and distinction of his members he dyd hange onely once vpon the crosse offerynge hym selfe to God the father an hoost of redemption effectuall for them whom he hathe predestinate Also Saynte Ambrose In Christ the host was once offered beinge of power to helth what do we then Do we not offer euery daye and if we offer euery daye it is done in the remembraunce of the death of hym And the host is one and not many How one and not manye because Christ is once offered This is the example of that and the same and alwayes the same is offered Therfore this is the same sacrifice or else it maye be sayde because it is offered in many places there be many Christes whiche is not so But one Christ euery where and here full and there full so as that whiche is offered euery where is one bodye and so also one sacrifice Christ hath offered the host we do offer the same also now but that we do is a remembraunce of the sacrifice Nor ther is no cause found of the one inualidite or weaknes because it perfiteth the man Here is gathered that to be a sacrifice and to be so called that is done in the alter and Christ to be onse offered and daily offered But other wyse then and other wyse now and also it is shewed what is the vertu of this sacrament that is to saye remission of veniall synne and perfection of vertu Hillarye in his boke of the Trinite lib. viii OVr Lorde leauinge nothinge to the conscieÌ„ce of the faithful he taughte the effecte of naturall efficacye sayinge that they may be one euen as we be one I in them and they in me that they be perfect in one Them I do nowe sake that do put an vnitie of wyll betwene the father the sonne Whether or no by the truth of nature Christ be to day in vs or by concorde of wyll For yf we take truelye the worde beinge fleshe in our Lordes meate Howe is it not to be estemed hym to abyde in vs naturallye whiche toke the nature of oure fleshe then inseperable to hym beinge borne man And the nature of his fleshe to the nature of eternitie vnder a Sacrament of his fleshe to vs to be geuen hathe myngled for so we be al one For euen in Christe is the father and Christe in vs. Therefore whosoeuer doth generally deny the father in Christe let hym deny fyrste not naturally ether hym in christ or Christ to be in hym For the father in Christ and Christ in vs maketh vs to be one in them If therfore Christ haue truely taken flesh of the bodye of the vyrgyn and that that verye man whiche was borne of Marye be Christ and we truely vnder a mysterye take the fleshe of his bodye and shal be one therby because the father is in him and he in vs. Howe is the wyll of vnite affyrmed whan a propertye naturall by sacramentes is perfyghtlye a Sacrament of vnitie It is not for the wytte of man or the wytte of the worlde to speake in Goddes wordes nor by violent and shamefull preachynge of heauenlye wordes with straunge health the frowardenes of a wycked vnderstandinge to be gotten oute Let vs reade those thinges that be written and then we shall vse the offyce of perfight saith For those thinges that we speake of the naturall veritie of Christ except we learne them of Christ whiche we speake of hym we saye and learne folyshly and wyckedly For he saith my fleshe verely is meate and my bloud verely is drinke He that eateth my fleshe drinketh my bloud he abideth in me I in him There is no place left of doutinge of the verite of fleshe and bloud For now by our Lordes profession and our faith he is verely fleshe and verely bloude And these taken and dronken do that thinge that bothe we be in Christ and Christ in vs is not this a truthe let it happen playnely to them not to be trewe whiche deny that Christe is veray trew God And therfore is he in vs by fleshe and we in hym when he with hym selfe that that we be he is in God And for asmoche as by sacrament of flesh bloud coÌ„municate we be in hym he beareth witnesse saying and this worlde doth not nowe se me but you shall se me For I am in my father and you in me and I in you If he wolde onely the vnite of will to be vnderstande why dyd he expounde a certayne degre and order of vnite to be consummate but that when he shulde be in the father by nature of diuinite we agayne shoulde be in hym by his corporall natiuite And he afterwarde in vs myght be beleued to be by a mystery of sacramentes And that this naturall vnite is in vs he doth thus witnes He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude dwelleth in me and I in hym For none shal be in hym but in whome he will be Thou hast onely his fleshe taken into hym selfe whiche toke his owne ¶ Basell the greate fo i. v c.lxi Anno do ccc.lxxx BAsill in the rule that he gaue to his brethreÌ„ taught the same of the Sacrament of the whiche by them there is a question put forth after this maner With what maner of feare Timer dei fides or faith or affect we owght to take the grace of the bodye and bloude of Christ is opeÌ„ vnto that whiche question thus he answereth The Apstle teacheth vs feare saying He that eateth drinketh vnworthely he eateth drinketh his iudgemente not iudgeginge the body of our Lorde The worde of our Lorde teacheth vs faith sayinge This is my bodye whiche shal be geuen for you Fides doâ—cetur desacramento this do ye in remembraunce of me Agayne the sayinge of Iohn that the worde is made flesshe and hath dwelt in vs and we haue sene his glory as of the onely begotten sonne of the father full of grace and truth Also the Apostle saithe whiche when he was in the forme of God thought it no robery to be equall with god But he dyd make hym selfe of no reputacion takynge on hym the shape of a seruaunte and became lyke vnto men and was founde in his apparell as a man he humbled hym self and becam obediente vnto the deathe euen the deathe of the crosse he therfore that beleuith these wordes and considereth the greatenesse of his glory and doth meruell at the greatenesse of his humilite howe suche and so so greate a one was obedient to the father vnto death for our lyfe I thinke that the soule maye be prouoked to affection of God the father whiche spared not his owne sonne but gaue hym for vs all and vnto the loue of his onely begotten sonne he shall the more be prouoked that he feith hym suffer most shamefull deathe for our redemption 2. Cor. 5. Euen as the Apostle dyd saye of hym For the loue of God dothe constrayne vs iudgyng that that
thou seest oure Lord offered and the preist staÌ„ding at the aulter with insence praing for hym selfe and for the people thou thinkest thou arte with men and not strayght way translatyd into the heuenes excludinge al sence of the fleshe oute of thy mynde thou doest with naked soul with most clere remeÌ„brance behold those thinges that be in heauenly places O myracle oh beneuolence of God in vs that Christe sytteth aboue at the righte hande of the father and yet at the time of sacrifice he is contayned in the handes of men and is geuen vnto them that desyer to taste of hym and to be enbrased with worshyppynge In his sermon of Iudas the traiter Where wilte thou that we prepare the passeouer Not that that is ours Sermons de Iude proditione but in the meane season he vnderstode the Iews passeouer And the disciples dyd prepare but this that is ours he hym selfe dyd ordayne and not only ordayne but he is it that made it Why dyd Christe eate it yea for he dyd fulfill al thinges thar were of the lawe And bycause the Iewes passed away by forgettiÌ„g the benefyttes of God he with the scelebracion of the festiuitie dyd strenketh memory vnto them of his benefittes and therfore dyd he commaunde the passeouer to be saÌ„ctified And by that also was another greatter benefyt shewed that that lambe was a figure of a lambe to come Agnus paschalis umbra Christus veritas Super Epistolam ad Hebreos Cap. 17. And that bloude shewed the coÌ„myng of the Lordes bloud That lambe was a shadow this a verite And therfore in it both the passouer of the fygure verite is celebrat Now therfore their swete breades be vnclene their festiual dayes vnlauful Quotidie offerenduÌ„ What do we do not we offer euery day we offer truly but makinge remembrance of his deathe And this sacrifice is one Vna est hostia not many For that was offered into the holy of the holynes this sacrifice is an ensample of that the very same do we offer and not now one lamb to morowe an other but alway one Therfore this sacrifice is one Vbique Deus offertur else by the reason bycause it is offered in many places ther be many Christes No Commemoratio but the Lord is euery where one and here beinge ful and ther ful one body for as he that is offered euery where is one bodye and not many bodys eueÌ„ so also is the sacrifice one He is our byshop which offered the hoost makynge vs clean and that same do we now offer Idem sacri sicium which then offered can not be consumed and that we do is done in remembraunce of hym None other sacryfyce do we but alway the same Super Math. Let all men beleue that euen now also is celebrate the supper in which Christe hym selfe dyd sit For ther is no dyfference betwene that and this For that is not made of man this of hym Therfore when thou seist the prest geue that the body thinke not that it is reached to the by the handes of the prest but by christes For as in baptisme thou art not baptised of the prest but of God So hath not God to Aungelles commytted this office But he being present byddeth and saieth let vs here therfore as wel the prestes as other How greate how meruelous a thynge is graunted to vs. Let vs here I praye you be afrayde of his flesh geuen to vs his owne fleshe offered hath he sette forth to the Iewes euery year in remembrance of his benefyttes Christus quotidie nobis proponitur God hathe set forth holy dayes to the daylye that thou shouldest not forget is he set forthe For this is a sacrament of peace Let no Iudas no Simon come to this thy table The Iewes passouer was an example but that is voyd and past but now is com vnto vs the spiritual passeouer whiche Christ hym selfe made For when they dyd eate and drinke he toke breade and brake it and sayde this is my body which shal be geuen for you They knowe what I speake which be consecrate to deuine misteris And afterward he toke the cup and sayde this is my bloud which shal be shed for you in remission of synnes And Iudas was ê‘sent Christ saying these wordes this is my bloud Say Iudas whom hast thou sold for .xxx. pense This is the same bloud of which thou madest a bargayne afore with the Pharyseys Oh mercy of Christ Dementia Iude Oh madnes of Iudas He made a bargyn to sel Christ for .xxx. pense And Christ of his clemency offered to hym the same bloude that he had sold that he myght haue had remissioÌ„ of his sinnes if he had not ben vnfaithful Remissio peccatoruÌ„ sanguine Christi For he was present at the communicacion of that Sacrifice And his fete also Christ dyd washe as of the others that he shold haue had none excuse of his malice But he being detestable thought the lyinges in waight of his mynde But now a conuenient tyme doth inuite vs to the terrible table and with a congruent watching Let no Iudas be founde ther Let no wycked person come therto nor none priked with poyson nor no dissayteful wordes be pronounced with the tonge nor that the lyinge in wayt be not hyd in the mynd but that that the will possesseth yea let the speche declare the same For now is Christ hym self redy which adornyd that table and he dothe also consecrate this whiche we now haue For it is not man which consecracion of the table being set forthe doth make the body and bloud of Christ but it is Christ whiche is crucifyed for vs. The wordes be spoken by the prestes mouth but they be consecrated by the power of God De sacrorum perttcipacione misterioruÌ„ quod communicare noleÌ„s nec oracioneÌ„ dignus est interesse to iiii fo ccxi Hom. lx Ioh. Euang. Parentes do often put their childern to other to be norsyd but I saye saithe christ do not so But with my fleshe I do norishe I put my self vnto you willyng you al to be gentelmen pretending good expectatioÌ„ of you of thinges to come Which do here geue my self to you moch more in the world to come I haue willed to be your brother I haue taken fleshe bloud for you vnto you agayn I geue that same flesh bloud by which I am made your cosyn This bloud maketh to vs a floryshing ymage of a kinge This bloud is an honor the can not be done awaye This bloude doth not suffer the gentelnes of the soule to consume euer freshinge it norishing it For of meats blod springinge in vs is not strayghtwaye made that but some other thinge But this is not so but by and by it wateryth the mynde and bringeth in a certayn grace vertue or strengthe This mistical bloud putteth away deuelles and causeth them
to be farre away and calleth Angelles to vs And the Lorde of Angels for where they se the Lordes bloud deuils fly away and angelles come to this bloudeshed wassheth all the worlde More saynges of Chrisostom in his Homily .xxiiii. 1. Cor. x. The thinge that is in the chalice is that which ranne oute of Christes syde we are partakers of it Liber iiii cap. iii. de dignitate sacerdotali O Greate good will of God towardes vs O myracle he that syttethe vpon the right hande of his father in heauen aboue is contayned in mennes handes in the tyme of sacrifice Homili XVii Episcopi ad heb ix ca. There is one bodye of Christ dayly offered in sacrifice and one Christ in euerye place where the Sacrament is which is here in this place full and there in that place also full or hole Homil. ad Antiochenum populum Helias the Prophete ascending vp left his mantell vnto his disciples but the sonne of God ascendynge vp into heauen lefte vnto vs his owne fleshe As for Helyas leauinge his mantell vnto his disciple left it from him selfe but our sauioure Christ hath both left his fleshe with vs and also taken it with hym selfe in his Ascencion Homil xlv super Iohannem It is not man that maketh our Lordes bodye and bloude of those thinges set forth vpon the table to be consecrated but it is Christe that was crucified for vs The wordes are pronounced of the preist and these thynges breade and wyne are consecrated by Goddes power and grace for he sayde This is my body By these wordes the breade and wyne are consecrated If a man loke in howe muche he is bounde to flesh and bloud To. li 6 〈◊〉 alogoruâ— Cap. 5. to be able to be made nigh to the blessed simple nature then diligentlye should he vnderstand that it were mete to honor preists by the grace of the holy gost Sacerdotes honorandi for by them these misteries be fulfilled other no lesse then these beinge so greate either because of our helth or els because of dignitie For they the inhabit erth and be conuersauÌ„t in it hath deserued to dispence heuenly thinges Potestatem ligandi et soluendi dedit hâ—meÌ„nibus non Angelis nec archâ— angelis they haue receaued power whiche god nether gaue to Aungels nor Archaungels nor it was not sayde to theÌ„ what things soeuer ye bind on earth they shal be houÌ„de also in heuen and what thinges so euer ye loose they shal be loosed The prynces of the world hath also a certayn power of byndinge but which is only laufull in bodyes Que sacer dotes aguÌ„t in terris Christus confirmat in celis but this boÌ„de which is commyt to preistes it goyth to the soule passeth to heuen That those thinges that preistes do beneth God dothe also confirme in heauen and corroborateth the sentence for it is no other thinge to be called but woodnes to contempne that misterye Sine sacramento Eucharistie nulla salus nec promissa red duntur with oute which neither is helthe geueÌ„ vs nor those good things that be promysed shoulde be geuen for none shal be able to go into the kingdome of heauen but those that be borne agayne of water and of the spirite And he that eateth not the fleshe of oure LORDE and drynketh not his bloude shall not haue lyfe euerlastynge which be made with no other handes then with the holy handes of the prest Solue sacerdos coÌ„secrat nor can haue the rewarde of promyses nor escape the fyer of hell but by the office of these things These be they that bring vs forth in a spirituall generation and execute them by the generation of baptim by them we be clothed with Christ and by them we be ioyned to the sonne of God by them we be also made members of that blessed head ¶ Saynt Ambrose was within .cclxxx. after Christ in his .iiii. boke of sacramentes the .xiiii. cap. WHo is the author of the sacramentes but our Lorde Iesus these sacrameÌ„tes came froÌ„ heauen for all counsell is frome heauen but verely greate Godly is the myracle that God rayned from heauen to the people Angelles foode Exod. 16. And the people labored not and yet did eate Thou perauenture sayest my bread is had coÌ„meÌ„ly in vse but this bread is bread before the sacramentall wordes but after consecration hathe approched of bread is made the flesh of Christ Let vs therfore fortefye and approue this how it which is breade can be the body of Christ by consecration Of what wordes than and of whose sayinges consisteth the consecration euen of our Lord Iesu for by al other thinges which are spoken prayse is offered to God and prayer supplication is made for the people for the kynge for other thinges But whaÌ„ it is come to passe that the sacrameÌ„t worthy to be honoured must be coÌ„secrated now the preist vseth not his owne worde but the wordes of Christe Therfore the worde of Christ doth make or consecrate this sacrameÌ„t Whiche word of Christ it truly by the whiche al thinges are made The Lorde commaunded and heauen was made The Lord commauÌ„ded and the earth was made The lord commaunded the seas was made The Lord coÌ„maunded euery creature was begotten borne Seest thou than how mighty in working the word of God is therfore if so great power strength vertu be in the word of our lorde Iesu the thinges whiche were not began to be howe muche more is it able to worke that the things were might be chaunged into another thing heaueÌ„ was not the sea was not Psa 14 â–ª the earthe was not But here the prophet Dauid speaking of god he spake the word the thinges were made he commaunded and the thinges was created Than let me answer it was not the body of christ before the consecration but after the consecration I say vnto the that now it is the body of Christe He spake the word and it was done he commaunded and it was created Thou thy selfe was but thou was an olde creature After that thou was dedicated to God baptisyd thou began to be a new creature Wylt thou knowe how new a creature thou arte Euery man saith Saynt Paule is by Christ anew creature here therfore 2. Cor. 5. lo the worde of Christe hathe bene wonte to chaunge euery creature and chaungeth whan it will the customes and ordinauÌ„ces of nature Thou requirest how Harken And fyrst of all let vs take example of Christes generation The custome is that man can not be generate but of man and woman and wedlocke company but bycause it was our Lordes pleasure who choose this Sacrament Christ was borne of the holy ghost and of a vyrgyn that is to saye the mediatoure of God and men Christe Iesus verye man Than thou seest that against the custome and order of nature a man was borne of a
vyrgin Take an other example Exod. 14 The children of Israell was oppressed of the Egiptians closed in with the sea on euery syde by the commaundement of God Moyses touched the water with his rodde and the water deuided her selfe a sonder which verely was not after the custome of her nature but according to the grace of the heauenly commaundement Take an other example Exod 15. The children of Israell was thurstye and came to a fountayne of water the whiche was bytter not able to be dronke Holy Moyses dyd cast a tre into the water and it was made swete which before was bitter that is to saye it chaunged the custome of nature and toke the swetnes of grace Take also the fourth example It fortuned as a man was felling doune a tre besides the floude Iordayne 4 Reg. 6. the axe hed full into the water and sonke to the botome as the custome of Iron is to do the prophet Heleseus dyd cast a sticke of woode into the water and immediately the Iron came vp swymmed aboue the water the whiche verely is against the nature of yron For the stuffe substaunce of Iron is moch heuyer than is the element of water Dost thou theÌ„ by these examples vnderstande how mightily the heauenly worde worketh yf the heaueÌ„ly worde hath wrought in an earthy foÌ„tayne yf it hath wrought in other thinges doth not it also worke in the heauenly sacramentes Pauis fâ—eory 9 christi than thou hast learned that of bread may be made the body of Christ And the wine and water is put into the chalice but it is made bloude by the consecration of the heauenly word But perauenture thou wilt saye I se not the forme of bloude Euen as thou hast taken the similitude of death in baptyme Respoâ— so dost thou drinke the similitude of the preciouse bloude that there be no feare of bloude and yet that it maye worke the price of redemption Thou hast therfore learned that the thing which thou takest is the bodye of Christ and the bloude of our Lorde Wilt thou know that it is consecrate with heauenly wordes Here what the words be The prest sayth Make sayth he this oblation enrolled reasonable whiche is a fygure of the bodye and bloude of our Lorde Iesu Christ Qui pridie whiche the daye afore that he suffered he toke breade in his holy handes loked to heauen to his holy father almighty God geuynge thankes blessed brake and beinge broken gaue it to his Apostels and Disciples sayinge Take and eate of this all for this is my body that shall be broken for many And in lyke maner he toke the cuppe after he had supped the daye before that he shoulde suffer and loked to heauen to the holy father almyghtye euerlastynge God geuynge thankes blessed gaue it to his Apostels and Disciples sayinge Take and drynke of this all for this is my bloude Se al these be the wordes of the Euangelyst vnto Take ye whether it be the body or bloude then be the wordes of Christe Take and drynke of it all Afore it is consecrate it is breade â— Corpus christi est but when the wordes of Christe come it is the bodye of Christ Furthermore heare hym sayinge Take and eate of it all this is my body And afore the wordes of Christe the cuppe is full of wyne and water When the wordes of Christe haue wroughte there is the bloude made whiche hath redemed the people Then se in howe greate kyndes is the word of Christ myghty and able to conuert all maner of thinges Further more the Lorde Iesus hym selfe doth testifie vnto vs that we may take his bodye and bloude should we then doubte of his fayth and wytnessynge Lib. 4. de Sacramentis Nowe come with me to my proposition It is surelye a greate and worshypfull thynge that he dyd raygne Manna from heauen to the Iewes But vnderstand what is more the Manna from heauen or the body of Christ Surelye the bodye of Christe whiche is maker of heauen Farthermore he that did eate Manna is deade But he that hath eaten this bodye it shal be to hym forgeuenes of synnes and he shall neuer dye Therfore thou sayst not in vayne Amen So be it Now thou confessinge in sprite that thou takest the bodye of Christe the preist saith to the The body of Christ And thou faiste Amen That is true that which he confesseth hath the desyre It is to be knowen that in pronounsing of these wordes Bread is turned into the body of Christe This is my bodye a misterye is done And breade is turned into Christes bodye If thou aske how we leauinge these thynges not certayne do affirme that which is of auctorities that is to say that the substaunce of bread and wine is conuerted into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of our lorde And we be not ashamed to confesse that we knowe not the maner of turnynge For the thynges that remayne of the former substaunce accidentia manent be accidentes that is the coloure sauour fourme and weyghte Nor yet they do make the bodye of Christ nor can be grounded therin But if it be asked where they be founded we saye Hic deo ideÌ„s manet sine subiectodo uirtute diuina that by diuyne miracle they be sustayned without substaunce This is truely a greate misterye and vnsearcheable We be commaunded to beleue we be not permitted to discusse We be commauÌ„ded to beleue but not to discusse all thinges that the Lorde wolde he dyd in hea-and in earth And because so he wolde so it was So thoughe the figure of breade and wyne be seene yet after the consecration we muste beleue nothinge els but the fleshe and bloude of Christe Wherefore the truth doth saye to his Disciples This is my fleshe for the lyfe of the worlde and that I might speake more maruelously it is playnely none other but that which was borne of the virgin Marye and suffered on the crosse and rose out of the graue This I saye is it And therfore is it the fleshe of Christ which for the lyfe of the worlde yet to daye is offered the breade of angelles is made the meate of men wherfore he sayth I am the lyuely bread which cam doune from heauen Also the breade which I will gyue is my fleshe for the lyfe of the world By these two sentences it is geuen openly to be vnderstanded that this breade and that be not two but one breade and one fleshe and withoute doute is made one bodye That verely that surely which was taken of the virgyn that suffered that was buryed that arose agayne and ascended into heauen sitteth on the right hande of God the father and which is to come to Iudge the quicke the dead And that thou mayste knowe this to be a sacrameÌ„t the figure of this went before afterwarde know how gret a SacrameÌ„t it is
that we abide in the Lordes bodye as members that we maye be quickened with his sprite and be not offended yea yf manye eate with vs and drinke temporallye this Sacramentes whiche shall haue in the ende eternall tormentes For nowe the bodye is mixt as vpon the flore but the lorde knoweth who is his We be sure brethren that all we that be in the lordes bodye abyde in hym that he maye abyde in vs. In this worlde we muste neades vnto the ende lyue amonge the euyll Not amonge these euyll I saye that blaspheme Christ For they be seldome founde whiche with tounge do blaspheme but many with life We must nedes therfore lyue with them vnto the ende Lib. 21. e◠25. De ci Dei He that is in the vnitie of hys bodye that is in the ioyninge of Christian members of whose body the faythfull communicatinge of the alter are acustomed to take it is true to be sayde that he receaueth Christes body drinketh Christes bloude And by this heretikes and scismatikes beyng seperated from this vnitie of body they may ther vpon perceaue a sacramente but not to them profitable yea rather noysome wherby they maye be the more greuouselye iudged or more slowly deliuered for that they be not in that bond of peace which is expressed in the sacrament Christe eaten by partes and abydeth hole hole in heauen He is eaten by partes in sacrament and abydeth hole in thy harte He was hole with the father Christus cōmestus intigre manet when he came into the vyrgyn and fylled her and he wente not from hym He came in flesshe that men myght eate hym and he abode hole with the father Sermo Io De uerbis domini that he might fede Aungels He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude abydeth in me and I in hym Howe must we vnderstande Maye we not here vnderstande them of whome the Apostle speaketh on that they eate and drinke theyr iudgement when they eate that flesh and drinke that bloude Dyd not Iudas seller and betrayer of his master De Iude touch hym fyrst in his handes beinge made a sacrament of his fleshe and bloude vnworthely with other Disciples as more playnely Luke declareth eate and drinke dyd he abyde in Christ and Christ in hym Many also that with fayned harte eate that fleshe and drink that bloude or when they haue eaten and dronken be made Apostelles Do they abyde in Christ or Christ in them But ther is a certayn maner of eatinge that fleshe and drinkynge that bloude as he that eateth drinketh in Christ abydeth in Christ and Christ in hym That is a cercertayne waye which waye Christ sawe whan he sayde these wordes my fleshe is very meate Sermo xxxii Let vs Ioye moste derely belouyd and be glad in the Lorde whiche in this daye hathe consecrated to vs misteryes of holsome comforte Howe hathe the Lorde commended to vs his bodye and his bloude How but of his humilitie for yf he were not meke he wolde nether be eaten nor dronkē Beholde the highnes of hym The worde was in the begynninge Se what meate is euerlastinge Aungels eate highe vertues eate heauenly spirites eate they eate and be full and he abideth hole that he filleth them and gladdeth them For who can ascende to that meat Because man can not ascende to that meate Quia homo ad hūc nequibat ascendere Christus descende bat ut panis fieret this breade vouchesafe to descende to man and that with vnspeakable pitie was done for it was necessarye that that table of Aungels should geue mylk come to littell ones Therfore ye beinge about to come to the aulter of the Lorde loke out all the priuie places of your hart lest peraduenture there be any synnes whiche be not yet healed with almose and fastinge And feare this he that eateth the Lordes bodye and bloude vnworthely he shal be gylty of the bodye and bloude of oure Lorde Therfore let a man proue him self and so let hym eate and drinke of that cuppe Howe the bodye of Christe that honge on the Crosse is receaued and howe not in his Epistle ad Hyreneumin expositi Psal liiii NOt this body that ye se ye be about to eate and drink that bloude whiche they be aboute to shed whiche wyl crucifie me that and not that that inuisible and not that visible Wherfore it foloweth yf it be necessarye that to be celebrate visible it is necessary it to be vnderstande inuisible Ad Iulianum comitem in the decres .ii. Dist Frome these thinges the pitie of our Lorde Iesu Christ delyuer vs and geue vs him selfe to be eaten which sayde I am the lyuely breade whiche came downe from heauen he that eateth my fleshe and so forthe But euery one afore he receaue the bodye and bloude of our Lorde Iesu Christe let hym proue him selfe and after the commaundemente of the Apostle so let hym eate of that breade and drinke of that cuppe For whan we must receaue hym we muste fyrst go to confession and do penaunce and discusse diligently all our actes noysome synnes yf we do perceue them We must strayght way make haste by confession true penaunce to wasshe them awaye leaste with Iudas the traytor hydynge within vs the deuell we perishe deferryng and concelynge or kepynge our synnes frome daye to daye Austen in libro Sent. prosperi Therfore we in forme of breade and wyne which we se we do honor thinges inuisible that is the fleshe and bloude of Christ Nor in lyke maner we comprehende not those formes as before consecration we dyd comprehend them when we do faithfully confesse afore consecration to be bread and wyne whiche nature hathe formed But after the consecration the flesh and bloude of Christ whiche the blessinge hath consecrated whether vnder a fygure or vnder a trewthe this misticall sacrament of the cuppe be done the truth saythe My fleshe verely is meate and my bloud verely is drynke or else how shal it be great The bread that I will geue is my fleshe for the lyfe of the worlde Except it be verye fleshe it cannot geue lyfe It is not lawful to tear christ with teath But bycause it is not leful to deuour christ with teath our Lord wold this bread and wyne in mystery truly his fleshe and his bloude by the consecration of the holy goste potencially to be create and dayely mistically to be offered As the virgin by the holy gost true fleshe with oute generation is create so by the same of the substaunce of breade and wyne the same bodye of Christ and his bloude by vertu of the holy gost mystically is consecrated The bodye of christ is both the veritie the figure The bodye of Christ is a veritie and a fygure It is a verite when the bodye of Christe and bloude throughe vertue of the holy goost is made of the substaunce of breade and wyne And a figure is that
inuisible ▪ without augmentinge when thou was the selfe same thinge Muche other wayes was thou in the procedinge of fayth nothinge is added to in the outwarde parte and all is chaūged in the inward part And yf manne beynge made the sonne of Christ and Christ beynge formed in the mynde of manne as therefore withoute corporall sence the olde wylynes put down thou haste sodenlye put on a newe dignitie And as in that that GOD hath cured in the thinges hurte He hath wasshed thynges infected he hathe wyped awaye thinges defiled They be not commytte to thyne eyes but to thy wittes And when thou goeste vp to the alter to be filled with spiritual meats behold yea with thy faith a sacramente the body and bloude of God honoure meruell towche with thy minde take it with thy hande of thy harte and most of all take a hole drawght of the inward man S. Hierom in his .iii. boke against the Pellagians sayth Christ taught his apostels that they beleuinge should be bolde to saye daylye in the sacrifice of his body the Pater noster S. Barnard in festo Martini Anno dom M.xiii The very substaunce of Christes flesh is now also present with vs no doute truelye but in the sacrament of the alter Rupert in the vi chapt of Ihon. Anno domini M.xiii This is our Lordes body which dyd hange vpon the crosse this is his bloude that was shedde out for all the worlde Hugo in annotationibus in i. corinth xi quest xcix Anno. M ccc xxxiiii It is knowen vnto the faythfull person that the substaunce of bread passeth into the bodye and wyne into the bloude As Christ saying Take this is my body dydde then chaunge by his worde that breade and wyne into his very bodye and bloude Euen so do we vndoubtedly beleue that the wordes sayde of a preist by that order and with the same intent that Christ sayd thē do chaunge the breade and wyne into Christes very bodye and his very bloude Bruno Anno dom M.C lii This thinge whiche was a lyttell before breade is now verely my bodye whiche bodye shal be geuen to death for you althoughe I nowe wyll geue to you immortall and not apte to suffer He speaketh in the person of Christ Ioannes Gerson Anno. M. cccc.xxix We must say that albeit Christe is vnderneth the kinde of bread wyne but yet the bread passeth into christes body wine into his blod Oecumenius whiche was a greke in his .x. Epist vnto the Heb. The Apostell Paule would not haue sayde thou arte a preist for euer of that oblation and host or sacrifice which is once made but he sayd it hauing a respect to the preistes which be now a daies by whome as meanes Christ maketh sacrifice and is offered in sacrifice whiche taught them also in the misticall supper the maner of such a sacrifice And further we make a memory of one and the same Christes death and we eate at al tymes one body of Christ Sedulius whiche was M.c.xix past writeth thus Beware that ye eate not the body vnworthely whiles it is christes body Gregory Emissene which was aboue M.c. yeares past The inuisible preist Christ turneth the visible creatures of bread and wine by his worde and secrete power into the substaunce of his body and blud thus saying Take and eate this is my body And farther he saith it is Christes fleshe which we do receaue in the sacramēt couered with the forme of bread his bloud which we drink vnder the kind of apearāce sauor of wyne Rabanus Lib. i. in Exodum What auayleth it to receaue with thy mouth Christes body bloud And to do againste hym with all euell maners Nicolaus de Lyra which was about vc.xxxiii yeres past These wordes that I spake sayth Christ Iohn .vi. are sprite lyfe But yet this spiritually is not so vnderstande sayth Lyre or so to be taken that Christes flesh shuld be in the sacrament of the aulter onely as a signe lyke as certayne heretikes haue sayd for it is there really But because Christes fleshe is eaten in this sacrament after a certayne spirituall manner in as muche as the visible kyndes are rent with the teeth and eaten and mannes spirite the soule is refresshed therby through the power of God knit vnto the fleshe Damasus Epistola ad Stephanum Anno dom viii c.lxx Let not any man lightly agre in backbytinge or accusyng or condempning of their brethren Christians and whiche also do make Christes bodye with their owne mouthe Athanasius Lib. de passione imaginis Christi cap. vii Anno dom ccclxxix It is not otherwyse to be iudged of euery catholyke person besides that whiche is written of vs as thoughe some thinges mighte be found in the world of Christes flesh but that whiche is dayly made vpon the aulter spirituallye by the priestes handes Felix martyr almoost a. M.ccc yeares past It was not semely that they whiche do dayly make Christes bodye with their owne proper mouthe shuld suffer so great persecution The counsell of Laterane in the whiche were assembled M.ccc.xv learned men which determined the presence of Christ to be in the sacrament of the aulter There is one vniuersall church of the faithfull without which no mā vtterly is saued in whiche the same preist him selfe Iesus Christ is the sacrifice whose body and bloude is truely contained in the sacrament of the aulter vnderneth the kyndes of bread wyne and the substaunce of breade and wyne is turned into the bodye and bloude of Christ through goddes power The determination of the hole vniuersitie of Paris in the time and raygne of kynge Frauncis Euery Christen man is bounde to beleue stedfastly that in the consecration of the Sacramente the breade and wyne are turned into the very body and bloud of Christ the kyndes and formes of the breade and wyne onely remayninge Vnderneth the which the very bodye of Christ is really or in very dede contayned which was borne of the vyrgin and hath suffered vppon the crosse ¶ The sayinges of Martyn Luther in his boke intituled the chief articles of the christian fayth Of the sacrament of the alter hold we that breade and wyne at the supper is the very body bloude of Christ And is not onelye ministred and receiued of the rightous but also of wicked christians In the same Except that they before dyd alter and falsely interpretate gods wordes and ordinaunce as the present enemies of the sacrament do whiche would in very dede haue nothinge but breade and wyne because they haue not also the wordes and ordinaunce instituted of god but haue peruerted and altered the same after their fantasy In the same For euen ther is in this Christianitie and where as she is remission of synnes that is a kingedome of grace and of right pardon For ther is the gospell baptisme and the sacrament of the Alter wherin remission of synnes is offered gyuen and receaued and euen