The declaration of Mr. Patrik Crawfurd his returne from poperie to the true religion, which is according to the Word of God, in holie Scripture

CHAP. 9.

No certaintie to haue the true Christ, or to bee free from Idolatrie of a false Christ in the Masse.

FOllowes heare the next poynt, whereof J pro∣mised to speake, to wit, of the Masse: but I shall

shall insist most vpon that grosse here sie of transub∣stantiation. For vpholding wherof their special ground is the words of the institution; This is my bodie: which neuer can inforce transubstantiation, for first Bellar∣mine in his third booke of the Eucharist, Secundo dicit &c. Declares that Scotus sayes, there is no place of Scri∣pture so plaine, that compelles euidently to admit tran∣substantitaion, without the declaration of the Church. And Bellarmine himselfe acknowledges, that not alto∣gether to bee improbable. Next, they aggrie not them selues vpon the exposition of these words, so that they cannot condescend vpon the verie first word HOC, this, as Bellarmine acknowledges of the Eucharist. Where refusing the opinion of other Catholicks, hee takes him to this interpretation that HOC, This, signifieth, sub his speciebus contentum, contained vnder these speces, which indeed is an vncouth acception of the worde, such as is not to bee found in any author either diuine or hu mane; and yet it makes nothing to the purpose: for∣it may euer bee demanded, what is that which is Sub his speciebus, vnder these speces: for that must bee either the bread, or the bodie of Christ: if they vnderstand the bodie of Christ, then, the meaning in their expositi∣on is, the bodie of Christ is the bodie of Christ; Which neither agries with Christs purpose, nor yet proues their purpose, for the body of Christ may bee the body of Christ, and yet no change made of the bread in the substance of Christs bodie. And by, This, if they vnderstand bread, then the force of the words will bee, This breadis Christs bodie: But neither will this proue their purpose, because it is not saide, the substance of this Bread, is changed in the substance of Christes

body, as they expone it, But only This is my body, which no more can inferre the change of substance in substance, then these wordes which hee saide I am the true vyne, can inferre a substantiall change of him∣selfe in a vine tree, or these words, which hee said in the same Supper, as the Apostle Paul showes, This cup is the new Testament, can enforce either the change of the substance of the cup, or of the vine in the cup in a Testament. So I could finde no warrand out of Christs words for transubstantiation, J might well take their worde for it in stead of Christs.

Next, their doctrine could giue mee no infallible cer∣taintie that I should bee free from worshiping an J doll, and the fantasie of my owne braine in stead of Christ, when J came to the Masse: for their doctrine is, except the Priest haue a speciall intention to consecrate, al∣beit hee say Masse, that no transubstantiation will fol∣low, and so all that are present at the Masse, are de∣ceiued, as they grant. Now what can any man haue but a probable conjecture or charitable opinion, or strong apprehension of another mans intention, infallible cer∣taintie can he not haue: And I in speciall, who knew certainly some of these Priests who were chosen, and sent out by their superiours to propagate the Romish Religion, subiect to as grosse faultes in their life, for drunkennesse, and sundrie other vices, as other sinfull Laicks, as they call them: and yet part of them said Masse many a time, both neere hand, and further off: how could I then but be suspense about their intention, and how could J but doubt whether God would bee pleased at such mens intentions to change bread in Christs body, and to put Christ in their hands, and

mouthes, and to allow them to bee Priests, to offer the Sonne of God his body in a sacrifice to the Father. J know what they vse to answere in such cases, that the Peoples worshipping of a supposed transubstantiat ho∣stie were but materiall Jdolatrie, because their purpose was to worship the true Christ, when they worshiped only bread, and the Idoll of their owne imagination. But alace, this is a poore shift, and no better than if one should comfort a woman who had lyen with ano∣ther besides her husband, saying to her, no matter this adulterie of thine is but materiall only, and not formall; because thy purpose was to giue thy body to thy hus∣band, and no other. For the Scripture compares Ido∣latrie and adulterie together verie often.

Thirdly, I found their transubstantiation builded vpon a pretense of making men certaine of their commu∣nion and coniunction with Christ: which coniunction if it may bee sure without a corporall presence of his body, their transubstantiation is a needlesse fiction.

Now I vnderstand certainly that, howsoeuer the Papists doe traduce Ministers, as if they fed people with signes and shadowes, yet they belieue and teach, that they are made sure of Iesus our Lord. First by his couenant and promise, as these that are espoused, beeing faith∣full one to another, are made sure one of another before their compleet marriage, by mutuall affection of heart, consent and couenant, and mutuall promise: for which cause, the spouse in the Canticles many a yeere before Christs incarnation, said, My beloued is mine, and I am his. Next they belieue and teach that they are made sure of Christ, by his owne great Seales annexed to his couenant, the two Sacraments, Baptisme, and the Lords

Supper, which the Lord hath ordained to be the pawns, pledges and Seales of himself his gifts, and his graces bestowed vpon them, and so are made sure of Christ, and his grace for their Saluation, as men are made sure of the Kings gift when they haue his royall donation, and his great Seales annexed thereto: for which cause, When our Lord had giuen the Sacramentes to his dis∣ciples, he sayes, J dispone or appoynt a Kingdome vn∣to you; because hee had giuen them the Seales of do∣nation thereof presently before. Thirdly, they teach that they are made sure of Christ, by the Spirite of Christ, whom Christ promises, and giues to euerie one that beleeues in him, in such sort that hee who hath not the Spirite of Christ is none of his. By which Spirite Christ is joyned to them, and they to Christ, as mem∣bers of one body are ioyned to the head, and quickned by one Spirite: for which cause of Christ it is said that he dwels in vs, and wee in him, he is the head, and wee are the members of his mysticall bodie. By this three∣fold certaintie they teach and belieue that they are made sure of Christ in the Sacrament, for performance wher∣of they show that there is no necessitie of corporall pre∣sence. First, because these meanes of certaintie were ap∣poynted of Christ to supplee his corporall absence till his second comming againe. Secondly, because the Sonne of God is more able after this manner from Heauen to communicate himselfe to vs on Earth then the Sun that shines dayly is able from Heauen to giue light and heate to vs on Earth, without descending cor∣porally to vs. Then for the exposition of the wordes of the Sacrament This is my body, they professe to expone them as Saint Paul expones them, who sayes, that the

bread which we break is the communion of the body of Iesus, the cup which wee blesse is the Communion of the blood of Christ, and as Christ speaking of the cup it must be exponed: This cup is the new Testament or cove∣nant in my blood, and according to the vsuall forme of the Scripture language concerning Sacraments, where the name of the gift is giuen to the Seale to assure them who faithully receaue the one, that they are made sure of the other; or the name of a mercie bestowed is gi∣ven to the memoriall of it, to make the acknowledg∣ment of that mercy more fresh and liuelie. Seeing that therefore J could find for the Romish doctrine of tran∣substantiation no warrand of the Lords worde, and by that doctrine, no ground of infallible certaintie to free mee from Idolatrie; but on the contrare grounds of assurance, that it could not bee that God would ex∣pose his Sonne any more to personall suffering of such indignities as is done him in the Masse; Let any man iudge whether I had reason to sute to bee receaued to the communion with him, according to the warrand of his owne worde, and bee free for euer from all perill of that grosse Idolatrie.

Notes

• chap. 23
• Ioh. 15. 1. 5. 1. Cor. 11. 25.
• Ieremie 3. 1. 2.
• Cant. 2. 16.
• Luk. 22. 9,
• Rom. 8. 9
• Ephes. 3. 17, 4. 16
• 1 Cor. 10 16. 1 Cor. 11 25.