Defense of the True Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, Book 3 · Chapter 1 – Chapter 4
NOW THIS MATTER OF Chap. 1.transubstantiation being (as I trust) sufficiently resolued,The presence of Christe in ye sacramēt (which is the fyrst part before rehersed, wherin the papistical doctrine varieth from the catholicke truth) ordre requireth next, to intreate of the seconde part (whiche is of the manner of the presence of the body and bloode of our sauiour Christe in the sacramente thereof) wherein is no lesse contention, then in the fyrste parte.
For a plaine explication wherof, it is not vnknowen to all true faithfull christian people, that oure sauiour CHRIST (beeinge perfecte God, and in all thinges equall and coeternall wyth his father) for our sakes beecame also a perfect manne, takynge fleshe and bloode of his blessed mother and virgine Marye, and (sauing synne) beinge in all thinges lyke vntounto vsus, adioyninge vntounto hys diuynitie a moste perfecte soule and a moste perfecte bodye: hys sowle beinge indued with lyfe, sence, wyll, reason, wysdome, memory, and all other thinges required to the perfect soule of man, and hys body being made of very fleshe and bones, not onlye hauinge all membres of a perfecte mannes bodye in due ordre and proportion, but also beinge subiect to hunger, thyrste, laboure, sweate, werines, colde, heate, and all other lyke infirmyties and passions of man, and vntounto death also, and that the moste vile and painefull vppon the crosse. And after his death he rose againe, with ye selfe same visible and palpable bodye, and appeared therwith, and shewed the same vntounto hys Apostels, and specially to Thomas, makinge him to put his handes into his syde, and to feele hys woundes.Christ corporally ys ascended into heauē Act. 1, 3. And with the selfe same bodye, he forsooke this worlde, and ascended into heauen (the Apostels seeynge and beholdinge hys body when it ascended) and nowe sytteth at the right hand of his father, and there shall remaine vntyll the laste daye, when he shal come to iudge the quick and the deade.
This is the trewe catholicke faythe, wh…che the scrripture teacheth, & the vniuersal churche of Christe hathe euer beleued, frome the begynnynge vntyll within these fower or fyue hundreth yeares last passed, that the Byshoppe of Rome, with the assistaunce of his Papists, hath sette vp a newe faithe and beliefe of theyr owne deuising, that the same body, really, corporally, naturally, and sensiblye, is in this worlde styll, and that in an hundreth thousand places at one tyme, beynge inclosed in euerye pyxe and bread consecrated.
And althoughe we do affirme (accordinge to Gods word) that Christ is in all persones,Chap. 2. that truelye beleue in him, in suche sorte, that with his flesh and bloode he dothe spiritually norishe theim, and feede theim, and giueth theim euerlasting lyfe▪ and doth assure them therof, aswell by the promise of his word, as by the sacramentall bread and wine in his holy supper, which he did institute for the same purpose, yet we do not a little varye frome the hainous erroures of the Papistes.
For they teache,The difference betwene the true & the papisticall doctrine cōcer…ing the presēce of Christs b…by. that Christe is in the breade and wine: But we say (according to the truth) that he is in them, that worthely eate and drink the breade and wine.
They saye, that when anye manne eateth the breadde and drynketh the cuppe, CHRIST goeth into his mouth or stomake with the breade and wyne, and no further: But wee saye, that CHRIST is in the whole man bothe in the body and soule of him, that worthely eateth the bread and drinketh the cuppe, and not in hys mouthe or stomacke onelyonly.
They saye, that CHRIST is receiued in the mouth, and entreth in wyth the bread and wyne Wee saye that hee is receaued in the harte, and entreth in by faithe.
They saye, that Christe is reallye in the sacramentall breade beeynge reserued an whole yeare, or so longe as the fourme of breade remaineth, but after the receiuynge thereof, hee flyeth vp (say they) frome the receiuer, vntounto heauen, as soone as the breade is chawed in the mouth, or chaunged in the stomacke: But wee say, that Christ remayneth in the man that worthely receiueth it, so longe as the manne remayneth a membre of Christe.
They say, that in the sacrament, the corporall membres of Christe be not distaunt in place, one from another, but that wheresoeuer the head is, there be the feete, and wheresoeuer the armes be, there be the legges, so that in eueryevery parte of the bread & wyne, is altogither, whole head, whole feete, whole fleshe, whole bloud, whole hearte, whole lunges, whole brest, whole backe, and altogither whole, confused, and mixte withoute distinction or diuersitie. O what a foolishe and an abhominable inuencion is this, to make of the moste pure and perfect body of Christe, suche a confuse and monstruous body? And yet canne the Papistes imagine nothinge so foolishe, but all Christian people must receyue the same, as an oracle of God, and as a moste certayne article of their fayth, without whisperyng to the contrary.
Furthermore the Papistes say, that a dogge or a Catte eate the body of Christe, if they by chaunce do eate the sacramental bread: We say that no yearthly creature can eate the body of Christ, nor drynke his bloud, but onelyonly man.
They say, that eueryevery mā good and euil eateth the body of Christe: We say, that bothe do eate the sacramental bread and drynke the wyne, but none do eate the very body of Christ and drynke his bloud, but only they that be liuely membres of his body.
They say, that good menne eate the body of Christ, and drynke his bloud, only at that tyme whan they receiue the sacrament: We say, that they eate, drinke, and feede of Christ cōtinually, so long as they be membres of his body.
They say, that the body of Christe that is in the sacrament, hath his owne proper fourme and quantitee: We say, that Christ is there sacramentally and spiritually, without fourme or quantitee.
They say, that the fathers & prophetes of the olde testament, did not eate the body nor drunke the bloud of Christ: We say, that they dyd eate his body & drunke his bloud, although he was not yet borne nor incarnated.
They say, that the body of Christ is eueryevery day many tymes made, as often as there be Masses sayd, & that than, and there, he is made of bread and wyne: We say, that Christes body was neuer but ones made, and than not of the nature and substance of bread and wyne, but of the substance of his blessed mother.
Thei say, that the Masse is a sacrifice satisfactory for sinne, by the deuocion of the priest that offereth, & not by the thyng that is offered: But we say, that their saiyng is a most haynous lye & detestable error, against the glory of Christ. For the satisfactiō for our synnes, is not the deuociō nor offeryng of the priest, but the only hoost and satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world, is the death of Christ, & the oblacion of his body vponupon the crosse, that is to say, the oblacion that Christ him selfe offered ones vponupon the crosse, and neuer but ones, nor neuer none but he. And therfore that oblation whiche the priestes make dayly in their papistical Masses, can not be a satisfactiō for other mens synnes by the priestes deuocion, but it is a mere elusion and subtyll craft of the deuil, wherby Antichrist hath many yeres blynded and deceiued the worlde.
They say, that Christe is corporally in many places at one tyme, affirmyng that his body is corporally and really present, in as many places as there be hoostes consecrated: We say, that as the sonne corporally is euer in heauen, and no where els, and yet by his operation and vertue, the Sonne is here in yearth (by whose influence and vertue, all thynges in the worlde be corporally regenerated, encreased and growe to their perfecte state.) so lykewise oure sauiour Christe bodely and corporally is in heauen, sittyng at the right hande of his father, although spiritually he hath promised to be present with vsus vpō yearth vntounto the worldes ende. And whansoeuer two or thre be gathered together in his name, he is there in the myddes among them, by whose supernal grace all godly menne bee first by him spiritually regenerated, and after encreace and growe to their spiritual perfection in God, spiritually by fayth eatyng his fleshe and drinkyng his bloud, although the same corporally bee in heauen, farre distant from our sight.
Nowe to returne to the principal matter,Chap. 3. lest it might bee thought a newe deuise of vsus, that Christe as concernyng his body & his humayne nature, is in heauen, and not in yearth: therfore by Gods grace, it shal be euidently proued▪ that this is no newe deuised matter, but that it was euer the olde fayth of the catholike churche, vntyll the Papistes inuented a newe fayth, that Christ really, corporally, naturally, and sensibly is here styll with vsus in yearth, shut vp in a boxe or within the compasse of bread and wyne.
This nedeth no better nor strōger profe,The profe hereof by our profession in our common Crede. than that whiche the old authors bryng for the same, that is to say, the generall profession of all christian people in the common Crede, wherein as concernyng Christes humanitee, thei be taught to beleue after this sorte: That he was conceiued by the holy ghost, borne of the virgyn Mary: that he suffered vnderunder Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buryed, that he descended into hell, and rose againe the third day, that he ascended into heauen, and sitteth at the right hand of his almightie father, and from thence shal come to iudge the quicke and dead.
This hath been euer the catholyke fayth of christian people, that Christ, as concernyng his body and his manhood is in heauen, and shall there continue vntyll he come doune at the last iudgement.
And forasmuche as the Crede maketh so expresse mencion of the article of his ascencion, and departyng hence from vsus, if it had been an other article of oure fayth, that his body taryeth also here with vsus in yearth, surely in this place of the Crede was so vrgēt an occasion geuen to make some mention therof, that doutlesse it would not hauehave been passed ouer in our Crede with silence. For i… Christe as concernyng his humanitee, be both here & gone hence, and both those two be articles of our fayth, whan mencion was made of the one in the Crede, it was necessary to make mencion of the other, least by professyng the one, we should be dissuaded from beleuyng the other, beyng so contrarye the one to the other.
Chap. 4.To this article of oure Crede accordeth holy scripture,The profe hereof by the scipture. Ioh. 16. and all the olde auncient doctours of Christes churche. For Christe himselfe saide: I leaue the worlde, and go to my father. And also he saide †Mat. 26.You shall euer hauehave poore folkes with you, but you shall not euer hauehave me with you. And he gaue warninge of this errour beefore hande, saying,Mat. 24. That the tyme wolde come, whan many deceiuers shulde be in the worlde, and saye, Here is Christe, and there is Christe, but beleue theim not,Mar. vlt. said Christ. And S. Marke writeth in the last chapiter of his gospell, that ye Lorde Iesus was taken vp into heauen, and sytteth at the ryghte hande of his father. Colos. 3.And S. Paule exhorteth all men to seeke for thinges that be aboue in heauen, where Christe (sayth he) sitteth at the ryght hand of God hys father. Hebre. 8.Also he saith, that we hauehave such a bishop, that sitteth in heauē at the ryght hand of the throne of Gods maiesty.Hebre. 10. And that he hauing offred one sacrifice for sinnes, sitteth continuallye at the right hande of God, vntyll his enemyes be put vnderunder his feete as a foote stoole.
And herevnto consent all the olde doctoures of the churche.