Whole Works, Tracts 2 · Tract 4 · Part 2
¶ The foundation of that litle treatiſe was, that it is no article of our fayth neceſſary to be beleued vnderunder payne of damnation, that the Sacrament ſhould be the naturall body of Chriſt: which thyng is proued, on this maner.
FIrſte we muſt all acknowledge The Sacrament to be the naturall body of Chriſt is no article of our fayth, neceſſary to be beleued vponupon payne of damnation.that it is no article of our fayth which can ſaue vsus, nor which we are bound to beleue vnderunder the paine of eternal damnation. For if I ſhould beleue that hys very naturall body both fleſh and bloud were naturally in the bread and wine, that ſhould not ſaue me, ſeyng many beleue that, and receiue it to their damnation, for it is not his preſence in the bread that can ſaue me, but his preſence in my hart through faith in his bloud, which hath waſhed out my ſinnes and pacified yt fathers wrath toward me. And agayne if I doe not beleue his bodely preſence in the bread and wyne, that ſhall not damne me, but the abſence out of my hart thorough vnbelefe. Now if they would here obiect that Obiection.though it be truth that the abſēce out of the bread could not damne vsus: yet are we bounde to beleue it, becauſe of gods word which (who beleueth not, as much as in him lyeth) maketh God a lyer. And therfore of an obſtinate mynde not to beleue hys word, may be an occaſion of damnation.
To this we may anſwere, that we Solution.beleue Gods worde, and knowledge that it is true: but in this we diſſent, whether it be true in the ſence that we take it in, or in the ſence that ye take it in. And we ſay agayne, that though ye hauehave (as it appeareth vntounto you) the euident wordes of Chriſt, and therefore conſiſte in the barke of the letter: yet are we compelled by conferring of the ſcriptures together within the letter, to ſearche out the mynde of our Sauiour which ſpake the wordes. And we ſay thirdly, that we do it not of an obſtinate mynde: For he that defendeth a cauſe obſtinately Obſtinate defendyng of any cauſe is worthy of reprehention.(whether it be true or falſe) is euer to be reprehended. But we do it to ſatiſfie our cōſciēces, which are cō pelled by other places of Scripture, reaſons, and Doctours ſo to iudge of it. And euen ſo ought you to iudge of your partie, and to defende your ſentence, not of obſtinacie, but by ye reaſon The foundation of Iohn Frithes firſt treatiſe vppon the Sacrament.of Scriptures, which cauſe you ſo to take it. And ſo ought nether partie to diſpiſe other, for eche ſéeketh the glory of God, and the true vnderſtā ding of the Scripture.
This was the foundation of my firſt treatiſe that he hath left vnſhakē, which is a great argumēt y• it is very true: For els hys pregnant wit could not hauehave paſſed it ſo cleane ouer, but would hauehave aſſayled it with ſome ſophiſticall cauillation, which by hys painted poetrie he might ſo hauehave coulered, that at the leſt he might make ye ignoraunt ſome appearance of truth, as he hath done agaynſt the reſidue of my firſt treatiſe, which neuertheleſſe is true, and ſhall ſo be proued.
And firſt, that it is none article of our fayth neceſſary to be beleued vnderunder payne of damnation, may thus bee further confirmed. The ſame It is no article of our fayth to beleue it to be the naturall body of Chriſt.fayth ſhall ſaue vsus whiche ſaued the olde fathers before Chriſtes incarnation, But they were not bounde vnderunder payne of damnation to beleeue this pointe: therefore it ſhall followe that we are not bounde therto vnderunder the payne of damnation. The firſte part of myne argument is proued by S. Aguſtine ad Durdamū. And I dare boldly ſay almoſt in an C. places. For I thinke there be no propoſitiō which he doth more oftē inculcate thē this, y• the ſame fayth ſaued vsus which ſaued our fathers. The ſecond part is manifeſt, The ſame fayth ſaueth vsus that ſaued our fathersthat it néedeth no probation. For how coulde they beleue ye thyng which was neuer ſaide nor done, and without the word they could hauehave no fayth, vppon the truth of theſe two parties muſt the concluſion nedes folow. Notwithſtanding, they all dyd eate Chriſtes bodye and dranke hys bloud ſpiritually, although they …ad hym not preſent to their téeth. And by ye ſpirituall eating (which is the fayth in his body and bloud) were ſaued as well as we are. For as ſoone as our forefather Adam had tranſgreſſed Adam.Gods precept, and was fallen vnderunder condemnation, our moſt mercyfull father of hys gracious fauour gaue hym the promiſe of health and comfort, whereby as many as beleued it, were ſaued from the thrauldome of their tranſgreſſion: the worde & promiſe was this: I ſhal put enmitie betwene thée and the woman, betwene thy ſéede and her ſéede, that ſéede ſhall Gene. 3.treade thée on the head, and thou ſhalt treade it on the hele. In thys promiſe they had knowledge that Chriſte ſhould become the ſéede or ſonne of a woman, and that he ſhoulde deſtroye the deuill with all his power, and deliuer his faythfull from their ſinnes. And where he ſayde that the deuyll ſhould treade it on the hele, they vnderſtoode right well that the deuyll ſhould finde the meanes by his wyles and wicked miniſters to put Chriſt to death. And they knew that God was true, and would fulfill hys promiſe vntounto them, and hartely longed after this ſéede, and ſo did both eate his body and drinke his bloud, knowledging How our fathers did eate the body of chriſt and dronke his bloud.wyth infinite thankes, that Chriſt ſhould for their ſinnes take y• perfect nature of māhode vppon him, and alſo ſuffer the death. This promiſe was geuen to Adam, and ſaued as many as did beleue and were thāk full to God for hys kyndnes, and after it was eſtabliſhed vntounto our father Abraham by the word of God, which ſayde, In thy ſéede ſhall all nacions of the earth be bleſſed. And with hym God made a couenant that he would be his God, and do him good. And Abraham Abraham. Gene. 12.agayne promiſed to kéepe his preceptes and walke in his wayes. Then God gaue him the ſacrament of circumciſion, and called that his couenaunt, Circumciſion was the Sacrament of Gods couenaſit made with Abraham.which thing notwithſtanding was not the very couenaunt in déede, although it were ſo called. But was onelyonly a ſigne, token, …acrament, or memoryall of the couenaunt that was betwene God and hym, which might expounde our matter, if men had eyes to ſée. After that, God promiſed him a ſonne whē his wife was paſt childe bearing, and he alſo very olde. Neuertheleſſe, he doubted not of Gods worde. But ſurely beleued that he which promiſed it, was able to performe it. And that was recounted vntounto hym for righteouſnes. Abrahā by fayth dyd eate and drinke Chriſtes body and bloud.This Abraham did both eate his body and drinke hys bloud (through fayth) beleuing verely that Chriſt ſhould take our nature, & ſpring out of his ſéede (as touching his fleſhe) and alſo that he ſhoulde ſuffer death to redéeme vsus. Iohn. 8.And as Chriſte teſtifieth, he hartely deſired to ſée the day of Chriſt. And he ſawe it and reioyſed, he ſawe it in fayth and had the day of Chriſt, that is to ſay all thoſe thinges that ſhoulde chaunce hym, playnely reuelated vntounto him, albeit he were dead many hū dred yeares before it were actually fulfilled and reuelated vntounto ye world. And by that fayth was he ſaued, and yet neuer did eate his fleſhe with his téeth, nor neuer beleued that bread ſhoulde be his bodye and wyne hys bloud. And therfore ſith he was alſo ſaued without that fayth, and ye ſame fayth ſhall ſaue vsus which ſaued hym, I thinke that we ſhall alſo be ſaued if The ſpirituall eating & drinkyng of Chriſt ſhall ſaue vsus.we eate him ſpiritually (as he dyd) although wee neuer beleue that the bread is his body. Furthermore, that mercifull Moſes whiche brought the children of Iſraell out of Egypt into the wildernes, obtayned of God by prayers, both Manna from heauē to féede his people, and alſo water out of the ſtone to refreſhe and comfort thē. This Manna and water, were euen Manna was to the Iſraelites the ſame that the Sacramēt is to vsus now.the ſame thyng vntounto them, that the bread and wyne is to vsus. For Saint Auſten ſayeth: Quicun que in manna Chriſtum intellexerunt, eundem quem nos cibum ſpiritualem manducauerunt. Auguſt. de vtilitate poenicentiae.Quicunque autem de māna ſolam ſaturitatemquè ſinerunt manducabant & mortui ſunt. Sic etiam eundē potū: petra enim erat chriſtus. That is to ſay, as many as in that manna vnderſtoode Chriſt, did eate that ſame ſpirituall meate that we doe, but as many as fought onelyonly to fill their bellies of that manna (the fathers of the vnfaythfull) did eate and are dead. And likewiſe y• ſame drinke, for the ſtone was Chriſt.
Here may you gather of S. Auſten that the Manna was vntounto them, as ye bread is to vsus, and likewiſe, that the water was to them, as the wyne is to vsus, whiche anone ſhall appeare more playnly. Aug. ſuper Ioan. tract. 26.S. Auſten ſayth further, manducauit & Moſes manna, māducauit & Aaron, manducauit & Phinees, manducauerunt ibi multi qui Deo placuerūt & mortui non ſunt. Quare? quia viſibilem cibum ſpiritualiter intellexerunt, ſpiritualiter eſurierunt, ſpiritualiter guſtauerunt, vt ſpiritualiter ſatiarentur. Omnes eandem eſcam ſpiritualem manducauerunt, & omnes eūdem potum ſpiritualem biberunt, ſpiritualem vti que eandem: nam corporalem alteram (quia illi manna, nos aliud) ſpiritualem vero eandem quam nos. Ʋt omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt aliud illi, aliud nos: ſed specie viſibili quod tamen hoc idem ſignificaret virtute spirituali. Quomodo eundem potum bibebant (inquit Apoſtolus)A goodly ſaying of S. Auguſtine. de ſpirituali ſequenti petra: petra autem erat Chriſtus. That is to ſay, Moſes alſo dyd eate Manna and Aaron and Phinées dyd eate of it, and many other dyd there eate of it, whiche pleaſed God and are not dead. Wherefore? Becauſe they vnderſtode the viſible meate ſpiritually. They were ſpiritually an hungred, they taſted it ſpiritually, that they might ſpiritually be repleniſhed. They dyd all eate ye ſame ſpirituall meate, and all dranke the ſpirituall, drinke. Euen the ſame ſpirituall meate albeit an other bodely meate, for they dyd eate Manna, and we eate an other thyng, but they dyd eate the ſame ſpirituall, which we do. And they all dyd drinke the ſame ſpirituall drinke. They drāke one thyng and we an other: but that was in the outward apparence, which neuertheleſſe dyd ſignifie the ſame thyng ſpiritually. How dranke they the ſame drinke? They (ſayth the Apoſtle) dranke of ye ſpirituall ſtone folowyng them, and that ſtone was Chriſt. And thereunto Beda added theſe wordes.Beda ſuter. 1. Cor. 10. Ʋidete autem fide manente ſigna variata. That is to ſay. Beholde that the ſignes are altered, and yet the fayth abydeth one.
Of theſe places you may playnly perceiue not onelyonly that it is no article neceſſary to be beleued vnderunder payne of damnation, ſeyng the old fathers neuer beleued it. And yet dyd eate Chriſt in fayth both before they had the Manna, & more expreſly through the Manna with no leſſe frute when the Manna was ceaſſed. To eate the Sacramēt by fayth ſpiritually is to eate the body of Chriſt. &c.And albeit the Manna was to them as the Sacrament is to vsus, and they eate euen the ſame ſpirituall meate that we do, yet were they neuer ſo mad as to beleue that the Manna was chaunged into Chriſtes owne naturall body. But vnderſtode it ſpiritually that as the outward man dyd eate the materiall Manna which comforted the body, ſo dyd the inward man thorough fayth, eate the body of Chriſt beleuyng that as that Manna came down from heauen and comforted their bodyes, ſo ſhould their Sauiour Chriſt which was promiſed them of God ye father, come downe from heauen & ſtrength their ſoules in euerlaſtyng life, redeming them from their ſinne by his death and reſurrection. There is no cauſe why we ſhould accompt the Sacramēt to be Chriſtes naturall body, for that were to groſſe an imaginatiō.And likewiſe do we eate Chriſt in fayth, both before we come to the Sacrament, and more expreſſely through ye Sacrament, and with no leſſe fruite after we hauehave receaued the ſacramēt, and néede no more to make it his naturall body then the manna was, but might much better vnderſtand it ſpiritually: that as the outwarde man doth eate the materiall breade which comforteth the bodie, ſo doth the inwarde man through fayth eate y• bodye of Chriſte, beleuyng that as the the bread is broken, ſo was Chriſtes bodye broken on the croſſe for our ſinnes, whiche comforteth our ſoules vntounto life euerlaſting. And as ye fayth did ſaue them without beleuyng that the manna was altered into his bodie, euen ſo doth thys fayth ſaue vsus although we beleue not that the ſubſtaunce of bread is turned into hys naturall bodye. For the ſame fayth ſhall ſaue vsus which ſaued them. We are not bound… to beleue vpō payne of dā natiō more then our fathers beleued.And we are bound to beleue no more vnderunder payne of damnation, then they were bound to beleue. They beleued in God the father almighty, maker of heauen and earth, and all that is in them. They did beleue that Chriſte was the ſonne of God. They did beleue that he ſhoulde take our nature of a vyrgin.Gene. 1. They beleued that he ſhould ſuffer the death for our deliueraunce, Pſal. 1. Eſay. 7. Acte. 3.which thyng was ſignified in all the ſacrifices, and beſides that teſtified in eueryevery Prophet, for there was verely not one Prophet but he ſpake of that poynt. They beleued yt his ſoule ſhould not be left in hell, Actes. 2. Pſal. 16.but that he ſhould ariſe frō death and reigne euerlaſtyng with hys father. And to be ſhort, there is no poynt in our Créede, but y• they beleued it, as wel as we do, & thoſe articles are onelyonly neceſſary vntounto ſaluatiō, For them am I bound to beleue, & am damned without excuſe, if I beleue them not.
But the other pointes contayned in ſcripture, although they be vndoubted verities, yet may I be ſaued without them. As be it in caſe y• I neuer heard of them, or when I heare of them, I can not vnderſtand them, nor comprehēd them, or that I feare them and vnderſtād them, and yet by the reaſon of an other texte miſconſtrue them, as the Bohemes do the We muſt beleue the articles of our fayth vponupon payne of damnation, but in the other, there is no perill.wordes of Chriſt in the 6. chapter of Iohn. All theſe I ſay may bee done without any ieoperdie of damnatiō. In eueryevery text is but onelyonly one veritie for which it was ſpoken and yet ſome textes there be whiche of Catholicke Doctours are expounded in vj. or. vij. ſondry faſhions. Therfore we beleue theſe articles of our Crede: in the other is no perill, ſo that we hauehave a probable reaſon to diſſent from them. But now to returne to our purpoſe, if we will examine the authorities of S. Auſten & Beda before alledged, we ſhall eſpy that beſide the probation of this foreſayd propoſition, they opē the miſtery of all our matter to them that hauehave eyen to ſée. For S. Auſten ſayth that we and the old fathers do differ as touchyng ye bodely meate for they dyd eate Manna, and we bread, but albeit it varyed in ye outward appearaunce, yet neuertheleſſe ſpiritually it dyd ſignifie one thyng. For both the Manna and bread do ſignifie Chriſt. And ſo both they and we do eate one ſpiritual meate, that is to ſay we both eate the thing which ſignifieth and repreſenteth vntounto vsus the very one ſpirituall meate of our ſoules whiche is Chriſt. And Beda doth playnly call both the Māna and the bread ſignes, ſaying behold that the ſignes are altered and yet ye fayth abideth one. Now if they be ſignes, then they do ſignifie, & are not the very thing it ſelfe which they do ſignifie, for ye ſigne of a thyng differeth frō the thyng it ſelfe which it doth ſignifie and repreſent. As the alepole is not the ale it ſelfe which it doth ſignifie or repreſent. Here thou wilt obiecte agaynſt me that if this faith be ſufficient what néedeth the inſtitutiō of a Sacrament? I aunſwere that Sacramentes are inſtituted for thrée cauſes? The firſt is aſſigned of S. Auſten which ſayth on this maner. Aug. contra Faustum Lib. 19. cap. 11.In nullum autem nomen religionis, ſeu verum, ſeu falſum, coagulari homines poſſunt, niſi ſignaculorum ſeu Sacramentorum viſibilium conſortio colligantur, quorum Sacramentorum vis inenarrabiliter valet plurimum. Et ideo contempta ſacrilegos facit. Impie quippe contemnitur ſine qua perfici nō potest pietas. That is to ſay: Men can not be ioyned into any kynde of religion, whether it be true or falſe except they be knit in felowſhip by ſome viſible tokens or Sacramentes, the power of which Sacramentes is of ſuch efficacie, that can not be expreſſed. There be thre cauſes why ye Sacramentes were inſtituted.And therfore it maketh them that deſpiſe it to be abhorred, for it is wickednes to deſpiſe that thyng without whiche godlynes can not be brought to paſſe. Thus it appeareth that neceſſitie is y• firſt cauſe. The firſt is neceſſity.For there can no congregation be ſeuered out of the multitude of men but they muſt néedes hauehave a ſigne, tokē, Sacrament, or common badge, by the which they may knowe eche other. And there is no difference betwene a ſigne or a badge and a Sacrament, but that the Sacrament ſignifieth an holy thyng, and a ſigne or a badge doth ſignifie a wordly thing as S. Auſten ſayth,Auguſt. ad Marcellinū. ſignes when they are referred to holye thynges are called Sacramentes.
The ſecond cauſe of the inſtitution of Sacramentes.The ſecond cauſe of their inſtitution is, that they may be a meane to bryng vsus vntounto fayth and to imprint it the déeper in vsus, for it doth cuſtomably the more moue a man to beleue, when he perceiueth the thyng expreſſed to diuerſe ſenſes at once, as by example, if I promiſe a mā to mete him at a day appoynted, he will ſomewhat truſt my word: Notwithſtandyng, he truſteth not ſo much vntounto it, as if I dyd both promiſe hym with my word and alſo clap hādes with him or hold vp my finger for he coūteth that this promiſe is ſtrong and more faythfull then is the bare word, becauſe it moueth moe ſenſes. For the word doth but onelyonly certifie the thing vntounto a mā by the ſenſe of hearyng, but whē with my promiſe immediatly after I hold vp my finger, then do I not onelyonly certifie him by the ſenſe of hearing: But alſo by his ſight, hee perceiueth that that fact confirmeth my word. And in the clapyng of handes hee perceiueth both by his ſight and féelyng (beſide the worde) that I will fulfill my promiſe. And lykewiſe it is in this Sacrament, Chriſt promiſed them, that he would geue his body to be ſlayne for their ſinnes. And for to eſtabliſh the fayth of his promiſe in them, he dyd inſtitute the Sacrament which he called his body, to the entent that ye very name it ſelfe might put them in remē braūce what was ment by it, he brake the bread before them ſignifying vntounto them outwardly, euen the ſame thyng, that he by his wordes had before proteſted and euē as his wordes had informed them by their hearyng, that he entended ſo to do, ſo the breaking of that bread informed their eye ſight that he would fulfil his promiſe. Then he dyd diſtribute it amōg them to imprint the matter more déepely in them, ſignifying therby that euen as that bread was deuided among them, ſo ſhould his body & frute of his paſſion be diſtributed vntounto as many as beleued his wordes. How diligently Chriſt ſet forth ye Sacrament of hys body & bloud that we might by that outward ſigne aſſure our fayth, that his very true body was crucified for our ſinnes.Finally he cauſed thē to eate it, that nothyng ſhould be lackyng to confirme that neceſſary point of faith in thē, ſignifiyng therby that as verely as they felt that breade within them, ſo ſure ſhould they be of hys body thorough fayth. And that euen as that bread doth nouriſhe the body, ſo doth fayth in hys body breaking, nouriſh the ſoule vntounto euerlaſting life. This did our mercifull Sauior (which knoweth our frailtie and weakenes) to eſtabliſh & ſtrēgth their fayth in his body breaking and bloud ſheding, which is our ſhoteanker and laſt refuge without which we ſhould all periſhe.
The thyrd cauſe of the inſtitution of Sacramentes.The third cauſe of the inſtitution and profit that commeth of it, is this. They that hauehave receiued theſe bleſſed tydinges and worde of health, do louelove to publiſhe this felicitie vntounto other men. And to geue thanks before the face of the cōgregation vntounto their boūteous benefactour, and as much as in them is, to drawe all people to the prayſing of God with thē, which thing, though it be partly done by the preaching of Gods worde and fruitfull exhortations, yet doth that viſible token and Sacrament (if a man vnderſtand what is ment thereby) more effectuouſly worke in them both fayth and thankeſgeuing, thē doth the bare worde: The ſacrament is profitable to none but to ſuch as vnderſtād the doctrine therof.but if a man wot not what it meaneth, and ſéeketh health in the ſacrament and outwarde ſigne, thē may he wel be likened vntounto a fond fellow, which when he is very drye, and an honeſt man ſhew him an alepole and tell him that there is good ale inough, would goe and ſucke the alepole, truſting to get drinke out of it, and ſo to quench his thyrſte. Now a wiſe man will tell him that he playeth the foole, for the alepole doth but ſignifie that there is good ale in the houſe where ye alepole ſtandeth, and wil tell him that he muſt go neare the houſe, and there he ſhall finde the drinke, and not ſtand ſucking the alepole in vayne,An example of the Alepole. for it ſhall not eaſe him, but rather make him more drie, for the alepole doth ſignifie good ale: yet the alepole it ſelf is no good ale, neyther is there any good ale in the alepole. And likewiſe it is in all ſacramentes. For if we vnderſtand not what they meane, and ſéeke health in the outwarde ſigne: then we ſucke the alepole and labour in vayne. But if we do vnderſtand y• meaning of them, then ſhall we ſéeke what they ſignifie, and goe to the ſignifications, and there ſhall we finde vndoubted health. As to our purpoſe in this ſacrament wherof we ſpeake, we muſt note what it ſignifieth, and there ſhall we finde our redemption. It ſignifieth that Chriſtes body was broken vponupon the croſſe to redeme vsus The true ſignificatiō of the ſacrament of the body and bloud of Chriſt.from the thraldome of the deuill, and that his bloude was ſhedde for vsus, to waſhe away our ſinnes. Therefore we muſt runne thether if we will be eaſed. For if we thinke to hauehave our ſinnes forgeuen for eating of the Sacrament, or for ſéeing the Sacrament once a day, or for praying vntounto it: thē ſurely we ſucke the alepole. And by thys you may perceiue what profite commeth of thoſe ſacraments, which eyther hauehave no ſignifications put vntounto them, or els when their ſignifications are loſt and forgotten. For then no doubt they are not commended of God, but are rather abhominable, for when we knowe not what they meane, then ſéeke we health in the outwarde déede, and ſo are iniurious vntounto Chriſt and his bloud. As by example, the Sacrifices of the Iewes, The ſacrifices of the Iewes as lōg as they were rightly vſed, were well accepted.were well allowed & accepted of God as long as they vſed them aright, and vnderſtoode by thē y• death of Chriſt, the ſheding of his bloud, and that holy oblation offered on the croſſe once for euer. But when they begun to forget this ſignification, and ſought their health and righteouſnes in the bodely worke, and in the ſacrifice it ſelfe: then were they abhominable in the ſight of God, and then he cryed out of them both by the Prophet Dauid and Eſay: And likewiſe it is with our Sacramentes, let vsus therefore ſéeke vp the ſignifications, and go to the very thing which the ſacrament is ſet to preſent vntounto vsus. And there ſhal we finde ſuch fruitfull foode as ſhall neuer fayle vsus, but comfort our ſoules into life euerlaſtyng.
Now will I in order anſwer to M. Mores booke, and as I finde occaſion geuen me, I ſhall indeuoure my ſelfe to ſupply that thyng which lacked in the firſt treatiſe, and I truſt I ſhall ſhewe ſuch lyght, that all men whoſe eyes the Prince of this worlde hath not blynded, ſhall perceiue the truth of the ſcriptures and glory of Chriſt. And where as in my firſt treatiſe, the truth was ſet forth with all ſimplicitie, and nothing armed againſt the aſſault of ſophiſters: that hauehave I ſomewhat redreſſed in this booke, & hauehave brought bones filte for their téeth, which if they be to buſie, may chaunce to choke them.