And where hys mastershyp alleageth this texte for the Sacramente, that excepte they ded eate hys fleshe and drynke hys blode they coulde not be saued, yt seameth that he is fallen in to the erroure of Pope Innocēt, which lykewyse vnderstōdynge this texte vpon the Sacrament (as master More doth) caused yonge chylderne and infantes to receyue the Sacrament, as though they had all bene dampned which dyed and had not receyued it. And of thys Carnall mynde were many mo Byshoppes a greate whyle (as are now the Bohemes, whome he after dysprayseth, and yet expoundeth the texte as they do) but afterward they loked more spirytually vpō the matter and confessed their ignoraunce, as I truste master More wyll. But now wyll I shew you .S. Austens mynde vpō this texte, which shall helpe for the exposycyon of all thys matter. [Sidenote: Augustinus libro 3 de doctrina christiana.] S. Austen in the thyrde boke de doctrina christiana the .16. chapytre, teachynge how we shall knowe the tropes, fygures, allegoryes, and phrases of the scrypture sayeth. _Si aūt flagitium aut facinus iubere uidetur, figurata locutio est. Nisi manducaueritis (inqt) carnem filij hominis et biberitis eius sanguinē, non habebitis uitam in uobis. Facinus uel flagitium uidetur iubere. Figura est ergo precipiens passionis dominicæ esse comunicandū et suauiter atque utiliter in memoria recondendum, quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa & uulnerata sit._ That is to saye: when so euer the scrypture or Christe seameth to commaunde any fowle or wycked thynge, than muste that texte be taken fyguratyuelye, and that it is a phrase, allegorye, and maner of speakynge, ād muste be vnderstonde spyrytually and not after the letter. Excepte (sayeth Christ) ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke hys bloode ye shall haue no lyfe in you. He seameth (sayeth S. Austen) to cōmaunde a fowle and a wycked thynge. It ys therfore a fygure, commaundyng vs to be partakers of hys passyon, and swetely ād profytablye to prynte in our mynde that hys fleshe was crucyfyed and wounded for vs. This truth (thankes be to God) doth S. Austen declare vnto vs, which thynge besyde the openyng of thys texte agaynst master Mores mynd, doth playnely shew what he thought in the holye wordes of Christes souper. For syth he called yt a fowle and wycked thynge to eate hys fleshe, than may you soone perceyue, that he thought yt ys fowle and as wycked a thynge to eate hys bodye, seynge hys bodye ys fleshe, and then consequently yt shall folowe, that eyther thys worde eate (where Christe sayde take thys and eate yt) muste be taken spirytually, or els that thys sayēge of Christe, thys is my body, muste be fyguratyuely spoken, but this worde, eate, ys taken after the letter (for they ded in dede eate the breade) therfore yt muste neades folowe, that thys sentēce (thys is my bodye) muste be fyguratyuely spoken. Or els ys .S. Austen not to be approued in thys place, which thynge our Byshoppes I thynke, wyll not saye naye.