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THis is my couenaunt, which ye shall kéepe betwene* 1.1 me and you, and thy seede after thee, let euery man childe among you be Circumcised.
That is, ye shall circumcise the foreskinne of your* 1.2 fleshe, and it shall bee a signe of the couenaunte betwene me and you▪
And he set vp there an alter, and called it, the mightie God* 1.3 of Israell.
Thus shall ye eate it, your loynes girded, your shoes on* 1.4 your feete, and your staues in your handes, and ye shall eate it in haste: for it is the Lordes Passeouer.
When all Israell shall come to appeare, before the Lorde,* 1.5 in the place whiche he shall choose, thou shalt reade this lawe before all Israell, that thei maie heare it.
Iesus tooke the breade, and when he had giuen thankes, he* 1.6 brake it, and gaue it to the disciples, and saied: Take, eate: this is my bodie.
Likewise also after supper, he tooke the cuppe, saiyng: this* 1.7 Cuppe is the newe Testament in my bloud, whiche is shed for you.
After he receiued the signe of Circumcision, as the zeale of* 1.8 the righteousnesse of faithe, whiche he had, when he was vn∣circumcised. &c.
GOD calleth those thynges whiche be not, as though thei* 1.9 were.
And did all drinke the same spiritual drinke: (for thei drank* 1.10 of the same spiritual rocke that folowed them, and that rocke was Christe.)
The cuppe of blessyng whiche we blesse, is it not the Com∣munion* 1.11 of the bloud of Christ? The bread whiche we breake, is it not the communion of the bodie of Christ?
Accordyng to his mercie he saued vs, by the washyng of the* 1.12 newe birthe.
EXcepte ye eate my fleshe, and drincke my bloud,* 1.13 this letter killeth, wilte thou that I bryng an o∣ther letter that killeth, out of the newe Testa∣mente? He that hath no knife (saieth he) let hym fell his coate and buye one. Loe, this letter is the Gospell, and yet it killeth: but if thou take it spiritually, it kil∣leth not: but in it is a quickenyng spirite. Therefore, vnder∣stande spiritually those thynges whiche are spoken, whither
it be in the lawe, or in the Gospell. For a spirituall man dis∣cusse thall thynges, and is iudged of no man.
Christ did not reproue bread, whereby he did represent his* 1.14 very bodie.
Iesus tooke breade, and giuyng it amonges his Disciples, made it his bodie, saiyng: This is my bodie, that is to saie, a fi∣gure of my bodie: But a figure it could not bee, vnlesse there were a bodie of a truthe, and in deede.
Christe called breade his bodie, and wine his bloud, bicause that in the olde Testamente, bread and wine were figures of his bodie and bloud.
Excepte ye eate my fleshe, and drinke my bloud, you shall* 1.15 not haue life in you. Consider that these thynges, written in Gods bookes, are figures, and therefore examine and vnder∣stand them as spirituall, and not as carnall men: for if you vn∣derstande theim as carnall men, thei hurte you, and feede you not: for euen in the Gospell is there founde a letter that kil∣leth. And not onely in the old Testament: but also in the new Testament is there founde letters, that flaieth hym, that spi∣ritually doeth not vnderstande whiche is spoken. For if thou folowe the letter, or wordes, of this that Christ saied, excepte you eate my fleshe, and drinke my bloud, this letter killeth.* 1.16
He called Circumcision rightly a signe, for that in it one thyng was seene, and an other was vnderstanded.
Christes bloud is shewed in the wine, and the people in the water that is mixte with the wine: so that the mixture of the water to the wine, signifieth the spirituall commixtion, and ioynyng of vs vnto Christ.* 1.17
The weakenesse of our faithe, is taught by the vnderstan∣dyng of the Sacramentes.
What profite haue these wordes? Uerely, that we eatyng* 1.18 and drinkyng, maie euermore bee myndfull of hym, that died for vs, and rose againe.* 1.19
Christe tooke bread, whiche comforteth mans harte, that he might represent thereby, his very bodie and bloud.
Before consecration, an other kynde is named: But after* 1.20 the consecration the bodie of Christe is signified. Christ saied,
his blo•…•…d: before the consecration it is called an other thyng, but after the consecration, is signified the bloud of Christ.
As thou hast in baptisme, receiued the similitude of death, so likewise dooest thou in this Sacramente, drinke the simili∣tude* 1.21 of Christes bloud.
The Prieste saieth, make vnto vs this oblation to bee ac∣ceptable, whiche is the figure of the bodie and bloud of our Lorde Iesu Christe.
Thou doest receiue the Sacrament for a similitude, of the* 1.22 fleshe and bloud of Christe, but thou dooest obtaine the grace and vertue of his true nature: and receiuyng the bread, in that foode thou art made partaker of his godly substaunce.
In eatyng and drinkyng the bread and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, we doe signi∣fie* 1.23 the fleshe and bloud, whiche were offered for vs. And the olde Testamente was instituted in bloud, bicause that bloud was a witnesse of Gods benefite, in signification and figure, whereof we take the misticall cup of his bloud, to the tuition of our bodie and soule.
Let the newe Christened man be taught, that Sacramen∣tes* 1.24 bée visible signes, of heauenly thynges, and that the thyn∣ges them selues, that he séeth not, must bée honoured in them. And that the same kynde and element, is not so to be taken, as it is in daiely vse: Let hym also bee taught, what the woordes meane, that he hath heard: Moreouer vpon occasion hereof, he must bée taught, that if he heare any thyng, euen in the scrip∣tures, that sounde carnally, let hym thinke, that there is some spirituall thyng meante by it.* 1.25
As many as in Manna vnderstoode Christe, thei did eate the same spirituall meate, that we doe eate.
It is a daungerous matter, and a seruitude of the soule, to* 1.26 take the signe, in steade of the thyng that it signified.
Seldome is any difficultie in proper woordes: But either the circumstaunce of the place, or the conferryng of diuerse translations, or els the original tongue, wherein it was writ∣ten, will make the sence plaine: But in woordes that bée alte∣red from their proper signification, there is greate diligence, and heede to bee taken. And especially we muste beware, that
wee take not literally any thyng that is spoken figuratiuely: nor contrarywise, wee muste not take for a figure, any thyng that is spoken properly. Therefore must bée declared the ma∣ner, how to descerne a proper speache, frō a figuratiue, wher∣in must be obserued this rule.
If the thyng whiche is spoken, bee to the furtheraunce of charitie, then it is a proper speache, and no figure. So that if it bee a commaundemente, that forbiddeth any euill or wicked thyng, or commaundeth any thyng that is good, or beneficiall, then it is no figure: But if it commaunde any euill, or wicked thyng, or forbiddeth any thyng that is good and beneficiall, then it is a figuratiue speache. Now this saiyng of Christe (ex∣cept ye eate the fleshe of the sonne man, and drinke his bloud, you shall haue no life in you) seemeth to cōmaunde an hainouls and a wicked thyng, therefore it is a figure, commaundyng vs to be partakers of Christes passion, keepyng in our myndes, in our greate comforte and profite, that his fleshe was crucified, and wounded for vs.
Our lorde doubted not to saie: This is my bodie, when he* 1.27 gaue a signe of his bodie.
a 1.28 Signes when thei be applied vnto godlie thynges, are cal∣led Sacramentes.
b 1.29 Reasonyng of signes, I saie thus: Lette no man consider in theim, that thei bee: but rather that thei bee signes, that is to saie, that thei doe signifie.
c 1.30 In Sacramentes wee see one thyng, and wée vnderstande an other thyng.
The Sacramentes is one thyng, the thyng of the Sacra∣ment is an other thyng.
d 1.31 In Sacramentes is to be séene, not what thei be, but what thei signifie.
e 1.32 Christe did carrie vp his bodie, from whence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade. There he is now, fittyng on the right hande of the father. How can therefore the bread bée his bodie, and the cuppe, or that whiche is in the cuppe, bee his bloud? These thynges brethren, are therefore called Sacra∣mentes, bicause that in them, one thyng is séene, and an other
thyng vnderstanded. That whiche is séene, hath a visible ap∣pearaunce or forme: But that whiche is vnderstanded hath a spirituall vtilitie and profite.
A daie or twoo before good Fridaie, wee vse in common* 1.33 speache, to saie thus: To morowe, or this daie twoo daies, Christe suffered his passion, where in very déede he neuer suf∣fered his passion but once, and that was many yeres passed.
Likewise, vpon Easter daie we saie, this daie Christe rose from death: where in very deede, it is many hundred yeres sithens he rose frō death: Why then, doe not men reprooue vs as lyars, when wée speake in this sorte? But bicause wee call these daies so, by a similitude of those daies, wherin those thin∣ges were doen in deede. And so it is called that daie, whiche is not that daie in deede: but by the course of the yere, it is a like daie. And suche thynges bée saied to bée doen that daie, for the solemne celebration of the Sacramentes, whiche thynges in déede were not doen that daie, but long before. Was christ of∣fered any more but once? And he offered hym self: And yet in a sacrament or representation, not onely euery solemne feast, of Easter: but euery daie he is offered to the people, so that he doeth not lye, that saieth, he is euery daie offered.
For if Sacramentes, had not some similitude, or likenesse of those thynges, whereof thei be Sacramentes: and for their similitude and likenesse, commonly thei haue the name of the thynges, whereof thei be Sacramentes. Therefore, as after a certaine maner of speache, the Sacramente of Christes bo∣die, is Christes bodie: the Sacramente of Christes bloud, is Christes bloud: So likewise the Sacrament of faithe, is faith: And therefore, when we aunswere for yong children in their Baptisme, that thei beleue, whiche haue not yet the minde to beleue, wée aunswere, that thei haue faithe, bicause thei haue the Sacramente of faithe. And wee saie also that thei tourne vnto God, bicause of the Sacrament of conuersion vnto God: for the aunswere pertaineth to the celebration of the Sacra∣mente.
And likewise speaketh the Apostle, of Baptisme, saiyng: that by Baptisme we be buried with hym into death, he saith
not, that we signifie buriall: But he saieth plainly, that we be buried. So that the Sacramente of so greate a thyng, is not called: but by the name of thyng it self.* 1.34
A thyng which signifieth, is wont to be called by the name of the thyng, whiche it signifieth, as it is written in the scrip∣ture: the seuen eares, be seuen yeres, the seuen kine, be seuen yeres, & many other like. And so said S. Paule. that the rocke was Christ, and not that it signified Christ: but euen as it had been in deede: whiche neuerthelesse, was not Christe, by sub∣staunce: But by signification. Euen so, bicause the bloud signi∣fieth and representeth the soule, therefore, in a Sacramente, or signification, it is called the soule.* 1.35
For truely, so the bloud is the soule, as Christe was the stone, and yet the Apostle saieth not, that the stone signified Christe: but saieth it was Christ. And this sentence, bloud is the soule, maie be vnderstanded to bee spoken, in a signe or fi∣gure, for Christ did not sticke to saie, This is my bodie, when he gaue the signe of his bodie.* 1.36
Christ admitted (Iudas) vnto the banquet, when he did be∣take, and deliuer vnto his disciples, the figure of his bodie.
Uisible Sacramentes are ordeined for carnall men, that* 1.37 by the Steppes of Sacramentes, wee maie bee led from the thynges, that we see with the eye, vnto the thynges that wée vnderstande.* 1.38
The Sacramentes of the olde Lawe, were promises of thynges to bee performed: Our Sacramentes are tokens of thynges, that alreadie be performed.
The Sacraments of the Iewes, in outward tokens, were* 1.39 diuerse from ours: But in the thynges signified, they were equall, and one with ours.* 1.40
If wee beholde the visible creatures, wherein the Sacra∣mentes are ministered, who seeth not, that thei bée corrupte? But if wee consider the thynges, that are wrought thereby, who seeth not, that thei cannot be corrupted.
All signes, or tokens, séeme in a maner to beare the perso∣nes* 1.41 of the thynges them selues, that thei signifie. So the Apostle saieth, the rocke was Christ, for that the rocke, wher∣of
it was spoken, signified Christ.* 1.42
Let vs not thinke, that the Gospell standeth in the woor∣des of the Scripture, but in the meanyng.
Christe in his laste supper, gaue to his Apostles, with his* 1.43 owne handes, bread and wine, whiche he called his fleshe, and bloud: But on the crosse he gaue his very bodie, to be wounded with the handes of the souldiours, that the Apostles might de∣clare to the worlde, how, and in what maner, bread and wine, maie bee the fleshe and bloud of Christe. And the maner hee straight waies declareth thus: That those thynges which doe signifie, and those thynges whiche bee signified by them, maie be bothe called by one name.
If any man vnderstande the woordes of Christ, carnally,* 1.44 he shall surely profite nothing thereby: for what meane these woordes, the fleshe auaileth nothyng? He meante not of his fleshe (God forbid) but he meante of them that fleshely, and carnally vnderstoode those thynges that Christe spake: But what is carnall vnderstanding? To vnderstande the woordes simply, as thei be spoken, and nothyng els, for we ought not so to vnderstande the thynges, whiche we see: But all misteries muste be considered with inwarde eyes, that is, spiritually to vnderstande them.
We offer in deede: but in remembraunce of his death, this* 1.45 Sacrifice is a token, or figure of that sacrifice: The thyng that we doe, is doen in the remembraunce of that thing that was doen before, we offer alwaie the same thyng. Naie, rather we woorke the remembraunce of that Sacrifice.
Christe ordeined the table of his holy supper, for this pur∣pose,* 1.46 that in that Sacrament, he should daiely showe vnto vs, bread, and wine, for a similitude of his bodie.
God will not, that we should vnderstande the woordes of* 1.47 the holy scriptures, simply, and plainly, as thei lye: But with greate wisedome and discretion.* 1.48
In the Sanctified vesselles, there is not the very bodie of Christ in deede: But a misterie of that bodie is contained.
If Christe died not, whose signe, and whose token, is this* 1.49 Sacramente▪
Christe lefte vnto vs his laste remembraunce, as if a man* 1.50 goyng a farre iourney, leaue a token with his freinde, to the ende that he seyng the same, maie remember his benefites, and his freendship: which token that freinde, if he loue vnfei∣nedly, can not see without greate motion of his mynde, and without teares.* 1.51
This cuppe or chalice, is the newe Testamente, that is to saie, this cuppe or chalice, whiche I deliuered vnto you, dooeth signifie the newe Testament.
Our Sauiour without doubte chaunged the names, and* 1.52 gaue to the bod ie the name of the signe or token, and to the token he gaue the name of the bodie. And so when he called hym self a Uine, he called bloud that, whiche was a token of bloud.
The cause is manifeste, why the names were chaunged, for he would that thei whiche bee partakers of the godly Sa∣cramentes, should not sette their myndes, vpon the nature of the thynges, whiche thei see, but by the chaungyng of the na∣mes, should beleue the thynges, whiche be wrought in theim by grace, for he that called that, whiche is his naturall bodie, corne, and bread, and also called hym self a vine, he did honour the visible tokens and signes, with the names of his bodie and bloud, not chaungyng the nature: but addyng grace to nature.
It is cleare, that it is the figure of those thynges, whereof it beareth the name.
a 1.53 A Sacrament, is a signe of a holy thyng.
b 1.54 Therefore it is called a Sacrament, for bicause one thing shall appeare, and an other thyng is vnderstanded and eaten.
c 1.55 It is called the bodie of Christe: But improperly, the mea∣nyng of it maie bee thus. It is called the bodie Christe, that is to saie, it signifieth the bodie of Christe.* 1.56
Eate my fleshe, and drinke my bloud: meaning hereby vn∣der an allegorie, or by waie of a figure, the meate, and drinke, that is of faithe and promise.
It is to be noted, that the Sacrament is called a figuratiue* 1.57 bodie: bicause it is made present for a figuratiue purpose, that is to saie, to the ende the death of the same bodie (which death
Gene. 17. 1•…•….
11.
Chap. 33. 20.
Exod. 12. 11.
Deut. 31. 11.
Math. 26. 26.
Luke. 22. 20.
Roma. 4. 11.
17.
1. Cor. 10. 4.
16.
Titus. 3. 5.
Tertullian in his. 7. Homilie vpon Leuiticus
In his. 4. boke against Mer∣cion the Here∣tique.
Origene in his 7. Homilie vpon leuiticus.
In his. 4. boke and. 4. Chap. to the Rom. Ciprian in his 2. boke and 3. Epistle.
In his sermon of the Lordes Supper.
Basill of Bap∣tisme.
Hierom. vpon the. 26. of Math.
Ambrose in his boke, of those thinges, that are decla∣red by the mi∣steries, the last Chapter.
In his. 4. boke and. 4. Chap. In the. 5. Chap. of the same boke or Sacra∣mentes.
In his. 6. booke and. 1. Chap. of the Sacramen∣tes.
In his boke vpon the. 1. Cor. 11. Chap.
Augustine of teachyng the ignoraunt people, the. 26. Chap.
In his boke of the profite of repentaunce.
In his. 3. boke of christian doctrine.
In his booke against Adi∣mantus the 12. Chap.
In his. 10. boke and. 5. Chap. of the Citie of God.
In his. 2. boke of christiā doctrine. 1. ca.
In his 46. treatise &. 26. treatise vpon. Iohn.
In his. 3. boke and. 22. Chap. against Maximinus.
In his Serm & to the Infantes.
In his. 23. Epi∣stle to Bonifa∣cius.
In his. 57. que∣stion. vpon Le∣uiticus.
In his booke against Adi∣mantus the 12. Chap.
In his preface vpon the. 3. Psalme.
In his questiōs vpon the olde Testament.
In his. 9. boke and. 14. Chap. against Fau∣stus.
In his. 26. trea∣tise vpon Iohn.
In his. 3. booke and. 10. Chap. against the Donatistes.
In his. 18. boke and. 48. Chap. of the Citie of God.
Hierome vpon the. 1. to the Galath.
Caprian de vn∣ctione Chris∣matis.
Chrisostome in his. 46. Ho∣mily vpon Iohn.
In his. 17. Ho∣mily vpon the Hebrevves.
Vpon the. 22. Psaline.
In his. 14. Ho∣mily vpon Iohn.
In his. 11. Ho∣mily vpon Math.
In his. 83. Ho∣mily vpon Math.
In his. 61. Ho∣mily to the people of An∣tioche.
Fulgent•…•… in his booke to kyng Thrasi∣mundus.
Theodorete in his his. 1. Dia∣logue.
Peter Lom∣barde. 4. di∣stinction.
In the. 2. di∣stinct. qui manducat.
In the. 2. di∣stinction of Consecration, hoe est quod.
Clements Ale∣zander in Pe∣dagogo. 1. boke &. 6. cap.
D. Hardyng in his booke of a detection. &c. folio. 353.
Polio. 334.
Polio. 339.