Of the like beginning came up the error of those which esteemed & thought ye he, which after that he was baptised, & having once received the supper, could never be damned, or at the least, should be once delivered from damnation, because that Jesus Christ hath said: I am that living bread that came down from heaven: if 1any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. ⟨image 241⟩They urge upon the letter, & said that Jesus Christ could not lye, which hath promised the same. Yet nevertheless Saint Augustine rebuketh & confuteth their error. Behold 2y• absurdities into which men do fall for fault of well examining the Scriptures, & when they do take them according to the rigour of the letter. For whosoever will, according to the opinion which the Papists have of the Sacrament of the alter, take literally y• which Jesus Christ said of eating of his flesh & drinking his blood, there is no doubt, but that we shall be constrained to confess, that all those which have once taken the supper, are all saved: and y• all those which shall not once receive it, are all damned. And so it shall be no less requisite to give y• supper unto the young children & to give power unto women to give it them, then y• baptism: they y• would take the words & those matters by y• rigour. And therefore for to return to the place by thee alleged, by the absurdities which should follow of thy exposition, the which do repugn against the grace of Jesus Christ, as I have declared unto thee, thou mayest well know, that we must not understand that place after that manner, as thou doest expound it. For Jesus Christ speaketh not in that place there of visible baptism, nor of his institution: 3But speaketh of the regeneration of man: and showeth what thing he must have for to be a Christian, to wit, that it is necessary, that he do renounce & forsake his first generation & nativity, which is altogether corrupted and cursed, and that he be regenerated by the spirit of God, and 4through the incorruptible seed of his word, insomuch that he is made a new creature, bearing the Image of Jesus Christ, the true celestial Adam, even as he hath borne that of the old and terrestrial Adam. And therefore 5hath he said: Except a man be borne from above or a new, be cannot see the kingdom of God.
Of the like beginning came vp the error of those which estéemed & thought ye he, which after yt he was baptised, & hauing once receiued ye supper, could neuer be damned, or at the least, should be once delyuered from damnation, bicause that Iesus Christ hath said: I am that liuing bread that came downe from heauen: if 1anyman eate of this bread, hée shall liue for euer. ⟨image 241⟩They vrge vpon the letter, & said that Iesus Christ could not lye, which hath promised the same. Yet neuertheles Sainct Augustine rebuketh & confuteth their errour. Beholde 2y• absurdities into which men do fall for fault of wel examining the Scriptures, & when they doe take them according to the rigor of the letter. For whosoeuer wil, according to the opinion which the Papistes haue of the Sacrament of the alter, take litterally y• which Iesus Christ said of eating of his flesh & drinking his bloud, there is no doubt, but that we shall be constrayned to confesse, that all those which haue once taken the supper, are all saued: and y• all those which shall not once receiue it, are all damned. And so it shalbe no lesse requisite to giue y• supper vnto the young childrē & to giue power vnto womē to giue it them, then y• baptisme: they y• would take the words & those matters by y• rigor. And therfore for to retourne to the place by thée alledged, by the absurdities which should follow of thy expositiō, the which do repugne against the grace of Iesus Christ, as I haue declared vnto thee, thou maist wel know, that we must not vnderstand that place after that manner, as thou doest expounde it. For Iesus Christ speaketh not in that place there of visible baptisme, nor of his institution: 3But speaketh of the regeneration of man: and sheweth what thing he must haue for to be a Christian, to wit, that it is necessary, that he doe renounce & forsake his first generation & natiuitie, which is altogether corrupted and cursed, and that he be regenerated by the spirit of God, and 4thorowe the incorruptible séede of his woorde, insomuch that he is made a newe creature, bearinge the Image of Iesus Christ, the true celestiall Adam, euen as hée hath borne that of the olde and terrestriall Adam. And therefore
- 1John. 6. f. 5Iohn. 6. f. 5
- 2Aug. li. 21. de cius. Dei Error about the Supper
- 3Regeneration Exposition of the place of saint John 3Regeneration Exposition of the place of saint Iohn 3
- 41. Peter. 1. d. 23 2. Cor. d. 17 1. Cor. 15. f. 45
- 5John. 3. 2. 3Iohn. 3. 2. 3
