certain Meditations, and things to be had in remembrance, and well considered by every Christian, before he receive the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ.  
¶ Compiled by T. Broke.  
☞ Anno. M. D.xl.viii. The xvii of August▪   

FIrst it is to be noted, that all Sacraments aswell of the old law as also of the new law: were instituted and ordained of God to put us in remembrance of his most loving benefits and most merciful kindness showed and done unto us. Which benefits, these sacraments through gods word do offer unto our minds and not to our senses and we receive the said benefits by faith, into our souls, and not with our senses into our bodies. Sacraments be of such conditions and nature, that they have in them two things to be considered, the one is an outward visible thing which pertaineth unto the bodily senses and is also-received thereby. The other thing is not perceived nor received with any bodily senses, but as a pure and mere spiritual thing, a benefit done by God unto man, pertaining only unto the soul, which spiritual benefit is given & done by god unto man: because it should be had & retained in continual memory of the christian man. These outward & sensible things, were instituted and ordained to signify & represent the same, having in nature a property and condition somewhat confirmable & like to express, and represent the thing which they declare and signify. As bread hath a natural properti to fede, comfort, and sustain the natural body: so Christ's body betrayed and his blood shed for the remission of our sins: feedeth, comforteth, and sustaineth, the soul of the christian man, borught into great fear and sorrow, with the sight of the multitude and grevosnes of his sins. Which hungereth and earnestly thirsteth for the justice of God, and remission of his said sins. And if these things be well noted and pondered, it will cause to cease contention moved about the manner of receiving of the sacrament for all christian men must condescend and agree, that every faithful Christian, (through God's word in the sacrament, duly to him exhibited and ministered) doth eat and receive by faith in God's promise, Christ's flesh and drinketh his blood. So that the thing is not in contention. Whether we eat Christ's flesh, or drink his blood or no in the Sacrament but the form & manner of eating Christ's flesh and drinking his blood is in contention. For some of the clergy strive stoutly, and teach ungodly that we should eat and receive Christ's naturalle-bodye with our teeth, drink and swallow his blood with our mouth and throat affirming veri grossly Christ's natural body so to be naturally really, and bodeli present, in the sacrament thereof, and that every man which receiveth the sacrament, receiveth also the natural body of Christ: be he never so wicked & unfaithful. another sort of teachers, preach, the receiving of the sacrament, with our mouth and chewing it with our teeth: we eat not nor receive Christ's natural body: and drinking and receiving the wine with our lips & throat, we drink not Christ's blood, except we faithfully and constantly believe Christ's body to be betrayed for us: and his blood to be shed for the remission of our sins, For the mouth (say they) receiveth not nor tasteth, any other thing than bread and wine. But Christ's body slain & his blood shed for the remission of our sins (which is the spiritual gift and grace of God given to us in the sacrament) the soul eateth and receiveth by faith to his great spiritual comfort, commodity, and profit: and the mouth: cannot receive, nor taste it. For confirmation whereof, they say that man consisteth and is made of a body and of a soul, the body is a natural and a material substance, which is fed with natural and corporal sustenance, & nourishment. And the soul of man, (which we call the spirit & mind) is a spiritual substance which cannot eat nor receive any bodily meat & sustenance. For the soul being a spiritual substance, hath no teeth mouth nor stomach, to receive or digest any such bodily sustenance, 
Math. xv.  for that which entereth into the mouth defileth not the soul (which is in the inward man) saith Christ. So in likewise, that which entereth into the mouth profiteth not the soul (being the inward man) which cannot receive it So that the sacrament, which the ungodly sai) by virtue of god's word spoken by the priest, is turned into the natural, real, and corporal body of Christ's natural substance, leaving the nature of bread, is yet such a natural substance that cannot enter into the spiritual soul, by bodily eating and receiving therefore with the mouth. For our soul is nourished fed, & liveth by the spirit of Christ and not by the bodeli eating of his body with our teeth. For in the manner of eating with the teeth, Christ's flesh profiteth not (saith Christ) It is his holy spirit that quickeneth and maketh us alive, for spirit liveth not but by the spirit of Christ. For whosoever hath the spirit of Christ, the same is Christ's saith Paul And as touching this bodeli eating of Christ's body, with the teeth of men, it differeth not from the fond & ungodly opinion of the Caperna●●es rehearsed in the vi of Ihon. Which hearing Christ say: I am the bread of life and the bread which I will give you is my flesh. And further he said, except you eat my flesh, & drink my blood you shall not have life in you. They said, this word and saying is veri heard Who can hear him? how can he give us his flesh to eat? For they thought that he would have given unto them, perceles, and gobbets of his tural, and bodily flesh to eat with their teeth, and to have let out part of his natural blood for them to drink. Even like as some of our clergy grossly (and no less fondly) imagine and without any fear of God, or worldly shame preach, the same And although Christ lovingly, minding and willing to teach them, the profitable and spiritual eating and drinking of his flesh and blood, said: do these my words offend you? what and if you shall see the son of man ascend where he was before? The spirit quickeneth, the flesh profiteth not. Yet this his answer, did nothing teach them the godly and spiritual eating & drinking of his natural flesh and blood because as Christ said there were some of them which did not believe So that without true belief no man can eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood, 
john. vi.  and then he eateth and drinketh it spiritually to his godly profit. Also if the sacrament be turned into Christ's tural and real body (as the most part of our clergy untruly do preach, & teach.) than it wear also reason, that the same natural-and real body should also be received and perceived with our senses. For Christ's natural body all though it be now glrified and immortal, yet it is not so spiritual that it is invisible, and that proved Christ, when after his resurrection he appeared unto his disciples, 
Luke. xxiiii.  saying. Feel and see a spirit hath not flesh & bones, as you seem have. Wherefore doubtless if his real, and natural body, were corporally present in the sacrament it should be both felt, and seen. Because seling, and feinge, be two natural properties, declared by-Christ, whereby a natural body is perceived and known to be visible and to occupy place. For as saint Augustine saith to Dardanum. That doubtless Christ's natural body is in heaven. For saith he, take from bodies the room & space of places: and they shallbe no where, and if they be no where, them they shall not be. Wherefore, if his natural body were in the sacrament: it must needs occupy room and place in the sacrament, 
Hebru. iiii.  even aswell as it doth in heaven or aswell as any other natural substance occupieth place. And then Christ's body, being and occupying place in heaven: cannot also in one time, occupy place in the sacrament. For his natural body cannot occupy two places both at one time. For Christ is like unto us his reasonable creatures in all things (except only in sign) But our bodies after our resurrection shallbe visible: wherefore doubtless Christ's body shall also be visible, wheresoever it be present. Or elese he hath no natural body But a shadow, or fantastical body which is Marcians-heresye. 
john. xvi  Christ also saith, you shall have poor folks alweis with you but me you shall not have always with you. Also jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he should go to his father. How shall he go to his father (except in his humanity) which ever was present with his father in his Godhead? 
Act. iii.  Also S. Peter in the Acts saith, repent and turn you, that your sins may be done away. That when the time of rest shall come from the sight of the lord, & he shall send him which is preached unto you jesus Christ, whom the heavens must receive, until all things which were spoken by the mouth of the prophets be fulfilled. Also Paul saith, as often as we shall eat of the bread 
●. Cor xi  and drink of the cup, 
●. Cor. xi.  we shall show the death of the Lord until he come, which words (until he come,) declare to be spoken of one that is absent, and not of one that is present. Wherefore, doubtless Christ's natural body is absent, in heaven, and not present in a corporal presence in the Sacrament of the aultare: which is no dyscomeforte, nor hurie to us, that his natural body is present in heaven. For as the son in summer when he is most highest and distant from us worketh in the earth most effectuousli, and yieldeth his virtue most fervently and abundantly upon all earthly things: so in likewise Christ's natural body although he be in heaven most distant from us, yet not with standing he worketh in his people most effectuously & giveth his grace most abundauntli to us as he himself wyttenesseth to his apostles saying, it is expedient and necessary that I go from you to my father. 
Ihon. xvi  For if I should not go to my father, the holly ghost should not be sent to you. Therefore seeing that so many holy scriptures witness that Christ's natural body is in heaven and also that it is no dyscommodie nor hurt to us that it so be I trust every good christian man, will hold him content and satisfied. And on the other party if we should grant Christ's natural body wear so present in the sacrament that the bread were changed into his natural body and the wine into his natural blood leaving the nature of bread: then both the godly & wicked, the faithful and also the unfaithful should eat Christ's natural body & drink his natural blood which is against all the ancient writers, 
Augustin upon the .xx▪ vi. treatise of john.  that make a diversity betwixt, the eating of the sacrament, & the receiving of the thing represented by the sacrament. The godly and the ungodly receiveth sacrament say they, but the thing represented in and by the sacrament, which is Christ's body broken and his blood shed out for the remission of our sins: no man can eat except the faithful by faith. Also Christ saith that he is the bread of life which came from heaven, if a man eat of that bread he shall live everlastingly. 
john. vi.  And he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life. Which words cannot be verified nor truly spoken of the eating of the sacrament. For many eat that to their eternal damnation. by Christ's words of his promises made unto us, they could not do, if the bread were changed into Christ's natural body. Also if the bread & wine be not changed into Christ's natural body and blood, by the word (as indeed they be not but the substances remain in their nature) yet, if we hearing the promise of GOD declared unto us, that his body was betrayed for us, & his blood shed for the remission of our sins, believe the same, and receive the sacrament: we then eat Christ's natural body and blood in spirit and faith to our everlasting life, although, we believe not any manner of transubstantion of the bread into Christ's natural body and the wine into Christ's natural blood. But by such transubstantion the receiver of the sacrament should also receive Christ's body and blood. If the bread and wine were changed into Christ's natural body & blood, And then as I have said, the most wicked Infidels might, (eating the Sacrament) eat also Christ's flesh and drink his blood which is not only against the saying of the blessed martyrs. Cyprian, hilarius, and saint Augustine: but also against the saying of Christ, which saith, he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, he dwelleth in me, and I in him, which no unfaithful can do. For as Christ saith the servant dwelleth not in the house for ever.  
¶ Therefore the faithful believer in Christ is sure to eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood, to his eternal health, although he never believe any such gross transubstantiation: And the unfaithful, can never eat his flesh (as Saint Augustine saith) he which eateth my flesh, 
Augustin xxv▪ treatese upon john.  and drinkeeths my blood, he dwelleth in me and I in him. This is therefore to eat that bread, and drink that drink, to dwell in Christ, and to have Christ dwelling in him. And therefore he which dwelleth not in Christ: & in whom Christ dwelleth not, doubtless eateth not Christ's flesh nor drinketh his blood although to his judgement, he eat the sacrament of so great a thing. Also the same doctor saint Augusttine again saith, truly this bread, requireth the hunger of the inward man. 
Augustine. xx▪ vi. treatise upon john.  For blessed be they which hungr and thirst for righteousness, verily to believe in him, that is to eat the living bread: he which believeth in him, eateth invisibli and is filled because he is invisibly borne again.  
¶ Wherefore doubtless, the spiritual eating of Christ's body, (which is to believe in him) is only the godly eating of Christ's, flesh and drinking his blood, and not this outward bodily eating with their teeth, fain they never so craftily. This false transubstantiation which repugneth against all the ancient writers, and also against the holy scriptures which be declared by the mouth of Paul, 
●. Cor. ●.  saying, I will not brethren that ye be ignorant, that all our fathers were under a cloud, and all passed the sea, and all were baptized in Moses, and in the cloud, and in the sea, and all did eat one spirituall-meate, and all drank one spiritual drink, they drank of the spiritual rock, which folowede them, the rock truly was Christ And if our fathers before Chri, stes incarnation, and we that be leave now: do eat one spiritual meat & drink one spiritual drink (but our Fathers did not eat Christ'S natural, and real body, nor drink his real blood, which, two thousand years after was not incarnated, nor had any natural body) therefore we do not now eat his real body in his bodily presence, in the sacrament, as these by their transubstantiation pretend. For we eat the same that our fathers did eat which eating was by faith. Ergo even so must we eat by faith Christ's flesh and drink his blood in the sacrament, and not with our teeth really, if we willbe saved by the eating of Christ's flesh & drinking his blood as they were.  
¶ All the ancient writers writ and teach that we eat Christ's body and drink his blood in the sacrament, in a mystery, that is in a similitude, which cannot be esteemed really, for they be contraies For to eat a real thing is with the mouth to eat naturally the substance, but all mysteries be received & eaten with the mind and not by any bodily means And therefore the sacrament is called of most ancient writers, Panis misticus, A mystical bread which was ordained to feed and comfort the souls, and not for the body.  
¶ chrysostom saith that Christ gave us no sensible things but rather insensible things, 
Upon the vi▪ john the xlvi. homely.  & those things which were insensible or spiritual things,  
¶ saint Ambros upon the xi chapter of the first to the Corinthians, speaking to them which should receive the sacrament, saith that they should, judge with themselves that it is the Lord whose blood they drink in a mystery, which blood is a witness of the benefits of god. Also in his book of the sacraments, he sayeth because we be delivered by the death of the lord we remembering the same, in eating & drinking do syngnyfie the death of the lord  
¶ Also Eusebius saith because he would take away his body out of our sight, and carry it above the stars, it was necessary that in this tune, he should consecrate for us the sacrament of his body and blood, that it might be worshipped in a misteri, 
The xi. 〈◊〉 upon the .v. Matthew.  which was offered for our price.  
¶ Also Chrissostome saith if it be so perilous to occupy the hallowed vessels unto a private use in whom Christ's very true body is not, but the mystery of his body is conteynede: how much more ought we not to give the vessels of our bodies to the devil that he may do in them what he will. 
Psalm. lxxxx▪ iii.   
¶ Also saint augustine saith you shall not eat this body which you see, nor drink the blood that they shall shed which will crucify me, I have commended unto you a sacrament spiritually understanded which shall quicken you and although it be necessary to be celebrated, and done visibly yet it must be spiritually understanded, wherefore doubtless there is no such fond transubstantiation, as our clergy (which can not understand & perceive the godly & spiritual eateing of Christ's flesh) have grosli imagined. But the godly & profitable eating is by faith as I have declared, wherein there is not required any transubstantiation: But in this transubstantiation, Satan hath brought his wicked will and purpose to pass which is that there was never so godly a thing by god ordained for man which the Devil hath not other obscured, or made dark the same by changing the right use thereof, into an abuse, or Taking away, the virtue commodity and profit of the thing, leaving the name inestemation, or else perverting the thing which was ordained of God, to be most godly and profitable to man, that through the abuse thereof, it is be come most wicked and damnable to man. As for a lamentable example in this beggary and Anti christian transubstantiation, it is to manifest, wherein some of our Clergy, have most wickedli & blindly taught the people of this realm, that they should believe that in that they received the sacrament, that they without any doubt did eat Christ's flesh & drink his blood, because (by virtue of the word spoken by the priest) the bread is changed into Christ's natural flesh and blood wherefore receiving and eating the bread they should eat Christ's flesh and blood which they did nothing less. And so were led with a false and feigned faith to trust to have by eating the sacrament eternal life, even for the wor●ks sake, or because they eat it with their teeth which only did not profit them but also was their utter damnation because they received it without faith.  
NOw Christian reader, I trust thou perceivest, that in every sacrament. There be two things to be considered, the one is the visible substance, which is offered, to the senses, & by and with the senses, we may receive and use the commodity of it. The other is, the Invisible grace, and liberal gift of God, which by the visible substance & the promise of god, unto the same joyntely pronounced, is represented and given to all them that faithfully, and constantly, believe the same promise. This spiritual gift of god, is Christ's body broken and his blood, shed, for the remission of our sins, which spiritual gift, because it is given to us by gods liberal promise? It can not be otherwise received, but of a spiritual heart, and that thorough, and by, faith only, in the same promise Such faithful believers doubtless do eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood in spirit and truth: That is to say receive all the commodity and profit of all Christ's passion, death, resurrection▪ and ascension, which is, remission of sins, and eternal life. In the receiving of this sacrament we profess not only to be faithful warriors against the devil, the world, and the flesh, but also to be lively members, of Christ's mystical body, whereof Christ is ●●ade: wherefore above all thing we must be circumspect & welware, that we defile not ourselves with any filthy lusts & sins whereby we should be become a●ylthy, crooked, and rotten, member whereof our head jesus Christ should not rejoice, but rather be a shamed, and so worthy to be cut of from the body. And then even as the branch of the tree when it is cut of from the tree, receiveth nor taketh any more sap juice or natural moyestnes of the tree, and therefore widdereth, drieth and becometh dead, apt only for the fire. In like manner if we thorough our obstinate perseverance in sin, be divided from god, as the prophets Esai & Hieremy saith & be no mystical member of Christ's church his mystical body: 
Hieremy. v.  then can we receive, no more favour grace nor life, from Christ, but shall widder, die, and be apt only for the Hell fire until it pleaseth god of mere mercy and grace, Even as it were by his grace and infinite power, & no less by his miracles, contrary to our nature to graff us newly into Christ's mystical body, & endeve us with his, new and heavenly spirit. Of the other part if we be faithful warriors of Christ, and strive constantly against the devil, the world and the flesh, and believe faithfully that by and thorough Christ we shall overcome the same, we shall doubtless be accepted and reputed and taken before god as his natural membres, even flesh of his flesh & bones of his bones Such as he can not but love, cherish, and favour, for who died ever hate his own flesh, but did nourish & cherish it? 
Ephes. vi.  saith Paul. Seeing than that we be his natural members even flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones: as Sin hell and death could not prevail, against Christ: So can they not prevail against us, no wythholde us from Christ, fowe be one with Christ, & we must needs be where he is, according to the prayer of Christ in the xvii of john saying. 
john. xvii.  Holy father keep them in thy name whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we be, father whom thou hast given to me I will, where I am that they be with me, that is to be in heaven, & to have eternal life as Christ there saith, father the hour cometh, claryfy thy son, that thy son may claryfis thee, as thou hast given to him, power over all flesh that all, that thou hast give to him: he may give to them, eternal life. If we be one with our head Christ, and in heaven with him to whom also he hath given eternal life: How can sin hell or death prevail against us, his lively members? Doubtless it is Impossible, wherefore let our earnest study, prayer & labour, be above all things, to keep us in his mystical body, that we may be, lively members of the same, according as we profess us to be, by this holy communion in this blessed sacrament of his body and blood. Yea most diligently and circumspectly beware what thou dost look that thou dissemble not, nor lie to the holy ghost, there can be no greater shame nor offence for thee, than to profess before thy friends & the hole congregation, with thy mouth countenance and behaviour to be a faithful Christian, And utterly to deny the same in thy heart, words, & deeds, And although thou canst, thus colourably dissemble, and falsely deceive, the Christian congregation, yet canst thou never deceive Christ, which knoweth the inward & secret thoughts & feigned imaginations of thy heart. Therefore I counsel the Christen reader, that thou justly truly, and diligently, examen thy life, and consider well with thyself, whether thou be, a constant marry it against sin. Prove whether thou purpose ernestli, and constantly, so to continue unto the death, & also whether thou have unite peace and hearty unfayved love, towards all the congregation which is most manifestly expressed & signified by this sacrament of Christ's body and blood. And then last, try thyself whether thou believe faithfully to have remission of thy sins and eternal life thorough Christ's passion and death only, and not by any other merits of saints, prayers, or holy works of thy own, or of any other creature living or dead. If thou be fully persuaded and determined in all these things before written, then mayest thou boldly come to this holy table, & to confirm thy faith, receive this holy sacrament of Christ's body & blood, for a earnest pledge of eternal life. Which grant the that dearly bought the to reign with him in eternal glory▪  
FINIS   

❧ Imprinted▪ at London by john Day and William Sets, dwelling in Sepulchres Parish at the sign of the Resurrection a little above Holborn Conduit.  
☞ M.D. xlviii. the .v. of August  
❧ Cum gratia & privilegio ad imprimendum solum.