vel Spiritualis illa atque Divina de qua ipse dixit caro mea vere est cibus sanguis meus verè est potus vel caro sanguis quae Crucifixa est qui militis effusus est lancea S. Hierom. Comment in Ep. ad Ephes cap 1. understood in a twofold sense either for the Spiritual and Divine Flesh and Bloud of which our Lord said my Flesh is meat indeed and my Bloud is drink indeed or for that Flesh and Bloud which was Crucified and which was poured out by the Souldiers Spear So doth S. Austin distinguish the Invisible the Intelligible the Spiritual Gratian. de Consecr dist 2. cap. 148. Flesh and Bloud of Christ from that Visible that Palpable Body of his which is full of Grace and of the Divine Majestie This he calls strictly and properly the Body of Christ Donec seculum finiatur sursum est Dominus sed tamen hic etiam nobiscum est veritas Domini Corpus enim Domini in quo resurrexit unto loco esse oportet Veritas autem ejus ubique diffusa est Id. cap. 144. Quaere whether it should not be read Virtus instead of veritas Whereas in some Ancient Authors and specially in S. Austin there is mention made of Veritas Domini and Veritas corporis Dominici c. I mistrust that those Expressions are corrupt and that we should read Virtus Domini and Virtus corporis c. Albertinus observed a corruption in a passage of S. Cyril Translated out of Greek into Latin by Thomas Aquinas in the Catena There 't is thus Influit Deus oblatis vim vitae convertens ea in veritatem propriae carnis whereas it should have been rendred in virtutem propriae carnis for 't is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at Albertinus shews out of Victor Antiochenus his Comment upon S. Mark preserved in the Kings Library at Paris Albertin de Sacr. Euchar. lib. 2. pag. 752. Here was a Palpable Trick so there might be in other such instances for ought we know the other he calls the truth of his Body meaning the Virtue of it and saith positively that till the end of the world the Lord is in heaven above nevertheless that the truth of the Lord is with us here below For that Body of Christ wherein he arose is necessarily to be in one place but the truth or Virtue thereof is diffused every where St. Ambrose speaking of that Body which is received in the Eucharist calls it the Spiritual S. Ambros de Mister c. 9. Body of Christ the Body of a Divine Spirit and this I confidently affirm of all the Ancients who have either purposely interpreted or occasionally quoted those words of Christ in the sixth of S. John that they all understand him to speak of our feeding upon him after a Spiritual manner and of Spiritual food of Spiritual Flesh of Spiritual Bloud which he doth give us from Heaven to eat and drink of Secretly and Undiscernably always distinguishing this Spritual Body not onely from the Substance of the Holy Elements but also from that Natural Body of Christ which he took of the Substance of the Holy Virgin 2. This then being manifest that our Saviour hath a Spiritual body of which and of which alone we do participate I am now in the next place to shew what that spiritual Body is Now by his spiritual body we mean the spiritual virtues of his glorified Body those Heavenly streams of Grace which flow from him those vital Powers which we receive into our Bosoms through him those Divine operations which our poor Souls depend upon him for those Coelestial and admirable influences which are derived to his whole Church from his Throne of Glory For the right understanding of this matter we must consider 1. That the Body of Christ is filled not only with the habitual Graces of the Holy Spirit where with he was anointed above his Brethren but filled too even with the Majesty of the God head so that in him all the fullness of the God-head dwelleth bodily that is really substantially and fully Col. 2. 9. 2. We must consider that of his fullness all we do now receive plentifully and Grace upon Grace as St. John tells us Jo. 1. 16. So that tho Christ be in Heaven above all Principalities and Powers and there is to remain until the restitution of all things yet is he unto every one of us the Source and principle of Life Virtue goeth out of him even now still he imparteth himself to us after an ineffable but effectual manner and the meanest Soul in his Church is no more hid from the Emanations of his Grace than the least Plant in a Garden is hid from the influence of the Sun Hence it is that we are said to be made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Because we do partake of those Divine Graces and Influences which flowing from Him do transform and shapen Us into his own likeness And this is that anointing which St. John speaks of 1. Jo. 2. 20. Ye have an unction from the Holy one meaning that plentiful effusion of the Holy Spirit through the Man Christ Jesus whereby the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts For Christ himself hath received the Spirit without measure and is anointed with the Oyl of gladness above his Brethren but this is like the Oyntment which was upon Aaron it was poured out upon his Head but it ran down even to the skirts of his cloathing and perfumed his whole Body So doth the Spirit of Christ descend from Him upon Us in streams of bliss and joy and every drop of comfort which falleth upon our hearts is a distillation from him whom God hath made the head of his Church At present I do only suppose what shall be shew'd by and by that every faithful Christian doth derive Virtues from the Blessed Jesus which do relieve and operate upon our Souls as those Virtues did upon the Bodies of such as were healed and relieved by him in the days of his Flesh For St. Luke tells us Luk. 6. 19. that there went Virtue out of him so that he healed them all And when that poor Woman had been healed of her bloody issue only by touching our Saviours Cloathes he himself said that virtue had gone out of him Mark 5. 30. which Story is related by St. Luke too who adds also that Jesus perceived that Virtue was gone out of him Luc. 8. 46. And if such wonders were wrought by the Virtues of his body in his state of Servitude and Humiliation we may well believe that he now casteth upon every member of his Church more Abundant Virtues and influences since his body now is infinitely Glorious and Vivifick by reason that the Divinity which was hid in him before abideth in it in its greatest plenitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Ignat. Ep. ad Ephes 3. Now these spiritual Virtues we
his when he became Incarnate so his Nature is United to Ours when we eat his Flesh and drink his Bloud And this we infallibly do when we worthily celebrate this Holy Mystery Though in some cases men may eat his Flesh and drink his Bloud Spiritually and by faith alone without the Sacrament yet we do it much more and more effectually by the Sacrament and consequently we must be supposed to be more nearly United to him by means of this Ordinance then by any other means whatsoever Hence it was as some of the Ancients tell us that Christ appointed the use of such Creatures as are of a Nourishing faculty for so Bread and Sicut cibus materialis forinsecus nutrit corpus vegetat ita etiam verbum Dei intus animam nutrit roborat c. Raban de Serm. proprietate lib. 5. cap. 11. Wine are to shew that as there is a Natural Incorporation of our nourishment into our Flesh so there is a Spiritual Incorporation if I may so speak of Christ into our souls And hence it is that others of them compare the Spirit of Christ which is received by the Sacrament to Leaven representing to us by that Similitude that there is such a Diffusion Cyril Alex. in Joan. l. 4. cap. 17. of Spiritual Virtue throughout the soul as there is of ferment that leaveneth the whole Lump into which it is cast And Id. lib. 10. c. 13. hence it is that S. Cyril also compares the Mixture of Christ's Nature with Ours to the Mixture of wax with wax when several pieces of wax are melted and incorporated together All these Notions and Similitudes and divers more such which we meet with in the writings of the Ancients do shew that by eating Christs Flesh and drinking his Bloud especially at and by the Sacrament we do so participate of his Spirit of his Virtues Influences and Divine Nature as that Christ and we do become One * Quemadmodum intelligit Cyrillus Glaphyr in Genes lib. 7. Christum se in animas immittere per Gratiam virtutem Spiritus sic etiam sensus ipsius est eum corpora ingredi per virtutem corporis sui Eucharistiae communicatam nec ulterius urgendae sunt comparationes quas affert mixtionis scentillae ignis caerae fermenti Albertinus ubi supr pag. 761. And thence followeth the last inestimable blessing that I shall mention a Blessing that we carry with us to the very Grave viz. an Assurance and Pledge of a Glorious Resurrection It is appointed unto man once to dye Heb. 9. 27. This Sentence having past upon our Parents in Paradise Nature it self doth now Execute it upon their Posterity For as none can bring a clean thing out of an Unclean so none can bring an Incorruptible thing out of a Mortal We dye of course Christ that took on him the burden of our sins did not take off this weight from us though he delivered us from all Necessity of tumbling into Hell yet there are wise and great Reasons for which he did not think it fit for him to keep us from falling into the Grave But yet that we may dye in Hope in hope of a joyfull Resurrection as corn is committed to the earth in hope of a good Harvest Christ doth by this Sacrament take Seisure of our Bodies by communicating to us his Own and so uniting us to himself that he may change our vile Body and make it like unto his own Glorious Body according to the mighty Energy whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3. 13. Hence it is that the Church in her wisdome hath thought it convenient that men should often receive this Sacrament especially in times of danger distress and Sickness to the end that they may make their peace with God and with their own Consciences and may go out of this world with firm and well grounded hopes both of a plenary Absolution and of an Happy Resurrection For this Sacrament is an Earnest to assure all worthy Communicants that these very Bodies of theirs in which Infirmities and death do now Lodge shall be raised again out of the dust being nourisht as it were out of the veins of our Redeemer These Elements are the Symbols of our Resurrection the Medicine of Immortality the Antitode that keeps us from Final Corruption the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep ad Ephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athanal Conservatory for a Resurrection to Eternal Life That which hath been spoken already doth make this evident sufficiently 1. For first it is sure that by the Sacrament we receive the Spirit of Christ and since the same Spirit is communicated to Us that dwelleth in Him it must necessarily follow that it shall have the same power over our Flesh which it had over His to raise it up again at the day appointed Thus S. Paul himself argueth Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you 2. Secondly seeing the Holy Communion is an instrument of Uniting even our Bodies unto him who is the Head over all so that the members of our Bodies are the very members of Christ and we become as it were bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh less cannot follow then that our Bodies shall be made Immortal as His is it being impossible that any thing which is His should perish everlastingly To effect such an Union as is between Christ and his Church it is not necessary nor possible that there should be a confusion or conjunction of bodily Substances It sufficeth that there is a Contact of Spiritual Vertue from the Flesh of Christ Now this Vertue goes along with the Sacrament and is received by every faithful Communicant so that it doth affect even his Body Sanctifying and Appropriating it to the Saviour of our Souls and Bodies both and making our whole man His. And this Union cannot in any wise be dissolved by Death because Death is onely a Separation of the Soul from the Body so that for that time the one loseth all vital activity from the other but neither of them doth or can lose its Title to Christs Protection the Body continueth still related unto its Head as in time of its Life and the Union between Christ and it remaineth entire and so its Right to a glorious Resurrection through Christ is indefeisable In this respect our Condition is very like to the Condition of the Son of God when he himself was in a state of Death He dyed as we do though to purposes infinitely Great and with torments unspeakably Excessive his Spirit was actually sever'd from his Flesh when he gave up the Ghost Nevertheless though his Flesh had no manner of vitality from his Humane Soul being really Separated from it yet it was not separated from the Deity
there is a Substantial but an Accidental So Philo saith of Cajus Caesar when he changed the Temple of God at Jerusalem into a Temple bearing his own Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. lib. de legatione noted by Eusebius Eccles Hist 2. cap. 6. mutation an alternation of the state Condition and Quality of the man or the thing but not of the Substance or Nature for the Convert is a man still but something more that is a Servant of Christ and the Minister is a Christian man still but something more that is an Ambassadour of the Gospel and the Fabrick is an House still but something more that is the House of God In like manner when St. Chrysostome and the rest of the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Prodit Judae Tom. 5. p. 559. say that upon repeating the words of Institution the things which lye before us on the Holy Table are Changed the meaning clearly is not that their Nature or Substance is Destroyed but that the Condition of them is altered so that they are Bread and Wine still but something more that is they are now become Sacraments the vehicles of Grace the means and Instruments whereby the Spiritual Body and Bloud of Christ are conveyed and communicated to us Upon this account when we go to the Holy Communion we should think we go as indeed we do to an Ordinance of the greatest Consideration and Consequence we should value it highly for that Divine stamp which the Holy Jesus hath set upon it we should prize it according to the Purport and Ends for which it was first instituted and we should regard not so much the things themselves which we eat and drink as the Institution of the thing together with the Power and Blessing of God which doth attend it Men that do not look into the Inside of this heavenly Mystery but judge according to Appearance are apt to entertain mean and low thoughts of it because they see none but a weak and Sinful man that Ministreth and nothing but the Common Creatures of Bread and Wine that are distributed But when we present our selves before the Lords Table we should Lift up our Hearts and Raise our Thoughts above those things which are obvious to the Sense we should bear in our Hence that very Ancient Admonition extant in S. Cyprian de Orat. Dom. and in divers Ancient Liturgies Sursum corda Lift up your hearts minds the Truth the Goodness and the Power of God and consider that it is the Usual method of his Providence to bring the Greatest Ends about by the use of such means as to our thinking are the most Unlikely and incompetent for those purposes Thus it was as to his choice of Persons in the beginning of Christianity he employed such men for the great work of the Ministry as in the esteem of the world were of the least and Meanest consideration One a Publican another a Tent-maker many that were Fishermen few that were Learned none that were Noble or that bore a great Figure in the world and yet by these weak these contemptible Instruments I mean weak in themselves and Contemptible in the account of others by these instruments were Philosophers Princes Kingdomes and infinite numbers of Jews and Idolaters Captivated and brought in obedience to the Faith of the Son of God we have this Treasure of the Gospel in Earthen vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of Us saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 4. 7. Thus it hath been Gods method too as to his choice of things He hath been wont to use the most Ordinary the most Contemptible means to effect his purposes of Grace and Mercy that he might shew the greatness of his own Power and convince the world that nothing is so mean but that it shall be serviceable and effective of Noble ends as long as it is the hand of an Almighty Agent What was Circumcision that it should be the Seal of Abrahams Righteousness and a sure Token of Gods Covenant with him and his whole Issue what was the noise of a few Rams-horns that it should tumble down the walls of Jericho or a Cake of barly bread that it should be seen to overturn the Tents of the Midianites or a Brasen Serpent that the sight of it should cure the wounds of the Israelites or a little lump of Figs that it should presently heal Hezekiah what was a manger that it should be the Cradle of the Lord of Glory or a Cross that it should be the Altar for the great Propitiatory Sacrifice to be offered up upon it what was St. Peters Shadow that it should restore the sick and cast Unclean Spirits out of their Holds and Possessions nay what is a little Water that it should Cleanse and Sanctifie all our souls and make Baptized persons the Vessels of Election And yet S. Paul calls it the Washing of Regeneration Tit. 3. 5. And the operations of Christs Spirit are so effectual by Baptisme that to every Faithful man it becomes the instrument of Salvation And why should it be thought a thing incredible that God should bless the use of the Bread and Wine or make it productive of those Spiritual Benefits which have been afore-mentioned Our Faith ought not to stumble at this we should not look upon the Elements but upon the Institution not take an estimate of this Ordinance by the Creatures we receive but by the Divine Benediction that cometh down upon them For when Christ Blessed the Bread and the Cup and commanded the use of them he intended that this Mystery should ever be successful and effectual to every Soul that should be rightly Disposed 'T is S. Chrysostoms observation S. Chrys ubi Supr that when God blessed his Creatures in the beginning and commanded them to be Fruitful and Multiply that word though it was given so long ago yet 't is powerfull still and will be powerful to the worlds end and by Virtue thereof the least grain of mustard seed groweth up to a great plant In like manner that Blessing wherewith the Son of God blessed the bread and Wine at the Institution of this Solemnity ceaseth not now but is as effectual as ever so that they are still the Instruments of Our growth in Grace as they were to the Disciples in the beginning not indeed by any Natural Causality that is in them but by the good Pleasure and Blessing of God and by the Operation of the Holy Ghost For the workings of the Spirit though they be Mysterious and Secret yet are they certain and True and at this Heavenly Solemnity the work of the Spirit is done So that we must draw our minds off from the things which are below which are before us which we see and taste of and Fix our thoughts upon the Spiritual Body and Bloud of Christ which are as it were wrapped up in them and as the Ancients were wont to admonish we
Credit of our Senses give Atheistical Spirits and all that are Enemies to our Religion advantage and Arguments to Discredit all the Doctrines of Christianity and therefore their Hypothesis is so far from being Believed that it is to be Condemned as Impious and Scandalous in the Highest degree For if when our Senses tell us this is Bread and this is Wine we may not Trust our Senses Ill men will presently draw thence this Natural Conclusion that they have no Reason to give credit to any Article of the Christian Creed especially if the Church of Rome be Infallible in this definition that mens Judgements must not be governed by what they See or feel The credibility of the whole Gospel dependeth Originally upon the Testimony of Sense and we therefore believe the Evangelical tidings to be True because we believe they were Preached by the most Holy Jesus and were Attested by God himself who by working wonders Confirmed the Doctrines which were taught by his Eternal Son Now if men over-rule the Evidence which is given by Sense I would fain know how the Subtilest Romanist can prove that there was such a one as Christ in the world or that he was not a meer Phantasm as some Hereticks thought of old Or how can they make it credible upon Sufficient grounds that Christ Preached some of those things which the Papists themselves believe or that he Confirmed his Doctrine by Miracles They must at last come to this that competent witnesses heard him deliver those Doctrines and saw his works and to all this any Infidel may answer that according to their Principle mens Senses may be Deceived and if we may not believe our Own eyes as they say we must not what reason is there to believe the Senses of Others and if All may be mistaken how can it be made appear that the History of the Gospel is not a Dream a Fancy a Fable as one of the Popes did upon a time call it The Holy Apostles proved the Truth of Christs Religion by the certainty of their Senses So S. John 1. Jo. 1. 1 2 3. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our Eyes which we have looked upon and our Hands have Handled of the word of Life for the Life was made Manifest and we have seen it and bear witness c. that which we have Seen and Heard declare we unto you The Expressions are ingeminated to shew the Truth and Certainty of Christs being in the Flesh and this certainty is proved by the Testimony of their Senses which undeniably argues that such a Testimony is to be taken when the Organs of Sensation are rightly disposed and the Object is suitable to the Faculty Briefly the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead is the fundamental Article upon which many others do depend for if Christ be not risen then is our Preaching in vain and your faith is also vain 1. Cor. 15. 14. Now Christ himself appealed to the Senses of his Disciples to Convince them that he was Risen indeed As they were frighted at his appearance and fancied that it was a Ghost to Satisfie them to the Full Behold said he my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have S. Luke 24. 39. Now if they had reason to conclude that it was their Master indeed because they heard saw and handled him why may not we aswell believe and conclude that this is Bread and Wine indeed when we see and taste and smell and feel it to be so The Apostles had the Testimony but of Three Senses we have the Testimony of Four and if our Senses must not be believed then not theirs neither and then what becomes of our Christian Religion 2. Methinks all thoughtful men should mistrust that cause which to secure it self from the danger of a Shock blinds their eyes and befools them into such absolute Bondage that they must be obliged to believe that snow is Ink and that Ice is fire But besides this secondly nothing can be more contrary to Reason than the doctrine of Transubstantiation The Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord saith Solomon Prov. 20. 27. and 't is senseless to imagine that when God set up this luminary in our hearts his meaning was that we should mind it no more than as if we lived in utter darkness or that it should be less useful to us than the light of a Glow worm Now first this is a certain principle of Reason that a man can have but one body and so we are to conclude that Christ himself had no more But if that which he gave to his Disciples was his very Natural Body consisting of so many organical parts then had he more Bodies than one even as many as there were Morsels because it is supposed that every Disciple received the body of Christ entirely Now this is an imagination which the greatest Hereticks yet never durst to defend Some indeed held of old that Christ had no real Body at all but only an imaginary and Phantastick being which was a delusion of mens senses so the followers of Simon Magus the Marciouites and others did falsly maintain But that he had more than one natural Body properly so called none did ever affirm And yet this is the consequence of the Romish Doctrine of Transubstantiation For either his Natural body is not in the Wafer at all or else it is not there wholly and entirely or else it must be supposed to be multiplied proportionably to the number of the consecrated Wafers And hence it must follow of necessity that as at the institution of this Sacrament Christ had some Bodies which were not Crucified for the Supper was before the Passion and that body which every Apostle did eat was never Crucified so still that Christ hath an indefinite number of Bodies even as many as there are Communicants in the whole World And then where shall we find that one man Christ Jesus that St. Paul speaks of Rom. 5. 15. the gift of grace hath abounded unto many by one man Jesus Christ Again Secondly these are certain and Eternal principles of Reason that one and the same body can be but in one and the same Place at once as my body cannot be here and at the Indies in the same moment for then it would be one Body and yet not one at the same time it is certain by reason that a body must have Parts divisible and distinct the one from another as every humane Body hath a Leg distinct from the arm and the head distinct from the trunk for else it would be a body and not a body A body must be Circumscribed and limited to a determinate space proportionable to its dimensions for else it would be a finite and yet an infinite substance A body cannot be broken into pieces and yet remain entire for then it