A replie to Iesuit Fishers answere to certain questions propou[n]ded by his most gratious Matie: King Iames By Francis White D: of Div· deane of Carlile, chaplaine to his Matie. Hereunto is annexed, a conference of the right: R:B: of St Dauids wth the same Iesuit*

IESVIT. § 2. Communion vnder one kind, not against the substance of the Institution of Christ.

DIuine Institution, is an Action of God, whereby hee [ C] giues being vnto things, with reference vnto some speciall end. This end is twofold, the one corporall and temporall, for which God hath instituted agreeable & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 meanes; that men may be borne into this world, he did institute marriage; and for maintenance of the said life, being had, hee or dained many sorts of meate. The other end is spirituall, for which God hath instituted Sacra∣ments: as for the first obtaining of grace and spirituall [ D] life, the Sacrament of Baptisme and Penance; and for the preseruing of grace, and increasing therein, particu∣larly the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

That a man bee bound to vse the Jnstitution of God, two things are required: First, that the end thereof bee necessarie, and hee bound to indeuour the attaining there∣of. Hence it is, that though marriage bee the Jnstitution of God, appointed to propagate mankinde, yet euery man is [ E] not bound to marry, because he is not bound to propagate mankinde, when there be others that do abundantly complic with that duty; to which mankind is in general bound, mul∣tiplicamini & replete terram. Secondly, when the end of

tion is such, as euery man must indeauour the attayning [ A] thereof; to the end that a man be bound to vse that institu∣tion, it is further required, that the thing instituted be ne∣cessarie for attaining of that end: for if there be other meanes ordained, sufficient for the attaining of that end, man is not bound to vse such particular diuine instituti∣ons. For example, man is bound to maintaine his corporall life, so long as nature will permit, and to this end God created varietie of fruites; yet no man is bound by diuine [ B] institution to eate fruites, there being other meanes institu∣ted for the maintenance of life.

Applying this to our purpose, it is apparent, that by force of diuine institution, no man is bound to vse Commu∣nion vnder both kinds. For though the end why Christ did institute the Sacrament in both kinds be necessarie, and all must indeauour the attaining thereof, to wit, maintenance and increase of grace, the life of the soule; yet there be other meanes by which we may attaine to this end. Whence it is [ C] that learned Diuines hold, that the Sacrament of the Eu∣charist is not Necessarium necessitate Medij, as they speake, that is the vse thereof is not a necessarie meanes for the maintenance of spirituall life, but a man wanting meanes of Sacred Communion, may by other meanes pre∣serue himselfe in the state of grace. And though we should suppose that actuall Communion were a necessary meanes to preserue spirituall life, yet Communion vnder one kind is [ D] abundantly sufficient thereunto. For the Sacrament in the sole forme of Bread, contayning the Author and fountaine of life whole and intire, according to Body, Soule, Bloud, and his infinite person, is abundantly sufficient for the refection of the soule, yea no lesse sufficient than Com∣munion vnder both kinds. For this one kind 〈◊〉〈◊〉 within it nothing lesse, than what is contained in both: and Christ promiseth life to sole manducation, Qui manducat [ E] me & ipse viuit propter me, and vnto the sole reception of his Body vnder the forme of Bread, Panis quem ego dabo caro mea est pro mundi vita & qui manducat

hunc panem viuet in aeternum: If the Tree of life in the [ A] midst of Paradise, if the Manna of the Jewes (the Bread of Angells) did suffice to nourish the body without Drinke, Why should we deny this soule-nourishing sufficiencie vnto the sole body of Christ, were the same alone in the Bread: but specially being there conioyned with his soule and his most precious bloud?

Notes

• Gen. 1. 28.
• Theologi omnes communiter cum D. Tho. 3. p. quaest. 3. art. 3.
• Ioh. 6. v. 58. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 v. 55. & 59.
• Gen. 2.9.
• Exod. 16.15.