HOC EST CORPUS MEVM. Thys is my bodye.

WHere oure moost
omnipote~t Lord God
and father celestiall,
of myght and power
inuincible and infinite,
of goodnes most
ineffable, is, therfore
moste worthye, of all
faythe, loue and feare, as he, that
is all onely mooste myghtyest, mooste
beniuolent, and bountefull Lord God.
Yet, lest that he, so myghtyfull & good
Lorde, shulde be at any tyme or season,
forgotte~, vnloued and vnfeared, of hys
noble creature man. And so, by obliuio~
and ignoraunce of hys diuine power,
hys godlye honour, to be alienate and
transferred from hym, vnto eyther inconstant
and fatall fortune, eyther vnto
hys minister and handmayde~ Dame
nature. He of hys diuine prouidence,
hath lefte here vnto vs, hys wonderful
benefites, and his beneficial wonders,
the verye monumentes, of hys diuine
myght & goodnes ineffable. The which
are, not only, the superexcellent myracle
of the creation, and conseruation of

A.i.

al thys wyde world, but also, the great
multitude of the wonderfull sygnes,
mo~struus portentes, et miraculus workes,
that he hath wrought, syth the creation,
reported by the holy scripture.
That oure faythe in these excercysed,
myght take increme~t, and stabilite, our
loue, myght be daylye incensed and inflammed,
towardes hym, whe~ we, earnestly
do beholde, and seryusly beare in
mynde, the excedynge great, and innumerable
benefytes, that he hath, of his
mere and syngulare goodnes, geuen vnto
man. And therfore hath he set before
our eyes, the myrrour and spectacle, of
thys huge and wonderful world, wherin
is to beholde, a vniforme order, and
continuall succession of thynges, the
speciall monument, and memoriall, of
hys godly power & myght to remayne
in our cottidiane vse and syght, as wel
agaynst that detestable heresye, that ascribed
all thynge to fortune, as also, agaynst
the iniurie and dyspleasure, of
vnkynde forgetfulnes, and blynde wycked
infidelitie, of hys omnipotent power
and diuine might. Therfore where
hys incomprehensible diuine nature, is
a substaunce immaterial and spiritual,
and therfore inuisible, and can not be
sene, of vs blynde inhabitauntes of the
erthe, as saint Iohn~ witnesseth in his
epistle canonicall. No man hathe sene
God at any season. Yet as saynt Paul
teacheth the Romaynes by a diligent
and iuste vewe, of the wonderfull fabricature,
and workemanshyp, of thys
worlde, we maye come vnto, an vnderstandynge
and an intellectuall syghte,
of hys dyuine power and imcomprehensible
nature, so that no excuse, or pretence
of ignoraunce can be sufficient for
vs, yf we lacke or wante, the fayth and
loue of so myghthyfull and mercyfull
Lorde God. What els, vnto vs declareth
the hyghe and huge heauen the
tegument and couert, of all mundiall
thynges, so thycke paynted and poudered,
wyth so many coruscant sterres?
What the moble spheres, wyth theyr
continuall motions, and lyuely influens,
causynge generacion and corruption,
in all thynges subiecte vnto mutabilitie?
But as the prophet sayeth. The
heauens shewyth forthe the glorye of
God, and the firmament declareth the
workes of hys handes. What doth to
vs signifye, the delectable harmonye
of all thynges, in course continual, and
order certaine? Saue onely, the magnificent
power, and inuestigable wysedome,
of theyr creatour and maker, as
the wyseman sayth. By the great and
wonderfull pulchritude and bewtie of

A.ij.

the creature, myght playnly & euidentlye,
be perceyued and knowen, the creator
and maker of them. Breuely to conclude,
where is any more manyfest token,
of the diuine power, then the wonder
of the worlde. Man, who alone is
a whole worlde of myracles, and hathe
almoste as many wonders in him selfe,
as he hath powers & partes. Yet suche
is ye malignitie, of our recheles nature,
prone and proclyue, vnto obcecate and
blynde ignorance, that, notwythstandynge,
that bothe, wythin vs, and also
wythout vs, there is almoste nothynge
voyde, of goddes synguler power and
myracle; the whole worlde replete wt
wonders, yet necglygent ignorans, &
ignorant necglige~s, doth growe so fast
vpon vs, that the admirable wonder of
the creation, conseruation, and administration
of all the brode worlde is all
moste as saynt Augustine sayeth by
assyduite and cottidiane custome, out of
all estimation and meruell, and the power
of God here in, wypyd out of memorie.
And thus co~sequently our fayth
and loue, towardes our creatour & conseruer,
is lytell or nothynge, noryshed,
or enkyndled, by any of these wonderfull
workes of God. Wherfore, the
mooste inuestigable wysedome of God,
to resuscytate & styrre vp oure dremye &
and drousye hartes, out of thys dedly
lethargie, forgetfulnes and vnbelefe, of
the diuine power and hys omnipotent
might, and to strength specially our imbecyl
& weake fayth hath sythe ye creacion
wrought a great no~ber of dyuers
and sondry sygnes, portentes, wo~ders,
and myracles, manyfestly set forth, before
the former people, as well vnder
the olde lawe, as vnder the law eua~gelicall,
where wyth he hath in them, both
enkyndled and stablyshed theyr faythe
and loue, towardes hym, and also he
hath, terriblye set forthe, the glorye of
hys myghtye and magnificent power,
vnto all blasphemous infideles. Of the
whych wonderfull & myraculous workes,
the infallible and mooste iuste reporte,
herfore is lefte vnto vs, in the
sacrate, and mooste holy scripture, that
lykewyse as the former people our predecessours,
before whome God hathe
vouchesafed to set forth these hys wo~derfull
workes the faythfull amonge
them were greatly confirmed, & strengthed
in theyr fayth of the worde and
of all ye
promyses of god, & ye vnbeleuers,
eyther were conuinced, either reformed
of theyr vnbelefe. Euen so we reading
the same that they dyd se such as doth
beleue, maye take no lytle strengthe in
theyr fayth, and such as stagger, maye

A.iij.

also be, very fermely stablysshed. For
what els doth the portentuus wo~ders,
the monstruus workes, and the myraculus
wonders of God? But specially
set forth the glorie of God as I haue
sayd and the magnificent power diuine,
declarynge all thynges to be subiect
vnto God, conuincynge also and rebukynge,
the rude, grosse, and blynde reason
of man. Also buyldeth and confirmeth
the fayth, and treuth, of goddes
worde, and promyse. For where anye
thynge, in the word or promyse of god,
semyth vnto our weake wytte & blynde
reason, impossible, bycause that reason
can not reache, wysedo~e or wytte attayneth
not, the senses lacketh experiens,
and the carnall or natural ma~ beleueth
not, there myracle shewyth it possible &
easye to God, and fayth teacheth vs, to
lede captiue & to subdue al wytte & reason,
vnto the worde and power of God,
vnto whome there is nothynge impossible.
For we muste vnderstande, that
the miraculus workes of god, were not
wrought before the former people, and
lefte truely & faythfully, reported vnto
vs, in ye holy scriptures, to teache & persuade
only, the possibilite of the~ selfes.
for they were to euide~t to be dowbted
of. But they were wrought & writte~ to
declare & set forth, ye possibilitie & verite
of al thi~ges, yt the word of god, teacheth
vs to beleue. As for exa~ple. The wo~derful
workes, that God almyghty wroughte,
by Moyses hys deare and faythfull
seruaunt, before the chyldren of Israell,
and before the Egiptians, dyd not
onely declare, that God almyghty was
hable to shewe suche wonders, sygnes,
and myracles. But they manyfestly declared,
bothe the myghte and power of
the Lorde God, that sent vnto them Moses
hys seruaunt, and also confirmed &
ratifyed, the veryte of all suche promyses
and commaundementes, that Moyses
brought vnto them, from the mouth
of God. For thys cause had Moyses power
of myracles, that these wonders
whyche they se hym do, before theyr
eyes, myght teache & perswade the~ the
veryte and possibilite, of hys tydynges
and message, whych semed both vntrew
and impossible. Not that they shuld beleue,
only the myraculous workes, that
they dyd see, but yt, they by the euydens
of these workes shulde beleue, the word
of God, yt Moyses ministred & brought
vnto the~. The holy fathers prophetes ratifyed
& persuaded, the verite of goddes
message, sent by them vnto ye people, wt
lyke testimonye of miracles. Our sauioure
Christe, and after hym hys disciples,
confyrmed and dyd corroborate,

A.iiij.

the verite and possibilitie of hys holye
gospell, wyth the wytnes, of hys wonderfull
workes. Wherfore I thynke it
an argument of no small efficatie and
strengthe, to perswade and proue by ye
experiens of gods power in the former
myracles the possibilitie, of the excedynge
great myracles, in the moste blessed
sacrame~t of the Aulter, the whych
goddes worde teacheth vs to beleue,
seme they vnto mans reason neuer so
vntrewe and vnpossible. For these myraculus
workes, left vnto vs in the sacrat
scripture, are none other, then the
very playne experimentes, and euident
tryal, of goddes myghtye power, and
registred in the byble, to corroborate &
stablyshe as I haue sayd oure faythe,
and the doctrine of goddes holy word,
to conuynce and reprehende, all vnbelefe
and heresye. But specially suche
grosse and stubburne blyndnesse, that
wolde not haue reason subrugate and
obedie~t, vnto goddes myghtie worde &
power, but wolde that the omnipotent
worde and power of God, shulde take
suche auctoritie & place, as theyr blynd
carnall wytte wyll gyue leue, as oure
grosse, frowarde, and obstinate caphernaites
doth nowe a dayes aboute
the mooste sacrate and blessed Sacrament
of the Aulter, the blessed monument
and memoriall both of the death
and also of the might and power of our
sauiour and Lorde God Christe. For
whyles they denye, the reall and verye
presens of Christes bodye and bloode in
the sacramente contendynge agaynste
the scripture by reason, to be impossible
that it shulde be so they extenuate, and
imbecyl, the power of God, & also they
here in denye and subuerte, the verite
of Goddes worde, ratifyed and confirmed,
by Christ and his disciples with
innumerable sygnes, wonders, and miracles.
And why semeth thys incredible?
Playnly for thys cause onely, that
in thys moste holy sacrament, nature is
altered and loseth her co~men course, &
order, reason can shewe no persuasion.
The senses hathe contrarie experiens,
Therfore these carnall infideles voyde
of ye spirite of God for wante of faith,
sayeth and thynke it impossible. For
manyfest scriptures truely taken and
vndersta~de to proue theyr heresy, they
haue none. Saue yt where ye scripture,
in hys natiue sence, wyll not sustayne,
eyther helpe, theyr horrible heresie and
detestable blasphemye, they vyolently
wrynge it & wreste it, they toose it and
tugge it, wyth tropes and fygures, catacreses,
alligories, and metaphers, to
force it to bowe vnto theyr phanaticall

A.v.

frensye, and frantyke heresye. And althoughe
that, the blynde obstinacie, of
these blasphemous heretykes be suche,
that there semeth lytle remedye, to recouer
them, sythe they subuerted, are as
saynt Paule sayeth conde~pned in theyr
owne iudgement. Yet for the confirmation
and comforte of the faythfull, I
shall set forth and proue by goddes adiutorie
the possibilitie, of suche myracles,
as the faith catholique, doth teach
and sheweth vs, to be wrought by the infinite
power of goddes myghtye worde
in the holy sacrament of the Aulter.
Thys shal I do by ye testimony, of these
myraculus workes, that the scripture
reporteth vnto vs. That whyles we perceyue
ye scripture, to set forth before vs,
so euident, open, & plaine demonstratio~s
and experime~tes, of the oi~potent power
deuine, that they can not be denyed saue
onely of an infidele it maye euidentlye
apere, vnto euery faythfull christiane,
howe lykely and possible it is, that almyghtie
God can, and doth, by the power
of hys myghtye worde these wonderful
myracles in the holy sacrament.
And thys maner of argument, maye not
seme straunge vnto anye man, in that,
that the veritie and possibilitie of thys
mysterye and archane of oure faythe,
by proued and declared, by other myracles
wrytten whome we beleue in the
holye scripture, for there in, I haue
myne example of saynte Paule, who
wrytyng vnto the Corinthians and dysputynge
the artycle of the generall resurrection,
proueth, by the myraculous
resurrection of Christe, the whyche
they had receyued and beleuyd, by the
preachynge of saynt Paule the verytie
and possibilitie, of the generall resurrection.
Oure sauioure Christe also,
perswaded, and prouyd, vnto the Iewes,
the presens of hys godhead, and
that he by auctoritie of hys godhead
dyd, and myghte forgyue and remytte
synnes the whyche godhead inuisible,
they coulde not see, neyther the remyssyon
of synnes by the euidens of the
helth, that he gaue vnto the man dyseased
wyth the palsye. That where, the
forgeuenesse of synnes, and the gyfte of
helth vnto that man so vncurably dyseased,
were both of equall dyfficultie,
and the one they myghte see, the other
they coulde not see, whyles they se
hym do the one, they myghte beleue
the other. Wherfore then, shoulde
not the testymonye, of the former myracles,
moste faythfullye set forth vnto
vs in the holy worde of God whome
oure predecessours also dyd see before
theyr eyes, perpetrate and wroughte
of God by the handes, as wel of the fathers,
prophetes as by our mayster Christ
and hys Apostles gyue euide~ce & profe,
of the myracles of thys sacrament, sith
both these and the other, be of equal facilitie
vnto God, and of equall dyfficultie
vnto nature. Yf we beleue the one,
why shulde not we beleue ye other, syth
that God is auctour of al. Yet perhaps
thou wilt say, the other myracles were
euidently sene, and so were these in the
sacrament neuer. Here vnto I answere
Fyrste that thoughe our fathers dyd se
ye other done before theyr eyes, yet dyd
not we se them, but we beleue them bycause
that the holy scripture reporteth
them to vs, as of a trueth to haue bene
suche done in dede. Eue~ so, the holy gospel
of Christ, reporteth to vs the wordes
of Christe who can not lye whych sayeth:
Thys is my bodye. Wherfore we
ought to beleue these wordes, thoughe
we se not the dede. Moreouer I answer
that the other myracles were wrought
to persuade fayth & credyte, vnto suche
as lacketh fayth, & therfore were they
manyfest and euident, that the vnfaithfull
myght be edifyed, by the myracles
openly sene, vnto such mysteries of our
fayth, that can not be sene, or apprehended
by reason. As saynt Paule sayth of
the myracles of tonges, wrytyng to the
Corinthians. The gyfte or myracle of
tonges was gyuen to edifye the vnbeleuer,
but the gyfte of vnderstandynge or
interpretacion, was giuen to edifye the
congregacion of the faythfull. Euen so
I saye, that the other were gyue~, to edifye
the vnfaythfull. But thys Sacrament
is not ordayned to edifye the vnbeleuers,
but is ordeyned and instituted
to encrease, exercyse, and to certifie
the true and faythfull beleuers of their
vnfayned fayth, and also for the comforte
of the faythfull christen people.
Wherfore it is not necessary yt it shulde
be myraculus openly. Thys myracle in
thys Sacrament, is not wrought as I
haue sayd to perswade fayth as the other
were but this doth presuppose & requyre
a co~stant fayth. And as S. Paul
sayeth vnto the Hebrewes. Faythe is
of thynges that appere not and can not
be sene, therfore are these myracles
wrought of God inuisiblye, that fayth
myght here in haue place, and that all
the wyttes and sences of ma~ myght be
tried, subiugate & obedient vnto fayth.
Playnly yf the faith of the thefe on the
ryght syde of Christe, were acceptable,
as in dede it was that he seyng Christ
as a thefe, in lyke torme~t and payne wt
hym and yet beleued that he was most
myghtest kynge of heauen and earthe
bothe God and man. I saye, that the
fayth of them, is very acceptable, that
constantly, agaynst the course & guyse
of nature do beleue in thys holy sacramente,
the worde and wytnesse of Christ
whyche sayeth. Thys is my bodye.
For, from the thefe vpon the crosse, was
hyd onely the Godhead or diuinitie of
Christe, but in thys sacrament, vnto vs
is hydden from oure syghte, our sensible
felynge, tastynge and touchynge,
bothe the dyuinitie and also the humanitie,
that our fayth myghte be so much
the more acceptable, as it lacketh experience
and tryall, of that thynge, that
we obedientlye beleue. For in thys sacrament,
naturall experience co~tendith
openlye agaynste fayth, and not onely
reason, but also, all oure senses are lede
captyue, agaynst al naturall experience,
vnto the sole and onely worde of God.
And that not in one myracle, but in manye,
whyche are deprehended, onely by
constant fayth. Wherfore no wonder
thoughe the naturall man, that wa~teth
fayth, and beleueth nomore, then fleshe
and bloode that is to saye, natural reason
or sense reuelyth to hym, be offendyd
as the Caphernaites were at this
moost myraculous and holy sacrament,
where in are wroughte, so manye wonderous
workes of God. For fyrste in
thys holy sacramente the substaunce of
breade & wyne, by the admyrable power
of goddes myghtye worde, are conuerted
by transubstantiacion into the verye
bodye and bloode of Christe, so that
after the consecration there remaineth,
not the substance of breade or wyne, nether
any other substaunce, saue only the
substaunce of the reall and verye bodye
and bloode of Christe God and man.
Secondly the whole and perfect bodye,
wyth all the lymmes and membres
are in both the kyndes, and in euery porcion
of eyther of them as well aparte,
as togyther, and consequently in euerye
sensyble porcion of eyther the kyndes,
is the parfecte bodye and whole
bloode of Christe, and is in so many places,
as any kynde, or porcion of thys sacrament,
is. Thyrdlye, Christe is immediatlye
present reallye in the sacrament,
as sone as the wordes of consecration
are duelye spoken of the preest
at masse, and that wythout anye bodelye
passage, throughe the clowdes from
heauen, and so to descende vppon the
aulter. Fourthlye, the qualities and
the other accidenttall properties of
breade, remayne in this sacrament, and
yet there is not the substaunce of bread,
neyther anye other, saue onelye the substaunce
of Christe.
Fyfthly the qualities of bread, are subsystant
by them selfe myraculouslye wt
out any staye or ayde, of any substaunce
where in naturally they shulde be and
that by the synguler power of God.
Syxtly God almyghtye gyueth myraculously
vnto these qualities and accidentall
properties, power in al natural
operations, and passions, as wel as
thoughe the substaunce of bread were
there. And therfore doth the consecrate
hoost, norysshe, augmente, when it is
receyued, as wel as though ye substau~ce
of breade or wyne were there. Yea also,
the consecrate hoost maye be broken, it
maye be burnte, it maye be moulded, as
the verye breade maye. And yet is not
there the substaunce of bread, nether is
the fraccion, the mouldnes, nother the
burnynge, executed or done, in the body
of Christe, for that is impassyble & can
suffer no suche passyons. But it is onely
the properties of breade, that is broken
moulded, or burnt. These myraculus secretes
& secreat myracles be as I haue
sayd deprehe~ded only by fayth, not onlye
bycause, they surmounte and excede
the altitude and compasse, of mannes
wytte and reason, as the other visible
myracles do. But also they are directlye
contrarye vnto our sensible experiens.
Wherfore they brynge, no small
doubte vnto vs, and specially vnto all
suche, that leaneth more vnto theyr naturall
experiens, then they do vnto the
infallible verite of goddes word, which
affirmeth nothynge to be impossible wt
God. Namely, whe~ they presume to be
curious serchers of the archane & secret
workes of goddes singuler power, with
the blynde lanterne and lyght of naturall
reason, and calleth impotent and
blynde nature to cou~sel, in the peculiar
workes of God, appropriated onely to
hys diuine power, and excedyngly passynge,
the prospecte and power, both of
nature and mannes naturall wyttes.
For what can only nature shewe, or barren
reason of man, see, or vnderstande,
in that thynge, that is out of the lymyttes
and order of all nature surmountynge
incomperably all wytte and reason
of man. Saue onely, of a doubte to
collecte an errour and out of an errour,
to fall into an heresye blasphemous.
For the presumpcion, of the carnall ma~
that preaseth and contendeth by naturall
reason, to compryse the inuestigable
and incomprehensible wysedome of
god, in hys myraculus workes, he wrappyth
and intricateth hym selfe, in more
error, then other. For the more that he
by reason, ransacketh and sercheth for
reason, in those thinges that passeth reason,

B.i.

ye lesse reason he fyndeth, & into the
further doubte he falleth and asketh wt
the murmeryng Caphernaites. Howe?
Unto the whych question, for as muche
as nature can make no answere, & reason
can not perceiue neither vndersta~de,
suche as are voyde of fayth as our Iewyshe
and grosse sacramentaries haue
well declared them selfe of late answereth
and concludeth openly, suche thynges
to be impossible, & therfore vnworthy
to be beleued. But yf that such slender
faythed christians wold, in such inscrutable
questio~s, leue fleshly iugeme~t
vnto the carnall Caphernaites, for the
fleshe, here in as Christ sayth auaileth
nothynge and wolde counsel wyth the
spirite of God, whyche gyueth the lyuely
and playne vnderstandynge of all
verytie, wythout doubte they shulde be
induced, thorow our fayth, into ye clere
and syncere verite, of these myraculous
workes in thys moost sacrate sacrame~t
& that according to the holy scriptures,
the whych in mooste manyfest & playne
sentence approueth, not onely the verite
of the reall presence of the bodye and
bloode of Christe, in the sacrame~t of the
aulter as it shalbe largely declared in
the next sermon but also wyth a great
number of myracles the monumentes
of the power of God declareth and setteth
forth moste sufficiently vnto a dilygent
and a faythfull reader, the possibilite
of all suche wonderfull myracles,
that the Churche catholyke beleueth
and teacheth to be wrought in this holy
sacrament, as I shall breuelye make
manyfest declaration in thys sermon.
And fyrste as concernynge the transubstanciation,
wherein the myghtye
worde of God, doth of breade make the
very substaunce of the bodye of Christe,
as euery true christian is wholy persuaded
and beleueth. For al suche beleueth
it, to be lytell dyfficultie vnto almyghtye
God, vnto whome ther is nothyng
impossible to create, to brynge to nought,
to make, to destroye, to continue, to
mayntayne, to alter, to chaunge, howe
and when and what he lyst. Wherfore
they beleue that it is not onely possible,
but very facile and easye vnto God omnipotent,
of bread to make hys very bodye,
& of wyne to make hys very blood.
The whych thynge, maye apere very apertlye,
by the workes of nature, who
by her natyue power altereth breade
by masticatio~s, decoction, and digestions
into bloode, and consequently into
fleshe, muche more able is almyghtye
God, which gaue thys power vnto nature
by the infinite myghte, of hys power,
of breade to make hys very bodye,

B.ij.

and that wythout intermeane alterations,
as mastication and digestion, the
whych nature muste nedes haue, ear she
can alter & conuert, one substaunce into
an other. And like as nature doth, with
her powers, chaunge the substaunce of
bread and wyne, vnto blood, and fleshe,
wyth muche more facilitie, dothe God,
by the power of hys myghtye worde
of bread by tra~substanciation maketh
hys uery naturall fleshe, & of wyne hys
uery, and natural blood.