Aphorismes of Christian religion: or, a verie compendious abridgement of M. I. Calvins Institutions set forth in short sentences methodically by M. I. Piscator: and now Englished according to the authors third and last edition, by H. Holland.

A SVPPLEMENT OR ADDITION, FOR THE CLEERING AND opening of the doctrine of the Lords Supper.

WHEREAS our Lord Iesus Christ the 6. of Iohn saith in expresse words, that his flesh is a 1.1 meate indeed, & his bloud is drinke indeed. And againe, b 1.2 Vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, ye haue no life in you: For the right vnderstanding of these wordes and doctrine, which at the first sight seemeth so strange, and to the Capernaites (whom Christ then taught) most repugnant to all reason: and that the same may minister cōfort vnto our soules, which is the right end and vse of this cele∣stiall veritie, two questions principally must be cōsidered. The first is, VVhat kind

of meate the flesh of Christ is? The second, How or in what maner this meate is to be ea∣ten? The same question may be made also cōcerning the cup, as VVhat kind of drinke the bloud of Christ is? and in what maner must we drinke the same? Now then as con∣cerning the first question: If the flesh of Christ bee meate indeede (as is before shewed) it must be either a corporall or spirituall foode. Corporall foode is that which nourisheth him bodily that fee∣deth thereupon, and this (to speake after the vsuall maner and properly) is called meate. Spirituall food, is that whereby the soule or spirit of him which eateth is fed and nourished: and this is called meate improperly, tropically, metaphorically, because it hath the likenesse of meat, pro∣perly so called. For like as by natural food so properly called, the bodie is nourished and sustained: so by that spirituall meate the spirit and soule of man is cherished, & as nourished. The same reason and descri∣ption may be giuen of the corporall and spirituall drinke. And now it is certaine, that neither the flesh of Christ is a corpo∣rall

food, nor his bloud corporall drinke: for that no bodily substance is fed & pre∣serued either by the flesh or by the bloud of Christ: For, to effect this, the flesh of Christ must bee eaten with the mouth, chewed with the teeth, swallowed vp, di∣gested, and so turned into that nourishing * 1.3 iuyce in the stomach, whereof bloud is ingendred, and so deriued or sent into all partes of the bodie, to be vnited thereun∣to, or altred and chaunged into the sub∣stance thereof, that the body may receiue his growth and preseruation therby. And so in like maner, the bloud of Christ, if the bodie were to be nourished thereby, must be drunke vp with the mouth, swallowed, &c. But these things are against all rea∣son, and horrible to be spoken. And this was the verie cause, why the Capernaites did so tremble at the speech of Christ, touching the eating of his flesh, & tooke it so in euil part, saying; c 1.4 How can this man giue vs his flesh to eate? and againe, d 1.5 This is an hard saying, who can heare it? For they vnderstood Christ to speake those words of a bodilie food, which were to be taken

with the mouth, for the nourishment of the body. Wherefore seeing that it is ma∣nifest by these absurde consequents, that the flesh of Christ is no meate for the bo∣dy: it followeth, that it must be a spiritu∣all foode, and his bloud spirituall drinke, whereby the spirite and soule of man is fed and preserued vnto life euerlasting, like as mans body is nourished and kept in this temporall & fraile life, by corporall meat and drinke. And this Christ himselfe see∣meth to haue said in these wordes. It is e 1.6 the spirite that quickneth, the flesh profi∣teth nothing, the wordes that I speake vnto you are spirite and life. And whereas the most of the best interpreters of these times expounde these wordes, of Christes Deitie, as if the same were vnderstood by the word spirite: so that Christes mea∣ning (as they say) is, that the power of quickning doth proceede from the Dei∣tie of Christ: so that his flesh hath power to quicken vs, as it is the flesh of the sonne of God crucified for vs. This exposition no doubt is sound and good, yet I thinke this be the most simple and naturall sense,

if by the word spirit we vnderstād the holy Ghost, that the meaning should be thus: my flesh which I said must be eaten, to at∣taine eternall life, profiteth nothing to ef∣fect this, if ye eate the same corporally, as you Capernaites vnderstand me: but it is the spirit which quickneth, that is, the ho∣ly Ghost quickneth the harts of the faith∣full, and nourisheth them vnto life euerla∣sting, by working in them effectually to beleeue in me, and so to eate my flesh and to drinke my bloud spiritually, that is, by faith, whereby they are well assured that my flesh was crucified for them, and my bloud shed for them for the remission of their sinnes. The wordes, therefore (saith he) which I speake vnto you, of the necessi∣tie of eating my flesh to attaine eternall life: these wordes I say are spirite and life, that is, must be vnderstood of the effectu∣all working of the holy Ghost in the harts of the elect, to worke eternall life in them, euen by faith.

Moreouer, for the better vnderstan∣ding of this point, in what sense, the flesh of Christ is, and may truly be said to be

our spirituall foode: we must expresse also in what manner it is made meate for vs. And this Christ taught vs in very plaine wordes, in that Sermon, where he saith, I am thatf 1.7 liuing bread (that is, the quickning bread, or that bread that giueth life) which came downe from heauen: If any man shall eate of this bread, he shall liue for euer, and the bread that I will giue, is my flesh, which I will giue for the life of the world. In these last wordes, which I will giue for the life of the world, Christ sheweth in what maner his flesh should be foode for vs, and that is, in that he will giue it vnto the death, for our life, that is, to merite for vs life e∣uerlasting, offring it as Priest himselfe, a holy sacrifice to God his father. And that this is the naturall sense of this relatiue * 1.8 which in this place: as if the Lord had said, quatenus cam dabo, in that, or for that I shall giue it, it is verie manifest by the matter it selfe, which is handled in that place. For if we shall not so vnderstand those wordes, as tending to declare the former maner of that thing which is here intreated: then that word must note some

diuision of a generall into specials, as if Christ had two kindes of flesh, of which the one he would giue for the life of the world, the other he would not giue. But this interpretation is manifestly false, and contrary to the articles of our faith wher∣on we ground the truth of Christes incar∣nation. Therefore that exposition of the relatiue which in this place is verie true and natural, and vsed to declare the forme and manner of that thing, which is there proposed or disputed vpon. And the very same interpretation is there of the words of the Lord in the institution of his holy Supper, where, of that bread broken, he speaketh on this wise; This is my bodie, which is giuen, or broken for you, that is, in * 1.9 asmuch as, or for that it is broken or gi∣uen for you. For that holie bread, or as Paule calleth it, that bread of the Lord, is not simplie the Sacrament of the Lordes bodie: that is, doth not simplie signifie and testifie that the Lord hath a true bo∣die: but signifieth and testifieth, that the Lords body is broken or giuen for vs, that is, was offred on the Crosse with the fee∣ling

of Gods wrath, to make satisfaction for our sinnes. And in like manner must we speake and thinke of the other wordes, which the Lord pronounced, of the holy cup or wine: saying, This is that my bloud of the new Testament or couenant, which is shed for you and for manie, for the remission of sinnes: that is, in asmuch as, or for that it is shed, &c. By the premisses, it is now manifest, that the flesh of Christ hath in it the nature of meate, not simplie but in a certaine respect: that is, in asmuch as, it was crucified for vs. Like as the body is said to be visible, in respect of the colours thereof.

Now concerning the second question in what maner, we eate the flesh of Christ, and drinke his bloud: I answer: Such as the meate and drinke is, such must be the ma∣ner of the eating and drinking thereof: but the flesh of Christ is spirituall meate, and his bloud is spirituall drinke, as is a∣foreshewed. Therefore the flesh of Christ is eaten spiritually or in a spirituall man∣ner, and his bloud is drunke also in the same manner. Now to eate the flesh of

Christ and to drinke his bloud spiritually, is to eate with the mouth of the spirite, that is, of the soule, to wit, by faith. Again, to eate the flesh of Christ by faith, and to drinke his bloud, is nothing else but to be∣leeue in Christ, or to beleeue that the flesh of Christ is crucified for thee, and that his bloud is shed for thee, for the re∣mission of thy sinnes. This Christ himselfe sheweth in the same Sermon, where he propoundeth two propositions or sen∣tences signifying one thing: which are these: he that beleeueth g 1.10 in me hath eter∣nall life, and h 1.11 he that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life. The matter also, and argument there handled requires this interpretation of the words of Christ: for if he meant by that phrase of eating his flesh one thing, and by that of faith another thing: then this conse∣quent would follow, we must haue not one, but two wayes to life euerlasting: one by eating the flesh of Christ, the other by faith. But the way to eternall life is but one, which is Christ alone receiued by faith, or faith in Christ our Sauiour, both

come to one effect. And yet the better to vnderstand this point, consider a little what the nature of faith is. And this is knowen by his next and proper obiect, which is the Gospell, or that testimonie which God hath giuen vs of his loue and grace for and through Iesus Christ, for faith resteth vpon the Gospell as the bles∣sed and infallible testimonie of God. And the Gospell testifieth of Christ, that is, of his person and office, and of all his bene∣fites towardes vs: that is to say, that Christ is the only begotten sonne of God, which for our sake and for our saluation came downe from heauen, and was made man of the virgine Marie: that he liued an ho∣ly life according to the law of God, and hath brought vnto vs from the bosome of his father the counsell of God concerning our saluation: who being righteous suffe∣red for vs that are vnrighteous vnder Pon∣tius Pylate, was crucified, dead, &c. And like as the Gospell testifieth these things vnto vs; so the Sacramentes also testifie the same, for they are seales of the Go∣spell, and as it were, a Gospell seene and a

Gospell felt. He therefore that beleeueth these holy testimonies of God, in so do∣ing, he spiritually feedeth vpon the bodie of Christ & spiritually drinketh the bloud of Christ. And thus doth Augustine,* 1.12 ex∣pounde this place of Christ. Vnlesse (saith he) ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, ye haue no life in you. He seemeth to commande a horrible fact, and a thing most detestable: It is a figure comman∣ding vs to communicate with, or to become partakers of the Lordes passion, and to lay vp sweetely and comfortably in memorie, that his flesh was crucified and wounded for vs: thus saith Augustine. After the same ma∣ner doth M^r Iohn Caluin, that famous di∣uine of our age, lay open those wordes of Christ, in his booke of Institutions the 4. booke Chap. 17. sect. 5.

FINIS.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Ioh. 6.55.
• b 1.2

  Ibid. v. 53.
• * 1.3

  Chilus.
• c 1.4

  Ioh. 6.52.
• d 1.5

  Ibid. v. 60.
• e 1.6

  Ibid. v. 63.
• f 1.7

  v. 51.
• * 1.8

  Quam ego dabo.
• * 1.9

  Quatenus.
• g 1.10

  v. 47.
• h 1.11

  v. 54.
• * 1.12

  De doctrina Christ. Lib. 2. cap. 16.