added as they pretend for greater explication as appeareth in a thousand other places and in the Bibles of the yeares 1630. and 1632. S. Marke and S. Luke haue the words thus Iesus tooke bread and blessed and brake it and gaue vnto them where the word it is not ioyned to blessed and gaue but only to brake and then the word it is put in a different smaller letter then the other words All which conuince that the word it is not in the originall and so is not holy diuine Scripture but an addition of men and so no solid argumenr can be drawn from the word it as from the word of God not being the word of God but of men And hence also appeares how cunningly the Protestant translatours detaine the ignorāt readers by putting in words seruing as they thinke to their own purpose in the very same print and letter with the rest whieh are ioyned to them and are in the originall as if they were in the Originall no lesse then the others which notwithstanding in othet editions translations and places of Scripture they signify not to be in the originall nor Gods word by printing them in a lesser letter after they were conuinced of fraud and falsity in the former And thus in some editions putting this and such like words in the same letter with the rest and in others in a different the vnlearned which are not able to examine what is and what is not in the Originall may be in doubt which of these translations is the true word of God and cannot be infallibly certain of either of them seeing the translatours of theyr Church which are of equall authority some of them put a word in their text in the same tenour as if it were no lesse Scripture then the rest and others in a different letter to signify that that word is not Scripture but added by them as they suppose for greater clarity If it should be answered that whether the word it be in the sacred text or no yet the argument will haue force for though the text runne thus Iesus tooke bread and blessed and brake and gaue to his disciples yet it may seeme that he blessed brake and gaue no other thing then that very bread which he tooke remayning in its own substance and nature For certainly he must haue blessed and broken and giuen somthing to his disciples and what can that be imagined to be but what he tooke that therefore which he tooke hauing beene true naturall hread as the text expressly sayth Iesus tooke bread he must be supposed to haue blessed and broken and giuen true naturall bread to his disciples I answer that our Sauiour though he be supposed to haue blessed broken and giuen some thing to his disciples yet it follows not that he broke and gaue naturall bread for he might take bread remaining in its own nature and after breake and giue his Body wherinto the bread which he tooke was changed as in the marriage feast of Galilé after the vessells were filled with water and our Sauiour sayd draw now and beare to the gouernour of the feast certainly they drew and caryed and the gouernour of the feast drunk somthing yet it followes not that as they filled the vessells with water so they drew and carryed and the gouernour of the feast drunk naturall water but as it is sayd v. 9. water made wine or wine wherinto the naturall water wherwith the seruāts filled the vessells was changed yea though the word it had beene in the text or were supposed to be rightly ioyned to it could any one thence proue more that as our Sauiour tooke naturall bread so he brake and gaue naturall bread remayning the very same which he tooke then one can proue from the water of Galilé that as the seruants filled the vessells with naturall water so they drew and caryed and the maister of the feast drunk naturall water remayning the very same which was filled because the text sayes v. 8. and they caryed it and v. 9. the ruler of the feast knew not whence it was But the objection in preuention of this answer vrgeth the former argument yet further in this manner Obiection 2. For the actions of brake and gaue were before the words of consecration This is my Body and consequently not being changed it must be bread which he brake and gaue Answer This argument proceeds from misunderstanding and mistaking this text of Scripture for though it saith our Sauiour brake and gaue to his disciples and sayd This is my Body yet it sayes not as the objection would haue it say that our Sauiour after he brake and gaue to his disciples sayd This is my Body these being very different senses for though the Scripture first mentioneth brake and gaue and then sets downe that our Sauiour sayd This is my Body yet it may well stand with the truth of the words that at the same tyme and instant whilst he brake and gaue he sayd This is my Body and so gaue not bread till it was changed into his Body as if one should giue a peece of bread to a person in want one might say truly he tooke bread and brake it and gaue it to him and sayd take this almes though he spake these words take this almes at the very same tyme when he gaue it And that our Sauiour spake these words This is my Body whilst he was giuing what he gaue to his disciples and not after is manifest first because S. Luke affirmes it to be so he tooke bread and brake and gaue to them saying This is my Body that is whilst he gaue he was pronouncing these words and though in the institution of the chalice S. Marke sayes and he tooke the cup and when he had giuen thankes he gaue to them c. and sayd This is my Bloud of the new Testament which shall be shed for many Yet S. Luke saies Likewise the cup allso after supper saying This cup is the new Testament in my Bloud which shall be shed for you S. Paul also in the same manner also he tooke the cup when he had supped saying This cup is the new Testament in my Bloud Secondly because all as well Ptotestants as Catholikes agree that our Sauiour gaue his disciples a Sacrament and as they say a signe of his Body which was made a Sacrament by vertue of these words This is my Body therefore it were an impiety to say that our Sauiour gaue bread to his disciples before these words were pronounced for then he had giuen a meer peece of bread and neither Sacrament nor his Body nor signe of his Body Thirdly if our Sauiour had perfectly giuen that which he put into the disciples hands before he had pronounced the words of consecration the Scripture sayinge he tooke bread brake and gaue to his disciples and sayd This is my Body then it would follow by the same argument that our Sauiour gaue bread
and formes of bread in the Sacrament how shall wormes be generated from the hoast corrupted or putrifyed seeing they must consist of matter and forme and so be produced of some materiall substance Answer If there were nothing but humaine nature in Christ as man without humaine personality how could it performe the actions of a person seeing all other actions of men proceed from theyr persons and not from theyr natures as the compleate principle of them You will say the diuine personality supplyed the place of humaine personality in Christ and I say that diuine power supplies the place of nature in this Sacrament in producing a matter after the species of bread be corrupted and the body of our Sauiout ceases to be vnder them Obiection But how can an accident performe the office of a substance Answer But how can the personality of one persone performe the office of the personality of an other Obiection God vnited the diuine personality to humane nature and so it subsists by it as supplying the want of its own Answer God vnites a matter produced at the exigency of nature to thé accidents which were of bread which in the production of wormes from a putrifyed hoast supplyes the want of theyr own These to my best remembrance are the cheefe difficulties which according to the principles of naturall reason our Aduersaries commonly presse against vs in this mistery in answer wherof I haue playnly shewed that they themselues must answer as great or greater difficultyes which may be opposed by heathens and Infidells against other articles of our faith which they beleeue let them therefore eyther desist to moue any such heathnish objections as these against the reall presence or acknowledge that whilst they presse these against it they giue iust occasion to an Infidell to presse the like against themselues which when they haue solued in other mysteries they will haue solu'd theyr own against this Before I end this controuersie I will summe vp briefly what I haue said at large in this treatis that the Reader may haue a full sight of it at one Vew first I haue according to my former methode cited the doctrine of the Concil of Trent whence clearly appeares that it conteynes nothing grosse and Capernaiticall as Protestants commonly are made beleeue but a most heauenly pure mysticall liuing and ineffable presence Secondly I haue cited the words of the Euangelists and S. Paul touching the Institution which are not only most clere in themselues as I haue proued but are iudged soe to be both by Martin Luther in his first Tome printed at Iena an 1589. Concione 3. de Confessione Sacramento Eucharistiae parte 2. pag. 329. where after he had cited the words of the Euangelists he saith thus Haec sunt verba quae neque ipsi neque etiam Sathan negare poterit in quae figendus pes est vt firmiter in iis consistamus Sunt autem nuda planissima quae nullis interpretationibus eludi possunt Quòd panis sit Christi corpus pro nobis traditum calix Christi sanguis pro nobis effusus iubemur illa facere in commemoratione ipsius These are words which neyther they he meanes Romane Catholicques nor Sathan can denie vppon which wee are to fix our foote that we may stand immouuable in them For they are naked and most plaine which cannot be shifted of by any Interpretations That bread is the body of Christ which is giuen for vs and the cup the blood of Christ which is shed for vs and that we are commanded to doe them in remembrance of him Thus Luther which though he here affirmes to proue his errours of Consubstantiation and Communion in both kindes against vs yet withall he clearely confesses that the words are most plaine for the reall presence of Christs true body and blood in this holy Sacrament which he allwayes held These texts also are so vndeniably clere for the reall Presence that Zuinglius the first authour of the Sacramentaries changed the word in all the Euangelists and S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke est in Latin in these words This is my Body this is my blood into significat thus this signisies my body this signifies my blood and so printed them in his Bible dedicated to Francis King of France and printed at Tiguris anno 1525. as witnesses Conradus Sclussenburgh a learned Protestant in Theologiâ Caluinistarum Ie. 2. ar 3. fol. 43. And Zuinglius himselfe approuues of this his translation to 2. de verâ falsâ religione c. 5. fol. 210. And Beza Translating those words of S. Luke qui pro vobis effunditur which is powred out for you puts them thus in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc poculum quod pro vobis effunditur this chalice which is powred out for you and in his Latin translation he puts them thus hoc poculum c. in sanguine meo qui pro vobis effunditur which blood is powred out for you referring the word this to blood and not to chalice quite contrary to the Greeke construction which not withstanding he confesses to haue found in all the ancient Greeke copies which he had read and hauing noe other shift to auoyd the force of these words as they stand in all these Greeke copies acknowledging that they make quite against him he is put to that desperate insolensie as to say that these words which chalice is powred out for you haue crept out of the margent into the text by negligēce of writers and soe are not the word of God soe Bezaes translation Greeke and Latin printed by Henry Steenen anno 1565. Thirdly I haue discouered clerely the sundry grosse mistakes of Scripture in the words it take eate this doe this in remembrance c. Fourtly I haue shewed the mistakes in the parities brought of I am a dore a vine a way c. Fiftly I haue layd open the mistakes in the instances of other Sacraments and figuratiue speeches alleadged by the opponent in the old Testament and many such like misapplications The maine things where in I stand are that the words of S. Luke are soe clere that Beza hath noe way to auoyd the force of them then by saing that they crept out of the Margent into the text though he confesses to haue found them as he cites them in all the Greeke Copies which he had seene And secondly that seeing these words This is my Body which is giuen for you may most easily and connaturally be vnderstood in a most proper sense without violating any other article of our faith or plaine place of holy Scripture that they must be soe vnderstood onlesse wee will take away all force from Scripture to proue any thing and destroy the fundamētall rule not only of Interpretation of Scripture but of all humaine conuersation which is that euery one is so be vnderstood to speake properly when nothing constraynes to the
which followes after that he tooke bread or doe this in remembrance of me so they will forget c. Answer How farre this is from truth cleerely appeares by what our approued authours write in this point who most exactely exanime all precedents and consequences belonging to these words which also I haue hetherto indeauored to doe in this treatis Obiection So they will forget that this cup which our Sauiour said was his blood was after consecration called by him the new Testament for that it was a holy signe of the new Testament Answer The obiecter would make vs to be of a very short memory should we forget these words which vsually we pronounce euery day in saying Masse we therefore remember very well that our Sauiour sayd according to S. Luke and S. Paul This cup is the new Testament in my blood but we remember not that either S. Luke or S. Paul or any other writer of holy Scripture euer alleadged this reason here mentioned in the obiection that this sacred cup was called by our Sauiour the new Testament in his blood for that it was a holy signe of the new Testament and I would gladly haue any Protestant helpe the weakenesse of our memory by producing any clere text of Scripture where this reason is giuen and if there be noe such to be found as vndoubtedly there is not then they must giue vs leaue to esteeme this explication according to their own principles groundlesse and noe way belonging to Christian faith but a mere glosse framed from their naturall discours or rather a pure mistake grown from their ignoranee of the true meaning of the word new Testament here according to the Scriptures acception of that word which that it may appeare We must not by new Testament here vnderstand as many ignorant readers of Scriptures may and doe happily misconceaue the bookes of the Gospel commonly called the new Testament for none of those were then written neither is there any one of vnderstanding who will thinke that the cup which our Sauiour had in his hand was a signe of the bookes of the new Testament much lesse that by new Testament in our Sauiours blood should be vnderstood a signe of the said bookes Secondly we must conceaue that the very same thing may be a signe in respect of one thing and an essentiall and substantiall part in regard of another thus words and sentences are signes of the inward thoughts and affections of the speaker but part of his outward discours and in this manner the words new Testament were a signe of our Sauiours internall will and intention but withall were a necessary part of the compleat Testament of the new law then inacted by our Sauiour and so beare the name of the whol Testament as we shall presently see I answer therefore to the obiection and deny that by new Testament is vnderstood a signe of the new Testament but truly really though partially the new Testament it selfe solemnised by our Sauiour in his last supper not long before his death and that in his own most precious blood there properly receaued and diuided amongst his Apostles whereby he certified and obliged himselfe to be the authour head protectour defendour of his law and all those who should truly professe it by giuing what he held in his hands to the Apostles and they testified and obliged themselues and all Christians representatiuely to teach professe and continue in that law by receauing and diuiding of it amongst them Now to make cleare what I haue sayd wee must also know in generall what a Testament is In latin it is called testamentum of wose etymologie Iustinianus Instit. de testamentis ordinandis sayes Testamentum ex eo appellatur quòd testatio mentis sit it is called a testament because it is the testification of our mynde or will so that a true testament includes two thinges a reall minde and intention to doe what we testify and an outward testification of what we intend or oblige our selues to doe so that neyther this outward testimony without the inward will nor the inward will without the outward testifying of it can be compleatly termed a testament not the inward will alone because that cannot be vnderstood amongst men vnlesse it be externally testifyed not the outward testimony alone because it must haue something reall which it testifyes but the outward testification as corresponding to the inward will and exhibiting it to others is a testament now all kindes of externall significations of our wills ot intentions are not sufficient but such as signify by way of a compleate confirmation that the will of him who makes this testament is such as it is signifyed there to be and hence it is that so many witnesses subscriptions seales and other solemnityes are not mere signes buts parts of the testament as the pronuntiation of the wordes in a sermon though it be a signe of the minde of a preacher yet it is essentially required as a part of the sermon Now this outward part of the testament or last compliment or confirmation of it was accustomed to be exhibited in bloud as witnesses Liuie speaking of a solemne league or testament made betwixt the Romans and the Albans and no lesse Moyses in Exodus speaking of the testament or pact made betwixt Allmighty God and the Israëlites vnto which our Sauiour may we haue alluded in the institution of the chalice vsing according to the first two Euangelists the very same phrase or maner of speech This is the bioud of the testament which our Lord hath made with you c. This is my bloud of the new Testawent c. the word testament is in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Berith and in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diatheke and though the Hebrew word signify a pact league or solemne promise mutually obligatory betwixt two parties and the Greeke word a testament or last will of a person before his death and confirmed by it as S. Paul sayes Hebr. 9. yet because that last will is the most solemne and strong of all other pacts or leagues the Greeke word diatheke often signifyes a pact or promise mutuall in Scripture And the Septuaginta translate the Hebrew Berith by the Greeke diatheke as S. Hierome notes Zachar 9.11 and Psal. 82.1 Mach. 1. and often the English Protestant translations for berith put testament thus they call the arke of Moyses the arke of the testament Berith in Hebrew Seeing therefore in the 24. of Exodus the bloud is there sprinkled first vppon the aultar which supplyed the place of God and then amongst all the people wherby as Interpretours and ancient authours obserue was signifyed that the bloud of that party who first broke this pact or testament should be shed and dispersed as that was and that our Sauiour in S. Matthew and S. Marke commāded his bloud to be deuided amongst his disciples drinke yee all of this ir is so farre from
stand to his former couuenant of shewing his grace and mercy vnto Abraham and his children So that that which the objcctiō saies that the word couuenant is here taken for the signe of the couuenant if it meanes thereby that it signifies not a true couuenant in it felfe which was a signe of a former couuenant is farre ftom the truth And though this solution be cleare and cannot be questioned yet if one would stand meerely in the words cited one might easely answer that the obligation of circumcision put here vppon Abraham and his children was a true couuenant but the actuall performance and execution that is circumcision in it selfe performed vppon the Israëlites was a signe of this obligatory couuenant and so it is said ver 10. hoc est pactum meum c. circumcidetur this is my couuenant c. euery mal child shall be circumcised that it may be a signe of the couuenant between me and you that is that the actuall circumcision may be a signe of this couuenant So that neither is here the obligation to be circumcised called a signe of the couuenant nor circumcision called the couuenant as the opponent affirmes not out of Scripture but from the Protestant glosse or addition to it And these answers which I haue giuen are clearly confirmed by S. Paul Rom. 4. v. 11. where speaking of Abraham he said he tooke the signe of circumcision the seale of the iustice of faith c. that he might be the father of all beleeuers where not the obligation appointed by Allmighty God to be circumcised but circumcision it selfe is called the signe and chiefly the signe or seale of his being the father of all beleeuers which was the first couuenant here made with him Objection So the lambe of the Passouet was called the Passeouer because it did figure the passing ouer of the Angell Answer The Scripture in this place calls not expresfely the Lambe the Passeour Ye shall gird your loines and put shooes on your feet holding staues in your handes and ye shall eate hastily for it is the Passeouer of our Lord. the hebrew hath it the Passeouer to our Lord. which whether it be meant of the lambe it selfe or of the whole compliment of the ceremonies required or of thc lambe as eaten in that manner or order imports little because it makes nothing at all against vs. for we must obserue that the word pascha hath a double sense sometimes it is taken properly and primarily for the reall passing of the Angell from one house to another through Egypt at other times and that commonly improperly or figuratiuely for the solemnity or feast ordained on that day when he passed and so yearely vppon the same in insuing ages Thus we take ordinarily the words Natiuity Resurrection Ascension of our Lord either for his reall birth rising from the dead or his ascending into heauen or for the solemnities of Christmas Easter or Ascension and to come to our purpose we take the word Corpus Christi the body of Christ either for his reall and true body or for the feast in honour of his body called amongst vs Corpus Christi so that vppon that day one might say Hic dies est corpus Christi this day is Corpus Christi Now the same was amongst the Iewes and instituted by Allmighty God in this place so that by the word Pesach or Passeouer was vnderstood not the reall passing ouer of the Angell but the feast or Passeouer in honour of it and so it is not called in hebrew as I haue noted the passing ouer of out Lord but to our Lord that is in his honour for the great benefit represented in the feast of the Pascha Now if the Scripture had said This is that very Passeouer wherein our Lord killed so many thousand Egyptians and saued so many of our forefathers as here is This is my Body which is braken for you This is my blood which shall be shed for many for the remission of sinnes whereby the words body and blood are determined to his reall body and blood for noe figure or type of them was brooken or shed for our finnes it might haue had some shew of parity for then must the paschall lambe needs haue been called the reall passage of the angell and not the festiuityes nominated by the same word Thus vppon Corpus Christi day one may say This day is the body of our Lord vnderstanding by Corpus Christi the solemnity so called as it is ordinarily vnderstood it might well passe hut if one should say vppon that day Hic dies est Corpus Christi quod pro nobis datum est this day is the body of Christ whieh so many hunderd yearcs a goe was giuen for our saluation all the world would condemne him noe lesse of foolery then of falshood and impiety Though therefore the thing it selfe and the picture memoriall and solemnity of it may be called by the same name in a large or generall acception thus the picture of Caesar is called Caesar the solemnity of Corpus Christi is called Corpus Christi yet when there be certaine other particles and words adioyned which tye it to a signification of the thing it selfe and distinguish it from the picture or memoriall of it then the figure or memoriall can neuer be vnderstood by that word accompanied with such adiuncts neither can the pourtraict or solemnity be euer ioyned with that word explicated with those said restrictiue particules Thus though seeing the picture of the present King of Spaine I can say this is King Phillip the fourth for that word signifies as wel King Phillip painted as really existing yet I cannot say with truth if the word is be taken in its proper and substantiall signification which for the present is supposed I this is that King Phillip who liues now in Spaine and whom this picture represents neither can I say seeing the King himselue this is King Philip which stands in such a chamber painted in the low countryes for that is not the reall but painted King seeing therefore in the words of the institution that which our Sauiour gaue his Apostles is not only called his body which happily alone were indisserent to fignifie his body painted or reall substantiall or figuratiue naturall or mysticall but addes this restrictiue which is giuen for you which particle can agree only with his reall body the opponent will proue nothing at all against Roman Catholikes vnlesse there be produced out of Scripture some text where the word signifiing the thing it selfe be applyed to the signe or figure with the same restrictiue and limiting particles as proper to that thing it selfe as here the word my Body is affirmed of the word this and declared to be that body which was giuen for vs so that the words my Body which is broken or giuen for you can neuer be taken for any signe or figure of his true body for then a mere signe of his body should
instances thus when I beginne to draw a circle and when I haue drawn only thus much of it C precisely when I say the word this I may truly say this is a circle wherby my meaning is not this c beeing a little part of a circle is a circle for that is no circle but this figure which now I am a drawing or shall presently draw is a circle Thus if one beginning to power wine into a glasse when he hath powred some few dropps or small quantity into the glasse should say this is a glasse full of wine it being only full when the last word wine is pronounced certainly the word this cannot signify that small quantity of wine which was in the glasse precisely when the word this was pronounced for that is not a glasse full but the wine which he is then a powring into the glasse till he haue filled it with wine must be signifyed by the word this In the same maner if one desirous to shew to another how quikly flax becomes fire holding flax in one hand and a candle in the other flax being in its own naturall substance in that precize instant when the word this is pronounced should say This is fire and as he pronounces the words he kindles the flax soe that when the whole sentence this is fire is pronounced the flax is kindled and changed into fire noe man can be soe simple to thinke that his meaning is this flax remāing as it now is vnkindled is fire but this which I am now a shewing to wit flax kindled is fire noe other wise happens it in our present case where our Sauiour by the word this intends not to signifie this bread remaining as it now is when I prunounce the word this is my Body but being consecrated and by consecration changed into my Body as flax by being kindled is changed into fire is my Body This supposed as a ground of this truth I answer to the whole discours of the obiection that when our Sauiour sayd this is my Body this is my Bloud his meaning was This which I am to giue vnto you and which yee are presently to eate and drinke is my Body and my Bloud which though it were not existent actually then when he pronounced the word this yet it was to be presently after no otherwise then when he sayd this is my command not of any command which was then giuen but of one which he was presently to giue when he had pronounced the word this That this was the meaning of our Sauiour in the institution of this Sacrament is most cleare to all such as vnderstandingly reade the text for he commanded his disciples to take and eate what he was instituting in this holy Sacrament Take eate this is my Body Therefore his meaning was to signify by the word this that which his disciples were to take and eate now his disciples were not to take and eate any thing but what was instituted and made a Sacramen◠before it was eaten neither was the Sacrament instituted but by the words of consecration This is my Body which I haue allready proued Therefore the word this according to our Sauiours meaning must signify somthing which was to be after the words of consecration This is my Body So farre from truth is it that by the word this our Sauiour intended to signify that which he held in his hands whilst he precisely pronounced that word this that he signifyed that which he was to giue out of his hands and put into the hands of his disciples and therefore he sayes not see behold but take eate This is my Body that is not what ye now see whilst I say the word this but what I command you to take and eate presently is my Body And yet this truth is made clearer in the institution of the chalice And he tooke the cup and gaue thankes and gaue it to them saying drinke yee all of this for this is the Bloud of the new Testament which shall be shed for many for the remission of sins where our Sauiour renders the reason why he commanded them to drinke of it because it was his Bloud c. So that he sayes not looke yee all on it for this is my Bloud c. which might haue beene done before the words of consecration were pronounced or the Sacrament instituted whilst he sayd the word it or this but drinke yee all of it which was not to be done till the consecration and institution was past as I haue already proued and the objection herafter acknowledgeth Objection There is not one word which Christ spake which we do not stedfastly beleeue to be true for we hold that this bread is the Body of IESVS Christ since he sayd that the bread which he brake and gaue was his Body Answer I doubt not of the sincerity of this profession for so much as concernes the petson that wrote this paper there is more want of true information of the vnderstanding then good affection in the will and zeale certainly there is of truth but such an one as S. Paul describes not according to knowledge For I haue clearly now demoustrated that the meaning of this proposition This is my Body is not this bread which I now hold in my hand whilst I say the words This is my Body but This which I am now to giue you and ye are to eate after it be made a Sacrament by the words of consecration is my Body Objection It is not our parts to glosse the word of God or ad any thing of our own since then we haue those two things in the Gospell the one that IESVS gaue bread the othet that that which he gaue was his Body we beleeue both the one and the other not as they who will beleeue the latter but the former they will not credit and though we could not comprehende how this may agree that it should be bread which we eate and yet the Body of Christ our Lord yet it were our dutyes to rest without any scruple Answer The good disposition expressed in these lines will no doubt haue a great influence to induce the person that wrote them to a right vnderstanding of these mysterious words of our Sauiour after a due and impartiall ponderation of what I haue sayd concerning them where by it may appeare that it was not bread remayning in the nature of bread as it was before consecration but bread made the Body of Christ by consecration which the Apostles did eate and our Sauiour called his Body and signified by the words this Objection But the Gospell in the line following instructeth vs and draweth vs out of all difficulty for Christ hauing sayd that that which he gaue was his Body added presently that it is a remembrance or commemoration therof Answer The opponent may please to remember that iust now we read in the former objection that it is not their part to glosse the word of God
of a person of me the other of a Body which is but one part of the person who consists both of soul and body vnited so that the whol proposition is quite different the one from the other Secondly though these propositions had not beene so different as they are yet our Sauiour cannot possibly be thought to haue meant by these words my Body a mere remembrance of his Body because this explication must be verified of the bread which was consecrated by our Sauiour in his last supper as it is euident For he speakes of that euen according to Protestants now that could not be a remembrance of his body for nothing is said according to Protestants to be a remembrance of a thing which is actually and visibly present as the body of our Sauiour then was to the Apostles being seene heard by them neither could it be a remembrance of his passion because we remember things past not to come as the passion of our Sauiour then was and so it should haue been a type of our Sauiours death as the ceremonies of the old law were before he dyed and not a remembrance or commemoration Therefore it is euident that by the thing which he called his body in his last supper could not be meant a remembrance of his body as Protestants would haue it and so this explication is very false Therefore when our Sauiour commanded his Apostles in these words doe this in remembrance of me he could not meane any action or thing then present or done at that time but an action which he enioyned the Apostles and their successors to doe afterwards in the Christian Church in remembrance of his passion principally which is cleerely deliuered by S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. v. 26.27 This is the new testament in my bloud this doe as often as you drinke in remembrance of me where the greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies shall drinke quotiescumque bibetis doe this so often as you shall drinke and so it is translated by Beza in his latin translation quotiescumque biberitis as often as you shall drinke and should haue been by our English Trāslatours had they closely followed the greeke text as they pretend to doe but here it made not for theyr pourpose and soe they put it eyther falsly or at least obscurely soe often as you drinke which euidently shews that our Sauiour meant by doe this not any action which was done in time of the last supper or institution and receiuing of the Sacrament by the Apostles but what they were to doe in the future and that our Sauiour in these words doe this in remembrance of me did not command the present action of eating and drinking when our Lord celebrated his last supper is euident because had it been of the present action it would follow that he twice commanded the same action to be done at the same time for he commanded his Apostles to doe what was then to be done when he said take eate drinke c. therefore to free our Sauiour from a nedelesse tautologie must be vnderstood the command of doing some thing else and at some other time to be conteined in these words doe this in remembrance of me especially considering that the mention of remembrance could not be vnderstood of any thing then visibly present or after to come as I said before These words therefore being to be vnderstood of the consecrating and frequenting of this Sacrament for the future only cannot possibly be an explication of the former words this is my Body which speake only of a thing that is then present as is euident and consequently those words according to the obiection are plainely simply to be beleeued as they sound without any glossing of the words of our Sauiour there being no ground in this place of Scripture for any such figuratiue glosse as I haue prouued and each Christian must beleeue that that thing which our Sauiour gaue his Apostles was his very body as his affirmed it to be If happily not withstanding that this were granted some Protestants should gather from these words doe this in remembrance of me that this Sacrament in times insuing after our Sauiours death was only to be a remembrance of his body and so not his body whatsoeuer is to be said of rhat Sacrament in the first institution I answer that though some ancient heretiques haue been of this opinion yet I neuer heard of any Protestant who held that the Christians after our Sauiours time receiued not the same which the Apostles did from his hands and so this obiection is to noe purpose for the Protestants Yet that I may cleare all difficulties which may probably occurre against what I haue said in this matter I answer that this is noe good consequence our Sauiour would haue this Sacrament celebrated and frequented in remembrance of him therefore the hoast after the consecration is only a remembrance of his body and not his true body or thus therefore that which Christ called his body in the institution is now amongst Christians only the remembrance of his body for if these words doe this in remembrance of me were not an explication of those others This is my Body in the first institution they will neuer be any explieation of them and so there will be noe reason to say that the meaning of thesc words this is my Body is this this is a remembrance of my Body by reason of these words doe this in remembrance of me for these words only signifie that the action here commanded doe this is to be in remembrance of me not that the thing conteyncd in the Sacrament was to be a remembrance of him now who can doubt but the same person may doe one action in remembrance of himselfe that is of some action which he had done before how ordinary is it for any one to write his own workes and what he himselfe hat done or suffered did not S. Faul doe this and was not this done in remembrance of himselfe doing or suffering such things and shall any thence make this consequence S. Paul writ this in remembrance of himselfe therefore he was a remembrance of himselfe therefore it was not S. Paul who writ it for nothing can be a remembrance of it selfe who sees not how false and childish this discours is may we not say the same of our Sauiour when he appeared to S. Thomas whom he put in remembrance of himselfe suffering vppon the crosse when he commanded him to put his hand into his side and looke vppon his hands and feet c. and shall we then say that our Sauiour was not himselfe or that is Body was not that which suffered because it did something in remembrance of his body crucified what Christian will dare to discours in this manner if then our Sauiours own body that suffered vppon the crosse can doe something to put vs in remembrance of the same body crucifyed once for vs why should we denie
any signes or figures of our Sauiours bloud as the opponent here imagines that hence is drawn a most forcible argument that as in Exodus there was shed and dispersed true reall bloud and not a signe or figure of it which was called the bloud of the testament so hcre also must needs be vnderstood the true bloud of our Sauiour as it is called by him both Moyses and our Sauiour vsing the same maner of speach as I haue shewed and such a solemne leâ—gue or testament as this was requiring no lesse but rather much more to be confirmed by true bloud then that in Exodus or in other ancient times And hence may clerly enough be gathered first that our Sauiour himselfe held the cup of his bloud to confirme this league or pact betwixt him and mankinde of his part as the Apostles tooke it and drunke it to confirme it of thâ—yrs and so it is called as it is his bloud of the new testamens that is whereby the testament of the law of Grace was stregthned confirmed and accomplished on both parts Secondly that as in a testameÌ„t an authenticall instrument drawn of any dying mans wili witnessed subscribed sealed c. is rightly and ptoperly called his last will and testament so in our present occasion the couenant or will of our Sauiour testifyed or confirmed by his bloud is rightly called the new Testament of Christ and that sacred bloud of his as testifying and confirming this will and decree is most properly termed by our Sauiour in S. Luke and S. Paul the new Testament in his his bloud that being the authenticall instrument wherby this will of his was confirmed and testifyed And hence euidently appeares how vaine false the explication here giuen by the opponeÌ„t is for if here by new TestameÌ„t be only to be vnderstood a signe of the new Testament then Exod. 24. by Testament should be only vnderstond a signe of the Testament then made betwixt God and the Isrealites the very same phrase being vsed in both places which were ridiculous Objection He called the cup is bloud in the same maner as he called the bread his body Answer Still more glosses additions and mistakes where did our Sauâ—our call the cup is bloud where read you these woades this cup is my bloud he saith indeede haiung taken the cup this is my bloud of the new Testament but neuer this cup is my bloud he sayd this cup the new Testament in my bloud but he neuer sayd this cup is my bloud no more then he euer sayd This bread is my Body Such propositions as these therefore are not to be put vppon our Sauiour vnlesse you can eyther shew them in Scripture or proue them euidently out of it Obiection And if the cup must be the Testament or signe of his bloud wy should not the bread be the Testament or signe of his body Answer The cup was iust now called the new Testament according to the opponent for that it is a holy signe of the new Testament now it is called the new Testament or signe of his bloud so that new Testament now signifyes a figure of the new Testament and then a signe of our Sauiours bloud what it pleases the opponent according to different apprehensions and phantasies framed of it without Scripture or ground so inconstant are Protestants in theyr assertions neither is therefore new Testamenr here a signe of tha new Testament nor a signe of our Sauiours bloud as I haue proued but his bloud is the bloud of the new Testament and the cup the new Testament in his bloud as he declares expressely in the Gospell and if that which he called here his bloud must needs be as I haue shewed his true reall bloud why should not that which he called his body be his true reall body whether his body here may be termed the new Testament c. seeing we haue nothing in Scripture or fathers concerning it I will not determine it is a curious and needlesse question and we see that the leagues betwixt persons were confirmed by bloud yet seeing it was the custome both in antiquity and in Exodus c. 14. now cited to kill and sacrifice the bodyes of those creatures whose bloud they sprinkled and that as it seemes in confirmation of the couenant betwixt them and that here our Sauiour made a true sacrifice of his sacred body putting it as Diuines tell vs mortuo modo in the maner of a dead body exhibiting it as separate from his bloud and his Apostles receauing it from his hand it might happily be termed his body of the new Testament or the new Testament in his body vnbloudily sacrificed but then will follow that here must be no lesse his true body then were the true bodyes of those creatures sacrificed in Exodus the 24 or then I haue prooued his true bloud to be there by the like argument but I will not be authour of any such new maners of speech and so conclude nothing in this particular as conducing little to the poynt in question Obiection They will not indure any figure or impropriety of speehe in these wordes this is my Body though in affect they themselues wrest them for whether by this word this they vnderstand vnder this or vnder those species or that they will that this word this signifyes nothing present c. Answer I am not obliged to defend euery mans different opinion each hath his particular reasons and wayes to maynteyne his own it is sufficient that I defend what before I haue answeared and demonstrated out of Scripture that our Sauiours meaning by the word this was to signify nothing precisely present by way of a Sacrament when the word this was pronounced but what was to be present when the Apostles tooke and ate it or presently before that is so soone as the wholl proposition this is my Body was pronounced which sense by way of instance may be gathered out of the expression vsed here by the opponent when it is sayd for whether by this worde this and or that they will by the worde this for when the obiection sayes this word not hauing yet set down the word which is meant by it but presently after to witt this certainly the opponent cannot signify any thing present precisesy when these two words this word were written but what was presently to be set down to witt this so that by the opponents own writing is conuinced that the word this may doth ordinarily signify something not present when it is pronounced or written but presently after to be set down or spoken Objection Or whether by this word is they vnderstand shall become or shall be transubstantiated surely these distractions can be no testimonyes of truth Answer Here again the objection puts the word this and that which is signified by it to wit is follows after it To this objection I answer that it is a mere calumnie forged by Caluin and from him
bloud of the Lord which giues enough to vnderstand what kind of bread and cup he meant here for they cannot be properly sayd to be guilty of the body and bloud of Christ who receiue vnworthily an externall signe or remembranee of it though otherwise they may highly offend him as a subiect cannot be rightly said to be guilty of the body and bloud of his King who receiues not his seale or signet with that reuerence which becomes a subiect te shew to his Prince but in the opinion of Catholikes it is litterally and propetly true being a most high affront and iniury done to the very body and bloud of Christ there present and yet this is more clearly insinuated in the 29 verse for he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himselfe not discerning the Lord's body where the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a determinate iudging one thing from another which is cleare in Catholique doctrine but not easy to be vnderstood in the Protestant for how can one be sayd properly to discerne that which he acknowledges not to be present in that thing which he receiues Vnworthily and though happily in some improper and far fetcht sense this might be sayd yet according to the true rule of interpreting holy Scripture we must vnderstand the wordes of it in a proper sense when nothing compells to the contrary as the Opponent acknowledges Obiection And which is more attributing to this bread things which cannot agree to the Body of Christ to wit to be broken Answer I haue before answered to this and shewed that the word broken is familiarly taken for giuen by way of diuision or distribution amongst many which is vsed by other Euangelists so that giuen and hroken here may signisy the same thing But if by broken be vnderstood a breaking in peeces of that which was whol before who can deny that such a breaking agrees with the Body of our Sauiour absolutely speaking was not his sacred flesh all torne and broken with the nayles thornes and scourges as the Prophet foretolde ipse attritus est propter scelera a nostra he was broken for our wickednesses and though naturall bread be properly sayd to be broken yet it cannot be affirmed by any Christian to be broken for vs as the Apostle here sayd it was that is for our saluation as onother Euangelist affirmes of the chalice And therefote Christians must beleeue and confesse quite contrary to the Opponent here that S. Paul is attributing here to this bread that which cannot agtee with naturall bread but only with the true Body of Christ to wit to be broken for vs as that only was mystically in this Sacrament by may of an vnbloudy sacrice and visibly vppon the Crosse. Obiection And Christ himselfe called the cup. after consecration the fruit of the vine both in S. Matthew and S. Marke Answer But in S. Luke he calls the cup as much the fruit of the vine before consecration Therefore if you vrge S. Matthew and S. Mark 's authotity for the one giue vs leaue to vrge S. Luke's authority for the other and know that you haue concluded nothing vnlesse you proue that we are rather to stand to the narration of S. Matthew and S. Marke then of S. Luke which here you haue not done Certaine it is that there can be no contradiction nor opposition amongst the Euangelists therefore seeing S. Luke relates these words I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine c. before the institution of the Sacrament and the two former Euāgelists after and yet none of them expressly affirme that our Sauiour sayd these words after or before the Sactament was instituted though one put them before and the other after we must gather by the context and other circumstances whether indeed they were spoken by our Sauiour before or after the consecration of the chalice That this may be vnderstood Nothing is more otdinary with the Euangelists as all Interpreters note then to set things down by transposition or anticipation somtymes putting things iust in that order they happened somtymes transposing them into a former or latter place This supposed it is more probable that S. Marke sets down those words out of their proper place then S. Luke for we haue a cleare testimony that S. Marke in this very institution of the chalice puts those words by way of anticipation and they drunke all of it out of their ptoper place the chalice hauing not then been consecrated nor any of the Apostles hauing then tasted of it therefore it is more likely of the two that S. Marke vses here a trāsposition then S. Luke who reckons all othet things in their proper places and orders as they happened and if there be a transposition admitted in S. Marke it must be also one in S. Matthew But though it were that our Sauiour sayd these words after consecration and that by this fruit of the vine he meant reall and materiall wine which I will presently discusse yet the argument proues nothing at all against vs. for our Sauiour hauing drunke in his last supper true and reall wine with his disciples before the institution of this holy Sacrament may very easily be vnderstood to haue referred words to that first dtinking in tyme of his last supper and so in relation to that say I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine c. as if some person hauing first drunke wine after some other drinke at a banquet may vsually say I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine till I drinke it in my own house referring those wordes only to that which he dranke first neyther can I see how Protestants according to theyr principle of beleeuing nothing but what is in Scripture can deny this explication for seeing our Sauiour sais expresly here I will drinke noe more of the fruit of the vine c. and that we haue noe place of Scripture which eyther affirmes or insinuates that our Sauiour then drank of the consecrated chalice he must necessarily referre his drinking the fruit of the vine to some other wine which he had drunk before the conscration Vnderstanding the two first Euangelists in this manner we clearly reconcile them with S. Luke for he must probably be vnderstood of that which our Sauiour dranke before the Sacrament was instituted as according to this interpretation the others also must vnderstand it but it will be much harder to reconcile them if those words be referred to the consecrated chalice for that hauing not been yet instituted according to S. Luke's setting down our Sauiour's words they cannot possibly be referred to them for our Sauiour according to the Protestant opinion would presently haue drunke wine in the Sacrament and so must haue falsifyed his own words as soone as he had spoken them promising then not to drinke any wine till his father's kingdome were come and yet presently after drinking it
which is an euident argument if we stand to S. Lukes relation according this explication that it was not materiall reall wine which he drunke in the consecrated chalice And hence followes another conuincing argument against Protestants in this particular for seeing our Sauiour sayd I will drinke no wore c. and that they referre these words against vs to the consecrated chalice and consequently must affirme that our Sauiour dranke of it for he could not say he would drinke no more of that whereof he had neuer drunk I demande of them whether our Sauiour dranke this as a Sacrament This they cannot deny hence it will follow that he tooke it as a memoriall or commemoration of himselfe in their opinion and thence it will necessarily follow that Christ had forgot himselue hauing need of a remembrance of himselfe Secondly that a man present to himselfe can without an absurdity take a momoriall of himselfe Thirdly this memoriall was to he taken by the mouth of fayth as they say and so our Sauiour should be depriued of his most diuine all-cleare and beatificall vision and knowledge of himselfe all things wherby S. Paul affirmes that faith is euacuated and led by the darke light of faith which no Christian can say without blasphemy Fourtly he commanded not himselfe but his Apostles to doe what he did in remembrance of him and so there is no ground in Scripture to say that out Sauiours receiued this Sacrament a a remembrance of himselfe and yet he must haue done so if that first Sacrament had been essentially only a signe and remembrance of our Sauiour as our aduersaries teach If therefore our Sauiour be supposed to haue drunke of the consecrated chalice and that he could not possibly drinke a remembrance or signe of himselfe or his Bloud he must needs haue drunke his own reall Bloud for according to the Opponent if it be not a rememhrance of his Bloud it must be vnderstood to be his reall Bloud but if he drunk that which was his own blood it was not wine therefore when he sayes I will drinke noe more of the fruit of the vine c. it cannot be referred to what he drunke after consecration but to what he drunke before as S. Luke relates it Hitherto I haue argued admitting not granting that when our Sauiour sayd I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine c. he meant reall and naturall wine now I wil shew that though those words were referred by the Euangelist to the consecrated chalice and vnderstood of a reall and materiall fruit of the vine yet it is not necessary to vnderstand wine by them for there be many fruits of the vine which may be drunk beside wine the iuice pressed out of grapes not yet ripe is properly the fruit of the vine which may be drunke and yet is no wine nay should one presse the young branches and draw liquour from them it would be that which is here called in Greek a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 genimen vitis the generation or the thing produced naturally by the vine and yet it would be no wine and euen wine corrupted and quite changed is the generation and effect of the vine and yet it is no wine so also in our present case the accidents or species of wine are genimen vitis the true effects or productions of the vine yet are not the substāce of wine Seeing therefore here euen after consecration according to the Romane Catholike tenet those species remayne our Sauiour might truly be sayd to haue drunke ex genimine or generatione vitis of the fruit or propagation of the vine though there had beene no substance of wine there but in place therof the Blood of Sauiour vnder those species so that the very literall sense of the words retayned and referred to the consecrated chalice conclude no more then this that our Sauiour spake of the species of wine which is properly the propagation or generation of the vine But the words beare and admitt as well another explication plainly suting with the Romane tenet as of the fruit or issue of a reall vine For our Sauiour stiles himselfe as the Opponent presently obserues the vine Why then might he not call his Blood here the fruit of the vine and so referring it to the consecrated chalice confirme that it was the chalice of his Blood proceeding and issuing from his Body as the wine or species of wine proceeds from the vine All these explications shew how little this place proues against vs or rather how much it aduantages our cause But if the text be considered entirely as it stands in the Euangelists it will neither hurt vs nor helpe them nor so much as tuch the matter in question for our Sauiout saith thus But I say vnto you I will drinke no more of the fruit of this vine till that day that I drinke it new with you in the kingdome of my Father Verily I say vnto you that I will not drinke of the fruit of the vine vntill that day that I drinke it new in the kingdome of God where he expressly affirmes that he speakes of such a fruit of the vine as he is to drinke with them in heauen which whether it be materiall wine or no I leaue to the Protestants to consider Obiection But it might be objected why might they not call it bread and the fruit of the vine in respect they had beene so before consecration as the serpent is called a rod and God sayd vnto Adam thou art dust because he was made of dust But if things be named by the names of what they were before it doth not follow that we should so take it of the body of Christ. for it is not only false but impious to thinke that the body of Christ is called bread for that it had been bread before the consecration the serpent indeed had been a rod but the body of Christ had neuer been bread So Adam was called dust because he had been dust but Christ is not made of bread The holy Scripture saith well that Moyses rod became a serpent but the Scripture doth not say that bread was conuerted into flesh Answer I answer first that we doe not say that the body of Chtist was bread before consecration at least I remember not euer to haue read any such proposition in Catholike authours because his sacred body still existent visibly and gloriously in heauen cannot be said absolutely to haue been bread it hauing been made of the sacred virgins most pure blood for that in its full sense would signifie if any such proposition were in vse that the thing which is affirmed to be made of an other is not existent in an other place whilst that whereof it is made is changed into it as neither Adam nor the serpent made of the rod of Moyses were for then only they began to be when the rod of Moyses and dust were changed into
explicitenesse of words for we haue noe where expressed in Scripture that the bread our Sauiour did eate was conuerted into his flesh as we haue that the rod of Moyses was conuerted into a serpent and notwhithstanding euen Protestants must beleeue it so though we haue it not in expresse termes that bread is changed into the flesh of our Sauiour in this Sacrament as we haue that Moyses rod was conuerted into a serpent yet we must heleeue it because the truth of Scripture cannot stand vnlesse this be granted for seeing our Sauiour sayd This is my Body and it is wholy impossible and implying contradiction that a piece of bread remaining in its own nature should be the true and reall body of our Sauiour as we haue shewed that those words must import it followes necessarily that the nature and substance of bread cannot be vnder those visible species and therefore bread must cease to be out of the force of Christs body which must succeed in place of bread vnder the same species which is nothing else then to haue bread changed into the hody of our Sauiour Objection Why should they only take these words This is my Body in a litterall sense and noe other doth he not as well say I am a dore I am a vine doubtlesse he was able to transforme himselfe into a dore or a vine but did he therefore doe so he said to his disciples yee are branches yee are sheep did they therefore become so in respect either of his power or words Answer I Answer that there is a maine difference betweene these propositions and the other where of wee treate This is my Body both in the subiect and in the predicate that is in the first and last word of them for the first word or subiect in the former is I yee which signifie determinately and expressely our Sauiour and the Apostles to whom he spake But in the latter the first word or subiect is This which neither expressely nor implicitly signifies bread but this which I am about to giue you as I haue already said the last words also doore vine vinebranches sheép in the former propositions are indetermined and fit to take a spirituall mysticall and metaphoricall sence for he doth not say I am a doore made of wood and boardes which is vsed to shut and open in visible houses nor I am a vine which visibily springes from the earth and beares such grappes as men vse to make wine of neither said he that his Apostles were such sheepe as feed in the fields as beare wool to make cloath of as are boyled and rosted to be eaten at the table nor such vine branches as are cut of from the vine and either rot or are burned or beare grappes in the vine visibly c. For it had been an impossibility and a plane contradiction to affirme that liuing men remaning in there own nature as they did should be such things as those truly and really and therefore those last words dore vine sheepe vine branches being not determined in Scripture to these materiall and visible things which we commonly vnderstand by these words giue full scope to interpret them of things in a spirituall and mysticall sense in which only these propositions are true but in these words This is my Body the last word body is not left indeterminate and applyable to a metaphoricall sense as it is in holy Scripture and the discours of our Sauiour expresly determined it to signifie his true naturall materiall substātiall body which was there present before the Apostles for if our Sauiour had only said these words This is my Body and added noe further explication some scope might seeme to haue been giuen to haue interpreted it either of his reall or mysticall body which is his church whereof S. Paul speakes but he takes away this liberty when he addes presently This is my Body which is giuen for you This is my blood which shall be shed for you which cannot b◠vnderstood of his mysticall body but only of his true reall body blood which only were giuen shed for our redemption so that the subiect or first word of the former proposition I yee being wholly determinate to those particular persons of Christ and the Apostles and the predicate or last words dore vine sheepe vinebranches being wholy indeterminate in themselues neither expresly naming corporall nor spirituall seeing it is contrary to all reason and wholly impossible that thereby those things in a corporall sense should be affirmed of our Sauiour and his Apostles as I haue faid those propositions must make this sence which is true and orthodoxe I am a spirituall dore or vine yee are spirituall vine branches or sheepe c. but on the contrary the indetermination or indifferency of the first word or subiect of this proposition This is my Body being considered in it selfe making it noe way limited to bread and the last word or predicate Body which is giuen you being expressly determined to the reall and substantiall body of Christ it must make this sense This which I am about to giue you is my reall and substantiall body which is a true and Catholike proposition and not this This bread is my true and reall Body which implies as much contradiction and impossibibility as this other that Christ is a dore of wood c. For it is as impossible that a peece of bread actually existing should be the reall body of Christ as that Christ should be a wooden dore nay if we consider it in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latin hoc disagreeing with bread in gendre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 panis which are both masculine it cannot be referred to bread Now to shew out of Scripture it selfe that our Sauiour calls himselfe the dore in a spirituall mysticall and metaphoricall sense only is cleare out of S. Iohn c. 12. v. 9. I am the dore if any man enter by me he shall be saued c. which is not true of a naturall dore of wood for all such as enter in by such a dore are not saued but such only as enter by the spirituall dore of there soules which is our Sauiour so also when he calls his Apostles sheepe he shewes clearely that the speakes of metaphoricall or spirituall sheepe for he affirmes that they heare his voyce or know him and hence appeares also by the way another mistake contrary to theyr own English Bible which Protestants ordinarily vrge against vs mistaking the words of the Gospel they tell vs that our Sauiour said he was a dore a vine a way which he neuer sayes according to their English Bible but thus I am the dore the vine the way c. which determines the words to a spirituall and metaphoricall sense as when he sayes I am the bread of life I am the good fheapherd c. and when he calles his disciples sheepe he vseth alwayes this restraining and limiting particle my sheepe which
was conceiued and borne in the ordinary maner of other childrē that he was a mere man c. and was holy ignorant both of his mothers virginity and that his humaine soul and body were vnited to the diuine person Thus the Capernaites hauing no more knowledge of his diuinity then Herod had thought that his flesh was to be eaten after the same ordinary maner that other meates vse to be eaten merely to feed the body and went noe sarther But all true Catholiques beleeue that his sacred flesh is liuing and vnited to the diuine persone and eaten by vs though truly and really as he was truly and really borne yet after a most pure heauenly and in effable manner as he was brought into this world wherby his blessed flesh cōsidered absolutely in it selfe is neyther rent nor torne nor deuided nor consumed but remaines as whole perfect and intire after he is eaten by vs as it was before as the Apostle S. Andrew sais In this maner though our Sauiour spoake of his reall flesh yet were his words Spirit and Life noe lesse then these words of S. Iohn the word was made flesh and a thousand such like are though they speake of the true flesh of our Sauiour because his very flesh it selfe by reason of its vnion to the diuine person and glorious proprieties wholy deifyed and spiritualizd in such sort that receiuing it we receiue a Spirituall body though true and reall Here the earnest Reformer will tell mee that I speake contradictions for it is as vnpossible that a body should be spirituall as a Spirit corporall I answer If I speake cōtradictions I haue learned them out of the Protestant Bible and common prayer booke where S. Paul sayes of a body after the resurrection it is sown a naturall body it rises a Spirituall body And yet this wonder full body of Christ exists in the Sacrament much more like a spirit then doth any other glorious body according to ordinary prouidence viz whole in the whole host and whole in euery part of it as the soul exists in the body an Angel in the place he possesses and God in the world And as this admirable body hath the proprieties of a Spirit so hath it the properties of life being liuing bread and giuing life eternall to those who worthily receiue it as our Sauiour pronounces of it and according to S. Iohn what was made in him was life diuinity and humanity and soul and body and flesh and blood in him are all life foe great reason had our Sauiour to say speaking of them the words which I haue spoaken to you are spirit and life These are the cheefe arguments against the reall presence which Protestants vse to draw from Scripture others there are fittet for heathens then Christians which they draw from naturall reason where to though I be not oblidged to answer in this treatis yet because I am exceedingly desirous to giue all the satisfaction I am able to euery one I will breefly set the cheefe of them down and as breefly answer them but because I suppose for the present that I dispute against such as make profession to be Christians I esteeme my selfe to haue giuen a sufficient satisfaction to theyr difficulties if I giue them cleare instances in some article of Christian faith which they beleeue wherein they must solue the like difficulty to that which they vrge from naturall reason against this mystery Objection How can accidents exist without a suhstance as here they must doe Answer How can a humanc nature subsist without its propet personality as in the Incarnation of Christ it must doe vnlesse Protestants with Nestorius will grant that in Christ be two Persons Objection How can one and the same body be in many places at the same time as they must be if the reall presence be true Answer How can one and the same soul Angel and God be in many places at the same tyme which they must be if theyr spirituality and Gods vbiquity be true Objection How can the parts of our Sauiours body so penetrate one an other that the whole body may be conteyned in the least part of the host or drop of the chalice Answer How can the body of our Sauiour penetrate the dore and passe through his mothers wombe when they both remayned shut Objection How should the body of our Sauiour in the consecrated host be distinguished from others when it is put amongst them Answer How should a drop of our Sauiours blood he distinguished from the blood of other men if in tyme of his passion it had been mixed with them Objection If our Sauiours flesh and blood be really present in the Sacrament then cats and Rats may eate them Answer If our Sauiors flesh and blood were truly in the passion particles of his sacred flesh being rent of and drops of his blood shed here and there then dogs and cats might haue as well eaten them Objection How is it possible that the whol bulke of a mans body should be so light that a fly should be able to crary it Answer How should the whole bulke of a mans body be so light that it should mount vp like a flame of fyer into heauen as our Sauiours did in his ascension Objection If there be so many miracles as you must hold wrought by our Sauiour in the reall presence why were none of them seene as the other mitacles of Christ were Answer If there were so many miracles wrought in the Incarnation of our Sauiour as you must hold why were none of them seene as the other miracles of Christ were Objection How can we possibly conceiue a body with out any extention of parts or locall forme and figure Answer How can wee possibly conceiue a humaine nature subsisting without a humaine personality Objection What difference will there be betwixt a body without all extention and locall figure and a spirit Answer What difference will there be betwixt the soul of a new borne infant and that of a brute beast which cannot actually vnderstand the one hath a power to vnderstand will you say and not the other the one hath a power to be extended and haue a locall figure say I and not the other Objection If our Sauiours body be truly in the Sacrament then all wicked persons and greeuous sinners who frequent it receiue his true body into theyr mouthes and brests Answer If our Sauiours body was truly in the wildernesse then the Diuel receiued it into his armes and carryed it to the pinnacle of the temple and if it were a true body in tyme of his Passion then Iudas the traitour kissed it the hard harted Iewes and Barbarous souldiers tutcht it abused it scorgd it crucified it and troad his most pretious blood vnder their feete is not this as much disgracefull to his body and blood as now to be receiued into sinners mouthes Objection If there be nothing visible or sensible but species accidents
contrary â—eeing therefore I haue clearly demonstrated that in the instaÌ„ces alleadged none of the figuratiue speeches can be vnderstood in a proper sense without the violation of some article of our faith proceeding according to true discours euen confessed by our aduersarios I conuince also that they haue no force to proue that these sacramentall words are to be vnderstood figuratiuely THE SEAVENTH CONTROVERSIE Concerning Communion vnder one kinde The Doctrine of the Church of Rome deliuered in the Council of Trent Sess. 13. cap. 3. SEmper haec fides in Ecclesiâ Dei fuit Statim post consecrationem verum Domini nostri corpus verumque eius sanguinem sub panis vini specie vna cum ipsius animâ diuinitate existere sed corpus quidem sub specie panis sanguinem sub vini specie ex vi verborum ipsum corpus sub specie vini sanguinem sub specie panis animamque sub vtraque vi naturalis illius connexionis concomitantiae quâ partes Christi Domini qui iam ex mortuis resurrexit non ampliùs moriturus inter se copulantur Diuinitatem porrò propter admirabilem illam eius cum corpore animâ hypostaticam vnionem Quapropter verissimum est tantumdem sub altetutrâ specie atque sub vtrâque contineri totus enim integer Christus sub panis specie sub quauis ipsius speciei parte totus item sub vini specie sub eius partibus existit This faith hath been alwayes in the church of God that presently after consecration the true body and blood of Christ did exist vnder the species of bread and wine togeather with his soul and diuinity But his body vnder the species of bread and his blood vnder the species of wine by force of the words but his body vnder the species of wine and his blood vndet the species of bread and his soul vndeâ— both by force of that naturall connexion and concomitancy whereby the parts of Christ our Lord who is now risen from the dead not to dy any more are ioyned togeather moreouer also his diuinity both with his body and soul by reason of that admirable hypostaticall vnion with them wherefore it is most true that as much is conteyned vnder eyther kinde as vnder both togeather for whol and intire Christ exists vnder the species or kinde of bread and each part of it and whol Christ exists vnder the species of wine and vnder each part of it The same doctrine is confirmed sess 13. can 3. Item sess 21. cap. 3. Insuper declarat quamuis Redemptor noâ—ter vt anteà dictum est in supremâ illâ coenaÌ„â—oc Sacramentum in duabus speciebus instiâ—uerit Apostolis tradiderit tamen fatendum esse etiam sub alterâ tantùm specie totum atque integrum Christum verumque Sacramentum suâ—â—i ac propâ—ereà quod ad fructum attinet nulâ—a gratia necessariâ ad salutem eos defraudari qui vnam speciem solam accipiunt Moreouer the Council declares that allthough our Redeemer as is aboue said instituted this Sacrament in his last supper vnder both kindes yet it is to be confessed that vnder one only kinde whol Christ and a true Sacrament is receiued and therefore for soe much as belongs to the ftuict that those who receiue it only vnder one kinde are not defrauded of any grace necessary to saluation Ibidem cap. 2. Praetereà declarat hanc potestatem pepetuò in Ecclesiâ fuisse vt in Sacramentorum dispensatione saluâ illorum substantiâ ea statueret vel mutaret quae susâ—ipientium vtilitati seu ipsorum Sacramentorum venerationi pro rerum temporum ac locorum varietate magis expedire iudicaret Id autem Apostolus non obscurè visus est inuisse cùm ait Sic nos existimet homo vt ministrâ—s Christi dispensatores mysteriorum Dei atque quidem hac potestate vsum esse satis constat cùm in multis aliis tum in hoc ipso Sacramento cum ordinatis non nullis circa eius vsum caetera inquit cùm venero disponam Quare agnoscens sancta mater Ecclesia hanc suam in administratione Sacramentorum authoritatem licèt ab initio Christianae Religionis non infrequens vtriusque speciei vsus fuisset tamen progressu temporis latissimèiam mutatâ illâ consuetudine grauibus iustis de causis adducta hanc consuetudinem sub alterâ specie communicandi approbauit pro lege habendam decreuit quam reprobare aut sine ipsius Ecclesiae authoritate pro libito mutare non licèt Further the CouÌ„cil declares that this power hath allwayes been in the church that in the dispensation of the Sacraments the substance being kept inuiolated and intire she might appoint and change such things as she iudged to be expedient for the profit of the receiuers or the veneration of the Sacraments according to the variety of things times and places And this the Apostle seemes not obscurely to haue insinuated when he sayes Let a man soe esteeme vs as Ministers of Christ and dispsnsers of the mysteries os God and that he made vse of this power is clere enough both in many other things and particularly in this Sacrament when ordayning some things concerning the vse of this Sacrament he said I will dispose the rest when I come wherefore our holy mother the church taking notice of this her power in the administration of Sacraments though in the beginning of the church the vse os both kindes was frequent yet in processe of time that custome being now notably changed being induced by iust and important reasons she hath approuued this custome of communicating vnder one kinde and hath decreed that it be held for a law which it is not lawfull to change or reproue at ones pleasure without the authority of the church The like doctrine is deliuered in the first chap. of this session From these texts it is manifest that the Council was induced to command this practice first because whol Christ is vnder both kindes 2. because in each kinde is the whole essence and substance of this Sacrament 3. because noe sacramentall grace necessary to saluation is lost by communicating vnder one kinde 4. because many important reasons toutching the honour and respect dew to soe diuine a SacrameÌ„t mouued her to it 5. because there is noe diuine command to the contrary as appearrs sess 21. cap. 1. 6 because the church hath power to dispence the Sacraments as she finds most eoÌ„uenient soe long as Gods commands and theyr substance are not violated 7. That it is not in any ones power saue only of the church to change this costome The Protestant Position Deliuered in the 39. Articles of the English Church Art 30. THc cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay people For both the parts of the Lords Sacrament by Christs ordenance ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike This is proued by Scripture mistaken
as will presently appeare Hauing therefore as I hope cleared this point of the reall presence in the iust balance of an open and impartiall eye it will not be very difficult to euen an other as a sequell from this concerning communion vnder one kind which though it be not thought vppon in these objections yet this fit occasion the great difficulties which our aduersaries raise against it the earnest desire which many not otherwise ill disposed haue to be satisfied in it and the request of others who haue seene some part of this treatis haue put me vppon necessitie to say something but very succinctly of this matter holding my selfe close to Scripture according to my former methode This point therefore supposes the reall presence and is rather to be treated against Lutherans or such other Protestants as are conuinced of that mysterie then against Caluinists or Suinglians who disbeleeue it for were not our Sauiours body and blood really present there as the practise of receauing one only kind had neuer been allowed so could it not haue been defended This therefore supposed I will indeauour to defend communion vnder one kind and answer whatsoeuer is pressed by our aduersaries against it out of Scripture mistaken Objection First they vrge the institution of this Sacrament as hauing been vnder the formes both of bread and wine which institution is to be followed by all Christians and so both to be receaued Answer The bare institution of a Sacrament drawes with it noe necessitie of frequenting it as appeares in Priesthood and mariage instituted by our Sauiour which not withstanding impose noe necessitie or command to receaue them so that standing precisely in the institution noe man wil be obliged to receaue either both or either of rhem Objection Secondly though the bare institution of a Sacrament impose noe command to receaue it yet it imports a precept that when it is receaued or administted it be done in that manner it was instituted as it appeares in baptisme Priesthood and other Sacraments Seeing therefore our Sauiour instituted this Sacrament both in the consecration and communion in both kinds at least whensoeuer it is receaued it must be receaued vnder both Answer This objection inuolues many difficulties and is first to he vndeestood that Sacraments are to be receaued and administred as they were first instituted in such matters as belong to the substance and essence of the Sacrament not in other accidentary circumstances of time place personnes precedences consequences c. as was the institution of this Sacrament after supper sitting vppon the ground giuen to priests only in a priuate secular house c. Secondly there is something particular in this Sacrament which is in noe other euen concerning the substance of it for the very same entire substance being here put vnder each kind makes that woesoeuer receaues either of them receaues the whole substance of this Sacrament and consequently receaues a true Sacrament instituted by our Sauiour and so that which is able to sanctifie him who worthily receaues either of them Thirdly concerning the substance of this Sacrament all that can be gathered from the bare words of the institution is that it is to be consecrated and receiued by Priests such as were the Apostles who were Priests then made when it was first instituted vnder both kinds but here is noe president giuen about the lay people because none then receaued it That the whole substance of our Sauiour is here receaued I suppose for the present neither is it much questioned by such as grant the reall presence nor can be possibly doubted of by any who beleeues that our Saoiour dies not more and soe both flesh and blood and life and soule and diuinitie are all vnited togeather weresoeuer he is hence therefore followes that lay people receiue as much of our Sauiour seeing they receaue him wholy and interily as Priests doe That he who receaues our Sauiour thus vnder one only kind receaues a true Sacrament is as cleare as the former for who can without absurditie denye that vnder one kind is exhibited an outward visible signe of an inward spirituall grace which is the compleat definition of a Sacrament according to our aduersaries for here the formes of bread only containing vnder them our Sauiour by way of meat signifie that he confers a spirituall grace nourishing and feeding our soules to eternall life and thus much is signified by the English ministers when they distribute the bread to the people saying the Body of our Lord Iesus Christ preserue thy body and soul to eternall life c. and containing his body represented as separated from his blood and so as dead by force of the words of consecration are an outward visible commemoratiue signe of his sacred death and passion and seeing that both bread is composed of many graines and wine of many grapes vnited togeather the mystical vnity of Christians receauing this Sacrament is sufficiently signified hy the species of either of them if then here he an outward visible signe of an inward spirituall grace both exhibitiue commemoratiue and significatiue here must needs be a true Sacrament euen according to the pttnciples of our aduersaries and what I haue said of the forme of bread is by the same reason verified of the forme of wine but not only in their principlcs but in all good Theologie there must be a true Sacrament vnder each kind for certainly seeing that a different grace is conferred by each of them the one of spirituall meate the other of spirituall drinke which how it is to be vnderstood I will hereafter examine each will be sufficient to sanctifie and helpe the soul to eternall life If it should be replyed that in neither of these kinds alone is exhihited a compleate signe either of our spirituall refection or the death of our Sauiour but only a partiall or imparfect signe of them which notwithstanding are compleatly significd vnder both togeather I answer that if by a compleat signe be vnderstood a most full and expresse representation of these two particulars I grant that there is not vnder one only kind so full and expresse a representation and in this sense not so compleat a signe of them as vnder both togeather but then it must be prouued this most full and expresse representation vnder both being exhibited to lay Christians by the consecration and communion of the Priest in the dread full sacrifice of the masse that the substance of this sacrifice requirs that they should be allways so fully and expressely represented in each particular communion of the people but if by a compleat signe be vnderstood a signe sufficient to signifie both our spirituall food and vnion and the death of our Sauiour I denie that there is not a compleat signe of both exhibited vnder each kind This distinction may be much illustrated by an instance from baptisme certainly the mystery of the trinity was more expressely fully and compleatly signified by that
ancient coustome of a threefold dipping the child in the water and the words of baptisme then by the same words and putting water once vppon the child and yet this latter is iudged sufficient euen by Protestants for who can doubt that the formes of bread sufficiently giue vs to vnderstand that our Sauiours is the food of our soules noe lesse then the bread of proposition in the old and the bread multiplied by our Sauiour in the new Testament and his calling himselfe the bread of life in the sixt of S. Iohn prefigured and signified sufficiently that our Sauiour was to be the bread of our soules and who seeing a bodyly before him void of soul and blood as our Sauiour is here represented by force of the words gathers not presently that it is dead though he see not the blood which issued from it and the same is of the blood of our Sauiour vnder the forme of wine for this alone is noe lesse sufficient to represent the death of our Sauiour then was tbe blood alone of the paschall lambe sprinkled vppon the posts of the Israëlites by the Iewish priests to prefigurate the shedding of his precious blood and sacred passion nor is the blood of our Sauiour vnder the forme of wine lesse sufficient to represent the spirituall exhiberation and conforting of our soules thē was the wine in Cana of Galilee and that sentence spoken of by the Prophete wine producing virgins able to fore figurate the same blood so comforting as also the species of bread or wine alone to signifie the vnity and amitie which is to be amongst Christians both in regard of Christ and themselues as I haue shewed Hence therefore appeares that seeing in each kinde apart both the death of our Sauiour and our spirituall meate and drinke and vnion respectiuely are sufficiently signifieds each must necessarily containe a true Sacrament and not only the part of a true Sacrament and seeing in each a true Sacrament is receaued each alone must conferre that grace which is signified by it and so sanctifie the soul of such as receaue it and consequently may be receaued fruitfully and sauingly alone for so much as belongs to the bare institution for if our Sauiour instituted each species apart to conferre sauing grace then who receaues either deuoutly receaues that grace for which our Sauiour instituted it and so we are put in the state of saluation by reeeauing one vnlesse thete be some other command produced which obligeth all to receaue both which shall here after be examined Objection Some may happily obiect that this answer subsists not for according to this doctrine the Priest also receaues a true Sacrament and the spirituall graces and fruits of it when he receaues the host only and yet euen after he hath receaued the host he is obliged to receaue the chalice according to Roman Catholiques therefore though it should be granted that lay people by receauing vnder the species of bread only receaue a true Sacrament with the sauing grace signified and conferred by it yet they may be obliged to receaue the other kind as Priests are Answer There is first a great difference betwixt the Apostles and lay Christians for they were directly and expressely obliged by our Sauiour in time of the institution to receaue the chalice euen after they had receaued the true Sacrament and the grace of it vnder the species of bread whence may probably be gathered that all Priests consecrating haue the same obligation of receauing both but noe such command was directly and expessely giuen to lay people none hauing been there Secondly Priests consecrating and sacrificing are obliged to receaue of each part of theyr sacrifice and so though precisely standing in the essence of a Sacrament there be no diuine obligation yet in regard of consummating and participating of theyr own sacrifice they are bound to receaue both as the Apostles did wich hath noe place in lay people The answer only concluds that standing precisely in the institution seeing lay people receaue vnder one kind a true Sacrament with sauing grace it cannot be thence conuinced that they are bound to receaue more so that if there be any obligation of receauing both it must rise from some other head and not from the bare institution whereof we treate in answer to this objection now taken from it alone Obiection It may be yet further obiected that our Sauiour here instituted a full and compleat refection not only by way of meate or by way of drinke only but of both togeather and therefore such as receaue one only kind receaue but one part of this heauenly banquet and want the other which seemeth quite contrary to the institution and intention of our Sauiour Answer Our Sauiour instituted this celestiall banquet in so ineffable a manner that the very same substantiall thing was to be both our meat and drinke to wit himselfe and that so abundantly that either both to geather or each a part are so suffizing a repast that they communicate strengh and life to all such as worthily receaue them and though both being receaued make but one compleat refection by reason they are both taken at once by way of meate and drinke as it happens in other ordinary refections yet each of them receaued apart or at different times is also a full and compleat refection of the soul by reason that each communicates sauing grace sufficient to saluation and this euidently appeares in common feasts and banquets for when many dishes are eaten and different sortes of wine drunke at the same time or meeting they are esteemed but one meal or banquet and yet if at different times one should feed now vppon one then vppon an other of these dishes apart or dranke but one sorte of wine one day and an other of them an other then such eating and drinking by reason of the diuersitie of times would be counted diuers sufficient refections and if it were possible to find in other meates and drinke what is found in this Sacrament that as well the one the other alone could preserue and conferre life and that one could liue with drinking without eating or eating without drinking then either of these a part would become a full refection all therefore that can be gathered from this objection is only that our Sauiour in the first institution gaue a most plentifull and abundant banquet whereof each part in it selfe was sufficient to conferre life and satieté to his Apostles which in succeeding ages being receaued either ioyntly or apart was to be a sufficient refection for Christians But from the institution vnder both kindes followed not which is cheesty pressed in this objection that our Sauiours intention was that these two kindes should be such parts of this heauenly feast that both of them are essentially required to it for then he would not haue giuen each of them force to conferre grace sufficient for saluation but would haue had that grace necessarily dependant
of Christians to the whol and each particular to some part of this command For seeing there is noe more reason why one Christian should be more exempted from it then an other the concurring to it falls equally vppon all for though Priests when they consecrate and sacrifice haue each in particular an obligation to communicate yet according to a probable opinion they haue noe obligation in particular proceeding from any diuine precept to consectate or sacrifize but all their absolute obligation to communicate is taken from this and other like commands which we haue treated so that though noe particular Priest were bound by diuine precept to say masse yet they are bound to communicate by reason of these precepts which could not be vnlesse euery Christian were obliged in perticular to concurre to the performance of this generall command with an equall obligation Objection If it should be said that the church may sufficiently complie with the generall command by prouiding that it be still kept in execution by some particular persons as she complies with many others Answer In answer first that if should one staÌ„d meerely to the bare letter of Scripture in these precepts this might be said but if we take the sence of it according to the common straine of doctours euery particular will be obliged by them especially seeing that S. Paul extends this matter of communion to each particular Secondly as it was not in the power of the Apostels to exempt any of the twelf from concurring to the conuersion of all nation commanded by our Sauiour and to haue iâ— accomplished by the rest which they should haue appointed because each of them in particular was bound to labour in it by diuine precept where in the church cannot dispence so seeing we haue the same authority of doctours and tradition for the obliging each particular by this command vnlesse you eate aâ— each Apostle by that goe and teach all nations c. it may be denied that the church hath power to exempt any one from this precept by hauing it performed by other Christians appointed by her authority Thirdly had this Sacrament been left free as Priesthood and mariage were without any diuine precept that euery Christian csometimes in their liues receiue it the church neither would nor could haue obliged each Christian in particular to receaue it once a yeare as shee obliges none to receaue Priesthood or mariage because they were left free by our Sauiour Objection If it should be here objected that in the command of teaching c. each Apostle in particular could not conuert all and if each had been bound to teach and baptize all the command could not haue any conuenient sense but each Christian is able easily both to eate and drinke this Sacrament and so there is no parity in the command of teching with that of communicating Answer I answer first that this command is not instanced as like in all things but to this end that seeing this precept of teaching c. must he vnderstood of all in general and each in particular and that there be such commands in Scripture that though this of eating and drinking this Sacrament might haue been so vnderstood that each Ccristian is bound both to eate and drinke as being a rhing very feasable yet this Sacramentall precept may be vnderstood as the other must be and if it be possible to vnderstand it so our aduersaries will neuer be able to conuince thence the necessity for euery particular to receaue both kindes and yet there will be a necessity by vertu of these words to receaue one I Answer secondly that there is as great a necessity to vnderstand this precept in the foresaid manner drawn from the truth of Scripâ—ure as there is for vnderstanding the command of teaching drawn for the force of nature That which followes the text in the ensuing verses makes this matter quite out of question for though our Sauiour here declared the necessity in the plurall number Nisi manducauerith c. vnlesse you eate c. of eating his stesh and drinking his blood as belonging to the generallity of Christians the words in vobis in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you shall not haue life in you signifie according to the Greeke phrase very familiarly in Scripture amongst you which is referred to the whol congregation of Christians and not to each patricular Yet when he expressed himselfe in the singular number Qui manducat hunc panem qui manducat mâ— c. he who eateth this bread he who eateth me c. and addessed his speach to particular persons he attributes eternall life to the sole eating of him and that heauenly bread as appeares in the said text he who eateth me shall liue by me he who eateth this bread shall liue for euer c. and hence it is clearly deduced not only that these words vnlesse ye â—ate c. doe not euidently include ea necessity for euery particular person to rereceaue both kindes but that they cannot possibibily include any such necessity without a contradiction betwixt this text and the text following now cited for if he who eates the flesh of our Sauiour hath eternall life as those textes affirme then it can not be true that vnlesse each particular both eate and drinke he shall not haue life eternall and hence also appeares a necessity of vnderstanding these words that though all in generall be bound to receaue both amongst them yet none in particular is bound to receaue both but each is partially to concurre to accomplish this command as each Apostle was that of teaching and baptizing all nations Obiection Some happily may answer with Caluin that though eating be only named in the text now cited yet drinking also is there included and to be vnderstood as being connected with it in the former text vnlesse you eate c. Answer That more is vnderstood then is expressed in any place of Scripture is not vppon light coniectures to be supposed but to be prouued by solide and conuincing arguments otherwise each light headed nouelist might at his pleasure frame to himselfe certain apparent congruities to extend the words of Scripture and to make them import more then they signifie in themselues and so multiplie Synecdoches wheresoeuer it comes to his purpose Seeing therefore I haue shewed that there is noe necessity to strech these textes beyond the common and vsuall stgnification of the words by giuing at least a probable satisfaction to whatsoeuer they alleadge to proue the contrary let our aduerfaries make good that there it a necessity of the drawing these words beyond their naturall signification or that more words are supposed then are expressed in the text and we will yeeld to this explication But this discours of our Sauiour is so farre from giuing the least ground to any such like improprieties the common refuge of our Aduersaries when they eannot auoyd the sorce of the expresse words and proper sense of
Scripture that it rather confirmes the proper and natiue signification of these words he who eateth this bread shall liue for euer when he saith as I liue by my father so he who eateth me shall liue by me whence is at the least more probabily then Protestants can proue the contrary inferred that as our Sauiour liues totally and compleately by his father without the addition of any thing else so Christians liue by worthily eating this heauenly bread without the addition of drinking or any other action necessary to giue life as a part of this Sacrament But that I may make the exposition which I haue giuen of these words yet more plaine and forcible I will propose an instance of a command of this kind giuen to the Israelites euen in matter of a Sacrament where they are in generall commanded by families to celebrate the passeouer by taking killing and shedding the blood and sprinkling it vppon the posts of their dores rosting and eating the paschall lambe c. not that euery one in particular was obliged to performe all these actions but some to one and others to others with decency and proportion though absolutly speaking euery one in particular must haue concurred with the rest to the performance of them all and yet the whol familly by concurring partially were obliged to the performance of all and happily this mystery beeing a figure of the Eucharist the only command of eating without any mention of drinking may giue some aduantage to the coustome of eating alone amongst Roman Catholiques but this only by the way as a congruence And yet to come nerer to our present Question when our Sauiour in the command giuen in the institution doe this c. commanded that what he had done as substantially belonging to this Sacrament should be done in his church that is that this mystery should be celebrated the host and chalice consecrated the body and blood of our Sauiour vndloodily be sacrifized and receaued yet noe Christian dare affirme that all these actions here commanded were to be performed by euery Christian in particular for then all Christian men weomen and children were to performe the office of Priests but that euery one was to concurre to the performance of this precept by doing what belongs to his degree and calling and seeing all these actions now mentioned were not to be performed by each Christian how can it be euer prouued that each was both to eate drinke seeing that by performance of either of these actions separately each might partially concurre to the accomplishment of that precept as they may also to this nisi manducaueritis vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sone of man and drinke his blood you shall not haue life in you that is vnlesse you concurre each in particular to the performaÌ„ce of this command either by eating alone or drinking alone or performing both togeather each respectiuely to his calling office and order prescribed by the church you shall not haue life amongst you that is these actions are necessary that life may be found in the Church of Christ or amongst Christians for this is à command which must be fulfilled amongst them and all are bound in particular to concurre one way or other to the fulfilling of it seeing there is noe reason that one should be more obliged then an other and so if any one were not obliged none in particular would be bound to fulfill it and then euery one in particular might lawfully abstaine and consequently there would be noe performance of this command amongst Christians which would make the command to be void and of noe effect quite contrary to the expresse words and intention of our Sauiour From this whol discours may appeare what an vnworthy and base esteeme our aduersaries frame of the most sacred body and blood of our Sauiour not thinking that either of them as they are in this Sacrament is fit and capable to conferre sauing grace to such as deuoutly receaue them which cannot buâ— derogate insufferably from that infinite worth and dignity which all Christians haue euer conceaued in them for as it is a most certaine and receaued tenet that not only the shedding of the least drop of his most precious blood but the least action or motion of his most sacred body was abundantly sufficient for the redemption of the whol world and a million of worlds more why should they now call in Question the sufficiency of the same body and blood receaued apart each of them to communicate ineffabâ—le fauours and graces all grounded in his sacred passion to the worthy receauers of them Obiection If they answer that they doubt not of the worth and power of each of these but of the will of our Sauiour whether he ordained that they separately or only ioyntly should conferre grace or commanded that allwayes both should be receaued Answer I answer that seeing noe lesse the body then the blood of our Sauiour as separately taken in the Eucharist is abondantly in it selfe fit and able to sanctifie the soule of him who dewly receaues it and that there is noe cleere text in Scripture which conuinces that one of them alone can not sanctifie or rather that there be most cleere texts which proue that one alone can doe it and that there is noe expresse command giuen in Scripture to all patticular Christians to receaue both and the coustome both of the primitiue ancient late and moderne church is euidently to the contrary I cannot see what can haue mouued ouâ— aduersaries to thinke that one kinde suffices not saue a low and meane esteeme they haue of the vertu and force of our Sauiours body and blood considercd separately in themselues in this Sacrament The second defect of respect and reuerence which our aduersaries shew to the sacred blood of Christ in this particular is the little care they haue how much of that diuine chalice and how often it be spilt vppon the ground sprinkled vppon the cloarhes of communicants cast out of the sacred vessels abused lost trod vnder foot by a thousand indiscretions irreuerences negligeÌ„ces mischances by reason of the great multitudes of people of all most all ages sexes conditions who not only once or twice a yeare as amongst the new reformers but each month forttnight and weeke communicate through out the whol Roman Church as dayly experiences teach and especially in the former age in Bohemia where leaue hauing been granted for the Catholiques to receaue both kindes for theyr comfort they found not withstanding all the diligences which morally could be vsed so many and great inconueniences in this kind both to the communicanrs and Priests that they quicly grew weary of it and were compelled to leaue it of But our aduersaries eyther not beleeuing it is his precious blood or little regarding what becomes of it if they beleeue it will and must haue the vse of the chalice though it be affected with a thosand irreuerences to satisfie theyr