The Lords Supper with Some other Determinations and Disputations, Analysis 1
Extracts from Biſhop Poynets Diallaction.
I Will ſo divide the queſtion, that it may be briefly reduced to three heads. Firſt, I will ſhew that the true Body of Chriſt is given to the Faithful in the Sacrament; and that the words Nature and Subſtance, are not to be rejected, but that the Ancients treating of this Sacrament did uſe them. In the next place, I will ſhew that there is a difference between the proper Body of Chriſt, and that which is preſent in the Sacrament, and that the Ancient Fathers thought ſo. Laſtly, I will ſhew, what manner of Body this is, which is received in this Myſtery, and why it is called by that Name, according to the Doctrine of the ſante Fathers.
The Body of Chriſt is ſo called properly and improperly; properly, that Body which was taken of the Virgin. Improperly, as the Sacrament and the Church. That the Church is not properly the Body of Chriſt, cannot be doubted by any. It remains, that we now prove the ſame of the Sacrament.
It may eaſily be obſerved from what Chryſoſtom writeth in this place, that that which Chriſt called his Body when he ſaid, Take, eat, this is my Body; and which be received together with his Apoſtles, is in another manner his Body, than is his very proper Body, which was fed with that other. This did eat, that was eaten, and each is called his Body, but in a different manner.
He gave the Sacrament of his Body, and not the Body it ſelf viſibly conceived, that is, his viſible Body; which is referred to his proper Body. But this Body, wherever it is, is viſible.
It is to be obſerved, That the truth of the Lords Body may be ſpoken two ways, and ought to be underſtood two ways. For one verity of his Body is required in the Sacrament, another ſimply and out of the Sacrament.
As for what concerns our purpoſe, the very words of Cyprian ſufficiently demonſtrate, how the Letter is not to be followed in thoſe things, which relate to this Myſtery; how far all carnal Senſe is to be removed, and all things to be referred to a ſpiritual Senſe; that with this Bread is preſent, the Divine Virtue, the effect of Eternal Life; that the Divine Eſſence is infuſed; that the Words are Spirit and Life; that a ſpiritual Precept is delivered; that this Body, this Fleſh and Blood, this Subſtance of the Body ought not to be underſtood after a common manner, nor according to the Dictates of human Reaſon; but is ſo named, thought and believed, becauſe of certain eminent Effects, Virtues and Properties, which are joyned to it, which are naturally found in the Body and Blood of Chriſt, to wit, that it feed and quicken our Souls, and prepare our Bodies to Reſurrection and Immortality.
Here it is to be remembred, that the words are ſpiritual, and ſpiritually to be underſtood; that it is indeed named Fleſh and Blood, but that this ought to be underſtood of the Spirit and Life, that is, of the lively Virtue of the Fleſh of our Lord, ſo that the Efficacy of Life is conferred on the external Signs.
When Theophylact ſaid, That the Bread is not the Figure of our Lords Body, he means that it is not only (or a bare) Figure of it.
See how Chryſoſtom ſaith, That we are really, as I may ſo ſay, turned into the Fleſh of Chriſt. Yet who doth not ſee that this is a ſpiritual, not a carnal Converſion: So the Bread is really turned and tranſelementated into the Fleſh of Chriſt, but by a ſpiritual, not a carnal Converſion, inaſmuch as as the Bread obtains the Virtue of the Fleſh.
How much better did Cyprian, Ambroſe, Epiphanius, Emyſenus, and others ſpeak, who teach a like change to be performed in the Euchariſt, as is performed in Baptiſm, by which the external Signs remain the ſame, and by Grace acquire a new ſubſtance in the ſame manner.
The Expoſition and Doctrine of Bertram, concerning the Sacrament, ought in my Opinion to be diligently examined and embraced for two Reaſons.
That this may appear more manifeſtly, and be remembred the better, I thought it not unfit to ſubjoyn from what I have already taught, a certain Compariſon between the two Bodies of Chriſt.
The proper Body of Chriſt hath Head, Breaſt, and diſtinct Members; the myſtical Body hath not. The proper Body hath Bones, Veins and Nerves; the myſtical Body hath not.
That is organical; this is not.
That is not a Figure; this is a Figure of the proper Body. That is human and corporeal by its Nature; this is Heavenly, Divine, and Spiritual.
The matter of that is not ſubject to Corruption; the material part of this is Bread, and is corrupted.
That is contained in one place; this is preſent, whereſoever the Sacrament is celebrated, but not, as in a place.
That is not the Sacrament of another Body; this the Sacrament of another.
That was taken of the Body of the Virgin Mary, and was once created; this is not taken of the Virgin, but is created daily by the myſtical Benediction potentially.
That is a natural Body, this ſupernatural. Laſtly, That is ſimply, properly and abſolutely his Body; this in a certain reſpect only and improperly.
Nor is it enough here, if we flee one way of carnally underſtanding it, and fall upon another. For he who literally underſtands the eating of the Fleſh of Chriſt, and as altho it were a proper Speech, he is a carnal Capernaite; whether he imagine it to be properly done this way, or that way. For it is probable that all the Capernaites underſtood Chriſt carnally, but not all the ſame way.
For it is not therefore to be accounted a Spiritual ſenſe, becauſe they ſay the Fleſh of Chriſt is there inviſibly preſent. For if they mean his proper Fleſh, we do not therefore not eat it carnally, becauſe we do not ſee it.
Now in this Sacrament the ancient Fathers obſerved two things, for each of which it might deſervedly be called and eſteemed the Body of Chriſt; but more eſpecially when it comprehends both. For the Bread is juſtly called his Body, as well becauſe it is the figure of his true Body, as becauſe it hath the lively vertue of it conjoyned to it, much more; but moſt eſpecially, becauſe it comprehendeth both.
It is therefore to be admired, what they mean, who will not ſuffer it to be called a figure, nor acknowledg any figure in the words of Inſtitution, but contumeliouſly call thoſe who own it, Figurative men, whereas it is manifeſt that all the Ancients did ſo call it. And indeed if there be no figure in it, it will be neither a ſign nor Sacrament. So that thoſe who traduce the maintainers of the other opinion as Sacramentaries, do indeed take away all Sacrament from it.
There is yet another thing, which the Ancient Fathers acknowledging to be in this Sacrament, taught it to be truly the Body of our Lord; And that is the efficacious and lively vertue of the Body it ſelf, which is joyned with the Bread and Wine by Grace and Myſtical Benediction, and is called by divers names, although it be the ſame thing: by Auguſtine, the Intelligible, Inviſible and Spiritual Body: by Jerome the Divine and Spiritual Fleſh: by Irenaeus an Heavenly Thing: by Ambroſe the Spiritual Food and Body of the Divine Spirit: by others ſome other like thing. And this doth chiefly cauſe this Sacrament to be worthy of the appellation of his true Body and Blood, ſince it doth not only externally bear the Image and Figure of it, but alſo carrieth along with it the inward and hidden natural propriety of the ſame Body; ſo that it cannot be eſteemed an empty Figure, or the ſign of a thing wholly abſent, but the very Body of our Lord: Divine indeed and Spiritual, but preſent by Grace, full of vertue, powerful in efficacy. For this is very frequent, that the names of things themſelves be aſcribed to their virtue and efficacy.
The Fathers therefore in Treating of the Sacraments, uſe the words Nature and Subſtance not Philoſophically but Theologically: that is, they ſpeak not as natural Philoſophers, but as men diſputing of Divine matters; they give the name of Nature and Subſtance to Grace, Virtue and Efficacy: the nature of the Sacrament ſo requiring.
But this (that the Spiritual virtue is inſeparable from the Elements) is to be underſtood to be true, as long as the Sign ſerveth for that uſe, and is directed to that end, for which it was deſtined by the Word of God. For if we apply it to other uſes, and abuſe it againſt the inſtitution of Chriſt, it either is altogether not a Sacrament, or ceaſeth to be a Sacrament.
The dignity and due honour of the Sacraments is not injured, but remaineth whole and inviolate, while we confeſs both the truth of the Body, and the nature and ſubſtance of it, to be received by the Faithful, together with the Symbols: which alſo the ancient Fathers teſtifie to be done. And then this diſtinction which alſo thoſe Fathers diligently obſerved, being received between that proper or aſſumed Body of the Lord, and this Symbolical Body, or Sacrament of the Body, the analogy of our Faith is not violated, which no ways ought to be ſhaken: ſince we attribute to each Body his peculiar properties. For we ſay that the proper and aſſumed Body is in a place, and circumſcribed with a ſpace, by reaſon of the modus of a true Body, as Auguſtine ſaith, &c.
All men ſee, that we alſo here affirm the Subſtance to be preſent, and aſſert our Communion with Chriſt naturally, and as I may ſay, ſubſtantially. But then theſe words ought to be underſtood after the manner not of Philoſophers but of Divines. Neither ſhould we quarrel about the term of Tranſubſtantiation, although barbarous and not in the leaſt neceſſary: Provided they meant thereby ſuch a Tranſmutation of Subſtances, as the Ancients taught: that is, a Sacramental one: ſuch as is alſo performed in a man regenerated by Baptiſm, who is made a new man, and a new creature. Such as is alſo performed when we are converted into the Fleſh of Chriſt, which examples the ancient Fathers uſed.
If any here require a Miracle (for ſome Fathers call the Euchariſt a great Miracle) it is in truth no leſs wonderful, that Bread and Wine, which are earthly Creatures, and apt only to nouriſh the Body, ſhould by virtue of the Myſtical Benediction obtain that inward force, and ſuch powerful efficacy, as to cleanſe, nouriſh, ſanctifie, and prepare to immortality both our …, and to make us the … and one Body with …