Common Places, Letters · Letter 12
To Maſter Iohn Caluin.
I Am gladde that the little booke of defence of the conſent of our Churches as touching the controuerſie of the ſacrament, A conſent of the Heluetian churches with the Church of Geneua.is nowe come foorth, and I wiſh that the ſame may bring abundance of fruit. And I doubt not, but for the Godlineſſe and inſtruction wherewith it ſhewes it ſelfe to be furniſhed, it will bring commoditie vntounto the weake, comfort vntounto the learned, and much ſtomacke and hatred to them that be obſtinate. Neither will this be any newe thing, becauſe ſuch is the condition of the word of God. That none of thoſe things whereof I gaue counſell is chaunged, I vnderſtanding the reaſons which you hauehave made in your Epiſtle, do not only take it wel but in verie good part. But yet this hauehave I marueiled at, and I woulde with a gladde minde heare it if it were ſo, that N. hath allowed of thoſe things which you wrote. For I louelove the man becauſe of other his goodlie giftes, but in this controuerſie which we are nowe in hand with, he hath alwayes ſéemed vntounto me to bee (more than ynough) a right Saxon, and to carie a contrarie minde vntounto the trueth which we defend. Of what iudgement our men will be, I knowe not. Wée thought good to ſend both letters and a booke vntounto Marpachius. Marpachius.For you did write nothing but that which may and ought to be taken in good part of mē which be of a ſound iudgement. But maruell not that there was ſome ſlackneſſe in the anſwering of your letters. For there were aſſemblies had after your letters were deliuered, and Marpachius him ſelfe was abſent a whole monethmonth, which returned fower dayes ſince. He went into his owne countrie, and in returning made his iourney by Zuricke, and ſaluted mee in the name of all thoſe miniſters. In talke he is gentle and curteous ynough, but excéeding obſtinate in his opinion. Thus much hath he profited, yt he includeth not ye bodie of Chriſt in the breade, but ſaieth that the preſence of the fleſh and bloude of Chriſt to the communicants is moſt truely and in verie déede to be affirmed, and that ſuch a preſence as wicked men, and the vnworthie eaters doe féede thereon: Which plainely ſheweth that hée doth not attribute the receiuing vntounto faith, vnleſſe we ſpeake of a liuely & wholſome receiuing: as though there were a certaine other true and reall eating (as they call it) of the bodie of Chriſt, which the wicked alſo do vſe. But héereof I ſpeake too much, and eſpecially with you, which in one worde vnderſtande the ſtate of the controuerſie. As touching N. N. which you write of, I alſo doe both know and ſorowe that it is ſo. He doth not ſincerely admit the doctrine of predeſtination. And as I can perceiue, he agréeth altogether with Philip: yea and he expreſſeth many things which euen Philip woulde not ſubſcribe vntounto him, which I iudge méete at this time to be kept in ſilence. But I ſee no iuſt reaſon that can bee alledged why he ſhould denie the breade and wine to be the elements of the bodie and bloude of Chriſt. Which reaſon although he could ſhewe, yet would I iudge that we ought rather to giuegive credite vntounto the diuine ſcriptures than vntounto him, whereby as well the breade as the cup are commended as Symbols or figures of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Yet woulde I graunt vntounto him that the verie action it ſelfe, that is, the eating and drinking, is a figure of the moſt ſwéete foode of ſoules, and of the whole reſtoring of our nature, which figure we receiue by communicating in the Euchariſt. And whereas he ſaith that the naturall bodie of Chriſt is not giuen to be meate, I ſo vnderſtoode him, as though in ſpeaking this, he ſtoode againſt them which vainely bable that the bodie of Chriſt is let paſſe into the belly by the mouth of the body, by the téeth, tongue, roofe of the mouth, and by the Iawes: but if he meane any otherwiſe, let him take héede. Verily this am I moſt aſſured of, that whatſoeuer nouriſhment or ſpirituall foode is receiued of vsus by the bodie of Chriſt, that is had by his true and naturall bodie, which heeretofore was nailed vponupon the croſſe for our ſake, and nowe fitteth in heauen compaſſed about with the higheſt glorie. For whatſoeuer foode there is (as doubtleſſe there is verie much) drawne vntounto vsus by faith, who wil ſay that that faith is caried vntounto a feigned or phantaſticall bodie? Truly none that regardeth the truth and honour of faith will ſo affirme: For faith apprehendeth things euen as they bee. Wherefore ſéeing ye body of Chriſt is not vnclothed of his nature, neither heretofore vpō the croſſe, nor yet nowe in heauen, it is by faith receiued of vsus a naturall bodie as it is. But while I write vntounto you theſe things of N. N. beholde another thing commeth to minde whereof I am mooued for iuſt cauſe to demaunde, and alſo to write what I my ſelfe iudge of it, which, as I doe boldly, ſo it ſhall be frée for you when you be at leaſure to ſhew what you iudge thereof. For I doe not vrge an anſwere, knowing that you are ouerpreſſed with profitable buſineſſe. As touching the communion which wee hauehave with the bodie of Chriſt and with the ſubſtance of his nature, all men are not of one opinion: and I thinke you ſhall heare the cauſe why. It is a thing of great importance that he which is of Chriſt, ſhoulde vnderſtand by what meanes he is ioyned vntounto him. Hebr. 2. 14.Firſt I ſée, that he by the benefite of his incarnation, (as it is ſaid vntounto ye Hebrewes) would communicate with vsus in fleſh and bloude. For ſince that the children were partakers together of fleſh and bloude, he himſelfe alſo would be a partaker thereof. But vnleſſe that an other kinde of communion had happened therewithall, this woulde be verie common and weake: For ſo many as are comprehended vnderunder mankinde do now after this maner communicate with Chriſt: for they be men as he was. So as beſides that communion this happeneth, to wit, that vntounto the elect, faith hath acceſſe at the time appointed, whereby they beléeue in Chriſt, and ſo they are not onelyonly forgiuen their ſinnes, and are reconciled vntounto GOD, wherein conſiſteth the true and ſounde reſpect of iuſtification, That our bodies alſo doe participate of the fleſh of Chriſt.but alſo there is added a renewing power of the ſpirite, whereby our bodies alſo, fleſh, bloude and nature, are made capable of immortalitie, and become dayly more and more as I may ſay faſhioned vntounto Chriſt: not, that they caſt away the ſubſtance of their owne nature, and paſſe in verie déede into the bodie and fleſh of Chriſt, but that they no leſſe drawe neare vntounto him in ſpirituall giftes and properties, than they did naturally euen at their verie birth communicate with him in bodie, fleſh and bloud. Nowe therefore we hauehave héere two coniunctions with Chriſt: The one naturall, which by byrth we drawe euen from our parents, but the other commeth vntounto vsus by the ſpirite of Chriſt, by whom at the verie time of regeneration we are made newe according to the image of his glorie. But I beléeue that betwéene theſe two coniunctions there is a meane, which is the fountaine and originall of all the celeſtiall and ſpirituall ſimilitude which we obtaine with Chriſt: and that is, whereby ſo ſoone as we beléeue, wee attaine vntounto Chriſt our true heade, and are made his members, Ephe. 4. 16and ſo (as Paul ſaith) his ſpirit floweth and is deriued from the verie head, by the ioynts and knittings together into vsus, as into his true and lawfull members. Wherefore this our communion with the heade is the firſt at the leaſtwiſe in nature, although perhaps not in time before that latter communion, which is brought in by regeneration. A ſimilitudeAnd héere as it ſéemeth vntounto me, naturall reaſon helpeth vsus. In things ingendered, firſt (as the ſame teacheth vsus) the heart it ſelfe is ingendered in young ones, from thence by a certaine veine is powred out a ſpirite from the heart, and doth ſomwhat pearce the prepared matter of the liuing creature, and there ſhapeth the heade, whereupon by that veine, whereby ye ſpirite procéedeth from the heart, the head is ioyned with the heart. From whence againe by an other veine a ſpirit floweth from the head, and after a certaine ſpace formeth the liuer, which kinde of entrall communicateth with the head and with the heart, by the arteries or veines which knit together. From the liuer alſo and from the other principal members there are other arteries or veines ſtretched to the other partes of the [ingendred] matter, whereby that ſame ingendring ſpirit paſſing through, faſhioneth the reſt of the Members. Whereuppon it commeth that all thoſe doe communicate together, and are principallie ioyned to the heart, that is to wit, to the fountaine of life: not in déede in place or immediate touching (as they terme it,) but that becauſe from thence they drawe a quickening ſpirit and life by the woonderfull workmanſhip of the higheſt artificer. And although that this ſimilitude ought not to be curiouſlie vrged as touching all the partes thereof, yet dooth it after a ſort laie the matter before our eyes, and dooth ſhewe vsus, that after we be now men as he was, this firſt communion with Chriſt, that we are made his members, enſueth. For as Paul teſtifieth, God gaue him to be the head of the Church. For according as the ſpirit floweth from him, he faſhioneth and ioyneth vntounto him ſometime this member and ſometime that, and by the ſpirit it ſelfe, maketh the ſame like vntounto him in properties and temperature, forſomuch as they naturallie agrée now together. Wherefore Chriſt while we are conuerted is firſt made ours and we his, before that we become like vntounto him in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe abiding in vsus. This is that ſecret communion whereby we are ſaid to be ingraffed in him. Thus doe we firſt put him vppon vsus, ſo are we called by the Apoſtle, fleſh of his fleſh, and bone of his bones: And by this communion now declared, that latter is alwayes perfourmed while we liue here. For the members of Chriſt doe euermore regard this, that they may become more like vntounto him. Neither doe the diſtances of places hinder this myſticall communion, but it may be had while we liue in the earth, although that the verie bodie of Chriſt ſit and raigne in heauen with the father. It ſufficeth aboundantlie that we are knit vntounto him by certaine ſpirituall knots and ioyntes, which bondes or knittinges together doe depend, and are deriued from the head it ſelfe. And theſe thinges ſpeciallie are faith, the word of God, and the ſacramentes. Through theſe the ſpirit flowing from our head, wandereth vp and downe in the Church, and by a iuſt proportion quickeneth and maketh his members like in iuſt proportion. Theſe communions with Chriſt doe I admit, others (to ſay the trueth) I vnderſtand not: which I chiefelie ſay, the rather becauſe of that which ſome of the fathers alſo bring in, eſpecially Cyrill, which ſo make the ſubſtance of the fleſh and bloud of Chriſt to be our meate, that they ſaie, it is mingled in verie déede with our ſubſtance. Neither doe I ſée but that while they thus ſay, they are conſtrained to affirme, that the verie ſame our fleſh & bloud, which is ſo nouriſhed, dooth paſſe into one and the ſelfeſame perſon with Chriſt, and that his bodie by this meanes dooth ſpread abroad into innumerable places. Let (on Gods name) the ſacramentes and the word of God be tokens and ſignes of the true communion with Chriſt, which as I could, I hauehave now declared: alſo let there be ioyntes and knittinges together, whereby the ſpirit of God ſo there be a faith, is made effectuall, in which men he may hauehave place. Neither let theſe thinges be vnderſtood as though we tye the grace and ſpirit either to the outward word or ſacramentes as if it cannot by anie meanes be, that ſome man may be ioyned vntounto his head, I meane Chriſt without theſe thinges. One neceſſarie ioynt and knitting together there is in them that be of ripe age, namelie faith, whereby we are ioyned vntounto Chriſt himſelfe, and that inſeparablie. This is it which perhappes the fathers meant by their exceſſiue ſpéeches, which while they immoderatelie vſed, they miniſtred no ſmall occaſion vntounto errors. I doubt that I hauehave ſpoken more at large than your buſineſſe may endure, and perhappes hauehave ſaid leſſe than can fullie expreſſe my meaning. I pray you when you ſhall thinke good, hide not anie thing of your opinion from me.
Martyr called to Geneua.Now it remaineth that I make aunſwere vntounto the choyſe of our Italian Church, and I will diſpatch this point in fewe wordes, for that the cauſe ſéemeth vntounto me to be eaſie. Aſſuredlie I am deſirous, & it would delight me verie much, that yet once at the length I might doe ſeruice to my owne countriemen of Italie. For I am not made of braſſe, and my fleſh is not of Iron. Wherefore euen as Paul deſired [ſaluation] to the Iewes, ſo I principallie deſire that my Italian countrimen might be ſaued. Howbeit as you your ſelfe knowe, I am not at mine owne libertie. This Commonweale and Church hath had me bound vntounto it welnéere the ſpace of twelue yeares. For when I went into England, I went with the goodwill of this Magiſtrate and Church, I hoped when I did returne to be diſmiſſed: which if it had happened, I was minded to come directlie vntounto you. But when the matter was propounded in the Senate, I had no leaue to depart, nay rather I was appointed againe to my former place and yoke. Further becauſe manie benefites are ſhewed vntounto me by this Senate and Church, I feare leaſt I ſhould bee iuſtlie accuſed of inconſtancie, or elſe of ſome other gréedie deſire, if I ſhould attempt to withdrawe my ſelfe from hence without ſome iuſt occaſion. What ſhall I pretend? That the Italian Church is deſtitute of a Paſtor? They hauehave at the leaſtwiſe Celſus, who is as déere vntounto me as my owne ſoule, and whom I verie well knowe to be an honeſt man, learned, graue, and fit to gouerne the Church. Shall I ſay, that I would aſſiſt him with my counſell in thinges that be of ye greater importance? But you are appointed there to be a Superintendent, who of your charitie will neuer denie him your helpe and Counſell. Vndoubtedlie there is not euen anie honeſt colour whereby I can craue of this Magiſtrate to be diſmiſſed. Further, although I perfourme not in the ſchoole ſo much as I ought, yet as I thinke, my labour is not there vnprofitable.
They which heare, are both Germans and other ſtrangers: And it is diligentlie prouided that they ſhoulde not bee taught thoſe thinges which ought afterward to be vnlearned againe. And while Zanchus and I which be of verie great familiaritie doe thus procéede, there is no place in the ſchoole for error. Beſides this the French Church intreateth me not to depart. You are wiſe in Chriſt, conſider you theſe thinges diligentlie. I will ſtand to your iudgement; that which you ſhall iudge méete to be doone, I will doe. But yet this I willinglie promiſe, that if euer anie honeſt occaſion ſhall be offered, whereby I may by iuſt meanes vnwind my ſelfe from hence, there ſhall be nothing that I wil more deſire than to goe thither, that eſpeciallie with you and with my countrimen, the reſt of my life I may liue to Chriſt. Fare well you man of God and in manie reſpectes moſt reuerenced of me. Sturmius, Sleidan, and Zanchus doe moſt dutifullie ſalute you. From Straſborough the 8. of March, 1555.