An apology for Lollard doctrines, attributed to Wicliffe. Now first printed from a manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. With an introduction and notes by James Henthorn Todd.

XII. Sa|crament of the Auter.

An oþer poynt is putt þus; in þe sacrament of þe auter, aftir þe consecracoun, dwellyþ þe substaunce of þe brede. And þis is soþe, for þe body of Crist [which] is þe bred þat he ȝaf for þe lif of þe

world dwelliþ þer ine, and þerfor þis substaunce of bred dwelliþ þer ine. And in þis mater I remembre þat I haue spokyn and rehersid þe wordis of þe apostil, and oþer doctors, þat þei speke on þis [1 Cor. x^o.] mater; for Poule seiþ, Þe brede þat we breken is þe part taken of þe body of Crist. And Austeyn seiþ, Þis þing þat is seen is breed, [Austeyn.] and þat þat þe feiþ askeþ to be enformid þe bred is þe body of Crist. And þe decre, and oþer doctors mani, a corde. And syn þer wordis [Decre.] are canoniȝed, and approuid of holi kirk, oiþer be houiþ to graunt þer wordis, or to denay þe canoniȝing and aprouing of þe kirk; and þat semiþ not good. Þer for I sey as þeis seyncts doun, and trowe as holi kirk trowiþ, and techiþ; þat þe sacred host is verreyli þe body of Crist, for Crist seiþ soo; and þus seiþ Poule, Breþer, fle [1 Cor. x^o.] fro worschipping of idols; I speke to ȝow as to wyse men, demiþ þis þing þat I sey; þe cuppe of blessing þat we blesse, is not it þe comining of Crists blood? and bred þat we brek, is it not þe part taken of þe body of þe Lord? for we mani are oo body, and a life þat alle taken part of oo lofe, and of oo cuppe; forsoþ, I tok þis of [1 Cor. xi^o.] þe Lord, þat I be tok to ȝow; for þe Lord Ihu, in þe niȝt þat he was betrayed, tok bred, and blessid, and brake, and ȝaf his disciplis, and seid, Take and eete all of þis; þis is my body þat schal be trayed for ȝow, do þis in my conmemoracoun. Also he tuke þe cuppe, after þat he sopid, seying, Þis cuppe is a newe testament in my blod; do þis, als oft as ȝe schal take it, in to my conmemoracoun; for als oft as ȝe schal ete þis bred, and drink þe cuppe of þe Lord, ȝe schal schew þe deþ of þe Lord, til þat he cumme. And so, who þat schal ete þis brede, and dring þis cuppe vnworþily, he schal be gylty of þe body and blood of þe Lord. Þerfor man proue him selue, and so ete he of þis bred, and drink of þis cuppe, for wo þat etiþ and drinkiþ vnworþily, etiþ and drinkiþ dome to hymsilf, not deming wisely þe body of þe Lord. And upon þis seiþ Ambrose [Ambrose.] þus, It is a gostly medicyn, and memory of raunsom, bi wilk we deserue greiter þingis, to wilk we are tauȝt to niȝt; not but drery of

þe niȝt of oure synnes, of þis þat in þe niȝt he was be tan for our synnis, wan his sowle was drery to þe deþ. And also in þe mynd of þe same deþ, he ȝaf his disciplis þis bred, and þe cuppe of þe new testament, and monest to take it, and ete it, doutles to be made like to him, and innewid in to him; he meniþ as mani as wil be in vnite of his body þat is þe kirk. And þis mete is prophita|ble to vs dwelling in þis vnite, boþ to body and to sowle; ffor þe flesch of Crist was peynid for the hele of our body, and his blod was ȝeuen out for þe ȝele of our soule, but profitiþ not to hem þat are out of vnite; werfor þe apostel seiþ, He þat etiþ or drinkiþ [1 Cor. xi^o.] vnworþily, þat is, oiþer wiþ out deuocoun, or oþer wyse þan it is of þe Lord ordeynd, or dwelling in þe filliþ of synne, he schal be gilty of þe body and blod of þe Lord; þat is, he schal ȝeue peyn for þe deþ of Crist, as if he had slayn him, and he drawiþ spot of good þing to an iuel. And Austeyn seiþ, We sey þis þing þe body and [Austeyn.] þe blod of Crist, þe wilk tan of þe ȝerþ fro þe frutis, and halowd bi gostly praiors, we tak ritli to gostli ȝele, in to memory of þe Lordis passioun; þe wilk, wan it is browt be handis of man to þat inuisible spice, is halowid not but bi þe Spirit of God wirking inuisibily; for God wirkiþ al þingis þat are done in þis wirk bi bodily styrings. Þis is þat we sey, and in all maneris striue to proue þe sacrifice of þe kirk to stond to gidre in two þingis, and to be maad in two þingis to gidre: þat is, þe visible spicis of elements, and inuisible flesch and blod of our Lord Ihu Crist; sacrament and þing of þe sacrament, þat is þe body of Crist; as þe persoun of Crist stondiþ to gidre of God and man, for he is verrey God and man; for ilk þing conteniþ in it silf þe trowþ and þe nature of þoo þings þat it is maad of; þis þing þat is seen is breed, and þe cuppe þat þe ȝeen schewen; but þis þat þe feiþ askiþ to be enformid þe bred is þe body of Crist. Also þe decre seiþ, I Beringary concent to þe holi [Decre.] kirk of Rome, and as þe apostil seiþ, I cnowlech of mowþ and hert, me to hold þe same feiþ of þe sacrament of þe Lordis bord, þe

worschipful sir Nicol pope in heys holi seyneȝ, he haþ be tane me of autorite of þe gospel, and of þe apostil, and haþ fermid to me þe bred and wyne, þat are putt in þe auter, to be after þe consecra|coun not onli sacrament, but verrey body and blod of our Lord Ihu Crist sencibly, not onli in sacrament, but in trowþ to be tretid; wiþ handis of þe prest to be brokyn, and wiþ þe teþ of feiþful men. And mani oþer seingis of doctors a corden to þis.