[Sidenote: Hieronimus super eccle.] Saynte Hierome wrytynge vpon Ecclesiastes sayeth on this maner. _Caro Domini uerus cibus est, & sanguis eius uerus potus est, hoc solum habemus in presenti sæculo bonum, si uescamur carne eius cruoreque potemur, nō solum in misterio, sed etiam in scripturarum lectione, uerus enim cibus est & potus, qui ex uerbo Dei sumitur scientia scripturarum._ That is to saye: the fleshe of the lorde is verye meate, and his bloode verye drynke. This is onelye the pleasure or profytte that we haue in this worlde, that we maye eate hys fleshe and drynke his bloode, not onely in a mysterye, but also in the readynge of scryptures. For it is very meate and drynke, which is taken out of Godes worde, by the knowelege of scryptures. Here maye ye see S. Hieroms mynde in fewe wordes. For fyrste he sayeth that we eate hys fleshe and drynke hys bloode in a mysterye, whiche is the sacrament of hys remembraunce, and memoryall of his passyon. And after he addeth, that we eate his fleshe ād drynke hys bloode in the readynge ād knowelege of scriptures, ād calleth that very meate ād very drynke. And yet I am sure ye are not so grosse, as to thynke that the letters whiche you reade are tourned in to naturall fleshe ād blode. And lykewyse it is not necessarye that the breade shulde be tourned in to hys bodye, no more than the letters in scrypture are tourned in to his fleshe. And neuerthelesse through faythe we may as well eate hys bodye in receyuynge of the sacrament, as eate hys fleshe in readynge of the letters of the scrypture. Besydes that S. Hierome calleth the vnsterstōdynge of the scripture verye meate and very drynke: whiche you muste neades vnderstonde in a mysterye and spyrituall sense. For it is no materyall meate nor drynke that is receyued with the mouth and teth, but it is spyrytuall meate and drynke, and is so called for a symylytude and propertye: because that as meate and drynke counforte the bodye and outwarde man, so doth the readynge and knowelege of scrypture conforte the soule and inwarde man. And lykewyse it is of Christes bodye, whiche is called verye meate and verye drynke, whiche you muste neades vnderstonde in a mysterye or spyrytuall sense (as Saynte Hierome called it) for hys bodye is no materyall meate nor drynke that is receyued with the mouth or teth: But it is spyrytuall meate and drynke, and so called for a symilytude and propertye, because that as meate and drynke conforte the bodye, so doth the fayth in hys bodye breakynge & bloode sheadynge refreshe the soule vnto lyfe euerlastynge. We vse it customablye in our daylye speache to saye, when a chylde setteth all hys mynde and delyght vpō sporte and playe: It is meate and drynke to thys chylde to playe. And also we saye by a man that loueth well hawkynge and huntynge: It is meate and drynke to thys man to hawke and hunte. Where no man doubteth, but it is a fyguratyue speache. And therfore I wonder