and lyued in Cyrilles tyme was in the counsell kept at Ephesus and CalceÌ„donie and was estemed for a man of excellent learnyng and a man of wonderfull eloquence And where as in the counsell holden at Ephesus there be fell a variaunce betwixte Iohn the Patriarke of Antioche and Cyrill the Byshop of Alexandria Thys Theodoritus semed to leaue to the Patriarke of Antioche but that variaunce was taken vp and pacified and set at an ende euen in that counsell And then afterwarde at the counsell of Calcedonie the sayde Theodoritus was acknowledged and demed aÌ„ maâ— singulerly well learned and an holy membre of Christes churche Yea and in the bookes whyche he wrote Nestorius an heritike he dothe of sette purpose resiste Nestorius and writeth agaynste him by name The boke was printed at Rome And the Papistes for as much as they haue espied that he is moste playnelye agaynste transubstanciation they haue excused him two waies Fyrste that the churche had not as yet in his time determined this matter as thoughe we did searche what the Pope with hys Cardinals haue decreed either at Constaunce or in the counsell where Beringatius was condempned and not rather what was bothe preached and taught also beleued in the olde church Secondelye they excuse Theodoritus and saye that in writing against the heritikes whan he traicted of mysteries he leaned some what to muche the other waye agaynste transubstantiation to thys intent and purpose that hys aduersaries mighte the better and the more effectuallye be confuted But howe triflynge an excuse thys is it maye very well appeare of the whole sequell of thys wryters processe in hys wrytynge where as one maye â—â—e not the scape of a word or twaine but the whole argumente and pythe of the mattier to be fette and to be taken oute of the nature of a Sacramente so that if ye mengle transubstanciation therewyth all the matter canne be broughte to no conclusion on hys parte but contrarywyse the heritykes should wynne the whole victorye They alledge furthermore that he speaketh sumetime verye honourablye and reuerentelye of the sacramente in thys same boke But if ye loke it all thorowoute he neuer speaketh so honourablye or so reuerentelye of it that he is anye thyng agaynste thys sentenâ—e whiche we do here holde Hys boke is a disputation agaynst suche persons as denye that Christe had a true bodye and do saye that hys bodye in the tyme of hys ascention was all togyther chaunged into a diuine nature Firste he bringeth in for his purpose the prophecy of the aunciente Patriarke Iacob out of the .xlix. Chapter of Genesis to the ende that he might therby make him selfe awaye to bringe his argumentes oute of the sacramentes And his wordes ben these But for the better and more plainer declaration of the matter I the translatour haue thought necessarie to admonish the good christian reader to vnderstand to note yâ— the purpose of Theodoritus is to proue that the body of Christ as it is nowe in heauen raignynge in the glorye of hys father is hys verye true and naturall bodye and the same bodye whyche he hadde whan he was conuersaunte here on earth in hys manhoode and that the same bodye remaynethe euen styll and euer shall do in the same his verye true nature of manhoode that it than hadde and is not chaunged into the nature and substaunce of hys godheade For euen at those dayes some heritiques did beginne to deuise and to write of Christe that after hys resurrection and ascention hys manhoode was now chaunged into his godhead and was no longer a natural bodye so that he was not now both god man sayde they but God onelye for as muche as by rysynge frome deathe to lyfe and by ascending into heauen he hadde ouercomed al corruptebilitie and hadde cast of all earthlinesse of hys natural body and of his manhoode And the wordes are written in Theodoritus in maner and forme of a dialoge betwene a good Christian maÌ„ beyng of right opinioÌ„s in matters of religioÌ„ whoÌ„ we shal here at thys tyme cal by the name of Orthodoxus as the auctoure doeth and a Compaigâ—ion of hys beynge as it were an Heritique or miscreaunte whome wee shall here for thys presente call by the name of Aduersaries to the trueth and thus do they talke togyther Theodoritus as hereafter foloweth he washed hys stole in wyne and hys garmente in the bloude of the grape Ortho. Doest thou know that God called bread his own body Ad. Yea I know it very wel Ortho. Dost thou know also that in an other place againe he called his body wheat corne Aduer Yea I knowe that too euen verye well For I haue heard that he sayde The houre is come that the sonne of man muste be glorified And except the wheate corne being caste downe into the earth do there dye it remayneth it self alone but if it dye it bringeth forth muche frute Orthod Trulye in the very geuing and deliuerynge of the mysteries he called the breade hys body and the cup he called hys bloud Aduer In dede so did he name it Orthod But euen a body after nature too that is to saye hys owne bodye his bloude might it haue bene so called Aduer It is a playne matter to graunte Orthod Yea and trulye our sauiour hym selfe chaunged the names and gaue to hys bodye the name of the sygne and to the sygne the name of hys bodye And in the same maner whan he hadde called him selfe a vyne he called the verye sygne by the name of hys bloude Aduersa In dede that worde hath thou spoken verye truly And I woulde fayne learne the cause too whye he so chaunged the names Ortho. That is an open marke to knowe vnto all suche as are entred to be partakers of oure holy sacramentes For his wyll was that suche as wer partakers of the heauenly mysteriesâ— should not haue respect to the nature of the thynges whiche thei see but that by the chaungyng of the names thei should beleue the alteracion whiche is made through grace For the same Christe whiche called his naturall bodye a wheate corne and breade also named hymself a vyne the selfe same Christ honoured the visible â—ignes with the name of his bodye aâ—d bloude not chaungyng the nature of the thynges but geuyng grace vnto the nature of them Aduers In dede the mysâ—icall thynges wer mystically spoken And now hath it been of thee clerely expouned and opened that is not knowen to all folkes Orthodoâ— Forasmuche therfore as he openly protesteth the Lordes bodye to be called of the Patriarche Iacob in the olde testamente both a stoole and a garmente and we are now entred into a talke of the heauenly mysteries Tell me plainly and truely whereof thynkest thou that same most holy meate to be a signe and a figure whether of the verai godhead of Christe our Lorde or els rather of his body and bloud Aduer Truly of these same verai
statutes in whiche is bothe a great noumbre of wordes and also muche matier not easie to be perceyued of euery body than wer it laboure loste to sette foorthe in Englyshe bookes of seruice and homelies vnto the grosse and rusticall multitude whose capacite is not hable to conceiue that is in them conteined than wer it vayn to haue translated and sette foorth the bible in Englyshe to the vulgare people and moste vain to reade it in the Churches forasmuche as a greate noumbre of thynges whiche the symple ignoraunt people rede and heare thereout are ferre aboue the â—eache of theyr grosse vnderstandynge But all suche good and godly bookes as wel of holy wryte as of other profane argumentes are to this entente sette foorth and published that euerye bodye maye be edifyed as ferre foorth as hys capacyte wyll serue And lyke as wythout any reading or hearynge at all they shoulde continue euermore blynde and ignoraunt so by continuall readynge and hearing the vnlearned simple maie take enstructioÌ„s from dai to day procede growe in knowelage till at laste they shall by due vse and excercise be hable to vnderstande as muche as shall bee necessarye or expedieÌ„t for theÌ„ Now this boke I haue laboured to make as plain as I could do therfor in som places I haue either altered or leaft the scoole termes whych otherwise would haue made the thing more derke brought it as nere I could to the familiar phrase of English speakyng or els haue added suche circumstaunce of other woordes as might declare it make it plain Wherfore thoughe for the cause abouesaide I maie seme in some places to haue somewhat swerued from the precise woordes of the latin booke Yet I trust it shall to the fauourable and indifferent reader appere that I haue not any thynge degressed from the autours mynde Now as we commonly see that men where thei thinke themselues endoubted or boundeÌ„ though thei can not fully requitte or deserue the manifold benefices that thei haue receiued yet as the nature and duetie of thankfulnesse byndeth them thei will not be negligent â—o gratifye their beneficiall patrones or freÌ„des with suche simple tokens of their good mindes as lyeth in their power as the fermer to present his landlorde with some porcion of the fruictes that god sendeth hym and the poore widowe hir patrone with a dishe of apples cheries or suche lyke so can not I but thynke my selfe moste bounden wyth some of the simple fruictes of mi pore studies to preseÌ„t your lordship my singuler espiciall good patrone trustynge that forasmuche as there is as Cicero saieth a certaine kynde of lyberalitee euen in takyng ye will wyth no lesse cherfulnesse accepte these my simple labours dedicated vnto you then ye haue been accustomed to geue the manifold benifites whiche I haue at your lordeshipes handes receiued And thus I shall commende thesame my labours vnto youre lordshippes patronage and proteccion and your selfe vnto the lordes tuicion as sone as I shal haue aduertised you of the processe that Martir foloweth in this weorke whiche is that firste he bryngeth in the schoole Doctoures and all that euer maie bee saied for transubstantiation as strongly as is possible to bee reasoned and as muche as can bee alleged for it Than bringeth he in the reasons suche as he thinketh good both out of the fyrst Scriptures and generall Counceile and also oute of the Doctoures to confirme his owne opinion against transubstantiacion Thirdely he confuteth and soilleth al the argumentes and reasons of the schoolemen and Popishe writers one by one in ordre as thei were propouned and this doth he so clearkely so profoundly and so pitthilye that no man can saie more Beseching therfore youre Lordeship yf any default or lacke bee to impute it rather to myne insufficiencie in translatinge it then to the authoure in wrytinge it I will no longer with hold thesame froÌ„ the hearinge of Martyr himselfe speake who shal more delighte and edifie you then my penne maye dooe ¶ A discourse vpoÌ„ the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper solemnely handled at the Uniuersitie of Oxforde by Doctour Peter Martyr Uermila Florentine and in the sayde Uniuersite placed by the Kinges maiestâ—e Edward the syxte to reade opeâ— Lectures in Diuinitie who discoursed thereof as hereafter foloweth whan he had finished the declaracion of the leuenthe Chapiter of the fyrste Epistle of S. Paule to the Chorinthyans THe contâ—ncions yâ— haue arisen concernyng the sacrameÌ„t of the lordes Supper haue vndoubtedly this only inteÌ„t purpose that the manier and waye maye be vnderstanded how the bodye and bloude of the Lorde are ioyned coupled with the similitudes of breade and wyne or as other ScholemeÌ„ terme it with the matiers Sacramentall And forasmuche as it is well knowen to all men that thissame is called the Sacramente of the Lordes body and bloude therfore râ—quisite it is that these thiÌ„ges be by same manier of way coÌ„teined in this Sacrament But we in the searching oute hereof shall not rehearse all thinges that are in this mattier tossed to fro lest the thing which of it selfe is darke enough maye be made more entriked and doubtfull and least the discoursyng of it maye growe to an endlesse mattier and botomlesse The order therfore dispoâ—icion of the doctrine of this present traictise shall be reduced to fower principall poinctes ¶ Fyrst and formoste we shall traicte of suche coÌ„iunction and vnion wherby they commonly affirmed the bread and the wine to be chaunged by transubstaÌ„ciacion into the body bloud of Christ which semeth to be the highest moste perfecte poynct of the Sacrament with the materiall thynges Secondarily we shall searche and trye out another determinacion which supposeth the wyne and the breade as touching their perfect and true natures to be reserued and kept still in the sacramente and so to remaine therin that they haue annexed and ioyned vnto them the very true bodye and bloude of Christe as they speake it in theyr termes naturally bodely really that is to saye in very persone Thyrdly shall be considred and weyghed the assercion of some others whiche affirme that the premisses are by none other meane but a sacramentall waye coupled together that is to wete in the waye of betokening and represâ—ntyng onely Fourthly and last of all shall a iudgemente and determinacion be brought in whereby there shal of the opinions perteynyng to the seconde and third senteÌ„ce be gathered as much as may in this matâ—er of the sacrameÌ„t seme to make for the religioÌ„ of a christiaÌ„ man We shall therfore begynne at the opinion of transubstanciacion partlye because it is of the grosser sorte and partlye because it is but of a late tyme câ—m vp finally because the other two sentences do perfectly consent and dooe with egual endeuour defeact it substancially Of this sentence of transubstanciacion it is writen by the Moister of the sentences in the eight â—â—e
and yet maye be chaunged into an other thynge too Hierome vpon Mathewe sayeth playnlye Hierome that the bodye and bloude of Christe is represented by the breade and by the wyne Chrisostome vpon the second epistle to the Corhinthians sayeth Châ—isostom that not onely that thyng is Christes bodye whych is sette before the Christians at the lordes table but also that the pore folcke are hys bodye to whome we are bounde to shewe and to minister the worckes of charitye For euen the same Christe whyche sayde thys is my bodye sayde also by his worde that he was in nede and necessitie whan poore folcke lacked and that he had kyndenes and benefyte shewed to hym selfe whan they receyued our almesdedes The same Chrisostome in the eleuenth homelie vpon Mathewe in the worcke whyche is intituled Imperfectum sayeth thus It is not christes bodye and christes bloude whyche is contayned in the holye vesels Sed misterium corporis et sanguinis Christi that is to say But it is the mistery of Christes body bloude The same Chrisostome in the .xxvii. homelie vpon the eleuenth chapitur of the second epistle to the Corinthyans For as christe bothe in the breade and also in the cuppe sayde Do ye thys in remembraunce of me as often as ye shal eate of thys bread and drynke of thys cuppe c. The same vpon the .xxii. psalme Thou hast prepared an eatynge table in my syght that he might shew forth daily to vs in the sacrameÌ„t bread and wyne accordynge to the order or fashyon vsed of Melchisedek for a similitude of christes body blud Emisenus And Emisenus whome they cite or alledge oute of the canon lawe in the title De consecratione and in the seconde distinction where he semeth to putte a chaunge of the symboles or sygnes and matter of the Sacramente euen the same manne maketh mention of oure chaungynge into christe Austen Austen hathe manye testimonies of thys mattier fyrst vpon the .lxxxix. psalme Ye shal not eate this body which you see with your eye neither shal ye drinke the same very blud whych the Iewes wil shede forth vpon the crosse But the thinge which I speake vnto you is a mysterie and an highe secrete poynte whiche if it be spirituallye vnderstanded shall quicken you to life Also in the thyrde booke de trinitate Panis ad hoc factus in sacramento accipiendo consumitur that is to saye the breade whyche was made for this purpose is coÌ„sumed awaye whan the sacrament is receyued Neither is there anye tytle or reason why Fysher late bishope of Rochester shuld so haue gone aboute to racke thys sentence and to apply it to the shewe breades of the olde lawe whyche were called Panes prepositionis For we haue before this declared and by diuerse reasons proued that hys declaration doth not ne canne bee agreable to serue for that matter Firste bicause that if thou folowe the easye and plaine sence of the wordes and that sence of the letter whiche offereth it selfe and commeth to thy minde at the fyrste syght or readinge thou shalte see plainelye that Austen there speaketh of Eucharistia whyche is thys Sacramente of thankes geuynge as is afore sayde And it is a worde muche vsed to signyfye the Sacramente of Christes bodye c. And Erasmus in the worckes of Austen whiche he corrected and sette forthe of newe when he commeth to the wordes aboue cited â—â—asmus hath for a note in the margente of the booke directlye agaynste the sayde clause sette thys worde Eucharistia to signifye that the sayde clause is mente of thys Sacramente of Christes bodye and bloude Moreouer the sayde Austen a little after in the same Chapitur and whyle he yet treateth vppon the same matter dothe so plainly make mention of Eucharistia that the verye aduersarie canne not denye it nor saye againste it And he hadde wrytten of the same Eucharistia before in the fourthe chapitur of the selfe same boke whan he beganne to treate of the same matter Ye maye adde to thys also that the word SacrameÌ„t is of purpose expreslie mente and playnelye named in these wordes of Austen whych we haue now in haÌ„d For if he woulde thys worde Sacramente to be taken coÌ„munely it myght euen as well in euery behalfe haue bene applyed to those other thynges which Austen in that place had rehearsed before as for example to the brasen serpente and to the stone that was erected vp by Iacob as it myghte be applied or referred to the loues of propositioÌ„ or the shewe breades afore mentioned But Austen whan he spake and treated of those other thynges dyd not make any expresse mention of thys worde Sacramente whyche worde afterward in thys clause he woulde in no wise leaue oute bicause he woulde vs to vnderstande hym directlye to speake of Eucharistia Fynallye to coÌ„clude the very wordes of Austen are these The bread whiche was made for this purpose is cousumed in receyuynge of the sacramente or whan the Sacramente is receyued whyche thynge doeth in no wyse agree nor can not be applyed to the shewe breades of the olde Testamente For the lawes of the shewe bread were not made to any such vse or ende that they shoulde be eaten but that they beynge sette vpon a table shoulde remayne there before the Lorde and so continue from tyme to tyme in that place for the whyche cause they were called in the Hebrue tonge Panim Paâ—im Afterwardes by a lyttle chaunce as ye woulde say and of an other occation it came to passe that they were eaten for thys cause doubtelesse to auoyde leste they shoulde putrefye before the Lorde And for that cause were they chaunged weakelye And whan they were once offered dedicated to God he would haue thys honoure geuen to theim that they shoulde be eaten of the priestes But the breade of oure sacramente of Eucharistia is made verily for this onely purpose and ende that it shoulde be eaten and spente in receyuinge of the sacramente And to the argumentes that I haue alreadie made I adde and ioygne thys one more also whiche is of more force For saynte Austen speaketh by the presente tense and sayeth it is spente and not it was spente whych oughte to haue bene sayde if he hadde spoken of the fygure and ceremonye of the olde Testamente In the ninteenth chapitur of hys boke entitled De side that is to saye of fayeth to one Peter he callethe it the Sacramente of bread and wyne He doeth enstrucâ—e the sayd Peter in the feithe of the memorie of Christ of his death eueÌ„ at large but yet of this transubstanciacion the whiche these men doe now at this daie so earnestly harpe vpon and labour to bring in he speaketh not so muche as one worde In the twentieth booke against Faustus and the one twentieth chapitur he declareth that the fleashe and bloude of Christ was promised to vs in the olde testament vnder the
knolege and a token of his owne propre nature because they be two distincte natures and vnconfounded forlyke as before yâ— bread is sanctifyed we call it breade but whan the diuine grace hath sanctified it the priest beeyng minister it is deliuered from the name of bread and is couÌ„pted worthy the name of the Lordes bodye althoughe the nature of bread hath styl remained in it and it is called not two bodies but one body of the sonne in lykewise this diuine constitution the nature of the bodye adioyned the two bothe together make on sonne and one persone Hesechius in the twentieth booke vpon the eighte chapitur of Leuitici commaundyng fleashe sayth he for this cause to be â—aten with breade Hesechius that we might vnderstandeâ— that he meaned that mysterie whiche is bothe breade and fleashe Gelasius Gelasius ageynst Entichetes wryteth that the substance and nature of breade and wyne doeth not ceasse to bee in the sacrament of the Lordes supper called Eucharistia and he maketh a comparison of this sacramente with Christe in whome remayneth the diuine and humain nature both the natures beyng hole and perfect as in this Sacrament do remaine the nature of breade and the bodye of Christe Gregorius Gregorie in his registre sayeth as well whan we receyue vnleauened breade as leauened we bee made one body of the Lorde our Sauiour Bertram Bartram in his booke of the bodye and bloude of the Lorde sayeth of the nature of the signes Looke what they wer as concernyng the substaunce of the creatures before the consecration the same they continue also afterwardes Bernarde in his sermon of the supper of the Lord Bernarde doeth make a manifeste similitude of a ringe whereby a manne doeth receyue either the promesse of Matrimonie or the possession of any dignitie as it is vsed in makyng of Byshoppes whereas the ryng or croasier staffe or Rotchet be signes or tokens of the thinges whiche are geuen or graunted and yet thei bee no vayne signes for thei do moste surely bringe with them the thynges that they signifie the whiche same thynge also he declareth to be dooen in the Sacramentes Nowe muste we answere to the argumentes of these menne where with thei gooe aboute to proue their transubstantiation And as concernyng the first we aunswere that Christ did promisse vs his fleashe or his bodye and bloude to be our meate and dryncke and that in the sixth Chapitur of Ihon whiche thing he dooeth as ofte as we dooe truelye beleue that he dyed for vs he dyd also perfourme the same whan at his laste Supper he ordeyned this Sacramente for he ioygned the sygnes to that spirituall eatyng But they dyd most chiefelye and principally laye agaynste vs this sentence This is my bodye aboute the veritie of whiche sayinge is nowe all oure controuersie but all oure contencion consisteth in this onelye poyncte howe and in what mannier it is his bodye for bothe partes that is to weete as well oure aduersaries as we dooe holde that it is a true proposicion or sentence And all oure contencion and striefe is onelye aboute the sense or meanynge of it Thei saye it is a playne sentence we on the other syde put them in remembraunce of that whiche Augustine teacheth in his booke entitled de doctrina Christiana that is of ChristiaÌ„ doctrine Where he saieth that one place must not be so expouned that it be contrarie to manye other but rather so as it agree with manye others Neither muste we euermore allege the plainenes of the sentence and stande altogether vpon the woordes for than where it is sayed Leate vs make man after our Image and lykenesse The heritiques named Anthropomorphita Anthropomorphitae A kinde of heritiques that affirmed god to haue a bodely substauÌ„ce or beeing shape as we haueâ— do by by aryse and make an argumente that God hathe a bodye and a soule and other membres as we se to be in mans bodye Thou sayest in thys behalfe that this similitude or lykenes of maÌ„ to God the image of god muste be referred to the mynd or soule of man wherby man hath rule ouer all other Creatures lyke vnto God but the sayde heritiques wyll saye againe that these thynges are there in playne wordes wrytten of manye and that thou doest in vayne go about to applye that whyche is written of the whole man to the one parte onelye that is to wete to the soule or mind Thou alledgeste agayne that Gâ—d is a spirite and that a spirite hath no fleshe bones and â—o thou gathereste the sence of thys one place oâ—te of other places of scripture In lyke maner the Arians sayde that they hadde the playne and cleare sence of thys place of scripture Some senteÌ„ce in scripture whiche seme moste playne in woordes muste not alwayes be vnderstaÌ„ded without soÌ„e interpretacion My father is greater then I Thou dost apply this saying onely to the humayne nature of Christ bycause that in other places of the scripture the godheade of Christe is declared and playnelye taught as in the fyrste chapter of Iohn in the ninthe chapter of the epistle to the Romains and in the fyrst Chapter of the first epistle of sainte Iohn Also Christ sayeth In expouning of one place aâ— eie must be had vnto other places of scripâ—ure He that hath no swerd let hym bye him one in whyche wordes it semeth that he prouoketh men to auengemente But if ye haue an eye to other places ye shall see that it is figuratelye spoken Saincte Paule hath this sayinge Pray ye without intercession or ceassing And anone ther started vp a kynde of heritiques called Euchite Euchitae a kinde of heritiques coÌ„cerninge prayer whyche thought that we ought to vse continual prayers neuer ceasyng to murmure then wher as yet it is sayde in an other place He that hathe not care of them that belonge to hym specially of such as be of hys houshold hath renounced the fayth is worsse then an infidell And againe Let al thinges be done in ordre in an other place he that laboureth not let him not eate Also a certeine secte of Heretiques named Chiliastae that is to say Chiliastae a kinde of Heretiques a certaine secte that taught how Christ should reigne a thousand yeares This secte thought that they had the moste euident word of god that coulde bee for theyr opinion in the Reuelacion of Ihon in the twentieth chapitur of these thousande yeares in the whiche Christe should reigne with his And the SabelliaÌ„s did hold that there was no difference of personnes betwene the father and the soonne Sabellians another sect of Heretiâ—ues and that same thei did of this place I and the father bee one and also of this place Philip he that seeth me seeth the father also And againe As I doe remayne in the father so doeth the father remaine in me these places thei said wer plain places sayinges
of scripture that the same made for theÌ„ The Ebionites did take Christe to be a creature only Hebionitâ—s an other secte of heriques sayd that this saying god my god why hast thou leaft or forsaken me could be none otherwise vnderstanded for God sayed they dooeth neuer leaue ne forsake himselfe And of thys sentence written in the sixte of Iohn He that eateth my fleshe dryncketh my bloude shall not dye for euer Manye sayde that it folowed that those whych dyd once come lawfullye to the communion coulde not peryshe for euer The whyche erroure saynte Austen in hys boke entituled De ciuitate dei that is of the Cytye of God doeth clearelye reproue Also the wordes of the canticles whych are entitled Cantica canticorum â— if ye take theÌ„ as they sounde in wordes at the firste apprearaunce they are but songes or ballades of loue or maryage Songes We must not therfore alwayes alledge the plainenes of the words go no further Christ saith He that hath eares to hear let him hear and he that readeth let him vnderstand Neyther is it conueniente by and by to take the fyrste sence that sheweth or offreth it selfe without regardynge or considerynge and conferryng of other places wyth it Christe sayde to hys Apostles Beware of the leuen of the Phariseis The Apostles by and by thoughte that he hadde spoken of breade where as Christe spake of theyr doctrine He sayed also Lazarus our frende slepethe Here dyd the Apostles slepe also and sayde If he slepe he shall do well inoughe recouer agayne where as Christe spake of hys death The Lorde sayeth in an other place Destroye you thys temple and in three dayes I shall builde it vp agayne neyther dyd the Apostles vnderstande that he spake of hys bodye He that kepeth my commaundementes shall not dye for euer And here also dyd the Iewes thynke that he spake of the bodilye deathe Necodemus dyd grosselye vnderstande the newe generation byrthe that Christe spake of Neither was the Samaritane woman anye thing lesse deceyued aboute that matter whyche Christ promised hyr The Hebrues also were deceyued whan Christe sayde vnto them Abraham did se my dayes and did reioyce Let theim not therefore saye euermore vnto vs thys scripture is plaine This is my body for we answere theÌ„ that it is plaine as coÌ„cerning the significatioÌ„ of the wordes But the sence of the words is not plaine as apeareth in such other like seÌ„teÌ„ces as these Christe is a stone Christe is a lambe Ye are the bodies of Christe Wee though we be many ar one bread one body Al these be the wordes of god we may saye of theym that they be playne and that they be euident and yet none of theÌ„ al proueth transubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ Wherefore there is no cause why the plainnes of the wordes shoulde so muche be alleged We muste of other places of scripture and of the circumstaunces wel consider what is in thys mattier mente aud intended We wyl therfore expoune this proposition somwhat depelye repetynge the matter from the bottome God was wyllynge to drawe man vnto hym wyth large and greate promises as that he woulde make him happye and blessed And bycause he knewe oure beleuynge herte he woulde that there shoulde be manye benifites of hys shewynge towardes mankind remayne and appeare in memorie whereby he might allure and drawe man vnto hym Wherefore he dyd not onelye giue all creatures vnto man but also in the tyme of the floude he deliuered our kinde whiche hadde full euyll deserued it from the destruction of the water To Abraham he declared hym selfe very fauorable and louinge To Isaac also to Iacob his sonnes sonne He prospered their stocke whan they were oppressed he deliuered them and gaue them a fruitefull contrye to dwell in and promoted them to the dignitie of kynges and priestes and yet were they continually men of a harde beliefe and did not perfectelye thincke that God owed them good wyll Wherefore for their infidelitie he cast them oute into diuers captiuities agayne manye sondrye tymes he deliuered them In conclusion to the entente that there shoulde be no place lefte of doubtinge of hys goodnesse he gaue them the greateste and highest benefite of al benefites that is to wete hys sonne takynge on him our fleshe that he shoulde dye on the crosse for oure healthe saluation the whiche benefite was suche and so greate that Paule to the Romaynes sayeth howe hath he not geueÌ„ vs al thinges with his soÌ„ne And than lefte thesame so greate and so hyghe a benefite should any more bee forgotten his wil and pleasure was that it should euermore nowe and than bee renewed in this sacrament of thankes geuyng to then tente that we should continually by faith thinke in our myndes that Christ was geueÌ„ by his father to death and that by the beleuyng thereof we shoulde eate his fleashe and drincke his bloud whiche thing to th enteÌ„t that it might the more effectually bee dooen the signes of bread and wyne were ioygned vnto it whiche should more earnestly moue vs then bare woordes alone had been wont to dooe Therfore whan he saith This is my body he vnderstoode none other thing than he promised in the sixthe of Iohn whan he sayed I am the bread of life he spake of himself as concernyng his body and fleashe deliuered to death or rather that should afterward be deliuered as plainly appereth by his woordes Neither ment he eny other thyng but that these thinges shoulde be vnto vs breade and meate wherwith our solles might be comforted and coÌ„firmed and by the mynde or solle the body also should be confyrmed and so consequentlye all the whole man Christ therfore at his last supper meÌ„t nor went about nothyng els but turned and sette the woordes of his former saying one in anothers place and lyke as afore he had sayde his bodye and fleashe to be bread so now placyng the wordes in the contrary ordre and shewyng forth the bread he saieth that the bread is his body And whyle he pronouÌ„ced these woordes This is my body it was eueÌ„ as much as if he should haue sayed My body receiued by feith shall be vnto you in stede of breade and shall bee lyke as it wer bread wherewith ye maie be spiritually fed and nourished Leat therfore the sence and plaine meaning be this I geue you breade to eate and in the meane tyme I propoune and set foorthe vnto you my body which shall bee nailed vpon the crosse that ye maye with feithefull remembraunce and with moste attentiue mynde spiritually eate thesame with youre selues and that as ye eate breade with your body so ye maye eate my fleashe with your solle What canne there bee either more easie or more clere and plaine to vnderstand then this interpretacion and exposicion or that maye better agree with the promise whiche oure Lorde Iesus Christ made vnto vs in the sixthe chapitur of Ihon
stone set for to be the ruine fall and also the arisynge agayne of manye in Israell In the Deuteronomie it is written The bloud is the soule Where as it is but that thing wherby the soule is conserued and signified Iudas the brother of Iosephe speakynge of Iosephe and speakynge that he myghte not be slayne sayd He is our owne fleshe By the whyche phrase of speakynge the natural knyttyng togyther and necessitie of bloud and kynred was signifyed Saynte Paule sayeth that we beynge manye are one breade c. whyche sayinge it canne not be chosen nor auoyded but that it muste â—e vnderstanded to bee fyguratelye spoken And Christe breathed forthe vpon hys disciples and sayde Take ye the holye Ghoste c. Yet was not hys breathynge transubstanciated into the holye ghoste Geneâ— vi In the boke of Genesis it is sayd My Spirite shall not styll dwell in man bicause he is fleshe and in the fyrste Chapitur of Iohn The worde became fleshe c. in whyche place is the plain figure of Sinecdoch For the whole maÌ„ is vnderstanded vnder the name of flesh And our lord Iesus haÌ„ging on the crosse said to Mary his mother Woman behold thy sonne And to his disciple IhoÌ„ Behold thy mother Yet were neyther of theim traÌ„substanciated but remained styl the selfe same persons that they were afore but there was constituted betwene them a newe ordre and degree a newe referrynge and respecte Of Christe it is saide in the scriptures that he is oure peace where as he is only the cause of our peace Also in an other place My wordes are spirite and life where as they did but betoken the same or else were cause of them to the beleuers Iohn Baptiste sayde of Christ. Behold the lambe of god and yet was not his nature chaunged into the nature of a Lambe It is reade here and there in manie places of the holie scriptures that the Lordes wordes are iudgemente and trueth and ryghtuousâ—nes where as these thinges are but signified expressed in the saide wordes of the Lorde And this similitude or comparison doeth passinge wel serue and agre to the sacramentes whych are said to words visible In the Apocalipes it is reade I am α and ω Alpha Omega whereby is mente the firste begynnynge and the laste ende of all thynges And Paule speakynge of hys owne gospell which he preached sayeth The power of God it is to saluation vnto euery one that beleueth Where as it is but onely whereby the power of God declareth it selfe for the sauinge of men And of the preachinge of the crosse he sayeth that vnto the wicked sorte it is folishenes that is to saye it signifieth vnto suche maner of menne but a folishe thynge but to the Godly sort he saith it is the power and wysedome of God for bicause it sheweth and declareth the saide power and wisedome of God vnto the godlye And of the lawe of Moses God sayd that it did put deathe and lyfe blessinge and curssinge vnto the people of the Hebrewes which is none other but by the signification and notifiynge of the lawe the promises and threatenynges of God whiche were in them expressed In the boke of Genesis Gene. xlâ— the seuen kyne and the seuen yeares of corne are saide to be seuen yeres and that is no more but in signifiynge the same Ahias the Prophete a Silonite gaue vnto Hieroboam ten pieces of a cut or torne cloke iii. Kiâ— xi and sayde that he gaue to Hieroboam the kyngedome of ten of the tribes of Israell Also in this same very epistle to the Corinthians and the same eleuenth chapitur whyche we nowe traicte of S. Paule wrote that a woman shoulde haue a power on hyr heade by the whyche worde power he signifieth a coueringe by the whiche couerynge is signified the power and superioritie of the man ouer the woman And in the seconde epistle to the same Corinthians it is coÌ„tayned that God made Christe to be sinne whiche was nothinge els but to the likenes of synne and representation of our fleshe Yea and the ghoste that was offred vp for synne was called sinne And the prestes were saydâ— to â—ate the synnes of the people whyche mente nothinge els but eating the hostes that were slayne and offred vp for the sinnes of the people In the prophet Ezechiel it is written I wil poure forthe cleane water vpon you by the waâ—er he signifieth the holy ghostâ— whych selfe same thing we reade of Christ whan he sayth Who so drinketh of this water c. In whiche place the Euangeliste mencioneth that Christe spake of the holye ghoste whyche they shoulde afterwarde receiue Of the Lambe we heare that it was called Pascha thoughe some there be that attempte the same to denye But the playne words of the Hebrue doth declare it where it is sayd The sacrifice is Pascha that is the passeouer By the sacrifice there can not be vnderstanded anye other thinge but either the slaine hoste that was offred vp or els that same veray acte of sacrifisynge the sayde host So we haue the body of Christ expressed bothe by breade and wine and also by the acte as well of eatynge as of drynkinge And the said Lambe was not the passinge ouer of the Aungel but onely a monumente and token or signification of hym so passing ouer Christ sought a place wher he might eat the passeouer with his Apostles and by the word of passeouer he vnderstode those meates those consecrate or hallowed thynges which dyd betoken and signifie the passe ouer S. Paule also said Christe our passe ouer hath bene offered vp c. And in the same place he called Christe hymselfe our solemnitie oure passage or passeouer whych thinges can not be taken nor vnderstanded but as figuratelye spoken And the sayde lambe was not the passinge ouer of the aungell whyche was theÌ„ to be done or in doyng but whiche was done in old tyme many hundred yeres afore the remembraunce whereof was represented by these same externall signes Here also in thys sacrament we haue the bodye of Christ that heretofore suffered not that is nowe at thys present deliuered vnto the crosse or whose bloud is now at thys day shedde forth but a great while ago And in case these meÌ„ wold straightly expoune the words of Christ wheÌ„ he saith This is my bodye whyche is betrayed for you They coulde not chose but saye that the breade shoulde be crucified or at leaste wyse Christe couered vnder the accidentes of the bread in the sacramente as their exposition and determination is For Christe shewinge forthe that yâ— he theÌ„ had in hys handes sayd that the same it was that shoulde be betrayed and deliuered and shedde forthe for them That if they saye that in dede the same it was that was betraied and deliuered but not after the same manier nor in the same fourme or shape than do they seke interpretacions and expositions
as Austen recordeth he thoughte it not enoughe that thei had spirituall meate and drinke but he also added cundem that is to saye the veray same And agayne because thou shouldest not doubte but that Paule meÌ„te that theyr sacrameÌ„tes and ours are al one he expressed baptisme by name whiche baptisme he sayeth the fathers atteigned and had in the sea and in the cloude Wherof it is euident that the saied fathers of the olde lawe had theyr sacramentes not onely emonge themselues but also that thei had the veraye same that we haue We see also that other sayinges of the scripture beeyng veraye nere and muche lyke vnto this saying that we traicte of are euen of these our aduersaries taken as woordes figurately spoken For it is thus expressed The breade whiche we breake is the Communion or partakynge of Christes bodye And this cuppe is the newe testamente c. which woordes we haue now somwhat often rehearsed Besides all this it dooeth not properly agree nor accorde to the bodye of Christ for to bee eaten And of the premisses it is open at ful and manifest what ought to bee sayed to the secound argumeÌ„t or reasoÌ„ of the transubstanciatours in whiche thei obiected against vs that a sentence or clause in scripture ought not to be taken after any trope or figure except there were some thyng conteyned either afore or comyng after in the same sentence whiche did aduise and iustly moue vs that it wer so to bee dooen And thei went ferther with vs also allegynge that wher Christ saieth this is my body that shal be geuen vp for you we did take the latter part of this sentence in the bare and propre sence of the wordes wtout any chaunge or alteracion which thyng is manifestlye false for so muche as we there chauÌ„ge the tymes and do not admitte or take it to be the same bodye whiche was betrayed and geuen vppe to death for vs. For that bodye was not alonelye visible but also passible Neyther can there be in one and the same substaunce or subiecte at one and the same tyme the properties and qualities of a bodye corruptible together with the gyftes and properties of a bodye glorifyed so that one and thesame body at one instauÌ„t tyme should bee bothe passible and not passible And besydes this we haue nowe alreadye showed what other places caused vs to admitte the figures afore spoken of and declared that is to wete Synecdoche and Metonimia where the thynge instituted is takeÌ„ for the auctoure that is to saye for hym that dyd institute it Nowe will we make aunswere to the argumeÌ„t which is the thyrde ceason alleged in the beginnyng of this booke for the establishyng of transubstanciacion An answer to the third argumente that was made for transubstaÌ„ciacion and the argumente is concernyng thynges of dyuerse and contrary natures whiche are called of the Logicians in the schoole terme disparata as is afore sayed whiche are so vnlyke saye they and so disseuered one from another that the one of them can not be sayed nor verifyed of the other Whereunto we aunswere that suche thynges as of themselues are in suche sorte dyuerse vnlyke and disseuered or contrary of nature and kinde the one to the other yet yf they bee well ioigned together wel applyed and proporcioned the one to the other for the better signifying and expressinge of a thynge they maye nowe in suche case bee so ioygned together that they will make a good proposicion and a perfecte sentence Whiche thing we see to haue been dooen not onely of Christe where he sayeth The seed is the worde of God in another place I am a vine tre but also of Paule where he saieth that we all are one breade in another place the breade whiche we breake is the partakyng and coÌ„munion of the body of Christ and agayn this cup is the new testameÌ„t in my blud Nor we do not muche passe on that that some saie that Mathew Mark did in plain expresse wordes say this is my bloud of the new testameÌ„t c. for we deny not but yâ— these Euangelistes did so write but in the meane tyme we stifly hold saye that the wordes which Luke and Paule haue writen are to bee receaued and allowed too aswell as the others And those woordes of Luke and Paule we affirme as we haue saied of the other sentences that thei are made of wordes so ferre disagreyng and disseuered in theyr natures that they maye after the sayd schoole terme of the LogiciaÌ„s be but wel called disparata but yet in the way of signifying and for the better expressing of the mattier that is ment and entended by theim they bee veraye aptly ioygned and knitte together and do veraye well accorde In another argument it was sayed that when Christe spake these wordes An answere to yâ— fourth argumente that was alleged for transubstanciacion This is my body he sayed not this signifieth or represeÌ„teth my body this bread is a figur or signe of my body c. To this we answer lay again for vs that likewise Christ neuer sayed that his body laye lurkyng and hidden vnder those accidentes without a subiecte as the transubstanciacioners doe imagyn nor Christ did neuer saye that the substance and matier of the bread dooeth cease to bee there in the sacrament or that it was chaunged and turned by any kinde of transubstanciation into the substaunce of his body and theÌ„ ferther I do muche meruaile how men can obiecte those thynges in this wyse against vs seyng that these exposicions that it be taken in that sence are moste playnelye conteyned and expressed in the fathers and auncient writers of the churche For they haue veray often in their bookes and writynges these mannier of speakynges the body and bloud of Christ to be represented to be signifyed to bee poynted to bee betokeneded and to bee shewed And the signes of breade and wyne they doe calle by these termes the seale the figure the pype or paterne and the counterpaine of the true and veray thyng it selfe Neither is ther any cause why any man maye cauill and obiecte that the fathers did referre and applye in these signes or figures to the death of Christe and â—ot to the body of Christe For the fathers dooe moste playnlye in theyr bookes wryte and saye that the bodye and bloude of Christe is signifyed betokened in the sacramente And that we haue the signes and figures geuen vs of the verai bodye and bloude of Christe For the ferther proufe whereof and that thou maieste well knowe it to bee true we shall of dyuers and sundrye places of theyr wrytynge treacte and bryng in a fewe here ensuyng Austine in his traâ—ctyse whiche he made of catechysynge and enstructinge the rude and ignoraunte Austeâ— sayeth As touchyng the sacrament that he hath receyued saieth Austen he must be enstructed and taught that the seales and signes of
ignoraunt that there be many ill folke which in the scripture be called fleshe bloud of whom neuertheles we be molested and vered haue a continual conflicte or wresting with the same But Paules menyng was of that same chiefe and especiall contâ—â—cion or striuyng from the which all these other striuinges take their begynnyng Paule sayed also in another place that there is in Christe neither he nor she neither bondeman nor free man c. Yet neuerthelesse these offices and these sortes of people are not reiected or put awaye from Christe or from the congregacion of Christians yea and commaundementes and rules of ordre wrytten in scripture seuerally of the sayde sortes of people But Paule ment that these thynges be not in Christe as touchyng regeneracion in Christ as touching forgeuenesse of synnes and as touchyng the obteynynge of euerlastyng lyfe which thynges are the highest and chiefest pointes in the profession of Christe And in distributing of the sayd thinges Christ hath not any parciall respecte to these states to these degrees of men The same Apostle wryteth these woordes The kyngdome of God is not in woordes and yet he would not for that cause bannyshe out of the congregaâ—ion or put awaye exhortacions admonicions and readynges whiche bee dooen with woordes but he had oâ—elye a respecte to that chiefe strength efficace of the holy ghostâ— whereby al thinges ought to bee ruled or gouerned in the congregacion And euen after thissame manier dooe the fathers and olde wryters speake whan they denye that the same nature or substaunce of the signes dooe styll remayne in the sacrament which thing as we haue said is not to bee vnderstanded as the plain wordes â—oune without any ferther addicion circumstaunce or consideracion but as touching our feith and as touching our thynkyng whiche our feith and thoughtes ought not ouer muche to leane or cleaue to the sayed signes or tokens Aman may ferther saye The seueÌ„th rule or vnderstanding of the Dâ—â—tours that feith is of suche vertue strength and efficacie that it can make thynges to be presente yet not onely really or in substaunce but spiritually For feyth doeth veraily comprehend suche thynges And in this sence or meanyng the Apostle sayd that Christe was crucified euen before the eyes of the Galathians The presence that feith causeth And after the same manier was Abraham sayed to haue sene the daye of the Lorde And after thesame manier the olde aunciente fathers of the olde testament had the same Christe in theyr sacramentes that we haue nowe in ours And thus ye see that to this presence it is not requisite that thynges dooen in their naturall constituâ—ion and beyng shoulde chauÌ„ge their place and come from place to place or that they should be present before our yies with all their materiall and naturall qualitees states condicions and all other appurtenaunces It is also to be obserued and marked The eighte reason how to vnderstaÌ„d the writinges of the fathers that thinges maie bee so spoken by alternacion that is to saye for the respect of a certayne enterchaungeablenesse of the propretee whiche is after suche sorte that such thinges as do properly belong to his godhead are some tyme applyed to the humanitie and contrarye wyse those thynges that belong to his humanitie are sometymes applyed and referred to his godhead and this I call alternacion and communicating of propretees and by this alternacion because the deitee or godhead of Christe is moste truely present with vs thesame self thyng maye be made commune to his humanitie also As when Christe beyng vpon earthe saide that the sonne of manne was in heauen and in so saying he applyed that thinge to his humanitie or manhoode which belonged to his deitie or godhead And after this fashion of speache I wold graunte that Christes manhode is present to vs when we receyue his body Albeit I wold than expoune it that it wer by the fore sayde communication of alternation of propretees Finally why the fathers dooe somtymes speak more then the truth is vsyâ—g the fygure Hiperbole yf you demaund why old wryters vsed suche maners of speche as some vnpossible it was for these causes partly that they wold folow the phrase or maner of speche read in scripture and partlye that they might moue mennes myndes with a greater zeale and also that they might declare that this signification of sacramentes was not like to thynges signifyed in a comediâ— or tragedie For in suche enterludes any of the players beyng disguised in his players apparell maye represente the persone of 〈◊〉 or Priamus but than getteth he thereby 〈◊〉 or nothynge els to speake of but whan he hathe placed his parte he is thesame man that he was before But in the receiâ—yng of Christes body the thyng beynge represented with the strength of the holy ghost is both geueÌ„ and emprinted in our hertes and our solles through faith and many giftes graces do folow and specially a secrete and an vnspeakeable knittinge and vnion of vs with Christe doeth folowe so that we are made one thing with Christ. The reasoÌ„s auoyded yâ— was broght for transuâ—â—â—anciacionâ—â—ut of the doctours Nowe the fyrste obiection was broughte out of Ireneus whiche sayeth that yearthly breade when it hath receiued another name is not common bread but it is made Eucharistia that is to saye a sacrament of thaÌ„kes geuyng We gladli graunt this to be true for we do not hold yâ— it is prophan and coÌ„mon bread suche as we vse daily to eate but that it is an holy breade and a breade appointed to an holy vse and purpose whiche at the receiuing of Chrystes bodye is made as Irenens saied Eucharistia but all the wordes that folow in Ireneus do muche make for our part For he wryteth that Eucharistia doeth consist of twoo partes that is to wete of an heauenly thyng and of an yearthely thyng And he did nat saie that it is made of the accideÌ„tes of an yearthely thynge and after wardes he wryteth our bodyes receyuyng the sacramente of Eucharistia to bee on thys condicion not corruptible if the same haue hope of resurrection And in case that so great a chaunge bee graunted and putte of hym to bee in oure bodyes that he made it equal with the chaunge of the breade for as that breade sayeth he is no longer CoÌ„mon bread so our bodies be no longer corruptible what nede shall it be to sette vp thys transubstanciatyon seyng he maketh the twoo chaungeynges on bothe sydes equall And a playne mattier it is that the substaunces of oure bodyes bee notte tratysubstancyated Secondartyly Tertullian was alleged Tertullian aunswer vnto And he also bryngeth a declaraâ—ion wyth hym to shew what he meneth for Tertullyan dooeth not onely speake in thys manyer Oure lorde tooke breade and made it hys bodye whan he sayed thys is my bodye but also Tertullyan putteth thus muche more to it to declare it and sayeth id est
and reuerentlye bowe theyr knee whan they heare those wordes of the ghospell et verâ—um caro factum est that it is to saye And that word became fleashe c. And yet is it not to bee sayed of them that they wurship the veray wordes but the thynges that is sygnyfyed by the woordes Whyche same selfe thynge what stop or lette is there but that it may bee dooen in thys matyer of the sacramente so that the outewarde sygnes bee noâ— wurshypped but the thynge that is sygnyfyed by the sygnes But in these present dayes peraduenture outewarde wurshyppynge is not expedyent to bee vsed for the foresayde cause vnlesse often mention shoulde bee made of suche matyers in the sermons to the people And yet leat not any man take occasion of these my woordes to saye or thinke that it is lawfull to worshyp Images or pictures because that god and Christe dooe seme some times in them to declare him selfe effectually vnto vs. For we haue plain wordes of scripture that we shal not make vnto vs any Images to worshyp them But as touchynge the wordes of holy scrypture and as touchyng the sacramentes here is nothyng to the contrarye but that in hearynge or receyuyng them we maye worship them because they bee thynges instituted and ordeyned by the woord the wyll and the commaundemente of god too the entente that we might therby bee prouoked to the due seruynge of good whiche seruynge of god consisteth much in adoracion and humble wurshipping of hym Neyther can ye also of thys matyer or of any my wordes gather that any parte that remayneth after the receyuynge of the sacramente should be wurshiped For what so euer strength the outewarde sygnes in the sacramentes haue they haue it of the holy ghoste of the lordes woordes and of hys institucyon and ordinaunce Whyche thynges dooe no longer remain then whyle the vse and receyuynge of the sacramente dooeth continue And the promisse of God is applied to thys sacramente whiles we eate and drink the sacramente Wherfore that opinion and doctrine of reseruing the sacrament was not Catholike nor vniuersalli vsed or receyueth in the ChristyaÌ„ coÌ„gregacioÌ„s For in the time of Hesythius as hym self testifieth wrytyng vpoÌ„ the booke of Moses that is entitled leuiticus that that was least of the sacrameÌ„t was burnt which selfsame thing thou haste also in Orygyen vpon the same booke entitled Leuiticus though it bee but al one booke a scribed to know men And clement bysshop of Rome did ordein or make that the leauynges of this sacrament should be eaten of the clerkes as it plainelye appereth in his decree which is writteÌ„ in the title de consecratione that is of consecration and in the second distinction We doe not denie but that the leauinges of the sacrameÌ„t wer soÌ„etimes reserued kept but it was doen wtout any wurshipping of it without any supersticious pointes of reuerence The leauynges of this sacramente wer deliuered to children and to women to bee caryed to sicke folk as it is plain in the historie of Eusebius in Hierome one of the doctours of the Churche And I wolde suÌ„what stagger to saye the receyuinge of suche leauinges beyng doen privatly out of the holy compaignie with out the ordier and manier of receyuing the communioÌ„ instituted of Christe was a right a full and a perfect receiuing of the coÌ„munion or of the sacrameÌ„t which receiuing of the sacrament emoÌ„g the sicke folkes I could yet neuerthelesse grauÌ„t vnto so that thesame do repeate yâ— holy wordes of Christ so yâ— some honest ChristiaÌ„s doe there emoÌ„g theÌ„selues put in vse the ordinance of Christ in this behalf For except mo persons theÌ„ one alone do receiue the coÌ„munion together the due ordre course of receyuing this sacrameÌ„t is not obserued kept Christes wordes wer to me theÌ„ one in this sort Accipe edite et biâ—ite that is to say take ye eate ye drinke ye There is breade broken into sondrye pieces whiche thinge meneth that it should be dealed about and disstributed to mo then one And thei speake many thinges in theyr canon of the olde Masse whiche vnlesse a nomber dooe receyue it together are sterke false and veray lyes And besides this it is called of learned men Coena a supper Communio a communioÌ„ and sinaxis a gathering or coÌ„ming together which names do nothiÌ„g agre with a priuate accioÌ„ or doyng of one persoÌ„ alone by himselfe Neither do we in any place reade in olde writers of any priuate masses where one alone might receiue the sacrament without the companie of others Honorius byshop of Rome was the fyrst that made a decree that the sacrament of Eucharistia should be reserued kepte and decreed ferther that honour and reuerence should bee dooen to it Honorius bishoppe of Rome Whan it was caryed abrode any whither That if this thyng had been dooen of others before his dayes It had not beloÌ„ged vnto hym to make a decree of any suche thyng And to speake in a briefe summe we affirme hold as we haue before saide that this Sacramente hath not his ful strengthe vertâ—e efficacie but whiles it is in doyng in executing whiles it is in receiuing which thing thou seest also to be doen in al the other SacrameÌ„tes Hilarius is brought against vs Hilarius auÌ„swered vnto but he had veray great controuersies and disputacions with the Arrians against whoÌ„ he wryteth Whiche Arrians thought that the father and the soonne wer none other wise knitte or ioyned together but by a concord and agrement of wyll and by suche vnitie of minde that whatsoeuer the father would the soÌ„ne wolde thesame Agaynst these Arrians Hilarius thus sayth I demaund of you this questioÌ„ whether the coÌ„ioynyng vnitie that is betwene vs Christe bee of the propretee of nature or els of the coÌ„corde and vnitie of mynde and wyll For the Arrians woulde for their purpose haue caught holde on that that place in whiche Christe prayed that we mighte be made one with hym as he and his father bee one betwene themselues The text or sentence is in the seuenth chapitur of Iohns ghospel whece it is sayd Neuerthelesse I pray not for them alone but for theÌ„ also which shal beleue on theÌ„ through theyr preachinge that they all maye bee one as thou father arte in me and I in thee that they also maye be one in vs that the worlde maye beleue that thou haste sente me c. The Heretiques did putte this glose to it that we and Christe wer none otherwyse ioygned and knitte together but by consente and vnitie of wille and ther of they gatheredde and concludedde that ther was in like mannier none other couplynge and knittinge together of the sonne of god with the father but only thissame knittynge together and vnion of mynde and wyll It was Hilarius parte therefore to decclare that we are knitte and made one with Christe naturallye that
saieth that the bread is not a signe of Christes body this he sayeth vpon Mathewes Ghospell which thyng is well spoken if he mene that yâ— bread is not an emptye figure or a vain figure void of al streÌ„gth efficacy Neither do we saie that the bred is suche a signe or figure And we do nothiÌ„g doubt but yâ— this was his interpretacioÌ„ mening in dede for because that vpoÌ„ Markes gospel he saith that the bread is not a figure not onely For els if he shoulde vtterly denye that the bread is a signe or a figure of Christes bodi he should be contrary to the rest of the fathers and olde writers whom we haue alredy plainly declared to graunte and putte bothe a sygne and a fygure to bee heere in this sacramente He saieth also that the bread is transformed conuerted and chaunged from the elemente and matier that it was afore into an other Whiche maniers of speaking if he vnderstande and mene Sacramentally we dooe not abhorre from them For the breade and wyne become sacramentes they passe bee chaunged into elementes that is to saye matyers of heauenly thynges and they putte on as it were a newe garmente and shape to bee nowe the sygnes and tokens of an higher matier But saye they thys Theophylactus wryteth that the fleashe and the bloude for thys cause bee not seen leste oure stomackes shoulde stande agaynste the receyuynge of it But if thou what soeuer thou bee wilt so eagrely and so sore bynde vpon these woordes we for oure parte laye agaynst the agayne the wordes that the same Theophylactus wryteth vpon Markes ghospell whyche are that the kyndes or symylitudes of breade and wyne bee turned into the vertue or strength of the lordes bodye and bloud That if thou wilt allege that the sayd Theophylactus dooeth in all other places not saye into the vertue c. But into Christes boddye and bloud The kindes and similitudes of breade and wine coÌ„uerted into the vertue of Christes body bloude we aunswere that the interpretacion of these wordes is that these sygnes take vnto them the vertue of the thynges whyche they signyfye by reason of the whyche vertue the sacramentes bee of no lesse effecte then if the vâ—raithyng self wer there present And as I haue sayed the yrkesomnes and abhorrynge of it is taken away yf we putte that the chaunge is made not into the thinge but in to the vertue of the thing Hys other sentence semeth to bee somewhat more violeÌ„te and of some more force vehemencyeâ— whych he wroote vpon the sixth chapytur of Ihons ghospell where he thus sayeth As the breade that Chryste did eate whyles he lyued here in yearthe was chaunged into his fleashe by a naturall transubstanciation or chaungeyng after the common rate of foode and nourishement in mannes bodye so is this breade chaunged into Christes body here in the Sacramente Yet this similitude and comparison we graunte also to bee true yf it bee generally taken For in this sacrament also we dooe not denye but there is a chaunge Sacramentall that is to saye suche as in a Sacrament is required That if thou saye thou wylte nedes take this similitude euen plainly as it is made and as it souneth whiche is that the breade bee as verayly chaunged in the Sacramente of Eucharistia as breade was turned into Christes fleshe at suche tymes as he eate it whiles he here lyued than wyll there folowe an inconuenience cleane contrary to thyne owne sentence and determination For it wyll folowe that the accidentes of the signes cannot remayne or be reserued still in the Sacramente of Eucharistia For in thee foode and sustenaunce that Christe tooke frome time to tyme whiles he liued the acâ—identes did not remayne Besydes the premisses I wyll here allege for our purpose the woordes of the same selfe expositour vpon the sixth chapitur of Iohns gospell vpon these woordes he that eateth my fleashe and drynketh my bloude abideth in me and I in hym c. Upon whiche woordes Theophylactus expounyng them in the persone of Christ saith that this thyng is dooen whiles the partie is quodammodo that is to saye in a manier mingled and ioygned vnto me and is chaunged ouer into me Where thou seest agayne that Theophilactus holdeth as the reste of the fathers and wryters dooe holde that there is so great a chaungeyng of vs into Christe that he wryteth vs to bee chaunged ouer and dooe passe into Christe And thus muche I saye at this present for aunswere of that that was broughte in and allegedde agaynste vs out of Theophylactus Of the later wryters they bryng Anselmus and Hugo Anselmus and Hugo aunswered vnto and Rycharde whiche were in the tyme of Uictor But foraâ—muche as in the tyme of these menne the doctrine of transubstanciacion was now already perforce thrust into the lappe of the churche and the people compelled to receyue it the sayde wryters in suche woorkes as they made didde accordyng to the tyme so that the newe inuencion of suche ougâ—te not to haue place to the preiudice of the mooste aunciente opynyon of the churche and of the determinacion of the olde auncient fathers Iohn Damascene auÌ„swered vnto But one maÌ„ emong all others they seme to haue most highe in price and this is Iohn Damascene who in the fourthe booke and fowerteenthe chapitur of his worke of the right feith Hath verai largely wryteÌ„ of this matier But I fynd that this Damascene liueth vnder the Greke Emperour Leo Isanricus so that betwene the tyme of Gregorius Magnus bishop of Rome and thissame Ihon Damascene it was a full nye hundred and twentie yeares space at the leaste The time of Damascene whan he liâ—ed And wheras now alreadye in the tyme of Gregorie many poinctes of supersticion and manye thynges of maÌ„nes inuencioÌ„ wer come by heapes into the Churche the matier did euery daye from that tyme forward renue still headlong to wurse wurse By reason wherof it is no meruaile at al if this Damascene stumbled vpon many pointes that wer both vntru and also ful of supersticion The iugemeÌ„t of Damascene in diuerse Articles of docâ—trine And as for his iudgement how good and how great it was as well in arcticles and pointes of doctrine as also in expounyng of the holy scriptures we haue a sample good enough For he is a wonderous great fauourer of Images and susteyned both great and sore daungiers mo then one for vpholdynge and maynteining of them yea and in this selfsame fourth booke he wrote a seuerall chapitur of a sette purpose concernyng the same matier of Images where his mynde sentence is that Images not onelye are to bee made but also to be honoured and wurshypped Besides this he so highly estemed the reliques of sainctes and holy men whiche are now in rest that he appointed vnto them also a certayne chapitur for the nonce in whiche he feared not to
here on yearthe But to say that he so doeth wer false and to require that he should so dooe wer a teÌ„ptyng of hym not ferre differing from blasphemie But to returne to thys matier that we now haue in hande it maye ferther bee sayed that in Baptisme also is required the same power of god For it is not a weorke of nature that water should bee made the fountaine of our regeneracionâ— or newe birth in Christe But here some persones can not euen veray wel heate that baptisme should bee after thys sorte coÌ„pared with the sacramente of Eucharistia For although they can not saye nay but that Chriâ—â—e is present in baptisme also and is there geuen vnto vs. for it is wryten ye as many as are baptised haue dooen christe on vpon you yet is Chryste saye they after a more excellent â—orte in the sacramente of Eucharistia â— then he is in the sacramente of baptisme therefore the breade is transubstanciated and yet is it not necessarie that the watâ—r in baptisme shoulde bee transubâ—ianciated To whom we aunswer that it is not muche to bee passed on in whether of bothe sacramentes Christe bee after a more excellent sorte conteined then in the other so that he bee graunted to bee present in theym bothe And as he maye bee in the one wythout any transubstanciacion of the elementes that is to saye of the naturalle thynges that the sacâ—amente is made of euen so maye he bee in the other too That if ye wyll nedes striue about the dignitee of the sayd two sacramentes whether of them is the more excellent than maye the excellencie of baptisme bee proued by argumentes tyght effectuall and pitthye For fyrst it is a greatter matier to bee generate and borne then it is to bee nourished Secondely baptisme was honoured and notified wyth a noumbre of miracles at once for the heauens opened at the baptisyng of Christe the voyce of the father was hearde and the holy ghoste was seen in the lykenesse of a doue whyche thynges did not happen at the iâ—stitutyng and ordeinyng of the sacramente of â—ucharistia And yet dooe not we speake all thys to the derogacion of thys sacramente for it is a sacramente of most hyghe dignitee and a sacramente moste woorthie and mete to bee chiefly had in honour and reuerence but all thys is spoken to thys oâ—ely ende and purpose that we maye make a full aunswer vnto the obiectioÌ„ yâ— was brought against vs of the power of god We haue also declared alreadie afore out of S. Austen in the thyrd booke of the Trinitee the tenth chapitur that â—â— of wyne should so growe multiplie by hys steightes of iugleyng that all the wholle cuppe should bee full to the veray brymme yea and renne ouer too Yea and whan an other bigger cuppe was brought vnto hym that would hold more in it thys Marcus would so haÌ„dle the matier that the bigger cuppe should bee full too wythoute puttyng of any more liquour vnto it then was afore What man would saye that thys felowes was euer the more approued or confirmed by these miracles If we will come to the stories of the Gentiles we reade that there hath riuers and streames of bloud renne along vpon the grounde Certain miracles wrought by Ethnites Gentiles and that Iuppiters thumbe hath spinned out with bloud Liuius telleth that in Rome our time it did â—aine flesh Quintus Curtius reporteth that at the citee of Tyrus whan it was besieged of Alexander the great a lofe of breade did openly in the syght of them all sweat out and droppe bloud whan one of Alexanders soldyars cutte the lofe And Apollonius Thyraneus is reported that whaÌ„ he was at the parliamente before Domitianus the Emperour he vanished away sodeynly and could no more bee found Thus there bee miracles and woondres infinite which the Gentiles myght in this case bryng in to confirme theyr worshyppyng of Idolles And therefore all suche miracles as these men affirme to make for the confirmyng and establishyng the supersticion of transubstanciacion we vtterly reiecte and dissallow Neither is it muche to bee regarded that they bring in for this purpose of a miracle showed of Gregorie byshop of Rome For it is wryten in hys life that the lordes breade or if ye wyll so calle it the sacramente of Eucharistia was turned into a finger of fleashe Whyche thyng if it wer so dooen for either of the two causes whiche as aboue sayd we dooe receiue there is no great earnest strife to bee made for the matier Albeeit that same life of Gregorie is a matier of no great weyght or force to bee passed on For if we wyll beleue Uincentius the said life of Gregorius was wryten an hundred yeres after he was dead of our Ihon of Rome a deacon and sent to a certan Emperour beeyng a Germain But putte the case that it was so in ded If our aduersaries wyll therof conclude by the shewyng of the finger of fleashe that the fleashe of Christe dooeth corporally and bodyly lye hidden vnder the accideÌ„tes of the breade than myght a bodye by this kynde of miracles conclude that vnder the sacramentall similitudes and signes there is bothe coles and ashes conteined because that thys holy breade was ones turned into these thinges in Cyprians tyme as hymself wryteth I beleue also that the sleightes and illusions of vyle lewd felowes are not vnknowen whyche they haue often tymes vsed to deuise and inuente miracles In an other argumente they layed veray sore to our charge the dignitee and excellencie of Christes bodye glorified whyche from the tyme of hys resurrection foorth ward is called hys bodye spiritual whiche dignitee and excellencie of Christes bodye glorified we dooe in no wyse denye Yet wyll we putte you in remembraunce of that that Austen hath in an epistle to one CoÌ„seÌ„tius where AusteÌ„ affirmeth that Christes bodye glorified is not after suche sorte a spiritual bodye that it passeth into the nature of a spirite For a certain kynde of bodye there is whyche of S. Paule in the fifteenth chapitur of hys former epistle to the Corinthians is called Corpus animale Corpus animale as if ye should saye in englyshe a bodye enâ—ewed wyth a solle whyche the translatours of the bible dooe for the more plainer vnderstandyng of the vnlearned calle a naturall bodye and yet in the self same place of Paule it is sayed of Adam that he was made a lyuyng solle and suche a man is in the secound chapitur of the same epistle called Animalis homo and it is translated in englishe a natural man But the sayd place of S. Paule whereâ— suche a bodye endewed with a solle is called Corpus animale is not so to bee vnderstanded as though tâ—e bodye dooeth passe and chaunge into the nature of the solle And agayn the same austen in the twentieth chapitur of the thyrteenth booke de ciâ—itâ—te dei that is to saye of the citee of god wryteth in
thys manier The solle sometymes whyle it foloweth the appetite of the fleashe is called carnal and fleashely not yâ— it is chaunged into the nature of fleashe euen so the bodye is called spiritual not because it is chaunged into the nature of the spirite but because it wyll bee altogether obedient to the spirite to fulfille the desire wille of the spirite And Hierome in an epistle to Pammachius whyche epistle was made in defense of the trueth agaynst Ihon the bishop of Hierusalem who sayeth that the solles of suche as arose had euery one of theÌ„ a bodye of ayer whiche was not subiect neyther to touchyng nor to the syght and Hierome I saye in thys epystle dooeth by all possible meanes contente to proue that Christe after hys resurrection had a veray true bodye in dede and the same also visible And Hierome aunswereth to an obiection whyche obiectioÌ„ was thys If Christes bodye after hys resurrection was in suche sorte visible and was the same veray bodye that he had whan he was aliue afore Luke xxiiii Wherefore was it not knoweâ— at what tyme he shewed hymself lyke a pilgryme to the two disciples goyng to the castle of Emaus To this doeth Hierome thus make aunswer Because theyr yies wer holden that they should not knowe hym as if he should haue sayed as touchyng the nature of hys bodye it was bothe visible myght haue been knowen but the lette that was was in thesame veray epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s Yet neuerthelesse our sacramentes haue many prerogatiues and many poyntes of dignite aboue the sacramentes of the olde lawe For fyrst and formoste they bee firme and stable and shall no more bee chaunged vnto the worldes ende secondly they dooe not shewe of a thyng that is to bee dooen and yet to come but of a thyng dooen alreadie Our sacramentes also bee more simple and plain and they perteine to a larger and a greatter noumbre of people And forasmuche as they bee more clere open then the olde sacramentes they stiere vp in vs a greatter feith and therof foloweth a more plenteous aboundance of the spirite And that they bee more clere and open dooeth not procede as the aduersaries imagyn to theymselfes in theyr braines of the outward prefiguracion of the â—ignes because that the same is more euident then the old was but of the nature of the woordes that are there ê“nounced For by the said woordes our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ is shewed to bee perfeict it is shewed with more clere more open wordes then the common sorte of people emong the fathers of the old lawe did vnderstaÌ„de Than if the thyng bee more clere expouned and declared in woordes the outward represeÌ„tacion is not so greatly to bee regarded Whâ—â—eâ— the Churche made â—awe been leaft in anecdout our of god Besides this they made it a matier of woondre how it might bee possible that the Churche should bee so long in an errour and that no light nor small errour if it should so bee as we saye Whiche thyng for all that they would not so greatly meruaill at if they would thynk on the woordes that Christe sâ—ake of hys last commyng Thynkest thou sayeth Christe that whan the sonne of man shall come he shall fynde feith vpon the yearth He doeth alâ—o shewe that there â—â—aâ— in tyme to come bee so great an errour in the Churche that if it bee possible euen the veray elect and chosen shall bee deceiued to and seduced And leat these men I beseche you tell vs what manier of Churche and in what state did Christe fynde the churche at hys fyrst coÌ„myng Had not the Scribes the Pharisees the Priestes and the Bishops corrupted all together had they not peruerted all true religion wyth theyr tradicioÌ„s Yet is it not to bee thought that the Churche hath at any time been vtterly forsakeÌ„ or leaft in errour For there hath been euermore from tyme to tyme many good people whâ— this geare hath muche myslyked that haue openly cryed out against it And lyke as at hys fyrst coÌ„myng there was SymeoÌ„ Anne the wedowe Ioseph and the virgin Marie Elizabeth Ihon the Baptiste whiche wer godly folkes deuout and had special good opinion of god so that the Churche could not bee saied to bee vtterly forsakeÌ„ euen so hath it been dooen in these last tymes For the wholle vniuersal Curche is not leauened wyth tradicions of men They saye morouer that as touchyng that it is ordeined but to signifie betokeÌ„ the selfsame betokenyng maye bee dooen by breade and wyne at al meates whan men dyne and suppe and therefore no cause to bee why we should so hyghly esteme the sacrament of Eucharistia But thys argumente is as weake and as feble an argumente as is possible to bee For at coÌ„mon repastes there is not the lordes institucion there is no ordeinaunce of a sacramente there is not heard the lordes woordes nor there is not there any promisse of god therefore bee not these twoo to bee compared together Lastely there was an argument brought of the vertue and efficacie of goddes woorde whyche as Algerius citeth and allegeth in the seuenth chapitur of his first booke is called of Ambrose uerbum operatorium as if ye should saye in englishe a word of workyng of operacioÌ„ as by the whiche worde the breade wyne whiche remaine stil in their natures are yet neuerthelesse chaunged into another thyng But as touchyng the woordes of Ambrose we accepte them with good wille For we also putte that the breade the wyne dooe remaine stil in their owne natures not as the traÌ„substaÌ„ciatours affirme as touchyng the accideÌ„tes or the lykenesses fourmes of breade wyne so that the chauÌ„ge is made by alteracioÌ„ remouyng away of the substaunce but that we affirme aduouche the propre natures of breade wyne to bee kept still the haungyng to bee onely sacramental through grace And in thys our assercion we dooe nothyng derogate or diminishe froÌ„ the efficacie of the lordes woordes but yet we dooe not thynke that it is to attributed vnto them as to a kynde of enchauntimente or coniuâ—yng that how soeuer or in what soeuer place they bee pronounced by a prieste or ministre ouer breade wine wyth a mynde and intencion to consecrate they shal by and by haue that effecte For the wholle matier depeÌ„deth of the lordes institucioÌ„ of the action or workyng of the holy ghoste Now as for Algerius he is a man not muche to bee passed on for he was after the tyme of Berengarius maketh mencion of Berengarius â—ecantacion in hys wrytyng Than morouer of what a great and good iudgemente he was it is manifest of a certain argumente that he maketh For in the one and twenteeth chapitur of hys fyrst boke he wyllyng and labouryng to proue that aswel the godly as the vngodly dooe receiue Christes bodye in the sacramente whyche in dede foloweth necessaryly if there wer
a transubstanciacion take a similitude sayeth he of the outward voyce or woorde that a man dooeth speake of talke that is made by sounde of the ayer Unto what soeuer persones suche woordes dooe come it conteineth and hath wyth it hys owne propre sense and menyng But if it come to men of good vnderstaÌ„dyng thesame dooe heare it wyth some profit for they dooe well perceiue the thynges that are spoken But in case it come to the vnlearned and to men that lacke knowelage it dooeth neuerthelesse beare wyth it the ê“pre sense of the wordes but yet it is wythout any profit to the hearer because he is not a man of capacitee to vnderstande it Thys man lacketh here for hys argumente the woordes beare theyr sense and menyng wyth theÌ„ but he dooeth not marke that the sense is not included or enwrapped really as the terme is in the sonne or in the caractes of the lettres but onely by the waye of signifiyng Whyche self same thyng if it should bee sayed vnto hym of the breade and the wyne in the sacramentes that they offre vnto vs the bodye of Christe by the waye of signifiyng or betokenyng none other wyse he shal bee conuinced in hys owne similitude and comparison And by thesame also it is proued that the wyeked dooe not receiue the lordes bodye euen lyke as vnskilful or ignoraunt persones whan they heare talke in greke or latin dooe not perceiue the sense and menyng therof Wherupon conclude that there could not any thyng haue been spoken more strongly on our syde theÌ„ thys similitude of Algerius Thesame Algerius also in the fyrst chapitur of the second booke aduoucheth that the accidentes in thys sacramente dooe not veraily and truely susteme rottenesse or mouldryng away but onely that it so appereth vnto vs and yet is not so in dede whyche thyng euen the veray scholemen would not haue sayed For what other thyng is thys but to establishe a perpetual illusion and blyndyng of mannes senses Thus than we nede not muche to passe of Algerius though he labour by all meanes possible to ratifie and sette vp hys transubstanciacion We haue now traicted of the fyrst opinion and that at large For the sayd opinion of transubstanciacion remoued and taken away there shall there wyth also many supersticions bee taken away Of the other twoo opinions we shal not talke so muche at length For whether of theÌ„ bothe bee putte or affirmed we doee not so greatly passe so that it bee well vnderstanded as it should bee We shall at thys present onely shewe of them as ferre as we maye see iÌ„ it what we iudge mete to bee eschewed or to bee receiued in either of them There haue been many whiche haue reteined and kept still in the sacramente the substance of breade and wyne but they haue ioygned the bodye bloud of Christe wyth these materiall signes remainyng still in theyr owne natures these haue they ioygned together with a veray streight and fast knotte but yet as I trow not in suche sorte that of the boke beeyng so ioygned together there should bee made one substaunce or one nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet neuerthelesse they haue sayed that the bodye and bloud of Christe are present in the breade wyne really as they terme it bodyly and naturali Some others again haue ioygned them together onely by the waye of betokenyng Of these twoo determinacions the former is fathered vpon Luther the later vpon zwynglius Of the conteâ—cion betwene Luther and zwynglius albeeit I haue heard of persones right credible that neither Luther was in veray dede of so grosse an opinion in thys matâ—er nor zwynglius of so slendre and light a belief concernyng the sacramentes And theyr saiyng is that Luther bowed lened vnto phrases of speakyng by the figure hiperbole of whiche figure we haue afore noted and to suche phrases of speakyng as in the veray woordes did after a manier excede the trueth because he supposed that zwynglius and others mynded to stablishe the sacramentes to bee naked vain signes wheras zwynglius neuer went about any suche matier Yea zwynglius again on the other syde feared lesce Luther would putte suche thynges as might bothe bee derogatiue preiudicial to the trueth of the humain nature in Christ aâ—d also would enclose the bodye of Christe in breade whereby supersticion myght yet stil bee more and more nourished and therefore he semed more slendrely to geue honour to this sacrameÌ„te And thus did the contencion betwene them enkâ—endle more then was behoufful and was the cause of many great euils wheras yet neuerthelesse the contencion and strife was in veray dede about wordes rather then about the thyng self We shall therefore remoue our discoursing vpon these two opinions from the said two persones For we dooe not affirme that either zwynglius or els Luther wer of suche opinions as aboue saiâ—d but we shall onely examin the said sentences and opinions suche as they are carryed about and supposed to bee These persones whiche dooe so grossely ioygne the bodye of Christe wyth the outward and material signes to the ende that they maye the better wynde out of all entangleynges are woont to beyng in for theyr purpose two similitudes or comparisons The fyrst similitude is thys If one haue a potte or a pitcher ful of wyâ—e pronounce these woordes Thys is wyne he shal make no lye at all because he â—â—eweth the â—eraâ— wyne in dede conteined in the potte And euen lykewyse shal it bee if thou take a piece of glowyng iron and shewyng foorth the fyâ—â— thou saie these woordes This is fyer there shal iÌ„ this case no thing agaiâ—st reasoÌ„ bee spokeÌ„ or ê“nouÌ„ced of thee And eueÌ„ so do these men saye that it is to bee vnderstaÌ„ded that the lorde saiethâ— This is my bodye and so dooe they manifestely admitte yeâ—â—ope or â—iguratiue manier of speakyng called Synecdothe of which also we haue dâ—clared afore For whan they shewe the thyng whyche theimselfes suppose to bee compouned that is to saye made of two sondrie partes as in thys sacrament of breade and of Christes bodye c. it is not a true proposicion or clause to saye Thys is the bodye of Christe but as touchyng the one parte of the thyng that is shewed forth in syght Yet neuerthelesse it is to bee knowen that these similitudes or comparisons are not taken of these men as though they wer of the opinion that they dooe in all pointes or all manier of wayes agree wyth the thyng that the comparison is made by for theimselfes dooe earnestely affirme and reasoÌ„ that Christe is not thâ—re present locallye that is to saye after suche sorte as thynges are commonly in places conuenient for theyr likenesse and quantitee but onely diffinitiuely that is to saye by the waye of determinacion and assignemente whyche they vnderstande than to bee so whan a thyng is encompaced wyth the measure and
godhede of Chryste is euery where Yet will we not attribute the same to hys bodye in hys humanytee And this dooeth Austen moste plainly teache in an epistle of his to one Dardanus And as touching that whyche is alleged out of the thyrde chapitur of Iohn the same Austen dooeth interprete and expoune it that it must be vnderstanded of his deuine nature that the soonne of man was in heauen Neither dooeth Chrysostome take it any other wyse whan he expoundeth thys place For he affyrmeth that to bee in heauē is not alttributed vnto the sonne of man but according to this most excellent nature of the godhed But how weake thys argumente is that these twoo natures are ioygned together ergo what so euer is graunted to the one must olso bee altributed to the other maye bee well shewed and proued by other argumentes The bodye or balle of the sunne that shyneth in the skye the lyght of the same sunne haue betwene them selues a naturall and a moste high coniunctyon and yet the same bodye of the sunne dooeth not really and verayly reache to al places that the light dothe extende it self vnto Item the bodye or substaunce of our yie and the sight of thesame are verai nere coupled and knitte together and yet for al that our sight cometh and reacheth to many thynges whyche our bodily yie doeth not extende it self vnto Thei argue furthermore that many thinges ought to be geuen graunted attributed to the body of Chryste a boue the cōmon course cōdyciōs of other bodies And that for two causes partely because it is glorified partely for that it hath the word ioygned vnto it For aunswer wherof we confesse that many thīges must be attributed confessed of it but as for this that it should be euery wher can not bee attributed vnto it wythout preiudice of the nature of a true humayn and naturall bodye And in case we shoulde graunte somuche vnto Chrystes humayn bodye it should not make fore hys dygnytee but rather quyte and clene to the derogacyon and destructyon of it For than shoulde he bee as it wer thruste oute and depriued frō his true nature Furthermore thissame coulde make but litle for our aduersaires purpose in this matier For although we should graūt that the body of Christe might haue this prerogatiue to bee in manye places at once Yet shoulde it not folow that God wil so doe in this sacrament Yet ferther they laboure and trauaile to proue this corporall presence of Christe in the Sacrament by the similitude of a teacher that readeth a lecture to an audience who in that that he maie extende his woordes to many hearers doeth also in thē cōmunicate and vtter vnto all his hearers and audience all that lyeth in his mynde to vtter vnto them so that all the sayde audience euery one of them maye fully and perfectly vnderstande the botome of his hert as well one as another In lyke manier say they doeth our lorde in the wordes that are pronounced ouer the Sacrament He dooeth as it were enwrappe his bodye in them that by the same it maye be conueyghed vnto all those signes or cakes of breade and maye so bee communicated and distributed vnto all the receyuers thereof howe manye soeuer bee of them If therefore suche a gyfte or power saye they bee geuen and graunted to a scholemaister or a preacher beyng but an yearthly and a mortall man why shall not thesame bee muche more geuen to Christe But in this comparison is a righte greate dyuersitie oddes And besides that also as we haue sayed before the woordes dooe not carye nor conueyghe thynges nor dooe not conueyghe the conceites of the mynde to the hearers but onely by the waye of signifyinge and betokenyng And where as they goe aboute afterwardes to establishe and confyrme that the bodye of Christe is in all places by the fyrste chapitur of the Epistle to the Ephesians where it is sayed that Christ is made the heade of the Churche whiche is his body the fulnesse of him that fylleth all in all thinges The Greke wordes bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. is of no force at all to this purpose For there it is not signifyed ne ment that the bodye of Christe filleth all thynges and is in all places as they doe bryng in and conclude vpon it But because the significaciō of this Greke word or participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is indifferente to bee taken twoo manier of wayes for it is a verbe common as the Gramarians call it that is to say of suche nature that it may signifye eyther dooyng or sufferyng as ye lust For ye maye chose whether ye will take it and Englishe it fillyng or els beyng fylled If ye Englishe it beynge fylled than shall the sense and menyng of it bee that Christe beeyng the heade of the churche is in his membres made full and perfect in all poyntes not that he is made perfecte on his owne behalfe for he is bothe perfeicte and full enough as touchyng hymselfe but it is to be vnderstanded that he is fulfylled and made perfeyct as touchyng vs that are his bodye and his membres For as the heade is cōpared vnto Christe he called the heade euen so is the congregation called the fulnesse of Christe because it fulfylleth and maketh vp his mysticall body But if ye Englishe it fyllynge than shall the sense bee that Christe is the heade of his Chuche because he fylleth and maketh perfeicte his gyftes vertues in all his membres Neyther can the sense bee that he is in all places after his humanitee And I thynke that the same maye well be proued by the scriptures For Christe dooeth manifeste saye and graunte that Lazarus dyed while he was absente from thence That yf the aduersaries wyll contende that he hadde not at that tyme a glorifyed bodye Chris◠as touchinge his manhoode is not in euery place it maketh not muche to the matier For he had neuerthelesse the god head ioygned vnto his bodye But to putte the mattier out of all doubtes the Aungell euen after his resurrection sayed vnto the weomen he is arisen he is not here And agayne he shall goo before you into Galilee And agayn he was taken vp out of their sight whan he ascended into heauen Therfore he filleth not all thynges neither is he in al places after his humanitee Thei are woont also to allege a place out of the fourth chaptur to the Ephesians He that came downe is euen the same also that ascēded vp euen aboue all heauens to fullyll all thynges Which place for all that proueth nothyng agaynst vs and it is exponnded two manier of wayes Fyrste that to fulfyll all thynges bee referred to al those thynges which were prophecied and wryten of Christe whereof a litell before he rehearsed a scripture saying he is gon vp on high and hath led captiuitie captiue and hath geuen giftes vnto menne And