Chapter II: Part 2

[Sidenote: Fryth.] ¶ It is a greate wonder to see howe ygnoraunte their proctoure ys, in the playne textes of scrypture. For yf he had any iudgement at all he myght well perceyue that when Christe spake these wordes, my fleshe ys verely meate and my bloode ys verely drynke, he spake nothynge of the sacramēte. For yt was not instytuted vntyll hys laste souper. And these wordes were spoken to the Iewes longe before, and ment them not of the carnall eatynge or drynkynge of hys bodye or bloode, but of the spirytuall eatynge, which is done by faythe and not wyth tothe, ād bellye. Wherof Saynt Austen sayeth vpon thys Gospell of Iohan, why preparest thou other tothe or bellye? beleue and thou haste eaten hym. So that Christes wordes must here be vnderstonde spirytually. And that he calleth hys fleshe verymeate, is because that as meate by the eatynge of yt & digestynge yt in our body dothe strengthen these corruptyble membres, so lykewyse doth Christes fleshe (by the beleuynge that yt taketh our synne vpon yt selfe and suffered the death to delyuer vs) strengthen our immortall soule. And lykewyse as drynke when yt is dronken, doth comforte and quycken our frayle nature, So lykewyse both Christes bloode by the drynkynge of yt in to the bowells of our soule, that ys by the belevynge and remembrynge that yt ys shedde for our synnes, comforte and quycken our soule vnto euerlastynge lyfe. And thys is the eatynge and drynkynge that he speaketh of in that place. And that yt is so you may perceyue by the texte folowynge which sayeth. He that eateth my bodye & drynketh my bloode dwelleth in me and I in hym, which ys not possyble to be vnderstonde of the Sacrament. For it is false to saye, that he that eateth the Sacrament of hys bodye and drynketh the sacrament of hys bloode, dwelleth in Christe and Christe in hym. For some man receyueth yt vnto hys condempnacyō. And thus doth .S. Austen expounde yt sayenge. _Hoc est enim Christum manducare, in illo manere, & illum manentem in se habere._ Thys is the very eatynge of Christe, to dwell in hym, and to haue hym dwellynge in vs. So that who so euer dwelleth in Christ (that ys to saye) beleueth that he is sent of God to saue vs from our synnes doth verely eate ād drynke hys bodye and bloode, although he neuer receyued the sacrament. Thys ys the spirytuall eatynge necessarye for all that shalbe saued. For there ys no man that cōmeth to God without this eatynge of Christ, that is the beleuynge in hym. And so I denye not but that Christ speaketh these wordes, but surelye he ment spyrytually. As S. Austen declareth, ād as the place playnely proueth.

And as towchynge the other wordes [Sidenote: Mat. 26.] that Christe spake vnto hys dyscyples at hys laste souper, I denye not but that he sayde so, but that he so steshely mēt as ye falsely fayne, I vtterly denye. For I saye that hys wordes were then also spyrite and lyfe, and were spyritually to be vnderstonde. And that he called yt hys bodye, [Sidenote: Ioan. 6.] for a certayne propertye, euen as he called hym selfe [Sidenote: Ioan. 15.] a very vyne, and hys dyscyples very vyne braunches, and as he called hym selfe a dore: [Sidenote: Ioan. 10.] not that he was so in dede, but for certayne propertyes in the symylytudes. [Sidenote: Gen. 35.] As a man for some propertye sayeth of hys neyghbours horsse, this horsse is myne vp and downe, meanynge that yt is in euery thynge so lyke. [Sidenote: Gen. 32.] And lyke as Iacob buylded an aulter and called yt the God of Israel, and as Iacob called the place where he wrasteled with the Angell, the face of God, and as the pascall lambe was called the passynge bye of the Lorde. [Sidenote: Ezech. 5.] And as a broken potsherde was called Hierusalem, not for that they were so in dede, but for certayne symylytudes in the propertyes, and that the very name yt selfe myght put men in remembraunce what ys ment by the thynge, as I suffycyently declared in my fyrste treatyse.

[Sidenote: More.] He muste neades confesse, that they that beleue that yt ys the very bodye and hys very bloode in dede, haue the playne wordes of our sauyoure hym selfe vpon their syde, for the grounde and foundacyon of their faythe.

[Sidenote: Fryth.] ¶ That is very true, and so haue they the very wordes of God, whiche saye a broken potsherde ys Hierusalem, and that Christe is a stone, and that Christe is a vyne and a dore. And yet yf they shuld beleue or thynke that he were in dede any of these thynges, they were neuerthelesse deceyued. For though he so sayde, yet I saye hys wordes were spirituall ād spiritually to be vnderstonde.

[Sidenote: More.] ❧ And where you saye that I flye from the faythe of playne and open scryptures, and for the allegorye destroye the true sence of the letter.

[Sidenote: Fryth.] ¶ I answere that some textes of scripture are onelye to be vnderstonde after the letter: As when Paule sayeth, Christ [Sidenote: Rom. 4.] dyed for our synnes & rose agayne for ourre iustificacyō. And some textes are onely to be vnderstonde spirytually or in the way of an allegory: As whē Paule sayth, [Sidenote: 1. Cor. x.] Christe was the stone. And when Christe sayeth hym selfe. [Sidenote: Johā. xv.] I am a very vyne. [Sidenote: Johan. x.] I ā the doore. And some must be vnderstōde both lytterallye, and spirytuallye: As when God sayde, out of Egypte called I my sonne, [Sidenote: Ozee. 11.] whyche although it were lytterallye fulfylled in the chylderne of Israel when he brought them out of Egypte with greate power and wōders, yet was yt also mente ād veryfyed in Christ hym selfe, [Sidenote: Math. 2.] hys very spyrytuall sonne, which was called out of Egygte after the death of Herode. And agayne yt is very spiritually fulfylled in vs whyche through Christes bloode are delyuered from the Egypte of synne, and from the power of Pharao the devyll. And I say that this texte of scripture, this is my bodye, ys onely spirytually to be vnderstonde, ād not lytterallye. And that doth S. Austen also confyrme, which wryteth vnto Adamantus and sayeth. These sentences of scripture, Christ was the stone, the bloode ys the soule, and thys is my bodye, are fyguratyuelye to be vnderstonde (that is to say) spiritually, or by the way of ā allegorye, & thus haue I. S. Austē whollye vpon my syde, whiche thynge shall yet hereafter more playnely appere.

[Sidenote: More.] ❧ Nowe hys example of hys brydgromes rynge I very well alowe. For I take the blessed sacramēt to be left with vs for a very token and a memoryall of Christe in dede. But I say that the whole substaūce of the same token & memoryall, is hys owne blessed bodye. And so I saye that Christe hathe lefte vs a better token then this man wolde haue vs take yt for. And therin he fareth lyke a mā, to whō a brydgrome had delyuered a goodly golde rynge with a ryche Rubye therin, to delyuer to hys bryde for a token. And then he wolde lyke a false shrewe, keape a waye that golden rynge and geue the bryde in steade thereof, a proper rynge of aryshe, and tell her that the brydgrome wolde sende her no better. Or els lyke one that when the brydgrome hadde geuen soche a rynge of golde to hys bryde for a tokē, wyll tell her playne, ād make her beleue, that the rynge were but coper or brasse, to mynyshe the brydgromes thanke.

[Sidenote: Fryth.] ¶ I am ryght gladde that ye admytte myne exāple, ād graūte that the sacramēt is lefte to be a very tokē and memoryall of Christe in dede. But where you saye, that the whole substaunce of the same token ād memoryall is hys owne blessed bodye, that is sooner sayde than proued. And where you saye that we fare lyke a false shrewe that wolde keape the golde rynge from the bryde, and geue her a rynge of a ryshe, or tell her that her golde rynge were coper or brasse, to mynyshe the brydgromes thāke. I answere that we deny not but that the ryng ys most fyne golde, and is sette wyth as ryche Rubyes as can be gotten. For that rynge (I meane the Sacrament) ys not onely a moste perfecte token and a memoryall of the brydegromes benefyttes ād vnfayned fauoure on hys partye, but yt is also on the other partye a thankes geuynge for the gracyous gyftes which she vndoubtedly knowlege her selfe to haue receyued. For as verely as that breade ys broken amōge thē, so verely was Christes bodye broken for their synnes. And as verely as they receyue that breade in to their bellye through eatynge yt, so verelye do they receyue the frute of hys death in to their soules by beleuynge in hym. And therfor they assemble to that souper, not for the valoure of the breade, wyne, or meate, that ys there eate, but for the intent to geue hym thankes commonly a monge them all, for hys inestymable goodnes. But to procede vnto our purpose, yf a man wolde come vnto the bryde, and tell her that thys goodly golde rynge were her owne brydgrome, both fleshe bloode ād bones (as you do) then I thynke yf she haue anye wytte, she myght answere hym, that he mocked, and the more he sayde yt, the lesse she myght beleue hym, and saye that yf that were her owne brydgrome, what shulde she thē neade any remēbraunce of hym, or why shulde he geue it her for a remembraunce. For a remembraunce presupposeth the thynge to be absent, and therfore yf thys be a remembraunce of hym, than can he not here be present.

[Sidenote: More.] ❧ I meruell therfore moche, that he is not a frayde, to affyrme that these wordes of Christe, of hys bodye and of hys bloode, muste neades be vnderstonde by waye of a symylytude or an allegorye, as the wordes be of the vyne and the doore. Nowe this he knoweth well, that though some wordes spokē by the mouthe of Christe be to be vnderstonde onely by waye of a symylytude or an allegorye, yet foloweth it not thervpon, that euery lyke worde of Christe in other places was non other but an allegorye, for suche was the shyfte and cauyllacyon that the wycked Arryans vsed which toke from Christes parson hys omnypotent Godhed.

[Sidenote: Fryth.] ¶ I graunte that the Arryans erred, for as Master More sayeth, though in some place a worde betakē fyguratyuely, it foloweth not therfor that in euery other place, it shulde lykewyse be takē. But one questyō muste I aske hys mastershyppe, how doth he knowe that there is any worde or texte in scripture that muste be takē fyguratyuely, that is by the waye of a symylytude, or as he calleth yt a necessarye allegory? I thynke (though some mē may assygne other good causes ād euydences) that the fyrst knowelege ys by other textes of scrypture. For yf other textes be cōferred vnto yt, and wyll not stonde with the litterall sence, then I thynke yt muste neades be taken spirytually or fyguratyuelye, as there are infynyte textes in scripture. Now when I see that .S. Thomas whiche felte Christes woundes ād put hys fynger in hys syde, called hym hys Lorde and God, and that no texte in scrypture repugneth vnto the same, but that they may well stonde together, me thynketh yt were foly to affirme that this word, God, in that texte shulde be taken fyguratyuely or by waye of an allegorye: But nowe in our matter the processe of scripture wyll not stonde with the lytterall sence, as shall here after appeare. And therfor necessyte compellethe vs to expounde yt fyguratyuelye, as doth also S. Austen and other holy doctours, as hereafter shall playnely appeare.

[Sidenote: More.] ❧ If euery man that can fynde out a newe fonde fantasye vpon a text of holy scrypture, may haue his owne mynd takē, and hys owne exposicyon beleued agaynste the exposycyons of the olde connynge doctours and sayntes, then may you surely see that none artycle of the Christen fayth, can stonde and endure longe. And then he alleageth .s. Hierome, which sayth, that yf the exposycion of other interpretours, and the consent of the common catholycke churche, were of no more strēgth but that euery mā myght be beleued that coulde brynge some textes of scrypture for hym, expounded as it pleaseth hym selfe, then coulde I (sayth this holy mā) brynge vpe a newe secte also, and saye by scrypture, that no man were a true Christen man, nor a membre of the churche, that keapeth two cootes. And in good fayth (sayth master More) yf that waye were alowed I were able my selfe to fynde out fyftene newe sectes in one fore none.

[Sidenote: Fryth.] ¶ Saynte Peter sayeth that the scripture is not expounded after the appetyte of any pryuate parson, but euē as yt was geuen by the spyrite of God, and not by mānes wyll: so muste yt be declared by the same spiryte. And therfore I wyll not that any mā shalbe beleued, by bryngynge hys owne mynde and fantasye. But yf he wyll be beleued, let hym brynge eyther an other playne texte, which shall expounde the fyrste, or els at the leaste he muste brynge suche a manyfest sentence, as wyll stonde wyth the processe of the scripture. Whye was Saynt Hierome alowed agaynst the determynacyon of the counsell of Meldeley, syth he was alone, and they a greate multytude, but onely because he brought euydent scrypture, which at the tyme of their sentence, none of them remembred ād yet when yt was brought, they coulde not auoyde yt. And lykewyse excepte I brynge euydent scripture which they all shall expounde as I do, I desyre not to be beleued. And where master More sayeth, that in good fayth he were able to fynde out fyftene newe sectes in one fore none, he may thanke GOD that he hathe suche a pregnaunte wytte: But yet I truste he shulde not fynde one (yf there were any parell of dāpnacyō therin) but that we wolde with a playne texte confute yt, which he shulde not be able to avoyde.

[Sidenote: More.] ❧ And ouer this, the very cyrcumstaunces of the places in the Gospell in which our sauyour speaketh of that sacramente, may well make open the defference of hys speache in this matter, and of all the other, and that as he spake all those but in an allegorye, so spake he this, playnely meanynge that he spake of hys very bodye and hys very bloode, besyde all allegoryes. For when our Lorde sayde, he was a very vyne, and when he sayd he was the dore, there was none that harde hym, that any thynge merueled therof. And whye: For because they perceyued well, that he ment not that he was a materyall vyne in dede, nor a dore neyther: But when he sayde that hys fleshe was very meate, and hys bloode very drynke, and that they shulde not be saued but yf they ded eate hys fleshe and drynke hys bloode, then were they all in suche a wonder therof, that they coulde not abyde. And wherfor, but because they perceyued well by hys wordes and hys maner of circumstaunces, that Chryste spake of hys very fleshe and hys very bloode in dede.

[Sidenote: Fryth.] ¶ It is openly knowen and confessed amonge all learned men, that in the [Sidenote: Ioan. 6.] .6. chapytre of Ioan, Christe spake not one worde concernynge the sacrament of hys bodye and bloode (which at that tyme was not yet instytuted) but all that he there spake was of the spyrytuall eatynge ād drynkynge of hys bodye, and bloode, as I haue towched before. And the circumstaunces of this place do in dede proue that they were fleshly mynded, and vnderstoode not the spirytuall wordes of our sauyoure Christ, and therfor wondered and mourmured. In so moche that Christe sayde vnto them, doth this offende you: What wyll ye say then whē ye shall see the sone of man ascendynge thyther where he was before: Thē (addeth S. Austen) you shall knowe that he ment not to geue hys fleshe to eate with your teth: for he shall ascende whole. And Christ addeth, it is the spirite that quyckeneth, the fleshe profyteth nothynge, the wordes that I speake, are spirite ād lyfe: that is to say, sayeth S. Austen, are spirytually to be vnderstonde. And where Christ sayeth, that the fleshe profyteth nothynge (meanynge of hys owne fleshe, as S. Austē sayeth) he meaneth that it profyteth not, as they vnderstoode hym, that is to saye, it profyteth not, if it were eatē. But it doth moche profyte to be slayne, that through it and the shedynge of hys blode, the wrath of God our Father is pacyfyed, ād our synnes forgeuen. And where his mastershyp sayeth that the people perceyued well what he ment, and therfor wōdered so sore ād coulde not abyde, because they perceyued well by hys wordes ād maner of cyrcumstaunces what hys meanynge was. I wyll say as I ded before, that they vnderstoode hym not. Nowe here he wyll saye vnto me, if it be but your naye and my yea, then I wolde thynke to be beleued as soone as you, and surelye that were but reason. Not withstondynge (thankes be to God) I am able to brynge in auctoryte to Iudge betwene vs bothe, whose Iudgemēt I truste hys mastershyp wyll admytte. Thys autoure is .S. Austen which sayeth. [Sidenote: Augusti in sermo ad infan.] _Discipuli enim eius qui cum sequebantur expauerunt & exhorruerunt sermonem non intelligentes._ That is to saye, his dyscyples whiche folowed hym, were a stoyned, and abhorred hys wordes, ād vnderstoode thē not. And because your mastershype shall not thynke that he over schotte hym selfe, and spake he wyste not what, we shall alledge hym sayenge the same wordes in an other place. [Sidenote: Aug. 54.] _Cum diceret. Nisi quis manducauerit carnem .& c. Illi non intelligentes dixerunt ad inuicē. Durus est hic sermo, quis potest eum audire?_ That is, when Christ sayde, excepte a man eate my fleshe and drynke my bloode, he shall haue no lyfe in hym, they because they vnderstoode hym not, sayde to eche other, this is an harde sayenge, who can heare hym? Thus I truste you wyll geue place (although not to me) yet at the leaste vnto Saynte Austen, and receyue the truth whiche is so playnelye proved.

And where hys mastershyp alleageth this texte for the Sacramente, that excepte they ded eate hys fleshe and drynke hys blode they coulde not be saued, yt seameth that he is fallen in to the erroure of Pope Innocēt, which lykewyse vnderstōdynge this texte vpon the Sacrament (as master More doth) caused yonge chylderne and infantes to receyue the Sacrament, as though they had all bene dampned which dyed and had not receyued it. And of thys Carnall mynde were many mo Byshoppes a greate whyle (as are now the Bohemes, whome he after dysprayseth, and yet expoundeth the texte as they do) but afterward they loked more spirytually vpō the matter and confessed their ignoraunce, as I truste master More wyll. But now wyll I shew you .S. Austens mynde vpō this texte, which shall helpe for the exposycyon of all thys matter. [Sidenote: Augustinus libro 3 de doctrina christiana.] S. Austen in the thyrde boke de doctrina christiana the .16. chapytre, teachynge how we shall knowe the tropes, fygures, allegoryes, and phrases of the scrypture sayeth. _Si aūt flagitium aut facinus iubere uidetur, figurata locutio est. Nisi manducaueritis (inqt) carnem filij hominis et biberitis eius sanguinē, non habebitis uitam in uobis. Facinus uel flagitium uidetur iubere. Figura est ergo precipiens passionis dominicæ esse comunicandū et suauiter atque utiliter in memoria recondendum, quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa & uulnerata sit._ That is to saye: when so euer the scrypture or Christe seameth to commaunde any fowle or wycked thynge, than muste that texte be taken fyguratyuelye, and that it is a phrase, allegorye, and maner of speakynge, ād muste be vnderstonde spyrytually and not after the letter. Excepte (sayeth Christ) ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke hys bloode ye shall haue no lyfe in you. He seameth (sayeth S. Austen) to cōmaunde a fowle and a wycked thynge. It ys therfore a fygure, commaundyng vs to be partakers of hys passyon, and swetely ād profytablye to prynte in our mynde that hys fleshe was crucyfyed and wounded for vs. This truth (thankes be to God) doth S. Austen declare vnto vs, which thynge besyde the openyng of thys texte agaynst master Mores mynd, doth playnely shew what he thought in the holye wordes of Christes souper. For syth he called yt a fowle and wycked thynge to eate hys fleshe, than may you soone perceyue, that he thought yt ys fowle and as wycked a thynge to eate hys bodye, seynge hys bodye ys fleshe, and then consequently yt shall folowe, that eyther thys worde eate (where Christe sayde take thys and eate yt) muste be taken spirytually, or els that thys sayēge of Christe, thys is my body, muste be fyguratyuely spoken, but this worde, eate, ys taken after the letter (for they ded in dede eate the breade) therfore yt muste neades folowe, that thys sentēce (thys is my bodye) muste be fyguratyuely spoken. Or els ys .S. Austen not to be approued in thys place, which thynge our Byshoppes I thynke, wyll not saye naye.

Besydes that .S. Austen sayeth. [Sidenote: Augustinus in sermone ad infantes.] _Quando loquebatur dominus noster Iesus Christus de corpore suo, nisi (inquit) quis manducauerit carnem meam et biberit sanguinè meum, non habebit in se uitam. Caro enim mea uere est cibus, & sanguis meus uere est potus. Intellectus spiritualis credentem saluum facit, quia littera occidit, spiritus est qui uiuificat._ That is to saye: when our Lorde Iesus Christe spake of hys bodye, excepte (sayeth he) a man eate my fleshe and drynke my bloode, he shall haue no lyfe in hym selfe, for my fleshe is verye meate, and my bloode is very drynke. The spyrytuall vnderstondynge saueth hym that beleueth, for the letter kylleth, but the spirite quyckeneth. Here may you playnlye perceyue, that thys texte muste onely be taken spyrituallye. For he sayeth, that to take it after the letter it kylleth and profyteth nothynge at all, & therfor I wonder that we haue bene ledde so longe in this grosse erroure.

[Sidenote: Orig. in leuiti. homi .7.] This sayenge doth that famous clarke Origene, confyrme sayēg. _Agnosce, figuræ sunt que in uoluminibus Domini scriptæ sunt: & ideo tanquā spirituales & non tanquam carnales, examinate & intelligite quæ dicuntur. Si enim secundum litteram sequaris hoc ipsum quod dictum est, Nisi manducaueritis carnē &c. Occidit hæc littera._ That is to saye: Marke that they are fygures which are wrytē in the scrypture of God. And therfore examyne them as spyrytuall men and not as Carnall, ād vnderstonde those thynges that are spoken. For if thou folowe after the letter, this thynge that is spokē: excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sone of man and drynke hys bloode, you cā haue no lyfe in you, this letter kylleth. Alas deare bretherne why shulde any mā be offended with thys doctryne, seynge it is approued so playnelye, by suche auncyent and holy Fathers.

[Sidenote: Augusti sermo circa sacraferia pasche.] Agayne .S. Austē sayeth. _Qui manducat carnem meā & bibit meum sanguinem in memanet & ego in illo. Hoc est ergo manducare illā escam & illū bibere potum, in Christo manere & illum manentē in se habere, ac per hoc qui non manet in Christo & in quo non manet Christus proculdubio non manducat eius carnem nec bibit sanguinē, etiā si tanterei sacramentum ad iudicium sibi manducet & bibit._ That is to saye, he that eateth my fleshe and drynketh my bloode, abydeth in me, and I in hym. This is therfore the eatynge of that meate and drynkynge of that bloode, to abyde in Christe and haue hym abydynge in vs. And therfor he that abydeth not in Christe, and in whome Christe abydeth not, without doubte he eateth not Christes fleshe nor drynketh not hys bloode, although he eate and drynke that sacramēt of so greate a thynge vnto hys dampnacyon. And euē the same wordes [Sidenote: Idē Beda super Cor. 10.] hath Bede vpon the Corynthyās 1. Corin. 10. Thys one place is suffycyent for to proue my purpose though he sayde not one worde more. For here he doth playnelye determyne, that he whiche abydeth not in Christe: that is to saye: he that is wycked or vnfaythfull, doth not eate hys fleshe nor drynke hys bloode, although he eate and drynke the Sacramēt of so greate a thynge. And so muste it neades folowe, that the Sacramente is not the verye naturall bodye of Christ. For then the vnfaythfull shulde eate hys fleshe, seynge he eateth the Sacrament of hys bodye. But that doth S. Austen denye, wherfor it muste neades folowe, that it is but onely a token of a remembraunce, ād a sygne of hys bodye breakynge, and a representacyon of hys passyon, [Sidenote: Rom. 5.] that we myght keape hys facte in memorye, and geve hym thankes for hys tender loue and kyndenes, whiche when we were hys enemyes toke vpon hym to suffer moste vyle death, to reconcyle vs vnto his Father, and make vs hys frendes. Thys sayenge hath S. Austen in a nother place also, [Sidenote: Augusti deciuita: dei lib. 21.] where he wryteth on this maner. _Qui non in me manet, & in quo ego non maneo, non se dicat aut existimet māducare corpus meum, aut bibere sanguinem meum. [Sidenote: capi. 25.] Non itaq; maneat in Christo qui non sunt eius membra: non sunt autem membra Christi qui se faciunt membra meritricis._ That is to saye, he that abydeth not in me, and in whome I abyde not, let hym not saye or thynke that he eateth my bodye or drynketh my bloode. They abyde not in Christe which are not hys mēbers. And they are not hys membres whiche make them selues the membres of an harlote. And these are also the verye wordes of Bede. Here is it playne proued agayne by the auctoryte of S. Austen and Bede, [Sidenote: Beda super. 1. Cor. 6.] that the wycked and vnfaythfull (whiche are not the membres of Christe) do not eate hys bodye nor drynke hys bloode, and yet they do eate the Sacramēt as well as the other. Wherfore you muste neades, graunte, that the Sacramēt is not the naturall bodye of Christ but a fygure, tokē, or memoryall therof. Now good Christē people counte not thys new learnynge which is confyrmed by suche olde doctoures and faythfull fathers.

Now were thys ynough for a Christē man that loued no contencyon. But because there are so manye sophysters in the worlde whiche care not what they saye, so they holde not their peace, I muste neades sette some bulwarke by this holy doctoure, to helpe to defende hym, for els they wyll shortelye ouer rone hym (as they do me) ād make hym an heretyck also. Therfore I wyll alleage hys master saynt Ambrose. Saynte Ambrose sayeth [Sidenote: Ambrosi de sacra.] _Non iste panis qui uadit in corpus a nobis tā anxie queritur, sed panis uitæ æterne que anime nostre substanciam fulscit, qui autem discordat a Christo non manducat carnem eius, nec bibit sanguinem eius, & si tante rei sacramentum iudicium sue perdicionis accipit._ That is, this breade that goeth in to the bodye ys not so gredelye sought of vs, but the breade of euerlastynge lyfe which vpholdeth the substaunce of our soule. For he that dyscordeth from Christ, doth not eate hys fleshe, nor drynke hys bloode, although he receyue the sacramente of so greate a thynge vnto hys dampnacyon and destruccyon. Furthermore, the greate clarke Prosper confyrmeth the same, sayenge. [Sidenote: Prosper in libro sentenciarum.] _Qui discordat a Christo nec carnem Christi manducat, nec sanguinem bibit, etiam si tantæ rei sacramentum ad iudicium sue presumptionis quotidie indifferenter accipiat._ That is, he that dyscordeth from Christ, doth neyther eate hys fleshe, nor drynke hys bloode, although he receyueth indyfferently euery daye the sacrament of so greate a thynge vnto the condempnacyon of hys presumpcyon. And these are also the very wordes of Bede [Sidenote: Idē Beda super 1. Cor. 11.] vpō the xi. Chapiter of the fyrste Epystle to the Corynthyans.

Now you may see, that it ys not saynt Austens mynde onely, but also the sayēge of many mo. And therfore I truste you wyll be good vnto hym. And yf ye cōdempne not these holye Fathers, then am I wrongfullye punyshed. But, yf you condempne them, then muste poore Iohan Fryth be contente to beare the burthen wyth them.

The mynde & exposiciō of the olde doctours upon the wordes of Christes
maundye.

[Sidenote: More.] And where master More sayeth, that yf Chryste had not ment after the playne litterall sense, that both the hearers at that tyme, and the expositours sens, and all Christen people besyde thys xv.c. yeare wolde not haue taken onelye the litterall sens beynge so straunge and mervelous that yt myght seame impossyble, ād declyne from the letter for allegoryes in all suche other thynges, beynge (as he sayeth) and as in dede they be, so manye farre in nombre mo.

[Sidenote: Fryth.] ¶ As towchynge the hearers they were deceyued and vunderstoode hym not (I meane as manye as toke hys wordes fleslye as you do). And they had their answere of Christe (when they mourmured) that hys wordes were spyrite and lyfe: that is (as S. Austen sayeth) spirytually to be vnderstonde & not fleslye, as ys before declared. And as for the exposytours, I thynke he hath not one of the olde fathers for hym, but certen newe felowes: as Dominicus, S. Thomas, Occam, ād suche other which haue made the Pope a God. And as I haue shewed S. Austen maketh full for vs, and so do all the olde fathers. As Oecolompadius hath well declared in hys boke. _Quid ueteres senserint de sacramento eucharistiæ._ And some of their sayenges I shall alleage a none. And where you saye that all Christen people haue so beleued this .1500. yeares, that is very false. For there ys no doubte, but that the people thought as holye Saynt Austen and other faythful fathers taught thē. Which as I sayde, make with vs. Notwithstondynge in dede syth oure prelates haue bene made lordes and haue sette vp their lawes and decrees contrarye to the prerogatyue of all Prynces, and lyke moste subtle traytours, haue made all men beleue that they may make lawes & bynde mens cōscyences to obeye them: and that theyr lawes are Gods lawes, blyndynge the peoples eyes wyth two or thre textes wrongfully wrested, to avaunce their pryde, where they ought to obeye Kynges & Princes & be subiect to their lawes, as Christ & hys Apostles were euē vnto the death. Syth that tyme I say, they haue made mē beleue what they lyst, & make artycles of the faythe at their pleasure. One artycle must be that they be the church, ād cā not erre. And this ys the grounde of all their doctryne. But the truth of this artycle ys now suffycyently knowē. For yf quene Katheryne be Kynge Hēryes wyfe, thē they do erre, & yf she be not, they haue thē erred. It is nowe become an artycle of our fayth that the Pope of Rome must be the hede of the churche ād the vycar of Christe: & that by Gods lawe. It is an artycle of our fayth, that what soeuer he byndeth in earth, is boūde in heauē, in so moche that yf he curse wrōgfully, yet yt must be feared, ād infynite suche other which are not in our crede, but blessed be god that hath geuē some lyght in to oure Prynces harte. For he hath lately put forth a boke called the glasse of truth, which proueth many of these artycles very folysh fātasyes, ād that euē by theyr owne doctours, and so I truste you shall be proued in this poynt of the sacramēt. For though it be an artycle of our fayth, yt is none artycle of our Crede in the .xij. artycles, whiche are suffycyent for our saluacyon. And therfore we may thynke that you lye without all Ieoperdye of dampnacyon.

Neuerthelesse seynge hys mastershyp sayeth that all make for hym, & I say cleane contrarye, that allthe olde fathers make agaynste hym, it were necessarye that one of vs shulde proue hys purpose. But in dede in this poynte he wolde loke to haue the vātage of me. For he thynketh that mē wyll sooner beleue him which is a greate mā, thē me which am but a poore mā, ād that therfor I had more neade to proue my parte true, thē he to proue hys. Well, I am content, and therfor geue eare dere reader and iudge betwene vs.

[Sidenote: Tertullianus libro. 2. cōtra Marcionem. Tertullianus libro 4. cōtra Marcionem.] First I wyll begynne with Tertulyan, because he is of moste antiquyte. Tertullyan sayeth. _Ipse (Christus) nec panem reprobauit quod ipsum corpus suum representat._ That is to saye: Christ hym selfe ded not reproue or discōmēde breade which doth represent hys bodye. For the vnderstōdynge of thys place, you must know that there was an heretyke called Marcyō, which ded reproue creatures, & sayde that all maner of creatures were euell. This thynge doth Tertullyā improue by the sacramēt & sayeth. Christ ded not reproue or dyscōmende breade the which doth represēt his bodye: as though he shulde say, yf Christ had counted the breade euell, then wolde he not haue lefte yt for a sacrament to represent hys bodye, meanynge that it is a sacramente, sygne, token, and memoryall of hys bodye, and not the body ytselfe. And that this is hys mynde, doth playnly appeare in his fourth boke, where he sayeth. _Christus acceptū panē et distributū discipulis, corpus suū illud fecit: hoc est corpus meū dicēdo, id est figura corporis mei. Figura autē non fuisset, nisi ueritatis e ēt corpus. Vacua res quod est phātasma, figuram capere non posset._

That ys to saye: Christe takynge breade and dystrybutynge vnto hys discyples made yt hys bodye, sayēge. This ys my body. But thys breade coulde not haue bene a figure of yt, excepte Christ had had a true bodye. For a vayne thynge or a fantasye can take no fygure. For the vnderstondynge of this place, you muste marke that this heretycke Marcyō agaynst whome thys auctoure wryteth, ded holde opynyon that Christ had no naturall bodye, but onelye a fantastycall bodye, ād this opynyon doth thys doctoure improue by the sacrament of the aulter sayenge. The sacrament ys a fygure of hys bodye: ergo Christ had a true bodye, ād not a fantastycall bodye: For a vayne thynge or fantasye can take no fygure. Loo, here doth this olde father which was longe before .S. Austen or .S. Hierome, expounde these wordes of Christe. This is my bodye: that is to saye, a fygure of my bodye. Therfor ye are to blame to call it new lernynge. Nowe because they shall not of temeraryous presumpcyon reiecte this olde father, I shall establyshe hys wordes by S. Austen, which commendeth Christes meruelous pacyence for sufferynge so lōge that traytour Iudas, as though he had bene a good man, and yet was not ignorāt of hys wycked thoughtes. [Sidenote: Augusti.] _Adhibuit (inquit) ad cōuiuium in quo corporis & sanguinis sui figura discipulis commendauit ac tradidit._ That is to saye: [Sidenote: in prefa. Psalm. 3.] he admytted hym sayeth S. Austē vnto the mandye wherin he dede be take and delyuer vnto the dyscyples the fygure of hys bodye and bloode. Here doth thys holye father .S. Austē call yt the fygure of hys body. And I am sure there is no mā so chyldyshe, but that he knoweth that the fygure of Christe ys not Christe hym selfe, the fygure of .S. Peter ys not saynt Peter hym selfe. And yet we do neuerthelesse commōly call those fygures by the name of the thynge that they do represente. As I maye saye when I see the fygure of .S. Peter, thys ys S. Peter to whome Christe delyuered the keyes of the kyngdome of heauē. And yet he were a foole that wolde thynke that fygure to be S. Peter hym selfe. For yt is onelye a representacyon of hym. Besydes that S. Austen sayeth. [Sidenote: Augusti in prefa. Psalm. 98.] _Non hoc corpus quod uidetis estis manducaturi, nec bibituri illum sanguinem quem effusuri sunt qui me crucifigent. Sacramentum aliquod uobis commendaui, spiritualiter intellectum uiuificat nos, caro autem non prodest quicquam._ That ys to saye: you shall not eate thys bodye that you see, nor drynke that bloode which they that crucyfye me shall shedde out. I haue geuen a certayne sacramente vnto you, yf yt be spirytually vnderstonde, yt quyckeneth you: but the fleshe profyteth nothynge. What thynges can be more playnely spoken?

Furdermore S. Austen sayeth. _Sepe ita loquimur ut Pascha appropinquante crastinam uel perendinam Domini passionem dicamus: cum ille ante tam multos annes passus sit, nec omnino nisi semel illa passio facta sit. Nempe ipso die dominico dicimus bodie dominus resurrexit cum ex quo surrexit tot anni transierunt. Quare nemo tam ineptus est, ut nos ita loquentes arguat esse mentitos, quia istos dies secundum illorum quibus hæc gesta sunt similitudinem nuncupamus: ut dicatur ipse dies qui non sit ipse, sed reuolucio ne temporum similes eius: & dicatur illo die fieri propter sacramenti celebrationem, quod non illo die, sed iam olim factum est. Nonne semel immolatus est Christus in seipso? & tamen in sacramento non solum per amnuas Paschæ solennitates, sed omni die pro popuslis immola tur: nec utique mentitur qui interrogatus, responderit eum immolari. Si enim sacramenta quandam similitudinem earum rerum quarum sunt sacramenta non haberent, omnino sacramenta non essent. Ex hac autem similitudine plerumque etiam ipsarum rerum nomina accipiunt. Sicut ergo secundum quendam modum sacramētum corporis CHRISTI corpus CHRISTI est. Et sacramentum sanguinis CHRISTI sanguis CHRISTI est, ita sacramenta fidei fides est, Nihil est autem aliud ud credere, quam fidem habere, ac per hoc respondetur fidem habere propter fidei sacramenta. Et conuertere se ad Deum propter conuersionis sacramentum. Quia & ipsa responsio pertinet ad celebrationem sacramenti. Sicut de ipso baptismo Apostolus dicit. Consepulti (inquit) sumus Christo per baptismum in mortem, Non ait sepulturam significauimus, sed prorsus ait, consepulti sumus. Sacramentum ergo tantæ rei non nisi eiusdem rei uocabulo nuncupauit._

That is to saye: We often vse to saye, when Easter draweth nyghe, that to morow or the nexte day is the Lordes passyō, ād yet yt is many yeares sens he suffered, and that passyon was neuer done but ones. And vpon that sondaye we saye, thys daye the Lorde ded ryse agayne, and yet yt ys many yeares sens he rose. Now ys there no man so folyshe to reproue vs as lyers for so sayenge, because we name these dayes after the symylytude of those in which these thynges were done, so that yt is called the same daye, which is not the verye same, but by the reuolucyon of tyme lyke it. And yt is named to be done the same daye through the celebracyon of the sacramēt (through kepynge the memoryall of the thynge ones done) which ys not done that daye, but was done lōge before. Was not Christe ones crucyfyed in hys owne parson? ād yet in a mysterye (which is the remembraunce of hys very passyon) he ys crucyfyed for the people not onely euery feaste of Easter, but euery daye. Neyther doth he lye which (whē he is asked) answereth that he is crucyfyed. For yf the sacramentes, had not certayne symylytudes of those thynges wherof they are sacramentes, then shulde they be no sacramentes at all. And for thys symylytude for the most parte they take the names of the very thynges, and therfore after a certayne maner the sacramente of Christes bodye ys Christes bodye, & the sacramēte of Christes bloode, is christes bloode, so the sacramēt of faythe, is fayth. For yt ys nō other thyng to beleue, thē to haue fayth, & therfore whē a mā āswereth that the infante beleueth which hath not the affecte of fayth, he answereth that yt hath faythe for the sacramēt of fayth: And that yt turneth yt selfe to GOD, for the sacrament of conuersyon. For the answere yt selfe perteyneth vnto the mynystrynge of the sacrament. As the Apostle wryteth of Baptyme: we are buryed (sayeth he) wyth Christ through Baptyme vnto death. He sayeth not, we sygnyfye buryenge, but vtterlye sayeth, we are buryed. He called therfore the sacrament of so greate a thynge euen wyth the propre name of the verye thynge it selfe. & ce. If a man wolde avoyde contencyon and loke soberly vpon those wordes of Saynte Austen, he shall soone perceyue the mysterye of thys matter. For euē as the nexte good frydaye shalbe called the daye of Christes passyon: and yet he shall not suffer death a gayne vpon that daye, for he dyed but ones and is nowe immortall, euē so is the Sacrament called Christes bodye. And as that daye is not the verye daye that he dyed vpon, but onelye a remembraunce therof: So the Sacrament is not hys very naturall bodye, but onelye a remembraunce of hys bodye breakynge and bloode sheadynge. And lykewyse, as the nexte Easter daye shall be called the daye of hys resurrectyon, not that it is the very same daye that Christe ded ryse in, but a remembraunce of the same: Euen so the Sacrament is called hys bodye: not that it is hys bodye in dede, but onely a remembraunce of the same. And furdermore, euē as the Preste doth offer hym, that is to saye, crucyfye hym at Masse, euē so is the sacramēt hys bodye. But the Masse doth but onely represent hys passyon. And so doth the Sacrament represent hys bodye. And yet though the Masse dothe but represent his crucyfyēge, we maye trulye saye he is crucyfyed, euen so though the Sacrament do but sygnyfye or represent hys bodye, yet may we trulye saye that it is hys bodye. Why so? verely (sayeth he) for the sacramentes haue a certayne symylytude of those thynges wherof they are sacramentes. And for thys symylytude for the moste parte, they take the names of the verye thynges. Blessed be God which hathe so clearelye dyscussed this matter by thys faythfull Father. Notwithstondynge he doth yet expresse it more playnelye sayēg: After a certayne maner the sacrament of Christes bodye is Christes bodye. Beholde deare bretherne he sayeth, after a certayne maner the sacramēt is Christes bodye. And by that you maye soone knowe that he neuer mēte that it shulde be hys verye naturall bodye in dede, but onelye a token and memoryall to keape in memorye the death of hys bodye, and so to nouryshe our fayth. Besydes that, hys symylytude which he after allegeth of Baptyme, doth througlye expoūde this matter, for (sayeth he) the Apostle sayeth not, we sygnyfye buryenge: but he sayeth, we are buryed, & yet in dede the Baptyme doth but sygnyfye it. And therevpon .S. Austen addeth, that he called the sacrament of so greate a thynge euen with the name of the verye thynge it selfe. And lykewyse it is in our sacrament. Fynallye to be shorte, I wyll passe ouer many places which I haue gathered out of this holye father, and wyll towche but this one more. Saynte Austē sayeth. [Sidenote: Augusti cōtr. adamantū.] _Non enim Dominus dubitauit dicere, Hoc est corpus meum, cum daret signum corporis sui. Et in eoden capite exponit. Sic est enim sanguis anima, quomodo petra erat Christus, nec tamen petra (ait) significabat Christū, sed ait petra erat Christus._ That is to saye: The lorde doubted not to saye, this is my bodye, whē he gaue a sygne of hys bodye. And after in the same chapyter he expoundeth it. For trulye so the bloode is the soule, as Christe was the stone. And yet the Apostle sayeth not, the stone ded sygnyfye Christ, but he sayeth the stone was Christ.

Here S. Austen sayeth playnelye, that Christe called the sygne of hys bodye, his bodye, and in this chapyter doth compare these thre textes of scrypture, this is my bodye, the bloode is the soule, and Christe was the stone: And declareth them to be one phrase, and to be expounded after one fashyō. Now is there no mā so madde, as to saye, that Christe was a naturall stone (excepte he be a naturall foole) whose Judgemēt we neade not greately to regarde. Therefore we may well cōclude that the sacrament is not his naturall bodye, but is called his bodye, for a symylytude that it hath, wherin it sygnyfyeth & representeth his bodye. And that the sacramēt of so greate a thynge is called euē with the name of the very thynge it selfe. As s. Austē sayde. Thys were prove ynough to conclude that all the olde Fathers ded holde the same opynyon, for who wolde ones surmyse (seynge we haue. S. Austen so playne for vs which is the cheafest amonge thē all) who wolde ones surmyse I say, that they dyssented in thys greate matter frō the other faythfull fathers, or they from hym? Neuerthelesse I dare not lett hym stōde post alone, leaste ye dyspyse hym. And therfore I wyll shewe you the mynde of certayne other also: and fyrste of hys master Saynt Ambrose.

[Sidenote: Ambrosi super illud mortē domini annuncia.] S. Ambrose wrytynge vpon the Epystle of Paule to the Corynthyans in the .xi. Chapter sayeth. _Quia enim morte Domini liberati sumus, huius rei in edēdo & potādo, carnem & sanguinem qui pro nobis oblata sunt, significamus._ That is to saye: because we be delyuered by the death of the Lorde, in eatynge and drynkynge of thys thynge, meanynge of the Sacrament, we sygnyfye the fleshe and bloode which were offered for vs. Here doth S. Ambrose saye ynough, yf men were not sophysters, but wolde be content with reason. For he sayeth that in eatynge and drynkynge the Sacramēt of Christes bodye, we sygnyfye or represent the fleshe and bloode of our sauyoure Iesus. Notwithstondynge be cause you are so slyppery, we shall bynde you a lytle better by thys mās wordes.

[Sidenote: Ambrosi de sacra.] S. Ambrose sayeth. _Sed forte dices speciem sanguinis non uideo, sed habet similitudinem. Sicut enim mortis similitudinem sumpsisti, ita etiam similitudinem preciosi sanguinis bibis._ That is to saye. But perauenture thou wylte saye, I see no apperaunce of bloode, but it hathe a symylytude. For euē as thou haste taken the symylytude of death, euen so thou drynkest the symylytude of the precyous bloode. Here maye ye see by the conferrynge of these two Sacramentes, what .S. Ambrose iudged of it. For he sayeth, euen as thou haste taken a symylytude of hys death in the sacramēt of baptyme, so doste thou drynke a symylytude of hys precyouse bloode in the Sacrament of the Aulter. And yet as S. Austen sayde before, the Apostle sayeth, not we sygnyfye buryenge, but sayeth, we are buryed. And lykewyse here Christe sayde, not this sygnyfyeth my bodye, but this is my bodye, callynge the Sacrament, a sygne, token, and memoryall of so greate a thynge, euen with the name of the verye thynge it selfe. Thus doth S. Ambrose choke our sophysters.

Neuerthelesse I wyll alleage one place more out of Ambrose, where he sayeth. [Sidenote: Ambrosi lib .3. de sacramē.] _Dicit sacerdos fac nobis hanc oblationē scriptam rationabilem, quod est figura corporis Domini nostri Iesu Christi._ That is: the Preste sayeth, make vs this oblacyon acceptable. & ce. For it is a fygure of the bodye of our Lorde Iesus Chryst. Here he calleth it playnelye a fygure of Christes bodye, which thynge you can not avoyde. Therfore geue prayse vnto God and lette hys trouth sprede, which is so playnelye testyfyed, by these holye Fathers. Now lette vs see what S. Hierome sayeth.