A Defense of the Catholic Faith, Book 2 · Article 10
ARTICLE X. Of the Communion vnderunder one kinde.
The KINGS Confeſſion.ANd ſuch are the Amputation of the one halfe of the Sacrament from the people.
Hereunto Mr. Coeffeteau oppoſeth the ſecond of the Acts, where (ſaith he) the Apoſtles adminiſtred this Sacrament vnderunder one kinde onelyonly; for there it is ſaid, that the faithfull continued in the doctrine of the Apoſtles, and in fellowſhip, and breaking of bread. That our chiefe Doctors confeſſe that this place muſt be vnderſtood of the Sacrament, and yet there is no mention but of one kinde of bread: vnleſſe his Maieſty (ſaith he) who adoreth the ſufficiency of the Scripture, will make a ſupplement of ſomething to be added thereunto. He addeth that Chriſt is wholly and entier vnderunder eueryevery kinde, and that the people receiue him neuertheleſſe. That the Church by this meanes hath prouided againſt vnreuerent behauiours: and preuented the hereſie of thoſe that beleeued not that the bloud was together with the body vnderunder the kinde of bread. He affirmeth, that heretofore it was free to receiue the communion vnderunder one, or both kindes, becauſe the faithfull ſometimes carried the Euchariſt home to their houſes, and toooke it not but when they might commodiouſly doe it: and they did it (ſay they) for the moſt part vnderunder the kinde of bread only: and that Athanaſius witneſſeth, that the Communion Cup was not vſed out of the Church: that they communicated among themſelues vnderunder one kinde: that they might alſo doe it in publique. For thus ſaith S. Ierome, Hierom in Apol. ad Pammachiū.Is Chriſt another in publique then in a priuate houſe? that which is not to be tolerated in the Church, is not the rather permitted in a houſe: that the Miniſters complayning of the mutilation of one kinde, hauehave in the meane time deſtroyed the eſſence of the Sacrament, remouing the body of the Lord as farre from the Sacrament as heauen from the earth, which is to belye the Sonne of God, who ſaith, This is my body, &c.
Before we make anſwere to the place of the ſecond of the Acts; the Reader ſhall obſerue,The Anſwere. that this is the firſt place of Scripture, which this Doctor hath alleadged: wherein his wiſedome hath fayled him; for had hee continued not to alleadge any ſcripture at all, an ignorant Reader would hauehave thought it had not beene neceſſary: but ſeeing him beginne here to ſpeake of the word of God, doubtleſſe he will wonder, that in ſo many Controuerſies handled heretofore, hee hath heard nothing alleadged out of Gods word. And indeede the doctrine of ſaluation was neuer ſo prophanely handled: for GOD is become ſuſpected, and his bookes of faith, hauehave now no credite in controuerſies. This is a great grace which they doe vntounto the word of God, if after a Legend of reaſons, and humane allegations, at length ſome ſhort ſentence is caſually produced: and not without cauſe: for why then is it not more fauorable to his Holineſſe Empire? But let vsus heare this place.
In the ſecond of the Acts, ver. 42. it is ſaid that the Diſciples continued together in the Doctrine of the Apoſtles, and in the Communion and breaking of bread. It is not there ſaid that the people participated in the Cup; therefore they communicated onelyonly vnderunder one kinde of bread.
1 This coniecture is too light by a great many graines: and which is more, it makes againſt the Church of Rome, which beleeueth, that the Paſtors ought neceſſarily to take it in both kindes. Now in this paſſage it is not ſaid that the Paſtors did participate in the Cup, and they are no more mentioned then are the people: therefore ſhould it follow that the Paſtors alſo did not participate in the cup.
2 This alſo is a weake kinde of Argumentation, to ſay, that in the ſecond of the Acts, there is nothing mentioned beſide breaking of bread, that therfore the Cup was not vſed. If I ſhould ſay, that being inuited by ſuch a one I hauehave eaten with him, doth it follow, that I hauehave not drunke, although I ſpake not of it?
This errour proceedeth from ignorance of the ſcripture phraſe, which by the breaking of bread, and by eating of bread, doth vſually vnderſtand the whole banquet, and all kinde of ſuſtenance. So Gen. 31.54. Iacob inuiteth his brethren to eate breade. See Geneſ. 37.25. Matth. 15.2. and ſundry other places.
We cannot be accuſed by this manner of ſpeakking, to adde vntounto the Scripture: the ſufficiencie whereof we defend againſt our aduerſaries. For if in this place there be no mention of the Cup, it ſufficeth that it is ſpoken of in other places. And to ioyne diuers places together, which ſpeake of the ſame thing, is not to adde vntounto the Scripture. Beſides it is not credible, that the Apoſtles hauing ſo expreſly receiued this commaundement, to drinke all of the Cup, would infringe the ſame. Againe, when we ſpeake of the ſufficiency of the Scriptures, our meaning is not that the Scripture recyting a ſtory vntounto vsus, doth ſpecifie all the particularities of that which happened. OnelyOnly we ſay, that in things which it commandeth vsus to beleeue, and doe, it doth ſufficiently inſtruct vsus vntounto ſaluation. Now to know what is to be beleeued, and done in this ſacrament, we muſt learne it out of the inſtitution of the ſame, and out of the expreſſe commandements of Chriſt and his Apoſtles.
1 For Ieſus Chriſt inſtituting this ſacrament among his Diſciples, ſaid vntounto them, Drinke ye all of this: That is,Lib. 1. de corpore Chriſti cap. 15. as ſaith Paſchaſius, aſwell the Miniſters as the other beleeuers. They anſwere, that all thoſe to whom our Sauior ſpake were Paſtors, and therfore this commaundement was giuen onelyonly vntounto the Paſtors. Which if it be ſo, by the ſame reaſon alſo the Paſtors onelyonly muſt eate of the bread: for if in theſe wordes, Drinke ye all of this, Chriſt ſpake to none but to the Paſtors, then certainly in theſe words, Take, eate, he ſpeaks alſo vntounto the Paſtors: & if this be ſo, let them tel me where is the commandement which bindeth the people to communicate in the bread? For to participate thereof in faith, it muſt be that God hath ſo commanded.
2 Alſo it is falſe, that the Apoſtles being with Ieſus Chriſt inſtructing them, or adminiſtring the Sacrament vntounto them, held the place of Paſtors; for they were as the flocke, aſſiſting him in taking and receiuing.
3 Againe, the words of Chriſt, Do this, bound them to doe vntounto their flockes, as Ieſus Chriſt did vntounto them: and therefore theſe wordes bound them to giuegive it vntounto the people in both kindes.
4 But we hauehave moreouer the expreſſe commaundement of the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 11. Let a man (ſaith he) examine himſelfe, and ſo let him eate of this bread, and drinke of this cap. Doth he not ſpeake to the people of Corinth, and as himſelfe ſaith, cap. 1. ver. 1. To all them that call vponupon the name of Ieſus? Are not all the faithfull commaunded to examine themſelues, 2. Cor. 13.5? Why then to drinke of the Cup alſo, for the Apoſtle ioyneth theſe things together. Obſerue alſo that he ſaith not, examine your ſelues when you will drinke, as ſome Sophiſters would hauehave it, but he will hauehave eueryevery one to trie himſelfe, and being examined, that he drinke of the Cup. He leaues it not at their choyce, to eate without drinking after they hauehave beene examined. And if this place binde them to eate, then why not to drinke alſo, ſeeing the commaund is equall?
5 It may not be omitted, that nothing ſo perplexeth our aduerſaries, as when we ask them, whether in the ſixth of Iohn, where it is ſaid, If you drinke not my blood, you ſhall hauehave no life in you, the Euchariſt be ſpoken of: If it be not ſpoken of, why doe they alleadge this Chapter to eſtabliſh their tranſubſtantiation? If it be thereſpoken of, why doe they depriue the people of that life, in taking the Cup from them? Neyther doth it ſerue the turne to ſay, that the people receiue the blood together with the Hoſt, by a concomitancy, for hee that ſo receiues the blood, doth not drinke. Now Chriſt ſaith expreſly, If you drinke not, &c. Furthermore he that takes the blood vnderunder the Hoſt, doth not take it as ſhed for vsus, and with the ſacrament of the effuſion of his blood vponupon the Croſſe, which is the manner according to which Ieſus Chriſt would hauehave eueryevery one to participate thereof: by which it falleth alſo to the ground, which certaine Sophiſters ſay, that Chriſt doth not in this place of Saint Iohn explane the manner of communicating, but declareth the ſubſtance thereof: for if Chriſt in this place ſpeake of the Euchariſt, when he commaundeth his blood to be drunke, then queſtionleſſe he ſpeakes of the manner of communicating: for to drinke is the manner of receiuing.
6 Yea it appeareth that the Church of Rome beleeueth not, that this commaundement, Drinke ye all of this, is giuen to the Paſtors alone, ſeeing that Princes hauehave their ſhare alſo in this priuiledge: An euident proofe that this Order was brought in to exalt the Clergie aboue the Layetie, and to make them companions of Kings, and Princes: which is a cunning like that whereby they make Emperors and Kings to be Canons of certaine Cathedrall Churches. And indeede as the Pope by this ſleight hath deſired to aduance the Clergy, ſo hath hee withall conſulted to aduance himſelfe aboue the Clergy. For hee vouchſafeth not to drinke as others do, nor to touch the Chalice with his lips, no nor to touch it with his hand. But a Cardinall holdeth the Chalice couered,Lib. 2. Sacrarum Ceremon. cap. 14. Epiſcopus Cardinalis porrigit calamum quem Papa ponit in calice in manibus Diaconi exiſtente, & ſanguinis partem ſugit, &c out of which the Pope ſuckes certaine gulpes with a quill, and then the Cardinall doth his reuerence: which faſhion of ſucking, hauing beene practiſed ſome fiue or ſixe hundred yeares in certaine places of Almaigne as Rhenanus in his notes vponupon Tertullian obſerueth, the Pope hath reſerued onelyonly for himſelfe, that he may exempt himſelfe from the multitude.
7 And to ſhew that the Church of Rome hath a ſpleene to Ieſus Chriſt, and that S. Pauls commandement diſpleaſeth them, the Councell of Conſtance in the thirteenth Seſſion, acknowledgeth:Quod licet Chriſtus poſt coenam inſtituerit & ſuis diſcipulis adminiſtrauerit ſub vtra que ſpecie panis & vini hoc …enerabile ſecramen tum. A little after, Licet in primitiua Eccleſia hoc Sacramentum reciperetur à fidelibus ſub vtraque ſpecie, &c. Cum in nonnullis mundi partibus quidam temerariè praeſumant populum Chriſtianum debere Sacramentū Euchar. ſub vtra que ſpecie ſuſcipere. Conſuetudo rationabiliter introducta habenda eſt pro lege, pertinaciter aſſerentes oppoſitum tanquam haeretici arcendi ſunt, & grauiter puniendi inuocato etiam auxilio brachij ſecularis Libro de communione laicali, ſcripto …n…. 1417. That Ieſus Chriſt instituted and adminiſtred the Sacrament vnderunder both kindes: and that in the Primitrue Church this Sacrament was receiued by the faithfull vnderunder both kindes. Notwithſtanding this venerable Councell complaineth, That in ſome partes of the world, ſome raſhly preſume, that Chriſtian people ought to receiue the Sacraments vnderunder both kindes. That is to ſay, it is raſhneſſe, and preſumption to follow Chriſt. It addeth, That the cuſtome [of giuing but one kinde vntounto the people] being brought in vponupon reaſon, ought to be helde for a law: that they who hold the contrary are Heretiques and to be grieuouſly puniſhed, yea the ayde of the ſecular power being deſired. It wanted not much that the Councell had denounced Ieſus Chriſt for an Heretique, or ſent Saint Paul to the Inqu…ſition.
But Coeffeteau will perſwade vsus that this cutting away of the Cup, is diſcreetely done, to preuent ſome irreuerend behauiours. Gerſon who was preſent in this Councel, opens their meaning vntounto vsus, and ſaith it is done for feare that one or other ſhould ſpill the wine in the Chalice. Theſe people are afraid to let fall one drop of the wine, but feare not to let fall Gods commandement.*In the yeare 1503. vnderunder Lewes the 12. the Hoſt being let fall at Paris in the holy Chappel of the Palace, the pauement was taken vp and put among the Reliques. The Supplement of Nicholas Giles. And if ſo be the Chalice ſhould be ouerturned, or if any hauing drunke ſhould regurge it, this were enough to ſtirre a whole Countrey: they runne together as at the crie of fire; they licke the place, ſcrape the ſtones, adore the ſcrapings and the aſhes and put them among the Reliques: a ſuperſtition not vſed in the time of Cyprian, who in his booke de Lapſis, reporteth a Story of a young Maide, that hauing dranke of the Cup, did put it vp againe, not ſpeaking of any ſuch furious deuotion. The ſaid Gerſon ſaith, that it is done for feare leſt the people ſhould wet their Muſtachoes in the Chalice: for they feared that Ieſus Chriſt ſhould be entirely faſtened to eueryevery haire, for as much as they hold that his body is wholly, and entire in eueryevery drop. But it were better that men were without Muſtachoes, then want the Sacrament of the blood of Chriſt; and at leaſt there is no ſuch danger for women and young people. He ſaith alſo that it is done for feare leaſt the wine being kept ſhould waxe ſower, or grow flat: but they ſhould be free from this danger, if they did communicate with the people in the publique aſſembly, not reſeruing the Sacraments till the morrow. Expreſly contrary to the defence of the auncient Church, comprized in the Canon Tribus gradibus, in the ſecond Diſtinction of the Conſecration, where Biſhop Clement ordaineth, that ſo many offerings be ſet vponupon the Altar, Tanta in altario bolocauſta offerantur quanta populo …uſſicere debeant Quod ſi remanſerint in craſt num non reſeruentur.as will ſerue for the whole aſſembly to communicate, and if any remaine, that they be not kept till the next day. But how comes it to paſſe, that Ieſus Chriſt being included (as they will hauehave it) in the Chalice, doth not preſerue it from taking winde, or waxing ſharpe? ſeeing they keepe Aarons rod, and the milke of the holy Virgin among their Reliques vntounto this day without corruption? And why ſhall not Ieſus Chriſt hauehave the ſame vertue? To conclude, whoſoeuer ſhal here pretend wiſedome and diſcretion, deſires to be wiſer then Chriſt and his Apoſtles: neyther can there be any inconuenience alleadged, which Chriſt Ieſus hath not preuented.
Neither is it ſaid to any purpoſe that the Church of Rome would by this meanes ſtop an hereſie, for we muſt not redreſſe one euill by another, or reforme an error by an abuſe, or helpe the ignorance of men by diſobedience vntounto God. Yea, wee ſhall hereafter ſee, that this taking away of the Cup hath not preuented any errour, but hath heaped vp one hereſie vponupon another, and to ſupport their Tranſubſtantiation, it hath made Idolatry againſt God, to ſerue for their tyrannizing ouer the people.
Touching that which Coeffeteau ſubioyneth, that in former times it hath beene free to take the communion vnderunder one or both kindes: it is a plaine ſhift, for he makes ſhew, not to conceiue what the King of great Britaine meaneth, when he ſaith, that the mutilation of the Sacrament is a new inuention. For he would ſay (and it is true) that in the ancient Church there cannot be found any ordinance, cuſtome or conſtitution, that hath depriued the people of the Cup: No, nor any one man, that hath made conſcience in giuing the Cup to the people requiring it: No, nor any of the people that hauehave beene ſcrupulous in requiring it: But in ſtead hereof doth Coeffeteau ſay, that it was free to take it vnderunder one, or both kindes; which makes nothing to the purpoſe: for we complaine that it is not free to receiue both kindes. And yet that which he ſaith, is vntrue.
St. Auſtin in the ſeuen and fiftieth queſtion vponupon Leuiticus: All that will hauehave life, are exhorted to drinke the blood: Ad bibendum ſanguinem omnes exhortantur qui volunt habere vitam, &c. foreign.none is hindred, and all are exhorted. It was not then free.
Ignatius in the Epiſtle to the Philadelphians, One bread hath beene broken vntounto all, and one Cup is diſtributed vntounto all; then was none exempted. Iuſtin Martyr in his ſecond Apologitique; The Deacons diſtribute VNTOUNTO EVERY ONE, the bread, and wine with water. Obſerue to eueryevery one. S. Cyprian who hath already tolde vsus of a maide, that after ſhe had dranke, caſt vp the wine, complains in the third Epiſtle of the third booke, that ſome eyther thorough ignorance or ſimplicity, In calice Domini ſanctificando, & plebi miniſtrando, in conſecrating the cup, and adminiſtring to the PEOPLE, did it not conformably vntounto the example of Ieſus Chriſt. Sanguis Abel ſignificat ſanguinem Chriſti, quo vniuerſa Eccleſia accepto dicit Amen.S. Auſtin in the ſixty fiue booke of Queſtions, the fortie nine Quaeſt. Tom. 4 The blood of Abel ſignifieth the blood of Chriſt; which the WHOLE Church hauing receiued, ſaith Amen. He ſaith, the whole Church: not as Coeffeteau. Some receiuing one kinde onelyonly, and ſome both kindes: which is eyther an audacious falſhood, or very groſſe ignorance in Antiquity: for euen the Canon Comperimꝰ, in the ſecond Diſt. of the Conſecration, ſaith, that to forbeare the Cup is ſacriledge, and a diuiding of the Myſterie: and therefore ordaineth that ſuch Ought eyther to receiue the Sacraments entier, or to be wholly excluded from them Theſe wordes Recipiant, Aut integra Sacramenta recipiant aut ab integris arceanturand Arceantur, which he vſeth doe euidently proue, that he ſpeaks of the people, who doe not of themſelues receiue the Sacrament, but from the hand of the Miniſter. And this word Arceantur ſignifies, that they were not admitted, when they offered themſelues: therefore was it not free, as Coeffeteau affirmeth.
Who alleadgeth againſt himſelfe the cuſtome of thoſe that carried home the bread, which they receiued in the Church, inaſmuch as the Church of Rome hath reiected this cuſtome; hauing well perceiued that this cuſtome of ſo doing, doth teſtifie, that the auncient Church did not beleeue tranſubſtantiation: for the Prieſt would hauehave thought it a horrible prophanation to put God into the handes of the common people, for them to put him into their pocket, to carry him home to their houſes, expoſing him to the danger of a thouſand reproaches, and to the neglect, or contempt of the firſt commer. Beſides by the generall practiſe of the Church formerly declared, it appeares, that if any one did carry home with him the ſacramentall bread, yet he communicated in the Cup with the whole Congregation.
The place which he alleadgeth out of Ierome, is vntruely produced, for S. Ierome ſpeakes not there in any ſort of the Communion vnderunder one kinde; but of thoſe who being debarred from enting into the Church becauſe they were thought to be vncleane, were made to bring the bread for the Sacrament with them.
Touching the recrimination which he vſeth, that we hauehave deſtroyed the whole Sacrament: we ſhall ſee in the Article following how iniurious this accuſation is.