into life everlasting, and to be both on his right hand.  And thus ye may see that Christ spake not of the material cup, neither of himself, nor of his apostles, neither of material bread, neither of material wine.  Therefore let every man wisely, with meek prayers, and great study, and also charity, read the words of God and holy Scriptures; but many of you are like the mother of Zebedee’s sons to whom Christ said, “Thou knowest not what thou askest.”  So, many of you know not what ye ask, nor what you do; for if ye did, ye would not blaspheme God as ye do, to set an alien God instead of the living God.  Also Christ saith, “I am a very vine; wherefore then worship ye not the vine God, as ye do the bread?  Wherein was Christ a very vine, or wherein was the bread Christ’s body, in figurative speech, which is hidden to the understanding?  Then if Christ became not a material or an earthly vine, neither did a material vine become His body.  So neither the bread, material bread, was changed from its substance to the flesh and blood of Christ.”

Have ye not read in John the second, when Christ came into the temple, they asked of Him what token He would show, that they might believe Him.  And He answered them, “Cast down this temple, and in three days I shall raise it again;” which words were fulfilled in His rising again from death; but when He said, “Undo this temple,” in that that He said this, they were in error, for they understood it fleshly, and had supposed that He had spoken of the temple of Jerusalem, because He stood in it.  And therefore they accused Him at His passion full falsely.  For He spake of the temple of His blest body, which rose again in the third day.  And right so Christ spake of His holy body when He said, “This is my body which shall be given for you,” which was given to death, and to rising again to bliss, for all that shall be saved by him.  But like as they accused him falsely of the temple of Jerusalem, so now a days they accuse falsely against Christ, and say that Christ spake of the bread that He brake among His apostles; for in that Christ said this, they are deceived, take it fleshly, and turn it to the material bread, as the Jews did to the temple; and on this false understanding they make abomination of discomfort, as is said by Daniel the prophet, and in Matthew xxiv., to be standing in the holy place; he that readeth let him understand.

Now, therefore, pray we heartily to God, that this evil may be made short for the chosen men, as He hath promised in His blest Gospel; and the large and broad way that leadeth to perdition may be stopt, and the straight and narrow way that leadeth to bliss may be made open by Holy Scriptures, that we may know which is the will of God, to serve Him in truth and holiness in the dread of God, that we may find by Him a way of bliss everlasting.  So be it.

SAVONAROLA

THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST