was the speaker for what intente what tyme and suche other it shal playnlye appeare that the literall sense as the woordes purporte is the true sense that the holy Ghost dyd principally intende As for example Fyrst it appeareth euidentlye the speaker to be Iesus Christ oure Lorde Gods sonne equall and omnipotent God wyth the father that these hys wordes be not wordes of a bare narration teachyng but wordes whereby a sacrament is instituted And for that reason we muste considre that it is otherwise with Christ then with vs for in maÌ„ the woorde is true when the thyng is true wherof it is spoken In God the thing is true when the woorde is spoken of the thing Mans word declareth the thyng to be as it is before Gods worde maketh the thyng to be as it was not before In man the trueth of hys word dependeth of the trueth of the thyng Contrarye in God the trueth of the thynge dependeth vpon the speaking of the woorde as the Psalme sayeth Ipse dixit facta sunt He spake the word the thynges were made And thys thynge the deuill knewe well ynough being sure that yf Iesus were Christe and God he could with his word both create newe thynges and also chaunge the nature and substaunce of any thynge therfore sayd vnto him temptyng him whether he was Gods sonne or no yf thou be Gods sonne speake the woorde that these stoones maye be made bread Wherbi we may learne that although in maÌ„s speache it is not true to saye these stones be breade yet yf GOD should saye so it shuld be true the inferior nature of creatures gyuyng place to the omnipotent power of God the creator After which sort Ireneus reasoneth agaynste those heretikes that denied Iesus Christ to be Gods sonne vsyng that most constantly beleued truth of the sacrament that we hold now grounded vpon Christes wordes for an argumente to conuince Iesus the speaker to be Gods sonne His woordes be these Quomodo autem constabit eis eum panem in quo gratiae actae sunt corpus esse domini sui calicem sanguinis eius si non ipsum fabricatoris mundi filium dicant Howe shall it be certayne vnto them that that breade vpon whiche thankes are giuen that is to saye the Eucharistical bread is y e body of theyr Lorde and the cuppe of his bloude yf they saye not that he is the sonne of hym y t made the world as though he should reason thus These wordes which Iesus spake of the blessed breade sayinge This is my body This is the cuppe of my bloude be eyther true or false If the speaker of them be pure man and not god as they say then can they not be true for mans word chaungeth not the nature of thynges as it is here But yf the woordes be true as they certeynlye beleue then the speaker of theÌ„ must nedes be gods sonne of infinite power able to make the thynges to be as he sayeth they be And also in his 57. Chapiter the fame 4. booke he maketh the lyke argumente in these woordes Quomodò iuste Dominus si alte rius patris existit huius conditionis quae est secundum nos accipiens panem suum corpus confitebatuâ— temperamentum calicis sui sanguinem coÌ„firmauit If our Lord be a pure man of that nature condition that we be of the sonne of an other father then God How dyd he iustly and truely taking bread into hys hande confesse saye it to be his body and confirme that mixture of wyne and water that was in the chalyce to be his owne bloude By these two places of Ireneus that liued within 150. yeares of Christ we are taught not to flye to oure figures of grammer to make these wordes of Christ true which in dede we must nedes do or else say they be false yf Christe the speaker be but only man and not God but we be taught by him to be leue them to be most true and for that reason to beleue also that Christe the speaker is Gods sonne by whose almighty power the thynges be chauÌ„ged and made as he speaketh so that we may iustly after the minde of Ireneus diuerse other olde auctours whiche were longe to rehearse nowe conceaue this opinioÌ„ of these men that say these wordes of christ can not be true except they be vnderstanded by a figuratiue speache that they eyther beleue not them selfes y t Christe is Gods sonne or els gyue occasion to other to reuiue that olde damnable heresye of Arius that denyed Christes Godheade thexperience whereof we haue had of late dayes of some that from Sacramentaries by necessary consequence of that heresye became Arianes The seconde circumstance I spake oâ— was â—o considre to what purpose intent Christ spake these wordes I sayde they were woordes not of a bare narration teaching some doctrine but the woordes of thinstitution of a Sacrament of the newe Testamente And then it foloweth that yf they be the forme of a Sacrament as they be in dede then muste they nedes be that instrument whereby Gods almightie power assistinge the dewe ministration of his priest worketh that grace inwardly that the wordes purport outwardlye For so it is in al other Sacramentes In Baptisme these wordes Ego baptizote I baptise thee and so forth lyke as outwardly to the eares of the hearer they signifie a washing so almightie God assisting the due pronouncing of theÌ„ dothe inwardlye worke the grace of washynge the soule of him to whome the wordes be spoken yf there be no stoppe or impediment of his partye And likewise in penaunce as the woordes of the Prieste saying Ego absoluo te ab omni bus peccatis tuis in nomine Patris filij spiritus sancti I absolue thee from all thy sinnes in the name of the father and the sonne and the holye ghoste do signifie forgiuenes so God doth inwardly forgiue yf the partye be truelye penitent Likewise in mariage that knotte the man knitteth with the woman in takynge hir to his wife she him to hir husband God also inwardly doth knitte the same which manne can not lowse and so forthe of al other Sacramentes Now to our purpose The grace whyche is included in these wordes This is my bodye This is my bloude is not only accidental grace as in the other but the body of Christe to be our Sacrament whiche is the substaunce of grace the aucthor fountayne and well of al grace as S. Bernarde sayth Dicitur Eucharistia per excellentiam In hoc enim Sacramento non solum quaelibet gratia sed ille à quo est omnis gratia sumitur This Sacramente is called Eucharistia for some excellencye aboue al other for in this sacrameÌ„t is receaued not only anye other grace but he of whome procedeth al grace Then it foloweth y t whereas the grace of this sacramente which the wordes purport to the outward
eares of all men is the essential grace of Christes bodye and bloude to be there presente it foloweth I saye that Christ by these wordes as by a conuenient instrument worketh inwardlye in that he gaue to his disciples y ◠reall presence of his owne body and bloud as Eusebius Emesenus sayth Fide aestimandi non specie nec exterioris censenda est uisu sed interioris hominis affectu To be estemed by fayth not by the outwarde forme and not to be iudged by the sight of the outward man but by the affection of the inward man Thirdly we maye considre that these wordes be the performance of a former promise where Christe as it is wrytten in the .6 Chapiter of S. Iohn promised to giue vs y e same fleshe to eate that he woulde giue to the deathe for the life of the worlde sayinge Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est quam ego dabo pro mundi uita The breade which I shal giue vnto you is my fleshe whiche I shal giue for the lyfe of the world Whiche promise we neuer reade that Christ whiche is y e verye trueth and can not lye did euer at any time performe but in his last supper when he gaue his bodye and bloude to his disciples and to promise his fleshe to giue bare bread and not his fleshe is no performyng but a breakynge of hys promise and a deludynge of them to whome he made the promise for as for the interpretation whiche some menne make of Christes wordes that he wyl gyue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spirituallye by sayth is but a vaine and feined glose for that text And although Christ do so gyue it to be eaten by faythe yet we maye not exclude one trueth by an other trueth as sophisters do For Christ gaue his fleshe to vs to be eaten spirituallye by fayth euer from the beginning of the world also at that presente when he spake those wordes so that it were a very vayne thyng for Christe to promise to gyue a thyng which he euer before also at that present and euer after continually doth giue But it was neuer so taken of any good auncient aucthor which al with one consent doo expounde this text of Saynt Iohn of the giuing of his flesh in his laste supper vnder the forme of bread and therefore Cirillus wryteth that oure sauiour Christ dyd not expounde and make plaine the maner of the misterye and the performaunce of this his promise to them that asked the vnfaythful question Howe withoute fayth but to his disciples that beleued him and asked no such question of hym he declared the maner of it in his last supper Wherfore we may wel conclude vpon this circumstance that Christes fleshe is verelye present in the Sacrament to be giuen vnto vs because he promised before that he wold giue vs the same fleshe for our foode that he would gyue on the crosse for our redemption The tyme also is to be considered that he spake these wordes the nyghte before he suffered death at which tyme and the next daye after he ended and fulfilled all fygures saying on the crosse Consummatum est All figures shadowes be ended and expired whyche was no tyme then to institute and beginne newe figures It is likely or probable that our Sauiour Christ then enteryng into his agony and beginnynge his passion accustomynge commonlye before to teache his disciples in playne wordes without parables or figuratiue speaches woulde then so lightly behaue him self as to delude his choysen and intierlye beloued disciples in callyng those thynges hys bodye that is gyuen for them his bloude that is shedde for them whiche were neyther his bodye nor his bloude but bare breade and wine Or is there any religion in oure christen fayth in nycknanamyng thynges or callynge thē otherwyse then they be Yf any man thynke him self able to aunswere that because Christ sayd he was a vyne he was a doore beynge neyther vyne nor doore that man semeth to me not substantiallye to waye the woordes speaches of scripture For lette him considre thoroughoute all the Scripture wheresoeuer he shal find that Christ spake any thing of him selfe by woordes of oure common speache for the godhead and the properties of the god heade be ineffable and can not be expressed to our capacitye but by woordes and names of worldly and naturall thinges here among vs. He shall alwayes fynd that Christe was a better and more syngulare thyng then the worde dyd properlye signifye that was attribute vnto him and to make thys matter more playne by examples Where Christe sayde I am the way he meant not that he was the waye that leadeth to the city or to some other place but that he was a more excellent waye A waye that leadeth to the father to heauen to euerlastyng lyfe When he sayde he was the doore he meante not that he was the doore of the shepefold here in earth but a farre better doore the doore of the churche the spirituall shepefolde by the which doore who soeuer entreth shall be saued Also calling him selfe a vine he meant that he was the spirituall vyne whereof all christen men be braunches better then suche a vine as groweth in the fieldes And lykewyse by that he calleth himselfe the lighte we vnderstande that he was not the sensible light of this world but the heauenlye lyghte ▪ that neyther by course is chaūged nor by shadowe is darkened So that it maye be obserued for a rule when Christe dothe attribute the name of anye sensible creature to hym selfe euer the vnderstandyng exceadeth and excelleth the word in dignitie And yf this be true in all kind of teaching and doctrine shall we now in the high misteries and sacramentes of God come from the hall to the kitchin from the better to the worst y t where Christ sayeth This is my body we shall vnderstande that it is breade a worse thinge then his bodye This is my bloude that is to saye wine a worse thing then his bloude These be fonde false gloses neyther true nor likely nor yet tolerable Wherefore leauynge oute a great many other circumstancies that woulde serue verye well to set forth the trueth of this doctrine I shall conclude thus seing S. Mathew sayth in playne termes it is my body it is my bloude S. Mark sayth it is my body S. Luke sayth it is my body S. Paul sayth it is my body S. Iohn sayeth it is my fleshe shall we nowe fyftene hundreth yeare after them handle the matter so finelye and waye the scripture so substantiallye that we shall affirme the contradictorye to be the true sense saying this is not my bodye this is not my bloude but a figure a signe of my bodye bloude These euidēt scriptures moue me to continue styll stedfast in that fayth I was borne in not to be moued wyth vayne
the fleshe of an holy man ioyned to the word of God by vnitye of dignitye nor as the fleshe of hym in whome God dwelleth but as the flesh only propre to gods sonne verely giuing life to the receauer By this determination of this general couÌ„cel we learne that in the mysticall benediction by whyche word is meant thys blessed Sacramente we receaue Christes owne propre fleshe and of it we receaue sanctification and lyfe before the receypt whereof we celebrate the vnbloudye sacrifice of the same in our churches declaring our Lordes death resurrection and ascension and by this place we plainly perceaue that the doinges and wordes whych be vsed daylye in oure Masse were also vsed in the time of this councel muche aboue a thousand yeares agoo This doctrine also was determined in the general councell holden at Constantinople in the time of Iustyniane y e Emperoure the yeare of our Lorde 552. where be wrytten these wordes Omni sensibili creaturae supereminet is qui salutari passione coelestem nactus digni tatem edens bibens ChristuÌ„ ad uitam aeternam perpetuo coÌ„iungitur anima corpore diuinae participatione gratiae saÌ„ctificatur and so forth He farre excelleth euerye sensible creature that by the passion of our sauioure obteynyng heauenlye dignitie eatyng and drynkyng Christ is continually ioyned to eternal lyfe and is sanctified bothe in soule and body by participation of the heauenly grace Thys place is notable declarynge the dignitie of hym that eateth Christ and the effecte of that eatynge to be euerlastynge lyfe and sanctification bothe of bodye and soule Likewyse the general couÌ„cell called Lateranense holden at Rome the yeare of our Lorde 1215. determyned thys matter in the same termes that we expresse it nowe Vna est fidelium uniuersalis Ecclesia extra quam nullus omnino saluatur in qua idem ipse sacerdos sacrificium Iesus Christus cuius corpus sanguis in Sacramento altaris sub speciebus panis uini ueraciter continentur tran substantiatis pane in corpus uino in sanguinem potestate diuina There is one vniuersall churche of all faythfull people wythoute the whych no man is saued at anye tyme in the which Iesus Christ hym selfe is both the priest and the sacrifice whose bodye and bloude be truely conteyned in the sacrament of the aultare vnder the forme of breade and wine the breade beyng transubstantiate into hys body the wine into hys bloude by the power of God This forme of doctrine after this sort in these termes hath bene taught professed beleued throughoute y e whole catholike Churche euer sence that tyme howsoeuer some he retikes forsaking their fayth procedynge from Gods omnipotent word and the vnitye of hys churche and leanynge to their sensualitye and blind reason agaynst fayth haue repyned and barked agaynste the same But I put no doubtes but by Gods grace yf the time wolde suffer me â–ª to make thys matter oâ— transubstantiation as playne as the other of the reall presence The generall councell also of Constance holden of latter dayes the yeare of our Lord 1415. doth agree and testifye the same in that they condemned Iohn Wyclefe the heretike all his errours agaynst this blessed Sacrament Thus haue I shewed you the consente of the churche by the determinations of the generall councels It shal not be nedeful to rehearse any particular and prouincial councels which al in this doctrine agre with the other generall Furthermore the consente of the churche appeareth by y e condemnation of the heretykes of al ages whych hold any false opinion in anye poynte agaynst the veritye and the institution of Christ concerning this blessed Sacrament The first heretike that euer we reade of in this matter father to all the Sacramentaries that lyue nowe was one in the time of Ignatius by and by after y e Apostels whose name we know not but what he and his sect that folowed him did Theodoretus in his thyrd dialoge maketh mention sayinge that Ignatius who lyued within one hundreth yeare of Christ writeth in an epistle ad Smyrnenses in these wordes Eucharistias oblationes non admittunt eoque non confiteantur Eucharistiam esse carnem seruatoris nostri Iesu Christi quae pro pecâ—atis nostris passa est quam pater sua benignitate suscitauit They do not allowe and admitte our Sacrament offerynges because they do not confesse the Sacrament called Eucharistia to be the fleshe of oure sauioure Iesus Christe whych fleshe suffered for oure synnes and which the fathers goodnes dyd rayse froÌ„ deathe agayne By this we learne what was the fayth in the primitiue churche both that the Sacramente was the verye fleshe of Christ whych suffered for vs also that it was offered for vs by the priestes which thinges those heretykes denyed then as their scholers nowe springing vp vpon their ashes denye nowe that they were condemned as heretykes by the primitiue churche then as these most worthely be condeÌ„ned by the catholike Churche nowe And where as the due matter wherein this blessed Sacrament is coÌ„secrated oughte to be vnleauened breade of wheate and wine myxed with water accordyng to the scriptures the example of christ there were one sort of heretykes called Artotoritae of whome speaketh Epiphanius contra Quintillianos whych were so called for y â— they vsed not in their sacrifyces the necessary and due matter but in their mysteries dyd coÌ„secrate and offer bread and cheese An other sort of heretikes were called Fermentarij because they did consecrate in leuened breade as our men of late dyd commaunde to be done â–ª who were condemned by the generall councell at Basyll Other were called Aquarij or Hydroparastae for that they preteÌ„dyng sobrietye did consecrate in water only wythout wine agaynst whome wrytte saynt Cypriane Chrysostome other who also were coÌ„demned by the generall councell of Constantinople in trullo cap. 32. Other were called Armenij who in their sacrifices consecrated and offered wyne onelye wythoute water agaynst whome wryteth Theophilactus All these helde false opinion agaynste the necessary and due matter of the Sacramente There were other heretykes that denyed the effecte of the Sacrament as Messaliani who as it is wrytten by Theodoretus sayd that the heauenly foode whereof our lorde spake he that eateh my fleshe drynketh my bloude shal lyue euer more dyd neyther profite nor hurte any man Nestorius also the pernicious herytyke and Archebyshoppe of Constantinople destroyed the vertue of the sacramente as Theophilactus writeth for y t he graunting christes very fleshe to be really and truely present in the Sacramente denyed that fleshe beynge receyued in to our bodyes to be the propre fleshe of gods sonne and therfore to haue no vertue to giue life to our mortal bodies this heresy was condemned by the generalcouncel holden at Ephesus And where as thys sacrament can not
supra ipsum est litet se excusat ad ipsum primo decenter exclamans tu dixisti hoc facite in meam commemorationem Wherfore the bishoppe reuerently and accordyng to hys pastoral office after the prayse and commendation of Gods workes and benefytes he dothe excuse hym selfe that he dothe take vpon hym to offre that sacrifice of our sauiour whych is farre aboue his degree and dignitie crying fyrst vnto hym decentlye Lorde thou dyddeste commaunde sayinge Do thys in my remembraunce If there were no more but thys one aucthoritye it were sufficient to proue that the priest dothe offre the body of Christ which is the sacrifyce of oure Sauiour in the Masse and that he offereth it by the expresse commaundement of Christ saying Do thys in my remembrauÌ„ce that he offereth that thing whyche is farre exceadynge hys degree whych can be nothynge elles but the bodye of Christ. Therfore leauyng for shortnes of tyme all other aucthorities whyche wyth lytle laboure I coulde brynge in for thys purpose me thynke I maye well conclude that the oblation of Christes bodye bloude in the Masse is the verye sacrifice of the Churche both by y e institution of Christ declared by hys expresse commaundement whyche we are all bounden to obeye and also by hys owne example in offerynge hym selfe vndre the formes of bread and wine which we priestes are bounden to folowe as the scrypture whych I haue alledged doth euidently proue â–ª the true sense wherof is as is recyted not pryuate proceadynge from mine owne brayne but catholyke confirmed by the coÌ„sent of y e churche able to reproue and conuince anye one manne that hath nothyng to saye to the contrary but hys bare naye Besyde the institution which were sufficient for thys matter seynge in the doctrine of fayth the profe dependeth vpoÌ„ the weyght of one place not vpon the numbre of many yet I shall alledge vnto you the prophecye of Malachy where it is prophecyed before that God would refuse and reiecte the sacrifices of the Iewes that he woulde call vnto vys grace and mercy the gentiles in whose Churche there shuld be one pure and cleane sacrifice succedyng al the other offered in euery place whych canne be none other but thys one pure sacrifice of Christes body in the Masse The place is thys Non est mihi uoluntas in uobis munus non suscipiam de manu uestra ab ortuenim solis usque ad occasum magnuÌ„ â–ª est nomen meum in gentibus in omni loco sacrificabitur offeretur nomini meo oblatio munda I haue no will and pleasure in you and I wyll receaue no offerynge or rewarde of your hand For from the risinge of the sunne to the settynge my name is great amonges the gentyles and in euery place there shalbe sacrifice done and a pure and cleâ—â—â— oblation shall be offered to my name Thys place is very playne for the detestynge of the Iewes â–ª the reiectinge of their sacrifices for the vocation of the gentyles â–ª and for the pure and one singulare sacryfyce that amonges them shall be offered to almightye God in euerye place in stede of the other This must nedes be y e sacrifice of the Masse or elles let them that saye naye shewe of what other the place is ment And in verye dede some haue bestowed all their witte and learnynge wrytynge and rackynge thys place to make it serue to some other sacrifyce besyde y e Masse but it wyl not be the truth hath euer preuayled Some haue drawen it to the spiritual inward sacrifices of good mens hartes but in y e vnderstandinge they be ouerthroweÌ„ for the place speaketh precisely of one sacrifice the otâ—er spirituall sacrifices be many so manye as there be heartes of good men to offer them And it speaketh also of one pure and cleane sacrifice â–ª but all the rightwesnes of maÌ„ is vnperfyte vnpure vnclean and compared to a fylthy cloth of a sycke woman and it speaketh of suche one pure sacrifice as shall succede and followe in the place of the other sacryfices of the Iewes which god reiecteth and abrogateth But the inward spirituall sacrifices of good men haue ben offered vsed before the lawe in the law after the law froÌ„ the time of Adam til the worldes ende Wherefore it is not possible that this place shulde be directly only vnderstanded of the spiritual sacrifices There be other also y t wrast it wold haue it meane only of the bloudy sacrifice of christ vpon the crosse But that can not be the wordes be so playn to the contrary For although that be one and pure sacrifice yet it was not offered in euery place as Malachie sayeth it shall and also it was offered only among the Iewes vpon the mount of Caluary where the Prophete sayeth thys sacrifice he speaketh of shall be offered in euery place amonge the gentyles Therfore to conclude thys is a playne prophecye declarynge the wyl of God to haue all the sacrifices of the Iewes to cease and in the churche of hys newe people the gentiles to haue thys one pure sacrifice of Christes bodye and bloude in the Masse to be frequented in euerye place wherewith he is wel pleased and contented And in thys sense Irenaeus taketh it whose wordes in Latyn I alledged a lytle before that Christ confessyng the cup to be of hys bloude did teache the newe oblation of the newe testament whych the churche receauing of the Apostles offereth to God throughoute the worlde of the whyche Malachye one of the twelue Prophetes dydde speake before I haue no wyll nor pleasure in you and so forth As I haue recyted before manifestly declarynge that the olde people shoulde cease to offre to God and that the newe people shall offre vnto hym one pure sacryfice in euery place Chrysostome also sayeth Et in omni loco sacrificium offeretur nomini meo et sacrifium puruÌ„ â–ª Vide quà m luculâ—Ì„ter quamque dilucidè mysticaÌ„ interpretatus est mensam quae est incruenta hostla And in euery place a sacrifice shall be offered to my name that a pure sacrifice See howe euidently howe plainly he doth interprete the mysticall table whyche is the vnbloudy sacrifice I nede not to open this place anye more beinge so playne as it is Saynte Augustyne wrytyng agaynste the Iewes sayeth thus Aperite oculos tandem aliquando uidete ab oriente sole usque ad occidentem non in uno loco ut uobis fuit constitutum sed in omni loco offerri sacrificium Christianorum non cuilibet Deo sed ei qui ista prae dixit Deo Israel Open youre eyes at last you Iewes see from the rising of the sunne to the setting not in one place as it was ordeyned amoÌ„ges you but in euerye place to be offered the sacrifice of Christen men not to euery God but to him that prophecied these before the GOD of
that lacketh in me I supplye of thee O moost sweateste reconciliation See howe Saynte Bernarde ioyneth the offeryng of oure bodyes and of Christes bodye together that yf the oblation of our bodyes be imperfecte suffise not the oblation of christes body may fulfyll and supplye that lacketh in vs And to what ende that we might be reconciled that the body of synne myghte be destroyed that it reygne not in oure bodyes ¶ Here the Prayer was made NOw entryng to speake of y e sacrifice of the churche I pre suppose one thyng whych is the foundation of the same to be most certaynlye and constantly beloued of all vs that be here present which is that in the most blessed SacrameÌ„t of the aultare is presente the true bodye and bloude of oure Sauiour Christe the price of our redemption not in figure only but in trueth and verye dede whiche the learned men call really and essentially that is to saye that thynge that substaunce that was vpon the crosse is nowe verely presente in the blessed Sacrament before we receaue it the cause of whych real presence is the omnipotente power and wyll of God assistyng the due administration of the Priest the whiche body and bloude we christen men receaue by the seruice of our bodyes and senses though not by the iudgement of our senses but onely by the iudgement of fayth because it is gyuen not in the outwarde fourme of the selfe same bodye and bloude as it was slayne shedde vpon the crosse but in the fourmes of our dayly and speciall nutrimentes of breade and wyne and that for sondry weyghtye and necessary causes foresene by our Sauioure Christ. For â–ª seyng the substaunce of our sacrifice of the newe Testament is the verye reall and naturall bodye of Christe as may be proued by many auctorities Saynte Cypriane sayeth In sacrificio quòd Christus est non nisi Christus sequendus est In that sacrifice that is Christ no manne is to be folowed but Christe Here he sayeth that Christ is that sacrifice that we offer to almyghtye God Also Saynte Basyl wryteth in hys forme of Masse Tu es qui offers offerris qui suscipis et impartis Christe Deus noster O Christ our God thou art he that both doest offer is offered that bothe giuest the offeryng and receaueth Saynt Basyl by this meaneth that the sacrifice whyche the churche offered to GOD is Christ hym selfe who in that he is the heade of hys body the churche is one offerer with y e churche and so is bothe offerer and offered as Basyl sayeth Lykewyse Saynte Ambrose wrytynge of the inuention of the bodyes of two gloriouse martyrs Geruasius and Prothasius and of the burying of them vnder the aultare sayeth thus Succedant uictimae triumphales in locum ubi Christus hostia est sed ille super altare qui pro omnibus passus est â—sti sub altari qui illius redempti sunt passione Let these triumphynge sacrifices meanynge the bodyes of the martyrs go into y t place where Christe is a sacrifice But Christe is a sacrifyce aboue the aultare who suffred for all men these two vnder y e aultare that were redemed by his passion Of this place I note my purpose whiche is that the sacrifice of the Churche and newe Testament is the verye reall bodye and bloude of our Sauiour Christ which is also testified by Chrysostome in his homelye he wryteth of the praise of GOD in these woordes Vereamini mensam quaue desuper uictima illa iacet Christus scilicet qui nostri causa occisus est feare and reuerence that table aboue y t which lieth that sacrifice that is to saye Christ whyche for oure cause was slayne By which wordes Chrysostome declareth his faythe that the sacrifice of y e churche is Christ and also that christ is not onely in heauen as some men damnably beareth you in hand but is placed lyinge aboue y e table of the aultare as y e substaunce of our sacrifice And in an other homely he writeth Mensa mysterijs instructa est et agnus dei pro te immolatur The table is furnished with mysteries and the lambe of god for the is offered teachinge vs that the holye mysteryes wherewith the table of our aultare is furnyshed be the body bloude of Christ that is to saye the lambe of god which is also then offered for vs. Saint Augustyne is full of such saynges as writinge of his mothers deathe howe that he wepte nothinge for her all the tyme the Masse was sayde for her soule which he expresseth by these wordes Cum offerrâ—tur pro ea sacrificium praecij nostri When the sacrifice of our pryce was offered for hyr I leaue out all the rest of the sentence contented to alledge onely this that proueth the sacryfice whiche is offered by the priest for the deade to be our pryce which is and can be nothinge else but the bodye bloude of Christ which he gaue vpon the crosse as the pryce of our redemption But playnest of al he writeth in a booke intituled Liber Sententiarum Prosperi which booke is alledged of Gratian in the decrees in these wordes Hoc est quod dicimus quòd modis omnibus approbare contendimus sacrificiuÌ„ Ecclesiae duobus confici duobus constare uisibili elementorum specie inuisibili Domini nostri Iesu Christi corpore sanguine Sacramento re Sacramenti id est corpore Christi This is that we saye that we labour to proue by al meanes that the sacrifice of the church is made and consisteth of two thinges of the visible fourme of the elementes and of the invisible bodye bloude of our Lorde Iesus Christ bothe the outwarde Sacrament and y e thinge or substaunce of y e Sacrament that is the bodye of Christ. These wordes nede no declaringe but poyntinge and for that cause why shoulde I tarye in this point any longer seing that our bokes be full of suche like aucthorities Therfore as I began seinge the substaunce of our Sacryfyce of the new Testament is the very reall and naturall bodye of Christe if this bodye be not present in the SacrameÌ„t as the enemyes of Christes crosse the destroyers of our faythe falsely pretend then be we christen men lefte all together desolate without any sacrifyce priuaâ—e vnto vs for bothe the sacrifice of Christe vpon the crosse and also the inwarde sacrifice of mans hearte be not priuate but common to vs to all faythfull men from the beginning of the worlde to the last end And furthermore seinge a sacrifice is an outwarde protestation of our inward faithe deuotion if we christen men now haue no sacrifice priuate vnto vs then be we the moost miserable men that euer were beinge without any kynde of religion For take awaye our sacrifice and take awaye our religion as S. Cyprian confutinge the carnall
thoughtes of the Capernaites that thought they should haue eaten Christes fleshe eyther rosted or sodde and so shoulde haue consumed it to nothinge wryteth thus Cum illius personae caro si in frusta partiretur non omni humano generi posset sufficere qua semel consumpta uideretur religio interisse cui ne quaquà m ulte rius uictima superesset Seyng that yf the fleshe of hys person were dyuyded into peeces it could not suffise al mankind to eate vpon which fleshe after it were once cleane wasted â–ª consumed our religion might like wise seme to perishe and be destroyed whych hadde no more any sacrifyce remaynynge Wherevpon I conclude that yf we haue not Christes bodye and bloude presente in the Sacrament for our external sacrifice wherby we may mitigate and please almighty God and obteyne remission of synne spirituall grace gyftes then shuld we be no better then the Turkes seinge all nations froÌ„ the begynnyng of the worlde both gentils and Iewes haue had one kynd of outwarde sacrifice to declare and expresse their inward deuotion and religion eyther to the true God of heauen or to suche as they fantasied or feyned to be gods sauyng onlye the Turkes as Petrus Cluniacensis wryteth Wherby it appeareth that thys secte that denyeth and destroyeth y e Masse whyche is the sacrifyce of the Churche is verelye the sect of Mahumette preparing a waye for the Turke to ouerrunne all Christendome as he hathe done a greate peece already For what could the Turke do more agaynst oure fayth yf he dyd ouercome vs besyde our thraldome and tyrannical oppression but as these men do nowe to take awaye oure Sacramentes and sacrifice and to leaue vs nothyng â–ª but the bare name of Christ and yf there be anye good man that hath true religion in his heart to compel hym to kepe it within hym y t he shal not expresse it outward lye and in verye dede diuerse notable and godly wryters at thys daye call thys heresye against y e sacrifice of the church which Luther first began and most manteyned by this name Secta Mahumetica the secte of mahomet But for y e auoydinge of these absurdities and for suche causes as I shal God willinge declare hereafter I presuppose this foundation of christes bodye to be really present in the blessed sacrament to be stedfastly beleued of vs all vpon the which I buylde al that remaineth now to be sayed Whych foundation although it hathe bene vndermyned of many men and many wayes therefore requireth a full and perfecte treatise to be made of it alone yet as I intende not to occupye al this time in that so I may not well so sclenderlye leaue it that hathe bene so muche and often assaulted but shall declare the summe of that moueth me to continue styll in that trueth I was borne in to kepe styll that fayth I was baptized in and putte on Christe which fayth seyng it is vniuersal yf I shuld leaue it I shulde forsake Christ and be an heretike not folowyng that forme of doctrine I receaued of my fathers and they of theyrs froÌ„ the begynnyng but choosinge my selfe a newe waye and new maysters that please me being so condemned by mine owne conscience iudgement which is the very propertye and definition of an heretike There be thre thinges that holde meâ—â— this fayth the manifest and playne scripture the vniforme aucthorities of holy men and the consent of the vniuersall churche These thre be the argumentes that a christen man maye sticke vnto and neuer be deceaued specially yf they be knytte and ioyned together coÌ„cerning one matter but yf they be separate then some of theÌ„ be but weak staffes to leane vnto As for example The scripture without the consent of the churche is a weapoÌ„ as mete for an heretike as for a catholike for Arius Nestorius suche other heretikes did alledge the scripture for theyr opinions as the catholikes did but theyr alledgynge was but the abusyng of the letter whiche is indifferent to good and euyll deprauyng of the true sense which is only knowen by the tradition and consente of the catholike churche so that the one withoute the other is not a direction but a seduction to a symple man because the verye scripture in dede is not the bare letter as it lieth to be taken of euery man but y e true sense as it is delyuered by the vniuersal consente of Christes churche Lykewyse the wrytynges and sayinges of the fathers yf they be but the mynde of one man wythout the consent of other were he neuer so wel learned and vertuouse otherwyse yet hys wrytynges I saye in that poynt be not a coÌ„firmation for an ignoraunte manne to holde him in the trueth but a temptatioÌ„ to seduce hym pul hym from the trueth The consent of the churche is alwayes a sure staffe the verye pyller of trueth whether it be in thynges expressed in y e letter of the scrypture or in thinges delyuered vnto vs by tradition of the Apostles He that holdeth him by this staffe caâ— not fall in fayth but stande in trueth Nowe concernynge thys matter of the present I am able by Gods helpe to shewe all these thre thinges ioyned and knitte together so that we can not be deceaued in this poynt except we wyll deceaue our selues as many wilfully do The scrypture by playne manifest wordes agaynste the whyche hell gates shall neuer preuayle dothe testifye confyrme our fayth in manye places but specially in the wordes of our sauiour Christ hym selfe in hys laste supper sayinge to hys Disciples Take eate this is my bodye whyche is gyuen for you Thys is my bloude of the newe Testament whyche is shedde for many and for you in remission of synnes whyche most playne scriptures manye haue gone aboute to delude to reduce theÌ„ to a base vnderstandynge by figuratiue speches contendyng these wordes This is my bodye This is my bloude to be spoken figuratiuelye and not as the wordes purport because other lyke sayinges in the scripture be taken figuratiuely as these I am the waye I am the doore The stone is Christ and suche other wherein they haue declared their deuelyshe and detestable sophistrye too their owne damnation the subuersion of a greate manye other They professe them selfes to be learned menne but who hearde euer tell of anye suche kynd of learnyng as to proue one singulare by an other as yf one shuld reason thus Thomas is an honest manne ergo Iohn is an honeste man The swan is white ergo the crowe is whyte Which argumentes be like thys I am the waye is a figuratiue speache ergo lykewise Thys is my bodye is a figuratiue speache With such fond folyes and sophismes is the trueth assaulted agaynste all good learnyng and the rules of all true reasonyng GOD open theyr eyes to see and folowe hys heauenly wisdome But yf we wyl consider the circuÌ„stancies of the texte who
wordes and reasons without probabilitye agaynste all rule and forme of true reasonyng Moreouer the nature of a sacrament dothe moue me very muche to beleue styll as I do For whereas euery sacrament of the newe Testament is a visible forme of an inuisible grace as S. Augustyne sayth it can not be a sacramente of y â— newe Testamente excepte it haue a promise of some suche grace to be gyuen to the worthye receauer as is signifyed by the outwarde forme of the sacrament As in baptisme the water which is the outwarde forme signifieth the grace of saluation and remission of synnes whych grace is bothe gyuen to the worthy receauer is also promised in scripture to be giueÌ„ by the mouth of christ saying Qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit saluus erit He that beleueth and is baptized shalbe saued Euen so the outwarde element of this sacrament which is bread and wine doâ—h signifye the grace of the vnitye of Christes misticall bodye that lyke as one breade is made of manye graynes one wyne is pressed out of many grapes so one mysticall body of Christ is compact vnited of the multitude of all Christen people as S. Cypriane sayeth Nowe yf our sacrament be breade and wine as they saye then shal they find the promise of this grace or of some other in the scriptures made to the receauer of breade and wine And yf there be no promise in all the scriptures made to the receauing of bread and wine then be they no sacramentes But yf they wyll loke in the sixt chapiter of S â–ª Iohn they shal find thys grace of the mysticall vnitye promised not to the receauynge of breade and wine but to the worthye receauyng of Christes body and bloude where Christ sayeth he that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloude he abydeth in me and I in hym and so is ioyned and incorporate into one mysticall bodye wyth him Oure sacramente therfore that hath the promise annexed vnto it is not breade wyne be they neuer so muche appoynted to signifye heauenly thynges as they saye but the very body and bloude of oure Lord Iesus Christ the bread that came from heauen Luther and suche as be of hys sect as take hys dreames for the ground of their fayth were muche pressed with this argument deduced of the propertye of the sacramente and sawe playnly that it could not be a sacrament of the newe testameÌ„t except it had a promise annexed to the worthy vsyng of it And yet for al that he would not condescende to say as the Churche sayeth that res SacrameÌ„ti the thing of the sacrament signified and not conteyned whych is the vnitye of the mystical body were that grace whych by Christ in S. Iohn was promised to the worthye receauer of it but went and sought about for an other promise and after much pooringe at laste he broughte forth a promyse as he thoughte mete and conueniente which is the wordes of christ Quod pro uobis tradetur which shalbe gyuen for you And in this poynt he shewed w t what violence he handled other matters of our fayth that in thys greate matter so muche ouershotte himselfe Fyrst wyth what face could he call that a promise whyche hathe no apparaunce of anye promise but that the wordes in Latyne be spoken in the future tense whych in Greke be wrytten in the present tense both in Saynt Paule and in S. Luke Quod pro uobis datur whyche is gyuen for you And yf they were spoken in y e future tense as they were not yet they be wordes not promising a thyng to be done but declaryng what shalbe done And further yf we shoulde graunt them to be wordes of a promise yet they promyse not the grace of the sacrameÌ„t whyche is to be gyuen to the worthy receauer â–ª For the passion of Christe or the giuinge of Christes body vpon the crosse is not a grace giuen by the sacramente to the receauer but it is that worke that hath deserued grace to be gyuen by the sacrament for al our sacramentes take their vertue of y e passion of Christe and do not promise the passion of Christe This may suffise for thys shorte time to shewe vnto you the folye of these men that neyther wote nor care what they affyrme in these weyghty matters I coulde saye more in it but that I haue more necessary matter behynde to be sayd S. Augustyne in diuerse places other auncieÌ„t aucthors haue this doctrine in their bokes E latere Christi fluxerunt duo Sacramenta Two Sacramentes dyd yssue forth of christes syde and in those places he teacheth vs by comparyng the creation of Eue the wyfe of Adam the firste man and of the churche y â— spouse of christe the second man Lyke as god castyng AdaÌ„ into a slepe toke forth a bone oute of hys syde and therof buylded and created hym a wyfe euen so when Christ dyd slepe by death vpoÌ„ the crosse vpon water and bloude that came forth of hys side when it was opened with a speare God dyd forme and buylde the churche the spouse of Christ in that by water we be regenerate by bloude we be redemed and nourished Now concernyng our purpose yf two sacrameÌ„tes came oute of Christes syde we are sure there came out no wyne excepte ye wyll saye the wyne of the true vyne whych christ shall neuer drynke wyth vs any more but after anewe sort in the glory and kyngdome of hys father Therfore it muste nedes be that our sacrament is Christes bloude and not wyne Besyde these circumstancies and argumentes deduced vpoÌ„ the scrypture there be also other of no lesse strength then these able to coÌ„firme any true Christen man in the fayth of the reall presence of Christes body and bloude in the blessed sacrament And these be the effectes of the sacrament expressed in the scripture whych be so great so gloriouse so excellent and heauenly that it were great blasphemy to ascribe the same to breade and wyne whyche be only the workes and effectes of almighty GOD and of suche creatures only as gods sonne hath taken and vnited to him selfe in vnitie of person whych be the body and bloude of our Sauiour Christ. The fyrst effect is that our Sacrament is the confirmation of the newe Testament as S. Mathewe and S. Mark also do wryte Hic est sanguis meus noui Testamenti Thys is my bloude of the newe Testament that is to saye which confirmeth the newe Testament as all holye wryters do expounde Like as the bloude of calues did confirme the old Testament as the booke of Exodus doth declare so the bloude of Christ our prieste sacrifice doth coÌ„firme the new Testament which Testament because it is eternall and shall neuer haue ende is confirmed by the eternall bloude of the lambe of God that euer is receaued and neuer consumed and not by anye corruptible bloude or any other creature