Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 2 · Part 53
The three and fiftieth Chapter continueth in the exposition of Christes wordes by Gregorie Nicene, and S. Hierome.Hesk.
Gregorie Nicene is cited,Fulk. Ex serus. Catatholico. De Diuinis sacram. Qua ex causa panis in eo corpore mutatus, &c. By what cause the bread in that bodie beeing chaunged, passed into the diuine power, by the same cause, the same thing it done now. For as there the grace of the word of God maketh that bodie, whose nourishment consisted of bread, and was after a certeine maner bread: So bread as the Apostle saith, by the word of God and prayer, is sanctified, not because it is eaten, growing to that that it may become the bodie of the WORDE, but foorthwith by the worde it is chaunged into the bodie, as it is saide by the WORDE. This is my bodie. This place saith Maister Heskins ouerthroweth three heresies. The first of Luther or Lutherans: that the sacrament is not the bodie of Christ, except it be receiued. Gregorie saith, it is not the bodie of Christ, because it is eaten. But that is no ouerthrow to Luthers assertion, for Gregorie meaneth, that the sacrament by nourishing our bodies, is not made the bodie of Christe, as the breade that a man eateth is turned into his bodie, and so was the bread yt our sauiour did eat, turned into ye substance of his bodie while he liued, but by the power of God, & this notwithstanding, it is made that bodye of Christ, only to the worthie receiuer. Of which a…sertion M. Hesk. saith, they hauehave no substantial grounde in scriptures: as though an argument framed out of the scripture, of the end & vse of ye sacrament, were not a substantial ground. And as for the popish counsell of Florens, is a sorie ground without scripture. Although … nor, (as he slaundereth vsus) yt the power of consecration dependeth vponupon the will of the receiuer, but vponupon the wonderfull worke of God, with such practice as he requireth. The second supposed heresie, to be ouerthrowen, is, that the substance of bread & wine do still remaine, because Gregorie sayth, it is changed into the bodie of Christe. But this change is not of substance, but of vse, for as hee sayth, it is changed into the bodie, so he sayth it is chaunged into the diuine vertue, which words, though Maister Hesk. would racke to signifie the diuine flesh of Christ, yet cannot he auoyde a manifest figure in the speache of Gregorie, & therfore it is nothing so plaine for him, as he pretendeth. To this he adioyneth a defence of the terme of transubstantiation, which he confesseth to be but new, (as in deede the doctrine therof is) but yet he compareth it with the terme vsed of olde by the fathers Homousion, to signifie that Christe is of the substance of the father. But to be short, for termes, we will not striue, let him proue transubstantiation so olde as he pretendeth, & we will acknowledge the terme. The thirde pretended heresie to be ouerthrowen, is, that he teacheth a reall presence, and therefore the wordes: This is my bodie, are to be vnderstood without trope or figure. But this is auoyded in aunswere to the seconde, and so we leaue him discharged of M. Hesk. cauils.
Hierome is alledged ad Hedibiam. qu. 2. the place hath bene alreadie handled, & proued to be against M. Hesk. in the 31. Chap. of this booke, whither I referre the reader for breuities sake, only in this place I wil deale with such points as were not spoken of there, and rehearse the whole discourse of S. Herome together, & not in patches as M. Hesk. hath done, interlacing his fond gloses. Questio secunda. Quomodo accipiendum sit, &c. The second question. How that saying of our sauiour in Mathew is to be taken: I say vntounto you, I will not drinke from hence forth of this fruite of the vine, vntil that day, in which I shal drinke it newe with you in the kingdome of my father. Out of this place, some men build the fable of a thousand yeres, in which they contend, that Christ shall raigne corporally, & drinke wine, which hee hath not dronke from that time, vntounto the end of the world. But let vsus heare, that the bread which our Lord brake & gaue to his disciples, is the bodie of our Lord & sauiour, as he saith vntounto them. Take & eat ye, this is my bodie, & that the cupp is that, of whiche he spake againe: drinke ye all of this: this is my bloud of the new testament, which shalbe shed for many, &c. This is that cupp, of which we read in the Prophet: I will take the cupp of saluation. And in another place, Thy cup inebriaeting is verie noble. If therfore the bread, which came downe from heauen, is the bodie of our Lord: and the wine, which he gaue to his disciples, is his bloud of the new testament, let vsus reiect Iewish fables, & ascend with our Lord into the great parler, prepared & made clean, & let vsus receiue of him aboue, the cup of the new testament: & there holding passouer with him, let vsus be made dronke with the wine of sobrietie. For the kingdome of God is not meat & drinke, but righteousnesse, & ioy, & peace in the holy ghost. Neither did Moises giuegive vsus the true bread, but our Lord Iesus, he being the guest & the fest, he himselfe eating, & which is eaten. His bloud we drinke, & without him we cannot drinke it, & daily in his sacrifices, wee tread out of the generation of the true vine & the vine of Sorec, which is interpreted chosen, the redde newe wines, and of them wee drinke newe wine of the kingdome of his father, not in the oldnesse of the letter, but in the newnesse of the spirite, singing a newe song, which none can sing, but in the kingdome of the Churche, which is the kingdome of the father.
This bread also did Iacob the Patriarch couet to eate, saying: if ye Lord shalbe with me, & giuegive me bread to eat, and rayment to couer mee. For as many of vsus as are baptised in Christ, hauehave put on Christ, and do eat the breade of Angels, and do heare our Lorde saying: My meate is, that I may do the will of him that sent mee, my father, that I may accomplish his worke. Let vsus therefore do the will of his father which sent vsus, and let vsus accomplish his worke: and Christ shall drinke with vsus his bloud in the kingdome of the Church. This is the whole discourse of Hierome, and by the distinction of ye letter, you see what Maister Heskins hath left out, both in the beginning, and in the ende, and yet he raileth at ye proclaimer, for snatching truncately a fewe wordes, to make a shew to deceiue his auditorie. But by this whole treatise, you may see what the question is, and howe it is answered, namely, that the promise of Christ must bee vnderstoode, of a spirituall drinking in the Church, which vtterly ouerthroweth the popish fantasie of real presence. For Christ is so present at eueryevery celebration of the supper in his church, that he eateth his bodie, and drinketh his bloud, as Hierome sayth: which no man, except he bee mad, wil say to be otherwise then after a spirituall manner, and in the end, Hierome openeth what is his meate, and how he drinketh his bloud with vsus, and that wee so eat his bodie, as we put him on for a garmēt in baptisme, and as Iacob did eat it, which must needes be spiritually. More collections, if any man desire, let him resort to the 31. Chapter of this second booke.