Now having taken the bread & the wine,1 he did not lift them up on high, nor caused them to be worshipped by his disciples, before he did distribute them, but did distribute them to every of them, with express commandment, that they should take both the one and the other, & even at the same very time, that they should eat the bread and drink the wine, even as they did in deed. And if this can not be proved to be done, neither in their mass, nor in the very supper which they do administer to the people, there is then lesser reason to reserve the bread in pyxes, caskets, cupboards, and such like, not only to cause it to be worshipped as God, or to bear it about in procession in great pomp and solemnity to that very end, as the Persians did bear in time past their sacred fire,2 but also to conjure the time & the tempests, and ⟨image 42⟩the Devils, and to use them in such like superstitions, according as it falleth in their fantasy. For as I have already heretofore showed,3 albeit that it were so, that according to their doctrine of transubstantiation, the bread were changed into the body of Jesus Christ, yet for all that, it could not have place out of the use of the Sacrament, by mean of the reasons that I have already yielded.4 Now it is very true that there is no use there, where the Sacrament is not administered: and that it is not administered there where it is not distributed with the word, to those which are capable of it. And if they do apply the signs thereof to any other use then to the same, for the which they are ordained, that use is not lawful: wherefore it may not be taken for an use, but should be rejected as an abuse, manifestly contrary to the word and ordinance of the Lord. And on the other side, if this abuse were not so great, yet so is it for all that, that this worshipping of the bread and of the wine, and of their holy host, can not be without putting them alway, which do worship them, in great danger of Idolatry. At the least it can not be done in faith, Note. for so much as it must needs be that the worshippers remain alway in doubt, touching the consecration of the priests, for so much as according ⟨image 42⟩to their doctrine,5 there is no transubstantiation, if the intent to consecrate be not joined with the pronunciation of the words:
Nowe hauing taken the bread & the wine,1 hee did not lift them vp on high, nor caused them to be worshipped by his disciples, before he did distribute them, but did distribute them to euery of thē, with expresse commandement, that they should take both the one and the other, & euen at the same very time, that they shoulde eate the bread and drinke the wine, euen as they did in deede. And if this can not be proued to be done, neither in their masse, nor in the very supper which they do administer to the people, there is thē lesser reason to reserue the bread in pixtes, caskets, cupbordes, and such like, not onely to cause it to bee worshipped as God, or to beare it about in procession in great pompe and solemnitie to that very ende, as the Persians did beare in time past their sacred fire,2 but also to coniure the time & the tempestes, and ⟨image 42⟩the Deuils, and to vse them in such like superstitions, according as it falleth in their fantasie. For as I haue already heretofore shewed,3 albeit that it were so, that according to their doctrine of transsubstantiation, the bread were chaunged into the bodie of Iesus Christe, yet for all that, it coulde not haue place out of the vse of the Sacrament, by meane of the reasons that I haue already yelded.4 Nowe it is very true that there is no vse there, where the Sacrament is not administred: and that it is not administred there where it is not distributed with the woorde, to those which are capable of it. And if they doe applie the signes thereof to any other vse then to the same, for the which they are ordeyned, that vse is not lawfull: wherefore it may not bee taken for an vse, but shoulde bee reiected as an abuse, manifestly contrary to the woorde and ordinaunce of the Lorde. And on the other syde, if this abuse were not so great, yet so is it for all that, that this worshipping of the bread and of the wyne, and of their holy hostie, can not bee without putting them alwaye, which doe worshippe them, in great daunger of Idolatrie. At the least it can not bee done in fayth, Note. for so much as it must needes bee that the worshippers remayne alwaye in doubt, touching the consecration of the priestes, for so much as according ⟨image 42⟩to their doctrine,5
- 1Consider this well.
- 2Abuse of the Persians.
- 3•ote well.
- 4Where the •se of the •crament isWhere the •se of the •cramēt is
- 5Doctrine of the a• uersarieDoctri• of the a• uersarie
