|Fryth.| ¶ I am ryght gladde that ye admytte myne exāple, ād graūte that the sacramēt is lefte to be a very tokē and memoryall of Christe in dede. But where you saye, that the whole substaunce of the same token ād memoryall is hys owne blessed bodye, that is sooner sayde than proued. And where you saye that we fare lyke a false shrewe that wolde keape the golde rynge from the bryde, and geue her a rynge of a ryshe, or tell her that her golde rynge were coper or brasse, to mynyshe the brydgromes thāke. I answere that we deny not but that the ryng ys most fyne golde, and is sette wyth as ryche Rubyes as can be gotten. For that rynge (I meane the Sacrament) ys not onely a moste perfecte token and a memoryall of the brydegromes benefyttes ād vnfayned fauoure on hys partye, but yt is also on the other partye a thankes geuynge for the gracyous gyftes which she vndoubtedly knowlege her selfe to haue receyued. For as verely as that breade ys broken amōge thē, so verely was Christes bodye broken for their synnes. And as verely as they receyue that breade in to their bellye through eatynge yt, so verelye do they receyue the frute of hys death in to their soules by beleuynge in hym. And therfor they assemble to that souper, not for the valoure of the breade, wyne, or meate, that ys there eate, but for the intent to geue hym thankes commonly a monge them all, for hys inestymable goodnes. But to procede vnto our purpose, yf a man wolde come vnto the bryde, and tell her that thys goodly golde rynge were her owne brydgrome, both fleshe bloode ād bones (as you do) then I thynke yf she haue anye wytte, she myght answere hym, that he mocked, and the more he sayde yt, the lesse she myght beleue hym, and saye that yf that were her owne brydgrome, what shulde she thē neade any remēbraunce of hym, or why shulde he geue it her for a remembraunce. For a remembraunce presupposeth the thynge to be absent, and therfore yf thys be a remembraunce of hym, than can he not here be present.
|More.| ❧ I meruell therfore moche, that he is not a frayde, to affyrme that these wordes of Christe, of hys bodye and of hys bloode, muste neades be vnderstonde by waye of a symylytude or an allegorye, as the wordes be of the vyne and the doore. Nowe this he knoweth well, that though some wordes spokē by the mouthe of Christe be to be vnderstonde onely by waye of a symylytude or an allegorye, yet foloweth it not thervpon, that euery lyke worde of Christe in other places was non other but an allegorye, for suche was the shyfte and cauyllacyon that the wycked Arryans vsed which toke from Christes parson hys omnypotent Godhed.
|Fryth.| ¶ I graunte that the Arryans erred, for as Master More sayeth, though in some place a worde betakē fyguratyuely, it foloweth not therfor that in euery other place, it shulde lykewyse be takē. But one questyō muste I aske hys mastershyppe, how doth he knowe that there is any worde or texte in scripture that muste be takē fyguratyuely, that is by the waye of a symylytude, or as he calleth yt a necessarye allegory? I thynke (though some mē may assygne other good causes ād euydences) that the fyrst knowelege ys by other textes of scrypture. For yf other textes be cōferred vnto yt, and wyll not stonde with the litterall sence, then I thynke yt muste neades be taken spirytually or fyguratyuelye, as there are infynyte textes in scripture. Now when I see that .S. Thomas whiche felte Christes woundes ād put hys fynger in hys syde, called hym hys Lorde and God, and that no texte in scrypture repugneth vnto the same, but that they may well stonde together, me thynketh yt were foly to affirme that this word, God, in that texte shulde be taken fyguratyuely or by waye of an allegorye: But nowe in our matter the processe of scripture wyll not stonde with the lytterall sence, as shall here after appeare. And therfor necessyte compellethe vs to expounde yt fyguratyuelye, as doth also S. Austen and other holy doctours, as hereafter shall playnely appeare.
|More.| ❧ If euery man that can fynde out a newe fonde fantasye vpon a text of holy scrypture, may haue his owne mynd takē, and hys owne exposicyon beleued agaynste the exposycyons of the olde connynge doctours and sayntes, then may you surely see that none artycle of the Christen fayth, can stonde and endure longe. And then he alleageth .s. Hierome, which sayth, that yf the exposycion of other interpretours, and the consent of the common catholycke churche, were of no more strēgth but that euery mā myght be beleued that coulde brynge some textes of scrypture for hym, expounded as it pleaseth hym selfe, then coulde I (sayth this holy mā) brynge vpe a newe secte also, and saye by scrypture, that no man were a true Christen man, nor a membre of the churche, that keapeth two cootes. And in good fayth (sayth master More) yf that waye were alowed I were able my selfe to fynde out fyftene newe sectes in one fore none.
|Fryth.| ¶ Saynte Peter sayeth that the scripture is not expounded after the appetyte of any pryuate parson, but euē as yt was geuen by the spyrite of God, and not by mānes wyll: so muste yt be declared by the same spiryte. And therfore I wyll not that any mā shalbe beleued, by bryngynge hys owne mynde and fantasye. But yf he wyll be beleued, let hym brynge eyther an other playne texte, which shall expounde the fyrste, or els at the leaste he muste brynge suche a manyfest sentence, as wyll stonde wyth the processe of the scripture. Whye was Saynt Hierome alowed agaynst the determynacyon of the counsell of Meldeley, syth he was alone, and they a greate multytude, but onely because he brought euydent scrypture, which at the tyme of their sentence, none of them remembred ād yet when yt was brought, they coulde not auoyde yt. And lykewyse excepte I brynge euydent scripture which they all shall expounde as I do, I desyre not to be beleued. And where master More sayeth, that in good fayth he were able to fynde out fyftene newe sectes in one fore none, he may thanke GOD that he hathe suche a pregnaunte wytte: But yet I truste he shulde not fynde one (yf there were any parell of dāpnacyō therin) but that we wolde with a playne texte confute yt, which he shulde not be able to avoyde.
|More.| ❧ And ouer this, the very cyrcumstaunces of the places in the Gospell in which our sauyour speaketh of that sacramente, may well make open the defference of hys speache in this matter, and of all the other, and that as he spake all those but in an allegorye, so spake he this, playnely meanynge that he spake of hys very bodye and hys very bloode, besyde all allegoryes. For when our Lorde sayde, he was a very vyne, and when he sayd he was the dore, there was none that harde hym, that any thynge merueled therof. And whye: For because they perceyued well, that he ment not that he was a materyall vyne in dede, nor a dore neyther: But when he sayde that hys fleshe was very meate, and hys bloode very drynke, and that they shulde not be saued but yf they ded eate hys fleshe and drynke hys bloode, then were they all in suche a wonder therof, that they coulde not abyde. And wherfor, but because they perceyued well by hys wordes and hys maner of circumstaunces, that Chryste spake of hys very fleshe and hys very bloode in dede.
|Fryth.| ¶ It is openly knowen and confessed amonge all learned men, that in the |Ioan. 6.| .6. chapytre of Ioan, Christe spake not one worde concernynge the sacrament of hys bodye and bloode (which at that tyme was not yet instytuted) but all that he there spake was of the spyrytuall eatynge ād drynkynge of hys bodye, and bloode, as I haue towched before. And the circumstaunces of this place do in dede proue that they were fleshly mynded, and vnderstoode not the spirytuall wordes of our sauyoure Christ, and therfor wondered and mourmured. In so moche that Christe sayde vnto them, doth this offende you: What wyll ye say then whē ye shall see the sone of man ascendynge thyther where he was before: Thē (addeth S. Austen) you shall knowe that he ment not to geue hys fleshe to eate with your teth: for he shall ascende whole. And Christ addeth, it is the spirite that quyckeneth, the fleshe profyteth nothynge, the wordes that I speake, are spirite ād lyfe: that is to say, sayeth S. Austen, are spirytually to be vnderstonde. And where Christ sayeth, that the fleshe profyteth nothynge (meanynge of hys owne fleshe, as S. Austē sayeth) he meaneth that it profyteth not, as they vnderstoode hym, that is to saye, it profyteth not, if it were eatē. But it doth moche profyte to be slayne, that through it and the shedynge of hys blode, the wrath of God our Father is pacyfyed, ād our synnes forgeuen. And where his mastershyp sayeth that the people perceyued well what he ment, and therfor wōdered so sore ād coulde not abyde, because they perceyued well by hys wordes ād maner of cyrcumstaunces what hys meanynge was. I wyll say as I ded before, that they vnderstoode hym not. Nowe here he wyll saye vnto me, if it be but your naye and my yea, then I wolde thynke to be beleued as soone as you, and surelye that were but reason. Not withstondynge (thankes be to God) I am able to brynge in auctoryte to Iudge betwene vs bothe, whose Iudgemēt I truste hys mastershyp wyll admytte. Thys autoure is .S. Austen which sayeth. |Augusti in sermo ad infan.| Discipuli enim eius qui cum sequebantur expauerunt & exhorruerunt sermonem non intelligentes. That is to saye, his dyscyples whiche folowed hym, were a stoyned, and abhorred hys wordes, ād vnderstoode thē not. And because your mastershype shall not thynke that he over schotte hym selfe, and spake he wyste not what, we shall alledge hym sayenge the same wordes in an other place. |Aug. 54.| Cum diceret. Nisi quis manducauerit carnem .& c. Illi non intelligentes dixerunt ad inuicē. Durus est hic sermo, quis potest eum audire? That is, when Christ sayde, excepte a man eate my fleshe and drynke my bloode, he shall haue no lyfe in hym, they because they vnderstoode hym not, sayde to eche other, this is an harde sayenge, who can heare hym? Thus I truste you wyll geue place (although not to me) yet at the leaste vnto Saynte Austen, and receyue the truth whiche is so playnelye proved.
And where hys mastershyp alleageth this texte for the Sacramente, that excepte they ded eate hys fleshe and drynke hys blode they coulde not be saued, yt seameth that he is fallen in to the erroure of Pope Innocēt, which lykewyse vnderstōdynge this texte vpon the Sacrament (as master More doth) caused yonge chylderne and infantes to receyue the Sacrament, as though they had all bene dampned which dyed and had not receyued it. And of thys Carnall mynde were many mo Byshoppes a greate whyle (as are now the Bohemes, whome he after dysprayseth, and yet expoundeth the texte as they do) but afterward they loked more spirytually vpō the matter and confessed their ignoraunce, as I truste master More wyll. But now wyll I shew you .S. Austens mynde vpō this texte, which shall helpe for the exposycyon of all thys matter. |Augustinus libro 3 de doctrina christiana.| S. Austen in the thyrde boke de doctrina christiana the .16. chapytre, teachynge how we shall knowe the tropes, fygures, allegoryes, and phrases of the scrypture sayeth. Si aūt flagitium aut facinus iubere uidetur, figurata locutio est. Nisi manducaueritis (inqt) carnem filij hominis et biberitis eius sanguinē, non habebitis uitam in uobis. Facinus uel flagitium uidetur iubere. Figura est ergo precipiens passionis dominicæ esse comunicandū et suauiter atque utiliter in memoria recondendum, quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa & uulnerata sit. That is to saye: when so euer the scrypture or Christe seameth to commaunde any fowle or wycked thynge, than muste that texte be taken fyguratyuelye, and that it is a phrase, allegorye, and maner of speakynge, ād muste be vnderstonde spyrytually and not after the letter. Excepte (sayeth Christ) ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke hys bloode ye shall haue no lyfe in you. He seameth (sayeth S. Austen) to cōmaunde a fowle and a wycked thynge. It ys therfore a fygure, commaundyng vs to be partakers of hys passyon, and swetely ād profytablye to prynte in our mynde that hys fleshe was crucyfyed and wounded for vs. This truth (thankes be to God) doth S. Austen declare vnto vs, which thynge besyde the openyng of thys texte agaynst master Mores mynd, doth playnely shew what he thought in the holye wordes of Christes souper. For syth he called yt a fowle and wycked thynge to eate hys fleshe, than may you soone perceyue, that he thought yt ys fowle and as wycked a thynge to eate hys bodye, seynge hys bodye ys fleshe, and then consequently yt shall folowe, that eyther thys worde eate (where Christe sayde take thys and eate yt) muste be taken spirytually, or els that thys sayēge of Christe, thys is my body, muste be fyguratyuely spoken, but this worde, eate, ys taken after the letter (for they ded in dede eate the breade) therfore yt muste neades folowe, that thys sentēce (thys is my bodye) muste be fyguratyuely spoken. Or els ys .S. Austen not to be approued in thys place, which thynge our Byshoppes I thynke, wyll not saye naye.
Besydes that .S. Austen sayeth. |Augustinus in sermone ad infantes.| Quando loquebatur dominus noster Iesus Christus de corpore suo, nisi (inquit) quis manducauerit carnem meam et biberit sanguinè meum, non habebit in se uitam. Caro enim mea uere est cibus, & sanguis meus uere est potus. Intellectus spiritualis credentem saluum facit, quia littera occidit, spiritus est qui uiuificat. That is to saye: when our Lorde Iesus Christe spake of hys bodye, excepte (sayeth he) a man eate my fleshe and drynke my bloode, he shall haue no lyfe in hym selfe, for my fleshe is verye meate, and my bloode is very drynke. The spyrytuall vnderstondynge saueth hym that beleueth, for the letter kylleth, but the spirite quyckeneth. Here may you playnlye perceyue, that thys texte muste onely be taken spyrituallye. For he sayeth, that to take it after the letter it kylleth and profyteth nothynge at all, & therfor I wonder that we haue bene ledde so longe in this grosse erroure.
|Orig. in leuiti. homi .7.| This sayenge doth that famous clarke Origene, confyrme sayēg. Agnosce, figuræ sunt que in uoluminibus Domini scriptæ sunt: & ideo tanquā spirituales & non tanquam carnales, examinate & intelligite quæ dicuntur. Si enim secundum litteram sequaris hoc ipsum quod dictum est, Nisi manducaueritis carnē &c. Occidit hæc littera. That is to saye: Marke that they are fygures which are wrytē in the scrypture of God. And therfore examyne them as spyrytuall men and not as Carnall, ād vnderstonde those thynges that are spoken. For if thou folowe after the letter, this thynge that is spokē: excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sone of man and drynke hys bloode, you cā haue no lyfe in you, this letter kylleth. Alas deare bretherne why shulde any mā be offended with thys doctryne, seynge it is approued so playnelye, by suche auncyent and holy Fathers.