Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 3 · Part 51
The one and fiftieth Chapter, abydeth in the exposition of the same texte, by Cassiodorus, and Damascene.Hesk.
Cassiodorus is cited in Psalm. 110. vppon this verse:Fulke. Tu es sacerdos, &c. Thou arte a priest after the order of Melchizedeche, in these wordes: Cui enim putest veracitet & euidenter aptari, nisi Domino & saluatori, qui corpus & sanguinem s…um in pani… & vini erogatione salutariter consecrauis. Sicut ipse in Euangelio dicit: nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis & hiberitis eius sanguinem, non habebitis vitam in vobis? Sed in ista carne & sanguine nil cruentum, nihil corruptibile mens humana concipiat (ne sicut dicit Apostolus: Qui enim corpus Domini indignè manducat, iudicium sibi mandueas) sed viuifica…ricem substantiam atque salutarem. & ipsius verbi propriam factam, per quam peccatorum remissio & aeterno vitae donapraestuntur. For vntounto whome may it bee truely and euidently applyed, but to our Lorde and Sauiour, which hath healthsontly consecrated his body and bloude, in the giuing foorth of breade and wine? as he him selfe sayeth in the Gospell: except ye shall eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and d…inke his bloud you shall hauehave no life in you, but in this fleshe and bloud, let the minde of man conceiue nothing bloudie, neither corruptible (left as the Apostle sayeth: For he that eateth the Lordes bodie vnworthily, eateth his owne damnation) but a substance giuing life and health, and made proper to the WORDE himselfe, by which remission of sinnes, and the giftes of eternall life are perfourmed. This saying being directly contrarie to all Maister Heskins three assertions, namely, transsubstantiation, carnall maner of eating, and the wicked receiuing Christes bodye, hee hath cloked the two firste with a false translation, the last with a needelesse excursion into ye heresies of Marcion, Manicheus, &c. For where it is firste manifest by Cassiodorus, that when Christe gaue the sacrament to his disciples, hee gaue foorth breade and wine, Maister Heskins translateth: Corpus & sanguinem suum in panis & vini erogatione salutariter consecrauit: In the giuing foorth of breade and wine to our health, hee consecrated his bodie and bloud: whereas eueryevery litle boye, will teach him, that the Aduerbe must be ioyned with the Verbe in construing, to declare his signification. Therefore his meaning must needs be as I hauehave translated it: he did helthsomly or profitably consecrate his bodie and bloud in giuing forth of breade and wine, therfore he gaue forth breade and wine. Touching the seconde of the carnall manner of presence, whereas Cassiodorus sayeth: In ista carne & sanguine nil cruentum, nihil corruptibile mens humana contipia…, which is: In this fleshe and bloude, let the minde of man conceiue nothing bloudie, nothing corruptible, Maister Heskins translateth it: Let not the minde of man conceiue any thing grosse, any thing corruptible: whereas the mynde of the author is, seeing we must in this fleshe and bloud conceiue nothing bloudie, we must not conceiue the flesh of Christ to be present carnally, nor the bloud of Christ to be present bloudily, but spiritually, and as he addeth a quickening and healthfull substance, giuing forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life, to all that receiue it. And therefore impertinent is al that discourse that Maister Heskins maketh afterwarde, against ye olde heretikes, of which some denyed the humanitie, some the diuinitie of Christe, and ridiculous is that rayling of his, by which hee woulde charge vsus with their heresies, for mainteining the trueth against their carnall manner of presence, which in deede sauoureth of the heresie of the Marcionistes, Mannyches, and Eutychians. Finally, where Cassiodorus sayeth, he that eateth the bodye of our Lorde vnworthily, eateth his owne damnation, it is manifest, that hee calleth the sacrament by the name of that which it signifieth, as many of the fathers doe. But where he sayeth, that forgiuenesse of sinnes and eternall life are giuen by the fleshe and bloud of Christe, it followeth, that the wicked which are not partakers of the one are not partakers of the other.
Concerning Damascene a corrupt writer, farre out of the compasse of the challenge, who writeth so monstrously of this sacrament, that the Papistes them selues do not receiue him in all thinges, as I hauehave alwayes refused his authoritie, so nowe I will not trouble the reader with it.