Therefore the estate of this Sacrament doth require that the Sacrament it self, and the thing of the Sacrament also be both of this na••re to comfort & to nourish:1 for otherwise how can the thin• significant agree with the thing signified, unless •he nourishment of the one be answerable too the nourishment of the other? Now this is without all question, that nothing can nourish unless it b•• first eaten. Wherefore as there be two things that •oe nourish, so must there be two things that must b•e eaten. In the one whereof is the Sacrament of the body: in the other the very thing it self is delivered: namely, the passion of his natural body: And as they both nourish, so they must both be eaten. The bread feedeth: the flesh of Christ crucified feedeth: but after an other manner. The bread feedeth corporally, the flesh feedeth spiritually. That one, the natural body: this other, the spiritual part of the soul: the bread feedeth this present life, the flesh feedeth unto the everlasting life to come. For as the life of the body doth grow & increase by daily bread and food, even so the spiritual life is preserved by the passion of Christ. Which the Lord himself foreseeing before, did utter these words of himself not without great consideration: My flesh is meat indeed, my blood is drink in deed, giving us to understand, that by blood he did mean the bloody Sacrifice of his own flesh. Therefore as there is two kinds of mans life: To wit, earthly and heavenly: so have they both their proper food. The earthly life is preserved with food and bread: the heavenly life is obtained with the death of Christ. And for this cause nothing could ⟨p. 85⟩have been more *commodiously handled, then that the Lord should deliver the bread and wine for a memorial of his passion,3 because of the agreeable application of the mutual resemblance.
Therefore the estate of this Sacrament doth require that the Sacrament it selfe, and the thing of the Sacrament als• be both of this na••re to comfort & to nourish:1 for otherwise howe can the thin• significant agree with the thing signified, vnlesse •he nourishment of the one bee answerable too the nourishment of the other? Now this is without al question, that nothing can nourishe vnlesse it b•• first eaten. Wherefore as there bee twoo thinges that •oe nourishe, so must there be two thinges that muste b•e eaten. In the one whereof is the Sacrament of the body: in the other the verye thing it selfe is deliuered: namely, the passion of his naturall body: And as they both nourishe, so they muste both bee eaten. The bread feedeth: the flesh of Christ crucif•ed feedeth: but after an other maner. The bread feedeth corporally, the fleshe feedeth spiritually. That one, the naturall body: this other, the spiritual part of the soule: the bread feedeth this present lyfe, the fleshe feedeth vnto the euerlasting life to come. For as the life of the bodie doth growe & encrease by dayly bread and foode, euen so the spirituall life is preserued by the passion of Christ. Which the Lord himselfe foreseeing before, did vtter these woordes of himselfe not without great consideration: My fleshe is meate indeede, my blood is drinke in deed, geuing vs to vnderstande, that by blood hee did meane the blooddy Sacrifice of his owne flesh. Therfore as there is two kinds of mans life: To wit, earthly and heauenly: so haue they both theyr proper foode. The earthly life is preserued with foode and bread: the heauenly life is obteined with the death of Christ. And for this cause nothing c•ulde ⟨p. 85⟩haue beene more *commodiously handled, then that the Lorde shoulde deliuer the bread and wine for a memorial of his passion,3 because of the agreable application of the mutuall resemblaunce.
- 1There be two things that be eaten in the Lords supper, the one corporally, the other spiritually.There bee two things that bee eaten in the Lordes supper, the one corporally, the other spiritually.
- *Rabanus Maurus.
- 3The natural bread may conveniently be called the body of Christ, because it doeth comfort the heart.The naturall bread maye conueniently bee called the body of Christ, because it doeth comfort the hearte.
