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 no Example of Invocation, objected out of Antiquity, can infer the Divine Honour of the Sacrament, as is pretended.

SECT. IV.

YOur Instances are Three; the principall in Gorgonia, the Si∣ster of Gregory Nazianzen, in whose Oration, at her fune∣rall, we finde that a 1.1 She having beene troubled with a prodigious dis∣ease, after that neither the Art of Physicke, nor teares of her Parents, nor the publike Prayers of the Church could procure her any health; went and cast her selfe downe at the Altar, invocating Christ, who is honoured on the Altar, saying that she would not remove her head from the Altar, untill she had received her health: when (Oh admi∣rable event!) she was presently freed from her disease. This is the Story set downe by Gregory Nazianzene. Hence your Cardinall concludeth, that Gorgonia invocated the Sacrament, as being the very Body and Blood of Christ, and calleth this An hor and stinging Argument; and so indeed it may be named, yet onely in respect of them, whose consciences are scorched, or stung with their owne guiltinesse of inforcing, and injuring the story, as will now appeare.

For first, why should we thinke that she invocated the Sacra∣ment? Because (saith your b 1.2 Cardinall) she prostrated her selfe at the Altar, before the Sacrament; which words [Before the Sacra∣ment] are of his owne coyning, and no part of the Story. His next reason; Because she is said to have invocated him, who is honou∣red on the Altar. As though every Christian praying at the Table of the Lord, to Christ, may not be justly said to Invocate him, who is used to be Honoured by the Priest, celebrating the memory of Christ thereon. Nay, and were it granted, that the Sacramentall Symbols had beene then on on the Altar, yet would it not follow, that she invocated the Sacrament, as betokening a Corporall pre∣sence of Christ (as your Disputers have fancied) no more, than if the said godly woman upon the same occasion presenting her selfe at the sacred Font, wherein she had beene baptized, could be thought to have invocated the water therein; because shee was said to have invocated him, who is honoured in the Administration of Baptisme. And furthermore it is certaine, that the Remainders of the Sacrament in those daies were kept in their Pastophorium,

a * 1.3 place severed from the Altar, especially at this time of her being there, which was in the Night, as the Story speaketh.

O! but she was cured of her disease at the Altar. And so were other miraculous Cures wrought also at the Font of * 1.4 Baptisme But, for a Conclusion, we shall willingly admit of Gregory Nazi∣anzene to be Vmpier betweene us. He, in relating the Story, saith of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, (See the * 1.5 Margent above) that If she had at that time of her invocating held the Antitypes (or Symbols) of the Body and Blood of Christ in her hands, they had beene mingled with her teares. So he, calling the consecrated Sacrament Antitypes, or Signes of Christ's Body: thereby signifying, that the Sacrament is not the Body and Blood of Christ, as hath beene * 1.6 pro∣ved unto you at large out of Nazianzene, and other Greeke Fa∣thers. Whereas if indeed he had meant that the Body and Blood of Christ had beene there corporally present, as that which was Invocated; then now (if ever) it had concerned this holy Father to have expresly delivered his supposition thus, viz. If the Body and Blood of Christ had beene then held in her hands, her teares had beene mingled with them, viz. Body and Blood; and not (as he said) with the Antitypes, or Signes of his Body and Blood. Thus is your hot and stinging Reason become chilly, cold, and altogether dronish.

Your second Instance is in Dionysius▪ the Areopagite, who wri∣ting of the Sacrament c 1.7 said, O most divine Sacrament, reveale unto us the mystery of thy signes, &c. which in the eares of your Disputers ringeth a flatt Invocation of the Sacrament. Contrari∣wise we confidently affirme, that your Teachers have taken a fi∣gure Prosopopoeia for Invocation; like men who take Moon-shine for Day-light, as we shall manifest by Examples, Confessions, yea and the very Instance of Dionysius himselfe.

Prosopopoeia then is a figure, when one calleth upon that which hath no sence, as if it had sence; as when in Scripture the Pro∣phet said, Heare ô Heavens, and hearken ô Earth, Isa. 1. In like manner, among the Ancient Fathers, one called upon his owne Church Anastasia, whence he was to depart, and saying thus, d 1.8 Oh Anastasia, which hast restored our Doctrine, when it was despi∣sed! Others of the Element of Baptisme, thus: Oh water that hath washed our Saviour, and deserved to be a Sacrament! or thus, e 1.9 Oh water which once purged the world! or thus, f 1.10 Oh divine Lavacre, &c. Nay, you your selves can sing, and chant it to the Crosse, g 1.11 O Crosse our only hope, &c. and in expounding the same, allow no more than a Prosopopoeia and figurative speech, lest that otherwise your Invocation may be judged Idolatrous. And where∣as in another Romish Anthem it is sung of the Eucharist, Oh holy Feast! This saying (saith another h 1.12 Iesuite) agreeth to every Sa∣crament. Thus have you heard both from Fathers, and from your selves the like Tenor of Invocation; Oh Church! Oh Water! Oh Crosse! Oh Feast! nothing differing from Dionysius his Oh Di∣vine

Sacrament! yet each one without any proper Invocation at all.

And that you may further understand, that this Dionysius his OH! is as in voyce, so in sence the same which we judge it to be, what better Interpreter can you require of this Greek Author Dio∣nysius, than was his Greeke Scholiast Pachumeres? who hath given his Iudgement of this very speech directly, saying that i 1.13 It was spo∣ken as of a thing having life, and that fitly, as did Nazienzene (saith he) when he said of the Feast of Easter; O great and holy Feast! &c. And how should this be otherwise? seeing Dionysius, at the wri∣ting hereof, was not in any Church, or place where the Eucharist was celebrated, but privately contemplating in his minde upon this holy Mystery. The due consideration of these your former so frivolous, and so false Objections provoketh us to cry out, saying, Oh Sophistry, Sophistry! when wilt thou cease to delude the soules of men? In which manner of speech, notwithstanding, we doe not Invocate, but rather detest, and abominate your Romish So∣phistry. And lest any of you should stumble upon the Attribute, which Dionysius giveth to the Eucharist, in calling it a Divine Sa∣crament, as if it should imply a Corporall Presence therein, read but one Chapter of the same Author, and he will teach you to say as much of many other things, wherein you will not beleeve any Corporall Existence of Christ we are sure: for there he equally nameth the place of Celebration, * 1.14 Divine Altar; the Sacra∣mentall Signes, Divine Symbols; the Minister, Divine Priest; the Communicants, Divine People; yea and (which may muzzell every Opponent) the matter of this Sacrament, Divine Bread.

In the third place is objected this saying of Basil; When the Bread is shewne, what holy Father hath left in writing the words of Invocation? Thus that Father, whence your Father Bellarmine thus; k 1.15 Hence know we the Custome of the ancient Church, namely, that the Eucharist is shewne to the people after Consecration: And that Then (as we see now done among us) it was Invocated upon, even plainly after Consecration, saith your Durantus also, and indeed al∣most who not? But doe you first, if you please, admire the wit of your Cardinall in so framing his Consequence, and after abhor his will to decive you, when you have done: for he applyeth the words spoken by Basil of an Invocation before Consecration, (when as yet, by your owne Doctrine, Christ is not present) as spoken of an Invocation of the Eucharist after Consecration, for proofe of a Corporall Presence of Christ therein, and the Divine Adoration thereof, as will most evidently appeare. For first it is not un∣knowne to you, that the Greeke Church differeth from your Ro∣man in the forme of Consecration at this day, they consecrating in words of prayer, and Invocation, and you in the repetition of Christs words [This is my Body] wherein there is * 1.16 no Invocati∣on at all. And Basil was of the Greeke Church. Secondly, your

l 1.17 Archbishop of Cesarea, for proofe that Invocation by prayers was a forme of Consecration used primitively in the Greeke Church, citeth the two most ancient Fathers, Tertullian and Irenaeus; and of the Greeke he alleageth Iustine, Cyril, Damas∣cen, Theophilus Alex. yea, and (by your leave) Basil himselfe too: and that Basil was an Orthodox Greeke Father you will not deny.

Thirdly therefore (to come home unto you) we shall be di∣rected by the objected words of Basil himselfe, appealing here∣in to your owne consciences. For your Lindanus was, in the estimation of your Church, the strongest Champion in his time for your Roman Cause; he, to prove that the forme of Conse∣cration of the Eucharist standeth not in any prescribed words in the Gospell, but in words of Invocation by prayer (as * 1.18 hath beene confirmed by a Torrent of Ancient Fathers) saith, m 1.19 That the same is illustrated by these words of Basil, saying, What Fa∣ther hath left unto us in writing the words of Invocation, when the Bread is shewne unto us? adding, That no man of sound Braines can require any more, for the clearing of the point concerning the forme of Consecration. So then, Invocation was an Invocation by Pray∣er unto God, for the Consecration of the Bread set before them, and not an Invocation of Adoration unto the Eucharist, as alrea∣dy consecrated; which your Cardinall unconscionably (we will not say, unlearnedly) hath enforced.

Looke upon the Text againe, for your better satisfaction; It speaketh expresly of an Invocation, when Bread is shewne: but you deny that Bread is Invocated upon, untill after Consecration. And Basil demanding [What Father before us hath left in writing the words of Invocation?] is in true and genuine sence, as if he had expresly said, what Father before us hath left in writing the words of Invocating God by Prayer of Consecration of Bread, to make it a Sacrament? as both the Testimonies of Fathers above confessed manifest, and your objected Greeke Missals doe ratifie unto us. For, in the Liturgie ascribed to Saint n 1.20 Iames the Apostle, the Consecration is by Invocating and praying thus, Holy Lord who dwellest in holiest, &c. The Li∣turgie of o 1.21 Chrysostome invocateth by praying; We beseech thee, O Lord, to send thy Spirit upon these Gifts prepared before us, &c. The Liturgie under the name of p 1.22 Basil consecrateth by this Invocation, when the Priest lifteth up the Bread, Looke downe, O Lord Iesu our God, from thy holy habitation, and vouchsafe, &c. All these therefore were (according to the Example of Christ) Invocations, that is, Prayers of Consecrating the Sacrament; and therefore could not be Invocations and Adorations of the same Sacrament. And as for any expresse or prescribed forme or pray∣er to be used of All, well might Basil say, Who hath set it downe in writing? that is, It was never delivered either in Scripture,

or in the Bookes of any Author of former Antiquity; and this is that which is testified in your owne q 1.23 Bookes of Augustine, out of Basil, saying that No writing hath delivered in what words the forme of Consecration was made.

Now then, guesse you what was in the braines of your Dis∣puters, in objecting this Testimony of Basil, contrary to the evident Sence; and accordingly judge of the weaknesse of your Cause, which hath no better supports than such fond, false, and ridiculous Objections to relye upon. Such as is also that your r 1.24 Cardinall his objecting the words of Origen, con∣cerning the receiving of this Sacrament, saying, Lord I am not worthy thou shouldest come under the roofe of my mouth: which hath beene confuted, as unworthy the * 1.25 mention in this case.

If you would have some Examples of Adoring Christ with divine worship, in the Mystery of the Eucharist, by celebrating the manner of his death, (as Hierom may be said to have ado∣red at Ierusalem, Christ in his Crach; or as every Christian doth in the Mystery of Baptisme) we could store you with multi∣tudes: but of Adoring the Eucharist, with a proper Invocation of Christ himselfe therein, we have not as yet received from you any one.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Greg. Nazianz. Orat. 11. de Gorgonia. S••ror Gorgonia ad∣ver••â copori•• val••••u∣dine laborabat—••r••tque prodigiosum mor••i genus, quod n••c Medicoru•…•… arte, nec parentum lachry∣mis, nec publicis pre∣cibus sanari potuit: desperatis omnibus aliis auxiliis intem∣pestâ nocte captat•• ad Altare cum fide proc•…•…it, cumque qui super isto honora∣tur ingenti clamore invoc••ns, cum caput ••••um pari cum c••a∣more Altari admovis∣se••, & d••inde ho•• pharmaco (i. e. L•…•…ry∣•…•…, ut exp•…•… E•…•… Cretensis) perfudisset, & si quid uspiam [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Antitypo∣rum precio•••• Corpo∣ris & Sangui••is ma∣nu recondiderat, id 〈…〉〈…〉 admiscuis∣se•• (ô rem admiran∣daml) ••••atim se mor∣••o liberatam sentit.
• b 1.2

  Bellarm. Procum∣ben•• ante Altare co∣ram venerabili Sa∣cramento—Quid autem super altare colatur, dubium esse non potest, cum ••ihil ibi ponatur nisi panis & vinum, mutand•• in corpus & sanginem Christi—Petrū Martyre•…•… valdè u••••it pupugitque hic locus. Lib. 2. de Euch. cap. 14.
• * 1.3

  Ste•…•…ve, Booke 1. Chap. 1. Sect. 10. As further also appeareth in the Liturgie of Pope •…•…nt; Accip••ant D••aco•…•… reliquias, & portent in Pa••••opho∣ria (Doub••less••, ••rom the Al••ar to a pla••e remote.) Test•• Pamel•…•… Tom. 1. M••ssal. Pa••rum ••atin. pag. 118.
• * 1.4

  S••e above, Booke 4. Chap. 2 Sect. 5.
• * 1.5

  Above at the let∣ter (a).
• * 1.6

  Booke 2. Chap. 2. Sect. 6.
• c 1.7

  B••llarm. Dionys. Ar••op. Hier. cap. 3. part. 3. O divinissi∣mum & sacrosanctum Sacramentum, obdu∣cta ••ibi significantium signorum operimen∣ta aperi, &c. Lib. 2. de Euch. cap. 3. Item ipsum invocat Sacra∣mentum, & petit ab ipso, quae à solo Deo rectè peti possunt. And Durant. de R••tib. lib. 2. cap. 11. And in∣deed who not?
• d 1.8

  Nazianz. Orat. 32. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• e 1.9

  Ambros. in Luc. lib. 10. cap. 22. O aqua, ••u aspersum sanguine (Christum) l••visti, Sacramentum Christi esse meruisti, &c.
• f 1.10

  Optat. lib. 6. cont. Parmen. O aqua, quae & purum ••eceras or∣bem, & terram lavisti.
• g 1.11

  O salve Crux, ••pes unica! auge piis just••••iam, &c. Est Prosopopoeia. Vasquez Jes. lib. 2. de Adorat. Disp. 9. cap. 4. pag. 445.
• h 1.12

  O sacrum convi∣vium! quod omni Sa∣cramento convenit. Tolet. Jes. Instruct. Sa∣cerd lib. 2. cap. 15 p. 366.
• i 1.13

  Pachym. in locum Dionys. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ex O∣rat. in obitum Gorgon.
• * 1.14

  See above, Booke 3. Chap. 3. Sect. 13.
• k 1.15

  Basil. lib. de Spir. sancto, cap. 27. Verba Invocationis, cùm o∣stenditur, quis San∣ctorum in scripto no∣bis reliquit?] Hunc habemus morem ve∣teris Ecclesiae, ut post consecrationē often∣deretur populo Eu∣charistia, quod nunc fieri videmus, & con∣ceptis verbis invoca∣retur. Ob. Bellar. lib. 2. de Euch. cap. 15. §. Al∣terum. And Durant. de Ritib. lib. 2. cap. 11. Planè ab ipsis Eccle∣siae incunabulis post Consecrationem Eu∣charistiam in altum tollere, Dionys. & Ba∣sil. de Spiritu Sancto, cap. 27, &c.
• * 1.16

  Proved above, Booke 1. Chap. 2. Sect. 3. in the Challenge.
• l 1.17

  Archlep. Caesariens∣seu Christoph. de Capite sontium, Tract. var. Sacerdos invocando Deum panem conse∣cravit: Hanc alii, ut Tertulianus, Iren. Justin. Gratiarum a∣ctionem hujusmodi Invocationē seu be∣nedictionem vocant. p. 34 Alicu•••• Theodo∣retus, Basil. Cyril. Hierosol. Iren. Dama∣scen. Theoph. Alex. vocant Eucharistiae formam 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, In∣vocationem. Ibid. pag. 33. And bee alleageth your Lindanus for a Suffragator in this point.
• * 1.18

  See Booke 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Cha. 2.
• m 1.19

  Paulus non tra∣didit formam Conse∣crationis, quod Basi∣lius ità illustrat, ut sano capiti nihil ad haec sit ullo modo re∣quirendum amplius, cap. 42. de Spi••. san∣cto; Verba, dùm o∣stenditur pani•• (in∣quit) & poculum be∣nedictionis quis San∣ctorum nobis reliquit? Lindan. Pa••••p. lib. 4. cap. 41.
• n 1.20

  Liturg. Iac. [San∣cte Domine, &c.]
• o 1.21

  Liturg. Chrysost. [Adhuc offerimus—mitte Spiritum, &c.
• p 1.22

  Liturg. Basil. [R••∣spice Domine.]
• q 1.23

  Decret. part. 1. C. 11. Ecclesiastico∣rum. Aug. ex Basilio; Quae scripta nobis, quibus verbis sit Con∣secratio, commenda∣vit?
• r 1.24

  Origenes dixit, Domine, non sum dignus, &c. Ergò vel vult adorari & invo∣cari panem, vel Chri∣stum ipsum hîc con∣tineri. Bellaram. lib. 2. de Luch. cap. 8. §. Al∣terum.
• * 1.25

  See above, Booke 5. Chap. 5. Sect. 3.