Christes … cension. / Christes bo dily presēce / Christe cōpared to y• sonne.
The Ascension as Exaltation
The Master asks how Christ's ascension is to be understood, and the Scholar explains that it means Christ was exalted from deepest dishonor to highest honor, as Paul teaches, though he remains present by his Spirit.
Master. That’s fine, but we confess that he has ascended into heaven.1 So tell me how that is to be understood. Scholar. So we commonly say of someone who has reached any high rank or dignity that he has ascended, or been advanced into some high office, some high place or station, because he has changed his former condition and come into greater honor than the rest.2 In just such a way Christ has gone up, as he earlier came down.✦3 He came down from the highest honor to the deepest dishonor—even the dishonor and lowly state of a servant, and of the cross. And likewise afterward he went up from the deepest dishonor to the highest honor, even that same honor he had before; so his going up into heaven—yes, above all heavens, to the very royal throne of God—must by the plainest reason be clear, so that his glory and majesty might fittingly answer, in proportion, to the measure of his lowliness and shameful condition.✦4 This is what Paul teaches us in his letter to the Philippians: he became obedient even to death—yes, to death on a cross.✦ That is why God has both raised him to the highest place of honor and given him a name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—of everything in heaven, on earth, and in hell.5 But although he has already gone up into heaven, still, by his divine nature and by his Spirit, he will always be present in his church, even to the end of the world.✦ Yet this does not prove that he is present among us in his body.
The Sun Analogy for Christ's Presence
The Scholar distinguishes Christ's divine and human natures, then uses the sun as an analogy to show how Christ, though in heaven, is present to faith by his Godhead.
For his Godhead has one property; his manhood has another. His manhood was created; his Godhead was uncreated. His manhood is in some one place in heaven; his Godhead is everywhere in such a way that it fills both heaven and earth.6 But to make this point clearer by a likeness, or by comparing like with like: There is nothing that expresses Christ more truly, as a shadow does, than the sun—for it is a fitting image of the light and brightness of Christ.7 The sun always remains in the heavens; yet we say that it is also present in the world—for without light, nothing is present, meaning nothing can be seen by anyone—for the sun with its light fills all things.8 So Christ is exalted above all heavens, so that he may be present to all and fully furnish all things, as Saint Paul says. But as for Christ's bodily presence here on earth (if it is lawful to compare great things with small), Christ's body is present to our faith as the sun, when seen, is present to the eye—the sun's body, although it does not physically touch the eye nor is it present here on earth, is still present to the sight, despite the great distance between them.9
Christ's Body in Heaven, Godhead Everywhere
The Scholar applies the sun analogy to the sacrament, teaching that Christ's body is in heaven while our faith beholds him there, and his Godhead is everywhere, inseparable from his body.
So Christ's body, which was taken from us at his glorious Ascension and has left the world and gone to his Father, is a great distance from our mouth even when we receive with our mouth the holy Sacrament of his body and blood. Yet our faith is in heaven, and it beholds that Sun of righteousness, and is present together with him in heaven — in the same way that sight is in heaven with the body of the sun, or on earth the sun is with the sight.10 And as the sun is present to all things by its light, so is Christ also in his Godhead. Yet neither can the light of the sun be separated from its body, nor the Godhead of Christ from his immortal body. We must therefore say that Christ's body is in some one place in heaven, and his Godhead everywhere — so that we neither make a body of his Godhead, nor make a God of his body.
Read the original English
Master. Uery well, but oure confession is that he is ascēded by into heauen. Tell me thearfore how that is to be vnderstanded.
Scholer. So vse we commōlye to say of him, that hath attayned to any hye degree or dignitie: that he is ascended vp, or aduaunced in to some hye roume: some hye place or state: because he… hath chaunged hys forme… case, and is become of more honor, thā the rest. In sut… case is Christ gon vp, as h… before came down. He came downe from hiest honour to deepest dishonoure, euen the dishonour and vyle state of a seruant, and of the crosse▪ And lykewyse afterwards he went vp, from the depest dyshonoure, to the hyest honoure, euen that same honour, whych he had before, hys goyng vp into heauen, yea, aboue all heauens, to the very roial throne of god, muste needes be euident by moste iust reason, that hys glory and maiestye myghte in comparison agreably answer to the proportiō of hys basenesse and reprochefull estate. This doth Paul teach vs, in hys wrytynge to the Philippians: he became obedient euē vnto death: yea, the very death of the crosse. Whearfore God bath both aduaunced hym to the hyest state of honour: and also geuen hym a name aboue al names: that at y• name of Iesus eueri kne shold bow, of al things in heauē, earth & hell. But although he be alredy gone vp into heauē: neuertheles bi his nature of godhead, & by his spirit, he shal alwaies be presēt in his church: euē to the end of the world. Yet thys proueth not that he is presēt amōg vs in his body.
For his Godhead hath one propertye: his māhead another. Hys māhead was create: his godhed vncreate. His māhead is in sō … one place of heauē: his godhed is in such sort ech wher, that it filleth both heauen ▪ earthe. But to make thys poīt plainer, by a similitude or comparing of like to like. Ther is nothyng that doth trulier, like a shadow, expres Christ, thē the sōne: for it is a fit image of the light and brightnes of Christ. The sō doth alway kepe the heauē: yet do we sai that it is presēe also in y• ▪ world: for without lyght thear is nothyng present, that is to say, nothyng to be seen of any man: for the sonne wyth hys lyghte fulfilleth al things. So Christ is lyfted vp aboue all heauens, that he maye be presēt wyth all, and fully furnyshe all things as S. Paul doth saye. But as touchynge the bodylye presente of Christe heare in earthe (if it be lawfull to place in comparison, great thinges wyth small) Christes bodye is present to our faith: as the sonne, wh… it is seen, is presēt to the ey… ▪ the bodie wherof, although it do not bodylye touche the eye, nor be presently wyth … together hear in earthe, yet is it present to the sight, notwithstanding, so large a distaunce of space betwen.
So Christes body which at his glorious going vp was cōueyed from vs: which hath left the worlde, and is gone vnto hys father: is a greate way absent frō our mouth, euen then when we receyue wyth our mouth, the holye sacrament of his body and bloude. Yet is oure fayth in heauen: and beholdeth that sonne of righteousnesse: and is presently together wyth him in heauen, in sutch sort as the syghte is in heauen with the body of the sonne: or in earthe the sonne wyth the syght. And as the sonne is present to all thinges by hys light: so is Christe also in hys godhead. Yet neither can from the body the light of the sonne be sondred: nor from hys immortall bodye the godhead of Christe. We muste thearfore so say, that Christes bodye is in some one place of heauē, and hys godhead euerywhear: that we neyther of hys godhead make a body: nor of hys bodye a God.
Scripture echoes
- ↩John.3.13;Eph.4.9-Eph.4.10 — And no one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. Eph.4.9 — Now "he ascended"—what does it mean except that he also descended into the lower regions, the earth? Eph.4.10 — The one who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.
- ↩Eph.4.10 — The one who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.
- ↩Phil.2.8 — And he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
- ↩Matt.28.20 — teaching them to observe everything I commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source reads "ascēded by into heauen." Neighboring Ascension diction repeatedly uses "ascended up / gone up"; "by" is treated as a likely misreading of "up" (vp).
- 2 ↩Source damaged at "because he… hath chaunged hys forme… case"; rendered as "changed his former condition," taking "forme… case" as "former case" (prior state).
- 3 ↩Damaged source "In sut… case" / "as h… before" reconstructed as "In such case" / "as he before."
- 4 ↩Long early-modern period; "muste needes be euident…" taken as governing "his going up into heaven," not merely the recovery of prior honor.
- 5 ↩Normalized "God bath" as "God hath" (OCR/print error).
- 6 ↩Source lacuna 'in sō … one place' restored as 'in some one place,' matching the parallel wording in the following section (PonetCatechism.1.36.4.s5).
- 7 ↩'sōne' here is the sun (natural light), not the Son; the chapter heading compares Christ to the sun.
- 8 ↩Source 'presēe' read as 'present'; 'y• ▪ world' read as 'the world'.
- 9 ↩Lacunae restored from sense and the following section's sun/sight parallel: 'wh… it is seen' → 'when it is seen'; 'ey…' → 'eye'; 'presently wyth … together hear in earthe' → 'presently together here on earth.'
- 10 ↩Continues the sun/sight similitude: faith is present with Christ's body in heaven as sight is present with the sun's body across distance.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit