Theophilus. That is not meant that the flesh of Jesus Christ doth not profit any thing the faithful, sith y• he himself calleth it the bread which came down from heaven, without which we cannot have life, nourishment, nor salvation. But the carnal sense and understanding of his words, and such intelligence as the Capernaites, ⟨image 56⟩and hearers that were offended had, is the flesh eaten in such sort as they understand it. For when we shall have the very flesh of Jesus Christ in our mouth, and that we do crash it with our teeth, and digest it in our stomach, it profiteth us no more then to Judas to have kissed him, and to the hangmen to have touched him, yea, to be sprinkled in his blood, and to have had his garments. For Jesus Christ doth profit nothing being known after the flesh, except he be known through faith, by the which he filleth and satisfieth us also with his flesh and blood. Therefore it is not needful that he descend from heaven, nor y• he remove from place to place, for to feed us in that manner with his flesh and blood, 1and for to be present with us and in the middest of us. For he dwelleth in our hearts by faith, and liveth in us, and quickeneth us by his holy spirit. Wherefore he calleth 2not the faithful, his sepulchre, but the temple of the living God. For he is not dead in the hearts of the faithful, but liveth there and the faithful by him. Even as then the sun is present with us, although it descend not from heaven into the earth, and maketh us to feel his virtue and power, it illuminateth us, and through his heat and brightness nourisheth and quickeneth both man and beasts, better then if it were here in earth with us: even so Jesus Christ, that great sun of righteousness through his divine power and virtue of his holy spirit, doth give unto our souls and bodies his flesh and his blood, and doth nourish and fill us and maketh us to feel the virtue and efficacy of his death and passion, and of his body and blood, that he hath given for us, better then if we did eat his flesh with our teeth and there did devour and swallow it in with his blood in our stomach:
Theophilus. That is not ment that the fleshe of Iesus Christ doth not profite any thing the faithful, sith y• he himselfe calleth it the bread which came downe from heauen, without which we cannot haue life, nourishment, nor saluation. But the carnall sence and vnderstandinge of hys woordes, and suche intelligence as the Cape•naites, ⟨image 56⟩and hearers that were offended had, is the fleshe eaten in such sorte as they vnderstande it. For when wée shall haue the very fleshe of Iesus Christ in our mouth, and that wée doe crashe it wyth our téeth, and disgest it in our stomack, it profiteth vs no more then to Iudas to haue kissed him, and to the hangmen to haue touched him, yea, to bée sprinckled in hys bloude, and to haue had his garmentes. For Iesus Christ doth profite nothinge béeing knowen after the flesh, except he be knowen through fayth, by the whiche hée filleth and satisfieth vs also wyth his fleshe and bloude. Therefore it is not néedefull that he discende from heauen, nor y• he remoue frō place to place, for to feede vs in that manner wyth his fleshe and bloude, 1and for to bée present wyth vs and in the middest of vs. For he dwelleth in our heartes by fayth, and lyueth in vs, and quickeneth vs by his holy spirit. Wherfore he calleth 2not the faythfull, hys sepulchre, but the temple of the liuing God. For hée is not deade in the heartes of the faythfull, but lyueth there and the faythfull by hym. Euen as then the sunne is present wyth vs, althoughe it descende not from heauen into the earth, and maketh vs to féele hys vertue and power, it illuminateth vs, and through his heate and brightnesse nourisheth and quickeneth both man and beastes, better then if it were héere in earth with vs: euen so Iesus Christ, that greate sonne of righteousnesse through his diuine power and vertue of his holye spirite, doth gyue vnto our soules and bodyes hys flesh and his bloude, and doth nourishe and fill vs and maketh vs to feele the vertue and efficacie of his death and passion, and of his body and bloude, that hée hath gyuen for vs, better then if we did eate his flesh with our téeth and there dyd deuoure and swallow it in wyth his bloud in our stomacke:
- 1The presence of Jesus christThe presence of Iesus christ
- 2Ephe. 3. c. 17 Rom. 8. b. 1• The Temple of God. 1. Cor. 6. d. 19 2. Cor. 6. d. 16.
