A Golden Chain

The third point is, in what manner Christ is given unto us. Ans. God the father giveth Christ unto his Church not in any earthly or bodily manner, as when a king bestoweth a gift with his own hand, and putteth it into the hand of his subject: but the manner is altogether celestial and spiritual: partly because it is brought to pass by the mere divine operation of the holy Ghost: & partly because in respect of us, this gift is received by an instrument which is supernatural, namely, faith, whereby we lay hold on, and apply unto our selves the Evangelical promises. And this manner of giving may be conceived thus. A man that never stirred foot out of England holds and enjoys land in Turkey: but how comes it to be his? Thus: the Emperor was willing and content to bestow it; and the man for his part as willing to accept and receive it: and by this means that which at the first was the Emperors, by mutual consent becomes the mans. In the same manner God the Father hath made an Evangelical covenant with his Church: in which of his mercy he hath made a grant of his own son unto us, with righteousness and life everlasting in him: and we again by his grace accept of this grant and receive the same by faith: & thus by mutual consent according to the tenor of the covenant, any repentant sinner may truly say, though I now have mine abode upon earth, and Christ in respect of his manhood be locally in heaven; yet is he truly mine to have and to enjoy, his body is mine, his blood is mine. As for the giving & receiving of the body & blood of Christ in bodily manner (which the Papists maintain in avouching the real transubstantiation of bread and wine in the sacrament into the body and blood of Christ, and the Lutherans also in teaching that his body and blood is substantially either in, or with, or under the bread and wine) is an erroneous conceit flat opposite to sundry points of the Christian faith. For Christ to this very hour retaineth still the essence and essential properties of a true body, and we believe that really and visibly he ascended into heaven, and there abides till his second coming to the last judgement: who then having but common reason would imagine a communication of the body of Christ pent up in the element of bread, and conveyed into our bodies by the mouth and stomach.

The third point is, in what manner Christ is giuen vnto vs. Ans. God the father giueth Christ vnto his Church not in any earthly or bodily manner, as when a king bestoweth a gift with his owne hand, and putteth it into the hand of his subiect: but the manner is altogether celestiall and spirituall: partly because it is brought to passe by the meere diuine operation of the holy Ghost: & partly because in respect of vs, this gift is receiued by an instrument which is supernaturall, namely, faith, whereby we lay hold on, and applie vnto our selues the Euangelicall promises. And this manner of giuing may be conceiued thus. A man that neuer stirred foote out of England holds and enioyes land in Turkie: but how comes it to be his? Thus: the Emperour was willing and content to bestow it; and the man for his part as willing to accept and receiue it: and by this meanes that which at the first was the Emperours, by mutuall consent becomes the mans. In the same manner God the Father hath made an Euangelicall couenant with his Church: in which of his mercie he hath made a graunt of his owne sonne vnto vs, with righteousnesse and life euerlasting in him: and we againe by his grace accept of this graunt and receiue the same by faith: & thus by mutuall consent according to the tenour of the couenant, any repentant sinner may truly say, though I now haue mine aboad vpon earth, and Christ in respect of his manhood be locally in heauen; yet is he truly mine to haue and to enioy, his bodie is mine, his blood is mine. As for the giuing & receiuing of the bodie & blood of Christ in bodily manner (which the Papists maintaine in auouching the reall transubstantiation of bread and wine in the sacrament into the bodie and blood of Christ, and the Lutherans also in teaching that his bodie and blood is substantially either in, or with, or vnder the bread and wine) is an erroneous conceit flat opposite to sundrie points of the Cbristian faith. For Christ to this very houre retaineth still the essence and essentiall properties of a true bodie, and we beleeue that really and visibly he ascended into heauen, and there abides till his second comming to the last iudgement: who then hauing but common reason would imagine a communication of the bodie of Christ pent vp in the element of bread, and conueyed into our bodies by the mouth and stomacke.