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
by the sufferings of our sauiour vpon the Crosse 10. If anie obiect and say that the Scriptures Hovv God doth desire Sacrifice and not desire it often affirme that God doth not desire Sacrifice this obiection S. Auguctine answereth in the aforesaid chapter prouing by manie examples of Scripture that when it is said God doth not require Sacrifice it is to be vnderstood of the visible signe which is commonly called the sacrifice when it is without the inuisible Sacrifice of our hearts for so it is but a false signe and hipocrisie such as was the sacrifice of Cain who offered his goods as a visible signe but not his heart in an inuisible Sacrifice and therefore his sacrifice was reiected and Abells accepted as witnesseth Rupertus in his 4. book vpon Genesis and second chapter saying By faith saith S. Paul Abel offered a greater host then Cain for in exterior worshipp and religion they both offered alike And therefore both of them offered rightlie but Cain did not rightly deuide for Cain whilest he offered his goods to God kept himself vnto himself hauing his heart fixed in earthly desires Such portions or outward gifts God doth not accept of but by himselfe saith in the 23. of the Prouerbes Sonne giue vnto me thy heart Wherefore Abel first offered vnto God his heart and then his goods and so offered by faith a greater host then Cain Who offered the outward Sacrifice which was the visible signe but kept the inward which God most esteemed vnto himselfe 11. The case standeth before God with Sacrifice The case of Prayer and Sacrifice alike as it doth with prayer God commandeth prayer Marke 14. 38. And yet saith that some kinde of prayer is hipocrisie Math. 15. 7. In like manner God so affecteth Sacrifice that vnder penaltie of death he prohibiteth it to be offered vnto anie but vnto himselfe Exod. 22. 20. and yet saith that he will not haue Sacrifice offered vnto him Isay 1. 12. The reason is for that exterior prayer which is cōmonly called prayer is a signe of the interior prayer of the heart which when it wanteth is hipocrisie as a false signe So exterior visible Sacrifice which is commonly called Sacrifice is a signe of the interior and when it is without this it is hipocrisye as a false signe So God will prayer and Sacrifice and he will not prayer nor Sacrifice He will haue prayer and Sacrifice when they are conioyned with the prayer and Sacrifice of the heart and he will not haue prayer nor Sacrifice when they are not accompanied with the heart because they are hipocrisie as making shew of that which is not Wherevpon after the Prophet in the 50. Psalme had said A Sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit a contryte and humble heart ô God thou will not dispyse c. Hee addeth Then shalt thou accept Sacrifice of iustice oblations and holocausts then shall they lay calues vpon thyne Altar When with the exterior visible Sacrifice of the Church men shall offer the inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts by sorrow for the negligences of their liues past contrition for their sinnes and humiliation before God vnto whom that Sacrifice is offered thē shall they offer a true and proper Sacrifice of justice oblations and holocaustes acceptable to God and not otherwise because the outward Sacrifices with out this inward and inuisible is but hipocrysie 12. Visible Sacrifices saith Saint Augustine in the place a fore reoyted Are signes of the inuisible Visible Sacrifices are signes of the inuisible as vvords are of thinges as wordes are signes of things Wherefore when without anie iust necessitie men speake wordes and haue other intentions in their hearts then their words sound or signifie it is but dissimulation and contrarie to the institution of words which were ordeyned to expresse the intention of the heart So when we offer visible Sacrifice without the inuisible Sacrifice of our hearts it is hipocrisie or dissembled sanctitie which is double iniquitie because visible Sacrifices were instituted vnto this end that they might be a publicke sacred visible signe of the inuisible sacrifice of mēs hearts vnto God as words were ordeyned to expresse the sinceritie of mens myndes and because man should alwaies haue an intention and be euer readie to giue his heart and soule to God without dissimulation therefore he may neuer offer visible Sacrifice without the inuisible Sacrifice of his heart 13. S. Augustine expressing the excellencie of The excellencie of visible Sacrifice conioyned to the inuisible this visible sacrifice when it is accompanied with the visible Sacrifice of our hearts and how acceptable it is vnto God and vnto the Church triumphant in heauen addeth in the same chapter saying When wee offer visible Sacrifice together with the inuisible of our hearts Then all the Angells and the superior powers and the more powerfull spirits through their goodnes piety doe fauour vs and reioyce with vs and according to their power doe helpe vs to offer this visible Sacrifice Thus S. Augustine of the excellencie of this visible Sacrifice when it is vnyted vnto the inuisible of our hearts and how acceptable it is vnto God and vnto the whole triumphant church in heauen 14. The reason why the triumphant Church in VVhy th' Angells reioyce at th' offering of visible Sacrifice heauen which as S. Paule saith doth consist Of the assemblie of manie thousand Angells doth so reioyce at the offering of visible sacrifice when it is accompanied with the inuisible sacrifice of our hearts is for that they are as they themselues say fellow seruants with those who serue God vpon earth And seeing that men here vpon earth cannot continewally without intermission think of God and honor him with the honor which is only due vnto him by a perpetuall and continewall sacrifying of their hearts vnto him as they in heauen doe who Day and nyght crye holy holy Lord God omnipotent and so are eternally happie therfore they doe reioyce that yet sometymes men vpon earth will actually thinke vpon God and actually honor him with the honor of Latria worshipp due only vnto him and consecrate their hearts vnto him alone who is their end and chiefest good therby to become partakers of a little droppe of their happinesse for as S. Augustine in the 22. chapter of his 10. booke of confessions saith This is happie life to reioyce in God of God and for God this is it and other is none Now the question is whether Christians are bound to offer this 4. kynd of Sacrifice to God or no The Puritans deny that in the Christian Church there ought to be any such kind of extenall Puritans deny externall visible Sacrifice in the Christian Church visible Sacrifice offered vnto God The moderate sort of Protestants doe after a sort confesse it in words and doctrine though not in practise as his late deceased Maiestie in his answer to Cardinall Perron related by Casaubon saying The
signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of their harts and bestowed it vpon the Image of a corruptible man or The beginning of Idolatry of fowles or fou-r footed-beasts and so Idolatry began as witnes the Scriptures saying Idols neither were from the beginning neither shall they be foreuer for by the vain-glory of men they entred into the world and therefore shall they come shortly vnto an end for a father afflicted with vntimely mourning when he had made a picture of his child soontaken away now honoured him as a God which was then a dead man and deliuered vnto those who were vnder him ceremonies and sacrifices Wisd 14. 15. 3. Thus as the Scriptures doe witnes began Idolatry by occasion of the passionate affection of a father who sorrowing for the death of his child caused a picture to be made in his memory and ordeyned Sacrifices which are due vnto God to be offered vnto it by his seruants and followers So Ninus erected the statua of his Father Belus Nembroth Grandchild to Cham and first king of Babilon in the midst of Babilon and caused Sacrifice which vnder penaltie of death was due only vnto God to be offered vnto it by the Babilonians as witnesseth Berosus in his 4. Book S. Cyrill in his 3. Book against Iulian S. Hierome vpon the 2. Chapter of Osee and S. Ambrose vpon the 1. chapter to the Romans which the Scriptures also signify saying Afterwards that Idolatry was thus begun as is aforesaid by the passionate affection of a father towards his child deceased in proces of time the wicked custome preuayling this error was kept By vvhat meanes Idolatry increased as a law and grauen things were worshipped by the commandements of kings c. And to the worshipping of these the singular diligence of the Artificer helped them forward that were ignorant for he willing to please him that enterteyned him vsed all his skill to make the similitude of the best fastion And so the multitude allured by the grace of the work took him now for a God which a little before was but honored as a man And this was occasion to deceaue the world for men seruing either passionate affection or Kings did ascribe vnto stones and stocks the incommunicable name of God Wis 14. 16. Wherevpon S. Cyprian in his book of the vanitie of Idols saith It is manifest that they are not Gods which the common-people worship for in times past they were kings who in memory of their Royaltie after death were worshipped of their kindred and seruants and so had temples erected vnto their honor and their statues were erected to preserue the resemblance of the countenance of the dead vnto which they immolated hosts and appointed festiuall dayes in their honor afterwards they were esteemed holy which in the beginning were only vsed for their consolation 4. From the Idoll Belus or Bel of the Babilonians arose by degrees the Idolls of Baal Baalim Belzebub The originall of the Idolls Belus Baal Baalim c. Belfegor c. which were diuers standing Images of the same Belus their names only changed according to the diuers languages of the Nations as witnesseth S. Hierome vpon the 2. of Osee vnto which they offred Sacrifice as the Scripture witnesseth saying They immolated to Baalim Osee 11. 2. They did Sacrifice to Baal and offered drink offerings to strange Gods to prouoke mee to wrath Ierem. 32. 29. They Sacrificed vnto the Idolls of Canaan and the Lord was wrath with fury against his people Psal 105. because they offered visible Sacrifice vnto Idolls which is due only vnto the true God as a sacred signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of our harts vnto him which may not be giuen vnto any creature Wherevpon when Manue the Father of Sampson would haue offered Sacrifice vnto an Angel the Angel said If thou wilt offer Holocaust offer it vnto our Lord for Manue knew not that it was the Angel of our Lord. Iudges 13. 15. 5. In like manner S. Augustin in his 49. Epist saith The holy Angels doe not approue of Sacrifice but that Sacrifice which according to the doctrine of true wisdome and true Religion is offered only vnto that true God whom they serue in holy societie Wherevpon in the 4. Chapter of his 10. Book of the Cittie of God he affirmeth that many things either by to No man as man euer chalenged Sacrifice much humilitie or pestilent flattery are vsurped from deuine worship and translated vnto humain honor yet so as that these men vnto whom such honor is giuen are notwithstanding still esteemed men although they be called worshipfull venerable and if much honourable but who euer thought that Sacrifice ought to be offered vnto any but vnto him whom either he did know or esteemed or feined to be a God And moreouer in his 49. Epist and 3. Quest he saith The true and holy Scriptures do admonish vs that Sacrifice is to be offered vnto the only true God not vnto anie corporall or spiritual creature who by how much the more pious they are and subiect to God by so much the more they refuse to haue that kind of honor done vnto them which they know to be only due vnto God Thus S. Augustin Wherevpon S. Thomas in his 2. 2. Quest 81. art 2. saith The Sacrifice which is Outvvard Sacrifice doth express the invvard of the hart and mind exteriourly offered doth signifie the inward spirituall Sacrifice wherewith the soul offereth herself vnto God as vnto the beginning of her creation and end of her happines and therefore as we ought to offer spirituall Sacrifice only vnto God so we ought to offer exteriour Sacrifice only vnto him This also we see to be obserued in euery common-wealth that they honor their Prince with some perticular signe which if it should be giuen vnto any other were treason 6. For this cause in the Catholick Church they do not offer Sacrifice vnto any creature whatsoeuer as S. Augustin in the 27. Chapter of his 8. book of the Cittie of God witnesseth saying Who Sacrifice neuer offered to saints euer heard the Priest of the faithfull standing at the Altar euen built and adorned to the honor of God ouer the body of a Martyr saying in his prayers I offer vnto thee Sacrifice o Peeter or Paul or Cyprian when it is offered in memory of these Martyrs vnto God who hath VVhy Christ our Lord vvould not haue Sacrifice offered vnto him vpon Earth made them both men and Martyrs And the 20. Chapter of his 10. Book he addeth Although IESVS CHRIST the mediator between God and man beeing in the forme of God might haue had Sacrifice offered vnto him as it was offered vnto his father with whome he is one God yet liuing in the forme of a seruant he chose rather to be a Sacrifice then to haue Sacrifices offered vnto him least that thereby any one might take occasion to think that it was lawfull to offer
sacred feasts or communions to be made of things offered in sacrifice that euen heathen men who beleeued that there was a God or Gods and his or their Prouidence ouer mankinde guided only by the law of nature or the dictamen of euerie mans conscience esteemed those to be Atheists impious and irreligions who had temples and yet had no sacrifice nor communicated of things offered in sacrifice And Plutark in the same place adding a reason why those who communicated together in their temples and not of things offered in sacrifice were Atheists and impious wicked people saith For he that should make a sacred feast or communion without offering of sacrifice standeth by the Priest as he would stand by a cooke or buicher gaping after meate and that 's all wherby they contemne the sacred honor or worshipp which is due vnto God by the law of nature and profane the holye societie which should be betweene men and God and of men amongst themselues and therefore are instlie esteemed Atheists irreligious And this is sufficient to shew vnto any indifferēt reader that the offering of visible sacrifice is due vnto God by the law and light of nature or the dictamen of all mens consciences in whom the light or lawe of nature is not extinct or that without infringing the law of nature the offering of visible sacrifice vnto God cannot be taken away or neglected CHAP. VII How visible Sacrifice was offered vnto God in the beginning of his Church vpon Earth shal be vntill the end 1. THis being the end why visible Sacrifices were ordeyned by God that men might by them visibly acknowledg him for their Lord God honor him with the honor of Latria or diuine vvorship due only vnto him maintaine a memory of the passion of our Sauiour to come or past and preserue peace vvith him and amongst themselues God of his goodnes in the beginning of his Church vpon earth in the Law of Nature established the offering of visible Sacrifice in man not only by the law and God established the offering of sacrifice light of Nature but also by reuelation and inspiration immediatly bestowed vpon Adam from himselfe as witnesseth S. Athanasius in his sermon vpon these wordes All things are giuen me by my father saying Neither was Abel ignorant that he ought to offer of his first begotten for he learned it of Adam who had it from God For as the Scriptures saie Wisdome 10. 2. God brought Adam out of his sinne and gaue him power to containe all things Amongst which this was one that he and his sonnes and posteritie ought to offer visible Sacrifice to God in signe of homage and subiection vnto him and vnion of hearts with him their Creator Wherevpon S. Chrisostome in his 18. homily vpon Genesis saith that both Cain and Abel were moued to offer Sacrifice By the dictamen of their consciences and by wisdome giuen from aboue 2. By this which hath been said it appeareth that the offering of visible Sacrifice vnto God was not only practised in the beginning of the world by Adam Cain and Abel but also that it Sacrifice an article of faith was an article of faith reuealed vnto man by God in the Law of Nature euen from the beginning of the Church of God vpon earth after the fall of Adam Wherevpon S. Paule faith By faith Abel offered a greater hoast to God then Cain Heb. 11. 4. Where S. Paule signifieth vnto vs that Abel beleeuing that visible Sacrifice as a sacred signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of his heart was gratefull to God offered a visible Sacrifice according to this his faith of the best thinges he had and therefore was respected by God And Cain wanting faith and belief in this point offered according to the defect of his faith of his worst fruites and therefore God respected not his giftes Gen. 4. for without faith as S. Paule saith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. 3. Now seeing that Adam and his sonnes who Adam and his Sonnes first founders of the Church vpon earth were the first founders of the Church of God vpon earth vsed externall visible Sacrifice and externall visible Sacrifice is a thing only chiefly and aboue all thinges due vnto God as a Sacrament representing the inward and inuisible Sacrifice of the heart and a matter of faith in the Law of Nature most certaine it is that externall visible Sacrifice shall not be taken out of the Church of God vntill the end of the world seeing that as S. Paule witnesseth Faith is alwaies one and the same saying One Lord one Faith Ephes 4. One faith in all times and ages immutable 5. and not changeable or mutable but one and the same spirit of faith 2. Cor. 4. 13. Wherevpon S. Augustine in his 89. Epistle to Hillarius and 3. Question saith Faith is not variable but one And the true Faith shall neuer faile vntill the end of the world as the Scriptures affirme Mat. 13. 39. Ephes 4. 13. and the manie promises of Cod. Wherefore seeing that visible Sacrifice was vsed in the beginning and first foundation of the Church of God vpon earth as a matter of faith and as a thing due only to God most certaine it is that visible Sacrifice shal be practised vntill the end of the world that we all meete as S. Paule saith in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God Ephes 4. 13. which God himselfe further witnesseth saying I the Lord this is my name and I will not giue my glorie vnto an other Isa 42. 8. 4. Secondly CHRIST IESVS deliuered himself to death as S. Paul witnesseth that he might Christ planted a glorious Church vvhich could not be vvithout Sacrifice present vnto himself a glorious Church Ephes 5. 26. with could not be where the honor and worship which is only chiefly and aboue all things due vnto God is taken away such as is externall visible Sacrifice as I haue prooued in the precedent Chapters And whereas some obiect and say that S. Paul saith Christ offred himself once and one hoast c. we grant that Christ offered himself but once bloodily which was vpon the Crosse and but one substantial hoast because the same substantial body which was offered vpon the Crosse is now daily offered or giuen to God for vs as a sacred signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of our harts according to his commaundement saying Do this the same which he then did when he took bread and made it his Body and gaue it to God for vs as I shall shew more at larg hereafter 5. Thirdly the offring of externall visible Sacrifice is one of the chiefest meanes whereby Sacrifice the meanes of peace men preserue vnitie peace and society with God and amongst themselues as I haue proued in the 2. Chapter and therefore this could not be taken away by our Sauiour the end of whose coming into the world was chiefly to
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
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 communion in the body and bloud of our Lord offered in vnbloudy Sacrifice it is manifest that both S. Paule taught the Corinthians to offer vnbloudy Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord and so to communicate of the same and that our Sauiour himself instituted an vnbloudy Sacrifice and communion in his body and bloud 12. Moreouer not only S. Paule had bin at The faith at Corinth before the vvrittē vvorde of this Epistle Corinth before he writt this Epistle and taught them by practise what they were to doe in the communion and what to beleeue but also Prisilla and Aquilla Act. 18. 18. Apollo Act. 19. 1. Stephanus Fortunatus and Achaicus were at Corinth and instructed them by practise what they ought to doe in the communion and what to beleeue before this Epistle was written as appeareth 1. Cor. 16. which considered and seeing that the Corinthians euen in the infancie of their Church offered vnbloudy Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord and communicated of the same as I haue proued in the 12. chapter by the consent of many Councells and Fathers of the primitiue Church who can doubt whether S. Paule taught the Corinthians and Grecians to offer vnbloudy Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord and to communicate of the same that is not willing to be deceaued seeing that it is more hard and vncertaine for men to gather and vnderstand a thing deliuered by an Epistle only and that in this point briefe and short then both by seeing it donn and practised many yeares and by an Epistle also both together when an Epistle only may with greater facilitie be altered and changed then a Religion which is settled and established in manie citties and prouinces as wee see by experience CHAP. III. The Scriptures and all knowne Christian-mens bookes who writt of this subiect before Luther reputed hereticks to both parties only excepted teach a Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord. 1. THe Scriptures are so plaine for the institution of an vnbloudy Sacrifice or Sacrifice The Scriptures manifest for Sacrifice of Gifts in the body and bloud of our Lord that S. Augustin speaking of the old Testament in his Oration against the Iewes seth downe in the beginning of his 6. Tome saith vnto them Search the Scriptures for they beare testimonie of this cleane Sacrifice which is offered vnto the God of Israel noth of your nation only from whose handes he foretold that he would not receaue but of all nations who saie come lett vs ascend vnto the mountaine of God not in one place as it was commanded you in the earthly Hierusalem but in euery place euen vnto Hierusalem it Sacrifice offered in euery place in S. Augustines tyme. selfe And in like manner preaching vnto the Christians in his first Sermō vpon the 33. Psalme he saith Faithfull men who haue read the Ghospell do know the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord dilated ouer the whole globe of the earth Thus S. Augustine both vnto the Iewes and faithfull Christians whereby we gather fower things first that in the opiniō of S. Augustine both the old and new Testament speake plainely and manifestly enough of an vnbloudy Sacrifice or Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord which was to be vsed in the new Law Secondly that the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord was in S. Augustins time Dilated ouer the whole globe of the earth and beleeued of all faithfull men Thirdly VVhy our Aduersaries read Scriptures and find not Sacrifice for Christians that the cause why our Aduersaries doe not or will not beleeue that we ought to vse an vnbloudy Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord is not for that the Scriptures doe not sufficiently speake of it but for that they are blynded with obstinacie and obduratiō of heart with the Iewes and so though they read the Bible euery day and heare it read many times yet as our Lord said Seeing they see not and hearing they heare not neither doe they vnderstand c. for their heart is waxen grosse The Ievves deny Christian Sacrifice Matth. 13. 13. Fouerthly our Aduersaries in denying that we ought to offer Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord doe take parte with the Iewes and Gentils against the faithfull Christians of all former ages 2. Againe S. Augustine in his said Oration against the Iewes saith vnto them as we in his wordes S. Augustins speech to the Ievves applied to our Aduersaries may saie vnto our Aduersaries Least you should thinke ô Iewes because you doe not offer Sacrifice and that God will not receaue Sacrifice at your hands that Sacrifice is not to be offered vnto God which he indeed doth not stand in neede of who wanteth not any of our goods yet that he is not without Sacrifice which is not profitable vnto him but vnto you he addeth and faith from the rising of the sunne euen vnto the goeing downe my nane is made famous in all nations and in euery place there is offered a cleane Sacrifice vnto my name for great is my name in the Gentills saith the Lord omnipotent What wilt thou answere to this ô Iewe open thine eyes yet at last and see the Sacrifice of the Christians to be offered from the rising of the sunne vnto the goeing downe not in one place as it was appointed for you but in all places not vnto any God what soeuer but vnto that God who foretolde these thinges the God of Israel Thus S. Augustine against the Iewes whereby we see that the whole Catholicke Church dilated ouer the world in S. Augustins time not only offered Sacrifice to God in the body and bloud of our Lord as they doe now but also beleeued that they were taught so to doe by the Sriptures 3. And not only in these bookes S. Augustine speaketh of the Sacrifice of the Christians offered S. Augustins often repetition of the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord. vnto God in the body and bloud of Christ but also often in his other workes he calleth the Eucharist the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ as in the 25. chapter of his first booke against Cresconius saying The only Sacrifice of the body it selfe and bloud of our Lord. And in 27. chapter following The Sacrifice of the body and bloud of Chist And in the 8. chapter of his 22. booke of the Cittie of God he telleth vs how one of his neighbours Hesperius by name a Tribune finding his cattle and seruants to be molested by euill Spirits came vnto his Priests in his absence and desired that some one of them would come thither and by his praiers dryue away these wicked The Sacrifice of the body of our Lord expelled vvicked Spirits Spirits One went and offered there saith S. Augustine the body of Christ praying as well as he could that the
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
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
of the Catholick Church for these 1600. yeares or the omnipotency of God and say that he cannot effect it and so hath deceaued his Church for these many hundred yeares togeather both which is absurd and not befitting the thoughts of any Christian 11. Moreouer our Sauiour promised to giue bread to eate which should be his flesh saying The Our Sauiour promised to giue bread to eate vvhich should be his flesh bread vvhich I vvill giue is my flesh c. Ioh. 6 but he did no promise to giue his flesh to eate cut into peeces for that was the errour of the Capernits but his whole flesh and body and so promised that his whole flesh and body should be in diuerse places distributed or giuen by himselfe and caried in his owne hands who is both able to doe what soeuer he promised Rom. 4. 20. and vvill vvatch vpon his vvord to doe it Ierem. 1. 12. As we find by experience he did in the institution of the communion according to the plaine and expresse Text of Scripture saying Iesus tooke bread and blessed and brake and gaue to his Disciples and said Take ye and eate this is my body Math. 26. And the Scriptures cannot be broken as our Sauiour himselfe said Ioh. 10. 35. 12. That one and the same substantiall body of our Lord may by the omnipotency of his will not only be Sacramentally in diuerse places at the same tyme as it is in the blessed Sacrament but also visibly and personally is manifest for our Aduersaries confesse that the body of our Lord hath The body of our Lord both in heauen and earth at the same tyme. alwayes bin in heauen since the tyme of his Ascention yet the Scriptures say that since the tyme of his Ascension S. Paule being in prison our Sauiour stood by him and said be constant c. Act. 23. 11. and seing that our Sauiour stood by S. Paule in the prison and spoke vnto him standing by him Our Sauiour stood by S. Paule certainly he was vpon earth vnlesse our Aduersaries will make our Sauiour to haue so long leggs as that being in heauen he may also stand vpon the earth which is absurd and then he should not be cōtained in heauen as our Aduersaries affirme 13. At the vocation of S. Paule S. Luke saith that the men who were in the companie of S. Paule when our Lord spoke vnto him Heard a voice but S. Paule heard our Sauiours voice saw noe man Act. 9. 7. so there was a man present to be seen otherwise it were in vaine for the Scriptures to saye They saw no man when there was none to be seen Againe S. Ananias said vnto S. Paule The God of our Fathers hath preordinated the that thou shouldst knowe his will and see the S. Paule heard our Sauiours voice from his mouth just one and here his voice from his mouth Act. 22. 15. all which words import the personall presence of our Lord vpon earth for otherwise S. Paule could not haue heard our Lords voice from his mouth if he had bin in heauen neither would the Scriptures haue said that he had heard his voice from his mouth if our Lord had appeared only in a vision or resemblance and not in his proper person for that had not bin his mouth but a resemblance of it Wherefore seing that S. Paule heard our Lords voice from his mouth it is manifest that our Lord was personally vpon earth 14. The cause why our Lord appeared to S. Paule was as our Sauiour then said To this end that Our Sauiour ordained S. Paule Minister of the Ghospell I may ordaine the a Minister and wittnes of these things which thou hast seen as were the rest of the Apostles who were made Ministers of the Ghospels and wittnesses of the Resurrection not from heauen or in a vision only but by our Lords personally appearing vnto them vpon earth Wherevpon S. Paule saith Am not I an Apostle haue not I seen Christ Iesus our Lord 1. Cor. 9. 1. which argument had not bin sufficient to proue that he was an Apostle had he not seen our Lord in person here vpon earth as did the rest of the Apostles but only in a vision for S. Ananias also saw our Lord after his Ascension in a vision Act. 9. 10. yet he was not an Apostle 15. Moreouer S. Paule affirmeth that he saw our Sauiour as the rest of the Apostles saw him S. Paule savv our Sauiour as the rest of the Apostles did which was corporally here vpon earth saying Our Lord was seen of Cephas after of the eleuen Then was he seen of more then fine hundred Brethren moreouer he was seen of Iames and last of me 1. Cor. 15. 15. where he putteth no difference betweene his manner of seeing our Lord and the manner in which the other Apostles and Disciples saw our Lord which was in his proper person Wherefore seing that our Lord is alwayes personally in heauen and shal be personally in heauen vntill the daye of judgment as our Aduersaries confesse and yet the Scriptures so often affirme that S. Paule since his Ascension saw him vpon earth heard him speake standing by him heard his voice from his mouth was ordained Minister of the Ghospell by him and wittnes of his resurrection from death as were the rest of the Apostles and the ancient Fathers with one voice so constantly affirming that the body of our Lord after consecration is in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar who without Testimony of Scriptures or Fathers shall affirme that one and the same true reall and substantiall body cannot by diuine power be in diuerse places at one and the same tyme that is not very incredulous CHAP. VI. One and the same substantiall body and bloud of our Lord in the holy Sacrament is in diuerse places and vnder diuerse dimensions at the same tyme. Our Sauiours prouidence in preuenting errour in this Sacrament 1. OVr Sauiour foreseeing that there would come a tyme when there should arise men who would call themselues Christians and yet both deny the offring of visible Sacrifice in his body and bloud and also that God by the power of his will could putt one and the same his substantiall body in diuerse places and vnder diuerse dimensions at the same tyme to preuent their incredulitie at the institution of the blessed Sacrament not only said once of the thing which he deliuered in the communion vnto the Apostles This is my body which is giuen for you This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you Luk. 22. but also to establish this truth of the being of his one true reall and substantiall body and bloud in all the Christian Sacrifices and Sacraments which were to be offred and communicated throughout the whole world that there might neuer be any more question or doubt of it amongst Christians who should professe the doctrine of Iesus-Christ spoke
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
of the change in the Sacrament by the povver of God 14. S. Cyrillus Alexandrinus who liued in the yeare 430. in his Epistle ad Calosirium saith Doe not doubt vvhether this be true that the body of our Sauiour is in the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Altar Christ manifestly saying This is my body but rather receaue the word of our Sauiour in faith for seeing he is truth he doth not lye Therefore they are madd vvho saie that the mysticall blessing doth cease from the sanctification if any part thereof should remaine vntill the daie following for the most holy body of Christ vvillnot be changed but the vertue of the blessing and the quickning grace is continually in it for the quickning vertue of God the Father is the only begotten vvord vvhich is made flesh not ceasing to be the vvord but making quickening flesh So these ancient and prime Fathers of the Church of God Whereby it is sufficiently manifest to any indifferent reader that not only the true and reall body and bloud of our Sauiour is in the Sacrifice and Sacrament of Christian Catholikes but that it is there by vertue of the omnipotency of Gods word and not by the faith of him that receaueth it as Puritans would haue it CHAP. VIII How in generall our Sauiour by his omnipotency together which Priests his instruments and Legates doth consecrate his true reall and substantiall body and bloud in the blessed Sacrament 1. GOd hath two Kingdomes here vpon God hath tvvo Kingdomes vpon earth earth the one the temporall Kingdome of this world of which it is sayd The earth is our Lords and the fulnes thereof the round world and all that dwell therein Psalm 23. 1. Thother Kingdome is the spirituall Kingdome of Christs Church militant here vpon earth of which it is said The sonne of man shall send his Angells and they shall gather out of his Kingdome all scandalls and them that vvorke iniquitie Math. 13. 41. And both these Kingdomes and all that is wrought in them were miraculously at the first founded and established by the omnipotency of the will and Both Gods Kingdomes are miraculously founded word of God according to the words of the Prophet saying God spoke and they were made Psal 32. 9. and this first foundation of these Kingdomes and establishing them in their operations was miraculous because they were not before but being thus founded and established now their ordinary operations are not miraculous because God hath giuen vnto either of them their seuerall ordinary natures dispositions properties and qualitis which they are ordinarily to reteyne and keepe vnto the end of the world God hauing so ordeined and decreed by the omnipotency of his will and woord 2. For the better vnderstanding hereof it is necessary to obserue that mirakles as S. Augustine in VVhat is miraculous and vvhat naturall the 14. chapter of his 6. book of the Trinitie saith Are these things which are donne contrary to the vsuall course of nature either in diuine or humane things and the nature of all things is the common and vsuall course of all things wherevpon Aristotle in the 7. book of his moralls to Eudemon saith Nature is the cause of those things vvhich are alwayes or for the most part donn after one manner So those things which are vsually or commonly donn in either of these Kingdomes we doe not call miraculous but naturall and though the things which be vsually or commonly donn in the Kingdome of Christs Church here vpon earth be supernaturall and miraculous in respect of the things which are commonly and vsually donn in the temporall Kingdome of this world for that they are neuer or rarely donn in it not cann be donn in it without a miracle and alteration of the common course of things in the temporall Kingdome of this world as if for example a man who were no Priest in the spiritual Kingdome of Gods Church but a laye man only in his temporall Kingdome by pronouncing the words of absolution after confession or by reading the words of consecration ouer the bread and wine fittly prepared should truely and really forgiue sinnes or consecrate the body and bloud of our Lord this I saye were a miracle because these things are neither ordinarily nor vsually donne by laye men of Gods temporall Kingdome nor can be donne vnles God contrary to the ordinary course of absolution from sinnes and consecration doe supply the defects yet those the institution and ordenance of God supposed are no mirakles when they are donn in the Church of God by Priests who are instituted by God for that purpose because they are commonly and vsually donne by them so likewise if a Priest by doing any act which precisly belongeth vnto the spirituall Kingdome of Christs Church herevpon earth should bring forth a tree or plant this were a mirakle because that by the exercice of Christian religion trees or plants are not ordinarily or vsually brought forth yet that the earth bringeth forth trees and plants is no miracle because the earth vsually and commonly doth it 3. Secondly it is necessary to obserue that as all All the vvorkes of God miraculous in the foundation of his Kingdomes the workes of God in the foundation of his temporall Kingdome here vpon earth are aboue nature and naturall reason supernaturall and miraculous as the creatiō of the heauens earth Sonne Moone Starrs c. of nothing so likewise are all the workes of God in the foundation of his spirituall Kingdome of the Church of Christ here vpon earth supernaturall and miraculous and aboue the reach of humane sense and naturall reason as that God should haue a Sonne a Virgin shold remaine a Virgin and yet bring forth a Child God to die vpon a Crosse men to be borne againe by Baptisme and cleansed from their sinnes the body of the Sonne of God to be in the Sacrament of the Altar c. wherevpon S. Paule saith faith must not be in the wisdome of men but in the power of God 1. Cor. 2. 5. Wherefore seing that all the workes of God in the foundation of his spirituall Kingdome which is the Church of Christ herevpon earth are miraculous and supernatural and aboue the reach of common sense and naturall reason it must needs be that also the The institution of the communion miraculous institution of the communion which is a Sacrament and worke of God in the foundation of his Church must also be a worke of supernatural power and vertue aboue the reach of humane sense and naturall reason and therefore it should be a vaine thing to goe about to giue a reason in nature how our Lord did or doth consecrate his reall and substantiall body and bloud in the blessed Sacrament but only by similitude in the foundation conseruation and preseruation of his temporall Kingdome so by the way of similitude from that which our Aduersaries doe belieue to bring them vnto that which they
belieue not that they may saue their soules 4. This obserued we doe not alwayes flie vnto miracles in euery particuler act or spirituall exercise The actes of Christian religiō novv not miraculous of our religion as when euery child is baptized or when euery Priest doth consecrate because God by the omnipotency of his will and woord hath established his spirituall Kingdome of his Christian Church after this manner so that now this supposed her ordinary actions and operations are not miraculous but according to the common and vsuall course of the acts and operations which God hath established in the spirituall Kingdome of his Church and according to that spirituall nature which God hath giuen vnto her at her first foundation So that whereas before Baptisme was instituted by our Lord if any one should haue pronounced the words of Baptisme and haue powred water vpon a man who neuer was baptized it would haue had no power or vertue to remit sinnes or to make him a child of the spirituall Kingdome of God and so the first institution was miraculous because the water and the words had not this power before but now since that God Almightie by the omnipotency of his power hath instituted Baptisme and established it in his Church and giuen vnto it this spirituall vertue and power to clense men of their sinnes make them Children of this spirituall Kingdome which is his Church and Heires which Christ of eternall life now this is no miracle but it is the spirituall nature and propertie of Baptisme which God who hath giuē the nature and properties vnto all things which they haue hath giuen also vnto it and therefore now this being supposed it is no miracle that when a man is baptized his sinnes are forgiuen but it should be a miracle that a man should now be baptized according to the rights of Baptisme and his sinnes should not be forgiuen because God hauing once giuen this spirituall vertue vnto Baptisme and hauing made it the nature propertie and qualitie of Baptisme cannot take it away without altering the course of the nature propertie and qualitie of Baptisme which is a miracle 5. Lykwise when our Lord instituted the B. Sacrament he took bread blessed gaue thanks and said This is my body and by vertue of his omnipotency consecrated it or made it his true reall and substantiall body and when he had donn said vnto Bishopps and Priests rightly ordeyned It is the propertie of Priests rightly ordeyned to consecrate the body and bloud of our Lord. Do this the same that he then did for a commemoration of me and by vertue of his omnipotency they do the same that he then did The first institution was supernaturall and miraculous but afterwards Bishopps and Priests did and do consecrate the same body and bloud which our Lord then did without any new miracle because he who created all things of nothing and hath giuen vnto euery thing that nature propertie and qualitie which it hath hath also giuen Bishopps and Priests rightly ordeyned this propertie and qualitie So now it is not a miracle that Priests do consecrat the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord but it should be a miracle if now that the Eucharist is established they do that which our Lord then commaunded them to doe and yet should not consecrat his true reall and substantiall body and bloud because that then our Lord should suspend or alter the properties and qualities which he hath giuen to Bishopps and Priests which would be a miracle 6. In like manner in other things In the beginning God created heauen and earth and the earth was void and vacant Gen. 1. 2. and neither brought forth hearbs nor trees nor grasse nor plants nor euer would haue donn if God had then lett it alone and neither haue said nor donn any more vnto it but afterwards God said Lett the earth In the beginning it vvas miraculous that the earth should bring forth hearbs plants and trees shoot forth green hearbs and such as may seed and fruit trees yeilding fruit after his kind such as may haue seed in it self vpon earth and it was so donn Gen. 1. 11. this was a supernaturall and miraculous work of God but euer since it hat been naturall vnto the earth to bring forth hearbes and fruit trees without any new miracle because God who is the giuer of all the properties and qualities which things haue gaue also vnto the earth this to bring Novv it is proper to the earth to bring forth hearbs and trees forth hearbes and fruit trees And it should be a miracle if the earth should not do it 7. And the like we may say of the hauing of Children and creation of soules God created man to his own image to the image of God he created him male and female he created them Gen. 1. 27. that is he created their soules for Adam he formed of the slyme of the earth and Eue of a rib taken out of Adams side Gen. 2. And vpon their first creation they had no children nor could haue or begett any vntill God said Increase and multiply and replenish the earth Gen. 1. 28. And this first was a miracle that God should giue that power vnto men and woemen to be his instruments of bringing forth soules into the world but now that the generatiō of men is established it is no miracle but agreeable to the vsuall course of nature that God in the generation of men doth creat soules but if nature concurring men and woemen should bring forth bodies without soules it would be a miracle because God should suspend or alter the course of nature which he hath established in the creation of soules in the generation of men 8. So as men and woemen God and nature concurring bring forth soules into the world vntil this daye and shall doe vntil the end by vertue of these words once spoken saying Increase and multiply Gen. 1. 28. So Bishopps and Priests rightly ordained in bread and wine fittly prepared haue hitherto and shal vntil the end of the world consecrate the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of the Sonne of God by vertue of these words once said Doe this the same that he then did in commemoration of me And in due consideration it seemeth as hard a thing that men and woemen should be God Almigties instruments to bring forth so many millions of soules into the world which before were not as for Bishopps and Priests to be his agents and instruments of making one body that was before to be in diuers places and vnder diuers demensions 9. If our Puritans beleeue that by vertue of these words Increase and multiply once spoken Almigtie God doth so concourr in the generation of men as that they haue soules I see noe difficultie why they should not beleeue that Bishopps and Priests rightly ordayned by vertue of these words once said Doe this the same which he
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
giue lesse then he promised in so manifest and plaine termes and these so often repeated Wherefore seing that he often promised with cleare and manifest words in the 6. of S. Iohn that he would giue liuing bread bread that came down from heauen bread which is his flesh for the lyfe of the world meate which is his flesh and drinke which is his bloud meate which who soeuer eateth worthily hath lyfe euerlasting and abideth in Christ and Christ in him it cannot without blasphemy be affirmed that Christ hath not truely and really performed those things which he hath so often and so plainly and clearly promised and that rather more then lesse then his words import which cannot be vnlesse he giue his true reall and substantiall body and bloud himself vnder the species of bread and wine vnto vs for meate for whatsoeuer inferior thing he should giue which should be lesse then himself the same should also be lesse then his promise 5. And the want of performance if any such thing could possibly be were so much the more Our Sauiours assurance in giuing his flesh remarkable for that our Sauiour with a double assurance or as it were with a kind of oath affirmeth saying Amen Amen I say to you vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall not haue lyfe in you Io. 6. 53. Wherevpon S. Augustine in his 41. Tract vpon S. Iohn sayth Truth sayth Amen Amen I say vnto you what a thing is this that our Lord shoul saye Amen Amen I say vnto you He commendeth it very much which he so pronounceth seing that if it be lawfull so to saye Amen Amen I saye vnto you is his oath 6. Wherefore seeing that it is impossible for God to lye and alter all these his afore sayd properties and conditions it necessarily followeth that our Lord at the institution of the communion gaue his true reall and substantiall body and bloud vnto the Apostles in the communion and instituted that his true reall and substantiall body and bloud should be administred in the communion to the fulfilling of those his wordes here spoken in the 6. S. Iohn and also at the institution of this Sacrament where he doth not only saye This is my body and this is my bloud but This is my body which is giuen for you and This is my body which shal be deliuered for you This is my bloud which is shed for many and This is my bloud which shal be shed for many 7. If after all these faire wordes and large promises of receauing from our Sauiour this heauenly God cannot faile to fulfill his many and serious promises food and diuine meate we should receaue from him only a peece of bakers bread and supp of vintners wine which notwithstanding all that it hath from him or on his part is euen after consecration but a peece of bread and supp of vintners wine without any reall qualitie entitie substance flesh body or bloud of his in it more then is in other bakers bread and vintners wine which is the assertion of our Aduersaries who could with reason thinke or beleeue that Christ were God faithfull in his words and iust in all his promises 8. That the Puritans saye they receaue the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of The Protestans and Puritans communion a meere imagination or fiction our Lord by faith eate his flesh and bloud by faith imagine him there though he be as farr of in deed and truth as it is to heauen that 's nothing to the purpose For first these are their own words which are no where to be found in the Scriptures Secondly we do not looke for the actions of men what they do or ought to doe when they communicate or receaue but for the actions of God in preparing and giuing the thing they are to receaue before they receaue it Thirdly faith or imagination can not make a thing really absent to be really present as is manifest by experience and to beleeue that a thing which is indeede absent is really and indeed present is but a deceipt in the imagination and a false faith which cann neuer make that which is not present to be present Fourthly suppose that these sayings of the Puritans were true then the words and promises of Christ were false and so he should not be true God for these are not his words promises workes and actions but theirs wherefore if they saye true then our Lord hath not fulfilled his promises and so was not true God not faithfull in all his words But seeing that he was true God and Sonne of God and truth it selfe it necessarily followeth that he fulfilled these his promises so solēnely made and gaue his true and reall flesh to eate and bloud to drinke in the Communion 9. And this was as I haue said heretofore the argument Christ vvas God because he could chāge bread into his body of S. Irenaeus to proue against some heretiks who denied Christ to be God the changing of bread into his body and wine into his bloud saying in the 34. chap. of his 4. book of heresies How vvill it be manifest to these heretikes who deny Christ to be the Sonne of God that the bread vpon vvhich thankes is giuen is the body of their Lord and the chalice his bloud if they do not saye Christ to be the sonne of the biulder of the world that is to say his vvord by vvhich trees be are fruite fountaines flow the earth first doth giue the blade afterwards the eare then full vvheate in the eare Thus S. Irenaeus who liued why lest yet some of the Apostles schollers were liuing and the actions of our Sauiour and the Apostles were fresh in the memory of men And from hence it is that euen in the primitiue Church none denyed that Christ gaue his true flesh and bloud in the Communion but those who denied him to be God as witnesseth S. Hilarius in his 8. book of the Trinitie saying Christ said my flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud remaineth in me and I in him There is no place left to doubt of the truth of the flesh and bloud of our Lord in this Sacrament for now by the profession of our Lord himselfe and by our faith or according to our faith it is truly bloud and these things being taken into our handes as was the custome of the primitiue Church and swallowed downe do worke this that vve may be in Christ and Christ in vs. And is not this truth It falleth out verily that it is not esteemed true by those who deny Christ to be God 10. From hence it is that when our Lord first preached of this blessed Sacrament in the 6. of S. Peter beleeued the reall presence before he vnderstood it S. Iohn S. Peter as witnesseth S. Augustine vpon the 54. Psalme did not
ancient Fathers of the primitiue Church had beleeued that in the blessed Sacrament after consecration there had been no reall entity or quality more then is in bakers bread and vinteners wine and that by taking a peece of bread and apprehending Christ in heauen by the hand of faith they might haue receaued worthily they would neuer haue reteyned penitent synners so long from the holy Communion as sometymes three yeares sometymes fiue sometymes tenne and sometymes vntill their deaths and that in tyme of seuere persecution 17. Moreouer about 80. yeares after the natiuity Diuers accused of heresie in the primitiue Church for denying the reall presence of our Lord Simon Magus and Menander were accused by S. Ignatius for denying that the Eucharist was the flesh of our Sauiour Iesus-Christ as wittnesseth Theodoret in his 3. dialogue And about the yeare 250. Paulus Samosatenus Bishopp of Antioche amongst other things was condemned of heresie by the Catholik Church of his tyme for affirming that the bloud of our Lord in the B. Sacrament was corruptible and mortall bloud because our Lord sayd of his bloud Take it and deuyde it amongst you How sayd he cann it be incorruptible bloud if it bee deuyded and powred out As wittnesseth Dionysius Alexandrinus in his Epistle to the said Paul set down in the 3. to me Bibliothecae Patrum and may be gathered out the profession of faith set downe by the Fathers of the Church of that tyme and sent vnto Paulus Samosatenus sett down by Bini in the 1. Tome of the Councels fol. 162. 18. These things considered what shal we saye vnto the promises of God vnto his Church which The promises of our Lord made voyd if his body and bloud should not be in the B. Sacrament S. Augustine in the 2. chapter of his 1. book against the Epistle of Parmenianus caleth The thunders of the diuine testament which God gaue in promise vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob whose God he affirmed himselfe to be saying I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and Iacob this is may name for euer And what was sayd to Abraham In thy seede shal be blessed all nations Gen. 12. 22. What is sayd to Isaac In thy seed shal be blessed all the nations of the earth Gen. 26. What is said to Iacob I am the God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac be not affrayd c. they seed shall be as the sand of the sea to the west and to the south and to the north and to the east in Europe Asia Africa and America and in thee and in thy seed shal be blessed all the natiōs of the earth And least the Iewes should thinke that this is spoken of them the Apostle declareth what is intended by the seed of Abraham saying To Abraham and to his seed were the promises made and he doth not saye to seeds as in many but as in one to thy seed which is Christ Gal. 3. Wherefore seeing that it was promised which so great authority and published by so great a truth and now they do contradict it who wil be called Christians Thus S. Augustine of the promises of God to his Church which he calleth the thunders of God 19. What shall we saye of these and many more the lyke promises of God vnto his Church set down in both Testaments as that it shall possesse the gates of her enemies Gen. 12. The mountaines shal be moued and the litle hils shall tremble but my mercy shall not depart from thee and the conuenant of my peace shall not be moued Isa 54. Our Lord hath sworne by his right hand and by the arme of his strenght if I shall giue thy wheate any more to be meate to thine enimies Isa 62. All the ends of the earth shall remember and be conuerted to our Lord. And all the families of the Gentils shall adore in his sight Psal 21. 37. In his dayes shall arise iustice and abundance of peace so long as the moone endureth And he shall rule from sea to sea and from the Riuer of Jordan where he was baptized and began to preache vnto the end of the world Psal 71. 6. The gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Matt. 16. 18. The holy Ghost shall abide with her for euer Io. 14. 16. The house of God the Church of the liuing God the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3. 15. Goe teache all nations be hold I am with you all dayes euen to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. What shall we saye vnto our 3. Creeds the The three Creeds not alvvaies true if the body and bloud of our Lord should not bee in the B. Sacrament Apostles creed wherein the Apostles themselues taught Christians to beleeue in all ages and tymes as an article of our faith the Catholik Church or that Church which was generally dilated ouer the world The Nicen creed which was made in the 1. generall Councel which euer was in the world by 318. holy Bishops which teache vs to beleeue that there is but one true Church and that Church to be Catholik or generally dilated over the world and founded by the Apostles Athanasius his Creed which saith Whosoeuer wil be saued it is necessary aboue all things that he hould the Catholike faith which faith except a man keepe whole and inuiolate without all doubt he shall euerlastingly perish Whē now for 1600. yeares there hath ben no Church or faith Catholike or generally dilated over the world but theirs who beleeued that our Sauiour at his last Supper gaue his body to be eaten and his bloud to be drinken and haue beleeued that they in the Communion haue receaued the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord and haue honored it and respected it as his true body and bloud as I haue proued heretofore and shall proue more all large hereafter 21. If the true and reall body and bloud of our Lord be not in the blessed Sacrament hovv could the Christians of those ages saye I beleeue the Catholik Chuch or faith when there vvas no Catholik Church or faith in those ages which held not the true and reall presence of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament after consecration and before receauing Were not the articles of our faith true in all ages and tymes since they were deliuered by the Apostles What shall we saye vnto all those promises of God vnto his Church and vnto our three Creeds Shall we saye that God hath failed in his promises now for 1600. yeares How shall we perswade men to beleeue him hereafter Or induce men to beleeue that the Scriptures are true 22. § What shall we saye of our three Creeds shall we saye that the Apostles Creed hath not alwayes ben true since it was made Or shall we saye that our 3. Creeds haue been hitherto false Or rather shall we not saye Our Lord is faithfull in all his words Psal 144. 14.