expresly commandeth all to drinke of the Cup and lest any man might cauill saying that that precept belonged only to Priests Saint Pauls ordinance to the Corinthians testifies That the whole Church ordinarily or in common vsed both kinds In the Saxonik Article 15. All men know that the Lords Supper was so instituted at the first that the whole Sacrament was giuen to the people as it is written Drinke you all of this The custome of the ancient Churches both Greeke and Latine are well knowne therefore we must confesse that the prohibiting of one part thereof is vniust It is vnlawfull to violate the last wil and Testament of men if it be lawfully made why then doe the Bishops violate the Testament of the Sonne of God sealed with his blood In the Bohemian c. 14. Christ said in expresse words Take eate this is my body and in like manner when he gaue them the Cup by it selfe and distinctly said Take Drinke ye all of this this is my blood therefore according to this Commandement the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ ought to be distributed and receiued by all beleeuers in common In the latter Heluetian confession cap. 21. we dislike these who haue takeÌ„ away one part of the Sacrament viz. the Cup of the Lord from the faithfull for they grieuouslly offend against the Lords institution who said Drinke ye all of this which hee spake not in so expresse words of the bread The Doctrine and practice of the reformed Churches as it is expressed in these Confessions is solidly and learnedly iustified against the Romish aduersaries by Luther Melancton Caluin Iewel Chemsius Plessis Bilson Riuet Moulin Chamierus Humfrey and others from whose Hiues I haue taken much hony yet not vpon trust nor without trying it but tracing the diligent Bees in the Paradice of God the holy Scripture and the Garden of Ecclesiasticall Writers euen to each flower whence they gathered it CHAP. II. The first Argument drawne from Christs Precept and example in the celebration of this Sacrament WHatsoeuer Christ commanded and did in the first celebration of this Supper ought continually to be obserued and practized in the Church But Christ in the first celebration of the Supper gaue the Cup and commanded it to bee giuen to all there present that before had receiued the bread Therefore the giuing of the Cup to all Communicants at the Supper ought perpetually to bee obserued and practised in the Church The proposition is gathered out of Luk. 22. 19. This doe ye in remembrance of me and 1. Cor. 11. 25. This do ye as oft as you drink in remembrance of me and ver 26. as oft as you eate of this bread and drinke this Cup you shew the Lords death till he come In which words the Apostle euidently implyeth that the Commandement this doe in remembrance of me extends euen to Christs second comming And verily if Christs precepts and actions in the first celebration of this Sacrament were not a law binding the Church to doe the like in all succeeding ages neither the Apostles themselues nor the Church after them should haue had any warrant at all to celebrate the Lords Supper after his death Which to affirme were absurd impietie or as Saint Augustine speakes in a case of farre lesse importance most insolent madnesse The assumption is set down in the very letter totidem verbis Mat. 26. 27. He tooke the Cup and gaue it to them saying Drinke you all of this Mark 14. 23 And he tooke the Cup and when hee had giuen thanks he gaue it them and they all drank of it Certainely I perswade my selfe that our Sauiour expressed the note of vniuersality viz. in deliuering the Cup to all saying Drinke you all of this and not so in giuing the bread of set purpose to preuent that abuse which the Romish Church of late hath brought in by taking away the Cup. As in like manner the Apostle saith of marriage It is honorable in or amongst all men Heb. 13. 4. and he saith not so of virginity or single life although it bee most true that single life or virginity is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is pretious or honorable because the holy Ghost foresaw that some heretikes would denie marriage to bee honourable amongst all and prohibite it to some men viz. the Cleargie Which two texts of Scripture the Romanists lewdly peruert and ridiculously contradict themselues in the interpretation of them extending all to the Laietie in the one and excluding the Cleargie and extending all to the Cleargie in the other and excluding the laietie Marriage is honorable among all say they that is all saue Priests Drink you all of this that is all saue the people In restraining all in both places they make of omnes non omnes and so contradict the text and by expounding all sometimes of the people not Priests sometimes of Priests and not people they contradict themselues For the restriction of all in this place to Priests administring onely I forbeare the further refuting of it because all the arguments that follow in generall ouerthrow it and in particular and expressly it is refelled in the Conference annexed hereunto This whole argument is confirmed by the testimonie of Pope Iulius set downe in the Canon Law and therefore deliuered ex Cathedra De consecrat dist 2. There hee proues that bread and wine onely ought to be giuen in the Sacrament and not milke because Christ the master of Truth when he commended the Sacrament vnto his Disciples at his last Supâ—…er gaue milke to none but bread the cup only The contrary practice viz. of them that giue milke in the Sacrament how repugnant it is to the Euangelicall and Apostolicall Doctrine and custome of the Church will easily bee proued from the fountaine of truth from whom the ordination of these mysteries did proceed The Pope in this place drawes an argument from Christs institution and practice at his last Supper both affirmatiuely and negatiuely Christ gaue bread and wine to his Disciples therefore wee ought so to doe he gaue not milke therefore wee ought not Christ is the Fountaine of truth he is the Master of truth hee is the Author of the Sacrament therefore inferreth the Pope and in this particular infallibly nothing must bee done in the administration of this Sacrament otherwise then Christ did and commanded at his last Supper The Romanists cannot confirme the Popes argument but they must needs confirme ours in this point they cannot infirme or weaken ours but they must needes weaken his and not his onely but that renowned Doctor and glorious Martyr Saint Cyprians also who fighteth with the same weapon against the heretiques called Aquarij wherewith we doe against the papists No man may vnder colour of new or humane constitutions depart from that which Christ our Master did and taught and a little
cut of the rugged knobs not grate or weare out the heart of it Volo nasutum non polyposum Fourthly because the testimonies I cite out of these authors were neuer questioned much lesse proued to be taken for good by the aduersarie vntill he can disproue them according to the rule of the Ciuill law supponitur esse bonus qui non probatur esse malus he is supposed to be an honest man who was neuer proued otherwise To cal in then these ancients in that order as commonly they go First Anno 70. Dionysius Areopagita in his booke of Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie chap. 5. relateth the practise of the Church in his time on this manner z After the Priest hath prayed that he may holyly distribute and that they that are to partake of the Sacraments may receiue it worthily discouering the bread that before was couered and breaking it into many pieces and diuiding one Cup among all he multiplieth that in the signes which is but one and distributeth it Anno. 80. The second Martialis Lenoricensis who stileth himselfe a seruant of God and an Apostle of Iesus Christ in his epistle ad Burdigal writeth thus You heretofore honored the priests which deceiued you with their sacrifices which they offered to dumbe and deafe images that neither could helpe you nor themselues but now much more you ought to honour the Priests of Almighty God who minister life vnto you in the Cup and liuing Bread By this argument of Martials the Romish Priests that giue the people but an halfe Communion should lose halfe of the honour due vnto Gods Priests if not the whole For thus out of Martials premises I conclude Those and none but those Priests are to be honoured and reuerenced who administer life to the people in the Cup The Romish Priests administer not life to the people in the Cup Therefore they are not to bee reuerenced or honoured Anno 92. Thirdly Clemens in his second booke of Constitutions 57. chap. thus enioyneth after the offering of the sacrifice let euery order a part receiue the body of our Lord and his pretious blood Anno 100. Fourthly Ignatius the Scholer of Saint Iohn the Euangelist Bishop of Antioch and Martyr in his Epistle to the Philadelphians enforceth an argument to vnity from the Communion I exhort you to imbrace one faith one manner of preaching and vse of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for the flesh of our Lord Iesus is one and his blood one that was shed for vs there is one bread also broken for all and one Cup distributed vnto all Bellarmine his first Answer Bellarmine is put to a miserable plunge in his answer to this allegation First he saith in the Latine copies the words of Ignatius are not as we cite them There is one Cup distributed vnto all but there is one Cup of the whole Church and though the Greeke copies reade as we do yet he saith that much credit is not to be giuen to them The Refutation Against this answer I reply First that if we may not trust the Greeke editions of Ignatius much lesse may we trust the Latine translations especially since of late they are come into hucksters hands To appeale from a translation to the originall is vsuall but to appeale from the originall to a translation is a thing vnheard of This is to make the brooke or streame to bee purer then the fountaine or spring The Poet teacheth Bellarmine another lesson Dulciùs ex ipso fonte bibuntur aquae Ignatius as it is well knowne wrote in Greeke and therefore vnlesse Bellarmine can proue that other Greeke copies agree with his Latine translation and not with ours he speaketh nothing to the purpose for a translation is of no credit further then it agrees with the originall Secondly euen Bellarmines corrupt translation maketh against the Church of Rome and prooueth that the practice in Ignatius his time was for the whole Church to communicate in both kinds for why else calleth he it Calicem totius Ecclesiae The Cup of the whole Church Ignatius there speakes not of the possession but of the vse of the Cup and if the Priests onely had dranke of it hee would haue called it the Priests Cup but in terming it the Cup of the whole Church he plainely signifieth that the whole Church vsed it in the celebration of the Lords Supper Bellarmine his second answere Secondly Bellarmine saith that the force of Ignatius his argument consisteth in the vnitie of the Cup and not in the vniuersalitie of them that drinke for he exhorteth there to vnitie The Refutation First Ignatius exhorts there all to vnitie because all eate of one bread and drinke of one cup. His argument therefore standeth both in the vniuersalitie of them that drinke and the vnitie of the Cup and it may be thus reduced into forme All that eate of one bread and drinke of one holy Cup in remembrance of one body offered and one blood shed for all ought to embrace vnitie But all you of the Church of Philadelphia people as well as Priests eate of one bread and drinke of one holy Cup in memory of one body offered and one blood of Christ shed for you all Therefore all you of the Church of Philadelphia ought to embrace vnitie and godly loue If the pinch or straine of the argument were in vnitie only it would not hold for if some onely dranke of this Cup and not others this should rather make more for a diuision then for vnitie it is the communion of more in one that Ignatius layeth for the ground of his argument enforcing vnitie Secondly howsoeuer the argument stands it makes no great matter sith we insist not so much vpon the argument it selfe as vpon that his expresse affirmation That one Cup in his time was giuen vnto all This assertion alone sufficiently prooueth the practise of the Church in his time Bellarmine his third answere Thirdly Bellarmine saith that nothing can be inforced from these words of Ignatius but that it was the vse in that time when there were but few Christians to giue the Cup vnto all but this is an example it is no precept so the Cardinall The Refutation First it is not true which he here affirmeth that there were but few Christians in Ignatius his time for all histories of those times and the Epistles of Ignatius testifie the contrary and in this very Church of Philadelphia the holy Ghost testifieth Apoc. 3. 8. That there were many Christians Behold I haue set before thee an open dore and no man shall shut it c. Secondly though the Primitiue Church were not of that large extent as the Church in suceeding ages yet the authoritie of the Church in that age in which the Apostles liued and their immediate successors is farre greater then in any later age Thirdly in this last answere the Cardinall yeeldeth vs the cause for we cite these words of
potatur abluitur sanctificatur Who can expresse how great mercie it was by that most holy effusion of his pretious blood to redeeme mankind and to giue to his members the most holy mysterie of his quickning body and blood by the partaking whereof his body which is the Church is nourished as with meat and drinke is washed and sanctified These and other passages of Gregory are so cleare and bright that they dazeled the eies of Estius a great Parisian Doctor who handling this question professedly acknowledgeth that Saint Gregory among other fathers is expresly for the Commmunion in both kinds Anno Dom. 620. The Seruice Booke commonly called Ordo Romanus The Romane order set forth by Gregory or vnder Pope Gregory with his allowance sufficiently discouereth the present practise of the Romane Church in their dry Masses to be a disorder and shamefull abuse For there they may reade and blush to reade in the Rubricke these formes set downe at the Communion Wee humbly beseech thee that wee which haue taken the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ thy Sonne may be filled with grace and heauenly benediction and after the Communion Let thy body O Lord which we haue taken and thy blood which we haue drunke sticke to our bowels that no blot of sinne may remaiue in vs who haue beene refreshed by these pure and holy mysteries Anno 630. Saint Isidore as in other things so in this treadeth his master Gregories steps de diuin of fic lib. 1. c. 15. The fourth prayer is brought in for the kisse of peace vt omnes that all being reconciled by charitie may ioyne in the worthie participation of Christs body and blood omnes all People therefore as well as Priests vnlesse they will haue the people to be out of charity all that are in charity must communicate together in the mistery of Christs body and blood But Gods people are or ought to be in charity and therefore to be admitted by Saint Isidores rule as well to the Cup as to the bread at the Lords Table Anno. 633. In the fourth Councell of Toledo Can. 6. All the people are appointed one good fryday to aske pardon for their sinnes that being clensed by the compunction of repentance they may be thought fit one Easter day to receiue the sacrament of Christs body and blood And in the seuenth Canon it is appointed that after the Lords prayer and the blessing of the people the Sacrament of Christs body and blood bee receiued after this manner the Priest and Leuite is to communicate before the Altar the rest of the Clergie in the Quire the rest of the people without the Quire See also 57. Canon Anno 675. In the eleuenth Councell held at Toledo the fathers determine that such who receiued the Cup in extemity of sicknesse but refused the bread because in regard of the drines of their throat they could not swallow it downe should not therefore bee cut off from Christs body The decree runneth thus The infirmity of humane nature in the very passage out of this life is accustomed to be oppressed in such sort with drought that the sick are not able to take downe any meat to refresh them no nor scarse any drop of drinke to strengthen them which thing we haue obserued in the departure of many who desiring the wished foode of the holy Communion to sustaine them in their last iourney haue yet cast away the Eucharist giuen them by the Priest not out of infidelitie but because they could not swallow any thing down beside a small draught of the holy Cup such as these therefore ought not to bee separated from the body of Christ. The Councell speaketh of the Laiety refusing bread at the Priests hands which they could not take downe and yet receiuing the Cup and in this case of necessitie the Councell dispenceth with their refusing the bread but findeth no fault with them for taking the Cup. Nay vpon that point excuseth them from infidelitie and saueth them from excommunication How doth this Councel clash and crosse shins as it were with the Councel of Constance and Trent In these the people are condemned for taking the Cup in that they are acquitted for it In them the Priest is censured that giueth them the Cup in this the people are absolued from censure in refusing the bread because they Communicate in the Cup. In the same yeere in the Councell at Braccara they are blamed that ministred not wine to the people in the Sacrament but either milke or grapes Can. 2. Non expressum vinum in sacramento dominici calicis offerre sed lac pro vino dedicare aut oblatis vuis populo communicare In the same Councell they are blamed also Qui intinctam Eucharistiam populis pro complemento communionis porrigerent Who deliuered to the people a piece of bread dipt in wine for the whole Communion which custome how repugnant it is to the doctrine of the Gospell and custome of the Church may easily be proued from the fountaine of truth who gaue the Cut by it selfe saying Drinke yee all of this as he tooke the bread by it selfe saying Take eat c. SECT VIII The Testimonies of the practise of the Church from 700. to 800. IN this age wee haue foure concurrent witnesses and contestatours beyond all exception Beda Greg. 2. Greg. 3. Alcumus We will produce them in order And first Venerable Beda Anno 720. Venerable Beda the honour of England and mirrour of his time witnesseth as followeth Christ washeth vs daily from our sins in his blood when the memory of his passion is celebrated or recounted at the Altar where the creatures of bread and wine by the vnspeakable sanctification of the Spirit are changed into the Sacrament of his flesh and blood and therby his body blood is not powred out by the hands of Infidels to their destruction but is receiued or is taken by or into the mouth of the faithful to saluation In this testimony I note first that he teacheth not a substantiall change of the elements of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ but a sacramentall onely agreeable to the harmony of Protestants Confession Se condly that Beda either alludes vnto or transcribes herein the words of S. Gregory aboue alleaged which I haue there proued to be most pregnant to our purpose Anno 726. Gregory 2. in his Epistle of Images to Leo Isaurus A man that hath sinned and confessed after they haue well chastened and punished him with fasting let them impart vnto him the pretious body of our Lord and giue him his holy blood to drinke Anno 731. Gregory 3. in his former Epistle to Boniface forbiddeth at the Lords Table more then one Cup to be vsed saying It is not a fitting thing to put two or three Chalices on the Altar No doubt the reason why more Chalices were put on the Altar was for the vse of
cannot say that he speakes of Priests only for he speakes of all faithfull that either are already or are to bee made members of Christs body Neither can they shift off this passage as they doe some others by granting that the people may but denying that they ought to communicate in both kinds For he presseth very farre the necessitie of thus communicating without which he supposeth neither communion with Christ nor eternall life can be obtained Neither lastly can they euade by their doctrine of concomitancy saying that the people participate of the blood in the body when they receiue the consecrated Hoste For he speaketh distinctly of eating and drinking bread and drinke and sacraments in the plurall number which cannot possibly be vnderstood of participating the bread onely or communicating in one kind after the Popish manner Anno 840. Haymo Bishop of Halberstat relateth the manner of the faithfull to haue been in his time daily to eate the body of Christ and to drinke his blood and paraphrasing vpon these words of the Apostle 1. Cor. cap. 10. The Cup which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ He saith the Cup is called the Communion because all communicate of it and partake of the blood of the Lord which it containeth in it Surely if the word fidelis or faithfull carryeth not the Layetie yet the word omnes or all must needs the faithfull then and all of them in Haymoes time were as well admitted to the Cup as to the bread Anno 849. Valafridus Strabo speaking of the suspension of scandalous persons from the Communion calleth the Lords Supper Sacraments in the plurall number in regard of the two elements or kinds in which it is administred Those saith he that wander from the members of Christ by the enormity or faeditie of capitall crimes by the iudgement of the Church are suspended from the q Sacraments lest by the vnworthy receiuing them they should be entangled in a greater guilt as Iudas Here by capitall offenders to vnderstand Priests were a capitall offence as if they alone were the greatest offenders in the Church and to haue the rod of Ecclesiasticall censures to bee spent vpon them onely Therefore the Romanists will they nill they to saue themselues from the lash must put the capitall offender vpon the Laiety and consequently confesse that they who for their crimes were at some times suspended from the Sacraments were ordinarily when they were free from such crimes admitted to both the Sacraments as Strabo calleth them that is both the elements the wine as well as the bread For the same Strabo in his twentieth Chapter stirreth vp himselfe and all good Christians to the continuall participating of the body and blood of Christ without which we cannot liue so far forth as some greater blots or blemishes in body or mind do not withhold or hinder from it Anno. 868. In a Councell held at Wormes vnder Lewis the second we find a Canon to this purpose If any man shall marry a widow which had a daughter by her former husband and shall after lye with this her daughter let that marriage by all meanes be dissolued and let that man vndergoe the pennance of the Church so that for three yeeres he be suspended from the body of Iesus Christ and his blood He who vpon a special reason is debard from the Communion of the body and blood of Christ and that for a certain time must needs be supposed before that time to haue beene admitted to communicate in both kinds and after his penance of three yeeres done cannot be denied againe admittance to the Lords Table I desire then to know what incestuous crime all the Laiety vnder the Papacy haue committed that for these two hundred yeeres euer since the Councell of Constance they haue suspended them from the Sacrament of Christs blood Anno. 869. Regino discribeth the manner of Pope Adrians deliuering the Communion to King Lotharius and his followers in both kindes then which we cannot desire a nobler president or fairer euidence of the custome of the Church in that Age Thus then Regino The Pope inuites the king to the Lords Table taking the body and blood of our Lord in his hands the King takes the body and blood of our Lord at the hands of the Pope Then the Bishop turning himselfe to the followers of the King deliuers the Communion to each of them in these words If thou hast not shewed thy selfe a fauourer or an abbetter of King Lothar in the obiected crime of adulterie neither hast giuen thy consent thereunto neither hast communicated with Waldrand and other persons excommunicated by the Apostolick See let the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ be healthfull to thee vnto eternall life Anno 875. Bertramus or as some write his name Ratramus in his booke of the body and blood of Christ dedicated to Carolus Caluus writeth thus you demand whether the body of Christ and his blood which in the Church are receiued by or with the mouth of the faithfull be his body and blood mystically or in truth And a little after he resolueth thus If yee looke inwardly it is not the liquor of wine but the blood of Christ which is tasted by the minds of the faithfull when it is drunke and acknowledged when it is seene and liked when it is smelt vnto This Bertram speaks so plainely through this whole booke for the entire Communion and against the Popish carnall presence of Christ in the Sacrament that the Romish Inquisitors were in a quandary what to doe with this Author whither quite to prohibite the reading of him or to deuise some colourable excuse and euasion for such passages in him as hold no good quarter with their Trent Faith Papists answer to the testimonies of the writers alleadged in this former Age. Before most of these testimonies our aduersaries draw Timanthes his courtain and answer them with silence Onely to Paschasius and Haymo Cardinall Bellarmine pretends to giue an answer either because for shame hee could do no lesse being so often vpraided with them or because like a new Alcumist he hoped out of the iron that wounded him to draw an oyle to cure the wound of his cause To the testimonie out of Paschasius his answer like Cerberus consists of three heads First he saith that the place in Paschasius seemes to be corrupted Secondly he saith that Paschasius doth not expound the words of our Lord as they are in Matthew but as they seeme to be spoken of Christ when the sacrament is administred in the Church His reason is In the institution of the Sacrament there were no other Ministers present distinguished from other beleeuers and therfore Christs words as they were vttered then no way admitteth Paschasius explication Drinke ye all of this as well Ministers as other beleeuers Thirdly hee saith that the words of Paschasius make much
2 3. that they were all baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea and as they did all eate the same spirituall meat so they did all drinke the same spirituall drinke For they dranke all of that spirituall Rocke and that Rock was Christ. If they will needs haue in one type a perfect image or embleme of the Communion in both kinds Cyprian other ancient Fathers will direct them to Melchisedec who brought forth bread wine not bread only but bread wine Thirdly this argument may be strongly retorted vpon our aduersaries after this manner The Truth ought to answer the types but the types of the old Law prefigured the faithfulls communicating in both kinds as is gathered by the ancient Fathers S. Chrysost. S. Ambrose S. Austine and S. Gregory Chrysost. As thou eatest the body of our Lord so they did eate Manna and as thou drinkest the blood of our Lord so they dranke the water of the Rocke To them he gaue Manna and Water to thee he giueth his Body and Blood S. Ambrose in the water that issued from the Rocke drunke by the people in the wildernesse noteth the resemblance of Christians who in the wildernesse of this world drinke of the blood that sprang from the true Rocke Christ Iesus To them saith he water flowed from the Rocke to thee blood from Christ the water satisfyed them for an houre the blood refresheth or washeth thee for euer S. Austine compareth the drinking of all the Fathers in the old Testament with ours in the new in these words All drunke the same spirituall drinke Wee drinke one thing and they drinke another but in visible appearance which yet is the selfe-same thing in spirituall vertue So the Paschall Lambe was eaten but the blood was stricken vpon both posts which mystery Saint Gregory thus vnfolds What is meant by the blood of the Lambe you haue learned not by hearing but by drinking it Which blood is put vpon both postes when it is drunke not onely with the mouth of the body but also with the mouth of the heart SECT 2. The second reason saith Bellarmine is drawne from the doctrine and example of Christ. For our Lord in the sixth of Iohn speaking of the fruit of the Eucharist or Lords Supper not once but foure times teacheth one kind to be sufficient to saluation he that ea◅eth me shall liue by me he that eateth this bread shall liue for euer if any man eate of this bread hee shall liue for euer This is the Bread that came downe from Heauen that if any man eate of it he may not die It cannot therefore be that the same Lord should command both kinds to bee taken Againe our Lord proues the same by his example first Ioh. the sixth where hee multiplied the l◅aues and thereby satisfied the people there remaining twelue baskets full but neither multiplied hee nor gaue them any drinke Moreouer in the 24 of Luke in the supper with the Disciples at Emaus hee tooke bread and blest it and brake it and gaue it vnto them but we reade of no Cup that there he tooke or blest nor indeed could For the story of the Gospell so ioyneth the distribution of the bread with our Lords departure that it leaueth no place for the blessing or distributing the Cup. For so S. Luke speaketh It came to passe as he sate with them hee tooke bread and brake it and gaue it to them and their eies were opened and they knew him and he suddenly vanished out of their sight Answer Cardinall Bellarmine in propounding this second reason as he calleth it makes vse of the Orators precept to heape weake arguments one vpon another that though each by themselues be of their owne nature feeble yet they may receiue some support by the helpe of one another For here in like maner he layeth together diuers places of Scripture to strengthen his cause which being seuerally examined will prooue of no moment being misapplied in his owne defence To the first place therefore alleaged out of the sixth Chapter of S. Iohn we say First that in the iudgement of Tapperus Iansenius Caietanus Cusanus and diuers others quoted by Bellarmine himselfe in his first book of the Sacrament of the Eucharist and fifth Chapter Christ in the sixth of Iohn speaketh not at all of the Sacrament which was not yet instituted but a yeere after at his last Supper with his Disciples Secondly for the words insisted vpon by Bellarm. in particular Christ himselfe foure seuerall times tells vs that he meaneth by bread himselfe who came downe from heauen verse 48. I am that bread of life 50. this is that bread which commeth downe frō heauen vers 51. I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer vers 58. This is the bread which came downe from heauen not as your fathers which did eat Manna and are dead If then there be any force in the number of foure we answer that our Lord who foure times in this cap. attributeth life to the eating of bread foure times expoundeth himself that by bread he meaneth celestiall bread not sacramentall for the sacramentall bread commeth not from heauen but is made of the graine of the earth and many that eate of it liue not for euer Iudas and many other reprobates haue eaten yea Mise Rats and other vermin may and sometimes haue eaten the sacramentall bread who yet neuer haue nor shall taste the power of the heauenly gift much lesse inioy eternall life These texts therefore are mis-applied by Bellarmine to the Sacrament and being mis-applied proue nothing for his halfe Communion Thirdly we say that Christ hauing spoken of Manna the Israelites bread in the wildernesse calleth himselfe bread keeping the subiect and occasion which he had begun to speak of As Ioh. 4. 14. speaking with the woman of Samaria about drawing water he promiseth her to giue her water to drinke of which whosoeuer drinketh shall thirst no more There Christ speaketh of drinking and mentioneth no eating but in the places of Saint Iohn alleaged by Bellarmine of eating and not drinking because the Metaphore of drinking better fitted the subiect of his speech which was water there but eating better relished in the sixth of Iohn where the occasion of his speech was bread yet as from these words of Ioh. 4. 14. no man may inferre that drinking alone is sufficient to saluation without eating so neither may Bellarmine conclude from the sixth of Iohn in the places aboue quoted that eating is sufficient without drinking as eternall life is ascribed here to eating so to drinking Ioh. 4. 14. as also vnto beleeuing Ioh. 6. 47. He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life Beleeuing eating and drinking are all meanes of eternall life but not exclusiuely euen by the same reason whereby Bellarmine would prooue eating alone to be sufficient to eternall
the blood nor the blood without the body so we reply that the Sacrifice is entire also in one kinde If the doctrine of cōcomitancie take place in the Sacrament it must needs take place also in the sacrifice if in the people receiuing the bread represents and exhibits whole Christ it must needs do also in the Priests cōsecrating As Plinie writes of the Bees that they are often entangled in their owne honie and waxe so are our aduersaries caught fast and entangled in their owne fancies viz. the necessity of consecrating both kinds in the sacrifice of the Masse and their doctrine of Concomitancie viz. that whole Christs body and blood is contained in each kind by it selfe Thus as the bees hony stoppe the little pipe which serueth them in stead of a mouth so our aduersaries owne Tenents stop their owne mouth CHAP. VIII The seuenth Argument drawne from the nature and condicion of a will or legacie NO legacie bequeathed by the last will and testament confirmed by the death of the testator ought to bee withheld from any legatarie that is person to whom it is bequeathed The Cup in the Eucharist is a legacie bequeathed by Christs last will and testament to all true beleeuers capable thereof Therefore the Cup in the Eucharist ought not to be withheld from any true beleeuer capable thereof The proposition is the Apostles Gal. 3. 15. A mans testiment if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereunto and Heb. 9. 7. A ◅estament is of force after men are dead The assumption is part of the words of Christs institution Luk. 22. 20. This cup is the new Testament in my blood Christ calleth it his Testament or last legacie as Aquinas par 3. qu. 73. art 50. truly noteth Because those things which are spoken last especially by friends departing doe stick faster in the memorie by reason that the affections are then most inflamed to our friends and those things wherewith we are more affected make a deeper impression in the mind This whole argument is confirmed by Iansenius who meeting with an answer that seemes to be made to this argument directly impugneth it The answer giuen by Bellar. and others is The legacie bequeathed is not bread nor wine but the body and blood of our Lord both which are giuen vnder one kind as well as vnder both the difference is that they which drinke of the Cup receiue the legacie as it were in two paiments they who doe not drinke receiue the same legacy in one paiment This answer is substantially refuted by Iansenius in Liturge lib. 4. and 7. and thereby the former argument very much strengthned First saith he the answer were to some purpose if Christ by will had disposed onely of the things signified in the Sacrament but Christ in his legacie had respect not onely to the thing signified but also to the signe for the manifestation of his Passion and representation of his death Secondly hee acutely and truly obserueth that the will of the testator might be satisfied in giuing the whole legacie at once or twise if it were of the nature of monie which may bee payd in one great piece or in many small amounting to the same value But it is not so in the Sacrament saith he the thing signified by the Sacrament cannot by the discretion of the Church be deuided into more formes nor be cōtracted in one It is not in the powre of the Church to make the body alone to be vnder the forme of bread nor the blood alone vnder the forme of wine nor both of them together vnder one forme or kinde Therefore as when a man bequeatheth to any by his wil one thousand pound in coyne and one thousand pound in ancient plate of such a making he that paieth the whole legacie either in coyne onely or in plate onely violates the will because though he may giue the valew yet hee giues not the thing in specie bequethed so although it should be granted which yet is not that the Priest giueth to the people the body blood of Christ in the bread yet hee violates the will of the testator because he giueth it not so as it may be drunke or in the forme of wine Whence I conclude that what the Apostle saith No man offereth to the will of a man The Romanists offer to the last will and testament of God our Lord and therefore are guiltie not onely of greuious sacriledge but also of grand fraud and impietie in violating the Testament of our Sauiour and deceiuing the people of a most pretious legacie bequeathed by him vnto them CHAP. IX The eight Argument drawne from the end of the Sacrament THis Sacrament ought in such wise to be receiued by al Communicants that thereby the death of Christ may be represented and shewed forth But without partaking of the Cup it cannot bee so receiued that thereby Christs death may be represented and shewed forth Therefore without pertaking of the Cup it ought not to be receiued by any Communicants The proposition is the Apostles 1. Cor. 11. 28. As often as you eate this bread and drinke this Cup you shew forth the Lords death till he come againe The assumption is euident to sense and reason to sense for the breaking of bread representeth in no wise the effusiō of bloud to reason for blood which is contained in the body and vaines no way sheweth the killing or bloodie death of the partie but the blood if it be at all in the bread which we denie it can be there no otherwise as themselues confesse then by concomitancie as contained in not seuered from the body as inclosed in not shed out of the veines Therefore if it should be granted to our aduersaries that the blood might be receiued in the bread by it selfe yet by such receiuing Christs death by the effusion of his blood for vs could in no wise be represented or shewed forth which yet is acknowledged to be the principall end of the celebration of this Sacrament This whole argument is confirmed by ◅bus Reihing who ingeniously acknowledgeth that in the Encheridion which he wrote when he was a Iesuite against the doctrine of the reformed Churches he cōcealed this obiection of the Protestants because hee despaired euer to giue a satisfactorie answer thereunto It may be that wits if they be put vpon the rack may finde out euasions for any argument but a true solution on which a man may settle his conscience no Papist can euer giue For if the Priest be bound to consecrate and receiue the wine a part because otherwise hee should not represent the effusion of Christs blood by the same reason all Communicants that receiue the Sacrament ought to take the wine apart being mystically Christs blood as well as the Priests because they in their eating and drinking are commanded to shew forth and declare Christs death as the Apostle teacheth vs. Neither can it be said
Ignatius onely to prooue the practise of the Primitiue Church and thus much Bellarmine confesseth whereupon I adde that this confessed practise of the Primitiue Church was grounded on our Lords precept drinke you all of this for the Church so neere Christ cannot bee supposed to haue swarued any way from his institution by adding any thing vnto it or taking away from it certainely Ignatius and the Churches wherein he bore sway obserued the order and practise of Saint Iohn his master and if Saint Iohn administred the Cup in all Churches to the people so did the rest of the Apostles for they varied not from Christ or among themselues in celebrating the Lords Supper And what the Apostles did ioyntly no Christian doubteth but they did by the direction of the holy Ghost according to our Lords will and commandement And thus wee see this example amounteth to a precept and the practise in Ignatius his time ought to bee a president for all future times SECT II. Testimonies of the Practise of the Christian Churches in the second Age. From 100. to 200. Anno Dom. 150. IVstin Martyr in his second apologie thus writeth They which are called Deacons among vs giue to euery one that is present of the consecrated Bread and Wine And when he hath related the whole manner of the celebration of the Eucharist as it were to preuent a cauill that might be made and is now made by Papists the Martyr heere sheweth the practise of the Church but maketh no mention of the precept of our Sauiour as that they did so in deed but were not bound so to doe he further addeth for the close as they report that Iesus commanded them or as they haue deliuered vnto vs Iesus his command giuen vnto them Bellarmine his answere Bellarmine repineth at this so expresse a testimony of so ancient a Father and so renowned a Martyr and therefore laboureth to disparage it some way or other Si non aliqu â nocuisset mortuus esset Yet all that he saith to it is but this that those last words of the Martyr which mentioneth Christs precept belong not to the Communion but to the Consecration The Refutation This solution will no way beare water First it is euident to any that reads the whole place that Iustin Martyrs words wherein he mentioneth Christs precept belongeth both to the Consecration and to the Communion For after he had spoken of the Communion he subioyneth these words And therefore they cannot bee seuered from the Communion The series or method of the passage in Iustin is thus hauing rehearsed the words of the Institution This is my body doe this in remembrance of me and this Cup is the new Testament drinke you all of this he addeth and he commanded that they onely should participate as had been before washed in the lauer of Regeneration and lead such a life as Christ prescribed them These words that they onely should participate clearely conuince the Cardinall and demonstrate that Iustin Martyr extendeth Christs command both to the Consecration and to the Commumunion it selfe which in Christs precept cannot be deuided both being enioyned in this one precept doe this in remembrance of me that is Consecrate and Communicate Secondly howsoeuer the Cardinall by any tricke of sophistrie shall dismember the whole sentence and pull these words As Christ commanded from the rest and refer them to which part of the sentence he pleaseth yet he can neuer smoother the light of truth shining in these words The Deacons deliuer or minister to euery one of the consecrated bread and wine The practice then of those times maketh for vs against the Church of Rome The Deacons then as the Ministers now deliuered the Sacrament to the people in both kindes Anno. 152. Laurence Deacon to Pope Sixtus cryed out to him as hee was led to his Martyrdome Whether goest thou father without thy sonne whether hastest thou Priest without thy Leuite try whether thou hast chosen a fit minister to whom thou hast committed the dispensation of our Lords blood Wilt thou denie me to bee a copartner with thee in the effusion of thy blood who hast made me a copartner with thee in the celebration of our Lords blood This giueth such light to Iustin Martyrs words and so fully accordeth with them that Tiletanus the defender of the councell of Trent confesseth that it is manifest that in this age the vse of both kinds was common to all Anno 180. Saint Irenaeus Bishop of Lions and Martyr in the fourth booke against heresies and 34. cha proueth the resurrection of the flesh and eternall life by an argument drawne from the faithfulls eating Christs flesh in the Eucharist and he presseth his argument in this manner How doe they viz. the heretiques say that the flesh should be vtterly corrupted and neuer rise againe which is nourished with the body and blood of Christ and a little after Our bodies by participating the Eucharist or Sacrament of our Lords supper are not now corruptible or shall not vtterly be corrupted and come to nothing because they haue the hope of theresurrection Irenaeus speaketh of all Christians people as well as Priests for all faithfull Christians haue hope of a blessed resurrection and he saith that they are nourished with the bodie and blood of Christ by participating of the Sacrament of his supper Papists answer The Romanists seeke to auoyde these and the like passages by their doctrine of concomitancie auerring that the blood of Christ is not seuered from his body and consequently that the Laietie take the blood in the body and are nourished therewith to eternall life and this say they is all that can bee gathered from Irenaeus his words They are nourished with the blood of Christ which they receiue together with his body not with the blood of Christ which they take by it selfe in the Cup. The Refutation This answer of theirs is weake and insufficient First because it is built on a weake and ruinous foundation viz. the reall and carnall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament vnder the accidents of bread and wine which I haue else where by Scriptures and Fathers refelled See the fisher caught in his owne net part 2. That the doctrine of concomitancie is builded vpon the reall and carnall presence is not denied by the Romanists for they make the one the ground of the other Secondly albeit wee should grant that the Laiety in some sence receiue the blood of Christ in the bread yet they receiue it not so as Christ commandeth for they receiue it not by drinking No man drinketh in eating or eateth in Drinking Thirdly the blood of Christ which wee receiue in the Sacrament we receiue not as subsisting in his veines or as being a part of or ioyned vnto his body but as shed for vs In which quality and manner it is impossible to receiue the blood of Christ together with and in the body by naturall
concomitancy Fourthly whatsoeuer becommeth of the deuice of concomitancy our aduersaries therwith cannot shift off Irenaeus For in his fifth booke and second Chapter hee speaketh distinctly of the Cup and declareth his meaning to be that the faithfull are made partakers of eternall life by drinking Christs blood mystically in the Chalice He confirmed the Chalice or Cup which is a creature to be his blood shed for vs wherewith our blood is nouvished and a little after when the mingled Cup and bread broken receiueth the Word of God that is the benediction or consecration it is made the Eucharist or Sacrament of Christs body and blood how then doe they the heretiques denie that our flesh is capable of the gift of God which is eternall life sith it is nourished with Christs body and blood and is a member From these passages of Irenaeus thus I collect his argument All they that in the Sacrament of the Lord Supper eate of the bread and drinke of the Cup consecrated are nourished by Christs body and blood to eternal life All faithfull Christians or worthy communicants eate of the bread and drinke of the consecrated Cup Therefore all faithfull Christians or worthy communicants are nourished by Christs body and blood to eternall life If the aduersarie will haue the assumption restrained to Priests onely he must needs in like manner restraine the conclusion to Priests only which is little lesse then heresie Irenaeus his intent and drift in that place is to confirme all the faithfull in the doctrine of the resurrection and therfore his medium must be vniuersall and such as holds as well for the Christian people as for the Priest Anno. 190. Clemens Alexandrinus stromatum lib. 1. when they distribute the Eucharist as the manner is they giue to euery one of the people a part or portion therof Now that the Eucharist includeth the Cup as well as the bread hee declareth himselfe in expresse words paedagog li. 2. cap. 2. The mingling of the drinke and of the water and the word is called the Eucharist and a little before to drinke the blood of Iesus is to be partaker of the Lords incorruption stromatum lib. 4 Melchizedeke sanctified bread and wine for a type of the Eucharist not bread onely but bread and wine is the Eucharist and of this euery one of the people participated in his time therefore all dranke of the Cup. Bellarmines answer Bellarmine cauilleth at the last passage saue one viz. where Clemens saith to drinke Christs blood is to bee partaker of his incorruption First he saith it doth not follow that because he that drinketh Christs blood hath immortality or incorruption therefore hee that drinketh it not hath not incorruption for he may haue it otherwise namely by the bodie Secondly he saith that Christs blood giueth incorruption or immortall life not because it is drunke but because it is taken Now it is truly taken of them who communicate in one kind onely because the blood is not seuered from the body which they partake of The refutation This answer of Cardinall Bellarmine is many wayes defectiue First when we gaue him three wounds he applieth a plaister but to one of them and it is too narrow for that too hee cunningly silenceth our strong allegations out of Clemens and singleth out one of the weakest Secondly that passage of Clemens to which alone hee would seeme to say something hee saith indeed nothing For if the drinking of Christs blood bee a meanes to attaine our Lords incorruption or immortality as Bellar out of Clemens confesseth although he denyeth it to be the onely means why should the people be depriued of this means Our argument out of Clemens standeth thus None ought to be depriued of the meanes of attaining our Lords incorruption and immortality But the drinking of Christs blood is the meanes to attaine immortallitie Therefore none ought to bee depriued of the vse of the Cup I meane none that are fit guests for the Lords table Thirdly Clemens saith not to take Christs blood but to drinke it is to partake of incorruption And therefore albeit Christs blood might bee otherwise participated then by drinking of the Cup this satisfieth not Clemens his intention and scope who speaketh expressely of taking of it in this manner viz. by drinking Fourthly Bellarmine in his answer beggeth the question For he supposeth that Christs blood is taken in the bread as his body in the Cup which I haue before refuted out of Innocentius SECT III. Testimonies of the practise of the Church from 200. to 300. Anno. 210. FIrst Tertullian in his booke of the resurrection of the flesh cap. 8. speaking of the practise of Christians in generall and not Ecclesiasticke onely saith The flesh feedeth vpon the body and blood of Christ that the soule may be fatted as it were of God Papists answere Cardinall Bellarmine shifteth of this sentence of Tertullian by tithing minte and cummim nicely distinguishing betweene feeding vpon Christs blood drinking it The people may and do feede vpon Christs blood though they drinke it not but eate it or take it by way of meat vnder the forme of bread The refutation This nicity will not serue the turne First because Tertullian speaketh of the body and blood of Christ as distinct things saying corpore et sanguine Now the blood taken as a distinct thing from the body cannot bee fed vpon but by drinking we feed vpon the blood of Christ in the Sacrament as shed for vs and therefore necessarily as seuered from the body And how is it possible to take blood or feede vpon it as shed and seuered from the body without drinking of it All faithfull Christians in Tertullian his time fed vpon Christs blood as distinguished from the body they dranke it therefore Why then doth Tertullian vse the Verbe vesci signifying to feed vpon not bibere signifying to drinke The reason is euident because hee speaketh of the partaking of both the body and the blood which he could not expresse by the word Drinke because wee drinke not the body he vseth therefore a common word Vesci to feed which may be applied to both acts eating and drinking namely eating the body and drinking the blood Feeding is as the Genus to both and may bee affirmed of both For which cause Tertullian speaking of both made choice of it rather then of the Verbe bibere which could not agree to Corpore though it were proper to sanguine Secondly Tertullian himselfe elsewhere maketh mention of the Cup giuen to the Laietie and not only to Lay men but women also Tertul. ad vxorem lib. 2. c. 6. shall the Lords Table heare any thing or haue to doe with the Tauerne or with hell from whose hands shall she desire the Sacramentall bread of whose Cup shall she participate He speaketh of a Christian woman married to an infidell and sheweth the inconueniencie of such a match whereby the
faithfull wife was like to be debarred of the comfort of receiuing the Sacrament and drinking of the Lords Cup. Tert. then is cleere for the Laietie communicating in both kinds And so is Origen Anno. 230. Origen in 16. Hom. on Numb maketh this question What people is it that is accustomed to drinke blood and he answereth the faithfull people the Christian people heareth these things and embraceth him who saith vnlesse you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drinke his blood you haue no life in you For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drinke indeed Marke the ingemination The people the faithfull people heareth these things c. Therefore in Origens time it was the peoples vse and custome to drinke the blood of Christ. Papists answer Bellarmine loc sup cita saith to this testimonie of Origen that the people did drinke but they had no command so to doe It was their vse it was not Christs precept Secondly hee saith the people might haue such a vse or custome to drinke at the Lords supper though euery one dranke not but some onely The Refutation I need not refell this answer because Bellarmine granteth all that for which I produce this testimonie that the practise of the Church in Origens time goeth for vs and his mincing the matter that some of the people might drinke not all and that they dranke it by custome not by law no way healpeth his bad cause For first Origen in this very place alleageth Christs precept for this practise of the faithfull people Iohn 6. vnlesse ye drinke my blood you haue no life in you Secondly in the end of this homily he turneth his speech not to some of this people but to his audience and thus concludeth Thou therefore art the true people of Israel who knowest to drink the blood and hast learned to eat the flesh of the Word of God and to take a draught of the blood of that grape which is of the true vine those branches of which the father purgeth The euidence of this truth is like the light of the morning it groweth cleerer and cleerer For Origen is cleerer in this point then Tertullian and Cyprian is yet cleerer then Origen Anno. 250. Cyprian that learned Bishop of Carthage and blessed Martyr of Christ Iesus not onely deliuereth but propugneth our assertion by a forcible argument epist. 54. How doe wee inuite them Gods people to shed their blood for Christ in the confession of his name if when they set forth to fight for him we denie them his blood how shall wee fit them for the Cup of Martyrdome if before we admit them not by right of Communion to drinke of the Lords Cup in his Church in his 63. epistle Because some men out of ignorance or simplicitie in sanctifying the Cup of the Lord and ministring it to the people doe not that which Iesus Christ our Lord and God the Author and Institutor of this Sacrifice did and taught I thought it both a matter of religion and necessity to acquaint you herewith by letters that if any yet bee held in that error the light of truth being now discouered vnto him hee might returne vnto the roote and beginning of our Lords institution Papists answere Bellarmine in his answere to Saint Cyprian makes good the Poets obseruation Qui semel verecundiae limites transiuerit hunc grauiter impudentem esse oportet he that hath once passed the bounds of modesty he must be stoutely impudent and arme his forehead with brasse for here he is not content to slight this allegation as he did the former but is bold to challenge it for an euidence on his owne side This place saith hee rather maketh for our opinion then against it for Saint Cyprian speaketh of certaine Christians that fell in time of persecution from the profession of the true faith and were therefore excommunicated by the Bishops whom Saint Cyprian exhorteth in regard of the eminent persecution to restore these weake Christians to their former right and interest which they had in the Lords body The right therefore of the Laietie to Communicate is giuen by the Priests and taken away by them Now if the Priests or Prelates may for certaine crimes take the right of Communicating from the Laietie they may also dispose of the manner of Communicating vnder one kinde To the second testimony he answereth that Cyprian in that place handleth not the poynt whether the Cup ought to bee deliuered to the people or no but if it bee deliuered vnto them hee will haue it deliuered not in water onely but wine mingled with water And this he saith Christ taught vs. The Refutation Neither of these answeres will beare scale both of them are to light by many graines the first of these is liable to these exceptions First it is impertinent for we bring the testimony to prooue the practise of the Primitiue Church concerning the Laieties participating the Cup But Bellarmine craftily waues that poynt and questioneth by what right the people did Communicate Admit that which is most falfe that the Bishop or Priest gaue the people all the right they had to the Cup yet they had it and vsed it their practise therefore maketh for vs. Secondly it is inconsequent for first when a'man is Excommunicated and hath lost his right to the Lords Table a Bishop vpon the parties submission and sorrow for his sin and humble intreatie may restore him to his right againe and set him where he was yet this prooueth not that the Laietie had their originall right of Communicating from them as a Bishop may vpon iust cause suspend a Lay man or Cleargie from the Communion so he may also exclude him from hearing of the word and publike prayer yet no man will hence conclude that the Laietie or Priest haue no right at all to come into the Church and to pray and to heare Gods word but from the Bishop Albeit Cyprian in his owne Church and any other Bishop in his Diocesse may admit or reiect some particular persons vpon iust cause from the Communion yet it will not from hence follow that the Bishop of Rome may take away either the Cup or the Bread from Gods people in all Churches Thirdly it is no good inference that because the Bishop may depriue a man of the whole Sacrament vpon some causes viz. for a great crime or high misdemeanor that therefore he may depriue him of a part of it without any fault at all as the Romanists doe the Laietie in generall Fourthly a Bishop may dispence with his owne censures or reuoke them but he cannot dispence with Gods law To suspend a man from the whole Communion if the delinquent deserue it is agreeable to Christs and the Apostles discipline but to admit him to one part of the Sacrament and not to the other is a manifest violation of Christs ordinance who instituted this Sacrament in two kinds and
for the opinion of the Romish Church For they signifie that Christs blood is to bee drunk but vnder the forme of bread not vnder the forme of wine As for Haymo hee answers him with a short come-off saying He spake of the vnity of the Chalice and that his meaningis that they that receiue the blood of the Lord receiue out of one Cup. Refutation The threefold answer of Bellarmine to Paschasius is not like a threefold cable that cannot be broken but rather like a rustie twisted wyer-string that breakes with the least strayne First he beareth vs in hand that the place in Paschasius seemes to be corrupted Corrupted By whom by Papists Surely they would neuer haue corrupted this text to make against themselues by Protestants That cannot be for no Protestants haue set forth Paschasius for ought we find or haue had any thing to doe in that Edition of Paschasius which we cite Besides in all the ancient impressions of Paschasius and the Manu-scripts that haue come to our sight the words are found as we cite them Yea but Iohn of Louane suspects that the copies are faulty and that bibite is put for edite Drinke yee for eat ye why so because the words going before are he distributeth the bread by the hands of his ministers to the beleeuers saying Take yee and drinke yee all of this This reason like a rope of sand hath no coherence at all For though Pascasius spake of bread yet to proue that Christ is he who alone by his Ministers distributeth the sacrament he rehearseth the words of the institution both concerning the Bread and the Cup neither can bibite or drink you in Paschasius be put for edite eate ye but must stand as it doth drinke yee For the words immediately following in Paschasius are for this is the new and eternall Testament Now what a ridiculous inference were it if we read the words as Iohn of Louane would haue vs take eate this for this is the Cup of the blood of the new and euerlasting testament Bellarmine his second answer is as absurd as his first For Paschasius his words make more strongly for vs and against himself if Paschasius expound the words Drinke ye all of this as they seeme to bee spoken by Christ not at the first Institution but afterwards whensoeuer the sacrament is administred in the Church If now also whensoeuer the sacrament is administred in the Church Christ commandeth drink ye all of this that is with Paschasius glosse all Ministers other beleeuers it followeth that all other beleeuers as well as Ministers ought now by Christs command to drinke of the cup. Thirdly as Bellarmine his first answer is against the text of Paschasius and his second against himselfe so his third is against common sence How can blood bee drunke vnder the forme of bread if we speake of drinking siguratiuely by faith this kind of drinking the Romanists explode If he speake of drinking properly with the mouth euery suckling is able to confute the Cardinall who know by meere sense that nothing cā be drunk but that which is moist and of liquid substance Nay the Cardinal discourseth like a man that had drank too deep of the wine forgetting in this page what he said in the former There he saith that the fathers doe not say that Christs blood is to be drunke of the people by the mouth of the body but here he saith that other beleeuers as well as Ministers by Christs command ought to drinke it but after a manner neuer heard of before to drinke it vnder the forme of bread Now for his answer to Haymo pari facilitate reijcitur quâ profertur t is as easy to be reiected as vrged For first the Cardinal corrupteth the text of Haymo hee saith not the Cup is the Communion because all drinke of that one Cup the word one is not in Haymo Admit it were this no way disapointeth our allegation out of Haymo For still this word omnes or al remaines And be it out of one Cup or more Haymo saith expresly that all did partake of it and receiued of the blood of Christ contained in it If all then the people as well as the Priests SECT X. The testimonies of the practise of the Church from 900. to 1000. ARistole rightly obserueth that it so falleth out in the descent of families as it doth in diuers grounds in which sometimes wee haue great plentie sometime as great scarsitie so saith he some families haue afforded store of noble personages at other times scarse any of note or eminence So it fareth here with vs in the last Age wee had plentifull store of testimonies for the truth but in this we are like to haue Penury Although if wee consider aright this scarsity may be imputed rather vnto the iniury of the time and want of Records of History which happily being extant might haue afforded vs no lesse plentie of Testimonies then the former Ages as well in this as in other points in question The Poet wisely obserued Vixere fortes ante Agamemnona Multi sed omnes vrgentur ignoti longâ Nocte carent quia vate sacro Dan. Chamier after much inquiry can bring notice but of one witnesse and him hee dares scarse avow Bellarmine brandeth with a note this ninth Age as being the most obscure and darke that the Sunne euer cast his beames vpon yet euen in this Age wee haue somewhat to shew for the right of Gods people to the holy Chalice of the Lords Table Anno 910. Rodolphus Tongrensis testifieth that the people in his time tooke the sacred body of Christ and drank a blessed draught of his blood Anno 920. The Abbot of Prumes Regino teacheth vs that what Rodolphus witnesseth of the practise of the people in his age was not an abuse or disorder in the people but done in obedience to the sacred discipline of the Church whose Canon he mentioneth Let the soules of the weake be refreshed and strengthned with the body and blood of our Lord. Anno 950. Stephanus Edvensis saith These gifts or benefits are dayly performed vnto vs when the body and blood of Christ is taken at the Altar Anno 990. Vincentius writes of Elgifa an old Matrone in this age who being ready to giue vp the ghost tooke the body and blood of our Lord. Anno 995. Aelfricus first Abbot of Saint Albons and after Archbishop of Canterbury in his epistle to Woulfinus and in his sermon translated of late out of the Saxon in die S. Paschae is as ful for the entire Communion as hee is against Transubstantiation the Howsell or Hoste saith he is Christs body not bodily but Ghostly not the body which he suffered in but the body of which he spoke when hee blessed bread and wine to Howsel ep ad Wolfin and in his sermon Without they be seene bread and wine both in figure and in taste and they
be truly Christs body and blood after there halowing through ghostly mystery as a pledge and a figure And a little after All our fathers dranke the same ghostly drinke of the stone which followed them which stone was not bodily Christ who calleth to vs to all beleeuing and faithful men Whosoeuer thirsteth let him come and drinke that heauenly liquor which had signification of Christs blood Now it is offered daily in Gods Church it was the same which we now offer not bodily but ghostly I finde no answer made by any Romanist to the testimonies in this Age which yet are very full and pregnant both for the precept and practise of communicating in both kinds both by men and women If any except against the Authors in the words of the Orator haurimus de foece we draw out dregs and lees I answer where learning ran so low as it did in this Age we could do no other wise yet the Reader may see that out of these lees wee haue ex tracted some Aqua-vitae whereof though he hath but a taste now he shal haue a ful draught in the next Age. SECT XI The testimonies of the practise of the Church from 1000. to 1100. IN this age the Bishops of Rome were so busie about transubstantiating the bread into the body of Christ that they suffered the laiety to goe cleere away with the Cup and gaue them no publique check or controule for it till the Councel of Constance held 400. yeeres after Of which hereafter in his due place Anno 1002. Fulbertus Carnotensis confesseth with the Fathers of the former Age though in a higher and more affected straine Put forth the palate of faith enlarge the Iawes of thy hope extend the bowels of Charity and receiue the bread of life the food of the inward man take also the wine not troden out by feete of a nasty husbandman but crusht out of the wine-presse of the crosse Anno 1014. Bruno Abbas Richen-angiensis speaketh to the point as Fulbertus we also though most unworthie doe not onely eate daily the bread of Christ when we take the foode of his flesh from the table of his Altar but also drinke his blood Anno 1050. Oecumenius ascribes our spirituall vnion with Christ our Head to the participating of his blood in the Sacrament the blood of Christ saith he by partaking thereof ioynes vs to Christ as members to the head And the same Father commenting vpon the eleuenth Chapter schooleth rich men for disdayning to admit the poore to their table whom Christ admits as wel as them to his to partake both of his body and blood If the Lord saith he sets his body and blood on his table and in the Chalice as well before the poore as before thee dost thou dare to driue them from thy table in dispite and contempt Anno 1060. Guitmundus ioines with Oecumenius in assigning our Communion at the Lords Table to be an especiall meanes of vnion with Christ. And they both speake of all faithfull Christians indifferently without distinction of Priest and people who are one in Christ. we saith this Author who receiue the Communion of this holy bread and Cup are made one body of Christ. Anno 1061. Lanfranck sometime Archbishop of Canterbury deliuering a rule touching all Sacraments saith Sacraments they are alwayes a likenesse of those things whereof they are sacraments as in the sacrament about which we contend when the Hoste is broken the blood powred out of the Cup and into the mouth of the faithfull what is signified else but the sacrificing of the body of our Lord vpon the Crosse. Anno 1070. Theophilact reproues the Corinthians out of Saint Paul for leauing the Lords Cup and running to drink with the Idolaters of the wine offered to Idols Are not you ashamed O you Corrinthians to run to the Idoles cup from Christs Cup who hath freed you from Idols And in his comment vpon 11. chap. hee reproues as sharply those who tooke delight in drinking alone and quassing by themselues How dost thou take thy cup alone considering that the dreadfull Chalice is alike deliuered vnto all Anno 1080. Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury speaking of Christians in general deliuereth a double manner of participating the Sacrament both spiritually and Corporally we ought saith he to eat and drinke this sacrament two manner of wayes with the mouth of the heart and with the mouth of the body And vpon 1. Cor. and Cap. 10. All we saith he who partake of one bread and one Cup are made one body Anno 1090. Hildebertus Cenomanensis together with Burcardus Micrologus and Humbertus de silua candida relate and aproue that Canon of the third Councell of Brachara which condemneth the deliuering the bread sopt in the wine to the Laietie for the whole Communion It is the manner saith Hildebertus in your monasteries to giue the sacramentall bread to none but dipt in the wine which Custome we find is not taken either from the Lords institution nor out of authenticall constitutions If you looke into Matthew Marke and Luke you shall finde the bread deliuered by it selfe and the wine by it selfe neither doe we read that Christ deliuered bread dipt vnto any but that disciple whom by giuing him a sop he declared to be the betrayer of his Master The Papists answer This Canon of the Councell of Bracara confirmed by so many witnesses Burchard lib. 5. cap. 1. Gratian de consecratione dist 2. Micrologus de Ecclesiasticis obseruationibus cap. 19. and Lambertus de Silua candida lib. cont Graec. calumnias Cardinall Bellarmine could not any waies baulk with credit therefore he sets his braine vpon the racke for a double answer The first is that the Councel indeed forbids the dipping of the bread vpon this ground that our Lord gaue not bread dipt or sopt in the wine neither can any such o dipping be proued by any testimonie or example of scriptures yet saith he the Councell doth not adde that both kinds ought to be giuen to the Laietie Secondly he saith If the Councell should haue said so wee would haue answered that the Councell speakes of that time in which it was free for the Laietie to communicate in both kinds For then if any desired both kinds the Councell commandeth that both be giuen vnto them to wit bread and wine a part and not a sop of bread dipt in the wine The Refutation These answeres are like the apples of Sodome which fall to ashes if you touch them The first thus presently dissolueth the Councell of Bracara doth as well command Commnion in both kindes as forbid receiuing the bread dipt in wine for the intire Communion for thus standeth the argument In administring the Sacrament wee ought to doe as Christ did and no otherwaies but Christ at his last Supper deliuered first bread by it selfe and then wine and not bread and wine
together in a sop or bread dipt in wine therefore we ought in like manner to administer the Sacrament in both kindes seuerally and not by intinction or sopping the bread in the wine Who seeth not that this Canon of the Councell is a two edged sword cutting off Concomitancie on the one side as well as intinction on the other and giuing as deepe a wound to the late Councell of Constance inioyning the mutilation of the Sacrament as to the ancient Councell of Toures inioyning the confusion of it by the infusion of the bread into the Cup. The second answere doth vanish to nothing the Councell in deed spake of that time wherein the Communion of both kindes was free For so it had been from the time of the Apostles and continued in the Romane Church till the Councell of Constance and in the Greeke Church till this day The greater wrong is offered by the Romanists to the Laietie from whom they haue taken the Cup after so many hundred yeeres possession If any such thing had been attempted in the time of this Councell at Bracara they would haue been as earnest or more earnest against this abuse then they were against that in their time which was farre lesse for of the two it is better to receiue the bread dipt in the wine then the bread and no wine at all The Councell doth not ground it selfe vpon any supposed dispensation of the Church for the Laieties Communion in both kindes as Bellarmine surmiseth but vpon the institution of Christ and the example of the Apostles which in their iudgement ought to preuaile against any sanction of Councell or custome of any place whatsoeuer to the contrarie SECT XII The testimonies of the practise of the Church from 1100. to 1200. Anno 1101. IVo in his collections out of the writings of the ancient for the present vse of the Church in his seuenth Chapter relateth a sentence out of Saint Ambrose to our purpose The Blood is a witnesse of a diuine benefit in a figure whereof we receiue the mysticall Cup for the preseruation of our body and soule To them to wit the Iewes water flowed out of the Rocke to thee blood out of Christ the water quenched their thirst for on howre the blood of Christ washeth thee for euer And in his 31. chapter he reciteth a decree of Pope Syluerius Euery Lords day in the Lent all besides Excommunicate persons or such as doe publike penance ought to receiue the Sacraments of the body and blood of Christ. Anno 1105. Zacharias Crysopolitanus applieth the sprinkling of the dore posts with the blood of the Lambe in Exodus to the Sacrament of Christs blood he saith We sprinkle our body and soule with the blood of Christ because the blood of the Lambe sprinkled vpon both the posts of the house freed the Hebrewes And againe The reall and Sacramentall eating of Christ are ioyned when receiuing in the bread that which hung vpon the tree and receiuing in the Cup that which flowed from his side our soules attaine vnto the eating of the bread of life Anno 1110. Odo Cameracensis in expounding the holy Canon affirmeth that vnder the shape and taste of bread and wine we eate and drinke the very substance of Christs body and blood Anno 1120. Rupertus enforcing the necessity of receiuing the sacrament concludes vpon our Sauiours words in Saint Iohn that euery man ought to communicate in both kinds for the repast of his soule as well as his body lest any man should thinke saith he that he hath recouered by faith alone the life of his body and soule without the visible meat and drink of the body blood of Christ and consequently needs not the sacrament Christ repeates the same thing againe touching the eating his flesh and drinking his blood thereby vndoubtedly testifying that he doth not truly beleeue whosoeuer dispiseth to eate and to drink For although thou bee a faithfull man and professe thy selfe to be a Catholick if thou refuse to eat and to drinke of this visible meat and drinke euen by this that thou presumest that this meat and drinke is not necessary to thee thou cuttest thy selfe off from the societie of the members of Christ which is the Church But I inferre that all lay Papists that haue bin instructed by the Fathers of the Councels of Constance and Trent presume that it is not necessary for them to receiue the visible drinke whereof Rupertus speaketh Therefore by Rupertus his conclusion they cut themselues off from the Church And though they are men of a Catholike profession which he speakes of yet they are not true beleeuers In the same Booke and Chapter We saith he that is the Church are that earth which openeth his mouth and faithfully drinketh the blood of Christ. And in his third booke de operibus Spiritus Sancti et 20. cap. he saith in specie panis et vini sanctus Sanctorum est et in omnibus electis qui ad fide eius veniunt idem efficit quod in illa specie qua perpendit in cruce id est remisssionem peccatorum that is the Holy of holies is in forme of bread and wine and to all the elect who come to the faith of him he worketh remission of sinnes as he did in that shape in which he hung vpon the Crosse. Anno 1130. Bern. in his 3. Serm. one Palme Sunday maketh the sacrament of Christs body and blood the Christians foode and alimonie Touching the sacrament of Christs body and blood saith hee there is no man who knoweth not that this so singular a foode was on that day first exhibited on that day commended and commanded to bee frequently receiued Anno 1135. Algerus doth not barely affirme that the sacrament was instituted at first and ought to be administred in both kinds but he confirmeth it strongly by the testimonie of Saint Austine And Pope Gelatius first in his fifth Chapter he positiuely deliuereth the necessitie of communicating in both kinds in these words Because we so liue by meate and drink that we can want neither of them Christ would haue them both in his sacrament least if either should be wanting by that imperfect taking of life and not entire an imperfect life might seeme to be signified In his 8. chap. more at large he vnfoldeth the mysterie that lyeth in the communicating in both kinds There is nothing found in the creature saith he whereby more fitly and neerly life may be represented then by blood which is the seate of the soule in which that it may be signified that our bodies and soules ought to be vnited and made conformable to Christs body and soule the body and blood of Christ are both taken together of the faithfull that by taking whole Christs body and soule the whole man in body and soule might be quickned in as much as the flesh of Christ as I haue said is
beleeued not to bee without blood and dead but liuing and quickning whence it is that Saint Agustine saith that neither the flesh with out the blood nor the blood without the flesh is rightly taken Also Gelatius writeth to Maioricus and Iohn Bishops in this manner We vnderstand that some taking a portion of Christs body abstaine from the Cup of his sacred blood to whom our commandement is that either they partake the sacrament intirely and receiue both or be kept from both Anno 1136. Hugo de Sancto Victore yeeldeth a like reason of the full and intire communicating in both kinds Therefore saith hee the sacrament is taken in both kinds that thereby a double effect might bee signified For it hath force as Saint Ambrose saith to preserue both body and soule In the same termes hath Halensis Sum. Theol. par 3. num 29. art 4. Anno 1140. Peter Lumbard Mag. sentent propoundeth this question Why is the sacrament receiued vnder a double forme or kind sith whole Christ is in either kind He answereth That thereby it might be signified that Christ tooke the whole nature of man that he might redeeme the whole Anno. 1150. Petrus Cluniacensis Epist. lib. 1. Though hee fight against the truth one way and woundeth the Albigenses yet he fighteth for it another way and giueth a deeper wound to the Trent Fathers and all that content themselues with an halfe communion That men might not onely learne by words saith he but haue a sensible feeling by deeds that they cannot liue vnlesse they bee ioyned and vnited to Christ after the manner of carnall food and life they receiue the body of Christ and drinke the blood of Christ. And a little after to signifie that for this cause he would giue his flesh to all to eat it and his blood to all to drinke it he draweth a similitude from Manna that fell in the wildernesse In this yeere of our Lord also Vincentius relates of one Tundanus a profane person in his former life that being suddenly strucken from heauen hee called for the body of our Lord which when hee had taken and drunke the wine he began to praise God in these words O Lord thy mercie is greater then mine iniquitie In this same Age Antoninus writes in his Chronicles that the Normans the morning before they fought with the Danes receiued the Communion of Christs body and blood Anno 1170. Gratian rehearseth many ancient Canons and Constitutions for communicating in both kinds which because they haue been handled before I here let passe The Papists answer The onely answer which I find to our allegations out of the Fathers in this Age is Cardinall Bellarmines who indeuoureth to put a glosse vpon Saint Bernards words on this wise Vnder the forme of bread the entire nourishment or compleat foode of Christs body and blood is contained Wherefore our Lord saith he commanded that foode to bee often taken but he commandeth not that it should bee taken in both kinds Refutation S. Ierome saith it is the part of a bad Physition omnibus oculi morbis vno collyrio mederi to applie but one eye-salue to all manner of diseases of the eyes Yet such a Physition is Bellarmine he hath but one salue for all diseases and that hath no vertue it in at all in effect To the saluing of all the testimonies of the ancient Fathers opposed against him hee applieth onely this medicamentum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of concomitancie whatsoeuer the Fathers speake of receiuing the body and blood and the entire food of our soules he would make vs beleeue they intend nothing against their halfe Communion For as he accounteth the blood is neuer seuered from the body and the blood is vnder the forme of bread Hee therefore who taketh the bread taketh the body blood of Christ and consequently communicateth intirely But besides that this proposition of his hath beene heretofore refuted I adde first in generall that albeit we should admit that in the iudgement of the Fathers in this Age the blood of Christ were with the body and with the forme of bread yet there is no Cup nor Wine in the bread no drinking in eating no powring out of the wine or blood into the mouthes of the faithfull Of which the writers of this Age speake so expresly that those of our aduersaries who haue not rubbed hard their foreheads neuer so much as offer to make answer to these testimonies but haue held it the wisest course neuer to take notice of them Secondly for Saint Bernard in particular his words haue relation to the Institution of Christ saying The entire foode of the body and blood of Christ was that day first exhibited nay at our Lords last supper there was wine as well as bread And this Vasquez the Iesuite ingeniously confesseth howsoeuer it cut the throat of his fellow Iesuites answer Bernard saith he speakes plainely of the other part of nourishment which is taken by way of drinke vnder the forme of wine What then Doth Vasquez freely giue vs Saint Bernard Not so but deuiseth another euasion to wit that communicating in both kinds for the entire repast of the soule is commanded to the whole Church not to euery particular beleeuer Defumo in flammas Vasq. to auoide the smoke that put out Bellarmine his eyes falls into the fire For that which is inioyned the whole Church is necessarily inioined euery saithfull The words of our Sauior Drinke ye all c. are euidently a command to each particular For so the Apostles vnderstood him and dranke euery one of them of that Cup and not any one or more in the name and behalfe of all the rest Doubtlesse as euery man must liue by himselfe so he must also in his owne person and by himselfe receiue the entire food of life the body and blood of Christ. SECT XIII The testimonies of the practise of the Church from 1200. to 3000. Anno. 1229. ABbas Vrspergensis writing of the besieging of Damiata saith that the souldiers before they scaled the wooden tower made confession of their sins and receiued the sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord. The like Antoninus writeth of the Normans in William the Conquerors time and Matthew Paris of the English in King Heralds time and William Rufus Neither was that custome as yet controld in that age nor an hundred yeeres after as in due place shall be shewed Anno 1236. Durandus Mimatensis in expresse tearmes affirmeth that he who receiues the Hoste only doth not receiue the whole sacrament sacramentally For although the blood of Christ bee in the consecrated Hoste hee speaketh according to the schooles in these times yet it is not there sacramentally because the bread signifieth the body not the blood the wine signifieth the blood and not the body In regard therefore that the sacrament is not compleat in one kind according to the signe
as a buckler to beare off our arguments drawne from the necessity of representing Christs death in the Lords Supper by receiuing his blood apart as seuered from his body He also infringeth their common argument for their halfe Communion drawne from the example of the Disciples at Emaus and Saint Paul his breaking bread in the ship For he truly and acutely noted that if these Texts are to be expounded of communicating in one kind only that it would from thence follow that it were not onely lawfull for the people to communicate in one kind only but for Priests such as the Apostle S. Paul and the Disciples were to consecrate in one kind onely Thus he saw light as it were by a chinke but Amans servito Brixianus as a man in the open aire felt the light of truth to come so full into his eyes that it dazeled them For following the doctrine of Caietan who holdeth that blood is not a part of mans nature but the first nourishment thereof and adding that it cannot be said that the body necessarily draweth the nourishment into concomitancy with it from thence he inferred that it was not altogether the same substance vnder the forme of bread and vnder the forme of wine Withall hee added that the blood in the Lords Supper was blood shed out of the veines in which as long as it was contained it could not be drinke and therefore could not bee drawne with the veine into concomitancy Moreouer that the Lords Supper was instituted to celebrate his Passion which could not â—…ee represented but by effusion of blood and seuering it from the body It is true this Amans had a check in the Counfor his paines but his reasons were not answered himselfe for feare shuffled and fumbled about some answer vnto them but gaue no satisfaction either to himselfe or to others Welfare Cardinall Madrusius who being asked his opinion answered directly That hee thought fit the Cup should be restored to the Layety without all exception Gaspar de Casa Bishop of Lerye a man of eminent learning concurred with the Cardinall in iudgement adding that he thought that God would neuer send the spirit of delusion into the minde of the Emperour in so weighty a point especially considering that Charles the French King and the Duke of Bauaria ioyned with the Emperour in this request that the Cup should be granted to the Layety This speech of so learned a Bishop not only confirmed those who were of the same mind with him but also made most of the opposite faction to startle Anno 1563. Dudithius Bish. of Quinque-Ecclesiae as in the Councell of Trent hee had stoutly maintained the entire Communion and refelled all obiections to the contrary so after the breaking vp of the Councell in an Epistle which he wrote to Maximilian the Emperour he bitterly complaineth of the miscarriage of this businesse in the Councell What good could be done saith he in that Councell wherein voyces were numbred but not weighed If the merits of the cause or reason might haue preuailed or if but a few had ioyned with vs we had wonne the day but when the number only did beare the sway in which we came farre short though our cause was exceeding good yet wee were faine to sit downe by the losse Anno 1564. Georgius Cassander being set a worke by Ferdinand the Emperour to aduise about a meanes of composing differences in Religion declares himselfe fully for vs in this point of the Cup It is not saith hee without cause that the best learned Catholikes most earnestly desire and contend that they may receiue the Sacrament of Christs blood together with his body according to the antient custome in the vniuersall Church continued for many Ages or at least that the liberty which was granted two hundred yeeres agoe of communicating in one kind or both may be restored Wherefore I hold it not onely nothing contrary to the authoritie of the Church but rather very agreeable to the peace and vnitie of the Church and in a manner necessary that either those in whose hands lyes the gouernment of the Church restore the antient custome of communicating or which may be done without great trouble that the Churches themselues by little and little returne to their antient vse SECT XVII The confirmation of this Argument from the custome of the Church by the testimonies of our learned Aduersaries THis Argument as all the former may bee confirmed by the testimonies of our aduersaries themselues who giue sufficient euidence to condemne their owne Church of innouation and manifest defection from the Primitiue in this their halfing the holy Sacrament The Law saith that custome is the best interpreter of law And of all customes the antient especially if they be generall and haue lasted out diuers Ages ought to beare most sway with those that maintaine the truth of antiquitie or antiquitie of truth An argument drawne from an antient general and long continuing custome for more then one thousand yeeres is like a threefold cable that cannot be broken If we may beleeue the Councels held at Constance and Basill such a custome ought to be held for a law and inâ—…iolably obserued But I inferre The Lay-Communion in both kinds is a custome commended by antiquitie generalitie and duration as hath been proued before by the testimonies of approued Writers in all Ages and is confessed by the Romanists themselues First for the antiquity of this custome I appeale to the Councell of Constance Arboreus Aquinas Lyra Carthusianus and Ruardus Tapperus The Councell of Constance admits vnder a licèt that Christ instituted the venerable Sacrament vnder both kinds and that in the Primitiue Church it was so receiued by the faithfull yet with a non obstante countermands Christs Institution and the practice of the Primitiue Church which gaue Luther iust occasion to nick-name this Councell and for Constantiense to call it Non obstantiense Concilium Iohannes Arboreus in plaine termes confesseth that anciently the Lay people did communicate vnder both kinds Thomas Aquinas is a contest to Arboreus auerring that according to the ancient custome of the Church all those that were partakers of the communion of Christs body were partakers also of the communion of his blood Dionys. Carthusianus speakes Aquinas his words after him It was so done indeed in the Primitiue Church but now the Church hath ordered otherwise Lyra harpes vpon the same string Here is mention of both kinds for so the Sacrament was rereceiued of the faithfull in the Primitiue Church Aestius that famous Sorbonist vpon the Sentences lib. 4. handling this question professedly saith that it is manifest out of antient histories and the writing of almost all the ancient Fathers qui testantur fideles bibere sanguinem Christi that the Eucharist was communicated to the people in both kinds Ruardus Tapperus speakes rather like a Protestant then a Papist in
although wee grant that the antient Church vpon some occasions reserued the holy elements after the Communion yet not for any long space They had no reason nor neede so to do because as Saint Ambrose teacheth vs the Church consecrated euery day for strangers and twise in the weeke for the inhabitants As for Sophronius his tale of keeping the Sacrament for a whole yeere it is a fit flower for his spirituall meddow which no man euer saw or heard of vnlesse it were in Sir Thomas Moores Vtopia I giue much more credit to Alphonsus his experiment who locking vp a consecrated wafer in a Casket of gold after a few months opened it and found nothing in it but a worme Secondly as wine cannot be long kept but it will sowre so neither can bread but it will grow mustie and of the two if care be had to stop close the vessel to keepe out aire the wine will keepe sweet longer then the bread If the Cardinall fly to a miracle I answer that by the same miracle whereby the bread was kept a whole yeere from moulding the wine was or might haue beene kept from sowring Retortion Thirdly this headlesse arrow may thus bee headed and shot backe vpon our aduersaries If the Sacrament were antiently reserued in both kinds then the custome of reseruing it maketh for and not against the Laieties Communion in both kinds But the Sacrament was antiently reserued in both kinds Therefore the custome of reseruing the Sacrament maketh for and not against the Laieties communicating in both kinds That the holy mysteries were kept in the Primitiue Church in both kinds appeareth manifestly by Saint Chrysostome in his first Epistle to Inocentius Nicephorus Histor. Eccles. lib. 13. cap. 19 and Cardinall Baronius himselfe whose words are very obseruable Here O Reader consider saith he how wide they are of the Traditions of the Fathers and the vse of the Catholick Church who deny that the holy Eucharist in our time ought to bee kept which we see in antient times was reserued not onely in the forme or kind of bread but also in the other kind to wit in the wine You haue this proued by the authority of Saint Gregory in the 3. of his dialogues where he saith that the Marriners carried in the ship the body and blood of Christ. SECT II. The second headlesse arrow is their argument deduced from the carrying the holy mysteries after consecration into priuat houses and thus they draw this arrow at vs The second rite or custome of the antient Church was to carrie the Sacramēt home and there to take it at some seasonable time This custome is most certainly proued out of Tertullian his second book to his wife Clem. Alexand. stromatum li. 1. Cyprian Serm. de Lapsis Basil epist. to Cesarea Patricia Hierom. Apolog. contra Iouinian Now that the Christians were went to communicate at home in one kind onely it is manifest both for that the onely forme of bread was giuen to the hands of the faithful the blood being drunke out of a Chalice as Cyrill demonstrateth in his 5. Catechisme also because their were no Chalices in the bouses of Lay-men or holy vessels to receiue the blood of Christ as it may be euidently gathered out of the second Apologie of Athanasius r Harding imbellisheth this argument with a miraculous narration out of Saint Cyprian that when a woman had gone about with vnworthie hands to open her Coffer where the holy thing of our Lord was laid vp she was made afraid with fier that rose vp from thence so as she durst not touch it The answer First this argument is very impertinent to the purpose and in consequence also For the question is of the publike vse of the Sacrament in the Church this argument proceedes vpon priuate abuse thereof in mens houses at home Now an argument from a meere abuse is an abusiue argument and concludes nothing A meere falsehood cannot proue a truth nor a corrupt custome the lawfull vse of any thing Saint Austine giues vs a golden rule to the contrary Doctrines are to bee weighed not in the deceitfull ballances of their owne customes but in the euen ballances of diuine scriptures In which if this custome of carrying the Sacrament home to their houses be wighed it will bee found too light And therefore it is reiected and condemned vnder a curse in a Councel holden at Cesar-Augusta in Spaine If any man receiue the Sacrament eat not the same presently in the Church let him be accursed for euer And likewise in the first Councell of Toledo cap. 14. If any man receiuing the Sacrament of the Priest doe not presently eate it let him be driuen out for a sacrilegious person As for the miracle of fier vrged by M. Harding it burnes his owne fingers For God shewed himselfe by that miracle to bee offended with that which the woman did fraying her that kept the Sacrament in her coffer with a flame of fier Secondly this corrupt custome is no shaddow of proofe for the Laities communicating in one kind For as they caried the bread home to their houses so they might also a portion of wine yea but saith Bellar. they had no Chalices at home what then they might haue and had bottles or glasses in which they might and did carrie part of the consecrated wine home to their houses Retortion Thirdly this headlesse arrow may bee thus headed and shotte backe vpon our aduersaries If the Sacrament were antiently carried home to Lay-mens houses in both kinds then this custome of carrying it home makes not against but for the Laieties Communion in both kinds But the Sacrament was antiently carryed home to Lay-mens houses in both kinds Therefore that custome maketh for and not against the Laieties Communion in both kinds That the Sacrament was carried home in both kinds is proued by the vndeni able testimonies of Iustin Martyr Gregorie Nazianzenus and S. Hierome Iustin Martyr declaring the order of the Church in his time saith thus of the things that be consecrated to wit the bread water and wine they giue a part to euery one and they carrie the same things to those that are absent Gregory Nazianzen writeth of his sister Gorgonia that if her hand had layed vp any portion of the tokens of the pretious body and of the blood in deuotion shee mingled it with teares and so receiued it Saint Hierome highly commending Exuperius Bishop of Tolosa saith of him there was no man richer then he that carried the Lords body in a wicker basket and his blood in a glasse SECT III. The third headlesse arrow is an argument deduced from the Communion of Infants Thus they draw it at vs The third rite of the Church is the administring the Communion to Infants For the antient did sometimes administer the Cōmunion to Infants but vnder one kind only namely by dropping
that meane while had been kept it would haue been dead in the Pixe Hugo Card. saith Christs Passion is the truth and the Sacrament is a figure of the same Therfore when the truth is come the figure giueth place Consider we the weight of these reasons The Apostles fled sixteene hundred yeeres agoe on Good-Friday therefore we must not now on that day consecrate the elements or communicate in both kinds On Good-Friday Christ suffered his blood then was seuered from the body Therefore now wee must not receiue his body and blood on that day Christs Passion was on that day therefore wee must neuer receiue the figure thereof on that day 2. Concerning the custome of the Greeke Church It is true that the Greeke Church in Lent vsed to consecrate onely vpon Saterday and Sunday and on the other dayes of the weeke they did communicate ex praesanctificatis of the presanctified formes which had been consecrated the Saterday or Sunday before as may be gathered out of the 49. Canon of the Councell of Laodocea and 52. Canon of the Councell in Trullo Sed quid ad rhombum we dispute not of the Communion of things before consecrated but of the communion of both kinds Such no doubt was this communion of the Greekes as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or praesanctificata in the plurall number doth implie It is not called by Balsamo vpon the 52. Canon of the sixth Councell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a communion of presanctified bread but of presanctified mysteries This headlesse arrow therefore as all the former may be thus headed and shot backe vpon our aduersaries Retortion If the Communion of presanctified elements were in both kindes this Rite of the Greeke Church no way suporteth but quite ouerthroweth the Romish halfe Communion in one kind only But the communion of presanctified elements of the Greeke Church was in both kinds Ergo this Rite of the Greeke Church no way supporteth but quite ouerthroweth the Romish halfe Communion in one kinde onely That this Communion in the Greeke Church was in both kinds wee need no better euidence then the Seruice-booke or Office of the Greeke Church wherein we reade that after the Priest hath sanctified the bread he powreth wine and water into the sacred Cup and rehearseth the accustomed words in the Liturgie it self called Liturgia praesanctificatorum The dreadfull mysteries are named in the plurall number And that al that communicated receiued in both kinds it appeares by the forme of thankesgiuing there set downe We giue thanks to thee O God the Sauiour of all for all thy benefits which thou hast bestowed vpon vs and in speciall for that thou hast vouch safed to make vs partakers of the body and blood of thy Christ. CHAP. XV. The arguments of Papists drawne from reason answered and retorted SECT I. OVr aduersaries are driuen to rake hell for arguments and to begge proofes from damned hereticks such as were the Manichees From whose dissembling at the Lords Supper our equiuocating Iesuits would make vs beleeue that their halfe Communion was in vse in the Primitiue Church The Manichees saith Fisher liued in Rome and other places shrowding themselues amongst Catholicks went to their Churches receiued the Sacrament publikely with thē vnder the sole forme of bread yet they were not noted nor then discerned from Catholicks A manifest signe saith he that Communiō vnder one kind was publikly in the Church permitted For how could the Manichees still refusing the Cup haue beene hidden amongst those antient Christians if they had bin perswaded as now Protestants are that receiuing one kind onely is sacrilege The like argument Master Harding draweth from a tricke of Leger demaine vsed by a cunning housewife who made her husband beleeue that shee receiuing the bread from the Priest stooped downe as if she had prayed but receiued of her seruant standing by her somewhat that shee had brought for her from home which shee had no sooner put into her mouth but it hardned into a stone If this seeme to any incredible saith Sozomen that stone is a witnesse which to this day is kept amongst the Iewels of the Church of Constantinople By this stone it is cleere saith Master Harding the Sacrament was then ministred vnder one kind onely For by receiuing that one forme this woman would haue perswaded her husband that shee had communicated with him else if both kindes had beene ministred shee would haue practised fome other shift for the auoyding of the Cup which had not beene so easie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ill egge of an ill bird a loose inference of a lewd practise As if the Manichees in Rome or this woman in Constantinople might not pitisare sip and make as if they drank and yet let not a drop go downe or as if this their fraud was not discouered Howsoeuer these disembled it is certaine out of Saint Leo in his 4. Sermon of Lent and Saint Chrysostome 18. Homile vpon the second to the Corinthians that the faithful people of Rome and Constantinople receiued the Communion in both kinds For Saint Leo in the place aboue alleaged giueth this as a marke to discrie Manichees from other Christian people intruding amongst them at the Lords Table by refusing to drink the blood of Christ with them And Saint Chrysostome saith expresly that there is no difference betwixt Priest and people in participating the dreadfull mysteries Therefore as the Priest in Constantinople and euery where else in his time receiued the Communion in both kindes so did the people SECT II. To leaue these absurd inferences of the Papists from the vngodly practise of hereticks I come now in the last place to batter and breake in pieces such weapons as they hammer against vs in the forge of reason The first reason they shape in this wise If whole Christ Body Blood Soule and Diuinity are vnder the forme of bread the Laietie are no way wronged by denying them the Cup But whole Christ is vnder the forme of bread to wit his Body Blood Soule and Diuinity Therefore the Laiety are not wronged by denying them the Cup. That whole Christ is vnder the forme of bread they proue by the vnseparable vnion of the body and blood of Christ c. Since his ascention his body now in heauen is a liue body and therfore hath his blood in his veines and is informed and glorified by a most excellent soule Therfore Christ cannot say truly that a body voyd of blood sence and soule is his body but soule life and blood must needs follow and concomitate his body wheresoeuer it bee Therefore when the Priest in the person of Christ or rather Christ by the mouth of the Priest saith This is my body the meaning must bee a liuing body with blood in the veines The answer First the doctrine of naturall Concomitancie presupposeth the naturall body of Christ to bee substantially and carnally vnder
the forme of bread which we deny and consequently this argument from concomitancie is of no force The words This is my body being rightly expounded by Austine Tertullian Theodoret and many other of the ancients to be no other then this bread is a signe a figure or a sacrament of my body not this bread is turned substantially into my body or vnder this is contained my very body flesh bones Where Christs naturall humane body is there wee grant his blood and soule and diuinitie are But That his body is now in heauen Acts 3. not in any place vpon the earth much lesse in euery place where the Masse is celebrated Secondly although we grant that the body of Christ cannot really bee seuered from his blood yet the signes of his body and blood are really seuered if wee speake of sacramentall Communion the Apostle teacheth vs that the bread which wee break is the Communion of Christs body and the Cup which wee blesse is the Communion of his blood neither can wee truly and properly say the Bread is the Communion of his blood And therefore they that communicate in bread onely doe not sacramentally communicate his blood Thirdly should we liberally grant vnto our aduersaries that by the receiuing the body of Christ in the bread we consequently receiue the blood also which since his Passion was neuer seuered from his body yet will it not hence follow that we drinke the blood of Christ in eating the bread but Christ commanded vs expresly to drinke his blood which cannot possibly be done by communicating in bread only no though we should admit of the carnall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament and the doctrine of concomitancie also Retortion Lastly this Argument may bee retorted vpon our aduersaries in this manner Whosoeuer receiueth Christ in the Sacrament ought to receiue whole Christ to wit his body and blood But the body and blood of Christ cannot be receiued but by communicating in both kinds Therefore all that receiue Christ in the Sacrament ought to communicate in both kinds The Proposition is our aduersaries the Assumption also is inferred from their owne Tenets They deliuer this rule that the Sacraments effect and exhibit that and that onely which they signifie But the bread signifieth onely the body of Christ and the wine his blood hee therefore that will receiue whole Christ as he is exhibited vnto vs in the Sacrament must necessarily communicate in both kinds SECT III. The second reason is this If the whole nature and essence of a Sacrament be found in one kinde the Romanists Communion in bread onely is not a maimed or imperfect but an entire Sacrament But the whole nature and essence of a Sacrament is found in one kinde Therefore the Romanists communicating in bread onely is not a mained or imperfect but an entire Sacrament That the whole nature and essence of a Sacrament is found in either kind by it selfe Bellarmine endeauoreth thus to make euident There are but two things required essentially to a Sacrament a signe and a thing signified both which are found in one kind first a signe to wit bread secondly the thing signified to wit the inward nourishment of the soule and the representation of the vnion of the faithful with Christ and among themselues The answer First there is a double essence of the sacrament the generall essence which makes it a sacrament in generall and the specificall essence which makes it in speciall Baptisme or the Lords Supper To bee a visible and effectuall signe of inuisible sanctifying grace is sufficient to proue a sacrament in generall but not to proue the Lords Supper the entire definition whereof is a Sacrament of the new Testament sealing vnto vs the perfect nourishment of our soules by the participation of the sacred elements of bread and wine Secondly there are two sorts or parts essentiall or integrall For example the essentiall parts of a man are animal rationale the integrall parts are legges and armes and other members In like manner in the Sacrament besides the essentiall parts which Bellarmine will haue to bee the signe and the thing signified there are integrall parts to wit the elements of bread and wine of which if either be wanting the sacrament may be as truly called a maimed or vnperfect Sacrament as a man that wants an arme or legge is truly called a maimed or vnperfect man though he haue in him the essentiall parts of a man intirely to wit animal his Genus and rationale his difference Thirdly although in the Romane halfe Communion there be a signe and a thing signified yet neither is there the whole signe nor the whole signification not the whole signe because bread is but a part of the signe representing Christs body and not his blood not the whole signification which is such an entire refection and nourishment of the soule as bread and wine are of the body Retortion Lastly this Argument as the former may be retorted vpon the aduersary The Lords Supper is the Sacrament of Christs body and blood The bread is not the Sacrament of Christs body and blood Therefore bread alone is not the Lords Supper Or in this wise The Lords Supper essentially includeth and signifieth such a perfect refection and nourishment of the soule as bread and wine are of the body Communicating in one kind neither includeth nor signifieth such refection Therefore communicating in one kind is not the Lords Supper nor containeth in it the whole nature and essence of this Sacrament SECT IIII. The third Argument of our aduersaries drawne from reason is an off-spring of the two former If the faithfull receiue as much benefit by communicating in one kind as in both they haue no cause to complaine of the Church for the restraining of them from the Cup But the faithfull receiue as much benefit by communicating in one kind as in both Therefore they haue no cause to complaine of the Church for the restraining of them from the Cup That they receiue as much benefit by communicating in one kind as in both it seemes to follow necessarily vpon the two former supposalls that whole Christ is in each kind and that the whole essence of the Sacrament is found in either The answer First the two props of this Argument being before taken away it must needes fall to the ground neither is whole Christ contained vnder one kind neither in it is preserued the whole essence of the Sacrament Therefore questionlesse the fruit of the halfe Communion if it be any at all cannot bee equall to the fruit of the whole Secondly the consequence of this Argument is not found For neither the onely nor the principle thing to be regarded in the Sacrament is our benefit but Gods glorie and the testification of our obedience to his Ordinance Therefore albeit it were granted that the people lost nothing by the taking away the Cup from them yet they haue iust
Lay-man that communicateth in one kind recipit gratiam 4. receiueth grace but in 4. degrees Nugnus in 3. partem Thom. quest 80. art 12. Thus hauing remoued all rubs and obstacles out of the way wee haue passed clearely throughout all Ages from the time of Christ and his Apostles and in euery hundred yeere since produced euidence against the Church of Rome And finally by verdict of some Doctors of chiefe credit among themselues found her to be guiltie of sacrilege in taking away the Cup from the Laiety at the Lords Table If any demand where this Cup may be found I answer as we read in o Genesis it is found with Beniamin I meane the Reformed Churches Etymon filij dextrae chrildren of Christs right hand by which hee distributeth to his people the bread of life and wine of Immortalitie his most pretious body and blood There is yet palpable darknes in Egypt but there is light in Goshen In Rome vnder the Papacie the people are fed with Huskes of legendary fables or at the best with mustie bread of old traditions and sowred with the leauen of heresie And all their publike Communions are dry feasts but in the Reformed Churches the people are fed with the flowre of Wheat the sincere Word of God and drinke of the purest iuyce of the Grape the blood of our Redeemer in the holy Sacrament What shall wee therefore render to the Lord for all the benefits which hee hath bestowed vpon vs we will take the Cup of Saluation and continually call vpon the name of the Lord. So be it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Finis Deolaus sine fine Cassander tract de Communione de vtraque specie pag. 1019. edit Paris 1616. Veteres omnes tam Graeci quà m Latini in ea sententia fuisse videntur vt existimauerint in legitima solemni celebratione Corporis sanguinis Domini et Adminiratione quae in Ecclesia fideli populo è sacra mensa fit Duplicem sâ—…ciem panis vini esse adhibendam atque hunc morem per vniuersas Orientis Occidentis Ecclesias antiquitus obseruatum fuisse tum expriscorum Patrum Monumentis tum ex vetustis diuinorum mysteriorum formulis apparet Et post Ad hoc inductifuerunt exemplo mandato Christi qui instituendo huius Sacramenti vsum Apostolis fiâ—…lium Sacramenta percipientium personam repraesentantibus quibus dixerat Accipite edite idem mox dixit bibite ex hoc omnes quod ex veterum sententia interpretatur Radbertus tam ministri quà m reliqui credentes All the Ancients both Greeke and Latine seeme to be of opinion that in the lawfull and solemne celebration of the Sacrament of Christs body and blood and administring it to the people that both kinds to wit bread and wine ought to be vsed at the Lords Table And it appeares both out of the workes of the ancient Fathers and the old Rites and formes of the diuine mysteries that this custome was obserued in all the Easterne and Westerne Churches And a little after Hereunto they were induced by the Example and Command of Christ who in the institution of this Sacrament speaking to his Apostles then representing the persons of all faithful Communicants said Take and eate and presently after said to the selfe-same Drinke ye all of this which Radbertus according to the mind of the Ancients expoundeth as well Ministers as other beleeuers FINIS A RELATION OF WHAT PASSED IN A CONFERENCE BETWEENE DAN FEATLY Doctor in Diuinity and Mr. Euerard Priest of the Romish Church disguized in the habit of a Lay-Gentleman vnexpectedly met at a Dinner in Noble street Ian. 25. 1626. LONDON Printed by F. Kyngston for Rob. Milbourne and are to be sold at the Greyhound in Pauls Churchyard 1630. THE SPECIALL POINTS of the Conference OF the necessitie of Episcopall gouernment to the essence of a Church 2 Of ordination by Presbyters 3 Of the distinction of Bishops and Priests iure diuino 4 Of differences among Papists in matter of faith 5 Of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary 6 Of the authoritie of a Generall Councell aboue the Pope 7 Of prayer for the dead 8 Of the authority of the originall Scriptures and corruption in the vulgar translation 9 Of the Communion in one kind 1. The state of the question opened 2. The necessitie of communicating in both kinds 3. Popish obiections answered 10 Of the Popes supremacie 11 Of mingling water with wine in the Sacrament 12 Of the perfection of Scripture THE CONFERENCE L. F. I Pray you Doctor Featly resolue mee whether thinke you a Church may be without a Bishop or no D. Featly Your L. propoundeth a question that little concerneth you any way or any member of the Church of England For in England we haue God bee blessed Bishops and those besides many learned Priests very well able to iustifie that Calling If I might bee so bold I would aduise your L. not to trouble your selfe with such curious questions of small or no moment to you wherein learned men without hazarding of their saluation may haue different opinions L. F. I hold it a matter of great moment and desire you not to decline it but plainely to deliuer your iudgement thereof D. Featly I professe Madame with submission to more learned iudgements that I euer held and doe hold that a Church cannot bee without a Priest or a Pastor but it may bee and sometimes is without a Bishop properly so called The Church of Geneua as also the Reformed Churches in France and the Low-Countries and diuers in Germany are true Reformed Churches and yet they haue no Bishops such as you meane Although some of them would after our manner haue them if they could Discipline or a precise gouernment of the Church is not simply of the essence of the Church And therefore albeit it be granted that these Churches haue not the best gouernment nor the Apostolicall discipline in all points yet because they haue the Apostolicall doctrine sincerely taught and beleeued in them and the Christian Sacraments rightly administred I beleeue that they are true Churches L. F. Ought there not to bee Bishops in euery Church by the Law of God D. Featly What if there ought This doth not proue that in case there be no Bishops in some Countries as there ought to be that therefore there are no Churches I say that by the Law of God congregations ought to meet in publike Churches to serue God in his House yet if the vse of publike Churches bee taken away from the faithfull or they be not permitted to resort vnto them as in time of persecution it hath been and in some places is at this day the Pastors and their flocks may meete in Cryptis that is in priuate and secret places as they did in the Primitiue Church And the faithfull thus meeting continue a true Church though they haue neither a Temple allowed them nor Tythe to the Ministers nor
after If in the Sacrifice which Christ offered Christ alone is to be followed it behooueth vs to obay and doe that which Christ did and commanded to be done seeing he himselfe saith in the Gospel if ye doe that which I command you I will not say that you are seruāts but friends c. Yet some out of ignorance or simplicity in sanctifying the Lords Cup and ministring to the people doe not that which Iesus Christ the Author and Teacher of this sacrifice did and taught If any Cauill against this argument that Christ sate or leaned at his last Supper gaue the Sacrament after supper and that vnto 12 and those men and no women and yet we are not bound so to doe and consequently that the argument from Christs example is not of absolute necessity for vs to follow but may be dispensed with by the Church I answer first that the argument proceedes vpon substantiall acts and not circumstances such as are the time and the place and the number of communicants Now that the Cup is a substantiall part of the Sacrament appeareth both by Christs blessing and consecrating it and the words of the institution This Cup is the new Testament in my blood neither can the aduersaries deny it who account it no lesse then sacriledge in a Priest to consecrate or receiue the Sacrament in one kind onely 2. Our argument is not grounded onely vpon that which Christ did but vpon that which Christ did and taught or commanded should bee done Now as Christ tooke the bread and broke it and said Doe this so in like manner he tooke the Cup and said Drinke ye all of this but Christ said not in like manner sit you downe or lye when you take the sacrament or receiue it late at night or administer it to such a number of men onely What he did and taught as Saint Cyprian soundly collects must be perpetually obserued in the Church the circumstances vsed at his last Supper hee did not command vs to vse but the substantiall acts of administring the Sacrament in both kinds Fecitet Docuit he both did and taught vs to doe Wherefore as Saint August speaks in a like kind All the contradictions of our aduersaries cauilling breath serueth rather to kindle more then blow out or quench the fier of truth in this argument burning vp the stubble of Popish Canons and constitutions repugnant to Christs Doctrine and practice at his last Supper CHAP. III. The second Argument drawne from the essence and perfection of this Sacrament THe Sacrament of the Eucharist is not entire and perfect without the Cup. The faithfull people capable of it and prepared for it ought to receiue the Sacrament intire and perfect Therefore the faithfull people capable of the Sacrament and prepared for it ought to receiue the Cup. The proposition is euident by the institution of this Sacrament and the confession of our aduersaries for this Sacrament was instituted in two kinds bread and wine as Christ blessed the one Element so the other as he commanded the one to be taken and eaten so likewise or in like manner Luk. 22. 20. hee commanded the other to be taken and drunke As a man that hath but one eye or one eare or one arme or leg is not a perfect man but a maimed because nature intende all those organs to bee double and the operation is more compleat and perfect in both organs then it can be in one onely In like manner he cannot be said to receiue the Sacrament entire and perfect who receiueth it but in one kind onely because Christ instituted it in two kinds and ordained the full significancie and efficacie to bee compleat in both and not in one onely Wherefore Aquinas part 3. q. 63. art 1. concludeth Therefore two things concurre to the integrity of this Sacrament viz. sprituall meat and drink And Bonauenture in 4. sententiarum Distinct. 11. part 2. art 1. quest 2. A perfect refection or repast is not in bread only but in bread and drinke therefore Christ is not perfectly signified as feeding our soules in one kinde but in both And 〈◊〉 Soto art 12. quest 1. in 12. distinct The Sacrament as concerning the entire signification thereof is not perfect but in both kinds Doubtlesse halfe a man is not a man nor halfe an eye an eye nor halfe a ship a ship Neither can that which is halfe to one bee the whole to another Wherefore sith the Papists confesse that this Sacrament is not entire or whole to a Priest receiuing it in one kind onely neither can it be whole to the Laietie vnlesse we take Hesiods riddle for sound diuinitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The halfe is not then the whole The assumption cannot be denyed by any Christian. Saint Paul implyeth 1. Cor. 11. That they which receiue the Sacrament otherwise then they ought receiue not the Lords Supper And S. Ambr. saith expressly comment in 11. cap. 1. ad Corint The Apostle saith he is vnworthie of the Lord who celebrates this mysterie otherwise then it was deliuered by him for he cannot be religious who presumes to receiue it otherwise then it was giuen by the author This whole argument is confirmed by the testimonie of their accomplished Iesuite Vasques who t. 3. in 3. disp 215. c. 2. reasoneth thus each kind in this sacramēt as it is apart of the sacrament hath a diuerse signification by it selfe and sith according to our former suppositions in the Sacraments of the new law the efficacie followes the signification for they effect that which they signifie it ensueth thereupon that each kind in this Sacrament doth produce or worke its owne effect by it selfe Vpon which inferences of his I collect that which peraduenture he little expected but can neuer with all his sophisticall slights auoid that the Church of Rome robbeth the Laiety of or to speake more properly detaineth vniustly from them an vnualuable Iewel viz. some measure or degree at lest of sanctifying grace And what amends can they make for so vnsufferable wrong done vnto them If each part of this Sacrament haue a signification a part and an operation a part in the soule the Romane Church by taking away one part of the Sacrament depriueth them of the signification and operation thereof How Vasques position can stand with their doctrine of concomitancie let him looke to it It is no small aduantage that the truth gaineth by her enemies falling foule one vpon another CHAP. IIII. Argument 3. drawne from the Analogie of the thing signified to the signe THe signe viz. the Cup ought to be denyed to none vpon whom God conferreth the grace signified by the signe Upon all faithfull Christians God conferreth the grace signified by that signe Therefore that signe viz. the Cup ought to be denied to no faithfull Christian. The proposition is deduced from the words of S. Peter Can any man forbid water that these should
not be baptized which haue receiued the holy Ghost as well as we Surely to whom God intendeth the end hee intendeth the vse of the meanes Lorinus out of the ordinary glosse conceiues the Apostle to vse an argument à minori which he thus reduceth to forme If God hath giuen that which is greater no man ought to forbid the lesser But God hath giuen them the holy Ghost which is the greater Therefore none ought to denie them the baptisme of water which is the lesse This is all one as if when the Pope hath bestowed an Archbishoprick vpon any Bishop the Datary should deny him the Pale or when the Vniuersity hath conferred the degree of Doctor the Beadle should denie him his Scarlet Hoode or when the Captaine hath admitted a souldier into his band any vnder officer should forbid him to weare his colours As incongruous if not far more it is when God the Lord and Master conferres the thing signified by the Sacrament for man the seruant and minister to denie the signe The asumption is easily prooued for the thing signified by the Cup is either the Communion of Christs blood as the Apostle testifieth The Cup of Blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ Or it is remission of sins by the blood-shedding of Christ as the words of the institution imply This is the blood of the new Testament which is shed for man for the remission of sins Neither of which benefits the Romanists dare to exclude the Laietie from They haue vnion with Christ by faith therefore Communion of his blood they receiue the remission of sinnes by Christs blood shed vpon the Crosse with what colour then can the Romanists take away from them the Cup the signe and pledge thereof if they except against this argument that children abstemious persons such as cannot brook wine receiue the thing signified viz. remission of sins and participate of Christs blood and yet drink not of the holy Cup the answer is easie None are by this argument meant but such as desire the Cup and are capable thereof such are not either children or abstemious persons Let the Opposition then or Maior be vnderstood as it is intended with this explication or limitation No faithfull Christians ought to be denied the Cup vpon whom God conferreth the thing signified by the Cup. viz. none that desire it and are capable thereof and can receiue it according to Christs ordinance such are the faithfull people ordinarily and so the former Cauill vanisheth into smoake This whole argument is confirmed by a Canon extant in Gratian de consecrat dist 2. If as often as the blood of Christ is shed it is shed for the remission ofsins I ought alwaies to take it that alwayes sinnes may be forgiuen me This Gratian gathered as a flowre out of Saint Ambrose his works but behold a greater then Saint Ambrose our Lord and Sauiour implieth as much saying This is my blood which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes Drinke yee of it for it is shed for you and the remission of your sinnes These therefore for whom Christs blood was shed and they who haue obtained remission of sins by it ought by the reason annexed to this precept drinke of it And I perswade my selfe that no learned Papist hath so little charitie in his heart or so much brasse in his brow as doctrinally to deliuer that Christs blood was not shed sor the Laietie or that they receiue not remission of sinns thereby as well as Priests CHAP. V. The fourth argument drawne from the nature of a banquet or supper IN euery supper feast or banquet the cup is to be giuen to the guests that they may drinke as well as eate The Sacrament of the Eucharist is a supper feast or banquet Therfore in the Sacrament of the Eucharist the Cup is to be giuen to all the communicants that they may drink as well as eate The proposition is euident to sense and is readily assented vnto by the aduersaries Aquinas part 3. q. 73. To a corporall refection or repast two things are required viz. meat which is a drie nourishment and drinke which is a moyst And y Lyranus in 1. Corin. 11. The Sacrament is giuen in two kinds or formes viz. of bread and wine that thereby a perfect spirituall refection might bee signified The asumption is testified by a cloud of witnesses by Saint Paul When you come together therefore into one place this is not to eate the Lords Supper for in eating euery one taketh before hand his own supper By Saint Cyprian who intituleth his Treatise of this Sacrament De coena Domini of the Lords Supper by Tertullian who sayth what shall her husband sing to her what shall shee sing to her husband shall Gods Supper heare something from the Tauerne from hell what mention of God what calling vpon Christ can there be there c. By Saint Ierom epist. 14. ad Damasum pa. 409. * the fat calfe is our Sauiour whose flesh we dayly eat and drinke his blood this banquet is euery day kept euery day the Father receiues his Sonne By Soto art 12. quest in 12. dist The Sacrament is not perfect but in both kinds for it is a banquet consisting of meate and drinke Nay by the whole Church of Rome in her Offices and publique Liturgie in the Antiphony sung at the Vespers on Corpus Christi day O holy banquet and in the prayer after the Communion in the feastof Cosimus and Damianus This whole argument is confirmed by Vasques the Iesuite disp 215. The Sacrament is instituted in both kinds viz. bread and wine that it might be a kind of banquet Therfore Christ speaking of himselfe saith My flâ—…sh is meate indeed and my blood is drinke indeed now in a banquet there is nothing but me â—…t and drinke whereof each refresheth the body after a seuerall manner and conduceth to the nourishment and increase thereof Whereupon he inferreth that each kinde in the Sacrament hath a peculiar and proper signification and operation This testimony of Vasques commeth home to the point for he confesseth all that is inforced by this argument first that a banquet consists of drinke as well as of meat Secondly that the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist is a banquet Thirdly that the seuerall kinds of foode in this banquet nourish after a seuerall manner from whence who seeth not that it will follow that the Laietie which are debarred of one kinde of viand in this banquet and receiue onely the other cannot participate the full effect and operation of the Sacrament which is a perfect spirituall refection or nourishment CHAP. VI. The fift Argument drawne from the precept of drinking NOne can drink in the Sacrament without the Cup All that communicate ought to drinke in the Sacrament Therefore all that communicate ought to haue the
said to the same Drinke yee all of this to whom before he said Take eate this is my body Fifthly and lastly if it were sufficient reason to redeliuer the Cup in these times to the Laietie who haue been deseruedly depriued of it namely to arme them against eminent persecution why should not the faithfull people of God especially those who neuer incurred the censure of Excommunication or suspension be much rather admitted to drinke of the Cup to arme them against as great or greater conflicts of temptations The sinnew of Saint Cyprians reason is in the word militaturis Those that are to fight the Lords battels are to be strengthened thereunto by taking the Cup of Saluation or drinking the Lords Blood But I assume all Christians in all ages were are and shall be militantes or militaturi such as haue fought doe fight or shall against their ghostly and bodily enemies therefore according to Saint Cyprians military discipline they are to be strengthened and armed thereunto by participating of the Lords Cup. The answere of Bellarmine to the second testimony of Saint Cyprians 63. Epistle commeth not home to the marke by many bowes for albeit the maine scope of that Epistle be to prooue the necessitie of administring the Sacrament in Wine against the corrupt custome of the Aquarij certaine heretikes that administred it in meere water yet on the by he discouereth the practise of the Church in his time to Communicate in both kinds and in the words alleaged be expresly faith that the Cup was ministred or deliuered to the people which is all we produce this passage for SECT IIII. Testimonies of the practise of the Church from 300. to 400. Anno. 314. IN the councel held at Ancyra Deacons that had sacificed vnto Idols are forbidden to exercise any sacred function and in particular nec panem nec calicem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to offer or deliuer bread or the Chalice The Chalice then by their Deacons was deliuered to whom but to the people for Priests administer to Deacons but Deacons neuer to Priests Anno. 316. In the Councell held at Neo-Caeserea can 13. country Priests are forbidden in the presence of a Bishop or the Priest of the citie to deliuer the sanctified bread or Cup to any Here we see the Cup as well as the bread was deliuered at the communion the words are nec panem nec calicem porrigere Anno 325. In the acts of the Councell of Nice set out by Gelasius Cyzicenus we haue a most expresse testimonie of the beleife and practise of the Church in that flowrishing age Let vs vnderstand by faith that in that holy Supper the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world is offered without blood by the Priests and that wee taking his pretious body and blood doe verily beleeue that they are symboles or pleadges of our resurrection Anno. 337. Iulius the first as we read in Gratian de conse dist 2. condemneth the practise of such who gaue the people a bit of bread dipped in wine for the whole Communion alleaging against this corrupt custome the practise of our Sauiour who when he commended his body and blood to the Apostles he commended the bread and the Cup apart This ancient Pope concludes from our Sauiours practise that the people ought to receiue the holy elements of bread and wine a part consequently that it is not sufficient to giue them the bread dipped Now if it be not sufficient to giue them the bread dipped in the wine Iulius would haue held it much lesse sufficient to giue them drie bread If our Sauior as he rightly conceiueth enioyned that all ought to partake of the elements apart certainly hee enioyned that the people should receiue both and not bread onely or wine onely by concomitancie Anno 340. Athanasius in his second Apology maketh it plainer that the vndeniable custome in his age was for the people to receiue the Cup. This saith he is the vse of this Cup and no other in this Cup you lawfully or of right drinke before or to the Laity This you haue receiued for an Ecclesiastical Cannon it belongs to you alone to drink the blood of Christ before the Laietie Anno 355. Hilarius Pictauiensis de trinitate lib. 8. writeth thus There is no place left of doubting cōcerning the truth of Christs flesh and blood for both by our Lords owne profession and our faith it is truly flesh and truly blood and these being taken and drunke doe worke this effect that Christ is in vs and wee in Christ Saint Hilarie spake of all Christians and saith that they receiue the flesh of Christ hauriunt that is take a draught of his blood which cannot bee without partaking the Cup. For although the doctrine of concomitancie were admitted whereby our aduersaries suppose that the people take the blood of Christ in the body yet certainely there they cannot haurire sanguinem take a draught of blood or drinke it because it is not there in a liquid forme or so that it may be sucked or drunke Anno 365. Cyril Catechesi Mystagogicâ 4. Vnder the forme of bread Christs body is giuen vnto thee that taking the body and blood of Christ thou maist be of one body and blood with him And a little after After thou hast participated of the body of Christ draw neere also to the cup of his blood Anno. 366. Macarius Egyptius hom 27. By offering bread and wine in the Church he gaue vs a patterne to take his body and blood Anno 370. S. Basil in his 289. epistle to Patricia exhorts her frequently to participate the Sacrament of Christs body and blood saying It is good and profitable euery day to participate the holy body and blood of Christ. And in his moralls chap. 22. hee propoundeth this question what is the proper dutie of a Christian and he answereth immediately to haue no spot or wrincle in his Conscience to be holy and vnblameable and so to eate the body and drinke the blood of Christ. Our aduersaries doe well to conceale this testimonie of Saint Basil because it is so direct and full to the point that it admits not any collourable answer He saith that it is the proper dutie of a Christian and therefore not of a Priest onely not to eate Christs body onely and receiue his blood by concomitancie but expresly to drinke it and this hee teacheth to be as necessarie a duty of all Christians as to clense themselues from sinne and to be holy and vndefiled Anno. 372. Gregory Nazianzen surnamed the Diuine S. Basils bosome friend in his 42. oration inuites all to drinke the blood of Christ who look for life by him without any doubting or shamefast feare Eat his body and drinke his blood if thou desirest life and in his second oration he testifieth that his sister Gorgonia after she had Communicated laid vp some part of the
Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. With what face then can our aduersaries deny the Cup to Lay men when the ancient Church deliuered it vsually to religious women such as were Patricia and Gorgonia Anno 375. Ambrose in his fifth booke de sacramentis chap. 1. elegantly applieth Moses his striking the rocke and the water flowing out thereupon to the holy communion saying see the mystery Moses that is a Prophet the Rod that is Gods word the Priest with the Word of God toucheth the rock and the water floweth and the people of God drinke it The Priest therefore toucheth the Cup and there aboundeth in the Cup water springing to eternall life and the people of God drinketh and obtaineth the grace of God The same S. Ambrose as Theoderet writes in his fifth booke of Ecclesiasticall storie and 17. chap. repelleth the Emperor Theodosius from the Communion with these words How darest thou take into thy hands sprinckled with blood the holy body of Christ How presumest thou to lift vp his dreadfull blood to thy mouth who in thy rage hast spilt vniustly so much blood Wee see in Saint Ambroses time that both Prince and people communicated in both kinds albeit Theodosius at this time were deseruedly suspended from the participating of Christs body as well as his blood Yet after hee had cleansed his bloody hands with penitent teares he was admitted to the blessed Sacrament and he receiued both the blessed Body and the holy Cup into his hands Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe in his answer to this our allegation out of Theodoret saith We confesse that both kinds haue been sometimes giuen to the Laietie but we denie that it is so commanded by Gods Law A poore and miserable euasion For first many of the ancients whom wee haue before alleadged doe not onely testifie the practise of their times but vrge diuine precept for it Secondly they indifferently exhort the Laietie as well as the Clergie to the Communion in both kinds and vrge a like necessitie for both but the Papists themselues confesse that the Cleargie who administer the Communion are bound by the Law of God to communicate in both kinds and sith Sacraments may not be administred to any without order and command from him who instituted them questionlesse the ancient Church would neuer haue vsually administred the Cup to the Laietie with the bread if they had not conceiued that Christs words Drinke ye all of this belonged to them as well as to the Cleargie Anno. 390. Hierome vpon the eleuenth of the 1. Cor. The Lords Supper ought to be cōmon to all because Christ equally deliuered the Sacraments to all his disciples who were there present It is to be noted that he vseth the word Sacraments in the plurall number speaking onely of the Lords Supper whereby it is euident that by Sacraments hee vnderstandeth the elements bread and wine and from Christs example enforceth that they be equally deliuered to all communicants The same Saint Hierome speaketh yet more expresly of the Laietie receiuing the Cup from the Priest in the Eucharist in his comment on the 3. chap. of Zephanie the Priests also who administer the Eucharist deuide the blood of the Lord to his people commit wickednes against the Law To which allegation Cardinall Bellarmine answereth nothing but we heare no newes It is true we heare no newes out of Saint Ieroms mouth For all the fathers aboue alleadged testifie as much and this Bellarmine is for ced to grant Durum telum necessitas ignoscite If he could haue coyned any new answer wee should haue had somewhat else from him then Nihil noui audimus but seeing hee brings nothing new to impeach our argument I need not to adde any new confirmation Anno 398. In the fourth councell of Carthage it is ordered that if any penitent desire the peace of the Church when he lyeth on his death bed if it bee beleeued that he will presently depart that the Church peace be giuen vnto him by laying on of hands and vt ori eius effundatur Eucharistia and that the Sacrament be powred into his mouth Anno 399. Saint Chrysostome in his 18. homily in the 2. epist. to the Corinth makes it a cleere case that the people by the new law haue as good interest to the entire Sacrament as the Priest Sometimes or in some things there is no difference betweene the people and the Priest as in the participation of the dreadfull mysteries for all are equally admitted vnto them In the time of the old testament it was not lawfull for the people to eat of those things of which the Priests did eate but it is not so now for one body is offered to all and one Cup. The Papists answer Bellarmine answereth that the difference which Saint Chrysostome obserues betweene the sacrifices of the old and new Testament was that the sacrifice of the old was deuided into parts and could not bee entirely taken by any one and hence it came to passe saith he that some receiued a greater and some a lesse portion and for the most part the Priests part was the greatest but this our Sacrament is giuen intirely to euery one neither hath the Priest more then the Lay people although the symboles are more or greater in the Communion of the Priests then of the people Refutation This slight colour of answer is easily washed away for First Saint Chrysostome in the originall Greek hath no word signifying parts or diuision into parts but saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that the Priest fed on other things and that the Laietie might not feed vpon the same as for example The laitie might not at all eat of the shew bread and in the sacrifices the people might not eate of the same specie or numero which the Priest eate For the Law expresly set downe what belonged to the Priest to eate and what to the people but in the new Testament it is not so for the people may eat of the bread which the Priest eateth and drinke also of the same Cup. This is euidently Saint Chrysostomes meaning Secondly although it is true which Bellarmine saith that the whole Sacrament is eaten by euery Communicant yet this must be vnderstood of the integrity of the thing signified and of the essence of that signe not of the integrity of the quantitie of the outward elements For no one man eateth the whole loafe or quantity of bread that is consecrated nor drinketh the whole measure of wine that is sanctified but a portion onely Herein then the difference is not betweene the Priests of the old Law and the Priests of the new that the Priests of the old Law might eate but a part of the Sacrifice but the Priests of the new might eat the whole For if we speake of the thing signified both receiued the whole if of the signes neither receiues the whole that is the entire quantity of
the thing offered The difference was in this according to S. Chrysostome that the people simply might not eat of those things of which the Priest might but in the new testament the people may eat of all that the Priests may Lastly although we should admit of Bellarmines answer touching the condition of the Priest and people of the old law and the new that they of the old fed of the sacrifice apart each hauing their seuerall portions appointed for them but that the Prists and people of the new receiued the sacrament entirely the Priest entirely and the people entirely which in some sence is true yet this no way satisfieth the words of Saint Chrysostome who saith expresly that one Cup as well as one bread is set before all people as well as Priests and that according to Christs institution in the new testament SECT V. Testimonies of the practise of the Church from 400. to 500. Anno 410. ABout the beginning of the fifth Age God raysed vp that golden Tapour in the Church Saint Austin by whose light as wee may discouer other errors and abuses of the Church of Rome so this their mutilation of the Sacrament and defrauding Gods people of one part of this Supper This Author in his dialogue to Orosius quest 49. he interprets the blood of Abel the blood of Christ which saith he when the whole Church receiueth it saith Amen For what a cry maketh the whole Church when after she hath dranke the blood of Christ cryeth Amen And in his 57. question vpon Leuiticus he not onely testifies that the people did drinke of Christs blood but that they ought to doe so if they expect life from him What is the meaning of this saith he that the people are forbidden to eat of the blood of the sacrifices which were offered for sinn if by those sacrifices this sacrifice was signified in which there is trueremission of sinnes and yet not onely no man is forbidden to take the blood of this sacrifice for nourishment but on the contrary all men who desire life are exhorted to drinke it Papists answer Bellarmine de sacra Eucharistiae lib. 4. cap. 26. answereth that the force of Saint Austines reason consisteth not in the manner of drinking but in the taking of the blood which produceth the same effect whither it bee taken as meat or drinke Refutation Saint Austin in that place obserueth a difference between the precepts of the old and the precepts of the new testament that in the old blood was forbidden so much as to bee eaten with the flesh but in the new it is commanded to be drunke euen by it selfe and so the force of his reason ab oppositis stands not onely in some way taking blood for sustenance but euen in the manner of taking it euen by drinke Secondly whereinsoeuer the force of Saint Austines reason stands his words which wee alleage are expresly for taking it by drinking For he saith not as Bellarmine will haue him all who desire life are exhorted to take Christs blood for sustenance or to feed vpon it But they are exhorted to drinke it The people therefore if they looke for life by Christ they must drinke his blood which they cannot doe if the Priest deny the Cup. Anno. 420. Eusebius Emissenus in his Homily vpon Palme-Sunday speakes of the faithfulls communicating in both kinds as of a daily and frequent practice As then our Lord liued and spake and yet was eaten by his Disciples and drunke so now he remaines whole and vncorrupted and yet is daily drunke and eaten by the faithfull I beleeue no Romish Priest will bee so impudent as to restraine beleeuers to Priests onely If the Layetie are not to be reckoned in the number of fideles or belieuers they may not eat Christ in the Sacrament of bread and if they are fideles or beleeuers then they vsually nay daily drinke his blood in the Sacrament of wine as well as eate his flesh in the Sacrament of bread Anno 430. Theodoret in his Dialogue called Atreptus cap. 11. allotteth to all the faithfull an equall share in the Lords Supper one mysticall Table is prepared for all from which all beleeuers take vnto themselues an equall portion And in his Comment on the second Chapter of the first to the Corinthians hee obserueth a difference betweene ordinary suppers and the Lords Supper Of that viz. the Lords Table all are equally partakers but here viz. in common suppers one is hungry and another is drunke Hee saith not he drinkes but is drunke blaming him for two reasons first that he drinkes alone secondly that he is drunke If the Layetie drank not of the Lords Table they did not equally participate with the Priests And if in Theodorets time the Priests did drinke alone as now they doe at the Romane Masse Theodoret could not herein haue differenced them from common and prophane tables so that at the one all eate and drinke alike at the other one is satisfied and another is hungry one is thirsty and another drinketh alone and is drunke Anno 431. Cyrillus of Alexandria Glaphyr lib. 2. writeth thus As long as we are in this world wee will communicate with Christ by his holy flesh and precious blood Communicatio sanctae carnis atque item poculū ex salutari ipsius sanguine c. The communicating his holy flesh and the Cup of his holy blood hath in it a confession of Christs death by the participating in these things in this world we commemorate Christs death Anno. 450. Leo the Great Bishop of Rome in his fourth Sermon de quadragessima giues it as a character or marke to descry the Manichees by that at the Sacrament they would eate of the bread but in no wise drinke of the wine They viz. the Manichees so carry themselues at the Communion that they may more safely lye hid they take the body of Christ into their vnworthy mouthes but altogether they refuse to drinke the blood of their redemption which I would haue your Holinesse know that you may set a mark vpon these men in whomsoeuer you find such sacrilegious simulation you discouer them that by Priestly authoritie they may be driuen from the society of the Saints Here Leo both a Bishop of Rome and a great Clarke makes it sacriledge and heresie to receiue Christs body in the Sacrament and to refuse to drinke his blood Anno. 451. In the generall Councell of Chalcedon act 10. there is an accusation brought in against Iba the Bishop of Edessa that in some Church in his Diocesse at the Commemoration of the holy Martyrs there was but a little wine and that corrupt and sowre prouided for the Altar to bee sanctified and distributed to the people This generall Councell was counted to represent the whole Christian Church whereby it appeares that at the time of this Councell the Cup was giuen through the whole Christian world to
participating of the blood of the Lord. Papists answere If our aduersaries here flie to their old starting hole that by all here all Priests are meant and not all Communicants they may be stopped by that which Hincmarus writeth in the life of this Rhemigius that he gaue a Chalice for the peoples vse with this Motto Hauriat hinc populus vitam de sanguine sacro Iniecto aeternus quem fudit vulnere Christus Rhemigius reddit Domino sua vota Sacerdos Rhemigius Priest that gaue this Cup Prai'th that in it the people sup And still draw life from flowing blood Out of Christs side as of a flood Let it bee noted that hee saith not hauriat hinc clerus but populus not let the Priest but let the people out of this Cup draw life from the holy blood which Christ shed out of his wounds Whereby it appeareth euidently that this Chalice was giuen by the Archbishop for the peoples vse at great and solemne Communions and not for the Priests in their priuate Masses if any such were in Rhemigius his dayes Anno 580. Greg. Turonens de glor Martyr li. 1. ca. 10. relateth a miraculous accident that fel out by occasion of a Iewes child comming with other children to the Communion of Christs body and blood I am sure these children were not Priests that said Masse and if children were admitted to the holy Cup much more men of riper yeeres Papists answer This was an abuse to let children come to the Communion who cannnot examine themselues and therefore from this abusiue coustome no good rule may be drawne The Refutation I allow not of the coustome of admitting children to the Communion in the Church or giuing it them at home though it be more antient then most of the new Articles of the Romish Creede coined by Pope Pius the fourth in his Bull. but I make a true inference though from an erroneous practise as the Apostle doth from a custome among the Corinthians who were baptized for the dead Doubtlesse if the Laietie in those dayes had been kept from the holy Cup children neuer had been admitted to drink of it For no man can imagine that the Church would giue little infants that priuiledge which they denied their parents Anno 537. In the second Councell of Toledo Can. 7. It is ordained throughout all the Countries of Spaine and Gallicia for the confirmation of the new conuersion of the people from Arianisme that before the participation of the body and blood of Christ corporis sanguinis communicationem according to the manner of the Easterne Churches all the Congregation shall with an audible voyce rehearse the most holy Articles of the Christian faith Anno 597. In the third Councel held at Toledo in the reigne of Recaredus c. 2. It is decreed that the people shall first make profession of their faith and so exhibite their hearts purified by faith to receiue Christs body and blood Doth not this Councell speake in the Protestant language that the people are to receiue Christs blood as well as his body and both by faith or which is all one in their hearts purified by faith How neere commeth this to the forme at this day in vse in our Church Feed on him in thy heart by faith I find no exception taken by any Papist at this testimony and therefore there needs no ward where no blow is so much as offered SECT VII Testimonies of the practise of the Church from 600. to 700. Anno. 600. IT was truly spoken of Constantine that hee was Praeteritis melior venientibus auctor Better then his predecessors and a good president to those that succeded him But on the contrary we may say of Gregory the Great that hee was Praeteritis peior yet venientibus auctor that he was bad in comparison of his predecessors but good in comparison of his successours For he was the worst of the good Popes and the best of the euill It was this Pope who sent Austine the Monke into England to propagate the Christian faith who in some places sowed in others watred the seede all ready sowne which was wholesome yet somewhat smutty and such as needed to be washed and clensed from superstition He much stikled for Gregorie his masters authoritie and brought in some customes and ceremonies that sauour rancke to those that are Emunctae naris yet the faith hee preached was for substance the same which the reformed Churches embrace at this day as in my answer to the Iesuites threefold challenge I haue made it appeare And as in other controuersies of greater moment so in this he is cleerely ours Homil. 22. in Euang. he mystically applieth the blood of the Pascall Lambe striken vpon both posts of the doore to the participation of Christs blood in the Eucharist saying The blood is then put on both posts when is taken or drawne in both by or with the mouth of the body and of the heart In the fourth of his dialogues if his c. 58. His body is taken whose flesh is broken and diuided for the peoples saluation his blood is not now powred out vpon the hands of infidels but into the mouths of the faithfull If with any coulour the aduersaries might restraine fideles to the Priests onely yet the word populi going before will enforce them to vnderstand this passage as well of the people as Priests if not the people more especially who are named expresly and not the Priests Papists answer I answer saith Bellarmine that Gregorie and Bede say that Christs blood is taken with the mouth of the body but we denie that they say that it ought to be drunken with the mouth of the body or to be taken vnder the forme of wine Refutation This answer of the Cardinall can argue no lesse in him then either supine negligence or a cauterized conscience For S. Gregorie in the words immediately preceding those aboue alleaged expressely speaketh of drinking Christs blood saying quòd sit sanguis Christi non audiendo sed bibendo didicistis What is meant by the blood of Christ you haue learned not by hearing but by drinking Had he not in expresse words mentioned drinking yet the phrases he vseth hauritur and perfunditur that Christs blood is shed and taken as a draught demonstrates that he speaketh not of partaking Christs blood as it is ioyned to his body and enclosed in his veines but as seuered from it And if the Cardinall himselfe had not been drunke with the Cup of the wine of Babylon he would neuer haue denied that Saint Gregory speaketh of drinking Christs blood vnder the forme of wine when hee vseth that very word u Potat Quis exponere queat quantae fuit miserationis sacratissim â praeciosi sanguinis effusione genus humanum redimere sacrosanctum viuifici corporis sanguinis sui mysterium membris suis tribuere cuius perceptione corpus suum quod est Ecclesia pascitur
continued vntill the middle of this age gaue a full testimony vnto the truth But those who liued after spake partely in the language of Canaan and partly in the language of Ashdod Halensis saith that the lay people for the most part communicated in both kinds Lynwood that in greater Churches they did so Aquinas that in some Churches they did and in some they did not For by this time according to the Greeke prouerbe Serpens genuit serpentem vt fieret Draco One Serpent hath begot another that from them both a Dragon might issue The error of transubstantiation had begotten the error of concomitancie and from both these at length issued out their hereticall sacrilege or sacrilegious heresie in defending the practise of their halfe Communion SECT XIIII The testimonies of the practise of the Church from 1300. to 1400. IN this Age when this sacrilegious error like a Gangreene had spred ouer a great part of the Latine Churches God stirred vp many learned Chirons and Machaeons knowne by the nick-names of Walldenses Lollards Wickliffests to applie a soueraigne remedie vnto it And they Deo secundante wrought great cures vpon this Cancer in England France and Bohemia In other parts of Europe the people were so intoxicated with the golden Cup of the whore of Babylon that they willingly suffered the Priests to keepe away from them the Lords Cup. Yet in this Centurie if wee adde to the sounder Diuines or Doctors in the Latine Church the iudgement and practise of the whole Greeke Church the entire Communion wil carry it away from the halfe by more then halfe the voyces of Christendome Anno 1301. The custome of communicating in both kinds was not abolished in the beginning of this age but was retained in certaine places especially in Monasteries vntill the yeere of our Lord 1300. and more Thus writeth Cassander Anno 1320. Petrus de Palude saith that in his time the custome was in many Churches that the faithfull communicated in both kinds and hee backeth this his testimonie with a solid reason There ought saith he to be a double matter in this sacrament to wit meat and drink because the effect of this Sacrament ought to be represented perfectly by the matter thereof in a manner agreeable to the things naturall For sacraments effect that which they signifie but the effect of this sacrament is a perfect refection or repast of the soule therfore the matter representing it ought to bee a perfect refection of the body which is not but by meate and drinke This argument of Peter of the F◅n hath so farre sunke our aduersaries that to this day they cannot by all their sophistry get out of the boggs Anno 1341. Clemens 6. in his Bull to the King of England granteth him the vse of the Cup ad gratiae augmentum to the increase of grace Anno 1360. Richard Archbishop of Armach thus wardeth off a blow of the Armenians when the Armenian heretique obiected against him vnlesse you eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his blood you haue no life in yon Hee answereth that this speech of our Sauiour if it bee taken as spoken of sacramentall drinking ought to be vnderstood with this qualification to wit That it is necessarie to obtaine spirituall life that a man receiue both at sometime or bee willing to receiue and be ready so farre as it is in his power Anno 1372. Besides these written testimonies wee haue engrauen I meane the inscriptions of Chalices or Communion Cups called Ministerales because they serued for the people Vadianus writeth of a cup in the Abbie of Sangall that weighed 70. markes in siluer without doubt saith he for the vse of the people at the publique C◅mmunion Gretser censureth the writings of Pelichdorfius against the poore men of Lyons in this manner This author saith he doth refute in the first part of this work the poore men of Lyons but with some such arguments as ring not well in the purified eares of Catholiques I am sure this argument drawne from great siluer chalices some of them with pipes for the Laiety to sucke out the consecrated wine ring not well in the purified eares of Romane Catholiques For not onely Rhenanus out of Conradus Pellicanus relateth a constitution amongst the Carthusians whereby they are forbid to haue any pretious vessels or plate besides a siluer chalice and a pipe wherewith the Laietie may suck the blood of our Lord but also Caietan maketh mention of them and their vse to this purpose and Cassander very much taxeth Eccius for that he writeth that he neuer read of the Laieties Communion in both kinds in the Roman Church saue only in the story of S. Laurence his life It is strange saith he that a man of so excellent a memorie as Eccius should forget the ministeriall Chalices whereof there is euer and anon mention made in the Romane Pontificall which were so called because the blood of Christ was out of thē ministred to the people In most places for feare of shedding the blood of Christ in deliuering it to the people there were siluer pipes put into the Chalices that in the peoples drinking or rather sucking the blood of Christ not so much as a droppe might be spilt These Chalices were not onely in vse in this Age but a 1000. yeeres before in Saint Cyprians time if we may beleeue Cardinall Caietan who ingeniously confesseth that they were so called from their vse in the Church which was to serue the people Thus he commenteth vpon Thomas This custome saith hee continued not onely in the time of that Martyr whom Cyprian thought fit to bee forearmed with the Lords Cup but also in the time of the peace of the Church For we reade not onely of basons but also of ministeriall Chalices made for this vse a For why were they called ministeriall but because they serued not to offer the blood of Christ but to minister it to the people Anno 1390. The custome was in France to administer the whole Supper not in the middle of the Church but in Chappels This saith Francis the first I heard of old men who affirmed that this had been the manner in France for 120. yeeres before SECT XV. The testimonies of the practice of the Church from 1400. to 1500. IOhn Hus and Hiero. of Prage by the books of Wickliffe were brought vnto the knowledge of the truth And as in other points they concluded for that holyfaith which we at this day professe against the errors and corruptions of the Church of Rome so in this they were most earnest and so preuailed in the Kingdome of Bohemia that from the time of the effusion of their blood for the testimonie of the Gospell vntill this day the Cup of the new Testament in Christs blood hath beene deliuered to the people in these parts and the entire Communion preserued Anno 1410.
into their mouth something of Christs blood as it appeareth both by Cyprians Sermon of those that are falne and by this manifest reason because Infants cannot take any solid sustenance The answer First as glasses cannot strengthen one another but may easily breake one another and bubbles in the water deface one another so false holds and errors may destroy one the other but they can in no wise establish one the other The administring the Communion to Infants is an abuse if not a prophanation of the holy Sacrament How then can it iustifie the Romish halfe Communion sith it selfe is vniustifiable Mettall vpon mettall is no good hearaldrie and error vpon error is no good Dâ—…uinity By the Apostle Saint Pauls rule none ought to be admitted to the Communion that haue not knowledge to discerne the Lords body and discretion to examine themselues This sucklings cannot doe and therefore not onely the Reformed Churches but the Romish also at this day forbid the Communion to be giuen to Infants Secondly it appeares not out of S. Cyprian or any other way that infants receiued the Communion in one kind onely for though Cyprian mentions one kind in that place yet he excludeth not the other And howsoeuer children cannot eate strong meat yet no man doubteth but that they are able to swallow downe a crume or a small piece of a wafer Retortion Thirdly this headlesse arrow may bee thus headed and shot backe vpon our aduersaries If the Sacrament were antiently giuen to sticklings in both kinds then the Communion of Infants maketh for and not against the Layties receiuing in both kinds But the Sacrament was anciently giuen to sucklings in both kinds Therefore the Communion of Infants maketh for and not against the Laieties receiuing in both kinds That Infants had the Sacrament deliuered to them in both kinds is testified by Saint Cyprian Saint Austine and Gennadius Saint Cyprian in his Sermon of such as fell away in time of persecution bringeth in Infants thus pittifully complaining against their parents Alas the treachery of others hath destroyed vs wee haue done nothing of our selues we hasted not of our own accords to profane contagions leauing the Meate and Cup of the Lord. Saint Austine in his 107. Epistle writing of the doome of Infants that if they dyed in their tender age they shal receiue according to those things which they haue done by the body to wit in the time in which they were in the body that is when by the mouthes or heart of them that carried them they beleeued or beleeued not were baptized or were not baptized they did eate the flesh of Christ or eate it not they did dranke his blood or drank it not Gennadius of Massilia conceiueth the case to be alike in Baptisme and in the Lords Supper with sucklings and children who if they bee not capable of heauenly doctrine he requireth that those that bring them answer for them and so being confirmed by imposition of hands and Chrisme he admitteth them to the mysteries of the Eucharist or the Lords Supper SECT IIII. The fourth headlesse arrow is their argument fetcht from the Communion of the sick And thus they draw it at vs The fourth Rite is the communion of the sicke which for the most part was administred in one kind Eusebius in his 6. booke of his Ecclesiasticall history writeth of a Priest that gaue to a young Lad à piece of the holy Eucharist to carrie it to old Serapion that lay on his death-bed and that he commanded that the young Boy should moisten it before hee gaue it him Paulinus in the life of Saint Ambrose writeth that Saint Ambrose a little before his death receiued the Lords body and as soone as he had swallowed it down presently gaue vp the Ghost And Amphilochius in the life of Saint Basil writeth that at his death he receiued the Sacrament in one kind namely in bread which he had kept along time The answer First these instances are not to the purpose for our question is of the prohibition of giuing the Laietie the Cup in the Church These instances are for priuate communions of the sick at home Our question is of members of the Church and those of the Laietie but of these instances the first is of a person excommunicate the second and third are of Bishops Secondly these instances are not sufficiently proued To the first instance Serapions Boy were able to answer For what a sequel is this the old mans mouth was drie and the Boy was therefore commanded to moysten the bread to wit by sopping it in the wine Ergo the old-man receiued no wine The story is thus set downe in Eusebius Serapion an old man that had beene excommnicated for sacrificing vnto Idols lying vpon his death-bed desired to bee reconciled to the Church and sent to a Priest to giue him the Communion the Priest not being able for sicknesse to goe himselfe least the old man should depart comfortlesse in desperation in token that he was reconciled to the Church sent vnto him the sacrament by a young Lad and charged him for the more ease of the old man to moisten the bread to wit in the wine he brought with him which the Lad did accordingly moystening the portion of bread which he receiued of the Priest and infâ—…sing the same into the old mans mouth To the second instance we answer that this Paulinus is an author branded by Erasmus and other learned Criticks And if it were true which he writeth it no way releiueth our aduersaries nor hindreth vs. For if Saint Ambrose straight vpon the receiuing of the bread yeelded vp the Ghost before hee could receiue the Cup it was by accident that hee receiued not in both kindes because death preuented him Otherwayes that Saint Ambrose and the Church in his time receiued in both kindes is proued at large in the testimonies of the fourth Age. To the third instance in Saint Basils life wee answer that Amphilochius is a fabulous writer and that his tale in him of Saint Basil discredits it selfe For the Author saith that this bread which Saint Basil called for at his death had beene kept for the space of seuen yeeres and more and that S. Basil receiued it to the intent that it might be buried with him Similes habent labra lactucas Like Lettice for such lips It is as true that he communicated in bread only as that hee kept the bread seuen yeeres by him for this purpose to be buried with him Retortion Thirdly this headlesse arrow may bee thus headed and shot backe vpon our aduersaries If the Sacrament were vsually giuen to the sick in both kinds then this rite of the Church maketh for and not against the entire Communion of the Laietie But the Sacrament was vsually giuen to the sicke in both kinds Therefore this custome of the Church maketh for and not against the entire Communion of the Laietie That the
you to eate his flesh and drinke his blood and he no where commands you to drinke his flesh and bones Who euer heard of flesh and bones to be drunke and that properly without any figure M. Euerard In Mummie the flesh of man may be drunke D. Featly Peraduenture the flesh of man may bee so handled and altered and the bones also grounded to so small a powder that in some Liquor they may be drunke but the flesh of man and bones without an alteration of qualitie or quantitie cannot be drunke And I hope you will not say that the flesh and bones of Christ in the Sacrament receiue any alteration at all At these words Doctor Featly and Master Euerard were intreated to desist from any further dispute till after supper And so this point was not further pursued After supper Doctor Featly calling for Saint Cyprian besides the places aboue alleaged for Communion in both kinds shewed Master Euerard the speach of Saint Cyprian in the Councell of Carthage Wherein he expresly denieth the Bishop of Romes Supremacy The words are these Super est vt de hac ipsa re quid singuli sentiamus proferamus neminem iudicantes aut à iure communionis aliquem si diuersum senserit remouentes neque enim quisquam nostrum Episcopum se esse Episcoporū constituit aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem collegas suos adigit Quando habeat omnis episcopus pro licentia libertatis potestatis sua arbitriū propriū tanquā iudicari ab alio non possit cum nec ipse possit alterū iudicare Sed expectemus vniuersi iudicium Domini nostri Iesu Christi qui vnus solus habet potestatē praeponendi nos in Ecclesiae suae gubernatione de hoc actu nostro iudicandi i. e. It remaineth that euery one of vs deliuer his opinion of this matter iudging no man or remouing him from Communion with vs if he differ frō vs in iudgment For none of vs makes himselfe a Bishop of Bishops nor compells by tyrannicall terror his Colleagues to a necessitie of following him seeing that euery Bishop within his liberty and iurisdiction hath free power of himselfe and as he can iudge no other so neither can he be iudged by any other But let vs all waite for the iudgment of our Lord Iesus Christ who onely and alone hath power to preferre vs in the gouernment of his Church and to iudge of this act of ours M. Euerard Saint Cyprian speakes this in a Councell that is condemned by the Church for defining an error to wit that those that were baptized by heretikes ought to be rebaptized Secondly Saint Cyprian in these words Christ one and alone excludeth not his Vicar generall the Bishop of Rome D. Featly Your first exception is not to the purpose For albeit the sentence of this Councell be not approued touching the rebaptization of those who had been baptized by heretikes yet this speech of Saint Cyprian vttered by him at the first meeting of the Bishop of Carthage sitting in Councell was neuer disliked by any of the ancients Neither S. Augustine nor any other Father who impugned the sentence of this Councell did any way impeach or dislike much lesse refute this sentence of Saint Cyprian wherein he denieth all manner of submission to Stephen then Bishop of Rome Nay by a Sarcasme he glance that him and checketh him for making himselfe a Bishop of Bishops and goeing about to compel other Bishops to subscribe to his iudgement Your second answer is controwled by the direct words of Saint Cyprian If any besides Christ to wit his supposed Vicar the Bishop of Rome haue powre to place Bishops in the Church and censure their Synodical Acts then it is false which Saint Cyprian heere saith that Christus vnus solus that Christ alone hath this power The Pope with Christ is not Christus vnus much lesse Christus solus But Saint Cyprian saith Christus vnus solus one and onely Christ hath this power therefore not the Pope Lady Faulkland If Christ alone haue power to preferre Bishops in the gouernment of the Church and to censure their acts made in their Councells how can you then maintaine the Kings Supremacy doth not the King place and displace Bishops D. Featly In Saint Cyprians time there were no Christian Kings or Emperors and therefore this exception could not bee taken against the blessed Martyrs words Secondly That which Saint Cyprian here reproueth in Pope Stephen no Christian King or Emperor assumed to himselfe to be a Bishop of all Bishops and to censure the acts of Bishops and their determinations deliuered in point of Faith in Councels lawfully assembled Thirdly Christian Kings within there owne Dominions grant Conge de-lires to Deanes and Chapters and confirme their Elections and giue Mandates to Metrapolitans to consecrate but they take not vpon them to bee Bishops of all Bishops through the world as the Bishop of Rome doth nor as Bishops or Archbishops to consecrate any Bishops but vpon persons ordained and to bee consecrated by order of the Church they conferre and collate such Bishopricks as lye within there owne dominion M. Euerard Before I answer you any further I require you to answer a place of Cyprian touching the mingling of water with the wine in the Sacrament Mingling the Cup of Christ let vs not depart from the diuine Mandate If any man offer wine onely Christs blood begins to be without vs if water be alone the people begin to be without Christ. When both are mingled then the spirituall and heauenly Sacrament is perfect D. Featly It doth not appeare by scripture that Christ or his Apostles mingled water with wine onely because it was the manner of those hot Countries to temper their wine with water many of the ancients and amongst them Saint Cyprian conceiued that Christ at his last Supper did so Which if he did yet seing he commandeth vs not to follow his example any further then to doe that which hee did that is to take bread and breake it to take the Cup and distribute it we transgresse not Christs Institution whether we communicate in leauen or vnleauened bread whether in pure wine or in wine mingled with water The commandement lyes vpon the substance to eate of the bread and drinke of the Cup and therein of the fruit of the vine but not on the circumstances which are left free and indifferent Secondly Saint Cyprian in this epistle mainly bendeth this discourse against the Aquarij certaine heretikes who contended that the Sacrament ought to be receiued in water onely Against these he proues most strongly that we ought to receiue in wine This is his maine drift and thus farre we hold with him On the by he speaketh of mingling wine with water which was the vse in his time and we dislike it not only wee hold the Church is free in this kind to receiue it in pure
wine as it is the maner of some Protestant Churches or in wine mingled with water as it may bee in some other But Master Euerard if you had read this epistle vpon which you so much insist you might haue found that though Saint Cyprian by the way fauoureth your practise of mingling wine with water yet he condemneth your Church by the maine scope drift of the epistle in the very point now in question For hee saith that Christ taught that the Cup ought to be sanctified and ministred vnto the people which you doe not In sanctifying the Lords Cup and ministring it to the people why do some through ignorance or simplicitie not that which Iesus Christ our Lord and God the author and teacher of this Sacrifice both did and taught By this time it grew very late and so the Conference brake vp This is a true Relation of the some of the Conference so farre as I can remember Most of the answers of Master Euerard are taken verbatim out of the notes set downe by consent in the Conference which I haue to shew The arguments I perfectly remember were these aboue written If Master Euerard thinke good to adde any thing to his arguments or answer I freely giue him leaue and desire him so to do that we may haue a perfect copie An appendix to the former Conference Vntruths vttered by Master Euerard HEe saith it is the doctrine of the Romane Catholikes generally that the people are not bound to receiue the Communion in bread determinately but that they may if the Church please so to appoint receiue it in wine onely On the contrary see Bellarmine li. 4. de sac Euch. 6. 25. Although Christ did not giue bread to the Laietie yet he did not forbid it to be giuen them and elsewhere hee commanded it to bee giuen them And Bellarmine saith a little after S. Luke after the Sacrament giuen vnder the forme of bread addeth Doe this but he repeateth it not after the giuing of the Cup that we might vnderstand that our Lord commanded that the Sacrament should bee giuen vnder the forme of bread to all but not vnder the forme of wine Againe Fisher in his answer to certaine questions propounded by King Iames contradicts directly this assertion of Master Euerard touching Communion in both kinds Sect. 4. This precept doe this being the onely precept giuen by Christ to his Church and giuen absolutely of the forme of bread conditionally of the forme of wine there is no colour to accuse the Church of doing against this Precept Secondly When offer was made vnto him to proue euery point of the Protestants beliefe out of Scripture and he was required to do the like he answered that it was the custome of all heretikes to appeale to sole Scripture and reiect Tradition Vntruth For Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 2. thus writeth Heretikes when they are conuinced out of Scriptures fall accusing the Scriptures themselues as if they were not right nor of authoritie and that they are ambiguous and that the truth cannot bee knowne out of them by those who are ignorant of tradition for that the truth was not deliuered by writing but by word of mouth Tertul. de praescrip aduers. haeret cap. 17. To conferre by scripture will auaile nothing with this kind of heretikes vnlesse a man goe about to ouer-turne his braine or his stomacke c. And c. 23. They beleeue without Scripture that they may beleeue against Scripture Et de resurrect carnis cap. 47. he calleth heretikes flyers or shunners of the light of the Scriptures qualiter accipiunt lucifugae isti scripturarum And against Hermogenes cap. 22. hee appealeth to sole Scriptures I reuerence the fulnesse of Scripture let Hermogenes Shop or Schoole teach that this is written If it bee not written let him feare that woe or curse threatned to all that adde or take away Thirdly He affirmeth that the Councell of Constance was not confirmed by Martin the fifth in all points defined in that Councell but onely in those that concerned Wicklife Hus and the Bohemians Vntruth In the Acts of the Councell of Constance set out by Binnius sess 45. we reade Our most holy Lord the Pope Martin the fifth said I will vnuiolably obserue all and euery of these things that are determined concluded and agreed in matter of Faith by this present Councell and those things so done Councell-wise or in a Councell-way I approue and ratifie And Binnius testifieth as much p. 960 that the Pope gaue order for the dismissing of the Councell after hee had approued and confirmed all and euery Decree that concerned matter of Faith and is not the Popes supremacy with you a matter of Faith Fourthly he peremptorily denied that the Church of Rome euer prayed for the soules of the Saints in heauen or in particular that she praied for the soule of blessed Leo. Vntruth for Innocentius the third Cap. cum Mathae extra de celebratione Missar This prayer was vsed vpon Saint Leos feast Grant wee beseech thee O Lord that this oblation may profit or helpe the soule of blessed Leo. And although saith Bellarmine this prayer be now changed yet at this day in the seuered prayer or collect for this Feast we say let the yeerely solemnitie of Saint Leo the Confessor and Bishop make vs acceptable vnto thee that by these pious offices of appeasing thee a blessed retribution or reward may accompany him and hee may procure vnto vs gifts of thy grace Bellarmine addeth a little after Pope Innocentius answers to these and the like prayers two manner of wayes when the Church desireth glory to Saints who already possesse the Kingdome of Heauen he desireth or prayeth not that the Saints may increase in glory but that their glory may increase with vs that is that it may be made manifest to the wholeworld Secondly He saith that it seemes not absurd to pray for the encrease of some accidentall glory vnto them He addeth in the third place that peraduenture in these prayers we pray for the glory of the body which they shall haue in the day of the resurrection FINIS A CHALLENGE TO MASTER IOHN FISHER alias PERCIF ahas STEPDEN Iesuite FIrst whereas you Master Iohn Fisher sent questions by way of challenge to Doct White now L. Bishop of Norwich and to mee Iune 21. 1623. concerning the visibilitie of Protestant Professors in all Ages whereupon we returned you this answer viz. Although diuine infallible Faith is not built vpon deduction out of humane History but vpon diuine reuelation as is confessed by your owne Schoolemen and expresly by Cardinall Bellarmine Historiae humanae faciunt tantùm fidem humanam cui subesse potest falsum Humane histories and Records beget onely an humane Faith or rather credulitie subiect to error not a diuine and infallible beliefe which must be built vpon surer ground Secondly although I say this question of visibility are
he spake or to what this This is to be referred I referre my selfe to your owne conscience whether these words I will drinke no more of this fruit immediately following these Hic calix This cup or Hic est sanguis noui testamenti This is the blood of the new testament can haue relation to any other words then those or to any other Cup then which is here consecrated Not onely all the circumstances of the Text are against your interpretation but also all the Fathers generally controwle it who vnderstand these words I will not drinke of this fruit of the Vine of the Sacrament and not of the Cup of the old Law And he quoted Clemens in Pedag. l. 2. c. 2. That it was wine which was blessed Christ shewed saying I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the Vine Cypr lib. 2. Epist. 3. alleaging the words of Saint Matthew I will drinke no more of this fruit of the Vine addeth where doe we find that the cup which Christ offered was mingled that it was wine which he called his blood Chrys. Hom. 83. in Mat. When our Lord deliuered this mysterie he deliuered wine of the fruit of the Vine saith he which certainely produceth wine and not water August de Eccl. Dogm cap. 75. Concilium Worm ca. 2. Wine was in the mystery of our redemption when he said I will drinke no more of the fruit of the Vine If you haue not yet weight enough I will adde one Author that in the skales of your iudgment beareth downe all these Pope Innocentius lib. 4. de Myst. Missae cap. 27. It is manifest that he consecrated wine in the Cup by those words he added I will not drinke from henceforth of the fruit of the Vine What answer you quoth M. Featly to so many Fathers a Councell and your Pope I answer quoth D. Smith that their opinion is probable And though M. Featly pressed him in the words of Campian Do you admit of the Fathers or reiect them if you admit of them you are ouercome if you refuse them you are no body He answered onely as before that their opinion was probable but he preferred his owne before it and yet triumphed as if he had gotten the day saying Are these your demonstrations Are these sufficient causes why you should separate your selues from our Church and from your Brethren the Lutherans And it was replied Are these your best answers and defences Is your great brag of the Fathers and of the Councels come to this that when they are alleaged against you you either discredit them as you did Tertullian or make miserable excuses for them as Bellarmine doth for Saint Augustine Austin did not well weigh this place or cashere a whole troope of them Pope and all yet with ciuill and respectiue termes saying their opinion is probable follow it who so will yet you will not quit your owne for it And heere because it grew late they brake off for the present At the breaking vp of the Conference a Priest who was said to be D. Smiths Chamberfellow was heard to say Profectò haec fuit vera digladiatio non Sorbonica velificatio that is This was a true fight not a Sorbonicall flourishing In this Relation we haue omitted of set purpose all D. Smiths by-discourses together with his proofes of the maine because they were against the third Law And M. Featly at this time tooke no notice of them in particular but promised in generall to answer them all when it came to his course to answer Now he was bound by the Law onely to oppose and D. Smith onely to giue his answers which are here truly set downe most of them out of his owne writing as wee depose who were present at this Disputation I must willingly subscribe to the truth of that which D. Smith did so voluntarily present to our eyes and eares And for the rest which is M. Featlies none of the aduerse party can take any iust exception against it I. P. I professe that all things in this Narration deliuered and quoted out of D. Smiths Autographie are true out of my examination And of the rest I remember the most or all neither can I suspect any part B. I. FINIS Errata Pag. 5. marg reade quidem for qâ—…id p. 6. l. 20. r. 〈◊〉 p. 11. marg r. contrâ—…dictionis p. 13. marg r. Christus ibid. l. 22. r. mâ—…re prâ—… not p. 17. 2. r. proposition p. 27. 19. r. Iansâ—… p. 43. 13. r. oâ—… prâ—… as p. 54. 24 marg r. pâ—…er for potâ—… 56. 14. r. immineâ—…t p. 70. marg r. sanguine p. 96. 23 r. this p. 84. 4. r. faâ—…antur p. 84. 28. adde it p. 101. 22. dele former 108. vlt r. conâ—…rteth p. 112. 8. r. 〈◊〉 p. 117. 1. r. fidem p. 126. marg r. licâ—… ib. pâ—…st for potus 132. marg r. 〈◊〉 p. 137. 12. r. Plaine p. 13â—… 8. r. 1561. p. 145. vlt. r. therefore p. 149. 22. r Sacraments p. 202. 22. r. â—…imed p. 206. 2. r. sound p. 209. 27. 1. fâ—…ft p. 225. 25. r. mâ—…gled p. 228. 21. r. â—…ight p. 249. 19. r. sound p. 255. 11. r. take what time you will p. 2â—…8 marg r. Bernardâ—… p. 263. 13. r. your p. 129. 10. r. but for and p 274. 23. r. 〈◊〉 ib. 30. r. answers p. 278. marg r. Ecclesiâ—…â—…m p. 279. vlt dele Isa. p. 288. 〈◊〉 r. Transubstantiation 291. 2. r. bring p. 294. marg r. â—…x figuratâ—… p 29â—… 23. 〈◊〉 then for this p. 299. 14. r. ampliâ—…ion p. 301. marg r. for 〈◊〉 a a Catal. Test. ver lib. 19. pag. 1912. olim fuerunt lignei calices aurei sacerdotes nunc contra sunt aurei calices lignei sacerdotes b b Plaut in Auâ—…i Sireperco Fides mulsi congialâ—…m pleâ—…am tibi faciam fideliam id adeo tibi faciam sed ego mihi bibam vid. Eras Aâ—…g Delphis sacrisicans ipse comedit carnes Missale Rom. in Can. Miss Concil Constan. sâ—…ss 13. Thoâ—…gh Christ did in sâ—…tute in both â—…ds and the 〈◊〉 â—…ch did so â—…minister c. Plin. nat hist. l. 8. c. 25. Terribilis haec contra fugaces bellua fugax contra insequentes Muret Orat. Barbari cedentibus instant instantibus cedeunt Rom. 12. 13. Not to thinke of your selfe more highly then you ought to think but to be wise vnto sobriety Macc. l. 1. c. 1. v. 9. After his death they all put Crownes vpon themselues and so did their sonnes after them Asud Iâ—…u Saty. 4. Ipse capi voluit quid apertius et tamen illi Surgebant cristae In suâ—…reption of the Cup from the Laiety a a Plin. 〈◊〉 8. c. 18. Cameli implentur cum bibendi occasio est in praeteritum in futurum obturbatâ proculcatione priùs aquâ aliter potu non gaudent Apoc. 18. v. 12. b b Lib. 4. De sacra Euch. c. 20. c c Hom. de
the Laiety and that the administring of the Sacrament to the people without wine was held a profanation of the Lords Supper for which cause that Bishop was seuerely taxed Anno 453. Eucherius Bishop of Lyons in his questions vpon Matthew implyeth that all holy men in generall and true members of Christ in his time dranke our Redeemers blood in the Sacrament His words are The Kingdome of God as the learned vnderstand it is the Church in which Christ daily drinketh his owne blood by his Saints as the Head in his members Anno 492. Among the Decrees of ancient Popes collected by Gratian we finde that sentence of Gelasius which I haue set in the frontispiece of this booke Grat. de consecra dist 2. cap. Comperimus We find that some receiuing a portion of Christs holy Body abstaine from the Cup of his sacred blood which because they doe out of I know not what superstition we comand that either they receiue the entire Sacraments or that they be entirely withheld from them because the diuision of one and the selfe-same mysterie cannot be without grand sacriledge In this Decree of Gelasius first we are to note that it is a Papall decision ex Cathedra That the elements in the Lords Supper must bee taken ioyntly This Gelasius determineth not as a priuate man but as a Pope ex Cathedra and therefore all Papists are bound to beleeue that hee did not nor could not erre in this decree Secondly it is to bee noted that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is not entire without the Cup which quite ouerthroweth our aduersaries new fancy of concomitancy Thirdly it is to bee noted that hee defineth the withholding the Cup from any Communicant or deuiding the holy mysterie by halfe communicating not onely to bee sacriledge but to be grand sacriledge or the greatest sacriledge that can bee committed For grande is more then magnum or graue and it signifieth sacriledge in the highest degree Papists answer Gratian or his glosse in the title to this Decree would beare vs in hand that this Decree concerneth the Priests only and not the Laiety For a Priest to consecrate or to offer the bread without the wine or after they haue consecrated both to participate but of one this Gelasius forbids say they but not the Layetie to communicate in one kind onely Cardinall Bellarmine addes a second answer that this Canon was made against the Manichees and Priscillianists who refused the Cup in the Sacrament partly because they held wine in an abomination partly because they beleeued not that Christ had true blood in him These saith Bellarmine in token and testimony that they had reformed their former errour are commanded to receiue the Sacrament in both kinds or else not at all to be admitted vnto the Communion The Refutation Neither of these wards will beare off the blow For first it is not likely that Gelasius made this decree against the Manichees or Priscillianists for then hee would not haue said Quia nescio quâ superstitione astricti tenentur that is that they were intangled in I know not what superstition but rather Quia nota haeresi astricti tenentur that is they doe it because they are intangled in a knowne heresie Secondly admit that the Manichees and Priscillianists occasioned this decree yet this decree is backed with a generall reason which forbids all to Communicate in one kind only vnder the perill of grand Sacrilege Thirdly Gratians euasion will no way saue the Laietie harmelesse or acquit them of Sacrilege where of the Priest by this decree say they is made guiltie For that which is Sacrilege in the Priest cannot be Religion in the people Gelasius saith not that the Sacrilege consisteth in the diuision of one and the selfe same sacrifice but in the diuision of one and the selfe same mysterie Now the selfe same mystery or Sacrament is diuided as well in the halfe Communion of the people as of the Priest Lastly it is euident that the decree concerneth the Communicants and not the Priests Conficients or administring For the word arceantur that is let them be kept from or driuen from the entire Sacrament must needs be meant of the people For the people suspend not the Priests from the Sacrament but the Priests or Bishops the people Here Master Euerard is locked fast with a like paire of fetters to those which Campian makes for Protestants As he saith Patres so I say Papas admittis Captus es exludis Nullus es Doe you allow of the Popes decissions You are then taken Doe you disallow of them You are no body in the opinion of your owne selues If you subscribe to the determination of two Popes Leo and Gelasius you must confesse your selfe guilty of Sacrilege if you subscribe not to them of heresie Vtrum horum mauis accipe SECT VI. Testimonies of the practise of the Church from 500. to 600. AS Tullie writeth of Hortensius that after his Consulship he decayed in his rare facultie of eloquence though not so sensibly that euery auditor might perceiue it yet in such sort that a cunning artist might obserue that he drew not so cleare a stroake in his master-pieces nor cast on them so rich and liuely colours as before Such was the state of the Church in this age It decayed and failed though not so sensibly and grossely that euery ordinary reader might take notice thereof yet in such sort that the learned and iudicious haue discouered in the writers of this age and much more after a declination from the puritie of former ages both in stile and doctrine Their Latine much degenerated into barbarisme and their deuotion into superstition Whence it is that the prime Doctors of the Reformed Churches who appeale from the late corruptions in the Romish Church to the prime sinceritie in the first and best ages confine this their appeale within the pale of the fifth age Wherefore the reader is not to demaund or expect from hence forth either so frequent testimonies or at least of men of that eminencie and reuerend authority as the former were For such the succeeding ages brought forth none but it shall suffice to produce such witnesses as the times affoorded men that held ranke with the best in their times Such were Remigius Archbishop of Rhemes Gregory Bishop of Tours and the Fathers of the Councell of Toledo and Iledra Anno 524. In the Councell held at Ilerda can 1. All those that serue at the Altar Christi corpus sanguinem tradunt and deliuer the body and blood of Christ or handle any holy vessell are strictly charged to abstaine from all mans blood yea euen of their enemies Anno 560. Remigius Archbishop of Rhemes thus expoundeth those words of Saint Paul The Cup of blessing wherewith we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The Cup is called the Communion because all communicated or receiued the Communion out of it