A19571:523
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.
And although Theophylactus spake of the eating of the very body of Christ, and the drinking of his very blood, (and not only of the figures of them) and of the conversion of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, yet he meaneth not of a gross, carnal, corporal, and sensible conversion of the bread and wine, nor of a like eating and drinking of his flesh and blood (for so not only our stomachs would yearn and our hearts abhor to eat his flesh and to drink his blood, but also such eating and drinking could nothing profit and avail us) ⟨image 92⟩but he spake of the celestial and spiritual eating of Christ, and of a sacramental conversion of the bread, calling the bread not only a figure, but also the body of Christ•, giving us by those words to understand, that in the sacrament we not only eat corporally the bread (which is a sacrament and figure of Christs body) but spiritually we eat also his very body, & drink his very blood. And this doctrine of Theophilactus is both true, godly and comfortable.
And although Theophylactus spake of the eatyng of the very body of Christ, and the drinkyng of his very bloud, (and not only of the figures of them) and of the cōuersion of the bread and wyne into the body and bloud of Christ, yet he meaneth not of a grosse, carnal, corporall, and sensible conuersion of the breade and wyne, nor of a lyke eatyng and drynkynge of his fleshe and bloud (for so not only our stomakes wold yerne and oure heartes abhorre to eate his fleshe and to drynke his bloude, but also suche eatyng and drynkynge could nothyng profit and auayle vs) ⟨image 92⟩but he spake of the celestial and spiritual eatyng of Christ, and of a sacramental conuersion of the bread, callyng the bread not onely a figure, but also the bodye of Christ•, geuynge vs by those woordes to vnderstande, that in the sacramente wee not onely eate corporally the bread (whyche is a sacrament and figure of Christes body) but spiritually we eate also his very body, & drynke his very bloud. And this doctrine of Theophilactus is both true, godly and comfortable.