Answer unto a Crafy and Sophistical Cavillation, Debate · Confutation of book 1 · Section 26
Caunterbury.
THis is the third euident,The 3. vntruth of the handling the wordes of S. Augustine. and manifest vntruth whereof you note me. And because you say that in citing of S. Augustin in this place, I handle not the matter so sincerely as it requireth, let here be an issue between you and me, which of vsus both doth hādle this matter more sincerely,Mine issue. and I will bring such manifest euidence for me, that you shall not be able to open your mouth against it. For I alledge S. Augustine iustly as he speaketh, adding nothing of my selfe. The wordes in my booke be these.
Of these wordes of Christ it is plain and manifest,August. in 10 an. Tractat. 26. that the eating of Christs body, and drincking of his bloud, is not like to the eating and drinking of other meates and drinkes. For although without meat and drinke man cannot liue yet it followeth not that he that eateth and drinketh shall liue for euer. But as touching this meate and drinke of the body and bloud of Christ it is true, both he that eateth and drinketh them, hath euerlasting life. And also he that eateth and drinketh them not,Eodem tract. Aug. de Ciuit. lib. 21. cap. 25. hath not euerlasting life. For to eate that meate, and drinke that drink, is to dwell in Christ, and to hauehave Christ dwelling in him, and therfore no man can say or think that he eateth the body of Christ or drinketh his bloud except he dwelleth in Christ, and hauehave Christ dwelling in him. Thus hauehave you heard of the eating and drinking of the very fleshe and bloud of our Sauiour Christ.
Thus alleadge I S. Augustin truely, without adding any thing of mine own head, or taking any thing away. And what sleight I vsed, is easy to iudge: for I cite directly the places that eueryevery man may see whether I say true or noe. And if it be not true, quarrell not with me but with S. Augustine, whose wordes I onelyonly rehearse. And that which S. Augustine sayeth, spake before him S. Ciprian, and Christ himselfe also plainlye inough, vponupon whose wordes I thought I might be as bold to build a true doctrine for the setting forth of Gods glory, as you may be to peruert both the words of Ciprian, and of Christ him selfe, to stablish a false doctrine to the high dishonor of God, and the corruption of his most true word. For you adde this word (worthely) wherby you gather such an vnworthy meaning of S. Augustines wordes as you list your self.worthely. And the same you doe to ye very words of Christ him selfe, who speaketh absolutely and plainly without adding of any such word as you put thereto. What sophistry this is, you know well inough. Now if this be permitted vntounto you to adde what you list, and to expound how you list, then you may say what you list without controlment of any man, which it seemeth you looke for.
And not of like sort, but of like euilnes doe you handle (in reprehending of my seconde vntruth as you call it) an other place of S. Augustine in his booke de doctrina Christiana, August. de doctrina Christiana lib. 3. cap. 13.where he sayth, that the eating and drinkinge of Christes flesh and bloud is a figuratiue speach: which place you expound so farre from S. Augustines meaning,How Christes flesh is eaten. that who soeuer looketh vponupon his wordes, may by and by discern that you do not, or wil not vnderstand him. But it is most like (the words of him being so plain and easy) that purposely you will not vnderstand him, nor nothing els that is against your will, rather then you will goe from any part of your will and receaued opinion. For it is plain and cleare that S. Augustine in that place speaketh not one worde of the separation of the two natures in Christ, and although Christs flesh be neuer so surely and inseparably vnited vntounto his Godhead (without which vnion it could profite nothing) yet being so ioyned, it is a very mans flesh, the eating wherof (after the proper speech of eating) is horrible and abominable. Wherfore the eating of Christes flesh must needes be otherwise vnderstanded, then after the proper and common eatinge of other meates with the mouth, which eating after such sort could auayle nothing. And therefore S. Augustine in that place declareth the eating of Christes fleshe to be onelyonly a figuratiue speach. And he openeth the figure so, as the eatinge must be ment with the minde, not with the mouth: that is to say, by chawing and digesting in our mindes, to our great consolation and profite, that Christ dyed for vsus. Thus doth S. Augustine open the figure and meaning of Christ when he spake of the eating of his flesh, and drinking of his bloud. And his flesh being thus eaten, it must also be ioyned vntounto his diuinitie, or els it could not geue euerlasting life, as Cyrill and the councell Ephesin truly decreed. But S. Augustine declared the figuratiue speech of Christ to be in the eating, not in the vnion. And where as to shift of the playn words of Christ, spoken in the sixt of Iohn,Iohn 6. he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my bloud, dwelleth in me and I in him: you say that dwelling in Christ is not the manducation. You say herein directly against S. Cyprian,Cyprian. in sermone de caena Domini. who saith: quod mansio nostra in ipso, sit manducatio, that our dwelling in him, is the eating. And also against S. Augustine,August. in Ioan. tra. 26. whose wordes be these: Hoc est ergo manducare escam illam, & illum bibere potum, in Christo manere, & illum manentem in se habere: This is to eat that meat, and drinke that drinke, to dwell in Christ, & to hauehave Christ dwelling in him. And although the eating and drinking of Christ, be here defined by the effect (for the very eating is the beleeuing) yet where so euer the eating is, the effect must be also, if the definition of S. Augustine be truely geuen. And therfore although good & bad eate carnally with their teeth bread, being the Sacrament of Christes body, yet no man eateth his very flesh, which is spiritually eaten, but he that dwelleth in Christ, and Christ in him.
And where in the end you referre the Reader to the declaration of Christes wordes, it is an euill sequele, you declare Christes wordes thus: Ergo, they be so ment. For by like reason might Nestorius hauehave preuayled against Cyrill, Arrius agaynst Alexander, and the Pope against Christ. For they al proue their errors by the doctrine of Christ after their own declarations, as you doe here in your corporall manducation. But of the manducation of Christs flesh, I hauehave spoken more fully in my fourth booke, the second, third and fourth chapters.
Now before I answere to the fourth vntruth which I am appeached of, I will reherse what I hauehave said in the matter, and what fault you hauehave found: my booke hath thus:
Now as touching the Sacramentes of the same,Cap. 3. our Sauiour Christ did institute them in bread & wine at his last Supper which he had with his Apostles the night before his death, at which time as Mathew sayth:The eating of the Sacrament of his body. Mat. 26. When they were eating, Iesus tooke bread, and when he had geuen thankes, he brake it and gaue it to his disciples, and sayd: Take, eate, this is my body: And he tooke the cup, and when hee had geuen thankes he gaue it to them; saying: Drinke ye all of this, for this is my bloud of the new testament, that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes. But I say vntounto you, I will not drinke hence forth of this fruite of the vine, vntill that day, whē I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdome.
This thing is rehearsed also of S. Marke, in these wordes.
As they did eate,Marck. 14. Iesus tooke bread, and when he had blessed, he brake it, and gaue it to them, and sayd: Take, eate, this is my body, and taking the cup, when he had geuen thankes, he gaue it to them, and they all dranke of it, and he sayd to them, This is my bloud of the new testament, which is shed for many: verely, I say vntounto you, I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine, vntill that daye that I drinke it new in the kingdome of God.
The Euangelist S. Luke, vttereth this matter on this wise.
When the houre was come, he sate down,Luke. 2…. and the twelue Apostles with hym. And he said vntounto them. I hauehave greatly desired to eate this Pascha with you before I suffer. For I say vntounto you, hēceforth I will not eat of it any more vntil it be fulfilled in the kingdome of God. And he toke the cuppe and gaue thankes, and sayd: Take this and deuide it among you. For I say vntounto you, I will not drinke of the fruit of the vine, vntill the kingdome of God come. And he toke bread and when hee had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue it vntounto them, saying: This is my body, which is geeuen for you. This doe in remembrance of me. Likewise also when he had supped, he toke the cup saying: This cup is the new testament in my bloud, which is shedde for you.
Hitherto you hauehave herd all that the euangelistes declare, that Christ spake or did at his last supper, concerning thinstitutiō of the communion and sacramēt of his body and bloud. Now you shall here what S. Paul sayth concerning the same, in the tenth chapter of the first to the Corinthians, where he writeth thus.
Is not the cuppe of blessing, which we blesse, a communion of the bloud of Christ?1. Cor. 10. Is not the bread, which we breake, a communion of the body of Christ? We being many, are one bread, & one body: For we al are partakers of one bread, and one cuppe.
And in the eleuenth he speaketh on this manner.
That which I deliuered vntounto you I receaued of the Lord. For the Lord Iesus the same night,1. Cor. 11. in the which he was betrayed, toke bread, and when he had geuen thankes, he brake it, and sayd: Take, eate, this is my body which is broaken for you: doe this in remembrance of me. Likewise also he tooke the cuppe. when Supper was done, saying: This cup is the new testament, in my bloud. Doe this as often as ye drinke it, in remembrance of me, for as oft as you shal eate this bread, and drinke this cup, you shew forth the Lords death til he come. Wherfore who soeuer shall eat of this bread, or drinke of this cuppe vnworthely, shalbe gilty of the body & bloud of the Lord. But let a man examine him selfe and so eat of the bread, and drinke of the cuppe. For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely, eateth and drinketh his own damnation, because he maketh no difference of the Lordes body. For this cause many are weake and sicke among you, & many doe sleepe.
By these wordes of Christ, rehearsed of the Euangelistes, and by the doctrine also of Saint Paule, which he confesseth that he receaued of Christ, two thinges specially are to be noted.
Cap. 4.First, that our Sauiour Christ called the materiall bread which he brake, his body: & the wine which was the fruit of the vine, his bloud. And yet he spake not this to the intent that men should thinke that the material bread is his very body, or that his very body is materiall bread:Christ called the materiall bread his body. Neither that wine made of grapes is his very bloud, or that his very bloud is wine made of grapes. But to signifie vntounto vsus,1. Cor. 10. as S. Paul sayth, that the cuppe is a communion of Christes bloud that was shed for vsus, and the bread is a communion of his flesh that was crucified for vsus. So that although in the truth of his humain nature, Christ be in heauen,Marck. vii. and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father, yet whosoeuer eateth of the bread in the Supper of the Lord, according to Christes institution and ordinaunce, is assured of Christes own promise and testament, that he is a member of his body, and receaueth the benefites of his passion, which he suffered for vsus vponupon the crosse. And likewise he that drinketh of that holy cuppe in the Supper of the Lord, according to Christes institution, is certified by Christes legacy and testament, that he is made partaker of the bloud of Christ which was shed for vsus. And this ment S. Paule, when he sayth, is not the cup of blessing which we blesse, a communion of the bloud of Christ? Is not the can bread, which we breake, a cōmunion of the body of Christ so that no man contēne or lightly esteeme this holy cōmuniō, except he contēne also Christs body and bloud, and passe not whether he hauehave any felowship with him or no. And of those men S. Paule saith,1. Cor. 11. that they eate and drink their own damnation, because they esteme not the body of Christ.
The second thing which may be learned of the forsaid wordes of Christe and S. Paule is this:Cap. 5. that although none eateth the body of Christ and drinketh hys bloud, but they hauehave eternall life (as apereth by the wordes before recited of S. Iohn) yet both the good and the bad doe eate and drynke the bread and wine, which be the Sacramentes of the same.Euill men do eat the Sacramēt but not the body of Christ. But beside the Sacramentes, the good eate euerlasting life, the euill euerlasting death. Therfore S. Paule sayth: Who soeuer shall eate of the bread, or drinke of the cup of the Lord vnworthely, he shalbe gilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. Here S. paul saith not, that he that eateth the bread,1. Cor. 11. or drinketh the cup of the Lord vn worthely, eateth & drinketh the body & bloud of the Lord: but is gilty of the body & bloud of the Lord. But what he eateth & drynketh S. Paul declareth saying: he that eateth & drinketh vnworthely, eateth & drinketh his own dā natiō: thus is declared the sum of al that scripture speketh of the eating & drinking, both of the body & bloud of Christ, & also of the sacramēt of the same.
And as these thinges be most certaynly true,Cap. 6. because they be spoken by Christ hym selfe, the auctor of all truth, and by hys holy Apostle S. Paule as he receaued them of Christ, so all doctrines contrary to the same, be moste certaynly false and vntrue, and of al Christen men to be eschued, because they be contrary to Gods word. And all doctrine concerning this matter, that is more then this, which is not grounded vponupon Gods word, is of no necessity, neither ought the peoples heads to be busied, or their consciences troubled with the same.These thinges suffice for a christian mans faith concerning this Sacrament. So that thinges spoken and done by Christ, and written by the holy Euangelists and S, Paule, ought to suffice the fayth of Christian people, as touching the doctrine of the Lordes Supper, and holy communion or sacrament of his body and bloud.
Which thing being well considered and wayed, shall be a iust occasion to pacifie and agree both parties, as well them that hetherto hauehave contemned or lightly esteemed it, as also them which hauehave hetherto for lacke of knowledge or otherwise, vngodly abused it.
Christ ordeyned the Sacrament to moue and stirre all men to frendshippe,Cap. 7. louelove, and concord, and to put away all hatred, variance, and discord, and to testifie a brotherly and vnfained louelove between all them that be the members of Christ:The Sacramēt which was ordayned to make louelove and concord is turned into ye occasion of variance and discord But the deuil, the enemy of Christ and of all his members, hath so craftely iugled herein, that of nothing riseth so much contention, as of this holy Sacrament.
God graunt that al contention set aside, both the parties may come to this holy communiō with such a liuely faith in Christ, and such an vnfained louelove to all Christes members, that as they carnallye eate with their mouthes this Sacramentall bread, and drink the wine, so spiritually they may eate and drink the very flesh and bloud of Christ which is in heauen, and sitteth on the right hand of his father. And that finally by his meanes, they may enioy with him the glory and kingdome of heauen, Amen.