the Institution of Christ Jesus who made those species to be the sacramental signes of his body and bloud wheresoever we find these species after due consecration either little or great according to our Faith we believe the true body and bloud of Christ Jesus to be We may exemplifie this in a looking-Glass where the same face is represented in the whole Glass and in every proportionable part thereof because the same effect of representation is as well in every part as in the whole So as is said before the species of bread and wine either in whole or in part in great or in little have annexed to them the nature of a sign and no other then what Christ himself has instituted and consequently do represent that whereof they are a signe that is the body and bloud of Christ Now whereas the Doctour makes difficulty concerning Christs Body being in several places he may know that to be in a place or in many places or in no place makes no difference of the essence or nature of any thing The highest heavens have there essence although they have no place and the being in a place is a meer accidental and extrinsecal thing to the substance which of it self occupies no place at all but by quantitative dimension is correspondent to place otherwise it is indifferent to this or that place to one and to many he therefore that limited and determined created things to such or such a place can he not alter or make it illimitated or indetermined to place or places even by nature one thing may have different extensions to place as is to be seen in rarefaction and condensation and cannot God make the same thing to have extension to several places of this we have many experiences out of the Scripture for we read that our Saviour appeared to S. Paul Act. 9. he that appeared to them in the way which also S. Paul relates Act. 22. and according to the text Act. 26. Christ himself sayes that he appeared to him Act. 23. S. Luke affirms that our Lord was standing by S. Paul if we will believe S. Paul himself 1 Cor. 9. He had seen Christ Jesus our Lord which also he affirms 1 Cor. 15. Christ was seen of more then five hundred brethren together he was seen of James and then of all the Apostles he was seen also by me so that we cannot doubt but Christ appeared unto him and yet according to our Faith he sits still at the right hand of the Father in heaven as it is declared Act. 3. whence it is manifest that he was in two places and why not in heaven and in the Eucharist and why not as well in many places and why not by participation of a divine being may the effects of the divine power to be in many places One voice fills many places and one sound fills many parts without any division of it self Besides this difficulty is lesse in regard that Christs body is not here in any quantitative Dimension or commensuration to place but in a mysterial and Sacramental manner still united to the Divinity which is in all places with Power to limitate the body to as many places as it pleases as God may limit his universal presence in such manner as his presence may be in some particular places or things by shewing his power more in one place then in another even as he has done in the Eucharist making his Body substantialy present in all places of the world wherein he has manifested his Immense power and will according as the holy Catholick Church has always believed and taught from its beginning as it is sufficiently declared in the precedent testimonies of the holy Fathers The 4th Miracle is that the body of Christ being but one is communicated to many yea thousands yea Millions This follows the institution of this holy Sacrament for it was not instituted for one alone but for many without any limitation of time place or persons it is a Sacrament that is common to all in all ages during this life and therefore if the true body and bloud of Christ be contained therein as the holy Church has alwais believed and that as a Sacrament it is communicable to all and all are commanded to take and eat this necessarily follows Christs Institution The holy Fathers who lived within five hundred years after Christ believed and taught the very same which the present Church believes Eusebius Emissenus hom 5. de Pasch The holy receiving of the Eucharist consists not in the quantity but in the vertue that body which the Priest distributes is as great in a little host as in a great which when the Church of the faithful takes as it is compleat in all so it is manifest to be entire in every one for as he says a little after when they take of this bread every one has nothing lesse then all one perceives the whole two have the whole and many the whole without any diminution for the benediction of this sacrament may be distributed but not consumed by distribution S. Augustin ser de verbis Evangelii Christ is eaten and eaten lives because being slain he rose again neither when he is eaten do we make parts of God as truly in the Sacrament it is done as the faithful know for even as every one who eats Christs flesh takes his part for hence it is called parts he is eaten by parts and remains entire and whole in heaven he also remaines entire and whole in thy heart S. Hierome ser in Dom. 5. post Epiph. Each one receives Christ our Lord whole and in every one particular he is whole neither is he diminished by many singulars but gives himself entire to every one S. Chrysostome hom 17. in Epist ad Hebraeos This host is one and not many how one and not many because it was once offered it was offered in the holy of holies but this sacrifice is the exemplar of that we always offer the self same and therefore this sacrifice is one for otherwise because it is offered in many places there are many Christs by no means but in every place there is one Christ here being perfect and there parfect one body for even as he is in every place offered he is one body and not many bodies so also one sacrifice S. Gregory of Nice in Orat. Catech. c. 37. We may consider how this is done that when this one body is continually imparted through the whole world to thousands of the faithful the whole doth passe by parts to every one and in it self remains whole S. Andrew's words cited by the Achaian Priest Whose flesh after all the believing people have eaten and drunk his bloud the lamb which is sacrificed remains whole and alive What has been said here may satisfy his four other miracles which make no distinct Difficulties for the same reasons serve for the species of wine as for the species of bread or for the body and bloud
only adore with Latria the flesh and bloud of Christ Jesus for whatsoever our late Advarsaries have foolishly enough invented Catholicks do not so adore the Elements of Bread or wine or species of them presence or circumstances but only and soly Christ Jesus believing firmly and without the least hesitation that he is really there present from which belief as a necessary sequel follows all true Adoration Our pretended Reformers will not stick at this for the first and chief beginner of this Reformation Luther not only approved it but also left it in practise to all his followers for generally all Lutherans do use it in their dayly practise the Tiguran Calvinists do affirm That if the true and natural body of Christ be in the Eucharist why should not our Lord be adored there if we should teach that the Natural body of Christ were truly there with the Papists we should also truly and faithfully adore It is certain the same errours do follow from Consubstantiation as from Transubstantiation to wit Adoration circumgestation inclusion and oblation Osâ—ander in Cont. 16. par 12. alledges the Divines of Wittenberg saying If Bread in the Lords supper be the substantial body of Christ the sacrifice of the Mass and Adoration of the sacrament may be defended The Divines of Geneva say to the Lutherans that Consubstantiation or Transubstantiation being admitted Adoration necessarily follows Eusebius Alckercherus affirms That from this foundation of the corporal and real presence and eating we must necessarily grant that aswell Adoration as oblation do follow in the sacrifice of Christs body and bloud Chemnitius in his Examin Con. Trident. par 12. plainly says If we believe Christ God and man to be present in a peculiar manner of presence and grace in the action of the supper so that he doth there exhibite to them who cat truly and substantially his body and bloud c. It cannot or ought not to be done but that faith should worship and adore Christ present in that action so Jacob Gen. 28. Moyses Exod. 23. Elias 3. Reg. 19. Truly had no command that they should adore in those places but because they had a general command that they should adore God every where and God was truly present under those extern and visible symbols c. Truly they adore that God whom they believed to be there present c. but they did not adore God as far from them in the Imperial heaven as remote and absent from them c. rightly therefore S. Augustine in Psal 98. S. Ambrose Nazianzene in the Epitaph of his sister from the sentence of Eusebius Emissenus and Luther cont Lovanienses ar 6. call the Eucharist a venerable Sacrament whence he makes this Adoration out of all Controversies between him and the Tridentine Councel From these learned men of the pretended Reformation we may note that although they opposed the Catholick Doctrine of the Church yet they were far from condemning this Adoration or making it Idolatry that they plainly confess that those who believe the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist do constantly affirm that it is our duty to do it since the real and only object of such adoration is the body and bloud of Christ Jesus whence I make this Syllogism 1. They who give the honour due to God to any creatures are Idolaters But Catholicks give no honour due to God to any creatures Ergo Catholicks in this are not Idolaters 2. To adore or worship Christ Jesus in the Eucharist is not Idolatry But Catholicks only adore Christ Jesus in the Eucharist Ergo Catholicks in this are not Idolaters 3. He that believes Christ Jesus in the Eucharist may lawfully there adore him But Catholicks believe that Christ Jesus is in the Eucharist Ergo they may lawfully adore him there The sequel of Adoration to our belief is no way to be reprehended and is admitted by most of our Reformers and only those who deny the Real Presence can with any reason deny it Those who admit Consubstantiation whereof many were of our first pretended Reformers cannot nor do any way exclude it and I see not how those who believe the Real presence in what manner they please can any more for if Christ be there sure he is an Object adorable Our present Church of England plainly admits the Real presence as is manifested in its Catechisme before Confirmation where it is declared that The outward part or signe is bread and wine the inward part is the body and bloud of Christ which are verily and truly taken and received by the faithful in the Lords Supper the benefits are the strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the body and bloud of Christ and so all ancient protestants in England did believe and accordingly did with kneeling and adoration devoutly receive it The additional note at the end of the form of Communion expounds it That the kneeling is but a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgment of the benefits of Christ given to all worthy receivers pray what is this but adoration when the Minister kneels at the Lords table sure he adores not the table but the Eucharist which is to be offered and taken thereon Nay the peculiar form ordained peculiarly for the Communion argues some special honour to the Eucharist and in words can signify no less for therein it is called the sacrament of Christs body and bloud The spiritual food and sustenance of our Lord the Communion of the body and bloud of our saviour Grant us gratious Lord so to eat the flesh of thy son and to drink his bloud that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body and washed through his most pretious bloud Again make us partakers of his body and bloud In the Communion The body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life and the bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for thee preserve thy body and soul unto life everlasting and after it is called The spiritual food of the most pretious body and bloud of thy son our Saviour Jesus Christ These words and many such like according to vulgar understanding import a Real Presence and signify no less and moves the hearers to a devout expression of the honour they bear to the holy Sacrament yea to adore it which I speak not to condemn them in it no more then I would condemn Jacob Gen. 28. who seeing nothing of God but by the effects which he felt in himself he gathered that God in a speciall manner had been in that place he adored and worshipped God The Israelites Exod. 35. beholding the pillar of the cloud which was but a sign of Gods presence adored God and 2. Par. 6. the people seeing fire descending and the glory of our Lord on the temple falling flat on the earth upon the pavement paved with stone they adored and praised our Lord they adored not what they saw nor any
his spirit on what is set before us that he indeed would make this bread Christ's body and the wine Christ's bloud for what the holy Ghost teaches is altogether sanctified and transmuted but then when that spiritual sacrifice is made we pray for the living and dead c. all which is found in S. James liturgie S. Dionise and S. Clement have made the description of S. Peters Mass where are many things also like to those of S. James and what now are in use in the Latine Church S. Epiphanius an 370. Haeres 79. calls S. James the Principal leader of the Mysteries and sacrifice For the satifaction of the Reader I shall make a brief observation of what I find in his liturgie as I find it in Claudius de sanctis printed 111. years past The glorious Apostle S. James composed for his people of Hierusalem his liturgie or Mass wherin he frequently calls it a divine and supercelestial mysterie a sacred and dreadful Mysterie made at the holy Altar a dreadful and incruental or unbloudy sacrifice In which commemoration is made of the most holy Immaculate our most glorious lady Mother of God and alwaies Virgin Mary with all the saints and Just in another place he has the same concluding that by their prayers and intercession we may obtaine Mercy In another place the Priest prayes that he would grant that this our Oblation may be grateful acceptable sanctified by the holy Ghost for the propitiation of our sins and for the Rest of our friends who have slept before us Before we ask of our Lord the Angel of peace our faithful guide keeper of our souls and bodies the Catechumens and others are dismissed then the priest uses Incense saying Receive O Lord from our hands who are sinners this Incense as thou didst receive those things which Abel Noe Aaron and Samuel and all thy saints have offered Let all humane and mortal flesh be silent and stand with fear and trembling and contemplate with it self no terrene thing for the King of kings and Lord of lords Christ our God comes forth to be Immolated and given for food to the faithful The consecration is the same with some little difference with that of the Roman Mass and in the prayer following We offer to thee O Lord this venerable and incruental sacrifice and a little after let his descending holy and good and glorious presence sanctifie and make this bread the holy body of thy Christ and this Chalice the precious bloud of thy Christ and when he breaks the bread he puts part into the Chalice saying The union of the most holy body precious bloud of our Lord and God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Before Communion he has this prayer O Lord our God celestial bread life of the Vniverse I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be made partaker of thy immaculate mysteries but thou as a merciful God make me worthy by thy grace that without damnation I may be partaker of thy holy body and precious bloud unto remission of sins and life everlasting and after We give thee thanks O Christ our God for that thou hast vouchsafed us to be made partakers of thy body and blond in remission of sins and to eternal life Moreover he that peruses this Mass of S. James may find most things which are in use in the Roman Church as Incensing the Altar Salutation of the people with Pax vobis or peace be with you at least 7. times the oracles of the Old Testament and doctrine of the new for which now is Epistle and Gospel Domine miserere or kirye eleison at least 15. times the Gloria in excelsis Creed and our Lords prayer Inelination at the prayers often signing the gifts with the sign of the Cross and dismission of the people with benediction I cannot omit that in the Consecration of the Chalice the Apostle particularly declares that the wine should be mingled with water from these we may fee what the Mass was in those Apostolical times § 2. Of the Liturgy of S. Basil SAint Proclus aforesaid says that many more divine Pastors who succeeded the Apostles and Doctours of the Church explicating the reason of the holy Mysteries of that divine Liturgie or Mass have delivered and committed it in writing and then naming S. Clement and S. James but Great S. Basil seeing the slouth and negligence of men and that they thought of nothing but terrene and abject things and that therefore they were weary of long Mass not that he thought it to contain any superfluous thing or over-long but to prescind the dulness and slackness of the Prayers and hearers for that they spent much time therein he gave a shorter to be recited for after that our Saviour was assumpted into heaven the Apostles before they were dispersed through the whole earth assembling with conspiring minds were converted to prayer the whole day and when they found much conso lation to be placed in the Mysticall sacrifice of our Lords body they did sing the liturgie or Mass abundantly and long prayer Since they esteemed these divine sacred things joined together was to be preferred before all other things and they were inflamed with a greater study and desire of divine things and the holy sacrifice and earnestly embraced it which they alwaies had in memory the word of our Lord saying This is my body and do ye this in my commemoration and he who eats my flesh and drinks my bloud abides in me and I in him wherefore also with a contrite heart they did sing many prayers vehemently imploring the divine Majesty c. by these prayers they expected the comming of the holy Ghost that by his divine presence he would make the bread and wine mixt with water ordained for the sacrifice the very body and bloud of our Saviour Jesus Christ which religious rite verily is observed to this very time and shall flourish even to the end of the world I have the more willingly rehersed the words of this holy Bishop highly commended by St. Cyril a Grecian and teaching purposely of the divine liturgie or Mass and explicating it in each particular according to the two liturgies or Mass of S. Basil and S. Chrysostome not much more then 30. years after S. Chrysostome had composed his form of Mass In this Mass of S. Basil we find most of those things mentioned before in that of S. James and frequent memory of our blessed Lady of the most holy our undesiled Lady Mother of God and alwaies Virgin Mary with all the saints And in a prayer before the hymn Sanctify our souls and bodies and give us grace to serve thee in sanctity all our dayes by the intercession of the holy Mother of God and all saints who have glorifyed thee from the beginning of the world The Bishop in secret prays Reeceive us approching to thy holy Altar according to the multitude of thy mercyes that we may be worthy
to offer to thee that rational and unbloudy sacrifice for our sins and ignorance of the People The Consecration is some what different but by the action and words of our Saviour after which the Bishop prayes in secret Therefore O most holy Lord we also sinners and they unworthy servants who are ordained to minister at thy Altat not for our righteousnesse for we have not done any thing good on earth but for thy mercies and miserations which thou hast abundantly poured on us we confiding draw near to thy holy Altar propounding the things consigurating the holy body and bloud of thy Christ we beseech thee and ask thee O holy of holies that by thy wel-plensing benignitie thy holy spirit may comt upon us and on these guifts which are set before us to bless and sanctifie them and declare this bread to be the honour able body of our Lord God and Suvicur jesu Christ and that which is in the Chalice the very bloud of our Lord God and our Saviout Jesu Christ which is shed for the life of the world Again Make us all partaking of one bread and Chalice to be united together in the Communion of one holy Spirit and receive the holy body and bloud of thy Christ c. Before Communion the Bishop said O Lord Jesu Christ our God behold from thy holy tabernacle and come to sanctifie us who sittest above with the Father and here invisibly art joyned to us vouchsafe with thy pawerful hand to give us thy holy and undesiled body and precious bloud and by us sinners to thy people Prayer for the dead Be mindful of all who sleep in the hope of Resurrection to eternal life and as for Altars Vestments Incense some prayers in secret Kyrie eleison very frequently In like manner Pax vobis the Epistle and Gospel signing the bread and wine and the people with the signe of the Cross turning to the people washing of hands elevation of the bread to shew it to the people dismission of the people with many other things which we now use in the Roman Mass the like I may say of S. Chrysostomes Mass of which in the next Paragraph §. 3. Of S. Chrysostom's Liturgie or Mass NOt long after S. Basil S. John Chrysostome on the same reasons did abbreviate the form of Mass which the Grecians do observe to this day and besides the practise many Expositors as Proclus Bishop of Constantinople within 30. years after S. German Bishop of the same place in his Theorie of holy things wherein he explicates all the ceremonies and substance of the Mass Nicolas Cabasilus Archbishop of Thessalonia in his explication of the liturgie The holy Martyr Maximus in his book de Ecclesiastica Mystagogia of the Ecclesiastical Mysteries and ceremonies Bessarion Bishop of Nice and afterward Cardinal and others all agreeing in the same Mysteries and others all agreeing in the same Mysteries with S. Chrysostome in his Liturgie Add to this that we may find the self same dispersed in his several works as Clandius de sanctis has pithily collected in the end of his book de Liturgils Let us briesly set down what S. Chrysostome has in his We find all the Ceremonies now used in the Lattin Church as all along are noted in the second part of the liturgical Discourse particularly of Altars Vestments signing the bread and wine the book of the Gospel Incense and Peoples Inclinations adorations some prayers in silence prayer for the Pope partition of the host whereof one piece is put into the Chalice Elevation of the holy Sacrament Pax benediction at the end of offering at the Altar Mention is made of the Ineruental host and the Priest prayes We give thee thanks O Lord God of vertues who hast thought us worthy to assist now at thy holy Altar and to prostrate to thy mercies for our sins and ignorance of the people O Lord God receive our supplication and make us worthy in offering prayer and the Incruental host to thee for all thy people And again in another prayer Make me annointed with the grace of Priesthood to assist at this holy table and consecrate thy holy body and precious bloud A little after Grant that these Sacraments may be offered by me a sinner and thy unworthy servant for thou art he that offers and is offered the receiver and distributer Christ our Lord The words of consecration are a little different from those of the former Liturgies After the Priest sayes We offer to thee this rational and Incruental dutie and we pray and supplicate and ask that thou wouldst send thy holy Spirit upon us and on these thy gifts and make this bread indeed the precious body of thy Christ and what is in the Chalice the Preci-bloud of thy Christ The Deacon saying Amen the Priest adds Changing by thy holy spirit And after Look down O Lord Jesu Christ our God from thy holy Tabernacle and from the seat of Glory of thy kingdom and come to sanctify us thou who sittest above with the Father and assists us invisibly here beneath vouchsafe to give us by thy powerful hand thy Immaculate body and precious bloud and by us to all the People Besides in this Liturgie the priest frequently calls upon our Blessed Lady craving her Intercessiion as also of the Angels and Saints and for the living and Dead In sine there is nothing in the now Roman Mass but Order and Decorum that was not in the former Mass in the primitive times so that we may say if the Mass was good in those times the Roman Mass is now good and if this the now Roman Mass be Idolatrous and sacrilegious the Liturgies Mass or publick prayer of the Church of those times were so also so that there never was a true Christian Church CHAP. III. The Sacrifice of the Mass proved out of the testimonie of Popes and Councels in the first 500. years NExt to this of the practise of the Church the authority of the holy Popes who have been within those 500. years ought to have a great weight and credit wherefore I shall begin with S. Leo 440. under whom was celebrated that famous Councel of Chalcedon admitted by the now English Church and for his great acts was surnamed the Great he I say Epist 81. to Dioscorus Ordained that for the necessity of the people a priest might say more then one Mass in solemn feasts and Epist 88. to the Bishops of Germany and France he gives a command that Coriepiscopes or Priests should not reconcile any penitent publickly in Mass 367. Pope Damascus Epist 4. made the same Decree and in his Pontifical speaking of Alexander Pope and Martyr he sayes that he did mingle our Lords Passion in the priests prayers when Masses were celebrated and that Sixtus Pope and Martyr ordained that the priest beginning the action of Mass the people should sing the hymn holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth 297. S. Marcelline Pope and Martyr Epist 1. The
word of the Father see him cap. 32. above cited 220. S. Hyppolitus Bishop and Martyr Orat de cansummatione Mundi brings in Christ speaking thus Come ye Bishops and Priests who have dayly offered my precious body and bloud and speaking of the time of antichrist he sayes The holy houses of the Churches shall be like Cottages and the precious body and bloud of Christ shall not be extant in those dayes the liturgie or Mass shall be abolished the singing of psalms shall not be heard that is publickly With him agrees S. Chrisostome hom 49. operis imperfecti according to that of Dan. cap. 9. 12. 203. Tertulliam lib. de Oratione cap. 14. speaking of the stations very many do think that they are not to be present at the prayers of the sacrifices because the station is to end by taking the body of our Lord therefore the Eucharist doth finish the devout service to God were not thy station more solemn if thou did also stand at Gods Altar the Body of our Lord being taken and reserved both are safe both participation of the sacrifice and execution of Offices And l. ad scapulum We sacrifice for the health of the Emperour but to our God and his but by pure prayer as God has commanded S. Martialis Epist ad Burdegal cap. 3. Sacrifice is offered to God the Creatour on the Altar not to men nor to Angels not only on a sanctified Altar but every where a clean ablation is offered to God as he has testified whose body and bloud we offer unto life everlasting saying Joan. 4. God is a spirit and they that adore him must adore in veritie for he having been both immaculate aend without sin because he was conceived of the holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary permitted himself to be immolated on the Altar of the Cross but what the Jews through malice did immolate thinking themselves to abolish his name from the earth we propound in a sanctified Altar for the cause of our salvation knowing by this only remedy life to be given us and death avoided for our Lord himself hath commanded us to do it in Commemoration of him 171. S. Ignatius Martyr Epist ad Smirnenses It is not lawfull to baptize nor offer nor immolate sacrifice or celebrate Masses without the Bishop And Epist ad Ephesios he condemns those who separate themselves and come not to the the Congregation of sacrifices Thus we see that the Roman Masse used for almost twelve hundred years did not there take its beginning but was alwaies observed in Christs Church even from the beginning from Christ himself and his Apostles CHAP. V. Sacrifice necessary to the being of a Church THere can be no visible Church without visible Religion nor no visible Religion without a visible Sacrifice for as the Church is nothing but a visible congregation of all the faithful so it is necessary that in this Assembly or Congregation there be something that may manifest the ir murual desire and concord to worship God Now it is certain that there never could be any agreement to any internal action neither could there be any publick act of Communion in the worship of God unless they assembled did agree or follow some external sign voice or action such as Sacraments and sacrifices are S. Chrysostome well notes hom 60. ad Pop. Antioch If we had been incorporeal God would have given us plain and incorporeal gifts but because the soul is conjoyned to the body he has given us intelligible things in sensible and this conformable to humane nature which depends of the senses in her operations even in the worship of God whereto the vertue of Religion conduces us Now Religion includes four Acts The first is a consideration of Gods infinite Majesty on whom all things depend 2. A reflexion on our nothing for of our selves we are nothing have nothing and can do nothing but whatsoever we have or can do comes all from God These two acts are not elicited by the vertue of Religion but as supposed grounds or motives to the worship of God the other two proper acts of Religion are interiour or exteriour the first as pure is proper only to the Angells and Blessed souls now separated from their bodies or elevated by some supernatural grace but as it is found in Men of this world has dependence on the senses but may be purified in its operation and is a profound submission of heart or internal Inclination of the mind to serve and worship God The external act of Religion is an external profession of that interiour will made by voice gesture or external sign such are publick prayer adorations and such like but none like to the sacrifice which carries with it that true worship which S. Augustin l 10. de civitate Dci cap. 1 calls Latria or honour due to God A little after Religion signifies nothing so distinctly as the worship of God by which cap. 4. we owe sacrifioe to God and thence inferrs There is none dare say a sacrifice is due but to God alone and who ever sacrificed but to him whom he knew or imagined or feigned to be God whence I infer That since from the first creation of Man God had a Church wherein there was true Religion it necessarily follows that according to our humane constitution in the same Church there was and is an external sacrifice wherein God was and is worshipped with Latria which is the perfect act of Religion and worship of God Moreover sacrifices seem to follow the instinct of Nature for as Plutark adversus Colos sayes A man may find Cities without walls houses Kings Laws Coynes schools and Theatres but a Town without Temples and Gods to whom sacrifices are offered you shall never finde Plato before him de leg Dial. We can never finde any Nation so barbarous any people at all so rude and savage who with vows victins and outward sacrifices have not acknowledged the Soveraeignty of some God or other All Hysteries do testify that from the beginning of the world sacrifices were in use amongst all Nations and Religion whence S. Augustine Epist 49. ad Deograt 9.34 That it is not to be blamed in the rites of Pagans that they builded Temples ordained Priests offered sacrifices for he supposed these to be according to the law of nature but that these were exhibited to Idols and devills that was to be condemned for that they gave which was only due to God to false Gods But what makes more to our purpose is the continual practise of Gods Church even from the beginning of using sacrifices which S. Augustine lib. 10. de civit Dei cap. 4. How ancient apart of Gods worship a sacrifice is Cain and Abel do shew full proof and all along in the law of Nature the Examples of Noe Abraham Melchisedech and Jacob now the written Law had sacrifices ordained by God himself which continued to our Saviour to say then that the law of Grace should have no
Memento of the Mass in which the Priest prays for all who are present saying for whom we offer to thee or who do offer to thee this sacrifice CHAP. VII Of the Doctours deceitful proceeding in his citations THe Doctour to shew his great Reading in every page almost cites schoolmen Fathers Liturgies and Councils not remembring that all those schoolmen were members and professours of the Roman Church all of them taught the Roman Mass I cannot concieve any reason why he should alledge Bellarmine and other Schoolmen for his foolish conceits unless he had dreamt that no man would take the pains to read their works for if they did they should easily see his legerdemain nay I can scarcely believe that the Doctor himself ever read them in the Authours themselves but perhaps trusted to some others notes verily a man need not go any further to answer all his impertinencies then to read the places he cites for either they were of his opinion or no if they were not as it is certain they were not who can excuse his most perverse malice who with neglect of their grounds for the sacrifice of the Mass and answers to all his objections If they were not strange madness possessed them that they all of them should so amply and so copiously write preach and teach this catholick Doctrine Alcuinus Ordo Romanus Durandus Walfridus Honorius Gabriel Ceremonialt and Pontificale Romanum Vega c. whom the Doctour cites have written whole books believing and proving not only the substance of the Roman Mass but also every particular circumstance manner and rite and ceremony thereof all these Schoolmen were Priests or Bishops ordained in the Roman Church yea many were Cardinals But it is strange that the Doctour should quote such men when he confesses that the Roman Church had almost twelve hundred years been possessed of the Mass and professed as she now doth the most that we may expect from his innumerable citations is that he has scraped and culled some half sentences some slips of words wherein I will not excuse all neither are we bound to defend or believe all they say we much honour them as true Children of the Church and as faithful Expositours of the Mysteries of our faith with submission to their lawful Prelates But I freely accuse the fraudulent dealing of taking words and sentences contrary to their own judgment and minde yea their own words and absolutely contrary to their manifest and known doctrine meerly to deceive the Christian Readers I dare say that if the Doctour himself or any other would stand to their judgments the Doctor would loose his cause for they were constant Champions and defenders of the Roman faith even in this sacrifice of the Mass Now because it is not my task here to defend or reprove what has been said or taught in the Church from the first five hundred years I will let the Doctor alone in his career and enquire what others will say of his great impertinencies But because he has the boldness to quote the Liturgies or Masses of S. James S. Basil and S. Chrysostome which were within those five hundred years I must say that it is an unwonted way to take testimony of Masses against the Mass especially when all he has said in every respect is as much against the Mass of S. James of S. Basil and S. Chrysostome as against the Roman Mass for in substance of a sacrifice of the new law they are all one as I have formerly declared Yet I cannot but note that the Doctor pag 20. produces a prayer used in the Liturgies That according to our Saviours merciful institution God would be pleased to send down on these Sacraments the Holy Ghost and so sanctify them that they may be the pretious body and the pretious bloud of his Son to them who should receive worthily c. In the Liturgy of S. Chrysostome I find these words in Latin Adone offerrimus tibi rationabile ac incruentum hoc obsequium precamur supplicamus deposcimus ut mittas spiritum sanctum tuum super nos super hoc apposita munera the rubrick is Et origeâ—s se torrio consignans sancta munera dicit Et fac panem istum quidem pretiosum Corpus Christi tui quod est in calice isto pretiosum sanguinem Christi tui permutans sancto spiritu tuo These words I have put in English before cap. 2. § 3. of S. Chrysostomes liturgy and here in latin that all may see how little conscience this Doctor shews in citing those Liturgies which are so contrary to his drift in this his book and how little care he has of his words for if we should stand to the words as he sets them down we may gather that the bread and wine are sanctifyed by the Holy Ghost and made the body and bloud of Christ his addition which none of the Liturgies have To them who should receive worthily is only a necessary condition required on our paâ—â—â— but makes nothing to the being of our Saviours body and bloud in the Sacrament and are not found there As for the holy Fathers he frequently quotes them but seldom their words at least any way contradicting the Catholick doctrine of the Mass how much they are for it is manifest from what has been said before the greatest advantage that I conceive he makes of them is that they somtimes call the Eucharist even after the consecration Bread which cannot be denyed for the Roman Church in the Mass does the same imitating our Saviour who affirmed that he was the bread of life the bread which I will give is my flesh and things are named according to the outward form and lest any one should be mistaken the holy Fathers must commonly and an explication thereto so S. Cyprian l. 2. Epist 3. sayes Christ offered the 〈◊〉 which Melchisedech offered to wit bread and wine that is his body and bloud S. Hierome in cap. 1. Malac. We pollute the bread that is Christs body when we come unworthily to the Altar and in cap. 5. ad Hebreos Our mystery is signified in offering bread and wine that is the body and bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ is offered so in the Roman Mass it is bread of life everlasting CHAP. VIII Of two gross Mistakes committed by the Doctor THe Doctor either out of Ignorance or perverse malice in his third chap. as also so in other places attributes to the Roman Church the sacrificing of their God which if he believes he shews his ignorance in a high degree if not what may excuse him for he cannot but know that the sacrifice of the Mass is no other than that of the body bloud of Christ Jesus and that it is offered as well to God the Son as to God the Father and to God the Holy Ghost and by his raillery all alone he seems to understand it but in this he imitated the ancient heathens who upbraided
that one the rest will fall but if he cannot all the rest he says makes nothing for we only believe those miracles because we believe the real presence true it is we should believe nay know that they are possible to God and so more easily believe them to be so because God has said the word This is my body and This is my bloud I am confident that if the Doctor did believe this he would make no difficulty of the others wherefore before I speak of those miracles it seems to me expedient to shew what was the belief of the Church for those first five hundred years 440. I shall begin with S. Leo l. de Jejunio 7. mens ser 6. You ought so to communicate at the holy table as to doubt nothing at all of the verity of the body and bloud of Christ for that is received by the mouth which is believed in the heart 420. S. Augustine in psal 98. Christ took earth from earth for flesh is from the earth and he took flesh from the flesh of Mary and did walk in flesh it self and gave that flesh to be eaten by us for our salvation lib. 12. cont Faust cap. 10. he saith That the faithful do receive with their mouth the bloud wherewith they were redeemed and drink that now which came from the side of Christ And. lib. 2. contra advers leg Prophet cap. 9. We receive with a faithful heart and mouth the Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus giving to us his flesh to be eaten and bloud to be drunken 398. S. Crysostome hom 83. in Mat. Because our Lord said This is my body let us not be entangled with any doubtfulness but let us believe and see it with the eyes of our understanding 394. S. Ambrose l. 4. de sacram c. 5. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself gives testimony unto us that we take his body and bloud can we any way doubt of his fidelity and testimony and lib. 5. cap 4. Before the consecration that which is offered may be called bread when the words are pronounced now it is not called bread but the body whereas before l. 4. c. 4. he said This bread is bread before the sacramental words yet when the consecration shall be adjoyned of bread it is made the flesh of Christ 390. S. Hierome in Comment Matt. c. 26. After that the Typical pasch was fulfilled and he had eaten the flesh of the Lamb with his Apostles he took bread which strengthens mans heart and so proceeded unto the true sacrament of the Pasch that even as in his prefiguration Melchisedech the priest of the high God had done offering bread and wine he also might represent the truth of his body and flesh And Epist ad Hedib quaest 2. The bread which our Lord brake and gave to his Disciples was the body of our Lord and saviour And beneath Neither did Moses give us the true bread but our Lord Jesus he is the true guest Master and the banquet he eats and is eaten Gaudentius about the same time Tract de Exod. The Creatour himself and Lord of all creatures and natures who produces bread from the earth because he both can and has promised it doth from the bread again make his own body and he that made wine of water has also made his bloud of wine And a little after Believe that which has been taught us that which thou receivest is the body of that heavenly bread and the bloud of that sacred Vine for when he delivered the consecrated bread and wine to his Disciples he said This is my body this is my bloud let us believe him whom we have believed truth cannot lye 380. S. Gregory Nissen Orat. Catechist cap. 36. A little leaven makes a whole lump of dough like unto it self so also that body which is made immortal by God entring into our body transposes and changes it wholly into it self And a little after It is conjoyned with the bodies of the faithful that by this conjunction with that which is immortal man also may be made partaker of Immortality 370. S. Gregory Nazian orat 2. de Pasch Without anxiety and doubt eat the body and drinkche bloud of Christ if indeed thou be desirous of life neither do thou doubt of the truth of these speaches which are uttered concerning the flesh neither be thou offended at the Rassion be constant and firm and stable not doubting of anything whatsoever the advarsaries say good councel against Doctour Brevent About the same time or not long before S. Ephrem lib. de natura Dei minine scrutanda c. 15. gives us as good counsel saying Why doest thou search things unscrutable if thou examine those things curiously thou shalt not then be accounted a man faithful and innocent be partaker of the immaculate body of thy Lord with fulness of faith assuring thy self that thou catest the whole Lamb himself The Misteries of Christ are an immortal fire do not thou rashly search them out least thou be consumed in the search thereof And beneath he says This indeed exceeds all admiration all understanding and all speeches which Christ the only begotten son our Saviour hath done for us he has given us fire and spirit to be eaten and drunk that is as he himself explicates his body and bloud 365. S. Cyril of Hierusalem Catechist 4. Forasmuch as Christ himself thus affirms and speaks concerning the bread This is my body who dares hereafter doubt of it forasmuch also as himself confirms it and sayes This is my bloud who I say can doubt of it and say it is not his bloud And again so shall we be Christopheri that is bearers of Christ when we have received his body and bloud into our members and we shall be made as S. Peter says partakers of the divine nature Thou must not consider it as bare bread and wine for it is the body and bloud of Christ according to our Lords own words And again With all assurance let us receive the body and bloud of Christ for under the form of bread his body is given thee and under the form of wine his bloud is given to thee 355. S. Hilary l. 8. de Tria Whatsoever we say of the natural verity of Christ in us we speak foolishly and impiously unless we learn of him for he says my flesh is true food and my bloud is truly drink he who eats my flesh and drinks my bloud abides in me and I in him there is no place of doubting left of the verity of flesh and bloud for now both by the Profession of our Lord himself and our faith it is truly flesh and truly bloud and these being taken and drunk do work that we are in Christ and Christ in us is not this the truth It seems not to be true to them that deny Christ to be true God 226. Origen hom 5. in diversa loca Evangel When thou receivest the holy food and incorruptible
vivificated be seen to be in the Chalice when wine is wanting to the Chalice wherby Christs bloud is declared which is openly published by the sacrament and testimony of all the scriptures which the Saint proves there at large Again in the same place he says If Jesus Christ our lord and God he the high priest of God the Father first offered Sacrifice to God the Father and commanded this to be done in his commemoration verily the priest executes in the stead of Christ who imitates that which Christ did do and offers a true and full sacrifice in the Church to God the Father if he goes about to offer according to that which he has seen Christ himself to have offered Lastly in Ser. de coena Domini which is commonly attributed to him sith our lord has said Do ye this in my commemoration this is my flesh and this is my bloud as often as it is done with these words and this faith that substantiall bread and chalice consecrated by solemn benediction is profitable to the life and Salvation of the whole man being also a medicine and holocaust to heal our infirmities and purge our iniquities 203. Tertullian l. 5. advers Marcionem after having declared what Christ did in his last supper he concludes fieri semper quod postea Jussit he commanded the same to be done always afterward 180. S. Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 32. He took bread and gave thinks saying this is my body and in like manner the chalice which he declares to be his bloud and taught the new oblation of the New testament Which the Church receiving from the Apostles Offers to God in the whole world and cap. 34. The oblation of the Church which our Lord has taught to be offered in the world is reputed before God a pure sacrifice and a little after The kind of Oblation is not reproved for Oblations were there and Oblations here Sacrifices in the people sacrifices also in the Church and beneath he makes an argument against the Hereticks of his time How is it manifest to them that bread in which thanks are given to be the body of our Lord and the Chalice his bloud if they say not him to be the Son of the maker of the world that is his World 130. S. Justin Martyr Apol. 2. ad Antonium The Apostles in their Commentaries which are called Gospells have so declared that Christ commanded them taking bread and giving thanks he said do this in memory of me This is my Body and also taking the Cup and giving thanks he said this is my Bloud and gave to them only S. Martial Epist ad Burdigal He that is Christ having a body both immaculate and without sin for he was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary permitted himself to be immolated on the Altar of the Cross but what the Jews through envy did immolate hoping to abolish his name from the Earth we for our Salvations sake do set upon the sanctified Altar knowing that by this only remedy life is to be given us and death avoided for he our Lord commanded us to do this in his commemoration 100. S. Dionise Eccless Hist cap. 3. wherfore the venerable Bishop reverently and according to his pontifical office by holy praises of the divine works excuses himself that he sacrifices the salutarie host which is above him first in a decent manner exclaming to him Thou hast said do this in my commemoration next he asks that he may be made worthy of so great a Ministery ordained in the imitation of God and to become according to his forces like to Christ and that he may devoutly consecrate the Sacraments and purely distribute them 99. S. Clement l. 5. Apostol constit cap. 18. Our Lord being risen from death make ye your sacrifice which by us he has Constituted saying do this in my commemoration and l. 6. cap. 23. for one sacerdotal tribe he hath commanded to choose some of the best of every Nation to the Priesthood not regarding the defects of body but their religion and life for cruental sacrifice a rational and incruental and that mystical sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord which is celebrated in symbole of his death for worship determined by circumscription of place he hath commanded to celebrate the same with praises from the East to the West in every place of his Dominion These might suffice to shew the Authority of the Catholick Church in celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass and therfore I omit several other places of the holy Scripture and I will therfore make it more clear by the continual Tradition of the Church in those first 500. years CHAP. II. The sacrifice of the Mass proved by Tradition and practise of the Church within the five hundred years after Christ SAint Augustine Epist 118. ad Januarium cap. 5. affirms that whatsoever the Church in all the world uses carries with it full authority insomuch that to dispute whether it might be done is most insolent madness and lib. 1. contra Cresconium c. 33. to do that which the whole Church approves cannot be questioned for as the holy Scripture cannot deceive us so he who fears to be deceived by the obscurity of any question let him consult of it the Church which without any ambiguity the Scripture demonstrates or makes manifest Let us therfore now see what hath been the Doctrine of the Church within these 500. years after Christ wherto as I said before the Doctour appeals This cannot be made more manifest then by the Tradition and practise of the Church in her Liturgies or Masses for what the Grecians call liturgies that the Latin calls Missa and we in English Mass Now these Liturgies do come from S. Peter S. James S. Basil S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose and others of those times and within the times from five hundred years we hardly find any forms of Masses but what are deduced from them I will not say but that there have been some difference in their rites or ceremonies some diminutions and some additions yet none of them differ in the substance or nature of a sacrifice all agree in their forms in as much as concerns the due celebration of the Mass Now because the Doctour alledges the Liturgies of S. James S. Basil and S. Chrysostome I shall take a brief view of these in particular §. 1. of S. James Liturgie SAint Proclus Bishop of Constantinople l. de Traditione divina Liturgiae about the year 430. assures us that amongst the Apostles S. James did set forth a form of liturgie or Mass which Baronius ad an 63. confirms out of S. Cyril Bishop of Hierusalem Catechist 6. an 365. who Catch 5. explicates the most part of S. James Liturgie as of the pax or kisse of peace the sursum corda and Preface the cherubical hymn sanctus sanctus sanctus prayers before the consecration In which says he we pray our most benign God that he would send
house entreated one of our Priests to go thither and expell them by prayer one went and offered there the Sacrifice of Christs body and by Gods mercy the divells did leave the place lib. 9. confess cap. 12. the Saint tells us that he was present when the Sacrifice was offered for his Mothers Soul 398. S. Chrysostome in 2. ad Tit. 1. hom 2. That holy oblation which Peter or Paul or a Priest of whatsoever merit he be who doth offer is the same which Christ gave to his Disciples which now also Priests do make this has no less then that hom 24. in 1. Cor. 10. God hath prepared here a much more admirable and more magnificent Sacrifice and when he had changed the Saccrifice for the slaughter of bruit beasts he commanded himself to be offered hom 69. ad Populum Antioch It was not unadvisedly ordained by the Apostles that commemoration of the dead should be made in the dreadfull mysteries for they know that from thence much gain and profit comes to them for when the whole people with hands stretched forth the sacerdotall plenitude and the dreadfull Mystery is propounded how praying for them shall we not be heard of God To these we may admit what the same Saint hath left to posterity in his liturgie of which we have spoken already cap. 1. § 3. and remit the Reader to Claud. de Sanctis at the end of his book of the Liturgy who hath made a Collection out of S. Chrysostoms works not only in general but also in every particular of the Masse 390. S. Jerome Epist ad Theophilum applauding his book sayes In thy work we have beheld the verity of the Churches that those who are ignorant may learn and be taught by the testimony of the Scriptures with what veneration they ought to receive holy things and serve in the Ministery of Christs Altar and to have the holy Chalice and holy veils and other things which belong to the worship of our Lords passion from the participation of our Lords body and bloud Again in cap. 1. ad Tit. If lay-men be commanded to abstain from their wives for prayer what shall we think of a Bishop who must dayly offer immaculate sacrifices unto God for his own sins and for the sins of the people 380. S. Gregory of Nice orat de Resurrect Our Lord preventing the violence of the Jews offered himself a sacrifice being himself both priest and Lamb but thou wilt say to me when was this done even then when he gave to his familiar friends his body to eat and his bloud to drink and what he himself did the same he commanded his Ministers to do 374. S. Ambrose in his prayer before Mass which the Church to this day uses exclaims O with how great confusion of heart and fountain of tears with how great reverence and trembling with how great chastity of body and purity of mind is that divine and celestial sacrifice to be celebrated where thy flesh in verity is taken where thy bloud in verity is drunken where lowest things are joyned to highest things earthly things to Divine where is the presence of the holy Angels where thou art wonderfully and ineffably Sacrifice and Priest Again I O Lord mindful of thy venerable Passion do come to thy Altar although a sinner that I may offer to thee the sacrifice which thou hast instituted and commanded to be offered in remembrance of thee for our Salvation And in his Mass he has this prayer How can we despair of thy mercy who receive so great a gift that we should deserve to offer such an host to thee to wit the body and bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ who delivered himself for the redemption of the world to that pious and venerable passion who instituting the form of everlasting sacrifice of Salvations first offered himself a sacrifice and first taught it to be offered And again Our Lord Jesus Christ thy son hath ordained the Rite of sacrificing in the New testament when he transformed bread and wine which Melchisedech Priest had offered in prefiguration of the mystery to come into the sacrament of his body and bloud and l. de officits cap. 48. Now Christ is offered as man as receiving his passion and he offers himself as Priest that he may forgive our sins And in Psal 38. We have seen the high Priest coming unto us we have seen and heard him offering his bloud for us let us Priests follow him as much as we can that we though weak in merit yet honorable by the Sacrifice may offer sacrifice for the people for although Christ is not now seen to offer yet he is offered on earth when the body of Christ is offered yea he is manifestly offered in us his word sanctifies the sacrifice which is offered 370. S. Gregory Nariazene orat 4. makes mention of Altars having their name from the most pure and incruental sacrifice 340. S. Athanasius Ser. de Defunct The Oblation of the unbloudy sacrifice is our propitiation 328. Eusebius l. 1. de demonst cap. 10. After all things Christ working our salvation offered to his Father a certain wonderful victim and excellent sacrifice for the salvation of us all and ordained in memory thereof that we our selves should offer it to God for a sacrifice 318. S. Cyrill of Hierusalem Catech. 5. explicates the most parts of the Mass I will only note his words on the Consecration We pray sayes he the most benign God that he would send his holy spirit on the things set before us that he may indeed make the bread the body of Christ and the wine the bloud of Christ for that on which the holy spirit comes upon is altogether sanctified and transmutated or changed from one thing to another 350. S. Cyprian Epist 63. ad Clerum The Bishops our predecessours religiously considering and wholsomely providing that no brother departing this life shall name a Clergy-man to be tutour or guardian over pupils If he doth no offering is to be made for him nor sacrifice celebrated for his rest because he deserves not to be named at the Altar in the prayer of the Priests who would withdraw Priests and Ministers from the Altar for which he alledges the authority of Pope Victor and Sermone de coena Domini This sacrifice is a perpetual and alwaies a permanent holocaust no multitude consumes this bread it becomes not old by antiquity 180. S. Irenaeus l. 4. cap. 34. the Churches oblation which our Lord taught to be offered in the whole world is reputed before God a sacrifice pure and acceptable to him And again The kinde of Oblation is not reproved for oblations were there and also oblations are here sacrifice in the people and sacrifices in the Church And after he makes an argument against the hereticks of those times Now will it be manifest that the Bread whereon thanksgivings are made is the body of our Lord and Chalice his bloud if they say Christ is not the
the body and bloud of God Bread and wine and water are turned into the body and bloud of Christ I cannot omit the holy Abbot Paschasius who lib. de corp sang Dom. cap. 2. says Although the figure or form of bread and wine be here yet no other thing at all then the flesh of Christ and the bloud of Christ are to be believed after the consecration And lib de Instit Sacra Christ did not say that in this mystery there is a certain vertue or sign of my body but plainly says This is my body and therefore this is what he says and not what any one fancies This Authour lived about the year 850. well nigh four hundred years before the Lateran Council Isichius in the year 601. in Levit. cap. 9. The Dispensation of Mystery principally subsists in our Lords word transferring these things which appear into some other thing greater and intelligible 445. Let us now see what the holy Fathers in the first five hundred years did teach of this subject Prosper in lib. sentent In the species of bread and wine which we see we honour invisible things that is flesh and bloud we do not consider these two species as we did before the Consecration sith we faithfully acknowledg that before consecration the bread and wine to be what nature has framed but after the consecration to be the flesh and bloud of Christ which benediction has consecrated 430. S. Cyrill of Alexandria Epist ad Coelest God condescending to our frailty breaths the force of life in the things which are offered concerning them into the verity of his own flesh Eusebius Emissenus about the same time Hom. 5. de Pasch The invisible Priest by his word and sacred Power converts the visible creatures into the substance of his body and bloud 420. S. Augustine ser 28. de verb. Dom. I say unto you that before the words of Christ that which is offered is called bread when the words of Christ are pronounced it is not called bread but corpus a body 398. S. Chrysostome hom 83. in Mat. 11. hom 60. ad populum Antioch Those works which he did in the supper are not from humane power he now also works he performs it we hold the order of Ministers but he sanctifies and transmutates these things S. Ambrose lib. 4. de Sacram. cap. 4. This bread is bread before the Sacramental words when the consecration comes of bread is made the flesh of Christ After The word of Christ makes the Sacrament what word of Christ to wit that in which all things were created c. and infers I answer thee the body of Christ was not before consecration but after the consecration I say to thee that now it is the body of Christ take therefore as the word of Christ is wont to change all creatures and changes the state of nature when he will which he proves by many examples as that Christ was born of a Virgin and the standing of the waters when the Israelites passed the sea water coming out of a rock and such like lib. 4. de fid cap. 5. As often as we take the Sacrament which by the Mystery of holy prayer is transfigured into flesh and bloud we declare the death of our Lord and lib. de iis qui initiantur cap. 9. How many examples do we use that we may prove this not to be what nature hath framed but what benediction has consecrated and the force of benediction to be greater then that of nature for by benediction nature it self is changed 369. S. Cyril of Hierusalem Catech. 1. The bread and wine of the Eucharist before the Invocation of the adorable Trinity was meer bread and wine but the Invocation being done the bread indeed is made the body of Christ and wine the bloud of Christ Catech. 3. The Eucharistical bread after the Invocation of the holy Ghost is no more humane bread but the body of Christ And Catech. 4. He sometimes changed water into wine and shall not he be worthy to be believed that transmutates or changes wine into bloud 250. S. Cyp. Ser. de coena Dom. This bread which our Lord gave to his Disciples changed not in form but nature by the Omnipotency of the word is made flesh 203. Tertullian lib. 4. adversus Marci Christ made the bread receive his body saying This is my body 226. Origen lib. 8. contra Celsum We eat the offered bread now made by prayer a holy and sanctifying body 183. S. Irenaeus lib. 5. cap. 2. When the mixt chalice and the broken bread receive the word of God the Eucharist of the bloud and body of Christ is made And cap. 34. The bread which of earth taking the invocation of God is now not common bread but the Eucharist of Christs body and bloud 150. S. Justine Martyr Apol. 2. ad Antonium We take not common or usual bread and usuall drink but even as by Gods word Jesus Christ our conserver made man had flesh and bloud for our Salvation so for food which by power of the word which we have received he is consecrated wherewith our bloud and flesh by communion are nourished and we taken to be the flesh and bloud of Jesus Christ of him who made man Sure S. Dionise was of that minde when he calls the Eucharist the sacred and most majesticall Mysteries In a book dedicated to the renowned Prince Henry Prince of Wales under the Title of Catholick Tradition made by a french Hugonot I have these Testimonies following The Ethiopian Liturgy hath this prayer We pray thee O Lord that thou wouldest shew thy face on this bread on this Altar bless sanctifie cleanse and transport this bread into thy spottless flesh and this wine into thy pretious bloud and it may be made an ardent and acceptable sacrifice and health of our soul and body And again The Priest prays That God would change the bread and wine of the Sacrament as he changed water into wine in Cana. In another place the same Author says that the Abyssens in their Liturgy which probably is the same with the former frequently make mention of Transmutation and it is to be noted that these Nations do pretend to have the form of Liturgy or Mass from the Apostles I cannot omit the words of the Constaminopolitan Patriark Jeremias in answer to the German Protestants quoted by the same Author Touching those things we that is the Grecian Church see that you in no way agree with us The Catholick Church holds that the bread after the sanctification is changed into the body of Christ and the wine into into bloud by the holy Ghost A little after The bread is converted and changed into the body of our Lord and the wine into his bloud and again he affirms that there are not two things in the Sacrament to wit Bread and Christs Body but one sole to wit Christs body CHAP. XIV Who are the Ministers of this Sacrifice of the Mass IT may