solde himself ouer to he Deuell to be blinded ys sufficieÌ„t to moue and stirre anie heart to accept the the true catholike faith But yf men wil not see what shal we saie who ys blinder theÌ„ he that will not see God yet illumine their heartes that they cal not darknesse light and light darknesse To proceade in our matter to this auncieÌ„t Father of the higher house shal be ioined Lira ne of the lower house to shewe his vnderstaÌ„ding of this text Thus he saieth writing vpon yt Hic probat quoddaÌ„ supposituÌ„ Dixerat enim quòd maÌ„ducatio dat vitaÌ„ Istud probat hic quia illud per qnod aliquis vniture principio viuificatiuo illud dat vitaÌ„ Hoc patet in vita corporali etc. Here Lyra in 6. Ioan. he proueth a thing supposed For he had saied that the eating of this flesh geueth life This he ê“ueth here For that by the whiche a maÌ„ ys vnited to the principle that maketh thinges to liue geueth life This appeareth in the corporall life By this SacrameÌ„t a maÌ„ ys vnited to Chryst who ys the beginning of the spuÌ„all life And this ys yt that ys saied He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in him that ys to saie he ys vnited to me This Authour ê“ceadeth as yow haue hearde him beginne wher he taught that Chrystes flesh was so verilie meat that yt was in the SacrameÌ„t not as in a sign but reallie and in very dede To the whiche flesh of Chryst saieth he we be vnited by the SacrameÌ„t that ys by the receauing of the SacrameÌ„t wherin being reallie Chrystes verie flesh we be vnited to the same For yf yt be not ther we cannot be vnited to yt by the SacrameÌ„t For an vnioÌ„ ys the making of two things or mo one whiche thinges must be present so to be vnited Wherfor the bodie of Chryst ys reallie in the SacrameÌ„t or ells ther can be no vnioÌ„ What maner of vnion ys wrought by the SacrameÌ„t S. Hilary hath taught vs that yt ys a natural vnioÌ„ that ys an vnioÌ„ of Chrystes natural flesh and substaÌ„ce and of our natural flesh and substaÌ„ce whiche both by this SacrrmeÌ„t be made one so that Chryst dwelleth in vs and we in him Yf anie of the Aduersaries wolde take occasioÌ„ to obiect as they wil doo as wel vpoÌ„ a woorde as a whol senteÌ„ce that this Authour saieth that Chryste ys the beginning of the spuÌ„al life wherfor we be ioined to him spirituallie for the hauing of that spuÌ„al life and not corporal life it ys very manifest I saie that we liue not corporally by the SacrameÌ„t but this corporall life ys mainteined by other foode But the life that we haue by the receipt of Chryst in the SacrameÌ„t ys the eternal life whiche ys called the spsial life as distincted froÌ„ the corporal and temporal life TemporaleÌ„ vitaÌ„ sine illo habere homines possuÌ„t aeternaÌ„ verò omnino noÌ„ possuÌ„t Men maie haue saieth S. Augu. the teÌ„poral life withoute the SacrameÌ„t but the eternall life by no means can they haue For this meat suffreth the teÌ„poral death to come to vs but as Chrysostom saieth yt expelleth death meening the eternall death Of the whiche S. August saieth QuantuÌ„ pertinet ad mortem istaÌ„ visibileÌ„ et corporaleÌ„ nunquid nos noÌ„ morimur qui maÌ„ducamus paneÌ„ de caelo de scendenteÌ„ Sic sunt mortui et illi quemadmoduÌ„ et nos sumus morituri QuantuÌ„ attinet vt dixi ad morteÌ„ huius corporis visibileÌ„ atque carnaleÌ„ QuantuÌ„attinet Aug. tract n Joan. 26. ad morteÌ„ illaÌ„ de qua terret DnÌ„s quia mortui sunt patres istorum Manducauit Manna et Moyses manducauit Manna et Aaron maÌ„ducauit Manna et Phinees manducauerant ibi multi qui DnÌ„o placuerunt et mortui non sunt For somoche as doth pertein to this visible and corporal death do not we die which do eate the bread descending from heauen So also be they dead euen as we also shall die for somoche as perteineth to the visible and corporall death of this bodie as I haue saied for somoche as perteineth to that death from the whiche our Lorde doth feare vs that the fathers of these be dead Moyses also did eate Manna and Aaron did eate Manna and Phynees did eate Manna manie did eate ther whiche haue pleased God and be not dead Thus moche S. Augustine In all whiche sainges ye perceaue that by the receipt of Chryst in the Sacrament we haue life not corporall and temporall but eternall Neither by yt do we eschape temporall and corporall death but eternall death So that yowe se the eternall life set against visible corporall and temporall life as a spirituall life whiche spirituall and eternall life ys by faith and holy conuersacion answerablie begonne in this life in owre inwarde man and in our bodies by the receipt of Chrystes liuing flesh as he himself saieth Ego resuscitabo eum in nouissimo die I will raise him in the last daie Ego saieth Cyrill id est corpus meum quod comedetur resuscitabo eum I that ys my bodie whiche shall be eaten shall rayse him vppe in the last daie And again he saieth Ego ergo qui homo factus sum per meam carnem in nouissimo die comedentes resuscitabo I therfor Chrystes bodie shall raise our bodies saieth S. Cyrill in the person of Chryst who am made man by my slesh will raise the eaters of the same in the last daie So that Chryst ys he by whome being vnited vnto him we shall haue that eternall and spirituall life that knoweth neither corruption nor ende THE SEVEN AND TWENTETH CHAP. ABIdeth in the same exposition by Theophilact and Rupertus Tuicien THeophilacte vpon the text nowe in hande saieth thus Hoc loco discimus Sacramentum Communionis Nam qui edit bibit carnem sanguinem In 6. Joan. Domini in ipso manet Domino Dominus in ipso Contemperatioenim fit noua super rationem ita vt sit Deus in nobis nos in Deo Non audis terribilem auditum Non Deum nudum manducamus tangi enim nequit incorporeus est neque occulis neque manibus apprehendi potest Iterum nudi hominis caro nihil prodesse potest Sed quia Deus vniuit sibi carnem secundùm ineffabilem contemperationem viuisica est caro non quòd in Dei naturam transierit absit sed ad similitudinem candentis ferri quod ferrum manet ignis ostendit operationem sic ergo Domini caro manens caro viuisica est sicut Dei caro In this place we learn the Sacrament of CoÌ„munion For he that eateth and drinketh the flesh and blood of our Lorde dwelleth in the same our Lord and our Lord in him For ther ys a newe contemparacion Not God alone spirituallie but the flesh of Christ verilie
Yet for the full satisfieng of the humble spirited reader and the like confutacion of the arrogaunt I will not refuse the paines to asscribe their iudgementes both of this text and of the rest that folowe The first of this companie that shall be brought furth to wittnesse ys sainct Cyprian who alleaging this same text doth declare howe he vnderstandeth Cyprian serm de oratione Do. yt saing thus Quando ergo dicit in aeternum viuere si quis ederit de eius pane vt manifestum est eos viuere qui corpus eius attingunt Eucharistiam iure communicationis accipiunt ita contrà timendum est orandum ne dum quis abstentus separatur à corpore Christi procul remaneat à salute comminante illo dicente Nisi ederitis carnem filij hominis biberitis sanguinem eius non babebitis vitam in vobis Et ideò panem nostrum id est Christum dari nobis quotidie perimus vt qui in Christo manemus viuimus à sanctificatione corpore eius non recedamus Therfore when he saieth him to liue for euer whosoeuer shall eate of his breade As yt ys manifest that they do liue whiche do touche this bodie and according to the right of partaking do receaue the Sacrament Euen so contrarie wise yt ys to be feared and praied for lest while any man being accursed ys separated frō the bodie of Chryst he maie abide and remain farre from health he threatninge and sainge Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloode ye shall haue no life in yowe And therfore we dailie desire our bread that ys to saie Chryste to be geuen to vs that we whiche do abide and liue in Chryste maie not departe from his sanctification and bodie Thus moche S. Cyprian In which sainge first he manifestlie sheweth that this text ys to be vnderstanded of the Sacrament For by expresse woordes he saieth that they haue life whiche by right of partaking do receaue-the Eucharist or Sacrament as I terme yt for that the english toung hath none apter terme for yt And all men vse the woord Sacrament to that signification in comon speache And as we do oftentimes by this tearm the Sacrament vnderstand both the Sacrament and the thing signified by the Sacrament So dothe saincte Cyprian likewise in this place vnderstand and meen both For as when he had saied that we shall haue life by partaking of the Sacrament Euen so saieth he yt ys to be feared that when we be separated from the bodie of Chryste that then we shall be farre frō health Wherby yt ys plain that he speaketh not onelie of the Sacrament as of the sacramentall signes but he speaketh raither of the Sacrament as of the thinge signified and conteined in and vnder the sacramentall signes whiche by expresse woordes he calleth the bodie of Chryste But that ye maie the better creditte the matter not for my saing but for his ye shall heare him expownde him self that by this woorde Eucharistia he Cyprian Li. 3. Epist. 15 meneth the bodie of Chryste Illi contra euangelij legè vestrā quoque honorificā petitionem ante actam poenitentiam ante exomologesin grauissimi atque extremi delicti factam ante manum ab Episcopo Clero in poenitentiam impositam offerre pro illis Eucharistiam dare id est sanctum Domini corpus prophanare audent They against the lawe of the gospell and also your honorable peticiō before the penaunce Eucharist called the holie bodie of our Lord by S. Ciprian was doē before the cōfessiō of the most greuouse and extreme fawte made before the hand was put on by the Bishoppe and the cleargie vnto penannce dare offer for them and geue the Sacrament that ys to prophane the holie bodie of our Lorde Thus Ciprian In these woordes he plainly interpreteth him self and sheweth that he taketh this woorde Eucharistia for the bodie of Chryste and therwithall teacheth the reall presence of Chrystes bodie to be in the Sacrament for yf yt be not in the Sacrament yt can not by receauinge of the Sacrament be prophaned This then being preceaued that saincte Ciprian vnderstandeth this texte of the Sacrament I will also call one of the greke churche to geue vs knowledge howe he expowndeth the same who shal be Theophilacte thus he writeth Iudaei cùm audiuissent de esu carnis illius discredunt Ideò verbum incredulitatis dicunt quomodò Nam quando cogitationes incredulitatis ingrediuntur animam ingreditur simul quomodò Propterea iple volens ostendere quòd non sit impossibile sed etiam The ophilact in 6. Joan. valde necessarium non potest haberi vita nisi eius carnem comedamus c. Oportet igitur nos cùm audiuerimus Nisi comederitis carnem filij hominis non habebitis vitam in sumptionibus diuinorum mysteriorum indubitatam retinere fidem non quaerere quo pacto The Iewes when they had hearde of the eatinge of Chrystes flesh they do not beleue And therfor they saie the woorde of vnbeleif Howe For Howe the woorde of incredulitie when the thoughtes of incredulitie do entre the soule ther entreth withall Howe Therfore he willing to shewe that yt was not impossible but euen very necessarie and that other wise life can not be had except we eate his flesh c. Therfore we must when we heare Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man ye shall haue no life in the receauinge the Diuine misteries retein an vndoubted faith and not aske Howe or by what mean Thus moche Theophilacte Capite 7. Marke that he wolde when we heare this texte Except ye eate the flesh c. we shoulde haue an vndoubted faith what vndoubted faith he meneth he opened in his saing alleaged for the text before declared wher he saied that the bread whiche Chryst wolde geue ys not a figure of his flesh but his verie flesh For the bread saieth he yt transformed into the flesh of oure Lorde This ys that vndoubted faithe whiche Theophilacte wolde that we shoulde haue when we heare these woordes Except ye eate the flesh c. to beleue that in the Sacrament we must eate the flesh of Chryste or ells we shall not haue life Neuerthelesse this necessitie ys not soche that all that doo not receaue the holie Sacrament actuallie shall not haue life but all that do not in acte or pourpose beinge of age agreable or doo contemne the receipte of yt actuallie they shall not haue life But soche as be of mature age and doe of good deuocion pourpose to receaue it though they do not receaue yt actuallie yet hauing a godlie faith and not contemning the thing they shall by Gods mercie haue life As Baptisme ys a sacrament of great necessitie yet al that haue obteined life I meen life euerlasting were not baptised in water according to Chrystes lawe but some in
this pure and vndefiled sacrifice to be the holie bread on the aultar liēg before the preist in that he saieth hunc panem sanctum this holie bread and that he tearmeth the cuppe to be the cupp of euerlasting health For as the bread ys holie and the fountain of holinesse from whence to vs floweth all holinesse so ys the cuppe the cuppe of euerlasting health For sanguis Iesu Christi emundat nos ab omni delicto The blood of Iesus Chryst doth clense vs from all sinne and so pourging the grosse and filthie humoures of sinne which make the soule sicke geueth vs euerlasting health and wher euerlasting health ys ther ys euerlasting life And so cometh to passe that Chryst saieth Qui manducat meam carnem et bibit meum sanguinem habet vitam aternā He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath euerlasting life Thus then maie yt be perceaued that this holie bread and cuppe of life euerlasting Chrysts bodie in the Sacr ys the vnbloodie sacrifice of the Church ys the holie vndefiled and vnbloodie sacrifice which S. Ambrose testifieth to be offred in the Church which as ys saied well considered and weighed and these tearms the vndefiled and vnbloodie sacrifice and the holie bread and cuppe of life euerlasting compared and ioined together as meening one thing as they doo in dede cā signifie no other thing to vs but the verie bodie and blood of oure Lord and Sauiour Iesus Chryst offred as the vndefiled and vnbloodie sacrifice of his Church And Reader in case the Aduersarie wold bleer thine eie expownding thys woord of S. Ambrose Masse panem sanctum holie bread to be the sacramētall bread and the bread of their holie cōmunion so to delude thee and to elude the argument and to auoide the presence of Chrysts blessed bodie in the Sacramēt yet the woords adioined which be that the cuppe ys called the cuppe of euerlasting life do ād shal so streict him that he cā not but vnderstand thē of the bodie ād blood of Chryst ād not his sacramētal bread and cuppe For the one bi the cōfession of Oecolāp ād Crāmer cā receaue no holines being a dumbe creature and the other wil be confessed of all men yf yt be but a cuppe of wine that yt ys not the cuppe of euerlasting life Yt remaineth then that they are vnderstanded of the bodie and blood of Chryst which be the holie bread and cuppe of euerlasting life and the vndefiled and vnbloodie sacrifice of the Church Hitherto ye haue perceaued that S. Ambrose agreeth with S. Iames S. Clement S. Basill and S. Chrysostome in this poinct namelie in the oblacion of sacrifice And now that by S. Ambrose yt ys perceaued that he and the Church that he liued in did offre sacrifice and that that sacrifice was the bodie and blood of Chryst ther remaineth now that we conferre with him and the rest the doing of the catholique Church now in their Masse and of the hereticall Woords of the Canon in the Masse cōgregacion in the Cōmunion as they vntruelie tearm yt The catholique Churche as in the practise of all the Fathers yt was vsed immediatelie after the consecracion ys doen proceadeth thus saing Vnde memores nos Domine serui tui sed plebs iua sancta eiusdem Christi Filii tui tam beate passionis necnon ab inferis resurrectionis sed in caelos gloriosae ascensionis offerimus praeclarae maiestati tuae de tuis donis ac datis hostiam puram hostiam sanctam hostiam immaculatam panem sanctum vitae aeternae calicem salutis perpetuae Wherfore o Lord we thie seruantes and the holie people also being mindeful of the blessed passion of the same Chryste thie Sonne and of his resurrection and also of his gloriouse ascensiō into heauē we offre to thie excellēt maiestie of thie gifts and graunts a pure sacrifice and holie sacrifice an vndefiled sacrifice the holie bread of euerlasting life and the cuppe of euerlasting saluacion Thus the Church Wher ye perceaue that as S. Iames. S. Clement S. Basill and other did offre sacrifice and that in the remembrance of Chrysts passion resurrection c. So dothe the catholique Church now likewise offre in this praier which forasmoch as yt dependeth of somthing going before vnderstand that as in the Masse of S. Iames and the other so in this Masse rehersal ys made of this cōmaundement of Chryst Do ye this in remēbrance of me Wherupō this praier wherin in euerie of these Masses oblaciō ys made of the sacrifice of Chrystes bodie and blood ys furthwith added as the fulfilling of that cōmaundemēt and therfore saieth Wherfor we mindeful o Lord of the blessed passion c. Whiche ys asmoch to saie forasmoch as thie Sonne our Lord and Sauiour hath commaunded vs to offre in sacrifice his blessed bodie and blood in the remēbrāce of that death which he did once suffre in that bodie ād of other his great and wōderfull actes that he did in the same as his resurrectiō ascension c. Therfor o Lord according to this thy Sonne his cōmaundemēt being mind full of those great ād wonderful actes we offre vnto thee this holy sacrifice And here by the waie let the Proclamer note that wher he wold be certified wher we be commaunded to offre Chryst in sacrifice he maie by all these Masses be taught that we are so cōmaunded by Chrysts owne woord we be commaunded to offre Chryst in sacrifice wherupō if he wil see he maie perceaue that oblaciō ys made of the bodie ād blood of Chryst in eche of thē euen by his cōmaūdemēt as ys allreadie saied That the bodie and blood of Chryst ys the sacrifice that ys here offred yt maie suffice to repete a fewe words of S. Same 's our first witnesse ād of S. Ambrose our last witnesse for the profe of the same this being oute of all doubte Sacrifice of fred by S. James that the Fathers betwē thē dissented not frō thē S. Iames saied Offerimus tibi Domine sacrificiū verendū et incruentū We offre vnto thee o Lord this dreadful ād vnbloodie sacrifice This sacrifice being dreadfull and vnbloodie cā be none other as ther yt ys proued but the bodie of Christ And in that he calleth yt an vnbloodie sacrifice he beateth downe the grosse hereticall obiection of the enemies of Chrysts euerlasting sacrifice saing that if he be offred in sacrisice he must be slain again and his blood as often shedd as he ys offred wher the faith of all holie Fathers acknowlegeth yt to be an vnbloodie sacrifice for that no violence ys now wrought to the shedding of Chrysts blood S. Ambrose saieth Offerimus tibi hanc immaculatā rationabilē incruentā hostiā We offre vnto thee this pure reasonable and vnbloodie sacrifice And determining what this sacrifice ys he addeth Hunc panē sanctum calicē vitae aeternae This holie Sacrisice was