Rejoinder to Bristows Reply, Part 2 · Book 4 · Chapter 14
CAP. XIIII.
What these wordes doe signifie, For the remembrance of me: and that they much helpe, to prooue Christes reall presence, Sander.vnderunder the formes of breade and wine.
To the obiection that the remembrance of a man, differeth Fulke.from the man himself: Sander answereth, yt Christ said not onelyonly, do this, but also, make this thing, because facere signifieth both to doe and to make: and the remē brance of Christ is the shewing of his death, as S. Paul teacheth by facte and by making Christs bodie vnderunder diuerse kinds, to shew ye separation of the bodie from the soule, the breaking and eating of it in signe, sheweth the breaking of it on ye crosse &c. To this I reply, that facere can hauehave but one signification at one time, and seeing facere in commemorationem is expounded by S. Paul (as Sand, also confesseth) to shew the Lords death, which is by doing & not by making, except you meane, the making of ye sacrament, hoc facite is still do this thing. In deede, ye verie ministratiō of the sacrament according to Christs in stitutiō is a preaching of the Lords death: but it followeth not therof, that the Lord is present, whom ye Apostle, by implication saith to be absent: for he addeth, vntill he come, which were not properly saide, if in person he were present, but rather vntill he be seene, which is there present inuisible. To come, is to remoue, from one place to another place, where ye remouer was not before he came. But Sander saith, the presence of the benefactor, is the best meane to make his good deede remembred, as the scarre in a mans face being seene, is the best remembrāce of his fighting for his friends defence. I hauehave often shewed the vanitie of this kinde of reasoning, by which it shoulde followe that Christ left vsus not the best token of remembrance of his death, because he is not seene, with the print of his wounds. But we must esteeme, the best remembrance, according to his wisedome, that hath ordained it, who in all respects no doubt, hath appoin…ed the best that might be for confirmation of our saith. Yet in Sanders example, or any that hee can deuise, a remembrance will alwayes differ from the thing remē bred, as the scarie and the fighting, are not all one: so the remembrance of Christ crucified, and Christ crucified himselfe, are not all one. Neither must Sander baffu… vsus, with the remembrance of an action onelyonly, for wee are to remember the person with his benifites, in or for the remembrance of me, saith Christ, vntill he come, saith Paul. That a thing may be present, which is not seene, as to a blinde man, Sander needed not to proue, but that a thing may be both absent, and present, in the same substance, visibly or inuisibly, that is the matter, which would require Sander to shewe his witte, in giuing vsus either a reason or an experience. But the reall presence of Christ, saith he, causeth the people to come with due preparation and mortification, which as Basil affirmeth, is a peece of the remembrance, whereas in eating and drinking breade and wine, Christe is so remembred, that sinnes be neither confessed, nor amendement minded, nor faith exercised, nor charitie vsed, as nowe a daies in England it is handled, by meanes of the newe preachers. What fruitfull remembrance of Christes death, the popish doctrine doth worke, wee lament to see the remanents, yet in diuerse places, where the people are not taught, that spend their time as they were wont to doe in poperie, when they had receiued their maker, as they were taught to speake. Contrariwise, where true doctrine and good discipline hauehave preuailed, enuie her selfe may see examples sufficient, to confute the shamelesse slaunders of Sander. As for the glorious monument of the Masse, which Sander describeth to shewe what remembrance of Christ is made therein: he doeth well to compare it to a sepulchre, which hath outwardly goodly painting & carning, but inwardly is ful of rotten bones & corruptiō. As good a shewing as yt and better too, may be made vponupon a stage with puppets. For what doctrine is there in the masse for the comfort of an afflicted conscience, but dumbe shewes and idle ceremonies▪ in exposition whereof the popish doctors themselues cannot agree, in which if there were any profitable doctrine, it were hidde from the people, as it were with the grauestone of an vnknowen tongue. But that which of all other is worst, what remembrance of Christes death and sacrifice call you that, which sacrilegiously challengeth vntounto it selfe that which is singular and proper to the death of Christ? But Sander hauing once entred into the allegorie of a sepulchre, cannot so lightlie leaue it, but teacheth, that Christ hauing ordained the sacrament for a sepulchre, woulde not make it an hearse or sepulchre without his bodie lying therein. To this I answere, that sepulchres are to laye in deade carcases, but Christ is risen from death, and ascended into heauen, hauing left his sacraments as monuments of him that was deade, but nowe liueth eternally, not as graues wherein his deade bodie still shoulde remaine. But Chrysostome is charged to call Christes bodie foreign a carcase, because it is present, after the same rate, as it was deade in the sepulchre, not without life, but without sensible mouing as Epiphanius hath noted.
I answere, hee doth impudently charge Chrysostome to render that reason, why hee calleth Christes bodie a carcase, in 1. Corint. Homil. 24. because hee is present without sensible moouing. For there is no such thing in that homily, although there bee some excessiue and hyperbolicall speaches, as that Christ suffereth to bee broken in the Sacrament, which was not broken on the crosse. And euen as false it is that hee affirmeth of Epiphanius, for hee saith not that Christ is without sensible moouing. But speaking of the sacramentall bread Hoc …st rotundae formae & insensibile, quantum ad potentiam. Et voluit per gratiam dicere hoc meum est, hoc & hoc. This thing is of rounde shape, and insensible, as concerning power. And yet by grace he woulde say: This is mine. This and this. Epiph. Ancor.
But there followeth a substantiall reason, of the Martyrs, which hauehave left their bodies behinde them for our comfort, or else some thing equiualent, as Manna, …n the tombe of Saint Iohn, as the fable of Abdias sheweth: Therefore Christ woulde not bee inferiour to them, in leauing his bodie. But Christ himselfe telleth vsus, that it is profitable for vsus, that hee departe from the worlde in his humanitie, to prepare vsus a place in heauen, and to supplie his bodily presence, most comfortablie with the presence of his holy spirite. Ioan. 16. It is most comfortable therefore for vsus, that Christ hath carried his bodie into heauen, and placed vsus in heauen with him, Ephe. 2. sending vntounto vsus his holy spirite, with all profitable graces from heauen.
Origen is cited, Homi. 13 in Leuitic. Si respicias, &c. If thou looke to that remembrance whereof, our Lorde saide, Doe this in the remembrance of mee, thou shalt finde, that this is the onelyonly remembrance which may make GOD mercifull to men. Marke (saith Sander) this propitiatorie kinde of remembrance. Naye, marke the treacherie of Sander, that cutting off a sentence by the middle, applyeth the conclusion to the latter parte onelyonly, which of the author is meant of the whole matter together. For Origen shewing the insufficiencie of the shewebreade, to make propitiation thus writeth. Sed si referantur haec ad mysterii magnitudinem, inuenies commemorationem istam habere ingentis repropitiationis effectum. Si rede…s ad illum panem qui de caelo descendit, & dat huic mundo vitam: illum panem propositionis, quem proposuit Deus propitiationem per fidem in sanguine eius: & si respicias ad illam commemorationem, de qua dicit dominus, Hoc facite in meam commemorationem: inuenies quod ista est commemoratio sola, quae propitium faciat hominibus deum.
But if these thinges (namely the ceremonie of the shewe breade) bee referred to the greatnesse of the mysterie, thou shalt finde that this commemoration hath the effect of great reconciliation. If thou returne to that breade which came downe from heauen, and giueth life to this worlde: I say that shewebread, which God hath set forth to be propitiation, through faith in his bloode, and if thou looke vntounto that commemoration, of which our Lorde saith, doe this for the remembrance of mee, thou shalt finde that this is the onelyonly commemoration that maketh God mercifull to men. Nowe marke this propitiatory kinde of remembrance, and you shall finde it to bee neither the masse, nor the communion, but the ceremonie of shewebreade, no… barely considered, but with faith applied vntounto Christe whom it did signifie, and exhibit euen as the sacrament of his supper doth vntounto vsus. I say, marke Master Doctor Sander, you that are so great a Grammarian, and consider whether Ista commemoratio in the last sentence, be not the same that it is in the first. And marke, whether ille and iste, That and this, can be referred to one and the same commemoration.
But Augustine or Fulgentius de fide ad Petrum, declareth, how the sacrament is a remembrance of Christ… in rehearsall of which saying, Sander playeth the same part, that hee did before, that is, hee omitteth the one halfe of the discourse, which maketh altogether against transubstantiation. Firmissimè …ene &c. Most stedfastly beleeue thou, and nothing doubt, that the onelyonly begotten sonne, God the worde, being made fleshe, hath offred himselfe for vsus, to bee a sacrifice and oblation of sweete sauour vntounto GOD: to whome with the father and the holy ghost, by the Patriarches, Prophetes, & priests in time of the old testament, beasts were sacrificed: and to whom now that is in time of the new testament, with the father and the holy Ghost, with whom he hath one diuinitie, the holy Catholike Church thoroughout the whole worlde, ceaseth not to offer the sacrifice of breade and wine, in faith and charitie. For in those carnall sacrifices, there was a figuring of the fleshe of Christe, which hee himselfe beeing without sinne, should offer for our sinnes, and of his bloude which hee should shedde for the remission of our sinnes, (now beginneth Sander.) But in this sacrifice, there is thāks…iuing and a cōmemoration of the flesh of Christ which …e offered for vsus, and of his bloude which the same God …id shedde for vsus. Therefore in those sacrifices, it was fi…uratiuely signified what should be giuen vsus: But in this …acrifice, it is euidently shewed, what hath nowe beene …iuen vsus, in these sacrifices it was before hande shewed, …hat the sonne of God shoulde bee afterwarde killed for …icked men: but in this he is alreadie shewed to hauehave …eene alreadie killed for wicked men. That Sander o…itteth a sentence which is not materiall, I will not …uarrell with him. But nowe we must marke, saith he, the …ordes of Fulgentius, of the olde sacrifices, figuratè signi…cabatur, it was figuratiuely signified: by the newe sacri…ice, euidenter ostenditur, it is euidently shewed. If wee had …ot Christes bodie present, the old shadows would shew …is death better thē bread & wine, flesh would shew flesh …nd bloud would shew bloud, and killing would shew …illing. In deede it is good to marke the writers wordes. Shall we then skippe ouer the authors wordes, which calleth this newe sacrifice, whereof he speaketh so much sacrificium panis & vini, the sacrifice of breade and wine? Therefore when he saith, In this sacrifice: I aske, what sacrifice he telleth me, in the sacrifice of bread and wine, is euidently shewed, what is alreadie giuen vsus? You see Fulgentius meaneth euident shewing, otherwise then Sander doth, which thinketh it cannot be by breade and wine. And as to Sanders reason, that flesh sheweth flesh, more euidently then breade: I answere that Fulgentius compareth not so much the euidence of the signes, as the difference of the times, which then was to come, nowe is past, concerning the passion of Christ. Although that which is shewed to be perfourmed already, is more euidentlie shewed, then that which is darkely promised to be perfourmed hereafter. And the doctrine of the Gospell in preaching Christes death, is a more cleere and euident demonstration of his benefites, then the doctrine of the sacrifices was.
But Sander compareth the flesh of the olde sacrifices, and the breade of the Lordes supper, as though it were none otherwise shewed to bee the remembrance of Christes death in the Church of Christ, then it is in their popish masse: whereas Fulgentius speaketh not of the bare ceremonie of the Sacrament, but of the Sacrament with the doctrine there vntounto belonging, which is tence times a more euident shewing of Christes death then the olde sacrifices were. Otherwise he might say, that circumcision was a more euident shewing of mortification, and regeneration, then baptisme, because that which was done in the member, naturally made for generation, did more euidently shewe those mysteries, then dipping or sprinkling of water. But as their ceremonies were more sensible demonstrations, so the doctrine of our sacraments, is wonderfully more cleere and euident.
Finally, seeing this writer, entendeth to teach Peter the Deacon most plainely: why doth he call the sacrame… the sacrifice of breade and wine, if there be no breade and wine in that holy office or seruice? for so hee taketh the worde Sacrifice, and not properly, as his whole exposition doeth shewe. For if he had meant a popish reall presence, why doth hee not once name any thing sounding there to? if hee had meant a propitiatorie sacrifice, why doth he so manifestly distinguish it from the sacrifice of Christ, and place it onelyonly in thankesgiuing and remembrance of Christ crucified? Verily this place, whether it was written by Augustine or Fulgentius, it is vtter enimie to transubstantiation, and the propitiatorie sacrifice of the popish masse. But what neede I bring the fathers, one by one, saith Sander, sith the whole seconde Councell of Nice, doubted not to say▪ A worshipfull Councell, of vnlearned Idolaters: And what say they? Nemo sanctorum &c. None of the holy Apostles, which are the trumpet of the holy Ghost, either of our glorious fathers, hath said our vnbloudy sacrifice, which is made in the remembrance of Christ our Lord and God, his passion and of his whole conuersation, to be an image of that bodie. If this Councell say true, that none of the Apostles hauehave so said, then Sander is condemned by this Councell, for falsifying the Scripture. Heb. 10. when vnderunder colour of the Apostles wordes, he affirmeth the sacrament not to be a shadowe of thinges to come, but to be the image of the thing it selfe. Lib. 3. Cap. 10. But that all these fathers do lie, when they say none of our fathers, hauehave said the sacrifice to be an image of his bodie, it might be proued by diuerse ancient witnesses: among which I will name Ambrose, Offici. lib. 1. ca. 1. who speaking of the sacrament, which he calleth the sacrifice, wherein Christ is offered, saieth, Hîc in imagine, ibi in veritate, heere in an image, there hee is offered in trueth, where as an aduocate hee maketh intercession with the father for vsus. In this saying, what is the image, but the sacrament? and whereof is it an Image? of his bodie: where the image is also perfectly distinguished from the truth. Also Theodoret Dialog. calleth the sacrament an image, opor…es imaginis esse exemplar arche…ypum. The chiefe paterne must bee an example of the image, meaning by the paterne, Christ; by the image, the sacrament of his supper.
Finally to the authoritie of this seconde Nicen councell, I oppose the Ephesine Councell, which determined against images, and affirmed the Sacrament of the bodie and bloude of Christ to be the onelyonly image of his passion, that is left for Christian men to imbrace.
The last Chapter of this booke, being entituled by name against that reuerende father Master Nowels challenge, is so plentifully, and substantially confuted by himselfe, against whom it was written, that I neede not once to meddle with it. OnelyOnly I note that Sander vrging Master Nowel to replie, promiseth a speedie reioynder, yet Master Nowels booke hauing beene so manie yeares abroade, Sanders reioynder is not yet come to light.