Scripture which Catholickes at this day alleadge against the different opinions of their aduersaries adding also in the same Christ at his last Supper offered himselfe in Sacrifice Epistle saith Who is more the Priest of the high God then our Lord Iesus-Christ who offered Sacrifice to God the Father and offered the same which Melchisedech had offered that is bread and wine to witt his body and bloud Againe Iesus-Christ our Lord God he is the chief Priest of God the Father he offered first himselfe to God the Father and commanded that which he then did to be donne in commemoration of him Moreouer he there saith to the Aquarian Hereticks who would only vse water and no wine in the Sacrament of the Chalice The bloud of Christ wherewith Christ bloud seene in the Chalice we are redeemed and quickned cannot be seene to be in the Chalice when wine whereby the bloud of Christ is shewed is not put into the Chalice And citing the wordes of consecration as they are sett downe by S. Matthew in the 26. chapter of his Ghospell addeth Hereby we finde that the Chalice which our Lord offered was mixt and that it had bin wine which he called his bloud whereby it doth appeare It vvas first vvine and after his bloud that the bloud of Christ is not offered if there be no wine put into the Chalice neither is our Lords Sacrifice celebrated with lawfull sanctification vnlesse our oblation and Sacrifice shal be answerable to the Passion wherein our Sauiour shed bloud and water c. Iohn 15. 34. Againe As with this common wine the mind is sett at libertie the spirits freed and all sorrow Christian drinck the bloud of Christ. banished so by drincking the bloud of our Lord and the healthfull cupp we cast awaie the memorie of the old man and doe forgett our former worldly conuersation c. Againe How shall we shed our bloud for Christ who are ashamed to drinck the bloud of Christ. This and much more to this effect hath S. Cyprian in one afore said Epistle besides what he hath dispersed through his other workes 11. Alexander the first was made Bishopp of Rome in the yeare 121. and suffered a most cruell martyrdome for the faith in Rome when the faith of Christ flourished amongst the Romans as our Aduersaries confesse and he in his first Epistle vnto all Catholicks repeating the wordes of consecration addeth With such hostes God will be delighted and pleased for nothing can be greater in Sacrifices then the body and bloud of our Lord neither is there any oblation more to be desired then this for this exceedeth all oblations which is to be offered vnto God with a pure conscience and to be receaued with a cleane heart and to be worshipped of all Thus S. Alexander 12. S. Clement of whom S. Paule maketh mention Philippians 4. 3. in the 57. chapter of his 2. book of Apostolicall constitutions saith Lett the Bishopp pray in these wordes conserue ô Lord thy People safe and blesse thine inheritance c. Afterwards lett Sacrifice be made all the People expecting and praying insilence and Sacrifice being donn lett euery order a part receaue the body of our Lord and the pretious bloud approaching in order with modestie and reuerence as vnto the body of the king before they receaued it Thus these most ancient Fathers of the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord instituted by our Sauiour and continued in the Church of God as they prooue by the same Authorities of Scriptures which the Catholicks alleadg at this day And all Christian mens books and workes who haue written of this subiect are so conformable to the doctrine of those before cited Fathers in this point of the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord that our Aduersaries knowne and reputed hereticks to both parties only excepted are not able to assigne or bring forth any book written before the rebellion of Luther which denieth the offering of Sacrifice to God in the body and bloud of his only Sonne amongst Christians And this is sufficient to proue that the Scriptures and all knowne Christian mens bookes who writt of this subiect before Luther knowne and reputed hereticks or enormish erroneous men to both parties only excepted teach a Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord. CHAP. IV. Remission of sinnes and other blessings are and may be obtained by the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord. 1. THe Sacrifice of our Redemption which The Sacrifice of the Crosse like a Pardon at the end of a Parliament our Lord offered for vs vpon the Crosse is like vnto a generall Pardon at the end of a Parliament which is in it selfe sufficient to pardon all his Majesties subiects for the offences there in specified were they tenntymes more then they are yet actually it pardoneth not any one of them but those who vse the meanes which his Majesties lawes require in that case for the applying his gratious generall pardon vnto themselues which is to sue out a writt of pardon or the like So the Passion of our Lord and his Redemption vpon the Crosse is in it selfe sufficient to redeeme tenn thousand worlds if there were or could be so many from euerlasting paines and from the punishment imposed vpon man for originall and actuall sinne as wittnesseth S. Iohn saying Christ is the propitiation of our sinnes and not for ours only but also for the whole world yet actually according to the common concurse of God it redeemeth not any one man from euerlasting torments but those who vse the meanes to applye the Passion of our Lord and his Redemption vpon the Crosse to themselues expressed in the Law of God as withnesseth S. Paule saying Christ was made to all that obey him cause of eternall saluation Heb. 5. 9. 2. And amongst the many meanes which Almightie God hath left vnto mankind to apply the Sacrifice of our Redemptiō and merits of Christs Passion vnto vs this is one the offering of a certaine and particular externall visible Sacrifice vnto God representing the inward Sacrifice of our hearts and the Passion of his Sonne thereby to acknowledge him for our God and supreame Soueraigne Lord and apply the meritt of the said Passion vnto ourselues for the remission of our sinnes as is manifest by the practise of the Church of God euen from the beginning or first plantation there of vpon earth for Abel Noe Abraham Isaack Iacob Iob and the Children of Israel offered particuler visible Sacrifice to God in commemoration of the Passion of our Lord to come for the remission of sinnes by his Passion who was presenly promised vpon the fall of Adam Gen. 3. 5. and in vertue Slaine from the beginning of the world Apoc. 13. 12. Whervpon S. Iohn saith He hath redeemed vs to God in his bloud out of euery tribe and tongue and people and nation Apoc. 5. 9. And there is no saluation in
then did should not haue power and authority as The cause vvhy Protestans and Puritans deny the reall presence in the B. Sacrament agents and instruments of God to consecrate his true reall and substantiall body and bloud if it be not but because they want the Sacrament of order and know that these words Do this were not spoken vnto them And therefore knowing that they haue no authority or power to consecrat and yet resolue to be as they are not to fall into manifest idolatry and to teach the people to esteeme and adore a peece of bread for God of two euils haue chosen the lesser and therefore say that after consecration there is nothing but bread and wine our Sauiours words effect nothing the whole busines cōsisteth in taking bread and apprehending Christ in heauen by the hand of faith and be thankefull Otherwise if we should seeke to pry and dyue into by naturall reason how and when and after what manner God createth soules in the generation of men and infuseth them into their bodyes or of what substance they are of or how they being spirituall informe the body and make one man with the body what operations they haue where the will vnderstanding and memory are placed and how they are diuided seeing the soule hath no parts how the soule mooueth the body and preserueth it from corruption how it affordeth ability te see heare smell touch and tast in what gulf the memory putteth all these species of things which she reteyneth from whence they come when they are called for and where some lye hid which cannot be found when we would and how and where we find then we shall find no lesse difficulty in these things then in knowing how a body that already is may at the same tyme be in diuers places and vnder diuers dimensions and species by the will and power of God 10. And if none should beleeue that he had a soule vnlesse he did know certainly and manifestly all these howe 's then few would attaine vnto the beliefe that he had a soule thoug all men should study Aristotles book de anima or what soeuer books they could find to that purpose all their liues yet what is more familiar vnto a man thē his soule wherewith he liues and mooues whereby we see ho absurd a thing it is not to beleeue the misteries of our faith vnlesse we cann certainly and manifestly know by reason how euery thing in particular is for then it were not a mistery of faith but a thing manifest to our senses whereas faith Is an argument of things not appearing to the senses Heb. 11. Wherefore as in the creation of all As in the founding of his earthly Kingdome God spake and things vvere so done so in founding his spirituall Kingdome vvhich is his Church things and establishing his earthly Kingdome God spake the word and we beleeue that they were made of nothing by the omnipotency of his word though we know not how God made them or could make them of nothing more then by the omnipotency of his word so here establishing the B. Sacrament in his Church he took bread and blessed and said This is my body and likwise wine and said This is my bloud and we beleeue that the bread was changed into his body and the wine into his bloud by the omnipotency of his word though we know not how God could change bread into his body or vvine into his bloud and putt them into so little a roome and vnder the species of bread and vvine but by the omnipotency of his vvord And as after God had created the earth and mankind he said to the earth Let the earth shoote forth green hearbs and such as may seed c. and to man Increase and multiply and vve beleeue that both the earth and man by the omnipotency of his vvord receaued vertue and power to do that vvhich he said though we do not know vvhere this power lyeth or in vvhat part or hovv these things come to passe more then by the omnipotency of his vvord so after that God had instituted this Sacrament and consecrated his body and bloud he said to Bishopps and Priests rightly ordained Doe this and This doe ye and vve beleeue that Bishopps and Priests rightly ordained haue power to consecrate the body and bloud of our Lord though vve doe not knovv vvhere the power lyeth in Priests or hovv it cometh to passe more then by the omnipotency of the vvord of God 11. Besides that vvhich I haue said in the former Chapter S. Iohn Damascene in the 14. chapter of his 4. book Orthodoxaefidei explicateth this point at large saying Our Lord breaking the bread gaue it vnto his Disciples saying take eate this is my body c. S. Damascene of the manner hovv the body of our Lord cometh to be in the Eucharist If then the word of God be quickning and full of efficacy and all that our Lord hath willed he hath done if he hath said lett light be made and it was done if he haue said lett the firmament be made and it vas donn if by the word of God the heauens haue been established and all their vertues by the spirit of his mouth if the heauen and the earth and the water and the fier and all their ornaments and man himself who is so famous a liuing thing haue been perfected by the word of our Lord if God the word itselfe willing it was made man and was formed of the pure and immaculate bloud of the holy alwayes Virgin without seede and flesh vnited hypostatically with him could he not make the bread his body and the wine and water his bloud He said in the beginning lett the earth bring forth green hearbes and euen vntill this day by the fall of raine the earth doth bring forth her proper plantes aided and fortified by the commaundement of God And God hath said This is my body doe this in commemoration of me and this by the omnipotency of his commaund will be donn vntill he come Thus S. Damascenus of the change of the bread and vvine in the consecration of the blessed Sacrament by the omnipotency of God Eusebius Emissenus in his Sermon of the body of our Lord speaketh to the same effect saying When the creatures of bread and wine are placed vpon the Altar to be blessed before they are consecrated by the inuocation of the holy Ghost there is present the substance of bread and wine but after the words of Christ there is Christs body and bloud and what great matter is it if he who could create all things by his word could conuert and change these thinges which he had created into other natures 12. If our Aduersaries will grant as commonly The spirituall kingdome more excellent then the temporall and therefore more probable to be founded by the omnipotency of God they do that God by the omnipotency of his word established
they being for the most part daily and publickly vsed and practised in all the Curches of Christendome and no knowne Christian Catholick man to take notice of such a generall corruption was a thing impossible as we see by experience in thinges of lesser moment and more rarelie practised and of meaner account and reckoning Neither could the whole Christian Catholick Church the promises of God vnto his Church considered so suddenly decaie after the death and Passion of our Lord that in all Christendome there should be no knowne publick practise of the right administration of the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of our Lord. 3. And if wee looke in to the first Liturgie or publicke Church seruice booke which was made The Christian vnbloudie sacrifice begunn at Hierusalem in the Apostles tymes for the Church of Hierusalem where the Ghospell first began and from whence it was to be spredd and preached vnto all nations according to the wordes of our Lord Luck 24. 47. Act. 1. 8. as into the Liturgie which was made by S. Iames the Apostle for the Church of Hierusalem whereof he was instituted Bishop by the Apostles as witnesseth Eusebius in the 22. chapter of his 2. booke of histories which Liturgie is also confirmed to be his by the 32. Canon of the 6. generall Councell by Proclus Bishop of Constantinople in his Tradition of the Diuine Liturgie and S. Cirill Bishop of Hierusalem in his 5. Catechesis both which liued aboue 1200. yeares past and see what will be found there it will directe vs in all the rest 4. In this Liturgie the Priest saith Lord thou S. Iames his Liturgie hast granted that we should confidentlie approach vnto thy holie Altar and offer vnto thee this reuerend and vnbloudie Sacrifice for our sinns c. Let it please thee that these Giftes which we offer with our handes maie be acceptable vnto thee c. Doe not turne awaie from vs sinners handeling tbis fearefull and vnbloudie Sacrifice c. Let it please thee o Lord that we maie be ministers of thy new testament and sacrifice of thy immaculate misteries and admitt vs approaching vnto thy holie Altar according to the multitude of thy mercies that we may be worthie who would offer vnto thee Giftes and sacrifice for our selues and for those sinnes which the people haue committed through ignorance Grāt vs ô Lord that we maie offer vnto thee with all feare and a pure concience this spirituall and vnbloudie Sacrifice c. We bend our knees vnto thy goodnes haue mercie vpon vs ô Lord seeing that we worship and tremble when wee are to aproache vnto tby holie Altar to offer this fearefull and vnbloudie sacrifice for our sinnes c. We offer vnto thee this venerable and vnbloudie sacrifice c. Send vpon vs and vpon these giftes thy holie Spirit 5. And setting downe the wordes of consecration he saith Iesus Christ the night in which he was betraied or rather the night in which be deliuered himself for the life and saluation of the world taking bread into his holy immaculate blamelesse and immortall hands looking vp into heauen and shewing to thee God and father giuing thankes sanctifying breaking he gaue vnto vs his disciples and Apostles saying Take ye and eate this is my bodie which is broken for you and is giuen for the remission of sinns In like manner after he had supped taking the Chalice and mingling wine and water and looking into heauen and shewing to thee God and Father giuing thankes Sanctifying blessing filling with the holie Ghost he gaue vnto vs his disciples saying Drincke yee all of this This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shedd for you and for manie and is giuen for the remission of sinnes doe this for a commemoration of me for as often as you shall eate this bread and drinke this Chalice you doe shew forth the death of the Sonne of man and doe confesse his resurrection vntill he come 6. And further telling vs what these Giftes and vnbloudie Sacrifices were he saith Christ our Lord doth come forth that he may be immolated and giuen for meate to the faithfull And putting a parte of the consecrated bread into the Chalice mingling them together he saith The vnion of the most pretious bodie and bloud of our Lord and God and Sauiour Iesu Christ. And sygning the consecrated bread he saith Behold the lambe of God the Sonne of the Father who taketh awaie the sinnes of the world slaine for the life and saluation of the world Thus S. Iames the Apostle and much more to this effect in his Liturgie or publick Church-seruice booke which he made for the Church of Hierusalem whereof he was Bishop 7. And the like hath all the rest of the Liturgies or publicke Church-seruice-bookes which were made by the rest of the Apostles and Euangelistes or Apostolicall men for the countries and Prouinces which they had vnder their charge or which they had conuerted vnto the Christian Catholicke faith to the publishing and dilating the vnbloudie sacrifice or sacrifice of Giftes in the bodie and bloud of our Lord which was begun in Hierusalem by our Lord and the Apostles all ouer the world for a commemoration of our Lord to the fulfilling of the prophecies in that kinde As the Liturgie or publick Church-seruice Booke of S. Peter made for the Romans and these westerne partes of the world The Liturgie of S. Matthew made for the Ethiopians and further partes of Asia and Africa The Liturgie of S Marke made for the Egiptiens and Grecians and so forth as they are sett downe by Margarinus in his sixt Tome of his Bibliotheca Patrum And in the first and laste Tome of the Bibliotheca Patrum sett forth by the Deuines of Colen 8. Of these Liturgies and publique Church-seruice bookes the afore said Proclus Bishop of Constantinople in the place afore cited writeth thus Verie manie Pastors and Doctors of the Church who were famous for pietie and some of those who succeded the Apostles haue deliuered vnto the Church in writing the exposition of the mystitall Liturgie Amongst whom S. Clement doth challenge the first place who was a disciple of the Prince of the Apostles and declared his successor by the Apostles themselues and S. Iames the first Bishop of Hierusalem Afterwards Basill the great finding that manie men thought the former Liturgies to long brought it into a more compendious forme Not long after our Iohn who of his golden eloquence was called Chrisostome hauing consideration of the infirmitie of men that they might haue no excuse tooke awaie manie things and prescribed a briefer forme c. After our sauiour was assumptod into heauen the Apostles before they were dispersed ouer the world being of one minde and liuing together gaue themselues wholy vnto praier and finding great consolation in that mysticall sacrifice of our Lords bodie they sunge the Liturgie at large with manie praiers Thus Proclus Bishop of Constantinople who
vexation might cease and by the mercies of God it forth with ceased And in the 10. chapter of the same book he saith We Sacrifice and doe immolate Sacrifice to God only and the Sacrifice it selfe is the body of Christ In the 11. chapter of his first booke de origine animae he saith According to the Catholick faith and Ecclesiasticall rule it is by no meanes granted that the participation of the body and bloud of Christ should be offered for such as are not baptised Which he also repeateth againe in the 15. chapter of his 2. book 4. In his 1. Sermon vpon the 33. Psalme he saith The sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord This sacrifice spread ouer the vvhole earth which the faithfull who haue read the Scriptures doe know was not in the time of the old Law which sacrifice is spread ouer the whole globe of the earth And againe in his second Sermon vpon the same Psalme he saith Christ at his last Supper instituted a sacrifice of his body and bloud according to the order of Melchisedech Whervpon in his 86. Epistle he saith Christ gaue his bloud to drinke before his Passion And in the 20. chapter of his 12. booke against Faustus he saith In this Sacrament is drunck that which flowed out of the side of Christ And vpon the 56. Psalme he affirmeth that the Iewes who crucified Christ and afterwards were conuerted to beleeue in him in this Sacramēt drunck by grace the same bloud which through furie they had shed 5. And because the same body and bloud of One body and bloud in all sacrifices our Lord is offered to God in all Christian Sacrifices which was offered to God in the Sacrifice of the Crosse though after an other manner therefore S. Augustine in the 12. chapter of his 9. booke of Confessions calleth that which is offered to God in Sacrifice by Christians the Sacrifice of our Redemtion saying The Sacrifice of our Redemtion was offered for his Mother after her decease at her Funeralls And in the 13. chapter of the same book speaking of his said Mother S. Monica saith She desyred to be remembred at the Altar of God where at she vsed to assist without pretermission of This Sacrifice dispensed from the Altar any one day and from whence she knew that holy sacrifice to be dispensed whereby the hand writing was blotted out which carried our condemnation in it and whereby our Enemie had triumphed ouer vs. Thus the glorious S. Augustine and that according to the Scriptures as he further affirmeth in the 3. question of his 49. Epistle saying The sacrifice which we Christians doe now offer is not only demonstrated by the written word of the Ghospells but also by the Prophecies 6. Neither is this expression of the Sacrifice of the body and bloud our Lord found only in S. Augustine but also in the rest of the ancient Fathers who are commonly stiled Doctors of the Catholick Church as namely in S. Basil S. Chrisostome S. Ambrose S. Gregorie and S. Hierome for the Church being in peace in their times the first fower of these fiue that is to saie S. Basil S. Chrisostome S. Ambrose and S. Gregorie euery one of them sett forth books where in they expresse the forme and manner how to offer Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord with great solemnitie Fouer Doctors sett forth Missalls and how to administer the Sacramēt in the same which books are extant in print vnder the Titles of The Liturgie of S. Basil The Liturgie of S. Chrisostome The Masse of S. Ambrose and the Booke of the Sacraments of the circle of the yeare sett forth by S. Gregorie the Pope Where of the first two are printed with their works the latter are printed by Pamelius in his two Tomes of the Missalls of the Latin Fathers which Liturgies or Missalls are in substance the same with those Liturgies and Missalls which are vsed at this daie in the Catholick Church for the offering of Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord and also with the Liturgies and Missalls which were before their times as with the Liturgie of S. Peter S. Iames S. Andrew S. Marke S. Clement c. as may manifestly appeare vnto anie man who shall take the paines to vew them 7. Moreouer S. Ambrose in the 2. chapter of his 4. book of Sacraments setteth down the words which at this daie are vsed in the Catholick Church in the consecration of the Eucharist and offering Sacrifice in the body and bloud of our Lord saying Wilt thou know how the Eucharist is consecrated by diuine wordes He are the wordes The Priest saith make this oblation apply able vnto vs reasonable and acceptable which is downe vpon the figure Bread a figure of Christs body before consecration of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. that is to saie vpon the bread not yet consecrated After it followeth Who the daie before he suffered tooke bread into his holy handes looked vp into heauen vnto thee ô holy Father Almighty eternall God giuing thankes blessed broake and broken gaue vnto his Apostles saying Take and eate of this all for this is my body which is giuen for you And in like manner he tooke the Chalice after he had supped that is the daie before he suffered looked vp into heauen vnto thee holy Father Almighty eternall God giuing thankes blessed deliuered to his Apostles saying Take ye and drinck ye all of it for this is my bloud consider euery thing he saith who the daie before he suffered he tooke bread into his holy handes therefore it is bread before it be consecrated but when Christs wordes doe approach it is the After consecration the Eucharist is the body of Christ. body of Christ Finally heare him saying take ye eate ye all of it This is my body And before the wordes of Christ it is a Chalice full of wine and water but assoone as the wordes of Christ haue done their worke there is made the bloud which redeemed the People therefore consider after how many sortes the word of Christ is powerfull to conuert all things And to conclude our Lord Iesus-Christ himselfe doth testify vnto vs that we receaue his body and bloud and ought we to doubt of his sinceritie and testimonie Thus S. Ambrose explicating the manner of the consecration of the body and bloud of our Lord in his time and the certaintie there of in the Eucharist before receauing which manner of consecration is also vsed in the Catholicke Church at this daie Againe in the 6. chapter of the same booke he sheweth that the intent of these wordes As often as you shall doe this so often you shall doe it in commemoration of me vntill I commeagaine were to command a Sacrifice in the commemoration of his Passion and for that cause he immediatly addeth to these wordes The Priest saith therefore mindfull of his glorious
his word It was so donn and the earth brought forth greene herbes such as seedeth according to his kinde and trees that beareth fruite and shall doe vntill the end of the world euen so in the vnbloudy Sacrifice and Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord Our Sauiour taking bread blessed and brake and gaue to the Apostles saying This is my body which is giuen for you doe this for a commemoration of me and by the omnipotency of Gods word the Apostles and their Successors rightly ordeyned receaue power and authoritie to giue his body euen that which sitteth at the right hand of God for vs and shall haue power vntill the end of the world as it doth with the light to shine and the earth to shoote foorth green herbes and trees 3. S. Iustine Martir who liued with the Apostles schollers and presently after the Apostles S. Iustine of the Sacrament tymes in his 2. Apologie which he made in behalf of the Christians vnto Antoninus Pius the Emperor Senate and people of Rome declaring vnto vs what was the faith of the Christiās of these primitiue dayes in this point saith that The Eucharist was made the flesh and bloud of Iesus by the word of prayer proceeding from him at the institution of this Sacrament For the Apostles saith he in their commentaries which are called their Ghospells haue related vnto vs that Iesus hath ordained them to doe so That he took bread and making it the Eucharist he said doe this for a commemoration of me This is my body And taking likewise the Chalice and making it the Eucharist he said This is my bloud thus S. Iustine where he sheweth that in the infācy of the Church the faithfull beleeued the Eucharist to be made the flesh and bloud of our Lord by the omnipotency of his word and prayer spoken at the institution of this Sacrament as chief agent in offring vnbloudy Sacrifice and in the consecration thereof 4. S. Irenaeus in the 2. chapter of his 5. book of heresies saith When the mixt Chalice and the bread broken doth perceaue the word of God it is made the Eucharist of the bloud and body of Christ Againe in the same chapter The bread and wine receauing the word of God is made the Eucharist which is the body Hovv constantly in S. Irenaeus tyme they beleeued in the reall presence and bloud of Christ Thus S. Irenaeus who liued with S. Polycarpe scholler to S. Iohn the Euangelist and in his tyme when as yet some of the Apostles schollers were liuing and the actions of our Sauiwere fresh in the memorie of men the realitie of the body and bloud of our Sauiour was so vniuersally and constantly beleeued to be in the B. Sacrament or Eucharist by the omnipotency of The body and bloud of our Lord is in the B. Sacrament by the omnipotency of his vvord and not by faith only his word that in his 4. book of heresies cap. 34. he alleageth against certaine heretikes who denied Christ to be the Sonne of God the reall being of his body and bloud in the Sacrament or Eucharist by his word to proue thereby that Christ was the true Sonne of God who by his word could effect it and make good what he said which otherwise he could not doe vnlesse he were the Sonne of God saying How will it be manifest to these heretikes that deny Christ to be the Sonne of God that the bread vpon which thankes are giuen is the body of their Lord and the Chalice his bloud if they doe not saye Christ to be the Sonne of the builder of the world that is to saye his word by which trees beare fruite fountaines flow the earth first doth giue the blade afterwards the eare and then full wheate in the eare Againe how do they saye that the flesh doth comme to corruption and not receaue life which is nourrished of the body and bloud of our Lord therefore either lett them change their opinions or absteine from offring Sacrifice in these things which are before spokē of that is to saye the body and bloud of Christ our opinion who hold Christ to be the Sonne of God is consonant to the Eucharist and againe the Eucharist confirmeth our opinion for we offer vnto him Sacrifice these things which are his preaching agreably The omnipotency of Gods vvord vvorketh the change in the bread the communication and the vnitie of the flesh and the spirit for euen as the bread which is of the earth receauing the vocation of God is now no more common bread but the Eucharist consisting of two things the earthly and the heauenly so also our bodies receauing the Eucharist are now no more corruptible hauing hope of the resurrection So S. Irenaeus where we see that in his tyme the Catholiks did so little doubt that the body and bloud of Christ was in the B. Sacrament by vertue of his word that they vrged it to proue Christ to be the Sonne of God and taught it as a consonant opinion to saye that Christ was the Sonne of God because his body and bloud was in the Eucharist by vertue of his word and againe that his body and bloud was in the Eucharist because Christ was the Sonne of God 5. In the like manner the rest of the Fathers in their succeeding ages affirme that the body S. Cyprian of the change in the bread by the omnipotency of the vvord of God and bloud of Christ was in the B. Sacrament by the omnipotency of his word as S. Cyprian in his book of our Lords Supper saying The bread which our Lord gaue to his Disciples was not changed in outward forme or shape but in nature by the omnipotency of the word it is made flesh As in the person of Christ the humanitie was seene and the diuinitie laie hidd so after an vnspeakable manner the diuine essence doth poure itselfe into the visible Sacrament that men might vse a religious deuotion about the Sacraments and might haue a more simple or sincere accesse vnto the truth euen vnto the being partakers of the spirit whose body and bloud the Sacraments are 6. Eusebius Cesariensis liued in the yeare 320. Eusebius of the change by the povver of God and he as it is sett downe in the 3. book and 45. chapter of the Pararells of Damasus saith Many Priests while they are in sinne do worke the holie things or offer Sacrifice neither doth God turne awaie from them but by his holie spirit doth consecrate the Gifts sett before them and bread certainely is made the pretious body of our Lord and the cupp the pretious bloud of our Lord. S. Cyrill hovv Christ vvorketh the change in the bread 7. S. Cyrill of Hierusalem liued in the yeare 370. and he in his 4. Mystagogica saith Seeing that Christ himself doth say and affirme after this manner of the bread This is my body who euer heereafter dare doubt And he likewise
saying and affirming This is my bloud who I saie cann doubt and say that it is not his bloud Heretofore at Cana in Galilea only by his will he changed water into wine which is neere vnto bloud and is he not worthy to be beleeued that hath changed wine into his bloud He being inuited to a corporall marriage wrought a wonderfull miracle shall we not much more easily confesse that he gaue his body and bloud to the Children of his Spouse Wherefore with assurednesse lett vs take the body and bloud of Christ for vnder the species of bread the body is giuen thee and vnder the species of wine the bloud is giuen that hauing receaued the body and bloud of Christ thou mayest be made partaker of his body and bloud we shal be bearers of Christ after that we haue receaued his body and bloud into our membres 8. S. Gregorie Nissen brother to S. Basile the great S. Gregorie Nissen of the change in in the bread by the vvord of God liued in in the yeare 380. and he in his 37. Oration catechetica saith As Christ by eating bread made it is diuine body so likewise heere bread being sanctified by the word and praier as the Apostle saith and not by eating and drinking becometh the body of the word changed by the word saying This is my body 9. S. Ambrose who liued in the yeare 370. in S. Ambrose of the change in the bread by the omnipotency of Gods vvord the 9. chapter of his book of those who are begunn to be instructed in the mysteries saith If human blessing of Moyses Elias and Elizaeus was of such force as that it could alter nature what shall we saie of the diuine consecration where the words themselues of our Lord and Sauiour doe worke for this Sacrament which thou doest receaue is made by the word of Christ. If the words of Elias were of such force that they could call fire from heauen shall not the word of Christ be sufficient to change the species of the Elements Of the workes of the world thou hast read that because he spake the word they were made he commanded and they were created therefore the word of Christ which could make of nothing that which was not cann it not change those things which are into that which they were not for the difficultie is not lesser to giue new natures to thinges then to change natures Againe in his 4. book and 4. chapter of the Sacraments speaking of the Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Altar he saith This bread is bread before the words of the Sacraments but assoone as consecration is added vnto it of bread it is made the flesh of Christ. This we affirme how cann that which is bread be the body of Christ by consecration And with what words and speeches is consecration with the wordes of our Iesus for in the rest which are said praise is giuen vnto God praier is made for the people for kings c. but when we come that the venerable Sacramēt should be made then the Priest doth not vse his owne wordes but the wordes of Christ Therefore the word of Christ doth worke this Sacrament What word of Christ euen that by which all things are made Our Lord commāded and the seas were made our Lord commanded and all creatures were begotten If therefore there be so great force in the wordes of our Lord Iesus that these things could begin to be which were not how much more will they be able to effect that those things may be which are and be changed in an other But heare the Prophet saying He said and they were made he commanded and they were created Therefore that I may answere thee it was not the body of Christ before consecration but after consecration I tell thee that then it is the body of Christ Againe vpon the 38. Psalme he saith It is the word of Christ which consecrated the Sacrifice which is offred Thus S. Ambrose 10. In like manner S. Chrisostome in his Homily S. Chrisostome of the change of the bread into the body of our Lord by the povver of God de proditione Iudae saith It is not man that doth make these things which are exposed for consecration vpon the table of our Lord the body and bloud of Christ but he who is crucified for vs Christ The words are pronounced with the Priests mouth and they are consecrated by the grace and vertue of God He said This is my body by these words the things exposed are consecrated And as that voice which said increase and multiplie and replenish the earth was said but once yet at all tymes hath this effect for generation nature concurring so this word but once said and yet it giueth strength to the Sacrifice which is vpon all the tables of the Church euen vntill this daie and shall doe vntill his coming to judgment Againe in his 83. Homily vpon the S. Matthew he saith We Bishopps or Priests in the consecration of this Sacrament hold but the place of Christs Ministers for he who doth santify or make the chāge is Christ himselfe Thus S. Chrisostome 11. S. Hierome vpon the first chapter to the Galatians saith Although some thinke me worthy of reprehension S. Hierome of this change for that in my book which I writt of the preseruation of virginity young woemen ought to flye from wine as they doe from poyson yet it doth not repent me of what I said for I rather contemne the effect or worke of wine then the creature it selfe And I took liberty to giue this counsell vnto a virgine warme with a heate proper vnto her yeares least vpon occasion of drinking a little she might drinke much and perish otherwise I did know that wine was consecrated into Christ his bloud Thus S. Hierome 12. S. Augustine in his 3. book and 4. chapter S. Augustine of the change in the Sacrament by the povver of God De Trinitate saith We doe not say that the articulat words pronounced with the tongue or the signe of letters written in skinns is the body and bloud of Christ but that only which is taken from the fruites of the earth and is consecrated by mysticall prayer c. It is not sanctifyed that it may be so great a Sacrament but by the spirit of God working inuisibly seeing that God doth worke all the things which by corporall motion are made in that worke 13. Againe in his book of sentences ad Prosperum cited by Gratian in his 2. distinction he saith In the species of vvine and bread vvhich vve see vve doe honor inuisible things that is to saie flesh and bloud neither doe vve equally esteeme of these two species after consecration as before consecration for before consecration vve faithfully confeffe that they are bread and wine as nature hath formed them but after consecration they are the flesh and bloud of Christ vvhich the blessing hath consecrated S. Cyrillus Alex.