An apology or answer in defence of the Church of England with a brief…An apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe…

We affirm that bread and wine are holy and heavenly mysteries of the body & blood of Christ, & that by them Christ himself being the true bread of eternal life, •s so presently given unto us, as that by faith we verily receive his body and his blood. Yet say we not this so, as though we thought that the nature of bread and wine is clearly changed and goeth to nothing, as many have dreamed in these later times, which yet could never agree among themself of this their dream. For it was not Christs meaning that the wheaten bread should lay apart his own nature, & receive a certain new divinity, but that he might rather change us (& to use Theophilactus words) might transform us into his body.¹ For what can he said more plainly then that which Ambrose saith,² Bread & wine remain still the same they were before, & yet are changed unto an other thing: or that which Gelasius saith, the substance of the bread, or the nature of the wine, ceaseth not so to be: or that which ⟨image 31⟩Theodorete saith, After the consecration, the mystical signs do not cast of their own proper nature:³ for they remain still in their former substance, form and kind.⁴ Or that which Augustine saith, That which ye see is the bread and Cup, and so our eyes tell us, but that which your faith requireth to be taught is this, The bread is the body of Christ, & the Cup is his blood. Or that which Origene saith:⁵ Bread which is sanctified by the word of God, as touching the material substance thereof, goeth into the belly and is cast out into the privy. Or that which Christ him self said, not only after the blessing of the cup, but after he had ministered the Communion: I will drink no more of this fruit of the vine. It is well known that the fruit of the vine is wine, and not blood.

We affirme that breade and wine are holy and heauenly mysteries of the bodie & bloud of Christ, & that by them Christ himselfe being ye tru bread of eternal life, s so presently giuen vnto vs, as that by faith we verely receaue his body and his bloud. Yet say we not this so, as though we thought that the nature of bread and wine is clearly changed and goeth to nothing, as many haue dreamed in these later times, which yet could neuer agree among themself of this their dreame. For yt was not Christes meaning yt the wheaen bread should laye apart his owne nature, & receaue a certain new diuinitie, but yt he might rather chaunge vs (& to vse Theophilactus woordes) might transforme vs into his bodie.