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A11189 A way of reconciliation of a good and learned man touching the trueth, nature, and substance of the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament. Translated out of Latin by the right honorable Lady Elizabeth Russell, dowager to the right honourable the Lord Iohn Russell, Baron, and sonne and heire to Francis Earle of Bedford. Russell, Elizabeth Cooke Hoby, Lady, ca. 1540-1609. 1605 (1605) STC 21456; ESTC S101217 72,992 116

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therefore the manner and nature of the flesh of Christ is common with the flesh of other men as Lombardus saith and such flesh as Aquinas affirmeth commeth not into the Sacrament it followeth by their testimonie that these two kindes of flesh differ much And that this may the better appeare and bee laide vp in memorie I thought it not without profit to adde of such things as we haue spoken of before a certaine distinction which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by comparison 1 The proper bodie of Christ hath the naturall forme of a mans body The mysticall bodie hath not 2 The proper body hath a head breast members seuered The mysticall hath not 3 The proper body hath bones vaines sinewes The mystical hath not 4 That may bee seene and touched This can neither be seene nor touched 5 That is indued with the true sences of a body This is without sence as Epiphanius saith 6 That is organicall This is not 7 That is no figure This is a figure of his proper body 8 That is not in mysterie This is in mysterie 9 That of his owne nature is humane and bodily This is heauenly diuine and spirituall 10 The matter of that is not subiect to corruption The materiall part of this is bread and is corrupted 11 No man may eate that by it selfe This both a man may and ought to eate 12 That is contained in one place This wheresoeuer the Sacrament is ministred is present but not as in a place 13 That is not a Sacrament of another body This is a Sacrament of another body 14 That being taken of the virgin Maries bodie was once create This is not taken of the Virgin but daylie by the mysticall benediction is create potentiallie by the testimonie of Augustin and Cyprian 15 That is a naturall body This is aboue nature 16 Finally that is simply This is after a sort 17 That properly perfectly This is a bodie vnproperly Hitherto wee haue spoken of the difference which the auncient Fathers haue godly and diligently obserued betweene Christs proper bodie and the Sacrament of the same bodie In the which although many things haue beene spoken which doe not only declare that there is a difference which in this place we meant to doe but also doe admonish vs vvithall what manner of bodie that is in the sacrament Yet because wee haue not hitherto so fully expressed this point as the weightines of the matter requireth We haue thought good from hence-forvvard to intreate of this part more fullie Namely in vvhat sort this Sacrament is the Lords bodie and wherefore our Lord himselfe at the first as the Euangelists make mention aftervvard Paul the Apostle lastly all they of old time following the authoritie of them haue left in writing that it is so called and is so indeed not that this manner which is a spirituall and hid thing can be found out by mans reason or that wee goe about to search out curiously such things as bee forbidden and denyed but that all mans inuentions set apart we may follow those things that haue bene left vs by the authoritie of Scriptures and auncient Fathers that agree with them and that manner which the Lord himselfe would wee should know and the Church instructed by him and his Apostles hath receiued not to depart from that This is to bee holden fast which wee proued before that not onely the Lordes wordes which be spoken in the 6. Chapter of Iohn Vnlesse yee eate the flesh c. And My flesh is verily meate and the rest that followeth in the same place but also these wordes of the Lords supper Take ye eate ye this is my body and This is my blood are to bee vnderstood spiritually not carnally and that one maner of eating is meant in both places When I say Not carnally I meane Not according to the letter nor as the words doe properly sound for this is to vnderstand carnally as Chrysostome witnesseth vpon Iohn of these words The flesh profiteth nothing What is it Chrysostom in Ioan. Hom. 46. saith he to vnderstand carnally To vnderstand the things simply as they be spoken and nothing else For those things that be seene are not so to be iudged but all mysteries are to be considered with inward eyes that is to say spiritually Let not this rule of Chrysostome go out of our minds But these two Carnally and Spiritually are contrary when the one is forbidden the other is commanded and contrarywise And that carnall sense hath no place in this mysterie not onely Chrysostome is the Author as we recited euen now and Cyprian where he saith Neither doth carnall sense pearse the vnderstanding of so great a depth and Theophylactus writing thus But because we vnderstand it spiritually we be neither deuourers of flesh and yet be sanctified by that meat But to be short I may in maner say that all the ancient Fathers with one voice do forbid vs to vnderstand the wordes of the Lords Supper carnally and command a spirituall meaning The which by many testimonies repeated in this peece of worke euery man may readily perceiue Neither is this sufficient if we auoyd one maner of vnderstanding carnally and fall into another For he that doth vnderstand the eating of Christs flesh after the letter and as it were a proper kinde of speech he is a carnall Capernaite whether he suppose it to be done properly one way or another That is plaine by these wordes of Augustin vpon the 98. Psalme Augustine in Psal 98. It seemed a hard matter to them that he said Vnlesse a man eate c. They tooke it fondly and imagined of it carnally and thought that the Lord would haue cut out peeces of his body and haue giuen to them And a little after That which I haue spoken vnderstand ye spiritually You shall not eate this body which you see I haue commended to you a certaine sacrament if it be spiritually vnderstood it will giue you life Here Augustine calleth carnall vnderstanding foolishnesse and appointeth spirituall vnderstanding as necessary And his meaning is not that this is onely a carnall sense if a man should imagine of the cut pieces of the Lords body albeit he rehearseth but this one carnall way of vnderstanding but also of all other the like For it is a likely matter that euen all the Capernaites did vnderstand it carnally and yet not all after one way Cyprian For one maner is rehearsed of Cyprian writing thus It seemed to them a horrible and wicked matter to feed of the flesh of man imagining that this had bene so spoken as though they should haue bene taught to eate his flesh either sodden or rosted or cut in gobbets Cyrillus And Cyrillus doth impute to them another kinde of carnall vnderstanding for he saith For after they had heard Verily verily I say to you vnlesse ye eate the flesh c. they thought Christ had called them
who wil thinke those distant from this naturall vnion which be vnited in one CHRIST by the vnion of one CHRISTS bodie For if all we eat one bread we be made all one body And within few wordes after But that this bodily vniting to CHRIST is attained by the partaking of his flesh Paul himselfe againe doeth witnesse disputing of the mysterie of godlinesse the which saith he hath not bene knowen to the sonnes of men in other generations as it hath bene reueiled now to his holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit that the Gentiles be coheires and ioyned in body and equall partakers of the promise in Christ The same man to Calosyrius Idem ad Calosyrium For that wee should not be afraide of the flesh and blood set vpon the holy Altars God submitting himselfe to our frailtie putteth a force of life into those things that bee offered turning them into the trueth of his owne flesh that the body of life as it were a certaine quickning seed may bee found in vs whereupon he addeth Doe this in a remembrance of me Hitherto Cyrillus Cyprianus de coena Domini Cyprian of the Supper of the Lord This bread not in outward apparence but in nature changed by the mightie power of the Word is made flesh which the Lord did reach to his disciples And in the same place Who euen to this day createth and sanctifieth blesseth and diuideth to those that take it godly this his most true and holy bodie Hieron in Matth. de consecrat dist 2. Hierom vpon Matthew De consecrat dist 2. He tooke bread which is the comforter of man and passed to the true Sacrament of Passeouer That as Melchisedec for a figure therof before had done when he offered bread and wine he should represent it in the trueth of his bodie and blood Chrysost in Io. Hom. 45. Chrysostom vpon Iohn Hom. 45. But that not onely by loue but euen in very deed wee should be turned into that flesh he worketh the same by the meate which hee hath giuen vs. For when he ment to bring his loue vpon vs he ioyned himselfe to vs by his body and made himselfe one with vs that the body might be knit with the head The same man Homil. 61. Idem Hom. 61. Therefore that we should be this not only by charitie but in very deed should bee mingled with that flesh this is brought to passe by the meat which hee hath giuen vs. Chrysostom hath also many other sayings to the same meaning Those things that S. Ambrose writeth in his 6. Ambros lib. 6. de sacra cap. 1. booke the first chapter of the Sacraments do agree with these Euen as our Lord IESVS CHRIST is the true Sonne of God not as men be by grace but as a Sonne of the substance of the Father so is that which wee take the very flesh of CHRIST and they drinke his very blood as he himselfe said And a little after Then when his disciples could not away with the talke of CHRIST but hearing that he would giue them his flesh to eate and his blood to drinke they went away But Peter alone said Thou hast the words of eternall life and whither should I goe from thee Lest therefore any moe should say this as though there should be a kinde of lothsomnesse of blood but that the grace of redemption might remaine therefore receiuest thou the Sacrament in a similitude but thou obteinest the grace and vertue of the true nature The same man in his 4. booke the 4. Idem lib. 4. cap. 4. cap. Thou seest therefore how effectuall in operation the word of CHRIST is If then there be so great efficacie in the word of our Lord IESVS CHRIST that that should begin to bee which was not How much more is it of effect to make those things to be that were before and to be changed into another thing And so that which was bread before the consecration the same is become the body of CHRIST after the consecration because the word of CHRIST doeth change the creature And so of bread is made the body of CHRIST and the wine mixed with water in the cup is made blood by the consecration of the heauenly word But perhaps thou wilt say I see not the forme of blood But it hath a likenesse For euen as thou hast taken the likenes of his death so also doest thou drinke the similitude of his blood that there should be no abhorring of blood and yet the price of our redemption wrought Also before the wordes of CHRIST the cup is full of wine water after the words of CHRIST haue wrought there is the blood made which hath redeemed the people Therefore marke how the word of CHRIST is able to make alteration in all things Beside CHRIST himselfe doeth testifie that wee doe receiue his bodie and blood of whose fulnesse and testimonie we ought not to doubt Likewise peraduenture thou saiest I see another thing How prouest thou that I do receiue the bodie of CHRIST This remaineth yet for vs to proue that this is not it which nature hath fashioned but it that blessing hath hallowed and that there is greater force of the blessing then of nature because nature it selfe is also changed by the blessing Also But if the blessing of man was of such force that it could turne nature What doe we say of the very heauenly consecration whereas the very wordes of the Lord our Sauiour do worke For this Sacramēt which thou receiuest is wrought by the words of CHRIST But if the word of Elias was of such force that it could bring fire from heauen Shall not the word of CHRIST be of power to change the kinds of elements Eusebius Emyssenus de consecrat dist 2. Eusebius Emyssenus likewise who was in yeeres before Ambrose doth witnes in these wordes the opinion which was then had of the Sacrament and it is had De consecrat dist 2. Whereupon the heauenly authoritie confirmeth That my flesh is verily meat and my blood is verily drinke Let therefore all doubt of misbeliefe be laid aside because hee that is author of the gift is likewise witnesse of the trueth For the inuisible priest doeth turne with his word by a secret power the visible creatures into the substance of his bodie and blood saying thus Take ye eate ye this is my body and the hallowing being repeated Take ye drinke ye this is my blood Therefore euen as the height of the heauens the depth of waters and largenesse of earth had their being of nothing suddenly at the becke of the Lord that commanded so with the like power in the spirituall Sacraments when power commandeth effect obeieth How great therefore and wonderfull benefits the force of the heauenly blessing doeth worke How it ought not to seeme a new vnpossible matter to thee that earthly and mortal things bee turned into the substance of Christ aske thy selfe that art
borne anew in Christ Hee againe in his oration of the bodie of the Lord Let not man dout but that the chiefe creatures at the becke of power by the presence of Maiestie may be turned into the nature of the Lords bodie Leo Syn. Rom. de consec dist 2. Leo the bishop and the Synode of Rome as is there declared In what darknesse of ignorance in what bodie of slouthfulnes haue they hitherto lyen that they would neither learne by hearing nor know by reading that which is so agreeable in the congregation vvith the confession of all persons that the trueth of the bodie and blood of Christ among the Sacraments of the communion cannot be kept in silence no not of the tongues of Infants because in that mysticall distribution of the spirituall food this is giuen and this is receiued that wee receiuing the strength of this heauenly meat doe become his flesh which was made our flesh Gregor hom Pasch ibidem Gregorie homilia paschali and it is there rehearsed For he is daily eaten and drunke in trueth but yet he remaineth vvhole and one and vnspotted And it is therefore a great mysterie and to be reuerenced with feare because there is one thing to the sight and another to the vnderstanding Euthym. in Matth. cap. 64. Euthymius vpon Matthew cap. 64. Therfore euen as the old Testament had sacrifices and blood so also hath the Nevv namely the bodie and blood of the Lord. For hee said not These be signes of my body but he said These be my body my blood Therfore vvee must not take heed to the nature of those things that bee set before vs but to the vertue of them For euen as aboue nature hee did deifie the flesh that vvas taken of the Virgine if it bee lavvfull to vse this phrase so also doeth hee vnspeakeably change these things into his very liuely bodie and into his very precious blood and into the grace of them Theophil in Matth. cap. 26. Theophilactus vpon Matt. 26. In saying This is my body hee declareth that the bread vvhich is sanctified vpon the Altar is the very body of the Lord and not a figure ansvvering vnto it for he said not This is a figure but This is my body The bread is transformed by an vnspeakable working into the body of Christ albeit it seemes bread to vs that bee weake and abhorre to eate raw flesh especially the flesh of man For that cause truly bread appeareth but it is flesh The same man vpon Marke cap. 14. Idem in Marc. cap. 14. When he had blessed it that is vvhen he had giuen thanks he brake the bread which thing also we do adding thereto prayers This is my body this I say which you take For the bread is not a figure and example onely of the Lords body but it is turned into the very bodie of Christ Damascenus doth also vvrite almost the very same things lib. 4. cap. 14. Damas de fide Orth. lib. 4. cap. 14. The bread and vvine is not a figure of the body and blood of Christ to the right faith for God forbid wee should beleeue so but it is the very deified bodie of the Lord by his owne saying This is my body not a figure of my bodie but my bodie This is my blood not a figure of my blood Many other places also may be brought forth here taken out of the Fathers vvhich agree with the rehearsed by al the vvhich vve may easily perceiue what vvas the opinion of them al asmuch as apperteineth to this part of our diuision namely that the Sacrament of Thankesgiuing is not only a figure of the Lords body but also comprehendeth in it the trueth nature substance of the same For it cannot be a doubt to any man that will read their writings that they oftentimes vsed these termes Truly Naturally Substantially the coniugates of them And although our faith dependeth not vpon men but vpon the word of God yet since they defend their opinion with the authoritie of the Scripture it is very profitable for godly minds desirous of the trueth to cōsider how so many notable men both for godlinesse and learning haue vnderstood the words of the Scripture and with great agreement left their interpretations to their succession neither shall he auoid the blame of rashnesse whosoeuer he be that dare despise so great authoritie Now let vs take in hand our second part Whether they of ancient time haue thought that there is any difference between the body of our Lord which is distributed in the Sacrament and that which was taken of the Virgin mother vvhich ascended into heauen and from thence shall come at his time to Iudgement That is whether the body of Christ bee in the Sacrament of Thankesgiuing according to the proper signification of a mans body or otherwise differing somewhat from a proper body When I speake of a proper body I meane a body properly vnderstand which shall suffice to haue once admonished Then vvhether these termes Trueth Nature Substance ought to be vnderstand after the common sort in this matter or after a more peculiar maner and more fit for the Sacraments Finally whether there be any aequiuocation in these termes or no. For there is not onely heed to bee taken with vvhat words the fathers haue spoken in old time but also what they ment when they so spake And that is not to be proued by our ovvne or other mens inuentions or light coniectures but by the assured testimonies of the Fathers themselues But that wee may haue the easier entrie to this matter wee must perceiue that the body of Christ is called not after one maner vvise in the Scriptures but sundry vvaies First as that bodie as vvas taken vpon him and borne of the Virgin vvhich also rose againe and ascended into heauen of the vvhich this vvas spoken Mee truely shall ye not haue alway And this I leaue the world and go to my Father And this Feele and behold for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me haue Secondarily as the Church is called the body of Christ according to this saying You are Christs body And this And he gaue him to be a head ouer all things to the Church which is his body Thirdly as the Sacrament of the body of Christ is called the body of Christ wherof Christ himselfe said This is my body And Paul The bread which we breake is it not the partaking of the body of Christ And this Making no difference of the Lords bodie Which places be vnderstood of the Sacrament of his body vvhereby it commeth to passe that the bodie of Christ is called properly and vnproperly Properly that bodie taken of the Virgin Vnproperly the Sacrament and the Church That the Church is not properly the bodie of Christ no man doubteth It remaineth that vvee prooue the same of the Sacrament This is especially to bee marked