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.…

Besides this also remaineth yet another try••ing toy of most vain distinction, to wit:¹ Of the Sacrament, and not the thing:¹ Of the Sacrament and the thing:² Of the thing and not the Sacrament.³ Of which division there is not one member so much that is not altogether rotten. First whereas he placeth the Sacrament in certain empty and Metaphysical forms removed from the thing it self, therein he doeth no more digress from all conveniency of reason, and the judgement of the ancient fathers, than most blockishly vary from himself. For discoursing a little erst of the nature of a Sacrament, he affirmed that it ought to be of such efficacy, as might be able to refresh the bodies of them that did receive it. But these fantastical forms removed from the things, do not refresh the body. Ergo they be not the Sacrament in any respect. Again, whereas he sayeth that these visible kinds be the Sacrament only, yea and a Sacrament also of a double thing: because they signify both, and do carry an express likeness of both: this is also of both parts false. For first the thing that is neither bread nor the body, nor a thing, but a Sacrament of a thing only: not a creature, but the accident of a creature, nor is any substance at all, how can it possibly be, that the same thing which is not any thing at all, may seem to be a Sacrament of some one thing, and of some substance,⁵ yea and that also of a double thing? Or what kind of likeness at the length may there seem to be betwixt these monstrous forms, and the body of Christ, either natural or mystical, in the one whereof we do receive nourishment? in the other unity: sithence in forms there is neither any power to refresh body or soul, nor any union or knit ting ⟨image 96⟩together of parts and members? Moreover wher• as the same Lombard doeth affirm that the natural flesh of Christ is the Sacrament of Ecclesiastical union: how will he agree with himself.