Answer unto a Crafy and Sophistical Cavillation, Debate · Confutation of book 4 · Section 19 – Section 20
Caunterbury.
WHere you speake of the adoration of Christe in the Sacrament, saying, that if he were not there present, substancially, really, and corporally, S. Augustine would neuer hauehave spoken of adoration there: in this word (there) you vse a great doublenes and fallax,…he…. for it may be referred indiferently eyther to the adoration, or to the presence. If it be referred to the presence, than it is neyther trew, nor S. Augustine sayth no such thing, that Christ is really, substancially, and corporally present there. If it be referred to the worshipping, than it is trew, according to S. Augustines mynd, that there in the receauing of the sacrament in spirite and truth, we glorify and honor Christ, sitting in heauen at his fathers right hand. But to this adoration is required no reall, substanciall, and corporall presence,Genes. 28, as before I hauehave declared: for so did Iacob worship Christ before he was borne, and all faythfull christen people do worship him in all places where soeuer they be, although he carnally and corporally be farre distant from them. As they dayly honor the father and pray vntounto him,Math. 6. and yet say, Qui es in coelis, confessing him to be in heauen. And therfore to auoyd all the ambiguitie, and fallax of your speach, I say, that we being here, do worship here Christ, being not corporally here, but with his father in heauen.
And although all christen men ought of duety continually to worship Christ being in heauen, yet bicause we be negligent to doe our duties therin, his word and sacramēts be ordeined to prouoke vsus therunto. So that although otherwise we forgat our dutyes, yet when we come to any of his sacraments,1. Cor 11. we should be put in remembrance thereof. And therfore sayd Christ (as S. Paule writeth) As often as you shall eate this bread and drincke this cup, shew forth the lordes death, vntill he come. And do this (sayd Christ) in remembraunce of me.Luc. 22. And the worshipping of Christ in his glory, should be euer continuall without eyther before or after. Neuertheles forasmuch as by reason of our infirmity, ingratitude, malice and wickednes, we go farre from our offices and dueties herein, the sacraments call vsus home agayne, to do that thing, which before we did omit, that at the least we may do at some tyme, that which we should doe at all tymes.
Humiliation.And where you speake of the humiliatiō of Christ in the sacrament, you speake without the booke. For the scripture termeth not the matter in that sort, but calleth his humiliation only his incarnation and conuersation with vsus here in earth, being obedient euen vntounto death, and for that humiliation, he is now from that tyme forward exalted for euer in glory. And you would plucke him downe from his glory,Phil. 2. to humiliation agayne. And thus is Christ intreated, when he commeth to the handling of ignoraunt lawyers, blynd sophisters, and popish diuines, but the true worshippers of Christ, worship him in spirite, sitting in his high glory and Maiesty, and pluck him not downe from thence, corporally to eate him with their teeth, but spiritually in hart ascend vp (as S. Chrisostō sayth) and feede vponupon him where he sitteth in his high throne of glory with his father. To which spirituall feding is required no bodely presence, nor also mouth nor teeth, and yet they that receaue any sacrament, must adore Christ (both before and after) sitting in heauen in the glory of his father. And this is neyther (as you say it is) a cold nor grosse teaching of S. Augustine in this place, to worship the flesh and humanity of Christ in heauen: nor your teaching is not so farre from all doubtes, but that you seeme so afrayd your selfe to stand to it, that when you hauehave sayde, that Christ is to be worshipped in his humanity, as it were to excuse the matter agayne, you say, you speake not properly.
And this doctrine of S. Augustine was very necessary for ij. considerations. One is for the exposition of the Psalme,Saynt Augustines doctrine is necessary. Psal. 99. which he tooke in hand to declare, where in one verse is commaunded to worship the earth, being gods fotestole, and this he sayth may be vnderstād in the flesh of Christ which flesh being earth, and the foode of faythfull christen people, is to be worshipped of all that feede and liue by him. For notwithstanding that his flesh is earth of earth, and a creature, and that nothing ought to be worshipped but God alone, yet is found out in Christ the explication of this great doubt and mistery, how flesh, earth, and a creature, both may and ought to be worshipped, That is to say, when earth and flesh being vnited to the godhead in one person, is one perfect Iesus Christ both God and man. And this is neyther a cold nor grosse saying of S. Augustine, but an explication of the diuine and high mistery of his incarnation.
The other cause, why it is necessary both to teach and to exhort men to honor Chistes flesh in heauen, is this, that some know it not, and some doe it not. For some heretikes hauehave taught, that Christ was but a man, and so not to be honored. And some hauehave sayd, that although he be both God and man, yet his diuinity is to be honored, and not his humanity. For extirpation of which errors, it is no grosse nor cold saying, that Christes flesh in heauen is to be honored. And some know right well, ye whole Christ God and man ought to be honored with one entier and godly honor, and yet forgetting them selfe in theyr factes,Heb. 10. do not according to their knowledge, but treading the sonne of God vnderunder their feete,Heb. 6. and despising the bloud, wherby they were sanctified, crucifie agayne the sonne of God, and make him a mocking stocke to all the wicked. And many professing Christ yet hauing vayne cogitatiōs and phātasies in their heades, do worship and serue Antichrist, and thinking them selues wise, become very fooles in deed. And count you it then a cold and a grosse saying, that Christ in heauen is to be honored? wherin so many olde authors hauehave trauayled and written so many bookes, and wherin all godly teachers trauayle from tyme to tyme? And yet bring you here nothing to proue, that S. Augustine spake of the reall presence of Christes flesh in the sacramēt, and not of Christ being in heauen, but this your cold and grosse reason.
And this will serue to answere also the place here following of S. Ambrose, who spake not of the worshipping of Christ onelyonly at the receauing of the sacrament, but at all tymes and of all resonable creatures both men and angels.
Winchester.
And for the more manifest confirmation that S. Augustine ought thus to be vnderstanded, I shall bring in S. Ambrose saying, of whome it is probable, S. Augustine to hauehave learned that he writeth in this matter.
Saynt Ambrose wordes in his booke De spiritu sancto li. 3. cap. 12. be these:Ambrosius de spiritu sancto li. 3. cap. 12. Non mediocris igitur, quaestio, & ideo diligentius consideremus quid sit scabellum. Legimus enim alibi. Coelum ucihi thronus, terra autem scabellum pedum meorum. Sed nec terra adoranda nobis, quia creatura est dei. Videamus tamen ne terràm illam dicat adorandam Propheta, quam Dominus Iesus in carnis assumptione suscepit. Itaque per scabellum terrae intelligitur, per terram antem caro christi, quam hodie quoque in misterys adoramus, & quam Apostoli in Domino Iesu (ut supra diximus) adorarunt: ne que enim diuisus Christus, sed vnus. Which wordes may be englished thus. It is therfore no meane question and therfore we should more diligently consider, what is the foote stoole. For we read in an other place, heauen is my throne, and the earth the foote stoole of my feete. But yet the earth is not to be worshipped of vsus, bicause it is a creature of God. And yet let vsus see though least the prophet means that earth to be worshipped, which our Lord Iesus tooke in the taking of flesh. So then by the footestoole let the earth be vnderstanded, and then by the earth the flesh of Christ, which we do now worship also in the misteries, and which the Apostles, as we hauehave before sayde, worshipped in our Lord Iesu, for Christ is not deuided, but one. Hitherto S. Ambrose, wherby may appeare how S. Ambrose and S. Augustine tooke occasion to open their fayth and doctrine touching adoration, vponupon discussion of the selfe same words of the prophet Dauid. And S. Ambrose expressely noteth our adoration in the misteries where we worship Christes flesh inuisibly present, as the Apostles did, when Christ was visibly present with them. And thus with these so playne wordes of S. Ambrose consonant to those of S. Augustine, and the opening of S. Augustines wordes as before, I trust I hauehave made manifest, how this Author trauayleth agaynst the streame, and laboreth in vayne to writh S. Augustine to his purpose in this matter. The best is in this author that he handleth S. Augustine no worse then the rest, but all after one sort, bycause they be al of like sort agaynst his new catholique fayth, & cōfirme ye old true Catholique fayth or do not improue it. For of this high mistery, the authors write some more obscurely and darkely thē other, and vse diuersities of speaches and wordes, wherwith the true doctrine hath bene of a very few impugned, but euer in vayne, as I trust in God this shall be most in vayne, hauing this author vttered such vntruthes with so much blinde ignorāce, as this worke well wayed & cōsidered, that is to say, who made it when he made it, & of like how many were, or might hauehave bene & should hauehave bene of coūsayle in so great a matter, who if they were any, be al reproued in this one worke, all such circūstāces cōsidered, this booke may do as much good to releaue such perplexity, as alteration hath engendred, and so do as good seruice in the truth; as was ment therby to hinder and empayre it. And this shall suffice for an answere to this fourth booke.