The Grand Sacrilege of the Church of Rome, Chapter 11 · Section 7
SECT. VII. Testimonies of the practise of the Church from 600. to 700.
Anno. 600.
IT was truly spoken of Constantine, that hee was Praeteritis melior, venientibus auctor; Better then his predecessors, and a good president to those that succeded him. But on the contrary, we may say of Gregory the Great, that hee was Praeteritis peior, yet venientibus auctor: that he was bad in comparison of his predecessors, *Like Fabullus in the Poet, vt verum loquar, optimus malorum, &c. Mart. epig. lib. 12.but good in comparison of his successours. For he was the worst of the good Popes, and the best of the euill. It was this Pope, who sent Austine the Monke into England to propagate the Christian faith; who in some places sowed, in others watred the seede all ready sowne which was wholesome, yet somewhat smutty, and such as needed to be washed and clensed from superstition. He much stikled for Gregorie his masters authoritie, and brought in some customes and ceremonies, that sauour rancke to those that are Emunctae naris: yet the faith hee preached was for substance the same, which the reformed Churches embrace at this day; as in my answer to the Iesuites threefold challenge I hauehave made it appeare; And as in other controuersies of greater moment, so in this he is cleerely ours.
Homil. 22. tSanguis super …umque postem ponitur, …uando non sol… …e cordis, sed etiam ore corporis hauritur.in Euang. he mystically applieth the blood of the Pascall Lambe striken vponupon both posts of the doore, to the participation of Christs blood in the Eucharist; saying; The blood is then put on both posts, when is taken, or drawne in both by, or with the mouth of the body, and of the heart.
In the fourth of his uEius ibi corpus samitur, cuius caro in populi salutem partitur, eius fanguis non iam in manus in fidelium, sed ad fidelium or a perfunditur.dialogues (if his) c. 58. His body is taken, whose flesh is broken, and diuided for the peoples saluation, his blood is not now powred out vponupon the hands of infidels, but into the mouths of the faithfull. If with any coulour the aduersaries might restraine fideles to the Priests onelyonly, yet the word populi going before, will enforce them to vnderstand this passage as well of the people, as Priests; if not the people more especially, who are named expresly, and not the Priests.
Papists answer.
I answer, saith Bellarmine, *Bel. de Euchar. lib. 4. cap. 16. Sancti isti patres sumi dicunt sanguinem ore corporis, quod nos non negamus esse faciendum; bibi autem debere ore corporis, aut sub specie vini sumi non dicunt.that Gregorie, and Bede say, that Christs blood is taken with the mouth of the body; but we denie that they say, that it ought to be drunken with the mouth of the body, or to be taken vnderunder the forme of wine.
Refutation.
This answer of the Cardinall can argue no lesse in him, then either supine negligence, or a cauterized conscience. For S. Gregorie in the words immediately preceding those aboue alleaged, expressely speaketh of drinking Christs blood, saying, quòd sit sanguis Christi non audiendo, sed bibendo didicistis. What is meant by the blood of Christ, you hauehave learned not by hearing, but by drinking. Had he not in expresse words mentioned drinking, yet the phrases he vseth, hauritur, and perfunditur; that Christs blood is shed, and taken as a draught, demonstrates, that he speaketh not of partaking Christs blood, as it is ioyned to his body, and enclosed in his veines; but as seuered from it. And if the Cardinall himselfe had not been drunke with the Cup of the wine of Babylon, he would neuer hauehave denied, that Saint Gregory speaketh of drinking Christs blood vnderunder the forme of wine: when hee vseth that very word, u Potat. Quis exponere queat quantae fuit miserationis, u Greg. in Psal. 6. Poenitent. Primis Ecclesiae tēporib. Euchar. fideli populo cō municatam esse sub vtra que specie manifestum est exscriptis omnium ferè patrum; quitestantur fideles bibere sanguinem Christi. Ut Tertul. Orig. Cypr. Aug. Greg. Estius in Sent.sacratissim â praeciosi sanguinis effusione genus humanum redimere, & sacrosanctum viuifici corporis & sanguinis sui mysterium membris suis tribuere, cuius perceptione corpus suum, quod est Ecclesia pascitur, & potatur, abluitur, & sanctificatur? Who can expresse how great merciemercy it was, by that most holy effusion of his pretious blood to redeeme mankind, and to giuegive to his members the most holy mysterie of his quickning body and blood, by the partaking whereof, his body, which is the Church, is nourished as with meat and drinke, is washed, and sanctified?
These and other passages of Gregory are so cleare and bright, that they dazeled the eies of Estius, a great Parisian Doctor, who handling this question professedly, acknowledgeth, that Saint Gregory among other fathers is expresly for the Commmunion in both kinds.
Anno Dom. 620.
The Seruice Booke, commonly called Ordo Romanus, The Romane order set forth by Gregory, or vnderunder Pope Gregory with his allowance, sufficiently discouereth the present practise of the Romane Church in their dry Masses, to be a disorder and shamefull abuse. For there they may reade, and blush to reade in the Rubricke, these formes set downe at the ySupplices te rogamus, vt qui corpus & sanguinem Domini nostri Iesu Christi sumpserimus, omni gratia & benedictione spirituali repleamur. Et post communionem; Corpus tuum, Domine, quod sumpsimus, & sanguis quem potanimus, adhaereat visceribus nostris.Communion: Wee humbly beseech thee, that wee which hauehave taken the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ thy Sonne, may be filled with grace and heauenly benediction: and after the Communion; Let thy body, O Lord, which we hauehave taken, and thy blood which we hauehave drunke, sticke to our bowels, that no blot of sinne may remaiue in vsus, who hauehave beene refreshed by these pure and holy mysteries.
Anno 630.
Saint zQuarta infertur pro osculo pacis vt charitate omnes reconciliati inuicem dignè sacramento corporis & sanguinss Christi consocientur.Isidore, as in other things, so in this, treadeth his master Gregories steps de diuin. of fic. lib. 1. c. 15. The fourth prayer is brought in for the kisse of peace; vt omnes, that all being reconciled by charitie, may ioyne in the worthie participation of Christs body and blood; omnes, all People therefore, as well as Priests, vnlesse they will hauehave the people to be out of charity, all that are in charity must communicate together in the mistery of Christs body and blood. But Gods people are, or ought to be in charity, and therefore to be admitted by Saint Isidores rule, as well to the Cup, as to the bread at the Lords Table.
Anno. 633.
In the fourth Councell of Toledo, Can. 6. All the people are appointed one good fryday to aske pardon for their sinnes; that being clensed by the compunction of repentance, they may be thought fit one Easter day to receiue the sacrament of Christs body and blood. And in the seuenth Canon it is appointed, that after the Lords prayer, and the blessing of the people, the Sacrament of Christs body and blood bee receiued after this manner: the Priest and Leuite is to communicate before the Altar, the rest of the Clergie in the Quire, the rest of the people without the Quire. See also 57. Canon.
Anno 675.
In the eleuenth Councell held at Toledo, the fathers determine, that such who receiued the Cup in extemity of sicknesse, but refused the bread, because in regard of the drines of their throat they could not swallow it downe, should not therefore bee cut off from Christs body. The decree runneth thus; The infirmity of humane nature in the very passage out of this life is accustomed to be oppressed in such sort with drought, that the sick are not able to take downe any meat to refresh them; no, nor scarse any drop of drinke to strengthen them; which thing we hauehave obserued in the departure of many, who desiring the wished foode of the holy Communion to sustaine them in their last iourney, hauehave yet cast *Collatam sibi à sacerdote Eucharistiam reiecerunt, non quòd infidelitat, hoc agerent, sed quòd prater dominici calicis … traditum …, non possent Eucharistiam deglutire.away the Eucharist giuen them by the Priest, not out of infidelitie, but because they could not swallow any thing down, beside a small draught of the holy Cup; such as these therefore ought not to bee separated from the body of Christ. The Councell speaketh of the Laiety, refusing bread at the Priests hands, which they could not take downe, and yet receiuing the Cup: and in this case of necessitie, the Councell dispenceth with their refusing the bread, but findeth no fault with them for taking the Cup. Nay vponupon that point, excuseth them from infidelitie, and saueth them from excommunication. How doth this Councel clash, and crosse shins as it were with the Councel of Constance, and Trent? In these the people are condemned for taking the Cup; in that, they are acquitted for it. In them, the Priest is censured, that giueth them the Cup; in this, the people are absolued from censure in refusing the bread, because they Communicate in the Cup.
In the same yeere, in the Councell at Braccara, they are blamed that ministred not wine to the people in the Sacrament, but either milke, or grapes, Can. 2. Non expressum vinum in sacramento dominici calicis offerre, sed lac pro vino dedicare, aut oblatis vuis populo communicare. In the same Councell they are blamed also. Qui intinctam Eucharistiam populis pro complemento communionis porrigerent; Who deliuered to the people a piece of bread dipt in wine for the whole Communion which custome, how repugnant it is to the doctrine of the Gospell, and custome of the Church, may easily be proued from the fountaine of truth, who gaue the Cut by it selfe saying, Drinke yee all of this, as he tooke the bread by it selfe, saying; Take, eat, &c.