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

Now lest I should seem to set by my own Conceit more than is meet, I have thought good to establish this mine Answer and Opinion by the Authority and Doctrine of the old Ecclesiastical Doctors; such, I mean, as were before the wicked Usurpations of the See of Rome, grown so immeasurably great, that not only with Tyrannical Power, but also with Corrupt Doctrine it began to subvert Christs Gospel, and to turn the state of the Church set by Christ and his Apostles clean upside down. And I will rehearse but few of them, that is three old Writers of the Greek Church and three of the Latin Church, which do seem unto ⟨p. 26⟩me to be in this matter so plain, that in reading of them no man can be ignorant in this matter, but he which will shut up his own eyes and blindfold himself. The Greek Authors are Origen, Chrysostom, and Theodoret; the Latin are Tertullian, St. Augustin, and Gelasius. And first let us hear the old Writers of the Greek Church. Origen, who lived above Twelve hundred and fifty years ago, a Man for the excellency of his Learning so highly esteemed in Christs Church, that he was counted and judged the singular Teacher in his time of Christs Religion; the Confounder of Heresies, the Schoolmaster of many godly Matters, and an Opener of the high Mysteries in Scripture. He writing upon the Fifteenth Chapter of St. Matthews Gospel, saith thus,—But if any thing enter into the Mouth it goeth away into the Stomach and Belly, and is voided into the Draught; yea, and that Meat which is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer, as concerning the matter thereof it goeth away into the Belly, and is avoided into the Draught, but for the Prayer which is added unto it, for the proportion of the Faith, it is made profitable, making the mind able to perceive, and see that which is profitable: for it is not the Material substance of the Bread, but the Word which is spoken upon it that is profitable to the Man that eateth it not unworthily,—And this I mean of the Typical and Symbolical, that is Sacramental Body.

Now lest I should seem to set by my own Conceit more than is meet, I have thought good to establish this mine Answer and Opinion by the Authority and Doctrine of the old Ecclesiastical Doctors; such, I mean, as were before the wicked Usurpations of the See of Rome, grown so immeasurably great, that not only with Tyrannical Power, but also with Corrupt Doctrine it began to subvert Christs Gospel, and to turn the state of the Church set by Christ and his Apostles clean upside down. And I will reherse but few of them, that is three old Writers of the Greek Church and three of the Latin Church, which do seem unto