An account of a disputation at Oxford, anno dom. 1554 with A treatise of…

It is neither to be denied nor dissembled that in the matter of this Sacrament there be divers points wherein men counted to be learned cannot agree; as whether there be any. Transubstantiation of the Bread or no? any corporal and carnal presence of Christs Substance or no? whether adoration due only unto God, is to be done to the Sacrament or no? and whether Christs body be there indeed offered unto the heavenly Father by the Priest or no? or whether the evil man receiveth the natural Body of Christ or no? yet nevertheless, as in a man diseased in divers parts, commonly the original cause of such divers diseases which are spread abroad in the body, do come from some one chief member, as from the stomach, or from the head; even so all those five aforesaid points do chiefly hang upon this one question which is, What is the matter of the Sacrament? whether is it the natural substance of Bread, or the natural substance of Christs own Body. The truth of this question truly tried out and agreed upon, no doubt shall cease the controversy in all the rest. For if it be Christs own natural Body, born of the Virgin, then assuredly (seeing that all learned men in England ⟨p. 9⟩both new and old grant there to be but one substance) then I say, they must needs grant Transubstantiation, that is, a change of the substance of bread into the substance of Christs body. Then also they must grant the carnal and corporal presence of Christs body. Then must the Sacrament be adored with the Honour due unto Christ himself, for the unity of the two natures in one person. Then if the Priest do offer the Sacrament, he doth offer indeed Christ himself. And finally the murderer, the adulterer, and wicked man receiving the Sacrament, must needs then receive also the natural substance of Christ's own blessed Body both Flesh and Blood.

It is neither to be denied nor dissembled that in the matter of this Sacrament there be divers points wherein men counted to be learned cannot agree; as whether there be any. Transubstantiation of the Bread or no? any corporal and carnal presence of Christs Substance or no? whether adoration due only unto God, is to be done to the Sacrament or no? and whether Christs body be there indeed offered unto the heavenly Father by the Priest or no? or whether the evil man receiveth the natural Body of Christ or no? yet nevertheless, as in a man diseased in divers parts, commonly the original cause of such divers diseases which are spread abroad in the body, do come from some one chief member, as from the stomach, or from the head; even so all those five aforesaid points do chiefly hang upon this one question which is, What is the matter of the Sacrament? whether is it the natural substance of Bread, or the natural substance of Christs own Body. The truth of this question truly tryed out and agreed upon, no doubt shall cease the controversy in all the rest. For if it be Christs own natural Body, born of the Virgin, then assuredly (seeing that all learned men in England