the penaltie of death imposed vpon those Priests who should drink wine whilest they were seruing in the Tabernacle Leuit. 10. 9. And amongst all the Iewes it was esteemed a profane thing and a token of idolatrie to drink of their drink offerings Deut. 32. 30. Hest. 14. 17. Cor. 10. 7. Therefore our Sauiour said This do ye that is shed my bloud to God for you or offerr vnbloudy Sacrifice in my bloud for you as often as you shall drink for the commemoratiō of me Otherwise if our Sauiour had not giuen them an expres command to offer the Chalice in Sacrifice before they drunk of it either they would not haue offered Sacrifice in the Chalice or els they would not haue drunk of it not to trangress the old Law where they vsed not to drink of their drink offerings in the Sacrifices and communion but of a cup of ordinary wine after the Sacrifice and communion was ended as appeareth by the ritual of the Iewes 11. And if we examine the institution of the B. Sacrament set down by S. Paul we shall find also that our Sauiour at his last Supper instituted an vnbloudie Sacrificie in the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud S. Paule saying Our Lord Iesus in the night he was betraied tooke bread and giuing thankes brake and said as it is in the originall greeke and as Protestants and Puritans translate it take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe in remembrance of me 1. Cor. 11. 24. Where first we may obserue that he doth not saie This is my bodie which is broken to you as in a Sacrament but which is broken for you to God as in a Sacrifice after the manner of vnbloudie Sacrifices which were deuided and brokē as I haue shewed in the 11. chapter Secondly our Sauiour saith This is my bodie which is broken for you to expresse himselfe that he then offered Gifts or vnbloudie Sacrifice for vs to God and commanding the Apostles to obserue that kinde of Sacrifice in his Church addeth Doe this in commemoration of me 12. If our Sauiour in administratiō of the communion If our Sauiour had not intended a Sacrifice he vvould not haue vsed the vvordes proper to signify a Sacrifice had not intended to offer vnbloudie Sacrifice or Gifts he would not when all the world vsed to offer Sacrificie in their Communion haue vsed these wordes so often which are proper to signify an vnbloudie Sacrifice or Gifts as This is my bodie which is giuen for you This is my bodie which is broken for you This is the bloud of the new Testament which is shed for manie This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you but haue left them out for if he had not intended to offer Sacrifice these wordes would haue bin better left out and the sense of his wordes would haue bin more cleare and manifest if he had said thus Taking bread he gaue thankes and gaue to them saying Doe this for a commemoration of me And then there would haue bin no dispute or difficultie about the text but these former words being in the text and these aforesaid texts being thus sett downe in the Greeke Bibles and the Protestantes and Puritans themselues translating them after the afore said manner in their English Bibles and the ancienet Fathers vnderstanding them to be spoken of vnbloudie Sacrifce and the whole knowne Nothing more manifest in the Bible then that our Sauiour at his laste Supper instituted a Sacrifice world Atheists and Epicures only excepted vsing them to communicate of things offered in Sacrifice as I haue proued in the 3. Chapter of the first part there is nothing more manifest in the Bible then that our Sauiour in the administration of the communion at his last Supper instituted an vnbloudie Sacrifice in his bodie and bloud 13. To this which hath bin said if we add the A Sacrifice commanded by S. Paule in the Communion words of S. Paule where he commandeth vs saying As often as you shall eate this bread and drinke the Chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntill he come 1. Cor. 11. 26 and our Lord not dying against his will but voluntarily and willingly offering The offering of himselfe in Sacrifice the chiefest act in the Passion of our Lord. vp himself in Sacrifice for vs Isa 53. 7. Ioh. 10. 16. 19 how can anie Christian man with reason doubt whether we should offer Sacrifices or no in commemoration of his death especially seeing that as I haue said before the offering of himselfe in Sacrifice for vs is the chiefest act whereby we receaue benefit by his sacred Passion for if our Sauiour had dyed and had not offered or giuen his life for our Redemption we had receaued no benefit by his sacred death Whereby we see that of all the absurdities this is one of the greatest to graunt as Puritans do that we ought in the administration of the Sacrament to make a commemoration of the Passion of our Sauiour for vs and yet deny that we ought to offer Sacrifice in his commemoration when the offering of himself in Sacrifice for vs is the chiefest thing in his Passion and the greatest benefit we haue receaued by his death and so manifestly expressed and commanded in the Scriptures that we ought to shew forth his death and giue his bodie to God for vs as often as we shall consecrate the Communion as that it can not be denied and that to communicate and not of things offered vp in Sacrifice is by the Scripture accounted a great sinne 1. Kings 2. and contrarie to the practise of all Natiōs as I haue shewed in the first part Wherefore our Aduersaries if they would speake or proceede consequenter they should either deny that they ought to make a commemoration of the Passion of our Lord in their Lordes Supper or els vse an externall visible Sacrifice in their Lordes Supper to shew forth the Sacrifice of our Lord vpon the Crosse And this is sufficient to manifeste vnto anie indifferent Reader that our Lord at the institution of the most blessed Sacrament instituted an vnbloudy Sacrifice or Gifts in his bodie and bloud vnder the species of bread and wine to be offered vnto God in commemoration of him CHAP. II. How these wordes this is my body which shal be deliuered for you import also a Sacrifice in his bodie 1. IF we read this Text of S. Paule according to the vulgar latin translation which saith This is my bodie which shal be deliuered for you 1. Cor. 11. 24. it agreeth in one with that of S. Luke which saith This is my bodie which is giuen for you and with that of the greeke translation which saith This is my body which is broken for you when the Scriptures saie This is my body which is giuen for you or This is my body which is broken for you in the present tense
OF THE VISIBLE SACRIFICE OF THE CHVRCH OF GOD. THE FIRST PART VVritten by ANONYMVS EREMITA He that Sacrificeth to Gods shall be put to death but to our Lord only Exod. 22. 20. AT BRVXELLES By HVBERT ANTONY Velpius Printer to his Maiestie 1637. TO THE MOST EXCELLENT HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE CHARLES KING OF GREAT BRITAINE France Ireland c. Health and eternall felicitie MOst dread Soueraigne So many are the temporall blessings which All tie God hath bestowed vpon your Royall Maiestie that scarcely can they be paralelled in any other A Monarke of three Kingdomes all fortefied with the Ocean sea a Queene wyse vertuous beutifull and fruitefull subiects without number all in peace and plentie stryuing how to expresse their loues and obedience to so worthie a soueraigne health of Body and disposition of mynd fitt for any heroicall action so that not knowing what to wish or how to adde any more vnto your present temporall estate and happinesse as much as in me lyeth I desyre with all my heart that these your temporall blessings may also be seconded with spirituall eternall And for this cause and to this end hauing occasion to wryte of a Medecine against mortalitie of a Receipt against all diseases corruption and death of a Soueraigne Balme which whosoeuer will vse worthely shall liue eternally I could not but dedicate these my labours vnto your Maiestie vnto whom aboue all men liuing I wish compleat felicitie that protected by your royall fauour this Cordiall may worke the effect I desire which is euerlasting happines to your selfe subiects And so imploring your royall clemencie with most humble respects and profound submission I cast my selfe and labours vnder the shadow of your gratious protection euer to remaine Of your Sacred Maiestie A most humble and most faithfull subject ANONYMVS EREMITA THE PREFACE TO THE READER DEare Reader It may seeme strange vnto thee that an Hermit whose entertainment and conuersation ought chiefly to be in solitude meditation contemplation should trouble himselfe in his Cell with the turbulent controuersies of this tyme in matters of faith which in former ages when innocencie and vertue most florished euery Christian receaued with his baptisme after most constantly to hould and professe the same all the dayes of his life yet so it fell out that in conuersing with dyuers Puritans I found by experience that out of ignorance and want of knowledge what our visible sacrifice is by whome it was instituted or to what end they hate it more then they doe Iudaisme Turcisme or Paganisme it selfe in such sort that they obiect our offering of visible Sacrifice as one of the chiefest causes of their alienation from vs when in truth and veritie exterior visible sacrifice is the cheef exterior visible honor which is due to God as he is God and Creator of all things as will appeare by examination if we shall passe through all the exterior visible worships respects reuerences which are vsed by men in this life and it is so due vnto God alone that it may not be giuen vnto any Creature or false God vnder penaltie of high treason against his Deuine Maiestie punishable by death as witnesseth his lavv and euerlasting decree saging He that sacrificeth to Gods shall be put to death But to our Lord only So that the first motiue which moued me to wryte of this subiect was the grosse ignorāce and blindnesse I found in many Puritans who commonly would bitterly inueigh against our visible sacrifice not knowing what it was nor wherfore it was instituted for otherwyse I suppose they would not be so vehement against the honour of God therfore thought with my selfe for the honor of God and good of their soules to wryte plainly and manifestly of this subiect without any flourishing words or loftinesse of style or farr fetcht inuentions to make euery well minded simple Protestant or Puritan who will be delyghted with truth capable to perceaue and vnderstand that the exterior visible sacrifice or Masse which he so much hateth is the cheef exterior visible worshipp which doth belong vnto God alone that he may also defend the honor of God and not oppose it Secondly the emminencie excellencie of the Sacrament of the Alter is so greate that S. Augustine in the 24. chapter of his first booke de peccatorū meritis calleth it The lyfe of the world S. Ignatius disciple to S. Iohn the Euangelist The medecine of immortalitie and antidote against death S. Epiphanius in his Epistle to Iohn of Hierusalem The chiefest saluation of Christians vvhich before God is also so highly prysed that vvhen through wickednes of men and of Antechrist it shall be quyte taken a way out of the face of the earth the world shall end as witnesseth our fauiour saying The bread which I will giue is my flesh for the lyfe of the world Iohn 6. 51. for euē as when lyfe is takē from a man a man dyeth so when the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord shall be taken out of the world by the meanes of wicked men and of Antechrist the world shall be consumed with fyer as witnesse Daniel 9. 27. Mat. 24. 15. 1. Cor. 11. 26. Which considered fynding the passion of the Puritans of our nation so furious against this said Sacrament of the Alter as to esteeme the reuerence respect which is due vnto it Idolatrie and so to persecute it that if it lay in their poners they would not only extirpate it out of this Iland of great Britanie but out of the whole globe of the earth to bring in their fancie of eating a peece of bakers bread The honour of my lord the saluation of their soules and the lyfe of my Countrie moued me to abstract some howers from my ordinarie recollections to defend with my penne the dignitie of so emminent a Sacrament If this worke of myne fall short of thyne expectation accept of my good will which is if it were in my poner te giue all honor vnto God vnto whome all honor and glorie is due and vnto thee Reader lyfe of eternall lyfe and so Irest thy seruant in Christ Iesus CHAP. I. VVhat we vnderstand by visible Sacrifice and of the whole scope of this booke TO vnfold vnto thee deare Reader the whole scope of this our booke and to sett plainely and manifestly before thine eyes the whole state of this controuersy Of the exterior visible Sacrifyce of the Church of God where of I intend by Gods grace to treate It is necessary first to explicate vnto thee what a sacrifice in generall is then to distinguish the different kindes of Sacrifice one from an other after to defyne or descrybe a proper exterior visible sacrifice and lastly to sett downe the differences between Catholiques and English Protestants and Puritans concerning visible sacrifice that by this first Chapter thou maist cleerly know what I treate of and see the said differences and the whole
giuen for you as at that present time For we must obserue that when our lord gaue himselfe vpon the Crosse He gaue himself as S. Paule saith Tit. 2. 12. à Redemption for all So here to distinguish from the giuing or offering himselfe vpon the Crosse and to take awaie al suspition or imagination that here he should speake of the giuing of his bodie vpon the Crosse he saith This is my bodie which is giuen for you as in an vnbloudie Sacrifice and not for all men as in the bloudie Sacrifice of the Crosse And after that our Or Sauiour commanded the offering of vnbloudie Sacrifice in his bodie Lord had offered Gifts or vnbloudie Sacrifice in his bodie to God and communicated the Apostles of the said Gifts or Sacrifice he then gaue them a command saying Doe this for a commemoration of me and instituted an vnbloudie Sacrifice cleane oblation or Sacrifice of Gifts in his bodie to be vsed in his Church and gaue the Apostles and their Successors rightly ordayned authoritie to offer an vnbloudie Sacrificie or cleane oblation or Gift in his body for commemoration of him vntill he come to Iudgment to the verifying of that which was spoken by the Prophet Malachie saying From the rising of the Sunn euen to the going down great is my name amongst the Gentils in euery place there is Sacrificing there is offered to my name a cleane oblation 4. In like manner our Sauiour Taking the Chalice he gaue thanks and gaue to the Apostles saying Our Sauiour instituted an vnbloudie Sacrifice in his bloud Drink ye all of this for this is mi◠my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many vnto remission of sinnes Math. 26. or This is my bloud of the new Testament that is shed for many Mar. 14. or This is the Chalice the new Tectament in my bloud which is shed for you Luc. 22 as it is in ihe original greek and as Protestants and Puritans translate these texts Where first wee are to obserue that he doth not say this is my bloud which is shed to you as in a cōmunion only to eate but which is shed for you to God as an vnbloudie Sacrifice where there was no carnall but spirituall effusion of bloud 5. Secondly we must obserue that when our Sauiour shed his bloud vpon the Crosse he shed it for all the world as witnesseth the Scripture 2. Cor. 5. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 19. 1. Ioh. 4. 14. and therefore to distinguish here this his shedding of his bloud at his last Supper from that shedding of his bloud vpon the Crosse he saith This is my bloud which is shed for many or which is shed for you and doth no say This is my bloud which is shed for all Our Sauiour vpon the Crosse shed his bloud for all at his last Supper for many only to shew that here at his last Supper he did not shed his bloud for all men as he did vpon the Crosse but for many as for these only of his Church c. 6. It is to be noted that the bloud which was here shed was in a Chalice according to his words saying This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud that vpon the Crosse was shed out of his side Vpon the Crosse our Sauiours bloud vvas shed out of his side at his last Supper in a Chalice as witnesseth the Scripture saying One of the Soldiers with a speare opened his side presently there came forth bloud water Ioh. 19. 34. 7. The Euangelists here set down the actiōs of our Sauiour what our Sauiour did at his last Supper and what he would haue his Church to do in commemoratiō of him and not what the Iewes were to act or execute vpon him at his Passion and therefore they say IESVS tooke bread and blessed and brake and said c. and do not here speake of what the Iewes were to do at his Passion 8. It is to be noted that the Sacrifice of our Sauiour vpon the Crosse was a Sacrifice of Redemption which was to be applied vnto vs by Baptisme the Sacraments Faith Hope and Charitie c and that this Sacrificie of his last Supper is a Sacrifice of Religion commemoration and application of that as a principal meanes where by we may become partakers of the fruit and benefit of that vpon the The Sacrifice at the last supper is not a Sacrifice of Redemptiō but of commemoratiō or applicatiō of it vnto vs. Crosse and therefore our Sauiour saith This is my bloud which is shed for many vnto remission of sinnes for as many as shall worthily vse it by way of application and commemoration of the Sacrifice of the Crosse vnto them selues as our Sauiour witnesseth immediatly adding This do ye as often as you shal drink for the commemoration of me 1. Cor. 11. 25. 9. It is much to be noted that by these words This do ye as often as you shall drinke for the commemoration of me Our Sauiour did not only giue authorite vnto the Apostles and their Successors rightly ordeyned to offer vnbloudy Sacrifice in Our Sauiour commanded a Sacrifice in the Chalice his bloud but also commanded them that they should not drink of the Chalice in commemoration of him without first offering it in Sacrifice to God saying This do ye that is shed my bloud to God for you or for many as often as you shal drink for the commemoration of me absolutly forbidding them to make commemoration of him in the Chalice or to drink of it in memory of him without shedding it or offering it first in Sacrifice vnto God for many vnto the remission of sinnes 10. And the causes why our Sauiour here bindeth the Apostles and theirs Successors not to drinke of the Chalice in commemoration of him before they offered it in Sacrifice to God were first for that our Sauiour offering of him felfe in Sacrifice for vs was the chiefe part of his Passion in such sort as if our Sauiour had died and yed had not offered his death in Sacrifice for vs wee had receaued no benefitt by his Passion and therfore he forbiddeth the drinking of the Chalice in commemoration of him before it be offered in Sacrifice A sinne te cōmunicate not of things offered in Sacrifice Whervpon the sonnes of Hely are called sonnes of Beliall 1. Kings 2 because they would eate of the meate which was prepared for the commemoration of our Lord before it was offered in Sacrifice and so left out the commemoration of the chiefest part of the Passion of our Lord which was his volontarie offering of himselfe in Sacrifice for vs. Secondly in the ould Law the Iewes did not drink of these Sacrifices or commemoration of Christ to come but only eat as is manifest num 15. 5. 7. 10. num 28. 8. 14. In somuch as that there The cause vvhy our Sauoiur cōmanded a Sacrifice in the Chalice was
God is true and euery man that speaketh contrary to his word and promises is a lyar Rom. 3. 4. and beleeue as an article of our Creed that the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord is in the blessed Sacrament after consecration by the omnipotency of the word of God and so make good the promises of God our 3. Creeds and the honor of the Catholik Church of former ages 23. If thou beest a Christian and esteemest Christians bound to honor their Parents that thou art bound to keep the ten commaundements and honor they carnall Father and Mother how much more art thou bound to honor God who is Father of all Fathers and the Catholik Church who is Mother of all Mothers who are or shal be saued So do but beleeue thy Creed which teacheth thee to saye I beleeue in God the Father Almighty and in Iesus-Christ his only Sonne our Lord and not to saye I beleeue mine owne witt judgment knowledge or learning and perswade they selfe that thou art bound to honor Father and Mother and then thou wilt finde that it is as certaine that the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord is in the blessed Sacrament after consecration when it is consecrated aright by a Priest lawfully ordained as are certaine the articles of they Creed or that the promises of God are true or that thou art bound to keep the fourth commandement CHAP. X. The Amen or conclusion of this book and how all faithfull communicants haue vsed to saye Amen to the body and bloud of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament before they communicated 1. OVr Sauiour foreseeing the infidelity which vvould arise amongst men towards the end of the world against this article of the reall presence of the body and bloud of our Lord in the Eucharist after consecration Confirmation of the reall presence by oath affirmed vnder a kind of oath that we shoud eate his flesh and drink his bloud saying Amen Amen I say to you vnlesse you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting and I will raise him vp at the last daye Io. 6. For as S. Augustine in his 41. Tract vpon the Ghospell of S. Iohn saith Amen Amen is after a certaine manner Christs oath And this our Sauiour did to establish in men a confident assurance of the deliuering of his true and reall flesh to eate and bloud to drink in the Communion For to thinke that Christ our Lord who came down from heauen to teach men the truth should vse a kinde of oath in so serious a matter as did concerne the euerlasting life or death of all his Auditors and yet equiuocate rightly considered is too great an impietie to enter into the heart of any one who professeth himselfe a Christian so that it cannot be doubted but the end why our Lord vsed this his kind of oath or earnest asseueration was to assure the faithfull that The cause vvhy our Sauiour confirmed the reall presence by oath he would giue them his true reall and substantiall flesh to eate in the Eucharist for as S. Hierome in his commentaries vpon the last chapter to the Galathians saith In the ould Testament God confirmeth his words by a certaine custome of swearing saying I liue saith the Lord c. and our Sauiour in the ghospell by the word Amen doth pronounce these things to be true which he saith 2. This Doctrine being thus established by our Lord vnder his kind of oath the Apostles also according to the example of our Lord foreseeing Preuention against future difficulties the difficulty which in future tymes would arise about it taught the Children of the Church of God in the celebration of this Sacrament either presently after the words of the consecration of the body and bloud of our Lord or before the Communion or both to add to their acclamations and consent by saying Amen either to the words of consecration or els to the Priest when he should call the Eucharist the body of Christ thereby to instruct all her faithfull children constantly to beleeue the being of the true reall and substantiall body of our Lord in the Eucharist after consecration before Communion and couragiously to professe this their beliefe by acclamations of Amen to the confusion and shame of all those who at any tyme thereafter should deny it As wittnesseth the practise of the Church in all ages euen from the Apostles tymes both in the publike Liturgies or Church seruice books and the workes of the ancient Fathers 3. And as for the Liturgies the Liturgy of S. Iames the Apostle sett fort for the Church of Hierusalem saith Iesus taking bread into his holy immaculate Amen to the reall presence taught by S. Iames. inculpable and immortall hands looking into heauen and shewing to thee God and Father giuing thankes sanctifying breaking he gaue vnto vs his Disciples and Apostles saying Take ye and eate this is my body which is broken for you and giuen for the remission of sinnes Wherevnto the people aswere with a lowde voice Amen to demonstrate that they beleeued the Eucharist after the consecration to be the true and reall body of Christ for to say Amen is as much as to saye It is true And the like they answere after the consecration of the chalice the Liturgie saying Then the Priest taketh the chalice and sayth In like manner also after he had supped taking the chalice and mixing it with wine and water and looking into heauen and shewing to thee God and Father giuing thankes sanctifying blessing filling with the holy Ghost he gaue it to vs his Disciples saying Drinke ye all of this this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for you and for many and is giuen for the remission of sinns Where vnto the people answere with a lowde voice Amen constantly to shew their faith and beliefe of the true reall and substantiall bloud of our Lord in the Eucharist after consecration and before they receiued it 4. Amen is an Hebrew word vsed in confirmation VVhat Amen signifyeth of a thing spoken of before and signifyeth true or truth as it is true or be it so As witnesseth the Scripture saying The Leuites shall pronounce and saie to all the men of Israel with alowde voice cursed is the man that maketh a grauen thing or idoll and shall put it in secret and all the people shall answere and saye Amen Cursed is he that honoreth not his Father and Mother and all the people shall saye Amen Cursed is he that remoueth his neighbours bounds and all the people shall saye Amen c. as is sett down Deut. 27. So likewise S. Paule saith To God be honor and glory for euer and euer Amen Rom. 16. 27. Againe The holy Ghost be with you all Amen Apoc. 22. 5. So