A19571:332
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.
These words our saviour Christ spake, to lift up their minds from earth to heaven, & from carnal to spiritual eating, that they should not fantasy, that they should with their trethe eat him presently here in earth, for his flesh so eaten (saith he) should nothing profit them. And yet •o they should not eat him, for he would take his body away from them, and ascend with it into heaven. And there by faith, & not with teeth, they should ⟨image 66⟩spiritually eat him sitting at the right hand of his father. And therefore (saith he) The words which I do speak, be spirit and life. that is to say, are not to be understand, that we shall eat Christ with our teethe grossly and carnally, but that we shall spiritually & ghostly with our faith eat him, being carnally absent from us in heaven. And in such wise, as Abraham and other holy fathers did eat him, many years before he was incarnated and borne.1 As S. Paul saith, that they did eat the same spiritual meat that we do, and drank the same spiritual drink, that is to say, Christ. For they spiritually by their faith were fed and nourished with Christs body and blood, and had eternal life by him, before he was borne, as we have now, that come after his ascension.
These wordes our sauior Christ spake, to lift vp their myndes frō yearth to heauen, & frō carnal to spiritual eatyng, that thei should not phā tasy, that they should with their trethe eate him presētly here in yearth, for his flesh so eatē (sayth he) should nothyng profite them. And yet •o thei should not eate him, for he would take his body away from them, and ascend with it into heuen. And there by fayth, & not with teeth, they should ⟨image 66⟩spiritually eate him sittyng at the right hand of his father. And therfore (sayth he) The wordes whiche I do speake, be spirite and life. that is to say, are not to be vnderstand, that we shall eate Christ with our teethe grossely and carnally, but that we shall spiritually & gostly with our fayth eate him, beyng carnally absent from vs in heauen. And in suche wyse, as Abraham and other holy fathers did eate him, many yeres before he was incarnated and borne.