Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	body_n	bread_n	transubstantiation_n	2,166	5	10.9952	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11189	A way of reconciliation of a good and learned man touching the trueth, nature, and substance of the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament. Translated out of Latin by the right honorable Lady Elizabeth Russell, dowager to the right honourable the Lord Iohn Russell, Baron, and sonne and heire to Francis Earle of Bedford.	Russell, Elizabeth Cooke Hoby, Lady, ca. 1540-1609.	1605 (1605)	STC 21456; ESTC S101217	72,992	116

for but do consecrat them for a pompe farre off from Gods word and yet notwithstanding doe thrust them to the simple people in stead of sacraments For although they be ministred orderly and according to their lavvfull vse yet when that vse and doing of their proper office doeth cease they retaine no longer neither the name nor vertue of sacraments which thing the old custome of the church doeth proue For when the Communion was ended men did eat their common supper and spent together in the Church those things that remained of the sacraments as Hierom doth witnesse vpon the 1. Cor. cap. 11. Hlerom in 1. Cor. cap. 11. And partly those things that remained vnspent vvere streightway cast in the fire Hesych in Leui. lib. 2. cap. 8. as Hesychius teacheth In Leuit lib. 2. cap. 8. whereof neither was lawfull to be done vnlesse they had ceased to be sacraments Wherefore neither is that doubt of them that receiue it vnvvorthily of any force to subuert this opinion which we haue set forth but that neuerthelesse remaineth safe and vnhurt and worthily to be imbraced of men desirous of trueth and concord First because the dignitie due honour of the sacraments is not hurt but remaineth whole and vnblemished whilest we confesse both the trueth of his body and the nature and substance of the same to be receiued of the faithfull together with outward signes which thing the ancient Fathers do testifie to be done Againe if we receiue that distinction which the same Fathers diligently obserued betvveene that proper assumpt body of the Lord or that he tooke vpon him and this figuratiue body or sacrament of his body there is no offence committed against the rule of our faith which by no meanes is to be wronged since that we attribute to either body their due For we say that his proper and assumpt body is in a place and limitted within the space of a place for the maner of his true body as Augustine saith As the true maner of humane nature requireth and the true beleeuing fathers against Marcion Eutyches and other heretikes do stoutly affirme Which thing they that deny and appoint that body to be euery where doe by that meanes deny the true nature of his body and fall into the errors and heresies of them And yet there is no let but the trueth of his mysticall body because it is a spirituall and diuine matter is as largely spread present as the celebration of the sacrament is spread according to the opinion of the same true beleeuing Fathers Furthermore no absurdities follow this doctrine as very many doe insue both that grosse Transubstantiation also that carnal coupling with the bread namely that mise beasts desperate men doe gnaw chew or swallow that precious body of the Lord which was taken of the Virgine whereas it is lawfull for no man to eat of that body no not for a godly man as Hierom witnesseth Beside this is no doubtfull doctrine nor hard to be perceiued but open and very cleare as farre as the nature of the mysteries do permit And albeit this controuersie doth otherwise seeme to many intricate and like a maze this exposition is easie no darkenes in it no wordes of the Scriptures nor testimony of the Fathers be against it but all they do agree friendly accord Adde hereunto that this maner of handling this matter is old constantly deliuered to vs frō the ancient Fathers not new sprung nor at this time first inuented as the matter it selfe declareth therefore it maketh them more friendly to obtaine the peace and tranquility of the Church since that all men may vnderstand that it is no new opinion made out of our owne heads but the ancient opinion of the true beleeuing Fathers called to memory againe especially since it is of such sort as can iustly offend no part but moue exhort all men to be content There be some that take in ill part that the sacrament of Thankesgiuing is called a signe or figure as though it were a bare signe or vaine figure Here they heare that it is not only a signe but the thing it selfe not onely a figure but also the trueth Not being contented herewith they vrge the Fathers they require the nature of his body in the sacrament Here also they do heare that the presence of his nature is taught and that there is a naturall participation Yet they goe further and command vs to confesse a substance of his body They see also that the substance is by vs affirmed to be present and that our communion with Christ naturally and if I may so say substantially is here set out but yet that these termes ought to bee vnderstood not as Philosophers but as Diuines vse to speake Neither would wee striue so much about that terme of Transubstantiation albeit it be barbarous nothing necessary if so be they would interpret it to be such a change of substance as the ancient Fathers acknowledged that is to say a sacramentall alteration such also as is made in a creature that is regenerat by Baptisme which is made a new man and a new creature and such also as is made when wee be turned into the flesh of Christ which examples the ancient Fathers vsed We do not so much eschew the termes themselues although there is also respect to be had of them but we require the significatiō of them which the Fathers themselues taught and earnestly demaund And onely that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say the deuouring of flesh which by no meanes they allow but condemne as foolish and wicked we reiect as farre off from the Scriptures and farre from the interpretation of the Fathers and finally directly striuing with the true faith and we iudge that a spiritual meaning is necessary in the eating of this flesh follovving therein Christ himselfe the Author and the consent of the best allowed interpreters that we haue Surely it is a marueilous matter to see hovv in other controuersies we be Aristotle men and oftentimes take hold of distinctions more curious then necessary and in this disputation of Sacraments we admit no difference we allow no equiuocation although both the nature of the thing requireth it and the authoritie of the old writers doe as it were point vs to it with a finger and seeing that neither the Scriptures nor the holy Fathers do speake of the diuine mysteries after a naturall sort but after an high and diuine maner as becommeth men that treat of diuine matters and inspired with God comparing spiritual things with spirituall things Againe if there be any man that thinketh that there is here too much attributed to the elements it is not so but their due reuerence is giuen to the outward signes for the holy vse of them But the invvard povver which commeth by the force of the word of God is onely that which the mind of the faithfull doth respect which sanctifieth the body and the minde of him that vseth it But if there be any that require a miracle for some of the Fathers called the sacrament of Thankesgiuing a notable miracle surely it is no lesse to be marueiled at that the bread and wine being earthly creatures and ordeined to feed the body onely doe possesse that force in them and so mighty an efficacie by the vertue of the mystical benediction that they cleanse nourish sanctifie and prepare to immortalitie both minds and bodies so that they make vs members of Christ and one body with him Yea this miracle hath more weight more dignitie greater profit and more agreeable to the maner of the mysteries then any grosse Transubstantiation or naturall and humane flesh-eating can comprehend Wherefore the seeds of contention and discord bee now taken away and there remaineth no cause why but the Churches of Christ especially those that professe the desire of the Gospel may agree in one with quiet minds and coupled affections which now disagree among themselues with bitter hatred These things my brethren I haue thought meet to gather together touching this controuersie full of thornes as it seemed to many surely at the first not with this intent to set it abroad in print but to haue some certaintie whereto I may leane in a matter so full of controuersie and yeeld a reason of my opinion But now that me thinketh I haue taken some fruit of this worke vvhateuer it bee I am not vnwilling if it may bring any profit to others also This I know in my owne conscience that I haue sought for no other thing in this Treatie but godly and modestly to profit my selfe and others I beseech the GOD and Father of our Lord IESVS CHRIST to remooue from the mindes of Pastours Doctours and Ministers of the Church the greatest confusion of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is desire to striue and rule and dispose their mindes to peace and brotherly concord in Christ that they may not abuse this notable bond of loue deliuered and commended by the Lord himselfe to his Church wresting it to the nourishing of contentions and factions And vouchsafe to inspire with his Spirit the hearts of Princes and Magistrates that they may aboue all things regard what doeth most become the rule committed to their charge and aduance Gods glory and not respect vvhat may grovv to their coffers by this troublesome time with the cruell vexation of their Subiects and common calamitie of their Common-weales

haue lost by these our contentions Iesus Christ I say whose Victory Triumph Honour Praise and Glory be for euer and euer Amen ¶ A way of Reconciliation touching the trueth nature and substance of the Body or of the Flesh and Blood of CHRIST in the Sacrament WHat good man doeth not sorrow or what man zealous in Religion doeth not often bewaile the pitifull and vnluckie contention about the LORDS SVPPER which hath now many yeres troubled the Churches of CHRIST which haue imbraced the pure doctrine whereby not onely brotherly Loue is broken but also cities and whole countreys be thereby brought in danger For whereas after the expelling the darkenesse of Ignorance and the happy restoring to the Church the gift of tongues a certaine new Light was restored to the world and the Gospel had begun to take so great roote that thereby hope of very great fruit was offered to ensue By and by this sharpe and vehement contention bursting in among the chiefe champions of the Word hath miserably troubled these very good beginnings For looke what weapons they had valiantly vsed in setting foorth the trueth in ouerthrowing the enemies of the Gospel the very same after this strife was risen did they bend one against another So that the happie course of the Gospel that began to flourish is not only hindered but also by factions discords the matter is come to that passe that vnlesse the mighty Right-hand of the Lord do resist the trueth doeth seeme to appaule and decay againe yea and to returne to the former confusion For if we will iudge the matter truely no force hath so much withstand the inlarging of the Gospel no not the deceits and inchantments of the idole of Rome not the crueltie of Princes against the flocke of CHRIST not the troublesome motions of breeders of Sects as this onely rash contention hath done hurt which bringeth to the minds of godly men sorrow to the enemies cause to reioyce and to the weake and vnlearned offence and falling And surely there is no doubt but that our owne wickednesse hath bene the originall of this so great an euil as it hath bene of many other For wee not regarding or rather contemning the light offered vs are iustly thought vnworthy of so great a benefit Which thing also is the cause that albeit many learned good men vnderstand what profit it should be for the Christian common wealth speedily to pacifie this quarrell and to ende the contentions few notwithstanding doe earnestly traueile about this matter And if any haue attempted it it seemeth to fall out as vnluckily taken in hand to the contrary part For my part when I saw no end could be made of strife nor any hope in any one of better sequele I thought best to commit the matter to GOD by prayer and with silence to looke for helpe in season at his hands Yet in this meane space I thought it my part not to neglect a matter of so great waight but after examination had of the chiefe points of this controuersie to bolt out what was trueth and what not and then to determine vpon a sure grounded opinion both by authoritie of holy Scripture and by the vndoubted testimonies of the Fathers aswell to satisfie my selfe as to yeeld a reason thereof to any that should perhaps demand it of mee that the minde should not wauer continually to fro tossed as it were with the contrary violence of winds While I take this worke in hand diligently tread the steps of the old Interpreters me thinketh I perceiue vnlesse my opinion deceiue me that this controuersie is not so intangled nor darke as most men suppose and that these sharp cōtentions haue come rather by mens fault then by the nature of the matter and that the way of Reconciliation shall not bee so hard with men desirous rather of the trueth then of quarrelling Wherefore albeit I took in hand this worke whatsoeuer it be priuately to my selfe yet because among my friends certaine good men and well giuen were so desirous I did not greatly passe to haue it come to the eares eyes of other that if there be herein any profit it may also do them good The cause I haue thought good so to diuide that briefly it may bee brought to three especial points First wil I shew the trueth of the body of CHRIST in the Sacrament to be giuen to the faithful and that these termes Nature and Substance are not to be shunned but that they of old time disputing of the Sacrament vsed them Then will I declare the difference betweene the Lords proper body and that which is in the Sacrament and that the olde Fathers were of that opinion And lastly I will set foorth at large what maner of Body that is which is receiued in the mysterie why it is called by that name after the opinion of the selfe same Fathers Which things once expounded a man may easily iudge of the whole controuersie First it is manifest ynough by the declaration of the Euangelists Matthew Matth. 26. c. Matth. 14. c. Luke 22. c. Marke and Luke that our Lord IESVS CHRIST when he should depart out of this world and leauing the earth should goe vp to the Father did ordeine the Sacrament of his Body and Blood in the presence of his disciples at Supper and so when he had taken the bread he blessed brake it and gaue it to them saying This is my body After the like maner the Cup also saying This Cup is the new Testament in my Blood 1. Corinth 11. Doe this in remembrance of me Paul also writeth to the same effect to the Corinthians in his first Epistle the 11. chapter rehearsing in a maner the very same words Et cap. 10. in the tenth chapter The Cup saith he of blessing which we blesse is it not the partaking of the Blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the partaking of the Body of Christ By these words of the Euangelists and the Apostle they of old time were of that opinion that CHRIST our Lord which is Trueth it selfe spake these things truly and did in deed performe those things that he spake so that no place of doubt might any more be left concerning the trueth of the matter Moreouer those words which in the sixt chapter of Iohn Iohn 6. c. the Lord spake My flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drinke indeed c. The bread which I will giue you is my flesh And vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his Blood c. The Fathers with great accord as well Grecians as Latines doe apply to the Sacrament of Thankesgiuing And that they haue interpreted those places so both in Iohn and the rest of the Euangelists and Paul to the Corinthians the testimonies that follow taken out of the authors themselues Iustin Martir Apol. 2. shal happily proue First Iustin Martyr

vpon the Crosse out of his side and this body which in the mysterie of Christes passion is daily solemnized of the faithfull and that blood also which is receiued in the mouth of the faithfull is a mysterie of that blood wherwith the whole world was redeemed Hee confirmeth that also by the authoritie of Hierom and after rehearsall of this place The blood and flesh of Christ is vnderstood two maner of wayes either that spirituall c. thus he concludeth With no small difference hath this doctour made a distinction of the body and blood of Christ For in that he saith that the flesh or blood which are daily receiued of the faithfull are spirituall and yet that the flesh that was crucified and the blood which was shed with the souldiers speare are not said to be spirituall nor diuine he doeth manifestly signifie that they differ as much one from another as do spirituall things and corporall visible and inuisible diuine and humane and that those things which differ from themselues are not all one But the spirituall flesh which is receiued in the mouth of the faithfull and the spirituall blood which is daily giuen to the faithfull to drinke doe differ from the flesh that was crucified and from the blood that was shed with the souldiers speare as the authoritie of this man doth witnesse Therefore they be not all one For that flesh which was crucified was made of the flesh of the Virgin framed together of bones and sinevves and seuered with the features of the members of a man quickned with the spirit of a reasonable soule indued with reason into a life proper to it selfe and motions agreeable to the same But on the other side the spirituall flesh which feedeth spiritually the people that doe beleeue after the forme that it beareth outwardly is made of the graines of corne by the handes of the workeman framed together of no sinewes and bones seuered with no varietie of members quickened with no reasonable substance nor can exercise any proper motions For whatsoeuer giueth the substance of life it is of a spirituall force and of an inuisible working and of a diuine power Againe of the wordes of Augustine he concludeth in this maner By authoritie of this doctour intreating of the Lords wordes of the sacrament of his body blood we be manifestly taught that those wordes of the Lord be to be vnderstood spiritually and not carnally as hee himselfe sayeth The words which I speake to you bee spirit and life Namely the words of eating his flesh and drinking his blood for he spake it vpon that occasion whereat his disciples were offended Therefore that they should not bee offended the heauenly Master calleth them back from the flesh to the Spirit and from a corporall sight to inuisible vnderstanding We see therefore the food of the Lords body and the drinke of his blood are after a sort his very body and his very blood namely in that they be Spirit and life Hee addeth againe after the matter proued Therefore we see that there is a great difference betweene the mysterie of the body blood of Christ which is now receiued of the faithfull in the Congregation and that body which was borne of the Virgin Mary which suffered which was buried which rose againe which ascended into heauen which sitteth at the right hand of the Father For this that is ministred in the way is to be taken spiritually For Faith beleeueth that which it seeth not and spiritually feedeth the soule and doth reioyce the heart and giueth euerlasting life and incorruption while that is not minded which feedeth the body which is crushed with teeth which is broken in pieces but that which by faith is spiritually receiued But that body wherein Christ suffered and rose againe is his owne proper body taken of the Virgin Maries body able to be felt and seene euen after his resurrection as he himselfe said to his disciples Beholde my hands and my feet for I am euen he handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me haue Bertram writeth many things to this purpose but let it suffice that wee haue touched thus much Which mans exposition and manner of disputing vpon the Sacrament is in mine opinion diligently to be wayed and imbraced for tvvo respects First because hee sticketh to the authoritie and testimonie not onely of those fathers of whom he hath repeated a few but also many moe I might say of all the most auncient Secondarily because that where the credit of the man was so much that he was prouoked to write by a most famous Prince and his writing published abroad and in sight of all men he was praised of many reprehended of none or noted of any one spot of erronious doctrine whereby it came to passe that before these new grosse and naturall transubstantiation makers sprung vp the doctrine of Bertram touching the Sacrament was allovved by the iudgement of euery man that was best learned Albeit this terme of transubstantiation being indeed new not necessarie yet perhaps might haue some place as the word Trans-elementation if they had not brought in another change of the substances then a sacramentall and that which the auncient fathers did vnderstand which is brought to passe the former substance remayning still But they not satisfied with the noueltie of the terme haue inuented a monstrous interpretation For they appoint the very proper body of Christ to be in the Sacrament and plucke from it the true properties of a mans body whereas it should seeme that Aquinas himselfe was not ignorant of the distinction aboue mentioned Aquin. 3. parte Sum. q. 76. art 3. For he writeth 3. part Sum. q. 76. art 3. on this manner Christ is whole vnder ech peece of the formes of Bread and Wine not onely when the hoste is broken but also when it remaineth whole neyther is there distance of parts one from another as the eye from the eye or the eye from the eare or the head from the feete as there is in other bodies organicall for such maner of distance is in the true body of Christ but not as it is in this Sacrament He affirmeth the true body of Christ to bee one which is organicall and hath difference of members which also hee denyeth to bee in the Sacrament and that to be another which is in the Sacrament and wanteth varietie of members which thing if he meant of the spirituall body as the old writers did speake he iudged right but if hee meant to signifie any masse of flesh without forme it is a great absurditie and contrarie to the opinion of all the old writers Lombardus Lombardus also Author of the sentences concerning the verie and proper flesh of Christ lib 3. Sentent Dist 3. saith thus Christs flesh that was taken is neither heauenly nor of the aire nor of any other nature then of such as all mens flesh is Since