Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	blood_n	body_n	consecrate_v	3,119	5	9.9831	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63706	Clerus Domini, or, A discourse of the divine institution, necessity, sacredness, and separation of the office ministerial together with the nature and manner of its power and operation : written by the special command of King Charles the First / by Jer. Taylor.	Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.; Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667. Rules and advices to the clergy of the diocesse of Down and Connor.; Rust, George, d. 1670. Funeral sermon preached at the obsequies of the Right Reverend Father in God Jeremy Lord Bishop of Down.	1672 (1672)	Wing T299; ESTC R13445	91,915	82

precept is but twice reported of in the new Testament though the institution of the Sacrament be four times And it is done with admirable mystery to distinguish the several interests and operations which concern several sorts of Christians in their distinct capacities S. Paul thus represents it Take eat This do in remembrance of me plainly referring this precept to all that are to eat and drink the Symbols for they also do in their manner enunciate declare or represent the Lords death till he come And Saint Paul prosecutes it with instructions particular to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that do communicate as appears in the succeeding cautions against unworthy manducation and for due preparation to its reception But S. Luke reports it plainly to another purpose and he took bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave it unto them saying This is my body which is given for you Hoc facite This do in remembrance of me This cannot but relate to accepit gratias egit fregit distribuit Hoc facite Here was no manducation expressed and therefore Hoc facite concerns the Apostles in the capacity of Ministers not as receivers but as Consecrators and givers and if the institution had been represented in one scheme without this mysterious distinction and provident separation of imployment we had been eternally in a cloud and have needed a new light to guide us but now the Spirit of God hath done it in the very first fountains of Scripture And this being the great mystery of Christianity and the only remanent Express of Christ's Sacrifice on earth it is most consonant to the Analogy of the mystery that this commemorative Sacrifice be presented by persons as separate and distinct in their ministery as the Sacrifice it self is from and above the other parts of our Religion Thus also the Church of God hath for ever understood it without any variety of sence or doubtfulness of distinguishing opinions It was the great excellency and secret mystery of the Religion to consecrate and offer the holy Symbols and Sacraments I shall transcribe a passage out of Iustin Martyr giving the account of it to Antoninus Pius in his Oration to him and it will serve in stead of many for it tells the Religion of the Christians in this mystery and gives a full account of all the Ceremony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When the prayers are done then is brought to the President of the Brethren the Priest the Bread and the Chalice of Wine mingled with Water which being received he gives praise and glory to the Father of all things and presents them in the name of the Son and the Holy Spirit and largely gives thanks that he hath been pleased to give us these gifts and when he hath finished the prayers and thanksgiving all the people that is present with a joyful acclamation say Amen Which when it is done by the Presidents and people those which amongst us are called Deacons and Ministers distribute to every one that is present that they may partake of him in whom the thanks were presented the Eucharist Bread Wine and Water and may bear it to the absent Moreover this nourishment is by us called the Eucharist which it is lawful for none to partake but to him who believes our Doctrine true and is washed in the Laver for the remission of sins and regeneration and that lives so as Christ delivered For we do not take it as common bread and common drink but as by the Word of God Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world was made flesh and for our salvation sake had flesh and blood after the same manner also we are taught that this nourishment in which by the prayers of his word which is from him the food in which thanks are given or the consecrated food by which our flesh and blood by mutation or change are nourished is the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus For the Apostles in their Commentaries which they wrote which are called the Gospels so delivered as Jesus commanded For when he had given thanks and taken Bread he said Do this in remembrance of me This is my body And likewise taking the Chalice and having given thanks he said This is my blood and that he gave it to them alone This one Testimony I reckon as sufficient who please to see more may observe the tradition full testified and intire in Ignatius Clemens Romanus or whoever wrote the Apostolical Constitutions in his name Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Athanasius Epiphanius S. Basil S. Chrysostom almost every where S. Hierom S. Augustine and indeed we cannot look in vain into any of the old Writers The sum of whose Doctrine in this particular I shall represent in the words of the most ancient of them S. Ignatius saying that he is worse than an Infidel that offers to officiate about the holy Altar unless he be a Bishop or a Priest And certainly he could upon no pretence have challenged the Appellative of Christian who had dared either himself to invade the holy Rites within the Chancels or had denyed the power of celebrating this dreadful mystery to belong only to sacerdotal ministration For either it is said to be but common Bread and Wine and then if that were true indeed any body may minister it but then they that say so are blasphemous they count the blood of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Paul calls it in imitation of the words of institution the blood of the Covenant or New Testament a prophane or common thing they discern not the Lord's body they know not that the Bread that is broken is the communication of Christ's body But if it be a holy separate or divine and mysterious thing who can make it ministerially I mean and consecrate or sublime it from common and ordinary Bread but a consecrate separate and sublimed person It is to be done either by a natural power or by a supernatural A natural cannot hallow a thing in order to God and they only have a supernatural who have derived it from God in order to this ministration who can shew that they are taken up into the lot of that Deaconship which is the type and representment of that excellent ministery of the true Tabernacle where Jesus himself does the same thing in a higher and more excellent manner This is the great Secret of the Kingdom to which in the Primitive Church many who yet had given up their names to Christ by designation or solemnity were not admitted so much as to the participation as the Catechumeni the Audientes the Poenitentes Neophytes and Children and the ministery of it was not only reserved for sacred persons but also performed with so much mysterious secrecy that many were not permitted so much as to see This is that Rite in which the Priest intercedes for and blesses the

have been a consecration in genere orationis called by S. Paul benediction or the bread of blessing and therefore S. Austin expounding those words of S. Paul Let prayers and supplications and intercessions and giving of thanks be made saith Eligo in his verbis hoc intelligere quod omnis vel paene omnis frequentat ecclesia ut precationes accipiamus dictas quas fecimus in celebratione sacramentorum antequam illud quod est in Donini mensâ accipiat benedici orationes cum benedicitur ad distribuendum comminuitur quam totam orationem paene omnis ecclesia Dominicâ oratione concludit The words and form of consecration he calls by the name of orationes supplications the prayers before the consecration preces and all the whole action oratio and this is according to the stile and practice and sence of the whole Church or very near the whole And S. Basil saith that there is more necessary to consecration than the words recited by the Apostles and by the Evangelists The words of Invocation in the shewing the bread of the Eucharist and the cup of blessing Who of all the Saints have left to us For we are not content with those which the Apostle and the Evangelists mention but before and after we say other words having great power towards the mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we have received by tradition These words set down in Scripture they retained as a part of the mystery co-operating to the solemnity manifesting the signification of the rite the glory of the change the operation of the Spirit the death of Christ and the memory of the sacrifice but this great work which all Christians knew to be done by the Holy Ghost the Priest did obtain by prayer and solemn invocation according to the saying of Proclus of C. P. speaking of the tradition of certain prayers used in the mysteries and indited by the Apostles as it was said but especially in S. Iames his Liturgy By these prayers saith he they expected the coming of the holy Ghost that his divine presence might make the bread and the wine mixt with water to become the body and blood of our blessed Saviour And S. Iustin Martyr very often calls the Eucharist food made Sacramental and Eucharistical by prayer and Origen We eat the bread holy and made the body of Christ by prayer Verbo Dei per obsecrationem sanctificatus bread sanctified by the word of God and by prayer viz. the prayer of consecration Prece mystica is S. Austins expression of it Corpus Christi sanguinem dicimus illud tantum quod ex fructibus terrae acceptum prece mystica consecratum ritè sumimus That only we call the body and blood of Christ which we receive of the fruits of the earth and being consecrated by the mystical prayer we take according to the rite And S. Hierom chides the insolency of some Deacons towards Priests upon this ground Who can suffer that the ministers of widdows and tables should advance themselves above those at whose prayers the body and blood of Christ are exhibited or made presential I add only the words of Damascen The bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ supernaturally by invocation and coming of the Holy Ghost Now whether this consecration by prayer did mean to reduce the words of institution to the sence and signification of a prayer or that they mean the consecration was made by the other prayers annexed to the narrative of the institution according to the several sences of the Greek and Latin Church yet still the ministery of the Priest whether in the words of consecration or in the annexed prayers is still by way of prayer Nay further yet the whole mystery it self is operative in the way of prayer saith Cassander in behalf of the School and of all the Roman Church and indeed S. Ambrose and others of the Fathers in behalf of the Church Catholick Nunc Christus offertur sed offertur quasi homo quasi recipiens passionem offert seipsum quasi Sacerdos ut peccata nostra dimittat hic in imagine ibi in veritate ubi apud Patrem quasi advocatus intervenit So that what the Priest does here being an imitation of what Christ does in Heaven is by the sacrifice of a solemn prayer and by the representing the action and passion of Christ which is effectual in the way of prayer and by the exhibiting it to God by a solemn prayer and advocation in imitation of and union with Christ. All the whole office is an office of intercession as it passes from the Priest to God and from the people to God And then for that great mysteriousness which is the sacramental change which is that which passes from God unto the people by the Priest that also is obtained and effected by way of prayer For since the holy Ghost is the consecrator either he is called down by the force of a certain number of syllables which that he will verifie himself hath no where described and that he means not to do it he hath fairly intimated in setting down the Institution in words of great vicinity to express the sence of the mystery but yet of so much difference and variety as will shew this great change is not wrought by such certain and determined words The blood of the New Testament so it is in Saint Matthew and S. Mark The new Testament in my blood so S. Paul and S. Luke My body which is broken My body which is given c. and to think otherwise is so near the Gentile Rites and the mysteries of Zoroastes and the secret operations of the Enthei and Heathen Priests that unless God had declared expresly such a power to be affixed to the recitation of such certain words it is not with too much forwardness to be supposed true in the spirituality of the Gospel But if the spirit descends not by the force of syllables it follows He is called down by the prayers of the Church presented by the Priests which indeed is much to the honour of God and of Religion an endearment of our duty is according to the analogy of the Gospel and a proper action or part of spiritual sacrifice that great excellency of Evangelical Religion For what can be more apt and reasonable to bring any great blessing from God than prayer which acknowledges him the fountain of blessing and yet puts us into a capacity of receiving it by way of moral predisposition that holy graces may descend into holy vessels by holy ministeries and conveyances and none are more fit for the employment than prayers whereby we bless God and bless the symbols and ask that God may bless us and by which every thing is sanctified viz. by the word of God and Prayer that is by God's benediction and our impetration according to the use of the word in the saying

people offering in their behalf not only their prayers but applying the Sacrifice of Christ to their prayers and representing them with glorious advantages and titles of acceptation which because it was so excellent celestial sacred mystical and supernatural it raised up the persons too that the ministeriael Priesthood in the Church might according to the nature of all great imployments pass an excellency and a value upon the Ministers And therefore according to the natural Reason of Religion and the devotion of all the world the Christians because they had the greatest reason so to do did honour their Clergy with the greatest veneration and esteem It is without a Metaphor regale Sacerdotium a royal Priesthood so S. Peter which although it be spoken in general of the Christian Church and in an improper large sence is verified of the people yet it is so to be expounded as that parallel place of the Books of Moses from whence the expression is borrowed Ye shall be a Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation which plainly by the sence and Analogy of the Mosaick Law signifies a Nation blessed by God with Rites and Ceremonies of a separate Religion a Kingdom in which Priests are appointed by God a Kingdom in which nothing is more honourable than the Priesthood for it is certain the Nation was famous in all the world for an honourable Priesthood and yet the people were not Priests in any sence but of a violent Metaphor And therefore the Christian Ministery having greater priviledges and being honoured with attrectation of the body and blood of Christ and offices serving to a better Covenant may with greater argument be accounted excellent honourable and royal and all the Church be called a royal Priesthood the denomination being given to the whole from the most excellent part because they altogether make one body under Christ the head the medium of the union being the Priests the collectors of the Church and instrument of adunation and reddendo singula singulis dividing to each his portion of the expression the people is a peculiar people the Clergy a holy Priesthood and all in conjunction and for several excellencies a chosen Nation so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Priesthood of the Kingdom that is the ministery of the Gospel for in the new Testament the Kingdom signifies the Gospel and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kingly is of or belonging to the Gospel for therefore it is observable it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not well rendered by the vulgar Latine regale sacerdotium as if Kingly were the Appellative or Epithete of this Priesthood it is regium a Priesthood appertaining to the Kingdom of the Gospel and the Priest being enumerated distinctly from the people the Priests of the Kingdom and the people of the Kingdom are all holy and chosen but in their several manner the Priests of the Kingdom those the people of the Kingdom these to bring or design a spiritual Sacrifice the Priest to offer it or all together to sacrifice the Priest by his proper Ministery the people by their assent conjunction and assistance chosen to serve God not only in their own forms but under the ministration of an honourable Priesthood And in all the descent of Christian Religion it was indeed honourable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostom the Christian Priesthood does its ministery and is perfected on earth but hath the beauty order and excellency of the heavenly hosts so that I shall not need to take notice of the Lamina aurea which Polycrates reports S. Iohn to have worn in token of his royal Priesthood a Wreath of Gold so also did Saint Iames Bishop of Ierusalem as Saint Hierom and Epiphanius report nor the exemption of the Clergy from Tribute their authority with the people their great donatives and titles of secular advantage these were accidental to the Ministery and relyed upon the favour of Princes and devotion of the people and if they had been more yet are less than the honours God had bestowed upon it for certainly there is not a greater degree of power in the world than to remit and retain sins and to consecrate the Sacramental Symbols into the mysteriousness of Christ's body and blood nor a greater honour than that God in Heaven should ratifie what the Priest does on earth and should admit him to handle the Sacrifice of the world and to present the same which in Heaven is presented by the eternal Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Gregory Nazianzen describes the honour and mysteriousness of the Priest's power They minister the spiritual and unbloody sacrifice they are honourable Guardians of souls they bear the work of God in their hands And S. Hierom speaking of these words of S. Paul I am ordained a Preacher and an Apostle Quod Paulus ait Apostolus Iesu Christi tale mihi videtur quasi dixisset Praefectus praetorio Augusti Caesaris Magister exercitus Tiberii Imperatoris And a little after Grandem inter Christianos sibi vindicans dignitatem Apostolorum se Christi titulo praenotavit ut ex ipsa lecturos nominis authoritate deterreret indicans omnes qui Christo crederent debere esse sibi subjectos And therefore S. Chrysostome sayes it is the trick of Hereticks not to give to Bishops titles of their eminency and honour which God hath vouchsafed them Ut Diabolus ita etiam quilibet facit haereticus vehementissimus in tempore persecutionis loquens cum Pontifice nec eum vocat Pontificem nec Archiepiscopum nec Religiosissimum nec sanctum sed quid Reverentia tua c. nomina illi adducit communia ejus negans authoritatem Diabolus hoc tunc fecit in Deo It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A separating and purifying order of men so Dionysius calls it but Nazianzen speaks greater and more glorious words yet and yet what is no more than a sober truth for he calls the Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He stands with Angels and is magnified with Archangels he sends Sacrifices to a celestial Altar and is consecrated in the Priesthood of Christ a divine person and an instrument of making others so too I shall add no more as to this particular The express precepts of God in Scripture are written in great characters there is a double honour to be given to the Ecclesiastical Rulers Rulers that also labour in the word and doctrine There is obedience due to them obedience in all things and estimation and love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very abundantly esteem such very highly for their works sake a communicating to them in all good things and their offices are described to be great separate busie eminent and profitable they are Rulers