Hier. cont Iov lib. 1. those that married together after their vowes not onely for Adulterers but also for incestuous persons That Church held the g Cyp. Cacil Ep 63. mingling of water with Wine in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist for a thing necessary and of divine and Apostolicall Tradition She held h Aug. de pecc orig cap. 40. Exorcismes Exsufflations and renuntiations which are made in Baptisme for sacred Ceremonies and of Apostolicall Tradition She besides Baptism and the Eucharist held i Aug. cont Petil lib. 3. cap. 4. Confirmation k Aug. de nupt conc c. 17. Marriage l Amb. de poenit c. 7. Penance m Leo 1. Epist or auricular Confession n Aug. cont Parm. l. 2. c. 13. Orders and Extreme-Vnction for true proper Sacraments which are the seven Sacraments which the Church of Rome now acknowledgeth That Church in the Ceremonies of Baptisme used o Cyp. Epist 70. Oyl p Conc. Carth. 3. c. 5 Salt q Gr. Naz. de Bapt. Wax-lights r Aug. Ep. 101. Exorcismes the ſ Aug. cont Iul. lib. 6. cap. 8. sign of the Crosse a Amb. de Sacra l. 1. word Ephata and other things that accompany it none of them without reason and excellent signification She also held b Aug. de an ejus orig l. 3. c 15 Baptisme for infants of absolute necessity and for this cause permitted c Tertul. de Bapt. Lay-men to baptize in the danger of death That Church used Holy Water consecrated by certain words and ceremonies and made use of it both for d Basil de S. Spirit c. 17. Baptisme and e Epiph. har 30. against Inchantments and to make f Theod. hist Eccles l. 5. c. 3. Exorcismes and conjurations against evill spirits That Church held divers degrees in the Ecclesiasticall Regiment to wit g Concil Lacd c. 24. Conc. Carth. 4. c. 2. Bishops Priests Deacons Sub-Deacons the Acolyte Exorcist Reader and the Porter consecrated and blessed them with divers forms and ceremonies And in the Episcopall Order acknowledged divers seats of Jurisdiction of positive right to wit Archbishops Primates Patriarchs and h Hieron ad Damas Ep. 57. Concil Chal. Ep. ad Leon. one super-eminent by divine Law which was the Pope without whom nothing could be decided appertaining to the universall Church and the want of whose presence either by himself or his Legats or his Confirmation made all Councells pretended to be universall unlawfull In that Church their service was said throughout the i Hier. praef in Paralip East in Greek and throughout the k Aug. Ep. 57. de doct Christ l. 2. c. 13. West as well in Africa as Europe in Latine although that in none of the Provinces except in Italy and in the Cities where the Romane Colonies resided the Latine tongue was understood by the common people She also observed the distinction of k Aug. Ep. 118. Psa 63. 83. Feasts and ordinarie daies the distinction of l Hier. ad Helis Ep. 3. Theod. hist Ec. l. 2. c. 27 Ecclesiasticall and Lay habits the m Optat. l. 1. p. 19. reverence of sacred vessels the custome of n Theod. hist l. 5. c. 8. Isod de Diu. Off. l. 1. c. 4. shaving and o Greg. Naz. de pac or 1. unction for the collation of Orders the ceremony of the p Cyrill Hier. Cac. Mart. 5. Priest washing his hands at the Altar before the consecration of the mysteries q Concil Lacd c. 13. pronounced a part of the Service at the Altar with a low voice made r Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 22. c. 8. processions with the Reliques of Martyrs ſ Hier. cont Vigil kissed them t Hier. cont Vigil carried them in cloaths of silk and vessells of gold u Hier. c. Vi. took and esteemed the dust from under their Reliquaries accompanied the dead to their sepulchres with w Greg. Naz. in lul Orat. 3. Wax Tapers in signe of joy for the certainty of their future resurrection The Church of those daies had the pictures of Christ and his Saints both x Euseb de vita Const l. 3. out of Churches y Paulin. Ep. 12. Basil in Martyr Barlaam and in them and upon the very z Prudent in S. Cassian Altars of Martyrs not to adore them with God-like Worship but by them to reverence the Souldiers and Champions of Christ The faithfull then used the a Tert. de Coron milit sign of the Crosse in all their conversations b Cyril cōt Iul. l. 6. painted it on the portall of all the houses of the faithfull c Hier. in vit Hil. gave their blessing to the people with their hand by the sign of the Crosse d Athan. cont Idol imployed it to drive away evill spirits e Paul Ep. 11. proposed in Jerusalem the very Crosse to be adored on Good-Friday In brief that Church used either directly or proportionably the very same Ceremonies that the Roman Church useth at this day And finally that Church held f Tert. de Praescript Iren. l. 3. c. 3. l. 4. c. 32. that to the Catholike Church only belongs the keeping of the Apostolicall Traditions the authority of the interpretation of Scripture and the decision of controversies of faith and that out of the succession a Cyp de unit Eccles Conc. Car. 4. c. 1. of her Communion of b Hier. cont Lucif Aug. de util cred c. 8. her Doctrine c and her Ministry there was neither Church nor salvation d Cyp. ad Pup Ep. 63 ad Mag. Ep. 76. Hier. ad Tit. c. 3. And let the indifferent Reader now judge whether by this face we may know the Romane or the Protestant Church § 3. But because there is between two or three hundred years from the time of the first generall Councell to the Apostles and that some Protestants say that as Mephibosheth in his infancy fell from his nurses lap whereby he became lame and halted all his life after So the Church in the most primitive times fell from the true faith whereby she hath ever since gone awry we will still go on in the quest of the Roman Churches Antiquity even to the times of the Apostles alleadging some one amongst many of every age of the first five hundred years to make the proof the fuller in confirmation of some Roman doctrines that are most mainly gainsaid by Protestants Wherein will appear that false and vaine challenge of Bishop Jewell renewed by D. Whitaker who to the glorious Martyr Campian writes thus * Resp ad Rat. Camp Attend Campian the speech of Jewell was most true and constant when provoking you to the antiquity of the first six hundred years he offered that if you could shew by any one cleer and plain saying out of any one Father or Councell he would grant you the victory
still that Scripture which giveth credit to the rest would require another Scripture to give credit to it * Ibid. p. 103. neither could we ever come to any pause whereon to rest unlesse besides Scripture there were something else acknowledged And this something is as he saith * Lib. 2. ca. 4. p. 300. The Ecclesiasticall tradition an argument whereby may be argued and convinced what books be Canonicall and what not § 8. Lastly some say they know the Scripture to be the Word of God by the Spirit of God prompting it to their soules And this of all the rest seemed to me most absurd For first I durst not arrogate this Spirit to my self nor could I know it was in any other His saying the Spirit told him the Scripture was the Word of God did not prove it nor had I reason to believe he had the Spirit more than I without some proof If a mans testimony in his owne case might thus be admitted I saw that no Heretique would want it to support his impiety by ascribing it to the Spirit as * Epiphanhaer 21. Simon Magus did only this H. Spirit he believed to be his Concubine Helena and Protestants ascribe the title of the Spirit to their private fancies If I should have said that I know by the suggestion of Gods Spirit that this or that part of Scripture or that none of it was the Word of God my proof was as good to him as his to me For although the testimony of the Spirit of God be a sure witnesse to him that hath it yet it is none to others unlesse he can prove he hath it by some miraculous effect And without this kind of proof every prudent man hath reason to believe that such a boaster is a lier and intends to deceive others as it is likely of the first Authors of Heresies or else that he deceives himselfe by a strong operation of his fancy which he calls the Spirit because he is told by the doctrine of some Protestants that he must feel that he hath the Spirit as in particular concerning the assurance of his salvation desirous then to be in the right way that which he would have he perswades himself he hath because else he finds himselfe at a losse which begets a horror in him Which to avoid he flies to this pitifull refuge being the best he is instructed to that he may have some stay for his belief and repose for his soul And this happens commonly and most strongly to those that have some zeal but little wit on whom therefore the reflection of their fancy is the stronger and works upon them as upon some I have read and heard of who by their eager desire to be so have strongly conceited themselves to be indeed Kings and Princes and other kind of great and rich men when truly and in all other mens judgements they were either mad-men or fools So that this I perceived was to open a gap to any mans fantasticall pretence whatsoever who had the impudence to ascribe it to the Spirit of God Nor is there any peaceable way to compose the differences amongst men of this nature for each one pretending the Spirit he hath no reason to yeeld to another the holy Spirit being an infallible director wheresoever it is yet when it is different in different men who pretend to it as it often falls out it is a certaine signe that one of them is deceived and both are deceived in the opinion of each other yet neither yeelding to other the contention ends in the action of Zedekiah against the Prophet Micheas who gave him a box on the eare and said 2 Chron. 18.23 Which way passed the Spirit of our Lord from me that it should speake to thee And so it hath fallen out amongst those that derive their knowledge this way that they end their differences by blowes and conquests not by Councels and miracles Plut. And as the sonnes of Pyrrhus asking him who should succeed him in his Kingdome he answered he that hath the sharpest sword so if it be demanded amongst them who hath the Spirit of God and consequently the true Religion It must be answered He that hath the most strength of armes to maintaine it But S. Peter did otherwise who provoked by Simon Magus proved that he had the Spirit of God by raising up a childe from death Egesippus which the other with all his Magick could not do who also challenging S. Peter to fly from the Capitol to Mount Aventine while he was doing so by the prayer of S. Peter he came tumbling down and brake his leg whereof he soone after died If men that boast of the Spirit cannot this way prove it the saying of S. Augustine is appliable unto them * Tract 45. in Ioan. There are innumerable who do not only boast that they are Videntes or Prophets but will seem to be illuminated or enlightned by Christ but indeed are Heretiques § 5. Yet most certain it is that no man can believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God but by the Spirit of God inclining him thereunto for as the Apostle saith Ephes 2.8 Faith is the gift of God But there are two kinds of inspiration of the Spirit of God one immediate without the concourse of any externall ground of assurance the other mediate moving the heart to adhere to an externall ground of assurance making it to apprehend divinely of the authority thereof they that challenge the first are Enthusiasts and run into all the fore-mentioned absurdities they that take the latter way must besides their inward perswasion have an externall ground of belief and then what is there so high and sufficient as the testimony of Vniversall Tradition Agreeable whereunto Hooker saith * Eccles Pol lib. 2. sect 7.8 The outward letter sealed with the inward witnesse of the Spirit is not a sufficient warrant for every particular man to judge and approve the Scripture to be Canonicall the Gospell it self to be the Gospell of Christ * lib. 3. sect 3. but the authority of Gods Church as he saith is necessarily required thereunto § 9. And though it were true that we might know the Scripture to be the word of God without the testimony of the Church yet it doth no where appear that the Scripture is the whole word of God and containes all that the Apostles left unto the Church for their direction so that my first Quere would still be unsatisfied to wit how we should know the whole word of God which the Apostles taught For even that word which is written doth tell us that all is not written and therefore doth S. Paul exhort us to keepe both the written and unwritten Stand fast saith he and keepe the traditions which you have learned whether by word or by our Epistle 2 Thes 2.15 It is manifest that the first Church of God from the creation untill Moses which was about the space
examine the matter and being infallibly assisted by the Spirit of truth which our Saviour promised should be with his Apostles to the end of the world that is with the Church their Successor which was to continue to the worlds end shee declares what is true and what is false as agreeing with or disagreeing from that doctrine which shee hath received from her Fore-fathers the Prophets and Apostles upon whom shee is built as S. Paul saith built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephes 2.20 For as in a building there is not the least stone which rests not upon the foundation so in the doctrine of the Catholique Church there is not the least point which is not grounded on or contained in that which was delivered by the Apostles For example in the principles of every Science are contained divers truths which may be drawn out of them by many severall conclusions one following another These conclusions were truths in themselves before though they did not so appear to us till wee saw the connexion they had with the premises and how they were contained in them And by the many severall conclusions so drawn the truth of those principles doth more shew it selfe but doth not receive any change in it selfe thereby even so in the prime principles of our faith revealed immediately by God and delivered to the Church are contained al truths that any way belong to our faith but it was not necessary that the Church should manifest all these at their first meeting in Councell but only so much in every severall Councell as should concerne the present occasion of their meeting which is some particular heresie or heresies then sprung up and so more according to the successive growth of heresies which when shee hath done shee cannot be charged with creating of a new faith or altering of the old but shee doth only out of old grounds and premises draw such conclusions as may serve to destroy new heresies and shew them to be contrary to the ancient faith In this manner the Church hath grown and increased in knowledge by degrees and shall still do so to the end of the world And as the sun spreads the raies of his light more and more betwixt morning and noon and his beames display themselves in a valley or some roome of a house where they did not before without any change of light in the sun himselfe So may the Church spread the light of her faith shewing such or such a point to be a divine truth which before was not known to be so or which though it were a divine truth in it selfe yet it was not so to us for want of sufficient proposall that is of the Churches wherein the Church resembles our Blessed Saviour her Lord and Spouse who though he never received the least increase of grace and knowledge from the first moment of his being conceived yet the Scripture saith He grew in wisdome and age and in favour with God and men Luc. 2.52 to wit because he shewed it more and more in his words and actions This also further appeares by the method which Catholique Fathers and Doctors observe in and out of Councells in proving and defining points of faith namely by having recourse to the authority of Gods Word conteined both in Scripture and Tradition and to the belief and practise of the Church in searching whereof the Holy Church joynes humane industry with Gods grace and assistance For when any question or doubt of faith ariseth particular Doctors severally dispute and write thereof then if further cause require the Holy Church assembles her Pastors and Doctors together in a generall Councell to examine and discusse the matter more fully as in that first Councell of the Apostles whereof the Scripture saith The Apostles and Elders assembled together to consider of this word Acts 15.6 The Pastors being thus come together and having the presence of our Saviour and his Holy Spirit according to his promise amongst them out of Scripture and Traditions joyning therewith the consent of holy Fathers and Doctors of foregoing times she doth infallibly resolve and determine the matter not as new but as ancient orthodox and derived from her forefathers making that which was ever in it selfe a divine truth so to appeare to us that now wee may no more make question thereof So that from hence it appeares that the Church makes no new Articles of faith such as then may be said to have their beginning but only explications and collections out of the old which were delivered to the Apostles and by them to us And though the Church doe thus grow in the knowledge of points of faith yet this is no newnesse of faith but a maintenance of the old with a kind of increase by way of explicating that which was involved cleering that which was obscure defining that which was undefined obliging men to believe more firmly and explicitly that which before they were not bound so to believe That is only to be called a new faith which is contrary to that which was held before or hath no connexion with it and when we cease to believe that which we believed before this indeed is change of faith the other is but encrease And if this encrease of faith by the declaration of Councells may be called a change and innovation of faith there is no Heretique but may challenge antiquity to himselfe and put novelty on the score of the Church For he may say such a thing for example that the Sonne is of the same substance with the Father was not held de fide a matter of faith before the Councell of Nice therefore it is new That Baptisme administred by Heretiques is good baptisme was not held as a matter of faith before the daies of S. Cyprian therefore it is new And the Heretique may say that he believes only that which was believed before such or such a Councell which he please for the case is alike in all and therefore he believes the antient Faith By which way of arguing he may renounce the decrees of all Councells as Novelties and maintaine many Heresies as the antient Faith Yea by this absurdity a man may deny divers Books of the Scripture as the Epistle to the Hebrewes the second Epistle of S. Peter the Epistle of S. Iames of S. Iude and the Apocalyps with some others because they were not admitted for Canonicall untill 300. or 400. yeares after they were written Yet when they were declared to be Canonicall there was no change of faith in the Church thereby for the believing of these Books was involved in this revealed Article I believe in God and the believing of them to be Canonicall was involved in this revealed Article I believe the holy Catholike Church onely hereby was an increase of the materiall object of our faith to us not in it selfe we being bound upon the declaration of the Church to believe that thing firmely and without dispute
have been eye-witnesses of the severall Countreys thereof wherein though the publike profession thereof be Hereticall Mahometicall or Heathenish yet even there hath the Romane Catholique Church both Fathers and children Pastors and people And like the Sea what she loseth in one place she wins in another what she hath lost by the falling away of the Protestants in Europe she hath gained with increase by the propagation of her faith in the East and West Indies where whole Kingdomes are converted thereunto as a Protestant Author confesseth saying Simon Lythus in respons altera ad alteram Gretseri Apologiam p. 333. The Jesuites within the compasse of a few years not content with the bounds of Europe have filled Asia Africa and America with their Idols And thus shee was Catholique by Napier a Protestant Writers confession forementioned and others for 12. or 1300. yeares ago and ever since And whereas Protestants say that this universality is no true mark of the Church because it is appliable to Turkes and Pagans it is doubtlesse a very poor objection for the markes of the Church are not given her by God to distinguish her from all sorts of Religions but only from those that are contained equivocally under the same next kind and may be supposed and taken for Churches that is to say from other Christian societies to wit from Hereticall and Shismaticall Sects which challenge by false markes the title of the true Church To which purpose S. Augustine saith disputing with the Donatists Thou askest of a stranger whether he be a Pagan or a Christian he answers thee a Christian thou askest him whether he be a catechumene Aug de Pastor c. 13. or one of the faithfull he answers thee one of the faithfull thou askest him of what communion he is he answers thee a Christian Catholique Besides the Roman Church hath this forme of universality beyond all Religions of the world even Turkes or Heathens That there is no place of the known world where there are not Roman Catholiques propagating their Religion by converting the people of the land whosoever they are which is manifestly wanting to all other Religions and is therefore in this regard also more universally spread over the face of the earth than any other Others say that this universall spreading of the Church is antidated by Roman Catholiques with application to themselves for that it was not to take beginning but from the time of Luther because some places of Scripture which speak of the largenesse of the Church say it shall be in the later daies But it is manifest that by later daies is meant all the space of time from Chirst to the end of the world as S. Peter interpreting a prophecie of Joel which saith that it shall come to passe in the last daies that God will powre his Spirit upon all flesh Acts 2.17 by which is intended the amplitude of the Church applies it to that present time when the holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles Nor can any reasonable man imagine that it can sort with the goodnesse of God and his tender love to mankind to suffer the light of his truth in the not spreading of his Church to be eclipsed for 14. or 1500. years seeing that according to the opinion of some learned men grounded upon fair probabilities the world is likely to last but 2000. yeares after Christ. Howsoever this universality of the Protestant Religion is but begun it is not perfected for the Roman Church is yet actually exceeding larger and Protestants that allow this for a mark of the true Church now begin hopefully to apply it to themselves are bound to be of the Roman till they see their expectation satisfied in the Protestant Churches exceeding her in latitude which I dare boldly say will not be as long as they live and therefore they ought to die in the Roman Faith § 3. But if we examine the matter a little more strictly we shall find that the Protestants plea for universality wil be cut very short when we consider that though they make themselves all of one Church when they would vie for multitude with the Roman Church yet compared with one another we shall find that they are very many Churches not distinguished by nation only but by doctrine and points of faith and that there are many Churches in one Nation as in England for example and will be many more if the desired Independency be advanced Now it is not sufficient that the Protestant Religion in generall be enlarged but it must be the true Protestant Religion which every particular Sect thinking it self to be of and denying it the most of them to the rest the universality of the Religion wil be mightily abated Indeed when they muster their strengths together and make boast of their greatnesse then they rake all into the title of Protestantisme who have revolted from the Roman Church count them on their side as if the definition of a Protestant were one that is opposite to the Church of Rome So that if there were a thousand sorts of Heretiques in the world they would in this case account them but one Church But the word Catholique being a note of Communion as I have shewed already as the Roman Church calls none a Catholique that doth not communicate with her so cannot the Protestant Church of Engl. count any to be of her Religion thereby by inlarging of her bounds to prove her selfe Catholique unlesse they will communicate with her which the Grecian Churches wil not the Lutheran Churhes will not many of the Sects within the Kingdom will not as Presbyterians Antinomians Anabaptists Brownists Familists Erastians Socinians Arminians Seekers Adamites Shakers Independents with many others These I say will not communicate with the Protestant Church of England nor will they communicate each with other but have at least most frequently their Congregations as they call them separate and apart so that these are all to be accounted severall Churches and Religions and no one is further universall than the communion thereof doth spread which is so litle a way that none of them is nay though they were al united together would they be able to stand in competition with the Roman Church under whose Communion are many entire Kingdoms and in all known parts of the world an infinity of people even in Asia Africa and America where the name of Protestant much more any particular Sect thereof is altogether unknowne Besides all the Christian Churches which are now separated from the Roman were once united to her both in faith and communion and then either she was the Catholique Church or there was none in the world which is impossible therefore they that departed from her departing from the Catholique Church became Schismatiques and departing from the faith they received from her become Heretiques § 4 Lastly the very possession of the name Catholique is a proof that it doth belong to her seeing no sort of Christians
blood of Christ the purest sacrifice that can be imagined In this age also Justin Martyr saith In Apol. 2. ad Anton. Imperat prope finem * For we do not take those things as common bread and common drink but as Jesus Christ our Saviour made flesh by the word of God had both flesh and blood for our Salvation so the bread and wine being made the Eucharist by the praier of the word proceeding from him by which our flesh and blood are nourished by change we are taught that it is the flesh and blood of the same Jesus Christ incarnate Lastly in the first age S. Ignatius Martyr and Disciple of S. John the Evangelist speaking of the error of the Saturnians saith a Epist ad Smynium ut citatur à Theodoreto Dial 3. They do not admit Eucharists and oblations because they do not confesse the Eucharist to be the flesh of the Saviour which suffered for our sinnes which the Father by his â—ounty raised And S. Andrew the Apostle saith b lib. pass S. Andreae apud SuriuÌ„ I daily sacrifice an immaculate Lamb to the omnipotent God which when it is truly sacrificed and the flesh thereof truly eaten of the people doth continue whole and alive Concerning the honour and Invocations of Saints in the fift age S. Augustine saith c Serm. 17. de verbis Apost prope init It is an injury to pray for a Martyr to whose prayers we ought to be commended And accordingly he did commend himself in these words d Meditat. c. 40. Holy immaculate Virgin Mary Mother of God and Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ vouchsafe to intercede for me to him whose Temple thou hast deserved to be made Holy Michael holy Gabriel holy Raphael holy Quires of Angells and Archangells of Patriarchs and Prophets of Apostles Evangelists Martyrs Confessors Priests Levites Monks Virgins and all the just both by him who hath chosen you and in whose contemplation you rejoyce I presume to ask that you would deign to beseech God for me a sinner that I may deserve to be delivered from the jaw of the Devill and from eternall death And again he saith a Lib. de loquutionibus in Gen. prope finem Jacob blessing his Nephewes the sonnes of Joseph among other things he saith and my name shall be invoked in these and the name of my Fathers Whence it is to be noted that not only hearing but also invocation is somtimes said which are not things pertaining unto God only but unto men In the fourth age we find S. Gregory Nazianzene speaking thus to S. Basil the great b In Orat. 20. quae est in laudem Basilii Magni But thou holy and heavenly head I pray thee behold us from heaven and either with thy prayers stop the provocation of the flesh which God hath given us for instruction or truly perswade that we may beare it with a valiant mind and direct all our life to that which is most availeable and after that we shall passe out of this life receive us also there in thy Tabernacles And S. Hierome against Vigilantius saith c Cont. Vigilant c. 3. initio Thou saist in thy book that while we live we may pray for one another but after we shall be dead the prayer of no man is to be heard for another especially seeing the Martyrs regarding the revenge of their blood shall not be able to obtain to which he answers ' If the Apostles and Martyrs being yet in the body can pray for others when as yet they ought to be solicitors for themselves how much more after crowns victories and triumphs And a little after he answers to the objection of their being dead saying To conclude the Saints are not said to be dead but asleep In the third age Origen giues us this example d Initio sui Lamenti I will begin to prostrate my self on my knees and to beseech all the Saints that they help me who dare not beg of God by reason of the abundance of my sin O Saints of God I beseech you with tears and weeping full of griefe that you fall down to his mercies for me miserable wretch And after woe is me Father Abraham pray for me that I be not estranged from thy bosome which I have greatly desired not condignely truly by reason of my great sin In the second age Justin Martyr speaks thus d Apol. 2. ad Anton Pium Imper. non longe ab initio Moreover we doe worship and adore him to wit God and the Son who came from him and taught us these things and the Army of others that followed and of the good Angells assimilated and the propheticall Spirit reverencing in word and truth and fairly delivering it as we are taught to all that will learn And in the first age in the Liturgie of S. James the lesse Ante Med. we have these words e Let us make commemoration of the most holy immaculate most glorious our blessed Lady Mother of God and alwaies Virgin Mary and of all Saints and just ones that we may all obtain mercy by their prayers and intercessions § 5. Thirdly for the use and veneration of holy Reliques and Images and chiefly of the holy Crosse hear what S. Augustine saith in the fift age * Tract 118. in Ioan. fine What is the signe of Christ which all have known but the Crosse of Christ which signe unlesse it be applied whether to the foreheads of believers or to the water wherewith they are regenerated or to the oile wherewith they are anointed with the chrisme or to the Sacrifice wherewith they are nourished nothing of them is rightly performed In the fourth age we shall find Athanasius speaking thus and expressing the manner of Catholiques worship of Images * ad Antiochum Principem Let it be far from us that we Christians adore images as Gods as the Greeks do we declare only our affection and the care of our love towards the figure of the person expressed by his image therefore oftentimes we burne as unprofitable the wood which ere while was an image if the figure be worne out Therefore as Jacob when he was to die adored the top of Josephs rod not honouring the rod it selfe but him who held the rod So we Christians do no otherwise adore images but even as moreover when we kisse our Fathers and children we declare the desire of our mind Even as the Jew also did adore in times past the Tables of the law and the two golden Cherubins and certaine other Images not worshiping the nature of the stone or gould but our Lord who commanded them to be made a Homil. 8. in diversos Evangelii locos In the third age * Origen saith thus To conclude * in Ezekiel the Prophet ch 9. v. 4. when the Angell who was sent had slaine all and the slaughter had begun from the Saints they only are kept safe whom the letter
do yea and more commanding things impossible and then punishes us for not doing them which is most tyrannicall Now if God do not require all but only thus much to do well then the doing better than well is a stock which God of his great bounty gives us to improve for our selves in a higher measure and to offer him liberalities beyond the bond of duty And what pride is it for man to acknowledge this sweet providence of his creator to praise his merciful indulgence in not exacting so much as he might but giving him a way means to shew his voluntary unexacted love to him Especially believing that this divine favour not to exact the uttermost of mans performance and consequently mans ability to present to God more perfect and excellent service than he requires is given through the merits of Christ § 8. But above all the Reall presence is the prodigie of opinions in the conceipt of Protestants whose playnnesse in Scripture notwithstanding leaves not where to adde to it with cleerer proofe as appeares by Christs words of institution This is my body so often repeated Mat. 26.26 Mar. 14.22 Luc. 22.19 They fight against it therfore with arguments drawn from the power of nature think because it exceeds the power of nature therfore it cannot be To whom it may be said as our Saviour said to the Jews who thought that mens bodies in heaven were like their bodies here on earth ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22.29 And why then do Protestants believe that God was in the form of a man a thing as impossible in nature as for God man together to be under the form of bread or wine And because they would make sure work if they could the former objection being in the opinion of many of them insufficient they say that it doth not only exceed the power of nature but of God also in that it implies a contradiction but this the most learned of them have never been able to prove nor never will I hope they will all take Luthers judgement herein whom they will not deny to be learned enough to discerne a contradiction Tom. Wittemb 1557. defens verb. Coenae fol. 388 and he saith what Scripture have they to prove that these two Propositions be directly contrary Christ sitteth in heaven Christ is in the Supper The contradiction is in their carnall imagination not in faith or the word of God They also fright the people from this belief by presenting to them the uncomlinesse and inconveniences that may ensue which objections are but raked out of the ashes of the old Heathen and Heretiques who made the like against Gods taking our flesh upon him as that it was undecent that God should lie in a womans womb nine moneths that he should be circumcised whipt and spit upon and finally suffer a most shamefull and painfull death But seeing Protestants doe believe that Christ when he was on earth was subject to all humane infirmities except sin why should his liablenesse to such infirmities make them forbear to believe that he is in the Sacrament But to acquit them of that trouble they may take notice that Christs body in the Sacrament is not subject to those inconveniences that it was before his death because it is now a glorified body and not subject to suffer any thing For as the Sun shining on a dunghill is not defiled therewith and as the Deity it selfe is every where and yet suffers no infection from the foulnesse of any place So the body of Christ being immortall and impassible cannot be defiled or hurt with the touch or impression of any unclean or hurtfull thing more than a man can hurt or defile a Spirit for of that nature are all glorified bodies as the Apostle saith It is sowen a naturall body it shall rise a spirituall body 1. Cor. 15.44 So that in this respect Protestants have more reason to believe the reall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament than that he once had a reall body conversant here on earth But some of them againe do acknowledge as they say themselves the Reall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament and therein seem to be Catholiques and please themselves in seeming to be so and think we can desire no more but they do but cozen both themselves and us for when their Presence is sifted we find no reality in it They say that Christ is really present in the Sacrament but not corporally or bodily by which bodily they mean either that his body it selfe is not there or that it is not there with the circumstances and accidents of a body as quantity and the like If they mean the former to wit that he is really there and yet his body is not there I would faine know how this may be For a body to be really in any thing must fignifie to be bodily or in body there or nothing Therefore to say that Christ is really there who is a body and yet not there bodily is the contradiction they speak of and is in their reall presence not in the Catholiques For it is as much as if they should say his body is there and it is not there If by not bodily they mean not with the accidents of his body as quantity figure and the like and that so Christ is not bodily in the Sacrament but spiritually that is after the nature of a Spirit then they agree with Catholiques who say the same and in this sense he may be and is both corporally and spiritually present in the Sacrament Now if by really they mean in regard of his Deity which is every where this is true but is not the true meaning of really for he is no more there in this sense than he is every where else so their confession of a reall presence imports nothing distinctly and is but a delusion For Christ being a man as wel as God the body of a man as wel as the Godhead concurring to the making of his person he that is whole Christ and unseparated cannot be said to be any where really unlesse he be there also bodily and if his body be there his body is by us received and that not only spiritually that is under the conditions of a Spirit or spiritually by receiving the grace of his holy Spirit into our Spirits and souls but also corporally in regard of himselfe who is a body and in regard of us who receive his body into our bodies and this not by faith but with faith that is not by an imaginary conceipt that he is there or that the benefits of his passion are conveyed to the receiver that thinks so which is the Protestant saith in this case but with faith that is faith and charity also abiding in our souls without which though we doe receive him truly really yet we do not receive him worthily profitably But according to the Protestant