we exclude not one from the true and corporal receiving of the Lord's flesh in the Sacrament let him be Turk Atheist yea tho he should be the Divel himself incarnate I Answer That is to be understood if his unworthiness be unknown to the Priest or known only by Confession For of this he cannot make use to diffame him Did not Christ give the Communion to Judas Ob. 12. God makes no miracles without necessity but what necessity is there for the miracles we avow to be made in the Eucharist Then they are not made there and so Christ's Body is not there Answer I distingish the major without an absolute necessity I deny Without a certain consequential necessity supposing that he will make an extraordinary shew of his power or goodness I grant And this was the reason wherefore he made so many miracles which were not absolutely necessary in the bringing the Children of Israël out of Egipt to wit to give an extraordinary shew of his power And in the Eucharist he makes some where he would also give an extraordinary shew of his singular goodness and love to man fore-told by the Royal Prophet Psal 110. v. 4. He hath made a memory of his marvellous works to wit in giving his Body and Blood to be a spiritual Food to these who fear him Mr. Rodon asks here if it can be said that the Eucharist is for the Salvation of the Soul of him that eats it since the reprobate eates it too and the Faithful under the Old Testament and Infants in the New do not eat it Answer Yes it can be said because 't is the reprobate's fault that it does not save him Neither that the Faithfull of the Old Law and Infants in the New are not saved by an eating of it makes any thing against it because it was not instituted for them Mr. Rodon askes again if it can be said with Bellarmine and Perron that the Host being eaten serves as an incorruptable Food for a glorious resurrection since the Faithfull of the Old Testament and Infants in the New rise again gloriously without it Answer Yes it can be said because Christ sayes Io. 6. v. 54. Who eates my Flesh and drinks my Blood hath eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day And the Council of Nice calles the Eucharist Symbolum resurrectionis a token of the Resurrection and S. Ignatius M. Epist 14. to the Ephes terms it Pharmacum immortalitatis a medicine of immortality Now if you ask the manner how it serves as an Incorruptible Food for a glorious Resurrection I Answer the species being altered by the heat of the stomach the Body of Christ ceases to be there but his Diety remaines after a special manner in the Soul as the virtue of Wheat remaines in the corrupted Grain to raise it again at Spring feeding it with grace and at set times affording it new infusions of actual Grace divine lights and heavenly affections And in the Resurrection raises again the Body and unites it to this Soul But this proposition being affirmative does not exclude from Glory those of the Old Testament and Infants of the New who have not for want of Capacity the Participation of this Sacrament Who sayes that a Ship serves to go from Leith to London does not say that a man cannot go without it viz. by Horse Neither is S. Paul against us but for us when he sayes Rom. 8. If the Spirit of him who raised up IESVS from the dead dwell in you he shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you viz. as the efficient and the immediate cause this Spirit being the seed and virtue left by the Eucharist the eating of which was a remote cause conveiging in a particular manner by way of disposition this Spirit to us Mr. Rodon's last Objection is The Heavens must contain Christ untill the time of restitution of all things Act. 3. v. 21. And he himself said I leave the World c. Io. 16. Therefore he is not in the Eucharist Answer We don't say he leaves Heaven to come to the Host or that he hath not left the World as to his visible presence but we say he is and will be with us even to the consumation of the World Math. 28. in an invisible way viz. in the Eucharist Mr. Ro. adds that Christ Math. 24. warnes us not to believe when false Prophets in the last day shall say he is in the Desert he is in the secret Chambers and remarks that the Greek for secret Chambers has en Tameiois that is in the Cup-boards which is to be understood of our Cabinets on our Altars according to Mr. Rodon's explication Answer I remark that where the Greek has Tameiois which signifies an Excheker which relates to secresie as well as Cup-board the Syriach has In Bed Chambers that is as A Lapide explaines a most inward room and that the vulgar Latin has In penetralibus to the meaning of Christ The Greek word is of no force more than the Latin or Syriack that Gospel having been written in Hebrew of which we have not the Authentick Copy Here I may say with S. Aug. Lib. 22. de Civit. Dei Cap. 11. Ecce qualibus argumentis omnipotentiae Dei humana contradicit infirmitas quam possidet vanitas Behold with what arguments human infirmity possessed with vanity opposes the almighty power of God CHAPTER V. Against the Adoration and Worshiping of the Host SECTION I. That we ought to adore Christ in the H. Host is proven A Blind Servant thinks himself obliged to take off his hat when he is told his Lord is in the Room Then I am bound to adore Christ when my faith tells me that Christ is present in the Host I prove the Consequence I am as much bound to adore Christ present my Lord and my Redeemer as the blind servant is bound to the taking off his hat in the presence of his Lord and Master Mr. Rodon remarks that Moses Exod. 3. was commanded to approach with reverence and adoration the Bush that burned and was not consumed because God did manifest some what of his power and glory in that place I subsume but Christ doth manifest some what of his power and glory in the H. Host Therefore we ought not to approach it but with reverence and adoration I prove my subsumption Christ gives there to the purer Souls surprising delights and works admirable changes in them which is a manifestation of his power and a ray of his glory there this is known to the faithful which made the heavenly enlightened Author of the following of Christ lib. 4. cap. 1. say O admirahle and hidden grace of the Sacrament which the faithful only of Christ know If you say this is not sensible to the imperfiter Souls amongst Romanists I answer that does not make it not to be true God shewed much of his power and glory in the Manna to the perfit ones
sacramento S. lavâ—eri dicentem sed de sacramento â—rensae suae quo nemo ritè nisi baptizatus accedit â—isi manducaveritis carnem filii hominis c. non habebitis vitam in vobis quid ad hoc responderi potest c. An veâ—â—ò quisquam etiam hoc dicere audebit quòd ad parvulos haec senten iâ— non pertineat possintqùe sine participatione Corporis hujus sanguinis in se habere vitam i. e. Let us hear sayes he our Lord not indeed speaking of the sacrament of the holy layer Baptism but of the sacrament of his table to which no man comes lawfullie unless he be baptized Unless you eate the flesh of the son of man c You shall not have life in you What can be answered to this c. Dare anâ—e say that this sentence does not belong to Children and that they may have life in them without the participation of this Bodie and Blood Rem o. That it is not likely that S. Io. whose desing in his Ghospell was to speak of the greatest mysteries of the life of Christ would have omitted that of the Eucharist or of his giving his Body and Blood to his Disciples at the last supper which the three other Evangelists so accurately set down as if one would not omit to confirm what the other said of this mysterie but if he did not mean of it when he relates what Christ in his 6. Chap. said of giving his body and his Blood threatening them if they did not eate it and drink it he has omited it SECTION II. We must eate the real flesh of Christ and drink his Blood sacramentallie i. e. sensibly by the mouth of the body and not by the mouth of faith onlie TO prove this Catholick truth we bring these two passages Unless you eate the flesh and drink the blood of the son of man you shall have no life in you Io. 6. v. 54. and v. 56. For my Flesh is meat indeed c To prove that this eating and drinking is to be understood only of an eating and drinking by faith protestants according to the principle of comparing scripture with scripture the obscurer passage with the clearer to know the true sense of both bring two passages which follow relating to the same matter to be compared with ours viz. 'T is the spirit that quicknes the flesh profits nothing The words which I have spoken are spirit and truth v. 64. We say that these latter passages are the obscurer and do not prove so clearly that we must eate and drink the Body and Blood of Christ only by faith as ours prove that wee must eate the Body and drink the Blood of Christ by the mouth of the Body 1. Because these two passages do not speak of faith but only of spirit and life there are other acts of spirit and life than acts of faith the acts of love The zeal of thy house hath eaten me sayes David Psal 69. v. .9 in the protestant Bible in ours 68. v. 10. How prove you that Christ means here an act of faith 2. We know there is no other proper mouth in man but that of the body wherefore when Christ sayes unless you eate the f esh and drink the blood of the son of man c. We understand he means with the mouth of the body Again since to eate and drink are the proper acts of the mouth till you prove to us that we cannot receave the body of Christ spiritualised or having the property of a spirit into our mouths why shall not wee believe that Christ meant we should eate his flesh with the mouth of our Body since a terme sine addito if you add nothing is alwise taken for the thing for which it supposes properlie So Homo a man if you add nothing supposes for a true man and not a painted man wherefore Christ saying Unless you eate the body of the son of man without adding by faith that eateing he speaks of is to be understood by the mouth of the body this being that which we understand properly by the tearm eating Nor doth it s not nourishing the body hinder it to be eaten by the mouth of the body no more then poyson tho it nourish not hinders to believe that many have drunk poison Since then these two latter passages are the obscurer they ought to be explained to the sense of the former two passages brought by us or so that they do not contradict them which are clear Wherfore I explaine them thus 'T is the spirit that quickness c. i. e 'T is my divine spirit or my Divinity that quicknes the receaver of my Body to a supernatural life as the soul quicknes the body to actiones of a natural life and as the bodie could not be quickned to hear or see without the soul so could not the receaver of my Bodie or he who eates it sacramentallie be quickned to a supernatural life were it not united to my divinity Of which divine spirit quickning or giving life to wit supernatural the words I have spoken are to be understood 2. My words are spirit and life i. e. They are to be understood spiritually or that you are to eate my flesh being in the sacrament after a spiritual way with the propertie of a spirit for the nourishment of your soul not being there in a carnall way like a piece of dead flesh to be divided with your teeth for the nourishment of your body 3. My words are spirit and life i. e. My words intimated v. 54. Unless you eate the flesh of the son of man c Obeyed will give you my spirit and by it a supernatural life or grace which leads to eternall life Christ adds presently v. 65 There are some of you which do not believe as if he should say the reason wherefore you stumble at my promise of giving you my flesh to eate is because you do not believe really that I am the son of God and so able to do all things howsoever strange they may seem to be By what I have said in this section you see proven that these words of Christ He that eates my flesh and drinks my blood hath eternall life Io. 6. v. 55. and my flesh is meat indeed c. v. 56. are to be understood of a corporall eating by the mouth of the body and not of a meer spiritual eating and drinking by faith I say not a meer spiritual eating because we hold we must add an act of faith to our sensible eating of his Body nay this Corporall eating may be cald a spiritual eating in a good sense in as much as we believe That the Bodie of Christ in the sacrament as it is reallie there so it is spiritualiy I mean with the propertie of a spirit As S. Paul 1. Cor. 15. v. 44. sayes Our bodies shall rise spiritual i. e. spiritualized viz. in glory they shall have the properties of a spirit Note
mindful of one of the Noble Motto's of your House hazard yet further in what is prudently acknowledged to be the Service of God there is no danger to be redouted or so much as apprehended Your very name SET-ON minds you of generosity in what you act for God or may undertake for the Service of his Vice-gerent upon Earth the King God and you know best what hope you have lay'd up in Heaven as the Apostle speaks to the Colos 1. v. 5 But much of Your Charitie the World has seen I am the Subject of a notable part of it and Witness of your sheltring poor Strangers considering distressed Tenents clothing the naked feeding orphelins visiting the imprisoned in Person the sick by almes entring some fore-lorne into the number of your domesticks and honestly burying the Dead that had no Friend or Relation able to do that Duty Such actions done in the Spirit of Christ make savour at present in the Eucharist the sweetness of the hidden Manna there and will Crown hereafter the Christian in the solemn day of the general Resurrection Infin Since the Treassures of your Arms being Flower Delucies as good as tell you you must flowrish strive to flowrish in the Faith of your ancestors Ambulo in fide sayes the Author of the Imitation of Christ l. 4 C. 11. exemplis confortatus Sanctorum I walk in the Faith of the Real Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist comfortably held in it by the example of the Saints this Faith gives Men a Victory over the World making them fear esteem and Love only this God of Love a Love surprising in this Mystery And being fully satisfied with the expected possession of him breath now after the Loveliness of his Eternity This flowrishing condition I cordially wish you as I am SIR Your most humble and obliged Servant N. N. THE PREFACE NO wonder our Ghostly Enemy is so earnest to perswade men that there is no true Sacrifice in the Mass He knows that it is the very Center of Christian Religion the Arcenall of armes against him the Store-house of all perfection and the great means the Church has to pacifie God in his Wrath and draw down from Heaven blessings upon her Children He knows it is the permanent succeeding Sacrifice to all the Sacrifices of the Old Law a most perfit holocaust in which JESUS is Sacramentally consumed in the fire of his Love in acknowledgment of the grandour of his Father An Eucharistical because in thanksgiving for the daily benefits we receive from above we can offer nothing more pleasing A Sacrifice of Satisfaction because the hatred which God carries to the sins of the World is not so great as the Love he bears to his Son whose merits far exceed the enormity of our offences A Sacrifice of Impetration because the Father cannot refuse any thing to a Son who in all his life and death upon Earth has so highly obliged him Wherefore the Preist tho in contemplation of his own sinful condition is always bound to say O Lord I am not worthy yet having at the Altar Christ in his hands he may also say with an humble confidence Respice in faciem Christi tui Eternal Father tho' I am not worthy to petition either for my self or others yet be pleased to grant us what we in humility demand for the Love of him who vouchsafed to dye for the Love of us since as our offering is the offering of Christ so our request is his and he ordained us to mind thus Your Majesty by this commemoration of his Death The Son of God finding his Father not content withall the oblations which pure men could offer him for their sins Sacrificium oblationem noluisti Hosts and oblations and holocausts and for Sin thou wouldst not neither did they please thee then said I the Son of God behold I come that I may do thy will Hebr. 10. v. 5 6 7. Out of his Love to men resolved to be both our Preist Victime a Body thou hast fited to me behold I come So sacrificing himself in a bloody way upon mount Calvarie he laid into the Treasury of the Church an inexhaustable ransom for all mankind having provided before by the Sacrifice he made at the last Supper commanding his Disciples to offer in like manner in remembrance of him for our daily necessity of a daily Sacrifice daily Sacrifice of a Lamb commanded Exo. 29.38 daily to acknowledge God's supream being to give him daily thanks for his daily benefits and to obtain new helps in our daily infirmities where he instituted his Body and Blood to be offered daily under the Forms of Bread and Wine according to the Order of Melchisedech commanding hoc facite do this Luc. 22. v. 10. his Apostles and their Successors in that function to make the Sacrament in it for the spiritual food of the Faithful To prove this truth efficaciously as I undertake by the help of God to do in this Book in which I answer Chapter for Chapter Monsieur Rodon's funeral of the Mass I prove first of all the Catholick tenet both for the Reality of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist with other Doctrines relating to it and that in our Liturgy or Mass is made a true and proper Sacrifice every one in their proper place by proofs which either did not come into Monsieur Rodon's mind or if they did he thought good to take no notice of them Next I solve his objections some of which if the Catholick Reader find set out by me in a more convincing way then by Monsieur Rodon himself let him not censure me for that but remember that sometimes a Surgeon makes the wound the wider to cure it the better Moreover let the Protestant Reader be pleased to reflect that Mr. Rodon's arguments are drawn from our senses which are plausible to men of Flesh and Blood whereas many of our answers in this Mysterie of Faith are drawn from Faith or Reasons grounded upon Faith which are above the reach of Flesh and Blood and must mount to a higher story than that of our senses to be applauded Math. 16. v. 17. If he who has not been acquainted with Philosophy much less with Divinity think my expressions to be harsh not to say Barbarous when I repeat Monsieur de Rodon's terms A quo and Ad quem and use others of that nature common in the Schoole I answer for us both that we cannot discourse properly on Schoole matters but in Schoole terms as he who speaks pertinently of Herauldry uses terms which are no more understood than Hebrew by him who is ignorant of that Court and noble Knowledge Nevertheless here and there I render them in English or give an English explication of them For my Greek and Hebrew quotations I was advised to put them in Characters common to our Language so they who are ignorant of those Tongues may have the satisfaction to pronounce the words to