Answer unto a Crafy and Sophistical Cavillation, Debate · Confutation of book 3 · Section 69
Caunterbury.
WHere you say that in the old church ye truth of this mistery was neuer impugned opēly, you say herin very truly, for ye truth which I hauehave set forth, was openly receiued and taught of al that were catholick without coutradiction, vntil the papists diuised a contrary doctrine. And I say further, that ye vntruth which you teach, was not at that time improued of no man, neither openly nor priuily. For how could your doctrine be impugned in the olde church, which was then neither taught nor knowen?
And as concerning Bertrame,Bertrame. he did not write secretly, for he was required by king Charles to write in this matter, and wrot therin as the doctrine of the Church was at that tyme, or els some man would hauehave reprehended him, which neuer none did before you, but make mention of his workes vntounto his great prayse and commendation.Messaliani. De is habetur in histo trip. lib. 7.… 11. et in Theodoreto li. 4. cap. 11. And the Massalians were not reproued for saying, that corporall eating doth neither good nor hurt, neither Epiphanius, nor of S. Augustine, nor Theodoret, nor of any other auntient author that I hauehave red. Mary that the sacraments do neither good nor hurt, & namely Baptisme, is layd vntounto ye Massaliās charge and yet the corporall receiuing without ye spirituall auaileth nothing, but rather hurteth very much, as appeared in Iudas and Simon Magus. And as for the three heresies of the Massalians, Anthropomorphites, and Nestorians, I allow none of them, although you report thē otherwise thē either Epiphanius or S. Augustine doth.
And wherē you say that I would hauehave taken for a supposall, that Basil Nazianzene and Nissene should take the sacrament to be figuratiue only still you charge me vntruly with that I nether say nor think.
For I knowledge (as al good christen mē do) that almighty God worketh effectually with his sacraments.
And where you report me to say an other vntruth, that of a figure may be spoken the same thing, that may be spoken of the thing it self, that I say true therin witnesseth plainly S. Augustin and Cyprian. And yet I speake not vniuersally, nor these examples that you bring make anything agaynst my sayings. For the first example may be sayd of the figure, if D. Smith say true.Smyth. And because you .ii. write both agaynst my book, and a gree so euil one with an other (as it is hard fo vntrue sayers to agree in one tale (therfore in this poynt I commit you togither, to see which of you is most valiant champion. And as for your other iii. examples, it is not true of ye thing it selfe, that Christes body is present in the sacrament by miracle or aboue nature, although by miracle and aboue nature he is in the ministration of his holy supper, amōg them that godly be fed therat. And thus be your friuolous cauillations aunswered.
And where you say that I am ignorant what this word (corporal) meaneth surely then I hauehave a very grosse wit,Corporali that am ignorant in that thing, which eueryevery plough man knoweth. But you make so fine a cōstruction of this word (corporall) that neither you can tell what you meane your self, nor no man can vnderstand you, as I hauehave opened before in the discussing of Cyrils mind.
And as for the reuerent vse of mans mouth in the Lordes holy supper, the bread and wine outwardly must be reuerently receaued wt the mouth because of the things therby represented, which by fayth be receaued inwardly in our hartes & mindes, & not eatē with our mouthes, as you vntruely allege S. Paule to say, whose wordes be of the eating of the sacramentall bread, and not of the body of Christ. Now followeth next mine aunswer to Eusebius Emissenus, who is as it were your chefe trust and shot ancre.
The aunswere to Emissenus.Likewise Eusebius Emissenus is shortly aunswered vntounto: for he speaketh not of any reall and corporall conuersion of bread and wine vntounto Christs body and bloud: nor of any corporal and real eating and drinking of the same, but he speaketh of a sacramentall conuersion of bread and wine, and of a spirituall eating and drinking of the body and bloud. After which sort Christ is aswell present in baptisme (as the same Eusebius playnly there declareth) as he is in the Lordes table: Which is not carnally and corporally, but by fayth and spiritually. But of this author is spoken before more at large in the matter of transubstatiation.