Chapter 36: Chrysostom's Teachings on the Sacrament
Ambrose is also cited, especially in his books De Sacramentis, which some believe are not his works. The Bishop of Rochester insists we must credit
Augustine, who ascribes these books to Ambrose. However, I have read the prologue on the Books of Christian Doctrine many times and have not found what he claims. Although Augustine cites Ambrose De Sacramento
Regenerationis vel de Philosophia, not De Mysterijs vel de Sacramentis, I do not dispute it. Assuming these are Ambrose's books, they do not entirely disagree with us. Ambrose frequently mentions signifying, calling the sacraments the body of Christ, which we do not deny. When he mentions changing or conversion, these must be understood as sacramental changes.
Chapter 36:
Chrysostom's Teachings on the Sacrament Chrysostom is cited, using the analogy of wax melted by fire, to suggest the substance of the mysteries is consumed by the substance of Christ's body.
Yet, in Homily 83 on Matthew, Chrysostom says: "Many say they desire to see the form of Christ, but He gives Himself to be seen, touched, and handled in the sacrament." This clearly attributes to the sacramental matter what belongs to the signs. Chrysostom states that we are made one with Christ, not only by faith but also in deed. This signifies a true, though not physical, union with Christ, whereby our bodies are renewed and we become members of the Lord.
In Homily 60 to the people of Antioch, he says we should not think that the priest's hand reaches the sacrament, but that Christ's hand delivers it. This directs the minds of communicants from the outward signs to divine and heavenly things. When Chrysostom uses hyperbolic language, such as saying our tongues are made bloody with Christ's blood, it must be understood figuratively, as our faith grasps the spiritual reality.
The Fathers' statements must be interpreted in the context of their intent to elevate the mind to the spiritual truths signified by the sacraments. They speak in lofty terms to impress the importance and reality of the spiritual union with Christ, facilitated by the Holy Spirit through the sacraments.
Thus, the true essence of the sacraments is grasped by faith, not by a physical change in the elements.
Ambrose and the Books of Sacraments They object to Ambrose, particularly in his books De Sacramentis, which some believe are not his works. The Bishop of Rochester strongly contests this, insisting we must credit Augustine, who attributes these books to Ambrose. He openly testifies that Ambrose wrote the books De
Sacramentis, citing the prologue to the Books of Christian Doctrine.
Although I have read the prologue many times without finding what the Bishop claims, I acknowledge that Augustine, against Julian the Pelagian, cites Ambrose De Sacramento Regenerationis vel de Philosophia, but not these Books De Mysterijs vel de Sacramentis. Even if these books are
Ambrose's, they do not entirely disagree with us. Ambrose often mentions signifying, asserting that these sacraments are called the body of Christ, which we do not deny. When he mentions changing or conversion, it must be understood as sacramental changing.
In his Treatise De Officijs the 4th book, 48th Chapter, Ambrose says: "Here is the shadow, here is the Image, there is the truth: A shadow in the Law, an Image in the Gospel, the truth in the heavenly places. Before, a Lamb was offered, a Calf was offered: now Christ is offered, but he is offered as a man, as it were receiving passion, but he offers himself as a priest, that he may forgive our sins; here, in an Image, there in truth: where as an advocate with the father, he makes intercession for us." Upon the first Epistle to the Corinthians, as we have already cited, he says: "In eating and drinking we
signify the flesh and blood of Christ which are offered." When he speaks of the blood, he says, that we receive a figure thereof, that is, the mystical
Cup. Again, in the 4th book and 4th Chapter of De Sacramentis, he affirmatively states our changing into Christ, which we have noted in other
Fathers as well.
Chrysostom's Similitude of Wax and Transubstantiation Now we consider Chrysostom. They allege his similitude of wax, which, being put into the fire, is destroyed as to its substance, so that nothing remains. So, he says, you may think that the mysteries are consumed by the substance of Christ's body. What, they ask, can be more manifest for Transubstantiation? But here, I think it good to examine Chrysostom himself, whereby you may plainly perceive how rightly those things are noted, whereof we spoke before, regarding the sayings of the Fathers.
In the 83rd Homily on Matthew, Chrysostom says: "Many say that they would, and do covet to see the form and shape of Christ, also to behold his garments and shoes. But he giveth himself unto thee, not only that thou mayest see him but also that thou mayest touch him." Do we not here understand that he attributes to the matter of the sacrament that which belongs to the signs: namely, that the body of Christ may be touched and seen, which is true only concerning the signs?
Again, in the same Homily, he says: "He reduceth us, as I may say, into one lump together with him, and that not only by faith, but he maketh us indeed his body." And the same he wrote in the 60th Homily and in the 61st to the people of Antioch: "That we, not only by faith and love, but also in very deed, are made and mixed with the body of Christ." If this is so, and we are
not transubstantiated, yet are so nearly joined with Christ, what need is there for the bread to be transubstantiated to become the body of Christ?
Understanding the True Union with Christ There might arise a doubt, as though Chrysostom contradicts us who affirm this receiving by faith: seeing he says that we, not only by faith but indeed, are mingled with him and changed into him. But here it must be understood that, although we have said that the body of Christ and his blood are eaten and drunk by faith, yet after this receiving by faith, there follows not a feigned but a true conjunction between us and Christ. Not only is our mind united with him, but also our body and flesh are renewed, and we are truly made the members of the Lord, receiving him as our head, from whom we perpetually draw both spirit and life. This is what Chrysostom means when he says that we are indeed joined with Christ.
Again, in the same Homily on Matthew, he says that these are signs of the Lord Jesus, whereby we stop the mouths of the heretics who demand how
Christ suffered. For if he had not had true flesh and had truly suffered, these signs would be in vain. In the same Homily, he says that our tongue is made bloody in receiving the Sacraments. And lest you should cavil that the bloodiness, together with the wine or the accidents of the wine, as they term it, should be understood as invisible, in the 60th Homily to the people of Antioch, he writes that our tongue waxes red with this blood: where every man may see that it is hyperbole or an excessive speech.
Hyperbole and the Nature of Sacramental Language In Encaeniis, Chrysostom says that the blood in the cup is drawn out of the side of the Lord, which cannot be believed literally, seeing the side of the
Lord is not open today, and from there, the blood is not drawn. He writes moreover in the same Homily: "Dost thou see the bread or the wine?" He answers: "God forbid." Certainly, if he should here ask the senses, they would answer that it is not true that he saith. For by the judgment of our senses, the bread and the wine are present, but he speaks truly when he adds: "Think not so, because in respect of our judgment, bread and wine do cease to be there."
Chrysostom further writes: "Think not thou that thou receivest of man the body of Christ, but of the Seraphim that is present, and with a pair of tongs he delivereth unto thee a fiery coal." Here, I think not that they would have the minister or pastor to be transubstantiated who delivers the Sacraments unto us. And he added: "Let us run together to suck forth the blood which floweth out of the side of the Lord." These things the Schoolmen themselves dare not speak. They write that the bread and wine are changed into the substance of the body and blood, yet not so as to the true substance of the body of Christ anything either comes or departs away.
The Role of Faith in Receiving the Sacrament In the 61st Homily to the people of Antioch, he says that Christ not only gave himself to us to be seen, but also to be touched and felt, upon whose flesh we fasten our teeth. In which place you see that what pertains to the signs is attributed to the thing signified by the Sacraments. For our tooth reaches not unto the substance of the body of Christ, but only unto the bread and signs and Sacraments. The same father in the 60th Homily to the people of Antioch says that we ought not to think that the hand of the priest reaches the Sacrament but must judge that the hand of Christ stretched forth delivers the same. He also says that Christ himself executes the office of baptising.
In the 61st Homily, he admonishes that we should consider that in this Sacrament we leave Christ sitting in heaven, who is worshipped by the Angels. By all this, it is plain that Chrysostom provided by all means to call forth the minds of the communicants from the grosser sort of signs and outward tokens to the meditation of divine and heavenly things. It is a wonder that these men, who so diligently examine places of the Fathers, do not bring forth what is in the 61st Homily to the people of Antioch: that they are both impudent and obstinate who stand by at the administration of the Sacraments and do not communicate, wherein he affirms that they do manifest injury unto Christ.
Hyperbolic Language and Sacramental Significance Lest we should swerve from the argument, namely in the Homily in Encaeniis, regarding the wax which in the fire runs all abroad: we answer that Chrysostom often uses the verb "Think thou," indicating that these things must be understood concerning our faith and cogitation. In communicating, we comprehend not bread and wine by themselves, but seek the things which are signified and joined hereunto.
We bring forth a similar similitude from Cyril in the 10th book, 13th chapter on John, where he says that wax being molten and mingled with other wax, so that of two is altogether made one, resembles what is done in receiving this Sacrament: that we should indeed be made one with Christ.
The same he states in the 4th book and 17th chapter. If this similitude of wax between Christ and us has place without transubstantiation of our body, the same may be affirmed of Chrysostom's similitude between wax and the signs or mysteries.