tence, This is my body, must be figuratively spoken; or else is St. Austin not to be approved in this place, which thing our bishops, I think, will not say nay. in sermone Besides that, St. Austin saith, Quando loquebatur Augustinus dominus noster Jesus Christus de corpore suo, Nisi, in- ad infantes. quit, quis manducaverit carnem meam et biberit sanguinem meum, non habebit in se vitam. Caro enim mea vere est cibus, et sanguis meus vere est potus. Intellectus spiritualis credentem salvum facit, quia litera occidit, spiritus est qui vivificat. That is to say, When our Lord Jesus Christ spake of his body, Except, quoth he, a man eat my flesh and drink my blood, he shall have no life in himself, for my flesh is very meat, and my blood is very drink. The spiritual understanding saveth him that believeth, for the letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth. Here may you plainly perceive that this text must only be taken spiritually; for he saith, that to take it after the letter, it killeth, and profiteth nothing at all, and therefore I wonder that we have been led so long in this gross error. Levi ho. 7. This saying doth the famous clerk Origen confirm, Orig. in saying, Agnosce quod figuræ sunt quæ in voluminibus Domini scripta sunt: et ideo tanquam spirituales et non tanquam carnales, examinate et intelligite quæ dicuntur. Si enim secundum literam sequaris hoc ipsum quod dictum est, Nisi manducaveritis carnem, etc. occidit hæc litera. That is to say, Mark that they are figures which are written in the Scripture of God, and therefore examine them as spiritual men and not as carnal, Christ's and understand those things that are spoken. For if words are thou follow after the letter this thing that is spoken, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you can have no life in you-this letter killeth. Alas, dear brethren! why should any man be offended with this doctrine, since it is approved so. plainly by such ancient and holy fathers? Again, St. Austin saith, Qui manducat carnem and not spiritual, carnal. August. sermo. circa sacra feria Pas cha. super meam et bibit meum sanguinem, in me manet, et ego in illo. Hoc est ergo manducare illam escam et illum bibere potum, in Christo manere et illum manentem in se habere; ac per hoc qui non manet in Christo et in quo non manet Christus, proculdubio non manducat ejus carnem nec bibit sanguinem, etiam si tantæ rei sacramentum ad judicium sibi manducet et bibat. That is to say, He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in The eating me, and I in him. This is therefore the eating of that and drink-meat and drinking of that blood, to abide in Christ and ing of Christ, have him abiding in us. And therefore, he that abideth what it is. not in Christ, and in whom Christ abideth not, without doubt he eateth not his flesh nor drinketh not his blood, although he eat and drink the Sacrament of so great a Idem Beda thing unto his damnation. And even the same words hath Bede upon the Corinthians, 1 Cor. x. This one place is sufficient for to prove my purpose, though he said not one word more: for here he doth plainly determine, that he which abideth not in Christ, that is to The wick- say, he that is wicked or unfaithful, doth not eat his flesh nor drink his blood, although he eat and drink the Sacrament of so great a thing. And so must it needs follow, that the Sacrament is not the very natural body of Christ; for then the unfaithful should eat his flesh, seeing he eateth the Sacrament of his body; but that doth St. Austin deny. Wherefore it must needs follow, that it is but only a token of a remembrance, and a sign of his body breaking, and a representation of his passion, that we might keep his fact in memory, and give him thanks for his tender love and kindness, which, when we were his enemies, took upon him to suffer most vile death, to reconcile us unto his Father, and make us his friends. This saying hath St. Austin in another place August. de also, where he writeth on this manner: Qui non in me manet, et in quo ego non maneo, non se dicat aut existimet manducare corpus meum, aut bibere sanguinem meum. Non itaque manent in Christo, qui non sunt ejus mem ed eat not the flesh of Christ. Rom. v. civitat. Dei, li. 21. ca. 25. 1 Cor. vi. bra: non sunt autem membra Christi, qui se faciunt membra meretricis. That is to say, He that abideth not in me, and in whom I abide not, let him not say or think that he eateth my body or drinketh my blood They abide not in Christ which are not his members; and they are not his members which make themselves the members of an harlot. And these are also the very words of Bede. Here it is plainly proved again Beda super by the authority of St. Austin and Bede, that the wicked and unfaithful, which are not the members of The SacraChrist, do not eat his body nor drink his blood, and ment is a yet they do eat his Sacrament as well as the other: wherefore you must needs grant that the Sacrament is not the natural body of Christ, but a figure, token, or memorial thereof. Now, good Christian people, count not this new learning, which is affirmed by such old doctors and faithful fathers. figure, to ken, and a memorial breaking of of the Christ's body and shedding of his blood. sacra, lib. v. cap. 4. Now were this enough for a Christian man that loved no contention; but because there are so many sophisters in the world, which care not what they say, so they hold not their peace; I must needs set some bulwark by this holy doctor to help to defend him, for else they will shortly overrun him, as they do me, and make him an heretic too. Therefore I will allege his master, St. Ambrose. St. Ambrose saith, Non iste panis est qui vadit Ambros. de in corpus, sed ille panis vitæ æternæ qui animæ nostræ substantiam fulscit. That is, It is not this bread that goeth into the body, but that bread of everlasting life which upholdeth the substance of our soul. Furthermore, the great clerk Prosper confirmeth the same, saying: Qui discordat à Christo nec carnem Christi Prosp. in manducat, nec sanguinem bibit, etiam si tantæ rei sacra- libro senmentum ad judicium suæ præsumptionis quotidie indif- sent. 339. ferenter accipiat. That is, He that discordeth from Christ, doth neither eat his flesh nor drink his blood, although he receive indifferently every day the Sacrament of so great a thing, unto the condemnation of his tentiarum. Idem Beda presumption. And these are also the very words of Bede upon the eleventh chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. super 1 Cor. ii. Now you may see that it is not St. Austin's mind only, but also the saying of many more; and therefore I trust you will be good unto him. And if ye condemn not these holy fathers, then am I wrongfully punished; but if you condemn them, then must poor Frith be content to bear the burden with them. THE MIND AND EXPOSITION OF THE UPON THE WORDS OF CHRIST'S MAUNDY. More. Frith. AND where M. More saith, "That if Christ had not meant after the plain literal sense, that both the hearers at that time, and the expositors since, and all Christian people beside, this fifteen hundred years, would not have taken only the literal sense, being so strange and marvellous that it might seem impossible, and decline from the letter for allegories in all such other things, being, as he saith, and as indeed they be, so many far in number more." As touching the hearers, they were deceived and understood him not; I mean as many as took his words fleshly, as you do. And they had their answer of Christ when they murmured, that his words were spirit and life; that is, as St. Austin saith, spiritually to be understood and not fleshly, as is before declared. And as for the expositors, I think he hath not one of the old fathers for him, but certain new fellows, as Dominic, St. Thomas, Occam, and such other which have made no old author to pistry. the Pope a God. And, as I have showed, St. Austin More hath maketh full for us, and so do all the old fathers, as Ecolampadius hath well declared in his book, Quid veteres maintain his quarrelsenserint de Sacramento eucharistiæ; and some of their ing pasayings I shall allege anon. And where you say that all Christian people have so believed this fifteen hundred years, that is very false; for there is no doubt but that the people thought as holy St. Austin and other faithful fathers taught them, which, as I said, make with us. Notwithstanding, indeed, since our prelates have been made lords, and have set up their laws and decrees contrary to the prerogative of all princes, and, like most subtle traitors, have made all men believe that they may make laws and bind men's consciences The Pato obey them, and that their laws are God's laws, pists have corrupted blinding the people's eyes with two or three texts the Scripwrongfully wrested to advance their pride, where they ought to obey kings and princes, and be subject to their themselves laws, as Christ and his apostles were even unto the death;---since that time, I say, they have made men believe what they list, and made articles of the faith at their pleasure. One article must be, that they be the church and cannot err; and this is the ground of all their doctrine. But the truth of this article is now sufficiently known; for if Queen Katherine be King Henry's wife, then they do err; and if she be not, then Articles of they have erred, to speak no more cruelly. It is now our faith become an article of our faith, that the Pope of Rome must be the Head of the Church and the Vicar of Christ, : and that by God's law: it is an article of our faith, that whatsoever he bindeth in earth, is bound in heaven, insomuch that if he curse wrongfully, yet he must be feared and infinite such other which are not in our creed. But blessed be God that hath given some light into our Prince's heart! for he hath lately put forth a book, called "The Glass of Truth," which proveth many of these articles very foolish fantasies, and that tures, and advanced above kings and rulers. made by the Pope. |