M. Harding saith, These words, This is my Body, must needs be taken without Metaphor, Trope, or Figure, even as the plain letter lieth, and none otherwise. So saith M. Harding only upon his own credit. But the old Catholic Doctors of the Church, of whom (he saith) he hath such store, say not so. S. Augustine, S. Ambrose, S. Hierome, S. Chrysostom, S. Basil, Tertullian, and others call the Sacrament a Figure, a Token, a Sign, an Example, an ⟨p. 326⟩Image,1 a Similitude, a Remembrance: as hereafter, God willing, shall be showed more at large upon better occasion, in an Article specially touching the same. Even Duns him self, with sundry others of that side, saw, that following the very bare Letter, we must needs say, That the Bread it self is Christs Body. For so the words stand. This (Bread) is my Body: which were a great inconvenience, and a repugnance in Nature. For salving whereof, they are driven to say, That Christ,2 when he pointed to the Bread, & said, This, meant not, This Bread, but, as they call it, Individuum vagum, Which is one certain thing in general: but what one thing, they cannot tell: but sure they be, it was no Breade. Est, 3they expounde, Erit, 4that is to say, This shall be: Againe, Erit, hoc est, transubstantiabitur, that is, The Substance of th•s uncertain General one thing, that no man knoweth, shall be changed into the Substance of my Body. Is given, 5They expound, shall be given: Is broken, they expound,6 shall be broken: Do ye this, they expound, Sacrifice ye this. This Bread, they expound thus,7 This, that was Bread. And, where as these Verbs stand together in order,8 and Construction, and rule all one Case, Accepit, Benedixit, Fregit, dedit:9 He took, He Blessed, He Brake, He gave: They are fain to shift it thus: He took the Bread:10 He blessed it away, and in place of it put an other substance: He Brake the Accidents,11 or Shows of Bread: He Gave his Body. Upon these few words of Christ, thus many Figures have they imagined:12 and besides these, a great many moe: as in place more convenient it shall be declared: Yet saith M. Harding, These words of Christ must of fine force be taken even according to the order, & Nature of the bare letter. And this, he saith, is sufficient to the humble believer. Howbeit, Christian humility standeth not in error,13 but in trueth: And S.
M. Harding saith, These woordes, This is my Body, must néedes be taken without Metaphore, Trope, or Figure, euen as the plaine letter lieth, and none otherwise. So saith M. Hardinge onely vpon his owne credite. But the olde Catholique Doctours of the Churche, of whom (he saith) he hath suche stoare, say not so. S. Augustine, S. Ambrose, S. Hierome, S. Chrysostome, S. Basile, Tertullian, and others cal the Sacrament a Figure, a Token, a Signe, an Example, an ⟨p. 326⟩Image,1 a Similitude, a Remembrance: as hereafter, God willinge, shalbe shewed more at large vpon better occasion, in an Article specially touchinge the same. Euen Duns him selfe, with sundrie others of that side, sawe, that folowinge the very bare Letter, we must needes saie, That the Breade it selfe is Christes Bodie. For so the woordes stande. This (Breade) is my Bodie: whiche were a greate inconuenience, and a repugnance in Nature. For saluinge whereof, they are driuen to saie, That Christ,2 when he pointed to the Breade, & said, This, meante not, This Breade, but, as they cal it, Indiuiduum vagum, Whiche is one certaine thinge in general: but what one thinge, they cannot tel: but sure they be, it was no Breade. Est, 3they expounde, Erit, 4that is to saie, This shalbe: Againe, Erit, hoc est, transubstantiabitur, that is, The Substance of th•s vncertaine General one thinge, that noman knoweth, shalbe chaunged into the Substance of my Bodie. Is giuen, 5They expounde, shalbe geuen: Is broakē, they expounde,6 shalbe broaken: Do ye this, they expounde, Sacrifice ye this. This Breade, they expounde thus,7 This, that was Breade. And, where as these Uerbes stande togeather in order,8 and Construction, and rule al one Case, Accepit, Benedixit, Fregit, dedit:9
- 1According to the letter.Accordinge to the letter.
- 2Hoc.
- 3Est.
- 4Erit.
- 5Traditu•.
- 6Frangitur.
- 7Facite.
- 8Panis.
- 9Accepit,
- 10Benedixit,
- 11Fregit,
- 12Dedit.
- 13August. de Doctrina Christiana. li. 3. ca. 5.
