most louely desire toward vs he hath suffered him selfe not only to be sen of such that longeth after him but also to be towched to be eateÌ„ and also there teth to be set in to his fleshe that they al might be satisfyed wyth the desyre or loue of hym ✿ By these wordes of Crisostome we may redely perceaue that these wordes of Iob were a very prophicie of the blessed sacrameÌ„t The which prophicye Christ hath fullfyllyd in that he hath fulfylled this request of Iobes seruantes sufferyng and permyttyng vs hys seruantes to be satisfyed of hys fleshe not by fayth onlye but as Crysostome sayth in that we eate and set oure teath in to hys fleshe ✿ Next vnto Iob I place the prophet Malachie who after that he had rebuked in the voyce of God the olde ieweshe sacrafyces and auaricie as well of the prestes as of the people shewynge them howe they had poluted the name of God in that they had offered poluted breade vpon the aulter of God sayd Mala. 1. ✿ I haue no mynd or wyll toward you neather wyl I receaue any offeryng at your handes from the east vnto the weast my name is great among the heatheÌ„ And in euery place a clene pure sacrifi ce or oblatioÌ„ is sacrificed and offered vnto my name for my name is great amoÌ„g the heatheÌ„ sayth our lorde of hoostes ✿ This sacryfice that the prophete speaketh of in this place can be none other then the blessed sacrifice of the aulter For there is no man beynge of meane lernynge iudgement that wyll vnderstande it of any of the sacryfices of the old lawe of Moyses But rather wyl vnderstaÌ„de it thus That the holy ê“phete ê“phicied the ende of al the imperfect carnall sacrifices of the leuiticall lawe and the institucyon of one moost perfect and holy sacrifice of the bodye and bloode of Christ But here a subtyl sacrameÌ„tarie wyll saye that this prophecie ought to be vnderstand of the oblacyon only that was made vpon the crosse But this maner of vnderstandynge wyll not stande with the veritie of the letter For that oblacyoÌ„ made on the crosse was offered but in one place only and that was vpon the mounte of caluarie But the sacrifice that the prophete speaketh of here as he sayth shulde be offered and sacrificed in euery place sygnifyenge with out doubt the sacrifice of the aulter sacrificed euery where in the churche of Christe whyche is the very bodye and bloode of Christ Now by cause that Christ shulde seclude and abrogate the olde and imperfect sacrifyces of the leuitical lawe and shulde set one mooste purest ê‘fect and sempiternall sacrifice of his bodye blood in place as the end and perfectioÌ„ of the former sacrifices therfore the ê“phet called the blessed sacrament a pure and a cleane sacrifyce offered in euery place vnto his name Certaynly thys could not be so pure clene a sacrifice that it shuld be preferred and set in place of al the other mosaicall sacrifices yf it were nothynge els then bare bread For the deuout fatheres of the olde testament dyd offer vp as pure as cleane bread and as deuoutly as we do And then also shulde the bread of proposition in the mosaycall temple haue ben as cleane and as pure a sacrifice as is the sacrament Yf it were so theÌ„ what neadeth the exchang and permutacyon Wherefore we must nedes vnderstande in this sacrifice the presens of the blessed mooste pure and immaculate bodye and blood of Christ sacryfised and offered vp in the blessed sacrament vnto the name of god euery where But yet a craftye herytike wyll vnderstande or rather wreast this ê“phecye vnto the oblacyon or sacrifice of faith of prayer and of al other godli dedes That can not be so after Luthers opinioÌ„ for al our good dedes with him are synfull whyche is a detestable heresye wherfore diligent reader remeÌ„ber wel that the ê“phete in these his wordes doth ê“myse here that a sacrifice shulde come that shulde succede in the place of the olde mosaical sacrifices whom he rebuked as vncleane but the sacrifice caÌ„not be fayth prayer eather such other good dedes For these were not ordeyned to take the place of the old sacrifices for these were vnder the old law sacrifices who doubteth but that the old faithful fathers offered vp busilie mooste perfect faith most deuote prayers godly dedes innumerable wherfore it is manyfest that this prophecie was spoken ment of the blessed sacrament whiche yf it were but onely bread as I haue sayde it cold not be the pure cleane sacrifice that the ê“phete promyseth here Bycause therfore that it coÌ„tayneth the very immaculate pure bodye blood of Christ therfore it is the pure cleane sacrifice which is offered iÌ„ euery place bycause the name of Christ is great amoÌ„ge the heatheÌ„ Yet least our obstinate aduersaries myght say that these auctorites of scripture be to farre fet to geue any euident profe of the real presens of the body of Christ in the holy sacrameÌ„t â–ª we wyll therfore bring in to coÌ„firme ratifie this verytie more euydeÌ„t more playner testymonies of the scripture And we call fyrst to record with vs the wordes of the ê“mise that our sauyour Christ had vnto his disciples writteÌ„ in the sixt of saynt Iohan wher christ most playnly made this ê“mise Ioh. 6. And the breade sayth he that I wyl geue it is my fleshe for the life of the world And in the same chap My fleshe sayth he is verely meate my blod is verely driÌ„ke But the iÌ„uincible streÌ„gth of this place of scripture the gret craftie subtil wyt of herytikes wold fayne escape by a false glose rather by an opeÌ„ly and manifest lye sayng that our maister christ meÌ„t nothiÌ„g in these wordê of the blessed sacrameÌ„t Where I wold the christane reader shuld wel way coÌ„sider diligeÌ„tly for the true intellection of this place howe this place of the scripture hath ben vnderstaÌ„ded of the churche of Christ who is only the true interpreter of the scryptures and not to geue credens to rashely vnto the erronyus expositours very corruptures of the scriptures as are al suche Iewyshe Caphernaites and obstinate sacramentaries whiche are voyd of the trueth lackyng the spirite of Christe by cause that they are seperated frome the churche by theyr detestable herysies But rather leaue vnto the exposition vnderstaÌ„ding of the catholike church of the lyuiÌ„g god which is as saiÌ„t Paul sayth 1. Tim. 3. the pyller grouÌ„d of veritie trueth How the church hath vnderstande it froÌ„ the begynnyng we shal soue gather perceaue by the auÌ„cieÌ„t catholyke wryters interpÌ„tours Who wryt in theyr tyme not contrarye vnto the churche but as the holy goost instructed them speciallye Clemens in libro 10. recognÌ„ Ad Iaco. fratreÌ„ dnÌ„i Oportet ab eo intelligentiam discere scriptutaruÌ„ qui eam a maioribê° secundum veritatem sibi
traditam etnat in so weyghtye a matter And we maye be sure that the churche hath alwaye the true vnderstaÌ„dyng of the scripture for as muche it is alwaye gouerned by the spirite of veritie Wherfore the expositions of suche catholyke and auncient wryters are to be thought of muche more trueth then are the false newe fangled expositions of those that wyth theyr gaye gloses confoundeth the text and swarueth from the whole churche of Christ The auncient wryters vniformely doth vnderstande this place of saynt IohnÌ„ to be ment of the blessed sacrament as you shall see that lysteth to reade and can iudge in theyr workes And for the trial hereof I shal recyte here some of the mooste auncient of them Origenes super numeruÌ„ Homilia 7. Origene wrytyng vpon the nuÌ„bers allegeth the same texte of S Ioh. vnderstandyng it of the holy sacrameÌ„t whose wordê be these ✿ Those thyngê that were done before were done obscurelye but nowe are they in theyr owne nature and veritie accomplished before baptisme was obscurely in the cloude and in the sea but nowe the generation is in the own nature in water the holy goost Then was the meate obscurely iÌ„ maÌ„na but now it is in the owne nature and the fleshe of the sempiternall worde of God is very meate accordyng as Christ said My flesh is verely meate and my bloode is verely drinke Crisostome also sayth vpoÌ„ the .vi. of s IohnÌ„ in this wyse Ioh. 6. Crisostâ—Ì„e in IoheÌ„z ✿ Christe sayth he in these wordes I am the bread of lyfe spake of the breade of hys diuinite or Godhed but by and by he wyl entreate of the mysteries sygnifinge the sacrameÌ„t for so doth Criosostome cal it Yet First he here disputith of his diuinitie sayng I am the breade of lyfe For this was not spoken of that body of whom about the ende of this chapter he speaketh of sayng And the bread that I wyl geue it is my fleshe For the diuiniâ—ie of him was bread bycause it was god the worde or the second person in trinitye euen as this bread is made by coÌ„myng therunto of the holy ghost the celestiall bread Now be holde good reader how diligently apertly Criosostome maketh distinctioÌ„ and puttyth differeÌ„s betwene the wordes that were spoken of the diuinitie of Christ and the wordes that Christe spake appertayning-vnto his bodye vnder the mysterie of the holy sacrament And sayth that from these wordes in the syxt of saint IohnÌ„ And the bread that I wyl geue it is c. and so vnto the ende of the chaptre Christ speaketh of the blessed sacrament Nowe where our peruerse herytikes denyeth that anye worde in this chapter apperteynyth or was ment of the sacrament they haue here Crisostome an auncient wryter ther aduersarie who expoÌ„dith the latter part of thys chapter vnderstandyng it of the blessed sacrament Cyrillus in IoheÌ„z Cyrill vpon saynt IohnÌ„ declaryng the vi chap. vnderstandyth it also of the blessed sacrament whom he nameth the misticall benedictyon and saythe vpon thse wordes of Christ Except you eate the fleshe of the son of man and drynke his blood you shall haue no lyfe in you ✿ And how he wyll geue sayth Cyrill hys fleshe to be eaten he teachith them not for thei cold not perceaue yet how greate benefites they sholde obtayne yf they eate it in faythe He declareth ones or twyse that by the loue and desyre of eternall lyfe they myght be forced vnto faythe whereby they myghte be the easelyer and soner taught For thus sayth Esaie the prophete Yf you wil not beleue you shal not vnderstaÌ„d Wherfore it was neccesarye firste to radicate faith in the mynde and theÌ„ to aske the thynges that a man ought to seke and enquyre But they before they beleued inquired and asked importunely For thys cause oure Lorde howe it shulde come to passe dyd not declare but exhorted theÌ„ to enquire it by fayth But wheÌ„ his disciples had firme fayth then he brake breade and gaue them saynge Take eate this is my body the cuppe also he gaue aboute saynge Drynke of thys al this is the cuppe of my blood that shal be shede in remission of synnes Nowe thou ê‘ceauist that he declared not the difficultie of the misterie vnto them askyng without faythe But when they had faythe he declared vnto them without askyng These are Civil wordes ✿ Saynt Cipriane Ciprianê° suê‘ orationem dominicam the martir expouÌ„ding the pater noster vpoÌ„ this peticioÌ„ Gyue vs this day our dayly bread saythe Christ whose body we do touche is our cottidiane bread this bread we do desire to be geuen to vs euery day lest we that are in the church do receyue oft times the holy sacrameÌ„t of the aulter for the bread of our helth by anye great or notorius cryme abstainiÌ„g seperated froÌ„ the celestial bread shuld be seperated froÌ„ the bodi of christ he pÌ„achiÌ„ge warning vs him selfe I am the bread of lyfe that came frome heauen yf anye eate of this he shal liue euer The bread that I wyll geue it is my fleshe for the lyfe of the world Then where he sayth that he shall lyue euer that eateth that bread it is manyfest that he speaketh of them that toucheth Hyllarii de trinita te lib. 8. his body And after the maner of coÌ„munion receyuith the blessed sacrament ✿ Hillarie in his eight boke De trinitate vnderstandith this sixt chapter of IohnÌ„ to be spoken of the sacrament and so doth he allege it I wold haue brought in saint Augustine with manye moo holy wryters but the breuenes of a sermon wyll not suffer so longe matter Wherefore I refer the reader vnto saynt Augustines fyrst boke against Cresconium the .xxv chapter also to the fyrst boke De precatoruÌ„ meritis et Remissione the .xxx. and .xxiiij. chapters and vnto many other of his workes wherin he playnly declareth him selfe to vnderstand this syxt chapter of IohnÌ„ of the blessed sacrament And so doth all the catholyke wryters vpon the scriptures take and vnderstande vniformely thys place of scrrpture For they expound interpret the same of the blessed sacrament Vnto whose expositioÌ„s any cristyane man yf he be not besydes hym selfe wyll geue more credite then vnto the erronyous and false gloses of blasphemus apostataes frome Christes fayth For in such serious matters of the fayth Augustinê° post Yre Eligo in bis verbis hoc intelligere quod oiÌ„s vel pe ne oiÌ„s frequeÌ„tat ecclesia the fathers wold neither flater neither faine but in the feare of God speake the verite of scrypture accordyng as they beleued to be the truthe theyr conscience berynge wytnesse Whose fayth vnderstaÌ„ding was none other but the fayth and the vnderstanyng of the churche of Christ which cold not erre Wherefore firmely staÌ„deth the veritie of thys text maketh most euidently for the real presens of the body and blod of Christ in the sacrameÌ„t by cause
church vnto the worldes ende Math. vltimo ✿ Behold sayeth Christe I am wyth you for euer vntyll the consuÌ„mation of the worlde ✿ Howe hath he ben so many yeres with hys churche and hath not reformede so great an error And syth that he of all other enormities hateth and detesteth moost the nepharious cryme of ydolatrye Why hath he or how could be suffer hys churche whome he washed froÌ„ all spotte and wryncle Ephe. 5. wyth hys moste precious bloode to be so fylthelye all arayed wyth the fylthery of ydolatry Secondlye Christe made promyse vnto hys churche that the holye goost shulde come and remayne wyth her for euer and teache her all veritie saynge Ioh 14. ✿ I wyll entreate my father and he wyll gyue you another comforter the spirite of veritie and he shall remayne wyth you for euer And agayne he sayeth Ibidem ✿ When he shall come that is the spirite of verite he shall leade you into all veritie ✿ Also in another place ✿ The comforter Ioh. 16. whyche is the holye goost whome the father wyll sende in my name he shall teache you all veritie and brynge into your remeÌ„brauÌ„ce all thynges that I haue spoken vnto you ✿ Yf Christe be trewe of these hys promyses as certenlye he is and wyll be then hath and doth the holy goost the spirite of veritie abyde wyth the church for euer and hath taught her al veritie and bringeth her into the knowlege and vnderstandynge of all thynges that Christe spake were they neuer so ambiguous and doubtful Nowe for as muche as thys texte Mar. 14. ✿ Thys is my bodye ✿ was spoken of Christe therfore by Christes promyse the spirite of veritie hath taught the churche the trewe vnderstandynge hereof And the church hathe and dothe vnderstande it of the verye reall presens of Christes bodye in the sacrament then is that a veritie and the contrarie an heresye Thyrdlye Christe promysed Luce. 22. that ✿ the faythe of the churche shulde neuer be extincte neather fayle And that ✿ the yates of hell shulde not preuayle agaynste it Math. 16. There can no man thynke the contrary but that the fayth of the holye churche hathe fayled greatly in retaynynge so longe tyme so open an error yf the body of Christe be not verely and really in the sacrameÌ„t sythe the churche hath allway so beleued And the yates of hell hathe grealy preuayled agaynste her and that so mygytely that they haue ouerthrowen her into so greate and moost pestilent an herysy or eather a blasphemy as to honor breade for her spouse Chrst that dougther so dearely and herein to commyt suche a detestable fornycatyon of ydolatry mooste hated and detested with her husbande and lorde God Christ By these promyses of Christ well pondered and expended we may easely perceaue that the faythe the whiche the church euer hath and doth retayne as concernyng this blessed sacrament is the mooste assured veritie And by cause that the churche gouerned and taught by the hooly goost hathe and dothe retayne for a veritie in fallyble that the body of oure sauyour Christ is verely and really in the blessed sacrameÌ„t therfore oughte we to take the same for a catholike a trew veritie and to refuse the contrary eas an heresy moost detestable odyus That the churche hath retayned this for a catholyke verytie that shall we shewe mooste many festly both by the generall consells wherin the holy goost was president and also by the testimonies of the fathers in whom the same holy goost spake as in his peculiar orgaynes or instrumentes For where shall we collect and learne the faythe of the churche in suche ambiguous and doubtfull matters but of the conselles wherein lernedly were dyscussed and determyned all matters of doubte by the presidens and regiment of the holy goost And of the auncient wryters whose wrytynges workes spyreth breatheth out the verie pure and syncere fayth that the church had in there tyme. For they as trew and faythful membres of the church wold in no wyse willyngly swerue from the trew fayth of the churche but brought greate illustratyon and dignytie there vnto by theyr mooste godly lyfe and conuersation and many of them sustayned great tormentes and deathe in the defence hereof Wherefore the auctoritye of them ought to be Igna. ad HeroneÌ„ Ois igitur qui direrit preter ea que tradita sunt tam etsi ieiunet virgiginitatem fernat sigâ—a face at ê“pheteâ— lupus tibi appareati grege ouium corruptioâ—em faciens The couÌ„sell of Ephesus not onelye equalled but to be preferred moche aboue the auctoritie of oure seditious new wryters now a days by cause that these new wryters are not only meÌ„ as the fathers were but also they are moch worser men then they were in godlynes not only beyng voyde of good lyfe but they are also deuyded frome the churche of Christ by theyr heresies And therfore I wolde that men shulde suspecte all that commeth from out of theyr handes yea though they were neuer so holy in theyr outward appareÌ„s These conselles folowyng doth ratifye our fayth as concernynge the real presens of Christes bodye and blood in the sacrament ✿ Fyrst the holy consell of Ephesus where vnto were gathered together two hundred fathers for the condempnation of Nestorius heresies who denyed that the fleshe of Christ in the sacrament was not able to giue lyfe For he playnly affirmed Christ to be but pure man therfore the fleshe of hym coulde gyue no lyfe Agaynst thys wyth other mo hys heresyes ✿ Cyril the byshop of AlexaÌ„dria called a synode of two hundred byshoppes Thys counsel was and is of great estimation and auctoritie wyth the anncient fathers in so muche that saynt Gregorie allowed and approued thys wych the counsell of Nyce Constance and Calcedone as the foure Gospelles In thys counsell it was defyned that we do receyue in the sacramente the verye fleshe the whych gyueth lyfe The couÌ„sel of Vercellis ✿ In the counsell whome Lyon the nynthe of that name called and caused to be celebrate in the cytie of Vercellis agaynst the same pestiferous heresie theÌ„ by one BereÌ„garius ê‘uitiously taught the same heresye was vtterlye condempned as Platina also wytnesseth The couÌ„sell of Turone ✿ The counsell also of Turone celebrated vnder Victor the secoÌ„de of that name In the whyche counsell one Hil debrandus then Archedecon of Rome was presideÌ„t who wyth great learned men dyd conuince Berengarius the auctour of this habominable heresie who remayned styll obstynatlye in thys hys detestable error ✿ Then Nicholas the seconde conuocated a counsell vnto Rome The couÌ„sell of Rome by Nicolas the seconde of a hundreth and thyrtye byshoppes and sent for thys Berengarius thether and there he wyth aduysed expresse wordes abiured thys heresye The forme of hys abiuration ye maye reade in the decrees the seconde dystinctioÌ„ De consecra Yet after thys he
ActuuÌ„ 20. they were not ygnorant of the greate and mooste streyght accompte that they shall geue and rendre for them at the day of iudgement Wherefore withoute doubte they ryght prudently pondred and considered what great danger and ieoberdy it shuld be chefely vnto theyr owne soules and also vnto the christian flocke yf by theyr peruerse preachynge or teachynge or by theyr wycked wrytyng the christen people shuld be broughte into so great an error as to beleaue that thyng whiche is very false and to fall thereby into so detestable blasphemy that they shulde worshype and honor bread in the steade of christe But certaynly we maye be well asswered that they wolde not preache teache neither wryte anye other thynge then they thought moost assuredly trew For vndoubtydly these wise and moost circuÌ„spect fathers had incoÌ„sideracyoÌ„ that yf they shuld haue taught the people that they ought not to beleue the real very pÌ„seÌ„s of the body blood of christ in the sacrament syth that it is there in dede Augustinê° in psal 88 Suscepit enim de ter â—a terram quia caro de terra est de carne marie car nem accepit et quia in ipsa car ne hic ambulauit et ipsam car nem nobis maÌ„ducandaÌ„ dedit Nemo auÌ„t illam carnem manducat nisi prius ado cauerit inuentum est queÌ„admodum adore tur tale scabellum pedum dnÌ„i et noÌ„ 〈…〉 verely and really theÌ„ by thys theyr doctrine they shuld haue led the people not onely into an heresye but also into the syn of coÌ„teÌ„pt of goddes gyfte worke into the synne of excedyng great vnthankfulnes in that they so lytle regarded so noble a gyft the specially geuen of so magnificent in coÌ„parable lord god wolde not rather receiue the same with al honor worship admiration thankes geuyng vnto God And on the other side they consydered that yf they taught the people to beleue that the bodye blood of Christ were in the sacrameÌ„t verely really yf it were vntrew not so then shulde the people haue benled by them into the detestable cryme abhominable enormitie of ydolatrie in worshippynge the creature of bread in steade of Christ Wherfore it is vnmete truely farre from christian charitie to thinke these most reuereÌ„de godly fathers to be so rude dul vncircuÌ„spect that they coulde not se perceyue these great peryls to aryse amonge the christian flocke And wold not eyther with all cautele wysedoÌ„e deuyte exchewe them eyther wyth al policie industrie celeritie withstande theÌ„ Lest that these heresies blasphemies shuld or myght be imputed vnto theyr ouersyght or necgligens But wtout doubt they were ful wel ware what they eather taught or wryt lest any word eather in theyr preachynges or teachinges shuld escape theÌ„ wherby the rude people prone redy to suê‘stition ydolatry shuld take any notable occasioÌ„ vnto so great an heresye Moreouer where the historie of our lordes supê‘ was ofteÌ„ tyme red in the church opeÌ„ly that which historie is set forth by the euaÌ„gelistes by S. Paule in woÌ„derfull playn wordes of the real presens of Christes body blood in the sacrameÌ„t It had ben very necessarye for these lerned meÌ„ to haue expouÌ„ded these wordes in theyr trew sence yf they were not to be vnder staÌ„ded as they souÌ„ded were spokeÌ„ lest the vnlerned people by occasioÌ„ of so plaiÌ„ wordes myght haue fallen into mysbeleue of this blessed sacrameÌ„t coÌ„sequeÌ„tly into abhominable ydolatrye But certaynly they neuer gaue other expositioÌ„ vnto the text Thys is my body as the sacrameÌ„taries doth but as a senteÌ„s moost plain of it selfe they vnderstode it as it lay was spokeÌ„ These fathers also in theyr tyme oftimes opeÌ„ly celebrated sacrificed adored worshipping the very pÌ„sens of Christes body blood in the sacrameÌ„t And in this theyr facte and example they taught the people to honoure Christ in the sacrament Euen as saynt Augustine teacheth vppon thys verse of the .lxxxviii. psalme Adore and worshyp his foote stole for it is holy This I haue noted before in the margyn ✿ Wauerynge or doubtful sayth saint Augustyne I conuert and turne vnto Christe for hym I do seke And here I fynde howe wythout impietie or wyckydnes hys foote stole is worshypped wyth godly honoure For he toke earth of earth for fleshe is but earth and of the fleshe of Marye he toke fleshe And in the same fleshe he was here coÌ„uersaÌ„t and gaue vs the same fleshe to eate for our health There is no maÌ„ that eateth that fleshe but wyll fyrste worshyppe it wyth godlye honoure And thus is it founde and perceaued howe the footestole of our Lord is honoured with godlye honoure And not onlye we do not offende in so honourynge it but we do offende yf we do not so honour it Thus dyd these mooste godly and deuout fathers teache the people where in they playnly signified and shewed that they beleued the reall presens of the blessed bodye and bloode of Christ in the sacrament And it is not to be thought that they taught colorablye one thynge and wryt another neither can any maÌ„ read in any of theyr monumentes or wrytinges that they eyther taught or wryt the contrarye of the catholike fayth of the very reall presens of Christe in the sacrament But that they wryt moste manyfestlye for the same veritie as shall appere here folowynge Then standeth this veritie as an vnfained trueth that none of al these auÌ„cient wryters eyther wryt or taught the contrarie of our catholyke fayth The thyrde veritie is that what so euer he be that beleueth not the reall verye presens of Christes body blood in the sacrament that same pertayneth not vnto the trewe church of Christ but is rather of the synagoge of sathaÌ„ and therfore in the state and peryll of dampnation for he that retayneth not the whole faythe catholyke of Christe the same is none of the trew membres of Christes churche And he that beleueth not thys artycle retayneth not the whole faythe of Christe for he fayleth in this and consequentlye he beleueth none of the other how can suche a one be the meÌ„bre of Christes church Whereof yf he be not vndoubtedlye the same is in the peryll of daÌ„pnation Furthermore who that beleueth not this artycle beleueth not as the churche hath and doth beleue syth the Apostles tyme but he that beleuyth not as the churche doth and hath belyued alwayes in thys artycle that same pertayneth not to the churthe of Christ and therfore can he not hope of any saluation for wythout the church there is no saluation but hys parte is to be loked for amonge infideles and ypocrites excepte that he be reconcyled vnto the churche vnfaynedlye do constantlye receaue and retayne the catholyke fayth Yf any man wyll desyre to knowe howe that the church doth and hath beleued or what is the fayth that the
name it can not greatly ê“fyt the vnlearned reader for whom I haue ê‘pared specially this homely thinges Therfore I haue thought these a sufficient testimonie to declare the fayth of the holye churche of Christ fro vii.c yeres agone and vpwarde vntyl the apostles tyme. And as for al the tyme syth the yere of our lord viii c.xxxii vntyll these our dayes nomaÌ„ doughtyth no not our aduersaries but that the church moste coÌ„staÌ„tly hath retayned defended the fayth beleue of the reall presens of the blessed bodye blood of Christe in the holy sacrament and hath alwaye condempned the contrary as an heresye horrible I thought it therfore neather necessarie neather ê“fytable to be to prolixe in cytynge or allegynge any auctours of so late yeares For by these few amonge a great numbre moste godly catholyke fathers any honest harte that is not more desyrous of coÌ„tention then of the treuth may be satisfied as touchynge the faythe that the churche hath retayned in theyr tymes And he that is not satisfyed wyth these that same wyll not be satisfyed yf I had recyted ten tymes so manye mo yea scantly wolde the testimony of scripture satisfye suche one but that he wolde eather gyue it hys owne glose eather denye it to be scripture as the ê“pertie is of all heretykes Cyprianê° sermone 5. de lapsis quedaÌ„ refert que et nouerat ipse Ambrosiê° in funebri sermone ê“ftÌ„e saâ—yrot Item Gregorius intertio dialogorum Augusti in .22 lib. de ciuitate dei capite Beda in histo a geÌ„tis A glorum I myght in thys place bringe in for the corroboration and confirmation of thys our fayth the myracles wherwyth the speciall goodnes of God hathe stablyshed and confirmed thys out fayth in the hartes of many deuout and fayth full christians The whych myracles are not fayned of late yeares but were wrytten many hundred yeares agone that by classicall and auncient wryters But I can not within the compasse of a sermoÌ„ comprise without tediousnes so muche matter Suche myraculous workes can not iustlye be thought lyes fayned by men eather illusions of the deuell For as muche as the auctours that reporteth them are of so great antiquite godlynesse and of so exacte iugement The auctours are these ✿ Saint Cypriane saynt Ambrose saynt Augustyne saint Gregorie venerable Beda Eusebiê° in the syxt boke of the ecclesiastical hystorie Certaynly in suche myracles as at reported by these auctors with many moo God hath sygnyfyed vnto vs howe thys oure faith of the blessed sacrament hath pleased hym Where the sacramentaries hathe not one to shewe for them selues to corroborat their new fashyoned fayth Excepte they take it for a miracle as they and we also may mooste certaynly that suche obstinate blasphemars and horryble herytykes hath eskapyd so longe the greate vengeans of God The which maye ryghte well be ascribed vnto the ineffable mercie of the dyuine benignite whyche Roma 1. wyth thys longe pacyens prouoketh them vnto repentans I iuge it no lesse myracle also that God hathe suffered them to be so farre diuided a monge them selues suche as seketh and reacheth a newe a strange way of beleue and saluacion 1 Pet. 1. Quando expectabaÌ„t dei patientiam in diebus Noc cum fabricaretur arca iÌ„ qua pauci 1. octo ale salue facte sunt Quod et vos nunc similis forme saluos facit baptisma other then the church of Christe hathe receaued of Christe and retayned alwaye and buildeth to them selues a nother babilon forsakyng deridynge and contempnyng the shyp of the catholike church whome God hath ordened to preferue vs frome the greate stood of perdicyon For lyke as almyghtie God in tyme paste dyd myraculously and iustly diuide the tonges languages of the proude and presuÌ„ptuous Babellonians Euen so hathe God diuided these sacramentaries that ther are almoost as manye beleues as ther be preachers or teacheres There is no maner of agrement in maner amonge them sauinge onely that as SampsoÌ„tayed the foxes to gether by the tayles to dystroye the corne euen so are these vulpyne and craftye herytikes tayd to gether to one end purpose that is the distructyon and subuersyon of the pure syncere corne of the catholyke fayth of Christ But eaer these fraduleÌ„t foxes shall accoÌ„plyshe theyr deuelysh purpose in fyeryng al the corne they may be except they repent and be conuerted inceÌ„sed and consumed to cooles them selfes Thus Haue we on oure part as you haue harde The fygures of the olde testament The playne and manyfeste scriptures The promyses of Chryste made vnto the church for the knowlege and continuans of the pure fayth The conselles general The whole and vniforme consent of the mooste auncyent wrytters for the coÌ„firmacyon manyfest profe of our belefe wher the sacrameÌ„ttareis can shew neather manyfest scripture neyther classical catholyke wryter syncearely treuly vnderstaÌ„ded nether general coÌ„sel to mayntayne ther detestable error They can shewe no place of scripture the sayth that the bodye of Christ is not in the sacrameÌ„t neither that the body of Christ is only in heaueÌ„ neyther that the sacrameÌ„t is but only a figure or a signe of Christes body Wher we haue in manyfest wordes spoken by Christ This is my bodye ¶ CoÌ„sel haue they none wher in they caÌ„ shew eyther that this our beleue hath ben coÌ„deÌ„pned eyther that it was susspected or doughted of Yet ther herysie hathe not only ben susspected doubted of but also by the generall coÌ„selles as you haue hard it hath ben openly conuinced abiured coÌ„deÌ„pned Which of all the auÌ„cieÌ„t catholike writeres can they shewe that sayth either that the body of christ is not in that sacrameÌ„t eather that the sacrameÌ„t is but only a figure They can fynd no such seÌ„tens neather in the scriptures neather in the auncieÌ„t catholyke wryters Yet you haue hard how playnly coÌ„cordantly the auncieÌ„t fathers maketh for our fayth ¶ Is it not a case both meruelous lamentable not only to se howe redely the people be to receaue this daÌ„pnable doctrine but also to coÌ„sider how obstinatly these heritikê doth defeÌ„d dye iÌ„ this herisie syth that it is groÌ„ded neither vpoÌ„ manyfest scripture nether vpoÌ„ any auctoritie of the church but toke the origiÌ„al fuÌ„dacion of wylfull and wycked peruersitie and obstinate and sensuall syngularitie ¶ Yeas you wyl say they brynge both the scriptures plentyfully and also the auncient wrytters very busely suche reasoÌ„s that semeth inuincible vnto vs that are vnlerned and not acquaynted wyth the craft of reasonyng and the dysceat of theyr subtyle wytte Wherfore you wyll saye thoughe that you haue the manyfest scriptures the conselles and the auncient wrytters yet are we that are vnlerned troubled and combered in consciens wyth theyr persuacioÌ„s and reasons and also bicause that theyr opinion semeth more possible and agreable vnto reason For thys cause deare christian reader I haue thought it
stormes and tempestes of heresyes that the dyuell hath araysed specially agaynst the blessed sacrament of th aulter as well by the vehemeÌ„t stormes of pestilent bokes as also by the venemous wyndes and blastes of secrete deuelyshe doctrines Wher â—â—e I shall mooste hartely desyre the christian reader yf he be lerned of hys moost gentle charitable censure iudgement And yf eather letter eather worde hath escaped me or the printer as there hath some let the same with his penne gentlye correct it Yf he be vnlerned let hym take the frutes and commodities there of gyuyng the prayse and thankes ther of to God bycause I haue laboured it cheftly for him And yf the same shal fynd any worde or sentence here that semeth vnto hym obscure or darke let the same iuge that eather suche wordes hath escaped me vnwarelye eather that I could not openlye and conueniently set suche matter so breuely in playner sentence And for as muche as an order in thinges not onelye delyghteth the beholder as the bewty therof but also makyng the matter more sensible and playne it causeth the reader to beare awaye and retayne the better that whyche he hathe redde therfore haue I here set forth breuely the order that I haue taken in the proces of thys rude thynge Where the cristiane reader shall vnderstande that the former part of the fyrst Sermon she wyth that the admyrable workes of god were wrought of God to manyfest the glorye of hys synguler power and to buylde faythe in vs. And vppon thys grounde I haue proued the possibilitie of the myracles wrought by God in the blessed sacrament of the Aulter by the other myraculous workes that the scripture telleth vs to haue ben wrought by the power of God And bycause we beleue suche myracles and yet se theÌ„ not we ought also of lyke reason to beleue the myracles in the holy sacrameÌ„t thoughe we se them not bycause that the scripture affyrmeth them to be trewe and sayth in the voyce of Christ Thys is my bodye For vppon the veritie of these wordes dependeth the veritie of all the other myracles wroughte in the blessed sacrament And fynally I do applye the myracles of the blessed sacrament vnto the other myracles of God to shewe them to be of equal possibilitie and impossibilitie ✿ In the seconde Sermon I haue fyrste declared certayne fygures of the olde lawe to appertayne vnto the sacrament And then I haue brought in dyuers places of scripture to proue that thynge to be so in dede which I shewed in the fyrste sermon possible For lyke as I shewed in the former sermon the reall presens of Christes bodye in the sacrament wyth al the myracles possible by the other myraculous workes of God so do I in this sermon proue it by the scriptures to be sâ— of a treuth ✿ In the thyrd I haue set in place fyrste the promyses that Christe made vnto the Churche Wherof I haue iustlye collected that standynge the veritie of those promyses that thyng muste nedes be of infallible truthe the whych the churche hath beleued and taught so many hundred yeres In the seconde place I haue brought in the conselles after them the testimonies of the auncient wryters to proue that the churche hath alwaye retayned this same fayth of the sacrament that we now do hold syth the apostles tyme. Yet here I haue not recyted al the wryters of al tymes for who can so do but I haue selected chosen onely such as I haue thought of moost antiquitie and auctoritie and that from .vii. or .viii. hundred yeares vpwarde and haue not mencioned neather alleged any that writ within these vii huÌ„dred yeres bycause that they are in maner innumerable and moost of theÌ„ so familiar that theyr faythe in thys matter is very manyfest vnto the meane learned Thyrdlye I haue answered to the moost comeÌ„ reasons that semed vnto me mooste strongest that are made for the contrarie And where I haue not handeled thys moost excellent mystery of our faâ—th wyth so exquisite lerning and exacte iugement as a man of greate lytterature and learnynge wolde haue done I shall moost humblye and hertelye desyre the christian reader to esteme and waye not howe homelye base and rude thynge is here coÌ„pyled but rather to iuge from howe syncere mynde and good wyl it hath proceded and to what ende and intent I thus enterprysed to dyuulgate and set it forth where in I haue sought chefly the settyng forth of the syncere and catholyke faythe of the churche of Christe and the spirituall lucre and gayne of my christiane brother to the honour of almyghty god Vnto whome be immortall glorye laude and prayse worlde with out ende Amen ij Petri vltimo ¶ VOS fratres prescientes custodite ne insipientium errore traducti exidatis a propria firmitate ¶ A Prayer vnto the Sacrament in the Masse tyme. O Moost myghtyfull Lorde and moost mercyfull redemer and sauiour Iesu sonne of the eternall lyuing god which of thyne own nature beyng most inuisible and immortall hast of thyne ineffable mercy and incomparable beninguitie vouchsafe in the ende of the worlde to appere visibly vnder the garment of our frayle temporal nature amoÌ„gest mortall men by moost mortall passion paynfull death hast redemed vs mortal synners froÌ„ the perpetuall death mortal dampnation of hell For the merytes of thy paynfull death preserue vs by thy special grace thys day euermore froÌ„ the daunger of al mortall offence And moost blessed byshop our hyghe preest which hast moost deuoutly offered visibly vpoÌ„ the crosse by death thys thy moost blessed bodye moost pretious bloode for our redemption hast also most gratiously ordayned the very same reall and naturall bodye and blood to be offered of thy catholyke churche inuisibly in the blessed sacrameÌ„t as a memorye of the crewell oblation made vpon the crosse vntyll that thou shalt come to iugemeÌ„t Vouchsafe most gratious God that thys blessed sacrifice of thy bodye blood nowe offered vnto the in the blessed sacrament maye be in the vertue merites of thy blessed death increase of grace vertue in the good and strength vnto the frayle purchase of repentauÌ„ce vnto synners helpe and comfort both to quycke and deade And mooste louynge sheparde of oure soules which of thy moost intyre loue haste bestowed thy precyous lyfe for vs thy wreched waÌ„dering shepe vouchsafe gracious good keper of our soules to colect to gather to gether in to one syncere fayth catholyke all christiane people colected together good lorde rayle inclose them stroÌ„gly within thy churche catholyke wyth the rayle of louelye godly feare that they straye not neyther in belefe neyther in lyfe good Lorde oute of thy swete pastures of syncere fayth and Godlynes And suche as are astraye deuyded froÌ„ thy flocke by error or herysye moost petyful pastor drawe and force them out of the blynde hedges of herysye and forth of
apparet nobis cato sed panis Vt noÌ„ abhorreamê° ab eius esu Nam si qÌ„ dem caro apparuisset insuauiter affecti essemus erga coÌ„â—onem NuÌ„c autem condescendeÌ„te dnÌ„o nrÌ„e in firmitati Talis apparet nobis mistiens tibus quali alioqui assue ti sumus in the shape and forme of breade and wyne condesceÌ„dyng herein as Theophilact sayeth vnto our infirmitie and the custome of our nature the whych delyteth in breade as in the conuenient and customed foode abhorreth rawe fleshe and bloode as a token of no table cruelnes vncustomed vnto oure maner of fedynge Therfore this necessarye foode to our soule of his blessed fleshe and bloode Christe hath vouchesafe to gyue vnto vs not in theyr owne lykenesse and forme but in the forme lykenes of our cotidyane fode of bread and wyne And here by he moste gracyously mynystreth vnto vs the lyfe eternall of the whyche he sayde Except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke his blood you can haue no lyfe in you For lyke as the earthely Adam our carnal parent in that we partake his synnefull and corrupte fleshe is cause and occasyon of death vnto vs. Euen so is the celestiall Adam Christe causse of lyfe in vs by that that we partake hys blessed bodye and fleshe For loke as Eue was formed of the fleshe of Adam euen so are wee that are the uery church of Christ by eatyng of his fleshe in the blessed sacrament made of his fleshe and membres of hys bodye And thus of two of the church christe is made one body and fleshe as I haue sayde Ephese 5. The whiche wordes though they be wryten of the fyrst Adam and Eue. Yet in thys place of thys hys epistle saynte Paule allegeth and applyethe them vnto Christ and the churche for as sone as he had spoken these wordes vnto the Ephesians And thus of two persons is made but one fleshe he putteth therto these wordes Thys is saythe he a greate mysterye I speake or meane it in Christe and the churche Howe the Churche and Christe be come one fleshe Ephe. 5. is not to be vnderstanded by the incarnatyon For Christe by his incarnatyon receaued fleshe of vs and not we of hym as Eue dyd of adam For we must vnderstande that he is the heuenly Adam and we his church are the spirituall Eue. As Adam and Eue were of one fleshe bycause that Eue was formed oute of the body of Adam and not Adam formed of the fleshe of Eue Euen so Christ and the church be come one fleshe by cause that Eue that is the church taketh fleshe of Christ that heuenly Adame And therfore S. Paule referreth thys mystery of the coniuntion of Adam and Eue not vnto the incarnatyon of Christe whereby he toke fleshe of vs. But referreth it vnto the eatynge and communion of the blessed sacrament wherein Christ geueth his fleshe and he norysheth vs and feadeth vs with it and so we take fleshe of hym Suche is the most gracyous and mercyfull restitutyon that God hathe made for vs vnto lyfe thorowe oure Lorde Iesus Christe that where as Adam by eatynge of the forbedden frute of the tree hathe procured and mynystred deathe vnto all hys posterytie Euen so as Ruperte saythe it was verye congruente Rupertus that by the eatynge of the frute of another tree lyfe myghte be procured and mynistred agayne vnto the posteritie of AdaÌ„ Certaynly there is none other frute that mynystreth restoreth lyfe agayne vnto the posteritie of Adam but onely the frute that hoÌ„ge on the tree of the crosse which is Iesus Christe the blessed frute of the immaculate wombe of Marye This frute muste be eaten corporallye for Adam dyd eate corporally of the frute that brought death vnto vs so of coÌ„grueÌ„ce we must eat corporally this frute that rendereth and restoreth agayne lyfe Not onelye the lyfe of grace whereby the soule of man lyueth and is strengthed to godwardes in this present mortalitie and moste myserable lyfe But also it mynistreth vnto vs Cyrillus in IoheÌ„z Dedit vobis Moyses maÌ„na sed qui comederunt russum esu riâ—tuÌ„t produrit copiosa de lapide flumina sed qui bibebant russus sitlebant the lyfe eternall bothe of body and soule as Christ saythe He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloode hathe eternal lyfe and I wyll rayse hym vppe at the latter day By eating and dryngking this bodye and bloode the celestyall Adam Iesus worketh in vs eternall lyfe vnto oure soules and at the latter daye he wyll worke and brynge euerlastyng lyfe vnto the bodyes also That as we haue eaten that blessed frute in soule by syncere faythe perfecte hope and charite and in body by the corporal receite of that blessed fleshe Quid ergo rpÌ„s policetur Quid credentibus adferi Corruptibile certe nihil sed benedictionem quaÌ„ coÌ„municatione corporis et saÌ„guinie assequimur vnde ad cam incorruptioneÌ„ integre reducemur vt cibo et potu corporali noÌ„ indigeamê° Viuificat enim corpus Christi et ad in corruptionem sua participatione reducit c. Euen so shal it worke lyffe perpetuall as wel in the body as Cyrill sayth as in the soule That by thys Adame celestiall myght be no lesse restored then by the other Adam was loste The earthely Adam lost for vs lyfe both of body and soule And so hath the heuenly Adam rendered vnto vs lyfe of grace in thys present worlde And in the worlde to come the lyfe of perpetual glorye both of the body and soule The whyche he graunt vs that therein reygueth wyth the father and the holy gooste one God mooste gloryous now and for euer Amen ¶ Sit deo gratia ⧠HOC EST COR PVS MEVM Vbi supra ¶ Thys is my bodye THe catholyke veritie of the real presens of Christes body in the holy sacrameÌ„t taketh no lytle corroboratioÌ„ strengthe of the promisses that our sauiour Christe made vnto hys deare beloued spouse the churche which is as saynt Paule sayth ✿ The pyller and grounde of trenth 1. Tim. 3. ✿ The whyche promyses yf theybe infallible and trewe as vndoubtydly they be theÌ„ maye we iustelye collect thys for a moste assured veritie That oure Lorde and mayster Christe hath not suffered hys churche so many hundred yeres to erre so blyndlye in so weyghtye a matter of the fayth and to remayne so longe in so detestable blasphemy as to worship the creature in the steade of the maker and creator Yf the church of Christe hath not erred in that she beleueth the reall and verye presens of Christe in the sacrameÌ„t and therin worshyppeth verely Christ as the infallible promyses of Christe shall declare then are they abhominable and in tollerable that beleueth the contrarye The constant beleue infallible fayth of the churche is ratifyed by these promyses of Christe Fyrst Christe promysed that he wolde not leaue the
churche hath and doth retayne as concernynge thys article let this same vnderstande that the fayth of the auncient church is to be collected of the most auncient writers of eche tyme from the apostles vnto our tyme who wryt in maters of fayth vndoubtedlye accordynge vnto the catholyke fayth of the churche at theyr tyme. And all they wryt moost apertly and mooste playnlye with and for this article as it may appere here after TheÌ„ hath the church beleued and receyued thys article syth Christes tyme. TheÌ„ who that receyueth not thys article is separated and diuided from the church consequently as I haue sayd he is in ieoberdye of perpetuall perdition and dampnation Yet good christiane here thou arte to be admonysshed instructed where by thou mayste wyth more facilitie and ease and wythout perplexitie and doubte perceaue and more redely vnderstande these auctorities and saynges of these auncient wryters that thou shalte fynde and reade sondrye and dyuerse names geuen vnto the blessed sacrament yet shall thou not suspecte the vnifourme faythe and opynyoÌ„ of these cathholyke fathers to swerue eyther frome them selfes either from the church For thoughe they name it dyuersly yet they meane al one thynge The cause of so many and sondrye names and dystincte appellacyons of thys blessed sacrament is That lyke as saynt Dyonyse saythe God hath many names yet the great varyete of so manye names can not suffycyentlye expresse vnto vs the infynyte profundite of so greate a maiestye power wysdome goodnes beningnite and marcye in lyke maner the infynyte and ineffable ryches of the deuyne goodnes and the mooste precyous treasure of the innumerable graces contayned and hydden in thys blessed sacrament can not be sufficyentlye explycate and layde forthe vnto vs by one name therfore these holy and blessed fathers hauynge respect and consideratyon vnto dyuerse and sondrye thynges in this sacrameÌ„t they gaue it sondrye names And not bycause that they had dyuers beleffes or any other then the churche hath now as EcolaÌ„padius falsly ascrybeth vnto them and more falslye vnderstandynge them he mooste falslye allegeth them to mayntayne and ratifye hys detestable blasphemous heresye The sacrameÌ„t is called aÌ„d coÌ„tayneth in verye dede the body and bloode of oure lorde ✿ Thys blessed sacrament is verye oftymes of the fathers called the bodye and bloode of our Lorde and thys haue not they inueÌ„ted them selues but bycause that it verelye and really contayneth the bodye and blood of Christ And thys they haue receyued at the mouthe of Christe whyche sayd of the sacrament Thys is my bodye and this is my bloode and of saynt Paule who sayeth Who that eateth and drynketh of that breade and cuppe vnworthelye shal be gyltye of the bodye and blood of our Lorde And agayne He that eateth and drynketh vnworthelye eateth and drynketh hys owne iugement not puttynge difference or not decernynge the lordes bodye Thys sacrament is named breade 1. Cor. 10. et 11. The blessed sacrament is named also breade Saynt Paule in the fyrst epistle to the Corinthians so nameth it Not bycause that it is anye materiall or corporall breade For so doth not he name it Yf that he had named it bread wyth thys addition corporal or material or any suche lyke theÌ„ had he made somewhat for the sacrameÌ„taries But saint Paule called it bread as our sauiour Christ dyd cal hym self whych sayd I am the bread of lyfe Ioh. 6. Also saynt Augustin and the fathers also do sometyme cal it bread not that whych passeth thorowe the belye as saynt Augustyne sayth but the super substaÌ„cyal Ciprianê° In sermone de cena Et sicut panis comunio queÌ„ quottidie edimus vita est corporis ita panis iste supersubstaÌ„tialis vita est aiÌ„e et sanitas mentis Cyprianê° in eodme the mysticall or celestiall breade suche additions the auncient wryters do ofteÌ„ tymes vse And saynt CipriaÌ„ sayth that Christe doth call the sacrament somtyme hys bodye sometyme hys fleshe and somtyme breade Therfore dothe saynt Cyprian hym selfe name it breade And in so namynge it both he and S. Paul wyth the other do obserue the maner of the scripture whych in suche mutations and chauÌ„ges of thynges vseth to gyue vnto the thynge so changed the former name As for example The rod of Aaron wheÌ„ it was cast on the grouÌ„d chaunged in to a serpent the scripture calleth it a rod styl as it was called Exodi 4. by fore the miraculous mutacyon For the scripture sayth The rod of Aaron deuowted the roddes of Pharoes inchaÌ„uters In lyke phrase the wyne the Christ made of water is called water after that it was made wyne as we reade in the gospell of saynt IohnÌ„ After that Ioh. 2. the master of the feaste had tasted the water made or turned in to wyne Lyke as the rodd whyche was changed in to a serpent yet was called a rod styll And lyke as the water beyng changed by miracle in to wyne was called water Euen so the blessed sacrament where in of breade is made the blessed bodye of oure sauyour Christ is called styl bread though it be not now breade but the very reall body of Christ The blessed sacrameÌ„t is called also a sygne or a sacrameÌ„t of the body blood of Christ Not as the sacrameÌ„taries sayth only or but a sygne of the body of Christ For the only a signe or but a sygne they can neuer reade neyther in the scripture neyther in any of the catholike wryters Therfore this only is a lye of theyr owne the calleth the holy sacrameÌ„t only a sygne Saynt AugusteÌ„ wyth many other doth frequent vse oft tyme to name the sacrameÌ„t a sygne or sacrament Yet they neuer name it only a sygne And vndoubtedly it is a moost sacrate blessed sacrament that is to say A sygne or a token of an holy thynge Thys blessed sacrameÌ„t godly reader hath too significations or it signifieth vnto vs too thingê The one is the verye body blod of our sauiour Christ which verely really is coÌ„tained iÌ„ the sacrameÌ„t For the blessed dody blood vnderneath the kyndes of bread wyne sinigfyeth and representyth vnto vs by those two dystynct kyndes of breade wyne the death passioÌ„ of Christ wher in the body hong vpon the crosse wan pale wtout blood the blood was by crewell effusion dyuided from the bodye of oure sauiour The body and blood of Christ vnder the shape or kynde of bread represeÌ„teth vnto vs the self same body as it hong dead vpoÌ„ the crosse froÌ„ whoÌ„ al yepÌ„cius blood was seuered diuided by mortal payne passion And the same body blood vnder the kynd or shape of wyne represeÌ„teth vnto vs the same very bloode as it was diuyded parted out of the blessed bodye in the tyme of his passioÌ„ Thus this blessed body and bloode of Christ vnder the kynde shape of breade lyfted vp ouer
where nature is workyng Euen so thys voice Thys is my bodye was ones spoken yet at al tables or aulters of the churche of Christ vnto thys daye and shal vnto Christes commynge geue vnto thys sacrifice strength ✿ These wordes of Crisostome are to playne to be detorted or wreasted froÌ„ theyr true meaniÌ„g which is that when the wordes of Christe are duelye spoken by the preest at masse theÌ„ are the breade and wyne consecrated made the very bodye blood of Christe by the secret myght power of god so is Christes body blood really in the sacrament ✿ Saynt Augustine Augustinê° ad CresconicuÌ„ gramancum thought that he hath innumerable playne euident testimonies for this veritie yet amonge many I wyll recyte one or two Fyrst he sayth in his fyrst boke ad cresconicuÌ„ gramaticuÌ„ what shall we saye of the very bodye bloode of our lorde the onely sacrifice for oure helth For though that he hym selfe sayth Except that a man eate my fleshe drynke my bloode he shall haue no lyfe in him Yet dothe not the apostle Paule also teach that the same is pernitious and dedly vnto suche as misuseth it For the apostle Paule sayth Whosoeuer eateth the breade and drynketh of that cuppe of our lorde vnworthely he shal be gyltye of the bodye and bloode of our Lorde Agayne saynt Augustine ad Iulianum comiteÌ„ wryteth these wordes The mercye of our lord Iesu Christe delyuer vs from these thynges And he graunte or gyue vnto vs him selfe to be eateÌ„ which sayde I am the lyuely breade whych came from heauen And he that eatythe my fleshe and drynketh my blood hath eternall lyfe in him selfe But let euerye man examyne hym selfe accordyng vnto the precept of the apostle before that he receaue the bodye and bloode of our lorde Iesus Christe so let hym eate of that bread drinke of the cuppe For he that eatith the body blood of our lord vnworthelye he eateth and drynketh it vnto his owne iudgement makynge no differens of the bodye of our lorde For when we shall receaue hym we ought to haue recourse vnto confession and penans and to dyscusse curiously all oure actes and yf we perceaue mortall synnes in vs we ought speadely to make haste to washe them a waye by coÌ„fession and penans lest we lyke Iudas that traytor hyding the deuyll with in vs do perishe ✿ These are the wordê of S. Augustyne The which shewith verye playnely Cyrillus in IoheÌ„z what beleue he had as coÌ„cernyng the blessed sacrameÌ„t ✿ Cyrill the patriarche of Alexandria vpoÌ„ the syxt of IohnÌ„ wryteth very playnly for this veritie Whose wordê are these They can not be ê‘takers in holynes of the lyfe etÌ„nal which hath not receyued Iesus by the mistical benediction And againe he sayth Christ is not with his worde onely but also with his touching he araiseth vp the deade that he myght shew declare that his body coulde also rayse vp the deade Yf then by onely towchynge the corrupte are restored the dead araysed How shuld not we lyue or receaue lyfe which doth taste eate his fleshe For playnly he wyll reforme vnto hys immortalytie suche as be the ê‘takers of hym and after a few wordes he sayth For it must nedes come to passe that not onely the soule of man by the holy goost shuld assend vnto blessed lyfe but also that this rude terrenal body by lyke tast touchiÌ„g of lyke meate as it is it self sholde be brought vnto immortalytie Damascene in hys .iiii. boke of the catholike fayth in the .xiiii. Damascenus lib. 4. cap. 14. chapter sayth these wordes As coÌ„cernyng the veritye of the body bloode of Christe in the sacrament That body verely is ioyned vnto the diuinitie the which body he toke of the immaculate virgine And not that the body assumpted shold come downe from heauen But that the breade and wyne are traÌ„smuted and changed into the body blod of god Thou wylt aske the maner howe that maye be let it suffyce the to heare how that by the holy ghoste in a mooste Godlye vyrgyne he by hym selfe and in hym selfe receaued fleshe and wee can saye no more but that the worde of God is trew effectuous and omnipotent but the maner howe it is That is intractable or vnsearcheable Neyther can thys be redely tolde how breade by eatyng and wyne and water by drinking are chauÌ„ged naturally into the natural body of the eater and drynker and not into a nother body but into the very same bodye that the eater or drynker had before Euen so the purposed breade wyne and water by inuocation and commyng of the holy goost are chaunged supernaturally into the body and blood of Christ and there are not two bodyes but onely one and the very same IoheÌ„s Cassianê° collatione â—2 capi 12 ✿ IohnÌ„ Casiane hath these wordes in the .xxii. collation the .xii. chapiter Wyth so greate dilygens of humylytie we ought to kepe our hart that we kepe al waie this one thing stable coÌ„stantly in oure remembrans That we cannot attayne to so greate puritie and cleanes al though that by the great gyft of God we do al these thynges that I haue spoken of before Yet let vs Iudge our selues moche vnworthy to coÌ„municate or receaue that holye sacrate bodye For fyrst the maiestye of that heueÌ„ly Manna is so great that no man compassed abought with this claye and fleshe can worthely and condyngly receaue that meat but onely of the mere and benefycyall gyft of Godes grace Here in these wordes Cassian confesseth the maiestie of the celestiall Manna and the veryte of the bodye of Christe whome no man can receyue worthely Athanasi ad primaÌ„ Pauli ad Corin. but onely he that thynketh hym selfe vnworthy ✿ Athanasius vpoÌ„ the fyrst epistle vnto the Corinthians confyrmeth the veritye of the reall presens of Christes bodie and bloode in the sacrament For we sayth he hauyng that cuppe in our handes we geue thankes without doubte vnto hym that shed his bloode for vs and haue uoutchsaf to indew vs wyth ineffable gyftes He sayd not onelye that it is the partakyng but rather the communion bycause he wolde expresse some greater thyng That is the wonderful very nye coniuÌ„ction And this is the sence of that whych he spake Thys same blood whyche is contayned in the cuppe is the same that floued oute of the syde of Christ and when we receaue it we do partake it that is to say we be coÌ„nexed and knyt vnto Christ And the breade that we breake is it not the communion of the bodye of Christe That bodye whych our lorde dyd not suffer to be broken vpon the crosse for there was no bone broken of him that same for oure sake he suffereth nowe to be brokeÌ„ Athanasius in these wordes manyfestly sheweth that the blessed sacrameÌ„t brokeÌ„ for vs is the same bodye that honge on the crosse had
no bone brokeÌ„ therof ✿ Cassiodorus sayth vpoÌ„ this text Cassiodorus iÌ„ psalmum 110. of the psalme Thou art a preest for euer accordyng to the order of melchisedech Thys thyng sayth he doth the ê“phete tell that the father hath ê“mised to his soÌ„ne For vnto whom can this be truely plainly applyed sauyng only vnto our Lorde sauiour The whych moste helthsomly hath coÌ„secrated hys bodye bloode in the gyfte or erogation of breade wyne Euen as he in the gospel sayth Except that you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man drynke his blood ye can haue no lyfe in you But in thys fleshe and in thys bloode lette not mannes mynde ymagyne any thynge crewell or corruptible Leste as the apostle saythe he that eateth the body of our Lorde vnworthely he eateth drinketh it to his iudgement But let the mynde of man thynke ymagyne vnderstaÌ„d the same substance that gyueth lyfe and helthe That same I saye whych is made the verye body ê“pre substaÌ„ce of the word eternall by the whyche both remission of synne and the gyfte of eternall lyfe are gyueÌ„ ✿ Thys blessed father Cassiodor sayth that we shuld not thynke or ymagyne in the sacrament to beholde see the cruel or mortall bloode or bodye in theyr owne shape fashion but we must vnderstaÌ„de sayth he the helthsome substance that gyueth lyfe the substance whych is Christes substaÌ„ce the whyche gyueth lyfe remission of synnes eternal lyfe ✿ It can not be the substaÌ„ce of bread that can gyue remission of synnes But the substaÌ„ce of Christe Fulgentiê° ad Monimum that dyed for the synnes of the world ✿ FulgeÌ„tius answeryng vnto a question as concernyng the sacrifice of the bodye bloode of Christe that one Monimus a frende of his demauÌ„ded whether it were offered onely to the father or no. Vnto hym thus he sayd amonge muche more matter Thys same I saye spiritual edification can not be asked better or more oportunely theÌ„ wheÌ„ in the sacrament of the breade cuppe the very body blood of Christ is offered vp of his bodye the churche For the cuppe that we drynke of it is the coÌ„munion of Christes bloode the breade that we breake it is the coÌ„munion of Christes bodye ✿ Here expressely sayth Fulgentius that the body blood of Christe is offered in the sacrameÌ„t ✿ S. Gregory Gregoriê° primo dea logoruÌ„ lib capi 58. in hys fyrst boke of hys dialoges the .lviii. chap. wryteth in this sort We ought with al our hert to coÌ„teÌ„pne this pÌ„sent world for bycause we may ê‘ceaue that it wasteth and to offer dayly vnto God sacrifices of teares and to offer dayly hoostes of hys fleshe and blood For thys is the sin guler and speciall oblation that saueth the soule froÌ„ death eternal The which oblatioÌ„ representeth vnto vs in a mysterye the death of the onely begotten sonne of God For though he rysynge from death dyeth nomore and death hath no more dominion ouer hym is immortaly and vncorruptibly lyuynge in hym selfe Yet in the mystery of that holy sacrifice he is offred vp for vs for there is hys body receaued there is his fleshe diuided for the helth of the people there hys bloode is distributed powred not into the handes of infydells but into the mouthe of the faythefull ✿ Se deuout reader howe expressly he sheweth that Christe remaynynge immortall and impassible in him selfe yet he is in the blessed sacrament really receaued of the faythful Cedulius presbiter in carmini bus ✿ Sedulyus the preeste in hys verses of the deuyne maruayles saith Our lorde sayth he geuynge bread vnto Iudas dyd knowe afore hande hys dysceatful mynd bewrayed his treason by geuynge hym bread which lorde was the breade hym selfe after that he had stablyshed that two gyftes of his body blod he gaue there vnto his dyscyples the meat and drynke whereby the faythful and cleane soules Beda in Lucam lib. 6. shuld neuer thurst ether hunger hereafter ✿ Beda in his syxt boke vpoÌ„ S. Luke writeth thus where it shuld moue any wyth doubth for asmoche as Christe gaue hys body and blood vnto his discyples when they had supped why we shulde be taught by the costome of the vniuersall churche to receaue the same sacrament fastynge Let the same perceaue in few wordes The appostles therfore dyd receaue it wheÌ„ they had supped for it was necessary the figuratyue passeouer to take an ende to be consumed so to approche vnto the sacrament of the veritie of the trew passeouer It hathe pleased the maysters of the churche in the honour of so great terrible a sacrameÌ„t that we shuld fyrst be strengthed with the partitipacion of oure lordes passion bothe inwardely and outwardely to be saÌ„ctified with the goostly spirituall meates and theÌ„ the hungrie body to be refreshed with the vyle earthely meates ✿ Haymo also vpoÌ„ the epistle to the CorinthiaÌ„s wryteth in this sort Hâ—ymo in Paulum Hic virit ciriter annum dnÌ„i 832. As the fleshe of Christe the which he receaued in the wombe virginyall is his very body slayne for our saluacyon euenso the breade whych Christ gaue vnto his disciples to al that be elected to the euerlasting lyfe the which also the preestes dayly do coÌ„secrate in the church by the mighte power of the diuinitie the which diuinitie repleteth the same breade is the very body of Christ Neither are the body that he toke in the woÌ„be virginial and this bread two bodyes but they make but one very body of Christ In so much that when it is broken and eaten theÌ„ is Christ offered a sacrifice eateÌ„ yet he remayneth whole alyue And lyke as the bodye put vpon the crosse was offered vp for our redeÌ„ption euen so dayly for our helth is offered vp thys breade the which though it seme bread yet is it not bread but the body of Christ For our lorde redemer helpinge our frayltie bycause he knewe how frayle we are toward synne he hath gyueÌ„ vnto vs thys sacrameÌ„t that where he can not suffer death dayly we dayly do offende we myght haue a very true sacrifice wherby we might haue expiacioÌ„ be purged And therfore bycause the same whyche was offered on the crosse thys in the sacrameÌ„t make but one body are offered vp for our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ he sayd This is my body that shal be gyuen for you These wordes of Haymo are so plaine that anye maÌ„ may right sone perceaue what thys blessed father beleued of this blessed sacrameÌ„t whose auctoritie is not to be suspected syth it is .vii huÌ„dreth yere agone syth he wryte And yet syth his tyme there hath also many both godly excelleÌ„t learned meÌ„ writen As Theodore the gretian the scole maister of bede Alcuinus scole maister to Charles the great S. Bernard Rupert Hugh desctoÌ„ Victore with a great nuÌ„bre mo whoÌ„ to
lyfe whyche is the proper operatiō of the body blood of Christ but worketh dampnable death Therfore the blessed fathers sayde that they receyued not the bodye of Christe For thoughe it verelye be the verye bodye and bloode of Christe yet vnto them in suche state it semeth not to be so bycause that it worketh not in them lyfe but death For lyke as of a moost excellent medicine receaued of the pacient out of dewe tyme and order and therby diminisheth not the dysease but encreaseth it we maye saye that vnto hym thys was no medicyne but a presēt poyson Euen so maye we saye of all suche christians and heretikes that lyke Iudas vnworthely receaueth the sacrament that they receaue not the bodye bloode of Christe whyche as a mooste helthsome medicine worketh lyfe in the good and in the bad it worketh present death In the tyme of these blessed fathers there were certayne ouerthwart people as we also haue some nowe a dayes that hearynge the great and wonderfull operation of thys blessed sacrament howe it wrought lyfe in the receyuers had fallen into a wonderfull presumption and had persuaded to them selues that though they were neuer so farre gone in heresies and lyued neuer so dyssolutely and wyckedly yf they receaued thys sacrament whyche was taught them to be the verye bodye and bloode of Christe that they shulde eskape perpetuall dampnatyon Wherefore the fathers to brynge them out of thys blynd and dampnable presumptyon vsed thys maner of speache to saye that they dyd not receaue the bodye of Christ neather drinke his blod though they dyd receaue the sacrament to the dampnation ✿ Tertulliane in his in hys forth boke agaynste Marcyon Tertulianus aduersus Martionem li. 4. sayeh Christe professynge that he had a great desyre to eate hys Passeouer wyth them and the breade that he toke and gaue to hys discyples he made it hys bodye saynge This is my body that is to saye sayth Tertulliane the fygure of my bodye Thys place is recyted of Ecolāpadius wyth no smale commendacyon and tryumphe In lyke sorte saynt Augustine in the prologe of the thyrde Psalme sayeth speakynge of Iudas Christe thoughe he were not ignorant of hys vnhappe thoughtes yet he made hym one of his geastes of that bāket where he exhybyted and gaue vnto hys dysciples the fygure of hys body and bloode Fyrst dylygent reader I praye the expende wel the wordes of Tertulliane and thou shalt sone perceaue that Tertulliane cōfyrmeth our fayth maketh nothynge with the sacramentaryes For he saith Christe had a greate desyre to eate hys Passeouer not sayth he the Passeouer that was the slaughter of shepe for that was Moyses passeouer but thys he called hys by cause that in thys was hys owne naturall fleshe and bloode and in the other the fleshe and blood of a shepe Yf ther had ben nothynge els in thys then breade the fygure of his fleshe why shulde he call this more his then the other whiche was also a more expresse fygure of his death then the bread and wyne were Furthermore Tertulliane sayth that Christ made the bread that he toke and dystrybuted to hys dyscyples hys bodye saynge Thys is my bodye In these wordes he moste apertely sheweth that Christe made the bread hys bodye Yf ther be none other thyng there then breade neyther no alteracyon ther in the sacramēt then ther was before I maruayll what thyng Christ dyd make But Tertullianes wordes be to playne to be deludyd or doubted of for he confesseth that Christe made the breade his bodye saynge This is my bodye But that wordes that foloiuith semeth to haue all the dyfycultye bycause Tertulliane added that is to say the fygure of hys bodye And in lyke sorte also saynt Augustine Tertullyanes contre man callyth it a fygure ✿ No dougth but it is very trew that the sacramēt is a fygure an example a sygne and token of the bodye of Christe For euery sacramēt is a fygure or example and sacrate token of an holy thynge Euen so is the blessed sacramēt called a sygne or a fygure of the bodye of Christ in the wrytynges of these ancient fathers The cause why they so named it I haue declared before amōg the names of the sacrament And yet I wyll touch breuely the same agayne For as moche as in the blessed sacrament which is the very sacrifice of the churche catholyke is cōtayned in two dystinct formes that is of bread wyne the same blessed bodye blood that was offered vpō the crosse in ther own lyknes that is in lykenes of fleshe blood the same bodye and blod vnder the forme of bread at the masse lyfted vp in to the ayer ouer the prestes hed it is a token or a remēbranc how that the same body in the tyme of Christes passion dyd hang vpon the crosse in the ayer and was so offered vp by death for our redēption the same body blood contained reali also vnder the shape or forme of wyne lyffted vp at the sacrynge of the masse it is a token callyng vs to remēbrans how the blessed blood was shed on hye vpō the crosse for the remissiō of our synnes And thus the blessed body blode of christ vnder these two formes of bred wyne in the blessed sacramēt signifieth vnto vs how that in the passiō and death of christ the body of christ hong pale wan vpō the crosse frō whō al the blessed bloode was dyuyded by crewel payne passyō is thus a very lyuely memorie remēbrans of hys death for thys cause also S. Basyl calleth it The exemplar bycause it is so lyuely and so expresse an example memorie of the death of Christ Thus is the blessed sacrament where in is contayned verely the bodye and blood of Christ a sygne a fygure a tokē or example of the death of Christ And in this consideration the fathers some tyme and that very seldome dyd cal it a sygne or fygure And in thys sort we graunt no lesse But that it is but a fygure onlye a fygure or nothynge els thē a figure That we vtterly deny For neither in the scripture neyther in any catholyke wryter can they fynde that the sacramēt is called only a fygure or but a fygure or any lyke saynge The fathers though they named it a figure or a token yet they playnlye declare and shew that they beleued that very real presens of the bodye and blood of Christ in the sacramēt as I haue shewed bi their owne wrytinges So I conclude and answere that though the sacrament be a sygne or a fygure yet neuerthelesse it is verely really the verye bodye and bloode of Christ therfore is it not only a fygure or onely and nothinge els then a fygure or a sygne Thys answere in my iudgemēt is sufficient for all suche places that they can brynge in of anye of the auncyent wrytters It is a lacrymable case and