Doctrines and Practices of the Ancient Church Relating to the Eucharist, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. The Thirteenth Difference. The Fathers aſſert, That the Faithful only eat Chriſts Body, and drink his Blood in the Eucharist, not the wicked. Whereas they of the preſent Roman Church extend it to both.
THIS Aſſertion, being a neceſſary conſequence of the foregoing one, will make my work the ſhorter for its proof.
What the Church of Rome holds in this matter, cannot be queſtioned. The Trent Catechiſm ſpeaking of ſuch a Perſon that makes no diſtinction betwixt the Sacrament and other common food, expreſſes it thus (g)Catechiſ. ad Paroch. Part. 2. n. 27. — Qui impurè ſumens corpus Domini, quod in Euchariſtia occultè later —. — Who impurely taking the Body of the Lord, which lies hid in the Euchariſt — there it is hid, they mean, under the ſpecies, and the wicked take it.
Therefore Dom. Soto (who was one of the Council of Trent) ſays (h)In 4. diſt. 12. qu. 1. art. 3. —Eſt indubiè tenendum quòd corpus (ſc. Chriſti) deſcendit in Stomachum, etiamſi ab iniquo ſumatur.; We muſt undoubtedly hold, that the Body of Chriſt deſcends into the ſtomach, tho' a wicked man takes it.
So Aquinas (i)Part. 3. quaeſt. 80. art. 3. concluſ. Cùm corpus Chriſti in Sacramento ſemper permaneat, donec ſpecies Sacramentales corrumpantur, etiam injuſtos homines Chriſti corpus manducare conſequitur.. Seeing the Body of Chriſt always remains in the Sacrament, till the Sacramental Species are corrupted, it follows, that even wicked men do eat the Body of Christ.
Alenſis (k)Part. 4. Qu. 11. memb. 2. art. 2. ſec. 2.taking notice of the opinion of ſome that thought that as ſoon as the Body of Chriſt was touched by a Sinners lips, — Illud ſentire erroneum eſt & manifeſtè contra ſanctos: & ideo communiter tenetur quod in hoc non eſt differentia inter juſtum & injuſtum, quia uter que ipſum verum corpus Chriſti ſumit in Sacramento, &c. — Unde concedendum, quod mali ſumunt rem Sacramenti, quod eſt corpus Chriſti verum, quod natum eſt de Virgine, &c.it withdrew it ſelf, ſays, This is an errour, and manifeſtly againſt the Saints; and therefore it is held commonly, that in this there is no difference betwixt the juſt and unjuſt, for both of them receive the very Body of Chriſt in the Sacrament.
And a little after. It muſt be granted, that the wicked receive the thing which the Sacrament is a ſign of, which is Chriſts true Body, born of the Virgin, &c.
This ought not to ſeem a ſtrange Doctrine to be held by thoſe, who ſay that brute Creatures may devour Chriſts Body. Which is the current opinion.
So Aquinas (l)Loc. citat. ad Tertium. Dicendum, quod etiamſi mus vel canis hoſtiam conſecratam manducet, ſubſtantia corporis Chriſti non definit eſſe ſub ſpeciebus, quamdiu ſpecies illae manent.. We muſt ſay, that altho' a Mouſe or a Dog ſhould eat a conſecated Hoſt, yet the ſubſtance of Chriſts Body do's not ceaſe to be under the ſpecies, ſo long as the ſpecies remain.
Alenſis (m)Ibid. ſec. 1. loco citat. Si canis vel porcus deglutiret hoſtiam conſecratam integram, non video quare vel quomodo Corpus Domini non ſimul cum ſpecie trajiceretur in ventrem canis vel porci.is as poſitive and more plain. If a Dog or a Hog ſhould ſwallow a whole conſecrated Hoſt, I ſee not why nor how the Body of our Lord would not, together with the Species, be conveyed into the Belly of that Dog or Hog.
It is alſo remarkable, that among three Articles which P. Gregory XI. an. 1371. prohibited to be taught (n)See Pref. to the determ. of Jo. Pariſ. p. 32. Si hoſtia conſecrata à mure corrodatur, ſeu à bruto ſumitur, quod remanentibus ſpeciebus, ſub iis definit eſſe Corpus Chriſti, & redit ſubſtantia Panis.under pain of Excommunication (which was alſo repeated by P. Clement VI.) one of them was this. If a Conſecrated Hoſt ſhould be gnawed by a Mouſe, or taken by a Brute, that then the ſpecies remaining, the Body of Chriſt ceaſes to be under them, and the ſubſtance of the Bread returns.
This he would not let paſs for good Divinity.
Nor can it at this Day, when this is one of the Cautions to be obſerved in the Celebrating of the Maſs.
(o)De Defect. Miſſae, ſec. 10. n. 5. ante Miſſal. Roman. Si poſt confecrationem ceciderit muſca, aut aliquid ejuſmodi, & fiat nauſea Sacerdoti, extrahat eam & lavet cum vino, finitâ Miſſa comburat, & combuſtio ac lotio hujuſmodi in Sacrarium projiciatur. Si autem non fuerit nauſea, nec ullum periculum timeat, ſumat cum ſanguine.That if a Fly, or any ſuch animal fall into. the Chalice after Conſecration, if the Priest nauſeats it, then he must take it out and waſh it with Wine, and burn it when Maſs is ended, and the aſhes and the waſh be thrown into the H. Repoſitory. But if he do not nauſeate to ſwallow it, nor fears any danger, let him take it down with the Blood.
What is all this for, but to tell us, that they look upon it ſtill to be Chriſts Blood, and that its better it ſhould be in the Belly of a Prieſt than of a Brute?
So alſo they give us another Caſe. (p)Ibid. n. 14. Si Sacerdos evomat Euchariſtiam, ſi ſpecies integrae appareant, reverenter ſumantur, niſi nauſea fiat: tunc enim ſpecies conſecratae cautè ſeparentur, & in aliquo loco ſacro reponantur, donec corrumpantur, &c.If a Prieſt ſhould vomit up the Euchariſt, and the ſpecies appear entire, they muſt be taken down reverently, unleſs nauſeated; but in that caſe the Conſecrated Species muſt be cautiouſly ſeparated, and put in ſome H. Place, till they are corrupted, &c.
But I beg the Readers Pardon for preſenting him with ſuch nauſeous ſtuff; God grant that they who thus unworthily repreſent their Saviour, may have grace to repent, that the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiven them.
As for the Fathers, if by their plain words we can underſtand their ſenſe, they aſſert, that only the Faithful, and not the wicked, eat the Body of Chriſt, and drink his Blood in a proper ſenſe
S. Jerome (q)In Oſeam c. 8.—Cujus caro cibus credentium eſt.calls the Fleſh of Chriſt the food of Believers.
And Iſidore of Sevil (r)In Geneſ. c. 31. —Caro ejus qui eſt eſca Sanctorum. Quam ſi quis manducaverit, non morietur in aeternum.that it is the meat of the Saints. And he adds (which makes it their food, and of none elſe) which if any one eat, he ſhall not die eternally. They therefore often call it the Bread of Life, and Life it ſelf.
S. Ambroſe (s)In Pſal. 118. Serm. 18. Hic eſt panis vitae: qui manducat vitam mori non poteſt; quomodo enim morietur, cui cibus vita eſt?. This is the Bread of Life: he that eateth Life cannot die; for how ſhould he die whoſe Food is Life?
S. Auſtin ſays the ſame (t)Serm. de verb. Evangel. apud Bedam in 1 Cor. 10. Quando Chriſtus manducatur; vita manducatur — quando manducatur reficit.. When Chriſt is eaten, Life is eaten. — When he is eaten he refreſhes.
Again in another place (u)Serm. 44. de Diverſis. Filii Eccleſiae habent à rore coeli & fertilitate terrae, &c. — à fertilitate terrae omnia viſibilia Sacramenta. Viſibile enim Sacramentum ad terram pertinet. Haec omnia communia habent in Eccleſia boni & mali. Nam & ipſi habent, & participant Sacramentis, & quod norunt fideles à tritico & vino.diſtinguiſhing the Portion of Saints and Sinners, he makes the true Sons of the Church to partake both of the Dew of Heaven, and the fatneſs of the Earth. This fatneſs of the Earth he explains to be all viſible Sacraments, for they pertain to the Earth. All theſe, he ſays, the good and bad in the Church have in common. For the bad have and partake of the Sacraments, and what the Faithful know made of Bread-Corn, and Wine.
If then the viſible Sacrament, and that which has its original from Earth, be all that evil men partake of, to be ſure they have nothing to do with Chriſt, the Heavenly Bread, or his Body, which (to uſe his Phraſe) do's not pertain to Earth at all, but is a Divine Food.
Which none has more admirably and fully ſpoke to than Origen (x)In Matth. c. 15. v. 15. p. 253. Ed. Huet. foreign.. Who having ſaid a great deal about Chriſts Typical and Symbolical Body (which S. Auſtin called before the viſible Sacrament) he goes on thus. Many things alſo might be ſaid concerning that word which was made Fleſh, and the true Food, which whoſoever eats ſhall ſurely live for ever, no wicked Man being capable of eating it. For if it were poſſible, that a wicked man, continuing ſuch, ſhould eat him that was made Fleſh, ſeeing he is the Word, and the living Bread, it would not have been written, That whoſoever eats this Bread ſhall live for ever.
This is that which Macarius (y)Homil. 14.diſcourſes of ſo largely and piouſly. Telling us, that as a great rich Man, having both Servants and Sons, gives one ſort of meat to the Servants, —foreign—foreign—and another to the Sons that he begot, who being Heirs to their Father, do eat with him.—So, ſays he, Chriſt the true Lord, himſelf created all, and nouriſhes the evil and unthankful; but the Children begotten by him, who are partakers of his grace, and in whom the Lord is formed; —foreign, &c.he feeds them with a peculiar refection, and Food, and Meat and Drink, above and beſides other men, and gives himſelf to them that have Converſation with their Father, as the Lord ſays, He that eateth my Fleſh, and drinketh my Blood, abides in me, and I in him, and ſhall not ſee death.
With whom S. Jerome (z)In c. 66. Eſaiae. Dum non ſunt ſancti corpore & ſpiritu, nec comedunt carnem Jeſu, ne que bibunt ſanguinem ejus, de quo ipſe loquitur; Qui comedit carnem meam & bibit ſanguinem meum, habet vitam aeternam.agrees, ſpeaking of voluptuous men; Not being holy in Body and Spirit, they neither eat the Fleſh of Jeſus, nor drink his Blood; concerning which he ſays; He that eateth my Fleſh, and drinketh my Blood, hath Eternal Life.
S. Auſtin alſo (a)Contra Donatiſt. poſt collat. c. 6. De ipſo pane & de ipſa Dominica manu, & Judas partem & Petrus accepit.ſays. Of that Bread, and from our Lords own Hand, both Judas and Peter took a part.
But then he (b)Tract. 59. in Joan. Evang. Illi manducabant Panem Dominum, ille Panem Domini contra Dominum, illi vitam, ille poenam.makes the diſtinction himſelf, that Judas received only the Bread of the Lord, when the other Diſciples receiv'd the Bread that was the Lord. Which is directly contrary to Tranſubſtantiation; for according to that, even ſuch a one as Judas, muſt eat the Lord, and no Bread, when this Father ſays, that he ate the Bread and no Lord.
Neither is S. Auſtin ſingular in this Phraſe of the Bread of the Lord, to ſignifie the real ſubſtance of that Element that is eaten in the Sacrament, and not the proper Body of Chriſt.
For ſo S. Jerome uſes it (c)In Jerem. c. 31. Confluent ad bona Domini ſuper frumento, de quo conficitur Panis. Domini.. When he ſpeaks of Corn, of which the Bread of the Lord is made.
It is alſo very obſervable, that as the Council of Trent (as we heard before) makes eating Chriſt Sacramentally and really to be the ſame, and ſpiritual eating to be of another ſort, not real, but one would think, rather imaginary. On the quite contrary, the Fathers diſtinguiſh the ſacramental eating from the real, and make the ſpiritual and real eating to be the ſame; and they will grant that a bad Man may eat Chriſt Sacramentally (that is, in ſign) but not really; for ſo none but the faithful can do it.
For thus S. Auſtin (d)Serm. 2. de verb. Apoſt. 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 will this be, that is, the Body and Blood of Chriſt will be Life to every one, if that which is viſibly taken in the Sacrament, be in the Truth it ſelf ſpiritually eaten, and ſpiritually drank.
Which in another place (e)Tract. 26. in Joan. Quod pertinet ad virtutem Sacramenti, non quod pertinet ad viſibile Sacramentum.he expreſſes by the viſible Sacrament, and the virtue of the Sacrament.
Again moſt expreſly (f)De Civit. Dei. l. 21. c. 25. Ipſe dicens, qui mandacat carnem meam & bibit ſanguinem meum in me manet & ego in eo, oſtendit quid ſit, non Sacramento. tenus, ſed revera Corpus Chriſti manducare & ſanguinem ejus bibere.. Chriſt ſaying, He that eateth my Fleſh and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him, ſhows what it is, not ſacramentally, but really and in truth, to eat Chriſts Body, and drink his Blood.
And therefore in the ſame Chapter (g)Ibid. Ne que enim iſti dicendi ſunt manducare Corpus Chriſti, quoniam nec in membris computandi ſunt Chriſti.ſpeaking of wicked men, he ſays. Neither can they be ſaid to eat the Body of Chriſt, ſince they are not to be accounted Chriſts Members.
S. Auſtin again diſtinguiſhes the Sacramentum rei (the Sacrament of the thing) from the res Sacramenti, the thing of which it is a Sacrament. (h)Tract. 26. in Joan. Hujus rei Sacramentum — in Dominica Menſa praeparatur & de Dominica Menſa ſumitur, quibuſdam ad vitam; quibuſdam ad exitium. Res vero ipſa cujus & Sacramentum eſt, omni homini ad vitam, nulli ad exitium quicun que ejus particeps fuerit.The Sacrament of this thing — is prepared on the Lords Table, and received from the Lords Table, to ſome to Life, and to others to deſtruction. But the thing it ſelf of which it is a Sacrament, is for Life to every one that partakes of it, and to none for deſtruction.
For as S. Chryſoſtom (i)Catena in Joh. 6.49. foreign.phraſes it, He that receives this Bread, will be above dying?
I will conclude this Chapter with two remarkable places of St. Auſtin.
The firſt is cited by Proſper (k)Lib. Sentent. ex Auguſt. ſententia (mihi) 341. vel 339. Eſcam vitae accipit & aeternitatis poculum bibit, qui in Chriſto manet & cujus Chriſtus habitator eſt. Nam qui diſcordat à Chriſto, nec carnem ejus manducat, nec ſanguinem bibit; etiamſi tantae rei Sacramentum ad judicium ſuae praeſumptionis quotidiè indifferenter accipiat.who has gathered S. Auſtin's Sentences. He receives the food of life, and drinks the Cup of Eternity, who abides in Chriſt, and in whom Chriſt inhabits. For he that diſagrees with Chriſt, neither eats his Fleſh nor drinks his Blood; altho' he takes indifferently every day the Sacrament of ſo great a thing to the Condemnation of his preſumption.
The other place is, upon the ſixth Chapter of S. John (l)Tract. 27. in Joan. in initio. Expoſuit (Chriſtus) modum attributionis hujus & doni ſui, quomodo daret carnem ſuam manducare, dicens, Qui manducat carnem meam, & bibit ſanguinem meum, in me manet & ego in illo. Signum quia manducat & bibit, hoc eſt, ſi manet & manetur, ſi habitat & inhabitatur, ſi haeret ut non deſeratur.. Chriſt, ſays he, expounded the manner of his aſſignment and gift, how he gave his Fleſh to eat, ſaying, He that eateth my Fleſh and drinketh my Blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. The ſign that he eateth and drinketh is this, if he abides in Chriſt and Chriſt in him, if he dwells in him and is inhabited by him, if he cleaves to him ſo as not to be forſaken by him.
And he concludes with this Exhortation (m)Ibid. propè finem. Hoc ergo totum ad hoc nobis valeat, dilectiſſimi, ut carnem Chriſti & ſanguinem Chriſti non edamus tantum in Sacramento, quod & multi mali; ſed uſ que ad Spiritus participationem manducemus & bibamus, ut in Domini corpore tanquam membra maneamus, ut ejus ſpiritu vegetemur, &c.. Let all that has been ſaid, Beloved, prevail thus far with us, that we may not eat Chriſts Fleſh and Blood in Sacrament (or ſign) only, but may eat and drink as far as to the participation of the Spirit, that we may remain as Members in our Lords Body, that we may be enlivened by his ſpirit, &c.