Of the institution of the sacrament of the blessed bodie and blood of Christ, (by some called) the masse of Christ eight bookes; discovering the superstitious, sacrilegious, and idolatrous abominations of the Romish masse. Together with the consequent obstinacies, overtures of perjuries, and the heresies discernable in the defenders thereof. By the R. Father in God Thomas L. Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.

A SECOND CHALLENGE,

Against the last, and most peremptory Romish Pretence, ma∣king Christ in this Sacrament to figure, and to represent himselfe, as a King in a Stage-play.

THe Solution, which seemeth to your Disputers most perswa∣sive, is thus set downe by your Cardinall, and your Iesuite Suarez, viz. c 1.1 The Greeke Fathers called Bread and Wine Antitypes and Signes of the Body and Blood of Christ, because the same Body and Blood of Christ, as they are in this Sacrament vnder the forme of Bread and Wine, are signes of the same his Body and Blood, as they were on the Crosse. Like as a King, who having gotten a victory in battell, should represent himselfe in a Stage-Play, as in a fight. So They. But with∣out any Sentence of any Father, for countenancing so egregious a figment; so farre were those Greeke Fathers from urging that counterfeit Testimony, which passeth vnder the name of S. Au∣gustine, as if hee had said; The flesh of Christ is a Sacrament of his flesh: and inferring from hence, that The Body of Christ, as it is in this Sacrament, is a Signe of it selfe as it was upon the Crosse.

And they are no small Babes, who vent out this proofe; by name d 1.2 Billius, Gardiner Bishop of Winchester, Claudius Sainctes (one

of name in the Councell of Trent) Fisher Bishop of Rochester, and Hes∣sell. But how prove They this? Out of any of the works of Au∣gustine? No, where then? Wee are required to seeke it in Pro∣sper; where againe e 1.3 it is not to be found. Whither next? for∣sooth it is so cited by Peter Lombard, and there it appeareth that Peter Lombard had it out of his supposed Brother Grati∣an; wee say, Gratian, whose bookes have beene lately repro∣ved, and condemned by one of your f 1.4 Arch-bishops, for many False allegations of Testimonies of Fathers. And when all is done, if either g 1.5 Peter-Lombard or h 1.6 Gratian, who are the Relators, may be admitted to be the Interpreters of that coyned Sentence, they will say that the word Flesh, there specified, is taken for the Shape of flesh; and the word Blood, for the outward forme of Blood; which spoyleth your Play quite: wherein you will have the Flesh of Christ under the outward formes and shape in this Sacrament, and not the outward formes and shape themselves, to be the Signe of the same Body on the Crosse. So easie it is for Hunters to pursue their Game with loud cries upon a false sent.

Wee returne to your Cardinall, and to Suarez, who invented the Similitvde of the Stage-Play for their Answere, which is indeed rather a Childish Playing, then Theologicall reasoning; yet it is but a mad sport to argue against Conscience; as this your Cardi∣nall must needs have done, who i 1.7 confessing that the Greeke Fathers did therefore call Sacraments, Antitypes, because of the great Simili∣tude they have with the things they represent; yet now adventureth to say, that the Body of Christ, as it is in the Eucharist, is a Signe of the same Body of Christ, as it was upon the Crosse; notwithstan∣ding the Body of Christ, as it is in the Sacrament, (according to your owne faith) is so k 1.8 Invisible, that it cannot be seene of Angels; so Indivisible, that it cannot be parted or divided; and so Vn∣bloody, that there is not the least tincture of blood to be discer∣ned therein.

Wherfore to perswade your Disciples, that those grave Fathers ever taught that the Invisible, Indivisible, and Vnbloody Body of Christ, as in this Sacrament, was or could be the Signe of his visible, torne, crucified and bloody Body vpon the Crosse, and so to note an Antitype, which is (as you call it) the l 1.9 Greatest Similitude, is all one, as to find out the greatest Similitude in the greatest Dissimili∣tude: which yet is the more intollerable, because it is against the Confessed m 1.10 Common opinion of your owne Divines, who haue taught that The Sacrament of the Eucharist is called Type and Anti∣type, because of the formes of Bread and Wine. So your Billius. Ma•• you not now discerne the notable perversnesse of your Dispu∣ters,

and that they devised this Stage-Play, ad faciendum Populum, to please and delude their Readers? thereby to fit themselves the better for the Pageant; whereof we shall be occasioned to say more in the * 1.11 sixt Booke.

Notes

• c 1.1

  Solutio, Eucha∣ristiam etiam post Consecrationem di∣ci posse Antitypum corporis & sanguinis Domini, non solùm quia species panis & vini sunt figurae cor∣poris & sanguinis Domini ibi rever a existentium, sed eti∣am quià corpus & sanguis Domini, ut sunt sub illis specie∣bus, signa sunt ejus∣dem corporis & san∣guinis, ut fuerunt in-Cruce, repraesentant enim passioné Chri∣sti: & ideò fortassis Basilius & alij Patres non vocant Eucharistiam figuram aut typum, sed Antitypum &c.—It à si Rex aliquis, gravissimo bello confecto, idem ipsum bellum ad oblectamentum populo in scen â praesens seipsum bellantem representare vellet. Bell. l. 2. de Euch cap. 15. Antitypa corporis & Sanguinis Christi dicuntur, quià corpus & sanguis Domini, ut sunt subillis speciebus panis & vini in Eucharistia, signa sunt corporis passi, & sanguinis effusi in Cruce. Suarez. quo supra pag. 554. Graeci Patres cum passim vocant Sacramenta Antitypa,—nihil aliud sibi volunt quam habere Sacra∣menta maximam similitudinem cum ijs rebus, quarum sunt Sacramenta. Billar. lib. 1. de Sacram. in genere cap. 9.
• d 1.2

  Billius com. in Nazianz. orat. 11. Audiamus quid Augustinus dicit in Prosperi sententijs; Caro inquit, ••ius est, quam formâ panis opertam in Sacramento accipimus; sanguis, quem sub specie vini potamus; Caro, viz. carnis, & sanguis Sacramentum est sanguinis; carne & sanguine utro{que} invisibili, & intelligibili, & spiri∣tuali significatur corpus Christi visibile, plenum gratiae, & divinae Maiestatis. Gardiner. Episc. Winton. Augusti∣ni verba, ut litera sonat, intelligit. Item Claudius Sainctes Repetit, & allegari ai••, ut corpus Christi ostendatur, quatenus in Sacramento est, seipsum significare, ut erat in cruce, sui{que} Sacramentum esse & figuram, & figuram esse passionis suae; Eandem sententiam apertissimè tuetur Ro••fcns. & Iohan. Hessell. Haec Billius.
• e 1.3

  Trithemius. Ex sententijs Augustini, versibus hexametris & pentametris mix∣tum opus prosa pul∣cherrimum quod pre∣notare voluit, Epi∣gramma, sic incipit, Dum Sacris, &c. [But of the other Intituled, Sententiarum ex o∣peribus Augustini, be∣ginning thus, Inno∣centia, ••ee maketh no mention; yea, and e∣ven in this (as it is now set out among the works of Prosper) prin∣ted Coloniae Agrip∣pinae. An. 1609. apud Arnoldum Crithium, It is not to be ••ound.]
• f 1.4

  Antonius Augu∣stinus Archiepiscopus Tarracon. De emen∣datione Gratiani.
• g 1.5

  Lombardus. At∣tende his diligenter, quia Tropo quodam u••itur hic Augusti∣nus, quo solent res significantes re••um sortirivocabula, quas significant; Visibilis species panis vocatur nomine Carnis, & species vini sangui∣nis, &c. Lib. 4. distinct. 10. Apud Billium qu•• supra.
• h 1.6

  Gratian. Caro, i. e. species Carnis, sub quo latet corpus Christi,—Est Sa∣cramentum Carnis Christi, & sanguis, i. e. species vini, sub qua later sanguis Christi, est Sacra∣mentum sanguinis Christi. De Consecrat. dist. 2. Cap. Hoc est quod. in Glossa.
• i 1.7

  See above at (c.)
• k 1.8

  Christi corpus, ut est in hoc Sacra∣mento, nullo oculo humano, vel intellectu Angelico videri potest. Suarez. Ies▪ Tom. 3. Disp. 53. Art. 7. § 4. & 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Sub •…•…gulis utrius{que} speciei partibus Christus totus est, & integer continetur. Concil▪ Trident. S•…•…. 18. cap. 3.
• l 1.9

  See above at (c)
• m 1.10

  Billius. Eucharistiae Sacramentum d••citur Antitypon, & Typus, seu Symbo∣lum, ••atione Specierum panis & vini, quae in oculorum sensum cadunt: & haec est communis ratio, quae à Theo∣logis ••fferri solet. Haec ille Com. in Naz. orat. 11.
• * 1.11

  Booke 6. c. 5. §. 7.