Answer unto a Crafy and Sophistical Cavillation, Debate · Confutation of book 3 · Section 6
Winchester.
This comparison is like the other before, whereof the first parte is garnished, and embossed with vntruth, and the second parte is, that the Church hath euer taught most truely, and that all must beleeue: and therefore that peece hath no vntruth in the matter, but in the manner onelyonly, bring spoaken as though it differed from the continuall open teaching of the Church, which is not so. Wherefore in the manner of it in vtterance signifieth an vntruth,Pugnat cum alijs Papistis. which in the matter it selfe is neuerthelesse most true. For vndoubtedly, Christ remayneth in the man that worthely receaueth the Sacrament, so long as ye man remayneth a member of Christ. In this first parte there is a fault in the matter of the spéech: for explication whereof, I will examine it particularly. This Author saith, they say that Christ is really in the Sacramental bread, being reserued an wholl yeare. &c. The Church geuing faith to Christes word, when he said: This is my body &c. teacheth the body of Christ to be present in the Sacrament vnderunder the forme of bread, vntounto which wordes when doe put the word (really,) it serueth onelyonly to expresse that truth in open wordes,Christ is the body of all the figures. which was before to be vnderstanded in sence. For in Christ, who was the body of all the shadowes and figures of the law, and who did exhibite and gaue in his Sacramentes of the new law, the thinges promysed in his Sacramentes of the olde law. We must vnderstand his wordes in the institution of his Sacramentes, without figure in the substance of the celestiall thing of them, and therefore when be ordered his most precious body and bloud to be eaten and druken of vsus, vnderunder the formes of bread and wine: we professe and beléeue, that truely he gaue vsus his most precious body in the Sacrament, for a celestiall foode, to comforte and strengthen vsus in this miserable life.Really that is in deede. And for certainty of the truth of his worke therein, we professe he geueth vsus his body really, that is to say: in déed his body the thing it selfe, which is the heauenly parte of the Sacrament, called (Eucharistia) hauing the visible forme of bread and wine, and contayning inuisibly the very body and bloud of our Sauyour Christ, which was not wonte to be reserued otherwise, but to be ready for such as in daunger of death call for it, and the same so long as it may be vsed, is still the same Sacrament, which onelyonly, tyme altereth not. Whereof Cirill wrote to this sence many hundred yeares past, and Hesychius also, and what ought to be done when by negligence of the mynister,Cyrillus ad Calosyrium episcopum. it were reserued ouerlong. Mary where it liketh the Author of these differences, to say the church teacheth, Christ to flée vp from the receauer vntounto heauen,Hesychius in Leuit. li 3. ca. 3. so sone as the bread is chawed in the mouth, or chaunged in the stomacke, this maner of speach implieth as though Christ leaft the seat of his maiestie in heauen, to be present in the Sacrament, which is most vntrue.Christ beyng present in the sacrament is at the same tyme present in heauen. The Church acknowledgeth, beleeueth, and teacheth truly, that Christ sitteth on the right hand of his Father in glory, frō whence he shall come to iudge the worlde, and also teacheth Christs very body and bloud, and Christ him selfe God and man, to be present in the Sacrament, not by shifting of place, but by the determination of his will, declared in Scriptures, and beléeued of the Catholick church, which articles be to reason impossible, but possible to God omnipotent. So as being taught of his will, we should humbly submitte all our sē ses and reason, to the faith of his will, and worke declared in his Scriptures.
In the beléefe of which misteries is great benefit and consolation, and in the vnreuerēt search, and curious discussion of thē, presumptuous boldnes & wicked temerity. I know by faith Christ to be present, but the particularity how he is present, more then I am assured, he is truely present, and therfore in substance present, I cannot tell, but present he is, and truely is, and verely is, and so in déede, that is to say, really is, and vnfaynedly is, and therfore in substance is, and as we tearme it, substancially is present. For all these aduerbes, really, substancially,Truely, Really, Substantially with the rest, be contayned in the one word (is) spoakē out of his mouth, that speaketh as he meaneth, truely, and certainly as Christ did, saying: This is my body that shall be betrayed for you: who then carryed him selfe in his hands after a certain manner (as S. Augustine sayth) which neuer man besides him could doe, who in that his last Supper, gaue him selfe to be eaten without consuming. The wayes and meanes wherof no man can tell, but humble spirites, as they be taught must constātly beléeue it,Augustin Psal. 33. without thinking or talking, of flying, of stying, of Christ again vntounto heauē, where Christ is in the glory of his Father continually, and is neuerthelesse (because he will so be) present in the Sacrament, wholl God and man, & dwelleth corporally in him that receaueth him worthely.
Wherfore (Reader) when thou shalt agayn well consider this comparison, thou shalt finde true, how the first parte is disguysed with vntrue report of the common teaching of the Church, how so euer some glose, or some priuat teacher might speak of it. And the second part,What is found in a blind glose, may not be takē for the teaching of the church & yet I neuer red of flyng. such as hath béen euer so taught. One thing I think good to admonish the reader, that what soeuer I affirme, or precisely deny, I meane within the compasse of my knowledge, which I speak not because I am in any suspicion, or doubt of that I affirme, or deny, but to auoyd the temerity of denying, as (neuer) or affirming, as (euer) which be extremityes. And I mean also of publicke doctrine by consent receaued, so taught, and beléeued, and not that ony one man might blindly write, as vttering his fancy, as this autor doth for his pleasure.It is in man dā gerous to affirme or deny extreamyties although they be be true for it maketh him suspect of presumtion. There followeth in the Author thus.