when the notion is certain and easie And thus far is the sense of our Doctrine in this Article Here we see this Doctor becomes such a zealous advocate of this Cause as to frame an answer to all such sayings in the Fathers as may seem by the expression to import as if the same body that was crucified were not eaten here by us in the Sacrament and defends the contrary Again § 12. p. 288. They that do not confess the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour which flesh suffered for us let them be Anathema But quo modo is the question c. See p. 5. where he will have spiritual presence his Book bearing this Title The Real Presence and Spiritual of Christ c. understood to be particular in nothing but that it excludes the corporal and natural manner not spiritual presence therefore so as to exclude Corpus Domini but only the corporal or natural manner of that body now by exclusion of the natural manner is not meant surely the exclusion of nature or of the thing it self for then to say a thing is there after a natural manner were as much as to say the thing is not there but the exclusion of those properties which usually accompany nature or the thing See p. 12. where he allows of the term substantialiter and of that expression of Conc. Trid. Sacramentaliter praesens Salvator noster substantia sua nobis adest and in the same page he saith when the word Real presence is denied by some Protestants it is taken for natural and not for in rei veritate § 16 7. Thus Bishop Forbes de Eucharistia 2. l. 2. c. 9. § An Christus in Eucharistia sit adorandus Protestantes saniores non dubitant In sumptione enim Eucharistiae ut utar verbis Archiepiscopi Spalatensis adorandus est Christus vera latria siquidem corpus ejus vivum gloriosum miraculo quodam ineffabili digne sumenti praesens adest haec adoratio non pani non vino non sumptioni non comestioni sed ipsi corpori Christi immediate per sumptionem Eucharistiae exhibito debetur perfcitur And Ib. § 8. Immanis est rigidorum Protestantium error qui negant Christum in Eucharistia esse adorandum nisi adoratione interna mentali non autem externa aliquo ritu adorativo ut in geniculatione aut aliquo alio consimili corporis situ hi fere omnes male de praesentia Christi Domini in Sacramento miro sed vero modo praesentis sentiunt Again 3. l. 1. c. § 10. Dicunt etiam saepissime sancti Patres in Euharistia offerri sacrificari ipsum Christi Corpus ut ex innumeris pene locis constat sed non proprie realiter omnibus sacrificii proprietatibus servatis sed per commemorationem repraesentationem ejus quod semel in unico illo sacrificio Crucis quo alia omnia sacrifcia consummavit Christus summus Sacerdos noster est peractum per piam supplicationem qua Ecclesia ministri propter unici illius sacrificii perpetuam victimam in Coelis ad dextram Patris assistentem in sacra mensa modo ineffabili praesentem Deum Patrem humillime rogant ut virtutem gratiam hujus perennis victimae Ecclesiae suae ad omnes cerporis animae necessitates efficacem salutarem esse velit Here is acknowledg'd 1. Christi corpus in sacra mensa modo ineffabili praesens 2. Hoc corpus oblatum in Eucharistia ut sacrificium Deo Patri 3. Ipsi corpori Christi ut praesenti in Eucharistia miraculo quodam ineffabili immediate debita adoratio varae Latriae § 17 8. Thus the Archbishop of Spalato much-what to the same purpose de Rep. Eccl. 7. l. 11. c. 7. § Si secundum veritatem qui digne sumit sacramenta corporis sanguinis Christi ille vere realiter corpus sanguinem Christi in se corporaliter modo tamen quodam spirituali miraculoso impereeptibili sumit omnis digne communicans adorare potest debet corpus Christi quod recipit non quod lateat corporaliter in pane aut sub pane aut sub speciebus accidentibus panis sed quod quando digne sumitur panis Sacramentalis tunc etiam sumitur cum pane Christi corpus reale illi communioni realiter praesens § 18 8. And thus Mr. Thorndyke in his Epilogue to the Tragedy 3. l. 3. c. p. 17. That which I have already said is enough to evidence the mystical and spiritual presence of the Flesh and Blood of Christ in the Elements as the Sacrament of the same before any Man can suppose that spiritual presence of them to the Soul which the eating and drinking Christ's Flesh and Blood spiritually by living Faith importeth and Ib. 2. c. p. 10. when it follows He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lord's Body unless a Man discern the Lord's Body where it is not of necessity it must there be where it is discerned to be c. and 3. l. 23. c. p. 225. he saith That anciently there was a reservation from Communion to Communion and that he who carried away the Body of our Lord to eat it at home drinking the Blood at present might reasonably be said to communicate in both kinds Neither can faith he that Sacramental change which the Consecration works in the Elements be limited to the Instant of the Assembly tho' it take effect only in order to that Communion unto which the Church designeth that which it consecrateth and 3. l. 5. c. p. 44. Having maintained that the Elements are really changed from ordinary Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ mystically present as in a Sacrament and that in virtue of the Consecration not by the Faith of him that receives I am to admit and maintain whatsoever appears duly consequent to this truth namely that the Elements so consecrated are truly the sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross in as much as the Body and Blood of Christ are contained in them c. and then p. 46. he farther collecteth thus And the Sacrifice of the Cross being necessarily propitiatory and impetratory both it cannot be denied that the Sacrament of the Eucharist in as much as it is the same sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross is also both propitiatory and impetratory and 3. l. 30. c. p. 350. I suppose saith he that the Body and Blood of Christ may be adored wheresoever they are and must be adored by a good Christian where the custom of the Church which a Christian is obliged to communicate with requires it And p. 351. Not to balk the freedom which hath carried me to publish all this I do believe that it was practised and done i.e. our Lord Christ really worshipped in the Eucharist in the ancient Church which I maintain from the beginning to have been the true Church of Christ obliging all to
thrown out again and so the Common-Prayer Books ever since have been cleared of it till the alterations therein made after the King's return in A. D. 1661. at which time it was reinserted The same Q. Elizabeth's Divines in their Review of these Articles also as they cast the Declaration out of the Liturgy so did they expunge this passage likewise being of the same temper as the Declaration out of the Article which hath been omitted ever since § 2 Again whereas King Edward's former Common-Prayer Book useth these words as they have descended from Antiquity in delivering the Eucharist The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy Body and Soul to everlasting life the Composers of the second in the fifth year of that King's Reign suitable to their Declaration which denies any Real or Essential Presence of this Body in the Eucharist thought fit to remove this Form and put instead thereof only these words Take and eat this left without any substantive in remembrance that Christ died for thee and feed on him in thy heart with Faith and Thanksgiving leaving out these words also of the former Consecration-Prayer And with thy Holy Spirit and Word vouchsafe to bless and sanctifie these thy Gifts and Creatures of Bread and Wine that they may be unto us the Body and Blood of thy most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ They omit also the Priest's touching or handling the Patin or Chalice in the Prayer of Consecration required in the former Book done according to Bucer's directions in his Censura p. 468. whereby seems to be avoided the acknowledging of any Presence of Christ's Body and Blood with the Symbols of which also Bucer saith * Censura p. 476. Antichristianum est affirmare quidquam his elementis adesse Christi extrausum praebitionis receptionis For the same reason it seems to be that the Glory be to God on high c. and the Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini after the Sursum corda the one is transferred till after the Communion and the other omitted differently from King Edward's first Form likewise whereas it is said in the former Liturgy in the Prayer of Humble access Grant us so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his Blood in these holy mysteries the 2d omits these words in these holy mysteries But the Divines of Qu. Elizabeth in their Review §. 3. n. 1. as they nulled the Declaration in the Common-Prayer Book and purged the 28th Article of the forementioned explication so they thought fit to restore the former ejected Form in the administring of the Sacrament The Body of our Lord c. preserve thy body and soul putting after it the later Form Take and eat this in remembrance c. and feed on him in thy heart with Faith and Thanksgiving But then the new Liturgy prepared for Scotland and published A. D. 1637. rectifies and reduces many of the former things again to the first mode first restores those words in the Consecration with thy Holy Spirit and Word vouchsafe to bless c. that They may be unto us the Body c. ordering again the Presbyter that officiates to take the Patin and Chalice in his hands and then takes quite away the words added in King Edward's second Form in the delivering of the Mysteries Take and eat this c. and instead thereof adds after the former words The Body of our Lord c. the People's Response Amen according to the custom of Antiquity See Dionys Alexandr apud Euseb Hist 7. l. 8. c. Leo Serm. 6. de jejunio 7 mi mensis Augustin ad Orosium quaest 49. spoken as a Confession of their Faith that they acknowledged that which they received to be Corpus Domini Of all which Laudensium Autocatacrisis heavily complains observing That in the Consecration-Prayer are restored the words of the Mass whereby God is besought by his Omnipotent Spirit so to Sanctifie the oblation of Bread and Wine that they may become to us Christ's Body and Blood From which words saith he all Papists use to draw the truth of their Transubstantiation Wherefore the English Reformers i. e. the latter in King Edward's days scraped them out of their Books but our Men put them fairly in And good reason have they so to do For long ago they professed that about the Presence of Christ's Body and Blood in the Sacrament after Consecration they are fully agreed with Lutherans and Papists except only about the formality and mode of Presence here quoting Montague's Appeal p. 289. Lastly when the late Clergy A. D. 1661. being upon I know not what inducements §. 3. n. 2. solicited to receive the foremention'd Declaration rejeded in Q. Elizabeth's days came to examine it they judged meet not to publish it entire as it ran before but these words It is here declared that no Adoration is intended or ought to be done unto any Real and Essential Presence of Christ's natural Flesh and Blood they cancelled and instead of them inserted these It is here declared that no Adoration is intended or ought to be done unto any Corporal Presence of Christ's natural fâ—â—sh and Blood as we find them in the present Rubrick § 4 Having exhibited this general view of the Mutations which have been made in this Church in several times according as different Judgments had the power somewhat waveringly it see as in the things relating to so great an Article of Faith I think fit now more particularly to resume the consideration of the Declaration about Adoration In which are contained these three Observables 1. That here the present Clergy do profess expresly 1. Observ that the natural Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ are not in the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist § 5 2. That they urge for this Non-presence there this reason or ground out of Natural Philosophy 2. Observ That it is against the truth of a Natural body to be in more places than one at one time here seeming to found their Faith in this matter on the truth of this position in Nature § 6 3. In consequence of these they declare that kneeling in receiving the Eucharist so much excepted against by the Presbyterian is meant for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of Christ therein given to all worthy receivers 3. Observ and for the avoiding of such prophanation and disorder in the Holy Communion as might otherwise ensue but that hereby no adoration is intended or ought to be done unto any corporal presence of Christ's natural flesh and blood where they either leave this undetermined whether there be not another presence of Christ's flesh and blood as real and true as is the corporal to which an adoration is at this time due or else do determine as seems concludable from their former Proposition viz. That the natural Body of Christ is not there that there is not any such real
Protestants with him doth allow not an absolutely certain but a reasonable tho' mistaken ground or motive of Adoration sufficient for avoiding the just imputation of Idolatry upon which account a Disciple adoring with divine worship a person very much resembling our Saviour when he was upon Earth or supposing a consecrated Host truly adorable one who adores an Host placed on the Altar and by some deficiency in the Priest not truly consecrated is freely absolved by them herein from committing any Idolatry See before § 8. Hence therefore if Catholicks can produce a rational ground of their apprehending Christ present in the Eucharist tho' possibly mistaken in it they are to be excused from Idolatry upon the same terms § 23 1. Now here first the Lutherans being allowed to have such a plausible ground or motive for their Adoration whereby they become by other Protestants absolved from Idolatry in adoring our Lord as present there only their Adoration inutile saith Daille tombent en neant I see not why the ground of Roman Catholicks should be any whit less valued than theirs For if we compare the one's Con with the other 's Trans substantiation the later seems more agreeable to our Lord's words Hoc est Corpus meum and to the most plain literal obvious sense thereof Hoc est Corpus meum by a change of the Bread rather than Hoc est Corpus meum by a conjunction with the Bread and therefore is the Roman equalled with or else preferred before the Lutheran sense by many Protestants that are neutral and dissent from both Longius Consubstantiatorum saith Bishop Forbes de Euchar. l. 1. c. 4 § 5. quam Transubstantiatorum sententiam a Christi verbis recedere sive litera spectetur sive sensus affirmat R. Hospinianus caeteri Calviniani communiter And Hospinian Histor Sacram. 2. part fol. 6. saith of Luther Errorem errore commutavit nec videns suam opinionem non habere plus imo etiam minus coloris quam Scholasticorum Papae And see the same judgment of the Helvetian Ministers and Calvin apud Hospinian f. 212. But next Catholicks founding their Adoration not on Transubstantiation but on Corporal Presence the same common ground of this they have with Lutherans viz. our Lord's words implying and so it must excuse both or neither § 24 2. Laying aside this comparison let us view more particularly what rational ground Catholicks exhibit of this their belief of a Corporal Presence in the Eucharist and so of Adoration I. This their Ground then of such a Corporal Presence in the Eucharist after a possibility thereof granted also by sober Protestants * See Guide in Controversy Disc 1. §. 62. is pretended to be Divine Revelation and if it be so as pretended then no argument from our senses and against it valid and that as was said but now taken in its most plain literal natural and grammatical sense in the words Hoc est Corpus meum so often iterated in the Gospel and again by S. Paul without any variation or change or explication of that which yet is pretended by Calvinists to be a metaphorical expression and such if we will believe them as this that the Church is his Body Eph. 1.23 or He the true Vine Joh. 15.1 A great argument this the Apostles punctual retaining still in their expressing the Institution thereof the same language and words that our Lord intended it literally as he spoke it Pretended also to be Divine Revelation from many other Scriptures the citing and pressing of which takes up all Bellarmin's first Book de Eucharistia to which I refer the inquisitive Reader but especially from the Discourse Jo. 6. Which Apostle writing his Gospel so late when the Communion of our Lord's Body and Blood was so much frequented and celebrated in the Church seems therefore to have omitted the mention of it at all in his story of the Passion and the time of its first Institution because he had dilated so much upon it before in relating a Sermon of our Lord 's made in Gallilee about the time of the yearly Feast of eating the Paschal Lamb Jo. 6.4 c. The literal and grammatical sense of which Divine Revelation saith Dr. Taylor Liberty of Prophesying § 20. p. 258. if that sense were intended would warrant Catholicks to do violence to all the Sciences in the circle And that Transubstantiation is openly and violently against natural Reason would be no argument to make them disbelieve who believe the mystery of the Trinity in all those niceties of explication which are in the Schools and which now adays pass for the Doctrine of the Church or he might have said which are in the Athanasian Creed with as much violence to the principles of natural and supernatural Philosophy as can be imagined to be in the point of Transubstantiation And elsewhere Real Presence p. 240. saith as who will not say That if it appear that God hath affirmed Transubstantiation he for his part will burn all his Arguments against it and make publick Amends § 25 II. Again Catholicks have for their Rational ground of following this sense in opposition to any other given by Sectaries the Declaration of it by the most Supreme and Universal Church-Authority that hath been assembled in former times for the decision of this controversie long before the birth of Protestantism a brief account of which Councils to the number of seven or eight if the 2d Nicene Act. 6. tom 3. be reckoned with the rest before that of Trent all agreeing in the same sentence see concerning the Guide in Controversy Disc 1. § 57 c. Out of the number of which Councils said to establish such a Doctrine as Bishop Cosins Hist Transub c. 7. p. 149. after many others hath much laboured to subduct the great Lateran Council under Innocent 3. upon pretence of the reputed Canons thereof their being proposed therein only by the Pope Mr. Dodwel Considerations of present concerument § 31. p. 165. but not passed or confirmed by the Council so another late Protestant Writer upon another Protestant interest viz. out of the 3d. Canon of the same Council charging not only the Pope but the Councils themselves and the Catholick Religion as invading the Rights of Princes hath with much diligence very well vindicated these Canons against the others as the true Acts of this Great Assembly and not only the designs of the Pope and copiously shewed them as in truth they were owned as such both in the same and the following times And thus the Doctrine of Transubstantiation in this Council is firmly established whilst Catholicks contend in the other Canon concerning Secular Powers the Sense of the Council is by Protestants mistaken Now upon this I ask what more reasonable or secure course in matters of Religion whether as to Faith or Practice can a private and truly humble Christian take than where the sense of a Divine Revelation is disputed to submit