Synopsis papismi, that is, A generall viewe of papistry wherein the whole mysterie of iniquitie, and summe of antichristian doctrine is set downe, which is maintained this day by the Synagogue of Rome, against the Church of Christ, together with an antithesis of the true Christian faith, and an antidotum or counterpoyson out of the Scriptures, against the whore of Babylons filthy cuppe of abominations: deuided into three bookes or centuries, that is, so many hundreds of popish heresies and errors. Collected by Andrew Willet Bachelor of Diuinity.

AN APENDIX, OR TENTH PART, whether the wicked doe receiue the bo∣die of Christ.

The Papists.

THe wicked, they say, doe in the sacrament eate the true flesh of Christ and [error 125] drinke his blood, though they be Infidels, and ill liuers.

Argum. They are guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ, 1. Corinth. 11.27. How can they be guiltie of that, which they haue not receiued? And a∣gayne, by the vnworthy receiuing of no other sacrament, is a man made guiltie of the body and blood of Christ, but onely here: Ergo, the wicked are partakers of his body? Rhemist. annot. 1. Corint. 11. sect. 16.

Answere: 1. The wicked may be guiltie of the bodie and blood of Christ in vnworthy receiuing the sacrament, though Christ be not corporally pre∣sent: Euen as he that contumeliously receiueth the seale of the prince or abu∣seth his image, is guiltie of the Maiestie of the prince, though he haue not hurt his person. 2. He also may bee guiltie of the blood of Christ, that despiseth Baptisme, which he receiued as a signe of his washing in the blood of Christ. And so the Apostle sayth of wicked men, that fall away from Christian religi∣on, that they crucifie agayne to themselues the Sonne of God, Heb. 6.6.

Augustine also bringeth in Christ thus speaking to the wicked in the day of

iudgement, Grauior apud me est, peccatorum tuorum crux, in qua inuitus pen∣deo, quàm illa, in quam tuimisertus ascendi: the crosse of thy sinnes, whereby thou didst crucifie me, was more grieuous vnto me, then the Crosse, to the which for thy cause I was lifted vp: Serm. 181. cap. 7. de tempor. Thus we see, that wicked men by their sinfull life may crucifie Christ, though they can of∣fer no violence to his body.

The Protestants.

THat wicked men and Infidels, cannot in any sense be partakers of the true bodie and blood of Christ, thus it is prooued.

Argum. 1. By faith only are we made partakers of the bodie and blood of Christ: but this fayth the wicked cannot haue. The first part is proued out of the Gospell: He only that drinketh of the blood of Christ shall neuer thirst agayne, Iohn 4.14. He that shall neuer thirst, must beleeue in Christ, Iohn 6.35. Ergo, he onely that beleeueth doth drinke the blood of Christ. So Au∣gustine saith, Nolite parare fances, sed cor, non quod videtur, sed quod creditur, pascit: doe not prepare your iawes, but your heart, it is not that which is seene, but what is beleeued, that nourisheth: Ergo, Christ must bee receiued by faith: therefore Infidels or vnbeleeuers cannot receiue him.

Argum. 2. Whosoeuer eateth the flesh of Christ and drinketh his blood, shall haue eternall life, Iohn 6.54. But the wicked haue not eternall life: Ergo, they neither eate nor drinke Christ.

Augustine sayth, De mensa dominica sumitur quibusdam ad mortem, qui∣busdam ad vitam:* 1.1 res verò, cuius sacramentum est, omni homini ad vitam; nulli ad exitium, quicunque eius particeps fuerit: From the Lords table some doe receiue vnto life, some vnto death: but the thing, whereof it is a sacrament, wor∣keth in all to life, in none to death, whosoeuer are partakers of it. But the bo∣die and blood of Christ are the things signified in the sacrament: Ergo, whosoe∣uer receiueth them, hath life thereby; the wicked then receiue them not.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Tract. in Iohan. 26.