Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

The probation of the antecedent or former part of this argument by the partes thereof.

THis carnall presence is contrary to the worde of God, as appeareth,* 1.1 Iohn. 16. I tell you the trueth. It is profita∣ble to you that I goe away, for if I goe not away, the comfortour shall not come vnto you. Actes 3. Whome the heauens must re∣ceaue vntill the time of restoring of all thinges which God hath-spoken.* 1.2 Math. 9. The children of the Bridegrom cannot mourne so long as the Bridegrome is with them: But nowe is the time of mourning. Iohn 16. But I will see you againe, and your heartes shall reioyce.* 1.3 Iohn 14. I will come againe and take you to my selfe. Math. 24. If they shall say vnto you, behold, here is Christ, or there is Christe, beleeue them not: for wheresoeuer the deade carcase is, thither the Eagles will resort.

* 1.4It varyeth from the articles of the faith: He ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the right hande of God the Fa∣ther. From whence (and not from any other place, sayeth S. Augustine) he shall come to iudge both the quicke and the deade.

* 1.5It destroyeth and taketh awaye the institution of the Lordes supper, which was commaunded onely to be vsed and continued vntill the Lorde himselfe shoulde come. If therefore he be nowe really present in the body of his flesh, then must the supper cease: For a remembraunce is not of a thing present, but of a thing past and absent. And there is a difference betwene remembraunce and presence, and (as one of the Fathers sayeth) A figure is in vaine where the thing figured is present.

It maketh precious things common to prophane and vngodly persons, & constraineth men to confesse many ab∣surdities.* 1.6 For it affirmeth that whoremongers and mur∣therers, yea and (as some of them hold opinion) the wicked and faithles, mise, rattes, & dogs also may receiue the verye real and corporal body of the Lord, wherin the fulnes of the spirite of light and grace dwelleth: contrary to the manifest wordes of Christ in sixe places & sentences of the sixt chap. of S. Iohn.

It confirmeth also and maintaineth that beastly kinde of crueltie of the Anthropophagi, that is, the deuourers of mans flesh: for it is a more cruel thing to deuoure a quicke man,* 1.7 then to slay him.

Pie.

He requireth time to speake blasphemies. Leaue your blasphemies.

Rid.

I had little thought to haue hadde such reprochefull woordes at your handes.

West.

All is quiet. Goe to the arguments M. Doctor.

Rid.

I haue not many moe things to say.

West.

You vtter blasphemies with a most impudent face: leaue off (I say) and get you to the argument.

Rid.

It forceth men to maintaine many monstrous myra∣cles, wythout all necessitie and authoritie of Gods worde.* 1.8 For at the comming of thys presence of the body and flesh of Christ, they thrust away the substaunce of breade, and af∣firme that the accidents remayne without any subiect, and in the stead thereof, they place Christes body wythout hys qualities and the true maner of a bodye. And if the Sacra∣ment be reserued so long vntill it mould, & wormes breede some say that the substance of bread miraculously returneth againe, and some deny it.* 1.9 Other some affirme y^t the real bo∣dy of Christ goeth downe into y^e stomacke of the receiuers, & doth there abide so long only as they shall continue to be good, but another sort hold that the body of Christ is caried into heauē, so soone as the formes of bread be brused wyth the teeth. O works of miracles: Truely & most truly I see that fulfilled in these men, whereof S. Paule prophecied. 2. Thess. 2. Because they haue not receiued the loue of the trueth, that they might be saued, God shall sende them strong delusions, that they shoulde beleeue lies, and be all damned which haue not beleeued the truth. This grosse presence hath brought foorth that fonde phantasie of concomitaunce, whereby is broken at this day and abrogated the commandement of the Lord for the distributing of the Lordes cuppe to the laitie.

It geueth occasion to heretickes to maintaine and de∣fend their errours: as to Martion, which sayd that Christ had but a phantasticall bodye: and to Eutiches which wic∣kedly confounded the two natures in Christ.

Finally, it falsifieth the sayings of the godly fathers and the Catholicke faith of the church, which Vigilius a Martyr, and graue wryter sayeth was taught of the Apostles, con∣firmed wyth the bloude of Martyrs, and was continually maintained by the faithful, vntil his tyme. By the sayings of the fathers, I meane of Iustine, Irenee, Tertullian, Origene, Eusebius, Emisene, Athanasius, Cyrill, Epyphanius, Hierome, Chrysostome, Augustine, Vigilius, Fulgentius, Bertram, and o∣thers most auncient fathers. All those places, as I am sure I haue read, making for my purpose, so am I well assumed that I coulde shewe the same, if I myght haue the vse of mine owne bookes, whiche I will take on me to doe, euen vpon the pearill of my life, and the losse of all that I maye lose in thys world.

But now (my brethren) thinke not, because I disalow that presence which this first proposition maintaineth (as a presence which I take to be forged, phantasticall, and be∣sides the authoritie of Gods worde, pernitiously broughte into the Church by the Romanistes) that I therefore go a∣bout to take away the true presence of Christes body in his Supper rightly and duely ministred,* 1.10 whyche is grounded vpon the word of God, and made more plaine by the com∣mentaries of y^e faithfull fathers: They that thinke so of me, the Lord knoweth how far they are deceiued. And to make the same euident vnto you. I will in fewe woords declare what true presence of Christes body in the sacramēt of the Lordes supper I hold and affirme with the worde of God and the auncient fathers.

I say and confesse with the Euangelist Luke,* 1.11 and wyth the Apostle Paule, that the bread on the which thankes are geuen, is the body of Christe in the remembraunce of hym and of his death, to be set foorth perpetually of the faithfull vntill his comming.

I say and confesse the bread which we breake to be the Communion and partaking of Christes bodye, wyth the auncient and the faithfull fathers.

I say and beleeue that there is not onely a signification of Christes body sette foorth by the sacrament,* 1.12 but also that therewith is geuen to the godly and faithfull, the grace of Christes body, that is, the foode of life & immortalitye. And this I holde wyth Cyprian.

I say also with S. Augustine, that wee eate life, and wee drinke life: with Emisene, that we feele the Lorde to be pre∣sent in grace: wyth Athanasius, that wee receiue Celestiall foode, which commeth from aboue: the propertie of natural Communion, wyth Hyllarius: the nature of flesh and be∣nediction whych geueth life in breade and wine, wyth Cy∣rill: and wyth the same Cyrill, the vertue of the very flesh of Christ, life and grace of his body, the propertie of the onely begotten, that is to say, life, as he himselfe in plaine words expoundeth it.

I confesse also with Basil, that we receiue the mysticall Aduent and comming of Christ, grace, & the vertue of hys very nature: the sacrament of his very flesh, with Ambrose: the body by grace, with Epiphanius: spirituall flesh, but not that which was crucified, with Hierome: Grace flowing in∣to a sacrifice, and the grace of the spirite, with Chrysostome: grace and inuisible veritie, grace and societie of the mem∣bers of Christes body, with Augustine.

Finally, with Bertram (which was the last of all these) I confesse that Christes body is in the Sacrament in thys

respect:* 1.13 namely (as he writeth) because there is in it the spirite of Christ, that is, the power of the worde of God, which not onely feedeth the soule, but also clenseth it. Out of these I suppose it may clearely appeare vnto al mē, how farre we are frō that opinion, wherof some go about falsly to slaunder vs to the world, saying we teach that the godly and faithfull shoulde receiue nothing else at the Lordes table, but a figure of the body of Christ.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The 7. incon∣ueniences decla∣red by partes.
• * 1.2

  The first incon∣uenience.
• * 1.3

  The reall pre∣sence against the scripture.
• * 1.4

  2. The real pre∣sence agaynst the Articles of the fayth.
• * 1.5

  3. It destroyeth the institution of the Lordes supper.
• * 1.6

  4. It propha∣neth thinges holy and preci∣ous, & gendreth absurdities.
• * 1.7

  Anthropopha∣gi, are a kinde of brutishe peo∣ple that feed on mans flesh.
• * 1.8

  5. It main∣tayneth monstrous myracles without ••••••cessiti••.
• * 1.9

  All the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that folo••••eth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 read, be∣cause the prolocut•••• made post hast to the argument. By this de••uise of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 comitance the Papist•• imagine 〈◊〉〈◊〉 much to receaued vnder 〈◊〉〈◊〉 kinde as both. 6. It geue•• occasion to heretickes. 7. It falsifi••eth the sa••••inges of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 old doctor.
• * 1.10

  The true presence of Christes b••••dy in the Supper no•• denyed.
• * 1.11

  The fayth confession of D. Rid∣ley in affi••••ming the true presēt in the Sa∣crament.
• * 1.12

  The grace of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and immortal geuen with the Sacrament to the ••••ythfull Life eaten. A••••gust.

  The Lord 〈◊〉〈◊〉 grace Emisse. Celestiall foode receaued 〈◊〉〈◊〉 The property naturall com∣munion rece••••ued Hilar.

  The vertue o•• Christes flesh Cyrill.

  The misticall ••••uent of Chri•••• Basill.

  The 〈…〉〈…〉 Ambros.

  The body by grace 〈…〉〈…〉 but not that which 〈…〉〈…〉 Hierom▪ Grace 〈…〉〈…〉 a sacrifice 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Chrisost. Grace 〈…〉〈…〉 ver••ty The power of Gods 〈…〉〈…〉 Bertram.
• * 1.13

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