Common Places, Letters · Letter 60
To a certaine Friend being an eloquent and famous man, as concerning the cauſe of the Euchariſt. 62.
TO write briefelie and plainelie of a matter weightie and in a maner obſcured through the contentions of men, you your ſelfe right woorthy man who are an excellent maiſter of ſpeaking and in writing moſt ſkilfull, doe verie well know howe verie hardly and difficultlie it can be doone. Therefore I ceaſſe not to maruell what was the cauſe why in your laſt letters you doubted not to require this of mee, who both in ſpeaking and writing am in a maner able to doe nothing. Yet becauſe you requeſted mée, and I for the honour I beare vntounto you hauehave vndertaken to perfourme it, I determined to diſcharge my ſelfe of my promiſe by the firſt faithfull meſſenger. Which thing alſo I will doe with the better courage, becauſe I knowe that I write not vntounto one that is ignoraunt of the controuerſie. For ſo farre as I ſée, you altogether dwell in the cauſe of the Euchariſt, ſo farre is it off that you can be called a ſtraunger therein. Wherefore ſince this is my opinion of you, I will ſo knit vp the chiefeſt pointes, as I may ſhew that I rather meant to note them than to expounde them. Take you it in good part, and if I ſhall not fulfill your will you ſhall not accuſe my minde which is moſt readilie inclined towardes you, but your owne ſelfe which hauehave requeſted it.
I ouerpaſſe foreign or Commutation of the bread and wine, becauſe the aduerſaries profeſſe that they no leſſe flie from that than wee doe. Neither alſo doe I thinke it néedefull to diſpute whether the wordes of the Lorde, wherein he ſaide, that the breade is his bodie, and the wine his bloud, ought to be accounted proper, or elſe figuratiue and tropicall. For in verie déede they againſt whom we diſpute, being after a ſort returned to a ſound iudgement, doe now confeſſe, that they acknowledge a figure to be in thoſe wordes: but yet doe ſo confeſſe it, as they ioyne the bodie and bloud truelie, properlie and in déede vntounto the bread and wine, and put foreign, to wit, the comming together of the two natures vntounto that foreign or Communication of the Pope. And they decrée that the fleſh and the bloud of Chriſt are not onelie in heauen, but are alſo preſent in the holie Bread and Wine of the Supper. Neither doe they feare to affirme, The feined deuiſe of vbiquitie.that the Lordes bodie although it be humane, is at one time in manie places together. Yea and they procéede ſo farre, as they pronounce it to be euerie where aſwell as the diuine nature. Further they attribute vntounto that bodie a preſence which occupieth no place. But I doe ſay, that the humane nature of Chriſt was euermore comprehended within ſome certaine place, which place he ſo occupied, yt he was not any where elſe at the ſame time. The Euangelical hiſtorie ſheweth, yt he was ſometime in Galile, Iohn. 2. 1. Iohn. 2. 13. Luke. 7. 40 Iohn. 12. 1.ſometime in Ieruſalem, ſometime in the houſe of Simon, and another time in Bethania: Whereby it appeareth that ſome certaine place was giuen to the bodie of Chriſt. And that he was not together in any other place, he manifeſtlie ſhewed when he witneſſeth that Chriſt ſaide, Iohn. 11. 15that Lazarus was dead, and that he reioyced becauſe hée was not there. By the verie which wordes he ſo declareth himſelfe to hauehave bin in that iourney, as he was no where elſe. Alſo the Angels ſaide vntounto the women, when they ſought for the Lordes bodie in the Sepulchre: Matt. 28. 6.He is riſen, he is not here. Whereby he declared him to bee ſo departed out of the ſepulchre, as he was no more preſent there in bodie. Actes. 3. 21.And Peter in the 3. of the Actes pronounced of him: Whom the Heauen muſt containe vntill the time that all things be reſtored, &c. If he ſhall be in heauen as touching his humane nature vntill the latter daie as the Apoſtle ſaide, why ſéeke wee his fleſh and bloud vppon the earth? But what ſpeake I of the Apoſtle? Chriſt himſelfe ſaide vntounto his Diſciples, Iohn. 16. 7.that he did leaue ye world and depart from them, and he warned them, that they ſhould alwayes hauehave the poore with them, Mat. 26. 11.but that him they ſhoulde not hauehave. Wherefore being thus perſwaded and inſtructed by the diuine Oracles, I doe beléeue that the humane nature of Chriſt doeth abide in the heauens ſeuered from the lower world, euen vntounto the ende of the world, and that the ſame ſhall come againe from thence to iudge the worlde, euen as the Apoſtles were warned by the Angels and as we confeſſe in the Article of our faith. To ſpeake briefelie, this is my opinion touching the place and preſence of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde.
But they which on the otherſide forme and feigne to themſelues, *Or heauen euerywherean vbiquarie heauen as though the matter thereof were ſoft like waxe, and may eaſilie followe their feined deuiſes whitherſoeuer they ſhall thinke good to drawe it: and they which pronounce that the Lordes bodie, is either in many places at once, or elſe, (which is much more bolde) doe ſaie it is euerie where, who alſo ioine the ſame whereſoeuer in the world it bée, to the breade and wine of the holy ſupper: and finallie they which decree that it is there preſent without place, and inuiſibly, all thoſe I pray, deſire, and heartilie beſéeche, that they will once at the length plainelie ſhewe theſe their goodly, woonderfull, I will not ſay monſterous deuiſes to bee regiſtred in the holy Scriptures: which if they ſhall doe, wee will fréely confeſſe that they hauehave gotten the victorie. But for ſo much as I doe certainely knowe, that they cannot doe it, I earneſtly warne them from hencefoorth the they leaue of to coine on their owne heades, newe opinions and newe Articles of that faith, and to obtrude vntounto vsus thoſe things to bee beléeued which are ſprung vp in their owne houſe, but are not ſprung vp in the fielde of the holie ſcriptures. I am not ignorant that they in all this whole reaſon vpbraide vsus that we deale not as diuines, but as naturall Philoſophers. For they graunt that thoſe things which we ſay are by the ordinances of nature both true & neceſſarie: but that thoſe myſteries, which being diuine and celeſtiall, doe many manner of wayes excell nature, muſt not be made ſubiect to the rules and decrées thereof. But that when in the comprehending and conſidering of them, our reaſon is offended, we muſt then beholde the diuine power which is infinite. Howbeit it is no harde matter to confute theſe thinges: Firſt in that we followe the teſtimonies of the holie ſcriptures as we hauehave recited them, thereby wée teſtifie, that we follow not Philoſophie, but the worde of God. Howe far foorth nature and the rules the e… of muſt be followed.Moreouer if we giuegive eare vntounto nature, where it is not repugnant to the wordes of God, we doe nothing vnwoorthie of Chriſtian diuinitie. For nature hath God to be the Author and defender of it, and for the ſame cauſe the rules and decrées thereof procéede not from thence but from God himſelfe, and therefore they muſt not be aboliſhed and diſſolued, ſo long as it is not ſhewed that the worde ſet foorth in the holy Scriptures is repugnant vntounto them. This voyce of Nature did Auguſtine the greateſt and beſt diuine, in an Epiſtle vntounto Dardanus hearken vntounto when he ſaith: Take from bodies the ſpaces of places, and they ſhall be no where, and becauſe they ſhall be no where they ſhall not bée at all. And this did he not pronounce treating of nature or of naturall bodies, but writing purpoſely as touching the ſoule and bodie of the Lord. And the ſame voice of nature did Cyrillus hearkē vntounto, who wrote in his Dialogues De Trinitate, that the verie nature of God if it were diuiſible as ſome iudged it to be, it ſhoulde in any wiſe be of quantitie, and alſo in a place, and might not chooſe but be meaſured about. Wherefore in the defending of our opinion, we firſt of all embrace the worde of God, we hearken vntounto the voyce of nature, ſo long as it is not againſt the Author thereof: and we doe [this] together with the Fathers that iudged aright. That in this controuerſie is no neede to flie to the power of God.But that we ſhould flie vntounto the power of God in this controuerſie propounded we hauehave no néede.
Neuertheleſſe wee warne the godly that the diuine power which we together with all the godly doe beléeue, 2. Tim. 2. 13.is not without all exception to be admitted. For euen Paule excepteth it that God cannot denie himſelfe. It is excepted alſo in diuerſe places, that it can not be doone of God, that thoſe things which be made, ſhould be vnmade. Alſo it is defined in the ſchooles of diuinitie, that God can not doe thoſe thinges which (as they terme it) implie a contradiction: which thing comming to paſſe through the default of thinges, not through anie infirmitie of God, there is nothing of his high power diminiſhed. We muſt further conſider, that manie Heretikes hauehave vſed this ſhift, when as their wicked and péeuiſh opinions are confuted by the holie fathers, not onelie as abſurde, but alſo as impoſſible. For they, to defende themſelues, aunſwered that all thinges are poſſible to God. Therefore neither are we conſtrained to yeelde vntounto them, becauſe Chriſt ſayde of the bread. Mat. 26. 26This is my bodie: and of the wine: This is my bloud. For ſince both their and our interpretation of thoſe words is extant, the place is made doubtfull: albeit that vntounto vsus our expoſition is moſt certaine. But howe dull and weake an argument that is, which is taken from a doubtfull thing, all men doe knowe.
What then? wil you ſay. Will you teach that the ſupper of the Lorde is had without his bodie and bloud? In what ſort ſhe bodie & bloud of Chriſt is eaten and drunken in the holie Supper.Howe will ye moreouer prooue that theſe things are eaten and drunken, if they be not in verie déede preſent there? Surelie the ſcripture teſtifieth both the one and the other, that wee in the holie ſupper doe eate and drinke the bodie & bloude of Chriſt. To ſpeake firſt of that whereof I am laſt demaunded, I affirme that the bodie and bloud of the Lord is eaten and drunken ſpirituallie, that is with the mouth of the minde which is indued with the ſpirite and with faith. For while in the holie ſupper we reuolue in our minde the death of our Lorde, and with a ſyncere faith do faithfullie beléeue yt theſe thinges were wrought vponupon the croſſe for the redéeming of vsus, wee eate and drinke thoſe thinges for our great benefite: for they be vntounto our mindes as it were the moſt excellent meate and the moſt holſome drinke. And that faith doeth God ſtir vp in them that bee his through the holy Ghoſt, applying thereunto two outward inſtrumentes, the worde I meane, and the elements of bread and wine. Wherefore they which beléeue and comprehende by faith, that the fleſhe and bloud of the Lorde were giuen vntounto death for our ſaluation, doe ſpirituallie eate and ſpirituallie drinke thoſe thinges. Therefore wee confeſſe that vntounto the natural and proper eating and drinking is required a preſence of the thing to be eaten and of the thing to be drunken, otherwiſe thinges that be abſent can neither be eaten nor drunken. But withall we denie, that of ſpirituall eating and drinking can be gathered or concluded, that thoſe thinges which are ſaide to bee eaten and drunken allegorically, are there bodilie and properly preſent. But that the eating of the fleſh of Chriſt conſiſteth of faith, he himſelfe moſt plainely teſtified in the 6. chapter of Iohn. Ver. 35. 47.Wherefore that Euangeliſt, ſince he iudged the whole matter to be there aboundantly expounded of him, he did not rehearſe in the hiſtorie of the laſt ſupper, in what ſort the outwarde ſignes of breade and wine were added.
Moreouer by this is the ſelfe ſame thing gathered, that vntounto the true and proper bodie of Chriſt cannot be applied a true and proper eating, ſince that nowe it cannot be rent in ſunder, broken in ſmall peeces, and grinded, verilie both the breade in déede and the wine, are properlie eaten and drunken with the mouth of the bodie, which thinges in their manner are called the fleſh and bloud of Chriſt, becauſe they be outwarde ſignes of thoſe thinges. Wherefore after a ſort we may bee ſaide to eate and drinke with the mouth, the bodie and bloude of the Lorde. Wherefore Cyprian and Auguſtine when they treated of the eating of theſe thinges which be ſignified, namely the ſpirituall eating, did prudently ſay: Why prepareſt thou thy teeth and thy bellie? Beleeue and thou haſt eaten. Wherefore there is no néede that the bodie and bloud of the Lorde ſhould be ſent downe out of heauen into the earth, or that it ſhoulde yet bee conuerſant in the worlde, that they might mixe themſelues with our ſupper: but it behooueth that our mindes beeing admoniſhed by the worde of God, and the outwarde ſignes, ſhould be caried by faith vntounto heauen, that they may eat this holie meate and be nouriſhed. And here it followes that they which be vtterly deſtitute of faith, doe not receiue the bodie and bloud of Chriſt, becauſe thoſe thinges (as I hauehave ſaide) are eaten and drunken by faith and ſpirite onelie. In déede theſe do eate and drinke the outwarde ſignes, but they do not attaine to the thinges that be ſignified: euen as they that be blinded cannot receiue the light and the colour which are things apprehended by the eyes.
Whereas afterwarde I am demaunded whether I thinke that in the Church, the ſupper is had without the bodie and bloud of Chriſt, I anſwere: If we ſpeake of that preſence which they call corporall, reall, and ſubſtantiall, I confeſſe that the bodie and bloud of Chriſt is abſent: neither ſhoulde they, if they were preſent, bring anie more profite, commoditie, and aduantage than we drawe from thence while they remaine in heauen farre diſſeuered from vsus. Moreouer, the fleſh and bloud of Chriſt are preſent vntounto vsus by ſpirite, grace, merits, and other wonderfull fruites, which are from God deriued by them vntounto vsus: euen as the ſonne is ſayde to be preſent with vsus by the light, by the beames and by good influences which we receiue from thence. Neither are the bodie and bloud of the Lorde ſo preſent vntounto our minds ſpiritually and by faith, as that there onelie they ſhould containe their moſt helthfull efficacies and powers, and ſuffer the bodies of the faithfull to be méere voide of the ſame. The matter is not ſo. But becauſe in beléeuing that the bodie and bloud of the Lorde are the pryces of our ſaluation, wee are iuſtified and regenerated or elſe both in the ſame iuſtification and regeneration, wée are increaſed and confirmed: but iuſtification and regeneration are the beginnings of our bleſſed immortalitie. Thereof it commeth that by faithful receiuing of the ſupper of the Lorde, not onelie the ſoules are fedde and refreſhed, but alſo the bodies are made more and more capable of the bleſſed reſurrection.
This is the iudgement of my faith as touching the holie ſupper of the Lord, the which right worſhipfull ſyr, I hauehave parhappes for the barrainneſſe of ye ſtile, not ſo exquiſitely as faithfully expounded. But I truſt yt you ſetting aſide the rude and vneloquent words will with a friendely minde cleaue to the ſentences and thinges themſelues. Fare you well and louelove mee as you doe euen as I doe verie much louelove you, and pray for the fruite of my vocation. Maiſter Bullinger and the reſt of your friendes willed me to write their heartie ſalutations vntounto you. Frō Zuricke the 24. of Maie, 1562.