A defence of the true and catholike doctrine of the sacrament of the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ with a confutacion of sundry errors concernyng the same, grounded and stablished vpon Goddes holy woorde, [and] approued by ye consent of the moste auncient doctors of the Churche. Made by the moste reuerende father in God Thomas Archebyshop of Canterbury, primate of all Englande and Metropolitane.

* 1.1Nowe as touchynge the sacramentes of the same,* 1.2 our sauiour Christe dyd institute them in breade and wyne, at his last supper, whiche he had with his apostles the night before his deth. At whych tyme (as saynt Mathewe sayth)

* 1.3When they were eatyng, Iesus toke breade, and when he had geuen than∣kes, he brake it, gaue it to his disciples and sayd: Take, eate, this is my body. And he toke the cup, and when he had geuen thankes, he gaue it to theim, sai∣ynge. Drynke ye all of this, for this is my bloud of the new testament, that is shed for many, for the remission of syn∣nes. But I saie vnto you, I will not drynke hensforth of this fruite of the vine, vntil that day, when I shal drink it new w^t you in my fathers kyngdom.

This thyng is rehersed also of saynt Marke in these woordes.

* 1.4As they dyd eate, Iesus toke bread, and when he had blessed, he brake it,

and gaue it to theim, and sayd: Take, eate, this is my body: And takyng the cuppe, when he had geuen thankes, he gaue it to them, and they all dranke of it. And he sayd to them: This is my bloud of the newe testament, which is shed for many. Uerily I saie vnto you, I will drynke no more of the fruite of the vine, vntyl that daie that I drinke it newe in the kyngdome of God.

The Euangelist S. Luke vttereth this mat¦ter on this wyse.

When the howre was come,* 1.5 he sat down, and the .xii. apostles with hym. And he sayd vnto them: I haue great∣ly desired to eate this pascha with you before I suffre. For I saie vnto you: Hensforth I wil not eat of it any more, vntyll it be fulfylled in the kyngdome of god. And he toke the cup, and gaue thankes, and sayd: Take this, and di∣uide it amōg you. For I say vnto you: I wil not drink of the frute of the vine, vntill the kyngdom of God com. And

he toke bread, and when he had geuen thankes, he brake it, and gaue it vnto them, sayeng: This is my body, whi∣che is geuen for you. This dooe in re∣membrance of me. Likewise also whā he had supped, he toke the cup, saiyng: This cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud, whiche is shedde for you.

Hytherto you haue heard all that the Euan∣gelistes declare, that Christ spake or did at his last supper, concernyng the institucion of the Cōmunion and sacrament of his body & bloud. Nowe you shall heare what sainct Paule sayth cōcernyng the same, in the tenth chapiter of the first to the Corinthians, where he writeth thus.

* 1.6Is not the cup of blessynge, whyche we blesse, a comunion of the bloude of Christe? Is not the bread, whiche we breake, a communyon of the bodye of Christ? We beyng many, ar one bread and one body. For we all ar partakers of one bread and of one cuppe.

And in the eleuenth he speaketh on this maner.

* 1.7That whiche I deliuered vnto you,

I receaued of the Lorde. For the lord Iesus, the same nyght, in the which he was betraied, toke breade, and whan he had geuen thankes, he brake it, and sayde: Take, eate, this is my bodye, whiche is broken for you. Doo this in remembrance of me. Likewise also he toke the cup, whan supper was doone, saiyng: This cuppe is the newe testa¦ment in my bloude. Doo this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you shal eat this bread and drinke this cuppe, shew forthe the Lordes death tyll he come. Wherfore who so euer shall eate of this breade or drynke of this cuppe vnworthily, shall be gyltie of the body and bloude of the Lord. But let a man examine him self, and so eate of the bread, and drynke of the cuppe. For he that eateth and drin¦keth vnworthily, eateth and drynketh his owne damnation, bycause he ma∣keth no difference of the Lordes body. For this cause manny are weake and

sycke among you, and many do sleape.

By these wordes of Christ rehersed of the E∣uangelistes, and by the doctrine also of saynte Paule (whiche he confesseth that he receaued of Christe) two thynges specially are to be noted.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chap. 3.
• * 1.2

  The eting of the sa¦cramente of his bo∣dye.
• * 1.3

  Math. 26
• * 1.4

  Mat••. 14
• * 1.5

  Luc. 22.
• * 1.6

  1. Cor. 10.
• * 1.7

  1. Cor. 11.