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. VII.

Our Fourth Examination is of the Doctrine of PROTE∣STANTS, in the point of Sacrifice.

IN discussion whereof, we are to consider first the Acts, which are incident unto the Celebration of this Sacrament: and then the Object thereof which is the true and reall Body of Christ, as it was Sacrificed upon the Crosse. In respect of the Acts we say,

I. That Spirituall Sacrifices, albeit Vnproper, are in one respect more true, and doe farre excell all merely Corporall Sacrifices according to Scripture.

SECT. I.

WHen Christ called himselfe the True Vine, the True light, the True Bread; in respect of the naturall Vine, Light, and Bread; He taught us to distinguish betweene a Truth of Excel∣lency, and a Truth of propriety, by their different Effects. That which hath the naturall property of Bread (although Manna) pre∣serveth but the temporall life, for They are Manna, and died: But the Bread of Excellency, which is Christ's Body, preserveth to Immortalitie. It is a good Observation, which your Canus hath, that a Many spirituall things are called Sacrifices, in Scrip∣ture, because they were prefigured by the outward bodily Sacrifices of the Lambe: as the killing of Beasts were signes of mortification, which is a killing of sinne. So he. And the Thing prefigured (you know) is alwaies held more excellent than the figure thereof.

First, the Sacrifice of Contrition, Psal. 51. 17. The Sacrifice of God is a Contrite heart. Secondly, of Righteousnesse, by Mortifi∣cation. Psal. 4. 5. Offer the Sacrifice of Righteousnesse. And Rom. 12. 1. Present your Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable un∣to God, which is your reasonable Service. Thirdly, the Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise, Hosea 14. 2. We will render the Calves of our lips. Fourthly, of Almes-workes, Heb. 13. 16. With such Sacri∣fices God is well pleased. Fifthly, Sacrifice of Preaching, Rom. 15. 16. That I ministring the Gospell, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the holy Ghost. Sixthly, the Sacrifice of Martyrdome, Phil. 2. 17. Yea, and if I be offered up upon the Sacrifice and Service of your faith, &c. Next we say.

II. That all these Spirituall Acts, although improperly called Sa∣crifices, yet are they more excellent than all merely Corpo∣porall and proper Sacrifices; in the Iudgement of Ancient Fathers.

SECT. II.

VPon this Contemplation Ancient Fathers have breathed out many divine Ejaculations, for the expressing of the ex∣cellent Prerogatives of Spirituall Sacrifices, in respect of Corpo∣rall. Of the Sacrifice of Contrition, thus: a Gods wrath is to be ap∣peased with Spirituall Sacrifices. And b They were then Sacrifices for sinne, which are now Sacrifices of Repentance for sinne. And c God sheweth he will not have the Sacrifice of a slaine beast, but of a contrite breast. Of the Sacrifice of Righteousnesse thus, d He that dieth to the world is for himselfe a Sacrifice. And e Then were creatures slaine to cleanse mens bodies: but now are men to mortifie their vices: f Every one being made a Priest over his owne body, to over-rule vi∣ces. And g They offered those grosse bodies of sheepe: but we the more subtile and pure of vertues, because unbloody things best agree with God. And h This is a new and admirable Sacrifice. And i The best Sacrifice is to have a pure minde, and a chaste Body.

Of the spirituall Sacrifice of Prayer and Praises unto God, thus; k These are most perfect and onely Sacrifices acceptable to God. Of Preaching the word of God thus, l We stay vices with the sword of the word. And of The Function Evangelicall, m It is a pure Sacrifice, and immaculate. And n A Sacrifice sweeter than all Spices. Of Almes∣workes thus, o These God testifieth to be more pleasant unto him, than all the Sacrifices. And p This is a true Sacrifice, whereof the other Sacrifices are but Signes. Of Martyrdome thus, r We are God's Temple, our hearts his Altars: we then offer up our bloody Sacrifice, when we contend for the truth with our blood. In briefe, s Every good worke done, to the end that we may enjoy God, is a true Sacrifice. Hi∣therto of our Proposition, by the Determination of holy Fathers: In the next place we say, for the Assumption,

III. That Protestants professe in their Celebration divers Sacrifices of chiefe Excellency.

SECT. III.

COrporall and Spirituall Sacrifices are by you distinguished, calling the first, Proper, and the other, Improper; but the spi∣rituall excelleth by infinite Degrees, as you have heard. In which kinde, Protestants, in their Celebration, professe foure sorts of Sacrifices. For proofe hereof, we may instance in our Church of a England, most happily reformed and established. First, the Sacrifice of Mortification in Act, and of Martyrdome in Vow, saying, We offer unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our soules, and bodies, to be an holy, lively, and reasonable Sacrifice unto thee. Next, a Sacrifice Eucharisticall, saying, We desire thy fatherly goodnesse mercifully to accept of our Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving. And why may we not, with the Scripture, call this a Sacrifice? seeing that your Bishop Iansenius held it for an Argument of proving Christ to have offered a Sacrifice, even b Because he gave Thanks: giving of Thankes being a kinde of Sacrifice. So he. Thirdly, a Sa∣crifice Latreuticall, that is, of Divine worship, saying, And al∣though we be unworthy to offer up any Sacrifice, yet we beseech thee to accept of our bounden duty and service, &c. This performance of our Bounden Service is that which Ancient Fathers called an Vnbloody Sacrifice.

Nor is our Church of England alone in this Profession. This Truth we refer unto the Report of your c Cardinall, and of d Ca∣nus, by whom you may understand the agreement betweene them, whom you name Lutherans, in their Augustane Confession, and of Calvin; by acknowledging not some one Act, but the whole worke of this Celebration (according to the Institution of Christ) both in Communication, Commemoration, and Representation of his Death, with Praise and Thanksgiving, to be a Sacrifice Eucharisti∣call: And also (to use the words of Calvin) Latreuticall, and Se∣basticall, that is, a Sacrifice of Worship and Veneration, which eve∣ry Christian may and must professe, who hath either eyes in his head, or faith in his heart: the Celebration of this Sacrament, in Remembrance of his absolute Sacrifice of our Redemption, being the Service of all Services that we can performe to God. Now wherein, and in what respect we may furthermore be said to offer to God a Sacrifice propitiatory, improperly, will after appeare when we consider Christ's Body as the Object herein.

That Protestants in their Commemoration offer up the same Body and Blood of Christ, which was Sacrificed on the Crosse, as the Object of Remembrance, and most absolute Sacrifice of our Redemption.

SECT. IV.

NOw we are come to the last, most true, and necessary point: which is the Body and Blood, as the Object of our Commemo∣ration. Still, still doe you urge the saying of Fathers, where they affirme that we offer unto God The same Body and Blood of Christ, on this Altar, even the same which was sacrificed on the Crosse; which therefore you interpret as being the same subject matter of our Commemoration, As is a King acting himselfe upon a Stage, as hath beene shewen.

We as instantly, and more truly, proclaime that we offer (Com∣memoratively) the same, undoubtedly the very same Body and Blood of Christ his All sufficient Sacrifice on the Crosse, although not as the subject of his proper Sacrifice, but yet as the only ade∣quate Object of our Commemoration; as when the same murther of the Emperour Mauritius is represented in a Stage-play in some manner of Resemblance: wherein we cannot possibly erre, having Truth it selfe for our Guide, who said, Doe this in remembrance of me, namely, of the same [Mee] meaning Christ as crucified on the Crosse, as the Apostle commenteth, saying, Hereby you shew the Lords Death till he come, even the Same Body, as the Same Death; whereunto beare all the Fathers witnesse, thorowout this Treatise. Whereby it will be easie for us to discerne the subject Sacrifice of Christ from ours, his being the Reall Sacrifice on the Crosse, ours only the Sacramentall Representation, Commemoration, and Application thereof.

Notes

• Iohn 6.
• Ibid.
• a

  Canus. Quià per Sacrificia legis exter∣na res quaedā spiritu∣ales potiores praefig∣nabantur, has omni∣nò res Sacrificia, ho∣locausta, hostias sa∣crae literae appellant: ut mactationes bru∣torum animalium fi∣gurae erant mortifica∣tionis. Loc. Theol. lib. 12. cap. 12. §. In se∣cundo.
• a

  Non terrenis, sed spiritualibus est Deo litandum. Tertull. ad∣versus Iud. eos.
• b

  Erant tum Sacri∣ficia pro delicto, quae nunc sunt Sacrificia poenitentiae de deli∣cto. Ambros. lib. 3. E∣pist. 28.
• c

  Spiritus contri∣bulatus.—Ostendit Deus, se velle Sacri∣ficium, non trucidati pecoris, sed contriti pectoris. Aug. de Ci∣vit. Dei. lib. 10. cap. 5.
• d

  Mundo moriens, ipse est Sacrificium. Idem.
• e

  Tunc corpora pro corporibus; nunc non corpora, sed vi∣tia corporis perimen∣da. Arnob. c••nt. Gen••es.
• f

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. Isid. Pelus lib. 3. Epist. 75.
• g

  Illi offerebant o∣ves & boves: nos tàm craffo praeteriro Sa∣crifici•• subtile offeri∣mus, virtutes omni∣genas: Sacrificium enim minimè carna∣le, secundùm naturam incorpoream, decet Deum. Ambros. [The same which hee hath translated word for word out of Cyril. Alex. cont. Iulian. See above, towards the end of Chap. 5.]
• h

  Chrys••st. in Gen. Hom. 60. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• i

  Pe••usiota. lib. 3. Epist. 75. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• k

  Prae∣ces & Gratiarum actiones factae Deo, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Iustin. Dial. cum Tryphone Iudaeo. And another upon that Psal. 68. of David [Canticum laudis plus placet Deo quam novella] observeth in the Hebrew an elegant Allusion, as if it had beene said, Deomagis placet Schir, quàm Schior, id est Canti∣cum, quàm vitulus. Bellarm. ibid.
• l

  Gladio verbi mactans vitia. Hieron. & rursus in Psal. 26. Hostia jubilatio∣nis, hostia praedicationis.
• m

  Chrysost. in Psal. 95. Munus Evangelicum Sacrificium mundum & immaculatum.
• n

  Sacrificium praedicationis omnibus aromatibus praestantius. Aug.
• o

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 dicunt, vel quòd eâ Deus prae Sacrificiis placere sibi testatur: haec sancta vestis aromata Sanctorum est. Chrysost.
• p

  Vbi scriptum est, [Mi∣sericordiam magis volo quàm Sacrificium] nihil aliud quàm Sacrificium Sacrificio praelatum intelligi oportet: quoniam quod ab hominibus appellatur Sacrificium, fignum est veri Sacrificii. August. lib. 10. de Civitat. cap. 5.
• r

  Nos templum Dei sumus omnes, cor nostrum akare Dei, cruentas victimas ca dimus, quandò usque ad san∣guinem pro veritate certamus. August. ibid. cap. 4.
• s

  Verum Sacrificium est omne opus quod agitur, ut Deo in sancta societate haereamus: relatumque ad illum finem, ut beati esse possimus. Idem. lib. 10. de Civit. cap. 6.
• a

  In the Engl••sh Li∣turgie.
• b

  Iansen. Christum in coena Sacrificium obtulisse, primum quidem satis est signi∣ficatum, cùm dicitur Gratias egisse: Gra∣tiarum enim actio est quoddam Sacrificiū, à qua Christi actione Sacramentum corpo∣ris & sanguinis Do∣mini nomen illud ab initio Ecclesia acce∣pit. Con••ord. cap. 131.
• See above, Chap. 3. Sect. 5.
• c

  Bellarm. Melan∣cthon Eucharistiam Sacrificium esse vult,—& Calvinus non solum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 esse vult, sed etiam 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Lib. 1. de Missa, cap. 2. §. Ac primum, & § Expendamus.
• d

  Canus. Lutherani in Apologia Augusta∣na perperam Sacrifi∣cium definiebant esse opus à nobis Deo redditum, ut eum ho∣nore afficiamus. Loc. Theolog. lib. 12. cap. 12. §. Quibus rebus. Bel larm. Melancthon, di∣cit, Missam dici posse Sacrificium, quatenùs sumptio Eucharistiae fieri potest ad laudem Dei, sicut coetera bona opera. Lib. 1. de Missa, cap. 2. §. Ac primum. Et Calvinus dicit, Sacrificium generaliter acceptum complectitur quic∣quid Deo offertur. Ibid. §. Expendamus. Kemnitius dicit, Sacrificium à Patribus dici Oblationem, Immolatio∣nem, & Sacrificium, quia est commemoratio & repraesentatio veri Sacrifici•• Christi. Lib. 1. de Missa, cap. 15. §. Aker modus.
• See above, Chap. 5. Sect. 7.