A12406:279
The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…
The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his corrected copies in his life time.
London: printed by Richard Field for Thomas Man, 1593
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
If every Sacrament was called by the thing which it signified, and yet never any Sacrament was taken for the thing it self; what reason have they to take this Sacrament for the thing it self, more than all the rest? It is the consent of all Writers, that a Sacrament is a sign, therefore not the thing signified: no more than the bush at the door is the wine in the seller. If I call the Prince a Phoenix, the University a Fountain, the Court a Peacock, the City a Sea, the Country an Hermite: why, can the Papists understand me, and not understand Christ?
If euerie Sacrament was called by the thing which it signified, and yet neuer anie Sacrament was taken for the thing it selfe; what reason haue they to take this Sacrament for the thing it selfe, more than all the rest? It is the consent of all Writers, that a Sacrament is a signe, therefore not the thing signified: no more than the bush at the doore is the wine in the seller. If I call the Prince a Phoenix, the Vniuersitie a Fountaine, the Court a Peacocke, the Cittie a Sea, the Countrey an Hermite: why, can the Papistes vnderstand mee, and not vnderstand Christ?
What a dark, and strange, and intricate, and incredible speech had this been for them to understand grossly, and literally? Would they think, that they did eat Christs body, when his body stood before them, and he had told them before that his body was like their body? Nay, this would have required moe words, and made them come again; with Master, 1what is the meaning? for they were not so instructed yet before the resurrection, to believe every thing without questioning, if it were contrary to sense and reason: but as they asked, who had given him any meat, when he said that he had meat,2 & they could see none: so they would have asked, what meat is this which we see not? How can every one of us eat his body, & yet he hath but one body, & that body is whole when we eat it? Lo, he standeth before us & saith, that his body is like unto ours, & yet he takes bread & breaks it, & gives it unto us to eat, & when we eat it,