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
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
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
liued aboue 1200. yeares past And thus the vnbloudy sacrifice or sacrifice of the bodie and bloud of Lord after an vnbloudie manner which was begun at Hierusalem by our Lord and the Apostles was after dispersed and planted all ouer the Christian world by the Apostles and Apostolicall men their Successors and hath continued vntill this daie as we may finde by experience 9. For our aduersaries to saie that all these Liturgies or publick Church-seruice bookes which All the Liturgies could not be corrupted haue been vsed by all nations countries and people who haue bin conuerted by the Apostles themselues or Apostolicall men whose names would be to tedious to reherse haue in this point of the Sacrifice and Sacrament been corrupted without assigning when or where or by what men or meanes so maine sundrie and diuers nations separated by place gouernment tongues in warrs one with another deuided manie times in other pointes of Religion could become so generally corrupted in one and the same point and that a thing which they for the most part all practised daily is as the Prophet saith but to excuse excuses in sinne Psal 140. 4. 10. Neither may our aduersaries say as they vse to doe in other thinges that the Pope hath brought vpp this as new doctrine For first it was foretould by the Prophets in the old law before there were anie Christian Popes Secondly manie of these nations who vse vnbloudie Sacrifice in the bodie and bloud of our Lord are so farr distant from him as that vnlesse it were in these late-yeares that nauigation and trauelling into strange countries hath bin more in vse they did scarcely know whether there were such a man or no and manie of theÌ„ remaine yet in schisme and heresie deuided from the Pope as the Grecians Nestorians Eutychians and other heretickes in Egypt the Muscouits and Russians 11. Moreouer the afore said Proclus in the place aboue cited affirmeth that by thse praiers of the Liturgie They expected the coming of the holie Ghost that by his diuine presence he might make the bread and wine mixt with water which was prepared for the Sacrifice the self same bodie and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which religious rite is trulie obserued vntill this daie and shal be vntill the end of the world Thus Proclus Bishop of Constantinople about 1200. years agoe whereby it is manifest that this doctrine of offering vnbloudie Sacrifice in the bodie and bloud of our Lord and communicating of the same is no new doctrine nor inuented by anie man but instituted by our Lord at his last supper in Hierusalem and published ouer the world by the Apostles and Apostolicke men at the conuersion of nations as was foretould by our Sauiour Act. 1. As farther witnesseth S. Hierom. in his commentaries vpon the first Chapter of Prophet Malachie saying In euerie place there is offered an oblation not an vncleane one as was offered by the people of Israel but a cleane one as is offered vp in the ceremonies of the Christians The Conclusion Though God be a spirit and according to the Scriptures is delighted with that worshippe which procedeth from our spirits yet because the foule as long as she is in this mortall bodie cannot make her inward actes oblations and Sacrifices of her selfe conueniently and perfectly except she behold the same in some sensible oblation of a gift or present offered visibly to God before her as a meanes signe or motiue to moue and stirr her vp vnto that interior and visible Sacrifice of herselfe the vnderstanding of mortall men depending vpon the senses according to that axiome There is nothing in the vnderstanding which was not first either by it selfe or by some resemblance in some one of the senses Therefore God of is infinite goodnes condiscending vnto our capacities hath instituted an exterior visible sacrifice in his Church to moue and stirr vs vpp vnto this interior and invisible wherein he so much delighteth the example whereof we may finde in prayer God vnderstandeth that praier of our hearts and that which delighteth him most is the praier of the heart and mynde yet because the operations and actes of the soule in this life depend vpon the organs of the bodie â—nd senses therefore God hath instituted vocall praier or praier with the mouth in his Church â—s a sensible signe to prouoke the heart feruently â—o pray and praise him so that those who would haue men to practise and vse the inuisible sacrifice of their hearts to God and yet denie them the exercise of exterior visible Sacrifice are like vnto those who would haue men pray in their hearts and studie to become learned and yet permitt them no bookes nor exterior meanes to learne Which our most blessed Lord considering at the institution of the new law left vs not without an exterior visible sacrifice but instituted it in his bodie and bloud vnder the curtaines of bread and wine the more powerfully to moue and stirre vpp in vs the sacrifice of our hearts to God by the excellencie and eminencie of the outward obiect as I shall shew more at large in the ensuing bookes FINIS CENSVRA TRractatus hic de Sacrificio nihil continet quod aut rectae Fidei aut bonis moribus repugnet imprimi itaque poterit divulgari Louanij 12 Febr. 1637. Antonius Louerius S. T. L Apost Regius lib. Censor OF THE VISIBLE SACRIFICE IN THE CHVRCH OF GOD. THE SECOND PART VVritten by ANONYMVS EREMITA Sacrifice ye the Sacrifice of Iustice and hope in our Lord. Psal 4. 6. AT BRVXELLES By HVBERT ANTONY Velpius Printer to his Majestie 1638. THE PREFACE REligion saith S. Thomas in 22. quest 81. Art 1. is a vertue by which men giue to God due worshipp and reuerence wherin hee agreeth with S. Augustine in his book of the nature of God saying It is the office of religion to giue due honor vnto God And the honor and worshipp which is cheefly and most properly due vnto God is the inuisible Sacrifice of the heart and the outward visible Sacrifice of some creature to expresse the inuisible Sacrifice of the soule as wordes doe things which is properly Latria or seruice due vnto God as God and Creator of all things as I haue shewed more at large in the 5. and 6. Chapters of the first part Whereupon it cometh to passe that without the offering of visible Sacrifice there cannot be any perfect Religion for though some of the more pious sort of men by a longer custome and much practise may attaine vnto a continuall or often inuisible Sacrifice of their hearts by inward anagogicall actes without the helpe of exterior visible Sacrifice yet because the myndes of men in this life depend vpon the organs of the bodie for their knowledge and operations therefore they haue need to be lead by the hand of sensible and visible things vnto God and inuisible because as S. Paule saith in the first to the Romans the
of speech and vnderstanding of reasonable men but also leaue the consecration of a Sacrament to be made or recorded to all future ages in words which of themselues should not be true 6. Neither is it any way probable that the 3. The Euāgelists vvould not put dovvne the last vvill and Testament of our Lord other vvise then he spake it Euangelists and S. Paule or any of them would haue penned these words of the institution of this Sacrament in the present tense without any further exposition had not our Lord both spoken and intended that they should be vnderstood in the present tense seeing that words are instituted to signify the reall intention of mens minds especially in last wills and Testaments in matters of Sacraments and serious affaires which concerne all mens soules and not for to saye one thing and think another 7. This Sacrament is published to be worthily receaued of all those who shall receaue it vnder penalty of euerlasting fyer and damnation 1. Cor. 11. which cannot be without a true faith and belief in this Sacrament and how cann they haue a The danger of vsing equiuocation in the last vvill and testament of our Lord. true faith or beliefe of this Sacramēt who knowe not by faith but by coniecture only what this Sacrament is or what our Lord instituted as wittnesseth experiēce For when our Aduersaries saie that these words of the institution of this Sacrament This is my body which is broken for you are to be vnderstood thus This is a signe of my body which shal be crucifyed for you how doe they knowe that these words a body is taken in this place for a signe of a body is for shall and broken for crucifyed but by a meere coniecture seing that neither Scriptures nor Fathers nor practise of the Catholick Church of former ages doe tell them so nor yet any dictionary or lexicon in any language 8. The same greek Bibles in the same places doe affirme that our Sauiour speaketh of his owne actions about the communion and what he would haue the Apostles to doe in the consecration of the communion and not what the Jewes were to inflict vpon him at his Passion as I haue proued at large in the 1. and 2. chapters of this book 9. The greek Fathers who vnderstood greek and knew the mind of our Sauiour and his sense and meaning of these his words of the institution of this Sacrament as well as our Aduersaries doe arffirme that our Lord then at the institution of The greek Fathers affirme that our Lord at his last Supper instituted a Sacrifice in his body and bloud this Sacrament offred Sacrifice in his body and bloud as S. Irenaeus saying Christ at his last Supper taught the new oblation of the new Testament which the Church hauing receaued from the Apostles doth offer vnto God throughout the wholeworld which was the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord as I haue proued in the former chapter S. Chrysostome in his 24. Homily vpon the 1. to the Corinthians Christ at his last Supper commanded himselfe to be offred in lieu of the slaughter of boastes and in the 27. following In steed of the bloud of beastes he brought in his owne bloud S. Gregorie Nissen in his Oration of the Resurrection Christ after an vnspeakable and hidden manner of Sacrifice preoccupated the violent force of his death and being the Priest and the Lambe of God offred himselfe an oblation and victime for vs. When was this donn when he exhibited his body to be eaten and his bloud to be drunke by his familiar freinds Whervpon Theodoret vpon the 109. Psalme saith Christ did begin the Priesthood of the new Law in the night when he vndertooke the Crosse when he took bread and brake c. And Occumenus vpon the 5. to the Hebrews saith Christ deliuered the forme of his Priesthood of the new Law vnto Priests in the mistical banquet and Supper So the grecians Fathers 10. The first amongst the Fathers who cite these words of the institution of this Sacrament The first Fathers vvho alledged the vvords of the institution of this Sacrament are S. Alexander of the latin Church and S. Iustine Martyr of the greek Church the words of S. Alexander I haue sett downe in the 3. chapter S. Iustine Martyr writt a 2. Apologie for the Christians vnto Antoninus Pius the Emperor and Senate and people of Rome in the yeare of our Lord 150. or as Eusebius in his Cronikle saith in the yeare 143. In which Apologie he plainely and manifestly proposeth vnto the Emperor Senate and people of Rome the faith of the Christians in his tyme concerning the Eucharist saying These who amongst vs are called Deacons giue vnto euery one of the Assistants to take of this bread and wine and water made the Eucharist and also to carrie to the absent And this meate is called amongst vs the Eucharist whereof it is not lawfull for any to be partaker but those who beleeue that our doctrine is true and haue been washed with the lauer of remission of sinns and regeneration and doe liue according to the ordinance of Christ for we doe not take these things as common bread nor common drinke but after the same manner that Christ Iesus our Sauiour was made flesh by the word of God and had flesh and bloud for our saluation so also haue we been taught that the food whereof by change our flesh and our bloud are nourished made the Eucharist by the word of prayer proceeding from him is the flesh and bloud of the same Iesus made flesh For the Apostles in their commentaries called the Ghospells haue related vnto vs that Iesus hath ordained them to doe so that hee took kread and making it the Eucharist he said Doe this in commemoration of me This is my body And taking likewise the Chalice and making it the Eucharist he said This is my bloud And gaue them to the Apostles only Thus S. Iustine to the Emperor Senate and people of Rome in the yeare 143. or 150. Whereby we may obserue that not only the faithfull of these tymes beleeued that the same flesh and bloud which was incarnate was in diuers places and vnder diuers dimensions at the same tyme in the Eucharist or communion but that this command of our Lord Doe this for a commemoration of me was taken euen in the infancy of the Church to be a command giuen vnto the Apostles and their Successors in the Church of God to consecrate the true reall and substantiall body and bloud of our Lord vnder the species of bloud and wine and that the words of our Lord in the institution of the communion which are spoken in the present tense as This is my body which is broken for you or in the future tense as This is my body which shal be deliuered for you are both to be vnderstood of his body in the Sacrifice and communion and
The decree of Apostles that none should receaue vvithout ansvvering Amen children the beliefe of the true reall and substantiall body of our Lord in the Eucharist before receauing that the Apostles amongst other things decreed that none should receaue the Eucharist without professing it to be the body and bloud of Christ by answering Amen to the Priest or Deacon when he calleth the Eucharist before receauing the body or bloud of Christ as witnesseth S. Clement in the 13. chapter of his 8. book of Apostolicall constitutions saying Lett the Bishopp deliuer the oblation to the people saying The body of Christ and lett him who receaueth it saye Amen but lett the Deacon hold the chalice and administring it vnto others lett him saye the bloud of Christ the chalice of life and he who doth drink it lett him saye Amen Thus the Apostles whereby we see that this answere of Amen by the people vnto the Priest affirming the Eucharist to be the body and bloud of Christ before receauing is an Apostolicall constitution conformable to the words of our Lord saying Amen Amen I say vnto you vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall not haue life in you If the Sonne of God affirme vnder Amen Amen that the meate he would giue should be his flesh and the drinke his bloud what are the Sonnes of men who deny it but deceaued people 9. This practise of the profession of the body and bloud of our Lord to be in the Eucharist before receauing by the common people being thus established in the Church by the Apostles it cōtinued as a generall custome amognst the laiety and whole Church in succeding ages as witnesseth S. Iustine Martyr in his second Apologie to S. Iustine Martyr of the ansvvering Amen the Emperour Antoninus Pius the Senate and people of Rome who setting down the manner and custome which the Christians vsed in their Communion saith At the end of prayers we salute one an other with a kisse Then is offred vnto him who is chiefe amongst the bretheren bread and a cupp mixt with wine and water which after that he hath receaued he giueth praise and glory to the Parent of all things in the name of the Sonne and holy ghost and giueth thanks a good space that he is esteemed by him worthy of these things which being rightly performed or finished all the people which are present doe giue the blessing to the prayers and thanks-giuing saying Amen And Amen in the Hebrew tongue is as much as to saye be it donn After that both the Prelats haue giuen thanks and all the people haue giuen their blessing by saying Amen those who amongst vs are called Deacons giue vnto euery one that is present c. And we take it to be the flesh and bloud of Iesus-Christ Thus S. Iustine who liued with the Apostles schollers whereby it appeareth that euen from the first plantation of the Church of Christ vpon earth amongst the nations the laiety and common people vsed to aswere Amen to the blessing and consecration of the Eucharist thereby publikly to declare that they most firmely beleeued it to be the body and bloud of Christ independant of the faith of the receauer 10. Not longe after S. Iustine Martyr liued Dionysius Alexandrinus who in his Epistle to Xistus Dionysius Alexandrinus Bishop of Rome recorded by Eusebius in the eight chapter of his 7. book of histories maketh mention of the answering Amen to the words of thanks-giuing and consecration by the laiety and common people saying that a certaine brother who had for a longe tyme been esteemed a faithfull man amongst them and receaued the Communion because he had been baptized by wicked heretiks with teares and sorrow desired of him that he might be baptized againe according to the custome of the Catholik Church Which verily saith he I durst not doe but tould him that the daily Communion whereof he did participate with the faithfull was of force sufficient to purge his soule for he who had heard the thanks-giuing he who together with the rest had pronounced Amen he who had approched to the table who had stretched forth his hands to receaue that holy foode who had receaued it who had been for so longe a tyme partaker of the body and bloud of our Lord Iesus-Christ I durst not wholy renew his Baptisme Thus S. Dionisius 11. S. Cirill of Hierusalem in his 5. Catechesis S. Cirill of Hier. maketh also mention of this custome saying Thou presenting thy-self to the Communion doest not come with thy handes extended or thy fingers open but making thy left hand serue to thy right as a seate or throne as he who ought to receaue the king and contracting together the palme of thy hand receaue the body of Christ answering Amen And after thou hast sanctifyed thine eyes by the touching of the holy body receaue or be partaker of it with confidence vsing great eare that thou loose none of it for all that thou doest loose account it as the losse of one of thy proper members c. Hauing communicated the body of Christ present thy-selfe to the chalice of his bloud not stretching forth thy hands but incline in manner of adoration or worshipp saying Amen and this donn sanctify thy-selfe and participate of Christ Thus S. Cirill For the better vnderstanding whereof it is to be noted that the Grecians receaued the body of our Lord into the palmes of their left hands and covred it with the right and so the left hand was as a seate or throne to the blessed Sacrament vntill the communicant receaued it which he did not presently but after some pious meditation or considerations yet at the deliuring of the Eucharist into the palme of his hand the Priest said according to the constitutions of the Apostles The body of Christ and he who receaued it answered Amen and afterwards communicated himselfe 12. S. Ambrose also in the fift chapter of his 4. book of Sacraments affirmeth that it was the custome S. Ambrose of all those who receaued to professe the Eucharist to be the body of our Lord his words are these It was truly a great and venerable thing that God rayned Manna to the Iewes from heauen but vnderstand which is greater Manna from heauen or the body of Christ The body of Christ certainly who is the inlarger of heauen c. Therefore thou doest not say Amen in vaine when thou takest it now confessing in spirit that thou receauest the body of Christ The Priest saieth vnto thee The body of Christ and thou saiest Amen that is to saie true That which thy tongue doth confesse lett thy affection hould 13. S. Leo also the great speaking of this answering S. Leo. by Amen to the Eucharist when it was called the body of Christ in his 6. Sermon of Fasting in the 7. Month saith Seeing that our Lord doth say If you doe not eate the flesh of