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1 THE words of the institution are open and plain, This my bodie, this is my bloud. Answere. They alleadge these woordes against them-selues. For they saie, That the bodie of Christ is receiued reallie in, vnder, with the
bread: when christ saith, that the very bread is his body. Where∣fore they doe a double iniury vnto the church: first, while they thrust vpon the church their owne words for Christs. Secondly, while they imagine that the church perceiueth not these speeches to be diuerse, In the bread is my body, and, The bread is my bodie. They accuse Christ also for a lier: for they deny that the bread is his body, but that his body is in the bread. Let them looke therefore vnto it, how they wil aunswere Christ at the last iudgement for this blasphe∣my and reproch. The Papistes also doe more retaine the very words of Christ. But these retaine not the woord, but follow the sense and meaning. We must see therfore which part followeth it. Ours shal be prooued in the end. Replie. Christ addeth an exposition of his minde, Which is giuen for you, and, Which is shed for you. Answere. First, this is a begging of that which is in question. For they take as graunted, that the bread is properly called the bodie, which yet lieth vp∣on them to prooue. For it is a sacramental maner of spea∣king. Secondly, we returne their own reason vpon them by inuerting it thus. The bodie of Christ properly so called was giuē for vs. But the bread was not giuē for vs: Therfore the bread is not the body properly so called. Likewise, as the bread is the body broken, so the breaking of the bread is the breaking of the bodie. But the breaking of the bo∣die is the crucifieng thereof. Therefore the breade bro∣ken is but sacramentally and by representation, the bodie broken.
2 They reason from the autor, who said it, and is true. Aun∣swere. This is also a begging of that which is in question. They must proue that Christ said, his bodie was in, vnder, with the bread. And further a man may speake figuratiuely, and yet speake perspicuouslie and plainly. Reply. He is also omni∣potent. Therefore he is able to be eueriewhere, and so in the bread. Aunswere. Albeit he were able to bring to passe, that two flat repugnaunt thinges should be true together: yet wil he not doe it. Againe, God is not able to woorke contradicto∣ries, or thinges flat repugnaunt, because he is true. Now, to wil those thinges which are contradictorie, argueth a lier. Wherefore wee deny not the trueth and omnipotency of God; but these mens lies: nay rather we defend gods truth,
affiming that God doth that which he spake. But they op∣pugne it making contrary wils to be in God. Replie. Christs bodie hath manie prerogatiues not agreeable to our bodies: as that he was borne of a Virgine, walked on the sea, was at one time and together in the graue, in Hel, and in Par••dise: and passed through the gates when they were fast shut. Aunswere. These examples are partly not matches, & partly false. For this may agree vnto a creature, to walke on the waters, as it did vnto Peter: to passe through the gates shut, as is agreeable to the nature of a spirit. Againe, These examples are not matches nor of the same qualitie with that which is in question. Because these doe not ••mply a contradiction. For when hee is saide to bee borne of a Virgine, he is not said withal, not to be borne of a Virgine. But to be both finite and infinite (as they wil haue Christs body who consubstantiate it with the bread) these implie a contradiction. Now it is false, that they saie, that hee passed thorough the gate•• shut, whereas the gates might yeelde and o••en vnto him: as also, that he passed through the doore or stone of the graue, when as it is said that the Angell did open it: and lastly, when they saie, that Christes bodie was at once and together in moe places: which they seeme to haue taken out of Austine. But Austine said, That his bodie was in the graue, his soule in hel, and his Godhead eueriewhere.
3 They reason from a circumstance of the time: The same night in which hee was betraied. No man which speaketh seriously, spea∣keth figuratiuely, Christ instituting his supper spake seriously. Therefore without any figure. Aunswere. I denie the Maior: because by that position no man that speaketh seriously should speak figuratiuely, which is most false. God speaketh in all sacraments, though figuratiuely, yet seriously. I haue earnestly desired (saith Christ) to eate this Passeouer with you. Wherefore I aunswere, that he vseth not iesting or obscure figures. This figure is perspicuous, because it is vsual, and his disciples speak so: Where wilt thou that wee goe, and prepare that thou maiest eate the passouer? It is vsuall also in all sacra∣ments It is forcible and emphaticall, because it expresseth the similitude of the signe and the thing signified, and the certainetie of the coniunction of both in the right vse and administration. Againe we inuert their reason, and say, Be∣cause christ spake seriously, therefore he vsed a figure which
doth well expresse and declare the thing. Replie. Christ sayd, This cup is the new testament. Jn wils and testaments men speake properly. Christ here instituteth a sacrament: therefore, &c. Answere. I denie the Maior, and inuert the reason: for see∣ing hee would institute a sacrament, therefore hee spake figuratiuely, calling his Supper the new Testament; which is figuratiuely to be vnderstoode for these two reasons. 1. Because otherwise there should be two couenants, the one proper, and the other the supper. 2. Otherwise also they should be shut out from Gods couenant, who cannot come to the supper, and all who came to the supper should be in the couenant. Obiection. Christ saith, In my bloud. There∣fore the real bloud of christ is in the supper, and is drunke by the mouth. Aunswere. Wee conclude the contrarie rather by those woordes of Christ. Because the newe testament was made by Christs bloud shed on the Crosse and applied vn∣to vs by faith, not drunke by the mouth: for otherwise they shoulde bee excluded from the testament and couenaunt, who were not able to come to this sacrament. Replie. There is a great force in the woord, Newe. That which was doone in the old testament typicallie, is done in the new reallie. Aun∣swere. If they adde, Therefore doone by the mouth of the bodie: they bring in more in the conclusion, than was in the antecedent. For there was no type in the olde testa∣ment which did signifie the eating of Christ with the mouth. 2. We inuert their reason. Christs bodie was no o∣therwise eaten in the new testament, than in the olde: But in the old it was eaten spirituallie onely: Therefore in the new also it is so eaten. Reply. The newe testament differeth from the olde, because in that were types, in the newe is the bodie it selfe, Heb. 9. Col. 2. Aunswere. This difference of the old and new testament is no where set downe in holy scripture that Christ is eaten in the old not really, and in the newe corporally by the mouth. In the places which are allead∣ged out of the Apostle, the bodie signifieth that the sha∣dow was onely of the old testament and was accomplished and fulfilled by Christ. Because there the bodie is opposed to those shadowes: and further because he calleth it the bo∣die of christ: which kinde of speech sheweth that by Christ was wrought the accomplishment & fulfilling of the types
or shadowes of the Old Testament. Moreouer, albeit wee haue Christ exhibited in the newe testament, and hee is there borne man, yet notwithstanding it dooth not there∣fore folow hereof, that his bodie is in the bread, but onely that it is in the new testament.
4 They reason from the consent of the Euangelists, and sain•• Paul. Matthew, as Theophylact calculateth, writ his gospel eight yeares after christs assension: Marke, ten yeares: Luke, fifteene yeares: Paul, twentie yeares. And all vse the same words. A speech that is often vttered with the same wordes is not figuratiue. Such is the speech of the Lordes Supper. Therefore it is not figuratiue. Answere. It is false that a speech often vttered in the same words is not figuratiue: because when a figure is conspicu∣ous, knowen, and forcible, as this, it is reteined. Againe, the Euangelists repeat the woordes of Christ, because hee spake figuratiuely. Often, though it bee figuratiue, is this repeated: He shal baptize with the holie Ghost and with fier. Ioh. 1. Matth. 3. Moreouer we denie that this speech of Christs Supper was repeated by all in the same wordes. 1. Because Matthew and Mark say, This is my bloud of the new testament. Luke saith, This cup is the new testament in my bloud. 2. Mat∣thew and Marke say, This is my bodie. Luke addeth, which is giuen for you: Paul, which is broken for you. 3. Paul saith, That the bread is the communion of the bodie of Christ. And albeit in this place hee speaketh not purposedly of the Supper, yet hee stirreth vp and exhorteth vnto it. Replie. Jt is the same sense and meaning. Aunswere. The question is not now of the sense and meaning of the woordes, but of the i∣dentitie of the wordes, that is, whether they bee the same wordes. Replie. Where there is no mention at all of anie figure, there is no figure. Answere. This is false. For foolish were it, and men shoulde seeme to make shewe and ostentation of their skill and art, if they should say that they vsed a trim fi∣gure. And the scripture also often speaketh figuratiuely, and yet doth it not ad withall that it speaketh figuratiuely. Furthermore, they make mention hereof, when they shew, that it consisteth of the nature of the subiect and the attri∣bute. The bodie was borne of the Virgin, crucified, and so forth. The bread is made of meale. Secondly, Christ wil∣leth this to bee done in remembraunce of him: Therefore the
breade is called his bodie, as a memoriall of his bodie. Thirdly Matthew and Marke say, This is my bloud of the newe testament. Paul and Luke say, This is the newe testament in my bloud. Now the newe testament is the bond whereby God hath bound himselfe to receiue the faithful and repentant into fauour, and they binde themselues to yeelde faith and obedience vnto him. Fourthly, Paul saith, That the bread is the communion of Christs bodie, which is not any corporal ea∣ting. 1. Because the faithful are thereby one bodie in christ. 2. Because he compareth it with the Communion of the altar in the old testament, which was not corporal. 3. Because it can agree but to the faithful onely, and not to the wic∣ked. 4. Iohn sheweth that communion: If we walke in the light we haue fellowship one with another, and the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth vs from all sinne. And further this commu∣nion whereof saint Paul speaketh, is our vnion with Christ, and fruition of all his benefites by faith. Hither belongeth the similitude of the bodie and the members, the vine and the braunches; which haue nothing to doe with any cor∣poral eating. This communion was and is common to all the faithful from the beginning vnto the worlds end. But they could not eat the body of christ corporally by their mouth. That wee might growe vp vnto him, by whom all the bodie is cou∣pled and knit together. He that is ioined vnto the Lord, is one spi∣rite. And by one spirite are we all baptized into one bodie. Hereby know we, that we dwell in him, and he in vs; because he hath gi∣uen vs of his spirite. This vnion therefore is that communion, which is wrought by the holy Ghost. Wherefore it is spiri∣tual For bread cannot be this communion but by a figure, as it is a signe of it. Replie. He that is guiltie of the bodie of Christ, eateth it. They who receiue vnworthilie are guiltie of the bodie of Christ. Therefore they eate it corporallie: for spirituallie they cannot: because if they coulde so eate it, they shoulde not be guiltie. Aunswere. The Maior is false For hee is guiltie of Christes bodie who by his sinnes hangeth it on the Crosse againe, and despiseth Christs benefite. For any real eating is not required to this guilt, but hee that will not receiue Christ offered by faith, is thereby made guiltie. So the in∣iurie done vnto the Arke, is said to be done vnto the Lord. Replie. They that discerne not the Lords bodie, eate it. But the
guiltie discerne it not; Therefore they eate it. Aunswere. If the Maior bee taken sacramentally, as of the breade, which is called and is the bodie of Christ, it is true: but if properly, it is false. For, not to discerne his body, is not to giue due honor to it, to contemne it, yea not to receiue the thing signified So Heb. 10.29. They are said to treade vnder foote the sonne of God, and to count the bloud of the testament as an vnholie thing, who contemne him.
5 They reason from the testimonies of the Fathers and the godlie of auncient times in the purer state of the church. Aun∣swere. The sayings of the Fathers are to be vnderstoode sa∣cramentally, or of our spiritual communion. Replie. Au∣stin saith, thou shalt receiue this in the bread, which hung on the crosse: and this in the cup, which was shed out of christs side. An∣swere. In the bread, as in the signe, that is, together with the signe thou shalt receiue the thing signified. When wee receiue the bread, wee are certaine that wee haue Christ. 2. Replie, Cyrill vpon Iohn saith: By natural participation, not onelie spirituallie, but also corporallie: not onelie according to the spirit, but also according to the flesh, corporally & essentially. Ans. Cyril speaketh not of the maner of eating, but of the thing which was to be eatē. He sheweth that we are made parta∣kers not only of christs spirit, but also of his human nature. Now he vnderstandeth a spiritual communion. 1. Because he citeth those places cōcerning it. Ioh. 6. & 1. Cor. 10. where no mention is made of corporall eating. 2. Hee speakeih of the presence of Christ, not in the breade, but in vs. 3. Hee prooueth the abiding of Christ in vs by the vse of the Sup∣per, not by any corporal eating. 4. He so describeth it, that hee saith, It shall continue in the life to come. 5. Hee speaketh of that communion, which is proper vnto the Saintes. Nowe this is spiritual; for otherwise it should befall also to the wicked.