Beda.

Aug. de Civitate Dei

in libro 21,

сар. 25.

The wick

ed eat not Christ's body.

John vi.

drink the Sacrament of so great a thing unto his damnation.

And even the same words hath Beda upon the tenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians.

Again, St. Austin saith, He that abideth not in me, and in whom I abide not, let him not say nor think that he eateth my body or drinketh my blood. And even the same words hath Beda upon the sixth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. And even the same sentence hath Ambrose, and Prosper, and Beda, upon the eleventh chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians.

Finally, this may be proved by good reason, grounded upon the Scripture. Christ would not suffer Mary (though she loved him well) to touch him, because she lacked one point of faith, and did not believe that he was equal with his Father. And therefore by reason it

must follow, that he will not suffer the wicked (which neither have good faith nor love towards him) both to touch him and eat him into their unclean bodies.

Now, since this is proved true, that the wicked eat not his body, it must also thereof needs follow that the Sacrament is not his natural body, for they do eat the Sacrament, as all men know. Besides that, the faithful do not eat Christ's body with their teeth; and therefore it must follow that the wicked do not eat it with their teeth. The antecedent, or first part of the reason, is proved by the words of Christ, which saith, That the flesh profiteth nothing at all; meaning, that it doth not profit as they understood him; that is to say, it profiteth nothing to be eaten carnally with their teeth and belly, as they understood him; for else it profiteth much to be eaten spiritually; that is to say, to believe that through his body-breaking and blood-shedding our sins are purged: and thus doth Origen, St. Austin, Beda, Chrysostom, and Athanasius expound it, as appeareth in the book before. And therefore Frith saith,

that only faithful men eat his body, not with their teeth and mouth, but with their faith and heart, that digest it into the bowels of their souls, through believing that it was broken on the cross, to wash away their sins: and the wicked eat not his body, but only the bread, and their damnation, because they eat him not spiritually; that is, because they believe not in his body-breaking and blood-shedding.

The third point wherein Frith dissenteth from our prelates and their proctor.

3. The prelates believe that men ought to worship the Sacrament. But Frith saith nay, and affirmeth that it is idolatry to worship it. And he saith, that Christ and his Apostles taught us not so to do: neither did the holy fathers so teach us. And Frith saith, that the authors of this worshipping are the children of perdition, which have overwhelmed this world with sin. Nevertheless, we must receive it reverently, because of the doctrine that it bringeth us. For it preacheth Christ's death unto us, and describeth it before our eyes, even as a faithful preacher by the word doth instil it into us by our ears and hearing. And that it supplieth the room of a preacher, is evident by the words of St. Austin, which saith, Paulus quamvis portaret sarcinam corporis quod aggravat animam, potuit tamen significando predicare Dominum Jesum Christum, aliter per linguam suam, aliter per epistolam, aliter per sacramentum corporis Christi. That is to say, though Paul did bear the burthen of the body, which doth onerate the soul, yet was he able in signifying to preach the Lord Jesus Christ, one way by his tongue, and another way by an epistle, and another way by the sacrament of Christ's body, &c. For as the people by understanding the signification of the words which he spake, did hear the glorious Gospel of God, and as by the reading of his Epistle they understood his mind and received the

Only the

faithful do

eat Christ's body and

drink his

blood.

The faith lates.

of the Pre

The opi

Frith.

nion of

word of the soul's health, so by the ministration of the Sacrament they might see with their eye the thing which they heard and read, and so have their senses occupied about the mystery, that they might the more earnestly print it in their mind. As by example: The Prophet Jer. xxvii. Jeremiah, being in Jerusalem in the time of Zedekiah, king of the Jews, prophesied and preached unto them, that they should be taken prisoners of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon; and the Jews were angry with him, and would not believe his words. And therefore he made a chain of fetters of wood, and put them about his neck, and prophesied again, and preached that they should be taken prisoners and led captive into Babylon. And as his words did certify their ears that they should be subdued, so the chain did represent their captivity even before their eye. Which thing did more vehemently work in them than the bare words could do; and even so it is in the Sacrament. For likewise as the The minis- words did instil into our ears, that his body was given for us, and his blood shed for the remission of our sins, even so did the ministration of the Sacrament express that same thing unto our sight, and doth more efficaciously move than the bare words might do; and make us more attent unto the thing, that we may wholly give thanks unto God and praise him for his bounteous benefits. And therefore, seeing it is a preacher expressing unto our sight the same thing that the words do to our ears represent, you must receive it with reverence and sober behaviour, advertising the thing that it representeth unto you. And even the same honour is due unto it which is given unto the Scripture that is the word of God, for unto that must a man devoutly give ear, and reverently take the book in his hand: yea, and if he kiss the book for the doctrines' sake that he learneth thereout, he is to be commended: nevertheless, if he should go cense his book, men might well think that he were very childish. But if he should kneel down and

tration of the Sacrament doth lively express the

death and

passion of Christ.

pray to this book, then he did commit plain idolatry. Consider, dear brethren, what I say, and avoid this jeopardy; which thing avoided, I care not as touching the presence of his body, though you believe that his natural flesh be there indeed, (and not only in a mystery as I have taught). For when the jeopardy is past, he were a fool that would be contentious for a thing as long as there cometh no hurt thereby.

The Germans which believe the presence of his body, do not worship it, but plainly teach the contrary, and in that point (thanks be to God) all they whom you call heretics do agree full well. Only avoid this idolatry, and I desire no more.

THE CONCLUSION OF THIS TREATISE.

NOW, dear brethren, I beseech you for the mercy that ye look for in Christ Jesu, that you accept this work with a single eye and no contentious heart, for necessity hath compelled me to write it, because I was informed both of my Lord of Winchester and other credible persons, that I had, by the means of my first treatise, offended many men, which thing may well be true; for it was too slender to instruct all them which have since seen it, albeit it were sufficient for their use to whom it was first delivered. And, therefore, I thought it not only expedient, but also necessary, to instruct them further in the truth, that they might see plain evidence of that thing wherein they were offended.

By this work you shall espy their blasphemies, and the venomous tongues wherewith they slander not only them that publish the truth, but even the truth itself. They shame not to say that we affirm it to be only bread, and nothing else. And we say not so: but we say, that beside the substance of bread, it is the Sacra

ment beside

the substance of bread is Christ's body and blood.

The Sacra- ment of Christ's body and blood. As the Jew hanging before the tavern door is more than bare Jew: for besides the substance of Jew, it is a sign, and signifieth that there is wine to be sold. And this Sacrament signifieth unto us, and pointeth out before our eyes, that as verily as that bread is broken, so verily was Christ's body broken for our sins; and as that bread is distributed unto us, so is his body and fruit of his passion distributed unto all his faithful. And as the bread comforteth the body, so doth the faith in Christ's death comfort our souls. And as surely as we have that bread and eat it with our mouth and teeth, and know by our senses that we have it within us, and are partakers thereof; no more need we to doubt of his body and blood, but that through faith we are as sure of them, as we are sure of that bread, as it is sufficiently declared in my book.

They dishonour the Sacrament

that honour that is due unto God.

Again you may perceive how wickedly they report on us, which affirm that we dishonour it, which give it the that give it right honour that it ought to have. And you do plainly dishonour it, which give unto it the honour that is only due unto God. We give it the same honour that we give unto the holy Scripture and word of God, because it expresseth unto our senses the death of our Saviour, and doth more deeply print it within us. And therefore we call it an holy Sacrament, as we call God's word holy Scripture. And we receive this Sacrament with great reverence, even as we reverently read or hear preached the holy word of God which containeth the health of our souls. And we grant that his body is present with the bread as it is with the word; and with both it is verily received and eaten through faith. if we should kneel down and pray unto the holy Scriptures, men might count us fools, and might lawfully say, that we do not honour the Scripture by that means, but rather dishonour it. For the right honour of a thing is, to use it for that intent that it was institute of God;

But