The Sacrament of the Lords Supper, Part 1
A FAYTHFVLL and moost Godlye treatyse concernyng the most sacred Sacrament of the blessed body and bloude of our sauioure Chryst, cōpiled by Ihon Caluyne, a man of no lesse lernyng and lytterature then Godly studye, and example of liuyng. And translated into Latin by Lacius a man of lyke excellencie. And nowe last of all, translated into Englyshe by a faythfull brother, no lesse desirous to profyt the weake brotheres then to exercise the talent of the Lorde to his honoure and glorye. In declaration whereof, he hath set before this lytle booke an Epistle to the reader much more effectuous then in the fyrst edicion.
☞ Whereunto the order that the Churche and congregation of Christ in Denmarke doth vse at the receyuyng of Baptisme, the Supper of ye Lorde, and Wedlocke: is added.
Myles Couerdale.
Luke .xix. Chapter.
¶Be doyng tyll I come.
¶To all them that professe the christian name, the translatour wysheth mercy from God the father through our onelye aduocate & mediatour Iesu Christe, whose spirite (the gyuer of all godnesse) leade you in to all gostlye knowledge. Amen. *
AS the authoure of thys lytle boke moued wyth the desyre to profyte as wel the rude and vnlearned as the lettered and professers of knowlege, wrote it in his vulgare tongue: euen so I (moste dearelye beloued bretherne) moued also wyth the desyre to brofyte my naturall countremen so much as shal lye in my litle power hauehave thought it my bounden deuty to employe my diligence to the translatyng therof.
And bycause it hath pleased the lorde to giuegive me more knowledge in the latyne tongue then in the frence (wherin thys boke was fyrste wrytten) I hauehave translated it after the Latine copy, putting the faythful reader out of doubt that I hauehave not in any poynte gone from the true meanynge of the authoure, but hauehave thorowly obserued the phrases of both tongues, auoydynge in all that I myght the darke maner of translatynge after the latine phrases, to the intente the Englyshe reader myghte hauehave the full vnderstandynge hereof wythout anye knowledge of the latyne tongue And that the Godly myndes of the studiouse readers may be the more steated to reade the matter wyth indifferent iudgement, I shal without dissimulacion assure them that herein is no matter of contencion at all. But cheritably wythout any worde of reproche as well the ryght vse of the Sacrament of the body and bloude of Christ, as the abuses and errours concernynge the same, are sette forth so playnelye that no man (vnlesse he wyl wyllingly shutte vp the eyes of his cōscience agaynst the manifest trouth) can reade the boke thorowlye, but he shall easelye perceyue what greate abuses hauehave these syxe hundreth yeares ben, and are at thys presente daye mayntened and defended as concernynge the ministracion therof.
Fyrste for that the popyshe churche hauehave and do abuse it in offeryng it vp as an healthfull sacrifyce for the redemption of the soules of the congregatiō, for in theyr Cannon (why the they cal the secretes of the masse) are these wordes. Pro redemptione animarum ecclecietue. That is to saye, for the redemption of the soules of thy churche, where they holde opinion and teach, that by offerynge vp thys sacrifice (as they cal it) they applye to, or make partakers of the passion of Christe, all them that here or hyre suche masses as they hauehave inuented dashed full of whysperynges, douckynges and crossynges besydes the demure countenaūce in theyr tourne and halfe tourne. I wyl speake no more as concerninge theyr fonde inuencions aboute the ministration of this most sacred Sacrament. Lest I should therby be an offence or stomblynge stocke to the weake brothers whose consciences are not yet fullye satisfyed as concernynge the true beleue of thys holy mistery, I meane leste I shoulde gyue thē occasion to do, as certeyne fonde talkers hauehave of late dayes done and at thys presente daye do inuent and applye to thys mooste holy Sacramente, names of dispitie and reproche, as to cal it Iake in the boxe, & rounde Roben, and suche other not onelyonly fonde but also blas phemouse names, not onelyonly voyed of al edificaciō (whiche ought to be the ende of al our doinges and sayinges) but very sclaūderouse also. For thoughe the thynge beynge so tourned frome the ryght vse as it is, be abhominable, so that it is l…afull for vsus to speake vnreuerentlye of it in the abuse: yet is it not mete for them that professe charitie, nothinge to refrayne for conscience sake. The cōscience I say of the weake brothers not yet stronge in the trueth and so muche the more for that many Godly mynded persones (whiche by the persuasions of certeyne discrete and modeste brothers, hauehave ben made, of Romyshe Idolaters and diligent studentes of duncicall dregges, disciples of greate hope in the sincere and trewe euangelyke doctrine) hauehave by the hearynge of these names of reproch and dispitte, taken occasion to thynke that the knowledge which those men dyd professe (whiche woulde be so outragiouse as to mocke and iest at the remembraunce of our redempcion) coulde not procede of the spirite of God. And hauehave throughe thys persuasion, retourned to theyr olde leuen agayne, thynkyng them to be the trew teachers of gods doctrine whiche offende in the contrarye, makinge it so diuine a thynge that it shoulde be of no lesse importaūce then the whole Trinitie, the father the sōne and holy gost, for so they affirme sayinge, that for as muche as it is the bodye of Christe, and that Christ is in al places at ones with his father, and his father wyth hym and the holy goste: it muste neades folowe that in it is the whole trinitie, the father, the sonne and the holy goste. For these are not, nor can not be seperated.
I wyll saye for these men that they hauehave the zeale of god, but it is not accordinge to knowledge. For as the Iewes (were from tyme to tyme,Act. vii. taught and beleued that God dwelled in the temple that Solomon buylded) coulde not abyde to heare that God shoulde not dwell in a temple made wyth mannes hande, nothynge consyderyng that he is immensus and can not be conteyned (for heauen is his seate, and the earth his fote stole) euen so these men through a fonde persuasion of the essenciall presence of Christe in the Sacramente: can not abyde to heare that the whole trinitie shoulde not be really conteyned vnderunder a piece of breade, yea vnderunder eueryevery litle crombe therof. I speke not thys as one puttinge no difference betwene that sacramentall breade and oure comon breade, but that I maye therby declare and open the great blyndnesse of them that knowyng and confessyng the immensurable nature of God, would hauehave hym reallye and naturallye conteyned in so small a thynge.
Heauen is my feate (sayth he) and the earth is my fote stole, and yet wyll they trusse hym so shorte that they wyll brynge hym into alytle pire wherin a man can not tourne his fyste.
He fylleth all places, and is conteyned in no place, and yet wyll they at theyr pleasure place hym in the chalyce, he was neuer visible to the mortall eye, and yet wyll they make him appere at euerye knaues requeste that wyll do as other men do, I meane paye theyr ordinarye shote, and so doyinge he shall not onelye se him but also eate him vp euerye morsell I woulde the men woulde delygentlye peruse the wordes of saynt Augustine in theyr legēde on Corpus Christi daye, whiche are these taken out of the. xxvi. treatyse vponupon Iohan.S. August. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud tarieth in me and I in hym. To eate that meat therefore, and to drinke that drinke, is to tarye in Christe and to hauehave Christe tariynge in vsus. And by this he that taryeth not in Chryste and in whom Chryst tarieth not: no doubt he doth not spiritually eate his fleshe, nor drynke hys bloude, al thoughe he do carnallye, and visibly crushe with his teeth the sacrament of y• body and bloude of Chryste but he dothe rather eate and drynke, to his damnacion, the sacrament of so noble a thyng. Here is your transsubstanciacion vtterlye denyed. For saynt Augustine putteth a plaine difference betwene the sacrament and the, thinge it selfe. Agayne the same Angustine, in the same place addeth these wordes. The sacrament of thys thinge, that is of the vnitie of the body and bloude of Christe is in some places prepared euerie day, in some other places but certayne dayes as on the sundaye, and is taken of the table of the Lorde, to some persons, to life, to some other to destruction but the thynge it selfe, in to all persones,Note. to lyfe, and to destruction to no man, that may be pertaker therof, What nedeth it to reherse anye mo wytnesses, seynge these are sufflicyent, eyther to proue saynte Augustine an heretyke, other else to declare thys transsubstanciacion to be bothe foolyshe and abominable.
Both for that it trusse the together the diuinytie, and inlargethe the humanytye, beyonde all measure, thrutchyng vp into a corner ye arte whiche no place can conteyne, and settynge at libertie to be in all places, that whyche muste nedes be in one place onelyonly. Yf eueryevery man wyl folowe his conscience in this matter I doubte not but they shal sone be persuaded how farre wyde thys transsubstanciacion is frome the trueth. But nowe take they holde of the wordes of the Lorde at the fyrst institucion of this mooste sacred Sacrament, whiche are these.
Thys is my bodye, whiche shall be delyuered for you. This is my bloude which shall be shed for you & many into remission of synnes. What natural, essencial, and real presēce they buylde vponupon these wordes, is abundantlye declared in the Byshoppe of Wynchester and docter Smythes bokes.
I shall therefore mooste humblye desyre the readare vtterlye to shake of all supersticious… perswacyous of olde v…ages, geueynge hym selfe wholy to y• teachyng of the spirite of god who teacheth inwardlye in the herte, all them that geue ouer them selues to hys teachynge & informacion. And I for my part yelding me to y• same spirite, shal in this case wryte y• thynge onelye, whyche my conscience shall geue me to be of the spirite of the lyuynge God, and my trust is that the good spirite of god is my leadare. As concernynge the vnderstandynge of the wordes of Christe, you shall knowe that the maner of teachyng is double, that is to say by wordes and by signes.
By wordes we teache when we declar… vntounto the hearers, by wordes, the th…nge that we woulde they shoulde know. By signes we teache when we do some thynge whethy the beholders may gather our meaynyng: … quiniꝰ superbꝰ dyd when he strake of the toppes of the hyghest poppyes, declaringe therby that his aduise was to hauehave the greatest rulers beheaded. We teach also both by words & by sygnes, when we adde vntounto the wordes some action to declare & as it were to expounde the wordes withall.Act. xxi. As is mencioned in the Actes of the apostles of a prophete whiche declared vntounto Paule the persecution he shoulde indure at Hierusalem whyther he was goyng, and to make the matter more playne, he toke Paules gyrdle frō aboute hym and …yed hys feete with all sayinge: the man whose gyrdle this is, shal be thus boūden at Hierusalem. Euen so (good christian brethren) our sauioure Christe, wyllynge to declare to hys apostles, the wonderfull paticipation that all faythfull christians shoulde hauehave in hys bodye and bloude: toke breade whyche is the chyefe, and in scripture compted the onelyonly foode of the bodye of man, and when he had (after his accustomed maner) gyuen thankes, he blessed, not crossynge the breade wyth the thre hynder fyngers hauynge the forefynger and the thombe faste ioyned to gether. No he made no synge of the crosse at all. For, to make the sygne of the crosse was in those daies none other, then it is now to make the sygne of a galowe tree. He blessed therfore after the maner that the fathers the prophetes & patriarkes vsed, that is, he innocated & called vponupon y• name of his father, desyring him toac cōply she inuisibly in all hys faythfull dearlynges, the thynge whych he intēded to declare vntounto them by y• vysible signe. Thē sayd he to his apostles, take ye, eat ye, this is my body, which shalbe delyvered for you. Not meanynge that he had chaūged the nature of bread into the nature of fleshe, makynge the bread that he helde in hys hande hys naturall bodye, for then had he geuen vntounto them a mortall & corruptible bodye to eate whych thynge is so moche vngodlye that very nature abhorreth it. But he gaue them the bread to eate, saynge: thys is my bodye, which shalbe delyuered for you.No…. I became man for none other purpose, but y• my bodye shoulde be torne & rent for to satifye for youre synnes, y• your soules might be fedde and hauehave lyke participation therof, as your bodies hauehave of this bread, and you (whych be my faythful) are as this breade is, one bodye made of many bodies, for eueryevery litle graine wherof this bread is made, is of hym selfe a bodye, and yet ioyned to gether they are but one body. In like maner you that beleue in me thoughe ye be many, yet ioyned together by fayth ye are but one bodye I am your head. This mistery can you not vnderstande with out some visible signe whyche may represent vntounto you y• veritie therof, take ye thys bread therfore and knowe for certentie that like as it is one so are ye one if ye remaine in faith. And as it nourisheth the body, so doth my passion nouryshe the soule whyche hath no lyfe but in me & by me. In lyke maner when he had supped, he toke y• cuppe saying, take ye, & drynke ye all of this, this is the cuppe of y• new testament in my bloude, whych shalbe shed for you and many into remissiō of sinnes. Do this so ofte as you dryncke in my remembraunce, An other signe to declare thys misterye by.
Thys cuppe of wyne is but one body, and yet is it made of many grapes, and so are you but one bodye althoughe you be manye, so longe as you be ioyned together by fayth. It comforteth the herte and the lyuely spirites of the bodye, and so doth my bloude shed on the crosse comforte the soule. By thys action hauehave I declared vntounto you the misterie of the paticipation you hauehave in me by fayth. Use you the same that thys your delyueraunce by me may neuer slippe out of your mynde. We hauehave eaten the lambe whyche putteth vsus in remembraunce of the wonderfull delyueraūce out of the captiuitie in Egypte, whyche was done more then a thousande yeares paste. So shall you eat thys bread and drynke this cuppe in remembruance of your redemption and deliueraūce our of the spiritual Egipte, and from the spiritual Pharao the dyuell. And when you shalbe demaunded what you meane, by this eatynge & drynkynge, you shall saye. We where through the synne and transgression of the fyrst man Adā, made bonde mē and captynes to the dyuel, out of whyche bondage we could by no meanes be delyuered tyll it had pleased God the father to sende hys onelye begotten sonne to take oure nature vponupon hym, that he myght dye and be an acceptable sacryfyce to pacyfye the fathers wrathe. Wherfore the night before he suffered he declared vntounto vsus by these visyble sygnes, what cōmunyon we hauehave in hym of all that euer he deserued for vsus. And then he cōmaūded vsus to vse the same bycause we shoulde be alwayes put in remembraunce of that our redemption and delyueraunce, none other wyse them Moyses dyd to the Israelytes the nighte before he dyd by the wonderfull myght of God, brynge them out of the greate captiuytie wher in they were holden in Egypt. The wordes of saynt Paule to the corhinthians, do teach no lesse them I hauehave here wrytten. For he sayeth,i. Corhin. xi. so often as you eate thys breade and drynke this cup, you shal declare the death of the lorde tyll he come. And therfore who so euer eateth of thys bread, or drynketh of thys cup vnworthely doth eate and drynke hys owne dampnation. Here is a playne declaration of the ende & purpose of Christ when he instituted this most sacred sacramēt. Forsoth to kepe in remēbrāce hys mooste dolorouse death & preciouse bloude moste plēteously shed vpō the crosse. And who so euer eateth & drinketh it vnworthly (that is to saye for any other purpose thē for the same it was ordeined for) the same eateth & drinketh hys owne dāpnation. I thynke not contrarie but y• moste men wyl thynke this a straūge interpretation of this place (for as moche as the moste auncient (yea all) ye doctours that make any mencion of this place, and Caluine hym selfe in this boke whyche I hauehave translated) do applye the vnworthynesse in receyuynge of thys Sacrament, to the vnpenitent hert of the persone whiche receyueth it. And in very dede such one is farre vnworthy to receyue so worthy a Sacrament for as much as he is not the membre nor seruaunt of Christ, but a membre of the deuyll and seruaunt to synne. And thys interpretation is no lesse godly then fruitfull. For therby are the membres of Christe put in feare to presume to come to the table of the lorde vnlesse they hauehave fyrst examined & found them selues the trewe membres of Christe, indued and adorned with perfyt faith, hope and charitie. But yf we wyl go to the natyue sence of the text: we shal perceyue, that in this place Paule speaketh of the small regarde the Corhinthians had to thys mooste sacred Sacrament, not vsyng it wyth so much reuerence as they ought to do. For he addeth these wordes. Puttynge no difference of the Lordes body. As he shoulde hauehave sayed esteamyng it nothing better then the cōmune bread wherwyth they fedde theyr bodyes. The phrase of speakyng gyueth this interpretation, for yf I say. This man was not worthely enterteyned. I meane not that the partie whiche enterteyned him was not worthye to enterteyne so noble a man: but that he was not vsed as was beseamyng for such a mā to be vsed. So that to receyue the Sacramēt vnworthely, is to receyue it otherwyse or for an other purpose then it oughte to be receyned for, y• is after any other forme or for any other purpose then y• wordes of y• first institutiō do declare. For whē ye vse of good thinges is altred frō y• purpose & ende they were fyrste ordeyned for: then are they vnworthely handled. Al they therfore whyche do priuately receyue the Sacramēt, eyther to merite them selues or other, other that do make it a sacrifyce for the redemption of synne, or to pacify goddes wrathe in any cōdition, or after any other forme, or for any other purpose thē is declared in the wordes of the fyrst institution: do receyue it to theyr dampnation, putting no difference of the Lordes bodye, but vsynge it as a matter of marchaundyse, or occupacion to get theyr lyuynge vponupon. They onelyonly receyue it worthely, which receiue it as a most worthy Sacrament and signe representynge vntounto vsus the cōmunion and partipacion we hauehave in all that euer Christe dyd or purchased for vsus, by taking our nature, & sufferyng therin al maner of moste miserable afflicions, & finally, by hys mooste cruel and dolorouse death. Therfore to hoyse it ouer theyr heades, to daunce it ouer the cuppe, to cary it in the stretes wyth a great pompe and glorye, to bowe theyr knees and to knocke theyr breastes before it, and to locke it vp in a pire to hauehave it ready to serue at al houres, all suche chapmen as shall cal for it: is but a polytyke caste of the marchauntes whyche displeye and set abrode to be sene suche marchaundyse as they woulde faynest sel As they do offende whiche neglecte and contemne thys moste holy mistery, esteaming it no better then the comon breade wherewyth ou…e bodyes be fedde: so do they also offende whiche honoure it wyth diuine honoure, makynge it therby an ydol of all other moste to be abhorred both for that (as they vse it) it is a playne Antichriste, spoylynge Christe of his victorye atchyued by the ones offeryng of hym felfe for all: and al…o for that it pulleth the beleauers theron, from the true adoracion of God the father, and maketh them to ho…our for the inuisible, immēse, and eternall god, that visible, mensueable, and corruptible breade & wyne. Yea (as they vse it) it is not the communion of Christes body and bloude at all, but a fonde inuencion of theyr owne. For Christe dyd not make so manye crossynges and blessinges and then eate it vp all him selfe. But we must beleue that they recey… it for vsus and in all oure names.
We must beleue that theyr receauynge of it is the application of Christes merites to vsus. We must beleue that they can therby releue y• soules in y• bytter paynes of purgatory. We must beleue that oure beynge presente at this theyre sacrifice (as they cal it) shal geue vsus good spead in all oure affayres, be they neuer so deuely she. We must beleue that a priest, (beynge neu… so vngodly in hys lyuinge, neuer so much subiect vntounto synne, neuer so much the deuels member) is the ministre of God, and that hys prayer & sacrifice in the masse is acceptable to God. In fine, we must beleue that theire masses be of strēgth to purchayse the assistence of god in all dayngers, and a present remedy against plage, penurye, and all diseases both of man & beast, agaynst warres, robberyes and all incursions of enemies both bodely and gostely. How can these assertions stande wyth the cōmunion of Christes body and bloude? dyd Christe shewe the bread to his apostles and then eate it hym selfe to certifye their consciences therby? Dyd he byd any one of them, take bread and wyne & shew them to the residewe of the faythfull so ofte as they woulde cōmunicate hys body and bloud: and then eate and dryncke all hym selfe in stiede of all the faythfull that shoulde be present? I thynke no man is so muche wythoute shame ones to thynke it. But I knowe y• … of theyr erroure. They say that as Christ was the hygh priest or bysshop, to ministre vntounto his apostles the communion of his body & bloude, whych he dyd in dead offer on the crosse to his father: so dyd he ordayne hys apostles and in them all that shoulde succede them: priestes to offer vp the selfe same (saye they) to applie the sacrifice done by Chryste wyth the merites of the same, to thē that are present ther at, or that shall by any meanes hauehave it done for them. Oh blynde bussardes. Where are youre spirituall eyes become? Dyd Christe (beynge the hyght priest) distribute the bread to his apostles, to y• intent that they, & all other theyr successoures… should shew the bread and wyne to the people, and thē eate and drynke all them selues? A mā that hathe so moche gostely knowledge as the grayne of a mustarde seed, woulde not faile to saye that Christ ment rather that the Apostles and priestes shoulde distribute the breade and wyne amonge the faythfull people, wyssynge them to certifye them selues thereby that they are partakers of the body and bloud of Christ. For what sayth the text? So ofte as you shall do thys: ye shall do it in the remembraunce of me. But what was it that they shoulde do in the remembraunce of hym? For soeth diuide bread and wyne amongeste them. The priuate receynynge of the breade and wyne therfore: can by no meanes stande wyth the institucion of Christe: whiche was, that accordynge to his example, we shoulde by the diuidynge of bread and wyne amongeste vsus: certifye oure selues that we are all partakers wyth Christe in hys redempcion through the raūsome that he payd for vsus on the crosse. Howe standeth thys with our heareynge of masse (to the intent to spede the better thereby) when we go aboute oure worldely businesses, be they honeste or vnhonest, godly or vngodly? Forsoeth (I suppose) euen as much as the carying of bread in mans pourse (in the nyghte tyme, or in a tempest) ser…eth to kepe hym from blastynge wyth euyll ayres. So that I dare be bolde to affirme, that this heareynge of masse is no better then me…e supersticion, and the masse it selfe, so farre frō the i…stitucion of Christe: that it seameth not to be any parte of the cōmemoracion of Christes passion: But a mere inuention of man, …epte into the churche by the subtyll suggestion of our moste cruell and maliciouse enemye the deuyll, who hath alwayes endeuoured to poysone all the holsome foode of mans soule, as it appeareth ryghte well by the great abuse that thys moste sacred Sacramente is grouen vntounto. Thys was and ought to be so necessary a foode to the soule: that without it no christian can …arie in Christ, nother hauehave Christ tary ynge in him, wherby it is playne that without thys foode no soule, hath any lyffe in it. For Christe is the lyfe that is in the christian soule. No lesse necessarye therfore is thys foode to the soules of the cōgregacion: thē sinewes be to the bodye to holde the ioynetes togyther. Our aduersarye therefore coulde in no case be quiet tyll he had poysoned thys so necessarye foode, corruptinge therin the vertue & strength to vnitte and knytte the christians to Christe theyr heade, makynge it of force to draw them quytte from hym, by puttyng theyr confidence in it, trustyng to redeame theyr synnes by ofte offeryng vp therof, in so much that they fel to foundynge of Abbayes, chauntreis, and anniuersaries: for the saluacion of theyr soules, for so was it alwayes specifyed and condicioned in the wrytynges made betwene the founders of suche abbayes, chauntries, and anniuersaryes: and the receyuers of the yerelye rentes, gyuen to that vse. Yea rather abuse
And in thys miserable estate hath it continued euen these .vi. hundreth yeres, poysonynge the soules of them that shoulde hauehave bene fedde therby. But here must I beware that our enemye do not poysone these wordes of myne also, causeynge men to vnderstande me as one that woulde deny it to be possible for any man to tarye in Christe or to hauehave Christe taryinge in hym vnlesse he receyue these visible sacramentes or signes breade and wyne. No doubte (christian reader) the belefe & truste in Christe, is the mea…e wherby Christ taryeth in vsus and we in hym. But thys beliefe and trust are established and confirmed by the vse of these visi…le signes. As thys beliefe and truste therfore, are necessarye to the abydynge in Chryst: so is the vse of these holye Sacramentes also, for that it is the establyshment and confirmyng of the sayd beleue and trust. To all them therfore to whom this beleue and trust are necessarie: are these sacred Sacramentes also necessary. Where vponupon I conclude that all Christians which are of age and discresion to deserne the fayth in Chryst: ought also to vse these moost holy Sacramentes to establyshe and confyrme thys fayth withall. And Chryst knowyng the weakenes of manne, and howe hard it was to beate into his head the vnderstandyng of the hygh mystery of the perticipation and communion that all faythfull shoulde hauehave in hys merites: vsed these visible signes, that we myght in them (euen with oure senses) perceyue this wonderful distribucion of the body and bloud of Chryst amonge his faythfull, whyche oure grosse nature coulde no more compasse wythout these visible sygnes, then the carnall and fleshly Iewes coulde when Chryst tolde them of the eatyng of his flesh and drynkyng of his bloud by beleuyng in hym. To helpe our wekenes therfor, it pleased the almyghtie wysdome of the Lorde, to declare vntounto vsus by our senses, the thyng that ye same senses caused the Iewes to abhorre. The maner I saye of oure perticipation and communion in Chryst and all that euer he deserued for vsus. For euen as we se that we beyng many are partakers of one loofe of breade, by eatynge therof, and of one cuppe of wyne by drynkyng thereof: so are we certified by that participation, that we (beyng manye) beleuynge in Chryst: are by that belefe, made partakers of Chryste, and wyth Chryste in al that is his, none otherwyse then all the membres of one bodye be partakers of all ioyes and pleasures that chaunce to the heade. For as the lofe wherof we eate is made of manye graynes: and the Cuppe of wyne wherof we drynke is made of manye grapes, and yet is but one Cuppe of wyne, and the lofe but one lofe: euen so are we that beleue in Christe, but one bodye wyth hym and he oure heade, notwythstandyng we be manye in numbre, and of diuerse nacions, estates and condicions.
For as in the body be diuers mēbers seruynge to diuers vses:i. Corhin. xi…. so are there in the congregacion of Christe (whyche Paule calleth the bodye of Christe) diuers estates. Some Apostles, some preachers, and some teachers.
And as in the bodye is no membre wher vntounto is not appoynted hys peculiare and necessarye office: So in the congregacion of Christ is there none estate or condicion but it is profitable, yea necessarye to the other. Thys is a greate misterye (sayeth Paule) the misterye I saye of Christe and hys congregacion, for it is hys bodye,Thesalo. v. of hys fleshe and of hys bones. Not that the congregacion or churche is that naturall bodye that dyed on the crosse, nor we (the members of the same churche) the fleshe and bones of the same: But for that it was that congregacion, it was we (the membres of thys churche) that caused Christe to take oure nature vponupon hym, that therein he myghte satisfye for oure synnes, makynge vsus partakers wyth hym in thys satisfaction, and so are we hys bodye and membres, that is to saye, hys bodye and membres were, and are the pryce wherewyth we were redeamed out of the captiuitie and thrawledome that we were in▪ Thys misterye is greate, and farre aboue the beastelye mans capacitie. But yf we wyll be geuen to the spirite: the spirite shall minister vntounto vsus abundauntly, the vnderstandinge therof. For it is a comon phrace or maner of speakynge amongeste vsus when anye hath bestowed his money vponupon any kynde of marchaundyse, we saye, Lo, here is my .xx.li. or here are his hundreth markes, showynge forth the wares that were bought wyth my .xx.li. or his hūdreth markes, so that here the thynge boughte bearethe the name of the price. In lyke maner doth Paule call the cōgregacion redeamed by Chistes bodye: his verie bodie, his fleshe and his bones, because it is the machaūdice that was bought with his bodie his fleshe and his bones. The mooste sacred sacramentes, also of the bodye and bloud of Christ: are called his body and bloude, because they declare vntounto vsus, what the bodie and bloude of Christ be vntounto vsus, none other wyse then I call thys boke the suppet of the Lorde, because it declareth the supper of the lorde, so that here thou mayste se (gentle readar) wherin thou hast bene so farte and so longe deceyued. Forsoeth in that thou haste not knowne nor consydered the causes why these moste holy sacramentes beare the names of that they represēt, shew or declare vntounto vsus▪ But haste grosselye persuaded thy selfe with the carnall and fleshly Iewes, y• Christe spake carnallye myndynge to tourne the substaunc… of the breade and wyne, into the substance o… his body and bloude: when he sayed vntounto hi… disciples, thys is my bodye. But doubtless… (good christian brother) oure mooste cruel ene…mye, hath in thys poynt vttered euen the grea…test parte of his maliciouse practyse. He hat… not faylled alwayes to beate into oure heades the omnipotencie of God, who coulde by his worde make al thynges of nought, his veritie, whyche wyll not suffer hym to leaue oughte vndone that he sayeth is or shall be done, and then his wordes at his laste supper. Thys is my hody &c. Here laboureth he wyth toeth and nayle (as they saye) to kepe vsus in the playne letter that we measure not these wordes by the scriptures of lyke phrace.Note the subtyltie of the deuyll. The veritie it selfe (sayeth he) hath spoken it, wherfore it can not be otherwise. The onelyonly almyghtye which created all thynges by his worde, hath sayed it: it is not therfore impossible that it shoulde be so. Thou arte a christian man and hast professed to beleaue all the wordes of Christe to be trewe, though thy reasone can not comprehende the maner howe. And wylte thou wyth the carnal and fleshly Iewes doubt in the perfourmance of the wordes that thy Sauioure shall speake? He sayed that a vyrgyne shoulde brynge forth a chylde: and wylte not thou beleaue it bycause thou canste not by reasone be persuaded that it is possible for a vyrgyne to brynge sorth a chylde? what coulde the obstinate Iewes do more, then blyndely and obstinately saye: Howe can thys man gyue vsus hys fleshe to eate and hys bloude to drynke? And wylte thou be as obstinate as they and thynke it impossible for hym to gyue the his fleshe (yea hys very naturall fleshe) and bloude vnderunder the fourme of br…ade and wyne? Oh subtylle serpent. Oh crafty dissembler. Nowe chaungeste thou thy selfe into an angell of lyghte. Thou …adest the Iewes abhorre Christes wordes bycause the law (whych they professed) taught them that it was abominable to eate the rawe fleshe or drynke the bloude of any beast, muche more of a man. And bycause they shoulde not consyder and vnderstande the spiritual eating of his dodye and drynkynge of his bloude by fayth: thou puttest them in mynde of the corruptible Manna that the fathers dyd eate in wyldernesse. And that, notwythstandyng, that breade came from heauen: yet was it not of suche lyuelye force that it myghte preserue the eaters therof from death. Yea thou heldeste them in opinion that it was not possible for Christe to gyue them his fleshe to eate and his bloude to drynke, after suche sorte that theyr stomakes myght awaye wyth all. Wherfore they sayed. Howe can this felowe gyue vsus his fleshe to eate and his bloude to drynke. But here thou commest vntounto vsus with the contrary. Thou byddest vsus beleaue that he was able to chaunge breade and wyne into his fleshe and bloude that we myght therby awaye wyth the deuouryng therof Thus thou playest on both handes, wyth them bycause they shoulde not loke for any spirituall eatynge or drynkyng of Christes fleshe and bloude. And wyth vsus, that we shoulde not regarde the spirituall eatynge and drynkynge, but that we shoulde moste regarde the fleshely deuourynge of the bread and wyne. So that neyther the Iewes nother we… can come to the trewe eating of Christes fleshe and drynkyng of his bloud by vnfayned fayth in hym and his merities. Here mayeste thou playnely se (most dearely beloued in the lorde) by what meanes our gostely enemy hath spoyled vsus of the vse of these mooste preciouse Iewelles, the sacramentes of Christ…s body and bloude: and howe he laboureth daylye in hys members (the wycked papistes) to wyth holde from vsus the knowledge of the spiritual eating and drynkynge of Christe: whiche begynneth nowe to spreade the worlde ouer all. Lette vsus runne therfore, vntounto oure present and onelye succour in thys greate daunger. To Christe I saye let vsus runne, moste humbly besekyng him oure (Sauiour and redeamer) plenteouslye to poure out, of his spirite of knowledge vponupon vsus all, that we maye daylye more and more, fynde out the hydde and secrete abhominacions, to the vtter extirpacion and rowtyng out of the same. And in the meane tyme let vsus pray to gyther that it may please the Lorde to augment the nūbre of his faythful tournynge Saules in to Paules that the harde hertes, may be molified by hearing the persecutours preach Christ whom they persecuted. The spirite of truth be wyth you al. So be it.
It is the spirite that quyckeneth, the fleshe profiteth nothynge at all.
Iohn .svi.