John — Chapter 6

Whereby the Church being warranted and in the ruling of such things fully taught by God’s spirit, as wel for the reprouing of certaine heresies, that Christ God and man was not whole and al in euery part of the Sacrament, as specially for that the Christian people being now enlarged, and the communicants often so many at once, that neither so much wine could be conueniently consecrated, nor without manifold accidents of sheding or abusing be receiued (whereof the Protestants haue no regard, because it is but common wine which they occupie, but the Church knowing it to be Christs owne bloud, must haue al dreadful regard) therfore I say she hath decreed and for some hundreth yeares put in vse, that the Priest saying Masse, should alwayes both consecrate and also receiue both kinds, because he must expresse liuely the Passion of Christ, and the separation of his bloud from his bodie in the same, and for to imitate the whole action and institution as wel in sacrificing as receiuing, as to whom properly it was said: aDoe this; for that was spoken onely to such as have power thereby to offer and consecrate: But the Lay men, and the Clergie also when they do not execute or say Masse themselues, should receiue in one kind, being thereby no lesse partakers of Christs whole Person and grace, then if they receiued both. For (as S. Paul saithb) He that eateth the hostes, is partaker of the Altar. He that eateth, saith he: for though there were drink-offerings or libaments ioyned lightly to euery Sacrifice, yet it was enough to eate only of one kind, for to be partaker of the whole. *Conc. Trid. Ses. 21. c. 1. **Ep. 118. c. 6 ad Ianuariaum. ***Luke 24,15. aLuke 22,19. 1. Corinth. 11. b1. Corinth. 10,18.

faith co him, Yea Lord: thou knovveft that I louethee. he che cue oF ss, faithrohim, FEEDE MY LAMBES. ft He jaithto him Peterand Pal againe, Simon of Iohn, loueft thou mefhe faith to him ,Yea Lord, thou knovveft that Lloue thee. He fairh to him, ‘FEEDE MY LAMBES. ¢ Hefaithtohimrhethirdtime, Sim6 of lohn,loueft chou me? Peter vvas ftroken (ad,becaufe he faid vnto him the third time,Loueft thou me? And he faid to him,Lord,thou knovveft al things; thou knovveft that I loue thee.He faichto him,” FEEDE MY SHEEPE.tAmé, amen I fay to thee, vvhen thou vvaft yonger,thou didft girde & the compa thy felf, and didft vvalke vvhere thow vvouldeft. bur vps §. ronnie vvhen thou (halt be old,thou fhalt ftretch forth thy handes, in Chriftmas and” an other hal girde thee, and leade thee vvhirherthou Pr 27 vvilt not. t And this he faid, fignifying by vvhat death c so readeth. he fhould glorifile God. 4 5And vvhen he had faid ee be in Ff this, he faich ro him , Folovv me. t+ Perer turning, Pf ine, $. Aug. favv that difciple vvhom 1 zs vs loued, folovving, * vvho fait, tas in Io. & moft anciene alfo leaned atthe fupper vpon his breaft,and faid, Lord vvho copies and fer- ishe that fhal betray thee? + Him therfore vvhen Peter had io, Pooks feen, he faithto lesvs, Lord, and this man vvharetlesvs ne, omer reade, . . : . . . . vv: otner, faich co him, ‘So L vvilhaue him ro remaine till come,vvhat iff rvvil& tothee? folovv thou ine. t This faying therfore vvenc *} Hovy feve. abrode among the brethren,that that difciple dieth not. And ‘hinss2te Wie Tesvs did not fay to him, he diethnot: burt, So I vvil aétes & dodrie haue him to remaine til l come, vvhattothee? + Thisis tha Schich he that difciple vvhich giueth teftimonie of thefethings, and did and tpake? and yet the He- hath vvricten thefe things: and vve knovv that his teftimo- terikes wil nee- nie is true. -]_ det, haue al in + Bur thereare* many ** other things alfo vvhich1L £s Vs fing noe’ the did: vvhich if they vvere vvrittenin particular, neither the Apoities owne . a : reaching, or re- vvorld it felf [thinke vvere able to conteine thofe bookes for of any j thing that our that (hould be vvritten. Ming tae oo faid,ificbe nor 7. rvrigten,

27. Worke not the meate.) By their greedy seeking after him for meate of the bodie, he taketh occasion to draw them to the desire of a more excellent food which he had to giue them, and so by litle to open vnto them the great meate and mysterie of the B. Sacrament: which (as he proueth) doth not only far passe their ordinarie bread or his maruelous multiplied loaues, but Manna it self, which they thought came from Heauen, and so much wondered at it.

32. The true bread.) Why Christ is called bread, and beleeuing, eating. Though the Person of Christ incarnate, euen out of the Sacrament also, be meant vnder the Metaphores of bread and drinke from Heauen: and our beleefe in him, be signified by eating and feeding: yet the causes why they should be recommended vnto vs in such termes, were, that he was to be eaten and drunken indeed in the formes of bread and wine: for the which cause his body on the crosse is called his bread: and his bloud shed on the crosse, *the bloud of the grape: no doubt because the same body and bloud were in Holy Sacrament to be eaten and drunken. What signifieth, The true bread. In which speaches, either of Christs person generally, or peculiarly of the same as in the B. Sacrament the true bread is not taken properly and specially for that substance which is of corne, and called with vs bread; but generally for food or meate: and therfore it hath ioyned with it lightly a terme signifying a more excellent sort of sustenance: as, the true bread, the bread of Heauen, the bread of life, Supersubstantial bread. The B. Sacrament called bread. **In which sort the holy Sacrament which is Christs body, is both here, and in S. Luke and S. Paul also, often called bread euen after consecration: not only for that it was made of bread, but because it is bread more truly, and by more excellent property and calling, then that which ordinarily is named bread. *Ierem. 11,19. Gen. 49,11. **Luke 24,35. Act. 2,42. 20,7. 1. Cor. 10.

44. Draw him.) God draweth vs with our free-wil. The Father draweth vs and teacheth vs to come to his Sonne, and to beleeue these high and hard mysteries of his incarnation and of feeding vs with his owne substance in the Sacrament: not compelling or violently forcing any against their wil or without any respect of their consent, as Heretikes pretend; but by the sweet internal motions and persuasions of his grace and spirit he wholy maketh vs of our owne wil and liking to consent to the same.

Carholike taith, but of fuch as haue a vreatand forcible faith and Withal the gift of miracles, Thefe are able ashere Wee {ce by Chriltes warrant not only ro doe . other Wondertul miracles here fignified by this one, bucalfo this very fame, thatis, to moue /- Cor. 13. mountaines in desde, as S. Paul ato pretuppofeth, and S. Hicrom afirmeth, and Eccleliattical 4iero. is Gregorius Thau hittories namely celleth of Gregorius Neocwtarienfis, that he moued a mountaine to make roome Vita 5. AE Truc miracles oneiy in che Cath, Church. maturgus. for the foundation of a Church, called therfore and for other his Wonderful miracles, Thauma- ‘rons, turgus, And yee faicbleffe Heretikes laugh at al {uch things aud beleue them not. Nuceph ti. Prayer and Fa- 21. Prayer aud fajfing.) The torce of fatting and praying : Whereby alfo we may fee that the © 77. tting. holy Churche in Exorcitines doeth according to the Scriptures , when fhee vieth betide the name Greg iff. of lzsvs, many prayers and much faiting to driue out Deuils. becaufe thefe alfo are here requi- devit.Gre red befide faith. Lory.

49. Manna, and died.) The manifold preeminences of the B. Sacrament aboue Manna. The Heretikes holding the Fathers of the old Testament to haue eaten of the same meate, and to haue had as good Sacraments as we, be here refuted: Christ putting a plaine difference in the very substance thereof, and in the graces and effects much more at large. Manna was only a figure of the B. Sacrament, though a very excellent figure thereof for many causes. It came in a sort from heauen, our Sacrament more: it was made by God miraculously, our Sacrament more: it was to be eaten for the time of their peregrination, our Sacrament more: it was to euery man what he liked best, our Sacrament more: a litle thereof serued and sufficed as wel as much, our Sacrament more: it was reserued for such dayes as it could not be gathered, and our Sacrament much more: it was kept for a memorial in the arke of the Testament, our Sacrament much more: the discontented and incredulous murmured and gainsayed it, at our Sacrament much more, it sustained their bodies in the desert, our Sacrament, both body and soule much more. Aug. cont. duas. Ep. Pelag. li. 1. c. 19 & Ser. 2. de verb. Ap. c. 2.

52. How can this man?) In the B. Sacrament, How is a Iewish word. It came not to their mind that nothing was impossible to God, that wickedly said, How can this man giue vs his flesh? but we may make great profit of their sinne, beleeuing the Mysteries, and taking a lesson, neuer to say or once thinke, How? for it is a Iewish word and worthy al punishment. So saith S. Cyril. li. 4 c. 11 in Io. Neuertheles if one asked only for desire to learne in humilitie, as our Lady did touching her hauing a child in her virginitie, then he must take the Angels answer to her, That it is of the Holy Ghost. So saith S. Damascene li. 4. c. 14.

53. Vnles you eate.) The real presence. Christ commending the Sacrament of the faithful vnto vs, said, Except you eate &c. you can not haue life in you. So the life saith of life: and to him that thinketh the life to be a lier, this meate shal be death and not life to him. Aug. Ser. 2 de verb. Ap. c. 1. And S. Leo thus: *Because our Lord saith, Except you eate &c. let vs so communicate that we nothing doubt of the truth of Christs body and bloud: for that is receiued with mouth, which is beleeued in hart: and they answer Amen in vaine, that dispute against that which they receiue. *Ser. 6. de ieiun. 7. mens.

54. I wil raise him.) The effects of the B. Sacrament both in our bodie and soule. As the Sonne liueth by the Father, euen so do we liue by his flesh, saith S. Hilarie. li. 8. de Trin. And S. Cyril againe thus: *Though by nature of our flesh we be corruptible, yet by participation of life we are reformed to the propertie of life. For not only our soules were to be lifted vp by the Holy Ghost to life euerlasting, but this rude grosse terrestrial body of ours is to be reduced to immoralitie, by touching, tasting, and eating this agreable food of Christs body. And when Christ saith: I wil raise him vp, he meaneth that this body which he eateth, shal raise him. Our flesh (saith Tertullian**) eateth the body and bloud of Christ, that the soule may also be fatted. Therfore they shal both haue one reward at the Resurrection. And S. Irenæus, ***How do they affirme that our bodies be not capable of life euerlasting, which is nourished by the body and bloud of our Lord? Either let them change their opinion, or els cease to offer the Eucharist. St. Gregorie Nyssene also saith: aThat liuely bodie entering into our bodie, changeth it and maketh it like and immortal. *Cyril li. 4. c. 14. 15. **Tertul. de. resur. car. nu. 7. ***Li. 4. c. 34. aNyss. in orat. cathech magna.

55. Meat indeed.) The B. Sacrament is the true Manna and water of the rock. Manna, was not the true meat: nor the water of the rocke, the drinke indeed: for they did but driue away death or famine for a time and for this life. But the holy Bodie of Christ is the true food nourishing to life euerlasting, and his bloud the true drinke that driueth death away vtterly, for they be not the body and bloud of a mere man, but of him that being joyned to life is made life: and therfore are we the bodie and members of Christ, because by this benediction of the mysterie we receive the Sonne of God himself. So saith S. Cyril li. 4. c. 16 in Io.

58. He that eateth this bread.) The whole grace and effect therof in one kind; and therefore the people not defrauded. *By this place the holy Councel proueth that for the grace and effect of the Sacrament, which is the life of the soule, there is no difference whether a man receiue both kinds or one. Because our Sauiour who before attributed life to the eating and drinking of his bodie and bloud, doth here also affirme the same effect, which is life euerlasting, to come of eating only vnder one forme. Therfore the Heretikes be seditious calumniatours that would make the people beleeue, the Catholike Church and Priests to haue defrauded them of the grace and benefit of one of the kinds in the Sacrament. Receiuing in one or both kinds, indifferent, according to the holy Churches appointment. Nay, it is they that haue defrauded the world, by taking away both the real substance of Christ, and the grace from one kind and both kinds, and from al other Sacraments. The Church doth only (by the wisedom of God’s Spirit and by instruction of Christ and his Apostles, according to time and place, for God’s most honour, the reuerence of the Sacrament, and the peoples most profit thereby) dispose of the manner and order how the Priest, how the people shal receiue, and al other Particular points, which himself (saith S. Augustine**) did not take order for, that he might commit that to the Apostles, by whom he was to dispose his Churches affaires. Though both he and the Apostles and the Fathers of the primitiue Church left vs example of receiuing vnder one kind, ***Christ at Emmaus. The Apostles Act. 2,42. Authoritie of Scriptures and the Primitiue Church for receiuing in one kind. The primitiue Church in giuing the bloud only to children, Cypr. li. de lapsis, nu. 10. In reseruing most commonly the bodie only, Tertul. li. 2 ad vxo. nu. 4. Cypr. li. de lapsis, nu. 10. In houseling the sicke therwith, Euseb. Ec. hist. li. 6 c. 36. In the holy Eremits also that receiued and reserued it commonly and not the bloud, in the wildernes, Basil. ep. ad Cæsariam Patritiam. And in diuers other cases which were too long to rehearse. The causes of the Churches practise and ordinance concerning one kind. Whereby the Church being warranted and in the ruling of such things fully taught by God’s spirit, as wel for the reprouing of certaine heresies, that Christ God and man was not whole and al in euery part of the Sacrament, as specially for that the Christian people being now enlarged, and the communicants often so many at once, that neither so much wine could be conueniently consecrated, nor without manifold accidents of sheding or abusing be receiued (whereof the Protestants haue no regard, because it is but common wine which they occupie, but the Church knowing it to be Christs owne bloud, must haue al dreadful regard) therfore I say she hath decreed and for some hundreth yeares put in vse, that the Priest saying Masse, should alwayes both consecrate and also receiue both kinds, because he must expresse liuely the Passion of Christ, and the separation of his bloud from his bodie in the same, and for to imitate the whole action and institution as wel in sacrificing as receiuing, as to whom properly it was said: aDoe this; for that was spoken onely to such as have power thereby to offer and consecrate: But the Lay men, and the Clergie also when they do not execute or say Masse themselues, should receiue in one kind, being thereby no lesse partakers of Christs whole Person and grace, then if they receiued both. For (as S. Paul saithb) He that eateth the hostes, is partaker of the Altar. He that eateth, saith he: for though there were drink-offerings or libaments ioyned lightly to euery Sacrifice, yet it was enough to eate only of one kind, for to be partaker of the whole. *Conc. Trid. Ses. 21. c. 1. **Ep. 118. c. 6 ad Ianuariaum. ***Luke 24,15. aLuke 22,19. 1. Corinth. 11. b1. Corinth. 10,18.

62. If you shal see.) Christ insinuateth that faithles men shal not beleeue his presence in the B. Sacrament, becaue he is ascended. Our Sauiour seemeth to insinuate, that such as beleeue not his words touching the holy Sacrament, and thinke it impossible for him to giue his Body to be eaten in so many places at once, being yet in earth, should be much more scandalized and tempted after they saw or knew him to be ascended into Heauen. Which is proued true in the Capharnaites of this time. Whose principal reason against Christs presence in the Sacrament is, that he is ascended into Heauen: yea, who are so bold as to expound this same sentence for themselues thus, It is not this body or flesh which I wil giue you, for that I wil carie with me to Heauen. Whereby if they meant only that the condition and qualities of his body in Heauen should be other then in the Sacrament, it were tolerable: for S. Augustin speaketh sometime in that sense. But to deny the substance of the body to be the same, that is wicked.

63. The flesh profiteth nothing.) If this speach were spoken in the sense of the Sacramentaries, it would take away Christs Incarnation, manhood, and death, no lesse then his corporal presence in the Sacrament. For if his flesh were not profitable, al these things were vaine. The Capharnaites grosse vnderstanding of Christs flesh to be giuen or eaten. And, how this flesh doth profit, and not profit. Therfore CHRIST denieth not his owne flesh to be profitable, but that their grosse and carnal conceiuing of his words, of his flesh, and of the manner of eating the same, was vnprofitable: which is plaine by the sentence folowing, where he warneth them, that his words be spirit and life, of high Mystical meaning, and not vulgarly and grosly to be taken, as they tooke them. And it is the vse of the Scripture to call mans natural sense, reason, and carnal resisting or not reaching supernatural truths, flesh or bloud, as, Flesh and bloud reuealed not this to thee &c. Mat. 16. This carnalitie then of theirs, stood in two points specially: first, that they imagined that he would kil himself, and cut and mangle his flesh into parts, and so giue it them raw or rost to be eaten among them. Which could not be meant, saith S. Augustin: *for that had conteined an heinous and barbarous fact; and therfore they might and should haue been assured, that he would command no such thing: but some other sweet sense to be of his hard, mystical, or figuratiue words, and to be fulfilled in a Sacrament, mysterie, and a maruelous diuine sort, otherwise then they could comprehend. Christs flesh giueth life because it is the flesh of God and man. Secondly, they did erre touching his flesh, in that they tooke it to be the flesh of a mere man, and of a dead man also, when it should come to be eaten: of which kind of flesh Christ here pronounceth, that it profiteth nothing. Whereupon S. Cyril saith: **This body is not of Peter or Paul or any other like, but of Christ IESVS who is the life itself: and therfore this Body giueth life, the very fulnes of the Diuinitie dwelling in it. And the holy Councel of Ephesus in the 11. Anathematisme expounded also by the said S. Cyril: The Eucharist is not the body of any common person (for the flesh of a common man could not quicken) but of the WORD itself But the Heretike Nestorius dissolueth the vertue of this Mysterie, holding mans flesh only to be in the Eucharist. Thus thee. And S. Ignatius cited of Theodorete,*** and many other Fathers have the like. Whereby we may see that it commeth of the Diuinitie and Spirit (without which Christs flesh can not be) that this Sacrament giueth life. *August. Doct. Chr. li. 3. c. 13. **Li. 4. c. 23. in Io. ***Ignatius apud Theodor. dial. 3.

64. That beleeue not.) Iudas the chiefe of them that beleeue not the real presence. It is lacke of faith, you see here, that causeth men to spurne against this high truth of the Sacrament: as also it may be learned here, that it is the great and merciful guift of God that Catholike men do against their senses and carnal reasons, beleeue and submit themselues to the humble acknowledging of this Mysterie: lastly, that it may wel *by Christs insinuation of Iudas, be gathered, that he specially spurned against our Maisters speaches of the holy Sacrament. *vers. 64.

66. Went back.) Heretikes beleeue not the real presence, because they see bread and wine: as the Iewes beleeued not his Godhead because of the shape of a poore man. It can be no maruel to vs now that so many reuolt from the Church, by offense or scandal vniustly taken at Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament: seeing many of his Disciples that saw his wonderful life, doctrine, and miracles, forsooke Christ himself, vpon the speach and promise of the same Sacrament. For the mysterie of it is so supernatural and diuine in itself, and withal so low and base for our sakes, by the shew of the formes of these terrene elements vnder which it is, and we eate it; that the vnfaithful and infirme doe so stumble at Christ in the Sacrament, as the Iewes and Gentils did at Christ in his humanitie. For, the causes of contradictions of the Incarnation and Transsubstantion be like. And it may be verily deemed, that whosoeuer now can not beleeue the Sacrament to be Christ, because it is vnder the formes of bread and wine, and is eaten and drunken, would not then haue beleeued that Christ had been God, because he was in shape of man, and crucified. To conclude, it was not a figure nor a mysterie of bare bread and wine, nor any Metaphorical or Allegorical speach, that could make such a troup of his Disciples reuolt at once. The disciples reuolting at Christs words, proue that he spake not metaphorically, as at other times. When he said he was a doore, a vine, a way, a Pastour, and such like (vnto which kind of speaches the Protestants ridiculously resemble the words of the holy Sacrament) who was so mad to mistake him, or to forsake him for the same? For the Apostles at the least would haue plucked them by the sleeues, and said: Goe not away my Masters, he speaketh parables. The cause therfore was their incredulitie, and the height of the Mysterie, for that they neither knew the meanes how it might be present, nor would beleeue that he was able to giue his flesh to be eaten in many places. And euen such is the vnbeleefe of the Heretikes about this matter at this day.

68. Peter answered.) As S. Peter beareth the person of al beleeuing Catholikes: so Iudas of al vnbeleeuing Heretikes. He being the first Arch-heretike; and this against the B. Sacrament, the first heresie. Peter answereth for the Twelue, not knowing that Iudas in hart was already naught, and beleeued not Christs former wordes touching the B. Sacrament, but was to reuolt afterward as wel as the other. *Wherein as Peter beareth the person of the Church and al Catholike men, that for no difficulty of his word, nor for any reuolt (be it neuer so general) of Schismatikes, Heretikes, or Apostataes, either for this Sacrament or any other Article, wil euer forsake Christ: So Iudas was the chiefest suborner, maintayner, and father of this heresie against the real presence of Christs bodie and bloud in the B. Sacrament, and of the reuolt from him for the same: as S. Augustin teacheth in enarratione Psal. 54. aduer. 22. & Psal. 55. ad ver. 7. declaring withal that this was the first heresie against Christs doctrine, and worthily commending S. Peter for his humble obedience, in receiuing Christs speach, and firmly beleeuing his words to be true and good, which he did not yet vnderstand. By whose example therfore when company draweth vs to reuolt, let vs say thus: Lord, whither or to whom shal we goe, when we haue forsaken thee? to Caluin, Luther, or such, and forsake thee and thy Church with the vnfaithful multitude? No, thou hast the words of life, and we beleeue thee, and thy Church wil not nor can not beguile vs. **Thou hast (saith the same S. Augustine) life euerlasting in the ministration of thy body and bloud. And a litle after: Thou art life euerlasting itself, and thou giuest not in thy flesh and bloud but that which thyself art. *Cypr ep. 55. nu. **Tract. 27. in Euang. Io.