A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 1 · Dialogue 17
The ſeauententh Dialogue is of the communication of Ieſus Chriſt as wel in Baptiſme as in the Supper.
VVherevnto baptiſme and the ſignification thereof may ſerue to giuegive vsus to vnderſtand in vvhat ſorte it behoueth vsus to be nourished by the body and bloud of Ieſus Chriſt.
MATHEVV.
I HaueHave well vnderſtoode that thou haſt ſayde that we muſt be nouriſhed with ſpirituall meate and nouriture into eternall life, and that by a ſpirituall maner, agreable to the ſpirituall birth and life, into ye which we are regenerate by baptiſme, and according to the teſtimonie of God which is ſet foorth vntounto vsus in ye ſame concerning our regeneration.
P.
That whiche thou ſayeſt maye ſerue vsus very much to the vnderſtanding of the matter which we now hādle. For thou doeſt wel know that we are not regenerate in baptiſme, by any corporall or material ſéede of the body and of the bloude of Ieſus Chriſte, nor by any naturall manner, as we are naturally begotten by our fathers & mothers.
M.
I know well alſo that we may not enter againe into our mothers womb,Iohn. 3. a. as Nicodeme ſaid to Ieſus chriſt, to be borne a new once more, as we are already once borne.
P.
And therefore I doubt not but that thou doeſt well vnderſtande that that regeneration and newe birth is wrought by a ſéede incorruptible, ſpiritual and diuine, by the which we are begotten into the Churche by the vertue of the holy Ghoſte, by whome we are regenerate into a new life.
In vvhat ſorte vve do communicate of the body & bloud of Ieſus chriſt in baptiſm.
M.
IT is not alſo ſaid, that Ieſus Chriſt doth giuegive his body and his bloud in Baptiſme, as he doth in the ſupper, like wiſe the water is not called therein the body and the bloud of Ieſus Chriſte, as Ieſus Chriſt doth in the Supper call the bread & the wine by the name of them.
P.
Albeit ye the water be not there called in baptiſme by that name, doſt thou thinke for all that, that the body and bloude of Ieſus Chriſt be not there diſtributed and communicated vntounto thée in the ſame, as well as in the Supper?
M.
I do not ſo vnderſtand it.
P.
Thou wilte then ordeyne a Baptiſme withoute Ieſus Chriſte.
M.
Wherfore?
P.
Bycauſe thou cāſt not hauehave Ieſus Chriſt, except thou hauehave him wholy, and very God and very man, and that thou hauehave true communion with his body & with his bloud, not only in ye ſupper, but alſo in baptiſme.
M.
Shewe me the cauſe thereof.
P.
It is bycauſe yt the Baptiſme doth no leſſe ſende vsus to the deathe and paſſion, and to the body and bloud of Ieſus Chriſte, than doth the Supper, for ſomuch as that is proper to al ſacramēts.
VVhat difference there is betvvene the baptiſme and the Supper, touching the communion of the body and of the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt.
M.
IT ſéemeth to me that thou ſpeakeſt againſt that whiche thou haſt ſayde heretofore, touching the difference which thou haſt put betwene baptiſme and the Supper, for it ſéemeth that thou ſpeakeſt now, as though baptiſme & the ſupper were one very Sacramente, and that there were no difference betwene them.
P.
Thou makeſt an euill concluſion. For albeit that we doe as well participate of the body and of the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt in baptiſme as in the Supper, yet notwithſtanding, there is difference in the participation and in the manner thereof, in reſpect of the benefites of Ieſus Chriſt, whiche are ſignified and communicated vntounto vsus as wel in ye one of the ſacramēts as in the other.
M.
I hauehave not thē wel vnderſtoode thée yet heretofore, and therfore declare vntounto me more eaſily that whiche thou now ſpeakeſt of.
P.
Although the body of Ieſus Chriſte be not giuen vntounto vsus in baptiſme as for ſpirituall foode, as it is in the Supper, that notwithſtanding it is there giuen vntounto vsus in very déede, as a garment of innocencie, of Iuſtice and of holyneſſe to couer all our ſinnes before God. And therefore S. Paule ſaith, that all thoſe which are baptiſed, hauehave put on them Ieſus Chriſt.
M.
And of the bloud,Galath. 3. what ſayeſt thou?
P.
Albeit that it be not giuen vntounto vsus in Baptiſme, as for drinke as it is in the ſupper, yet notwithſtāding it is there giuen vntounto vsus for a ſpirituall waſhing of our ſoules and conſciences, whereby Ieſus Chriſte dothe purifie and clenſe his Church in this lauer of regeneration, to the ende that he may make it pure, cleane, withoute ſpotte or wrinkle and a holy and glorious Churche.
M.
I did neuer yet ſo well vnderſtande theſe two pointes, nor yet the diuerſitie and difference that thou haſt made betwene the benefites of Ieſus Chriſte, and the Baptiſme and the Supper whiche are Sacramentes, as now I do vnderſtande all theſe things.
In vvhat ſorte the faithfull in baptiſme do put on Ieſus Chriſt, and are vvashed vvith his bloud.
P.
WHen I tell thée that the baptiſme declareth vntounto vsus howe that Ieſus Chriſte is ſet foorthe vntounto vsus in baptiſme, for a robe of innocencie, Iuſtice, & holynes, and that we cloth our ſelfe with him by meane of ye ſame, I do not thinke thée to be of ſo groſſe an vnderſtanding, to thinke, that the faithfull do put on Ieſus Chriſt naturally and corporally, as a man putteth on a garment or a cloke.
M.
I ſhould be very groſſe if I ſo vnderſtoode it.
P.
How doeſt thou then vnderſtand it?
M.
That euen as a garmente or a cloke do ſerue to couer the body, euen ſo do the innocencie, iuſtice and holyneſſe of Ieſus Chriſte ſerue vsus to couer our ſinnes at the iudgemente of God, to the ende that there appere no one ſpotte of them in his ſighte.
P.
And touching the bloude of Ieſus Chriſte, doeſt thou thinke that oure ſoules and conſciences be waſhed and made cleane in Baptiſme, as one would with water waſh a body in a bath or ryuer, or elſe ſhéetes in a bucke?
Mathevv.
Thou makeſt here with me goodly diſcourſes: I thinke there is none ſo beaſtly, whiche doth not well knowe that the bloud of Ieſus Chriſte is called the waſhing of ſoules, and of conſciences, not as though they muſt be waſhed and dipped in the bloud of Ieſus Chriſte, as one woulde waſh and dippe a body, that he woulde waſhe and make cleane, or ſome other ſuche like thing, but that the holy Ghoſt ſpeaketh ſo, to giuegive vsus to vnderſtande that whiche thou haſt ſayde, to witte, what the water of baptiſme ſignifieth, concerning the waſhing and purification of our ſoules and conſciences in the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt.
VVhat greater reaſon there is to communicate corporally of the body and of the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt in the Supper, than in Baptiſme.
P.
THow doeſt aunſwere me verye well, but if thou find it ſtrange that a man ſhuld ſay, that they which are baptiſed hauehave put on Ieſus Chriſt bodily as a garmente, and are waſhed with hys bloud as with a materiall bath, why ſhouldeſt thou not finde it as ſtraunge or more ſtraunge, that a man ſhould ſay that the body and the bloud of Ieſus Chriſte are naturally and bodily eaten and drunken in the Supper, as are the bread & the wine which are the ſignes?
M.
Thou makeſt me to conſider ſomewhat more déepely of this matter, than heretofore I did.
P.
It is a matter well to be thoughte on. For if that in Baptiſme we hauehave no carnall communication with the body and bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, but only a ſpiritual, I ſée not what greter reaſon there is, to hauehave rather in the Supper a carnal communication with him, than in Baptiſme, conſidering that the ſupper dependeth of baptiſme, and that it is as a more ample confirmation of the poſſeſſion of the benefites of Ieſus Chriſte, into the whiche wée beginne to enter by Baptiſme, and doe continue by the Supper.
M.
I finde thy reaſons very good.
P.
Thou ſhalte finde them yet better, if thou do conſider how muche that groſſe and carnall opinion doth diſagrée as wel with the nature of the body & of the bloud of Ieſus Chryſte, as wyth the faith that we oughte to hauehave in his aſcention into heauen, and of his ſeate at the right hand of God, and of his ſpirituall and diuine preſence and vertue, by the whiche he is euer preſent in his church, and doth guide and gouerne it eternally.
Hovve the corporall and carnall preſence of the bodie and of the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt in the Supper greeth not with the true nature of them.
M.
EXpounde this ſame vntounto me ſomewhat more at large.
P.
For the firſt, to what purpoſe is it to thinke, that the bodie of Ieſus Chryſt is chewed and eaten and ſent into the ſtomacke, and frō thence downe into the bellie, as is the bread whiche ſignifieth it in the Supper: and that his bloud is alſo drunken as is the wyne which is the ſigne? For bée it that thou vnderſtand that the breade and the wyne be conuerted into the ſubſtance of the bodie and bloud, or elſe that the bodie be eaten with the bread, and the bloud drunken with the wine, yet is there ſtill greate abſurditie, cleane contrary to the nature of the bodie and bloud of Ieſus Chryſte.
M.
What contrarietie fyndeſt thou therin?
P.
Séeing that Ieſus Chriſt hath a very true naturall bodie in eueryevery reſpecte lyke vntounto oures, as touchyng the corporall ſubſtaunce, ſinne excepte, it is certaine and true, that hée is not bodily and naturally not only in the heauen, and in the earthe at one tyme, but alſo neyther in infinite places. For he hathe not a bodie whiche filleth the heauen and the earth as dothe his diuinitie, but hathe a bodie whyche can not be a true and verie bodie, if hée be not in ſome certayne place agreeable to his nature, to his glorie and celeſtiall maieſtie.
Hovve the glorifying of the bodie of Ieſus Chryſt, doth not chaunge at all the ſubſtantiall nature & propre ſubſtaunce of the ſame.
M.
THou ſpeakeſt of the bodie of Ieſus Chryſte, as though he were in eueryevery reſpecte like vntounto oures, and that he were not glorified at all, as ours ſhall be alſo after the Reſurrection of our bodies.
P.
Albéeit that the bodie of Ieſus be glorifyed by his Reſurrection and Aſcention into heauen, yet followeth it not for all that that he hath loſt the proprieties of his humane nature, and that his corporall ſubſtance is chaunged in ſuche ſorte that it is conuerted into diuine nature, or that he is in ſuche ſort tranſfourmed, that he is infinite, to be in euerye place: or that he is ſo multiplied, that for one bodie he hath many, or an infinite number, as neceſſarily it muſt be, if the errour wherof wée nowe ſpeake, ſhoulde hauehave place.
Of the contrarietie that is betvvene the corporall preſence of Ieſus Chryſt in the Supper, and his aſcention into heauen.
M.
BVt they which maynteyn thye opinion, ſay that theſe things maye not be conſidered naturally, but ſupernaturally, and that they do ſurpaſſe the capacitie of all mans vnderſtanding.
P.
I graunte them all that. But why is it then that they forge vsus a corporall and naturall preſence of the bodie and bloud of Ieſus Chryſte in the ſtéede of a ſupernaturall and ſpiritual preſence.
M.
They ſay that the ſame corporall and naturall preſence doth not at all hinder the ſupernaturall and ſpirituall.
Pet.
Albeit that they ſaye it, it doth not therfore followe that it is ſo. And on the other ſyde. I ſée not howe they will agrée their opinion with the articles of oure faythe, by whiche wée doe confeſſe, not only that Ieſus Chriſte is gone vp into heauen, but alſo that he is there ſette at the ryght hande of the Father, and that from thence hée ſhall come in Iudgemente by a viſyble and corporall preſence, euen as he went vp viſibly & corporally,Acts. 1. b. 3. d. according to the verie teſtimonie of the Angels, and alſo of Sainte Peter, who hath ſayd, that the Heauen muſte néedes receyue hym, vntill the tyme of the reſtoring of all thyngs, wherof God hath ſpoken by the mouthe of all his Prophetes ſince the beginning.