The Contentes of the first Booke. 1. The preface to the Reader. 2. Notes concerning the translation of holy scripture in this argument. 3. The state of the question. 4. What the supper of our lords is according to the belefe of the Catholiks. 5. What it is according to the doctrine of our aduersaries. 6. A speciall errour of Caluin, concerning the vvords of Christes supper, is confuted.

The preface to the Christian Reader.

WHo so will auoyd the danger of pride, of schisme and of hearesie, he hath no greater helpe therevnto in thisProu. 3. world, then to mystrust his owne iudgement, and to followe the authoritie of greater wisdome. Whiche thing heAugust. de Baptis. cō •… a Dona •… st lib 2. Cap. •… . 1. 〈◊〉 . 3. muste doe, not only by preferring the holie scriptures before the wrytinges of whatsoeuer men, but also by expo •… ding the same, according to the greatest authoritie that may be founde in that kinde.

The greatest authoritie among mē must nedes be in the whole Catholike Churche of Christe, the piller and establishment of truthe, whose consent in the interpretation of Gods worde, because wee can not knowe by the handwryting of euerie particular1. Cor. 8. member (for knowledge is not in all persons) we therefore muste not so muche seke after the bookes, as after the workes, and practise of all faythfull nations, to knowe by what meanes they expounded Christes Gospell. For as the holie Ghoste instructedHebr. 10. alwayes theyr hartes, wryting his lawes in them: so by theyr conformable deedes we lerne, what he inspired to theyr hartes. As therefore it is most necessarie to conferre one part of holy scripture with an other, for the right vnderstanding of both places: euen so it behoueth to ioyne with that conference, theAugust. ad •… anua. Epist 118 Matt. 28. vse and custome of the people of God.

To make this matter the playner by an example, the Apostles are wille •… to teache all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost. Now shallThe Anabaptistes. this precept be vnderstanded? For some thinke that teaching before baptisme is so necessarie, that no creature ought to be baptised, whiche is not first taught. Others thinke both necessarie,The Catholikes. but yet teaching to belong firste to suche as are able to be taught, and baptizing firste to suche, as are able to be baptized, and not yet readie to be taught. And because infautes may be baptized before they can be taught, they thynke that Christe meant, to haue teaching goe before baptisme in men of discretion, and baptisme before teaching in children, whose parentsThe practise of the whole Churche 〈◊〉 a good interpreta tion of scripture aske baptisme for them. Whiche later vnderstanding is proued to be more agreable to the meaning of Christe, not by the order of his wordes, but by the vse and consent of all nations, whiche are the spouse of Christe. For in euerie age and countrie of Christendome, children are brought to be baptized by theyr frindes: and the Bishops or Priestes of those countries haue alwayes baptized them.

So that we haue two great and necessarie poyntes expounded, in the precept of baptisme, by the custome of the Churche. The one is, that children maie be christened before they are taught theyr beleefe: the other, that suche children oulie maie be Christened, whose parents or frindes aske baptisme for them. But if any Iew or Gentil doe liue among vs, who wil not haue his child Christened, the Apostles by that fame 〈◊〉 of Christ, haue no authoritie to baptize suche a childe. Whiche thinge is proued, because the Church of God hath no suche custome. •… . Cor. 11

The same strength whiche the practise of Christian men is nowe sene to haue in baptisme, is also founde to be no lesse in other Sacraments. For likewise al faithful countries haue asked the Sacrament of consirmation for their baptized children, and all Bishops haue geuen it, oynting and confirming them in the name of the 〈◊〉 with 〈◊◊〉 , thereby declaring, how the holy Ghoste is geuen to the late baptized by the impositionAct. 8. of handes of the Apostles. 〈◊〉 all faithfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adored the body and blood of Christ vnder the formes of bread and wine after consecration. They haue desyred that holy sacrifice to be made and offered for them, & all Priestes, Bishops, and Primates haue said masse, and allowed that deuotion of the layemen. Wherby it is proued that those wordes of Christ: This ys mie bodye, and: This ys my bloode, are to be taken properly,Matt. 26. and not figuratiuely, in so muche as the holy Ghost, by the vse of all the people of God, hath expounded the whole meany •… ge of Christe.

Therfore whosoeuer teacheth a figuratiue vnderstanding of those words, he goethe syrst from the autoritie of the gospell, where yt ys 〈◊〉 sayed: This is my body. Next he 〈◊〉 from the 〈◊〉 of the whole Churche, whiche so earnestly beleued these wordes, and th •… effecte of them, that she adored the body of Christe present, vnder the forme of breade, and acknowledged yt to be offered to God vnbloodely, for the obteyuinge of the sruites of Christes death. Thirdlie he must nedes 〈◊〉 concluded singular and prowd, who had rather leane to his owneThe 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 must not be trusted. iudgement, or to the iudgement of a fewe lyke him self, then to trust either God, or his whole Churche.

And wheras certayne men are wont to saye, that the holy Fathers and faythfull people of the first six hundred yeres after Christ, did vnderstande the wordes of his supper otherwise: It is (Good Reader) to to palpable, and to muche assected a blindnesse not to ponder and w •… igh, howe vnsensibly that is spoken.

All men of neuer so meane witte iudge thinges vncertayne by 〈◊◊〉 be 〈◊〉 by 〈◊◊〉 . those that are most certayne, not contrariwise leauinge that whiche they euidently knowe, and measuringe yt by a rule cleane obscure or throwghly withowt the cōpasse of their reache. Christ in that dreadfull night wherin he was betrayed, 〈◊〉 nowe1. Cor. 11 〈◊〉 the mysterie of owr redemption, after breade taken and blessing, 〈◊〉 , and gaue, and sayd, This ys my body. Hereof1. Scriptu •… . Matt. 26. Marci. 14 l. 〈◊〉 . 22. 1. Cor. 11. S. Mathew, S. Marke, S. Luke, and S. 〈◊〉 beare wytnesse. Neither may auie man dowt therof, who loketh for saluation by 〈◊〉 .

Agayne whosoeuer is of lawfull age, and hath but the vse o •… his eyes and eares, can tell that in the Catholike Churche all men2. The 〈◊◊◊◊◊〉 of god. 〈◊〉 the real body of Christ vnder the 〈◊〉 of that bread, which was blessed by the Prieste. These two principals no man aliue may deny. 〈◊〉 no man is able to deny that 〈◊〉 three hundred and fiftie 〈◊〉 paste it was decreed by 4. 70. Bishops in the great Councell of 〈◊〉 kept at 〈◊〉 , that the body, and blood of Christ are trulie contayned vnder the3. Generall Councels 〈◊〉 of bread and wine, the substance of bread and wine being changed into the body and blood of Christ by the power of God. The same thing is in effect tawght in the Councells kept afterward at 〈◊〉 , at Constance, at 〈◊〉 , at Trent. Fowrthly before those Councells, 〈◊〉 was condemned by three4. 〈◊◊〉 re •… . other Councells, and by the preachers and lerned men of that age, wherein he 〈◊〉 , and therfore he 〈◊〉 the same 〈◊〉 , which now 〈◊〉 mayntayned in England. No poynte of these 〈◊◊〉 , nor may be 〈◊〉 denied.

Wee haue then the wordes of the gospell plaine, the worshipping and adoration of the Christians plaine, the authoritie of diuers generall Councells exceding plaine. These all be thinges so knowen and certayne, that our aduersaries cannot say, they are not so, Albeyt they say, they should not be so. Well, they yet graunt we haue the wordes of the gospell, the vse of the Church these nyne hundred yeares, and the authoritie of generall Councels, of whom I 〈◊〉 on the other side, what gospell, what Church, what Councels they haue.1. 〈◊◊◊〉 .

First they can bring no gospell where yt is written. This is 〈◊〉 figure of my bodie. Secundarily thei can bring no Church,2. No vse of 〈◊〉 Church of God. where the bodie of Christ was not confessed, worshipped and 〈◊〉 . Thirdly they haue no generall 〈◊〉 , where it was euer said, that the wordes of Christ are 〈◊〉 , and worke not his bodie present. Thereunto they will straight take exception, affirming3. No generall Coun 〈◊〉 . that all y• first six hūdred yeres cooke the wordes of Christes supper to be figuratiue, and nedes they must say so muche, for 〈◊〉 they should saie nothyng at all. But what 〈◊〉 we to that saying of theirs?

Uerily we 〈◊〉 , that it is a mayn lye, an impudent assertion, a fond imagination, as the which hath no ground at all in theThe first 600. yeres 〈◊〉 not for the 〈◊◊〉 . first six hundred yeres. Which thing although yt may be proued many wayes, yet in 〈◊◊〉 it is most inuincibly declared by three 〈◊〉 . The former is, in so muche as diuers holy Fathers 〈◊〉 vs most instantly to beleue the wordes wherin1. Christ said: This ys my body, and: This ys my bloode, although they seme to be agaynst naturall reason and sense. and yet no wise man wil requier vs to beleue figuratiue wordes. The second is,2. because the same Fathers teach expresly the adoration of that 〈◊〉 and blood of Christe, which is in the holy mysteries, which 〈◊〉 on the altar and table, which is taken into the handes mouthes, and bodies of Christian men. The third reason is,3. because the holie Fathers teach, that we are made naturally and corporally one flesh with the flesh of Christ, in the worthy recenuing of the blessed Sacrament of his supper. All these thinges shalbe declared, God willing, in their places. We haue therefore iust cause, not to graunt our aduersaries the first six hundred yeres.

And although we had not so iust cause to shewe the first six houdred to stand so playnlie for vs, yet how ys yt possible, that they or any man aliue can be sure of the opinion of that age? The scriptures that should teache them, what thei owght to •… ue, sounde an other waie▪ The practise of the Churche, which hath deriued to vs their custome and vse, doth informe vs of a contrary meaning. By what meanes then come oure aduersaries to assure them selues of the first six hundred yeres? It is cle •… ely impossible that any man should haue any sufficient ground, whereby to know, that the first six hundred yeres were of the 〈◊〉 or Sacramentarie iudgement. For the wrytinges of the Fathers (whiche only they pretend) cannot informe them of any suche their minde, for so muche as none of them all writeth so fauorably for them, that he hathe gone aboute once to proue, that the bodie of Christ is not vnder that which the Priest blesseth, or hath warned the people to beware of idolatrie, or hath vsed suche words in that behalfe, as the Sacramentaries of oure tyme do vse. And yet suerlie a lyke fayth wolde hau •… browght foorthe a lyke doctrine.

Now where they call the Sacrament a figure and holie signe: that doth not withstand the reall presence any whit, but rather proueth it, to him, who considereth the signe, we speake of, not to be a signe made by men, whose tokens do signifie th •… The signes of Christes 〈◊◊〉 the signified 〈◊〉 . truth absent, but institued by Christ, who maketh reall truth in euerie Sacrament, vnder a holy signe therof. To be shorte, there is nothinge to be sene or readen in the auncient Fathers concerninge the matter of the Sacrament, but the same hath bene alwayes acknowleged of the Catholikes for good and sound doctrine, euen continually all thies nine hundred yeres, when, if they had thought otherwise, they might withowt reprouffe of any man, before Berēgarius, or after his tyme, haue condemned what booke they lysted. But no Papist, were he neuer so muche addicted to the real presence of Christes body in the Sacrament, did find fault with any Catholike Father of the first six hundred 〈◊〉 : Undowtedlie, because he neuer sawe worde in them against his owne opinion. Or tell me, doth S. Thomas, doth S •… otus, doth Nicolaus de Lira, doth Dionysius Larthusianus accuse anie Father of the first six hundred yeres, as not thynkinge well of the Sacrament? No suerlie. And that is because they neue •… founde in them but the same docteine, which them selues beleued and tawght. And yet as sone as Berengarius began his newe doctrine, euerie lerned man founde fault with yt. Likewise with 〈◊〉 , with •… uinglins, and with Iohn Caluin.

It is therfore euident, seinge no Catholike nother hathe bene before Luters time, nor is nowe offended with the olde Fathers doctrine concerninge the reall presence of Christes body, and yet euerie of them is offended with the Sacramentaries doctrine: that the Sacramentaries teache not, as the olde Fathers did, and agayne that the Sacramentaries cannot be suer, that their doctrine is found in the olde Fathers. For if yt were there to he found, why should not Catholikes find yt there as well as they: Or what one word can be brought sorthe of them so plainly denyinge the reall presence of Christes body, vnder the forme of bread, as we are able to bringe forth certayne hundred places, wherin the said reall presence is earnestly affirmed? Admitte the Fathers doctrine were vncertayne, were dowtfull & obscure, yet cowld oure aduersaries neuer be sure therby, that the fyrst six hundred yeres were with them. Admitte some of them semed rather to fauoure theire side then owrs (whiche is vtterly false) yet the plaine word of God, the plaine generall Councelles, the faith of all nations by the space of nine hundred yeres owghtThe 〈◊〉 mentaries are fam t •… 〈◊〉 y• Fathers of y• first 600▪ yeres 〈◊〉 •… ye. to preuaile, before the probable and apparant sayenges of a fewe men.

But nowe seinge the Fathers of the first six hundred yeres are so clerelie for vs, that oure aduersaries are forced to excuse the expresse witnesses of S. 〈◊〉 , S. Chrysostome, S. 〈◊〉 alleged for the reall presence of Christes bodie, as spoken by plaine hyperbole which (in them that professe to teach the Catholike faith) is no lesse to say, then yt these Fathers make rhetoricall lyes in wryting of the blessed •… ucharist, seing they are constrayned to deuie certaine workes of the verie most auncient, as of Dionysius Areopagita, of S. Ignatius, of S. Polycarpus, of Abdias, of S. Clement, of Anacletus, of 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 , yea of S. Ambrose, and of suche like (because their sayings are to 〈◊〉 agaynst them) seing all, that dispute now a dayes with the 〈◊〉 , presse them with nothing more customably then with the autoritie of the auncient Fathers.

Now to saie they lea •… e to the first six hundred yeres, when the holie scriptures, and auncient Fathers, generall Counceils, and 〈◊〉 tradition maketh agaynst them, he that listeth to consyder how 〈◊〉 , how vilely, how impudently it is pretended, may in all other assertions mistrust them, as men for great synnes geuen ouer vnto their owne lewd phantasie, withowt theyRoma. 1. repent and call agayne to the holie Ghost for more grace and better vnderstanding.

M. Nowel in the preface prefixed before the reprouf of M.Nowell in his pre •… . Dormans prouf, semeth to haue small confidence in the first six hundred yeres, and therfore findeth fault with M. Iuell, because he gaue vs that most large scope of all Doctors of the Church, who haue wryten for the space of six hundred yeres after our Sauior Christes being here in earth, and of a •… l Councells kept in the said continuance of tyme: Whereas M. Nowel wolde haue had him tye vs streightly to the triall of the scriptures, the certaine and only iudges (sayeth M. Nowell) in controuersies of religion. Wherin he affirmeth, we can saye nothing at all.

The holy scriptures, M. Nowell, are so certayne and vpryght •… udges, that if they cowld speake, thei wold remoue out of theirThe Scri ptures wold neuer abyd him that sh •… ld say: This is not my body. co •… rtes all suche 〈◊〉 tonges as saie, This ys not Christes bodie. This, I say, whiche is made at y• holy table of Christes supper. This▪ which after blessing and the wordes of consecration spoken, is broken and deliuered. This, which at the handes of the Priest is taken and eaten. If scriptures might be heard, should he leue one hower, that seing a thing so exa •… ly taken and pointed vnto, and hearing the same with so manie circumstances (all tendinge to the makinge a new mysterie of the new testament) affirmed to be the body of Christ, whiche is geuenLuce. 22. for vs, yet wold neither care sor the word nor the dede, but stowtly, 〈◊〉 , that this whiche is sene and taken, is not by the wordes of Christe made his owne reall bodye? And yet haue we nothing at all to say in the holie scriptures?

Some others graunt we haue somwhat to say in this question of the reall presence, but not in any other. Whome I beseche to suspend their iudgement, vntill they know what they saie. For not if they vnderstand not how scriptures belong to vs in other questiōs, we doe therfore lack scriptures. From the highestThe Catholiks lack no Scriptures. question of the sacrifice of the masse, to the most abiect (in our aduersaries reputation) of indulgences and pardons, the Catholike Churche neuer lacked, nor shall at any tyme lack plentie of holy scriptures, as yt shall appere when particular occasion serueth.

In the meane tyme because I am not able to bring foorth at once, what may be sayed owt of holy scriptures, for all the con •… of our age, I haue beg •… ne first with the cheif of all, which is concerning the reall presence of Christes body and blood vnder the 〈◊〉 of bread and wine. Beseching God I may haue grace and tyme, to bring in other questions other like1. scriptures. I haue examined y• wordes of Christes supper, I haue2. noted the ci •… cumstances of thinges done and sayd there: I ha •… 〈◊〉 . conferred the holy scriptures of one place, with them that in the same matter are written in other places, as well of the old as of the new testament: I haue ioyned the Fathers of the first six hundred4. yeres, to shewe, they thought as the Catholikes nowe doe, whom they call Papistes. But what circumstāce, what confere •… ce of holie scripture can helpe owre aduersaries?T •… e 〈◊〉 cānot confer scri ptures in this matter.

Before they can ioyne one place of scripture with an other, they must haue some one clere and playne, by whiche the other, that is more darke and obs •… re, maye be interpreted and expounded. But what playne place can that be in the supper of Christe? For if the wordes and dedes, that make the supper, be obscure, if th •… y that sulfill the prophecies and promyses goinge before, be darke and figuratiue: where ys it possible to finde a prophecie, aIf the wordes of the supper be figuratiue, none other can be plaine. figure, a psalme, a promesse more e •… ident, then the perfo •… mance therof was? Doth not the death of Christ as fulfill, so make playne and open all the lawe and prophetes? Euen so whatsoeuer is browght apperteininge to the purpose of Christes supper, muste nedes be more vncertayne and lesse euident, then the supper it self, which is the end and perfourmance, and therfore the openinge and interpretation of all the rest. Who so therfore maketh the wordes of Christes supper figuratiue or vncertaine, muche more he maketh al other places, that belonge to that argumēt, obscure and harde to be vnderstanded.

What certentie then can theire belefe haue, who neither haue an euident faithe comminge from theire ancestoures to them, nor any manifest place of scripture, by which they maye iudge and trie other suche scriptures, as they bringe for theire figuratiue doctrine?

As they imagine withowt any prouf at all, that they haue the faith of the first six hundred yeres: so I thynke they imagine a gospell, where it is w •… tten, This is not my body: or, This is the figure of my bodie. But as with thine eyes thow maiest reade it distinctly wrytten in fower places of the th •… 〈◊〉 , This ys my body: so if thow be of any good yeres, thow 〈◊〉 •… ember the tyme, when noman professed the belese that they now doe prosesse. And farther, if god graunt the to leue but twentie yeres moe, thow shalt see manie a thowsand of their owne felowshippe beleue the co •… trarie of that, whiche in many articles is now professed by the 〈◊〉 them selues. For heresie can not staye, vntill1. Tim. 3. yt come at the length to infidelitie.

But, as I sayed, thow art sure of the gospell, where it is sayed: This ys my body, and sure of the Churche, where •… t both was, and is beleued, to be Christes body after cōsecration: so can they neuer be sure, where yt is wrytten, this is the figure of my body, nor yet can they be sure that euer yt was beleued in the first six hundred yer •… s, to haue •… ene a figure, without the reall truth of Christes s •… bstance vnder the forme of bread.

Tell me masters, I beseche yow, sith before youre •… ies the wordes of Christe lie sownding against your opinion, and in your knowledge and experiēce yow haue sene al Christian people prof •… sse a 〈◊〉 faith vnto yours, by what euidence, by what inuincible authoritie can yow proue, that the first six hundred yeres agreed with yow? Is yt wrytten in the gospell? It say •… th1. the contrarie in these wordes, This ys my body. Is it come to2. your hands by tradition? All tradition maketh agaynst you, whereby we are tawght the body of Christ to be made by Christes wordes vnder the forme of bread. Did all nations and faithsull3. p •… ople beare wytnes to your opinion? It is cleane contrarie. For yow can name no people where your opinion was professed before these fiftie yeres, albeit a fewe haue in corners now and then 〈◊〉 yt, as now some or other alwayes 〈◊〉 the blessed Trinitie. Did generall Cou •… cels teache yow, to thynke as yo •… 4. dor? They are cleane on the other 〈◊〉 , as which professe an vnbloodyCon. Ni. Cō. Lat. sacrisice, and a 〈◊〉 of Christ vpon the altar, and 〈◊◊〉 ? Doe the auucieut Fathers tell you, that them5. 〈◊〉 beleued so? They tell you cleane contrary, as who forbyd you to 〈◊〉 of Christes wordes, and bid vs adore his flesh in the mysteries. Where is then this faith of six hundred yeres proued: Admit you had a worde or two, that semed to fauoure your parte. Is that enough to buyld your consciences vpon, agaynst the playne scripture, vniuersall tradition, consent of nations, de •… of generall Councels, and so vndouted witnesses, as are inEphes. 4. the a •… cient Fathers? are you so slenderly buylt vpon Christ, that euerie blast of 〈◊〉 , •… inglius, or Caluins mouth is able to remoue you from the scriptures, tradition, Councels, Fathers, and 〈◊〉 belefe of all Christendome?

I speake not this (God is my witnesse) to vpbrayd you of your 〈◊〉 , but to warne you of the miserable state, that your 〈◊◊〉 se •… ses haue caried you to. I now requier not anie other thing of you, then that yow depelie ponder, and all par •… set a side (calling for the grace of God) earnestly examine, what was the sirst motion that made you doute of ChristesT •… e reas •… s that 〈◊〉 our faith. 〈◊〉 and blood vnder the formes of bread and wine. Was it not your senses? Did not your sensuall man saie, how can this white round cake be ye body of Christ? How can this bald shoren Priest make God? How can Christe sitting at the ryght hand of his Father, he also present in a thousand places at once? Tell not me, but tell your ghostly fathers, whether theis reasons chefely mo •… ed you not, to discredit this high mysterie? If those or suche like where the beginning of your departing from the Catholike •… aith, remember that God is almightie, that Christ is God, that he said: This is my body, doe and make this thing: and allLuce. 22. those thoughtes of infidelitie are straight driuen away.

But if now ye replie that there was in dede the beginning, but afterward you found more strong argumentes, I tell you, the argumentes also be daily the stronger, because your faith is daylie the weaker. But for so muche as I am not with euerie of you, face to face, where I maye shew the weakenes of your argumentes, I haue answered in this booke such as I found in the Apologie of the Churche of England, beseching you most hartely to take my paynes in good worth. If any where I seme to charge my aduersaries with malice or any like faulte, take not that spoken to you, but to hym that is giltie of it. If my laboure lyke you in this argument, it shalbe redie to serue in anie other to my best habilitie. Fare well and pray for me, as I beseche God of his grace that I may pray especially for all them, that reade my booke. To th'entent it may offend none, but the desperate, helpe some that be not incurable, comfort others that desier comfort of God, to whom be all honour and glorie.

Amen.

¶ Certeyne notes about the vse and translation of holy scripture to be remembred of hym that shall reade this booke.

IN alleging the holy scriptures although I haue had alwaies dew regard vnto the tonges, wherein they were first writen, yet I haue specially kept that texte, which hath bene aboue these thousand yeres generally receaued throughowt all the weast Churche, and therefore is expounded best, and best knowen to the Latyns. Concerninge the number of the Psalmes, I haue followed the seuentie interpretours, whom vniuersally the whole Churche hath followed from the Apostles tyme, namely in the distinction of the Psalmes.

Concerning the englyshe bible, I haue almost neuer vsed the wordes thereof, partely because I am not bounde therevnto, but specially because it almost neuer translateth any text well, whereof any controuersie is in these our daies. And to omit for this present other falsified places to the number of a great many hundreds, these that followe, are found not to be well translated in the onely matter of the Sacrament of Christes body and blood.

Christ saieth: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . OperaminiIoan. 6. cibum permanentem. The true Englishe were: worke the meate which tarieth. The translation appointed to be read in the Churches turneth (Operamini) labour for. Whereby theCert •… in places not weltranslated. sense of the place is corrupted. We labour for that, which we seeke, and haue not, we worke that stuffe, which is present with vs, and must nedes be present, before we can worke it. I suppose there is a difference, whether a carpenter worke a piece of tymber, or labour for a piece of tymber. He that woorketh it, hath it present, he that laboureth for it, seeketh it absent. Christ bad the •… Iewes not labour for a meate, which should be absent, when they came to work, but he bad them work the meate, which taryeth to life euerlastinge, which the sonne of man will geue them. The sonne of man (which is Christ) will make the meate present, and the Iewes are willed to worke the sayed meate being first made present, and geuen to them.

It is not therfore the commaundement of Christ, that they should labourfor it, as if it were to be sought out by their diligēce (for they should labour in vain, as neuer being able to find of them selues so preciouse a thing) But Christ meaneth that they shuld work, by faith and mouth, by soule and body, by soule in beleuing, by body in eating, that meate, which the sonne of man doth promise to geue them. That is the trew meaning of the word, Operamini, work ye: as the wordes that follow to the end of the Chapiter do plainly declare.

But because the Sacramentaries do not beleue the meate thatWhy th •… Sacrain •… taries haue corrupted th •… text. tarieth (which is afterward shewed to be the flesh of Christ eaten in dede, whereby he tarieth in vs and we in him for euer) to be made really present, so that we maye work it by faith and body: therfore they haue changed working into labouring for, as thowgh in the supper of Christ we laboured for his body, and did dot rather work his body.

Againe, Christ saith: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 2. Ioan. 6. Qui manducat me & ipse viuet propter me. The trew English is, He that eateth me, he also shall liue for me, The Englishe Bible teadeth, He that eateth me, shall liue by the meanes of me. There is a similitude made in that place, that as Christ being sent of the Father liueth for the Father: so he that eateth Christ liueth for Christ. The Greek word is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in both places. It is construed with an accusatiue case in both places, it is latined by propter in both places. yet in the former place it is englished in the common Bible, for the Father: in the later, not (for me) as it owght, but by the meanes of me: Whereas Christ wold proue, that as him self doth liue for his Father (with whom he is one nature and Godhead by eterna! generation) so we doe liue for him, with whom we are one flesh and manhod by eating him worthely. As therfor •… the Godhead of the Father is really present in the whole substance thereof with Christ: so is Ch •… ist really present with vs in his whole substance, when we eate him in the Sacrament, of which kind of eating he speaketh in that place by the waie of promise, as I haue proued vpon S. Ihon. What hon •… sty can be here pretended in one sentence to turne one word di •… ersly, euen when Christ •… seth the self same word to shew therby the similitude of y• matter? Is propter Patrem, for the Father? and yet is propter me, not, for me, but, by the meanes of me? A man maie liue by his meanes that is abs •… t, whom also he neuer saw. But he can not liue for him, who is not with him, yea so with him, that his whole life is mainteined through him. For here Christ meaneth, by liuing for me, such a kind of life as men haue by liuing for, and because of the meate which they 〈◊〉 . As therfore noman is able to liue through that meate which is absent, and as when the meat causeth vs to liue, it is truly and really in vs: euen so when Christ saith, He that eateth me, shall liue for me, he meaneth him self, to be really eaten of him who liueth through that he eateth Christ. This helpe toward the Catholike faith the Sacramentaries thought to make nothing, by sa •… ifying the holy scripture.

Thirdly Christ saith: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . 〈◊〉 . Qui manducat hunc panem viuet in aeternum. The true English were. He that eateth this bread, shall liue for euer. The Bible doth English it, He that eateth of this bread. It is true to saie, he that earcth of this bread shall liue for euer, and it was saied before of Christ. But though it be true in his place, yet it is not the true sense of this place. For here Christ speaketh (by the waie of promise) of sacramental eating, and he is so eaten in the Sacrament, that we both eate him, and of him. We eate him, because he is bodi •… y pr •… sent vnder the foorm of bread. We eate of him, because we take vertue and increase of li •… e of him, & he yet tarieth whole. Of him we maie eate also, without the Sacrament, by beleuing in him, and keping his commaund •… ments. But himself we properly eate only vnder the foorm of bread, of which eating Christ now spake.

But because the Sacramentaries wold haue no difference betwen eating Christ, & eating of Christ, (as who beleue Christ really neuer to be eaten vnder the form of bread) therfore they haue corrup •… ed the text, putting, of this bread, where they shuld haue left out, of, and haue said: He y• eateth this bread. this bread, I say, which before Christ called his own •… lesh and his own self. He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer. Other smal faults in translating S. John I will not now stand about. Lett vs passe vnto the supper of Christ.

S. •… athew writeth: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Cūaccepisset Iesus panē, et gratias egisset, fregit, et dedit discipulis, et ait. The true english is Iesus hauing taken bread, & geuē thanks (or blessed) bra •… e, & gaue to the disciples and said. The common Bible readeth: Iesus tok •… bread, and when •… e had geuen thanks he brake it, & gaue it to the disc •… ples. The holy scripture saith not that Je •… us brake (it) neither that he gaue (it) but that he brake and gaue. For Iesus toke in dede wheaten bread. but hauing 〈◊〉 a •… d g •… uen thanks, and saied the words of consecration, This is my body, he made f •… om of the 〈◊〉 of bread the subs •… ance of his body, because he said, This is my body, •… nd he is not wont to saie 〈◊〉 . Thi •… 〈◊〉 , which when Jes •… s toke, was bread, is, after the words prono •… ced, the body of Christ, and consequently that which was taken is made his body, whi •… s it is changed by the power of God in to his body and therfore the substance of bread is no more present. For which cause the scripture saied not, fregit eum, & dedit eum, as the English Bible hath, he brake it, and gaue it, but he brake, and gaue, withowt, it, for he brake the forme of bread which remained, and he gaue his body which by his word he made.

The words of S. Mathew do not all stand in order, as it shalbe shewed hereafter: in so much as Christ said the words of consecration, as it is more like, before he brake the Sacrament or gaue to his Disciples.

But the Sacramentaries who wold the word of Christ (when he said: This is my body) to be voide, to be figuratiue, to be a word of promising and not of performing, do saie falsely that it is not in dede the body of Christ, but bread stil as it was before, & to maintein that heresie they corrupt the text, sayng: Jesus toke breadMatt. 26. Marc. 14 Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11 and brake (it) and gaue (it) Again, in S. Mark (say they) he brake (it) and in S. Luke, he brake (it) last of all in S. Paule, he brake (it) 〈◊〉 tymes putting the particle (it) which is neither in the Breke nor in the Latin •… ble.

S. Luke and S. Paule after the consecration of the body ofLuc. 22. 1. Cor. 11 Christ, witnesse that Christ sayd: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Hoc facite. The trewest Englishe were, Make this thing▪ The sullest, do and make this thing. The common Bible readeth in S. Luke, This do. 〈◊〉 S. Paule, This do ye. And that which is most abominable of all, in the second tome of yowr ho •… lies, in the homilie of the SacramentFol. 213. of Christes body, it is translated, Do ye thus.

So that in two wordes thre faults be committed: the one, tha •… facere is here Englished, to doe, whereas it standeth not for that only, but also to make, which is y• cheefer meaning of y• twaine as I proue hereafter. And therfore either both significatiōs of doing and making, or the more principal which is, of making, owght to •… aue bē expressed. Moreouer, hoc, this thing, is turned (this) only without adding therunto the name of thing, and that to th •… nd noman should think y• a substātial thing were wi •… to be made, but only that a qualitie were d •… d. For they wold haue the words of Christ, to meane: Doe as 〈◊◊〉 , 〈◊〉 so, do this. Wheras he meaneth, Make this thing, wh •… I haue m •… : This thing, I saye, wherof you heard me saye: This ys my body: as though he 〈◊〉 , make this my body.

But the Sacramentaries, without all 〈◊〉 , haue corrupted y• gespell, because noman should think of 〈◊〉 any thing, least by asking what thing it were, he should 〈◊〉 that the body of Christ is commanded to be made. In so much that in those homiliesTom. 2. Fol. 213. where they pretend to teache the word of •… d, they report the command •… of Christ, saying: Do ye thus. •… a what 〈◊〉 do ye thus. 〈◊〉 bread and 〈◊〉 it, and 〈◊〉 it, and make no more a doe, but doe ye thus. O trusty go 〈◊〉 , O blasphemouse tongs. Did Christ say, 〈◊〉 ye thue? He say •… : Doe and make this thing: Hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis datur, hoc sacite. This is my •… ody, which is geuen •… or you, do •… and make this thing. •… tt vs go forward.

It 〈◊〉 in S. Luke, and in S. Paule, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11 In meam comme morationem. The true English were, for the remembrance of me, or to th'end I may be remembred. The common Bible turneth In the remembrance of me. A thing may be done best in the remembrance of a man, when the man is first remembred, and afterward the thing is done in the remembrance of him. But Christ meaneth not so, he meaneth to haue this thing (to witt) his body made to this effect, that his death may be remembred, and so his words do sound: Doe and m •… e this thing for the remembrance of me, to bring men into the remembrance of me. For when my body is made by the Priest, and listed vp to be adored, and all the peple taught to bow doune to the body of Christ, and to come with pure consciences to receaue it, then Christ is remembred by reason of his body made, and so the scripture is fulfilled which saith: Doe and make this thing for the remembrance of me.

But the Sacramentaries wold haue nothing made in Christes supper. But they wold haue bread eaten, and wine druncken, which is not able to make Christ to be remembred so effectually, and with such contrition, confession and satisfaction, as he requireth to be remēbred withall. For he seeketh not (as the Zuingliās imagine) a remembrance in words alone, but much more in dedes. The remembrance of him is the following of his Crosse and death by penance, by humility, by confessing our synnes to his ministers, and taking absolution of them: and all this kind of remembrance ariseth by the making of Christes body, whiles men are persuaded, they may not come to so preciouse a thing, without confoorming of them selues to the death of Christ.

In translating S. Paule there are other faults not of so greate1. Cor. 10 weight, as these others, but yet which should haue bene more diligently translated: as where the Greek readeth, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Cōmunicatio sanguinis Christi, cōmunicatio corporis. There the common Bible turneth: The partaking of y• blood of Christ, the partaking of y• body. Whereas it shuld be translated, the cōmunicating of the blood of Christ, and the communicating of the body. Communicating is more then partaking, albeit the old Latin text in the later place doth reade, participatio, partaking. But that excuseth not the Sacramentaries, who pretend to correct it allwaies by the Greek. and now whereas the Greek readeth twise, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and the Latin once communicatio, the English agreing throughly with neither o •… both, turneth twise, partaking.

The communicating of Christes body and blood is, when it self and all thing that is in it, is made common. Partaking is, when part therof is taken. But because after his resurrection Christ can be no more diuided, the partaking of his blood is the communicating of it, not by the force of the meane, but by the dependence of the thing. For as he that hath anie part of God, must nedes haue all God, because God is a nature whole euery where without any parts therof: so he that hath any peece of Christes body and blood, hath the whole body and blood, because it is unmortal and can no more die. Yet if it might be diuided, it might also bye, so that although partaking must in this argument 〈◊〉 stand for communicating, yet the Sacramētaries haue shewed their spite against S. Paule, in translating it after the worst maner they could.

〈◊〉 after S. Paul sa •… th: we being many are one bread, because we all partake, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it should be Englished, of the one bread. For such strength hath y• 〈◊〉 article, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . & so •… time the common Bible turneth the Greek article into, that. But here it was not for the purpose of the Sacramentaries, that it should be meaned so. S. Paul meaneth one certain bread of li •… e wherof we partake, & to shew that, he said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , of the oneIoan. 6. bread (to witte) of the bread which hath no fellowes, of that bread who said: I am the bread of life, and the bread which I wil geue, is me flesh.

If so manie faults be found without curiouse serching (which I haue not vsed) in so sinal rome, iudge (good Reader) in what case their soules be, who take the word of God at these mens handes, iudge whose Gospell they haue deliuered to the simple people in English. Uerily their own, and not the Gospell of Jesus Christ.

¶ The state of the question betwen the Lutherans, Zuinglians, 〈◊〉 , and Catholikes, concerning the Sacr •… ment of the altar.

TO th'inthent thou maiest good Reader the better vnderstand, to what point and mark the whole disputation shalbe 〈◊〉 : I will briefly declare how diuersly the doctrine of the blessed Sacrament of the altar hath be •… set forth in our dayes.

From the beginning of y• Christian Churche vntill y• yere of our Lord 1517. all y• on the earth professed openly Christes CatholikeAll the Church 〈◊〉 y• 〈◊〉 presence of Christes body. faith, did beleue, as well in the Breke as in the Latin Church, the reall presence of Chris •… es body & blood vnder the formes of bread and wine, after consecration dewly made. This faith of theirs was preserued by the delyuery from hand to hand of that doc •… rine euen sithens the beginning of Christes Church, and was mainteined by the preaching and writing of the lerned Fathers, and protested by the godly honour, which all Christen people gaue to the said Sacrament at the time of masse or otherwise.

Well it might be that s •… me one in his harte thought amisse of that hely myst •… , and that some 〈◊〉 in corners also conspiredNoman denied openly the 〈◊〉 presence of Christes body. against the truthe thereof, as 〈◊〉 and some other like: as now •… ull many maie be suspected to think that Christ is not the sauiour of mankind. 〈◊〉 as •… o Christian this daie teacheth openly and in expresse 〈◊〉 , that 〈◊〉 is not y• 〈◊〉 of the world: so did no man in open 〈◊〉 , with the autoritie or toleration of any 〈◊◊〉 , preache, write or professe, that the body of Christ was not present in the Sacrament of the altar, if the Priest had once 〈◊〉 the solemne benediction, which our lord JesusLuc. 22. commanded.

On the other syde, if in the first six hundred yeres, the Christians had beleued, as the Lutherans or Zuinglians now doe, he that had first begunne to haue taught y• real presence of Christes bodyThe opi •… of ye reall presence 〈◊◊〉 ye first six hundred yeres. and blood vnder the formes of bread and wine, must haue ben at yt tyme noted & reputed for an 〈◊〉 , he must haue ben conuinced by som generall or proninciall Councell kept either in the 〈◊〉 Church, or in the west, the Preachers and Doctours of that age should haue writen against him.

It is not possible, that all the whole Church, which to that day had beleued the mysteries, that be consecrated vpon the altar, to be •… more but holy bread and wine, to be only tokens of Christes body absent in substance, to be neither a sacrifice 〈◊〉 , nor the reall body and blood of Christ: should 〈◊〉 through all nations change the Catholike and vniuersall belefe without •… 〈◊〉 that had 〈◊〉 six hundred yeres, could not 〈◊〉 sod •… nly changed, without great tumulte. any trouble or tumult at all, without any contradiction, or disputation, yea without any man at all knowen or euer heard of, that should first commend vnto them this new opinion of nine hundred yeres old.

Is it credible, that so many thousand millions of Christen men, as were in the Church at the end of the first six hundred yeres, beleuing the one yere those halowed things vpon the altar to be still bread and wine, should the next yere after, alltogether in all countr •… es and languages fall 〈◊〉 prostrate or 〈◊〉 , or at the least bow to the very same things, as to the true body of their maker and sauiour, which before they had ben taught to haue ben vnreasonable and vnsensible creatures •… And did they al this thing without any guide or preacher, who might will them so to doe? Or did all the Preachers in 〈◊〉 at on •… moment changeNo history maketh 〈◊〉 of any chāge of y• faith after y• first six hūdred 〈◊〉 . their mind, & 〈◊〉 the 〈◊◊〉 so? Or did som few go through the sower parts of the world, and without resistance of any man preache that new 〈◊〉 ? Were all the pennes of all the writers of histories so tyed, that 〈◊〉 of them all was able once to write any one mans name, who after the six hundred yeres 〈◊〉 taught first, second or third, or at any tyme that change of belefe through out Christendom? Was that hereti •… ke alone so almighty, that noman durst write his name, neither whiles he liued, nor when he was departed out of this life? If the man were vnknowen, at theNo 〈◊〉 can be pa •… , because none 〈◊〉 . least why hath the sect no speciall name? Was there not one lerned man in the whole Church of God either willing or able, to resist that fury of new doctrin in the matter of Christes supper?

If none were lerned enough to conquer it by preaching, or disputing, or writing, at the least wise wold none do bis best to sett 〈◊〉 a bare historie of that tragedie? Or who euer hath writen that the whole Church chāged her saith in this matter? So many Councells haue ben kept in all ages and countries, so many he •… names and opiniōs, who were but in priuie corners, haueEuthimius, In panoplia Libro. 2. Bernardus. Concil. Viēnen. ben of late 〈◊〉 left writen to vs, as Bogomili, VValdenses, Petrobusiani, Pseudoapostoli, Begardi, Beguinae, with such like, and could this main heresie of Christes reall preseuce ouerrunne the whole Church so far, that fifty yeres past and vpwards no small chapell can be named in the wide world, where Christes supper was made without adoration of his body and blood as present vnder formes of bread and wine, and yet 〈◊〉 noman vpon the earth be found, in the space of eight hundred and fiftie yeres, to leaue in monumēts of histories, when that heresy began, or by whom it was promulgated, or what name was geuen to it?

Did Satan in those eight hundred yeres so strongly oppresseMarc. 1. Matt. 16. Ioan. 16. Christ, that his gospell was cleane darkned and his kingdom lost? Did hel gates auaile against the whole Churche? Did the rock it self 〈◊〉 ? Did y• holy Ghost 〈◊〉 to teache y• people of God all 〈◊〉 ? I think it wilbe sayed, that the Bishops of Rome did preache, commend, set foorth and mainteine that 〈◊〉 . But they must shew which Bishop first began, and who writeth it of him, and by what meanes he was so 〈◊〉 obeyed, that no resistance in the world is read to haue ben any where made against him. And yet surely he neuer lacked e •… emies in the cast Church.

The truth is, that all the Bishops of Rome, yea all the Catholike Bishops of the whole world, lerned of Christ, this to be his reall body, and this to be his blood. And this faith dured from the last supper of Christ in all faithfull men without any denying or direct 〈◊〉 therof, vntill Berengarius began to teache otherwise. It was in dede 〈◊〉 indirectly by Marcion Valentinus, Manichaeus, and all those, that thought Christ to haue had no true body of his own. Again by Arrius and Nestorius, who taught the body of Christ to be the body of a man. Arrius, because Christ was not equal in substance with his father but a creature only: Nestorius, because he had two persons, one of God, anCyrillus in Anathematis mo. 11. other, man, therfore seing this was his humane body, Nestorius wold it not to be the body of y• sonne of God. But directly y• reall presence of Christ in this blessed Sacrament was not impugned, vntill Berengarius, about fiue hundred yeres past, began to sow in the field of the Churche the corrupt sede of false doctrine, concerning that question. But his owne 〈◊〉 , and the three Councels gathered straight against him at Uercelles, Tours, and Rome,Thre coū cells kept against Berenga rius 〈◊〉 his life tyme. do rather shew what, and how constant the Catholike 〈◊〉 was of old time in that behalfe, then any thing help and 〈◊〉 the opinion of those men, who now adayes endeuour to establish a new inuention of their owne.

The Church therefore, as I said, beleuing most 〈◊〉 , that Christ gaue his owne reall flesh and blood in the mysteries of his last supper, taught consequently, the meane of making presentThe mea •… 〈◊〉 Chri 〈◊◊〉 presence. that blessed body, to be (not the comming downe of Christ from heauen) but the changing of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of his 〈◊〉 and blood, by the almighty power of 〈◊〉 word spoken by a Priest, with such minde and 〈◊〉 , as that solemne 〈◊〉 required.

This •… hange, wherein the wh •… le subs •… ance of br •… ad and wine should by the 〈◊〉 of Christ be so mightely conuerted into that 〈◊◊〉 which 〈◊〉 for vs, and into that holy bloud whichLuc. 22. was shed for vs on the •… rosse, must of 〈◊〉 be a dreadfull and propitiatorie sacrifice, as well by reason of the body of Christ sacrifi •… ed once to death (which is now made 〈◊〉 ) as for the cause and finall end, why it is made present. For Christ sayd at his 〈◊〉 , This is my Lody, which is geuen for you, doe and makeLuc. 22. this thing for the remembraunce of me. If it be at the tyme ofThe 〈◊◊〉 of y• 〈◊〉 . consecration geuen for vs 〈◊〉 by the comma •… dement of Christ, who can deny but it is a sacrifice, and that we take greate profit and aduantage by that gift?

Upon this ground, the Christen people were taught to esteme this holy sacri •… ice, abou •… all other externall •… inds of worshipping God in this life. Thence came so goodly bi •… ding of so many Churches, so riche decking of altars, so great foundations of •… hanteries, in 〈◊〉 , so much estimation of Masse, that some came to the holy order of Priesthod not for 〈◊〉 , but for welth. AndThe faultes of the 〈◊〉 . some other went into monasteries rather for case, then for 〈◊〉 to serue God. All which became, th •… ough ouer much ease, & lacke of the feare of God, negligent in their office, dissolute in their behauiour, ignorant in good lerning, and (which in that vocation is most filthy of all) 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 , cou •… touse. And the moe that in such sorte vnworth •… ly presumed to those holy prosessions, the greater anger of God the •… synfull doing prouoked against them selues.

The people on th'other side seing the vnhonest li •… e of certaineThe 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 . religiouse persons and Priestes, and how vnre •… erently they handled the diuine seruice, sell in hatred not so much with their faultes, as with the office it selfe, imputing the vices of euill men to a most holy vocation and ministerie, against the commaundementMatt. 23. of Christ. They withdrew vniustly their tithes and oblations, they enuied the riches of the clergy, and in euery alehouse d •… couered the 〈◊◊〉 of their spirituall fathers.

When these great enormities were comme to the highest, so that the cockle began to ouergrow and hide the good corne, and now tyme required that iudgement should beginne at the house of God, and those that in dede were good and faithfull should be1. Pet. 4. disseuered from the euill, Martin Luther a Frier of S. Augustines order in Saxonic, was permitted like a proud •… ing of Babylon to comme out of the north, and to make spirituall bataile toIerem. 1. the holy Citie of Hierusalem, because her Citezens did not worship Christ in such puritie of good life, as they ought to haue done. Whereby it came to light, who were ye cha •… e, which is with euery 〈◊〉 of windecaried vp and doune, & who were the true wheat, which lieth 〈◊〉 against all tentations, and perseuereth in the Church of God. For those that were light and euill disposed,Who were me •… e to re ceaue 〈◊〉 doctrine. when they vnderstode they might kepe their liuinges, though they did not dischardge the office belonging therevnto, seing they came to the office only to haue the liuing, those, I say, embraced with all their endeuour the new religion of Martin Luther. And that, whether they were Monkes and religious men, or secular Priestes only. Make them sure of good 〈◊〉 , & they will assure the Prince to geue vp their Abbeys and monasteries. And good reason why. For they neuer loued neither the cote nor the vow, but only the •… ase and filling of their bellies.

Then God made it euident vnto the world, which were those who had standered in dede the holy order of Priesthod. Who they were that hauing 〈◊〉 kept wemen, sayd afterward they were their wiues, and who they were that 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 more them their vowes made to God. I shall nede name no man. But I thinke there are few men aboue forty yeres old in all England, but they can of their owne knowledge reckon vp diuers 〈◊◊〉 and 〈◊〉 , who before the preaching of Luther, shamed with their vnhouest behauiour the clergy of the realme. And the same men shewed themselues, when broching tyme came, not to haue ben of the Church, but of that religion whatsoeuer should be set foor •… most carual.

This good then Luther hath do •… e, that whereas the euill wereThe profit which y• Church taketh of 〈◊〉 . in profession mingled among the good, now it should be no more so. For two bodies are made, ou •… of Catholikes, an other of the Protestantes. And the Churche of God remaineth 〈◊〉 purged from that wicked generation of men. Not that Catho •… kes lack their great 〈◊〉 , or can be iustified in the sighe of God as no synners. But it skilleth much whether a man doe syn with fear of 〈◊〉 and with desyre of repentance, or els whether he desend his syn, & make a doctrine of his euildoing.

The 〈◊◊〉 and Priest sayeth, he doth not synne in marying, though he 〈◊〉 , not to marie. Yea to amend the matter, he sayeth, no man ought to vowe chastitie, condemning in that doctrine, besyde an infinite number of holy professed virgins, the blessed mother of God, who wōdered how she might haue a childeLuce. 1. 〈◊〉 she knew not any man. Whereunto her own reason mig •… t 〈◊〉 haue replied, that hereafter she might know a man, except she had vowed her selfe not to know at all any man. Now Luther was permitted to discouer such synners, as were most desperate and of least purpose to repent.

This Luther hath shaken the walles of moe Chapels, Churches, Monasteries, then euer any king of Syria did shake 〈◊〉 , Castels or houses in the land of the twelue tribes of Israel and •… uda. He began with lesse matters, but as the Prince of the 〈◊〉 throwing 〈◊〉 and conquering such small fortes as lay in his way, alwayes made hast to besiege Hierusalem itselse the chiefe Citie of the land of Iury: so Luther hauing his eye vpon the highest mysterie of all our faith, (as him selse 〈◊〉 ) 〈◊〉 In epist. ad argen to ratenses. to ouerthrow the great reuerence which all good men gaue to the blessed Sacrament of the altar. He went about to be persuaded, In Sacramento praeter panem & vinum esse nihil, that nothing was in the Sacrament besides bread and wine. For these are his owne wordes. But sinding the scriptures to plaine (as himself also 〈◊〉 ) and the saith and consent of 〈◊〉 doctours and people to strong, he 〈◊〉 gaue ouer tha •… 〈◊〉 , and contented himselfe with 〈◊〉 the sacred •… ower of 〈◊〉 . He taught, that bread and wine were not in •… . The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 ther. their substance changed into the body of Christ, 〈◊〉 withall the 〈◊〉 presence of our Sauiours flesh and blood. Whose 〈◊〉 o •… ce being spred in Germanie, a great multitude of 〈◊〉 Rutters voluntarily folowed his 〈◊〉 .

But when the Catholikes had euidently shewed, that two diuers natures al •… ready exta •… t in the world (as Christ and 〈◊〉 bread or wine) could neuer without a maruelouse vnion be made one, and be incorporated together: the which vnion, betwen Christ and materiall bread and wine, neither is expre •… y acknowledged by the holy Gospell, neither gathered thence by generall Councels or lerned Fathers ( •… or who euer heard, De Christo impanato, of Christ imbreaded) moreouer when the Catholikes declared their belefe of 〈◊〉 to be conformable to the Scriptures, and expresly alowed by the holy spirit of God in generall Councels, and in the bookes of auncient Doctours: 〈◊〉 In the great Con̄ s •… l of 〈◊〉 . etc. 〈◊〉 his Capitain Luther neither to be able to withstand the reasons brought against him, neither yet willing to geue ouer the opinion which him selfe had chosen, he much misliked with Luther, and within foure yeres after began to publish at zurich in z •… cherland, that the reall substance of Christes flesh2. The opi •… on o •… zum •… . Decolam •… . and blood was not in the Sacrament of the altar, as Luther had said, but only was named and signified to be there. To whom Decolam •… s a renegate out of S. Brigittes Cloister ioyned him selfe, stoutly defending that figuratine doctrine, both against the Catholikes and against Martin Luther.

The Catholikes out of hand shewed how much against the wordes and workes of Christ that opinion is, how absurd, vnsemely and vncredible it were, that Christ, who is the truth it selfe,Ioan. 1. Luc. 24. and by whom truth is made, and who came to fulfill all figures, should leaue in his owne supper, contrary to the meaning of his owne sayinges, nothing but figures and shadowes.

Satan therefore vnderstanding this doctrine of zuinglius to be much better impugned by the Catholikes, then by Decolam •… dins defended, fearing y• onerthrow of the whole armie, spedily3. The opi •… of Caluin. sent in a fresh band vnder y• conduct and gouernance of John Caluin. who restoring y• fight, protested y• he neither thought nor taught a bare figure to be geuē at y• supper of Christ, as zuinglius did seme to teach. In dede (quod he) a figure it is, but a strōg stout effectual figure, ioyned with words of promise, stirring vp the hart of him, that heareth the promise and worthely r •… aueth the pledge therof, to mounte into heauen, and there by faith to fede in spirite vpon Christes owne body and blood, as he in earth corporally feedeth vpon bread and wine. For Caluin teacheth bread and wine to be the figures and signes of Christes body, and those wordes, This is my body, to be wordes of preaching, or of promising Christes body, to them that doe beleue.

O pitifull tossing and tearing of Gods holy mysteries. Are those words, which make and shew the body of Christ present, words of promise? But hereof, I will speak more hereafter. Now concerning that he willeth vs to goe into heauen by faith, know ye not that, because our nature was not able to 〈◊〉 •… y to the seat of God in heauen, therefore y• 〈◊〉 o •… God came 〈◊〉 from heauen to earth, to leade and list vs vp to the •… ition o •… his Father? Know ye not, that because our body more quickly •… wethSapiē. 9. our soule dounward, then our spirit is able to draw our body vpward, therefore Christ 〈◊〉 not only y• soule, but also the body of man, geuing vs in his last supper that body of his, to th'inthent our bodies taking hold in the Sacrament of the altar of his body, might be caried into heauen to haue the sight of God? And because faith without th'incarnation of Christ cannot lift vp our bodies, therefore Christ fulfilled •… aith with truth, and hauing taken of the virgin oure nature, gaue his body in dede to our bodiesThe flesh of Christ was sent down to lift 〈◊〉 vp. and soules, y• we again might in body & soule be lifted vp with it.

As a man that is cast into a depe pit, calleth by the meane of his tonge for help, but when a cord is let doune to him for the aide and 〈◊〉 of him, it is not then sufficient to vse his tong still, and to let his handes alone: euen so our faith called for Christ to come from heauen to help vs, to let doune the corde of his humanitie, & of his flesh and blood. And shall we now when it is let doune to be fastened in our bodies, and in the bottom of our hartes, by eating it really, shall wee now refuse it, and saie, wee will goe into heauen by faith ourselues, and there take holde of Christ, whereby wee maie be saued and deliuered out of the depe vale of misery? As though the corde should haue neded to haue ben let doune, if wee could haue fastened our bodies to any thing in heauen, and yet our bodyes are they which weigh doune our soulesSapiē. 9. ch •… ely.

But what meane I to reason in this place of that point, whereof in all the booke folowing, by Gods grace, I will fully intreat? For as it happeneth, they are the scholars of Calnin, with whom specially wee must haue to do at this time. Of whose lerning and pr •… ncie▪ I most crue •… y craue this fauour, that none of them allThe Author inten deth not to speak against the person of the Sacra mētaries. thin •… me to speak against their persons, but only against their opinions, and so to speak against them, as I am instructed by the holy Scriptures, not graunting, that either they loue more intierly, or study more carefully, or reuerence more hartily the word of God, then my Fathers, brethren, and I my selfe doe in the Catholike Church of Jesus Christ. Only about the meaning of it, I rather would trust the common iudge •… ent of auncient Doctours, and practise of the whole Church, theu mine owne priuate election and phantasie, or the deuise of a newly planted congregation.

A Catholike man must kepe the most auncient path, and mostIerem. 6. Matt. 24. commonly troden high waie. Priuie bypathes carie m •… n a side to the 〈◊〉 dennes of 〈◊〉 . My purpose is to proue out of theThe intēt of the w •… ter. word of God, specially against zuinglius and Caluin, that Christ geueth in his last supper the true substance of his flesh and blood, not only to our soules by words of promise, but also to our bodies vnder the formes of bread and wine. And for as much as the present Church of England, in the Apologie thereof, hath set forth to the world an other doctrine contrarie to that wce re •… ued of our fore Fathers: I will first disproue and confute the wordes and reasons o •… the Apologie: and afterward will by the grace of God proue the Catholike faith, out of the holy Scriptures and auncient Fathers.

But first of all I must declare what we Catholiks, and what the Protestants and Sacramentaries beleue the supper of Christ to be. That seing I make the Title of my booke, Of the supper of our Lord, it maie straight appere whose 〈◊〉 is more worthy to be instituted of Christ, that which we through his word beleue, or that which they assigne him, against y• 〈◊〉 truthe of his own words.

¶ what the supper of Christ is, according to the bel •… e of the Catholikes.

BEcause my purpose is to intreat of the blessed supper of our Lord, I thought it best to declare before hand, what we take that supper to be, shewing withal how the Sacramentaries, vnder the pretense of refoorming the abuses thereof, haue taken away the whole supper of Christ, and geuen vs a bare drinking of their own 〈◊〉 . And whence maie that be more truly and soundly proued, then chi •… fly out of the word of God, & next out of the monuments of the a a •… cient Fathers?

The word of God is a most faithfull witnesse o •… the institution of Christ, the monuments and writings of auncient Fathers doe shew the right vnderstanding of the word of God. which thing I speake not, as though the Catholike Doctours of this later tyire had not the self same holy Ghost which the first had, but seing our aduersaries refuse Albereus magnus, Thomas of Aquine, Bonauenture, Alexander of •… ales, Diony •… ns the Carthusian, Nicolaus de Lyra, Gabriel Biel, and such other men of excellēt vertue, wit, and lerning, (who not withstanding by a rule that S. Augu •… stineAugustinus in sine libr. 2. cōtra Iulianū Pelagianū. geueth, ought to be of credit, in so much as all they liued before this question rose be •… wene the Sacramentaries and vs, and therfore can not beare nor shew more affection to the one syde then to the other) but seing our aduersaries refuse them for 〈◊〉 , and yet follow men of later 〈◊〉 , as Luther, zuinglius, 〈◊〉 : we are content to put all the matter into the hands of the old Doctours.

And to beginne (as we promised) with the word of God, thus writeth S. Paul in his first 〈◊〉 to the Corinthians: Conuenientibus vobis in vnum, iam non est dominicam coenam manducare,1. Cor. 11. vnusquis que enim suam coenam praesumit ad manducandū. when yow come together, now there is no eating of our Lords supper. For euery man taketh 〈◊〉 his owne supper to eate. By the name of supper, in the old tyme, that one meale was meant,Oecume nius in. 1. Cor. 11 wich ordinarily was made after noon, and it serued for diner and supper. The Corinthians coming together to y• holy communion, taried not one for the other, but euery man as he was most riche so he made hast to take his owne meale, neglecting to call other poore men to it. S. Paule mislyking this custome in them, sheweth, that Christ did other wise, who communicated his supper to all his Apostles equally. For as S. Cyprian saith: Aequa omnibusCyprianus de caena Do mini. Hiero. li. 2. aduersus Iouinian. Theodo ritus in 1. Cor. 11 Matt 26. Marc. 14 〈◊〉 . 22. 1. Cor. 11 portio datur. An equal porcion is geuen to all men. And S. Hieroine sayeth: Christi corpus aequaliter accipimus. We take the body of Christ equally. And Theodorite sayeth: All men are indifferently partakers of our Lords supper.

At this time we chiefly consider that Christ hath a supper of his own, as y• Corinthians had one of theirs. And it is our question, what Christes supper was. If we shall beleue ye holy scriptures: 〈◊〉 toke bread & wine, & when he had geuen thankes, he said: This is my body, which is geuen for you, and this chalice is the new testament in my blood. By which words we are informed, ye supper of Christ to be his owne body & blood, geuen vnder y• signes of y• bread & wine, wh •… re vpō he gaue thākes, turning by his almighty power the substance of bread and wine, into the substance of his body and blood. The Sacramentaries take the wordes of Christ to be spoken figuratiuely, and therefore they put bread and wine to remaine in their olde substance, sayng, we are 〈◊〉 by faith with the body and blood of Christ.

Leauing other argumentes for other places, we now only de •… , whether the name and nature of a supper be more agreable to our belefe, or to their meaning? Whether is more like, that Christ made his 〈◊〉 supper to his Apostles of the substance of common bread and wine, or of his owne reall body and blood?

When a man departeth from his frends taking his leaue with a banket, it is lyke that his banket shalbe, according to his habilitie, full of deinty dishes and costly cates, specially if it be published before and long tyme loked for, as Christes banket was. The which Melchisedech had prefigured more then two thousandGen. 14. Sapiē. 16. Psal. 22. Prou. 9. yeares before. 〈◊〉 had foreshewed it shuld contein al that might be delectable to the taste. Dauid had called it a table prouided by God. Salomon a table set forth by the wisedome of God, whereunto poore men in spirit and the fooles of the world were3. Reg. 17 called. Elias lying hidden at the Torrent of Laryth was sed by crowes that brought him bread and flesh euery euening.

Christ in a parable describing the great supper made at theMatt. 2 •… . Luce. 14. mariage of the kinges sonne which him self was, telleth of oxen and other satlings kylled and made readie for that purpose. And now shal we suppose, that the sonne of the king of heauen makingGalat. 2. a parting supper unto his best beloued and the pillours of all his Church, doth geue them ou •… wardly at his farewel none other de •… uties besides common bread and wine sanctified in vse only, and not 〈◊〉 in substance?

A 〈◊〉 before, he had 〈◊〉 with the same Apostles the paschall lambe, and rising from that table (as being the table of MoysesIoan. 13. Matt. 26. rather then of Christ) he 〈◊〉 his Apostles feere to make them meete •… or a greater mysterie. And sitting doune againe he toke bread and wine, not as the dishes of his banket, but as matter and stuff wherof he wold make his owne supper. For it is to be well weighed, that this banket is called our Lords supper, that1. Cor. 11. is to say, made, and ministred, and •… ornished by Christ himselfe. He now did not send S. Iohn & S. Peter to prepare his supperLuce. 22. (as he sent them to make ready the Paschall lambe) Christ in his owne supper is the prouider and maker of it. He taketh bread and wi •… e into his holy handes, intēding lyke a most conning workeman, of simple and litle stuff to make the greatest and finest feast that euer was hard of.

It is a great glorie in the profession of cookery, to be able to make of one kinde of stuff (as for example of egs alone) sixtene or twenty diuerse dishes. But to doe that feate, much labour, many spices and sauces, great compositions and mixtures are required. Christ in stede of all those shyfts vsed blessing, & working wordsMarc 14. of thankes geuing, which were so sure to worke their intent, that some men haue doubted, whether he gaue thanks first, because he forsaw the whole purpose out of hand should be obtained as him selfe wished, or else (which is more probable) whether the veryWhat the blessing of Christ was. working of the feate were not the selfe thankes geuing for the worke. For his blessing and thankes geuing was the sayng ouer the bread, This is my body: and ouer the wine, This is my blood. By the vertue of which wordes his body and blood being made of the creatures of bread and wine, as well were a thankfull sacri •… ice them selues to God euen vnder ye forme of bread and wine, as Christ also in his visible foorm hauing wrought this worke, did praise and thanke his Father for such an excellent effect. The which body and blood his Apos •… les eating & drinking were made partakers of ye greatest bāket, that euer was made in earth.

For the better vnderstanding wherof it maye please the reader to repete in his minde, how God in the beginning adorned this world, first with angels and heauenly spirits. Secondly with theGene. 1. heauens them selues. Thirdly with the elements of fyer, ayer, water and •… arth. And as the angels occupie the highest place, so doe the heauens with the lights and starres in them occupie the second place, & the foure elements are beneth them. When 〈◊〉 were come after this sorte from the highest order of 〈◊〉 to the earth, which is the lowest element of all, then it pleased the wy •… edome of God to make as it were a reuolt of all things, and to returne his creatures from the bottom of the earth vpwardFrom the •… owest grow vpward again. againe towards him selfe. He therefore made the •… arth to bring sorth grene grasse with all such kind of things as haue animam vegetatiuam, that is to saye, as liue and are quick by the strength which they haue in them selues to grow and encreace, of which kinde all herbes, springs and trees be. Aboue those in a higher degre were byrdes, fishes & beasts, which haue a life sensitiue, being able (those that be perfit) to moue from place to place.

Last of all God made man, who hath not only the vegetatiueMan is y• bri •… f and somme of all creatures. power and sensitiue in his soule, but also reason and vnderstanding. In whose body are the vertues of the foure elements, with the 〈◊〉 of the heau •… ns, in whose soule is free will and power to gouern, agreable to the nature of angels and of heauenly spirits. For which cause this creature hath bene worthely called, euen of the Christ •… n Philosophers, 〈◊〉 , a lytle world, for that he alone hath in him all the degrees of creatures both liuing and without life, both sensible and reasonable, and therefore he isMarc. 16. Exod. 8. called in holy scripture, Omnis creatura, •… ll creatures.

Now when the sonne of God taking pitie, that this litle world the worke of his great power was by the deuyll seduced, came doune and toke flesh of the virgyn Mary, being true God andLuce. 1. true man in one person. At that tyme were all things briefly brought again to God, whence they first were created & brought forth. Christ aboue is all in one. In his Godhed, he is all that isChrist alone is all. Ierem. 23 Psal. 98. aboue the heauens, and that fylleth the world. In his manhod which is the 〈◊〉 of God, he is all that is in, or vnder the heauens. In this manhod are all creatures most perfectly compiled, without all blemmysh of nature, of mynd or of body. So that seing this body of Christ, (wherein also the fullnes of GodhedColoss. 2. dwelleth) is geuen and eaten at a banket, there is no doubt but the same is such a banket, as can not be made with all the creatures of heauen and earth gathered together. In this one dysh is a composition most delicate of angels, heauens, elements, of herbes, fysshes, byrds, beasts, of reasonable men, and of God hym selfe. No kind of salit, meate, sauce, sruyts, confection, no kynde of wyne, aqua vite, aqua composita, liquors, syrops can be found in nature, made by arte, deuysed by wyt, but it is all set vppon this table, and that in a small rome, where it cloyeth not with the abundance, ue annoyeth with the vncleane handling, it sylleth without lothsomues, it prouoketh the appetite without daunger of surfcating. To be shorte, were it not a banket prouided by the sonne of God, no man wold think it possible, to haue any such feast made in the desert of this wycked world.

Thus, good reader, doe the Latholyks teache of the supper of our Lord, and beleue it agreable to his word, and worthy his worship. This banket fedeth the whole man, there is a reasonable soule to fede our reason, a naturall substance of flesh to fede and nourysh our flesh, there is the spirite of God which quyckeneth both soule and flesh to lyfe euerlasting. This is theSap. 16. true Manna, which conteyneth the taste of all swetenes, and hath in it selfe all maner of pleasant refection. This is the fode of lyfe,Ioan. 6. the which who so eateth worthely he shall lyue for euer. This is the feast whereof Salomō speaketh: Hoc ita que visum est mihi bonū Eccle. 3. 5. &. 7. vt comedat quis & bibat, & fruatur laetitia ex labore suo. This therefore semeth good to me, that a man should eate and drinke and enioye myrth of his traualic. Which words. S. Augustine allegeth and expoundeth after this sorte. Vbi ait: Non est bonū hominiAugustinus. De ciuit. Libr. 17. Capi. 20. nisi quod manducabit & bibet, quid credibilius dicere intelligitur, quàm quod ad participationem mensae huius pertinet, quam Sacerdos ipse, mediator testamentinoui, perhibet secundum ordinem Melchisedech de corpore & sanguine sue? when Salomon sayeth, There is no good thing to a man, but that which he shall eate and drinke: what is he more credibly thought to meane, then the thing which belongeth to the partaking of this table, y• which table y• Priest him selfe, who is mediatour of the new testament, doth furnish according to y• order of Melchisedech with his owne body and blood?

If then the Prophet haue affirmed the greatest good that man hath in this life, to be eating and drinking, and that eating and drinking belong to the supper of Christ: we maye perceaue right well, that the matter and substance of Christes supper consisteth not in bread and wine (for then we might be better occupied then in eating and drinking it) but in the reall flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, wherein all goodnes spirituall and corporall is collected into one heape, and geuen to vs vnder the forme of bread and wine. For so God hath appoīted, Instaurare omnia in Christo quaeEphes. 1. in caelis, & quae in terra sunt, in ipso. Briefly to renew all things in Christ, which are in heauen, and which are in earth in him.

The Breek word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , importeth such a brief gathering to one certain head and somme, that not only heauen and earth, but all things that are in them are brought into Christ, and in him as it were begun again & renewed. The which cometh to passe by the taking of his flesh, and geuing it to death vpon the crosse sor man, in whom all things were both briefly collected, and pitiously corrupted. Now when Christ gaue to vs in his banket that flesh which he toke of his mother, and that blood which he did shed on the crosse, bidding vs make and eate that thing for theLuc. 22. remembrance of him, then was the head, the floure, the cheif composition of all meats, drinks, and iunkets in the world geuen vs in his last fupper.

S. Cyprian consydering the great deinties of this feast, sayth:De caena Domin. Vident haec. Sacramenta pauperes spiritu, & hoc vno contenti ferculo, omnes mundi huius delicias aspernantur, & possidentes Chri stum, aliquam huius mundi possidere supellectilem dedignantur. The poore in spirit see these Sacraments, and contenting them selues with this one dishe, they despise all the delicates of this world, and possessing Christ, they disdaine to possesse any stuff of this world. Contrariwise the wise men of this world, abhorring (as the same Cyprian saith) the commandement of this religion, euen to this day go backward (he alludeth to the Capharnaits, who through the doctrine this Sacrament forsoke Christ) & à secretis diuinis, omnium intra se mysteriorum continentibus summam, diffugiunt & recedunt. And they flee and depart from the diuine secrets, which conteine within them the brief or somme of all mysteries. A great deale more is found in S. Cyprian after the same sense, in so much he calleth the supper of our Lord, Omni •… consummationis sinem, the end of all perfection. All which praises only rise vpon this ground, because these mysteries truly & really contein within them the body and blood of Christ. when S. CyprianDe coena Domi ni. sayth within them (intra se) he meaneth within the compasse or soormes of bread and wine. For those only are the things that we can point vnto within or without. Other meate or drink we see not.

S. Chrysostom hath so much in the praise of this feast, that it wold make a great volume to bring all he saith therof. I will con tent myself at this tyme with one place. Quando corpus ChristiIn 1. cor. Hom. 24 tibi propositum fuerit, dic tecum: Propter hoc corpus, & so foorth. When the body of Christ is set before thee, sai •… with thyselfe: For this bodies sake, I am nomore earth and ashes. For this, I hope to receaue heauen and the good things which are in heauen, immortall life, the seat of Angels, the cumpanie of Christ. The verie table is the strength of our soule, the bond of trust, the foundation, our hope, saluation, life. If we goe hence pure with this sacrifice, with most great confidence we shall ascend to the holy porche, or entry, as it were compassed round about with golden garments. But what reherse I things to come? Dum in hac vita sumus, vt nobis terra caelum sit, facit hoc mysterium. Whiles we are in this life, this mysterie causeth, that the earth is heauen to vs.

By the iudgement of Chrysostom, the fame body of Christ which is our saluation and life, is set besore vs vpon the verie table, to th'intent whiles we liue, the earth should be heauen to vs, and when we departed heuce, carying that body with vs, we should be safe conueied vnto heauen it self. When he saith the earth is heauen to vs through this mysterie, he meaneth nolesse to be set vpon the table it self or altar, then is at the right hand of God the Father. And this is the supper of our Lord, which the Catholiks beleue, and not an emptie dish of faith, which although it be much worth when truthe is absent, yet as in heauen where clere vision is, no faith abydeth: euen so when earth is through1. Cor. 13 this mysterie made heauen to vs, we receaue and eate the body of Christ, not only by faith from heauen, but also in truthe from the verie altar and table. For as there is a truthe lesse of our bodies, then of our soules, and as the soules of the faithfull neuer lacked God whom they might feede on by faith & spirit: so Christ therefore toke flesh, that our bodies also might haue a banket made to them, and so the whole man might be no •… rished to life euerlasting. Oportuit enim certe (sayth Cyrillus) vt non solum animaIn Ioan. Libro. 4. c. 14. per spiritum sanctum in beatam vitam alcenderet, verum etiam vt rude atque terrestre hoc corpus cognato sibi gustu, tactu & cibo, ad immortalitatem reduceretur. For it behoued truly, that not only y• soule should ascend by the holy Ghost into the blessed life, but also that this rude and earthly body should be brought to immortality by tasting, touching & eating the meate which were of alliance or kynred with it, that is to say, of the same nature and substance whereof our bodies are.

Thus in the C •… tholik banket of Christes supper not only the soule but euen the body eateth, tasteth, and toucheth such meat as is of the same blood and kynred with it. That is to say: our flesh eateth Christes flesh, our body his body. It was flesh that made vs all borne in originall synne, it is flesh that maketh vs all rege •… erate in Christ. Our soule was sp •… tted, by the entrance into that flesh which was spotted. Thereiore our soule is made cleane by the wasshing of that our flesh, which was bor •… in syn. The flesh,Tertulli. De resur rectione 〈◊〉 . sayth T •… rtullian, is washed that the soule maie be cleansed. The flesh is oynted, that the soule maie be consecrated. The •… esh is sigued, that the soule maie be defenced. The flesh is shadowed with imposition of hand, that the soule also may be defenced. The flesh is fed with the body and blood of Christ, that the soule may also be made sat of God. Non possunt ergo separari in mercede quas opera coniung it. They cannot therefore be parted in reward, whom work ioy •… eth. Hitherto hath Tertullian commended to vs the great priuileges which God geueth to our flesh. The greatest of all which, is the eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ. As therefore we Catholiks beleue most vndoutedly, not only that our soules be 〈◊〉 and redemed of Christ, but euen that our flesh is the creature of God, made with his own hands, redemed by Christ, and shall 〈◊〉 again at the later daie really, andGene. 1. 1. Cor. 15 liue for euer with the soule of the iuste man: euen so we beleue and professe, that not only our soules, but euen y• same flesh receaueth •… to it the benefits of Chri •… s pa •… on, the Sacraments which he left to vs, eating & drai •… ing really vnder the formes of bread and wine the true substance of Christes body and blood. This is the last supper of Christ, which we Catholiks beleue and prosesse.

¶ wh •… t the supper of Christ is according to the doctrine of the Protestants and Sacramentaries, with a confutation thereof.

NOw let vs consyder on the other syde, what kinde of banket our new brethern teache. They saye: Christ geueth to the body bread and wyne, but to the soule he ge •… eth hym selfe by faith, spirit and vnderstanding. This opinion shall by Gods grace be straight waies proued faul •… ye and erroneous.

In dede before that Christ was made man, such a banket asGen. 14. they speake of had bene much worth, and was kept of Melchisedech and Abraham, of the children of Israell eating Manna, ofExo. 16. the priests eating the bread and cakes, which was offered accordingLeuit. •… . to the lawe. For then with an earthly banket of bread, of flesh, and of wyne, the ioyning of a spirituall eating by fayth and vnderstanding was the highest banket that could be made. For as the spirit and fayth was vertuously occupied in lifting vp it self to God: So was the body occupied in making a figure and signe of the true banket of Christ, which was to come. But when Christ had taken flesh of the virgyn Marye, tunc 〈◊〉 Ioan. 1. Christum facta est, then the truth was made by Christ. Truth perfoormed outwardly in fulfilling the corporall figures, doth adde much vnto fayth and spirit.

In the fayth of good men and in the spirit of God Christ wasChrist 〈◊〉 by faith •… ly. euer man, but not euer man in truth of nature. Whil •… s Christ was only a spirit and only God, so long ye feast or banket, whichChrist eatē ty faith o •… ly. was geuen for hym, had no better thing in it then the fayth and spirit of the eaters and drinckers, for that was the highest gyft th •… t God as yet had geuen to man. But all those eatings and drinkings which were in nature and in ye law of Moyses though they had corporall meate with faith and spirit, are so farre behind the supper of Christ (after his manhod really ass •… pted) as theChrist really man. fayth of Christes incarnation is behind the incarnation it felf •… .

Mark the point (good reader) and thou shalt not be deceaued by false doctrine. As Christ by his incarnation did geue a reall truth to the fayth of the old fathers, and not a new spirite: so in his last supper, he geueth the same spirituall gyft to vs that he gaue to Abel, Noe, Abraham, Moyses, Dauid, Daniell, and such others: but he geueth vs an other kind of truth then euer heChrist really eaten •… his own supper. gaue them. The truthe made by Christ is the true flesh and blood which he tooke of his mother, and the geuing of that truth to be eaten, is the ge •… ing of that flesh and blood vnder the formes of bread and wyne. Therefore they that now say: Christ geueth bread and wyne with spirituall gyfts, wherein our soule eateth and drinketh Christes flesh and blood, they graunt a good thing one way, but an other way they take away the greatest goodnes that euer was geuen to man.

Their spirituall eating is not euill, but it lacketh some truthe.A true ea tīg is to ea te 〈◊〉 thīg bo •… h with body and soule. How so? because the whole man is not fed. For faith feedeth bue the soule, and yet the name of feeding is proper to the body, and thence is transferred to the soule. that feeding therefore is not fully true, which eateth not that in the mouth, which it eateth in the harte, whereas the true supper of Christ, is meat in dede, and drink in dede, and must be the eating of that in our body, whichIoan. 6. our mynde and soule doth eate. So sayd Leo the great of Christes supper: Hoc enim ore sumitur, quod fide creditur. For that isSer. 6. de ieiunio. 7. men. taken in the mouth, which is beleued in fayth. The reall flesh of Christ is beleued in faith, therefore the same real flesh must be eaten with mouth. And what other cause can be deuysed, why allways from the beginning of the world to this day, eating by mouth hath be •… e ioyned to the highest sacrifices and chefe kind of worshipping of God that euer was vsed: what meaneth the •… ating of the Paschall la •… be, of Man •… , of shew bread, wheate •… Exo. 12. Exo. 16. Leuit. 2. & 24. meale, and all such offerings as were in the law? Could not God haue inueuted an other waye to haue occupied his people in seruing him, but only by eating and drinking?

Surely the meaning of all those diners, and suppers, and feasts, were to shew, that in tyme to come the same Messias, that they loked for, 〈◊〉 in whom they beleued, should so truly come for our sakes into the earth, that he should come also into our bodies to dwell (by his flesh caten) in vs, that we might dwell in him. NeitherIoan. 6. let this seme a laughing matter to thee (good Reader) For sith Christ was born to vs, and geuen to vs (as Esaie saith) heEsai. 9. sought not his owne commoditie but ours, and perceauing that in paradyse the whole nature of man was ouercome of the deuill, specially by cating with mouth of the fruit, which was forbiddē 1. The deuil Eua. him: As against the deuill persuading Eua to disobaye God, he sent the ar •… hangell Babriell to persuade the blessed virgin Marie2. Gabriel. Maria. to consent to his will: as against that appletree, he planted the crosse of our redemption: as for y• disobedience of Adam, him selfe3. The ap •… . The crosse. came to be obedient euen to death: right so for the apple of the forbiddē tree 〈◊〉 eaten, he gaue him selfe the fruit and apple of the crosse, which is the tree of grace, lawfully and medefully to4. Ada •… . Christ. be eaten, and his blood to be drunken. Bibimus (sayth S. Cyprian)5. The apple eaten. The fl •… sh of Christ eaten. Cyprianus de Coena Domini. de sanguine Christi, ipso iub ēte, vitae aeternae cum ipso & per ipsum participes, animalis vitae peccata quasi sanguinem impurum horrentes, & fatentes nos per peccati gustum â beatitudine priuatos & damnatos, nisi nos Christi clementia ad societatem vitae aeternae suo sanguine reduxisset. We drink of the blood of Christ, him self commanding, being partakers of euerlasting life with him, and by him, abhorring ye sinnes of bare natural life as vnpure blood, and graunting ourselues to haue ben depriued from blisse, and damned through the taste of sinne, except the clemencie of Christ had brought vs again to the fellowship of euerlasting life by his blood. S. Cyprian setteth the drinking of Christes blood against the taste of syn, which man fell into, by tasting vnlawfully the apple which was forbidden to be tasted of.

The like phrase also Prosper Aquitanicus hath vsed. who firs •… declareth our fall by eating and drinking, and afterward our arising again by eating the body, and drinking the blood of Christ. Concerning our fall thus he writeth: Liberum ergo arbitrium, id est, rei sibi placitae spontaneus appetitus vbi vsum bonorum quaeProsper Aquitan. contra Collato. acceperat fastidiuit, & vilescentibus sibi felicitatis suae praesidijs insanam cupiditatem ad experientiam praeuaricationis intendit, bibit omnium vitiorum venenum, & totam naturam hominis intemperantiae suae ebrietate madefecit. Free will therefore, that is to saie y• volūtarie appetite of the thing which pleased it, being ones 10thsome of ye good things which it had takē, and without regardwe were poysoned in Adam. or care had to the aydes of his own blessednes, hauing bent his impotēt gredines to the triall and experience of disobedience and preuarication, drank in the poyson of all vices, and drowned the whole nature of man with the drunkēnes of his intemperance.

Thus was poison drunk in. Let vs now cōsider whence helth maie be recouered. Inde, priusquam edendo carnem filij hominis, & bibendo sanguiuem eius, lethalem digerat cruditatem, labitur memoria, errat iuditio, nutat incessu, neque vllo modo idoneus est ad illud bonum eligendum▪ & concupiscendum quo se sponte priuauit. Thence it commeth, that man faileth in memorie, erreth in iudgement, wauereth in his going, neither is he by any meanes mete to choose and desier that good thing, whereof he depriued himself of his own accorde, before that by eating the flesh of thewe digest our surfet 〈◊〉 Christ. sonne of man & by drinking his blood, he digest the deadly sur •… et which he toke.

As therefore ye apple that Adam did really eate against the commandement of God, doth make vs all, y• were in his body at that tyme, gilty of disobedience, and the children of wrath: so the reall eating of Christes flesh, according to the worthy eating thereof, which Christ commanded, doth make vs all free from the pain of euerlasting death, and the children of grace and glorie.

But as euery man did not eate the prohibited apple in his own person and by his own act, but by the act of our father and mother, and as being in them, and of them: so it is not nedefull that euery man in his own person eate the flesh of Christ, which isIt is not 〈◊◊〉 eueri child eate really y• flesh of Christ. geuen vs in the Sacrament to be eaten, but it is absolutely nedefull that some or other eate it as really, as euer the apple was eaten, that all the rest, who by baptisme enter into the same body, maie be one perfitly with Christ, whiles they are one mystically with them, who really eate the substance of Christes flesh, being the substance of our true sacrifice, truly rosted vpon the crosse, and truly rising from death, to th'intent it might be truly eaten of vs without any corruption or perishing therof.

Thus we find, that the supper of Christ can not in any wise consist of eating the flesh of Christ, by faith and spirit alone. But we (that is to saie) some of the mystical body that are of lawfull age, must eate it to saluation, as ye apple was eaten to damnatiō. And because before Christ was incarnat, we had no apple to damnatiō, he toke flesh, and went of his own accord to death, that thence weThe flesh of Christ is y• wood of life. might plucke ye apple of life and the fruit of the wood of life which preserueth vs to euerlasting ioyes. For as Gregorius Bishop of Nyssa brother to S. Basil doth teache, the medicine must be according to the poyson which we are infected withall. His discourse is to long to write it all in this place, so muche as apperteineth to my purpose, I will translate into English.

Quemadmodum qui per insidias venenum hauserunt, & caetera. As those that by 〈◊〉 haue drunk in poyson, doe by an other 〈◊〉 Orat. 〈◊〉 . medicine put out the strength thereof, and like as the poyson so the medicine must goe into the bowels, that by meane of them help maie be spread throughout the whole body: euen so is it to be don of vs. That seing we haue tasted poyson wher with ourPoyson tasted. nature is dissolued, we maie receaue a medicine whereby that nature of ours is gathered together, that the infection of the poyson maie be expelled by the contrarie and holsome strength of the medicine. What medicine is this? None other beside that body,The 〈◊〉 of Christ is the medicine. which is declared to be aboue death, and the cause of our saluatiō. For as a litle leauen (saith the Apostle) maketh the whole lump of dow like to it self: so that body, which is made immortal of God, entring into our body doth transferre and change the whole into it self. For as if a pestilent thing be mixed with a holsom thing it maketh it hurtfull: so the immortall body maketh all that, whereinThe body of Christ entreth into oure body. The medecyne must nedes enter into our bodyes. it is receaued, of the like nature & immortal. But it can not enter into the body, except it be mingled with the bowels by meate and drink: Itaque necessarium est, vt natura nostra, quoad eius fieri potest, vim salutarem intra corpus admittat. Therefore it is necessarie, that our nature (as much as lieth in it) do receaue yt healthfull strength within the body. And seing none other thing, beside that diuine body (of Christ) hath receaued such grace (to heale our sicknes) and seing it hath ben shewed, it can not be, our bodies should attein to immortality, vnlesse they be ioyned with the immortall body, and so obtein incorruption, it is to be consydered how it maie be brought to passe, whereas that one body continually through the whole world is geuen to so many thousands of faithfull men, the whole maie become euery mans for his part, and 〈◊〉 tarie whole in it felf.

Consequently Gregorius goeth forward to shew, how that 〈◊〉 be: and he sheweth it to be brought to passe whiles bread and wine (wherwith Christ was nourished in this mortal life, and theHow Christes▪ body to ge uen really to many and yet re mayneth whole. Transubst āttation. which by the power of altering and 〈◊〉 were daily turned into his flesh and blood) be now also in his holy Sacraments turned by the consecration of his blessing and by his words, into his own body and blood. For by that meanes he proueth it possible, that Christes whole body should both be geuen to euery man a part, and yet remain whole in it self. But hereof we shall speak an other tyme.

All that apperteined to my present purpose, was to declareGregorius an. D. 370. out of S. Bregorie of Nyssa, who liued about twelue hundred yeres past, that syth Christ hath made his body and blood, in the blessed Sacrament of the altar, a medicine against that poyson, which Adā first, and in him all we tooke by tasting the apple against the commandement of God: it is not only profitable but 〈◊〉 , that as the poysoned apple entred in at Adams mouth, and was not only receaued by faith, spirit, and vnderstanding, but by hand, tong, iawes, and was digested into his bowells, and so poysoned all his flesh & blood, whereby the flesh that we tooke of Adam, was also 〈◊〉 and poysoned, and our soules vnitedDriginall syn. to that infected flesh were also infected: euen so y• medicine (which is the body and blood of Christ made of bread and wine) must not only be receaued by faith, spirit and vnderstanding, neither only the figure of it must be receaued in at our mouthes and so be 〈◊〉 into our bowels, but the body of Christ it self must come to our bodyes, and it must be receaued as really into them by our mouthes, as euer the apple came into the mouth of Adam.

Who euer heard that when a mans body was really poysoned,The 〈◊〉 re of a me 〈◊〉 hea leth not. it should be sufficient to think vpon a certain true medicine, and to receaue withal the figure or signe therof into his body, not at all touching and receauing really ye medicine it self? And yet surely they that teache the body of Christ, to be 〈◊〉 into our bodies only by bread and wine the figures therof, and into our soules by faith and spirit, do •… manifestly tell him that is bodily poysoned, that it is enough for him to think in his mind vpon mithrida •… icum or some other medicine, and to receaue the token thereof into his body. Such is the physike and y• diuinitie of the Caluinists.

Before that Adam had tasted of the apple, he was g •… tie of death in the sight of God concerning his own person and soule, in so much as in his hart he consented to taste thereof at his wyfesGen. 3. request. For he did not taste it so hastely, but that he first intended so to doe: yea S. Augustine saith it is not to be thought, y• deuyllAugust. de Gen. ad lit. li. 11. cap. 5. should haue throwen doune Adam, except a certain pride had ben first in his mynde. But when he tooke the apple into his mouth (to the eating whereof his hart had allready yelded) then had he brought the inward disobedience into the outward acte, so that he was inexcusable not only before God, but in the sight of angels, of his wife, and of all creatures, his hands, his eyes, his mouth, his throte and stomack was now wytnes against hym. Thence came the dredfull necessitie of death to all the children of Adam, it was the tasting of his flesh which made all our flesh so farre gilty. That polluted body could not beget innocent childrenIod. 14. with vncleane sede.

Well. Christ is the second Adam which taketh away this obligation1. Cor. 15 and bond of death that lay on our neckes. and he taketh it away, n •… t by force but by i •… stice, changing and recompensingRo▪ 5▪ all that was before done amysse. For the corrupt generatiō which we haue by the sede of Adam, he geueth vs a new byrth in the Sa crament of water and renuing of ye holy Ghost, in which baptismTit. 3. our soule only is not cleansed, but our body also is washed. For the fruyt of death which Adam did •… ate as well in mouth as hart, he hath geuen the apple of lyfe, as well to be eaten in our mouthes as in ou •… ha •… tes, so that as the olde Adam caryed a wytnes of damnation for hym and his posteritie in all his membres, so doth the new Adam with his children cary the witnes of lyfe in all their membres. They haue God and man not in hart alone,1. Cor. 10 but also in a Sacrament, yea in their •… ands, in their mouthes, in their bodyes, and become one with the flesh of Christ which they eate, as the apple, which Adam did eate, became one with his flesh.

This was the supper that Christ came to make: not to g •… ue bread and wyne, not to make figures and shadowes, not to geue vs a drinking in stede of a solemne feast. In comparyson of this banket all fayth is impe •… t. For we eate the ende of our belefe.Spirit •… gifts are not here reproued, but Chr •… l is •… fered before them all. Ephes. 4 All vnderstanding fayleth, in so much as more is in our mouth then we are able to comprehend in our wyt or mynde. All spirituall gyfts are in •… erlour, because the flesh is present which triumpheth ouer death, and ascending into heauen sytteth at the right hand of God, thence distributing gyfts vnto men. We haue the cause of all 〈◊〉 present, and letting it go, shall we chiefly commend the feast for •… ertayn spirituall effectes?

In respect of Christes reall substance, thy supper O Caluyn is but a mere sauour of swete meates. Geue me the flesh of Christ, and take thou the sauour of it. But alas the sauour hath alredy 2. Cor. 2. Caluin setteth foorth the king •… om of y• deui •… , & abaseth y• kingd •… gifts of God. k •… lled thee▪ so much the lesse I wonder, if thou art wery of the flesh it selfe. In setting forth our damnation in old Adam thou lackest neither diligence nor eloquence, thou hast therin set foorth the lumpe of perdition, the seuere doctrine of induration, the impotent weakenes of the wounded man, to helpe forward his owne destruction. But when thou commest to Christ the new Adam, he hath a s •… ly pore vnknowen and vnsene cumpanie, fewe children, a cold supper, small offering of sufficient grace, his baptisme is (with thee) lyke a marke set vpon shepe that sheweth somewhat and worketh nothing, his Church hath no externa •… sacrifice, no priesthod, no one chief shepherd in earth, no authoritie to make lawes, no communion of Sa •… ts (by the way of praying to them or for y• soules departed) no reall ioyning & v •… iting with Christes flesh and blood in the holy mysteries. What is this but to preferr euill before good, the deuill before God, shadowes before truth, vice before vertue, and the power of darknes before the kingdom of light? It is no eating now (as S. Paule1. Cor. 11 sayeth) of our Lords supper, for euery heretyke taketh a supper of his owne before hand, making Christes supper to geue place to hym.

And that I maye speake nothing of so great change of communionsLuthers supper. as hath bene in England, Luther saith: that Christes words be proper, and that his supper is bread and flesh, wyne and blood, as though the immortall flesh of Christ must be eaten with materiall bread. How do mortal things agree with immortal in one banket?

Carolstadius supposeth that Christes words be proper, butCorolstadius supper. that he touching hym selfe on the brest, sayd: Take bread and wine, this is my body, which I touche as though it were a supper mete for Christes making, if he only shewed his body to his Apostles which euer was in their sight, not suffering them to eate thereof.

Zuinglius said, the bread and wine were only figures of ChristesZuinglius supper. body and blood, geuē to our bodies to represent to our harts t •… e death of Christ. And that the words of Christes supper were figuratine only, by which reason the supper of the Paschall lambe was better then the supper of Christ, because the dead flesh of an vnspotted lambe was more apt then bread and wine, to shew the death of Christes innocent flesh, wich is the lambe of God,Ioan. 1. that taketh away the sinnes of the world.

Cal •… in added to Zuinglius bare figures, an efficacie of feedingCaluins supper. by faith, and taught the words of Christ, not so much to be figuratiue, as words of promise, which being heard with faith, cause that the minde by faith eateth of Christ sitting in heauen. a mete supper for such a deuiser, who setting the men that should be fed vppon earth, kepeth the meate, wherof they should be filled, in heauen, promising them, who consist also of bodies mortal and corruptible, that they shall fede vpon immortall meat in their soules. such an eating were good for Angels, I denie not. but it is not the supper that Christ made to corporall men for his farewell, when he said: Take and eate, this is my body, and, DrinkeMatt. 26. ye all of this, for this is my blood. Taking with our bodies is more then beleuing in our soules, eating y• body of Christ is more then signifying the eating of his body. The meate is the body of Christ, the drinke is the blood of Christ. Beleue and thou hast it in harte, before thou commest to the table. But come to the blessed Sacrament of the altar, and thou hast it in thy mouth and body.Matth. 3. Bothe is better then one, Christ hath 〈◊〉 and fullfilled all maner of iustice, he made both body and soule, redemeth both, fedeth both, rayseth both, crowneth both. He doth not now diuide the hand from the harte, the mouth from the minde, the figure from the thing, the token from the truth. That he sayth, he doth, that thou beleuest in heauen, thou receyuest at his table in earth. yea earth is heauen to thee (saith Chrysostom) through this mysterie,Chrysostom. in 1. Cor. hom. 24. make his gift no lesse then he nameth it, leste for vnthankfullnes thou be giltie of iudgement. He that beleueth his plaine wordes is on the surer syde.

The Corinthians fault concerning the supper of our Lord wasThe first fault of y• Corinthians. partely for that they came to it after they had eaten their own supper, and vndoutebly so doe heretyks. They first deuise with them se •… ues what supper they will allow to Christ, and then they come to his supper entending to conforme it to their forme •… deuise. Partely the 〈◊〉 were reproued of S. Paule forThe'r seeōd fault. eating and drinking alone, without making their meate common to the poore. Euen so the heretiks eate and drinke alone, teaching that euery man eateth Christ only by ye measure of his own faith, which hath diuerse degrees in euery man, and therefore it makethRom 12. Ephes. 4 euery man eate Christ after his own faith only. Whereas the supper of Christ is equall and common to all, as S. Cyprian, S. Hierome, and Theodorite witnessed before. wherein he geueth o •… e 〈◊〉 , one blood, one person to all that come, without any respecteHieroni mus li. 2. aduersus Iouinianum. concerning the meate and substance of the supper, although not without discerning the diuerse merites of the geastes. It is the honour of him that maketh the feast, to haue the meate most boū tifull and most reall, howsoeuer the weak stomaks of euill men are able to beare it.

Wilt thou yet see more plainly, how liberall Christ is in his supper? All that he hath he geueth, for he geueth his own selfe indifferently to euery man that sitteth at his table, be the nian riche or poore, good or bad. The 〈◊〉 of this feast at his table is the maker of the feast him selfe. Who sayeth so? Uerily he that cānot lye. Who after that he said: My flesh is meate in dede, douted not toIoan. 6. add moreouer, He that eateth me, shall liue for me, doing 〈◊〉 to vnderstand, that by eating his flesh we eate himself.

The same thing teacheth S. Hierom, a man worthy to be credi ted as well for his own great learning, as for yt tyme wherein he liued, and the faith wherof in his writing he witnesseth. S. Hierome, I saie, expounding these wordes of 〈◊〉 the Prophet,Hiero. in Ozeam. Capit. 11. Declinaui ad eum vt vesceretur, I bowed downe or turned in to him that he might eate, writeth thus, in Christes person: Declinaui ad eos deserens regna coelorum, vt cum eis vescerer assumpta forma hominis: siue, dedi eis esum corporis mei, ipse & cibus & 〈◊〉 . Forsaking the kingdome of heauen I bowed downe or turned in to them, that the shape of mā being taken, I might eate with them: or else, I gaue them the meate of my body, I my selfeHieron. ad Hedib. 2. being both the meate and the banketer or feaster. And yet he speketh in an other place more plainly: Nec Moyses, &c. Neither Moyses hath geuen vs the true bread, but our lord Iesus him self the feaster and the feast, himself the eater and he that is eaten.

Behold Christes supper. it may worthely be called his 〈◊〉 , for neuer any man made any such before him, he biddeth geasts and fedeth them with his owne flesh. He is at the table, as he was at the altar of his crosse. For these two things are in most points agreable. For this table is the 〈◊◊〉 and reall remembrance of that crosse. As therefore vpon the crosse ChristAugustinus. De Trinit. Libro. 4. Cap. 14. Esaie. 63 was the preist, who made the sacrifice, Christ the hoste that was killed, Christ the God to whom it was offred, Christ the head of that body of his Church for whom it was offered, & Christ alone played all partes, & non fuit de gentibus vir cum illo, and of all nations no man was with him: so likewise in the last supper, Christ 〈◊〉 the geastes, telling them 〈◊〉 yere before of his ban 〈◊〉 at Capharnaum, and the hower being come, Christ geuethIoan. 13. Cyprianus De 〈◊〉 Domini. water not only to their hands, but euen to their feete, Christ is the panter, Christ is the butler, as S. Cyprian also hath writen: Christ is the meate, Christ is the drinke, and what creature should haue parte with him in his supper? Are bread and wine mete ban ketting dishes for his table? They are in dede mete by their owtward shew to signifie the supper of Christ, but not mete to be a substancial part therof. He that is Lord of heauen and earth, will he borow the substance of his creatures to make vp his feast? As though he lacked bread of his owne, or as though his flesh which is the true 〈◊〉 conteining al swetnesse in it, lacked the swetnesse of wheaten bread or of materiall wine, as though Christ had not better bread and meate of his 〈◊〉 , and better drinke of his owne then the grape maketh? and who shall haue them if he be without them?

A great shame it is that either any thing should chalenge part in Christes supper besydes Christe himselfe, or that he should 〈◊〉 the table with bare odours of spirituall grace, hauiug atColos. 2. commandement the substance of flesh and blood, wherein the fullnes of Godhed dwelleth corporally. Think of Christes supper according to the worship of him that made it, leaue bread and wine for Lutrish tables, beleue thou that Christ gaue no lesse to his geasts then he had to geue. for verily all that he toke, he toke it to geue for vs and to vs: for vs, vppon the crosse, and to vs, in his 〈◊〉 . 22. last supper. Both which he expressed manifestly, when he 〈◊〉 saing: Take, eate, this is my body, which is geuen for you. that body was geuen bloodily for vs in the forme of man, because he died for man. the same is vnbloodily geuen to vs in the form of bread, because man liueth by bread. But earthly bread is to maintein life to earthly men. Heauēly men eate the bread which came doun from heauen, which is the sonne of God assumpting the flesh of man. For the bread which Christ promised to geue, is his flesh forIoan. 6. the life of the world. His flesh is meate in dede, and his blood is brink in dede.

Therefore who so teacheth the body & blood of Christ to be now receaued by faith & spirit only, he denieth the supper of our Lord, where the body was geuen by the hands of Christ, receaued withMatt. 26. the hands of the Apostles, eaten with their corporal mouthes, and the blood drunken out of the chalice of blessing, the which Christ1. Cor. 10 deliuered by their hands to their mouths and harts, by that meanes feeding the whole man with his whole substance.

¶ A speciall 〈◊〉 of Caluin is con •… ed, who taught this is my body, which is geuen for you, to be words of promise in the way of preaching at Christes supper, whereas they are words of perfoormance in the way of working.

THe special authoritie that Caluin hath gotten through his scholars in England, moueth me specially to coufute, I can not tell whether I shall name it, his more false or more foolish opinion. Who perceauing the Catholiks wholy to stick to the most proper and most effectual words of Christes supper,Matt. 26 and therevpon to build the belefe of the real presence of his body and blood: thought best to inuegle the strength of those words, as much as might 〈◊〉 , & to bring them from doing to saying, from making to speaking, from perfoorming to promising. and therefore among manie other words of the same argument, thus he writeth. Atqui non panem alloquitur Christus, vt corpus suum fiat, sed discipulos iubet manducare, at que illis corporis & sanguinis sui communicationem pollicetur, & caet. But Christ speakethThe words of 〈◊〉 in his institutions De coena Do. not to the bread, that it might be made his body, but he commandeth his disciples to eate, and he promiseth them the communicating of his body and 〈◊〉 . And afterward: Let vs vnderstand those words to be a liuely preaching, which may edifie the hearers, etc. which in the fulfilling of that it promiseth, may bring foorth his efficacie. Hytherto Caluin. whose worthy scholars haue consecrated that vnsensible deuise of his in the booke of theirThe wordes of the 〈◊〉 the leafe 213. pag. 〈◊〉 English homilies. Where after an exhortation made that men should come them selues to communion, it is sayd: To this Christes commandement forceth vs, saying, do ye thus. to this, his promise enticeth vs, this is my body which is geuen for you, this is my blood which is shed for you.

This fault I find with my countriemen. There can not be a foolish saying in al Germanie or •… uicherland which they mustThe 〈◊〉 of the English new preachers. not allow, follow, preache to their audience, and set foorth in print. And therefore if euery man might haue his will, so many schismatical Churches as they had se •… e beyond the seas, so many orders of communion they wold haue embraced. Men that neuer brought foorth of them selues any thing worthy name, and yet neuer saw in other places so apish a toye, which they did not wonder at, and gredeily practise. Wherein they are both most like their master Caluin, for so much as they specially follow his peuish inuentions: and most vnlike him, because he followed none other man in his doctrine, but himself inuented a new religion of his own making.

What say we then? This is my body which is geuen for you, are they words of promise, or no? I answere. Words of promiseWords of promise are of two sorts. Gala. 4. may be taken for suche as make a promise, or els for suche as haue a promise made cōcerning them. Those who beleue in God (as Isaac did) are named in holy scripture the children of promise, not of that promise which themselues make to God, but because through the grace of God which he promised before to Abraham in his blessed sede (Iesus Christ) they are made his chilGen. 18. 20. 22. Galat. 3. dren. And in that sense This is my body which is geuen for you, may be called words of promise, in so much as they fulfil at Christes supper the promise made before at Capharnaū, When Christ sayd: work the meate which the sonne of man will geue you, andIoan. 6. the bread which I wil geue is my flesh.

Again these words which is geuen for you, at the tyme of Chri stes supper might stand to signifie, which shalbe geuen for you, and so the old Fathers did reade them, and the Latin copies of S. Paule haue so at this daye. But the •… the promise was to be 〈◊〉 . Cor. 11 consydered concerning the death of Christ, which was to come, and not concerning his supper which was present.

Caluin speaking of Christes supper as it is a supper, saithHow Cal uin taketh the name of promise De Coena Dom. (this is my body which is geuen for you) be words of promise, and that, not because they are iustified concerning a former promise made at Capharnaum, neither concerning the death which is now past: but because they make a promise of Christes body to be spiritually eaten at his supper. For he saith, those words were not spoken to the bread & wine, but vnto the disciples, to whom Christ (pollicetur) promiseth the communicating of his body and blood. Also he saith, the promises are offered to the faithfull together with bread and wine. Moreouer, let vs vnderstand (saith he) these words to be a liuely preaching, which maie shew his efficacie in the accomplishement of that it promiseth. First these words be a breif collation or sermon. Secondly they promise the cōmunicating of Christes •… ody. Thirdly they being receaued of the faithfull, bring forth in them that effectual eating of Christ which they promise. Last of al he saith, Take, eate, is the commandement like vnto Inuoca me, call vpon me. This is my body, is the promise like vnto Exaudiam te, I will heare the. I am the longer in shewing his mind, because I feared it might be thought of wise men a great slaunder to faine so folish an opinion vpon a man taken for wise and lerned. For it semeth an extreme madnesse, to affirm that those words, which shew a thing really present, and bid vs take the same, are notwithstandingMatt. 17. words of promise. At the transfiguration of Christ, it was said, this is my derebeloued sonne, in whom I haue delighted, heare him. But who was euer so mad as to think, that Christ was promised in those words, and not rather shewed present? LikewiseMatth. 9. when Christ said to him that had the palsey, take a good hart sonne, thy sinnes are forgeuen thee, we beleue his sinnes were presently forgeuen him, and not only a promise made that hereafter they should be forgeuen.The diffe rence betwene a promise & a perfoormance.

A promise lacketh many conditions, which the performance hath. A promise beginneth the bargain, the perfoormance endeth at the least some part of it. A promise consisteth in bare words, the perfoormance besyde words hath dedes also ioyned. A pr •… mise belongeth to the time to come, the performance to the tyme present. A promise maie be differred to a certain daie, or suspended with conditions, the perfoormance must •… edes be altogether without delay. And how can, these words, Take, eate, this is my body, which is geuen for you, be words of promise, which neither speake of the time to come, but of the present: neither begyn, but end the couenant: nor consist in bare talk, but also in reall dedes, nor haue any condition or delay annexed, but haue all things presently said, signified, made and deliuered?

If, this is my body, make to y• hearers a promise of a spirituall communicating, then seing those words were spoken to IudasMatt. 26. Luc. 22. one of the twelue, and are daily spoken to euil men without any condition or exception: it maie seme that a spirituall communicating is promised to them, which possibly can not be so. For how can light and darknesse agree? But if Caluin saie these words promise the body of Christ only to the faithfull, I aske whether those words be writen in the supper of Christ, or no? If they be not writen, how dareth Caluin supply them? It is not said, this is my body to you only that be faithfull (as Caluin vseth falselyIoan. 6. 1. Cor. 11 Matt. 26. to interprete those words) But it is absolutely said, This is my body, whosoeuer take it, and eate it, whether he take it by faith, to his comfort and to euerlasting life, or in deadely sinne, to his iudgement and death. For as God the Father said, This is myMatth. 3. derebeloued sonne, and as thereof it foloweth, that the person then shewed and pointed vnto by y• voice, was y• sonne of God in dede, whether euill men had to doe with him (to whom he was y• 2. Cor. 2. sauour of death) or good men (to whom he was ye sauour of life) right so, this is my body was said of one certain thing then blessed, be ye man y• cometh to eate it, good or bad. And as this is my derebeloued •… ne are no words of promise but of a diuine witnes •… oward Christ: euen so this is my body, promise not, but witnesse and make presently the thing shewed to be in dede Christes body.

If this is my body, doe promise the body of Christ, & yet (this) must nedes shew where the thing is whereunto it pointeth: theThis, •… inteth to 〈◊〉 thing. body of Christ which is promised, is also pointed vnto. and the sense is, I will geue you this thing to eate, which is my body: and by that meanes the eating is promised, and the body is pointed to, but the pointing can be directed to none other sensible thing, but vnto that which semeth bread. therfore that is affirmed to be Christes body, and is promised to be geuen vs as meat. bu •… bread is not naturally the body of Christ, therfore it is made his body. And consequently Caluin who will haue these words to promise the •… ing of Christes body by faith, must nedes confesse that they make the same body in dede, to th' •… nd the promise of eating yt body, which is so directly pointed vnto, maie be fulfilled. Howbeit Christ said not, I will geue you my body, but presently geuing, said, take, eate, this is my body.

But seing Caluin teacheth, this, that is pointed vnto, still to remain bread, I see not how those words which (as he saith) point vnto bread, can withall promise the body of Christ. For the proposition is simple, and affirmeth but one thing, and that thing doth concerne the substāce, as we beleue, of Christes body, as he saith, of bread, so that none other thing can 〈◊〉 inferred vpon those words, then what thing this is (as we saie) or what thing this bread doth signifie, as the Sacramentaries teache.

Admit now it were expresly said, this bread is the signe of Christes body, (which sense is salsely ascribed to those words by the Zuinglians) yet it wold not follow therevpon, that the body of Christ is promised to our soules, but only that by this bread we are brought to remember Christ. Now as for eating it is commanded, and not promised,

Caluin had the cheif property of an heretike, which was to be singular. And therein he delighted so much, that albeit he was determined not to tarie in the faith wherein he was Christened,Caluin wold •… des set vp a new religion. yet he wold neither goe to Luther (who first withdrew himself from vs) nor to Zuinglius (whose sect he fauored rather) but he wold make a religion of his own. And therfore he deuised a new sense of Christes words. Affirming This is my body, not to be spoken to the bread (as both Catholiks, Lutherans and Zuinglians after diuers meanings doe confesse) but to be words of preaching, made vnto the people that stand about the Priest, and that these words promise the body of Christ to al that beleue his death and resurrection, as verily as that bread is really eaten into their bodies, and yet neither be the words concei •… ed in the manner of promising, neither do they speake of faith, or death, or of the resurrection of Christ, or of eating bread. Is not this a strang sense, to pick out of these words: This is my body? as if it were said: Masters, beleue that Christ is dead and risen again, and then, as this bread is eaten of your bodies, so certainly shal you fede of his body in faith & spirit. Did •… uer any man heare of such a 〈◊〉 ? Hoc, This, doth signifie and shew to Caluin the bread which must be eaten at the supper of Christ, and pointeth also to a spirituall food which is promised. Est, Is, doth stand both properly for the present time, in y• it is a signe of Christes body at ye tyme of speaking, and also vnproperly for the tyme to come, in that it is a promise of his body to be eaten spiritually. Corpus meum, My body doth signifie to him, the signe of my body taken by mouth, and the strēgth or vertue ther •… of that shalbe taken by faith and spirit. Put together: This bread which you bodily eate, is the signe, & this thing which I promise that your soules shall eate, shallbe the strēgth or efficacie of my body (and yet he addeth farther of his owne) to them that beleue Christes death and resurrection.

This is the sermon which Caluin saith was made at Christes supper. Wherein euery word must signifie at once two or three things. and one verb in one tense must signifie two tymes. and the same word body, must signifie two proprieties, and yet neither of them both properly. For whether body stand for signe of body (as he wold haue it taken in respect of bread) it standeth vnproperly, or whether i •… stand for efficacie of body (as he wold haue it taken in respect of the communicants) it standeth vnproperly: whereas the proper signification thereof is to signifie the substance of Christes body. If we presse him out of S. Paul and1. Cor. 11 out of the Fathers, that euil men eate the body of Christ, then he will answere they eate the signe of his body, without promise or efficacie. If we saie, that good men eate the body of Christ, he expoundeth it in such sense, that they first haue it promised them, & •… ate both a certain pledge bodily, and in their soules a spirituall efficacie thereof. O crafty deuiser.

If thou canst thus deceaue a sort of miserable, and either vnlerned or vngraciouse men, thinkest thou to deceaue God or to escape his terrible iudgement? Agree at the last, how euery word shalbe so taken, that thy interpretation maie be like it self. Let not the same word be now a signe, now a pledge, now a promise, now an efficacie, & now again no efficacie, no promise, no pledge but only a signe. We beleue that euery word standeth properly. And that both euill and good receaue one and the same substanceThe Catholike interpreta tion o •… Christes words. of Christes body. But as one medicine receaued of two diuerse complexions worketh not one effect: so the good men haue a good effect by eating worthely the body of Christ, the euill haue condemnation by eating it vnworthely. Thus we take the word body, for the reall substance of the body. the verb, est is, we take properly, because it is in dede Christes body, when the words are spoken. This, we saie, doth finally point to the substance of Christes body as then pr •… ently made vnder the foorm of bread. In our interpretation there is no inconstancy, no impropriety, no changing of significations in the same words, no bare promising of a thing to come, b •… t a present perfoormance. If any man aske by what scriptures I conuince Caluin, I wold first •… now by what scriptures he proueth his lewed interpretation. Shall he speake a thing without scripture beside all truthe and reason, and shall not we be credited, vnlesse we conuince him by scripture? Howbeit let vs forgeue that iniurie, and confute his fond •… piniō by the word of God.

Caluin saith, This ys my body, be words of promise, against which saing thus I reason. S. Paule intending to shew that God was not bound to the carnall Iewes, because they were the childern of Abraham by flesh, but that rather he wold reward them who were the children of Abraham by faith and spirit, declareth Isaac to haue ben the child of promise, because the Angell said to Abraham, Secundum hoc tempus veniam, & erit Sarae filius: I will come according to this tyme, and a sonne shalbe vnto Sara. out of which words S. Paule proueth a promise. How so? PromissionisRom. 9. enim hoc verbum est. For this word or saing, is a word of promise. which word is that? Veniam, I will com, & filius •… rit, a sonne shalbe, as if S. Paule said, wil, &, shall, be words of promise. For when a speache is conceiued for the tyme to come with 〈◊〉 circumstance that it maie appere the speaker meant to warrant the thing spoken, it maketh a promise. If, I will come, and 〈◊〉 sonne shalbe, are words of promise: I am come and a sonne is, be words of perfoormance. and that is also con •… irmed out os the word of God. Where it is writ •… n, the Lord visited Sara, as he had 〈◊〉 . 21. promised, and fulfilled the things which he spake. and she conceiued, and brought foorth a sonne at y• tyme wherein god had fore •… old 〈◊〉 , that which was before in S. Paul named a promise is •… ow called also a foretelling or prediction. For albeit euery predictionA promi •… is a prediction. be not a promise, yet euery promise is a prediction and a telling before hand. so that we haue in the word of God, that a promise telleth a thing before hand, yea that a promise is conceiued for the time to come. For it could not be told before hand, if it were not to come in respect of him to whom it is told. But these words, This is my b •… dy, do not tell a thing before hand. they doe not belong to the time to come, but vnto the time present. therefore they be not words of promise. they do not saie this shalbe my body, but this is my body.

Who knoweth not yt there are three differences of tyme, one pa •… , an other present, & the third to come? out of question a promise i •… self is of a thīg to come. therfore ye words of promising must nedes be words that may belōg to ye time to come. For the nature of the time is applied to ye nature of the thig. except they be suche words as being inuented principally to signifie y• present bond of yt thing to come, do contein at once eche strength in them. as when we say polliceor, spondeo, ꝓmitto: I promise. & then it is all one to say▪ I promise to ge •… e, or, I will geue. which thig is proued by y• custom of all nations which speak so, and by the autoritie of the auncient ciuilians who when they bound men most str •… ightly to words and termes, yet they gaue them leaue to say, any of these following, as being all of equall power: Spondes? spondeo. Promittis?In 〈◊〉 , de verb. oblig. promitto. Fideiubes? 〈◊〉 . Dabis? dabo. Facies? faciam. Where these words are put for words of like meaning a •… d sense, doest thou promise, or wilt thou geue, or wilt thou doe? al which induce and make both a promise and an obligation of words. Whereby we lern y• words of promise either must be vttered by expressing the name of promise, as if Christ should saie: I p •… omise him the eating of my body, who 〈◊〉 eateth with saith this bread: or •… ls must be 〈◊〉 in the f •… ure tense, as if it were said: Take, cate, this shalbe my body to you: but seing neither of both is don, it is a vain folly to saie that words of present affirmation, words o •… working & consecrating, be words of promise or of preaching.

Yea but God speaketh not to the bread (saith Caluin) that it should be made his body. But he commandeth his Disciples to eate, and he promiseth them the communicating of his body and blood.

In dede God saith to his Disciples, take, and eate. But that is a commandement, and no promise. He saith farther, this is my body. and that is the making of the meate which must be eaten, and the shewing of it, but no promise. For Christ maketh his supper ready by dede alone, or by his word & dede together. by dede alone in taking bread: by his word and dede together in blessing and saying, this is my body. which words turn the substance of bread into his body. so that these words doe not promise any thing, but they perfoorm an old promise made before at Capharnaum.

What saie we then to 〈◊〉 words, who affirmeth, that Christ spake not to the bread, that it should be made his body, but that he spake to his Disciples? I answere, he spake y• words, eate and take, to his Disciples, but he spake these words (this is my body) to the bread, or (as the Catholiks rather vse to speake) ouer the dread, and vpon the bread. But yet we might saie very well and truly, that Christ spake to the bread, euen as he is rea •… to haue commanded the windes, and they cessed, and to haueMatth. 8 Matt 21. Matt. 17. spoken to the figtree, when he said let sruite neuer spring more of the. And as he said, the Apostles hauing faith should speake to any certain hil, Transi hine illuc, & transibit, passe from this place to that, and it shall passe from hence. The speaking of God or of his ministers to any creature, whether it be a reasonable a sensible or a diuine creature, is the signisying that his wil is don alwayes vpon euery creature, according as it pleaseth him. neither •… oth it skyll in what foorm of words he speaketh, seing that somtime he is readen to saie, Volo, I will, Mundare, •… e thou cleanied.Matt. 8. Somtime he saith: Sicut credidisti •… iat tibi, be it don to the as thou 〈◊〉 beleued. Somtime he cureth by touching alone withoutMatt. 9. words. Somtime he saith in the present tense: Remittātur tibi pec 〈◊〉 tua, thy sinnes are forgeuē thee. And thereūto these words of his supper are like. For when he toke bread and hauing ble •… d,Matt. 26. said: This is my body: His word at that instant made his body of that bread which was taken, euen as these words, thy synnes are forgeuen thee, made a iust man of a synner.

The speaking therefore of God vnto creatures is the shewingIob 38. of his will to be don vpon them. In so much that in Iob God confesseth himself only to dispose, order, and command all creatures. he se •… deth lightings and they goe, and returning they saie to him, adsumus, here we are. which thing they could not say, except they heard his voice. Therefore it is not wel said of Caluin, to make it an absurd thing for bread to heare the words of Christ, seing they doe not only heare, but also answer in so much that an 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . other Prophet saith, the starres were called, and they said: Adsumus, we are at haud. To be short, S. Paul saith, that God callethRom. 4. things that be not, as things that be. Meaning, that it is no lesse easy to God by his calling or naming to make a thing to be which was not at all, or els to be that which before it was not, then it is to call a thing by his old name. It is all one to God to saie toIoan. 2. vs, this is water which before was water, and to saie of water, thi •… is wine. for at his word it is made wine as who cannot possibly 〈◊◊〉 . and seing experience teacheth vs, that all creature •… will go against their own particular nature, rather then the order which God hath appointed in y• whole world, shall in any •… oint faile, seing when a quill is put into any liquour, & the ayer thereof drawen vp with his breath that sucketh it, y• heauy 〈◊〉 of water will rather against his nature goe vpward, then any voide or emptie place should be. shall we yet wonder that Gods will is don euery where euen at y• speaking of his word shall not his visible 〈◊〉 make faith of his inuisible & mysticall doings,Roma. 1. so th •… t all which will not beleue, shalbe inexcusab •… e?

Caluin saith, Christ spake not to the bread. I tell him, he spake to the bread, not as to a thing that should tarie bread, but as to that which should be chāged into his body: for he called the bread his body. will Caluin graunt me that, or no? If he will not, I bring foorth Tertullian, one that is nere ha •… d fourtene hundredTertull. aduersus Marcionem. Libr. 4. yeres old, who saith that Christ called the bread his body. Panem corpus suum appellat. He calleth the bread his body. But we can not call a thing, except we speake vnto it. Therefore when Christ called the bread his body, he spake vnto the bread, as if he had said to the bread, be thou my body. For as it is all one in Christ to saie, let thy synnes be forgeuen, and thy synnes are forgeuen: so it isMatth. 9. one to saye concerning a certain bread which was taken: Let this be my body, or this is my body. with whatsoeuer words the mind of Christ be vttered, out of question it is allwaies fullfilled. But among all kind of vtterāce, none is more plain to vs, then when a thing is clerely a •… rmed to be this or that: for then it is made plain to vs, not only that God wold haue it so, or wisheth it to be so, but that really and in dede it is so. Christ calleth bread his body: Therfore Caluin saith fals •… , when he affirmeth that Christ speaketh not to the bread to th'end it might be made his body.

You will say, calling is not making. yeas for fout •… , in God, in Christ, in those whom Christ willeth to call one thing, and make thereof an other thing, in all them calling is making. Men call a thing by the name of the former nature, but God in calling anyThe cal •… of Go •… . thi •… g, or in willing it to be called by a new name changeth the former nature, and maketh it to be as he called it. And therefore when the Prophet 〈◊〉 wold signifie that the gentils and panims should be turned to the faith, how doth he vtterOzee. 2. that matter? Saith he not in the person of God: Dicam non populo meo, populus meus es tu? I will saye to that which is not my people, thou art my people? Dicam. I will saye it. And trow ye, his saying is not don? Yes it solloweth immediatly. Et ipse dicet: Deus meus es tu. And the people it self shall say, thou art my God. which thing the people could not saye, except in dede it were conuerted and made the people of God from the people of infidelity. And therfore S. Paul him self expoundeth this place of Osoe, by the word of calling, andRoma. 9. 〈◊〉 Vocabo non plebem meam, plebem meam. I will call that, which is not my people, my people: & erit in loco vbi dictumOzee. 1. Roma. 9. est eis, non plebs mea vos, ibi vocabuntur filij Dei. And it shall come to passe in the plate, where it hath ben said to them, ye are not my people, there they shalbe called the sonnes God. After which sort when Christ hauing taken bread and blessed, said: This is my body: That saying was the calling of that which was before, Non corpus Christi, not the body of Christ. Corpus Christi, the body of Christ.

In this sense S. Ambroise saith: Ante benedictionem verborumDe ijs qui init. myster. Capit. 9. coeles •… m alia species nominatur, post consecrationem corpus significatur. Ipse dicit sanguinem suum ante consecrationem aliud dicitur, post consecrationem sanguis nuncupatur. Et tu dicis, Amen, hoc est, verum est. quod os loquitur, mens interna fateatur. Quod sermo sonat, affectus sentiat. Before the blessing of the heauenly words it is named an other kind, after consecration the body is signified. himself saith (or nameth) his blood. Before consecration it is named (or sayd) an other thing. a •… ter consecration it is called blood. and thou 〈◊〉 , Amen, 〈◊〉 is to saie, it is true. That which the mouth speaketh, let the inward mind cousesse, that which the speache soundeth, let the har •… think.

Here we lern by S. Ambrose, that the naming, signisying, or calling bread and wine the body and blood of Christ, is both 〈◊〉 •… uident signe, that Christ spake to bread and wine (otherwis •… then Caluin said) and also the making of them to be in dede so •… s they are called and signified. also he sheweth y• custome of y• primatiue Church to haue ben, that immediatly before communio •… when y• Priest said, the body of Christ, the people vsed, to answer: Amen, it is true: it is in dede his body. And as the word body soundeth, and as our confirmation thereof soundeth: so he requireth vs to beleue confesse and think. certainly there is none othe •… thing sounding to our eares besyde the name of body. Likewise Tertullian hauing witnessed that Christ called the bread his body,Tertull. aduers. Marcio •… lib. 4. witnesseth also that he made the bread which was taken and distributed to the Disciples, his body. Fecit panem corpus suum. He made the bread his body, in saying, This is my body, that is to saye, the figure of my body. But neither calling nor naming, no •… saying, nor the being of a figure, stoppeth any thing y• reall truth •… of Christes body. the Sacrament is the figure of Christes body, because it sheweth his death vntill he come, as S. Paul saith. But as Christ is the figure, or print and form of his Fathers substance,1. Cor. 11 and yet also his substance in dede: euen so the SacramentHebr. 1. is a figure of Christ, and Christ in dede. Christ, as an other person beside his Father, so is he the figure of his substance. But otherwise in truthe he is throughly the same substance. euen so, as the Sacrament is another maner of Christes presence, so it is a figure either of his visible body, or of his death. But concerning the truth of substance, all is one. Thus without all controuersy the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 •… ords standeth vpright. And his naming, signifying, figuring, calling, is the making of a thing to be that which it is named bi him, signified, figured, or called. He hath saidPsal. 14 •… & the things are made. Ther can be none more grosse, more vile, more blasphemous opiniō, then to think y• Christ is a bare man▪ that his word is like our word, or his figures and Sacraments like our figures, or like the figures of the old law. Looke what oddes is betwen God and man, so much beleue thou to be also betwen his naming, or his figures of the new Testament, and all other figures. His figures contein the self same substance which they expresse in figure, signe, or name, whereof God wylling I will intreat more hereafter.

It is at this tyme to be cōsydered, y• seing the Sacramēt of ChriLucae. 2 •… . 1. Cor. 〈◊〉 stes supper, is ye remēbrance of yt great sacri •… ice made by his death vpō y• crosse: It self also must nedes partake that nature, whereof it is the remembrance, & consequētly it must be certeinly beleued to be a true sacrifice, as that of ye crosse was. In euery publike sa •… ther is a thing offered & vowed vnto God, & the act which offereth & voweth it, apperteiueth as wel to the thing 〈◊〉 (by the meane of doing sumwhat about it) as vnto God, to whom the oblation is theifly dedicated. As therefore when a lamb is sacrificed,Leuiti▪ 1. Math. 21. hands are layed vpon the lambs head, the lamb is killed, burnt or eaten, and all that while God in the lamb is honoured, prayed vnto, blessed, thanked and praised: euen so when the bread is taken, the words (which are the instrument to make our sacrifice) are spoken to the bread i •… the way of vowing and dedicating it vnto Christ, into whose flesh it is turned by his almighty word in such sort, that God is withal the last end of the whole offering, to whom this th •… nkful sacrifice is made. For S. IreneusIreneus. Libro. 5. aduersus haereses. hath witnessed, that when the mixed chalice and the bread broken percipit verbum Dei, taketh the word of God, the Eucharist of the blood and body of Christ is made. Ireneus saith, the 〈◊〉 taketh the word of God. Caluin affirmeth that Christ speaketh not vnto the bread. As though the bread could take that word, which is not directed vnto it. Bread is the matter of the Eucharist, to witt, of the most thankful sacrifice of Christes supper. Words are the instrument which the word of God vseth in working and consecrating the bread. When the words come vnto the bread, or (as S. Ireneus speaketh) when the bread taketh, and re ceaueth, or heareth y• word of God, y• Eucharist of Christes body and blood is made. Is a thing made of bread by words, and yet doth not Christ speake those words vnto y• bread? How cā words work or make any thing, but by speaking?

In an other place likewise S. Ireneus saith: panis percipiensIreneus a •… uersus haeres. li. 3 Cap. 34. vocationem Dei, bread receauing the calling of God is not now common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two things, one earthly, an other heauenly. The earthly thing is y• old soorm o •… bread, y• heauenly is y• body of Christ newly made vnder yt 〈◊〉 ▪ And yet doth not Christ speak vnto bread, to 〈◊〉 it should be made his body?

Iustinus Martyr intreating of the self same sacrifice, writethIustinus Martyr▪ In apolog. 2. thus: Cibum qui per verbum precationis, quod ab eo accepimus, consecratus est, Iesu Christi carnem & sanguinem esse accepimus. We haue learned yt sood which is consecrated by y• word of prayer (which we toke of him) to be y• flesh and blood of Iesus Christ.

Th •… re is a kind of meate or food cōsecrated. by what meanes? by the word of prayer, which we toke of Christ. What word can yt be I pray you, but only, This is my body? Caluin thought they had bene words of preaching, but Iustinus scholar vnto y• Apostles, calleth them words of prayer, because he that speaketh them mindeth by yt speaking, to make a sacrifice vnto God, which is y• highest kind of prayer & of worshipping God y• 〈◊〉 be. Of which kind Christ said: my howse shalbe called yt howse of prayer. PreachingMath. 21. is principally directed vnto ye people, prayer only to God. But among all prayers, yt which is most peculiar to publike sacri fice, is most proper vnto God. For he that offereth sacrifice to any other thing besyde to God alone, is most properly an idolatour.

Now seing Caluin is content yt y• word of prayer and sacrifice, which we receaued of Christ, shalbe so principally directed to the people, y• it shall not in ye like degree appertein to ye bread (whichCaluin is shewed to be an idolatour. is yt matter of our sacrifice,) I say he is content, yt ▪ sacrifice by nature dew to God alone, be offered vnto mortal men. & because in stede of God (to whom these words are chiefly directed) he hath placed y• ticklish eares of y• rude multitude, he hath cōmitted mayn idolatry. As chosing to speake these words (This is my body) altogether to the men standing about him, whereas they are dew finally to God aloue, and by ye way of sacrificing, appertein to ye bread, which is chāged into Christes body. As therefore if a manActo. 14. should kil an ox or a Calf, referrig ye last end thereof vnto yt people which standeth by, he should vndoubtedly be an idolatour: euen so when he affirmeth y• those words (which by y• appointment of Christ, make y• Eucharist & sacri •… ice of thanksgeuing vnto God) ought to be spoken to ye people, as for ye cheif vse where vnto they were created, he not only committeth, but also defendeth mayn idolatry. Which is 〈◊〉 most grosse fault yt euer was don by so spiritual a worshipper of Christ, as Caluin wil seme to be. Ad Pres by terorū preces (saith S. Hierom) Christi corpus sanguis que consicitur:Hierony mus ad 〈◊〉 to. 2. The body and blood of Christ is made at the prayers of the Priests. Doutlesse at none other prayers, then wherein they say 〈◊〉 y• mind of sacrificing, 〈◊〉 bread, This is my body, & ouer wine this is my blood. 〈◊◊〉 speaking of these words y• body & bloodAugustinus in Psal. 39. of Christ be 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 these words promise nothing. For as S. Augustine 〈◊〉 . 〈◊◊〉 abstulit verba promittētia, The 〈◊〉 or the perfienesse of the th •… igs promised, ha •… taken away the promising words. And again. Tam diu quis que promissor est donec det, cum dederit, mutat verba, non dicit adhuc dabo, quod se daturum dicebat, sed dicit, dedi, mutauit verbum. So long euery man is one that pro •… iseth, vntil he geue. When he hath geuen, he changeth the words. He saith not stil: I wil geue, of y• which he said he wold geue: but he saith, I hau •… geuen. He hath cha •… ged the word. S. Augustine putteth a difference betwene a g •… er and a promiser. Betwene words, & dedes, betwene sayings and doings. He accompteth dabo, I wil geu •… for a word of promise, but dedi, I haue geuen for a word of per •… ance. Seing therefore Christ in his supper did not say •… he wold geue his body to the faithful, but said expresly take, eate, thi •… is my body, and seing the Euangelist saith of that fact, dedit Discipulis, he hath geuen to his Disciples, out of question y• words which are ioyned with a reall gift, be not verba promissiua, sed completiua: as S. Augustine nameth them, they are not words which promise, but which accomplish and fulfil the former promise. And now to return to the for •… er talke of sacrif •… ce, they are such words as fulfil the act of the sacrifice, and therefore they are called of Iustinus Martyr, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Orationis aut voti verbū. Iustinus in apol. 2 Augusti •… us. •… pist 59 •… . Tim. 2. the word of prayer or of vow. •… or (as S. Augustine hath well noted in expounding the words of S. 〈◊〉 to Timothe,) ea proprie intelligenda est oratio, quam facimus ad votum. That is properly vnderstanded to be prayer which is made at vowing, that is to saye, which we make with a special •… owing and re •… ring vnto God of our selues, or of some 〈◊〉 thing where by we pro 〈◊〉 our faith.

So that the word of prayer in the Eucharist, is the word which voweth and dedicateth vnto God the substance of y• bread and wyne, which is taken to be consecrated. Vouentur autemThe obla tion of the 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 . omnia que offeruntur Deo, maximè sancti altaris oblatio. Truly all things are vowed (saith S. Augustine) which are offered vnto God, specially the oblation of the holy altar. We bring bread and wyne to the altar to offer them. That offering is a vowing of them to God. When are they vowed? When the word of vowing or of prayer is spoken. When is that prayer made? S. Augustine sheweth in the same place: Orationes accipimus dictas, cum illudEpist. 59 (quod est in Domini mensa) benedicitur & sanctificatur, & ad distribuendum comminuitur. We take prayers to be sayd, when that which is on the table of our Lord, is blessed and sanctified, and broken to be distributed.

Mark whether S. Augustine speake like Caluin or no. thatS. Augu 〈◊◊〉 reth 〈◊〉 words, this is •… y body to •… vpon y• table, & not vnto the audience. which is on the table is blessed, that is sanctified, that is broken, that is distributed, that blessing & sanctifying is made by prayer, that prayer is the vowing to God, of that which is brought to the table, which was bread and wine. The word of vowing is to saye ouer it, This is my body. For the sense of these words is, that Christ so •… estly offereth, so throughly voweth the substance of bread and wine to the honour of God, that he maketh them by his almighty power the same flesh and blood of Christ, which is vnited to the sonne of God in one person. This only is the offering and vowing of an outward thing, which came to that perfectionGen. 14. Psal. 109. whereunto in the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 it was destenied. Because the Priest (who offered it according to the order of 〈◊〉 ) is God as well as man. The instrument of this great sacrifice, the word of this prayer, ye execution of this vow, are theMarci. 14 words of Christ, who said in the waie of blessing, of thāksgeuing, o •… praying, and of vowing or of offering to God, This is my body, which is geuen for you, doe and make this thing for the remembranceLucae. 22. of me.

Caluin wold neither haue prayer nor vow, nor any sacrifice made vnto God in these words, but hath with swete poysoned talk, made of them a promise & apreaching to the people, geuing to man the 〈◊〉 of sacrifice dew 〈◊〉 God only. But S. IreneusLib. 4. cap. 32. witnesseth, that Christ hauing taken bread, and geuen thanks, said, This is my body, and confe •… the chalice to be his blood. Et noui testamenti nouam docuit oblationem, and he taught a new oblation of the new testament. Which also he proueth out o •… Malac. 1. Malachie the Prophet.

Caluin wold the words to be spoken without working any thing vpon the brend: as who should say, the bread could be offered according to the state of any law or testament, and yet no change of substance be made therein. Caluin wold the working to be only in the minds of y• hearers, whereas y• gospell teache •… that Christ hauing taken bread, said: This is my body. But Caluin imagineth, that he spake not to the bread, but sayd to the people, this bread is a witnesse that you shall ca •… e my body, whereas the bread it self was by those words made Christes body, and so made, that it was his body, as sone as the word was spoken. So saith Bregorius Nyssenus, who writeth that the bread is chāgedIn Orat. 〈◊〉 . into the body of Christ, statim vt dictum est •… verbo: Hoc est corpus meum, straight as sone as it is sayd of the word (of God) thi •… is my body. S. Chrysostom sheweth the words to be spoken byChryso. hom. de prod •… io ne Iud •… . to. 3. Ambros. de Sacra. lib. 4 c. 5 the Priests mouth: who saith, This is my body. Hoc verbo prop •… sita consecrantur. With this word the things set foorth are consecrated. S. Ambrose saith: Vbi verba Christi operata fuerint, sanguis efficitur, qui plebem red •… it. When y• words of Ch •… ist haus wrought, the blood is made which hath 〈◊〉 the people.

Is it n •… t a great madnesse to resist the •… e witnesses? Or can the th •… ngs set foorth, which are 〈◊〉 and wine be consecrate •… , be chan •… d, •… e made the body & 〈◊〉 of Christ, & not be 〈◊◊〉

I might bring against Caluin whatsoeuer the Catholikes teache or saie of the reall presence of Christes body and blood, of 〈◊〉 , and of the sacrifice. For 〈◊〉 word destroyeth this foolish inuention of promising and preaching. It shalbe now sufficient to shew, that the whole East and West Church by diuerse meanes yet conformably destroye that erroneouse opiniō of Caluin.

In the East Church the words of consecration, This is my bodyThe custom of y• East Churche at consecration. which is geuen for you: and likewise of the blood, are spoken with so lowd avoice, that the whole Church maie here the Priest pronouncing them. And immediatly after eche of the words the quere and people cried out Amen. Which doth signific, as S. AmbroseDe iis qui init. cap. 9. hath expounded it, Verum est, it is true. Wherby all those Churches did signifie, that the body and blood of Christ was presently made, when the people affirmed it to be true, and yet noman had at that tyme receaued the communion. Therefore th •… se words, This is my body, which is geuen for you, and, this is my blood, which is shed for you, Which Caluin calleth words of promise made to the receauers, are witnessed by y• whole Chur •… h to be true presently, and so to be perfoormed, l •… g before any man receaue cither kind.

On the other side in the West Churche the same words are spokenThe cnstom of the west •… hurch in consecrating. secretly o •… er the bread and the wine, and immediatly after the pronouncing of eche words, the body and blood of Christ is adored of all the people, because it is really conteined •… nder the foormes of bread and wine. Which auncient custome of secretly pronouncing these words, This is my body, shew they are neither words of promise nor of preaching. If they were words of promise or of preaching, they should be spoken to the people out of the chaire, or pulpit, or some like place. But now they are spok •… n at the al •… ar of God, and not at all directed to the people, as the which 〈◊〉 to yt office of 〈◊〉 Priesthod, whereunto y• people is not called. For as the high Bishop among the Jewes wentHebr. 9. alone, and that but one day in the whole yere into ye Holy of Holies in the temple of Salomon: right so when the Priest goeth to consecrate the Holy of all Holies (which is the body and blood of Christ) it is most conneniently ordeined, that he alone enter 〈◊〉 . And this custom is in that West Church which S. Peter and S. Paule planted with their preaching, and watered with their blood. This is the Church which S. Ambrose honoured so 〈◊〉 , that albeit himself in manie points followed in his seruice the 〈◊〉 rite and manner, yet he openly praised the good and laudable custom of the Romane Churche, saying: In omnibusDe Sacra. lib. 3. cap. 1. cupio sequi Ecclesiam Romanam. In all points I couet to follow the Romane Churche.

But now let vs bring a practise of ye whole primatiue Churche, as well in the East as in the West, which so euidently doth confute the 〈◊〉 opinion of Caluin, that he is sain to condēne the Apostles them 〈◊〉 to auoide that argument. For so had he rather doe, yea to deny all the whole Bible, then once to remoue the breadth of a 〈◊〉 from his derebeloued pha •… tasy. such is the stubburnesse of heretiks.

The holy Bishop and Martyr S. 〈◊〉 doth witnesse (as 〈◊〉 allegeth him) that the Bishops of Rome before the •… useb. li. 5. c. 24 tyme of Pope Uictor, to wit, Soter, Anicetus, Pius, Higinius, Telesphorus, Xistus, did all kepe Easterday alwayes vpon the sunday, and yet withal kept peace with ohter Churches, which did otherwise. For a demonstration of that peace, 〈◊〉 allegethThe Eucharist was sent 〈◊◊〉 in the pri •… Churche. generally, that all the Priests which were before Uictor, (which were in number, from S. Peters time, twelue at the least) vsed solemnely to send Eucharistiam, the Eucharist (which is the Sacrament of Christes supper) to suche Priests who came out of those quarters, where Easter was kept otherwise, then it was at Rome. By that sending of the Sacramēt from the Pope to other Priests a •… d Bishops, Jreneus concludeth all those to haue communicated together.

To our purpose, I note, that there is a certain thing so •… crated in Christes supper, that it hath in it the whole vertue of y• s •… pper. And it is a torporall and real thing which may be •… ued, caried, sent vp and down, and so at the last receaued. Mark wel the Historie. Al the Bisshops of Rome vsed to send to strāge Bishops comming to Rome the holy Eucharist, in token that they were al of one communion, of one Church, and one religion. This Eucharist was the Sacrament of Christes supper, this Sa crament was first made, and then kept for strāgers, and sent vnto them when they came. Which they receaued as the bond of peace & loue. The consecration of that Eucharist could consist in none other thing so essentially, as in the pronouncing ouer bread, these words, This is my body.

Now remember, I beseche you, what Caluin iudgeth of our Lords supper. He teacheth those words to be words of promise, and of preaching, Which being heard of the faithfull stirr vp their harts to receaue Christ by faith. But the custom of the primatiue Churche, euen of the first hundred yeres after Christes death, manifestly reproueth his opinion. For the Eucharist was made thenThe custom of y• 〈◊〉 Church is against y• doctri •… e of Caluin. and sent afterward to those who were not present at the making thereof. Who neither heard any preaching, nor toke hold of any promise, but came like strangers to Rome, and so had the blessed body of Christ deliuered them. wherefore his body was not only cōsecrated in the harts of men, but also in a corporall thing which might be sene, touched, caried, deliuered and r •… ceaued. The consecration was fulfilled in that external thing, which was called the Eucharist. And so it is proued without any escape, that when bread was taken and blessed, these words, This is my body, were said to the bread and ouer it, and changed it into the substance of Christes body. And by that meanes the body of Christ was conteined vnder the foorm of bread, and so caried vnto the faithfull Prelats which came to Rome: The Eucharist it self was caried. The body of Christ was sent from one Bisshop to an other.

The words which Caluin dreameth to be words of promise, were not suche: but in dede were word •… working the reall presence of Christes body. And truly when Christ gaue his Apostles authori •… ieLuc. 22. to make his last supper: He •… ad them not make a promise of any thing. But he said: Hoc facite, Doe and make this thing. A certayn external thing was made and don by Christ, which he wilChrist •… ad not his Apostles make a promise of a thing but make the thing it self. led his Apostles to doe & make. He said not to them, preache th •… s, nor say thus, nor doe thus (albeit the homilies corrupt the gospel after that sort) but he said: doe this thing, make this thing, to wit, make my body with the same words of blessing, which you heard me vse when I toke bread, and hauing g •… uen thanks sayd thereof: This is my body, make this thing.

Which thing the Apostles and their successours haue alwayes made, not in pulpits, (as Caluin, who wold haue them words of promise, and of preaching, must nedes allow best) But they haue made the body and blood of Christ vpon the blessed altars & holy tables, where they o •… ered vnblody sacrifice, and sanctified the holy mysteries with yt mind o •… celebrating, of daing and making, but not with the mind of promising or preaching. Neither only was this the custom of Rome, to send the Eucharist already consecrated vnto other Bisshops, but wise and learned men think ye like vse to haue bene in euery other Churche.

And certeinly Iusti •… us Martyr, of sufficient antiquity to them that care for Apostolical doctri •… or traditio •… , doth witnesse that the Eucharist was made in the assembles of the 〈◊〉 , and afterward sent by the Deacons to those that were absent: by Deacons,The 〈◊〉 charist was caried by 〈◊〉 to y• 〈◊〉 per •… without wordes of pr •… mising. Hieron. Euagri. to. 2. Iustinu •… Marty •… in apolog. 2. I say, who could in no wise them selues either consecrate or iterate again the words of consecration already spokē. For as S. Hierom writeth, Priests differ from Deacons, because at the prayer of Priests the body and blood of Christ is made. Which thing the Deacons can not doe. They on'y can minister vnto the people the body and b •… od already consecrated and made by the Priests.

And therefore Iustinus Martyr writeth thus of them, and of the whole making of the mysteries. Panis vinum que & aqua afferuntur, tum que is qui primum locum tenet eodem modo preces gra tiarum que actionem pro virili mittit, populus que acclamat dicens, Amen. Et ijs, quae cum gratiarum actione consecrata sunt, vnusquis que participat. Eadem que ad eos qui absunt, Diaconis dantur perferenda. Bread, wine, and water are brought. And then he which is chief prayeth and geueth thanks to the vttermost of his p •… wer, after the same maner (which was described before) and yt people reioysingly crieth, Amen And euery man partaketh those things which are consecrated with thanksgeuing. And the same things are geuen to the Deacons to be caried to these which are absent.

What can be more plainly spoken? Bread, wine, and water are consecrated by the words of prayer which we toke of Christ. those words are, This is my body, and, this is my blood. After which consecration the people cried, Amen. And the consecrated things, to wit, the body and blood which are made by the consecration of bread, wine, and water, the body and blood, I say, are deliuered by the 〈◊〉 to them first which are present. And when they haue communicated, to others also which are absent.

Therefore the holynes rested in y• things that were consecrated and was not made by 〈◊〉 in the eares and 〈◊〉 of y• people but the consecrated mysteries were geuen and caryed: geuen to y• present, caryed to the absent. geuen by hands, not by words, geuen to their hands or mouthes, and not to their eares. they were caried to the absent, as hauing real vertue made in them by the words of Christ. what saith Caluin to these practises of the primatiue Churche? what spirit will he in this point shew to vs? whether will he shew the spirit of humility in wondering at, and in following those Fathers which lerned all their seruice and orders of the Apostles them selues? If Caluin had that spirit, he were farr from hearesy. But now see what spirit Caluin hath. Thus he writeth in this matter. Immediatly after the words which I rehersed in ye 〈◊〉 of this chapiter, thus he writeth.

His rationibus constat, repositionem Sacramenti, &c. It isThe words of Caluin. De Coen. Domini. euident (saith Caluin) by those reasons, the reseruation of the Sacrament (which some men presse, to th end it maie be distributed extraordinarily to the sick,) to be vnprofitable. For either the sick shall receaue it without rehersall of the institution of Christ, or the minister together with the signe will ioyne the true explication of the mysterie. If the institution of Christ be not spoken of, it is an abuse, and a fault. If the promises be rehersed and the mysterie be declared, so that they who shall receaue, maie receaue with fruit, we n •… de not dowt, this to be ye true consecration. To what purpose then is the other, whose strength reacheth not so farr as to come to the sick? But you will saye, they that doe so (to wit, that reserue the Sacrament) haue the example of the old Churche. Fateor. I graunt but in so weighty a matter, & wherein errour is not committed without great danger, nothing is more safe then to follow the truthe it self.

Hytherto Caluin hath reasoned, who putteth the whole strēgth of the Sacrament of Christes supper in promising and preaching. therefore if any where preaching and promising be not vsed in the geuing of the Sacrament, he calleth it an abuse and fault.

And seing the primatiue Church, euen whiles ye Apostles were •… liue, did by the witnesse of 〈◊〉 reserue the Sacramēt so long after consecration, as to send it to such Bishops, which might come to strange dioceses out of an other prouince: and seing the deacous vsed to carie it in the tyme of Iustinus Martyr (who liued within a hundred yeres of Christes death) to those which were absent: Caluin, I saie, perceauing the vse of all ApostolicallCaluin re proueth ye 〈◊〉 Church. Churchs to stand against him, will seme to con •… ute them all with this fond reason. Either the sick and absent persons (for all is one concerning this matter) shall receaue that which was consecrated in the Church without a new rehersall of these words, This is my body, And then, it is an abuse, saith Caluin, & a fault: (& he calleth it an abuse, which the scholars of the Apostles vsed) or •… ls (saith he) the words shalbe ioyned with the signe, and it is a true consecration. And then, saith he, the first consecration made at the Church was in vain concerning the sick and absent men. But the second is good, which is made by preaching and rehearsing the words of promise to the sick persons.

I haue most faithfully behersed the opinion of Caluin. But let vs now examine, why it is an abuse and fault to deliuer to the sick or to the absent persons the holy hoste which was consecrated in the Churches, without a new rehersall of Christes words. why is that an abuse? who told Caluin it was an abuse or a fault.Caluin bringeth no reason for his 〈◊〉 re •… of the Apo •… •… lers. For south his own mind gaue him so, his wisedom thought so, his grauitie said so, his blasphemonse penue wrote so. But other cause, reason, or scripture he bringeth none for it. •… e first 〈◊〉 that the consecration of Christes supper consisteth in saying to the people, This is my body which is geuen for you: And proneth it not at all. but graunt him once his dream, & consequently he inferreth that if such an hoste whereupon the words of consecration were once dewly pronoūced, be afterward geuē to him that hea •… d not those words of promise, because he was sick or absent, if the •… ost, I say, he geuen without a new rehersall of the words, it foloweth that it is an abuse. Yea but some Papist will saye, the old Churche did so. For now he calleth the primati •… e Churche the old Churche. I graunt, saith Caluin. But it is better yet to follow the truthe it self. Why 〈◊〉 doest thow only know, what the truth it self is? we allege the old Church, to pro •… e, that the truthe 〈◊〉 Christes gospell doth stand for vs: and to proue that consecration is not made by preaching and by the hearing of the people, but by the vertue of Gods word, which spoken ouer the elements of bread and wine, saith by the one: This is my body, making it so. And by the other: This is my blood, making it so.

We saye these words make the body of Christ vnder the form of bread, and his blood vnder the form of wine. For our saying we bring the gospell, where •… t is writen, this is, and, this is. When other 〈◊〉 the gospell, we shew that the Apostles andMatt. 26. their successours practised this which we beleue. For they all vnderstode, by these words directed to brcad and wine, that the body and blood of Christ was really made, vnder the formes of them. How proue we that? Because if once the words had ben spoken by a Priest vpon those elements, the things consecrated were afterward kept and caried as a most holy sacrifice to men ab •… ent. as the which things cōteined really within them the body & blood of Christ. Why els should they be caried to others that were absent? A 〈◊〉 maye say, that when they came to the absent persons, the words were again rehersed. First that appereth not in Iustinus, or in Ireneus, of whom the one sayth, the 〈◊〉 was sent to stra •… gers: the other saith, that the things consecrated, which were receaued of the present Christians, the same were caried to the absent. How is the Eucharist sent, if it beNothing knowē to be cōsecra ted maye be 〈◊〉 teo again. no Eucharist vntill it come to the stranger, and then be made a new? Or is it 〈◊〉 to iterate the consecration of any Sacrament? Hath Caluin lerned so farr? Did the first consecration lack •… ertue, so that an other must be made, or the first be repeted?

Last of al the Deacons caried the Eucharist, who possibly could not reherse the words of consecration, This is my body, and, this is my blood. And yet if they were words of promise & preaching, the Deacon, who may 〈◊〉 and in preaching may 〈◊〉 y• spiritual seeding of our soules, might also reherse those words. But from the Apostles tyme to this day it was neuer heard, that •… Deacon might consecrate the body and blood of Christ. For nomanHebr. 5. A Deacō cannot cō secrate the holy my •… . is able to doe any more, then wherevnto he is lawfully called. But no Deacon hath the power to cōsecrate geuen him. And that his name sheweth, which is to say, a 〈◊〉 , or a waiter on. For he waiteth vpon the Priest at Masse, and is not as yet promoted to the office of 〈◊〉 .

Seing then the Deacons caried the Eucharist, and they could not say the words of consecration, doub •… lesse they that receaued it of their hands, receaued neither words of promise, nor of preaching, but they receaued that blessed body and blood of Christ which was cōsecrated before, vnder the foormes of bread & wine. This faith wil stand sound when Caluin and all his scholars be out of memorie. This practise did the Apostles leaue to their successours and scholars, as Iustinus the Martyr, Ireneus and Eusebi •… s witnesse.

Now consyder what an intolerable spirit of arrogancy wasThe intolerable pride of 〈◊〉 . in Caluin, who dareth oppose him self against the first hundred yeres after Christ. He dareth affirm, that all the Priests and Bisshops of Rome before 〈◊〉 committed an abuse, in sending the Eucharist to strangers. That all Asia and Brece committed an abuse, in sending the Eucharist by Deacons to men that were absent, who heard not the words of promise.

If thou looke to be saued (good Reader) beware of that arrogant spirit. Learning thou shalt not find in Caluin, and much lesse honesty. Only he hath a sort of smothe words, which are poy soned with pride and ignorance. If any of his scholars wil take vpon him to defend his errour, I wil by Gods grace discouer more ignorance of that arrogant Master of theirs. In the meane tyme I wil content my self with these reasons, which I haue presently brought against him out of the word of God, and out of the sayings and doings of the whole primatiue Churche.

¶ The preface of the second Booke.

FOr so muche as contraric things, one being set against the other, are both made the more clere and plaine: it semed best I should not only confirme the Catholike faith, but also con fute the contrarie doctrine, which is allowed for good and laudable in the Apologie of the Church of England, to th •… intent the Reader might iudge, whether the Catholikes or Protestauts doe more oftallege, more syncerely interprete, and more throughly beleue the word of God. I feare me he shal find nothing, beside the name of the gospell, to be among the Protestāts. But the true meaning and vse thereof only to remain in yt Catholike Church of Christ. Let the thing it self speake: I aske but an vpright and indifferent iudge.

Neither let any man be now shamed to heare that his new chosen opinion, is a great deale worse then his old faith was. For if he blushed not to forsake the faith of the Catholike Church vowed at the fonte of Baptism, and to embrace a truthe lately espied (as he thought) in the gospell: Muche lesse ought he to accompt it any reproche, to reade further in the same gospell, and there to lern, his old profession, made at the tyme of his Christendom, to haue bene not only the receaued belefe of all Christians, but also to haue bene grounded in the true word of God, and practised of the Apostles and their Successours from the beginning.

The Chapiters of the second Booke. 1. The Catholiks require their cause to be vprightly tried by the holy scriptures, which they haue alwayes studied aud reuerenced. 2. It is proued by the word of God, that euill men receaue the body of Christ in his supper. 3. The auncient Fathers teache, that euill men receaue truly the body of Christ. 4. What is the true deliuerance of Christes body and blood. 5. What it is which nourisheth vs in ye supp of Christ. 6. The reall presence is proued by ye vnion which is consessed to be made in the supper of Christ. 7. That the Apologie speaking of the Lords supper, goeth cleane from the word of God. 8. That S. Ambrose and S. Augustine taught more then two Sacraments. 9. That the supper of our Lord is the chief Sacrament of all, but not acknouledged of the Apologie according to the word of God. 10. That the supper of our Lord is both the signe of Christes body, and also his true body, euen as it is a Sacrament. 11. What signe must cheifly be respected in ye Sacramēt of Christes supper, & what a Sacrament is. 12. Which argument is more agreable to the word of God: It is a token of the body made by Christ, and therefore not the body: or els, therefore the true body of Christ. 13. The words of Christes supper are not figuratiue, nor his token a common kind of token. 14. That the supper of our Lord is no Sacrament at all, if these words of Christ, This is my body, and this is my blood, be figuratiue. 15. There all presence of Christes body is that, which setteth his death and life before vs. 16. Our thanksgeuing and remembrance of Christes death, is altogether by the reall presence of his body. 17. The true resurrection of our bodyes cometh by eating that body of Christ, which is bothe true, and truly in vs. 18. Nothing is wrought in the supper of Christ, according to the doctrine of the Sacramentaries. 19. The reall presence of Christes flesh is proued by the expresse naming of flesh, blood, and body, which are names of his humane nature. 20. It is a cold supper which the Sacramentaries assigne to Christ in comparison of his true supper. 21. By eating we touche the body of Christ, as it maye be touched vnder the form of bread. 22. The Sacramentaries haue neither vnderstanding, nor faith, nor spirit, nor deuotion to receaue Christ withall. 23. The reall presence of Christes body is proued by the confession of the Apologie. 24. The contrariety of the apologie is shewed, and that the lifting vp of our harts to heauen, is no good cause, why we should lift the body of Christ from the altar. 25. What be grosse imaginations concerning the supper of Christ. 26. What the first Councell of Nice hath taught concerning Christes supper. 27. That the Catholiks haue the table of Egles; and the Sacramentaries the table of Iayes. 28. The bread which is ye meate of the mind, and not of the belly, can be no wheaten bread, but only the bread of life, which is the body of Christ. 29. Sacramentall eating differeth from eating by faith alone, whereof only S. Augustine speaketh in the place alleged by the Apologie.

¶ The Catholikes require their cause to be vprightlye tried by the holy Scriptures, which they haue alwayes studied and reuerenced.

THe Apologie of the Church of England boasting it self,The first Chapiter. partly of the word of God, partly of the primatiue Church, requireth that we call the new gospellers no more by the name of heretykes, neither accompt our selues hereafter Catholikes, except we co •… ince them out of the holy Scriptures, as the old Catholike Fathers did vse to conuince the old stubburne heretikes.

If we be heretikes (saith the Apologie) & they (as they wouldThe wor des of the Apologie. Fol. 14. b vi. pag 1. gladly be called) be Catholikes, why do they not, as they see the Fathers, which were Catholike men, haue done alwayes? Why do they not conuince and maister vs by the di •… e Scriptures? Why do they not call vs againe to be tried by them? Why do they not lay before vs, how we haue gone away from Christ? From the Prophets? From the Apostles? and from the holy Fathers? Why sticke they to do it? Why are they afrayed of it? It is Gods cause, why doubt they to commit it to the triall of Gods word?

To this proude bragge of the Apologie, thus I answere. ToThe answere. the holy scriptures, and to the holy Fathers ye haue appealed: By the holy Scriptures and Fathers your doctrine shalbe tried▪ The Catholikes neuer feared to be tried by the holy Scriptures, but they alwayes feared to abuse them. For we y• know in dede what holy Scripture is, are so carefull how to behaue ourselues reuerently and semely about the same, that we lightly vse not to allege any part thereof to proue any rare and harde matter, vnlesse we shew some auncient Fathers or Councell to haue expounded that peece of Scripture before vs, in suche sorte & sense, as we, by the witnes thereof, desyre to persuade and confirme.

But otherwise, the Catholikes neuer refused the triall of the •… oly Scriptures, as y• which they alwayes both studied & loued. Do not the writings of S. Beruard in manner wholy consist ofS. Bernard. Petrus Lombarbus. Tho. de Aquino. Lyranus Dionysius. Bur gensis. Caietanus. continuall testimonies taken out of holy Scripture? Did not Pet •… •… ombardus lernedly comment the Psalmes, the Epis •… s of S. Paule, and other parcels of Gods word▪ Did not S. Thomas of Aquin write so vpō Iob, Esaias, Ieremias, S. Mathew, S. Iohn, S. Paule, the Canonicall epistles, and the Apocalips, that he vseth to expound one hard place by an other, as nighe as th •… thing will suffer? Did not Nicolaus de Lyra, Dionysius the Carthusian, Paulus Burgensis, Caietanus the Cardinall, with diuerse other expound the whole Bible, or make notes vpon it? wold they haue don so, except they had ben specially delighted with the word of God? More ouer when heresies arose in our dayes, Did not Contarenus, Sadoletus, Polus, •… osius, 〈◊〉 , Gropper, Tapper, Eckius, Pighius, Petrus and Dominicus of Soto, Miranda, Uillegagnon, Ioannes a Louanio, with diuerse other co •… ince those heresies by the holy Scriptures and Fathers? And yet as though we brought nothing at all for defence of the Catholike faith out of the word of God or primitiue Churche, so dothe the penner of this Apologie, more to his discredite then to ours, falsely and vnhonestly reporte. But now to shew the better his falsehood and dishonestie, I thought good for my part to set soorth such holy Scriptures, and suche witnesses of the primitiue Churche, as plainly confirme the Catholike belefe concerning the chefe matter, which at this day is in controuer •… e betwixt vs and them.

The chefe question is about the blessed Sacrament of the altar.The 〈◊〉 question of our age. Our belefe is, that after consecration duely made, the body & blood of Christ is really present vnder the formes of bread and wine. The Apologie teacheth other wise, as now it shall appeare. But whereas there are many questions in this behalfe, as of the reall presence, of transubstantiation, of the sacrifice of the masse, of communion vnder one kind, of receauing alone, of r •… tion of the Sacrament, and of suche other: I will beginne 〈◊〉 with the matter of reall presence, which i •… the grounde of all the rest, not despayring to haue (at other tymes) more leasure to handle also the other questions.

So much therefore as in the Apologie belongeth to the reall presence of Christes body and blood in the Sacrament of the altar, I will faithfully set foorth, and trie the truth of that doctrine by Gods word, and by the holy Fathers. Neither let any man be offended, yf I seme to kepe no good order, in so much as I make no new methode of myne owne, but follow the order of the Apologie, which sodenly and abruptly thus intreth in to y• question.

¶ It is proued by the word of God, that euill men receaueThe secōd Chapiter. the body of Christ in his supper.

WE do expresly pronounce, that in the supper (vntoThe Apo logie. Fol. 24. c. 8. pa. 1. The answere. suche as beleue) there is truly geuen the body and blood of the Lord.

This doctrine being called to y• word of God, & to y• iudgement of holy Fathers for his triall, will appere false & forged. Because the holy scripture teacheth the body and blood ofEuill men 〈◊〉 y• body of Christ. Tit. 1. Ioan. 6. Leo. de passione Domini Sermo. 1 The body of Christ was deliuered to Iudas. Christ to be truly delyuered not only to such as do beleue, but euen to wicked men, who in their workes haue deuied their faith howsoeuer they kepe it, or geue it ouer in hart. Iudas one whole yere before the last supper, was called a de •… ll, for so much as Christ knew that he wold betray and sell him vnto y• Iewes. Which it is not to be thought yt Iudas wold haue don, if he had bene of the true belefe, that Christ was the Sonne of God, & God him self. And yet the body and blood of Christ was truly deliuered vnto him. Who although he had beleued the diuine power of Christ, yet he had not beleued as we now take beleuing, for the fulfilling and perfoorming of all that which belongeth to theBelief is takē •… tune for ye •… hole state of the gospell. Ioan. 3. Galat. 5. state and lawe of the new Testament. According as it is written, Vt omnis qui credit in eum non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam. That euery man which beleueth in him, may not perish but haue euerlasting life. Such a belefe worki •… g by charitie, Iudas had not. And yet he receaued the body and blood of Christ. For albeit some auncient Fathers thought, that Iudas went out before the supper of Christ, yet farre the greater part teache otherwise. AndHilarius in Matt. it is much more agreable to the word of God. How proue I that?

S. Mark writeth that Christ came with the twelue. S. MathewMatt. 26. Marc. 14 sayeth, Christ sate down with the twelue, and whiles they were eating he gaue his body and blood. S. Luke agreeth vpon the very same number, and vpon the same gift. Among ye twelueMatt. 10. Marc. 3. Luc. 6. Ioan. 6. Matt. 26. Iudas is rekoned in S. Mathew, S. Mark, S. Luke, and S. Iohn. And whiles they were at supper (which they besyde the twelue?) Iesus tooke bread and blessed (and gaue thanks) and brake and gaue to them. To which them I pray you, but vnto the twelue that came with him, and sate with him? to y• twelue therefore he gaue and said: Take, eate, this is my body. And taking the chalice, he gaue thanks, and gaue them saying: Drinke ye all of this, for this is my blood of the new Testament, Which is (or shalbe) shed, •… or the remission of synnes. Et biberunt ex illo omnes.Marc. 14 And all drank of it. Which all, if not the twelue?

Iudas therefore being one of the twelue, had the body & bloodIudas drank y• which the other Apostles did. Matt. 26. of Christ deliuered to him. For Christ said: Take, eate, and drinke ye all of this. And as they dranke all, so is there no doubt, but they all did take and eate: therefore Iudas tooke that, which Christ deliuered. But Christ witnessed himselfe to deliuer his owne body, saying, Take, and eate, this is my body: And drink ye all of this, for this is my blood: Therefore the body and blood of Christ was deliuered vnto Iudas. And sith Iudas did not beleue:Iudas did not be leue well. the body and blood of Christ was truely delyuered to some such, as did not beleue.

We nowe call these defenders to be tried by the holy Scriptures. We make it appere y• they haue seuered them selues from Christ, from the Prophetes, from the Apostles, we stagger not, we flee not, it is Gods cause, we doubt not to commit it to Gods word. And that no man maie suspect we take the words of the Apologie to short, that we expound them to hardly, that we seeke aduantage vpon small occasion: I will bring foorth their owne words, which they haue more fully writen in an other place of the same Apologie concerning this matter.

We do affirme with the most auncient Fathers, that the bodyThe 〈◊〉 logie. Fol. 90. m. ij. pagin. 2. of Christ is eaten of none other, but of godly and of faithfull men, and such as are endued with the spirite of Christ. These felowes do teach, that the very body of Christ maie in very dede, and as they terme it really, and substantially, be eaten not only of wicked and vnfaithfull men, but also (it is horrible to speake it) of mise and dogges.

Whether mise and dogges maie in some sense eate the body of 〈◊〉 answ •… re. Victor persecutionis vand. li. 1. cap. 3. Optatus lib. 6. de schisma. Donat. Christ or no, it is not worth while to discusse, for so much as the Catholikes kepe the body of Christ so warely, that neither mouse nor dogge maie come nigh to it. But as y• Arrians threw downe the body and blood of Christ, and trod thereon with their filthie feete, and as the Donatists brake the chalices, which as Optatus saith, caried the blood of Christ: so the Sacramentaries of England haue taken out of the holy pixes, and troden vnder their prophane fecte the blessed body of Christ, they haue sold, broken and abused to filthy ministeries the chalices which haue holden Christes blood. If the wicked men be able to pollute, to tread on, and to defile, (as much as lieth in them) the body of Christ, 〈◊〉 men are worse thē dogs,Heb. 10. The Fathers teach that Iudas did eate ye body of Christ. 1. Cypri. de coena Domini. 2. Hiero. Li. 2. ad uers. Io. 3. Theodorit. in 3. Cor. 11 4. Chrysost. Ho. deprodit 5. Augustinus in Ioà. tractat. 50. 6. Leo in Ser. 1. de passione. 7. Sedul. in Carm. Paschali. 8. Beda in Ioà. 6. 9. Theophil. in Matt. 26. 10. Euthi mius. 64 in Matt. A thinke that to be worse, then if mise and dogges did eate it. Not that the immortall body of Christ can take any harme at all. But yet a terrible damnation is reserued to them, who being able to do it no hurte, shewe not withstanding their vnsatiable malice against the highest mysterie of our redemption, tredding vnder foote the sonne of God, & counting the blood of the new testament prophane and vnholy.

Leauing therefore this question, we returne to the principall matter, cōfessing our selues to teache, yt ye w •… ked men •… ate in dede & really ye body of Christ in our Lords supper. Thus we teach, not only because the greater part of the Fathers haue deliuered so vnto vs, but also because thus we learned of Christ. Who after bread taken hauing blessed, gaue to Iudas one of the twelue bidding him take & eate, saying, This is my body. A worse man then Iudas, I think, is not lightly heard of. Which amōg other things causeth vs to beleue, that be the man neuer so euill, yet if he take and eate after consecration and benediction, he taketh and eateth really and in dede the body of Christ. Which vnworthy receauing of so precious a thing, although it mislike Christ (as all synne doth) yet as he permitteth synne for the goodnes which he worketh by the occasion thereof: so he thought it lesse euill that euil men should eate his body, then that his Sacraments by any our infidelity should be made void, or that the gift of his grace should be vncertaine.

For Christ in the institution of his Sacramēts dependeth not vpon our faith or vertue, but vpon his owne mercy and truth. Wherefore when so euer by a lawfull Priest intending to execute the ministerie commaunded by Christ, it is d •… ely sayd ouer bread and wine, This is my body, and, This is my blood, Christ would it so to be as the wordes declare, and who so euer receaueth that kind of food, receaueth the body of Christ. whether well or •… uill, that dependeth vpon his worthy or vnworthy eating.

If any man eate vnworthely, then will Christ complaine of him, as he cōplained of Iudas. For straight after the deliuery of the blood, he sayd (as S. Luke doth witnesse, and S. Augustine Lucae. 22. S. Augustin. de verb. do. serm. 22. so expoundeth it. hath noted the same to pertaine to the Sacrament) Veruntamen ecce manus tradentis me, mecum est in mensa. But yet see, y• hand of him y• betrayeth me, is with me on the table. As if he had sayd: You see what loue I shewe to you by geuing mine owne body to be eaten, mine owne blood to be drunken in this my last supper, this only greueth me, that a very deuill doth eate & drinke these preciouse giftes together with me and you. Except our new brethren will say Iudas to haue bene a good faithfull man, I see not but they must cōfesse, that euill men may haue the body and blood of Christ deliuered to them.

Which thing S. Paul most euidently confirmeth of all euill1. Cor. 1 •… Christians, saying: Therefore who so euer shall eate this bread, or drinke the chalice of our Lord vnworthely, he shallbe gilty of the body and blood of our Lord. Doth not he that speaketh of vnUnworthy eating presupposeth 〈◊〉 eating. worthy eating, cōfesse a true eating? True, I say, in nature of the thing eaten, but vnworthy cōcerning ye effect of grace ensewing. And yet doe not euill men, who receaue the body of Christ vnworthely, eate really the same body?

It is written in the booke of the Machabees, that King AntiochusMachab. li. 2. ca. 5. hauing slaine foure score thousand, within three dayes, entred also into ye holy Temple. Et scelestis manibus sumens sancta vasa, contrectabat indigne & contaminabat. And taking in his •… andling 〈◊〉 the 〈◊◊〉 handling. wicked hands the holy vessels, he handled or touched them vnworthely and defiled them. I aske whether it doth not folow: Antiochus touched vnworthely the holy vessels, therefore he tou ched the holy vessels? If that argument be good, it is like to say; an euil man doth eate the body of Christ vnworthely, therefore he doth eate y• body of Christ. Or did not Adam and 〈◊〉 eate of the •… uit of the tree, because they did eate the same against the commaundementGene. 3. of God? For these defenders seme to make an vnworthy eating no eating. Whereas if it were no eating, it wereAn vnworthy ea •… ng is an 〈◊〉 . not an vnworthy eating.

Perhaps they wil say, S. Paul writeth not yt synners & wicked men eate ye body of Christ vnworthely, but yt they eate this bread vnworthely. Uerily S. Paul speaketh not of bakers bread in y• place. But hauing shewed yt Christ taking bread after thanks geuen,1. Cor. 11 sayd: This is my body, straight he inferreth that, as often as this bread is eaten, the death of Christ is shewed, & therefore who so eateth this bread vnworthely, he shalbe gilty of the body of our Lord. This bread is one certayn kinde of meate or foode (for soBread is tak •… in holy scripture for all y• which is eaten. bread in the holy scripture doth signifie) which food before was declared to be the body of Christ.

And S. Paul doth so warely describe this kind of bread, that he putteth both an article and a pronoune to it, saying. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . As if it were said in English, who so eateth vnworthelyThe grek article & y• pronoun make plam the words of S. Paule Matt. 26. this certayn kinde of bread: For so the article 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 betokeneth •… certayn bread spoken of before. But then foloweth besides 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which most vehemently restraineth that certayn bread to this kind of bread & food which Christ gaue at his last supper, saying, take and eate, this is my body. So that S. Paul by (bread) meaneth a thing eaten: By (the bread) a certayn knowen thing eaten: By (this bread) one certayn kind of thing eaten, which alitle before was declared to be the body of Christ. Who so euer eatet •… this kind of bread vnworthely, he is gilty of the body of Christ. Why so? Because he eateth the body of Christ vnworthely. oth •… wise by eating he can not be gilty of that body, which he doth not eate. But hereof we shall saye more vpon S. Paule.

Thus now I reason out of the holy gospel. That thing where of Christ sayd to the twelue; take and eate, and drinke, was takenThis, can not be spoken of two things. & eatē & drunken of all y• twelue, yt was one thing only cōceruing y• eating, & one thing only concerning y• drinking, yt is to say, the body of Christ, & y• blood of Christ. For he sayd, This is my body. (This) truly is but one thing, which Peter, Iohn, Iames, & likewise August. in loan. tracta. 50 Peter and Iudas to ke of one bread. Lucae. 22. Iudas did eate. If Iudas did not eate this, he did eate nothing of Christes supper. But Christ cōplaineth at his owne last supper, that his betrayer had his hand on the table with him. He did therefore eate somewhat: And consequētly this one thing, which was only at Christes supper geuen to be eaten. But this (one thing) is my body (sayeth Christ) therefore Iudas did eate Christes body.This, can meane but one thing, which all the •… postles did take a •… ke

If that argument be not plaine ynough, take an other. Iudas and Iohn did eate one thing. Eche of them that foode, whereof Christ sayd, This is my body, But S. Iohn, by the confession of the Apologie did truly eate Christes body, because, I suppose, the Apologie doth take S. Iohn for a faithfull man: Therefore Iudas did truly eate the same body. As truly, as really, did Iudas eate the body of Christ, as S. Iohn, but not so worthely. Or made Christ in his supper two giftes? Did he deliuer one thingChrist made but one gift of his •… ody. to S. Iohn, an other to Iudas? What gospell teacheth that? sayd not Christ, This? Is not This the singular nomber? Is it not one certayn thing? (This) was deliuered to all twelue, and to euery of them. (This) was eaten of all twelue, and of euery of them. Therefore seing (this) was to S. Iohn the body of Christ, (as the Apologie confesseth it was, as also to all others yt do beleue) likewise (this) was to Iudas y• body of Christ, and to all others that receaue at Christes table.If Iudas did not eate ye body, neither any o ther co •… ld eate it.

What Iuglers be these, yt of one certayn thing whereof Christ sayd, This is my body, doo make the true body to Iohn, and not the true body to Iudas? If they say, that (this) doth nor point to the body of Christ, but to Bakers bread: then how doth S. Iohn by eating this, eate the body of Christ? S. Iohn eateth that same thing which Christ deliuereth to Iudas. But you say Christ deliuereth Bakers bread, and none other thing to Iudas: Therefore S. Iohn though he beleue neuer so well, yet by eating (this) he doth not eate any thing besyde Bakers bread, and so he doth not eate the body of Christ.

More then Christ deliuereth him, he can not eate at the supper of our Lord. But Christ geuing (this) deliuereth bread to Iudas, and not his body, as you say. Then how can S. Ihon by eating (this) eate the body of Christ? You will say: S. Ihon may eate it by faith. Yea Syr, but that is not the eating (this) whereof Christ spake. Here againe I presse you with y• word of God.

The eating whereof Christ spake in his supper, was an eatingThe eating in Christes supper was bodily. by body. It was such an eating as agreed with the geuing of Christ, and with the taking of y• Disciples. But Christ gaue with his hands, they toke with their hands, and they did eate by the meane of their tonges, teeth, and mouthes. Therefore the eating and drinking whereof Christ sayd: take and eate & drinke, was an eating and drinking by body, albeit y• end of that banket was to feed also y• soule by that bodily food. The end, I say, intended on Christes part. But you can not out of that outward precept of eating and drinking, deduce an eating and drinking of y• body and blood an other way, that is to wit, by faith and spirit only. If you can, it must nedes folow, that Iudas did eate and drinke the body and blood of Christ by faith and spirit also.

For as it is sayd: Bibite ex hoc omnes, drinke ye all of this: soMat. 26▪ Mar. 14. it is sayd, Biberu •… t ex illo omnes, they all dranke of that. If the precept be fulfilled: such as the precept is, such the fulfilling is. If Christ by saying, drink, did will them to drinke wine in their mouthes, and his blood in spirit only: Then they whom y• gospell •… heweth to haue drunken, did also drinke wine in their mouthes and his blood in spirit. Or will you take in the historie of y• same drink 〈◊〉 all of this and they all drank muste nedes be said of one thing. supper Bibite otherwise, then biberunt? Is not drinke ye, sayd of the same thing, whereof it is sayd, They dranke? Now then either Ihon dranke not truly (according to the precept geuen in the supper) the blood of Christ, or Iudas dranke also the blood of Christ. For (this) whereof Christ sayd: drinke ye all of this, came as wel to Iudas, as to S. Ihon. Christ sayd to all: drinke ye of this, and they all dranke of that.

Lo, that which S. Ihon dranke, also Iudas dranke, concerning, I say, the drinking of the supper. And the drinking of that thing, which is the substance of the Sacrament of the altar, Ihon truly dranke, as ye confesse: Iudas truly dranke, as the Gospell teacheth. Wherefore Iudas drank the same blood, that S. IhonIudas dranke y• samethig, but not to the same merite. 1. Cor. 10 did. Had Iudas then as greate merite by drinking, as S. Ihon? God forbid. But Iudas dranke the same thing, as all ye children of Israel did eate one, and the same Manna, but not to one and the same merite, as S. Paul hath declared. The merite riseth not of drinking, but of worthy drinking. As Manna tasted better toSap. 16. the good Israelites, then to the bad: so S. Ihon dranke worthely, Iudas vnworthely. S. Ihon had by drinking life euerlasting, Augusti. tractat. 50. in Io. Peter toke to life, Iudas to death. Iudas had by drinking damnation. S. Ihon dranke by body & by faith working by charitie. Iudas dranke by body alone, with a maliciouse intent to betraye Christ.

The good faith of S. Ihon was not the thing, whereby he dranke the blood according to the outward precept of Christ in his last supper, but it was the thing whereby and wherewith heFaith was nessa ry not to y• drinking but to the worthy drinking. worthely dranke the blood. Did not then Christ will and command his Disciples to come worthely to his supper? Yeas forsoth, he not only willed them to come worthely, but for his part he offered them grace to come worthely. He not only for his part was redy to •… euse their soules, but in token thereof washed alsoIoan. 13. their bodies: Saying, they were all cleane except one, which was Iuda •… .

The preparing to haue a good faith, to haue a good charitie, to1. Cor. 11 examine him selfe, goeth before the supper: eating by faith andEating bi fayth is a 〈◊〉 to worthy 〈◊〉 of y• sacramt̄. spirit is a thing required to come worthely to the supper. But when we once come thither, we all eate one thing, one meate, one foode, one body, whether we come worthely or vnworthely, euen as all that are sprinkled with water in the name of the Trinitie, are baptized in one, and the same Sacrament of baptim, whetherIt is one bap •… e to good & euill. they be good men as Cornelius was, or •… uill men as Simon Magus was.

For Simon Magus was baptized of Philip y• deacon. But as it may appere by yt is tolde in the scriptures, and gathered by the Acto. 2. Simon Magus was bapti •… ed as wel as Cornelius, but not so meritoriously Ephes. 4. Breke and Latine Fathers, he came not worthely to that Sacrament, but faynedly, as one that hoped to make gain of his faith. And yet he had that baptisme, which (as S. Paul sayeth) is but one. But he had not the vertue of that one baptisme, which is the remission of synnes.

I trust by this tyme the defenders nede not boast of their doctrine, neither vpbraid vs of ours, because they teach, that onlyTit. 3. Acto. 2▪ good men haue y• body of Christ deliuered to them. And we teach that euill men also eate really the true body of Christ. We haue, I suppose, declared the word of God to stand in our side. and seing their doctrine must be tried by the word of God, I tell them it is tried and sound to be false and forged, except they can proue Iudas to haue bene an honest man. For surely that he receaued the body of Christ, it is the mind of S. Cyprian, S. Hierom, S. Chryso •… om, S. Augustin, S. Leo, S. Bede, Theodoritus, Sedulius, 〈◊〉 , Euthymius. yea it is so farre the common opinion of all men, that vpon that example this▪ conclusion is grounded, that we can not remoue 〈◊〉 euill man from the commuC. Si Sacerd. de off. Iudi. ordinar. Chryso. hom. 83. in Mat. nion, excepthy order of law we may cōuince him, Quia nec Christus Iudam a communione remouit: Because Christ did not remoue Iudas from communion.

Howbeit we stand not in this doctrine vpon the person of Iudas only, but also vpon the generall doctrine of S. Paule, who teacheth euery euill man to be gilty of the body of Christ, for eating that bread vnworthely.

¶ The auncient Fathers teach, that euill men receaueThe third chapiter. truly the body of Christ.

YEa but (say they) we do affirme with the most auncientThe Apo logie. Fathers, that the body of Christ is eaten of none other, but of Godly and faithfull men.

Seing the holy scriptures are proued to stand on ourThe ans •… e. side, it were great marueile if the auncient Fathers did make for you. They are not wonte to be contrarie to the word of God. But what a miserie is this, what a seducing of the people? The word of God is pretended, the auncient Fathers be named, and not one syllable brought forth out of either both, concerning this question. But as before we brought holy scriptures, so let vs now allege the auncient Fathers.

Origen sayeth: Those who come to the Eucharist without examiningOrigines in Psal. 37. Hom. 2. & cleansing them selues, are lyke to men sicke of an ague, who presuming to eate sanorum cibos the meates of whole men, doe hurte them selues. Whereby we may perceaue, he iudgeth the meate of Christes supper, which is pro •… ded only for whole men, yet to be truly, but not profitab •… y, eaten of them, who are burdened with great synnes.

Basile asketh, what a man shall say of him, qui otiose et inutiliterBasil. de Bapt. 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈◊〉 ca. vlt. edere audet corpus, et bibere sanguinem Domini nostri Iesu Christi? Who dareth in vayne and vnprofitably eate the body and drinke the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ? If a man eate in vaine and to his disprofit, yet he eateth in dede, and as S. Basile sayeth, he eateth the body of Christ.Chrysost. in Ioan. Ho. 45.

Chrysostom writeth thus: If those which spotte the Kinges purple be no lesse punished, then those that cutte it, what wonder is it, if those who take the body of Christ with an vncleane conscience, haue the same punishment which they haue, who pearced him with nailes? Behold as it is one purple still, whether it be spotted or cutt, so is it the same body still, whether it be pearced with nailes (as the Iewes haudled it) or taken with an vnclean conscience, as euill Christians order it.

S. Cyprian in manner of purpose answereth those obiectionsCyprianus de Coena Domini. which might moue any man to doubt, how euill men may & doo receaue so good a thing, as Christes owne body is. The Sacramentes (sayeth he) for their part can not be without their proper vertue. Neither doth Gods maiestie by any meanes absent it self from the mysteries. But albeit the Sacramentes permitte themEuill mē receaue y• Sacramēts but not the holines of them. selues to be taken or touched of vnworthy men, yet those men can not be partakers of the spirit, whose infidelitie or vnworthynes withstandeth such holines.

If, by the mynd of S. Ciprian, the Sacramentes can not lacke their owne proper vertue, come good men or euill to them, one substance is alwayes geuen. but the euill can not receaue ye spirit or grace thereof, because they are vnworthie of such a benefite.

S. Hierome: Opponis mihi Gomor Mannae vnam mensuram: Et nos Christi corpus aequaliter accipimus. Thou laiest vnto me the one measure of Manna called Gomor, and we take the body of Christ equally. One as well taketh it as an other, but as it there foloweth: Pro accipientiū meritis diuersum fit, quod vnum est. According to the merites of them that receaue, that which is one, is made diuerse. The Sacrament is one in it selfe, yet to one it is made y• cause of goodnes when he taketh it worthely, to an other the cause of euill, when he taketh it vnworthely. There also S. Hierome sayeth, that Iudas dranke of the same cuppe, whereof the other Apostles dranke, but yet that he was not of the same merit.

S. Augustine sayeth: Tolerat ipse Dominus Iudam, Diabolū,in Epist. 162. furem, & venditorem suum sinit accipere inter innocentes Discipulos, quod norunt fideles, precium nostrum. Our Lord him selfe beareth with Iudas, he su •… th a deuill, a theefe, and the seller of him selfe to receaue among the innocent Disciples, our price,Iudas did eate our price, which is y• reall body of Christ. which the faithfull knowe. If any thing, besydes yt body of Christ, may be our price, then S. Augustine might meane that euill men receaue an other thing. But if our price be vndoubtedly that body of Christ which by death redemed vs, Iudas receauing our price receaued the very true body and substance of Christ.

In an other place he writeth: Eundem cibū sanctū alios manducareContra Crescor. li. 〈◊〉 . ca. 25 digne, alios indigne. Some eate worthely, some vnworthely the same holy meate. Beholde the meate is the same, Whether the euill receaue it or the good. And because the Apologie (though it name no Father at all) yet it maie haue some pretense of certain wordes which are in S Augustine, it is to be weighed diligētly,Christ hath both a natural, and a mystical body. that Christ hath as well a mystical body, as a true naturall body. The mysticall body of Christ, are his members which are incorporated by grace, & ioyned to him being their head. This incorporation is wrought by the grace of baptisme in one degr •… , and finis •… ed by the Sacrament of the altar in a higher degree, whereof we shall speake hereafter more at large. The naturall body of Christis that, which he tooke of the virgine and gaue to death for vs. Now Christ in his last supper gaue y• substāce of his natural body to be •… aten of his disciples, to th' intent they should be made one mysticall body, euen by eating his flesh & blood.

Seing then the naturall body of Christ is geuen to th •… end we maie be nerer knitte in the mysticall body, (according as S. Paul sayeth, The bread which we breake is the communicating of our1. Cor, 10 Lords body, because we being many, are one bread, one body, all that partake of one bread: Seing I say, we communicate the natural body, to be made a mystical body in a greater vnitie then we had in baptisme, any man of discretion may perceaue, that in somEuil men receaue not ye vniō which is in ye mystical body. August. •… Ioan. tra ctat. 26. sense euill men receaue not the thing or the effect of the body of Christ, vnderstanding by the effect of body, the vnitie of the mysti call body, the obteining whereof is the end of the eating. Which vnitie S. Augustine somtime calleth Rem ipsam: The thing it selfe, that is to say, the last effect and benefite which ariseth to vs by worthy eating of the Sacrament of the altar.

After which sort S. Augustin saieth, euill men are not to be saidAugust. de ciuita te Dei. li. 21. c. 25 to eate the body of Christ, adding therevnto this reason, Quoniā nec in membris computandi sunt Christi: Because they are not to be rekoned among the membres of Christ. So that euil men eate the substance of the naturall body, but not the thing for which yt substance was geuen, which is the vnite of the body mysticall, because they eate not worthely. Whereas worthy eating only maketh them to obteyne the vnitie of the mysticall body, which is to abide in Christ, and to haue Christ abiding in them. ThereforeIoan. 6. S. Augustine him selfe sayeth, Non quocun que modo quisquàmDe verb. Domini. Serm. 22. manducauerit carnem Christi, & biberit sanguinem Christi, manet in Christo, & in illo Christus, sed certo quodam modo. Not how so euer a man eateth the flesh of Christ, and drinketh ye blood of Christ, he abideth in Christ, and Christ in him, but by a certain kind of way. As though S. Augustine sayd: Euery waye ye flesh and blood of Christ is receaued in the supper of our Lord, But not euery way it is so receaued, that we maye dwell in Christ, and Christ in vs.

S. Bregorse saith by euell men: Salutis fructū non percipiuntGrego. in prim. reg. li. 2. Cap. 1. in comestione salutaris hostiae. They receaue not y• fruit of saluation in y• eating of y• healthful sacrifice. They eate y• healthfull sacrifice, which surely is nothing els but ye naturall body of Christ, but the fruit they receaue not, as many men take an healthfull medicine, but because their bodies be euil affected, it proueth not healthfull to them.Beda in Lucae. ca. 22.

S. Bede, cōpareth him to Iudas, who with his sinfull members presumeth to violate, Illud inestimabile & inuiolabile Domini corpus, That inestimable and inuiolable body of our Lord. And how could he violate it with his members, if with no partArnobius. 1. Cor. 11 of his body he touched it? I omit Arnobius vpon yt Psalm. 74. S. Ambrose, Theodorite, Decumenius, Haimo, Theophilact, Anselme vpon S. Paule, who agree with the rest of the FathersEuery Sacramēt hath a substāce and an •… ffect. Euil men receaue ye substance of Christs body, but; •… not y• effect. What com parisons y• Fathers vse in shewing, y• good & euil 〈◊〉 re ceaue one 〈◊〉 in ye Sacraments. that there is in euery mysterie the substance of the Sacramēt and the effect thereof. As well the euill as the good receaue the substance, which (in our Lords supper) is the body and blood of Christ. But only ye good receaue th'effect, Which is ye grace of spirituall nourishment to life euerlasting, and ye vnion with Christ.

Now as we haue shewed by the holy Scriptures, euen so haue we proued out of ye holy Fathers, that euell men rec •… aue the body and blood of Christ as really, as the purple is one still whether it be spotted or cutt: as really, as one meate is eaten of some to their hurte, of others to their helth: as really, as good and euill Iewes had all one measure of Manna, but not all one swetenes in ye •… ast thereof: as really as Iudas did kisse trayterously the same body of Christ which him self (as all euill men) trayterously receaued at Christes supper. If nowe the Apologie hath neither Scriptures nor Fathers, it maie leaue those boasting vpbraidinges, as though the Catholikes fled ye tria •… of b •… th Scriptures and Fathers. It is Gods cause, we haue committed it to Gods word. The Fathers when they agree in anie one article, are knowen to haue y• spirite of Christ, and they beare witnesse that we haue rightly expoūded the holy scriptures. He that listeth to see more of the same argument, 〈◊〉 read that which I haue writen vpon yt saying of S. Paule: He that eateth this bread vnworthely, shalbe gilty of the body and blood of our Lord.

¶ What is the true deliuerance of Christes bodyThe fourth Chapiter. and blood.

IN the supper there is truly deliuered ye body and blood of theThe Apo logie. Fol. 24. Lord, the flesh of the sōne of God quickening our soules, The food of immortalitie, grace, truth, life.

In these words no euil doctrine is conteined, but all soundThe answere. and Catholike. In so much a man wold wōder, to what purpose these things are now brought, being extreme contrary to y• which the Caluinists defend, saing, they wold seme to speake as the holy scriptures and primitiue Churche hath spoken. Seing therefore these words conteine true doctrine, I wil reason briefly out of them, against their opinion that wrote them. You say, The body and blood of the Lord is truly deliuered in the su •… per. If it be so, it is truly present. And seing none other thing can be warrautedThe Apo logie by his own confession defendeth the reall presence. to haue bene deliuered in the supper, besyde that which Christ gaue with his own hands, which semed bread, whereof he sayd: This is my body, and besyde that which semed wine, where of he sayd: This is my blood, by the doctrine of the Apologie it will folow, that Chris •… es body was deliuered truly vnder that, which semed bread, and his blood was deliuered truly vnder that which semed wine.

Or tell me: Can 〈◊〉 any man proue out of the word of God, that any other thing was deliuered in the supper of Christ, besyde two kinds, the one being bread, vntill Christ had sayd: This is my body, The other being the cup of wine, vntill Christ had sayd: This is my blood? Is there mention made of any other thing truly exhibited, offered, or deliuered to the Apostles? Or doth the supper of Christ consist of fower kinds? of bread & body, of wine and blood? In what gospell reade we of bread and wine deliuered? Bread and wine were takē, but body and blood wereMatt. 26. only deliuered. For Christ sayd: Take, this is my body. Drinke, this is my blood. This, can be but one thing. Therefore Christ deliuering that, whereof he sayd: This and this, deliuered at eche tyme but one thing, in all but two things. He deliuered his body & blood as him self sayd, and you cōfes •… e he truly deliuered them, wherevpon I conclude, that he deliuered neither bread nor wine, and consequently that the bread taken was changed in to ye body of Christ, and the wine was changed into his blood.

For seing Christ toke both bread and wine, and deliuered truly his body and blood, & yet deliuered but one thing at eche tyme, and that also keping the forme of bread and wine, it must nedes be graunted, that the substance of bread and wine which was truly taken, and not truly deliuered (because an other thing was truly deliuered) was in the meane tyme truly changed into that body and blood, which was truly deliuered. O masters, truth is strong, and by the aduersaries own weapon getteth the victorie.

Again, remember that the name of body and the name of bloodA work belonging 〈◊〉 ye 〈◊〉 of Christ must haue a truth ac cording to the manhod. The 〈◊〉 heresic. are names belonging to the manhod of Christ, to which manhod when you adioyne any act or work which may truly be verisied thereof, it must be meant according to that truth, which properly belongeth to the nature of the manhod. When we say, Christ was truly scurged, nailed to the Crosse, bound, and buried, it is not here to be vnderstanded, that these things were don in figure, in spirit, in faith: But that his body suffered, according to the f •… esh, all these things. And he that saith the contrarie is an 〈◊〉 which heresie wold the manhod of Christ to be changed into his diuine nature.

If then the body and blood of Christ be truly d •… red, you must not vuderstand a figure only to be d •… red, neither a spiritual d •… only. For if the body of Christ be deliuered truly, and yet by spirit only: then the truth of his body is by these men brought vnto the truth of a spirit, and the flesh of Christ hath losi his true nature and prop •… .

Mark wel the reason: when the body of Christ is truly deliuered, it is deliuered according to the truth of his own nature. The nature of a body is to be d •… d after some bodily maner, verily by hands, or by some other corporail action. And they toThe deli •… of a corporall t •… ing must haue some •… t of the body. whom it is del •… red, likewise receaue it by some part or sense of their body. For so requireth the true nature of flesh and blood, not immediatly to be geuen to the spirit and soule, but to come to it by meane of the body. Whereof it is inferred, that the body and blood of Christ, which are truly deliuered in the supper, are bodily deliuered and bodily receaued. But from the body of Christ who made the d •… ance vnto the bodies of the Apo •… es, who receaued the things deliuered, none other thing can •… syde that which semed bread and wine: therefore vnder that foormes the body and blood of Christ were truly cont •… ined, and by y• meanes truly deliuered, and truly receaued.

Thirdly when you say, the •… sh of God quickeneth our soules, you should haue sayd also, that it quickeneth our bodies, as in other places I haue proued out of the sixth of S. 〈◊〉 , an •… out of S. Jreneus, •… tullian, Cyrillus, and other auncient Fathers.

¶ what it is which nourisheth vs in the supper ofThe fifth Chapiter. Christ▪

ANd that the same supper is the co •… ion of the bodyThe 〈◊◊〉 . Fol. 24. and blood of Christ, by the partaking whereof we are q •… ned, we are 〈◊〉 and sed 〈◊◊〉 .

That which 〈◊〉 and •… th can not be 〈◊〉 fromThe •… swere. them whom it nourisheth, and when it is cut of their reache, they can not haue it before it be geuen. If then we haue in 〈◊〉 y• body 〈◊〉 is by 〈◊〉 r •… y pre •… . and blood of Christ, we receaued it by his gift at his supper. And surely it was the thing whereof he sayd: Eate, and whereof he sayd, Drinke. Other food was not deliuered in Christes supper, be •… his body and blood: Nor possiblie can we haue the food of his supper at any other mans table, then at his.

Wel. If we be nourished by the meate which Christ gaue vsChrist gaue with 〈◊〉 h •… s y• which nour •… sheth. when he sayd: Eate, and yet we be nourished by his body and blood: vndoubtedly he sayd: Eate, of that which he gaue with his hands, and which the Apostles toke into their mouthes, and that was bread to see vnto, therefore vnder that •… orme of bread we take the nourishment whereby we are sed to immortalitie. Otherwise, what warrant haue we to come by this food, which is cleane out of our reache, vntil God geue it saying, Eate, this is my body: Drinke, this is my blood? By those words o •… •… ate & one liquour only is geuen, which also •… deth vs to immortalitie, as y• Apologie co •… h. But none other food that man may receaue bodily, can feed vs to immortalitie, besyde the reall substance of Christ. therefore that substance is receaued, & nourisheth vs when Christ sayd: Eate, this is my body: Drinke, this is my blood.

¶ The vnion, which is made by eating ChristesThe sixth 〈◊〉 . reall flesh, must n •… s be a naturall vnion, •… ore it be a mysticall.

ANd by the which we are coupled, we are vnited, and graftedThe Apo 〈◊〉 . into the body of Christ, that we might •… well in hin •… , and he in vs.

Christes •… sh is deliuered to the end we should be nourished therewith. And the end of nourishing is to make one thing of y• The aun •… . which is eaten, and of him that eateth it. The flesh deliuered to nourishe vs, is not any mysticall flesh, but only the natural flesh of Christ, neither can it be any other food. For none other thing that co •… th in at the mouth of man, is able to seed him to immortalitie, besyde the substance of Christes flesh and blood.

If then it be the naturall flesh which feedeth, and the vnion doe come by seeding: the vnion must of neces •… ty be made with the naturall flesh of Christ. And because that is such a flesh, asIoan. 1. being vnited to God, hath power to geue life and •… mortality: out of the naturall vnion which is made with it by eating, an other spiritual and mystical vnion floweth, which maketh all the members of Christ to be one mysticall body.

So that we haue now fi •… e degrees. First, the slesh of Christ isThe de •… s o •… re •… ing Christ in 〈◊◊〉 supper. deliuered to vs in his supper. Next, we eate the same flesh. Thirdly, we are fed by it, if we eate it worthely. Fourthly, of y• feeding conuneth a reall and naturall vnion and ioyning with Christes flesh, as S. Hilarie teacheth, and other auncient Fathers. Of that naturall vnion procedeth a spirituall vnion withHilarius de trinit. li. 8. the whole body of the Church. Because being made one with Christes flesh, we are vnited thereby to his spirit and Godhead, liuing for him, as he •… th for his Father: whereof I will speakeIoan. 6 more hereafter.

The Apologie acknowledgeth a ioyning with Christ by eating. But it surely meaneth the last spirituall ioyning, which ariseth of the other naturall vnion. Whereas that spiritual ioyning doth •… ude the other natural, as euery effect presupposeth the necessarie cause thereof. We are coupled to Christ by eating that flesh of his, which he deliuereth to vs. But Christ deliuereth it not only spiritually, but also with his hands, saying: Take, eate, this isMath 26 my body. As therefore y• deliuery is real and not only spirituall, so is the eating reall, and the coupling reall. I haue proued this thing in other places folowing. Here it is 〈◊〉 to say this much against the bare words of the Apologie.

¶ That the Apologie speaking of the Lords supper,The seuē th chapter goeth cleane from the word of God.

VVE do acknowledge the Eucharist or the Lordes supperThe Apo log •… . to be a Sacrament, y• is to say, an 〈◊◊〉 of the body and blood of Christ.

Besides the former va •… t of the word of God already broughtThe aunswere. foorth to the reproche of the Catholikes, also the Apologie a •… tle before these words witnessed, that y• auctours & ab •… tours thereof gaue thanks to God for the light of the Gospel raysed to them,The •… or des of the Aplogie. which they might allwayes haue before theyr eyes, as a moste certayne rule, to which all doctrine of y• Church ought to be called for his triall. And within lesse than 〈◊〉 lines after, the same Apologie cometh to denie our Lords supper, calling it a Sacrament, that is to say, an 〈◊〉 token of the body and blood of Christ.The scrip 〈◊〉 call not y• supper of 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 . Ioan. 6. The na •… of 〈◊◊◊◊◊〉

What m •… ers? Hau •… you in the holy Scriptures, that the supper of our Lord is a Sacrament or a signe of y• body and blood of Christ? From the beginning of 〈◊〉 to the later ende of tho •… ocalips, you finde •… t our Lordes supper so called. Christ in S. 〈◊〉 calleth it y• m •… e which 〈◊◊〉 not, but 〈◊〉 into l •… e 〈◊〉 . He saieth, y• bread which he will 〈◊〉 , 〈◊◊〉 which he will 〈◊〉 •… or y• •… se of y• world. He 〈◊〉 it the 〈◊〉 and the blood of the sonne of man, meate in dede, and drinke in dede, his flesh and his blood, the eating of him, the bread which who so eateth shall liue for euer. In S. Mathew, and in S. Marke,Matt 26. Marc. 14 Lucae. 22. 1. Cor, 10 his body and his blood of the new testament. In S. Luke, his body whiche is geuen for vs, and the chalice which is the newe testament in his blood, which is shed for vs. In S. Paul, ye bread which we breake is the communicating of our Lords body, the chalice of blessing which we blesse, which is the cōmunicating (or partaking) of Christes blood; the one bread, y• table of our Lord, and the chalice of our Lord, the body which is broken for vs, the chalice which is the new Testament of his blood, the eating of1. Cor. 11 this bread, and drinking of this chalice.

So many names are geuen in so many places of holy scripture to this blessed Sacrament, and it being no where called a signe or token, yet the Apologie which thanketh God for y• holy scriptures, a •… d will trie all doctrine by them, in the chief question ofThe Apo logie goeth quite from the scriptures our age, goeth quite from all holy scriptures and sayeth, the Eucharist or the Lordes supper is an euident token of the body and blood of Christ.

What is the matter that in wordes you make so much of holy scripture, and in dede so litle? What Apostle, what Euangelist, what Prophete, or Patriarke taught our Lordes supper to be a signe or token?

S. Paul threateneth damnation to him, who vnworthely eateth1. Cor. 11. it, and he calleth vnworthy eating, not only the contempte thereof or lacke of faith, but euen the omitting to proue or examineWhat vnworthy ea ting to in S. Paule him selfe, before he eate our Lords body. And that because he maketh no difference betwixt it and common meates. And come you with a new doctrine, affirming yt we receaue not our Lords body into our bodies, but an euident signe and token thereof?

you 〈◊〉 no authoritie, no rule, no triall of matters belonging to faith, but only the holy Scriptures. and immediatly ye breakeThe Apo logie break •… th 〈◊〉 own rule. your owne rule, in so much as the holy scriptures call the supper of our Lord, his body and blood, and you teach it to be an euident token of his body and blood. If you kepe not your owne rule, whom can you binde to kepe the •… aine?

Ye will aske me perhaps, whether the Lordes supper be not a Sacrament? if a Sacrament, then also a signe and token. I aunswere, ye that prescribe rules of beleuing to the world, ye that wil haue all thinges iudged and proued by yt touchestone of Gods worde, ye that for pretense of folowing the gospell, haue stirred vp so greate strife through all Christendome, must not talke with vs with if, with and, with conditions and peraduentures. But ye must bring forth the word of God for that ye say.

Although the supper of our Lord were neuer so much a Sacrament,The s •… pper of our Lorde to •… res is no •… acramet. surely to you it were none, because ye cannot proue out of the word of God, where it is so named.

To vs it is both a Sacrament and a sacrifice. A Sacrament, because we are so taught by tradiction from the Apostles: A sacrifice because Malachie the prophet in ye person of God expressely saieth In omni loco sacrificatur & offertur nomini meo oblatio munda▪ Malac. 1. quia magnum est nomen meum in gētibus. In euery place a cleane oblation is sacrificed and offered to mie name, because my name isThe supper of Christ is a •… acrifice. greate amonge the gentils. There is absolutely no pure and cleane oblation besides the sacrifice of Christes body and blood, whiche was offered to death not in euery place, but without the gate of Hierusalem alone, and the same is at this daie vnbloodily offeredHeb. 13. in the masse in euerie place, where so euer among the gentils the name of God is 〈◊〉 called vpon.

Thus both we and you maie proue the •… upper of our Lord to be a sacrifice, but that it is a 〈◊〉 ▪ we can proue, because our forefathers delyuered such a doctrine to vs: You can notIt is a tradition vnwriten that our Lords su •… per is a Sacrament. The Apo logie. Fol. 24. •… a. 8. pa. 1 proue the same, seing you will not be bound to folow vnwritten traditions.

If you flee to the Church for naming it a Sacramēt, the church hathe seuen Sacramentes. But ye in this present Apologie acknowledge only two, properly to be rekoned vnder y• name. for so many (saie you) do we find deliuered and sanctified by Christ, and allowed of the olde fathers Ambrose and Augustine. Concerning the deliuery of Sacraments by Christ, ye might haue found in the word of God Confirmatiō. Actor. 8. Penance, Ioā. 20. Extreme vnction, Iacob. 5. Priesthod. Luk. 22. Matrimonie, Eph. 5. And not only Baptim and the Eucharist. But what kind of talk is this, to say, that S. Ambrose and S. Augustine allow yt workes of Christ? was not the deliuery and consecration of Christ of suffic •… ent autoritie, except Ambrose and Augustine had approued it? I tho •… ght Ambrose and Augustine should haue bene allowed by the scripture, and not the scripture by them.

I stand with you vpon the autoritie of the word of God. proueNor baptim nor y• supper is called a sacrament in y• scriptures. me thence, that these two are Sacramentes alone, yea proue, that thei are so named at all. what gospell calleth baptisme a Sacrament? What holy write nameth the supper of our Lord a Sacrament? dare you geue these things a name, which is not in the word of God? What warrāt haue you for that dede? you will say, Ambrose and Augustine calle them so. I replie, Peter and Paul doe not call them so. At other times and with other men, I will stay vpon the authoritie of Ambrose and Augustine', whom as I ought to do, I reuerence for men of excellent vertue and learning. But yet they were men (as you are wont to saie) they might erre, they might be deceaued.

At this time we haue appealed chiefly to y• holy scriptures, and out of them we must ground all our talke, and next vnto them, we will heare what the Fathers saye.

I saie, that neither the old testament, nor the new calleth the supper of our lord, a Sacrament. Therefore the Apologie that so calleth it, goeth from the assurance of the word of God, to the good and •… audable inuentions and traditions of mē, which them seiues 〈◊〉 , when they lilte.

And yet the said Apologie so calleth it a Sacrament, that vponThe wor de Sacramēt is y• ground o •… 〈◊〉 y• •… ro testars •… o 〈◊〉 in our Lordes supper. that only word the auctors thereof grounde all their doctrine. Thence it hath to be a signe, to be a token, to be a badge, a seale, a paterne, a counterpa •… e. Thence all the figuratiue doctrine ryseth. Thence it commeth, that the reall body and blood of Christ is denied to be vnder the formes of bread and wine.

Shall now so much as Christ hath plainely spoken of his body and blood, so much as his Apostles and disciples haue preached and writen in that behalfe, shall now all this be ouerthrowenThe Apo logie fleeth from y• writen wor •… to ye 〈◊◊〉 . by an vnwritten veritie? Are these the men o •… God who f •… ee from S. Mathew, S. Marke, S. Luke, S. Iohn, S. Paul, to Augustine and Ambrose? Will the Apologie allowe that dede? If it will not, why hath it done so it selfe?

If none but prophetes and Apostles had written, where had they found two Sacramentes? where had they readen, that the supper of our Lord is a signe and token? They make much a doe about the word of God, till they haue gotten credit among the ignorant, and then they quite lead thē from all the word of God. To you I speake, good Christen readers, yt haue the true loue of the word of God 〈◊〉 in your hartes, to you I speake. geue not ouer S. Ma •… hew, S. Iohn, S. Paul, for Ambro •… e and Augus •… ine. 〈◊〉 not ouer Christ, who is God and man, to haue the opinion of what s •… euer •… ottor and Father in causes of belefe. Some men in comparison of others be of greate authoritie. But in comparison o •… God, all men be nothing at all.

God saieth, this is my body. Now what so euer man or angellNo man is to be heard who saieth: This is not the body of Christ. Gal. 5. Ephe 5. from heauen tell you, this is not the body of Christ but only a figure of it, beleue him not, but let him be •… cursed to you. Shal we not be well occupied, if we leaue y• plain worde of God and come to see whether Ambrose and Augustine teach two Sacramentes, or mo then twaine? S. Paul teacheth Matrimonie to be a Sacrament. And yet shall we goe from him to Ambrose and Augustine, to see whether it be one or no?

Was euer such a vile practise heard of, as to brag of scriptures, to boast of holy write, to crie vpon vs for comyng to the worde of God, and nowe that we are come thither, to call vs from all Prophetes and Apostles, yea frō Christ him selfe, to Ambrose andThe Apo logi •… brin g •… th v •… from y• holy Scripture to the Fathers. Augustine? Is this the waie to the holy scriptures? Can this fault be excused? Can this hypocrisie be tolerated?

To winne to you the itching eares of the inconstant multitude, to get you ye applause of licencious libertines in y• pulpit, you call to y• word of God, and when you haue gotten them within your nettes, you teach them out of Ambrose and Augustine. Yea, would God ye did so at the least. And although it be alitle out of mie way, (if to detect falshod can euer be out of a mans way) yet what if now we proue that ye deceaue them also, by fathering that vpon Ambrose and Augustine, which they neuer wrote 〈◊〉 thought?

¶ That S. Ambrose and S. Augustine taught moeThe eigth chapiter. then two Sacraments.

DOe they teache but two Sacramentes only? What if they taught two especially, yet if they do not deny the other, your proof is none. But let vs see. Doe they approue no more then twaine? What if besydes these twaine which you haue named, I bring within the compasse of one chapiter. two moe out of S. Augustin as plainly named of him, as possibly can be? Where then will this Apologie re •… t?

Bonum igitur nuptiarum per omnes gentes at que omnes hominesAug. d •… bono cō iugal. ca. 24. in causa generandi est, & in fide castitatis. quòd autem ad populum Dei pertinet, etiam in sancti tate Sacramenti, & caet. The good (sayeth S. Augustine) which riseth of mariage through all nations, and all men, consisteth in y• cause of begetting (children) and in the faith of chastitie. And in so much as appertaineth to y• Mariage among Christiās is a Sacrament. people of God, it consisteth also in the holynes of the Sacramēt, through which it is vnlawfull (yea though diuorse come betwen) to marie an other, whiles her husband liueth, not so much as for the very cause of bringing foorth of children, which though alone it be the cause why mariages are made, yet the band of mariage is not loosed (vnlesse the husband die) albeit y• thing folow not, for which the mariage is made. Much like, as if to bring the peoplePriesth •… is a Sacrament. together, some of the clergie should be ordered (or consecrated with holy orders) for although the meeting of the people do not insewe, yet Sacramentum ordinationis, the Sacrament of geuing orders abideth, in them that be ordered. And if for any faultThe substance of y• Sacrament tarieth in an e •… ill priest remoued from his office. any man be remoued from the office, he shall not lacke the Sacrament of our Lord, which is once put vpon him, although it remaine to his damnation.

In these words S. Augustine hath shewed, that amōg Christian men there are two other Sacramentes, of Priesthod & of Matrimonie, besides baptisme and the Eucharist. And eche of them so greate and so strong, that they can not be loosed and taken awaie but only by death of the partie, although the chief cause •… asse why the Sacrament was geuen.

I could bring if nede were an other notable place out of S.Augu. eō tra Don. li. 5. c. 20 Ambros. lib. 1. de Paenit. cap. 7. Augustine, where he nameth together, the water of baptim, oile, the Eucharist, and the imposition of hands.

S. Ambrose like wise confesseth moe Sacraments then Baptim and the Eucharist: Cur baptizatis, si per hominem peccata dimitti non licet? In baptismo vti que remissio peccatorum omniū est. Quid interest vtrum per paenitentiam, an per lauacrum hoc ius sibi datum sacerdotes vendicent? Vnum in vtro que mysterium est. Sed dices, quia in lauacro operatur mysteriorum gratia. Quid in paenitentia? Nonne Dei nomen operatur? Why art thou baptized if it be not lawfull synnes to be forgeuen by man? Truly in Baptim there is forgeuenesse of all synnes. What skilleth it whether Priests challenge this right (of forgeuing synnes) to be geuen them by penance, or by baptim? The mysterie or Sacrament is one in both. But thou wilt say: that in Baptim the grace o •… y• mysteries worketh. What in Penance? doth not the name of God work? Here is the same vertue and name of a mysterie or Sacra ment geuen to Penance, which is geuē to Baptim. Whereby S. Ambrose taught as wel that there was a Sacramēt of Penance, as the Apologie graunteth one of Baptim.

But to stand about the proof of all the seuen Sacraments itSeuē Sa cram •… ts were pro •… 〈◊〉 y• Greeks & Latins in y• Coūcell of F •… orēce nedeth not, sith in that most notable generall Councell gathered both of Grekes and Latines at Florence, all the seuen Sacramentes were according to the word of God confessed, proued, declared and expounded, as in the ende thereof it may appere. But neither S. Ambrose, nor S. Augustine had the charge committed to them, to rekon vp how many Sacraments there are.

I brought these few places out of S. Augustine, and S. Ambrose to shewe as it were to the eyes of all them that will not wilfully blind them selues, how these defenders crie out vpon the word of God, vntill they haue with swete words wonne •… anourHeretikes e •… eme nei ther scriptures nor Fathe •… s. amōg the miserable nomber •… f those vnstable me •… , that allwayes harken for newes. But when they haue them fast, then is the word of God cleane forgotten, and in siede of it, Ambrose and Augusti •… e are captiously and falsely alleged. For the truth is, they that set nought by the word of God, can not long es •… me Ambrose and Augustine, who with all their hartes embraced the word of God, and expounded the same according to the auncient tradition of holy Church.

To what end then doth this Apologie runne? Truly to setteThe Apo logie pretendeth scriptures til it may set vp an idol of his own. vp an Idoll of their owne making, in place of the word of God. To set vp, I say, a fantasticall religion of their owne deuising. But if they should crie to the people: Come, come, bowe down to the Idoll that we haue deuised for you: the people would not come, as being feared with y• infamouse name of an Idoll. Therefore they say, come to the word of God, come to the holy Scriptures, come to the true gospell of Iesus Christ. well Syr, you say herein exceding well, we are come. Teach vs the word of God, the Scriptures, the gospell. Say on a Gods name.

¶ That the supper of our Lord is the chief SacramentThe nynthe chapiter. of all, but not acknowledged of the Apologie, according to the word of God.

WE saye, that Eucharistia, the supper of the Lord, is aThe Apo logie. Sacrament, that is to wit, an euident token of ye body and blood of Christ.

It is most true, that the supper of our Lord is a Sacrament,The aunswere. The supper of our Lord is a sacrament Dion. de Ec. Hier. cap. 3. Maxim. in schol. Graecis. yea it is the chief Sacrament of all Sacraments. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Est enim, secundū clarissimi praeceptoris nostri sententiam, Sacramentorū Sacramentum. The most holy Eucharist (which Dyonisius named so a litle before) according to the mind of our renowmed maister, is the Sacrament of Sacramentes.

Although Dionysius had S. Paul to his master, yet he meaneth at this tyme (as vpon him Maximus hath noted, & by other places of his worke it may well appere to be true) Hierotheus an holy Father and Disciple of Christ, who in his talke whiche he was wonte to haue with Dyonisius, did vse to call the holy E •… charist of all the Sacramentes the chief Sacrament. Surely i •… there had bene but two Sacramentes, both Hierotheus & Dyonisius •… sius acknowledgeth moe Sacramēts then twaine. had abused their words. For where two things only are of one degree, there one may be worthier then the other, but neither of the twaiue may iustly be called the chief of the others.

If in all there be only two Sacramentes, baptisme & the Eucharist, how is the Eucharist the Sacrament of Sacramentes? sith when one is taken away, there doth remaine but one moe, to which relation may be made. The opinion therefore of this Apologie standing, the Eucharist may be y• more chief Sacrament of t •… e twaine, but not the Sacrament of moe Sacramentes.

But what nede we stand herevpon, seing Dionysius hath atCa. 4. 5. 6. de Ecclesiast. Hierar •… hia. large prosecuted moe Sacramentes then baptisme and the Eucharist, as it is easye to see in his workes?

Seing then the supper of our Lord is a Sacrament, and yet not found so to be named in holy Scripture, the Apologie is constrained to beleue it selfe, and to teach others somewhat which isThe Apo logie is cō strained to beleue many veri ties vnwriten. not readen in holy Scripture.

Againe that euery Sacrament is a signe and token, it is also true, but not readen in holy Scripture.

Thirdly the Sacrament of ye altar is an euident token of y• body and blood of Christ. But so much is not expressed in holy Scripture.

Last of all, the supper of our Lord is the reall body & blood ofIoan. 6. Matt. 26. Mark. 14 Luk. 22. 1. Cor. 10. &. 11. Christ him selfe. And that truth is very plainly, very ofte, very earnestly sayd, taught, repeted in holy Scripture.

Foure thinges are now verified of the supper of our Lord. It is a Sacrament, it is consequently a holy signe. It is an euident token of the body and blood of Christ. It is the truth and substance of the body and blood of Christ. Of the foure truthes, the last only is expressed in holy scriptures because it is the ground of all the other. The three first are taught by the Church not cōtrary to the scripture, but ouer and besides it. Now mark well whether these defenders lead vs to the word of God or no.

In describing the supper of our Lord, they put the three first verities, of which neuer a one is named in the scripture. And the last veritie which is expresly named in all the foure Euangelistes and in S. Paul (as before I haue declared) that they vtterlyThe apologie skippeth the writen ve •… . 〈◊〉 a •… d leaue out: As if they shuld saie, we make much a •… to pretend y• holy scriptures, but we will be sure to bring any thi •… g soner then the holy scriptures.

Marke this Apologie who shal, he neuer lightly saw any book writen in so many matters of diuinitie, wherein so litle scriptureThe Apo logie is full o •… gloses but not of scriptures. hath bene alleged. It is full of gloses, but the texte it hath very seldome. And why? They loue not in dede the scriptures, they know not the scriptures according to the mind of the holy Ghost, but only make a shew of them to entangle the sunple in their snares.

The supper of our Lord is a sacrament, a holy signe, an euident token of the body and blood of Christ. hitherto they teache without Math. 26 Heretikes loue not the gospel. scriptures. It is the body and blood it selfe of Iesus Christ. Hereof speake they at this time neuer a word, because it is in the Gospell which they loue not.

If this last truth can not stand with the first, what doubt is there, but the worde of God must ouercome, and the doctrine of men g •… ue place? If therefore the supper of our Lord ma •… e both be the signe of the body, and the body it selfe, it is well, we are throughly agreed, for all sc •… iptures call it the body, and some doctours call it a signe, But if these thinges can not both be true together, awase with signes, awaie with tokens, let the worde ofMatt. 26. God be heard, which saieth: This is m •… body, This is my blood.

Is it reason we obeie men, or God? If both stand in one degree,Actor. 5. men keping them selues vnder God, let both be obeyed. But if men draw from God, he is more worth alone, then all the men of the world.

What 〈◊〉 we now? Will the sig •… e of the body and the body it sel •… e stand together or no? If not, let the signe of the body (which is not in scripture) geue place, let the body it selfe which is often times found there, tarie still.

If the signe and the truth can not stand together, the Sacramentaries must nedes be condemned, who denie the truth which is in the scripture, and preferre the signe before it, which is not in the scripture.

If the signe & truth doe both stand together, y• SacramentariesEuery way the Sacramē 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 . (onlesse they repent) be condemned, because they denie the one part of y• twaine. For they denie the true presence of Christs body and blood vnder the formes of bread and wine.

In what case stand these defenders, which still be in state of damnation, whatsoeuer be concluded true.

We verely teach and beleue the figure and the truth to stand together: the supper of our Lord to be the signe of Christes body, and to be his owne body. The weaker part is the signe, the greaterThe fig •… re and y• truth 〈◊◊〉 . is the truth. But both doe not only stand together in one Sacrament, but farther more, the true nature of euerie Sacrament of Christ is to haue both: that is •… aie, to haue oue certaine truth, & one certaine signe of the same truth.

The truth is hidden vnder the signe, the signe is witnes of the truth. Which thing once being declared, you shall see the vaine doctrine of this Apologie, & with what kind of worthy School •… the English Church is nowe gouerned, to the greate 〈◊〉 and destruction of Christian soules. Pardon me, good reader, if I stand somewhat long vpon the name of a Sacrament, for in that word lieth hidden all the poyson of the Sacramentarie doctrine.

¶ That the supper of our Lord is both the signe ofThe. x. Chapiter. Christes body, and also his true body, euen as it is a Sacrament.

GEue diligent care (good Reader) to the doctrine folowing. Because as it is most true and profitable, so is it somewhat hard. I will shew that suche a signe as belongeth to Christes institution, must nedes haue the same truth present, whereof it is the Sacrament, or holy signe. Ioan. 1. Christ hath two natures in one persō. Galat. 3. 1. Tim. 2.

The naturall sonne of God tooke naturall flesh of the virgin Marie, to th'intent he being o •… e persone and there in hauing his humane nature common with men, and his diuine common with God, might by that meanes reconcile man to God againe. His diuine personne staied in it the nature of man, his manhod partly couered the diuine nature, from the eyes of mortall men: partly by maruelous signes and workes shewed the same to the faith1. Ioā. 5. &. 10. of 〈◊〉 men.

Li •… ewise man consisteth of two parts, of a soule inuisible, andMan consisteth of two parts of a visible body. The soule ruleth and gouerneth the body. And the body sheweth to others by outward tokens, what the soule thinketh and inwardly worketh.

Christ therefore intending to leaue certayn holy mysteries vnto his Church, thereby to 〈◊〉 to her the fruite of his passion and death: as well for regard of his owne selfe, in whose personneThe Sacraments consist of 〈◊〉 parts. two natures were vnited, as for regard of vs who cōsiste of body and soule, made the sayd holy Sacramentes to be of a dubble sort and nature, so that the one part thereof might appere to the senses, the other should lye priuie and only be seene by faith.

But as the outward workes and doctrine of Christ were vndoubted testimonies of the inward Godhed really present, so ye outward signe, which is in the Sacraments, is a most euident witnesse of the inward grace which they worke really present in them. A •… ter this sort Christ instituted ye Sacrament of Baptisme,Ioan. 3. that we might be newly borne and regenerated of water and of the holy Ghost, as him selfe sayd to 〈◊〉 . For ye outward wasshing of the body in the na •… e of the Trinitie, is an euidentMat. 28. signe that the holy Ghost at the same instant by the meane of the word and water, inwardly wassheth y• soule from synne. Therefore S. Paul sayeth: God hath saued vs by the wasshing of water,Tit. 3. and of the renewing of the holy Ghost. The which holy scriptures S. Augustine embracing, sayeth: Aqua exhibens forinsecusIn ep. 23. ad Bonifacium. Sacramentum gratiae, & spiritus operans intrinsecus beneficium gratiae regenerat hominem in vno Christo, ex vno Adam generatum. Water geuing outwardly the Sacrament (or holy signe) of grace, and the holy Ghost working inwardly the benefite of grace, begetteth man againe in one Christ, which was begotten of one Adam.

Water is the outward signe. Grace is y• inward benefite. The outward water which wassheth the body, is the signe of the inward grace which is wrought vpon the sou •… e. Here thou seest, good Reader, the signe of a thing, and the thing it selfe to agree soThe signe and thing signified stand toge ther. well, that the one is alwayes depending of the other. Much lesse doth one of them hinder the other. Except any man will say, that Christ was not God in dede, because his works were tokens & signes of his Godhead, which were a detestable saying.

Likewise the supper of Christ is both a signe of his body, & also his true body, A signe outwardly & ye true body inwardly. A signe by y• sound of words when it is first made, & a truth by ye inward working of ye holy Ghost, by ye meanes of ye words of ye censecration. For as when ye Priest sp •… inkleth or dippeth ye child in water,Mat. 28. saying: 〈◊〉 wass he the, in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost: At ye same moment ye holy Ghost wassheth the soule of the person baptized: Right so, when Christ, or any lawfull Priest in his name, taking bread, & bles •… ing duely sayeth:Mat. 26▪ Marc 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11 This is my body, making in those words an euident token of his body •… eally present, at the same instant the holy Ghost worketh inwardly the true substance of Jesus Christ really present vnder the forme of bread. The outward pronouncing of the words ouer bread and wine, is the Sacrament or holy signe that maketh and sheweth Christes body, and the inward 〈◊〉 ning of the substance of bread into Christes reall body, is the grace which is at the same tyme inuis •… bly wrought.

Thus in holy Scripture the signe of body, and the true body stand so wel •… together, that both are true, because one is true. The which doctrine S. Chrisostom confessing, writeth: SacerdotisHomil. de Iudae proditio ne. oreverba proferuntur: Et Dei virtute proposita consecrantur & gratia. Hoc est (ait) corpus meum, hoc verbo proposita consecrantur. The words are pronounced by the Priests mouth. And the things set foorth are consecrated by the vertue and grace of God. This (sayeth he) is my body. With this word the things which are set foorth are consecrated.

Who seeth not here the visible Sacrament, and the thing or in •… isible grace of the Sacrament? The Sacrament is the due pronouncing of the words ouer bread o •… wine. As for example, taking bread, I say, in Christes person, This is my body. The words naturally haue their knowen signification as other wordes of other things haue. Which who so hea •… eth spoken or perceaueth to be spoken, can tell what they meane and signifie. Neither can it be denied but they betoken the being or substance of Christes body. That natural betokening of theirs alone without the matter of bread and wine present, should not be a Sacrament, that is to say, an euident signe and token of a holy thing. But when those words are spoken ouer bread by a Priest (as Christ appointed them to be spoken) then by his institution they are a Sacrament, to wit, an euident token of a holy thing.

Now as God and Christ can not lye, so they do not instituteChrist c •… not insti •… a false signe. a false signe and token. If the token be true, and it be the token of Christes body present, that thing which it betokeneth by the institution of Christ, must nedes be not only true, but also present, if it be so betokened.

¶ What signe must chiefly be respected in the SacramentThe. xi. chapiter. of Christes supper. And what a Sacrament is.

IAm not ignorant that in the Sacrament of the altar, diuerseDiuerse sign •… s are in y• Eu •… . kindes of signes & tokens are founde.1. some be tokens of the making and consecrating the Eucharist:2. others of it being now consecrated and made, vntill the outward signes be consumed:3. a signification also of the Church of Christ is gathered out 〈◊〉 it now made and consecrated.4. Yea the very eating is again a signe of a maruelous banket in the life to come.

1. The first signe of all is ye signe of consecrating our Lords sup per, and it is the words duely spoken by a Priest ouer bread andThe Words of •… tion ar •… y• first signe. 〈◊〉 , which both betoken the making of Christes body & blood, and make it in dede.

2. The signe of the Eucharist now made, is the forme of bread and wine. But this later signe presupposeth the first signe and token. For except it had bene sayd ouer the bread and wine: This is my body, and this is my blood, the formes of bread and wine could not betoken the reall body and blood of Christ vnder them. For not wheresoeuer we see such formes, we doe there beleue the body and blood to be, except we thinke the words of consecration to haue bene spoken ouer them.

We now speake of that first signe and token, which both signifieth and maketh the Sacrament. Wherein Christ would that to be wrought inuisibly, whiche the words do signifie to our cares, and whic •… , the doing sheweth to our eyes.

A man is able to institute a token of the truth, but not always able to make present the truth of the token: As when he leaueth a ring in token of him himsel •… e, not being able to leaue his owne substance in the same ring, or vnder the forme of it.

But Christ as he is both God and man, so he leaneth both anChristes toke hath in it, the truth 〈◊〉 . outward token according to his hu •… ane nature, and worketh an inward truth of the same token, according to his diuine allnughtynes. The outward token is called the Sacrament, the truth thereof is called the thing of the Sacrament.

Christ intending to shewe to the people that his Father allways heareth him, sayeth: Father I thanke the because thou hastIoan. 11. heard me. These words betoken a thanksull hart. Wheresore if in •… ede the hart be thankfull, they are a Sacrament or holy signe because they betoken a most holy sacrifice of thankigeuing. But if in dede the hart geue no thanks, they are a false token, & therefore1. Ioā. 5. please not God, who is truth and loueth nothing but truth.

Upon this ground of holy scriptures and of lerned Fathers,What a Sa •… rament is. the definition of a Sacrament is agre •… d •… pon by all diuin •… s, taken specially ont of S. Augustine, as 〈◊〉 doth 〈◊〉 , in these words. Sacramentum est 〈◊〉 gratiae, visi •… ilis forma.De cōsecratione 〈◊〉 . 2. cap▪ Sa •… . A Sacrament is the visible forme of 〈◊〉 grace. whereby 〈◊〉 may perceaue a Sacrament to 〈◊〉 o •… two parts. the one is ap prehended by faith, whiles the other is outwardly shewed to the senses. If we see one baptized in the name of the Trinitie, we say, a Christen man was made to day. How proue we that? because y• Sacrament, which we saw, telleth vs what was wrought inwardly.

Therefore seing Christ hath will •… d vs to say at his holy tableLuc. 22. ouer bread and 〈◊〉 (This is my body and this is my blood) there is no doubt but the very naming of body and blood solēnly commaunded, is the comma •… udement to make a holy signe, which is asmuch to say, as to make a Sacrament. Whereof it foloweth, that the same thing is inuisibly wrought, which is outwardly signified. Otherwise a Sacrament may be false, it may be of one part alone, it may lacke the operation of the holy Ghost. And to be short, it may be made voide and of none 〈◊〉 . The token and signe sayeth, when bread is present: Hoc est corpus meum, This is my body. The pro •… ne Hoc (This) and the verb (est, is) betoken a thing present. The thing spoken of, is the body of Christ.If the bo dy be not made the wordes make a fal se token. Psal. 58. If this (whereof I speake it) be not made my body here presently, I signifie and betoken a false thing. No false signification can be a Sacrament, because rather it is an execration or cursing, wherein au vntruth is betokened, from which God abhorreth.

The Apologie confe •… eth the supper of our Lord to be a Sacrament, and whereas euery Sacramēt 〈◊〉 of words and things, of which twaine the words are the more plaine token of the holy thing which is made: seing the words of Christes supper are, This is my body, & This is my blood, of necessitie there must be a truth of that thing which these words doe signifie. And for asmuche as they signifie the presence of Christes body, his body must nedes be present, where they doe signifie it to be present.

I will exemplifie it in an other Sacrament also. Christ at his Facere is to doe and make. last supper hauing sayd, This is my body which is geuen for you, sayd to his Apostles, Hoc facite in meam commemorationem. Doe, and make this thing for the remembrance of me. In these words Christ betokened somewhat, surely that they sho •… ld make and doe the thing he spake of. I aske now, whether he gaue in deed power to the Apostles to make and doe that thing for the remembrance of him, or no? If in deed he gaue them no power, the signification of his words was false, and the tokē which they make to our eares, vntrue.

On th' otherside if in deed by that precept Priests haue power to make that thing, whereof Christ spake, then the token was true, and the outward signification of the words agreeth with the inward effect and working of them. For which cause we say, thatWhen the order of Priestho •… was geuè to the Apostles. Christ in those words instituted a Sacrament of holy orders. For he gaue vnto his Apostles at that tyme by those words the order of Priesthod. The holy signe of this Sacrament is, the pronouncing of these words. Hoc facite in meam commemorationem. Make and doe this thing for the remembrance of me. The inuisible grace wrought therein, is the power which the Apostles toke to make the body of Christ.

Euen so: As sone as these words This is my body, and this is my blood are duely spoken, straight the body and blood is made present. If indeed it be not present, here is no Sacrament at all. Note well what I say, here is no true signe at all, but an hipocriticall and fonde Imagination of a thing, the truth whereof is not so as the word soundeth, and therefore the sig •… e is false.

Neither will it helpe any thing at all, if one say that Christ spake figuratiuely. For a figuratiue speache can not be an euidēt token of any thing, except it be such a figure, as through the custome of speache hath now obteined some easy and knowen 〈◊〉 among all men that vse the same language as when by the name of a cuppe, we meane the drinke in it, or by the keyes ofLucae. 22. Matt. 16. the Kingdome of heauen we meane authoritie to bring men to Christ and God, or by opening the mouth we meane speaking, which kind of speache though it be called figuratiue for some respect, yet in dede it is all one with proper speach, because vse and custome maketh euery speach propre. Otherwise a very figuratiueA figuratiue speach doth not signifie till it be vnderstāded. speach signifieth no certain thing, vntill it be plainly vnderstanded. And consequently no figuratiue speach can be a Sacrament or a holy signe of an other thing. For a signe is euer plaine euident and able to instruct, as being according to the iudgemēt of S. Augustine the thing which besides the shew it maketh toAugust. de doctr. Christ. li. 2. ca. 1. our senses, causeth an other thing to come to our knowledge. But a figure not made common by vse, is obscure, darke, vncertaine, as all ridles be vntill they are opened.

So that if Christ saying, This is my body, had meant (this doth signifie my body, and in dede is not so,) truly no Sacrament had bene made (as I will shew hereafter) because no euident token had bene geuen of any thing. It can not be called an euident token, when I may more truly veryfie the contradictorie then that which is spoken. For if the Sacramentaries teach wel, it is a truer token to say, This is not my body: then to say, This is my body. But this is my body, cā neuer signifie to me by any figure of •… hetorike, this is not my body. For doubtlesse as long as I am not driuen to thinke this is not my body, or to thinke of an other thing as of trees, stones, water, bread, wine, or any like thing which is cleane diuerse in nature from Christes body (which to do after the name of body once heard out of ChristesThis is my body either doth signi fie nothing or it signifieth the body of Christ. mouth is allmost impossible) so long it may still be a signe to me that it is Christes body.

And seing it can neuer come to passe that I hearing Christ say, This is my body, can exclude the thought of his body from my vnderstanding, will I or nill I, (This) will be to me either a falshod, or it will be the Sacrament or signe of his body. If it be so, then seing the Sacrament and holy signe must nedes be true, the body must likewise be truly present, for so the token doth report. If when I heare Christ say This is my body, I must stand musing and diuising, how (is) may be taken vnproperly, and signifie a certayn betokening without a true being, surely because all ignorant men, (studie they neuer so long) are able to conclude noSimple men can not vnder stand how the sig •… e may •… e called •… y y• name o •… the thin •… . such thing, for that no such example cometh to their minde, and they are not exercised in scriptures as diuines be, thereby it will folow, that Christes words shall signifie one thing, to one man, and an other to an other.

To some learned men after some conference they may signifie by the waye of coniecture the betokening of his body. To others who coniecture that Christ pointed to his own person when he sayd so, they will sound otherwise. But to the simple and ignorant who can not so put matters together, they will signifie allwaysThe Apo stles were simple men. the reall presence of his body. Uerily the twelue Ap •… tles were very simple, ignorant and (as the scriptures call them) 〈◊〉 without lerning, neither was their mind opened to vnderstand the scriptures at y• tyme. And yet I dare say they knewActor. 4. what they did receaue: wherefore they toke the words of Christ literally as they sounded to them.

Now seing these words (This is my body) signified the body of Christ, it will insewe, that seing Christ maketh allways a true signe, to them it was the truth of Christes body. Marye to Ihon Caluine who is more deeply lerned, and who studieth ful sore toIf Christes words haue not their first meaning they must sound to diuer •… e mē diuersly. make and proue Christ a lyer, it may well be they will sounde otherwise. O Lord to what case are these signes and Sacramentes brought, if according to some menne they shall sound one way, and to others an other way. And yet the truth of them standeth chiefly & wholy dependeth vpon the signe which they make. As though all other men being able to make their last willes with wordes plaine enough, thou Lord alone haddest neither vtterance, nor witte, nor mind, nor remembrance to make a token of thy inuisible work.

And yet the Apologie sayth that the Eucharist is an euidēt token of the body and blood. If the token be euident all men doThe Apo logie is cō futed by his own saying •… . quicklie vnderstand it, why then striue we vpon an euident matter? Call wemen & children to ask of them what token y• words of Christ make: I warrant you, they will not say, that (is) doth stand to betoken, nor (body) for figure of body. That kind of tokens is not very euident to them. But in deed the token of Christes body is euident by his own words, and therefore the truth which he doth betoken to be present, is really present, for as his token is most euident, so is it most true.

Christ after his resurrection gaue power to his Apostles to forgeue and retaine synnes. This thing was the institution of the Sacrament of Peuance. Let vs there see the Sacrament or holy signe of this gi •… t. whose synnes ye forgeue (sayeth he) theyIoan. 20. are foregeuen them. And whose ye retaine, they are reteyned. 〈◊〉 in those words a signe of remission of synnes be instituted, su •… ely when that signe is made by a Priest du •… ly absoluing the penitēt, his synnes are in deed remitted. For loke how much the wordswords must be taken as they commonly sound. doe signifie to men of common vnderstanding, so much is geuen by them. How proue I that▪ because so much is signified to be geuen.

And seing the gift of God which might haue bene secret, is now so made that the signe and token of it goeth together with the truth thereof, it could geue from it selfe no other token then it hath nature of his owne. The token of Christ sheweth power of forgeuing and reteyning synnes to be geuen to the Apostles. Therefore that power is in deed geuen.

I am not ignorant that the Apologie (as it denieth this Sacrament of Penance) so it falsefieth the words of Christ, sayingThe Apo logie falsifieth the words of Christ. that the words whose synnes ye forgeue they are forgeuen, are meant, whose synnes ye declare to be forgeuen, but thereof we may by Gods grace, dispute an other tyme. Now it is enough to shew that the word (forgeuing) doth not importe euidently and at the first sight a declaration of forgeuenesse, but an actual forgeuenesse in deed, and a signe thereof. Euen as these words This is my body, doe importe both a signe, and work a true being of the body, and not a signe without a truth.

Briefly, it is one thing to consyder, what words any other where may signifie, and an other thing, to consyder what they may signifie in a Sacrament. For many words may signifie vnproperlyThe chief words of a Sacramēt must not be vnproper. in other places, but the principall words of a Sacramēt can not be vnproper. For the nature of y• thing doth ly •… itte the interpretation of the words.

When Christ maketh a Sacrament, he maketh a thing of a dubble nature, to wit, a holy thing, and the signe of a holy thing. But the whole is to vs knowen by the signe. For the thing we see not, neither in Baptisine nor in confirmation, nor in the Eucharist, nor in Penaunce, nor in extreme vnction, nor in Priesthod, nor in Matrimonie. The thing, the truth, the grace, the inward operation is hid from our eyes, from our eares, & feeling. The signe thereof is sensible and apperteineth to the eyes and eares. Now to say that a plaine signe is not made outwardly, it is as much to say, as a plaine grace or truth is not made inwardly.

Againe, if it be not a plaine signe, it is dark and obscure, it is doubtfull and in controuersie. Wherefore it will be inferred thatAn obscure saying is no sensible signe it rather confoundeth our vnderstanding, then teacheth it. Which being so, it is no visible signe of inuisible grace. For surely, be the inward grace what so euer it pleaseth God it shal be, yet one certayn being, nature, substance, condition and state it hath, whereof no man is certainly warned, if y• words y• warne vs of it, be not plaine. And therefore we haue found a Sacrament according to y• It is against the nature of an holy signe or sacrament not to signific plain •… y. Sacramentaries opiniō, without a holy signe, a truth without a figure, a certayn grace without a certayn foorme, a great mysterie without belefe or knowlege thereof. A notable institutiō of a supper i •… mē knew, or might know what it were, a thing to be made daily, to be frequented oft, to be eaten and dronken, but what it is, no man is able to proue it plainely. To this point our new •… es would bring vs.

That they couet to bring you into this blindnes cleane cōtrary to the word of God, I wonder not, they do their ministerie, they worke their masters inspiration, they practise the de •… ils deuises. Antichrist must denie all the mysteries & veryties of Christ,Antichrist could not take away the whole faith, if some part 〈◊〉 not called in •… oubt be •… ore. how could that come to passe if no mā went before to bring them in doubt? Sodenly to preua •… le that belongeth only to God, by peece meale, and by litle and litle, to creepe in, that is the worke of Satan. They are faithfull seruantes to their Lord. And as lōg as they serue him, I blame them not, but I exhort them to leaue his seruice, for he is but an euill paimaster in th▪end. Mary that other so diligently follow them, that they so carefully striue to maintaine the same doctrine, that they by so long experience do not vnderstand whence it commeth, and whereto it hasteneth that is the greater grief.

¶ which argument is more agreable to the word of God, it is a token of the body, made by Christ, andThe. xij. Chapiter. therefore not the body, or els, therefore it is the true body of Christ.

THe common argument of all the Sacramentaries against the blessed Sacrament of the altar, is thus formed. The supper of our Lord is the Sacrament, the signe, the figure,The •… rgu ment of he •… es. the pledge, the token, the remembrance of Christes body, therefore it is not his body in dede.

This argument is so good, or rather so bad, that if I should dispute for my life on the contrary side, I would bring the same, to proue the contrary truth. I wold say, the supper of our Lord isThe supper of our Lord is his body▪ because it is a signe thereof instituted by him self. the Sacrament of Christes body, the signe, the figure, y• pledge, the token, the remembrance thereof, instituted by Christ, therefore it is in dede the body of Christ. Now let vs goe to the word of God, to trie whiche argument is better.

First it is to be noted, that although before the incarnation of Christ, signes were in part emptie and voide of the truth which they si •… nified, yet now the signes of the new Testament whichIoan. 1. August. Psal. 73. Christ himself hath instituted, conteyn the truth which they signi fie, because truthe is made by Jesus Christ. And S. Augustiue sayth, the Sacraments of the new Testament gene saluation.

Again not with standing y• Christ left to his Church only seuen Sacramentes, which it should vse according as the nature of eueryone, or the profite of men doth require, yet Christ him selfe made a greate number moe, not leauing ordinarie a •… toritie to vs to do the same, but those which him self made in his own dispensa tiō of •… esh, & which he left to his Church to be made, be all of one nature. His incarnation, fasting, baptis •… , miracles, transfiguration, passion, resurrection, ascension, were marue louse greate1. Tim. 3. Sacraments. For besides the truth which was wrought in them, they also be tokened an other thing either fulfilled in the olde •… igures and Prophecies, or to be followed of his members, which1. Pet. 2. should conform them selues to the dedes of Christ their heade.

But because we now speake of such Sacraments as are made chie •… ly by words (of which kind those are, which y• Church practiseth.) I will shew only a fewe such places which doe witnes a •… hing to haue bene done, whiles a word signifying so much, was spoken. And all my examples shall proue, that looke what is out wardly sayd, the same is inuisibly wrought at the same 〈◊〉 . So that the word is an vndoubted token of the thing don and made thereby.The true conception 〈◊◊〉 is 〈◊〉 with the signe thereof. Lucae. 1.

For my part I say, the Angell Gabriel made the sig •… e & token that Christ should be conceaued of the virgin Marye. Saying: Concipies in vtero. Thou shalt conceaue in thy wombe. And the holy virgin signified her consent therevnto saying, Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. Be it done to me according to thy word. Therefore Christ in deed was conceaued, and tooke flesh of the Matth. 8. Cleansing 〈◊◊〉 in deed 〈◊〉 the word is 〈◊〉 . virgin Marie at the very same tyme.

Christ •… ayd to the Leprouse man, Be thou made cleane, which words gaue a signe and token of cleansing, therefore in deed he was made cleane.

Christ gaue a signe and token that synnes were forgeuen to him that had the palsey, by these words. Remittuntur tibi peccata Matth. 9. 〈◊〉 be forgeuē 〈◊◊〉 when so 〈◊◊〉 s •… d 〈◊〉 Christ. Math. 11. Those mi racies were don in deed which were be •… . Marci. 7. The eares were opened 〈◊〉 deed when it was sayd, be y• opened. tua. Thie synnes are forgeuen the, therefore in deed they were forgeuen. Likewise Christ bad him take vp his bed, & goe home, for a token that the sonne of man had power in earth to forgeue synnes, therefore Christ in deed had power in earth to forgeue synnes: Because his token and signe is neuer false.

When Iohn Baptiste had sent two of his disciples to know whether he were the man that shuld come, or an other, were to be looked for: Christ gaue a token to the eyes and eares of the messengers, that the blind sawe, y• lame walked, y• leepers were cleansed: Therefore in deed it was so. And he bad them tell S. Ihon what they had heard and seen.

Christ sayd to the deafe and domme man, Adaperire. Be thou opened, and as it foloweth in the Gospell, straight ways his eares were opened, and the bond of his tonge loosed. Thus might I goe through euery example of the whole Gospell, and allways when at the doing of any thing an outward signe of an inward grace is rehersed, that which the signe soundeth the grace worketh.

Marke well good Reader, that this rule be not wreasted to yt mere doctrine of Christ, which he spake doing or making nothing. Math. 13. Parables w •… vsed in teachig but not in doing. For then I confesse many parables, many obscure sayings were vttered to prouoke his audience to be humble, to think of their owne ignorance, to depend wholy of Christ, & to aske him the vnderstanding of the darke sayings. But now I speake not of sole doctrine. I speake of a worke that Christ maketh and of words ioy •… d with his worke. In this case I say, what so euer signe is outwardly made, the same is inwardly wrought.Ioan. 20.

Christ sayeth to his Disciples. Take ye the holy Ghost, and withal he 〈◊〉 vpon them. Beholde the word and the doing. The outward word is a holy signe or Sacrament, so is the outward doing, which is breathing. The inward worke is the perfoorming of th •… 〈◊〉 signe which the worde and breath did betoken.

Seing then Christ at his last supper did somewhat, seing heChrist rather did, thē taught in his supper. tooke bread, seing he blessed, seing he brake, seing he gaue, seing at the ty •… of this outward doing and working, he sayd somewhat, which saying was a signe, a Sacrament, a figure, a token, a pledge, a 〈◊〉 of his body: we are assured by the word of God (which neuer shall perish) that Christ gaue at the same1. Pet. 1. tyme his true body vnder the forme of that bread, which he tooke and which by blessing he turned into his body.

Hath not now the Apologie depely reasoned? Hath it not put a goodly foundation of the Sacramentarie doctrine? to saye the supper of our Lord is the euident token of the body and blood of Christ, thereby meaning th •… his body is not in dede really present? wherein although it speake otherwise then ye holy scripture •… oth in the same case: •… et mangre the will of the makers thereof, it proueth the Catholike faith, because the signe that euery Sa crament of Christ maketh euidently to our senses, is inwardly wrought in that creature, whereof the signifying words are spoken. By this true declaration of the nature of a Sacrament, it is proued, that so many Fathers, as call the supper of Christ a signe or figure, geue witnesse that it is also the truth it self. And if the Apologie will disproue the reall presence of Christ vnder y• foorm of bread, it must shew that his supper is not so much as a signe of his body and blood. But as long as they graunt vs the sig •… e, the word of God will conuince the truthe to be present, which is signified.

¶ The words of Christes supper are not figuratiue,The. xiii. Chapiter. nor his token a common kind of tokens.

WHen I graunt the supper of Christ to be a signe, a token, a figure, yet I do not graunt the words wherewithThe wordes of the Sacrament be not figuratiue. it is made, to be figuratiue. If I geue you a ring and say, were this token for the remembrance of me, I both geue a token of me, and name a signe or token, and yet my words are not figuratiue.

It is therefore to be noted, that how many Fathers so euer call the Sacrament a figure, yet none of them all teacheth these words: (This is my body, and, this is my blood) to be words figuratiue.The Fathers calling y• supper of Christ a figure, meane not a figure of Rheto •… . For when they call it a figure, they meane not a figure of Rhetorike, but a mysticall figure, and calling it a signe they meane not a naturall signe or token, but a mysticall signe, that is to say, a secret and miraculous kind of token, such as the state of the new Testament requireth, the nature whereof is to doe that which it sayeth▪ because Christ the speaker 〈◊〉 all that by his diuine power and substance, which his word spoken by ye mouth of his manhod, in holy Sacraments doth vtter and signifie. Now he that wold the Sacrament of Christ so to be a signe, that he should not make that thing to be his body in deed whereof in word he sayeth, This is my body, he most wickedly denieth the Godhead of Christ.

Ebion was an heretike, who denying the diuine nature ofEpiphanius. li. 1. To. 2. Her. 30. Christ, sayd him to be Nudū hominem, a bare man. Epiphanius will proue against Ebion, that he is God. How so? Because he was geuen to the world for a signe. As the holy Ghost had prophecied before of him, when he sayd to Achaz, Pete tibi signum, Esaiae. 7. The signes of Christ are miraculouse. ask to the a signe. And for as much as he wold not ask, then sayd the Prophete, Ipse Dominus dabit vobis signum, our Lord him self will geue you a signe. Behold a virgin shall conceaue: Now sayth Epiphanius: Non potest is qui per omnia homo genitus est signi gratia mundo dari: He y• is alltogether begotten as a man, can not be geuen to the world for a signe. For that which is customably don, what signe of the Godhead could be therein?

Epiphanius therefore doth signifie that sith Christes birth was geuen to the world for a signe, it could not be such a byrth, as other men haue, but it must be miraculous, and the miracle stode in this point, because he was truly born of a true virgin.

Muche more we may say, sith the blessed Sacrament of the altar hath bene left vnto vs as a signe of the body and blood of Christ: It could not be so if it were bare bread and wine, and notThe Sacraments of Christ are secret tokens. in deed his body and blood. what signe, what secret token, what miracle were in the eating and drinking of bare bread and wine, if none other thing were made thereof?

As the ordinarie birth of man is no mere signe for Christ, who is true God, so the ordinarie eating of bread & drinking of wine, is no mete signe for the remembrance of Christes death.

As the birth of Christ was a true birth but most miraculous withall: so is the Sacrament of the altar a true signe, and therefore his true body and blood, by the great miracle of turning the substance of bread & wine in to them. This is y• signe that Christ made in his last supper.

This is such a signe as is withall a secret miracle. For it is a miracle not shewed to 〈◊〉 but only to the faithfull. For asThe 〈◊〉 of Christes Chur che be ge •… to the 〈◊〉 , & ther •… ore are •… ble. the birth of Christ is a 〈◊〉 to the faithfull only, who beleue Christ being God and man, truly to haue bene borne of a virgin, withou •… sede of man by the almighty power of the holy •… host: Right so the supp •… of Christ is a sig •… e of his body 〈◊〉 blood to the faithfull only, who beleue the 〈◊〉 of bread and wine to be •… urned into his body and blood without 〈◊〉 or corruption, by y• only 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 o •… Chris •… . Who sayd after bread taken, and 〈◊◊〉 , This is my body, and this is my blood.Luc. 22. Doe and make this thing for the remembrance of me.

Behold: the making of Christes body •… nd blood •… or y• remembrance of his death, that is the signe we speake of. This was the memorie or the remembrance whereof Dauid sayd: MemoriamPsal. 110. fecit mirabilium suorum misericors & miserator Dominus, esean •… dedit timentibus se. Our mercifull & graciouse Lord hath made a remembrance of his maruelous works, he hath geuen meate to them that feare him. And think we that a remembrance of maruelous things is made of God without a miracle?Ciprian. de coena Domini. August. in manuali. cap. 11. Chrysos. de sacerdot. lib. 3. Damasc. de orthod. fid. li. 4. c. 14.

S. Cyprian saith the bread to be made slesh Omnipotentia verbi. By the allmighty power of the word.

S. Augustine calleth it Mirabile sacrificium, A maruelous sacrifice.

S. Chrysostom crieth out, o miracle, o the goodnesse of God he that sitteth aboue with the Father, in the self same moment of tyme is touched with the hands of all men.

If thou ask how it is made (saith Damascene) it is enough for the to heare, that it is made by the holy Ghost, euen as our Lord made for him self, and in him self a body out of the virgin, Mother of God. And we know no more but that the word of God is true, strenghtfull, allmighty.Euseb. li. 5. demō. cap. 3. Beda in hom. vidit Iesus &c. Basilius in Litur. Gregor. Nyssen. in orat. de paschate. Hieron. in Leui. Nicepho rus lib. 1. cap. 28.

Eusebius calleth it Admirabilem exitum oraculi, a maruelous euent of the oracle.

S. Bede nameth it a sanctification of the holy Ghost that can not be vttered by speache. The like words haue S. Ba •… ile, S. Gregorins Nyssenus, S. •… ieront, Nicephorus.

This much I thought good briefly to say concerning y• manner how the blessed Sacrament of the altar is a signe, token, figure, mysterie, remembrance: Euery word whereof expounded according to the Gospell and to the state of the new Testament, doth proue the reall presence of Christes body and blood vnder y• foormes of bread and wine. It is a Sacrament which outwardly signi •… that which is inwardly wrought. It is a figure cōteyning the truth figured. It is a signe mete for the institution of Christ, whose signes are miraculous, it is a secret token knowen only to them that beleue. It is a remembrance of Christes death, by the presence of the body which died. What shall I say more? It is the body and blood of Christ couered from our eyes, reueled to our faith, feeding presently our bodies and soules to life euerlasting.

¶ That the supper of our Lord is no Sacrament atThe. xiiij. Chapiter. all, if these words of Christ, (This is my body, and This is my blood) be figuratiue.The •… rence betwen •… res of 〈◊〉 & 〈◊◊〉 .

THere is a great difference betwen a figure of Rhetorike, and a Sacramentall figure made by Christ. The Rhetoricall figures consist in words or sentences: the mysticall figures of Christ consist in deeds, & secret workings. Those sometymes sound one way, and meane an other way. These meane and sound always one thing, but they shew it one way, and doe it an other way. Those chiefly serue the eares of mortall men: These chiefly serue the harts of faithfull men. Those were found by men, these were instituted of God.

Christ sometime vsed figures of Rhetorike, because in taking the nature of man he addicted him selfe to vse the kind of speakīg which men obserued. But now Christians vse y• mystical sign •… es of Christ, because he that toke their nature left vnto them the vertue of his almightie Godhead. Let noman ther •… ore think when y• supper of our Lorde is called sometime a figure, that a RhetoriThe figures of Christ are mysticall. cal figure is meant, it is not so. A mystical figure, a secrete knowlege, a pri •… ie watch word is vnderstanded by the name of a figure, as if Christ should say to his Apostles & folowers. Let this be a token betwen you and me, & betwene one of you toward y• other that when a faithfull man is washed with water and in theMatt. 28. meane tyme it is said ouer him, I Baptize the in the name of the Father, and of the sonne, and of the holy gost, straight all synnes are forgeuen him. And he is of my flock and receaued into my fold.

Lett it be again an other couenant or signe betwene vs. When my Apostles or those which are made Priests by them, say ouer bread this is my body, and ouer wine this is my blood, hauingMatt. 26. the intent to blesse and geue thanks and to make a remembrance of my death, that my body and blood are really present vnder the formes of bread and wine accordingly as my words doe sound.

These are mystical signes, priuie tokens, and secret figures to be kept only among the faithfull, and not to be published to infidels. For as men by vse of speaking haue agreed to transferr certain words from their most proper signification to an other figuratiue custom: euen so Christ hath transferred certain natural things to an other mystical vse, which is now called in some Fathers by yt name of holy signes, or figures, or tokens, or which is most common of all, by the name of sacraments or mysteries.

See good reader to what myserie we are growen. He that commeth late from his grammar, where he lerned certain figures of construction, or he y• beginneth his Rhetorik where he more •… oyes iudge the figures of God to be figures of grammer. depely entreth into the treatise of tropes and shemes, when he readeth in a two pēny booke the place alleged, where it is said (in Tertullian) this is my body, that is to saie the figure of my body he iudgeth owt of hand that Tertullian meaneth a figure of Rhetorik, and Decolampadius, Caluin, or Peter Martir is a meteHeretikes name what figure of grammer it is. Scholemaster for him to expound what kind of Rhetorical figure it is, verely saithei, metonymia, or synecdoche.

Again, whe •… thei heare S. Augustine affirm that Christ gaue a'signe of his body, thei think he meaneth such a signe as is set vp at an ale howse, or wine tauern. yt Doctors meane a peculiar signe and token, miraculously instituted by Christ, which conteyneth & geueth to the faithfull the truthe which it betokeneth.

This kind of signes and figures concerning the substance of 〈◊〉 things. them, consist of two parts as I sayd before. Of things and of words: the things are diuers, as for example, water, bread, wine,Mysticall words. oile and suche other. The mystical words coming to suche things as Christ hath appointed, make vp the whole Sacrament. So that the things are like stone, tymber, iron, wher •… withall a man will build or make somewhat, the words are like the order, and foorm which the Carpenter will set the stuff in. The things are confuse vntill the words determine them particularly to this or that vse.

Therefore S. Paule saith, that Christ sanctifieth his Church Mu •… dans eam lauacro aquae in verbo vitae. Cleansing it with theEphes. 5. was •… ng of water, in the word of life. What is that word of 〈◊〉 ? •… erily whereof Christ sayd, goe teache all nations BaptizingMath. 28. them in the nanse of the Father and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost: This is the word which geueth life to him that is duely wasshed. Of this word Christ sayd: Iam vos mundi estis propterIoan. 15. sermonem quem locutus sum vobis. Now ye are clean for the words sake which I haue spoken to you.

S. Augustine demandeth, why Christ sayd not, ye are cleaneIn Ioan. tract. 80. for ye Baptim wherewith ye are wasshed, but rather ye are cleane for the word which I haue spoken to you, sauing that euen in wa ter it is the word that cleanseth? Detrahe verbū, & quid est aqua nisi aqua? Accedit verbum ad elementum & fit Sacramentum. Take away the word and what is water but water? The word cometh to the matter, and the Sacrament is made.

S. Angustine calleth the thing or stuff whereof the Sacram •… tElementum. is made, Elementum: Which is to say a materiall thing that serueth for a beginning whereof a farther mysterie may be made, when the word appointed by Christ cometh to it.

The Grecians vse to call those things, especially in the supper of Christ. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈◊〉 The things put or set before 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Priest who must consecrate them with the word of God.

The element therefore whether it be water, oile, bread, wine, or any other thing that Christ appointeth, is the weaker and infer riour part. The word is the more chief and principal. Vnde ista tanta virtus aquae (saith S. Augustine) vt corpus tangat & corAugust. in •… oan. tract. 80. abluat, nisi faciente verbo? Non quia dicitur, sed quia creditur, Nam & in ipso verbo aliud est sonus transiens, aliud virtus manens. Whence hath water this great vertue, that it should touche the body, and wasshe the hart, but that the word causeth it, not (only) because it is spoken, but because it is beleued, For in the •… er e word the sou •… d which passeth awaie is one thing, and the vertue which remaineth is an other thing.

Now haue we thre things consydered by S. Augustine in a •… n. things in a Sacrament. Sacrament, the lowest is the element which in baptun is water, the higher, is the word which again is cōsydered in two respects, in one as it is spoken, and so being ioyned with the element it maketh the substance of the Sacrament, and passeth awaie: in the other as it is beleued of him that receaueth the Sacrament, and so it worketh in him a grace, vertue, and effect of the Sacrament.

If now the word be it that both chefely maketh and effectuallie establisheth the Sacrament, it can not be douted, but that Christ gaue the greatest diligence of all, in assigning the solemn words of his blessed Sacraments.

For the words appointed by Christ to the making of his Sacraments are so stronge, that althoughe the minister be neuer soAugust. cōt. Donat. li. 5. cap. 19. &. 20. éuil a man, yet as S. Augustine saith, God sanctifieth his Sacraments, Ad verba quae procedunt ex ore homicidae. At the words which come foorth of the mouth of a mankiller. And again he saith, Deus adest Sacramentis & verbis suis, per qualeslibet administrentur. God is present to his Sacraments and words by whatsoeuer maner of men they be ministred. In so much that ifAugust. cōt. Ep. Parmen. li. 2. c. 12. at the tyme of celebrating, both the geuer and receauer haue don vula •… fully (saith S. Augustine) Non tamen pro non dato habebitur. Yet the Sacrament shall not be accompted as not geuen.

For seing the word was once spoken and ioyned with the element, the substance of the Sacrament was made though it lacked his effect. Whereof it foloweth, that the Sacramētal words bring foorth a secret strength for their own part, albeit neither the ministerChrysost. in Epist. ad Roma. Hom. 16 nor the receauer be of such worthinesse as they owght to be of. In ipso aquarum lauacro (saith S. Chrysostom) verba Dei sunt quae nos generant. In the verie washing of the waters they be the words of God which begett vs.

Which thing sith it is so, the words of Christes Sacraments doe not depend vpon the vnderstanding either of the minister, or of him that receaueth the Sacrament, but they haue a sufficient vertue in them selues, whereby they may worke. It is enowgh that the minister doe as the Church vseth to doe in such cases. This intention being kept, the words will bring the rest to passe. Or if a maliciouse Priest baptize a child with the mind to make him a Lutheran or an Anabaptist, shall yt child by yt intention be made an heret •… ke? No verily: For so much as the words of Christ wherewith he is baptized, make him a member of his mysticall body, not incorporating him to any other felowship. Qui fuerit superbus minister, cum diabolo computatur, sed non contaminaturAugust. in Ioan. tracta. 5. donū Christi. The proude minister (saith S. Augustin) is accompted with the deuill, but the gift of Christ is not defiled.

To come somewhat nere our purpose, S. Ambrose doth by name witnes, what strength Christes words haue in making hisAmbros. de Sacra. li. 4. c. 4. &. 5. supper. Sermo Christi hoc conficit Sacramentum, The words of Christ make this Sacrament. Antequàm consecretur, panis est, vbi verba Christi accesserint, corpus est Christi. Before it be consecrated, it is bread, when the words of Christ are come to it, it is the body of Christ.

Hoc (ait Sacerdos) est corpus meum. Hoc verbo proposita consecratnr. Chryso. hom. de prodi •… i. Iudae. S. Chrysostom writeth, that when the Priest saith: This is my body, the things set foorth are consecrated with this word or saying.

If now it be clere, that among many causes which concurre to make a Sacrament, one of the chefe is the words pronounced at the same tyme: and in the Sacrament of the Altar, seing they are: This is my body, and, This is my blood, Which are spoken ouer bre •… d and wine, I say these words maie be in no wise figuratiue. For by that meanes they shall not only not consecrate the body and blood of Christ, but (which is more) they shall not 〈◊〉 so much as a signe of Christes body and blood.

For yf words make any thing, they make it by signifiyng, as the which are not only signes of things, but by S. AugustinesAugust, de d •… ct. Christi. li. 2 ca. 3. August. de Magistro. iudgement, they are the chefe among all signes. And as the same Doctour saith in an other place, Signum nisi aliquid significet, nō potest esse signum: A signe except it signifie sumwhat, can not be a signe. Now yt which doth not signifie a thing at all, can not by signifiyng make and work that thing, which it doth not signifie.

Take these fower words, This is my body: Neuer a one of them doth signifie washing. Therefore if a mā washing an other with the mind to make him a member of Christes body should saie, This is my body, out of doute that man washed with those words, should not be baptized. What is the cause? Washing was vsed, ye minister was present with intent to baptize, some words also lacked not. but yet because those words lacked, which might signifie washing in the name of ye Trinitie, he was not baptized.

If then the words of Sacraments must signifie that which shalbe made, these words, This is my body, spoken by any Priest, shall neuer make the signe of Christes body. Because they doeThe wordes of Christes supper doe not sig nifie a figure of his body. not signifie any figure or signe thereof. Ou the other syde, If they be in dede figuratiue, (as the Zuinglians affirm them to be) they shall not make the body of Christ, because (they say) Christ meant not so, but only meant a figure to be made in bread and wine.

Behold to what case we are now brought. We haue striued so long about the words of Christ, whether they be proper or figuratiue,If Christes wordes be siguratiue, they make nothing at all. that now they are proued to make nothing at all, if they be figuratiue. For they make not the body of Christ, because (if they be figuratiue) they meane not to make it. They make no figure of the body, because they name and signifie no figure. And that which they do not signifie, they by signifying can not make. Fo •… their whole institution, vse, nature, and commoditie is to signifie, to shew foorth, to betoken & make plain the mind of the speaker.

That which words doe not signifie they do not work. ThatWords doe all 〈◊〉 they doe by signifying. which they work not is neuer don by them. But these words, This is my body, and this is my blood signifie no figure no signe, no token (for so muche as they signifie an other thing) therefore they work no figure, they make no signe, they leaue no token. And then haue we no Sacrament at all made, because none is made without suche words as may signifie that which is made and wrought.

If any man saye Christ may meane a figure and signe, and by his meaning, these words, This is my body, may work a figure o •… his body, I answer, if Christ wil work by his meaning, who can forbed him, seing he is almighty? And if he will work without any words, who cā gainsaye him? But then his words work not. And why then are they deliuered to vs, as the chief instrument to work withall? Why sayd he, Hoc facite, Doe, and make thisLucae. 22. thing? why are they rehersed in euery Masse and communion? Why doe the auncient Fathers teache the bread and wine to be consecrated by them? Why may not Baptism be made by other words then by those which Christ instituted?

Surely to say, that these words, This is my body, make a figureMath. 28 of his body because Christ wil haue it so, is to say that Christ will not hane words necessarie to the making of his Sacramēts. Or it is to saie, that he will haue a thing wrought by words, to work the which they be vumete instruments: as if a man wold take a saw to plane timber withall, & a beetil to cutt down a tree.The word of God hath geuen ho •… ur to words.

Christ being ye word of God hath geuen that honour to words of men (but yet to such as are appointed by him self) that they should principally among instrumentall causes work and make his Sacraments. Next vnto words he chose maruelous conuenient things, wherewith they should concur. The things to be most agreable to th▪effect which they are sett to work, all men agree. It is conuenient for water to washe, for bread and wine to concur to the Sacrament of the Altar as meetest to nourish, for oile to serue in ointing at the vse of other Sacraments.

And now hath Christ erred in chosing his words? hath he 〈◊〉 (body) to signifie the figure of his body? To whom doth it signifie after that sort? Surely not to all men, as it is e •… ident. not to all Christians, as it maie appere, in that we hearing it said, that Christ had a mans body, or walked in a mans body, or that ourBody doth sig •… i sie y• substance but not the sigure of a body. bodies shall rise at the later daie, in all these phrases, we take not the name of body, for a signe and figure of a body: but we take it to meane the true substance of flesh and blood.

How then? shall the word body be taken only in the supper of our Lord for the signe and figure of body? Wher is that rul •… readen? Wher is that secret reueled▪? For dowtlesse if it were true, it were of it self a mysterie, and an vnwont acception appointed by Christ, and it had neded to haue ben registred in the Scriptures or in the holy Fathers, or at the least to haue ben deliuered to vs by tradition.

But who teacheth, that body standeth to signifie the figure of body? many Fathers saie the words of Christ are plain, manifest, true, and effectuall, but no man telleth vs of such a strange taking of the words (body and blood,) noman witnesseth them to be taken for the figures of body and blood, and no maruail. For no man knew that iuterpretation.

They knew that the true body of Christ geuen after such a sortHow Christes body is a figure. vnder the foormes of bread and wine, was a figure of the self same body, either walking visibly vpon the earth, or suffering death vpon the crosse, or sitting now at the right hand of his Father, or intending to come to iudgement. They could tell, that a thing present in a secrete maner, is a token, a signe, and a watch word to all the faithfull, of an open maner, either past or to come in the same thing. By this meanes they confessed the Sacrament to be the figure of Christes body and blood, but they knew no such figure as the Sacramētaries haue deuised. they neuer could tell of Synecdoche, or of Meronymia. they knew Sacramentall, and not Rhetoricall figures, Mysticall, and not Poeticall, holy and not prophane. Let him therfore that will haue any thing at all made by Christes words, acknowlege them to be proper, to signifie sumwhat, and to make that they signifie, which is the true body and blood of Christ.

¶ The reall presence of Christes body is that, whichThe. xv. Chapiter. setteth his death and life before vs.

WE doe acknowlege the Eucharist to be a Sacrament,The Apo logie. wherein is sette after a manner before our eyes the death of Christ, and his resurrection, and what soeuer he did here in his humane body.

The eating of common bread and drinking of common wineThe aunswere. is but an homely maner of setting the death and resurrection and life of Christ before our eyes. Here is the Sacramentaries argument: I eate bread and drinke wine in token of Christes death & resurrection, therefore he is dead and risen. I pray you Syr, how doth this argument hold? What affinitie hath bread and wine with the death and with the resurrection of Christ?

But if bread and wine be turned into the same body & blood ofIt is the body of Christ which setteth his death before vs, & not bread and wine. Christ, which died and rose againe, which wrought all the miracles done in this world: Then is the death and resurrection and conuersation of Christ in dede it selfe set before the eyes of our faith. Because (as Chrisostom teacheth) Hoc idem corpus cruentatum, & caet. This very same body bloudied, perced with y• speare gaue as it were out of a spring, fountaynes of blood, healthfull to the whole world. And the selfe body God a •… anced vnto the highest seate, the which body also he gaue to vs, both to th'intent we should haue it, and to the intent we should ea •… e it.

But what speake I of S. Chrisostom? This (sayeth Christ) isLucae. 22. 1. Cor. 11 my body, which is geuen for you. And againe, the bread which I will geue is my flesh, which I will geue for the life of the world. Ioan. 6. How ofte so euer (sayeth S. Paul) ye shall eate this bread and1. Cor. 11 drinke the chalice of our Lord, ye shall shew his death vntill he comme.

So that the hauing of the death, and resurrection, and all y• miracles of Christ before our eyes at Masse tyme, riseth chiefly of y• thing which is the body of Christ. And secondarily of the things which are done about that his body. The consecrating, the offering, the eating of the selfe same body, which wrought these miracles, which died and rose againe, those facts I say in that thing, shew his death and resurrection. All other wayes of setting the death and resurrection and conuersation of Christ before our eyes without the reall presence of Christ, is painting and shadowing in comparison of this liuely representation.

O how many (sayeth S. Chrisostom) say now adayes, I woldHom. 83. in Ma •… h. see the soorm & shape of Christ, I would see his very garmentes, and shoowes. Ipsum igitur vides, ipsum tāgis, ipsum comedis. Lo, thou seest him selfe, thou touchest him selfe, thou eatest him selfe. Non quòd corpus illud (sayeth Damascen) è coelo descendat, sedDamascenus de orthod. side. li. 4. cap. 14. quia panis & vinum in Christi corpus & sanguinem transmutatur Not as though the body of Christ came downe from heauen, but because the bread and wine is changed into the body and blood of Christ.

See now good Reader, whether the Apologie say more truly, that, the signe or token of Christes body and blood (the body it selfe not being made present vnder the so •… nes of bread and wine as it teacheth) doe more effectuously set before our eyes yt death and resurrection and all the miracles of Christ, or els whether ye incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of him be not better and more according to the word of God set soorth by the Catholikes who teach that the substance of bread and wine is changed into yt body and blood of Christ to th'end the death and resurrection of the same body might be effectually remembred.

So teacheth S. Cyrillus in these words. Prebet Christus nobisCyrillus in Ioan. lib. 12. cap. 28. carnem suam tangendam, &c. Christ geueth vs his flesh to be tou ched, that we might beleue assuredly that he hath in deed reised his temple. For that the communion of mystical blessing is a certayn confession of the resurrection of Christ, it is proued by his own words. For he distributed the bread after it was broken, saying, This is my body, which shalbe geuen for you, for the remission of synnes. Make and doe this thing for the remembrance of me. Therefore the participation of yt mysterie is a certain true confession and remembrance that for our sakes and for vs our Lord both hath died and is reuiued, and through that filleth vs with diuine blessing. Let vs therefore flee infidelity after the touching of Christ, and let vs be found strong and stedfast being far from all doubtfulnesse.

Thus far S. Cyrillus. Who alludeth in that place to S. Thomas the Apostle. And as S. Thomas touching the syde of Christ cried out My Lord and my God, euen so S. Cyrillus teacheth yt we touche the body of Christ when we come to the holy communion.Ioan. 20. For as vnder the visible flesh of Christ, his Godhead lay priuie but yet was truly present, and had assumpted his flesh into one person, euen so vnder the visible foorm of bread the flesh of Christ is really present in the holy mysteries, and therefore we touch that flesh, when we touche the foorm of bread, as S. Thomas did touche the Godhead when he touched the flesh of Christ. For in eche place we touche not either the Godhead or the flesh visibly, but by the meane of that thing, wherein it is truly present. That thing I say receaued of vs, doth make his death and resurrection to be remembred.

Hath not he all that euer Christ did, presently before his eyes, who hath Christ him selfe present? But take Christ awaye, and afterward it is a foolish dreame to talke, how his deeds be set before our eyes by bread and wine. The apparence of bread is the token, that Christes body is here to be eaten. And the similitude of wine doth shew, that his blood is here to be drunken. But the true shewing of his death, life, and resurrection, ariseth of that truth which is vnder those foormes.

When I eate the body that died, I shew the death of it, because1. Cor. 11 no sacrificed flesh was euer eaten before the host was offered. But we eate really the body of Christ, therefore our fact crieth, that Christ is dead. We eate his body aliue hauing the blood and soule in it, therefore our fact crieth, he is risen again. Thus the Ca tholiks reason. Let him that hath cōmon sense iudge, who goeth nere the truth of the Gospell, the Sacramentarie, or the Catholike.

¶ Our thanksgeuing and remembrance of Christes death is altogether by the reall presence of his body.The. xvi. Chapiter.

TO th'intent we should geue thanks for his death and ourThe Apo logie. deliuerance, and that by often resorting to the Sacramentes, we should continually renew the remembrance thereof.

These men presuppose we haue a signe or token left vnto vsThe aunswere. in bread and wine, to geue thanks withall. We haue in deed a token, but this token though it were made of bread and wine, is not bread and wine. For Christ in his last supper, tooke bread,Lucae. 22. and when he had geuen thanks, he sayd, This is my body, which is geuen for you, doe and make this thing for the remembrance of me.

Behold the token, wherein Christ both him selfe gaue thanks, and would vs to geue thanks in the same. The making of his body for vs, is the thanksgeuing for his death, and for our deliuerance.

Ipso genere sacrificij (sayeth S. Chrysostom) ad iugem nos proChrysost. in Hom. 26 in Math. beneficijs suis inuitans gratiarum actionem: Stirring vs to geue thanks perpetually for his benefites, by the very kind of the sacrifice. And shewing farther in an other place what kind of sacrifice it is, God (sayth Chrysostom) did yerely by certain holydays set the remembrances of his benefites before the Iewes. Tibi veroChrysostom. Hom. 51. in Math. quotidiè ipse, ne obliuiscaris, proponitur. But he is set before thee daily him selfe, lest thou shouldest bee vnmindfull.

See now by what meanes the death of Christ is renewed. Not by tokens wherein he is doubtfully called to minde, him selfe being absent, (for that were a feble token) but by these tokens, wherein him selfe is made present, lest we should forgett his death.

The body of Christ must be made, to th'intent we maye rememberLucae. 22. his death. If you take from vs the making of his body which causeth the vehement remembrance of the death, it is afterward a vaine thing to talke of the remembraunce of his death by eating bread and drinking wine. For the necessarie meane of necessarie remembrance of his death, consisteth in the reall presence of him that died. For who can forget his death, whose body is daily made, worshipped and eaten, to the end the death may be remembred. But I may right well eate bread and drinke wine, not yet remembring thereby, that Christ is dead for me.

¶ The true resurrection of our bodies commeth byThe. xvii. Chapiter. eating that body of Christ, which is both true and is true in vs.

TO th'intent we being fed with the body and blood ofThe Apo logie. Christ, may be brought into the hope of the resurrection, and of euerlasting life, and may most assuredly beleue that the body and blood of Christ doth in like manner feed our soules, as bread and wine doth feed our bodies.

I omit to say any thing vpon that ouersight, wherein the EnglishThe aunswere. translation of a body hath left out the word Vero, the true body, which the Latine edition hath. But here the Apologie presupposeth that Christes supper consisteth as wel of bread & wine, as of body and blood. The first two they will haue geuen to the bodies: The later twaine to the soules. The bread & wine they will haue present on the table, whence they be deliuered: The body and blood they will haue to be receaued from heauen, by faith and vnderstanding. Against this dreame thus I reason out of ye word of God.

Christ made his whole supper vpon a visible table, accordingly as it was prophecied by king Dauid, Parasti in conspectu meoPsal. 22. mensam. Thou hast prepared a table in my sight. And by Salomon,Prou. 9. Sapientia proposuit mensam suā & insipientibus locuta est: venite, comedite panem meum, & bibite vinum quod miscui vobis. Wisedome hath set foorth her table, and hath spoken to simple men: come ye, eate my bread, and drinke ye wine which I haue mixed for you. S. Paul sayth, Non potestis mensae Domini participes1. Cor. 10 esse, & mensae Daemoniorum. Ye can not be partakers of our Lords table, and of the table of deuils.

Put these three together, and the sense will be, the supper and table of our Lord was prepared and set foorth in the sight of the faithfull, that they might thence cate and drinke such as the wisedome of God gaue them at his supper. Therefore no meate, no foode, no banket is to be looked for at his supper, but such as is prepared by Christ & set foorth vpon his table. Otherwise ChristPsal. 22. had prepared no supper, in the sight of yt faithfull (as Dauid foretold) nor had not set foorth his table (as Salomon prophecied)Prou. 9. nor we had not bene partakers of our Lords table (as S. Paul1. Cor. 10 writeth.

For bread and wine is not prepared of Christ: But was beforeBread & wine was not y• table that Christ pre pared. hand made ready by the baker and vintner, or by the seruants y• brought them foorth. The preparing which Christ made, was by blessing and conse •… ng, to make of earthly bread, the bread of life euerlasting. And hauing made it, he deliuered the same to the Apostles, and bad them both make and doe that thing.

If he deliuered not his owne body with his owne handes,Lucae. 22. doubtles they did not eate his body. For he, sayd in respect only of that which he deliuered, take and eate. Wherevpon S. ChrysostomHom. 82 in Math. sayeth to him that cometh to our Lords table: Cogita quid manu capias, & caet. Bethink thy selfe what thou takest in thy hand, and kepe it free from all couetousnes and violent robbery. Consider againe, that thou takest it not only in thy hande, but alsoThe hand & tō ge receaue •… he same body y• the hart doth. puttest it to the mouth (and) after thy hand and tonge, the harte receaueth that dreadfull mysterie. Thus much S. Chrysostom.

Let any reasonable man iudge, whether he sayeth not, that the hart receaueth the same which the hande doth, and the hande the same, which the hart doth. For if the hart receaue it after yt hand, the hand receaued it before the hart.

It is not therefore, as the Sacramentaries falsely teach, bread only in hand, and body only in harte: But body as well in hand, as in harte. And none other true body in the harte, then was first in the hand, and mouth.

For this cause euer sith we receaued the faith, we called this blessed supper, The Sacrament of the altar. As if we sayd, the SacramētWhy the supper of Christ is called the Sacramēt of the altar. Malach. 1 which is made vpon the altar or vpon the table of Christ. for the table of Christ is an altar, as in Malachie it may appere, and in an other place, by the fauour of God, I will declare.

This name of the Sacramēt of the altar was deliuered to vs with our Christianitie, and it is found very ofte in the olde writers, namely in S. Augustine. By which we are enformed thatDe ciuit. Dei. li. 10 cap. 6. the consecration and oblation thereof is made, not in the hartes of men by words of promising and preaching, but vpon the visible altar, in the sight of Christian people, by y• visible Priest who as a publike minister ordeined by God, consecrateth the body of Christ by the same power, which Christ gaue when he sayd: HocLucae. 22. facite, doe and make this thing.

This is 〈◊〉 table prepared in the sight of Dauid, set foorth byPsal. 22. Prou. 9. 1. Cor. 10 August. li. 9. confes. ca. 13. the wisedome of God, whereof we are partakers, when we receaue the blessed Sacrament of the altar. At this altar S. Augustines mother desired a memorie of her to be made, vnde sciret dispensari victimam sanctam, qua deletum est chirographum quod erat contrarium nobis. From which altar my mother knew (sayeth S. Augustine) the holy sacrifice to be distributed, whereby the handwriting that was contrarie to vs, is put out. Behold the sacrificed body of Christ was dispēsed and geuen from the altar, as both S. Augustine, and his mother, and all the faithfull then beleued. Thus thou seest the dreame of the Apologie by the word of God to be blowen away like chaf & dust dispersed with the wind.

The Apologie sayeth, our bodies are fed at Christes supperMath. 26 with bread and wine. that is not in the word of God, where it is sayd: Eate, This is my body.

The Apologie semeth to say, that our bodies be not no •… rished with the body and blood of Christ, for it assigneth body and blood to our soules as our bodies are fed with bread and wine. But Christ gaue his body to no •… rish our bodies also. And thereforeIoan. 6. sayd: Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood, ye shall not haue life in you. That is (as Cyrillus expoundethCyrillus li. 10. c. 13 in Ioan. it) In corpore vestro, in your body. And therefore on the other syde Christ sayd, he that eateth my flesh & drinketh my blood, hath life euerlasting, and I will reyse him again in the last day. Ego (sayeth Cyrillus) Id est, corpus meum quod comedetur. I will reyse him, that is to say, my body which shalbe eaten. Reysing belongeth to the body which falleth into putrefaction by death.

As therefore the body is reysed by Christes body: so the body liueth in the state of grace, by Christes body. and such life is by spiritual nutriment, which is receaued of the flesh of Christ really present in vs.

For which cause Tertullian confessed that not only our soule,Tertul. in lib. de resurrec. carnis. Ireneus aduersus haereses. li. 4. c. 34. but also our body seedeth vpon the body and blood of Christ, to th'intent our soule may be made fat of God. Likewise Ireneus writeth that our flesh is nourish •… d of the body and blood of our Lord.

We may now see what errour they fall into, who assigne the body and blood of Christ to our soules, and bread & wine to our bodies, whereas there is no substance left of bread or wine, but euen our bodies feede vpon Christes body, as Ireneus, Cyrillus and Tertullian haue sayd.

¶ Nothing is wrought in the supper of Christ accordingThe 〈◊◊〉 . to the doctrine of the Sacramentaries.

AFter the Apologie had spoken of communion vnder both kinds, and of transubstautiation, of which points as yet I speake not, it returneth again in a confuse manner to the matter of the reall presence, and thus it sayeth.

And in speaking thus, we meane not to abase the Lords supper,The Apo logie. or to teache that it is but a cold ceremonie only, and nothing to be wrought therein, as many falsely slaunder vs, we teache.

If they that pluck down altars, and other ornaments of ChristesThe aunswere. supper, if they that call the blessed Sacrament of the altar by so vile names as you and your scholars haue done, be not of yourBy what meanes y• Lords sup per is aba sed now in Englā •… number, if they be not your derelings, if they lerned not that cō tempt of holy things, and the denyall of the vnbloody sacrifice of you, if they first persuaded not the licenciouse youth and faithlesse companie of men and w •… men in Englād rather by blasphemous names, geuen to the Eucharist, then by any word of God (which you stil pretend and neuer allege) then let it be thought, that you meane not to abase the Lords supper.

But if you did set all the players and minstrels in the realme a work with such scoffes, as your brotherhead inuented against the blessed body and blood of Christ, I feare me you be not slaundered, when you are sayd to teach it to be but a cold ceremonie,The Apo logie nameth y• ho nouring of Christes body, the worshipping of bread. sith you doubt not to call, euen in this Apologie, y• honour done to it the worshipping of bread, whereas it is in deed the worshipping of the true body and blood of Christ.

Wel, you teach not, that nothing is wrought or made in the supper. Then by like you teach, that somewhat is wrought there. I wold fain see what it is which you teach to be wrought in the sup per. For where you say, that Christ geueth him self in his supper that we may eate him by faith: You teach a work of Christ, in geuing him self, & a work of ours in eating him, but not any thing wrought or made in the supper it self.

For the supper is that meate which is prouided to be eaten at the table of Christ. There you confesse bread and wine to be taken. But seing you teache the same things (notwithstanding he speaketh otherwise of them) yet to tarie bread and wine stil, I can not perceaue, what substanciall thing you teach •… to be wroughtNo substanciall thing is wrought in Christes supper by the Sacramentaries doctrine. in the supper concerning the matter of the supper, which is bread and wine. Now concerning the body and blood of Christ, which you graunt to be geuen by faith, I trow you teache not any thing to be wrought a new and made therein, sithens they be impassible, and therefore can not haue any thing made in them. what is it then, which you teache to be made in the supper?

Either bread and wine is the supper, or the body and blood of Christ, or both together. For nothing els is there mentioned. Bread and wine, you say, remayne still as they were before concerning their substāce. Then I say, nothing is wrought in them. The body and blood of Christ can haue nothing wrought in their substance, because that wherein somewhat shalbe made, must suffer of that which worketh it. therefore glose the matter how ye will, you teache not any substanciall thing to be wrought in the supper of Christ, except you call the geastes them selues the supper. And then I we •… e they must be eaten vp of some body, in so much as euery supper is prouided to be eaten.

We teache the substance of bread and wine to be made the substanceWhat the Catholikes beleue to be wrought. of Christes body and blood. And that is y• true work made in the supper of Christ, where the mutable creatures are turned into the immutable substance of Christ. which work sith you deny, bable what you wil, you teache nothing to be wrought in the supper of Christ.

¶ The reall presence of Christes flesh is proued by theThe. xix. Chapiter. expresse naming of flesh, blood, and body, which are names of his humane nature.

FOr we affirme that Christ doth truly and presently geue hisThe Apo logie. owne self in his Sacraments. in Baptisme, that we may put him on, and in his supper, that we may eate him by faith and spirite, and may haue euerlasting life by his cr •… sse and blood.

Heare ye not how they affirme that Christ presently geueth hisThe 〈◊〉 . own self? wold not a mā thinke they meant honestly and truly? But sith they can make the words of Christ figuratiue when they lyst, wonder not if they require their own words to be taken figuratiuely.

They meane not that Christ doth geue him self presently to our bodies and soules, as is requisite to the presence of the fleshThe Apo logie •… peaketh 〈◊〉 & meaner •… euill. and blood of man. why then vse they such words? Uerily because they see the Scriptures so playne, the Fathers and Councells so manifest, the •… aith and practise of the Church so euident for y• reall presence of Christ, that in no wyse they may confesse any other thing then they doe. And yet on the other side being fully determined to sticke to their desperate opinion, that we really neither eate nor drinke vnder forme of bread and wine the flesh & blood of Christ, they haue inuented such kind of speaking, as may both seme to agree with the Scriptures, and yet withall mayntein their false doctrine. The which thing that thou mayest the better vnderstand, this is to be consydered.

The Catholike faith is, that Christ in one person hath two natures:Two natures in one per •… on of Christ. The nature of God, and the nature of man. which two natures are ioyned and vnited together into one person, after such sorte, that what so euer is said of the one nature, may be sayd of the other, if we speake by that worde which signifieth the person. For example, we may say that man was in heauen before theIoan. 3. ascension of Christ, and that God died, not because the nature of God could be borne of a woman or dye, or ye nature of man could be in heauen before the ascension of Christ, but because that which was borne and dyed, was also God, and that which was in heauen was also man. albeit his byrth and death was by the nature of man, and his being in heauen by the nature of God. The natures then tary distinct, but y• p •… rson of God & man is but one. Now shall you see the meane, whereby these new prechers go about to deceaue you.

They say Christ geueth him selfe in his Sacramēts. The wordChrist, & him self be names of his person (Christ) doth signifie his person, wherein he is both God & man: Likewise the word (him self) is a word belonging to his person, wherein both natures of God & man are conteyned. Now when they say Christ geueth him self, they meane that he being God & man geueth by some spiritual way the vertue of his flesh & blood, which they call him self, for that he, as God, being euery where, may dwell in vs more excellently by charitie, as the Father and the holy Ghost doe.

But they meane not by geuing of him selfe, ye reall gifte of his person and of both natures which are ioyned therein, after such sort that our whole nature might receaue his nature. For then they should teache that, which we doe. But howsoeuer they bable of our soules, they will graunt our bodies no touching nor tasting of him, no not so much as vnder y• •… oormes of bread and wine. You haue heard what they say: Now heare what Christ sayeth.

Christ speaketh of him self in diuerse places diuersely. Due where he sayeth: I will not leaue you Orphans, I will come vntoIoan. 14. you. There he speaketh of his person, and concerning the nature of Godhead, as it appereth afterward where it is written: If any man loue me, he will kepe my word, and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him, and make a mansion or dwelling with him, or at his howse. Here he speaketh first in such sort of his own coming, that his Father (as it appered afterward) might come after the same sort. Then was it the coming of God, and not of man.

At his departure when he ascended from the world into heauen, he sayd: Behold I am with you all dayes euen vntill the consummation of the world. These words may be meant as well byMath. 28 the nature of manhod, which we haue with his Godhead in theS. Germanus in rer. Ecc. Theoria. Sacrament of the altar (and so some holy Doctors haue taken them) as also by the only nature of the Godhead, which is euery where by maiestie, and in good men by grace.

In an other place he sayd: Poore men ye shall haue allwayesMath. 26 with you, me ye shall not haue allwayes. Where, by the word, me, he meaneth not his Godhead, which is allways euery where, but the nature of his manhod, and that not as it is in the Sacrament, but as it was when he spake, in a visible forme of a poore man, who had not any howse of his own, where he might reste his head.

Last of all let vs marke, after what sorte he sayd that he woldMath. 8. be in his blessed supper. Dyd he say: I will geue my self to be eaten and to be dr •… nken? If he had sayd so, yet seing he had mentioned eating and drinking, which according to the letter, rather belongeth to his manhod then to his Godhead, we should rather haue thought, that the words must haue bene taken properly, then improperly. To eate the substance of a man may be sayd properly, for in deed it may be eaten with mouth and teeth, but toCyrillus in. 11. Anathematismū eate the substance of God it is sayd vnproperly: For it can not be eaten with teethe and mouth (as also S. Cyrillus hath noted) but only with vnderstanding and faith.

If then Christ had sayd before supper, I will geue my self to be eaten, and had sayd at his supper: I do geue my self to be eaten: These words with a circumstance of a supper, had made so strōgly for the bodily geuing of him selfe, that their part had bene more probable, who had vnderstanded it of his manhod. With whom if the tradition of the Apostles had stood, there were no doubt but he should haue bene a wicked heretik, who, when Christ had sayd I geue my self to be eaten, wold haue denyed that we had eaten the humane nature of Christ.

But now attend what words Christ vsed: He forcseing this hearesie made 〈◊〉 agaynst it, and therefore he sayd not, I will geue or do geue my self to be eaten, as heretiks now delightChrist vsed the names of his humane nature in his supper. to speake, but I geue my flesh, my body, my blood. These are not wordes of personage, which may be applyed two wayes, but they are the words of nature, and only of mans nature. For God by y• nature of his Godhead hath neither flesh ne blood, ne soule, ne body, ne bone. Christ as man hath all these things.

Now do the heretiks and false preachers of our age maruclously deceaue the people of God, who alwayes say that they diminish not Christes benefite, nor do not abuse the Lords supper, 〈◊〉 (say they) we teache that Christ geueth his owne self, and they repete agayne and agayn his owne self, his owne self. And thereby they meane no more then the comming of his grace and charitie into our soules, by fayth, spirit, and vnderstanding: Wholy robbing vs of that flesh which dyed for vs, and of that blood whiche was shed for vs.

For although God was able to haue saued man otherwyse, yet he swetely disposed our saluaciō, by sending his dere sōne to takeIt is real flesh and blood which saueth vs. of the virgyn our flesh and blood. This flesh and this blood worketh our saluacion: Which he y• taketh away from the Sacrament of the altar, depriueth vs of the meane whereby to come to life euerlasting. For as by this flesh and blood we are redemed: So that redemption is applyed to all that be of lawful age by worthyIoan. 6. eating and drinking thereof. Now when these preachers cry vnto you, of God, of fayth, of spirit, of vnderstanding, of vertue, they seme perhaps to say goodly things, but they craftily put you from that only meane of fleshe and blood, whereby God hath ordeyned our saluacion. Abraham was the sather of al beleuers,Rom. 4. because neuer any mans belefe was so throughly tryed, as hys. He lacked not grace, vertue and vnderstanding, but he lacked the flesh and blood of Christ: Which flesh when it came really into the world, when it was crucified and gusshed out streames of blood, then the soule of Christ deliuered the soule of Abraham and all the other Fathers out of prison.

Wel, to end this matter, Christ to shew that he wold be in his supper by y• nature of his manhed, for that cause he named not his person, but his flesh, his body, his blood. And S. Paule namedEphe. 5. his bones, as you shall see hereafter. Wherefore y• talke of his presence by fayth is vnfaythfull, y• talke of his presence by spirite asLucae. 24. thereby excluding his body & soule from our bodies and soules, is spritish and diuelish. A spirit hath no flesh and bones: Christ is with vs in the substance of his owne flesh, & of his owne bones.

And yet that we might vnderstand that Christ naming flesh & blood, meaneth not that either his flesh is vnder y• forme of bread without blood, or his blood vnder the forme of wine without flesh, but that vnder eche kinde both flesh and blood and soule and Godhead is: he saith, he that eateth my flesh and drinketh myIoan. 6. blood, taryethin me, & I in hym. That is to say, when I promise flesh and blood, I name them only to declare plainly, that my being in the Sacrament is a being according to y• truthe of my humane nature, and not as though I were not there in mine owne person. for he that eateth my flesh and drynketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. But it I had sayd, that I geue my self & no more: 〈◊〉 false preachers had expoūded my selfe by my Godhead and by fayth vppon me, my simple faythfull people might haue bene deceaued.

I name flesh, body, and blood, to shew according to what nature I am 〈◊〉 . But I am not diuided as though my flesh were vnder one kynde, and mie blood vnder the other. And therefore I say last of all: He that catcth me, he also, shall lyue for me, so that I am altogether in mine owne person vnder eche kynde, after cō secration. Marke this agayne and agayne, and let not the doctrineWe ought to beleue as y• word of God speaketh. of Christ him self pretēded in suttil words, deceaue thee any longer. Beleue thou the presence of body, of blood, of flesh, and of bones, as the word of God speaketh.

¶ It is a cold supper which the Sacramentaries assigneThe. xx. Chapiter. to Christ, in comparison of his true supper.

ANd we say not this is done sleightly and coldly, but effectuallyThe Apo logie. and truly.

The eating of Christ by faith and spirit is no sleight orThe aunswere. cold thing. But to say that no more is done in his supper, that is sleightly & coldly sayd. Partly because so much may be done withoutWhy 〈◊〉 Sacramentaries make the 〈◊〉 of Christ a cold supper. Ioan. 6. the supper, namely when so euer a man with good faith and charitie doth meditate vpon his gloriouse victorie ouer death & synne: Partly because, it is a cold thing to 〈◊〉 men, who consist of bodies, to a supper of Christes making, and to geue their bodies none other meate then corruptible bread and wine, as you teache, whereas Christ did forbid vs to work the perishing meate at his banket.

How can y• be worthely called y• supper of Christ, which a man may make at home, without coming to the table of Christ? As though it were not for his honour to haue a singular kind of sup •… of his owne. Euery man may eate bread and drinke wine at his owne howse with his wife and children, and remember that Christ died for them, neither wil Christ leaue his good deuotion vnrewarded, wherein the supper, that you assigne to Christ, consisteth and is fulfilled. And is not that, which may be done at priuate mens tables, coldly and sleightly done in comparison of that great sacrifice of the true Melchisedech, who by his blessed word turneth the substance of the bread and wine into that body of his1. Cor. 10 Hebr. 5. which died, and into that blood which was shed for vs?

¶ By eating we touche the body of Christ, as it mayThe. xxi. Chapiter be touched vnder the foorm of bread.

FOr although we do not touche the body of Christ with teethThe Apo logie. and mouth, yet we hold him fast and eate him by faith, by vnderstanding, and by the spirit.

These men haue lost their wits through malice. As who canThe aunswere. deuise an eating of meate in a supper, which eating shalbe without touching the meate that is eaten with teeth and mouth.

For in the supper of Christ it is a detestable heresie and an intolerableMath. 26 ignorance to say, that Christ saying: Take and eate, did not meane taking by hands or mouthes, and eating by teeth and mouth. Taking and eating is not without touching: Christ sayd Take and eate, this is my body, therefore he sayd in effect, touche my body with your teeth and with your mouth.

Neither doth it skil that his body is immortal and impassible. for though it be not perished by the eating, yet the eating and tou ching is not therefore false, but so much the truer, by how much the meate receaued is the more profitable cuē to our bodies. And as we are sayd truly to kisse the Kings knee, when we kisse his hose vnder which the knee is conteined: euen so in touching the accidents of bread and wine, we touche the body and blood of Christ which is cōteined vnder them. For which cause S. ChrysostomChrysost. in 1. Cor. 10 Hom. 24 & in Math. 83 sayd, 〈◊〉 we doe not only see, we doe not only touch, but we eate, and fasten our teeth in y• slesh of Christ, thereby noting and teaching the vndoubted presence thereof vnder the foorm of bread. Which foorm we see, we touche, we eate, we chaw, and by that meanes we doe these things to the body of Christ vnder that foorm, not perishing the body one whit. For the same cause S. Cyrillus speaking of the blessed Eucharist, sayeth of Christ: PraebetCyrillus in loan. li. 12. c. 〈◊〉 nobis carnem suam tangendā, vt firmiter credamus, quia templum verè suum suscitauit. He geueth vs his flesh to be touched, that we might beleue assuredly, that he hath truly reised his temple, that is to say, his own body. Christ geueth vs his flesh to be touched, and yet doe we not touche it? But how do we touche it? Uerily as S. Thomas touched the Godhead of Christ. For as inIoan. 20. touching his flesh he confessed him to be God, because the Godhead lay hid in that flesh: right so, when we touche with teeth & mouth the forme of bread in the holy mysteries, we confesse that we touche thereby the flesh which lieth hid vnder that forme, and yet the Apologie denieth vs to touche the body of Christ with teeth and mouth.

And whereas it sayeth we hold him fast by faith, that is true also, but it is not the whole truthe. for as S. Thomas the Apostle did beleue vpon the Godhead of Christ, and withall touche the flesh wherein it dwelt corporally: euen so we beleue the presence of his body, and touch it vnder the foorm of bread, not hinderingColos. 2. our touching by our belefe, but rather furthering our belefe by our touching, for so much as we touche that visibly, wherein we beleue the flesh of Christ to be inuisibly. The Apologie supposeth holding by faith, to be contrarie to touching with teeth. But we think them bothe to agree right well, and both to be true in their proper kind.

S. Ireneus writing against those heretiks who denied the resurrectionIreneus aduersus 〈◊〉 . li. 5. of our flesh, sayeth: that S. Paule naming spirituall men, doth call them so, because they partake of the spirit, Sed non secundum defraudationem & interceptionem carnis, but not as defrauding them, or as taking their flesh from them. Euen so it is true that we hold Christ by faith, spirit, and vnderstanding in the holy mysteries, but we thereby ought not to take away the truthe of his flesh which is in the same mysteries. It is an old custome of heretiks by ye assertiō of one truth to imbarr & stop an other truth, whereas y• Catholiks beleue as wel y• one as y• other.

¶ The •… acramentaries haue neither vnderstanding,The. 〈◊〉 . Chapiter. nor faith, nor spirit, nor deuotion to receaue Chri •… t withall.

ANd this is no vaine faith which doth comprehend Christ,The 〈◊〉 logie. and that is not receaued with cold deuotion, which is receaued with vnderstanding, with faith, and with spirit.

The fai •… h of receauing Christ in spirit (which you speake of)The aunswere. is not vaine, when it denieth not some veritie of the Gospell. But seing you denie this to be the body of Christ which Christ visibly deliuered, now it is a vaine faith to beleue, that who so deniethMath. 26 parcell of his faith, doth notwithstanding comprehend and receaue Christ by faith or spirit.

What vnderstanding haue you, that say: This is my body, doth not meane, This is my body?

What faith haue you, that beleue not the working and effectual words of Christ which were spoken with blessing?

What spirit haue you, when you know not y• words of ChristMarc. 14. to be spirit & life, as y• which make all that which they sound in yt Ioan. 6. consecration of his holy mysteries? It is a warme deuotion that hearing the body of Christ by him self affirmed to be present, can eate without adoring, and denye Godly honour to it. God kepePsal. 21. me and all others from such faith, such vnderstanding, such spirit, and such de •… otion.

¶ The reall presence of Christes body is proued byThe. xxiii. Chapiter. the confession of the Apologie.

FOr Christ him self altogether is so offered and geuen vs inThe Apo logie. these mysteries, that we may certeinly know, we be flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones, and that Christ continueth in vs, and we in him.

If Christ be geuen vs in these mysteries, he is present in th •… m.The aunswere. For a gift is not made of a thing absent. But he is not any where to be shewed present, but only vnder the forms of bread and wineA gift is of a thing present. & yet Christ shewed his body & blood saying: This is my body & this is my blood. This and this be words that shew things which are spoken of. therefore the presence of Christ, which you confesse, and which him self sheweth, must nedes be meant of his presence vnder the formes of bread and wine.

Again if we may certainly know, we are flesh of Christes flesh, and bone of his bones, if we may know it (as your words import) by his presence in these mysteries: Seing our knowlegeThat is not know 〈◊〉 •… hich 〈◊〉 not true must nedes rise of a certaine truth, (otherwise it were an errour and not a knowlege) it is certainly true, that in theis mysterics we are by the presence of Christ in them, flesh of his flesh, & bone of his bones. But y• can not be, except y• flesh & bones of Christ be really present, yea so really present as Christes mother was really present to hym, & he to her when he toke flesh of her flesh. For a coniunctiō betwixt y• flesh of Christ & y• flesh of men cā not de made by faith, spirit, & vnderstanding: For y• is a coniunctiō o •… mind, but not of flesh & bones. Flesh and bones haue no faith or 〈◊◊〉 with flesh can not be made by 〈◊〉 only. spirit, whereby the cōiunction betwene them and Christ may be receaued. they haue a natural substance as wel in Christ as in vs.

And as the man and wife can not be one flesh by the consent of mariage, except in dede they come bodily together: Euen so cā not the flesh of Christ be made one with our flesh, except both his flesh he present in the Sacrament for vs, and we come to the selfe Sacrament to be ioyned to it. And this example of mariage is so good and true, that S. Paul him self vseth it in talking of this verie coniunction of flesh and bones betwixt vs and Christ. which now the Apologie semeth to allude vnto. But the flesh of Christ cometh not from his Fathers right hand corporally to be ioyned with our flesh: Therefore it remaineth that the bread is by consecration turned into Christes 〈◊〉 , to thintent it may •… e receaued and made one with our flesh.

Other meanes how either Christ may be present in flesh, or his flesh ioyned to our flesh, the Gospel neuer taught, the Fathers neuer lerned, y• Catholike Church neuer knew. But by this meanes, S. Irenens, S. Hilarie, S. Cyril, S. Chrysostome, and other Fathers cōsesse our natural ioyning with Christes flesh, as it shall appere in diuerse places of this booke.

¶ The contrarietie of the Apologie is shewed, andThe. 〈◊〉 . Chapiter. that the lifting vp of our harrs to heauen is no good cause, why we should lift the body of Christ from the altar.

ANd therefore in celebrating these mysteries the people areThe Apo logie. to good purpose exhorted, before they come to receaue the holy commun •… on, to lift vp their harts, and to direct their minds to heauenward, because he is there, by whom we must be full fed and liue.

Who euer had to doe with so forgetfull men? A e •… ueller name IThe aunswere. wil not vse. For Gods sake, good reader, suffer not thy self to be lead of them, as if thou haddest nor wit nor sense. Be a child in1. Cor. 14 anoiding malice, but in vnderstanding shew thy self a man.

I assure thee he is not worthy to be called a man, who perceauing their extreme foly (as now he may) yet wil addict him self to folow their doctrine. See I besech you how this geare hangeth together.

Christ (said the Apologie in the last sentence) geueth him self present in these mysteries, & we know we are flesh of his flesh & bone of his bones, and therfore we are byd lift vp our harts to heauen, becau •… e he is there by whom we must be ful fed and liue.

Mark how this (therefore) cometh in. it agreeth together as if it were sayd in shorter words: Christ geueth him self present inThe contr •… tie of the Apo logie. these mysteries, and therefore he is not here but in heauē, seeding vs from thence.

You deceaued deceauers, how feare you not to dally thus with the dreadfull mysteries of God? Doth Christ offer and geue him self present in th •… e mysteries, or no? You graunt he doth. be these mysteries in heauen, or in earth? I suppose they be in earth. Then (say I) your words import, th •… t Christ geueth him self present in the earth. How then doe you straight way inferre (by a therefore) that we are bid lift vp our harts to h •… nward, because he is there, by whom we must be 〈◊〉 fed? If you meane he is both there and here, you say very wel, bu •… th •… you graunt his body to be at once in diuers places, at the least by y• way of Sacramētall being. Except you will say his body is not in these mysteries, and then he geueth not him self present. For his body is the chefe thing whereof this Sacrament is named.

Neither we are flesh of his flesh in those mysteries, where his flesh is not present to be ioyned with ours. You say, that Christ geueth him self present, yea so farr present, that we know certainly we are flesh of his flesh, and yet you bid vs goe to heauen, because he is there of whom we must be ful fed. As though his mysteries were not in earth, in which you graunt he geueth him sel •… present.

If any spark of grace remaine in you, consyder that God hathRom. 1. geuen you ouer into a lewd vnderstanding, into a blind hart, in to palpable darknesse. Ye wold set God and the deuill together, ye wold reconcile your fond hearesie with the healthfull Gospell of Christ, you wold seme to conf •… e with Christ, y• he geueth him self present in these mysteries, with S. Paul, that we are flesh o •… Ioan. 6. Christes flesh, and yet withall you will ioyne your own repugnantEphes. 5. assertion, that the body of Christ is only in heauen, and consequently not in these mysteries which are in earth. The longer you stand in this repugnance, the more you shame your selues.

I haue not spoken this for any other cause but to stirr vp your minds by words of sharp warning (which S. Paul biddeth vsTit. 3. vse to heretiks) thereby to prouoke some such, as haue regard to their soules, to repent in tyme, and to persuade them selues that they are not able to geue a new exposition of Christes supper, which may stand with the old Gospell of Christes Church. The body of Christ is the meat of his supper. For thereof he sayd: TakeMath. 26 eate, this is my body. If then Christ geue him self present in these mysteries, he geneth his body present. If his body be present, how say ye, we must lift vp our harts to heauen, there to be ful fed? Is not Christ him self being present, able to feed vs full? How is it then, that we must goe vp to heauen to be ful fed? But let vs farther consyder your discrete discurse.

It is said in the preface of the Masse: Lift vp your harts. which words you interprete as though it were sayd, your meat is in heauen, and not vpon the holy table. This argument I maruail if any man be able to answere: The people are warned before cō secration, to li •… t vp their myndes to heauen: Therefore the body of Christ is not really present on the alter aftar consecration. As much to say, as: Before the incarnation of Christ the Prophetes and Patriarchs called and cried to God them selues, and also exhorted the people to praie for ye coming of Christ, therefore when he was come, he was not true God and true man in earth.

We crie: Lift vp your harts, before the body of Christ is made, as beseching God we may haue his body made for vs. & when it is made, we lift the body it self vp, to be adored, and worshipped of the faithfull people as hauing then obteined our desier, and yt because it is the true body of true God.

And yet euen after consecration and after the body is reallyChry so. de Dei natura Hom. 4. present, it might wel be sayd, lift vp your harts to heauen. where by lyfting vp, we should meane nothing ells, but that the faithful men should not geue them selues to wordly thoughts of ye earth, of mony, of flesh, but list vp their minds to thinke of euerlasting ioyes.

Againe by naming heauen, we meane not to denye y• real presence either of God in the whole earth, or of Christ on the altar, but only to shew that we should looke for another worlde and y• life thereof.

This argument might haue become a tinkar better then a diuine, and least of all it could become a superintendent, who ought to haue knowen, that y• Church is y• kingdome of heauen, and therefore the kingdome of God is within vs: & that to consyder,Lucae. 17. what Christ worketh in his Church and for her sake, is also after one sort to lift vp our hartes to heauen: & last of all he ought to consyder that S. Chrysostom writeth.

Diddest thou not promise y• Preist, when he cryed: lift vp yourChryso. Hom. de Eucharistia. minds and hartes, and saidest thou not: we lift them vp vnto our Lord? Will you see a wonderfull matter? The table is furnished with the mysteries, the Lamb of God is offred for thee, the Priest is hofull for thee, a spirituall fyre floweth from the table.

See what lifting vp of harts was to the old Fathers. It was, to acknowlege the mysteries vpon the table, to beleue the sacrifice of the Masse, and not to deny the real presence of Christ. That is in deed a homely lifting vp of harts, to lift the body and blood of Christ, cleane from the altar and holy table. Such lifting away becometh theues.

Hitherto these men brought neither any euident authoritie of Scripture, thereby to fortifie their opinion, nor any sentence of auncient Father, cōcerning the question of the reall presence. And now I pray you see what worshipful geare they bring. We say in the Masse, lift vp your harts, before y• body is sanctified and made present: therefore it is not made present at all. We say grace before the meate is set vpon the table: therefore none at all is set there. This is the stuff of them that boast so much of the Gospell.

This is my body is forgotten: which is fower tymes repeted twise of two Apostles, and twise of two Euangelists. Yet is that forgotten, and, lifting vp of harts, which came of the good inuention of Godly Fathers, but yet from men it came, that is called in for a witnesse, against the truth of the Gospell. And yet euery man thinkeththey bring nothing but the pure word of God for their false doctrine.

¶What be grosse imaginations concerning the supperThe. xxv. Chapiter. of Christ.

ANd Cyrillus sayth, that in the receauing of the mysteries,The Apo logie. all grosse imaginations must be put away.

Here is the second authoritie alleged against the reall presenceThe aunswere. of Christes body, and that, I warrant you, full strong.

Grosse imaginations must be put awaye in receauing the mysteries:The argu ment of y• Apologie. therefore Christ spake not properly nor truly, when he sayd, This is my body. Are we not now happy to haue such fine preachers, who can shew the beleuing of that, which Christ sayth and teacheth, to be a grosse imagination? O grosse imagination of these pitifull preachers. May there be a more grosse imagination, then to imagine that Christ lyed? Cyrillus biddeth vs putCyrillu •… in Epist. ad Calosyr. away grosse imaginations, and Cyrillus saith of y• reall presence, Ne dubites an hoc verum sit, eo manifestè dicente, hoc est corpus meum: Sed potius suscipe verba Saluatoris in fide. Cum enim sit veritas, non mentitur. Doubt thou not whether this be true, sith him self plainly saith: This is my body. But rather imbrace the words of our Sauiour in faith. For seing he is the truth, he lieth not.

Who so consydereth well these words, may vnderstand, that Cyrillus thought nothing more grosse, then to doubt whether yt body of Christ be present or no. What grosse imaginations then did Cyrillus bid vs put away?1. For sooth aboue all, yt we should not imagin, Christ to lye.2. Secondly that we should not imagin his words, concerning this Sacrament, to be dark or obscure, seing Christ (as he sayth) spake manifestly.3. Again, that no man should thinke, any other body to be geuen, besydes the true body of Christ, who in one person is God and man.

In the tyme of Cyrillus, a great heretike named Nestorius,Nestorius his hearesie. scholar to one Diodorus, falsely taught that Christ had two persons, one of God, an other of man. Therefore they imagined, the the body of Christ (which all the world, euen the heretikes them selues, beleued to be present vpon the altar after consecration) to be the body of man, but not the proper body of God the word.

This was a very grosse imagination, and therefore ought to be put away from the mind of faithfull men, in receauing the mysteries. Hereof Cyrillus literally said, Num hominis comestionemIn. 11. Anathematismo nostrum hoc Sucramentum pronuncias, & irreligiosè ad crassas cogitationes vrges eorum mentem qui crediderunt? Doest thou pronounce this our Sacrament, to be the eating of a man? And doest thou irreuerently inforce the mind of the faithfull, to grosse cogitations?

Behold, the grosse cogitation was to thinke, that we doe eate yt body of a mā, whereas in dede through ye vnitie of person it is y• •… ody of God him self. And therefore Cyrillus sayth afterwar •… : Proprium est corpus eius verbi, quod omnia viuificat. It is the body proper to that word, which quickeneth all thinges. Of this •… oule and grosse e •… oure, two epistles are extant of Cyrillus, asAd Successum Episcop. Isauriae. also in all his workes he full oft confuteth it.

One thing I wil further note. this fine penner of the Apologie citeth not, where Cyrillus speaketh of these grosse imaginations, because the place is maruelous euident against him. And what foul play is this, to belie Cyrillus, as though he had spoken of that imagination, wherein we beleue yt reall presence of Christes body vnder the form of bread, whereas he spake, of that wherein Nestorius vnderstanded, that we did eate the flesh of Christ, with out the diuine nature vnited vnto it in one person.

Cyrillus sayth, because the word which is of God the Father,Cyrillus▪ in Anathem. 11. ad Enoptium. is life by nature it hath declared his flesh to be the geuer of life, & hac ratione, facta est nobis benedictio viuificatrix and by this meanes, the blessing is made to vs, geuer of life.

Cyrillus calleth y• Sacrement of the altar, benedictio, blessing, because it is made by blessing. Now in naming blessing, he mustThe Eucharist is called bles sing. nedes meane, that which is blessed, which is on the altar before vs, and not any thing co •… ceaued in faith or spirit.

Therefore Cyrillus meaneth out of all cōtrouersie, that thing which is made by blessing, which we take in our hands, whichCyrillus natura di uinitatis minime comeditur. we put in our mouths, to be able to geue life euerlasting, which none other eatable thing can doe besydes the reall flesh of Christ. For the nature of Godhead (as Cyrillus there confesseth) is not eaten, by itself, or a part from the flesh.

If we put this together, I require no more, but that he be an honest man, who shall construe the place of Cyrillus. He shalbe forced to confesse such an eating in the Sacrament of the altar as is not proper to the Godhead: And yet eating by faith is proper to vs in respect of the Godhead, therefore Cyrillus speaketh of eating, that which quickeneth vs to life euerlasting with our body also, and not with faith alone.

An other grosse imagination was to thinke that we eating the* 4 The. •… grosse 〈◊〉 gination. body of Christ, should eat it dead, or mortall, and passible, as we vse to eate other meates: Whereas it is quicke, yea of power to quicken vs (as Cyrillus teacheth)

Quoniam Saluatoris caro, verbo Dei quod naturaliter vita estconiuncta, viuifica effecta est, quando eam comedimus, tun •… vitam habemus in nobis, illi coniuncti, quae vita effecta est. Because the flesh of our Sauiour, ioyned to the word of God which is life na turally, is made able to geue life: When we eate it, then we haue life in vs, being ioyned to that flesh which is made life.

5. The fifth grosse imagination is, to thinke that we should so eate Christes flesh, as if it were rawe and not by any meanes, made meate for mannes cating. Of this grosse imagination, the Capharnaits were. Ad immanes ferarum mores, vocari se a ChriCyrillus in Ioan. li. 4. c. 22. sto arbitrabantur, incitari que , vt vellent crudas hominis carnes manducare, & sanguinem bibere: quae vel auditu horribilia sunt. They thought them selues to be inuited of Christ, to the cruel custom of wild beastes, and to be prouoked, to eate the raw flesh, & drinke the blood of man: which thinges are horrible to heare.

It was yet no lesse a grosse imaginatiō to suppose, they should 〈◊〉 6. cate the body of Christ peece meale, one taking the shoulder, an other the legg, the third the brest, and so foorth. Against which imagination S. Augustine hath writen.

Their imagination also, is very grosse, who think yt substance,August. in Psal. 98. of bread to remaine, after consecration, as though they wold eate that immortall and gloriouse flesh of Christ, with bakers bread.* 7. Which is the cursed banket, of the Lutherās, whereas Christ said, The bread which I will geue, is my flesh. geuing vs to vnderstand,Ioan. 6. y• he wold not haue in his heauenly supper, an earthly substance, of materiall bread.

And yet it is, a more grosse imagination, to confesse yt reallpresence* 8. of Christes body, and to denye adoration to it, sithens it is the body of God.

9. But how grosse is it to denye it to be a propitiatorie sacrifice, sith it is his body, who is the propitiation for the whole world. •… . Ioan. 2.

10▪ I omit at this tyme his grosse imagination who teacheth the words which are spoken of a gift presently made and deliuered, to be words of promise and of preaching.

* But the grossest imagination that euer was heard of, is of them, who affirm no body of Christ at all, to be made really present, vnder the form of bread when it is sayd ouer the bread, of Christ him self: This is my body. This grosse imagination, maketh Christ a lyer, as Cyrillus hath witnessed.

And now came our Apologists, and bring those wordes against the Catholikes, as though they had a grosse imagination, who thinke and teach, the wordes of Christ, to be true & to worke that they speake, when soeuer they belong to any Sacrament. And therefore the substance of bread and wine, to be turned into yt substance of the body and blood of Christ, the formes of the same bread and wine remaining, as veyles and cortaines to couer theWhy the formes of bread and wine remain. sayd flesh, as well because our faith should haue merit, as because our eyes be not able to see that gloriouse & mysticall kind of presence.

The which consecrating of Christes body, is an vnblody sacrifice wherein God is put in mind, of the death, which redemed the world. Euery part of yt Sacrament hath in it whole Christ, euery kind alone is sufficiēt to norish him to saluatiō, who worthely eateth it. And yet both kinds together must be cōsecrated, to shew the death of Christ. This belefe hath no grosse imagination in it, as shall appeare in all the worke folowing.

¶What the first Councel of Nice hath taught concerningThe. xxvi. Chapiter. Christes supper.

ANd the Councell of Nice, as it is cited in Greek of some,The Apo logie. doth expresly forbid vs, that we should not basely occupy our minds about the bread and wine set before vs.

The words of the Nicen Councell, whereof the Apologie speaThe aunswere. keth, are these. Iterum etiam hic in diuina mensa, & caet. Again here also in the holy table, let vs not basely attend the bread and cupThe wordes of the first Nicene Con cell. set before vs, but lifting vp our mind, let vs vnderstand by faith, That Lamb of God, which taketh away the synnes of the world, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , sitū esse, to be put, and laid on that holy table, incruente a sacerdotibus immolatum, to be vnbloodely sacrificed of the Priests, and that we 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Verè, Truly and in deed, taking his own precious body and blood, doe beleue, these to be the mysticall tokens, of our redemption. For this cause we take not much but litle, that we might know we take not, to fill vs, but for holynesse.

In these words many things are affirmed, of the blessed Sacrament of the altar, euery of the which doth proue, or helpe to proue, the real presence of Christes body, vnder the forme of bread and wine.

1 First the Councell sayeth the bread and the cup to be set before vs, vpon the holy table, bidding vs not basely attend or consyder them.

What other thing, can these words meane, then to warne vs▪ that we should not looke to the natural appearing or shew, of theSome vertue lyeth priuie vnder the formes of bread and wine. bread and of the cup, but to a greater vertue, which lieth priuie vnder their formes? Therefore begin we to collect, that the bread and the wine, which stand vpon y• holy table, kepe not any more their old nature & substance, but contein vnder their old formes, the new substance of Christ. For if they remained (as before consecration they were) materiall bread and wine: then we nede no warning to put away base considerations of them, sith by that opinion, we are bound to beleue, earthly bread and wine, to be still bread and wine, and to be nothing bettered in substance.

2 Then as concerning the vse of them, so long as y• blessed word of God, which is the form of the Secrament, is ioyned with anyHow long a Sacrament may be so called. element, (which remaineth still in his old nature), so long y• word and the element, make a mysterie: But when the word or form is ended, the Sacrament is ended, as the which only worketh, and hath grace annexed to it, whiles it is in the vse, whereunto Christ hath appointed it. So long as the Priest, whiles he washeth, is saying, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost, so long y• baptim is a doing and working: when the wordes be ended, the Sacrament is ended. For seing y• promesse of forgeuenesse of synnes, is geuen to the washing in y• Ioan. 3. Marc. 16. name of the Trinite, when that is done, the promesse is sinished for that course.

The councell of Nice, speaketh of the bread and of the cup after consecration, after that it was sayd ouer thē, This is my body and this is my blood, which wordes are the form of that Sacrament. For the councell speaketh of the being, and standing, and of cōsyderig these things vpon the holy table, not only whiles y• wordes are spoken, but still afterward vntill they be receaued.

If then, both the wordes of the Sacrament be past, and yet y• councell say, we must not basely attend, the bread and the cup that are vpon the holy table. It geueth vs to vnderstand, that the wordes did not only come to the elements of bread and wine, to make them a Sacrament, after the commen sort of making, whichThe wordes of the supper di •… work so •… permanē •… thing. is in baptim, in confirmation, in holy orders, and in penance, but also, that the wordes did worke some reall thing, vnder y• formes of bread & wine, which remaineth still as long as y• sayd formes & signes remain.

For this cause the councell sayd, we ought not basely consyder the bread and cup, for that, more was vnder the shew and colour of them, then our eyes could tell vs. What must we then doe?

〈◊〉 We must resort to a higher master, then our eyes are: we must lift vp our mind, we must vnderstand, not by loking & seing, but by faith. Whether must we lift our mind? To heauen? That is not euill, but the councell sayth, an other thing: We lifting vpWhat lifeing vp of the mind is. our mindes must vnderstand by faith. Then the lifting vp of our mind, is the renouncing of our senses, & the cleauing to our faith. We must beleue that which we can not see.

4. What must we beliue? That the Lamb of God is vpon the holy table. Which Lamb? He that taketh away the sinnes of theIoan. 1. world. On which table? On the holy table, whereon that standeth, which semeth bread and wine.

5. How is y• Lamb there? He is put layed & situate there as a thing may be situate which is vnder the formes of an other thing. For of such a situation the councell speaketh & so we must beleue of it. Now put this geare together, and thus the councell sayth.

Consyder not basely that bread and cup which standeth beforeThe meaning of the Nicen Councell. you. For although it seme that which nature made, yet we must lift vp our mind, and vnderstand by faith, that thing or substance, which is standing on the holy table, how so euer it appere bread and wine, to be the Lamb of God, that taketh away the synnes of the world.

Now we see, what is base, and what is high. Bread and wine is base: Body and blood is highe. That must not be consydered, because the substance thereof now hath ceased to be: This must be beleued, because it is made present in substance.

And it is so truly made, and the Lamb so truly prosen •… , that he* 6. The sacrifice of y• Masse. is offered not in hart alone, but euen outwardly of the Priests, not by shedding of blood (as vpon the crosse) but vnblodely as it becommeth the cleane oblation of the new Testament, whereof Malachie did prophecie.

That sacrifice which Priests offer can not be but present, forMalach. 1 c •… p. they offer with their hands, mo •… thes, and other externall members of their body.

7. After that the sacrifice is made, the faithfull people, who stand by, doe partake with the altar, which could not be, except a perma ne •… t substance were made by consecration.

The Lamb is vpon the table. He is offered there by y• Priests. It foloweth in the Councell.

8. We take truly the precious body and blood: We take it and truly take it. That is to say, in deed really and bodily. For theTrue body. truth of Christes body and blood, is not an imaginarie or fained truth, it is not a thing conceaued only (as a man might conceaue in his mind, men flying in the aier), it is not only beleued or hoped, but he in naturall existence, and among external things, hath as true a body and blood, as any creature hath a substance of his owne.

The true taking of the which precious body and blood, is theTrne taking. taking of it in suche a truth of subs •… ce as it self hath. And because it is true in y• thing it selfe, the taking of it, is in the thing it self.

9. The taking of that which s •… andeth before vs on the table, is by instrument of our bodyes, therefore it is deliuered according to the same external truth, by the corporall ministerie of y• Priests So that all is truly and externally done, by the iudgement of this auncient councell.

10. Wel, we truly taking them, beleue them to be the tokens of ourThe tokens of our redemption. redemption or as some bookes read, of our resurrection. For as our redemption was by the •… ame body and the same blood really wrought vpon the crosse: so hauing them selues present vpon y• holy table, and truly taking them, we take the sure witnesses and euident tokens of our redemption.Bread & wine be not 〈◊〉 of our redemption.

But if the things which stand vpon the holy table were in substance bread and wine, how could they be the tokens of our redemption? Did bread and wine redeme vs? Or did they rise from death for vs? It is the body and blood of Christ which redemed vs and which arose from death, and the self same body and blood are now made present to vs, & offered vnbloodely for vs, to shew in fact and dede, our redemption already wrought by them, and to distribute the fruits of y• Crosse, by none other thing so much, as by the same body and blood that redemed vs.

For least we should assigne any part of our saluation, to anyWhy Chri stes body is the tokē of our redemption. other creature besydes to the only body and blood of Christ, he made the selfsame body, both the price wherewith he redemed vs, and the token and dispensour of the redemption.

It was proued before, that if these things be the tokens of our redemption, instituted by the expresse words of Christ, then they are the things them selues, which they betoken, because they are mysticall tokens of the new Testament. But they are here not as redeming vs new, and therefore as tokens of y• old redemption, that no man should thinke Christ to die again, or should doubt (as S. Chrysostom hath noted) of his death already past, or ofChrysos. Hom. 83, in Math. any maner prices of our redemptiō to be payed then one, or that it hath any other token left thereof in the holy mysteries besydes it selfe.

For it was so worthy a truth and ra •… som payed for vs vpon the Crosse, which was able to be painted worthely or set foorth, to the remembrances of the faithfull by none other image, then such, wherein y• truth might be set foorth after an other sort more mystical, concerning the manner: But no lesse true then the thing which died was, concerning the substance.

Who so is faithfull and humble, is now able to vnderstād, howThe some of all that was sayd. the shew of bread and wine, standeth with the truth, of body and blood present on the holy table: How the vnbloody sacrifice, is made of the Priests, whiles by pronouncing the words of God they turne the substance of bread and wine in to the substance of Christes body and blood: how we both truly take the precious body and blood of Christ, cōcerning the substance of them, vnder the formes of bread and wine: And yet beleue them to be tokens instituted of Christ, of our redemptiō, betokening the price paid, by making present the body and blood which payed it.

Was not this a worthy place, for the Apologie to allege? ButHow much of this testimonie the Apolog •… left out. I warrant you, it alleged the weakest part therof, leauing out the situatiō of the Lamb of God, on the holy table: The vnbloody sacrifice made of Priests, the true taking and receauing of the pre cious body and blood. Only bread and wine, (which are named to shew the formes within the which the body and blood are) them they name, as a great matter, to further this new broched heresie.

But he is a faithfull trier and examiner of auncient Fathers, who faithfully citeth the whole place, neither adding nor diminishing, which honest dealing we may not looke, for, at these defenders hands.

¶ That the Catholiks haue the table of Egles, andThe. 〈◊〉 Chapiter. the Sacramentaries haue the table of Iaies.

ANd as Chrisostome writeth wel, we say, that the body ofThe Apo logie. Christ is the carcas, and we must be the Egles, that we may know, that we ought, to flye highe, if we will come to the body of Christ. For this is the table of Egles, not of Iayes.

It is a weake stake that these mē wold not take hold of, beingThe aunswere. now plunging for life, vnder the water.

S. Chrysostome so plainly expoundeth his owne meaning, immediatly where he speaketh, of the carcas and of the Egles, that I can not sufficiently wonder, at the impudēcie of him, who allegeth this place. For the alleger, wold haue the wordes taken, as though the body of Christ, were not vpon the altar: But we only shold by faith ascend into heauen, whereas S. Chrysostome speaketh, of going in to heauen, by good life also, and not by faith only. His words are these.

The body of our Lord is through death become the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Chryso. in. •… . cor. Hom. 24 carcase. for vnlesse he had fallen, we had not risen. Christ vseth the name of Egles to declare, that it behoueth him, who shall approchevnto his body, to seeke for high things, and not to medle with the earth, nor to be drawē down, or crepe vnto earthly matters, which are a low, but to flee allways vp to higher matters: And to behold the sonne of righteousnes, and to haue the eye and the mind quick of sight, for this is the table of Egles and not of Iaies. Hetherto S. Chrysostome.

1 The carcase. Who first sheweth why the body of Christ is called the carcase. Not because it is without life, but because it once hath died for vs

2 Like Egles. Secondly we must be like Egles in life and faith. In life by forsaking earthly affectiōs: In faith by quicknesse of mind, whiles we beleue, that not withstanding bread and wine appeare to vs, yet it is in deed an other 〈◊〉 .The propri •… es of the Egle.

The Egle hath many proprietes, as to flee highe, to looke •… edfastly vpon the sun, to see most clerely a farr of, and to take his pray most swiftly: To the flying high, our good life must answer: to y• quicknesse of sight, our faith: Not in suche sort to flee a highe as though the matter we seeke were not present, but to •… spie the body and blood of Christ vnder the formes of bread and wine.This is ye table o •… Egles.

For as S. Chrysostome saith: This is the table of Egles. He speaketh not now of heauen, which is a bo •… e the sun, he speaketh of the table which standeth in the Church before vs, wherupon ye sonne of righteousnes is situated, from which we take the foode of life, the ioye of heauen, y• earcase y• hath died for vs. The table is it whereof he speaketh.

What impudencie is this, so to abuse the wordes of that blessed man, as if he spake of going into heauen by faith, whereas in dede he speaketh of them that liue like the saints of heauen, and of thē that haue a quick sight, to witt, a faithfull vnderstanding, y• they be able as it were to loke through the formes of bread and wine. there to see vnder those formes the reall body and blood of Christ.The quic •… ight of Egles is 〈◊◊〉 .

For straight vpon the naming of a quick sight, he inferreth y• this is the table of Egles not of Iaies. As who sho •… ld say here is a meate that none can see but those who haue a most pure eye of faith.

Aquila (sayth S. Augustine) sublimiter volās, de tanto intervalloAugust. in lib. de diumat. Daemonū sub fluctibus natantem piscem dicitur ꝑ •… idere, & grauiter aquis illisa extertis pedibus at que vnguibus rapere. The Egle flying a high, is sayd most perfitly to see a great way of, a fishe swīming vnder the waues, and vehemētly beating her self against the water, by stretching out her feet and clawes, to snatch vp the fishe.

Behold an Egle seeth one thing vnder an other: And so mustAn Egle seeth one thing vnder an other. we repute y• table of Christ to haue in it one thing vnder an other. To haue vpon it the body of Christ vnder the form of bread. And therefore no •… e but Egles can espie the said body.

As for the Sacramentaries & Zuinglians they are like Iaies,The heret •… s are Iayes. euer pratling of the body of Christ, but neuer espying it, or seing where it lieth, they flee low as ye Iaies doe, as thinking that good works bring smal aide to •… ife euerlasting. They see weakely, and cōtent them selues with a base banket of bread and wine, requirīg to theyr bodies none other food of life.

And whereas the sonne of reghteousnesse hath couered him self as it were with the cloudes of bread and wine, to thint •… nt our eye might be able to beare more easily the bright •… esse of his shyning,The 〈◊◊〉 sight of •… tiks. yet they are of so dull and of so dimme eye sight, that th •… y say ther is nothing but 〈◊〉 vpon the table. So that our table is the table of E •… les, where faithfull Egles may e •… pie the sonne of 〈◊〉 present vpon the altar and table, and theyr table is the table of Iaies, where nothing is 〈◊〉 besydes that, which iufidell Iaies may find out by naturall eye sight, & bare naming without true being.

It foloweth in S. Chrysostm. If noman wil rashly handle anChryso. Hom. 24 in. 1. cor. other mans garment, how dare we, to our great shame and reproche, receaue this pure and immaculate body▪ which is Lord of al, which is partaker of the diuine nature, through which we haue our being and liuing, by which y• gates of hel are broken downe: and the gates of heauen set wide open?

Thus S. Chrysostome sheweth, vs to receaue this body of Christ, from y• holy table or altar, as truly, cōcerning the substance thereof, as we may truly touche, an other mans garment.

Heauen is vsed both in holy Scriptures and in the Fathers forHeauen. Lucae. 10. &. 12. &c the heauenly life. And so we must flee in to heauen, not, to receaue this body (so it is not said) but, when we approche vnto this body. The body is in earth with vs, cōcerning the nature and substāce thereof, vnder the formes of bread: But as it is a body glori •… ied, and thereby made heauenly, euen so we must clense and purge our selues from synne, when we come to it, and so be made heauenly,Lucae. 10. 1. Tim. 3. or flee in to the state of them who liue in heauen: And that state we professe who are called the kingdome of heauē, & y• howse of God.

¶ The bread, that is the meate of the mind and not of theThe. 28. Chapiter. belly, can be no wheaten bread, but only the bread of lyfe which is the body of Christ.

ANd Ciprian, this bread (sayith hee) is meate of the mynd,The Apo logie. not meate of the belly.

The truth is so strong, that y• more is brought agaynst it, theThe aunswere. better it is seene. The sayng of S. Ciprian maketh so clearly for the contrarie of that wich the Apologi teacheth, as it is possible to deuise.

If this bread be meate of the mind not meate of the belly, outThat the substance of bread r •… mameth not in Christes supper. of questiō, it is not material bread, it is not the substāce of cōmon bread. for though such materiall bread, be neuer so much hallowed, by prayer and thanksgeuing, yet it still remayneth, in substance, bread of the belly.

But seing y• substance of y• common bread, is changed into y• flesh of Christ, (as we catholikes beleue and teach) now, it can by no meanes be meate of the bellye. for albeit wee receiue it really, vnder the formes of bread, into our bodyes, and that also to feedTwo kinds of feeding. them, as wel as our sowles, yet there ar two kinds of feedyng, one, wich is to liue in this world (and in that case meate is for the belly, and the belly for meate, and God shall destroye both1. Cor. 6. the one & the other). But an other feeding is to life euerlasting, &Ioan. 6. yt is called by Christ, cibus permanens, meate which abideth & which perisheth not.

Such a meate, is the blessed body of Christ. It is a meat ī deed.The body of Christ is not the meate of y• belly. A meate wiche is truly eaten, but is not digested into our corruptible flesh, and voided as common meates are, but a litle and a litle, it feedeth and nourisheth vs to life euerlasting.

These defenders thought, if it were •… aten in deed, that it couldThe errour of y• Apologie. not be, but meate of the belly. As well they might blasphemously say, that because Christ was man in deed, he was born in synne. And in that opinion, they are like the Capharnaits, who couldIoan. 6. imagine none other kinde of meate, besides that which is diuided into peeces, and consumed by eating.

The true Christians haue learned, by the mercy of God, withCyrillus lib. 4. in Ioā. c. 14. holy Cyrillus, how the flesh of Christ (because it is y• flesh of God) may be eaten, and yet quicken the eaters, and make them liue to God, and notbe wasted by eating, but rather how it may profite our soules being worthely receaued into our bodies.

For so Tertullian sayeth. The flesh is fedde with the body andTertull. de resur. carnis. blood of Christ, to th'ende that the soule may be made fatte in God.

Perhaps the Apologists will say, that S. Cyprian doth call it bread: I answere he calleth it bread because it is meate for heThe kind of bread whereof S. Cyprian spea keth. sayeth, This bread is meate. But what kinde of meate? Panis iste quem Dominus Discipulis porrigebat, non effigie sed natura mu tatus omnipotentia verbi factus est caro. This bread which ou •… Lord ga •… e to the Disciples, being changed not in shape, but inCypria. de coena Domini. nature, is made flesh by the almighty power of the word.

Behold the kind of bread, it is cōmon bread in sha pe, but made the flesh of Christ in substance.

In the olde tyme sayth S. Ciprian, the shew loues being coldCypria. de coena Domini. and hard, were changed euery Sabothe daie, and hote loaues of the same nomber were wonte to be sette vpon ye table. I am nulla •… itpanis panis mutatio, vnus est panis caloris continui. Now there is no change of bread made, there is one loase os cōt •… al heate, which neuer is cold.

By this we vnderstand that somtyme S. Ciprian speaketh of common bread which Christ tooke into his handes, and that is changed, and is at euery tyme a new loafe. At other tymes he speaketh of ye bread whereunto ye change is made. And y• bread is ye flesh of Christ which is neuer changed. The first bread if it tar •… ed in substance, it should sill the belly.

But because the substance thereof is changed, the flesh of Christ which is made by consecration is the meate of the mind, and not of the belly. For it feedeth vs to that state of immortalitie where the belly shall no more be filled with coruptible meates. So that it feedeth vs in such sorte that we leaue to cherishe o •… r bellies so much the lesse, by how much the more we eate it 〈◊〉 .

¶ Sacramētall eating differreth from eating by faithThe. 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . alone whereof only S. Augustine speaketh in y• place al •… aged by the Apologie.

ANd Augustine. how (sayth he) shall I hold him that is absent?The Apo logie. How shall I reache forth my hand into h •… auen that I might hold him there sitting? Reach out (sayth he) faith: & thou hast caught him.

To make vp and to con •… lnde all these wrested places, which haueThe •… sivere. bene alleaged heretofore out of ye Fathers, a plaine text is brought forth out of S. Augustine, which speaketh neuer a wh •… t of y• presentAugust. tract. 50. in Ioan. controuersie, nor can not be at all applied to it.

The question betwixt vs is, whether Christes body bee present in ye Sacrament of the altar or •… o? The Apologie reasoneth thus

A Iewe that yet beleued not, niay beginne to beleue, and so mayThe arg •… ment of ye Apologie. streche forth his hand to heauen, and hold Christ fast by faith, although he be bodily absent, therefore Christes body after consecration dewly made, is not present vnder forme of bread.

Is not this a mighty argument, and worthy to be kept for the last place? A Iewe may hold Christ by faith if he wil beleue vponAugust. tract. 50. in Ioan. him, therefore he is not to be eaten really of faithful Christians in the Sacrament? Nos indicemus modo Iudaeis, vbi sit Christus. Let vs now shew to the Iewes (sayeth S. Augustine) where Christ is. Occisus est a parentibus eorum, he is •… aine of their Pa rents. Venturus est iudex, he shall come a i •… dge. Audiant & teneant, let them heare and hold. Respondet, quem tenebo? The I •… we maketh answere, whom shall I hold? Absentem? Shall I hold him that is absent? Quomodo in coelum manum mittam vt ibi sedentem teneam? How shall I stretch my hand vnto heauen that I may hold him sitting there? Fidem mitte, & tenuisti, strech out faith, and thou hast caught him. Parentes tui tenuerunt car •… , tu tene corde. Thy Parents haue holden (him) in flesh, hold hold •… (him) in harte. Quoniam Christus absens etiam presens est, because Christ being absent is also present. And againe, corpus suum intulit coelo, maiestatem n on abstulit mundo. Christ hath caried his body into heauen, he hath not taken away his maiestie from the world.

This dialogue S. Augustine made betwen him selfe & a Iew, not intending any whit, to spcake in that place of the Sacrament of the altar, wherof Iewes ought to know nothing. And yet commeth y• Apologie, and will proue that we touch not the body of Christ with our teeth, and iawes, but by faith, mind, and spirite, bycause, beside all the former argumentes (which be not woreth a strawe) S. Augustine telleth a Iewe, yt he may beleue vpon Christ absent in body, but present in maiestie of his Godhead.

You will say perhaps, If Christ be absent in body, that his body is not present vnder the form of bread, after consecration. Syr, S. Augustine speaketh not of Christs body, as it is in y• Sacramēt to be eaten, but as it is visible in heauen.Infidels were kept from Masse.

And to assure you therof, it was y• custome of y• primitiue Church, to let no infidel see, or be present, at y• tyme of Masse of y• Christiās. Therefore S. Augustine might not lawfully talke to a Iewe, of y• misticall presens of Christ in the Sa •… ament, neither surely any word of his in that alleaged place, is to be referred to the Sacramentall eating.

They are two distinct things, to receaue Christ by faith alone, and to receaue by faith and Sacramēt together: that may be doneReceauīg by faith. Act. 10. Sacramē tall receaning. Iustinus in Apol. 2. before baptisme (as it appeareth by Cornelius in the Actes of the Apostles) But a Sacramentall receauing in the supper of Christ, is graunted only to Christians after baptisme (as S. Justinus y• martyr and the experience it selfe doth witnesse)

For as he, that is not borne, can not eate, so he, y• is not regenerated in Christ, may not be suffered to eate his body & drinke his blood in the Sacrament. And truly, except a man hath so addicted him selfe to Christ, that he wil be contented to bele •… e what so euerWhy infi •… might not come to Masse. he shal say vnto him, he would neuer be persuaded, that vnder the forme of so small a peece of bread the reall body of Christ were conteyned.

But when he hath learned in the articles of his faith, yt Christ is God, and therefore almighty, after that belefe, he both can beleue his word to be true, when he sayd ouer bread which was taken: This is my body, and also may eate the same body of ChristMath. 26 to his profit, and to the encrease of life euerlasting. But what ignorance was this, to applie the eating of an infidell Iew to the mysticall eating, which only the faithfull make in Christes supper?

¶ The preface of the third Booke.

THe mysterie of Christes supper was so great, that not onlyGen. 14. Leuiti. 2. diuerse figures in the lawe of nature and of Moyses were by the Patriarches & Priests outwardly celebrated thereof, and not only diuerse predictiōs were made by the ProphetesProu. 9. Psal. 22. concerning the same: but also, when Christ him selfe was come into the world, he did both make an introduction to the promise of his supper by a miraculouse blessing and breaking of fiue andMath. 14 Marci. 7. seuē loaues to the Iewes, and more ouer in expresse words foretold, that he wold geue his flesh to be eaten, euen the same flesh,Ioan. 6. which he wold geue for the life of the world.

But for so muche as some men thinke, that Christ in the sixth Chapiter of S. Ihon speaketh not properly at all (no not so muche as by the way of promise) of his last supper: I must asTwo things are to be proued in this booke. well proue against them, who thinke so, that Christ spake in that place of the gift which he afterward made in his parting banket: As also, that the reall presence of his flesh and blood, is euidently proued by such words of promise, as he there vttered. For it can not be doubted, but the truthe it self performed all that in deed it self, whiche his words had before promised for the tyme to come.

Neither ought it to be a grief to any man, if in handling these matters I seeme to intreat of hard questions, which are aboue ye capacitie of the vulgar people. For the nature of all holy mysteriesAugust. de vtil. creden. ad Hon. cap. 2. is such, that (as S. Augustine sayeth) it may soner be impugned popularly and plausibly, then be so defended. Which notwithstanding, I haue done what I can to vtter all things plainly.

And yet who is there, that now can iustly find fault with me, for handling deepe and obscure matters? Is not euery man sufficiently instructed by this tyme to iudge of all points in diuinitie. Is not that man, who in parlement scared not to sit iudge of this high mysterie, and without the consent of any one Prelate in that howse, to condemne the vnbloody sacrifice of the blessed Masse, is not that man able to vnderstand suche writings, as are set foorth in that behalf? He that must, if a parlement be called, prescribe a faith vnto me (what, say I, vnto me?) he that will take vpon him to prescribe it to all the realme, to generall Councels, yea to the whole Churche, he that will accuse his Fathers and graundfathers euen to the tenth generation of ignorance, of superstition, and of idolatry, he that accompteth him self1. Cor. 2. spirituall, and therefore sufficient to discerne doctrines & spirits, will he say that a poore scholar of Oxforde doth write to high for his vnderstanding?

If it be so, let him vnderstand, that the sayd scholar is a very base member in Christes Church, and a very ignorant man, in re pect of those notable Bisshops & other diuines, whom he heardOf the 〈◊〉 Councell. and sawe at the Councell of Trent with suche admiration, that 〈◊〉 deed he was neither able nor worthy to speake among them. Let him vnderstand that those Fathers did so exactly serche out the truth of the present controuersies, as well by conferring together the holy Scriptures, as by vewing the bookes of the aun cient Doctors ánd Councels, that they spent in some one matter fower moneths cōtinual. To be short, let him vnderstand y• seing the tenth part of the learned men 〈◊〉 Christendome came not to y• Councell, and yet there were in it aboue two hundred persons of suche excellencie, for wit, learning, & vertue, that it passed much more the wisedom of any one realme, then the graue Senate of aThe wise dome of the whole Churche. whole realm doth excede yt particular Councell of neuer so meane a Litie: Let him, I say, vnderstand, what wisedom, what knowlege, what iudgement is, and hath bene in the whole Church of God, by the space of fiftene hundred yeres together. The preaching practise, and gouernement of which long tyme a few such feared not of late by their open voices to cōdemne, as to whom if a mā should at their own howse propose a very meane problemeThe iudges of reli giō in our tyme.▪ or doubt in diuinitie, they wold not only refuse to answer therevnto, but they wold also confesse plainly, that they neuer studied the science of Diuinitie. They wold swere if nede were, that they neuer attended principally to any other thing, then to serue God and their Prince, and to hauke or hunt. Whereof I put them in mind, to the end they should depely cōsyder with what temeritie they attempted, to determine the high and secret points of Christian faith, and that knowing their fault they should bewaile & amend the same. I beseche God to geue vs al grace to know our selues, and t •… beware that, whiles we couet to be as Gods in vnderstanding the Scriptures, we tast not of the tree which is named the knowlege of good and euill, and afterward be cast out of Paradise, because we contented not our selues with the orderGenes. 3. and condition, which our Lord had appointed for vs.

I trust, although the matters, which I intreat of, be very hard, to make them yet plain by such help as the aunciēt Fathers haue left vnto vs in their most learned works and commentaries. According to whose wisedome I wil expound those places of S. Ihon, which specially appertein to my purpose.

The Chapiters of the third booke. 1. The Argument of the sixt chapiter of S. Iohn is declared. 2. It is proued by circumstances, and by the conferēce of holy Scriptures, that Christ speaketh in S. Iohn of his last supper. 3. The same is proued out of the Fathers and Councels. 4. Answer is made to them that teache the cōtrary out of the Fathers. 5. Item to them, that teache the contrary out of the Scriptu •… es. 6. The gift of the euerlasting meate is shewed to be the gift of Christes flesh at his supper. 7. The equalitie of substance alleged betwene Christ and his Father, proueth one substance to be geuē both of God the Father to Christ, and of Christ to vs. 8. Christ is not the bread of life to vs by the gift of his flesh, except we eate really his own flesh. 9. Whereas three giftes are named in S. Iohn, Christes gift partaketh of both the other, & therefore conteineth his reall flesh vnder a figure. 10. The midle state of the new Testament betwene the law and glory requireth the same truth, which is in heauen, to be geuē vnder a figure. 11. The bread that Christ will geue, which is his flesh, must nedes be meant of the substance of his flesh. 12. Christ himself sheweth, that the eating of him by faith or in a figure only differeth far from the real eating of his flesh in his last supper. 13. Christes flesh to be as really present in his supper, as water is at baptism: In so much that childern were somtyme communicated. 14. That S. Augustin did not teache these wordes, except ye eate the flesh & caet. to betoken only eating by faith and spirit, or by figure alone. 15. Christes flesh, being meate in dede, must needes be really present to be eaten. 16. By the maner of Christes tarying in vs, it is ꝓued that we eate his reall flesh. 17. VVe are one with Christ by eating his flesh in the naturall substāce thereof, as he is one nature with his Father by eternall generation. 18. The reall presence of Christes hody vvas so true, that it vvas taught with the losse of many disciples. 19. How the flesh profiteth nothing vvithout the spirit. 20. The wordes of Christ, being spirit and life, make and witnesse his flesh to be present miraculously and aboue the course of nature.

¶ The argument of the sixth Chapiter of S. Ihon isThe first Chapiter. declared.

WHereas Christ may be receaued either by faith & spirit only, without the Sacrament of the altar, or els in theChrist may be receaued thre ways Sacrament of the altar only, without liuely faith and grace, or in both together, which is the most fruitfull kinde of communicating: some haue thought, that in the sixth chapiter of S. Iohn there is no talke of the second and third kinde of receauing (which is referred to the Sacrament of the altar) but only of the first, which is by faith and charitie.

Merily those men are not to be blamed for saying y• Christ speakethChrist speaketh not in S. Ihon of vnworthy eating. not there, of y• second kinde of eating which is by Sacramēt alone, without spirituall eating and drinking (for thereof in deed he speaketh not) but they are to be reprehended, if they denie y• he speaketh of such Sacramētall eating, as is vsed in our Lords supper, when it is (as it always ought to be) worthely receaued.

My purpose is at this tyme, to shew that albeit Christ in the former part of that Chapiter speaketh for the most part of spirituallWorthy Sacramētal eating is spo ken of to ward the end of y• Chapiter. eating and drinking only, yet afterward he speaketh also of yt eating which is by receauing worthely the Sacrament of yt altar at y• Priests hands. for to that ende chiefly goeth all the talke of it, not as though spirituall receauing alone were not better then only Sacramentall receauing, but because both together are better then one alone. Christ presseth his Disciples to such a receauing of him selfe as is most perfit of all. For proofe of which thing, I am constrained bri •… fly to touche the tyme and order of Christes talke.

A litle more then one whole yere before his passion, Christ about the greate feast of Easter, went beyond the sea of Galilee, and wrought that notable miracle, wherein he fedde about fiue thousandIoan. 6. men with fiue loa •… es and two fishes. Wherby y• people were induced y• rather to seeke him yt next day at 〈◊〉 . WhomThe miracle of multiplying bread, was a pre paratorie to the talk of Chrystes supper. he no 〈◊〉 sawe, but he did put them in mind of yesterdays miracle, telling them that they followed him, not for the signessake which they had sene, but because they had eaten their bellies full of bread. as though he had sayd: my intent was yt you should rather haue noted ye miracle, then haue respected your bellies▪ which 〈◊〉 sith you haue not done of your selues, I warne you thereof willing you to worke, not the meate which perisheth (as yesterdays bread & fish did) but that which tarieth vnto life euerlasting, which the Sonne of man will geue you.

In these words Christ doth manifestly declare (as also S. Chry •… ostomChryso. in ca. 6. Ioan. Ho mi. 45. Math. 14. hath noted) that the miracle of fiue loaues appertained in some part vnto his last supper, whereof he intended at that tyme to speake, taking an occasin of that bread which by blessing and thanksgeuing he had multiplied. For which cause he sayd, worke 〈◊〉 other kind of mea •… e then ye did yesterday, for y• meate is now perished, and ye are a hungred againe. Worke a meate that may tary longer with you, y• may tary vnto euerlasting life. Hitherto the words of Christ may be meant▪ by spirituall eating and drinking only,

B •… t the words that follow, do meane also a further kinde of eatingThe gift of Christ which is to come is meant of his supper and drinking. For when he sayth: which the sonne of man wil geue you, he plainely meaneth yt gift of his last supper, as Theophylact doth witnesse, but yet vttereth his meaning after a secret sort, as S. Cyrillus doth write vpon the same place. And in dede yt 〈◊〉 Christ doth expound the spirituall eating before the Sacrametall •… ating. is the gift which is namely reserued in this Chapiter to the sonne of man, as it shall appere afterward.

But because they could not come to y• worthy working of Chrstes own gift, vntill y• worke of faith were by y• 〈◊〉 wrought in them, he straight declareth by an occasion taken of the olde figure manna, how they must haue faith from God, to beleue vpon him. for that he was the bread of life, who came downe from heauen to geue life eu •… rlasting both in body and soule to all such as his Father brought vnto him. for who so euer should eate of that bread which him selfe was, should liue for euer.

After which preparation made, he retourneth to expound his owne gifte which he named the gifte of ye Sonne of man shewing most expressely that which he will geue in his last supper: And theIoan. 6. bread which I will geue is my flesh for the life of the world. TheSpiritual •… ating was present. gift of spirituall eating by faith & charitie was not to come when Christ spake vnto his Disciples. For it was then present, & therefore he sayd presently, I am the bread of life, meaning that he was presently so, cōcerning spiritual feeding, in so much as, if any man would haue beleued in him, euen at that instāt, he might through grace haue eaten of Christ.

But Christ sayth his own peculiar gift was to come: and thereSacramental eating was to come. fore he continueth expounding his gift in many sentences, vntill at the last he sayth, he that eateth this bread (which him self had before promised to geue to be eaten) shall liue for euer.

I will by Gods grace make ye proofe hereof so plaine hereafter, as any reasonable man shall desire. Only first protesting that I folowe not myne own braine herein, but yt iudgemēt of all y• •… cient Fathers, who with one accorde haue taken this Chapiter to speake (by way of promise), of the Sacrament of the altar, which was iustituted by Christ in his last supper.

¶ It is proued by circumstances & by ye cōference of holyThe secōd Chapiter. Scriptures y• Christ speaketh in S. Ihon of his last supper.1. The tyme of Easter.

HE y• doth well consider ye only time when this talke was had, he that weygheth how Christ hauing made yt greate1. The miracle made •… n bread. miracle in blessing fiue loaues, doth the next daie about the time of Easter, one whole yere before the celebrating of his last supper, as it wer make both a prophecie and a promise3. The Pro pheticall promise. what he would do y• Easter twelue moneth after, he that conferreth as well what was done and sayd abonte the sea of Tiberias4▪ The conference of things done and sayd. and at Capharnaū as what was done and said in the last supper which was kept the night wherein he was betrayed, he that noteth the fathers gift to be accompted present, and that to be the working of belefe in yt hartes of the faithful (which is a spiritual5. The present eating of Gods gift. eating of Christ) but y• sōnes gift to be rekoned as a thing to come hereafter, and to be called eating his flesh and drinking his blood (Wich if it shall differ any thing at all from the fathers gift, must nedes be more then a spirituall eating of Christes flesh) he shall6. The eating of Christes gift to come. Ioan. 6. Math. 26 Marc. 14. perceane •… this chapiter both a spirituall eating presently offred, and a sacramentall eating promised hereafter •… the naturall substāce of flesh and blood. which in this place thus breefly touched shall at large be handled in the treatise folowing.

At this tyme he that conferreth what was done and sayd both at the last supper of Christ and the yere before about the sea of1. Bread taken. Tyberias: shall see concerning the doyngs, bread taken in bothe places, blessing and thanksgeuing in bothe, eating in bothe.

And as concerning words, let him deeply ponder, and consider2. Blessing. that as in S. Iohn he began his talke of cōmon bread saying to ye 3. Thanksgeuing. Iewes: ye folow me because yehaue eaten of the loaues of bread, 4. Eating. but at the length he ended his talke with the eating of his fleshe, and drynking his blood: So in his last supper he tooke into his5. From bread to flesh. Math 26 handes cōmon bread, but at the length he ended his banket in the eating his body and drinking his blood.

As in S. Iohn he speaketh distinctly of a meate which the sōne6. The sōne of man is the geuer. of man will geue: So at his supper, ye soon of man did administer the whole gift of his heauenly meate in his owne person.

As in S. Iohn he saieth: the bread which I will geue, that is to7. Meare is geuen▪ Mar. •… 4. Mat. 26. say, ye meate of my last supper: so in his last supper he tak •… g bread after blessing & breakyng, d •… th geue a blessed food saying, sumite, take.8. That is 〈◊◊〉 which Christ toke first. 〈◊〉 . 6.

As in S. Iohn he sayd, the bread whiche I will geue, and not the bread whiche I will take: so in his supper he tooke one kind of bread, and gaue an other. For as in S. Iohn he saieth, the bread which I will geue is my flesh: so at his last supper after he had taken cōmon bread, and blessed, he sayed: Take, this is my body. 9. Flesh and body is geuen. Ioan. 6.

As in S. Ihon the bread to be geuen and the flesh of Christ is all o •… e: so in his supper he geueth none other bread besides his owne body. For the substance of the cōmon bread was chaunged by blessing and speaking the wordes.10. No common bread is geuen. Ioan. 6.

As his bread and flesh was sayd to be in S. Iohn for the lyfe of yt world: so in his supper he sayd: This is my body which is geuen for you. 11. The flesh that died is geuen.

As in S. Iohn he saieth, my flessh is meate in deed: so in his supper he saieth: take, eate, this is my body. That whiche is eaten in deed, is meate in deed.12. The gift is eaten in deed. Ioan. 6.

As in S. Ihon there is mention o •… drinking the blood of Christ: so in his supper he sayth: drink ye al of this, for this is my blood.

As in S. Ihon there is no mention of wine to be geuen or drū ken:13. The blood is drunkē. Ioan. 6. so Christ in his supper neither spake of wine at the tyme of drīking, nor gaue any wine at all to be drūken, because it was by his words changed into his blood.14. No wine was •… run ken. Ioan. 6.

As at Capharuaum certaine of his Disciples went away from him: so at his last supper he did reiect and separate them from his table. And as his twelue Apostles most faithfully taried with him at Capharnaum: so they alone were in the night of his betraying admitted to his holy table.15. The. xij. only taried 〈◊〉 both places.

As at Capharnaum when Christ had asked the twelue, whether16. The. xij. protested in bothe places not to •… orsake Christ. Ioan. 6. they also wold goe away, S. Peter answered for them (Lord to whom shall we goe?) meaning they were not offended •… , nor wold nōt got from him: euen so after his last supper S. Peter & likewise all the rest sayd they wold not de •… ie him, though all the world forsoke him, or toke offence against him.

As at Capharnaum Christ sayd, that one of the twelue was a deuill: so at his last supper y• Bospel doth tell that Satan entred17. Iudas was reproued in both places. Ioan. 13. into Iudas one of the twelue.

If the tyme, wordes, dedes, & persons throughly agree, it is vnsemely to make them diuerse kindes of eating and drinking, whereof one man at one tyme of the yere speaketh and practiseth to the same Disciples so conformable a doctrine and doing.

¶ It is proued out of the holy Fathers and generallThe third Chapiter. Councels, that Christ in S. Ihon spake of his last supper.

THat I may here omit S. Ignatius, who defineth ye breadIgnatius •… epist. ad Roman. of God, of heauen, and of life (which is named in the sixth of S. Ihon) to be the flesh of Christ and his cup or blood: That I may let passe Clemens Alexandrinus, who speaking ofClemens Alexād. De Paeda gogo. li. 1. ca. 6. Ioan. 6. Origen. Hom. 7. sup num. Ioan. 6. the nourishment which we, that are baptized in Christ, haue by him, calleth it not only Christ, the word, milk, bread and drink, but also the flesh and blood, and body of Christ, and the mysterie of bread, alleging diuerse places out of S. Ihon for that purpose: Last of all, that I may not stand vpon Origen, who comparing the fulnes of Baptism to the red sea which was but a shadow, and likewise the Sacramēt of Christes supper to Mauna, declareth out of S. Ihon that now the flesh of Christ is meate in deed, by that meanes witnessing, that he toke the words of the sixth of S. Ihon to belong to the mysterie o •… Christes last banket: Surely S. Cyprian doth not only by occasion of other talk,Cypria. in oratio nem Do mini. but euen of set purpose teache, that who so euer for some great fault is any long tyme kept from the body of Christ in the Sacrament, he is in danger of euerlasting life. And y• because Christ sayd: except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man, and drink his blood, ye shal not haue life in you. And yet he should wholy faile of his proofe, if that place which he bringeth out of S. Ihon, did not proue the necessitie of communicating Sacramentally.

S. Athanasius setting foorth a brief and compendiouse rehersalAthanasius in Synopsi. no. testa. lib. 4. Ioan. 6. of the whole diuine Scripture, witnesseth that Christ at his coming to Capharnaum, reasoneth with the multitude concerning the mysteries. Which saying of his can not be iustified according to the historicall sense which he professeth in that worke, if Christ in S. Ihon spake principally of yt spirituall eating which is besyde his holy mysteries.

S. Hilarie disputing of the naturall veritie of Christ which isHilarius libr. 8. de Trinit. Ioan. 6. in vs by the Sacramēt of receauing his flesh, doth not only bring for that intent, these words, My flesh is meate in deed: But also concludeth that as well by the profession of our Lord, as by our own faith Christes flesh is truly in vs. And certainly he meaneth it so to be in vs as we receaue it in his last supper. But if ye place by him alleged proue not so muche, his reason lacketh a sufficient ground, for so much as he citeth none other authoritie for that argument of his against the Arrians, but only the words which are in S. Ihon. By those words he affirmeth Christ to be in vs after such sort, that he is in vs naturally, and we naturally in him.

S. Basile intituling his booke of Baptism, and wholy bent toBasilius de bapt. li. 1. ca. 3. declare the Sacraments of Christes Church, sheweth that after our second birth nourishment is necessarie to vs, & straight way bringeth foorth Christes words in S. Ihon: ioyning them with the words of his last supper, which S. Basile sayeth to be writenIoan. 6. in the end of the Gospels, thereby geuing vs to vnderstand that as the performance was made in the end, so the promise went before. Is it not maruaile now that any thing should be pretended out of this blessed man for the contrarie opinion? But how iustly it is pretended, wee shall see afterward.

Gregorius of Nyssa brother to S. Basile teacheth the flesh ofGregorius Nys senus in vita Moy sis. Ioan. 6. Christ to be a bodily thing because it is made meate for mans body. That it is meate he proueth out of S. Ihon. For there only are found the chief words by him alleged, which are, Panis enim qui de coelo descendit qui verus cibus est, non incorporea quaedam res est. For the bread which came down from heauen which is the true meate is not a thing without a body. Quo enim pacto (sayth he) res incorporea corpori cibus fiet? For by what meanes will a thing which lacketh a body be made meate vnto the body? Doubtlesse Christ is made meate vnto our bodies no where els but only in the Sacramēt of his supper. And therefore this great clerck thought him self to reason wel, in bringing such words as are in S. Ihon for that effect which belongeth to the holy cōmunion. Because he iudged both places of holy Scripture to be of one argument.

Cyrillus of Hierusalem intreating of the Sacrament of the altar,Cyrillus Catech. mystagogi. 4. so euidently citeth these words of S. Ihon, Excepte ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man, & caet. that noman may doubt of his meaning. And because this part of my work wold be ouer long if I should staye so long vpon euery of the aunciēt Fathers, I besech the studiouse Reader to be content that hereafter I may in fewer words declare euery mans iudgemēt, shewing him the place of the author, where if it please him, he may at more leisure examine all the circumstances.Ambros. de Sacra men. li. 6 cap. 1. Euseb. Emissen. Hom. 5. •… Pa •… cha.

S. Ambrose disputing of the truth of Christes flesh in the Eucharist, although it selfe be not sene, bringeth out of S. Ihon: My flesh is meate in dede, and except ye eate the flesh, &c.

Eusebius Emissenus hauing spoken of the bread and wine of Melchisedech, sheweth Christ to haue spoken of eating his own •… esh, & of drinking his own blood in S. Ihon, as of two kindes whereby he is receaued, which is done no where but in Christes supper.

S. Chrysostom is so plaine herein, that of those wordes, theChryso. Hom. 44 in Ioan. bread which I will geue is my flesh, he maketh none other literal meaning, but such as apperteineth to the Sacrament of Christes body. And yet he expoundeth the former partes of the Chapiter indifferently of spirituall eating and drinking.

S. Augustine albeit he may seme vpon S. Ihon to presse mostAugust. in Ioan. cap. 6. tract. 26. earnestly vpon the w •… itie, which we haue with Christ by eating his •… esh and drinking his blood, and by tarying in him, & hauing him tarying in vs: yet he meaneth not to exclude out of those wordes al Sacramentall receauing, but only the vnworthy Sacramentall receauing. For he sayth expresly, he that tarieth not in Christ ea •… eth not spiritually his flesh▪ albei •… carnally and visibly he presse with his teath the Sacramēt of 〈◊〉 body and blood of Christ. There is a dubble spiritual eating of Christ.

So that by S. Augustine there is a dubble spirituall eating of Christes flesh, one without the Sacrament, and an other with the Sacrament. Christ so spake of both, that he spake specially of the most per •… it, which is obteined by worthy receauing of ye Sacrament.August▪ in Ioan. cap. 6. As the greatest signe there of, so the highest 〈◊〉 is in this Sa crament. August. de •… uit. Dei li. 27 cap. 5. Ioan. 6. Out of this worthy receauing riseth that greate societie & vnitie with Christ & his mysticall body, whereof S. Augustine so much speaketh: This is the Sacramēt of Godlines, the signe of vnitie, the bonde of cha •… itie. Without eating of this, one way or other, no life euerlastīg is to be loked for: & by eating y• same wor thely in y• best kinde of way (which is in the Sacrament of the altar) the highest degree of vnitie with Christ our head is ob •… eined.

As the best signe of vnitie is in the forin of this Sacrament, so the best effect springeth o •… t of the worthy receauing of ye substāce which is vnder that form. Therefore in other places S. Augustīe 〈◊◊〉 words out o •… S. Ihon (This bread w •… cih I w •… ll geue is my flesh for the life of the world) to shew the Priesthod of Melchisedech, which Priesthod him selfe declareth to be in theAugust. Epist. 95 Sacrament of the altar saying: Melchicedech prolato Sacramento mensae dominicae, nouit aeternum eius Sacerdotium figurare. Melchisedech by bringing forth the Sacrament of our Lords table,August. de conse. Euange. li. 3. ca. 1. de ciuit. li. 17. c 5. de verb. Apostol. Serm. 2. de pecca▪ mer. li. 1. ca. 20. & 24. in Psal. 33. &. 98. cō tra Crescō. Grā. li. 1. c. 25. de verb. Do. Ser. 11. &. 46. q. ī Leui. ca. 57. Hieron. in. 1. ca. Epist. ad Ephes. Ioan. 6. Cyrillus Alexandrinus. li. 4. c. 14. &. 16. did know to shew the •… igure of his euerlasting Priesthod.

Furthermore S. Augustine expounding these words of S. Ihon of the last supper in very many places of his works most expresly sayth, that S. Ihon spake nothing of the body and blood of our Lord in the thirtenth Chapiter (where he mentioned the last supper,) sed plane alibi multo vberius hinc Dominum locutū esse testatur. But verily in an other place S. Ihon witnesseth our Lord to haue spoken much more copiously thereof. Except S. Augustine thought y• sixth Chapiter of S. Ihon to appertein literally to the Sacrament of the altar, he wold neuer haue sayd that S. Ihon spake not of the supper in the due place, because he spake of it in an other place more copiously. But of S. Augustie I will speake again hereafter.

S. Hierome sayth, the flesh and blood of Christ is vnderstanded two ways or in two maners: Either that spirituall and diuine, whereof he sayd. My flesh is meate in dede and my blood is drinke in dede, &c▪ or els y• flesh which was crucified for vs, and y• blood which was shed with the speare of the Souldiour. And that one substance is in eche maner of flesh and blood (only the maner of geuing it being diuerse) it appereth also by the sentēce folowing, where he sayeth: one flesh of the Sai •… res may see the saluatiō of God, an other flesh can not possesse heauen. Not that the substāce of natural flesh, but the worthines of the men is diuerse.

S. Cyrillus of Alexandria writing vpon S. Ihon of purpose and shewing the most literall sense thereof that he could deuise, or learn, interpreateth the whole sixth chapiter of S. Ihon of the Sacramēt of the altar, naming very many tymes the partaking of the holy mysteries and the mysticall blessing, and the communicating of the holy chalice. Also vpon those words, I will reyseCyrillus in 〈◊〉 . li. 4. ca. 15. him vp again, he maketh this exposition: Ego, id est, corpus meū quod comedetur, resuscitabo eum. I will reise him, that is to say, my body that shalbe eaten, shall reise him. As if he sayd, I will reise him, because my body which shalbe eaten of him, shall reise him.

Sedulius proueth the chalice of blessing to be the communicati •… gSedulius in 1. Cor. 10. Leo in serm. 6. de Ieiun. mens. 7. Theodo ritus in D •… alo▪ 1. of Christes blood according as Christ said: He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, &c.

Leo the great sayth, we ought so to communicate with our Lords table, that we doubt nothing of the veritie of his body and blood, seing he sayd: Except ye eat the flesh, &c.

Theodoritus speaking of the holy mysteries, ioyneth with the words of the supper these also: The bread which I wil geue is my flesh, which I will geue for the life of the world.

Isychius shewing that the penitent person may eate the breadIsychius in Leuit. li. 6. c. 22. whereof Christ sayd: The bread which I will geue is my flesh, ioyneth there with all the words of S. Paul: Let a man proue him self and so eate: Declaring both sayings to belong to one mysterie.

Theophilact vpon these words: The bread which I will geue, witnesseth that Christ manifestly telleth vs in this place of the mysticall communion of his body.Damasce nus de Orthod. l. 4. c. 14.

Damascenus declaring that Christ sayd: This is my body, and not the figure of my body, bringeth for the same purpose: Except ye eate the flesh, &c.

Prosper Aquitanicus ioyneth these words, Except ye eate theProsper de vocat. gent. lib. 1. cap. 18. flesh, &c. with these, except a man be born again of water, to shew that the Sacraments of Christ doe geue vs grace, and not o •… r own works which goe before baptism. As therefore S. Cyprian and S. Augustin applie those two sayings to two seuerall Sacraments of baptism, and of the Eucharist: so must we think thatProcop. in commēt. in cap. 12. Prosper doth who most diligently folowed S. Augustine. Proco pius Gazeus writeth, y• these words: except ye eate my flesh, &c. Typum mysteriorum quae sub ipso latent, continent, conteine the foorm of the mysteries which lie priuie vnder it.

Eucherius teaching that Christ feedeth vs with the nourishmētsEucher. in 2. Reg. cap. 4. of the healthiull mysterie, saith that he distributeth to euery man a •… ake of that bread, which came down •… rom heauen and geueth life to the world.

Cassiodorus saying that Christ did co •… secrate his body & bloodCassiod. in psalm. 109. Ioan. 6. Primat. in 1. Cor. cap. 10. in geuing of bread and wine, proueth it because him self sayd: Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man, &c.

Primatius shewing how the chalice of blessing is the communicating of the blood of Christ, bringeth our Sauiour his words in S. Ihon saying, he that eateth my flesh & drinketh my blood, tarieth in me and I in him. S. Bede folowed in all points S. Augustin, whose words he reciteth both vpon S. Ihon, & vponIoan. 6. Beda in Ioan. 6. 1. Cor. 10 & 11. Angelomus in 1. Reg. c. 2. Ha •… o in 1. Cor. cap. 11. Bernardusin 〈◊〉 . 90. vers. tertio. S. Paule. And therefore we nede not doubt but he is wholy of y• same mind.

Angelomus vpon the first booke of the kings reciteth S. Ihon in the same sense.

Haimo vpon S. Paule intreating of the Sacrament conferreth S. Paules words with the sixth of S. Ihon.

S. B •… rnard although he say the eating of the flesh of Christ to be the folowing of his painful conuersation in suffering voluntarie 〈◊〉 for his sake, yet well knowing that Christ spake literally also of an other kinde of eating, he saieth, that Christ did speake of penance in a figure, that is to saie, couertly as rather including penance vnder the wordes which he named, then expressely naming it. Vnde & hoe designat illibatum illud altaris sacramentum, vbi dominicum corpus accipimus. wherefore that pure Sacrament of the altar where we take our Lords body betokeneth so much.

Behold the true and literall meaning of Christes wordes is to haue his flesh eaten in the sacrament of the altar. But that eating importeth a folowing of Christ in his painful conuersation. For as that forme of bread (saieth S. Bernard) is seene to enter into vs: so let vs knowe that Christ thorough that conuersation which he had in earth, eutreth into vs, to dwell by faith in our hartes.

Whereby we maie perceaue that S. Bernard vnderstandeth the sixth chapter of S. Iohn so literally of the sacrament of the altar, that thereupon he buildeth a couert and a figuratiue preaching of penance.

Euthymius noteth that Christ did not say: I do geue myEuthymius in 6. Ioan. Ioan. 6. Nicolaus Methon. In tract. flesh, but I wil geue, because he minded to geue it in his last supper. Nicolaus Methonensis hauing first rehersed the wordes of the Gospell, this is my body, straight expoundeth all the chapter of S. Iohn thereof, shewing the profit which we take by this Sacrament.

Samonas after the wordes of the supper declared, as not betokeningSamonas in tract. a figure or image, affirmeth Christ to haue said in other places the same thing, and straight reciteth the sixth chapiter of S. Iohn. I omitt here Petrus Cluniacensis, Guimundus, Algerus, Lanfrancus, S. Thomas de Aquino, Albertus Magnus, Dionysius the Carthusian, Nicolaus de Lyra, & a great number of late writers, which all agreed vpon the same vnderstanding ofGonciliū Tridentinum. sessione. 13. ca. 2. the sixth of S. Iohu.

But what speake I of these Fathers one by one? not only the Councel of Trident hath taken witnesse for the Sacrament of the altar out of S. Iohn, but also the seuenth kept at Nice, and the first kept at Ephesus doth allege against Nestorius the heretikeConcilium Nice num 2. Concilium Ephe sinum in epist. ad Nestorium. for the presence of Christes person in the Sacramēt, the wordes of S. Iohn his gospell.

Yea the whole west church readeth the same gospell of S. Iohn, when it celebrateth the feast of corpus Christi daie. And surely whē the Church kepeth any feast, whereof there is mention in the gospell according to the letter, it alwaies chooseth to reade that part, where the feast is literally mentioned. It wold thereforeThe prac tise of the churche. be very absurd, sith S. Mathew, S. Marke, and S. Luke, haue written so distinctly the historie of Christes supper, to leaue them all, and to reade the wordes of Christ in S. Iohn, if the same wordes had any other sense more literall then that, which belongeth to the supper of Christ.

So that I trust there is no possible cause of doubting to a sober man, but that the wordes of Christ in this chapiter maie literally and according to the first and chief meaning of them, be brought to declare, what we ought to thinke of his bodily presence in the Sacrament of his last supper. But if any man be not fully satisfied therein, let him reade the processe folowing, and he shal haue lesse cause to doubt any more in this matter.