The Anatomy of the Mass, Book 1 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. That our Adverſaries in this matter intangle themſelves into abſurdities, and inſoluble contradictions.
IT is hard to beleeve a man that beleeves not his own ſelfe, and that contradicts himſelfe, and heapes up together ſo many abſurdities, that it ſeemes he is afraid other men ſhould beleeve him. This maxime is true without exception, that two things contradictorie cannot both be true. Our Adverſaries themſelves confeſſe that it paſſeth the omnipotencie of God, and that hee cannot doe that a thing be and be not at one and the fame time: that Caeſar be a man indeed and not be a reaſonable creature. That a round ſigure be ſquare whilſt it is round.
Againſt this rule do our adverſaries offend, deſtroying the definition of things, and affirming things which are …ncompatible, and heaping together in this matter a thouſand abſurdities, whereof we will ſpecifie ſome.
1 They ſay that in the Maſſe the Prieſt with 5 words makes the body of Chriſt, which nevertheleſſe was already before the Prieſt made it. They ſpeak as if ſhould ſay, that whileſt Philip is at Paris, ſome body makes him at Rome. To make a thing which is already, and to deſtroy a thing which is not, are like abſurdities.
2 If a man be in this chamber who was not in it the day before, it muſt needs follow that either he came thither from elſewhere, or was borne in it. But in the Maſſe they ſay that Chriſt is not there before the conſecration, and that after the conſecration he is there, and yet that he came not thither: It follows then that he was borne there, or freſhly formed, though he was already before.
3 They ſay that the Species of the bread and wine (for they ſpeake after that manner) contain the body of Chriſt, and yet containe it not, for it is in heaven. This is a ridiculous contradiction, to will that a body be out of that which containes it, for thence will follow tha… the thing which containeth it, containe… it not.
4 They ſay that the Lords body with all its bigneſſe and length is contained i… the leaſt crumme of the Hoſte, and in th… leaſt drop of the chalice, ſo that if th… point of a pinne were dipt in the conſecrated cup, the Lords body would be whole in that drop that ſhould hang … the end of the pinne. Whence followeth that the contained is greater tha… the continent, as if one ſhould ſay that … crowne which is in a purſe, is bigger than the purſe, and that the Earth is bigger than heaven that compaſſeth it about.
5 They give to the body of Chriſt … length without extent, that is to ſay, … length without length, ſince all i… length is under one point that hath no… length.
6 They ſay that Chriſts body is in this place, but not locally, as if a man ſhould ſay, it is white, but not whitely. They ſay that the body of the Lord i… preſent, but not corporally, but rather ſpiritually. But for a body to be ſpiritually preſent, is a thing no leſſe abſurd, than for a ſpirit to be corporal-preſent.
7 They will have Chriſts body in the crament to be long and large, and yet hold no ſpace. How is that poſſible, …ce that length and breadth are ſpaces.
8 They ſay that Chriſts body in the crament is preſent not circumſcrip…ely, that is to ſay, not bounded or en…oſed of any place. Yet what they de… of the whole, they confeſſe it of every …verall part of the body. For they can…ot deny but that in the Lords body the …aines are incloſed, and circumſcribed …ithin the ſcull, and that his heart is en…oſed and limited within the pericardi…n, and the lungs within the breaſt or …eſt, ſince they ſay that it is a true humane body.
9 They ſay that the conſecrated hoſte … Chriſt, and that the Prieſt breakes the Hoſte, and yet breakes not Chriſt. They …ay that Chriſts blood is ſhed in the Maſſe, and yet budges not, and comes not out of the veines. But all effuſion is a motion: how can then Chriſts blood be ſhed without motion?
10 They ſay that the Prieſt drinketh Chriſts body and ſoule under the ſpecies of the wine. By that meanes they make Chriſts body liquid. For although the… ſay that the Prieſt drinks the Lords bo… under the ſpecies of the wine: yet under theſe ſpecies it doth not loſe its ſoliditi….
11 They ſay that Chriſt did eate himſelfe, and ſwallowed up his owne body Whence it followeth that he had at th… ſame time his mouth in his head, and his head in his mouth, and that the whole was incloſed in one part, whereas par… are comprized in the whole. A ma… ſhould be eſteemed madde that would ſay that the ſcabberd is within the blade of the ſword, and the purſe within a crowne. And all this without beeing able to tell us what benefit comes to us, that Chriſt ſhould have eaten himſelfe. The abſurditie redoubles in that that Chriſt eating, was infirme and paſſible, ſpeaking, and moving, and fitting: But Chriſt that was eaten by Chriſt, was impaſſible and without infirmity, neither ſpeaking, nor moving, fitting, lying▪ nor ſtanding. By this means Chriſt paſſible hath devoured the impaſſible: And Chriſt did eate himſelfe, not ſuch as hee was, but ſuch as he was not.
12 It is true that things contradictory may agree in one and the ſame ſubject in ſeverall times, or in ſeverall parts, or in ſeverall reſpects, that is to ſay, in com…aring this thing with ſeverall things*Ariſt. l. 1. Elenchorie c. 5. whereas we ſay, code▪ reſpectu, ſaith, foreign ad idem: and gives for example of divers reſpects, that one and the ſame number may be the double and nor the double being cō pared to divers nū bers.. …or example a man may be yong and old … ſeverall times: be white in one part of …s body, and blacke in the other. Hee …ay be tall and little, poore and rich … ſeverall reſpects, that is to ſay, in …omparing him with ſeverall perſons. …ee may be tall in compariſon of a …warfe, little in compariſon of a Gi…nt, rich in compariſon of a begger, …nd poore in compariſon of Seneca, or Lucullus. But here they attribute unto Chriſt contradictory things at one and the ſame time, not in ſeverall parts, and without comparing him with any other but himſelfe. They will have him at one and the ſame time to have beene the contained and the continent, ſpeaking and moving in the Euchariſt, and neither ſpeaking nor moving in the mouthes of the Apoſtles, having a length without length, an extent without a ſpace.
13. They ſay that as God may doe that one and the ſame body be whole and entire in ſeverall remote places, and ſo bee farre and ſeparated from himſelfe, that is to ſay that he be one, and not be one: So likewiſe God can make that two bodies hold but one place, by penetration of dimenſions, as they prattle in their Schooles: That is to ſay that God can make that a veſſell that holds a pinte, without making it bigger or larger, may containe two pintes yea three, yea tenne, yea a thouſand, yea a million, and ſo ad infinitum: So th… this pinte ſhall containe the whole Se… without being made bigger, and without the water of the Sea being any wh… diminiſhed. Yea by this doctrine th… whole World without diminiſhing o… its bigneſſe, may be encloſed in one grai… of wheate.
14. Philoſophy by a thouſand reaſons proveth that it is impoſſible that there be any Vacuum in the World, and our Adverſaries teach it ſo in their Schooles, and with good reaſon. By Vacuum is underſtood a ſpace of place which is not filled with any ſubſtance a place that is full of nothing. Ye… notwithſtanding, the Roman Church, by Tranſubſtantiation puts a Vacuum in the conſecrated cup. They ſay that this chalice is full, but they cannot tell with what body it is filled up. It is not full of wine: For they holde it is no more wine. It is not full of the body of Chriſt: for they hold that Chriſts body in the Euchariſt filleth no place. As for the accidents they are not a body. So no bodily ſubſtance ſhall be found that filleth the chalice.
15. It is not to be imagined but that when Chriſt did breake the bread to his Diſciples, ſome crummes thereof fell uppon the table: and ſome reſidue of that ſacred bread was left behind. Now according to the Church of Romes doctrine, in every one of theſe peeces of bread, Chriſts body was whole and entire. Whereupon wee aske if when Chriſt (after hee was riſen from the table) ſwate drops of blood, that body of the Lord which was under theſe crummes, ſwate alſo drops of blood? Item if when Chriſt was put upon the Croſſe, that body which was under theſe crums, or under the reſidues of that ſacred bread was likewiſe crucified under the ſpecies of the bread? For if it was not crucified under theſe ſpecies of the bread, behold there was 2 Chriſts, the one crucified, the other not crucified. Or if under thoſe ſpecies Chriſts body was crucified, they muſt alſo put under the ſame ſpecies the Croſſe, and the Souldiers that crucified him. For to be crucified without a croſſe is a thing unconceivable, & a plain contradiction.
16. This body alſo which was under the reſidue of the conſecrated bread, mu… of neceſſity either bee living or deal when the Lords body was in the Sepulcher: If living, behold there was two bodies of Chriſt at one and the ſame time, whereof the one was dead, the other living. Or if that body which was in theſe crummes, ſuffered death under thoſe ſpecies, there was a body▪ of Chriſt which ſuffered death without being put to the croſſe, and without the Souldiers touched it.
17. That if whilſt the body of the Lord was dead, any of his Diſciples had celebrated the Euchariſt, if he had offered a living body, it would not have beene the ſame body that was in the Sepulcher. Or if by pronoūcing the words of conſecration he had turned the bread into a dead body, he had not offered a Sacrifice: For a dead body is not an acceptable Sacrifice. Theſe difficulties would deſerve wel to conſult the Papal Oracle: or ſome deciſion of the Sorbon.
18. From the ſame Doctrine followeth, that when in the Proceſſion on Corpus Chriſti day two conſecrated hoſtes meet one another and paſſe by one an other, Chriſt incounters himſelfe, and goes to meet with his owne ſelfe. And it is to bee preſumed that theſe Hoſtes know one another, and make one to another a mutuall ſalutation, and that if one ſhould come to fall, the other that is not fallen, would looke upon that which is fallen, with great compaſſion.
19. This is one of the beſt of all, and wherein the Romiſh Doctors entangle themſelves moſt and trouble their braines exceedingly. A time was that they diſputed in the Church of Rome whether it be in Gods power to make that one body be circumſcriptively in two or in many ſeverall places. As for example, whether God can make that Philip be at Paris and at Rome at one and the ſame time, contained and limited by two ſeverall remote places. But now they hold with a generall conſent that it is poſſible. Among thoſe that have written in theſe our times, I know none but Vaſquez that is of another opinion. This thing admitted to be ſo, it will follow that if Philip be at Rome in the water, and in the fire at Paris, he ſhall be both wet and burned at once. If one of his armes be cut off at Paris, he ſhall have but one arme at Paris, but at Rome he ſhall have two. If hee be kil'd at Paris, he ſhall be dead at Paris, and living at Rome: and perhaps comming from Rome to Paris, hee ſhall find himſelfe to be dead, not knowing of it before, and ſhall aſſiſt at his owne funerals. Perhaps that Philip of Paris will come to Rome to ſee himſelfe, and being arrived there, ſhall not find himſelfe there becauſe he abſented himſelfe from Rome. That if both of them ſet forth on the way for to meet one another, one and the ſame man ſhall goe to meet himſelfe. And having met with himſelfe, how ſhall their noſes jumble themſelves into one? How ſhall a man turne his back to his owne ſelfe? That if Philip doth feaſt at Paris and faſt at Rome, one and the ſelfe ſame man ſhall be both full and empty, fat and leane at the ſame time. That if Philip meete with himſelfe upon the way, and that Philip embrace Philip, it is evident they ſhall be two. For every conjunction is at leaſt betweene two divers things.
20. That if the body of one and the ſame man may be in a thouſand ſeverall places at one and the ſame time, it may be alſo in a hundred thouſand places, and if in a hundred thouſand, ſo likewiſe in a Million, and ſo ſtill in augmenting: ſo that at laſt one mans body ſhall be able to fill up the whole world. Indeed, the plurality of places and the Ʋbiquity comes all to one. The difference between the Church of Rome and thoſe that put Chriſts body everywhere, is onelyonly in this: the one ſay this body is everywhere, and the other ſay it may be everywhere. Truely the Roman Church hath no reaſon to contend with the Ʋbiquitaries about a thing which ſhe beleeves to be poſſible.
21. The point in Mathematicks is no quantity, and hath no magnitude, and is indiviſible: To put therefore one and the ſame point in two divers remote places, is to divide the point and to ſeparate it from it ſelfe. That is the thing our Adverſaries doe, putting one body in two ſeverall places. For example, if Philip may be at Paris and at Rome at one and the ſame time, the point that is in the midſt of the apple of his eye, is the ſame point aſwell at Rome as at Paris, and yet it is farre from it ſelfe, and ſeparated and divided from it ſelfe.
22. And ſince Angelicall Spirits are but in one onelyonly place definitively, thoſe that put the Lords body in ſeverall places at once, make it more ſpirituall than the very Spirits themſelves, and divide it from it ſelfe.
23. There is impietie mingled with that. For after the Prieſt hath eaten the hoſte, they hold that Chriſts body is in the Prieſts ſtomack untill the ſpecies by diſgeſtion be deſtroyed. After then that thoſe ſpecies be deſtroyed, the Lords body is no more there, and yet is not gone out of it: (for theſe Doctors ſay it cannot move it ſelfe locally.) Whereupon it muſt follow of neceſſity that this body of Chriſt which was in the Prieſts ſtomack, is turned into nothing. And our Adverſaries cannot tell us whither he is gone, nor what is become of him.