nothing i conuerted into the veritie of his flesh that our Sauiour maketh not of breade his bodie and of wine his blood I referre the comparison and iudgment to your self or to any other man learned or vnlearned and goe on 44. Thirdlie out of that which is allreadie said I may conclude with ease that the Fathers thought the substāce of breade ād wine remained not in the Eucharist For that which is changed conuerted transelemented into an other thing is no more existent in it selfe and you haue heard them say that the nature of breade and wine is changed conuerted transelemented into the body ād blood of Christ whēce it followes that it is not existent in it selfe But you shall heare them further affirme that in the formes or accidēts of breade and wine there is not breade ād wine S. Iren. l. 4. c. 34. but flesh ād blood It is not common breade but Eucharist consisting of two things the earthlie the species and the heauenlie the Bodie Let vs giue credit to God euerie where let vs not oppose against him though what he saith doth seeme to our sense and to our thinking to be absurd let his saying master our sēse and our reason S. Chrys hom 83 in Matth. Let vs doe this in all things and especiallie in the Mysteries not regarding alone the things which lie before vs but holding fast his words for by his words wee cannot be cozened our sense 1 may easilie be deceaued his words cannot be vntrue our sense is often times beguiled Seeing therefore that our Lord hath said This is my Bodie let no staggering or doubt lay hold on vs but let vs beleeue it and see it with the eies of our vnderstanding for nothing that is sensible is giuen vnto vs here by Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in sensible things indeed yet All that he giueth is 2 insensible It is 3 not that which nature made but that which the blessing hath consecrated S. Ambr. de Myst in c. 9. by the blessing euen nature it selfe is changed Conceaue it not as bare breade and bare wine for it is the holie bodie and blood of Christ for though sense doth suggest this that it is breade and wine vnto thee yet let faith confirme thee S. Cyrill Hier. Catech c. 4. that thou iudge 4 not according to the tast but rather take it as of faith most certaine without doubting the least degree that the bodie and blood is giuen thee And a little before VVith assurance let vs receaue the bodie and blood of Christ for in the 5 forme of breade the bodie is giuen to thee and in the forme of wine the blood c. Ibid. Knowing and beleeuing most assuredlie that that which appeareth breade is 6 not breade though it seeme so to the tast but it is the bodie of Christ and that which appeareth wine it not wine as the taste doth iudge it to be Theophil in c 26. Mat. but the blood of Christ. Breade is transelemented by an ineffable operation although to vs it seeme breade because wee are weake and haue a horrour to eate rawe flesh especiallie the flesh of man for this reason breade appeareth but in essence and 7 substance it is not breade S. Ansel in c. 11. pri Cor. To the 8 exteriour senses it seemeth to be breade but knowe by the sense of your vnderstanding that it is my bodie not another but the same in substance which shall be deliuered to death for your redemption 45. The Protestant Opinion our 1 sense cannot erre The substance giuen vs is 2 sensible breade it is 3 that which nature made Of the substance contained vnder those accidents iudge 4 according to the tast The Protestant explication of this point a mans bodie is not in the 5 forme of breade it is breade and wine 6 the sense is to be beleeued in essence and 7 substāce it is breade it is not that bodie which was deliuered but that 8 which it seemeth to the exteriour sense that is plaine breade Compare this to the Fathers words and iudge of the differēce in this point 46. Fourthlie out of the former places of the Fathers it is Further cleere that they beleeued the bodie of Christ in the Eucharist to be the same bodie which is in heauen and the same blood which issued out of his side to be in the Chalice I will adde a place or two more of this S. Aug. l. 12. cōt Faust c. 10. The blood of Christ hath a loude voice on earth when all Nations hauing receaued it do answere Amen This is the shrill voice of blood which the blood it selfe doth make out of the a mouthes of the faithfull redeemed with the same blood V. Beda in c. 10 pri Cor. ex S. Aug. Serm ad Neoph. In the breade you shall receaue that verie b thing which did hang vppon the Crosse and in the Cuppe you shall receaue that which was powered out of the side of Christ Our Lord doth patientlie sustaine Iudas a diuel S. Aug. ep 162. a thiefe his betrayer he permitteth him to receaue among the innocent disciples that which the faithfull doe knowe c the price of our Redemption S. Chrys hom 24 pr. Cor. Ibid. That which is in the Chalice is that which did d issue from our Sauiour his side This bodie the Sages did reuerence in the cribbe thou seest it not in the cribbe but e on the Altar This mysterie makes the earth to be a heauen vnto thee Ibid. Open heauen gates and looke in or rather open the gates of the heauen of heauens and then thou wilt see that which is said to be true For looke what is there most preciouse I will shewe it vnto thee f heere on earth For euen as in royall pallaces the walles and the gilded roofes are not esteemed the most magnificent thing of all but the royall Person seated in his princely throne so is the kings bodie in heauen Now this mayest thou see heere on earth For here I shewe thee not Angells nor Archangells nor heauens nor the heauen of heauens but I shewe vnto thee him who is the verie Lord of all those things Thou perceauest now in what manner thou dost behold heere on earth that thing which is most precious and most honourable of all other and how thou doest not see it onely but allso doest touch it and that thou doest not touch it onely but allso doest eate it and eating of it returnest to thy howse S. Chrys de sacerd l. 6. At the tyme of the Sacrifice the Angells stand about the Priest and the whole companie of the celestiall powers doe make a noise and the place round about the g Alter is full of Angelicall quires in honour of him who h is there sacrificed which thing those will beleeue easilie who do consider the great Sacrifice which is then donne 47. The Protestāt opiniō Blood
is not in the a mouthes of the faithfull that b thing is not in the forme of breade Iudas did not c receaue the body but onely a peece of breade That in the Chalice was neuer d in our Sauiours side The body which the Sages worshipped is not oÌ„ the e Altar The bodie of Christ is not f heere on earth nor in the dimensions wee do see touch and receaue Christ is not g Sacrificed on the Altar by the Priest The humanitie of Christ is not on the h Altar Compare it 48. Fiftly it being the same bodie which is in heauen Christ I say being in the Eucharist aÌ„d the Fathers professing this it followeth that he is there allso in the Eucharist to be adored and this the Fathers allso did acknowledge you remember what I repeated euen now out of S. Chrysostome take more out of others S. Gregorie saith of his sister Gorgonia S Greg. Naz. orat 11. She prostrateth her selfe with faith before the Altar and with a greate crie calleth on him who is 1 worshippeed on it the said Altar You must obserue heere that S. Gregorie doth not onely declare the action of his Sister but allso the Custome of the primitiue Church in these words who is worshipped on it and then you will see that Christians in those dayes did worshippe our Sauiour on the Altar S. Augustine S. Aug in â—sal 98. Our Sauiour tooke flesh of the virgin Marie aÌ„d because he walked heere in that flesh and hath giuen vs that flesh to be eaten to Saluation and no man eateth that flesh vnles he first adore 2 it behold wee haue found our in what manner such a foote-stoole of our Lords feete his flesh may be adored and how that wee doe not sinne by adoring it Id. Ep. 120. c. 27. but wee sinne by not adoring it The rich come indeed to the table they eate and adore but are not filled Sainct Ambrose By the foote stoole vnderstand the earth S. Ambr. l. 3. de sp s c. 12 by the earth the flesh of Christ which yeauen at this day wee 3 adore in the mysteries and which the Apostles did adore in our Lord Iesus Christ Theodoret Theodor. Dial 2. The mysticall signes are vnderstood to be that they are made by consecration vzt the bodie and blood of Christ and they are beleeued and 4 adored as being that they are beleeued to be O most diuine S. Dionys Eccl. Hierarch c. 3. De lib ist autho vide Baron a. 109. Mart. Delr Vindic. Areopagit Gualt Chron. c. 28 secu 1. ver 1 aÌ„d holie Sacrifice open those mysticall and signifying veiles wherewith thou art couered shewe thy selfe cleerely vnto vs and 5 replenish our spirituall eies with thy singular and reueiled brightnes 49. The Protestant Opinion 1 No bodie is worshipped on the Alter the flesh of Christ in the 2 Sacrament is not to be adored It is not to be adored in the 3 Mysteries the Sacrament is 4 not adored there is no bodie in the Eucharist or vnder those signes that can heare or 5 is to be prayed vnto Compare 50. Sixtlie the Fathers say the Bodie of Iesus Christ is heere immolated after aÌ„ vnbloodie maÌ„ner that this vnbloodie Sacrifice offered by the ChristiaÌ„s is in substaÌ„ce the bodie of Christ that it is the host which was offered oÌ„ the Crosse and the price of our redemption which things agree no more to bakers breade then adoration and the rest whereof I haue spoken before but onelie to the true bodie of Iesus Christ S. Ignat. Ep ad Smyr ap Theod. dial 3. S. Chrys or 17. in Ep. Hebr. They the Simonians and Saturnians old Hereticks admit not Eucharists a and Oblations because they do not confesse the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Sauiour which suffered for our sinnes Wee do still offer the same not another now but euer the same and for this reason the Sacrifice is one as being offered in b many places it is one bodie not many bodies Ibid. so allso the sacrifice is one It is our high Priest who hath offered the hoast which doth cleanse vs and wee allso now do offerre the same which was then offerred â—d hom 51. â— Mat. â—o ad pop â—ntioch Cyr. Aâ—â— declar â—nat 11. which cannot be consumed Let vs heare and tremble he Christ hath put himselfe c immolated before vs. wee celebrate in the Church the holie quickning and d vnbloodie Sacrifice beleeuing not that that which is shewed is the bodie of some common man like vs and his blood but wee receaue it rather as the life giuing Words owne flesh and blood â—onc Nic â—ct Vatic â—p de diâ—na mens â—c testim â—oscunt â—colamp â—uin â—quin â—blit â—e Bell. l â—e Sa. â— c. 10. In the diuine table let vs not abase our thoughts to consider the breade and cuppe which is set there vppon but rather erecting our minde and fixing it on high let vs by faith vnderstand that there is present vppon that holie e table the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world who is offered in Sacrifice by the Priest without slaughtering and wee verilie receauing his bodie and blood let vs beleeue that these things are the pledges of our Saluation and resurrection This hoste doth singularlie preserue the soule from eternall damnation which hoste doth repaire vnto vs by mysterie that death of the onely begotten S. Greg. l. 4 Dial. c. 58. Pro nobis ITERVM in hoc mysterio sacra Oblationis immolatur who rising from the deade now dieth not yet liuing in himselfe immortallie and incorruptiblie he is againe Sacrificed for vs in this mysterie of the holie Oblation Hether appertaines that which S. Augustine writeth of his mother a good Christian woman of the Religion then common that departing out of this world she desired memorie to be made of her at the Altar S. Aug. 9. Confes â—â— 13. from g whence she knewe the holie Sacrifice to be dispenced wherewith the inditement against vs was blotted out Then he commendes her sowle to the praiers of such as reade his Booke Obserue what and where this thing was it was the victime or Sacrifice wherewith the ransome was paid for our sinnes this is not bread I trow and this was on the Altar and therehence dispenced as you heard from S. Augustines mouth And there adored in the mysteries as you heard before Optat. l. 6. Wherevppon wee find the Altar allso called the seate of the body and blood of our Lord. Hether also doth appertaine that which wee finde in Antiquitie about offering sacrifice for the deade which you may reade ar your leisure in others for I haue ben alreadie to long in this 51. The Protestant opinion no Eucharisticall a Oblation is to be admitted it is not the flesh of Christ that suffered for vs. The sacrifice of the bodie of Christ is not offered in b many places Christ is noe more c
19.21 Matth. 10.100.12 and certainely foretould things to come to himself to his aduersaries to his disciples to Ierusalem to the Gentiles to the Church 42. His miracles were many donne in the sight of his enemies donne oft with a word He cured the sicke gaue sight vnto the blind and life to those were deade Matt. 9. Luk 7. And was so powerfull heerein that he gaue his disciples power to doe the same and so farre that their tutch their word their clothes yea ād shadow there followed miraculous effects Act. 5. Neither was his life onely but this death likewise full of miracle in so much that nature her self was troubled with the horrour of that daie where in he on whō she depended died The earth trembled the rocks burst in sunder the vaile of the Tēple splitte graues did surrēder their deade Matt. 27. Luk. 23. the Sunne was ecclipsed strangely ād a generall darknes ouerspred the whole earth Being put to death in the sight of a world of people and his bodie buried he riseth such was his diuine power from death hauing thereby paid the ransome for mankind Mat. 27. Luk. 24. 1. Cor. 15. and is the third daie againe aliue and appeares and conuerses and giues instruction power and commission to his disciples and lastlie in their sight doth ascend Being ascended he sends the holy Ghost in visible manner vnto them all assembled whereby they receaue an inward testimony of the truth he had taught Act. 1. 2. and are so confirmed and encouraged by the power of this Spirit that they begin confidently notwithstanding the Iewes threates and opposition to diuulge his doctrine 43. And behold Peeter Supremū antiquissimū Theologorum stigium S. Dionys diu nom c 3. of an ignorāt fisherman is now become the Prince and Heade of deuines and maintaineth with the victorie by the knowne successe of many ages vniuersally now manifest the cause of Iesus Christ against all the world He is also so good an Oratour and on the suddaine that with his first speach and this made without studie Act. 2. the winnes in the sight of his Aduersaries three thousand to the faith For the better diuulging of the Gospell in all Nations these Fishermen haue also bestowed on them by their Master the guifte of tongues and instantlie the doctrine of Iesus Christ is vttered in all languages the Parthians and Medians and Elamites and those which inhabite Mesopotomia Iudea and Capadocia Pontus and Asia Act. 2. Phrygia and Pamphilia Aegypt and the parts of Lybia that is about Cyrene and strangers of Rome Iewes allso and Proselytes and Cretensians and Arabians all with admiratiō and amazement heare their owne languages from the mouthes of vnlettered Galileans O heauenly Master o powerfull and diuine spirit o wondrous Schoole o happie Scholers The holy Ghost saith a greate Sainct fills a boy giuen to the harpe and makes him a Psalmist ◠Gregor sup Ezech. he filles an abstinent childe and makes him the Iudge of Elders he filles a neatheard and makes him a Prophet he filles a fisherman and makes him Prince of Apostles he filles a persecutor and makes him Doctor of the Gentiles he filles a publican and makes him an Euangelist Adde heere that he filles a companie of vnlearned men and makes them linguists Deuines Preachers and Apostles 44. The Disciples thus miraculously furnished with knowledge and tongues to the amazement and confusion of all opponents did according to their Masters cōmission resolutely set on their greate taske which was to carrie the good tydings of the Worlds Redemption by Iesus the Sonne of God to all Natiōs and dispersing themselues into diuers partes did preach euery where Mar. 19. our Lord cooperating and confirming their doctrine with signes and woonders And now the World began to turne from Vice to Vertue from Superstition to Religion from Idolatrie to God againe 45. The Enemie of vertue ād of all good proceeding who affecting diuine honour fell frō heauen and cōtinuing his desire thought to compasse it heere on earth perceauing of the motion nowe begunne and seeing his ministers contemned his Idols ouerthrowne vncleane Spirits commaunded out of men and a generall reformatiō in the way began to storme and raised a most bitter persecution against the Church wherein by his instigation Iewes Gentiles and Heretickes with witte power and malice were to oppose her and the world made a Theater of the combat 46. The particulars are to long for this place and therefore I remit you to Baronius to reade there what the Christians did suffer in the tymes of Nero Domitiā Traian Marcus Aurelius and Sueuerus commanders of the Roman World when confessing the faith of Iesus Christ in all places on all occasions before all kind of people their number did increase daily in the face of torment and the sword of Persecution preuailed nothing but to lay open their constancie to the world Prouinces Ilands Castles Fortresses Tents Campes Tertull. Apol. ad Gent. c. 37 Courtes Pallaces Senates Market places all were full and the Kingdome of Christ discouering it self further thē the Roman Empire was outstreched into all corners beleeued in all places reuerenced of all Nations euery where raigning adored euery where After the forenamed followed other most bitter persecutiōs by Decius Dioclesian Maximinian Wherein the Priests were tormented the Churches pulled downe the Bookes burnt ād the furie was such being with extreame violence borne into all prouinces Citties Townes in the Roman world that it threatned an vniuersall extirpation yeauen to the last Christian man and yet could not the nūber of beleeuers be diminished Wee reade of seuēteene thousād martyred in one month and that in Aegypt a part of Africke there were 144000. put to death ād 700000. banished from the same place in Diocletiās tyme. Reade Euseb Baron Spondan by which if wee guesse at the multitude which did suffer in all the tyme of the ten persecutions in all the world the number will appeare infinite and our faith be confirmed with a world of blood So earnestly did the Deuil by these tyrannicall cruel meanes oppose the Church which notwithstanding when all was donne was greater then before Constant in so much that Christianity got the Empire and then securely spred it self ād Rome as Leo the greate truly said S. Leo serm 1. de Nat. Apost being made the See of Peeter came to rule more vniuersallie by diuine Religion then by tēporall Soueraignetie for though enlarged by many victories she had extended the right of her Empire by sea and land yet that which the toyle of Warre subdued was lesse thē that which Christian peace did bring vnder 46. Out of this admirable plantation of Christianitie and so powerfull a proposition and persuasion of the truth vnto the World that it was esteemed aboue all things els deerest otherwise to men the Fathers make excellent discourses to shew the diuine power of our Sauiour
to good which caÌ„ be from no bad cause the prophecies of the old and newe Testament and whatsoeuer els learned men vse to bringe to this purpose And taking in this collection all that which is distinct from the increated authoritie of allmightie God I call it the condition circumstance or application of the formall obiect which formall obiect is the diuine veritie reuealing Further I must not goe because the diuine veritie is infinite and therfore able to moue any vnderstanding and the circumstances are beyond all exceptioÌ„ to warrant the prudeÌ„ce of my choise I haue vsed some Schoole termes in this answeare but you must pardon me for it is a Schoole point as you knowe and fit for Schollers onelie 92. A fourth exception is that you seeke the will of God more sincerely and therefore enioy the assistance which wee doe not because wee relie onely on men This argument is allreadie answeared in effect wee depend on men proposing and as instrumentall or ministeriall causes vnder Iesus Christ the greate Pastor And sure the Apostles on whome the primitiue Church depended were men allso But principallie wee depend on Iesus Christ and the holie Ghost assisting in aÌ„d by the Church For your sincere seeking of the truth it is a friuolous pretense since you do not take the meanes by God ordained to finde it Iesus Christ hath left it in the Church and if you would finde it you should looke it there Your pretence of prayer and the guift of interpretation and conference of places are trickes onelie to delude fooles for all wise meÌ„ knowe that Christ hath bestowed all helpes necessary vppon the Church and that in the Church are the power of interpretation and sanctitie and generallie all the guifts of the holy Ghost Wherefore you are first to prooue that you are the Church before you challenge the Spirit and his guifts till then wee number you amoÌ„ge those who come in at the windowe to rob and steale the soules out of men and indeuour allso as much as lies in you to rob the Church of God of her endowments 93. For the sanctitie of our Church wherewith you would equall yours I remitte you to Baronius Martyrologe and desire to see the like catalogue from your holie number But who knowes not that it is proper to the Catholique Church to breede Saints and that thence are those which out of all Nations tribes and tongues are chosen to raigne with Iesê° Christ Yet are not all in this Church truelie Saincts there are degrees of incorpotion and vnion to the heade and members Some are vnited by faith and charitie some by faith and exterior communion but want Charitie and they haue some kinde of motioÌ„ and influence from Christ the heade for without him none can beleeue a right and they are part of the great mysticall body the Church Yet they want the principall vnion which vnion will be perfect and constant in heauen where the Church shall see the deitie of the sonne of God But here good and bad are mixt yet so that the Church militant shall neuer be without many good and holie men according to the Scripture This is the couenant which I will make with the house of Israel saith our Lord Ierem. 30. v. 33. speaking of the Christian Church I will giue my lawe in their bowells and in the hart of them will write it and will be to them a God and they shall be my people Ezech. 37. v 27. And in Ezechiel I will giue my sanctification in the middest of them for euer 94. If you aske me whether the Church may be said to sinne since there be sinners in the Church I answeare no. If any sinne it is not by meanes of the Church but contrarie to her direction and Spirit And if any erre it is not by her meanes but contrarie to her Spirit and proposition So that neither the sinne nor the errour of particular men can iustlie be attributed vnto the Church since they worke not in those cases by the common iudgment and direction of the Church but by their owne priuate apprehensions and affections contrary to the Churches will and rule As when one in a well-instituted common-wealth doth secretlie steale and murder it is his priuate action it is not the action of the common wealth but flatlie against the will and lawes of it This onely I will note in this matter that euery mortall sinne doth not destroy all incorporatioÌ„ and therefore a man may be in mortall sinne and yet in the Church for he which beleeueth doth participate some kinde of life though imperfect as I said before Neither is it necessarie that in each part all vitall powers be for a mans foote doth participate life but cannot see nor heare nor imagine as doth the heade 95. In the next place insteede of an argumeÌ„t I note your vanitie in heaping things together to winne the vulgar Your silken discourses vnles they be flowred with histories of Popes Friars and Monkes are not gaudie and therefore this embrodery must not be wanting I will not loose tyme to rehearse the particulars but in generall answeare thus First if amonge twelue Apostles pict out by our Sauiour Iesus Christ one was naught and proued an Apostata it can be no meruaile if amonge more then two hundred Popes elected by men some fewe did amisse Neither can their faults preiudice Papall authoritie aÌ„d the generall doctrine of the Church or redound vnto it more then did the Apostasie of Iudas preiudice Apostolicall power and christianitie or redound vnto the rest You should haue considered rather that many Bishops of the Roman See are knowne Saincts 96. I answeare secondlie for Friars that their rule is good holie and beyond all iust exception and therefore if any not conforming themselues to this rule by weaknes faile and liue amisse the profession is no more to be coÌ„demned for it then is Christianitie for the wicked conuersation of many that professe it And the stories of Friars which you haue are but fewe some dozen peraduenture were they a thousand the matter were not greate whereas in all the Catholique world are Friars And touching Monkes it is the same their Rule is holie and their conuersation such as crownes and scepters haue ben left for to learne it 33. milliaÌ„ AbbatiaruÌ„ 14. millia Prioratuum Genebr an 524. Ordinis Praedicatorum feruntur fuisse 4143. coenobia id an 1216. Franciscanorum suo tempore 90. millia fuisse scribit Sabellicus Ennead dec 9. l. 9. their institution hath bred many Saincts and their Order hath ben so genenerally spred that they haue had many thousand monasteries at a time Among so many to haue happened a few disorders is no wonder but to thinke that your stories put case they were in parte true which is not worth examination can preiudice the rule and institution is very childish 97. Of Catholiques in generall I haue spokeÌ„ all readie they were not all saincts
immolated there is no vnbloodie d Sacrifice which is the flesh of Christ the lambe of God is not on the e Altar he is not offered in sacrifice by the Priest the Sonne of God is not f againe sacrificed for vs the sacrifice is not g dispenced from the Alter Compare 52. Seauenthly the Fathers did beleeue that the bodie of our Sauiour was present to our bodies and mouthes when wee receaue the Eucharist which is another euident argument that they thought it substaÌ„tiallie present here on earth where our bodies are for a thing which is in heauen only cannot be so present Wee denie not that wee are Spirituallie ioyned vnto Christ by true faith and sincere Charitie S. Cyr. Alex l. 10. in Io. c. 13. but that wee haue 1 no coniunction with him at all according to the flesh that verilie wee denie and affirme it to be contrarie to the diuine Scriptures aÌ„d because you are readie to runne to the Incarnation it followes a little after Doth he Nestorius thinke perchance that wee knowe not the force of the mysticall benedictioÌ„ coÌ„secratioÌ„ which being done in vs doth it not make Iesus Christ to dwell in vs 2 corporallie also with the communication of the flesh of Christ which thing he doth prooue there by Scripture and after declare with an example S. Aug. l 2. cont Adu Leg. c. 9. Wee receaue with faithfull hart and 3 mouth the Mediatour of God and man man Christ Iesus giuing vs his bodie to be eaten and his blood to be drunke though it seeme more horrible to eate maÌ„s flesh then to kill and to drinke mans blood then to shed it S. Leo. serm 7. de Ieiun meÌ„s 7. You ought so to communicate of the holie table that you doubt nothing at all of the truth of the bodie and blood of Christ for that is receaued with 4 the mouth which by faith is beleeued S. Greg. Dial. l. 4. c. 58. S. Greg. Nyss orat Catec c 37. His blood is powered into the mouthes of the faithfull Our Sauiour by his flesh entereth into all the faithfull and mingleth himselfe with their 5 bodies to the end that man being vnited to that which is immortall may attaine to be made partaker of Incorruption Wee are made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hearers of Christ when wee haue receaued his bodie and blood into 6 our members S. Cyr. Hi. Catec 4. So the Fathers vnderstanding the bodie of Christ indeed to be in those dimensions and so to be in our bodie reallie when the Sacrament is in it and to be receaued with our mouthes Whereas you denying that he can be reallie here and in heauen too must gape as wide as heauen if you will receaue the signes and the bodie too with your mouth for the signes are here and the bodie and blood according to you are onelie there in that one place 53. The Protestant Opinion The flesh of Christ is 1 not neere vnto our flesh Christ is not 2 in vs corporallie Christ is not receaued with the 3 mouth that which is beleeued is neuer 4 in the mouth neuer neerer then heauen is to the earth the blood of Christ is no where but in heauen it is in no bodies mouth at any tyme. the flesh of Christ is not neere our 5 bodies it is as farre of as heauen is from earth the bodie of Christ is neuer 6 in vs. Compare 54. That which troubleth you did not moue the Fathers to discredit the word of God as you doe His omnipotencie was in the begining of their Creed as it is in ours Heare what they say of your doubtes The first S. Cyr. Hi. Catec 4 S. Chrys ho. â—3 Mat. Sense telles vs it is bread S. Cyrill though it seeme breade it is not bread S. Chrysost let our Sauiours words master our sense and reason His words cannot be vntrue our sense is many tymes deceaued The second It is not possible for one to haue his owne bodie in his owne haÌ„ds S. Augustine In what manner this may be vnderstood of Dauid or another pure man wee cannot finde S. Aug. in in Psal 33. conc 1. but wee finde it fulfilled in Christ for Christ was caried in his owne hands when commending his owne verie bodie he said this is my bodie for then he caried and held that bodie in his owne haÌ„ds If you did beleeue it were reallie in the Sacrament as the Fathers did you would neuer sticke at this nor at any other thing for all are grounded in the Sacramentall being The third Christ could not eate himselfe the Sacrament he might and did eate S. Ierom. He S. Hieron Ep. ad Hedib q. 2. Christ was the Banquetter and the Feast the eater and the thing eaten Wee drinke his bloode c. The fourth Christ is ascended S. Chrys hom 2. ad Pop. Ant. therefore his flesh is not here S. Chrysostom Christ both left vs his flesh and ascended hauing it The fift the bodie should by this time be all consumed for many thousands haue receaued it S. Grerie S. Greg. Nyss orat Cat. c. 37. Wee must enquire how it can possibile come to passe that the one onelye bodie of Christ which is allwaies thorough out the world imparted to so many thousands of the faithfull may be wholie in euerie one in particular and allso remaine whole and entire in it selfe His answere These things he Christ bestoweth by transelementing thorough the vertue of benedictioÌ„ the nature of those things which appeare of breade and wine into it his bodie The sixt A mans bodie cannot be in that forme S. Epiphanius When he Christ had giuen thankes he said this is my bodie and blood S Epiphaâ— in Ancora and yet wee see that it is not of equall bignes nor yet like for it hath no similitude with the image of that flesh which he tooke vpon him nor with the Diuinitie it selfe which cannot be seene nor with the lineaments and shape of members For this is of a round figure aÌ„d according to the power insensible yet he vouchsafed by his grace to say this is my bodie and blood neither may any man refuse to giue credit to his words The reall Presence a fundameÌ„tall point For he that beleeueth it not to be true falleth altogeather from grace and saluation 55. Being here come to the end of this Chapter I wish you now to consider how vnpossible a thing it is for you to make it euident that Antiquitie was with you against vs and to make such as haue witte and learning to beleeue it That which wee beleeue wee finde in the Fathers and the iudgment belonges not to you or me but to the Church which if the cause were obscure by the diuine Assistance promised and present to her could determine it but this cause is cleere the Fathers haue giuen as faire euidence as wee could wish Wee cannot yet expresse our meaning better then they haue
A DISPVTATION OF THE CHVRCH Wherein the old Religion is maintained V. M. C. F. E. Ierem. 6.16 Aske of the old paths which is the good way and walke in it and you shall find refreshing for your soules LAVDA BILE NOMEN DOMINI AT DOWAY By MARCK WYON at the golden Phaenix 1629. TO MY FRINDS IN ENGLAND DEARE FRINDS I haue vnderstood of your troubles and doe take comfort in your constancie Your cause is cleere your religion that which the sonne of God hath taught In former time no other was in England So much you know by the Histories and Chronicles of the country so you haue ben told by your parents who sawe the profession of it with their owne eies so your ancestors doe testifie by their wills and graues Your Churches there were built for the exercise of it as you can prooue by the generall forme of them by the crosses and pictures by the altars made for Masse Euer since the conuersion of the country from Paganisme by Sainct Augustine and his fellowes monkes it hath beene there till of late and S. Augustine brought it from Rome where it had beene common from the time of S. Peeter and S. Peeter learned it of our Sauiour Iesus Christ Those that are learned if they will looke into the Ecclesiasticall History which diuers and of late the worthy Cardinall Caesar Baronius haue compiled may see there looking vpwards to the Apostles time this Religion descending thorough all ages in sacred esteeme euer the preachers gods trumpets proclaiming it the generall councells making roome the martyrs testifying the truth of it with their blood the light of miracles accompanying it all the way and worlds of people waiting on The Societie of those that professe it is the Church and is diffused ouer the World and Catholique it is that Church which in your Creede you doe beleeue This is the spouse of the sonne of God the woman clad with the sunne manifest vnto all that willfully do not shutte their eies by her antiquitie cleere successioÌ„ vniuersality and the twelue-fold Apostolicall glorie doth crowne her heade or beginning Shee hath beene opposed by diuers Heresies but still gotte the victory bringing foorth Saincts to Iesus Christ in the labour of persecution You know the counsell of the Scripture Sonne comming to the seruice of God prepare thy soule to temptation and the affirmation of the Apostle is generall All those that will liue godly shal suffer persecutâ—on The state of the Church heere is militant and those are to be crowned that ouercome The way to heauen is full of crosses mockeries stripes and the sword helpe vs on This way those are gone of whom the world was not worthy afflicâ—ed needie in distresse This way our blessed Sauâ—our went who was heere contemned scourgel crucified It is the King of Heauens high way Our heade is gone before all blood and so entered into blisse the Apostles the Martyrs the Confessoâ—s old Simeon too and little Agnes are gone after him with their crosses and wee are bid if will liue eternally to take vp each of vs one and followe To take the spoile of your goods with ioy is to enbrace and kisse your crosse There is no deliberation when I must leaue gold or god no comparison betwixt a diamond in a gold ring and the deitie in eternitie O my deare frinds you haue each of you a Iewell within your selues richer then all the eie can see without fairer then the sunne it self and farre aboue all the disposition of the stars The vsurers Idol gold waxeth pale if you compare it to the burning sparkles of the chrysolite In your Iewell you may see heauen and earth in the compasse of the vnderstanding It hath engrauen in it the image of allmighty God and is for nature next an angell by grace companion with him as being to beare a part in the heauenly quire and there without astonishment to sing allelluia with those thousand thousand glorious queristers if the fault be not yours The Soule hauing free will had once lost it self you may by the meanes taken to recouer it know the worth The sonne of God came from heauen downe to looke it and redeemed it with that which is better then the world his life Those infinite wrongs which he suffered from men of all sorts â—hose innumerable stripes which he receaued from the soldiers whose crueltie made him all a wound the bitter passion of the crosse which no words are able to expresse was all for our redemption for the soule If you loose it now againe you wrong his loue you depriue him of his right you moue his father whose angry lookes are burning fire to reueng It is horrible to fall into the hands of the liuing God The pillars of heauen do tremble and dreade at his beck He hath measured the water with his fiste and pondered the heauens with a spanne He looketh on the earth and maketh it to treÌ„ble toucheth the mountaines and they smoke If you keepe it well he will make it a heauen wherein he with the father and the holy Ghost will dwell foreuer And your bodies he wil invest with ornaments of glory aÌ„d immortallity and place each of you in a throne with himself in the court of heauen where all are kings You shall dwell in the celestiall Ierusalem whose streete is all of pure gold and walls pretious stone where God is the Temple and the light These things God hath promised vnto those who serue him wherefore aboue all haue a care of your religion Your soule is your Iewel and Religion is the Iewel of your sowle Keepe these well and you shaâ—l be happie though persecution leaue you nothing els Each of you may haue a common wealth a kingdome within your selues if you please No State more happie no gouerment more sweete then that is where loue commaundeth and vertues do obay Let Charitie be Queene in your soule and the Vertues will all bâ— there Let men see the streingth of your faitâ— in your constancie and the sanctitie of it in tâ—e candor of your conuersation Giue all men theâ—r due to whom tribute tribute to whom Feare Feâ—re to whom honour honour In your actiâ—ns be circumspect as it becommeth Christians who beleeue the eies of God and Angels are oâ— them still and that each action is inrowled exactly to be reade and censured in the day of doome Loâ—ke oft on the liues of Saincts and by their example learne how you are to carrie your selues in yoâ—r difficulties you will do things with more ease wheÌ„ you see them doÌ„ne before you those were menâ—s wee are Be not afraid of persecution The protâ—ction of allmighty God is more then a wall of brâ—sse they who trust in him are safe mountaines in ciâ—cuite of the holy cittie and our Lord round about his people Nothing caÌ„ rob vs of our soules vnles wee will and if that be saued wee shall haue all that God hath for wee shal haue him Our
I haue appointed watchmen Isay 62.6 all the daie and all the night foreuer they shall not hould their peace It is not said they shall not hould their peace if they doe not sleepe according to your drowsie glosse or if they will not speake the word of God but absolutelie it is said they shall not hould their peace And thus much of the first Iohn 14. v. 16.17 32. The second place doth containe our Sauiours will as I said the words are these I will aske the Father and he will giue you another Paraclete that he may abide with you for euer the Spirit of truth whome the world cannot receaue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but you knowe him because he shall abide with you and shall be in you v. 26. The Paraclete the holie Ghost whom the father will send in my name he shall teach you all things aÌ„d suggest vnto you all things whatsoeuer I shall saie vnto you â—6 chap. v. 12.13 Yet many things I haue to saie vnto you but you cannot beare them now but when he the Spiritt of truth commeth he shall teach you all truth For he shall not speake of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but what things soeuer he shall heare he shall speake In these words obserue with me seaueÌ„ things the first is who seÌ„deth Iesus Christ the soÌ„ne of God secondlie whom he sendeth another comforter the holie Ghost the Spiritte of truth thirdlie to whome he sends this comforter and Spirit to the Church he was to leaue behinde him here one earth consisting of Apostles aÌ„d Pastors persons visible by their function and office Fourthlie how this Spirit is to be with them to abide in this Church and to remanie with it Fiftlie to what end all this to teach them the truth Sixtlie Some pro are so Wise as to exclude teaching and say the spirit was left only to coÌ„fort not to teach what truth and how much whatsoeuer I shall saie to you what things soeuer he shall heare All truth Seauenthlie for how long For euer All this is in the text and therfore our position is most true that the Church hath diuine assistance in the proposition of the faith 33 I must tell you moreouer first that God with a fewe words can signifie many things his comprehension being infinite and he knowing all the significations and vses of all words And next that I take these words of Iesus Christ in the whole fullnes of their sense and meaning though some Interpreters haue contented themselues to put a part of it onelie downe hauing not then occasion as wee haue now to searth further In the Church are people and Pastors the Spiritte assists all some to teach aÌ„d to gouerne others to obaie and to be directed Some are predestinate aÌ„d with these the spiritte continues to perseuerance some are not but for a tyme beleeue and this by the assistance of the spiritte And some of them are teachers allso and gouernours aÌ„d in this kinde do participate allso the assistance of Gods Spirit who disposeth all as he pleaseth diuiding his guifts aÌ„d graces among men to his glorie and the good of the predestinate In fine all those whose names are written in the booke of life perseuere finallie So that the Spirit leades them further to the state of glorie and there shewes them all truth in it selfe abiding so with them for all eternitie 34. But now let vs heare what you saie to this place First you saie it is promised to the Apostles in their owne persons onelie This is false first because it is promised to remaine with them for euer whereas the Apostles in their owne persons were not to liue euer heere and perpetuall coexistence of two extreames includes a perpetuall existeÌ„ce of each of them as I noted before vpon the like occasion it is to them therfore and to their successors after them without ending at any tyme and so foreuer Secondlie by the end of the graunt the same is euident for the Church now a daies stands in neede of this Assistance as well as it did then and in some respects more because it is greater and the like it is of other ages and will be still to the worlds end since therefore the prouidence of our Sauiour for the establishment of his Church and saluation of his elect is perfect the graunt holds according to the letter and is so to be vnderstood as the word stands foreuer 35. Next you saye the sence is the Spiritte teacheth the Church all the truth that is taught her If I should tell you that my master in England did teach me all languages aÌ„d coÌ„fesse afterwards they were but two that he taught me you would thinke sure that I did lie for two be not all Yet would you haue the Scripture to speake in this manner But I answeare that the words of Scripture are plaine he shall teach all whatsoeuer I shall say to you whatsoeuer he shall heare all truth ch 14. v. 26 Ch. 16. v. 13 And I thinke if I should giue you all my bookes you would not be contented if my executors should giue you the tenth part with this interpretation of the will I giue you all that is all which are giuen you and then define what that is among themselues as you doe in the matter of fundamentall points but of this hereafter 36. The third waie of eluding the place is to saie that in heauen the Spirit teacheth all truth but not here That in heaueÌ„ he teacheth all I knowe well but you erre against the scripture in denying that he teacheth all truth heere Reade the text and you shall see that our Sauiour sendeth the Spirit vnto the militant Church from which he meant to withdrawe his visible presence to the Apostles left in the world and to their Successors to comfort them in his absence to reduce vnto their minde what he had said and to assist and teach them all truth The Spiritte of truth saith excellentlie S. Cyrill will lead vnto all truth Cyrill Alex li. 10. in Ioan. cap. 41. for he knoweth exactlie the truth whose spirit he is and hath reuealed it vnto vs not in part onelie but entirely for though in this life wee know in part onelie as S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 13. not an imperfect but the entire truth hath shined vnto vs in this litle knowledge * The Obiects of the Churches faith as the Trinitie the Incarnation c. may be knowne either obscurely by faith or cleerely by vision The former of these is an vnperfect knowledge of them the latter is perfect As he that beleeues all the Conclusions in Euclide for the Authoritie of Schollers who generally agree in them knowes them vnperfectly but he that can demonstrate them knowes them perfectly To both the foresaid knowledges the holy Ghost doth leade the Church to the former heere on earth to the later in heauen Of the
one S. Cyrill heere doth speake of the other S. August tract 96. in Ioan. To helpe the ruder to the vnderstanding of this difference in the knowledge of the same things Suppose a man were borne and bred in a caue vnder groūd and there taught that aboue there be heauens sunne and starrs And afterwards brought out in a cleere night to behold the beautie of the firmament with the heauens immensitie In the day to see the Sunne illustrating all the world with his light This later knowledge of these things is cleere and perfect if you compare it with the former which he before at his being vnder ground where he saw no greater light then a poore candle had of them So is the Churches knowledge heere Heere belowe she is instrusted that in God there are three persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and makes an vnperfect obscure conceipt of it but when she getts vp thither she shall behold God cleerely as he is in himself And so all the rest of the Mysteries which now she doth beleeue 37. The fourth waie is to saie that the place is to be limited to those truthes which are necessarie for the commō people But this holds not for what shall become of the learned who shall compound differences in religion condemne Heresies and repaire the faults of Schisme which teare the Church in peeces if the Spirits assistance doth it not In vaine doe you limit the words of God you are a man you are not God you cannot rule him ād pare of what you please from his promise his words import all not onelie whatsoeuer is necessarie for common people but all whatsoeuer he hath reuealed they are extended as farre as the necessities of the Church do require Againe it is one thing to determine how far this assistance is affoorded to this or that Christian in particular which liues in a Catholique countrie and in peace another thing it is to define how farre it is affoorded vnto the whole bodie of the Church 38. The last waie is to saie that this promise was to be performed onelie in the inuisible Church by teaching them priuatelie This is false For the Church whereūto this promise was made was the visible Church and God made it to no other The Apostles were visible And how could it be otherwise whē their noise went ouer all the world The companie of Christians in communion with them were visible Their Successors the Pastors of the Church were visible Their office of preaching of ministring the Sacramentes and gouerning Gods people did manifest their persons to the flocke The guifte of tongues of interpretation of working miracles and the like made the men and so the Church visible The predestinate needed visible instruction Rom. 10.14 for how should they beleeue vnles they heare saith the Apostle in this case and how should they heare without a preacher and a preacher you knowe is visible you see him you heare him you can point at him Now preachers deliuer not infalliblie such doctrine as the predestinate are to beleeue without assistance and therefore for the predestinate peoples sake it was all together necessarie to assist the Church in visible actes in preaching in deliuering true doctrine which is to assist the visible Church In fine the office of the Apostles and Pastors whose actes are in teaching and directing others and consequentlie visible actes could not be rightlie performed without Assistance which you confesse and our Sauiour intending the perfomance of those actes that so his Church beīg called by his word deliuered with the mouthes of mē might be gathered out of all Nations did leaue them that is the Apostles and their Successors to this end diuine Assistance and said the Paraclete whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things Iohn 14. v 〈◊〉 16 〈◊〉 13. and suggest vnto you all he shall teach you all truth 39. The third place I am to inculcate for this Assistance containes the Testimonie of the vndeniable Christian Church acknowledging the receipt of it For if wee produce euidēce for the promise and this by couenāt and for the actuall sending and finallie for the receipt of this Assistance by such as confessedlie might doe it in the name of the whole Church the cause is wonne To proceed therfore to this part you will confesse that the Apostles were the true Church and that if they receaued this Assistance the Church receaued it and as they vnderstood the promise and beleeued it so wee are to vnderstād and to beleeue it Now it is most certaine that they receaued this Assistance and did not onelie beleeue that according to the promise of our Sauiour they had it infalliblie when they were to determine matters of Religion but they did further declare vnto Christians this Assistance and direction which they had ēioyed and did puhlishe it to be beleeued by the Church For the decree which after much dispute and inquisition they made in their generall meeting at Ierusalem they begin thus It hath seemed good to the holie Ghost and to vs. Acts 15. v. ◠affirming by these words plainlie and proposing allso to Christians to beleeue their publique act and decree to be the act and decree of the holie Ghost And if it were his allso then he with them made it assisting and directing them in the doing as our Sauiour had promised he should doe And herein the Apostles gaue example to their Successors to vnderstand our Sauiours promise so and to beleeue and doe so as they haue vnderstood it and beleeued and done The place is cleere The thing is vndeniable 40. As these Masters of Christianitie had vnderstood beleeued done assuring themselues and others of diuine assistance in their common definition and decree by reason of our Sauiours promise without any more adoe he being God and therfore meaning as he said and as good as his promise so did their successors vnderstand beleeue and doe in regard the promise was made foreuer And therfore they allso beleeued and assured others of diuine assistance in their common definition and decree by reason of the same promise This the pastors assembled in generall Councells haue done euer since and the Christian people in communion with these Councells haue beleeued it Those Christians which liued in the first age did beleeue that the Apostles had by vertue of our Sauiours promise diuine assistāce to propose and spred the Gospell and to teach rightlie the word of God and that they were therfore to be beleeued in all which by generall consent they did propose or wherein they did all agree so that the Predestinate ād all others might securelie beleeue as they taught and goe on towards heauen that way which they pointed out The Church in the second age did beleeue that the Church in the first age had the Assistance of the diuine spirit by vertue of the promise of Iesus Christ and therevppon beleeued allso that
all did which you will neuer prooue as long as the Bible is extant If you reade Exodus in the two and thitieth chapter you shall finde that when Moyses had saide if any man be our Lords let him ioyne to me there gathered vnto him all the Sonnes of Leuie Exod. 32.26 And these were no small company as you may gather out of the booke of Numbers Num. 3. v. 39. Next you say Elias did complaine that he was left alone This makes a shewe and is repeted ouer and ouer in your books and your pulpittes The truth is that there were at the same tyme diuers in Israel where this Prophet was 3. Kings 19. v. 18. Rom. 11.4 which bowed not before Baal of which number God said to Elias he would reserue seauen thousand And at the same tyme allso in the kingdome of Iuda there was publique profession of the true religion at Ierusalem Wherefore you cannot prooue by this place that the Church failed and was not visible on the earth if wee would graunt you as you haue seene wee neede not that it was not visible in the kingdome of Israel at that tyme. Neither was it necessarie to the visibilitie of it that it should be still visible in both kingdomes one of thē onelie doth suffice for this purpose in case all in the other had forsaken God Let vs now come to the Catholique and Christian Church 86. In the second argument you taxe the Apostles 1. Rainold◠and first accuse S. Peeter of false doctrine because he was reprehended by S. Paul Then further you condemne the Apostles all of errour against faith in not beleeuīg the resurrection To that of S. Peeter which old Heretiques obiected it was answeared fourteene hundred yeers agoe that it was a fault of conuersation which he was taxed for not of doctrine The fault is set downe by S. Paul in these words Gal. 2.12 for before certaine came frō Iames he Peeter did eate with the Gentiles but when they were come he withdrewe and separated himselfe fearing them that were of the circumcision This cariage of S. Peeter S. Paul did repre-to Iudaize his making others by his example hend and was in this But here is no false doctrine maintained ād published by him much lesse by the Apostles all taught and generallie by the Church beleeued whereof wee speake now In the conuersatiō of the Popes which you taxe by this occasion there may haue bene faults allso for they were men but from them in generall Councells there hath come no false doctrine nor euer will 87. The second parr of your obiection hath no difficultie because wee knowe that the Apostles did learne the particulars of faith by degrees as you may obserue easilie in the Gospell ād their slownes to beleeue the point mentioned but not any errour maintained by them for Christian doctrine was reprehended Neither was the all-teaching Spirit as yet come our Sauiour not being ascended who therefore did instruct thē in the matter his owne selfe Now the thinge that wee defend is not that the Apostles beleeued all in particular from the first tyme they were called or that in conuersation nothing euer hapned amisse in any one of them but that after the comming of the holie Ghost the Catholique Church did neuer beleeue or teach errour in matter of faith which I would haue you to read ouer and ouer that you mistake not the matter but argue to the purpose 88. A third argument which I thought good to put in this place touches the resolution of our faith into the Church which resolution seemes not firme because it is made into authoritie not diuine To this I answeare that the authoritie of the Church alone if you consider it apart not adding thereunto the authoritie of the Assisting Spirit is greater then any other authoritie in the world that is distinct from the diuine authoritie And this by reason of an infinite multitude of learned and holy men which are in it of infinite miracles which doe giue testimonie of a greatnes which nature wonders at of the strange vnion of worlds of people in one obscure faith with a constancie which neither flattery nor feare can shake which vnion doth acknowledge no cause in nature since nature inclines not so constantlie to communion ād vniforme iudgment in things not found in nature as God incarnate the sonne in substance and power all one with his Father ād yet distinct in person and the like The authoritie I say of the Church by reason of these and such other motiues is the greatest of all authorities among men in so much that no other is any way equall to it and therfore none able to drawe a wise man from it 89. Yet this alone is not the thing wherevnto wee do make the last resolution of our faith But wee make it into the testimonie of allmightie God in the Church This testimonie doth originallie moue our faith The sunne is allwayes visible in it selfe but cannot be seene of vs vnles it be in the Orbe aboue our hemisphere and when it is risen the eleuation doth not principallie moue our eie but the sunne in that eleuation doth moue it to see both sunne and heauen and all other things which the light comes vppon So Gods eternall word of it selfe is euer apt to moue and to be seene though wee cannot discouer it with the eie of faith vnles it be exposed or proposed to vs in the firmament of the Church or some other way equiualent But if it be so applied our faith discerns the word and the Church proposing it and all other things that are reuealed Wherein the Church-proposition doth concurre instrumentallie with subordination to the Word of God and of them both in seuerall kinds our faith depends 90. Wee resolue therefore into authoritie truely diuine into the diuine Spirit teaching in the Church Or if you will haue a longer way which in effect is all one wee do resolue into the present Church assisted with the Spirit This present Church doth resolue into the Church in the former age assisted by the Spirit that againe into a former age ād so to the Apostles they resolue into Christ Where you finde the like as before that is the eternall and increated word mouing by way of humane speach and the Apostles faith depending though diuerslie on both at once that is on the eternall word as on the originall motiue and on the word of his mouth as on the Application 91. If you would haue yet another waie take the motiues of faith all together or the collection of them as applications and the prime veriry as formall obiect and you haue all that you iustlie can desire In the collectiō of motiues I doe include the whole Church these sixteene hundred yeares and the Apostles and Iesus Christ as he appeared and taught and all the miracles done in cōfirmation of the Christian Catholique faith the conuersion of the world from bad
haue made euerie one his owne translation to binde his fellowes there vnto as the best and you haue not yet done translating and changing your translations whereas none of you can denie and all wise men doe see that if one translation could be generallie aggreed vppon it were best Now further because elder tymes as being neerer to the writers had better helpes and purer coppies it is better in the iudgment of all meÌ„ the translation be old and made in those tymes rather then now in this scarcitie of coppies this obscuritie of the language this want of the meanes which then were CoÌ„c Trid Sess 4. This considered the Catholique Church hath decreed in the Councell of Trent that among Latine translations the old and common by the longe vse of many ages approoued in the Church stand authentique and be taken for It is not any where declared by the Church that in the Clementine Edition the Vulgar Latine Translation is fullie restored to the Primitiue Integritie in all parts and words Our beleefe doth follow the declaration of the Church VVhat she defineth wee receaue THOSE who were vsed in the restitution of the Translation saie thus Accipa Christiano lector CLEMENTE summo Pontifico ANNVENTE veterem ac vulgatam Sacra Scripturae editionem quanta fieri potuit diligentia castigatam quam quidem sicut omnibus numeris absolutam pro humana imbecillitate affirmare deffieile est ita caeteris omnibus quae ad hanc vsque diem prodierunt emendatiorem purioremque esse minimè dubitandum Praefat. ad lect Some of Sixtus Bibles might be surreptitiously scattered and Iames might get a coppie but they were neuer openlie sould in Catholike Countries And the Church neuer beleeued the Correction to be so accurate that it could not be amended Decree of a Generall Councell for the fullnes of either correction I speake of them as of two in that sense as Iames doth you knowe there is none A Bull takes not force from the Printer nor from the Secretarie and Iames cannot prooue that Sixtus his Bull was euer authenticallie published By the records no such thing appeares The Church knowes not of it If it had bene it were not hard to accord all Remember what hath ben said in the former Chapter touching pretended opposition in Decrees and what I haue â—eere cited out of the Preface to the Bible such I tould you before wise men would haue but One aÌ„d this one to haue bene made long agoe when it might better be performed and to be lookt on by diuers able to iudge of the goodnes and better able and more impartiall then our selues Whence it followes that the wisest had not the decree at all bene made would yet haue chosen this it being the Old and coÌ„mon translation For it was made in the tyme of the Primitiue Church reuiewed in those daies by S. Hierome compared since by learned men in all ages to such originalls as in each age they could finde and vsed by the Church for manie hundred yeares 30. The Fountaines wee reuerence too and more fullie then you doe admitting and beleeuing whatsoeuer can be manifestlie prooued to belonge iustlie thereunto to the verie last word and letter And it is ignorance in you to say that in the Councell of Trent they be reiected The decree speakes of Latine editions onelie ex omnibus latinis editionibus quae circumferuntur c. and makes choise of one by generall vse loÌ„g before approoued True it is that the puritie of the fountaine it selfe in some places is called in question Calu. in in zach 11. inst l. 1. c 13. and Caluin your Master doth imagine that it runnes not allwaies cleerlie as you may see in his Institutions Luth. Enar in Esa c 9. Luther cryeth out on the Iewes for crucifying the text and what difficultie the Rabbines theÌ„selues haue appeares cleerely by their great Massoreth Wee haue more helpe then you all to knowe the truth in this question too wee admitte the doctrine of Tradition so must the Iewes so must you otherwise you know not which is text Wee haue allso the assistance of the holie Spirit in the Church to declare the veritie aÌ„d power of originalls where the generall necessitie of the Church doth require it and there is no Catholique in the world which is not readie to beleeue their puritie and integritie so farre as there is sufficient warrant for it 31. But how came these corruptions into the Bible this question you should haue putt vnto your Masters for my part I thinke the resolution of it nothing at all necessarie for our purpose Writers might easilie mistake especiallie considering the little difference of many Hebrewe Characters and the nicenes of the points and suppose the points be taken of there will be found some fault in the letters I knowe the Iewes are men and therefore if Gods assistance be not in the businesse their labour in counting letters giues me no securitie for how shall I knowe that their coppies were exact that the letters be dulie ordered c. which is requisite because the disposition and combination of the same letters may be diuers not onelie in one period which may serue to change the sense but in the same verie word and of the integritie in this kinde which is necessarie to the knowledge of the sense as also of the exact integritie of the Coppies which they numbred you can giue no generall warrant Againe besides the difficultie or impossibilitie of this you will be sore troubled yea it is vnpossible for you proceeding in your Protestant Principles to giue satisfaction yeauen to your owne fellowes in any part of Scripture whatsoeuer because you maintaine that all men notwithstanding the promise which God hath made vnto the Church may haue erred and consequentlie S. Ierom and S. Augustine aÌ„d others being men may likewise haue done so in determining or iudging which Scripture or writing is diuine especiallie since each part each verse is not a fundameÌ„tall as you speake I am not troubled at all in the busines but let the learned scanne the difficulties and sift things out remaining euer readie to beleeue what the Church hath or hereafter shall resolue touching the puritie the interpretation and sense of the whole or any part place or word of the text you and your Protestant Congregation with your distinction of fundamentall and not fundamentall haue no meanes to determine the integritie of the Scripture touching bookes parts verses words interpretation as in an other place I haue declared more at large THE SIXT CHAPTER Of the reall Presence 33. VVHen wee dispute you graunt the Reall Presence not able otherwise to make answere to Scripture and Antiquitie but when you dispute you declare manifestly that you beleeue it not You will not beleeue you say that the body of a man can be vnder the forme or shape of breade that the same thing can be in heauen and on the alter too If
you beleeue not this how do you beleeue the Reall Presence how do you beleeue the words of Iesus Christ saying of the Sacrament in his hād this is my body and of the Chalice Mat. 26. v. 27.28 this is my bloode if that thing were his body thē was his body in the shape of breade and at once in diuers places If you say that thing was not his body you contradict him you do not reallie beleeue the presence to the signes I doe not say to your imagination but to the signes this reallie you beleeue not 34. As for your oppositions they are sent backe with this answere that nature indeede cannot effect those things they are out of the spheare of her actiuitie but the power of God is infinite and the things in them selues include no contradiction wherefore God can effect them And being grounded in his word wee beleeue them without more adoe Man is not able with his wit to discouer all the wayes of God or to comprehend the whole obiect of his power Our knowledge wee gather from those fewe things wee see or perceaue by some exteriour sēse ād the perfection of allmightie God is infinitelie aboue all this He knoweth more then wee doe and being truth by nature cannot lie wherefore if he tell vs any thing though wee vnderstand it not wee must beleeue it Faith is an argumēt of things not appearing Heb. 11. that in the Deitie be three persons each distinct reallie from the other two yet all reallie the same God is a greate mysterie it is obscure our vnderstanding cannot reach it but faith giuing creditte vnto God who saith it is so doth beleeue it that our Sauiour is the secōd person in this holie Trinitie cōsubstātiall to God the Father is a Mysterie which nature wonders at yet faith beleeues this too because God who cannot deceaue or be deceaued doth auouch it Wee trust his knowledge and take his word Nature is Gods worke she hath not the perfection of her maker and therefore must not compare and equall her selfe with him in vnderstanding or cast an imputation of Errour on all that is not within the circuite of her acquaintaince God knowes more then she doth and therefore she may learne Schollers that are ingenuouse beleeue their Masters ād so come to knowledge whereas those who beleeue nothing are euer rude and vnlearned A Scholler heareth his Master say the Sūne is bigger then the Earth and beleeuing falls to learne the demonstration The clowne takes measure of the obiect with his eies Stellat primae magnitudinis cēties septuagies maiores terrâ asserūt Astronomi and esteeming it no bigger then the Cheese he cutte yesterdaie when he came from plough will not beleeue the philosophers nor the Mathematicians nor all the bookes in the world before his owne eies not he no that he won not Wee are in the Schoole of Religion our Professors and Instructors are the Pastors vnder our great Master Iesus Christ who cleerly doth see the truth of all he doth auouch You rudely take measure of things as in your sillie imagination they appeare making sensible things there or the short knowledge you haue of them the rule and compasse of all Being so denying in effect that God is able to doe any thing further then you can direct him as if in your heade were as much Art as God hath and your knowledge the full compasse and direction of Gods omnipotence 35. But what is the thing you stumble at Substance of it selfe is not determined to place it hath this determinatiō by accidents by Quantitie Localitie Vbication If God bestowe on it supernaturallie two Sacramentall Vbications at once it is at once in two places Sacramentallie if a thousand it is in a thousand places Sacramētall Existencie whatsoeuer it be called as Vbicatiō Presence or by what other name you will is an Accident and this Accident is the formall reason or cause of being present vnder the dimensiōs in the roome of Breade It is supernaturall to the body and God hath power to produce many of these at once 36. You replie that the very same thing cannot without contradiction be at once present in many dimensions without being deuided This is false the thing may haue indiuiduation or vnitie in it selfe and by it selfe and yet be in many dimensiōs too The soule of man is one and indiuisible and yet in the dimensions of all the members of the body That which is in the heade is in the feete not a peece for the soule hath no peeces it is indiuisible but it is all in each part God is heere and in heauen too and yet not deuided though betwixt this place and heauen there be many other things 37. Againe you replie that the same bodie cannot be at once in many mouthes But why not if it be at once in many dimensions The foule an indiuisible thing is naturallie at once in many members it is at once in the heade hands feete fingers and toes and in each member all ād this without any contradictiō or diuision why thē may not God whose power is infinite supernaturallie put one and the same Bodie at once in many mouthes It is no contradiction He may doe it Measure not his power by your witte The thing may be aboue your conceipt no meruaile it is supernaturall The existence of the sowle in many members all is naturall Tell me first how this is done It is in the heade and in the feete yet hath no distance in it selfe It is in manie fingers yet one It is in euerie part of an extended bodie and yet not extended it is in the hart and in the sides in the tongue and in the mouth that is round aboute it it is in the heade that doth compasse the braine and it is within the braine all vnles in your braine peraduenture it be not Shall I now argue out of this that it is within and without and round aboute it selfe if I meant to trouble an vnlearned reader and turne his braine as you doe I would When you haue made him vnderstād these things touching the naturall existence of his sowle he will be able to answere all that you can saie touching the supernaturall existence of the bodie of Iesus Christ in many mouthes and if he doth not yet vnderstand that being naturall no maruaile if he doth not vnderstand this Mysterie it being supernaturall 38. The other peece of your difficultie is that a bodie is naturallie extended and a mās bodie fills a greate place therefore it cannot be within that little roome I answere that substance of it selfe fills no place but by an Accident called Situall extension or Localitie as by it selfe it is not visible but by ā Accidēt Colour These Accidēts are distinct from the Substance they are not Substance If God take away the Colour or will not let it mooue the eie the substance is not seene if God take away the Localitie
it filles no place He is the Creator and may doe as he list The Bodie of our Sauiour in the Sacrament hath not situall extension or Localitie it succeeds into the roome of breade Before breade was vnder those dimensioÌ„s which you see and the body succeeds to bread wherefore the body is now vnder the same It is true that the nature of a bodie requires extensioÌ„ but God is Author of nature and needs nor paie but when he please his DominioÌ„ is absolute Humane nature hath a proper subsistence due vnto it yet in Christ it hath none but diuine 39. To your question how this is donne I answere that other Infidels had the like difficultie in other matters as how he who filles heauen and earth should be in a Mothers armes a little child Almightie God Do you vnderstand how this doth come to passe how is the indiuisible Substance of God in each part of the world all S Chrys in Ep. ad Heb Hom. 2. S Cyrill Alexand. l. 4. in Ioan. c. 13. Reade here an â—xcellen discourse â—o this â—urpose I said God is euery where saith a learned Father but I doe not vnderstand it I say that he is without begining but doe not vnderstand it I say that he hath begott a Sonne c. You should attend to the counsell of S. Cyrill in such high things neuer to question how when God works leaue the way and the knowledge of his worke vnto himselfe As the heauens are exalted aboue the the earth so are my wayes exalted aboue your wayes Isa 55. and my cogitations aboue your cogitations saith allmightie God This how is the Iewes question in this matter as the Father before named doth wel obserue Our Sauiour had said that the bread which he would giue was his flesh 10. 6. aÌ„d that he who did eate it should liue for euer Wherevppon the Iewes moued this questioÌ„ how can this man giue vs his flesh to eate If they had beleeued he was God they might then haue knowne that he was able to turne breade into his flesh and so giue it in the forme of breade to be eaten but they did not beleeue him to be God aÌ„d therefore moued the question how Which question I leaue a while in your mouth and betake my selfe to the text where I finde that he gaue his bodie and blood to the disciples and thus I argue 39. If Iesus Christ true God and therefore allmightie did affirme in expresse termes that the Eucharist which he gaue his Disciples was his bodie and bloode wee are to beleeue it was so since God is Truth and Truth cannot lie but Iesus Christ whom you confesse and I haue declared to be true God l. 2. c. 4â— and allmightie did affirme in expresse termes that the Eucharist which he gaue his disciples was his bodie and blood therefore wee are to beleeue it The Proposition you will not question for you professe you are a Christian l. 2. and if you were none there is inough said in another place to make you graunt it The AssuÌ„ption is cleere in the Gospell THIS IS MIE BODIE Mat. 26. THIS IS MIE BLOOD And further yet that men should not mistake our Sauiours meaning he our Sauiour did adde such attributes to this Bodie and Blood as cannot agree to Breade and Wine Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. or is deliuered This is my Bodie which is giuen for you this is my bodie which shall be deliuered for you Was breade giuen for vs were wee redeemed with breade was bread crucified for the redemption of the world Mat. 26. This is my blood of the new Testament which shall be shedde for manie vnto remission of sinnes Was wine the blood of the new Testament was wine shed for remission of Sinnes No it was the true blood of Iesus Christ Luc. 22. This is the Chalice the new Testament in my blood which Chalice shall be shed for you or is shed The Chalice that is the thing in the Chalice is shed for vs. Is this thing wine or blood If wine then you are redeemed with wine wine was in the side of Iesus Christ If the thing in the Chalice were blood then blood true blood the blood wherewith wee were redeemed was there in the Chalice 10. 6. and the Disciples dranke it In an other place he said allso the bread which I will giue is my flesh vnles you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood you shall not haue life in you my flesh is meate indeede and my blood is drinke indeede he that eateth my flesh aÌ„d drinketh my blood 1. Cor. 10. abideth in me and I in him And the Apostle The Chalice of benediction which wee do blesse is it not the communication of the blood of Christ and the bread wee * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe sacrifice vnbloodilie as in the next ch v. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And your Caluin doth acknowledge this sense frangi saith he vppon that place Interpreter immolari 1. Cor. 11. breake is it not the participation of the bodie of our Lord whosoeuer shall eate this bread or drinke the Chalice of our Lord vnworthilie he shall be guiltie of the bodie aÌ„d of the blood of our Lord. He that eateth and drinketh vnworthilie eateth and drinketh iudgment to himselfe not discerning the bodie of our Lord. And you too discerne it not you esteeme it bakers bread You doe not beleeue that it is the bodie of our Lord. You doe not beleeue that it is heauenlie breade That it is the flesh of Christ that the Chalice is the communication of blood that the blood of Christ is drinke and his bodie meate that Christ is is in him that hath eaten this breade This you beleeue not but are content with common bread and wine Common wine with you is the Testament of Iesus Christ it issued out of his side you were redeemed with it and bakers breade was crucified for your sinnes THE SEVENTH CHAPTER The Fathers vnderstood the Reall Presence as wee doe 40. FOr the Reall Presence out of Antiquitie are cited Iustinus the Martyr Ireneus TertulliaÌ„ Hilarius both the Cyrills Ambrose Epiphanius Hesichius Optatus Augustine Ierom Leo Gregorie and others by Zanchez Coccius Garetius and Gualterius Your answere is that all are to be vnderstode of a figuratiue and not a reall Presence You thinke the Bodie and Blood are in heaueÌ„ onelie and no neerer but wine and breade you say are equiuocallie called the blood and Bodie though they be indeede nothing els but signes This deuice doth not satisfie For the Fathers haue directlie expressed all the conditions of a reall Presence to the verie last and will not be contented with your figure This I delare 41. First because in conceauing the Institution of a signe there is no difficultie it was easie to say and for men to vnderstand that breade was a signe or figure of the bodie if