OF    THE    JJODY    AND    BLOOD    OF    CHRIST.  441

But  this  one  thing  will  I  add,  that  the  sacrament  of  the
Lord  ought  by  no  means  to  be  separate  from  his  substance
and  verity.  And  yet  is  it  not  only  meet,  but  also  very
necessary,  so  to  set  them  asunder,  that  they  be  not  con
founded:  but  to  divide  them  so,  that  the  one  should  be
made  perfect  without  the  other,  is  most  unseemly.  When
we  therefore  do  behold  the  visible  sign,  we  must  consider
what  it  representeth,  and  who  gave  it  us.  For  the  bread  is
given  to  the  intent  that  it  should  be  the  figure  of  the  body
of  Christ,  and  we  are  commanded  to  eat  it.  It  is  given,
I  say,  of  God,  the  certain  and  unchangeable  Verity.  If  so
be  that  God  can  neither  deceive  nor  lie,  it  followeth  that  he
doth  in  very  deed  perform  and  fulfil  all  that  he  doth  there
signify.  No  remedy  therefore,  we  must  needs  unfeignedly
receive  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  in  the  supper ;  foras
much  as  the  Lord  offereth  unto  us  therein  the  communion  of
them  both.  For  what  should  this  mean,  that  we  should  eat
bread  and  drink  wine,  to  the  intent  that  they  should  declare
unto  us  that  his  flesh  is  our  meat,  and  his  blood  our  drink,
if  he,  letting  the  spiritual  verity  pass,  should  give  us  nought
else  but  bread  and  wine  ?  Had  he  not  then  instituted  this
mystery  feignedly  and  in  vain,  and,  as  we  say  in  the  French
tongue,  under  deceivable  signs?  And  therefore  must  we
needs  grant,  that  if  the  representation  which  the  Lord  giveth
in  the  supper  be  no  feigned  thing,  that  then  the  inward
substance  of  the  sacrament  is  annexed  to  the  visible  signs;
and  that  in  like  manner  as  the  bread  is  distributed  in  the
hand,  so  is  the  body  of  Christ  communicate  unto  us,  to  the
intent  we  should  be  partakers  thereof.  And  doubtless  if  there
were  no  more  but  this  one  thing,  yet  ought  it  to  satisfy  us
abundantly ;  forasmuch  as  we  understand,  that  in  the  supper
Christ  giveth  unto  us  the  very  substance  of  his  body  and
blood,  that  we  may  with  full  right  possess  him,  and  in  pos
sessing  him  be  called  into  the  society  of  all  his  good  things.
