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M. Hardinge.
Amonge al these gay woordes we heare not so mutche as one Syllable vttered, whereby we may vnderstande, that ye beleue, the Very Body of Christe to be in deede Presente in the blessed Sacra∣ment of the Aulter. Ye confesse the Eucharistia, whiche commonly ye cal, the Supper of the Lorde, to be a Sacramente, and al that to be none other then an euident token of the Body and Bloud of Christe. As for that ye adde to make the matter seme sommewhat, of the Deathe of Christe, and his Resur∣rection, and his actes done in fleshe: VVhat reason or scripture haue ye, that a peece of Bread and a Cuppe of VVine (for in your belefe more make ye not of this Sacramente) can set them as it were be∣fore our eies? Dothe not rather a faire Painted table set foorth the actes of our Sauiour before our eies more liuely and more expressely? And be we not moued therewith to geue God thankes for his greate benefites, as wel as if we haue Breade and VVine on a table? But I praie you, sithens al is but Breade and VVine after your teachinge, howe shal we by eatinge and drinkinge thereof be fedde with the Body and Bloude of Christe? Againe can we by Breade and VVine be brought into hope of the Re∣surrection, and Euer lastinge life, as ye saie? And howe shal we by Eatinge of Breade and Drinking of VVine be assured, that Christes Body and Bloude doth in like manner feede our soules, as Breade and VVine feedeth our bodies? Though your imagination be neuer so stronge, yet by eatinge of that, whiche is Breade onely, and Drinkinge of that, whiche is VVine onely, we see not how your soules can be fedde with the True Body and Bloude of Christe, no more then ye be at your common meales.
Verily, when al your tale is tolde, ye seme to saie nothinge els touchinge the eatinge of our Lordes Body, but that the Body of Christe remaineth in Heauen, and that we muste sende vp our soules thither, to eate it there by a certaine Imagination, whiche ye cal faithe. For this is your Maister Caluines Doctrine. By this Doctrine al standeth vppon your faithe: your faithe doth al alone. And he that beleueth in Christe, so as ye teache, eateth his Body, and Drinketh his Bloude. For by your Go∣spel, to eate the Body, is nothinge els, but to beleue in Christe. If this be true, then is your Supper su∣perfluous.
For declaration of the Truthe herein, it is to be considered that, when we speake of this blessed Sacramente, we meane specially, the thinge receiued to be the very Real Body of Christe, not onely a Signe or Token of his Body. Yet we thinke it necessarie. the Doctrine of the Fathers be clerely taught: whiche is, that here is a Sacramente, and the thinge of the Sacramente. The Forme of Breade and VVine, whiche is sene, is the Sacramente, that is to saie, a Signe of the Holy thinge. For a Sacramente besides the outwarde shape, whiche it representeth to the senses, causeth an other thinge to come into knowledge. The thinge of this Sacramente is of two sortes, the one in tho same conteined and signified, the other signified, but not conteined. The firste is the Body of Christe borne of the Virgine Mary, and his Bloude shed for our Redemption: the Seconde is the Vnitie of the Churche in these that be predestinate, called, iustified, and glorified. VVhiche Churche is Christes Body mystical. So that here are three distincte thinges vnderstanded. The one is a Sacramente one∣ly: the other a Sacramente and the thinge: the thirde the thinge, and not a Sacramente. The firste is the visible shape or Forme of Breade and VVine: the seconde is the proper and very Fleashe and Bloude of Christe: the thirde, his Mystical Body.
And as there be two thinges of this Sacrament, so be there also two meanes or waies of eating. The one Sacramental, after whiche bothe good and euil eate the true Body of Christe: they to sal∣uation, these to damnation. The other spiritual, after whiche the good only do eate. These Defen∣ders, as al other the Sacrament aries, speakinge of these distinct thinges indistinctly, cause confusion, and deceiue the vnlearned readers. In sutche a sense and meaninge the place commonly alleged out of S. Augustine, as also many other the like, maye wel be vnderstanded, without preiudice of the Truthe of Christes Body in the Sacrament: Vt quid paras dentem & Venttem? Crede, & manducasti. To what pourpose makest thou ready teeth and bely? Beleue, and thou hast eaten. Nowe these Defen∣ders harping••••••n••ly vpon this one stringe of spiritual eatinge, and shunninge the Faithe of the Ca∣tholike Churche touching the true presence of the Body, and Violently wresting the Holy Scripture, and