Bread and Wyne remaine euen after Consecration seeing then say they that these words are not to be taken literally but figuratiuely therefore the whole sentence aforegoing is also to be taken figuratiuely and not literally And thus they seeke to euade this most pregnant Testimony whereby the Word Mysteria is vnderstood that the Substance only of the Bread and Wyne are consumed A third Branch of their Euasiōs shootes out to such Authorityes of the Fathers as refer the effectuating of this Mystery to Gods sole Omnipotency marshalling it in regard of the difficulties discouered therein with the abstrusest points of Christianity and ranging it by reason of the great Miracle there exhibited with the greatest Miracles euer performed by God Now their Answere heerto is that the Eucharist is wrought by the Omnipotency of God for seeing it is a Sacrament not Man but God only and consequently his Omnipotency is heere necessarily exacted is able to institute the same How rouing and wandring this is from the scope and drift of the Fathers shall heere appeare First from the words of the Fathers themselues which doe euen depose a contrary meaning in them for they in those places alledged of this nature doe not assigne the Omnipotency of God to the Eucharist as it is a Sacrament for hereof they intimate for the most part not the least touch but to it as therein one Substance by force of certaine words is truly turned into another Substance Secondly the weaknesse of the former Answere appeareth in that we graunt that an Omnipotency indeed is required to the Institution of any Sacrament wherby it should iustifie a Man but our Aduersaries will not belieue that the Sacraments as Instruments of Christ where due preparation is do confer immediately Grace for this were in them an ouer-vnkind relinquishing of Sense and too straite an Entercourse Cōmerce with their vnderstanding but they teach that the Sacraments do iustify vs only by signifying and representation because say they they are made things to vs in the signification wherof we apprehend Christ by Faith And so their Omnipotency heere formally resteth in creating a new signification of a thing to wit that the naturall substance of the Sacraments should represent signify Christ whom afore his Institution therof they did not signify Now if Omnipotency must necessarily concurre to the making that one thing may signify another thing then by the said ground euery seely Ale-wife is Omnipotent in that her red Lattice or Bush at the doore things of themselues indifferent as not carrying any reference to her profession are made by her to be a sufficient Type Signe or Representation to the Passengers of the Ale which she hath to sell so cleare it is that a Reall change not an Imposition of a new signification requireth an Omnipotency Now as in the former I haue done I will instance this answere in some one authority S. Cyprian Serm. de Coena Dom. of which place I haue entreated aboue thus writeth Panis iste quem Dominus Discipulis porrigebat non effigie sed natura mutatus Omnipotentia Verbi factus est Caro c. This Bread which our Lord gaue to his Disciples being changed not in outward shew but in nature is by the Omnipotency of the Word made Flesh Now what intimation is heere made to ascribe the Omnipotency of God heere expressed to the Eucharist only in that it is a Sacrament Or with what tecture or pretext of Reason can any such exorbitant cōstruction be heere forged since as is already proued an Omnipotency is required in the Institution of Sacraments that they may truely performe that which they do signify to wit that they do iustify Man but this efficacy of them our Sacramentaries do altogeather reiect but no Omnipotency is exacted to make that a thing may signify what afore it did not for this not only God but Man is able to performe Their fourth Answere belongeth to such places which preferre the Eucharist before the Iewish Types and Figures wherin Christ was as perfectly shaddowed and signified as in the Eucharist if there be nothing else there but Bread and Wine The insufficiency of the Sacramentaries Answere heerto made is fully and at large displayed in the Marginall References touching the diuersity of the Types of the Eucharist and the Eucharist it selfe to which a To which place Viz. the first Chapter of this second Tract place I referre the Reader partly as affecting heere expedition breuity and partly as being loath wearisomely to cloy with a needlesse iteration of one the same thing the fastidious eares of our curious Age. Another forme of their shuffling Answeres is that wherwith they labour to breake through all such Passages of the Fathers which do assigne any reuerence whatsoeuer to the Eucharist eyther of Adoration Inuocation or in any other sort To all which they giue vs this yawning heedlesse and doubtfull solution That if any such reuerence was exhibited by the Fathers to the Eucharist it was not terminated in the Eucharist it selfe but directed to Christ signified therein and so by the mediation of those earthly Elements transferred to him who is in Heauen no otherwise then when the Papists for thus do they particulerly instance praying before Images direct not their prayers to the Image but to Christ or the Saint represented therein But heere I would aske them what secret Intelligence they now comming so long after can haue of the Fathers minds and intentions heerin If they insist in the words we find no appearance of the least glance thereof if they call to mind the practise of the Church of those Ages the securest Scholie or Paraphrase of the Fathers writings it seales vp the Truth in our behalfe Furthermore I say that the Sacramentary is of a Lethargious and forgetfull constitution a point according to the old Oportet c. very disaduantagious to his profession or if not so then is he so Serpentinely affected against the Catholikes as that so he may be opposite to them he is content to be vnfaithfull to himselfe For at other times he ryots both in Pulpit and by Pen with great profusion of Words and Tyme telling such as will belieue him that the Catholikes doe pray to Pictures and place in them a kind of Diuinity whereas now he is content courteously to acknowledge the lawfull and religious practise of the Catholikes therein since he cannot cast any aspersion of Idolatry or superstition vpon vs but he is forced except he will receaue a more dangerous Wound to insimulate the Fathers within the said Errour Heere then I demand of them for they are most fugitiue and vncertaine in answering heereunto will they acknowledge the Fathers Reuerence Adoration and praying to the Eucharist it selfe why then do they longer so pertinaciously persist in defending their Sacramentarian doctrine Will they seeke by inflexions and wyndings to diuert the honor done to the Sacrament to Christ only represented therein as
Nos dicimus fi quis actum fidei habeat ei peccata non nocere id quidem Lutherus affirmat id nos omnes dicimus And Illy-icus in praefat ad Roman In like sort Amsdorfius a great Protestant saith Good works are not only not necessary to Saluation but also hurtfull Finally Conradus Schlussâ—lburge another Protestant in Catalog Haeret. l. 1â— in Epistol Dedicat. will not admit good workes to be necessary to our Saluation necessitate praesentiae only Luther himselfe to wit that faith alone is so potent in causing our Iustification that workes are not only not necessary but hurtfull therto and so the most perfect faith is the least spotted in his iudgment with good Workes Now heere I would demaund how it can enter into any brayne but to weene that faith in Christ should engender a life impugned by Christ and belieuing in him that dyed for the expiation of sinne should be no small inducement to vs for to sinne Or that Workes should be hurtfull to the great Worke of our Iustification And thus if we credit these Men we are commaunded by the l By the Apostle Philip. c. 2. Apostle to worke without workes marke you the riddle our saluation in feare and trembling Is man created to the Image of God I meane his Soule endued with the fiery sparke of Reason deryued from that still-burning Lamp therof in God and can it neuerthelesse giue assent to such vnreasonable improbable and impossible resultancyes But to returne Heere I thinke good to put the Reader in mind that wheras diuers of the most eminent and learned Protestants heere in England as appeareth from the Pens of the Bishop of m Bishop of Ely To wit most fully in the former place alledged in the Epistle to his Maiesty Whose words shall heere be more largly recyted Thus then he writeth in his Booke against Cardinall Bellarmine cap. 1. Quod Cardinalem non lateâ— nifi nolentem vltro dixit Christus Hoc est Corpus meum Non Hoc modo Hoc est Corpus meum Nobis autem vobiscum de Obiecto conuenit de modo lis omnis est De Hoc est firma fide tenemus quod fit de Hoc modo est nempe Transubstantiato in Corpus pane de modo quo fiat vt fit Per fiue In fiue Cum fiue Sub fiue Trans nullam inibi verbum est Et quia verbum nullum merito a fide ablegamus procul interscita scholae fortasse inter fidei articulos non ponimus c. Ely and Monsieur n Monfieur Casaubon Cùm ab omni curiositate velit Rex suorum ingenia abstinere quaecunque tamen pij Patres primorum saculorum ad commendationem ineffabilis Mysterij dixerunt eâ—ipse admittet Patrum etiam Verba 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 similia ex mente ipsorum sâ—accipiantur exponantur non reij it Hac Regis Ecclesiae Auglicanae doctrina si vobis non satisfacit nempe illud restat vt Transubstantiationis dogma quo vobis placatis possit vti approbet Istud verò non est rei veritatem pie credere sed importuna curiositate modum decernere Thus Monfieur Casaubon in his Book to Cardinall Peron besides many other like Passages Casaubon do absolutely acknowledge a reall and true being of Christs Body in the Eucharist far different from Caluins and the Sacramentaryes meere representatiue and typicall Presence therof it therfore followeth that the said Protestants so belieuing stand as full chargeable for the soluing of all the great Difficultyes therof as we Catholikes doe whether they concerne a body being at once in seuerall places or a body to exist indiuisibly without any circumscription of Place and the like those only excepted which are both fewer and lesse abstruse as spring from the Question of Transubstantiation which is but one branch as respecting only the manner of the Presence of this great Question of the Eucharist Hence then it ryseth that such other Protestants as disclayme from the doctrine of the Catholikes in the point of the Reall Presence by reason of so many Difficulties appearing therin must also for the same respect disauow the doctrine of the former Learned Protestants And therefore I could wish them since Humility exacteth so much at their hands to submit themselues herein though not to our Authorityes yet to the graue iudgments of our Soueraigne their owne English Church who for the more cleare explicating of all such doubts must needes admit the Catholikes Solutions and Answeres And now before I end I am to admonish the Reader still to haue in his remembrance whose and what Body it is which we belieue to haue this supernaturall existence in the Eucharist It is his Body of whom in this dreadfull Mystery S. Hierome o Hierome saith Epist ad Hedibiam quaest 2. saith Ipse est Conuiua Conuiuium ipse comedens qui comeditur It is also that Body about the which so many astonishing wonders haue at seuerall tymes beene effected A little before the Natiuity thereof for we read Conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto at the very instant of his Birth for natus est ex Maria Virgine some small tyme after his Death for tertia die resurrexit vpon his last departure from vs for ascendit ad Caelos Nature her selfe was in all these Passages if not dissolued yet at least suspended Yea when he heere conuersed vpon Earth was not that same Body sometimes p Nourished without eating To wit during Christs fast of forty dayes He also did eate without nourishment when he did eate with his Apostles after his Resurrection for his body being then glorified could not requeaue any nourishment by meate nourished without eating at other tymes did eate without any nourishment therby Did it not euen remayning q Remayning visible according to S. Luke 4. Ipse transiens per medium illorum ibat Visible become Inuisible Finally did it not walke most firmly vpon the r The liquid Element Matth. 14. liquid Element so as the vnstable water then supported him who supports the Heauens If then Nature did subiect and humble herselfe so often to this sacred Body how can we ChristiaÌ„s doubt of the infallible certainty of those words Hoc est Corpus meum in which as the chiefe Latin s Latin Father S. Augustine tract 26. in Ioannem expounding those words Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est Father saith vocatur Caro quod non capit Caro proceeding from our true and Powerfull Lord since Truth acknowledgeth not Falshood not Omnipotency Deficiency AND thus Good Reader remitting thee to the perusall heerof which I much wish that it may be to thy spirituall Good I take my leaue earnestly entreating thy remembrance of me at the tymes of thy best Deuotions Thy Catholike vvellvvilling friend R. N. THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS of the first Part wherin is proued the Possibilitie of the Catholike doctrine of
from this and so should be present in the fame world and consequently in seuerall and farre distant places Nor can they further reply that it is lesse possible for a true naturall Body to be in seuer all places at once then for God who is only a spirituall substance This aduantageth them nothing since the mayne reason why it should seeme that a Body cannot be in diuers places is not taken so much à mole corporis quà ◠ab vnitate not from the heauy weight of the Body but from the vnity therof which vnity as it is no lesse but much more e Much more perfect The Vnity of God is much more perfect then the Vnity of any thing whatsoeuer for seeing that the Philosophers do define Vnum to be that which is Indiuisumà se sed diuisumà quocuÌ„que alio that this definition is more agreeable to God then to any creatures Therfore it followeth that his Vnity is more perfect then the Vnity of any other thing And hence it is that among the other Attributes of God giuen him by the Philosophers as Primus Infinitus Optimus Omnipotens c. he is stiled by them also to be Vnus Now as he is Vnus in respect of all Incomposition so is he Vnus in regard that he is but One and not Many Which point appeareth demonsttatiuely from hence for seeing that God is infinite for otherwise he can haue no true Diuinity we cannot conceaue how there can be many Gods and consequently many Infinities without preiudice or impeachment of one Infinitie in respect of another perfect in God then in a Body so it should seeme to be no lesse deuided or distracted in it selfe in God then in a Body through his being in diuersitie of places Thus we see how this difficulty of being in diuers places so often vrged and reinforced by our Aduersaries is auoyded euen by the iudgement of all except of those if any such be who will not confesse that they can find him who is in euery place nor see him who is in euery thing they see And thus much of these few Instances the nature and deliberate consideration whereof may seeme iustly to extenuate the obiected difficulties in the blessed Sacrament And howsoeuer the learned Deuines haue laboured much in the explicating of these points yet it is obserued that hitherto they could neuer be brought to allow any one Mans Illustration of them A Document to teach vs that the wit of Man is too weake an Interpreter of Gods Power and withall to admonish vs for the more humbling of those high witts and conceipts who haue eyes to see difficulties but not iudgements to vnfold them that in things once made questionable in regard of the probable impugning of either part and the vncertainty of what side the truth is it not being matter of Faith much Learning is but much artificiall and paynfull Ignorance To these former might be adioyned many other Philosophicall f Philosophicall Speculations Besides such difficulties in Philosophy as are heerafter set downe in their particuler References which may seeme to transcend Mans capacity there are many other As for example The least mote in the Sunne or other smallest thing that the Eye can hardly discerne to haue in it selfe truly and really infinite parts which thing the nature of quantitas continua conuinceth which is defined to be semper diuisibilis in indiuisibilia which if otherwise it should be then might a â—ody euen by naturall reason in the end become to be nothing or annihilated which can only be effected by Gods power In like sort Mans vnderstanding cannot conceaue how a true solide and firme body should be carried with that rapidity or swiftnesse as the Heauens are carried in their courses for the highest Heauen going his whole course in 24. houres by the iudgment of Mathematicians Philosophers is really moued at least twenty thousand miles in the twinkling of an Eye which thing what vnderstanding can conceaue when the swiftest thing that is in this world whether it be the flying of a Swallow or a bullet shot out of a Gun if it should continue it motion for the space of an whole houre would not go at the most past fifty or threescore miles within the same time Speculations which cannot be confined and as I may say circumscribed within the compasse of Mans wit as that the least Quantity should be diuisible into infinite parts That the highest Heauens being a true Body should be carried with such a rapidity and swiftnes of motion as we see it is That a g That a Vapour A Vapour is essentially water for we see it being resolued turneth againe into the same water â—amdem numero which afore it was It is therfore altered only accidentally to wit in these three qualities in Heate in Tenuity or thinnesse and in Lâ—uity so that a Vapour is the same water which afore it was but more hoat more thinne or attenuated and more light Vapour how familiar and obuious soeuer this obseruation seemeth being only but water rarified should possesse a greater place then when it was elementall water and seeing that before it was attenuated there were as many puncta or partes of it as when it is become a Vapour euery Punctum or part therof hauing afore it due circumscription Now then it doth seeme as much repugnant to a determinate and limitable substance to exact a greater circumscription of Space then afore it had still remaining without any addition eadem substantia numero as for a substance to require a lesser or none at all as we affirme of the Body of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament And finally to omit many others that the h The Loadstone or a peice of Iron after it is but touched therwith I will not heere insist so much in the difficulty how a Loadstone doth draw Iron to it to wit whether it be through a Sympathy of Nature betweene these two bodies or through the proper forme of the Loadstone or if through the proper forme thereof which is the more generall Opinion whether immediately of it selfe or by the inteâ—uention of some Instrument or if by the mediation of some Instrument which is also the more neceaded coniecture whether this Instrument is a sending forth of certaine corporeall Aâ—omi or spirits of the Loadstone or only a transfusion of an incorporeall quality or vertue thereof and finally if it be a transfusion of an immateriall vertue which is in like sort more commonly said to be whether this vertue commeth out of the Loadstone and so is really carried to the Iron or only propagated by the medium thereto so as the vertue still remayning in the stone doth only beget or multiply the like vertue through the ayre till it come to the Iron no otherwise then when the heate of the fire by being multiplied in the aire doth affect with heat bodyes in good distance from the fire which later sentence is also more
wherein he immediately speaketh to Man persuading him without words and instructing him without Letters or Characters whereby his Diuine Godnesse hath vouchsafed to seale vp the truth of this high Mysterie for heere we may break forth with the Psalmist c Mirabilia testimonia tua Psal 120. Mirabilia testimonia tua and these not borrowed out of any fabulous Legend nor grounded vpon vncertaine hear-sayes but on the graue testimonies of most ancient and learned Authors and circumstanced with tyme place persons and other particulers of Morall Certaintie Examples hereof are diuers As that the B. Sacrament in proofe of our Catholike doctrine hath cured d Possessed persons In vita S. Bernard l. 2. c. 3. Where it is recorded that a woman being a long time most dangerously possessed with a Diuell S. Bernard bringing the Blessed Sacrament and houlding it ouer the head the of possessed person dispossessed the Diuell possessed persons That it hath to the same end appeared sometimes in the forme of a e Humane shape Paschasius lib. de Corpore Domini c. 14. mentioneth that a certaine godly Priest prayed denoutly vnto God that he would vouchsafe to let him see that Body which he verily belieued did lye vnder the formes of Bread and Wine who at the length obteyned his desire and saw the Body of our Sauiour in the shape of a yong child true humane shape That the misbelieuers or doubters therein haue beene f Punished by God S. Bernard in the life of S. Malachias reporteth that a Clergy-man denying the Body of Christ to be really in the Sacrament was oftentimes admonished by Malachias but he not acknowledging his Heresie Malachias prayed to God in these words Dominus faciat te veritatem confiteri vel ex necessitate to which words the Heretike said Amen Whereupon presently he was taken with a mortall disease acknowledged his Heresie was reconciled to the Church and instantly after dyed In like sort Tilmannus Bredenbachâ—us l. 6. Sacrarum collationuÌ„ c. 60. reporteth that in a Citty of Geldria Anno 1561. die 8. Aprilis the Parish Priest of the Towne did carry after the custome of Catholikes the Blessed Sacrament to a sick woman and passing through a a streete where two yong youths were wagering whether of them could soonest swallow downe their Easter Egge the one of them being an Heretike said that he could sooner swallow downe his egge then the Woman could swallow her God wherupon he putting the Egge into his mouth the Egge did sticke in the middest of his throat and he perceauing the same did take a white candle which was neere to him and with it endeauoured to thrust the Egge downe but he fainting instantly dyed his face growing most black and vgly to behould And after he being opened the Egge was found not in the throate but in the other part called aspera Arteria or Wind-pipe punished by God euen with death Lastly to omit some of other kinds that the truth hereof hath beene confirmed by the testimonies such as they could giue euen of g Bruite Beastes Antoninus in summa historiali part 3. titul 24. c. 3. relateth that S. Antony disputing with a certaine Heretike who denyed the Reall Presence in the Countrey of Toâ—osa the Heretike demaunded that the truth therof might be confirmed by S. Antony by some Miracle and said that he without some such proofe would not belieue the Reall Presence It was concluded betweene theÌ„ that the Heretike hauing an Oxe or some such beast he should forbeare to giue him any meate at all for the space of three dayes and then after S. Antony should bring the Blessed Sacrament where the Beast was and the Heretike should set before him some corne if then the Beast should not touch the corne but prostrate himselfe in such sort as he could before the Blessed Sacrament that then the Heretike would be content to belieue the Catholike doctrine therin All which being thus far prepared in the presence of infinite people S. Antony houlding the Eucharist in his hands spake to the Beast certaine words whereupon the Beast hauing Corne before him did eate no part thereof but with bowing downe his head and body did prostrate himselfe before the Blessed Sacrament to the great wonder and confirmation of the faithfull Another Example heere happened in our CouÌ„try in the Church of S. Paul in London as VValdensis reporteth who was there present tom 2. c. 63. A certaine Mechanicall fellow not belieuing the Reall Presence was conuented in the Church before the Arch-Bishop and obstinately answered the Bishop that he would rather worship a spider then the Eucharist at the speaking wherof instantly there came downe a huge Spyder by his threed or Web from the top of the Church hastning to enter into the Heretickes mouth which was preuented but by much difficulty of the standers by brute Beasts for it is said h Glorificabit me bestia Agri. Esay 43. Glorificabit me Bestia agri Thus Creatures which want Reason haue heere exceeded in vse thereof Men who only enioy Reason Yet doe they hould all such narrations but as forged wonders and condemne with a censorious temeritie the belieuers of such of a meere doting i Doting credulity So doe most of the Sacramentaries answere as thinking all such reportes to be meere fictions credulity or at the most repute them as prestigious k Sleights of the Diuell So answereth Peter Martyr to these Miracles lib. contra Gardinerum confirming this his answere from the Examples of Marcus and Magus who both being Arch-heretickes wrought appearing Miracles by the power of the Diuell But I would demand of Martyr what comparison is there betweene those Hereticks and these other holy Men Againe I say that this his Answere cannot be applied to those Miracles heere alledged which consist in the death of Men for their deaths were true deaths and not counterfaite or forged sleights of the Diuell But heere by the way we are to aduertise them that if indeed there were euer any such Miracles exhibited for the confirmation of the Catholike faith herein then is their Sacramentarian Heresy to be vtterly abolished If none such were euer performed then what greater Miracle then that an Article of Faith mainly impugning all sense and yet not warranted by any Miracle should for so many ages generally be belieued Or what stronger Reason in defence thereof then for it to be vnanimously imbraced and receaued being aboue Reason Let vs shew That as God was before the Diuell so Truth which receaueth her emanation and flowing from God the first Truth is more ancient then falshood the attendant of those Apostating reuolted spirits Thus is Antiquity the badge of Truth and Noueltie of Errour Now that the Catholike Faith of the Eucharist is more ancient then the Sacramentarian Heresy we proue euen from the Nature of the Conception Birth and Growth of euery Innouation of Faith Of our Faith there can be no instance