Full and Easy Satisfaction, Part 4 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. The Third Argument againſt Tranſubſtantiation: from the certain falſhood of their aſſertion of multitudes of Miracles in it.
R.
THat doctrine which aſſerteth a multitude of falſe or feigned Miracles is falſe and not of God: But ſuch is the doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation— Ergo—
I will 1. Shew you what Miracles it aſſerteth; and 2. Prove that they are feigned or falſe.
I. It is a Miracle for Bread and Wine to be turned into no Bread and Wine, yea, into nothing; and this by the ſpeaking of four words.
II. It is a Miracle (or Contradiction) for the Bread and Wine to be turned into Chriſts Body and Blood, and yet neither the matter nor form of it to become any of the matter of Chriſts body and blood.
III. It is a Miracle, (or a contradiction rather as aforeſaid) for the Accidents to be the Accidents of Nothing, or no ſubſtance; to be the quantity of Nothing, the ſhape, the number of nothing, the colour, ſavour, ſmell of nothing, and ſo of all the reſt.
IV. It is a Miracle to have all the ſound ſenſes of all ſorts of men in the world ſo deceived herein, as to perceive bread, wine and ſubſtance, if there be none.
V. It is a Miracle to have the ſenſes of Mice and Rats, and Dogs and other Brutes alſo deceived when they eat and drink it.
VI. It is a Miracle (or contradiction) to have nothing without a Creation, to become excrements: or elſe thoſe excrements to be nothing alſo: And the Accidents of all thoſe excrements to be the Accidents of Nothing.
VII. It is a Miracle to be nouriſhed by Nothing: (For you ſay, that it is not Chriſts body and blood that nouriſheth the fleſh.) To have fleſh and blood made of nothing, is a creation.
VIII. It is a Miracle to be drunk with nothing, when the Wine is annihilated or gone, and ſeemeth to be it that cauſeth the effect: Yea, for Beaſt or man to be ſo drunk.
IX. It is a Miracle (or contradiction) for Chriſt to eat his own body (as the Papiſts hold he did); and yet it was his Whole Body which did eat his body, and yet he had but one body.
X. It was a Miracle (or contradiction) for Chriſts entire body to be nouriſhed by that eaten body, and that the eaten body turned into the ſubſtance of his eating body: And yet all was but one.
XI. It was a Miracle that Chriſts Eaten body being not dead but living with a humane ſoul, ſhould be broken and eaten by him and his diſciples, and yet feel no pain by it.
XII. It was a Miracle that his whole body was on the Croſs; and yet part of it in the diſciples bellies at that time; or at leaſt before that eaten by them.
XIII. It was a Miracle (or contradiction) that Chriſts eaten body now nouriſheth not the fleſh of any man; and yet did nouriſh the fleſh of the diſciples before his death. Or if it did not nouriſh them, it was a Miracle that what they eat and drank then did not nouriſh them, (or Chriſt what he eat and drank).
XIV. It was a Miracle that the whole body of Chriſt ſhould ariſe and live, and aſcend to Heaven, when the diſciples had eaten it.
XV. It is a Miracle that every Receiver eateth the whole body of Chriſt, and not a part, and yet that he hath but one body; or that they eat each a part without dividing him.
XVI. It is a Miracle that as ſoon as the ſpecies of Bread and Wine periſh or ceaſe in the Eater, Chriſts body and blood ceaſeth to be in him, and this without his detriment.
XVII. It is a Miracle that there is ſuch a local diſtance between the conſecrated bread and wine all over the world; and yet no ſuch diſtance between the parts of Chriſts body, and yet that bread to be his body.
XVIII. It is a Miracle that bread and wine is Annihilated or ceaſe every Maſs, and yet that the quantity of corporeal matter in the whole world is no whit diminiſhed: or elſe that thoſe four words can ſo annihilate and diminiſh the matter of the world.
XIX. It is a Miracle that Chriſts body and blood increaſe not, when ſo many millions of parcells of bread and wine are turned into it.
XX. It is a Miracle that Chriſts body and blood is not diminiſhed, when by the Corruption of the ſpecies of bread and wine, it vaniſheth away.
XXI. It is a Miracle that Chriſts body and blood ſhould be ſo received into the bowels of a wicked man, and yet not be any way defiled by his ſin, nor by his bodily uncleanneſs.
XXII. It is a Miracle that a Baker diſpoſitively, and a Prieſt effectually can make his own God, and eat him when they have done.
XXIII. It is a Miracle that when Worms are bred of that which was bread and wine, theſe worms are really generated of nothing, or created; (or if as ſome ſay, the bread and wine do ſubſtantially return again, and breed them, that is another, a double miracle.)
XXIV. And it is a Miracle that the Corporeal matter of the world ſhould by theſe Worms be daily increaſed, out of nothing, or out of meer accidents that have no ſubſtance.
XXV. It is a Miracle that men may be poyſoned by the Sacramental Elements as ingredients in the mixture, and yet that they are no ſubſtance.
XXVI. It is a Miracle or Contradiction, that when fleſh and blood (formally ſuch) enter not into the Kingdom of God, but Glorified bodies are all ſpiritual bodies (though not Spirits), and therefore not fleſh and blood: Yet Chriſts body in the Sacrament ſhould be truly and properly fleſh and blood, and yet the ſame with his glorified body (which is not fleſh and blood:) which is the Papiſts doctrine; and the bread turned into ſuch fleſh.
XXVII. It is a Miracle that the ſame Body which in Heaven is brighter in Glory than the Sun, and exalted above Angels, ſhould yet ſhew no ſigns of Glory on the Altar, in the Cup, in the hand, mouth or belly of him that taketh it; but all its Glory be ſo hid.
XXVIII. It is a Miracle (or Contradiction) that Chriſts Humiliation ſhould be paſt, and his whole Body Glorified, and yet that to be torn with the teeth of a wicked man, to be eaten by Mice, Rats or Dogs, to go into the filthy guts, to be trodden in the dirt, ſhould be neither painful, nor any diminution of the Glory of that ſame body. Indeed his body on the Croſs might be broken, and his blood ſpilt and trodden on, becauſe he was a ſacrifice for ſin; and it was the time of his Voluntary Humiliation: But now for the ſuffering of death he is crowned with Glory and Honour, Heb. 2.9, 7.
XXIX. It is a Miracle that the Living Body of our Glorified Redeemer ſhould give no evidence or ſign of life; neither ſtir, nor ſpeak, nor have breath, pulſe, warmth, or other property of life appearing.
XXX. It is a Miracle, at leaſt, that fleſh ſhould have none of the common notes or properties of fleſh, not to be made of food, of blood and chyme, not to conſiſt of the fibrae which fleſh conſiſteth of; not to have the colour, taſte, odour or other ſuch accidents of fleſh: And that Blood ſhould have none of theſe notifying accidents of blood.
XXXI. It is a Miracle or Contradiction, that Chriſts Fleſh was Broken before it was broken, ſacrificed before it was ſacrificed, I mean really broken and ſacrificed at his Supper, when yet he was whole and not really ſacrificed till he was nailed to the Croſs. And ſo that his blood was really and properly ſhed in his Supper, and yet no skin broken, nor his blood really ſhed till his ſide was pierced on the Croſs. And that he that was but once offered and ſacrificed, ſhould yet be offered and ſacrificed once on one day, and another time on another day.
Here are one and thirty Miracles or Contradictions: Let us hear ſome of the Aggravations of them, as worthy to be conſidered.
I. It is a Miracle of theſe Miracles, that there ſhould be as many Miracle workers as Prieſts in the world: How many thouſand are they in France alone? And ſo in many other Countreys. Whereas in Chriſts own time, they were comparatively but few.
II. That the Pope or any Prelate can make a Miracle worker when he pleaſe, yea, a thouſand; as if the Holy Ghoſt were at his will.
III. It is a Miracle of theſe Miracles that a Simoniſt who buyeth the Prieſthood with money, doth buy the Holy Ghoſt to work Miracles for that money, which Simon Magus was condemned for thinking poſſible. For the Papiſts hold, that the Conſecration of a Simoniacal Prieſt tranſubſtantiateth.
IV. It is a Miracle that all this power of Miracles ſhould be given to flagitious wicked men; Adulterers, Murderers, Drunkards, &c.
V. It is a Miracle that all theſe men can work Miracles at their own will and pleaſure, at any hour: whereas the Apoſtles had not the Spirit at command, and could not do it when they would.
VI. It is a Miracle that Miracles ſhould be as common as Maſſes, or the Euchariſtical worſhipping of God; not only on every Lords Day in all Church-aſſemblies, but any day or hour elſe in the Week. And ſo Miracles be as ordinary almoſt as to eat and drink.
VII. It is a Miracle that every wicked Prieſt ſhould do ſo many Miracles in one, and ſo many more in number than Chriſt himſelf did, in the ſame proportion of time, as far as the Hiſtory of the Goſpel telleth us: Chriſt is quite exceeded by them all.
VIII. It is a Miracle that every wicked Prieſt can work all theſe Miracles ſo eaſily, as with the careleſs ſaying over four words: When the Apoſtles could not caſt out ſome Devils, or work ſome Miracles, and ſome could not be done but by faſting and prayer.
IX. It is a Miracle that every Prieſt can work all theſe Miracles upon an unbeliever or a wicked man: For to ſuch they ſay, it is the real fleſh and blood of Chriſt, and no bread or wine; And the ſenſes of all theſe wicked men are deceived. Whereas Chriſt himſelf could not do any great miraculous work among ſome where he came, becauſe of their unbelief.
X. It is a Miracle that God and the Prieſt ſhould do theſe foreſaid Miracles on Mice and Rats and other Beaſts, by deceiving their ſenſes, which we find not that Chriſt ever did: or that God ſhould feed them with the miraculous accidents aforeſaid.
XI. It is a Miracle of theſe Miracles that the Prieſt can thus eaſily work Miracles not only on other creatures, but on the glorified body of Chriſt himſelf, (by the foreſaid changes, &c.)
XII. It is a Miracle, that when Chriſt wrought his Miracles uſually before a far ſmaller number, theſe Prieſts work Miracles thus before or on the ſenſes of all the men in the world that will be preſent at the Maſs; for all their ſenſes are deceived.
XIII. It is a Miracle that the Abaſſines, Armenians, Greeks, Proteſtants, yea, any that they call Schiſmaticks, and Hereticks,Vid. Aquin. 3. q. 82. a. 7. c. who do not intend to work any Miracle, nor believe Tranſubſtantiation, do yet work Miracles in each Sacramental adminiſtration of the Euchariſt, not only without their knowledge, but contrary to their belief, and againſt their wills: For they ſay, that even ſuch mens conſecration is effectual.
XIV. Either their Prieſts conſecration worketh all theſe Miracles, when they intend it not, Vid. Aquin. 3. q. 69. a. 9.(as if they ſpeak the words in jeaſt or ſcorn, or in Infidelity,) or only when they intend it. If the firſt be ſaid, it is a Miracle of Miracles, that any Prieſt can work ſo many and great Miracles by a jeaſt or ſcorn—If not, then all the buſineſs is come to nothing, and no one but the Prieſt knoweth whether there be any ſuch Miracle at all, and whether ever he eat the fleſh of Chriſt: And ſo it will be in the power of the Prieſt to deceive and damn all the people, according to the Papiſts expoſition of Chriſts words, Joh. 6. Except ye eat the fleſh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
XV. Either a malicious intention to a wrong end will be effectual in Conſecration, or not. If not, none but the Prieſt knoweth that there is any body and blood of Chriſt, or that ever he received any: Becauſe none knoweth though the Prieſt intend Conſecration, whether he intend it to a right end. But if a wicked end will ſerve (as I think moſt of them hold) the Miracle may be great and ſad. For any Roguiſh drunken malicious Prieſt may undo a Baker or Vintner at his pleaſure, and by four words deprive him of all his Bread and Wine: Yea, he might nullifie all the Bread and Wine in the City, and ſo either make a famine at his pleaſure, or elſe make whole Families and Cities live ſtill and be nouriſhed without any ſubſtance by bare Accidents, which would be a Miracle indeed.
If the Prieſt can by conſecration change only a convenient quantity of bread and wine, then all that is overmuch is bread and wine after conſecration. If otherwiſe, why may he not change all the bread and wine in the Shop or Cellar where he cometh, intending conſecration to an ill end?
If he can do it only on the Altar, then want of an Altar would fruſtrate the effect (which they hold not). But if he can do it without an Altar he may do it in the Shop and Cellar.
If he can do it only on the bread and wine preſent, how near muſt it be? Then the words will work at ſo many yards diſtance, and not at ſo many. Or if he cannot do it out of ſight, a blind Prieſt cannot do it. But if he can do it on that which is abſent, we may fear leſt in an anger he may take away all the bread and wine in the Land; at leaſt in a frolick to try his power.
XVI. And it is ſome aggravaion of theſe manifold Miracles that a Degraded Prieſt can do them:Vid. Aquin. 3. q. 82. a. 8. Becauſe they follow the indelible Character: And ſo he that hath once made a Miracle-worker, cannot take away his power again, nor his ſin loſe his power. Is not this a marvellous power of Miracles, which becometh like a nature to them, as the power of ſpeaking is?
XVII. Yet is this Miracle-working-power more miraculous, in that a mans own unwillingneſs, or Repentance of his Calling cannot hinder the Miracle if he do but ſpeak four words. Conſent it ſelf is not neceſſary to it: Let a man Repent that ever he was a Prieſt, and profeſs that he continueth in that Calling againſt his will, yea, let him write as I now do againſt Tranſubſtantiation, yet all this will not hinder his next Conſecration from working all the foreſaid Miracles.
XVIII. It is miraculous that if you keep a conſecrated Wafer never ſo long, if you uſe it never ſo courſly, if you (as he did who occaſioned the converſion of Mr. Anthony Egan a late Iriſh Prieſt) pawn it at an Ale-houſe for thirty ſhillings; if you lay it down for a ſtake at Cards or Dice, &c. it will not ceaſe to be Chriſts fleſh (and ſo by his blood,) nor ever becomes bread, or any other ſubſtance till it corrupt: And yet in a mans ſtomach it ceaſeth to be Chriſts body, as natural heat corrupteth it by concoction: And yet it is not Chriſts fleſh that is concocted.
XIX. It is a Miracle of this Miracle which Aquinas and others aſſert, that the Bread and Wine are not Annihilated, but wholly turned into Chriſts body and blood; and yet, as Vaſquez ſaith, It is not that the matter of bread begins to be under the form of Chriſts body (as Durandus held.) Saith Veron Reg. fid. cap. 5. This Tranſubſtantiation is neither a change nor a production of any thing; but it is a Relation of order between the ſubſtance that doth deſiſt to be, and that into which it doth deſiſt. And yet ſaith the Concil. Trident. There is a change made of the whole ſubſtance into, &c.
XX. Laſtly, It is a Miracle that all theſe Miracles ſhould be done ſo as not to appear to the ſenſes of any man living, either to Convert Unbelievers or Confirm the faithful: So that millions of theſe Miracles are ſeen and not ſeen; the Prieſt, and Action, and Accidents are ſeen, but no Miracle ſeen by any. So that Aquinas concludeth 3. q. 76. a. 7, [Though Chriſt be exiſtent in this Sacrament per modum ſubſtantiae, yet neither bodily eyes, nor our Intellects can ſee him, but by faith: no nor the Intellect of an Angel can ſee him ſecundum ſua naturalia; nor do Devils ſee him but by faith; nor the bleſſed, but in the Divine Eſſence.]
All theſe make theſe Miracles far more miraculous than the raiſing of Lazarus from the dead.
WHether all theſe are Miracles, or moſt or many of them Contradictions, and therefore Impoſſibilities, I make no great matter of at this time. I think it utterly needleſs to add any more to what is ſaid in anſwer to ſuch ſayings as Aquinas's (3. q. 75. & 76.) and other Schoolmen, that [The ſenſes are not deceived, becauſe there are the Accidents, and the Intellect is by faith preſerved from deception: that the remaining accidents are in quantitate dimenſiva quaſi in ſubjecto: that theſe Accidents can change an extrinſick body, can be corrupted, can generate Worms, can nouriſh, can be broken, &c.] For all this at leaſt confeſſeth, that its all done by Miracle: (Though I will ſay, 1. That they could ſcarce have choſen a more unhappy pro-ſubject of Accidents than Quantity, nor have given more unhappy reaſons for it than Aquinas doth q. 77. a. 2. c. 1. Becauſe the ſenſe perceiveth that it is Aliquid quantum, that is coloured. 2. Becauſe Quantity is the firſt diſpoſition of matter, &c. For this includeth matter: and Aliquid quantum is a word that giveth away his Cauſe: And no Accident is more the ſame with its ſubject than Quantity, or moles extenſiva. 2. And he will be long before he will make or prove mans nature to be ſuch, as that his Intellect can judge of ſubſtances by Believing, as incomplex objects, before it have perceived them by ſenſe and imagination. When we ſee, taſte, ſmell, feel, hear them, the Intellect will ſuddenly and neceſſarily have ſome ſpecies or perception of the Thing, before it come Logically to diſpute from extrinſick media of Teſtimony, What this thing is in a ſecond notion. And our queſtion is, Whether the Intellect in this firſt Perception be deceived, or not? If you diſcharge the Intellect from perceiving ſubſtances preſently, before it know them by ſecond notions or Argument, you will make man quite another thing, than every hour and action tells us he is: But what will not a man ſay, when he ſets himſelf only to ſtudy what to ſay for the making good of his undertaken Cauſe?
But my next work is to prove the Falſhood of theſe pretended Miracles.