Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 2 · Part 50
The fiftieth Chapter abideth in the exposition of the same wordes by S. Cyprian and Athanasius.Hesk.
First he alledgeth Cyprian de cęna Domini in these words,Fulk. Significata olim a tempore Melchisedech, &c. For vnderstāding of which place, seeing he referreth his reader to the first booke and 29. Chapter, where he handleth it more at large, thither also will I referre him for answer, where the place is at large rehearsed and discussed. But out of the same sermon of S. Cyprian, he hath a plaine place for M. Iewel: Which is this: Non… est …uius sacramenti doctrina, &c? The doctrine of this sacrament is newe, and the Euangelicall schooles first brought foorth this manner of teaching, and Christ beeing the teacher. This learning was first made knowen to the worlde, that Christian men should drinke bloud, the eating whereof the authoritie of the olde lawe doeth most straitly forbidde. For the lawe forbiddeth the eating of bloud, the Gospell commandeth that it should be dronke. In which commandem…t… this moste cheefely ought the Christian religion to discerne, that the bloud of beastes differing in all thinges from the bloud of Christe, hath onelyonly the effect of temporall releefe, and the life of them ha…h an end appointed without reuocation. Hereupon he noteth yt the Christians drinke the bloud of Christ, which I graunt: but spiritually: for so Cyprian expoundeth himselfe in the same sermon: vt sciremus quòd mansio nostra in ips… fit manducatio, & potus quasi quaedam incorporatio. That we should knowe that our eating is our dwelling in him, and ou… drinking it as it were a certeine incorporatio… in him: And againe: Esus igitur carnis huius quaedam auiditas est & quoddem desiderium manendi in eo, &c. Therefore the eating of his flesh is a certeine desire to abide in him, &c. These and such like places doe proue a spirituall eating and drinking of his bloud, and none other.
He noteth further, that this is called of Cyprian, a new doctrine, and therefore it can not be the drinking of the figure of the bloud of Christ, for that was olde. I answere briefly, it was so new, as the gospel is the new Testament, whiche yet was preached to Adam and Eue, but not so clearely and distinctly as since the time of Christ, and so was the eating of the bodie and bloud of Christe, all one with that it is now, differing but in manner of reuelatiō, and not in substance of spirituall foode.
Athanasius is alledged as he is cited in Theodoret Dial. 2. in confus. Corpus est, &c. It is therfore a bodie to whom he saith: for them on my right hand. Whereof the diuel was enimie, with the euill powers, and the Iewes and the Greekes. By which bodie, he was in deede and so was called an high priest and Apostle, by that mysteria which he d…liuered to vsus saying▪ This is my bodie whiche is broken for you. And the bloud of the new Testament, not of the old, which is shedd for you. The Godhead hath neither bodie nor bloud, but man, which he did take of the virgine Marie. He meaneth nothing lesse, than that ye sacrament was his natural body and bloud, but that he could not hauehave instituted a mysterie of hi… bodie and bloud, except he had ben a very man, which hath bodie and bloud, for the godhead hath none. And therfore the rule that M. Heskins giueth, that scriptures must be alledged in their literal sense in matters of faith, is to litle purpose, although it may stand well in this place. For the mysterie of his bodie proueth his humanitie, without any allegorie or other figure, as I hauehave shewed before. Athanasius is likewise alledged in the second Nicen counsell: Serm. de …. Iesu in Berito. How truly I will not say, but thus he is reported to say of ye bloud of Christ, which was said to be in many places, which he deniet… to hauehave come frō Christ, but from an image that was crucified Nec esse aliter … a vere Catholicis prae…r id quod … à nobis, quasi ex carne & sanguine Christi aliq…id pas… i… … inu…iri, nisi …, quod in aera altarit per manus sacerdanu… quoti…ie spiritualiter officitur. Neither is it otherwise to be thought of true Catholiques, then is written of vsus, as though any part of the flesh & bloud of Christ may be found in the world, but that which on the altar is euerie day made spiritually by the handes of the priestes. I do not cite this, as the vndoubted authoritie of Athanasius, but thinke rather it was forged in his name, as many other thinges were in that wicked idolatrous counsel, yet it appeared that the maker of that sermon, & so ye Church in such time as he liued, had not receiued the Popish corporall presence.