Chapter 48: The Arguments Against the Gross Judgement
all speak together in tongues, doubtless he will say: They are mad, neither shall he be edified. But if he hears you prophesy and perceives that the secrets of his heart are opened, then he will fall down upon his face and worship God." He will not worship men in such wise prophesying, but seeing the Lord revealed unto him, he will turn himself to the worshipping of God.
Chapter 48:
The Arguments Against the Gross Judgement The reasons in brief, for which their gross judgement seems not to be true, are these:
1. This real and corporal presence brings no utility that we do not already receive by the spiritual presence. In John 6, the Lord promised eternal life to those who eat Him and that He would dwell in them and they in Him. What more is required beyond these promises?
2. Moreover, it might not be granted that we and the fathers of the old law had the same Sacraments because it was not possible for the old fathers to have obtained this real presence, as the Son of God had not yet taken upon Himself human flesh.
3. Furthermore, it would follow that both the godly and the wicked eat the body of Christ.
4. Again, besides that spiritual eating which we have in John 6, they bring in another carnal and corporal eating, which cannot be allowed, as this eating and that are all one, except that in the latter, signs are added for the confirmation of the thing.
5. Finally, it follows that when they attribute so much to words, they are in the same difficulty as the Transubstantiators when they say, "This is my body." For they cannot express their meaning plainly without contradiction, as to how the words, while they are uttered, may be true if they do not admit a figure. They spread abroad the body of Christ so that it may be together in many places and everywhere.
6. Neither is it of force if they say, "Not locally," because although He is there, as Angels are said to be in a place, that is not fit for the creature as it is proved by Didymus, Basil, Augustine unto Dardanus, and by Cyril, which places can be found at the end of the first disputation against Tresham. The words of the scripture do not drive us to so gross and corporal a presence, and faith is of the word of God; wherefore faith ought not to embrace the same.
Teachings of the Fathers Besides this, the fathers teach otherwise regarding the manner of the body in the Eucharist. Cyprian in his Sermon on the Lord's Supper states: "Who unto this day createth, sanctifieth, and blesseth His most true and holy body, and divideth it unto the godly receivers." The proper body of Christ is not created or sanctified by men, nor is it divided.
Chrysostom, upon Matthew 5 in the 11th homily of the unfinished work, says: "If therefore it is so dangerous to transfer unto private uses these vessels sanctified wherein is not contained the true body of Christ, but a mystery of His body." He further explains how we must ascend into heaven when we communicate, if we would enjoy the body of Christ. This same father declares in Homily 24 on 1 Corinthians 10: "He commands us that with great concord and charity we come unto Him, and being made eagles in this life, we should fly unto the very heaven or rather above heaven. For where the dead carcass is, there also the eagles be."