A Golden Chain

Reason III. Transubstantiation overturns the very supper of the Lord. For in every sacrament there must be a sign, a thing signified, and a proportion or relation between them both. But popish real presence takes all away: for when the bread is really turned into Christs body, and the wine into his blood, then the sign is abolished, and there remains nothing but the outward forms or appearance of bread and wine. Again, it abolisheth the ends of the sacrament, whereof one is to remember Christ till his coming again, who being present in the sacrament bodily, needs not to be remembered: because helps of remembrance are of things absent. Another end is to nourish the soul unto eternal life: but by transubstantiation ⟨p. 969⟩the principal feeding is of the body and not of the soul, which is only fed with spiritual food: for though the body may be bettered by the food of the soul, yet can not the soul be fed with bodily food.

Reason III. Transubstantiation ouerturnes the very supper of the Lord. For in euery sacrament there must be a signe, a thing signified, and a proportion or relation betweene them both. But popish reall presence takes al away: for when the bread is really turned into Christs bodie, and the wine into his bloode, then the signe is abolished, and there remaines nothing but the outwarde formes or appearance of breade and wine. Againe, it abolisheth the endes of the sacrament, whereof one is to remember Christ till his comming againe, who beeing present in the sacrament bodily, needes not to bee remembred: because helpes of remembrance are of things absent. Another ende is to nourish the soule vnto eternall life: but by transubstantiation ⟨p. 969⟩the principall feeding is of the bodie and not of the soule, which is onely fed with spirituall foode: for though the bodie may be bettered by the food of the soule, yet can not the soule be fedde with bodily foode.

Reason IV. In the sacrament the body of Christ is received as it was crucified, & his blood as it was shed upon the cross: but now at this time Christs body crucified, remains still as a body, but not as a body crucified; because the act of crucifying is ceased. Therefore it is faith alone, that makes Christ crucified to be present unto us in the sacrament. Again, that blood which ran out of the feet and hands and side of Christ upon the cross, was not gathered up again and put into the veins: nay, the collection was needles, because after the resurrection, he lived no more a natural but a spiritual life: & none knows what is become of this blood. The Papist therefore can not say it is present under the form of wine locally: and we may better say it is received spiritually by faith, whose property is to give a being to things which are not.