Doctrines and Practices of the Ancient Church Relating to the Eucharist, Chapter 8

Doctrines and Practices of the Ancient Church Relating to the Eucharist · Chapter 8

p. 62CHAP. VIII. The Eighth Difference. The Church of Rome in all Sayings of the Fathers-that mention a Change and Converſion in the Euchariſt, underſtand it of ſuch a Change as aboliſhes the Subſtance of Bread and Wine, the Accidents only remaining: But the Fathers never uſe theſe Phraſes in this Senſe.

IT is acknowledged by us, That the Fathers ſpeak frequently of a Change of the Bread and Wine, and their paſſing into, and being converted into Chriſt's Body and Blood. It is needleſs therefore to cite their Teſtimonies to this purpoſe; but I ſhall evidently prove, that they do not underſtand this Change and Converſion in the Senſe of Tranſubſtantiation.

To give ſome Order to their Teſtimonies, I ſhall not cite them in a heap, but as Proofs of ſeveral Aſſertions of theirs, which overthrow the Change by Tranſubſtantiation.

1 Aſſertion. The Fathers make a difference betwixt the Change or Converſion of a Thing, and its Abolition. When they affirm the one, they at the ſame time deny the other. But Tranſubſtantiation ſuppoſes the Elements, as to the Matter and Subſtance of them, to periſh and to be deſtroyed, when they are ſaid to be changed.

You cannot well imagine that the Fathers, if they thought of Miracles wrought in the Sacrament, yet ſhould ever dream of any ſuch as had no agreement with all the Miracles that God ever wrought before. They well knew, (and our Adverſaries do not deny it) that in all other Supernatural Changes, there was only the introducing of a new Form, the Materia ſubſtrata (the common Matter) remaining. So it was when Moſes's Rod was turned into a Serpent, when the Waters were turned into Blood, Lot's Wife into a Pillar of Salt, the Wine in Cana of Galilee changed into Water; in all theſe, neither the old Matter was loſt, nor new Matter created. The Fathers therefore laugh at any ſuch Change where the Things changed utterly periſh.

p. 63Tertullian (n)(n)De Reſurrect. Carn. c. 55. Quaſi demutari, ſit in totum & de priſtino perire.charges it as a great Abſurdity againſt the Marcionites, that, according to them, To be changed, was to periſh whelly, and as to what they were before.

He has many ſmart Sayings againſt them, for denying the ſame Bodies to appear and riſe at the Reſurrection; and urges that of 1 Cor. 15. ſhewing that there will be a Change, not a Deſtruction of our Fleſh. For, ſays he, Aliud eſt demutatio, aliud perditio. Peribit autem demutata, ſi non ipſa permanſerit in demutatione quae exhibita fuerit in reſurrectione.A Change is one thing, and Deſtruction is another. But it will periſh in the Change, if that Fleſh do not remain in the Change which ſhall be exhibited at the Reſurrection.

— As therefore that which is deſtreyed, —Quomodò ergo quod perditum eſt, mutatum non eſt, ita quod mutatum eſt perditum non eſt. Periſſe enim, eſt in totum non eſſe quod fuerit; mutatum eſſe, aliter eſſe eſt. Sed porrò dum aliter eſt, id ipſum poteſt eſſe; habet enim eſſe quod non perit; mutationem enim paſſum eſt, non perditionem.is not changed; ſo that which is changed, is not deſtroyed. For, to periſh, is wholly not to be what it had been; but to be changed, is to be otherwiſe than it was. Moreover, by being otherwiſe, the thing may still be; for it has a Being which periſhes not; for it only ſuffered a Change, not a Deſtruction.

Gelaſius (o)(o)De duabus Naturis.alſo diſputing againſt the Eutychians, who thought that the Humanity was converted into the Divinity, ſo that nothing of the other remained, (juſt as with them the Bread is converted into Chriſt's Body, Nec videatur glorificata noſtra conditio unione Deitatis, ſed potius eſſe conſumpta, ſi non eadem ſubſiſtit in gloria, ſed ſolâ exiſtente Deitate, humanitas illic eſſe jam deſtitit, &c.nothing of its Subſtance remaining) ſays thus: Neither do's our Condition by the Union of the Deity ſeem to be glorified, but rather to be conſumed, if it do's not ſubſiſt the ſame in Glory, but the Deity exiſting alone, the Humanity now ceaſes to be there, &c.

—By this way, —Per hoc non ſublimata, ſed abolita potius invenitur.it will not be found to be ſublimated, but aboliſh'd.

The thing is ſo clear againſt Tranſubſtantiation, that Scotus (p)(p)In 4. diſt. 11. art. 1. ſec. ad propoſitum. Dico proprie loquendo, quod tranſubſtantiatio non eſt mutatio.confeſſes it. I ſay, properly ſpeaking, That Tranſubſtantiation is not a Change.

2 Aſſertion. When the Fathers ſpeak of converting a thing into another thing that was before, they ſuppoſe an Acceſſion and an Augmentation made to that, into which the Converſion is made. Juſt as it is in Nouriſhment of our Bodies, the Food converted into them, makes an Increaſe of them.

p. 64Cyril. of Alexandr. (q)(q)Epiſt. 1. ad Succenſum.arguing againſt thoſe Hereticks who thought the glorified Body of Chriſt was converted into his Divinity, he ſays, Thus we derogate from the Divinity, foreign. foreign.as if it were made, and as receiving ſomething into it ſelf, which is not proper to its Nature. And he makes this Converſion to be impoſſible upon this account.

Gelaſius (r)(r)De duabus Naturis.— Acceſſerit, accreveritque Deitati.uſes the ſame Phraſes, of Acceſſion and Increaſe to the Deity, and that by the tranſfuſion of the Humanity added to it, — transfuſione humanitatis adjectae velut aucta videatur.the Divinity would ſeem to be increaſed.

Thus the later Greeks thought it was in Chriſt's Body, into which the Bread was changed.

Damaſcen (s)(s)Epiſt. ad Zachariam, & in Hom. de Corp. & Sang. Domini., ſpeaking of the Body of Chriſt which we partake of: I declare, ſays he, it cannot be ſaid, —foreign.there are two Bodies of Jeſus Christ, there being but one alone. For, as the Child, as ſoon as it is born, is compleat, but receives his growth from eating and drinking; and tho' he grows thereby, yet cannot be ſaid to have two Bodies, but only one; ſo, by greater reaſon, the Bread and Wine, by the Deſcent of the Holy Spirit, are made one only Body, and not two, by the Augmentation of the Body of Chriſt.

Theophylact (t)(t)In cap. 6. Joan.expreſſes it thus: The Bread is changed (foreign) into the Fleſh of Christ by the ineffable Words, foreignthe myſtical Benediction, and coming of the Holy Spirit upon it. No Man ought to be troubled in being obliged to believe that Bread becomes Fleſh: For when our Lord was converſant in Fleſh, and received his Nouriſhment from Bread, this Bread he did eat was changed into his Body, being made like to his holy Fleſh, foreignand contributed to augment and ſuſtain it after a humane manner: And thus now is the Bread changed into our Lord's Fleſh.

See more Teſtimonies of the following Greeks in Monſieur Claude's Catholick Doctrine of the Euchariſt, in anſwer to Monſieur Arnaud, Lib. 3. cap. 13. pag. 228, 229. in Fol.

p. 653 Aſſertion, (and the moſt remarkable) is this. The Fathers uſe the ſame Terms of paſſing into, being changed, converted, becoming another thing, &c. in other Caſes beſides the Eucharist, wherein all agree there is no Change of Subſtances made. Therefore there is no Argument can be drawn from ſuch Expreſſions in favour of Tranſubſtantiation, no not when the Word Nature or Subſtance is expreſt in the Change.

Tertullian (u)(u)De Reſur. Carn c. 55. Si transfigurationem & converſionem in tranſi…um ſubſtantiae cujuſque defendis, ergo & Saul in alium virum converſus de corpore ſuo exceſſit, &c.has daſhed this out of countenance, when he ſays to Marcion, If thou defendeſt a Transfiguration and Converſion as far as the paſſing of the Subſtance of a thing into another, then Saul, who was turned into another Man, went out of his Body, &c.

—Again, It's poſſible to be changed, ſays he, Ibid. Ita & in reſurrectionis eventum mutari, converti, reformari licebit, cum ſalute ſubſtantiae.to be converted and reformed into what ſhall happen at the Reſurrection, and yet the Subſtance be preſerved.

But this will more fully appear, by the Axioms the Fathers lay down, and by the Inſtances they give.

Their Axioms are ſuch as theſe.

Cyril. of Alexandr. (x)(x)Theſaur. Aſſert. 20. foreign.. For a thing to be made, do's not always ſignifie a change of Nature.

Cyril. of Jeruſ. (y)(y)Catech. Myſtag. 5. foreign.. Whatſoever the Holy Spirit touches, that is always ſanctified and changed.

S. Jerome (z)(z)In cap. 43. Ezekiel. Per ignem Spiritus ſancti omnia quae cogitamus, loquimur ac facimus in ſpiritualem ſubſtantiam convertuntur.. By the Fire of the Holy Spirit, all that we think, ſpeak, and act, are changed into a Spiritual Subſtance.

If theſe Sayings be ſtrictly ſcann'd, they will amount to no more than a producing new Vertues and Qualities, which were not before.

Their Inſtances alſo ſhew the ſame.

1. Of Miraculous Changes in Nature.

S. Ambroſe (a)(a)In Hexem. l. 3. c. 2. Diſcant naturam poſſe converti, quando petra aquas fluxit, & ferrum aquae ſupernatavit.. Let them learn, that Nature may be converted, when the Rock flowed out Waters, and Iron ſwam above Water.

p. 66Again (b)(b)Lib. de iis qui initiant. c. 9. Nonne claret naturam vel maritimorum fluctuum vel fluvialis curſus eſſe mutatam?— Miſit Moyſes lignum in aquam & amaritudinem ſuam aquarum natura depoſuit.—Mifit etiam Eliſaeus lignum in aquam, & ferrum natavit; utique & hoc praeter naturam factum eſſe cognoſcimus., ſpeaking of Changes in the Red Sea and Jordan, when the Waters ſtood on an heap; Is it not clear, ſays he, that the Nature of the Sea-waves and the Rivers Current was changed?—Moſes threw Wood into the Water, and the Nature of the Waters loſt its Bitterneſs.— Eliſha alſo threw Wood into the Water, and Iron ſwam; and this we know was done beſides Nature.

Epiphanius (c)(c)Haereſ. 64. foreign.ſays, The Hand of Moſes was changed into Snow.

S. Chryſostome (d)(d)In Pſal. 10. foreign.Ps 10(ſpeaking of the Babylonian Furnace) ſays, The Elements forgetting their proper Nature, were changed to become profitable to them; and the very Beaſts were no longer Beaſts, nor the Furnace a Furnace.

2. Of the Change by the Fall.

S. Auſtin ſays (e)(e)In Pſal. 68. Conc. 1. Per iniquitatem homo lapſus eſt à ſubſtantâ in qua factus eſt.Ps 68, By Sin Man fell from the Subſtance in which he was made.

3. Of the Change by Regeneration.

Gr. Nyſſen (f)(f)In Cantic. Hom. 1. foreign.ſays, That by the Diſcipline of Chriſt Men are changed into a Nature that is more Divine.

And again (g)(g)In Cantic. Hom. 9. foreign.. Having diveſted themſelves of Fleſh and Blood, and being changed into a Spiritual Nature.

Macarius (h)(h)Hom. 44. foreign.ſays, Our Souls muſt be altered and changed from their preſent Condition, into another Condition, and into a Divine Nature.

Cyril of Alexandria (i)(i)De S. Trin. Dial. 3. foreign.ſpeaks of Regeneration as that which tranſmutes and changes us into the Son of God.

4. Of the Change in the Incarnation of Chriſt, and the Reſurrection.

Gr. Nyſſen (k)(k)Contr. Eunom. l. 2. foreign., ſpeaking of Chriſt, whom he calls our Firſt-fruits, ſays, That by his mixing with God, he is changed into a Divine Nature.

p. 67And again (l)(l)Ibid. l. 5. foreign.he uſes this Phraſe of Chriſt's Fleſh, That this is alſo changed into the Deity.

Chryſologus (m)(m)Serm. 45 Deus in hominem convertitur.of the Incarnation; God is changed into Man.

The Author under the Name of Euſebius Emiſſenus (n)(n)Hom. de Paſch. 3. Quid eſt Virga in Serpentem? Deus in hominem commutatus.asks, What is the Rod turned into a Serpent? He anſwers, God changed into Man.

Tertullian (o)(o)Demutati in atomo crimus in Angelicam ſubſtantiam. Contr. Marc. l. 3. c. ult., ſpeaking of the Reſurrection; We ſhall be changed in a moment into an Angelical Substance.

S. Hilary's (p)(p)In Pſal. 138. Demutatio terrenorum corporum in ſpiritualem aethereamque naturam.Ps 138Phraſe of it is, A Change of Earthly Bodies into a Spiritual and Ethereal Nature.

Macarius (q)(q)Hom. 34. foreign.ſpeaking of the Saints; They are all changed into a Divine Nature.

Chryſologus (r)(r)Serm. 45. Veniat, veniat ut carnem reparet, animam innovet, ipſam naturam in coeleſtem commutet ſubſtantiam., ſpeaking of Chriſt; Let him come, let him come, to repair our Fleſh, make our Souls new, change our Nature into a Celeſtial Subſtance.

Cyril of Alexand. ſays (s)(s)Orat. in Reſurr. Chriſti. foreign.At the Reſurrection there will be another kind of Life, and a Change of our very Nature.

S. Auſtin (t)(t)Serm. 12. de 40. à Sirmond. Edit. Caro mortalis convertitur in corpus Angeli.—Ille qui potens fuit mutare aquam in vinum, potens eſt mutare foenum in aurum, & de carne facere Angelum. Si de ſordibus fecit hominem, de homine non faciet Angelum?ſays, Our mertal Feſh is converted into the Body of an Angel.— He that could change Water into Wine, is able to change Hay (ſo he calls our Bodies that are Graſs) into Gold, and of Fleſh make an Angel. If he made of Filth a Man, can he not make of Man an Angel?

And elſewhere (u)(u)Cont. Adimant. c. 12. Cùm induerit incorruptionem & immortalitatem, jam non caro & ſanguis erit, ſed in corpus coeleſte mutabitur., ſpeaking of our Bodies; When it ſhall put on Incorruption and Immortality, now it will be no longer Fleſh and Blood, but be changed into a celeſtial Body.

Caſſian. (x)(x)De Incarn. l. 3. c. 3. Natura carnis in ſpiritualem eſt tranſlata ſubſtantiam.(ſpeaking of Chriſt's Fleſh after the Reſurrection;) The Nature of his Fleſh is changed into a ſpiritual Subſtance.

5. Of the Change in Baptiſm.

S. Chryſoſtome (y)(y)In Acta, Hom. 23. foreign.. Verily the Power of Baptiſm is great, &c. it do's not ſuffer Men to be any longer Men.

p. 68Nazianzen (z)(z)Ocat. 40. foreign.. I am changed into Chriſt in Baptiſm.

Cyril of Alexandr. (a)(a)In Joan. 3.5. foreign.John 3:5. By the energy of the Spirit the ſenſible Water is changed into a kind of divine and unſpeakable Power.

Again (b)(b)Idem Epiſt. ad Letorum. foreign., That they are tranſelemented by Regeneration, through the Grace of the Laver of Baptiſm.

S. Auſtin (c)(c)Cont. Creſcon. lib. 4. c. 54. Uno die tria, alio quinque millia credentium in ſuum corpus converſa ſuſcepit., ſpeaking of Baptized Converts to Chriſtianity. It received on one day Three, on another Five thouſand Believers converted into his Body.

Again (d)(d)In Joan. tract. 11. Unde rubet Baptiſmus niſi ſanguine Chriſti conſecratus?elſewhere he asks, How comes Baptiſm to be red, but by being conſecrated with the Blood of Chriſt?

Leo the Great (e)(e)Scrm. 14. de Paſſione. Suſceptus à Chriſto, & Chriſtum ſuſcipiens, non idem eſt poſt Lavacrum qui ante baptiſmum feit, ſed corpus regenerati ſit caro crucifixi; haec commutatio dextrae eſt excelſi, &c.. He that is received by Chriſt, and receives Christ, is not the ſame Man after as before Baptiſm; but the Body of the Regenerate Perſon becomes the Fleſh of Chriſt crucified; this is a Change by the Right hand of the moſt High, &c.

And again (f)(f)De Nativ. Dom. Serm. 4. Chriſtus dedit aquae quod dedit matri: virtus enim altiſſimi & obumbratio Spiritus S. quae fecit ut Maria pareret Salvatorem, eadem facit ut regeneret unda credentem.. Chriſt gave to the Water, what he gave to his Mother: For the Virtue of the moſt High, and the Overſhadowing of the Holy Ghoſt, which made Mary to bring forth a Saviour, the ſame makes the Water to regenerate a Believer.

[Where we may alſo note by the way, That the mention of God's Omnipotence in the Caſe of Sacraments, do's not infer a ſubſtantial Change made there, ſince it do's not do it in Baptiſm; and yet the Omnipotency of God is ſeen in working Changes there.]

Zeno Verenenſ. (g)(g)Ad Neoph. poſt Baptiſm. Serm. 2. Aqua noſtra ſuſcipit mortuos & evomit vivos, ex animalibus veros homines factos, ex hominious in Angelos tranſituros.. Our Water receives the Dead and vomits forth the Living, being made true Men of meer Animals, ſuch as are to paſs from being Men into Angels, &c. He ſays this of Baptiſm, which is not like common Water, which receives the Living to the bottom, and vomits forth the Dead.

p. 69Author ſub nomine Euſebii Emiſſeni (h)(h)Hom. 2. de Epiphan. Mutantur ſubitò aquae, homines poſtmodum mu…aturae.. The Waters are ſuddenly changed, which are afterwards to change Men, viz. that are baptized in them.

Again (i)(i)Id. Hom. 3. de Epiph. Homo per aquam baptiſmi, licet à foris idem eſſe videatur intus tamen alter efficitur — perſona non contingitur, & natura mutatur.. A Man by the Water of Baptiſm, tho' outwardly he ſeems the ſame, yet inwardly he is made another Man.—The Perſon is not touched, and Nature is changed.

Again (k)(k)Idem Hom. 5. de Paſch. In exteriore nihil additum eſt, & totum in interiore mutatum eſt. — In illam primae originis dignitatem nativo candore mutatur, ac per aquam Baptiſmi, vel per ignem Spiritus S. aeterni illius panis corpus efficitur.. Nothing is added to what is outward, and he is wholly changed in what is inward. —He is changed by a native Whiteneſs into the Dignity of his firſt Original; and by the Water of Baptiſm, or by the Fire of the Holy Spirit, is made the Body of that eternal Bread.

4 Aſſertion. The Change in the Euchariſt which the Fathers ſo often mention, is either a Change into a Sacrament, or a Change of Efficacy and Virtue, by infuſion and addition of Grace.

What can be plainer (as to the firſt) than that of Iſidore of Sevil (l)(l)De Offic. Eccleſ. l. 1. c. 18. Haec duo ſent viſibilia, ſanctificata autem per Spiritum S. in Sacramentum divini corporis tranſeunt.Sir 50:1? Speaking of the Bread and Wine, he ſays, Theſe two are viſible; but being ſanctified by the Holy Spirit, they paſs into a Sacrament of his divine Body.

As for the Change of Virtue and Efficacy, take theſe following Teſtimonies, among many others.

Theodot us (m)(m)Epitom. ad fin. Operum Clem. Alex. foreign.. The Bread and Oil are ſanctified by the Power of the Name, not being the ſame they were according to appearance when taken, but are changed powerfully into a Spiritual Virtue. The like he ſays of the Water in Baptiſm, That it not only retains the leſs (that is, the Subſtance of Water) but alſo has Sanctification added to it.

Epiphanius alſo (n)(n)In Compendio de Fide Eccleſ. foreign.ſpeaks the ſame. Here in Chriſt the virtue of Bread and force of Water are ſtrengthned; not that the Bread is thus powerful to us, but the Virtue of the Bread (which Chriſt puts into it). For Bread is indeed an Aliment, but there is in it a Virtue to enliven us.

p. 70Cyril of Alexandr. (o)(o)Apud Victor. Antioch. Com. MS. in Marc. 14. foreign.Mark 14. God condeſcending to our Infirmities, indues the Oblations ſet before us with a Virtue of Life, and changes them into the Efficacy of his Fleſh.

And in the fore-cited place of his Comment upon John (p)(p)In Joan. 6.57.John 6:57he ſays, The leaſt particle of the Euchariſt mixing it ſelf with our whole Body, foreignfills it with its own Efficacy, &c.

Theodoret (q)(q)Dialog. 1.tells thoſe that partake of the Divine Myſteries, That they muſt not conſider the Nature of the Things ſeen, but upon the change of Names, foreignbelieve the change made by Grace. And he adds, That Chriſt honoured the viſible Symbols with the Name of his Body and Blood, —foreign.not changing the Nature (or Subſtance) of them, but adding Grace to Nature.

Theophylact (r)(r)In cap 14. Marc. foreign.alſo ſays the ſame; Our Lord preſerves the Subſtance (foreign, the ſame with foreign in Theodoret) of Bread and Wine, but changes them into the Virtue of his Fleſh and Blood.

Greg. Nyſſen (s)(s)Orat. in Bapt. Chriſti., ſpeaking of the Privileges which Conſecration advances things to, inſtances firſt in the Water of Baptiſm, and the great and marvellous Efficacy thereof; and proceeds to that of an Altar, which is at firſt but a common Stone, but after Dedication becomes an Holy Altar, which the Prieſts only touch with Veneration: And then adds the Inſtance of the Euchariſt, foreignwhich at firſt is common Bread, but after the Myſtery has conſecrated it, it is called and becomes the Body of Chriſt. So the myſtical Oil, and ſo the Wine before the Benediction, are things of little worth; but after the Sanctification of the Spirit, each of them operates excellently.

So Ammonius (t)(t)Catena in Joan. 3.5. foreign. —Ibid. foreign.John 3:5ſays, The ſenſible Water is tranſelemented into a Divine Virtue (for the Fathers make Changes in Baptiſm as well as the Euchariſt) and ſanctifies thoſe in whom it is. Nay, he affirms, That the Water differs only from the Spirit in our manner of Conception, for it is the ſame in Energy.

p. 71Cyril of Jeruſalem (u)(u)Catech. Myſtag. 1. foreign.calling the Fleſh and Bread in the Feaſt of Idols defiled, by the Invocation of impure Devils, he illuſtrates it thus. As the Bread and Wine of the Euchariſt, before the Invocation of the adored Trinity, foreignis bare Bread and Wine; but after Invocation, the Bread is made the Body of Chriſt, foreignand the Wine the Blood of Chriſt; ſo alſo in the ſame manner thoſe Meats of the Pomp of Satan, in their own Nature being ſimple things, yet by the Invocation of Devils they become impure.

That's the Change here, That thoſe Meats are in Quality (not in Subſtance) made impure; and ſo (if the Compariſon hold) the Change in the other is, That they are Hallowed Bread and Wine, in Uſe and Efficacy different from what they were before.

The Author under Cyprian's Name (x)(x)De Ʋnct. Chryſmat. Ineſt Veritas ſigno, & Spiritus Sacramento., ſpeaking of Chryſin, ſays, Truth is in the Sign, and the Spirit in the Sacrament.

Thus S. Ambroſe (y)(y)De iis qui init. c. 9. in fineunderſtands the Body of Chriſt for that Divine Subſtance and Preſence of the Spirit (which is the foreign & foreign of Chriſt's Body). In illo Sacramento Chriſtus eſt, quia corpus eſt Chriſti. Non ergo corporalis eſca, ſed ſpiritalis eſt. Corpus enim Dei corpus eſt Spiritale. Corpus Chriſti, corpus eſt divini Spiritus, quia Spiritus Chriſti (ſc. eſt.)Chriſt is in that Sacrament, becauſe it is the Body of Chriſt. It is not therefore Corporeal but Spiritual Food: For the Body of God is a Spiritual Body. The Body of Chriſt is the Body of the Divine Spirit (not his natural Body) becauſe it is the Spirit of Christ.

Here Corpus Dei is Corpus Spiritale, that is, Substantia Spiritalis, & Spiritus.

The Author under his Name (z)(z)De Sacram. lib. 4. cap. 4. Quomodo poteſt qui panis eſt, corpus eſſe Chriſti? Conſecratione.—Ergo ut tibi reſpondeam, Non erat corpus Chriſti ante conſecrationem; ſed poſt conſecrationem, dico tibi, quod corpus eſt Chriſti. Ipſe dixit, & factum eſt; ipſe mandavit, & creatum eſt. Tu ipſe eras vetus creatura; poſteaquam conſecratus es nova creatura eſſe coepiſti, &c.. How can that which is Bread be the Body of Christ? By Conſecration.—To anſwer thee therefore, It was not the Body of Christ before Conſecration; but after Conſecration, I tell thee, it is the Body of Christ. He ſaid it, and it was done; he commanded, and it was created. Thou thy ſelf wast an old Creature; but after thou wast conſecrated, thou beganst to be a new Creature, &c.

p. 72So that, according to this Author, as in Regeneration by Baptiſm Man changes his Nature, ſo do's the Conſecrated Bread in the Euchariſt change its Nature. Therefore it is no ſubſtantial Change, becauſe the other confeſſedly is not ſo.

Druthmarus (a)(a)Comm. in Matth. 26.Matt 26, ſpeaking of a Perſon taking a long Journey, and leaving a Pledge behind him to remember him by, —Ita Deus praecipit agi à nobis, transferens ſpiritualiter panem in corpus, vinum in ſanguinem, ut per haec duo memoremus quae fecit pro nobis de corpore ſuo, &c.he adds, Thus alſo God has commanded us to do, ſpiritually changing the Bread into his Body, and the Wine into his Blood, that by theſe two things we may remember what he hath done for us with his Body and Blood, &c.

5 Aſſertion. The Fathers expreſs in the ſame manner, and as fully, our ſubstantial Change into Christ's Body, as of the Bread into Christ's Body. Yet none will from ſuch Expreſſions aſſert the former; and there is the ſame reaſon not to do the latter.

Gr. Nyſſen (b)(b)Orat. Catech. cap. 37. foreign.. As a little Leaven, according to the Apoſtle, likens the whole Maſs to it ſelf; ſo the Body (of Chriſt) put to death by God, coming into our Body, do's change and convert the whole into it ſelf.

And again, —foreign.a little after. His immortal Body being in him that receives it, changes the whole into its own Nature.

Cryil of Alexandria (c)(c)In Joan. lib. 4. cap. 3.ſays, He that receives me by a participation of my Fleſh, ſhall have Life in himſelf, — foreign.being wholly tranſelemented into me.

P. Leo Magn. (d)(d)De Nat. Dom. Serm. 10. Chriſti caro de utero virginis ſumpta, nos ſumus.. We are the Fleſh of Chriſt, taken from the Womb of the Virgin.

And elſewhere (e)(e)Id. de Paſſion. Serm. 14. Non aliud agit Participatio corporis & ſanguinis Chriſti, quàm ut in id quod ſumimus tranſeamus.—Ipſum per omnia ſpiritu & carne geſtemus.. The Participation of the Body and Blood of Chriſt intends nothing elſe but that we ſhould paſs into that which we receive. —That we may carry him in all things both in Spirit and Fleſh. (Not as Bellarmine and others pervert the Senſe, reading gustemus.)

p. 73Again, in another place (f)(f)Epiſt. 23. In illa myſticâ diſtributione ſpiritualis alimoniae, hoc impertitur, hoc ſumitur, ut accipientes virtutem coeleſtis cibi in carnem ipſius, quia caro noitra factus eſt, tranſeamus.. In that mystical Distribution of Spiritual Food, this is bestowed on us, this is taken, that receiving the Virtue of the Celestial Meat, we ſhould paſs into his Fleſh, who was made our Fleſh.

See more Teſtimonies to this ſenſe inthe Chapter following, Poſition 3.