But now seyng that it is so euident a matter,* bothe by the expresse wordes of scripture, & also by all tholde authors of the same,* that our sauior Christ (as cōcernyng his bodely presence) is as∣cended into heauē, and is not here in yerth. And seyng that this hath been the true confession of the catholike fayth euer sithens Christes ascen∣cion, it is nowe to be cōsidered, what moued the Papistes to make a newe and contrary fayth, & what scriptures they haue for their purpose. What moued them I knowe not, but their own iniquitie, or the nature and condicion of the sea of Rome, whiche is of all other most contrary to Christ, and therfore most worthy to be called the sea of Antichrist. And as for scripture thei allege none but only one, & that not truly vnderstāded, but to serue their purpose wrested out of tune,* wherby they make it to gerre & sound cōtrary to al other scriptures partainyng to that matter.
Christ toke bread (say they) blessed, and brake it, and gaue it to his disciples, saiyng: This is my body. These woordes they euer styll repeate and beate vpon, that Christe sayd, This is my body. And this saiyng they make their shote an∣ker, to proue therby, aswell the real and nataral presence of Christes body in the sacrament, as their imagined Transubstantiation. For these woordes of Christ (say they) be most playne and Page [unnumbered] most true. Than forasmuch as he sayd, This is my body. it must nedes be true, that that thyng whiche the priest holdeth in his hādes, is Chri∣stes body. And if it be Christes body, than can it not be bread, whereof they gather by their rea∣sonyng, that there is Christes body really pre∣sent, and no bread.
*Nowe forasmuche as all their profe hangeth onely vpon these wordes, This is my body. the true sence and meanyng of these wordes must be examined. But (say they) what nede thei any ex∣aminacion? What wordes can bee more playne than to say, This is my body?
Truth it is in deede, that the woordes bee as playne as may be spoken:* but that the sence is not so plaine, it is manyfest to euery man, that wayeth substantially the circumstances of the place. For whan Christ gaue bread to his disci∣ples, and sayd: This is my body. there is no man of any discrecion, that vnderstandeth the Englishe tongue, but he may well knowe by the order of the speeche, that Christ spake those wor∣des of the bread, callyng it his body, as all the olde authors also do affirme, although many of the Papistes deny the same. Wherfore this sen∣tence can not meane as the woordes seme and purport, but there must nedes be some figure or mystery in this speeche, more than appeareth in the plaine wordes. For by this maner of speeche plainly vnderstande without any figure as the wordes lye, can bee gathered none other sence, Page 57 but that bread is Christes body, and that Chri∣stes body is bread. whiche all christian eares do abhorre to heare. Wherfore in these words must nedes be sought out an other sense and menyng, then the wordes of them selues do beare.
