that there is as well signum figura rei praesentis quam absentis A signe or figure of things present as well as of things absent as for an example a firkyn of wyne hanged vp for a signe at a Tauerne dore that there is wyne to be sould is both a sygne of wyne and yet conteyneth and exhibiteth the thinge yt selfe And so yt is in the Sacrament which by his nature being a signe figure or representation doth both represent and exhibitt signifieth and conteyneth the body of our Sauiour 41. And as it should be an hereticall cauill to argue out of the said places of S. Paul as the old heretiks did that Christ is called a figure of the substance of his Father and the Image of God or the similitude of man ergo he is not of the reall substance with his Father nor really God nor truly man so is it as hereticall to argue as our Sacramentaryes do that Tertullian Augustine some other Fathers do sometymes call the Sacrament a similitude figure signe or remembrance of Christs body his death and passion as in deed yt is for that otherwise yt should not be a Sacrament ergo yt is not his true body that is conteyned therin especially seing the same Fathers do in the selfe-same places whence these obiections are deduced expressely cleerly expound themselues affirming Christs true reall body to be in the Sacrament vnder the formes of bread and wyne as for example Saint Ambrose heere obiected in the fourth booke de Sacramentis cap. 4. doth expressely and at large proue the reall-presence as exactly as any Catholike can wryte at this day sayinge that before the words of consecration yt is bread but after yt is the body of Christ. And againe Before the vvords of Christ be vttered the chalice is full of vvyne and water but when the words of Christ haue vvrought their effect then is made that bloud which redeemed the people And yet further Christ Iesus doth testifie vnto vs that vve receaue his body bloud and shall we doubt of his testimony Which words being so plaine and euident for the truth of Catholike beleefe lett the reader consider how vaine and fond a thing yt is for the Protestants to obiect out of the selfe-same place that vve receaue the similitude of his death and drinke the similitude of his pretious bloud for that we deny not but the body of Christ in the Sacrament is a representation and similitude of his death on the Crosse and that the bloud which we drinke in the Sacrament vnder the forme of wine is a representation and similitude of the sheddinge of Christs bloud in his passion But this letteth not but that it is the selfe-same body bloud though yt be receaued in a different manner as it letteth not but that Christ is true God though he be said to be the Image of God as before yow haue heard 42. There remayneth then only to be aunswered that speach of S. Augustine obiected in these disputations Quid paras dentes ventrem crede manducasti Why dost thou prepare thy teeth and thy belly beleeue and thou hast eaten Whervnto I answere that this speach of S. Augustine and some other like that are found in him and some other Fathers of the spirituall eatinge of Christ by faith do not exclude the reall presence as we haue shewed before in our nynth obseruation It is spoken against them that come with a base and grosse imagination to receaue this diuine foode as if yt were a corporall refection and not spirituall wheras indeed faith charity are those vertues that giue the life vnto this eatinge faith in beleeuinge Christs words to be true as S. Ambrose in the place before cyted saith and therby assuringe our selues Christs true body to be there and charity in preparing our selues worthily by examinations of our conscience that we do not receaue our owne damnation as S. Paul doth threat And this is the true spirituall eatinge of Christs body by faith but yet truly and really as the said Fathers do expound vnto vs whose sentences more at large yow shall see examined in the Chapter followinge 43. These then being all in effect or at least wayes the most principall arguments that I find obiected by our English Sacramentaryes in the forsaid ten disputations against the article of Christs true reall being in the Sacrament you may consider with admiration and pitty how feeble grounds those vnfortunate men had that vvere first dealers in that affaire wheron to change their faith and religion from that of the Christian world from tyme out of mynd before them and to enter into a new sect and labyrinth of opinions contradicted amonge themselues and accursed by him that was their first guide to lead them into new pathes to witt Luther himselfe and yet to stand so obstinately with such immoueable pertinacy therin as to offer their bodyes to temporall fire and their soules to the euident perill of eternall damnation for the same but this is the ordinary enchauntement of heresie founded on pride selfe iudgement and selfe-will as both by holy scriptures and auncient Fathers we are admonished 44. One thinge also is greatly heere to be noted by the carefull reader vpon consideration of these arguments to and fro how vncertayne a thing yt is for particular men whether learned or vnlearned but especially the ignorant to ground themselues their faith vpon their owne or other mens disputations which with euery little shew of reason to and fro may alter theire iudgement or apprehension and in how miserable a case Christian men were yf their faith wherof dependeth their saluation or damnation should hange vpon such vncertayne meanes as these are that God had left no other more sure or certaine way then this for men to be resolued of the truth as we see he hath by his visible Church that cannot erre yet thought we good to examine this way of disputatiōs also and the arguments therof vsed by Protestants against the truth But now followeth a larger more important examen of the Catholike arguments alleaged by our men against them in this article of the reall-presence And what kind of aunswers they framed to the same wherby thou wilt be greatly confirmed good reader yf I be not much deceaued in the opinion of their weaknesse and vntruth of their cause VVHAT CATHOLIKE ARGVMENTS VVere alleaged in these disputations for the reall-presence and how they were aunswered or shifted of by the Protestants CHAP. V. AS I haue briefly touched in the former Chapter the reasons and arguments alleaged for the Sacramentary opinions against the reall-presence so now I do not deeme yt amisse to runne ouer in like manner some of the Catholike arguments that were alleaged against them though neyther tyme nor place will permitt to recyte them all which the discreett reader may easily imagine by the grounds and heads therof
but what speach to witt that wherby all things were created the Lord commaunded and heauen was made the Lord coÌ„maunded earth was made the Lord coÌ„maunded the seas were made c. Vides ergò quà m operatorius sit sermo Christi si ergò tanta vis est in sermone Domini vt inciâ—â—rent esse quae non erant quanto magis operatorius erit â—â— sint quae erant in aliud commutentur Yow see therfore how working the speach of Christ is yf then there be so much force in the speach of our Lord as that those things which were not tooke their beginning therby how much more potent is the same speach in workinge that those things which were before be changed into another And presently he addeth the heauen was not the sea was not the earth was not but heare him speake he said the word and they were done he commaunded and they were â—â—eated Wherfore to answere yow I say that it was not the body of Christ before consecration but after coÌ„secration I say vnto thee that now yt is the body of Christ. So S. Ambrose 34. And heere now good reader I doubt not but yow see the fond euasion of Cranmer and Fox his aduocate cleerly refuted by S. Ambrose where they say that the speach or words of Christ worke not but Christ by the words as though there were a great diuersity in that point But now lett vs see how they will scamble ouer this authority of S. Ambrose that saith expressely both that the speach of Christ did worke potently and worke the conuersion of bread and wyne into flesh and bloud first Fox hath this note in the margent against S. Ambrose as though he had miscompared the words of creation with the words of the institution of the Sacrament The Lord Iesus saith Fox vsed not heere commaundement in the Sacrament as in creation for we read not Fiat hoc corpus meum as vve read Fiat lux c. Do yow see the mans subtile obseruation or rather simple sottish cauillation against so graue a Father The words Hoc est corpus meum this is my body imployeth somewhat more then Fiat corpus meum lett yt be my body for that yt signifieth the thinge done already which the other willeth to be done And so for this we will leaue Iohn Fox to striue with S. Ambrose about the vsinge or abusinge of scriptures alleaged by him And so much of Fox 35. But how doth Cranmer himselfe auoyd this plaine authority of S. Ambrose thinke yow Yow shall heare yt in his owne words for they are very few to so large an authority All these thinges saith he are common I say that God doth chiefly vvorke in the Sacraments Do yow see his breuity and obscurity but his meaning is that wheras before he had denyed for a shift that Christs words did worke but only Christ by his words a difference without a diuersity now seing S. Ambrose so plaine to the contrary in settinge forth the workinge of Christs words he seeketh another shift in this aunswere which is that albeit Christs words do worke in the Sacraments yet Christ chiefly as though any controuersy were in this or any man had denyed yt But what saith he to the mayne point wherin S. Ambrose affirmeth not only Christs vvords to be Operatoria vvorkingewords but that their worke is to make bread the true and naturall body of Christ after they be vttered by the Priest nothing truly in substance doth he aunswere herevnto but after his shifts he saith only that yt vvas called the body of Christ as the holy-ghost vvas called the doue and S. Iohn Baptist was called Elias which are but bare signes representations as euery one seeth hay he goeth againe presently from this which heere he had graunted that God worketh in the Sacraments For when Doctor Yonge vrged him thus Yf God worke in the Sacraments he worketh in this Sacrament of the Fucharist Cranmer aunswereth God worketh in his faithfull not in the Sacraments And thus he goeth forward grauntinge and denyinge turninge and wyndinge and yet poore miserable man he would not turne to the truth nor had grace to acknowledge the same laid before him but toyled himselfe in contradictions endeauouring to shift of most euident authorityes of ancient Fathers by impertinent interpretations As when Doctor Yonge vrged him with those cleere words of S. Ambrose Before the words of Christ be spoken the chalice is full of wyne and water but when the vvords of Christ haue vvrought their effect then is there made the bloud that redeemed the people Cranmer aunswered that the words of Christ wrought no otherwise in this SacrameÌ„t then in baptisme Ambrose said quoth he that the bloud is made that is the Sacrament of the bloud is made fit sanguis the bloud is made that is to say ostenditur sanguis the bloud is shewed forth there 36. These and such like vvere Cranmers sleights to ridd himselfe that day and yet did not Doctor Chadsey and VVeston leaue him for these starts but followed him close with other cleere places of S. Ambrose the one expounding the other As for example Fortè dicas c. Perhaps yow may say how are these things true I vvhich see the similitude do not see the truth of the bloud First of all I tould thee of the word of Christ vvhich so vvorketh that yt can change and turne the kinds ordayned of nature c. And againe in another place Ergo didicisti c. Therfore thou hast learned that of bread is made the body of Christ and that vvyne and vvater is putt into the cupp but by consecration of the heauenly vvord it is made bloud Sed fortè dices speciem sanguinis non videri sed habet similitudinem But perhaps yow will say that the shape or forme of bloud is not seene but yet it hath the similitude So S. Ambrose and for that he saith as yow see that albeit the bloud after consecration hath not the shew or forme of true bloud yet hath yt similitude for that the forme of wyne commeth neerest to the likenesse of bloud heerof Cranmer layinge hands could not be drawne from affirminge that S. Ambrose meaninge is that it is not true naturall bloud after the consecration but beareth a similitude only representation or â—ipe therof which is quite contrary to S. Ambrose his whole drift and discourse yf yow consider yt out of passion 37. After these bickerings about S. Ambrose were vrged against him by the two Doctors Chadsey and VVeston diuers other Fathers as Iustinus Martyr aboue 14. hundred yeares gone whoe in his Apology for Christians writeth that as by the word of God Iesus Christ our Sauiour being made flesh had both flesh and bloud for our saluation so are â—e taught that the meate consecrated by the vvord of prayer instituted by him vvherby our bloud and flesh are nourished by communion
this is my body c. And so did he beare himselfe in his owne hands vvhich vvas prophesied of Dauid but fulfilled only by Christ in that Supper 81. These are the particularityes vsed by the Fathers for declaring what body they meane and can there be any more effectuall speaches then these but yet harken further Thou must know and hold for most certaine saith S. Cyrill that this vvhich seemeth to be bread is not bread but Christs body though the tast doth iudge it bread And againe the same Father Vnder the forme or shew of bread is giuen to thee the body of Christ vnder the forme or snape of wine is giuen to thee the bloud of Christ c. And S. Chrysostome to the same effect VVe must not beleeue our senses eaysie to be beguiled c. VVe must simply and vvithout all ambyguity beleeue the vvords of Christ sayinge This is my body c. O how many say now adayes I vvould see him I vvould behould his visage his vestments c. But he doth more then this for he giueth himselfe not only to be seene but to be touched also handled and eaten by thee Nor only do the Fathers affirme so asseuerantly that yt is the true naturall body of Christ though yt appeare bread in forme and shape and that we must not beleeue our senses heerin but do deny expressely that yt is bread after the words of consecration wherof yow heard longe discourses before out of S. Ambrose in his books de sacramentis and de initiandis Before the words of consecration it is bread saith he but after consecration de pane sit caro Christi of bread yt is made the flesh of Christ And note the word fit yt is made And againe Before the words of Christ be vttered in the consecration the chalice is full of vvine and vvater but vvhen the vvords of Christ haue vvrought their effect ibi sanguis efficitur qui redemit plebem there is made the bloud that redeemed the people And marke in like manner the word efficitur is made and consider whether any thinge can be spoken more plainly 83. But yet the Fathers cease not heere but do passe much further to inculcate the truth of this matter reprehending sharply all doubt suspition or ambiguity which the weaknesse of our flesh or infection of heresie may suggest in this matter S. Cyrill reasoneth thus VVheras Christ hath said of the bread this is my body vvho vvill dare to doubt therof and vvheras he hath said of the wine this is my bloud vvho vvill doubt or say yt is not his bloud he once turned vvater into vvine in Cana of Galiley by his only will which wine is like vnto bloud and shall vve not thinke him vvorthy to be beleeued vvhen he saith that he hath changed vvine into his bloud So he And S. Ambrose to the same effect Our Lord Iesus Christ doth iestifie vnto vs that we do receaue his body and bloud and may we doubt of his creditt or testimony And the other Saint Cyrill of Alexandria saith to the same effect that in this mystery we should not so much as aske quomodo how yt can be done Iudaicum enim verbum est saith he aeterm supplicij causa For ye is a Iewish word and cause of euerlastinge torment And before them both Saint Hilary left wrytten this exhortation These things saith he that are wrytten lett vs read and those things that vve reade lett vs vnderstand and so vve shall perfectly performe the duty of true saith for that these points vvhich vve affirme of the naturall verity of Christs being in vs. exceptive learne them of Christ himselfe we affirme them wickedly and foolishly c. VVherfore vvheras he saith my sâ—eâ—h is truly meat and my bloud is truly drinke there is no place left to vs of doubting concerning the truth of Christs body bloud for that both by the affirmation of Christ himselfe and by our owne beleefe there is in the Sacrament the flesh truly and the bloud truly of our Sauiour 83. So great S. Hilary and Eusebiuâ— Emissenus bringeth in Christ our Sauiour speakinge in these words For so much as my flesh is truly meat and my bloud is truly drinke leit all doubt fullnes of in fideliâ—y depart for so much as he vvho is the author of the gift is vvittnesse also of the truth therof And S. Leo to the same effect Nothinge at all is to be doubted of the truth of Christâ— body and bloud in the Sacrament c. And those do in vaine aunswere amen when they receaue yt if they dispute against that vvhich is affirmed And finally S. Epâ—pâ—anius concludeth thus He that beleeueth it not to be the very body of Christ in the Sacrament is fallen from grace and saluation 84. And by this we may see the earnestnesse of the Fathers in vrginge the beleefe of Christs true flesh and bloud in the Sacrament But they cease not heere but do preuent and exclude all shifts of Sacramentaryes which by Gods holy spiritt they forsaw euen in those auncient dayes affirminge that not by faith only or in â—igure or image or spiritually alone Christs flesh is to be eaten by vs but really substantially and corporally Not only by faith saith S. Chrysâ—stome but in very deed he maketh vs his body reducing vs as yt were into one masse or substance vvith himselfe And Saint Cyrill Not only by saith and charity are we spiritually conioyned to Christ by his flesh in the Sacrament but corporally also by communication of the same flesh And S. Chrysostome againe Not only by loue but in very deed are we conuerted into his flesh by eatinge the same And Saint Cyrill againe VVe receauinge in the Sacrament corporally and substantially the sonne of God vnited naturally to his Father we are clarified glorified therby and made partakers of his supreme nature Thus they Whervnto for more explication addeth Theophilact VVhen Christ said This is my body he shewed that it vvas his very body in deed and not any figure correspondent thervnto for he said not this is the figure of my body but this is my body by vvhich vvords the bread is transformed by an vnspeakable operation though to vs it seeme still bread And againe in another place Behould that the bread vvhich is eaten by vs in the mysteryes is not only a figuration of Christs flesh but the very flesh indeed for Christ said not that the bread vvhich I shall giue yow is the figure of my flesh but my very flesh indeed for that the bread is transformed by secrett vvords into the flesh And another Father more auncient then he aboue twelue hundred yeares past handlinge those words of Christ This is my body saith It is not the figure of Christs body and bloud vt quidam stupida mente nugati sunt as some blockish
of Nouember ended vpon the 14. of December 1547. there was an act made with this title An act against such persons as shall vnreuerently speake against the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ c. Wherin magnificent words are spoken of this Sacrament and all those greatly reprehended that in their sermons preachings readings taâ—ks rymes songes playes or gestures did name and call yt â—y such vile and vnseemely words saith the Statute is Christian eares did abhorre to heare yt rehearsed and this was the the first spiritt of that Caluinian humor in England misliked by Cranmer and the rest at that tyme but soone after allowed well by Iohn Fox in such of his Martyrs as call yt wormes-meate idoll and the like 4. And finally this party so much preuayled with them that gouerned as not longe after that is to say in the second parlament be gone the 4. of Nouember 1548. and ended the 14. of March 1549. they gott their new communion booke to be admitted wherin their new doctrine also against the reall presence was conteyned and then Peter Martyr who as in his story we haue shewed was sent to Oxford before with indiffereÌ„cy to teach what should be ordeyned him from higher powers in that parlament hauing expected all the lent long whilst the parlament endured what would be decreed about this point and finding himselfe in straytes for that he was come to the place of S. Paul to the Corinthians where he must needs declare himselfe receauinge now aduertisment of the new decree did not only accomodate himselfe to teach and preach the same doctrine presently which yet the other friar his companion Martyn Bucer would not doe in Cambridge but also was content vpon request order from the Councell to defend the same in publike disputations for better authorizinge yt through the whole body of the realme This then was the occasion of this first publike disputation to giue some countenance and creditt to the new receaued opinion and paradox of Zuinglius Occolampadius and Carolstadius three schollers of Luther himselfe against the reall presence which as often yow haue heard before Luther did condemne for damnable heresie and them for heretiks that mayntayned yt 5. The questions chosen by Peter Martyr were three First about Transubstantiation whether after the words of consecration the bread and wyne be turned into the body and bloud of Christ. The second about the reall presence whether the body and bloud of Christ be carnally and corporally for so are his words in the bread and wyne or otherwise vnder the kinds of bread and wyne The third was whether the body and bloud of Christ be vnited to bread Sacramentally But of this last question Fox relateth nothing that yt was eyther handled or touched in this disputation About the former two this manifest fraud was vsed that wheras the first about Transubstantiation dependeth of the second of the reall presence it should haue byn handled in the second place and not in the first as heere yt is for cleerer conceauing whereof the Reader must note that the mayne controuersie betweene the Sacramentaryes vs is about the reall presence to witt whether the true body of Christ be really and substantially in the Sacrament after the words of consecration which we do hould affirmatiuely and so doth Luther also then supposing that it is so there followeth a second question de modo essendi of the manner of Christs being there to witt whether yt be there togeather with bread or without bread or whether the bread be anihilated by the ptesence of Christs body or whether yt be turned into the very substance of Christs body as we haue shewed out of Scotus and Durand before in the discussion of Plessis Mornay his Triall and euery one of these opinions about the manner of Christs being there do presuppose the reall presence denyed by the Sacramen taryes So as to dispute first about this particular manner of Christ his being there by Transubstantiation before yt be discussed whether he be really there or noe ys to sett the cart before the horse and the foote before the head 6. And yet for that they do persuade themselues that they haue some more shifts or shewes of probability against Transubstantiation then against the reall presence or can delude better our arguments in the simple peoples eyes they alwayes runne to this leaue the other And it is as if the question being first whether gold were in a purse then whether yt were there alone or els togeather with ledd tynne or some such baser mettall some wrangeler would first dispute the second question before the first or as if two demauÌ„ds being propounded first whether in such a vessell where watter was knowne to be before there be wine put in and secondly whether this wine haue turned that water into it selfe or noe or that water wine do remaine togeather and that one would pretermit the first questioÌ„ to witt whether wine be really truly there or no and cauil only about the second vvhether the vvater be turned into wine or remaine togeather with the wine In which cases yow see first that this manner of dealinge were preposterous and impertinent wrangling but especially yf the wrangler did deny expressely that there was any gold at all in the purse or wine in the vessell for then yt were too too much folly for him to dispute the secondary questions whether the said gold were there alone or with other mettalles or whether the wine had coÌ„uerted the water into it selfe or no for yf neither gold nor wine be really there preseÌ„t then is there no place for the secoÌ„d dispute at all And so fareth it in our coÌ„trouersy of the reall presence of Christs body For if the said body be not really substaÌ„tially in the SacrameÌ„t at all as the Zuinglians Caluinists do hould then is it impertineÌ„t for them to dispute the second question whether it be there without bread or with bread or whether bread be turned into it or no by TraÌ„substaÌ„tiation for so much as they suppose it not to be there at all only Luther Lutherans may haue coÌ„trouersy with Catholiks about the maÌ„ner how it is there seing they beleeue it to be there in deed but ZuingliaÌ„s Caluinists caÌ„not but only about the first question whether it be there or noe which question notwithstanding for so much as they fly and runne alwayes to the second as we haue shewed notorious it is that they runne froÌ„ the purpose shew theÌ„selues not only wraÌ„glers but also deceauers seeking to dazell the eyes of the simple in this behalfe as in this first disputation at Oxford Peter Martyr begon with Transubstantiation and was much longer therein then in the controuersie of the reall presence 7. And in the second disputation of B. Ridley in Cambridge two only questions being proposed the
point from the beginninge which are recorded by Catholike wiyters of our dayes from age to age and one only alleageth thirty and two that wrote heereof before the Councell of Lateran and are ouerlong to be recited in this place only they may be reduced for more perspicuitie to two heads the one of such as deny the substance of bread to remayne after the words of consecration the other of such as do expressely auouch a conuersion of bread into Christs body 27. Of the first sort that deny bread to remaine is S. Cyrill Bishop of Hierusalem whose words are hoc sciens ac pro certissimo habens panem hunc qui videtur à nobis non esse panem etiamsi gusts panem esse sentiat c. Thou knowing and being certayne of this that the bread which we see is not bread not withstanding it tast as bread and the wyne which we see not to be wyne but the bloud of Christ though to the taste still see me to be wyne And S. Gregory Nissen Panis iste panis est in initio communis c. This bread at the beginninge is comon bread but when yt is consecrated yt is called and is indeed the body of Christ. Againe Eusebius Antequant consecrentur c. Before consecration there is the substance of bread and wyne but after the words of Christ yt is his body and bloud All which do exclude as yow see bread after consecration And to the same effect S. Ambrose Panis hic panis est ante verba Sacramentorum sed vbi accesserit consecratio de pane sit â—aro Christi This bread before the words of the Sacraments is bread but after the consecration of bread is made the flesh of Christ. And S. Chrysostome treating of this mistery asketh this question and aunswereth the same Num â—ides panem num vinum absit ne sic cogites Dost thou see bread dost thou see wyne heere God forbidd thinke no such matter And to this same effect many others might be cyted but yt would grow to ouergreat prolixity 28. The second sort of testimonyes that do affirme conuersion and change of bread into the body of Christ are many more yf we would stand vpon their allegation and in place of all might stand S. Ambrose whose faith was the generall faith of Christendome in his â—ayes he doth not only oftentymes repeat that by the words of Christ vttered by the Priest vpon the bread the nature substance therof is changed into the body and bloud of Christ but proueth the same by examples of all the miraculous mutations conuersions recorded in the old and new Testament Prebemus saith he non hoc esse quod natura formanit sed quod benedictio consecrauit maiorémque vim esse benedictionis quam naturae quia benedictione etiam ipsa natura mutatur Lett vs proue then by all these other miracles that this which is in the Sacrament is not that which nature did frame vsed bread and wyne but that which the blessinge hath consecrated and that the force of blessinge is greater then the force of nature for that nature herselfe is changed by blessinge And againe Si tantum valuit sermo Eliae vt ignem de coelo depoueret non valebit sermo Christi â—t species mutet elementorum Yf the speach of Elyas was of such force as yt could bring downe fire from heauen shall not the words of Christ in the Sacrament be able to change the natures of the elemeÌ„ts videlicet as I said before of bread and wyne And yet further Yow haue read that in the creation of the world God said and thinges were made he commaunded and they were created that speach then of Christ vvhich of nothinge created that which was not before shall yt not be able to exchaunge those thinges that are into other thinges vvhich they vvere not before sor yt is no lesse to giue new natures to things then to chaunge natures but rather more c. 29. Thus reasoneth that graue and holy Doctor to whome we might adioyne many more both before and after him as namely S. Cyprian in his sermon of the supper of our Lord Panis iste quem c. This bread which Christ gaue vnto his disciples being change not in shape but in nature is by the omnipotency of the word made flesh S. Cyrill Bishop of Hierusalem proueth the same by example of the miraculous turning of water into wine at the marriage of Cane in Galeley aquam mutauit in vinum saith he c. Christ turned water into wyne by his only will and is he not worthy to be beleeued quod vinum in sanguinem transmutauit that he did chaunge wyne into his bloud For yf at bodily marriages he did worke so wonderfull a miracle why shall not we confesse that he gaue his body and bloud in the Sacrament to the children of the spouse wherfore with all certainty let vs receaue the body and bloud of Christ for vnder the forme of bread is giuen vnto vs his body and vnder the forme of wyne his bloud Thus hee of this miraculous chaunge wherof Saint Chrysostome treatinge also vpon S. Mathew wryteth thus Nos ministrorum locum tenemus qui verò sanctificat immutat ipse est We that are Priests should but the place of his ministers in this great chaunge for he who doth sanctifie all and maketh the chaunge is Christ himselfe To like effect wryteth Eusebius Emissenus quando benedicendae c. When the creatures of bread and wyne are layd vpon the Altar to be blessed before they are consecrated by the inuocation of the holy Ghost there is present the substance of bread and wyne but after the words of Christ there is Christs body and bloud And what maruayle yf he that could create all by his word posset creata conuertere could conuert and chaunge those thinges that he had created into other natures 30. I might alleage many other Fathers to this effect but my purpose in this place doth not permitt yt this shal be sufficient for a tast that the doctrine of conuersion or chaunge of bread and wyne into the body and bloud of Christ which is the doctrine of Transubstantiation was not new at the tyme of the Councell of Lateran but was vnderstood and held euer before by the cheefe Fathers of the Catholike Church yea and determined also by two Councells at Rome and the first therof generall wherin was present our Lansrancus vpon the yeare of Christ 1060. vnder Pope Nicolas the second and the other 19. yeares after vnder Pope Gregory the seauenth both of them aboue an hundred yeares before the Councell of Lateran wherin notwithstanding is declared expressely this doctrine of the chaunge of bread wyne into the body and bloud of our Sauiour albeit not vnder the name of Transubstantiation and yt is proued expressely out of the words of
did offer vp this Christian externall sacrifice in all places of the world where they liued and that from them the Church â—ooke the same precept and vse accordinge to the testimony of old Irenaeus Bishopp Martyr that liued aboue 1300. yeares gone whose words are Eum qui ex creatura paâ—u est accepit gratias egit dicens Hoc est corpus meum calicem similiter qui est ex eâ— creatura quae est secundum nos suum sanguinem confessus est noui testamenti nouam docuit oblationem quam Ecclesia ab Apostolis accipiens in vniuerso mundo offert Deo Christ tooke that bread which was a creature and gaue thanks sayinge This is my body and that cupp or wyne in like manner which accordinge to vs is of a creature he confesseth to be his bloud and heerby taught a new oblation of the new Testament which the Church receauinge from the Apostles doth offer the same to God throughout the whole world 43. Heere now are touched all the points that might be doubted of by sectaryes to wit that this bread and wine being first creatures are confessed by Christ after consecration to be his body and bloud secondly that this was not only an institution of the Sacrament and communion but of a new oblation sacrifice for the tyme of the new Testament thirdly that yt was not only to be offered once and in one place as Christs bloudy sacrifice was vpon the Crosse but throughout the whole world by the whole Church And fourthly that this manner of oblation was taught the Apostles by Christ himselfe and by them deliuered to the said Church What can be spoken more cleerly or distinctly by so ancient a wittnesse neyther can heretiks heere haue any refuge to internall or inuisible sacrifices of the mynd or to vnproper externall sacrifices of thankesgeuinge almesdeeds and the like for that they are many and were before also lawfull vnder the law of Moyses as often hath byn noted heere is said to be taught a new particular and singular oblation of the new Testament in steed of all the sacrifices of the ould Testament vvhich Irenaeus confirmeth presently in the next words after by the prophecye of Malachye before mentioned sayinge Malachias sic praesignificauit c. Malachy the Prophet did so foretell vs that this new sacrifice and oblation of the new Testament should thus be instituted by Christ and frequented by the Church when he said to the Iewish Priests I haue no will or likinge in yow c. Manifestissimè significans quoniam prior quidem populus cessauit offerre Deo omni autem loco sacrificium offertur Deo hoc purum in gentibus most manifestly signifyinge that the former Iewish people being reiected haue ceased to offer sacrifice vnto God but that amonge the gentills to witt Christians conuerted of them a pure sacrifice is offered in euery place of the world that is to say without respect of any certayne place as the Iewish sacrifices were 44. With S. Irenaeus Bishop and Martyr concurreth in the same age and somewhat before him S. Iustinus philosopher and Martyr who speakinge of the selfe same thinge and of the Iewes reprobation and of the sacrifice of the new Testament ordayned by Christ in place therof writeth thus in his dialogue intituled Triphon against the said Iewes A nemine Deus hostias accipit nisi à sacerdotibus suis c. God doth accept hosts and sacrifice of none but of his Priests wherfore he preuenting all those that do ofter such sacrifice vnto him in Christs name as Iesus Christ hath deliuered to be made in the Eucharist of bread and wyne are made by Christians in euery place doth testify that they are gratefull vnto him but your sacrifices o Iewes he doth reiect Thus he And these two testimonyes of two so famous Martyrs and Doctors are sufficient for wittnesses of the first and next age after the Apostles to declare what the said Apostles both taught and practised in this point of publike sacrifice and what the Church of that time vnderstood Christ himselfe to haue done in that behalfe though I might adioyne other foure testimonyes more auncient yet then these which are S. Clemont scholler to S. Peter S. Dionysius Areopagita scholler to S. Paul S. Martiall Bishop of Burdeaux and S. Alexander Bishop and Martyr of Rome All which do no lesse cleerly then these two declare vnto vs the doctrine and practice of their tymes vnder the Apostles 45. But for auoydinge prolixity I must passo them ouer aduertisinge only by the way that where in the Acts of the Apostles yt is wrytten by S. Luke coÌ„cerning the mission of S. Paul and Barnaby to preach Ministrantibus illis Domino ieiunantibus dixit Spiritus Sanctus segregate mihi Saulum Barnabam c. They ministring vnto God and fastinge to witt Barnabas Symon Lucius Manahen and Saul that were Prophetts and Doctors saith S. Luke the holy Ghost said to them take out for me Saul and Barnabas to the worke that I haue chosen them for Now as concerning the mynistery which these men were performing when the holy Ghost spake vnto them the Greeke word vsed by S. Luke importeth rather sacrificing and so doth Erasmus translate yt who was no euill Grecian nor of small creditt with our aduersaryes and of that word proceed the names before mencyoned of Liturgy conteyninge the order of this sacrifice in the Christian Church 46. But howsoeuer this bee yow haue heard the iudgement of the first age after the Apostles by two wittnesses of singular credit S. Iustinus and S. Irenaeus for the second may speake S. Cyprian to the same effect Iesus Christus Dominus Deus noster ipse est summus sacerdos Dei Patris sacrificium Deo Patri ipse primus obtulit hoc sieri in sui commemoratione praecepit Iesus Christ our Lord and our God he is the high Priest of God the Father and he offered vp first of all to God his Father a sacrifice and commaunded this to be done in his commemoration Lo he commaundeth vs to sacrifice as he did sacrifice And for the third age after the Apostles S Ambrose may only speake Ponti fex noster ille est saith he qui obtulit hostiam nos mundamem ipsam offerimus nunc quae tunc oblata quidem consumi non potest He is our high Priest that offered the host which made vs cleane the selfe same do we offer now which then was offerred and cannot be consumed Behould that we offer the selfe same host that Christ offered and cannot be consumed And for the fourth age S. Austen may stand for all who answering Faustus the Manichee that obiected that he and other Catholiks did offer sacrifice vnto Martyrs the holy Father denyeth yt sayinge Sacrificare martyribus dixi c. I said that we did not sacrifice vnto Martyrs but
confesse they must needs be heere in their proper subiect and substances of bread and wyne but all this is founded vpon a false ground for albeit naturally an accident cannot be but in a subiect yet supernaturally and by the power of God susteyninge yt and supplyinge the place of a naturall subiect yt may be as we do confesse on the contrary side by Christian faith that the humayne nature of Christ in the mystery of the incarnation hath not her proper subsistence in yt selfe which yet is as naturall to a substance to subsist in yt selfe as yt is to an accident to be susteyned by another but is susteyned by the diuine person of Christ. 35. And the reason of this concerninge accidents is that albeit the intrinsecall nature of an accident is to be vnperfect and to depend of another and therby to haue an aptitude to be in another yet the act therof may be separated by Gods power from the said nature as a thinge posterior and followinge from the said nature as we haue she wed before in the naturall propriety of quantity to haue commensuration of place and this to be true that this actuall inherence of accidents may be seuered from the essentiall aptitude thervnto without destroing the nature of the said accident many philosophers both Christian and heathen do affirme whose sentences you may see gathered by diuers learned men as well of ancient as of our tymes Sundry Fathers also are of opinion that this case happened de facto in the creation of the world when the light being made vpon the first day as the booke of Genesis recounteth which being but a quality and accident remayned without a subiect vnto the fourth day when the sonne and moone weare created And of this opinion expressely was S. Basill in his explication of the works of God in those six dayes And the same holdeth S. Iohn Damascene Procopius in his commentary vpon the first Chapter of Genesis and Saint Iustine in the explication of our faith 36. This then being so that these accidents of bread wyne may remaine by the power of God in the Sacrament without their proper subiects yt followeth to consider what actions they can haue And first yt is to be noted that whatsoeuer actions or operations are proper to them as accidents when they were in their proper subiects of bread and wyne before consecration the same they may haue afterwards when they conteyne the body and bloud of Christ without inherence therein for that God supplyeth all by his power which their said subiects or substances did performe when they were present So as the effects for example that the accidents of wine bread did worke in our senses before by mouinge our sight by their colours to see our tast by their sauour and other like effects the same do they performe also afterwards So as for example sake by drinkinge much consecrated wyne though there be no substance of wyne therin but only the proper accidents of wyne as heat smell and other qualityes and proprietyes of wyne may a man be incensed or distempered as much as yf the substance of wyne were there in deed for these are the proper actions and operations of the said accidents themselues but where the concurrāce of substance is necessary to any action as in nutrition generation or corruption of one substance into another there doth God supply the matter that is necessary to that action when the body of Christ doth cease to be there which is when those accidents of bread and wyne are corrupted and not otherwise As for example in the resurrection of our bodyes where euery body is to receaue his owne proper flesh againe which yt had in this life yf some one body hauinge eaten another body or parcell therof in this world and conuerted the same into his proper substance in this case I say almighty God must needs supply otherwise by his omnipotent power that part and matter of substance that wanteth in one of these two bodyes for that els one of them should be vnperfect and want part of his substance in the resurrection And after the like manner we say that when a consecrated hoast is eaten and afterward is turned into the naturall norishment of the eater which norishment requireth a materiall substance God doth supply that substance in that instant when the formes of bread and wyne perishinge the body of Christ ceaseth to be there 37. And this appertayneth to the prouidence of almighty God for supplying the defects of particular naturall causes when any thinge fayleth that is necessary for their naturall operations The very same also is to be obserued in generation and corruption as for example when the accidents of the consecrated host perishinge and some other substance should happen to be engendred thereof as wormes or the like there the body of Christ ceaseth to be when the said accidents do perish and for the new generation insuinge thereof God supplyeth fitt matter as in the example before alleaged of the resurrection of our bodyes wherof the one had eaten part of the other By which obseruation yt wil be easy afterward to dissolue many cauillations proceedinge eyther of ignorance heresie or both and obiected by Sacramentaryes against this mystery The eight Obseruation About the wordes Sacrament signe figure type commemoration memory c. §. 8. 38. For so much as the Sacramentaryes of our tyme did forsee that they should be forced to oppose themselues for defending their hereticall noueltye sagainst the whole streame of scriptures expositors fathers councells reasons practise antiquity and vniforme consent of the vnhole Christian vvorld they thought best to diuise certayne tearmes and distinctions which should serue them for euasions or gappes to runne out at when-soeuer they should be pressed by our arguments and these their shifts do consist principally in the fraudulent vse of these tearmes of Sacrament signe figure type commemoration memory sacramentally spiritually and the like Wherfore we thinke yt needfull to explane and declare in this place the natures vses and abuses of these words 39. First then a Sacrament according to the common definition asscribed to S. Augustine is a visible signe of an inuisible grace as in baptisme the externall washinge by water is the signe of the internall washing of the soule by grace So heere also in this Sacrament of the Eucharist the externall visible signe are the consecrated formes of bread and wyne as they conteyne the body of Christ the internall or inuisible grace signified is the inward nourishinge and seedinge of our soule And this is the first and cheefe manner how this Sacrament is a signe that is to say a signe of grace and not of Christs body absent as Protestants are wont most fondly and fraudulently to inferre 40. Secondly these externall formes and accidents of bread and wyne are also a signe of Christs body conteyned vnder them And in this sense
your sakes and by the same things that I am ioyned to yow the very same I haue exhibited vnto yow againe Where yow see that he saith he gaue the very same in the Sacrament which he had taken vpon him for our sakes and that by the same he was ioyned to vs againe and now Maister Ridley saith that vve are not ioyned to him by naturall flesh These be contraryes which of two shall we beleeue Christ and S. Chrysostome expoundinge him or Ridley against them both 16. Maister Sedg-wicke disputed next but hath not halfe a columne or page allowed to the settinge downe of his whole disputation yet he vrginge diuers reasons in that little tyme out of the scriptures why the Sacrament of the Altar cannot be in the new law by a figure but must needs be the fullfillinge of old figures and consequently the true and reall body of Christ he brought Maister Ridley within the compasse of a dozen lines to giue two aunswers one plaine contrary to another as his words do import for this is the first I do graunt yt to be Christs true body and flesh by a property of the nature assumpted to the God head and we do really eate and drinke his flesh and bloud after a certaine reall property His second aunswere is in these words It is nothinge but a figure or token of the true body of Christ as it is said of S. Iohn Baptist he is Elias not that he vvas so indeed or in person but in property and vertue he represented Elias So he And now lett any man with iudgement examine these two aunswers For in the first he graunâ—eth at least wayes a true reall property of Christs flesh assumpted to his Godhead to be in their bread wherby we do really eate his flesh and drinke his bloud And in the second he saith yt is nothinge but a figure and consequently excludeth all reall property for that a figure hath no reallity or reall property but only representeth and is a token of the body as himselfe saith which is euident also by his owne example for that S. Iohn Baptist had no reall property of Elias in him but only a similitude of his spiritt and vertue And so these people whilst they would seeme to say somewhat do speake contradictoryes amonge themselues 17. There followed Maister Yonge who as breefly as the other touched some few places of the Fathers though they be not quoted where they say that our bodyes are nourished in the Sacrament by Christs flesh and that truly we drinke his bloud therin and that for auoyding the horror of drinking mans bloud Christ had condescended to our infirmityes and giuen yt to vs vnder the formes of wyne and other like speaches which in any reasonable mans sense must needs import more then a figure of his body and bloud or a spirituall being there only by grace for so much as by grace he is also in Baptisme and other Sacraments finally he vrged againe the place of S. Cyprian That the bread being changed not in shape but in nature vvas by the omnipotency of the vvord made flesh Wherto Ridley aunswered againe in these words Cyprian there doth take this vvord nature for a property of nature and not for the naturall substance To which euasion Maister Yonge replyeth this is a strange acception that I haue not read in any authors before this tyme. And so with this he was glad to giue ouer saith Fox and askinge pardon for that he had done said I am contented and do most humbly beseech your good Lordshipp to pardon me of my great rudenesse c. Belike this rudenesse was for that he had said that vt was a strange acception of S. Cyprians words to take change in nature for change into a property of nature and flesh for a fleshely thinge or quality as before yovv haue heard and that this should aunswere S. Cyprians intention for lett vs heare the application Bread in the Sacrament being changed not in shape but in nature saith S. Cyprian by the omnipotency of the word is made flesh that is to say as Ridley will haue yt bread being changed not in shape but in a property of nature is made a fleshely thinge or fleshely quality What is this or what sense can it haue what property of fleshely nature doth your communion bread receaue or what reall property of bread doth it leese by this change mencyoned by S. Cyprian We say to witt S. Cyprian that our bread retayning the outward shape doth leese his naturall substance and becommeth Christs flesh what naturall property of bread doth yours leese And againe What fleshely thinge or quality doth yt receaue by the omnipotency of the word in consecration And is not this ridiculous or doth Ridley vnderstand this his riddle But lett vs passe to the next disputation vnder Q. Mary where we shall see matters handled otherwise and arguments followed to better effect and issue Out of the first Oxford-disputation in the beginninge of Q Maryes raigne wherin D. Cranmer late Archbishopp of Canterbury was defendant for the Protestant party vpon the 16. of Aprill anno 1554. §. 2. 18. When as the Doctors were sett in the diuinity schoole and foure appointed to be exceptores argumentorum saith Fox sett at a Table in the middest therof togeather with foure other notaryes sittinge with them and certayne other appointed for iudges another manner of indifferency then was vsed in King Edwards dayes vnder B. Ridley in that disputation at Cambridge Doctor Cranmer was brought in and placed before them all to answere and defend his Sacramentary opinion giuen vp the day before in wrytinge concerninge the article of the reall presence Fox according to his custome noteth diuers graue circumstances as amonge others that the beedle had prouided drinke and offered the aunswerer but he refused vvith thanks He telleth in like manner that Doctor VVeston the prolocutor offered him diuers courtesyes for his body yf he should need which I omitt for that they are homely against which Doctor VVeston notwithstanding he afterwards stormeth and maketh a great inuectiue for his rudenes and in particular for that he had as Fox saith his Theseus by him that is to say a cuppe of wyne at his elbow whervnto Fox ascribeth the gayninge of the victory sayinge yt vvas no maruayle though he gott the victory in this disputation he disputinge as he did non sine suo Theseo that is not without his â—plingcupp So Fox And yet further that he holding the said cuppe at one tyme in his hand and hearinge an argument made by another that liked him said vrge hoc nam hoâ— facit pro nobis vrge this vrge this for this maketh for vs. Thus pleased it Iohn Fox to be pleasant with Doctor VVeston but when yow shall see as presently yow shall how he vrged Iohn Fox his three Martyrs and rammes of his flocke for so els-where he calleth
againe vpon the 50. Psalme Pro â—bo carne propria nos pascit pro potu sanguinem suum nobis propinat In steed of meat he feedeth vs with his owne flesh and in steed of drinke he giueth vnto vs to drinke his owne bloud And againe homil 83. in Matth. Non side tantum sed reipsa nos corpus suum effecit c. Not only by faith but in deed he hath made vs his body And finally for that yt was denyed expressely Saint Chrysostome to meane that we receaued Christs body with our corporall mouth Doctor VVeston vrged these words of Saint Chrysostome Non vulgarem honorem consecutum est os nostrum excipiens corpus dominicum Our month hath gotten no small honour in that yt receaueth the body of our Lord. 24. But all this will not serue for still Cranmer aunswered by his former sleight thus VVith our mouth vve receaue the body of Christ and teare it vvith our teeth that is to say the Sacrament of the body of Christ. Do yow see the euasion And what may not be shifted of in this order doth any minister in England vse to speake thus oâ— his communion-bread as S. Chrysostome in the place alleaged of the Sacrament after the words of consecration or do any of the auncient Fathers wryte so reuerently of the water of baptisme which they would haue done and ought to haue done yf Christs body be no otherwise present in this Sacrament then the holy-Ghost is in that water as Cranmer oftentymes affirmeth and namely some few lynes after the foresaid places alleaged But Doctor VVeston seing him to decline all the forsaid authorityes by this ordinary shift of the words spiritually and sacramentally vrged him by another way out of the same Chrysostome concerninge the honour due to Christs body vpon earth quod summo honore dignum est id tibi in terra ostendo c. I do shew thee vpon earth that which is worthy of highest honour not Angells not Archangells nor the highest heauens but I shew vnto thee the Lord of all these things himselfe Consider how thou dost not only behould heere on earth that which is the greatest and highest of all things but dost touch the same also not only touchest him but dost eat the same and hauinge receaued him returnest home 25. Thus S. Chrysostome Out of which place Doctor VVeston vrged him eagerly excludinge all figures and eatinge of Christs body absent by faith for that S. Chrysostome saith not only Ostendo tibi I do shew vnto thee that which is worthy of highest honour aboue Angells and Archangells but ostendo tibi in terra I shew yt to thee heere vpon earth which signifieth the presence of a substance wherto this highest honour is to be done and that this thinge is seene touched eaten in the Church which cannot be a figure nor the sacramentall bread for that highest honour is not due to them nor can vt be Christ absent only in heauen for S. Chrysostome saith I snew it thee heere on earth c. To all which pressinges when Doctor Cranmer had no other thing in effect to aunswere but these phrases often repeated that it is to be vnderstood sacramentally and I aunswere that it is true sacramentally c. The hearers fell to cry out and hisse at him clappinge their hands saith Fox and callinge him indoctum imperitum impudentem vnlearned vnskillfull impudent And Fox to help out Cranmer in this matter besides all other excuses maketh this learned glosse in the margent vpon S. Chrysostomes words Ostendo tibi in terra c. I do shew vnto thee vpon earth what is worthiest of highest honour to witt Christs body The body of Christ saith Fox is shewed forth vnto vs heere on earth diuers vvayes as in readinge scriptures hearinge sermons and Sacraments and yet neyther scriptures nor sermons nor Sacraments are to be worshipped c. So he which is as iust as Germans lippes And I would askeâ— this poore glossist what maketh this note to the purpose of S. Chrysostome for neyther doth he speake of the different wayes wherby Christs body may be shewed forth vpon earth but saith that himselfe did shew yt in the Sacrament vpon the Altar to all that would see it Nor doth he say that the meanes or wayes wherby Christs body is shewed are worthy greatest honour or worshipp but that the thinge that is shewed forth is worthy of highest honour And how then standeth Fox his glosse with this sense or whervnto serueth it but only to shew these wreched-mens obstinacy that one way or other will breake through when they are hedged in by the Fathers authorityes most plaine and manifest 26. After this assault giuen by Doctor VVeston the first opponent Doctor Chadsey returned to deale with Cranmer againe by issue of talke came to vrge these words of Tertullian Caro corpore sanguine Christi vescitur vt animade deo saginetur Our flesh is fedd with the body and bloud of Christ to the end that our soule may be fatted with God which is as much to say that our mouth doth eate the body of Christ and our mynd therby receaueth the spirituall fruite therof Out of which words D. VVeston â—vrged that seing our flesh eateth the body of Christ which cannot eat but by the mouth Christs body is really eaten and receaued by our mouth which so often by Cranmer hath byn denyed but now his words are Vnto Tertullian I aunswere that he calleth that the flesh vvhich is the Sacrament Of which aunswere I cannot vnderstand what meaninge yt hath except Fox do erâ—e in settinge yt downe for yf the flesh be the Sacrament then must the Sacrament feed on the body and bloud of Christ accordinge to Tertullian which is absurd But â— suspect that Cranmers meaninge was that the body of Christ was called the Sacrament for so he expoundeth himselfe afterward when he saith The flesh liueth by the bread but the soule is inwardly fedd br Christ so as when Tertullian saith our flesh is fedd by Christs body and bloud he would haue him to meane that our flesh eateth the Sacramentall bread and wyne that signifieth or figureth Christs body and bloud our soule feedeth on the true body of Christ by faith but both Doctor Chadsey Doctor VVeston refuted this shift presently by the words immediatly ensuinge in Tertullian Non possunt ergo separari in mercede quas opera coniungit Our body and soule cannot be separated in the reward whome the same worke doth conioyne togeather and he meaneth euidently by the same worke or operation the same eatinge of Christs body Wherfore yf the one that is the soule doth eat Christs true body as Cranmer confesseth then the other which is our flesh eateth also the same body as Tertullian saith and for that Doctor VVeston liked well this argument out of Tertullian and said
againe exhibited and confirmed and this not by exposition of their owne heads only as sectaryes do but by intendement and interpretation of the grauest and most ancient Fathers that haue liued in the Church of God from age to age who vnderstood so the said figures and foreshewinges of the old Testament As for example the bread and wine misteriously offered to almighty God by Melchisedeck King and Priest who bare the type of our Sauiour Gen. 14. Psalm 109. Heb. 7. The shew-bread amonge the Iewes that only could be eaten by them that were sanctified Exod. 40. c. Reg. 21. The bread sent miraculously by an Angell to Elias whereby he was so strengthened as he trauayled 40. dayes without eating by vertue only of that bread These three sorts of bread to haue byn expresse figures of this Sacrament and of the trew flesh of Christ therein conteined do testifie by one consent all the ancient Fathers as S. Cyprian lib. 2. epist. 3. Clem. Alexand. lib. 4. Strom. Ambros. lib. 4. de Sacram. cap. 3. Hier in cap. 1. ad Titum Chrysost. hom 35. in Gen. August lib. 2. cont litteras Petii cap. 37. Cyrill Catechesi 4. Mystag Arnobius Eusebius Gregorius and many others 14. Three other figures there are not expressed in the forme of bread but in other things more excellēt then bread as the paschall lambe Exod. 12. Leuit. 23. The bloud of the Testament described Exod. 24. Heb. 9. And fulfilled by Christ Luc. 22. when he said This cupp is the new Testament in my bloud and againe This is my bloud of the new Testament Matth. 26. The manna also sent by God from heauen was an expresse figure of this Sacrament as appeareth by the words of our Sauiour Ioan. 6. and of the Apostle 1. Cor. 10. Out of all which figures is inferred that for so much as there must be great difference betweene the figure and the thing prefigured no lesse yf we beleeue S. Paul then betweene a shaddow the body whose shaddow yt is yt cannot be imagined by any probability that this Sacrament exhibited by Christ in performance of those figures should be only creatures of bread and wine as Sacramentaryes do imagine for then should the figures be eyther equall or more excellent then the thing prefigured yt selfe for who will not confesse but that bread for bread Elias his bread made by the Angell that gaue him strength to walke 40. dayes vpon the vertue therof was equall to our English-ministers Communion-bread and that the manna was much better 15. And yf they will say for an euasion as they do that their bread is not common bread but such bread as being eaten and receaued by faith worketh the effect of Christs body in them and bringeth them his grace we answeare that so did these figures and Sacraments also of the ould Testament being receaued by faith in Christ to come as the ancient Father and Preachers receaued them And for so much as Protestants do further hould that there is no difference betweene the vertue efficacy of those old Sacramēts and ours which we deny yt must needs follow that both we they agreeinge that the Fathers of the old Testament beleeued in the same Christ to come that we do now being come their figures and shaddowes must be as good as our truth in the Sacrament that was prefigured if it remaine bread still after Christs institution and consecration But Catholike Fathers did vnderstand the matter farre otherwise and to alleage one for all for that he spake in the sense of all in those dayes Saint Hierome talking of one of those forsaid figures to witt of the shew-bread and comparinge yt with the thinge figured and by Christ exhibited saith thus Tantum interest c. There is so much difference betweene the shew-bread and the body of Christ figured therby as there is difference betweene the shaddow and the body whose shaddow yt is and betweene an Image and the truth which the Image representeth betweene certaine shapes of things to come and the things themselues prefigured by those shapes And thus much of figures presignifications of the old Testament 16. In the new Testament as hath byn said are conteyned both the promise of our Sauiour to fullfill these figures with the truth of his flesh which he would giue to be eaten in the Sacrament as also the exhibition and performance therof afterward the very night before his passion with a miraculous confirmation of the same by S. Paul vpon conference had therin with Christ himselfe after his blessed assension The promise is conteyned in the sixt Chapter of S. Iohns ghospell where our Sauiour foretelleth expressely that he would giue his flesh to vs to be eaten for that except vve did eat the same vve could not be saued that his flesh vvas truly meat and his bloud truly drinke and that his flesh that he would giue vs to eat vvas the same that vvas to be giuen for the life of the world All which speaches of our Sauiour expounded vnto vs in this sense for the reall presence of his flesh in the Sacrament by the vniuersall agreeinge consent of auncient Fathers must needs make great impression in the hart of a faithfull Christian man especially the performance of this promise ensuing soone after vvhen Christ being to depart out of this world and to make his last will and Testament exhibited that which heere he promised takinge bread brake and distributed the same sayinge this is my body that shal be deliuered for yow which words are recorded by three seuerall Euangelists and that with such significant and venerable circumstances on our Sauiours behalfe of feruent prayer washinge his Apostles feet protestation of his excessiue loue and other deuout and most heauenly speaches in that nearnesse to his passion as well declared the exceeding greatnesse of the mistery which he was to institute whervnto if we add that excellent cleare cōfirmation of S. Paul who for resoluing doubts as it seemed had conference with Christ himselfe after his ascension for before he could not he being no Christian when Christ ascended the matter will be more euident His words are these to the Corinth Ego enim accepi à Domino quod tradidi vobis c. For I haue receaued from our Lord himselfe that which I haue deliuered vnto yow about the Sacrament and do yow note the word for importinge a reason why he ought specially to be beleeued in this affayre for so much as he had receaued the resolution of the doubt frō Christ himselfe And then he setteth downe the very same words againe of the Institution of this Sacrament that were vsed by Christ before his passion without alteration or new exposition which is morally most certayne that he would haue added for clearinge all doubts yf there had byn any other sense to haue byn gathered of them then the plaine words themselues
do beare Nay himselfe doth add a new consirmation when he saith that he which doth eate and drinke vnworthily this Sacrament reus erit â—orporis sanguinis Domini shal be guilty of the body and bloud of our Lord. And againe Iuâ—cium sibi manducat bibit non dijudicans corpus Domini he doth eat drinke his owne iudgement not discerninge the body of our Lord Which inferreth the reall presence of Christes body which those whome the Apostle reprehendeth by the fact of their vnworthy receauing doe so behaue themselues as yf they did not discerne it to be present All which laid togeather the vniforme consent of expositors throughout the whole Christian world concurringe in the selfe-same sense and meaninge of all these scriptures about the reall presence of Christs true body in the Sacrament yow may imagine what a motiue yt is and ought to be to a Catholike man who desireth to beleeue and not to striue and contend And thus much for scriptures 17. There followeth the consideration of Fathers Doctors and Councells wherein as the Sacramentaryes of our tyme that pleased first to deny the reall presence had not one authority nor can produce any one at this day that expressely saith that Christs reall body is not in the Sacrament or that yt is only a figure signe or token therof though diuers impertinent peeces of some Fathers speaches they will now and then pretend to alleage so on the coÌ„trary side the Catholiks do behould for their comfort the whole ranks of ancient Fathers through euery age standinge with them in this vndoubted truth Yea not only affirming the same reall presence in most cleere and perspicuous words wherof yow may see whole books in Catholike wryters replenished with Fathers authorityes laid togeather out of euery age from Christ downe wards but that which is much more yeldinge reasons endeauoring to proue the same by manifest arguments theologicall demonstrations vsing therin such manner of speach and words as cannot possibly agree vnto the Protestants communion of bare bread and wyne with their symbolicall signification or representation only As for example where the Fathers do shew how Christs true flesh commeth to be in this SacrameÌ„t videlicet by the true conuersion of bread into his body and by that this body is made of bread and by that the substances of breat and vvyne be changed and other like speaches as may be seene in S. Ambrose 4. de Sacram. cap. 5. lib. 6. cap. 1. lib. de myst init cap. 9. Cypr. Serm. de Coena Chrysost. hom 83. in Matth. de proditione Iudae Cyrill Catec 4. Mystag Nissenus orat Catech. 37. and others 18. Secondly yt is an ordinary speach of the Fathers to cry out admyre the miracle that happeneth by the conuersion in this Sacrament ascribinge the same to the supreme omnipotencv of almighty God as yow may see in S. Chrysostome l. 3. de sacerdotio O miraculum c. S. Ambrose lib. 4. de Sacram. cap. 4. Iustinus Martyr Apolog. 2. sayinge that by the same omnipotency of God vvherby the vvord vvas made flesh the flesh of the vvord vvas made to be in the Eucharist which agreeth not to a Caluinian communion 19. Thirdly some of them do extoll and magnifie the exceeding loue charity of Christ towards vs aboue all other humane loue in that he feedeth vs with his owne flesh which no shephards did euer their sheepe or mothers their children which is the frequent speach of S. Chrysostome hom 83. in Matth. 45. in Ioan. hom 24. in ep 1. ad Cor. 2. homil 60. 61. ad Pop. Antioch And to the same effect S. Augustine ep 120. cap. 27. in Psal. 33. which speaches can no wayes agree to the Protestants supper 20. Fourthly diuers of the said Fathers do expressely teach that we do receaue Christ in the Sacrament not only by faith but truly really and corporally semetipsum nobis commiscet saith S. Chrysostome non side tantum sed reipsa Christ doth ioyne himselfe with vs in the Sacrament not only by faith but really And â—n another place he putteth this antithesis or opposition betwixt vs and the Magi that saw and beleeued in Christ lyinge in the manger that they could not carry him with them as we do now by receauinge him in the Sacrament and yet no doubt they beleeued in him and carryed him in faith as we do now to which effect S. Cyrill Alexand. saith Corporaliter nobis filius vnitur vt homo spiritualiter vt Deus Christ as a man is vnited vnto vs corporally by the Sacrament and spiritually as he is God Whervnto yow may add S. Hilary lib. 8. de Trinitate and Theodorus in the Councell of Ephesutom 6. Appendic 5. cap. 2. and others 21. Fiftly the Fathers do many tymes and in diuers places and vpon sundry occasions go about to proue the truth of other mysteryes and articles of our faith by this miracle of the being of Christs flesh and body in the Sacrament as S. Irenaeus for example doth proue Christs Father to be the God of the old sestament for that in his creatures he hath left vs his body bloud and in the same place he vseth the same argument for establishinge the article of the resurrection of out bodyes to witt that he that vouch safeth to nowrish vs with his owne body and bloud will not lett our bodyes remayne for euer in death corruption S. Chrysostome in like manner by the truth of his reall presence in the Sacrament doth confute them that denyed Christ to haue taken true flesh of the Virgin Mary which hardly would be proued by the Sacramentary supper of bread and wyne as euery man by himselfe will consider 22. Sixtly to pretermitt all other points handled to this effect by the said Fathers as that diuers of them do exclude expressely the name of figure or similitude from this Sacrament as S. Ambrose lib. 4. de Sacram. cap. 1. Damasc lib. 4. cap. 4. 14. Theophilact in Matth. 26. Others yeld reasons why Christ in the Sacrament would be really vnder the formes or accidents of bread and wyne to witt that our faith might be proued and exercised therby the horror of eating flesh bloud in their owne forme shape taken away and so the same S. Ambrose Ibid. l. 4. de Sacram. c. 4. Cyrill in cap. 22. Luc. apud D. Thom. in catena Others do persuade vs not to beleeue our senses that see only bread and wyne wherof we shall speake more in the obseruations following so S. Augustine serm de verbis Apost l. 3. de Trinit cap. 10. Others do proue this reall presence by the sacrifice affirminge the selfe same Christ to be offered now in our dayly sacrifice vpon the Altars of Christians after an vnbloudy manner which was offered once bloudely vpon the
Melchisedech to be offered to God ouer all the World And all the other sacrifices signes and oblations mentioned before as prefiguringe the reall presence of Christs sacred body and true flesh in the Sacrament are applied by the selfe same Fathers whome before we haue named to the prefiguration also of this diuine sacrifice conteyninge the selfe same thinge which the Sacrament doth but in a different sort in respect of diuers ends the one as yt is receaued by the communicants the other as yt is offered vnto God the Father 39. After these prefigurations there follow the predictions of Prophetts as that of Esay 19. and 66. where is forteold the reiection of the Aaronicall priesthood and sacrifice and a new promised vnder the Christians The prophesy of Daniell also where it is foretould that in the last age of the law of grace by the comminge of Antichrist iuge sacrificium that is the dayly sacrifice shall cease Of this I say is inferred by the ancient Fathers that vntill Antichrists comminge there shal be a perpetuall and dayly sacrifice amonge Christians which is most of all confirmed by the prophesie of Malachias in these words Ad vos ò sacerdotes c. To yow ò priests that despise my name and do offer vpon my Altar polluted bread and do sacrifice the beasts that are blind lame and weake I haue no more likinge of yow saith the lord of hosts and I will not receaue at your hands any gifts for that from the east to the west my name is great amonge the gentills and they do sacrifice vnto me in euery place and do offer vnto my name a pure oblation for that my name is great amonge the gentills saith the lord of hostes Out of which place the Fathers do shew first that heere the priesthood and sacrifice of Aaron was to be reiected a new priesthood and sacrifice accordinge to the order of Melchisedech erected amongst the gentills wherby ordinarily are vnderstood the Christian people conuerted chiefly from gentility who were to succeed in their place and that with such certainty as the present tense is put for the future accordinge to the manner of prophesies and the Antithesis or opposition betweene the two sacrifices the one reiected the other promised doth make the matter more plaine for that as the Iewes sacrifice could not be offered but in one place to witt in the Temple of Hierusalem so shall the Christian sacrifice be offered vp in omni loco that is euery where without respect of places from the east to the west The Iewish sacrifices were many and of diuers sorts but the Christian sacrifice that should succeed in place therof was to be but one The Iewish sacrifices were polluted not so much in respect of great quantity of beasts bloud powred out therin and for that they offered defectuous beasts as for the wickednesse of them that offered the same but the Christian sacrifice was to be cleane vnspotted not only in respect of the vnbloudy manner wherin yt was to be offered vnder the formes of bread and wyne but especially for the excellency of the thinge yt selfe offered being the most pretious body of Christ himselfe and for that the demeritt of the offerer cannot take away the worth of the offeringe 40. These circumstances then considered and that the heretikes heere cannot runne to their shift of inward and inuisible sacrifices for that these could not be vnderstood by the Prophett as new sacrifices that should succeede to the ould for that these were alwayes in vse with good men duringe the tyme of the old sacrifice also and were lawfull yea commaunded in all tymes to witt to haue inward piety and deuotion giue almes and the like these things I say considered togeather with the expositions of holy Fathers as well vpon these as vpon other places of the old Testament there can be no probable doubt but that this externall sacrifice of the Christian was prophesyed by the holy Ghost longe before the comminge of Christ. 41. Secondly the same is proued out of diuers places of the new Testament And first out of S. Iohns ghospell where as our Sauiour promised in mysterious words the institution of this blessed sacrifice as before hath byn seene so also did he signifie that this sacrifice should succeed in steed of all sacrifices that went before For wheras the Samaritan woman at the well speakinge of the schisme betweene the Iewes Samaritans about adoring in the Temple of Ierusalem and in the hill Garizim of Samaria which word of adoringe must needs in that place signifie sacrifycinge as yt doth also in other places of scripture as Gen. 22. Act. 8. and els where for that the controuersie betweene the Iewes and Samaritans was about the vse of sacrificing as the highest externall act of adoration our Sauiour aunswereth to her question that the houre was now come when neyther in that hill of Samaria nor in Ierusalem they should adore that is to say vse any more sacrifice but that a new adoration in spiritt and truth should succeed the former which adoration being vnderstood of sacrifice as the circumstance both of the place and matter do enforce yt followeth that Christ did heere promise a new sacrifice that should be spirituall and true spirituall both in comparison of the bloudy sacrifice that went before for that the consecration of Christs holy body in this sacrifice is made by speciall worke and operation of the holy Ghost true also and in truth it may iustly be said to bee for that yt is the fullfillinge of all precedent sacrifices and the truth of all former figures 42. There ensue the places of Saint Mathew S. Marke S. Luke and S. Paul about the institution and first celebration of this vnbloudy sacrifice of Christ in his last supper where yf we admitt that which all the circumstances of the places themselues do plainly insinuate or rather inforce the continuall exposition and tradition of the auncient Church doth teach vs to witt that Christ our Sauiour hauinge consecrated his sacred body did offer the same vnto his Father as a most gratefull sacrifice in his last supper then must yt follow that the words hoc facite in meant commemorationem do this in remembrance of me implyed a precept not only of receauinge and communicatinge the body of Christ but to offer vp the selfe same also to God in sacrifice after the example of Christ himselfe which is that we call the sacrifice of the masse to proue that th' Apostles vnderstood these words I meane do this in remembrance of me so and in this sense not only the most ancient Fathers as hath byn said do testifie the same but the ancient liturgies or ritualls also of the Apostles and their schollers as namely of S. Iames S. Clement and S. Dionysius Areopagita do make the matter manifest concerning the Apostles practise in this behalfe to witt that they
yt must needs be in these wherein authority learninge antiquity consent continuance vniuersality miracles and all other sorts of theologicall arguments both diuine humane do concurre and nothinge at all with the impugners but only selfe-will passion and malitious obstinacy as yow will better see afterward when yow come to examine their obiections 57. Furthermore yt is to be pondered what miserable men they were that first in our dayes against the whole army of God Church did presume to impugne this blessed sacrifice vpon such simple and fond reasons a◠before yow haue heard to witt Luther in Germany vpon the motiue laid downe vnto him by the diuell in his disputation with him recorded by himselfe in his wrytings and Nicolas Ridley in England vpon certayne places of the scripture and certayne testimonyes of Fathers to vse his owne words which made nothinge at all for his purpose as after most cleerly shall be shewed in due place and we may easily ghesse by that which hath byn alleaged before out of scriptures and Fathers for that scriptures cannot be contrary to scriptures nor are Fathers presumed to impugne Fathers in so great a point of faith as this is 58. Wherfore miserable twise miserable were these men that first vpon so small grounds aduentured to make so fatall a breach in Gods Church and thrise miserable were other who vpon these mens creditts ranne to aduenture both body and soule euerlastingly in pursuite of this breach and contradiction begunne as were the most of Fox his phantasticall Martyrs of the ruder and vnlearned sort who in all their examinations answers were most blasphemous in defiance and detestation of this blessed-Sacrament as yow haue seene in their historyes and therby did well shew that they were gouerned by his spiritt that aboue all honours doth enuy this that is done to almighty God as the highest and most pleasing to his diuine Maiestie of all others And so much for this point CERTAYNE OBSERVATIONS To be noted for better aunsweringe of hereticall Cauillations against these articles of the blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. HAVING exhibited a tast in the former Chapter of the many great and substantiall grounds which Catholike men haue to stand vpon in these high and diuine misteryes of Christs sacred body in the Sacrament and sacrifice and shewed in like manner that the faithlesse and infidious Sacramentary that wrangeleth against the same hath no one plaine place indeed eyther of scriptures or Fathers for his purpose but only certayne obiections founded for the most part vpon sense and humayne reason against faith and aunswered ordinarily by our schoolemen themselues that first obiected the same and out of whose books the heretiks stole them I haue thought yt best for more perspicuityes sake for helpinge their vnderstanding that are not exercised in matters aboue sense to set downe a few obseruations in this very beginninge wherby great light will grow to the reader for discouering whatsoeuer shall after be treated about this matter But yet before I enter into the obseruations themselues I would haue the reader consider two things first the inequality betweene our aduersaryes and vs in this case for that their arguments against these mysteryes being founded almost all in the appearance of comon sense as hath byn said the vnlearned reader is capable of the obiection but not of the solution which must be taken from matters aboue sense as presently yow shall see 2. The second point is that yf any of the old heretiks or heathen philosophers should rise againe at this day and bringe forth their arguments of sense humaine reason against such articles of our faith as in ould tyme they did impugne for both improbable and impossible in nature as namely the creation of the world out of nothinge three distinct persons of the blessed Trinity in one the selfe same substance two distinct natures in one person conioyned by the incarnation of Christ the resurrection of our putrifyed bodyes the selfe same substance qualityes quantityes other accidents such like points Against which I say yf ould philosophers heretiks should come forth againe in our dayes and propose such arguments as in their dayes they did which seeme inuincible and vnanswerable to common sense and humaine reason do yow not thinke that they should haue infinite people both men and weomen to follow them especially yf they were countenanced out with the authority of a potent Prince and Kingdome and suffered to speake their will as our men were that first impugned the reall presence and sacrifice in England and yet as the auncient Fathers in their tymes did not abandone these articles of faith for those difficultyes or appearance of impossibilityes no nor the common Cacholike people themselues that could not reach to the vnderstandinge therof so must not we do now though we could not aunswere in reason the aduersaryes arguments which yet by the ensuinge obseruations yow will easily be able to do And this for an entrance now to the obseruations themselues First Obseruation That vve are not in this mystery to follow our sense or Imagination §. 1. 3. The first obseruation is taken out of the ancient Fathers wrytings who treatinge of this mystery of Christs being in the Sacrament do expressely warne vs to beware that we iudge not of the matter according to sense or humayne imagination So saith S. Cyrill B. of Hierusalem whose words are Quamuis sensui hoc tibi suggerat c. Albeit externall sense do suggest vnto thee that this Sacrament is bread and wyne yet lett faith confirme thee to the contrary neyther do thou iudge by the tast knowinge most certainely that this bread which seemeth so vnto vs is not bread in deed notwithstandinge the tast doth iudge it to be bread but is the body of Christ and that the wyne which so appeareth to our sight by the sense of our tast is iudged to be wyne yet is it not wyne but the bloud of Christ. Thus hee neere thirteene hundred yeares gone And the like aduertisment giueth in the same matter S. Ambrose somewhat after him who hauing determined most cleerly the truth of the reall presence sayinge Panis iste panis est ante verba Sacramentorum vbi accesserit consecratio de pane sit corpus Christi This bread is bread before the words of the Sacrament be vttered by the Priest but when the consecration is added thervnto the bread is made the body of Christ He frameth an obiection of the senses in these words Fortèdicas aliud video c. Perhaps thou wilt say I see another thinge to witt bread and not the body of Christ and how then dost thou say that I receaue his body To which question S. Ambrose aunswereth at large alleaginge many other myracles wherein our senses are deceaued 4. The like obseruation hath S. Chrysostoine in sundry places talkinge of this mystery Credamus saith he vbique Deo nec repugnemus ei
etsi sensui cogitationi nostrae absurdum esse videatur c. Let vs alwayes giue creditt to God nor let vs resist him albeit the thing seeme absurd to our sense and cogitation for our sense may easily be deceaued and therfore for so much as he hath said This is my body lett vs not doubt therof at all but beleeue him Saint Epiphanius standeth also vpon the same aduertisment reprehendinge them greuously yea condemninge them that dispute and frame their arguments from the testimony of their senses against the reall presence whose words he bringeth in thus Et videmus say they quod non aequale est c. We do see with our eyes that this which we do receaue in this Sacramēt to witt the host is neyther equall nor like the image of Christ in flesh nor to his inuisible deity nor to the formes or lineaments of his body for yt is of a round forme c. So they but S. Epiphanius his conclusion is against them thus qui non credit esseipsum verum excidit à gratia salute he that doth not beleeue Christ himselfe to be truly there vnder the round forme of bread that is giuen is fallen both from Gods grace and his owne saluation 5. And finally not to enlarge my selfe further in this behalfe Eusebius Emissenus or who els was the author of that excellent sermon de corpore Dominï concurreth also in this note against the iudgement of our senses sayinge Verè vnica persecta hostia side aestimanda non specie non exteriori consenda visu This only and perfect host is truly to be esteemed by faith and not to be iudged by the externall shape or veiw of our eyes Thus hee wherof S. Chrysostome giueth an example when he wryteth of this mystery O quot modò dicnns vellem formam speciem cius vellem vestimenta ipsa vellem calce amenta videre O how many are there videlicet of the simpler sort and not so grounded in faith that say I would I could see Christ his forme shape in the Sacrament I would see his apparell I would see his very shooes Thus said some in those dayes vpon simplicity perhappes but so say many more in our dayes vpon heresie and infidelity And truly yf we consider most of the arguments of all Fox his artificers or weomen Martyrs they were such as these heere mentioned deryded by S. Chrysostome and vpon these arguments went they to the stake Let your God in the Sacrament said Alice Driuer and her fellowes shedd some bloud and vve vvill beleeue The like cryed out many other simple rude people vve see bread we see wyne vve see a round cake we will neuer beleeue yt to be God except we see him worke some miracle What would S. Chrysostome thinke yow and other Fathers before mentioned haue said ' to these people yf they had heard them sound out such blasphemous cryes of infidelity and vnbeleefe in their dayes And so much for this first obseruation which is vsually to be found in all auncient Fathers wrytinges The second Obseruation That not only sense and common Imagination but neyther philosophicall reason is necessary to be followed in these mysteryes §. 2. 6. The second obseruation is much like to the first but passeth some degrees further and is taken out of the auncient Fathers aduertisments in like manner to witt that not only sense and sensuall imagination is not to be followed in these diuine mysteryes of our Sauiours body but neyther naturall or philosophicall reason it selfe is allwayes to be followed notwithstandinge yt reacheth farre higher then sense can attayne to which is proued first by the generall definition of faith vsed by S. Paul in his epistle to the Hebrues where yt is said to be argumentum rcrum non apparentium an argument or assent of things that do not appeare by reason which yet is more explicated by Saint Gregory when he saith sides non habet meritum vbi humana ratio praebet experimentum faith hath no meritt where humane reason doth yeld a proofe Saint Augustine also saith This is the praise of faith yf that which is beleeued be not seene for what great matter is it yf that be beleeued vvhich is euident And this is vniuersally in all points of our faith the beleefe wherof must not depend of the euidency of reason for then yt should be science as philosophers tearme yt and not faith which faith dependeth on the authority trust and creditt we giue to the reuealer which is God himselfe 7. But especially is this to be done in this high mystery of the blessed Sacrament of the Altar which is not only a mystery but a miracle also and such a miracle as requireth no lesse power then the omnipotency of God to performe the same Necessarium est said S. Chrysostome to his people of Antioch mysteriorum discere miraculum c. It is necessary for vs to learne this myracle of mysteryes what it is why it was giuen vs what vtility cometh therwith vnto vs the like And againe the same Father in his bookes of Priesthood descending to treat more in particular one point of this mystery which is how Christs body is at one tyme in many places he cryeth out O miraculum o Dei benignitatem O myracle o goodnesse of God! and why qui cum patre sursum sedet in illo ipso temporis articulo omnium manibus petractatur he that sitteth aboue with his Father in that very instant of tyme is handled by all Priests hands And S. Cyprian to the same effect Panis quem Dominus discipulis porrigebat non effigie sed natur a mutatus omnipotentia verbi sactuiest caro The bread which our Lord gaue to his disciples at the last supper being changed not in outward shew for yt appeareth bread still but in nature by the omnipotency of Gods word is made flesh 8. Thus thought and spake the ancient Fathers of this high mystery and myracle in the Sacrament And conforme to this they called vs alwayes from reason to faith from contention to humble beleefe when they treated therof for so wryteth among other auncient Fathers S. Hilary speakinge of this matter non est humano aut saeculi sensu in Dei rebus loquendum We must not talke of works of God accordinge to humayne and wordly reason c. touchinge the naturall verity of Christ in vs by this Sacrament that which we affirme except we haue learned yt of himselfe we do affirme the same folishly and impiously but he hath said my flesh is truly meate c. Vnto whome S. Ambrose agreeinge saith of the same mystery Quid hic quaeris natura ordinem c. Why seekest thou heere the order of nature touchinge the body of Christ in the Sacrament forsomuch as our Lord Iesus was borne of the Virgin beside the course of nature Heere
much different from the former for both of them are founded on sense and humayne reason and heere I will not conioyne all the arguments togeather as before I did but set them downe seuerally as Fox recordeth them out of Peter Martyrs disputation 1. Argument Yf Christ had giuen his body substantially and carnally in the supper then was that body eyther passible or impassible But neyther can yow say that body to be passible or impassible which he gaue at supper not passible for that S. Austen denyeth yt Psalm 98. not impassible for that Christ saith This is my body vvhich shal be giuen for yow Ergo he did not giue his body substantially at supper Annswere 12. And this same argument vsed others after Peter Martyr as Pilkilton against Doctor Glym alleageth the same place of S. Austen as yow may see in Fox pag. 1259. But the matter is easily answered for that the minor or second proposition is cleerly false for that Christs body giuen in the supper though yt were the same in substance that was giuen on the Crosse the next day after yet was yt deliuered at the supper in another manner to witt in manner impassible vnder the formes of bread and wyne so as according to the being which yt hath in the Sacrament no naturall cause could exercise any action vpon yt though being the selfe same which was to dye vpon the Crosse yt is also passible euen as now in heauen it is visible in the Sacrament inuisible though one the selfe same body now in both places glorious and immortall this meaneth expressely S. Austen in the place alleaged whose words cited by Fox are Yow are not to eate this body that yow see nor to drinke the bloud that they are to shedd who shall crucifie me Which words being spoken to them that were scandalized at his speach about the eatinge of his body do shew that we are in deed to eate his true flesh in the Sacrament but not after that carnall manner which they imagined carnaliter cogitauerunt saith S. Austen in the same place putauerunt quod praecisurus esset Dominus particulas quasdam de corpore suo daturus â—â—is They imagined carnally and thought that Christ vvould haue cutt of certayne peeces of his body and giuen vnto them which grosse imagination our Sauiour refuteth by tellinge them that they should eat his true body but in another forme of bread and wyne 13. And yet that yt is the selfe-same body the selfe-same bloud the same Doctor and Father affirmeth expressely both in this and many other places Verè magnus Dominus c. he is in deed a great God that hath giuen to eat his owne body in which he suffered so many and great thinges for vs. And againe talkinge of his tormentors Ipsum sanguinem quem per insaniam fuderunt per gratiam biberunt The selfe-same bloud which by fury they shee l by grace they dronke And yet further of the same Quousque biberent sanguinem quem fuderunt mercy left them not vntill they beleeuinge him came to drinke the bloud which they had shedd And finally in another place Vt eius iam sanguinem nossent bibere credentes quem fuderant saeuientes that comminge to beleeue in him they might learne to drinke that bloud which in their cruelty they shee l And last of all in another place explaninge his owne faith and the beleefe of all Christians in this behalfe he saith against heretiks of his tyme Mediatoreâ— Dei c. We do with faithfull hart and mouth receaue the mediator of God and man Christ Iesus giuing vnto vs his flesh to be eaten and bloud to be dronken though yt may seeme more horrible to eate mans flesh then to stea the same and to drinke mans bloud then to snedd the same Consider heere the speach of Saint Augustine whether it may agree to the eatinge of a signe of Christs body or bloud what horror is there in that And thus much to this first argument 2. Argument Bodyes organicall without quantity be no bodyes The Popes doctrine maketh the body of Christ in the Sacrament to be without quantity Ergo the Popes doctrine maketh the body of Christ in the Sacrament to be no body Aunswere 14. We graunt that bodyes organicall without all quantity are no bodyes but Catholike doctrine doth not teach that Christs body in the Sacrament is without all quantity but only without externall quantity aunswering to locall extension and commensuration of place which repugneth not to the nature of quantity as before is declared at large in the fourth obseruation of the precedent Chapter wherby yow may see both the vanity of this argument as also the notorious folly ignorance of Fox who by occasion of this argument of an organicall body vrged by Cranmer in Oxford against Maister Harpesfield when he proceeded Bachler of diuinity bringeth in a whole commedy of vayne diuises how all the learned Catholike men of that vniuersity were astonished at the very propoundinge of this graue doubt to witt VVhether Christ hath his quantity quality forme figure and such like propertyes in the Sacrament All the Doctors saith Fox fell in a buzzinge vncertayne what to aunswere some thought one way some another and thus Maister Doctors could not agree And in the margent he hath this note The Rabbyns could not agree amongst themselues and then he prosecuteth the matter for a whole columne or page togeather makinge Doctor Tressam to say one thinge Doctor Smith another Harpesfield another VVeston another M. VVard philosophy-reader another whose philosophicall discourse about the nature of quantity Fox not vnderstandinge neyther the other that were present as he affirmeth concludeth thus Maister VVard amplified so largely his words so high he clymed into the heauens with Duns ladder and not with the scriptures that yt is to be maruayled how he could come downe againe without falling So Iohn according to his skill but Maister VVard and the rest that vnderstood philosophy knew well inough what he said and yow may easily conceaue his meaninge as also the truth of the thinge yt selfe by readinge my former obseruation for I thinke yt not conuenient to repeate the same againe heere 3. Argument All thinges which may be diuided haue quantity The body in the Popes Sacrament is diuided into three parts Ergo the body in the Popes Sacrament hath quantity which is against their owne doctrine Aunswere 15. We deny that it is against our doctrine that Christs body in the Sacrament hath inward quantity but only externall and locall We deny also that Christs body is diuided into three parts in the Sacrament or into any part at all for it is indiuisible only the formes of bread are diuided And this is the ignorance of the framer of this argument that vnderstandeth not what he
after his ascension Illâ— spiritus veritatis docebit vos omnem veritatem that spirit of truth shall teach you all truth 27. And these be all the arguments of Peter Martyr registred by Fox who concludeth in these words And thus briefely we haue runne ouer all the arguments and authorityes of Peter Martyr in that disputation at Oxford vvith Doctor Tresham Chedsey and Morgan before the Kings visitours aboue named anno 1549. So he And for so much as he setteth downe no solution vnto these arguments we may imagine that he held them for insoluble and then yf you consider how weake and vayne they haue byn and how easy to aunswere yow will therby see how sure grounds this poore Apostatafriar Martyr had to become a sacramentary to leaue his former Religion which had endured in Christs Church for so many ages before yea and to oppose himselfe against Doctor Luther in this point of the reall-presence who was their Prophet and had first of all opened vnto him others the gapp to his Apostasie And finally what good assurance a man may haue to aduenture his soule with these companions in such a quarrell as Cranmer Ridley Latymer Rogers Hooper and others did who hauing byn Cath. Priests for many yeares did first of all others imbrace in England these new opinions of Peter Martyr which yet were so yonge and greene as himselfe was scarsely settled in them when he first entred in to that Iland as in his story more particularly we haue declared Wherfore to leaue him we shall now examine some other arguments alleaged by others after him especially by those that were actors in the former ten disputations at Oxford Cambridge and London which are not much fewer in number then these alleaged already of Peter Martyr The fourth sort of arguments alleaged by others after Peter Martyr §. 4. 28. And of these the first shal be that of Causon and Higbed in their confession to B. Bonner â—nno Domini 1555. The flesh profiteth nothinge saith Christ Ioan. 6. Ergo Christ hath not giuen his flesh to be eaten in the Sacrament and diuers others do obiect the same as a great argument yea Zuinglius himselfe calleth this argument A brasen vvall and a most stronge adamant that cannot be â—oken But the auncient Fathers thaâ— knew more then Zuinglius did easily breake this adamant and brasen wall giuinge diuers solutions therof as first that yf we take these words of our Sauiour to be spoken properly of his flesh then must the sense be that his only flesh without his soule diuinity prositeth not to our saluation and so do expound the place both S. Augustine and S. Cyrill for that otherwise no man can deny but that Christs flesh with his soule and diuinity doth profitt greatly euen in the Sacrament yt selfe for that Christ in the selfe-same Chapter of Saint Iohn saith he that eateth my flesh hath life euerlastinge Secondly other Fathers more to the literall sense do interpret those words the flesh profiteth nothinge not that Christs flesh doth not profitt but that the carnall vnderstandinge of that speach of Christ about his flesh to be eaten in the Sacrament such as the Capharnaiâ—e had whome he refuteth profiteth not to ouâ— saluation but requireth a more spirituall and high vnderstandinge to witt that yt is to be eaten in another manner vnder the formes oâ— bread and wyne And this is the exposition both of Origen S. Cyprian S. Chrysostome â—heophilact Euâ—himius and others and is thâ— more playne and manifest sense of that place 29. Maister Guest one of the Protestant opponents in the first Cambridge disputation against Doctor Glyn vrgeth againe and againâ— this argument That vvhich Christ tooke he blessed that vvhich he blessed he brake that vvhich he brake he gaue but he tooke bread ergò he gaue bread Tâ— which argumeÌ„t Doctor Glyn answered by a likâ— Collection out of the scripture That which Goâ— tooke out of Adams side vvas a ribbe but what he tooke that he brought and deliuered to Adam for his vvise ergò he deliuered him a ribbe for his wife Which aunswere though yt made the auditory tâ— laugh yet Maister Perne comminge to answerâ— for the Protestant party vpon the third day oâ— disputation would needs vrge the same argument againe in his preface which Maister Vauisour that disputed against him repeating publikely gaue the like answere about the ribbâ— out of Genesis vvherwith Fox being angry maketh this note in the margent An vnsauerâ— comparison perhapps for that he holdeth thâ— ribbe for rotten which so longe agoe was taken out of Adams side for that otherwise I dâ— not see what euill sauour Fox can find therin but the effect of the aunswere stands in this that as God tooke a ribbe and made therof our mother Eua so Christ tooke bread and therof made his body though in a different manner the matter or substance remayninge in the one change but not in the other 30. The same Guest in the same disputation maketh this other argument against the reall-presence The body of Christ is not generate or begotten in the Sacrament ergò yt is not in the Sacrament Whervnto Doctor Glyn answered Yow impugne a thinge yow know not what call yow generation Guest Generation is the production of accidents Glyn. A new definition of a new philosopher Thus they two and no one word more about this argument nor did Guest reply either in iest or earnest but leapt presently to his former argumeÌ„t againe That which he tooke he blessed that which he blessed he brake that vvhich he brake he gaue c. Wherfore to aunswere Guests obiection we say first that generation is not the production of accidents as fondly he affirmeth which production of accidents appertaineth rather to alteration augmentation and locall motion as Aristotle teacheth wheras generation is the production of a substance and not of accidents Secondly we say that Christs body in the Sacrament is there not by generation nor creation but by another miraculous operation of God called Transubstantion which is a conuersion of the bread wine into the true body bloud of Christ. And thus much in earnest to M. Guest 31. After Guest there commeth Maister Pilkinton as wise as the other in matter of disputation though afterward by the creditt of his manhood therin he gott the Bishoppricke oâ— Durham He began thus against Doctor Glyn. This one thinge I desire of yow most worshippfull Maister Doctor that yow will aunswere me with breuity as I shall propound and thus I reason The body of Christ that vvas broken on the Crosse is a full satisfaction for the sinnes of the vvhole vvorld But the Sacrament is not the satisfaction of the vvhole vvorld Ergo the Sacrament is not the body of Christ. To this argument Doctor Glyn answered that he vsed an equiuocation in the
is the flesh and bloud of the same Iesus that was made flesh Out of which place they vrged that as Christ is truly and really incarnate so is he truly and really in the Sacrament accordinge to S. Iustinus and that our flesh and bloud is nourished by that communion and consequently in Saint Iustinus tyme yt was not held that Christs body was receaued only by faith 38. The words of Saint Irenaeus were vrged in like manner he being another Martyr of the same age with S. Iustine who wryteth thus Eum calicem qui est ex creatura suum corpus confirmauit ex quo nostra auget corpora c. This is the cupp which being a creature he confirmed to be his body by which he encreaseth our bodyes when both the cupp mixed the bread broken hath ioyned to yt the word of God yt is made the Eucharist of the body bloud of Christ of which the substance of our flesh is encreased and consisteth By which words the said Doctors proued that the flesh and bloud of Christ was otherwise held by S. Irenaeus to be in the Sacrament and receaued by vs than only by faith seing our bodyes also are nourished therwith yea the very substance of our flesh is encreased and consisteth therby as his words are To all which Cranmer had no other aunswere but his old shift that the Sacrament of the body and bloud vvas called the flesh and bloud of Christ though really yt be not And from this he could not be drawne And so finally the tyme drawinge late they vrged him there publikely with certayne falsityes vsed in his booke against the reall presence and besides those that had byn obiected before as for example Doctor Chadsey obiected a manifest corruption in translatinge the foresaid place of S. Iustine which Cranmer excused no otherwise but that he translated not Iustine word for word but only gaue the meaninge but the other as also Doctor Harpesfield shewed that he peruerted the whole meaninge and so yt is euident to him that readeth Iustine 39. Doctor VVeston obiected a place corrupted in Emissenus by putting in the word spiritualibus Cranmer aunswered that yt was so in the decrees Doctor VVeston replyed that he had left out diuers lynes of purpose vvhich made against him in Emissenus for the reall presence Cranmer aunswereth this booke hath not that VVeston obiected another place falsified where for Honora corpus Dei tui honour the body of thy God to witt of Christ Cranmer had translated yt thus honour him vvhich is thy God Wherto he answered that he did it not without a weighty cause that men should not thinke that God had a body Doctor VVeston obiected also that alleaginge a sentence out of Scotus he had left out a clause that made much to the purpose in the matter handled to witt secundum apparentiam as may appeare Cranmer answered iestingly that is a great offence I promise yow Another place in like manner was obiected as peruerted by him in Scotus words as also one or two in S. Thomas Aquinas wherto I find no aunswere but disputation is broken vp with this cry of the auditory in fauour of the Catholike party vicit veritas the truth hath had the victory and with this we shall also end this first disputation against Cranmer hauinge byn forced to be longer then we purposed at the beginninge therfore we shal be so much the shorter yf it may be in that which ensueth with Ridley and Latymer Out of the Disputation with D. Ridley in the same dininity-schoole at Oxford the next day after Cranmer to witt the 17. of Aprill 1554. §. 3. 40. The next day followinge saith Fox was brought forth Doctor Ridley to defend in the same questions of the râ—all presence Transubstantiation and Sacrifice against whome Doctor Smith was the first and principall opponent for which cause Fox before he beginneth to relate the combatt maketh a particular inuectiue against him for that he had byn vnconstant in Religion the simple fellow not consideringe that yf yt had byn true yet that the same might be obiected with much more reason against these his cheefe champions Cranmer Ridley and Latymer that had byn Catholike Priests for many yeares togeather But Fox his great anger against Doctor Smith was â—on that he pressed hardly B. Ridley in his disputation and so did Doctor VVeston also as after yow shall see for that vpon all occasions he came in with Vrge hoc vrge hoc but for the rest Ridley vvas most courteously vsed by them both and offered to haue his opinions taken in wrytinge and that he should haue space till saturday after to consider of them and that vvhat bookes soeuer he vvould demaund should be deliuered to him and that he might choose any two of the whole company to be his seuerall notaryes and he tooke Maister Iohn Iewell afterward made B. of Salisbury by Q. Elizabeth and Maister Gilbert Monson that had byn notaryes vnto B. Cranmer the day before 41 But the greatest difference and difficulty fell out for that Ridley hauing brought thither with him his opinion and large explication thereof already wrytten would needs read the same openly to the whole auditory which was penned in such bitter spitefull blasphemous termes with such abhominable scoffes and raylinge contemptuous speach against the sacred mysteryes and the vse therof as the commissionars were often-tymes forced to interrupt him and commaund him to sylence or to begin disputation neyther wherof would he do but with an obstinate face go foreward in readinge his declarations whervpon Doctor VVeston callinge vnto him said as Fox relateth Yow vtter blasphemyes vvith an impudent face Wherfore finally they made him breake of promisinge that they would read ponder all themselues not being conuenient to infect mens eares with publike readinge therof but that he might defend the fame as occasion should be offered in his answers and disputations 42. The first argument brought against him by Doctor Smith was for ouerthrowinge that principall foundation of the Sacramentary heresieâ— Christs body is inheauen ergò yt is not in the Sacrament Wherof yow haue heard often before for that both Peter Martyr alleaged yt as a cheefe fortresse of their faith though Philipp Melancthon that is a Calendar-saint togeather with Peter Martyr as before yow haue heard did say that he had rather offer himselfe vp to death then to affirme vvith the Sacramentaryes that Christs body cannot be but in one place at once And this was a principall ground also of Iohn Lambert burned for Sacramentary opinions vnder K. Henry the eyght against whome Doctor Cranmer then Archbishopp of Canterbury was the first and cheefest disputer after the King and specially tooke vpon him to confute this reason of Lambert as vayne and false and contrary to scripture as before yow haue heard in the story of Lambert And the same reasons and arguments which Cranmer
doubted so much in grauntinge and denyinge Christs body to haue appeared vpon earth as in the former disputations of Doctor Smith yow haue partly heard though much be omitted for breuityes sake he began to vrge him againe in that point alleaginge against him the authority of a Catechisme sett forth by himselfe in the name of the whole conuocation-house in K. Edwards dayes where the selfe-same point is graunted which heere he denyed but Ridley for two or three abouts would not yeld that the Catechisme was his though the iudges said that Cranmer had confessed the matter the day before and Maister VVard auouched to his face that he being Bishop of London in his ruffe compelled him to subscribe thervnto yet at length he confessed that both he and Cranmer had approued the same vnder their hands that the place alleaged against him might easily be expounded without any incōuenience and so they slydd away from that matter and a place of Theophilact came in question where he wryteth that Christ in the institution of the Sacrament of the Altar non dixit hoc est figura corporis mei sed hoc est corpus meum he said not that this is the figure of my body but this is my body which authority Ridley wiped of by sayinge his meaninge to be that yt was not only a figure of his body Wherevnto Doctor VVeston replyd that this only was one lye put in by him for that Theophilact had no such word nor could yt stand with his sense for that he did not make the opposition betweene figure and only but betweene the body and figure sayinge yt vvas his body and not a figure of his body And for proofe of this another place of Theophilact was alleaged vpon Saint Iohn where his words are quoniam infirmi sumus c. for that vve are infirme and abhorre to eate raw-flesh especially the flesh of man therefore yt appeared bread but is flesh what can be more plaine and perspicuous then this and yet do I not find any annswere to haue byn giuen by Doctor Ridley to this place but that he passed to another matter to expound the word Transelemented vsed by Theophilact And I passe ouer diuers other places as that of Tertullian acceptum panem corpus suum illud fecit he takinge bread made yt his body and that of Iustinus Martyr sayinge That Christs flesh in the Sacrament is the same that vvas taken of the blessed Virgin And that of S. Augustine vpon the Psalme that he gaue vs to eat the selfe same flesh wherin he vvalked vpon earth All which places being obiected before to Cranmer and read both then now out of the authors themselues by Doctor VVeston that had the books by him were no otherwise aunswered heere then by the same shifts which Cranmer had auoyded them before yt appearinge euidently that they had agreed vpon certayne distinctions and common euasions wherby to delude all the Fathers authorityes that might be brought against them though they were neuer so cleere or pregnant for the purpose 56. It followeth that by order of disputation the turne came to Doctor Glyn to dispute against Doctor Ridley who made saith Fox a very contumelious preface against him vvhich Ridley tooke the more to heart for that he had allwayes taken him to be his frend And albeit Fox doth not sett downe the same preface yet by Doctor Glyns entrance to his argument a man may see that the cheefe point was in reprehendinge him for deludinge and shiftinge of both scriptures and fathers so shamfully as he had heard him do for he saith I see that yow euade or shift away all scriptures fathers And Ridley answered this is a greeuous contumely that yow call me a shifter c. And finally Doctor Glyn endeauored to draw him to yeld to the Catholike Church which being the piller of truth could not be thought to haue fallen to such Idolatry as for many ages to haue worshipped erroneously bread and wyne for the flesh and bloud of Christ in the Eucharist and for proofe therof he alleaged Saint Augustine against Faustin the Manichec where he saith that this vse of adoring Christs body in the Sacrament was so auncient and publike as some pagans did thinke that Christians did adore Ceres and Bacchu◠the Gods of bread and wyne He alleaged also Erasmus authority who affirmeth that this worshipping and adoration of the Sacrament of the Altar was in vse before the tyme of S. Augustins and S. Cyprian which is not so in the Sacrament of Baptisme though Ridley affirme there is as much the flesh of Christ as in the other and consequently there is some speciall cause in the Eucharist aboue other Sacraments To which two authorityes I find nothinge aunswered particularly as neyther to Erasmus but to the thing it selfe Ridley aunswered VVe do handle the signes reuerently c. And againe There is a deceyt in this word Adoramus we adore for vve vvorshipp the symbolls vvhen reuerently vve handle them vve vvorshipp vvhersoeuer vve perccaue benefitts Whervnto Doctor Glyn aunswered So I might fall downe before the bench heere and worshipp Christ therin c. For a bench also is a beneficiall creature to them that sitt on yt But for all this no further satisfaction could be had but that all the adoe which the Fathers do make about the highest honour in earth to be giuen to the Sacrament of the Altar comes to no more by these mens interpretations but that the signes of bread and vvyne must be reuerently handled Christ absent must be vvorshipped therein as in other thinges vvherin vve perceaue or receaue his benefitts vvhich indeed are all his creatures made ordayned for our profitt for by them all we perceaue receaue Christs benefitts So as all these great admirations of the Fathers about the honour worshipp adoration due to this Sacrament come to no more in effect but that vve must reuerence Christ therin as in other his beneficiall creatures and vvorshipp the symboll of bread and wyne as much as you do the water in baptisme vvhich yet neuer any of the Fathers said was to be adored by vs as they do of the Eucharist though Baptisme be a most necessary and profitable Sacrament 57. Then disputed one Doctor Curtopp alleaginge a place out of S. Chrysostome affirminge that which is in the cupp or chalice to be the same bloud after the words of consecration that flowed from the side of Christ wherof he inferred that true and naturall bloud did flow from the side of Christ ergò true and naturall bloud was in the chalice To this Ridley answered in effect after his ould fashion that yt was true bloud that is to say the Sacrament of his bloud Curtopp The Sacrament of the bloud is not the bloud Ridley The Sacrament of the bloud is the bloud and that is attributed to the
manner now he saith yt is true touching the manner and not touchinge the thinge so as yf the thinge and matter be all one as yt is he speaketh contraryes Whervpon Doctor VVeston opened the whole argument to the people in English and the absurdity of his answere but Latymer replyed againe and againe that true bloud vvas commaunded spiritually to be dronken in the new Testament Whervnto one Doctor Pye replyed and obiected that yt was not forbidden to be dronken spiritually in the old law for that saith he they drinke spiritually Christs bloud in the old law ergò the drinkinge therof in the new must be more then only spirituall To this Latymer aunswered the substance of bloud is dronken but not in one manner So as heere yow see he graunteth also the substance of bloud to be dronken though in a different manner from that of the old Testament But being pressed by the said Doctor Pye that we require not the same manner of drinkinge bloud in the new law which was forbidden in the old but only that yt is as really and truly bloud as the other was his finall aunswere and resolution is this It is the same thinge but not the same manner I haue no more to say Heere then is his last detertermination and consider I pray yow the substance therof yf yt be the same thinge then must yt needs be really and truly bloud for this is the thinge or matter wherof the question is for that otherwayes we know that the bloud forbidden in the old Testament is meant the bloud of beasts and the bloud commaunded in the new is meant of the bloud of Christ So as in this Latymer cannot graunt them to be one thinge but only in the reallity and truth of bloud that is as the one is true and reall bloud of beasts so is the other true and reall bloud of Christ which yf he graunt as heere in words he doth then cannot the different manner of drinkinge the same alter the substance of the thinge yt selfe or yf yt do then is yt false that yt is the same thinge and so euery way is ould Latymer taken but lett vs passe foreward 69. Doctor VVeston to confirme the reallity of Christs bloud receaued in the Sacrament alleaged another place of S. Chrysostome where talkinge of Iudas he saith Christus ei sangninem quem vendidit offerebat Christ gaue him in the Sacrament to witt to Iudas the bloud which he had sould Can any thinge be playner spoken Latymer answered he gaue to Iudas his bloud in a Sacrament and by this thinketh he hath said some what to the purpose wheras indeed he saith nothinge For we say also that he gaue him his bloud in a Sacrament as we say that we giue wyne in a cuppe but this excludeth not the reality of the bloud no more then the giuinge in a cupp or vnder a veyle taketh away the true reality of the wyne yet is this the common hole for Sacramentaryes to runne out at when they are pressed for both they and we do agree that Christs bloud is giuen in the Sacrament vnder a signe sacramentally and the like phrases but the difference betweene vs is that we by this do not exclude the truth reality of the thing therin conteyned as they do therby delude both themselues and others speakinge in such sort as they cannot be vnderstood but only that a man may easily vnderstand that they seeke therby euasions and wayes to slipp out at 70. I passe ouer diuers other authorityes of Fathers alleaged by the Doctors as those words of S. Cyrill Per communionem corporis Christi habitat in nobis Christus corporaliter By the communion of Christs body he dwelleth in vs corporally ergò not spiritually only and by faith Latymer aunswered first that corporally hath another vnderstandinge then yow do grossely take yt And then being pressed againe he said The solution of this is in my Lord of Canterburyes booke So he But Fox not contented as it seemeth with this aunswere putteth downe a larger though without an author wherby we may conceaue yt to be his owne Corporally saith he is to be taken heere in the same sense that S. Paul saith the fullnes of diuinity to duuell corporally in Christ that is not lighty nor accidentally but perfectly substantially c. Which answere yf Fox will stand vnto we are agreed for we require no more but that Christ by the communion of his body in the Sacrament doth dwell perfectly and substantially in vs for that importeth also really as the fullnesse of diuinity is really in Christ incarnate and not by vnion only of will as the Arrians said and as our Sacramentaryes do talke of Christs vnion only by faith in vs. And lett the reader note by the way Iohn Fox his witt deepe diuinity who knowinge not what he saith graunteth by this example more then we require for he graunteth the same substantiall vnity to be betweene Christ and our soule which is betweene Christs diuinity and his humanity which is false ours being accidentall and separable the other substantiall inseparable for that yt is hypostaticall But these thinges Iohn had not learned and so we pardon him and do returne to Latymer againe who being vrged hardly by Doctor Smith about Saint Cyrills words that Christ by communion of his body in the Sacrament dwelleth corporally in vs ergò not only spiritually by faith he aunswered I say both that he dwelleth in vs spiritually and corporally spiritually by faith and corporally by takinge our flesh vpon him for I remember that I haue read this in my Lord of Canterburyes booke Heere now yow see another shift different from that of Fox authorised by my L. of Canterburyes booke but shaken of by S. Cyrills booke which saith expressely as yow haue heard that Christ dwelleth in vs corporally by the communion of his body in the Sacrament and talketh not of the incarnation 71. Wherfore Doctor VVeston seing that more could not be had of Latymer in this point he passed to another matter which was to deale with him about the Sacrifice of che masse In scoffinge against which Latymers grace or disgrace rather and sinne did principally consist and so alleaginge many auncient Fathers authorityes against him for this purpose and reading the places at length hauing the books there present Latymer was quickly dryuen to a non-plus as may appeare by Fox his owne narration though he setteth yt downe like a Fox indeed suppressinge all the particulars of the said places but only the names of the authors and the first words of the texts and not them also in all And then toucheth he the aunswers of Latymer and the Catholike Doctors replyes so brokenly and confusedly as may easily shew that he would declyne the tempest of that combatt from Latymers shoulders and not haue the matter vnderstood insinuatinge only some 8. or 9. authorityes alleaged for proofe of
gall vttered in the preface therof against this disputation concludeth the same with these passionate words as they are in Fox 77. Thus vvas ended the most glorious disputation of the most holy Fathers Sacrificers Doctors and Maisters vvho fought most manfully for their God and Gods for their faith and felicity for their countrey and kitchen for their beuty and belly vvith triumphant applauses and famous of the vvhole vniuersity So hee And by this yow may know the man and how much his words are to be credited yow hauing considered what hath byn laid downe before by Fox his owne report touching the substance of the disputation and authorityes of Fathers alleaged and examined and shifted of though in the forme of scholasticall disputation and vrging arguments yt may be there were some disorders yet that maketh not so much to the purpose how arguments were vrged against them as how they were aunswered by them and yet could not the disorder be so great as it was vnder Ridley himselfe in the Cambridge-disputation as is most euident to the reader by Fox his owne relation who as before I haue noted is alwayes to be presumed to relate the worst for vs and the best for himselfe in all these actions 78. Wherfore yt is not a little to be considered what was the difference in substance or substantiall proofes brought forth in the Cambridge Protestant-disputations vnder K. Edward and these Oxford Catholike-disputations vnder Q. Mary and whether Doctor Ridley that was moderator of those or Doctor VVeston prolocutor in these did best vrge or solue arguments against their aduersaryes for that this consideration and comparison only will giue a great light to discerne also the difference of the causes therin defended One thinge also more is greatly in my opinion to be weighed in this matter which is that the said auncient Fathers hauinge to persuade so high and hard a mystery as this is that Christs true and naturall flesh and bloud are really vnder the formes of bread and wyne by vertue of the Priests consecration they were forced to vse all the manner of most significant speaches which they could diuise to expresse the same and to beate yt into the peoples heads and mynds though contrary to their senses and common reason and therby to fly from the opposite heresie and infidelity of our Sacramentaryes lurkinge naturally in the harts of flesh and bloud and of sensuall people but synce that tyme by Sathans incytation broached and brought forth publikely into the world For meetinge wherwith the holy prouidence of almighty God was that the forsaid Fathers should by all sorts of most significant speaches phrases as hath byn said so cleerly lay open their meanings in this matter as no reasonable man can doubt therof and not only this but also that they should vse certaine exaggerations the better to explane themselues such as they are wont to do in other controuersies also when they would vehemently oppose themselues against any error or heresie as by the examples of Saint Augustine against the Pelagians in behalfe of Grace and against the Manichees in the defence of Free-will And of S. Hierome against Iouinian for the priuiledge of Virginity aboue marriage and other like questions wherin the said Fathers to make themselues the better vnderstood do vse sometymes such exaggeratiue speaches as they may seeme to inclyne somewhat to the other extreme which indeed they do not but do shew therby their feruour in defence of the truth and hatred of the heresie which they impugne 79. And the like may be obserued in this article of the reall-presence of Christs sacred body in the Sacrament of the Altar which being a mystery of most high importance and hardest to be beleeued as aboue humayne sense and reason and therfore called by them the myracle of mysteryes yt was necessary for them I say to vse as many effectuall wayes as they possible could for persuadinge the said truth vnto the people and for preuenting the distrustfull cogitations and suggestions both of humayne infirmity and diabolicall infidelity against the receaued faith and truth of this article and so they did not only vsinge most cleere plaine effectuall and significant manner of expounding themselues and their meaninge but many such exaggerations also as must needs make vs see the desire they had to be rightly and fully vnderstood therein For better consideration of which point being of singular moment as hath byn said the reader shall haue a little patience whilst I detayne my selfe somewhat longer then I meant to haue done in layinge forth the same before him 80. And first of all concerninge the effectuall speaches for vtteringe the truth of their beleefe in this article yow haue heard much in the former disputation and heere we shall repeat some points againe which in effect are that wheras the said Fathers founded themselues ordinaryly vpon those speaches of our Sauiour This is my body vvhich shal be giuen for yow my flesh is truly meate and my bloud is truly drinke The bread vvhich I shall giue yow is my flesh for the life of the vvorld and other like sentences of our Sauiour the Fathers do not only vrge all the circumstances heere specified or signified to proue yt to be the true naturall and substantiall body of Christ as that yt was to be giuen for vs the next day after Christs words were spoken that yt was to be giuen for the life of the whole world that yt was truly meate and truly Christs flesh but do adde also diuers other circumstances of much efficacy to confirme the same affirminge the same more in particular that it is the very same body which was borne of the blessed Virgin the very same body that suffered on the Crosse corpus affixum verberatum crucifixum cruentatum lanceae vulneratum saith S. Chrysostome the selfe-same body that was nayled beaten crucisied blouded wounded with a speare is receaued by vs in the Sacrament Whervnto S. Austen addeth this particularity that yt is the selfe-same body that walked heere amonge vs vpon earth As he vvalked heere in flesh saith he amonge vs so the very selfe same flesh doth he giue to be eaten and therfore no man eateth that flesh but first adoreth at and Hisichius addeth that he gaue the selfe-same body vvherof the Angell Gabriell said to the Virgin Mary that it should be conceaued of the holy Ghost And yet further yt is the same body saith S. Chrysostome that the Magi or learned men did adore in the manger But thou dost see him saith he not in the manger but in the Altar not in the armes of a vvoman but in the hands of a Priest The very same flesh saith S. Austen againe that sate at the table in the last supper and vvashed his disciples seet The very same I say did Christ giue with his owne hands to his disciples vvhen he said take eate
mynds haue trifled but it is truly the very body and bloud of our Sauiour indeed And finally the whole generall Councell of Nice the second aboue 800. yeares past hath these words do yow read as longe as yow vvill yow shall neuer find Christ or his Apostles or the Fathers to haue called the vnhloudy sacrifice of Christ offered by the Priest an image or representation but the very body and bloud of Christ it selfe And could the auncient Fathers speake more effectually properly or cleerly then this 85. And yet he that will examine and weigh their sayings a man exactly shall find them to speake in a certaine manner more effectually for that they did study as we haue said how to vtter their meaninge with emphasie S. Hilary vseth this kind of argument yf the word of God were truly made flesh then do we truly receaue his flesh in the Lords supper and therby he is to be steemed to dwell in vs naturally S. Cyrill proueth not only a spirituall but a naturall and bodily vnion to be betweene vs and Christ by eatinge his flesh in the Sacrament Theodorete doth proue that Christ tooke flesh of the blessed Virgin and ascended vp with the same and holdeth the same there by that he giueth to vs his true flesh in the Sacrament for that otherwayes he could not giue vs his true flesh to eate yf his owne flesh were not true seeing that he gaue the same that he carryed vp and retayneth in heauen S. Irenaeus S. Iustine S. Chrysostome do proue not only this but the resurrection also of our bodyes by the truth of Christs flesh in the Sacracrament for that our flesh ioyninge with his flesh which is immortall ours shal be immortall also And the same Saint Irenaeus also doth proue further that the great God of the ould Testament creator of heauen and earth was Christs Father for proofe wherof he alleageth this reason that Christ in the Sacrament did fullfill the figures of the old Testament that in particular wherin bread was a figure of his flesh which he fulfilled saith Irenaeus makinge yt his flesh indeed 86. I passe ouer many other formes of speaches no lesse effectuall which doe easily declare the Fathers mynds and meaninges in this point as that of Optatus Mileuitanus who accused the Donatists of sacriledge horrible wickednesse for hauinge broken downe Catholike Altars wheron the body and bloud of Christ had byn borne VVhat is so sacrilegious saith he as to breake downe scrape and remoue the Altars of God on vvhich your selues haue sometymes offered and the members of Christ haue byn borne c. VVhat is an Altar but the seate of the body and bloud of Christ and this monstrous villany of yours is doubled for that yow haue broken also the chalices vvhich did beare the bloud of Christ himselfe So he And is there any Protestant that will speake thus at this day or doth not this reprehension agree fully to Protestants that haue broken downe more Altars and chalices then euer the Donatists did Saint Leo the first saith that the truth of Christs true body and bloud in the Sacrament was so notorious in his dayes vt nec ab insantium linguis taceretur That very infants did professe the same And in the same sermon he saith that the body of Christ is so receaued by vs in the Sacrament vt in carnem ipsius qui caro nostra factus est transeamus that we should passe into his flesh who by his incarnation is made our flesh Saint Chrysostome in many places of his works doth vse such deuout reâ—orent and significant speaches of that which is conteyned in the Sacrament vnder the formes of bread wyne after consecration as no doubt can be of his meaninge whereof yow haue heard diuers points before in the disputations as that it deserued the highest honour in earth that he did shew it lyinge vpon the Altar that the Angells descended at the tyme of consecration and did adore Christ there present vvith tremblinge and seare and durst not looke vpon him for the Maiestie of his presence And other such speaches which is conforme to that before cyted in the disputation out of the Councell of Nice Credamus iaecere in illa mensa sacra agnum Det à Sacerdotibus sacriâ—icatum Let vs beleeue to lye on that holy table the lambe of God sacrificed by Priests And is there any Protestant that will speake thus 87. But aboue all the rest are those speaches which before I said to tend to a certeyne exaggeration as that our flesh is turned into his flesh by receauinge the blessed Sacrament that our flesh is nourished by his and that of two fleshes there is made but one flesh Whervnto do appertayne not only those former phrases which already yow haue heard of the naturall and corporall vnity which the Fathers do so often inculcate to be betweene Christ and vs by eatinge his flesh in the Sacrament that we are brought therby into one masse or substance of flesh with him but many other like significant manners for vtteringe their mynds as that of S. Chrysostome he nourisheth vs vvith his owne body and doth ioyne and conglutinate our flesh to his And againe That by his body giuen vs in the Sacrament Se nobis commiscuit in vnum nobiscum redegit He hath mixt himselfe to vs and brought himselfe and vs into one body and flesh And yet further he doth permitt himselfe not only to be handled by vs but also to be eaten and our teeth to be fastened vpon his flesh and vs to be filled with the same flesh which is the greatest point of loue saith Saint Chrysostome that possible can be imagined So he And conforme to this S. Cyrill of Alexandriae vttereth himselfe after another sort for he vseth the example of leuen which Saint Paul doth touch in his epistle to the Corinthians when he saith that a little leuen doth leuen a whole bach euen so saith S. Cyrill the flesh of Christ ioyned to our flesh doth leuen or pearse through it and conuert it into it selfe And in another place he vseth this similitude that as vvhen yow take a peece of vvax melted at the fire and do droppe the same vpon another peece of vvax these two vvaxes are made one so by the communication of Christs body and bloud vnto vs he is in vs and we in him 88. Another auncient Father also vpon the point of 1200. yeares gone had this similitude As wine saith he is mixed vvith him that drinketh the same in such sort as the wine is in him and he in the wine so is the bloud of Christ mixed also vvith him that drinketh the same in the Sacrament And S. Irenaeus Tertullian S. Iustinus Martyr all of them elder then this man do vse commonly this phrase of nourishinge and feedinge our flesh by the flesh
conuersion And then he explaneth himselfe thus that as in bread one loafe is made of many graynes so signifieth this Sacrament that we are all one mysticall body in Christ. And againe As bread nourisheth our body so doth the body of Christ nourish our soule And thirdly As bread is turned into our substance so are vve turned into Christs substance All vvhich three effects cannot be signified saith he by this Sacrament yf there be Transubstantiation and no nature of bread left and therfore there can be no Transubstantiation 7. This is Maister Ridleyes deepe diuinity about the nature of this Sacrament but yf yow reade that which we haue noted before in our eyght obseruation concerninge the true definition and nature of a Sacrament in deed yow will see that this was great simplicity in him though accordinge to his hereticall groūd that the Sacramēts doe not giue grace to leaue out the principall effect signified in the Sacrament which is grace for that a Sacrament is defined A visible signe of inuisible grace receaued therby This Sacrament also is a signe of Christs body there present vnder the formes of bread and wyne yet deny we not but that these other three effects also of vnity nutrition and conuersion may be signified therby as in like manner the death and passion of our Sauiour wherof this Sacrament is a memoriall and commemoration neyther doth the Transubstantiation of the bread into the body of Christ lett or take away these significations for so much as to make this Sacrament there is taken bread and wyne which naturally doth signifie these effects of vnion nutrition and conuersion which Ridley heere mentioneth though yt be not necessary that the substance of the said bread and wyne should still remayne but only there formes and accidents which do signifie and are signes to our senses as much as yf the substances themselues of bread and wyne were present As for example the brasen serpent did as much represent and was a signe of Christ in respect of the analogie betwene Christ and a true serpent as yf he had had the substance of à true serpent whereof he had but only the forme and shape and so are the outward formes of bread and wyne after the words of consecration sufficient to represent vnto vs the Analogy that is betweene feedinge the body and feedinge the soule vnity of graines and vnity of Christs mysticall body which is his Church 8. And thus much of Ridleyes third ground which impugneth Transubstantiation which ground as yow see is so weake and feeble as he that shall build theron is like to come to a miserable ruyne of his owne saluation But much more ridiculous is his fourth ground vttered in these words The fourth ground saith he is the abhominable heresie of Eutiches that may ensue of Transubstantiation Thus he saith in his position but lett vs heare him afterward in his probation which is not much larger then his proposition for thus he wryteth They vvhich say that Christ is carnally present in the Eucharist do take from him the verity of mans nature Eutiches graunted the diuyne nature in Christ but his humayne nature he denyed And is not this a goodly proofe of so great a charge Nay is not this a goodly ground and head-springe of proofes Consider I pray yow how these matters do hange togeather Eutiches heresy was as yow may see in the letters of Saint Leo the first and in the Councell of Calcedon that Christs flesh being ioyned to his diuinity was turned into the same and so not two distinct natures remayned but one only made of them both And how doth this heresie I pray yow follow of our doctrine of Transuostantiation Eutiches said that the diuine and humayne natures in Christ were confounded togeather and of two made but one we say that they remayne distinct and do condemne Eutiches for his opinion and by our Church he was first accursed and anathematized for the same Eutiches said Christs humayne nature was turned into his diuine we say only that bread and wyne is turned into Christs flesh and bloud what likenesse hath this with Eutiches heresie But saith Ridley vve do take from Christ the verity of mans nature This is a fiction and foolish calumniation as before yow haue heard and consequently deserueth no further refutation 9. The fifth ground is saith he the most sure beleefe of the article of our faith He ascended into heauen This ground yf yow remember hath byn ouerthrowne before and abandoned by Ridley himselfe in his Oxford-disputation where he graunted that he did not so straitly tye Christ vp in heauen to vse his owne words but that he may come downe on earth at his pleasure And againe in another place of the said disputation VVhat letteth but that Christ yf yt please him and vvhen yt pleaseth him may be in heauen and in earth c. And yet further to Doctor Smith that asked him this question Doth he so sitt at the right hand of his Father that he doth neuer foresake the same Ridley aunswered Nay I do not bynd Christ in heauen so straitly By which aunsweres yow see that this whole principall ground and head-springe of Ridleyes arguments against Transubstantiation is quite ouerthrowne For yf Christ in flesh after his ascension may be also on earth when he will as Ridley heere graunteth then is it not against the article of our Creed He ascended into heauen to beleeue that not withstandinge his ascension he may be also on earth in the Sacrament And albeit Ridley do cyte heere certayne places of S. Augustine that do seeme to say that Christ after his ascension is no more conuersant amonge vs vpon earth yet that is not to be vnderstood of his being in the Sacrament which is a spirituall manner of being but of his corporall manner of conuersation as he liued visibly among his disciples before his ascension And this is sufficient for discussion of this fifth ground wherof the cheefe particulars haue byn handled in diuers places before 10. Now then will we returne to his second ground againe of the most certayne testimonyes of the auncient Catholike Fathers And first he alleagath Saint Dionysius Areopagita for that in some places of his works he callerh yt bread And the like of Saint Ignatius to the Philadelphians which we deny not for S. Paul also calleth yt so as before we haue shewed but yet such bread as in the same place he declareth to be the true body of Christ sayinge that he vvhich receaueth yt vnworthily shal be guilty of the body and bloud of Christ addinge for his reason non dijudicans corpus Domini for not discerninge the body of our Lord there present And so S. Ignatius in the very selfe-same place saith that yt is the flesh and bloud of Christ as yow may read in that Epistle 11. After these he citeth Irenaeus whose words are Eucharistia ex