The Catholic Doctrine of the Eucharist in All Ages, Engraved title page – Dedication
THE CATHOLIC Doctrin of the EUCHARIST Written in French by the Learned M. Claude.
Veritas fatigari poteſt vinci non poteſt Ethe… & B…
1683.
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London, Printed for R. Royſton.
THE Catholick Doctrine OF THE EUCHARIST In all AGES: In ANSWER to what M. ARNAƲD, Doctor of the Sorbon Alledges touching The BELIEF of the Greek, Moſcovite, Armenian, Jacobite, Neſtorian, Coptic, Maronite, AND OTHER EASTERN CHURCHES.
Whereunto is added an Account of the Book of the Body and Blood of our Lord, Publiſhed under the Name of BERTRAM.
In Six BOOKS.
LONDON: Printed for R. ROYSTON, Bookſeller to His moſt Sacred Majeſty, at the Angel in Amen-Corner, MDCLXXXIV.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in GOD, HENRY Lord Biſhop of LONDON, AND One of His MAJESTIES moſt Honorable PRIVY-COƲNCIL, &c. J. R. R. Humbly Dedicateth this TRANSLATION.
To the Worthy Gentlemen The MINISTERS, and ELDERS of the CONSISTORY, Aſſembled at Charenton.
Gentlemen, and my moſt Honored Brethren,
THE deſign of the Book which I here offer you, being chiefly to invalidate thoſe pretended proofs of Perpetuity, wherewith men would ſet up ſuch new Opinions as alter the purity of the Chriſtian Faith touching the Holy Euchariſt, I have therefore reaſon to believe that this preſent Treatiſe will not prove unacceptable to you; for altho the Religion we profeſs, needs not the hands of men to ſupport it, no more than heretofore the Ark of the Iſraelites; yet have we cauſe to praiſe God, when we ſee that Reproach, of departing from the Ancient Faith, may be juſtly retorted upon them, who charge us with it. Ye will find here in this Diſcourſe a faithful and plain repreſentation of things, ſuch as they are in truth, in oppoſition to every thing which the Wit of Man, and the fruitfulneſs of Human Invention have been able to bring forth to dazle mens Eyes and corrupt their Judgments: As ſoon as ever I had read the Writings of theſe Gentlemen whom I anſwer, the firſt thought that came into my mind was that of Solomon, That God made man Eccleſ. 7. 29.upright, but he had ſought out many inventions. And indeed, what is plainer than the Supper of our Lord, as he himſelf has inſtituted it, and his Apoſtles have delivered it to us; and what can be more prepoſterous than to ſearch for what we ought to believe touching this Sacrament, amongſt the various Opinions of theſe later Ages and different Inclinations of men; and eſpecially amongſt them, who are at fartheſt diſtance from us: Theſe remote ways do of themſelves fill us with doubts and ſuſpicions, and the bare propoſal of them muſt needs diſguſt us, and make us draw conſequences, little advantageous to the Doctrins which theſe Gentlemen would Authorize. Yet I have not refuſed to joyn iſſue with them on their own Principles, as far as the truth will permit me; and if they would read this Anſwer with a free unprejudiced mind, I am certain that they themſelves will acknowledg the contrary to what they have endeavoured to perſuade others.
I here offer you then Gentlemen, and my moſt Honored Brethren, this laſt fruit of my Labor: firſt, for your own Edification, and ſecondly, for a publick teſtimony of my Reſpect and acknowledgments. All that I do, or have done, is juſtly due to you, not only upon the account of the Right which ye have over me and my Labors, but likewiſe becauſe it is partly from your good Examples that I have taken, and do ſtill every day draw the motives which ſtrengthen me in the ways of God and in the love of his Truth. It is in your Holy Society that I learn the Art of ſerving the common Maſter of both Angels and Men, according to the purity of that Worſhip, which he hath preſcribed us, and at the ſame time, how to work out my own Salvation as well as that of others. And indeed what is it, that a man cannot learn in an Aſſembly, wherein all hearts and minds do unanimouſly concur in the practice of Piety and Charity, which conſiſts of perſons who have no other aim, but ſo to order their Converſations, as to draw down thereby the Bleſſings of Heaven upon themſelves and the people whom God hath committed to their Charge, and render themſelves worthy of the protection of our great and Invincible Monarch. This Work would have been publiſhed ſooner, had it not been for three great Loſſes we have ſuffered by the Death of Mr. Drelincourt, Mr. Daillé, and Morus; three names worthy to be had in everlaſting Remembrance. Theſe perſons have left us ſo ſuddenly one after another, that we have ſcarcely had time to bewail each of 'em as much as we deſired: The loſs of the firſt of theſe extremely afflicted us; the loſs of the ſecond overwhelmed us with Sorrow; and the Death of the laſt ſtupified us with Heavineſs. God having taken to himſelf theſe three famous Divines, it was impoſſible but this work ſhould be retarded. But being now at length able to Publiſh it, I therefore entreat you Gentlemen, to ſuffer me to Dedicate it to you, that it may appear in the World honored with your Names. May the Father of Lights, from whom deſcendeth every good and perfect Gift, enrich you more with his Graces, and preſerve your Holy Aſſembly, and the Flock committed to your care: Theſe are the ardent Prayers of your moſt Humble and Obedient Servant and Brother in Chriſt Jeſus,
CLAƲDE.