Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 3 · Part 56
Hesk.The sixe and fiftieth Chapter endeth the exposition of this text by Theodoret, and Anselme.
Fulke.Theodoret whom he greatly commendeth, he citeth in 1. Cor. 11. vponupon this text in hand. Sic tui ipsius Index, &c. So thou being thine owne iudge exactly iudge thine owne life: searche and examine thy conscience, and then receiue the gifte. As this saying is good and godly, so it excludeth auricular confession, as Chrysostome doth vponupon the same place. But that you might knowe what Theodoret meaneth by the gifte, he citeth him in Dialog. 2. Quid appellas donum quod offertur post sanctificationem? Orthodoxus. Corpus Christi, & sanguinem Christ. Eranistes. Et credis te participem fieri Christi corporis & sanguinis? Orthodoxus. Ita credo. What doest thou call the gift, which is offered after sanctification? Orthodoxus. The bodie of Christe and the bloud of Christ. Eranistes. And doest thou beleeue that thou art made partaker of the bodie and bloud of Christe? Orthodoxus. So doe I beleeue.
Thus much Maister Heskins vouchsafeth to rehearse out of Theodoret, and saith it is a plain place for the proclaymer, both for reall presence and sacrifice. But howe plaine it is, and howe honestly Maister Heskins rendeth this peece from the rest, to abuse Theodorets name, you shall perceiue by the whole discourse, which I will set downe. Orthodoxus. Dic ergo, mystica symbola quae Deo à Dei Sacerdotibus offeruntur, quorumnam symbola esse dicis? Eranistes. Corporis & sanguinis Domini. Orthodoxus. Corporis eius quod verè est, an eius quod verè non est? Eranistes. Quod verè est. Orthodoxus. Optimè. Oportet enim imaginis esse exemplar Archerypum. Etenim pictoret imitantur naturam: & eorum quae videntur pingunt imagines. Eranistes. Verum. Orthodoxus. Si ergo Diuina mysteria corpus, quod verè est, repraesentant, ergo corpus etiam nunc Domini quoque corpus est, non in Diuinam naturam mutatum, sed impletum Diuina gloria. Eranistes. Opportunè accidit vt verba faceres de D…uinis mysterijs. Nam & ex eo ipso tibi ostendam corpus Domini mutari in aliam naturam. Responde ergo ad mea interrogata? Orthodoxus. Respondebo. Eranistes. Quid appellas donum quod offertur ante inuocationem sacerdotis? Orthodoxus. Non oportet ap…rtè dicere: est enim verisimile, adesse aliquos mysterijs non initiatos. Eranister. Respondeatur aenigmaticè? Orthodoxus. Id, quod fit ex huiusmodi seminibus nutrimentum. Eranistes. Aliud etiam signum quomodo nominamus? Orthodoxus. Commune etiam hoc nomen, quod potus speciem significat. Eranistes. Post sanctificationem autem quomodo ea appellas? Orthodoxus. Corpus & sanguinem Christi. Eranistes. Et credis te fieri participeni Christi corporis & sanguinis? Orthodoxus. Ita credo. Eranistes. Sicut ergo symbola corporis & sanguinis Domini, alia quidem sunt ante inuocationem sacerdotis, & post inuocationem mutantur, & alia siunt: ita etiam corpus Domini post assumptionem mutatur in Diuinam substantiam. Orthodoxus. Quae ipse texuisti, retibus captus es. Neque enim signa mystica post sanctificationem recedunt à natura sut. Manent enim in priori substantia, figura & forma: & videri & tangi possunt sicut prius. Intelliguntur autem ea esse quae facta sunt, & creduntur & adorantur, vt quae illa sint, quae creduntur. Confer ergo imaginem cum exemplari: & videbis similitudinem? Oportet enim figuram esse veritati similem. Illud enim corpus priorem habet formam, & figuram & circumscriptionem & vt semel dicam corporis substantiam. Immortale autem post resurrectionem factum est, & potentius, quàm vt vlla in illud cadat corruptio, & interitus, sessione que ad dextram Dei dignatum est: & ab omni creatura adoratur, vt quod appelletur corpu… naturae Domini. Eran. Atqui symbolum mysticum priorem muta… appellationem. Neque enim amplius nominatur, quod vocabatur prius: sed corpus appellatur. Oportet ergo etiam veritatem, Deum, & non corpus vocari. Ortho. Ignarus mihi videris esse. Non enim corpus solùm sed etiam panis vitae nominatur. Ita enim Dominus ipse appellanit. Porro autem ipsum corpus Diuinum corpus appellanus, & viuificum, & Dominicum: docentes non esse commune alicuius hominis, sed Domini nostri Iesu Christi: qui est Deus & homo. Orthodoxus. Say then, the mysticall tokens which are offered to God by the Priestes of God, of what thinges sayest thou they are tokens? Eran. Of the body & bloud of our Lorde. Orth. Of that bodie which truely is? Or of such a bodie as truely is not? Eran. Which truly is. Ortho. Very well. For it behoueth the patterne to be example of the image. For painters doe followe nature: and do paint the images of those thinges which are seene. Eran. It is true. Orth. Then if the Diuine mysteries doe represent that bodie which is a bodie in deede, therefore our Lordes bodie is euen nowe also a-bodie not beeing chaunged into his Diuine nature, but filled with Diuine glorie. Eran. It came well to passe that thou diddest speake of the Diuine mysteries. For euen out of the fame will I shewe vntounto thee, that our Lordes bodie is chaunged into another nature. Therefore aunswere vntounto my questions. Orth. I will answere. Eran. What doest thou call the gifte, which is offered, before the inuocation of the Priest? Orth. I may not speake it openly, for it is like that some are present, that are not admitted to the mysteries. Eran. Then answere darkely. Orth. That meate which is made of such kinde of seedes. Eran. And how doe we cal the other signe? Ortho. That is also a common name which signifieth a kinde of drinke. Eran. But after sanctification how doest thou call them? Ortho. The bodie and bloud of Christ. Eran. And doest thou beleeue that thou art made partaker of the bodie and bloud of Christ? Orth. So I beleeue. Eran. Therefore euen as the tokens of the bodie and bloud of our Lord are other things before the inuocation of the priest, and after the inuocation are changed and made other thinges: euen so the Lordes bodie after ye assumption is changed into his Diuine substance. Orth. Thou art taken with thine owne nets which thou haste made. For the mysticall signes after sanctification, do not departe from their nature. For they remain in their former substance, figure, and shape: they may be both seene and handled, euen as before. But they are vnderstoode to be those thinges, which they are made to be, & are beleeued, & reuerenced, as those which are the same thinges that they are beleeued to be. Compare therefore the image with the examples, and thou shalt see the similitude. For the figure ought to be like to the trueth. For that same bodie hath the former shape and fashion, & circumscription, and to speake at once the substance of a bodie. But it is made immortall after his resurrection, and more mightie, then that any corruption or destruction can befall vntounto it, and it is made worthie to sit at ye right hand of God: and is worshipped of euerie creature, as that which is called the naturall bodie of our Lorde. Eran. But yet the mysticall token changeth the former name. For it is no more called that it was called before: but it is called the bodie. Therefore the trueth also ought to be called, God, and not a bodie. Orth. Thou seemest vntounto me to be ignorant. For it is not only called the body, but also the bread of life. For so our Lorde himselfe called it. But his very bodie, we call a Diuine bodie, & a quickening, and our Lordes bodie: teaching that it is not a common bodie of any man, but of our Lord Iesus Christ, which is both God and man. By this discourse of Theodoretus, you may see both howe syncerely Maister Heskins hath cited his authoritie, and also what the writers minde was both concerning transubstantiation and the carnall manner of presence. The authoritie of Anselmus Bishop of Canterburie, I passe ouer as I hauehave done alwayes with Burgesses of the lower house. But Maister Heskins affirmeth that the preparation we are commanded to make for the receipt of the sacrament, & the danger of vnworthie receiuing, do argue the reall presence: for such preparation and perill should not be for receiuing a peece of bread. And if we aunswere, that by faith we receiue Christs bodie & bloud verily, but yet spiritually, he will confute vsus by that wee affirme, the fathers to hauehave receiued Christ as verily as we doe, who yet had not like preparation, nor like punishment for vnworthie receiuing. For their preparation was onelyonly in outwarde things, their punishment onelyonly bodily and temporall.
But who is so grosse of vnderstanding, as M. Heskins, that will not acknowledge that the fathers of the olde Testament by that purifying and preparation in bodily things, were admonished that inward & spiritually purenesse was more necessarie? And wheras he sayeth, the vnworthie receiuers of those auncient sacraments were punished only with temporal death, how often doth those threatenings occurre in the lawe: That soule shalbe rooted out from my face: that soule shall perish from his people, he hath broken my couenant &c? Wil ye make vsus beleeue that God threateneth onelyonly a temporall and not an eternall death to the contemners of his ordinances? Finally, when the same punishment of condemnation remaineth to them yt receiue baptisme vnworthily, which abydeth them that receiue the Lordes supper vnworthily, how will hee proue a reall presence more in the one sacrament then in the other?