Chapter 25: The Nature of the Sacrifice
The Humility and Submission of Christ Moreover, we ought to call to mind that the time of humility and submission of Christ is passed away, and that He now reigns in heaven, and that He has a name which is above every name. Wherefore then should it be requisite by transubstantiation to send Him down again communicated as touching the body into our jaws and bellies? I know that they say He is not hurt, He draws no uncleanness. I will grant it, but yet it is not very decent that, as they say, He should be detained under those accidents so long as they remain sound. When these things shall be dissolved, they say that the body of Christ flies away. Whereby it comes to pass that they daily and especially until noontide constrain Him perpetually to depart and fly away.
But they say, that we must let these cogitations pass, and yet they themselves by their carnal transubstantiation do suggest the same.
If they might be brought to understand that we should do all things there spiritually, there would be no such cogitation. And while they appoint His natural and carnal body to be present, do they do it with the intent that He should penetrate our soul? Or else that He may convey Himself into our body? Into the soul they cannot say; because nothing is there taken carnally or corporally. But if they would have that the body should be penetrated by Him, we demand why He will do this unto it? They will answer, to the intent that man may be sanctified. But it is meet that sanctification should begin at the soul, not at the body. They say that a certain power and efficacy is imprinted by the water, and that the soul is made the better, and the body also confirmed. But if we speak of the power, it is not of necessity that this should be by transubstantiation, seeing it may have it without the same.
Chapter 25:
The Nature of the Sacrifice
The ancient Fathers, when they taught the nature of this Sacrament, said that an unbloody sacrifice is here sacrificed, which will not well agree if we should determine that there is true and corporal blood. Neither does it suffice that they say: it is an unbloody sacrifice, because Christ is not here slain, nor yet His blood violently drawn forth. For although these things are not done, yet without blood (according to the gross imagination of these men) the thing is not done. Wherefore it appears that the Fathers so spoke, because they would only have a memory here of the true sacrifice, and a spiritual receiving thereof, which is done by faith. Moreover, they are wont to say that the body and blood of Christ is shadowed and covered with the accidents of bread and wine, lest we should seem to eat raw flesh and to drink blood. But I do not think that these men will say, however they paint and color the matter, if their transubstantiation be true, that we do eat raw flesh: insomuch as no reason is brought either by them or by the scriptures that it should be sodden. And yet it is written of the Paschal lamb, which was a figure of this sacrament, that nothing thereof should be eaten raw.
Furthermore, we see that Christ in the Eucharist instituted a sacrament, whereby it comes to pass that all things are done there sacramentally.
Neither is it required, that in Sacraments more should be given or desired than the reason of a Sacrament shall require. Further, if we weigh what
Christ did in that last supper, we may easily perceive the thing; it is proved, that He gave His own body. If we demand further, what manner of one He gave, they cannot determine with themselves.
Some seem to say that He gave such as He had, namely a passable and mortal body. However, such a body with those conditions which it then had, might not carnally, as these men dream, be contained in small pieces of bread. But others, who think themselves wiser, say that Christ in Himself had a body mortal and passable: but that in bread He gave a glorified and spiritual body. Then does that make against them, which we read in the words of the Lord: "This is my body which is given for you, and my blood