Answer unto a Crafy and Sophistical Cavillation, Debate · Confutation of book 1 · Section 16 – Section 19
Caunterbury.
Bread is not a vayn and bare token.IF I graunted for your pleasure that the bare bread (hauyng no further respect) were but onelyonly a bare figure of Christes body, or a bare token (because that terme liketh you better, as it may be thought for this consideration, that men should thinke that I take the bread in the holy mysterie to be but as it were a token of I recommend me vntounto you) but if I graunt I say, that the bare bread, is but a bare token of Christes body, what hauehave you gayned therby? Is therfore the whole vse of the bread in the whole action and ministration of the lordes holy supper, but a naked or nude & bare token? Is not one lofe being broken and distributed among faithful people in the lordes supper, taken and eaten of them, a token that ye body of Christ was broken and crucified for them? and is to them spiritually and effectually geuen, and of them spiritually and fruitfully taken and eaten, to their spirituall and heauenly comfort, sustentation & nourishment of their soules, as the bread is of their bodies? And what would you require more? Cā there be any greater comfort to a christian man then this? Is here nothing els but bare tokens?
But yet importune aduersaries, and such as be wilful and obstinate, wil neuer be satisfied, but quarell further, saying: What of all this? Here be a great many of gay wordes framed together, but to what purpose? For all be but signes and tokens as concerning the bread. But how can he be taken for a good christian man that thinketh that Christ did ordaine his sacramentall signes and tokens in vayne, without effectuall grace and operation? For so might we as well say, that the water in baptisme is a bare token, and hath no warrant signed by scripture for any apparell at all: for the scripture speaketh not of any promise made to the receiuing of a token or figure onelyonly. And so may be concluded after your maner of reasoning, that in baptisme is no spirituall operation in dede, because that washing in water in it selfe, is but a token.
But to expresse the true effect of the sacramentes: As the washing outwardly in water is not a vayne token, but teacheth such a washing as god worketh inwardly, in them that duely receiue the same: So likewise is not the bread a vayne token, but sheweth and preacheth to the godly receyuer, what God worketh in him by his almighty power secretely and inuisibly. And therfore as the bread is outwardly eaten in deede in the lordes supper, so is the very body of Christ inwardly by faith eaten in dede of al them that come therto in such sort as they ought to do, which eating nourisheth them vntounto euerlasting lyfe.
I warrant. Ioh. 6.And this eating hath a warrant signed by Christ himselfe in the vj. of Iohn, where Christ saith: He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud, hath lyfe euerlasting. But they that to the outward eatyng of the breade, ioyne not therto an inward eating of Christ by faith, they hauehave no warrant by Scripture at all, but the bread and wyne to them be vayne, mide, and bare tokens.
And where you say that Scripture expresseth no matter of signification speciall effect in the sacramentes of bread and wine, if your eyes were not blynded with popish errours, frowardnes and selfeloue, ye might see in the 22. of Luke,Luc. 22. where Christ himselfe expresseth a matter of signification, saying: Hoc facite in mei commemorationem. Do this in remembrance of me. And S. Paule likewise 1. Cor. 11. hath the very same thing,1. Cor. 11. which is a plain and direct aunswer to that same your last question, wherupō you triumph at your pleasure, as though ye victory were all yours. For ye say, when this question is demaunded of me what to signifie? Here must be a sort of good wordes framed without scripture. But here S. Paule aunswereth your question in expresse wordes,1. Cor. 11. that it is the lordes death that shall be signified, represented and preached in these holy mysteries, vntill his commyng againe. And this remembraunce, representation and preaching of Christes death, cannot be without special effect, except you wil say that Christ worketh not effectually with his worde and sacramentes. And S. Paule, expresseth the effect, when he saith:1. Cor. 10 The bread which we breake, is the communion of Christes body. But by this place and such like in your booke, ye disclose your selfe to all men of iudgement, either how wilful in your opinion, or how flender in knowledge of the scriptures you be.
Winchester.
And therfore like as the teaching is new, to say it is an only figure, or only signifieth:A new teaching of onelyonly figure. How can … fayth be called catholike that begunneth to be published nowe. so the matter of significatiō must be newly deuised, and new wyne hauehave new bottels, and be throughly new, after xv. C. l. yeres in the very yere of Iubiley (as they were wont to call it) to be newly erected and builded in English mens hartes.
Caunterbury.
IT semeth that you be very desirous to abuse the peoples eares with this terme (New) and with the yeare of Iubiley, as though the true doctrine of the sacrament by me taught, should be but a new doctrine and yours old (as the Iewes slaundered the doctrine of Christ by the name of newnesse) or els that in this yere of Iubiley,Marke. 1. you would put the people in remembrāce of the full remission of sinne, which they were wont to hauehave at Rome this yere, that they might long to returne to Rome for pardons againe, as the children of Israell longed to returne to Egipt for the flesh that they were went to hauehave there.
But all men of learning & iudgement know well inough that this your doctrine is no elder then the bishop of Romes vsurped supremacy, which though it be of good age by nomber of yeres, yet is it new to Christ and his worde. If there were such darkenes in the world now, as hath ben in that world which you note for olde, the people might drinke new wyne of the whore of Babilons cup, vntil they were as dronke with hypocrisie and superstition, as they might well stand vponupon their legs, and no man once say, blacke is their eye. But now thankes be to God, the light of his worde so shineth in the world, that your dronkennes in this yeare of Iubiley is espied, so that you cannot erect and build your popish kingdome any longer in Englishmens hattes, without your owne scorne, shame and confusiō. The old popish bottels must nedes brast, when ye new wyne of Gods holy word is poured into them.
Winchester.
Which new teaching, whether it procedeth from the spirite of truth or no, shall more plainly appeare by such matter as this author vttereth wherewith to impugne the true fayth taught hetherto.Tokens how to discern truth from falshood. For amōng many other profes, wherby truth after much trauail in contention, at the last preuayleth and hath victory, there is none more notable, then when the very aduersaries of truth (who pretend neuerthelesse to be truthes frendes) do by some euident vntruth bewrap them selues. According wherunto, when the two women contended before King Salomon for the child yet aliue: Salomon decerned the true naturall mother from the other,…. Reg. 3. by their speeches and sayinges. Which in the very mother were euer conformable vntounto nature, and in the other, at the last euidētly against nature. The very true mother spake alwayes like her selfe, and neuer disagreed from the truth of nature, but rather: then the thilde should be killed (as Salomon the eatned, when he called for a Sword) required it to be geuen whole aliue to the other woman. The other woman that was not the true mother, cared more for victory then for the child,A lesson of Salomons iudgement. and therfore spake that was in nature, an euidence that she lyen callinge her selfe mother, and saying let it be deuided, which no natural mother could say of her own child. Wherupon procéedeth Salomons most wise iudgement, which hath this lesson in it, euer where contention is, on that part to be the truth,Truth nedeth no ayd of lies. where all sayinges and doinges appeare vniformely consonant to the truth pretended, and on what side a notable …y… appeareth, the rest may be iudged to be after the same sort. For truth néedeth no ayde of lyes, exast or sleight wherwith to be supported or maintayned. So as in the intreating of the truth of this high and ineffable mistery of the sacrament, on what past thou reader séest crafte, sleight, shift, obliquitie, or in any one poynt, an open manifest lye, there thou mayst consider what soeuer pretence be made of truth,Truth loueth simplicity and playnnes. yet the victory of truth not to be there intended, which loueth simplicity, playnnesse, direct speach, without admixtion of shift or colour.