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
a signe is signification therfore in all such Propositions by the Verbe Est iâ— vnderstood the essence of the same signe Now then seing in those said former examples and propositions one signe doth predicate of another for words are nothing else but signes it followeth that the Verbe Est is taken for Significat and yet without any Trope therin Touching the word CORPVS in which word most of our Aduersaries do choose rather to place the figure then in the former Verbe Est Now that this word Corpus cannot signifie figuraâ— Corporis as our Aduersaries pretend is most euident And first this is proued out of the words following to wit Quod pro vobis dâ—tur in Greeke being for the word datur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as also out of these other following touching the Cup Qui pro vobis effunditur in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now these two Greeke Participles being put in the Nominatiue case ought to be ioyned with a Substantiue of the same case therfore they are to be ioyned in construction with that which â—â— called Corpus and Sanguis and not with any words put in other cases as Corporis and Sanguinis Therfore either the true Body Bloud is in the Eucharist or his Body by way of representation and signification only to wit the Bread and Wine were giuen for vs and shed for vs which is absurd to affirme Secondly the same is proued from the former obseruations touching the Pronowne Hoc for seeing that this Pronowne doth not demonstrate Bread there is nothing left of which these wordâ— â—igâ—â—â— Corporis should predicate except they will say that the tâ—ue and naturall Body of Christ is a signe and figure of it selfe Lastly the Body of Christ wheresoeuer it is read in Scripture is eyther taken for his Mysticall Body to wit the Church or for his true and naturall Body but for a signe and figure of his body we neuer find it to be taken Therfore the Construction of the Sacramentaries giuen of the words of the Institution is most forced without any example or president of that kind throughout the whole Scripture But the more euideÌ„tly to proue that the words of the Institution caÌ„not be taken figuratiuely I do further present besides what hath bene already alledged to the Reader these few ensuing Obseruations First that this Pronowne Hoc designing some particuler thing prâ—uents all Figuratiue constructions And therfore we find that in other acknowledged Metaphoricall speaches of Christ touching himselfe the Pronowne Hoc is wanting as in these Ego sum Ostium Ego sum Vitâ— c. Secondly In all Metaphoricall speaches that are vsed by way of Explication it is not accustomed that one thing do predicate or be affirmed of another thing except the Praedicatum be some such thing in the which the propriety according to the which the similitude of the Metaphor is chiefly intended is more knowne and euident then it is in the other thing of the which the said Metaphor is affirmed And this is the reason that in Metaphoricall Propositions one thing doth predicate of another for the most part in genere or in specie at least But no such obseruation is heere found in the words of the Institution For heere according to our Aduersaries the Body and Bloud of Christ are affirmed of Bread and Wine and yet the vertue of nourishing which they heere assigne to be the ground of the supposed figuratiue speach is lesse euident and knowne in the Body and Bloud of Christ then in the Bread and Wine which before his pronouncing of the words Christ did hould in his hands Thirdly It is to be obserued that in the words of the Institution the Body and Bloud of Christ do not expresly predicate or are affirmed of Bread and Wine but only they do predicate of a word signifying some thing but with confusion and vncertainty to wit of the Pronowne Hoc And yet in other metaphoricall speaches euer a thing which is of one nature doth predicate of another thing of a different nature as Christus erat petra c. Fourthly we are heere to note the words following to wit quod pro vobis datur qui pro vobis effunditur c. Which are added to demonstrate the truth and propriety of the precedent Affirmation But in all Metaphoricall Affirmations nothing for the most part is wont to beadded but what doth more clearly expresse the propriety of that thing from the similitude wherof the Metaphor is drawne Thus one may say Caesar was a Lion by reason of his courage fortitude which later words are added to expresse more cleerly the nature of the Metaphor But now if the addition of words following doth not explicate the similitude of a Metaphor but absolutely doth shew the truth of the thing therin affirmed then doth such an Addition manifest withall the Propriety of the precedent affirmation as in these words That Christ suffered vpon the Crosse who was borne of a Virgin where we find that the later words not expressing any similitude of a Metaphor do intimate a Propriety and literall acception of the former words concerning Christ In like sort we say that those words Quod pro vobis tradetur Qui pro vobis fundetur c. VVhich stalbe diliuered for you c. and VVhich shall be shed for you c. do not import and signify any vertue of nourishing which they should haue done if the Propositions to which they are adioyned had bene Metaphoricall but they do signify that Christs Body and Bloud were the pryce of our Redemption which point hath no necessary coniunction with the vertue and faculty of nourishing And thus much in further explication of the word of the Institution est Corpus meum Hic est Sanguis meus c. A text in respect of a i A Sacrament instituted heerin Sacraments are accustomed to be instituted by God in most plaine words least otherwise we should erre in the vse thereof as appeareth by the Examples of the old Law and of Baptisme Sacrament instituted herein of a Testament k A Testament left therby That the Eucharist conteyneth in it selfe a Testament appeareth out of those words of Luke 22. Hic est Calix nouum Testamentum in meo Sanguine But nothing is accustomed to be expressed in more plaine and litterall words then a VVill or Testament that thereby may be preuented all occasion of contention as touching the Will of the Testator And this appeareth by the example of the old Testament which being instituted in Exod. 24. is there explicated in most proper and familiar words The like course we see performed in the making of the Testaments of men left therby and of a Precept l A Precept or Law That there is a Diuine Precept in the Institution of the Eucharist appeareth out of those words Accipite Edite hoc facite But the words of Lawes and Precepts ought to be most perspicuous and cleere since
id est animam c. He that laid downe a greater thing for thee to wit his soule why should he disdayne to deliuer to thee his Body Therfore let vs Priestes as well as others heare how admirable a thing is graunted to vs Let vs heare I beseech you and let vs tremble therat for he hath deliuered his Flesh to vs he hath laid downe himselfe to be sacrificed And the same Father l. 3. de Sacerdotio O miraculum ô Dei benignitate c. O the Miracle ô the goodnesse of God! He that sitteth aboue with his Father euen in the very same instant of tyme is handled with the hands of all and deliuereth himselfe to such as are willing to entertaine and imbrace him Gaudentius tract 2. in Exod. saith Quod annuntiatum est credas c. Thou maist belieue that which is shewed thee for that which thou takest is the body of that Heauenly Bread and the bloud of that sacred Vine for when he deliuered conseerated Bread and Wine to his Disciples he said Hoc est Corpus meum Hic est Sanguis meus Let vs belieue him whom heretofore we haue belieued for Truth knoweth not to lye S. Ephrem lib. De Natura Dei minimè scrutanda c. 5. thus writeth Quid scrutaris inscrutabilia Si ista curiosè rimaris iam non fidelis sed curiosus vocaberis Esto fidelis atque innocens participa immaculato corpori Domini tui fide plenissima certus quòd agnum ipsum integrum comedis Why doest thou search things which are inscrutable If thou doest weigh these things curiously then thou shalt be called not faithfull but curious Be thou Faithfull and Innocent participate thou of the immaculate Body of thy Lord being assured through a most strong faith that thou doest eate the very whole Lambe it selfe And the same Father after in the said booke Hoc sanè excedit omnem admirationem c. This verily exceedeth all Wonder all Thought and all Speach which the only Begotten Sonne of God Christ our Sauiour hath performed to vs. He hath giuen to vs fire and the spirit to eate and drinke to wit his Body and Bloud Heere the Myracle exceeding Mans capacity the difficulty of belieuing it and the inscrutablenesse therof do proue that the Eucharist in his Iudgment was not only materiall bread signifying the body of Christ S. Gregorie Nazianzen Orat. 2. de Paschate thus writeth Absque confusione dubio come de corpus sanguinem bibe si saltem vitae desiderio teneris neque sermonibus qui de carne habentur fidem deneges neque ob passionem offendaris Constans esto firmus stabilis in nulla re propter Aduersariorum sermones fluctues Eate his body and drinke his bloud without any confusion or doubt if at least thou haue any desire of health neither deny thy faith herein for any speaches which may proceed of flesh neither be thou scandalized by reason of his Passion Be thou constant firme and stable neither fluctuate nor doubt thou by reason of any speaches of the Aduersaries where we are to note that he persuadeth his Reader to this so great a Mystery though the Aduersaries to wit the Gentile Philosophers doe scoffe thereat meaning in that the Christians belieued that they did eate the Flesh of Christ which cohortation of Nazianzene were needlesse if only we doe eate the flesh of Christ in signe and Figure S. Gregorie Nyssene Orat. Catechetica c. 36. 37. thus writeth Considerandum est quomodo fieri queat vt cùm vnum illud corpus assiduè per totum orbem terrarum tot fidelium millibus impertiatur totum cuiusque perpartem euadat in seipso totum permaneat It is to be considered how it can be effected that that very one same Body can dayly throughout the whole world be distributed to so many thousands of the faithfull it notwithstanding remayning whole in it selfe and whole or entyre in euery part But this were idely demanded if the Body of Christ were eaten only in signe since there is no difficulty in apprehending the eating of it in signe and figure S. Ambrose l. 4. de Sacramentis c. 5. saith Deinde ipse Dominus Iesus testificatur nobis quòd corpus suum accipiamus sanguinem numquid debemus de eius fide tâ—stâ—ficatione dubitare Et infra Dicit tibi Sacerdos Corpus Christi tu dicis Amen Hoc est verum Quod confitetur lingua teneat affectus Furthermore euen our Lord himselfe doth testify vnto vs that we take his Body and Bloud What ought we to doubt of his credit and testimony And afterwards The Priest sayth to thee The Body of Christ thou sayst Amen This is true therefore let thy affection hold that which thy tongue confesseth The first Councell of Nyce as it appeareth in the Acts of the said Councell thus saith Item etiam hic in diuina Mensa c. Furthermore in this diuine Table let vs not only with humility consider the Bread the Cup but lifting vp our mind in faith let vs vnderstand that in that sacred Table there is placed that Lambe of God who taketh away the sinns of the world that he is vnbloudily sacrificed by Priests and we truly taking his precious Body Bloud do belieue the taking therof to be a signe of our Resurrection and therfore we take not in a great quantitie but in a small that therby we may know it to be taken not for society but for sanctification In these words the CouÌ„cell perswades vs that we should not rest in the formes of Bread Wine as if nothing were there else but that we are to consider that there is the true Body and Bloud of Christ though to our Eye it seemeth otherwise Now that this is the meaning of the CouÌ„cell appeareth First because it there teacheth that we do take Preciosum Corpus eius verè his precious Body truly where the word Verè doth beare an opposition to that which is in Figure Secondly in that the Councell saith that the Lambe of God is sacrificed by Priests vpon the holy Table which wordes cannot extend to Christ as he is in heauen only Thirdly in that the Councell saith that we are to apprehend by faith that the Lambe of God is placed vpon that holy Table therfore the Councell did teach that Christ himselfe was vpon the Altar and not only in Heauen as our Aduersaries do hould So forcible and strong is this graue Testimony of so Ancient and Reuerend a Councell in defence of our Catholike doctrine heerin OF THEIR TESTIMONIES EXPRESSING The effect of the Eucharist and the veneration exhibited to the same CHAP. VI. THE fifth Mount of the Fathers Authorities in this Controuersie is gathered or heaped togeather out of such their Sentences coÌ„teyning the Effect Vertue and Energy of the Eucharist as also their care reuerence and veneration exhibited to the same Concerning the first point they teach that it is the
that the first Censure terminating in their owne Faith proceedeth out of Preiudice and Selfe-loue the other out of a cleere and impartiall Iudgment And heere now I will close vp this Chapter with a discouery of one notorious sleight of the Sacramentaries which shall serue as a Chorus to this second Tract It is this That now at the length they are content to diuulge that the Article of the Reall Presence is but a Point adiaphorous or indifferent and therfore may be maintayned on all sides without endangering the Foundation of Christian Religion But what Doe they thus teach in fauour towards vs therby to lessen our supposed errour heerin No verily This show of kindnesse we admit not for l Timeo Danaos Virg. Aneid 4. Timeo Danaos dona ferentes The true Reason then heerof is this They seeing that Gods sacred word at least in the litterall and genuine sense therof the vn-interrupted Practise of the Church the conuincing testimonyes of the Fathers and finally theyr owne Brethren though comparting with them in other Articles of theyr owne Religion do all ioyntly corroborate and strengthen the Catholike doctrne in this High Mystery And on the other side vnwilling to recall for Pryde cannot brooke a iust yielding or submission to an Aduersary what they haue heertofore so pertinaciously defended they haue therfore thought it good Policy to suggest to the world and Indifferency of this Point that by so doing they may intimate to all that though they erre therin as hauing so many great Euidences against them yet their Errour not touching any Cardinall supreme article of Faith is the lesse dangerous and therfore the more sufferable and pardonable Now answerably to this my Asseueration we find euen Doctor n D. Keynolds in his fifth Conclusion annexed to his Conference Reynolds no vulgar Idoll in our English Temple to assigne o To assigne diuers others Answerably hereto we find Iacobus Acontius l. 3. stratagem Sat. pag. 135. thus writing It is euident concerning aswell those who hould the Reall Presence of Christs Body in the Bread as those others which deny it that although of necessity the one part doe erre yet both are in way of Saluation if in other things they be obedient to God So also the indifferent iudgement of Iohn Frith Acts. and Mon. 503. who there saith hereof The matter touching the substance of the Sacrament byndeth no man of necessity to Saluation or Damnation whether he belieue it or no. diuers others to the Marginall Reference to affirme that the Reall Presence is but as it were the grudging of a former Ague if otherwise the party hould the Christian faith Thus we see how our Aduersaries comportment in this Controuersy is full of fraud morefull of Malice Their incorrigible humour of contradicting the Catholike Church for their Sacramentall Position is grounded meerely vpon Opposition displayes their Malice their false extenuating for their owne aduantage the greatnesse of this Mysterie their Fraud THAT THERE ARE MANY CONGRVENTIALL Reasons shewing the Conueniency why Christ might be induced to leaue his Body and Bloud in the Eucharist As also shewing the Conueniency of Transubstantiation CHAP. XII IT is an accustomed approued Method both of Philosophers and Deuines after they haue fortified their Assertions the subiect of their Discourse with the most forcible Testimonyes which are to be alledged in that behalfe then to attend the said Proofs with certaine Congruentiall Inducements perswading the conueniency and fitnes of such their doctrine Thus the Philosopher for instance sake after he hath much discoursed of the number the vastnesse and the beauty of the Heauens Gods Hieroglyphick Characters wherin are written his Power and Glory and descending to demonstrate the roundnesse of those Bodyes as also the answerable roundnesse of the Earth from the vnchangeable Motions Phainomena and Appearances of the Heauens he sheweth the sutablenesse of this forme of them both and how it sorteth to the benefite of all Creatures and the Irregularities and exorbitant Effects rising from any other supposed forme giuen to them In like sort the Diuine conuincing against the Arian that Christ is both God and Man from the holy Scriptures and the authority of the Church doth warrant his doctrine with certaine perswasiue motyues drawne from the consideration of Gods Iustice and the Atrocity of Sinne including that it was conuenient that since Sinne did first deuide God from Man he who by redeeming the world should reunite them should be both God and Man And thus the firster kind forceth our Iudgment the other as sorting with Reason and Prudence and in some sense presuming the former serues only as sweet meates to our stomakes pleasingly to close vp our iudgment The same order will I heere obserue For hauing I trust already sufficiently proued the Truth of the Reall Presence in the Eucharist frō all the former Authorities drawne from the Word both of God and Man I will set downe certaine Congruences and Prudentiall Reasons wherwith our Sauiour might well seeme to haue bene induced to leaue his Sacred Body to his Church that by the authority and disposall therof it might be truly and really exhibited to all Christians whatsoeuer And heere by reason of the great number of them I will chiefly insist in some few for I am desirous to contract this Treatise within as small a Compasse as conueniently I can in regard whereof I will not much more enlarge my selfe vpon those Effects and Operations of this most heauenly food which heretofore I haue touched by way of alledging the Fathers Authorities which shew that the Eucharist is a Pledge of our Saluation that by it we are not only by Faith but euen corporally vnited with Christ That in regard of this vnion the Eucharist is a Seale to vs of our Resurrection finally that through it we are made Partakers of the diuine Nature All which admirable Effects and vertues may probably be imagined among other Motiues to haue beene most preuayling with our Lord for the first institution of this holy Mysterie for Man cannot conceaue how Christ could inuent more forcible meanes to produce such spirituall operations then by instituting this Sacrament In respect also of the same desired expedition I will not long rest in displaying and amplifying the dignity and worth of such Inducements as I intend heere to vrge but will passe them ouer with a cursory Penne breifly intimating them to the studious Reader Well then one Inducement of the Institution of this Sacrament may be that seeing Mortall sinne which is the Harbinger of eternall damnation cannot be auoyded altogeather but by the Grace of God what better meanes could his diuine Maiesty inuent for the watering our Soules with his Grace then the ordayning of this Sacrament for since we are hereby truly and really vnited with Christ the Fountaine of Grace how can we be altogeather estranged and deuided from such Influences as proceed from Christ yea we are to belieue