A19571:618
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.
For else what made the people to run from their seats to the altar, & from altar to altar, and from sacring (as they called it) to sacring, peeping, tooting, and gassing at the thing, which the priest held up in his hands, if they thought not to honour that thing, which they saw? What moved the priests to lift up the sacrament to high over their beads? or the people to cry to the priest, hold up, hold up, and one man to say to an other, stoop down before, or to say: This day I have seen my maker. And, I can not be quiet, except I see my maker ones a day? What was the cause of all these, and that as well the priest as the people so devoutly did knock and kneel at every sight of the sacrament? but that they worshipped that visible thing, which they saw with their eyes, and took it for very God? For if they worshipped in spirit only Christ, sitting in heaven with ⟨image 107⟩his father, what needed they to remove out of their seats to toot and gaze? as the apostles did after Christ, when he was gone up into heaven. If they worshipped nothing that they saw, why did they rise up to see? Doubtless many of the simple people worshipped that thing which they saw with their eyes.
For els what made the people to runne frome theyr seates to the altar, & from aultar to aultar, and frō sakeryng (as they called it) to sakeryng, peepyng, tootyng, and gasynge at the thynge, whiche the priest helde vp in his handes, if they thought not to honour that thyng, whiche they sawe? What moued the priestes to lyft vp the sacrament to hye ouer their beades? or the people to crie to the prieste, holde vp, holde vp, and one man to saie to an other, stoupe downe before, or to saie: This daie I haue sene my maker. And, I can not be quiet, excepte I see my maker ones a daie? What was the cause of al these, and that as well the priest as the people so deuoutely dyd knocke and kneele at euery syghte of the sacrament? but that they woorshypped that vysyble thynge, whyche they sawe with theyr eyes, and tooke it for very God? For yf they worshypped in spirite onely Christe, syttynge in heauen with ⟨image 107⟩his father, what needed they to remoue oute of theyr seates to toote and gaase? as the apostles dyd after Christe, whan he was gone vp into heauen. If thei worshypped nothyng that they sawe, why dyd they ryse vp to see? Doubtles many of the simple people woorshipped that thyng which they sawe with their eies.