Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 2 · Floating text 2 · Popish error 6
6. That the body and blood of Chriſt are really, and ſubſtantially preſent in the Euchariſt, and the Bread and Wine tranſubſtantiated into them.
FRancis Sales, in his Introduction to a devout life, determines thus. P. 194. 219. The death and paſſion of our Redeemer, are actually and eſſentially repreſented in this holy ſacrince: Our bleſſed Saviour hath inſtituted the venerable Sacrament of the Euchariſt which containeth really and verily his fleſh and bloud.
Chriſts Epiſtle to a devout Soule thus ſeconds him, Page. 77. 78. Becauſe thou maiſt be inflamed with a greater reverence, love and deſire towards this bleſſed Sacrament, I aſſure thee, that without all doubt my body is there Sacramentally delivered unto thee, to be received, under the forme of Bread. Wherefore ſeeing it is the ſame body which I carry now glorified in Heaven, ſeeing it is no other, nor any like unto it, but even the very ſame, and ſeeing I carry not a body which is dead, nor with out bloud it followeth of neceſſity that together in the ſame body, there muſt be alſo conteined my ſoule, my bloud, my graces, and my vertues: To all which ſince the word is united it muſt alſo follow, that the whole Trinity is preſent in this Sacrament, as truly and as verily as they are in Heaven, though in another kind, id eſt, under a Sacramentall forme. The ſame opinion thou muſt in like ſort have of the Chalice, the new-teſtament in my bloud, conſider therefore that thou haſt mee really and perfectly there, Page 238. Make alſo every day to me in the honour of the holy Sacrament of my bleſſed body two reverent adorations.
Doctor Laurence in his Sermon before the King reſolves thus Page 17. 18. As I like not thoſe that ſay, he is bodily there, ſo I like not thoſe that ſay, his body is not there; becauſe Chriſt ſaith, tis there, and Saint Paul ſaith 'tis there, and the Church of England ſaith 'tis there, and the Church of God ever ſaid tis there; and that truly and ſubſtantially & eſſentially: and that not only by way of repreſentation or Commemoration; and yet without either con, ſub, or trans, which the antient Church ſaid not: by a reall, and nevertheleſſe a ſpirituall and myſticall and ſupernaturall preſentation and exhibition. For why ſhould our Saviour bid us take what he would not have us receive? We muſt beleeve tis there; we muſt not know what is there: our faith may ſee it, our ſence cannot; tis a miſtery, they all ſay, and twere no myſtery if twere knowne; his preſence they determined, the manner of his preſence they determined not: they ſay he is there, end they ſay the Lord knowes how. For why ſhould we ſeeke him naturally in the Communion, whom naturally we cannot finde in the Wombe of the Virgin.
Doctor Pocklington in his Altare Chriſtianum, writes thus. Page. 108. 153. The people were not ſo prophane and unchriſtian not to performe their moſt humble and lowly reverence towards the moſt holy and ſacred Altar, where Chriſt is moſt truly and really preſent in the bleſſed Sacrament, &c. Altars becauſe they are the ſeates and Chaires of eſtate, where the Lord vouchſafeth to place himſelfe amongſt us, (quid eſt enim Altare, niſi ſedes corporis et ſanguinis Chriſti as Optatus ſpeaks?) have bin in all ages ſo greatly honoured, and regarded of the moſt wiſe learned and moſt bleſſed Saints of God.
Doctor Heylin in his Cole from the Altar affirmes Page 15. Biſhop Ridley doth not only call it the Sacrament of the Altar, affirming thus, that in the Sacrament of the Altar is the naturall body and bloud of Chriſt, &c.
The Archbiſhop of Canterbury in his Speech in Star-Chamber, hath this ſtrange Paſſage which did much amuſe the VVorld, Page 47. To Almighty God, I doubt not, but yet it is, verſus Altare, towards his Altar, as the greateſt place of Gods reſidence on earth: I ſay the greatest; yea, greater than the Pulpit, For there tis Hoc eſt corpus meum, This is my Body; But in the Pulpit, tis at moſt, but Hoc eſt verbum meum: This is my word, (and as many men uſe the matter, Hoc eſt verbum Diaboli, This is the word of the Devill). And a greater reverence, no doubt, is due to the Body than to the VVord of the Lord: and ſo in relation anſwerably to the Throne where his Body is uſually preſent than to the Seat whence his Word uſeth to be proclaimed, &c.
Theſe words doe neceſſarily imply, a reall preſence of Chriſts Naturall Body on the Altar, not of his Sacramentall only. For this ſentence; The greateſt place of Gods reſidence on earth, I ſay the greateſt; yea greater than the Pulpit, for there tis, Hoc eſt corpus meum: &C. But in the Pulpit tis at moſt, but hoc eſt verbum meum: clearely demonſtrates that he meanes this only of Chriſts very naturall body. For firſt he ſpeakes of that Body of Chriſt, to which the Deity is hypoſtatically united, and ever preſent with:
Secondly, of that body which drawes along with it the greateſt preſence and reſidence of God Himſelfe on earth.
Thirdly of that body of Chriſt, which is farre more worthy and honourable than the word of Chriſt.
Fourthly, of that body to which a greater reverence no doubt is due, than to the word of the Lord: and ſo by relation, to the Throne wherin his body is uſually preſent, then to the Seat where his word uſeth to be proclaimed. Now all theſe cannot be intended of any repreſentative or Sacramentall Body of Chriſt, but onelyonly of his Naturall body, Therfore his cleare meaning can be no other, but that Chriſts very natural body is really preſent on the Altar in the conſecrated bread, when the Sacrament is there adminiſtred. And to put this out of doubt, theſe paſſages in his Conference with Fiſher, p. 286. 293, 294, 295, 296. intimate, or rather clearely expreſſe as much.
All ſides agree in the truth with the Church of England, That in the moſt bleſſed Sacrament, the worthy Receiver is by his Faith, made ſpiritually partaker of the true and reall body and bloud of Chriſt, TRVLY and REALLY. I would have no man troubled at the words, TRVLY and REALLY, &c. Bellarmine ſaith, Proteſtants doe often grant, That the TRVE and REALL BODY OF CHRIST IS IN THE EVCHARIST, and TIS MOST TRAVE. For the Calviniſts, at leaſt they which follow Calvin himſelfe, do not only beleive, that the TRVE and REALL BODY of Christ is received in the Eucharist, but THAT IT IS THERE; and that we partake of it VERE ET REALITER: Nor can that place by any art be ſhifted, or by any violence wreſted from Calvines true meaning of the preſence of Christ, IN and AT the bleſſed Sacrament of the Euchariſt. And for the Church of Engl. nothing is more plaine than that it believes and teaches The true and reall preſence of Chriſt in the Euchariſt; unleſſe A. C. can make a body no body, and bloud no bloud. Nay Biſhop Ridley addes yet further, That in the Sacrament IS THE VERY TRVE and NATVRALL BODY and BLOVD OF CHRIST, that which was borne of the Virgin Mary; which aſcendod into Heaven, which ſits at the Right hand of God the Father, which ſhal come from thence to judge the quick and the dead, &c. All which compared with his Alterations and Additions made with his owne hand in the Booke of Common Prayer, which he would have obtruded on the Church of Scotland [recited at large in A Neceſſary Introduction to his Tryall, pag. 158. to 164.] ſo groſly Popiſh, that hee durſt not hazard the giving of them in evidence to this particular point, but pleaded the Act of Pacification and Oblivion in barre thereof as ſoone as ever they were but mentioned; will undoubtedly manifeſt him a meere Papiſt in this particular, and a profeſſed Patron of the Reall preſence Tranſubſtantiation, and the Maſſe it ſelfe.