of Christ whence he might have omitted his duplicate ralleries and scoffs and have attributed all those miracles to the power of God and not played the buffoon in attributing them to the power of Roman Priests his scoffs and scorns and Jeers will never bear any argument with understanding men much lesse with Catholicks who have learned of S. Augustine Epist 49. ad Deograt quaest 6. If Christian faith did fear the scorns of pagans we should not believe in Christ himself CHAP. XI The Doctours Chief ground of his raillery I Am so weary with the Doctours vain raillery that I am willing to go no further but that I reflected on two main grounds of his rallying and scoffing spirit the one is the insisting so much on humane reason and sense and the great bugbear Transubstantiation Of the first I shall treat in the two following Chapters and after of the second In the first place it is a general Doctrine in Gods Church that faith has for its Object God revealing It s formal object is the divine revelation the material only those things which are revealed so that we know nothing by faith but by revelation not by reason much lesse by sense true it is that humane reason and sense concurr to the receiving of faith but not to the procuring a divine and saving faith nevertheless reason and sense may engender a humane faith by hearing or reading things revealed but never come to the certainty of them but relying only on revelation Whence the holy Fathers do commonly teach that if reason or sense do comprehend any thing it is no more an object of faith S. Augustine tract 27. and 40. in Johanem Faith is to believe what thou seest not whose verity and reward is to see that thou doest believe Again tract 39. This is the praise of faith if that which is believed be not seen for what great thing is it if that be believed which is seen S. Gregory hom 26. in Evangelium Faith has not merit where humane reason gives experience Great S. Basil ser de fid confess tels us that Faith is an assenting approbation without any hesitation without any parswasion of the minde as in the truth of those things which by Gods gift are preached and declared in the Church And in Psal 113. let faith be thy guide in the holy words which are from God and not demonstration Faith I say inviting thy soul yea and perswading above all rational methods for faith relies not on grammatical proofs but insinnuats it self unto our minds by the efficacious operation of the holy Ghost S. Athanasius tract de advent affirms that faith conceived of an evident matter cannot be called Faith But let us hear what the holy Fathers in those primitive times did teach and believe concerning our present subject of the Eucharist I shall begin with S. Cyril of Alexandria lib. 4. in Joan. cap. 17 This thing is hard and is to be received rather by faith then by any other means S. Hilary l. 3. de Trin. We are not to speak of divine things in a humane or worldly sence neither are we to extort or wrest by violent and imprudent report the celestial words to our wit or impious understanding it is perversity let us read what is written and understand what we read then we shall perform the office of faith for what we say of the natural body of Christ in us we speak foolishly and impiously unless we learn of him Great S. Leo ser 6. de Jejunio 7. mens Doubt ye not at all of the verity of Christs body and bloud for that which is taken by the mouth is believed by faith S. Cyril of Hierusalem Since Christ himself so affirms and says of the bread This is my body who henceforward dares to deny it and the same confirming This is my bloud who can doubt and say that it is not his bloud he changed water into wine which is near bloud in Cana Gallilen only by his will and is not he worthy that we should believe him that he transmutates or changes wine into bloud Beneath let us with all certitude take the body and bloud of Christ for under the species of bread the body is given thee and under the species of wine bloud is given thee A little after Do not therefore consider it as bare bread or bare wine for according to the words of our Lord it is the body and bloud of our Lord for although sense suggest it otherwise yet faith confirms thee do not judge the thing from the taste but take it from faith for most certain so that no doubt may take place but that the body and bloud of Christ are given thee And a little after knowing and most certainly holding this bread which is seen by us not to be bread although the taste take it for bread but is the body of Christ and the wine that we see although to the sense or taste it seems to be wine yet it is not wine but the bloud of Christ S. Crysostome hom 60. ad pop Antioch and 83. in Mat. Let us alwais believe in God and not resist him although what he says may seem absurd or against reason to our senses and Imaginations his word exceeds our sense and reason this we ought to do in things and especially in mysteries not only beholding those things which are before us but also holding his words for we cannot be deceived by his words but our senses are most easily deceived those 〈…〉 be false but this is deceived very oftentimes since therefore he said This is my body let us not be detained with any ambiguity but believe and perceive it by the eyes of our understanding S. Cyprian ser de coena Dominica on the word of our Saviour John 6. The flesh profiteth nothing gives the reason because our Master himself expounds these words are spirit and life carnal sense does not penetrate to the understanding of so great profundity unlesse faith be joyned The Doctors great Master Calvin lib. 4. Instit cap. 17. ser 10. will teach him this lesson In his supper he commanded me to take eat and drink under the symbols of bread and wine his body and bloud for although it may seem incredible that in so great a distance of places as heaven and earth the flesh of Christ should penetrate to us that it may be meat for us we must yet remember how much above all our senses the secret power of the holy Ghost can shew it self that which our mindes comprehends our faith conceives the Spirit doth truly joyn together things locally separated whence he says sect 7. Nothing remains but that I should burst forth into admiration in this Mystery to which neither the minde in thinking or tongue in speaking can be equal and apud Hospin in hist Sacram. part 2. he says We therefore acknowledge a Miracle in the holy Supper which exceeds or goes beyond both the grounds of nature and the measure
vivificated be seen to be in the Chalice when wine is wanting to the Chalice wherby Christs bloud is declared which is openly published by the sacrament and testimony of all the scriptures which the Saint proves there at large Again in the same place he says If Jesus Christ our lord and God he the high priest of God the Father first offered Sacrifice to God the Father and commanded this to be done in his commemoration verily the priest executes in the stead of Christ who imitates that which Christ did do and offers a true and full sacrifice in the Church to God the Father if he goes about to offer according to that which he has seen Christ himself to have offered Lastly in Ser. de coena Domini which is commonly attributed to him sith our lord has said Do ye this in my commemoration this is my flesh and this is my bloud as often as it is done with these words and this faith that substantiall bread and chalice consecrated by solemn benediction is profitable to the life and Salvation of the whole man being also a medicine and holocaust to heal our infirmities and purge our iniquities 203. Tertullian l. 5. advers Marcionem after having declared what Christ did in his last supper he concludes fieri semper quod postea Jussit he commanded the same to be done always afterward 180. S. Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 32. He took bread and gave thinks saying this is my body and in like manner the chalice which he declares to be his bloud and taught the new oblation of the New testament Which the Church receiving from the Apostles Offers to God in the whole world and cap. 34. The oblation of the Church which our Lord has taught to be offered in the world is reputed before God a pure sacrifice and a little after The kind of Oblation is not reproved for Oblations were there and Oblations here Sacrifices in the people sacrifices also in the Church and beneath he makes an argument against the Hereticks of his time How is it manifest to them that bread in which thanks are given to be the body of our Lord and the Chalice his bloud if they say not him to be the Son of the maker of the world that is his World 130. S. Justin Martyr Apol. 2. ad Antonium The Apostles in their Commentaries which are called Gospells have so declared that Christ commanded them taking bread and giving thanks he said do this in memory of me This is my Body and also taking the Cup and giving thanks he said this is my Bloud and gave to them only S. Martial Epist ad Burdigal He that is Christ having a body both immaculate and without sin for he was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary permitted himself to be immolated on the Altar of the Cross but what the Jews through envy did immolate hoping to abolish his name from the Earth we for our Salvations sake do set upon the sanctified Altar knowing that by this only remedy life is to be given us and death avoided for he our Lord commanded us to do this in his commemoration 100. S. Dionise Eccless Hist cap. 3. wherfore the venerable Bishop reverently and according to his pontifical office by holy praises of the divine works excuses himself that he sacrifices the salutarie host which is above him first in a decent manner exclaming to him Thou hast said do this in my commemoration next he asks that he may be made worthy of so great a Ministery ordained in the imitation of God and to become according to his forces like to Christ and that he may devoutly consecrate the Sacraments and purely distribute them 99. S. Clement l. 5. Apostol constit cap. 18. Our Lord being risen from death make ye your sacrifice which by us he has Constituted saying do this in my commemoration and l. 6. cap. 23. for one sacerdotal tribe he hath commanded to choose some of the best of every Nation to the Priesthood not regarding the defects of body but their religion and life for cruental sacrifice a rational and incruental and that mystical sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord which is celebrated in symbole of his death for worship determined by circumscription of place he hath commanded to celebrate the same with praises from the East to the West in every place of his Dominion These might suffice to shew the Authority of the Catholick Church in celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass and therfore I omit several other places of the holy Scripture and I will therfore make it more clear by the continual Tradition of the Church in those first 500. years CHAP. II. The sacrifice of the Mass proved by Tradition and practise of the Church within the five hundred years after Christ SAint Augustine Epist 118. ad Januarium cap. 5. affirms that whatsoever the Church in all the world uses carries with it full authority insomuch that to dispute whether it might be done is most insolent madness and lib. 1. contra Cresconium c. 33. to do that which the whole Church approves cannot be questioned for as the holy Scripture cannot deceive us so he who fears to be deceived by the obscurity of any question let him consult of it the Church which without any ambiguity the Scripture demonstrates or makes manifest Let us therfore now see what hath been the Doctrine of the Church within these 500. years after Christ wherto as I said before the Doctour appeals This cannot be made more manifest then by the Tradition and practise of the Church in her Liturgies or Masses for what the Grecians call liturgies that the Latin calls Missa and we in English Mass Now these Liturgies do come from S. Peter S. James S. Basil S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose and others of those times and within the times from five hundred years we hardly find any forms of Masses but what are deduced from them I will not say but that there have been some difference in their rites or ceremonies some diminutions and some additions yet none of them differ in the substance or nature of a sacrifice all agree in their forms in as much as concerns the due celebration of the Mass Now because the Doctour alledges the Liturgies of S. James S. Basil and S. Chrysostome I shall take a brief view of these in particular §. 1. of S. James Liturgie SAint Proclus Bishop of Constantinople l. de Traditione divina Liturgiae about the year 430. assures us that amongst the Apostles S. James did set forth a form of liturgie or Mass which Baronius ad an 63. confirms out of S. Cyril Bishop of Hierusalem Catechist 6. an 365. who Catch 5. explicates the most part of S. James Liturgie as of the pax or kisse of peace the sursum corda and Preface the cherubical hymn sanctus sanctus sanctus prayers before the consecration In which says he we pray our most benign God that he would send
his spirit on what is set before us that he indeed would make this bread Christ's body and the wine Christ's bloud for what the holy Ghost teaches is altogether sanctified and transmuted but then when that spiritual sacrifice is made we pray for the living and dead c. all which is found in S. James liturgie S. Dionise and S. Clement have made the description of S. Peters Mass where are many things also like to those of S. James and what now are in use in the Latine Church S. Epiphanius an 370. Haeres 79. calls S. James the Principal leader of the Mysteries and sacrifice For the satifaction of the Reader I shall make a brief observation of what I find in his liturgie as I find it in Claudius de sanctis printed 111. years past The glorious Apostle S. James composed for his people of Hierusalem his liturgie or Mass wherin he frequently calls it a divine and supercelestial mysterie a sacred and dreadful Mysterie made at the holy Altar a dreadful and incruental or unbloudy sacrifice In which commemoration is made of the most holy Immaculate our most glorious lady Mother of God and alwaies Virgin Mary with all the saints and Just in another place he has the same concluding that by their prayers and intercession we may obtaine Mercy In another place the Priest prayes that he would grant that this our Oblation may be grateful acceptable sanctified by the holy Ghost for the propitiation of our sins and for the Rest of our friends who have slept before us Before we ask of our Lord the Angel of peace our faithful guide keeper of our souls and bodies the Catechumens and others are dismissed then the priest uses Incense saying Receive O Lord from our hands who are sinners this Incense as thou didst receive those things which Abel Noe Aaron and Samuel and all thy saints have offered Let all humane and mortal flesh be silent and stand with fear and trembling and contemplate with it self no terrene thing for the King of kings and Lord of lords Christ our God comes forth to be Immolated and given for food to the faithful The consecration is the same with some little difference with that of the Roman Mass and in the prayer following We offer to thee O Lord this venerable and incruental sacrifice and a little after let his descending holy and good and glorious presence sanctifie and make this bread the holy body of thy Christ and this Chalice the precious bloud of thy Christ and when he breaks the bread he puts part into the Chalice saying The union of the most holy body precious bloud of our Lord and God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Before Communion he has this prayer O Lord our God celestial bread life of the Vniverse I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be made partaker of thy immaculate mysteries but thou as a merciful God make me worthy by thy grace that without damnation I may be partaker of thy holy body and precious bloud unto remission of sins and life everlasting and after We give thee thanks O Christ our God for that thou hast vouchsafed us to be made partakers of thy body and blond in remission of sins and to eternal life Moreover he that peruses this Mass of S. James may find most things which are in use in the Roman Church as Incensing the Altar Salutation of the people with Pax vobis or peace be with you at least 7. times the oracles of the Old Testament and doctrine of the new for which now is Epistle and Gospel Domine miserere or kirye eleison at least 15. times the Gloria in excelsis Creed and our Lords prayer Inelination at the prayers often signing the gifts with the sign of the Cross and dismission of the people with benediction I cannot omit that in the Consecration of the Chalice the Apostle particularly declares that the wine should be mingled with water from these we may fee what the Mass was in those Apostolical times § 2. Of the Liturgy of S. Basil SAint Proclus aforesaid says that many more divine Pastors who succeeded the Apostles and Doctours of the Church explicating the reason of the holy Mysteries of that divine Liturgie or Mass have delivered and committed it in writing and then naming S. Clement and S. James but Great S. Basil seeing the slouth and negligence of men and that they thought of nothing but terrene and abject things and that therefore they were weary of long Mass not that he thought it to contain any superfluous thing or over-long but to prescind the dulness and slackness of the Prayers and hearers for that they spent much time therein he gave a shorter to be recited for after that our Saviour was assumpted into heaven the Apostles before they were dispersed through the whole earth assembling with conspiring minds were converted to prayer the whole day and when they found much conso lation to be placed in the Mysticall sacrifice of our Lords body they did sing the liturgie or Mass abundantly and long prayer Since they esteemed these divine sacred things joined together was to be preferred before all other things and they were inflamed with a greater study and desire of divine things and the holy sacrifice and earnestly embraced it which they alwaies had in memory the word of our Lord saying This is my body and do ye this in my commemoration and he who eats my flesh and drinks my bloud abides in me and I in him wherefore also with a contrite heart they did sing many prayers vehemently imploring the divine Majesty c. by these prayers they expected the comming of the holy Ghost that by his divine presence he would make the bread and wine mixt with water ordained for the sacrifice the very body and bloud of our Saviour Jesus Christ which religious rite verily is observed to this very time and shall flourish even to the end of the world I have the more willingly rehersed the words of this holy Bishop highly commended by St. Cyril a Grecian and teaching purposely of the divine liturgie or Mass and explicating it in each particular according to the two liturgies or Mass of S. Basil and S. Chrysostome not much more then 30. years after S. Chrysostome had composed his form of Mass In this Mass of S. Basil we find most of those things mentioned before in that of S. James and frequent memory of our blessed Lady of the most holy our undesiled Lady Mother of God and alwaies Virgin Mary with all the saints And in a prayer before the hymn Sanctify our souls and bodies and give us grace to serve thee in sanctity all our dayes by the intercession of the holy Mother of God and all saints who have glorifyed thee from the beginning of the world The Bishop in secret prays Reeceive us approching to thy holy Altar according to the multitude of thy mercyes that we may be worthy
to offer to thee that rational and unbloudy sacrifice for our sins and ignorance of the People The Consecration is some what different but by the action and words of our Saviour after which the Bishop prayes in secret Therefore O most holy Lord we also sinners and they unworthy servants who are ordained to minister at thy Altat not for our righteousnesse for we have not done any thing good on earth but for thy mercies and miserations which thou hast abundantly poured on us we confiding draw near to thy holy Altar propounding the things consigurating the holy body and bloud of thy Christ we beseech thee and ask thee O holy of holies that by thy wel-plensing benignitie thy holy spirit may comt upon us and on these guifts which are set before us to bless and sanctifie them and declare this bread to be the honour able body of our Lord God and Suvicur jesu Christ and that which is in the Chalice the very bloud of our Lord God and our Saviout Jesu Christ which is shed for the life of the world Again Make us all partaking of one bread and Chalice to be united together in the Communion of one holy Spirit and receive the holy body and bloud of thy Christ c. Before Communion the Bishop said O Lord Jesu Christ our God behold from thy holy tabernacle and come to sanctifie us who sittest above with the Father and here invisibly art joyned to us vouchsafe with thy pawerful hand to give us thy holy and undesiled body and precious bloud and by us sinners to thy people Prayer for the dead Be mindful of all who sleep in the hope of Resurrection to eternal life and as for Altars Vestments Incense some prayers in secret Kyrie eleison very frequently In like manner Pax vobis the Epistle and Gospel signing the bread and wine and the people with the signe of the Cross turning to the people washing of hands elevation of the bread to shew it to the people dismission of the people with many other things which we now use in the Roman Mass the like I may say of S. Chrysostomes Mass of which in the next Paragraph §. 3. Of S. Chrysostom's Liturgie or Mass NOt long after S. Basil S. John Chrysostome on the same reasons did abbreviate the form of Mass which the Grecians do observe to this day and besides the practise many Expositors as Proclus Bishop of Constantinople within 30. years after S. German Bishop of the same place in his Theorie of holy things wherein he explicates all the ceremonies and substance of the Mass Nicolas Cabasilus Archbishop of Thessalonia in his explication of the liturgie The holy Martyr Maximus in his book de Ecclesiastica Mystagogia of the Ecclesiastical Mysteries and ceremonies Bessarion Bishop of Nice and afterward Cardinal and others all agreeing in the same Mysteries and others all agreeing in the same Mysteries with S. Chrysostome in his Liturgie Add to this that we may find the self same dispersed in his several works as Clandius de sanctis has pithily collected in the end of his book de Liturgils Let us briesly set down what S. Chrysostome has in his We find all the Ceremonies now used in the Lattin Church as all along are noted in the second part of the liturgical Discourse particularly of Altars Vestments signing the bread and wine the book of the Gospel Incense and Peoples Inclinations adorations some prayers in silence prayer for the Pope partition of the host whereof one piece is put into the Chalice Elevation of the holy Sacrament Pax benediction at the end of offering at the Altar Mention is made of the Ineruental host and the Priest prayes We give thee thanks O Lord God of vertues who hast thought us worthy to assist now at thy holy Altar and to prostrate to thy mercies for our sins and ignorance of the people O Lord God receive our supplication and make us worthy in offering prayer and the Incruental host to thee for all thy people And again in another prayer Make me annointed with the grace of Priesthood to assist at this holy table and consecrate thy holy body and precious bloud A little after Grant that these Sacraments may be offered by me a sinner and thy unworthy servant for thou art he that offers and is offered the receiver and distributer Christ our Lord The words of consecration are a little different from those of the former Liturgies After the Priest sayes We offer to thee this rational and Incruental dutie and we pray and supplicate and ask that thou wouldst send thy holy Spirit upon us and on these thy gifts and make this bread indeed the precious body of thy Christ and what is in the Chalice the Preci-bloud of thy Christ The Deacon saying Amen the Priest adds Changing by thy holy spirit And after Look down O Lord Jesu Christ our God from thy holy Tabernacle and from the seat of Glory of thy kingdom and come to sanctify us thou who sittest above with the Father and assists us invisibly here beneath vouchsafe to give us by thy powerful hand thy Immaculate body and precious bloud and by us to all the People Besides in this Liturgie the priest frequently calls upon our Blessed Lady craving her Intercessiion as also of the Angels and Saints and for the living and Dead In sine there is nothing in the now Roman Mass but Order and Decorum that was not in the former Mass in the primitive times so that we may say if the Mass was good in those times the Roman Mass is now good and if this the now Roman Mass be Idolatrous and sacrilegious the Liturgies Mass or publick prayer of the Church of those times were so also so that there never was a true Christian Church CHAP. III. The Sacrifice of the Mass proved out of the testimonie of Popes and Councels in the first 500. years NExt to this of the practise of the Church the authority of the holy Popes who have been within those 500. years ought to have a great weight and credit wherefore I shall begin with S. Leo 440. under whom was celebrated that famous Councel of Chalcedon admitted by the now English Church and for his great acts was surnamed the Great he I say Epist 81. to Dioscorus Ordained that for the necessity of the people a priest might say more then one Mass in solemn feasts and Epist 88. to the Bishops of Germany and France he gives a command that Coriepiscopes or Priests should not reconcile any penitent publickly in Mass 367. Pope Damascus Epist 4. made the same Decree and in his Pontifical speaking of Alexander Pope and Martyr he sayes that he did mingle our Lords Passion in the priests prayers when Masses were celebrated and that Sixtus Pope and Martyr ordained that the priest beginning the action of Mass the people should sing the hymn holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth 297. S. Marcelline Pope and Martyr Epist 1. The
house entreated one of our Priests to go thither and expell them by prayer one went and offered there the Sacrifice of Christs body and by Gods mercy the divells did leave the place lib. 9. confess cap. 12. the Saint tells us that he was present when the Sacrifice was offered for his Mothers Soul 398. S. Chrysostome in 2. ad Tit. 1. hom 2. That holy oblation which Peter or Paul or a Priest of whatsoever merit he be who doth offer is the same which Christ gave to his Disciples which now also Priests do make this has no less then that hom 24. in 1. Cor. 10. God hath prepared here a much more admirable and more magnificent Sacrifice and when he had changed the Saccrifice for the slaughter of bruit beasts he commanded himself to be offered hom 69. ad Populum Antioch It was not unadvisedly ordained by the Apostles that commemoration of the dead should be made in the dreadfull mysteries for they know that from thence much gain and profit comes to them for when the whole people with hands stretched forth the sacerdotall plenitude and the dreadfull Mystery is propounded how praying for them shall we not be heard of God To these we may admit what the same Saint hath left to posterity in his liturgie of which we have spoken already cap. 1. § 3. and remit the Reader to Claud. de Sanctis at the end of his book of the Liturgy who hath made a Collection out of S. Chrysostoms works not only in general but also in every particular of the Masse 390. S. Jerome Epist ad Theophilum applauding his book sayes In thy work we have beheld the verity of the Churches that those who are ignorant may learn and be taught by the testimony of the Scriptures with what veneration they ought to receive holy things and serve in the Ministery of Christs Altar and to have the holy Chalice and holy veils and other things which belong to the worship of our Lords passion from the participation of our Lords body and bloud Again in cap. 1. ad Tit. If lay-men be commanded to abstain from their wives for prayer what shall we think of a Bishop who must dayly offer immaculate sacrifices unto God for his own sins and for the sins of the people 380. S. Gregory of Nice orat de Resurrect Our Lord preventing the violence of the Jews offered himself a sacrifice being himself both priest and Lamb but thou wilt say to me when was this done even then when he gave to his familiar friends his body to eat and his bloud to drink and what he himself did the same he commanded his Ministers to do 374. S. Ambrose in his prayer before Mass which the Church to this day uses exclaims O with how great confusion of heart and fountain of tears with how great reverence and trembling with how great chastity of body and purity of mind is that divine and celestial sacrifice to be celebrated where thy flesh in verity is taken where thy bloud in verity is drunken where lowest things are joyned to highest things earthly things to Divine where is the presence of the holy Angels where thou art wonderfully and ineffably Sacrifice and Priest Again I O Lord mindful of thy venerable Passion do come to thy Altar although a sinner that I may offer to thee the sacrifice which thou hast instituted and commanded to be offered in remembrance of thee for our Salvation And in his Mass he has this prayer How can we despair of thy mercy who receive so great a gift that we should deserve to offer such an host to thee to wit the body and bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ who delivered himself for the redemption of the world to that pious and venerable passion who instituting the form of everlasting sacrifice of Salvations first offered himself a sacrifice and first taught it to be offered And again Our Lord Jesus Christ thy son hath ordained the Rite of sacrificing in the New testament when he transformed bread and wine which Melchisedech Priest had offered in prefiguration of the mystery to come into the sacrament of his body and bloud and l. de officits cap. 48. Now Christ is offered as man as receiving his passion and he offers himself as Priest that he may forgive our sins And in Psal 38. We have seen the high Priest coming unto us we have seen and heard him offering his bloud for us let us Priests follow him as much as we can that we though weak in merit yet honorable by the Sacrifice may offer sacrifice for the people for although Christ is not now seen to offer yet he is offered on earth when the body of Christ is offered yea he is manifestly offered in us his word sanctifies the sacrifice which is offered 370. S. Gregory Nariazene orat 4. makes mention of Altars having their name from the most pure and incruental sacrifice 340. S. Athanasius Ser. de Defunct The Oblation of the unbloudy sacrifice is our propitiation 328. Eusebius l. 1. de demonst cap. 10. After all things Christ working our salvation offered to his Father a certain wonderful victim and excellent sacrifice for the salvation of us all and ordained in memory thereof that we our selves should offer it to God for a sacrifice 318. S. Cyrill of Hierusalem Catech. 5. explicates the most parts of the Mass I will only note his words on the Consecration We pray sayes he the most benign God that he would send his holy spirit on the things set before us that he may indeed make the bread the body of Christ and the wine the bloud of Christ for that on which the holy spirit comes upon is altogether sanctified and transmutated or changed from one thing to another 350. S. Cyprian Epist 63. ad Clerum The Bishops our predecessours religiously considering and wholsomely providing that no brother departing this life shall name a Clergy-man to be tutour or guardian over pupils If he doth no offering is to be made for him nor sacrifice celebrated for his rest because he deserves not to be named at the Altar in the prayer of the Priests who would withdraw Priests and Ministers from the Altar for which he alledges the authority of Pope Victor and Sermone de coena Domini This sacrifice is a perpetual and alwaies a permanent holocaust no multitude consumes this bread it becomes not old by antiquity 180. S. Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 34. the Churches oblation which our Lord taught to be offered in the whole world is reputed before God a sacrifice pure and acceptable to him And again The kinde of Oblation is not reproved for oblations were there and also oblations are here sacrifice in the people and sacrifices in the Church And after he makes an argument against the hereticks of those times Now will it be manifest that the Bread whereon thanksgivings are made is the body of our Lord and Chalice his bloud if they say Christ is not the
as partly will be more manifest in the next Chapter CHAP. XIII Transubstantiation proved in all the ages of the Church THis terrible word Transubstantiation is much baited at by this learned Doctor even as the word homousion declared and determined by two General Councils was impugned by the Arians because it was new and not found in the Scripture even so this word approved by two general Councils was rayled at by hereticks when they could not disprove what was specified thereby I will not contend for the word but for what is signified thereby the Councils of Trent indeed approves the word sess 13. cap. 4. and explicates it to be the Conversion of the whole substance of the bread and wine into the substance of the body and bloud of Christ so also defines it can 2. In this sence I shall produce Fathers and Doctors of all ages and times since Christ and so confirm what the Doctor jeeringly yet most ignorantly affirms when he says that the Masse began with Transubstantiation as indeed it did for the Mass was never without it when the conversion of bread and wine is the essential part of the Masse as it has been fully declared I let passe his plain contradiction when forgetful of what he had said before admitting the Masse to have been in the Roman Church for near 1200. years past he now says that it began with Transubstantiation which he will have to have been begun from the Lateran Council held in the year 1215. where this matter was declared to be of Faith not as if it was then newly invented but as the common Faith of the Church wherein the whole Christian world agreed for there were present besides the Pope Innocent the 3d 412 Bishops the two Patriarchs of Constantinople and Jerusalem the Legates of Antioch and Alexandria Archbishops Primates and Metropolitans 75. Abbots and Priors 800. Legats and Procurators of Bishops and others without number The Embassadours of both the Emperours Roman and Grecian of the King of France England Hungary Jerusalem Cyprus Aragon and many other Princes who all consented to this declaration in opposition to some heresies of those times Now that such was the doctrine of the Roman Church before that Council is manifest by the opposition that was made against Berengarius who for the contrary opinion was condemned in three several provincial Councils several learned men of those times did write against him as Lanfransus Archbishop of Canterbury I. de sacram Eucharist The Church spread in the whole world acknowledges bread and wine set on the Altar to be consecrated and in the consecration to be changed incomprehensibly and ineffably into the substance of the flesh and bloud of Christ In like manner Algerus Guitmans and Petrus Cluniacen who lib. 1. Epist 2. Let them see what foolish incredulity what blinde doubting it is either not to see or doubt that bread is changed into the flesh of Christ and wine into his bloud by divine power when by the same many things are changed into another even in the nature of things which he proves by many examples and concludes It is far more as the holy Fathers of the Church say to create things that have no being than to form other and other things of those things which have a being all these above a 100. years before that Council But nothing more clearly convinces it then the Recantation which Berengarius made in a Roman synod held anno 1079. above a 130. years before the same Council in this form I Berengarius do from my heart believe and by mouth professe the bread and wine placed on the Altar by the Mystery of prayers and words of our Redeemer to be substantially converted into the true and proper and life-giving flesh and bloud of Jesus Christ our Lord and to be the true Body which was born of the Virgin which offered for the worlds salvation did hang on the Crosse which sits at the right hand of the Father and Christs true bloud which did flow from his side not only by signe and vertue of the sacrament but in propriety of Nature and verity of substance In this faith and belief he died A little before this time lived Theophilact Archbishop of Bulgary a Grecian in Joan. 6. Bread by the sacred words and Mystical benediction with the comming of the holy Ghost is transformed into our Lords flesh He has the same in Marc. 14. adding Our merciful God condescending to our infirmity did keep the species of bread and wine but trans-elementated it into the vertue of flesh and bloud And in cap. 26. Mat. He said not This is a figure but This is my body for it is by an ineffable operation transformed as bread in appearance but in very deed flesh Of the Latins about the year 730. Venerable Bede in 6. Joan. Christ dayly washes us from our sins in his bloud when the memory of his Passion is represented on the Altar when the Creatures of bread and wine are by the sanctification of the ineffable spirit transformed into the sacred Meat of his flesh and bloud and about the same time the famous Grecian Father S. John Damascene l. 4. de fide Orthod c. 24. As the holy Ghost working all things whatsoever were made so what then shall hinder but that of bread he may make his body and of wine and water his bloud and even as whatsoever God did make that he did by the work of the holy Ghost in the same manner now also the operation of the holy Ghost does that which exceeds nature and which tannot be taken or understood unless it be by faith only And a little after Verily the body is truly united to the divinity that body which came from the holy Virgin not that the body assumed descends from heaven but because the bread and wine it self is changed into Christs body and bloud If thou ask how is this done it is enough for thee to hear that it is done by the holy Ghost even as from the holy Mother of God our Lord by the holy Ghost did make to himself and in himself flesh there is nothing more manifest or perceptible to us then that the word of God is truly efficacious and omnipotent for the manner of it is such that it cannot be searched or found out by any reason A little after Bread and wine are not figures of Christs body far be it but the very body of our Lord joyned to the Divinity for sith our Lord himself said this is not a signe of body but body nor the sign of bloud but bloud And again If some have called the bread and wine the figure of our Lords body and bloud they did not say it after the Consecration but usurped this word before the oblation was consecrated to be brief In that place the Saint uses these phrases Christ made his body of bread and wine he made these things his body and bloud the bread and wine are changed into