Now, let us consider the Word of Christ, “This is my body.”
and “This is my blood.” These words, you say, are plain, open, easy, and manifest.
So are they, yet albeit they are plain, they must have a right construction. The
plainest words that be, unless they be duly expounded, may breed error. St. John
saith, “The word was made flesh.” These words are plain, yet of these plain
words Apollinaris did breed an heresy. Christ saith, “My Father is greater than
I.” His words are plain, yet did the Arians gather therefore an heresy, that
Christ is not equal with his Father. Christ saith of John the Baptist: “This is
Elias, which was to come.” He saith not, he doth signify Elias, but, he is
Elias. The words are plain, yet were there some that stood in the maintenance
of their error thereby, and said, that the soul of Elias did abide in John the
Baptist. Christ saith, “If thine eye cause thee to offend, pluck it out, and
cast it from thee;” And, “If thy hand or foot cause thee to offend, cut them
off, and cast them from thee.” The words are plain, yet he meaneth not, that
you should pick out your eyes out of your head, nor chop off your hands or feet
from your body. John saith of Christ, “He will baptize you with the holy Ghost,
and with fire.” These words are plain, yet hereof some raised this error, that
children at the time of their baptism should be marked in the forehead with a
hot burning iron. St. Paul saith: “He hath made him to be sin for us, which
knew no sin.” These words are plain, yet Christ never sinned. He is the Lamb of
God, in whom there is no spot. He is thereby said to be the Sacrifice for sin.
Christ saith, “They two shall be one flesh.” And, “They are no more two, but
one flesh.” These words are plain, yet if you try the words by common sense, it
is not so; they are not one, but two of several flesh. Christ saith: “You are
the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world.” The words are plain,
yet indeed, the Apostles were neither material light, nor material salt. Christ
said of Judas: “One of you is a devil.” The words are plain: yet Judas in
nature and substance was not a Devil. (John Jewel, “Treatise on the Sacraments,”
in Treatises on Scripture and the Sacraments, ed. Andrew Brashier [South
Bend, In.: North American Anglican Press, 2022], 81-82)
To Support this Blog:
Email for Amazon Gift
card: ScripturalMormonism@gmail.com
Email for Logos.com Gift
Card: IrishLDS87@gmail.com
