VIII I. Wee must learne of Christ how he giveth himselfe and how we receiue him II. Christ giveth himselfe vnto vs by his Spirit III. To be in Christ and to haue the Spirit of Christ are equivalent in the Scriptures IV. We haue no reall vnion with Christ in the Sacraments but by the Spirit V. It is easie to the Spirit to vnite vs vnto Christ VI. We must pray for the Spirit WE shall not goe astray if in this point and all others we follow the counsell of S. x Cyrill in Ioh. lib. 4. c. 13. Quaerendum enim ita semper est vt apud cum habitemus ad alienas sententias non defer amur Cyrillus and make inquirie in such sort that we dwell with God and be not caried about with the opinions of men Papists beleeue that they must eat Christ because he hath said it We beleeue it likewise But when he telleth vs also how he giveth himselfe and how we must eate him they stop their eares and will not heare we must not doe so we must say vnto him as Samuel did to GOD y 1 Sam. 3.9 Speake Lord for thy servant heareth He of all can best tell how he giveth himselfe and how we receiue him And what he answereth to both questions must be true TO THE first he answereth in the 63. verse of this Chapter saying It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake vnto you they are Spirit and they are life i. they must be vnderstood of the spirit which is a Rom. 8.2 the Spirit of life quickning the flesh of Christ and b Aug. in Iohan. tract 27. Ergospiritus est qui viuificat Spiritus euim facit viua membra making all the members of his body to liue by a spirituall vnion with him He had said before vers 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him And S. Iohn saith that c 1 Ioh. 4.13 hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in vs because he hath given vs of his Spirit It is then by the Spirit that he giveth himselfe vnto vs and dwelleth in vs. And this giving of himselfe vnto vs by his Spirit is so incompatible with his bodily presence that he averred for a most certaine truth that d Ioh. 16.7 it was expedient that he should goe away For if I goe not away said he the Cemforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you And what to doe e Ioh. 14.16.17.18 To abide with you for ever And this abiding of his Spirit with vs is his abiding with vs as he saith in the next verse I will not leaue you comfortlesse I will come to you THIS IS so true that in the new Testament to be in Christ and to haue the Spirit of Christ are equivalent The Apostle averreth that f Rom. 8.9.10 if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ he is not his Wherevnto he addeth If Christ be in you because Christ is not in vs but by his Spirit This vnion of Christ with vs extendeth it selfe to our bodies g 1 Cor. 6.15 Know ye not saith the Apostle that your bodies are the members of Christ If ye aske of him How He answereth h Vers 17. He that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one Spirit i. e. he is made one with the Lord by the holy Spirit as he sheweth when he asketh againe i Vers 19. What know you not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye haue of God WE haue no other kinde of vnion with Christ in the Sacraments It is written of our Baptisme that k 1 Cor. 12.13 by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body because it is the Spirit that in our Baptisme incorporateth vs in Christ It is also written of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 12.13 that we haue bin all made to drinke into one Spirit because that in that holy Sacrament he giveth his body vnto vs by his Spirit Although that his body should come downe from heaven and enter into our bodies it could not vnite vs vnto him as I haue said for the flesh profiteth nothing But that which is impossible to his flesh is easie to his Spirit which if he send from heaven into our hearts it will vnite vs vnto him more truely and neerely then our soules are vnited to our bodies THIS then is the true How Christ giveth himselfe to be eaten 1. Vse wherevnto we must submit our minds and cogitations without any further inquirie following the example of the blessed Virgin who when the Angel had instructed her that l Luk. 1.35.38 the holy Ghost should come vpon her and make her to conceiue brought into captivitie all her thoughts to the obedience of the Word of GOD and said Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy Word Behold I pray you how the Sunne budgeth not out of his heavenly tabernacle and neverthelesse darting his beames from heaven to earth communicateth it selfe to all the creatures that are on earth And shall we say that m Mal. 4.2 the Sunne of righteousnesse must leaue his celestiall and glorious palace to make good the word which he hath spoken of our communion with him O blasphemy He hath said that by his Spirit he will come vnto vs and dwell with vs He will doe it as he hath said it n Luk. 1.37 For with God no word shall be impossible WHEREFORE fettering our curiositie with the shackles of the word of God let vs cry to heaven o Veni creator Spiritus Et infunde coelitus Lucis tuae radium Come O most holy and blessed Spirit into our hearts assured that if we pray so earnestly God will heare vs p Luk. 11.13 For saith Christ if ye being evill know how to giue good gifts vnto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father giue the holy Spirit to them that aske him CHAPTER IX I. We must learne of Christ himselfe how we eate him II. Such bread such eating III. Such man such eating IV. Such sences and instruments to apprehend him such eating V. Such end of our eating such eating LET Vs in the next place goe againe vnto Christ and aske and learne of him how we must eate this bread which came downe from heaven For q August in Ioh tract 27 Patitur enim nos non contradicentes sed nosse cupientes he beareth with vs when we aske of him not to contradict but to learne O ye that haue an eare to heare heare r Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong vnto the Lord our God Å¿ 1 Sam. 6.19 Looke not with the men of Bethshemesh into this Arke of the Lord t Iob. 33.13 He giueth not account of any of his matters u Deut. 29.29 But
some aske why Iesus Christ did vse such Metaphoricall words of bread of eating seeing he might haue said in proper cleare tearmes that h Heb. 5.9 he is the author of eternall salvation vnto all them that obey him as the Apostle calleth him in the Epistle to the Hebrewes I answere first O man wilt thou teach the Word and Wisdome of God to speake i Exod. 4.11 Who hath made mans mouth Or who maketh the dumbe or deafe the seeing or the blind Is it not I saith the Lord And wilt thou to render him like for like make his mouth Secondly I say that of all words those are most cleare and easie to be vnderstood which haue greatest conformitie with our affections desires For which cause God framing his stile to our capacity by similitudes of worldly things which are most esteemed and affected of vs leadeth vs from the lower parts of the earth far aboue all the visible heavens from carnall and sensuall imaginations to spirituall and godly meditations from the vaine cōceit which we haue of our owne worthinesse to bungring and thirsting after his righteousnesse Neither did he fetch such similitudes from a farre off but e re natâ as his servants did light on such or such things he maketh allusion vnto them and by them instructeth his people in the knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven Because men prise gold aboue all mettall and value precious stones at an high rate he saith that he k Efa 54.11 Rev. 21.18 will lay the foundations of his Church with precious stones make her gates of pearles her wals of iasper her streets of pure gold Because the Iewes were much given to bodily exercise and to renting their clothes in the dayes of their fasting he speaketh vnto them of a spirituall fasting which he calleth l Esa 58.6 the loosing of the bands of wickednesse c. and m Ioel. 2.11 the renting their hearts Because also they were ever bragging that they were Iewes and had the Circumcision the Apostle teacheth them that the true Iew n Rom. 2.28.29 whose praise is not of men but of God is one inwardly that the true Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit that all true Christians o Phil. 3.3 are the Circumcision CHRIST by whose Spirit the Prophets and Apostles spake did delight in such similitudes He exhorteth those which are addicted to gathering of perishable and momentarie treasures p Mat. 6.22 to lay vp for themselues treasures in heaven To them which told him when he was preaching that q Mat. 10.47.50 his mother and brethren desired to speake with him he answered whosoever shall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother When the woman of Samaria which was drawing water had said vnto him r Ioh. 4.9.10.14 How is it that thou being a Iew askest drinke of me which am a woman of Samaria He tooke occasion of her speech to call his doctrine his grace his owne selfe the living water whereof whosoever drinketh shall never thirst and by such speeches he brought her to the spirituall drinking of the water of grace whereof the well-spring is in heaven When his Disciples prayed him to take some meate he refused saying ſ Ioh. 4.34 My meate is to doe the will of him that seni me and to finish his worke In the last day of the feast of Tabernacles seeing the people very busie about drawing of water and powring of it out before the Lord as if that had beene the principall part of Gods seruice he stood and cryed t Ioh 7.37.38.39 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke He that beleeveth in me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This spake he of the Spirit which they that beleeue in him should receiue AFTER the same manner perceiving that those fiue thousand men which he had miraculously fed and filled with fiue loaues and two small fishes were come to make him a King not for any true loue vnto him but onely because they had bin fed by him and had conceived a new hope that following such a wonderfull King meate should never be wanting to their bellies yea that he would make bread to raine downe vpon them as Moses did vpon their fathers in the Wildernesse he by diversion speaketh to them of a farre more excellent bread which he would giue them even of the true bread which came downe from heaven and endureth vnto everlasting life exhorteth them to labour for it Shewing in all the Chapter and particularly in this verse that he is that bread and that the onely meane to labour for it is to beleeue in him If he had clothed them miraculously as miraculously he had fed them and if they had followed him thervpon to make him King he would vndoubtedly advised them to labour for the raiments which wax never old and said that he is that raiment As indeed the holy Apostle will haue vs to beleeue that Christ is our garment when he saith that u Gal. 3.27 as many as haue beene baptized into Christ haue put on Christ and exhorteth vs x Rō 13 14 to put on the Lord Iesus Christ Which no man that is not witlesse or besides himselfe will take literally neither also any of the other similitudes whereof there is great plentie in the Scripture and I haue related some few Let then Papists tell vs Why the words of this Chapter should be taken in a literall sence which they shall never be able to doe BVT to leaue Papists let vs who are to communicate this morning to the blessed seales of this doctrine weigh in our minds how Christ per allegoriam necessariorum pabulorum by the allegory of necessary food as y Tertull. de Resurrect Carnis cap. 37. Tertullian speaketh withdraweth the thoughts of his followers from the outward to the inward man from the flesh to the Spirit from the food of the body to the food of the soule a Aug. in Ioh. tract 25. Ille post miraculi Sacramentum sermonem infert vt si fieripotest qui pasti sunt pascantur quorum satiauit panibus ventres satiet sermonibus mentes sed si capiunt Et si non capiunt sumatur quod non capiunt ne fragmenta percant that if it be possible those which are fed may be fed againe and as he had filled their bellies with bread he may also fill their minds with his speeches But if they take them And if they take them not as indeed they tooke them not i.e. they vnderstood them not let vs take them least the fragments perish as we are exhorted by S. Austin Let vs I say now even now ponder with our selues that although we doe eate and drinke to maintaine this mortall and ever-dying life and that this is the
downe from heaven WHEN we call to minde the end of his comming When we heare now that he is come from heaven to be our bread to be the salvation of our soules When that truth shall be confirmed vnto vs in the Sacrament if we be not more insensible then stones and rocks we shall all acknowledge our great indignitie all cry vnto God with David r Psal 144.3 Lord what is man that thou takest knowledg of him Or the sonne of man that thou makest account of him When King David called Mephibosheth to eat bread at his table continually Mephibosheth bowed himselfe and said ſ 2 Sam. 9.7.8 What is thy servant that thou shouldest looke vpon a dead dog such as I am confessing his owne vnworthinesse although he was a Kings sonne How much more should we t Eph. 2.3 who are by nature the children of wrath acknowledge our selues to be worse then dead dogs when the King of Kings not onely calleth vs to eat bread at his table but also offereth himselfe vnto vs to be our bread Certainly we should u Origin homil 6. in diversos follow the laudable custom of the auncient Church on the Communion day and say vnto him as the Centurion did x Mat. 8.8 Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my rooffe Thus farre should goe our humilitie TRVE humilitie is the mother of obedience Behold saith he I stand at the doore and knocke y Rev. 3.20 If any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come to him sup with him and he with me When he knocketh shall I refuse to open vnto him because I am not worthy that he should come vnto me z Ioh. 1.11 He came to his owne That was mercie For they were not worthy that he should come vnto them And his owne received him not That was sinne As he said a Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken vnto them they had not had sinne but now they haue no cloake for their sinne b Mat. 22.1 The great King made the mariage of his Sonne and sent his servants to call them that were biddē to the wedding That was favour And they would not come That was ingratitude Therefore he was wroth against them and desiroyed them But he gaue good intertainment to the poore blind maimed halt that came For although they were not worthy to be called he was worthy to be obeyed We we are to day those ghefts too too vnworthy to sit at his Table and to eat of his Supper But seeing he saith this day to my sinfull soule as he said once to the Publicane and great sinner c Luk. 19.5 Zacheus To day I must abide at thy house I le make hast as Zacheus did I le leape downe from the Sycomore of pride I le run home with the seete of faith and of obedience to prepare the lodging of my soule for the Lord of glory I le receiue him ioysully into the house of mine heart And he will say to my soule This day salvation is to come to this house O eternall wisedome of the Father thou cryest vnto vs to day d Pro. 9.5 Come eat of my bread and drinke of the wine which I haue mingled O glorious spoufe of the Church thou vouch safest to be our e Cant. 5.1 honey combe and our honey our wine our milke and our bread and thou cryest againe vnto vs Eate O friends drinke abundantly O beloved In this blessed Sacrament thou sayest the third time f Mat. 26.26.27 Take eate This is my body drinke ye all of it This is my bloud And shall we not obey thee Shall we not follow the example of Mephibosheth Shall we not accept with reverence and thankesgiving the honour of thy Table and the benefit of thy meat Papists call not this pride it is humilitie call it not presumption It is obedience WE WHICH are invited to day to eate of this bread know that to obey is a most acceptable sacrifice to God and therefore let vs try our selues and come and eate The scripture as I haue said maketh mention of three commings of Christ Of his comming in the flesh in the Spirit and in glory The first was visible in infirmitie as the Prophet said g Esa 53.2 When we see him there is no beautie that we should desire him The second is invisible but yet most sensisible in the power of the holy Spirit crying in our harts h Rom. 8.15 Abba Father None seeth the Spirit in another But every true Christian feeleth it in himselfe i 2 Cor. 13.5 know ye not your owne selues saith the Apostle how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates And he saith that k Rom. 8.9 if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his because Christ is in vs by his Spirit The third shall be visible in Maiestie when l Esa 52.10 all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord. In the first m Ioh. 1.11 he came vnto his owne and his owne received him not In the second he cōmeth n Vers 23. to them that loue him and keepe his words In the third o Heb 9.28 he shall appeare vnto them that looke for him vnto salvation p Bernard de Adnentu domini serm 5. In primo Christus fuit redemptio nostra In vltimo apparebit vita nostra In isto requies est consolatio nostra In his first comming he was our redemption In the second he is our rest and consolation In the last he shall be our life O then O let vs thanke him for his first comming whereby he hath redeemed vs Let vs examine our selues if we loue him and keepe his words that thereby we may be assured of his second cōming into our hearts by his blessed and holy Spirit to comfort vs. And because he is to come once againe vnto salvation q 2 Tim. 4.8 vnto all them that loue his appearing r Heb. 9.28 and looke for him let vs ioyne our selues with the Church and with the Spirit and cry with heart mouth ſ Rev. 22.17.20 Come quickly Even so come Lord Iesus For then if we be found having the oyle of faith and charitie in our t Math. 25.10 Lampes we shall enter with the bridegroome to the mariage and know by experience that which now we know by faith that u Rev. 19.7 blessed are they which are called vnto the mariage-supper of the Lambe These are the true sayings of God To whom with the Sonne the holy Ghost be all prayse all glory and all honour both now and evermore AMEN THE SECOND PART OF THE EATERS AND OF THE EATING OF THE LIVING BREAD Preached at Otlans before the KINGS Maiestie the twelfth of Iuly 1625. IOHN VI. 51. If any man eate of this bread he shall liue for ever
and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him that is to say according to the interpretation of the Apostle peace to the Gentiles which f Eph. 2.12.17 were strangers from the Couenants of promise hauing no hope and being without God in the world and therfore were farre off and peace to the Iewes which had the Covenants of promise and in that respect had g Deut. 4.7 God nigh vnto them THE one and the other was figured by the burnt offerings h Levit. 11.11 the blood wherof was sprinckled round about vpon the Altar to teach the people that the bloud of the Messias was to be shed for the elect which dwell every where vpon the globe of the earth As when the high Priest did i Exod. 20.24 Levit. 7.34 Levit. 10.14 waue the waue offering and shake it to and fro and k Exod. 29.27 heaue vp the heaue offering he figured that which Christ said that l Ioh. 12.32 33. if he were lifted vp he would draw all men vnto him This he said signifying what death he should die WHATSOEVER was prophecied and figured hath beene punctually fulfilled Christ commanded his Apostles m Mat. 28.19 to teach all Nations What he commanded they did At his death n Mat. 27.51 the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome to signifie that by the power of his death o Eph. 2.14 the middle wall of partition betweene vs and the Iewes is broken downe the enmitie is abolished and of twain we are made in him one new man Now the p Rom. 1.16 Gospell is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth to the Iew and to the Greeke Now according to the prediction of Christ q Mat. 8.11 many come from the East and West sit downe with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven and these many are r Rev. 7.4.9 of all Nations and kindred and people and tongues as well as of Iewes Now ſ Math. 15.26.27 the dogs doe no more eate the scraps of the childrens bread which fall from their Maisters Table But by a most mercifull wonder are of dogs made the children of God and sit with him at his Table The Iewes were first called to this glorious feast Vpon their refusall t Luk. 14.21 the poore the maimed the halt the blind are brought in This was and is to the Iewes a heart-breaking sorrow S u Act. 10.28 Peter himselfe at the first repined against it x Act. 11. ◠2.18 The rest of the Apostles the brethren that were in Iudea contended with Peter about it and when they were better informed they spake of it as of a great wonder S. Paul calleth it y Rom. 16.25.26 a mysterie which was kept secret since the world began for although that now by the Scriptures of the Prophets it is made knowne to all Nations yet the manner thereof that a Eph. 3.3.5.6 the Gentiles should be fellow-heires and of the same body and partakers of the promise of God in Christ by the Gospell not by the Law by faith not by Circumcision without any observation of Iudaicall feasts Ambros ib. fasts abstinences dayes and other elements of the Iewish discipline was not revealed to any of the Prophets was not made knowne in other ages to the sonnes of men was first reuealed vnto the Apostles and Prophets of their time by the Spirit Now our little children see it and know it more clearly then Abraham the Father of the beleevers then Dauid who spake so much of it then all the Prophets did THAT which was to the Iewes a heart-sorrow to the Prophets a booke sealed to the Apostles a mysterie to the first Christians of Iudea a wonder is to vs our salvation Shall it not also be our ioy and the matter of our thāksgiving b Rom. 9.23.24 God hath made knowne the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he afore had prepared vnto glory Even vs whom he hath called not of the Iewes onely but also of the Gentiles And shall not we hearken to the exhortatiō of the Apostle and c Rom. 15.9.11 Psal 117. glorifie God for his mercy As it is written O prayse the Lord all ye Nations Praise him all ye people For his merciful kindnesse is great toward vs and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever When Christ was borne in Bethlehem which is interpreted the house of bread to be the living bread to the dead the Angels of heaven who for their owne particular had no interest in his birth ioyned themselues in a great host to praise God saying and singing d Luk. 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men And shall not we who are these men for whom he is come we who feede every day on him sing prayse glory and honour to God who hath sent him to be our bread and hath called vs to eate of this bread Shall we not say and sing with Dauid e Psa 18.49 Therefore will I giue thanks vnto thee O Lord among the Heathen and sing prayses vnto thy Name CHAPTER III. I. All kinde of persons in any Nation may eate of the living bread according to the Prophecies and types of the Law II. And the doctrine of the Gospell III. Three vses of this doctrine IS f Rom 3.29 GOD the God of the Iewes onely Is he not also of the Gentiles Yea of the Gentiles also and of any man amongst Iewes and Gentiles without distinction of persons According to the prophecie of Esaiah g Esa 60.3 The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising Not Kings onely but Kings aswell as men of meaner sort but men of meane condition aswell as Kings h Psal 22.26.29 The meeke shall eate and be satisfied All they that be fat vpon earth shall eate and worship Vnder the Law there were sacrifices not onely for but also for poore men He which had not l Levit. 1.3.10.14 a bullocke of the heard to offer came with a Lambe or a kid of the flocke and was accepted And m Levit. 12.6.8 the woman which after her purificatiō was not able to bring a Lambe and a Pigeon for her oblation was quit for two turtles or two yong pigeons For Christ is a propitiatorie Sacrifice for rich and poore men and women And as all persons of all qualities which were bitten with the fierie Serpents in the wildernesse were healed when they looked vpon the Serpent of brasse which Moses had set vpon a pole according to the Word of God n Num. 21.8 Euery one that is bitten when he looketh vpon it shall line o Ioh. 3.14 15. Even so said Christ of himselfe must the Sonne of man he lifted vp that whosoever beleeveth in him should
Ioh. 5.11.12 who hath given to vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life For as r Math 13.44 he who found a treasure hid in a field could not claime any right vnto it till he bought the field So cannot we challenge Å¿ Col. 2.3 the treasures of wisdome knowledge and of that t Ioh. 1.16 fulnesse of graces which is in Christ till he himselfe be ours and so ours that we be in him and one with him by a most reall vnion of his person with our persons EVEN as u Rom. 6.5 the graffe is one tree with the stocke wherein it is graffed x Ioh. 15.1 the vine and the branches are one plants y 1 Cor. 12.12 the head and the members are one body a Eph. 5.31.32 the husband and the wife are one flesh b Eph 2.20.21 the foundation and the stones builded vpon it are one Temple and to come to the similitude of my Text the bread which was no part of vs because it is without vs when it is eaten becoÌ„meth a part of our flesh and of our bodies So ye see not onely by the similitude of eating but also by all the rest that our vnion with Christ is so necessary that as a man cannot liue without meate nor a house stand without a foundation no more can we liue stand and withstand in the evill day without our vnion with Christ according to his own saying c Ioh. 15.5 I am the vine ye are the branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same briugeth forth much fruit for without me or severed from me ye can doe nothing Ye see also that he is vnited with vs in all that is his i. in both his natures d Eph. 5.30 In his manhood for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones And in his Godhead For e 1 Cor. 6.7 he that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one Spirit Likewise we are vnited with him in all that is ours i. not only in our soules but also in our bodies as the Apostle saith f 1 Cor. 6.15 Know we not that your bodies are the members of Christ IF THIS had beene diligently and religiously observed there should not be any controversie betweene Papists vs about the manner of the eating of Christ for if to eate Christ be no other thing but to vnite Christ vnto our selues if we know how we are vnited with him we cannot chuse but know how we eate him If we be one with him corporally that is after an outward and corporall manner then we care him corporally But if our vnion with him be spirituall doubtlesse the mouth wherwith we eate him must be a spirituall mouth Papists say that our eating of Christ is both spirituall and corporall That out of the Sacrament it is spirituall And many Papists as g Biel super can Miss lect 8â— Gabriell Biel h â—aâ—â—tan in 3 part q 80. art vlt. Caietan i Cusan epist 7. ad Bohemos Cusanus k Ianseni concordant c 59 Iansenius l Tapper explicat art 15 Lovaniens Tapper m Hessel in lib de commun sub vnaspecie Hesselius and others acknowledge that Christ in this whole Chapter speaketh of the spirituall eating only n Bellarm. de Eucharist lib. 1. cap. 5. Bellarmin with the rest of the Societie and other Popish Doctors grant that wee must take in that sence all the words of Christ from the seven and twentith vnto the one and fiftie verse which now I expound But that from henceforth beginning at the one fiftie verse vnto the end of the Chapter Christ speaketh of the Eucharist which opinion Cusanus refuteth by these words of Christ vers 53. Exceptye eate the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his blood ye haue no life in you saying that o Cusan epist 7. ad Bohem. Necesse estâ— quod si de omnibus sanctis debet verificari qui habent vitamillam divinaÌ„ quod non imelligitur de visibili seu Sacramentali manducatione sed de spirituali if they must be verified of all the Saints which haue this divine life they must not be vnder stood of the visible or Sacramentall but of the spirituall eating Which is true Yet all Papists agree that in the Sacrament Christ is eaten not onely spiritually by faith but also corporally by the mouth of the body in such sort that the true body of Christ entereth into their mouthes and is received into their stomackes If ye aske how they can beleeue such a moÌ„strous Doctrine They answere that Christ affirmeth in this Chapter that we must eate his flesh drinke his blood And that in the Sacrament he hath commaunded vs to eate his body saying Take eate This is my bidy To refuse to eate him were disobedience To aske how is incredulitie like vnto that of the Iewes of Capernaum p Ioh 6 52. Rhennsta who stroue amongst themselues saying HOW can this man giue vs his flesh to eate This say they is the literall sence and this sence they will follow BVT first if the literall sence must be alwayes followed why beleeue they not as the Anthropomorphits did that God hath a body as we haue seeing God saith that he hath eyes eares hands feete c Why shake they not hands with the Arrians and deny Christ to be God because he himselfe said q Ioh. 14.28 My Father is greater then I Certainely if they had been in Nicodemus his place they would not haue asked of Christ r Ioh. 3.4 How can a man be borne when he is old but said vnto him Lord feeing thou hast said that we must be borne againe we beleeue that we shall enter the second time into our mothers wombe and be borne againe And if they had bin standing by the Samaritane Woman they would haue naught her to beleeue that Christ is reall and substantiall water because he called himselfe water May they not also with as good reason expouÌ„d literally that which Å¿ Pro. 9.5 the Wisdome in the Proverbs t Cant. 5.1 the Spouse in Salemons Song u Esa 55.1 God in Esaiah speaketh of the furnishing of their Table with beastes honey milke bread and wine And when God saith x Psal 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it y Cant 5.1 eate drinke abundantly if we must alwayes cleaue to the leaues of the words we must prepare our throats our bellies and drinke stoutly till we be drunke SECONDLY if those speeches must be taken allegorically of meate and drinke of another kinde then those which are earthly and vsuall amongst vs it is no offence to aske how we may be made partakers of them To aske how the things which GOD alone doth may be done as how he created the world How
those things which are revealed belong vnto vs and to our children for ever that we may doe all the words of this Law Conformably whervnto an ancient hath said wisely x Ambros de Vocat Gent. lib. 1. cap. 7. Quae deus occulta esse voluit non sunt scrutanda quae auteÌ„ manifesta fecit non sunt neganda ne in illis illi citè euriosi istis damnabiliter inueniamur ingrati that those things which GOD will haue to be hid must not be searched and those which he hath made manifest must not be denyed least in those we be found vnlawfully curious and in this be condemned as vnthankfull Of these things is the manner of the eating of the bread which came down from heaven FIRST Such as the bread is and as it is given to be eaten so must it be eaten If it be come downe from heaven from heaven also must come the mouth that eateth it If it be given vnto vs by the holy Spirit the mouth which receiveth it must be a spirituall mouth If Christ who is this bread giveth himselfe vnto vs as dead haue we any mouth that can eate him so but the mouth of the soule This is his own doctrine For after he had said Take ye eate ye This is my body he shews how we must eate him saying doe this in remembrance of me These words saith y August de Doct. Christ lib 3. cap. 15. Figura est ergopracipiens passioni domini esse coÌ„municandum suaniter at que vtiliter recoÌ„denduÌ„ in memoria quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa vulnerata est Augustin are a figure commanding vs to communicate to his passion and to record profitably that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs which we cannot do but by an action of the soule SECONDLY Such man such eating If he who eateth Christ be nothing but a naturall man let him eate and drinke with his naturall organes But if Christ be meate for Christians if the Christian be z Eph. 4.24 a new man a 1 Cor. 2.1 a spirituall man b RoÌ„ 2.19 Rom. 7.22 an inward man if all his organes be spirituall and inward shall we not say truly with S. Augustin that he he alone eateth Christ c August in Ioh. tract 26 in verba Vt si quis manducat ex ipso non meriatur Quiâ— manducat intus nonforis qui maÌ„ducat in corde non qui pren it deâ—â—e that eateth inwardly not outwardly who eateth in his heart not he that thrufteth his tooth into the Sacrament THIRDLY to apply this to all the sences and parts of the inward man Christ saith d Math. 5.8 blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnes Is not he he himselfe e Ier. 23.26 THE LORD OVR RIGHTEOVSNES Such then as is our hungring and thirsting after him such is our eating of him If this hunger be in our stomackes if this thirst be in our throates then let vs satisfie our gnawing stomacks with him let vs drinke him with our throates But if this hunger and thirst be proper to the soule as David saith f Psal 42 2. As the Hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my scale after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God for the living God What can the eating of his flesh be but as S. g Cyprian de Coena domini Esus igitur carnis huius quaedam auiditas est quoddam desiderium manendi in ipso Cyprian saith a certaine greedinesse and eager desire to abide in him Such as are our eyes wherewith we see him such is our mouth wherewith we eate him If we see him with our bodily eyes with our bodily mouth we must eate him But he expoundeth our seeing of him by our beleeving in him saying h Ioh 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Sonne and beleeveth on him may haue everlasting life Therefore I say that to beleeue in him is to eate him He said to the belly-god Iewe i Ioh 6.27.28.29 Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for that which endureth vnto everlasting life O Lord we aske of thee as the Iewes did What shall we doe that we may worke the workes of God for such as is our labouring for this meat such is our eating thereof And thou answerest O Lord This is the worke of God that ye beleeue on him whom he hath sent k August in Ioh. tract 25 Hoc est ergo manducare â—ibum qui non perit sed qui permanet in vitam aeternam Vt quid paras ventrem dentes crede mandacasti This then also saith S. Austin is to eate the meate which perisheth not but endureth vnto everlasting life For what vse makest thou readie thy teeth and thy belly Beleeue and thou hast eaten him 4. l 2 Cor. 5.16 We know him no more after the slesh For m Vers 6. we are absent from the Lord. And neverthelesse he saith n Ioh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out Such then as are our seete wherewith we goe vnto him such is our eating of him Goe we vnto him with our bodily feete When he was in the world many did walke with him in their bodies to whom he said o Ioh. 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might haue life shewing that even then when they were present with him in body they were absent from him because they beleeved not in him For p 2 Cor. 5.7 we walke by faith not by sight Therefore the Centurien abiding at home in his body went abroad vnto him with his faith and said vnto him q Luk. 7.6.7.8.9 Lord trouble not thy selfe For I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe Wherefore neither thought I my selfe worthy to come vnto thee but say the word and my seruant shall be healed And to that faith which did not regard the bodily presence of the Lord the Lord gaue this commendation I haue not found so great faith no not in Israell Christ himselfe saith that to goe thus vnto him is to eate him r Ioh. 6.35 I am faith he the bread of life He that commeth to me shall neuer hunger and he that beleeveth on me shall neuer thirst In stead of eating he putteth comming in stead of drinking he putteth beleeving because the eating of him is to come to him the drinking of him is to beleeue in him And these two are one Å¿ August de verbis domini serm 2. Vbi credis ibi venis Where thou beleevest there thou commest 5. Such hands to receiue him such mouth to eate him The hand wherewith we receiue him is the hand of faith as it is written t Ioh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gaue he power to become
the foundation is artificiall and outward The vnion of the head with the members of the vine with the branches is naturall and inward The vnion of the husband with his wife is ciuill and inforceth not any proximitie or touching of bodies as the rest doe For they remaine one flesh although they be as far separated as the East is from the West If a bodily manner of coniunction with Christ cannot be inforced by those similitudes because it should be at one time outward and inward naturall civill and artificiall which is impossible Let Papists tell why it should be inforced by the similitude of eating If by the similitude of eating why not also by the rest Here they are muffled and cannot answer * Cusan epist 7. ad Bohemos Crâ—dere igitur baptizari manducare bibere et quicquid similiter per Christum dicitur non habet in spirituali intellectu differeÌ„tiam sed vnuÌ„ solum est quodper omnia talia varie exprimuÌ„tur scilicet quotquot receperuÌ„t eum dedit eis potestâ—tem filios dei fieri ijs qui credunt in nomine eius Cusanus one of their owne confesseth that all those similitudes and whatsoever Christ saith after that manner hath no difference in the spirituall vnderstanding but it is one thing which by all such things is diversly expressed to wit As many as received him to them gaue the power to become the Sonnes of God to them that beleeue on his Name SECONDLY in the Sacrament he giveth himselfe not as glorified in heaven but as dead vpon the crosse as he said o 1 Cor. 11.24 This is my body which is broken for you p Mar. 14.24 This is my blood which is shed for many Doe this in remembrance of me Which commandement the Apostle explaineth saying q 1 Cor. 11 26. For as often as ye eate this bread and drinke this cup ye doe shew the Lords death till he come He did giue himselfe to the Apostles so and they received him so For he was not then glorified Should we desire to receiue him otherwayes then they did To receiue him so with the mouth of the body it is impossible because he is not now dead but r Rom. 6.10 liueth vnto God This argument prevents all replyes THIRDLY if Christ were in the Sacrament wicked men yea worms mice dogs asses and other beasts might eate him But that is impossible saith Å¿ Origin in Math. 15. Verus cibus quem nullus malus potest edere Origines because if they did eate him they should abide in him as he saith vers 56. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and abiding in him they should liue for ever as he saith in my Text If any man eate of this bread he shall liue for ever and so often in the verses preceeding and following Which moved t De coÌ„secrat dist 2. caÌ„ 65 Qui discordat a Christo nec carnem eius manducat nec sanguinem bibit etiam si tantae rei SacrameÌ„tum ad iudiciuÌ„ suae praesumptionis quotidiè indifferenter accipiat S. Austin to say that he who is discordant from Christ eateth not his flesh and drinketh not his blood although he receiue daily the Sacrament of so great a thing to the condemnation of his owne presumption As likewise he saith of the Apostles that u Idem in Iohan trac 59. Illi manducabaÌ„t panem dominum Ille panem domini contra dominuÌ„ Illi vitam ille poenam they did eate the bread which is the Lord and of Iudas that he did eate the bread of the Lord against the Lord They life he paine FOVRTHLY the Lord himselfe seeing that many of his Disciples tooke his words carnally as if he had spoken of a corporall eating of his body x Athan. de verb. Christi Qui dixerit verbum contra filiuÌ„ hominis Quomodo fieri posset vt totus mundus ederet de carne ipsius quae non sufficeret paucis hominibus Ideo dominus de carnis suae manducatione loquens sui in coelum ascensus meminit vt a corporali eos manducatione abstraheret vel inde discerent carnem Christi esse cibum coelestem et in alimoniaÌ„ spiritualem dare to draw them away from bodily eating and to teach them that his flesh is a heavenly meate and is given to be spirituall food he maketh mention of his ascension into heaven saying vers 61.62 Doth this offend you What and if ye shall see the Sonne of man ascend vp wher he was before arguing This is a strong reason that y IbideÌ„ trac 27. Vel tunc videbitis quod non eo modo quo putatis erogat corpus suum Certe vel tuÌ„c intelligetis quod gratia eius non consumitur morfibus he giueth not his body after the maÌ„ner which they imagined z For the heavens must receiue him vntill the time of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets because there a he appeareth in the presence of God and b maketh intercession for vs and cannot come out of that Holy place till his intercession be ended which will not be till the worlds end For c Heb. 8.4 if he were on earth he should not be a Priest But he is a Priest and therefore saith he himselfe d Math. 24.23.26 If any man say vnto you Loe here is Christ or there beleeue it not Behold he is in the desert goe not forth behold he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 z Act 3.21 a Heb 9.24 in the secret chambers b Ro. 8.34 as when Papists say he is in the chappell on the Altar in the box beleeue it not Beleeue rather S. Paul who saith that e 2 Cor. 5.6.16 whiles we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord and henceforth know him no more after the flesh and according to his exhortatioÌ„ f Col. 3.1 2. seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right haÌ„d of God set your affection on things aboue not on things on earth g Bernard de Aduentu domini serm 1. Incassum laboraret erigere corda nostra nisi collocatuÌ„ in coelis salutis nostra doceret autorem In vaine would he labour to heaue vp our hearts to heaven if the authour of our salvation were not in heaven Yea most preposterously should he endevour to withdraw our hearts from the earth if Christ were on earth For h Math. 6.21 where your treasure is there will your hearts be also Fiftly if the eating of Christ with the mouth of the body were possible his manhood might be separated from his Godhead his soule from his body and the life which is in him from his person Can his Godhead which is infinite be receiued in our bodies Can his soule which is a spirit enter into our stomackes Can his quickning
life which cannot be without his Godhead goe where the Godhead will not goe Certainly if it were possible to eate him the mouth of our body could eat nothing of him but his body And what is a body without a soule but a corps if then Christ i Rom. 6.9 being raised from dead he dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him it is impietie to thinke it is blasphemie to say that his body may be eaten corporally AND why I pray you doth the Priest when he sheweth the hoste to the people cry Sursum corda Why doth the people answer Habemus ad dominū but because they acknowledg that even when the Sacramēt is given Christ is in heaven and is not in his body else-where So all that they prattle of the possibilitie and realitie of his bodily presence in the Eucharist is like a spiders web which is swept away with the first blast of the truth CHAPTER VII I. The bodily eating is indecent and iniurious to Christ II. The reply of the Adversaries impertinent III. The same eating is vnprofitable to the eaters CERTAINLY although it were possible it is vndecent and iniurious to Iesus Christ Are the accidents of a crust a convenient garment to cover the Sonne of God Is it fit that he who vpholdeth all things by the word of his power should be borne betweene the fingers of a Priest who is in perpetuall feare least he fall Are the stomackes of men which are puddles of infection Temples well suting the Lord of glory The Cherubims and Seraphims all the Angels of God worship and serue him in heavē The divels themselues stoop and bow downe their heads before him from the lower hels and men which are no better then Grashoppes put him to an open shame maintaining as I haue said that not onely wicked men but also fowles beasts wormes may eat him l Thom. 3. q. 80. art 3. Quidā dixerunt quod statim cum Sacramentū tangitur a mure vel cane desinit ibi corpus esse Christi quod etiam derogat veritati Sacramenti Alexan. Halens part 4. sum q. 45. in 1. q. 53. in 2. To let you see how farre the God of this world hath blinded them they dare say that this blasphemous divinitie derogateth nothing from the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ WHY m Thom. ibi Because forsooth he was crucified by sinners without any diminution of his dignitie yea was by n Math. 4.5.8 the divell transported from one place to another But these things did befall him in the dayes of his flesh Then he came to be tempted to be abused and crucified by wicked men Then o Heb. 4.15 he was in all things tempted like as we are yet without sinne But now p Eph. 1.20.21 he sitteth at the right hand of his Father in the heauenly places farre aboue all principalities and power and might and dominion Now q Heb. 2.7 he is crowned with glory and honour Now r Phil. 2 9 10. God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is aboue every name that at the Name of Iesus every knee should bow of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth And shall he now now be in a worse case then he was in his greatest infirmitie For then he did not enter into mens bellies and did not feare the gnawing of wormes nor the teeth of mice nor the intrals of beasts What say Papists is not God every where and is not defiled True But the body of Christ is not It is a true body Therefore if it be in the body of a man or of a beast it must touch them And it cannot touch them but it must be defiled by them They aske againe Doth not the light of the Sunne inlighten the whole aire Is it not spread over the whole earth Shineth it not in the most infected places and is not infected True also For the light in the Sunne and in the aire is not a body it is an accident But the body of Christ is a true body If the Sunne it selfe were vpon a dunghill it should be soyled as well as the aire wherein the light is So the body of Christ if it touch our bodies must necessarily be contaminated And although it were not I say that it cannot be lodged in the stincking bellies of men or beasts but it must be dishonoured Wherefore I conclude that this eating of the body of Christ is not onely impossible but also indecent outragious to Christ WHAT although it were possible What although Christ were not dishonoured by it I aske cui bono The least of the workes of GOD hath some vse This which is thought to be one of the most wonderfull hath none at all Christ must over-turne the whol order of nature he must be subiect to the intention of a Priest he must be at once in heaven on earth he must contract his body to the capacitie of a little round crust and haue his head in his feete and all the parts of his body pellemelled He must be kept in a boxe and often tarry there till he get a white coate To what purpose so many monstrous wonders To saue men No no. Many men since the beginning of the world till Christ haue benne saved without this eating Many every day goe to heaven without it Many wicked men are damned with it Those who communicate every day reape no profit by it For no meate doth good except it sticke to him that eateth it Whereas the body of Christ doth not continue in them But it must scoure to heaven as fast as it came from it having no longer leaue to stay then till the accidents be consumed and giving no oddes in Paradise to them who are every other day so carefull to receiue it For what end doe wee eate our daily bread To sustaine our liues For what end must we eate the bread which came downe from heaven must Iesus Christ enter into vs He himselfe answereth saying ſ Ioh. 6.57 He that eateth me even he shall liue by me and that for ever as he saith in my Text. And yet Papists confesse that to haue his body in our bodies bringeth no such advantage to any man The Virgin Mary had him nine moneths in her wombe and Elizabeth said vnto her t Luk. 1.45 Blessed is shee that beleeved And when a woman said vnto Christ u Luk. 11.27.28 Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the papes which thou hast sucked he reiected that saying with this answere Yea blessed are they that heare the Word of God and keepe it shewing that it is not the having of his body in our bodies but the having of him and of his word in our hearts by faith and obedience that quickeneth and blesseth vs. Which I will proue declaring first the true manner how CHRIST giveth this bread and next how we receiue it CHAPTER