Transubstantiation Exploded, Part 1 · Paragraph 8
PAR. 8.
The state of the question is truly set downe, five points wherein wee differ touching the Reall presence are touched.
THe praeludium is past concerning the occasion and conditions: I come now to the encounter it selfe concerning your Reall presence by Transubstantiation. For which those of your Church contend, tanquam pro aris & focis, and well may you so doe, for it furnisheth your ara and your focus too. aIustitut. l. 4. c. 17. quia Satan hauehave exposit… veritatem per turbulentos spiratus hodi… quo que molilius quibuscun que potest calumnijs & probris foedare nec in ullam al…am rem maiori conatu incumbit accuratius eam tueri & asserere opere pretium est.Calvin truely observeth that Satan by his instruments laboureth nothing more then to suppresse the truth in this point of controversie: and in regard of the infinite Volumes written on both sides. bChamierus de Euch. l 10. c. 1. quaestio de reali praesentia est animosissima, prolixissima, intricatissima sed & nobilissima.Chamerus rightly tearmeth it the most intricate and perplexed, as also the most noble question of all other betweene the Romane and the reformed Churches. It much importeth therefore both parties, that … bee rightly stated and solidly handled that which you say in the explicatio… of the state of the question is very briefe, much like lightning in t… night, that rather skareth a man the… sheweth him the way in the dark… That which your Chaplaine added is large and cleare enough, but like false fire held out by Pyrats in t… night to draw Marriners into dange… You say p. 17. that the Conference … to be not of Transubstantiation, but of … Reall presence onelyonly, which by order … disputation ought to be first. Yet b… your favour these questions are not … distinct and severed as you imply, … rather like the wheeles in cEzek 1. 16 And their worke was as it were a wheele in the middest of a wheele.Ezekie… vision, rota in rota implicite, one in th… other. You beleeve no Reall prese… otherwaies then by Transubstantiatio… your dConcil. Trid. Sess. 13. c. 1. Doce… Sancta Synodus in almo Sanctae Eucharistiae Sacramento post panis & vini consecrationem Christum verum Deum atque hominem verè realiter & substantialiter subspecie illarum re… sensibilium contineri.Councell of Trent in that Ca non wherein it defines your Reall presence involveth Transubstantiation, th… Synod teacheth that in the Sacrament… the holy Eucharist, Christ God and M… is truly really and substantially co… teined under the forme or accidents … the sensible creatures of Bread and …ine. If the substance of Christs flesh …e there under the resemblances or …cidents of Bread and Wine, the substance then of Bread and Wine must be gone, and Christ his Body and Blood …cceed in the roome of them, and …hat's this but a paraphrase of Transubstantiation? take that away, and we shall soone joyne eAndre… Episcopu… VVint. Resp. ad apolog. Bellar. c. 1. p. 11. Nobis autem vobiscum do obiecto convenit, de modo l… omnis est, pr… sentiam credim… nec minus quam vos ver…m, de modo praesentiae nil temerè de…imus, addo nec anxie inquirimu….issue with you, for … agree with you in the object, we differ …out the manner, we beleeve as true a …esence as you, touching the manner of …is presence we define nothing rashly, nor …quire curiously no more then in Bap…sme after what manner Christ his blood …asheth us, no more then in the mysterie …f the Incarnation how and after what …anner the humane nature is united to the divine in one person.
Your Chaplaine S. E. (that I may repay him backe some of his owne coyne) p. 23. being conscious of the weakenesse of his cause thought the very sight of our tenet as it appeares in the Protestants relation, p. 288, 289. would overthrow his utterly, and therfore conceales my distinctions of presence and reall, which are the keyes with severall wards, without whi… this question cannot be opened: … as f Weston writes that his head ak… in reading D: Reynolds his bookes o… the Idolatry of the Church of Rom…. So your crazie Chaplaine, gConferēce by S. E being to tell the state of the question hee puts downe a discourse to make the simple Reader giddie,p. 2… complaineth that my discourse upo… the state of the question made his he… giddie. For a while hee stands amaze like the Goate, after he hath tasted t… hearbe Eringium, and after when he comes to himselfe, either ignorantly o… wilfully mistaketh his way. The S… cramentarians, saith he, for whom D. Featly disputed against our tenet, … that the Body and Blood of our Savior be not in the Eucharist truly accordi… to the verity and substance of the thing signified by those names, but that the Eucharist is a signe and figure of them … For proofe whereof he … … … shreds and snips of … … …, Peter Martyr, … … …ght, Perkins, Zuinglius, … … Calvin, taken from your hConferēce of Catholike & Protestant doctrine, c. 10.shop-boord. If it bee no disparagement for him, yet certainely it cannot but be a great blemish in you to understand no better the Doctrine of the Protestants, we impug…e the Sacramentarians as well as you. …our Chaplaine might have learned as …uch out of the iAncilla Piet…. p. 83.Hand-Maid to Devotion. Let no hereticall Harpie pluck from thee thy heavenly dish or meate, as Celeno did Aeneas's. Beware of two sorts of heretickes especially, which seeke to …guile thee in the Sacrament, or rather of it, viz.
Sacramentaries.
Papists.
The one denying the signe, the other the thing signified. The one offereth thee a shadow without the body, the other the …ody without the shadow, and consequently neither of them giveth thee the true Sacrament, to whose nature and essence both …re requisite. The Sacramentaries … rob thee of the jewell, the Papists of the casket. As Christ at his Passion was crucified betweene two theeves: so the Sacrament of his Passion is fallen among two theeves likewise, the Sacramentaries who take away the substance of Christ bodie, and you Transubstantiators, who take away the substance of the elements. We take part with neither of you, but endite you both of felonious Sacriledge. But because you are a Bishop in title at least, I referre you to bee instructed in th… point by a Reverend kLancelot Winton: answer to the 18. C. of the first booke of Cardinal Peron.Bishop of o… Church. It is well knowne saith h… whither he (naming there the pri… patron of the Sacramentarians) leane… that to make this point streight he bo… it too farre the other way, to avoid est i… the Church of Romes sence, he fell to b… all for significat and nothing for est … all, and whatsoever went further th… significat he tooke to savour of the ca… nall presence, for which if the Cardin… mistike him, so doe we. And so, he d… not well… against his owne knowledge … charge his opinion upon us. Neither do you, who if you have read your sel… the lConferēce of Catholike & Protestant doctrine. C. 10.passages which you cote out o… Iewell, Cartwright, Martyr, Muscul… Perkins, Beza, Calvin, &c. and took… them not up upon trust; cannot be know that they are meant of the outward element, which is not ind… Christs Body as Iewel, not properly … Body as Martyr, not the very Body, a… Musculus, but onelyonly a signe, as Cartwright, a figure as Beza, or at the most a seale as Perkins is alledged b… you to call it. None of them affirme that in the Eucharist or holy Sacrame… …selfe an emptie figure or a bare signe …exhibited. Let mIewel▪ apolog. c. 138 d x. Pa… & vinum dicimus esse sacra & … mysteria corporis & sanguinis Christi & illis Christum ipsum verum panem eternae vitae sic nobis praesentem exhiberi ut eius corpus sanguinem que per sidem verè sumamus &c. 4. d. x.Iewel, nCalvin I… stitut. l 4. c. 17. Sect. 19. His absurditatibus sublatis quicquid ad exprimendam veram sub…antialem que corporis & sanguinis Domini communicationem quae sub sacr… c…ne symbolis sidelibus exhibetur, libenter recipio atque ita ut no… imaginatione du…xat ac mentis intelligentiâ percipere, sed ut re ipsá fr… in alimentum vitae eternae i…telligatur. Sec. 11. dico duabus rebus constare s… crum caenae mysterium corporeis signis & spirituali veritate quae per symbol… ipsa figuratur, simul & exhibetur, & Sec. 10. Spiritus verè unit qu… loci… dis…cta sunt, a symboli exhibitione rem ipsam exhibere rite colligim…s & …ccepto corporis symbolo non minus corpus etiam ipsum nobis dari certò con…imus.Calvin …d Perkins speake for the rest. We …firme that the Bread and Wine are the holy and heavenly mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ, and that by them Christ himselfe being the true Bread of …ternall life, is so presently given unto us as that by faith we verily receive his Body and Blood. And a little after we abase not the Lords Supper, or teach that it is but a cold ceremony onelyonly, as …any falsly slander us, (you and S. E. for …ample) For we affirme that Christ …oth truly and presently give himselfe wholy in his Sacraments, in Baptisme, that we may put him on, and in his Supper, that we may eate him by faith, and spirit, and may have everlasting life by his Crosse and Blood: and we say not that this is done sleightly or coldly, but effectually and truly. Calvin, Taking away these absurdities (he speaketh of Consubstantiation and Transubstantiation▪ whatsoever may be said to expresse t… communication of the true and substantiall Body and Blood of the Lord whi… are exhibited to the faithfull under t… holy Symbols of the Supper, I willingly admit, and that in such sort, that the participation may be understood not … imagination onelyonly, and apprehension … the minde, but a reall fruition to neur… the body and soule to eternall life, and againe, I say that the holy mystery of the Supper consists of two things, bodily signes and the spirituall truth, which is both figured and exhibited by the signes. For the Spirit truly uniteth those things which are severed in place. From the exhibition of the signe we rightly, inferre the thing signified by it to be exhibited to us, and when we receive the signe we are confident that we receive the Body it selfe, oReformed Catholike 10. point. p. 590.Perkins is as full: we hold and beleeve a presence of Christs Body and Blood in the Sacrament and that no feigned but a true and reall presence.
1. In respect of the signe by Sacramentall relation.
2. In respect of the Communicants to whose beleeving heart he is also really present.
Thus you heare we stand all for a reall presence, and that so universally, that pRiv… summa co…. q. …8. p. 34. Nemo nostrum cred… eum intelle… isse tantum sig… vel solam gratiam, eum que nihil nobis voluisse largi… aliud, qu… qua… verè hic p… nis qu…t s…um corporis Christ… dona… corporibus nostris, tam ver… etiam d…tur animabus nosiris corpus ChristiAndrew Rivet saith peremptorily, none of us beleeveth that Christ giveth unto us onelyonly a signe of his Body, or onelyonly grace, because as truly as the Bread which is the signe of Christs body is given to our bodies so truly is the Body of Christ given unto our soules.
The difference betweene us is about
1. The meanes.
2. The meaning of eating Christ.
The meanes
We say is by faith qArtic. 28. OnelyOnly after a heavenly and spirituall manner the body of Christ is received, and the meanes whereby it is taken in the Supper, is faith.mystically,
You by the mouth and properly.
The meaning
You say is a carnall.
We say is a spirituall manducation.
Desire you a greater light, because it seemes your eyes are dim: thus then conceive of the doctrine of the reformed Churches
1. Christ is said to be present in holy Scriptures foure manner of waies.
1. Divinely.
2. Spiritually.
3. Sacramentally.
4. Carnally or corporally.
According to the first kind or manner, he is present in all rIer. 23. 24. Psal. 139. 7. Whether shall I slie from thy presence? & Amos 9. 2, 3.places, Can any man hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him, saith the Lord, doe not I fill heaven and earth.
According to the second, he is present in the hearts of true sEphes 3. 17.beleevers, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.
According to the third, he is present in the Sacrament both mystically or relatively, and t1 Cor. 10. 16, 17.effectually also. The cup of blessing which we blesse, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? the bread that we breake, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body: for wee are all partakers of that one bread.
According to the fourth, he was present uIohn 1 …in Iudea and the confines, in the daies of his flesh, And the Word was …ade flesh and dwelt amongst us, but is Acts …. ….now in heaven.
2. As the word presence, so also the word really is diversly taken, sometimes
1. As it is opposed to that which is feigned and imaginarie, and importeth as much as truly.
2. As it is opposed to that which is meerely figurative and barely representative, and importeth as much as effectually.
3. As it is opposed to that which is spirituall, and importeth as much as corporally or materially.
Conclusion the first.
1. We beleeve Christ to be present divinely, and that after a speciall manner at his table, spiritually in the hearts of the Communicants, Sacramentally in the elements: but not corporally, either with them by Consubstantiation, or in the wAme…as Bell. Enervat. Tom. 3. l. 4. c. x p. 95. Corpus Christi substantialiter non continetur in eodem spati… quo panis & vinum conti…bantur.place of them by Transubstantiation.
Conclusion the second.
The presence of Christ in the Sacrament is reall in the two former acceptions of reall but not in the last, … he is xCalvin l. 4. Institut. c. 17. Sec. 11. Per symbola panis & vini Christus verè nobis exhibetur adeo que corpus & sang…s eius.truly there present, and yIewel Apolog p. 2. c. 14. d. 1. We say not that this is done sleightly or coldly, but effectually and truly. For though we doe not touch the Body of Christ with teeth and mouth, yet wee hold him fast and eate him by faith, by understanding, and by spiriteff… ctually though not carnally or loc… And that this is the generall doctrin… the reformed Churches, and co sequently that all your discourse p. 25 26, 28, 47, 51. and through your who… booke generally against empty types bare signes, void figures, excluding the verity, is u…terly void and of none effect and a meere foreign and fighti… with your owne shadow: I proo… by undeniable and impeachable evidences extant in the booke inti…uled, Harmony of confessions: and I will compasse you in both with such a cloud … witnesses that you shall see no way to get out.
The zArticles of Religion reprinted by …s Majestie, speciall command, …. Artic. 2….English as it well deserveth shall have the first place. The Supper of the Lord is not onelyonly a signe of the lov… that Christians ought to have among themselves one to the other, but rather … is a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christs death, in so much that to such a rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the same, the Bread which we breake is a partaking of the Body of Christ, and likewise the Cup of blessing is a partaking of the Blood of Christ.
The rest shall follow as they are martialled by the compiler of that worke.
The aHarmoni… confess ad Sect. …4. p. 190. Intùs fid…les oper… Christs per Spirit… Sanctura percipiune etiam car… & san… nem Domini & pas…untur his in … aternam, … p. 110, qui …oris … side Sacra mentum percipit, idem ille non signum dun taxat percip… sed … ipsâ qu…s s…itur.Helvetian. The faithfull receive that which is given them by the Minister of the Lord, and they eate of the Lords Bread, and drinke of the Lords Cup, and at the same time inwardly through the helpe of Christ by the Spirit, they receive the flesh and blood of the Lord; he that outwardly (being a true beleever) receives the Sacrament, he receives not the signe onelyonly, but enjoyeth also the thing signified.
The confession of bConfess. Basilart…. …. In …nd Domini cum pane & … Domini verum corpus & verus sanguis Christi per …inistrum … pr…figuratur & offertur.Basil. Bread and Wine remaine in the Lords Supper, in which together with the Bread and the Wine, the true Body and Blood of Christ is prefigured and exhibited.
The cArt. 37 qui ad Sacram mensam … puram fidem tanquam vas quoddam afferunt, credimus verè recipere … ibi signa tes…ficantur, nempe corpus & sanguinem Iesu Christi nominus esse cibum & potum animae quam panis & vinum sunt co… ris cibus.French. We beleeve that those who bring to the Lords Table pure faith as it were a vessell, doe truly receive that which there the signes testifie, for the Boand Blood of Iesus Christ are no lesse … meate and drinke of the soule, then br… and wine are the foode of the body.
The dArt. 35. Quam verè accipimus & tenemus manibus nostris hoc sacramē tum illudque ore comedimus, tam verè etiam nos fide recipere verum corpus & verum sanguinem Christi.Belgicke confession. Chr… instituted Bread and Wine, earthly a… visible creatures, for a Sacrament of … Body and Blood: whereby he testifet… that as truly as we receive and hold … our hands this Sacrament, and eat … with our mouthes, whereby this our life … maintained; so truly by faith, which … as the hand and mouth of the soule, we receive the true Body and Blood of Christ our onelyonly Saviour, in our soules, to holi and nourish spirituall life in them.
The eConfess. Aug. Art. 10 In caena Domini corpus & sanguis Christi verè adsunt & distribu…tur … s… cum … & vino v… exhiben…r.Augustan. In the Lords Supper the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present and distributed to the Communicants, or as we read in a later edition they are truly exhibited with the brea… and wine.
The fS…. Confess c. 18. Art. 14. Falso ab adversarijs iactatur non nisi merum panè merum que vinum in nosiris caenis administrari.Suevick. The most holy Supper of our Lord is by us most devoutly, and with singular reverence ministred and taken, whereby your sacred Majesty may understand, how falsly our adversaries charge us, that we change Christs words and corrupt them with mans glosses, and that nothing is ministred in our Supper… but bare bread and meere wine.
By all which it appeares, as how falsly your Lordship and S. E. relate our tenet: so how no lesse blasphemously then slanderously g… cont. ….Noris compareth the Protestants Supper to Heliogabalus his feasts: he should rather have compared your private Masses to them. For as that Emperour invited his servants to a banquet, where he ate all himselfe, and they onelyonly looked on: so you invite the people to your Masse and bid them eate and drinke, rehearsing the words of our Saviour (Take eate, this is my body, and drinke you all of this, &c.) yet you eate all and drinke all your selves. As the Priests under the Law among the Jewes had their panes propositionis, their show-bread, which the people …ever touched: so you, though under the Gospell, have panem propositionis, shew-bread, and alwaies vinum propositionis, shew-wine, for the people very seldome eate of the bread, but never drink drop of the consecrated cup.
Me thinkes I heare you say, if wee both acknowledge Christs Body and Blood to be thus really present in the Sacrament, as hath beene shewed, how fell we out? why may we not be good friends? wherein stand we yet at od… about this Sacrament and Christs presence there?
In five points:
First, You teach there remaines n… the substance of Bread and Wine after consecration: we teach that they remaine.
Secondly, You beleeve that Christs body is contained under the superficies or accidents of bread: and taketh up the roome of the substance of the element, this is no part of our beliefe.
Thirdly, You hold that the host or Sacrament is to be adored cultu latri…, the worship proper unto God: wee beleeve that though honour and reverence (which Saint Cyrill and Saint Chrysostome call for) is due to the Sacrament, and that with all due hLancelot Winton: answer to Cardinal Peron. Sect. 4. The Sacrament is with all due respect to be handled and received, but no divine adoration may be used to the symbols.respect and a most humble gesture it ought to be handled and received, yet no divine adoration may be used to it. To yeeld that to any creature is Idolatrie.
Fourthly, You averre that Christs very body is eaten with the mouth: we cannot brooke such a grosse and caper…aiticall conceit.
Fiftly, You professe (and I know not whether you beleeve it) that infidels, yea some of you also, that rats and mice may eate Christs very body: we abhorre that blasphemy. For though it might fall out through some negligence that a rat or a mouse, or who is worse then either, an Insidell may somtimes seize on the Sacramentall bread: yet we say Christs Body and Blood are out of their reach, their unhallowed hands or mouthes cannot come neare it.