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.

That the same Romish manner, of Receiving it downe into the Belly, is proved to be Capernaiticall by the Iudge∣ment of Antiquity.

SECT. III.

THeophylact e 1.1 noted the Capernaites opinion to have beene, that the Receivers of the Body of Christ are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Devourers of flesh, whereas the words of Christ (saith hee) are to be understood spiritually, and so will it be known that we Christians (what?) are not De∣vourers of Christ. So hee. But, that Swallowing, properly taken, is a Devouring, hath beene proved: and, if Devoured, then why not also (that which is the Basest of all Basenesse) passed downe by ••gestion into the Seege? whereof the Ancient Fathers have thus determined: Origen, that f 1.2 The materiall part of this sanctified meate passeth into the Draught: which (saith he) I speake of the symbolicall Bodie, &c.

Here will be no place for your g 1.3 Cardinal's Crotchets, who confessing Origen to have spoken all this of the Eucharist, would have vs by Materials to understand Accidents in respect (saith hee) of sanctification, which they had, and of Magnitude, which belongeth rather to the matter of a thing, then to the forme: and, by Symboli∣call Body, to conceive, that this was meant of the Body of Christ it selfe, as it is present in this Sacrament, a Signe, or Symboll of it selfe, as it was on the Crosse. So he: as if he meant to crosse Origen's intention throughout every part of his Testimony.

For first, That which he called Bread, he calleth also meate san∣ctified: Secondly, that meate he tea••meth materiall. Thirdly, This materiall, he saith, passeth into the Draught. Lastly, concluding his speech, concerning the Sacramentall Body, and saying, Hither∣to have I spoken of the symbolicall body; immediately he maketh his Transition to speake of the incarnate Body of Christ, as it is the True soules meate. But first meerly Accidents were never called by the Ancient Fathers Meates. Secondly, never Materials. Third∣ly, never Magnitude in it selfe, without a Subiect, was iudged o∣therwise then Immateriall. Fourthly, never any Immateriall thing to have Gravitie, or weight in pressing the guts to make an ege∣stion into the * 1.4 Draught. If every one of these be not, yet all, as a foure-fold cord, may be of force to draw any Conscionable man to grant, that Origen was of our Protestants faith. And that which is more than all, hee, in his Transition, expresly sheweth his faith, concerning Christ's Body, as Spirituall Bread, by discerning it from the Sacramentall, which he named a Symbolicall Body, as one Body distinctly differing from the other. As for your Cardinals pa∣geant

of Christ's Body in this Sacrament, as being a Signe and Sym∣bol of it selfe, as it was on the Crosse, it * 1.5 hath once already, and will the * 1.6 second time come into play, where you will take small pleasure in this figment.

Againe, concerning the Body of Christ it selfe, h 1.7 Cyrill Christi∣anly denyeth it to goe either into the Belly, or into the Draught; and i 1.8 Chrysostome (as iudging the very thought thereof Execra∣ble) denyeth it with an Absit! Finally k 1.9 Ambrose is so farre from the proper swallowing of Christ in this Sacrament, that distingui∣shing between Corporall Bread and the Body of Christ, (which he calleth super substantiall Bread, and Bread of everlasting life, for the establishing of man's soule) hee denyeth flatly that this is that Bread which goeth into the Body. If any mouse, which your say may run away with the hoast, be wholly fed thereon for a monthes space, the Egestion of that Creature will be as absoute a Demonstration as the world can have that the matter fed upon, after Consecration, is Bread: And why may you not aswell grant a power of Ege∣stion, as confesse (which you doe) in that Creature a digestion thereof.

Two false Interpretations fell upon the Catholike Profession, concerning the Doctrine of the Eucharist, in the dayes of Saint Augustine; both which that holy Father did utterly explode. The first was by the Manichees, who teaching l 1.10 that Christ was Hanged on every tree, and tied unto all meates which they eate, would needs have their Religion to be somewhat agreeable to the Catholike Profession. An Imputation which Saint Au∣gustine did abhorre, namely, that it should be thought that there was the same reason of the opinion of Mysticall bread, among the Orthodoxe, which the Manich••es had of their Cor∣porall bread. As for example, that Christ should be Fastened or tied to mens guts, by eating, and let loose againe by their belch∣ing. Which Hereticall Doctrine how shall it not accord with your Romish, which hath affirmed a passage and Entrance of Christs body into, and Cleaving unto mens * 1.11 Guts by eating? and a Repasse againe by Vomitting, albeit the matter, so fast and loose, in the iudgement of S^t. Augustine, be Bread still, after Consecration.

The Second Calumniation against the true Professours was by others, who testified that Catholikes in the Eucharist ado∣red Ceres and Bacchus, after the manner of the Paganes. What answere, doe you thinke, would a Romish Professor have made

in this Case? doubtles (according to your doctrine of Corporall presence) by saying thus: Whereas some affirme that we adore Bread and Wine in this Sacrament, yet the truth is wee adore that, whereinto Bread and Wine are Transubstantiated, (to wit) the Bodie and blood of Christ the sonne of God. But S. Augustine, as one fancying nothing lesse; Wee (saith he) are farre from the Gods of the Pagans, for we embrace the Sacrament of Bread and wine. This is all, and all this he spake after Consecration.

Whereupon we are occasioned to admonish our Christian Rea∣der to take heed of the fraudulent practice of the Romish Sect, be∣cause of their abusing of the Writings of ancient Fathers. Whereof take unto you this present m 1.12 example. The Paris Edition An. 1555. hath the Sentence of S. Augustine thus: Noster Panis—Mysti∣cus fit nobis, non nascitur. But the last Paris. Edition Ann. 1614. hath foisted in and inserted [Corpus Christi;] albeit the sence be full without this Addition, to signifie that Common Bread is by Consecration made Mysticall or Sacramentall (according to S. Au∣gustine his owne exposition, saying that Wee embrace the Sacra∣ment of Bread, and Cup;) and also the Phrase of [Panis fit corpus Christi] Bread is made Christs Bodie] be repugnant to a common Principle of all Christianity, which never beleeved a Body of Christ made of Bread. So that the foresaid Addition is not a correcting, but a Corrupting of the Text.

CHALLENGE.

HOw might it concerne you upon these premises, if there be in you any spirit of Christianity, to suffer n 1.13 S. Augustine to be your Moderator in this whole Cause? who upon the speech of Christ [Except you eate my flesh] giveth this generall Rule, That whensoever we fi••d in Scripture any speech of commanding some ••eynous Act, or forbidding some laudable thing, there to hold the speech to be figurative, even as this is of eating the flesh of Christ. So hee. And what this figurative speech signifieth, this holy Father decla∣reth in the next words: It Commandeth (saith hee) that wee doe Communicate of the passion of Christ, and sweetly and profitably keepe in memory that his flesh was crucified for us. Thus you see hee exclu∣deth the Corporall, Sensuall, and Carnall Eating, that hee might e∣stablish the spirituall of mind, and Memory. If S^t. Augustine by this his counsell might have prevailed with your Disputers and Doctors, they never had fallen upon so many Rocks, and Para∣doxes, nor sunke into such puddles of so nastie and beastly Absur∣dites, as have beene now discovered; which by your Doctrine of Corporall Presence you are plunged into.

Notes

• e 1.1

  Theoph. in Ioh. 6. p. 304. Capernaitae putabāt, quòd Chri∣stus cogeret eos 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, voratores carnis suae esse: nos hîc spiritualiter in∣telligimus, ne{que} car∣nium voratores su∣mus.
• f 1.2

  Origen in Matth. 25. [Quod si quic∣quid in os ingredi∣tur, in ventrem abit, & in secessum ejici∣tur.] E•• ille cibus sanctificatus verbo Dei, iuxta id quod habet materiale, in ventrem abit, & in secessū eijcitur. Coe∣terum iuxta precati∣onem pro proportio∣ne fidei factus sit uti∣lis, efficiens ut per∣spicax sit anim{us}. Nec materia panis, sed su∣per eo dictus sermo prodest non indignè comedenti. Et haec quidem de symbolico corpore: multa por∣••ò & de verbo dici possunt, quid factum est, caro, verus que cibus, quem qui co∣mede••it vivet in ae∣ternum.
• g 1.3

  Bellar. Ista omnia rectè intelligi possunt de Eucharistia—at materiale, quod in se∣ce••sum abit, sunt ac∣cidentia, non respe∣ctu formae naturalis, sed sanctificationis & magnitudinis: nam magnitudo ad mate∣riam potius pertinet quàm ad formam—Et per hoc quòd Symbolicum corpus vocat, intelligit cor∣pus Christi, ut est hîc symbolum & signum sui ipsius, ut erat in cruce. Lib. 2. de Euch. cap. 8.
• * 1.4

  See Booke 4. Chap. 10.
• * 1.5

  Booke 2. C. 2. §. 6.
• * 1.6

  Booke 6. C. 5. §. 7.
• h 1.7

  Cyrill. Hierosol. Cate. Mystag. 5. Panis hic 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c.
• i 1.8

  Chryso••t. de Euch. in E••caen. Non sicut reliqui cibi in seces∣sum vadunt: absit! ne sic cogites.
• k 1.9

  Ambros. lib. 5. de Sacram. cap. 4. Non iste panis est, qui va∣dit in corpus, sed pa∣nis vitae aeternae, qu•• animae nostrae sub∣stantiam fulcit, Ibid. Supersubstantialis.
• l 1.10

  Aug co••. Fa••st. Manich. lib▪ 20. cap. 11. Ex fabula vestra de Sp. Sancto terra con∣cipiens gignat pati∣bilem Iesum, qui est salus hominum om∣nium suspensus ex ligno &c. Cap. 12. Cur non Totum simul u∣nus Christus, si prop∣ter unam Substanti∣am, & in arboribus Christus, & in perse∣cutione Iudaeorum Christus, & in sole, & in luna Christus? &c. Cap. 13. In uva agnoscunt Deum su∣um, in cupa nolun••▪ quasi aliquid eos cal∣ca••us & inclusus of∣fenderit: noster au∣tem panis & calix▪ non quilibet, quasi propter Christum in spicis▪ & sarmentis ligatum, sicut illi de∣sipiunt, sed cer••a Consc••ratione my∣sticus fit nobis, non nascitur: proinde quòd nòn ita fit▪ quamvis sit pauls & calix, alimentum re∣fectionis est, non Sa∣cramentum religio∣nis, nisi quòd benedicimus, gratiàs{que} agimus Domino in omni munere ••ius, non solùm spirituali, verum-etiam corporali. Vobis autem per fabulam vestram in estus omnibus Christus ligatus apponitur, adhuc ligandus ve∣stris visceribus, solvendus{que} ructatibus: nam & cum manducatis, Dei vestri defectione vos reficitis, & cum di∣geritis, illius refectione deficietis.—Quomodo ergò comparas panem & calicem nostrum, & parem religionem dici••, errorem longè à veritate diseretum? peius n•• decipimus quàm nonnulli, qui nos propter panem & cali∣cem Cererem & Liberum colere existimant.—Sicut enim à Cerere & Libero Paganorum Dijs longè absumus quamvis panis & calicis Sacramentum, quod ità laudâstis, ut in ••o nobis pares esse volueritis, ritu nostro am∣plectamur. &c. Edit. Parisijs Ann. 1555.
• * 1.11

  See Chap. 7. Sect. 1.
• m 1.12

  Editio Paris. Anno 1614. Noster panis—mysticus fit nobis [Corpus Christi] non nasci∣tur. Whereas the di∣rect Sence is, that Bread consecrated is not naturally bread (as were the Spicae, that is, ••ares of corne, spoken of by the Ma∣nichees) but made My∣sticall and Sacramen∣tall by Consecration.
• n 1.13

  Si praeceptiva locutio flagitium aut facinus videtur iube∣re, figurata est, ut [Nisi manducaveri∣tis carnem me••m:] facinus videtur ju∣bere. Ergò figura est, praecipiens passioni Domini esse commu∣nicandum, & suaviter & utiliter reconden∣dū in memoria, quià pro nobis caro eius crucifixa & vulnera∣ta sit. August. de Doct. Christ. lib. 3. Cap. 16.