|Augustinus ibidē.| But yet thys holye doctoure goth furder (so that they maye be ashamed of their parte) and sayeth. Secundū hominē namq; in terra erat, non in cœlo (ubi nunc est) quādo dicebat, nemo ascendet in cœlum nisi qui descendit de cœlo, filius hominis qui est in cœlo. That is to saye; as towchynge hys manhod he was in the earth and not in heauen (where he now is) when he sayde, no man ascendeth into heauē but he that descended from heauen, the sone of man whiche is in heaven. Now I truste ye wyll be content and let the truth spreade. For I am sure it is not possyble for you to avoyde it, for he sayeth, that as towchynge hys manhod he was in the earth and not in heauē, whē he spake those wordes: and so proueth that he was not in mo places at ones then onelye one place. For els yf S. Austen had thought that he coulde haue bene in mo places at ones then one wyth hys bodye, then myght he not haue sayde, that he was in earth and not in heauen. For then a mā myght soone haue deinded hym and haue sayde. Austen you can not tell, for he maye be in euery place. But they that so thynke after Austens mynde, do take awaye the truthe of hys naturall bodye, and make it a very fantastycall bodye: from the which heresye God delyuer hys faythfull. Besydes thys S. Austen doth saye. Christum Dominum nostrum unigenitum DEI suium equalem patri, eundemq; hominis filium quo maior est pater, & ubiq; totum presentem esse non dubites tanquam DEVM, & in eodem templo DEI esse uerum DEVM, & in aliena parte cœli propter corporis modum. That is to saye: Doubt not but that Christe our Lorde the onlye begottē sonne of God equall to the Father, and the same beynge the sonne of mā wherin the father is greater, is whole present in all places as to towchynge hys Godhed, and dwelleth in the same temple of God as God, ād in some place of heauen, for the condycyon of hys very bodye. Here is it euydent by .S. Austēs wordes, that as towchynge hys Godhed he is in all places. And as towchynge hys manhod, he is onelye in heauen: yea and not that onelye, but that he beynge in heauen as towchynge the measure, nature, condycyon, and qualyte of hys naturall bodye, is onelye in one certayne place in heauen, and not in many places at ones. Thus moche is proued out of Saynte Austen.
This truth is not onelye proued by S Austens auctoryte, but also by the noble clarke Fulgentius, which wryteth on this maner. Vnus idemq; homo localis ex homine, qui est Deus immensus ex patre, unus idemq; secundum humanam substantiam absens cœlo cum esset in terra, et derelinquens terram cū ascendisset in cœlum. Secundum diuinam uero immensamq; substantiam, nec cœlum dimittens cum de cœlo descendit, nec terram deserens, cum ad cœlum ascendit. Quod ipsius Domini certisisimo sermone potest cognosci, qui ut localem ostenderet suam humanitatem, dicit discipulis suis: Ascendo ad patrem meum & patrem uestrum, Deum meun & Deum uestrum. De Lazaro quoq; cum dixisset, Lazarus mortuus est, adiunxit dicens, & gaudeo propter uos (ut credatis) quoniam non eram ibi immensitatem uero suæ diuinitatis ostendens discipulis dicit: Ecce ego uobiscum sum usq; ad consummationen sæculi. Quomodo autem ascendit in cœlum nisi quia localis & uerus est homo, aut quomode adest fidelibus suis, nisi quia idem inmensus & uerus Deus est. That is to saye. The same one man is locall (that is to saye: conteyned in one place) as towchynge hys manhod, whiche is also God vnmesurable from the Father. The same one man as towchynge the substaunce of hys manhod, was absent frō heauen, whē he was in earth, and forsakynge the earth, when he ascended in to heauē, but as towchynge hys Godly ād vnmeasurable substaunce he neyther forsoke heauen whē he descēded frō heauen, nor forsoke the earth, whē he ascēded vnto heauē, which may be knowē by the moste sure worde of the Lorde, whiche to shewe hys humanyte to be locall (that is to saye: contayned in one place onelye) ded saye vnto hys dyscyples. I ascēde vnto my Father and your Father, my God and your God. Of Lazarus also when he sayde, Lazarus is ded, he sayde further. I am gladde for your sake (that you may beleue) for that I was not there. And agayne, shewynge the vnmeasurablenes of hys Godhed, he sayde vnto hys discyples. Beholde, I am with you vnto the worldes ende, how ded he ascende in to heauen, but because he is locall and a verye mā? Or howe is he present vnto hys faythfull, but because he is vnmeasurable and verye God? Here maye you conclude by the auctoryte of thys doctoure also, that Christes bodye is onelye in one place at ones. For he sayeth, that Christ as towchynge hys manhod is locall: that is to saye: contayned in one place onelye. And that he proueth by the scrypture euen of Christes owne wordes. Now yf thys be true (as my conscyence doth testyfye, how so euer other men shall Iudge) then muste it neades folowe that this naturall bodye can not be in the sacrament. And the auctorite, I am sure no man can avoyde, yt is so playne.
|More.| ❧ Now as for hys naturall reasons be not worthye the reasonynge. For fyrste that the bodye of Christe vngloryfyed coulde no more be in two places at ones then hys owne can, because he is a naturall bodye, as he is. I wyll not examyne no comparyson betwene their two bodyes: but yf Christe wolde tell me that he wolde eche of both their bodyes to be in fyftene places at ones, I wolde beleue hym, and wolde neuer aske hym whether he wolde fyrste gloryfye them or not. But I am sure gloryfyed or vngloryfyed, yf he sayde it, he is able to do it. For the matter is not impossyble to God.
|Fryth.| ¶ Truthe it is that yf Christe so sayde and in so sayenge so mente, there is no doubte, but he were able so to do. But that he in dede so grosselye mēt, ye shall neuer proue. And in dede yf he had so mēte that hys owne naturall bodye shulde haue contynued in the sacrament which is the meate of the soule through faythe, and not of the bodye by eatynge it, and maye as well be eaten through fayth, although it remayne in heauen, as yf it were here present to our mouthes: yf (I saye) he had so mente, then wolde he neuer haue geuen vs suche scriptures as he ded. For I saye that thys grosse ymagynacyon may not stonde with the processe of the scrypture which is receyued, as it shall appeare by certayne textes.
Fyrste where our sauyoure sayeth: the fleshe profyteth nothynge. The wayght of those wordes doth compell vs to vnderstonde our matter spyrytuallye. For by thys shorte sentence we are no lesse plucked from the carnall eatynge, then was Nichodemus that he shulde not ones dreame of the carnall regeneracyon, whē Christe sayde vnto hym: that whatsoeuer thynge was of the fleshe was fleshe. For this is a playne conclusyon, that whē Christe sayde the fleshe profyteth nothynge, he ment it euē of hys owne fleshe, that it coulde not profyte (as they vnderstode hym) to be eaten with the teth. Albeyt it doth moche profyte to be slayne for our redemptyon, & eaten through fayth. Which thyng we may do although hys naturall fleshe be not in the sacrament. For I maye as well beleue in hym though he be in heauen, as yf he were in earth and in the sacrament, and before myne eyes. And that Christe spake these wordes of hys owne bodye, it is playne by S. Austens wordes wrytynge vpon the same place. |Augustitract. su. 6. Joan.| And therfore he sayeth, that they muste be vnderstonde spyrytuallye, and addeth: yf thou vnderstonde them spyrytuallye, they are spyryte and lyfe. And though thou vnderstonde them carnallye, yet neuerthelesse they are spyryte and lyfe: But vnto thē, they are not spyryte and lyfe, which vnderstondest not spyrytuallye those thynges that I haue spoken.
|Athanasius. 3. li. qui dix. verb.| Also Athanasius sayeth. Spiritus est qui uiuificat, caro non prodest quicquà: uerba que ego locutus sum, spiritus sunt & uita. Nam & hoc loco utrumque de seipso dicit carnem & spiritum, & spiritum ab eo quod est secundum carnem distinxit, ut non solum uisibile, sed etiam inuisibile quod in ipso erat credentes discant, quod & ea que dicit non sunt carnalia sed spiritualia. Quod enim comedentibus suffecisset corpus, ut totius mundi alimonia fiat? Sed ea propter meminit ascensus filii hominis in cœlum ut illos a corporali cogitacione auelleret, & post hac discant carnem dictā cibum cœlestem superne uenientem & spiritualem alimoniam quam ipse det, nā quæ locutus sum (inquit) uobis spiritus sunt & uita. That is to saye: it is the spyryte that quyckeneth, the fleshe profyteth nothynge. The wordes which I speake vnto you, are spiryte and lyfe. For in this place also he meaneth both of hys owne fleshe and his owne spyryte, and he deuyded the spiryte from the fleshe: that they myght knowe through faythe not onelye the vysyble parte, but also the invysyble parte that was in hym, and also that the wordes which he spake were not carnall, but spirytuall. For what bodye shulde haue suffysed to haue bene the meate of all the worlde? And euen therfore ded he make mencyon of the ascensyon of the sonne of man in to heauen, that he myght wythdrawe them from the bodelye ymagynacyon, that they myght hereafter learne, that the fleshe was called heauēly meate which cōmeth frō a boue, & spirytuall meate which he wolde geue. For (sayeth Christe) the wordes that I haue spokē vnto you, are spiryte & lyfe. Here you maye see that Christe spake yt of his owne fleshe, & playnely that yt ded nothynge profyte as infideles ded vnderstonde hym: For els yt geueth lyfe, as yt is receyued of the faythfull in a mystery. |Bartrame.| For as Bartrame sayeth, in this mysterye of the bodye and bloode, is a spirytuall operacyon which geueth lyfe. Without the which operacyon those mysteryes do no thynge profytte, for surelye (sayth he) they may feade the bodye, but the soule they can not feade.
Besydes that the scrypture sayeth, that that entreth in by the mouth doth not defyle a man, for as Christe sayeth, it is caste forthe in to the drawght. And by the same reason it foloweth that it doth not sāctyfye or make a man holye. But the sacrament entreth in by the mouth: therfore yt doth folowe that (of it selfe) it doth not sāctyfye or make holye any mā. And of this texte shulde folowe two incōueniences, yf the sacramēte were the naturall bodye of Christ. Fyrste it shulde folowe that the body of Christ shulde not sāctyfye the faythfull because it ētreth in by the mouth. And agayne yt shulde folowe, that the bodye of Christe shulde be caste out in to the drawght, whych thynge is abhominable. Wherfore yt muste neades folowe, that the sacramēt cā not be his naturall bodye.
Furthermore Christ wolde not suffer that devoute womā which of loue sought hym at hys sepulchre, to touche his naturall bodye, because she lacked a poynte of faythe, & ded not counte hym to be equall with hys father. And moche more yt shall folowe that the wycked which haue no faythe nor loue towardes hym, shall not be suffered to eate hys fleshe with their teth, & swallowe yt in to their vncleane bodyes: for that were moche more then to touche hym. And yet notwithstandynge they receyue and eate the sacrament. Whervpon yt shulde folowe yf the sacrament were hys naturall bodye, that they shulde in dede eate hys bodye. Which thynge may be recoūted a blasphemye agaynste God. Moreouer Christe sayeth, he that eateth my fleshe ād drynketh my blood dwelleth in me & I in hym: Now we knowe ryght well that the wycked do eate the sacrament, ād yet neyther dwell in Christe, nor Christ in thē. Wherfore yt muste folowe that the sacramēt is not the very fleshe of Christe. And surelye I can not excuse thē of blasphemye which so dyrectlye do cōtrary Christes wordes. Howe can you avoyde these textes which Christ speaketh vnto hys dyscyples sayēge. Yet a lytel whyle am I with you. And then I departe to hym that sente me. |Ioan. 6.| And agayne it is expedyent for you that I departe. For excepte that I departe, that counforter shall not come vnto you. |Ioan. 6.| And agayne he sayeth. I forsake the worlde |Ioan. 6.| and go to my Father. And to be shorte, he sayeth, |Mat. 25.| poore mē ye shall euer haue with you, |Mar. 14.| but me shall you not euer haue. Now we knowe ryght well that hys Godhed is in all places, |Ioan. 12.| and that as towchynge hys Godhed he forsoke not the worlde, when he ascended vnto hys Father. Wherfore it muste neades folowe that he fors oke yt as towchynge hys fleshe and manhode. And therto agreeth the exposycyons of Saynte Austen, and Fulgentius before alleaged, yea and all other olde faythfull Fathers. Now yf he haue forsaken the worlde as towchynge the presence of hys naturall fleshe and māhode (as all doctours defyne) then mente he not that hys naturall fleshe shulde be presente in the sacrament, to be eaten with our tethe. And therfore though Christe so tell you, yet muste you take hym as he meaneth, or els you be begyled. For yf ye thynke that GOD both maye and wyll fulfyll and veryfye all thynges accordynge to the letter as he speaketh them, I maye call you an obedyent man, as Saynte BARNARD doth hys Monke Adam. And maye saye (as he doth) that yf that be the ryght waye, so symplye to receyue all thynge, we maye put out the texte of scrypture which warneth vs to be wyse as serpētes. For the texte folowynge is suffycyent, which byddeth vs to be symple as doves.
Why doth your mastershyppe graunte a necessarye allegorye, whē Paule sayeth, CHRISTE is a stone, or when Christ sayeth, that he is a dore? The scrypture sayeth he is both twayne. And syth God so sayth, he is able so to make it. And therfore by your reason we shall neade none allegorye in all scrypture, & thē he that is moste symple ād folyshe, may be counted moste faythfull. And so shall we neade no faythfull Fathers to expounde the texte, but it shalbe moste meryte, to beleue the letter. This I denye not, but that God coulde haue done yt, yf he had so entēded, when he spake the wordes: But nowe the scrypture stondynge as it doth, I thynke he can not do it. As by exāple. I thynke that God by the bloode of hys sone Christe myght haue saued all men, both faythfull and vnfaythfull, yf he had so intēded, ād that yt had so pleased hym. But nowe the scrypture stōdynge as it doth, I saye he can not do yt, and that it is impossyble for hym. For then he myght make hys sone a lyer which sayeth, |Ioan. 3.| he that beleueth not is dampned. And agayne, he that beleueth not shall not see lyfe, but the wrathe of God abydeth vpon hym. And euen as it is impossyble to stonde with the processe of scriptures (wherin God hath declared hys wyll) that the vnfaythfull shulde be saued, although God myght haue done it at the fyrst yf he had so wolde. Lykewyse it is impossyble the scryptures stondynge as they do, that the naturall bodye of Christ shulde be presente to our teth in the sacrament. And as for our faythe, yt neadeth not to haue hym presente in the breade. For I maye as well eate hym ād drynke hym through faythe, that is to saye: beleue in hym, as though he were as presente in the sacramēte, as he was hangynge vpon the crosse.
And because you saye, that my naturall reasons be not worth the reasonynge, I wyll alleage you some mo, to see what you can saye to them. Fyrste euery sacrament is the sygne of an holye thynge: but the sacramente of the aulter is a sacramēt (as all faythfull men confesse) ergo it muste folowe that the sacrament of the aulter is the sygne of an holye thynge. Nowe yf it be the sygne of an holye thynge, then it is not the holye thynge yt selfe which yt doth sygnyfye & represent. Why shulde we then feare, to call that breade a fygure, that is to saye: a sacrament of that holye bodye of our Lorde and Sauyoure.