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…

Again,¹ thou hast an obligation in thy hand, and I ask thee what hast thou there? and thou sayest, I have here an hundred pounds: why (say I) there is nothing but paper, ink, and wax: Oh, but by this (sayest thou) I will recover an hundred pounds, and that is as good. So beloved, this is as good, that under these signs, you receive the virtue of Christs body and blood by faith, as if you did eat his body, and drink his blood indeed, which is horrible to think that any ⟨p. 105⟩should devour their God, thinking thereby to worship him: never any heretic, nor Idolater, conceived so grossly of their god before the Papist. We read of a people which did eat men, but never of any people which did eat their God.

Againe,¹ thou hast an obligation in thy hand, and I aske thee what hast thou there? and thou sayest, I haue here an hundred pounds: why (say I) there is nothing but paper, inke, and waxe: Oh, but by this (sayest thou) I wil recouer an hundreth pounds, and that is as good. So beloued, this is as good, that vnder these signes, you receiue the vertue of Christs body and blood by faith, as if you did eate his bodie, and drinke his blood indeede, which is horrible to thinke that any ⟨p. 105⟩should deuour their God, thinking thereby to worship him: neuer any heretike, nor Idolater, conceiued so grosly of their god before the Papist. We reade of a people which did eate men, but neuer of any people which did eat their God.

1. 1Another similitude.

All the Apostles say, that it was needful that Christ should take our flesh: but no Apostle saith, that it is needful that we should take Christs flesh; for all the blessings of Christ are apprehended by faith, & nothing is fit to apprehend him whom we see not, but faith: and therefore one of their own pillars said,