A04458:44
An apology, or answer in defence of the Church of England concerning the state…An apologie, or aunswer in defence of the Church of England concerninge the state…
An apology, or answer in defence of the Church of England concerning the state of religion used in the same. Newly set forth in Latin, and now translated into English.An apologie, or aunswer in defence of the Church of England concerninge the state of religion vsed in the same. Newly set forth in Latin, and nowe translated into Englishe.
Londini: printed by Reginald Wolf, 1562
The Apology of the Church of England.The Apologie of the Churche of Englande.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
We do acknowledge the Lords supper to be a sacrament:1 that is to say, an apparent symbol & sign of the body and blood of Christ, wherein is set after a manner before our eis the death of Christ and his Resurrection, and whatsoever he did here in his humane body, to the intent we should give thanks for his death and our deliverance, & that by often resorting unto the sacraments, we should continually renew the remembrance thereof: that we might be fed with the true body and blood of Christ to the hope of resurrection and of life everla[…] that we might be most assured, that the body & […] Christ is the same thing towards the nourishing […] our souls, that bread & wine is in the feeding of our bodies. Unto this banquet ought all the people to be bidden, ⟨image 15⟩that altogether might be partakers one with an other, and might yield an open signification and testimony of the fellowship they have amongest them self, and of that same hope which they have in Christ Jesus. Wherefore in case there were any that would only be a looker on, & abstain from the holy communion, such the old fathers, and the Bishops of Rome in the first age of the Church before that private masses came up,2 did excommunicate as a wicked and a Heathen man: neither was there any Christian man in those days that toke upon him,3 whiles other men gazed on, to communicate alone. Such a decree Calixtus in time paste did make,4 that after the consecration, all should communicate, unless they had rather stand without the Church doors: for so saith he, hath the Apostles ordained,5 & the holy Church of Rome doth hold. Unto the people also what time they come to the holy communion, we say both the parts of the sacrament ought to be given: for so Christ commanded it,6 and the Apostles in all places did ordain it: and all the old fathers and catholic Bishops did follow it. And that if any man do the contrary, he committeth (as Gelasius saith) sacrilege: