bringeth in the saing of Chryst to proue that ther ys no figuratiue speach and therfore he saieth that Chryst did not saie that the bread which he wolde geue was a figure of his flesh but his flesh Yf Theophilact will not haue yt the figure of Chrystes flesh but his flesh in dede how standeth Peters exposition who wolde no flesh but the vertue of the flesh ād so denieng the verie flesh wold haue yt a bare figure which Theophilact hath so oftē denied And think yowe Trāselemētacion vsed of Theophilact more fullie to expresse the chaunge in the Sacrament that soch an authour wolde in so fewe lines denie a figure and graunt a figure Secondly note that Theophilact saieth that for our infirmitie our mercifull God doth transelementate into the vertue of the flesh and bloode wher I wolde learn of this man what ys the propre significacion of this verbe transelementare ād yf yt be to chaunge then what ys chaunged As I can perceaue this verbe cometh of this woorde Elementū which signifieth an Element and so yt should signifie to chaunge Elementes As the philosophers do teache the naturall constitucion of naturall thinges that be compownded ys of the fower Elementes as offoure principles yet not as primere of the whiche the thing hath his beinge but as concurring to the due order and disposition of the thing without the which the naturall thing can not abide in his being As flesh and bone be of the earth swet and moystnes of the water breathing of the aier and the naturall heate of the fire Euen so the principles of other thinges whether they be in learning or religion be called elementa Elementes As in learning the letters of the Alphabete be called Elementes Likewise in religion as sainct Paule saieth to the hebrues Etenim cùm deberetis magistri esse propter tempus rursum indigetis vt vos doceamiui quae sunt elementa exordij sermonum He br 5. Dei facti estis quibus lacte opus sit non solido cibo For when as concerning the time ye ought to be teachers yet haue ye nede again that we teach yow the first Elementes or principles of the woorde of God and are become soch as haue nede of milke and not of stronge meate In which sentence wher he saieth that they had need to be taught the elementes of the woorde of God he meneth the principles of religion And thus the beginninges of all soche thinges maie be called elementes Nowe to applie this to our pourpose what be the principles of bread and wine be they not their substances Then when Theophilact saith that he doth transelementate ys yt not to be saied that he doth chaunge their principles or elementes But their principles be their substāces wherfor he doth chaunge their substances Although yf I be not deceaued this ys spoken according to the rule of An earthlie creature can not be transelemēted into spirituall vertue learning yet if this should mislike the Aduersarie yet he must nedes graunt that some thing ther must be that must be chaunged And then I wolde learn of him what this ys that ys chaunged into the vertue or grace of the flesh of Chryst as the Aduersarie here taketh this woorde virtus to be vnderstāded Yt was neuer readde that euer anie thing earthlie coulde be primarelie chaūged into the vertue or grace a qualitie spiritual Wherfor no soch chaunge cā here bemade as the Aduersarie wold feign to be But that an earthly substāce maie be turned into the substāce of Chryst not onelie we are taught yt by that that he tooke flesh of the virgē Mary but also as our Theophilact to proue this that here ys to be proued saieth the foode which our Sauiour Chryst tooke vpō the earth was chaunged into his bodie ād was made like to his holie Of this matter see more in the second booke cap. lx flesh Wherfore wher Theophilact saieth here that this transelementacion ys into the vertue of the flesh and blood of Chryst he meeneth into the verie flesh as though yt had ben saied In veritatem carnis sanguinis Christi into the veritie or trueth of the flesh and blood of Chryst And that this was his mening this proueth first that in the same sentence he saieth that God condescending to our infirmitie kepeth the outwarde formes of bread and wine signifieng that the formes remaining the substance ys chaunged For yf the outward formes remain and the substance as they saie be not chaunged what then ys transelemented or chaunged The seconde proofe ys that Theophilact speaking of the verie same matter vpon the sixt of S. Iohn doth by open and plain woordes proue this that I haue saied for better declaraciō wherof I will bring in his wholl sentence Non enim dixit panis quem ego dabo figura est carnis sed caro mea est Transformatur enim arcanis verbis panis ille per mysticā benedictionē accessionem sancti spiritus in carnē Domini Et ne quē cōturbet quod credēdus sit panis caro Etenim in carne ambulāte Domino et ex pane alimoniā Theoph. in 6. Joannis admittēte panis ille qui māducabatur in corpus eius mutabatur et similis fiebat sāctae cius carni et in augmētū et sustentationē cōferebat iuxta humanum morē Igitur et nūc panis in carnem domini mutatur For he hath not saied the bread which I will geue ys a figure of my flesh but yt ys my flesh For that bread by the mysticall blessing and coming to of the holie Goste with the secret woordes ys transformed Argumētes of Theophilact to proue the bread in the Sacr. to be made flesh into the flesh of owre Lorde And leest yt shoulde troble anie man that the bread ys to be beleued flesh when owre Lorde walked in the flesh and tooke foode of bread that bread that was eaten was chaunged into his bodie and was made like vnto his holie flesh and yt went vnto the encreasing and sustentacion after the condicion of the nature of man Therfore now also the bread ys chaunged into the flesh of our Lorde Thus Theophil In this saing ye see not the figure only of Chrystes flesh denied in the Sacrament but withal the very flesh affirmed and the wholl matter howe yt cometh to passe declared In the setting furth wherof wher as vpon S. Marke he saied that the bread was chaunged into the vertue of the flesh of Chryst he expownding the same saieth yt ys transformed into the flesh of Chryst And that yt might appeare to yowe that this chaunge was a chaunge of the substance of bread into the substance of the flesh of Chryst he bringeth in a similitude of the food which Chryst did take being conuersant here vpon the earth after the maner of men which foode was substanciallie chaunged in to the substance of the bodie of Chryst and therupon
bodie our true Paschall lambe In nocte quippe inquit agnum comedimus quia in sacramento modò Dominicum corpus accipimus quando adhucinuicem nostras conscientias non videmus In the night saieth he do we eate the lambe forsomoche as we do nowe receaue our lordes bodie in the Sacrament when as yet we doe not see one an others conscience In this his sainge ys not onelie perceaued the applicacion of the figuratiue Paschall Lambe to the verie true Paschall Lambe but to the full agreement with other holie Fathers before alleaged he doth most plainlie testifie the reall presence bothe by his woordes terming yt the bloode of our Redemer and the bodie of our lorde and also by the maner of the receauinge of yt In the whiche note that he teacheth that the bodie and bloode of Chryst ys receaued by two distincted and diuerse maners of receauinge One maner ys with the mouthe of the bodie whiche argueth the reall presence The other maner ys with the mouthe of the hearte and that ys the spirituall maner of receauing So that the learned men in Chrystes faithe doo teache the good Chrystian man to receaue Chrystes bodie both corporallie and spirituallie But the maliciouse learned man against Chrystes faith teacheth that the good Chrystian man receaueth Chryste but onelie spirituallie and so robbeth him of the other the contrarie of the whiche Doctrine ye see here auouched by sainct Gregorie as yt was also by other before alleaged with whom he well agreeth To this sainct Gregorie shall be yoined Damascen one of the other side of the Parliament house of Chryst that ys of the greke church and of the lowe house but one of the first and cheif in that place as ys before saied a man so excellentlie will seen in the statutes of Chrystes Parliament house that ys to saie in the knowledge of the receaued trueth of Chrystes faithe that he did write foure bookes of the same both learnedlie and godlie and in the fourthe booke of his workes emong other explicacions of matters of faith he declareth also the faithe of the Churche in this matter of the Sacrament at large wher as touching the same matter he saieth thus Natiuitas nobis per spiritum donata est per sanctum dico baptismum Cibus verò ipse Li. 4. de orthod sid c. 14. panis vitae Dominus noster Iesus Christus qui de coelo descendit Nam suscepturus voluntariam pro nobis mortem in nocte qua seipsum obtulit testamentum nouum disposuit sanctis Discipulis Apostolis per ipsos omnibus alijs in ipsum credentibus In coenaculo sanctae gloriosae Sion antiquum Pascha cum Discipulis manducans et implens instrumētum antiquum lauit pedes Discipulorum signum sancti baptismatis praebens Deinde frangens panem dedit illis dicens Accipite comedite Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur in remissionem peccatorum Similiter accipiens calicem ex vino aqua tradidit illis dicens Bibite ex eo omnes hic est sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro vobis effunditur in remissionem peccatorum Hoc facite in meam cōmemorationem Quotiescunque enim manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibetis mortem filij hominis annunciatis resurrectionem eius cōfitemini donec veniat Si igitur verbum dei viuens est efficax omnia quaecunque voluit Deus fecit Si dixit Fiat lux facta est lux Fiat firmamentum factum est Si verbo Dei coeli firmati sunt spiritu oris eius omnis virtus eorum Si coelum terra aqua ignis aer omnis ornatus eorum verbo Dei perfecta sunt homo ipse vbique diuulgatum animal Si volens ipse Deus Verbum factus est homo c. Non potest panem suum ipsius corpus facere vinum cum aqua sanguinem Dixit in principio Deus Producat terra herbam virentem vsque nunc pluuia facta producit germina diuino coädiuta vigorata praecepto Dixit Deus Hoc est corpus meum hic est sanguis meus hoc facite in meam commemorationē omnipotentieius praecepto donec veniat efficitur A newe birth ys geuen to vs by the Spirit and the water I saie by holie Baptisme but the meat ys the verie bread of life our lorde Iesus Christ who descended from heauen For willing to take for vs a willing death in the night in the whiche he offred vppe him self he disposed a newe testamēt to his holie Disciples and Apostles and by them to all other beleuing in him In the parlour Chrystes cuppe cōteined wine ād Water therfore of holie gloriouse Sion eating the olde Passeouer with his disciples and fulfilling the olde lawe he washed the feet of his disciples geuing a sign of holie Baptisme Afterwarde breaking bread he gaue yt to thē saing Take eate This ys my bodie whiche shall be deliuered for yowe in the remission of sinnes Likewise taking the cuppe of wine and water he deliuered yt vnto them saing Drinke ye all of this This ys my bloode of the newe Testament whiche shall be shedde for yowe in the remission of Sinnes This do ye in my remembrāce For as often times as ye shall eate this bread ād drinke this cuppe ye shew furth the death of the Sōne of mā ād acknowledge his resurrectiō vntill he come Yf then the woorde of God be liuing ād mightie in operaciō and al thinges whatsoeuer he hath willed he hath doē Yf he saied The light be made and the light was made The firmament be made and yt was made Yf by the woorde of God the heauens were made and all the power of them with the breath of his mouthe Yf heauen earth water fire and the Ayer and al the furniture of them by the woorde of God were made perfect and man himself being euery where a knowen liuing creature Yf God the Sonne himself being willing was made man c. Can not he make breade his owne bodie and wine and water his bloode God saied at the beginning Let the earth bring furth green herbe And vntill this daie being holpen and made strong with Gods commaundement the rain comming Effect of Chrystes woordes of consecraciō yt bringeth furth fruicts God saied This ys my bodie and this ys my blood and this do ye in the remembrance of me And by hys allmightie commaundement yt ys so made and brought to effecte vntill he come Thus farre Damascen Whose saing ys long but as pithie and weightie as yt ys long In the which he hath not onelie declared hys faith but the faith of Chryst receaued in his Churche which ys the wholl matter and onelie argument of hys worke as the title of the same doth purporte And to the matter which we haue in hande he geueth woorthie testimonie declaring the accomplishment of the olde lawe in
poinctes of our faith I shall bring in one other place of the same wher he handeleth the same place of Iob to the pourpose before mencioned Medio draconis ventre rupto atque discerpto ex adytis clarissimus euasit radios non ad hoc vsque coelum sed ad ipsum supernum thronum Chrys in 101. Cor. omel 24. dimisit Illuc namque ipsum extulit quod nobis etiam exhibuit vt teneremus et mā ducaremus quod maximum dilectionis signum est Quos enim amamus nonnunquà m etiam morsu petimus Quare Iob vt seruorū in se amorē ostenderet dicebat illos nimio in se amore dixisse Quis det de carnibus eius vt saturemur Ita Christus suam carnē dedit nobis vt ea saturemur Quo nos in plurimum sui amorem allexit The beallie of the dragon being brast and torne in the middle frō the darke place he came furth most bright and clere and sent oute his beames not vnto this heauē but vnto the verie high Throne Thyther hath he caried vppe that which also he hath geuen vnto vs that we shoulde holde and eate yt which ys the greatest token of loue For whome we loue oftentimes we desire to byte Therfor Iob that he might declare the loue of his seruantes towardes him saied that they for the exceading loue that they bare towards him haue oftentimes saied Who will geue vs of his flesh that we maie be filled Euen so Christ hath geuen vs hys flesh that we might be fylled withal wherbie he hath allured vs vnto his great loue In the which sentēce gentle Reader thow seist and perceauest fyrst howe Chrysostome reherseth the storie of Iob and secondlie how he applieth yt vnto Chryst saing Euen so Christ hath geuen vs his flesh to holde and to eate The which his applicacion doth verifie my saing that Iob was in this behalf a figure that Christes flesh shoulde be eaten and that not spirituallie onelie but reallie and substāciallie which Chrysostome signifieth by this woorde Ita euen so as who should saie As the very substanciall flesh of Iob was desired to be eaten Euen so Chryst hath geuen vs his verie substanciall flesh to be eaten Thus am I not onelie moued to vnderstand Chrysostō for the cause now mencioned But I am therunto compelled by that that in him immediatelie foloweth Ad eum igitur cum feruore accedamus dilectione quà m vehementissima ne grauius subeamus supplicium Quanto enim maius beneficium accepimus tanto magis puniemur quando eo indigni apparebimus Let vs therfore come vnto him with feruēt Chrys ibi desire and moste vehement loue leste we suffer more greuouse punishment For the more great benefet we haue receaued the more shall we be punished yf we be fownde vnwoorthie of yt And he addeth Hoc corpus in praesepi reueriti sunt Magi c. This bodie did the wise men reuerence or honour in the maunger Wherby he declareth what bodie of Chryst he moueth vs to come vnto here in this his conclusion Wherbie also we maie vnderstande what flesh of Chryste he ment in the former sentence by the applicacion of the figure to the thing figured But this maie suffice for the sigures in the law of nature THE FIFTENE CHAPITER DECLARETH BY scripturs that the eating of the Paschall lambe was a figure of the eating of Chryst our Paschall Lambe NOwe that I haue spoken of soche scriptures as declare soche thinges to haue ben doen in the law of nature which by other scriptures and holie Fathers are applied and taken as figures of Chrystes preisthood and mysterie I will go forwarde to the figures Four figures of the Sacrament to be treacted of in the time of the lawe of Moyses of the which I will speake and treact of foure whiche be figures of this mysterie Which be The Paschall Lambe Manna The Shewbread and the Stone flowing oute water Of the fyrst that ys of the Paschall Lābe we read thus In the tenth daie of Exod. 12. this moneth euery mā shall take vnto him a lambe accordinge to their houses and families c. And let the lambe of yours be withoute blemish a male of a yeare olde whiche ye shall take oute from emonge the Shepe and ye shall kepe him vntill the xiiij daie of the same moneth And euery man of the multitude of the children of Israell shall kill him at euen And they shall take the bloode and strike yt on the two syde postes and on the vpper doer poste euen in the houses wher they shall eate hym And they shall eate the flesh that same night rosted with fyre and with vnleauened bread and with sowre herbes they shall eate yt See that ye eate not therof rawe nor soddē in water but rosted with fyre the head feet and purtenaūce therof In this declaracion of the maner of eating the Paschall Lambe ther be Two notable thinges in the olde Paschall lā be two principall partes The one ys of the killinge of yt The other of the eatinge of yt The condicion and maner of the lambe and the killing of the same figureth the condicion of Chryste and the crucifyeng of hym And albeit that other beastes being taken to be sacrificed as oxe cowe calf and kilde did figure the passion of Chryste Yet none of these doth so liuelie and expressedlie figure Chryste and hys death as the lambe dothe For the lambe was but younge Chryst was but younge The lambe was withoute Christ and the Paschall lābe compared together blemish Chryste was withoute sinne The lambe was taken from emonge the shepe Chryste from emonge hys Apostles By the offringe of that lambe the people of Israell were deliuered from the seruitute of Aegypte By the offringe of Chryst the people are deliuered from the seruitude of the deuell and sinne Their daile sacrifice was a lambe Owre daile sacrifice ys Chryste And for this consideracion Chryst ys more oftentymes Christ more often called a Lābe then by name of anie other beast called a lambe in the scripture then by the name of other beastes which were sacrificed and figured Chryst the euerlasting sacrifice Wherfore saincte Ihon the Baptist applieng the figure of the lambe as a thing most speciallie and fullie figuring Chryste pointed him with his fyngar sainge Ecce Agnus Dei ecce qui tollit peccata mundi Beholde the Lambe of God beholde him that taketh awaie the sinnes of the Joan. 1. woorlde The Prophet also calleth him a lambe Tanquam ouis ad occisionem ducetur tanquam agnus coram tondente se obmutescit He shall be led awaie Esai 53. like a shepe to be slain and as a lambe before the sherer shall he holde hys peace For like consideracion sainct Ihon being instructed by the reuelacion of the holie Gost dothe so call him after he had fulfilled the figure by suffring of his passion I
solo tactu suo corrupta redintegrantur quomodo In 6. Joan cap. 14. non viuemus qui carnem illam gustamus manducamus Reformabit enim omnino adimmortalitatem suam participes sui Ne velis iudaicè quomodò quaerere sed recordare quamuis aqua naturaliter frigidior sit aduentu tamen ignis frigiditatis suae oblita aestuat Chryst did not with his woorde onelie but also with hys touching he did rase dead men that he might shewe that his bodie also coulde geue life Yf then with his onely touching corrupted things are made sownde again how shall not we liue which taste and eate that flesh He will withoute all doubte reforme the partakers of him to this immortalitie Neither do thowe after the Iewes maner aske howe but remembre that though the water naturallie be colde yet by the coming of the fire to yt hauing forgotten her coldnesse waxeth hote So that by S. Cyrill here yowe maie perceaue that the flesh of Chryst which the vnbeleuing Disciples did thinke coulde not geue life doth geue life to them that receaue and eate yt Let not the Aduersaries nowe cast in ther comon glose that Cyrill speaketh of the spirituall receauing and eating of Chrystes flesh For he teacheth more then in one place that we are ioined to Chryst not onely spirituallie but also after the flesh by the eating of the same verie flesh And to this pourpose also tendeth this his disputacion in this sentence last alleadged that he wolde proue the flesh of Chryst to geue life by the corporall touching of yt and therfor yt geueth life to vs that corporallie do tast and eate the same And therfor let not the Sacramentarie aske howe For as Chryst ascended aboue the course of nature of man So he geueth him self in the Sacrament to be eaten aboue the order and course of the nature of man And nowe ye maie perceaue wher the Aduersaries haue abvsed this scripture to proue that ther ys no reall presence of Chryst in the Sacrament by cause they saie that Chryst by this text minded onelie to pluck the Disciples from their grosse thought of the carnall eating of him to a spirituall maner of eating and therfor here ys no reall flesh to be eaten Wherupon they The Sacramentaries sifte the Sacra so fine that they leaue nothing but the brā for themselues charge vs not onely with the name but also with the grosse erroure of the Cpharanaites that we like as they did do go farre wide from the true mening of the scripture But they are so busie in charging vs with the grosse carnalitie of the Capharnaites and so curiouse in sifting of their spiritualytie which they sifte so long and so finely that they let all the fine flower of Chrystes heauenlie bread fall from them and kepe nothing but the bare branne of the signifieng sign in their owne hande which in dede ys the grosse bread they feed on For as ye haue heard neither S. Augustin nor S. Cyrill do so expownde yt that ther ys no reall presence of Chryst in the Sacrament but that Chrystes minde was onely to remoue the carnall and grosse maner of eating whiche the Capharnaites had conceaued of the whiche maner bothe these fathers haue made mencion But as for the maner of our eating ys no soche grosse and beastlie maner as Chryst wolde remoue from the Capharnaites but yt ys soche a maner as ys bothe reall and yet spirituall taught vnto vs by our Sauiour Chryst himiself and testified by his holie Churche and set furth by the holie Fathers of the same as yowe maie perceaue by S. Austen and S. Cyrill who although they reproue the maner of the Capharnaites yet they commende to vs the maner vsed and receaued in the Churche THE FIVE AND THIRTETH CHAP. PROCEADETH in the exposition of the same text and endeth yt by Euth and Petrus Cliniacen NOwe hauing heard one coople of the elder house expownding this text we will heare one coople mo onely expownde the same and Jn 6. Ioan. so ende yt and passe to the next Euthymius expownding this scriptute writeth thus Si ergo videritis filium hominis ascendentem vbi erat prius quid dicetis Loquitur de futura sui in coelum assumptione Ascendentem quoad humanitatem vbi prius erat quoad diuinitatem Qui enim potest hanc carnem reddere coelestem potest vtique ipsam cibum hominum efficere What yf ye see the Sonne of As easiefor Chryst to make his flesh meat in the Sa. as to make it to ascēd man ascende vppe wher he was before what will ye saie saieth Enthymius He speaketh of the assumption of him self in to heauen to come what if ye see him ascending Ascending vppe as touching his humanitie where he was before as touching his deitie For he that can make his flesh heauenly can also make the same meate of men Note I praie yowe that this authour by the possibilitie of the worke of Chryst to make his flesh heauenly concludeth the possibilitie to make the same the meat of men not grosslie after the rude phantasie of the Capharnaites but verilie and reallie after the pleasure of Chryst And that this authour meneth of the reall flesh of Chryst to be the meat Argument of the ascēsion vsed by Chryst Jo. vi ys vain to proue the spirituall eating but good to proue the reall eating of his flesh of men yt do the most euidenlie appeare by his argument deduced wpon the possibilitie of Chryst in making his flesh heauenlie For yf he had spoken of Chrystes flesh to be eaten spirituallie ther neded no soche argument vpō possibilitie to be made vpon his verie reall flesh For the flesh of Chryst was spirituallie the meate of the holie fathers in the olde lawe Wherfor that neded not to be proued possible which so manie yeares had ben in vse but that was nedefull to be proued to be possible which before was not in vse whiche was that the verie flesh of Chryst shoulde be eaten of men reallie Yf the saing and mening of Chryst had ben that the Iewes shoulde haue eaten his flesh spiritually onelie as the Aduersaries wolde haue yt this argument of his ascension shoulde not haue neaded but he might haue saied to them As I gaue yower fathers Manna from heauen that they eating yt shoulde also spiritually eate me in a figure that I was then to come So nowe ye shall eate a peice of bread and drinke a cuppe of wine in a figure and for the remembrance of me that I am comed and haue suffred for yowe This maner of eating of Chrystes flesh as yt was vsed of the good and beleuing Iewes and well knowen to them both in Manna and in the Paschall lambe So if Chrystes mening had bē to no further matter of eating his flesh but in soche sort they wolde neuer haue staied and sticked so moche at yt But he ment the receipt of his flesh
benefittes shewed and doen saieth thus And the readde Sea didest thowe diuide before them 2. Esd 9. in sundre so that they went through the middest of the Sea drie shooed and their persecutours threwest thowe in to the depth as a stone in mightie waters and leddest them on the daie time in a clowdie piller and on the night season in a piller of fire to shewe them light in the waie that they went Thowe gauest them bread from heauen when they were hongrie and broughtest furth water for them oute of the rocke when they were thirstie The diuision of the read sea wherof Esdras first maketh mencion The read Sea shall be perceaued to be a great wonderfull worke of God and a great benefitt to the Israelites yf the historie of the same be considered In the booke of Exodus we read that when Pharao king of Egypt Exod. 14. had according to gods commaundement sent vnto him by Moyses permitted the children of Israell to departe oute of Egypte he being a man of wicked heart when they were goen with might and force prepared to folowe them and to persecute them Whose mighttie armie and great nombre of horses and chariettes when the Israelites sawe poursewing them and with all considering the great strait that they were in hauing Pharao and his hoste behind them at their backe and the readd sea before them So that ther appeared vnto them nothing but wofull distresse and ineuitable perill of death they were sore afraied and caried oute to God And Moyses stretched oute his hand ouer the read Sea and God caried awaie the Sea by a verie strong east winde all that night and made the Sea drie land so that the children of Israell went through the middest of the Sea with drie feet hauing the waters as a wall vnto them bothe on the right hand and on the leste And the Egyptians folowed after them into the middest of the Sea and God caused the waters to return vpon them and drowned them with their horses and chariettes For whiche great wonder Moyses sange in prayse to God Flauit spiritus tuus operuit cos mare submersi sunt quasi Exod. 15. plumbum in aquis vehementibus The winde blewe and the Sea couered them they sanke like lead in the mightie waters Filij autem Israell ambulauerunt per siccum in medio â—eius But the children of Israell went on drie land in the myddest therof As ye maie perceaue by this what a great worke of God and howe great a benefitt to the Iewes yt was that sainct Paule in these fewe woordes spake The clowde that all passed through the redde Sea So was yt likewise that he saied that all the Fathers were vnder the cloude Of the beginning of this clowd we read also in Exodus that when the children of Israell departed oute of Egypt that theyr iourney should not be vncerten and they wander without Exod. 13. 14. ordre the Lord went before them by daie in a piller of a clowde to lead them the waie and by night in a piller of the fire to geue them light that they might go both by daie and by night The piller of the clowde departed not by daie nor the piller of sire by night oute of the sight of the people Benefites of the Clowde This clowdie piller was not onelie a guide and a leader vnto the people but yt was also a bullwarke of defence For when Pharao with hys armie did persecute the children of Israell the aungell of God whiche went before the hoste of Israell remoued and began to go behinde them And the clowdie piller that was before the face of them began to stand behind theÌ„ and came betwen the host of the Egyptians and the hoste of Israell Yt was also a darke clowde and gaue light by night and all night long the one came Num. 9. not at the other Thys clowde did not onely nowe serue for the commoditie of the Israelites but further on their iourney in the wildernesse yt was a great benefitt vnto them as we read in the booke of Nombres wher we learn that yt couered the Tabernacle allwaie by daie and the similitude of fire by night And yt happened that when the clowde abode vpon the tabernacle from euen vnto the morning and was taken vppe in that morning then they iourneied Or yf the clowde taried two daies or a moneth or a long season vpon the tabernacle and remained theron the children of Israell aboad still and iourneied not And as sooen as the clowde was taken vppe they iourneied Of thys clowde also speaketh the Prophet Dauid in the psalme reck ninge yt amonge other as a great benefitte of God geuen to the Israelites Expandit nubem in protectionem eorum ignem vt luceret eis per noctem Manna He spred oute a clowde to be a couering and fire to geue them light in the night season Exd. 16. Thus this goodlie benefitt somwhat opened and declared we shal do the like aboute the next which ys Manna Of the whiche we read that the xv daie of the seconde moneth after the departing of the children of Israell oute of the lande of Egypte the wholl multitude of the children of Israell murmured against Moyses and Aaron in the wildernesse and the children of Israell saied vnto them wolde to God we had died by the hande of the Lorde in the lande of Egypte when we sett by the flesh pottes and when we did eate bread our bellies full For ye haue brought vs out into this wildernesse to kill this wholl multitude with honger Then saied the Lorde vnto Moyses Be holde I will rain breade from heauen to yowe and the people shall go oute and gather daie by daie And in the same chapiter yt foloweth And in the morning the dewe laie rownde aboute the host And when the dewe was fallen beholde yt laie vpon the grownde in the wildernesse small and rownde and when the children of Israell sawe yt they saied euery one to his neighbour yt ys Manna For they wist not what yt was And Moyses saied vnto them this ys the bread which the Lord hath geuen yowe to eate Thus God fedde the children of Israell in the wildernesse wher they did neither sowe ne reape with this bread from heauen of the whiche they had no lacke This ys the meate that sainct Paule speaketh of that all the fathers did eate of This ys yt that ys spoken of in the Psalme Et Psalm 77. pluit illis Manna ad manducandum panem caeli dedit eis He rained downe Manna also vpon them for to eate and gaue them foode from heauen Of the wounders of this bread more shall be saied in the next chapiter The last benefitt recited of sainct Paule in this place ys that they all dranke Mater of the Rocke of one drinke that came oute of the rocke Of this miraculouse drinke we read that when
yt was receaued then and comparing it to the auncient Church the faith of whiche we haue hearde by soche as hetherto haue ben alleaged ye shall be sure that ye shall not be deceaued of the very true auncient faith Nowe therfore let vs heare these two and first Haimo He expowndeth the text of Sainct Paule nowe in hande on this wise Haimo 1. Cor. 10. Et omnes eandem spiritualem escam manducauerunt Et omne eundem potum c. Manna quod de caelo id est de isto aere eis datum est Et aquam quae de Petra sluxit dicit spiritualia esse vel quia spiritualiter intelligenda sunt significabant enim corpus sanguinem Domini quod modò consecratur percipitur in Ecclesia vel quia non mundana lege consuetudine parata sunt Manna whiche was geuen The bodie and bloode of our Lorde are cōsetrated in the church them from heauen that ys from this aier and the water whiche flowed from the stone he saieth to be spirituall either bicause they are spirituallie to be vnderstanded For they signifie the bodie and blood of our Lorde whiche ys nowe consecrated and receaued in the Churche Or ells bicause they were prepared not after the lawe and custome of worldlie thinges Hitherto Haimo In whose exposition ye haue to perceaue two causes whiche he assigneth wherfor the Apostles called Manna and the water spirituall meat and spirituall drinke The one was that they be spiritually to be vnderstanded What the spirituall vnderstanding of them ys he declareth They did signifie saieth he the bodie and blood of Chryst In the whiche he agreeth with the rest before alleaged that Manna and the water were figures of the bodie and blooode of Chryst But nowe to come to the poinct of the controuersie of what bodie of Chryst were they figures of his bodie corporall or spirituall Attend and marke well what he saieth They signified saieth he the bodie and bloode of our Lorde whiche ys nowe consecrated and receaued in the churche In this saing the doubte ys dissolued and the matter ys opened For yt ys the very bodie of of Chryst reallie and substanciallie in the Sacrament that was figured by Manna And this ys proued by the woorde Consecrated whiche he vseth saing the bodie and blood of Chryste be consecrated in the blessed Sacrament Although this woorde Consecracion be a woorde that the Aduersaries can not abide yet yt ys more manifest then that they can denie that yt ys a woorde from whose vse the graue and auncient Authours did not alhorre but did vse yt as yt ys beforesaied and declared oute Consecraciō what yt ys of Chrysostome Sainct Ambrose and other wher also yt ys taught by Chrysostome what consecracion ys whiche to vse his tearmes ys to make the bodie and blood of Chryst of the thinges sett furth vpon the table Wherby he meneth the bread and wine where also he declareth who doth consecrate and by what woordes the consecracion ys doen. As touching him that doth consecrate he saieth yt ys not man but Chryste himself who was crucified for vs. By what woordes consecracion ys doen he sheweth thus Hoc est ait corpus meum Hoc verbo proposita consecrantur De pro. Iu. Hom. 30. This ys saieth he mening Chryst my bodie With this woorde saieth Chrysostom the thinges settfurth that ys the bread and wine are consecrated But where vnto are they consecrated into the bodie and bloode of Chryst as Chrysostom hath saied And herevnto also Sainct Ambrose ys a witnesse who saieth Non erat Lib. 4. de Sac. cap. 4. corpus Christi ante consecrationem sed post consecrationem dico tibi quod iam corpus est Christi Ipse dixit factum est ipse mandauit creatum est Yt was not the bodie of Chryst before the consecracion But after the consecracion I saie to thee that nowe yt ys the bodie of Chryste He hath saied and yt was made he hath commaunded and yt was created And leest the Aduersarie shoulde cauille and saie that the bread after The cauill of sacramētall bread impugned the woordes come to yt ys Sacramentall bread and therfore yt maie take vpon yt the name of the thing of whiche yt ys a Sacrament and so meneth Sainct Ambrose To this maie be saied that that glose ys to violent for so plain woordes For yt ys to be thought that Sainct Ambrose wolde not haue saied with soche a vehement maner of speache that yt ys the bodie yf yt shoulde be but called the hodie and not be the bodie in dede For this maner of speache I saie vnto thee that nowe yt ys the bodie of Chryst importeth an other maner of force of the thing that ys spoken of to be so in dede then to be so called And that he ment no lesse then he saied his owne woordes in the same chapiter proue where obiecting against him self in the person of a weake man at the seight of the Sacrament he saieth thus Tu fortè dicis meus panis Amb. ibid. est vsitatus Sed panis iste panis est ante verba Sacramentorum vbi accesserit consecratio de pane fit caro Christi Thowe perchaunce saiest Yt ys my vsuall bread But this bread before the woordes of the Sacramentes ys bread but when the consecracion cometh to yt of the breade ys made the flesh of Chryst In these woordes of Sainct Ambrose yt maie well be perceaued that he meneth that the bodie of Chryst ys in the Sacrament substanciallie and not that the Sacramentall bread as they tearme yt ys onely so called For the flesh of Chryst ys made of the bread the substance of the bread being turned into the substance of the flesh of Chryst by the Almightie power of God thorough the worke of the holie Gost as Sainct Cyprian testifieth Panis quem Dominus Discipulis edendum porrigebat non effigie sed natura De coena Domini The bread chaunged in nature ys made flesh mutatus omnipotentia Verbi factus est caro The bread whiche our Lorde gaue to his disciples to eate being chaunged notin outwarde forme but in nature by almightinesse of the woorde ys made flesh Sainct Ambrose saieth the flesh of Chryste ys made of the bread Sainct Cyprian saieth that the bread by the allmightinesse of the woorde ys made flesh And that this shoulde not seme vnpossible though yt be wonderfull Theophilacte maketh a very apte similitude sainge Et ne quem conturbet quod credendus sit panis caro Etenim in carne ambulante Domino ex pane alimoniam admittente panis ille qui manducabatur in corpus eius mutabatur c. And let yt not trooble anie man that the bread ys to be beleued flesh For when our Lorde walked in the flesh and receaued the foode of bread the same bread whiche was eaten was chaunged into his bodie and was made Whie ther
declareth to be in two poinctes The one ys that yt ys doen by consecracion which ys doen by the woord of Chryst Wherfor he saieth We perceaue grace to be of greater power then nature For In the consecracion of the B. Sac. the woordes of our Sauiour do woorke yf the benediction of a man was of so great power that yt might turne nature what shall we saie of the diuine consecracion yt self wher the verie woordes of our Lord and Sauiour do woorke As who might saie Yf Moyses did cast downe the rodde and yt was turned into a serpent and tooke yt vppe again and yt was turned into a rodde and soch like Yf Helyseus did make the axe against his nature to swimme aboue the water Yf Helyas by his woorde caused fire to descend from heauen Yf the woorde of these men but seruantes did woork soch wonders how moch more maie the woorde of the Lord and master of these men woorke The second poinct ys that he sheweth by what means the woord of Chryst woorketh the presence of his bodie in the Sacrament that ys saieth he by the chaunging of the natures of the creatures into the nature of his bodie ād blood which he signifieth when he saieth Yf the woorde of Helyas was of soch power that yt might bring down fire frō heauen shall not the woorde of Chryst be of soch power that yt maie chaunge the natures of the elementes And again the woorde of Chryst that coulde of nothing make that that was not can yt not chaunge those thinges that be in to that thing that they were not The meā then by the which the woorde of Chryst maketh the bodie of Chryst present in the Sacrament ys by chaunging the natures of bread and wine into the nature of his bodie ād blood which bicause the chaunging of natures ys the chaunge of substances Transubstanciation what yt ys therfor the Church doth call yt Transubstanciacion forsomoch as the nature or substance of one thing ys chaunged by Gods power into the nature or substance of an other thing The thirde thing that we are taught of S. Ambrose which also ys diduced of these two ys the verie presence of Chryst in the Sacrament Which so being as most certenly yt ys we maie conclude that this ys in comparablie a more excellent Sacrament then either Manna or the Paschall lambe notwithstanding the saing of the Aduersarie And although S. Augustin saieth that Sacramenta in signis diuersa in re tamen quae significatur paria sunt Sacramentes in signes being diuerse in the thing yet that ys signified they are like Yet that taketh not awaie the excellencie of Difference betwē Māna and the blessed Sac. this Sacrament For although Manna and the Paschall lambe did signifie the same Chryst that our Sacrament doth and so in that respect of significacion be like yet for that the other sacramentes did but signifie and this Sacramēt doth both contein and geue that yt doth signifie therfor yt doth farre excell them To this that ys saied although yt be sufficient to proue that that ys here entended yet yf the reader will adde the saing of S. Ambrose in the eight chapter of the booke last alleaged whiche to auoide tediousnesse I ouerpasse and wil remembre what the saied S. Ambrose saieth in the fourth chapter of this booke and Chrysostom in the sixth chapter and Theophilact and Haymo in the ninth chap and other treacting of Manna and the bodie of Chryst of which he shall find diuerso from the fourth chapter to the eleuēth chapiter of this booke I doubte not but he shall see so moche that he will merueill that euer anie heretike could so shamelesly teach soch wicked doctrine so repugnant to the catholique faith and so direct contratie to the sainges of so manie holy Fathers being wittnesses of this trueth but aboue all that they shoulde so blasphemously dishonour the sacramentes of God and his Chryst Who for the setting furth of his honour and sor owre helpe and comfort in the perigrinacion of this life that we maie haue strength against owre enemies whiche cruelly lie in wait for vs and our assured hope of the mercie of God in the ende of our iourney hath instituted these sacramētes and by them woorthilie vsed and receaued hath geuen vs manie benefittes of all which as also of Gods honour they wolde robbe both him and vs. But Reader beware of them and be not led awaie with soch doctrines as were born but yesterdaie But cleaue to that ys tried receaued approued and testified manie hondreth years of the whiche thowe shalt learn that the Sacramentes of Chryst and of the newe lawe are moch more excellent then the sacramentes of the olde lawe THE FYFTENTH CHAPITER PROVING all our Sacramentes generallie to be more excellent then the sacramentes of Moyses AS ye haue heard by sufficient testimonie that the blessed Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and bloode ys more excellent then Manna and the Paschall lambe the figures of the same of the which I haue speciallie treacted bicause this wholl rude woork ys cheifly settfurth for the commendacion of the trueth of the same Sacrament Nowe that the other sacramentes be not left in the handes of the enemies and by them spoiled ād ouer moche wronged somwhat also shall be breiflie saied wherby they maie be knowen as they be and be deliuered from the handes of their enemies who falselie report of them and deuellislie trauaill to dishonour them Among all the sacramentes next vnto this blessed and most honorable Sacrament of Chrystes bodie and blood yt ys to be merueiled that they could Baptisme instituted by Chryste and commēded by the wholl Trinitie so vnreuerentlie speake of the sacrament of Baptisme which was so instituted and commended to the Chrystian worlde as no sacrament more solemnelie At the setting furth of this Sacrament Chryst himself being present and baptised the voice of the Father was heard saing This ys my wel beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heauen was opened and the holy Gost was seen in the forme of a doue descending from heauen and abyding vpon Chryst So that in the ministracion of this sacrament was present the Father the Sonne and the holie Gost Which noble presence semeth to bring with yt some more noble gift than a bare sign or token as the wicked saie that yt ys But what shall I nede to stand to declare the woorthinesse of this sacrament against these enemies of God seing that heauen and the wholl Trintie testifieth against them Wherfore leauing to speake any more of this sacrament speciallie or of the other particularlie for feare of prolixitie and for that yt ys spoken of here but by occasion we shall heare sainct Augustin speaking of Aug. cōt Faustū li. 19 cap. 13. them generallie Prima sacramenta quae obseruabantur celebrabantur ex lege praenunciatiua erant Christi venturi quae cùm suo aduentu Christus impleuisset
Lord saieth Geue not the holie thinges to dogges neither sowe preciouse stones before hogges that we be not partakers their errour and euell faith and condemnacion For if the vnion be whollie to Chryst and whollie one to an other we be also vnited to al that after our election be comparteners with vs. For that vnion ys doen by election not without oure sentence and deliberacion For we all are one bodie bicause we partake of one bread as the Apostle of God saieth Thus farre Damascen Although occasion be here geuen to note manie thinges yet for that I will not trooble the reader with mo notes then be necessarilie appertinent I will here make but onely two notes The first ys that this authour according to the text of sainct Paules epistle saieth that bicause we partake of one bread we are one bodie of Chryst Wherin the Aduersarie still ys impugned For although this authour with all good catholique men confesseth that we be vnited to Chryst by faith yet with them also he affirmeth that we be neuerthelesse vnited to Chryst by a corporall vnion for that we do partake his very bodie and blood Whiche he noteth when he saieth that we be concorporated vnto Chryst Which concorporacion he doth not attribute to faith but to the partaking of that one bread although by faith we are spirituallie vnited to Chryst Of which cōcorporacions this authour maketh a plain distinction in an Damascē li. 4. ca. 13. other place saing Non simpliciter fortuito ad orientem adoramus sed quia ex visibili inuisibili id est intellectuali sensibili constati sumus natura duplicem adorationē conditori nostro offerimus vt mente psallimus corporalibus labiis baptizamur aqua Spiritu dupliciter Domino vnimur mysteriis participantes gratia spiritus We are vnited to our Lord two waies Not simplie and by chaunce we do adore vnto the east But bicause we are made of a visible and inuisible that ys to saie of an intellectuall and sensible nature we offre vnto our maker a dooble adoracion as we do both with minde and corporall lippes sing and are baptised both with water and spirit and to maner of waies we are vnited vnto our Lorde partaking of the mysteries and by the grace of the spiritt Thus Damascen Do ye not see that we are two waies vnited to our Lorde Are we not vnited to him by the participacion of the mysteries which mysteries be the Sacramentes of Chrystes bodie and Chrystes bloode and by the grace of the spritte This doth this authour plainlie teache Wherfore consider hys grownde that we be made of a visible and inuisible nature and should therfore by bothe these partes honour God And so by means conuenient both these partes shoulde be vnited to God the inuisible parte by grace of the holie Gost as by faith and charitie the visible parte by that that ys of like nature that ys by the bodie and blood of Chryst In. 6. Ioan. ca. 14. For as S. Cyrill saieth Oportuit enim certè vt non solùm anima per spiritum sanctum in beatam vitam ascenderet verumetiam vt rude atque terrestre hoc corpus cognato sibi gustu tactu cibo ad immortalitatem reduceretur Truelie yt behoued that not onelie the soule by the holie Gost should ascende into the blessed life But that also this rude and earthlie bodie with a taste touching and meat of hys nature should be reduced to immortalitie Thus S. Cyrill As both the visible and inuisible the mortall and immortall partes of man Both bodie and soule of man releiued by Christe and howe yt ys doen. had need of releif and bothe these most conuenientlie might be releiued by his like in nature therfore Chryste hauing the likes of these two in his person that ys to saie the immortall nature of the Godhead and the mortall nature of man which mortall nature being still the same nature was chaunged in his condicion and by the immortall Godhead was made also immortall was by these two his partes able to amende the imperfection of our two partes For wher the soule had infirmitie by sinne he was able as God to saie Remittuntur tibi peccata tua Thy sinnes be forgeuen thee By this parte wher the soule was spoiled of spirituall giftes and impouerished for lacke of the same he was able to enriche her and adorne her with the first and cheifest giftes as with faith hope and charitie As touching our other parte yt receaued great and singular benefittes by the like parte of Chryst I mean by his bodie For by his bodie be cured manie diseases he raised the dead and wrought great woōders by his bodie now immortall he maketh our mortall bodies duely receauing the same to In 6. Ioon ca. 14. come at the time by him assigned to immortalitie as S. Cyrill saieth Non verbo solùm sed tactu mortuos excitabat vt ostenderet corpus quoque suum viuificare posse Quod si solo tactu suo corrupta redintegrantur quomodò non viuemus qui carnem illam gustamus manducamus Reformabit enim omnino ad immortalitatem suam participes sui Ne velis iudaicé quomodò quaerere sed recordare quamuis aequa naturaliter frigidor sit aduentu tamen ignis frigiditatis suae oblita aestuat He did not by his woorde onelie allwaies raise the dead but also with his touching that he might declare that his bodie also was able to quicken or geue life Yf then by his onely touching the corrupted thinges are restored howe shall not we liue whiche do taste and eate that flesh He shall whollie reforme to his immortalitie soche as be partakers of him Neither aske thowe Iueshlie howe but remēbre that although the water be naturallie colde yet by the coming to of fire forgetting her coldnesse yt waxeth hote Thus S. Cyrill So then according as Damasen saied as to our duetie yt apperteineth to honour God with the two partes of our compownded bodie both spirituallie and corporallie So God of his mercie helpeth bothe these partes geuinge to eche of them giftes vniting vs spirituallie to him by faith and charitie and corporallie by his bodie and bloode receaued in the Sacrament By the which as S. Cyrill hath saied he will reforme this mortall bodie of oure to his immortalitie Therfore Reader looke to thie self and be not seduced withe the heresie of the Aduersarie Weigh well the sainges of the holie and auncient Fathers and for lacke of faith leese not these goodly giftes of excellencie Yt ys an excellent thing to be ioned to God and Chryste and to be as one with him Which thowe shalt be if thowe hauest a perfight faith and so receaue that blessed bodie of Chryst But yt ys time that I shewe the seconde note in the saing of Damascen The Communiō aught not to be had with heretiques seconde note ys his