Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 1 · Part 18
The eighteenth Chapter treateth of the same matters by S. Hieronyme and Chrysostome.
In this Chapter Hieronyme is first brought foorth, In Matth. 26. in these wordes. After the figuratiue Passeouer was fulfilled, and he had eaten the flesh of the Lambe with his Apostles, hee taketh breade which comforteth the heart of man, and passeth to the true sacrament of the Passeouer, that as in prefiguration of him, Melchisedech the Priest of the highest GOD had done, offering breade and wine, hee also might represent the trueth of his body and bloud. Here Hieronyme doeth not affirme the Passeouer to bee a figure of the sacrament, but of Christe the true Passeouer. Calling the supper a true sacrament of that true and prefigured Passeouer. Which wordes would bee noted, that hee calleth the breade a true sacrament, that is a liuely signe of the verie Passeouer Christ, and a representation of the trueth of his body and bloud. But here Maister Heskins, fareth as hee were halfe madde, sending vsus to the Vocabularies, Calepines, and Dictionaries, for the signification of this worde repre…ento, That among learned men it is not so streighted, as onelyonly to signifie, to shewe a thing by a figure or signe.
And therevpon we will not striue, but that it is often taken to shewe by a figure or signe, hee him selfe can not denie, and that it must be so taken here in this place, appeareth by this reason. The comparison will not else stand betweene Melchisedech and Christe (which all though it bee not grounded on scripture, Hierome often maketh) except Christe offered breade and wine in a figure or representation, as Melchisedech did in a prefiguration.
M. Heskins enforceth the word Truth, that he should not meane a figure, for then he would hauehave saide (as he imagineth) that he also must represent his body and bloud, and not that he also might represent the truth of his body. But if you marke the force of this word, quoque, also, you shall see, that Melchisedech did prefigurate the truth of his body likewise. For it importeth an equalitie of both their doings, Melchisedech by breade and wine did represent or prefigurate the truth of his body, and Christ also by breade and wine did represent the truth of his body. For Christ could not doe also, that which an other had not done. Therefore very foolish are M. Heskins oppositions, of typicall passeouer, and true passeouer, and figure and truth, where the argument is a consentaneis, and not a dissentaneis. The other friuolous interpretation, that he maketh of the bread comforting mans heart, being both out of the minde of Hieronyme, and out of his purpose, I omit. At length hee commeth to an other place of Hieronyme ad Heliodorum Ep. 1. Absit vt de ijs quicquam sinistrum loquar, qui Apostolico gradui succedentes: Christi corpus sacro ore conficiunt. God forbid that I shuld speake any euil of thē, which succeeding the apostolike degree, doe make the body of Christ with their holy mouth. M. Heskins translateth it, which do consecrate, bicause in the word, make, which Hieronyme vseth, hee should be enforced to acknowledge a figuratiue speach. But let him turne ouer all his vocabularies, Calepines, and dictionaries, vntounto which he sent vsus ere while, and he shall not finde this Verbe conficio, signifying to consecrate, but to make, to dispatch, or to kill. Likewise he leaueth out these wordes which folowe immediatly, Per quos & nos Christiani sumus, by whome wee also are Christians. It is euident that Hieronyme speaketh hyperbolically of the dignitie of priestes, for as to speake properly, we are not made Christians by them, no more is the bodie of Christ made by them. But where he speaketh properly, he vseth proper tearmes, as Contra Iouin. lib. 2. In typo sanguinis sui non obtulit aquam, sed vinum. In the figure of his bloud he offered not water, but wine. Here he calleth the sacrament, the type of his bloude, and saith it is wine. And in the same booke, he saith of Christ, that although it be written of him, that he hungred and thristed and went often to diner, yet excepto mysterio, quod in typum suae passionis expressit, & probandi corporis veritate, nec gulae scribitur seruisse, nec ventri. Excepting the mysterie whiche he expressed in figure of his passion, and in prouing the trueth of his bodie, it is not written that he did serue his throte or bellie. Meaning that it is not saide expressedly what he did eate and drinke, but onelyonly a… his last supper, and after his resurrection to proue the trueth of his body.
The other collection that hee maketh, that because priestes doe consecrate with their mouthe, therefore the faith of the receiuer, maketh not the presence of Christ in the sacrament, beside that it is not Hieronymes word, yet it proueth nothing, because, as there be causes that worke altogether alone, so there be causes which be helping, and concurre with other, of which sorte is the faith of the receiuer, necessarilie to conceyue with the ministerie of the Minister, that Christ may bee present. That Christian Priestes should not be contemned if they be good, it is easily graunted, if they be naught, the ministerie is to bee honoured, but not the person.
Out of Chrysostom are alledged two long testimonies, the one out of his homilies de prodit. Iudae. But by that also an other greater benefit was shewed, that that lamb was a signe of the lambe to come, and that bloude shewed the comming of the Lordes bloude, and that sheepe was an example of the spirituall sheepe. That lambe was a shadowe, this lambe the trueth. But after the sunne of righteousnesse shined, the shadowe was put away by the light. And therefore on the same table both the passeouers were celebrated, both that of the figure and that of the trueth. For as painters are wont to shadowe the table that is to be painted, with certayne lineamentes, and so with varietie of colours to make it perfecte. Euen so Christ did in the table. Hee did both describe the figure of the Passeouer, and shewed the passeouer of trueth: Where wilt thou that wee prepare for thee to eate the passouer? That was the Iewish passouer, but let the passouer giuegive place to the light, and the image be ouercome of the trueth. If this place be well considered, it maketh altogether against the Bill of transubstantiation. For the similitude of the Painters Table, hauing in it shadowes and colors, applyed vntounto the pascal lambe and the sacrament, declareth that they both together make a perfect image, to shew and represent the true lambe Christ which was offered for vsus, the olde pascall, being the shadowing, & the new sacramēt which he calleth also a passouer, being the varietie of colors, by which the passouer of trueth is discribed and plainely shewed. Therfore M. Heskins collections are vaine, and from the authors meaning. For his purpose is not, to make ye pascall lamb a figure of ye sacramēt, but of christ, and both ye lamb & the sacrament, figures of Christ: but yet the lambe a shadowing figure, like the first draught of a painter, ye sacrament a cleare demonstration like an image in colors. It is therfore verie babish, yt he groūdeth vponupon the word of the Passeouer shewed in the table, that the bodie of Christ was really present on ye table in ye sacrament, wheras it is plain, that Chrysostom speaketh of shewing by signes, as by colours an image is set forth in a painted table. As childish it is, that he will oppresse the proclamer to tell him why Hierome and Chrisostom call not the Iewish pascal, light, trueth, & veritie, as they doe our pascall, seeing by it they receiued Christ… as well as wee in our sacramente. A sore matter. The Iewishe pascall represented (if I may vse that tearme vnderunder correction of M. Heskins dictionarie) the true pascal Christ, as our sacrament doeth, who is the light, trueth, and veritie: the sacramente they call not the pascall lambe, light, nor trueth, but by a figure, as they call it manye other thinges. But when they speake properlie they vse other tearmes, so doth Chrysostome. Homi. Ex. Psal. 22. & 116. Sapientia ędificauit sibi Domum, supposuit columnas septem, parauit mensam suam, misit seruos suos conuocans omnes, & dicens, venite & edite de panibus meis, & bibite vinum quod miscui vobis: & quia istam mensam preparauit seruis & ancillis in conspectu eorum, vt quotidie in similitudinem corporis & sanguinis Christi, panem & vinum secundum ordinem Melchisedech nobis ostenderet in sacramento, ideo dicit, parasti in conspectu meo mensam aduersus eos qui tribulant me. Wisedome hath builded hir an house, shee hath set vnderunder seauen pillers, shee hath prepared hir table, shee hath sent foorth her seruantes calling all men to hir and saying, come and eate of my breade, and drinke of the wine that I hauehave powred foorth for you: and because she hath prepared this table for hir seruauntes and maides in the sight of them, that she might dayly shew vsus in the sacrament after the order of Melchisedech, breade and wine in similitude of the bodie and bloude of Christe, therefore she saith, thou hast prepared a table in my sight againste them that trouble mee. What Papistes holding transubstantiation, would thus write, that breade and wine is shewed in the Sacrament in the similitude of the bodie and bloud of Christ?
The seconde testimonie that M. Heskins alleageth out of Chrisostome, is vponupon the 1. Cor. 10. This table is the strength of our soule, the sinewes of our minde, the bonde of our trust, our foundation, hope, healpe, light, our life, if we depart hence defended with this sacrifice, with most greate confidence, wee shall ascende into the holy entrie, as couered with certaine golden garmentes. But what speake I of thinges to come? For while wee be in this life; this mysterie maketh earth to be heauen vntounto vsus. Ascende vntounto the gates of heauen & marke diligently, or rather not of heauē but of heauen of heauens, & thē thou shalt behold that we say. For that which is worthy of highest honor, I will shew thee in earth. For as in kings houses, not the walles, not the golden roofe, but the kinges body sitting in the throne is most excellent: so also in heauen the kinges body, which nowe is set foorth to be seene of thee in earthe. I shewe thee neither Angels, nor Archangels, nor the heauens, nor the heauens of heauens, but the Lorde himselfe of all these thinges. Thou perceiuest how that which is greatest and cheifest of all things thou doest not onelyonly see it on earth, but also touche it: and not onelyonly touch it, but eate also: and when thou haste receiued it returnest home, wherefore wipe thy soule from all filthinesse, prepare thy minde to the receyuing of these mysteries. For if the Kinges childe being decked with purple and diademe, were deliuered to thee to bee carried, wouldest thou not cast all downe to the grounde and receiue him? But nowe when thou receiuest not the childe of a kinge beeing a man, but the onelyonly begotten sonne of God, tell mee I praye thee, doest thou not tremble and caste awaye the louelove of all seculer thinges?
This testimonie so necessarily muste bee vnderstood, of a figuratiue and spirituall receyuing of Christe by faith, that nothing in the worlde can bee more plaine. For euen as earth is made heauen vntounto vsus, so is Christe made present. And euen as wee see, the Lorde vppon earth, so we handle and eate him, and that is onelyonly with the eye, hand and mouth of faith.
But let vsus see M. Heskins collections. First hee is enforced to confesse that the sentence beginneth with a figure, The table for the meate therevppon: Secondely, hauing such honourable tearmes, it can not bee a peece of breade, but Christe himselfe. This shall bee graunted also. Thirdly, that Christe is verily on the table, which he calleth Altars. As verilie as earth is made heauen. Fourthly, that it is Christ whiche is worthie of highest honour verily present in the Sacramente. As verily present as hee is seene: but hee is seene onelyonly by faith, therefore present onelyonly to faith. But this obiection hee taketh vppon him to aunswere: If we saye the bodie of Christ can not be sene in the sacrament. No more saith he, can the substance of man be seene, but his garmentes or outward formes & accidentes. This is such a boyish sophisme as I am ashamed to aunswere it. By which I maye as well proue, that Christes body was neuer seene, and therefore not seene in the sacrament, contrarie to that whiche Chrysostome saith. Frō this obiection he falleth into an other, yt if christ in the Sacrament be worthie all honour, then of sacrifice also, and the sacrifice being Christ, Christ shalbe offered to him selfe. This he calleth an ignorant obiection. But there is more knowledge in it, then he hath witt to answere. He alledgeth the words of Augustine. lib. 4. de Trin. cap. 14. Christ abideth one with him, to whome he offereth: and maketh him selfe one with them, for whom he offereth himself: and is one with them, that offer: & one, with that which is offered. Here are diuerse kindes of vnitie, and yet not Christ offered vntounto him selfe, vnlesse M. Heskins will be a Sabellian and a Patripassian, to confound the persons of the Godhead, and say, that God the father, yea, the whole Trinitie is likewise transubstantiated in the Sacrament. Though Christe be one with his father, yet did he not offer him selfe to him selfe, but himselfe to his father. As for the other saying of Augustine that he bringeth, it is altogether against him De ciuitate Dei. lib. 10. c. 20. He is the Priest him selfe, he is the offerer, he is the oblation, whereof he would hauehave the daily sacrifice of the Church to be a sacrament; seeing that of her bodie he is the head, and of his head, shee is the bodie, as well shee by him, as he by her being accustomed to be offered. First Christ is the offerer and the oblation, but not he to whome it is made. Secondly, that which he calleth the sacrifice of the Church, is a sacrament, that is a holie memoriall of that propitiatorie sa…fice, which he offered. Thirdly, this sacrifice of the Church, is of the Churche her selfe offered by Christ, and of Christe offered by the Church, which must needes be spirituall, as the coniunction of Christ and his Church is spirituall, therefore it is not the natural bodie of Christ offered by the priest, but his mystical bodie offered by the Church & by himselfe, and so a sacrifice of thanksgiuing and not of propitiation.
After these obiections, he returneth to his collections out of the authoritie of Chrysostome. There neede no such preparation nor trembling, if the Sacrament were but a peece of bread. He hath neuer done with this slaunder, as though any Christian man did saye, it was but a peece of bread, which Christe vouchsafed to call his bodie. Wee saye truely, it is bread: but wee say not, it is but a peece of bread.