1 Corinthians — Chapter 10

3. The same.) The old figures of our Sacraments. The red sea and the cloud, a figure of our Baptisme: the Manna from Heauen and water miraculously drawen out of the rock, a figure of the holy Sacrament of Christes body and bloud: our Sacrament containing the things and graces in truth, which theirs only signified. We receiue greater benefits by our Sacraments the the Iewes did by theirs. And it is an impudent forgerie of the *Caluinists, to write vpon this place, that the Iewes receiued no lesse the truth and substance of Christ and his benefits in their figures or Sacraments, then we doe in ours: and that they and we al eate and drinke of the self same meate and drinke: the Apostle saying only, that they among themselues did al feed of one bread, & drinke of one rock: which was a figure of Christ, therin especially, that out of Christes side pearced vpon the Crosse gushed out bloud and water for the matter of our Sacraments. *Calu. in hunc loc.

15. As to wise men.) The Apostle and ancient fathers speake couertly of the B. Sacrament. To cause them to leaue the Sacrifices and meats or drinkes offered to Idols, he putteth them in mind of the only true Sacrifice and meate and drinke of Christes body and bloud: of which, and the Sacrifice of Idols also, they might not be in any case partakers. Vsing this terme, vt prudentibus loquor, in the same sense (as it is thought) as the Fathers of the primitiue Church did giue a watch-word of keeping secret from the Infidels and vnbaptized, the mysterie of this diuine Sacrifice, by these wordes, Norunt fideles, norunt qui initiati sunt. August. in Ps. 39. & 33. Conc. 1. 2. & Ps. 109. Ho. 5. in 1. Tim. S. Paul saith, I speake to you boldly of this mysterie as to the wiser and better instructed in the same.

16. Which we blesse.) The Apostles blessed the Chalice, & so consecrated. That is to say, the Chalice of Consecration which we Apostles and Priests by Christes commission doe consecrate: by which speach as wel the Caluinists (that vse no consecration of the cup at al, blasphemously calling it magical murmuration, and peruersely referring the benediction, to thankes-giuing to God) as also the Lutherans be refuted, who affirme Christes body & bloud to be made present by receiuing and in the receiuing only. For the Apostle expresly referreth the benediction to the *chalice, and not to God, making the holy bloud and the communicating therof the effect of the benediction. *Calix cui benedicimus. ὃ εὐλογοῦ μεν.

17. One bread, one body.) Our vnion among our selues by the B. Sacrament. As we be first made one with Christ by eating his body and drinking his bloud, so secondly are we conioyned by this one bread which is his body, & cup which is his bloud, in the perfect vnion and fellowship of al Catholike men, in one Church which is his body Mystical. Which name of Body mystical is specially attributed and appropriated to this one Common-wealth and Societie of faithful men, by reason that al the true persons and true members of the same, be maruelously knit together by Christes owne one body, and by the self-same bloud in this diuine Sacrament. See S. August. li. 21. c. 25. de ciu. Dei. Hilar. li. 8. de Trin. circa. med.

18. They that eate the Hosts.) Participation in Sacrament or sacrifice, sheweth of what societie we are. It is plaine also by the example of the Iewes in their Sacrifices, that he that eateth any of the Host immolated, is partaker of the Sacrifice, and ioyned by office and obligation to God, of whose Sacrifice he eateth.

20. I wil not haue you.) I conclude then (saith the Apostle) thus: that as the Christian which eateth and drinketh of the Sacrifice or Sacrament of the altar, by his eating is participant of Christes body, and is ioyned in fellowship to al Christian people that eate & drinke of the same, being the Host of the new Law: and as al that did eate of the Hosts of the Sacrifices of Moyses Law were belonging & associated to that state and to God whom the Sacrifice was done; euen so whosoeuer eateth of the meates offered to Idols, he sheweth & professeth himselfe to be of the Communion and Societie of the same Idols.

21. You can not drinke.) Vpon the premisses he warneth them plainely, that they must either forsake the Sacrifice & fellowship of the Idols & Idolaters, or els refuse the Sacrifice of Christ's body and bloud in the Church. The Sacrifice of the altar is proued by the Apostles comparison with the sacrifices of Iewes and Gentils. In al which discourse we may obserue that our bread and chalice, our table and altar, the participation of our Host and oblation, be compared or resemble point by point, in al effects, conditions, and proprieties, to the altars, Hosts, Sacrifices and Immolations of the Iewes and Gentils. Which the Apostle would not, nor could not haue done in this Sacrament of the Altar, rather then in other Sacraments or seruice of our religion, if it only had not been a Sacrifice and the proper worship of God among the Christians, as the other were among the Iewes and Heathen. It is proued to be a sacrifice, out of the fathers. And so doe al Fathers acknowledge, calling it only, & continually almost, by such termes as they doe no other Sacrament or ceremonie of Christes religion: The lamb of God laid vpon the table: Conc. Nic. the vnbloudy seruice of the Sacrifice, In Conc. Ephes. ep. ad Nestor. pag. 605. the Sacrifice of Sacrifices. Dionys. Ec. Hier. c. 3. the quickning holy Sacrifice: the vnbloudy Host and Victime: Cyril. Alex. in Conc. Ephes. Anath. 11. the propitiatorie Sacrifice both for the liuing and the dead: Tertul. de cor. Milit. Chrys. ho. 41. in 1. Cor. Ho. 3. ad Philip Ho. 66. ad po. Antioch. Cypr. ep. 66. & de cœn. Do. nu. 1. August. Ench. 109. Quæst. 2. ad Dulcit. to. 4. Ser. 34. de verb. Apost the Sacrifice of our Mediatour: the Sacrifice of our price: the Sacrifice of the new Testament: the Sacrifice of the Church: August. li. 9. c. 13. & li. 3. de bapt. c. 19. the one only inconsumptable Victime without which there is no religion: Cyprian de cœn. Do. nu. 2. Chrys. ho. 17. ad Hebr. *The pure Oblation, the new Offering of the new Law: the vital and impolluted Host: the honourable and dreadful Sacrifice of thankes-giuing or Eucharistical: and the Sacrifice of Mechisidech. Which Melchisedech by his Oblation in bread and wine did properly and most singularly prefigurate this office of Christes eternal Priesthood & sacrificing himself vnder the formes of bread and wine: which shal continue in the Church throughout al Christian Nations insteed of al the Offerings of Aarons Priesthood, as the **Prophet Malachie did foretel; as S. Cyprian, S. Iustine, S. Irenæus and other the most ancient Doctours and Martyrs doe testifie. Cypr. ep. 63. nu. 2. Iustin. Dial cum Trypho post. med. Irenæ. li. 4. c. 32 And S. Augustin li. 17. c. 20. de ciu. Dei. & li. 1. cont. adu. leg. & proph. c. 18. & li. 3. de bapt. c. 19: S. Leo ser. 8. de Passione: and others doe expresly auouch that this one Sacrifice hath succeeded al other & fulfilled al other differences of Sacrifices; that it hath the force and vertue of al other, to be offered for al persons and causes that the others, for the liuing and the dead, for the sinnes and for thankes-giuing, and for what other necessitie soeuer of body or soule. The Fathers called this sacrifice, the MASSE. ***Which holy action of Sacrifice they also cal the MASSE in plaine words. August. ser. 251. 91. Con. Cartha. 2. c. 3. 4. c. 84. Mileuit. 12. Leo. ep. 88. 81. c. 2. Greg. li. 2. ep. 9. 91. &c. This is the Apostles and Fathers doctrine. God grant the Aduersaries may find mercie to see so euident and inuincible a truth. *Cypr. Iustin. Irenæ. infra. **Malac. 1,11. ***Amb. ep. 33.

22. Al things are lawful.] How by participation with Idolaters, Idolatrie is committed. Hitherto the Apostles arguments and examples whereby he would auert them from the meates offered to Idols, seeme plainly to condemne their fact as Idololatrical, or as participant and accessory to Idolatrie, and not only as of scandal giuen to the weake Brethren: and so no doubt it was in that they went into the very Temple of the Idols, and did with the rest that serued the Idols eate and drinke of the flesh and libaments directly offered to the Idol, yea and feasted together in the same bankets made to the honour of the same Idols: which could not but defile them and entangle them with Idolatrie: not for that the meate itself was iustly belonging to any other but to God, or could be defiled, made noisome or vnlawful to be eaten; but for and in respect of the abuse of the same and detestable dedicating of that to the diuel, which belonged not to him, but to God alone. Of which sacrilegious act they ought not to be partakers, as needs they must entring & eating with them in their solemnities. How to auoid scandal in things indifferent. To this end hath S. Paul hitherto admonished the Corinthians. Now he declareth that otherwise in prophane feasts it is lawful to eate without curious doubting or asking whether this or that were offered meates, and in markets to buy whatsoeuer is there sold, without scrupule and without taking knowledge whether it be of the Idolothytes or no: with this exception, first, that if one should inuite him to eate, or buy this or that as sacred and offered meates, that then he should not eate it, lest he should seeme to approue the offering of it to the Idol, or to like it the better for the same. Secondly, when the weake Brother may take offence by the same. For though it be lawful in itself to eate any of these meates without care of the Idol; yet al lawful things be not in euery time and place expedient to be done.