Discussion of the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation, Part 2 · Division 13
Diuision 13.
MY Aduersaries next Argument from the qualitie of N. P.the Communicants, page 18. is this; If Christs body be really and corporally present in the Eucharist, then all that eate thereof must of necessity eate Christ in it. But many eate of the Eucharist, that yet eate not Christ in it: for none but faithfull and liuely members of Christ eate him in this Sacrament. In which Argument hee endeavoureth to prooue one falshood by another, equally by vsus denyed; because the holy Fathers expressely affirme that Iudas and the Corinthians blamed by Saint Paul receiued, albeit vnworthily, and to damnation, the body of Christ, as the Apostles words 1 Cor. 11. euidently import; and when S. Augustine and others seemed to deny them to receiue Christ in the Sacrament, they speake not of bare sacramentall, but of profitable and fruitfull receiuing of him.
MY sixt Reason is taken from the qualitie of the Communicants.T. G.
The Argument is briefly this;
Many eate of the Eucharist, that eate not Christ in it:
Ergò Christ is not corporally in it:
The Antecedent is thus prooued:
None feed on Christ but the faithfull; such as be in Christ, and liue by Christ:
But many eate of the Eucharist that are vnfaithfull, and are out of Christ: Ergò, &c.
The Proposition of this latter Syllogisme he denyeth, and saith it is a meere falshood: and why so? forsooth they deny it themselues. And why doe they so? because the holy Fathers say that Iudas and the Corinthians blamed by S. Paul, did receiue Christs body, as the Apostles words evidently import.
1. For the Apostle, he saith expresly, h1 Cor. 11. 27.He that eateth this bread: as plainely as can bee telling vsus more then once or twice, that it was bread that they did eat, though tearmed also Christs body (as hath oft beene said, and as Augustine sheweth) because a Sacrament of it.
2. Is not this shamelesse dealing to say the Fathers affirme that Iudas receiued Christs naturall body (for of that is the question) yet not alleadging any one tittle out of any of them for the proofe of it? and that when the saying of one them is produced directly to the cōtrary, that Iudas ate Christs bread, but not the bread Christ; which he answereth not a word to. If they say that Iudas ate with the rest Christs body; they expound themselues what thereby they meane, to wit, iPanis Christi datus est Iudae. Aug. in Ioan. tr. 62.Christs bread, kTunc Iudas Christi corpus accepit, quando omnibus eis distribuit Sacramentum corporis & sanguinissui, vbi & ipse Iudas erat Ibid.the Sacrament of his body.
§ 2. Yea but the Fathers, when they deny wicked men to rece… Christ in the Sacrament, they speake not of bare sacramentall, but of profitable and fruitfull receiuing of him.
1. It is true indeed, they speake not of bare sacramentall eating. And who saith they do? Or what is this tothe purpose? what is it but that I say? They speake not of bare sacrametall eating, when they say, wickedmen eat not Christ in the Eucharist, but they speake of it, when they say they do eat yet of the Eucharist; wherein they should eat Christ, were Christ corporally in it, which they say they doe not.
2. They say (you hauehave their owne wordes) that it is not possible for any wicked man to eate Christs flesh and drinke his blood, albeit they doe gnaw or chew the Sacrament with their teeth: because our Saviour saith; lIoh. 6 56.Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, abideth in mee; and mIoh. 6. 51.whosoeuer eateth of this bread shall liue for euer.
3. This Answer implieth that Christs body it selfe may vnfruitfully and vnprofitably be eaten: as if the ancient Fathers had dreamed of a twofold eating of it, a worthy and profitable, and an vnworthie and vnprofitable eating. To which I might answer with his owne Bishop I ansenius, his words; nIansen. cō cord. cap. 59.He that vnworthily eateth the bread of life in the Sacrament, doth not truely eate of that bread of which it is said, oIoh. 6. 48.I am the bread of life; and pIoh 6. 55.My flesh is meate in deed. And hee addeth, that it were an absurd thing to expound our Sauiour where he saith, qIoh. 6. 51.If a man eate of this r Ioh. 6. 49.bread he shall liue for euer; as if he should meane; If a man eate worthily of this bread, he shall liue for euer: as if any man could eate vnworthily of it, as some did of the Manna, and eternally died. But heare we Augustine in a word what hee saith hereof, and so learne we to expound Augustine and other the Ancients, not by this idle fellowes friuolous conceits, but by Augustine himself: sHuius rei sacramentum de mensa Dominica sumitur, quibusdam ad vitam, quibusdam ad exitiū. Res verò ipsa cuius Sacramentum est, omni homini ad vitam, nulli ad exitium quicunque eius particeps su… erit. August, … an. tract. 26.The Sacrament hereof (saith hee) to wit, of Christs body and blood and our vnion with either) is taken at the Lords table, by some to life, by some to death: But the thing it selfe whereof it is a Sacrament, is taken by eueryevery one that partaketh thereof to life; by none to death. And if of all to life, by none to death, then vndoubtedly not vnworthily or vnprofitably of any.