The Badges of Christianity, Book 3 · Chapter 10
Chap. 10. Of the third inward part of the Lords Supper.
THe third inward part is aThe third inward part of the Lords supper, is the body and blood of ….the body and blood of christ, that is, the body of our Lord deliuered vntounto death for vsus, and his blood shed for the remission of sinnes, and consequently whole christ. This is the chiefest part of this sacrament. For the bodie and blood of Christ are thus made and separated to be the liuelie meat of our soules, and hauehave that force and efficacy of … in our soules, which bread and wine hauehave in our bodies. This is the cause why bIoh. 6, 48. 50Christ often calleth himselfe the bread of life, Ioh. 6. I am that bread of life: this is that bread of life vvhichwhich commeth dovvn from heauen, that he vvhichwhich eateth of it shold not dye; I am that liuing bread, if any man eate of this bread, he shall liue for euer. Thus eueryevery receiuer is giuen to vnderstand, that as God doth blesse the bread and Wine in his Supper, to preserue, strengthen, and comfort the body of the receiuer: so Christ apprehended and receiued by faith doth nourish vsus, and preserueth body and soule vntounto eternall life. Hee died in the flesh, that he might quicken vsus: and he poured out his blood, … hee might clense vsus from our sinnes. Wherefore, cHow the sacramentall rites do serue to strengthē our faith.whensoeuer as the Lordes ghests we see the bread on the Lordes table, we must set our mindes on the body of Christ: when we behold the cup of the Lord, we must thinke vponupon the blood of christ: when we looke vponupon the bread broken, and the Wine poured out, we must consider how the body of chirst was pierced, punished, crushed, crucified, torne, tormented, and his blood poured out for our sakes: when we feele, that by bread our bodies are nourished and strengthned, and by the wine our vitall spirits are comforted and refreshed, we beleeue that by the body of Christ deliuered to death for vsus, we are fed to euerlasting life, and that by his blood poured out vponupon the crosse, our consciences are sāctified, and we fele his quickning power, which doth confirme vsus in our communion with him. Thus is this part of the supper spiritually to bee applyed: thus are the bread and wine made a sacrament to vsus, and not bare signes: thus the memorall of christs death is repeated, whichalbeit it were once finished on the crosse, and now his passion is past long ago: yet to the faithfull in regard of the force, it is stil fresh and alwaies present. Now, it is not without cause and good consideration, that Christ would hauehave the bread first deliuered as a signe of his body, and then afterward the wine as a signe of his blood, seuerally and apart administred, because his body and blood are not represented to vsus, as his humanity now dwelleth glorious in the heauens, but as he was offered vp a sacrifice on the crosse, his blood being … out of his body. For to the end it may be nourishment to vsus, it must be crucified. For, as corne of it selfe is not fit foode for vsus, vnlesse it bee threshed, winnowed, ground and baked for vsus: so is it touching christ, he must suffer, be crucified, and dy, that we may liue by him, and raigne with him.
This is the truth which in this point is to be considered. Vse. 1Now let vsus lay open the vses which of vsus are to be learned. Is christ the inward part of the Lordes Supper represented by the bread and wine, offered to all, but rcceiued onelyonly of such as are faithfull: then his body is not inclosed in the bread or in the accidents ofbread, nor his blood included in the wine or vnderunder the shewes of wine: dAgainst the real presencehe is not personally, locally, carnally, corporally, naturally, really, substantially, and sensually present in the Sacrament. The question is not, eThe true state of the question set downe.whether the wordes of christ be true, for they are knowne, confessed, and beleeued, so that as he is the truth, so all his wordes are wordes of truth: neither is the question, whether the Sacrament bee a bare signe or bare figure, we say Christ is truely represented, sealed, and exhibited: neither is the question whether God'bo omnipotent and almighty, this is a part of our faith and an Article of christian beleefe: neither is the question simplye of the presence of Christ, whether he be truely and vndoubtedly present in the Sacrament of his last supper, we acknowledge and receiue as much. But the whole question is of the meaning and vnderstanding of the words of institution, and of the manner of his presence. Wee confesse and teach the people committed vntounto vsus, that fconfess. Gal lic. art. 37. confel. Anglic. art. 12 Cal instit lib 4. cap. 17christs body and blood are truely, verilie, and indeede giuen vntounto vsus, that we truely eat and drinke them, that we are releeued and liue by them, that we are made bone of his bone, that Christ dwelleth in vsus, and we in him: yet we say not, that the substance of bread and wine is abolished, or that christs bodie discendeth from heauen, or is groslie and corporally present in the sacrament: we are taught to lift vp out hearts to heauen, gCol. 3, 1, 2, 3where christ sitteth at the right hand of God the father, and there to feede vponupon him. But he ere is the state of the question and controuersie betweene vsus. The church of Rome teacheth, that after hconc. Trid. … 13, cap. 1the wordes of consecration the bread and wine are abolished, and the body and blood of christ come in place, so that they make them corporally …, not onelyonly in the sacrament to bee eaten with the mouth but in the pixe, in the Masse, and in their solemne processions where is neither eating nor drinking. Yet Berengarius in his recantation was taught to saie, and forced to subscribe, that lDe con dist 2 ego BerengChrist is in the sacrament sensible (or sensually) is touched with the singers, diuided, broken, & rent with the teeth, and not onelyonly the accidents. More ouer, they make it to be eaten, not onelyonly of euill men, but of beasts, and to fill vp the measure of blasphemy, to be cast out into the draught, as some of them hauehave taught and affirmed. Thus then the difference standeth betweene vsus, they hold that christs body and blood are carnally eaten of wicked men without faith, of brute Beastes without reason: but wee denye, that CHRIST: is thus present in the Sacrament, for his body cannot bee vnderunder so little a quantity of bread and Wine: besides it is impietie to … that the person of CHRIST or his bodye and bloode can bee truelie receiued of Dogges, …, and Mise, be chewed with the teeth, swallowed downe the throat, digested in the stomacke, and be cast out into vncleane places. This we deny, this we doe not beleeue, this wee abhorre and detest from the bottom of our hearts. What is it then we teach and professe? We deny that the body and blood of Christ are carnally contained vnderunder the shews and shadowes of bread and wine: we deny them to be eaten and drunken ofwicked men or vnreasonable creatures: we deny that they are truely and properly both in heauen and on the earth, in pixes, and on the …. These are kaug. tract. 25 in Iohanmeate for the mind, not for the mouth: for faith, not for the teeth: for our beleefe, not for the belly.
This carnall eating of Christ is lSundry reasons rendred to … the real presenceconfuted and conuinced by many reasons. First, Christ sate downe at the Table and the Disciples with him, afterward he tooke bread, gaue thankes, brake it, gaue it, and said. This is my body: likewise he tooke and gaue the cup, and sayd, Drinke ye all of this: whereby we see, when the Apostles receiued mLuk. 22, 19the Sacrament, Christ sate at the table with his true body: but the body which they tooke, sate not at the table, therefore they tooke the signe of his body. Likewise, the blood which they receiued was not in the body which sate at the table, therefore it vvas not properly Christes blood, vvhichwhich was not as yet really and actually shed. The same body could not sit at the table, & not sit at the table: the same body could not be in their handes, and out of their handes: the blood of Christ could not be out of his veines in the cup, and in his vines within his body: hee could not sit visible at the table, and bee inuisible in the mouthes and bellies of the …. Wherefore the reall presence bringeth with it real contradictions which cannot stand together.
Secondly, the end of the Lords supper is, to call his death to a continuall remembrance, as Luk. 22. Do this in nLuk. 22, 19remembrance of me: and the Apostle, 1 Cor. 11. Ye shew the Lords death vntill he come. Now to what end should we neede the remembrance of Christ, if he were corporally present in the sacrament, if he were taken in the hands, if he were holden in the mouth, if he were eaten with the …? And to to what purpose should we shevv the Lordes death till he come, if he come … and be present bodily in the sacrament. Besides, the wisest a nong the Phylosophers teach vsus that oarist lib de memoria.sence is of thinges present, but remembrance is of such thinges as are absent: as hope is of such thinges as are to come, not seene, pRom. 8, 24and this the Apostle teacheth.
Thirdly, Christ receiued a true body withall the naturall properties of an … body, like to vsus in all thinges sinne qHeb. 4, 15onelyonly exc pted, and is therefore called the sonne of …, the sonne of …, the sonne of man, our brother partaker of flesh and blood, hee is said to hauehave taken vponupon him the seede of Abraham, and not the Angels nature rLuk. 24, 39to be visible Luk. 24, 39, Behold my hands and my feete for it is I my selfe, … me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me hauehave. For if he may be in many places together, in some place visible, and in some inuisible: in some to be handled, in others nor to be handled, hee can hauehave no true body of a true man. And if this were not a strong reason, It is not felt and seene, therefore no humaine body: the Disciples might hauehave answered vntounto Christ, why doest thou bid vsus behold thy hands, and see thy feete, and handle thy body, and thereby to try thy humanity, seeing thou hast a body which cannot be seene, touched, or handled?
Fourthly, christ hath left the earth with his bodily presence, and is … vp into he …, farre aboue all principalities and powers, and is sit do vne sact. 1, 9, & 3 22on the right hand of his father, as Act. 1. While they beheld, he was taken vp. And Mar. 16. After the Lord had spoken vntounto them he was receiued into heauen, and sate at the right hand of God. So Act. 3. Whom the heauens must containe, vntil the time that all things are restored. Likewise Phil. 3. Our conuersation is in heauen from a hence we looke for a sauior. And again, Luk, 24. … he blessed them, he departed from them, and was carried vp into heauen. So Ioh. 12. The poor alwaies ye hauehave with you, but me ye shall not hauehave alwais. I am come out from the father, and came into the world: againe I leaue the vvorld and goe to my father. If these thinges be true, that Christ is tCatechism. Trident. in exposit. Simbo. apostol.departed from vsus, if he be no longer among vsus, if he be taken vp into heauen, if he must be contained there vntill the restoring of all thinges, if we must looke for a sauiour from heauen to change our vile bodies, if hee be carryed vp to his father and hauehave left the world: then he is not now present with vsus, his body is not in eueryevery altar, he doth not lurke and lie vnderunder the shewes of bread and wine. For, to be departed from vsus, and not to be departed from vsus; to be contained in heauen, and not to be contained in heauen; to leaue the world, and yet to remaine in the world; to sit at the right hand of God, and to lie hid vnderunder eueryevery altar, cannot stand together any more, then to be a man and no man, to be christ and not christ, to be a sauiour and no sauiour, to be God and not God.
Fiftly, christ reproueth the caparnaits, because they thought his body was to be eaten infleshly manner with the mouth of the body, and shold descend into the stomck, which is the way that all other meates do passe: when they heard him preach of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, they saide, uIoh, 6 60, 63This is an heard saying, who can heare it? They murmured and departed from him, because they thought they must eate him with the mouth and teeth, chew him, and swallow him vp. But christ expoundeth himselfe, and declareth that … ment not carnally, but spiritually. It is the spirit that quickneth, the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speake vntounto you are spirit and life, that is, the flesh of Christ thus eaten, thus chewed, thus digested bodily, carnally, and grosly, cannot profit: but truely and spiritually taken it is meat indeede.
Now, to shew aWhat it is to eate the body of christ spiritually.what it is to eate spiritually, and to pull off the garment of this similitude that the truth may more plainely appeare, by spirituall eating we doe not vnderstand, that which is fained, standing in a conceit, opinion, or imagination; neither that the body & blood of christ are turned into a spirit, but we meane by spirituall eating sucha communion & participation of christ, as is wrought by the powerfull working of the Holi-ghoast, inasmuch also as it is attained by faith onelie, and pertaineth to a spirituall and eternall life. And howsoeuer the benefit of this coniunction reach vntounto the body, which thereby is mortified, and sanctified, and afterward shall be glorified: yet this fruition of christ is not called corporall but spirituall, because this food doth not pertaine to the maintaining of this present life, but it is referred to the life which is eternall. Now, this … euerlasting is called spirituall, … the bodies themselues shall bee partakers thereof, which therefore b1 cor. xv, 44by the Apostle are called spirituall bodies. Thus then standeth the comparison, as there is a present life that is bodily, cSadeel. de spirit. mand. cap. 1.so there is another life to be thought vponupon which is spirituall and eternall: as we are borne to this present life, so are we borne againe to life eternall: as this bodily life is sustained by bodily meat and drinke, so Christ with al his merits and mercies is the food of the spirituall life: dComparisō between the bodily & spiritual eating.as the bodye hath his mouth, whereby the meat and drinke is receiued, and so passeth into the bodye by bodily feeding: so the soule hath her mouth, namely, faith which apprehendeth the most holy nourishment of the body and blood of christ: and lastly as the meat by a naturall force is concocted and digested, that it may passe and disperse it self into the whole body, so the efficacy of the spirit beginning faith in vsus, doeth so powerfully and mightily worke in our soules, that it quickneth vsus throgh christ, to whom we are nearely vnited. Thus we see, wee hauehave no carnall communion with christ, nor bodily eating of christ. Wherefore, let the capernaiticall papists, or popipish …, prepare their faith, not their teeth, their Soules, not their bellie;, to eat the flesh of christ, and drink his blood. And if they be ashamed of the name of the Capernaites, let them also be ashamed of the error of the capernaits: but if they cleane to their errour, they must bee content to borrowe their name, for the name and opinion must go together.
Sixtly, Christ exhorteth the people to beware of false Prophets, that come in Sheepes cloathes, eMatth. 7, xvbut indeede hauehave Wolues harts, saying, If any shall say vntounto you, Lo, hoere is Christ, or there, fMatt. 24, 23beleeue it not: behold he is in the …, go not forth: behold he is in the secret places, beleeue it not. And the Apostle Paule exhorteth, Col, 3, To seeke those things that are aboue, where christ sitteth at the right hand of God. But if Christ lurke and ly hid vnderunder the accidents of breade and Wine, then we might beleeue such as say, Loe, heere is Christ, there is Christ, he might be pointed out with the finger on eueryevery altar, and so often as the Priest lifteth vp his idoll, he might say to the people, behold heere is Christ whom we hauehave newly made, looke vponupon him whom we hauehave newly fashioned.
Seuenthly, the fathers vnderunder the lawe, did eat the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke that the g1 cor. x, 1, …… and other Christians did, though they had differing signes, they had the same christ. But they did not eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloode bodily, for as yet he was not come in the flesh, therefore he is not present in his naturall body in our Sacramentes. This Paule setteth downe 1 cor. 10. They did all eat the same spirituall meat, they did all drinke the same spiritual drinke: for they dranke of that spiritual rocke that followed them, and that rocke was christ. Where the Apostles … is to proue, hAug. tom. 6 tract. in Ioh. 26. & in psal. 77 Gratian can. inquit. 80.that the Israelites were not inferiour to the Corinthians, in respect of the Sacramentes of Gods fauour, and therefore had no more to boast of, then the Israelites had: whereuppon he satith, they had the same drinke, the same Christ. Now if they did not eat the same in substance which the corinthians did eate, then the Israelites were farre inferior to them touching their Sacramentes, and so the Apostles reason should be of no force.
Eightly, Christ is in such sort in heauen in his humanity, as that he is not on the earth iMath. 9, 15 Iohn 13, & awith his bodie, and consequently not in the Sactament, as we see, Math. 9. Can the children of the bride-chamber mourne, as long as the bride-groome is with them? but the daies will come, when the bridegroome shall be taken from them, and then they shal fast. But if he were remainning on the earth and contained in the pixe, the bridegroome could not, nor would not be taken away And the same Euangehst, chap. 26. saith. Ye hauehave the poore alwaies with you, but me ye shal not hauehave alwaies. Like wise Iohn, 13. When Iesus knew that hie houre was come, that he should depart out of this world vntounto the father, heeriseth from supper, and chap. 14. I goe to prepare a place for you, but I wil come againe: if I go away to prepare a place for you, I will receiue you vntounto my selfe, that where I am, there may ye be also: and verse. 28 ye hauehave heard how I said vntounto you, I go awaie and will come vntounto you. And chap. 17. Now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Againe act, 1. ye men of Galile, why stand re gazing into heauen? this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen, shal so come Acts, 1 xias ye hauehave seene him go into heauen. If then, Christ according to his humane nature be not on earth, how can his … body be on euerie altar? how can they eat him with their …? how can they swallow him downe their throat?
Ninthlie, such an eating and … of the bodie and blood of christ must be holden as is profitable and comfortable to the receiuers: for nothing is more … and fruitfull then these, being rightlie receiued, lMatt. …, 26… thereby remission of sinnes assured, and eternall glory sealed vp vntounto vsus. But no fruite to our faith can come vntounto vsus by this kind of bodilie eating the bodie, carnall drinking the blood of christ: for wicked men hauehave as great a portion in this as the godly. Nay, by their owne doctrin, it may be eaten of birds, of beasts, of Mice, of Dogs, of hogs, of vermine: to whom no profit, no comfort, no benefit can come: whereas God woulde hauehave the flesh mIohn 6, 50of the sonne of man to be eaten of those, to whom it shalbe auailable to life and saluation, I am the liuing bread, which came downe from heauen, if any man eat of this bread, he shall liue for euer: and the bread that I will giuegive is my flesh, which I wil giuegive for the life of the world. Tenthly nothing can be more grosse, barbarous, or inhumane, then to deuour mans flesh, and to drinke mans blood. What doth more transforme men into sauage and … beasts? Nay worse then beastes, which deuour not their owne kind? what is more contrarie to the purenes & holines of Gods law nPsalm. 12, 6 & 19, 9then this? The words of the Lord are pure words, as the siluer tryed in a furnace of earth fined seuen fold. The feare of the Lord is clean: the law of God is spirituall, holy, iust, and good. And the gospell bringeth saluation to all degrees, and teacheth vsus, that we should deny all vngodlines, and worldly Iustes, and that we should liue soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. But what can be more repugnant to godlines, sobernes, and righteousnes, then to teare wirh the teeth oCyril. …, xi.and iawes mans flesh, and to drink his blood, from which the Capernaits abhorred? what more crosseth the Religion of Christ, the law of god, and the light of nature, then mā to deuour man and the bowels of one to be in the bowels of another? And are not their stomackes strong to digest this meat? did not god in the law command pLeuit. 17, …to abstain frō eating the blood of beasts and from strangled? did not the Apostles for a time renue it qacts 15, …amōg the christiās, in respect of the weaknes of the Iews, because Moses was read in their sinagogue euer saboth day? to what … should this be done, if the church had tasted the blood of ch. with their mouth, or swallowed his body in their bellies? And do not the Scythians and al the gentiles that are not vtterly voide of …, abstain from mans blood, and … deuouring his flesh? wherefore, these men are worse rHom. Odis. lib x Virg. aeneid. lib. 3 Plin. nat. hist lib. y, cap …then the Scithians, barbariās, and Gentiles, yea worse then the Canibals & Indies that eat their enimies. but these deuour ch. whom they cal their L. and maist, like Actcons houndes (to compare one fable with another) onelyonly heer ly the differences, they deuourd their Lord vnderunder the shape of a stag or Hart, they eat their Ouid Met. lib. 3.maist, vnderunder the formes of bread and wine: these fastned their mouth, vponupon their maister because they thoght him absent and not present vnderunder that shape, they openly confesse their maister to be present, and yet … professe to deuour him with their iawes, and swallow him in their stomacks, wherefore, these men are more cruell.
Eleuenthly, if Christ be present in the Sacramant bodily and carnally: in what body shall he be present? Whether in his glorified body as he is in the heauens, or in his mortall body as he was vponupon the earth? In one of these he must be present necessarily, if he be present fleshly. Whatsoeuer they answer, they are taken onboth hands, & are stroken downe as with a sword that hath two edges. Dare they saie he is thus present in his mortall bodie? This cannot be. For it is certaine, he hath not now a mortall bodie, but a glorified bodie: this corruptible hath put on in corruption, t1 cor. xv, 54this mortall hath put on immortality, and death is swallowed vp in victory. This the uRom. 6, 9, xApostle confirmeth, this the Scripture teacheth, this Christian faith beleeueh. Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more: death hath no more dominion ouer him: For in that he dyed, he dyed once to sinne, but in that he liueth, he liueth to God Like wise Heb. 7. 25 This man because he endureth euer, hath a priesthood which cannot passe from one to another, seeing he euer hueth to make intercession for them. And chapter 9. of the same Epistle, he is entred into heauen, not that he should offer himselfe often, but he was once offered to take away the sins of many. These testimonies duly considered, he cannot be present in a mortal body. What then, will they be helped, to say he is present in his glorified body? Then, he cannot nowe be present in the sacrament of the supper, as he was present to the Apostles, sitting at the table with them, and preaching vntounto them of his death: he cannot be present in the same body that he did deliuer to his Disciples in the institution of his last supper. For the body of Christ was then mortall and not glorified, then he had not suffered death vponupon the Crosle, he was not risen and ascended into the heauens, to sit at the right hand of his father: so that they must seeke another place then these wordes of Christ, aMath. 26, 26This is my body, this is my blood, to build their reall presence and transubstantiation, for they pointed out his mortall body, because his body was not yet glorified, when the sacrament was instituted. Besides, what a uniserable glorified body should this be, to be subiect to the pleasure of eueryevery priest, to come at his call, to stay till he commandeth, nay to suffer himselfe to be torne with the teeth of eueryevery receiuer? Wherefore, the presence of his glorified body, cannot be grounded vponupon these words of Christ touching the Sacrament, This is my body. Neither let them say as Campion, that boasting champion like an other Goliah, b1 Sam, 17, xchallenging the hoaste of God, sometimes said in the Tower-conference, that this is a fallation, cconference day 3.inasmuch as his glorification … it not a diuerse bodye, and that a man whole, and a man sicke, at sundry times make not a seuerall man. This lesuitical denise hath no colour of reason, but a tricke of euasion. For we speak not of the difference betweene Christs glorified and mortall body, but of the meaning of the wordes this is my body: whether Christ vnderstand his naturall and mortall bodie wherein shortly he was to be glorified, or whether he vnderstand it of his body glorified? Either it must bee vnderstood of the one, or of the other, or of both: or rather indeed of neither, except they wil hauehave the words taken and spoken one way to the Disciples, and another way to vsus. Thus, the meaning of them when they were first vttered, shoulde be, This is my mortall body: but nowe spoken to vsus, taken in another sence of vsus to the end of the worlde, This is my glorified body. So then, the same words spoken to the Disciples should be false as we are to vnderstand them: and the disciples shoulde be deceiued, vnderstanding them as we do take them. What is this, but to bring vsus back againe to the reproachfull comparisons and blasphemous assertions dPighi. Hierar. li, 3. cap. 3 censur, colon dial. 4 p2, 112 Cusan, epist. 2. & 7.of sundry Popish writers, to compare the scripturs to a nose of wax, and a rule of lead, that they may be expounded diuersely, and framed to times, so as at one time they may be vnderstood one way, & at another time they may be interpreted another way. These things before being duly considred, we may safely conclude, that christ is not present in his naturall body.
Lastly, the presence of christ in his naturall body, abolisheth the light of reason, and confoundeth the nature of thinges. For what is more repugnant to reason, then for a man to bear himselfe in his own hands? that a man should … vp himselfe? that another shoulde eate him, yet he remaine vntouched, vntasted, and vncorrupted? that one and the same man should be visible and inuisible, present & absent, in the teeth of the disciples, and at the table with the Disciples, bee a man of stature, and yet bee contained and comprehended in a little Cake and Cantle of bread?
Now, as by these reasons and sundry other that might be alledged, the reall presence is sufficiently convinced: so the arguments brought to maintaine and vphold it, are easily eObiections alledged to maintain the real presence are answeredansweared. For as the doctrine is false: so the reasons are weake and foolish. First they obiect the wordes of institution, for the defence of this cause. For as in the questions of the supremacy, of Peters pretended, of the Popes vsurped (which are many) they alwaies alledge the wordes of Christs to Peter, Pasce oues meas, fBellar, tomo. primo.feede by sheepe: so doe they deale in controuersies of the Supper, where we misse not long Hoc est … meum, This is my body. His wordes Obiection 1(say they) are true, therefore we must beleeue them: hee is a man of his worde, therefore wee must credit him: if then we be deceiued holding his body to be present, hee hath deceiued vsus. I answere, the question is not of the truth Answer.of the wordes whether they be true or false, but of the interpretation and meaning thereof, which we say is figuratiue, and yet no other then is vsuall when the Scripture speaketh of other Sacraments to the church, g…, 17, 11as circumcision is the couenant: the lambe is the passeouer: the cup is the new testament; the breaking of the bread is the communion of the body of Christ: the rocke is Christ: baptisme is the washing of our new-birth. Are not all these places like to the words of Christs institution? or can they deny them to be vnderstood … and not properly? so the meaning of those words is, that the bread which he had taken, broken, and giuen, is a sign and figure of his body: it is now no longer common bread, but are presentation of his body truely offered to all, and truely giuen to all the faithfull. Our Sauiour Christ spake many thinges to his disciples figura…ively, not litterally to be taken: he said, hMath. 5, 13they were the salt of the earth, the light of the world, a Citty set on a hill: he speaketh of cutting off the hand and pulling out the eye: he calleth himselfe iIohn x, 9a door, kIohn 15, 1a vine, lIohn 14. 6a way: are not these figuratiue and metaphorical speeches? Againe, the circumstaunces of the text, the nature of a Sacrament, and the Articles of our faith, will not suffer vsus to take them properly: besides this, that they shoulde commaund vsus an horrible and Wicked thing, to eat mans flesh and drinke his blood.
Moreouer, the Euangelists neuer say, the bread is transubstantiated into his body, or the wine into his blood, or that the body and blood of Christ are in the bread, or vnderunder the bread, or with the bread: all the circumstances teach, that the breade is a Sacrament of his body, the Wine is a Sacrament of his blood, as circumcision was a signe of the Couenaunt, the Lambe a signe of the Passeouer, the rocke a figure of Christ.
Lastly, as Christ speaketh to the euill seruant, mL…k xix, 22Out of thine own mouth will I iudge thee: so the aduersaries themselus giuegive sentence on our side, and one arch-papist condemneth another. Bishop Fisher writing against Luther affirmeth, that kIohn 15, 1no man can proue by the wordes of the Gospell, that any priest in these daies doth consecrate the verie bodie and blood of Christ, and therefore nFish, cont. capti. BabilōLindanus, among the rablement of Traditions which he reckoneth, rehearseth the real presence. Likewise, Tonstall another Byshop of the same birth holdeth, that it wer oLindan. panopl. lib, 4.better to leaue eueryevery man to his owne coniecture, as they were before the counsell of Lateran, then to bring in such questions. And Biel a man of the same stampe, not inferiour to the rest, pTonst lib 1 de Sacr p. 46.confesseth that it is not found in the canonical scripturs, that christs body is in the Sacrament. And let them tell vsus their opinion, whether that hildebrand helde this bodily presence, qGab Biel. in …. …when hee cast the Sacrament into the fire, contrary to the liking of certaine cardinals present with him? Thus we see, counsels, sathers, reasons, doctors, schoolemen, Byshops, cardinals, Popes, and others of the aduersaries themselus fight against the … prefence of Christ: and the Scriptures themselue ouerthrow it.
Secondly, they obiect the words of Christ, Except ye eat pIohn 6, 53the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke his blood, ye hauehave no life in Obiectionyou. I answere, these words are not vnderstood of the Sacrament, they were vttered long before the institution of Answerethe Supper, and therefore coulde not be referred vntounto that which as yet was not: so that Christ speaketh of spirituall eating, not of carnall: by faith, not by the mouth, whereby wee abide in him and he in vsus: but many eate the Sacrament of his bodie that hauehave not him abiding in them, not themselues in him. Againe, without this eating of his … heere spoken of, qIoh. 6, 54no man can attain eternal life: but manie hauehave eternall life, that neuer are partakers of the Lords Supper. Besides, how absurd is it for those to imagine that Christ naming bread, speaketh of the Sacrament of the altar? for they would hauehave no … of bread to remain, but one lie the figure, shew, and likenesse of bread: so that according to the deuise of their new-found doctrine, hee might more … say, I am no breude, or, I am the sher es of bread, then as he doth, rIohn 6, 32I am the true bread. Moreouer, it christ promising to giuegive bread for the redemption of the world, had pointed out the Sacrament of his Supper: then he shuld hauehave giuen his flesh for the saluation of mankind, not vponupon the crosse, but in his last Supper. Wherefore then serued his death? What neede was there to shed his blood on the crosse?
Furthermore, if these words be referd to his Supper, then the svpper maie bee celebrated without materiall breade and Wine without giuing of thankes, without blessinge, without consecration, without breaking and distributing of the bread, without pouring our, and deliuering of the wine, and without remembrance of the death of christ. For in this place we hauehave no mention of these things. And shal we imagine that the sacrament is spoken off, where neither the matter, nor forme, nor word of institution, nor minister, nor externall rite is once remembred? Lastly, to eate the flesh of Christ and to drinke his bloode, is nothing else but to come to Christ, and to beleeue in Christ, as appeareth in the text, sIoh 6. 35. 44I am that bread of life, he that commeth to me shall not hunger, and he that beleeueth, in me shall neuer thirst. And speaking of faith hee faith. No man can come to me, except the father which hath sent me draw him. This his truth tBiel. sect 84 super cā. niis,is so cleere and euident that manye of the aduersaries are driuen to confesse it, howsoeuer som of thē seeke to cast mistes before the eies of men, that they may not espy it, among the which are Sanders and Bellarmine. And as we hauehave shewed before, how the Schoolemen and Doctors of the church of Rome are together by the eares in sundry controuersies about the supper: so are they about the true interpretation of Ioh. 6. some vnderstanding it of the sacramentall eating, some of the spirituall eating, uHos, conses de Euchar,and some of both.
Thirdly, they obiect the omnipotency, of God: that he is able to turne the bread into the body, and the Wine into his blood: he is able to make it really present in heauen and earth, and wheresoeuer Masse is said: he is able to make a body to be in many places at once, and yet not occupy a place. I answer, when all other reasons faile, they flye to gods omnipotency as vntounto a sanctuary and place of refuge. But this will not proue a reall presence. For albeit God be omnipotent and almighty: must he therefore do al things, yea offer violence to his owne body, to maintaine their absurd and hereticall opinions of the reall presence and of transubstantiation? Must his power attend vponupon their fansies and dreames? Cannot he be omnipotent, except their positions and assertions be graunted? There is no feare of Gods power, albeit we withstand their carnall presence. For touching the omnipotency of god, aTwo rules to be obserued concerning Gods omnipotēcy.we must obserue these two rules and conclusions. First, gods power is neuer to be opposed and set against his expresse wil, plainly and certainly known: for God is not contrary to himselfe. Now then, it is not enough to proue that God can turne bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, vnlesse they proue he will turne them into his flesh and blood. We our selues can do many things, which we do not, and which we will not do: so we must know, it is with God, he could hauehave added winges to man, he might hauehave made many worlds, if it had pleased him. Christ of bMath. 3, 9the stones could hauehave raysed vp children vntounto Abraham. Christ covld hauehave praied to his father in his afliction, to send him cMath. 26, 53more then 12. legions of angels, but how then should the scriptures be fulfilled? Wherefore, we are not to reason of his power, vnlesse wee bee assured of his wil reueiled in his word, as we see Christ … against the Saduces saith, Ye are deceiued, not dMatt. 22, 29knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. Where we see, he ioyneth the scriptures and the power of God together: so … he is truely said to be omnipotent, eAug. de tē po. serin. 119because he can bring to passe whatsoeuer he will: neither can the effect of his will be hindered or resisted. Now, it is the knowne will of God, that christ should hauehave a true body, that he might be a true man with his quantity and dimensions. The second rule to be remembred, is, fNo contradiction is in God.that in God there is no contradiction: & that whatsoere necessarily implieth a contradiction, is an argument not of power, but of weakenesse. This the scripture; decree, this the fathers deliuer, this their own schoolmen determine. For, g2 cor. 1, 19in God is not yea and nay: he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himselfe: he cannot dye, hee cannot lie, he cannot deny his word, he cannot sin, he cannot deceiue, he cannot be deceiued. These and such like … cannot do: which if he should doe, he were not omnipotent. For this hAug. de trincap 15, lib. 15 Confes lib. 12 cap. xvwere a token of impotency, not of omnipotency: of debility, not of ability: of want and weakenesse, not of strength and power. For, in eueryevery contradiction iArist. de interp. li. 1, ca. 5there is falsehood and a lie which cannot agree to God, who is truth it selfe, and therfore hee cannot make affirmation and negation, truth and falsehood, yea and nay to be true together, which things are imposible. Yea the popish schoolmen kThom. contra gent. lib. … cap 84. & 1. 2 cap 25confute this popish fansie of the real presence, when they teach that God cannot doe any thing wherein a contradiction is implyed, and that all other things he can do, and therefore is omnipotent. Now, who seeth not, that herein is a manifest and notable contradiction, that christs body is made visible and inuisible together; finite and infinite; circumscribed and vncircumscribed; to hauehave dimension and to want dimension; to be compassed in one certaine place and to be in a great number of Sacramentes in many places; to be included in a little bread on earth, which is contrary to that nature of a mans true body, & not to be contained therin; as … in heauen, and there hauing the naturall properties of a true body, which cannot … brought within so narrow a compasse as the wafer cake. Wherfore, the absurd conceit of the reall presence cannot be maintained without many contradictions. For, if christs body be visible, how can it be inuisible? If it hauehave al the properties of a naturalbody, how can it be without the properties of a natural body? If it be finite how can it be infinite? Lastly, if it be an inseparable & necessary adioynt to a true body to be contained in one certaine place: how then can it be true, that his body is in ten thousand places without any circumscription? So then, Gods omnipotency cannot build vp the monstrous worke of the reall presence: inasmuch as the body of Christ cannot be brought within the slender compasse of a mathematicall cake, without falsehood and destruction of all the properties incident vntounto a true and naturall body.
Lastly, as an esfect of Gods omnipotent power, they obiect, the bread and Wine are turned into the flesh and Obiectbloode of Christ (appearing bread and Wine still) by a wonderfull Myracle which is wrought by the wordes of consecration and by a mighty worke of God. This obiection hath beene sufficiently answered already.Answer.
Wee hauehave proued, that euerye Myracle may bee seene and discerned by the outward sence, as the Myracles of Moses, of the prophets, of Christ, and the Apostles: and therefore the Iewes said vntounto Christ, lIohn 2. xviiiShew vsus a miracle, teaching that miracles are to be iudged by sight and sense. When Moses turned mExo 4, 5 &c.the Waters of the Egyptians into blood, the sight perceiued, the tast discerned it. The Myracles nIohn 2: 9of Christ appeare euidently, and were apprehended by the senses of the body. Hee turned water into Wine: the tast iudged there of: the dombe spake, the eare heard them speake. The Lame walked, the deade were raised: the eies perceiued the motion, all …, and were astonied. In like manner, if the bread and Wine were chaunged, eyther the eye or tast should perceiue it, and all the Disciples would be astonied.
Againe, after the Gospell was plentifully confirmed and had taken roote, and the Apostles were dead, such Myracles ceased, as experience teacheth. Besides, the holy supper is an ordinary Sacrament of the Church: but eueryevery miracle is extraordinary, or else it is no Myracle: so that vnlesse we will turne ordinary into extraordinary, and make miracles as common as Sacramentes, oNo miracle in the lordes Supperwe must remoue miracles from the supper. Furthermore, if the real presence were wrought by a miracle, eueryevery priest should be a worker of miracles and wonders, and an ordinary calling shold alwaies be accompanied with extraordinary gifts. But their office of priesthood hath not this gift (in their owne iudgement) generally giuen vntounto it. Wherefore, miracles being p…, in 1 cor. cap, 2 … 6now ceased, are not found in the supper. Lastly, Augustine gathering all the Myracles written in the Scripture, q…, de …. 3. c xyet speaketh not of this: nay he not onelyonly omitted it, but slatly denyeth any myracle to bee in the Sacrament, when he saith, It may hauehave honour or reuerence as an holy thing, but cannot be wondered at as a strange or myraculous thing. If then it be a Myracle, it must be in the number of lying Myracles spoken off by the r2 Thes. 2. 9Apostle: so that Transubstantiatyon and the reall presence are reall contraryes or contradictions, repugnant to the Scripture, to fayth, to reason, to lerning, to sense, to natur, to Gods ordinance, absurd and impossible; and therfore of all Gods people to be abhored & abiured, being a renewing of the old heresie of sThe error of EutichesEutiches, who held that Christs body after his …, was made equall with his diuinity. To conclude this vse, we do not exclude all presence of Christ out of the Sacrament: but distinguish the manner of his presence: which we hauehave shewed to be in the supper truely, not grosly: effectually, not fleshly: spiritually, not bodily: sacramentally, not carnally: mistically, not naturally.
The former vse was touching knowledge and faith, instructing ….what to hold of the reall presence. The next vse is touching our obedience and dutye. For, is Christ the chiefe substance of this sacrament, and his body and blood giuen vsus for the foode of our soules: a gift farre aboue heauen and earth? Then we are bound to hunger after him, to desire him with an earnest appetite and desire, as wee come to our meate and drinke. Hunger is a great thing, and we say it maketh men leape ouer a stone wall: he that is hunger bitten, will eate his owne flesh from his armes. In this corporall hunger then are two thinges that pine and pinch men: first, a paine in the lower part of the belly, arising from emptinesse: secondly, an exceeding appetite to be filled and satisfied: such hauehave tDeut, 28, 53 57killed, dressed, and deuourd their own childen, rather thē they would starue: this paine hath beene so great, this longing hath beene so extraordinary. So must it be with vsus in the spirituall hunger 2 King 6. 29 Lam. 4. 10after Christ: we must be inwardly pained in soule for …, and for the wrath of God kindled for our sinne: and then hauehave an hungring … and longing appetite, that we may possesse Christ, and lay hold on him to our saluation. Whosoeuer commeth to his ordinary meate without hunger, it were better not to eate: it ingendreh grosse and euill humours, aud bringeth a surfet to the body. So, whosoeuer desireth not christ with an hungry soule, earnestly longing after him, and crauing nourishment from him, cannot be filled with good thinges. The want of this hunger, is a cause why so few receiue Christ, and profit not by the meanes ordained to that end, as the word and sacraments: these come to them of custome rather then with conscience, and for fashion rather then with faith: these men are not fit to be Christes ghuests, that hunger not after him. Wherefore, uEsay 55, 1the prophet … all such as faint in their soules through hunger and thirst of this foode, Ho, eueryevery one that thirsteth, come to the …, and ye that hauehave no siluer, come, buy, and eate: come, I say, buy wine and … without siluer and without money. And the Apostle Reuel. 22. 17, Let him that is a thirst come, and let whosoeuer will, take of the water of life freely. Likewise the Euangelist, Luk, 1, 53. He filleth the hungry with good things, and sendeth the rich empty away. But where is the desire of these things? Where is the hunger after this heauenly foode? Where is the thirst after the waters of life? Truely, of all gifts this is the greatest: yet the greatest number care nothing for christ nor for his gifts. As the Israelites in the wildernesse loathed aNum. 11, 5 &c.Manna, and desired to returne into Egypt: such are there among vsus, no desire, no affection, no zeale this way: they spend their cogitations and indeuoures to gaine honour, they thirst after Siluer and Gold, they delight in earthly pleasures, they couet houses, landes, and wealth of the world: these things they abound in these thinges they make their happinesse and their heauen. Such as these, there are thousands in the bosome of the Church, that hunger more after these transitory things, then after heauenly: Such are bHeb. xii, 16prophane persons as …, who preferred a messe of pottage before the blessing: and as the Gadarens, who preferred theirswine before christ, & therfore besought him to depart out of their coastes. But let vsus learne better thinges: for all these shall vanish and come to nothing. And what shall it profit cMat. 16, 26a man if he win the whole world, and lose his owne soule? Let vsus not labour for the meate that dIohn 6, 27perisheth, but for the meate that endureth to euerlasting life, which the Sonne of man shall giuegive vntounto vsus. Therefore, let vsus remember, whensoeuer we come to his table to be partakers of this Supper, to come with a great longing after life, and saluation from him, as we desire bodily meate when we are hungry, and drinke when we are thirsty: then shall we by him be satisfied and saued, otherwise we cannot lay hold on him: we may receiue the outward signe, but we cannot receiue the graces of christ offered vntounto vsus. Thus much of the third inward part of this Sacrament.