Selected quad for the lemma: blood_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
blood_n	body_n	bread_n	transubstantiation_n	7,578	5	11.1962	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51652	Motives and reasons for dissevering from the Church of Rome and her doctrine wherein after the declaration of his conversion, he openeth divers absurdities practised in that Church, being not matters of report, but such things whereof he was an eye and ear witness / by Chr. Musgrave, after he had lived a Carthusian monk for twenty years.	Musgrave, Christopher, fl. 1621	1688 (1688)	Wing M3143; ESTC R28845	14,573	39

Prior. But they were not accepted by the Visitors and both the Vicar and the other two religious men were censured by the Visitors to be imprisoned for defaming of their Prior and the Vicar and one of the two were both put in Prison but the third was not because a Canon of Gant who was his Kinsman did write a very threatning Letter unto the chief Visitor warning him not to meddle with his Cousin nor to punish him any way because if so be that he should do it he would easily prove that business whereof the Prior was accused to be true both to the Visitors and Priors shame and ignominy of the whole Order Notwithstanding the Prior was borne out by the Visitor and the poor Vicar being innocent was cast into Prison and lost his place and the Visitor whom otherwise I did know to be a very honest man yet at that time and in that business dealing not honestly being demanded by a Friend wherefore he did so much oppress the Vicar his answer was Propter honorem Ordinis to save the Honour and Reputation of their Order Thinking it better to offend God by violently oppressing a poor honest man then that the abuses and absurdities of that Order which indeed is accounted most strict and holy in outward shew howbeit full of secret and hidden sins from the sight of men though not from the Eyes of God should be manifested and made known unto the World. And thus much I can say and justifie upon my Conscience that Father Anthony à Fine who had been twenty years Prior of the Carthusian Monastery of Lyre and died Vicar of the same House did tell me the Womans Name to wit Petronilla which had that Child by the Prior of Martins Busse Again Johannes Briall being instituted Prior of the Carthusians of Liege after a year or two of his Residency gave himself unto all lasciviousness of living and especially to continual Feastings and Banquetings in so much that many complaints were made of him unto the Visitors and also unto the General of the whole Order And I being then at Liege and seeing his bad and irreligious Life was much offended and scandalized and so much the more in respect that the Prior having been professed in great Carthusia which is the chiefest House of the whole Order and where regular Discipline is most strictly observed was expected to be most exemplar and proved most debauch'd and irregular making no more scruple of Drunkenness then as if it had been no sin at all He continuing in this course and presuming altogether upon the favour of the General had danted all the Monks of that House that except one few there were that durst write or complain against him because they had no hope to obtain Justice At length I my self did inform against him unto the General and did urge the business so far that the General sent a Commission unto the Prior of Gant being then newly instituted Visitor of that Province that he should come to examine the business and do Justice But Jacobus Dionysii for that was his Name being a most corrupt man both in Body and Mind and being himself in danger to lose his place because he had been accused by his Vicar for frequenting of Bawdy-houses at Midnight when as he should have been at Mattens with his Monks to get favour at the Generals hands by favouring the Prior of Liege whom he knew very well to be much respected by the General coming to Liege to examine the business would not examin any such as he thought would truly and justly give Testimony against the Prior but by his own Authority would give sentence for the Prior against me howbeit both my self and others had been Eye-witnesses of the Priors often Drunkenness and that great notice was taken in the City of the Priors misbehaviour in that point as a Proctor of Liege Brother-in-Law unto Father Henry Christian a Monk of that Monastery did with great grief of Mind certifie and tell him of Besides the Popes Nuntio having heard of that Priors bad Life was ready by the Popes Authority to have deposed the Prior from his Office notwithstanding the General and the Visitor did so much and so long support him that he became shameless quia peccator cum in profundum venerit contemnit and in fine did fall into such gross and enormous yea indicibilia peccata sins not to be nominated that he was glad to fly and leave both the Monastery of Liege and also his Priorship Howbeit that before not only my self but also Johannes Aucelinus and Peter Latermius both Priests and Monks of that House had been much oppressed and punished for writing and complaining of his wicked and most unchristian Life These are the proceedings of that holy Order wherewithal the Eyes of the whole are blinded the Superiours being for the most part both Licentious and Covetous and the Inferiours Envious and Contentious CHAP. IV. Containing the dislike taken from the point of Transubstantiation FOrasmuch as the things before mentioned spectant mores non fidem are matters of Manners and not of Faith to give and manifest the reasons and motives that moved me to alter my Opinion in matters of Faith I must acknowledge that finding such deformity of Manners and Conversation even in the first-born and fairest Flowers of the Church of Rome I was much afraid and not a little danted fearing that I had built my House upon the Sand and not upon a Rock and that the Tree that bears such rotten fruit must of necessity be rotten at the root I mean that the Doctrine of the Church of Rome could hardly be Authentical seeing that the Conversation of her holiest Children was so Diabolical And upon this fourth Consideration I began to reflect upon those points of Controversie wherein we and the Church of Rome do most differ and dissent And beginning with the point of Transubstantiation howbeit the Papists are not ashamed to affirm that the true Church hath always taught that as soon as the Priest hath pronounced the words of Consecration that the former substance of Bread and Wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Christ so that no other substance remains but only Christs Body and Blood the accidents remaining without a Subject both Scripture it self and also the use of the Primitive Church and Opinion of the most ancient Fathers do contradict this Opinion for in Scriptures we find that even after that blessing which Christ himself gave over the Bread and Wine he termed it the Cup of the New Testament And also it is most different from the Doctrine of antient Fathers for St. Augustine in his Book de Doctrina Christiana Liber tertius cap. 16. saith that these words Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood c. are a Figure commanding us to partake of the Passion of Christ and profitably to remember that his flesh was crucified for us

according as Christ himself warned his Disciples saying Do this in remembrance of me And St. Chrysostome ad Cesarium Monachum saith Bread before it be sanctified we call Bread but when the Divine Grace sanctifies it it is delivered from the name of Bread and it is thought worthy the name of the Lords Body though the Nature of Bread remain still This is Theodorets Opinion who saith that the mystical signs after Consecration do not depart from their Nature but abide in their former substance figure and form and may be seen and touched as before And moreover this Opinion is so far dissonant and differing from the Opinion of the Primitive Church that it is generally confessed that before the Lateran Council about four hundred years ago no man was bound to believe it as Tonstall in his Book de Veritate Corporis Sanguinis Christi saith that before that time it was free for all men to follow their own conjecture as concerning the manner of the real presence And also Byel and Scotus two ancient Schoolmen as Swarez doth affirm in his 3. Tom. distinct 5. and also Sotus in his 4. book distinct 9. q. 2. art 4. doth affirm did hold this Opinion to be very new and lately brought into the Church and believed only upon the Authority of the Laterane Council And Peter Lumbard was so far from being of this Opinion which the Church of Rome now holdeth that in his fourth Book of Sentences distinct 2. he saith of himself If it be demanded what manner of Conversion this is whether it be formal or substantial or of another kind I am not able to define Finding therefore this difference betwixt the Church of Rome and the Primitive Church yea betwixt the Church of Rome and Christ himself in this point I thought it more secure for my Souls health to adhere unto the Opinion of him that cannot err then unto the Opinion of Pope Innocent the third upon whose Shoulders our new Opinionists in this point are glad to lay their Burden having no other warrant for their novelty but a poor sinful mans Authority who to make himself great is not ashamed to derogate from Christs Authority and Exposition in this point who telleth us that so often as we eat or drink of this Bread or Wine we shall do it in remembrance only of him feeding on him in our Hearts by Faith with Thanksgiving telling us in the sixth of John verse 36. The Flesh profiteth nothing it is the Spirit that quickeneth And under correction I would demand of a Papist whether the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted for the feeding of our Souls or of our Bodies or of both Now if they answer That it was instituted for feeding and nourishing of both or of the Soul especially then they must confess a thing most contrary to their own Tenents that is That the Body and Blood of Christ is spiritually in the Sacrament to feed the Soul and not substantially to feed the Body because the Soul of man being a Spiritual substance cannot feed upon corporal food which must needs follow if so be that the Body and Blood of Christ be corporally in the Sacrament Now again that it is only a Spiritual and not a Corporal food to feed the Soul and not the Body Christ himself insinuateth in the sixth of John verse 51. saying I am the Bread of Life which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever which is meant of the Life of the Soul we being almost certain that this our corruptible Body must be dissolved and cannot live for ever but so far as at the day of Judgment it shall participate with the Soul of perpetual Joy or of perpetual misery sustaining in the interim a dissolution because according to our Bodies Earth we are and into Earth we must return again And therefore to preserve our corporal Life we need not the Food of the Body and Blood of Christ we have other material and natural Food sufficient And to feed our Souls therewith we cannot eat it corporally but only spiritually by Faith the Soul of man being incapable of any corporal Food And again if so be that the Body and Blood of Christ be corporally in the Sacrament we cut off one Article from our Creed wherein we Confess that Christ sitteth at the right Hand of God for he being with a true natural Body upon the Altar as the Papists hold is not sitting at the right hand of his Father in his Humanity But because we believe that he is ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right Hand of his Father in his Humanity we must also believe that he is only spiritually in the Sacrament by his Omnipotency And out of one absurdity they infer another for by holding that Christs Body and Blood is corporally in the Sacrament they make that which is no Sin to be Sin defining that if so be that by any accident or misfortune a Priest should let a consecrated Host fall or shed any of the consecrated Wine it is a mortal Sin be it never so much against your will. Now how absurd this is I refer both my self and others unto the Judgment of Saint Augustine who saith that Omne Peccatum est voluntarium adeo voluntarium quod nisi esset voluntarium non esset peccatum that is that every sin understanding actual sin must be voluntarily that is committed This consideration concerning this point of Transubstantiation was a great motive unto the alteration of my Profession CHAP. V. Concerning Abuses committed in Auricular Confession ANother motive of dislike of the Church of Rome and her Doctrine did arise from the consideration of those manifold absurdities and abuses committed under the colour of Auricular Confession It being a thing which the Church of Rome without any warrant of Gods Word and quite contrary to the practice of the Primitive Church hath taken up at her own hand For first of all to prove that they have no warrant of Scripture for it their own Canon-Law in the 5. distinct de poenitentia in the Gloss saith that Auricular Confession was taken up only by a certain Tradition of the Church and not by any Authority of the Old or New Testament And Petrus Oximensis sometime Divinity-Reader at Salamanca many years ago publickly taught that Auricular Confession had the beginning from a positive Law of the Church and not from the Law of God of the same mind was Bonaventure Medina and others And to prove that the Primitive Church did not use it both Erasmus in his Annotations ad Hieron de obitu Fabiol and Rhenanus in his Annotations ad Tertul. de poeniten being both at that time learned Papists did affirm that neither Christ did ordain Auricular Confession neither the ancient Church used it which is confirmed by the act of Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople who as the three-fold History doth testifie when as auricular

ambition of the Clergy which by these means glean the common People and pick their Pockets under pretended Piety whilst they make them pay so much for every Pardon so much for Masses that are said or sung for the Dead give this or that to the Church for to have an Annual or Anniversary Mass for themselves and their Friends and intice men to buy hallowed Medals Crosses Agnus Deis and such like perswading them that laying such hallowed things upon an Altar where Mass is said or sung they shall deliver a Soul out of Purgatory Having no warrant of Scripture for any such thing but only their Tradition depriving indeed the Laity of the use of Scripture yea and from reading of any Books whatsoever that do not agree with their Doctrine and Discipline impose upon them the Yoke of Tradition and by this means keep them not only in blindness of Conscience but also in slavish Obedience it being as they teach Anathema for any man to contradict or reject whatsoever the Church shall impose or injoyn under the Title of Tradition it being indeed the chiefest and strongest Pillar they have to support their Positions insomuch that Andradius speaking of Tradition saith Quam Traditionum Authoritatem si tollas nutare jam vacillare videbuntur that is many points of the Romish Faith would reel if they were not supported by Tradition The due Consideration of this point bred a great distaste in my Soul and no less dislike I took of Romish Doctrine and Discipline when I began to consider the great Ambition of that Church which is so far gone from the Humility of the Primitive Church that whereas in former times the Bishops of Rome lived in great Humility Patience and Poverty attending unto that one thing which is most Necessary and before the time of Constantine the Great and many years after were so far from assuming any secular Authority upon them that without the Emperours favour and assent no man was admitted to be Bishop of Rome now are so far gone from the path of Humility that they sit upon the Pinnacle of Arrogancy assuming more Authority by many degrees both spiritually and temporally then ever Christ gave unto his Apostles or unto Peter whose Successors they challenge themselves to be insomuch that as before no man could be Bishop of Rome without the Consent of the Emperour so now no man can be Emperour but by the assent of the Pope otherwise he shall be excommunicate yea and the Pope is now of that Authority or at the least taketh so much Authority upon him that he maketh no scruple to depose Emperours and Kings and to dispence with Subjects for withdrawing their Allegiance from their true and natural Princes which are any way opposite unto the Church of Rome These things are sufficiently known both by Ancient and Modern Histories which mention both Ancient and Modern Examples to this effect Again reflecting upon the bad behaviour and living of Romish Priests it did breed a great distaste in my Conscience to consider how Priests which as they hold have vowed Chastity lye wallowing in the sordid puddle of Lust. And if any man shall think or imagine that I speak out of spleen and not of sincerity I could refer him for proof hereof unto the very Place a great and populous City of theirs wherein he is not accounted a Noble and Worthy Gentleman that is not descended from a Priest either secular or religious the most part of that City being descended from Priests such is the Incontinency of that Place And not only there but also in all other places it is a common practice of Church-men under the pretence of keeping spiritual Daughters to keep damned and common Courtezans or else make little or no scruple at all to frequent dishonest Houses as a little before my coming away from Macline a Priest at Brussels did verifie by going in the Night-time to a dishonest House and missing the Door went unto a wrong House where knocking at the Door the good Wife came to open it and seeing the Priest told him that he was deceived and that that House was not a House of that quality he took it to be The Priest for anger drew his Knife upon the Woman which had a Child in her Arms the Woman crying out her Husband came in and reprehended the Priest whereupon the Priest cut him with his Knife quite over the Belly and hurt both the Woman and the Child Many such Examples might be produced both of seculars and religious Priests and Nuns The due consideration of these things and of many more of which I cannot now intend to discourse as also the daily reading of the Scriptures and Ancient Fathers together with the assistance of Gods Grace restored me to sight again which through my own Folly I had lost And when I clearly perceived how far I had done amiss not only by assenting unto the Church of Rome but also by betaking my self unto such a course of Life as that was I was wonderfully sorry and much afflicted in Conscience most willing if Opportunity had served to have given over all and retired my self unto my Mother Church only the Consideration of my Profession did somewhat daunt me thinking that I should be accounted an Apostata until it pleased the Lord to send me this Resolution that an undiscreet Vow is better broken then kept especially when it tendeth to the endangering of a mans Soul. And because some may ask of me wherefore I did not consider these things at the first in the time of my Probation I must answer as I did in the beginning That in the time of a mans Noviceship he is so much imployed in learning the Ceremonies and Observations of that Order that he hath no time vacant to look after other matters and besides he is not permitted to read any Books but such as the Prior and his Master shall appoint which commonly are Books fit only to nuzzle a man in blind Devotion not to instruct him in Matters of Religion Having therefore lived a long time in great Perplexity and not finding any comfort or rest of Conscience in that Sea of Disquiet and Perturbation I resolved with Noe's Dove to return unto my Mother Church the which by Gods good Assistance I have obtained unto the great comfort of my Soul and do with all my Heart imbrace all and every Article of the Church of England being most ready according to my Ability to impend all the Power and Strength both of my Soul and Body yea and my dearest Blood for the Assertion and Promotion of them desiring and wishing no greater Blessing at Gods Hands but that I may be found worthy and able though in the meanest degree to do God and my Sovereign Service in the Ministry FINIS John 9.10 John 9.32 Luke 1. The policy of Superiours to keep their Places Mat. 26.29 Mark. 14.25 Dialog in mutat Dialog inconfusus Historia Tripar lib. 9. cap. 35. Socra li. 5. cap. 9. Zozom lib. 7. cap. 16. Niceph. lib. 12. cap. 28. Pag. 256. edit Venit 1603. 1 Vol. Annal. An. 53. Regul Contrac 95. Orthodox explicat lib. 2.