A68658:69
A brief declaration of the Lords Supper, writtenA brief declaracion of the Lordes Supper, written
A brief declaration of the Lords Supper, written by the singular learned man, and most constant martyr of Jesus Christ, Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London prisoner in Oxford, a little before he suffered death for the true testimony of ChristA brief declaracion of the Lordes Supper, written by the syngular learned man, and most constaunt martir of Iesus Christ, Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London prisoner in Oxforde, a litel before he suffred deathe for the true testimonie of Christ
Emden: printed by E. van der Erve, 1555
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Hitherto ye have heard three writers of the Greek church, not all what they do say: for that were a labour to great for to gather, and to tedious for the reader: But one or two places of every one, the which how plain, how full, and how clear they be against the error of transubstantiation, I refer it to the judgement of the indifferent reader. And now I will likewise rehearse the sayings of other three old ancient writers of the latin church, & so make an end.
Hitherto ye haue hearde three wrytours of the Greke churche, not all what they doo saye: for that were a labour to great for to gather, and to tedious for ye reader: But one or two places of euery one, the which how playne, how ful, and how cleare they be against the errour of transubstanciacion, I referre it to the iudgement of the indifferent reader. And now I will likewise rehearse the sayenges of other three olde auncient wytours of the latine church, & so make an ende.
And first I will begin with Tertullian,1 whom Cyprian the holy martyr so highly esteemed, that when so ever he would have his book, he was wont to say: Give us now the Master. This old writer in his .4. book against Marcion the heretic, sayeth thus: Jesus made the bread, which he toke, and distributed to his disciples his body, saying: This is my body. That is to say (sayeth Tertullian) a figure of my body. In this place it is plain, that after Tertullian's exposition, Christ meant not by calling the bread his body, & the wine his blood, that either the bread was the natural body, or the wine his natural blood, but he called them his body and blood, because he would institute them to be unto us sacraments: that is, holy tokens and signs of his body and of his blood: that by them remē bring and firmly believing the benefits procured to us by his body which was torn & crucified for us, and of his blood which was shed for us upon the cross: and so with than kes receiving these holy sacraments, according to Christs institution, might by the same be spiritually nourished ⟨image 35⟩