THE FIRST BOOK IS OF THE TRUE AND CATIIOLICK DOCTRINE AND USE SACRAMENT BODY AND BLOOD OF OUR SAVIOUR CHRIST.

The Supper of the Lord, otherwise called the chap.
Holy Communion, or Sacrament of the Body
and Blood of our Saviour Christ, hath been of oftheLod’s many men, and by sundry ways, very much ^^^^^’ abused ; but especially within these four or five
hundred years. Of some it hath been used as a
sacrifice propitiatory for sin, and otherwise superstitiously, far from the intent that Christ did
first ordain the same at the beginning ; doing
therein great wrong and injury to his death and
passion. And of other some it hath been very
lightly esteemed, or rather condemned and de- spised, as a thing of small or none effect. And
thus between both the parties hath been much
variance and contention in divers places of
Christendom. Therefore to the intent that this
holy Sacrament, or Lord’s Supper, may hereafter
neither of the one party be contemned or lightly
esteemed, nor of the other party be abused to
any other purpose than Christ himself did first appoint and ordain the same ; and that, so, the
contention on both parties may be quieted and
ended ; the most sure and plain way is, to cleave
unto holy Scripture. Wherein whatsoever is found, must be taken for a most sure ground and
an infallible truth ; and whatsoever cannot b6
grounded upon the same (touching our faith) is man’s device, changeable and uncertain. And
therefore here are set forth the very words that
Christ himself and his apostle St. Paul spake,
both of the eating and drinking of Christ’s body
and blood, and also of the eating and drinking of
the sacrament of the same.
CHAP. First, as concerning the eating of the body
^^ and drinking of the blood of our Saviour Christ,
‘^HhTboiy ^^^ speaketh himself, in the sixth chapter of St.
of Christ. JqIih^ JH ^{^18 ^Jgg .
*’ Verily, verily I say unto you, except you
eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his
blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eateth
my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal
life^ and I will raise him up at the last day. For
OF THE lord’s SUPPER. I!
my flesh is very meat, and my blood is very
drink. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh
my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. As the
living Father hath sent me, and I live by the
Father, even so he that eateth me, shall live by
me. This is the bread which came down from
heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna,
and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall
live for ever^”
Of these words of Christ % it is plain and manifest, that the eating of Christ’s flesh, and drinking of his blood, is not like to the eating and
drinking of other meats and drinks. For al- though without meat and drink man cannot live,
yet it followeth not, that he that eateth, and
drinketh, shall live for ever. But as touching this meat and drink of the
body and blood of Christ, it is true, both he
that eateth and drinketh them, hath everlasting
life ; and also he that eateth and drinketh them
not, hath not everlasting life. For to eat that
meat and drink that drink, is to dwell in Christ,
and to have Christ dwelling in him ^. And therefore no man can say or think % that
he eateth the body of Christ or drinketh his
blood, except he dwelleth in Christ, and hath
Christ dwelling in him. Thus have ye heard of
” John vi. «; Augustin. in Joan. Tractat. 26.
‘* Eodem tract. « Aug. de Civitate, lib. 21. cap. 25,
12 THE TRUE DOCTRTXE AND USE
the eating and drinking of the very flesh and
blood of our Saviour Christ.
CHAP. Now as touching the sacraments of the same,
*— our Saviour Christ did institute them in bread
ofthesacfa- and wiuc, at his last supper, which he had with
body. his apostles the night before his death, at which
time, (as St. Matthew saith,) ” When they were eating, Jesus took breads
and when he had given thanks, he brake it^ gave
it to his disciples, and said. Take, eat, this is mybody. And he took the cup, and when he had
given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink
ye all of this, for this is my blood of the New Testament, that is shed for many, for the remission
of sins. But^l say unto you, I will not drink
henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that
day, when I shall drink it new with you in myFather’s kingdom ^” This thing is rehearsed also of St. Mark, in
these words
:
** As they did eat, Jesus took bread, and
when he had blessed, he brake it, and gave it to them, and said, Take, eat, this is my body
:
and taking the cup, when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, This is my blood of the
New Testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the
‘ Matt. xxvi.
OF THE lord’s SUPPEU. 13
fruit of the vine, until that day that 1 drink it new in the kingdom of God ^.” The Evangelist St. Luke uttereth this matter on this wise.
*’ When the hour was come, he sat down, and
the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto
them, I have greatly desired to eat this pascha
with you before I suffer. For I say unto you,
Henceforth I will not eat of it any more, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he
took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take
this, and divide it among you. For I say unto
you, 1 will not drink of the fruit of the vine,
until the kingdom of God come. And he took
bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake
it, and gave it unto them, saying, This is my
body, which is given for you. This do in re- membrance of me. Likewise also when he had
supped, he took the cup, saying, This cup is the
New Testament in my blood, which is shed for
you”.”
Hitherto you have heard all that the Evangelists declare, that Christ spake or did at his last
supper, concerning the institution of the communion and sacrament of his body and blood.
Now you shall hear what St. Paul saith concerning the same, in the tenth chapter of the First to
the Corinthians, where he writeth thus :
‘ Mark xiv. ‘ Luke xxii.
14 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
” Is not the cup of blessing, which we bless; a communion of the blood of Christ ? Is not thebread, which we break, a communion of the bodyof Christ ? We being many, are one bread andone body. For we all are partakers of onebread and of one cup ‘.” And in the eleventh he speaketh on this manner.*’ That which I delivered unto you, I received
of the Lord. For the Lord Jesus, the same night
in the which he was betrayed, took bread, andwhen he had given thanks, he brake it, and said.
Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for
you. Do this in remembrance of me. Likewisealso he took the cup, when supper was done,
saying, This cup is the New Testament in myblood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in re- membrance of me. For as often as you shall
eat this bread and drink this cup, shew forth the
Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat of this bread or drink of this cupunworthily, shall be guilty of the body and bloodof the Lord. But let a man examine himself,
and so eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh his own damnation, becausehe maketh no difference of the Lord’s body.
For this cause many are weak and sick amongyou, and many do sleep \”
* 1 Cor. X. ” Ibid. xi.
OF THE lord’s SUPPER, 15
By these words of Christ rehearsed by the
Evangelists, and by the doctrine also of St. Paul,
(which he confesseth that he received of Christ,)
two things specially are to be noted.
First, that our Saviour Christ called the ma- chap.
terial bread which he brake, his body, and the
IV. ,,, , r • r ^ ‘Ni’ii i Christ call- wine (which was the iruit oi the vnie) his blood, ed the mate.
. rial bread And yet he spake not this to the intent that men I’is body. should think that material bread is his very
body, or that his very body is material bread : neither that wine made of grapes is his very
blood, or that his very blood is wine made of
grapes, but to signify unto us (as St. Paul saith)
that the cup is a communion of Christ’s blood
that was shed for us, and the bread is a communion of his flesh that was crucified for us. So
that although, in the truth of his human nature,
Christ be in heaven, and sitteth on the right
hand of God the Father, yet whosoever eateth
of that bread in the supper of the Lord, according to Christ’s institution and ordinance, is as-^ sured by Christ’s own promise and testament,
that he is a member of his body, and receiveth
the benefits of his passion, which he suflfered for us upon the cross. And likewise he that drinketh of that holy cup in that supper of the Lord,
according to Christ’s institution, is certified by
Christ’s legacy and testament, that he is made
partaker of the blood of Christ, which was shed
for us. And this meant St. Paul, when he saith.
16 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
” Is not the cup of blessing which we bless, a communion of the blood of Christ ? Is not the
bread which we break, a communion of the body
of Christ?” So that no man can contemn or
lightly esteem this holy communion, except he
contemn also Christ’s body and blood, and pass
not whether he have any fellowship with him or
no. And of those men St. Paul saith, ” That
they eat and drink their own damnation, because
they esteem not the body of Christ.”
CHAP. The second thing which may be learned of
^’ the foresaid words of Christ and St. Paul is this.
fafthTs”a-‘*’* that although none eateth the body of Christ,
™he*body and drinketh his blood, but they have eternal
of Christ, j-^g^ ^^^ appeareth by the words before recited of
St. John,) yet both the good and the bad do eat
and drink the bread and wine, which be the sa- craments of the same : but, beside the sacra- ments, the good eateth everlasting life; the evil,
everlasting death. Therefore St. Paul saith,
** Whosoever shall eat of the bread or drink
of the cup of the Lord unworthily, he shall
be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”
Here St. Paul saith not, that he that eateth the
bread and drinketh the cup of the Lord unworthily, eateth and drinketh the body and blood
of the Lord, but is guilty of the body and blood
of the Lord. But what he eateth and drinketh
St. Paul declareth, saying, “He that eateth and
drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh his
OF THE lord’s SUPPER. 17
own damnation.” Thus is declared the sum of
all that Scripture speaketh of the eating and
drinking, both of the body and blood of Christ,
and also of the sacrament of the same. And as these things be most certainly true, be- chaf. cause they be spoken of by Christ himself, the
VI. author of all truth, and by his holy apostle St. suffice fori Paul, as he received them of Christ, so all doc- mans faith, concerning trmes contrary to the same be most certamlv ti>is sacra-
” •’ ment. false and untrue, and of all Christian men to be
eschewedj because they be contrary to God’s word.
And all doctrine concerning this matter, that is more than this, which is not grounded upon
God’s word, is of no necessity, neither ought the
people’s heads to be busied, or their consciences
troubled with the same. So that things spoken
and done by Christ, and written by the holy
Evangelists and St. Paul, ought to suffice the
faith of Christian people, as touching the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, and holy communion
or sacrament of his body and blood ; which, being
well considered and weighed, shall be a just occasion to pacify and agree both parties, as well
them that hitherto have contemned or lightly
esteemed it, as also them which have hitherto,
for lack of knowledge or otherwise, ungodly
abused it. Christ ordained the sacrament to move arid chap;
stir all men to friendship, love, and concord.
vn. and to put away all hatred, variance, and dis^ m^t whichr
18 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
ed’to^mie cord, and to testify a brotherly and unfeigned
concoTd! is love between all them that be the members of
ibe oc^casion ChHst ; but the devil, the enemy of Christ and
anddi’^oTd.of all his members, hath so craftily juggled
herein, that of nothing riseth so much contention as of this holy sacrament. God grant that
all contention set aside, both the parties maycome to this holy communion with such a lively
faith in Christ, and such an unfeigned love to all Christ’s members, that as they carnally eat with
their mouth this sacramental bread and drink
the wine, so spiritually they may eat and drink
the very flesh and blood of Christ, which is in
heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of his Father. And that finally by his means they mayenjoy with him the glory and kingdom of heaven. Amen.
CHAP. Whereas in the first part of this treaty of the
_I!!!l_ sacrament of the body and blood of our Saviour
Christ, was briefly declared the institution and
meaning of the same, according to the very
words of the Gospel and of St. Paul, yet it shall
not be in vain somewhat more at large to declare the same, according to the mind, as well
of holy Scripture, as of old ancient authors; and
that so sincerely and plainly, without doubts,
ambiguities, or vain questions, that the very
simple and unlearned people may easily understand the same, and be edified thereby ; which
by God’s grace is mine only intent and desire.
OF THE lord’s SUPPER. 19that the flock of Christ dispersed in this realm
(among whom I am appointed a special pastor)
may no longer lack the commodity, and fruit,
which springeth of this heavenly knowledge.
For the more clearly it is understood, the more
sweetness, fruit, comfort, and edification it bringeth to the godly receivers thereof. And to the
clear understanding of this sacrament, divers
things must be considered.
First, that as all men of themselves be sinners, chap.
and through sin be in God’s wrath, banished far
IX. away from him, condemned to hell and everlast- Sd hunger
ing damnation, and none is clearly innocent, but ness Jfthe Christ alone : so every soul, inspired by God, is desirous to be delivered from sin and hell, and
to obtain at God’s hands mercy, favour, righteousness, and everlasting salvation. And this
earnest and great desire is called in Scripture,
the hunger and thirst of the soul ; with which
kind of hunger David was taken, when he said:
** As an hart longeth for springs of water, so doth
my soul long for thee, O God ‘.”—*’ My soul
hath thirsted after God, who is the well of life. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh wisheth for
thee””.” And this hujiger the silly, poor, sinful
soul is drawn into, by means of the law, which
sheweth unto her the horribleness of sin, the
terror of God’s indignation, and the horror of
‘ P^jalm xlii. ‘” Ibid. Ixiii- C 2
20 THE TRUE DOCTRINE a!ND USE
death and everlasting damnation. And when
she seeth nothing but damnation for her offences,
by justice and accusation of the law, and this
damnation is ever before her eyes; then, in this
great distress, the soul being pressed with heaviness and sorrow seeketh for some comfort,
and dcsireth some remedy for her miserable and
sorrowful estate. And this feeling of her damnable condition, and greedy desire of refreshing,
is the spiritual hunger of the soul. And whosoever hath this godly hunger, is blessed of God,
and shall have meat and drink enough, as Christ
himself said : ” Blessed be they that hunger
and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
filled full “.” And on the other side, they that see not their own sinful and damnable estate,
but think themselves holy enough, and in good
case and condition enough, as they have no spiritual hunger, so shall they not be fed of God
with any spiritual food. For as Almighty God
feedeth them that be hungry, so doth he send
away empty all that be not hungry. But this
hunger and thirst is not easily perceived of the
carnal man : for when he heareth the Holy Ghost
speak of meat and drink, his mind is by and by
in the kitchen and buttery, and he thinketh
upon his dishes and pots, his mouth and his
belly. But the Scripture in sundry places useth
” Matt. V.
OF THE lord’s SUPPER. 21special words, whereby to draw our gross minds
from the fancying of our teeth and belly, and
from this carnal and fleshly imagination. For
the apostles and disciples of Christ, when they were yet carnal, knew not what was meant by
this kind of hunger and meat, and therefore
when they desired him to eat, to withdraw their
minds from carnal meat, he said unto them : ” I have other meat to eat, which you know
not°.” And why knew they it not? Forsooth
because their minds were gross as yet, and had
not received the fulness of the Spirit. And
therefore our Saviour Christ, minding to draw
them from this grossness, told them of another
kind of meat than they fancied, (as it were,) re- buking them, for that they perceived not that
there was any other kind of eating and drinking,
besides that eating and drinking which is with
the mouth and the throat. Likewise when he
said to the woman of Samaria : ” Whosoever
shall drink of that water that I shall give him,
shall never be thirsty again p.” They that heard
him speak those words, might well perceive that
he went about to make them well acquainted
with another kind of drinking, than is the drinking with the mouth and throat. For there is no
such kind of drink, that with one’s drinking, can quench the thirst of a man’s body for ever.
• Johniv. ” Ibid.
22 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
Wherefore, in saying, he shall never be thirsty
again, he did draw their minds from drinking
with the mouth unto another kind of drinking
whereof they knew not, and unto another kind
of thirsting wherewith as yet they were not ac- quainted. And when our Saviour Christ said,
** He that cometh to me shall not hunger; and
he that believeth on me shall never be thirsty”;”
he gave them a plain watch-word, that there was
another kind of meat and drink than that wherewith he fed them at the other side of the water,
and another kind of hungering and thirsting
than was the hungering and thirsting of the
body. By these words therefore he drove the
people to understand another kind of eating and
drinking, of hungering and thirsting, than that
which belongeth only for the preservation of
temporal life. Now then as the thing that comforteth the body, is called meat and drink ; of a
like sort the Scripture calleth the same thing
that comforteth the soul, meat and drink.
CHAP. Wherefore as here before in the first note is de-
._ clared the hunger and drought of the soul, so is
X. The spiri- . n , . , tuai food of it now secondly to be noted, what is the meat,
the soul. 1 . 7 in -, n , drink, and food of the soul. The meat, drink,
food and refreshing of the soul, is our Saviour
Christ, as he said himself. ” Come unto meall you that travail and be laden, and I will
*• John vi.
OF THE lord’s .SUPPER. 23refresh you’.” —” And if any man be dry,”
saith he, *’ let him come to me and drink. He
that believeth in me, floods of water of life shall flow out of his belly’.”—** And I am the
bread of life,” saith Christ; ” he that cometh
to me, shall not be hungry ; and he that believeth in me, shall never be dry ‘.” For as meat
and drink do comfort the hungry body, so doth
the death of Christ’s body, and the shedding of
his blood, comfort the soul, when she is after
her sort hungry. What thing is it that comforteth and nourisheth the body ? Forsooth, meat
and drink. By what names then shall we call the body and blood of our Saviour Christ (which
do comfort and nourish the hungry soul) but by
the names of meat and drink ? And this similitude caused our Saviour to say, *’ My flesh is very meat, and my blood is very drink “.” For
there is no kind of meat that is comfortable to the soul, but only the death of Christ’s blessed
body ; nor no kind of drink that can quench her
thirst, but only the blood-shedding of our Savi- our Christ, which was shed for her offences.
For as there is a carnal generation, and a carnal
feeding and nourishment, so is there also a spiritual generation, and a spiritual feeding. And
as every man, by carnal generation of father and
^ Matt. xi. ‘ John vii. ‘ John vi. ” Ibid.
24 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
mother, is carnally begotten and born unto this
mortal life, so is every good Christian spiritually
born by Christ unto eternal life. And as every
man is carnally fed and nourished in his body by
meat and drink, even so is every good Christian
man spiritually fed and nourished in his soul by
the flesh and blood of our Saviour Christ. And
as the body liveth by meat and drink, and thereby increaseth and grov^^eth from a young babe
unto a perfect man, (v^^hich thing experience
teacheth us,) so the soul liveth by Christ himself,
by pure faith eating his flesh and drinking his
blood. And this Christ himself teacheth us in
the sixth of John, saying, *’ Verily, verily I say
unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of
Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in
you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh myblood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up
at the last day : for my flesh is very meat, and
my blood is very drink. He that eateth myflesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me,
and I in him. As the living Father hath sent
me, and I live by the Father, even so he that
eateth me, shall live by me\” And this St. Paul confessed of himself, saying, ^’ That I have
life, I have it by faith in the Son of God. And
now it is not I that live, but Christ liveth in
V ‘>
” John vi, ^ Gal. ii.
OF THE lord’s SUPPER. 25
The third thing to be noted is this, that al- chap.
though our Saviour Christ resembleth his flesh ‘ and blood to meat and drink, yet he far passeth exceiietraii and excelleth all corporal meats and drinks, food. For although corporal meats and drinks do
nourish and continue our life here in this world,
yet they begin not our life. For the beginning
of our life we have of our fathers and mothers ; and the meat, after we be begotten, doth feed
and nourish us, and so preserveth us for a time.
But our Saviour Christ is both the first beginner of our spiritual life, (who first begetteth us unto God his Father,) and also afterward he is our lively food and nourishment.
Moreover, meat and drink doth feed and nourish only our bodies ; but Christ is the true and
perfect nourishment both of bodj’^ and soul. And
besides that, bodily food preserveth the life but
for a time, but Christ is such a spiritual and perfect food, that he preserveth both body and soul
for ever. As he said unto Martha, *’ I am resur- rection and life. He that believeth in me, al- though he die, yet shall he live. And he that
liveth and believeth in me, shall not die for
ever.”
Fourthly, it is to be noted, that the true know- chap.
ledge of these things is the true knowledge of
XII.
rf-11 • 1 It 1 • • 1 “^”^ sacra- Christ; and to teach these thmgs, is to teach ments were
ordained to Christ ; and the believing and feeling of these co’ijirm our things, is the believing and feeling of Christ in
2Q THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
our hearts. And the more clearly we see, understand, and believe these things, the more
clearly we see and understand Christ, and have
more fully our faith and comfort in him. Andalthough our carnal generation and our carnal
nourishment be known to all men by daily experience, and by our common senses ; yet this our spiritual generation and our spiritual nutrition be so obscure and hid unto us, that wecannot attain to the true and perfect knowledge
and feeling of them, but only by faith, which
must be grounded upon God’s most holy wordand sacraments. And for this consideration our
Saviour Christ hath not only set forth these
things most plainly in his holy word, that wemay hear them with our ears ; but he hath also
ordained one visible sacrament of spiritual regeneration in water, and another visible sacra- ment of spiritual nourishment in bread and wine,
to the intent, that as much as is possible for man,
we may see Christ with our eyes, smell him at our nose, taste him with our mouths, grope himwith our hands, and perceive him with all our
senses. For as the word of God, preached, putteth Christ into our ears ; so likewise these elements of water, bread, and wine, joined to God’s
word, do, after a sacramental manner, put Christ
into our eyes, mouths, hands, and all our senses. And for this cause Christ ordained baptism in
water, that as surely as we see, feel, and touch
OF THE LOUd’s SUPPER. 27
water with our bodies, and be washed with water; so assuredly ought we to believe, when we
be baptized, that Christ is verily present with
us, and that by him we be newly born again
spiritually, and washed from our sins, and
grafted in the stock of Christ’s own body, and
be apparelled, clothed, and harnessed with him,
in such wise, that as the devil hath no power
against Christ, so hath he none against us, so long as we remain grafted in that stock, and be
clothed with that apparel, and harnessed with
that armour. So that the washing in water of
baptism, is, as it were, a shewing of Christ before our eyes, and a sensible touching, feeling,
and groping of him, to the confirmation of the
inward faith, which we have in him. And in
like manner Christ ordained the sacrament of
his body and blood in bread and wine, to preach
unto us, that as our bodies be fed, nourished,
and preserved with meat and drink, so (as touching our spiritual life towards God) we be fed,
nourished, and preserved by the body and blood
of our Saviour Christ ; and also that he is such
a preservation unto us, that neither the devils of
hell, nor eternal death, nor sin, can be able to
prevail against us, so long as, by true and constant faith, we be fed and nourished with that
meat and drink. And for this cause Christ or- dained this sacrament in bread and wine, (which
we eat and drink, and be chief nutriments of our
28 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
body,) to the intent that as surely as we see the
bread and wine with our eyes, smell them with
our noses, touch them with our hands, and taste
them with our mouths; so assuredly ought we to
believe, that Christ is our spiritual life and sus- tenance of our souls, like as the said bread and
wine is the food and sustenance of our bodies.
And no less ought we to doubt, that our souls be
fed and live by Christ, than that our bodies be
fed and live by meat and drink. Thus our Saviour Christ knowing us to be in this world, as
it were, but babes and weaklings in faith, hath
ordained sensible signs and tokens, whereby to allure and draw us to more strength and moreconstant faith in him. So that the eating and
drinking of this sacramental bread and wine, is, as it were, a shewing of Christ before our eyes, a smelling of him with our noses, a feeling and
groping of him with our hands, and an eating,
chawing, digesting, and feeding upon him to our
spiritual strength and perfection.
CHAP. Fifthly, it is to be noted, that although there
be many kinds of meats and drinks, which feed
XIII. Whereforc
this sacra- thc body, yct our Saviour Christ (as many anment was . • \ i
• i i
• n
ordained in cicut autliors writc) ordauicd this sacrament of
bread and
wine. our spiritual feeding in bread and wine, rather
than in other meats and drinks, because that
bread and wine do most truly represent unto us
the spiritual union and knot of all faithful people,
as well unto Christ, as also amongst themselves.
OF THE lord’s SUPPER. 29
For like as bread is made of a great number of
grains of corn, ground, baken, and so joined to- gether, that thereof is made one loaf; and an
infinite number of grapes be pressed together in one vessel, and thereof is made wine ; likewise
is the whole multitude of true Christian people
spiritually joined, first to Christ, and then among
themselves together, in one faith, one baptism, one holy spirit, one knot and bond of love.
Sixthly, it is to be noted, that as the bread <^”ap
and wine, which we do eat, be turned into our
XIV.
flesh and blood, and be made our very flesh andcbris”L^”
mystical very blood, and be so jomed and mixed with our i»«dj. flesh and blood, that they be made one whole
body together, even so be all faithful Christians
spiritually turned into the body of Christ, and be
so joined unto Christ, and also together among
themselves, that they do make but one mystical
body of Christ, as St. Paul saith : *’ We be one
bread and one body, as many as be partakers of one bread and one cup y.” And as one loaf is given among many men, so that every one is partaker of the same loaf, and likewise one cup
ofwine is distributed unto many persons, whereof every one is partaker ; even so our Saviour
Christ (whose flesh and blood is represented by
the mystical bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper) doth give himself unto all his true members,
” 1 Cor. X.
30 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
spiritually to feed them, nourish them, and to
give them continual life by him ^ And as the
branches of a tree, or member of a body, if theybe dead or cut off, they neither live, nor receive
any nourishment or sustenance of the body or
tree; so likewise ungodly and wicked people,
(which be cut off from Christ’s mystical body,or be dead members of the same,) do not spiritually feed upon Christ’s body and blood, norhave any life, strength, or sustenance thereby.
CHAP. Seventhly, it is to be noted, that whereas nothing in this life is more acceptable before God,XV.
melumoveth or morc plcasaut unto man, than Christian peoloye and plc to llve togcthcr quictly in love and peace,Iriendsliip. unity and concord : this sacrament doth mostaptly and effectually move us thereunto. Forwhen we be made all partakers of this one table,
what ought we to think, but that we be all members of one spiritual body, (whereof Christis the head,) that we be joined together in oneChrist, as a great number of grains of corn bejoined together in one loaf. Surely they havevery hard and stony hearts, which with thesethings be not moved. And more cruel and unreasonable be they than brute beasts, that can-not be persuaded to be good to their Christianbrethren and neighbours (for whom Christ suffered death) when in this sacrament they be put’ Dionysius,
OF THE lord’s SUPPER. 31
in remembrance, that the Son of God bestowed
his life for his enemies. For we see by daily
experience, that eating and drinking together
maketh friends, and continueth friendship. Much
more then ought the table of Christ to move us
so to do. Wild beasts and birds be made gentle by giving them meat and drink ; why then
should not Christian men wax meek and gentle
with this heavenly meat of Christ ? Hereunto
we be stirred and moved as well by the bread
and wine in this holy supper, as by the words of
holy Scripture recited in the same. Wherefore
whose heart soever this holy sacrament, communion, and supper of Christ, will not kindle
with love unto his neighbours, and cause him to
put out of his heart all envy, hatred, and malice,
and to grow in tha same all amity, friendship,
and concord, he deceiveth himself if he think
that he hath the spirit of Christ dwelling within
him. But all these foresaid godly admonitions,
exhortations, and comforts, do the Papists (as
much as lieth in them) take away from all Christian people, by their Transubstantiation.
For if we receive no bread nor wine in the The doctrine ofTransub- holy communion, then all those lessons and stantiaUon
” _ doth clean comforts be Rone, which we should learn and *”>vert our
<-• ‘ faith in receive by eating of the bread and drinking ofChrist, the wine. And that fantastical imagination giveth an occasion utterly to subvert our whole
faith in Christ. For if this sacrament be or-
32 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
dained in bread and wine (which be food for the
body) to signify and declare unto us our spiritual food by Christ, then if our corporal feeding upon the bread and wine be but fantastical,
(so that there is no bread nor wine there indeedto feed upon, although there appear there to be,)
then it doth us to understand, that our spiritual
feeding in Christ is also fantastical, and that indeed we feed not of him. Which sophistry is so devilish and wicked, and so much injurious
to Christ, that it could not come from any other
person but only from the devil himself, and fromhis special minister. Antichrist.
CHAP. The eighth thing that is to be noted is, that
this spiritual meat of Christ’s body and blood,
XVI. The spiri- . ‘i-i it t
• i tuai eating is not rcccivcd HI thc mouth, and digested m the
is with the
lieart, not with the
teeth. stomach, (as corporal meats and drinks commonly be,) but it is received with a pure heart,
and a sincere faith. And the true eating anddrinking of the said body and blood of Christ, is with a constant and a lively faith to believe that
Christ gave his body, and shed his blood uponthe cross for us, and that he doth so join and incorporate himself to us, that he is our head, andwe his members, and flesh of his flesh, and boneof his bones, having him dwelling in us, and wein him. And herein standeth the whole effect
and strength of this sacrament. And this faith
God worketh inwardly in our hearts by his holySpirit, and confirmeth the same outwardly to
OF THE lord’s SUPPER* 33 our ears by hearing of his word, and to our
other senses, by eating and drinking of the sa- cramental bread and wine in his holy supper.
What thing then can be more comfortable to us, than to eat this meat and drink this drink?
Whereby Christ certifieth us, that we be spiritually and truly fed and nourished by him, and
that we dwell in him, and he in us. Can this
be shewed unto us more plainly, than when he
saith himself, ” He that eateth me, shall live by
me^?” Wherefore whosoever doth not contemn
the everlasting life, how can he but highly esteem
this sacrament? How can he but embrace it, as a sure pledge of his salvation ? And when he
seeth godly people devoutly receive the same^
how can he but be desirous oftentimes to re- ceive it with them ? Surely no man, that well
Understandeth and diligently weigheth these
things, can be without a great desire to come
to this holy supper. All men desire to have
God’s favour; and when they know the contrary^
that they be in his indignation, and cast out of
his favour, what thing can comfort them ? How
be their minds vexed ! What trouble is in their
consciences ! All God’s creatures seem to be
against them, and do make them afraid, as things
being ministers of God’s wrath and indignation
towards them. And rest and comfort can they
• John vi.
34 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND, USE
find none, neither within them nor without them.
And in this case they do hate as well God as the
devil ; God as an unmerciful and extreme judge,
and the devil as a most malicious and cruel tor- mentor. But in this sorrowful heaviness, holyScripture teacheth them, that our heavenly Father can by no means be pleased with themagain, but by the sacrifice and death of his onlybegotten Son, whereby God hath made a perpetual amity and peace with us, doth pardon
the sins of them that believe in him, makeththem his children, and giveth them to his first- begotten Son Christ, to be incorporate into him,
to be saved by him, and to be made heirs of
heaven with him. And in the receiving of the
holy supper of our Lord, we be put in remembrance of this his death, and of the whole mystery of our redemption. In the which supper
is made mention of his testament, and of the
foresaid communion of us with Christ, and of
the remission of our sins by his sacrifice uponthe cross. Wherefore in this sacrament (if it be
rightly received with a true faith) we be assured
that our sins be forgiven, and the league of
peace and the testament of God is confirmed
between him and us, so that whosoever by a
true faith doth eat Christ’s flesh, and drink his
blood, hath everlasting life by him. Whichthing when we feel in our hearts, at the receiving of the Lord’s Supper, what thing can be
OF THE lord’s supper. 35more joyful, more pleasant, or more comfortable
unto us ? All this to be true, is most certain by
the words of Christ himself, when he did first institute his holy supper, the night before his
death, as it appeareth, as well by the words of
the Evangelists, as of St. Paul. *’ Do this,”
saith Christ, ”as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.” And St. Paul saith, ** As often
as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you
shall shew the Lord’s death until he come.”
And again, Christ said, *’ This cup is a new tes- tament, in my own blood, which shall be shed
for the remission of sins.” This doctrine, here
recited, may suffice for all that be humble and
godly, and seek nothing that is superfluous, but
that is necessary and profitable. Ahd therefore
unto such persons may be made here an end of
this book. But unto them that be contentious
Papists, and idolaters, nothing is enough. And
yet because they shall not glory in their subtle
inventions and deceivable doctrine, (as though
no man were able to answer them,) I shall desire the readers, of patience, to suffer me a little while to spend some time in vain to confute
their most vain vanities. And yet the time shall
not be altogether spent in vain, for thereby shall
more clearly appear the light from the darkness,
the truth from false sophistical subtleties, and
the certain word of God from men’s dreams and
fantastical inventions.
D 2
36 THE TRtFE DOCTRINE AND USE
CHAP. But these things cannot manifestly appear to
the reader, except the principal points be first
XVII. The princi- pal errors of set out, wherein the Papists vary from the truth
The first is’ of God’s word, which be chiefly four.
ofTransub- • -r»
• stantiation. First, the Papists say, that in the Supper of
the Lord, after the words of consecration (as
they call it) there is none other substance re- maining, but the substance of Christ’s flesh and
blood, so that there remaineth neither bread to
be eaten, nor wine to be drunken. And although
there be the colour of bread and wine, the sa- vour, the smell, the bigness, the fashion, and all other (as they call them) accidents or qualities
and quantities of bread and wine, yet (say they)
there is no very bread nor wine, but they be
turned into the flesh and blood of Christ. And
this conversion they call Transubstantiation, that
is to say, turning of one substance into another
substance. And although all the accidents, both
of the bread and wine, remain still, yet (say
they) the same accidents be in no manner of
thing; but hang alone in the air, without any
thing to stay them upon. For in the body and
blood of Christ (say they) these accidents can- not be, nor yet in the air for the body and blood
of Christ, and the air, be neither of that bigness,
fashion, smell, nor colour, that the bread and
wine be. Nor in the bread and wine (say they)
these accidents cannot be ; for the substance of
OF THE lord’s SUPPER. 37
bread and wine (as they affirm) be clean gone.
And so there remaineth whiteness, but nothingis white : there remaineth colours, but nothingis coloured therewith : there remaineth roundness, but nothing is round : and there is bigness,
and yet nothing is big: there is sweetness, without any sweet thing : softness, without any soft
thing : breaking, without any thing broken : division, without any thing divided : and so other
qualities and quantities, without any thing to receive them. And this doctrine they teach as a necessary article of our faith. But it is not the
doctrine of Christ, but the subtle invention of
Antichrist, first decreed by Innocent the Third ^ and after more at large set forth by school authors, whose study was ever to defend and set abroad to the world all such matters, as the bishops of Rome had once decreed. And the devil,
by his minister Antichrist, had so dazzled the
eyes of a great multitude of Christian people in
these latter days, that they sought not for their
faith at the clear light of God’s word, but at the
Romish Antichrist, believing whatsoever he prescribed unto them, yea though it were against all reason, all senses, and God’s most holy word
also. For else he could not have been very Antichrist indeed, except he had been so repugnant
” De stunma Trini. et fide Catholica.
38 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
unto Christ, whose doctrine is clean contrary to
this doctrine of Antichrist. For Christ teacheth, that we receive very bread and wine in the
most blessed Supper of the Lord, as sacraments
to admonish us, that as bodily we be fed with
bread and wine bodily, so we be fed with the
body and blood of our Saviour Christ spiritually.
As in our baptism we receive very water, to signify unto us, that as water is an element to washthe body outwardly, so be our souls washed bythe Holy Ghost inwardly.
The second Thc sccond principal thing, wherein the Pais of the pre-
^ n r-i li 1 ‘ t
‘ senceof pists varv from the truth of God s word, is this.
Christ in *
-^ this sacra- Tlicy say, that the very natural flesh and blood
of Christ, which suffered for us upon the cross, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father in
heaven, is also really, substantially, corporeally
and naturally, in or under the accidents of the
sacramental bread and wine, which they call the
forms of bread and wine. And yet here they
vary not a little among themselves. For somesay, that the very natural body of Christ is there,
but not naturally nor sensibly. And others say,
that it is there naturally and sensibly, and of the
same bigness and fashion that it is in heaven,
and as the same was born of the blessed virgin
Mary, and that it is there broken and torn in
pieces with our teeth. And this appeareth
partly by the school authors, and partly by the
OF THE L(^RD’s supper. 39
confession of Berengarius % which Nicholas the
Second constrained him to make, which was this. That of the sacraments of the Lord’s table, the
said Berengarius should promise to hold that
faith, which the said Pope Nicholas and his
counsel held ; which was, that not only the sa- craments of bread and wine, but also the veryflesh and blood of our Lord Jesu Christ, are sensibly handled of the priest in the altar, broken,
and torn with the teeth of the faithful people.
But the true Catholick faith, grounded upon
God’s most infallible word, teacheth us, that our
Saviour Christ (as concerning his man’s nature
and bodily presence) is gone up into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of his Father, and
there shall he tarry until the world’s end, at what
time he shall come again, to judge both the
quick and the dead, as he saith himself in many
Scriptures. ‘* I forsake the world,” saith he, ” and go to my Father’^.” And in another place
he saith, *’ You shall have ever poor men among
you, but me you shall not ever have *.” And
again he saith, ” Many hereafter shall come and
say, look, here is Christ, or, look, there he is, but believe them not^” And St. Peter saith in
the Acts, ” That heaven must receive Christ,
•= De consecrati. Distin. 2. Ego Berengarius.
^ John vi. * Matt. xxvi. ‘ Ibid. xxiv.
40 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE
until the time that all things shall be restored ^” And St. Paul, writing to the Colossians, agreeth
hereto, saying, ** Seek for things that be above,
where Christ is sitting at the right hand of the
Father ”.” And St. Paul, speaking of the very
sacrament, saith, ‘* As often as you shall eat
this bread, and drink this cup, shew forth the
Lord’s death until he come ‘.” Till he come,
saith St. Paul, signifying, that he is not there
corporeally present. For what speech were this, or who useth of him that is already present, to say, until he come ? For until he come, signifieth that he is not yet present. This is the Catholick faith, which we learn from our youth in our common Creed, and which Christ taught,
the apostles followed, and the martyrs confirmed
with their blood. And although Christ in his
human nature substantially, really, corporeally,
naturally and sensibly, be present with his Father in heaven, yet sacramentally and spiritually
he is here present in water, bread, and wine, as
in signs and sacraments, but he is indeed spirit
tually in the faithful Christian people, which
according to Christ’s ordinance be baptized, or
receive the holy communion, or unfeignedly believe in him. Thus have you heard the second
principal article, wherein the Papists vary from
«” Acts iii. > Coloas.-iii. * 1 Cor. xi.
Christ.
OF THE lord’s SUPPER. 41
the truth of God’s word, and from the Catholick
faith. Now the third thing, wherein they vary,
is this. The Papists say, that evil and uneodlv men The third is.
. , “^ O J thatevilmen receive in this sacrament the very body and ^at and drink
•^ ‘ the very bo- blood of Christ,’ and eat and drink the self-same *^J?°””’°°*^ 01 thing that the good and godly men do. But
the truth of God’s word is contrary, that all those that be godly members of Christ, as they
corporally eat the bread and drink the wine, so
spiritually they eat and drink Christ’s very flesh
and blood ; and as for the wicked members of
the devil, they eat the sacramental bread, and
drink the sacramental wine, but they do not
spiritually eat Christ’s flesh, nor drink his
blood, but they eat and drink their own damnation.
The fourth thing, wherein the Popish priests
dissent from the manifest word of God, is this. They say, that they offer Christ every day for
remission of sin, and distribute by their masses
the merits of Christ’s passion. But the prophets, apostles, and evangelists do say^ that
Christ himself in his own person made a sacrifice for our sins upon the cross, by whose wounds
all our diseases were healed, and our sins pardoned; and so did never no priest, man, nor
creature but he, nor he did the same never more
than once. And the benefit hereof is in no
42 THE TRUE DOCTRINE AND USE, &C;
man’s power to give unto any other, but every
man must receive it at Christ’s hands himself,
by his own faith and belief, as the prophetsaith “.
” Habakkuk ii.
HERE ENDETH THE FIRST BOOK.