590 OF FIGURE, SIGN, &c. THE TWELFTH ARTICLE. and eighty For M. Harding's own fellows have both taught THE BISHOP OF SARISBURY. OR that whosoever had said the sacrament is a figure, a pledge, a token, or a remembrance of Christ's body, had therefore been judged for an heretic. [OF THE TERMS FIGURE, SIGN, TOKEN, &c. BY THE FATHERS APPLIED TO THE SACRAMENT.-ARTICLE XII. H. A. 1564.] In this article we do agree with M. Jewel in some respect. For we confess it cannot be avouched by scripture, ancient council, doctor, or example of the primitive church, that whosoever had said the sacrament is a figure, a pledge, a token, The hundred or a remembrance of Christ's body, had therefore been judged for an heretic. (185) fifth untruth. No man of any learning ever wrote so unlearnedly. Much less, to impute heresy to any man for saying thus hath been any of the highest mysteries or greatest keys of our religion; with which untruth M. Jewel goeth about to deface the truth. Wherefore so and writ this article seemeth to have been put in either of malice toward the church, or of therefore un- ignorance, or only to fill up the heap for lack of better stuff. Perusing the works of the ancient and learned fathers, we find that oftentimes they call the sacrament2 a figure, a sign, a token, a mystery, a sampler. The words of them used to this purpose in their learned tongues are these: figura, signum, symbolum, mysterium, exemplar, ávτíTUTTOV, imago, &c. By which they mean not to diminish the truth of Christ's body in the sacrament, but to signify the secret manner of this3 being in the same. ten so; and learnedly. THE BISHOP OF SARISBURY. It appeareth that these men's doctrine is much mutable, and subject to change. For, notwithstanding they be now grown into some better liking of these terms, figure, sign, signification, token, &c. ; yet not long sithence they seemed to be otherwise resolved, and thought themselves able to allege Theophylactus, Damascenus, Euthymius, and other great matter, to disprove the same. Cuth. Tonst. D. Tonstal, the more to make the matter odious, saith thus: "If the sacrament be a figure of Christ's body, then was a figure crucified for us, and not Christ4." And whatsoever they were that used this word figura in this matter Marcus Con- of the sacrament, D. Stephen Gardiner scornfully calleth them figuratores3, figurers." And M. John White, late schoolmaster, and after bishop of Winton, writeth thus in great scorn against that most reverend learned father, D. Peter Martyr, touching the same: de Euch. Lib. i. stantius. 66 Audio mille locis 'corpus;' non audio, Petre, Signa, troposque, tuo nec symbola nata cerebro 6: "I hear 'body, body,' in a thousand places; but of signs, figures, tokens, that came only out of thy head, I hear nothing." Which words notwithstanding, in all the ancient learned fathers, by M. Harding's own confession, if he had had ears to hear, he might have heard. Therefore it was neither malice, nor ignorance, nor increase of heap, nor want of other stuff, but the fondness and folly of M. Harding's side, that added this article to the rest. [1 1565 omits for.] [ Sacraments, 1565.] [3 His, 1565, and H. A. 1564.] [ Tonst. De Verit. Corp. et Sang. Dom. in Euch. Lut. 1554. Lib. 1. foll. 12, 15, 29. 2.] [5 Confut. Cavill. in Ven. Euch. Sacr. Verit. Par. 1552. Ad Object. 13. fol. 18. 2.] [6 Whit. Diacosio-Mart. Lond. 1553. Gregor. Secund. fol. 42. 2.] Sacramentum. But, forasmuch as many, either of simplicity or of the great reverence they bear towards that holy mystery, have persuaded themselves that Christ's words touching the institution thereof must of necessity be taken plainly and as they sound, that is to say, without figure; and forasmuch also as St Augustine saith, "It is a dangerous matter, and a servitude of the soul, to take the sign instead August. de of the thing that is signified";" therefore, to avoid confusion, lest the simple be Lib. iii. cap. deceived, taking one thing for another, I think it necessary in few words and plainly to touch what the ancient learned fathers have written in this behalf. Doctr. Christ. V. Dist. ii. August. de Lib. x. cap. v. Epist. v. Cœlest. cap. i. Eccles. And to pass by that Christ himself saith, "Do this in my remembrance;" and that St Paul saith, "Ye shall declare the Lord's death until he come;" and 1 Cor. xi. likewise to pass by a great many other circumstances, whereby the truth hereof may soon appear; the nature and meaning of a sacrament of the old fathers is thus defined: Sacramentum...est sacrum signum8: " A sacrament is a holy token." De Conseer. Which definition is common, and agreeth indifferently to all sacraments. There- Sacrificium. fore St Augustine saith: [Signa] cum ad res divinas pertinent, sacramenta Civ. Dei. appellantur: "Signs, when they be applied unto godly things, are called sacra- August. ad ments." And the cause why sacraments are ordained is this, that by mean of Marcell such visible and outward things we may be led to the consideration of heavenly things. Therefore Dionysius saith: Non est possibile animo nostro ad immate- Dionys. rialem illam ascendere cœlestium hierarchiarum... contemplationem, nisi ea, quæ Hierarch. secundum ipsum est, materiali manuductione utatur 10: "It is not possible for our mind to lift up itself to the spiritual contemplation of heavenly things, unless it have the corporal leading of such natural things, as be about it." Likewise again: Nos imaginibus sensibilibus, quantum fieri potest, ad cœlestes contemplationes Dionys. adducimur 11: "By sensible images we are led as much as may be to heavenly Hierarch. contemplations." And, touching this holy mystery of Christ's body and blood, ca αἰσθηταῖς the cause of the institution thereof was, as Chrysostom saith, to keep us still in eikór. remembrance of Christ's great benefit, and of our salvation 12. Which thing St Hierome openeth in this sort: Ultimam nobis memoriam reliquit. Ut si quis peregre proficiscens aliquod pignus apud eum, quem diligit, relinquat; ut, quoties beneficii mei, illud viderit, possit ejus beneficia et amicitiam memorare 13: quod ille, si perfecte tre. dilexit, non potest videre sine ingenti dolore, et sine fletu 14: "He left unto us his last 1 Cor. cap. xi. remembrance. As if a man, going a far journey, leave a token with his friend, to the end that he, seeing the same, may remember his benefits and his friendship; which token that friend, if he love unfeignedly, cannot see without great motion of his mind, and without tears." So saith St Basil: Quid utilitatis habent hæc Basil. de verba? Nempe, ut edentes, et bibentes, perpetuo memores simus ejus, qui pro nobis mortuus est, ac resurrexit15: "What profit have these words? Verily, that we, eating and drinking, may evermore be mindful of him that died for us and rose again." So St Ambrose: Quia... morte Domini liberati sumus, hujus rei memores, Ambros. in in edendo et potando, carnem et sanguinem, quæ pro nobis oblata sunt, significamus 16: "Because we are made free by the death of our Lord, being mindful thereof, in eating and drinking, we signify the flesh and blood that Christ offered for us." Origen, expounding these words of Christ, "Unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, &c." saith thus: Agnoscite, figuras esse, quæ in divinis voluminibus Orig. in [ August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. De Doctr. Christ. Lib. III. cap. v. 9. Tom. III. Pars I. col. 47. See before, page 448.] [ Id. in Corp. Jur. Canon. Lugd. 1624. Decret. Gratian. Decr. Tert. Pars, Dist. ii. can. 32. col. 1925. Op. De Civ. Dei. Lib. x. cap. v. Tom. VII. col. 241.] [ Id. ad Marcell. Epist. cxxxviii. 7. Tom. II. col. 412.] [10 Dionys. Areop. Op. Antv. 1634. De Cœlest. Hierarch. cap. i. Tom. I. p. 3.] [" Id. de Eccles. Hierarch. cap. i. Tom. I. p. 232.] [12 Ait enim, Quotiescunque hoc feceritis... facietis commemorationem salutis vestræ, beneficii mei.— Chrysost. Op. Lat. Basil. 1547. Ad Pop. Ant. Hom. lxi. Tom. V. col. 402. See before, page 448, note 4.] quem diligit, derelinquat: ut quotiescum- [15 Basil. Op. Par. 1721-30. De Baptism. Lib. 1. cap. iii. 2. Tom. II. Append. p. 650. The Benedictine editor does not consider this work genuine.] [16 Ambros. Op. Par. 1686-90. Comm. in Epist. ad Cor. 1. cap. xi. v. 26. Tom. II. Append. col. 149. See before, page 570, note 3.] Ad Pop. Ant. om. 61. Hoc facite in memoriam salutis vesHieron. in Baptism. 1 Cor. cap. xi. Levit. Hom. 7. Tertull. contr. Marcion. Lib. iv. scriptæ sunt; et ideo tanquam spirituales, et non tanquam carnales examinate, et intelligite ea, quæ dicuntur. Nam, si quasi carnales ista suscipiatis1, lædunt vos, non alunt2: "Know ye, that these be figures written in the holy scriptures; and therefore examine and understand ye the things that be spoken, as men spiritual, and not as carnal. For if ye take these things as carnal men, they hurt you and feed you not." Tertullian expoundeth Christ's words in this wise: Hoc est corpus meum, hoc est, figura corporis mei3: "This is my body; that is to say, this is a figure of my body." St Ambrose, speaking of the sacrament of Christ's body, Ambros. de useth oftentimes these terms, a figure, a similitude, a sign, a token of Christ's body. St Augustine, beside infinite other places, saith: [Christus] adhibuit [Judam] ad convivium, in quo corporis...sui figuram discipulis [suis] commendavit: "Christ took Judas unto his table, whereat he gave unto his disciples the figure of his body." And writing against the heretic Adimantus, he saith: Non... dubitavit Dominus dicere, Hoc est corpus meum, cum daret signum corporis sui: "Our Lord doubted not to say, 'This is my body,' when he gave a token of Chrysost. in his body." So Chrysostom: Si mortuus Christus non est, cujus symbolum ac signum hoc sacramentum est"?" If Christ died not, whose sign and whose token Hieron, adv. is this sacrament ?" So St Hierome: In typo sanguinis sui non obtulit aquam, Jovin. Lib. ii. sed vinum: "In token of his blood he offered not water, but wine." Sacram. Lib. August. contr. Adimant. cap. xii. Matt. Hom. 83. I leave other like authorities well near infinite. These few may suffice for a taste. This was the old fathers' manner of writing; neither was there any man then that ever controlled them therefore, or called them figurers. M. HARDING. THE SECOND DIVISION. can. Hoc est For the better understanding of such places, where these terms are used in the matter of the sacrament, the doctrine of St Augustine, In Sententiis Prosperi, may serve very well; which is thus: Hoc est quod dicimus, quod omnibus De Con. Dist. 2. modis approbare contendimus, sacrificium... ecclesiæ duobus confici, quod dicimus. duobus constare, visibili elementorum specie, et invisibili Domini nostri Jesu Christi carne et sanguine; sacramento, [(id est, externo sacro signo)] et re sacramenti, id est, corpore Christi, &c.9: "This is that we say," saith he, "which by all means we go about to prove, that the sacrifice of the church is made of two things, and consisteth of two things; of the visible shape of the elements (which are bread and wine), and the invisible flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; of the sacrament (that is, the outward sign), and the thing of the sacrament, to wit, of the body of Christ," &c. By this we understand that this word "sacrament" is of the fathers two ways taken. First, for the whole substance of the sacrament, as it consisteth of the outward forms, and also withal of the very body of Christ The hundred verily present; as St Augustine saith the sacrifice of the church to consist (186) sixth un- of these two. Secondly, it is taken so as it is distinct from that hidden and For St Augus- divine thing of the sacrament, that is to say, for the outward forms only, which are the holy signs 10 of Christ's very body present under them contained. we must gather that, whensoever the fathers do call this most excelThe hundred lent sacrament a figure or a sign, (187) they would be understanded seventh un- to mean none otherwise than of those outward forms, and not of For none of Christ's body itself, which is there present, not typically or figura- &c. H. A. 1564.] and eighty truth. tine never said so. and eighty truth. the learned fathers ever called the outward form a sacrament. Christ's body itself is a figure. [ Suscipitis, 1565.] [ Agnoscite quia figuræ sunt, quæ in divinis voluminibus scripta sunt, et ideo tanquam spiritales et non tanquam carnales examinate, et intelligite quæ dicuntur. Si enim quasi carnales ista suscipitis, lædunt vos, et non alunt.—Orig. Op. Par. 1733-59. In Levit. Hom. vii. 5. Tom. II. p. 225.] [3 Tertull. Op. Lut. 1641. Adv. Marcion. Lib. Iv. 40. p. 571. See before, page 447.] [* Ambros. Op. Par. 1686-90. De Sacram. Lib. IV. cap. v. 21. Tom. II. col. 371.] [ August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. In Psalm. iii. Enarr. 1. Tom. IV. col. 7.] Whereof [How the fathers are to be under standed, calling the sacrament a figure, sign, token, tively, but really and substantially. Unless perhaps respect bell had, not to the body itself present, but to the manner of presence, as sometimes it happeneth. So is St Basil to be understanded, in Liturgia, calling the sacrament antitypon 12, that is, a sampler or a figure, and that after consecration; as the copies that be now abroad be found to have. So is Eustathius to be taken, that great learned father of the Greek church, who so constantly defended the catholic faith against the Arians, cited of Epiphanius, in VII. Synodo 13. Albeit concerning St Basil, DamasLib. iv. cap. xiv. cene 14, and Euthymius 15, likewise Epiphanius in the second Nicene council, Act. 613, and Marcus Ephesius 16, who was present at the council of Florence, would have that place so to be taken before consecration. (188) As St Ambrose also, calling it a figure of our Lord's body and blood, The hundred Lib. iv. De Sacramentis, cap. v. In cap. Matt. xxvi. THE BISHOP OF SARISBURY. and eightyeighth untruth. For St Ambrose saith: "Post consecrationem corpus [Christi] significa turi." contr. Lib. iv. cap. xiv. Innoc. Lib. xcv. M. Harding, as he is content to yield to these names, figure, sign, token, &c., so he addeth thereto an exposition of his own, such as I believe he can hardly find the like in any ancient father. Therefore it must be such a figure, not as the old doctors and learned fathers have at any time used, but such as M. Harding can best imagine; and therefore now not the old doctors', but M. Harding's new figure. Indeed Tertullian saith: Hæretici...nudas...voces con- Tertull. jecturis quo volunt rapiunt 18: “Heretics, by their conjectural guesses, draw bare Marcion. words whither they list." With such conditions the wicked heretic Nestorius was contented to grant Christ to be God; but by his lewd exposition he made him no God; for thus he said: Non invideo Christo divinitatem suam: hoc et ego Cyril. Lib. v. fieri possum, si volo: "It grieveth me not to confess Christ to be God: I myself19 can be God too, if I list." The Pelagian heretics, notwithstanding they were the enemies of God's grace, yet, being forced by disputation and con- August. ad ference, were content to yield, and to confess the grace of God 20. But by their fantastical exposition in the end they made it no grace at all. In like manner M. Harding, notwithstanding he be driven by force to confess the name of figure, yet, as he glosseth it with his colours, indeed he maketh it no figure. Sometimes he saith it is a figure of Christ's body secretly being there; sometimes, it is a figure of the life to come; sometimes, common bread is a figure; sometimes, the accident and outward form of bread is a figure; sometimes, Christ's body invisible is a figure of Christ's body visible—all hitherto M. Harding. Sometimes also, it is a figure of the church; so saith Hosius: Sacramenta In Confess. nostra...sunt quodammodo per figuram ipsum corpus Christi, cujus sacramenta cap. xxxix. sunt, id est, ecclesia21: "Our sacraments are in a manner, by a figure, the very body of Christ, whereof they be sacraments; that is to say, our sacraments be the church." Thus many ways these men have sought to make up a new kind of figure, such as neither grammarian, nor rhetorician, nor divine ever understood before. Significat, "it signifieth," is as much to say, saith M. Harding, as continet, "it containeth :" "it is a figure," that is to say, "it is the thing itself:" "it is a figure," that is, in conclusion, "it is no figure." Yet all these figures in the end be not sufficient to expound one figure. Truth is ever certain and simple: contrariwise, falsehood 22 is doubtful and double. How much better were it for these men to speak so as the old learned fathers [11 He, 1565.] [12 See before, page 579, note 13.] [13 Ref. falso Nom. Def. Tom. III. in Concil. Nic. II. Act. VI. in Concil. Stud. Labb. et Cossart. Lut. Par. 1671-2. Tom. VII. col. 449.] [14 Damascen. Op. Par. 1712. De Fid. Orthod. Lib. IV. cap. xiii. Tom. I. p. 273.] [15 Euthym. Zigab. Comm. in Quat. Evang. Lips. 1792. In Matt. cap. xxvi. Tom. I. Pars 11. p. 1015.] [16 See above, page 574, note 10.] [ Ambros. Op. Lib. de Myst. cap. ix. 54. Tom. II. col. 339.] [18 Tertull. Op. Adv. Marcion. Lib. 1v. 19. p. 531.] [20 August. Op. Ad Innoc. Aur. et cet. Epist. [1 Hos. Op. Col. 1584. Confess. Fid. cap. xxxix. Petricov. Variety of figures. August. de August. de were content to speak? St Augustine saith: De signis disserens hoc dico, ne quis in eis attendat, quod sunt, sed potius quod signa sunt, hoc est, quod significant1: "Reasoning of signs, I say thus: Let no man consider in them that they be, but rather that they be signs, that is to say, that they do signify." Again he saith: Doctr. Christ. Cavendum est, ne figuratam orationem ad literam accipias... Ad hoc... pertinet, Lib, il cap. i. quod apostolus ait, Litera occidit2: “We must beware that we take not a figurative Doctr. Christ speech according to the letter. For thereto it appertaineth3 that the apostle Hieron. in saith, 'The letter killeth'." St Hierome saith: Quando dico tropicam [locutionem], doceo, verum non esse, quod dicitur, sed allegoriæ nubilo figuratum1: “When I name a figurative speech, I mean, that the thing that is spoken is not true, but fashioned under the cloud of an allegory." Likewise Chrysostom: Non alienum oportet esse typum a veritate; alioqui non esset typus: neque omnino adæquari veritati; alioqui et veritas ipsa foret: "The figure may not be far off from the truth; otherwise it were no figure: neither may it be even, and one with the truth; otherwise it would be the truth itself," and so no figure. Lib. iii.cap.v. Apol. contr Chrysost. in Dict. Apost. Patres nostri omnes, &c. ult. tom. Dist. 2. Hoc est. These things considered, it may soon appear how faithfully and how well to De Consecr. his purpose M. Harding allegeth this place of St Augustine: Hoc est, quod dicimus, &c.6: "This is it that we say, which we go about by all means to prove, that the sacrifice of the church is made of two things, and standeth of two things; of the visible kind (or nature) of the elements, and of the invisible flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; of the sacrament, the outward holy sign, and the thing of the sacrament, which is the body of Christ." Hereof M. Harding gathereth that the body of Christ lieth hidden under the accidents. St Augustine's words be true; but M. Harding with his guesses is much deceived. For of this word specie he concludeth that the substance of bread is gone, and nothing remaining but only accidents; and of this word invisibili he gathereth that Christ's body is there really inclosed. And so he maketh a commentary far beside his text. Hieron. ad II. Act. iii. Angelom. in 1 Reg. cap. xxii. But what would he have said, if he had seen these words of St Hierome: Venit Philippus; ostendit ei Jesum, qui clausus latebat in litera: "Philip came, and shewed him Jesus, that lay hidden in the letter?" Or these words in the second Concil. Nic. council of Nice: Christus ipse habitat in ossibus mortuorum3: "Christ himself dwelleth in dead men's bones ?" Or these of Angelomus: Deus Pater Filium suum unigenitum... in litera legis, Judæis nescientibus, absconditum habuit: "God the Father had his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hidden in the letter of the law, the Jews not knowing it?" Would he of these words conclude that Christ is really hidden either in dead men's bones, or in the prophet Esay, or in the letter of the law? Certainly St Augustine speaketh not one word, neither here nor elsewhere, neither of accidents without subject, nor of any real presence. And, albeit his words here be not very dark, yet in other places both often and plainly he August. in expoundeth himself. For thus he saith: Mysteria omnia interioribus oculis videnda Tractat. 46. sunt, id est, spiritualiter 10: "All mysteries must be considered with the inner eyes, August. citat. that is to say, spiritually." And again: In sacramentis aliud videtur, aliud intelligitur1l: "In sacraments we see one thing, and we understand another thing." So Chrysost.in. Chrysostom, speaking of the water of baptism: Ego non aspectu judico ea, quæ videntur 12: "The things that be seen in baptism I consider not with my bodily Johan. a Beda. 1 Cor. X. 7. σavTOS.-Exempl. Synod. Theodor. in Concil. Nic. II. Act. III. in Concil. Stud. Labb. et Cossart. Lut. Par. 1671-2. Tom. VII. col. 184.] [9 Angelom. Strom. in Lib. Reg. 1. cap. xx. in Mag. Biblioth. Vet. Patr. Col. Agrip. 1618-22. Tom. IX. Pars I. p. 724; where habuerat.] [10 These words are not in the place referred to. But see August. Op. In Johan. Evang. cap. vi. Tractat. xxvi. Tom. III. Pars 11. cols. 493, &c., for the repeated expression of a similar idea.] [ Id. Serm. cclxxii. Tom. V. col. 1104; where in eis.] [12 Chrysost. Op. In Epist. 1. ad Cor. Hom. vii. Tom. X. p. 51.] |