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

That is, that the natural Substance of Bread and Wine is the true material substance of the holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ: and the places of Scripture whereupon this my Faith is grounded be these, both concerning the Sacrament of the Body, and also of the Blood. First let us repeat the beginning of the Institution of the Lords Supper, wherein all the three Evangelists and St. Paul do agree saying—That Jesus took Bread, gave thanks, brake, and gave it to the Disciples, saying—Take, Eat, this is my Body. Here it appeareth plainly that Christ called very Bread his Body. For that which he took was very Bread. In this all men do agree; and that which he took, after he had given thanks, he brake, and that which he took and brake, he gave it to his Disciples, and that which he took, brake, and gave to his Disciples, he said himself of it—This is my Body. So it appeareth plainly, that Christ called very Bread his Body: But very Bread cannot be his very Body in very Substance thereof, therefore it must needs have another meaning, which meaning appeareth plainly what it is by the next sentence that followeth immediately both in Luke, and in Paul, and that is this—Do this in remembrance of me; whereupon it seemeth unto me to be evident, that Christ did take Bread and called it his Body, for that he would institute thereby a perpetual Remembrance of his Body: specially of that singular benefit of our Redemption, which he would then procure & purchase unto us by his Body upon the Cross. But Bread retaining still its own very natural substance may be thus by grace, and in a sacramental signification His Body, whereas else the very Bread which he took, brake, and gave ⟨p. 14⟩them could not be in any wise his natural body, for that were confusion of substances, and therefore the very words of Christ, joined to the next sentence following, both enforceth us to confess the very bread to remain still, and also openeth unto us how that Bread may be, and is thus by his divine power his body which was given for us.

That is, that the natural Substance of Bread and Wine is the true material substance of the holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ: and the places of Scripture whereupon this my Faith is grounded be these, both concerning the Sacrament of the Body, and also of the Blood. First let us repeat the beginning of the Institution of the Lords Supper, wherein all the three Evangelists and St. Paul do agree saying—That Jesus took Bread, gave thanks, brake, and gave it to the Disciples, saying—Take, Eat, this is my Body. Here it appeareth plainly that Christ called very Bread his Body. For that which he took was very Bread. In this all men do agree; and that which he took, after he had given thanks, he brake, and that which he took and brake, he gave it to his Disciples, and that which he took, brake, and gave to his Disciples, he said himself of it—This is my Body. So it appeareth plainly, that Christ called very Bread his Body: But very Bread cannot be his very Body in very Substance thereof, therefore it must needs have another meaning, which meaning appeareth plainly what it is by the next sentence that followeth immediately both in Luke, and in Paul, and that is this—Do this in remembrance of me; whereupon it seemeth unto me to be evident, that Christ did take Bread and called it his Body, for that he would institute thereby a perpetual Remembrance of his Body: specially of that singular benefit of our Redemption, which he would then procure & purchase unto us by his Body upon the Cross. But Bread retaining still its own very natural substance may be thus by grace, and in a sacramental signification His Body, whereas else the very Bread which he took, brake, and gave