Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 3 · Part 49
The nine and fourtieth Chapter continueth the same exposition by Isychius and Sedulius.Hesk.
In the beginning of this Chapter, by a saying of Augustine hee exhorteth vsus to heare the doctoures of theFulke. Catholike church, affirming yt he hath alreadie brought sixe plainely expounding this texte of the bodie of Christ, and more will bring hereafter, whereas the proclaimer required but onelyonly one. But what trueth is in his affirmation, the reader I doubt not, will be able to discerne, that is not blinded with affection. Isichyus is cited in Leuit. Cap. 26. Propter quod, &c. Wherefore let vsus feare his holie place, that we neither defile our bodie, nor rashly come to the bodie of Christe, in the which is all sanctification (For in him abydeth the fullnesse of the godhead) without diligent examination of our selues, but rather let vsus examine our selues remembring him that sayde: Whosoeuer shall eate the breade or drinke the cuppe of the Lorde vnworthily, shalbe guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde. Because Maister Heskins knoweth not what to gather out of these wordes with any shewe of likelyhood to mainteine his cause, he runneth into another matter altogether impertinent and needelesse, to shewe out of Theophylact, how the fullnesse of the Godhead doth dwell in Christe. At length he commeth to ridiculous questions, why should he dehort wicked men from eating the bodie of Christ, if they cannot eat it at all? As though their presumption may not bee condemned, which cannot attaine their purpose. Why shoulde wicked men bee dehorted from seeking the ouerthrowe of Christe and his church, seeing it is impossible for them to preuayle either against the one or the other? yet Maister Heskins thinketh him selfe wittie, when he sayeth: It were strange to persuade a man not to pull downe heauen, or to eat the starres, because it is vaine to moue men not to doe that, which is impossible to be done. But because Maister Heskins is so angrie with a peece of breade in the sacrament, let him heare what the same Hesychius, or as he calleth him Isichius writeth in Leuitic. lib. 2. Cap. …. Propterea carnes cum panibus comedi praecipient, vt nos intelligeremus illud ab eo mysterium dici, quod simul panis est & caro. Therefore commaunding the flesh to bee eaten with the breade, that wee might vnderstande, that he spake of that mysterie, which is both bread and fleshe together. You see that Hesychius acknowledged breade to bee in the mysterie naturallye, as the fleshe of Christe is spiritually.
Nowe let vsus heare Sedulius: Accipite, &c. Take ye, this is my body. As though Paule had sayed: take heede ye eate not that bodie vnworthily, seeing it is the bodie of Christe. You shall eate this vnworthily, if you shame the poore, and if you eate any meate before the spirituall meate and the supper of the Lorde.
Here againe he noteth, that the bodie of Christ may be receiued of vnworthie persons, hee meaneth wicked persons, for otherwise all men are vnworthie of it, but no such thing can followe of the wordes of Sedulius, both because hee speaketh of receiuing the sacrament, which after a certeine manner, is the bodie of Christe, & also because he speaketh not of wicked persons and reprobates, but of faithfull persones offenders, and that not in greate matters, namely, in shaming the poore with their plentifull feastes, and eating bodily meate before they receiue the Lordes supper. This place is cited before, lib. 2. Cap. 55. The argument that wee bring of the inseparable coniunction of Christe with his spirite, he sayeth is vaine, for though Christe bee neuer disioyned from his spirite, yet his spirite is not alwayes effectuall, which is as absurde, as the other, to saye that the quickening spirite of Christe, together with his bodye, is in the wicked and worketh not life. But hee weeneth Cyprian shall stande with him whose wordes he citeth In Sermone de Coena: Sacramenta quidem quantum in se est, &c. The sacraments truely, as concerning them selues, cannot be without their proper vertue. Neither doeth the Diuine maiestie by any meanes absent it selfe from the mysteries. But although the sacraments doe suffer them selues to bee taken or touched by vnworthie persons: yet cannot those be partakers of the spirite, whose infidelitie or vnworthinesse gaynsayeth so great holinesse. And therefore those giftes are to some the sauour of life vntounto life, vntounto some the sauour of death vntounto death. For it is altogether meete, that the contemners of grace should be depriued of so great a benefite, and that the puritie of so greate grace shoulde not make a dwelling for it selfe in vnworthie persons. I am verie wel content, yt this place shal determine the controuersie betweene vsus. Cyprian sayeth, the maiestie of GOD doth neuer absent it selfe from the sacramentes, but either hee worketh saluation or damnation by them; as well in baptisme, as in the Lords supper, for hee speaketh of both in the plurall number. And seeing infidels and wicked persons cannot bee partakers of the spirite of Christe, it followeth they cannot bee partakers of the bodie of Christe, for Christ his bodie is neuer separate from his spirite.
But Augustine contra Crescen. is alledged, the place is not quoted, but it is lib. 1. Cap. 25. Quid de ipso corpore, &c. What shall wee saye euen of the bodie and bloude of our Lorde, the onelyonly sacrifice for our health? Although the Lorde him selfe doeth saye: Except a man doe eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud he shall hauehave no life in him: doeth not the Apostle teache, that the same is made hurtfull to them, that vse it amisse? For he sayeth: whosoeuer shall eate the breade and drinke the cuppe of the Lorde vnworthily, shalbee guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde.
But it followeth imediately: Ecce quemadmodum obsint diuina & sancta malè vtentibus. Cur non eodem modo baptismus? Behold how diuine and holy things do hurte them that vse them amisse: why not baptisme after the same manner? By which woordes it appeareth, that Augustine speaketh of the sacrament, and not of the thing signifyed by the sacrament. For he compareth baptisme ministred by heretikes, with the Lordes supper vnworthily receiued, which comparison cannot stande, except you vnderstande the outwarde parte of the sacrament in bothe. Baptisme is ministred by heretikes, that is to say, the outwarde sacrament of baptisme, the bodie of Christe is receiued vnworthily to destruction, that is, the outwarde sacrament of the bodie of Christe: for as wee heard in the last Chapter, Res ipsa sacramenti, the thing it selfe of the sacrament is receiued of eueryevery man to life, & of no man to destruction whosoeuer doth receiue it.