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.

CHAP. I.

The state of the Question.

SECT. I.

A Christian man consisting of two men, the Outward, or bodily; and the Inward, which is, Spirituall; this Sacrament, accordingly, con∣sisteth of two parts, Earthly and Heavenly: as Irenaeus spake of the bo∣dily Elements of Bread and Wine, as the visible Signes and Obiects of Sense; and of the Body and Blood of Christ, which is the Spirituall part. Answerable to both these is the dou∣ble nourishment and Vnion of a Christian; the one Sacramentall, by communicating of the outward Elements of Bread and Wine, united to man's body, in his Taking, Eating, digesting, till at length it be transubstantiated into him, by being substantially incorpora∣ted in his flesh. The other, which is the Spirituall, and Soules food, is the Body and Blood of the Lord (therefore called Spiritu∣all, because it is the Obiect of Faith) by an Vnion wrought by God's Spirit, and man's faith; which (as hath beene professed by Protestants) is most Reall and Ineffable.

But your Church of Rome teacheth such a Reall Vnion of Christ

his Body and Blood with the Bodies of the Communicants, as is Cor∣porall; which you call [Per contactum] by Bodily touch, so long as the formes of Bread and Wine remaine uncorrupt in the bodies of the Receivers.

Our Method requireth that we first manifest our Protestant De∣fence of Vnion to be an Orthodoxe truth. Secondly, to impugne your Romish Vnion, as Capernaiticall (that is) Hereticall. And thirdly, to determine the Point, by comparing them both toge∣ther. Our Orthodoxe Truth will be found in the Preparations following.

That Protestants prosesse not only a Figurative and Sacramentall Participation and Communion with Christ's Body; but also a spiritually-Reall.

SECT. II.

ALl the Bookes of the Adversaries to Protestants are most e∣specially vehement, violent, and virulent in traducing them in the name of Sacramentaries, as though we professed no other man∣ner of feeding and Vnion with Christ's body than only Sacramen∣tall, and Figurative. For Confutation of which Calumny it will be most requisite to oppose the Apologie of a 1.1 Him, who hath beene most opposed and traduced by your Disputers in this Cause: to shew, first, what he held not; and then what he held.

If you shall aske Calvin what he liked not, he will answere you, i 1.2 I doe abhorre your grosse Doctrine of Corporall Presence. And ii 1.3 I have an hundred times disclaimed the receiuing only of a Fi∣gure, in this Sacrament. What then did hee hold? iii 1.4 Our Ca∣techisme teacheth (saith hee) not only a signification of the Benefits of Christ to be had herein, but also a participation of the substance of Christ's flesh in our soules. And with Swinckfeldius, maintayning only a Figurative perception, we have nothing to doe. If you fur∣ther demand what is the Feeding, whereby we are united to Christ's body, in this Sacrament? hee tels you that it is (IV.) Not carnall, but Spirituall, and Reall; and so Reall, that the soule is as truly re∣plenished with the lively virtue of his flesh, by the powerfull worke of the Spirit of God; as the body is nourished with the corporall Element of Bread in this Sacrament. If you exact an Expression of this spi∣rituall Vnion, to know the manner, hee acknowledgeth it to be v 1.5 above Reason. * 1.6

If further you desire to understand, whether he were not Singu∣lar in this opinion, he hath avouched the iudgement of other Pro∣testants, professing not to dissent one Syllable from the vi 1.7 Au∣gustane Confession, as agreeing with him in iudgement herein. Ac∣cordingly our Church of England (in the 28. Article) saith that To such as worthily, and with faith receive this Sacrament, The Bread which we breake is a partaking of the Body of Christ, which Body is gi∣ven, taken, and eaten in the Supper only after a spirituall and heaven∣ly manner, the meane whereby is Faith.

That the Body of Christ, by this Sacrament, was ordai∣ned only for food to the Christian man's Soule.

SECT. III.

VVHat need wee seeke into the Testimonies of ancient Fa∣thers, which are many, in this point of Dispute, having before us the Iudgement of your b 1.8 Fathers of the Councell of Trent, and of your c 1.9 Romane Catechisme, authorized by the same Councell? both which affirme that Christ ordained this Sacrament to be the spirituall food of man's soule. In which respect the Body of Christ is called Spirituall in your Popes d 1.10 Decree.

That the Spirituall feeding and Vnion with Christs Body is more excellent and Reall than the Corporall Coniunction can be.

SECT. IV.

THe soule of man being the most essentiall and substantiall part of man (because a Spirit immortall) and the flesh of Christ being the most substantiall of all food; and therefore cal∣led, as of ancient e 1.11 Fathers, so even by your Fathers of f 1.12 Trent, Supersubstantiall Bread; it must necessarily follow, that as it is na∣med by Christ * 1.13 The true Bread, and the Life thereby (which is the effect of the spirituall Eating thereof) is the most true and Re∣all Life, because Everlasting: So the Vnion spirituall, which a Christian hath in his soules-feeding, is the most Reall and true V∣nion, as may sufficiently appeare by Analogie. To wit, that Bread

and Wine being the most vitall nourishments, for the conservation of man's bodily essence, are therefore chosen (as the Fathers teach) to represent and exhibit unto him (although, in themselves, but Signes and Symbols) the very Body and Blood of Christ. Therefore the Body and Blood of Christ are our Reall nourishments in this Sa∣crament.

And such as is our food, such must be our Vnion, by feeding there∣on; which wee say is by Faith, in this Sacrament: and you may not gain-say it, who, to comfort your Disciples, are g 1.14 taught to in∣struct them, that even without this Sacrament the spirituall Vnion may be presented to the soule of man, with the Body of Christ; and that as a sufficient meanes of uniting him to Christ, by a spiri∣tuall manner of Eating. And this (you say) is To receive Christ his Body truly; albeit this be to receive him only by faith and desire. So you. Whence you perceive our Inference, viz. If our spirituall Vnion with Christ his Body may be really and truly made by Faith, and Desire, without this Sacrament: then, in our Sacramentall eating thereof, may the Communicant be much more made par∣taker thereof by Faith and ardent Desire; the Sacrament it selfe being a Seale of this our Christian Faith.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Calvin. in hijs li∣bris, vz. Consensio in re Sacramentaria: & Defensio cōtra West∣phalium: & Explica∣tio de vera partici∣patione coenae Dom.
• i 1.2

  Fateor me ab∣horrere ab hoc crasso cōmento localis prae∣sentiae. Substantiā Christi animae nostrae pascuntur: sed secun∣dum virtutem, non secundùm substan∣tiam.
• ii 1.3

  Signum tantùm porrigi, centies con∣trà. Quasi verò cum Swinckfeldio quic∣quam nobis commu∣ne.—
• iii 1.4

  In Catechis∣mo disserui, non solū beneficiorum Christi significationem ha∣bemus in coena; sed substantivè partici∣pes, in unam cum eo vitam coalescimus.—Figurata locutio, fa••eor, •…•…odò non tollatur re•• veritas.
• v 1.5

  Ergò in coena miraculum agnoscimus, quod & naturae sines, & sensus nostri modum exsuperat: quòd Christi caro nobis fit communis, & nobis in alimentum datur.—Modus incomprehensibilis.
• * 1.6

  (VI.) Neque enim tan∣tùm dico, applicari merita, sed ex ipso Christi corpore alimentum percipere animas, non secùs ac terreno pane corpus vescitur. Vim carnis suae vivificans spiritus sui gratiâ in nos transfundit. Spiritualem dicimus, non car∣nalem, quamvis realem, ut haec vox, pro vera, contra fallacem sumitur: non secundùm substantiam, quamvis ex eius substantia vita in animas nostras profl••it.
• vi 1.7

  Si nos in con∣sensu, quem continet Augustana Cōfessio, complex••s esse dixi, non est quòd qui•• me astutiae insimulet. Ver∣bulum in ea Confes∣sione (qualis Ratis∣bonae edita fuit) non extat doctrinae nostrae contrarium. De Phi∣lippo Melanct••one, eius Authore, viro spectatae pietatis, dico, non magis me à Philippo, quàm à proprijs visce••ibus divelli posse. Et quidem non aliter sanctae memoriae B••cerum sensis••e, luculentis testimonijs probare mihi semper promptum erit. Lutherus, meae s••nt••ntiae non ignarus, propiâ tn. manu non gravatus est me salu∣ta••e. Quum Marpurgi essem, dimidia conciliatio facta est: ab eo conventu digressus affirmat eodem, quo ante, loco, Occolampadiū & Zuingliū habere, quos illic fratū loco posthà•• fore sanctè pollicitus est. Hacte••••s Calvinus.
• b 1.8

  Summus Salva∣tor hoc Sacramentū volu••t esse tanquàm sp•…•…ualem anima••ū cibum, quo alantur & conforten••ur viven∣tes vita ill••us, quo di∣xit, [Qui manducat me, &c. Concil. Trid. Sess. 13 c. 2.
• c 1.9

  Sacramento utendum ad alendam animam. Catech. Trid. de Euch. num. 29.
• d 1.10

  Decret. ex Ambros. De mysterijs. Corpus Christi est corpus spirituale. Dist. 2. C. In illo.
• e 1.11

  Ambros. lib. 5. de Sacram c. 4.
• f 1.12

  Conc. Triden••. Pa∣nem illum supersub∣stantialem freq••ēter accipiant. Sess 13. c. 8.
• * 1.13

  Jo••. 6. 32.
• g 1.14

  Alanus, & alij ex citatis Authori∣bus dicunt, quandò re-ipsà non potest suscipi hoc Sacra∣mentum, ad perfici∣endam hanc unio∣nem, sufficere quòd hoc Sacramentum in voto suscipiatur, quià hoc satis est, ut ho∣mo fiat membrum Christi vivum, & uni∣atur illi. Suarez Ies. Tom. 3. Disp. 64. Sect. 3. pag. 824. Satis est si spiritualiter man∣ducatur in voto, e∣ti••msi non sacramentaliter. Acosta Ies. de Indorum salute lib. 6. c. 7. Verè & spiritualiter sumunt, qui fide tenent, sub illis speciebus verum esse corpus Christi, & simul ipsum desiderio recipiendi ardeant. Tolet. Ies. Instruct. Sa∣cerd. l. 2. c. 29.