Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 3 · Part 26
Hesk.The sixe and twentieth Chapter proceedeth vponupon the same text, by S. Cyrill and S. Thomas.
Hesk.Cyrill, whom vnfitly he matcheth with Thomas of Aquine, is cited in 17. Ioan. Cum trinitas vnum natura sit &c. For as much as the Trinitie in nature is one, let vsus consider how we our selues also among our selues corporally and with God spiritually are one. The only begotten sonne comming out of the substance of God his father, and possessing in his nature the whole father, was made flesh according to the scriptures, and hath vnspeakably ioyned and vnited himselfe to our nature. For he that is God by nature, is made man in deede, not Theophorus, that is, hauing God in him by grace, as they that are ignorant of the mysterie do contend, but he is both very God and very man. So he hath ioyned together in him selfe that is one, those things which according to nature differ very much among them selues, and hath made vsus partakers of the diuine nature. For the communication of the spirite, and as I may say, the dwelling, was first in Christ, and from him hath perced into vsus, when being made man, he him selfe annoynted and sanctified his temple with his owne spirite. The beginning therefore, and the way by which we are made partakers of the holy spirite, and are vnited to God, is the mysterie of Christ. For we are all sanctified in him. Therfore that he might vnite eueryevery one beetwene our selues & God, (although we be asunder both in body and soul) yet he hath found out ae meane agreeable to the counsel of his father & his own wisdom. For blessing the beleuers by the mystical communion, by his body he hath made vsus one body both with himself and also among our selues. For who shall thinke them straunge from this naturall vnion, which by the vnion of one holy body are vnited in one Christe? For if we all eate one bread, we are all made one body. For Christe suffereth vsus not to be diuided and disioyned. Therefore all the Church is made the body of Christ, and eueryevery one of vsus the members of Christe after S. Paule, for being conioyned to one Christ by his body, bicause wee hauehave receiued him in vsus which is indiuisible, our members be rather appropriated to him, then to vsus. Concerning the vnitie of God the father with the sonne, of the two natures of God and man in Christ, and of the vnitie of the members of Christ with their head, which M. Hesk. noteth out of this place of Cyril, it shall be no neede to speake, seeing there is no controuersie betweene vsus, but that these three vnities be there. Only of the maner how we be vnited, is the difference. We are vnited to ye body of Christ, but whether by eating the same with our mouthes, or by faith, through the vnspeakable working of Gods spirite, is all the question. All the holde, he catcheth of this place, is, that Cyrill calleth it a naturall vnion, as he doth also in the same place a corporall vnion, by which he meaneth, not that we are vnited after a naturall manner, or after a bodily manner, but that we are vnited vntounto the very humane nature and body of Christ, but after an heauenly and diuine manner. For thus it followeth in the same place, I meane in Lib. 11. Cap. 26. of Cyrill vponupon the 17. of Iohn, which M. Hesk. note booke belike, did not serue him to set downe: Quod autem corporalis haec vnio ad Christum, participatione carnis eius acquiritur, ipse rursus Paulus de mysterio pietatis differens testatur: quod alijs inquit generationibus non est agnitum filijs hominum, sicut nunc reuelatum est sanctis apostolis eius & prophetis in spiritu, esse gentes cohaeredes, & concorpores, & comparticipes promissionis in Christo. Si autem omnes inter nos in Christo vnum sumus corpus, nec inter nos solùm, verùum etiam cum eo, qui per carnem suam ad nos transiuit, quomodo vniuersi & inter nos, & in Christ, vnum non erimus? And that this corporall vnion vntounto Christ, is obtained by participation of his flesh, Paule him selfe againe doth testifie, disputing of the mysterie of godlinesse: which in other ages (saith he) was not knowen to the sonnes of men, as it is nowe reuealed to his holy Apostles and Prophetes in the spirite, that the Gentiles should be coheires and of the same body and compartners of the promise in Christe. If then we be all one body among our selues in Christe, and not among our selues only, but also with him which by his flesh is come vntounto vsus, howe shall we not be all one, both among our selues and in Christe? This place of Paule by which the faithfull of the Gentiles are saide to be made one body with the faithfull of the Iewes, speaketh nothing of eating of the body of Christe in the sacrament, but of the spirituall incorporation by faith in the promises of the Gospell, nowe made common vntounto the Gentiles with the Iewes, whereof the sacrament is not a bare signe, but a liuely and effectuall seale and confirmation.
Moreouer, the same Cyrill in the same booke Cap. 22. in 17. Ioā, writeth thus: Nihil ergo mali accidere vobis potest, ai…, si carne alfue…o, cum deitatis incae potestas, quęe vos huc vsus que seruauit, in posterum etiam seruatura fit. Hęc non ideo dicimus, quia Domini corpu… non magni aestimemus, sed quia mirabiles hos effectus gloriae deno…is attribuendos pat amus. Nam ipsum etiam Domini corpus coniu…cti virtue verbi sanctificatur, & ad benedictionem mystica… ade… actiuum fit, vt possit sanctificationem nobis fuam im…ttere. Therefore (saith he) none euill can happen vntounto you, though I shall be absent in flesh, seeing the power of my Godhead, which hath saued you hitherto, shall also preserue you hereafter. We speake not these thinges therefore, bicause we doe not greatly esteeme the Lordes bodie, but bicause wee thinke that these maruellous effectes are to be attributed to the glorie of his Godhead. For euen the same body of our Lorde is sanctified by the vertue of the Worde, that is ioyned with it, and made so effectuall vntounto the mysticall blessing, that it can send in to vsus the sanctification thereof.
Note here gentle reader, that the flesh of Christ though it be absent, yet by the diuine power is able to make vsus partakers of his sanctification. Absent I say, as concerning locall presence, after which it is in heauen, and not vponupon earth, yet hath it these maruellous effectes by the glory of his Godhead, as Cyrill saith, that ioyning vsus vntounto it by faith, in the participation of the holy mysteries, it feedeth vsus vntounto eternall life. The place of Cyrill in 15. Ioan. Cap. is contained and aunswered in the 6. Chapter of this third booke, where you shall see that the proclamer denyeth nothing, that Cyrill in that place affirmeth. As for the saying of Thomas of Aquine, one of the scholasticall sophisters in Diuinitie, I passe ouer, hee is cocke sure of M. Heskins side.