FIrst it is to be noted, that all Sacramentes aswell of the olde lawe as also of the newe lawe: were instituted and ordeyned of God to put vs in remembraunce of his most louing benefites and most mercifull kyndnes shewed and done vnto vs. Which benefites, these sacramentes thorough gods worde doe offer vnto our mindes and not to our senses and we receyue the said benefites by faythe, into oure soules, and not wyth our senses into our bodyes. Sacramētes be of such cō ditions and nature, that they haue in them two thinges to be considered, the one is an outward visible thinge which perteyneth vnto the bodyly senses and is also-receiued therby. The other thing is not perceyued nor receyued wt any bodily senses, but as a pure and mere spiritual thing, a benefite [Page] done by God vnto mā, perteinyng only vnto the soule, whyche spiritual benefite is geuen & done by god vnto man: because it shold be had & reteyned in cōtinual memorye of the christiā man. These outward & sensible thynges, were instituted and ordeined to sygnifie & represent the same, hauing in nature a propertie and condicion somewhat cōfirmable & lyke to expres, and represent the thing which thei declare and singnifie. As bread hath a natural properti to fede, cōfort, and sustain the natural bodi: so Christes bodi betraied and his bloud shed for the remission of our sinnes: feadeth, cō forteth, and susteyneth, the soule of the christian man, borught into greate feare and sorowe, with the syght of the multitude and greuosnes of his sinnes. Which hungreth and ernestlie thristeth [Page] for the iustice of God, and remission of hys sayed synnes. And if these thynges be well noted and pondered, it wyll cause to cease contencion moued about the maner of receyuyng of the sacramēt for all christean mē muste condescend and agre, that euery faythfull Christian, (thorough Gods word in ye sacramēt, dulie to him exhibited and ministred) doth eat and receyue bi faith in Gods promyse, Christes fleshe and dryncketh his bloude. So that ye thing is not in contencion. Whether we eate Christes flesh, or dryncke hys bloude or no in ye Sacramēt but the forme & maner of eatyng Christes fleshe and drynkyng his bloude is in cōtēciō. For some of the clergie striue stowtly, and teache vngodlie that we should eate and receyue Christes naturalle-bodye wyth our teth, drynke and [Page] swallowe hys bloude wyth oure mouth and throte affirming veri grossely Christes natural bodie so to be naturally reallye, and bodeli present, in the sacrament therof, and that euerie man whych receyueth the sacrament, receyueth also the natural bodie of Christ: be he neuer so wicked & vnfaythful. An other sort of teachers, preach, ye receiuing of the sacrament, with our mouth and chewing it wyth our teth: we eate not nor receyue Christes natural bodi: and drinking and receiuing the wine with our lippes & throt, we drink not Christes bloude, except we faithfully and constantlie beleue Christes bodie to be betrayed for vs: and his bloud to be shed for ye remission of oure sinnes, For the mouth (saye they) receyueth not nor tasteth, anie other thing then breade and wyne. But Christes [Page] body slaine & his bloud shed for the remission of our sinnes (which is the spirituall gyfe and grace of God geuen to vs in the sacramēt) the soule eateth and receyueth by fayth to his great spiritual comfort, cōmoditie, and profit: and the mouth: cannot receiue, nor tast it. For cōfirmacion wherof, thei say that man consisteth and is made of a bodie and of a soule, the bodi is a natural and a materiall substance, which is fed with natural and corporal sustenaunce, & noryshement. And the soule of man, (which we cal the spirit & mynde) is a spiritual substaūce which cā not eate nor receiue anye bodelie meat & sustinaūce. For the soule being a spiritual substaūce, hath no teth mouth nor stomacke, to receyue or degest anie suche bodelie sustinaūce,Math. xv. for that which entreth into the mouthe defileth not the [Page] soule (which is in the inward mā) saith Christ. So in lykewise, that whiche entreth into the mouthe profiteth not the soule (beyng the inward man) which cānot receiue it So that the sacrament, which ye vngodlie sai) bi vertue of gods word spoken by the priest, is turned into the natural, reall, and corporal bodie of Christes natural substaunce, leauyng ye nature of bread, is yet such a natural substaunce that cānot enter into the spiritual soule, by bodelie eatyng and receyuynge therefore with ye mouth. For our soule is norished fed, & liueth bi the spirit of Christ and not by the bodeli eatyng of his body with our teeth. For in ye maner of eatinge with the teeth, Christes flesh profiteth not (saith Christ) It is his holy spirit that quickeneth and maketh vs aliue, for spirit liueth not but bi the spirit [Page] of Christ. For whosoeuer hath the spirit of Christ, ye same is Christes saith Paul And as touching this bodeli eating of Christes bodie, with the teeth of men, it differeth not from the fond & vngodli opinion of the Caperna [...]es rehersed in the .vi. of Ihon. Which hearyng Christ say: I am ye bread of lyfe and the bread which I wil geue you is my fleshe. And further he sayd, excepte you eate my slesh, & drink my bloud you shal not haue life in you. They sayde, this word and sayng is veri hard Who can heare hym? how can he geue vs his flesh to eate? For thei thought that he woulde haue geuen vnto thē, perceles, and gobbettes of hys tural, and bodily flesh to eate with their teeth, and to haue let out part of hys natural bloud for them to drink. Euē lyke as some of our clergie groselie [Page] (and no lesse fondlie) imagyne and without any feare of God, or worldlie shame preache, the same And althoughe Christ louyngly, myndyng and wyllyng to teache them, the profitable and spiritual eatyng and drinkyng of his flesh and bloude, sayde: doo these my wordes offende you? what and yf you shall see the sonne of manne ascēde where he was before? The spirit quickneth, the fleshe profiteth not. Yet this his answer, did nothyng teach theym the godlye and spiritual eatyng & drinking of his naturall fleshe and bloude because as Christ sayd there were som of them which did not beleue So that without true belefe no man can eate Christes fleshe and drinke his bloud,Iohn. vi. and then he eateth and drynketh it spirituallie to his godli profite. Also if the sacramēt be turned into Christes [Page] tural and real bodie (as the most part of oure cleargie vntrulie do preache, & teache.) then it weare also reason, that the same natural-and reall bodie should also be receiued and perceiued with our sē ses. For Christes natural bodie al though it be nowe glrified and immortal, yet it is not so spirituall that it is inuisible, and that proued Christ, when after his resurrectiō he appered vnto his disciples, Luke. xxiiii. saiyng. Fele and se a spirit hath not fleshe & bones, as you seme haue. Wherfor doubtles if his real, and natural bodie, were corporally present in the sacramente it sholde be both felt, and sene. Because selynge, and feinge, be two naturall properties, declared by-Christ, whereby a naturall bodie is perceiued and knowne to be visible and to occupie place. For as saint Augustine sayth to Dardanum. [Page] That doubtles Christes natural bodie is in heauē. For saith he, take from bodies the roume & space of places: and they shalbe no where, and if thei be no where, thē thei shall not be. Wherfore, if his naturall bodie were in the sacrament: it must nedes occupie roume and place in the sacramēt,Hebru. iiii. euen aswell as it doth in heauen or aswell as anye other naturall substaunce occupieth place. And thē Christes bodie, beyng and occupiyng place in heauen: cannot also in one tyme, occupie place in the sacrament. For hys naturall bodie cannot occupie two places bothe at one tyme. For Christ is like vnto vs his reasonable creaturs in all thyngs (except onlie in syne) But our bodies after our resurrection shalbe visible: wherefore doubtles Christes bodie shal also be visible, whersoeuer it be [Page] presēt. Or elese he hath no natural bodie But a shadow, or fantasticall bodi which is Marcians-heresye. Iohn. xvi Christ also saith, you shal haue pore folkes alweis with you but me you shal not haue alwais wyth you. Also Iesus knowynge that his howre was come, that he should go to his father. How shal he go to hys father (excepte in his humanitie) which euer was present with his father in hys Godhead? Act. iii. Also S. Peter in the Actes sayth, repent and turne you, that your synnes may be done awaye. That when the tyme of rest shall come from the syght of the lorde, & he shal send him which is preached vnto you Iesus Christ, whō the heauens must receyue, vntyl all thynges whiche were spoken bi the mouth of the prophetes be fulfylled. Also Paul sayth, as often as we shall eate of the breade [...]. Cor .xi. [Page] and drynke of the cuppe, [...]. Cor. xi. we shall shewe the death of the Lorde vntyll he come, whiche wordes (vntyl he come,) declare to be spoken of one that is absente, and not of one that is presente. Wherefore, doubtles Christes naturall body is absente, in heauen, and not present in a corporall presence in the Sacramēt of the aultare: which is no dyscomeforte, nor hurie to vs, that hys naturalle bodie is presēt in heauen. For as the sone in sommer whē he is most highest and distant from vs workethe in the earthe most effectuousli, and yeldeth hys vertue most feruentlye and aboundantlye vpon all earthelie thynges: so in likewise Christes natural bodie although he be in heauen most distaunt frō vs, yet not with standing he workethe in hys people most effectuouslie & geuethe hys grace most [Page] abundauntli to vs as he himselfe wyttenesseth to hys apostles saiyng, it is expedient and necessarie that I go from you to my father.Ihon. xvi For yf I shoulde not goo to my father, the hollye ghoste shoulde not be sent to you. Therfore seing that so many holi scriptures wytnes that Christes naturall bodye is in heauen and also that it is no dyscōmodie nor hurt to vs yt it so be I trust euerie good christian man, wyll holde hym content and satisfied. And on ye other partie yf we shoulde graunt christes naturall bodie weare so presente in the sacrament that the breade were chaunged into hys natural bodie and the wyne into hys naturall bloude leauynge ye nature of bread: then bothe the godlie & wycked, the faythful and also the vnfaythfull should eate Christes naturall bodie & drynke hys naturall [Page] bloude which is agaynste all the aunciente wryters,Augustin vpō the .xx▪ vi. treatise of Iohn. that make a diuersitie betwyxt, the eatyng of the sacramēt, & the receyuing of the thynge represēted by the sacrament. The godlie and ye vngodlie receyuethe sacramente saye they, but the thynge represented in and bi the sacramēt, which is Christes bodie broken and his bloude shed out for the remission of our synnes: no man cā eate excepte the faytheful by fayth. Also Christ saythe that he is the bread of lyfe whych came from heauen, yf a mā eate of that bread he shall lyue euerlastynglie.Iohn. vi. And he that eatethe my fleshe and drynkethe my bloude, hathe eternalle lyfe. Whych wordes cannot be verified nor trulie spoken of the eating of the sacramente. For many eate that to their eternal dānacion. [Page] by Christes wordes of his promises made vnto vs, they could not do, if the breade were chaūged into Christes naturall bodye. Also if the bread & wyne be not chaunged into Christes naturall body and bloud, bi the word (as in ded they be not but the substaunces remayne in their nature) yet, yf we hearing ye promes of GOD declared vnto vs, that his bodye was betrayed for vs, & hys bloud shed for the remission of our synnes, beleue the same, and receiue ye sacramēt: we then eate Christes naturall body and bloude in spirit and fayth to our euerlastinge lyfe, although, we beleue not any maner of transubstancion of the bread into Christes natural bodi and the wine into Christes natural bloude. But by such transubstancion the receyuer of the sacrament should also receiue Christes [Page] body and bloud. If the bread and wyne were chaūged into Christes natural bodi & bloud, And thē as I haue sayd, the most wicked Infidels myght, (eating the Sacrament) eat also Christes fleshe and drink his bloud which is not onli against the saiynge of the blessed martyrs. Ciprian, Hillarius, and saint Augustine: but also against the saieynge of Christe, whyche sayth, he that eatethe my fleshe, and drinketh my bloude, he dwelleth in me, and I in hym, whyche no vnfaythfull can dooe. For as Christ sayth the seruaunt dwelleth not in the house for euer.
¶Therfore the faithful beleuer in Christ is sure to eate Christes fleshe and dryncke hys bloude, to hys eternall health, although he neuer beleue any such grosse trā substanciacion: And the vnfaythful, can neuer eate hys flesh (as [Page] Saynt Augustine saieth) he whyche eateth my fleshe,Augustin xxv▪ treatese vpon Iohn▪ and drinkeeth my bloude, he dwelleth in me and I in hym. Thys is therefore to eate that breade, and dryncke yt dryncke, to dwell in Christ, and to haue Christ dwelling in him. And therfore he which dwelleth not in Christe: & in whom Christ dwelleth not, doubtles eateth not Christes fleshe nor drinketh his bloud although to his iudgmēt, he eate the sacramēt of so great a thing. Also ye same doctour saint Augusttine again saith, truly this bread, requireth the hongre of ye inward man.Augustine. xx▪ vi. treatise vpon Iohn▪ For blessed be they whych hungr and thyrste for rightuousnes, verily to beleue in hym, that is to eate the liuing bread: he whiche beleueth in hym, eateth inuisibli and is filled because he is inuisibly borne againe.
¶Wherfore doubtles, the spirituall [Page] eatynge of Christes bodye, (which is to beleue in him) is only ye godli eating of Christes, flesh and drinkyng hys bloud, and not thys outwarde bodilye eatynge wyth theyr teeth, fayne they neuer so craftelie. This false transubstantiacion which repugneth agaynst all the auncient writers, and also agaynst the holie scriptures whyche be declared by the mouthe of Paule, [...]. Cor. [...]. saiyng, I wyll not brethren yt ye bee ignoraunt, that all our fathers were vnder a cloude, and all passed the sea, and all were baptised in Moses, and in the cloude, and in the sea, and all dyd eate one spirituall-meate, and all dranke one spirituall drynke, they drancke of the spirituall rocke, whiche folowede them, the rocke trulie was Christ And if our fathers before Chri,stes incarnacion, and we that be [Page] leue nowe: do eate one spiritual meate & drink one spiritual drink (but oure Fathers dyd not eate Chrystes naturall, and reall bodie, nor dryncke hys reall bloude, whych, two thousande yeares after was not incarnated, nor had any naturall bodie) therefore we do not nowe eate hys reall bodie in hys bodelie presence, in the sacrament, as these by ther trāsubstantiacion pretende. For we eate the same that our fathers did eate which eating was by faith. Ergo euen so muste we eate by faythe Christes fleashe and drynke hys bloude in the sacrament, and not wyth our teeth reallie, if we wylbee saued by the eatynge of Christes fleshe & drynkyng his bloud as they were.
¶All the auncient writers writ and teach that we eate Christes bodie and drinke his bloud in the [Page] sacrament, in a mysterie, that is in a similitude, whych cannot be estemed reallye, for they be contraies For to eate a reall thing is with the mouth to eate naturallie the substaunce, but al misteries be receyued & eaten wyth the mynde and not bi anye bodelie meanes And therfore the sacrament is called of most auncient writers, Panis misticus, A mysticall breade which was ordeyned to feade and comforte the soules, and not for ye bodie.
¶Chrisostome sayth that Christ gaue vs no sensible thynges but rather insensible thynges,Vpon the .vi▪ Iohn the xlvi. homelie▪ & those thynges which were insensible or spirituall thynges,
¶Seynt Ambros vpon the .xi. chapiter of the fyrst to the Corinthians, speakyng to them whych shoulde receyue the sacramente, saith that thei should, iudge with [Page] them selues that it is the Lorde whose bloude they drynk in a misterie, whych bloud is a witnes of the benefites of god. Also in his boke of the sacramentes, he sayeth because we bee deliuered by ye death of the lord we remembring the same, in eatyng & drynkynge do syngnyfie the deathe of ye lorde
¶Also Eusebius saythe because he would take away his bodi out of our syghte, and cary it aboue the starres, it was necessary that in this tune, he should consecrate for vs the sacrament of hys bodie and bloude, that it might be worshipped in a misteri,The xi. [...] vpon the .v. Mathew. which was offered for our price.
¶Also Chrissostome saythe yf it be so perelous to occupie the halowed vessels vnto a priuate vse in whome christes verie true bodi is not, but the mystery of his bodie is conteynede: howe muche more [Page] ought we not to geue the vessels of our bodies to the Deuyll that he maye do in thē what he wyll.Psalm. lxxxx▪ iii.
¶Also Seynt augustine saithe you shall not eate this bodie whiche you see, nor drynke ye bloud yt they shal shede whiche wil crucifi me, I haue comended vnto you a sacramente spirituallye vnderstanded which shall quicken you and althoughe it be necessarie to be celebrated, and done visiblye yet it muste be spirituallie vnderstanded, wherfore doubtles there is no suche fonde transubstanciacion, as our clergie (whyche can not vnderstād & perceiue ye godly & spiritual eateing of christs flesh) haue grosli imagined. But ye godly & profitable eating is by faithe as I haue declared, wherin there is not required any transubstanciacion: But in thys transubstanciacion, Sathan hathe broughte [Page] hys wycked wyll and purposse to passe whyche is that ther was neuer so godli a thing bi god ordeined for mā whiche ye Deuyl hath not other obscured, or made darck the same by chaunging the ryght vse thereof, into an abuse, or Takyng awey, the vertue comoditie and profet of ye thing, leauing the name inestemation, or els peruertyng the thynge whyche was ordeyned of God, to be most godly and profytable to manne, that through the abuse therof, it is be come most wicked and damnable to man. As for a lamentable example in this beggery and Anti christian transubstantiation, it is to manifest, wherein some of our Cleargie, haue most wickedli & blindly taught the people of this realme, that they shoulde beleue that in that they receiued the sacrament, that they wythout any [Page] doubte dyd eate Christes fleshe & dryncke hys bloude, because (by vertue of the worde spoken bi the priest) the bread is chaunged into Christes naturall flesh and bloud wherefore receiuinge and earyng the breade they shoulde eate Christes fleshe and bloud whiche they dyd nothynge lesse. And so were ledde wt a false and fayned fayth to truste to haue by eatynge the sacramente eternall lyfe, euen for ye wor [...]ks sake, or because they eat it wt theyr teeth whiche onely dyd not profit them but also was their vtter dānation because they receyued it wythout fayth.
NOw Christen reader, I trust thou perceiuest, that in euery sacrament. Ther be two thinges to be considered, the one is the visyble substance, whych is offered, to the senses, & by and wyth the senses, we maye [Page] receyue and vse the cōmoditie of it. The other is, the Inuisible grace, and liberall gifte of God, whych by the visible substance & the promyse of god, vnto ye same Ioyntely pronounced, is represē ted and geuen to al them yt faithfully, and constantely, beleue the same promesse. This spirituall gifte of god, is Christes body broken and his bloude, shede, for the remyssion of our synnes, whyche spirituall gifte, bycause it is geuen to vs by godes liberal promes? It can not be otherwise receyued, but of a spirituall herte, and that thorow, and by, faythe onely, in ye same promesse Suche faythefull beleuers doubtles do eate Christes fleshe and dryncke his bloude in spirite and truthe: That is to saye receyue all the cō moditie and profet of all Christes passion, death, resurrection▪ and [Page] ascention, whych is, remission of synnes, and eternall lyfe. In the receyuyng of this sacrament we professe not onely to be faythfull warriars agaynst the deuel, the worlde, and the fleshe, but also to be lyuely membres, of Christes mysticall body, wherof Christe is [...]ade: wherfore aboue all thinge we must be circumspecte & welware, yt we defile not oure selues wyth any fylthy lustes & synnes wherby we shoulde be become a [...]ylthy, croked, and roten, member wherof our head Iesu Christ shoulde not reioyce, but rather be a shamed, and so worthi to be cut of from the body. And then euen as ye braūch of ye tree whē it is cut of from the tre, receyueth nor taketh any more sappe iuyse or naturall moyestnes of the tree, and therfore widdereth, dryeth and becometh deade, apte only for the fyer. In like maner if we thorow [Page] oure obstynate perseueraunce in synne, be deuided from god, as ye prophets Esai & Hieremy saith & be no mysticall mēbre of Christes church his mysticall body:Hieremy. v. then can we receiue, no more fauoure grace nor lyfe, from Christe, but shal widder, die, and be apte only for the Hell fier vntyll it pleaseth god of mere mercy and grace, Euen as it were by his grace and infinyte power, & no lesse by hys myracles, contrary to our nature to graffe vs newly into Christes mysticall body, & endeue vs with his, new and heauenly spirite. Of the other parte if we be faythfull warriars of Christ, and striue cō stantly against the deuel, ye world and the fleshe, and beleue faythefully that by and thorow Christe we shall ouercome the same, we shall doubteles be accepted and reputed and taken before god as [Page] his naturall mēbres, euen fleshe of his fleshe & bones of his bones Such as he cā not but loue, cherishe, and fauoure, for who dyde euer hate his owne fleshe, but did norishe & cherishe it?Ephes. vi. saith Paule. Seing than that we be his naturall membres euen fleshe of hys fleshe and bones of his bones: as Sinne hell and death could not preuaile, agaynst Christ: So cā they not preuaile agaynst vs, no wythholde vs from Christe, fowe be one wyth Christ, & we must nedes be where he is, accordynge to the prayer of Christ in the xvii of Iohn saying.Iohn. xvii. Holy father kepe thē in thy name whome thou hast geuen me, that they maye be one, as we be, father whom thou hast geuen to me I will, where I am that they be with me, that is to be in heauen, & to haue eternall lyfe as Christ there saythe, father the [Page] houre cometh, claryfy thy sonne, that thy sonne may claryfi the, as thou hast geuen to hym, power ouer all fleshe that all, that thou hast geue to him: he may gyue to them, eternall lyfe. If we be one wyth our head Christ, and in heauen wyth hym to whome also he hath geuen eternall lyfe: Howe can synne hell or deathe preuayle agaynst vs, his liuely membres? Doubtles it is Impossible, wherfore let oure earnest study, prayer & laboure, be aboue all thynges, to kepe vs in his mysticall body, that we may be, lyuely members of the same, according as we professe vs to be, by this holy cōmunyon in this blessed sacrament of his bodye and bloude. Yea moste diligently and circumspectly beware what thou doest loke that thou dissemble not, nor lye to the holy gost, ther can be no greatter [Page] shame nor offence for the, than to professe before thy friendes & the hole cōgregatiō, wyth thy mouth countenāce and behauiour to be a faithfull Christian, And vtterly to deny the same in thy herte, wordes, & deades, And although thou canste, thus colourably dissemble, and falselye disceyue, the Christen congregation, yet canst yu neuer deceyue Christe, whyche knoeth ye inward & secret thoughtes & fayned imagynaciōs of thy hert. Therfore I coūsel ye Christē reader, that thou Iustely truely, and diligently, examen thy lyfe, and consider well wyth thy selfe, whether thou be, a constant warry it agaynst synne. Proue whether thou purpose ernestli, and cō stantlie, so to continew vnto the death, & also whether thou haue vnite peace and herty vnfayued loue, towardes al ye congregaciō [Page] whych is most manyfestly expressed & signyfied by this sacramēt of Christes body and bloud. And thē last, try thy selfe whether thou beleue fayethfully to haue remission of thy synnes and eternall lyfe thorow Christes passion and death onely, and not by any other merits of sayntes, prayers, or holy workes of thy owne, or of any other creature lyueyng or deade. If thou be fullye perswaded and determyned in all these thinges before wrytten, then mayest thou boldely come to this holy table, & to confirm thy fayth, receiue this holy sacrament of Christes body & bloud, for a erneste pledge of eternall lyfe. Whych graunte the that derely bought the to reigne wyth hym in eternall glory▪