WHEREAS our Lord Jesus Christ the 6. of John saith in express words, that his flesh is ameat indeed, & his blood is drink indeed. And again, bUnless ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you: For the right understanding of these words and doctrine, which at the first sight seemeth so strange, and to the Capernaites (whom Christ then taught) most repugnant to all reason: and that the same may minister comfort unto our souls, which is the right end and use of this celestial verity, two questions principally must be considered. The first is, What kind ⟨p. 198⟩of meat the flesh of Christ is? The second, How or in what manner this meat is to be eaten? The same question may be made also concerning the cup, as What kind of drink the blood of Christ is? and in what manner must we drink the same? Now then as concerning the first question: If the flesh of Christ be meat indeed (as is before showed) it must be either a corporal or spiritual food. Corporal food is that which nourisheth him bodily that feedeth thereupon, and this (to speak after the usual manner and properly) is called meat. Spiritual food, is that whereby the soul or spirit of him which eateth is fed and nourished: and this is called meat improperly, tropically, metaphorically, because it hath the likeness of meat, properly so called. For like as by natural food so properly called, the body is nourished and sustained: so by that spiritual meat the spirit and soul of man is cherished, & as nourished. The same reason and description may be given of the corporal and spiritual drink. And now it is certain, that neither the flesh of Christ is a corporal ⟨p. 199⟩food, nor his blood corporal drink: for that no bodily substance is fed & preserved either by the flesh or by the blood of Christ: For, to effect this, the flesh of Christ must be eaten with the mouth, chewed with the teeth, swallowed up, digested, and so turned into that nourishing *juice in the stomach, whereof blood is engendered, and so derived or sent into all parts of the body, to be united thereunto, or altered and changed into the substance thereof, that the body may receive his growth and preservation thereby. And so in like manner, the blood of Christ, if the body were to be nourished thereby, must be drunk up with the mouth, swallowed, &c.
WHEREAS our Lord Iesus Christ the 6. of Iohn saith in expresse words, that his flesh is ameate indeed, & his bloud is drinke indeed. And againe, bVnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, ye haue no life in you: For the right vnderstanding of these wordes and doctrine, which at the first sight seemeth so strange, and to the Capernaites (whom Christ then taught) most repugnant to all reason: and that the same may minister cōfort vnto our soules, which is the right end and vse of this celestiall veritie, two questions principally must be cōsidered. The first is, VVhat kind ⟨p. 198⟩of meate the flesh of Christ is? The second, How or in what maner this meate is to be eaten? The same question may be made also cōcerning the cup, as VVhat kind of drinke the bloud of Christ is? and in what maner must we drinke the same? Now then as concerning the first question: If the flesh of Christ bee meate indeede (as is before shewed) it must be either a corporall or spirituall foode. Corporall foode is that which nourisheth him bodily that feedeth thereupon, and this (to speake after the vsuall maner and properly) is called meate. Spirituall food, is that whereby the soule or spirit of him which eateth is fed and nourished: and this is called meate improperly, tropically, metaphorically, because it hath the likenesse of meat, properly so called. For like as by natural food so properly called, the bodie is nourished and sustained: so by that spirituall meate the spirit and soule of man is cherished, & as nourished. The same reason and description may be giuen of the corporall and spirituall drinke. And now it is certaine, that neither the flesh of Christ is a corporall ⟨p. 199⟩food, nor his bloud corporall drinke: for that no bodily substance is fed & preserued either by the flesh or by the bloud of Christ: For, to effect this, the flesh of Christ must bee eaten with the mouth, chewed with the teeth, swallowed vp, digested, and so turned into that nourishing *iuyce in the stomach, whereof bloud is ingendred, and so deriued or sent into all partes of the bodie, to be vnited thereunto, or altred and chaunged into the substance thereof, that the body may receiue his growth and preseruation therby. And so in like maner, the bloud of Christ, if the bodie were to be nourished thereby, must be drunke vp with the mouth, swallowed, &c.
- aJoh. 6.55.Ioh. 6.55.
- bIbid. v. 53.
- *Chilus.
