then vnderstand how our Lord would giue vs his flesh to eate and his bloud to drinke but he beleeued the words to be good which he did not vnderstand and that they should eate his true flesh and drinke his true bloud because Christ was God and Sonne of God and therefore casting of all doubts and misbeleef against this Sacrament and firmely beleeuing that they should eate his true flesh indeed and drinke his bloud indeed answered Lord vnto whome shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall lyfe and we beleeue and haue known that thou art Christ the some of God Ioh. 6. 68. 11. The reason why S. Peter answered thus was because the Jewes and many of the Disciples The reason of S. Peters ansvver to our Sauiour vvhenothers beleeued not his vvords spokē about this Sacrament who murmured at our Sauiours words and sayed This saying is hard that they should eate his flesh and drinke his bloud did not beleeue that he was God but only man saying How cann this man giue vs his flesh to eate who if they had beleeued that he was God and Sonne of God would haue made no difficulty in beleeuing that he would giue them his flesh to eate and his bloud to drinke knowing that with God all things are possible Math. 19. 26. and that there shall not be impossible with God any word Luk. 1. 37. And therefore S. Peter said Thou hast the words of eternall life and we beleeue and haue known that thou art Christ the Sonne of God According to the profession of his faith formely made saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of God Math. 16. 16. And therefore he and the rest of the Apostles only Iudas excepted beleeued that he both could and would giue The institution of the Sacrament often repeated in the Scriptures least there might be any doubt them his flesh to eate and bloud to drinke 12. And least there might be any doubt made whether our Sauiour gaue his body and bloud in the Communion or no S. Matthew S. Luke S. Marke and S. Paule when they speake of the institution of the communion doe all affirme that our Lord took bread and blessing said Take ye and eate this is my body and likewise the Chalice saying Drinke ye all of his for this is my bloud Insomuch as amongst them all accounting both the body and bloud least there might be any doubt made of the deliuering his body to eate and his bloud to drinke they repeate it eight times in the words of institution besides other places 13. And to take awaie all doubtes and distrust that our Lord in the institution of the communion did not giue his body to eate and bloud to drinke according to his promise in the 6. of S. Iohn our Lord did not only saye Take ye and eate this is my body and Drinke ye all of this this is my bloud but also added a reason or cause why he would haue them to eate and drinke that holy VVhy our Sauiour vvould haue the Apostles to receaue the communion communion saying for this is my body as wittnesseth Alexander the first who was made Bishopp of Rome in the yeare 121. in the 2. chapter of his 1. Epistle to all Catholikes Origen in his 35. tract vpon S. Mattheuw S. Ambrose in the 5. chapter of his 4. book of Sacraments S. Marke in his publike Liturgy c. And againe For this is my bloud as wittnesseth S. Mattheuw Matth. 26. 28. S. Ciprian Epist 63. S. Hierome Epist 150. c. where our Lord doth assigne vnto the Apostles as a cause or reason why he would haue them eate and drinke of that vvhich he had prepared for them in the communion for or because it vvas his body for or because it was his bloud shewing vnto them that the motiue which moued him so much to desire the institution of this blessed Sacrament and that they should eate and drinke of it was because it was his body and bloud and that he might feede them with his body and bloud to the fulfilling of what he had promised in the sixt of S. Iohn 14. Moreouer all the people and nations vnto All nations vnto vvhich the Apostles preached beleeued the reall presence which the Apostles preached which would be to long to reckon vpp beleeued that our Lord both then did and now doth giue his body to eate and his bloud to drinke in the Communiō as is manifest by their chronicles histories recordes monuments bookes of common prayer and practise and it is not possible that all the nations vnto which the Apostles preached being so infinite many and so farr distant one from another diuided by diuerse languages principalities and kingdomes should all fall into one and the same errour as we see by experience and into an errour Hovv impossible it is for the reall presence to be inuented by any man so hard to be embraced a◠it is to beleeue that vnder the species of all litle peece of bread was the body of the Sonne of God which sitteth at the right hand of God the Father in heauen and vnder the species of a litle wine was the bloud of the Sonne of God and adore and respect them as his true reall and substantiall body and bloud when at the first speaking of it by our Lord it seemed a thing so improbable that not only the Jewes murmured at it but also many of the Disciples were scādalised to heare of it insuch sort as at the hearing of it only they went backe and walked no more which our Lord. Iohn 6. And yet notwithstanding all this can it be imagined by any vnderstanding man that after the death of our Lord all the whole Christian world without a teacher and without a master would beleeue these things of themselues and no man to take notice either when or where or hovv they fell into these supposed grosse errours as the Comike sayeth These things are not well deuised Dauus 15. And because the ancient Fathers of the primitiue Church most firmly beleeued that the Great synners not communicated vntill after many yeares of penance same body and bloud of our Lord which sitteth at the right hand of God the Father in heauen was in the B. Sacrament after consecration therefore they did not communicate great sinners as adulterers drunkards apostatas and the like vntill after many yeares of penance as wittnesseth the Councel of Iliberis celebrated in the yeare 305. throughout the Councel of Arles held in the yeare 314. can 14. and 23. the Councel of Ancira gathered the same yeare the first great Councel of Nice Can. 10. 11. 12. and 13. according to the greeke copie which they did for the great respect they had to the most sacred body and bloud of our Lord in the communion Not to giue that which is holy vnto doggs nor cast pearles before swine according as our Lord had giuen commandement Matth. 7. 6. 16. If these
ancient Fathers of the primitiue Church had beleeued that in the blessed Sacrament after consecration there had been no reall entity or quality more then is in bakers bread and vinteners wine and that by taking a peece of bread and apprehending Christ in heauen by the hand of faith they might haue receaued worthily they would neuer haue reteyned penitent synners so long from the holy Communion as sometymes three yeares sometymes fiue sometymes tenne and sometymes vntill their deaths and that in tyme of seuere persecution 17. Moreouer about 80. yeares after the natiuity Diuers accused of heresie in the primitiue Church for denying the reall presence of our Lord Simon Magus and Menander were accused by S. Ignatius for denying that the Eucharist was the flesh of our Sauiour Iesus-Christ as wittnesseth Theodoret in his 3. dialogue And about the yeare 250. Paulus Samosatenus Bishopp of Antioche amongst other things was condemned of heresie by the Catholik Church of his tyme for affirming that the bloud of our Lord in the B. Sacrament was corruptible and mortall bloud because our Lord sayd of his bloud Take it and deuyde it amongst you How sayd he cann it be incorruptible bloud if it bee deuyded and powred out As wittnesseth Dionysius Alexandrinus in his Epistle to the said Paul set down in the 3. to me Bibliothecae Patrum and may be gathered out the profession of faith set downe by the Fathers of the Church of that tyme and sent vnto Paulus Samosatenus sett down by Bini in the 1. Tome of the Councels fol. 162. 18. These things considered what shal we saye vnto the promises of God vnto his Church which The promises of our Lord made voyd if his body and bloud should not be in the B. Sacrament S. Augustine in the 2. chapter of his 1. book against the Epistle of Parmenianus caleth The thunders of the diuine testament which God gaue in promise vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob whose God he affirmed himselfe to be saying I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and Iacob this is may name for euer And what was sayd to Abraham In thy seede shal be blessed all nations Gen. 12. 22. What is sayd to Isaac In thy seed shal be blessed all the nations of the earth Gen. 26. What is said to Iacob I am the God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac be not affrayd c. they seed shall be as the sand of the sea to the west and to the south and to the north and to the east in Europe Asia Africa and America and in thee and in thy seed shal be blessed all the natiōs of the earth And least the Iewes should thinke that this is spoken of them the Apostle declareth what is intended by the seed of Abraham saying To Abraham and to his seed were the promises made and he doth not saye to seeds as in many but as in one to thy seed which is Christ Gal. 3. Wherefore seeing that it was promised which so great authority and published by so great a truth and now they do contradict it who wil be called Christians Thus S. Augustine of the promises of God to his Church which he calleth the thunders of God 19. What shall we saye of these and many more the lyke promises of God vnto his Church set down in both Testaments as that it shall possesse the gates of her enemies Gen. 12. The mountaines shal be moued and the litle hils shall tremble but my mercy shall not depart from thee and the conuenant of my peace shall not be moued Isa 54. Our Lord hath sworne by his right hand and by the arme of his strenght if I shall giue thy wheate any more to be meate to thine enimies Isa 62. All the ends of the earth shall remember and be conuerted to our Lord. And all the families of the Gentils shall adore in his sight Psal 21. 37. In his dayes shall arise iustice and abundance of peace so long as the moone endureth And he shall rule from sea to sea and from the Riuer of Jordan where he was baptized and began to preache vnto the end of the world Psal 71. 6. The gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Matt. 16. 18. The holy Ghost shall abide with her for euer Io. 14. 16. The house of God the Church of the liuing God the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3. 15. Goe teache all nations be hold I am with you all dayes euen to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. What shall we saye vnto our 3. Creeds the The three Creeds not alvvaies true if the body and bloud of our Lord should not bee in the B. Sacrament Apostles creed wherein the Apostles themselues taught Christians to beleeue in all ages and tymes as an article of our faith the Catholik Church or that Church which was generally dilated ouer the world The Nicen creed which was made in the 1. generall Councel which euer was in the world by 318. holy Bishops which teache vs to beleeue that there is but one true Church and that Church to be Catholik or generally dilated over the world and founded by the Apostles Athanasius his Creed which saith Whosoeuer wil be saued it is necessary aboue all things that he hould the Catholike faith which faith except a man keepe whole and inuiolate without all doubt he shall euerlastingly perish Whē now for 1600. yeares there hath ben no Church or faith Catholike or generally dilated over the world but theirs who beleeued that our Sauiour at his last Supper gaue his body to be eaten and his bloud to be drinken and haue beleeued that they in the Communion haue receaued the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord and haue honored it and respected it as his true body and bloud as I haue proued heretofore and shall proue more all large hereafter 21. If the true and reall body and bloud of our Lord be not in the blessed Sacrament hovv could the Christians of those ages saye I beleeue the Catholik Chuch or faith when there vvas no Catholik Church or faith in those ages which held not the true and reall presence of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament after consecration and before receauing Were not the articles of our faith true in all ages and tymes since they were deliuered by the Apostles What shall we saye vnto all those promises of God vnto his Church and vnto our three Creeds Shall we saye that God hath failed in his promises now for 1600. yeares How shall we perswade men to beleeue him hereafter Or induce men to beleeue that the Scriptures are true 22. § What shall we saye of our three Creeds shall we saye that the Apostles Creed hath not alwayes ben true since it was made Or shall we saye that our 3. Creeds haue been hitherto false Or rather shall we not saye Our Lord is faithfull in all his words Psal 144. 14.
sacred feasts or communions to be made of things offered in sacrifice that euen heathen men who beleeued that there was a God or Gods and his or their Prouidence ouer mankinde guided only by the law of nature or the dictamen of euerie mans conscience esteemed those to be Atheists impious and irreligions who had temples and yet had no sacrifice nor communicated of things offered in sacrifice And Plutark in the same place adding a reason why those who communicated together in their temples and not of things offered in sacrifice were Atheists and impious wicked people saith For he that should make a sacred feast or communion without offering of sacrifice standeth by the Priest as he would stand by a cooke or buicher gaping after meate and that 's all wherby they contemne the sacred honor or worshipp which is due vnto God by the law of nature and profane the holye societie which should be betweene men and God and of men amongst themselues and therefore are instlie esteemed Atheists irreligious And this is sufficient to shew vnto any indifferēt reader that the offering of visible sacrifice is due vnto God by the law and light of nature or the dictamen of all mens consciences in whom the light or lawe of nature is not extinct or that without infringing the law of nature the offering of visible sacrifice vnto God cannot be taken away or neglected CHAP. VII How visible Sacrifice was offered vnto God in the beginning of his Church vpon Earth shal be vntill the end 1. THis being the end why visible Sacrifices were ordeyned by God that men might by them visibly acknowledg him for their Lord God honor him with the honor of Latria or diuine vvorship due only vnto him maintaine a memory of the passion of our Sauiour to come or past and preserue peace vvith him and amongst themselues God of his goodnes in the beginning of his Church vpon earth in the Law of Nature established the offering of visible Sacrifice in man not only by the law and God established the offering of sacrifice light of Nature but also by reuelation and inspiration immediatly bestowed vpon Adam from himselfe as witnesseth S. Athanasius in his sermon vpon these wordes All things are giuen me by my father saying Neither was Abel ignorant that he ought to offer of his first begotten for he learned it of Adam who had it from God For as the Scriptures saie Wisdome 10. 2. God brought Adam out of his sinne and gaue him power to containe all things Amongst which this was one that he and his sonnes and posteritie ought to offer visible Sacrifice to God in signe of homage and subiection vnto him and vnion of hearts with him their Creator Wherevpon S. Chrisostome in his 18. homily vpon Genesis saith that both Cain and Abel were moued to offer Sacrifice By the dictamen of their consciences and by wisdome giuen from aboue 2. By this which hath been said it appeareth that the offering of visible Sacrifice vnto God was not only practised in the beginning of the world by Adam Cain and Abel but also that it Sacrifice an article of faith was an article of faith reuealed vnto man by God in the Law of Nature euen from the beginning of the Church of God vpon earth after the fall of Adam Wherevpon S. Paule faith By faith Abel offered a greater hoast to God then Cain Heb. 11. 4. Where S. Paule signifieth vnto vs that Abel beleeuing that visible Sacrifice as a sacred signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of his heart was gratefull to God offered a visible Sacrifice according to this his faith of the best thinges he had and therefore was respected by God And Cain wanting faith and belief in this point offered according to the defect of his faith of his worst fruites and therefore God respected not his giftes Gen. 4. for without faith as S. Paule saith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. 3. Now seeing that Adam and his sonnes who Adam and his Sonnes first founders of the Church vpon earth were the first founders of the Church of God vpon earth vsed externall visible Sacrifice and externall visible Sacrifice is a thing only chiefly and aboue all thinges due vnto God as a Sacrament representing the inward and inuisible Sacrifice of the heart and a matter of faith in the Law of Nature most certaine it is that externall visible Sacrifice shall not be taken out of the Church of God vntill the end of the world seeing that as S. Paule witnesseth Faith is alwaies one and the same saying One Lord one Faith Ephes 4. One faith in all times and ages immutable 5. and not changeable or mutable but one and the same spirit of faith 2. Cor. 4. 13. Wherevpon S. Augustine in his 89. Epistle to Hillarius and 3. Question saith Faith is not variable but one And the true Faith shall neuer faile vntill the end of the world as the Scriptures affirme Mat. 13. 39. Ephes 4. 13. and the manie promises of Cod. Wherefore seeing that visible Sacrifice was vsed in the beginning and first foundation of the Church of God vpon earth as a matter of faith and as a thing due only to God most certaine it is that visible Sacrifice shal be practised vntill the end of the world that we all meete as S. Paule saith in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God Ephes 4. 13. which God himselfe further witnesseth saying I the Lord this is my name and I will not giue my glorie vnto an other Isa 42. 8. 4. Secondly CHRIST IESVS deliuered himself to death as S. Paul witnesseth that he might Christ planted a glorious Church vvhich could not be vvithout Sacrifice present vnto himself a glorious Church Ephes 5. 26. with could not be where the honor and worship which is only chiefly and aboue all things due vnto God is taken away such as is externall visible Sacrifice as I haue prooued in the precedent Chapters And whereas some obiect and say that S. Paul saith Christ offred himself once and one hoast c. we grant that Christ offered himself but once bloodily which was vpon the Crosse and but one substantial hoast because the same substantial body which was offered vpon the Crosse is now daily offered or giuen to God for vs as a sacred signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of our harts according to his commaundement saying Do this the same which he then did when he took bread and made it his Body and gaue it to God for vs as I shall shew more at larg hereafter 5. Thirdly the offring of externall visible Sacrifice is one of the chiefest meanes whereby Sacrifice the meanes of peace men preserue vnitie peace and society with God and amongst themselues as I haue proued in the 2. Chapter and therefore this could not be taken away by our Sauiour the end of whose coming into the world was chiefly to
Fourthly he changed the substance of the bread into his substantiall bodie saying of that with was bread when he tooke it first into his hands This is my body and so made a change of the substance of bread into the substance of his bodie as I shall proue more at large here after to shew the power and omnipotencie of God who can change and alter things created at his will and pleasure which ostension of the power of God is vsed in all Sacrifices as I haue shewed in the 2. chapter And lastly he gaue his body for a gift to God for vs thereby to signifie the Sacrifice of our hearts and our subiection vnto him and his dominion ouer vs as is vsed in particular externall visible Sacrifices saying This is my body which is giuen for you Luk. 22. By which words it is plaine and manifest that the bodie which our Sauiour deliuered in the Communion to the Apostles was a particular gift and vnbloudy Sacrifice giuen to God for vs to signifie the sacrifice of our harts c. 10. In like manner our Sauiour at his last Supper took wyne which also was vsed in vnbloudy sacrifices or sacrifice of gifts as witnesseth the Scripture in the sacrifice of Melchisedech Gen. 13. and after blessed it as witnesseth S. Paul 1. Cor. 10. So that it was holy and consecrated wyne to God as is the wyne of all sacrifices and changed the substance of that which before vvas wyne into the substance of his bloud saying This is my bloud Math. 26. 28. To shew the omnipotent power of God who is able to alter and change all things created at his will and pleasure vvhich alteration by some change of the thing offered is vsed in all sacrifices and lastly to shed his bloud to God for vs therby to signifie the inuisible contrition and sacrifice of our harts and his dominion ouer vs and our subiection vnto him saying This is my bloud which is shed for you Luk. 22. not after a carnall or cruell manner but after the manner of a gift cleane oblation and vnbloudy sacrifice as witnesseth the practise and experience of all ages no Christian Catholik man euer affirming that our Sauiour at his last supper shed his bloud after a carnal cruell manner but after the manner of gifts and cleane vnbloudy Sacrifices to the fulfilling of the Prophecies cited before in the 8. and 10. Chapters 11. Our aduersaries confesse that our Lord at his last Supper administred the communion vnto the Apostles and it is neuer read of any sect or sort of people in former ages that they communicated together and not of meate offered in Sacrifice to God except the Epicures and Atheists as I haue proued in the 6. Chapter of this book Wherefore seeing that our Sauiour at his last supper administred the holy communion it is manifest that he offered first sacrifice in the meate which he deliuered in the communion before he deliuered it and bloudy Sacrifices being to cease in the new law as I haue proued it necessarily followeth that our Sauiour at his last supper offered vnbloudy Sacrifices of gifts and administred the communion of the same and that these gifts or vnbloudy Sacrifices were his body and bloud vnder the species of bread and wyne seeing he in plaine and expresse termes sayth of them This is my body which is giuen for you Luk 22. This is my body which is broken for you 1. Cor. 11. This is my bloud which is shed for you Luk. 22. 12. And after that our Sauiour at his last supper had offered a Sacrifice of gifts or an vnbloudy Sacrifice in his body and bloud and had communicated the Apostles of the same he presently by an expresse command established the said kind of Sacrifice in his Church for a commemoration of him saying Doe this the same which he then did for a commemoration of mee Luk 22 And this doe ye for the commemoration of mee 1. Cor. 11. 24. Whereupon the Catholik anciens Fathers beleeued that our Sauiour at his last supper offered vnbloudy Sacrifice or Sacrifice of gifts in his body and bloud and therefore sometymes call the Sacrifice of the new law Gifts sometymes vnbloudy sacrifice as all one thing as I will shew more at large in the next chapter CHAP. XII The ancient Fathers beleeued that our Lord at his last supper offered vnbloudie sacrifice in his body and bloud and established the same in his Church 1. FIrst all the Catholick ancient Fathers were The Fathers Bishops or Priests either Bishops or Priests or both and either daily or often vsed and practised Liturgies or publick Church seruice books which teach the offering of vnbloudie Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord in their Churches and the administration of the Sacrament as the protestant Bishops and ministers of England vse the book of the order for the administration of the Lords supper in their Churches so they could not but beleeue and teach that our Lord at his last supper offered vnbloudie Sacrifice or Sacrifice of gifts in his body and No antient books of the administatiō of the Communion but teach vnbloodie Sacrifice bloud and established the same in his Church vnlesse our aduersaries will make them atheists and hypocrites to say and doe one thing and beleeue another For there neither is nor euer was before the rebellion of Luther amongst anie sect or sort of Christians reputed heretickes to both parties only excepted any book of the administration of the holie communion but those which teach how to offer vnbloudie Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord and how to administer the communion in the same 2. This is first manifest by the practise and proceeding of our Aduersaries themselues Protestant Bishops and Priests are nevve inuentions who vvhen they did resolue in the 2. yeare of King Edvvard the sixt a child to forsake the Catholique Religion and faith in this point and to haue a Religion vvherein there should be noe offering of vnbloudie Sacrifice or receauing the bodie and bloud of our Lord from the hand of a Priest or Altar could not finde before the time of the Rebellion of Luther anie one Bishop or Priest who had taken such orders or was ordayned a Bishop or Priest of such a Religion knowne and reputed hereticks to both parties onely excepted by whom they could or might haue such Bishops and Priests made nor yet anie book in the whole Christian world in the ages before Luther where in they might or could finde the formes or manner of making and consecrating such kind of Bishops or Priests But seeing they would needs haue such a kinde of Bishops and Priests and such a kinde of Religion they were forced to inuent a new forme and manner of making and consecrating Bishops and Priests conformable vnto their desyres as appeareth by their book intituled The forme and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons 3. And this
of the Catholick Church for these 1600. yeares or the omnipotency of God and say that he cannot effect it and so hath deceaued his Church for these many hundred yeares togeather both which is absurd and not befitting the thoughts of any Christian 11. Moreouer our Sauiour promised to giue bread to eate which should be his flesh saying The Our Sauiour promised to giue bread to eate vvhich should be his flesh bread vvhich I vvill giue is my flesh c. Ioh. 6 but he did no promise to giue his flesh to eate cut into peeces for that was the errour of the Capernits but his whole flesh and body and so promised that his whole flesh and body should be in diuerse places distributed or giuen by himselfe and caried in his owne hands who is both able to doe what soeuer he promised Rom. 4. 20. and vvill vvatch vpon his vvord to doe it Ierem. 1. 12. As we find by experience he did in the institution of the communion according to the plaine and expresse Text of Scripture saying Iesus tooke bread and blessed and brake and gaue to his Disciples and said Take ye and eate this is my body Math. 26. And the Scriptures cannot be broken as our Sauiour himselfe said Ioh. 10. 35. 12. That one and the same substantiall body of our Lord may by the omnipotency of his will not only be Sacramentally in diuerse places at the same tyme as it is in the blessed Sacrament but also visibly and personally is manifest for our Aduersaries confesse that the body of our Lord hath The body of our Lord both in heauen and earth at the same tyme. alwayes bin in heauen since the tyme of his Ascention yet the Scriptures say that since the tyme of his Ascension S. Paule being in prison our Sauiour stood by him and said be constant c. Act. 23. 11. and seing that our Sauiour stood by S. Paule in the prison and spoke vnto him standing by him Our Sauiour stood by S. Paule certainly he was vpon earth vnlesse our Aduersaries will make our Sauiour to haue so long leggs as that being in heauen he may also stand vpon the earth which is absurd and then he should not be cōtained in heauen as our Aduersaries affirme 13. At the vocation of S. Paule S. Luke saith that the men who were in the companie of S. Paule when our Lord spoke vnto him Heard a voice but S. Paule heard our Sauiours voice saw noe man Act. 9. 7. so there was a man present to be seen otherwise it were in vaine for the Scriptures to saye They saw no man when there was none to be seen Againe S. Ananias said vnto S. Paule The God of our Fathers hath preordinated the that thou shouldst knowe his will and see the S. Paule heard our Sauiours voice from his mouth just one and here his voice from his mouth Act. 22. 15. all which words import the personall presence of our Lord vpon earth for otherwise S. Paule could not haue heard our Lords voice from his mouth if he had bin in heauen neither would the Scriptures haue said that he had heard his voice from his mouth if our Lord had appeared only in a vision or resemblance and not in his proper person for that had not bin his mouth but a resemblance of it Wherefore seing that S. Paule heard our Lords voice from his mouth it is manifest that our Lord was personally vpon earth 14. The cause why our Lord appeared to S. Paule was as our Sauiour then said To this end that Our Sauiour ordained S. Paule Minister of the Ghospell I may ordaine the a Minister and wittnes of these things which thou hast seen as were the rest of the Apostles who were made Ministers of the Ghospels and wittnesses of the Resurrection not from heauen or in a vision only but by our Lords personally appearing vnto them vpon earth Wherevpon S. Paule saith Am not I an Apostle haue not I seen Christ Iesus our Lord 1. Cor. 9. 1. which argument had not bin sufficient to proue that he was an Apostle had he not seen our Lord in person here vpon earth as did the rest of the Apostles but only in a vision for S. Ananias also saw our Lord after his Ascension in a vision Act. 9. 10. yet he was not an Apostle 15. Moreouer S. Paule affirmeth that he saw our Sauiour as the rest of the Apostles saw him S. Paule savv our Sauiour as the rest of the Apostles did which was corporally here vpon earth saying Our Lord was seen of Cephas after of the eleuen Then was he seen of more then fine hundred Brethren moreouer he was seen of Iames and last of me 1. Cor. 15. 15. where he putteth no difference betweene his manner of seeing our Lord and the manner in which the other Apostles and Disciples saw our Lord which was in his proper person Wherefore seing that our Lord is alwayes personally in heauen and shal be personally in heauen vntill the daye of judgment as our Aduersaries confesse and yet the Scriptures so often affirme that S. Paule since his Ascension saw him vpon earth heard him speake standing by him heard his voice from his mouth was ordained Minister of the Ghospell by him and wittnes of his resurrection from death as were the rest of the Apostles and the ancient Fathers with one voice so constantly affirming that the body of our Lord after consecration is in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar who without Testimony of Scriptures or Fathers shall affirme that one and the same true reall and substantiall body cannot by diuine power be in diuerse places at one and the same tyme that is not very incredulous CHAP. VI. One and the same substantiall body and bloud of our Lord in the holy Sacrament is in diuerse places and vnder diuerse dimensions at the same tyme. Our Sauiours prouidence in preuenting errour in this Sacrament 1. OVr Sauiour foreseeing that there would come a tyme when there should arise men who would call themselues Christians and yet both deny the offring of visible Sacrifice in his body and bloud and also that God by the power of his will could putt one and the same his substantiall body in diuerse places and vnder diuerse dimensions at the same tyme to preuent their incredulitie at the institution of the blessed Sacrament not only said once of the thing which he deliuered in the communion vnto the Apostles This is my body which is giuen for you This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you Luk. 22. but also to establish this truth of the being of his one true reall and substantiall body and bloud in all the Christian Sacrifices and Sacraments which were to be offred and communicated throughout the whole world that there might neuer be any more question or doubt of it amongst Christians who should professe the doctrine of Iesus-Christ spoke
giue lesse then he promised in so manifest and plaine termes and these so often repeated Wherefore seing that he often promised with cleare and manifest words in the 6. of S. Iohn that he would giue liuing bread bread that came down from heauen bread which is his flesh for the lyfe of the world meate which is his flesh and drinke which is his bloud meate which who soeuer eateth worthily hath lyfe euerlasting and abideth in Christ and Christ in him it cannot without blasphemy be affirmed that Christ hath not truely and really performed those things which he hath so often and so plainly and clearly promised and that rather more then lesse then his words import which cannot be vnlesse he giue his true reall and substantiall body and bloud himself vnder the species of bread and wine vnto vs for meate for whatsoeuer inferior thing he should giue which should be lesse then himself the same should also be lesse then his promise 5. And the want of performance if any such thing could possibly be were so much the more Our Sauiours assurance in giuing his flesh remarkable for that our Sauiour with a double assurance or as it were with a kind of oath affirmeth saying Amen Amen I say to you vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall not haue lyfe in you Io. 6. 53. Wherevpon S. Augustine in his 41. Tract vpon S. Iohn sayth Truth sayth Amen Amen I say vnto you what a thing is this that our Lord shoul saye Amen Amen I say vnto you He commendeth it very much which he so pronounceth seing that if it be lawfull so to saye Amen Amen I saye vnto you is his oath 6. Wherefore seeing that it is impossible for God to lye and alter all these his afore sayd properties and conditions it necessarily followeth that our Lord at the institution of the communion gaue his true reall and substantiall body and bloud vnto the Apostles in the communion and instituted that his true reall and substantiall body and bloud should be administred in the communion to the fulfilling of those his wordes here spoken in the 6. S. Iohn and also at the institution of this Sacrament where he doth not only saye This is my body and this is my bloud but This is my body which is giuen for you and This is my body which shal be deliuered for you This is my bloud which is shed for many and This is my bloud which shal be shed for many 7. If after all these faire wordes and large promises of receauing from our Sauiour this heauenly God cannot faile to fulfill his many and serious promises food and diuine meate we should receaue from him only a peece of bakers bread and supp of vintners wine which notwithstanding all that it hath from him or on his part is euen after consecration but a peece of bread and supp of vintners wine without any reall qualitie entitie substance flesh body or bloud of his in it more then is in other bakers bread and vintners wine which is the assertion of our Aduersaries who could with reason thinke or beleeue that Christ were God faithfull in his words and iust in all his promises 8. That the Puritans saye they receaue the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of The Protestans and Puritans communion a meere imagination or fiction our Lord by faith eate his flesh and bloud by faith imagine him there though he be as farr of in deed and truth as it is to heauen that 's nothing to the purpose For first these are their own words which are no where to be found in the Scriptures Secondly we do not looke for the actions of men what they do or ought to doe when they communicate or receaue but for the actions of God in preparing and giuing the thing they are to receaue before they receaue it Thirdly faith or imagination can not make a thing really absent to be really present as is manifest by experience and to beleeue that a thing which is indeede absent is really and indeed present is but a deceipt in the imagination and a false faith which cann neuer make that which is not present to be present Fourthly suppose that these sayings of the Puritans were true then the words and promises of Christ were false and so he should not be true God for these are not his words promises workes and actions but theirs wherefore if they saye true then our Lord hath not fulfilled his promises and so was not true God not faithfull in all his words But seeing that he was true God and Sonne of God and truth it selfe it necessarily followeth that he fulfilled these his promises so solēnely made and gaue his true and reall flesh to eate and bloud to drinke in the Communion 9. And this was as I haue said heretofore the argument Christ vvas God because he could chāge bread into his body of S. Irenaeus to proue against some heretiks who denied Christ to be God the changing of bread into his body and wine into his bloud saying in the 34. chap. of his 4. book of heresies How vvill it be manifest to these heretikes who deny Christ to be the Sonne of God that the bread vpon vvhich thankes is giuen is the body of their Lord and the chalice his bloud if they do not saye Christ to be the sonne of the biulder of the world that is to say his vvord by vvhich trees be are fruite fountaines flow the earth first doth giue the blade afterwards the eare then full vvheate in the eare Thus S. Irenaeus who liued why lest yet some of the Apostles schollers were liuing and the actions of our Sauiour and the Apostles were fresh in the memory of men And from hence it is that euen in the primitiue Church none denyed that Christ gaue his true flesh and bloud in the Communion but those who denied him to be God as witnesseth S. Hilarius in his 8. book of the Trinitie saying Christ said my flesh is meat indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud remaineth in me and I in him There is no place left to doubt of the truth of the flesh and bloud of our Lord in this Sacrament for now by the profession of our Lord himselfe and by our faith or according to our faith it is truly bloud and these things being taken into our handes as was the custome of the primitiue Church and swallowed downe do worke this that vve may be in Christ and Christ in vs. And is not this truth It falleth out verily that it is not esteemed true by those who deny Christ to be God 10. From hence it is that when our Lord first preached of this blessed Sacrament in the 6. of S. Peter beleeued the reall presence before he vnderstood it S. Iohn S. Peter as witnesseth S. Augustine vpon the 54. Psalme did not