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A30889 John Barclay his defence of the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist to the sectaries of the times book II, chap. II / Englished by a person of quality. Barclay, John, 1582-1621. 1688 (1688) Wing B715; ESTC R28347 15,059 28

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Bernard dy'd fifty years before Innocent the III. was advanc'd to the Pontificat Now what can be more express than these words of his in his Sermon on our Lords Supper This is truly an Heavenly Favour this is certainly an abundant Grace this is surely a super excellent Glory that a Priest should hold his GOD and with his Hand give him to others But left he should repeal these Testimonies by such frivolous Exceptions as you for the most part use pretending that an universal Darkness had then over-shadow'd all Mankind and driven them into many and great Errors let us go back to those Ages which were even in your own Judgment uncorrupted We have already given you not only the Judgment of St. Augustin but also the Opinion and Practice of the Church describ'd by him That the Eucharist is a Victim whereby our Sins are effac'd that 't is a Sacrifice that 't is a Propitiation which is offer'd to GOD for the Dead You require those that are more Antient than St. Augustin St. Justin Martyr the very next Age after the the Apostles in his second Apology to the Emperor has these Words As by the Word of GOD our Saviour JESVS CHRIST was Incarnate and took Flesh and Blood for our Salvation So we are taught that by Prayers taken from GOD's Word the Eucharist by him made Food with which our Blood and Flesh are through mutation nourish'd is the Flesh and Blood of that Incarnate JESVS St. Hilary who liv'd in the third Age of the Church says in his eighth Book of the Trinity There is no room to doubt of the Truth of the Flesh and Blood For now both by the Profession of our Lord himself and our own Faith it is truly Flesh and truly Blood. St. Gregory Nyssen of the same Age in his Catechetical Oration chap. 37. We rightly believe that the Bread sanctify'd by the Word of GOD is truly chang'd into the Body of GOD the Word St. Chrysostom in his two and fiftieth Homily on St. Matthew speaks thus Why should he disdain to give thee his Body who did more that is laid down his Life for thee Let us hear therefore Priests as well as others how great how admirable a thing is granted us let us hear I Pray and tremble he has deliver'd us Flesh he has set before us himself Immolated And St. Cyril of Hierusalem more Antient than St. Chrysostom says in his fourth Catechism That a Christian Man knows and certainly holds this Bread which is seen by us not to be Bread though the Taste thinks it to be Bread but the Body of CHRIST and the Wine which is beheld by us though it seem Wine to the Sense of Tasting yet not to be Wine but the Blood of CHRIST What needs many Words No Age of the Primitive Church none of the Fathers dissented The Testimonies of all Ages and Writers have been formerly given thee by such as have thought good to handle this Argument more at large Let me now speak to thee O Sectary if thou desirest to be cur'd This is one of the greatest Affairs in the Christian Faith whether in the Eucharist be CHRIST himself or only Bread which is the Figure of CHRIST's Body In so great a matter and in which to err is certain Destruction consider whether side is supported by the safest Arguments As to the Scriptures 't would be Impudence to affirm that there are clearer or even as clear Words for you as these are for us This is my Body this is my Blood The Bread which I will give is my Flesh. Some places therefore are plain and clear of themselves and others which want Interpretation we expound according to the Sentiments of Men certainly great and numerous whose Wisdom Learning and Piety were remarkable and lastly as is most agreeable to the Divine Institution This is my Body Now if you would understand what the Sense of the Church was from the Apostles time it can no way better be understood than by that of the Fathers who then liv'd But there is not any one of the Fathers that have written of the Eucharist whom we approve not or whom we refuse for our Judge For though some of them may have sometimes us'd certain obscure Words which you also have endeavour'd to abuse for the support of your Heresies yet is there none of them that have spoken thus dubiously who has not also other Words extant which are plain and clear for us Nay most of them have so written that asserting our Opinion they cannot be so much as imagin'd to have the least Word or Expression which favours your Heresy Then if you have regard to the Consent of Christians it must be confess'd that not only the Latin and Greek Churches but all Christians throughout the whole World unanimously agree in our Opinion So that which way soever you seek for Arguments there are still more for us If the Learning of the Persons be respected we have far the greater part of Men famous for Knowledge if Ages we have unquestionably more if the number of Men you may well be asham'd to compare with us Thus being every way inferior to us you have nothing remaining but your Obstinacy and vain Incredulity which with you is call'd Prudence or Wisdom wholly consisting in such kind of Philosophy as this Can GOD do this or is it likely that he would what Inconveniencies hence arise how unworthy is this of the Divine Majesty After the same manner did the Heathens put up Queries against CHRIST and the Arians against the Trinity Away with this vain Solicitude You may possibly sometimes know why GOD's Works are done but never how Give me leave to use the Words of St. Ambrose Who says he 11 Hexam Chap. 1. seeing these things can with his weak understanding search out a possibility of the Reason All which the Divine Power not to be comprehended by humane Minds nor express'd by our Discourses has knit together by the Authority of his own Will. But if thou O Sectary art not mov'd by our Agreement let the blind Contention that is among your selves startle thee Since divided into Sects you with great bitterness contend about the Opinion you ought to have of this Sacrament Would to GOD thou knewest how pleasant it is to prostrate thy self before the Altar Where the Angels says St. Chrysosthm in his third Homily on the Epistle to the Ephesians with Trembling Reverence the Host How sweet it is there to Adore our Lord Who to use St. Augustin's words in his Commentary on the 98 Psalm walk'd here in the Flesh and gave the same Flesh to be eaten by us for our Salvation How far lastly it excells all humane Delights to reject vain Circumstances and believe only the Word of GOD to which so many foregoing Ages have Assented to acknowledge that to be our Lords Body which our Lord himself has affirm'd to be his Body and with a Mouth of Flesh to receive in all due Humility the Flesh of our Lord that he may nourish our Souls with the effect of the Sacrament and the Spirit which quickneth None shall before the Tyranny of Antichrist deprive the Faithful of these Joyes nor can any one but he who has experienc'd them comprehend them The End of the second Chapter ADVERTISEMENT THere being many Excellent Pieces of the same Author containing a Direct Short and Full Proof of all those Points commonly Objected to Roman Catholicks by Sectaries as having furnish'd a pretended Occasion of their Schism I design God willing one by one to prepare them for the Press that the World may see how unreasonable and groundless are all the Exceptions made against Us and Manifestly Repugnant to God's Holy Word and the received Judgment of all Antiquity