Answer unto a Crafy and Sophistical Cavillation, Debate · Confutation of book 4 · Section 1
Caunterbury.
IN this booke, because you agre with me almost in the whole, I shall not need much to trauaile in the aunswer, but leauing all your prety taūtes agaynst me, and glorious bosting of your selfe, which neyther beseemeth our persones, nor hindreth the truth (nor furthereth) your part, but by pompouse wordes to winne a vayne glory and fame of them that be vnlearned, and hauehave more regarde to words then iudgement of the matter) I shall onelyonly touch, here and there such thinges as we vary in, or that be necessary for the defence of the truth.
First after the sūme of my fourth booke, collected as pleaseth you, at the first dash you beginne with an vntrue report, ioyned to a subtell deceyte or falax, saying that my chief purpose is to proue that euill men receaue not the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament. And hereupon you conclude, that my fourth booke is superfluouse. But of a false antecedent, all that be learned do know that nothing can be rightly concluded. Now mine intent and purpose in my fourth boooke is not to proue, that euill men receaue not the body and bloud of Christ in the sacrament (although that be true) but my chief purpose is to proue, that euell men eate not Christes flesh nor drincke not his bloud, neither in the sacrament nor out of the sacrament: as on the other side good men eat and drincke them both in the sacrament: and out of the Sacrament.
And in the word (Sacrament) which is of your addition (is a subtill falax,The worde sacrament. called double vnderstanding. For when the Sacrament is called onelyonly a figure (as you reherse) wherin the body and bloud of Christ be onelyonly figuratiuely, there the word (Sacrament) is taken for the outwarde signes of bread and wine. And after when you reherse that the Sacrament is a visible preaching by the tokens and signes of bread and wine, in beleuing and remembring Christes benefites, there the word (Sacrament) is taken for the whole ceremony and ministration of the Sacrament. And so when you goe about by equiuocation of the word to deceaue other men, you fall into your owne snare, and be deceaued your selfe, in that you think you conuey the matter so craftely, that no man can espy you.
But to vtter the matter playnly without fallax or cauilation, I teach that no man can eat Christes flesh and drincke his bloud but spiritually, which forasmuch as euill men do not, although they eat the sacramentall bread vntill theyr bellyes be full, and drincke the wine vntill they be dronken, yet eat they neither Christes flesh, nor drincke his bloud, neither in the sacrament nor without the sacrament, because they cannot be eaten and dronken but by spirite and fayth, wherof vngodly men be destitute, being nothing but world and flesh.
This therfore is the summe of my teaching in this fourth booke, that in the true ministration of the Sacrament Christ is present spiritually, and so spiritually eaten of them that be godly and spirituall. And as for the vngodly and carnall, they may eate the bread, and drincke the wine, but with Christ him selfe they hauehave no communion or company,1. Cor. 6. and therfore they neyther eate his flesh nor drincke his bloud, which who soeuer eateth,Ihon. 6. hath (as Christ sayth him selfe) life by him, as Christ hath life by his father. And to eate Christes body or drincke his bloud (sayth S. Augustine) is to hauehave life.August in Iohn. tract. 26. & de verbis Apost. sermon. 2. For whether Christ be in the Sacrament corporally (as you say) or spiritually in them that rightly beleue in him, and duely receaue the Sacrament (as I say) yet certayne it is, that there he is not eaten corporally but spiritually. For corporal eating with ye mouth, is to chaw & teare in peces with ye teeth, after which maner Christes body is of no man eaten: although Nicholas the second,Nicolaus secundus. made such an article of the fayth, and compelled Berengatius so to professe. And therfore although Christ were corporally in the Sacrament, yet seeing that he cannot be corporally eaten, this booke commeth in good place and is very necessary, to know that Christes body can not be eaten but spiritually, by beleuing and remembring Christes benefites, and reuoluing them in our mynd, beleeuing that as the bread and wine feed and nourish our bodyes, so Christ feedeth and nourisheth our soules.
And ought this to come out of a christian mannes mouth, That these be good wordes, but such as the wordes of christes supper do not learne vsus? Do not the wordes of Christes supper learne vsus to eate the breade and drinke the wine in the remembraunce of his death?Luke. 22. 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 10. Is not the breakyng and eating of the bread, after such sort as Christ ordayned, a communication of Christes body vntounto vsus? Is not the cuppe likewise a communication of his bloud vntounto vsus? Should not then christian people according hereunto, in fayth feed vponupon Christ spiritually, beleuing that as the bread & wine feed and nourish theyr bodyes, so both Christ their soules with his owne flesh and bloud? And shall any Christian man now say, that these be good wordes, but such as the wordes in Christes supper do not learne vsus?
And yet these sayd wordes limit not the mistery of the supper: for as much as that mistery of eating Christes flesh and drinking his bloud extendeth further then the supper, and continueth so long as we be liuely membres of Christes body. For none feede nor be nourished by him, but that be liuely members of his body, and so long and no longer feede they of him, then they be his true membres, and receaue life from him. For feeding of him, is to receaue life.
But this is not that inuisible sacrament which you say S. Augustin speaketh of in sermone Domini in monte, Augusti. in sermo. domini in monte. lib. 2.the iij booke. For he calleth there the dayly bread, which we continually pray for, eyther corporall bread and meate which is our dayly sustenaunce for the body, or els the visible sacrament of bread and wine, or the inuisible sacrament of gods word and cōmaundementes, of the which sacramentes gods word is dayly heard, and the other is dayly seene. And if by the inuisible sacrament of goddes word S. Augustine ment our norishment by Christes flesh and bloud, than be we nourished with them as well by gods word, as by the sacrament of the lordes supper.
But yet who so euer tolde you that S. Augustine wrote this in the iij. booke de sermone Domini in monte, trust him not much hereafter, for he dyd vtterly deceaue you. For S. Augustine wrote no more but .ij. bookes de sermone Domine in monte, and if you can make iij. of ij. (as you do here) and one of iiij. as you dyd before in the substances of Christ, you be a meruailouse auditour, and then had all men neede to beware of your accomptes, least you deceaue them. And you cannot lay the fault here in the Printer, for I hauehave seen it written so both by your own hand, and by the hand of your secretary.
Now when you hauehave wrangled in this matter as much as you can, at length you confesse the truth, that who so feedeth vponupon Christ spiritually, must needes be a good man, (for only good men be membres of Christes misticall body) which spirituall eating is so good a frute, as it declareth the tree necessarelye to be good. And therfore it must be and is a certaine conclusion, that onelyonly good menne doe eate and drinke the bodye and bloude of Christ spiritually, that is to say, effectually to lyfe. This you write in conclusion, and this is ye very doctrine that I teache, and in the same tearmes: marry, I adde therto, yt the eating of Christes body is a spirituall eating, and the drinking of his bloud is a spirituall drinkyng, and therfore no euill man can eate his flesh, nor drinke his bloud, as this my forth booke teacheth, and is necessary to be writen. For although neither good nor euell men eate Christes body in the sacrament, vnderunder the visible signes, in the which he is not but sacramentally: yet the good feede of him spiritually, being inhabiting spiritually within them, although corporally he be absent and in heauen: but the euell men neither feede vponupon him corporally, nor spiritually (from whom he is both the sayd wayes absent) although corporally, they eate and drinke with theyr mouthes, the sacramentes of his body and bloud.
Three manner of eatings.Now where you note here three manner of eatinges, and yet but two manner of eatinges of Christ, this your noting is very true, if it be truly vnderstand. For there be in dede three maner of eatinges, one spirituall onelyonly an other spiritual and sacramentall both together, & the third sacramentall only: and yet Christ him selfe is eaten but in the first two manner of waies, as you truely teache. And for to set out this distinctiō somewhat more playnly, that playne menne may vnderstand it, it may thus be tearmed, That there is a spirituall eating only, when Christ by a true fayth is eaten without the sacrament: Also there is an other eating both spirituall and sacramental, when the visible sacrament is eaten with the mouth, and Christ him selfe is eaten with a true fayth: The third eating is sacramentall only, when the sacrament is eaten and not Christ himselfe. So that in the fyrst is Christ eaten without the sacrament: in the seconde he is eaten with the sacrament: and in the thirde the sacrament is eaten without him: and therfore it is called sacramentall eating onelyonly, bycause onelyonly the sacramente is eaten, and not Christ himselfe. After the two first maner of wayes, godly men do eate (who feede and liue by Christ) the thirde manner of wayes the wicked do eate, and therfore (as S. Augustine sayth) they neither eate Christes flesh nor drinke his bloud although eueryevery day they eat the sacrament therof,August in Ioh. tract. 26. to the condemnation of theyr presumption. And for this cause also S. Paule sayth not, He that eateth Christes body, and drinketh his bloud vnworthely, shall hauehave condemnation, and be gilty of the Lordes body: but he sayth, he that eateth this bread,1. Cor. 11. and drinketh the cup of the Lord vnworthely, shalbe giltie of the Lordes body, and eateth and drinketh his owne damnation, bycause he estemeth not the Lordes body.
And here you committe two fowle faultes. One is, that you declare S. Paule to speake of the body and bloud of Christ, when he spake of the bread and wine. The other fault is, that you adde to S. Paules wordes this word (there) and so buylde your worke vponupon a foundation made by your owne selfe.
And where you say, that if my doctrine be true, neyther good men nor euill eate but the sacramentall bread, it can be none other but very frowardnes and mere wilfulnes, that you will not vnderstand that thinge which I hauehave spoken so playnly, & repeted so many tymes. For I say, that good men eat the Lordes body spiritually to theyr eternall nourishment, where as euyl men eat but the bread carnally to their eternall punishment. And as you note of S. Augustine, that baptisme is very well called health,August. de peccatorum meritis & remiss. li. 1. cap. 24. and the sacrament of Christes body called lyfe, as in which God gyueth health and lyfe, if we worthely vse them: so is the sacramentall bread very well called Christes body, and ye wine his bloud, as in the ministration wherof, Christ geueth vsus his flesh and bloude, if we worthely receaue them.
And where you teach how the workes of God in them selues be alway true and vniforme in all men without diuersitie in good and euill,The workes of God vniforme. in worthy and vnworthy, you bring in this misticall matter here clearly without purpose or reason, farre passyng the capacitie of simple readers, onelyonly to blinde their eyes withall. By which kynde of teaching it is all one worke of God to saue and to damne, to kill and to gyue lyfe, to hate and to louelove, to elect and to reiect, and to be short, by this kinde of doctrine God and all his workes be one, without diuersite eyther of one worke from an other, or of his workes from his substaunce. And by this meanes it is all one worke of God in baptisme and in the Lordes supper. But all this is spoken quite besides the matter, and serueth for nothing but to cast a myst before mens eyes, as it semeth you seeke nothing els thorow your whole booke.
And this your doctrine hath a very euill smacke, that spirite and life should fall vppon naughty men, although for theyr malice it tary not. For by this doctrine you ioyne togither in one man, Christ and Beliall, the spirite of God and the spirite of the diuell, lyfe and death, and all at one tyme:Spirit and lyfe to fall vponupon euill men. which doctrine I will not name what it is, for all faythfull men know the name right well and detest the same.2 Cor. 6. And what ignoraunce can be shewed more in him that accoumpteth himselfe learned, then to gather of Christes wordes (where her sayth, his wordes be spirit and life) that spirit and lyfe should be in euill men because they heare his wordes.Iohn. 6. For the wordes which you recyte by and by of S. Augustin, shew how vayne your argument is,Aug. in Iohn, tract. 27. when he sayth, The wordes be spirite and life, but not to thee, that doest carnally vnderstand them. What estimation of learning or of truth would you hauehave men to conceaue of you, that bring such vnlearned argumentes wherof the inuadilitie appeareth within six lynes after? Which must nedes declare in you either, much vntruth and vnsincere proceding, or much ignoraunce, or at the least all exceding forgetfulnes, to say anythyng, reproued agayn within six lynes after. And if the promises of God (as you say) be not disapoynted by our infidelitie, then if euyll men eate the very body of Christ and drink his bloud, they must nedes dwell in Christ, and hauehave Christ dwelling in them, and by him hauehave euerlasting lyfe: bycause of these promises of Christ, Qui manducat meam carnem, & bibit meum sanguinem, in memanet et ego in eo. Et quimanducat meam carnem & bibit meum sanguinem, habet vitam aeternam, Iohn. 6.He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud, hath euerlasting lyfe. And he that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud, dwelleth in me and I in him. And yet the third promise. Qui manducat me, & ipse viues propter me, Iohn. 6.He that eateth me, he shall also lyue by me. These be .iij. promises of God, which if they can not be disapoynted by our infidilitie, then if euyll men eat the very body of Christ and drinke his bloud (as you say they doe in the sacrament) then must it nedes follow, that they shall hauehave euerlasting life, and that they dwell in Christ and Christ in them, bicause our infidilitie (say you) can not disappoynt Goddes promises.
The promises of God vnderunder condition.And how agreeth this your saying with that doctrine which you were wont earnestly to teach both by mouth and penne, that all the promises of God to vsus be made vnderunder condition, if our infidilitie can not disappoynt Gods promises? For then the promises of God must nedes hauehave place, whether we obserue the condition or not.
But here you hauehave fetched a great compasse & circuit vtterly in vayne, to reproue that thing which I neuer denied,One substance to good and bad. but euer affirmed, which is, That the substaunce of the visible sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ, (which I say is bread and wine in the sacrament, as water is in baptisme) is all one substance to good and to badde, and to both a figure. But that vnderunder the fourme of bread and wine, is corporally present by Christes ordinaūce his very body and bloud, eyther to good or to ill, that you neyther hauehave nor can proue, & yet thereupō would you bring in your conclusion here, wherin you commit that folly in reasoning, which is caled Petitio principij.
The issue.What neede you to make herein any issue, when we agree in ye matter? For in the substance I make no diuersitie, but I say that the substance of Christes body and bloud is corporally present, neyther in the good eater, nor in the euill. And as for the substance of bread and wine, I say they be all one, whether the good or euill eate and drincke them. As the water of Baptisme is all one,2. Cor. 2. whether Symon Peter, or Symon Magus, be christned therin, and it is one word that to the euill is a sauoure of death and to the good is a sauoure of lyfe. And as it is one Sonne that shineth vppon the good and the badde,Math. 5. that melteth butter, and maketh the earth harde: one flower wherof the bee sucketh hony, and the spyder poyson, and one oyntment, (as Decumenius sayth) that kylleth the bettyll,Decumenius. and strengthneth ye doue. Neuerthelesse as all that be washed in the water be not washed with the holy spirite, so all that eate the sacramentall bread, eate not the very body of Christ. And thus you see that your issue is to no purpose, except you would fight wt your owne shadowe.
Now forasmuch as after all this vayne and friuolous consuming of wordes you begin to make answere vntounto my profes, I shall here reherse my profes and argumentes, to the intent that the reader seyng both my profes and your confutations before his eyes, may the better consider and geue his iudgement therein. My forth booke begynneth thus.Chap. 1.
Whether euell men do eate and drinke Christ.THe grosse errour of the Papistes is, Of the carnall eating and drinking of Christes flesh and bloud with our mouthes.
For they say, that whosoeuer eate and drincke the sacramentes of bread and wine, do eat and drincke also with theyr mouthes Christes very flesh and bloud, be they neuer so vngodly and wicked persons. But Christ him selfe taught cleane contrary in the sixt of Iohn, that we eate not him carnally with our mouthes, but spiritually with our fayth, saying:Iohn. 6. Verily verily I say vntounto you: he that beleueth in me, hath euerlasting lyfe. I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat Manna in the wildernes, and dyed. This is the bread that cam from heauen,The godly only eat Christ. that who so euer shall eate therof, shall not dye. I am the liuely bread that cam from heauen. If any man eat of this bread, he shall liue for euer. And the bread which I will geue is my flesh, which I will geue for the lyfe of the world.
This is the most true doctrine of our sauiour Christ, that whosoeuer eateth him, shall hauehave euerlasting lyfe. And by and by it followeth in the same place of S. Iohn more clearly. Verely verely I say vntounto you, except you eat the flesh of the sonne of man, and drincke his bloud, you shall not hauehave life in you. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my bloud, hath life euerlasting, Iohn. 6.and I will rayse him agayne at the last day: For my flesh is very meate, and my bloud is very drincke. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud, dwelleth in me and I in him. As the liuing father hath sent me, and I liue by the father, euen so he that eateth me, shall liue by me. This is the bread which came downe from heauen, not as your fathers did eate Manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer.
This taught our sauiour Christ as well his disciples as the Iewes at Capernaum, that the eating of his flesh and drincking of his bloud was not like to the eating of Manna. For both good and bad did eate Manna, but none do eate his flesh and drincke his bloud, but they hauehave euerlasting lyfe. For as his father dwelleth in him, and he in his father, and so hath life by his father: so he that eateth Christes flesh and drinketh his bloud, dwelleth in Christ and, Christ in him, and by Christ he hath eternall life.
What neede we any other witnes? when Christ himselfe doth testifie the mater so playnly, that who so euer eateth his flesh and drinketh his bloud, hath euerlasting life? and that to eate his flesh and to drincke his bloud, is to beleue in him? And who so euer beleueth in him, hath euerlasting lyfe, wherof it followeth necessarily, that vngodly persons (being limmes of the deuill) do not eate Christes flesh nor drinke his bloud, except the Papistes would say, that such hauehave euerlasting life.
But as the diuell is the food of the wicked, which he nourisheth in all iniquitie, and bringeth vp into euerlasting damnatiō: so is Christ the very foode of all them that be the liuely members of his body, and them he nourisheth, fedeth, bringeth vp and cherisheth vntounto euerlasting life.
And eueryevery good and faythfull Christian man seleth in himselfe,Chap. 2. how he fedeth of Christ, eating his flesh and drincking of his bloud. For he putteth the whole hope and trust of his redemption and saluation in that onelyonly sacrifice,What is the eating of Christes flesh and drinking of his bloud. which Christ made vponupon the Crosse, hauing his body there broken, and his bloud there shedde for the remission of his sinnes. And this great benefite of Christ, the faythfull man earnestly considereth in his mynd, chaweth and digesteth it with the stomake of his hart, spiritually receauing Christ wholy into him, and giuing agayne him selfe wholy vntounto Christ.
And this is the eating of Christes flesh and drinking of his bloud, the feeling wherof is to eueryevery man, the feling how he eateth and drincketh Christ, which none euill man nor member of the deuill can do.
Chap. 3.For as Christ is a spirituall meate, so is he spiritually eaten and digested with the spirituall part of vsus, and giueth vsus spirituall and eternall lyfe, and is not eaten,Christ is not eaten with teeth but with fayth. Cyprian de coena domini. swallowed & digested with our teeth, tongues, throtes & bellies.
Therfore sayth S. Ciprian, he that drincketh of the holy cup, remembring this benefite of God, is more thirsty then he was before. And lifting vp his hart vntounto the liuing God, is taken with such a singular hunger and apetite, that he abhorreth all gally and bitter drinkes of sinne, and all sauor of carnall pleasure is to him as it were sharp and sowre viniger. And the sinner being conuerted, receauing the holy misteries of the Lordes supper, geueth thankes vntounto God, and boweth downe his head, knowing that his sinnes be forgeuen, and that he is made clean and perfect, and his soule (which God hath sanctified) he rendreth to God agayne as a faythfull pledge, and then he glorieth with Paule, and reioyseth saying: Now it is not I that liue, but it is Christ that liueth within me. These thinges be practised and vsed among faythful people and to pure myndes, the eating of his flesh is no horror but honor, and the spirit deliteth in the drinking of the holy and sanctifiing bloud. And doing this, we whet not our teeth to bite, but with pure fayth we breake the holy bread. These be the wordes of Ciprian.
August. de verbis domini ser. 33.And according vntounto the same, S. Augustine sayth: Prepare not thy iawes, but thy hart. And in an other place he sayth, why doest thou prepare thy belly and thy teeth? Beleue, and thou hast eaten. But of this matter is sufficiently spoken before,In Ioan. tractat. 25. where it is proued, that to eate Christes flesh and drincke his bloud, be figuratiue speaches.
Chap. 4. The good only eate Christ.And now to returne to our purpose, that onelyonly the liuely members of Christ do eate his flesh and drincke his bloud, I shall bring forth many other places of auncient authors before not mentioned.
Origines in Math. cap. 15.Fyrst Origen writeth playnly after this maner. The word was made flesh and very meat, which who so eateth, shall surly liue for euer, which no euill man can eate. For if it could be, that he that continueth euill might eat the word made flesh, seing that he is the word and bread of life, it should not hauehave bene written: Who so euer eateth this bread, shall liue for euer. These wordes be so playne, that I need say nothing for the more clere declaration of them. Wherfore you shall heare how Ciprian agreeth with him.
Ciprianus in sermo. de coena domini.Cyprian in his sermon, ascribed vntounto him, of the Lordes supper, sayth: The author of this tradition sayd, that except we eat his flesh & drincke his bloud, we should hauehave no life in vsus, instructing vsus with a spirituall lesson, & opening to vsus a way to vnderstand so priuy a thing, that we should know, that the eating is our dwelling in him, and our drincking is as it were an incorporation in him, being subiect vntounto him in obedience, ioyned vntounto him in our willes, and vnited in our affections. The eating therfore of this flesh, is a certayne hunger and desire to dwell in him.
Thus writeth Cyprian of the eating and drinking of Christ'. And a litle after he sayth, that none do eate of this lambe, but such as be true Israelites, that is to say, pure christian men without colour or dissimulation.
Athanasius de peccato in spirium sanctum.And Athanasius speaking of the eating of Christes flesh and drincking of his bloud, sayth that for this cause he made mention of his ascentiō into heauen, to plucke them from corporall phantasy, that they might lerne hereafter that his flesh was called the celestiall meate that came from aboue, and a spirituall food, which he would geue. For those thinges that I speake to you (sayth he) be spirit and life. Which is as much to say, as that thing which you se, shalbe slayne and giuen for the nourishment of the world, that it may be distributed to eueryevery body spiritually, and be to all men a conseruation vntounto the resurrectiō of eternall life.
In these wordes Athanasius declareth the cause why Christ made mention of his ascension into heauen, when he spake of the eating and drincking of his flesh and bloud. The cause after Athanasius mynd was this, that his hearers should not thinke of any carnal eating of his body with their mouthes (for as concerning the presence of his body) he should be taken from them, and ascend into heauen, but that they should vnderstād him to be a spirituall meate, & spiritually to be eaten, and by that refreshing to giuegive eternall life, which he doth to none, but to such as be his liuely members.
And of this eating speaketh also Basilius,Basilius epistol. 141. that we eate Christes flesh and drincke his bloud, being made by his incarnation and sensible lyfe, partakers of his word and wisedome. For his flesh and bloud he calleth all his misticall conuersation here in his flesh and his doctrine, consisting of his whole life, pertayning both to his humanitie and diuinitie, wherby the soule is nourished and brought to the contemplation of thinges eternall.
Thus teacheth Basilius how we eate Christes flesh and drincke his bloud" which pertayneth only to the true and faythfull members of Christ.
S. Hierom also sayth: All that love pleasure more then God, eate not the flesh of Iesu, nor drincke his bloud. Hieronimus in E…aiam. cap. 66.Of the which himselfe sayth: He that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud, hath euerlasting lyfe."
And in an other place S. Hierom sayth, that heritikes do not eate and drincke the body and bloud of the Lord.In Hieremian.
And more ouer he sayth, that heretiks eat not the flesh of Iesu, In Oseam cap. 8.whose flesh is the meat of faythfull men.
Thus agreeth S. Hierom with the other before rehersed, that heretikes and such as follow worldly pleasures eate not Christes flesh nor drincke his bloud, bicause that Christ sayd, He that eateth my flesh, and drincketh my bloud, hath euerlasting life.
And S. Ambrose sayth, that Iesus is the bread which is the meat of sainctes and that he that taketh this bread, dyeth not a sinners death. For this bread is the remission of sinnes. Ambrosius de benedictione patriarcharū cap. 9. De his qui miste rus initiantur. De sacramentis li. cap. 5.And in other booke to him intituled, he writeth thus. This bread of life which came downe from heauen, doth minister euerlasting life, and who soeuer eateth this bread, shall not dye for euer, and is the body of Christ. And yet in an other booke set forth in his name, he sayth on this wise: He that did eate Manne dyed, but he that eateth this body, shall hauehave remission of his sinnes, and shall not dye for euer. Lib. 5. cap. 3.And agayne he sayth: As often as thou drinckest thou hast remission of thy sinnes.
These sentences of S. Ambrose be so playne in this matter, that there nedeth no more, but onelyonly the rehersall of them.
But S. Augustine in many places playnly discussing this matter, sayth: He that agreeth not with Christ, doth neither eate his body, nor drinke his bloud, Augustinus in sentētiis exprospero decerptis cap. 339.although to the condemnation of his presumption, he receaue eueryevery day the sacramēt of so hygh a matter.
And moreouer S. Augustine most playnly resolueth this matter in his booke De ciuitate Dei, De ciuitate Dei lib. 21. Cap. 25.disputing agaynst two kindes of heretikes: Wherof the one sayd, that as many as were Christned, and receaued the sacramēt of Christes body and bloud, should be saued, how so euer they liued or beleeued, bycause that Christ sayd: This is the bread that came from heauen, that who so euer shall eate therof, shall not dye. I am the bread of lyfe, which came from heauen, who so euer shall eate of this bread, shall liue for euer.
Therfore (sayd these heretikes) all such men must nedes be deliuered from eternall death, and at length be brought to eternall life. The other sayd, that heretikes and scismatikes myght eate the sacrament of Christes body, but not his very body, bycause they be no members of his body.
And therfore they promised not euerlasting life to all that receaued Christes baptisme and the sacrament of his body, but to all such as professed a true fayth, although they liued neuer so vngodly. For such (sayd they) do eate the body of Christ, not onelyonly in a sacrament, but also in deede, bycause they be members of Christes body.
But S. Augustine answering to both these heresies, sayth: That neither heretikes, nor such as professe a true fayth in theyr mouthes, and in theyr liuing shew the contrary, hauehave eyther a true fayth (which worketh by charitie, and doth none euil) or are to be counted among the members of Christ. For they can not be both members of Christ and members of the deuill. Therfore (sayth he) it may not be sayd, that any of them eate the body of Christ. For when Christ sayth, he that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud, dwelleth in me, and I in him: He sheweth what it is (not sacramentally, but indeed) to eate his body and drincke his bloud: which is, when a man dwelleth so in Christ, that Christ dwelleth in him. For Christ spake those wordes as if he should say, He that dwelleth not in me, and in whom I dwell not let him not say or thincke, that he eateth my body, or drincketh my bloud.
These be the playne wordes of S. Augustine, that such as liue vngodly, although they may seme to eate Christes body (bicause they eate the sacrament of his body) yet in deed they neyther be members of his body, nor do eate his body.
Also vponupon the gospell of S. Iohn he sayth, that he that doth not eate his flesh and drincke his bloud, hath not in him euerlasting lyfe. And he that eateth his flesh and drincketh his bloud,In Ihon. tractat. 26. hath euerlasting lyfe. But it is not so in those meates, which we take to sustayne our bodyes. For although without them we cannot liue, yet it is not necessary, that who so euer receaueth them, shall liue, for they may dye by age, sicknes or other chaunces.
But in this meat and drincke of the body and bloud of our Lord, it is otherwise. For both they that eate and drincke them not, hauehave not euerlasting lyfe: And contrariwyse who so euer eate and drincke them, hauehave euerlasting life.
Note and ponder well these wordes of S. Augustine, that the bread and wine and other meates & drinckes (which nourish the body) a man may eate, and neuerthelesse dye: but the very body and bloud of Christ no man eateth, but that hath euerlasting life. So that wicked men can not eate nor drincke them, for then they must nedes hauehave by them euerlasting life.
And in the same place S. Augustine sayth further. The sacramēt of the vnitie of Christes body & bloud is takē in the Lordes table, of some men to lyfe: & of some mē to death, but the thing it selfe (wherof it is a sacramēt) is takē of all men to lyfe, & of no man to death. And more ouer he sayth: This is to eate that meate and drincke that drincke, to dwell in Christ, and to hauehave Christ dwelling in him. And for that cause he that dwelleth not in Christ, & in whome Christ dwelleth not, without doubt he eateth not spiritually his flesh nor drincketh his bloud, although carnally and visibly with his teeth, he byte the Sacrament of his body and bloud.
Thus writeth S. Augustine in the xxvj. homely of S. Iohn. And in the next homely following, he sayth thus.In Iohn. tractat. 27. This day our sermon is of the body of the Lord, which he sayd he would geue to eat for eternall life. And he declared the maner of his gift and distribution, how he would geue his flesh to eate, saying: He that eateth my flesh and drincketh my bloud, dwelleth in me and I in him. This therfore is a token or knowledge, that a man hath eaten and drunken, that is to say, if he dwell in Christ, and hauehave Christ dwelling in him. If he cleaue so to Christ, that he is not seuered from him. This therfore Christ taught and admonished by these misticall or figuratiue wordes, that we should be in his body vnderunder him our head among his members, eating his flesh, nor forsaking his vnitie.
And in his booke De doctrina Christiana. S. Augustine sayth,De doctrina christiana. lib. 3. Cap. 14. (as before is at length declared) that to eate Christes flesh, and to drincke his bloud, is a figuratiue speach signifying the participation of his passion, and the delectable remembraunce to our benefite and profite, that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vsus.
And in an other sermon also De verbis Apostoli he expoundeth what is the eating of Christes body and the drincking of his bloud,De verbis Apostoli. sermo. 2. saying, The eating is to be refreshed, and the drincking what is but to liue? Eate life, drincke life: And that shall be, when that which is taken visibly in the sacrament, is in very deed eaten spiritually and dronken spiritually.
By all these sentences of S. Augustine it is euident and manifest, that all men, good and euill, may with theyr mouthes visibly and sensibly eate the sacrament of Christes body and bloud, but the very body & bloud them selues be not eaten but spiritually, & that of the spiritual members of Christ, which dwell in Christ, & hauehave Christ dwelling in them, by whome they be refreshed and hauehave euerlasting lyfe.
And therfore sayth S. Augustine,In Ioh Tract. 59 that when the other Apostles did eate bread that was the Lord, yet Iudas did eate but the bread of the Lord, and not the bread that was the Lord. So that the other Apostles with the sacramentall bread did eate also Christ him selfe, whome Iudas did not eate. And a great number of places moe hath S. Augustine for this purpose, which for eschewing of tediousnes, I let pas for this tyme, and will speake some thing of S. Cirill. ¶ Cyrill vponupon S. Iohn in his Gospell sayth, that those which eate Manna, dyed,Cirillus in Ioh. li. 4. cap. 10. bycause they receaued therby no strength to liue euer: (for it gaue no lyfe, but onelyonly put away bodily hunger) but they that receaue the bread of life, shall be made immortall, and shall eschewe all the euils that pertayne to death, liuing with Christ for euer. And in an other place he sayth… Cap. 12.For as much as the flesh of Christ doth naturally geue life, therfore it maketh them to liue that be partakers of it. For it putteth death away from them, & vtterly driueth destructiō out of them.
And he concludeth the matter shortly in an other place in fewe wordes,Cap. 14. saying, that when we eate the flesh of our sauiour, than hauehave we life in vsus. For if thinges that were corrupt, were restored by onelyonly touching of his clothes, how can it be, that we shall not liue that eate his flesh? And further he sayth, that as two waxes that be molten together, do run eueryevery part into other:Cap. 17. so he that receaueth Christes flesh and bloud, must nedes be ioyned so with him, that Christ must be in him, and he in Christ.
Here S. Cyrill declareth the dignitie of Christes flesh, being inseparably annexed vntounto his diuinitie, saying, that it is of such force and power, that it geueth euerlasting life. And what soeuer occasion of death it findeth, or let of eternall life, it putteth out and driueth cleane away all the same, from them that eate that meate and receaue that medicine. Other medicins or playsters sometyme heale, and sometyme heale not, but this medicine is of that effect and strength, that it eateth away all rotten and dead flesh and perfectly healeth all woundes and sores that it is layd vntounto.
This is the dignitie and excellēcy of Christes flesh and bloud, ioyned to his diuinite, of the which dignite, Christes aduersaries the Papistes, depriue and robbe him, when they affirme, that such men do eate his flesh and receaue this playster, as remayne still sicke and sore, and be not holpen therby.
Thus hast thou heard (gentle reader) the groundes and profes which moued me to write the mater of this iiii. booke, that good men onelyonly eate Christes flesh and drincke his bloud. Now shalt thou here ye late byshopes confutation of the same.