is given for you, so that the name itself might testify unto you, that in this supper you should more eat his body which is given for you, (by digesting that into the bowels of your soul,) than the bread which by the breaking and the distributing of it, doth represent his bodybreaking and the distributing thereof unto all that are faithful. And that he so meaneth is evident by the words following, which say, This do in the remembrance of me: and likewise of the cup. And finally, concluding of both, Paul saith, As often as ye shall eat this bread and drink of this cup, (in this place and fellowship) ye shall show the Lord's death until he come, praising the Lord for the death of his Son, and exhorting others to do the same, rejoicing in him with infinite thanks. And therefore ye are to blame which seek only to feed the belly with that thing which was only instituted to feed the soul. And thereupon it followeth : The Sacraordained to feed our souls, and not our bo ment was dies. and unwor thy eating of Christ's body. Wherefore whosoever doth eat of this bread and drink of this cup unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. He eateth this bread unworthily, which Theworthy regardeth not the purpose for the which Christ did institute it, which cometh not to it with spiritual hunger, to eat through faith his very body, which the bread representeth by the breaking and distributing of it: which cometh not with a merry heart, giving God hearty thanks for their deliverance from sin: which do not much more eat in their heart the death of his body, than they do the bread with their mouth. Now since the Corinthians did only seek their belly and flesh, and forgat God's honour and praise, (for which it was instituted, that thanks should be given by the remembrance of his body-breaking for us,) they eat it to God's dishonour and to their neighbour's hindrance, and to their own condemnation, and so for lack of faith were guilty of Christ's body, which (by faith) they should there chiefly have eaten to their souls' health. And therefore it followeth : What it is to prove and examine a man's own self. Let a man therefore examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. This proving or examining of a man's self is first to think with himself with what lust and desire he cometh unto the Maundy, and will eat that bread: whether he be sure that he is the child of God and in the faith of Christ, and whether his conscience do bear him witness that Christ's body was broken for him: and whether the lust that he hath to praise God and thank him with a faithful heart in the midst of the brethren, do drive him thitherward; or else whether he do it for the meats' sake or to keep the custom: for then were it better that he were away. For he that eateth or drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh his own damnation, because he maketh no difference of the Lord's body: that is, as it is said before, he that regardeth not the purpose for which it was instituted, and putteth no difference between his eating and other eating. For other eating doth only serve the belly, but this eating was instituted and ordained to serve the soul and inward man. And therefore he that abuseth it to the flesh, eateth and drinketh his own damnation, and he cometh unworthily to the Maundy where the Sacrament of Christ's body is eaten yea, where the body of the Lord is eaten, not carnally with the teeth and belly, but spiritually with the heart and faith. Upon this followeth the text that M. More allegeth and wresteth for his purpose: For this cause many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. If we had truly judged ourselves, we should not have been judged when we are judged of the Lord: we are chastened, because we should not be damned with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. If a man hunger, let him eat at home, that ye come not together unto condemnation. For this cause, that is, for lack of good examining ing of St. Paul's for mer words. of ourselves, (as is before touched) many are weak and The meansick in the faith, and many asleep, and have lost their faith in Christ's blood, for lack of remembrance of his body-breaking and blood-shedding: yea, and not that only, but many were weak and sick, even stricken with bodily diseases for abusing the Sacrament of his body, eating the bread with their teeth, and not his body with their heart and mind, and, peradventure, some slain for it by the stroke of God, which if they had truly judged and examined themselves for what intent they came thither, and why it was instituted, should not have been so judged and chastened of the Lord. For the Lord doth chasten to bring us unto repentance, and to mortify our rebellious members, that we may remember him. Here ye may shortly perceive the mind of Paul. AN EPITOME AND SHORT REHEARSAL OF ALL NOW, to be short, in these three points Frith dissent- An Epitoeth from our prelates, and from M. More, which me of this taketh upon him to be their proctor. whole book. The opinion of the Prelates. The opi nion of 1. Our prelates believe that in the Sacrament remaineth no bread, but that it is turned into the natural body of Christ, both flesh, blood, and bones. Frith saith, that it is no article of our creed; and, therefore, let them believe it that will. And he thinketh that there Frith. remaineth bread still; and that he proveth three manner of ways. First by the Scripture of Paul, which calleth it bread, saying, The bread which we break, is it not the fellowship of the body of Christ? For we, though 1 Cor. x. we be many, are yet one body and one bread, as many as are partakers of one bread. And again he saith, As 1 Cor. xi. often as ye eat of this bread or drink of this cup, you Acts ii. Matt. xxvi. Mark xiv. Luke xxii. Nature teacheth that there is both bread and Sacrament. shall show the Lord's death, until he come. Also Luke calleth it bread, saying in the Acts, They continued in the fellowship of the Apostles, and in the breaking of the bread and prayer. Also Christ called the cup the fruit of a vine, saying, I shall not from henceforward drink of the fruit of the vine, until I drink that new in the kingdom of my Father. Furthermore, nature doth teach you that both the bread and wine continue in their nature; for the bread mouldeth if it be kept long, yea, and the worms breed wine in the in it, and the poor mouse will run away with it, and eat it; which are evidence enough that there remaineth bread. Also the wine, if it were reserved, would wear sour, as they confess themselves; and therefore they housell the lay people but with one kind only, because the wine cannot continue, nor be reserved, to have ready at hand when need were. And surely, as if there remained no bread, it could not mould, nor wear full of worms: even so, if there remained no wine, it could not wear sour. And therefore it is but false doctrine that our prelates so long have taught and published. The old there is bread in Finally, that there remaineth bread, might be proved prove that by the authority of many doctors, which call it bread and wine, even as Christ and his Apostles did. And the Sacra- though some sophisters would wrest their saying, and expound them after their own fantasy, yet shall I allege them one doctor, which was Pope, that maketh so plain with us, that they shall never be able to avoid him. ment. Gelasius in consilio Ro. For Pope Gelasius inviteth on this manner: Certe sacramenta qua sumimus corporis et sanguinis Christi, divinæ res sunt, propter quod et per eadem divinæ efficimur consortes naturæ. Et tamen non desinit esse substantia vel natura panis et vini, sed permanet in suæ proprietate naturæ. Et certe imago et similitudo corporis et sanguinis Christi in actione mysteriorum celebrantur. That is to say, Surely the Sacraments of the body and blood of Christ which we receive, are a godly thing, and there fore through them are we made partakers of the godly nature and yet doth it not cease to be the substance or nature of bread and wine, but they continue in the property of their own nature. And surely the image and similitude of the body and blood are celebrated in the act of the mysteries. This I am sure, that no man can avoid it, nor so wrest it, but that all men shall soon espy his folly, and therefore I may conclude that there remaineth the substance and nature of bread and wine. The second point wherein Frith dissenteth from our prelates and their proctor. The faith of lates. the Pre The opi nion of JohnFrith. The prelates believe that his very flesh is present to the teeth of them that eat the Sacrament, and that the wicked eat his very body. Frith saith, that it is no article of our creed, and therefore he reckoneth that he is in no jeopardy, though he believe it not: and he thinketh that his flesh is not present unto the teeth of them that receive the Sacrament; for his flesh is only in one place at once; and that he proveth both by the authority of St. Austin ad Dardanum, and also by the authority of Fulgentius ad Thrasanundum, lib. 20. as before appeareth in the book. And Frith saith, that the wicked eat not his very flesh, although they receive the Sacrament; and that he proveth by the Scripture, doctors, and good reason grounded upon the Scriptures. The Scripture is this: He that eateth Christ's body John vi. hath everlasting life; but the wicked hath not everlasting life; ergo, then the wicked eat not his body. Again, the Scripture saith, He that eateth Christ's flesh and drinketh his blood, abideth in Christ and Christ in him; but the wicked abide not in Christ, nor Christ in him; ergo, the wicked eat not his flesh nor drink his blood. serm. de sacra fe. pascha. This may also be confirmed by good authority; for August. in St. Austin saith, He that abideth not in Christ, and in whom Christ abideth not, without doubt he eateth not his flesh, nor drinketh his blood, although he eat and |