CORPVS Christi BY EDMVND GVRNAY Printed by Cantrell Legge Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1619. ¶ To the very Worshipfull RICHARD STUBBE Esquire * ⎠* SIR I request you to bee God-father vnto this Infant as you haue beene sometime vnto my selfe It is thought an abruptnesse to imprint anything without a Dedication which makes me thus bold with your name I hope you will take it at my hands no otherwise then as a token of my thankefulnesse for your manifold and fatherly affection In which respect I principally commend it vnto you as also vnto your two Daughters my Cosen Yeluerton and the Ladie Strange I must also commend the perusall of it vnto Mr. Robert Rudde of St. Florence in Southwales and Mr. Henrie Godly of Onehouse in Suffolke my very good and learned Tutors togetherwith my singular friend Mr. Doctor Porter of Cambridge Finally the vse and benefit of it I commmend as vnto my Christian Friends the Parishioners of Edgfield so also vnto as many as loue the single gentle and powerfull truth especially in the Text following MATTH 26.26 This is my body THAT this then is the body of our Sauiour it is without all question Yea not onely His body but euen Himselfe a part beeing put for the whole it may be affirmed but whether it bee His body indeed and substance or onely by way of Sacrament that is the terrible and vnappeaseable question at this day The strife betwixt the Archangell and the deuill about the body of Moses might well prefigure this strife but exceed it could not And no maruell if â—he strife be so great considering in the end that one of the two must be conuinced both of highest impiety against God and also of extreame folly amongst men For whether to deny Diuine honour vnto the Creator or to impart Diuine honour vnto a creature both are most impious so againe to affirme that to be corruptible bread which indeed is very God or that to be very God which indeed is corruptible bread both are extreamly foolish You see then Reader â—ow neerly it concernes you to be throughly aduised what part you take in so momental a cause for if you chuse neither then are you coÌ„demnable of irreligion and if you cleane to the false then are you culpable of impiety or idolatry if not blaspheming For the better directing therefore and stablishing your choice in so concerning a cause and whereby you may happily find a thred of expedition vnto the truth herein wee commend vnto you the perusall of this Treatise Wherein if you shall but so long indure vs vntill we haue first laid downe the equity conueniencie and necessitie of the one Exposition and then the vanitie impiety and deformity of the other we make no question but you will more liuely imbrace the truth and more mortally abhorre the falshood in this point then euer you did We then which expound This to be His Body onely by way of Sacrament and as water in Baptisme is His blood doe take the intent of our Sauiour in this businesse to be for the ordayning and fastning a second seale vnto his New Testament that whereas now He had vndergone the condition of mans nature and was about to finish the price of our redemption Hee thought good not onely to haue it recorded in Scriptures and published all the world ouer what he had done for vs though that might haue beene thought sufficient for beleeuers but also to ordaine certain visible tokens and formes of remembring His such performance that so as His word did inwardly these seales might outwardly seuerally in Baptisme and ioyntly in this Communion expresse and impart vnto men the benefit of His incarnation and suffring and we thereby to haue both His hand and seales to our redemption Which seales also that they might the more inseparably be made one with His testament and withall at the first blush more liuely represent the substance thereof He thought good to stampe and imprint them with his owne image and superscription and therefore here in the text calleth the bread expressely His bodie as an other Scripture likewise calleth the other seale His blood the spirit water and blood are one And all this finally the rather that wheras the old Testament had beside the same word inwardly containing it also a couple of outward seales to giue a sensibility vnto it and they also both seuerally as in the circumcision and ioyntly as in the feast of Passeouer in like manner exhibiting the vse and benefit of it and finally beeing likewise cloathed and stamped with the names of the things signified Circumcision beeing called the Couenant whereof it was but a seale and the Feast the Passeouer whereof it was but a celebration it might hereby come to passe that the new Testament should most perfitly resemble as well as accomplish the old and the olde as it did prefigure and fore-runne so also might it imbrace acknowledge and giue place to the newe Now as touching our Sauiours forme of speech in calling that His bodie which we expound to bee but a Sacrament thereof wee further adde that such concisenesse of speech is ordinary with the Scipture with our Sauiour and his Apostles and finally with all sorts of men As for the Scripture that euery where vseth such significant figures and especially when it poynteth vnto our Sauiour as when it calls Him a rocke a stone a lyon a lambe a starre a dore a vine the way the truth the life the resurrection our head our roote our garment our dwelling our shepheard our peace c. But aboue all our Sauiour Himselfe so abounding in this kind as that He â—orbare not in His publike morals when He meant to be most plaine to bid men out off the offending hand and plucke out the offending eye as if He expected euen from the vulgar to be otherwise vnderstood then the letter did import and as for those of the wiser sort He often grew angry with them for taking Him at the letter as with Nicodemus for so plaine vnderstanding His tearme of beeing borne againe with the Disciples for their no better vnderstanding the leauen of the Pharises and with the Capernites for their like carnall vnderstanding the eating of His flesh The Apostles also as they followed Him in the steps of His life so so did they vsually follow Him in the same character of speech in so much as Paul was not nice to say plainely the rocke was Christ as also he saith to all beleeuers now are yee the bodie of Christ and members in particular Yea we are the members of His body of His flesh and of His bones And S. Iohn forbeares not to say that the spirit water and blood these three are one and that we are washed in his blood both which sayings do giue as great and greater dignity vnto Baptisme if the letter should be pressed then the calling bread His bodie can giue to
this other Sacrament And yet should not he be thought at least distempred in his wittes that would hereupon inferre a substantiall change of that water though with farre lesse dishonour vnto God might such a consequence be inferred and with farre better colour for as much as Baptisme if comparisons may be made in holy things is the Sacrament of our first quickning as this is of our nourishing and more noble it is of the two to make aliue then to preserue life Baptisme againe beeing but once administred but this often Baptisme beeing expressely charged vpon the Apostles to be administred vnto all nations beeing also made a ioynt-condition with faith vnto saluation whereas this other in neither case is mentioned and finally our Sauiour Himselfe openly partaking Baptisme and gracing it with miraculous opening the heauens whereas this if He did at all partake it was in priuate and without any granted miracle Yea last of all the Fathers honouring Baptisme with as high tearmes as might be one saying of it The water hath the Grace of Christ in it is the presence of the Trinity And an other thus In the Sacrament of Baptisme we are made bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh And Austine thus Without doubt euery beleeuer is made a partaker of the bodie and blood of Christ when in Baptisme hee is made a member of Christ yea though before the eating thereof hee depart the world And Leo calling it the wonderfull Sacrament of regeneration saith in an other place of it Christ gaue that to the water which He gaue to His mother In which sense also Paulinus The heauenly water saith he in his poeme marrieth with elementall water and so concipit vndi Deum the water conceiueth God our Sauiour So likewise the Rocke which is called not the body of Christ but expressely Christ may it not farre aduance it selfe aboue this bread if the letter be stood vpon especially for that the Rock most miraculously and Sauiour like did gush forth water to the refreshing a huge multitude in the wildernesse whereas this Bread which our Sauiour speakes of made not the least shew of difference from common bread the Rocke also being but one and the same in particular whereof it was first spoken the rocke was Christ whereas the bread which at this day is administred is not that bread in particular whereof our Sauiour said it was His bodie nor can attaine to that name and honour but by the helpe of inference and figures and that no lesse then thirty to make their exposition good as dainty as they are of figures as a late Father of our Church hath obserued Againe if the letter must be of such force though the letter is made to serue not to master our meanings why may not euery beleeuer account himselfe a member of Christ indeed and substantially according to those alleadged sayings of Paul especially considering how the beleeuers are in Scripture vsually said to be changed conuerted renewed new created c. but neuer was it so said of this bread Or why shall not euery beleeuer expect as well a litterall performance of that promise of Christ when He saith Behold I stand at the doore and knocke and willsup with him that openeth it beeing of the two more conceiueable how thinke you that He should personally become our companion at supper then the supper it selfe To conclude As Christs Apostles and the Scriptures so finally all sorts of men both holy and common doe ordinarily vse words both beyond and beside the litterall sense partly of necessity when either they be driuen to borrow a word or the hearer cannot so well vnderstand a proper word and partly againe for breuity sake when there is no likelihood to be mistaken as when we call â—hat our hand which is but our hand-writing that the Lyon which is but the signe or picture of the lyon that our will or our deed which is but a notificaâ—ion thereof or as Ioseph said the seauen eares are seauen yeares when â—e meant they did signifie seauen â—eares and Daniel saying likewise the tree which thou sawest it is by selfe O King meaning it was â—tended to decypher the Kings partly also hyperbollically when we affirme more then can be to bring men beleeue as much as may be which forme of speech the Scripture also does not abhorre and partly finally to make our speech therby the more pearcing significant and emphaticall as when we say the fields laugh the sea roare c. or when we call that our heart our ioy our glory or our strength which wee glory delight or put confidence in So as if our Sauiour in the text did either necessarily in regard of our weakenes or briefly or significantly or as departers vse to speake pathetically or as founders take leaue to speake peculiarly call that His body which he meant for a pledge or earnest seale signe token commemoration celebration exhibition conueyance deed and staâ—e Sesâ—e testament or to vse one word â—orall which is generally vsed of â—ll a Sacrament of His bodie yet â—ould not His phrase be thought â—arsh intricate or vnusuall euen 〈◊〉 the eares of ordinary men but â—nto them which haue their â—ares neuer so little touched â—ith the language of Canaan how â—n it seeme otherwise then most â—ire sincere and sensible yea as â—itable and proper vnto the â—nse we plead for as can be deâ—sed Testimonies out of the Fathers prooue this Sacramentall Exâ—sition we might alleadge store â— as Tertullian saying thus calâ—g the bread His bodie to the ende â— may vnderstand that hee hath giâ— bread to be a figure of His bodie â—mens thus The wine signifieth the â—od allegorically Origen thus If â— take this saying Except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man c. according to the letter the letter killeth Ambrose thus In the Lawe was shadow in the Gospell an image iâ— heauen the truth Chrysostome thus What is it to vnderstand carnally simply as the things are spoken anâ— to seeke no further Hierome thus Christ left bread and wine as he thâ— goes a voyage leaues a gage Austinâ— thus By reason of the resemblanâ— betwixt the Sacraments and thâ— things the Sacraments often take thâ— names of the things and elsewherâ— * thus This is a perfect way to discerne whether a speach be proper aâ— figuratiue that whatsoeuer in Scripture cannot stand with integritie â— manners or veritie of faith that râ—solue thy selfe is figuratiue wherâ— upon hee further inferreth thâ— our Sauiours phrase of eating hâ— flesh was figuratiue because accâ—ding to the letter to 〈◊〉 a sinfull â— calling it also a carnall sense to take figuratiue speaches properly and a miserable bondage of the soule But this kind of proofe which proceedes vpon testimonies in this our short intended Treatise wee purpose to be sparing in both because out of the mouth of two or three as
many made for theÌ„ yea should Angels from heauen teach vs to worship God in the shape or shew of bread or in the likenes of any thing either in heauen or earth we must abhor them Fourthly were it so that some â—ate Writers amongst their oâ—her workes haue infolded â— or rather rehearsed this â—heir opinion yet as holy Aaron was ouer-borne by the multiâ—de to set vp that golden â—alfe which the people was so had vpon so may it be imaâ—ined that men well otherwise â—ffected might in the like dread â—f a more fearce beast then the multitude be carried with the â—reame of the times and yet â—etest it as Aaron did though â—o more excusable then Aaron â—as Last of all those testimoâ—es which they truely alleadge out of the auncient Fathers for many hundred yeares together immediately succeeding the first institution are vrged and pressed of them beyond and contrary to the intent of the writer namely by taking those sayings according to the fulnesse and propriety of the letter which they by way oâ— figure only hyperbollically oâ— comparatiuely vsed to amplifiâ— and exaggerate the worthineâ— of this Sacrament vnto the receiuer As one saying of it thus Thinke not that thou receiue bread or wine when thou come to these mysteries c. euen a neighbours will say when theâ— inuite one another looke for â— good cheere c. meaning thaâ— good cheere is not the intenâ— of their inuiting yea some peraduenture not forbearing to saâ— flatly that the bread and the wine are conuerted into His bodie and blood euen as monie may be said to be conuerted into land a penny into a penny loafe c. An other againe saying the same thing which is beleeued with our faith is receiued with our mouth euen as the seale and the instrument or the instrument and our act is all one And some finally saying in the bread is receiued that which did hang vpon the crosse meaning that nothing else is intended in the receiuing that bread but the benefit of Him that so died These manner of phrases and patheticall amplifications the Fathers are not scrupulous sometime to bestow vpon this Bread yet so as withall it may easily be discerned how they neuer had therein any further intent but partly to weane the conceit of the receiuer from regarding the belly-elements and partly by so attributing vnto the signe the vertue and power of the thing the spirit of the receiuer might the more kindly glide out of earthly shadowes and resemblances into heauenly apprehensions and fruitions so as from such kind of comparatiue ardent and hyperbolicall speeches for any to gather positiue and absolute conclusions beside the impiety of it what is it else but extreame rudenesse and violence And as well may they conclude that the Anachims had cities fenced vp to heauen or that the earth did rend with the sound of musicke because so saith the letter of certaine Scriptures or that Dauid was no man because so â—e saith I am a worme and no â—an or that Paul was nothing â—ecause he that planteth c. is â—othing but God c. or that we â—ust not bid a freind to dinâ—er because our Sauiour saith â—d not thy freinds but the poore 〈◊〉 euen all these may they â—nclude as well as conclude â—at there is no bread in the Saâ—ament because a Father â—th looke not for bread when â—ou commest thereunto yea and 〈◊〉 well may they conclude â—m the same Father that we â—ust not thinke to receiue His â—die at this Sacrament beâ—use also these be his words in â— other place Thinke not that â—n receiuest by the hand of man â—e Bodie of God but that with â—gs thou receiuest fire from heaâ— c. Yet these manner of â—ings they are which the Aduersarie culls forth and stretcâ—ing them vpon his monstroâ— opinion according to the vâ— most and hyperbolicall exteâ— of the letter does thereupoâ— boast that the Church and Fâ—thers are wholly of his side aâ— so as one of the Fathers saith â— the Pharisies that simplicem â— quendo literam occidunt filâ— Dei may it most truely be saâ— of them that by their stickiâ— in the naked letter they boâ— as much as in them lies kil tâ— Sonne of God and also poisoâ— the good meaning of the Fâ—thers and all for the supportiâ— and maintaining their most abâ—hominable Idol But blesse be God the Church was aâ—waies waking and quicke â—nough to discouer and crie oâ— against such abhomination and as shee neuer failed to râ—store the truth and Sacraments vnto their integritie as at any time they grewe tainted with vnwholesome compounds or â—estered with traditions so especially hath She in her elder â—eares purged and redeemed â—hem euen with her blood froÌ„â—asses of incumbrances and â—orruptions In which busines â—f Her zeale to restore this Sacrament to the first simplicitie made Her pare it to the quicke â—nd withall peraduenture to â—ereaue it of some allowable respects yet did Shee therein no otherwise then as necessitie required considering how prone â—ans nature is to goe a whoâ—ng after euery fancie and to â—ne the glorie of the inuisible God not onely into the similiâ—de of a beast that eateth hay â—ut also into the similitude of that which beasts and worme doe consume and eate For such is the propertie of deceitful errour when it cannot put the head forward euen serpent like to put the taile forward when it cannot get in by moâ— likely courses to fetch about bâ— courses most vnlikely when 〈◊〉 sees vs strongly prouided oâ— the left side to trip vs vp assailâ— at least on the right side wheâ— it cannot intice vs froÌ„ the louâ— of good things to make vs doâ— vpon the colours and shadowe of such good things when 〈◊〉 cannot drawe vs from the louâ— of Scriptures to make vs familiarly draw so neere as to pinch presse and tread vpon Scripture when it cannot perswadâ— vs that there is no such fruite iâ— them then to perswade vs tâ— take the very leaues and letteâ— for the fruite of them vnder which oftentimes if they carrie any breadth it selfe will priuily lurke and make them swell so fairely and shew so goodly as not onely the fruite shall be shadowed and sowred thereby but also it selfe in the stead thereof most greedily gathered and intertained As for a faire example these words of our Sauiour This is my bodie when it perceiued them to carrie more breadth and compasse then the meaning intended did require what does it but crowd it selfe within them and filling them according indeed to the latitude of the letter hath gotten it selfe to be preferred of the blind before the meaning intended namely because by it the letter is more fully replenished euen as the theife which therefore challenged the garment because his backe did better fit it And this hath alwaies beene the practise of this subtile serpent to worke both backward and forward as yet more specially we may note in