very profitable vnto the symple and rude people for whome onely I haue prepared thys homlye thyng to shewe what scriptures auctorities of auÌ„cient wryters and what reasons that they allege for the mayntenaunce of theyr heresyes in answerynge vnto them to shewe breuely howe they disceaue and are disceaued Yet I wyll not brynge in all suche auctorities and places that they allege For I truste in God so to answere and declare suche as I shall reherse here that it shal be easye for a diligent reader to perceaue the craft and disceat of them in all other For certaynly suche scriptures as they brynge in eather they serue nothynge vnto the purpose eather they be glosed wyth theyr owne faÌ„tysed and false expositioÌ„s And as for the testimonies of the auÌ„cient wryters they bryng in very few But they are alleged as sincearely as faithfully as they allege the scriptures For eather they be truncate and be but lompes of the wrytters sayngê lackynge the parte that shulde make the reste playne open eather they be infarced and patched wyth theyr additions and lyes so that they brynge not them whole faithfully and sincerelye ¶ Yet for the more easyer and facyle vnderstandyng both of theyr argumeÌ„tes and also of myne answers I shall gyue vnto the reader certayne necessarie instructions and documentes Where by he shall more perfectly perceaue the falseyt of theyr reasons hereby also be more redyer to make answere to other lyke reasons The fyrst documeÌ„t is that we ought not to seke to proue wyth reason The fyrst document the matters of our faith For yf we shulde be so grosse and carnall that we wolde beleue no more then we can proue by naturall reason we shulde sone dyscharge our selfes of all the artycles of oure fayth and consequently we shuld haue no fayth for it is agaynste the nature of faythe which is of thynges that appeare not vnto reasoÌ„ or sense to be proued by reasoÌ„ But in such matters a trew christiane hart ought obediently to receaue the verytie of Goddes worde 1. Cor. 2. Non in ê‘suasibilibus humane sapientie verbis sed in operation espiritus virtutis vt fides vrÌ„a noÌ„ sit in sapientia hoiÌ„m sed in virtute dei sekyng no persuasible reasons but only to persuade to hym selfe that al that Goddes word affirmeth vndoubtedly to be trew by cause that God who can not lye hathe spoken it be it neuer so impossible vnto natural sense reason A faythful christyane man ought to truste more vnto the infallible veritie of goddes worde then he wolde do vnto hys syght hys felyng tastynge eather any of hys senses or reasoÌ„ for al those may dysceaue be disceaued But the word of god is more stable theÌ„ is eather heaueÌ„ eather earth And for as moche as the myraculous workes of God excedyth incoÌ„parably the wyt and reason of man and be therfore ineffable therfore we ought not to be to inquisityue to knowe howe and why God hath done this or that For there can no man tell neather geue reason of Goddes vnserchable and inuestigable workes Therfore no man can tel howe Christes bodye and bloode can be and is verylye and really in the sacrameÌ„t and in euery part therof and also in so many places were this blessed sacrament is No more then he can tell how that bodi was borne of an immaculate virgyn yet her virgyniall clausures kept inuiolably shut Or how the bodye dead could come alyue out of the graue the stone vnsealed vnmoued Or how the bodye cold come in through the stone walles among the apostles And yet the holy word of God teacheth these thinges to be true but the worde of God sheweth no reason howe For God wolde haue his wonderfull workes hydden from our wyttes reason that our fayth myght haue place the greatter meryte ¶ The second is that the glorifyed bodye of Christ is in moch more noble state The .ii. document coÌ„dition then oure corruptible bodyes are Therfore we must not esteme iudge a lyke of that spiritual heaueÌ„ly body of our grosse mortal corruptible bodies for though such grosse corruptible bodies caÌ„not be inuisible vntoucheable vntastable so that they be suche that where euer they be really present they maye be seen felte touched and tasted yet the glorious bodye of Christ can not be seen felt or tasted but onely when and where it shall please hym and maye be when and where him pleaseth inuysbly and vnpalpablye The bodye of oure sauyoure Christe in the fortye dayes after hys blessed resurrectyon was not sene at al tymes neyther of all men sauyng only suche tymes and of those to whome he wold apere visible Wherfore thoughe we do neyther see feale neather taste the boodye and bloode of Christe in the sacrament yet vndoubtedlye bothe the bodye and bloode of Christe are verely and really in the blessed sacrament For that bodye and blode may be and is there verely inuisible vnpalpable vntouchable for so it hath pleased Christe The .iii. document The thyrde is that thoughe it be repuÌ„gnant vnto nature that one bodye shuld be in many places at on s by cause that the lorde of nature dyd a poynt vnto nature that euery natural body wher it is present it shuld repleate the place and that one body shuld fulfyl but one place at ones therfore the order of nature is broken where there is present any naturall bodye and yet doth not occupie that place or where there is anye one bodye whooly in sondrye places Yet is not this repuÌ„gnaÌ„t neither aboue the power of God that the bodye and bloode of Christe sholde be whooly and reallye present in the sacrament and yet not occupie or fulfyl that place for the quantite of the breade and wyne miraculously do repleate that place being subsisteÌ„t alone wtout the substaÌ„s of bread euen as well as thoughe the substance of breade were there Therfore it is not repuÌ„gnant vnto the power of God that the body of Christe may be verely and realy in innumerable places after this myraculous maner of beynge whiche maner of beynge is apropriat vnto the mooste precious bodye and bloode of our sauiour christ is aboue the course and order of nature Wherefore though Christ be in heauen yet neuerthelesse he is also in the holy sacrament for the holy scripture affirmeth bothe And therfore we are bounde to beleue bothe ✿ The fourth is that we muste not The .iiii. document so carnally and so grossely take the scriptures that teacheth vs that Christ sytteth on the ryght haÌ„d of the father as thoughe we wolde imagyne that God the father had a ryght hande and a left suche other corporall membres as it hath pleased the paynters to setforth so Christ materially to syt on the ryght hande of the father Thus to ymagyne of God who is mooste spirituall it is more then very barbarous and heatheÌ„
kynge of hys very bloode in the blessed sacrament wherewyth he feadeth and norysheth vs. ✿ Yreneus that holy and auncient wryter recordeth also wyth vs in thys matter in hys fyft boke aduersus hereses where he speaketh very manifestly of thys oure incorporacyon vnto Christ by receuyng the sacrameÌ„t sayth The mengled cuppe the bread brokeÌ„ when they haue receyued the worde of God then be they made the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ Of the which body and bloode the substaunce of oure fleshe is augmented subsistent How can they deny that our fleshe is not partaker of the gyft of God which is eternall lyfe for as moche as oure fleshe is fedde wyth the bodye and bloode of Chryste and made the membre of hym euen as the appostle sayth in the epistle vnto the Ephesians We are the meÌ„bres of his bodye of hys fleshe of hys bones Se now good cristiane how this holy catholyke and verye auncient wryter playnly affirmeth wyth apostle Paule that our fleshe is fedde wyth the bodye and bloode of our sauiour Christe by that we are made the meÌ„bres of his bodye not spirituall membres onely but of hys fleshe and of hys bones Cyrel also shall recorde wyth vs whyche affirmeth the same wrytynge agaynst a certayne heretyke Cyrillus in Ioh. 15 vppon the .xv. of saynt Ioh. ✿ We do not denie saith he that we by trewe fayth syncere charitie are vnyted and knytte to Christ But that we haue no maner of coniunction wyth hym corporally that we vtterly denye and that sayinge is besydes and contrarye to all scripture For who euer doubted Christ to be in suche sorte the vyne tre that we be brauÌ„ches which receiue lyfe thereby Herke euen the same of Paule We are all one bodye sayth he in Christe and though we be many yet in hym we are but one for we do ê‘take all one breade Dothe he thynke that we knowe not the power of the mysticall blessynge the whyche is done or receyued amonge vs Dothe it not cause Christe corporally to dwel in vs by the coÌ„munion or coÌ„men receauynge of Christes fleshe Wherfore els be the meÌ„bres of christen men the membres of Christe Knowe you not fayth he that out meÌ„bres be the membres of Christ shall I make then the membres of Christ the membres of an harlot God for byd Oure sauiour also sayth Ioh. 6. He that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloode dwelleth in me in I him In eodem ✿ Thys is the wytnes of Cyril Wherein you here playnely how that he sydes the spirituall coniunction of vs vnto Christ as his membres by fayth and by charyte there is a another vnyon by the whych Christ is ioyned and vnytyd vnto vs corporally and we are made here by the membres of hym corporally A similitude of ware where by Cyrill proueth the corporall coniunction of vs vnto the naturall bodye of Christe Crysosto in IoheÌ„n Home 46 And yet Cyrill sayth moreouer ✿ Wherfore we must consyder that Christ is not in vs spiritually onelye by charite But also he is in vs by a certayne naturall and corporall particypatyon For lyke as yf a man shulde take waxe and melt it and myngle the same wyth other waxe melted ther shulde be made but one ware of them bothe euen so by receauynge of the body and blod of christ he is in vs and we in him Vnto the same subscrybeth Crysostome vpoÌ„ IohnÌ„ ✿ After that he had sayd that we are one bodye wyth hym and the membres of hys bodye and of hys fleshe and of hys bones he layde the reason thereof by and by sayng By cause that we myght be conuerted and tourned not onely by loue into his flesh but in very dede that same is done brought to effecte by the meate whiche he hath geuen vnto vs. And by cause he wolde set forthe or declare vnto vs his iÌ„tyre loue He by his own body hath miÌ„gled him selfe with vs. ✿ How playne a thinge is thys to confyrme our sentence or sayng For he sayth that the meate that Chryst gaue vnto vs that is the body of Christe in the blessed sacrameÌ„t is that same where by he hath mengled hym selfe with vs And that same maketh vs one body corporally wyth hym Not onelye spiritually for that doth faythe and charitye cause but by this we are made membres of hys body and of hys bones Hereby this we are may perceiue that be sydes the spirituall coniuncyon whyche faythe and charytie causeth and therby maketh vs spirituall membres of hys mysticall body howe necessary it is to be knyt also vnto christ corperally by the eatyng of his body in the blessed sacrament Whereby we do not only participall Christ spiritually for so do we partake Christ as ofte as we with perfect faythe and charitie remembre the deathe of Christe But also we do partake Christes fleshe corporally and verely we be come the membres of hys bodye and be of hys fleshe and of hys bones And in thys poynte we are in better state and in more blessed coÌ„dytyon then were the people vnder the former lawes eather of nature eyther of Moyses Thoughe the fayth full and holy amonge them were in graffed and knyt vnto Christes mystycall bodye as all other are that retayneth perfect faythe and charytye wythout receyuyng of the sacrament yet none of them dyd partake the very fleshe and bloode of Christe For as yet the eternall and omnipotent worde was not in fleshe But bycause these faythefull people beleued that thys fleshe shulde come and be theyr redemptyon by there faythe they receaued and dyd spiritually eate thys fleshe and where thereby partakers of the merytes thereof and so counyted and knyt vnto Christes mysticall bodye as membres spirituall thereof Christ had a mysticall bodye before that he toke vpon hym oure nature and he hathe now also by hys incarnatyon a naturall bodye And nowe he hathe two bodyes a spirituall body or a mystycall body also a natural body It was sufficieÌ„t to saluacioÌ„ befor his death passioÌ„ by fayth charite to apê‘taine to be knyt vnto his mystycal body so to partake hys merytes But nowe out sauiour Christe sayth vnto all of sufficient age and discretion hauynge no impediment Ioh. 6. ✿ Except that you eate my fleshe drynke my bloode you can haue no lyfe in you So that nowe we muste be connexed and ioyned not onely vnto hys spirituall mysticall bodye but also vnto hys naturall body by the corporall receyuynge and eatynge of the same fleshe and bloode There in as I haue sayde standeth the great worthynes preferment and dygnitie of the table of Christe aboue the table of Moyses For Moyses set on his table onely the myraculous breade Manna the fygure of Christes bodye But Christ setteth before vs vpon hys table the reall and verye presens of hys natural bodye and bloode Theophi in IoheÌ„z Quomodo inquit noÌ„
ActuuÌ„ 20. they were not ygnorant of the greate and mooste streyght accompte that they shall geue and rendre for them at the day of iudgement Wherefore withoute doubte they ryght prudently pondred and considered what great danger and ieoberdy it shuld be chefely vnto theyr owne soules and also vnto the christian flocke yf by theyr peruerse preachynge or teachynge or by theyr wycked wrytyng the christen people shuld be broughte into so great an error as to beleaue that thyng whiche is very false and to fall thereby into so detestable blasphemy that they shulde worshype and honor bread in the steade of christe But certaynly we maye be well asswered that they wolde not preache teache neither wryte anye other thynge then they thought moost assuredly trew For vndoubtydly these wise and moost circuÌ„spect fathers had incoÌ„sideracyoÌ„ that yf they shuld haue taught the people that they ought not to beleue the real very pÌ„seÌ„s of the body blood of christ in the sacrament syth that it is there in dede Augustinê° in psal 88 Suscepit enim de ter â—a terram quia caro de terra est de carne marie car nem accepit et quia in ipsa car ne hic ambulauit et ipsam car nem nobis maÌ„ducandaÌ„ dedit Nemo auÌ„t illam carnem manducat nisi prius ado cauerit inuentum est queÌ„admodum adore tur tale scabellum pedum dnÌ„i et noÌ„ 〈…〉 verely and really theÌ„ by thys theyr doctrine they shuld haue led the people not onely into an heresye but also into the syn of coÌ„teÌ„pt of goddes gyfte worke into the synne of excedyng great vnthankfulnes in that they so lytle regarded so noble a gyft the specially geuen of so magnificent in coÌ„parable lord god wolde not rather receiue the same with al honor worship admiration thankes geuyng vnto God And on the other side they consydered that yf they taught the people to beleue that the bodye blood of Christ were in the sacrameÌ„t verely really yf it were vntrew not so then shulde the people haue benled by them into the detestable cryme abhominable enormitie of ydolatrie in worshippynge the creature of bread in steade of Christ Wherfore it is vnmete truely farre from christian charitie to thinke these most reuereÌ„de godly fathers to be so rude dul vncircuÌ„spect that they coulde not se perceyue these great peryls to aryse amonge the christian flocke And wold not eyther with all cautele wysedoÌ„e deuyte exchewe them eyther wyth al policie industrie celeritie withstande theÌ„ Lest that these heresies blasphemies shuld or myght be imputed vnto theyr ouersyght or necgligens But wtout doubt they were ful wel ware what they eather taught or wryt lest any word eather in theyr preachynges or teachinges shuld escape theÌ„ wherby the rude people prone redy to suê‘stition ydolatry shuld take any notable occasioÌ„ vnto so great an heresye Moreouer where the historie of our lordes supê‘ was ofteÌ„ tyme red in the church opeÌ„ly that which historie is set forth by the euaÌ„gelistes by S. Paule in woÌ„derfull playn wordes of the real presens of Christes body blood in the sacrameÌ„t It had ben very necessarye for these lerned meÌ„ to haue expouÌ„ded these wordes in theyr trew sence yf they were not to be vnder staÌ„ded as they souÌ„ded were spokeÌ„ lest the vnlerned people by occasioÌ„ of so plaiÌ„ wordes myght haue fallen into mysbeleue of this blessed sacrameÌ„t coÌ„sequeÌ„tly into abhominable ydolatrye But certaynly they neuer gaue other expositioÌ„ vnto the text Thys is my body as the sacrameÌ„taries doth but as a senteÌ„s moost plain of it selfe they vnderstode it as it lay was spokeÌ„ These fathers also in theyr tyme oftimes opeÌ„ly celebrated sacrificed adored worshipping the very pÌ„sens of Christes body blood in the sacrameÌ„t And in this theyr facte and example they taught the people to honoure Christ in the sacrament Euen as saynt Augustine teacheth vppon thys verse of the .lxxxviii. psalme Adore and worshyp his foote stole for it is holy This I haue noted before in the margyn ✿ Wauerynge or doubtful sayth saint Augustyne I conuert and turne vnto Christe for hym I do seke And here I fynde howe wythout impietie or wyckydnes hys foote stole is worshypped wyth godly honoure For he toke earth of earth for fleshe is but earth and of the fleshe of Marye he toke fleshe And in the same fleshe he was here coÌ„uersaÌ„t and gaue vs the same fleshe to eate for our health There is no maÌ„ that eateth that fleshe but wyll fyrste worshyppe it wyth godlye honoure And thus is it founde and perceaued howe the footestole of our Lord is honoured with godlye honoure And not onlye we do not offende in so honourynge it but we do offende yf we do not so honour it Thus dyd these mooste godly and deuout fathers teache the people where in they playnly signified and shewed that they beleued the reall presens of the blessed bodye and bloode of Christ in the sacrament And it is not to be thought that they taught colorablye one thynge and wryt another neither can any maÌ„ read in any of theyr monumentes or wrytinges that they eyther taught or wryt the contrarye of the catholike fayth of the very reall presens of Christe in the sacrament But that they wryt moste manyfestlye for the same veritie as shall appere here folowynge Then standeth this veritie as an vnfained trueth that none of al these auÌ„cient wryters eyther wryt or taught the contrarie of our catholyke fayth The thyrde veritie is that what so euer he be that beleueth not the reall verye presens of Christes body blood in the sacrament that same pertayneth not vnto the trewe church of Christ but is rather of the synagoge of sathaÌ„ and therfore in the state and peryll of dampnation for he that retayneth not the whole faythe catholyke of Christe the same is none of the trew membres of Christes churche And he that beleueth not thys artycle retayneth not the whole faythe of Christe for he fayleth in this and consequentlye he beleueth none of the other how can suche a one be the meÌ„bre of Christes church Whereof yf he be not vndoubtedlye the same is in the peryll of daÌ„pnation Furthermore who that beleueth not this artycle beleueth not as the churche hath and doth beleue syth the Apostles tyme but he that beleuyth not as the churche doth and hath belyued alwayes in thys artycle that same pertayneth not to the churthe of Christ and therfore can he not hope of any saluation for wythout the church there is no saluation but hys parte is to be loked for amonge infideles and ypocrites excepte that he be reconcyled vnto the churche vnfaynedlye do constantlye receaue and retayne the catholyke fayth Yf any man wyll desyre to knowe howe that the church doth and hath beleued or what is the fayth that the
where nature is workyng Euen so thys voice Thys is my bodye was ones spoken yet at al tables or aulters of the churche of Christ vnto thys daye and shal vnto Christes commynge geue vnto thys sacrifice strength ✿ These wordes of Crisostome are to playne to be detorted or wreasted froÌ„ theyr true meaniÌ„g which is that when the wordes of Christe are duelye spoken by the preest at masse theÌ„ are the breade and wyne consecrated made the very bodye blood of Christe by the secret myght power of god so is Christes body blood really in the sacrament ✿ Saynt Augustine Augustinê° ad CresconicuÌ„ gramancum thought that he hath innumerable playne euident testimonies for this veritie yet amonge many I wyll recyte one or two Fyrst he sayth in his fyrst boke ad cresconicuÌ„ gramaticuÌ„ what shall we saye of the very bodye bloode of our lorde the onely sacrifice for oure helth For though that he hym selfe sayth Except that a man eate my fleshe drynke my bloode he shall haue no lyfe in him Yet dothe not the apostle Paule also teach that the same is pernitious and dedly vnto suche as misuseth it For the apostle Paule sayth Whosoeuer eateth the breade and drynketh of that cuppe of our lorde vnworthely he shal be gyltye of the bodye and bloode of our Lorde Agayne saynt Augustine ad Iulianum comiteÌ„ wryteth these wordes The mercye of our lord Iesu Christe delyuer vs from these thynges And he graunte or gyue vnto vs him selfe to be eateÌ„ which sayde I am the lyuely breade whych came from heauen And he that eatythe my fleshe and drynketh my blood hath eternall lyfe in him selfe But let euerye man examyne hym selfe accordyng vnto the precept of the apostle before that he receaue the bodye and bloode of our lorde Iesus Christe so let hym eate of that bread drinke of the cuppe For he that eatith the body blood of our lord vnworthelye he eateth and drynketh it vnto his owne iudgement makynge no differens of the bodye of our lorde For when we shall receaue hym we ought to haue recourse vnto confession and penans and to dyscusse curiously all oure actes and yf we perceaue mortall synnes in vs we ought speadely to make haste to washe them a waye by coÌ„fession and penans lest we lyke Iudas that traytor hyding the deuyll with in vs do perishe ✿ These are the wordê of S. Augustyne The which shewith verye playnely Cyrillus in IoheÌ„z what beleue he had as coÌ„cernyng the blessed sacrameÌ„t ✿ Cyrill the patriarche of Alexandria vpoÌ„ the syxt of IohnÌ„ wryteth very playnly for this veritie Whose wordê are these They can not be ê‘takers in holynes of the lyfe etÌ„nal which hath not receyued Iesus by the mistical benediction And againe he sayth Christ is not with his worde onely but also with his touching he araiseth vp the deade that he myght shew declare that his body coulde also rayse vp the deade Yf then by onely towchynge the corrupte are restored the dead araysed How shuld not we lyue or receaue lyfe which doth taste eate his fleshe For playnly he wyll reforme vnto hys immortalytie suche as be the ê‘takers of hym and after a few wordes he sayth For it must nedes come to passe that not onely the soule of man by the holy goost shuld assend vnto blessed lyfe but also that this rude terrenal body by lyke tast touchiÌ„g of lyke meate as it is it self sholde be brought vnto immortalytie Damascene in hys .iiii. boke of the catholike fayth in the .xiiii. Damascenus lib. 4. cap. 14. chapter sayth these wordes As coÌ„cernyng the veritye of the body bloode of Christe in the sacrament That body verely is ioyned vnto the diuinitie the which body he toke of the immaculate virgine And not that the body assumpted shold come downe from heauen But that the breade and wyne are traÌ„smuted and changed into the body blod of god Thou wylt aske the maner howe that maye be let it suffyce the to heare how that by the holy ghoste in a mooste Godlye vyrgyne he by hym selfe and in hym selfe receaued fleshe and wee can saye no more but that the worde of God is trew effectuous and omnipotent but the maner howe it is That is intractable or vnsearcheable Neyther can thys be redely tolde how breade by eatyng and wyne and water by drinking are chauÌ„ged naturally into the natural body of the eater and drynker and not into a nother body but into the very same bodye that the eater or drynker had before Euen so the purposed breade wyne and water by inuocation and commyng of the holy goost are chaunged supernaturally into the body and blood of Christ and there are not two bodyes but onely one and the very same IoheÌ„s Cassianê° collatione â—2 capi 12 ✿ IohnÌ„ Casiane hath these wordes in the .xxii. collation the .xii. chapiter Wyth so greate dilygens of humylytie we ought to kepe our hart that we kepe al waie this one thing stable coÌ„stantly in oure remembrans That we cannot attayne to so greate puritie and cleanes al though that by the great gyft of God we do al these thynges that I haue spoken of before Yet let vs Iudge our selues moche vnworthy to coÌ„municate or receaue that holye sacrate bodye For fyrst the maiestye of that heueÌ„ly Manna is so great that no man compassed abought with this claye and fleshe can worthely and condyngly receaue that meat but onely of the mere and benefycyall gyft of Godes grace Here in these wordes Cassian confesseth the maiestie of the celestiall Manna and the veryte of the bodye of Christe whome no man can receyue worthely Athanasi ad primaÌ„ Pauli ad Corin. but onely he that thynketh hym selfe vnworthy ✿ Athanasius vpoÌ„ the fyrst epistle vnto the Corinthians confyrmeth the veritye of the reall presens of Christes bodie and bloode in the sacrament For we sayth he hauyng that cuppe in our handes we geue thankes without doubte vnto hym that shed his bloode for vs and haue uoutchsaf to indew vs wyth ineffable gyftes He sayd not onelye that it is the partakyng but rather the communion bycause he wolde expresse some greater thyng That is the wonderful very nye coniuÌ„ction And this is the sence of that whych he spake Thys same blood whyche is contayned in the cuppe is the same that floued oute of the syde of Christ and when we receaue it we do partake it that is to say we be coÌ„nexed and knyt vnto Christ And the breade that we breake is it not the communion of the bodye of Christe That bodye whych our lorde dyd not suffer to be broken vpon the crosse for there was no bone broken of him that same for oure sake he suffereth nowe to be brokeÌ„ Athanasius in these wordes manyfestly sheweth that the blessed sacrameÌ„t brokeÌ„ for vs is the same bodye that honge on the crosse had
receyued as wel as though the substaūce of breade or wyne were there Idē Thomas in .4.5 6 7. articulis Yea also the consecrate hoost maye be broken it maye be burnte it maye be moulded as the verye breade maye And yet is not there the substaunce of bread nether is the fraccion the mouldnes nother the burnynge executed or done in the body of Christe for that is impassyble can suffer no suche passyons But it is onely the properties of breade that is broken moulded or burnt These myraculus secretes secreat myracles be as I haue sayd deprehēded only by fayth not onlye bycause they surmounte and excede the altitude and compasse of mannes wytte and reason as the other visible myracles do But also they are directlye contrarye vnto our sensible experiens Wherfore they brynge no small doubte vnto vs and specially vnto all suche that leaneth more vnto theyr naturall experiens then they do vnto the infallible verite of goddes word which affirmeth nothynge to be impossible with God Namely Luce. 1. whē they presume to be curious serchers of the archane secret workes of goddes singuler power with the blynde lanterne and lyght of naturall reason and calleth impotent and blynde nature to coūsel in the peculiar workes of God appropriated onely to hys diuine power and excedyngly passynge the prospecte and power both of nature and mannes naturall wyttes For what can only nature shewe or barren reason of man see or vnderstande in that thynge that is out of the lymyttes and order of all nature surmountynge incomperably all wytte and reason of man Saue onely of a doubte to collecte an errour and out af an errour to fall into an heresye blasphemous For the presumpcion of the carnall mā that preaseth and contendeth by naturall reason to compryse the inuestigable and incomprehensible wysedome of god in hys myraculus workes he wrappyth and intricateth hym selfe in more error then other For the more that he by reason ransacketh and sercheth for reason in those thinges that passeth reason the lesse reason he fyndeth into the further doubte he falleth and asketh with the murmeryng Caphernaites Howe Vnto the whych question for as muche as nature can make no answere reason can not perceiue neither vnderstāde suche as are voyde of fayth as our Iewyshe and grosse sacramentaries haue well declared them selfe of late answereth and concludeth openly suche thynges to be impossible therfore vnworthy to be beleued But yf that such slender faythed christians wold in such inscrutable questiōs leue fleshly iugemēt vnto the carnall Caphernaites for the fleshe Ioh. 6. here in as Christ sayth auaileth nothynge and wolde counsel wyth the spirite of God whyche gyueth the lyuely and playne vnderstandynge of all verytie wythout doubte they shulde be induced thorow out fayth into the clere and syncere verite of these myraculous workes in thys moost sacrate sacramēt that according to the holy scriptures the whych in mooste manyfest playne sentence approueth not onely the verite of the reall presence of the bodye and bloode of Christe in the sacramēt of the aulter as it shal be largely declared in the next sermon but also wyth a great number of myracles the monumentes of the power of God declareth and setteth forth moste sufficiently vnto a dilygent and a faythfull reader the possibilite of all suche wonderfull myracles that the Churche catholyke beleueth and teacheth to be wrought in this holy sacrament as I shall breuelye make manyfest declaration in thys sermon And fyrste as concernynge the transubstanciation Cipriande cena domini Panis iste quē dn̄s discipulis porrigebat nō effigie sed natura mutatus oīpotentia vervi factus est raro wherein the myghtye worde of God doth of breade make the very substaunce of the bodye of Christe as euery true christian is wholy persuaded and beleueth For al suche beleueth it to be lytell dyfficultie vnto almyghtye God vnto whome ther is nothyng impossible to create to brynge to nought to make to destroye to continue to mayntayne to alter to chaunge howe and when and what he lyst Wherfore they beleue that it is not onely possible but very facile and easye vnto God omnipotent of bread to make hys very bodye 〈◊〉 of wyne to make hys very blood The whych thynge maye apere very apertlye by the workes of nature who by her natyue power altereth breade by masticatiōs decoction Saynt Ambrose also in the 5. boke of his exameron the .23 chapiter and digestions into bloode and consequently into fleshe muche more able is almyghtye God which gaue thys power vnto nature by the infinite myghte of hys power of breade to make hys very bodye and that wythout intermeane alterations The wonderfull chaūge of the Phenix of whome when she is deade there succedeth another in thys maner Afterter that she hath made her neest of Gen. xix Myrre Franke insense wyth o-Ex iiii ther swete spices she therin dy-Exo vii eth and of the moystnes of her fleshe there commeth a worme that whych in cōtinuāce groweth vnto the nature of a very Phenyx as mastication and digestion the whych nature muste nedes haue ear she can alter conuert one substaunce into an other And like as nature doth with her powers chaunge the substaunce of bread and wyne vnto blood and fleshe wyth muche more facilitie dothe God by the power of hys myghtye worde of bread by trāsubstanciation maketh hys uery naturall fleshe of wyne hys uery and natural blood Thys is made very credyble yf we remember wyth what facilitie God almyghtye altered and chaūged the fleshe of Lothis wyfe into the nature of salte there of fleshe made a salte stone Yf we also consyder how wonderfully the rodde of Aaron was chaunged into a very serpent and agayne that serpente into the naturall rod. Howe meruelously the waters of Egypte were turned into very blood the water in Cana of Galile turned into very wyne And thoughe al thynges be of equall facilite vnto God yet the thinges in them selfe consydered one is of more facilitie then thother Bycause that ther is more or lesse dystans betwyxte theyr natures therfore requyre they the more or lesse alteration Wherfore sythe that we beleue that God did chaūge fleshe into salte and woode into a serpence we shall a great deale the rather beleue that he can of breade make hys fleshe for there is lesse distance betwene the nature of breade and fleshe then betwene the natures of fleshe and salte or of fleshe and woode For nature can not alter fleshe into salte or woode into fleshe wythout almoste innumerable meane alterations yet with very fewe she altereth breade into the nature of fleshe Wherfore then shuld it not seme credible and possible that the myghtye worde of God maketh by transubstanciation of breade hys body of wyne hys verye bloode sythe he worketh so wonderfully in nature by many meane alterations and hathe
church vnto the worldes ende Math. vltimo ✿ Behold sayeth Christe I am wyth you for euer vntyll the consuÌ„mation of the worlde ✿ Howe hath he ben so many yeres with hys churche and hath not reformede so great an error And syth that he of all other enormities hateth and detesteth moost the nepharious cryme of ydolatrye Why hath he or how could be suffer hys churche whome he washed froÌ„ all spotte and wryncle Ephe. 5. wyth hys moste precious bloode to be so fylthelye all arayed wyth the fylthery of ydolatry Secondlye Christe made promyse vnto hys churche that the holye goost shulde come and remayne wyth her for euer and teache her all veritie saynge Ioh 14. ✿ I wyll entreate my father and he wyll gyue you another comforter the spirite of veritie and he shall remayne wyth you for euer And agayne he sayeth Ibidem ✿ When he shall come that is the spirite of verite he shall leade you into all veritie ✿ Also in another place ✿ The comforter Ioh. 16. whyche is the holye goost whome the father wyll sende in my name he shall teache you all veritie and brynge into your remeÌ„brauÌ„ce all thynges that I haue spoken vnto you ✿ Yf Christe be trewe of these hys promyses as certenlye he is and wyll be then hath and doth the holy goost the spirite of veritie abyde wyth the church for euer and hath taught her al veritie and bringeth her into the knowlege and vnderstandynge of all thynges that Christe spake were they neuer so ambiguous and doubtful Nowe for as muche as thys texte Mar. 14. ✿ Thys is my bodye ✿ was spoken of Christe therfore by Christes promyse the spirite of veritie hath taught the churche the trewe vnderstandynge hereof And the church hathe and dothe vnderstande it of the verye reall presens of Christes bodye in the sacrament then is that a veritie and the contrarie an heresye Thyrdlye Christe promysed Luce. 22. that ✿ the faythe of the churche shulde neuer be extincte neather fayle And that ✿ the yates of hell shulde not preuayle agaynste it Math. 16. There can no man thynke the contrary but that the fayth of the holye churche hathe fayled greatly in retaynynge so longe tyme so open an error yf the body of Christe be not verely and really in the sacrameÌ„t sythe the churche hath allway so beleued And the yates of hell hathe grealy preuayled agaynste her and that so mygytely that they haue ouerthrowen her into so greate and moost pestilent an herysy or eather a blasphemy as to honor breade for her spouse Chrst that dougther so dearely and herein to commyt suche a detestable fornycatyon of ydolatry mooste hated and detested with her husbande and lorde God Christ By these promyses of Christ well pondered and expended we may easely perceaue that the faythe the whiche the church euer hath and doth retayne as concernyng this blessed sacrament is the mooste assured veritie And by cause that the churche gouerned and taught by the hooly goost hathe and dothe retayne for a veritie in fallyble that the body of oure sauyour Christ is verely and really in the blessed sacrameÌ„t therfore oughte we to take the same for a catholike a trew veritie and to refuse the contrary eas an heresy moost detestable odyus That the churche hath retayned this for a catholyke verytie that shall we shewe mooste many festly both by the generall consells wherin the holy goost was president and also by the testimonies of the fathers in whom the same holy goost spake as in his peculiar orgaynes or instrumentes For where shall we collect and learne the faythe of the churche in suche ambiguous and doubtfull matters but of the conselles wherein lernedly were dyscussed and determyned all matters of doubte by the presidens and regiment of the holy goost And of the auncient wryters whose wrytynges workes spyreth breatheth out the verie pure and syncere fayth that the church had in there tyme. For they as trew and faythful membres of the church wold in no wyse willyngly swerue from the trew fayth of the churche but brought greate illustratyon and dignytie there vnto by theyr mooste godly lyfe and conuersation and many of them sustayned great tormentes and deathe in the defence hereof Wherefore the auctoritye of them ought to be Igna. ad HeroneÌ„ Ois igitur qui direrit preter ea que tradita sunt tam etsi ieiunet virgiginitatem fernat sigâ—a face at ê“pheteâ— lupus tibi appareati grege ouium corruptioâ—em faciens The couÌ„sell of Ephesus not onelye equalled but to be preferred moche aboue the auctoritie of oure seditious new wryters now a days by cause that these new wryters are not only meÌ„ as the fathers were but also they are moch worser men then they were in godlynes not only beyng voyde of good lyfe but they are also deuyded frome the churche of Christ by theyr heresies And therfore I wolde that men shulde suspecte all that commeth from out of theyr handes yea though they were neuer so holy in theyr outward appareÌ„s These conselles folowyng doth ratifye our fayth as concernynge the real presens of Christes bodye and blood in the sacrament ✿ Fyrst the holy consell of Ephesus where vnto were gathered together two hundred fathers for the condempnation of Nestorius heresies who denyed that the fleshe of Christ in the sacrament was not able to giue lyfe For he playnly affirmed Christ to be but pure man therfore the fleshe of hym coulde gyue no lyfe Agaynst thys wyth other mo hys heresyes ✿ Cyril the byshop of AlexaÌ„dria called a synode of two hundred byshoppes Thys counsel was and is of great estimation and auctoritie wyth the anncient fathers in so muche that saynt Gregorie allowed and approued thys wych the counsell of Nyce Constance and Calcedone as the foure Gospelles In thys counsell it was defyned that we do receyue in the sacramente the verye fleshe the whych gyueth lyfe The couÌ„sel of Vercellis ✿ In the counsell whome Lyon the nynthe of that name called and caused to be celebrate in the cytie of Vercellis agaynst the same pestiferous heresie theÌ„ by one BereÌ„garius ê‘uitiously taught the same heresye was vtterlye condempned as Platina also wytnesseth The couÌ„sell of Turone ✿ The counsell also of Turone celebrated vnder Victor the secoÌ„de of that name In the whyche counsell one Hil debrandus then Archedecon of Rome was presideÌ„t who wyth great learned men dyd conuince Berengarius the auctour of this habominable heresie who remayned styll obstynatlye in thys hys detestable error ✿ Then Nicholas the seconde conuocated a counsell vnto Rome The couÌ„sell of Rome by Nicolas the seconde of a hundreth and thyrtye byshoppes and sent for thys Berengarius thether and there he wyth aduysed expresse wordes abiured thys heresye The forme of hys abiuration ye maye reade in the decrees the seconde dystinctioÌ„ De consecra Yet after thys he
fell efte sone not to that heresye but vnto the heresye that Luther doth holde affirmyng that in the sacrament of the Aulter with the real presens of Christes body there is also The counsell of Rome vnder Gregorie the .vii. the substaunce of breade styl remaynynge ✿ Then was there a consell called vnto the citie of Rome by Gregory the .vii. whereunto also came BereÌ„garius opeÌ„ly reuoked thys hys heresye as Sabellicus wytnesseth in hys thyrde boke the .ix. Eneades Pretereo concilium sub innocentio tertio celebratum Fynallye the counsell of Basyll and also the counsell of Constaunce whome I do passe ouer dyd most openlye condempne this heresye Thus many counsels haue we that ratifieth the veritie of Christes bodye in the sacrament and condemneth the contrarye as an horryble heresye where the sacramentaries for theyr syde can not shew one that eather ratifyed theyr opinion eather condemned oure fayth as an errour or heresye Wherfore it is mooste manyfeste that they haue framed and fashioned this new faith of theyr owne blynde and fonde fantasye or rather they haue newe furbushed olde heresies and thus deluded and deceaued by the spirite of pryde and errour are nowe brought cleane from the trewe catholyke fayth of the churche of Christe downe into the darke dongion and hel of errour and heresye Yet I haue thought it somwhat necessarie for the more credite to be gyuen vnto the auctorities and sayinges of these moste holy and catholyke wryters whome we shall cyte and allege in thys present sermon to preuent the christiaÌ„ reader wyth these thre verities folowynge The fyrst veritie The fyrst is that none of all these auncient fathers whome I shal name here for testimony of this blessed sacrameÌ„t with innumerable moo catholyke wryters but that constantly beleued that the blessed body blood of christ was really in the blessed sacrament The seconde veritie The seconde is that none of all these neyther anye other catholyke wryter eather taught eather wryt the contrary of thys beleue and veritie of the holy sacramet The thyrde whiche I collecte of both these is that whatsoeuer he be The thyrde veritie that receyuith not or beleueth not this article of thou blessed sacrament that same is none of the churche of Christe and therfore is the same in ieoberdy of daÌ„pnacioÌ„ The certaynte of these verities is very manyfest vnto such as hath diligentlye sene red theyr lucubratioÌ„s workes where is to be gathered the faith that they were of for it were more theÌ„ sacrilege to thynke that so faythful fathers void of al flattery of maÌ„ shold wright coÌ„trary to theyr owne coÌ„scieÌ„ce belefe Forthermore who caÌ„ iustly thinke that these so gelous fauorers ernest frendes of the trewe honour of God wolde haue suffered and not resysted rather wyth worde penne and bloode suche an heynous horrible heresie as thys were yf Christes bodye were not really in the sacrament whereby men shulde be led not onely into an open heresy but also iÌ„to the detestable enormitie of ydolatry the whyche had ben impossyble to haue ben wynked at or borne wyth all amonge so many and so dylygent vehement and moste circumspecte defenders of the Christen fayth Who wolde iudge that so great and pernytious an error shulde haue byn noryshed and escaped the taxation and controlement of so eloqueÌ„t and catholyke wryters and namely forasmoche as certayne of them layde and employed ther chefest labore and industrie to coÌ„uince hereses as it may appere by they re workes wherein is litle matter els then the confutatyon of hereses of theyr tyme. For there coulde no man ons stere vp an heresy but as sone as he was perceaued to put forth hys hed the same was dysputed with all conuinced and confuted and his heresy abolyshed Example of these same we haue of Theodoritus in the tripertitie historie who wryteth that there a rose certayne heretikes in valentiniane the Emperours tyme called The Massians the whiche erred in the blessed sacrameÌ„t affyrmed sayth he that the deuyne meate of whome Christ sayde He that eatyth my fleshe and drynketh my blod shal lyue euer dothe neyther ê“fect neyther harme at all the same denied that the sacrameÌ„t of baptysme was ê“fitable for christeÌ„ people the prayer onely was sufficeÌ„t The which hereses were immediatly of the excelleÌ„t learned meÌ„ byshopes at the time coÌ„uinced coÌ„deÌ„ped After this Nestor stered vp an error agaynst the verytie of Christes fleshe in the sacrameÌ„t in the consel of Ephe. of whoÌ„ we spoke before he was charged by CC. fathers to leue his abhominable heresye or els he shulde be accursed out of the church of Christ Then came Berengarius This BereÌ„garius as platina wryteth as I sayd afore was coÌ„dempned by Leo the .ix. bys of Rome After whose death Berengarius coÌ„tinued obstinate in hys heresy vntyl that at the synode of Turone one Lanfranke bysh of Cantorbury coÌ„uinced hym Yet ê‘uersly continued he in that opinion And at the length Berengariê° abiured opeÌ„ly his heresye After this Berengariê° folowed Petrus Halebardus a maÌ„ of an halt mynde luciferyne pryde whoÌ„ S. Barnard accused coÌ„futed of the heresie about this sacrameÌ„t TheÌ„ succeded wycked wycclyf that taught opeÌ„ly thys heresie abominable of the sacrameÌ„t he was coÌ„deÌ„pned by two general counsels as the cronicles of that tyme reporteth Thus these apostolyke fathers most ernestly mooste assiduously wresteled against the hateful enemyes of the euangelical and catholyke faythe Wherfore yf they hadde beleued that the bodye and blode of Christe had not byn really in the blessed sacrament they wold not haue coÌ„tended and labored so vehemeÌ„tly to conuicte and to confute the contrarye opynion Neather wolde they in open synode and generall consell haue condempned it for an horible heresye Wherefore it is then very manifest that they beleued the very reall presens of Christes body and bloode in the sacrament The second veritie is the none of these fathers neather any of the other catholyke wryters eyther taught eyther wryt that the body and blode of Christ was not really in the sacrament and that we ought not so to beleue but paynly they wryte the contrarye as shall appere here after ✿ Yf we well ponder way and consider what carefull feare and what assyduous dilygens they had towardes the pure readynge and trew teachyng of the flocke of Christ commended vnto theyr charge by the holy goost we shal soone perceaue that they wold not eather teache eather wryhgt that thynge whereby the flocke of Christe shulde be led frome the pure and synceare faythe of Christes churche For I suppose that there is no honest cristiane harte that can Iustely iudge theÌ„ eyther necligeÌ„t wtout regarde eyther remysse and voyde of care but rather mindeful of the great charge very vigilant and circumspect what they taught and howe they led the christiane flocke whome Christe bought wyth his most precyous blod Specially for as moche as
churche hath and doth retayne as concernynge thys article let this same vnderstande that the fayth of the auncient church is to be collected of the most auncient writers of eche tyme from the apostles vnto our tyme who wryt in maters of fayth vndoubtedlye accordynge vnto the catholyke fayth of the churche at theyr tyme. And all they wryt moost apertly and mooste playnlye with and for this article as it may appere here after TheÌ„ hath the church beleued and receyued thys article syth Christes tyme. TheÌ„ who that receyueth not thys article is separated and diuided from the church consequently as I haue sayd he is in ieoberdye of perpetuall perdition and dampnation Yet good christiane here thou arte to be admonysshed instructed where by thou mayste wyth more facilitie and ease and wythout perplexitie and doubte perceaue and more redely vnderstande these auctorities and saynges of these auncient wryters that thou shalte fynde and reade sondrye and dyuerse names geuen vnto the blessed sacrament yet shall thou not suspecte the vnifourme faythe and opynyoÌ„ of these cathholyke fathers to swerue eyther frome them selfes either from the church For thoughe they name it dyuersly yet they meane al one thynge The cause of so many and sondrye names and dystincte appellacyons of thys blessed sacrament is That lyke as saynt Dyonyse saythe God hath many names yet the great varyete of so manye names can not suffycyentlye expresse vnto vs the infynyte profundite of so greate a maiestye power wysdome goodnes beningnite and marcye in lyke maner the infynyte and ineffable ryches of the deuyne goodnes and the mooste precyous treasure of the innumerable graces contayned and hydden in thys blessed sacrament can not be sufficyentlye explycate and layde forthe vnto vs by one name therfore these holy and blessed fathers hauynge respect and consideratyon vnto dyuerse and sondrye thynges in this sacrameÌ„t they gaue it sondrye names And not bycause that they had dyuers beleffes or any other then the churche hath now as EcolaÌ„padius falsly ascrybeth vnto them and more falslye vnderstandynge them he mooste falslye allegeth them to mayntayne and ratifye hys detestable blasphemous heresye The sacrameÌ„t is called aÌ„d coÌ„tayneth in verye dede the body and bloode of oure lorde ✿ Thys blessed sacrament is verye oftymes of the fathers called the bodye and bloode of our Lorde and thys haue not they inueÌ„ted them selues but bycause that it verelye and really contayneth the bodye and blood of Christ And thys they haue receyued at the mouthe of Christe whyche sayd of the sacrament Thys is my bodye and this is my bloode and of saynt Paule who sayeth Who that eateth and drynketh of that breade and cuppe vnworthelye shal be gyltye of the bodye and blood of our Lorde And agayne He that eateth and drynketh vnworthelye eateth and drynketh hys owne iugement not puttynge difference or not decernynge the lordes bodye Thys sacrament is named breade 1. Cor. 10. et 11. The blessed sacrament is named also breade Saynt Paule in the fyrst epistle to the Corinthians so nameth it Not bycause that it is anye materiall or corporall breade For so doth not he name it Yf that he had named it bread wyth thys addition corporal or material or any suche lyke theÌ„ had he made somewhat for the sacrameÌ„taries But saint Paule called it bread as our sauiour Christ dyd cal hym self whych sayd I am the bread of lyfe Ioh. 6. Also saynt Augustin and the fathers also do sometyme cal it bread not that whych passeth thorowe the belye as saynt Augustyne sayth but the super substaÌ„cyal Ciprianê° In sermone de cena Et sicut panis comunio queÌ„ quottidie edimus vita est corporis ita panis iste supersubstaÌ„tialis vita est aiÌ„e et sanitas mentis Cyprianê° in eodme the mysticall or celestiall breade suche additions the auncient wryters do ofteÌ„ tymes vse And saynt CipriaÌ„ sayth that Christe doth call the sacrament somtyme hys bodye sometyme hys fleshe and somtyme breade Therfore dothe saynt Cyprian hym selfe name it breade And in so namynge it both he and S. Paul wyth the other do obserue the maner of the scripture whych in suche mutations and chauÌ„ges of thynges vseth to gyue vnto the thynge so changed the former name As for example The rod of Aaron wheÌ„ it was cast on the grouÌ„d chaunged in to a serpent the scripture calleth it a rod styl as it was called Exodi 4. by fore the miraculous mutacyon For the scripture sayth The rod of Aaron deuowted the roddes of Pharoes inchaÌ„uters In lyke phrase the wyne the Christ made of water is called water after that it was made wyne as we reade in the gospell of saynt IohnÌ„ After that Ioh. 2. the master of the feaste had tasted the water made or turned in to wyne Lyke as the rodd whyche was changed in to a serpent yet was called a rod styll And lyke as the water beyng changed by miracle in to wyne was called water Euen so the blessed sacrament where in of breade is made the blessed bodye of oure sauyour Christ is called styl bread though it be not now breade but the very reall body of Christ The blessed sacrameÌ„t is called also a sygne or a sacrameÌ„t of the body blood of Christ Not as the sacrameÌ„taries sayth only or but a sygne of the body of Christ For the only a signe or but a sygne they can neuer reade neyther in the scripture neyther in any of the catholike wryters Therfore this only is a lye of theyr owne the calleth the holy sacrameÌ„t only a sygne Saynt AugusteÌ„ wyth many other doth frequent vse oft tyme to name the sacrameÌ„t a sygne or sacrament Yet they neuer name it only a sygne And vndoubtedly it is a moost sacrate blessed sacrament that is to say A sygne or a token of an holy thynge Thys blessed sacrameÌ„t godly reader hath too significations or it signifieth vnto vs too thingê The one is the verye body blod of our sauiour Christ which verely really is coÌ„tained iÌ„ the sacrameÌ„t For the blessed dody blood vnderneath the kyndes of bread wyne sinigfyeth and representyth vnto vs by those two dystynct kyndes of breade wyne the death passioÌ„ of Christ wher in the body hong vpon the crosse wan pale wtout blood the blood was by crewell effusion dyuided from the bodye of oure sauiour The body and blood of Christ vnder the shape or kynde of bread represeÌ„teth vnto vs the self same body as it hong dead vpoÌ„ the crosse froÌ„ whoÌ„ al yepÌ„cius blood was seuered diuided by mortal payne passion And the same body blood vnder the kynd or shape of wyne represeÌ„teth vnto vs the same very bloode as it was diuyded parted out of the blessed bodye in the tyme of his passioÌ„ Thus this blessed body and bloode of Christ vnder the kynde shape of breade lyfted vp ouer
tedyous to the reader in recytynge onelye theyr names Ireneus ✿ Ireneus in hys fyrst boke that he wryteth agaynst heresies sayeth When the chalice wyth water wyne myngled and the breade broken receaueth the worde of God it is made the blessed sacrament of the bodye blood of Christe Of the whych the substance of our fleshe encreaseth and consisteth Howe can they then denye that the fleshe is partaker of the gyfte of God which is euerlastinge lyfe syth that it is noryshed wyth the blood and body of Christ and is made the member of the same as the apostle sayth in the epistle vnto the Ephesians For we be members of hys body and of hys fleshe and bones Not speakynge these thinges of the spiritu all and inuisible man For the spirite hath neather fleshe neather bones but speakynge of the connection and disposition of the naturall bodye the whiche consysteth of fleshe bones the whiche naturall disposition of the body is fedde and encreased with the cuppe whiche is his blood and with the bread whych is his body ✿ There can be no playned wordes spoken for the veritie of the reall presens of Christe in the blessed sacrament ✿ Ignatius Ignatius In episto ad Roma that glorious martir the disciple of saynt IohnÌ„ Euangelist and the thyrd byshop of Antioche after saynt Peter In episto ad Ephe. in hys epistle that he wryteth vnto the Romaynes hath these moste deuoute wordes I wyll not eate sayth he corruptible meate I desyre not the voluptuousnes of thys worlde But I desyre the breade of God the breade celestiall the bread of lyfe whiche is the fleshe of Iesu Christ the sonne of the lyuyng God the which was borne of the seede of Dauid and Abraham in the latter tyme I desyre the drynke which is his blood Therfore he exhorteth the EphesiaÌ„s in thys wyse Make you hast sayeth he to approche oft tyme vnto the sacrament of the Aulter the glorye of God For when that is ofte frequented then are the powers of sathan expelled And in the ende of the same epistle Breakynge the breade the which is the medicine of immortalitie the tryacle not of dyenge but of the lyuynge in god by Iesu Christ These are wordes plain ynough to perceaue what beleue he had of the blessed sacrament ✿ Tertullian in hys boke intituled de Resurrectione carnis wryteth in thys maner Tertullianus Nowe let vs see and beholde the forme and bewtie of a christeÌ„ man what and how great prerogatiue hath this our frayle and fylthye fleshe wyth God Although that thys were dignitie ynoughe there can no soule at all attayne helth or saluation excepte that whyles that it is in fleshe it beleue or receaue the fayth The fleshe is so necessarye thynge of our saluation When the soule of the fleshe is knyt to God it is the fleshe that maketh that the soule maye be so knytte For the fleshe is washed that the soule maye be purifyed The fleshe is anoynted that the soule myght be consecrated The fleshe is signed that the soule might be strengthed The fleshe is shadowed with laing on of handes that the soule myght be illumined with the holy goost The fleshe eareth the bodye and bloode of Christ that the soule myght be fedde with god ✿ Here we may ryght wel perceaue the belefe of Tertullian of thys sacrament whych confesseth opeÌ„ly here that the fleshe doth eate the bodye and blood of Christe and not the fygure of the bodye and bloode And bycause that saint Cyprian was so diligeÌ„t a reader of TertuliaÌ„ I shall place hym Ciprianê° lib 2. epistola 3. next vnto Tertullian ✿ That blessed martyr saint Ciprian wrytyng vnto Cecilium in hys seconde boke the thyrde epystle sayeth That the blessyng of AbrahaÌ„ by Melchisedech the preest might by dewly celebrated the fygure of the sacrifice went before in breade and wyne The which thynge our lorde accomplyshynge and fulfyllynge offered breade the cuppe myxt with wyne and he that was the fulnes hath fulfylled the fygure prefygured Behold there went afore in Melchesedech the fygure of the sacryfice of breade and wyne but Christe whych is the plenitude it selfe fulfylled the veritie of the fygure prefigured namelye in the supper And after he sayth also De cena domini vpoÌ„ the lordes supper ✿ Our lord Christ whose bodye we do touche is breade That thys breade myght be gyuen vnto vs we praye daylye lest we that are in christe and receaue the sacrament of the aulter dayly as the meat of our saluation by meane of any great offence abstaynynge beynge forbydden from the hauenly breade we shulde be separated in dede from the body of Christe he preachynge and mouyshynge vs. I am the breade of lyfe that cam froÌ„ heauen yf any eate of thys bread the same shal lyue euer The breade that I wyl gyue it is my fleshe for the lyfe of the world Therfore when he sayeth that he shall lyue for euer yf he eate of hys breade it is manyfest and playne that they shall lyue whyche toucheth hys bodye and receaueth the sacrameÌ„t of the Aulter after the maner of coÌ„munion Origenes comes â—elsum ✿ Origene wytnesseth wrytynge against Celsus saith Let Celsus ignoraunt of God gyue thaÌ„kes vnto beuels But we thaÌ„ke the creator of al thinges for the benefites that he hath gyuen to vs. When we geuynge thankes do eate the breade the which bread by oration supplication and prayers is made a more holyer bodye the whyche body also verely maketh vs more holy the receaueth the same with a whole pure herte Origenes suê‘ Numeros vt supra ✿ And in the seuenth homilie vpon the boke of Numbres he more playnly wryteth and sayeth Those thynges which before tyme were done in figure nowe are they accomplyshed in the veritie and in dede Before baptisme was in the see and in the cloude but now the generation is in very dede in water and in the holy goost Then was Manna the meate as in the fygure but nowe the fleshe of the worde of God is in dede is very meate as he hym selfe sayeth My fleshe is very meate and my blood is very drinke By these his wordes we may perceaue that the Iewes had the fygure but we christiaÌ„s haue now the thynge it selfe that is the very bodye and blood in very dede ✿ IuueÌ„cus also in hys verses sayeth As sone as he had spoken Inuencus in carminibus he wyth hys owne handes brake the bread and geuynge thankes he taught and tolde his disciples that he gaue his owne proper bodye And then he toke the cuppe replete wyth wyne he sanctifyed it geuynge thankes and gaue it and taught them also that he had deuided vnto them hys precious bloode and sayd Thys bloode shall remytte the synne of the people Drynke it and beleue nowe these trewe and vnfayned wordes ✿ Hyllary whome saynt Ierome calleth the trompe of the latyn tonge
no bone brokeÌ„ therof ✿ Cassiodorus sayth vpoÌ„ this text Cassiodorus iÌ„ psalmum 110. of the psalme Thou art a preest for euer accordyng to the order of melchisedech Thys thyng sayth he doth the ê“phete tell that the father hath ê“mised to his soÌ„ne For vnto whom can this be truely plainly applyed sauyng only vnto our Lorde sauiour The whych moste helthsomly hath coÌ„secrated hys bodye bloode in the gyfte or erogation of breade wyne Euen as he in the gospel sayth Except that you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man drynke his blood ye can haue no lyfe in you But in thys fleshe and in thys bloode lette not mannes mynde ymagyne any thynge crewell or corruptible Leste as the apostle saythe he that eateth the body of our Lorde vnworthely he eateth drinketh it to his iudgement But let the mynde of man thynke ymagyne vnderstaÌ„d the same substance that gyueth lyfe and helthe That same I saye whych is made the verye body ê“pre substaÌ„ce of the word eternall by the whyche both remission of synne and the gyfte of eternall lyfe are gyueÌ„ ✿ Thys blessed father Cassiodor sayth that we shuld not thynke or ymagyne in the sacrament to beholde see the cruel or mortall bloode or bodye in theyr owne shape fashion but we must vnderstaÌ„de sayth he the helthsome substance that gyueth lyfe the substance whych is Christes substaÌ„ce the whyche gyueth lyfe remission of synnes eternal lyfe ✿ It can not be the substaÌ„ce of bread that can gyue remission of synnes But the substaÌ„ce of Christe Fulgentiê° ad Monimum that dyed for the synnes of the world ✿ FulgeÌ„tius answeryng vnto a question as concernyng the sacrifice of the bodye bloode of Christe that one Monimus a frende of his demauÌ„ded whether it were offered onely to the father or no. Vnto hym thus he sayd amonge muche more matter Thys same I saye spiritual edification can not be asked better or more oportunely theÌ„ wheÌ„ in the sacrament of the breade cuppe the very body blood of Christ is offered vp of his bodye the churche For the cuppe that we drynke of it is the coÌ„munion of Christes bloode the breade that we breake it is the coÌ„munion of Christes bodye ✿ Here expressely sayth Fulgentius that the body blood of Christe is offered in the sacrameÌ„t ✿ S. Gregory Gregoriê° primo dea logoruÌ„ lib capi 58. in hys fyrst boke of hys dialoges the .lviii. chap. wryteth in this sort We ought with al our hert to coÌ„teÌ„pne this pÌ„sent world for bycause we may ê‘ceaue that it wasteth and to offer dayly vnto God sacrifices of teares and to offer dayly hoostes of hys fleshe and blood For thys is the sin guler and speciall oblation that saueth the soule froÌ„ death eternal The which oblatioÌ„ representeth vnto vs in a mysterye the death of the onely begotten sonne of God For though he rysynge from death dyeth nomore and death hath no more dominion ouer hym is immortaly and vncorruptibly lyuynge in hym selfe Yet in the mystery of that holy sacrifice he is offred vp for vs for there is hys body receaued there is his fleshe diuided for the helth of the people there hys bloode is distributed powred not into the handes of infydells but into the mouthe of the faythefull ✿ Se deuout reader howe expressly he sheweth that Christe remaynynge immortall and impassible in him selfe yet he is in the blessed sacrament really receaued of the faythful Cedulius presbiter in carmini bus ✿ Sedulyus the preeste in hys verses of the deuyne maruayles saith Our lorde sayth he geuynge bread vnto Iudas dyd knowe afore hande hys dysceatful mynd bewrayed his treason by geuynge hym bread which lorde was the breade hym selfe after that he had stablyshed that two gyftes of his body blod he gaue there vnto his dyscyples the meat and drynke whereby the faythful and cleane soules Beda in Lucam lib. 6. shuld neuer thurst ether hunger hereafter ✿ Beda in his syxt boke vpoÌ„ S. Luke writeth thus where it shuld moue any wyth doubth for asmoche as Christe gaue hys body and blood vnto his discyples when they had supped why we shulde be taught by the costome of the vniuersall churche to receaue the same sacrament fastynge Let the same perceaue in few wordes The appostles therfore dyd receaue it wheÌ„ they had supped for it was necessary the figuratyue passeouer to take an ende to be consumed so to approche vnto the sacrament of the veritie of the trew passeouer It hathe pleased the maysters of the churche in the honour of so great terrible a sacrameÌ„t that we shuld fyrst be strengthed with the partitipacion of oure lordes passion bothe inwardely and outwardely to be saÌ„ctified with the goostly spirituall meates and theÌ„ the hungrie body to be refreshed with the vyle earthely meates ✿ Haymo also vpoÌ„ the epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s wryteth in this sort Hâ—ymo in Paulum Hic virit ciriter annum dnÌ„i 832. As the fleshe of Christe the which he receaued in the wombe virginyall is his very body slayne for our saluacyon euenso the breade whych Christ gaue vnto his disciples to al that be elected to the euerlasting lyfe the which also the preestes dayly do coÌ„secrate in the church by the mighte power of the diuinitie the which diuinitie repleteth the same breade is the very body of Christ Neither are the body that he toke in the woÌ„be virginial and this bread two bodyes but they make but one very body of Christ In so much that when it is broken and eaten theÌ„ is Christ offered a sacrifice eateÌ„ yet he remayneth whole alyue And lyke as the bodye put vpon the crosse was offered vp for our redeÌ„ption euen so dayly for our helth is offered vp thys breade the which though it seme bread yet is it not bread but the body of Christ For our lorde redemer helpinge our frayltie bycause he knewe how frayle we are toward synne he hath gyueÌ„ vnto vs thys sacrameÌ„t that where he can not suffer death dayly we dayly do offende we myght haue a very true sacrifice wherby we might haue expiacioÌ„ be purged And therfore bycause the same whyche was offered on the crosse thys in the sacrameÌ„t make but one body are offered vp for our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ he sayd This is my body that shal be gyuen for you These wordes of Haymo are so plaine that anye maÌ„ may right sone perceaue what thys blessed father beleued of this blessed sacrameÌ„t whose auctoritie is not to be suspected syth it is .vii huÌ„dreth yere agone syth he wryte And yet syth his tyme there hath also many both godly excelleÌ„t learned meÌ„ writen As Theodore the gretian the scole maister of bede Alcuinus scole maister to Charles the great S. Bernard Rupert Hugh desctoÌ„ Victore with a great nuÌ„bre mo whoÌ„ to
hys deathe and resurreccion but vpon easter daye when she offered to hym dewty and office agayne he refused it and wolde not let her anoynte hym for he was not then in suche state and indigencie as he was afore Therfore it folowyth not that though that Christ be not alway with vs a mortal passible man as he was before his passion therfore he is not with vs inuisybly immortally impassibly in the blessed sacrament For bothe these be trew That he is not wyth vs nowe uisible passible and mortall as he was before his death and resurrection and yet he is with vs inuisible impassible immortal The argument ✿ Lyke argumēt they gather of the wordes of saynt Paule in the seconde epistle to the Corynthyans the fyft chapiter And though we haue knowen Christe affter the fleshe yet now we know hym no more so By cause that saynt Paule sayth that he dothe not knowe Christ after the fleshe therfore Christe say they is not in the sacrament The answere after the fleshe Yf thys reason were good then dyd Paule knowe no man neyther the Corynthyans vnto whom he wryt that epystle neyther hym selfe for paule sayde that he knewe no man after the fleshe Then bylyke he knewe not hym selfe for he was then in fleshe and a man for he knewe no man But they are dysceaued in mystakynge and mysunderstandynge thys worde After the fleshe _____ Whyche is nat as moche to saye as in the fleshe But it is as moche to saye as fleshely or carnally for fleshely affection or after any carnall sort ✿ Here good christen reader What Crisostome saythe vpon the same place of saynt paule What then sayth he Tell me Hath he cleue lefte the fleshe And is he not nowe in the bodye God forbyd For this same Iesus whyche is taken from you euen so he shall come agayne How wyth a body How sayth Paule then Thoughe we haue knowē Christ after the fleshe yet so do we not nowe For oure beynge after the fleshe is to be in synne and not to be after the fleshe is not to be in synne But Christ to be after the fleshe is to be in or to suffer the passions penalites of nature as hunger thurst labor or slepe and suche other But he commytted no syn at all neyther was ther founde disceat in his mouth Therefore sayde he whyche of you can rebuke or argew me of synne Then Christ not to be after the fleshe is to be deliuered from these penalties of nature and passyons of mortalytye and corruption Not that he is nowe wythout fleshe For wyth that fleshe he cometh to iudge the world hauynge the same fleshe now impassible and immortall and incorruptyble ✿ Then thus wyth Crisostome we may answere That thoughe that Paule knoweth not christ now after the fleshe that is to say passible corruptible mortall and visible yet he knoweth hym now to be incorruptyble immortal and impassible and euen so do we with Paul knowe Christe in the sacrament not after the fleshe carnally as the Carpharnaites thought that is to se and to eate that fleshe of hym hewen and cut in gobbettes and peaces as fleshe is in the shambles but we knowe hym verely ther inuisibly impassibly immortally and eaten of vs is neyther harmed neyther consumed ✿ Bycause that saynt Paule saith vnto the Corythyans The argument in the tenth chapter Is not the bread that we breake the perticipatyon of the body of Christe And agayne he saith in the eleuenth chapter As oft as ye shal eate of this bread and drynke of thys cuppe you shall declare or shewe hys deathe vntyll he come Of these they collecte and gather that the sacrament is nothyng but breade and wyne Thys maner of reasonynge is nothynge worthe For in thys sort of arguyng we myght conclude and proue that there were neather bloode nether wyne but onelye a cuppe As for example Saynt Paul in the same tenth chapter to the Corinthians sayth Is not the cuppe whom we do blysse the participatiō of the blood of Christe And agayne in the eleuenth he sayeth As oft as ye shal eat of thys bread and drinke of this cuppe ye shall remember the lordes death vntyll he come And in the same chapiter who so euer eate of thys breade drynketh of the cuppe or oure lorde vnworthely he shal be gyltye of the body and bloode of our lorde Here saynt Paule calleth the blessed sacrament a cuppe ergo there is nothynge but a cuppe You shall vnderstande therfore that in the blessed sacrament there is not the substance of breade though saint Paule do name it bread For saynt Paule do call the same the body of our Lorde twyse in the same chapter And in namynge it breade he doth folowe the maner of the scripture the whyche in suche maner of transmutations alterations of thynges doth vse oft tyme to gyue vnto the thynge that is altered and chaunged the name that it had before that alteration and chaunge as I haue declared before by these examples Fyrst of the admirable transmutation and chaunge of the rod of Aaron into a serpent The scripture calleth it a rod styll thoughe it was turned into a serpent Lykewyse of the myraculous chaunge of the water into wyne There the scripture namyth that wyne water and gyueth the very same name vnto the thynges that were clene chaūged that suche thinges had before they were chaunged and altered from theyr former natures Euen so the holy apostle and the fathers ofte tyme do call thys blessed sacrament breade bycause that it was breade before the wonderful transmutation and chaunge by the power of goddes myghtye worde into the verye substaunce of Christes blessed bodye and bloode ¶ They haue also collected out of the auncient doctours lompes and fragmētes of theyr sayinges as wel vnderstāded and taken as they vnderstode the scriptures haue lefte out the chefest thynges that shulde declare the verye true sense of the wrytter and there by they go about to proue that these auncient wrytters shulde muster wyth them and be on theyr syde and that those fathers shulde beleue that in the sacramēt were not the verye bodye and bloode of Christe but to be but only a fygure or a signification therof Wherfore al such places of the auncient wryters that semeth to cal it a misterie a sacramēt a fygure or signification of Christes bodye ▪ At suche places they clappe theyr handes and triumphe as though they had wonne the feld and that the game were theyrs These places they brynge in and that wyth theyr gaye paynted prayses and flatterynge commendations of the doctoure or wrytter whose auctoritie they allege as of saint Augustine they wyll saye That mooste excellent and wyttye clerke saynt Augustine That mooste golden mouthe Crysostome the flower of the Greke eloquens c. But when these same be alleged and proued manyfestly to be theyr aduersaries and contrarye to theyr heresye then are they whome they
lyfe whyche is the proper operatiō of the body blood of Christ but worketh dampnable death Therfore the blessed fathers sayde that they receyued not the bodye of Christe For thoughe it verelye be the verye bodye and bloode of Christe yet vnto them in suche state it semeth not to be so bycause that it worketh not in them lyfe but death For lyke as of a moost excellent medicine receaued of the pacient out of dewe tyme and order and therby diminisheth not the dysease but encreaseth it we maye saye that vnto hym thys was no medicyne but a presēt poyson Euen so maye we saye of all suche christians and heretikes that lyke Iudas vnworthely receaueth the sacrament that they receaue not the bodye bloode of Christe whyche as a mooste helthsome medicine worketh lyfe in the good and in the bad it worketh present death In the tyme of these blessed fathers there were certayne ouerthwart people as we also haue some nowe a dayes that hearynge the great and wonderfull operation of thys blessed sacrament howe it wrought lyfe in the receyuers had fallen into a wonderfull presumption and had persuaded to them selues that though they were neuer so farre gone in heresies and lyued neuer so dyssolutely and wyckedly yf they receaued thys sacrament whyche was taught them to be the verye bodye and bloode of Christe that they shulde eskape perpetuall dampnatyon Wherefore the fathers to brynge them out of thys blynd and dampnable presumptyon vsed thys maner of speache to saye that they dyd not receaue the bodye of Christ neather drinke his blod though they dyd receaue the sacrament to the dampnation ✿ Tertulliane in his in hys forth boke agaynste Marcyon Tertulianus aduersus Martionem li. 4. sayeh Christe professynge that he had a great desyre to eate hys Passeouer wyth them and the breade that he toke and gaue to hys discyples he made it hys bodye saynge This is my body that is to saye sayth Tertulliane the fygure of my bodye Thys place is recyted of Ecolāpadius wyth no smale commendacyon and tryumphe In lyke sorte saynt Augustine in the prologe of the thyrde Psalme sayeth speakynge of Iudas Christe thoughe he were not ignorant of hys vnhappe thoughtes yet he made hym one of his geastes of that bāket where he exhybyted and gaue vnto hys dysciples the fygure of hys body and bloode Fyrst dylygent reader I praye the expende wel the wordes of Tertulliane and thou shalt sone perceaue that Tertulliane cōfyrmeth our fayth maketh nothynge with the sacramentaryes For he saith Christe had a greate desyre to eate hys Passeouer not sayth he the Passeouer that was the slaughter of shepe for that was Moyses passeouer but thys he called hys by cause that in thys was hys owne naturall fleshe and bloode and in the other the fleshe and blood of a shepe Yf ther had ben nothynge els in thys then breade the fygure of his fleshe why shulde he call this more his then the other whiche was also a more expresse fygure of his death then the bread and wyne were Furthermore Tertulliane sayth that Christ made the bread that he toke and dystrybuted to hys dyscyples hys bodye saynge Thys is my bodye In these wordes he moste apertely sheweth that Christe made the bread hys bodye Yf ther be none other thyng there then breade neyther no alteracyon ther in the sacramēt then ther was before I maruayll what thyng Christ dyd make But Tertullianes wordes be to playne to be deludyd or doubted of for he confesseth that Christe made the breade his bodye saynge This is my bodye But that wordes that foloiuith semeth to haue all the dyfycultye bycause Tertulliane added that is to say the fygure of hys bodye And in lyke sorte also saynt Augustine Tertullyanes contre man callyth it a fygure ✿ No dougth but it is very trew that the sacramēt is a fygure an example a sygne and token of the bodye of Christe For euery sacramēt is a fygure or example and sacrate token of an holy thynge Euen so is the blessed sacramēt called a sygne or a fygure of the bodye of Christ in the wrytynges of these ancient fathers The cause why they so named it I haue declared before amōg the names of the sacrament And yet I wyll touch breuely the same agayne For as moche as in the blessed sacrament which is the very sacrifice of the churche catholyke is cōtayned in two dystinct formes that is of bread wyne the same blessed bodye blood that was offered vpō the crosse in ther own lyknes that is in lykenes of fleshe blood the same bodye and blod vnder the forme of bread at the masse lyfted vp in to the ayer ouer the prestes hed it is a token or a remēbranc how that the same body in the tyme of Christes passion dyd hang vpon the crosse in the ayer and was so offered vp by death for our redēption the same body blood contained reali also vnder the shape or forme of wyne lyffted vp at the sacrynge of the masse it is a token callyng vs to remēbrans how the blessed blood was shed on hye vpō the crosse for the remissiō of our synnes And thus the blessed body blode of christ vnder these two formes of bred wyne in the blessed sacramēt signifieth vnto vs how that in the passiō and death of christ the body of christ hong pale wan vpō the crosse frō whō al the blessed bloode was dyuyded by crewel payne passyō is thus a very lyuely memorie remēbrans of hys death for thys cause also S. Basyl calleth it The exemplar bycause it is so lyuely and so expresse an example memorie of the death of Christ Thus is the blessed sacrament where in is contayned verely the bodye and blood of Christ a sygne a fygure a tokē or example of the death of Christ And in this consideration the fathers some tyme and that very seldome dyd cal it a sygne or fygure And in thys sort we graunt no lesse But that it is but a fygure onlye a fygure or nothynge els thē a figure That we vtterly deny For neither in the scripture neyther in any catholyke wryter can they fynde that the sacramēt is called only a fygure or but a fygure or any lyke saynge The fathers though they named it a figure or a token yet they playnlye declare and shew that they beleued that very real presens of the bodye and blood of Christ in the sacramēt as I haue shewed bi their owne wrytinges So I conclude and answere that though the sacrament be a sygne or a fygure yet neuerthelesse it is verely really the verye bodye and bloode of Christ therfore is it not only a fygure or onely and nothinge els then a fygure or a sygne Thys answere in my iudgemēt is sufficient for all suche places that they can brynge in of anye of the auncyent wrytters It is a lacrymable case and