Chapter 14: The Marcionites and Heresy
Yea, and the fathers argue from the properties and accidents of man's nature: to wit, that Christ was very man, because He hungered, slept, wondered, sorrowed, wept, and suffered: which arguments are of none effect, if by these accidents the substance be not truly showed, so as it should not be lawful to say: it is of the same fashion, it hath the same taste, the same colour which bread is wont to have, therefore it is very bread. For heretics will confess, that Christ hungered, slept, wondered, wept, and suffered, but when thou shalt thereof infer: therefore He was very man, they will deny the consequence. For they will say, that these properties might have place in Christ although the substance of them, namely, the nature of man be not present.
Chapter 14:
The Marcionites and Heresy They say, as touching the argument of Marcion, that it may be, he took the occasion of his error out of the Gospel, where it is written of Christ that He walked dry foot upon the water, that He was lifted up into heaven, and that He escaped out of the hands of the Jews, so as they saw Him not, and yet that these things ought not to be taken out of the Gospel by reason of the danger of the Marcionites. Whereunto we answer, that in the Gospels it is described, that Christ once or twice did these miracles, but ye appoint that these things be perpetual. And that which is in the Scriptures, we ourselves have not feigned, therefore we ought not to be accused of giving occasion.
Howbeit in those things which we have devised, which we do expound and teach as doctrine without the express word of God, we must beware lest we set open a window to heretics.
Chapter 15:
The Nature of a Sacrament Furthermore, the nature of a sacrament is corrupted, of which Augustine upon John saith, "The word cometh unto the element, and it is made a sacrament." The nature thereof is, that it should be made of these two things: but as these men appoint the elements, that is, the bread and wine are taken away: And then Augustine ought not to have said: "The word cometh unto the element," but, "It taketh away the element." And while they remove the natures of the elements, the proportion of the signification perisheth. Wherefore the bread signifieth the body of Christ, because it nourisheth, strengtheneth, and sustaineth: which we cannot attribute unto accidents. It is also a signification of many grains gathered in one, which representeth the mystical body, and that cannot be attributed unto accidents.
Wherefore Paul said: "We that are many, are one bread and one body, because we are partakers of one bread."
In baptism, water is said to be the fountain of regeneration, and because the substance thereof is preserved, that doth very well agree, for the accidents of water would not be convenient. And in taking away of the substance of bread and wine in the proposition, "This is my body," they abuse the verb substantive "Is," for it is transubstantiated, turned or changed from one to another. For while they utter those words of the Lord, the bread is not yet the body of Christ. Wherefore if they would understand "Is" in its own true signification, they should utter that which is false. Therefore among the schoolmen, some grant that the verb "Is" should be taken for, "To be made,"
"To be changed," or "turned."
Moreover, they attribute this power or efficacy unto those few words of the Lord, that so often as they be repeated, this changing is made, and yet have they not in the holy Scriptures any word thereof. And if a man should speak those words which Paul, Matthew, Mark, or Luke hath, they would think that there is no consecration: for they ascribe all the virtue unto the words