to be farre away and calleth Angelles to vs And the Lorde of Angels for where they se the Lordes bloud deuils fly away and angelles come to this bloudeshed wassheth all the worlde More saynges of Chrisostom in his Homily .xxiiii. 1. Cor. x. The thinge that is in the chalice is that which ranne oute of Christes syde we are partakers of it Liber iiii cap. iii. de dignitate sacerdotali O Greate good will of God towardes vs O myracle he that syttethe vpon the right hande of his father in heauen aboue is contayned in mennes handes in the tyme of sacrifice Homili XVii Episcopi ad heb ix ca. There is one bodye of Christ dayly offered in sacrifice and one Christ in euerye place where the Sacrament is which is here in this place full and there in that place also full or hole Homil. ad Antiochenum populum Helias the Prophete ascending vp left his mantell vnto his disciples but the sonne of God ascendynge vp into heauen lefte vnto vs his owne fleshe As for Helyas leauinge his mantell vnto his disciple left it from him selfe but our sauioure Christ hath both left his fleshe with vs and also taken it with hym selfe in his Ascencion Homil xlv super Iohannem It is not man that maketh our Lordes bodye and bloude of those thinges set forth vpon the table to be consecrated but it is Christe that was crucified for vs The wordes are pronounced of the preist and these thynges breade and wyne are consecrated by Goddes power and grace for he sayde This is my body By these wordes the breade and wyne are consecrated If a man loke in howe muche he is bounde to flesh and bloud To. li 6 〈◊〉 alogoruâ— Cap. 5. to be able to be made nigh to the blessed simple nature then diligentlye should he vnderstand that it were mete to honor preists by the grace of the holy gost Sacerdotes honorandi for by them these misteries be fulfilled other no lesse then these beinge so greate either because of our helth or els because of dignitie For they the inhabit erth and be conuersauÌ„t in it hath deserued to dispence heuenly thinges Potestatem ligandi et soluendi dedit hâ—meÌ„nibus non Angelis nec archâ— angelis they haue receaued power whiche god nether gaue to Aungels nor Archaungels nor it was not sayde to theÌ„ what things soeuer ye bind on earth they shal be houÌ„de also in heuen and what thinges so euer ye loose they shal be loosed The prynces of the world hath also a certayn power of byndinge but which is only laufull in bodyes Que sacer dotes aguÌ„t in terris Christus confirmat in celis but this boÌ„de which is commyt to preistes it goyth to the soule passeth to heuen That those thinges that preistes do beneth God dothe also confirme in heauen and corroborateth the sentence for it is no other thinge to be called but woodnes to contempne that misterye Sine sacramento Eucharistie nulla salus nec promissa red duntur with oute which neither is helthe geueÌ„ vs nor those good things that be promysed shoulde be geuen for none shal be able to go into the kingdome of heauen but those that be borne agayne of water and of the spirite And he that eateth not the fleshe of oure LORDE and drynketh not his bloude shall not haue lyfe euerlastynge which be made with no other handes then with the holy handes of the prest Solue sacerdos coÌ„secrat nor can haue the rewarde of promyses nor escape the fyer of hell but by the office of these things These be they that bring vs forth in a spirituall generation and execute them by the generation of baptim by them we be clothed with Christ and by them we be ioyned to the sonne of God by them we be also made members of that blessed head ¶ Saynt Ambrose was within .cclxxx. after Christ in his .iiii. boke of sacramentes the .xiiii. cap. WHo is the author of the sacramentes but our Lorde Iesus these sacrameÌ„tes came froÌ„ heauen for all counsell is frome heauen but verely greate Godly is the myracle that God rayned from heauen to the people Angelles foode Exod. 16. And the people labored not and yet did eate Thou perauenture sayest my bread is had coÌ„meÌ„ly in vse but this bread is bread before the sacramentall wordes but after consecration hathe approched of bread is made the flesh of Christ Let vs therfore fortefye and approue this how it which is breade can be the body of Christ by consecration Of what wordes than and of whose sayinges consisteth the consecration euen of our Lord Iesu for by al other thinges which are spoken prayse is offered to God and prayer supplication is made for the people for the kynge for other thinges But whaÌ„ it is come to passe that the sacrameÌ„t worthy to be honoured must be coÌ„secrated now the preist vseth not his owne worde but the wordes of Christe Therfore the worde of Christ doth make or consecrate this sacrameÌ„t Whiche word of Christ it truly by the whiche al thinges are made The Lorde commaunded and heauen was made The Lord commauÌ„ded and the earth was made The lord commaunded the seas was made The Lord coÌ„maunded euery creature was begotten borne Seest thou than how mighty in working the word of God is therfore if so great power strength vertu be in the word of our lorde Iesu the thinges whiche were not began to be howe muche more is it able to worke that the things were might be chaunged into another thing heaueÌ„ was not the sea was not Psa 14 â–ª the earthe was not But here the prophet Dauid speaking of god he spake the word the thinges were made he commaunded and the thinges was created Than let me answer it was not the body of christ before the consecration but after the consecration I say vnto the that now it is the body of Christe He spake the word and it was done he commaunded and it was created Thou thy selfe was but thou was an olde creature After that thou was dedicated to God baptisyd thou began to be a new creature Wylt thou knowe how new a creature thou arte Euery man saith Saynt Paule is by Christ anew creature here therfore 2. Cor. 5. lo the worde of Christe hathe bene wonte to chaunge euery creature and chaungeth whan it will the customes and ordinauÌ„ces of nature Thou requirest how Harken And fyrst of all let vs take example of Christes generation The custome is that man can not be generate but of man and woman and wedlocke company but bycause it was our Lordes pleasure who choose this Sacrament Christ was borne of the holy ghost and of a vyrgyn that is to saye the mediatoure of God and men Christe Iesus verye man Than thou seest that against the custome and order of nature a man was borne of a
fleshe Super Marc. cap. xiiii Whan Chrâ—st had blessed he brake the breade and that do we also puttinge therto prayers saynge This is my body This that I do geue and you now take For the breade is not only a figure of our Lordes bodye but it is turned into our Lordes body For he sayth the bread that I wyll geue is my fleshe He sayd not it is a figure of my flesh but it is my fleshe And howe saith he Cur earo non uidetur is not fleshe sene Oh man for oure infirmitie this is done For breade and wyne be of those thinges wherewith we be accustomed withall Them we do not abhorre but bloude and fleshe set forth we beholdynge coulde not beare but shoulde abhorre Therfore the mercifull God condescending to oure infirmitie Transelementatio doth kepe the forme or kynde of breade and wyne and into the vertu of fleshe and bloude he chaungeth them Super Iohannem Cap. vi Take that the breade that is eaten of vs in misteries is not onely a certayne figuringe of our lordes fleshe but the very flesh For it is transformed by secrete wordes That breade by a misticall blessing and comming of the holy goste Transformatio is chaunged into the body and bloud of Christ And how sayest thou the fleshe appeareth not to vs but breade that we shulde not abborre the eatinge of it For if flesh shuld haue appeared we shoulde haue ben vnsemelye mynded agaynste the communion but now our lord condescendinge to our infirmitie appeareth to vs in suche misticall meat as we haue ben accustomed to The Iewes when they harde of the eatinge of his fleshe dydde misbeleue and therfore they spake a word of infidelitie that is How For when the thoughtes of mysbeleiffe entered into the harte then entered also how Wherefore he wyllynge to shew that it is not impossible but very necessary and that lyfe can none otherwyse be had except ye eate my fleshe ¶ Leo in his .xl. Epistle LEt those phantastical Christians tell me what body Iesus brought into the sight of his disciples the gates beynge shut ¶ Anselmne Byshoppe of Canterbury almost fyue hundred yeares paste sayeth vppon these wordes This is my body It appeareth vnto the vtter senses of man to be but breade But know ye by the sences of the mynde bycause saith Christ this is my body none other but that same in substaunce which shal be geuen to death vpon the crosse and crucified for you Oure Lordes body is consecrated with the signe of the Crosse the fount of baptisme is hallowed and also preistes are made by the same signe Aug. in psal xxxiii Haymo Homil passione Christi Math. li. The breade is chaunged into our Lordes fleshe and the wyne into his bloude not by a fygure nor by a shadowe but by the veritie ¶ Damascen in his .iiii. boke of the ryght catholyke faith The .iiii. Chapter Doest thou aske of me howe breade is made Christes body and wine and water his bloud I aunswer vnto the that the holy goost worketh these things aboue mans vnderstandynge but the breade and wyne are turned The bodye is ioyned vnto the deitye whiche body is of the virgin not that the bodye taken of the virgin commyth downe frome heauen but that the breade it selfe and wyne are chaunged into the bodye and bloude of God The bread wyne water through inuocation and the coÌ„mynge of the holy goste vnto them are aboue nature chaunged into Christes bodye and bloude and they are not two bodyes but one and the same bodye The breade and wyne be not a figure onely of Christes bodye and bloude God forbyd but the bodye and Bloude of Christ Dost thou se breade dost thou se wyne do they auoyde beneth as other meates do God forbyd Thinke not so for as wax if it be put once into the fyer no substaunce remayneth nothinge is lefte so here also thinke thou that the misteryes be consumed by the substaunce of the bodye Damasen lib. iiii ca. xiiii For as moch as our Lord is the spirituall Adam it hath be semed mannes natiuite to be spirituall And also his meate natiuite is geuen to vs by water and the sprite through holy baptizme I saye and the meate breade of lyfe Our Lorde Iesus Christ whiche came doune from heauen For he was aboute to suffer for vs voluntarye deathe in the nyght whiche he offred his owne selfe He dyd dispose a new testament to his disciples and Apostelles by theÌ„ to all others beleuing in hym In the parlor of the holy and gloriouse Syon eatinge the olde passouer with his disciples fulfillinge the olde testament He washed his Disciples fete gyuinge them a token of holy baptisme Afterwarde breakinge breade he gaue to them saying Take eate this is my bodye whiche for you shal be broken in remâ—ssion of synnes In like maner takyng the cupe of wyne and water gaue to them sayeng Drynke of this all This is my bloude of the newe Testament whiche shal be shed for you in remission of synnes Do ye this â—n remembraunce of me For how often so euer ye shall eate this breade and drinke this cuppe ye shall shewe the death of our Lord and confesse his resurrection vntil he come If the worde of God be a lyuynge thinge and of efficacite And all thinges that our Lorde woulde he dyd If he sayde let the lyght be made and it was made Be the fyrmamente made and it was made If by the worde of God the heauens were made and with the sprite of his mouth euery vertue of them If heauen and earth water fyer and ayer and al the ornament of them by the worde of our lorde be made perfight man him self an expressed beast Vis uerbi dei continuo manet If god hym selfe a wylling worde be made man and of the most pure and vndefiled bloude of the holy vyrgyn and in him selfe without seed haue susteyned fleshe Can not he make breade his bodye and wyne and water his bloude Argumentum a minori He sayde in the begynninge let the earth brynge forth grene grasse and euen vntyll nowe after rayne it bringeth forth fruites beinge helped and strengthed with Goddes worde For god sayde This is my body and this is my bloude Hoc SacramentuÌ„ tuÌ„ continuo fiet denec ueniat and this do in remembraunce of me And by the almyghty precepte of God vntyll he shall come it is done for as all thinges that God dyd the holy goost workinge he dydde And so nowe by the operation of the holy gooste these he doth aboue nature whiche nothinge but onely fayth can take Howe shall this be done to me saith the holy vyrgin for I knowe not manne The Aungell aunswered The holye gooste shall come vpon the and the vertue of the highest shall ouershadowe the. And nowe asketh thou Quomodo howe is breade made the body of Christ wyne and water
vyrgin Take an other example Exod. 14 The children of Israell was oppressed of the Egiptians closed in with the sea on euery syde by the commaundement of God Moyses touched the water with his rodde and the water deuided her selfe a sonder which verely was not after the custome of her nature but according to the grace of the heauenly commaundement Take an other example Exod 15. The children of Israell was thurstye and came to a fountayne of water the whiche was bytter not able to be dronke Holy Moyses dyd cast a tre into the water and it was made swete which before was bitter that is to saye it chaunged the custome of nature and toke the swetnes of grace Take also the fourth example It fortuned as a man was felling doune a tre besides the floude Iordayne 4 Reg. 6. the axe hed full into the water and sonke to the botome as the custome of Iron is to do the prophet Heleseus dyd cast a sticke of woode into the water and immediately the Iron came vp swymmed aboue the water the whiche verely is against the nature of yron For the stuffe substaunce of Iron is moch heuyer than is the element of water Dost thou theÌ„ by these examples vnderstande how mightily the heauenly worde worketh yf the heaueÌ„ly worde hath wrought in an earthy foÌ„tayne yf it hath wrought in other thinges doth not it also worke in the heauenly sacramentes Pauis fâ—eory 9 christi than thou hast learned that of bread may be made the body of Christ And the wine and water is put into the chalice but it is made bloude by the consecration of the heauenly word But perauenture thou wilt saye I se not the forme of bloude Euen as thou hast taken the similitude of death in baptyme Respoâ— so dost thou drinke the similitude of the preciouse bloude that there be no feare of bloude and yet that it maye worke the price of redemption Thou hast therfore learned that the thing which thou takest is the bodye of Christ and the bloude of our Lorde Wilt thou know that it is consecrate with heauenly wordes Here what the words be The prest sayth Make sayth he this oblation enrolled reasonable whiche is a fygure of the bodye and bloude of our Lorde Iesu Christ Qui pridie whiche the daye afore that he suffered he toke breade in his holy handes loked to heauen to his holy father almighty God geuynge thankes blessed brake and beinge broken gaue it to his Apostels and Disciples sayinge Take and eate of this all for this is my body that shall be broken for many And in lyke maner he toke the cuppe after he had supped the daye before that he shoulde suffer and loked to heauen to the holy father almyghtye euerlastynge God geuynge thankes blessed gaue it to his Apostels and Disciples sayinge Take and drynke of this all for this is my bloude Se al these be the wordes of the Euangelyst vnto Take ye whether it be the body or bloude then be the wordes of Christe Take and drynke of it all Afore it is consecrate it is breade â— Corpus christi est but when the wordes of Christe come it is the bodye of Christ Furthermore heare hym sayinge Take and eate of it all this is my body And afore the wordes of Christe the cuppe is full of wyne and water When the wordes of Christe haue wroughte there is the bloude made whiche hath redemed the people Then se in howe greate kyndes is the word of Christ myghty and able to conuert all maner of thinges Further more the Lorde Iesus hym selfe doth testifie vnto vs that we may take his bodye and bloude should we then doubte of his fayth and wytnessynge Lib. 4. de Sacramentis Nowe come with me to my proposition It is surelye a greate and worshypfull thynge that he dyd raygne Manna from heauen to the Iewes But vnderstand what is more the Manna from heauen or the body of Christ Surelye the bodye of Christe whiche is maker of heauen Farthermore he that did eate Manna is deade But he that hath eaten this bodye it shal be to hym forgeuenes of synnes and he shall neuer dye Therfore thou sayst not in vayne Amen So be it Now thou confessinge in sprite that thou takest the bodye of Christe the preist saith to the The body of Christ And thou faiste Amen That is true that which he confesseth hath the desyre It is to be knowen that in pronounsing of these wordes Bread is turned into the body of Christe This is my bodye a misterye is done And breade is turned into Christes bodye If thou aske how we leauinge these thynges not certayne do affirme that which is of auctorities that is to say that the substaunce of bread and wine is conuerted into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of our lorde And we be not ashamed to confesse that we knowe not the maner of turnynge For the thynges that remayne of the former substaunce accidentia manent be accidentes that is the coloure sauour fourme and weyghte Nor yet they do make the bodye of Christ nor can be grounded therin But if it be asked where they be founded we saye Hic deo ideÌ„s manet sine subiectodo uirtute diuina that by diuyne miracle they be sustayned without substaunce This is truely a greate misterye and vnsearcheable We be commaunded to beleue we be not permitted to discusse We be commauÌ„ded to beleue but not to discusse all thinges that the Lorde wolde he dyd in hea-and in earth And because so he wolde so it was So thoughe the figure of breade and wyne be seene yet after the consecration we muste beleue nothinge els but the fleshe and bloude of Christe Wherefore the truth doth saye to his Disciples This is my fleshe for the lyfe of the worlde and that I might speake more maruelously it is playnely none other but that which was borne of the virgin Marye and suffered on the crosse and rose out of the graue This I saye is it And therfore is it the fleshe of Christ which for the lyfe of the worlde yet to daye is offered the breade of angelles is made the meate of men wherfore he sayth I am the lyuely bread which cam doune from heauen Also the breade which I will gyue is my fleshe for the lyfe of the world By these two sentences it is geuen openly to be vnderstanded that this breade and that be not two but one breade and one fleshe and withoute doute is made one bodye That verely that surely which was taken of the virgyn that suffered that was buryed that arose agayne and ascended into heauen sitteth on the right hande of God the father and which is to come to Iudge the quicke the dead And that thou mayste knowe this to be a sacrameÌ„t the figure of this went before afterwarde know how gret a SacrameÌ„t it is