Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 3 · Part 16
The sixteenth Chapter proceedeth to the next text of S. Paule, which is: Calix cui Benedi.Hesk.
This text which he pretendeth to expound is written in 1. Cor. 10. The cup of blessing which we blesse, Fulke.is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ? The bread which we breake, is it not the cōmunion or partaking of the bodie of Christ? This text (he saith) proueth the reall presence and sacrifice. And first he will hauehave no trope or figure to be vnderstoode in this place, but the very things themselues: with how grosse absurditie it is, I referre it to the iudgment of al reasonable Papists, that know what a trope meaneth. Secondly he saith, it is an euil manner of disputation, to go about to proue like effectes, of vnlike causes. Wherein I will agree with him. But what vponupon this? Forsooth, then it followeth, that as the Iewes, of whom S. Paule taketh example, were partakers of the altar, because they did eate the sacrifices, so we are partakers of the bodie & bloud of Christ, because we eate and drinke the bodie and bloud of Christ corporally, and not because we eate a peece of bread and drink a litle wine. Againe, as the Corinthians, by eating meate offred to idols were made partakers of idols: so ye Christians, because they did eate ye bodie of Christ, are made partakers thereof. But to discusse this vaine cloude of sophistrie, I wil reason vponupon his own Maxime: like causes, hauehave not vnlike effectes: S. Paule saith, he would not hauehave the Corinthians partakers of Diuels by eating meate offered to idols, which in effect was offred to diuels. As they that were made partakers of Diuels, bycause they did eate meat offred to diuels, were not partakers of the substance and nature of diuels, neither did they eate the substance of diuels, no more doth it follow, yt we eating & drinking the bread of thanksgiuing, & cup of thanksgiuing, which are a cōmunication of the bodie and bloud of Christ, do corporally eate and drink the bodie & bloud of Christ, or be made partakers corporally of the nature & substance of the bodie & bloud of Christ. The like I say of ye altar. Now concerning the sacrifice M. Hesk. saith, yt if S. Paule did not as well take the cup, & table of the Lord to be a sacrifice, as the cup and table of diuels to be a sacrifice, & as the sacrifices of the Israelites, he would not hauehave vsed like termes, but shewed a difference. I answer, if the sacrament had ben a sacrifice, he would hauehave so called it, especially in this place, or at least in some other place, therefore it is no sacrifice: & he shewed a sufficient difference, when he called the one a sacrifice, and not the other. Although if I shold grant it to be a sacrifice of thanksgiuing M. Hes. were neuer the neere of his propitiatorie sacrifice.
But the fathers of Christes Parleament house must be heard to establish this interpretation of M. Hes. and first Chrysost. In 1. Cor. 10. Maximè, &c. With these wordes he doeth get greatly to him selfe, both credite and feare. And the meaning of them is this, That which is in the cup, is the same, which flowed one of his side, and thereof we are partakers. And he called it the cup of blessing, because that when we hauehave it in our handes with admiration and a certeine horror of that vnspeakable gift, we prayse him giuing thankes, because he hath shed his bloud, that we should not remaine in errour. Neither hath he onelyonly shed it, but made vsus all partakers of it. Therefore (saith he) if thou desirest bloud do not sprinkle the altar of idols with the slaughter of bruite beasts, but my altar with my bloud. What is more maruelous then this? Tell me I pray thee wha… is more amiable? This also louers when they see those whom they louelove allured with desire of other mens things, giuegive their owne vntounto them, and counsel them to absteine from these. But louers truely doe shewe this desire in mony, garments, possessions: no man euer in his owne bloud. But Christ in this hath shewed both his care, and his vehement louelove toward vsus. And in the olde Testament, when they were more vnperfect, that bloud which they offered to idol… he himselfe would accept, that he might turne them away from idols, which also was a signe of inspeakable louelove. But here he hath prepared a much more wonderfull and magnificall sacrifice, both when he changed the sacrifice it selfe, and for the slaughter of brute beaste: commanded him selfe to be offered. Although M. Hesk. hath disioyned this place to make shew of varietie, I hauehave set it down whole and entire. Here M. Hesk. triumpheth not a litle, rayling against blessed Cranmer for abusing S. Paules words, because Chrysostome saith, that which is in the cup is that which flowed out of Christes side, therfore it must needs be his bloud, & that corporaly receiued, neither can he abide to heare tell of a trope or figure in these wordes. Bu… in spight of his heart, Chrysostom must be vnderstood with a trope or figure, because he saith immediatly after yt Christ willeth the Corinthians to sprinkle his altar with his bloud. I am sure M. Hesk. wold not dip his holiwater sprinkle in the challice, and shake it ouer the altar. Therefore the whole speech of Chrysostom is a continued trope and allegorie. And therfore neither M. Hes, his presence, nor his sacrifice cā be proued out of this place. Concerning the sacrifice, I hauehave often shewed, how the ancient fathers called the sacrament a sacrifice, namely of thanksgiuing. First, not of propitiation, & so we grant that Christ did institute a sacrifice in the supper. Secondly vnproperly, as a remēbrance of Christes sacrifice, and so doth Chrysostome expound him selfe, vponupon the tenth to the Hebrues: Non aliud, &c. We offer not another sacrifice, as the high priest, but ye same we do always, but rather we worke the remēbrance of that sacrifice. Another place of Chrysostome he citeth out of his Ser. de Eucharist. in Enconija. Reputate salutarē, &c. Esteeme that wholsome bloud to flowe, as it were out of his Diuine, and vnpolluted side, and so comming to it, receiue it with pure lippes. This (saith he) must needes proue a reall presence, because it is receiued with lip…, as ye spiritual receiuing is not. And these words must be spoken in a plaine maner without all figure, because he spake them in a sermon, to the common people. O blockish reasons: surely he hath not read this place in Chrysostom, but borowed it of some note book. For immediatly before these wordes, is a place that hath a great shewe of transubstantiation, but in deede it cleane ouerthroweth both ye corporal maner of receiuing, & M. Hesk. two doughtie reasons. Num vides panem, num vi…um ▪ No… ficut reliqui …ibi in secessum vadunt? Absit ne sic cogites, quēaed…o… enim si cera igni adhibita illi assimulatur, nihil substantia vemanet, nihil superfluit: sic & hic pu…a mysteria consumi corporis praesentia, Prop…er, quod & accedentes ne putetis, quod accipiatis Diuinum corpus ex homine, sed ex ipsis Seraphim forcipe ignē, quem scilices Esaias vidit, vat accipere. What doest thou see bread or wine? Do they go into the drought like other meal? God forbid, that thou sholdest so thinke. Fo… as waxe if it be put to the fire, is made like vntounto it, none of the substance remaineth, nothing ouerfloweth: so here think the mysteries, to be consumed by the presence of ye bodie. Therfore you that come to it, think not that you receiue the diuine bodie of a man, but that you receiue, the fier which Esaie saw with a paire of tongs of the Seraphims themselues. If M. Hesk. will not allow any figures in this sermon, because it was made to the common people, that we receiue not the Lords bodie at the Priests hand, but fire from the altar by an Angels hande: and yt Chrysostome allowed none but a spirituall receiuing of Christ, not corporally present on the altar, but in heauen, he teacheth sufficiētly, both by this place, & more plainely following ye former place which M. Hesk. cited before In 1. Cor. 10. Ad hoc … nos inducis sacrifici…on formidand… & admirabile, quod iubet nobis vt cum concordia & charitate maxima ad se accedamis, & aquilae in hac vita facti, ad ipsum c…lum euotemus, vel potius supra …. Vbi enim cad…uer, inquit, illic & aquilae. Cadauer Domini corpu… propter mortem, nisi enim ille cecidisset, nos nō resurrexissemus Aquilas … appellat, vt oftendat ad alta eum oportere contēdere, qui ad hoc corpus ac…edit, & nihil cum terra debere ei esse commune, neque ad inferiora trahi & repere sed ad superiora sēper volare, & in solem institiae intueri, mentisqué oculum acutissimum habere. Aquilaerum enim non gracculorum hec mensa est. For vntounto this doeth the fearefull and wonderful sacrifice bring vsus, that he cōmandeth vsus, that we come vntounto him with concord and great charitie, and beeing made eagles in this life, we flie vp into heauen or rather aboue heauen. For where the carkase is, saith he, there are the Eagles. The Lords bodie is the carkas in respect of his death, for except he had fallen, we had not risen againe. And he calleth them Eagles, to shew, that he must get vp on high yt cōmeth to this body, & must hauehave nothing to do with the earth, nor be drawn and creepe to the lower places, but alwayes to flie vp on high, and to beholde the sonne of righteousnesse, and to hauehave a most cleare eye of the minde. For this is the table of Eagles and not of Iayes. These words may satisfie a reasonable man, that Chrysostom in this homily, ment none other, but a spirituall manner of receiuing of Christe in heauen, and not transubstantiated in the sacrament on the altar, in earth: ye other places he soweth together after his manner, to peece out his Chapter, out of Cyprian De Coen. Chrysost. De prodition. Iudae. August. contra literas Pet. Iren. Lib. 4. Cap. 32. are answered at large before in seuerall places, namely in order. Lib. 1. Ca. 17. Lib. 1. Cap. 18. Lib. 1. Cap. 19. and Lib. 2. Cap. 49. The place of Ambrose In prima oratione praepar. &c. Deserueth none answere, beeing none of his workes but a counterfet, as Erasmus, and all learned men do iudge, that be not wedded to their owne affection.