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THis witnesseth S. Denys of Areopagita (of whome S. Luke maketh mention) who belieuing constantly that Christ Iesus God and man, was conteyned in the Blessed Hoste, prayed therto after this forme:(a) O Diuinissimum &
Sanctum Sacramentum obducta tibi symbolicè operimenta aenigmat••̄ reuelans, dilucide nobis fac vt appareas, ac spiritales nostros oculos sin∣gulari aperto{que} lumine imple. That is: O most Diuine & most holy Sacrament, vouchsafe to remoue from the veyles or couerings of those signifying signes, and appeare to vs per∣spicuously, and fill our spirituall eyes with a singular and cleare resplendency of thy light. How could S. Denys pray to the Blessed Sacramēt, if he had not belieued Christ to be contayned therein, really, and truely? And a little after he maketh mention in playne termes of Altars, wher∣vpon the Masse was said, of the prayers vsed at the Masse, of the lifting vp of the precious Body of Iesus Christ to be adored by the people at the Masse, of the Incense, of the Priests kissing the Altar in token of reuerence, of the Priests blessing the people, and saying, Dominus vobiscum, of the Euangel read at the holy Masse. Truly since S. Denys was S. Pauls Disciple, no wyse man will doubt, but that which the Disciple testifieth to vs, was taught and practised by S. Paul his Maister.
2. S. Ignatius Martyr, Disciple to S. Iohn the Euan∣gelist:(b) Non gaudio nutrimento corruptionis, nec voluptatibus vi∣tae huius &c. Panem vitae volo, quae est caro Christi filij Dei, quifa∣ctus est posterioribus temporibus ex semine Dauid & Abrahae; & po∣tum volo sanguinem illius. That is: I take no delight in corup∣tible food, nor in the pleasures of this lyfe; but I desire ra∣ther to haue the bread of lyfe, which is the Flesh of Christ, the Sonne of God, who was made of the seed of Dauid & Abraham: I desire for drinke, his Bloud. And plainly the same holy Father calleth the Eucharist:(c) Carnem Saluato∣ris, quae pro peccatis nostris passa est, quam Pater sua benignitate su∣scitauit. That is: The Flesh of our Sauiour which suffered for our sinnes, which the Father by his bounty raysed vp. So that by this holy Fathers consequences drawne out of the Bible, the selfe same flesh of our Sauiour, which suffe∣red for our sinnes, is in the Eucharist or Blessed Sacrament; the selfe same Christ God and man, who was made of the seed of Dauid is contayned in the Blessed Sacrament. And towards the midst of the same letter to the people of Smyr∣na,
he witnesseth, that no man should offer vp sacrifice, or baptize without the Bishops authority and ordination. Non licet sine Episcopo baptizare, ne{que} offerre, ne{que} sacrificium ••m∣molare. It is not lawfull without the Bishop to baptize, neyther to offer, or sacrifice.
3. S. Andrew the holy and ancient Patron of Scot∣land, witnesseth clearly, how that he euery day said the holy Masse, and receaued the precious Body of Christ.(d) Ego Omnipotenti Deo immaculatum agnum quotidie sacrifico, qui cùm verè fit sacrificatus, & veré à populo carnes eius manducatae, in∣teg•••• perseuerat & viuus. That is: I sacrifice dayly to the Al∣mighty the vnspotted Lamb, who albeit truely sacrificed, and his flesh truely eaten by the people, yet continueth whole and lyuely.
4. S. Clement, S. Pauls Disciples of whom in his Epistle to the Philippians he maketh mention, plainly v∣seth the word Masse, saying:(e) The saythfull & specially Priests, Deacons, and other Church-men should beware to do any thing with∣out the licence of the Bishop: Yea the Priests in their own Parish should neyther say Masse, nor baptize without the Bishops authority. The words be: A cunctis fidelibus & summopere omnibus Presbyteris & Diaconis, ac reliquis Clericis attendendum est, vt nihil abs{que} Episcopi proprij licentia agant, non vti{que} Missas sine eius iussu quispiam Pres∣byterorum in sua paroecia agat, non baptizet. And a little below: Q••outam in alijs locis sacrificare, & missas celebrare non licet nisi in his in quibus Episcopus proprius iusserit &c. Haec Apostoli à D••mino acceperunt & nobis tradiderunt, haec nos docemus, robis{que} & omnibus abs{que} reprehensione tenere & docere quibus agend••m est, m••ndamus. That is: It is not lawfull to sacrifice, and say Masse but in those places, where the Bishop of the same place comman∣deth.
5. Besides these most plentifull and manifest words of the holy Fathers of this Age, sundry holy Fathers make mention ot the changing and transubstantiation of the bread and wyne in the body and bloud of Iesus Christ by vertue of the Sacramentall words: yea the Fathers do fur∣ther wryte, that our senses are heer deceaued, for though the eye seeth only the shapes of bread and wyne in the Eucha∣rist,
yet they say plainly, that there is neyther bread nor wyne. So Eusebius Emissenus:(f) The inuisible Priest doth change, through a secret power of his Word, the visible creatures into the substance of his body and bloud. Declaring therby that Christ the inuisible Priest is Author of all that which is done in this holy Sacrament: Againe, the same holy Father sayth more plainly: Quando benedicendae &c. When the Creatures (which are to be blessed) are placed vpon the Altars, before they be consecrated with the inuocation of the highest power, they are the sub∣stance of bread and wyne; but aster the words of Christ, they are the body and bloud of Christ.
What meruaile is it, if those things which he could creat by his word, he can change being al∣ready created?Be not these words playne and sufficient to moue any vnpassionate mynd? S. Augustin:(g) Non omnis panis &c. Not euery bread, but that only which receaueth the Bene∣diction, fit Corpus Christi, is made the Body of Chr••st. S. Chry∣sostome:(h) Num vides panem, num vinum? &c. Doest thou see bread? Doest thou see wyne? Doe those things passe into the common passage as other meats do? Let it be far from thee to thinke so, for euen as wax cast into the fyre doth assimulate or change it selfe to it, nothing of the substance therof remayning, or superfluously redoun∣ding, so mayst thou suppose the Mysteries heer to be consumed by the substance of the body. S. Gregory Nyssene:(i) Quamobrem re∣ctè, &c. Wherfore we now truely belieue euen by the Word of God, that the sanctified bread is changed by the Word of God &c. That those things which are seene (to wit, bread and wyne) are changed into the body of our Lord, is to be attributed to the vertue of the be∣nediction.
6. I will supersede to cyte other authorities of the Fa∣thers, who make amply mention of the transubstantia∣tion or change, which is wroght by the power of God in this holy Sacrament and Sacrifice; contenting my self to shew, how that these holy Fathers do witnesse, that the custome of the primitiue Church, was to adore and wor∣ship with Latria the Blessed Sacramēt, belieuing that Christ true God and Man was contayned therin. S. Augustin ex∣poning those words, Adorate scabellum pedum eius, wryteth thus:(k) Fluctuans conuerto me ad Christum &c. I doubting doe
turne my selfe to Christ, because I seeke him heer, and doe find how without impiety the earth may be adored, the footstoole of his feete may be adored; for he did take earth from earth, because flesh com∣meth of the earth, and he tooke flesh of the flesh of Marie: and because he did heer walke in that flesh, and gaue that flesh to be eaten by vs, for our health, now no man doth eat that flesh, except he adore it be∣fore. Heer then it is found how such a footstoole of the feet of our Lord may be adored; so as that heere we not only do not sinne in adoring, but we sinne in not adoring. And wryting to Honoratus he witnesseth, that the vncleane re∣ceaue and adore the Body of Christ, though not to their saluation:(l) Adducti sunt ad mensam Domini & accipiunt de cor∣pore & sanguine eius, sed adorant tantùm, non etiam saturantar, quia non inuitantur. The same holy Father warneth most earnestly the Catholiks, and especially Priests to be care∣full, that no part of the Host or blessed Sacrament fall v∣pon the ground.
7. As for the holy Masse if any man will aske, whe∣ther or no the holy Apostles sayd Masse? I answere, that sundry holy Fathers (whose authority is to be preferred to all the ministry for learning, antiquity, piety, and god∣linesse) witnesse the same plentifully; as S. Isidorus Hispalensis twelue hundreth yeares ago:(m) Ordo au∣tem Missa vel orationum quibus oblata Deo sacrificia consecrantur, primùm à S. Petro est institutus, cuius celebrationem vno eodem{que} modo vniuersus peragit orbis. The same witnesseth(n) Pascha∣sius,(o) Epiphanius,(p) Lindanus, and sundry others which I omit. Yea the self same Masse which S. Peter vsed, is yet extant, as the forenamed Authors and sundry others wit∣nesse, in the which holy Apostles Masse, are contayned the selfe same prayers and ceremonies, which the Roman Catholik Priests vse in this Age: as, the Kyrie eleison, Domi∣nus vobiscum, Credo in vnum Deum Patrem Omnipotentem &c. Lauabo inter innocentes manus meas &c. Sursum habeamus corda nostra. Verè dignum & iustum est. Te igitur clementissime Pater &c. Memento Domine famulorum tuorum &c. Communicantes & me∣moriam venerantes &c. Qui pridie eius diei &c. Supplices te roga∣mus &c. Pater Noster &c. Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi &c.
And sundry others particularities which I refer to the rea∣ding of the diligent Reader in(q) Baronius, and(r) Turti∣anus. Lykewise the Masse which S. Iames the Apostle called maior, was accustomed to say, is yet extant, and hath been famous in Christian Kingdomes this sixteenth hun∣dreth yeares, as witnesseth after many others,(s) Genebrar∣dus. S. Matthew the Apostle his Masse is yet extant, as wit∣nesse(t) Socrates, and(u) Baronius, which Masse is called commonly in the Aethiopian language, Corbon, that is, a voluntary Free-gift, or Sacrifice, and with vs in Europe the word Missae, or Masse, signifieth a voluntary Sacrifice, drawne from the Hebrew word, Missah, as the Bible wit∣nesseth,(x) And thou shall keep the Feast of weekes vnto the Lord thy God, euen a free gift of thy hand, yea the Apostle calleth the Sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse, a voluntary Sacrifice:(y) Oblatus est quia ipse vol••it.
8. Truly it is a great comfort and consolation to vs Catholiks, to see the holy Apostles and ancient Fathers of this first Age, so constant in this poynt of the blessed Sacra∣ment, and of the Masse. For it is most cleare, that those ho∣ly Fathers so neere to the Apostles, yea Disciples to the A∣postles, so learned in all Doctrines, so addicted to Hea∣uenly things, so deare and familiar to God, could not be but inspired by the spirit of God, in so weighty a matter, wherfore we Catholiks securely follow such Captaynes and guydes, who haue byn sixteene hundreth yeares be∣fore vs.
Act. 17: v. 34.
Eccl. Hierar. c. 3
Epist. ad Rom. post. med.
Epist. ad Smy••n.
Lib. p••ss. S. An∣dreae.
Philip. 4. v. 3.
Euseb. Emiss. serm de corp. Domin.
Aug. serm quem citat Beda in c. 10. prior. ad Corinth.
Hom. 83. in Mat. & Homil. de Euchar. in En••an.
Orat. Catech. c. 37.
In Psa. 98.
Epist. 120. c. 27.
In 2. off. lib. c. de Missa.
In l. de corp. & sang. prope finem.
Haeres. 79 ante med.
Apol. c. 17. p. 97.
In An∣n•••• i•• in∣num ••4.
In 3 ch••••actor d••gmatic. libro post medium.
I•• Chro. in fine pri∣••••is ec••••l.
Lib. 1. hist c. 15.
Adan. 44 nu 35.
Deut 16 v. 10.
See this place in the Bible.