else if it constantly affirmes that to bee a morsell of bread which indeed is the perfit Body of a man Is not therein the Word of God blasphemed And as for his Reuealed Word both His Originall Word the Scriptures and also His deriued Word the Fathers are not they also contradicted and blasphemed by this position For first concerning the Scripture does not that euery where tell vs That our Sauiour was in euery point like a man That He had the face limbs and properties of a man That Hee did eat drinke and speake like a man Also doe not the Scriptures expresly say That the Heauens must containe him till all things bee restored Acts 3.20 And that He shall so descend from heauen as Hee first ascended vp into heauen Whereas by this position Hee hath for these 1600. yeeres continually descended bodily from heauen not once in such a manner descend as Hee first ascended Yea the Scripture euery where tells vs that now Hee is in the state of Glory whereas this position contriues Him into a more vile forme than euer man had and tyes Him to a more base condition than euer any man or indeed any liuing creature did vndergoe For though they seeme to doe Him great honour while they carry Him about in those breaden formes in their pompous processions yer when withall they professe that in the end he is to be eaten vnder those breaden formes all the honour they bestow on him is no better honour vnto him then the guilding the Buls hornes when hee is led to be baited is an honour vnto the Bull. Finally the Bread which our Sauiour termed His Body does not the Scripture every where call it still bread notwithstanding He tooke brake blessed and gaue Bread say all the Euangelists sometime also saying as much of the cup as of the wine Paul also calling it bread both in the blessing and in the eating and also after the eating and the Acts of the Apostles terming these Communions Chap. 2.42 a continuance in breaking bread and Chap. 20.7 a comming together to break bread And all the Fathers for many hundred yeeres together immediately following the first Institution when at any time they made mention of it as securely calling it bread as if they neuer imagined that any would euer make question thereof And for proofe hereof wee haue thought good to close vp this point with a border of citationâ— out of them leauing the force of their sayings to the applicatiâ—â—â— of the Reader for breuity sake Clemens Romanus to cite them according to the times wherein they liued saith thus of it We offer vnto thee our King and our God this bread and this wine giuing thee thankes Concil Tom. 2. Ignatius thus There is one flesh of our Lord Iesus and one Bloud one bread and one cup. Epist 2. Iustine Martyr thus When prayers are finished Bread and Wine is offered And elsewhere thus Christ hath giuen the bread to the end wee should remember that He was made a body for such as should beleeue In Dial. contra Tryphon and Apolog. 2. Irenaeus Martyr thus As the Eucharist consisting of two natures the earthly and the heauenly so our Bodies c. Tertullian thus Calling the bread His body to the end you may vnderstand that He hath giuen bread to bee a figure of His body Contra Marcion 3.19 Clemens Alexandrinus thus The Wine signifies the Bloud allegorically Lib. de paedagog 10.6 Origen thus If you take this saying Except ye eat the flesh of the sonne of man c. according to the Letter the Letter killeth Hom. 7. in Leuit. elswhere thus After we haue giuen thankes we eat the Loues presented Contra Celsun 8. Cyprian thus Our Lord gaue with His owne hands bread and wine which He called His Body De vnct Chris and elswhere thus This bread is conuerted into our flesh and bloud and serueth for our life Epist 2. Eusebius Caesariensis thus Christ and His Ministers doe represent the mysteries of His Body and Bloud by bread and wine De Demonst Euangel 5.3 Athanasius thus How few would his Body haue sufficed that it should be meat for all the world In illud quicunque c. Concilium Nicenum thus Wee must not basely humiliter be intent vpon the bread and the eup but lifting vp our mindes by faith c. Concil 1. Macarius Egypt thus In the Church bread and wine is offered being the figure of his flesh and bloud Homil. 27. Epiphanius thus Christ speaking of a loafe which is round in figure and cannot see heare nor feele saith of it This is my Body In Anchor Ambrose thus Thou sawest the Sacraments vpon the Altar and wondredst at the creature yet is it a solemne and knowne creature De Sacram. 4.3 And elsewhere thus In the Law was a shadow in the Gospell an image in Heauen the truth Lib. 10. ex offic C. 48. Gregory Nissen thus Whose hath abundantly drunke of the Apostles springs hath already receiued whole Christ In viâ— Mos Chrysostome thus If it be dangerous to transferre sanctified vessels vnto priuate vses where in not the true Body of Christ but onely a mysterie of that body is contained how much lesâ— ought wee to giue the vessels of our owne bodies to the deuilâ— which God hath prepared for himselfe to inhabit In Matth. 5. Homil. 11. and elsewhere thus It is counted worthy to be called the Lords Body though the nature of bread remaineth there still Ad Caesar Monach. citat à â—arijs Author And againe thus Wooll when it is died is called no longer wooll but Purple or Scarlet though the nature of wooll stil remaineth In Psal 22. Gregory Nazianzen thus We â—ow partake the Passeouer â—hough in a figure yet much more cleare than in the old Law De Pasch Orat. 2. Hierome thus Christ is not corporally in the Church In Prou 1. â— and elsewhere thus Christ left bread and wine as he that goes â—voyage leaues a gage In prim â—d Corinth 11. and againe thus I take the Gospel to be the body of Christ and that more truly than the Sacrament In Psal 147. Austine thus If we looke to the visible signes by which the Sacraments are performed who can bee ignorant that they are corruptible De Bapt. Lib. 3. Cap. 10. And elsewhere thus By reason of the resemblance betwixt the Sacraments and the things the Sacraments often times take the name of the things Epist 23. And elsewhere thus this is a perfit rule to vnderstand whether a speech be figuratiue that whatsoeuer in Scripture cannot bee referred vnto integrity oâ— faith or verity of manners that resolue thy selfe is figuratiue Dâ— doctr Chr. Lib. 3. Chap. 10. Where upon hee inferres our Sauiour speech of eating his flesh to be figuratiue because according to the Letter it is a sinfull act calling it a carnall sense to take figuratiue speeches properly and a
miserable bondage of the soule Theodoret thus He honoured the signes which we see with the name of His body not changing the nature but casting grace vpon nature And elsewhere thus The mysticall signes after sanctification doe not depart from their nature but remaine in their former substance figure and â—orme Dial. 2. Cyril thus Our Sacrament aâ—oucheth not the eating of a man Ad obiect Theod. And elsewhere thus He gaue peeces of bread to His Disciples In 4. Ioâ—n Gelasius thus By the Sacraments we are made partakers of the heauenly nature and yet for all that ceaseth not the nature of bread and wine Contra Eutichens Fulgentius thus How did He goe vp to heauen but as he is very man contained in a place Or how is Hee present with the faithfull but as He is very God without all measure Ad Thrasimach Regul 2. Ephrem thus Taking bread into His hands He blessed it and brake it for a figure of His body Contra Inquis Diuin Natur. Vigilius thus To goe to His Father and from vs was to take from the world that nature which he receiued of vs. Contra Eutichens Concilium Constant thus Christ commanded the whole substance of bread chosen for His Image to bee set on the table lest if it resembled the shape of a man Idolatry might bee committed Extat in Concil Nicen. 2. Procopius Gazeus thus There is now giuen an Image a Type a Figure of His body receiuing no more the bloudy Sacrifices of the Law Super Gen. 49. Beda thus Hee substituting the Sacrament of His Flesh in the figure of bread and wine In Luk. 22. And elsewhere out of Austine thus That which you see â—is bread and wine which your very eyes can tell you In 1 Cor. 10. Druthmarus thus Wine maketh glad and increaseth blood and therfore the blood of Christ is aptly figured thereby In Mat. Rhabanus Maurus thus The Sacrament is turned into the bodies nourishment Lib. 1. Chap. 13. Paschasius thus What finde they which taste these things beside bread and wine otherwise than by faith and hearing De corp sang Dom. Bertramus thus The signes as touching the substance of the creatures are the same after consecration that they were before De corp sang Dom. Bernard thus What is it to eat His flesh and drinke His blood but to communicate with His passions and to imitate His conuersation In Psalm qui habitat c. Bonauenture thus The Sacraments are said to containe Gods Grace not as a vessell does water but because they signifâ— Gods Grace In 4. Sentent Disâ— 1.9.3 And his Text-man Lumbard thus Christ offered Himselfe vpon the Crosse and his remembrance in the Sacrament Lib. 4. dist 12. The glosse vpon the Common-Law a principall witnesse in this cause thus It is His body improperly after a fashion not in truth but in signification quoting Austine for it Super Canon Hoc est corpus meum Decr. p. 3. dist 2.16 Most true therfore our ground is that whosoeuer inforceth men vpon paine of death to grant that there is no other Christ but he which is ordinarily present amongst men in the forme of common bread he forceth men â—o blaspheme Christ All the naâ—ures properties and attributes of Christ being blasphemed by â—uch assertion But the Pope of Rome does force men vpon paine of death both spirituall and temporall so to grant Their Tridentine Councell inforcing it vpon paine of spiritual death in these words viz. Whosoeuer shall deny that in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist is truly and really contained the Body and Bloud together with the Soule and Diuinity of our Lord Iesus Christ and therefore whole Christ but shall say that it is there onely as in a signe or in a figure or vertue let him be accursed Concil Trident. Sess 3. And one of their Synode enioyning Berengariâ— thus to say With my mouth and with my heart I profesâ— that the bread and the wine afteâ— consecration is not onely a Sacrament but also the true body and blood of Iesus Christ and sensually in truth is handled and broken with the hands of the Priests and torne atteri with the teeth of the faithfull Decret p. 3. dist 2.16 Ego Berengarius c. And as for temporall death which the gaine-sayer of this position did thereupon vndergoe what Nation vnder their authority hath not records thereof written in bloud Not to cite their secular lawes which condemne all heretikes amongst which the resister of this position they count the cheefe ad poenam ignis i.e. To bee burnt to death and to vndergoe all kinde of penalties beside in their name friends fautors posterity goods and fortunes that can bee imagined Summa Angelica Litera hereâ—icus Or if our English Admirers of Rome will beleeue nothing concerning the Discipline of that Church but so farre forth as they can be assured thereof within the bounds of England they may haue recourse to the six Articles established in English Parliament the first whereof enacteth thus Whosoeuer shall say that in the Sacrament of the Altar vnder the forme of bread and wine after the consecration thereof there is not present really the naturall Body and Bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ conceiued of the Virgine Mary or that after the said consecration there remaineth any substance of bread or wine or any other substance but the substance of Christ both God and man c. then he shall be adiudged an heretike and suffer death by burning and shall forfeit to the King all his lands tenements c. as in case of hye reason An. 31. Hen. 8.14 For though this law was enacted when the Popes authority was suppressed yet did it take the beginning from the Church of Rome and a little after in the reigne of Quene Mary was executed to the full by vertue of the Romish authority Our Demonstration therefore is most plaine and let heaâ—en and earth bee Iudge of it Hee that professeth himselfe the Supreme head of the Church of Christ and yet forceth men â—pon paine of death both temporall and eternall to blaspheme Christ hee is Antichrist But the Pope of Rome so professeth and so inforceth Therefore En ecce Antichristum FINIS Circa An. c. p 2. An. c. 10â— 133. An. 172. An. 196. An. c. 207. An. 250. An. 308. An. 327. An. 329. An 360. An. 379. An. 384. An. 385. An. 378. An. 394. An. 424. An. 490. An. 550. An. 526. An. 550.
THE Demonstration OF ANTICHRIST BY EDMVND GVRNAY Bach. Theol. P. of Harpley Norfolke LONDON Printed by I.B. for Iames Boler and are to be sold at the signe of the Marigold in Pauls Churchyard 1631. TO THE ALL-HOPEFVLL Charles BY THE GRACE OF GOD PRINCE of Wales c. IT is the glorie of all temporall power to maintaine the glory of Christ and so consequently to confound Antichrist When therefore the prouidence of God sends temporall Princes into the world such as can giue any intelligeÌ„ce toward the discouering this Antichrist cannot be thought ouerhastie in presenting the same vnto them Indeed the intelligence which this little Booke can do in such kind of businesse must needs be thought little notwithstanding it was a little pibble-stone that bored the Front of Goliah when the valiant men of Israel were afraid to encounter him Also the littlenesse of it may be a meanes to induce Gods little ones the sooner to begin to turne the leaues thereof as they shall begin to awake vnto the day-light of vnderstanding Which happy time of our Princes awaking It resoluing to wait the Author shall in the meane time beseech the Almighty to visit him daily with the light of His countenance and as his Abilities shall grow to allure them into the most pleasant paths of His most Royalâ— seruice ECCE ANTI-CHRISTVM HEE that professeth himselfe the supreme head of the Church of Christ and yet forceth men vpon paine of death to blaspheme Christ Hee is Antichrist Because it cannot be imagined how any power vpon earth can more cunningly and out of a deeper mysterie doe Christ such vniuersall mischiefe But the Pope of Rome does professe himselfe the Supreme head of the Church of Christ and that is granted and yet forceth men vpon paine of death both temporall and eternall to blaspheme Christ And this we thus proue Hee that forceth men vpon paine of death to grant that there is no other Christ but He whose perfit Body Soule and Deity hath for these 1600. yeers last past beene ordinarily present amongst men vnder that particular forme which immediately before the speaking of a few words was the forme of a senselesse creature and in that forme does enter into the mouthes of liuing creatures he forceth men to blaspheme Christ Because this position does blaspheme The Manhood of Christ The God-head of Christ The Maiesty of Christ The Holinesse of Christ The Iustice of Christ The Mercy of Christ The Wisdome of Christ The Power and Word of Christ First it blasphemes the manhood of Christ because it giues Him such a Body as in the outward eyes of those that are present with Him hath no more similitude with the body of a man than a chip or a stone Secondly it blasphemeth His God-head because it supposeth the Creator to be ordinarily vnited vnto the forme of a creature Thirdly it blasphemeth his Maiesty because it giues Him such an outward presence as the vilest and poorest man liuing would be ashamed of and euen vtterly abhorre Fourthly it blasphemeth His Holinesse because it supposeth Him to goe through more vncleane passages than euer liuing man did and such as of necessity do either reiect or corrupt whatsoeuer they receiue Fifthly it blasphemeth His Iustice because it affirmeth Him to be ordinarily present amongst men in a forme nothing like a man and yet wee must vpon paine of damnation beleeue that He is a perfit man Sixthly it blasphemeth His Mercy because it layes this intolerable burthen vpon the Faith of little ones either to looke for no saluation or to beleeue that thing to be their Sauiour which in all outward appearance is but a morsell of bread Seuenthly it blasphemeth His Wisedome because it supposeth Him to worke daily multitudes of most incredible and most stupendious miracles for no other purposes but such as are daily effected without any miracles at all there being no kinde of benefit redounding vnto mankind by this His supposed bodily presence but such as daily does redound vnto vs in His bodily absence For daily does Hee giue vs the gift of Faith in His bodily absence daily does He conuerse with men sup with men and dwell with men in His bodily absence daily does Hee giue all kind of gifts vnto men in his bodily absence daily does He send the coÌ„forter in his bodily absence For the coÌ„forter wil not come vnles He goes away Ioh. 16.7 Yea finally daily does e giue vs his flesh to eat in His bodily absence For except we eat his flesh we haue no life in vs Ioh. 6.53 But hee that beleeueth hath euerlasting life Ioh. 6. â—7 and therefore he that beleeueth does alwayes in His most bodily absence eat His Flesh To conclude What benefit what Grace what comfort was euer heard of or can be imagined but may bee imparted vnto men as well not to say incomparably more easily more sweetly more credibly In His bodily absence as in this supposed bodily presence wherunto such stupendious miracles must concurre namely for a taste of them these amongst others 1. That the perfit Body of a man must bee couched and contriued into the forme of a bit of bread 2. That the liuing body of one man must wholly enter into the mouth of another 3 That the same man shall be in infinite places at once 4. That the perfit Body of man shall ordinarily come downe from heauen and yet the outward eyes of those which entertain Him shall not see it 5. That these so vncouth wonders shall be wrought at the call of mortall men euery Priest vnto the end of the world c. And is not this a blaspheming of the wisedome of the Almighty to make him the deâ—isor of these so inglorious and to say nothing of the quality of them insuperfluous miracles Also wee further adde that it blasphemeth his Power because it makes it the instrument of such operations as are dishonourable and repugnant vnto His Wisdome His Maiesty His Iustice and euen all His conditions and attributes whereas the power of God on the contrary does so infinitely apply it selfe to the honour and glory of God as that it doth continually resist confound and destroy whatsoeuer does offer the least diminution vnto it Last of all it blasphemeth his Word and that both His created Word and also His reuealed Word For what is his created Word but the faculties of Sense Reason What word or what light had man in his innocency to shew him which was the middle tree in the garden which vpon paine of death he was forbidden to taste of but his common Sense And what other word or light haue men now in the state of recouery to tell them which is a man and which is a beast which is a fish and which is a serpent and to lay them out their particular taskes portion and callings but their common Sense This therefore so immediately created and sacred light if it bee made a notorious lyar for what is it