The Buckler of the Faith, Part 2 · Article 38 · Subpart 1
The beleefe of both parties.
Sect. 24 The Church of Rome*Concl. Trid sess. 13. is of opinion, that presently after these words, Hoc est enim corpus meum, are pronounced, the substance of the bread changeth into the body of our Lord by transsubstantiation, and the substance of the wine into the bloud of our Lord. In such manner neuerthelesse, that by concomitance the body also is whole in eueryevery drop of the wine in the cup, as the body is whole in eueryevery crum and vnderunder eueryevery part of the host, which is done by vertue of the words; which being pronounced as well ouer the substance of the bread as ouer the accidents, do not worke but vponupon the substance, so that the accidents remaine without a subiect; not that the body of Iesus Christ which is set on the right hand of God, cometh into the host, but it is made there by transsubstantiation.
VponUpon condition neuerthelesse,**Concil. Trid. Sess 7. can. 11. that the Priest must hauehave an intent to consecrate. For without that, the consecration is not made: and yet in the meane time the people out of a pious and an holy presupposition do not ceasse to adore the host at all aduentures. Bellarmine in the first booke of Sacraments, chap. 27.*Extra. de celebr. Miss. Tit. 41. cap. De homine. §. Petes. saith, It is sufficient that the Priest hath an intent to do as the Church of Rome doth.
To confirme this transsubstantiation and**Platina in Leone 3. Iodocus Coccius. Matthaus Paris an. 1247. pag. 713. reall presence, our aduersaries produce diuerse miracles, wherein the host (as they say) being prickt hath shed many drops of bloud, and in some of them the host appeared like a little child, entring into some mens mouthes.*Durand. Ration lib. 4. cap. 35. & Innocent. 3. lib. 3. de myster. Missae, cap. 1. Canon Poenitentialis 39. Quando mus comedit vel corrodit corpus Christi. And say that certaine shepheards hauing pronounced the words of consecration vponupon their bread being at breakfast, changed all the bread into flesh.
And because many inconueniences happen, either that the consecrated cup may freese, or that the consecrated host may be stolen, or is eaten by mice, or vomited vp againe by weaknesse of body, the penitentiall Canons, and**Cautelae Missae. Species distinguantur, & reuerenter sumantur, & vomitus comburatur, &c. the prouisions of the Masse hauehave ordained certaine rules for eueryevery one of these inconueniences, and say, that it is not to be thought a strange matter, that a rat or a dog doth eate the whole body of Iesus Christ, now when he sitteth at the right hand of God in his glory, seeing that while he was in his infirmitie here on earth fleaes might sucke the drops of his bloud, and dogs might licke vp his bloud that fell downe from the crosse.
By this doctrine the Priest may do that which all the Angels and Saints together cannot do;Toletus de Instruct. sacerd. lib. 2. cap. 25. Posset consesacerdos multos cophinos panu & vinidolium si praesentia ista haberet. for he can make Iesus Christ; and hauing made God by certaine words, he hath God in his owne power. From thence proceedeth their manner of speaking to lift vp God, to eate him, and to receiue their Creator. From thence proceedeth this prodigious doctrine, that a Priest may transsubstantiate whole vessels of wine, and change all the bread in the market into flesh. From thence proceedeth the adoration of the host in the Priests hands, but not after it is gone downe into his stomacke, although it be present there as well as in the host.
To shew in what manner the body of our Lord is in the Eucharist, they say, that his body is there, but not corporally: and that his body is there, but spiritually, with as much reason, as if they said, that a spirit is present corporally. They likewise say, that he is in this place, but not locally; that he is visible vnderunder the species, & yet that the species hinder vsus from the sight of him: that he is there in length without extention: that he is a body without a locall space; that in eueryevery part of the host he hath his greatnesse, and that in eueryevery crum of the bread he hath his full magnitude as he had vponupon the crosse:Innocentius 3. l. 4. de myster. Missae, cap. 2. Est enim hic color & sapor, quantitas & qualitas cum nihil alterutro sit coloratum aut sapidum, aut quantum, aut quale. that he hath two eyes in one selfe same point: that he cannot moue nor breathe vnderunder the host: that he is whole in heauen, and whole in earth, and yet not in the region betweene both, nor separated from himselfe: that in the host, there is quantitas, & nihil quantum, length and nothing that is long, sauour and nothing that sauoreth, whitenesse and nothing that is white. This is it which they call the accidents without subiect. See the diuinitie of this age.
It is one of the greatest graces which God hath shewed vntounto vsus, that we are freed from so strange an errour, and that in our Churches they speake not of making of God by certaine words, nor of adoring Iesus Christ made by mens hands: as also that we beleeue in one Iesus Christ, which is very man, and hath a true humane body, and who by this meanes is our brother, by his conformitie with our nature, and by the vnion of his Spirit, who being ascended vp into heauen, will come againe vntounto vsus the second time, at the latter day.
Touching the holy Supper, we beleeue with the Apostle, 1. Cor. 11.26. That we eate bread to shew forth the death of the Lord Iesus Christ. And 1. Cor. 10.16. That the bread which we breake is the communion of the body of Christ. Which bread is called the body of the Lord, because it is the commemoration thereof; as Iesus Christ addeth to expound his meaning, according to the manner of the holy Scripture, which is, to giuegive the signes the names of those things which they signifie. Not that we beleeue that those signes are onelyonly bare figures bereft of all truth, but with the Apostle we beleeue, that breaking that bread we communicate the in body of Christ. Those signes are not onelyonly significatiue, but also exhibitiue of Iesus Christ, and of his benefits. For although Iesus Christ is not inclosed in that bread, yet is he truly made ours if with true faith, and louelove of God we participate of this holy Sacrament, and put all our trust and confidence in the death of Iesus Christ. Therefore we do not adore the Sacrament, but Iesus Christ which is in heauen: taking the Apostles for an example, who did not adore the host in the holy Supper, as neither Iesus Christ did command them to adore it, neither yet vsed they any eleuation.