denie the same Sacrament to be a figure onelie Yf yt be not a figure then ys yt not bread and wine Yf yt be not then we eate not bread and wine as they saie according to Chrysts institucion Beholde thē the impudencie of these mē see their notable vntrueth that fear not before mē onelie which in so weightie a matter were to moche but also as yt were euen to the face of God to make a stoute lie against his onelie begotten sonne charging him with that that they be not hable to prooue But that this their vntrueth wher with they charge our Sauiour Chryst maie more fullie appeare and the trueth of the catholique Churche clerelie be seen ye shall not onelie when ye come to the next chapter note what ys doen according to Chrysts institucion but also here the practise of the Apostolique and primitiue Churche shall teache yowe what Chryste instituted to be receaued for the remembrance of his death S. Iames praied thus in his Masse Misericors Deus dignum me fac gratia tua vt citra condemnationem particeps fiam sancti corporis preciosi sanguinis in remissionem peccatorum c. O mercifull God make me by thie grace wourthie that withoute my condemnacion I maie be made partaker of thie holie bodie and preciouse blood to the remission of sinnes S. Basill thus Nullum nostrum ad iudicium aut condemnationem facias accipere sanctum corpus sanguinem Christi tui Make none of vs to iudgement or condemnacion to receaue the holie bodie and bloode of thie Chryste S. Chrysostom praied thus dignare potenti manu tua tribuere nobis immaculatum corpus tuum preciosum sanguinem per nos omni populo Vouchsafe with thy mightie hand to giue vnto vs thie vndifiled bodie and thie preciouse blood and by vs to all the people Thus they Yt ys not to be doubted but that all these and the Churche that they liued in receaued the sacrament according to Chrystes institucion But these creaturs of beead and wine omitted they shewe thē felues by expresse woordes to receaue the bodie and bloode of Chryste Wherfor Chrysts instituciō ys to receaue his bodie and blood and not the creaturs of bread and wine And that they speake not of the spirituall bodie onelie but of the reall bodie in the blessed Sacramēt two thinges in these fathers prooue yt in uinciblie The one ys in S. Iames and S. Basill They both desire that thoy not to cōdēnaciō maie receaue the holie bodie ād preciouse blood of Chryst That 〈…〉 bodie thē ys here receaued that maie be receaued both to saluaciō and damnacion The spirituall bodie can be receaued but to saluacion the reall bodie both to saluacion and damnacion wherfor they receaue the reall bodie of Chryste that maie be receaued to condemnacion The other ys in Chrysostom who desiereth Chryste that he wold vouchsafe both to imparte vnto him his bodie and blood and also by him and the preists to the people Wher vpon we maie thus reason That bodie was receaued of Chrysostom and the preistes which by them also might be deliuered to the people But thereall bodie of Chryste and not the spirituall might by them be deliuered to the people Wherfore Chrysostom and the preists receaued the reall bodie of Chryste That the spirituall bodie of Chryste or Chryste spirituallie cā not by the preists be deliuered to the people yt ys so manifest that yt nedeth no probacion yt standeth thē certē and sure that Chrysostome receaued the verie reall bodie of Chryste To conclude then this disputacion vpon the principall part of that that here ys intended S. Iames S. Basill S. Chrysostom receaued that that was according to Chrysts institucion to be receaued in the remembrance of his death But they receaued not the creaturs of bread and wine but the verie reall bodie of Chryste Wherfor they receaued according to Chrysts institucion his verie reall bodie in the remembrance of his passion and death Yt ys euident then that yt ys not Chrysts institucion to receaue the creaturs of bread and wine in the remembrance of his death wherfor we maie conclude that the pretensed praier of the lare erected Churche hath a foule and a wicked vntrueth in yt and for the maintenance of an abhominable heresie doth vntruely report and saie of our Sauiour Chryste and that not onelie Of intēciō of the newe ministres to the world but euen as yt were to the face of God Nowe remaineth the last thing appointed here in this chapter to be spoken of which ys the intencion and faith of the ministers of this newe Churche in the whiche a sewe woordes maie and shall suffice The intencion and faith of this Church ys not onelie perceaued by their cōmon professiō Two sortes of ministres of the Communion but also by this their praier Their common profession denieth the presence of Chrysts bodie in the Sacrament their praier confirmeth the same For desiering to receaue the creaturs of bread and wine they exclude the bodie and blood of Chryste into whose substance as Euseb Emis saieth the inuisible creaturs are turned Vnderstand that in this newe fownded Church be two sorts of ministres that doo minister this Communion One sorte ys of preists whiche lausullie consecrated in the catholique Churche haue fallen to heresie who although they haue authoritie by their holie orders to consecrate the bodie and bloode of Chryste yet nowe hauing neither right intencion nor faith of the catholique Churche they consecrate not The other sort ys
and other Disciples did in the Masse make oblacion and offre sacrifice as the Apostles did This man S. Clement I meen euen as S. Iames did immediatelie after the holie consecracion praied thus Memores igitur passionis eius mortis resurrectionis reditus in coelos futuri eius secundi aduentus in quo veniet iudicaturus viuos mortuos redditurusque cuique secundùm opera sua offerimus S. Clemens in Missa vt refert Methon ibi Regi Deo secundùm eius institutionem panem hunc hunc calicem gratias tibi per eum agentes quod nos dignatus fueris astare coram te tibi sacrificare Being therfor mindefull of his passion death resurrection ascension into heauen and of his second coming in the whiche he will iudge both quicke and dead and will geue to euerie one according to his workes We offre vnto the King and God according to his institucion this bread and this cuppe geuing thee thanks by him that thow hauest vouchsafe vs to stand before thee and to offre sacrifice to thee Thus S. Clement Let not the good Chrystian be dismaied nor the Sacramentarie triumphe S. Clement offred Chrysts bodie and blood in sacrifice that he saieth we offre this bread but let them both vnderstand that as our Sauiour Chryste in the vi of S. Iohn and S. Paule in the x of the first to the Corinth whiche ys allreadie declared and in the xi of the same whiche here shall be declared doo call the bodie of Chryste bread So doth S. Clement here For proofe wherof haue recourse to the praier of S. Clement in the last chapter before and see his faith what he beleued to be in the Sacrament wher ye shall finde him desiering that the holie Gost maie be sent who maie make the bread the bodie of Chryste and the wine the blood of Chryste Yf then the bread by the worke of the holie Gost be made the bodie of Chryst then ther ys no other bread there after consecracion to be offred in sacrifice but the bread of the bodie of Chryst and the cuppe of his blood Neither can the Sacramentarie with all his wresting malice vnderstand this of materiall bread For this that ys here offred ys offred according to the institucion of Chryste but as the Sacramentarie can not but confesse Chryste neuer instituted materiall bread to be offred in sacrisice Wherfor yt can not be vnderstanded of materiall bread Yt ys euident then that S. Clement offred Chrysts bodie and blood the verie true bread and true wine in sacrifice This being made plain we shall descende to S. Basill and see what he did whether he offred in his Masse or no. He as S. Clement immediately after S. Basill offred the like sacrifice to S. Ja. ād S Clem. the consecracion continued his holie taulke to God saing on this wise Memores ergo Domine nos salutarium eius passionum viuificae crucis triduanae sepulturae ex mortuis resurrectionis in caelum ascensionis in dextra tua Dei Patris sessionis gloriosae ac terribilis secundae eius praesentiae tua ex tuis tibi offerimus We also therfor o Lorde being mindfull of his holsom passions liuelie crosse three daies buriall his resurrection from the dead his ascension into hauen his sitting at thie right hand God and Father and of his gloriouse and terrible second presence we offre thine to thee oute of thine Thus he See ye not here as in S. Iames and S. Clement an oblacion of the bodie and bloode of Chryste whiche be thinges of God consecrated of his creaturs bread and wine and so offred vnto God Hitherto then ye see the holie Fathers to haue offred Chrystes bodie and blood and therfor in their woordes and writings not to haue abhorred the tearmes of offring or making oblacion and sacrifice as the newe brothers do But for farder proofe of the practise of the Sacrifice we will procede and see what Chrysostom did in his Masse For he keping the order before mencioned immediatelie vpon the consecracion addeth this praier Memores igitur salutaris huius mandati omnium eorum quae pro nobis facta sunt crucis sepulchri Chrysostome offred sacrifice in Masse resurrectionis ad caelos ascensionis sessionis ad dextram secundi gloriosi rursus aduentus tua ex tuis tibi offerimus Remembring therfor this holie commaundement and all those thinges that haue ben doen for vs as the crosse buriall resurrection ascension into heauen sitting at the right hand the seconde and gloriouse coming again we offre thine vnto thee of thine owne Thus ther. Yt can not be that they that so iustlie agree in woordes and sentēce shoulde varie and dysagree in sence and vnderstanding Wherfor Chrysostom as the other did did in his Masse offre sacrisice I labour not here to seke the deapt of this matter for that I haue done allreadie in diuerse places of this worke but I cheiflie seke by the woordes of these Fathers to declare that all S. Ambrose and the church that he liued in offred sacrifice in the Masse they did offre sacrifice What they offred and to what effect yt ys and shal be declared and as yt maie for this place suffice by S. Ambrose yt shall be made euident what he and the auncient Church in his time did offre Wherby also we shall be assured what the former Fathers did offre this being certen that holie Ambrose did nothing contrarie to the holie faith of the primitiue Church Thus he reporteth of the practise of the auncient Church of his time and before Sacerdos dicit Ergo memores gloriosissimae eius passionis ab inferis resurrectionis in coelum ascensionis offerimus tibi hanc immaculatam hostiam rationabilem hostiam incruentam hostiam hunc panem sanctum calicem vitae aeternae Being therfor mindful of thie most gloriouse passion and resurrection frō death ād ascension into heauen we offre vnto thee this vndefiled sacrifice reasonable sacrifice vnbloodie sacrifice this holie bread and cuppe of life euerlasting Note here what maner of sacrifice was offred in the Masse Doo ye not here see by the testimonie of S. Ambrose that the preist did offre sacrifice in the remēbrance of Chrysts passion resurrection and ascension But note and marke well what maner of sacrifice An immaculate or vn defiled sacrifice a pure sacrifice What sacrifice ys yt that man can offre to God that he maie boldlie so tearm and call No pure man dare so farre presume of his owne doings of offrings to God This pure and vndefiled sacrifice then can be none other but that pure and innocent lambe of God that purifieth and clenseth vs by taking awaie the sinnes of the worlde euen Iesus 1. Joan. 1. Ibid. 6. Chryste his verie bodie and blood Which maner of vnderstanding the later woordes of this offring sentence doeth also enforce vs to take determining
of the bodie of our Lorde To make no differeÌ„ce saieth S. Augustine ys non discernere à ceteris cibis diuinuÌ„ corpus to make no differeÌ„ce of the bodie of our Lorde from other meates but euen as wewolde with polluted coÌ„sciences eate prophane meates aÌ„d with pourpose of sin ne without repentaÌ„ce or pourpose of amendmeÌ„t of life receaue our bodilie foode so receaue the bodie of our Lorde In whiche fewe woordes again S. Augustine teacheth the bodie of Chryst to be receaued of euell persons Thus ye haue the mindes of Chrysostome and Sainct Augustine in the vnderstaÌ„ding of S. Paule which bothe vnderstand him to haue spoken of the bodie of Chryste as the catholique Churche teacheth and not of SacrameÌ„tall bread as the malignaunt Churche feigneth Thus moche being doen we shall with like spede heare other that remain that the trueth of Chrystes faith maie be seen to the confusion of the enemie THE NINE AND FOVRTETH CHAP. CONtinueth the same exposition by Isichius and. Sedulius SAinct Augustine writing against the Manicheis in whiche sect he was by the space of nine years pietifullie deteined and deluded perceaued after his conuersion one great cause of the continuance of manie in that heresie to be that they wolde not heare the holie learned doctours and Fathers of the Churche Wherfor to remoue them from that euell minde he thus wrote to them Audite doctos catholicae Ecclesiae Viros tanta pace animi eo voto quo ego vos audiui Nihil opus erit nouem annis quibus Aug. de morib Eccl. cap. 25. me ludificastis Longè omnino longè beuiore tempore quid intersit inter veritatem vanitatemue cernetis Heare ye the learned men of the catholique Churche with so moche quiettnesse of minde and with that desire that I heard yowe Ther shall not nede the nine yeares in the whiche ye mocked me In a shorter time yea in a moche shorter time shall ye see what difference ys betwixt veritie and vanitie Euen thus doe I wish that they that haue ben deluded with vain perswasions and haue ben therbie insnared and entrapped in the heresie of the Sacramentaries wolde with as good will heare the learned Fathers of Chrystes Churche as they haue hitherto hearde them that haue deceaued them And I nothing doubte but yf they will so doe aÌ„d with deuoute praier to God for grace assistent and with humblenesse of minde enkindled with feruent desire all affection sett aparte Learn and knowe the verie trueth but that they shall sooen discerne betwixt veritie and vanitie Sixe nowe haue ben alleadged of the auncient and right famouse Fathers The Proclamer required one plain senteÌ„ce he hath had nowe these sixe and manie nio before aÌ„d herester yet mo shal haue whiche all with great and goodlie consent haue expownded the woordes of Sainct Paule to be vnderstanded of the bodie of Chryst Whiche expositions be not settfurth with obscurities in doubtfull maner as they maie seme to be vnderstanded diuerse waies whiche maner of sentences the Aduersarie doth produce to maintein his heresie But they are clere plain and easie to be vnderstanded in their right sense so that they can not be drawen to anie other sense And therfor let the Proclamer looke well vpon these expositions of these sixe Fathers past and he shall perceaue that they by expresse woordes teache that the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament and ther receaued both of good and euell men whiche thinge he shall see also taught of sixe other or mo And therfor let him for shame recant and call in again his arrogant sainge that the catholique Churche hath not one scriptureÌ„ nor one doctour For I doubte not but by the iudgement of them that shall reade this worke that his sainge shall be prooued to be as false as vain Of these that yet remain to be alleaged the first coople shall be Isichius and Isich in Leuit ca. 26. Sedulius Isichius hath this sainge Propter quod sanctuarium eius paueamus vt nec corpus nostrum polluamus nec ad corpus Christi in quo est omnis sanctificatio in ipso enim omnis plenitudo inhabitat diuinitatis sine subtili dijudicatione nostri temerè accedamus sed potius nosmetipsos probemus reminiscentes eius qui dixit Quicunque manducauerit panem aut biberit calicem Domini indignè reus erit corporis sanguinis Domini Wherfor Jsich vnderstaÌ„deth S. Paule to haue speken of the bodie of Chryste let vs feare his holie place that we neither defile our owne bodie nor rashlie come to the bodie of Chryst in the whiche ys all sanctificacion For in him abideth the fullnesse of the Godhead withoute diligent examinacion of our selues But raither let vs trie our selues remembring him that saied Whosoeuer shall eate the bread aÌ„d drinke the cuppe of our Lorde vnwoorthielie shall be giltie of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde Howe this Authour vnderstandeth S. Paule yt ys withoute great studie to be perceaued For he exhorting vs to come with great examinacion of our selues with puritie and cleannesse of bodie and soule to the receipt of Chrystes bodie vseth for the place of his authoritie the sainge of S. Paule nowe in hand WhoÌ„soeuer eateth the bread and drinketh the cuppe of our Lorde vnwoorthielie shall be giltie of the bodie and bloode of our Lorde Wher in as the other Fathers haue doen before what Sainct Paule calleth the bread of our Lorde that doeth he by explaining woordes call the bodie of Chryste And that we shoulde not take yt for a figuratiue bodie but for the verie true and self same bodie of Chryst and therwith to stirre vs to haue the more regarde to our duetie as with all honour and reuerence to come to yt he saieth that in that bodie dwelleth the fullnesse of the Godhead that ys as Theophilact saieth Si quid est Deus Verbum in ipso inhabitat That that ys the Sonne of God dwelleth in him And farder expowndinge the same saieth Ne autem cùm audis Theoph. in 2. cap. ad Collâ—ss habitauit existimes quòd ageretur aut impelleretur sicut Prophetae commorabatur enim in illis Deus iuxta illud inhabitabo in ipsis inambulabo adiecit corporaliter hoc est non energia vel operatio quaedam verùm substantia ac veluti corporatus vna hypostasis existens cum assumpto Least thowe when thowe hearest this woorde Exod. 29. 2. Cor. 6. dwelleth shouldest thinke that he shoulde be moued or led as the Prophetes were for God dwelled in them also accordinge to that saing I will dwell in them and I will walke a mong them he added Corporally that ys not a certain force or operacion but a substance and as corporated and being one persoÌ„ with the nature assumpted Cyrill also by the testimonie of Theophilact expownding these woordes geueth great light to the vnderstanding of them by an example and saieth
be accompted amonge euell receauers that otherwise thinke of the bodie of Chryst then ys to be thought of yt What ys to be thought of them that wher Chryst promised that the bread which he wolde geue shoulde be his fleshe whiche he wolde geue for the life of the worlde and by expresse woordes for the perfourmāce of the same promesse takinge bread saied plainlie This ys my bodie And S Paule as the wholl companie of the Fathers hitherto haue testified and mo yet shall testifie saieth that in the Sacrament ys the bodie of Chryst what I saie ys to be thought of them that will not thinke Chrystes bodie to be his bodie but withe the Ebionites and Cerinthians will make Chryst no God with the Manicheis will make him but a phantasticall figure and with the Nestorians will as they made a distinction betwixt the two naturs leauing the nature of man deuided and distincted from the Godheade so make the holie Sacrament distincted from Chryst wher in verie dede as God and man ys one Chryst So the blessed Sacrament as touchinge the Substance and Chryst ys all one the Substance of the Sacrament being none other but the verie substance of Chryst These euell receauers and abusers of Chrystes holie Sacrament as they abuse the thinge yt self So by slaunderouse tearmes doe they abuse them that well vse the same For the true Christians that honour God call they Idolaters Soche as acknowledge Chrystes verie bodie in the Sacrament call they grosse Capharnaites And soche as beleue the substance of bread by the omnipotencie of God to be chaunged and made the substance of Chryste they call Papistes But God geue them a better minde and the catholiques plentie of pacience patiently to suffre their railinges so long as God for our correction will permitte the same to continue And nowe to return to our matter this finallie ys to be noted in our Cassiod howe he vttereth Sainct Paules woordes Authour that alleging our text of Sainct Paule he vseth not the woordes of Sainct Paule but the meaning and vnderstandinge Thus he alleageth Sainct Paule Qui enim corpus Domini indignè manducat iudicium sibi manducat For he that eateth the bodie of our Lorde vnwoorthilie eateth his owne iudgement Note well that he saieth not he that eateth the bread but he that eateth the bodie of our Lorde expownding what bread Sainct Paule spake of in that scripture the bread I saie of Chrystes bodie as oftentimes yt ys allreadie saied What can be saied more plainer wolde the Proclamer haue anie plainer speache then this Let him note the woordes and the circunstance also and weigh yt well and he shall finde yt so plain that all his engines and wrestinges and all his subtilties◠with the aide of all his complices shall not be able to withstand the plain trueth of yt But Let vs heare Damascen speaking as plainlie as he and by like woordes openinge to vs the true mening of Sainct Paule This Damascen setting Damascen li. 4. ca. 14. furth the vertue goodnesse and power of the Sacrament saieth thus Si aurum offendat adulteratum per iudicialem correptoriamue ignitionem purgat vt non in futuro cum mundo damnemur Curat enim morbos omnimoda damna quemadmodum dicit Apostolus Si nos vtique iudicaremus non vtique iudicaremur Cùm iudicamur autem à Deo corripimur vt non cum mundo condemnemur Et hoc est quod dicit Quare qui participat corpus sanguinem Christi indignè iudicium sibi tosi manducat bibit Per illud purgati vnimur corpori Domini spiritui eius efficimur corpus Christi Nam spiritus viuificans est caro Domini quia ex viuificante spiritu concepta est Quod enim natum est ex spiritu spiritus est Hoc autem dico non auferens corporis naturam sed viuificationem diuinitatem eius ostendens Yf yt finde golde that ys corrupted by iudiciall and correptorie fieringe yt pourgeth yt that we be not in time to come condemned with the worlde For yt cureth diseases and all maner of hurtes as the Apostle saieth Yf we wolde iudge our selues we shoulde not be iudged but when we are iudged of God we are chasticed that we shoulde not be damned with the worlde And this ys yt that the Apostle saieth Wherfor he that receaueth the Damascen vttereth the woordes of S. Paule as other elders before bodie and blood of Christe vnwoorthilie he eateth drinketh his owne damnacion We being purged by that are vnited to the bodie of our Lorde and to his Spiritt and are made the bodie of Chryste For the flesh of our Lorde ys a quickning Spiritt bicause yt was conceaued by the quickninge Spirite For that that ys borne of the Spiritte ys a Spiritte This doe I saie not taking awaie the nature of the bodie but declaring his Godhead and power to geue life Thus he Leauing diuerse good and godlie notes in this sainge of Damascen to be considered by the Reader I hast me to note those thinges that be to the pourpose of this present cause Of the whiche the first and cheifest ys that he alleaging the sainge of Sainct Paule shewinge vs the exposition of the scripture and geuing vs the vnderstanding of the same and the right meninge of Sainct Paule speaketh yt by these woordes He that receaueth the bodie and blood of Chryst vnwoorthilie eateth and drinketh his owne damnacion In whiche maner of speache as an expositour aught to doe by vnwrestable woordes he declareth what Sathan wolde wrest and soo by plain woordes calleth that that Sainct Paule calleth the bread and cuppe of our Lorde the bodie and blood of Chryst he right well knowing that they be so in verie dede I trust the Proclamer will not here vpon this Authour cast the stinking mist of his figure considering that yt ys an exposition And the nature of an exposition ys to be plainer then the thing expownded And although both the text and the exposition speake the trueth yet he knoweth that what the text oftentimes speaketh obscurely or doubtfullie that must the exposition speake plainlie clerely and manifestlie Whefor he must nedes confesse that this Authour shewing the minde of S. Paule and expownding the bread and the cuppe to be the bodie and bloode of Chryst that yt ys plainlie so And wher diuerse of the adherēts of this Proclamer beare great Stomacke against this Authour for his plain trueth in manie matters Lett both him and them knowe that as in all pointes of this matter the wholl catholique Churche hath alowed him So ys he agreable to all that hitherto haue ben alleaged in the exposition of S. Paule which all be right auncient or hereafter shall be alleaged though they be not so auncient A Breif note also can I not but make of Damascen wher he saieth that we being pourged are by the receipt of the bodie of Chryste vnited to the same
a perfect faith taught Carolstadius Zuinglius and Oecolampadius a contrarie faith to Luther as to teache that Chrystes bodie ys not in the Sacrament Let Carolstadius bring furth one Chrystian realme that so taught him or one Church or one allowed Father or elder then liuing that so taught But forsomoch as he cā not yt maie be cōcluded that as well his faith as the faith of Luther ys not learned of the Fathers by succession but partelie borowed of some other heretique by priuate election partlie deuised by a newe inuention and so a faith not continued but both inuented and interrupted and therfor neither Apostolique neither catholique The state of man then in the vpprightnesse of faith must be in the faith Apostolique and catholike and not in hereticall faith which ys no more a faith in dede then a painted man ys a man A man ys vpright in faith whē he discrediteth nothing that ys conteined in the holie faith Apostolique and catholique The other parte of the state of mans life before God ys puritie and cleannesse of life which parte who so can Faith as ys saicd presupposed atteign vnto ys blessed Chryst saing Beatimundo corde quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt Blessed be the clean in hearte for they shall see God This cleannesse standeth in two poinctes in the eschewing the filthinesse Puritie of life stādeth in two poincts Psalm 33. of sinne and in adourning our selues with vertues in declining from euel and doing of good as the psalme saieth Declina à malo fac bonum Decline or forsake euell and doe good For yt ys not sufficient to a good life to flie sinne onelie but also to doe good And therfore the holie Goste hath with a copulacion coopled and linked them together allwaies Nowe thus moch of the state of mans life knowen yt ys the easier to perceaue what S. Paule meeneth by the examinacion of themselues To examine our selues ys to trie and prooue to search to call our selues to accompte first whether we stand sownde in faith according to the counsell of S. Paule in an other place Vos metipsos tentate si estis in fide ipsi vos probate Prooue yowrselues whether ye be in faith or not examine yowrselues This triall ys made when we examining our selues whether we disagree or dissent from anie one article of the catholique faith finde our selues neither varieng from nor doubting of anie of them In the secōd part we must thus examine our selues first whether anie sinne be by vs allreadie committed or anie pourpose remaining in vs for anie to be committed Yf anie be cōmitted the same must by heartie cōtriciō humble 2. Cop. 13. and plain confession true and faithfull penaunce be wiped awaie Yf anie pourpose be in vs to sinne that must be cutt of and detested and by like means as ys before saied clean forsaken knowing that euery sinne to the which consent of wil ys geuen though yt be not doen in facte ys reputed before God and ys in dede a full sinne Thus moch not onely the catholique Church hath willed to be doen as S. Cyprian and S. Augustine are plentifull wittnesses But also the Lutherans Conuenticles For in their confession of the cheif articles of their faith thus they saie Confessio in ecclesiis apud nos non est abolita Non enim solet porrigi corpus Domini nisi antea exploratis absolutis Confession ys not with vs in our churches Confess August Art de Confess abolished For the bodie of oure Lorde ys not wount to be geuen but to soche as before be diligently searched and examined and absolued When we be thus farre goen we must examine our selues of our deuocion regarde and reuerence to the thing that ys to be receaued For ells we shall receaue to our owne condemnacion for that as S. Paule saieth we make no difference of the bodie of our Lord from other common meates Thus moch being saied for our examinacion and preparacion before we come to the receipt of this high mysterie we haue therin neither varied from the doctrine of Chryst neither from the doctrine of S. Paule nor of the holie Fathers of the Church The doctrine of Chryst shall furth with be shewed The doctrine of S. Paule and the Fathers shall be opened in all the processe folowinge Chryste setting furth this high mysterie of his bodie and blood declared Joan. 6. Chryste in structed his Apostles in the faith of the bless Sacrament before he institutedit that yt was necessarie to haue both faith and puritie of life First as touching faith that his Apostles shoulde be therin prepared and made readie he did not onelye instructe them fullie long before he ministred the thing to them that they shoulde knowe what yt was that they should receaue but also induced them to the same faith by a miracle wrought also in bread that as thei knewe by the power of his godhead the fiue loaues to be multiplied to the satisfieng of fiue thousand people and to the leauing yet of twelue baskettes full of fragmentes of the same loaues so they shoulde this being doē in their seight with the more ease be brought to beleue that he by the same power coulde make of bread his bodie Wherupon though manie of the Disciples not beleuing Chryst did forsake him and came no more at him as manie haue doen in these daies yet the Apostles by the miracle being prepared and by Chrystes owne doctrine instructed in the faith of this mysterie abode with him and saied-Domine ad quem ibimus Verba vitae aeternae babes Lorde vnto whom shall we go Thowe hauest the woordes of euerlasting life Thus being by Chrystes instruction made perfect in the faith of this my sterie thei came as Chrysostom saieth quietlie to the receipt of yt being nothing troobled with the woordes of Chryst when he saied Take eate this ys my bodie Take and drinke this ys my blood for that saieth he they had before hearde manie and great thinges of this mysterie By this then yt ys manifest that to the receipt of this Sacrament faithe ys necessarelie required .. Likewise are we by him admonished of the puritie of life For when he Chryste gaue instruction of the puritie of life required in the receauers of the bless Sacr. wolde geue furth this blessed Sacrament he rose from the supper of the Paschall lambe and laied aside his vpper garmentes and being girded with a towel wasshed his Disciples feete signifieng therby that all that come to receaue this Sacrament must before be clensed and purified from all sinfull affections And here to saie by the waie yf this Sacrament contein no more thē did the Paschall lambe but that both this and that be onely figures of Chryst and so the Lambe as good a Sacrament as this why did Chryst leaue this solempn Ceremonie of wasshinge his Disciples feet vndoen before the eating of the Paschall lambe and differred yt vnto the receipt of this
yf ye be in saith doe ye yowr selues examine yowr selues Not as we dooe nowe comminge raither for the times sake then for anie earnest affectiō or desire of the minde Neither doe we come as full of compunction prepared to pourge oute our vices but our consideracion ys vpon that that all the people be assembled to gether that we also maie be in the solemnities But Paule doeth not so commaunde but he knewe one time in the whiche we shoulde come that ys the puritie or cleannesse of communicacion and conscience That we shoulde not come to the receipt of the holie Sacrament but when we be prepared and haue pourged oute oure vices by compunction and repentaunce he declareth by an apt similitude sainge Nam si sensibili nunquam communicamus mensa si febre laboramus malis humoribus abundamus neperderemur longè magis hanc tangere nephas est absurdis cupiditatibus impediti quae febribus grauiores sunt Cùm autem absurdas dico cupiditates etiam corporum dico pecuniarum irae succensionis omnes simpliciter absurdas Quae omnia accedentem exhaurire oportet it a purum illud attingerè sacrificium non pigrè disponi miserè cogi propter solemmtatē acccedere neque rursum compunctum praeparatum impediri eo quòd non sit solemnitas Solemnitas enim operum est demonstratio animae puritas vitae certitudo quae si habueris semper celebrarè poteris solemnitatem semper accedere Propterea inquit probet autem scipsum homo sic edat For if we be sicke of a feuer and doe abunde with humours we wolde neuer be partakers of the cōmondiett This wholl sentence impugneth luthers wicked assertiō lest we sholde be cast awaie moche more yt ys wicked to touche this table beinge entangled with odiouse lustes whiche be sorer then the feuers When I speake of naughtie and odiouse lustes or desires I speake also of the lustes and desires of owre bodies and of moneie and of wraithe and of anger and plainlie of all lustes that be naught All whiche he that cometh to receaue must ridde awaie and so receaue that pure sacrifice not to be flouthfullie disposed nor miserablie to be compelled to come for the solemnitie Neither again beinge penitent and prepared to be letted bicause ther ys no solemnitie Solemnitie ys an euident declaracion of good woorkes the puritie of soule the assurednesse of life Whiche thinges if thowe hauest tho we maist allwaies celebrate a Solemnitie and allwaies come to the recept of the Sacrament therfor he saieth let a man examine himself and so lett him eate Thus farre Chrysostome In these woordes the saing of Luther ys also as by S. Hierom detected to be deuelish and wicked Luther will haue no preparacion of a man to come to receaue the Sacrament But iudge thow reader whether we be not earnestlie admonished by Chrysostome to be prepared whether we be not willed to cast awaie all the lustes of the bodie of couetousnesse and soch other whether we shoulde not be penitent For saieth he all that will receaue must as a man labouring of a feuer and full of humours not receaue vntill he hath pourged himself But when he hath pourged himself then he maie eate of the meat that before he might not Manie goodlie occasions trulie be geuen for exhortacion to godlie receauing farre otherwise then Luther hath geuen which to auoide prolixitie I leaue to the consideracion of the reader wishing him yet to vnderstand what yt ys that Chrysostome moueth vs to receaue Yt ys saieth he purum illud sacrificium that pure sacrifice What ys or can be that pure sacrifice but the bodie of Chryste Wherfor by Chrysostome yt ys the bodie of Chryst that we receaue Chrys Ho. oportet haeresies c. But thow shalt heare himself speake yt in plain woords in an homely wher he saieth thus moch of this matter Deinde vbi multum disputauit de his qui indigné communicant mysteriis eosue repraehendisset grauiter demonstrasset quòd idem supplicium passuri essent quod ij qui Christum occiderant si sanguinē eius corpus absque probacione temerè accipiant rursum ad propositam materiā sermonē conuertit Then when Daunger of the vnwoorthie receauing of the bless Sacr. he hath disputed moch of those which vnwoorthilie receaue the mysteries and had greuouslie rebuked thē and had declared that they should suffre the same punishment that they did which had slain Chryst if thei receaue the bodie and blood of Chryst rashlie withoute anie examinaciō he turneth again his communicacion to the matter in hand Note this then well that by expresse and plain woordes Chrysostome saieth that we shall suffre the same pain that they which crucified Chryst if we rashlie without examinacion of our selues receaue the bodie and blood of Chryst Wherby he teacheth that we receaue the bodie of Chryst in the Sacramēt ād that which ys more ād ys the great proof of the reall ād substācial presence of Chrystes bodie ād blood in the blessed Sacr. that euell men receaue yt which argueth that presence ther to be by the assured power of God at the due pronunciaciō of his woord according to the catholike faith grownded vpon Gods holie woorde And not to depende vpon the vncertē Sacramentaries doctrine ys without all grownd or authoritie of scripturs vnadsured and sleight faith of the receauer according to the phantasticall doctrine of the Sacramentaries grownded and fownded vpon no one title of Gods woord but onelie vpon their own pleasures and phansies Let this Proclamer if he cā if he cā not let him praie aide of his likes and bring furth one scripture that teacheth this doctrine that faith onelie maketh Chryst present vnto vs in the Sacr. and that he ys not verilie and reallie present in the Sacr. as ys saied and he shall haue the victorie Yf he cā not let him for shame let him yelde let the trueth haue the victorie Better yt ys for him a litle here to be confownded then to suffre euerlasting confusion in the worlde to come But to return to our matter I wolde here ende but that I thinke yt moche pitie to kepe from the knowledge of the godlie reader so godlie a lesson as Chrysostome hath in this matter conteining both faithfull instruction and godlie exhortacion Thus he writeth Considera nunc quanta illi veteris sacrificii participes vitae frugalitate vtehantur Quid enim ii non faciebant omni tempore purisicabantur Hom. 3. in Epist ad Eph. Et tu ad salutarē hanc hostiam accessurus quam angeli ipsi cum tremore suscipiut rē tantam circūscribis tēporū ambitu Qua frōte teipsum sistes ad Christi tribunal praesentē qui impuris manibus ac labiis sic impudenter ipsius corpus ausus sis attingere Regem vtique non eligas exosculari siquidem os tuum olet grauiter
offence except they were amended Thus he We learn here of Anselmus that the sicknesses diseases and deathes that happened amonge the Corinthians were bicause thei receaued not onelie the Sacrament or as the Sacramentaries tearme yt the Sacramentall bread vnworthily but bicause they did inconsideratelie receaue the bodie of our Lorde In whiche maner of faithe and speache this authour foloweth not his owne devise but the graue doctrine and iudgement of S. Ambrose whose sainge he doeth here alleage And so by them bothe yt ys manifest that the bodie of Chryst ys receaued in the Sacrament that euell men also receaue yt ther whiche prooueth the reall and substanciall presence of Chrystes bodie and that soche euell receauers for that they doe moche iniurie to that pure and vndefiled bodie of Chryst castinge yt into their bodie defiled with moche filth of sinne doe oftētimes suffre the pains in this life and also in the liue to come Of the displeasure of God against euell receauers as S. Paule maketh proofe by demonstracion and experience of the same in his time so doeth also S. Cyprian for the like in his time who bringeth three or foure exāples of Gods wrath against them that beinge defiled with sinne did presume to Cap. ser 5. de lapsis approache to or receaue the holie bodie of Chryst The sirst example is of a childe whiche beinge put to a Nource did tast of a soppe of bread whiche was offred vnto Idolls And when the mother hauinge this childe in her armes came to the Churche amonge christian people and the Sacrament amonge other was also offred to the childe the child who I saie had tasted of Idolls meat turned awaie her face from the Sacrament she stopped her She might haue receaued the newe Communion with out anie soche troble mouthe and helde her lippes harde together she refused by anie mean to touche the cuppe of the bloode of Chryste Yet though she did thus striue the deacon gaue her of the Sacrament Whiche when she had once receaued furth with she fell to boking and vomiting for as Cyprian saieth in corpore atque ore violato Eucharistia permanere non potuit Sāctificatus in Domini sanguine potus de pollutis visceribus erupit Tanta est potestas Domini tanta maiestas In a defiled mouthe and bodie the Sacrament coulde not abide The sanctified drinke in our Lordes bloode brast oute of the defiled bowells So great ys the power of owre Lorde so great ys his maiestie By this example maie we learn howe moche yt offendeth God that the bodie of Chryst should be receaued vnwoorthilie of one that hathe knowledge and reason Immediatelie after this S. Cyprian maketh reporte of a woman that was of age knowledge and reason sainge that soche one when he was offringe the sacrisice priueilie stole in among other and receauing A woman receauing the B. Sa. vnworthilie stricken with death the Sacrament not as meat to comforte her for that she was vnwoorthie but as a sworde to destroie her and takinge as yt were deadly poison in to her mouthe and breast she begā to be merueilouselie vexed and disquieted and so suffringe the heauie punishment of her offence pantinge and tremblinge she fell downe dead So saieth he was not her euell offence left long vnpunished But she that thought by her cloaking and dissemblinge of her offence to haue deceaued man felt God to whome all thinges be knowen the reuenger and punisher of the same An other woman ther was also who receauing the Sacrament into her handes kept the same and carienge yt home putte yt into her coafer But to vse the woordes of S. Cyprian Cum arcam suam in qua Domini sanctum fuit manibus indignis tentasset aperire igne inde surgente deterrita est ne auderet attingere When she wolde with vnwoorthie hands open the coafer wherin was the holie thinge of our Lorde ther sprang oute a fire wherby she was cast in soch feare that she durst not touche yt Vpon this example this maie we note that if God wolde not suffre the woman forasmoche as she was vnwoorthie not as moche as to open the coafer wher the holie thinge of our lorde was laied howe moche lesse will he beare yt that a licenciouse filthie liuinge man shoulde touche the thing ytself eate yt and cast yt into his sinfull bodie An other merueilouse thinge doeth S. Cyprian report of the blessed Sacrament A mā vnwoorthilie receauing the bless Sa in his hand whē he opened his hād ther was nothing but asshes Ther was saieth he a certain defiled or sinfull man who beinge present when the Sacrament was celebrated by the preist so doeth S. Cyprian tearme the holie ministracion he presumed priuielie with other to receaue but he coulde not eate the holie thinge of God nor handle yt For when he had opened his hande to see what he had receaued he fownde nothinge but asshes This in dede ys a meruertouse thinge wherby ys declared that God ys not willing that his holie Sacrament shoulde be receaued of a filthie sinner forasmoche as sodenlie yt pleaseth him to chaunge yt into asshes he him self departing from yt But let vs heare what S. Cyprian him self noteth vpō this miracle of God Serm. s de lapsis Documento vnius ostensum est Dominum recedere cum negatur nec immerentibus prodesse ad salutem quod sumitur cum gratia salutaris in cinerem sanctitate fugiente mutetur By the example of one yt ys declared that our Lorde departeth when he ys denied nether doeth yt that ys receaued profitte the vnwoorthie to saluacion or healthe when the holsome grace holinesse departinge awaie ys chaunged into asshes This note of S. Cyprian ys notable in dede and for that yt ys so I wishe yt so to be noted of the reader that yt neuer fall from his memorie First let the euell man note that at the receipt of the Sacrament bicause in life and conuersation God ys denied that he departeth and goeth awaie But let the faithfull herby learn that owre Lorde ys present with his Sacramēt who as he departeth from the wicked so he abideth to be receaued of the vertuouse ād godlie This also ys not to be ouerpassed that the holie Martir saieth that yt that ys receaued profiteth not the vnwoorthie to saluacion For by that he saieth yt profiteth not the vnwoorthie he argueth that yt profiteth the woorthie or ells we must saie that the state bothe of the woorthie and vnwoorthie ys equall whiche if yt so were S. Ciprian did but vainlie saie that yt did not profitte the vnwoorthie Yf then one thinge be receaued in the Sacrament that profiteth the good and auaileth not the euel we must first graunt that the good and the euell receaue one thinge profiting the one and hurting the other Nowe wolde yt be learned of the Sacramentarie what one thing that ys in the Sacrament that ys receaued that profiteth and