Spiritus est vicarius Christi in terra. The poore mans garden, wherein are flowers of the scriptures, and doctours, very necessarie and profitable for the simple and ignoraunt people to reade: / truely collected and diligently gathered together, by Iohn Northbrooke, minister and preacher of the worde of God. Seene and allowed, according to the order appointed in the Queenes iniunctions..

¶ The. xxxij. Chapiter.

¶ The wicked eateth not the body of Christe.

GIue not that whiche is holie to Dog∣ges,* 1.1 neither, cast ye your pearles be∣fore Swine, leaste thei treade thein•…•… vnder féete, and tournyng againe, all to rent you.

Euery braunche that beareth not* 1.2 fr•…•…icte in me, he taketh awaie.

If any man abide not in me, he is* 1.3 caste foorthe as a braunche, and wi∣thereth: and men gather them, and caste them into the fire.

If any mā hath not the spirit of Christ, the same is not his.* 1.4

Wherefore, who soeuer shall eate this breade, and drinke* 1.5 the cuppe of the Lorde vnworthely, shalbe guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde.

For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely, eateth and* 1.6 drinketh his owne dampnation, bicause he discerneth not the Lordes bodie.

¶ The Doctors.

THE woorde was made fleshe, and very meate,* 1.7 whiche, who so eateth, shall surely liue for euer, whiche no euill and wicked man can eate, for if it could bee, that he that continueth euill, might eate the worde made fleshe, seyng that he is the worde, and bread of life, it should not haue been written: who so euer eateth of this bread, shall liue for euer.

Iesus is the bread, whiche is the Sainctes, and he that ta∣keth* 1.8 this bread, dooeth not dye a synners death, for this bread is the remission of synnes.

This breade that goeth into the bodie, is not so greedely* 1.9 sought of vs, but the breade of euerlastyng life, whiche vphol∣deth the substaunce of the soule. For he that disagreeth from Christe, d•…•…oeth not eate his fleshe, nor drinke his bloud, al∣though he receiueth the Sacramente of so high a thyng, to his vtter damnation and vndoyng.

Neither heretiques, nor suche as professe a true faithe in* 1.10 their mouthes, and in their liuyng shewe the contrary, haue neither a true faithe (whiche woorketh by charitie, and doeth not euill) are to be coumpted among the members of Christe. For thei can not be, bothe members of Christ, and members of the deuill. Therefore it maie not be saied, that any of them eate the body of Christe. For when Christe saieth, he that ea∣teth my fleshe, and drinketh my bloud, dwelleth in me, and I in hym. He sheweth what it is, to eate his bodie, and drinke his bloud: whiche is, when a man dwelleth so in Christe, that Christe dwelleth in hym. For Christe spake those woordes, as if he should saie: he that dwelleth not in me, and in whom I dwell not, let hym not saie or thinke, that he eateth my bo∣die,

or drinke my bloud.

He that dooeth not eate his fleshe, and drinke his bloud,* 1.11 hath not in hym euerlastyng life. And he that eateth his fleshe and drinketh his bloud, hath euerlastyng life: but it is not so iu those meates, which then we take to sustaine our bodies. For, although without them we cannot liue, yet, it is not necessa∣rie, that whosoeuer receiueth theim, shall liue, for thei maie dye for age, sickenesse, or otherwaies.

But in this meate and drinke of the bodie and bloud of our Lorde, it is other wise, for bothe thei that eate and drinke theim not, haue not euerlastyng life, and contrarywise, who so euer eate and drinke, thei haue euerlastyng life.

The Sacrament of the vnitie of Christes body and bloud, is taken in the Lordes table, of some men to life, and of some men to death: but the thyng it self is taken of all men to life, and of no man to death. This is to eate that meate, and drinke that drinke: to dwell in Christe, and to haue Christe dwell in hym. And for that cause, he that dwelleth not in Christ, and in whom Christe dwelleth not, without doubt he eateth not spi∣ritually his flesh, nor drinke his bloud: although carnally and visibly with his teeth, he bite the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud.

The disciples did eate the bread, whiche is the Lorde: but* 1.12 Iudas did eate the breade of the Lorde, againste the Lorde, to them it was life: but to hym, it was paine and death.

a 1.13 Many dooe receiue the Sacramente of his bodie: but thei shall not all that receiue it, haue the place with hym, whiche is promised vnto his members.

b 1.14 Saincta, sainctis: holy thynges, for holy men.

c 1.15 All that loue pleasure more then god, eate not the fleshe of Iesu, nor drinke his bloud, of the which hym self saieth: he that eateth my fleshe, and drinketh my bloud, hath euerlasting life.

d 1.16 Heretiques doeth not eate and drinke the bodie, and bloud of the Lorde,

e 1.17 Heretiques eate not the fleshe of Iesu, whose fleshe is the meate of faithfull men.

f 1.18 The bread that came downe from heauen, is not receiued

but of hym, that hath our lorde, and is the member of Christ.

He that agreeth not with Christe, dooeth neither eate his* 1.19 bodie, nor drinke his bloud, although to the condempnation of his presumption, he receiue euery daie, the Sacramente of so high a matter.

a 1.20 Christe is touched, with affection, not with the hand: with desire, not with the eye: with faithe, not with the sences.

b 1.21 Iudas is saied to haue eaten the bread of our lorde against our lorde, bicause he did eate the Sacrament vnworthely, and so he did not eate our lorde, as he is bread, that is to saie, as he feedeth: but as he is a Iudge, and as he condempneth the vn∣worthy eater, to euerlastyng paine.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Math. 7. 6.
• * 1.2

  Iohn. 15. 2.
• * 1.3

  6.
• * 1.4

  Rom. 8. 9.
• * 1.5

  1. Cor. 11. 29.
• * 1.6

  29.
• * 1.7

  Origene vpon Math.
• * 1.8

  Ambrose of the Patriarkes blessyng, the. 6. Chap.
• * 1.9

  In his boke vpon the Sacra∣mentes.
• * 1.10

  Augustine in his. 21. booke and. 25. Chap. of the Citie of God.
• * 1.11

  In his. 26. trea∣tise vpon Iohn.
• * 1.12

  In his. 59. trea∣tise vpon Iohn.
• a 1.13

  In his. 53. Sermon of the wordes of the Lorde.
• b 1.14

  Chrisostom.
• c 1.15

  Hiero. vpon the. 6•…•…. Chap. of Esaie.
• d 1.16

  In his booke vpon Ierimie▪
• e 1.17

  In his booke vpon the. 8. of Oseas.
• f 1.18

  Hillary in his •…•…. booke. of the Trinitie.
• * 1.19

  Prosper in his boke of Sen∣tences, taken out of Augu. workes, the. 339. Ser▪ •…•…
• a 1.20

  Barnarde in his 26. Sermon vpon the Can∣ticles.
• b 1.21

  D. Hardyng in his boke, a detection of foule errours, lyes. &c. folio. 346.