The Confutation of the 13 Articles, Article 1
¶ Shaxton. ¶ The fyrſte Article.
ALmyghtie God, by the power of hys word pronoūced by the prieſt at maſſe in the cōſecration turneth the breade and wyne, into the very natural bodye and bloude of our ſauiour Ieſus Chriſte. So that after the conſecration, there remayneth no ſubſtaunce of breade and wyne, but only the ſubſtaunce of Chriſt God and man.
Crowley.
Thys is ſone ſpoken. But to proue by the ſcriptures, that it is true: therein lieth all the difficultie of the matter. Here (I am ſure your foure ſcholemaiſters wyll ſaye. That it is done, is manifeſte by the ſcriptures. But howe it is done, reaſon can not attayne to knowe. Wherefore we muſte agaynſte reaſon, beleue the wonderful worke of God aboue reaſon.
Yet am not I ſatiſfied. Neither can I beleue that they can proue by the ſcripturs: that the breade and wyne are turned into the bodye and bloud of Chriſt. Let your ſcholmaiſters therefore (or els do you theyr ſcholer) ſhew me what ſcripture you hauehave for thys youre opinion. I am certayne you hauehave none at al▪ excepte it be one that you are wont to wreſt for your purpoſe, and that is thys.
The Lorde Ieſus in the ſame night in the whyche he was betrayed, toke breade, gaue thankes, and brake it ſayinge. Take ye, eate ye, thys is my bodye, whyche is broken for you. Hereupon I am ſure you wil infer: his conclution. Ergo, the breade is turned into hys bodye. For the ſelfe ſame almyghtye God whyche by hys worde created al thinges of nought: hath ſpokē theſe wordes, and is much more able, to alter and chaunge the nature of thynges that be, then he was to make the ſame thynges of nought. Wherfore. & cetera.
Thus hauehave ye cōfirmed this parte. Thē ſaye you of the wyne. After the ſame maner alſo he toke the cup when ſupper was done and ſayed. Thys cup is the newe teſtament in my bloud. Thys do (as oftē as ye drinke it) in the remembraunce of me. Here ſay you and your ſcholemaiſters. The ſame Chriſte whych is able to perfourme hys word, hath ſayed of the breade and wyne that they are hys bodye and bloude. Ergo they muſte nedes be hys very naturall body and bloud al ſubſtaunce of breade and wyne turned into the ſame. I doubte not but ther is all that you and your ſcholemaiſters woulde deſyre me to conclude for your purpoſe. To thys I (wyth Goddes helpe) wyl make ſuche anſwere, that you and all other youre fauters ſhal be aſhamed to wreſte it ſo farre oute of tune here after.
For the fyrſte parte you ſhal vnderſtand that I hauehave taken the text wrytten by ſaynct Paul to the Corinthyans, bycauſe this place of Paule is an expoſition of the ſame matter wryttē by the Euangeliſtes. They writ that Chriſte toke breade and bleſſed, & gaue it to hys diſciples. But Paule wrytynge to a people that knewe not what thys bliſſing that the Iewes vſed ſhoulde meane: he calleth that ſame bleſſynge thankes geuynge. Declarynge therby, hat the blyſſynge that the Iewes vſed (whyche our ſauiour Chriſt alſo vſed in thys actiō) was not altogyther ſuch croſſing geſtures as our maſſe maſters vſe: but cō …rarywyſe voyd of al ſuche foleiſh toyes and repleniſhed wyth all Godlye veneration and thankes geuynge. Exemple of thyshane me in the ſtories of Abraham Iſaas and Iacob, wyth other the fathers or the olde Teſtamente. Seynge therfore, that Chriſt toke bread, & gaue thankes: it muſte nedes folowe that he gaue ſuche thankes as the fathers (the patriarckes and Prophetes) vſed to geue. Neyther makyng ſygne of the croſſe nor of the galow tree (for it had bene all one, to make the ſygne of the croſſe then, and to make the ſigne of the galow tre uow For as theues and all other perniciouſe felowes, be nowe hanged on the galowe tree: ſo were they then on che croſſe) but wyth reuerente geſture of the bodye, and vpryghte countenaunce towarde heauen: he called on the name of hys father, moſte humbly beſechynge hym, to worcke inwardly in the hertes of hys Apoſtles, the thynge that he entended to declare to theim by a viſible ſigne And. S. Paule calleth thys bleſſyng a thankes geuynge, bycauſe the fathers dyd alwayes vſe in the beginnyng of this bleſſing to geue thankes to God for the greate merrye that he had allwayes ſhewed vntounto them
In token whereof, they committed vntounto hys mercye alſo, theyr dearlye beloued children, moſt humbly beſechyng hym, to ſhew lyke mercye vntounto theim in proſperynge the ſucceſſion of theyr enheritaunce, that they by the aſſiſtent grace of God, myght walke in the feare of the Lorde, from generation to generation foreuer.
Thus dyd Chriſte bleſſe and brake it. If I ſhoulde aſke you what he brake: I doubte not but you woulde anſwere that he brake breade, and ſayed, take ye, eateye, thys is my body. But if I ſhould aſke you what it was that he called hys bodye: then I know your anſwer woulde be after youre olde maner, that the ſame breade that he toke and brake, was it that he called hys bodye.
But I wyl ſhew you a lyke thyng to proue whether you can learne to vnderſtand this place of ſcripture by a ſimile. Apelles toke penſell and paper and drewe theron, & ſayed This is Venus. Nowe aſke I you whether thys that Apelles ſpake of were Venus in dede, or hyr Image.? I doubte not, you wyl ſaye not Venus but hyr Image. Then tell me. Was the penſell and paper hyr Image, or the luniamentes that Apelles? The lines you ſaye drawen on the paper, and not the paper otherwiſe thē the glaſſe is the Image of a mans face whyche appeareth therin.
Euen ſo ſay I of theſe wordes of Chriſt. Thys is my bodie. He toke breade, he brake it, gaue it to his diſciples & ſaid. This is my bodye. As who ſhould ſay, this breade brokē, geuē to you, & receiued of you is a cleare image of mi body, which is by the wil of my father brokē frely offred & geuē to you & by faieth receyued of you, ſo that in like maner as this breade is receyued into the body and naturally nouriſheth the ſame: ſo doth it declare to you by that naturall propertie, that my bodye eaten by fayeth (that is by beleuynge and truſtynge vponupon ſaluation by my ſufferynges in the bodye) doeth nouriſh the ſoules of as manye as do ſo eate it.
In lyke maner toke he the cup after ſupper, ſaying. Thys cup is the new teſtament in my bloude. Here maye you (if you hauehave anye lytle glitteryng of the ſpiritual knowledge) eaſilye perceyue that Paule knewe of no traunſubſtantiation in thys miſterie,
For he reporteth that he learned of the Lord all that he taught the Corhinthyans cōcernynge thys miſterye: and yet he reporteth that Chriſt ſayed of the cuppe. Thys is the newe teſtamente in my bloude. And thyuke you, that if Paule were here, he woulde ſay that he beleued the ſubſtaunce of the cup to be chaunged into the ſubſtaunce of the new teſtament? I knowe well you do not thynke it. For your opinion is, that by the vertue of thoſe wordes, the wyne whiche is in the cup is turned into the verye bloude of Chriſte. And yet do not the wordes appertayne any thynge at all to the wyne, vnleſſe you wyll admitte the fygure whereby the thynge that conteyueth is taken for the thyng conteined. And ſo doynge, you muſt ſaye that the wine is the newe Teſtament in Chriſtes blander and not the bloud it ſelf. So that if you wyl nedes hauehave traunſubſtāciation: it muſt be of the ſubſtaunce of wyne, into the ſubſtaunce of the new teſtament. That is the certentye wherby oure conſciences are certified of the promiſe of God made to vsus in the ſcripture.
Wyth thys tranſubſtanciation we could beare, if ſo be you would not denye, that the ſubſtaunce of breade and wyne doeth ſtil remayne, declarynge vntounto vsus ſenſibly (by viſible ſygnes) the thynge that is in the ſcripture taught vsus by wordes. For immediatly after, Chriſte▪ ſayeth. Do thys ſo ofte as ye ſhall drinke to the entente to remembre me therby. That is to ſaye. So ofte as you wil make youre ſelues partakers of one cup of wyne, to the entente tu call to your remembraunce thereby, the greate miſterie of the participation you hauehave in me and al thinges that I hauehave or ſhal do for you: do it after this forſayed fourme. So that by thys are condempned, as wel the priuate maſſes, wherin one miniſtreth and receyueth al, as the freſhly tranſubſtaneiation, whereupon is grounded the ſacrifice for the quicke and the dead, as ſhall be declared more at large in the ſeuerall articies concernynge the ſame.
To perſwade one that were wyllyng to learne, thys were ſufficiente. But ſeyng that you & your ſchomaiſters are more readye to burn me & al other that ſeke your ſoul health (God geue you a better mynde) then to accept our dortrine: I am cōſtrained to labour to drawe you by force of argumēts, none otherwyſe, then Hercuſes drewe the froward Cerberus out of hell. I wyll therefore make thys argument, grounded on the definition of breade. Breade is a confection made of manye graynes, vnited or made into one bodye, by the myxture of water, and force of fyre, hauynge in it the vertue to nouriſhe the ſenſible bodyes.
But thys confection remayneth after the conſecration (as you call it) Ergo, there remayneth breade. That thys cōfectiō remayneth: I take wytnes of my Lorde of wincheſter in hys boke wrytten on thys matter.
And if you thinke hym not an Authour Autentyke: make an experiēce vponupon me. Let me hauehave daylie a ſufficiente weyghte & meaſure of that conſecrated breade & wyne, and ſhute me vp frome all other kynde of ſuſtinaunce. But thys one thyng I would deſyre. That the breade and wyne ye conſecrate: be free from all kyndes of poyſon. For thoughe I do knowe that God is able to preſerue me frome all maner of poyſon: yet wyl I not, neyther maye I tempte my Lorde▪ God ſo far. But if you, do poyſon me, I ſhall gladlye ſuffer it for the trueth ſake.
If all thys wyll not content you. I praye you gyue eare to Gelaſius, who writeth on thys wyſe. Surely the Sacramentes of theIn the ce cel holde… Rome. bodye and bloude of Chriſte be diuine thinges, and therfore are we, by them made par takers of the diuine nature, and yet doeth it not ſeaſe to be the ſubſtaunce either of bread or wyne: but they do remayne in the propertie of theyr nature. And no doubt the Image and ſimilitude of the bodye and bloude of Chriſte, are celebrated in the action of the miſteries.
What thynge woulde you hauehave more plainlye ſpoken? But if you wyll not beleue S. Paule, who calleth it breade and the cup of the Lorde euen after the conſecration: it is not lyke that ye wyll geue credite to Gelalius, although in dede you, and all ſuch, are wont to gene more credite to the iudgment of men, that lyued not theſe manye hundred yeres, bicauſe of theyr antiquitie: then to the verye trueth (which was before thēal) wherby al mens ſpirites ſhould be tried. Wherefore I would you ſhoulde not lacke teſtimonies of thē. And to do you pleaſurewithal, I wil reſite you i. or .ii. teſtimonies by ye which you may perceiue that you hauehave erred in this your atticle, and in yuur letter to the kinges highnes alſo, wherin you ſay that this your opinion, hath bene the vnifourme conſent of the whole churche, euen frome the Apoſtles tyme.
Saynte Chriſoſtom (whom I am ſure you…pon Math wyll not repute amonge theim whome you call heritykes) ſayeth. So ſone as the inner eyes ſe the bread, they flye ouer the creaturs and thynke not on that breade which the baker hath baked: but on hym that called him ſelfe the breade of lyfe, who is ſignified by the miſticall breade. Saynte Ambroſe alſo…pon the Sacrament writeth theſe wordes. Thys bread that goeth into the bodye, is not ſo ſcrupelouſlye ſought of vsus, but the breade of eternall lyfe, whyche vpholdeth the ſubſtaunce of oure ſoule. Saint Auguſtine alſo writeth on this…n the .xxviii …rmon vponupon … Lorddes …ordes in …uke. wyſe. Vſe you thys bread dayly, or do you, after the cuſtome of the Grekes in the eaſte parte, who receyue it at the yeares ende? If you thinke theſe mē to be none of the church why do not your honourable Lordes burne theyr bookes, as well as they dyd the Bible wyth other pore mens bokes, wherein was nothynge els conteyned but that is alſo in theſe mennes bokes? But to what purpoſe were it for me to ſpende muche tyme in reprouyng your honourable fathers doyngs: ſeynge my lyfe tyme would not ſuffice to do it anye thynge to the purpoſe? And to pull you backe agayne frō your deteſtable blindnes: I thynke it impoſſible. For Paule writyng to the Hebre. ſayth. It is not poſſible, that they whych be once illuminate, and hauehave taſted of the heauenlye gyfte, and be made partakers of the holye Gooſte, and that hauehave alſo taſted of the good worde of God, and of the powers of the worlde to come, & are ſlypped out agayne: to be brought againe vntounto penitēce, for that (in aſmuch as in them lyeth) they hauehave cruciſied the ſon of God anewe, for theyr owne pleaſure, hauynge him in diriſion.
Thys notwythſtandynge the mercye of God is vponupon all hys worckes, and thynges not poſſible to mā, are poſſible to God, who knoweth the ſecretes of your herte, whether you fell of weakenes thorowe the feare of death or of contempte. If of weakenes (as it is our partes to iudge) then diſpayre not.
For God hathe aboundaunce of mercye in ſtore wherin you ſhal hauehave your part, if you repente. I woulde wyſhe that youre ſcholemaiſters and you myght be wonne by this my laboure. But if your hertes be ſo ſtony, that the truth can take no rote therin: it ſhal ſuffice me, if other the ſymple membres of Chriſt hauynge light, may eſcape the ſtumblynge ſtockes that you hauehave layed in theyr waye. For theyr ſakes therfore chiefely, and for you and ſuche other (if it be poſſible that you maye be brought from your blyndenes I hauehave enterpriſed thys daungerouſe labour And for that thys Article, as it is fyrſt, ſo is it the chefe and principall, wherof the moſt parte of the other do depende and hange, I am the more earneſt in the confutation therof, knowynge for certentie, that the conſciences boeth of you and of your honourable ſcholmaiſters are on my ſyde. But feare to loſe the Lordlyke lyuynges of thys worlde, preuayleth agaynſte vsus boeth. You ſay with the phariſes. Ne forte Romani. But I doubt not, the good mould ſhal brynge forth fruite by receyuyng the ſeed. Knowynge that neither the God head can be made of any other ſubſtaunce, nother the breade and wyne turned into Chriſtes fleſhe and bloude at all tymes when it ſhal pleaſe the prieſte to play a maſſe, mooſte ſuperſtitiouſlye breathynge out the wordes that oure Sauioure Chriſte ſpake to no ſuche purpoſe. For as S. Auguſtine…pon Iohn the .xxx trea…iſe. ſayeth, it maye be in one place onelye. And as the ſame Auguſtine writeth to Dardanus. We muſte take good heede that we make not ſo diuine a thynge of thys bodye, that we denie it to be a body. For it foloweth not that all thynges whyche be in Chriſte ſhoulde be in all places at once as Chriſt is For then ſhoulde we alſo be in all places at once. For the ſcripture doth truely record of vsus, that we lyue, moue and be in hym. It is manifeſt therfore, that notwithſtanding the wordes pronounced by the prieſte: the breade and wine remaine in their natural propertie, euen after the conſecration as you call it.