ANSWER. [ A]

The Councell of Constance is iustly censured, for presu∣ming to alter and disanull the ordinance of Christ a; for if it be flagitious amongst men to alter and contradict the lawfull Will of a Testator, Galat. 3.15. shall it not be much more vn∣lawfall to alter the Testament of the Sonne of God, who dis∣posed to the common people his Bloud, as well as his Bodie, saying, Drinke ye all of this, Math. 26, 27. and except yee eate the flesh, and drinke the bloud of the man, &c. Ioh. 6.53.

And the words of the said Synod are most presumptious, [ B] * for this they pronounce, Although Christ, after supper, instituted and administred to his Disciples vnder both kindes, &c. And although in the Primitiue Chruch, this Sacrament was receiued of Beleeuers in both kinds, yet notwithstanding, the contrarie custome for Laicks to receiue in one kind, is with good reason brought in, and they are Heretickes which hold this, sacrilegious or vn∣lawfull.

But what are these men in comparison of Christ and his [ C] Apostles, and of the Fathers of the Primitiue Church? If men may thus twit Christ and his Apostles, what shall become of all religion? The sole and totall rule to guide the Church in the matter of the holy Eucharist, is Christs Institution and pra∣ctise, recorded by the Euangelists, and testified by the Apostles, and the Primitiue Church in their doctrine and practise fol∣lowed this rule (as some of our learned Aduersaries ingeni∣ously confesse a.) If therefore Christ Iesus and his Apostles, and after these, the Primitiue Church administred the Communi∣on [ D] to lay people in both kinds (as this Synod confesseth;) and on the contraie, nothing is extant in holy Writ, or in the monu∣ments of the Fathers, to testifie that Christ and his Apostles retracted or altered this first practise: What audacious sacri∣ledge was it in the Prelates of Constance, vpon their owne pri∣uate and childish b reasons, to cancell Christs last Will and Te∣stament, and to violate the sacred precept and ordinance of the Sonne of God?

Page  475 But our Aduersarie laboureth by a distinction of Institution [ A] and Precept, to plaister the vlcerous Doctrine of the 〈◊〉 of Constance, saying, or implying, That although Christ did in∣stitute the holy Eucharist in two kinds, yet he gaue no precept for the vse of it in two kinds. But this plaister of sig-leaues healeth not the wound, for there is both an institution and a precept for both kinds, and more expressely for the cup than for the bread: for Christ said expressely and literally, Drinke yee all of this, whereas he said not so literally and expressely, eat yee all of this. Besides, his institution is a vertuall and inter∣pretatiue [ B] precept, as appeareth by S. Paul 1. Cor. 11.23. And Christ did institute the Eucharist in two kinds, that people might receiue and vfe it in two kinds.

Also, if the manner of the institution prooueth not the manner of the vse, then the Eucharist may be vsed in another manner (I meane in things substantiall) than as it was instituted: and if this, then it may be vsed in wine onely without bread, or in broth, or in flesh, for we haue no direction or rule for the manner, of greater authoritie than the institution.

Lastly, diuine institution doth not only signifie an action of God, whereby he giueth being vnto things, with reference to [ C] their end, (in which manner the Iesuit sinisterly defineth it a) but it signifieth also a decree, rule, precept, and information, concerning the vse and practise of that which God hath ordai∣ned. Now our Sauiour, when he ordained the holy Eucharist, in regard of the being and entitie thereof, he withall conioy∣ned the vse of the same as a necessarie condition, to make it operatiue and effectuall to his people. For euen as in Baptisme, although the Word and Element constitute the Sacrament, in regard of the definition b, yet the same is no Baptisme c to [ D] vs, vntill the Word & Water be applied to the subiect by ablu∣tion: so likewise in the holy Eucharist, the words and ele∣ments make the definition, but the vse and application, accor∣ding to the manner taught by Christ, giues it a Sacramentall vertue and operation in respect of vs d.