Scripture mistaken the ground of Protestants and common plea of all new reformers against the ancient Catholicke religion of England : many texts quite mistaken by Nouelists are lay'd open and redressed in this treatis[e] by Iohn Spenser.

Answer.

Here again the objection, puts the word this, and that which is signified by it, to wit is, follows after it. To this objection I answer that it is a mere calumnie forged by Caluin, and from him dispersed amongst the vulgar, that any Romane Catholicque Doctours by the word is vnderstand shall become, or, shall be transubstantiated; for though they gather, as a necessary sequel, transubstantiation, from the reall and proper signification of these words, this is my Body, yet they all vnderstand the word

is, in its own natiue, common, and ordinary signification, and none of them take it for transubstantiated, or become my Body, neyther indeede can they, vnlesse they destroy their own principles, for if they should by is vnder∣stand, become, or transubstantiated, then they must vnderstand by the word this, bread; (seeing they all affirme that bread only beco∣mes, or is transubstantiated into Christ's body) but that were plainly to contradict themsel∣ues, it being one of the maynest points in this controuersy betwixt Caluinists and vs, they affirming that hread is vnderstood by the word this, and we denying it.

That which is added, that, those distractions can be no testimonyes of truth, that is, the diuersi∣ty of opinions amongst vs here reckoned vp, about the vnderstanding of these wordes this. and is, seemes to me to haue something of that eye condemned in the Gospell, which sees a mote in anothers eye, and discouers not a beame in it selfe. The opponent summes here vp fower differēt opinions, whereof the last, I haue proued to be a false imposition and no opinion of ours: the first and second, of the word this signifying vnder this, or vnder these species, are one and the same opinion, set down by the opponent in different words; for seeing by vnder this, none of our Authours vnderstand vnder this bread, they must needs

meane by it, vnder these species of bread, to omit that no Catholicque Authour sayes, that the word this, precisely signifyes, vnder this, or vnder these species, &c. but, that which is vnder these spe∣cies, is my Body: the third opinion, that by the word this, is signifyed nothing present, if by noth∣ing present, be meant, nothing present after consecration, it is another imposition vppon Catholicque Authours, making them speake like Caluinists, against themselues: but if ther∣by be meant, nothing present precisely in that momēt when the word this was pronounced, it is true, and Catholicque, as I haue shewed; but then it is not opposite to the former opi∣nion, for seing no Catholike teaches that the body of our Sauiour is vnder the species of bread, till the substance of bread be transub∣stantiated into it, agrees well with their opi∣nion that nothing in particular be vnderstood by the word this, which is existent when that word was spoktn, bread being then vnder its own species. Thus, vppon a iust examination, we finde that in truth there is but one only opinion of Catholicques in the whol reckon∣ing, and therefore vnderseruedly termed dis∣tractions, or no testimonies of truth. But had the opponent put some reall diuersity of opinions amongst Catholicque Authours about the vnderstanding of these words, and brought them to the number of fower, as here is a

shew made, yet seing they all agree in the proper and natiue signification of these words This is my Body, without all figures or impro∣prieties, which exclude the reall presence: this variety can be no more termed no testimony of truth in this poynt controuersed, then are other different opinions of Schoolemen in many other mysteries of faith, being nothing but diuers wayes which learned men take to explicate or defend the same point of faith wherin they all agree against Infidells or He∣retiques. But had the Opponent known or considered the diuersityes of opinions risen vp within the space of few more then a hundrcd yeares, about the vnderstanding of these words this is my Body amongst Protestants, and that in the mayne signification of them, which Luther confesses to haue amounted to the number of ten before his death, and another not many yeares after rekons vp to the number of two hundred there had beene iust occasion giuen to say, these dis••ractions can be ne testimonyes of truth.