Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 3 · Part 47
The seuen and fortieth Chapter proceedeth in the vnderstanding of the same, by S. Basil and S. Hierome.Hesk.
Saint Basil is alledged de baptism. Li. 2. Quęst. 93.Fulk. Quoniam Deus in lege &c. For so much as God in the lawe hath ordained so great a paine against him, that in his vncleannesse dare touch the holy things, (for it is written to them figuratiuely, but for our aduertisement:) And the Lord saide vntounto Moses, say to Aaron and his sonnes, that they take heede to the holy things of the children of Israel, and they shall not defile my name what so euer they sanctifie to me, I am the Lorde. Say to them and to their families, EueryEvery man that is of your seede, and commeth to the holy things, what so euer the children of Israel shall sanctifie vntounto the Lord and his vncleannesse be vponupon him, that soule shall be rooted out of my presence, I am the Lord. Such threatnings are set foorth against them, that only come to those thinges, that are sanctified by men. But what shall a man say against him, which dare be bolde against so greate and such a mysterie? For looke howe much greater a thing then the temple is here, according to the Lords saying, by so much the more greeuous and fearefull it is, in the filthinesse of his soule, to touch the body of Christ, then to touch Rammes or Bulles (for so the Apostle hath saide) wherefore he that eateth the bread, and drinketh the cup of the Lorde vnworthily, shall be guiltie of the body and bloud of the Lorde. But more vehemently and also more horribly, he doth set foorth and declare the condemnation by repetition, when hee saith: Let eueryevery man examine him selfe, and so let him eat of this bread, and drinke of this cup. For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily, eateth and drinketh his condemnation, not discerning the Lordes body. If then he that is onelyonly in vncleannesse, (and the propertie of vncleannesse we learne figured in the lawe) hath so horrible a iudgement, howe much more he that is in sinne, and presumeth against the body of Christ, shall draw vntounto him selfe horrible iudgement?
First, I will note M. Heskins falsifications, which are two, the one as it seemeth, partly of ignoraunce of the Greeke tong, partly of greedinesse to drawe Basils wordes to his vnderstanding, for where the Greeke is, foreign. Heere is a thing, or one greater then the temple, he turneth it, looke howe much greater this is then the temple, as though hic which is an Aduerbe, were a Pronoune. The other is altogether of malitious corruption, for he translateth his Latine, Contra corpus Christi audet: which is, He dareth presume against the body of Christe, hee translateth it, Hee dareth to presume vponupon the body of Christ, as though he receiued the body of Christe. Nowe he noteth two differences in these wordes of Basil, the one of the sacrifices of the olde lawe which were Bulles and Rammes, the other of the newe lawe, which is the body of Christ. But in the wordes of Basil, there is no mention of any sacrifice of the newe lawe, onelyonly he compareth the ceremonies of the olde lawe, with the heauenly part of the sacrament of the newe Testament, which we confesse to be the body and bloud of Christ.
The second difference is, the vncleannesse of the lawe made vnworthie partakers of the sacrifices, but deadly sin maketh men vnworthie receiuers of the body of Christe. Yet hath Basil no such wordes of receiuing the body of Christ by wicked men. OnelyOnly he denounceth their grieuous punishment, that presume against ye body of Christ, when with vnreuerence and vnrepentance, they presume against such and so high a mysterie, as the blessed sacrament is, and this is the plaine sense of his wordes without any cauilling. If M. Heskins will vrge their touching of the body of Christ, it is a very nice point, and must either be referred to a figuratiue speach, or else it will breede infinite absurdities. Basils mind is plaine, the wicked ought not to presume to touch the blessed sacrament, which after a certaine manner of speaking, is the body of Christe. But he annexeth an other place of Basil: Dominꝰ dicens &c. The Lorde saying: Here is one greater then the temple, teacheth vsus that he is so much more vngodly, that dare handle the body of our Lorde, which hath giuen him selfe for vsus, to be an oblation and offering of sweete sauour, by howe much the body of the onelyonly begotten sonne of God exceedeth Rammes and Bulles, not in reason of comparison, for the excellencie is incomparable.
This place saith Maister Heskins proueth well, that the receiuer of the sacrament receiueth the body of the onelyonly begotten sonne of God, and not a bare figure, for else howe should hee sinne incomparably, by receiuing vnworthily? I aunswere, hee sinneth incomparably, not bicause he receiueth the body of Christe vnworthily, but bicause the body of Christe being offered vntounto him to be receiued, he doth contemne it, & refuse it most vnthankfully and iniuriously. Againe, Basil doth here compare the outward signes or elements of the old sacrifices, with the thing represented and offered by our sacrament, the like speaches he hath of Baptisme.
But that you may heare him (saith Maister Heskins) by most plaine wordes teach that the body of Christe is receiued of euill men, hearken what he saith, de baptism. lib 1. cap. 3. Si verò is qui &c. If he that for meate offendeth his brother, falleth from charitie, without the which both the workes of great giftes, and iustification do nothing auayle: What shall a man say of him, which idly and vnprofitably dare eate the body, and drinke the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ?
But M. Heskins to make it seeme more plaine on his side, hath cut off those wordes which doe plainly declare, that Basil speaketh not of wicked men that are voyde of the spirite of God, but of such as be not zealous and earnest ynough, to practise mortification, & reuocation, therefore it followeth immediatly: foreign: And thereby much more greeuing the holy spirite: which wordes being added to the former, doe plainely testifie, that Basill speaketh not of wicked and vngodly persons, but of the faithful in whom the spirite of God was, and yet they had not so great care of profiting in newnesse of life as they ought to hauehave. For against the wordes foreign, idly and vnprofitably, he opposeth afterwarde foreign, earnestly and effectually, so that those Aduerbes idly and vnprofitably, are spoken in comparison, and not simply, as if he saide, they take nothing such paines in mortification as they should, they profite nothing in comparison that they might by the Lordes body, which labour not to be renewed according to his spirite, and as he saith, they grieue the spirit of God, (whereby they are sealed to eternall life,) when they doe not with more earnestnesse and profite come to the Lordes table.
The second Authour Hierome, is cited in Psal. 77. Haec de his &c. These wordes are spoken of them which forsooke GOD after they had receiued Manna, For nowe in the Church, if any man be fed with the flesh and bloud of Christ, and doth decline to vices, let him knowe that the iudgement of God doth hang ouer him: as Paule the Apostle saith, He that shall take the body and bloud of our Lorde vnworthily, shall be guiltie of the body and bloud of our Lorde. I maruell what Maister Heskins meaneth, to alter the wordes of Hierome, for he citeth them thus: Qui acceperit corpus & sanguinem Domini indigne, reus erit corporis & sanguinis Domini. Wheras the words of Hierome be. Qui acceperit corpus & sanguinem Christi indignè iudicium sibi sumis & bibit. Hee that shall receiue the body and bloud of Christe vnworthily, receiueth and drinketh iudgement to him selfe. To aunswere to the iudgement of GOD, which hee saide did hang ouer him, that after hee is fed with the body and bloud of Christe, declineth to vices: not meaning wicked reprobates, but Gods elect children, whiche are sometimes ingratefull to GOD for his mercies, and fall into grieuous sinnes, but yet by Gods grace rise againe: as the wordes immediatly following do most plainly declare: Et electos Israel impediuit. Impedumtur & nunc electo Ecclesiae, si ne ipsi quoque sacerdotes innocenter haec sacramenta percipiunt. And hee hindered the elect of Israel. The elect of the Church are nowe also hindered, if the Priestes them selues doe not receiue these sacraments innocently. In which wordes he sheweth the cause, that many of the elect do decline to vices, after the sacrament receiued, euen by the euill example of the Priestes, and therefore worthily are to be awaked out of the sleepe of sinne and securitie, by this sentence of Paul. Nowe whereas M. Hes. excuseth S. Hierome, for altering the words of Paule, and in steede of the bread and the cup, placing the body and bloud of Christe, it is nothing so needfull, as that he should render a reason why hee doth him selfe alter the words of Hierome: except hee thinke he may be as bold to chaunge the wordes of Hierome, as Hierome was to chaunge the words of Paule. Although M. Hes. is lesse to blame in this place, where he chaungeth the words without any great alteration of the sense, then in almost an hundreth places beside, where hee falsifieth the wordes, and peruerteth the meaning also.