A Defence of the True and Catholic Doctrine of the Sacrament

¹If thou wilt know (saith he) how it ought not to seem to the a new thing, and impossible, that earthly and corruptible things be turned into the substance of Christ, look upon thy self, which art made new in baptism, when thou wast far from life, and banished as a stranger from mercy, and fro the way of salvation, and inwardly ⟨p. 25⟩wast dead, yet suddenly thou beganste another life in Christ, and wast made new, by wholesome mysteries, and wast turned into the body of the church, not by seeing, but by believing, and of the child of damnation, by a secrete pureness, thou waste made the chosen son of God. Thou visibly diddest remain in the same measure, that thou haddest before, but invisibly thou wast made greater, without any increase of thy body. Thou wast the self same person, and yet by increase of faith, thou wast made an other man. Outwardly nothing was added, but all the change was inwardly. And so was man made the son of Christ, and Christ formed in the mind of man. Therefore as thou (putting away thy former vileness) diddest receive a new dignity, not feeling any change in thy body, and as the curing of thy disease, the putting away of thine infection, the wiping away of thy filthiness be not seen with thine eyes, but are believed in thy mind: so likewise, when thou doest go up to the reverend altar, to feed upon spiritual meat, in thy faith look upon the body and blood of him, that is thy God, honour him, touch him with thy mind, take him in the hand of thy hart, and chiefly drink him with the draught of thy inward man.

¹If thou wylt knowe (sayth he) howe it ought not to seme to the a newe thyng, and impossible, that yearthly and corruptible thynges be turned into the substance of Christ, loke vpon thy selfe, which art made newe in baptisme, whan thou wast farre from life, and banished as a straunger frō mercy, and fro the way of saluation, and inwardely ⟨p. 25⟩wast dead, yet sodeynly thou beganste another lyfe in Christ, and wast made newe, by holsome mysteris, and wast turned into the body of the churche, not by seyng, but by beleuynge, and of the childe of damnation, by a secrete purenesse, thou waste made the chosen sonne of God. Thou visibly dyddest remayne in the same measure, that thou haddest before, but inuisibly thou wast made greater, without any increase of thy body. Thou wast the self same person, and yet by increace of faythe, thou wast made an other man. Outwardely nothynge was added, but all the chaunge was inwardly. And so was man made the son of Christ, and Christe fourmed in the mynd of man. Therfore as thou (puttyng away thy former vilenesse) diddest receaue a newe dygnitee, not feelyng any change in thy body, and as the curynge of thy disease, the puttyng away of thyn infection, the wipyng away of thy fylthynesse be not seene with thyne eyes, but are beleued in thy mynde: so lykewyse, when thou doest go vp to the reuerende altare, to feede vpon spirituall meate, in thy faith loke vpon the bodye and bloude of hym, that is thy God, honour hym, touche hym with thy mynd, take hym in the hande of thy hart, and chiefely drynk hym with the draught of thy inward mā.