III. and for so much truly, affirmeth the true real presence of Christ's BOOK body in the sacrament: for he saith, Christ said not, This is my spirit, This is my virtue, but, This is my body: wherefore, he saith, we must believe Christ's body to be there, the same that did hang upon the cross, our Lord himself; which in some part to declare, he useth the similitude of the sun for his purpose, to prove Christ's body present really and substantially in the sacrament, where this author useth the same similitude to prove the body of Christ really absent. I will write in here as Bucer speaketh it in Latin, expounding the xxvith chapter of Matthew, and then I will put the same in English. Bucer's words be these. 66 66 66 66 "Ut sol vere uno in loco cœli visibilis circumscriptus est, ra"diis tamen suis præsens vere et substantialiter exhibetur ubilibet "orbis: ita Dominus etiam si circumscribatur uno loco cœli, “ arcani et divini, id est gloriæ Patris, verbo tamen suo, et sacris symbolis, vere et totus ipse Deus et homo præsens exhibetur in sacra Cœna, eoque substantialiter : quam præsentiam non minus "certo agnoscit mens credens verbis his Domini et symbolis, quam oculi vident et habent solem præsentem demonstratum "et exhibitum sua corporali luce. Res ista arcana est, et Novi Testamenti, res fidei; non sunt igitur huc admittendæ cogita"tiones de præsentatione corporis, quæ constat ratione hujus vitæ "etiamnum patibilis et fluxæ. Verbo Domini simpliciter inhæ"rendum est, et debet fides sensuum defectui præbere supplemen"tum." Which is thus much in English. "As the sun is truly "placed determinately in one place of the visible heaven, and yet "is truly and substantially present by means of his beams else"where in the world abroad: so our Lord, although he be comprehended in one place of the secret and divine heaven, that is "to say, the glory of his Father, yet nevertheless by his word and holy tokens, he is exhibite present truly, whole God and man, "and therefore in substance, in his holy Supper, which presence "man's mind giving credit to his words and tokens with no less certainty acknowledgeth, than our eyes see and have the sun "present exhibite and showed with his corporal light. This is 66 66 a deep secret matter, and of the New Testament, and a matter “of faith, and therefore herein thoughts be not to be received of "such a presentation of the body, as consisteth in the manner of "this life transitory and subject to suffer. We must simply cleave BOOK "to the word of Christ, and faith must relieve the default of our "senses i." Thus hath Bucer expressed his mind, whereunto because the i Bucerus, In Matth. cap. 26. [See above, p. 54.] III. God and man, and also without change of place doth neverthe- BOOK less make himself by his power present, both God and man, under the form of bread and wine, at the prayer of the Church and by the ministry of the same, to give life to such as with faith do according to his institution in his holy Supper worthily receive him, and to the condemnation of such as do unworthily presume to receive him there. For the worthy receiving of whom we must 4 come endued with Christ, and clothed with him seemly in that garment, to receive his most precious body and blood, Christ whole God and man; whereby he then dwelleth in us more abundantly, confirming in us the effects of his passion, and establishing our hope of resurrection, then to enjoy the regeneration of our body with a full redemption of body and soul, to live with God in glory for ever. I 2 Canterbury. In this comparison I am glad that at the last we be come A concord so near together, for you be almost right heartily welcome in the spiritual prehome, and I pray you let us shake hands. For we be sence. agreed, as me seemeth, that Christ's body is present, and the same body that suffered and we be agreed also of the manner of his presence. For you say that the body of Christ is not present but after a spiritual manner, and so say I also. And if there be any difference between us two, it is but a little, and in this point only; that I say that Christ is but spiritually in the ministration of the sacrament, and you say, that he is but after a spiritual manner in the sacrament. And yet you say, that he is corporally in the sacrament, as who should say that there were a difference between spiritually, and a spiritual manner: and that it were not all one to say, that Christ is there only after a spiritual manner, and only spiritually. sence of the sun. But if the substance of the sun be here corporally present The prewith us upon earth, then I grant that Christ's body is so likewise. So that he of us two that erreth in the one, let him be taken for a vain man, and to err also in the other. Therefore I am content that the reader judge indifferently between you and me in the corporal presence of the sun; and he that is found to err, and to be a fool therein, let BOOK him be judged to err also in the corporal presence of Christ's III. M. Bucer. body. But now, Master Bucer, help this man at need: for he that hath ever hitherto cried out against you, now being at a pinch driven to his shifts, crieth for help upon you. And although he was never your friend, yet extend your charity to help him in his necessity. But Master Bucer saith not so much as you do, and yet if you both said, that the beams of the sun be of the same substance with the sun, who would believe either of you both? Is the light of the candle the substance of the candle? or the light of the fire the substance of the fire? or is the beams of the sun any thing but the clear light of the sun? Now as you said even now of me, If you err so far from the true judgment of natural things, that all men may perceive your error, what marvel is it, if you err in heavenly things? And why should you be offended with this my saying, 3 that Christ is spiritually present in the assembly of such as be gathered together in his name? And how can you conclude hereof, that this is a plain abolition of the mystery of the sacrament, because that in the celebration of the sacrament I say, that Christ is spiritually present? Have not you confessed yourself, that Christ is in the sacrament but after a spiritual manner? And after that manner he is also among them that be assembled together in his name. And if they that say so, do abolish the mystery of the sacrament, then do you abolish it yourself, by saying, that Christ is but after a spiritual manner in the sacrament, (after which manner you say also, that he is in them that be gathered together in his name,) as well as I do that say, he is spiritually in both. But he that is disposed to pick quarrels, and to calumniate all things, what can be spoken so plainly or meant so sincerely, but he will wrest it into a wrong sense? I say that Christ is spiritually and by grace in his Supper, as he is when two or three be gathered together in his name, meaning that with both he is spiritually, and with neither corporally. And yet I say not, that there is no difference. For this difference there is, that with the one he is sacra III. mentally, and with the other not sacramentally, except they BOOK be gathered together in his name to receive the sacrament. Nevertheless the selfsame Christ is present in both, nourisheth and feedeth both, if the sacrament be rightly received. But that is only spiritually, as I say, and only after a spiritual manner, as you say. 4 And you say further, that before we receive the sacrament, we must come endued with Christ, and seemly clothed with him. But whosoever is endued and clothed with Christ, hath Christ present with him after a spiritual manner, and hath received Christ whole, both God and man, or else he could not have everlasting life. And therefore is Christ present as well in baptism as in the Lord's Supper. For in baptism be we endued with Christ, and seemly clothed with him, as well as in his holy Supper we eat and Gal. iii. drink him. I Winchester. THUS I have perused these differences, which well considered me think sufficient to take away and appease all such differences as might be moved against the sacrament, the faith whereof hath ever prevailed against such as have impugned it. And I have not read of any that hath written against it, but somewhat hath against his enterprise in his writings appeared, whereby to confirm it, or so evident untruths affirmed, as whereby those that be as indifferent to the truth, as Salomon was in the judgment of the living child, may discern the very true mother from the other, that is to say, who plainly intend the true child to continue alive, and who could be content to have it destroyed by division. God 2 of his infinite mercy have pity on us, and grant the true faith of this holy mystery, uniformly to be conceived in our understandings, and in one form of words to be uttered and preached, which in the Book of Common Prayer is well termed, not distant from the catholic faith in my judgment. I Canterbury. You have so perused these differences that you have made more difference than ever was before; for where before there were no more but two parts, the true catholic doctrine and |