The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 7 · Controversy 11 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. That the Fathers believed not that the wicked, and unbelievers, or hypocrites could eat the Lords body.
ACcording to the doctrine of the Roman Church, both good and evil men, true believers and hypocrites eat the body of Chriſt really with the mouth of the body. So that if Judas was partaker of the Holy Sacrament, as the Antients hold, we muſt ſay that he eat Chriſt really, and that Chriſt and the devil entred into Judas at the ſame time.
This is contradicted by Chriſt himſelf, who ſaith, that whoſoever eateth his fleſh hath eternal life, and that he that eateth the fleſh of the Son of man dwelleth in Chriſt, and Chriſt in him. For to eat Chriſts fleſh unworthily is an impoſſible thing, ſince eating ſignifieth believing, as we have proved, and as both Auſtin and Pope Innocent acknowledge. For one cannot believe in Chriſt unworthily, ſince in that Faith our worthineſs conſiſteth. Wherefore St. Paul ſaith well, that there are ſome that eat the bread unworthily, 1 Cor. 11.29. but ſaith not that any eat the body of the Lord unworthily.
This is alſo contradicted by the Antient writers. We have heard Austin already ſaying, that thoſe only eat the fleſh of the Lord truly that eat it ſpiritually. Whence it follows that the hypocrites and unbelievers that participate the Euchariſt, eat not the fleſh of the Lord in truth and indeed.
Himſelf in the 26. Treatiſe upon John, (a)Hujus rei ſacramentum, id eſt unitatis corporis & ſanguinis Chriſti, alicubi quotidie, alicubi certis intervallis dierum in Dominica menſa praeparatur, & de menſa Dominica ſumitur, quibuſdam ad vitam, quibuſdam ad exitium; res vero ipſa cujus ſacramentum eſt, omni homini ad vitam, nulli verò ad exitium, quicun que ejus particeps fuerit.The Sacred ſign of this thing, that is of the unity of the body and blood of Chriſt, in ſome places every day, in ſome places by certain intervals of dayes, is prepared in the table of the Lord, and is taken by ſome to life, by others to perdition. But the thing it ſelf of which it is a ſacred ſign, is for life to every man that is partaker of the ſame, but to none for perdition. And in the ſame Treatiſe; He that dwelleth not in Chriſt and in whom Chriſt dwelleth not, for certain eats not his fleſh, although he preſs carnally and viſibly the ſign of Chriſts body and blood with his teeth.
And in the book of Auſtins ſentences by Proſper, (b)Sentent. 339. Qui diſcordat à Chriſto, non carnem ejus manducat, nec ſanguinem ejus bibit, etiamſi tantae rei ſacramentum ad judicium ſuae praeſumptionis quotidie indifferenter accipiat.Whoſoever diſſents from Chriſt, eats not the fleſh of Chriſt, and drinks not his blood, although he take every day indifferently the Sacrament of ſo great a thing to the judgement [or condemnation] of his preſumption.
And in the 5. ch. of the 21. book of the City of God, ſpeaking of ill livers that eat the Sacrament.(c)Non dicendum eum manducare corpus Chriſti qui in corpore non eſt Chriſti. It muſt not be ſaid, that a man who is not in the body of Chriſt, eats the body of Chriſt. In the ſame place he perſonates Chriſt, ſaying, He that dwelleth not in me, and in whom I dwell not, let him not ſay or think that he eats my body or drinks my blood.
In the 59. Treatiſe upon John, comparing the other Diſciples of Chriſt with Judas, (d)Illi manducabant panem Dominū, ille panem Domini contra Dominum.They ate (ſaith he) the bread which is the Lord, but Judas ate the bread of the Lord againſt the Lord, declaring that Judas did not ate the Lord.
In the 2. Sermon de verbis Apoſtoli, (e)Tunc autem hoc erit, id eſt, vita unicui que erit corpus & ſanguis Chriſti, ſi quod in Sacramento viſibiliter ſumitur, in ipſa veritate ſpiritualiter manducetur, ſpiritualiter bibatur.Then the body and blood of Chriſt ſhall be life to every one, if that which is taken in the Sacrament viſibly is eaten in the very truth spiritually and drunk ſpiritually.
Origen ſaith the ſame upon Matth. 15. Let this be ſaid concerning the typical or ſymbolical body. Many things alſo could be ſaid of the Word it ſelf which was made fleſh and true meat, which whoſoever eateth, liveth eternally, and of which no wicked man can eat.
Hierom upon the laſt chapter of Iſaiah, (f)Dum non ſunt ſancti corpore & ſpiritu, nec comedunt carnem Jeſu nec bibunt ſanguinem ejus, de quo ipſe loquitur, Qui come dit carnem meam et bibit ſanguinem meum, habet vitam aeternam.While they are not holy in body and ſpirit, they eat not the fleſh of Jeſus, and drink not his blood; of which himſelf ſpeaks; He that eateth my fleſh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life. He could not ſpeak more expreſly.