Deus not somewhat of God but God himselfe to whom it is proper to bee the Physitian and the Phisicke the food and the Feeder of our soules So then although all Gods gifts and graces be great and like to himselfe yet here in this Sacrament he giueth not simile but idem not somewhat like himselfe of a like substance to himselfe but hee giueth himselfe and the Sonne of his owne Substance And then quantus Deus qui dat Deum How great how good and gratious is God the Father to vs that giueth vs no lesse nor no other then God himselfe his onely Sonne to be the meat of our soules and the holy Spirit to bee our Comforter and refresher in this Sacrament The Elements or Signes after the words of Consecration are not bare accidents or signes and species but true substances and in that respect they are by Christ and the Euangelists and Apostles called Bread and Wine but the thing signified is the Body and Blood of Christ It is not figur a tantùm though the Sacrament be a figure it is not a figure onely but the trueth substance and God doeth not now feed vs with shadowes because the trueth and substance is there receiued this Sacrament doth exhibite this which it signifieth Neither is it Efficacia tantùm that is a very weake and short exposition Hoc est corpus meum 1. efficacia corporis mei This is my body that is this is the efficacie and vertue of my Body This is my blood that is this is the efficacie or effect of my Blood for that were to deuide the Body Blood of Christ from the force and vertue thereof But this is indeed the Body and Blood of Christ not in any grosse or carnall or corporall maner but in a spirituall maner a maner best and onely knowne to him that performeth that which he promiseth Caluin instit l. 4. c. 17. §. and as Caluin and Sadeel and others teach a manner aboue our capacitie and vnderstanding Experior magis quam intelligo which we prooue rather then vnderstand and therein are happie that wee finde it to bee so in deede and trueth though it surpasse the capacitie of mans wit be knowen onely to God In which wee doe imitate the blessed Apostles who beleeued Christs word and receiued it with faith Cyril in Ioan. lib. 4. c. 13. without once doubting or asking the Iewish question full of infidelitie Quomodo How can he giue vs his flesh Chryfostome saith Hom. 26. in matth 8. Etsi enim paruum aliquid fuerit quod datum est fit magnum tamen de honore dantis immò nihil exiguum est quod illo largiente confertur non solùm etiam quia datur à Deo sed quia tale est quicquid ille confert vt dici non mereatur exiguum vt enim alia vniuersa praeteream quae multitudine suâ numerum exuperant arenarum quidnam poterit ei quae propter nos facta est dispensationi conferri Quod enim erat apud eum omnibus pretiosius vnigenitum pro nobis filium dedit quidem cum adhuc essemus ipsius inimici nec dedit solùm sed nostram illum fecit esse mensam Although it be little that is giuen yet it is made great by the honour of the giuer yea nothing is little which is conferred God giuing it not onely because it is giuen of God but that whatsoeuer he giueth is such that it deserueth not to bee called little for to passe all other things which with their multitude exceede the number of the sands what can bee preferred before that dispensation that is made for vs For that which was more precious to him then all things hee gaue his Sonne for vs and that truely when wee were his enemies neither did hee giue him onely but also he made him to bee our Table Nec Moses dedit nobis panem verum Hieron ad Heb. d. qu. 2. sed Dominus Iesus ipse conuiua conuiuium ipse comedens qui comeditur illius bibimus sanguinem sine ipso potare non possumus quotidiè in sacrificijs eius de genimine vitis verae vineae sorec quae interpretatur Electa rubentia musta calcamus nouum ex his vinum bibimus de regno Patris Moses gaue not vs this true bread but the Lord Iesus saith S. Hierom he is the guest and the banquet the feeder and the foode wee drinke his blood and without him wee cannot drinke dayly in his sacrifices wee treade those chosen red sweete wines out of the fruit of the true vine and vineyard sorec and out of those wee drinke the new wine of the kingdome of the Father Cuiusdā Serm. d◠Coena Domini inter opera Ber. In coena illa munerans munus Cibans cibus conuiua conuiuium offerens oblatio He is the giuer and the gift the feeder and the foode the guest and the feast the offerer and the oblation In which respect the Eucharist Dion Areop c. 5 de Hier. Ecclesiast by Dionysius is called Omnium Sacramentorum consummatio or perfectissimum Sacramentum The consummation of all the Sacraments or the most perfect Sacrament Medicamentum immortalitatis antidotum non moriendi sed viuendi per Iesum Christum in Deo Catharticum expellens malum It is the Physicke of immortalitie the antidote or preseruatiue against death giuing life in God by Iesus Christ the medicine purging of all vices or driuing away all euils so Ignatius It is Cibus inconsumptibilis Epist ad Ephes vnconsumable meate so Cyprian De Coena Dom. Pignus salutis aeternae tutela fidei spes resurrectionis It is the pledge of eternall saluation the defence of faith and the hope of resurrection so Optatus S. Cyrill goeth further Lib. 10. in Ioan. c. 13. Considerandum est non habitudine solùm quae per charitatem intelligitur Christum in nobis esse verum etiam participatione naturali Nam quemadmodum si igne liquefactam ceram aliae cerae similiter liquefactae miscueris vt vnum quid ex vtrisque factum videatur sic communicatione corporis sanguinis Christi ipse in nobis est nos in ipso Consider saith hee that Christ is in vs not onely by an habitude which is vnderstood by charitie but also by a naturall participation for as waxe if it bee melted by the fire is so mingled with other melted waxe that it makes one waxe of both so by the communication of the body and blood of Christ he that is Christ is in vs and wee in him And hee prooues it out of S. Paul The bread that we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ De fide orthodox lib. 4. c. 14. And Damascen explaining those words saith Communicamus per ipsum Christo participamus eius carne diuinitate quia communicamus vnimur inuicem
it is Idem sacrificatum the same thing sacrificed Christ crucified that is represented to God and communicated to vs. And surely euery one that doth desire to bee heard and therefore concludes his prayers with these words Per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum through Iesus Christ our Lord doth represent and offer Christ crucified to God and entreates remission and grace through his death and passion And Christ our high Priest that sitteth at the right hand of God doth at that instant execute his office and make intercession for vs by representing his wounds or scarres to his Father In Baptisme in like maner when wee doe consecrate and dedicate our selues to Gods seruice wee doe as it were offer vp Christ crucified by way of representation as if we did explicate and vnfold the passion of Christ at that time desiring to bee accepted for his sake And that made S. In exposit incho Epist ad Rom. Tom. 4. Augustine to say Quodeo tempore quisque prose offert pro peccatis suis quum eiusdem passionis fide dedicatur at that time euery one offereth the sacrifice of Christs passion for his sinnes when he is dedicated in the faith of that passion and the maner he explicateth with Quodammodo offert he offers in a sort not properly but by way of representation and application And this is made good by the words of the Apostle Rom. 6.3 Know you not that as many of vs as are baptized into Christ Iesus are baptized into his death And againe v. 4. Consepulti per baptismum in mortem buried with him by baptisme into death And againe v. 5. Complantati similitudini mortis planted together in the likenesse of his death so our Baptisme is a representation of Christs death But this Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ as a more ample and perfect image doth more fully represent Christs death and by way of memoriall offer it to God as being instituted and commanded for a representation and commemoration thereof And this is generally receiued of antiquitie and so allowed by the Romish Sacrificers though they proceede further without ground or reason For why De Trinit lib. 4. cap. 14. S. Augustine said well Ipse cui offert qui offert quique offertur these bee proper to Christ to be the Godhead to whom he offereth to be the Priest that offreth the Sacrifice that is offered vp to God The true Sacrifice that is due onely to the true God is that Contra Faustum lib. 20. cap. 18. Quo eius altare solus Christus impleuit with which Christ onely filled his Altar As for Christians vnde iam Christiani peracti eiusdem sacrificij memoriam celebrant sacrosancta oblatione participatione corporis sanguinis Christi They celebrate the memorie of this sacrifice performed on the Crosse by the sacred oblation and participation of the bodie and blood of Christ So Christs sacrifice is the trueth and ours the representation of that trueth Aug. Epist 23. And in his 23. Epistle Nonne semel immolatus est Christus in seipso tamen in Sacramento nonsolùm per omnes Paschae solennitates sed omni die populis immolatur Hee was once offered in himselfe and yet in the Sacrament he is not only offered yeerely at the solemnitie of the Passeouer but also euery day And hee giues a reason Sienim Sacramenta quandam similitudinem earum rerum quarum Sacramenta sunt non haberent omnino Sacramenta non essent Ex hac autem similitudine plerunque etiam ipsarum rerum nomina accipiunt Sacraments haue a similitude of things whereof they are Sacraments els they were not sacramēts And by this similitude they borrow the names of those things whereof they are Sacraments Hoc sacrificium exemplum est illius Chrisost ad Heb. 10. this sacrifice is an example or imitation of that sacrifice of Christ on the Crosse So Christ offered and wee offer sed hoc quod nos agimus recordatio est sacrificij but that which wee doe is a commemoration of a sacrifice Againe S. Augustine saith Aug. quest 61. inter 83. Dominus noster Iesus Christus ostenditur Rex noster ipse est etiam Sacerdos noster in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedec quiseipsum obtulit holocaustum pro peccatis nostris eius sacrificij similitudinem celebrandam in suae passionis memoriam commendauit Hee is our King for euer after the order of Melchisedech who offered himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes and hee commended the similitude of this sacrifice in the remembrance of his passion These and many other sentences of the Fathers Lomb. lib. 4. Dist 12. G. made the Master of the sentences to rest in this that this Sacrament is a representation or memorie of that Sacrifice performed on the Altar of the Crosse and further went not the diuinitie of his time And Thomas that liued long after him knew no other doctrine And hee giueth onely two Reasons why it is called Immolatio Christi the sacrificing 3. qu. 83. art 1. or immolation of Christ First because it is Imago quaedam passionis Christi It is a certaine Image or representation of Christs passion as Images are called by the names of those things whereof they are images as S. Augustine saith And when wee looke on a painted wall or table we vse to say this is Cicero this is Salust and the like So the celebration of this Sacrament is a representatiue image of Christ passion which is the true immolation of him and therefore it is called the Immolation of Christ and there hee produceth Chrysostomes words cited before The second Reason is Quia participes efficimur fructus Dominicae passionis Because by this Sacrament we are made partakers of the fruit and benefit of Christs passion therefore it is called the sacrifice of Christ so Thomas goeth no further then representation and participation I descend no further for by this it is plaine who are Veteratores and Nouatores the corrupters of antiquity that remoued the ancient bounds and the Authors of Noueltie that not onely speake old Diuinitie nouè in new words and formes but also bring in noua new and strange doctrines and Articles neuer heard of That this Sacrament is the onely proper externall dayly sacrifice of the Church without which the other two relatiues cannot stand viz. that there is no Religion without Priesthood nor Priesthood without sacrifice here it is manifest where the house began to runne to decay and where the enemie sowed Tares For as Thomas saith The Altar is the representation of Christs Crosse and the Priest beares the image of Christ our High Priest and so his sacrifice is but a representation of Christs sacrifice exemplum illius as before Againe Th◠Qu. 73. Art 4. compare this Sacrament with three times and it will haue many names Respectu praeteriti concerning the time past in as much as it is a commemoration of
the Lords Passion which was the true Sacrifice Secundum hoc nominatur sacrificium in this respect it is called a sacrifice Respectu praesentis in respect of the time present that is the vnitie of the Church because men are vnited and gathered together by this Sacrament it it is called Communio or Synaxis a Communion Respectu futuri in respect of the future time because it figureth vnto vs that fruition of God that wee hope for in another life it is termed Viaticum our spirituall food that giueth vs strength to attaine it It is called Eucharistia the Eucharist or good grace of God because the grace of God is eternall life or else because it really cōtaineth Christ that is full of grace So it is called Metalepsis or assumptio an assumption because by this wee assume or are made partakers of the Deitie of the Sonne Againe in his answere It is called a Sacrifice in as much as it representeth the Passion of Christ And it is called Hostia an Host because it containeth Christ who is the oblation and sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God Ephe. 5. This was the receiued doctrine of the fathers and ancient Schoole And that this offering of Christs death by way of representation cannot be the proper externall sacrifice of the Church I proue by these Reasons First all externall sacrifice is acceptable vnto God for the internall sacrifice of the heart Externum propter internum as God first looked vpon Abel Gen. 4 4. and then vpon his Sacrifice not vpon Abel for his Sacrifice but on the Sacrifice for Abels sake First he offered himselfe a Lambe to God and then he offered his Lambe de adipibus a well chosen Lambe of the best and fattest none was too good for God First God accepteth the man then the gift not as men doe that so accept the man as they like and feele his gift If then Christs Sacrifice be externall and offered by vs it followeth that Christs Sacrifice must be accepted for the inward Sacrifice of our hearts and so we are more acceptable to God then Christ is which is an horrible blasphemie Secondly euery Sacrifice is accepted for the sacrificers person that is first accepted of God Sacrificium propter sacrificantem therefore if wee offer Christ to God Christs Sacrifice is not acceptable for it selfe but for our sakes that offer it Thirdly the outward visible sacrifice is a Sacrament or sacred signe of the inward inuisible Sacrifice Aug. de Ciuit. Dei l. 10. c. 5. therefore if Christs Sacrifice bee the outward visible Sacrifice it is but a Sacrament or sacred figure a type or figure the trueth or substance is the inward sacrifice of our hearts So Christ is turned to a figure or shadow who is indeed the trueth and substance of all figures and shadowes So then it is manifest that this Sacrament is no proper externall Sacrifice but onely commemoratiue and communicatiue of the all-sufficient Sacrifice of Christ In which I haue bene the larger because Bellarmine is pleased to finde fault with Kemnitius who takes it Prosacrificio commemoratiuo for a commemoratiue Sacrifice though hee findeth not that word in Scripture But saith hee Kemnitius admitteth that sense to elude the places of the Fathers in which the Masse is called a Sacrifice Caeterùm haec acceptio arbitraria est conficta this acception is arbitrary and fained for neither the Scriptures nor Fathers call this a Sacrifice which is onely a figure or commemoration of a Sacrifice which I must referre to the iudgement of the iudicious Reader to resolue whether it bee not most plaine in the Fathers and in Lumbard and in Thomas that it is called a Sacrifice because it is a memory or representation of Christes Sacrifice on the Crosse This Sacrament is called a Sacrifice because in it we offer vp and present vnto God our selues Verba Litur our soules and bodies to bee a liuing Sacrifice vnto God which is our reasonable seruice and worship of him as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 12.1 And it is also warranted by S. Iames Iacob 1.18 Of his owne will hee begate vs by the word of Trueth that wee should bee Primitiae the first fruits of his creatures In the Law they gaue vnto God Primitias agri the first fruits of their cattell and of their field In the Gospel wee offer not the corne of our ground nor the first borne of our cattell but Primitias aenimae the first fruits of our Soules our selues to bee first fruits and Sacrifices vnto God And this indeed is the daily Sacrifice of the Church for Christ the head offered himselfe as the onely propitiatorie Sacrifice for sinne and the Church offer themselues as the members of such an head to be consecrated by Christ our High Priest as liuing Sacrifices to God In which as God gaue Christ and Christ gaue himselfe for vs so we giue our selues to God Our Sauiour Christ in the forme of God August lib. 10. De Ciuitate Dei cap. 20. receiueth Sacrifice with his Father with whom he is one God yet in the forme of a seruant hee chose rather to be a Sacrifice then receiue Sacrifice least by this occasion any should thinke that we might sacrifice to any creature By this he is the Priest hee is the offerer and he is the oblation Cuius rei Sacramentum voluit esse quotidianum Ecclesiae Sacrificium quae cum ipsius capitis corpus sit seipsamper ipsum discit offerre Of which his Sacrifice he would haue the daily Sacrifice of the Church to bee a Sacrament which Church being the body of the head himselfe doth learne to offer herselfe by him Where I pray you obserue these two things First the daily Sacrifice of the Church is but a Sacrament of Christs Sacrifice and therefore it is not Christs Sacrifice it selfe Secondly the body of Christ here spoken of is not naturale but mysticum not the naturall but the mysticall body of Christ And the Church offereth not Christs naturall body but the mysticall body of Christ that is her selfe and this is the daily Sacrifice of the Church Againe C. 19 visible Sacrifices are the signes of inuisible Sacrifices as sounding words are the signes of things Wherefore as wee that pray or prayse doe direct signifying voyces to him to whom we doe offer the things themselues in our hearts which wee signifie so sacrificing we know visible sacrifice is to be offered to none other but to him Cuius in cordibus nostris inuisibile Sacrificium nos ipsi esse debemus Whose inuisible Sacrifice in our hearts we our selues must be But the cleerest and fullest place is in the sixth Chapter The true Sacrifice saith S. Augustine is euery worke done to adhere by a holy society to God referred to that end of goodnesse by which we may be truely blessed Whereby it commeth to passe that mercy it selfe that is preferred before Sacrifice by which wee relieue
reuerence to him that feedes vs by these reuerend mysteries with the heauenly and diuine foode whereon the blessed Angels and Saints euer feed and euer desire to feede Inhiantes semper edunt edentes inhiant their eating doth not fill but increase their appetites and they euer say Ioan. 6. Lord euermore giue vs this bread Ratio 5. Praxis Ecclesiae Militantis THe fift Reason is Praxis Ecclesiae militantis the practise of the Church militant which is the best interpreter of the Churches doctrine in point of outward gesture Ceremonie as in the old Testament Praxis Prophetarum was Interpres Prophetarum the Prophets practise was the best expounder of the Prophets In which because it is not altogether cleare what Christ and his Apostles did in the first institution wee must be content to proceede à posteriori and from the neerest succeeding ages to collect what they learned from their predecessors euen from the time of the Apostles And first although it please them that are the fauourers of sitting at the Receiuing of the Comunion to take it as granted that Christ administred the Apostles receiued this Sacrament Discumbentes sitting or lying on one side or leaning on one arme as the custome of that time and Countrey was yet the grounds of that conceipt are not so cleere as they take them to be First then it must bee obserued that in this night in which this Sacrament was instituted there was Triplex Coena Paschalis Vulgaris Eucharistica the Paschal supper according to the Law Exod. 12. The vulgar supper of common meates if the Paschal did not suffice and the Eucharisticall which is the very institution of this Sacrament And of the Paschall and Eucharisticall there is no doubt The figuratiue Paschall Lambe was to continue vntill the true Paschall Lambe Christ was to bee offered and then in presence of the Substance the shadow was to cease and in the presence of the Truth the figure was to bee remooued Leo de Passione Domini Serm. 7 Vt ouem figuratiuam vera ouis remoueret hostia in hostiam transit sanguis sanguinem excludit legalis festiuitas dum mutatur impletur The true Lambe Christ that takes away the sinnes of the world tooke away the figuratiue Lambe one Sacrifice was translated into another Sacrifice the blood of Christ excluded all other blood and the legall festiuitie while it is changed is indeed fulfilled And Christ was to make his Will and Testament before his death that hee might seale it with his Crosse confirme it with his Blood so Christs death was the end of the figuratiue Passeouer and the beginning of the true Passeouer that was then offered for vs. And that there were three Suppers Euthim. in 26. Matt. cap. 63. Euthimius sheweth in these words De modo autem manducandi verisimile est quod stantes primùm manducauerunt Pascha secundum legem deinde discubuerunt coenauerunt For the manner of eating it is very likely that first they did eate the Passeouer standing according to the Law then they sate downe and did suppe And the same will further appeare out of Chrysostome and Theophylact. I obserue this to this end to shew how vncertaine this point of sitting at the celebration of the Eucharist is when they that ground it vpon the gesture of the Apostles which they take to be an eternall law or rule to all their successors are forced to make it vp with verisimile est or non constat it is very likely or probable that they sate or there appeareth no other gesture but sitting when they receiued this Sacrament For why Matth. 26.20 S. Matthew saith Now when the euen was come Discumbebat he sate downe with the twelue but this is plaine to be spoken of the Paschal Supper for the disciples say to Iesus Where wilt thou that wee prepare for thee to eate the Passeouer Vers 17. 19. And the disciples did as Iesus appointed them and they made ready the Passeouer And then follow the words When the Euen was come he sate downe with the twelue so this Discumbebat was in coena Paschali this sitting was at the Paschal Supper And the Eucharistical Supper was begunne after the end of the Paschal Supper Luke 22.20 1. Cor. 11.25 as it is plaine in S. Luke and S. Paul Et postquam coenasset and after Supper hee tooke the Cup And two seuerall Suppers might haue two gestures And it is a very poore argument to conclude thus Christ sate with his Apostles at the Paschal Supper and likewise at the vulgar supper if there were any therefore he sate also at the Eucharistical Supper For though S. Matthew say Matth. 26.26 Coenantibus illis while they did eate Luke 22.20 1. Cor. 11.25 Christ tooke bread and blessed it and brake it c. Yet S. Luke and S. Paul expound his meaning to be postquam coenauit after Supper or in the end of Supper betweene Supper and rising to goe to the Mount Oliuet Caluin harmo Euangel in Matih 26. And Caluin saith Finita coena sacrum parem vinum gustarunt they tasted the sacred Bread and Wine Supper being ended S. Marke hath the same narration of the preparation of the Passeouer and then addeth In the euening Iesus came with the twelue Mar. 14.17 18. and as they sate and did eate our Sauiour told them that one that did eate with him should betray him And in the 22. verse he saith as S. Matthew did Manducantibus illis as they did eate Iesus tooke bread c. But S. Luke maketh it most cleare for after the phrase of sitting downe with the twelue hee describeth two Cups one of the Paschal or common Supper of which he said Diuidite inter vos Take this and diuide it among your selues the other of the Euangelicall Supper Luke 22.14.17.19 in the 19. Verse He tooke bread And in the 20. Verse Likewise after Supper hee tooke the Cup. And lest any out of the former wordes should gather that onely the Clergie should taste of the Cup and the people should be debarred of the Blood of Christ because of the Paschal Cup he had said Diuidite inter vos Diuide it among you Of the Eucharistical Cup he saith in S. Matthew Matth. 26. ver 27. Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke you all of this all for whom my Blood is powred out S. Iohn omitteth this Eucharisticall Supper or the institution of this Sacrament as being fully related by the other Euangelists but he mentioneth his rising from Supper and the washing of his Disciples feete And then hee addeth So after hee had washed their feete and had taken his garments and was set downe againe He said vnto them c. So it seemeth this sitting was ad pradicandum to teach them the vse of washing their feete and to discouer the traitor Iudas and then to fall into that excellent diuine Sermon equall to