A19571:148
A Defence of the True and Catholic Doctrine of the Sacrament
A defence of the true and catholic doctrine of the sacrament of the body and blood of our saviour Christ with a confutation of sundry errors concerning the same, grounded and stablished upon God's holy word, [and] approved by the consent of the most ancient doctors of the Church. Made by the most reverend father in God Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England and Metropolitan.A defence of the true and catholike doctrine of the sacrament of the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ with a confutacion of sundry errors concernyng the same, grounded and stablished vpon Goddes holy woorde, [and] approued by ye consent of the moste auncient doctors of the Churche. Made by the moste reuerende father in God Thomas Archebyshop of Canterbury, primate of all Englande and Metropolitane.
Imprinted at London : In Poules churcheyarde, at the sign of the Brazen serpent, by Reginald Wolfe. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum, Anno Domini. M.D.L. 1550Imprinted at London : In Poules churcheyarde, at the signe of the Brasen serpent, by Reginald Wolfe. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum, Anno Domini. M.D.L. 1550
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.
When thou speakest of God, thou must consider a thing, that in nature is single, without composition, without conversion, that is invisible, immortal, incircumscriptible, incomprehensible, with such like. And when thou speakest of man, thou meanest a nature that is weak, subject to hunger, thirst, weeping, fear, sweating, and such like passions, which can not be in the divine nature. And when thou speakest of Christ, thou joinest two natures together in one person, who is both passible and impassible: Passible as concerning ⟨image 34⟩his flesh, and impassible in his deity.
Whan thou speakest of God, thou must consyder a thyng, that in nature is syngle, without composition, without conuersion, that is inuisible, immortall, incircumscriptible, incomprehensible, with suche lyke. And whan thou speakest of manne, thou meanest a nature that is weake, subiecte to hunger, thyrste, wepyng, feare, sweatyng, and suche lyke passions, whiche can not bee in the diuine nature. And whan thou speakest of Christ, thou ioynest two natures together in one person, who is bothe passible and impassible: Passible as concernyng ⟨image 34⟩his fleshe, and impassible in his deitee.
And after he concludeth, saying: Wherefore Christ is both God and man. God by his impassible nature, and man because he suffered. He himself being one person, one son, one Lord, hath the dominion and power of two natures joined together, which be not of one substance, but each of them hath his properties distinct from the other. And therefore remaineth there two natures, distinct, and not confounded. For as before the consecration of the bread, we call it bread, but when God's grace hath sanctified it by the priest, it is delivered from the name of bread, and is exalted to the name of the body of the Lord, although the nature of the bread remain still in it, and it is not called two bodies, but one body of Gods son: so likewise here, the divine nature resteth in the body of Christ, and these two make one son, and one person.