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Henry that it be not so much as hoary: for so holy is the housel which to day is VIII. hallowed, as that which on Easter-day was hallowed. That housel is Christ's

A.D. 1540.

the Lord's

body, not

bodily but

ghostly.

body not bodily, but ghostly not the body which he suffered in, but the body of which he spake, when he blessed bread and wine, to housel, the night before his suffering, and said, by the blessed bread, ‘This is my body:' and again, by the holy wine, 'This is my blood which is shed for many in forgiveness of sins.' Understand now that the Lord, who could turn that bread, before his suffering, to his body, and that wine, to his blood ghostly, that the selfsame Lord blesseth daily, through the priest's hands, bread and wine, to his ghostly body and to his ghostly blood.

After this epistle of Elfric above prefixed, written to Wulfsine, bishop of Sherbourne, concerning the sacramental bread, how it is not Christ's body lichamlice,' that is bodily,' or, as we term it now, 'really;' and also how the same ought not to be over long kept in the pix; here followeth further another epistle of the said Elfric, written to Wulfstane, archbishop of York, both reprehending the said abuse above touched, and also containing matter more at large, against the bodily presence in the sacramental bread. The copy of his epistle, both in his own Saxon and our English, here followeth :

Another Epistle of Elfric, Archbishop of Canterbury, to Wulfstane,
Archbishop of York; in Saxon.

Svme preostar gefyllað heoɲa hurel box on eartɲon. ] healsap oper tpelf monap to untɲmmum mannum. spylce dær hurel ry haligne donne open. Ac hi dop unpiplice. Fopeam he hit pannað. od de mid ealle forɲotað on spa langum fyrste. 1 he brð þonne rcyldig spa spa us sægþ seo boc; de de hurel forhýlt. oð de hit forlýst. od de mir eron. of de odre nýʊenu. sceapa pa pœnitétialem. hpæt he ræge pirum; Eal rpa halig is dær hurel de bid gehalgod to dæg. rpa dær de bid gehalgod on dam halgan easter dæge; healdaþ forþig ic bidde þone halgan Cuirter lichaman mid mapan pisdome to reocum mannum Ƒɲam ɲunnan dæge to sunna dæge on rpipe clænum boxe. of de be dam mærtan feopertyne niht. j icgap hit ponne, and leczað dæɲ oþær; pe habbap by rene be dam on Moyrer bоcum. jða spа God rÿlf bebead on Moyser æ. Eær se sacerd sceolde on ælcum ræverner dæge pezzan tpelf hlafar on dam tabernaculo ealle nipe bacene. a pæɲon gehatene Panes propositionis.' ] hig sceoldon dær standan on dam Goder gevælde oð oþerne særernes dæg. 7 etan hi donne da racerdas sylfe. j settan dær oðre;

J

Sume preortar nellað dicgan dær hurel de hi halgiap; Nu pille pe eop recgan. hu reo boc rege be pam; Presbyter mirram celebрans. Jnon audens sumere sacrificium accurante conscientia ɲua anathema ert; Se mærrepreost de mærraþ. 7 ne deap dær hurel dizan. pat hine scyldigne. se is amanɲumod; Lærre pleoh is to digenne dæt hurel. Conne to halgienne; de de tupa halgap ane opletan to hurle. re bið þam gedpolan gelice. de an cild fullap tupa; Crist jÿlf gehalgod hurel æp hir nopunge. he bletrode done hlaf. 7 to brææc pur cpepende to his halgum apostolum, etap diɲne blaf. hit is min lichama: j heeft bletrode æune calic mid pine. J cpæp heom dus to. drincaþ ealle of disum. hit is min agen blode dæɲe nipan gecydnýrre. de bid ron manegum agoten on rynna rongyrenýrre; Se dpihten þe halgode hurel æn hir nopunge. 1 cpæpre hlar pæne hir agen lichama. and þær pin þære piroolice hir blod. re halgap dæghpamlice pupgh hir raceɲda handa hlar to hir lichaman. J pin to hir blod on gastlicere geɲýne. spa spa pe pædaþ on bocum; Ne bi re hiflica hlaf lichamlice rpa peah re ýlca hichoma.

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VIII.

de Crift on ropode; Ne dær halige pin nir þær hælender blod pe Henry for us agoten pær on lichamlice ping. ac on garlicum andgýte; Ægþen bio roplice re hlar hir lichama. pin eac hir blod sра гра rе heofon- A.D. lica hlar pær. de pe hatap manna de feopertig geara afedde Goder Folce. 1540. þær hlutne pærer pær pitodlice hir blod. de aɲ nor dam stane on Xam pærrene da; Spa spa Paulus apɲæt on sumon his pistole: Omnes patres nostri eandem escam spiritualem manducaverunt : et omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt,' &c. Ealle ure fædepas æton on dam pærrene pone ylcan garlicam mere. 7 done gastlican drenc dɲuncon; Pi druncon of pam garelican stane. J se stane pær Crist; Se apostol sæde spa spa ge nu gehýndon þær hi ealle æron done ylcan garelican mete. hi ealle druncon one garlican openc; Ne cpæ he na lichamlice. ac garthice; Nær Crift da gyt geboren ne his blod næs agoten. ða þær Israhela folc geær done mere. J of dam stane dranc. & se stan nær lichamlice Cri Seah he rpa cpæde; Pit pæɲon da ýlcan gepynu on dæɲe ealdam æ. 7 hi garlice geracnodon þer gastlice hurel uɲer hælender lichaman. de pe halgiap nu.

The same Epistle of Elfric to Wulfstane, touching the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, in English.

Some priests fill their box for housel on Easter-day, and so reserve it a whole year for sick men, as though that housel were more holy than any other. But they do unadvisedly, because it waxeth hoary or altogether rotten, by keeping it so long space and thus are they become guilty, as the book witnesseth to us. If any do keep the housel so long, or lose it, or mice or other beasts do eat it, see what the penitential book saith by this: So holy is altogether that housel which is hallowed to-day, as that which is hallowed on Easter-day.' Wherefore I beseech you to keep the holy body of Christ with more advisement, for sick men, from Sunday to Sunday, in a very clean box; or at the most not to keep it above a fortnight, and then eat it, laying other in the place. We have an example hereof in Moses' books, as God himself hath commanded in Moses' law, how the priests should set, every Saturday, twelve loaves, all new baked. upon the tabernacle, which were called Panes propositionis:' and those should stand there, in God's tabernacle, till the next Saturday; and then did the priests themselves eat them, and set others in the place.

Some priests will not eat the housel which they do hallow. But we will now declare unto you how the book speaketh by them: 'Presbyter missam celebrans, et non audens sumere sacrificium, accusante conscientia, anathema est:''The priest that doth say mass, and dare not eat the housel, his conscience accusing him, is accursed.' It is less danger to receive the housel, than to hallow it. He that doth twice hallow one host to housel, is like unto those heretics, who do christen twice one child. Christ himself blessed housel before his suffering: he blessed the bread and brake it, thus speaking to his apostles, Eat this bread; it is my body.' And again, he blessed one chalice with wine, and thus also spake unto them, 'Drink ye all of this; this is mine own blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.' The Lord who hallowed housel before his suffering, and saith that the bread was his own body, and that the wine was truly his blood, halloweth daily, by the hands of the priest, bread to his body, and wine to his blood, in ghostly mystery, as we read in books. And yet, notwithstanding, that lively bread is not bodily so; nor the Bodily self-same body that Christ suffered in; nor is that holy wine the Saviour's blood presence which was shed for us in bodily thing, but in ghostly understanding. Both be truly, that bread is his body, and that wine also is his blood; as was the heavenly bread which we call manna,' that fed forty years God's people; and the clear water, which did then run from the stone in the wilderness, was truly his blood, as St. Paul wrote in one of his epistles, All our fathers did eat in the wilderness the same ghostly meat, and drink the same ghostly drink: they drank

16

(1) Omnes patres nostri eandem escam spiritualem manducaverunt, et omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt,' &c.

denied.

Henry
VIII.

A.D.

1540.

Eighty

sermons

tin into

Elfric.

selected

out of them.

of that ghostly stone, and that stone was Christ.' The apostle hath said, as you have heard, that they all did eat the same ghostly meat, and they all did drink the same ghostly drink. And he saith not bodily,' but 'ghostly.' And Christ was not yet born, nor his blood shed, when the people of Israel did eat that meat and drank of that stone. And the stone was not bodily Christ, though he so said. It was the same mystery' in the old law, and they did ghostly signify that ghostly housel of our Saviour's body, which we consecrate now.

Besides these epistles above prefixed of Elfric to Wulfsine and Wulfstane, which fight directly against transubstantiation, mention was touched also before of certain sermons, to the number of fourtranslated score, translated by the said Elfric out of Latin into the Saxon, that out of La- is, into our English tongue, as ye partly have heard before. Of the Saxon, by which fourscore sermons, twenty-four were chiefly selected to be read, A book of instead of homilies or treatises, unto the people; in such order as the sermons first twelve sermons or treatises, treating of general matters (as, De initio creaturæ, De auguriis, De die judicii, Unius confessoris, De vaniloquio et negligentia, De avaritia, De falsis diis, &c.) were appointed to be read at pleasure, and at the discretion of the minister. The other twelve sermons were prescribed of proper feasts (as, De annunciatione beatæ Mariæ, De nativitati Domini, De circumcisione Domini, De epiphania, De purificatione sanctæ Mariæ, Dominica prima in Quadragesima, Dominica palmarum die paschæ, &c.) Whereof this testimony remaineth in the same book yet to be seen, both in the Saxon tongue, and also in the preface of the latter twelve. sermons in Latin, in these words following, In hoc codicillo continentur sermones Anglicè, quos accepimus de libris quos abbas Anglicè transtulit,' &c.

Latin books, written

transub

tion, craf

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Furthermore, as touching these fourscore sermons aforesaid, which Elfric translated into English, here is to be understood, that among the said sermons, used then orderly to be recited by the people, there was one appointed to be read In Die Sancto Paschæ, that is, upon Easter-day; which sermon, being translated by the said Elfric, we have here exhibited both in Saxon speech and English, to the intent that the christian and indifferent reader, perusing the same, may judge thereby how the fantastical doctrine of transubstantiation, in those days of Elfric, and before his time, was not yet received or known in the church of England; forasmuch as the said sermon, being in Latin before, doth leave unto us an evident declaration, what was the common opinion of the sacrament in the church received, before Elfric did ever set hand to translate the same out of the Latin.

And though the Latin copies and exemplars of these aforesaid sermons are not remaining in our libraries, let that be no marvel to thee, against loving reader! but understand thereby the crafty packing of the pope's stantia- clergy, who, in the time of Lanfranc and pope Innocent, studying by tily by the all means how to prefer and further this their new-come doctrine of papists transubstantiation, did abolish and rase out of libraries and churches all such books which made to the contrary. And therefore, because Lanfranc, and other Italian priests here in England, understood not the Saxon books as they did the Latin (all that which they understood they made away), the Saxon books, because they knew them not, they let remain and this is the cause why our Saxon copies are now

abolished.

(1) That is, a mystery of the same thing that was in the old law.

to be found which to be true by three reasons conjectural it may probably supposed.

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1540.

Three

conjec

this.

First, for that these Saxon sermons, being translated out of the A. D. Latin (as ye have heard by the words of Elfric already proved), we see only the Saxon books reserved: of the Latin none do appear. Secondly, there is yet remaining one certain piece or fragment of tures an epistle of Elfric in the library of Worcester; wherein, so much as proving maketh against the matter of transubstantiation, we found in the middle of the said Latin epistle utterly rased out, so that no letter nor piece of a letter doth there appear. The words cut out were these: Notwithstanding this sacrifice is not the same body of his wherein he suffered for us, nor the same blood of his which he shed Words for us but, spiritually, it is made his body and blood as that manna rased out which rained from heaven, and the water which did flow out of the papists, rock. As Paul,' &c. These words, so rased out, are to be restored and reagain by another Saxon book found in Exeter: by the rasing of which the Saxon one place, it may easily be conjectured what these practisers have Exeter. likewise done in the rest.

craftily

by the

stored by

book of

an trick of

his books.

Thirdly, by one Italian trick of Polydore Virgil in our days, the An Itali properties and doings of all other Italian papists of elder time may Polydore, partly be conjectured: for so I am informed by such as precisely will to burn affirm it to be true, that when Polydore, being licensed by the king to view and search all libraries, had once accomplished his story by the help of such books as he had compiled out of libraries; in the end, when he had taken out what he would, like a true factor for the pope's own tooth, he piled his books together, and set them all on a light fire. For what cause he so did, I cannot certainly pronounce; but whoso considereth well his religion, may shrewdly suspect him: for a probation whereof, this may serve for a sufficient trial; that whereas of all other writers of histories that have been in England, as of Fabian, Lanquet, Rastal, More, Leland, Bale, Hall, and such others, some of their books which they then occupied, yet remain in hands to be seen: only of such books as Polydore used, and which past his hands, what Englishman is he that hath seen, or can show me one? Whereby it may well be thought the aforesaid information to be true. As also by this one Italian trick of Polydore, may other Italians likewise be suspected, in making away such Latin books within this land, as made not for their purpose. But, forasmuch as those Latin books be now abolished, and cannot be had, let us return to our Saxon tongue again, and see what this Saxon sermon of Elfric's translation, doth say for transubstantiation; the copy whereof here ensueth.2

(1) Non est tamen hoc sacrificium corpus ejus, in quo passus est pro nobis, neque sanguis ejus quem pro nobis effudit: sed spiritualiter corpus ejus efficitur et sanguis, sicut manna quod de cœlo pluit, et aqua quæ de petra fluxit. Sicut Paulus,' &c.

(2) This sermon, or homily, as it is more commonly called, was published separately by archbishop Parker, in the year 1566, and reprinted, afterwards, at Oxford, in 1675. See Strype's Life of Parker, vol. ii. book 4, page 503, Edit. Oxford, 1821; where Strype observes that Foxehath left out several passages which contained some legendary miracles relating to the sacrament, and some particular passages which look favourably towards the doctrine of the church of Rome: which are not omitted in the archbishop's edition of the book.' The full title is this: A Sermon of the Paschal Lamb, and of the sacramental body and blood of Christ, written in the old Saxon tongue before the Conquest, and appointed in the reign of the Saxons to be spoken unto the people at Easter, before they should receive the Communion: and now first translated into our common English speech.'-ED.

Henry
VIII.

A.D. 1540.

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A SERMON TRANSLATED OUT OF LATIN INTO THE SAXON
TONGUE, BY ELFRIC, AGAINST TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

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This Sermon was usual to be read in the Church here in England in the
Saxons' time.

Men da leofortan. gelome eop is gesæd ÿmbe urer hælendes æriste. hu he on pirum andpeardan dæge æfter his dropunge mihtiglice of deape anar; Nu pille pe eop geopenian duph Goder gire be pam halgan hurle de genu togan rceolon. gepirrian eoper andgyt ymbe dære gerýnu. ægder ze æfter þære ealdan gecýþnýsse. ge æfter þære nipan, by lær. de ænig tpeonunge cop derian mæge be dam liflicum geneorde; Se almıhriga God bebeas pam heɲetogan on Egypta lande. † he rceolde bebeodan Ippahela foice. hi namon ær ælcum heoppe aner geapes lambe on pæne nihte pa hi rendon of tham lande to dam behazenan eapde. rceoldon lambe Gode geoffpian. Jsÿþþan rniþan. J pyncan pode tacn on heopa gesýnum. 1 oreprlegum mis ær lamber blod. ezan rÿþþan þær lamber flære gebpæd. and deorre hlarar mid Feldlicne lactucan; God cpap to Moyren. ne ete ge or þam lambe nan ing bɲeap. ne on pærere geroben ac gebpæd to fýre; Etap hearod. ] þa fær. Jþinnepeande. ne hir nan þing ne belire op mengen. gif dæp hрær to lafe ry. Fopbæpneþ þ. þicgap hit on þar piran; Begyndaþ eopeɲe lendenu. and beop gerceode. habap eop rear on hande. Jecap heapdlice. deor tid is Godes fæpeld; And peapp da on dæɲe nihte offlezen on ælcum hure geons eal Phapaoer nice. fpumcennepe cild. and pær þ Godes folc Irpahel abped fram þam fep ican deaþe. Juɲh dæs lamber offnunge, and hir bloder meancunge; be cpap God to Moyren. healdap irnedag on eoprum gemÿnde. ] fɲeolɲiap hine mæplice on eoppum cynɲenum mið ecum bigencze. ezah Seongne hlap rymle reofan dagar ær þirre Freols ride;

Æfter dissere dæde lædde God Irnahela Folc ofer þa ɲeadan ræ. mid drium forum. y asnæncze Ốæn on Phanao. y ealne hay hene ramos de heona ehton. afedde rýþþan Irnahela Folc Fеoprig geara mid heoponlicum bigleofan. him Forgear perer of heardum fran clude. oð † hi comon to pam behavenum epele; Sume har nace pe habbap Fernahτnod on opɲe rroperume pe pyllað nu geopenian. pe belimpp to þam halgan hurle; Chirrene menn nemozon healdan nu þa ealdan æ lichamlice. ac him gedafenap phi cunnon hpat heo garrice zacnie; unrcæppie lambe pe re ealde Irnahela pa ofrnap. hærde geracnunge ærten garlicum andgyze Crirrer Propunge re pe unrcæpþig for ure alysednisse his halige blod agear; Be pam ringaþ Goder deopar ær ælcere mærɲan 'Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis;' Bir on urum geneorde. Du Goder lamb de ærbrezsr middan eardes sýnna gemilera ur;

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