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← John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553)/Book 1 · A Short Catechisme, or Playne Instruction (1553)
Chapter 35PonetCatechism.1.35

Christ gouernith his Church ab …ent. / God Christe is absent and presente in the worrd▪

The Master's Question on Christ's Absence

The Master introduces the topic of Christ's ascension and asks whether it would have been better for Christ to remain physically present to rule and govern his people.

Master. You've touched, my son, on the chief cause of Christ's rising again. Now I'd gladly hear your thoughts on his going up into heaven.1 What answer do you think should be given to those who say it would have been better for him to stay here with us, present among us, to rule and govern us?23 For, besides various other reasons, it's likely that the people's love for their prince—especially when he is good and gracious—should grow all the greater by his being present with them.4

Christ's Active Governance from Heaven

The Scholar responds that Christ performs all the works of a prince—ruling, defending, correcting—even while absent in body.

Scholar. All these things that he would do if he were present — that is, if he were here among us — he does while absent. He rules, maintains, strengthens, defends, rebukes, punishes, and corrects, and he carries out everything that befits such a prince — or rather, God himself. All those things, I tell you, he does — things that belong to our need, benefit, honor, or advantage.5

Perceiving Christ's Spiritual Presence

The Scholar explains that Christ's Godhead is always present, though unseen, and that we can perceive him by faith, just as we know our own soul.

Besides this, Christ is not as completely absent from the world as many suppose. For although the substance of his body has been taken up from us, yet his Godhead is perpetually present with us — though not subject to the sight of our eyes.✦ For things that are not bodily cannot be perceived by any bodily means.6 Who has ever seen his own soul? No one.7 Yet what is more present?8 Or what is closer to a person than their own soul?9 Spiritual things can only be seen with the eye of the spirit.10 Therefore, whoever on earth wants to see the Godhead of Christ: let him open the eyes not of his body, but of his mind—of his faith. And he will set Him present before himself, whom no eye has seen. He will see Him present, and in the midst of them wherever two or three are gathered together in His name. He will see Him present with us, even to the end of the world. What did I say? Will he see Christ present? Yes—he will both see and feel Him dwelling within himself, just as he does his own soul.✦✦✦✦111213 For He dwells and abides in the mind and heart of the one who places all their trust in Him.✦14

Read the original English

Master. Thou hast touched (my sonne) the chiefe cause of Christes risinge agay… ▪ Now would I faine heart thy mynde of his going vp into heauen. What answere thinkest thou is to be made to them, that say: it had be… better for hym, to tarie hear with vs, presentlye to rule & gouerne vs? For, besyde other diuerse causes, it is …lye, that the loue of the people toward theyr prince, specially beyng good and gracious, should grow the grea ter by his present company.

Scholer. All theese thynges whych he should do present, that is to saye, if he were in company amōg vs, he doth thē absent, He ruleth, maintayneth, strengthneth, defēdeth, rebuketh, punysheth, correcteth: and performeth all suche thynges as do become such a prince, or rather God himself. Al those thinges (I saye) performeth he, which belong eyther to our neede or profit: honour or cōmoditie. Beside this, Christ is not so all together absent from the world, as mani do suppose. For albeit the substaunce of his body be takē vp from vs: yet is his Godheade perpetuallye presente wyth vs: although not subiect to the sight of our eyes. For thynges that be not b…dylye, can not be perceiued by any bodyly meane. Who euer sawe hys owne soul… No man. Yet what is thea… more present?

or what to … man nearer, than hys owne soule. Spiritual thinges … not to be seen, but wyth the eye of the spirite. The arfe… he that in earth wyll see the Godhead of Christ: let hym open the eyes, not of his bodye, but of hys mynde, but of his faith: and he shall set him presēt, whom eye hath not seen: he shall see him present, and in the myddes of them, whearsoeuer be two or three gathered together in his name: he shal see him present wyth vs, euen vnto the ende of the▪ world, What sayde▪ I… shall he see Christe present▪ Yea, he shall both se & feele him dwellyng within himselfe: in sutch sorte as he dothe hys owne proper soule. For he dwelleth and …ydeth in the mynde and harte of hym whyche fasteneth all hys trust in hym.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Acts.1.9 — And after he said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
  2. ↩1Cor.2.9 — But as it is written: What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived—all that God has prepared for those who love him.
  3. ↩Matt.18.20 — For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.
  4. ↩Matt.28.20 — teaching them to observe everything I commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
  5. ↩Eph.3.17 — that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
  6. ↩Eph.3.17 — that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Source lacuna 'risinge agay…' restored as 'rising again'. Source 'faine heart thy mynde' treated as 'fain hear thy mind' (OCR/type error heart→hear).
  2. 2 ↩Source lacuna 'it had be…' restored as 'it had been'. Early spelling 'tarie hear' read as 'tarry here'.
  3. 3 ↩'presentlye' rendered as 'present among us' (bodily presence), not modern 'soon', matching the chapter's absent/present contrast.
  4. 4 ↩Source lacuna 'it is …lye' restored as 'it is likely'; line-break 'grea ter' restored as 'greater'.
  5. 5 ↩cōmoditie rendered as 'advantage'; Early Modern 'commodity' also covers usefulness and profit.
  6. 6 ↩Source lacuna 'b…dylye' restored as 'bodily' from sense and the following parallel 'bodyly meane'.
  7. 7 ↩Source ends 'soul…'; treated as 'soul?' with the printed answer 'No man' intact.
  8. 8 ↩Source lacuna 'thea…' restored as 'there' ('theare'); next section continues 'or what... nearer than his own soul'.
  9. 9 ↩Source lacuna 'what to … man nearer' restored as 'what is nearer to a man'; the missing word is most likely 'a' (or possibly nothing beyond the implied 'is'). Continues the previous question about the soul's unseen nearness.
  10. 10 ↩Source lacuna 'Spiritual thinges … not to be seen' restored with 'are' ('Spiritual things are not to be seen').
  11. 11 ↩Opening lacuna 'The arfe…' restored as 'Thearfore'/'Therefore', matching this text's neighboring spelling ('thearfore' in ch. 36).
  12. 12 ↩Double 'but of hys mynde, but of his faith' taken as progressive refinement: not bodily eyes, but the mind's—that is, faith's—eyes.
  13. 13 ↩'set him present' kept as active spiritual appropriation (set Christ present before oneself by faith), distinct from the following 'see him present'.
  14. 14 ↩Source lacuna '…ydeth' restored as 'abydeth' ('abides'), the expected Early Modern doublet with 'dwelleth'.

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