A19571:583
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.
Thus writeth saint Augustine in the xxvi. Homily of saint John. And in the next homily following,1 he saith thus. This day our sermon is of the body of the Lord, which he said he would give to eat for eternal life. And he declared the manner of his gift & distribution, how he would give his flesh to eat, saying: He that eateth my flesh & drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. This therefore is a token or knowledge, that a man hath eaten and drunken, that is to say, if he dwell in Christ, and have Christ dwelling in him. If he cleave so to Christ, that he is not severed from him. This therefore Christ taught & admonished by these mystical or figurative Words, that we should be in his body under him our head, among his members, eating his flesh, not forsaking his unity.
Thus wryteth sainct Augustyne in the xxvi. Homelie of sainct Ihon. And in the next homelie folowyng,1 he sayth thus. This day our sermon is of the body of the Lorde, whiche he sayd he would geue to eate for eternal life. And he declared the maner of his gift & distribution, howe he would geue his fleshe to eate, saiyng: He that eateth my fleshe & drynketh my bloud, dwelleth in me and I in him. This therefore is a token or knowlege, that a man hath eaten and dronken, that is to say, if he dwell in Christe, and haue Christe dwellyng in him. If he cleaue so to Christe, that he is not seuered from him. This therfore Christe taught & admonished by these misticall or figuratiue Wordes, that we should be in his body vnder him our head, among his membres, eatyng his fleshe, not forsakyng his vnitee.
- 1In Johan. tract. 27.In Iohan. tract. 27.
1And in his book De doctrina Christiana, saint Augustine saith (as before is at length declared) that to eat Christs flesh and to drink his blood