Three Pillars and Arch-patriarchs of the Popish Synagogues, Treatise 1 · Book 3 · Part 58
Hesk.The eight and fiftie chapter endeth the exposition of the same text by Theophylact and Anselme.
Fulk.Theophylact saith nothing but of the temporall punishment that God layeth vppon the contemners of his mysterie. Anselme borrowed his wordes of Ambrose cited in the last chapter. And both Theophylact and Anselme, though great prelates in their lyfe, yet in this accompt of Master Heskins, they are burgesses of the lower house, and liued much about a time.
To fill vp the chapter, he citeth certaine miracles reported by Sainte Cyprian Sermone, 5. De lapsis: to shewe howe God punisheth the vnworthie receiuing of the sacrament, although they doe not all shewe it, for the first example is of an infante that coulde not brooke the sacramentall wyne, after it had tasted of breade and wine offred to Idolles, where the negligence of the parentes was rather punished then the vnworthinesse of the child. The whole story is at large set downe in the last chapiter of the second booke.
The seconde example is of a woman, who receiuinge vnworthily, was striken with sodaine death.
The third of a woman who kept the sacrament in her coffer, and when she woulde with vnworthie handes open the coffer, in which was the holy thing of the Lorde, there sprange out a fire by which she was so terryfied, that she durst not touche it. A iust punishment for her reseruing of that, which should hauehave bene receiued. The fourth miracle is of a man who presuming to receiue the sacrament vnworthily, coulde neuer eate the holy thing of God nor handle it. For when he had opened his hand, he sawe nothing in it but ashes. This is a marueilous thing saith Master Heskins. Whereby is declared that God is not willing that his holy sacrament shoulde be receiued of a filthie sinner, for so muche as sodeinly it pleaseth him to chaunge it into ashes, he himselfe departinge from it. In deede this is a straunge and miraculous transubstantiation. But if I might be so bolde to aske M. Heskins, what is that which is chaunged, if there be no bread in the sacrament? God he saieth is departed from it, there remaineth the aceidentes onelyonly of breade and wine, and so belike the accidentes are chaunged into ashes. O monstrous mutation.
But why doeth not M. Hes. gather by this miracle, that if the sacrament could not be receiued of a wicked man much lesse the body of Christ, and so doeth Cyprian gather of it. Documento vnius ostensum est, Dominum recedere cum negatur, nec immerentibus prodesse ad salutem quod sumitur, cum gratia salutaris in cinerem sanctitate fugiente mutetur. By example of this one it is shewed, that the Lorde doeth depart when he is denyed, neither doeth that which is receiued profit to saluation the vnworthie persons, seeinge the wholsome giftes, the holinesse departing from it, is chaunged into ashes. Cyprian gathereth by the chaunge of the outwarde sacramente, before it was receyued, that Christ departeth from them yt denye him, and is not receyued at all. But M. Hes. would learne forsoth, what one thing is in the sacrament receiued that profiteth & hurteth, he aunswereth it cānot be the bread & wine (for they profit alike to al men) therfore it must needes be the body of Christ: a wholsome conlusion, by whiche the bodye of Christe is made a hurtefull thing: but if it please him to vnderstand our aunswere, we deny that there is any thing included in the bread or wine, that either profiteth or hurteth to saluation. It is the grace and spirite of God, which worketh as well by this sacrament our spirituall nourishing, as by baptisme our spirituall regeneration. And that, which hurteth the wicked man, is in him selfe, and not in the sacrament, euen his owne wickednesse and detestable presumption, to defile the holy sacraments of God. Wherefore it is diuelish and blasphemous, that M. Heskins affirmeth the body of Christ to be hurtful to any, bicause the vnworthy receiuing of the sacrament, hurteth him that receiueth, by his owne acte, and not by any thing that is receiued.