brose

LI. Let us enquire what is the judgment of St. St. AmAmbrose on this point. He saith in his first book quoted. of the Sacraments, “ Of a truth it is marvellous "that God should rain down manna on our "Fathers, and feed them from day to day with

66

66

66

25.

heavenly food. Whence it is said, 'Man did eat Ps. 78, Angels' food.' Yet all they who ate that bread, perished in the wilderness. But that food, which "thou receivest, that living Bread, which came "down from heaven, ministereth in a hidden way "the substance of everlasting life, and whoso eateth “ of this Bread, shall never die, and this is the Body of Christ.”

LII. See in what sense this doctor saith that the Body of Christ is that food, which the faithful receive in the Church; he saith, “ that living Bread which came down from heaven, ministereth in a hidden

66

way the substance of everlasting life." Doth it, as it is seen, and corporally taken, and pressed by the teeth, and swallowed by the throat, and received into the belly, doth it so minister the substance of everlasting life? In that respect, it nourisheth only the flesh which shall die, and ministereth no incorruption, nor can we truly say of it, "Whoso "eateth of this shall never die." For that which the body receiveth, is corruptible, nor can it secure to the body, that it should never die, since that which

k S. Ambr. concerning Mysteries, c. viii. S. 47.

is subject to corruption, cannot give everlasting life. There is then in that Bread a life, which appeareth not to the bodily eye, but is seen by the eye of John 6, faith, which is the living Bread, that came down from heaven, and of which it may with truth be said, "Whoso eateth of this, shall never die;" and, "This is the Body of Christ."

50.

LIII. And afterward, speaking of the almighty power of Christ, he saith, "Can not the word "of Christ therefore, which from nothing could "make that which was not, change those things "which are, into that which they were not? For is "it not a greater work to produce new things, "than to change the nature of things that are?"

LIV. St. Ambrose saith, that in that mystery of the Blood and Body of Christ a change is made, and that a wondrous change, because divine, and ineffable, because incomprehensible. Let them who will take nothing here according to any hidden virtue, but will weigh every thing as it outwardly appeareth, let them say, in what respect the change is here made? For in respect of the substance of the creatures, they are after consecration what they were before. Bread and wine they were before, and after consecration they are seen to remain of the same nature. So that a change hath inwardly been wrought by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, and this is that which faith gazeth upon, this is that

which feedeth the soul, this is that which ministereth the substance of eternal life.

66

LV. Afterward he addeth, "Why dost thou here

require the order of nature in the Body of Christ,

"when the Lord Jesus Himself was born of the

66

Virgin, beside the order of nature?"

LVI. Now perhaps some one who heareth this may rise up and say, 'That which we see is the Body of Christ, and that which we drink is His Blood; yet we

'must not enquire how it is so made, but stedfastly

hold that it doth so become.' Thou seemest indeed to think aright, yet if thou dost diligently consider the force of thy words, thou dost indeed faithfully believe that it is the Body and Blood of Christ, (for if it were an object of sight, thou wouldest say, 'I see,' and not, I believe it to be the Body and 'Blood of Christ,') but now since it is faith, that beholdeth the whole matter, whatever it be, and the eye of the flesh perceiveth nought, thou must understand that what we look upon is the Body and Blood of Christ not in nature, but in power. Wherefore [St. Ambrose] saith, we must 'not here look for the order of nature, but must 'adore the power of Christ, which changeth what

6

Σ

soever He willeth, how He willeth, into what He 'willeth; which createth what was not, and when 'created, changeth it into what it was not before.' The same author addeth, "It was surely the true

D 2

Mat. 26,

26.

"Flesh of Christ which was crucified, which was buried; therefore this is truly the Sacrament of "His Flesh. The Lord Jesus Himself proclaims, "This is My Body.'"

66

LVII. How carefully, how warily is this distinction drawn! Of the Flesh of Christ, which was crucified, which was buried, that is, in respect of which Christ was crucified, and buried, he saith, "This was surely the true Flesh of Christ;" but of that, which is received in the Sacrament, he declareth, "Therefore this is truly the Sacrament of that "Flesh." Here he distinguisheth between the Sacrament of the Flesh, and the Flesh itself; inasmuch as he saith, that He was crucified and buried in that true Flesh, which He took of the Virgin; but that the mystery, which is now performed in the Church, is the Sacrament of that true Flesh, in the which He was crucified. Here He openly teacheth the faithful, that the Flesh, in which Christ was crucified and buried, is no mystery, but true and natural; while the Flesh, which now in a mystery containeth the similitude of the former, is not Flesh in its nature, but in a Sacrament. For in its nature it is bread, but sacramentally it is the true Body of Christ, as the Lord Jesus Himself declareth, "This is My Body."

LVIII Also below [he addeth,] "The Holy "Ghost by the mouth of the prophet hath in

7

"another place declared to thee what we eat and "what we drink, when He saith, O taste and see Ps.34,8. "that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that "trusteth in Him.'" Doth that bread when corporally tasted, or that wine when corporally drunk, shew how good the Lord is? All the taste it hath is corporeal, and pleaseth the palate. What? is to taste the Lord, to perceive ought corporeal ? Wherefore he inviteth us to try the flavour of that which is spiritually tasted, he inviteth us in that drink and that bread to hold no corporeal notion, but to understand the whole spiritually, since the Lord is a Spirit, and blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.

LIX. And afterward, "Christ is in that Sacrament, because it is the Body of Christ. Where"fore it is not corporeal, but spiritual food." What can be plainer? what more manifest? what more divine? For he saith, "Christ is in that Sacra"ment." He saith not, That bread and that wine is Christ; did he say this, he would declare that Christ was mortal and subject to corruption, (which God forbid.) For whatsoever is in that food the object either of corporeal sight or taste, is of a surety subject to corruption.

LX. He addeth, "Because it is the Body of "Christ." Here will start up you and say, See he openly confesseth that the bread and the wine