in the divine operation of Christs bedy and bloud And c. 8. putting a distinction between Priest and Deacon he says The one consecrates and the other disposes or distributes the one sanctifies the things offered the other distributes the things sanctified S. Cyprian Epist 54. ad Cornel. says Priests do daily celebrate sacrifices to God And Epist 66. ad Furnesses Each one honoured with divine Priest-hood and constituted in Clerical Ministery ought only to serve the Altar and sacrifices and attend to prayers S. Hierome Dialogo cum Lucifer c. 8. Hilarius a Deacon only could not make the Eucharist not having Bishops nor Preists for it is not a Church which has no Priests This is more manifest in the Priests ordination as it is expresly declared in the Florentine Councel the form whereof is Receive the Power of offering sacrifice to God for the living and dead whence we may note this is no new constitution but a declaration to the Armenians of the Roman use and manner of Ordination for which the Roman Pontifical is alledged which was long before this Councel and was in use in all the Western parts and Ordo Romanus made by Pope Gelasius in the year 496. which as Alcuinus notes in 2. par de divinis officiis has the same form which also S. Ambrose insinuates in 1 Epist ad Tim. c. 4. where he speaks of himself saying when I was ordained Priest whereby I was designed for the work and received Authority that I durst in our Lords stead to offer sacrifice to God S. Clement lib. constit Apost cap. 24. Look down upon thy servant elected and fill him with the holy Ghost that he may perform the immaculate sacrifice for thy people but what is more our Saviour himself in his last Supper ordained his Disciples in the same form Do this in my remembrance whereby our Saviour gave power to his Disciples to do that is to make or offer the same sacrifice as he had done as I have declared in the first chapter § 3. Our Reformers have mainly endeavoured to take away the true and proper sacrifice of the Masse and consequently to take away the Evangelicall Priesthood which by continuall succession even from the Apostles times yea from Christ himself hath always continued in the Catholick Church and to this end the Parliament of England in the nonage of King Edward the 6. invented a new form or ordination and commanded that none should give any Orders but in the form prescribed which was repealed by Queen Mary and again renewed by Queen Elizabeth in the 8. yeare of her Reign To speak only of Priesthood which principally makes to our present purpose our Catholick Doctors and Controvertists did oppose against their Ordination of Priesthood by several reasons and first that they had no lawful Ministers of their order that is no proper and true Bishops and consequently no true ordination which is clearly proved by Erastus senior in his Scholasticall Demonstration printed in the year 1662. which I wave and go to the second Reason Which is that the form of Ordination newly invented is no true form nor ever used in the Church nor no essentiall part necessarily required in the act of giving or ministring holy orders to make this more clear we may note that in the Sacrament of Orders there is required a sensible sign which Divines call the materiall part and the application of this sensible sign to the signification of what is signed which is the formal part To our purpose the Imposition of hands by the Bishop may well be said to be the materiall part of the Sacrament for of it self it is indifferent to Episcopacy Priesthood or Deacon-ship nay to other spiritual effects as of Confirmation yea of remission and absolution and is necessarily determined and appropriated to this or that effect by certain words expressing the power and nature of this or that Order In this all Catholicks do agree and some of your Learned Protestants acknowledge M. Mason one who hath written purposely of this Subject lib. 2. cap. 16. Impositionem manuum ut signum ordinis sensibile amplectimur forma sensibilis sita est in verbis quae preferuntur dum signum sensibile exhibetur We embrace Imposition of hands as the sensible signe of order The essential form consists in words which are spoken whilst the sensible signe is used in which also those who reformed the Roman Ordination did agree when retaining the imposition of hands they invented a new form never used before in Gods Church nor yet coming home to the purpose for no words can be said to be the true form of any Sacrament which does not determine the sensible signe to its proper effect or office In the Ordination of Priesthood it must signifie the grace and power which is given to him that receives the Order of Priesthood so the foresaid Mr Mason Istius modo verba quatenus de notant datam potestatem sunt illius forma essentialis The learned Bishop of Derry in Ireland in his book of the Consecration and succession of Protestant Bishops page 226. comes more home saying The form or words whereby men are made Priests must express power to consecrate or make present Christs body and bloud c. for we have no difference with the Romanists in this particular They who are ordained priests ought to have power to consecrate the Sacraments of Christs body and bloud that is to make it present Doctour Sparrow is of the same opinion as is noted in the said Liturgicall Discourse part 1. cap. 26. and Doctour Thorndike in his book of Just weights and measures cap. 21. All Ordination tends to the celebration and communion of the Eucharist as well that of Bishops to the end that they may ordain the other Orders and that of Deacons that they may wait upon the celebration of it As that of Priests that receiving the power of the keyes to warrant the effect of it they may therefore have power to celebrate it Surely the present English Church must be of the same judgment when only those who are ordained Priests have authority to consecrate the Eucharist which is their peculiar proper and principall office belonging to none other the Power and authority to them in this cannot be from any humane authority but divine which comes unto us by the work of the Holy Ghost in the Sacrament Now in the Form of Ordination invented by order of Parliament in the time of King Edward the 6. and used since in Queen Elizabeths time no such power is expressed for all the words savour more of jurisdiction or execution of what follows the nature of the order of Priesthood without which the rest is of no Force for without the power ex vi ordinis no actions ex vi officii are authentical or valuable for as Mr Mason well says l. 2. c. 16. Non verba quaelibet huic instituto inserviunt sed quae ad ordinis conferendi potestatem
cap. 1. As often as we celebrate the Eucharist so often we offer Christ in mystery and do immolate or slay him in sacrificing by way of commemoration or representation if this be so I pray let him tell me who doth do this but the Priest for none but such even amongst them have authority or power to do it yet this is not included either in dispensing the word or the Sacraments for to offer Christ in Mystery or immolate him requires other authority and that from his Ordination or not at all In the same book cap. 3. If by an unbloudy manner you mean a mysticall and Sacramentall manner I am not against it because the shedding of Christs bloud on the Cross was reall in the last supper only mysticall and Sacrament all And again cap. 5. The holy supper may be called a sacrifice Eucharisticall or mysticall in which the sacrifice of the Cross is both represented and offered in a mystery that is Sacramentally who does this but a Priest who offers this sacrifice Sacramentally or by whom is the sheding of Christs bloud in a mysticall and Sacramentall manner most of your learned men as is said already attribute to Ordination or the power given to consecrate which is more then M. Mason allows to his Priesthood I know not how M. Mason will reconcile himself lib. 4. cap. 14. where he in the name of the Protestant Church declares We acknowledg no proper external sacrifice of the new Testament besides that which Christ himself in his own person once Immolated on the Cross Insomuch saith he that if a Romish Priest become a Protestant he must renounce the power of sacrificing redeuntes sacerdotes sacrificandi potestatem nostra opinione impiam sacrilegam deponere repudiare debere decernimus We judge or hold that such Priests as return from the Roman to the English Church ought to depose and repudiate the power of sacrificing in our opinion impious and sacrilegious What Sr is it impious or sacrilegious to celebrate the Lords supper to offer or immolate in sacrifice this if you may be believed you often say if the holy supper be a sacrifice sure it is external if Christs bloud be shed in a sacramental way sure it is externally for all sacraments are external signs if all this be impious and sacrilegious all your Ministers are impious and sacrilegious for that they without power do attempt to consecrate and offer and immolate Christ Doctour Sparrow worthily bearing the title of Bishop of Exeter in his Rationale pag. 309. admits this saying According to the usuall acception of the word Priest it signifies him that offers up a Sacrifice and proves it because the Ministers of the Gospel have a sacrifice to offer viz the unbloudy sacrifice as it was anciently called the Commemorative sacrifice of the Death of Christ which does as really and truely shew forth the death of Christ as those sacrifices under the law did foreshew it and in respect of the sacrifice of the Eucharist the Ancients have usually called those that did offer it up Priests who as he says afterward are to offer that holy Bread and Wine the Body and Bloud of Christ he confirms this by the Prophesies of Esay cap. 66. v. 21. I will take of them to be Priests and Levites saith our Lord that is of the Gentills and Jeremie cap. 33. v. 18. And of Priests and Levites there shall not fail from before my face a man to offer Holocausts where sayes the Doctour they prophesy of the times of the Gospel as will appear by the context and ancient exposition to wit of the Interpreters on those places From what has been said it is manifest from the Texts of the whole Fathers above-alledged that the proper office of a Priest is to offer sacrifice the present Church of England hath put in the name Priest in their form of Ordination and consequently must admit a sacrifice which he is to offer otherwise they should take the word Priest equivocally not properly in its right signification or sense of the Catholick Church and consequently it follows that they have no true Prie thood amongst them for it is manifest that neither he that ordains nor he that is ordained do intend to consecrate or to be consecrated a sacrificing Priest for their Intentions are directly contrary insomuch as Mr Mason as is said before tels us that such priests as return from the Roman to the English Church ought to depose and repudiate the power of sacrificing whereas the Councel of Trent Sess 23. Can. 1. puts an Anathema on any one who should say that in the new Testament there is no visible or extern Priesthood or not some power of consecrating and offering the true Body and bloud of our Lord and of remitting and retaining sins but only an office and bare Ministery of the Gospel or those who do not preach not to be Priests at all And Cap. 1. of the same session sacrifice and Priesthood are so conjoyned by Gods ordination that both have been in every law when therefore the Catholick Church hath received from the first Institution in the new Testament the holy visible sacrifice of the Eucharist we must acknowledge to be in it a new visible and extern priesthood into which the old Priesthood is translated which the sacred letter doth also shew and the Tradition of the Catholick Church hath always taught this to have been instituted by the same Lord our Saviour and to the Apostles and their successors in Priesthood power given to consecrate offer and minister his Body and bloud and also of remitting and retaining fins The same Councel Sess 7. Can. 11. If any shall say that in the Ministers when they make or confer the Sacraments Intention is not required at least of doing what the Church does be he Anathema The Councel of Florence Decreto Eugenij says Sacraments are performed by three things to wit by some thing as matter by words as form and by the person of a Minister conferring the Sacrament with intention of doing what the Church doth if any of these be wanting the Sacrament is not perfect Even natural reason teaching this for as S. Thomas 3. quaest 64. Artic. 8. ad 1. The Minister because he is a living Instrument ought to apply himself by Intention whereby he intends to do what Christ and his Church doth It is also certain that an ill intention vitiates a good work and a perverse Intention alters the nature of humane actions which also is true in Sacramentall actions for example he that pretends to Baptize If his intention be not to baptize or takes the word baptize only as it signifies a lotion or washing from corporal filth does not rightly baptize nor do 〈◊〉 Church doth In like manner he that says the words absolvo te a peccatis If he intends not to absolve him or for sins understands temporal debts absolves not The Protestants who intend not to consecrate Christs Body by
the words This is my Body by the word Body which they believe in another sense do not consecrate Matrimony with the same words and matter If by the word Wife they both or either of them understand Concubine is no Matrimony When then the Bishop intends not to ordain as a sacrificing priest but intends the the contrary his act is ineffectual for according to the Doctrine of Christs Church the power of consecrating and offering the true Body and Bloud of Christ and the remitting and retaining of sins is so annexed to the order of Priesthood that Priesthood cannot be without it and therefore he that intends to give Priesthood without gives nothing at all To conclude the Church of England has excluded Ordination out of the number of Sacraments and withall rejected the Papall power one may question then what power or authority they have to give Orders but principally from whence they have any authority or power to give them power to execute any offices belonging to Priesthood It cannot be said to be from the words which are not Sacramental and consequently being no Sacrament have no Institution from Christ for that end Moreover it cannot be said to be from the Church for the Church can give no such authority but by the Sacraments and the Reformed Ministers have no authority from the visible Catholick Church or Pope or Metropolitan which they professedly reject and disclaim for Ordination is a spiritual power which tends to spiritual effects Doctor Heylin Eccles Restit in his Preface Queen Elizabeth looked upon her self as the sole sountain of both Jurisdictions and the Act. 1. Eliz. 1. declares the Kings supremacy to use and exercise all such Jurisdictions spiritual and ecclesinstical as by any spiritual and ecclesiastical power or authority hath heretofore been or may lawfully be used over the Ecclesiastical state of this Realm yet as Doctor Bramhall well says pag. 63. The power of the Keys was evidently given by Christ in Scripture to his Apostles and their Successors not to Soveraign Princes Many of our Protestant Divines and learned Doctours did well consider this Difficulty and therefore most of them do admit that Ordination is a Sacrament and consequently they ground their Ordination on the authority of the former Catholick Bishops who in a Sacramental power did ordain them who according to Dr Brevent were all Idolaters and unlawful Ministers of the Sacraments except only Baptism in extreme necessity so that they have no right to any Ordination but by vertue of the Sacrament which cannot take effect unless it be dnely administred by lawful power and in due form From which I inferr that our Reformers in taking away and rejecting the sacrifice of the Mass have also rejected the Priesthood whose principal office is to offer sacrifice and consequently they have no true Ordination In fine no Sacrifice no Priest no Priest no Sacrifice wherefore call the Ministers Priests or what you will if they have not the office and power to consecrate and offer sacrifice they are no Priests properly taking the word priest or according to the common sense and use of the Catholick Church in all ages and times yea among Heathens and Infidels whence it follows that as our Reformers have framed a new Religion so they have invented a new priesthood never heard of before giving no other power then to preach and dispense the Sacraments which may be committed or done by Deacons or Lay-men as all Ecclesiasticall histories do testifie on this ground and other defects in their Ordination the present Catholick Church makes no scriple notwithstanding their pretanded Ordination to ordain or give Orders to those who being converted and reconciled to the said Catholick Church shall humbly defire it I know some will say that this cannot be done without Sacriledge for even in the Doctrine of the Universal Church Re-ordinations as also Re-baptizations are esteemed sacrilegious whence frequently those who were baptized or ordained by heretical priests or Bishops were not rebaptized nor re-ordained In consideration hereof the now Church of England does not re-baptize nor re-ordain priests coming to their communion but permits them to remain in the Order received and approves of them in all their function and power as if they had been ordained by Protestant Bishops This Subject would require a longer Discourse then my brevity will permit I will therefore briefly conclude this Chapter The Catholick Church hath always detested both Rebaptization and Reordination but never made difficulty to Baptize or Ordain some who falsly pretended to have been Baptized or Ordained when really they were not We have a plain Declaration of this in the Councel of Nice Can. 19. where those who were baptized by the Paulianists were absolutely to be Baptized because they were not Baptized in the right Form of Baptism to wit by the Invocation of the holy Trinity The Decree of the Apostles Can. 68. declares that baptized or ordained by Hereticks were neither Baptized nor ordained which as Caranzen notes is to be understood of such Hereticks who did not observe the right Form in ministring the Sacraments The Church whensoever it was manifest that the Ordainers had not lawful power or did corrupt or alter the form of Ordination judged that what they had done was Null and of no force and did simply and plainly ordain them But if upon due examination it were found that the heretical Bishops were formerly ordained by Catholick Bishops who observed the true form of the sacrament those who received orders from them and were otherwise fitting for it were received without any new Ordination only new power was given unto them for the execution of such and such Orers for as the learned Doctour Morinus de sacris Ordinat par 3. Eccercit 5. 6. well notes It may be admitted that such do receive a Character even those who are ordained against the Canons but so that the vertue of the Character is dulled or blunted not capable or not fit for action the Ancients did esteem Ordination Canonically given could never be blotted out but that its force or vertue by deposition might be repressed or dulled that it could not produce any other Ordination which may be confirmed by the common Doctrine of the Church which teaches that a Priest notwithstanding his Character received in some causes cannot give either lawfully or validly absolution As for that which is added concerning the use of the now English Church whch re-ordains not priests coming to it all men know that according to their Opinion it would be very Sacrilegious for no true Protestant will deny but that Catholick Ordination is valid and of Real force giving all power and vertue belonging to a Priest which to deny would be destructive to their pretended Hierarchy which has no other Foundation for its succession then that their Priests and Biships were so ordained The true state of the Case is the Catholick Church in such case Ordains those who were never truly
contemplate the works of God and confider every particular in one Miracle we may finde many Miracles which exceed all created power For the satisfaction of the Reader I shall illustrate it by examples Exodus the 4. God converted Moses his rod into a serpent which without all doubt was a great Miracle which also carries with it many Miracles included therein 1. the Rod was reduced to nothing and 2. To the serpent then created God gave motion proportion figure and other qualities of a serpent and in like manner turning this new created serpent into a rod the serpent was reduced to nothing and the serpent was converted into a rod which received a new being not by any created power but by God himself who also gave it colour proportion figure and dimension with other properties agreeable to the nature of a rod so that there was a double transubstantiation or conversion from one substance to another substance and transmutations or conversions of accidents to other accidents independently of any natural cause or action and here we may note that our wonderful God afterward gave to Moses power to do the same not by his humane vertue or power but by the power and gift of God whereby alone Moses as Gods Ministers and instrument did the same In like manner God did miraculously give to the Children of Israel Manna Exod. 16. and in it are contained many Miracles 1. That it was in such plenty that every day it was sufficient for three Millions 2. That every one how much or how little they gathered had as much and no more then theother 3. Every one received nourishment thereby equally to their condition savour and appetite The holy text sayes according to that which they were able to eat 4. The Manna putrified the next day excepting only the sabbaoth day when it did not putrify 5. On the sixth day the Manna was doubled and was not to be found on the sabaoth day 6. Solomon sap 16. tells us that God gave bread from heaven without labour having in it all delectation and the sweetness of all tasts serving every mans will and was turned to what every one would 7. God continued this Manna for 40. years and no more 8. God preserved this Manna in the Tabernacle for many ages If this Manna which as our Saviour himself John 6. teaches was but a figure or sign of the bread which he was to give to wit his body and bloud has so many maricles accompanyed it why should any reasonable man wonder that so many Miracles should accompany the celestial and divine Manna especially if they be necessarily annexed to the nature of so great and so miraculous a Sacrament wherein the body and bloud of our Saviour Christ is contained The royal Peophet Psal 110. cries out God hath made a memory of his miraculous works a merciful and pittiful Lord he hath given meat to them that fear him which according to all Catholick Interpreters is as much as to say God hath left one most special and most beneficial memory of all other benefits to wit his body and bloud in a miraculous manner as a memory of his Passion and our Redemption as the spiritual food and substance of all souls who rightly fear him The greatest Miracle is the Transubstantiation or conversion of the bread and wine into the body and bloud of Christ of which I shall speak in place convenient which with it carries necessarily many other Miracles as in the next Chapter I shall fully declare There remain two difficulties which manifest the Doctors Ignorance or malice the first is that the Doctor attributes all these Miracles to the Priests as if it all were done by their power according to our belief wherein he grievously errs as hereafter I shall declare for with S. Augustine l. 10. de civit Dei cap. 12. All Catholicks believe all Miracles done by Angels or men truly to be done by Gods power working in them If then there be any Miracles as no Christian can deny in the Eucharist it is God alone who works them by the Ministery of the Priests even as I said before he did work miracles by his servant Moses so S. Peter Act. 3. cured the lame man at the doors of the temple but advises the people that they should not think that he did it by his own power or holiness but in the name or power of Jesus so the priests do not any of those miraculous things in the sacrifice of the Mass by any humane power but by his ministerial power received in his Ordination Christ himself doth effect them so that the Doctors babling so often of Miracles wrought by the Romish priests is but meer raillery or most base ignorance The other as ignorant folly is his canting with reiteration touching the Roman priest bringing down Christs body from heaven at his pleasure as though Christ in coming to the Eucharist did leave the right hand of his Father in heaven which is a grosse errour for Christ is no less in heaven after the Consecration then he was before the Consecration he is sitting still at the right hand of his Father according to the Article of our Creed yet nevertheless he is in the Sacrament this indeed is a Miracle wrought only by Gods omnipotent power this made S. Chrysostome l. 3. de sacerdot to exclame O Miracle O benignity of God he who sitts above with the Father in the same article of time is often handled in the hands of all and he delivers himself to those who are desirous to receive and embrace him hom 3. ad Ephesios and hom 61. ad populum Antioch Also he says As many of us who communicate of the body of Christ and taste his bloud let us consider that we taste the body and taste the bloud of him who sits in the celestials and is adored by the Angels Their great Master Calvin lib. 4. Instit cap. 17. says In his supper he commands me to take eat and drink under the symbols of bread and wine his body and bloud for although it may seem incredible that in so great a distance of places as heaven and earth the flesh of Christ should penetrate to us that it may be meat for us we must yet remember how much above our senses the secret power of the holy Ghost can shew it self that which our minde comprehendeth not our faith conceives the spirit truly joyns together things locally separated sect 24. Nothing mooe incredible that things so far distant and remote within the whole space of heaven and earth in the whole distances of places are not only conjoyned but also united CHAP. X. Concerning the Miracles which follow in the hody Sacrament of the Eucharist THe Doctor much troubles himself about the Miracles which occur in the Eucharist whereas any one who believes the real presence of Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament must needs know that those Miracles do necessarily follow thereto If he could disprove
exprimendam sunt accommodata dum per Apostolum Tit. 1. mandavit Christus ut crearentur Ministri mandavit implicite ut inter ordinandum verba adhiberentur Idonea quae dati tam ordinis potestatem complecterentur istius modi autem verba quatenus Datam potestatem denotant sunt illius ordinis forma essentialis If there be no form expressing or determining the power the most essential part is wanting and consequently no true Ordination Doctour Bramhal well considered this defect in all the following words of their form in Ordination and therefore he attributes the giving of this power to the words Accipite spiritum sanctum receive ye the holy Ghost In which is contained the power to consecrate but first these words receive ye the holy Ghost are as indeterminate as the imposition of hands And Act. 8. in order to Confirmation and no wayes to Ordination v. 17. It is said they imposed their hands upon them and they received the holy Ghost Secondly the Apostles were made priests in the last supper without these words and when our Saviour did use these words he specifies and determines the power which was given thereby whose sins ye forgive shall be forgiven c. But Doctour Bramhal will still insist that in saying Receive ye the holy Ghost is understood Receive the grace of the holy Ghost to exercise the office of Priesthood to which thou hast been now presented If this had been expressed the difficulty would soon cease but this is a meer invention of this learned Doctour who tells rather what it ought to be then what it is for during well nigh a hundred years the English Bishops never made such expression Some perhaps will say the Bishops always by those words did intend and so understand those words It is very probable that Bishop of Bramhal did so understand it but neither the meaning nor Intention of the Ordainer can add any force or vertue to the sacrament or be sufficient to produce sacramental effects without words determining and specifying the Ordination which is the most essential part or form of the sacrament No wonder then that we make difficulty in their Form of Ordination when in the late Act of Vniformity The Clergy of the Kingdom as supposing the precedent form of Ordination insufficient and not satisfactory have determined that the true form of Ordaining Priests is Receive the holy Ghost in the office of a Priest which in a manner is the same with what the Grecian Church useth which is The divine grace which always cures the infirm and supplys what is wanting promote N. this venerable Deacon to be a Priest whose office even according to the whole Grecian Church is to offer sacrifice which also in the following prayers they expresly mention Symon Bishop of Thessalonia in Tract de Ordinat affirms that the Priests and Deacons are ordained before the Altar where the Chalice is present whence in the Latin Church their Ordination is admitted because although they use not the same words yet they have words which in a general way express the determination of the material fignifying also the quality and nature and office of the order of Priesthood and distinction from other Orders Now admitting this Form after so long time made choice of not to condemn it for a not-sufficient form or reproving it but only that it is different from the use of the Western Church which always had other words in their Ordination of Priests from whence those who were under the Patriark of the West ought not to differ according to the Decree of the second Milevitan Councel cap. 12. that no ordination should be used but what was approved by the Councel but omitting this I have two things to say the first that from the first Ordination made in the time of King Edward 6. there was no true ordination of Priesthood untill this late Ordinance in the Act of Vniformity by reason that their was no essential form used and by consequence there was not true Priesthood from whence also it follows there were no true Bishops For as Mr Mason well infers in his Preface Cum Episcopum esse nequeatqui non fuerit Presbyter si nos presbiteros non esse probatum dederint De Ministerio Anglico actum est The second thing is that the now Church of England doth plainly reject and renounce the Function or Office of Priesthood insomuch that they have rejected the very name of Priest even in the holy Scripture translating Elder for Presbyter a name signifying antiquity of years and appropriated as well to secular as Ecclesiastical persons in their several callings never used by the Church in the Dignity of Priesthood others retain the name but not the Office whence Mr Mason l. 5. cap. 1. sticks not to say If by the name of Priest you had meant nothing else but a Minister of the Gospel to whom is committed the dispensing of the Word and Sacraments we would profess our selves Priests whence they more commonly are called Ministers Catholicks deny not the name Ministers in regard of the exercise of those functions for Bishops Priests Deacons and other inferiour Orders may be called Ministers so S. Paul Act. 4. calls the office of Apparitor which were sent to visit the Prisons Ministers and Rom. 15. Christ himself is called Minister of Circumcision And again v. 16. S. Paul stiles himself Minister of Christ Jesus in the Gentiles which rather signifies a particular office and vocation for the conversion of the Gentiles whence he is called Doctor Gentium then Priesthood which by office is indifferent to Jew or Gentile 1 Cor. 3. S. Paul calls himself and Apollo Ministers that is instruments of Christ Jesus and therefore in the next Chapter he sayes so let a man esteem us as the Ministers of Christ and the Dispensers of the Mysteries of God that is in the exercise or use of our function or office which we have received by our vocation or ordination whereby we receive power and authority to exercise our Ministery and dispensation in which principally consists the nature and reason of Ordination by which as the same Apostle says they are made meer Ministers of the New Testament so that all Priests are Ministers but all Ministers are not Priests and the word Priest plainly signifies him that hath power to ministrate and may be called Minister in the time of his Ministration The Prophet Jeremy cap. 32. v. 21. calls Gods Priests and Levites his Ministers Phil. 2.25 S. Paul calls Epaphroditus his brother and coadjutor and fellow-soldier and the Apostle and Minister of his necessities M. Mason must give me leave to ask of him a question whether he believes that Priests have no other power then what he specifies to wit a Minister of the Gospel to whom is committed the dispensing of the word and Sacraments if he does not his words are vain if he does how will this stand with what he saith in other places as lib. 5.
ordained if the English Church should attempt to ordain Priests they should ordain those who were formerly rightly and fully ordained CHAP. XV. Whether the Sacrifice of the Masse be Idolatry THat the Masse hath been held and esteemed in all times a divine and holy Sacrifice is sufficiently proved so that to question whether it be Idolatry is in a manner to condemn the whole Christian Church of which that prudent and gave D. Thorndike in his book of Just weights and measures chap. 1. They who professe the only true Christ and therefore the only true God do necessarily professe to detest all Idolatry which the profession of Christianity effectually rooted out of the world wheresoever it prevailed and so doth the Church of Rome still as seriously professe and therefore cannot easily be convinced to professe Idolatry for without expresly renouncing this profession they cannot expresly be Idolaters without renouncing it by such consequence as may convince common reason that they contradict themselves and renounce all of them that which all of them professe they cannot be Idolaters by consequence And therefore it is not easie to make it appear to common reason that they are Idolaters because then it must appear to common reason that so great a part of Christendom doth by their profession contradict that which themselves professe In the margent he says They that separate from the Church of Rome as Idolaters are thereby Schismaticks before God The reason is clear for the pretence of Idolatry in the Romane Church is no sufficient ground for any one to separate himself from it And that which Dr. Brevent attributes to Idolatry in the Mass is meerly framed in his own fancy and it is purely a conceit or blinde ignorance or malice that imputes Idolatry to that which all Christians have believed to have been the greatest honour that humane nature can give to God If Masse be a sacrifice as is fully proved before it cannot be called Idolatry for either the act or object must make it so sure not the act which is approved by Gods word and to give to God all supreme honour cannot be reproved much less the object which is only the true God S. Augustine said well that the act of sacrifice is given only to the true God or to an imagined or to a feigned God So that according to the sense of the whole world sacrifice is only given to God the sole object of this sacrifice is the only true God not to any imagined or false God both which were true Idolatry but the sacrifice to the true God cannot be said to be Idolatry which according to Its Etymologies is to give Latria or supreme and soveraign honour to an Idol which as Saint Paul saith is nothing but only in the esteem of the Idolater I think that there is none who have understanding and reason can or dare say that the papists in their sacrifice do give any honour or worship that is Latria or supreme honour to any false Imagined God for they cannot but know that their constant belief is that there is but one true God as an absolute article of their faith their forms of Liturgies or Masses both in their prayers rites ceremonies and publick belief are testimonies of the same and do plainly manifest that the whole sacrifice is directed and intended only and soly to the true God The Mass liturgie or divine service consisting principally in the oblation made to the true God cannot be said Idolatrous whence I have often admired that men of understanding learning or judgment should so imprudently call it Idolatry when the Church of England in imitation of the Roman Church has framed a form of Communion which some of them have termed with the name of Divine service Liturgy or sacrifice and oblation and has the best part of its Prayers Prefaces and such like But some will say that this sacrifice was not instituted by Christ at least has no ground in the Scripture I answer first that this may be retorted against their form of Communion which is but of late Invention and has no more ground in Scripture Secondly admitting this to be true yet the Mass cannot be said to be Idolatry for the Church intends not thereby to give any honour to any feigned or imagined God but only to the true God the worst that can be said is that the Church erred in exercising that power that she hath not or was deceived in her decrees but this will never reach to Idolatry Thirdly the Church has always believed that Christ himself instituted this sacrifice in his last supper as it has been clearly proved before as also that it is grounded in the old and new Testament Others object that the Mass admits of the Adoration of the Host which is plain Idolatry for such Adoration cannot be said to be exhibited to God who is not in the Eucharist whence M. Thorndike in his book above-cited cap. 19. makes this Demonstration They who give the honour proper to God to his creature are Idolaters They that worship the Host give the honour due to God to his creature the conclusion follows ergo they that worship the host are Idolaters I answer M. Thorndike calls it a Demonstration as it seemed to others but not to himself and therefore says But will any Papist acknowledg that he honours the Elements of the Eucharist or as he thinks the Accident of them for God will common reason charge him to honour that which he believeth not to be there A little after He that worships the Host believes our Lord Christ to be the only true God hypostatically united to our flesh and bloud which beiag present in the Eucharist in such a manner as it is not present every where there is due occasion to give it that worship in the Eucharist which the Godhead in our Manhood is to be worshiped upon all occasions They who know that the Godhead of Christ is the reason for which his flesh and bloud is worshiped in the Eucharist cannot take that worship for Idolatry because his flesh and bloud is not present in the Eucharist as they who worship it there think it is for they know that the flesh and bloud of Christ is no Idol to Christians wheresoever it is worshipped If Jewes Mahometans Infidells and Ethnicks and those who deny the Incarnation should take Christians for Idolaters in wirshiping Christ in the Eucharist I should not wonder for they excluding the true object of such adoration consequently do reject such adoration for if Christ be not God Adoration or Latria is not due to him But Christians who believe Christ Jesus to be God and man cannot with any reason deny but that he is adorable and to be adored in the highest manner So that all Adoration to him is not only free from Idolatry but also is the general duty of all Christians and therefore it is a strange madness to accuse Catholicks of Idolatry when in the Eucharist they