contemplate the works of God and confider every particular in one Miracle we may finde many Miracles which exceed all created power For the satisfaction of the Reader I shall illustrate it by examples Exodus the 4. God converted Moses his rod into a serpent which without all doubt was a great Miracle which also carries with it many Miracles included therein 1. the Rod was reduced to nothing and 2. To the serpent then created God gave motion proportion figure and other qualities of a serpent and in like manner turning this new created serpent into a rod the serpent was reduced to nothing and the serpent was converted into a rod which received a new being not by any created power but by God himself who also gave it colour proportion figure and dimension with other properties agreeable to the nature of a rod so that there was a double transubstantiation or conversion from one substance to another substance and transmutations or conversions of accidents to other accidents independently of any natural cause or action and here we may note that our wonderful God afterward gave to Moses power to do the same not by his humane vertue or power but by the power and gift of God whereby alone Moses as Gods Ministers and instrument did the same In like manner God did miraculously give to the Children of Israel Manna Exod. 16. and in it are contained many Miracles 1. That it was in such plenty that every day it was sufficient for three Millions 2. That every one how much or how little they gathered had as much and no more then theother 3. Every one received nourishment thereby equally to their condition savour and appetite The holy text sayes according to that which they were able to eat 4. The Manna putrified the next day excepting only the sabbaoth day when it did not putrify 5. On the sixth day the Manna was doubled and was not to be found on the sabaoth day 6. Solomon sap 16. tells us that God gave bread from heaven without labour having in it all delectation and the sweetness of all tasts serving every mans will and was turned to what every one would 7. God continued this Manna for 40. years and no more 8. God preserved this Manna in the Tabernacle for many ages If this Manna which as our Saviour himself John 6. teaches was but a figure or sign of the bread which he was to give to wit his body and bloud has so many maricles accompanyed it why should any reasonable man wonder that so many Miracles should accompany the celestial and divine Manna especially if they be necessarily annexed to the nature of so great and so miraculous a Sacrament wherein the body and bloud of our Saviour Christ is contained The royal Peophet Psal 110. cries out God hath made a memory of his miraculous works a merciful and pittiful Lord he hath given meat to them that fear him which according to all Catholick Interpreters is as much as to say God hath left one most special and most beneficial memory of all other benefits to wit his body and bloud in a miraculous manner as a memory of his Passion and our Redemption as the spiritual food and substance of all souls who rightly fear him The greatest Miracle is the Transubstantiation or conversion of the bread and wine into the body and bloud of Christ of which I shall speak in place convenient which with it carries necessarily many other Miracles as in the next Chapter I shall fully declare There remain two difficulties which manifest the Doctors Ignorance or malice the first is that the Doctor attributes all these Miracles to the Priests as if it all were done by their power according to our belief wherein he grievously errs as hereafter I shall declare for with S. Augustine l. 10. de civit Dei cap. 12. All Catholicks believe all Miracles done by Angels or men truly to be done by Gods power working in them If then there be any Miracles as no Christian can deny in the Eucharist it is God alone who works them by the Ministery of the Priests even as I said before he did work miracles by his servant Moses so S. Peter Act. 3. cured the lame man at the doors of the temple but advises the people that they should not think that he did it by his own power or holiness but in the name or power of Jesus so the priests do not any of those miraculous things in the sacrifice of the Mass by any humane power but by his ministerial power received in his Ordination Christ himself doth effect them so that the Doctors babling so often of Miracles wrought by the Romish priests is but meer raillery or most base ignorance The other as ignorant folly is his canting with reiteration touching the Roman priest bringing down Christs body from heaven at his pleasure as though Christ in coming to the Eucharist did leave the right hand of his Father in heaven which is a grosse errour for Christ is no less in heaven after the Consecration then he was before the Consecration he is sitting still at the right hand of his Father according to the Article of our Creed yet nevertheless he is in the Sacrament this indeed is a Miracle wrought only by Gods omnipotent power this made S. Chrysostome l. 3. de sacerdot to exclame O Miracle O benignity of God he who sitts above with the Father in the same article of time is often handled in the hands of all and he delivers himself to those who are desirous to receive and embrace him hom 3. ad Ephesios and hom 61. ad populum Antioch Also he says As many of us who communicate of the body of Christ and taste his bloud let us consider that we taste the body and taste the bloud of him who sits in the celestials and is adored by the Angels Their great Master Calvin lib. 4. Instit cap. 17. says In his supper he commands 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 our senses the secret power of the holy Ghost can shew it self that which our minde comprehendeth not our faith conceives the spirit truly joyns together things locally separated sect 24. Nothing mooe incredible that things so far distant and remote within the whole space of heaven and earth in the whole distances of places are not only conjoyned but also united CHAP. X. Concerning the Miracles which follow in the hody Sacrament of the Eucharist THe Doctor much troubles himself about the Miracles which occur in the Eucharist whereas any one who believes the real presence of Christs body and bloud in the Sacrament must needs know that those Miracles do necessarily follow thereto If he could disprove
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
same S. Augustine l. 22. de civitate Dei cap. 11. Disputing with the Infidels who according to the laws of Nature did argue that there could not be any Resurrection of the body because it is earthly and so could not be contained in heaven every Element having his particular poise and tending naturally to its proper place his answer besides perswasive reason is Cannot God almighty give the body of Man such a form likewise that it may ascend and support it self in heaven Cannot then the Almighty maker of the whole world take away the Ponderosity of earth and give the quickned body and hability to dwell in the same place that the quickned spirit shall elect why then may we not believe that the nature of a corruptible body may be made incorruptible and fit for heaven so that arguments drawn from the scituation and qualities of the clements can no way diminish the power that God Almighty hath to make mans body of a quality fit and able to inhabit the heavens Cap. 25. If they would shew me a thing which God cannot do I will tell them he cannot lye let us therefore believe only what he can do and not believe what he cannot I If they do not thus believe that he can lye let them beleeve that he will do what he promised and let them believe as the world beleeves which he promisea should beleeve and whose belief he both produced and praised Cap. 26. Why do they now cry out that this is impossible which God hath promised which the world hath believed and which was promised it should beleeve seeing that Plato himself is of our minde and saith that God can work Impossibilities that is such things which we conceive to be impossible If any one would ponder and seriously examine the arguments and reasons which our pretended Reformers do oppose against the Reall Presence of Christs Body in the Eucharist he shall easily perceive that they ground themselves on such humane Inventions proceeding more on their senses in opposition to Gods Omnipotency for the Hereticks of our times with their vain weak and weightless arguments do contradict the Catholick Church in the wonderfull effects which God hath wrought in the Eucharist principally because we cannot make them apparent to their senses nor give them a natural reason for them which we freely confess we cannot yet we know that God doth do nothing without reason in putting moral men by them past reason we know not his will in many things yet we know that what he will is no way impossible and we believe what he hath declared to be his will in this subject far be it from us to deny or question it which were no less then to impute falshood or imperfection unto him God can and will do according to his promise no apparent difficulty whatsoever no law of nature can any way impede it Plato as S. Augustine notes lib. 13. de civit Dei said well Gods will is beyond all other assurance God is not bound or limited to any condition in alotting of any particular being to any thing as though he could not make an absolute alteration thereof into an unknown quality of Essence God then as he can create what he will so can he change or alter the nature he hath created at his good pleasure for his wonderful power exceeds all wonders his wisdome permits and effects all and every particular or marvelous things and can make the most wonderful use of all the parts of the world which he only created Cannot the power of God exceed them in working such things as are incredible to Infidells or hereticks but easy to his Omnipotency God being the Author of Nature why do they ask a stronger reason of us when in proving what they hold to be impossible we affirm that it is thus by the will of Almighty God who is therefore called Almighty because he can do whatsoever he will Our Adversaries will not give credence to the Church affirming teaching and believing in all times the verity of such miracles with a proud supposition as if God Almighty could do nothing that exceeds their capacities to conceive we know no better or stronger Reason can be given for any thing then to say God Almighty can or will do this which he hath promised in the sacred Text wherein he hath declared as strange things as these which also he has performed surely he will do these because he has said he will as he hath made the incredulous Heathens to believe things which they held to be impossible Let not the faithful hoodwink themselves in the knowledge of Nature as though Gods power could not alter the nature of any thing from what it was before unto mans knowledge let them not think these things to be contrary to nature since they are effected by the will of God the Lord and maker of Nature they are not in themselves against Nature but at most against the common Order of Nature These words of S. Augustin in regard of other such wonderful things may be applyed as properly to our present subject for Catholicks do confess that they cannot give any humane or naturally known reason for the Mysteries which follow the Eucharist the most that we can ever pretend to is to shew that there is nothing in them against the essence of natures being our whole belief in these Mysteries depends on Gods word wherein he has manifested his will which carries with it an omnipotent power whereto all created things are in obedientiall subjection aswell in their essential as accidental being all mutable and alterable according to the will of God especially in all accidental qualities or dispositions which also he may add to natures being yea and also give another nature So he made Iron swim Fire not burn water to mount and become passible solid things to walk upon it Humane bodies to ascend to be also not consumed by perpetual fire Things of no weight at all as Angells called spirits to descend even within the bowels of the earth God by his will so disposing yea to be burnt with fire I might alledg many more examples of this kinde but these may suffice to manifest that Gods power is not to be limited to mans humane reason much less to his senses yea not to any created Intelligence what he can do is known only and solely to himself what he has done according to the ordinary course of Nature is latent to all humane understanding for there are many things whose natures and qualities the wisest men are ignorant of what he has done beyond the ordinary course of nature we know by his revelation which moves us to believe not know we trust in Gods word no way doubting of his omnipotency and therefore we little esteem of what the wit of man can think imagine or conceive to the contrary The Church grounded on Gods word and Tradition attested by the holy Fathers and Doctors has always so taught us
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