The Pope confuted The holy and apostolic Church confuting the Pope. The first action.…The Pope confuted The holy and apostolique Church confuting the Pope. The first action.…

But we so join together both the sacred bread and Christ himself in the holy Supper, that the presence and eating of Christ be spiritual: but the presence and eating of the bread be corporal: and that this one may be digested outwardly by the mouth, and that other conceived inwardly and, spiritually, in the soul. But here again as many times else I do hear some of our jangling adversaries whispering against us. What? say they, did not Christ say, That this was his body? so he said in deed: and what then? Therefore it can not be, but as Christ spake that it should be. In deed he said that it was his body: yet did he not make it his body: neither did he speak here, Let this be made my body, as he spake in Genesis, Let there be light, and light was made: Which kind of speech he would have used questionless, if he had ever imagined any such transubstantiation as these men do dream upon. But now using only the word not of Creating nor changing, but of denomination only, he did report unto them that it was his body, but did not command it too be made his body, nor enjoined them too believe any miracle here, but only to ear in remembrance of him.¹ We! then, will you say, if he did affirm it too be his body, wil• thou deny it? or wilt thou condemn Christ for a Liar? ⟨image 81⟩Good words, I pray you good sir: nay rather in deed I do with Christ him self boldly affirm it to be th• self same thing:² even the body of Christ, after the same manner forsooth as himself did affirm it and understood it. But after what manner he took it, can you be so senseless as not to conceive when you hear Christ him self Interpreter of his own speech? Flesh• (saith he) doth not profit at all, my words be spirit, and life. And doest thou cruel Cannibal conceive and eat nought else but the ³flesh of of Christ? nor wilt thou permit one crumb so much of bread to remain, because it is called the body of Christ? But how many things do we hear daily called by this or that name, when as in very deed they be not made the things whereof they bear the names? When the Disciple whom Jesus loved was by Christs own mouth, called the son of Mary: yet will no man be so witless, as to confess him to be the natural son of the Virgin Mary. So also the Prophet doth call flesh a flower of the elde: