Institutions of Christian religion framed out of Gods word, and the writings of the best diuines, methodically handled by questions and answers, fit for all such as desire to know, or practise the will of God. Written in Latin by William Bucanus Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Lausanna. And published in English by Robert Hill, Bachelor in Diuinitie, and Fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge, for the benefit of our English nation, to which is added in the end the practise of papists against Protestant princes.

What rites are they?

Hee gaue thanks, to the father: to whom he gaue all the thanks of our redemption, as it were the chiefe cause thereof, and in the vse as well of the Supper as of daily meat, and of other things, he taught vs to doe the samea 1.1, by his example.

Moreouer also with blessing and thāksgiuing (for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, blessed, and gaue thanks, are vsed one with another. Mat. 26.26.27. concerning the Lords Supper, & Mark. 14.22.23.) not with the signe of the Crosse, as the popish Clear∣gie ignorantly doe thinke, as though he vsed coniuring, but with blessing, that is, with prayers vnto God, he prepared, he appoin∣ted, and he sanctified, the bread as also the wine to an holy vse.

For although the word Benedicere, (that is, to blesse) be vsed, 1. Concerning God, blessing the creatures, eyther by a gene∣rall action, as Gen. 1.28. Or blessing the Church by a speciall ac∣tion, as Numb. 6.24. For Benefacere, that is, to doe well vnto, because God in saying doth bring to passe, & giueth good things eyther corporall or spirituall, or moreouer concerning men, ey∣ther towards God, as Blessed be the Lord God of Israell, Luke. 1.68. For, to thanke and praise God: or towards other men, for to pray for, Math. 5.44. as Blesse them that curse you: and to gratulate.b 1.2 yet notwithstanding oftentimes it signifieth the same which is to dedicate or consecrate, that is, to separate from profane vse, to appoint an holy vse according to Gods ordinance, as Gen. 2.3. God blessed the seuenth day, and sanctified it: From whence Ecu∣menius saith that the Cup of blessing which we blesse is all one thing, as if it should be said, which we reuerence with praiers & giuing of thanks.

From hence commeth consecration, or sanctification, and blessing, whereby, not with a meere Historical reading of the text, of the E∣pistle to the Corinthians, or of the Gospell, but with praiers, with giuing of thanks, with a plaine & faithful repetition of the words of the Institution and of the promise of Christ alwaies effectual & with a liuely significatiue exposition, & moreouer with all that Lyturgy or holy action, which Christ commāded vs to performe, as he himself did, wherin God is effectual, those which were vul∣gar & common helps of nourishing the body, are made sacramēts of the body & bloud of Christ, appointed & set out for quickning meat & drink, & so are translated from common & natural meat,

to holy and spirituall meate, forasmuch as they are appointed to this vse and office, that it may be the bodie and bloud of Christ, not of it owne nature, but by diuine institution: which ought to be rehearsed,* 1.3 and declared, that faith may haue what to em∣brace, both in the word and in the Elements. Augustine saith Noster panis & calix certa consecratione mysticus fit nobis, non nasci∣tur. That is, Our bread and cup by a certaine consecration is made but not borne mysticall vnto vs.

Therefore they are deceiued which referre the consecration onely to those words: This is my bodie, and this is my bloud: and they which doe interpret the consecration concerning the hid vertue of those words, which they call operatorie, whereby the substance of the bread is changed, and an inclusion made of the bodie and bloud of Christ. For the Lord did not speake to the bread, but to the Apostles, when he saith concerning the bread. Take,* 1.4 and eate, this is my bodie, &c.

And Gregorie saith, that The Apostles added, the Lords prayer, to consecration: Iustinus saith, that the Eucharist, was performed with prayer. Cyprian saith, with inuocation of the highest God. Irenaeus saith, with giuing of thanks: (which is the thing which the Apostle saith: 1. Cor. 10.16. The cup of blessing which we blesse) Ambrose saith, with the words and speech of the Lord Iesus: And what those words are, he declareth. chap. 5. reciting the words of institution: and Augustine saith: The word commeth to the E∣lement, and so is made the Sacrament.

But for the Canon of the Masse, (without which the Popish Cleargie doe denie that eyther consecration or participation can be made) no scripture doth teach, that it was taught by Christ and his Apostles: but it is a pontificiall ordinance, sowen toge∣ther like vnto pieces, of many authors, and diuers times, and stuffed with many blasphemies against Christ.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Iohn 6.11. 1 Tim. 4.5
• b 1.2

  Luk. 1.42
• * 1.3

  against Faus¦tus booke. 20 Ch. 13
• * 1.4

  Booke. 7 Epist. 63 Apologie. 2 book 1. Epist 1 booke. 4. Ch. 57 Booke. 4. of the Sacram. Chap. 4