To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
Ambrose in his fifth booke de sacramentis chap. 1. elegantly applieth Moses his striking the rocke, and the water flowing out thereupon to the holy communion, saying, see the mystery, Moses, that is a Prophet, the Rod, that is Gods word, the Priest with the Word of God toucheth the rock, and the water floweth, and the people of God drinke it. z The Priest therefore toucheth the Cup, and there a∣boundeth
in the Cup water springing to eternall life; and the people of God drinketh, and obtaineth the grace of God. The same S. Ambrose, as Theoderet writes in his fifth booke of Ecclesiasticall sto∣rie, and 17. chap. repelleth the Emperor Theo∣dosius from the Communion with these words: u How darest thou take into thy hands, sprinckled with blood, the holy body of Christ? How presumest thou to lift vp his dreadfull blood to thy mouth, who in thy rage hast spilt vniustly so much blood? Wee see in Saint Ambroses time, that both Prince and peo∣ple communicated in both kinds: albeit Theo∣dosius at this time were deseruedly suspended from the participating of Christs body, as well as his blood: Yet after hee had cleansed his bloody hands with penitent teares, he was ad∣mitted to the blessed Sacrament, and he recei∣ued both the blessed Body, and the holy Cup into his hands.
Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe in his answer to this our allegation out of Theodoret, saith, We confesse, that both kinds haue been sometimes giuen to the Laietie, but we denie, that it is so commanded by Gods Law. A poore and miserable euasion. For first many of the ancients, whom wee haue be∣fore alleadged, doe not onely testifie the pra∣ctise of their times, but vrge diuine precept for it.
Secondly, they indifferently exhort the Laietie, as well as the Clergie to the Commu∣nion in both kinds, and vrge a like necessitie for both: but the Papists themselues confesse,
that the Cleargie, who administer the Com∣munion, are bound by the Law of God to communicate in both kinds; and sith Sacra∣ments may not be administred to any without order and command from him, who instituted them, questionlesse, the ancient Church would neuer haue vsually administred the Cup to the Laietie with the bread, if they had not concei∣ued, that Christs words, Drinke ye all of this, be∣longed to them as well as to the Cleargie.
Tangit sacer∣dos calicem, & redundat aqua in calicesaliens in vitam aeternam, & bibit populus Dei, qui Dei gratiam consequutus est.
Quomodo ve∣nerandum eius sanguinem ori ad mouebis, qui furore irae iuben∣te tantum san∣guinis tam in iquè effudist•…•…?
x Fatemur da∣tam aliquando vtramque speci∣em Laicis, sed ne∣gamus id iure diuino manda∣tum.