thanke God sayeth hee in this Sacrament for that hee hath deliuered vs from errour Chrysost in hom 24. in 1. ad Cor. for that hee hath adopted vs for brethren so far off as we were from al hope by reason of our impieties and therfore we call it the cup of blessing and the Eucharist In the lithurgie likewise which is attributed vnto S. Basill is wholie set downe the storie of our redemption and in the verie place of the Canon of the Romish Masse Of the Canon and endeth with the institution of the holie Supper no word or mention made of anie propitiatorie Sacrifice other then of our Lord himselfe to bee short it is worth the noting that we cannot by tracing out find or meete with anie one step or footing of the Canon of this Masse in the olde Writers though otherwise diligent inough to anotomize vnto vs the partes and prices of their seruice if it were not for one onelie place in S. Ambrose in his bookes of the Sacramentes and yet those bookes not acknowledged of all men to be his howsoeuer vnder his name for the foresaide end abused most notoriously S. Ambrose sayeth S. Ambrose l. 4. 67. de Sacr. Fac nobis hanc oblationem adscriptam rationabilem acceptabilem quod est figura corporis sanguinis Domini c. that is vouchsafe O Lord to make this our oblation and offring to bee allowed vs in our account and hold it as acceptable because it is the figure of the bodie and blood of our Lord who the day before he suffered tooke bread in his holie hands c. And wee haue said inough hereof before namely in what sence they vsed this word oblation according to the imitation of the Iewish Church which is likewise plainely seene by this prayer framed according vnto that of the law Let the offring of their gifts be acceptable But whereas S. Ambrose vseth this word figure their Canon sayeth Grant that it may be vnto vs the bodie and blood of Christ Againe of this oblation that is to say of the elements of bread and wine taken from the Masse and whole lumpe of the same set before and presented vnto the belieuers for Sacraments and vnto God for a sacrifice of thankesgiuing in remembrance of the passion death and resurrection of Christ Saint Ambrose saide Vnde memores eius passionis c. precamur vt hanc oblationem suscipias c. We pray thee that in remembrance of his death and passion c. thou wouldest receiue this oblation vpon thine heauenlie altar by the hands of thine Angels as thou didst vouchsafe to receiue the gifts of Abell thy seruant and deare child and the sacrifice of the Patriarch Abraham c. Now that which he speaketh of the oblation of the Elements made Sacraments by the word the Romish Canon vpon the insuing of the first corruptions and deprauing of thinges tooke occasion to speake it of Iesus Christ himselfe so that what the one said of the figure the other spake of the thing it self so by consequent make the sacrifice of Christ inferiour to those of Abell Abraham and Melchisedech Acceptable sayth he as those which indeed we know by the vniform consent of the whole Scriptures to haue been acceptable to God by no other meanes saue onelie in Iesus Christ And let vs further note by the way that in the Lithurgie which they attribute vnto S. Ambrose they haue razed and scraped out the worde figure that so they might fit the Canon the better to that of the Romish Masse As for the consecration or blessing it was not attributed vnto certaine wordes Of the consecration or blessing and much lesse vnto a prefixt and set number of wordes but onelie to the institution of the Lord and to the effectuall power thereof And this appeareth in that the olde Doctors did neuer teach otherwise and in that diuerse men haue vsed diuerse and different wordes herein also for that in diuerse Lithurgies the wordes are diuerse and herein likewise for that the Latines doubted not but that the Greciās as they speak did consecrate and yet notwithstanding the Greeks did not make account that their consecration was accomplished till afterthe prayer which followeth the institution of the holy Supper the Latines on the contrarie defend at this day that it was accomplished in these onelie wordes Hoc est enim corpus meum c. Let it bee so In these Lithurgies wherewith they would dazell our eyes and which they attribute to S. Iames S. Clement S. Basill S. Chrysostome c. according to the translations of their interpreters In S. Clement his Lithurgie Ostendat the wordes of consecration are these in the praier which they make after the reading of the institution of the Supper We O Lord mindfull of the passion of thy deare Son do beseech thee according to thy institution that it will please thee to send thy holie spirit vpon the Sacrament here present and set before vs who may cause and manifestly declare that the bread is the bodie of Christ and the wine his blood shed and powred out for the life of the world And so likewise speaketh Cyrill in steade that in the Church of Rome the consecration is neyther attributed vnto the institution that goeth before nor vnto the prayer that followeth but vnto the onely pronuntiation or speaking of their wordes giuen and deliuered by strict accountes without interruption as though forsooth it were some precise forme of wordes for the passing of some bargaine in the ciuill law as the Schoolemen are wont to reason notwithstanding that the Cardinall Caietan doth hold that when it is said Benedixit it was Benedictione laudis non consecrationis and that hee was neuer willing to make any exposition vppon the pretended wordes of consecration because hee coulde not finde therein anie ground or foundation laide vppon antiquitie Now as for these wordes how they should bee vnderstoode wee will handle that point when we come to speake of the question of Transubstantiation so that here it shall suffice to haue spoken of it by way of historie The prayer The praier that it would please God to make the faithfull communicating to become more and more one bodie and one spirit that is to say the misticall bodie of Christ is in all the Lithurgies aboue named according to that which Saint Augustine teacheth That the Sacrifice of Christians is their being of manie one bodie in Christ That which is most worthy sayeth hee and notable in the Sacrament of the Altar August Epist 59. is for that in the oblation which the Church offreth shee is offred vppe her selfe vnto God and to bee offred sayeth hee in an other place is as much as to bee vowed and dedicated vnto him seeing that in this Sacrament we protest by a sacred and soueraigne vow to dwell in Christ and in his bond and couenant And therefore he addeth I suppose that
bread shall liue for euer And in S. Augustines time there were that taught hereupon that if a man had communicated at the Lords supper how be it he should afterward renounce the Christian profession yet hee could not possibly perish and fall away for euer Wherefore as oft as euer wee shall reade such places we ought alwayes to remember and call to mind these rules The good and prudent Reader saith Saint Hillarius doth looke for the vnderstanding of that which is said Hilat. de Trin. l. 1. Hieronym in Mat. not by fetching it from any preiudicate opinion of his owne but from the cause of that which is said And S. Ierome The discreete Reader is verie carefull to keepe himselfe euermore from all manner of superstitious vnderstanding he frameth and squareth his sence and vnderstanding according to the Scriptures August cont aduers leg Prophet l. 2. c. 9. and not the Scriptures according to it And Saint Augustine handling this same matter One peece of Scripture must be expounded by an other and all the holy Scriptures according to the soundnesse of faith if we expound any thing done or spoken figuratiuely it standeth vs vpon to see that such expositions be drawne wisely and not negligently from other things and words which are contained in the holy writings But aboue all wee haue to consider in the matter of the Sacramentes what a Sacrament is and in the matter of the holy supper that therein is handled the most excellent of all the rest that is to say a great mysterie a profound and high secret and that so soone as wee heare the word Sacrament wee must lift vp our spirits from the beholding of these outward things to the apprehending of inward things from the skin to the marrow and from of the earth vp vnto heauen obseruing the nature of the misterie the signification of the word and what the thing doth permit suffer what the letter saith and what the meaning of the spirit is Thus These words This is my body cannot bee interpreted without a figure This is my bodie according to their sence and construction what shall it signifie Hoc this If it be meant of the bread then it must be thus taken This bread is my bodie But this is not their meaning for they confesse that it cannot bee two substances at one and the same instant And when two chiefe and primarie substances that is to say two Iudiuidua as the Logicians call them are called the one by the name of the other there must of necessitie be included a figure but this they wil not yeeld vnto Furthermore they doe not pretend that it is the body vntill the last word be vttered and wee are as yet but in the verie first And in the meane time then shall it not be the same which our Lord tooke blessed brake and gaue to his Disciples that is to say bread What shall then this hoc make The accidents of bread without the subiect namely whitenesse roundnesse c And what manner of speech were it to say The accidents of bread are my body which is giuen for you or else their Indiuiduum vagum and vage determinatum This I cannot tell what in the ayre which they can neither name nor point out so as that it may be comprehended How it may bee bread in the beginning of the vttering of the words and his body in the end What a number of obscure and straunge figures to how many contradictorie designments and deuises are they driuen and all to auoide one cleare and manifest figure and that such a one as is verie often and familiarly vsed in the Sacraments Afterward This is my bloud What shal be the meaning of this Hoc in this place It is said that taking the cup he blessed it and said Drinke ye all Bibite ex hoc omnes This Hoc then is the cup whereof he saith This is my bloud But can it possibly be that the cup should be called blood without a figure seeing that according to their owne assertions it is the wine and not the cup It followeth Est This is say they a verbe substantiue Let it bee granted but is it therefore a verbe transubstantiue This is my bodie that is to say This is made my bodie It is substantially turned it is transubstantiated into my bodie and bloud This is their meaning and they call this word in their affected tearmes and gibberidge an operatiue and practicke Est But if it be vnderstood of the bread then what figure is it And how will their fond deuised fantasie stand sith they hold that the bread is not changed or turned but becommeth nothing to the end it may giue place to the bodie And what shew of any figure will there then be here Hoc est that is to say this Vagum Indiuiduum which hath no name is transubstantiated into his bodie And if it bee wandring and vnstable it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath not any substance Or els This bread is become nothing to giue place to the bodie c. But this word Est may it bee expounded by the word Fit factum est conuertitur transubstantiatur it is made turned transubstantiated Yea and also by Fiat conuertatur transubstantiatur that it may be made turned transubstantiated without a figure yea and which is more without any contradiction And of the cup particularly without acknowledging that it is transubstantiated But this they do not admit Let vs proceed Take eate but what Accidents but they are no proper obiects for the teeth to be occupied about The bodie of Christ then But as they say themselues it is not as yet there And then it is not chewed there it is not there broken What shall then the meaning bee of this word eate But to endeuour to eate to make semblance of eating c. But how much better had it been to haue expounded this place by the nature of other Sacraments whereof it is said This is my couenant as here This cup is the new Testament in my blood This is the blood of the new Testament c. all comming to the same sence Againe The rocke was Christ I am the bread of life as here The bread is my bodie the cup is my blood To expound it I say by Iesus Christ in S. Iohn My flesh is meate in deede and my bloud is drinke in deede Where in plaine tearmes he referreth vs vnto his death when hee saith Which I will giue for the life of the world As also here Which is giuen which is shed for you But saith he to the Capernaites The words that J say vnto you are spirite and life And therefore some are of iudgement that this whole speech of his was nothing else but a resolued and purposed Commentarie and a preparatiue to the right vnderstanding of the holy supper And finally to haue expounded it by Saint Paule Who giueth vnto vs that which he
the figure of his bodie in bread c. In breadâ— saith he elsewhere Quo ipsum corpus suum representat whereby he representeth his owne bodie And not In quo as Bellarmine woulde haue it which shoulde bee after his sence Idem de resurrect carn Wherein he giueth his bodie present He obiecteth a place like to that of Ireneus The flesh is nourished of the bodie and blood of Christ to the end that the soule may bee fedde or fatted of God An ordinarie argument amongst the fathers to proue the resurrection That God hath euidently shewed that hee woulde saue the soule and the bodie when as in the principall ceremonies of the Church hee hath alwayes ioyned them together as in the Eucharist giuing the Sacrament to the bodie the grace to the soule and sometimes they speake hyperbolicallie But let him here againe call to minde that which he lately said That to take it so would make a maruellous grosse error And then that he must vnderstande it sacramentally which is as much as to say expounding Tertullian by himselfe by these words contained in the same booke Idem ibid. c. 37. Although our Lorde saide that the flesh profiteth nothing yet wee must bee carefull to make the sence answerable to the matter there spoken of for they accompted his wordes hard as if hee had verily determined to haue giuen them his flesh to eate To the end therefore that he might settle the estate of saluation in the spirit he hath mentioned before how that it is the spirite that quickeneth c. Verily saith Pamelius that is to say rawlie From what place may not a man bee able to escape and defend himselfe from if such figures be receiued in disputations Origen giueth vs these Maximes which doe quite ouerturne transubstantiation Orig. in Mat. c. 15. That which is sanctified by the word of God and prayer doth not sanctifie of it owne nature him that vseth it Againe This meate also thus sanctified as concerning his materiall portion goeth downe into the bellie and from thence into the draught according to that which our Lord hath said That which entreth in at the mouth goeth downe into the bellie and is cast out into the draught c. What can a man imagine that may be spoken more clearely If as some doe a man would say that hee speaketh not of the Eucharist it appeareth to the contrarie by these words taken out of Saint Paule handling this matter against them which did abuse it And therefore many are weake amongst you c. 1. Cor. 11. If any man say with Bellarmine that by the matter which goeth into the draught is vnderstood the accidents what Grammer or what Rhetoricke did euer teach this figure which taketh the matter for the accidents What is it then saith hee that profiteth in this meate Verily not the matter of bread but the word spoken ouer the same to him that eateth it worthily And these thinges are spoken of his figuratiue and symbolicall bodie c. Of this meate which whosoeuer shall eate he shall liue for euer which no wicked man can eate c. Againe Wee drinke the blood of Christ not onely in the ceremonie of the Sacramentes Orig. in Numer hom 16. In Mat. c. 26. but also when we receiue his wordes wherein life consisteth according to that which himselfe hath said The wordes that I haue said vnto you are spirite and life c. And expounding the same wordes of the holy Supper This bread which the worde of God confesseth to bee his bodie is the nursing worde of our soules c. But saith Bellarmine Idem in Exod. hom 13. Idem hom 5. in diuers euang loc So that wee take heede saith he that wee let not any part of the consecrated gift to fall And what is that which wee doe not our selues for the reuerence due vnto the Sacramentes And that receiuing the breade of life and the cuppe wee ought humblie to cast downe our selues and say with the Centurion Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe c. This roofe I aske them in conscience what it is whether it be our bellie or our soule seeing it is our soule and not our bellie that must be humbled Saint Cyprian The Lord calleth his bodie bread made vp of many cornes and his blood Cypr. l. 1. ep 5. wine pressed out of manie grapes Then Hoc that is to say This bread this wine against our aduersaries And in another place he yeeldeth the reason Idem de vnct Chrismat Idem l. 2. cp 3. Because that in the table of the Lord the thinges signifying and the signified are called by the same name He saith not because that the signe is transformed into the thing or that the thing taketh the place of the signe Againe The bloud of him by whome we are redeemed and quickned can not bee seene seeing the wine is not in the cuppe by the which the blood of Christ ostenditur is shewed A little after he saith Exprimitur is expressed which is declared by the testimony and sacrament of all scriptures Hee disputeth against them which vsed not anie thing but water in the Sacrament contesting and solemnely affirming the necessarie and vnauoidable vse of wine because that the proportion of the life and corporall sustentation compared with the spirituall is not otherwise well signified and represented therein And how then shall the argument bee able to maintaine it selfe if there bee nothing but Accidentes In his sermon of the Supper yet some doubt that it was not his Before these wordes this meate was not commodious for anie other thing then to nourish the bodie but after that the Lorde had sayde Doe this in remembrance of me This is my flesh this is my bloud As oft as it is celebrated with this forme of wordes and substance of faith this substantiall bread and this cup consecrated by a solemne blessing profiteth vnto life and to the saluation of euerie man the whole together being a medicine to heale infirmities and a burnt sacrifice to purge iniquities Note first that he attributeth not the consecration to the fiue wordes but to the institution Secondly That the wordes themselues which they call Sacramentall are not those which they determine of and affirme to bee but Haec est caro mea hic est sanguis meus In the third place That faith is necessarie thereunto Fourthly That it euer continueth to bee bread and the cuppe blessed and consecrated not transubstantiated And fiftly That they doe not chaunge their nature the signes still continuing their power and vertue to nourish the bodie and grace accompanying the same by the operation of the worde to nourish the soule This is that which hee vnfoldeth and layeth open in the same treatise in other wordes which they faine would but can not abuse to make for their purpose The bread saith he which the Lorde set before his
by the offering of his bodie once made wee are sanctified that by his owne blood hee is entred into the holy places hauing obtained an euerlasting redemption that hauing offered vp this onely sacrifice for sinnes he sitteth for euer at the right hand of God his father And in all this there is likewise as little to bee replyed that Christ is no more offered after a bloody manner but by a certaine kinde of sacrifice without blood For besides that this distinction hath no warrant in all the scripture the Apostle as if he had forseene the same cutteth it off in a word for not being contented to haue gone ouer it oftentimes how that wee haue propitiation for our sinnes in the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ once shed that all manner of other blood is voide and destitute of this effectuall power c. To the ende that wee might place our propitiation in this his only blood he yet further giueth vs these generall rules That it behoueth that the death of this Priest should be wrought for the ransome of transgressors that whereas there is forgiuenesse of sinnes that is to say after this ransome paide there is not any more offering for sinne that as concerning the rest there is no purifying or cleansing no remission without blood Whereuppon it followeth that there is no more oblation for sinne other then that of our Lord no more propitiation saue that in his blood and therefore not any more by that pretended sacrifice of theirs without blood But if they reply that if this bloodlesse sacrifice of theirs bee not propitiatorie yet it helpeth vs to make application and to take hold of the true propitiation Wee answere neuer a deale for wee are all Priestes in this behalfe all annointed by the spirite of Christ to represent and daylie offer vp vnto God the sacrifice of his onely Sonne in the feruencie of our prayers made in a liuely faith to the ende that it might please him vpon the view of the same to forgiue vs our offences He himselfe likewise as saith the Apostle is sitting neere vnto his father to make intercession for vs to make way of entrance for our requestes to apply vnto vs his faithfull ones the merite of his obedience the benefite of his death and the efficacie of his sacrifice supplying the defectes of our petitions by his intercession the infirmities of our faith and the imperfections of our obedience by the faithfulnesse of the couenant made in his blood and by the perfect obedience performed by him vpon the Crosse CHAP. II. An answere to the obiections of the aduersaries which they pretend to gather out of the holy scriptures for a Sacrifice NOw therefore what is there that our aduersaries can obiect against this doctrine grounded vpon the anology of the whole bodie of the holy scriptures both of the old and new Testament and that by so manifold plaine and expresse places They tell vs that the sacrifices of the law haue in such sorte shadowed out the sacrifice of our Lord vppon the Crosse as that neuerthelesse they haue not vtterly bereft vs of all manner of Sacrifice and that in very deede the Sacrifice of the Masse is prefigured and foretold in the old Testament and that such a one as they vse to celebrate at this day sacrificing the body and blood of our Lord vnder the kindes of bread and wine vpon their altars But let vs see vppon what ground In Genesis the 14. it is said Melchisedech king of Salem brought Genes 14. Melchisedech or caused wine bread to be brought and he was the priest of the high God They cannot deny but that this is not the true text in that place and yet notwithstanding they gather with a full hand this conclusion Christ is a Priest according to the order of Melchisedech and he brought bread and wine therefore Iesus Christ hath sacrificed bread and wine and vnder bread and wine his body and his blood and the priestes do the same daily according to his example Let vs agree in the grammaticall and literall sence and the whole controuersie in diuinitie wil be altogether void and ended The Hebrew word which is vsed there is neuer vsed in the scriptures about the matter of sacrifice cannot be better expressed then by that which we say in French To draw forth set forth or to cause to be brought or to bring forth In this sence wee reade the same word for the drawing forth of a sword Ezech. 21. the drawing forth of the windes Psalme the 135. And lice brought forth Exod. 8. and water from the rocke Cypr. in epist ad Cecil Chrysost in hom 35. in c. 14. Genes Numbers 30. in which places and infinit others the holy Ghost hath vsed the same word The Chaldie Paraphrast saith He brought or caused to be brought The Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latine Protulit Cyprian Chrysostome in like manner Iosephus saith He entertained him as a guest Ioseph l. 1. c 18. Ambros ad Hebr. c. 7. Cardin. Caiet in Genes c. 14 and suffered not him or any of his followers to want any thing Saint Ambrose also Protulit in refectionem And Cardinall Hugo seemeth to hold himselfe satisfied with the same sence affirming that the Hebrew Doctors had so expounded it The vulgar translation Proferens panem vinum And Cardinall Caietan in like manner Here is not any thing written of any sacrifice or oblation Sed de prolatione seu extractione but of bringing forth or causing of bread wine to be brought as Iosephus saith for the refreshing of the conquerors And thus also Erasmus Sigonius do take it for which they are reproued of Posseuinus the Iesuite Possenin Bibliothec Select l. 4. c. 14. But the Apostle decideth the whole matter who telleth vs that Melchisedech came before Abraham and blessed him He speaketh not of the bread wine he findeth not any such profound mystery there he concealeth it as accessarie and priuy to that which went before it and he proceedeth to the mentioning of the blessing without making of any other stay or delay Now if the proofe of a Sacrifice do lie in this word and that this word by the consent of all interpretors containeth not so much as any shadow of a Sacrifice in it what need we then to seeke to proceed or wade any further to fish out long discourses the fountaine fathered vpon the word being alreadie dried vp and stopped Graunt it say they but yet he bringeth forth bread But now let them not go about to be ignorant of that which they know namely that the Hebrews vnder the name of bread do comprehend all manner of food and sustenance which likewise the Septuagintes haue translated in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loaues or meates in the plurall number to shew that they were to be distributed vnto the troupes and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bread to be sacrificed
Councel of Nice including it within the same CHAP. V. The continuance of the beliefe of the Fathers of the Church in the matter of the holy supper from the first Nicene Councell vnto the time of Gregorie the great LEt vs proceede according to the order of time and succession of the Fathers Dionvs Hierarch l. 3. Saint Denis pretended the Areopagite for we haue said that he may seeme to haue liued about this time did not otherwise vnderstand it After saith he that the Bishop hath declared the workes of Iesus for the saluaetion of mankind according to the good pleasure of his father c. and that hee hath preached the reuerend contemplation of the same which is apprehended by the vnderstanding he taketh his way to the Symbolicall administration of the same and that according to the holy institution of God whereupon first crying vnto him Thou hast said it Doe this in remembrance of me he administreth the sacred things and setteth in open sight the things whereof hee hath preached by the pledges presented there in holy sort c. Againe By these venerable and reuerend signes saith he Christ is signified and receiued c. Where we may briefely note That the holy supper is celebrated according to the institution of the Lord and in remembrance of him That this is a Symbolicall that is to say a shadowing and figuratiue administration of the redemption of mankind represented by the signes of bread and wine the tokens of his bodie broken and of his bloud shed for vs That this institution is not tied to the fiue words where to our aduersaries would referre it for hee maketh mention by name of others Thou hast said it c. And that these signes doe signifie Christ vnto vs and neuerthelesse exhibite him vnto vs that is to say his grace Nowe what is there contained in all this tending to prooue any carnall eating They fortifie and beare themselues stout vpon Saint Cyrill Cyril Cateches mystag 4. 5. Bishop of Ierusalem but let vs see vpon what ground If you eate not my flesh c. The Iewes saith hee were offended because they did not vnderstand those things according to the spirit thinking that he had inuited them to a banket of mans flesh This should suffice to raise and lift vp our minds aboue the reall transmutation but this that followeth seemeth to them to proue their opinion very strongly Let vs holde it for a most vndoubted truth that the bread which we see is not bread although the taste thereof bewray it to be but the bodie of Christ and the wine in like manner c. And why do they not call to minde and bethinke themselues well at the least of their owne Maximes That the Catholike Church neuer saide That the bread was the bodie of Christ c. And therfore if they will haue S. Cyril a Catholike they must not haue him taken according to the bare letter But yet let vs admit him to bee the expounder of himselfe Consider it not saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as meere bread for it is the body and bloud of Christ And how Verily saith he according to the words of our Lord c. And how so euer our sences may goe about to informe vs otherwise yet let faith confirme vs therein Iudge not of these things according to the taste c. Then it is bread and wine and not accidents but not naked and meere bread and wine for they are Sacraments and sanctified instrumentes of God indowed clothed with an other qualitie that so they might cloth vs with Christ And what they are more that we receiue by faith and that grounded vpon the words of our Lord Namely that his words are spirit life But haue they then either lost or chaunged their substance Marke him yet further Verily not any more then the water in Baptisme wher of he speaketh in the same tearmes Thinke not of this water as of bare and meere water Namely Because it is not any more wawater for drinke saith Chrysostome But the water of sanctification c. Chryrost in Psal 23. Cyril Catech. 3. No more also then the vnction or oyntment whereof Cyrill saieth You are annoynted with an oynment being made partakers and companions of Christ But beware that thou accompt not of it as of a meere oyntment for as the bread of the Eucharist after inuocating of the holy Ghost is no more common bread but the body of Christ so this holy oyntment is not a bare or common oyntment after that it is consecrated but it is a benefit of Christs which by the comming of the holy Ghost hath a vigour and power of his Diuinitie Doest thou then doubt what this should meane to be no longer bare and meere bread It is as much as not to be any more common bread it is as much as to say consecrated bread Doest thou doubt how farre this chaunge extendeth it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si fiat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The oyntment although it bee an instrument of the grace of Christ is not changed in his nature No more is the bread and the wine of the Eucharist in theirs though instruments sanctified of God and exhibiting his grace Idem Catech. 5. For saith he further in an other place this holy bread is called supersubstantiall in as much as it confirmeth the substance of the soule It descendeth not into the bellie it goeth not into the draught but it is distributed thorough out thee throughout the whole man for the saluation and profit of the body and soule c. that is to say it goeth not in at the mouth of the body but it is receiued by the mouth of the soule distributed through all the veines of the same vnto the resurrection of life And againe Idem Catech. 4. Drinke this wine in thine heart namely this spirituall wine c. Saint Ambrose This oblation is the figure of the body and bloud of our Lord c. This is not the bread that goeth into the body but the bread of eternal life which strengthneth our soules 1. Cor. 11. Againe Seeing we are deliuered by the death of our Lord in remembrance thereof in eating drinking we signified there the flesh bloud of our Lord which haue beene offered for vs. Now what should this be To be a figure to signifie to make mention of or to haue in remembrance but the same which we say That the bread is Sacramentally the body of Christ Ambros de Sacram. l. 4. c. 4. And that which hee saith himselfe In the Sacrament is Christ But some obiect from an other place Peraduenture thou wilt say saith hee my bread is vsuall that is to say common bread know that this bread is bread before the word of the Sacraments but after the consecration of bread it is made the flesh of Christ the body of Christ c. Namely by the consecration of the
you And concerning this drawing neere Chrysostome saith vnto vs in an other place There is no need why thou shouldest passe from one place to an other to draw neere vnto him hee is daily at hand vnto thee And the Apostle in the same sence Let vs draw neere vnto the throne of grace c. The sound notwithstanding which ringeth lowd in Sermons and the water which is sprinkled in Baptisme August de Vnico Baptif contr Petil. c. 5 Ambros de iis qui initiant myst c. 9. was neuer called God Saint Augustine on the contrarie saith One God is more then one Baptisme for Baptisme is not God but a Sacrament of God Of the same consequence are these that follow Saint Ambrose saith of this Sacrament Taste and see that the Lord is good Verily as he that distributeth his graces vnto vs in this Sacrament as hee that therein offereth vs his flesh and his bloud c. And there also he saith The body of Christ is signified It is become not a corporall but a spirituall meate Hee speaketh therefore of our Lord and not of the Sacrament of him of whome hee addeth Blessed are they that put their trust in him Saint Augustine vpon Beda Who shall dare to bee so bold as to eate his Lord Deverb Dom. secund Luc. Serm. 19. Hieronym ad Pammach August ad Infantes citatuâ— a Beda in 1. Cor. Idem in Ioh. tract 7. But much more say we so for he saith It is bread and it is bread and it is bread God the father God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost God who whatsoeuer he giueth thee giueth thee nothing better then himselfe But verily it is that heauenly bread of whome S. Ierome saith The Saints and holy men are fed with this bread they are filled full with euerie word of God they haue one and the same both for their Lord and for their meate Of whome Cyrill saith This flesh hath the diuine word who naturally is life And of whome Saint Augustine saith in like manner Euerie belieuer is made partaker of the body and bloud of our Lord when he is made a member of Christ in baptisme c. He is our meat but so as that we haue our mouth and taste in our hearts c. Wherefore they should rather haue pitcht and grounded themselues vpon these generall propositions so expresse and plainly set downe in the fathers Chrysostome Chrysost in oper imperf hom 11. The word of God is nothing lesse then the bodie of Christ Saint Ierome I hold that the Gospel is the bodie of Christ And although saith he that these words He that eateth my flesh c. may be vnderstood of the mystery yet it is more truly meant of the word of the Scriptures namely Seeing that the word and the Sacraments are instruncents Orig. in Exed hom 13. Ambr. de Bened Patriarch wherein it pleaseth God to lay open his graces Origen Doe you make accompt that there is lesse daunger in neglecting the word of God then in neglecting of his body Who doubteth but if that the Sacrament had beene verie God but that they would haue spoken otherwise Saint Ambrose saith Hee gineth vs this day the bread which the Minister daily consecrateth by his word that is meant of Christ We may also take the Lord himselfe who saith I am the bread of life Epiphanius This bread is of a round fashion insensible c. Our Lord all sense wholly sensible whole God wholly mouing c. Origen This bread sanctified by the word of God and praier in regarde of the materiall parts that it hath passeth into the belly and so goeth into the draught c. Is not this plainely to distinguish the heauenly bread that is to say Christ from the sanctified bread that is to say the Sacrament The creature from the Creator and that which goeth into the stomacke from that which pearceth into the soule Who is hee then that can any longer indure that such blasphemies should be fathered vpon antiquitie Stella clericor Serm. Discipuli Serm. 3. Creatur a vobis mediantib vobis That nothing was reserued Clem. Ep. 2. Idem in Lithurg Apul. Metamorph l. 11. Ruf Eccles hyst l. 2. c. 23. Gloss antiqua apud Turneb Orig. in Leuit. hom 5. Hieronym in 1. Cor. 11. Hesych in Leuit l. 2. c. 8. Euag. l 4. c. 30. Niceph. l. 17. c. 25. Concil Matisc 2. c. 25. Concil Turonens making the same to call the creature God yea or rather which is a great deale worse that it should haue called God a creature For they are not ashamed to vtter it in their words and writings That their Priest is the Creator of his Creator He that created you hath giuen you power to create him He that hath created you without your selues is created by you by the meanes of you And surely let vs further adde this one thing That if the Fathers had had any such opinion they would not haue vsed that which remained of the Sacrament in such sort as wee reade they did Their pretended Clement I. saith After that euerte man hath taken it the Deacons set vp the rest and carrie it in pastophoria that is to say into the Ministers their lodgings or Chambers And thus also it is called by Apuleius and Ruffinus in the description of the Temple of Serapie c. Thinke with your selues whether the poore Christian Martyrs in the time of Nero had had any leasure as then once to dreame of this goodly frame and workmanship Origen The Lord said vnto his Disciples of the bread that he gaue them Take eate he did not post them ouer to eate of the same afterward neither did he commaund them that it should bee kept vnto the next morning Saint ierome After the Communion they that did eate the supper together in the Church did make an end of all that which was remaining of the sacrifices So that out of that sacred vse they did eate it as common bread Hesychius We see how they vse to burne in the Church all that which is not consumed According to Euagrius and Nicephorus They were giuen to the little children that were in the Schooles to cate them the same hower And the Councell of Mascon II. haue ordained and decreed that it should be so That of Tours about the yeare 813. held vnder Charlemaine addeth thereto That it be done with discretion Likewise Cardinall Humbert a Burgundian writing against Nicetus Blameth the Greekes for that they did not burne it But it is for certaine that it was not kept eleuated or shut vp close in a boxe to be worshipped of the people We reade rather that it was sent to the sicke and such as were absent that Bishops in token of their Christian vnitie and that they were all one bread did mutually send this sanctified bread Concil Laodic c. 14. one to an other c. The Parishes likewise at Easter one to an other Which thing
the furnace Also for that now the Church beganne to be very rich of gifts that the sacrifices that is the offerings of the people should be distributed and diuided equally into foure portions for the Bb. or Pastour for the Cleargie or ministers of the Church for the poore and for the repairing of the church And therevpon and that not without cause euerie one being hereby thus tickled and pricked forward to adde euery day some thing to the seruice as their fancie led them the Mileuitane Councell in the time of S. Augustine tooke the matter in hand ordaining that no other praiers prefaces supplications and masses that is Collects Recommendations or Impositions of hands should be vsed in the Church but those which were approued in that Councel or Synode Least as the same saith by negligence or ignorance there might slip some thing which might be contrarie to the faith this reason is likewise giuen afterward by the Africane councell and it came as yet timely enough if it had been well obserued by those which after came in place yea by Gregorie himselfe And thus be hold The vnlikenes of the Romish Masse we are come to the fiue hundreth yeares after Christ finding in all this time one seruice consisting of confessions and praiers Psalmes reading preaching blessing and distributing of the sacraments according to the institution of our Lord singing of praises vnto God during the time of the communion and a thankesgiuing for the end and conclusion c. without any new offering or sacrificing vp of the sonne of God without any inuocating of the creatures by praying vnto theÌ„ without adoring and worshipping of the sacraments and without as yet free from infinite other both impieties and superstitions and therefore by consequent far from the Masse vsed at this day and on the contrarie side comming much neerer vnto the manner of the holy supper as it is now vsed in the reformed Churches The Romish Masse which is the action of one onely man saying reading speaking by figures in a language not vnderstood that is voide of edification then eating drinking without communion all alone and yet speaking continually in the plurall number being a colde ceremonie if euer there were any The holy supper on the contrarie consisting of a feruent praier by the which the Pastour maketh open protestation The cokerâ—ce and agreement of the Lords Supper with that of olde and declaration of the miserie and destruction of mankinde for the people and himselfe of their serious repentance vnto amendement of life and of remission of sinnes by faith in Christ in Psalmes sung with one consent of heart and voice by all the people for to quicken and stirre vp their fainting and ouer dull spirits vnto God in the reading of the sacred word and the interpreting and applying of the same in his time place by the Pastour as namely after that he hath in solemne sort supplicated the Almightie creator in the fauour of his onely begotten that it would please him to open his mouth for to teach and deliuer the same profitably and the eares and hearts of the people for to vnderstand well in a generall praier for the necessities of the Church and of the whole world for Magistrates pastours the conuersion of Infidels the extirpation and rooting out of heresies the publike peace and all maner of generall and particular afflictions in the reading of the holy supper and expounding of the same by the which namely the faithfull are exhorted to come to the holy table in humilitie and deuotion in assurance of faith and ardent charitie with an earnest acknowledgement of their sinnes and notwithstanding in a stedfast affiance in the mercies of God manifested and reuealed in Iesus Christ admonished to renounce all rancour and hatred contentions and strife and carefully to labour to bee reconciled if so be that they bee broken forth and come to the knowledge of others but the impenitent and wilfull obstinate are debarred from the same and that not by the voice and declaration of the Deacon alone but by a seuere denunciation of the iudgement of God if they abuse the bodie of the Lord as likewise by the sence and feeling of their owne consciences or by the iudgement of the Church After which things all and euery one came neere vnto the holy table in decent order and due reuerence to communicate the bodie and bloud of our Lord they receiued the holie sacraments at the hands of the Pastors with the most significant words that are either in the Gospel or in any of the Epistles of the Apostles lifting vp their hearts on high and praying to God that it would please him by the vertue of his holy spirit to giue them the flesh of his sonne for their spirituall repast and foode and his blood for their drinke vnto eternall life seeing that of his infinit mercie he hath vouchsafed to make them bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh c that so they may abide liue and dwell continually in him And during all the time of this action the deuotion of the assemblie was cherished and nourished with the reading of the holy scriptures as most meete to declare the death of the Lord vntill his comming and to record the vnspeakable benefite of the same with singing of Psalmes also chosen out of purpose both for the calling to minde of man his miserie as also for giuing vnto them the sence feeling of Gods mercie and thirdly for the stirring of them vp to giue vnto God for the same all vnfained and solemne thankes And finally there followed the dismission of the assemblie with a praier of the whole people vnto God containing a briefe thankesgiuing for that it had pleased him to make them to see and taste the assurance of their saluation in the communion and participation of his welbeloued sonne ioyning therunto the singing of the song of Simeon vsed of the old Church as wee haue alreadie seene to the same end and purpose And after the solemne and accustomed blessing admonition being giuen them how they should witnes and testifie the coniunction vnitie which they feele and find in Christ by the way and manner of that liuelie sence and feeling which the members of the bodie haue with the head they were to distribute euery one according to his abilitie vnto the poor for whome the Deacons were to receiue what should be giuen I speake nothing of the order of Catechising both publikelie and priuatelie which was wont to bee appointed and practised certaine weeks before for the instruction and examination of such as should be partakers thereof the morning Sermon which ordinarily is spent in the expounding of the doctrine of the Sacrament vnto the people and that also of the after noone tending to the stirring of vs vppe to the giuing of thankes vnto God Now then let euerie man iudge without being partiall in the matter in which of these two
necessarie and requisite Wherefore there is no cause why we should meruaile if manie of the Church of Rome haue liked it better to say and hold That there was no Purgatorie in the time of the Iewish Church CHAP. VII That Purgatorie hath no foundation in the new Testament IT may be that this Purgatory so famous in the church of Rome will haue some better foundation and proofe in the newe Testament seeing that they haue made it an Article of faith and seeing that such great buildinges and so many foundations are laide thereupon Which thing wee haue now to examine and trie by taking a proof of all the places which they alleadge for the same In S. Mathew 3. S. Iohn Baptist sayeth Mat. 3. I baptize you with water vnto amendement of life but hee that commeth after mee is stronger then I c. Hee shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Hee hath his fanne in his hand and will make cleane his floore and gather his corne into his garner but hee will burne the chaffe with vnquenchable fire Of these two fires mentioned in this place which of them will they chuse to make a Purgatorie of That which shall neuer bee quenched hangeth not for their mowing seeing they holde that by the vertue of holie water and Masses theirs may bee quenched It must needes then bee that fire wherewith Iesus Christ baptizeth Acts 15. And what sense shall wee then make of this that hee baptizeth vs with the holie Ghost and with Purgatorie Here wee see water is euidentlie opposed and set against fire and the outward washing to the inwarde purifying But our Lord without our further seeking of any other expounder maketh it cleare inough elsewhere saying Iohn hath baptized you with water but you shall bee baptized with the holie Ghost within these few dayes And beholde the accomplishment thereof in the Actes 2. Actes 2. And the tongues saieth hee were seene vpon them clouen like fire which did sit vpon euerie one of them and they were all filled with the holy Ghost Then it followeth that the baptizing with the holy Ghost and the baptising with fire is all one And that is the cause why S. Marke contenteth himselfe to say Mark 1.7 Hee will baptise you with the holie Ghost The word fire adding nothing which was not contained in the former but onelie to expresse and set out the effectuall power thereof Hieronym in Matth. 3. Saint Ierome vpon this place And it is because that the holy Ghost is a fire Actes 1. Or it is because that in this world wee are baptized with the holie Ghost and in the world to come with fire 1. Cor. 3. And thus our aduersaries hauing chosen the second as they alwaies chuse the worst they will needes haue it to signifie Purgatorie whereas hee speaketh as all the olde writers doe of the last iudgement S. Basill against Eunomius He baptizeth with the holy Ghost Basil Contra Eunomium li. 5. Chrisost c. 3. in oper imper Euch. in quest in Nou. Testa those whome hee sanctifieth he sendeth them which are vnworthie into the fire deliuering them ouer to that euill one being themselues Diuelles Chrysostome He baptizeth the faithfull with water and the Infidels with fire and in an other place hee doth vnderstand it of temptations Theophilact expoundeth it better He will ouerflow vs with the graces of the holie Ghost Eucherius sayeth Because that sinne is burnt vppe in vs by the holie Ghost whereby there is giuen vnto vs sanctification whereby charitie is kindled in vs c. Lyranus He saith fire because that oftentimes in the Primitiue Church Caietan in Math. it appeared in visible forme as vpon the Apostles c. Caietanus Where it must be vnderstood of the holy Ghost the beginning of regeneration in euerie one or else of tribulations whervnto the professing of Christ is subiect Ferus likewise By how much the spirit is more pure then the body Ferus in Math. and fire more actiue then water by so much is his Baptisme more excellent then mine c. The sence then is He will translate and transforme vs by his holy spirit and rauish vs with heauenly things by the fire And these are their best and most famous Expositors for this time of all which not so much as one hath found Purgatorie in that place Let vs reason after a better manner The Baptisme of fire say they is Purgatorie and none Baptiseth with this fire but Iesus Christ no not Saint Iohn Baptist◠himselfe No man therefore can purge vs but Iesus Christ he alone and not any other is our Purgatorie In S. Mathew Math. 5.15 Luk. 12.52 5. Agree betimes with thine enemie whiles thou art in the way with him least he deliuer thee to the iudge and the Iudge to the Sergeant and so thou be cast into prison Verily I say vnto thee that thou shalt not come foorth thence before thou hast paide the vttermost farthing This prison they will haue to bee Purgatorie Now the literall sence is verie cleare and agreed vpon amongst all where our Lord exhorteth the faithfull to agree with their brethren with all speede setting before them the mischiefe and euill that happeneth or dinaril◠by being obstinately giuen to goe to the law And this is Chrysostome his Exposition in these words Chrysost in Math. hom 16 Hieronim in in Math. li. 1. It seemeth vnto me saith he that he speaketh of ordinarie and accustomed iurisdictions and prisons c. And S. Ierome likewise The sence and meaning is manifest namely that our Lord exhorteth vs to haue peace with all men in this world c. And yet there are some saith he which expound it either of the flesh and soule Hillar in Mat. or of the soule and spirit which cannot be maintained And the same saith Saint Hil◠arie and others also who by the aduersarie vnderstand the Diuell As if saith hee our Lord had purposed and decreed with himselfe in this place to commaund vs to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verie watchfull and well aduised that the Diuell doe not seduce and deceiue vs c. But this is too absurd August de Salut document cap. 64. Idem de Doct. Christ l. 3 c. 10 And the same saith S. Chrysostome S. Augustine is of the number of those that expound it of the flesh and the spirit condemned here by Saint Ierome and sent backe to compare his dealings with his owne Law which is that a man should not hunt after or affect a figuratiue sence in that which easily affordeth a literall And yet it maketh nothing for them seeing hee referreth the same in plaine words vnto the last iudgement But and if we must needes fall to allegorize yet let vs learne to do it as our Lord himselfe who saith If you forgiue not men their sinnes your father will not forgiue you yours But on the contrarie hee will handle
is to come it is meete that hee should throughly weigh and consider of the same c. Cardinall Hugo likewise dooth obiect the same doubts about the same that Saint Augustine doth vpon Purgatorie and so keepeth himselfe to the taking of it for the fire of tribulation and the losse of temporall things And in deede Erasmus of our time hath declared in his Commentaries that this place affordeth not any thing that may belong either to Purgatorie or to the veniall sinnes Index Expurg as they pretend For which his plaine dealing they haue commanded the place to bee raced and blotted out In the 1. Corinthians 15. The Apostle speaking of the resurrection saith 1. Cor. 15 29. Else what shall they doe which are baptised for the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the dead rise not againe To bee baptised say they for the dead that is to afflict themselues for them that is to doe all such things as may seeme to serue for the satisfying and purging of their sinnes Wherefore they are yet in some place where they may bee relieued and succoured Therefore in Purgatorie Now this is nothing else but to make themselues continuall breakers of that Rule which saith That a man ought not to reason or gather any arguments from the places which are darke and doubtfull Now they dare not denie that there is any place in all the new Testament more obscure euen for the litterall sence then this And notwithstanding they will presuppose and set downe any Exposition thereof after their owne fantasies whereas all the Diuines that were for the space of fifteene hundred yeares were to seeke therein And hardly are there as yet any found that can satisfie themselues therein For one saith that the Apostle speaketh of them who seeing some die without Baptisme caused others that were aliue to bee baptised for them so well assured they were of the resurrection Epiphan ad ucrs haeres l. 1. tom 2. Haimo in Ep. ad Cor. c 5. August de Ciuit Dei l. 20. ca. 9. Chrysost Ambr. in 1. Cor. c. 15. Cypr. l. 4. Ep. 7 Tertull. de Resurr carn Chrysost in 1. Cor. c. 15. in 1. Cor. hom 23 Epiphanius reciteth this opinion And Saint Ambrose vnderstandeth it after the same manner and after him Haimo saith And yet such a custome as the Apostle onely alleadgeth without approuing it and that onely to shame the Corinthians with their incredulitie and vnbeliefe And the ordinarie Glose dooth note the same An other saith that this is to bee vnderstood of such as were bed-rid or sicke in their beds and could not arise or such as were baptised lying vppon their death bed or in extreame perill of their life An other of those which were dead and after baptised to shew that Baptisme was not onely a signe of the resurrection of the body but also of the soule And thus Tertullian may seeme to vnderstand it in his Booke of the Resurrection Chrysostome referreth it to the words of Baptisme saying If there be no resurrection then all that wee doe in Baptisme is but a play Namely because in it is contained the figure and resemblance both of death and of the resurrection together And Theodoret after the same manner that he which is baptised is buried with the Lord In vaine saith hee if the body be not to rise againe with him And Saint Thomas is not farre off from the taking of it in the same sence In a word there are some which referre it to the custome of celebrating of Baptismes in Church-yardes wherein the ordinarie exercises of the first Christians were wont to be kept Out of which of these old and auncient Expositions is it that they collect and gather this Purgatorie Or by which of the olde writers doe they approoue their owne these men are they whome I aske which make such accompt of the Fathers which thinke them all to bee on their side So that it will suffice vs onely to denie their interpretation Namely that to be baptised is to bee afflicted is to pray for the dead and in steade thereof we will hold and affirme that to be baptised in the text of the Gospell which they pretend is to die for the name of Christ and to suffer Martyrdome Chrisostome vpon these words Luk. 12. Mark 10. Chrysost in Math. hom 66 You may saith the Lord be baptised with the Baptisme wherewith I am baptised c. Here saith he I promise you many good things you shall purchase the Crowne of Martyrdome and by a violent death you shall depart out of this life as I myselfe c. The ordinarie Glose He speaketh here of the Baptisme of his passion And yet notwithstanding this is the place from whence they would drawe their Exposition What shamelesse and impudent dealing is this to expound to be baptised to signifie to be afflicted and that to bee afflicted should signifie to pray for the dead and that for those dead which are in Purgatorie Let them tell me if this manner of reasoning can bee vsed in any good Schoole without shame But yet after all to what end had it beene for Saint Paul to haue attempted the prouing of the resurrection of bodies by the soules tormented in Purgatorie And what would his argument haue beene in the end And why at the least did they not hold themselues either to Cardinall Hugo who saith Pro mortuis that is to say for their sinnes although verie darkly or yet for the better Caietan in 1. Cor. c. 15. to the Exposition of Cardinall Caietan For saith hee in that that they which are baptised are dipt into the water it is to bee vnderstood that they are dead vnto the world And whereas they professe to die vnto the same that so they may enter into newnesse of life they represent the resurrection of the dead The Apostle saith to the Philippians Philip. 2.10 To the end that euerie knee may bowe of those which are in heauen and in earth and vnder the earth These last are they which liue in Purgatorie for the Diuels say they doe not worship The sence is cleare That our Lord hauing humbled and abased himselfe to the taking of the forme not of man onely but euen of a seruant God hath lifted him vp on high and giuen him a name about all names these are the words going before that is to say an absolute power and Soueraigntie ouer all creatures acccording to that which he saith himselfe elsewhere All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth And in the Apocalips he addeth thereto Math. 28. Apocal. 5. The creatures which are in the Sea c. Now the question is not here of an adoration but of a subiection not of the confessing or acknowledging of a Father but of a Iudge Hebr. 1. according to that which is said And hee hath made him Iudge of all things They make a great matter of the bowing of the knee
them from natural sense and vnderstanding to the spirit from an opinion to faith and from the earth vnto heauen c. And therfore we see not that euer the Scripture doth lead vs to obserue and marke any miracles in the signes of his Mysteries notwithstanding that it is a dutie to be most carefully discharged to publish set forth the maruailous works of the Lord in the church It teacheth vs the famous and worthie passing of the destroying Angell ouer the houses of the Israelits without touching of theÌ„ The lamb was the memoriall therof and that so cleare and euident a one as that it was called by the name of the Passouer it self In this passing ouer then ther is pointed out vnto vs a miracle namely in the difference which the Angel made betwixt the Israelits and the Egyptians and in the lambe it recoÌ„mendeth vnto vs a mysterie So likewise of Manna the rock in that the one was rained the other dissolued into water it is a miracle but in that they feed queÌ„ch the thirst of the true Israelits spiritually there lies a mystery And of the water conuerted into wine in Cana S. Iohn maketh mention vnto vs of a myracle Of Iorden turned dayly into bloud by reason of so many persons as daily confessed their sinnes and were baptised how much more famous had it beene and worthie of renowne And yet this was no myracle but a misterie Verie excellently thereforefore hath a certaine Schooleman said That wee must not looke for myracles Aegyd l. 2. examer c. 13. but where they are That where and so oft as euer we can discharge and free the holy Scriptures by the things that we naturally see that there and so oft wee ought not to haue recourse vnto the power of God nor vnto myracles Now we may free them most easily when wee vnderstand misteries mistically Sacraments Sacramentally figures figuratiuely Chrys in Ioh. c. 6. â—om 46. spiritual things spiritually c. Chrysostome saith What is it to vnderstand things carnally Simply according to the letter without conceiuing and taking any further thing to be meant and contained therein But it is requisite saith hee to consider and looke vpon all misteries with inward eyes that is to say spiritually And as we conceiue them spiritually euen so wee receiue them in like manner namely by faith For saith he Idem in c. 11. ad Hetr hom 21 Theophyl ibid. Theod. dial 1. Thoâ—â— 3. part summ q. 78. art 2. We thinke that the things that rest in hope are without substance but faith giueth them a substance and yet not as though it gaue them any thing more but because it becommeth vnto them their verie essence and being c. Theodoret The things that are misticall are spoken mistically and the things which are not knowne vnto all are openly declared Thomas likewise The word of Christ worketh effectually and Sacramentally Sacramentally that is to say saith hee according to the force of the signification CHAP. II. That the doctrine of the holy Supper must be examined by the rules aboue handled as also all that which is deliuered of all other the Sacraments as well of the old as of the new Testament NOw wee are for the most part of this mind that the rules aboue named may be practised and vsed in other Sacraments but our Aduersaries wil not agree that they are so in the explication and vnfoulding of the doctrine of the holy supper and therefore wee are consequently to see if the holy Scriptures and the writings of the Fathers doe tolerate and admit yea or rather necessarily presse and vrge that the doctrine of the holy supper be examined and tried by these same rules which wee reduce into a few words in these manner of tearmes That a Sacrament is a visible signe of a thing that is to say of an inuisible grace That the signe and the thing are Correlatiues and that therefore the one is not the other That the signe is giuen by the Minister or Pastour but the thing by God alone That the signe is receiued by the hand both of true belieuers and hypocrites but the thing by faith of the belieuers onely That the likenesse that is betwixt the signe and the thing hath caused the name of the one to be attributed vnto the other that is to say the name of the thing to the signe but that thereis not therfore any changing of the one into the other neither by way of myracle nor yet of any supernaturall worke c. but onely of names the more plainely to point out the mysterie That Sacraments and misteries haue one proper stile which must bee vnderstood mistically and Sacramentally c. which hath beene verified and approued in all the other Sacraments as well of the old Testament wherof the Apostle saith That our Fathers did eate the same meare and drinke the same drinke as also in Baptisme a Sacrament of the new Testament Let vs come therefore vnto the holy supper of our Lord. We belieue that in it In what sort aâ—d manner the faithfull communicate and receiue the Lordes supper the belieuer receiueth drinketh eateth not only bread and wine but also the verie flesh of Christ and the true verie bloud of Christ the flesh giuen for the life of the world the bloud shed for the remission of our sinnes That it is not more true that the bread is broken and the wine powred out or that they become nourishment vnto our bodies for the sustaining of this fraile and brittle life then it is true that the flesh of our Lord is broken and his bloud shed for vs and that they become nourishment for our soules drie and barren that they are of themselues but watered and altered by his righteousnesse to nourish them vnto eternall life Much more then whereas the bread and wine are turned into our substance by the operation of our naturall heate to bee incorporated into vs doe the flesh and bloud of our Lord by the operation of the holy Ghost incorporate vs more and more into him wee communicate his substance and in the same his life and all his benefits as members of Christ bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh to be crucified iustified sanctified and glorified in him insomuch that our heat being more strong then the bread and wine doth turne and alter them into our substance the holie Ghost being stronger and more mightier then we doth conuert and turne vs both to him and into him And by that meanes wee receiue not onely Christ really and substantially in the holy Supper celebrated according to his institution but we are wrought into one bodie more and more amongst our selues of which body he is the head and we the members the faithfull I meane that draw their spirituall life the sense motion and spirituall action of their soules from him a liuely and quickened body by his spirit one togither by him one
is in the vnitie of this bodie that is to say in the coniunction and setting together of the members of Christ of the Sacrament of whose body the faithfull in communicating are accustomed to receiue from the Altar may truely bee said to bee such a one as eateth the bodie of Christ and drinketh his bloud And those on the contrarie that are not his members cannot eate him For hee hath said He that eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud he dwelleth in me and J in him Who so therfore dwelleth not in me I in him cannot eat my flesh nor drink my bloud he eateth it Sacramēto tenus and not re vera that is to say he taketh and receiueth but the signe and not the thing For saith he They which abide not in him are not his members And in an other place Seeing he hath recommended vnto vs the eating of his flesh c. that is to say our abiding in him Idem in Ioh. tract 27. and his in vs now wee abide and dwell in him when we are his members and he in vs when wee are his temple Which thing is much more clearely laid out by Christ himselfe I am the vine and you are the branches c. The branches sucke their life out of the Vine not to the end verily that they may be branches but because they are such alreadie and yet in so sucking they become more faire and beautifull braunches euen so the faithfull doe eate Christ in the Supper not to the end that they may become his members but because they are his members alreadie and to the ende that in deriuing and sucking their life from him they may become the better growing and thriuing members Saint Chrysostome The bread which wee breake Chrysost in 1. Cor. c. 11. is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christ Why did not the Apostle as well say participation Because that he would declare and point out some further matter and shew the great and close coniunction For we doe not communicate onely for that we receiue and are made partakers but for that we are vnited and made one for as this bodie which he hath once taken vpon him is vnited vnto Christ so by this bread we are vnited and made one with him c. For saith he what signifieth the bread The bodie of Christ. And what are they made which doe receiue it The bodie of Christ c. Whereby wee learne that the Communion is not a carnall eating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a coherence and vniting of the faithfull vnto the body of Christ which could not be better represented then by eating which is the most strict and vnseparable way Leo. ad Cler. pleb Constant whereby one nature may naturally be ioined vnto another Leo the first to the same sense This is so currant in all mens mouthes as that the verie children cease not to speake amongst the Sacraments of our common faith of the truth of the bodie and blood of Christ seeing that in the mysticall distribution of the spirituall food it is both giuen and taken to the end that receiuing the efficacie power of the spiritual meat we may be translated and changed into his flesh who became our flesh c. that is to say let vs be fed of him as it hath beene said as flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones c. Wherefore to eate the flesh and to drinke the bloud of Christ is to fetch and sucke our spiritual nourishment from him and that from him dead for vs to the ende that the similitude may haue his full course as the corporall man draweth not forth the meanes of the maintenance of his life from things any otherwise then by the dying for the same To bee bidden vnto this banket and eating is to bee exhorted to maintaine and cherish our coniunction with Christ and our life in Christ by the continuing of this nourishment and this coniunction with Christ worketh a coniunction amongst our selues as members of one and the same bodie The coniunction and vnion of the faithful amongst them selues in the holy Supper 1. Cor. 10. which is more and more neerely and closely wrought in the holy supper which S. Paul expresseth in these words We which are many are one onely bread and one onely body for we are partakers of one and the same bread c. that is to say sucking the iuice of life from one and the same Vine we are quickned by one and the same spirit c. which is the second end of the Lords supper but yet depending vpon the first in as much as we cannot be ioyned by faith to Christ except we be also vnited and ioyned by loue and charitie vnto our brethren Ignatius making this coniunction plaine saith There is but one flesh of our Lord Iesus and one bloud of his shed for vs one bread broken for all Ignat. ad Philadelph Iren. l. 3. c. 10. and one Cup of the whole Church Ireneus The Lord promiseth to send the comforter that is to say the holy Ghost For as of drie Corne there cannot bee made any paste neither yet any bread without licour so we cannot of many be made one in Christ without that water which is from heauen Saint Cyprian Cypr. l. 1. Ep. 6 ad Magn. l. 2. Ep. 3. ad Caecil When as our Lord calleth his body bread made into dough by the mixing together of many graines he sheweth that our people the image whereof hee resembled is vnited together and made one And when he calleth the wine his bloud pressed out into one from diuers Grapes be signifieth in like manner our flocke ioyned together and made into one by the mixture Adunate multitudinis of an vnited multitude Now this vnion said Ireneus as it is spirituall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 August de Consecr D 2. c Qu a passus Ep. 57. ad Dardan so it is wrought by the spirit S. Denis The Minister saith he vncouering the bread that is couered and vndiuided and parting it into many peeces and distributing the Cup vnto all multiplieth and distributeth the vnitie mystically c. Saint Augustine And you saith hee are there at the Table and in the Cup you are with vs. Againe Christ is the head of this body This is the communion which the members haue with the head The vnitie of this body is recommended vnto vs by our sacrifice this is the communion of the members amongst themselues Being the same that the Apostle hath signified saying We are all one bread and one bodie c. Chrysostome What doe I speaking of Communion wee are the body it selfe For what is the bread Chrysost in 1. Cor. 10. the body of Christ And what are they made which receiue the same The body of Christ not many bodies but one body For as the bread is made into one lumpe by the kneading of many graines together and that in
midst of you c. Yea to frustrate and disapoint them euerie manner of way whether his purpose and intention stand good or not For if he be nothing bent that way then according to their doctrine hee consecrateth not neither is the Sonne of God communicated And neuerthelesse if he do consecrate yet they doe not communicate therein for they are alwaies subiect to doubt whether hee had any purpose and intention or not And whereas there is doubting there is no faith and where there is no faith there is nothing but sinne Now themselues are of this iudgement that hee cannot receiue the bodie of Christ which doth not belieue in him Now then what priuiledge hath the vertuous and godly man more then the wicked seeing that the intention or not intention of the Priest transubstantiateth or leaueth vntransubstantiated seeing that both the one the other are subiect to doubt of the intention therefore of the effect seeing that both the one and the other whether doubting or assured thereof do equally receiue or not receiue Likewise what shall become of their doctrine De opere operato That the thing profiteth and is auaileable in asmuch as it is onely performed and done not in regard of the person which doth it seeing that this whole mysterie dependeth now Ex opere operantis of the working and operation of the sacrificer Moreouer where shall the excellencie of this Sacrament aboue all other Sacraments bee found if the rest depend vppon the grace of God without any such necessitie of the intention of him that consecrateth as the greatest part of them doth hold of baptisme and of that pretended Sacrament of mariage c. On God I say whose intention and purpose neuer halteth or faileth neither yet by consequent the obiect of our faith the same not to speake any thing more sharpely and grieuously of the infirmity of man being subiect to faile euerie moment But further I would know what shal become of their priuate Masses Bonauent in Comp. Sacr. Theol. rubr 11. l. 8. Gabr. Biel. lect 6. lit C. seeing that Bonauenture Biel hold That besides the intent of him that consicrateth there is required the intent and purpose of him that instituteth and ordaineth that it is not sufficient for the Priest to haue an intent to consecrate if hee follow not the intent of Christ in this sacrament But Hugo and Biel the most part of the schoolmen are they not of iudgement that priuate Masse wherein there is no publike remembrance made of the death of Christ doth nothing at all agree with the mind of the institutor what consolation then can they of the Church of Rome haue in the Sacrament when in stead of nourishing of their faith they maintaine and feed doubt and vncertaintie when as after they haue beene well prepared they know not what they receiue the efficacie of the consecration being vnable to penetrate and pearce according to their doctrine in the Sacrament without this intention and purpose the man likewise not being able to pearce and see into the intent of the consecrating Priest by any meanes Thus in seeking to giue too much to the worthinesse of the Priest they haue taken away the effect of the Sacrament from God who onely worketh the same and from the people the profit and fruit which should come to them thereby Stella clericoruÌ„ and for which it was ordained And all this that they might be honoured in the dispensation of the mysteries of God more then God himselfe more then the Creator whose Creators and makers since the time of the entring of the doctrine of transubstantiation they haue not beene ashamed to professe themselues to be Now the old Church had neuer any such doctrine they did not at any time once thinke of calling of Christ out of heauen by multitude of wordes What is meant by consecrating they did attribute the communion of the bodie of Christ to the institution of our Lord to the operation of the holy Ghost and to the faith of the faithfull To consecrate in their language was to sanctifie that is to blesse that is to change a thing from the common vse to a holy and from a profane to a sacred which is accomplished by the word that is to say by the institution of the Lord which giueth it his efficacie Thus speaketh Saint Cyprian ordinarily That the bread and the wine of the holy Supper are sanctified by the word And S. Augustine expoundeth it saying Not for that it is spoken but for that it is belieued not the sound that flâ—eth away but the permanent and abiding power that is to say the operation of the spirit of God c. After the same manner haue all the ancient fathers written as S. Hillarie Isidor l. 6. Ambrose Ierome Gregorie c. Isidore in like sort By the commandement of Christ we call his bodie and his bloud that which is sanctified of the fruites of the earth and made a Sacrament by the inuisible operation of the spirit of God c. In which sence the prophane Authors vsed also the word Consecration Promiscui vsus Cornelius Fronto saith Consecrated that is that which is made holy or turned to a holy vse being before prophane that is to say of a common vse But God forbid that our Lord should make the communion of his bodie which he offereth vnto vs subiect either to the sound of words or to the intent mind of him that vttereth them The ministers as were also the Apostles are made for the church not the church for them yea they are the ministers and not the Lords thereof they are not dispensers of their owne mysteries but of Christs yet which is more not of Christes mysteries but of the signes of his mysteries onely 1. Cor. 13. no more then they are of faith which commeth of the hearing of the worde notwithstanding that they minister the word to vs God hauing reserued vnto himselfe the gift of faith to worke the same by the effectuall power of his spirit as a dispensation only from his grace being no more depending on him that ministreth then tied to the signes which hee ministreth c. God verily saith to Moses And thou shalt sanctifie it c. Leuit 3. August in quaest in Leui. But he saith also in another place I am the Lord which do sanctifie it S. Augustine demandeth thereupon How can it be that both the Lord and Moses should do it Verily saith he Moses by the visible sacraments by his ministerie but the Lord by his inuisible grace by his spirit as that wherein lieth all the fruit and benefit of the visible sacraments So Iohn Baptist the greatest amongst those that are borne of women saith the Lord baptised with water but the gift of the spirit was of Christ And by the ministerie of Paul and Apollos many belieued but the gift of faith by which man belieueth
saith S. Paule himselfe is of the Lord. 1. Cor. 3. Canon vtrum de consecr d. 2 Which thing the Canon also concludeth in expresse words That the sacrament is not of the merite of him that consecrateth but of the word of the Creator of the power of the holy Ghost bringing all things to passe c. Seuenthly It destroyeth the analogie coherence of the holy scriptures It destroyeth the analogic of the scriptures faith for how can it come to passe by taking that course that after the example of Esdras we should come to expound scripture by scripture by that key which S. Augustine giueth vnto vs to open the same as to expound one place by many and not in such a sence as is contrary to many one obscure and dark place by many cleare ones whereas the sticking to the words of one place do ouerthrow the cleare doctrine of many others and from this one also do gather nothing but contradiction and darknes He that giueth vs his body giueth vs also his bloud the body and bloud alike precious both the one and the other the price and ransome for our sins and therefore the one the other giuen in the same sence Now the truth is that it is thus said of the bloud Luk. 22. This cup is the new testament in my bloud and this cannot be vnderstood of the cuppe but of the wine namely as S. Mathew reporteth and setteth it downe This is my blood Mat. 26. the blood of the new Testament c. If then there be a most apparant figure in the one it cannot be excluded from the other And as the one is resolued into these words This that is to say this wine is my blood So the other in these This that is to say This bread is my bodie And as it is said of the wine or cup This cup is the new testament in my blood So it may be said of the bread This bread is the new testament in my body And seeing again that according to their own sayings the bread canot be the body nor the wine the blood really because they are two Jndiuidua as the Logicians speake predicated and spokeÌ„ the one on the other we wil expresse them by the words of S. Paul who hath not giuen any other thing vnto vs then that which hee hath receiued neither yet taught vs any thing but that which himselfe had first learned of the Son of God 1. Cor. 10. This bread is my body which is broken for you that is to say This bread which I breake is the coÌ„munion of my bodie this cup or this wine which I blesse is the coÌ„munion of my blood c. And if we yet doubt but what maner of coÌ„munion is this and how is it brought to passe how is this eating and drinking c. we must haue recourse to our Lord for answer and resolution Ioh. 6.50 This is the bread that came down from heaueÌ„ to the end that if any man eat thereon he might not die a liuing bread a quickning bread a bread of God which bringeth eternal life My flesh saith he my blood are truly meat truly drinke which I haue giueÌ„ for the life of the world be it is that eateth drinketh therof that coÌ„meth to me which belieueth in me which dwelleth in me c. If this should offend you as it did the Capernaits then learne vnderstand That it is the spirit that quickneth that the flesh prositeth nothing that my words are spirit life c. Neither is there any cause why it should be obiected here that S. Iohn speaketh of the spiritual eating How S. Ioh. c. 6 must be vnderstood not of the sacramental For notwithstanding that he speake here of the spirituall yet he ceaseth not to declare vnto vs the maner of the sacramentall to wit vnder the Sacraments the obiectes of our sences the helpes of our faith yet spiritual And thus haue the ancient fathers euermore vnderstood it haue serued themselues with this place of S. Iohn as a Commentarie vpon the rest of the Euangelists which haue collected and gathered the necessitie of the expounding thereof siguratiuely also that the faithfull alone are partakers of the thing of the Sacrament and not the wicked and vngodly But as the authors of transubstantiation did afterward more and more embrace the carnall presence consequently that the wicked and vngodly did eate Christ so began they lesse and lesse to admit in this matter and question the authoritie of this sermon made by our Lorde a sermon verily made some yeare or thereabout before the institution of the Supper but as is manifest an intended preparatiue vnto the same euen as the talke and communication which our Lord had with Nicodemus concerning baptisme was a preparatiue to Baptisme There our Lord said Iohn 3. If a man be not regenerate that is to say borne againe hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God And here Jf a man eate not my flesh and drinke my bloud hee can not haue life in him c. There Nicodemus was offended And how can a man that is old be borne againe can he enter into his mothers bellie c. And here the Capernaites This is a harsh speech who can endure to heare it And how can this man giue vs his flesh to eate And many of his disciples alâ—o and that so greatly as that they went from him therefore And there hee expoundeth his meaning to Nicodemus Man must bee borne againe of water and of the spirite That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit c. And here in like manner to the Capernaites It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing c. Now Baptisme was formally instituted after the speech had by Christ with Nicodemus the signe added to the thing the water to the spirit c. and yet notwithstanding the water did not change his nature This text likewise serueth not a little to the plaine laying out of the doctrine of baptisme And in like manner after the sermon of our Lord to the Capernaites the holy supper was instituted the elements of corporall nourishment ordained for Sacraments of the spiritual c. And then why should these signes change their natures And why shall it not be lawful to alleadge this place as well in the matter of the Lords supper for the cleerer vnderstanding of the same that so we may be enlightned and made to discerne where our spirituall nourishment lyeth And seeing that the institution of baptisme comming after hath not at all made regeneration to be carnall by the adding of the element therunto why should the putting of the element to the eating and spirituall communicating of Christ haue made it carnall Saint Augustine demandeth The fathers August de consen euang l. 3. c. 1. Seeing that S.
vnderstanding by faith that is to say not to see but to belieue That the lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde is there offered is there eaten Offered saith he without being offered that is to say as the Canon expoundeth it selfe mystically for the Table is mysticall C. iteratur C. Hoc est D. 2. de consecr Non rei veritate sed significante mysterio And therefore eaten without being eaten and yet truely sacrificed and truely eaten in asmuch as wee beleeue and call to minde there that hee hath beene sacrificed for vs in as much also as we are certaine that we are partakers of this sacrifice which is ours that his flesh is our meate vnto our resurrection vnto eternall life for he hath said vnto vs that he hath giuen it for vs. The Councell therefore hath saide truely because there is nothing more true then the promise of God nothing more certaine then his effect when it is receiued in faith and notiwthstanding that the bread and the wine are but tokens or signes to the ende that following the exhortation accustomed in the olde liturgies Sursum corda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Life vp your harts on high c. We may waite and looke for the receiuing of our spirituall food at the hand of God and not at the hand of man yea we lift them vp verie high and farre aboue these signes and this table before which if the doctrine of our aduersaries at that time had had any place the Councel should haue said vnto vs as they say at this day Cast your selues downe before this table settle and fixe your eyes vpon your God that descendeth commeth downe vpon it see that you kneele downe vnto and worship him there Saint Athanasius which was of this time Athanas de verbo quicunque dixcrit c. will manifest and make cleare the purpose of this Councell I haue seene saith hee the like Character in the Gospell of Saint Iohn where the Lorde entreating of the cating of his bodie and seeing that manie were offended thereat speake in this sorte Doth this thing offend you what will you say then if you see the Sonne of man ascend and go vp to the place where he was afore time It is the spirite which quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing c. For hee hath spoken here of the one and the other of his flesh and of his spirite and hath distinguished the spirite from the flesh to the and that beleeuing not onely that which appeareth vnto the eyes but the inuisible nature also wee might learne that the thinges which hee spoke are not carnall but spirituall Where wee shall marke that hee expoundeth these wordes of the Councell Let vs not settle our minds vpon the signes set before vs but let vs vnderstand and know by faith c. By these That we beleeue not that onely which appeareth vnto the eies c. Hee addeth For to what an infinit multitude of men should his bodie haue become sufficient meate being ordained to bee the foode of all the world shewing thereby that wee must alwaies iudge and make accompt of the bodie of Christ as of a true bodie And in this sence the Councell said This is the cause why wee receiue in a small quantitie c. Seeing the scope and drift of the action is the sanctification of the spirite and not the filling of the bodie And afterward And therefore he made mention of his ascention into heauen thereby to draw them backe from vnderstanding of him corporally and to the end that from thence forwarde they might learne that the flesh whereof he had spoken was a heauenly and spirituall meate which hee must giâ—e them from aboue Whereby wee learne that this eating must in such sorte bee vnderstoode as that it euermore include the truth of Christes bodie and of his locall ascention For saith he that which I haue spoken vnto you is spirit and life as if he said This bodie which is shewed and giuen for the world shall bee giuen for meate to bee attributed to euerie one spiritually and to be made vnto them a defensatiue and preseruatiue vnto the resurrection of eternall life Setting against the badges and notes which the Councell had spoken of the spirituall distribution of this celestiall meate that is to say the thing it selfe And this is the cause why in another place he calleth it The mysticall table as the Councell The holy Table At which saith he Who so is partaker doth enter into the companie of God that is such as receiue the thing signified by the Sacrament that is to say the inward grace The thing then contrarie to the doctrine of our aduersaries is not receiued by the wicked and vngodly as those that neuer come in the company of God neither then is it receiued by the hand either of the faithfull or of the minister incorporated with the signe c. For as concerning the place that Bellarmine alleadgeth of Athanasius Thedor dial 2 ex orat Athan. de fide cited by Theodoret where he saith That it is saide of the true bodie Sit thou at my right hande Likewise This is my bodie which is deliuered for you and that by this bodie he was made our high priest c. It is to good purpose against those hereticks that denie the truth of the humane nature of our Lord but not against vs as also it is still to this day against the maisters of transubstantiation which destroy the same S. Hillarie In C. Corpus Christi de consecrat d. 2. Bishop of Poictiers of the same time cited by Gratian The bodie of Christ which is taken from the Altar is a figure in that the bread and wine are seene outwardly but truth in that the bodie and blood of Christ are receiued inwardly in truth Others attribute this to Hillarie Bishop of Rome Againe We doe verily receiue vnder a mysterie the flesh of his bodie and therefore we shall be one with him And To the end that he may be belieued to be in vs by the mysterie of the Sacraments And againe There is no place to doubt of the truth of the bodie and blood of Christ for both by the profession of our Lorde himselfe and by our faith it is truelie flesh and truely blood which being eaten and drunken doe bring to passe that Christ is in vs and we in him Now wee are to note the figure opposed and set against the truth the mysterie against the reall presence the profession of our Lord ioyntly with our own faith for the making of vs partakers of this truth being the effect which followeth of the coniunction of the partakers of this truth with Christ from which coniunction the wicked are excluded and therefore also from the receiuing of this truth Hilar. in Mat. c. 30. l. 8. de Trinitate which is accomplished by faith therefore the reall chaunge can take no place there And in
as hee hath said with a most euen and vpright faith c. Epiphanius Epiphan in Anchorato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We see that which our Lord tooke in his hands as the Gospel reporteth it That he rise vp at supper that he toke these things and how that after he had giuen thanks he said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is mine and this and this And we see that it is not either equall or like either to the Image and similitude in the flesh either yet to the inuisible Deitie or to the lineaments of members For this is of a round fashion and insensible as concerning power There hee reasoneth how man hath receiued the image of God truely but yet not according to the proper nature of the Diuinitie but by grace and hee alleadgeth for proofe thereof the example of the Sacrament Now then how and in what manner is the Sacrament the body of Christ Verily saith hee he would haue said by grace This is mine this and this c. And no man doubteth of this speech for who so belieueth not that the same is true as he hath spoken it he is fallen from grace and from saluation Where wee are to marke that Bellarmine leaueth out these words As he hath spoken it that so hee may applie them vnto the thing and not to the speech The reason then standeth Man is the Image of God not according to the proper nature of the Diuinitie but by grace so the bread is the body of Christ by grace and not by nature and man is regenerate in the image of Christ not by ceasing to be any more man but by being sanctified in Christ so the bread is made the body of Christ not by ceasing to bee bread any more but by being no more common bread by being made holy by being made a Sacrament c. And this he declareth more plainely by the similitude of Baptisme For saith he the vertue of the bread Ephran cont haeres l. 3. tom 2. and force of the water are made strong and powerfull in Christ to the end that not the bread but the vertue of the bread might be made vertue vnto vs and the bread is meate but the vertue which is in it is vnto vinification So as water dooth not onely wash and make vs cleane but is further made vnto vs the perfecting of our saluation by faith c. Where he compareth the water of Baptisme with the bread of the supper Now in the water there is no chaunge or transmutation And hee setteth the force and vertue thereof against the element and faith against the washing that vertue which offereth the grace vnto vs that faith which receiueth it in vs in whose soules the mysterie is made perfect for it is made for them and not in the Elements which are made for vs. Chrysostome hath very loftie and hyperbolical speeches Chrysost hom 60. 61. ad Pop. Antioch Hom in Mat. 14.83 In Encaeniis de Euchar. De S. Philog Idem hom 51 in Matth. Esay 6. Hom. 83. in Mat. but we can haue no better expounder of the same then himself in examining the places either in themselues or by comparing them one with an other He saith therefore Thou seest him thou touchest him thou eatest him thou settest thy teeth in his flesh thou receiuest him into thee Yea but something then of the maner how I see him Now he is inuisible vnto me How I touch him Now This is saith he with a pure and cleane heart How I receiue him Now this is In my soule how I set my teeth in him Now these are the teeth of faith No master of transubstantiation should bee so bold as to speake otherwise After the same manner then I eate him that is to say Sacramentally spiritually by faith The hand of the Minister saith he giueth thee not the body it is the hand of Christ that giueth it thee It is not a man it is a Seraphim with a pinsers such as Esay saw Suppose that it is the bloud that runneth out from his side Draw neer then therunto with pure lips c. Yea again but this then is that bodie and that bloud in the same maner that he which giueth them vnto me is a Seraphim or Christ himselfe after the same manner that the burning cole is made vnto mee in this example the propitiation of my sinnes There is no chaunge made in the person of the Minister nor in the nature of the cole neither therefore in the bread And notwithstanding we receiue the body the assurance also of the remission of our sins but after the same manner that Christ is giuen vnto vs that is to say spiritually and vnder a mysterie And oftentimes he compareth the supper with Baptisme with Baptisme I say wherein by the agreement of both sides there is not any transubstantiation Hee hath said saith he this is my bodie let vs belieue him without doubting or wauering and let vs behold and looke vppon him with the eyes of our minds for Christ his gift is not to be discerned with the sences c. So by the water of Baptisme which is sensible he hath giuen vs regeneration which is a gift to be receiued with the vnderstanding And he addeth the reason For if thou werst without a body then would hee haue giuen thee these gifts bare and naked without a bodie but seeing thy soule is ioyned to a body he giueth thee to apprehend his giftes by sensible things But handling this matter of purpose and that in these verie places where it hath his proper seate he is well furnisht and prouided to expound himselfe verie sensiblie Idem hom 46. in Iohan. My words saith the Lord are spirit and life that is to say We must vnderstand them according to the spirit mistically spiritually and not carnally And carnally saith he that is to say simply according to the bare letter Spiritually that is to say Idem hom 17. ad Hebr. hom 83. in Mat. Idem hom 20 in Mat. by considering the Sacraments with the eies of the spirit Againe This sacrifice is the marke signe and figure of him who was hanged vppon the Crosse God hath prepared this table to shew continually the bread the wine in the Sacrament according to the order of Melchisedec for are semblance of the body and bloud of Christ As our forefathers celebrated the Passeouer in remembrance of the myracles done in Egypt so shall you celebrate this in remembrance of me That bloud was shed for the saluation of the first borne this for the sins of the whole world c. And as Moyses saith this shal be an euerlasting remembrance vnto you c. So I you shall doe this in remembrance of me c. I haue desired to keepe this passeouer with you to make you spirituall Therefore he drinketh with them to the ende that they may not say shall we drinke the bloud of a man c. Againe Where
the carrion shall bee Idem hom 24. in 1. Cor. c. 10. thither will the Eagles resort The Eagles saith he to shew that it greatly standeth him vpon that wil come neere to this body to pitch his flight in the highest and loftiest degree and that he haue nothing to doe with the earth that he looke vp vnto behold the Sun of righteousnes And that he haue the eye of his vnderstanding verie quicke and sharpe sighted for this table is a table for Eagles to feed vpon and not the Crowes They are to thinke saith he in an other place Idem hom 60. ad Pop. Antioch Idem in Psal 144.133 in Mat. hom 7. 90. Idem in Ep. ad Caesar Monach Idem in oper impers hom 11. in Iohan. That they taste and feed on him that is set on high worshipped of Angels They are to rise vp to the gates of heauen to looke vpon him he filleth the spirit not the belly He distributeth the holy things vnto them that are holy Thou maiest imbrace him but it must be with a pure conscience touch him but by rising in thy spirit soaring aboue the heauens But what is there in all this that maketh for the transubstantiators In the Epistle to Caesarius ther is a doubt put yet it is an old one The bread saith he before it be sanctified is called by vs bread but after that it is sanctified by the grace of God c. it is thoght worthy to be called by the name of the body of our Lord notwithstanding that the nature of bread doe still abide in it c. And in an other place If it be daungerous to conuert sanctified vessels to priuate vses there being not in them the verie bodie of Christ but the misterie of his body then how much more the vessels of our bodies which God hath prepared for his owne habitation c. Whether Chrysostome Maximinus or some other were the Author of this booke so it is that he speaketh as was then the vse and custome and according to the faith receiued in the Church For as concerning that which Bellarmine saith that a certaine disciple of Berengarius did insert it it is as easie for vs to denie as it is hard and difficult for him to proue Saint Ierome speaketh not any otherwise Hieronym in Mat. 26. After saith hee that the Passeouer was accomplished and the flesh of the Lambe eaten with the Apostles he tooke bread which comforteth the heart of man and passeth forward to the Sacrament of the true Passeouer to the end that as Melchisedec Gods high Priest offering for a presiguration of him had done he also might represent the truth of his body Bellarmine laboureth in this place to turne represent into present or offer Idem ad Hedâ—â— but S. Ierome will expound himselfe If saith he the bread which is come downe from heauen be the body of Christ and the wine his bloud shed for manye for the remission of sins c. let vs ascend with the Lord into this great hall c. and let vs receiue of him there on high the cup of the new Testament and there celebrating with him the Passe-ouer let vs bee drunken with him with the wine of sobrietie c. Then it is here below that it doth represent him and on high that it presenteth and offereth him They replie If saith he The bread which he brake and gaue to his Disciples be the body of our Sauior then our Lord himselfe est conuina conuiuium both the guest and the feast he which eateth he which is eaten c. Not verily after the letter for Belarmine would be loth to blame S. Ierome of heresie and this is their heresie That the bread may be the body of Christ And therefore in a mysterie Idem in 1. Cor c. 11. in a figure for a remembrance for a pledge c. And he himselfe also doth vse al these words Hee tooke the bread saith hee and blessing it as he should suffer left it to vs for his last remembrance as he which goeth into strange countries leaueth some one or other token of remembrance with his friend c. which he can hardly looke vpon without weeping And this is in handling the matter of the supper Idem aduers Ioum. l. 2. C. de hac quidem de Consecr D. 2. In an other place He offered wine for a figure of his bloud c. for a figure of his Passion to approue the truth of his body And vpon Leuiticus Of this oblation saith he which is maruelously made for a remembrance of Christ it is permitted to eate but it is not permitted to any according to his own sence to eate of that which Christ hath offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse What becoÌ„meth then of that which they say that the very same is taken in of men at their mouthes And what distinction shall it be possible for S. Ierome to make therein But that that that is to say the Sacrament is taken and receiued with the mouth but this that is the thing is receiued by faith And this is the same that he saith in an other place In Ep. ad Hedâ—â—t In Eccles c. 3 Idem in 1. Cor 11. In Esa c 66. That all those that haue put on Christ in Baptisme doe eate the bread of Angels that we are fed with his flesh both in the Sacraments as also in the Scriptures That they which haue had the same in such sort as to bee fed therewith must haue a cleane and a new spirit Comparing the receiuing of Christ in the supper with that receiuing of him which is in Baptisme and in the word Againe That the flesh of Christ is vnderstood two waies Either spiritually and diuinely whereof it is said My flesh is truely meate c. Or for that which was crucified and pearced with the Souldiers speare That then is the Sacramentall that is to say the Eucharisticall bread so called for the straite vnion of the Sacrament and the thing c. And this the real into which we are grafted and implanted by the vertue of the holy Ghost crucified in it to be glorified with it c. For as for that which our aduersaries say that that is his flesh which cannot suffer and this his flesh that is subiect to suffering they should remember themselues how that this is spoken many ages after our Lords glorification whose flesh as they themselues hold cannot any more become subiect to suffering S. Idem ad Eph. c. August q. â—7 In Leuâ—t ad Eund cont Maxim l. 3. c. 22. Idem Ep. 23. ad Boâ—â—â—ac Augustine commeth We haue seene his Maximes heretofore as so many preparatiues to the deciding of this matter Hee said vnto vs The fathers haue eaten the same meate that we in the Sacraments and he gaue vs the holy supper for an example Againe The signes of eatimes
the substance of bread abideth and remaineth is not repugnant vnto reason nor vnto the authoritie of the Bible on the contrarie it is more easie to vnderstand and more reasonable and doth not admit of Accidents without any subiect which is one of the difficulties that is therein to be found Make these and transubstantiation agree Fiftly If the substances be not any more there then what will ye make of the whitenesse and roundnesse Lombard l. 4. d. 12. Aimoinus ex Adem l. 5. c. 19 Platin. in vit Clem. 5. Thom opuse 59. q. 3.79 Durand in Ration l. 4. c. 41. c. These accidents in a word and whereupon founded Some of Lombard his time said That they are in the aire Lombard That they are without any subiect And Thomas after the same manner Some replie But we see that they nourish As for example King Lewes the gentle saith the Monke Aimoinus who for the space of fortie daies did not eate any other thing and an Emperour Henrie the fourth as saith Platina was poisoned in the host c. Wormes likewise are begotten therein There of one pretended miracle they make a hundred Thomas saith That they are accidentes notwithstanding but such as are able to nourish That the wormes in that which remaineth are engendred of the demensiue quantitie Others Of the substance of bread And others Of the next aire What millions of absurdities doth one absurditie beget Sixtly This miracle in summe that bringeth forth so many By what wordes is it done If it be by these words Hoc est corpus meum wherefore then doth the Priest say afterward Iube haec perferri Command that these gifts that is to say the Sacraments bee laid vpon thine heauenly Altar Lombard d. 13 l. 4. G. of in C. Vtium in V. Perfer decons d. 2. by the handes of thine Angell c. And in deed Lombard is not farre off And many collect thereby that the consecration is made in heauen by the ministerie of the Angels And if it be not by these words why then do they so delight themselues to insist vpon them And then also by what others And where is the end where the beginning Here lyeth the great controuersie And in the meane time you will say if you should heare them speake that they are all of one iudgement and that they make not any question of any thing be it neuer so small What will they say vnto vs then Durand in Rational l. 4. c. 41 Lombard l. 4. d. 2 Thom. opusc 59. 3. q. 78. Hug. Card. in Luc. c. 26. in Marc c. 4. Scot. in Rep. d. 8. q 2 Christ saith Durand consecrated by the word Benedixit And his reason is because that our Lord brake the bread before the words Hoc est corpus meum Thomas is thought to go about to draw his necke out of the collar by saying That the Euangelistes haue not kept any order therein Hugo the Cardinall deliuereth foure sortes And notwithstanding saith he There is but one true sort to become by And who is it then that shall be able soothly to declare the same Scotus saith very ingeniously and freely That he is wholly ignorant in this point and that this is a lawfull ignorance and that he that thinketh himselfe to know what and how forcible wordes are requisite thereunto is deceiued And further that the Grecians which tie not themselues to these words do not therefore faile to consecrate Is not this to say plainely enough with the fathers that the sanctifying of the Sacraments doth not depend vpon certaine words Thom. l. 4. sen d 8. art 6. Innoc 3. de Offic. Miss p. 3 C. 6. 14. Scot. in l. 5. Sent. d. 2. q 3. as magicall workes do but vpon the Lords institution Afterward Hoc what shall it be vnto vs With Thomas hoc is as much to say Hoc contentum that which is contained vnder these kinds or accidents is my bodie To Innocent the third this hoc is not any word tending to consecration is bringeth not thereunto either yea or nay And thus also saith Scotus and it signifieth an Indiuiduum vagum whereof Christ pronounceth that it is his bodie alreadie consecrated already made by the blessing going before whereof it is said Benedixit c. And Durandus swarueth not far from the same sence Durand l. 4 when he saith that by hoc there is nothing signified but that it is put downe materialiter c. To Bonauenture hoc meaneth the bread Gerson cont â—lor l 4. the substance of bread Gerson taketh it so also And Gardiner liuing within our remembrance hath followed him But this proposition The bread is or is made the bodie of Christ is holden at this day to bee hereticall And therefore they say The formes or the Accidentes of bread shall not be any lesse for how shall either one substance become another or the Accidentes a substance To Occam Hoc is as much to say as Corpus Christi the bodie of Christ Oceâ—m in 4. Sent. d. 13. q. 6. 7. Betr de Alliac ibid And what shall then the meaning of this bee The bodie of Christ is the bodie of Christ And thus writeth Petrus de Alliaco A proposition saith Holcot Vaine and fond for it is idem per idem And because hee cannot bee there till all the wordes bee vttered Iohannes de Burgo addeth thereunto Hoc That which is here present vnder this kind or which verie quickely shall bee there is my bodie Holcot in 4. Sent. q. 3. And Holcot to get himselfe out of the bryers It signifieth something that is common to both tearmes termino a quo termino ad quem But he telleth not what And how much better had it beene for them to haue kept themselues to the exposition of the Fathers This is the figure of my bodie you are my bodie in a Sacrament and mysterie As also vnto the olde Canons This signifieth my bodie c. Vpon the rest of the wordes they doe not agree any better Est to some of them is a verbe Substantiue Others disallow of them and will haue it to bee a verbe operatiue And of these fellowes that holde of operatiue some will haue it expounded by Fit is made Others by Conuertitur is chaunged Others by transubstantiatur is transubstantiated c. And they will againe that Fit bee as much as Fiat And Conuertitur conuertatur c. that is to say This may bee made my bodie This may bee chaunged into my bodie c. And againe some will that as soone as it is spoken all is finished Others are of mind that the fiue words must bee fullie finished And others all that which followeth Which is giuen or which is shedde for you c. And who shall bee able to gather together eyther all their friuolous questions whereof the Fathers neuer knew one or yet all their contradictions infallible sequences both of
he prayed therefore he belieued there was a purgatorie Whereas he should rather reason to the contrarie for that the prophet in the reckoning vp of so many circumstances of burnt bodies of bones gathered together and buried of weeping mourning fasting c. doth to the wondring of men say neuer a word of this pretended praier which yet had beene the principall and substance His cloake to couer the matter withall 2. Reg. 12. is for that in another place it is said that Dauid fasted and praied for the sonne which he had by Bersheba Then let him call to mind withall how that after the child was once dead he ceased both to fast and also by consequent to pray for him But the historie is cleare of it selfe Namely that Dauid the people acknowledging in this ouerthrow the wrath of God vpon Israel they humbled themselues before him as may plainly bee read in the wordes as they are there expresly set downe They fasted saith he because of Saule and Ionathan his sonne and of the Lords people of the house of Israel because they had fallen by the sword And further then thus Iosephus obserueth not any thing in this storie saue that wee haue also to note therein the whole complaint and mone that Dauid made for the death of Saule and Ionathan in most lamentable speeches but yet such as whereout there cannot any tittle of praier for the dead bee gathered neither yet any thing for purgatorie It is said in the Psalme 37. Psal 37. O Lord reproue me not in thy furie neither chasten me in thine anger That is to say saith Bellarmine Chastice me not in hell neither yet in purgatory And this sence he wold faine gather out of S. Augustine in such maner as that fury should haue relation vnto hell and anger vnto purgatorie And now giue eare and hearken to the weaknes of his interpretation August in psal 6. 38. For where S. Augustine hath put it downe to be read furie following the Septuagints S. Ierome skilfull in the Hebrew which S. Augustine was not hath put it downe anger and in the place of anger furie Origen could not bethinke himselfe how to make any such matter when he saith Orig. in Ezech. Numb 1. That this furie is a kind of discipline by which God traineth his to the thinges concerning the health of their soules hauing too lewdly contemned his word And yet he is one of them whom they take ordinarily to bee one of their warrants for purgatory August in psal 6. 38. And thus behold in Saint Augustine a hell and a purgatory that do change places But they should haue noted that S. Augustine himselfe saith that these are two words put for one thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the copies do varie the one putting Ira in the first place and the others Furor Againe they should not haue concealed and kept close how that S. Augustine speaketh by name of the day of iudgement and not of the departure out of this life In the day of iudgement saith he they that haue not the foundation that is to say Christ are reproued and those which haue built thereupon timber haire and straw are corrected and amended This his asseueration rising from an old opinion that all the world should at that time be purged by fire as we shall see hereafter a thing then very farre off from the pretended purgatory seeing it should end then whereas this pretended one taketh his beginning at the departure of men out of this life Againe this interpretation could not but be very ambiguous and doubtful in S. Hieronym in psal 6. 37. Theod. in psal 6. 37. Augustine who neuer spoke but very doubtfully of purgatorie S. Ierome hath not found it in that place but holdeth opinion that those two words expresse but one thing Neither yet Theodoret Correct me saith he as a father not as a iudge as a phisition not as an executioner not in reuenging my sinne but in moderating the rigor of thy iustice S. Basil likewise This is as though one should say to a phisition Cure mee not by fire or by any cauterie but by some more mild and gentle remedie Chasten me not like vnto the Egyptians by euill Angels but with thy sauing word Likewise reserue me not vnto the day of thine ire and of the reuelation of thy iust iudgement but rather deale mercifully with mee correct me before the day of my departure hence Bernard in Cant. serm 70. which thing is to be noted And so saith he befell it vnto Dauid c. S. Bernard Reproue me not O Lord in thy fury as thou didst the angels which reuolted fell away from thee in heauen but correct me in thine ire as the man in paradice that is saith he still remembring thee of thy mercie Lyranus in shorte wise thus Reproue mee not in the rigor of thy iustice but chastise mee according to the mildnesse of thy mercie And as for the word Fury hee is of minde that it is an alluding vnto the wordes in the 2. of Samuel 2. Sam. 24. And the furie and fierce wrath of the Lord continued to waxe hot against the house of Israel wherefore Dauid was moued to say vnto Ioab go and number Israel and Iuda c. reprouing Cassiodorus who of the litterall sence resting in Dauid made an allegoricall and referred it to Iob as if this Psalme had beene made by Dauid for to represent and set out the affliction of Iob and not because of the remorce and sence of his owne transgression cleane contrarie to the opinion iudgement of all the old writers either Iewes or Christians Caietanus of our time saith in like manner Chastise me as a father and not in the heate of thy displeasure c. a hard case that amongst so many Doctors wherewith they braue out their assertions there is not so much as one to be found on their side in deed Dauid in a psalme complaineth himselfe that God had grieuously afflicted him Psal 39. but that notwithstanding he held his peace because he knew it to be his hand When thou rebukest saith he any man for his iniquitie thou consumest his excellencie like a moth or according to others Thou meltest him or causest him to drie like vnto a cobwebbe Of this word melt or drie they conclude a fire Hieronym in psal 39. this fire they will needes haue to be purgatorie whereas in the meane time S. Ierome doth translate it Thou wastest and consumest his most precious things as doth a moth Now here is neuer a word either of fire or of the soule And the Chaldie paraphrast thou meltest away his body like a snaile Now he findeth not here any torment inflicted vpon the soule Orig. hom 11 in psal 38. And yet notwithstanding they make Origen their buckler in this conflict whome all old
writers haue condemned for turning the scriptures from their naturall sence by his allegories But I appeale vnto their owne consciences whether this place make any thing for purgatorie And why do they not rather hold themselues to S. August S. Ierome Theodoret who do not acknowledge any other thing in that place but Dauid his humiliatiō for his sins being cast vnder the mighty hand of God The glose saith Thou hast instructed my soule in infirmity and humilitie that so it might not presume through any strength or pride and hee compareth it to a spiders web because there is nothing more rotten then it Saint Ierome Hieronym in psal 38. The soule melteth when the concupiscences of the flesh are repressed and snubd when sinne is so worne away as the threed which hath not any substance left in it either to make it hard or thicke S. August ibid. Augustine Thou hast dried it vp through the insatiable thirst it hath after vertue and knowledge thou hast caused the iniquity thereof to be pressed and wrung out of my heart Theodor. ibid. as are the entrailes of a spider Theodoret In pressing and rubbing vpon the most hidden and secret corners of my exulcerated parts and inward sores thou hast healed me like a good phisition rather then with great paine and griefe Halmo This falleth out when as man by Gods chastisements and corrections being vpon him doth humble himselfe and turne vnto God Lyranus Thou hast made my life vile and abhominable vnto me Caietan The moth fretteth through and destroyeth the thing whereof she is bred and so we are pearced and fret away through our owne concupiscences and desires And thus he referreth this to the punishment of all mankind in the person of Adam Of all the translations they haue made choice of that which is furthest from the sence of the text and of so many expositions that which is furthest from the purpose and yet they can come by nothing for their purgatorie In the Psalme 49. God will redeeme my soule out of the hand of the graue or out of hell Psal 49.16 for the word signifieth both the one and the other when hee shall take mee vnto himselfe The shot is by their reckning he will deliuer mee from purgatorie whereas they should haue noted that in the verse going before it is spoken of the men of this worlde That death shall feed vpon them in the graue and that the vpright men shall haue dominion rule ouer them c. Where the selfe same word is vsed If the men of this world bee not threatned with any greater punishment then purgatorie then what priuiledge or preferment haue Dauid and others the workers of righteousnesse in whose persons he speaketh more then they If it do signifie hell in the one verse and in the other purgatory then let them shew vs some reason of such diuers construing of it that so wee may admit it The Chaldee Paraphrast God will deliuer my soule from hell because he will teach me his law and will take me to be partaker with him of the life to come But what will they then say to all the old fathers S. Ierome saith God being made man made himselfe of no reputation euen to death that thereby hee might repaire the ruines of mankind that is it which hee would say Cum acceperit me S. Augustine God will redeeme and deliuer my soule shall it be out of prison from oppression from the waues of the sea c. Nay rather saith he from hell and this is that redemption which hee hath shewed and set forth in himselfe Chrysost t. 1. de Dauidicis Cant. What wee haue seene in the bead the same shall we find in the members he descended into hell and ascended vp into heauen c. Chrysostome And that there is a freeing from eternall death he teacheth thee it in these wordes God hath deliuered my soule out of the power of hell c. Theodoret dealeth more plainely This certifieth and assureth vs that God doth giue counsell consolation to the poore which are oppressed of the mightie Haimo Out of the power of hell that is to say out of the power of the deuill when he shall haue taken me Caictan in psal 49. Psal 66.11 12. that is to say put vpon him my humanitie and so Cardinall Hugo Caietan in like maner He wil deliuer my life from the power of hell when he shall draw mee from out of this life into eternall into Abrahams bosome c. In the Psalme 66. We were saith Dauid entred into fire water Et eduxisti nos in refrigerium and thou hast brought vs forth into a place where wee find reliefe Otherwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a plentifull and fruitfull place Yet once againe here is purgatorie and that with an imagination that it worketh vpon men by casting them out of an extreme heat into an extreame cold c. From the fansying and good liking of an allusion in Origen Orig. hom 25. in Numer who yet medleth not any thing at all with this text which besides euen with the bare reading is easily refuted seeing therein he speaketh simply of diuers crosses and aduersities out of which God had extraordinarily deliuered Dauid The old writers haue vnderstood it cleane otherwise then they The Paraphrast Thou hast made the oppressor to go ouer my head Thou hast condemned vs to the rage of the flaming furnace and deuouring water and afterward hast set vs at libertie herein alluding very strongly vnto the seruitude of the people of Israell in the land of Egypt Lyranus Through the fire made to burne brickes through the water which we caried to temper the matter and make it fitte for the forme And if wee may lawfully moralize S. Augustine saith Through aduersitie and prosperitie through the scorching heat of tribulation the filthie puddle stinking waters of noysome corruption that which seemeth the least saith he being no lesse to be feared thē the other Hugo in psal 65. Hieronym in psal 65. And Hugo the Cardinall followeth his collection and interpretation S. Ierome Thus haue the Martyrs passed and come ad refrigerium to Christ who is their true reliefe and rest by the crosse by stripes by fire by water and diuers punishments and by them they haue become acceptable well pleasing sacrifices Hillar ibid. Chrysost t. 2. in c. 4. Mat. no. 5. Theod. in psal 66. Haimo in psal 66. Bernard de transitu S. Malachiae c. And S. Hilarie writeth thereupon after the same manner Chrisost Theodoret do deale somewhat more simply plainly take it to be vnderstood of the ordinary afflictions of the faithful Haimo Of Martyrs that haue passed through fire water of trauellers that haue indured the heat and cold yet giue not ouer their iourney Saint Bernard Such as die in the Lord fellow citizens with the Saintes and are of the