CHAP. I.
Of the state of this point of Controversie:
That notwithstanding the difference of opinion of Christ's Presence be only De modo, that is, of the manner of Being; yet may the Romish Doctrine be Hereticall: and to hold the contrary is a pernitious Paradoxe.
SECT. I.
IT would be a wonder to us, to heare Any of our owne profession to be so extremely Indifferent, con∣cerning the different opinions of the Manner of the Presence of Christ's Body in the Sacrament, as to thinke the Romish Sect therefore either Tollerable, or Reconciliable, upon Pretence that the Question is only De modo, Page 148 (that is) of the manner of Being, and that consequently all Con∣troversie about this is but vaine Iangling. Such an one ought to enter into his second thoughts, to consider the necessity that lieth upon every Christian to abandon divers Heresies, albeit their diffe∣rence from the Orthodoxe profession were only De modo. As for example, First, The Gnostick taught man's soule to have it's begin∣ning by manner of Production, from the substance of God. The Catholikes said nay, but by manner of Creation, of nothing. The Pelagians maintained a free will in spirituall Acts, from the grace of Nature. The Catholikes nay; but by speciall grace of Christ, freeing the will through the efficacious operation of his holy Spirit. The Catharists held themselves pure, in a purity of an absolute per∣fection: The Catholikes nay, but by an Inchoative, comparative, and imperfect perfection of purity. Furthermore against our Chri∣stian Faith, of beleeving God to be absolutely a Spirit; the Anthre∣pomorphites conceived of God, as of one (after the manner of men) consisting of Armes and Legges, &c.
Not to be tedious. We come to the Sacraments. The Cataphry∣gae did not baptize in the name of the blessed Trinity, after the man∣ner of the Catholikes. The Artotyritae celebrated the Eucharist in Bread and Cheese. To omit many others, take one poniard, which we are sure will pierce into the entrailes of the Cause (to wit) the heresie of the Capernaits, in the dayes of our Saviour Christ: who hearing his Sermon, teaching men to Eate his flesh; and conceiving thereby a carnall manner of Eating, irreconciliably contrary to the spirituall manner, which was beleeved by the true Disciples of Christ, departed from Christ, and Apostated from the Faith. And that the Romish manner of Eating Christ his Body is Capernaiti∣call; her manner of Sacrifice sacrilegious; her manner of Divine Adoration thereof Idolatrous; and all these manners Irreconci∣liable to the manner of our Church, is copiously declared in the Bookes following. For this present we are to exhibit the different, and contradictory manners, concerning the Presence of Christ herein.
The manner of Presence of Christ his Body 1. According to the Iudgement of Protestants. 2. In the profession of the Church of Rome.
That Protestants, albeit they deny the Corporall Presence of Christ in this Sacrament; yet hold they a true Presence thereof in divers respects; according to the Iudge∣ment of Antiquitie.
SECT. II.
THere may be observed foure kindes of Truths of Christ his Presence in this Sacrament: one is veritas Signi, that is Truth Page 149 of Representation of Christ his Body; the next is Veritas Revelatio∣nis, Truth of Revelation; the third is Veritas Obsignationis, that is, a Truth of Seale, for better assurance; the last is, Veritas Exhibi∣tionis, the truth of Exhibiting, and deliverance of the Reall Body of Christ to the faithfull Communicants. The Truth of the Signe, in respect of the thing signified, is to be acknowledged so farre, as in the Signes of Bread and Wine is represented the true and Reall Body and Blood of Christ. which Truth and Reality is celebrated by us, and taught by ancient Fathers, in contradiction to Ma∣nichees, Marcionites, and other old Heretikes; who held that Christ had in himselfe no true Body, but meerely Phantasticall, as you a your selves well know. In confutation of which Heretikes the Father Ignatius (as your b Cardinall witnesseth) called the Eu∣charist it selfe, the flesh of Christ. Which saying of Ignatius, in the sence of Theodoret, (by whom he is cited, against the Heresie of his time) doth call it Flesh and Blood of Christ, because (as the same Theodoret expounded himselfe) it is a true signe of the true and Reall Body of Christ: and, as Tertullian long before him had explained the words of Christ himselfe [This is my Body] that is (saith hee) This Bread is a Signe, or Figure of my Body. Now because it is not a Signe, which is not of some Truth, (* for as much as there is not a figure of a figure) therefore Bread being a signe of Christs Bodie, it must follow, that Christ had a true Body. This indeed is Theo∣logicall arguing, by a true Signe of the Body of Christ to confute the Heretikes, that denied the Truth of Christ's Body. Which control∣leth the wisdome of your c Councell of Trent, in condemning Protestants, as denying Christ to be Truly present in the Sacrament, because, they say, he is there present in a Signe. As though there were no Truth of being in a Signe, or Figure; which were to abolish all true Sacraments, which are true Figures, and Signes of the things which they represent.
A second Truth and Reality in this Sacrament is called Veri∣tas Revelationis, as it is a signe, in respect of the Typicall Signes of the same Body, and Blood of Christ in the Rites of the old Testa∣ment; yet not absolutely in respect of the matter it selfe, but of the manner, because the faithfull under the Law had the same faith in Christ, and therefore their Sacraments had Relation to the same Body, and Blood of Christ, but in a difference of manner. For as two Cherubins looked on the same Mercy Seate, but with different faces oppositely: so did both Testaments point out the same Passion of Christ in his Body, but with divers aspects. For the Rites of the old Testament were, as d Saint Augustine teacheth, Propheticall pre∣nunciating, and fore-telling the thing to come: but the rites of the new Testament are Historicall, annunciating and revealing the thing done, Page 150 the former shewed, concerning Christ his Passion, rem faciendam, what should be; the latter rem factam, the thing done, and fulfilled. As therefore the Truth of History is held to be more reall than the Truth of Prophesie, because it is a declaration of a reall performance of that, which was promised: So the Evangelicall Sacrament may be said to containe in it a more reall verity, then the Leviti∣call. Therefore are the Rites of the old Law called * Shadowes, in respect of the Sacraments of the Gospell; according to the which difference Saint Iohn the Baptist was called by Christ a Prophet, in that hee * foretold Christ, as now to come: but he was called more then a Prophet, as demonstrating and * pointing him out to be now come. Which Contemplation occasioned divers Fathers to speake so Hyperbolically of the Sacrament of the Eu∣charist, in comparison of the Sacraments of the old Testament, as if the Truth were in these, and not in them, as e Origen did.
Besides the former two, there is Veritas Obsignationis, a Truth sea∣led, which maketh this Sacrament more than a Signe, even a Seale of Gods promises in Christ; for so the Apostle called Circumcision (albeit a Sacrament of the old Law) the * Seale of Faith. But yet the print of that Seale was but dimme, in comparison of the Evangelicall Sacraments; which because they confirme unto the faithfull the Truth, which they present, are called by o∣ther ancient Fathers (as well as by f Saint Augustine) visible Seales of divine things. So that now we have in this Sacrament the Body of Christ not only under a Signe or signification, but under a Seale of Confirmation also: which inferreth a greater degree of reall Truth, thereby represented unto us. This might have beene the reason, why Saint Augustine taught Christ to be g Present both in Baptisme, and at receiving the Lord's Supper.
A fourth Reason to be observed herein, as more speciall, is Veri∣tas Exhibitionis, a Truth Exhibiting and delivering to the faith∣full Communicants the thing signified, and sealed, which Christ expressed, when he delivered it to his Disciples, saying; [Take, eate, this is my Body given for you: and, this is my Blood shed for you.] Thus Christ, by himselfe; and so doth he to other faithfull Com∣municants wheresoever, to the ends of the World, by his Mini∣sters, as by his hands, through virtue of that Royall Command, [DOE THIS.] Vaine therefore is the Obiection made by your h Cardinall, in urging us with the testimony of Athanasius, to prove that Christ his Body is exhibited to the Receivers; As though there were not a Truth in a mysticall, and sacramentall deli∣verance of Christ his Body, except it were by a corporall, and materiall presence thereof: which is a transparent falsity, as any may perceive by any Deed of Gift, which by writing, seale, and delive∣ry conveyeth any Land or Possession from man to man; yet this farre more effectually, as afterwards will appeare. But first we are to manifest.
That the Romish Disputers doe odiously, slanderously, and unconscionably vilifie the Sacrament of the Eucharist, as it is ce∣lebrated by PROTESTANTS.
SECT. III.
BEllarmine, with others i obiect against Protestants, saying, that Their Sacrament is nothing else but a crust of Bread, and pit∣tance of Wine. And againe; A morsell of Bread ill baked, by which the Protestants represent unto their memories the death of Christ, and the benefits thereof. A goodly matter! so doth a Crucifix: and to make the Sacrament only a Signe is an ancient Heresie. So they.
But have you not heard the Doctrine of the Protestants tea∣ching the Eucharisticall Bread to be (more than bare Bread) a Sacra∣mentall signe; more, an Evangelicall signe; more, a sacred Seale; yet more, an exhibiting Instrument of the Body of Christ therein to the devout Receiver? And have not these outragious Spirits read your owne Cardinall? witnessing that the Protestants teach that k Although the Body of Christ be still in Heaven, yet is it received in this Sacrament; first Sacramentally by Bodily mouthes, in receiuing the Bread, the signe of Christ his Body, and by which God doth truly, albeit Sacramentally, deliver unto the faithfull the reall body of Christ: and secondly spiritually to the mouth of the soule by faith, and so they truly and really participate of the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. So Bellarmine, concerning Protestants, which is so plainly professed by l Calvin himselfe, as would make any Ro∣mish Page 152 Adversary blush at your former Calumnies, who hath not abandoned shamefastnesse it selfe.
CHALLENGE.
THus may you see that we have not hitherto so pleaded for the Existence of the Substance of Bread in this Sacrament, after Consecration, as thereby to exclude all Presence of Christ his bo∣dy; nor so maintained the proprietie of a Signe, or Figure, as not to beleeve the thing signified to be exhibited unto us, as you have heard. With what blacke spot of malignity and falshood then were the Consciences of those your Doctors defiled, thinke you, who have imputed to Protestants a Profession of using onely bare Bread, which they notwithstanding teach and beleeve to be a Sa∣cred Signe of the true Body of Christ, in opposition to Heretikes; an Evangelicall Signe of the Body of the Messias crucified, against all Iewish conceit; yea a Seale of Ratification; yea and also a Sa∣cramentall Instrument of conveying of the same precious Body of Christ to the soules of the faithfull, by an happy and ineffable Con∣iunction; whereof more hereafter in the * Booke following, where the consonant Doctrine of the Church of England will likewise appeare.
And as your Disputers are convinced of a malitious Detracti∣on, by the confessed positions of Protestants, so are they much more by your owne instance of a Crucifix: for which of you would not hold it a great derogation from Christ, that any one seeing a Crucifix of wood (now waxen old) should in disdaine thereof call it a wooden, or rotten Blocke: and not account them irreligious in so calling it? but why? onely because it is a signe of Christ cruci∣fied. Notwithstanding, were the Crucifix as glorious as either Art could fashion, or Devotion affect, or Superstition adore, yet is it but a signe invented by man; And therefore how infinitely more honourable in all Christian estimation must a Sacramentall Signe be, which onely the God of Heaven and Earth could institute, and Christ hath ordained to his Church, farre exceeding the pro∣perty of a bare signe, as you have heard? A Father deliuering by politique assurances under hand and seale a portion of Land, al∣though an hundred miles distant, and convaying it to his sonne by Deed, if the sonne in scorne should terme the same Deed or writing blacke Inke; the Seale greasie Waxe; and the whole Act but a bare signe, were he not worthy not onely to loose this fatherly benefit, but also to be deprived of all other the temporall Blessings of a Fa∣ther, which hee might otherwise hope to enioy? yet such like have beene your Calumnies, and opprobrious Reproaches against our celebration of the Sacrament of Christ. The Lord lay not them to your Charge.
Now you, who so oppose against the Truth of the mysticall Pre∣sence, Page 153 will not conceale from us that Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ, which your Church doth so extremely dote on.
