Institutes of the Christian Religion (Vol. 2 of 2)
VIII. In the first place, we learn from the Scriptures, that
Christ was from the beginning that life-giving Word of the
Father, the fountain and origin of life, from which all things
have ever derived their existence. Therefore John in one
place calls him “The Word of life,” and in another says, that
“in him was life;”[1246]
signifying, that even then he diffused
his energy over all the creatures, and endued them with life
and breath. Yet the same apostle immediately adds, that
“the life was manifested” then, and not before, when the Son
of God, by assuming our flesh, rendered himself visible to the
eyes, and palpable to the hands of men. For though he diffused
his influence over all the creatures before that period,
yet, because man was alienated from God by sin, had lost the
participation of life, and saw nothing on every side but impending
death, it was necessary to his recovery of any hope of
immortality, that he should be received into the communion
of that word. For what slender hopes shall we form, if we
hear that the Word of God contains in himself all the plenitude
of life, while we are at an infinite distance from him,
and, withersoever we turn our eyes, see nothing but death
presenting itself on every side? But since he who is the
fountain of life has taken up his residence in our flesh, he
remains no longer concealed at a distance from us, but openly
exhibits himself to our participation. He also makes the very
flesh in which he resides the means of giving life to us, that,
by a participation of it, we may be nourished to immortality.
“I am the living bread,” says he, “which came down from
heaven. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world.”[1247]
In these words, he
shows, not only that he is life, as he is the eternal Word who
descended from heaven to us, but that in descending he imparted
that power to the flesh which he assumed, in order that
it might communicate life to us. Hence follow these declarations:
“That his flesh is meat indeed, and that his blood is
drink indeed;”[1248]
meat and drink by which believers are
nourished to eternal life. Here, then, we enjoy peculiar consolation,
that we find life in our own flesh. For in this manner
we not only have an easy access to it, but it freely discovers
and offers itself to our acceptance; we have only to open our
hearts to its reception, and we shall obtain it.
IX. Now, though the power of giving life to us is not an
essential attribute of the body of Christ, which, in its original
condition, was subject to mortality, and now lives by an immortality
not its own, yet it is justly represented as the source
of life, because it is endued with a plenitude of life to communicate
to us. In this I agree with Cyril, in understanding that
declaration of Christ, “As the Father hath life in himself,
so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.”[1249]
For
in this passage, he is not speaking of the attributes which he
possessed with the Father from the beginning, but of the gifts
with which he was adorned in the flesh in which he appeared;
therefore he showed that the fulness of life dwelt in his humanity,
that whoever partook of his flesh and blood might, at
the same time, enjoy a participation of life. For, as the water
of a fountain is sometimes drunk, sometimes drawn, and sometimes
conveyed in furrows for the irrigation of lands, yet the
fountain does not derive such an abundance for so many uses
from itself, but from the spring which is perpetually flowing
to furnish it with fresh supplies, so the flesh of Christ is like
a rich and inexhaustible fountain, which receives the life flowing
from the Divinity, and conveys it to us. Now, who does
not see that a participation of the body and blood of Christ is
necessary to all who aspire to heavenly life? This is implied
in those passages of the apostle, that the Church is the body
of Christ, and his fulness;[1250]
that he is “the head, from whom
the whole body, joined together and compacted by that which
every joint supplieth, maketh increase of the body;”[1251]
that
our bodies are “the members of Christ;”[1252]
things which we
know can no otherwise be effected than by his entire union
both of body and spirit with us. But that most intimate fellowship,
by which we are united with his flesh, the apostle has
illustrated in a still more striking representation, when he says,
“We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”[1253]
At length, to declare the subject to be above all description, he
concludes his discourse by exclaiming, “This is a great mystery.”[1254]
It would be extreme stupidity, therefore, to acknowledge
no communion of believers with the body and
blood of the Lord, which the apostle declares to be so great,
that he would rather admire than express it.
X. We conclude, that our souls are fed by the flesh and
blood of Christ, just as our corporeal life is preserved and sustained
by bread and wine. For otherwise there would be no
suitableness in the analogy of the sign, if our souls did not find
their food in Christ; which cannot be the case unless Christ
truly becomes one with us, and refreshes us by the eating of
his flesh and the drinking of his blood. Though it appears
incredible for the flesh of Christ, from such an immense local
distance, to reach us, so as to become our food, we should remember
how much the secret power of the Holy Spirit transcends
all our senses, and what folly it is to apply any measure
of ours to his immensity. Let our faith receive, therefore,
what our understanding is not able to comprehend, that the
Spirit really unites things which are separated by local distance.
Now, that holy participation of his flesh and blood, by
which Christ communicates his life to us, just as if he actually
penetrated every part of our frame, in the sacred supper he also
testifies and seals; and that not by the exhibition of a vain or
ineffectual sign, but by the exertion of the energy of his Spirit,
by which he accomplishes that which he promises. And the
thing signified he exhibits and offers to all who come to that
spiritual banquet; though it is advantageously enjoyed by believers
alone, who receive such great goodness with true faith
and gratitude of mind. For which reason the apostle said,
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion
of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not
the communion of the body of Christ?”[1255]
Nor is there any
cause to object, that it is a figurative expression, by which the
name of the thing signified is given to the sign. I grant, indeed,
that the breaking of the bread is symbolical, and not the
substance itself: yet, this being admitted, from the exhibition
of the symbol we may justly infer the exhibition of the substance;
for, unless any one would call God a deceiver, he can
never presume to affirm that he sets before us an empty sign.
Therefore, if, by the breaking of the bread, the Lord truly represents
the participation of his body, it ought not to be doubted
that he truly presents and communicates it. And it must always
be a rule with believers, whenever they see the signs
instituted by the Lord, to assure and persuade themselves that
they are also accompanied with the truth of the thing signified.
For to what end would the Lord deliver into our hands the
symbol of his body, except to assure us of a real participation
of it? If it be true that the visible sign is given to us to seal
the donation of the invisible substance, we ought to entertain
a confident assurance, that in receiving the symbol of his body,
we at the same time truly receive the body itself.
