A15857:419
H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which now at length being 70. years…H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which novve at length being 70. yeares…
H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which now at length being 70. years of age, he caused to be published in the name of himself & his family. Englished in sense agreeable, and in words as answerable to his own latin copy, as in so grave a mans work is requisite: for the profit of all the unlearneder sort, of English christians, that desire to know his judgement in matters of faith.H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which novve at length being 70. yeares of age, he caused to bee published in the name of himselfe & his family. Englished in sense agreeable, and in words as answerable to his ovvne latine copie, as in so graue a mans worke is requisite: for the profite of all the vnlearneder sort, of English christians, that desire to know his iudgement in matters of faith.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1599Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1599
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.
XI. The true body of Christ is eaten only by faith.
XI. The true body of Christ is eaten onely by faith.
Seeing then, we say that the true body of Christ is received only of the faithful, both sacramentally, and also truly: we mean that it is eaten, not with the mouth of the body, but the mouth of the mind and with a heart endued with faith: & that by means of the holy ghost, which worketh in us, and applieth whole Christ unto us. For it is the meat of the mind (saith Cyprian) not of the belly. And, 1The flesh profiteth nothing (as Christ saith, and Augustine expoundeth) but it is the spirit which quickeneth. And the Apostle teacheth, 2By one spirit we are all baptized into one body, and have bin all made to drink into one spirit. And if that all true conjunction with Christ be through the holy ghost, though he with his body do remain in heaven, and we upon the earth: it followeth, that this eating must be after the same sort. For what else is it to eat, then to receive & unite unto thee meat for the nourishment of that part, to which it is ordained, after a due sort? But the flesh of Christ (as hath been said) is food of the mind, not of the belly. Neither undoubtedly, is the flesh of Christ otherwise eaten, then in respect that it was killed for us, and made bloodless, as the words do sound, and the breaking of the bread doth represent; and that truly also, even as the passover, and all the sacrifices were eaten. But now his body liveth, and can not be without blood: as at ⟨p. 130⟩the first supper it was neither without blood, nor dead. And therefore we cannot without sacrilege affirm, that it passeth properly & that by the mouth into our bodies. And to what end also, as the sacrament of bread is given without wine, & the wine without bread: so in the supper, the body is given without blood, and the blood severally without the body: but that we might know, that these his own substances, as they are properly in heaven, do not pass through our mouths, but are received only by a faithful remembrance, effectually stirred up by the holy ghost? For this did the Lord himself require, saying, do this in remembrance of me: and in saying, This is my body which is given for you. For in speaking thus, he required in them faith, whereby they might believe this. and believing might eat: that is, might apply it unto themselves for the food and life of their souls.