Archbishop. And the Archbishop said to me, "It is sooth, that this Sacrament is very Christ's body in form of bread: but thou and thy sect teachest it to be the substance of bread! Think you this true teaching?"
William. And I said, "Neither I nor any other of the sect that ye damn [condemn], teach any otherwise than I have told you, nor believe otherwise, to my knowing.
St. Paul, a Doctor of Holy Church.
"Nevertheless, Sir, I ask of you, for charity! that will ye tell me plainly, how ye shall understand this text of Saint Paul, where he saith thus, This thing feel you in yourselves, that is, in Christ Jesu, while he was in the form of GOD. Sir, calleth not Paul here, the form of GOD, the substance or kind of GOD? Also, Sir, saith not the Church, in the Hours of the most blessed Virgin, accordingly hereto, where it is written thus, Thou Author of Health! remember that some time thou took, of the undefiled Virgin, the form of our body! Tell me, for charity! therefore, Whether the form of our body be called here, the kind of our body, or no?"
Archbishop. And the Archbishop said to me, "Wouldst thou make me declare this text after thy purpose, since the Church hath now determined that 'there abideth no substance of bread after the consecration in the Sacrament of the Altar!' Believest thou not, on this Ordinance of the Church?"
William. And I said, "Sir, whatsoever Prelates have ordained in the Church, our Belief standeth ever whole. I have not heard that the ordinance of men under Belief, should be put into Belief."
Archbishop. And the Archbishop said to me, "If thou hast not learned this before, learn now, to know that thou art out of belief, if, in this matter, and others, thou believest not as Holy Church believeth! What say Doctors treating of this Sacrament?"
The Faith of the Church for 1,000 years.
William. And I said, "Sir, Saint Paul, that was a great Doctor of Holy Church, speaking to the people and teaching the right belief of this most holy Sacrament, calleth it bread that we break. And also in the Canon of the Masse, after the consecration, this most worthy Sacrament is called holy bread. And every priest in this land, after he hath received this Sacrament, saith to this wise, That thing which we have taken with our mouth, we pray GOD, that we may take it with a pure and clean mind: that is, as I understand, 'We pray GOD, that we may receive, through very belief, this holy Sacrament worthily.' And, Sir, Saint Augustine saith, That thing that is sense is bread, but that men's faith asketh to be informed of, is very Christ's body. And also Fulgentius, an ententif Doctor, saith, As it were an error to say that Christ was but a substance, that is Very Man and not Very GOD, or to say that Christ was Very GOD and not Very Man; so is it, this Doctor saith, an error to say that the Sacrament of the Altar is but a substance. And also, Sir, accordingly hereto, in the Secret of the mid-Mass of Christmas day, it is written thus, Idem refulsit DEUS, sic terrena substantia nobis conferat quod divinum est; which sentence, with the Secret of the fourth ferye quatuor temporum Septembris, I pray you, Sir, declare here openly in English!"
Archbishop. And the Archbishop said to me, "I perceive well enough whereabout thou art! and how the Devil blindeth thee, that thou maist not understand the ordinance of Holy Church, nor consent thereto! But I command thee now, answer me shortly, 'Believest thou that, after the consecration of this foresaid Sacrament, there abideth substance of bread or not?'"