A FIt Guest for the Lords Table Or A Treatise declaring the true vse of the Lords Supper Profitable for all Communicants as a preseruatiue against all profanesse and sundry nouell opinions Macarius Homill 27. Offerrur in Ecelesia panis et vinum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnem eius et sanguinis et sumentes de visibili pane spiritualiter carnem Domini manducant LONDON Printed by Edw Allde and are to be sold by H. Rockit at his shop in the Poultry vnder the Diall 1609. TO THE RIGHT Noble and Honorable Gentleman HENRY CAREY Sonne Heire to the right Honorable Iohn Lord Hunsdon SIR THere are you know three different opinions wherewâ—th the Châ—â—stian World is much distracted concernng the presenâ—â— of our Lorâ— in the holy â—â—charill one orthodoxe and ancienâ— the other nouell and vnwarrantable The first teacheth that Châ—â—st is in his Roâ—y â—â—d Blouâ— there present 〈◊〉 anâ— really in respect both of the Signes and of the Communicants In respect of the 〈◊〉 he is present 〈◊〉 that is not in regard of place and Coextstence but atione sacramâ—nâ—â—li by a â—acramentall reason or relation In respect of the Câ—mmunicantâ— his presence is not 〈◊〉 or locall but spirituall â—eally presenting himself vnto all prepared persons who by faith receiue and apply him to themselues Nam fide tangitur Christus non corpore Ambros The second is of Italian Aâ—chymists that imagin a corporall presence though not visible peâ—mâ—dum quantâ— by reason of a substantial transâ—uration of the â—â—emense into the very holy blood of Christ after the recitation of the words of coÌ„â—ecration But this opinion was first forged vpon the Anuil of their owne brâ—ines at length determined of innocencâ—us the third by name of Transubstantiation in the Laterane Councell 215 yeares after Christ Neither is it so new as â—aughâ— being directly contrary both to Philosoâ—â—y and Theoâ—â—gie Poâ— first â—ne and the 〈◊〉 body cannot occupy many distinct places at â—nâ— and the selfâ—â—same instant One man cannot be circumâ—â—â—stible and incircum scriptâ—t â—in one Articlâ—â—â—time And as Daâ—ascenâ— truely speaketh 〈◊〉 nature is not capable of coâ—â—â—â—itant â—ssentiall â—â—fferences As for Miracâ—â—â— they be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Against nature but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aboue nature Neither doth God alwaies that which he can do reâ—ue potest 〈…〉 Secondly the heauens Act. 3. 21 do conteine him â—the scriptures name no other place neither can there be â—â—â—siâ—able of holy writ with a genuine construction produced to confirme their conceipt The word â—st wherat they stâ—ble be tokens only a sacramentaâ— Esse is as much as Retâ—â—t Reâ—â—asentâ—t siâ—mficat as will be cleared by the due diâ—eâ—â—ssion of many texts of Scripture In tranoeÌ„ legis â—â—cit que salues 〈◊〉 leâ—â—â— senâ—entiam eius circumueâ—â—â— Thirdly by this opinion a very Reprâ—bate may receiue the Body of Christ But S. Augustine truly saith Nullos comedeâ—e corpus Christs nâ—sicos qui sunt in corpore Christs Besides that which entreth in at the mouth goeth downe into the belly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the body Mark 7. 18. 19 and blood of our Lord are no belly cheare they enter not into the Belly but into the Heart therfore the Apostle saith that Christ doth dweâ—l in our hearts by faith And albeit the Fathers called Ephe. 3. 17 the Bread and Wine the Body and Blood of Christ yet did they not meane that they were so properâ—y by transubstantiation But analogically by diuine ordination through which they do become the seaâ—es and symbols of them And to conclude if this must needes be held for truth what shall we thinke of Gregâ—ry the seauenth who thrâ—w the Eucharist that is by their doctrine Christs body in a rage into the fire because it did not answere to his questions And what will they say to the death of Pope Victor and of * 1154. William Archbishop of Yorke and of Henry of Lucemburgh the Emperour all which were poysoned the two former with that which was in the Chaâ—â—ce and the third with the Host which a Monke had poisoned Heere against all reason we see the Body and Blood of our Lord made Venenâ— Vehicuâ—â— and subject to cruell entertainment But our faith doth teach vs that he liueth in the heauens in al honor happinesse maiesty and glory The third opinion is theirs that thinke the Body and Blood of Christ is In With Vnder or about the bread and wine But our Sauiour saith not My body is in with vnder or about this bread but he saith expresly This that is this bread is my body And if there were such a bodily presence as is imagined why should this holy feast be celebrated as a memoriall of him Finally this opinion giues him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bodilesse body ouerturning the charachteristicall and essentiall properties of a body which are as inseperable from it as heat from fire moisture from water and light from the sun True it is that the faithfull receiâ—e Christ in the bread and wine as a thing signified in the signe non 〈◊〉 coÌ„â—entum â—n continenâ—e but not as gold in a bag or as water in a pot Thus a possession may be said to be giuen a man in a Deed or Writing because the Deed doth assigne it to him and not because the Possession doth exist in With or About the Deed. Now the ready way for a man to discerne the truth in this warfare and diuersity of opinions is to seeke to God by praier to walke in humility and sincerity with feare and trembling and not to be peruerse turbulenâ— contentioâ—s for The seccret of the Lord is reuealed to them that Psal 25. 24 feare him and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding The froward is an abâ—ominationto him Prouer. 3. 32 but his secret is with the righteous To this end but especially that vve might be furthered and furnished to the lawfull and audable vse of this blessed Sacrament and so may safely â—aile betwixt the arroneous doctrines of some and the profane practise of others as betweene two dangerous and almost ineuitable Rocks I haue bene bold to publish this little booke where in the nature and right vse thereof is succinctly and vvith perspicuity described The successe vvherof I commend vnto the Lord humbly desiring his Majesty to honor you with all noble vertues in this life and to crowne you with eternall glory in the life to come And thus notdoubting of your kinde acceptance of this my boldnesse I take my leaue remaining euer At your honorable commaund In Christ THOMAS TVKE 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 N. T. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H. Graij ad Authorem Edatur Momi cur namque Verebere dentes Hic liber a cambus nil quod edatur habet
Eiusdem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Lectores Quaeritis a Domino qualis conuiua probâ—tur En vobis qualem finxerit iste liber Lotus cas etlaetus edas gâ—atusque recedas Scilicet hos mores caelica mensa petit Ad Lectorem Christi Christi-colis conuluià lauta parantur Hic recte vt comedant pagina quaeque docet Georgius Taylerus Errata Page 7. line 21. read him Page 18. line 21 read destroy Page 19. line 1â— read by Page 24. line 3. read to a. line 7. read Fifh P. 91. l. 21. read fift p. 136. 5. read commended 1. Cor. 11. 28. Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eat of this bread and drinke of this drinke CHAP. 1. THe holy Apostle Saint Paul hauing reprehended the Corinthians for sundry misdemeanors amongst them one whereof was their disorderly receiuing of the Lords Supper he doth in these words prescribe a remedy for the same For correction is not ynough without direction and reprehension is defectiue without instruction A kinde Chiruigian will not onely discouer the wouÌ„d but apply the salue A faithfull friend will not onely shew his friend his fault or errour but he will also giue his best aduise vnto him that he might see to correct and preuent it for the time to come The office of a true teacher is as well to teach the truth as to confute and refell falshoods as he must reprooue and condemne euill manners so should he also be carefull to shew what is good how the euill may be preuented amended We count him a bad Guide that onely tels the Trauellers of their wandring and not of their way and we iudge it the duty of a Maister-Mariner to shew his folowers in the Arte of Nauigation not onely syrts sands rocks and the danger of them but also the course to escape them so a good Minister ought not only to shewe his people their sinnes and the daunger of them but also the means to mend the way to performe their dueties as GOD requireth This Paul hath done The Doctrines followe THat it is our duetie to search and Doct 1 to prooue our selues before wee come to the Lords Table I wil here shew first the reasons why we should make this triall secondly by what we ought to make it thirdly wherof it must be made fourthly how it ought to be done The reasons that should mooue vs to make this triall are many First it is the expresse coÌ„mandment of God Let a man examine him-selfe Now the will of GOD must bee the rule of our workes What God biddeth that must we bend our selues to do And in his seruice wantes no solace For as Paul saith 1. Cor. 7. 19. Circumcision is nothing nor vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of Gods commandements And the Scripture further saith Reuel 22. 14. Blessed are they that doe his commandments that their right may be in the tree of life may enter in through the gates into the Citie Now one of his Commandements is that we doe examine our selues before we come to the Lords Table Secondly another argument may be borowed from the verse next before going and next ensuing and may be thus framed If he that shall receiue this sacrament vnworthily be guiltie of the body and blood of Christ shall eate and drink his owne damnation then it behooueth euery man to search and examine how he stands and in what manner he commeth this will all men graunt But he that receiueth this sacrament vnworthily is guiltie of the body and blood of Christ a haynous sinne and eates drinkes his owne damnation a fearefull punishment Therefore it behoueth all men to trye their standing and to examine in what plight they come Thirdly a wise man will not come to the banquet of an earthly Prince without some competent preparation why then should any man presume to present himselfe in the presence of God and his Angels and to come to the banquet of the great Prince of all the worlde there to eate the flesh and drink the blood of his onely Sonne without due preparation and fitting of himselfe which cannot be without this search and examination Fourthly as preparatiues are necessarie before phisicke for the body so this examination prepares a way by Gods blessing for ouâ— right receiuing of those sacred elements as the phisicke of our souls For by it we shal knowe our estates discerne our harts by it we shall knowe how to discerne the Lords body and we shall perceiue the loue of God in Christ vnto vs who ordained this Sacrament for the confirmation of our faith the most entire affection of Christ vnto vs in that he gaue him-selfe to a shamefull and cursed death to redeeme vs being in bondage to sinne and Sathan as the Israelites were to the Egiptians and to Pharoah their King Fiftly this examination will occasion in vs both thankfulnes greater heede and watchfulnes Thankfulnes I say for after examination if a man perceiue his estate to be good that he commeth fitted and furnished in some competent measure he is stirred vp to magnifye the Lord who hath vouchsafed them this grace If on the contrarye he finde himselfe wretched or vnfit he hath occasion to praise the Lord that gaue him grace to search and see his condition and that hee hath winked as it were at his wickednes and vnpreparednes and hath not dealt with him as he hath deserued And will it not also be an occasion of greater heed and vigilancy for the time to come For euen as a man viewing and considering well by day how dangerous a Bridge ouer some very deep water he had safely passed in the darke wil be strucken with amazement and wil be made more carefull thence-forward of his way so when a man after examination of himselfe shall perceiue what infinite danger by reason of his sins he hath escaped through the mercie of the Lord he shal be prouoked to admire the goodnes of God and to become more circumspect in the time to come Sixtly we are bound to search and examine our selues at other times in truth we ought to doe it daily for we sinne daily and Sathan siftes and shakes vs daily and with the Sun we doe still either ascend or descend and with the salt waters continually either ebbe or flowe Now if we ought to proue our selues at other times how much more at this when we are to conuerse and deale not with mortall man but with God and that more neerely and in a moste speciall and weightie businesse Men should make the weightines of their affaires the rule of their care and labour Lastly a man will not build an house but he will examine and search his ground to see whether it be firme or false sound or sandy There is no good husband but will suruey his grounds search their nature a faithful Shepheard will duely obserue and search his sheep an
not for any present future or foreseene merit of ours If we conquer our selues or offer vp any sacrifice acceptable vnto God we must giue the praise to Christ who hath made vs Kings Priests vnto his Father He is the Altar that sanctifieth all Reâ— 1. 6. our sacrifices he with the vaile of his most precious blood doth couer al their imperfections And by his death he hath changed the nature of our death so by the vertue of his death he doth conquer sin within vs the cause of death vnto vs. Thirdly we must knowe that those that are in this state of grace redeemed by Christ and sanctified by the Holy Ghost shal so continue without finall or totall falling away till they atteine to the full fruition of the state of glory For the guifts of God are giuen without repentance Christes Ro. 11. 29. sheepe shal neuer perish for he giueth them euerlasting life Satan may batter vs but he cannot beat vs downe Peccatem in est non praeest sin is in the regenerate but Io. 20. 28. not ouer them Viuit non vincit it liues but subdues not Remanetâ— non regnat it remaines but rules not Bellat non debellat it warres but winneth not For God vpholds Psalme 37. 17. 24. and defends them by his grace his loue is * Ieri 31. 3. â—2 40 constant his couenant euerlasting The Sun shineth alwaies though it be not alwaies seene so the light of Gods loue Iohn 13. 1 continueth constantly to all his children though they do not alwaies discerne it The graces of a man regenerated may be couered as a Rocke may be with water in a mightie tide and yet remaine as touching their habit or nature aswel as the Rocke dooth remaine a rocke A knife may scrape the adamant but not cut it and Sathan may vexe him but he cannot vanquish cut but not kill because the Lord of Heb. 13. 5. life will not forsake him CHAP. 7. THe third part of knowledge which becommeth euery coÌ„municant concerneth the sacrament it selfe And heere it is requisite for euery such person to know 1. What a Sacrament is 2. what this Sacrament is why it was ordained otherwise he shal take in hand he knoweth not what and come like an vnbidden guest to a banquet before he be inuited And yet it is to be feared that many do comming and know not well about what nor why like that confused concurse of people at Ephesus who for the greater part knew not wherefore they were come together Act. 19 32. But to the point in hand a sacrameÌ„t is a visible signe of Gods inuisible sauing grace or a corporall a visible outward signe seale instituted from aboue to represent and ratifie Gods grace vnto vs in Iesus Christ There be two * Sacrament is â—n a sacraÌ„do dicitur quia per sacramenta deo quasiceÌ„secramur Sacraments of the new TestameÌ„t Baptisme the Supper of the Lord. It is called a Supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caena first in respect of the time when it was first instituted which was the night before Christ was crucified secondly because it is a sacred feast or banquet for the soule Now in olde time their feasts were vsually at night The Greeke Latine words aboue named signifie not onely a bare supper but also a solemne feast or night-banquet Furthermore it is called the Lords supper First because it was instituted by the Lord. Secondly because it was ordained for to be a memoriall of our Lords death Thirdly it may be also because it was wont to be celebrated on the Lords day Act. 20. 7. Now the Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament whereby God doth signifie vnto and assure euery one that commeth aright prepared vnto it that as he receaueth eateth and drinketh the bread and wine so surely he shall be made partaker of the body and blood of Christ yea of whole Christ with all his merrits for his preseruation spirituall sustentation and foode vnto eternall life The Author and principall efficient cause of this Sacrament is the Lord â—esus the high priest and the king of his church The ministrant Efficients are onely the Ministers of the word lawfully called to whome the Keies of the Church are committed The matter of this Sacrament whereof it doth consist is two-fold one earthly outward and visible the other is heauenly inward and spirituall That is commonly called the signe and this the thing signified By the signe we are to vnderstand both the element or corporal substance seene with the eyes also the actions or rites vsed according to the deuine institutioÌ„ The Elementary signes in this sacrament are two Bread and Wine which two make but one sacrament for they do declare but one action of Christ to wit our whole spirituall nourishment and we know that in one feast there may diuers dishes varietie of drinks be vsed One man hath two parts one body many members one tree sundry braÌ„ches moreouer that is not onely said to be one which is simple indiuisible or continued but that also which is perfect Now this sacrament is one as touching perfectioÌ„ in as much as by those two signes our perfect foode or reliefe is signified and sealed to vs. Moe signes need not because these are sufficient to shew perfect refection and again if one were wanting the sacrament of perfect nourishment were maimed defaced It is an hungry dinner where there is no meat and a dry feast where there is no drinke The Actions vsed in the lawfull administration of the Lords supper are of two sorts some are of the Minister some of the Receiuer and all significant and liuely The action of the Minister is fourefold the first is his taking of the bread and wine into his owne hands The second is his blessing of them The third is the breaking of the bread and powring out of the wine The fourth is destributing of them The action of the Receiuer is two-fold The first is his taking of the bread and wine of the Minister the second is the eating of the bread and drinking of the wine thus much for the signe The thing signified is that which is meant by the signe and it is two-fold the former answering to the corporall and elementary signes the latter answering to the foresaid actions Of the first sort are the body and blood of Christ signified by the bread and wine Neither must we exclude his whole person for neither the deuinitie without the humanitie nor the humanitie without the deuinitie can performe the worke of mediation But because he suffered only in his humane nature therfore it is only expresly resembled though whole Christ and all his merrits must be vnderstood and not excluded For the merrit and efficacy of his death floweth from his deity from the dignitie of his person as from their proper fountaine And the scriptures by the death
inioy his presence and haue continuall conuersation and company with him he doth so coâ—â—et to see his face and to haue his fellowship So if a man do truely belieue and know that God the Prince of all Princes did giue his owne and onely sonne to death to preserue him from death eternall and that this his sonne did die most willingly for him and that the Holy Ghost doth regenerate and sanctifie him flinging the gates of Hell from off their hinges within him and refining his soule from the drosse of sinne and printing a fresh the image of God within him he can not but sincerely and incessantly desire the societie of this blessed Trinitie He cannot but eâ—rnestly couet to see God He will wish with all his heart to see Christ to bemore familiarly acquainted with him The consummation of the world and his comming to Iudgement would be most welcome to him as being much wished of him CHAP. 9. THe third thing whereof this examination must be made is our Repentance which is a turning from all euill vnto God For auersion from sin and conuersion vnto God are the two poles or hinges whereon Repentance turneth Now repentance is meet to be made at all times of sinne For sinne ingendreth death buthe that repenteth of his sinne shall not dye but liue Eze. 18. 21. But if a man repent not God remits not God giueth pardon onely to the penitent Pliny Hist nat l. 16. c 34 saith that Iuy is good onely to harbour serpents and most comfortable for their cold constitutions so the heart of man before he doe vnfaignedly repent of his sinnes is in a manner fit for nothing but to make an harbour for the serpent Sathan and a lodge for vncleane spirits But especially must we repent or renew our repentance when we come to the Lords Supper For otherwise we shall come vnprepared He which commeth in his sins commeth to his sorrow He doth not rightly remember Christs death that dieth not to his sinne but liueth therin without repentance He makes himselfe vnworthy to receiue Christ that doth offend him without remorce and sinne without sorrow for sinne The paschall lambe was commaunded to be eaten with sower hearbs Exo. 12. 8. They that would feele the sweetenes of Christs blood must the tartnes of their own sinnes Dauid saith I will washe my hands in inno ency o Lord compasse Psal 26. 6 thine alter so must we do before we come to the Lords Table Men do not vsually receiue their bodily foode without washing their hands from bodily filthines so we ought to wash our hands and hearts from the filth of sinne wheÌ„ we are about to receiue Christ Iesus our true spirituall food and heauenly Mâ—nna No prophane person is fit for this businesse Procâ—â— hinc prâ—culite propham Men prouide not good meat and dainty dishes for Kites or Crowes to feede vppon câ—ryon is good inough for them No vncircumcised Exo. 12. 4â— person might eat of the paschal lamb so none that are of vncircumcised hearts ought toreceiue the Lords Supper It is therefore requisite that before we receiue we examine whether we repeÌ„t or no whether we be dead to sin or dead in sin whether we bâ— in sin or whether only sin be in vs. This will apeare if we finde in vs these three workes of the Spirit appropriated to the penitent First if we hate sin because it doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hurt being an vtter enemy to Gods glory and our owne saluation secondly if we do heartily desire God to for giue it and to rid vs from it that it may neither condemne nor conquer vs thirdly if we do striue against it labour to leaue it if we take heed of all occasions and causes therof being also grieued that we do forsake it no more And in one word if we Scelâ—rum si bene peniteâ— Eradenda cuâ—idinu prauisunt aâ—imenta Hor. be carefull to preuent and auoid falling into the same sins againe labouring against the custome of many men who returne like dogs to their vomit and fall to their old trade and bias resembling the Lizards called Stelliones who Pli. 18. c 31 cast their old coats as Theophrastus writeth after that eat them vp againe He that hath performed and as yet doth performe these things truely may assure himselfe that he doth truely repent of his sinnes CHAP. 10. THe fourth thing whereof a man must examine himselfe is of his spiritual hunger and thirst For it be hooueth euery one that coÌ„meth to this banquet to come with a good stomack or appetite The more hungry and thirsty a man is the more welcome he is to the Lord. He that comes with a good appetite shal not returne empty The way to get this good stomack is to pray to God for it secondly to labour to feele the want of grace goodnes thirdly to consider what a danger it is to famish or to pine away for lacke of food to susteine or relieue the soule fourthly to consider how vertuous and wholesome the body and blood of Christ are to feed and refresh it how pleasant they are to the taste of the soule and how comfortable refectory to the heart Lastly as the emptying of the stomacke of flegme and bad humors procureth an appetite to meat so if we would pâ—rge our selues of our sinnes clense our stomacks of the flegme of wickednes we should haue a great deale better appetite to the foode of our soules CHAP. 11. THe first thing wherof we must make our examination is of our humâ—lity For we must come in all lowlinesse of spirit First therefore we must humbly confesse with Nehemiah that we haue Nehe. 1. 7. grieuously sinned and with Daniâ—l that we haue committed iniquity Daniâ—l 9. 5 and rebelled against God and that we are by nature children of wrath Ephe. 2. 3 as Paul aâ—â—irmeth nothing belonging to vs but open shame confusion of â—â—ce as Daniâ—l confesseth Dani. 9. 7 of himselfe and his country-men Secondly we must ascribe all good things in vs if any to the grace of God from whome they â—low as from their fountaine For we are naturally conâ—eiued in sin as David acknowledgeth borne Psal 51. 5 in iniquity and are dead in trespasses as Paul doth testifie Thirdly Ephe. â— 1 we must go out of our selues must strip our selues of al supposed righteousnes and opinion of personall merits and wholy relie vpon Gods mercy christs merits VVe must freely confesse in all humility that we are vtterly vnworthy of Gods loue and of the benefits procured by the death and obedieâ—ce of christ that we are vnworthy to pertake of those elements consecrated to such an holy vse Iâ—coâ— ingeniously confesseth that he is not worthy of the least of all Gods mercies Finally Gen. 33. 10 we must humbly confesse that our purest actions are pudled with sin and that we do but our
and substance being changed onely in respect of their vse for so much as they are now consecrated to signifie and seale vnto vs the body and blood of Christ yea whole Christ with all his benefits For the confirmation of this conclusion wee haue first besides this other expresse phrases of Scripture secondly other arguments grounded vpon the word and vpon good reason thirdly the iudgement of the Primitiue Church for many hundred yeares together after Christ For the first Paul saith The cup of blessing which wee blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the body of Christ For wee that are many are one bread and one body because we are all partakers of one bread 1. Cor. 10. 16. 17. And againe As often as yee shall eate this Bread and drinke of this Cup ye shew the Lordes death till hee come Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this Bread and drinke the Cup of the Lord unworthily shall he guâ—â—tie of the body and blood of the Lord. 1. Cor. 17. 26 27. Here is not a word of any transubstantiating or turning the bread and wine into the substantiall and true body and blood of our Lord but a plaine distinction made betwixt the signes and the things signified without annihilation or corporall alteration And Christ himselfe saith at his last Supper after that he had blessed the cup I will not drinke hencefoorth Matth. 26. 29. of this fruite of the vine c. By which it is euident that hee and his disciples dranke true wine It is true I confesse that Christ saith expresly This is my body but Matth. 26. 26. Christs body is threefold naturall mysticall and Sacramentall without doubt his meaning was not that the bread was truely turned into his body For first it were very absurde to imagine that Christ did eate his owne bodie and therefore also as absurde to say that the disciples did eate it Now the bread is his sacramentall bodie that is the Sacrament the signe and seale this bodie and the word Iâ— is as much as signifieth as in Luke 8. 21. For he and they did eat of one thing Secondly there are other places of the Scripture like vnto this which shew that his speech was not proper but figuratiue and it is strange that they which stand so much vpoÌ„ figures could perceiue none heere Gen. 17. 10. Circumcision is the Couenant that is a signe of the couenant Ex. 12. 11. The Lambe is the Lordes Passeouer that is a signe and pledge thereof 1. Cor. 10. 4. The rocke was Christ that is a signe of Christ Thirdly wee must needes vnderstand a figure in the word Cup and a figure is granted of all euen of the Aduersaries of this doctrine wherefore then should it sound against reason to hold that speech to bee vnderstood by a figure For the second It is against common sense that Christs bodie which is finite and circumscriptible should bee in so many places together so farre distant one from an other and that accidents should remaine without a subject as if the whitenesse of the snow should continue when the snow it selfe is melted It is true indeed that the power of God is great but yet hee neither doth nor wil doe whatsoeuer he is able by his power for to doe He can of stones make children vnto Abraham hee can consume the world at one instant but hee doth not neither will doe And againe there are some things which God cannot doe He cannot lie he cannot deny himselfe hee cannot breake his promise and goe against his word Hee hath said that the heauen must containe Act. 3. 27. Christ till the time that al thngs be restored therefore he shall bee there aboue is not here below Yea further God cannot make one thing to be not to be at one instant He cannot make the aire to be wholly both fire and water at one moment God cannot make the body of Christ to bee both a true bodie and not a true bodie circumscribed not circumscribed to haue dimensions and to bee without dimensions to bee in heauen and vpon the earth also in a thousand distinct places at one and the same Article of time and to be as long as broad and as thicke in a peece of bread as it was when it hanged vpon the Crosse Secondly wee beleeue that Christes bodie was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgine Marie therefore sure it is not made of Bakers bread Thirdly the nature of a Sacrament requireth that there should be an outward visible and corporall signe as well as an inward and spirituall thing signified but the doctrine of Transubstantiation doth ouerthrow the signe Fourthly if wee allow of transubstantiation wee shall not receiue the body that was deliuered to death for vs but some other thing which an houre before was not a bodie but plaine bread Fifthly when a Mouse eateth hallowed bread what eates she doth shee eate the shadow the shape and likenesse of bread For those Alchimists hold that the substance of the bread is gone Now it were absurd to say that a mouse could feed vpon naked accidents or mere colours What theÌ„ doth she eate the body of Christ How absurde and impious were it to imagine It remaineth therefore that the substance of the bread doth still continue If the bread after Consecration bee burnt to ashes and the wine cast into the fire whence come the ashes And whence is the smoke hizzing Surely they cannot come of mere accidents as shape colour dimensions c. Therefore it is safest to hold the continuance of the Elements as touching their substance For the third we haue herein also the consent of the ancient Church Ambrose saith that the signes are the same Quaeerant which they were De sacra l. 4. c. 4. Theoderet saith that those mysticall signes do not goe from their nature after consecration Post sanctificationeÌ„ noÌ„ receduÌ„t a natura sâ—a Diâ— 2. Gelasius saith that the signes remaine in the propertie of their owne nature Gelas-contra-Eutye Augustine saith we cannot with the hand touch Christ sitting in the heauens but by faith we can touch and apprehend him In Ioh. Tract 1. Irenaeus saith that a Sacrament requireth two things the one earthly and the other heauenly Walefridus saith that Christ deliuered the Sacraments or signes and seales of his body and blood to his disciples In panis vini substantia in the substance of bread wine cap. 16. And because many stand vpon the bare words of Christ saying This is my body will admit no exposition but the literall acknowledging no figure in them let vs obserue the iudgement of two or three ancient Doctours Augustine saith that the Lord stucke not to say This is my body in so much as hee did giue the signe of his body Contra Adimant c. 12. Cyprian saith that the SacrameÌ„ts haue the names of those things