common people and not to displease the Athenians as witnesseth Cicero in his bookes of the ends of good and euill of Tusculans quest and of the nature of the God and Plutark in his book against Coletes an Epicure Wherefore seeing that it was a thing impossible and altogether incredible that our Lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST should quite take away the offering of externall visible Sacrifice to God for the good of those who are deceaued to the violating of Religion contempt of God and damnation of their poore soules it wil be worth our labour yet more exactly to handle this matter and seeke out how and what visible Sacrifice our Sauiour appointed for his followers to vse in his Church vpon earth which by Gods grace I will do in the ensueing chapters CHAP. IX Our Sauiour was to be a chiefe 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 1. THe Prophet Dauid speaking of the Priesthood of our Sauiour in the 109. Psal and 4. Ver. according vnto our account Christs Priest hood foreuer of the order of Melchisedech vvas to be performed vpon earth and 110. according to the account of Protestants and Puritans saith Our Lord hath sworn and it shall not repent him thou art a Priest foreuer according to the Order of Melchisedech This to be spoken of our Sauiour S. Paul witnesseth Heb. 5. 6. 10. Heb. 6. 20. So here we haue that our Sauiour vvas to be a Priest not for once or for a litle while as vpon the Crosse but as long as the world shall last vntill Eternitie come or as the Apostle saith vntill Christ shall come to Iudgment 1. Cor. 11. 26. For these words foreuer euerlasting are many tymes taken for as long as the world shall last or for a long time as Leuit. 25. 46. Exod. 15. 18. Exod. 21. 6. Exo. 31. 16. Leuit. 23. 31. Eze. 26. 21. And S. Hierome in his commentaries vpon the 26. of Ezechiel and 21. Ver. and vpon the first to the Gal and 4. Ver. affirmeth that the hebrew word Leolam vvhich is here translated foreuer doth not signify the eternity of the other life but the whole tyme of this life or as long as the world shall endure c. 2. The end and vse of Priesthood and offering The vse of Priesthood and sacrifice vp of Sacrifice is as S. Paul saith Heb. 5. 1. to obtayn remission of sinnes but after the day of Iudgment and end of this world there wil be no more any remission of sinnes wherefore it were in vayn to say that Christ were a Priest foreuer in the other world of eternitie according to the order of Melchisedech seeing that in the eternitie of the other life there is no remission of sinnes or vse of Priesthood or Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech which S. Paul further signifyeth saying Where there is no remession of sinnes as in the eternitie of the other life now there is not an oblation for sinnes Heb. 10. 18. Agayn S. Paul sayith Euery high Priest is appointed that he may offer guifts and hosts wherefore it is necessary that he also haue somthing that he may offer Heb. 8. 3. But it were absurd to say that Christ in heauen offered Sacrifice hosts or gifts according to the order of Melchisedech seeing that in heauen earthly Sacraments and Sacrifices which are represented vnder outward corruptible materiall signes do cease by reason of the imperfection for in heauen is no imperfection 1. Cor. 13. 10. 3. And S. Paul speaking of the Priesthood of our Sauiour according to the order of Melchisedech saith If then consummation was by the Leuiticall Priesthood what necessitie was there yet of an other Christ a Priest of the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron Priest to rise according to the order of Mechisedech and not to be called according to the order of Aaron for the Priesthood being translated it is necessary that a translation of the law also be made for Christ of whom these things be said is of another tribe of the which none attended on the Altar Heb. 7. 11. Where we Chriests Priesthood to be performed on earth see that our Sauiours Priesthood according to the order of Melchisedech was to be performed vpon earth as the Priesthood according to the order of Aaron was performed vpon earth and the law was translated vpon earth and the tribes and Altars were vpon earth 4. Neither can this prophecy be vnderstood of This Prophecie not vnderstood of the Sacrifice vpon the Cross our Sauiours Sacrifice vpon the Crosse for that was but once offered Heb. 10. 10. and if the Scriptures here should speake of the Sacrifice of the Crosse it should say thou art a Priest for once and not say thou art a Priest foreuer Secondly S. Paul saith Other Priests by death were prohibited to continue but Christ for that he continueth foreuer hath an euerlasting Priesthood Heb. 7. 23. But as our Sauiour offered himself in Sacrifice vpon the Crosse he was neither euerlasting nor immortall but mortall and dyed and therefore as he was offered vpon the Cross he was by death prohibited to continue aswell as other Priests wherefore it cannot be said that Christ is a Priest foreuer according to the order of Melchisedech because he offered himself vpon the Crosse 5. The Sacrifice of our Sauiour vpon the Crosse was bloudy and rather according to the order of Aaron then Melchisedech of which order our Sauiour was not as S. Paul witnesseth saying Christ Our Sauiour vvas not a Priest of the order of Aron was not called according to the order of Aaron Heb. 7. 11. Wherefore seeing that our Sauiour was to be a Priest to offer Sacrifice vnto God vntill the end of the world and that there neither is nor hath been any other Sacrifice offered in the Christian Church but that which amongst Christians No Sacrifice amongst Christians but that of the body and bloud of our Lord. is called the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord as all the Christian Church seruice bookes Histories Chronicles and testimonies of ancient tyme beare witnes what Christian man can deny that our Sauiour was to be a Priest foreuer to offer this Sacrifice of his body and bloud by himself his Apostles and their Successors vntill the end of the world and that this oath of God is fulfilled in offering or giuing to God his body and bloud vnder the species of bread and wine according to his commaund at his last supper 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 And in like manner the Chalice after he had supped saying This is the Chalice of the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you to God Luc. 22. Do this the same which he then
the penaltie of death imposed vpon those Priests who should drink wine whilest they were seruing in the Tabernacle Leuit. 10. 9. And amongst all the Iewes it was esteemed a profane thing and a token of idolatrie to drink of their drink offerings Deut. 32. 30. Hest. 14. 17. Cor. 10. 7. Therefore our Sauiour said This do ye that is shed my bloud to God for you or offerr vnbloudy Sacrifice in my bloud for you as often as you shall drink for the commemoratiō of me Otherwise if our Sauiour had not giuen them an expres command to offer the Chalice in Sacrifice before they drunk of it either they would not haue offered Sacrifice in the Chalice or els they would not haue drunk of it not to trangress the old Law where they vsed not to drink of their drink offerings in the Sacrifices and communion but of a cup of ordinary wine after the Sacrifice and communion was ended as appeareth by the ritual of the Iewes 11. And if we examine the institution of the B. Sacrament set down by S. Paul we shall find also that our Sauiour at his last Supper instituted an vnbloudie Sacrificie in the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud S. Paule saying Our Lord Iesus in the night he was betraied tooke bread and giuing thankes brake and said as it is in the originall greeke and as Protestants and Puritans translate it take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe in remembrance of me 1. Cor. 11. 24. Where first we may obserue that he doth not saie This is my bodie which is broken to you as in a Sacrament but which is broken for you to God as in a Sacrifice after the manner of vnbloudie Sacrifices which were deuided and brokē as I haue shewed in the 11. chapter Secondly our Sauiour saith This is my bodie which is broken for you to expresse himselfe that he then offered Gifts or vnbloudie Sacrifice for vs to God and commanding the Apostles to obserue that kinde of Sacrifice in his Church addeth Doe this in commemoration of me 12. If our Sauiour in administratiō of the communion If our Sauiour had not intended a Sacrifice he vvould not haue vsed the vvordes proper to signify a Sacrifice had not intended to offer vnbloudie Sacrifice or Gifts he would not when all the world vsed to offer Sacrificie in their Communion haue vsed these wordes so often which are proper to signify an vnbloudie Sacrifice or Gifts as This is my bodie which is giuen for you This is my bodie which is broken for you This is the bloud of the new Testament which is shed for manie This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you but haue left them out for if he had not intended to offer Sacrifice these wordes would haue bin better left out and the sense of his wordes would haue bin more cleare and manifest if he had said thus Taking bread he gaue thankes and gaue to them saying Doe this for a commemoration of me And then there would haue bin no dispute or difficultie about the text but these former words being in the text and these aforesaid texts being thus sett downe in the Greeke Bibles and the Protestantes and Puritans themselues translating them after the afore said manner in their English Bibles and the ancienet Fathers vnderstanding them to be spoken of vnbloudie Sacrifce and the whole knowne Nothing more manifest in the Bible then that our Sauiour at his laste Supper instituted a Sacrifice world Atheists and Epicures only excepted vsing them to communicate of things offered in Sacrifice as I haue proued in the 3. Chapter of the first part there is nothing more manifest in the Bible then that our Sauiour in the administration of the communion at his last Supper instituted an vnbloudie Sacrifice in his bodie and bloud 13. To this which hath bin said if we add the A Sacrifice commanded by S. Paule in the Communion words of S. Paule where he commandeth vs saying As often as you shall eate this bread and drinke the Chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntill he come 1. Cor. 11. 26 and our Lord not dying against his will but voluntarily and willingly offering The offering of himselfe in Sacrifice the chiefest act in the Passion of our Lord. vp himself in Sacrifice for vs Isa 53. 7. Ioh. 10. 16. 19 how can anie Christian man with reason doubt whether we should offer Sacrifices or no in commemoration of his death especially seeing that as I haue said before the offering of himselfe in Sacrifice for vs is the chiefest act whereby we receaue benefit by his sacred Passion for if our Sauiour had dyed and had not offered or giuen his life for our Redemption we had receaued no benefit by his sacred death Whereby we see that of all the absurdities this is one of the greatest to graunt as Puritans do that we ought in the administration of the Sacrament to make a commemoration of the Passion of our Sauiour for vs and yet deny that we ought to offer Sacrifice in his commemoration when the offering of himself in Sacrifice for vs is the chiefest thing in his Passion and the greatest benefit we haue receaued by his death and so manifestly expressed and commanded in the Scriptures that we ought to shew forth his death and giue his bodie to God for vs as often as we shall consecrate the Communion as that it can not be denied and that to communicate and not of things offered vp in Sacrifice is by the Scripture accounted a great sinne 1. Kings 2. and contrarie to the practise of all Natiōs as I haue shewed in the first part Wherefore our Aduersaries if they would speake or proceede consequenter they should either deny that they ought to make a commemoration of the Passion of our Lord in their Lordes Supper or els vse an externall visible Sacrifice in their Lordes Supper to shew forth the Sacrifice of our Lord vpon the Crosse And this is sufficient to manifeste vnto anie indifferent Reader that our Lord at the institution of the most blessed Sacrament instituted an vnbloudy Sacrifice or Gifts in his bodie and bloud vnder the species of bread and wine to be offered vnto God in commemoration of him CHAP. II. How these wordes this is my body which shal be deliuered for you import also a Sacrifice in his bodie 1. IF we read this Text of S. Paule according to the vulgar latin translation which saith This is my bodie which shal be deliuered for you 1. Cor. 11. 24. it agreeth in one with that of S. Luke which saith This is my bodie which is giuen for you and with that of the greeke translation which saith This is my body which is broken for you when the Scriptures saie This is my body which is giuen for you or This is my body which is broken for you in the present tense
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