vexation might cease and by the mercies of God it forth with ceased And in the 10. chapter of the same book he saith We Sacrifice and doe immolate Sacrifice to God only and the Sacrifice it selfe is the body of Christ In the 11. chapter of his first booke de origine animae he saith According to the Catholick faith and Ecclesiasticall rule it is by no meanes granted that the participation of the body and bloud of Christ should be offered for such as are not baptised Which he also repeateth againe in the 15. chapter of his 2. book 4. In his 1. Sermon vpon the 33. Psalme he saith The sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord This sacrifice spread ouer the vvhole earth which the faithfull who haue read the Scriptures doe know was not in the time of the old Law which sacrifice is spread ouer the whole globe of the earth And againe in his second Sermon vpon the same Psalme he saith Christ at his last Supper instituted a sacrifice of his body and bloud according to the order of Melchisedech Whervpon in his 86. Epistle he saith Christ gaue his bloud to drinke before his Passion And in the 20. chapter of his 12. booke against Faustus he saith In this Sacrament is drunck that which flowed out of the side of Christ And vpon the 56. Psalme he affirmeth that the Iewes who crucified Christ and afterwards were conuerted to beleeue in him in this Sacramēt drunck by grace the same bloud which through furie they had shed 5. And because the same body and bloud of One body and bloud in all sacrifices our Lord is offered to God in all Christian Sacrifices which was offered to God in the Sacrifice of the Crosse though after an other manner therefore S. Augustine in the 12. chapter of his 9. booke of Confessions calleth that which is offered to God in Sacrifice by Christians the Sacrifice of our Redemtion saying The Sacrifice of our Redemtion was offered for his Mother after her decease at her Funeralls And in the 13. chapter of the same book speaking of his said Mother S. Monica saith She desyred to be remembred at the Altar of God where at she vsed to assist without pretermission of This Sacrifice dispensed from the Altar any one day and from whence she knew that holy sacrifice to be dispensed whereby the hand writing was blotted out which carried our condemnation in it and whereby our Enemie had triumphed ouer vs. Thus the glorious S. Augustine and that according to the Scriptures as he further affirmeth in the 3. question of his 49. Epistle saying The sacrifice which we Christians doe now offer is not only demonstrated by the written word of the Ghospells but also by the Prophecies 6. Neither is this expression of the Sacrifice of the body and bloud our Lord found only in S. Augustine but also in the rest of the ancient Fathers who are commonly stiled Doctors of the Catholick Church as namely in S. Basil S. Chrisostome S. Ambrose S. Gregorie and S. Hierome for the Church being in peace in their times the first fower of these fiue that is to saie S. Basil S. Chrisostome S. Ambrose and S. Gregorie euery one of them sett forth books where in they expresse the forme and manner how to offer Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord with great solemnitie Fouer Doctors sett forth Missalls and how to administer the Sacramēt in the same which books are extant in print vnder the Titles of The Liturgie of S. Basil The Liturgie of S. Chrisostome The Masse of S. Ambrose and the Booke of the Sacraments of the circle of the yeare sett forth by S. Gregorie the Pope Where of the first two are printed with their works the latter are printed by Pamelius in his two Tomes of the Missalls of the Latin Fathers which Liturgies or Missalls are in substance the same with those Liturgies and Missalls which are vsed at this daie in the Catholick Church for the offering of Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord and also with the Liturgies and Missalls which were before their times as with the Liturgie of S. Peter S. Iames S. Andrew S. Marke S. Clement c. as may manifestly appeare vnto anie man who shall take the paines to vew them 7. Moreouer S. Ambrose in the 2. chapter of his 4. book of Sacraments setteth down the words which at this daie are vsed in the Catholick Church in the consecration of the Eucharist and offering Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord saying Wilt thou know how the Eucharist is consecrated by diuine wordes He are the wordes The Priest saith make this oblation apply able vnto vs reasonable and acceptable which is downe vpon the figure Bread a figure of Christs body before consecration of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. that is to saie vpon the bread not yet consecrated After it followeth Who the daie before he suffered tooke bread into his holy handes looked vp into heauen vnto thee ô holy Father Almighty eternall God giuing thankes blessed broake and broken gaue vnto his Apostles saying Take and eate of this all for this is my body which is giuen for you And in like manner he tooke the Chalice after he had supped that is the daie before he suffered looked vp into heauen vnto thee holy Father Almighty eternall God giuing thankes blessed deliuered to his Apostles saying Take ye and drinck ye all of it for this is my bloud consider euery thing he saith who the daie before he suffered he tooke bread into his holy handes therefore it is bread before it be consecrated but when Christs wordes doe approach it is the After consecration the Eucharist is the body of Christ. body of Christ Finally heare him saying take ye eate ye all of it This is my body And before the wordes of Christ it is a Chalice full of wine and water but assoone as the wordes of Christ haue done their worke there is made the bloud which redeemed the People therefore consider after how many sortes the word of Christ is powerfull to conuert all things And to conclude our Lord Iesus-Christ himselfe doth testify vnto vs that we receaue his body and bloud and ought we to doubt of his sinceritie and testimonie Thus S. Ambrose explicating the manner of the consecration of the body and bloud of our Lord in his time and the certaintie there of in the Eucharist before receauing which manner of consecration is also vsed in the Catholicke Church at this daie Againe in the 6. chapter of the same booke he sheweth that the intent of these wordes As often as you shall doe this so often you shall doe it in commemoration of me vntill I commeagaine were to command a Sacrifice in the commemoration of his Passion and for that cause he immediatly addeth to these wordes The Priest saith therefore mindfull of his glorious
Scripture which Catholickes at this day alleadge against the different opinions of their aduersaries adding also in the same Christ at his last Supper offered himselfe in Sacrifice Epistle saith Who is more the Priest of the high God then our Lord Iesus-Christ who offered Sacrifice to God the Father and offered the same which Melchisedech had offered that is bread and wine to witt his body and bloud Againe Iesus-Christ our Lord God he is the chief Priest of God the Father he offered first himselfe to God the Father and commanded that which he then did to be donne in commemoration of him Moreouer he there saith to the Aquarian Hereticks who would only vse water and no wine in the Sacrament of the Chalice The bloud of Christ wherewith Christ bloud seene in the Chalice we are redeemed and quickned cannot be seene to be in the Chalice when wine whereby the bloud of Christ is shewed is not put into the Chalice And citing the wordes of consecration as they are sett downe by S. Matthew in the 26. chapter of his Ghospell addeth Hereby we finde that the Chalice which our Lord offered was mixt and that it had bin wine which he called his bloud whereby it doth appeare It vvas first vvine and after his bloud that the bloud of Christ is not offered if there be no wine put into the Chalice neither is our Lords Sacrifice celebrated with lawfull sanctification vnlesse our oblation and Sacrifice shal be answerable to the Passion wherein our Sauiour shed bloud and water c. Iohn 15. 34. Againe As with this common wine the mind is sett at libertie the spirits freed and all sorrow Christian drinck the bloud of Christ. banished so by drincking the bloud of our Lord and the healthfull cupp we cast awaie the memorie of the old man and doe forgett our former worldly conuersation c. Againe How shall we shed our bloud for Christ who are ashamed to drinck the bloud of Christ. This and much more to this effect hath S. Cyprian in one afore said Epistle besides what he hath dispersed through his other workes 11. Alexander the first was made Bishopp of Rome in the yeare 121. and suffered a most cruell martyrdome for the faith in Rome when the faith of Christ flourished amongst the Romans as our Aduersaries confesse and he in his first Epistle vnto all Catholicks repeating the wordes of consecration addeth With such hostes God will be delighted and pleased for nothing can be greater in Sacrifices then the body and bloud of our Lord neither is there any oblation more to be desired then this for this exceedeth all oblations which is to be offered vnto God with a pure conscience and to be receaued with a cleane heart and to be worshipped of all Thus S. Alexander 12. S. Clement of whom S. Paule maketh mention Philippians 4. 3. in the 57. chapter of his 2. book of Apostolicall constitutions saith Lett the Bishopp pray in these wordes conserue ô Lord thy People safe and blesse thine inheritance c. Afterwards lett Sacrifice be made all the People expecting and praying insilence and Sacrifice being donn lett euery order a part receaue the body of our Lord and the pretious bloud approaching in order with modestie and reuerence as vnto the body of the king before they receaued it Thus these most ancient Fathers of the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord instituted by our Sauiour and continued in the Church of God as they prooue by the same Authorities of Scriptures which the Catholicks alleadg at this day And all Christian mens books and workes who haue written of this subiect are so conformable to the doctrine of those before cited Fathers in this point of the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord that our Aduersaries knowne and reputed hereticks to both parties only excepted are not able to assigne or bring forth any book written before the rebellion of Luther which denieth the offering of Sacrifice to God in the body and bloud of his only Sonne amongst Christians And this is sufficient to proue that the Scriptures and all knowne Christian mens bookes who writt of this subiect before Luther knowne and reputed hereticks or enormish erroneous men to both parties only excepted teach a Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord. CHAP. IV. Remission of sinnes and other blessings are and may be obtained by the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord. 1. THe Sacrifice of our Redemption which The Sacrifice of the Crosse like a Pardon at the end of a Parliament our Lord offered for vs vpon the Crosse is like vnto a generall Pardon at the end of a Parliament which is in it selfe sufficient to pardon all his Majesties subiects for the offences there in specified were they tenntymes more then they are yet actually it pardoneth not any one of them but those who vse the meanes which his Majesties lawes require in that case for the applying his gratious generall pardon vnto themselues which is to sue out a writt of pardon or the like So the Passion of our Lord and his Redemption vpon the Crosse is in it selfe sufficient to redeeme tenn thousand worlds if there were or could be so many from euerlasting paines and from the punishment imposed vpon man for originall and actuall sinne as wittnesseth S. Iohn saying Christ is the propitiation of our sinnes and not for ours only but also for the whole world yet actually according to the common concurse of God it redeemeth not any one man from euerlasting torments but those who vse the meanes to applye the Passion of our Lord and his Redemption vpon the Crosse to themselues expressed in the Law of God as withnesseth S. Paule saying Christ was made to all that obey him cause of eternall saluation Heb. 5. 9. 2. And amongst the many meanes which Almightie God hath left vnto mankind to apply the Sacrifice of our Redemptiō and merits of Christs Passion vnto vs this is one the offering of a certaine and particular externall visible Sacrifice vnto God representing the inward Sacrifice of our hearts and the Passion of his Sonne thereby to acknowledge him for our God and supreame Soueraigne Lord and apply the meritt of the said Passion vnto ourselues for the remission of our sinnes as is manifest by the practise of the Church of God euen from the beginning or first plantation there of vpon earth for Abel Noe Abraham Isaack Iacob Iob and the Children of Israel offered particuler visible Sacrifice to God in commemoration of the Passion of our Lord to come for the remission of sinnes by his Passion who was presenly promised vpon the fall of Adam Gen. 3. 5. and in vertue Slaine from the beginning of the world Apoc. 13. 12. Whervpon S. Iohn saith He hath redeemed vs to God in his bloud out of euery tribe and tongue and people and nation Apoc. 5. 9. And there is no saluation in
bowed themselues and adored God and then the King Dauid adored 1. Chronic. 29. 20. Whereby it is manifest that exterior visible adoration by bowing euen to the ground may be giuen both to God and men and that nether it nor any other outward visible signe except the offering of visible Sacrifice is such a signe of diuine worship or Latria or so due vnto God alone that they may not be giuen vnto men which S. Augustin in the 4. Chapter of his 10. book of the Cittie of God further witnesseth saying There is not any man to be found who dare say that Sacrifice is due vnto any but to God alone 3. Whereas some obiect that S. Iohn fell downe The obiectiō of S. Iohn adoring aunsvvered at the feete of an Angel to adore him Reuel 19. 10. and 22. 8. And the Angel said See thou do it not for I am thy fellow seruant adore God This only prooueth that S. Iohn and the Angel were humble the one in adoring and the other in refusing to be adored and that adoration by bowing down to the ground may be giuen vnto both God and his creatures vnlesse we should say that S. Iohn being aduertised in the 19. Chapter that he was an Angel would yet notwithstandinh in the 22. Chapter adore him agayn and fell down before his feete and willingly and wittingly commit Idolatry which is absurd and contrary to the Text the Angel saying twice vnto him I am they fellow seruant one of thy Brethren yet certayn it is that Angels are not fellow-seruants and brethren to Idolaters whereby it appeareth that S. Iohn by twice falling before the feete of an Angel to adore him did no euill act nor committed any sinne 4. Neither doth the Angel say that he refused The cause vvhy the Angel refused to be adored by S. Iohn to be adored of S. Iohn because it was euill or only due vnto God which should be contrary vnto all the places of Scriptures before alleged but the cause why he would not haue S. Iohn to adore him was as there he saith For I am thy fellow seruant as contending with him in humility Neither did the Angel say vnto S. Iohn Adore God to condemne S. Iohn of ignorance or idolatry for then the Angel would not haue called him his fellow seruant and brother as he did twice but to commend the eminencie of his sanctity and greatnes which was of such excellency that out of duty or inferiority he needed not nor ought not to giue adoration to any creature but to God alone So S. Iohn humbling himself before the Angell and falling twice before his feete to adore him the Angel exalteth him and calleth him fellow seruant and brother fulfilling the words of our Sauiour saying He that humbleth himself shal be exalted Mat. 23. 12. And this text together with the rest inuincibly prooue that it is lawfull to adore creatures by falling before their feete seeing S. Iohn the Euangelist and the Patriarcks and Prophets and Children of the Church of God did vse it and that of all outward visible adorations the adoration by offring of visible Sacrifice is due vnto God alone 5. Faustus an Heretick of the sect of the Manicheans All other outvvard visible vvoorshipp due vnto the Saint except Sacrifice accused the Catholick Christians of the Primatiue Church of Idolatry and superstition for honoring Martyrs euen as the Puritans of this age do Catholicks at this day as S. Augustin in the 21. Chapter of his 20. book against him witnesseth saying Faustus doth calumniate vs for the honor we do giue vnto the memory of Martyrs saying that we haue conuerted them into Idols Where vnto he there answereth as we now may say in his words vnto our calumniators Christian people do celebrate together the memory of Martyrs with a Religious solemnitie to stirr vp imitation to be made partakers of their merits and to be assisted by their prayers yet so as that we do not offer Sacrifice vnto any Martyr but to the God of Martyrs although we erect Altars in the memory of Martyrs for what Bishop standing at the Altar which is erected in the place where the bodyes of the Martyrs are was euer heard to say we offer vnto thee Peter or Paul or Cyprian but that which is offered is offered vnto God who hath crowned the Martyrs at the memory of them whom he hath crowned That by the admonition of the place the affection of our minds may be more inflamed with charity towards those whom we ought to imitate and towards God by their assistance We honor Martyrs Hovv the Martyrs are to he vvorshipped with that worship of loue and societie wherewith holy men are worshipped in this life whose hearts are prepared to suffer the like for the truth of the Ghospell only we worship the Martyrs more deuoutly because we may worship them now securely after their victory for they being now conquerors and enioying happie life we may preach their praise with more confidence then we can the praise of those who are yet fighting in this life yet notwithstanding we do not honor them with that worship which the Grecians call Latria and in latin cannot be expressed in one word seeing it is a worship properly due vnto Diuinitie Neither do we teach that any ought to be honored with it but only God For seeing that the offering vp of Sacrifice belongeth vnto this worship in such sort as that it is called their Idolatria who exhibite it vnto Idols in no sort we offer any such thing or commaund to bee offered either vnto any Martyr or vnto any holy soule or vnto any Angel Thus S. Augustin 6. The Grecian Idolaters tooke the same exception against the honor and worship which was done to the Saints deceased which the Puritans do now and Theodoret who liued about the The honor due vnto the saints tyme of S. Augustin in his 8. book of the cure of Greeke affections asweareth them saying Our Lord God hath brought his dead into the Temples in place of your Gods whom he hath depriued of their glory and giuen their honor vnto his martirs for in lieu of the solemnityes of your Gods Pan Diana Iupiter c. are kept the feasts of Peter Paul Thomas Sergius Leontius Antonius Mauritius and other holy Martyrs and in place of that ancient pomp filthines and impudency the feasts are kept modestly chastly and with much temperance now they are not besmeared with wine nor made vain by riotous banquets nor dissolute through loud laughter but with attention and diuine Hymnes and hearing holy Sermons c. But yet ô Grecians we do not offer Hosts or any Sacrifice to the Martyrs Whereby we see that amongst all the visible honors or worships which may or can be donn by man only visible Sacrifice is due vnto God alone the rest may be exhibited or giuen vnto creatures 7. Our Sauiour said Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God
their forme and manner of making those their Bishops Priests and Deacons is so dissonant from all the manners and formes vsed before the rebellion of Luther that in the 36. Article of their owne religion established by act of Parliament they confesse that this their said booke is a booke Lately sett forth in the time of Edward the fixt and confirmed at the same time by authoritie of Parliament and neuer before either The making of Protestat Clergie a late inuentiō set forth or confirmed by anie Councell or Parliament but then diuised as witnesseth the statute it selfe of the 3 and 4 yeare of Edward the sixt in the 12 act saying Be it enacted by the Kinges Highnes c. that such forme and manner of making Protestant Clergie deuised in the time of Edvvard the sixt and consecrating of Archbishops Bishops Priests Deacons and other Ministers of the Church as by six other men of this Realme learned in Gods law by the Kings Maiestie to be appointed and assigned or by the most number of them shal be deuised for that purpose and sett forth vnder the great Seale of England before the first daie of Aprill next coming shall by vertue of this act be lawfully exercised and vsed and none other anie other statute law or vsage to the contrarie in anie wise notwithstanding Thus this statute whereby we see that before the time of Edward the sixt all the Archbishops Bishops Priests c. were so ordained to offer vnbloudy Sacrifices in the bodie and bloud of our Lord that our aduersaires could not finde a forme or manner of making Archbishops Bishops Priests and who should not offer vnbloody sacrifice but were forced to inuent and deuise as the statute saith a new one and this so contrarie to the 3. Creeds and promises of God vnto his Church that Thomas Rogers a Protestant Glosser vpon the articles of their Religion in his book intituled The English Creed at the end of the 36. article ingeniously The Protestant Clergie no Catholiques confesseth that this article of the consecration of Protestant Archbishops Bishops Priests c. is noe article of the Catholique Church as a thing no where to be found amongst Catholique Christians but then deuised by Protestants 4. And after that they had deuised a forme and manner of making Archbishops Bishops Priests c who should not offer Sacrifice in all the ages before Luther except only knowne and reputed heretickes atheists and Epicures to both parties they could not finde a book where the office of these kind of men was sett downe without offering of sacrifice but were also forced to inuent a new book of offices for their said Bishops and Priests called The order for the administration of the Lords supper neuer heard of to haue been vsed amongst anie sort of men before Luther except aboue excepted as witnesseth the said book or Order for the administration of the Lords supper sett downe in the end of their booke of common praier and the statutes of the 5. and 6. yeare of Edward the sixt and first yeare of Queen Elizabeth and experience it selfe our aduersaries not being able to finde anie such book sett forth for the administration of anie Lords supper amongst anie sect or sort of men from the beginning of the world vntill the rebellion of Luther knowne and reputed heretickes atheists and Epicures to both parties onely excepted 5. The Apostles themselues beleeuing that our Lord ordained them Bishops and Priests to offer vnbloudy Sacrifice or Sacrifice of Giftes in his bodie and bloud for a commemoration of The forme of making Bishops and Priests set dvvne by the Apostles him sett forth also a forme or manner of consecrating other Bishops and Priests to offer vnbloudy Sacrifice or Sacrifice of Giftes in his body and bloud for a commemoration of him in the 8. booke of their constitutions where in the consecration of a Bishop the Consecrator saith Giue vnto him that is consecrated ô Allmightie Lord by thy Christ the participation of the holie Ghost that he may haue power to remitt sinnes according to thy command and of loosing all bands according to the power which thou hast giuen vnto the Apostles and of pleasing thee in meekenes and puritie of heart by offering vnto thee alwaies without fault and without sinne a pure and vnbloudie Sacrifice which by Christ thou hast established the misterie of the new Testament as a fragrant smell of sweetenes For as the Apostles saie in the last chapter of their said booke The only begotten Christ did not take this honor to himselfe but was instituted a cheef Priest by his Father who being made man for our sakes and offering a spirituall host his spirituall bodie to his God and Father before his passion and ordained vs onlie that we should doe the same when there were others with vs whereof some also beleeued in him but whosoeuer doth beleeue was not forth with made a Priest or obtained the degree of Episcopall dignitie And we offering a pure and vnbloudie Sacrifice as our Lord ordained haue chosen Bishops Priests and seauen Deacons Thus the Apostles in their constitutions and for the proofe of their authenticalnes I referr you to the preface of Franciscus Turrianus sett before them The forme and manner of making or consecrating Bishops and Priests thus established there was neuer anie Catholick Priest ordained who was not ordained to offer vnbloudie Sacrifice or sacrifice of guifts in the bodie and bloud of our Lord as witnesse all the Pontificals or bookes sett forth for the ordayning of Bishops and Priests in the Church of God nor ever a catholique Bishop or Priest who had not for office the offering of vnbloudie Sacrifice or sacrifice of guifts in the Church of God Whereupon S. Basill Bishop of Capadocia as witnesseth Amphilochius in his life desired of God that he would giue him wisdome and vnderstanding to write a Liturgie or publicke Church-seruice booke with his owne hand wherin he might offer vnbloudie Sacrifice to God and continueing in his praier our Lord appeared vnto him in a vision and saied According to thy petition let thy mouth be filled with praise in such sort as by thy proper wordes thou maiest offer vnbloudy Sacrifice Againe in his Anaphora he praieth saying Thou ô Lord make vs worthie that wee maie stand before thee with a pure heart and minister vnto thee and may offer vnto thee this reuerend and vnbloudy Sacrifice for the remission of our sinnes 6 So likewise S. Chrisostome Bishop of Constantinopole not only in his Liturgie praieth vnto God that he may assist at his fearefull Sanctuarie and finish the vnbloudie Sacrifice without offence but also affirmeth that Christ as Lord of all hath deliuered vnto vs the celebration of this solemne and vnbloudie Sacrifice And sometimes calleth it vnbloudie Sacrifice sometimes guifts which was so extended all ouer that world in his time that in his homily vpon the 95. Psal he saith In
they being for the most part daily and publickly vsed and practised in all the Curches of Christendome and no knowne Christian Catholick man to take notice of such a generall corruption was a thing impossible as we see by experience in thinges of lesser moment and more rarelie practised and of meaner account and reckoning Neither could the whole Christian Catholick Church the promises of God vnto his Church considered so suddenly decaie after the death and Passion of our Lord that in all Christendome there should be no knowne publick practise of the right administration of the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of our Lord. 3. And if wee looke in to the first Liturgie or publicke Church seruice booke which was made The Christian vnbloudie sacrifice begunn at Hierusalem in the Apostles tymes for the Church of Hierusalem where the Ghospell first began and from whence it was to be spredd and preached vnto all nations according to the wordes of our Lord Luck 24. 47. Act. 1. 8. as into the Liturgie which was made by S. Iames the Apostle for the Church of Hierusalem whereof he was instituted Bishop by the Apostles as witnesseth Eusebius in the 22. chapter of his 2. booke of histories which Liturgie is also confirmed to be his by the 32. Canon of the 6. generall Councell by Proclus Bishop of Constantinople in his Tradition of the Diuine Liturgie and S. Cirill Bishop of Hierusalem in his 5. Catechesis both which liued aboue 1200. yeares past and see what will be found there it will directe vs in all the rest 4. In this Liturgie the Priest saith Lord thou S. Iames his Liturgie hast granted that we should confidentlie approach vnto thy holie Altar and offer vnto thee this reuerend and vnbloudie Sacrifice for our sinns c. Let it please thee that these Giftes which we offer with our handes maie be acceptable vnto thee c. Doe not turne awaie from vs sinners handeling tbis fearefull and vnbloudie Sacrifice c. Let it please thee o Lord that we maie be ministers of thy new testament and sacrifice of thy immaculate misteries and admitt vs approaching vnto thy holie Altar according to the multitude of thy mercies that we may be worthie who would offer vnto thee Giftes and sacrifice for our selues and for those sinnes which the people haue committed through ignorance Grāt vs ô Lord that we maie offer vnto thee with all feare and a pure concience this spirituall and vnbloudie Sacrifice c. We bend our knees vnto thy goodnes haue mercie vpon vs ô Lord seeing that we worship and tremble when wee are to aproache vnto tby holie Altar to offer this fearefull and vnbloudie sacrifice for our sinnes c. We offer vnto thee this venerable and vnbloudie sacrifice c. Send vpon vs and vpon these giftes thy holie Spirit 5. And setting downe the wordes of consecration he saith Iesus Christ the night in which he was betraied or rather the night in which be deliuered himself for the life and saluation of the world taking bread into his holy immaculate blamelesse and immortall hands looking vp into heauen and shewing to thee God and father giuing thankes sanctifying breaking he gaue vnto vs his disciples and Apostles saying Take ye and eate this is my bodie which is broken for you and is giuen for the remission of sinns In like manner after he had supped taking the Chalice and mingling wine and water and looking into heauen and shewing to thee God and Father giuing thankes Sanctifying blessing filling with the holie Ghost he gaue vnto vs his disciples saying Drincke yee all of this This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shedd for you and for manie and is giuen for the remission of sinnes doe this for a commemoration of me for as often as you shall eate this bread and drinke this Chalice you doe shew forth the death of the Sonne of man and doe confesse his resurrection vntill he come 6. And further telling vs what these Giftes and vnbloudie Sacrifices were he saith Christ our Lord doth come forth that he may be immolated and giuen for meate to the faithfull And putting a parte of the consecrated bread into the Chalice mingling them together he saith The vnion of the most pretious bodie and bloud of our Lord and God and Sauiour Iesu Christ. And sygning the consecrated bread he saith Behold the lambe of God the Sonne of the Father who taketh awaie the sinnes of the world slaine for the life and saluation of the world Thus S. Iames the Apostle and much more to this effect in his Liturgie or publick Church-seruice booke which he made for the Church of Hierusalem whereof he was Bishop 7. And the like hath all the rest of the Liturgies or publicke Church-seruice-bookes which were made by the rest of the Apostles and Euangelistes or Apostolicall men for the countries and Prouinces which they had vnder their charge or which they had conuerted vnto the Christian Catholicke faith to the publishing and dilating the vnbloudie sacrifice or sacrifice of Giftes in the bodie and bloud of our Lord which was begun in Hierusalem by our Lord and the Apostles all ouer the world for a commemoration of our Lord to the fulfilling of the prophecies in that kinde As the Liturgie or publick Church-seruice Booke of S. Peter made for the Romans and these westerne partes of the world The Liturgie of S. Matthew made for the Ethiopians and further partes of Asia and Africa The Liturgie of S Marke made for the Egiptiens and Grecians and so forth as they are sett downe by Margarinus in his sixt Tome of his Bibliotheca Patrum And in the first and laste Tome of the Bibliotheca Patrum sett forth by the Deuines of Colen 8. Of these Liturgies and publique Church-seruice bookes the afore said Proclus Bishop of Constantinople in the place afore cited writeth thus Verie manie Pastors and Doctors of the Church who were famous for pietie and some of those who succeded the Apostles haue deliuered vnto the Church in writing the exposition of the mystitall Liturgie Amongst whom S. Clement doth challenge the first place who was a disciple of the Prince of the Apostles and declared his successor by the Apostles themselues and S. Iames the first Bishop of Hierusalem Afterwards Basill the great finding that manie men thought the former Liturgies to long brought it into a more compendious forme Not long after our Iohn who of his golden eloquence was called Chrisostome hauing consideration of the infirmitie of men that they might haue no excuse tooke awaie manie things and prescribed a briefer forme c. After our sauiour was assumptod into heauen the Apostles before they were dispersed ouer the world being of one minde and liuing together gaue themselues wholy vnto praier and finding great consolation in that mysticall sacrifice of our Lords bodie they sunge the Liturgie at large with manie praiers Thus Proclus Bishop of Constantinople who
liued aboue 1200. yeares past And thus the vnbloudy sacrifice or sacrifice of the bodie and bloud of Lord after an vnbloudie manner which was begun at Hierusalem by our Lord and the Apostles was after dispersed and planted all ouer the Christian world by the Apostles and Apostolicall men their Successors and hath continued vntill this daie as we may finde by experience 9. For our aduersaries to saie that all these Liturgies or publick Church-seruice bookes which All the Liturgies could not be corrupted haue been vsed by all nations countries and people who haue bin conuerted by the Apostles themselues or Apostolicall men whose names would be to tedious to reherse haue in this point of the Sacrifice and Sacrament been corrupted without assigning when or where or by what men or meanes so maine sundrie and diuers nations separated by place gouernment tongues in warrs one with another deuided manie times in other pointes of Religion could become so generally corrupted in one and the same point and that a thing which they for the most part all practised daily is as the Prophet saith but to excuse excuses in sinne Psal 140. 4. 10. Neither may our aduersaries say as they vse to doe in other thinges that the Pope hath brought vpp this as new doctrine For first it was foretould by the Prophets in the old law before there were anie Christian Popes Secondly manie of these nations who vse vnbloudie Sacrifice in the bodie and bloud of our Lord are so farr distant from him as that vnlesse it were in these late-yeares that nauigation and trauelling into strange countries hath bin more in vse they did scarcely know whether there were such a man or no and manie of theÌ„ remaine yet in schisme and heresie deuided from the Pope as the Grecians Nestorians Eutychians and other heretickes in Egypt the Muscouits and Russians 11. Moreouer the afore said Proclus in the place aboue cited affirmeth that by thse praiers of the Liturgie They expected the coming of the holie Ghost that by his diuine presence he might make the bread and wine mixt with water which was prepared for the Sacrifice the self same bodie and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which religious rite is trulie obserued vntill this daie and shal be vntill the end of the world Thus Proclus Bishop of Constantinople about 1200. years agoe whereby it is manifest that this doctrine of offering vnbloudie Sacrifice in the bodie and bloud of our Lord and communicating of the same is no new doctrine nor inuented by anie man but instituted by our Lord at his last supper in Hierusalem and published ouer the world by the Apostles and Apostolicke men at the conuersion of nations as was foretould by our Sauiour Act. 1. As farther witnesseth S. Hierom. in his commentaries vpon the first Chapter of Prophet Malachie saying In euerie place there is offered an oblation not an vncleane one as was offered by the people of Israel but a cleane one as is offered vp in the ceremonies of the Christians The Conclusion Though God be a spirit and according to the Scriptures is delighted with that worshippe which procedeth from our spirits yet because the foule as long as she is in this mortall bodie cannot make her inward actes oblations and Sacrifices of her selfe conueniently and perfectly except she behold the same in some sensible oblation of a gift or present offered visibly to God before her as a meanes signe or motiue to moue and stirr her vp vnto that interior and visible Sacrifice of herselfe the vnderstanding of mortall men depending vpon the senses according to that axiome There is nothing in the vnderstanding which was not first either by it selfe or by some resemblance in some one of the senses Therefore God of is infinite goodnes condiscending vnto our capacities hath instituted an exterior visible sacrifice in his Church to moue and stirr vs vpp vnto this interior and invisible wherein he so much delighteth the example whereof we may finde in prayer God vnderstandeth that praier of our hearts and that which delighteth him most is the praier of the heart and mynde yet because the operations and actes of the soule in this life depend vpon the organs of the bodie â—nd senses therefore God hath instituted vocall praier or praier with the mouth in his Church â—s a sensible signe to prouoke the heart feruently â—o pray and praise him so that those who would haue men to practise and vse the inuisible sacrifice of their hearts to God and yet denie them the exercise of exterior visible Sacrifice are like vnto those who would haue men pray in their hearts and studie to become learned and yet permitt them no bookes nor exterior meanes to learne Which our most blessed Lord considering at the institution of the new law left vs not without an exterior visible sacrifice but instituted it in his bodie and bloud vnder the curtaines of bread and wine the more powerfully to moue and stirre vpp in vs the sacrifice of our hearts to God by the excellencie and eminencie of the outward obiect as I shall shew more at large in the ensuing bookes FINIS CENSVRA TRractatus hic de Sacrificio nihil continet quod aut rectae Fidei aut bonis moribus repugnet imprimi itaque poterit divulgari Louanij 12 Febr. 1637. Antonius Louerius S. T. L Apost Regius lib. Censor OF THE VISIBLE SACRIFICE IN THE CHVRCH OF GOD. THE SECOND PART VVritten by ANONYMVS EREMITA Sacrifice ye the Sacrifice of Iustice and hope in our Lord. Psal 4. 6. AT BRVXELLES By HVBERT ANTONY Velpius Printer to his Majestie 1638. THE PREFACE REligion saith S. Thomas in 22. quest 81. Art 1. is a vertue by which men giue to God due worshipp and reuerence wherin hee agreeth with S. Augustine in his book of the nature of God saying It is the office of religion to giue due honor vnto God And the honor and worshipp which is cheefly and most properly due vnto God is the inuisible Sacrifice of the heart and the outward visible Sacrifice of some creature to expresse the inuisible Sacrifice of the soule as wordes doe things which is properly Latria or seruice due vnto God as God and Creator of all things as I haue shewed more at large in the 5. and 6. Chapters of the first part Whereupon it cometh to passe that without the offering of visible Sacrifice there cannot be any perfect Religion for though some of the more pious sort of men by a longer custome and much practise may attaine vnto a continuall or often inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts by inward anagogicall actes without the helpe of exterior visible Sacrifice yet because the myndes of men in this life depend vpon the organs of the bodie for their knowledge and operations therefore they haue need to be lead by the hand of sensible and visible things vnto God and inuisible because as S. Paule saith in the first to the Romans the
any other Act. 4. 14. 3. In proofe here of By faith in Christ to come Abel offered a greater host to God then Cain by which Abel by Sacrifice obtained testimony of Iustice he obtayned testimony that he was just Heb. 11. Noe built an Alter to our Lord offered holocaustes vpon the Alter And our Lord smelled a sweete sauour and said I will no more curse the earth for men and God blessed Noe his Sonnes Gen. 8. 9. Iob when the daies Noe by Sacrifice obtained blessing of feasting which his Children made were past arising vp early offered holocausts for euery one of them For he said least my Sonnes haue sinned Iob. 1. Our Iob offered Sacrifice for the remission of sinnes Lord said to Eliphaz the Themanite my furie is wrath against thee and against thy two friends take therefor seauen oxen and seauen Rams and goe to my seruant Iob and offer holocaustes for your selues and my seruant Iob shall pray for yow c. that the folly be not imputed Eliphaz by Sacrifice and prayer obtained remission of sinnes vnto you Iob 42. In the written Law God often commanded the Priests and People to offer Sacrifice for the remission of their sinnes saying If the multitude of Israel be ignorant and through ignorance doe that which is against the commandements of our Lod c. they shall offer for their sinnes a Calfe c. and the Priest praying for them our Lord wil be propitious vnto them Leuit. 4. 13. If a Prince sinne through ignorance c. he shall offer an host to our Lord a Buck of the goates without spot c. and the Priest shall praye for him and for his sinne and it shal be forgiuen him And if a Soule of the People of the Land shall sinne through ignorance doing any of these things that by the Law of our Lord are forbidden and offending c. he shall offer a shee goate without spot c. The Priest shall praye for him and it shal be forgiuen him Leuit. 4. 27. and the like is said of many other Sacrifices offered for sinne in the 4. 5. and 6. chapters of Leuiticus which manner of offering Sacrifice for the remission of their sinnes continued in the Church of God amonst the People of Israel vntill this last Supper of our Lord. 4. At the last Supper of our Lord our Sauiour did not take away out of his Church Priesthood and Sacrifices for the remission of sinnes in such Our Sauiour constituted a Sacrifice for the remission of sinne sort as that he would haue no more exteriour visible Sacrifice offered vnto God for the remission of sinnes This is contrarie to the Law and the Prophets wcich he came to fulfill and not to breake Math. 5. but translated the Priesthood from the order of Aron vnto the order of Melchisedech Heb. 7 and chāged the Sacrifice of brute beasts which were offered in commemoratiō of him for the remissiō of sinnes in the old Law into the Sacrifice of his body and bloud vnder the species of bread and wine for the remissiō of sinnes in the new Law to the fullfilling of the Law and the Prophets concerning Priesthoop Sacrifices and the remission of sinnes by Sacrifice offered in commemoration of him when taking bread he blessed brake and gaue it to his Disciples and said This is my body which is broken for you Cor. 11. for the remission of sinnes as wittnesseth Origen in his 35. Tract vpon S. Mathew S. Chrysostome vpon the 26. of S. Mathew and S. Damascene in the 14. chapter of his 3. book Orthodoxae fidei who all citing this text in the places aforesaid and there vnto as the true sense and meaning thereof and words of our Lord For the remission of sinnes which are not put into the Bible at the consecration of the bread because they are annexed vnto the consecration of the Chalice Math. 26. yet the Liturgie or publick Church-seruice book sett forth by S. Iames the Apostle hath these wordes of our Lord thus This is my body which is broken and giuen for you for the remission of sinnes S. Marke in his Liturgie readeth This is my body which is brokē for you and distributed in the remission of sinnes S. Basil S. Chrysostome and the Aethiopians in there Liturgies read This is my body which is broken for you in the remission of sinnes 5. in like manner our Sauiour taking the Chalice He gaue thankes and gaue to the Apostles saying The Chalice offered for the remission of sinnes drincke ye all of this for this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many vnto remissiō of sinnes Math. 16. and then offered Sacrifice in his body and bloud vnder the species of bread and wine for the remission of the sinnes of many according to his words and when he had donn he established the remission of sinnes by the giuing of his body and shedding of his bloud vnto God vnder the species of bread and wine saying This doe for a commemoration of me Luk. 22. And This doe ye as often you shall drinck for the commemoraton of me 1. Cor. 11. And so fullfilled the Law and the Prophets concerning Sacrifice for the remission of sinnes by establishing in his Church that one pure and cleane oblatiō or host of his body and bloud vnder the species of bread and wine for the remission of sinnes in place of the many and diuerse Sacrifices which were vsed in the Law of nature and written Law of Moyses 6. And that this change of Sacrifice for the remission of sinnes might be the better known Propitiatorie Sacrifice not taken avvay but changed our Lord did not speake only once of it but diuerse tymes and said This is my body which is broken for you for the remission of sinns as wittnes the Liturgies before cited and S. Damascene in the 14. chapter of his 3. booke Orthodoxae fidei and also said This is my body vhich shal be broken or deliuered for you for the remission of sinnes as wittnes Origen and S. Chrysostome in the places before cited And this diuersitie of words our Lord vsed Propitiatorie Sacrifice commanded to expresse that he both then broke his body to God for the remission of sinnes and also commanded that it and no other body should be broken to God for vs for the remission of sinnes in his Church and so made voyde all the Sacrifices of the old Law and established this of the new and therefore also he said of the Chalice This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes and This is my bloud of the new Testament which shal be shed for many vnto the remission of sinnes as wittnes the greeke and latin Bibles for the greeke Bibles read these words in the present tense and the latines in the future tense to signify vnto vs that our Lord then at his last Supper
Sacrifices of the ould Law and establishing the giuing of his body to God for vs added Do this in a commemoration of me and so as S. Paule here saith he took away all the former Sacrifices of the ould Law to establish the giuing of his body to God for vs which was to follow after they were abrogated or ended 4. Though in the ould Law there were many Sacrifices Holocausts Oblations and Hosts yet in the new Law all the Sacrifices Oblations and Hosts should be but one as S. Paule saith A body thou hast fitted to me one body in all the Sacrifices of the new Law though offered in euery place amongst the conuerted One host at the last Supper vpon the Cross and daily Sacrifices of the Church Gentils as was foretold by the Prophet Malachie which here also S. Paul further signifyeth saying Christ offering one host for sinnes for euer fitteth on the right hand of God for by one oblatiō hath he consumated for euer them that are sanctifyed shewing that in the new Law there are not many Hosts Oblations or Holocausts to be offered but only one Host the body of the Sonne of God which was giuen for vs to God at his last Supper and vpon the Crosse and shall be giuē to God for vs in his Church vntill the end of the world according to the words of our Sauiour saying This is my body which is giuen for you to God doe this for a commemoration of me as S. Paul addeth vntill he come to Iudgment 1. Cor. 11. Wherevpon S. Augustin in the 20. chapter of his 10. book of the cittie of God saith Christ is the Priest he it is that offereth and he is the oblation The Christ both the Priest and the oblation Sacrament of which thing he would that it should be the daily Sacrifice of the Church which being the body of him her head hath learned to offer herself by him and of this Sacrifice the many and diuers ancient Sacrifices of the Saincts were signes that whilst this one Sacrifice was figured or sett forth by many one thing might as it were be expressed by many words and be much commended without tediousnes To this chiefe and true Sacrifice all the false Sacrifices haue giuen place Thus S. Augustin where the Sainct manifestly and clearely sheweth that Christ himself is the oblation in the daily Sacrifice of his Church succeeding in place of all the Sacrifices of the Saincts in ould Law and that the Church which is his body hath learned to offer herself by him to God in ths one and yet daily Sacrifice of his Church which is the same that the Catholick Church doth teach at this day 5. Moreouer S. Augustin in the 20. chapter of the 17. book of the cittie of God reciting this same place which S. Paul hath before cited out of the 39. Psal saith To be partakers of this table is to begin to liue for in another book which is called Ecclesiastes he saith There is no such good belonging to man as that he shall eat and drinck which we may easely vnderstand to belong vnto the being partaker of this table which the Mediator himself or Priest of the new Testament according to the order of Melchisedech doth bring in of his body and bloud for that Sacrifice hath succeeded in place of all those Sacrifices of the ould Testament which The Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord succeeds all the Sacrifices of the ould Lavv. were immolated in figure of this to come for which cause we also do acknowledge that voyce of the same Mediator speaking by way of Prophecy in the 39. Psalme Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldst not but a body thou hast fitted to me for in place of all these Sacrifices and oblations of the ould Law his body is offered and administred to the communicants So S. Augustin where he sheweth most playnely that this same body of Christ is offered in Sacrifice and deliuered in the communion vnto all the communicants Againe in his book vpon the Psalmes expounding these words of the 39. Psal alledged here by S. Paul he saith Sacrifices and oblations thou wouldst not What Christians are not vvithout Sacrifice then are wee therefore in this tyme sent away with out Sacrifice God forbid But a body thou hast fitted to me therefore thou wouldst not the other that thou mightest perfect this c. and so shewing that this body is that which is sacrificed and giuen in the communion addeth In this body we are of this body we are partakers that which we haue receaued we know and you that doe not know shall know and when you haue learned I pray to God that you may not take it to your condemnation for he that eateth and drincketh vnworthily eateth and drincketh judgment to himfelf So S. Augustin 6. Primasius Bishop of Vtica in Africa and a disciple of S. August vpon the 10. to the Hebrewes saith In the Sacrifices of the Altar the host is one and not many though it be offred vp by many in diuers places and at diuers tymes the diuine power of the vvord The Sacrifice offred by many is one though offered in diuers places and at diuers tymes doth make that there are not many Sacrifices but one all though it be offered by many c. Neither is there now one greater Sacrifice and an other lesser or one offred to day and another to morrow but allwayes the selfsame hauing equall magnitude Wherefore this Sacrifice of Christ is one and not many for if it should be otherwise because it is offered in many places there should be many Christs which God forbidd one Christ therefore is in all them places And as that which is offred euery where is one body and not many bodies so also the Sacrifice is one Thus Primasius 7. And in like manner S. Chrysostome vpon the 10. to the Heb. saith The holy oblation by what Priest soeuer it be offred is the self same which Christ gaue to his Disciples this hath nothing less in it then that All Priests offer the same oblation or host had because men do not sanctify it but Christ himself who before had consecrated that And in his 24. Hom. vpon the first to the Corinthians speaking of the Christian Sacrifice which was vpon the Altar saith This body when it was placed in the manger was reuerenced The same body vpon the Altar vvhich vvas in the manger and adored by the Magi. by the Magi who though wicked and Barbarous men by nation yet left their contrey and home and vndertook a long voyage and when they came they adored with great fear and trembling Let vs Cittizens of heauen imitate at least these Barbarous people for they though they saw him in a manger and in a cottage and not in such state as thou seest him now yet they approached vnto him wit great reuerence and thou dost not see him in a manger but vpon
of speech and vnderstanding of reasonable men but also leaue the consecration of a Sacrament to be made or recorded to all future ages in words which of themselues should not be true 6. Neither is it any way probable that the 3. The Euāgelists vvould not put dovvne the last vvill and Testament of our Lord other vvise then he spake it Euangelists and S. Paule or any of them would haue penned these words of the institution of this Sacrament in the present tense without any further exposition had not our Lord both spoken and intended that they should be vnderstood in the present tense seeing that words are instituted to signify the reall intention of mens minds especially in last wills and Testaments in matters of Sacraments and serious affaires which concerne all mens soules and not for to saye one thing and think another 7. This Sacrament is published to be worthily receaued of all those who shall receaue it vnder penalty of euerlasting fyer and damnation 1. Cor. 11. which cannot be without a true faith and belief in this Sacrament and how cann they haue a The danger of vsing equiuocation in the last vvill and testament of our Lord. true faith or beliefe of this Sacramēt who knowe not by faith but by coniecture only what this Sacrament is or what our Lord instituted as wittnesseth experiēce For when our Aduersaries saie that these words of the institution of this Sacrament This is my body which is broken for you are to be vnderstood thus This is a signe of my body which shal be crucifyed for you how doe they knowe that these words a body is taken in this place for a signe of a body is for shall and broken for crucifyed but by a meere coniecture seing that neither Scriptures nor Fathers nor practise of the Catholick Church of former ages doe tell them so nor yet any dictionary or lexicon in any language 8. The same greek Bibles in the same places doe affirme that our Sauiour speaketh of his owne actions about the communion and what he would haue the Apostles to doe in the consecration of the communion and not what the Jewes were to inflict vpon him at his Passion as I haue proued at large in the 1. and 2. chapters of this book 9. The greek Fathers who vnderstood greek and knew the mind of our Sauiour and his sense and meaning of these his words of the institution of this Sacrament as well as our Aduersaries doe arffirme that our Lord then at the institution of The greek Fathers affirme that our Lord at his last Supper instituted a Sacrifice in his body and bloud this Sacrament offred Sacrifice in his body and bloud as S. Irenaeus saying Christ at his last Supper taught the new oblation of the new Testament which the Church hauing receaued from the Apostles doth offer vnto God throughout the wholeworld which was the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord as I haue proued in the former chapter S. Chrysostome in his 24. Homily vpon the 1. to the Corinthians Christ at his last Supper commanded himselfe to be offred in lieu of the slaughter of boastes and in the 27. following In steed of the bloud of beastes he brought in his owne bloud S. Gregorie Nissen in his Oration of the Resurrection Christ after an vnspeakable and hidden manner of Sacrifice preoccupated the violent force of his death and being the Priest and the Lambe of God offred himselfe an oblation and victime for vs. When was this donn when he exhibited his body to be eaten and his bloud to be drunke by his familiar freinds Whervpon Theodoret vpon the 109. Psalme saith Christ did begin the Priesthood of the new Law in the night when he vndertooke the Crosse when he took bread and brake c. And Occumenus vpon the 5. to the Hebrews saith Christ deliuered the forme of his Priesthood of the new Law vnto Priests in the mistical banquet and Supper So the grecians Fathers 10. The first amongst the Fathers who cite these words of the institution of this Sacrament The first Fathers vvho alledged the vvords of the institution of this Sacrament are S. Alexander of the latin Church and S. Iustine Martyr of the greek Church the words of S. Alexander I haue sett downe in the 3. chapter S. Iustine Martyr writt a 2. Apologie for the Christians vnto Antoninus Pius the Emperor and Senate and people of Rome in the yeare of our Lord 150. or as Eusebius in his Cronikle saith in the yeare 143. In which Apologie he plainely and manifestly proposeth vnto the Emperor Senate and people of Rome the faith of the Christians in his tyme concerning the Eucharist saying These who amongst vs are called Deacons giue vnto euery one of the Assistants to take of this bread and wine and water made the Eucharist and also to carrie to the absent And this meate is called amongst vs the Eucharist whereof it is not lawfull for any to be partaker but those who beleeue that our doctrine is true and haue been washed with the lauer of remission of sinns and regeneration and doe liue according to the ordinance of Christ for we doe not take these things as common bread nor common drinke but after the same manner that Christ Iesus our Sauiour was made flesh by the word of God and had flesh and bloud for our saluation so also haue we been taught that the food whereof by change our flesh and our bloud are nourished made the Eucharist by the word of prayer proceeding from him is the flesh and bloud of the same Iesus made flesh For the Apostles in their commentaries called the Ghospells haue related vnto vs that Iesus hath ordained them to doe so that hee took kread and making it the Eucharist he said Doe this in commemoration of me This is my body And taking likewise the Chalice and making it the Eucharist he said This is my bloud And gaue them to the Apostles only Thus S. Iustine to the Emperor Senate and people of Rome in the yeare 143. or 150. Whereby we may obserue that not only the faithfull of these tymes beleeued that the same flesh and bloud which was incarnate was in diuers places and vnder diuers dimensions at the same tyme in the Eucharist or communion but that this command of our Lord Doe this for a commemoration of me was taken euen in the infancy of the Church to be a command giuen vnto the Apostles and their Successors in the Church of God to consecrate the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord vnder the species of bloud and wine and that the words of our Lord in the institution of the communion which are spoken in the present tense as This is my body which is broken for you or in the future tense as This is my body which shal be deliuered for you are both to be vnderstood of his body in the Sacrifice and communion and
Damascene in his 14. chapter of his 4. book Fidei orthodoxae 16. And whereas our Aduersaries saye that God cannot put one and the same substantiall God can best tell vvhat he can doe body and bloud in diuers places and vnder diuers dimensions at one and the same tyme who can better tell what God can doe then God himselfe and the consent of all the Catholicke Fathers who haue treated of this subiect And seeing that God said it was his body which he deliuered in the communion and all Christians who liued before Luther reputed Heretiks to both parties only excepted beleeued it to be his body as I haue proued in the 3. chapter what Christian can doubt of it 17. The Latin Fathers to preuent the infidelitie of our Aduersaries in this point do also in The greek and latin Fathers alleage the vvordes of the â—nstitutionâ— of the Sacrament as our Lord spoke them their other workes and books reade the words of the institution of this blessed Sacrament sometymes in the present tense and also sometymes in the future tense and yet doe not contradict one another or finde fault at the differing and diuersitie of reading because our Lord at the institution of this Sacrament spoke many tymes of his body and bloud and so accordingly as he spoke of them they repeate his wordes and alleage them sometymes in the present tense and sometymes in the future tense as S. Augustine in the 24. chapter of his book De peccatorum meritis S. Hierome in his commentaries vpon the 1. Cor. 11. S. Ambrose vpon the 22. of S. Luk. S. Cyprian in his 63. Epistle and S. Alexander in the 2. chapter of his first Epistle vnto all Catholickes yet S. Alexander was made Bishopp of Rome in the yeare 121. And though these aforesaid Fathers in the places aboue said alleage the wordes of our Lord in the institution of this Sacrament in the future tense yet they all as it were with one voice affirme that in these wordes our Lord instituted a Sacrifice in his body and bloud to be offred to God in commemoration of him in his Church as I haue proued at large in the 13. chapter of the first part 18. And to conclude it is so manifest vnto the judgements of our Aduersaries that our Lord Our Aduersaries corruption of the Testament of our Lord. at his last Supper gaue his body to God for vs and shed his bloud and that one and the same substantiall body and bloud of our Lord by the omnipotency of his word and will may be at one and the same tyme in diuers places and vnder diuers dimensions that our Aduersaries themselues cannot finde any meanes how they may avoid or disproue it but by disannulling corrupting and adding to the last will and Testament of our Lord as by interpreting my body signe or figure of my body is shall broken crucified or the like by which meanes they may proue any thing true be it neuer so false and any thing false be it neuer so true and their error heer in is so much more the greater for that they practise it vpon the laste will and Testament of our Lord when S. Paule saith A mans Testament being confirmed no man disannulleth or addeth thereunto Gal. 3. 15. And this is sufficient to proue that one and the same body of Christ is in diuers places and vnder diuers dimensions in the blessed Sacrament CHAP. VII How our Sauiours is chiefe Priest or agent in offring vnbloudy Sacrifices and administring Sacraments 1. TO lett thee vnderstand deare Reader how our Sauiour being in heauen doth Christ head of his Church and chief Priest and shall offer vpon earth vnbloudy Sacrifices in his body and bloud vnder the species of bread and wine to God the Father and is a chiefe and high Priest vpon earth according to the order of Melchisedech vntill the end of the word it is necessary to obserue first as S. Paule saith that Christ is head of the Church himselfe the Sauiour of his body Eph. 5. 23. Secondly that our Sauiour is chief or high Priest in the Church of God according to S. Paule Heb. 5. 5. 9. So that whatsoeuer is well done by mortall Priests in the Church of God is done by his authoritie and power giuen vnto mortall Priests his ministers VVhatsoeuer is rightly done in the Church is chiefly done by Christ and seruants according to the words of S. Paule saying Paule the seruant of Iesus-Christ Rom. 1. 1. Againe what is Apollo and what is Paule The ministers of him in whom you beleeued and to euery one as our Lord hath giuen I planted Apollo watered but God gaue the increase 1. Cor. 3. 4. Thirdly that the power and authoritie of Christ Iesus is alwaies invisibly present at all the actions of mortall Priests his ministers and seruants chiefly and principally effecting and doing whatsoeuer they doe rightly or well in his Church according to his word saying I am with you all daies euen to the consummation of the world Math. 28. 20. Againe Neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth but he that giueth the increase God 1. Cor. 3. 7. So that when mortall Bishopps or Priests who are rightly ordeyned doe offer Sacrifice or administer Sacraments in Church of God it is Christ Iesus that chiefly and principally as head of his Church and high Priest doth offer the Sacrifice and administer Christ by his omnipotency vvorketh the affects in the Sacrifice and Sacraments the Sacraments and by the omnipotency of his power worketh the exchanges fruits or effects they haue or do produce WherevpoÌ„ S. Iohn saith Christ is he that baptizeth Iohn 1. 33. Againe Iesus abode with the Apostles and baptized Io. 3. 22. Howbeit as the same Apostle saith Iesus did not baptize but bis Apostles Io. 4. 6. So our Sauiour said vnto his Apostles Receiue ye the holy Ghost whose sinnes ye forgiue they are forgiuen Iohn 20. 21. 22. Yet God said I am I am he that take cleane awaie thine iniquities Isa 43. 25. Isa 44. 22. Ier. 31. 34. So when Bishopps and Priests rightly ordeyned doe offer Sacrifice and consecrate the body and bloud of our Lord it is our Lord himselfe who chiefly doth offer Sacrifice according to his former words before alleaged And S. Augustine in his 4. Sermon of the Innocents saying What cann be more reuerend or more honorable then to rest vnder that Altar vpon which Sacrifice is celebrated vnto God in which our Lord is the Priest according as he said Thou art a Priest for euer 2. As God said Be light made and by the omnipotency Similitudes of Gods operation by his vvord of his worp Ligt was made and continueth in his functions and operations euen vntill this day and as God said Led the earth shoote forth greene herbes and such as may seede and fruit trees yealding fruite after his kinde c. And by the omnipotency of
his word It was so donn and the earth brought forth greene herbes such as seedeth according to his kinde and trees that beareth fruite and shall doe vntill the end of the world euen so in the vnbloudy Sacrifice and Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Our Sauiour taking bread blessed and brake and gaue to the Apostles saying This is my body which is giuen for you doe this for a commemoration of me and by the omnipotency of Gods word the Apostles and their Successors rightly ordeyned receaue power and authoritie to giue his body euen that which sitteth at the right hand of God for vs and shall haue power vntill the end of the world as it doth with the light to shine and the earth to shoote foorth green herbes and trees 3. S. Iustine Martir who liued with the Apostles schollers and presently after the Apostles S. Iustine of the Sacrament tymes in his 2. Apologie which he made in behalf of the Christians vnto Antoninus Pius the Emperor Senate and people of Rome declaring vnto vs what was the faith of the Christiās of these primitiue dayes in this point saith that The Eucharist was made the flesh and bloud of Iesus by the word of prayer proceeding from him at the institution of this Sacrament For the Apostles saith he in their commentaries which are called their Ghospells haue related vnto vs that Iesus hath ordained them to doe so That he took bread and making it the Eucharist he said doe this for a commemoration of me This is my body And taking likewise the Chalice and making it the Eucharist he said This is my bloud thus S. Iustine where he sheweth that in the infācy of the Church the faithfull beleeued the Eucharist to be made the flesh and bloud of our Lord by the omnipotency of his word and prayer spoken at the institution of this Sacrament as chief agent in offring vnbloudy Sacrifice and in the consecration thereof 4. S. Irenaeus in the 2. chapter of his 5. book of heresies saith When the mixt Chalice and the bread broken doth perceaue the word of God it is made the Eucharist of the bloud and body of Christ Againe in the same chapter The bread and wine receauing the word of God is made the Eucharist which is the body Hovv constantly in S. Irenaeus tyme they beleeued in the reall presence and bloud of Christ Thus S. Irenaeus who liued with S. Polycarpe scholler to S. Iohn the Euangelist and in his tyme when as yet some of the Apostles schollers were liuing and the actions of our Sauiwere fresh in the memorie of men the realitie of the body and bloud of our Sauiour was so vniuersally and constantly beleeued to be in the B. Sacrament or Eucharist by the omnipotency of The body and bloud of our Lord is in the B. Sacrament by the omnipotency of his vvord and not by faith only his word that in his 4. book of heresies cap. 34. he alleageth against certaine heretikes who denied Christ to be the Sonne of God the reall being of his body and bloud in the Sacrament or Eucharist by his word to proue thereby that Christ was the true Sonne of God who by his word could effect it and make good what he said which otherwise he could not doe vnlesse he were the Sonne of God saying How will it be manifest to these heretikes that deny Christ to be the Sonne of God that the bread vpon which thankes are giuen is the body of their Lord and the Chalice his bloud if they doe not saye Christ to be the Sonne of the builder of the world that is to saye his word by which trees beare fruite fountaines flow the earth first doth giue the blade afterwards the eare and then full wheate in the eare Againe how do they saye that the flesh doth comme to corruption and not receaue life which is nourrished of the body and bloud of our Lord therefore either lett them change their opinions or absteine from offring Sacrifice in these things which are before spokē of that is to saye the body and bloud of Christ our opinion who hold Christ to be the Sonne of God is consonant to the Eucharist and againe the Eucharist confirmeth our opinion for we offer vnto him Sacrifice these things which are his preaching agreably The omnipotency of Gods vvord vvorketh the change in the bread the communication and the vnitie of the flesh and the spirit for euen as the bread which is of the earth receauing the vocation of God is now no more common bread but the Eucharist consisting of two things the earthly and the heauenly so also our bodies receauing the Eucharist are now no more corruptible hauing hope of the resurrection So S. Irenaeus where we see that in his tyme the Catholiks did so little doubt that the body and bloud of Christ was in the B. Sacrament by vertue of his word that they vrged it to proue Christ to be the Sonne of God and taught it as a consonant opinion to saye that Christ was the Sonne of God because his body and bloud was in the Eucharist by vertue of his word and againe that his body and bloud was in the Eucharist because Christ was the Sonne of God 5. In the like manner the rest of the Fathers in their succeeding ages affirme that the body S. Cyprian of the change in the bread by the omnipotency of the vvord of God and bloud of Christ was in the B. Sacrament by the omnipotency of his word as S. Cyprian in his book of our Lords Supper saying The bread which our Lord gaue to his Disciples was not changed in outward forme or shape but in nature by the omnipotency of the word it is made flesh As in the person of Christ the humanitie was seene and the diuinitie laie hidd so after an vnspeakable manner the diuine essence doth poure itselfe into the visible Sacrament that men might vse a religious deuotion about the Sacraments and might haue a more simple or sincere accesse vnto the truth euen vnto the being partakers of the spirit whose body and bloud the Sacraments are 6. Eusebius Cesariensis liued in the yeare 320. Eusebius of the change by the povver of God and he as it is sett downe in the 3. book and 45. chapter of the Pararells of Damasus saith Many Priests while they are in sinne do worke the holie things or offer Sacrifice neither doth God turne awaie from them but by his holie spirit doth consecrate the Gifts sett before them and bread certainely is made the pretious body of our Lord and the cupp the pretious bloud of our Lord. S. Cyrill hovv Christ vvorketh the change in the bread 7. S. Cyrill of Hierusalem liued in the yeare 370. and he in his 4. Mystagogica saith Seeing that Christ himself doth say and affirme after this manner of the bread This is my body who euer heereafter dare doubt And he likewise
saying and affirming This is my bloud who I saie cann doubt and say that it is not his bloud Heretofore at Cana in Galilea only by his will he changed water into wine which is neere vnto bloud and is he not worthy to be beleeued that hath changed wine into his bloud He being inuited to a corporall marriage wrought a wonderfull miracle shall we not much more easily confesse that he gaue his body and bloud to the Children of his Spouse Wherefore with assurednesse lett vs take the body and bloud of Christ for vnder the species of bread the body is giuen thee and vnder the species of wine the bloud is giuen that hauing receaued the body and bloud of Christ thou mayest be made partaker of his body and bloud we shal be bearers of Christ after that we haue receaued his body and bloud into our membres 8. S. Gregorie Nissen brother to S. Basile the great S. Gregorie Nissen of the change in in the bread by the vvord of God liued in in the yeare 380. and he in his 37. Oration catechetica saith As Christ by eating bread made it is diuine body so likewise heere bread being sanctified by the word and praier as the Apostle saith and not by eating and drinking becometh the body of the word changed by the word saying This is my body 9. S. Ambrose who liued in the yeare 370. in S. Ambrose of the change in the bread by the omnipotency of Gods vvord the 9. chapter of his book of those who are begunn to be instructed in the mysteries saith If human blessing of Moyses Elias and Elizaeus was of such force as that it could alter nature what shall we saie of the diuine consecration where the words themselues of our Lord and Sauiour doe worke for this Sacrament which thou doest receaue is made by the word of Christ. If the words of Elias were of such force that they could call fire from heauen shall not the word of Christ be sufficient to change the species of the Elements Of the workes of the world thou hast read that because he spake the word they were made he commanded and they were created therefore the word of Christ which could make of nothing that which was not cann it not change those things which are into that which they were not for the difficultie is not lesser to giue new natures to thinges then to change natures Againe in his 4. book and 4. chapter of the Sacraments speaking of the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Altar he saith This bread is bread before the words of the Sacraments but assoone as consecration is added vnto it of bread it is made the flesh of Christ. This we affirme how cann that which is bread be the body of Christ by consecration And with what words and speeches is consecration with the wordes of our Iesus for in the rest which are said praise is giuen vnto God praier is made for the people for kings c. but when we come that the venerable Sacramēt should be made then the Priest doth not vse his owne wordes but the wordes of Christ Therefore the word of Christ doth worke this Sacrament What word of Christ euen that by which all things are made Our Lord commāded and the seas were made our Lord commanded and all creatures were begotten If therefore there be so great force in the wordes of our Lord Iesus that these things could begin to be which were not how much more will they be able to effect that those things may be which are and be changed in an other But heare the Prophet saying He said and they were made he commanded and they were created Therefore that I may answere thee it was not the body of Christ before consecration but after consecration I tell thee that then it is the body of Christ Againe vpon the 38. Psalme he saith It is the word of Christ which consecrated the Sacrifice which is offred Thus S. Ambrose 10. In like manner S. Chrisostome in his Homily S. Chrisostome of the change of the bread into the body of our Lord by the povver of God de proditione Iudae saith It is not man that doth make these things which are exposed for consecration vpon the table of our Lord the body and bloud of Christ but he who is crucified for vs Christ The words are pronounced with the Priests mouth and they are consecrated by the grace and vertue of God He said This is my body by these words the things exposed are consecrated And as that voice which said increase and multiplie and replenish the earth was said but once yet at all tymes hath this effect for generation nature concurring so this word but once said and yet it giueth strength to the Sacrifice which is vpon all the tables of the Church euen vntill this daie and shall doe vntill his coming to judgment Againe in his 83. Homily vpon the S. Matthew he saith We Bishopps or Priests in the consecration of this Sacrament hold but the place of Christs Ministers for he who doth santify or make the chāge is Christ himselfe Thus S. Chrisostome 11. S. Hierome vpon the first chapter to the Galatians saith Although some thinke me worthy of reprehension S. Hierome of this change for that in my book which I writt of the preseruation of virginity young woemen ought to flye from wine as they doe from poyson yet it doth not repent me of what I said for I rather contemne the effect or worke of wine then the creature it selfe And I took liberty to giue this counsell vnto a virgine warme with a heate proper vnto her yeares least vpon occasion of drinking a little she might drinke much and perish otherwise I did know that wine was consecrated into Christ his bloud Thus S. Hierome 12. S. Augustine in his 3. book and 4. chapter S. Augustine of the change in the Sacrament by the povver of God De Trinitate saith We doe not say that the articulat words pronounced with the tongue or the signe of letters written in skinns is the body and bloud of Christ but that only which is taken from the fruites of the earth and is consecrated by mysticall prayer c. It is not sanctifyed that it may be so great a Sacrament but by the spirit of God working inuisibly seeing that God doth worke all the things which by corporall motion are made in that worke 13. Againe in his book of sentences ad Prosperum cited by Gratian in his 2. distinction he saith In the species of vvine and bread vvhich vve see vve doe honor inuisible things that is to saie flesh and bloud neither doe vve equally esteeme of these two species after consecration as before consecration for before consecration vve faithfully confeffe that they are bread and wine as nature hath formed them but after consecration they are the flesh and bloud of Christ vvhich the blessing hath consecrated S. Cyrillus Alex.
then did should not haue power and authority as The cause vvhy Protestans and Puritans deny the reall presence in the B. Sacrament agents and instruments of God to consecrate his true reall and substantiall body and bloud if it be not but because they want the Sacrament of order and know that these words Do this were not spoken vnto them And therefore knowing that they haue no authority or power to consecrat and yet resolue to be as they are not to fall into manifest idolatry and to teach the people to esteeme and adore a peece of bread for God of two euils haue chosen the lesser and therefore say that after consecration there is nothing but bread and wine our Sauiours words effect nothing the whole busines cōsisteth in taking bread and apprehending Christ in heauen by the hand of faith and be thankefull Otherwise if we should seeke to pry and dyue into by naturall reason how and when and after what manner God createth soules in the generation of men and infuseth them into their bodyes or of what substance they are of or how they being spirituall informe the body and make one man with the body what operations they haue where the will vnderstanding and memory are placed and how they are diuided seeing the soule hath no parts how the soule mooueth the body and preserueth it from corruption how it affordeth ability te see heare smell touch and tast in what gulf the memory putteth all these species of things which she reteyneth from whence they come when they are called for and where some lye hid which cannot be found when we would and how and where we find then we shall find no lesse difficulty in these things then in knowing how a body that already is may at the same tyme be in diuers places and vnder diuers dimensions and species by the will and power of God 10. And if none should beleeue that he had a soule vnlesse he did know certainly and manifestly all these howe 's then few would attaine vnto the beliefe that he had a soule thoug all men should study Aristotles book de anima or what soeuer books they could find to that purpose all their liues yet what is more familiar vnto a man thē his soule wherewith he liues and mooues whereby we see ho absurd a thing it is not to beleeue the misteries of our faith vnlesse we cann certainly and manifestly know by reason how euery thing in particular is for then it were not a mistery of faith but a thing manifest to our senses whereas faith Is an argument of things not appearing to the senses Heb. 11. Wherefore as in the creation of all As in the founding of his earthly Kingdome God spake and things vvere so done so in founding his spirituall Kingdome vvhich is his Church things and establishing his earthly Kingdome God spake the word and we beleeue that they were made of nothing by the omnipotency of his word though we know not how God made them or could make them of nothing more then by the omnipotency of his word so here establishing the B. Sacrament in his Church he took bread and blessed and said This is my body and likwise wine and said This is my bloud and we beleeue that the bread was changed into his body and the wine into his bloud by the omnipotency of his word though we know not how God could change bread into his body or vvine into his bloud and putt them into so little a roome and vnder the species of bread and vvine but by the omnipotency of his vvord And as after God had created the earth and mankind he said to the earth Let the earth shoote forth green hearbs and such as may seed c. and to man Increase and multiply and vve beleeue that both the earth and man by the omnipotency of his vvord receaued vertue and power to do that vvhich he said though we do not know vvhere this power lyeth or in vvhat part or hovv these things come to passe more then by the omnipotency of his vvord so after that God had instituted this Sacrament and consecrated his body and bloud he said to Bishopps and Priests rightly ordained Doe this and This doe ye and vve beleeue that Bishopps and Priests rightly ordained haue power to consecrate the body and bloud of our Lord though vve doe not knovv vvhere the power lyeth in Priests or hovv it cometh to passe more then by the omnipotency of the vvord of God 11. Besides that vvhich I haue said in the former Chapter S. Iohn Damascene in the 14. chapter of his 4. book Orthodoxaefidei explicateth this point at large saying Our Lord breaking the bread gaue it vnto his Disciples saying take eate this is my body c. S. Damascene of the manner hovv the body of our Lord cometh to be in the Eucharist If then the word of God be quickning and full of efficacy and all that our Lord hath willed he hath done if he hath said lett light be made and it was done if he haue said lett the firmament be made and it vas donn if by the word of God the heauens haue been established and all their vertues by the spirit of his mouth if the heauen and the earth and the water and the fier and all their ornaments and man himself who is so famous a liuing thing haue been perfected by the word of our Lord if God the word itselfe willing it was made man and was formed of the pure and immaculate bloud of the holy alwayes Virgin without seede and flesh vnited hypostatically with him could he not make the bread his body and the wine and water his bloud He said in the beginning lett the earth bring forth green hearbes and euen vntill this day by the fall of raine the earth doth bring forth her proper plantes aided and fortified by the commaundement of God And God hath said This is my body doe this in commemoration of me and this by the omnipotency of his commaund will be donn vntill he come Thus S. Damascenus of the change of the bread and vvine in the consecration of the blessed Sacrament by the omnipotency of God Eusebius Emissenus in his Sermon of the body of our Lord speaketh to the same effect saying When the creatures of bread and wine are placed vpon the Altar to be blessed before they are consecrated by the inuocation of the holy Ghost there is present the substance of bread and wine but after the words of Christ there is Christs body and bloud and what great matter is it if he who could create all things by his word could conuert and change these thinges which he had created into other natures 12. If our Aduersaries will grant as commonly The spirituall kingdome more excellent then the temporall and therefore more probable to be founded by the omnipotency of God they do that God by the omnipotency of his word established
this earthly and worldly kingdome and all things that are therein which for the most part is so possessed by wicked men and diuels that our Sauiour himself doth not lett to call the diuel Prince of this world Ioh. 12. 31. and 14. 30. and S. Paul to call him God of this world 2. Cor. 4. 4. How can any man thinke it absurd for vs to say that the same God by the omnipotency of his vvord hath established the misteries of our faith and the kingdome of his Church vpon earth which he hath purchased and planted with his bloud and hath espoused vnto himself foreuer Osee 2. 19. seeing that they confess our Sauiour to be God and in the mistery of the holy communion to haue taken bread blessed and said Take ye and eate This is my body and likwise to haue taken the Chalice giuen thanks and gaue to them saying Drink ye all of this for this is my bloud 13. This vvas the argument which mooued the ancient Fathers to beleeue the reall presence of the body and bloud of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament the omnipotency of the vvrd of God as I haue abundantly proued in the precedent chapter For as S. Augustine in his 3. epistle to Velosianus saith in the vvonderfull vvorkes of God and high misteries of our faith All the reason of the deed is the omnipotency of the doeer Wherevpon S. Chrisostome in his 83. Homily vpon S. Matthew exhorteth all Christians saying Lett vs beleeue wholy in God and lett vs not contradict him although that which he saith seeme contrary to our reason and our sight Lett his word haue more authority with vs then our reason or our eyes c. Lett vs not behold only the obiects which are there proposed in the blessed Sacrament but lett vs imbrace his words for his words cannot abuse vs but our sense is easily deceaued His word hath neuer failed but our sense is mistaken euery hower Wherefore seeing that the word itselfe saith This is my body let vs be persuaded and beleeue it and we shall see it with the eyes of our vnderstanding Thus S. Chrisostome vvith vvhom agreeth Gaudentius in his 2. Tract of the reason of the Sacraments saying When our Lord gaue the consecrated bread and wine vnto his Disciples he said vnto them This is my body Lett vs beleeue him I praie you whom we haue beleeued Truth doth not know what it is to lye 14. Wonderfull are the vvorkes of God in his earthly kingdome of this vvorld yet seeing that our Lord descended from heauen and vvas incarnate to erect a spirituall kingdome farr more excellent then is this materiall kingdome of the earth euen so excellent as that he saith I will dwell and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 2. Cor. 6. 16. What maruell if in this his spirituall kingdome he vvorke more vvonderfull things then he did in that materiall seeing that he erected this for his friendes and founded that for all sortes of men and vvoemen and beastes And this is sufficient to shevv in generall hovv our Lord by the omnipotency of his vvord consecrateth his body and bloud vvith Bishopps and Priests his Officers and Legates CHAP. IX Of the certainty of the presence of the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament after consecration by the omnipotent power of God 1. FIrst these are as vve may saye the properties The qualities and conditions of God of God 1. To doe all things what soeuer he would Psal 113. 1. Secondly He is faithfull in all his words Psal 144. 14. Thirdly Able to doe what soeuer he promised Rom. 4. 21. Fourthly With him all things are possible Math. 19. 26. Fifthly There shall not be impossible with him any word Luk. 1. 37. Sixtly The word which proceedeth from his mouth shall not returne vnto him voyd but it shall doe whatsoeuer he would and shall prosper in those things for which he sent it Isai 55. 11. Seauenthly He will watch vpon his word to do it Ier. 1. 12. Eightly He is truth it selfe Io. 14. 6. And to conclude it is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6. 18. 2. Secondly our Sauiour in plaine and manifest The promises of Godt o giue his flesh and bloud for meate and drink words promised that He vvould giue meate that perisheth not but endureth to lyfe euerlasting bread that descended down from heauen that if any any man eate of it worthily he dye not liuing bread that came down from heauen bread which is his flesh the flesh of the sonne of man drink vvhich is his bloud meate in deede drink in deede himself to eate and so forth as it is sett down in the 6. chapter of S. Iohn 3. That our Sauiour in the 6. of S. Iohn speaketh of the B. Sacrament the ancient Fathers doe abundantly wittnes whose authorities are cited at large by Bellarmin in his book of the S. Iohn in his 6. chap. vvriteth of the B. Sacrament Eucharist Maldonate vpon the 6. of S. Iohn and Doctour Saunders in his book That our Lord in the 6. of S. Iohn hath spoken properly of the Eucharist I will content my selfe for the further proofe hereof which the words of S. Augustine in the 1. chapter of his 3. book de consensu Euangelistarum where after that he hath cited the words of our Lord at his last Supper as they are set down by the rest of the Euangelists saith That S. Iohn in that place hath not spoken any thing of the body and bloud of our Lord but in an other he doth manifestly wittnes that our Lord had farr more copiously spoken hereof which was this 6. of S. Iohn for no where else hath he spoken of the Communion Againe in the last chapter of his 4. book he saith that S. Iohn doth rarely write that which the rest doe Yet when he commeth to the Lords supper it selfe which none of the rest passed ouer with silence he extendeth himselfe much more copiously out of the Cellar of our Lords breast where he vsed to repose his head And in the 20. chapter of his first book De peccatorum meritis he saith Let vs heare our Lord speaking this of the Sacrament of his holy table except you eat may flesh c. So that it cannot with any reason be denyed that S. Iohn in his 6. chapter speaketh of of the blessed Sacrament 4. Moreouer this is the condition and nature of God Almighty that he neuer giueth or performeth The condition of God is to giue more then he promised lesse then in cleare and manifest words he promiseth but for the most part more then he promiseth as becometh the liberalitie and magnificence of his infinit mercies for he that giueth more then he promiseth doth not deceaue but he who giueth lesse is a deceauer and an impostor So it is blasphemie to affirme that Christ who is true God should
The decree of Apostles that none should receaue vvithout ansvvering Amen children the beliefe of the true reall and substantiall body of our Lord in the Eucharist before receauing that the Apostles amongst other things decreed that none should receaue the Eucharist without professing it to be the body and bloud of Christ by answering Amen to the Priest or Deacon when he calleth the Eucharist before receauing the body or bloud of Christ as witnesseth S. Clement in the 13. chapter of his 8. book of Apostolicall constitutions saying Lett the Bishopp deliuer the oblation to the people saying The body of Christ and lett him who receaueth it saye Amen but lett the Deacon hold the chalice and administring it vnto others lett him saye the bloud of Christ the chalice of life and he who doth drink it lett him saye Amen Thus the Apostles whereby we see that this answere of Amen by the people vnto the Priest affirming the Eucharist to be the body and bloud of Christ before receauing is an Apostolicall constitution conformable to the words of our Lord saying Amen Amen I say vnto you vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you If the Sonne of God affirme vnder Amen Amen that the meate he would giue should be his flesh and the drinke his bloud what are the Sonnes of men who deny it but deceaued people 9. This practise of the profession of the body and bloud of our Lord to be in the Eucharist before receauing by the common people being thus established in the Church by the Apostles it cōtinued as a generall custome amognst the laiety and whole Church in succeding ages as witnesseth S. Iustine Martyr in his second Apologie to S. Iustine Martyr of the ansvvering Amen the Emperour Antoninus Pius the Senate and people of Rome who setting down the manner and custome which the Christians vsed in their Communion saith At the end of prayers we salute one an other with a kisse Then is offred vnto him who is chiefe amongst the bretheren bread and a cupp mixt with wine and water which after that he hath receaued he giueth praise and glory to the Parent of all things in the name of the Sonne and holy ghost and giueth thanks a good space that he is esteemed by him worthy of these things which being rightly performed or finished all the people which are present doe giue the blessing to the prayers and thanks-giuing saying Amen And Amen in the Hebrew tongue is as much as to saye be it donn After that both the Prelats haue giuen thanks and all the people haue giuen their blessing by saying Amen those who amongst vs are called Deacons giue vnto euery one that is present c. And we take it to be the flesh and bloud of Iesus-Christ Thus S. Iustine who liued with the Apostles schollers whereby it appeareth that euen from the first plantation of the Church of Christ vpon earth amongst the nations the laiety and common people vsed to aswere Amen to the blessing and consecration of the Eucharist thereby publikly to declare that they most firmely beleeued it to be the body and bloud of Christ independant of the faith of the receauer 10. Not longe after S. Iustine Martyr liued Dionysius Alexandrinus who in his Epistle to Xistus Dionysius Alexandrinus Bishop of Rome recorded by Eusebius in the eight chapter of his 7. book of histories maketh mention of the answering Amen to the words of thanks-giuing and consecration by the laiety and common people saying that a certaine brother who had for a longe tyme been esteemed a faithfull man amongst them and receaued the Communion because he had been baptized by wicked heretiks with teares and sorrow desired of him that he might be baptized againe according to the custome of the Catholik Church Which verily saith he I durst not doe but tould him that the daily Communion whereof he did participate with the faithfull was of force sufficient to purge his soule for he who had heard the thanks-giuing he who together with the rest had pronounced Amen he who had approched to the table who had stretched forth his hands to receaue that holy foode who had receaued it who had been for so longe a tyme partaker of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus-Christ I durst not wholy renew his Baptisme Thus S. Dionisius 11. S. Cirill of Hierusalem in his 5. Catechesis S. Cirill of Hier. maketh also mention of this custome saying Thou presenting thy-self to the Communion doest not come with thy handes extended or thy fingers open but making thy left hand serue to thy right as a seate or throne as he who ought to receaue the king and contracting together the palme of thy hand receaue the body of Christ answering Amen And after thou hast sanctifyed thine eyes by the touching of the holy body receaue or be partaker of it with confidence vsing great eare that thou loose none of it for all that thou doest loose account it as the losse of one of thy proper members c. Hauing communicated the body of Christ present thy-selfe to the chalice of his bloud not stretching forth thy hands but incline in manner of adoration or worshipp saying Amen and this donn sanctify thy-selfe and participate of Christ Thus S. Cirill For the better vnderstanding whereof it is to be noted that the Grecians receaued the body of our Lord into the palmes of their left hands and covred it with the right and so the left hand was as a seate or throne to the blessed Sacrament vntill the communicant receaued it which he did not presently but after some pious meditation or considerations yet at the deliuring of the Eucharist into the palme of his hand the Priest said according to the constitutions of the Apostles The body of Christ and he who receaued it answered Amen and afterwards communicated himselfe 12. S. Ambrose also in the fift chapter of his 4. book of Sacraments affirmeth that it was the custome S. Ambrose of all those who receaued to professe the Eucharist to be the body of our Lord his words are these It was truly a great and venerable thing that God rayned Manna to the Iewes from heauen but vnderstand which is greater Manna from heauen or the body of Christ The body of Christ certainly who is the inlarger of heauen c. Therefore thou doest not say Amen in vaine when thou takest it now confessing in spirit that thou receauest the body of Christ The Priest saieth vnto thee The body of Christ and thou saiest Amen that is to saie true That which thy tongue doth confesse lett thy affection hould 13. S. Leo also the great speaking of this answering S. Leo. by Amen to the Eucharist when it was called the body of Christ in his 6. Sermon of Fasting in the 7. Month saith Seeing that our Lord doth say If you doe not eate the flesh of
their Sacrifices either by killing of liuing things or brusing of solid thinges or shedding of liquid was to expresse or shew forth the death of our Lord in Sacrifice to come S. Paule witnesseth saying These thinges happened to them in figure 1. Cor. 10. And S. Iohn saying The Lambe was slaine from the beginning of the world Reuel 13. 8. not in itselfe but in his signe figure effect and vertue Where vpon S. Augustine in the 18. Chapter of his first booke against the Aduersaries of the law and the prophets saieth The Sacrifices of the old law Were shadowes of the onely Sacrifice of the Sonne of God not dispraising it but signifying it for as one thing may be signified by manie words and manie tongues so this one true and singular Sacrifice was before signified by manie figuratiue Sacrifices And the lyke he hath in the 17. Chapter of his 10. booke of the Cittie of God whereby it appeareth that Sacrifices of the old law were vsed to shew forth the death of our Lord in Sacrifice to come 6. Secondly we saie there is made some reall alteration or change in the thing offered not only to expresse the death of our Lord but also to signifie the inuisible contrition or Sacrifice of our hearts to God his dominion ouer vs and our subiection vnto him which S. Augustine in the 5. Chapter of his 10. booke of the Cittie of God not onely signifieth but also in the 19. Chapter of the same booke further expresseth saying Visible Visible Sacrifice signes of the inuisible as vvords of thinges Sacrifices are signes of the inuisible as sounding wordes are signes of things wherefore as when we pray or praise we direct the signefying words vnto him to whom we offer the thing signified in our hearts So when we see men offering saith hee we know that visible Sacrifice ought not to be offered vnto anie other but vnto him whose inuisible Sacrifice we our selues ought to be in our hearts Thus S. Augustine whereby we see that exterior visible Sacrifice is a signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of our hearts to God and of his dominion ouer vs and our subiection vnto him as sounding or articulate wordes are signes of thinges And therefore as when men speake words to God they ought to haue the same intention in their hearts which their articulate or sounding wordes doe signifie so lykewyse when men offer exterior visible Sacrifice they are obleged to haue an inward and inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts to God thereby to acknowledge him for their Lord God and to manifest his dominion ouer them and their subiection vnto him because visible Sacrifices are signes of the God acknovvledged for God by visible Sacrifice inuisible of our hearts as wordes are of things and ought not to be offered vnto any but vnto him whose inuisible sacrifyce we our selues ought to be in our hearts And to whom man offereth the inuisible Sacrifice of his heart him he acknowledgeth for his God Creator c. And hath no other Gods before him which God him selfe signifieth saying Sonne giue me thy heart Prouerb 23. Wherevpon it cometh to passe that the offering of visible Sacrifyce is worshipp of Latria or deuine worshipp which is due vnto God only as I shall shew more at large hereafter 7. Though we ought chiefly to adore and serue God with our myndes and spirits because God is a spirit they that adore him must adore him in spirit and veritie Ioh. 4. 24. yet because the inward acts and operations of the mynde may be neglected without anie notice taken either by our selues or others as we see by daylie experience in the many things which we doe forgett and the distraction in our prayers and because man is composed of bodie and soule it therefore pleased his Deuine Maiestie for the benefitt The cause vvhy God ordeyned visible Sacrifice of man to ordaine that these exterior corporall actions of visible Sacrifyce should be a sacred publicke and knowne sygne of the inward operations and affections of mans mynd towards God thereby to oblege man vnder the penaltie of hipocrisie to publish the inward desyres and inclinatiōs of his heart in the seruice of God vnder visible solemne sygnes otherwise as S. Chrisostome in his 83. homily vpon S. Matth. saith If thou haddest not had a bodie God would haue deliuered VVhy visible things are instituted to represent inuisible vnto thee naked gifts which should not haue been bodies but because thy soule is ioyned to thy bodie therefore he hath deliuered vnto thee intelligible thinges vnter visible formes 8. Thirdly we saie that exterior visible Sacrifice is not only offered for the causes aboue Vnion in Religion and charitie preserued by Sacrifice said but also to signifie our vnion in Religion amongst our selues vnder one God according to that common actiome Those things which are one to a third are one amongst themselues All the faithfull sacrificing their hearts to God haue one heart with God and amongst themselues whereof proceedeth the Cōmunion of Saincts vnyted in Religion and Charitie amongst themselues for he who hath one heart with God is one with God and one with all those who truly and really offer the inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts to God Wherevpon it cometh to passe that there neuer was anie sacred Communion amongst men but of meate offered in Sacrifice as of meate offered to God for a sacred exterior signe of common vnion of men with God and amongst them selues as I shall shew more at large in the next chapter 9. Now seeing that God created man and that it was necessarie for man to acknowledge God VVhy visible Sacrifice vvas instituted a signe of the inuisible for his Lord God and to make a commemoration of the passion of our Lord and to haue peace and vnitie with God and other men and yet all men could not speake all languages nor vnderstand what should haue been said if those things should haue been only acted in wordes therefore out of the infinite prouidence of God for the benefitt of all nations it was necessary that this his honor and vnitie which he would haue amongst all his seruants should be performed in outward solemne visible signes knowne vnto them all that all might visibly see and know vnto what they were visibly and inuisibly obliged And considering that for the good of man kind it was necessarie there should be some outward visible thing instituted which might not only priuatly preserue in euerie one the honor and loue of God and his neighbour but also maintaine a publicke practise of the honor of God memorie of the passion of our Lord and vnitie amongst all his seruants in what sacred outward visible signe could it better be expressed then in a visible Sacrifice representing the memorie of the passion of our Lord and the inuisible Sacrifice of our heartes which were the actes and sacred obseruations of our reconliacion and peace with God
the meritts of the sacrifice of our redemption vnto vs as a commemoration therof and a meanes to obtaine iustification and the gift of contrition and pennance for our sinns as is set doune more at large in the 22. Session of the Councell of Trent And in prouinge of this will consist the whole scope of this our booke following CHAP. II. The necessitie of visible Sacrificie and the end or cause why it was instituted and vsed 1. TWo things haue alwaies been much recommended The honor of God and peace much recommended to men by God The honor of God and peace mainteyned by visible Sacrifice by God and highly esteemed by men of all sects and sortes who firmely beueled that there was a God who extended his prouidence ouer mankinde first the honor of God and peace with him and secondly vnitie peace and society amongst themselues And these two haue alwaies been chiefely mainteyned amongst men by a particular visible Sacrifice first offered vnto God vpon an Altar as a sacred signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts vnto him and after eaten or communicated amongst themselues By offering visible Sacrifice vpon an Altar vnto God they solemnely protested the sacrifice of their hearts vnto him publickely adored him with the honor of Latria or deuine worshipp which is due only vnto him and visibly made profession of peace vnitie and societie with him and amongst themselues The Communion made of meate offered to God in signe of vnion and by eating of the same Sacrifice wich had been offered vnto God they ratified and established the same peace and vnitie as partakers of that meate with they had offered vnto God for a sacred signe of common vnion as is generally manifest by experience in all sectes and sortes of people of former ages who firmely beleeued there was a God and that his Prouidence was not wanting in the gouernment of mankind 2. And to begin with the faithfull who liued in In the lavv of nature the faithfull offered visible Sacrifice to honor God and mainteyne vnitie the law of nature written law and law of grace In the law of nature after that Iacob and Laban his father in law had agreed vpon a peace firme freindshipp and league as before God there present and beholding them Iacob for a conclusion of the peace Offered victimes in the Mount and called his brethren to eate bread who whē they had eaten lodged there Gen. 31. 54. Where in confirmation of the peace concluded Iacob offered visible Sacrifice vnto God as a sacred signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts adored him with the honor of Latria or diuine worshipp which is due only vnto him c. And after the sacrifice called his Brethren to communicate or eate of the victimes the more to ratifie the vnitie peace and concord amongst themselues by eating of the meate which was offered to God in signe of vnion 3. At the comming of the Children of Israel out of Egipt in their last supper they offered visible Sacrificie vnto God in the Paschal Lambe Sacrifice in the Paschal Lambe thereby publickly to honor God as their Soueraigne Lord God and to expresse the inuisible sacrifice of their hearts vnto him And when they had donne they communicated of it the more firmely to maintaine peace and vnity with God and amongst themselues by eating of meate which was offered vnto God as a sacred signe of the vnion of their hearts in him Exod. 12. 4. In like manner after that Moyses had told his father in law Iethro a Priest of the land of Madian Iethro offered Sacrifice all things that our lord had donne for Israel Iethro reioyced and said Now I know that the Lord is great aboue all Gods Iethro therefore offered Holocausts and hosts to God thereby to adore him with diuine honor and to expresse the Sacrifice of his heart vnto him And Aron and the Ancients of Israel came to eate bread with him before God Exod. 18. To cōfirme vnitie peace and society amongst themselues and this was donne in the law of nature before the written law was giuen 5. In the written law God said vnto the Children of Israel To the place which God hath chosen In the vvritten lavv the faithfull offered visible Sacrifice to honor God and maintaine peace and vnitie which was Hierusalem shall you come and shall offer in that place Holocausts and victimes thereby as by a sacred signe to expresse the inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts and to adore God with the honor of Latria and you shall eate there in the sight of the Lord your God Deut. 12. To ratifie peace vnitie and concord amongst themselues Againe in the same chapter Thither to Hierusalem shall you bring all the things that God commanded you Holocausts c. There shall you feast before the Lord your God Where vpon it is said that Elcana immolated and gaue to Phenenna his wife and to all her sonns and daughters parts and to Anna one part 1. Kings 1. 4. In like manner Salomon and all Israel with him did immolate victimes before our Lord and Salomon killed peaceable hosts which he immolated to our Lord of Oxen 22000. and of Sheepe 120000. c. and made in that time a solemne Festiuitie and all Israel with him for 14. daies 3. Kinges 8. 60. And this was donne in the old law to establish and preserue the vnitie peace and societie of men with God and amongst themselues as further witnesseth S. Augustine in the 5. chapter of his 10. booke of the Cittie of God saying What thing soeuer we reade to haue been commanded by God about the diuers and sundrie Sacrifices in the ministrie either of the Tabernacle or of the Temple are written to signifie the loue of God and our Neighbour for vpon these two commaundements as it is written doe depend the whole Law and the Prophets Thus S. Augstine Whereby it doth appeare that the diuers and sundrie sacrifices which were vsed in the old law were al instituted by God to this end only to maintaine the loue of God and of men amongst themselues by the vnion of their hearts in God which these Sacrifices did represent 6. In the beginning of the new law our Lord Sacrifice instituted in the lavv of grace and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Prince of Peace offered his bodie for a gift vnto his eternall father and then gaue his said bodie vnto the Children of his Church to eate saying Take eate this is my bodie which is giuen for you Luk 22. as a sacred signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of your hearts and a preseruation of vnitie peace and society with God and amongst yourselues as were the gifts and Sacrifices of the written law and law of Nature And when he had donne he established this manner of offering his bodie to God for a gift in commemoration of him in lieu of all the Sacrifices of the old law saying Doe this the same
especiallie commaunding that we should come vnto it with concord and burning Charitie Thus S. Chrisostome Whereby it doth appeare that the end why Christ our Lord instituted a visible sacrifice in the new law was not only to preserue in Christians the worshipp of Latria towards God and the commemoration of his Passion c. but also to maintaine a perfect vnion amongst them 11. Man on the one side being obliged by the debt of his creation conseruation redemption and other benefits to honor and loue God aboue all things and his neighbour for Gods sake as himselfe as the holy scriptures doe aboundantly testifie And on the other side as Sacrifice is the publick exercise of the vvorshipp of God the said Scriptures doe witnesse and experience doth daily manifest vnto vs That the cogitations of mans heart are bent vnto euill at all times and to forgett these his obligations and institute of life vnlesse he by some publique act or daily exercise be put in minde and kept to the practise thereof for this cause God of his infinite mercies hath ordeyned that a particular visible sacrifice should be daily vsed in his Church as a publicke exercise and practise of the inuisible sacrifice of our hearts vnto him a daily visible adoration of him with the worshipp of Latria a commemoration of the Passion of our Lord and a continual renewing of our loues peace and societie with him and amongst ourselues thereby to preserue in vs the honor and obligation which we owe vnto God and the loue of our neighbours as ourselues so to liue together in vnitie peace and charitie whilst An absurd thing that there should be Schooles of other things not of the vvorship due vnto God we remaine vpon earth and after death to ascend vpp into heauen to enioy the Kingdome Which was prepared for vs from the foundation of the world 12. And it were a thing verie absurd that in the Church of God which is his Kingdome here vpon earth there should be visible Schooles and publique daily exercises of things of lesser moment and that of the visible Sacrificing of our hearts to God publicke worshipp of Latria soleÌ„ne commemoration of the Passion of our Lord for vs and the sacred vnion of our hearts with him and amongst our selues wherein consisteth our teÌ„porall and eternall welfare there should be no practise more then in naked words only which either men of diuers nations who speake different languages or the vnlearned could not vnderstand Neither would words only without other visible actions be sufficient to teach the The necessitie of Sacrifice vulgar common people the practise dignity excellencie and eminencie of these sacred things as we finde by experience Whereby it doth appeare how necessarie it is that in the Church of God there should not only be instituted publicke Schooles where all men not in words only but in deeds might see the adoration due only to God the Sacrifice of mens hearts the commemoration of the passion of our Lord and vnion with God and amongst ourselues daily practised such as are or should be the sacred temples and Churches but also that these exercises should be sett fâ—â—th with great solemnitie vnder solemne visible knowne signes common to all that all in euerie Cittie towne and village might comply with these their obligations towards God and man which is the exterior visible Sacrifice I speake of whose practise as we see by experience is so appropriated vnto this vse that wheresoeuer we shall finde either amongst Christians or infidells anie company of men seriously attending to the offering of Sacrifice vpon an Altar we presently know that they are adoring some God true or false with the honor due only vnto God and colleagued in vnitie of Religion and societie amongst themselues as is manifest by experience 13. And because that the offering of a particular visible Sacrifice vnto God vpon an Altar was instituted by God vnto those ends before rehearsed therefore to communicate as Protestants To communicate and not of things offered in Sacrifice a prophane thing and Puritans now doe and not of hosts or Victimes first offered to God vpon an Altar was and is by the Scriptures accounted a worke of the Sonnes of Belial 1. Kings 2. 2. and an exceeding great sinne 1. Kings 2. 17. Because say the Scriptures they distracted men from the Sacrifice of our Lord and so hindred them not only from the publicke practise of the inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts vnto God and the visible adoration of him with the worshipp of Latria which is due only to him but obliterated the memorie of his passion for vs who was slaine from the beginning of the world and infringed the solemne practise of peace and vnitie betweene men and God and of men amongst themselues For which cause S. Paul also commaundeth visible Sacrifice to be vsed in the administration of the communion saying As often as you shall eate this Bread and drinck the Chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntil he come 1. Cor. 11. 26. who dyed offering vp himselfe in a visible Sacrifice as our aduersaries confesse To conclude Prayer as affirmeth S. Iohn Damascen in the 24. chapter of his 3. booke orthodoxae fidei is an eleuation of mind to God which visible Sacrifice doth not only teach and expresse as words doe things as I haue proued hertofore but also addeth to the eleuation of the mind to God a gift giuen or offered to God according to his commaund sayinge Thou shalt not appeare in my sight emptie Exod. 23. 15. and such a superexcellent gift as the body and blood of his only sonne in whome he is wel pleased and withall an inuisible sacrifice of our selues to God accordinge to the earnest exhortation of S. Paul saying I beseech you Brethren by the mercie of God that you exhibite your bodies a liuing host holy pleasing to God your reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 21. 1. wherby it cometh to passe that the due offering of visible Sacrifice doth The offering of visible Sacrifice is excellent prayer not only teach vs to pray as we ought but also is in it selfe the most coÌ„pleate prayer in the Church of God and therfore called the publick office of the Church as I shall further declare in his place In the meane space this is not only sufficient to shew the institution of visible Sacrifice but also the necessitie and cause why visible Sacrifices were instituted in the Church oft God and vsed amongst the faithfull in the Law of nature written law and law of grace and the fruite or benefit we receaue by them CHAP. III. All the Gentills and Heathen people Atheists and Epicures onely excepted offered visible Sacrifice vnto their supposed Gods 1. THe offering vp of externall visible Sacrifices Offering of Sacrifice necessary for the preseruation of vnitie and peace vnto God and communicating of the same after they were offered was esteemed a thing so necessary
to preserue in men the honor of God and vnity and concord amongst themselues that not only the faithfull in all ages vsed it to this effect and purpose but also all the Gentills and heathens who were not All the Gentills the Atheists and Epicures excepted offered Sacrifice Atheists or Epicures and denied not God or Gods or his or their prouidence ouer mankinde as we shall finde by experience For if we look into the acts deeds books histories or relations of such Gentills or Auntient or moderne heathen people who are at this day or haue been in the world in former Ages we shall finde that all Atheists and Epicures only excepted offered externall visible Sacrifice vnto some God true or false as the Babilonians Assirians Chaldeans Cananits Philistians Egiptians Ethiopians Greekes Romans Sarazens Turcks auncient or moderne heathen people of Europe Asia Africa and America who all vniuersally haue and had Priests Altars and externall visible Sacrifice as witnesse all the Authors who make anie mention of the Religion of these nations whose testimonies in this short Treatise would be to long to sett downe and therefore I referr the Reader vnto their owne wrytinges as vnto the bookes of the old and new Testament S. Augustine in his 18. booke of the cittie of God Athanasius in his Oration against the gentilles and Epiphanius in his first booke of heresies vnto Cicero of the nature of the Gods Herodotus Diodorus Siculus c. 2. And for later writers I referr the Reader vnto Geraldus of the Gods of the gentilles Christopher Richerius in his booke of the manners of the Turckes Septem Castrensis of the faith and Religion of the Turkes Samuell Purchas in his relations of the Religions obserued in all Ages Lewis Godfry in his 12. tomes of the history of the East Indies and others Wherevpon Plato towards the end of his 10. Dialogue in his books of lawes saith The custome of the gentilles to offer Sacrifice in their necessities It hath allwaies been the custome of those who were in danger or wanted anie thing or when their substance increased to consecrate something to the Gods and vow Sacrifices With whom agreeth S. Thomas in his 2. 2. quest 85. Art 1. saying In euerie age and amongst men of all nations hath allwaies been offering vp of Sacrifice Insomuch that amongst all the heathen people that are at this daie or heretofore haue been Atheists and Epicures only excepted there is not nor hath there been found anie so impious and barbarous in the whole Globe of the earth who haue not or yet doe not offer some kinde of externall visible Sacrifice thereby to acknowledge the soueraigntie of some God true or false ouer them which is so true that euen at this daie we maie saie vnto the Atheists Epicures and Puritans of this Age who haue no externall visible Sacrifice as Plutark in his booke against Coletes said vnto the Epicure Coletes towards the end of his booke If you trauell throughout the world well you may finde Citties without No Cittie vvithout Sacrifice walles without writings without Kings not peopled or inhabited without howses without money or men or desirous of coyne who know not what Theaters or publik Halls of bodly exercise meane but neuer was there or euer shall there be anie one Cittie seene which vseth no Sacrifice either to obtaine good blessings or to auoid heauie curses or calamities Moreouer the offering vp of Sacrifice vnto some God was by the light of nature so highly esteemed amongst the heathens that if anie man committed any wickednes or impietie in the Sacrifices which were offered vnto the Gods hee was to suffer death for his offēce as witnesseth Plato in the aforesaid Dialogue saying If any shall commit wicked impietie or shall offend either in his priuate or publicke Sacrificinge worship of the Gods he shall be condemned to death as one who sacrificed impurely 3 This being the end and vse of externall visible Sacrifice to preserue in men the memory and honor of God and vnitie and society with him and amongst themselues and all prudent lawes being chiefely instituted to the same end we neuer read of any prudent Lawgiuer or All the prudent Lavvgiuers instituted the offering of Sacrifice Prince though an infidell or heathen that gaue lawes vnto any Common-wealth or founded a Monarchie but he instituted externall visible Sacrifices to be offred vnto some supposed God As Cham founder of the Monarchy of the Egiptiās Chus founder of the Monarchy of the Ethiopians Nemrod Belus founder of the Monarchy of the Babilonians Ninus founder of the Monarchy of the Assirians Ion Cecrops Deucalion Licurgus Law-giuers to the Grecians Numa Pompilius the first and principalst Statesman amongst the Romans All which noble and renowned personages to vse Plutarcks words in his booke against Coletes made the people deuout affectionate and zelous to the Gods in prayers Oathes Oracles Prophecies and Sacrifices either to obtain good blessings or to auert heauy curses and calamities Insomuch as Plato in the 8. Dialogue of his book of Lawes besides solemne Sacrifices Plato ordeyned that 365 Sacrifices should daily be offred in Athens vsed vpon great festiuall dayes ordeyned that in the citty of Athens there should be 365. Sacrifices offred euery day in such sort as that some one or other of the Magistrates should alwayes bee offering Sacrifices to some of the Gods for the prosperities of the Cittie of themselues and their goods 4. Licurgus the Lawgiuer to the Lacedemonians The frugall Sacrifices of Lycurgus ordeyning sparing and frugall Sacrifices to be offred vnto the Gods made answere as Plutark affirmeth in his life That the honour due vnto the Gods might neuer faile amongst them and this these heathen men and infidells did by the light of nature which dictated vnto them that there would be no constant vnitie or ciuill society or Religion amongst them but by offering visible Sacrifice vnto some true or supposed God or Gods thereby to expresse the inward Sacrifice of their harts and soules and acknowledge visibly an vnion in one supreame Soueraigne and amongst themselues Moreouer the Gentils and The Gentills communicated of their Sacrifices heathen people not only offred Sacrifices in honor of their Gods but also did eate or communicate of their Sacrifices to mantayn a more firme vnity and society amongst themselues and with their Gods as the Scriptures witnesse saying The Isralits falling in to Idolatry offered Holocausts and pacifique hosts to the molcen calf and the people sate downe to eate and drinck Exod. 32. 6. afer the manner of the Egiptiās from whence they came whose chiefe God in their tyme was a Calf as witnesseth S. Augustine in the 18. Chapter of his 5. Book of the Cittie of God Agayn The people of Israel fornicated with the Daughters of Moab who called them to their Sacrifices and they did eate and adore their God Numb 25. 5. And because the Gentills and
plāt peace and preach as S. Paul saith Peace to them that were farr of and peace to them that were nigh Ephe. 2. 17. And God is not the God of dissention but of peace 1. Cor. 14. 33. 6. Fourthly Adam and his sonnes liued in the law of nature and instituted externall visible Sacrifice in the Church of God vpon earth according to the Law of Nature no other law being then published or known as all diuines generally Sacrifice instituted by the Lavv of Nature hold and the law of nature being inserted and ingrafted by God as S. Paul saith Rom. 2. 15. in the harts of all men for them to follow as a rule of Iustice and an instinct of nature proceeding from reason as an euerlasting couenant between God and Man Isa 24. 5. Certayn it is that our The Lavv of Nature immutable Sauiour could not take away externall visible Sacrifice from amongst men and moue them to violate the Law of Nature or change it in the harts of all men seeing that as S. Paul saith He continueth faithfull and cannot deny himself 2. Tim. 2. 13. to change his diuine decrees and alter the Law of Nature in all men or change the naturall diuine instinct which he hath engrafted in all men to follow euen from the first beginning of his Church vpon earth which Lactantius in his 6 Book and 8. Chapter of diuine Institutions obserueth out of the 3. book of Ciceros common-wealth saying Cicero almost with a diuine voice hath in these words described the Law of Nature saying The Law of Nature is right reason agreable Description of the Lavv of Nature to nature spread amongst all men constant and euerlasting To this Law it is not lawfull to add any thing or to take away Thus Lactantius and Cicero of the Law of Nature Wherefore seeing that visible Sacrifice was instituted by the Law of Nature most certayn it is that our Sauiour came not to take it away but to institute it in better termes with he did when taking bread he gaue thanks and brake and gaue to the Apostles saying This is my Body which is giuen for you to God do this for a commemoration of mee In like manner the Chalice also after he had supped saying This is the Chalice the New Testament in my Bloud which is shed for you to God This do ye as often as you shall drink for a commemoration of mee Wherefore we may iustly complayn of these who persecute the offering of visible Sacrifice vnto God in the words with the Prophet Isaie vsed when he complayned of the Iewes for violating the Law of Nature saying The earth is infected with the inhabitants thereof because they haue transgressed the Lawes changed right dissipated the euerlasting couenant Isa 24. 5. 7. Fiftly the Prophet Daniel promiseth that externall visible Sacrifice shall be offered vnto God in the Church of God vntill the end of the Sacrifice to last vntil the end of the vvorld world saying And in the half of the week shall the host and the Sacrifice fail and there shal be in the Temple the abomination of desolation euen to the consummation Daniel 9. 27. Agayn The continuall Sacrifice shal be taken away and the abomination of desolation shal be set vp Dan. 12. 11. And our Sauiour himself setting down the tyme when this Prophecy of Daniel shall be fulfilled and when there shal be no more hosts nor Sacrifices offered to God in his Church vpon earth saith And when you shall see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of by Daniel standing in the holy place c. immediatly afther the tribulation of those dayes the Sunn shal be darkned and the Moone shal not giue light and the Starres shall fall from heauen Math. 24. And so forth describeth the day of Iudgment signifying that externall visible Sacrifice shal be offered in the Church of God vntill a litle before the consummation of the world 8. Sixtly God Almightie promised saying I will send of them which shall be saued to the Gentils into the Sea into Africa and Lidia into Italy and Greece to the Ilands farr of to them that haue not Priests and Leuits shal be allvvayes in the Church to offer Sacrifice heard of mee and haue not seene my glory And they shall shew forth my glory to the Gentils and they shall bring all your Brethren of all Nations a guift to our Lord. And I will take of them to be Priests and Leuits saith our Lord because as a new Heauen and a new earth which I make to stand before mee saith our Lord so shall your seed stand and your name Isa 66. 19. Where we see that God almightie promiseth to make Priests and Leuits whose office is to offer and assist at the offering of visible Sacrifice of the gentils conuerted vnto Christianity and that their seede shall not fail vntill the end of the world Wherevpon S. Augustin in the 21. Chapter of his 20. Book of the Cittie of God alledging this place saith God compareth the conuerted Gentils as it were by a similitude vnto the Children of Israel offring vnto him their hosts or Sacrifice with Psalmes in his house or Temple which the Church doth now euery where and hath promised that he would take of them Priests and Leuits for himself which now we see donne for now Priests are not by succession of flesh and bloud according to the order of Aron but as it ought to be in the new Testament where Christ is the chiefe Priest according to the order of Melchisedech thus S. August 9. Seuenthly God promised by the Prophet Ieremy saying Behold the dayes shall come saith our Lord and I will raise vp the good word that I haue spoken to the house of Israel c. This is the name they shall call him the lord of our iust one c and of Priests and Leuits there shall not faill from before my face a man to offer Holocausts and to burne Sacrifice and to kill victimes all dayes Ierem. 33. 14. Wherevpon Theodoret in his interpretation of this place saith Wee see the euent of this Prophecy for the new Testament being giuen according to the diuine promise The Priest-hood according to the order of Melchisedech is also giuen which whosoeuer haue obteyned do offerr vnto God reasonable Sacrifice 10. Eightly S. Paul commaundeth all Christians No communion vvithout Sacrifice saying As often as you shall eate this Bread and drink the Chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntill he come 1. Cor. 11. 26. and our Lord dyed offering vp himself to God in an externall visible Sacrifice as our aduersaries do graunt whereby it is manifest that exteriour visible Sacrifice by the commaund of the Scriptures shall last vntill the later day 11. Ninthly externall visible Sacrifice being a thing only and chiefly aboue all things due vnto God and giuen vnto God by the consent of all Nations thereby to acknowledg him for
of God who liue after the Passion of Christ stand in need of a Sacrifice in their communion to represent the Sacrifice of our Sauiour vpon the Crosse past to apply his merits vnto them who was slaine as S. Iohn saith from the beginning of the world Apoc. 13. 8. And as many as were saued in the law of nature or vvritten lavv or shal be saued in the law of Grace all were and shal be saued by the merits of the passion of our Sauiour and his Sacrifice vpon the Crosse And therefore if in the lavv of nature and written lavv they had need of externall visible Sacrifice to apply the Passion of our Sauiour vnto them so likevvise haue vve in the nevv lavv seeing that the ould lavv vvas a figure of the nevv 1. Cor. 10. 6. Wherevpon S. Augustine in the 18. chapter of his 20. booke against Faustus saith At this present Christians do celebrate the memorie of the sacrifie of Christ passed vpon the Crosse by the most holie oblation of the body and bloud of Christ 8. The chiefest act whereby our Sauiour redeemed vs vvas his offering or giuing himselfe to God for our Redemption according to his word saying I yeild my life for my sheepe Ioh. 10. 15. Sacrifice taken avvaie the commemoration of our Sauiours passion is also taken avvaie Against Christ gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs. Tit. 2. 14. Wherefore if our Sauiour had taken away all externall visible Sacrifice out of his Church he had left in deeds or actions no expresse commemoration of his Passion 9. God Almightie threatneth it as a great To be depriued of Sacrifice is threatned as a punishment plague to the pleople of Israel to take away from amongst them for their sinnes Sacrifices and Altars saying Manie daies shall the kingdome of Israel sit without King and without Prince and without Sacrifice and without Altar c. And after this the children of Israel shall returne and shall seek the lord their God and his goodnes in the last dayes Osee 34. Where we see that God himself accompted it a great plague for the Children of Israel to be without Sacrifice and Altar as they are and shal be vntill a litle before the last dayes according to this prophecy and at the last dayes they shall seeke the Lord their God and his goodnes and become Christians and haue Sacrifice and Altars Wherefore if our Sauiour should haue planted his new lavv and Testament vvithout any externall visible Sacrifice or Altar the nevv lavv had bin a lavv and Testament of greater anger vvrath and punishmēt then vvas the ould law and not a law of greater grace and fauor which is repugnant to the promises saying Christ came to preach the acceptable yeare of our Lord Psal 71. 1. Luc. 4. 19. Insomuch as S. Paul speaking of this tyme of grace saith Behold now is the time acceptable behold now the day of saluation 2. Cor. 6. 2. c. 10. As I said in the 2. Chapter two things haue alvvayes been highly esteemed amongst men the honor of their God and their vnity peace and society with him and amongst themselues and these two haue been chiefely mainteyned amongst men of all nations by offering visible Sacrifice vnto God and after by eating or communicating of the said Sacrifice amongst themselues as I haue prooued in the 2. chapter By Sacrifice peace and vnitie is preserued and our Sauiour came not to take away peace vnitie and societie of men with God or amongst themselues but to plant it saying Not for the Apostles only do I pray but for them also that by their word shall beleeue in mee that they all may be one as thou Father in mee and I in thee that they also in vs may be one that the world may know that thou hast sent mee Ioh. 17. 20. 11. God Almightie promised by the Prophet Ieremie that visible Sacrifice should neuer be taken away saying Of Priests and Leuits there shall not fail from before my face a man to offer Holocausts and to burn Sacrifice and kill victimes all dayes Ier 33. 18. According to which promises S. Paul commandeth the Christians to offer Sacrifice saying you shall shew the death of our Lord vntill he come 1. Cor. 11. 26. who dyed offering vp himself in a visible Sacrifice as our aduersaries will confesse 12. If our Sauiour had taken away the offering of visible Sacrifice to God and had instituted a communion by taking an eating a peace of bread and apprehending Christ in heauen by VVithout Sacrifice there is no difference betvveen the communion and eating of common meat faith he had made no difference betweene the eating of common meat and the communion for euery one who eateth or drinketh piously like a Christian and not like a beast apprehendeth God or CHRIST IESVS our Lord in heauen by the hand of faith as author and giuer of that meat as often as they eat or drink 13. The offering of visible Sacrifice in generall vnto God vvas a matter of faith planted in the Church of God vpon earth euen from the first foundatiō of the Church of God vpon earth after the fall of Adam as I haue prooued in the last Chapter and faith is one and vnchangeable as also there I haue prooued Whereby it is sufficiently Our Sauiour changed not the faith but ceremonies of the old Lavv. manifest vnto any indifferent Reader that our Sauiour at his comming did not nor would take away out of his Church which he founded vpon earth externall visible Sacrifice but took away only the ceremoniall law and planted externall visible Sacrifice in more worthy gifts as made suertie of a better Testament Heb. 7. 22. 14. And to conclude all the known world as I haue prooued in the 2. and 3. chapters at the tyme of our Sauiour offered visible Sacrifice vnto some God true or false thereby to adore him with the honor of Latria or honor due only vnto God and signifie the Sacrifice of their harts vnto him and vnion with him Wherefore if our Sauiour had quite taken away the offering of visible Sacrifice to any God some Iew or gentill would haue accused him or the Apostles of it Our Sauiour neuer accused of taking avvay Sacrifice which vve neuer read that they did yet the Iewes so highly esteemed visible Sacrifice as they accounted it a punishment or curse to be without it as appeareth Dan. 9. 27. the 11. 31. and the 12. 11. Osee 3. 4. Ioel. 1. 9. and the Gentils esteemed it a sinne worthy of death to abuse it as vvitnesseth Plato in his 10. Dialogue and a signe of atheisme and impietie to neglect it as testifyeth Plutark in his booke intituled That there Epicurus only for feare offered Sacrifice contrary to his doctrine is no pleasant life according to Epicurus who in doctrine and words denied the offering of visible Sacrifice but not in practise for feare of the
did for a commemoration of mee especially considering that these his words are so plaine and manifest and no where els we finde that our Sauiour either offered vnbloudy Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech or commaunded any of his followers to offer vnbloudy Sacrifice but at his last supper and the Christian world now for 1600. yeares hath generally beleeued that at his last supper our lord offered vnbloudy Sacrifice and gaue his bodie and bloud to God for vs after an vnbloudy manner as in part I haue proued in the 2. Chapter and shall proue more at large heereafter 6. Neither doth this hinder the fulfilling of this oath of God in our Sauiour for that he is not visibly now vpon earth to execute Priesthood according He vvho cōmandeth a thing to be donn is said rather to do it then his officer to the order of Melchisedech for when a thing is donn by commandement of another who hath lawfull power and authority to command and vertue to execute what is commanded he who commandeth is rather said to do the thing commanded then his officers or ministers who do it by his authority power and command So our Sauiour commanding the Apostles and their Successors to giue his body to God for vs and shed his bloud to God for vs and they doing it by his authority power and command he may be rather said to giue his body and shed his bloud to God for vs and offer Sacrifice then Bishops or Priests who do it but as his officers and by vertue of his power authority and command 7. The Scriptures supposing Melchisedechs Melchisedechs Priesthood supposed by the Scriptures to bee vvell knovvn Priesthood and Sacrifice to bee well known many tymes say that Christ shal be a Priest foreuer according to the order of Melchisedech yet of Melchisedechs Priesthood and Sacrifice we haue in the Scriptures no more but Melchisedech brought forth bread and wine for he was the Priest of the most high or And he was the Priest of the most high Gen. 14. 18. Whereby it is manifest that hee brought forth bread and wine to offer it vnto God in Sacrifice seeing that no where els there is made any mention of any thing he could offer to God in Sacrifice whereby his order might be known neither can it be said that he brought them forth only to feed Abraham and his soldiors who were filled with the victualls and spoyles of 4. kings and gaue the tythe thereof vnto Melchisedech as appeareth in the same chapter and then it had binn needles to add that he was a Priest of the most high and how he blessed Abraham 8. Secondly the Ancient Iewes affirme that Melchisedech offered Sacrifice in bread and wine The Ancient Ievves affirme that Melchisedech offered Sacrifice in bread and vvine as Rabbi Samuel vpon the 14. Chapter of Gen. saying He sett forth the acts of Priesthood for he was sacrificing bread and wine to God Rabbi Phinees vpon the 28. of Numbres saying In the time of the Messias all Sacrifices shall cease but the Sacrifice of bread and wine shall not cease as it is said Gen. 14. For Melchisedech the King Messias shal be exempted from the cessation of the Sacrifices of bread and wine as it is said in the 110. Psal thou art a Priest foreuer according to the order of Melchisedech Rabbi Moyses Hadarsan vpon the 14. of Gen. saying Rabbi the sonne of Enachinam said that this Melchisedech was Sem the sonne of Noe but what is the meaning of this that he brought forth bread and wine by this he shewed that he taught the act of his Priesthood which was to sacrifice bread and wine And this is it which is said in the Psal Our Lord hath sworne and it shall not repent him thou art a Priest foreuer according to the order of Melchisedech And Philo Iudaus in his book of Abraham toward the end saith that Melchisedech sacrificed in bread and wine for the victory of Abraham And Galatinus in his 10. book of the secrets of Catholick verities and Genebrard in his Chronologie vpon Melchisedech cite certayn Rabbies who translate these words of the 14. of Gen. and 18. Ver. thus Melchisedech offred bread and wine The Catholick Church translateth them brought forth bread wine and assigning the cause saith for he was Priest of the most high as if she should say that this was his office to offer bread and wine in Sacrifice to God And Theodorus Bibliander a Protestant in his 2. booke of the Trinity and 89. leafe confesseth that it was a generall receaued opinion amongst the ancient Iewes that as the comming of the blessed Messias all legall Sacrifices were to cease and that only the Sacrifice they called Theoda of thancksgiuing praise and confession was to continue with was to bee performed in bread and wine as Melchisedech king of Salem and Priest of the most high God in the tyme of Abraham brought forth bread and wine 9. The ancient Fathers were of opinion that The Ancient Fathers affirme that Melchisedech offered Sacrifice in bread and vvine Melchisedech sacrificed in bread and wine and that our Sauiour was to fulfill the Type in Melchisedechs sacrifice by offering vp his body and bloud in Sacrifice to God vnder the formes of bread and wine As S. Cyprian in his 63. Epist. saying Our Lord Iesus offered a Sacrifice to God the Father and offered the same that Melchisedech did that is bread and wine that is his body and bloud S. Ambrose vpon the 109. Psal saying Christ by the misterie of bread and wine is made a Priest foreuer according to the order of Melchisedech S. Hierome in his 17. Epist to Marcella chapter 2. saith Melchisedech then in type of Christ offered wine and bread and dedicated the Christian mystery in the body and bloud of our Sauiour And with these Fathers doth agree S. Augustin in his first Sermon vpon the 33. Psal saying In the old law you know that the Sacrifice of the Iewes was according to the order of Aaron in the slaughter of beasts and that in a mysterie for then the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord which the faithfull and those who read the Scriptures know was not instituted which Sacrifice is now dilated ouer the whole globe of the earth Propound therefore before your eyes two Sacrifices that according to the order of Aaron and this according to the order of Melchisedech c. The Sacrifice of Aaron was taken away and the Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech entered in his place and the Iewes adbering vnto that Sacrifice which was according to the order of Aaron imbraced not the Sacrifice which was according to the order of Melchisedech and so lost Christ Thus S. Augustin 10. Of this opinion where both the Greeke and Latin Fathers abundantly cited by Coceius in his 2. tome and 6. book Insomuch that Doctor Fulk a Puritan in the 99. leafe of his booke
against Saunders saith I confess that diuers of the old Fathers were of opinion that the bread and wine brought forth by Melchisedech was Sacrificed by him And Doctor Whytaker in the 818. and 819. leafe of his booke against Duraeus and Caluin vpon the 7. chapter to the Hebrewes confesse that the auncient Fathers were of opinion that Melchisedech sacrificed in bread and wine Wherefore seeing that our Sauiour was to be a Priest vntill the end of the world of the order of Melchisedech and to fulfill the type in the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and Melchisedech offered Sacrifice in bread and wine no indifferent man cann doubt whether our Sauiour were to be a Priest or no to offer his body and bloud in Sacrifice vnder the formes of bread and wine vntill the end of the world seeing that hee instituted such a Sacrifice and commanded such a kind of Sacrifice to be vsed in commemoration of him vntill the end of the world and such a Sacrifice hath been vsed novv amongst Christians 1600. yeares Wherefore I conclude this chapter with the wordes of S. Athanasius in his oration de fide maiore cited by Theodoret in his second Dialogue saying It is a bodie wherevnto he said sitt at my right hand vnto which bodie the diuell the wicked powers and the Iewes Christ a Priest by offering his bodie were enemies by which bodie he was a high Priest and an Apostle so tearmed for that misterie which he deliuered vnto vs saying This is my bodie which is broken for you and this is my blood of the new Testament not of the old which is shed for you Thus S. Athanasius And this is sufficient to shew that our Sauiour was to be a chief Priest of the order of Melchisedech to offer vnbloudie Sacrifice in his bodie and bloud vnder the forme of bread and wine vntill the end of the world to the fulfilling of this Prophecie which saith Thou art a Priest foreuer according to the order of Melchisadec Psal 109. 4. CHAP. X. At the coming of the Messias vnbloudy Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Sauiour was to be offered euery where vpon Altars amongst the conuerted gentils 1. THe Prophet Malachie speaking of the state of the Churche after the coming of the Messias and conuersion of the Gentils sayth Who is there among you Iewes that will kindle fire at my altar for naught I haue no will in you saith the lord of hoasts and gifts I will not receaue of your hand for from the rising of the sunn euen to the going downe great is my name among the Gentils and in euery place there is sacrificing there is offered to my name a cleane oblation because my name is great among the Gentils Malach. 1. 10. 2. Here first we haue that after the coming of Sacrifice vvas to cease among the Ievves at the comming of the Messias the Messias the visible externall Sacrifice which the Iewes offered vpon Altars should cease which we finde true by experience For it is to be noted that it was not lawfull for the Iewes to offer Sacrifice in anie place but at Hierusalem Deut. 12. 11. which being destroyed by Vespasianus and Titus soon after the Passion of our Sauiour and the Iewes exiled from thence they haue ben euer since without any visible externall Sacrifice to the verifying of the words which were spoken by the Prophet Osee saying Many dayes shall the children of Israel fitt without king and without sacrifice and without altar c. Euen vnto the last daies in which they shal be cōuerted vnto Christianitye Osee 3. Secondly that amongst the Gentils conuerted Sacrifice in all nations amongst Christians to Christianitie in euery place shal be offered Sacrifice vpon Altars which we see also fulfilled by experience in Europe Asia Africa and America 3. Thirdly in the Hebrew tongue in which the Prophet Malachy writt the Sacrifice which was to cease amongst the Iewes and the Sacrifice which was to be offered amongst the gentils conuerted vnto Christianitie are both expressed by one or the same hebrew word Mincha which signifieth an vnbloudy Sacrifice or Sacrifice of fine flowre for so it is expressed Leuit. 2. 1. saying When a soule shall offer an oblation of Sacrifice to our Lord fine flowre shal be his oblation where for oblation of Sacrifice in hebrew is putt this word Mincha so the sense of the Prophecie is Great is my name among the Gentils and in euery place there is offered to my name a cleane vnbloudy oblation or sacrifice Which we see alsoe fulfilled by experience in the offering vpp of the most immaculate bodie of the sonne of God after an vnbloudie manner all ouer the world amongst the gentils conuerted vnto Christianitie And there neyther is nor euer hath ben amongst Christians anie other externall visible Sacrifice offered to God but it as appeareth by the Liturgies or Masse-bookes of all ages and countreis and the bookes of antient Fathers 4. Fourthly the Hebrew word Mincha is by The Gentils vvere to offer a proper Sacrifice to God the iudgement of both Catholicks or Puritans taken in the first place where it speaketh of the sacrifice of the Iewes for a proper externall visible sacrifice offered to God and the text is so playne that it can not be denied Therefore in the second place where it speaketh of Christian sacrifices it intendeth a proper externall visible sacrifice offered to God seeing that in both these places the sacrifice is expressed by one or the same word 5. Fiftly the sacrifice of the Iewes which God The conuerted Gentils vvere to offer sacrifices vpon altars reiected was a sacrifice offered to him vpon Altars as is manifest by this text of Malachy where he speaketh of an Altar and by that of Osee the 3. chap. where it is sayed that the Iewes shal be without Sacrifice and without altar Wherefore it can not be denied but that the Sacrifice which is so acceptable to God amongst the gentils conuerted to Christianitie must be a sacrifice offered vpon Altars seeing they are both expressed by one or the same Hebrew word and so is the Sacrifice of the body or bloud of our lord a Sacrifice vpon an Altar 6. Sixtly the Prophet sayeth There is offered A cleane oblation to my mane a pure or cleane oblation not only cleane and pure before men but before God to whom it is offered and so is the oblation of the immaculate body or bloud of the sonne of God which is offered euerie where amongst the Gentils conuerted vnto Christianitie and there neither is nor hath binn amōgst Christians anie other pure or cleane oblation which can minister occasion of doubting 7. Seuenthly though this pure and cleane oblation shal be offered vp in euery place amongst One host or oblation though offered euerye vvhere the conuerted Gentiles yet it shal be but one and the same host or oblation offered in euery place for the text sayth it
Passion Resurrection from hell and Ascension into heauen we doe offer vnto thee this immaculate host reasonable host vnbloudy host this holy bread and Chalice of eternall life and beseech that thou wouldest receaue this oblation in thy high Altar by the handes of thy Angells as thou hast vouchsafed to receaue the Giftes of thy child Abell and the Sacrifice of our Patriarch Abraham and that which the high Priest Melchisedech offered vnto thee Which wordes are also vsed in the in the offering of Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord in the Catholicke Church even vntill this daie 8. S. Hierome who as we haue placed them is the sixth amonst the antient Doctors of the Catholick S. Hierome of the Sacrifice and Sacrament Church so constantly beleeued a Sacrifice and communion in the body and bloud of our Lord that in the 5. chapter of his 3. booke against the Pelagians he saith Christ hath taught his Apostles this that these who haue daily confidence in the Sacrifice of his body may bouldly saie Our Father which art in heauen as the Catholicke Church vseth euen vntill this daie in the daily Sacrifice of his body Vpon the first chapter to Titus A Bishopp is to offer pure victimes euery daie to God for his owne sinnes and sinnes of the People In the 19. chapter of his first book against Iouinian Priests ought alwaies to offer Sacrifice for the People In the 3. chapter of his book against Vigilantius defendeth the Bishopp of Rome who as he saith offered Sacrifice to God ouer the venerable bones of Peter and Paule In his 150. Epistle Moyses hath not giuen vs true bread but our Lord Iesus he is the guest and the banquet he is he that eateth and who is eaten we drincke his bloud and without him we cannot drincke it and daily in his Sacrifices we tread forth the new redd wine of the branch of the true vine and of the viniard of Sorac which is as much as to saie chosen and out of these we drinck new wine of the Kingdome of the Father In the Preface of his 5. book vpon the Prophet Ieremie alluding to the communion of Christians he saith The People of God shall eate the bread which was borne in our village of Bethlem where he sometimes liued a religious life in a monasterie Vpon the 3. chapter of Sophonias Priests serue the Eucharist and distribute our Lords bloud to his People In his Epistle to Heliodorus he saith God forbidd that I should speake any sinister S. Hierome his respect to Priests thing of those who succeeding to the Apostolicall degree doe make the body of Christ with their holy mouthes by whom we also become Christians Againe in his Epistle to Euagrius he saith At the praiers of Bishopps and Priests the body and bloud of Christ is made Which eminencie and dignitie of consecrating the body and bloud of our Lord who is the lambe without spott and the light of heauen so penetrated his heart that though a Priest yet out of his profound S. Hieromes humilitie humilitie and venerable respect to so great a Mysterie as is the consecration of the body and bloud of our Lord would not venture to consecrate or offer Christian Sacrifice as witnesseth S. Epiphanius in his Epistle to Iohn Bishopp of Hierusalem translated out of greeke into latin by S. Hierome himselfe and fett downe both amongst S. Hieromes Epistles and in S. Epiphanius his workes where he saith That after he had seen that there were a multitude of holy bretheren or fryars gathered together in a Monastery and the holy Priests Hierome and Vincent who liued amongst them out of their modestie and humilitie would not exercise the offering of Sacrifice due vnto their function nor labour in this Sacrifice the chiefest saluation of Christians part of the Ministrie which is the chiefest saluation of Christians he ordayned S. Hieromes brother a Priest to supply the necessitie of the monasterie for the offering of Sacrifice and the administration of Sacraments as further witnesseth S. Hierome in the 3. chapter of his Epistle to Theophilus against Iohn of Hierufalem and Epiphanius aboue cited 9. By this which hath been said it is so manifest that all the six aforesaid ancient Doctors of the Catholick Church not only held and taught a Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord and a communion of the same but also that this their opinion was agreable to the Scriptures that it is without all controuersie Before all those Doctors flourished Optatus Mileuitanus who writing Optatus Mileuitanus of the furie of the hereticall Donatists against the Eucharist of the body and bloud of our Lord consecrated by Catholicke Priests saith in his 2. booke against Parmenianus That your aforesaid The furie of the Donatists against the Sacrifice and Eucharist of Catholickes Bishopps might violate all holy thinges they commanded the Eucharist to be cast vnto doggs not without a manifestation of the iudgement of God for the same doggs becomming madd with their teeth tore theire Maisters as theeues and guilty of the holy body c. Againe in his 6. booke describing yet more at large the furie of these heretickes against the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord offered by Catholick Priests saith What is so sacrilegious as to breake raise or remoue the Altars of God vpon the which you also sometimes offered wpon which the vowes of the People and the members of Christ are borne where Almightie God is inuocated where the holy Ghost being desired doth descend from whence many take the pledge of eternall saluation the defence of faith and hope of Resurrection c. for what is the Altar but the seate of the body and bloud of Christ All these things your furie hath either raised or broken or remoued c. What had Christ offended you whose body and bloud did dwell there vpon the Altar for a certaine time What haue you offended against yourselues that you should breake these Altars vpon the which for many yeares before vs you offered as we thinke holily whilest that you doe wickedly persecute our handes there where the body of Christ doth dwell you strike your owne whereby you imitate the Iewes They cast their handes on Christ vpon the Crosse and you strike him vpon the Altar And afterwardes This wicked deede is doubled whilest you breake the Chalices the beares of the bloud of Christ whose species you haue turned into masses or lumpes prouiding marchandize for wicked fayres Thus Optatus 10. S. Cyprian liued abond the yeare 240. and S. Cyprian his beleefe of this Sacrifice he in his 63. Epistle proueth against the Aquarij certaine hereticks who were in his time That Iesus-Christ our Lord God was author and teacher of this Sacrifice of his body and bloud which in his time was vsed and beleeued throughout the Christian world as there he proueth at large and by the same places of
Our Sauiour spoke often of this Sacrament often of this Sacrifice and Sacrament at his last Supper and Sacrament and said vpon diuerse occasions This is my body This is my body which is giuen for you This is my body which is broken for you This Chalice is the new Testament in my bloud drinke ye all of this for this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes This is my body which shal be deliuered for you Drinke ye all of this for this is my bloud of the new Testament which shal be shed for many vnto remission of sinnes This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud which shal be shed for you as not only doe wittnes the greek and latin Bibles Math. 26. Mar. 14. Luk. 22. 1. Cor. 11. and both the greek and latin Fathers in their seuerall workes but also the practise of both the greek and latin Church in their seuerall Liturgies or books of the consecration and administration of this Sacrament and no where either in the greek or latin Bibles or in the greek or latin Fathers or in the ancient Liturgies or Signe neuer read amōgst the vvords of the institution of the Sacrament books of the consecration and administration of this Sacrament are the wordes of the institution of this Sacrament read This is only a signe of my body or This doth only signifie my body as our Aduersaries would haue them to saie or signifie but euery where both in the greek and latin Bibles and in the greek and latin Fathers and ancient books of consecration and administration of this Sacrament where the wordes of the institution of this Sacrament are read or alleadged they are read and alleadged This is my body This is my bloud c. 2. And though the Grecians alwayes in their The greek Bibles reade the vvordes of the institution in the present tense Bibles and for the most part in theire books of the consecration of this Sacrament and other books read the words of the institution of this Sacrament in the present tense as This is my body which is giuen for you or which is broken for you and This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many and the latines for the most part both in their Bibles books of consecration and other books read them in the future tense as This is my body which shal be deliuered for you and my bloud which shal be shed for you yet neither of them find fault with the other or reprehend the diuersitie in reading because our Lord at the institution of this Sacrament spoke often of his body and bloud and not only said that it was his body and bloud which he then gaue broke and shed to God for vs and deliuered in the communion vnto the Apostles but also said that the same his body and Our Sauiour instituted a Sacrifice in his body to the fulfilling of the Lavv and Prophets bloud should be deliuered and shed to God for vs as a cleane oblation or vnbloudy Sacrifice in his Church vntill he come to the fullfilling of the Law and the Prophets 3. In the ould Law there were cleane or vnbloudy Sacrifices Leuit. 2. 1. 4. and 5. Leuit. 5. 11. and these things were donn in figure of vs 1. Cor. 10. 6. For the Law brought nothing to perfection but an introduction to a better hope Heb. 7. 19. And the Prophets speake of Priests Leuites and vnbloudy Sacrifice or a cleane oblation to be established in the new Law as Isaie 61. 6. Isaie 66. 21. Ieremie 33. 18. Psal 109. 4. Daniel 9. 27. Malachie 1. 11. And therefore our Lord said of his body and bloud in the institution of this Sacrament This is my body and bloud which is giuen and is shed for you now and shal be giuen and shed for you in the commemoratiō of me To fullfill the Law and the Prophets concerning Priests Leuites and vnbloudy Sacrifice 4. The Grecians in their Bibles reading alwayes these words in the institution of this Sacrament in the present tense doe demonstrate that our Our Sauiour at the institution of the Sacrament did not speake of his boby as vpon the Crosse Lord at the institution of this Sacrament did not speake of the giuing or breaking of his body or shedding of his bloud vpon the Crosse but of his then breaking of his body and shedding of his bloud at the institution of the communion to the verifying of his words spoken in the present tense and the sayings of the ancient Fathers who affirme that he was then at his last Supper both the Priest and victime host or gift and both the banquet and the guest as of S. Cyprian in his 63. Epistle Origen in his 35. Tract vpon S. Matthew S. Gregorie Nissen in his Oration of the Resurrection S. Ambrose in his first preparation to Masse S. Chrisostome in his 28. Homilie vpon the 1. to the Corinthians S. Hierome in his 2. question of his 150. Epistle vnto Hedibia and in his Commentaries vpon the 80. Psalme and vpon the 11. chapter of Osee S. Augustine in the 20. chapter of his 10. book of the cittie of God and in his 2. Sermon vpon the 33. Psalme saying Christ carried himself after a certaine manner when he said This is my body because he carried himself vnder the species of bread Neither was was his body broken vpon the Crosse as wittnes both Sriptures and Fathers Iohn 19. 39. Exod 12. 46. S. Chrisostome vpon the 10. chapter of the 1. to the Corinthians and Theophilact and Oecumenus in the same place neither will our Aduersaries be able to finde these words is broken put for shal be crucified in the whole Bible for though the Prophet Isaie saie He was brused for our iniquities or as the Septuagint read He was made infirme or weake for our iniquities yet no where doe they saie He was broken vpon the Crosse or put these words is broken for shal be crucified as both one because the Scriptures saie that he was not broken vpon the Crosse and cannot be contrary vnto themselues Neither was the tyme of our Lords Passion then begun as our Aduersaries also confesse and therefore our Lord could not then saye and saye truly This is my body which is broken for you intending that it was broken for them vpon the Crosse or in his Passion 5. Neither is it any way probable that our Lord who was truth itselfe and descended down Not probable that our Lord vvould vse equiuocation in his last vvill and testament from heauē to teach men the way of truth should in the making of his Testament instituting of a Sacramēt and administrating of the communion and going to his Passion not only equiuocate and put the present tense so often for the future and vse analogie of tymes in a thing which did concerne all mens saluations contrary to the common custome
that the saying of Amen doth signify the free consent and confirmation of the thing spoken of before or propounded to be donn Wherefore seeing that both our Sauiour and the faithfull in all ages added Amen to the words spoken of the flesh body and bloud of our Lord in the Eucharist it is most manifest that both it was the true flesh and bloud of our Lord which they spake of and the faithfull in all ages beleeued it to be the true flesh and bloud of our Lord euen that which was borne of the blessed Virgin Mary for as S. Paule saith He that supplieth the place of the vulgar how shall he saye Amen vpon thy blessing if he know not what thou saiest 1. Cor. 14. 16. Wherevpon S. Hierome in his Commentaries vpon the last chapter to the Galathians saith Moreouer that Amen doth expresse the consent of the hearers and is a seale of the truth the first Epistle to the Corinthians doth teach vs where S. Paule saith But if thou blesse with the spirit he who supplieth the place of the common people how shall he say Amen to thy blessing because he knoweth not what thou saiest whereby he declareth that an vnlearned man cannot answere that it is true which is said as Amen signifyeth vnlesse he vnderstand that which is taught Wherevpon the Priest in the primitiue Church before he administred the Communion to the vulgar common people admonished them that it was the body and bloud of Christ as witnesseth Pelagius who liued in the tyme of S. Hierom in his commentaries The people aduertised of the reall presence vpon the first Epistle to the Corinthians and 11. chapter saying When we receaue the Sacrament we are admonished by the Priest that it is the body and bloud of Christ. 5. Not only in the Liturgiy of S. Iames which was vsed for the administration of this Sacrament Amen to the reall presence ansvvered by all nations at Hierusalem the people answered Amen to the words of consecration and to the Priest when he saith The body of Christ or bloud of Christ but also in the rest of the Liturgies or publik Church seruice kooks as in the Liturgie of S. Peter which was made for the latine Church the Liturgie of S. Marke made for the greeke Church the Liturgie of S. Basil made for the Church of Capadocia the Liturgie of S. Chrisostome made for the Church of Constantinople in the Liturgie of the Ethiopians made by S. Matthew the Priest representing the person of our Sauiour saith This is my body the people answere Amen Amen so we beleeue it to be and confesse and do praise the Lord our God this is truly thy body The Priest saith c. This is my bloud of the new Testament c. The people answere Amen Amen Amen we beleeue it and confesse and and doe praise the Lord our God this is truly thy bloud c. The Priest saith This is the body holy honorable and vitall of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus-Christ which hath been giuen for remission of sinnes and the obteyning of life euerlasting to those who take it truly Amen This is the bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus-Christ holy honorable and quickening which hath been giuen for the remission of sinnes vnto all those who shall truly receaue it Amen This is truly the body and this is truly the bloud of Emanuel our God Amen I doe beleeue it now and for euer Amen 6. To this end that the people might answere Amen to the words of consecration and confirme VVhy anciently the vvords of consecration vvere spoken a lovvde their beliefe of the true reall and substātiall being of the body and bloud of our Lord in the Eucharist after consecration in the primitiue Church the words of consecration were pronounced with a lowd voice that all the people present at the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord might answere Amen to the confirming and professing of their faith which continued as it seemeth vntill about the yeare 700. about which tyme diuerse men reteyning the words of consecration would sing them vp and down the streets as The occasion vvhy the vvords of consecration are spoken vvhich a lovv voice they walked and in other indecent places vnfitt for such sacred words and also certaine shepheards who had retained the words of consecration by heart erected a stone for an altar and placed bread and wine thereon pronounced the words ouer them as they had seen Priests to doe wherevpon fire came down from heauen consumed the bread and wine and stone and so astonished the shepheards as that for a longe tyme after they could scarce speake as witnesseth Sophronius in the 196. chapter of his Prato Spirituali Remigius Antisiodorensis in his exposition of the Masse and Alcuinus in his book De diuinis officijs for remedy whereof and such like prophanesse the latin Church hath brought vp the custome to pronounce the sacred words of consecration with a lowe though a distinct voice Yet neuer thelesse euen vntill this day when the Priest doth communicate himselfe before he receaue houlding the Eucharist in his handes he saith The body of our Lord Iesus-Christ keepe my soule to euerlasting lyfe Amen and after communicateth himselfe And when he communicateh any other before he deliuer the Eucharist he holdeth it in his hāds and saith The body of our Lord Iesus-Christ keepe thy soule to life euerlasting Amen 7. In the Liturgie or Masse of S. Ambrose sett forth for the Church of Milan the Priest publikely sheweth the consecrated host vnto the communicants and saith with a lowde voice The body of Christ and the people before they receaue in confirmation that they beleeue it to be the body before it be deliuered vnto them and to professe their faith in this point answere Amen The same custome was vsed also in the administration of the chalice when the Communion was distributed in both kinds as appeareth by the 49. question of a book dedicated to Orosius by some attributed to S. Augustine which saith that before the Priest administrated the Chalice vnto those who communicated in both kinds he said The bloud of our Lord Iesus-Christ and he that communicated in profession of his faith that he beleeued it to be the very bloud of our Lord independant of his faith and before he communicated answered Amen So the whole Church of God hauing at all tymes euen from the first foundation thereof by the Apostles vsed publik acclamation in the confirmation of their beliefe of the reall presence of the body and bloud of our Lord in the Eucharist before receauing and independant of the faith of the receauer I leaue it to the discretion of every vnderstanding man to thinke how absurd it is now after 1600. yeares for any man who desireth to beare the name of a Christian to deny it 8. Moreouer the Catholik Church hath alwayes had so great a care to preserue in all her
the Sonne of Mann and doe not drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you you ought to communicate after such asort to the holy table as that you doubt nothing at all of the body and bloud of Christ for that is taken by the mouth which is beleeued by faith And in vaine doe these answere Amen who dispute against that which is taken Thus S. Leo. 14. This custome of answering Amen to the Priest when he called the Eucharist the body of Christ was so vniuersally practised in the primitiue Church that Cornelius who was a holy Martyr and made Bishop of Rome about the yeare 254. Nouatus the heretik chāged the ansvvere of Amen in his Epistle to Fabius Bishop of Antioche set down by Eusebius in the 35. chaper of his 6. book of Histories amongst other things accuseth Nouatus an Arch-heretike of a most greevous offence for that when he had offered Sacrifice and should distribute vnto euery one part of the Sacrament he would take the hands of the communicants between both his hands and would not lett them goe vntil he had bound the communicant with this oath Sweare vnto me by the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus-Christ that thou wilt neuer forsake me nor returne to Cornelius And the miserable man saith S. Cornelius who was to receaue did not taste of the blessed Sacrament before he had bound himselfe vnto him after this manner And he who should receaue the Sacrament said this in lieu of Amen which he ought to haue said I will from this tyme forward no more returne to Cornelius Thus S. Cornelius in disciphering the wickednes of the heretike Nouatus whereby we see that euen in the primitiue Church both the Eucharist was beleeued to be the body and bloud of Christ before receauing and that the whole Church of God in all ages vsed to acknowledge it to be the body and bloud of Christ before they receaued 15. S. Augustine in his 29. Sermon vpon the words of the Apostles maketh also mention of this testimony which all the faithfull haue euer giuen to the body and bloud of Christ in the Eucharist before receauing saith You know ô faithfull men what testimony you haue giuen vnto the bloud which you haue receaued for certainly you saie Amen Wherevpon The ansvvere of Amen crieth against the Aduersaries of the reall presence lyke the bloud of Abel S. Augustine in the 10. chapter of his 2. book against Faustus a Manichean heretike who contemned the bloud of Christ in the Eucharist compareth the crying of the bloud of Christ out of the mouths of the faithfull who answere Amen vnto it before they receaue it vnto the crying of the bloud of Abel which was shed vpon earth by his brother Cain saying God saith to Cain what hast thou donn The voice of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto me from the earth Euen so the diuine voice in the Scripture saying This is my bloud doth reprehend the Iewes for the bloud of Christ hath alowd voice vpō earth when Amen is answered vnto it by all nations at their receauing of it This of Amen is the cleare or manifest voice of the bloud which the bloud itselfe out of the mouth of the faithfull redeemed by the same bloud doth expresse Thus S. Augustine whose words we may vse word for word against our Aduersaries changing only Jewes for Puritans 16. Wherefore I humbly beseech the Reader whosoeuer thou art that shalt read these our books and doest not beleeue the reall presence seriously to consider with thyselfe in what a lamentable and miserable estate thou liuest seeing that as S. Augustine saith not only all faithfull people who euer receaued the communion in the Church of God crie against thee as guilty of the bloud of our Lord but also the bloud of Christ itselfe out of the mouthes of the faithfull who haue receaued euen as did the bloud of Abel against his brothe Cain and haue compassion of thyselfe yet whilest there is tyme lett not thy senses deceaue thee nor the obstinacy of thy will hinder thee nor yet sloath or negligence so lull thee a sleepe that thou wilt not heare the crye of all faithfull people and nations If life please thee doe not contemne life when it is offred vnto thee in the bread of life but prepare thy heart to receaue it worthily that thou maist liue eternally Amen THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE FIRST BOOK CHAP. I. WHat we vnderstand by visible Sacrifice and of the whole scope of this book CHAP. II. The necessitie of visible Sacrifice and the end or cause why it was instituted and vsed CHAP. III. All the Gentils and heathen people Atheists and Epicures only excepted offred visible Sacrifice vnto their supposed Gods CHAP. IV. Of all the visible outward actions of men exterior visible Sacrifice is chiefly due vnto God as God and Creator of all thinges CHAP. V. Of all the visible actions of men exterior visible Sacrifice is only due vnto God alone CHAP. VI. By the instinct of nature all people who firmly beleeued that there was a God and his prouidence ouer mankind offred externall visible Sacrifice to some God true or false CHAP. VII How visible Sacrifice was offred vnto God in the beginning of his Church vpon earth and shal be vnto the end CHAP. VIII The reasons why our Sauiour would not take awaie visible Sacrifice out of the Church but establish it in better termes CHAP. IX Our Sauiour was to be a chief Priest of the order of Melchisedech and to offer vnbloudy Sacrifice in his body and bloud vnder the formes of bread and wine vntill the end of the world CHAP. X. At the comming of the Messias vnbloudy Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Sauiour was to be offred euerie where vpon altars amongst the conuerted Gentils CHAP. XI By the distinction of bloudie and vnbloudie Sacrifices is prooued that our Sauiour at his last supper offred vnbloudie Sacrifice in his bodie and bloud CHAP. XII The ancient Fathers beleeued that our Lord at his last supper offred vnbloudy Sacrifice in his bodie and bloud and established the same in hi Church CHAP. XIII The whole Christian world before Luther beleeued that our Sauiour at his last supper offred vnbloudie Sacrifice or Sacrifice of Gifts in his bodie and bloud and established them in his Church CHAP. XIV The conclusion The Chapters of the 2. book CHAP. I. OVr Sauiour at his last Supper instituted an vnbloudie Sacrifice or Gifts in his bodie and bloud to be offred to God in commemoration of him CHAP. II. How these words This is my body which shal be deliuered for you import also a Sacrifice in his body CHAP. III. The Scriptures and knowne Christian mens books who writt of this subiect before Luther reputed heretiks to both parties only excepted teach a Sacrifice in the bodie and bloud of our Lord. CHAP. IV. Remission of sinnes and other blessings are and may be obteined by the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord. CHAP. V. Our Sauiour commanded that we should giue to God for vs the same body and bloud which he gaue and shed and how all the hosts offred in Sacrifice or giuen in the Communion are one CHAP. VI. One and the same substantiall body and bloud of our Lord in the holy Sacrament is in diuers places and vnder diuers dimensions at the same tyme. CHAP. VII Our Sauiour is chief Priest or agent in offring vnbloudy Sacrifice and administratring Sacraments CHAP. VIII How in generall our Sauiour by his omnipotency together with Priests his instruments and Legats doth consecrate his true reall and substantiall body and bloud in the blessed Sacrament CHAP. IX Of the certainty of the presence of the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament after consecration by the omnipotency of God CHAP. X. The Amen or conclusion of this book and how all faithfull communicants haue vsed to say Amen to the body and bloud of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament before they receaued FINIS APPROBATIO TRactatus hic secundus de Sacrificio nihil continet quod aut rectae Fidei aut bonis moribus repugnet imprimi itaque poterit diuulgari Datum Bruxell die 15. Maij 1637. Henricus Calaenus S. T. L. librorum Censor