Answer unto a Crafy and Sophistical Cavillation, Debate · Confutation of book 1 · Section 30 – Section 31
Caunterbury.
I Mystrust not the indifferency of the reader so much, but he can well perceiue how simple & slender a rehearsall you hauehave made here of my eight annotations, and how little matter you hauehave here to say agaynst them, and how little your sayinges require any aunswere.
And because this may the more euidently appeare to the reader, I shall rehearse my wordes heare agayne.
Although in this treatie of the Sacrament of the body & bloud of our sauiour Christ,Cap. 6. I hauehave already sufficiētly declared the institution & meaning of the same, according to the very wordes of the Gospell and of saint Paule, yet it shall not be in vayne somwhat more at large to declare the same, according to the minde, as well of holy scripture, as of olde auncient authours, and that so sincerely & plainly, without doubts, ambiguities, or vain questions, that the very simple and vnlearned people, may easily vnderstand the same, and be edified thereby.
And this by Gods grace is myne only intent and desire, that the flocke of Christ dispersed in this Realme (among whome I am appointed a speciall pastour) may no longer lacke the commodite and fruite, whiche springeth of this heauenly knowledge. For the more clerely it is vnderstood the more swetnes, fruite, comfort, and edification it bringeth to the godly receauers therof. And to the clere vnderstandyng of this Sacrament, diuers thinges must be cō sidered.
First, that as all men of them selues be sinners, and through sinne be in gods wrath,Cap. 9. The spirituall hunger & thirstines of the soul. banished farre away from him, condemned to hell and euerlasting dā nation, and none is clerely innocent, but Christ alone: so eueryevery soule inspired by god, is desirous to be deliuered from sinne and hell, and to obteine at Gods handes, mercy, fauour, righteousnes, and euerlasting saluation.
And this earnest and great desire is called in scripture, The hūger and thirst of the soule:Eph. 2. Rom. 3: with which kinde of hunger Dauid was taken, when he sayde: As an hart longeth for springes of water, so doth my soule long for thee O God. My soule thyrsteth after God,Psal. 41. Psal. 62. who is the well of lyfe. My soule thyrsteth for thee, my flesh wisheth for thee.
And this hunger the seely poore sinfull soule is driuen vntounto, by meanes of the law, which sheweth vntounto her the horriblenes of sinne, the terror of Gods indignation, and the horror of death and euerlasting damnation.
And when she seeth nothing but damnation for her offences,Rom. 4. Rom. 7. by iustice and accusation of the law, and this damnation is euer before her eies, then in this great distresse the soule being pressed with heuinesse and sorrow, seeketh for some comfort,Rom. 8. and desireth some remedy for her miserable and sorowfull estate. And this felyng of her damnable condition, and greedy desire of refreshing, is the spirituall hunger of the soule.
And who so euer hath this godly hunger,Math. 5. is blessed of God, and shall hauehave meate and drinke inough, as Christ himselfe sayd: Blessed be they that hunger & thyrst for righteousnes, for they shalbe filled ful. And on the other side, they that see not their owne sinfull and dānable estate, but thinke themselues holy inough, and in good case and condition inough, as they hauehave no spirituall hunger, so shall they not be fed of God with any spirituall foode. For as almighty God feedeth them that be hungry,Luke. 1. so doth he send away empty all that be not hungry.
But this hunger and thyrst is not easily perceiued of the carnall man. For when he heareth the holy ghost speake of meate and drinke, his mynde is by and by in the kytchen and buttery, and he thinketh vpō his dishes and pottes, his mouth and his belly.
But the Scripture in sundry places vseth speciall wordes, whereby to draw our grosse mindes from the phantasying of our teeth and belly, and from this carnall and fleshly imaginatiō. For the Apostles, and Disciples of Christ, when they were yet carnall, knew not what was ment by this kinde of hunger, and meate, and therfore when they desired him to eate, (to withdraw their minds from carnall meat) he sayd vntounto them: I hauehave other meate to eate which you know not.Iohn. 4. And why knew they it not? Forsooth because their mindes were grosse as yet, and had not receaued the fulnes of the Spirite. And therfore our Sauyour Christ minding to draw them from this grossenes, tolde them of an other kinde of meate then they fantasied (as it were) rebuking them, for that they perceiued not that there was any other kinde of eating and drinking, besides that eating and drinking which is with the mouth and throate.
Iohn. 4.Likewise when he said to the woman of Samaria: Who soeuer shall drink of that water that I shal geue him, shal neuer be thirsty again. They that heard him speak those words, might well perceiue that he went about to make them well acquainted with an other kinde of drinking, then is the drinking with the mouth and throate. For there is no such kinde of drinke, that with once drinking can quench the thirst of a mans body for euer. Wherefore, in saying he shall neuer be thirsty agayn: he did draw their mindes from drinking with the mouth, vntounto another kinde of drinking wherof they knew not, and vntounto another kinde of thirsting, wherewith as yet they were not acquainted. And also when our Sauyour Christ said, he that commeth to me shall not hunger,Iohn 6. and he that beleeueth on me shall neuer be thirsty: he gaue them a plain watcheworde, that there was another kinde of meate and drinke, then that wherwith he fed them at the other syde of the water, and an other kynde of hungryng and thirstyng, then was the hungryng and thyrstyng, of the bodye. By these wordes therfore he droue the people to vnderstand an other kynde of eatyng and drynking, of hungring and thirsting, then that whiche belongeth onelyonly for the preseruation of temporall life.
Now then as the thing that comforteth the body, is called meate and drink, of a lyke sorte the scripture calleth the same thinge that comforteth the soule, meate and drinke.
Cap. 10.Wherfore as here before in the first note is declared the hunger & drought of the soule,Mat. 11. The spirituall foode of ye soule. so is it nowe secondly to be noted, what is the meate, drinke and foode of the soule.
The meate, drinke, foode and refreshing of the soule, is our Sauiour Christ,Iohn. 7. as he sayd himselfe: Come vntounto me all you that trauaile and be laden, and I will refresh you. And, If any man be dry (sayth he) let him come to me and drinke. He that beleueth in me,Iohn. 6. floudes of water of life shall flowe out of hys bellye. And, I am the bread of life (saith Christe,) he that commeth to me, shall not be hungry: and he that beleeueth in me, shall neuer be dry. For as meate and drinke do comfort the hungry body, so doth the death of Christes body and the shedding of his bloud comforte the soule, when she is after her sorte, hungry. What thinge is it that comforteth and nourisheth the body. Forsooth meate and drinke. By what names then shall we call the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ (which do comfort and nourish the hungry soule) but by the names of meate and drynke? And this symilitude caused our Sauiour to say: my flesh is very meate, and my bloud is very drinke. For there is no kinde of meate that is comfortable to the soule, but only the death of Christes blessed body. Nor no kinde of drinke that can quench her thirst, but only the bloudsheading of our Sauyour Christ, which was shed for her offences. For as there is a carnall generation, and a carnall feeding and nourishment, so is there also a spirituall generation, and a spirituall feeding.
And as eueryevery man by carnall generation of father and mother, is carnally begotten and borne vntounto this mortall life: so is eueryevery good christian spiritually borne by Christ vntounto eternall life.
And as eueryevery man is carnally fedde and nourished in his body by meat and drinke, euen so is eueryevery good christian man spiritually fed and nourished in his soule, by the flesh and bloud of our Sauyour Christ.
And this Christ hymselfe teacheth vsus in thys syxt of Iohn,Iohn 6. saying: Verely verely I say vntounto you, excepte ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man, and drynke hys bloud, you hauehave no life in you. Who so eateth my flesh and drynketh my bloude, hath eternall life, and I will rayse him vp at the last daye: For my flesh is very meate, and my bloud is very drynke. He that eateth my fleshe, and drynketh my bloude dwelleth in me, and I in hym, As the liuing father hath sent me, and I liue by the father, euen so he that eateth me, shall lyue by me.
And this S. Paul confessed him selfe: saying: That I hauehave life, I hauehave it by faith in the Sonne of God. And now it is not I that liue,Gal. 2. but Christ liueth in me.
The thyrd thyng to be noted is this, that although our Sauiour Christ resembleth hys fleshe and bloud to meate and drynke,Cap. 11. yet he farre passeth and excelleth all corporall meates and drynkes: For although eorporall meates and drynkes do nourish and continue our life here in this world,Christ farre excelleth all corporall foode. yet they begin not our life. For the beginning of our lyfe, we hauehave of our fathers and mothers and the meate after we be begotten, doth feede and nourish vsus, and so preserueth vsus for a tyme. But our sauiour Christ is both the first beginner of our spirituall lyfe, (who first begetteth vsus vntounto God his father) and also afterward he is our lyuely foode and nourishment.
Moreouer meate and drynke doe feede and nourishe onelyonly our bodyes, but CHRISTE is the true and perfect nourishment both of body and soule. And besides that, bodely foode preserueth the lyfe but for a tyme, but Christ is such a spirituall and perfect foode, that he preserueth both body and soule for euer: as he sayde vntounto Martha: I am a resurrection and lyfe. He that beleueth in me, although he dye yet shall he lyue. And hee that lyueth and beleeueth in me,Iohn. 11. shal not dye for euer.
Fourthly it is to be noted, that the true knowledge of these things, is the true knowledge of Christ,Cap. 12. and to teache these thinges, is to teache Christ. and the beleuing and feelyng of these thinges,The sacramēts were ordayned to confirme our faith. is the beleuyng and feelyng of Christ in our hartes. And the more clearely we see, vnderstand and beleue these thinges, the more clearely we see and vnderstand Christ, and hauehave more fully our fayth and comfort in hym.
And although our carnal generation and our carnal nourishment, be known to all men by dayly experyence, and by our common senses, yet this our spirituall generation and our spirituall nutrition, be so obscure and hyd vntounto vsus, that we cannot attayne to the true and perfect knowledge and feelyng of them, but onelyonly by fayth, which must be grounded vponupon Goddes most holy worde and sacramentes.
And for this consideration our Sauiour Christ hath not only set forth these thyngs most playnly in his holy word, that we may heare them with our eares, but he hath also ordayned one visible sacrament of spirituall regeneration in water, and an other visible sacrament of spirituall nourishment, in bread and wine, to the intent, that as much as is possible for man, we may see Christ with our eyes, smell hym at our nose, taste hym with our mouthes, grope hym with our handes, and perceiue hym with all our senses. For as the word of God preached, putteth Christ into our eares, so likewise these elementes of water, bread and wyne, ioyned to Gods word, do after a sacramentall maner, put Christ into our eyes, mouthes, handes, and all our senses.
And for this cause Christ ordeyned baptisme in water, that as surely as we se, feele and touch water with our bodyes, and be washed with water, so assuredly ought we to beleue, when we be baptised, that Christ is veryly present with vsus, and that by him we be newly borne agayne spiritually, and wafhed from our sinnes, and grafted in the stocke of Christes owne body, and be apparailed, clothed, and harnessed with hym, in such wise, that as the deuill hath no power agaynst Chryst, so hath he none agaynst vsus, so long as we remayne, grafted in that stocke, and be clothed with that apparell, and harnessed with that armour. So that the washing in water of baptisme, is as it were shewing of Christ before our eyes, and a sensible touching, feelyng and gropyng of hym, to the confirmation of the inwarde fayth, which we hauehave in hym.
And in like maner Christ ordeined the sacrament of hys bodye and bloud in bread and wine, to preach vntounto vsus, that as our bodyes be fed, nourished and preserued with meate and drynke (so as touching our spirituall life towardes God) we be fed, nourished and preserued by the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ, and also that he is such a preseruation vntounto vsus, that neither the deuils of hell, nor eternall death, nor sinne, can be able to preuayle agaynst vsus, so long as by true and constant faith, we be fed and nourished with that meate and drynk. And for this cause Christ ordeined this sacrament in bread and wine (whiche we eate and drynke,Hugo de S. vict. de Sacramentis tractat. 6. cap. 3. and be chiefe nutrimentes of our body (to thintent, that as surely as we see the bread and wine, with our eyes, smell them with our noses, touch them with our handes, and taste them with our mouthes, so assuredlye ought we to beleue, that Christ is a spirituall lyfe and sustinaunce of our soules, like as the sayd bread and wine is the foode and sustinance of our bodyes. And no lesse ought we to doubt, that our soules be fed and liue by Christ, then that our bodies be fed and liue by meate and drinke. Thus our sauiour Christ, knowing vsus to be in this world (as it were) but babes and weakelinges in fayth, hath ordeyned sensible signes and tokens, whereby to allure and drawe vsus to more strength and more constant fayth in hym. So that the eatyng and drynkyng of thys sacramentall bread and wine, is as it were shewing of Christe before our eies, a smellyng of hym with our noses, felyng and gropyng of hym with our handes, and an eatyng, chawing, digestyng and feedyng vponupon hym to our spirituall strength and perfection.
Cap. 13.Fiftely it is to be noted, that although there be many kindes of meates and drinkes, which feede the body, yet our Sauiour Christ (as many auncyent authors write) ordayned this sacrament of our spiritual feding in bread and wine,Wherfore this sacrament was ordayned in bred and wine. rather then in other meates and drynkes, because that bread and wine doe most liuely represent vntounto vsus the spirituall vnion and knot of all faythful people, as well vntounto Christ, as also amonges them selues. For like as bread is made of a great number of grains of corne, ground, baken,Hugo de S. vict. de Sacramentis tractat. 6. cap. 3. and so ioyned together that therof is made one lose: And an infinite number of grapes be pressed togither in one vessell, and thereof is made wine: likewise the whole multitude of true christen people spiritually ioyned, first to Christ, and then among them selues togither in one fayth, one baptisme, one holy spirite, one knot and bond of louelove.
Sixtly it is to be noted, that as the bread and wine whiche we doe eate,Cap. 14. be turned into our fleshe and bloud, and be made our very fleshe and very bloud, and so be ioyned and myxed with our fleshe and bloud,The vnity of Christes misticall body. that they be made one whole body togither: euen so be all faythfull christians, spiritually turned into the body of Christ, and so be ioyned vntounto Christe, and also togither amonge them selues, that they doe make but one misticall body of Christe, as S. Paule sayth: We be one bread and one body, as many as be partakers of one bread and one cup. And as one lofe is giuen among many men,1. Cor. 10. so that eueryevery one is partaker of the same lofe: and likewise one cup of wine is distributed vntounto many persons, wherof eueryevery one is partaker,Dionysios. eccle. Hie. cap. 31 euen so our Sauiour Christ (whose flesh and bloud be represented by the misticall bread and wine in the Lords Supper) doth geue him selfe vntounto al his true members, spiritually to feede them, nourish them, and to geue them continuall life by him. And as the branches of a tree, or member of a body, if they be dead; or cut of, they neither liue, nor receaue any nourishment, or sustinance of the body, or tree: so likewise vngodly and wicked people, which be cut of from Christes misticall body, or be dead members of the same, doe not spiritually feede vponupon Christes body and bloud, nor hauehave any life, strength, or sustentation thereby.
Seuenthly, it is to be noted,Cap. 14. This sacramēt moueth all men to louelove and frēdship. that where as nothing in this life is more acceptable before God, or more pleasant vntounto man, thē christen people to liue together quietly in louelove and peace, vnity and concord this Sacrament doth most aptly and effectuously moue vsus thereunto. For when we be made all partakers of this one table, what ought we to thinke, but that we be all members of one spirituall body, wherof Christ is the head, that we be ioyned together in one Christ, as a great number of graynes of corne be ioyned together in one loafe. Surely, they hauehave very hard and stony hartes, which with these thinges be not moued: and more cruell and vnreasonable be they then bruit beastes, that cannot be perswaded to be good to their christen brethren and neighboures, for whom Christ suffered death, when in this Sacrament they be put in remēbrāce that the Sonne of God bestowed his life for his enemies. For we see by daily experience, that eating and drinking together maketh frendes, and continueth frendshippe: much more then ought the table of Christ to moue vsus so to doe. Wilde beastes and birdes be made gentile by geuing them meate and drinke, why then should not christen men waxe meeke and gentle with this heauenly meate of Christ? Hereunto we be stirred, and moued, as well by the bread, and wine in this holy Supper, as by the wordes of holy Scripture, recited in the same. Wherefore, whose hart soeuer this holy Sacrament, Communion, and Supper of Christ, wil not kindle with louelove vntounto his neighboures, and cause him to put out of his hart, all enuy, hatred, and malice, and to graue in the same all amity, frendshippe, and concord, he deceaueth him selfe, if he thinke that he hath the spirite of Christ dwelling within him.
But all these foresayd godly admonitions, exhortations, and comforts, doe the Papistes (as much as lyeth in them) take away from all christen people, by their transubstantiation.
The doctrine of Transubstātia…ion doth clean subuert our faith in Christ.For if we receaue no bread nor wine in the holy Communion, then all these lessons and comfortes be gone, which we should learne, and receaue, by eating of the bread, and drinking of the wine: and that fantasticall imagination, geueth an occasion vtterly to subuert our wholl faith in Christ. For seeing that this Sacrament was ordeyned in bread and wine (which be foodes for the body) to signifie and declare vntounto vsus our spirituall foode by Christ, then if our corporal feeding vponupon the bread and wine, be but fantasticall (so that there is no bread, nor wine there in deede to feede vponupon, although they appeare there to be) then it doth vsus to vnderstand, that our spirituall feeding in Christ, is also fantastical, and that in deede we feede not of him: which sophistry is so deuilish and wicked, and so much iniurious to Christ, that it could not come from any other person, but only from the Deuill himselfe, and from his specyall minister Antichrist.
The eight thing that is to be noted, is, that this spiritual meat of Christs body and bloud,Cap. 16. is not receaued in the mouth, and digested in the stomack (as corporall meates and drinkes commonly be) but it is receaued with a pure hart, and a sincere fayth.The spirituall eating in with the hart, not wt the teeth. And the true eating and drinking of the said body and bloud of Christ, is with a constant, and liuely faith to beleeue, that Christ gaue his body, and shed his bloud vponupon the crosse for vsus, and that he doth so ioyne, and incorporate him selfe to vsus, that he is our head, and we his members, and flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bones, hauing him dwelling in vsus, & we in him. And herein standeth the wholl effecte and strength of this Sacrament. And this faith God worketh inwardly in our hartes by his holy Spirit, & confirmeth the same outwardly to our eares, by hearing of his worde: and to our other sences, by eating and drinking of the Sacramentall bread and wine in his holy Supper.
What thing then can be more comfortable to vsus, then to eate this meate, & drinke this drinke? whereby Christ certifieth vsus, that we be spiritually, & truely, fed and nourished by him, and that we dwell in him, and he in vsus. Can this be shewed vntounto vsus more plainly, then when he sayth him selfe: He that eateth me, shall liue by me?Iohn. 6.
Wherefore, who so euer doth not contemne the euerlasting life, how can he but highly esteeme this Sacrament? how can he but imbrace it, as a sure pledge of his saluation? And when he seeth godly people deuoutly receaue the same, how can he but be desirous oftentimes to receaue it with them? Surely no man that well vnderstandeth, and diligently wayeth these thinges, can be without a great desire to come to this holy Supper.
All men desire to hauehave Gods fauour, and when they know the contrary, that they be in his indignation, and cast out of his fauour, what thing can comfort them? how be their minds vexed? what trouble is in their consciences? all Gods creatures seeme to be against them, and doe make them afrayd, as thinges being ministers of Gods wrath and indignation towardes them, and rest or comforte can they finde none, neither within them, nor without them. And in this case they doe hate as well God, as the Deuill. God, as an vnmercifull and extreeme Iudge, and the Deuill as a most malicious and cruell tormentor.
And in this sorrowfull heauines, holy Scripture teacheth them, that our heauenly Father can by no meanes be pleased with thē again, but by the Sacrifice, and death of his only begotten Sonne, whereby God hath made a perpetuall amity, and peace with vsus, doth pardon the sinnes of them that beleue in him, maketh them his children, and geueth them to his first begotten Sonne Christ, to be incorporate into him, to be saued by him, and to be made heires of heauen with him. And in the receauing of the holy Supper of our Lord, we be put in remembrance of this his death, and of the wholl mistery of our redemption. In the which Supper, is made mention of his testament, and of the aforesaid communion of vsus with Christ, and of the remission of our sinnes, by his Sacrifice vponupon the Crosse.
Wherfore in this Sacrament, (if it be rightly receaued with a true faith) we be assured that our sinnes be forgiuen, and the league of peace and the Testament of God is confirmed betwene him and vsus, so that who so euer by a true fayth doth eate Christs flesh and drink his bloud, hath euerlasting life by him. Which thing whē we feele in our hartes, at the receauing of the Lords supper, what thing can be more ioyfull, more pleasaunt, or more comfortable vntounto vsus.
All this to be true, is most certayne by the wordes of Christ him selfe, whē he did first institute his holy Supper, the night before hys death, as it appeareth as well by the wordes of the Euangelistes, as of S. Paule. Do this (sayth Christ) as often as you drinke it,Luke. 21. in remembraunce of me. And S. Paule sayth: As often as you eate this bread and drinke this cup,1. Cor. 11. Mat. 26. Luke. 22. Mark. 14. you shall shew the Lordes death vntill he come. And agayne Christ sayd: This cup is a newe testament in myne own bloud, which shall be shed for the remission of sinnes.
This doctrine here recyted, may suffice for all that be humble and Godlye, and seeke nothing that is superfluous, but that is necessary and profitable. And therfore vntounto such persons may be made here an ende of this booke. But vntounto them that be contentious Papistes and Idolaters, nothing is inough. And yet because they shall not glory in their subtill inuentions and deceiuable doctrine (as though no man were able to aunswere them) I shall desire the readers of patience, to suffer me a litle while, to spende some time in vayne, to confute their most vaine vanities. And yet the time shal not be al together spent in vain, for thereby shall more clearely appeare the light from the darcknes, the truth from false sophisticall subtilties, and the certaine worde of God, from mens dreames and phantasticall inuentions.
ALthough I neede make no further aunswere, but the rehearsall of my wordes, yet thus much will I aunswere, that where you say, that I speake some wordes by the way not tollerable, if there had bene any suche they should not hauehave fayled to be expressed and named to their reproche, as other hauehave bene. Wherfore the reader may take a day with you before he beleue you. when you reproue me for vsing some intollerable wordes, and in conclusion name not one of them.
And as for your catholick confessiō, that Christ doth in deed fede such as be regenerated in him, not only by his body and bloud, but also with his body and bloud at his holy table, this I confesse also: but that he feedeth Iewes, Turkes, and Infidels, if they receaue the sacrament, or that he corporally feedeth our mouthes with his flesh and bloud, this neither I confesse, nor any scripture or auncyeut writer euer taught, but they teach that he is eaten spiritually in our hartes and by fayth, not with mouth and teeth; except our hartes be in our mouthes, and our fayth in our teeth.
Thus you hauehave labored sore in this matter, and sponne a fayre threde, and brought this your first booke to a goodly conclusion.Iniury to both Sacrament…s. For you conclude your booke with blasphemous wordes agaynst both the sacrament of baptisme and the Lordes supper, nigardly pinching gods giftes, and diminishing hys lyberall promises made vntounto vsus in them. For where Christ hat… promised in both the sacramentes to be assistant with vsus wholl both in body and spirite (in the one to be our spirituall regeneration and apparell, and in the other to be our spirituall meate and drinke) you clyp hys liberall benefites in such sorte, that in the one you make him to geue but onelyonly his spirite, and in the other but onelyonly hys body. And yet you call your booke an Explication and assertion of the true catholicke fayth.
D. Smith.Here you make an ende of your first booke, leauing vnanswered the rest of my booke. And yet forasmuch as Smith busieth him selfe in this place with the aunswere therof, he may not passe vnanswered againe, where the matter requireth. The wordes of my booke be these.
Cap. 17.But these thinges cannot manifestly appeare to the reader, except the principall poyntes be first set our, wherein the Papistes vary from the truth of gods word,4principall errors of the Papistes. which be chiefly fower.
First the Papistes say, that in the supper of the Lord, after the wordes of consecration (as they call it) there is none other substaunce remaining, but the substaunce of Christes flesh and bloud,The first is of the presence of Christ. so that there remaineth neither bread to be eaten, nor wine to be dronken. And although there be the colour of bread and wine, the sauour, the smell, the bignesse, the fashion, and all other (as they call them) accidentes, or qualities and quantitees of bread and wine, yet (say they) there is no very bread nor wine, but they be turned into the flesh & bloud of Christ. And this conuersion they call transubstantiation, that is to say, turning of one substance into an other substance. And although all the accidentes, both of the bread and wine, remaine still, yet (say they) the same accidentes, be in no maner of thing, but hang alone in the ayre, without any thing to stay them vponupon. For in the body and bloud of Christ (say they) these accidentes cannot be, nor yet in the ayre, for the body and bloud of Christ and the ayre, be neither of that bignesse, fashion, smell, nor colour, that the bread and wine be. Nor in the bread and wine (say they) these accidentes can not be, for the substance of bread and wine (as they affirm) be clean gone. And so there remaineth whitenes, but nothing is white: there remaineth colours, but nothing is colored therwith: there remaineth roundnes, but nothing is round: and there is bignes, and yet nothing is bigge: there is sweetenes, without any sweet thing: softnes without any soft thing: breaking, without any thing broaken: diuision, without any thing deuided: and so other qualities and quantities, without any thing to receiue them. And this doctrine they teach as a necessary article of our faith.
But it is not the doctrine of Christ, but the subtile inuention of Antichrist, first decreed by Innocent the third,Innocent. 3. and after more at large set forth by schoole authors, whose study was euer to defend and set abroad to the world, all such matters,De summa trin. & fide catholica firmiter, paragrapho. vna. as the bishoppe of Rome had once decreed. And the Deuill by his minister Antichrist, had so daseled the eyes of a great multitude of christian people in these latter dayes, that they sought not for their faith at the cleere light of Gods word, but at the Romish Antichrist, beleeuing what so euer he prescribed vntounto them, yea though it were against all reason, al sences, & Gods most holy word also. For els he could not hauehave been very Antichrist in deede, except he had been so repugnant vntounto Christ, whose doctrine is clean contrary to this doctrin of Antichrist. For Christ teacheth that we receaue very bread, and wine, in the most blessed Supper of the Lord, as Sacraments to admonish vsus, that as we be fedde with bread and wine bodely, so we be fedde with the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ spirituallye. As in our baptisme we receiue very water, to signify vntounto vsus that as water is an elemēt to wash the body outwardly, so be our soules washed by the holy ghost inwardly.
The second principall thinge,The second is of the presence of Christ in the Sacrament. wherein the Papistes vary from the truth of gods worde, is this: They say, that the very naturall fleshe and bloud of Christ, which suffred for vsus vponupon the crosse, & sitteth at the right hād of father in heauen, is also really, substancially, corporally, & naturally, in or vnderunder the accidents of the sacramental bread & wine, which they call the fourmes of bread and wine. And yet here they vary not a litle among thē selues, for some say, that the very naturall body of Christ is there, but not naturally, nor sensibly. And other say, that it is there naturally and sensibly, and of the same bignes and fashion that it is in heauen, and as the same was borne of the blessed virgine Mary, and that is there broken and torne in peces with our teeth. And this appeareth partly by the schole authors, & partely by the confession of Berengarius,De cōsecra, dist. 1. Ego Be…eng. Lege Roffen. contra Oerol. in proaemio. lib. 3. corroborat. 5. which Nicholas the second constrained him to make, which was this: That of the Sacramentes of the Lordes table the said Berengarius should promise to hold that faith, which the sayd Pope Nicholas & his counsel held, which was, that not only the sacramēts of bread & wine, but also the very flesh and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ, are sensibly handled of the priest in the altar, broken and torne with the teeth of the faithful people. But the true catholick faith, grounded vponupon Gods most infallible word, teacheth vsus, that our sauiour Christ (as concerning his mans nature and bodily presence) is gone vp vntounto heauen,Christ is not corporally in earth. and sitteth at the right hand of his father, and there shall he tary vntill the worldes ende, at what time he shall come againe to iudge both the quick and the dead, as he saith him self in many Scriptures. I forsake the world (saith he) and goe to my Father.Iohn 6. And in another place he saith: You shal euer hauehave poore men among you, but me shall not you euer hauehave.Math. 26. Mark. 24. And againe hee saith: Many hereafter shall come and say, looke here is Christ, or looke there he is, but beleeue them not. And S. Peter saith in the Actes, that heauen must receaue Christ,Actes. 3. vntill the time that all thinges shall be restored. And S. Paule writing to the Colossians,Coloss. 3. agreeth hereto saying: Seeke for thinges that be aaboue, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of the Father. And Saint Paul speaking of the very Sacrament,1. Cor. 11. saith: As often as you shall eate this bread, and drinke this cuppe, shew forth the Lordes death vntill he come. Till he come, saith Saint. Paule, signifying, that he is not there corporally present. For what speech were this? or who vseth of him that is already present, to say: vntill he come? For, vntill he come, signifieth that he is not yet present. This is the catholicke faith, which we learne from our youth, in our common Creede, and which Christ taught, the Apostles followed, and the Martirs confirmed with their bloud.
And although Christ in his humain nature, substantially, really, corporally, naturally, and sensibly, be present with his Father in heauē, yet Sacramentally, and Spiritually, he is here present. For in water, bread, and wine, he is present, as in signes and Sacramentes: but he is in deede Spiritually in those faithfull, christian people, which according to Christes ordinaunce be baptized, or receaue the holy communion, or vnfainedlye beleeue in him. Thus hauehave you heard the second principall article, wherein the Papistes vary from the truth of Gods word, and from the Catholick faith. Now the third thing, wherein they vary, is this.
The Papistes say, that euill and vngodly men, receaue in this Sacrament, t… very body and bloud of Christ, and eate and drinke the self same thing, that the good and godly men doe.The third is, that euill men eate and drinke the very body and bloud of Christ. But the truth of Gods word is contrary, that all those that be godly members of Christ, as they corporally eate the bread, and drinke the wine, so spiritually they eate and drinke Christes very flesh and bloud. And as for the wicked members of the Deuill, they eate the Sacramental bread, and drinke the Sacramētall wine, but they doe not spiritually eate Christs flesh, nor drinke his bloud, but they eate and drinke their own damnation.
The fourth thing,The fourth, is of the dayly sacrifice of Christ. wherein the Popish priestes dissent frō the manifest word of God, is this. They say that they offer Christ eueryevery day for remission of sinne, and distribute by their Masses, the merits of Christs passion. But the Prophets, Apostles, and Euangelists, doe say that Christ himselfe in his own person made a sacrifice for our sinnes vponupon the Crosse, by whose woundes all our diseases were healed, and our sinnes pardoned, and so did neuer no priest, man nor creature, but he, nor he dyd the same neuer more then once. And the benefit hereof is in no mannes power to gyue vntounto any other, but eueryevery man must receaue it at Christes handes himselfe,Ibacuk. 2. by his own fayth and beliefe, as the Prophet saieth.
Here Smith findeth him selfe much greeued at two false reports, wherwith he saith that I vntruely charge the Papists. One when I write that some say, that the very naturall body of Christ is in the Sacrament naturally,D. Smith. Some say that Christ in naturally in the sament. and sensibly, which thing Smith vtterly denieth any of them to say, and that I falsely lay this vntounto their charge. And moreouer it is very false, (saith he) that you lay vntounto our charges, that we say, that Christes body is in the Sacrament as it was borne of the virgin, and that it is broken, and torne in peeces with our teeth. This also Smith saith is a false report of me.
But whether I hauehave made any vntrue report or no, let the bookes be iudges. As touching the first, the Bishop writeth thus in his booke of the Deuils sophistry, the 14. leafe. Good men were neuer offended with breaking of the hoost, which they daily saw, being also perswaded Christes body to be present in the Sacrament naturally, and really. And in the 18. leafe he saith these words, Christ, God and man, is naturally present in the Sacrament. And in ten, or twelue places of this his last booke, he saith, yt Christ is present in the Sacramēt, naturally, corporally, sensibly, and carnally, as shall appeare euidently in the reading therof. So that I make no false reporte herein, who report no otherwise, then the …apistes hauehave written, and published openly in their bookes.
And it is not to be passed ouer, but worthy to be noted, how manifest falshoode is vsed in the printing of this Bishoppes booke,A manifest falshoode in the printing of the Byshoppes booke. in the 136. leafe. For where the Bishoppe wrote (as I hauehave two coppies to shew, one of his own hand, and another exhibited by him in open court, before the Kinges Commissioners) that Christes body in the Sacrament, is truely present, & therfore really present, corporally also, and naturally. The printed booke now set abroad, hath changed this word (naturally) and in the stede therof hath put these wordes (but yet supernaturally) corrupting, and manifestly falsefying the Bishops booke.
Who was the Author of this vntrue acte, I cannot certainly define, but if coniectures may hauehave place, I think the Bishop himselfe would not commaund to altar the booke in the printing, and then set it forth with this title, that it was the same booke that was exhibited by his own hand for his defence, to the kinges maiesties commissioners at Lamhith.
And I thinke the Printer, being a French man, would not hauehave enterprised so false a deed of his own head, for yt which he should hauehave no thanks at all, but be accused of the Author as a falsifier of his booke.
Now for as much as it is not like, that either the Bishop, or the Printer, would play any such pranks, it must then be some other, that was of counsell in the printing of the booke, which being printed in Fraunce, (whether you be now fled from your own natiue countrey) what person is more like to hauehave done such a noble acte, then you? who being so full of craft and vntruth in your own countrey, shew your selfe to be no changeling, where soeuer you become. And the rather it seemeth to me to be you, then any other person, because that the booke is altred in this word (naturally) vpō which word standeth the reproofe of your saying. For he saith, that Christ is in the Sacrament naturally, and you deny that any man so saith, but that Christ is there supernaturally. Who is more like therefore to change in his booke (naturally) into supernaturall, then you whom the matter toucheth, and no mā els? but whether my coniectures be good in this matter, I will not determine, but referre it to the iudgement of the indifferent Reader.
Now as concerning the second vntrue report, which I should make of the Papistes,Some say that Christ is rent and torne with teeth in the sacrament. I hauehave alleadged the wordes of Berengarius recantation, appointed by Pope Nicholas the 2. and written De consecrat dist. 2. which be these, that not only the Sacraments of bread and wine, but also the very flesh and bloud of our Lord Iesu Christ, are sensibly handeled of the Priest in the Altar, broaken, and torne with the teeth of the faithfull people.
Thus the Reader may see, that I misreport not the Papists, nor charge them with any other words then they doe write, that is to say, that the body of Christ is naturally, and sensibly, in the Sacrament, and broken, and torne in peeces with our teeth.
But (saith Smith) the meaning of Berengarius in his recantatiō was otherwise, that the formes of bread and wine are broaken, and torne with our teeth, but Christ is receaued wholly, without breaking of his body, or tearing with our teeth. Well, what so euer the meaninge of Berengarius was, his wordes be as I report, so that I make no false report of the Papistes, nor vntruely charge them with that they say not. But how should men know what the Papists meane, when they say one thing, and meane another? For Berengarius said, that not only the Sacramentes be broken and torne with our teeth (and you say he ment contrary, that only the Sacramentes be broken and torne with our teeth.) Berengarius said, that also the very flesh and bloud of Christ be broken and torne, (and you say, he ment clean contrary, that the flesh and bloud of Christ be not broaken, and torne.) Well, then would I faine learne, how it may be knowen what the Papists meane, if they mean yea, when they say nay, and mean nay, when they say yea.
And as for S. Iohn Chrisostom, and other old authors, by whom you would excuse this manner of speech, they helpe you herein nothing at all. For not one of them speake after this sorte, that Berengarius doth. For although though they say sometimes that we see Christ, touch him, and breake him, (vnderstanding that speech not of Christ him selfe, but of the Sacraments which represent him) yet they vse no such forme of speech, as was prescribed to Berengarius, that we see, feele, and break, not only the sacraments, but also Christ him selfe.
And likewise of Loth, Abraham, Iacob, Iosue, Mary Magdalen, and the Apostles (whom you bring forth in this matter) there is no such speeche in ye scripture, as Berengarius vseth. So that all these things be brought out in vame, hauing no colour to serue for your purpose, sauing that same thing you must say to make out your booke.
And as for al the rest that you say in this proces, concerning the presence of Christ visible, and inuisible, nedeth no answere at all, because you prooue nothing of all that you say in that matter: which may easely therfore be denied by as good authoritie, as you affirme ye same. And yet all the olde writers that speake of the diuersity of Christes substantiall presence, and absence, declare this diuersitie to be in the diuersity of his two natures, (that in the nature of his humanitie he is gone hence, and present in the nature of his diuinitie) and not that in diuers respectes and qualities of one nature, he is both present and absent, which I hauehave proued in my third booke, the fifth chapter.
And for as much as you hauehave not brought one author for the proofe of your saying, but your own bare wordes, nor hauehave aunswered to the authorities alleadged by me in the forsaid place of my third booke, reason would that my proofes should stand, and hauehave place, vntill such time as you hauehave proued your sayings, or brought some euidēt matter to improue mine. And this (I trust,) shall suffice to any indifferent Reader, for the defence of my first booke.
Winchester.
Wherein I will kéepe this order. First, to consider the third booke, that speaketh against the faith of the reall presence of Christes most precious body and bloud, in the Sacrament: then against the fourth and so returne to the second, speaking of Transubstantiation, wherof to talke, the reall presence not being discussed, were cleerely superfluous. And finally, I will somewhat say of the fifte booke also.