A reply to Fulke, In defense of M. D. Allens scroll of articles, and booke of purgatorie. By Richard Bristo Doctor of Diuinitie ... perused and allowed by me Th. Stapleton.

Real presence.

* 1.1Touching another Sacrament, thus you say: Christ is present at his Supper, but not after a grosse and a Capernaical maner, but as he was present in Manna to the Fathers, 1. Cor. 10. S. Paules purpose there is (as I said also before) to warne vs,* 1.2 that we be not secure and carelesse, leaning vpon this onely, that we haue begon well, as with Faith, and with Baptisme, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

For (saith he) our fathers, all of them, were vn∣der the cloude, and all of them went through the sea, yea & it was a spirituall or mysticall thing, that béeing (I say) in the Cloude and in the sea, it was a figure of Baptisme, It was baptizing in Moyses. Moreouer all of them did eate of the same Manna, and all of them did drinke of the same water, yea and it was a mysti∣call, a spirituall meate, a spirituall drinke,

for it signified Christ. All of them were partakers of all these mysticall benefites. But what followed for all that? All of them did not afterward so as they should do, but some of them sinned, and offended God, and therefore they were laide along in the desert, they came not into the lande of promise. So you therfore (saith the Apostle) must be∣ware all sinne hereafter, beware of falling, and not thinke it e∣nough that you are now in the race, yea and running in the race, but

runne so that you may catch the garland.

This is the effect of that place. No word of that you say. For it is one thing, that they all, aswell they that sinned afterwarde, as they that sinned not, did eate one & the same meate: and another thing, that they and we eate one and the same meate. As likewise they al had one baptisme, but not they and we haue one baptisme.

As for the Capharnaites, you vnderstand not the Chapter: their grosnesse was, that they did not beléeue him to haue descended frō heauen,* 1.3 to be the sonne of God, & able therefore to do that he said, to giue his flesh in déede for meate. But he proueth that he des∣cended from thence, and that he was there afore, because they shal sée him ascende thither againe: graunting them in déede, that flesh

(that is to say, man) is not able so to doe, but that he is spirite, that is to say, God, and therefore the wordes that he speaketh, to be effectuall. And so they departing like Apostates, the true disci∣ples do there cōfesse the foundation, saying: Thou hast the words of euerlasting life, and we beleeue and know that thou art Christ the sonne of God. And so the whole drift of that chapter (consi∣dering that most euidently it is, to buyld in this maner vpon his omnipotencie, his Real presence in the Sacrament, and diuine vertue therof to rayse the dead) proueth most clearely, you, my masters, to be no better then y^e Capharnaites,* 1.4 who will no more then they, beléeue his omnipotencie to that effect, but rather de∣part from him, that is, from his Church, saying as they said: Du∣rus est hic sermo, et quis potest eū audire: This doctrine is against all reason, and who can endure to heare it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eucharist. Pur. 450.
• * 1.2

  Supra pag.
• * 1.3

  Ioan. 6.
• * 1.4

  Protestantes be Caphernaites.