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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
were between the Pasch and his Ascension Childish moreover would St. Paul's Argument be were it thus to be understood that CHRIST was undoubtedly risen because he had seen an Angel in CHRIST's Shape Our Lord was then really present on Earth with St. Paul and has been so with several other Saints He is really also present with us in the Sacrament but cover'd with the Form of a Creature and under Vails that conceal the Creator And do'st thou still say thou doubt'st whether the Body which is in Heaven can be also on Earth Assuredly Sectary it can Our Lord's Body can be at one time in two several places And if in two why not in Infinite For what hinders our Bodies that they cannot be at once in several places Is it not the condition of our Nature But why cannot he who fram'd our Nature change also its Laws This is the humble Learning this is the Christian Phylosophy of the Primitive Church St. Ambrose lib. 11 Hexam cap. 11. has this Expression Since his Word is the beginning of Nature he may by right assume the giving the Law to Nature who gave it its Original And again lib. 3. Hexam cap. 11. The Word of GOD is the efficient Cause of Nature But this perhaps thou can'st not sufficiently comprehend No more indeed canst thou comprehend GOD and yet GOD is is not therefore less GOD. If thou measurest the Works of GOD by the extent of thy Understanding how weak how obscure how depending on thy self thou wilt make him Thy Strength of Understanding depends on him and not his Power on thy Understanding But is there any greater difficulty in granting one Body to be in several Places than two Bodies to be in one or admitting as the Ppilosophers speak A Penetration of Dimensions The difficulty is altogether equal Now CHRIST brought his reviv'd Body through Stone Which was very great at the Door of the Monument that is he shew'd there might be a Penetration of Dimensions whenever he pleas'd For the Stone was not roll'd away by the Angel till St. Mary Magdalen came to Anoint our Lord. Mary Magdalen came and the other Mary to see the Sepulchre And behold there was a great Earthquake For the Angel of our Lord descended from Heaven and coming roll'd back the Stone and sate upon it c. And the Angel Answering said to the Women Fear not you Mat. chap. 28. After Christ came to his Disciples through close and solid Walls And when it was late that day the first of the Sabbaths and the Doors were shut where the Disciples were gathered together for fear of the Jews JESVS came and stood in the midst c. Joh. chap. 20. Again JESVS came the Doors being shut and stood in the midst Here some of you are not asham'd to pretend certain unworthy Trifles that CHRIST perhaps came in at the Window or descended by the Tunnel of the Chimney or open'd the Doors which before were shut An impudent saying proceeding if I am not mistaken from men who seek to gain Repute by inconsiderate Cavilling Is it then to no purpose that we hear these Words so carefully repeated When the Doors were shut The Doors being shut To what end did St. John use these Words but to signify CHRIST's miraculous Entrance at which himself was present Why did he not add that he came in at the Window or the Chimney or by opening the Doors the shutting of which he had so distinctly noted That he entred then O Sectary the Doors being shut is nothing else but that he entred against the Laws of Nature through the said Doors Moreover says St. Hierom in his first Book against Jovinian He so entred the Doors being shut which the Nature of Humane Bodies suffers not Shall we therefore deny that our Lord and St. Peter had true Bodies because contrary to Nature they walk'd on the Waters St. Ambrose on the four and twentieth Chapter of St. Lukes Gospel has these Words But St. Thomas had just cause of Admiration when he saw a Body brought in through Places unpassable to Bodies all things being shut and no place broken And 't was therefore a Miracle how a Corporal Nature should introduce it self through an in penetrable Body by an invisible Passage in a visible appearance easie to be touch'd hard to be understood And in the same place Though St. Peter believ'd the Resurrection yet might he be troubled when he saw our Lord on a suddain with his Body come in upon them into those places which were incompass'd with lock'd Doors and close Walls Nor did CHRIST at his Resurrection only but at his Birth also shew this Penetration of Dimensions coming into the World from the Womb of his most Holy Mother without violating the Enclosers of her Virginity St. Augustin in his two and twentieth Book of the City of GOD chap. 8. relates to this purpose a famous Miracle hapening in his time He says That Patronia a Carthaginian Matron had obtain'd from a Jew a certain Ring which she wore bound to her naked Body with a Girdle for the Cure of her Disease That she going afterwards in Pilgrimage to the Relicks of St. Stephen the Ring which she wore fell from her whole and unhurt the Girdle to which it was ty'd remaining whole also that the Judaical Remedy might by a Christian Miracle be remov'd from this Woman before she was heal'd through the Martyrs Intercession He further adds They believe not this who believe not that our Lord JESVS was brought forth without detriment to his Mothers Virginity and went in to his Disciples the Doors being shut But let them indeed enquire of this and if they find it true believe those She is a Woman of Quality nobly Born nobly Married and dwelling at Carthage The largeness of the City and the Dignity of the Person will not suffer the Truth to be conceal'd from the Enquirers The Martyr himself by whose Intercession she was Cur●d certainly believ'd in the Son of her who remains a Virgin in Him who went in to his Disciples the Doors being shut These then are the Scripture Histories of our Lords Nativity and Resurrection this the Primitive Churches Sense of those Histories that two Bodies may GOD commanding it be together in the same place or to speak with the Phylosopbers that there may be a Penetration of Dimensions by the Divine Power Now 't is certainly no less repugnant to humane Sense and Nature that two Bodies should be thus together in one place than that one should be at the same time in many The difficulty on both sides is not only alike but the very same The Church has always acknowledg'd both of them above the force of Nature but below the Power of GOD having ever taught her Children that CHRIST both penetrated the Walls and is present in the Blessed Sacrament in several places at once But there are three things which you O Sectaries cannot well digest The Name of Mass the Eucharists