HEE that professeth himselfe the su­preme head of the Church of Christ, and yet forceth men, vpon paine of death, to blaspheme Christ, Hee is Anti­christ.

Because it cannot be imagined how any power vpon earth can more cunningly, and out of a dee­per mysterie doe Christ such v­niuersall mischiefe.

But the Pope of Rome does [Page 2] professe himselfe the Supreme head of the Church of Christ, (and that is granted) and yet for­ceth men vpon paine of death, (both temporall and eternall) to blaspheme Christ.

And this we thus proue:

Hee that forceth men vpon paine of death to grant, that there is no other Christ but He whose perfit Body, Soule, and Deity hath, for these 1600. yeers last past, beene ordinarily present amongst men vnder that particu­lar forme which immediately before the speaking of a few words was the forme of a sense­lesse creature, and in that forme does enter into the mouthes of liuing creatures▪ he forceth men to blaspheme Christ.

Because this position does blas­pheme,

• [Page 3]The Manhood of Christ.
• The God-head of Christ.
• The Maiesty of Christ.
• The Holinesse of Christ.
• The Iustice of Christ.
• The Mercy of Christ.
• The Wisdome of Christ.
• The Power and Word of Christ.

First, it blasphemes the man­hood 1 of Christ; because it giues Him such a Body as in the out­ward eyes of those that are pre­sent with Him hath no more si­militude with the body of a man than a chip or a stone.

Secondly, it blasphemeth His 2 God-head; because it supposeth the Creator to be ordinarily vni­ted vnto the forme of a creature.

Thirdly, it blasphemeth his 3 Maiesty; because it giues Him [Page 4] such an outward presence as the vilest and poorest man liuing would be ashamed of, and euen vtterly abhorre.

4 Fourthly, it blasphemeth His Holinesse; because it supposeth Him to goe through more vn­cleane passages, than euer liuing man did, and such as of necessity do either reiect or corrupt what­soeuer they receiue.

5 Fifthly, it blasphemeth His Iustice; because it affirmeth Him to be ordinarily present amongst men, in a forme nothing like a man; and yet wee must vpon paine of damnation beleeue that He is a perfit man.

6 Sixthly, it blasphemeth His Mercy; because it layes this in­tolerable burthen vpon the Faith of little ones, either to looke for no saluation, or to beleeue that [Page 5] thing to be their Sauiour which in all outward appearance is but a morsell of bread.

Seuenthly, it blasphemeth His 7 Wisedome; because it suppo­seth Him to worke daily multi­tudes of most incredible and most stupendious miracles, for no other purposes but such as are daily effected without any miracles at all: there being no kinde of benefit redounding vn­to mankind by this His supposed bodily presence, but such as dai­ly does redound vnto vs in His bodily absence: For daily does Hee giue vs the gift of Faith in His bodily absence; daily does He conuerse with men, sup with men, and dwell with men in His bodily absence; daily does Hee giue all kind of gifts vnto men in his bodily absence; daily does [Page 6] He send the cōforter in his bodily absence; For the cōforter wil not come vnles He goes away; Ioh. 16.7. Yea (finally) daily does e giue vs his flesh to eat in His bodily absence; For except we eat his flesh, we haue no life in vs, (Ioh. 6.53.) But hee that beleeueth hath euerla­sting life (Ioh. 6. [...]7.) and there­fore he that beleeueth, does al­wayes (in His most bodily ab­sence) eat His Flesh. To con­clude, What benefit, what Grace, what comfort was euer heard of, or can be imagined, but may bee imparted vnto men as well (not to say incomparably more easi­ly, more sweetly, more credibly) In His bodily absence, as in this supposed bodily presence, wher­unto such stupendious miracles must concurre: namely (for a taste of them) these amongst o­thers: [Page 7] 1. That the perfit Body of a man must bee couched and contriued into the forme of a bit of bread. 2. That the liuing bo­dy of one man must wholly en­ter into the mouth of another. 3 That the same man shall be in infinite places at once. 4. That the perfit Body of man shall or­dinarily come downe from hea­uen, and yet the outward eyes of those which entertain Him shall not see it. 5. That these so vn­couth wonders shall be wrought at the call of mortall men (euery Priest) vnto the end of the world, &c. And is not this a blas­pheming of the wisedome of the Almighty to make him the de­ [...]isor of these so inglorious, and (to say nothing of the quality of them) insuperfluous miracles.

Also wee further adde, that it 8 [Page 8] blasphemeth his Power; be­cause it makes it the instrument of such operations as are disho­nourable and repugnant vnto His Wisdome, His Maiesty, His Iustice, and euen all His condi­tions and attributes; whereas the power of God on the contra­ry does so infinitely apply it selfe to the honour and glory of God, as that it doth continually resist, confound and destroy whatsoe­uer does offer the least diminuti­on vnto it.

9 Last of all, it blasphemeth his Word; and that both His crea­ted Word, and also His reuealed Word.

For what is his created Word, but the faculties of Sense & Rea­son? What word, or what light had man in his innocency, to shew him which was the middle [Page 9] tree in the garden (which vpon paine of death he was forbidden to taste of) but his common Sense? And what other word or light haue men now in the state of recouery, to tell them which is a man, and which is a beast; which is a fish, and which is a serpent; and to lay them out their particular taskes, portion▪ and callings, but their common Sense? This therefore so imme­diately created and sacred light, if it bee made a notorious lyar, (for what is it else if it constantly affirmes that to bee a morsell of bread which indeed is the perfit Body of a man?) Is not therein the Word of God blasphemed?

And as for his Reuealed Word, both His Originall Word (the Scriptures) and also His deriued Word (the Fathers) are not they [Page 10] also contradicted and blasphe­med by this position.

For first, concerning the Scrip­ture, does not that euery where tell vs, That our Sauiour was in euery point like a man? That He had the face, limbs, and proper­ties of a man? That Hee did eat, drinke, and speake like a man? Also doe not the Scriptures ex­presly say, That the Heauens must containe him till all things bee resto­red? Acts 3.20. And that He shall so descend from heauen; as Hee first ascended vp into heauen? Whereas by this position Hee hath for these 1600. yeeres con­tinually descended bodily from heauen, not once in such a man­ner descend, as Hee first ascen­ded: Yea, the Scripture euery where tells vs that now Hee is in the state of Glory; whereas this [Page 11] position contriues Him into a more vile forme than euer man had, and tyes Him to a more base condition than euer any man (or indeed any liuing creature) did vndergoe. For though they seeme to doe Him great honour while they carry Him about (in those breaden formes) in their pompous processions; yer when withall they professe that in the end he is to be eaten vnder those breaden formes, all the honour they bestow on him is no better honour vnto him, then the guil­ding the Buls hornes when hee is led to be baited, is an honour vnto the Bull. Finally, the Bread which our Sauiour termed His Body, does not the Scripture e­very where call it still bread not­withstanding, He tooke, brake, blessed, and gaue Bread, say all [Page 12] the Euangelists; sometime also saying as much of the cup as of the wine: Paul also calling it bread, both in the blessing, and in the eating, and also after the eating: and the Acts of the A­postles terming these Commu­nions ( Chap. 2.42.) a continuance in breaking bread: and ( Chap. 20.7.) a comming together to break bread: And all the Fathers for many hundred yeeres together immediately following the first Institution, when at any time they made mention of it, as se­curely calling it bread, as if they neuer imagined that any would euer make question thereof. And for proofe hereof, wee haue thought good to close vp this point with a border of citation [...] out of them; leauing the force of their sayings to the applicati [...] [Page 13] of the Reader for breuity sake. Circa An. c. p 2.

Clemens Romanus (to cite them according to the times wherein they liued) saith thus of it; We offer vnto thee our King and our God, this bread and this wine, giuing thee thankes: Concil. Tom. 2.

Ignatius thus; An. c. 10 [...]There is one flesh of our Lord Iesus, and one Bloud, one bread and one cup. Epist. 2.

Iustine Martyr thus; 133. When prayers are finished, Bread and Wine is offered: And elsewhere thus; Christ hath giuen the bread to the end wee should re­member that He was made a bo­dy for such as should beleeue. In Dial. contra Tryphon. and Apolog. 2.

Irenaeus Martyr thus; An. 172. As the Eucharist consisting of two na­tures, the earthly and the hea­uenly, [Page 14] so our Bodies, &c.

An. 196. Tertullian thus; Calling the bread His body, to the end you may vnderstand that He hath gi­uen bread to bee a figure of His body. Contra Marcion. 3.19.

Clemens Alexandrinus thus; The Wine signifies the Bloud al­legorically. Lib. de paedagog. 1 ⁰.6.

An. c. 207. Origen thus; If you take this saying, [Except ye eat the flesh of the sonne of man, &c.] according to the Letter, the Letter killeth. Hom. 7. in Leuit. & elswhere thus; After we haue giuen thankes, we eat the Loues presented. Contra Celsun. 8.

An. 250. Cyprian thus; Our Lord gaue with His owne hands bread and wine, which He called His Body. De vnct. Chris. and elswhere thus; This bread is conuerted into our flesh and bloud, and ser­ueth [Page 15] for our life. Epist. 2.

Eusebius Caesariensis thus; An. 308. Christ and His Ministers doe represent the mysteries of His Body and Bloud by bread and wine. De De­monst. Euangel. 5.3.

Athanasius thus; An. 327. How few would his Body haue sufficed that it should be meat for all the world. In illud [quicun (que) &c.]

Concilium Nicenum thus; An. 329. Wee must not basely [ humiliter] be in­tent vpon the bread and the eup, but lifting vp our mindes by faith, &c. Concil. 1.

Macarius Egypt, thus; An 360. In the Church bread and wine is offe­red being the figure of his flesh and bloud. Homil. 27.

Epiphanius thus; An. 379. Christ spea­king of a loafe which is round in figure, and cannot see, heare, nor feele, saith of it, This is my Bo­dy. [Page 16] In Anchor.

An. 384. Ambrose thus; Thou sawest the Sacraments vpon the Altar, and wondredst at the creature; yet is it a solemne and knowne creature: De Sacram. 4.3. And elsewhere thus; In the Law was a shadow, in the Gospell an i­mage, in Heauen the truth. Lib. 1 ⁰. ex offic. C. 48.

Gregory Nissen, thus; Whose hath abundantly drunke of the Apostles springs, hath already receiued whole Christ. In vi [...] Mos.

An. 385. Chrysostome thus; If it be dan­gerous to transferre sanctified vessels vnto priuate vses, where in not the true Body of Christ but onely a mysterie of that body is contained: how much les [...] ought wee to giue the vessels of our owne bodies to the deuil [...] [Page 17] which God hath prepared for himselfe to inhabit. In Matth. 5. Homil. 11. and elsewhere thus; It is counted worthy to be called the Lords Body, though the na­ture of bread remaineth there still. Ad Caesar. Monach. citat. à [...]arijs Author. And againe, thus; Wooll when it is died, is called no longer wooll, but Purple or Scarlet, though the nature of wooll stil remaineth. In Psal. 22.

Gregory Nazianzen thus; An. 378. We [...]ow partake the Passeouer, [...]hough in a figure, yet much more cleare than in the old Law. De Pasch. Orat. 2.

Hierome thus; Christ is not cor­porally in the Church. In Prou, 1. [...]. and elsewhere thus; Christ left bread and wine, as he that goes [...]voyage leaues a gage: In prim. [...]d Corinth. 11. and againe, thus; [Page 18] I take the Gospel to be the body of Christ, and that more truly than the Sacrament. In Psal. 147.

An. 394. Austine thus; If we looke to the visible signes, by which the Sacraments are performed, who can bee ignorant that they are corruptible. De Bapt. Lib. 3. Cap. 10. And elsewhere thus; By rea­son of the resemblance betwixt the Sacraments and the things, the Sacraments often times take the name of the things. Epist. 23. And elsewhere thus; this is a perfit rule to vnderstand whe­ther a speech be figuratiue, that whatsoeuer in Scripture cannot bee referred vnto integrity o [...] faith, or verity of manners, that resolue thy selfe is figuratiue. D [...] doctr. Chr. Lib. 3. Chap. 10. Where upon hee inferres our Sauiour speech, [of eating his flesh] to be [Page 19] figuratiue, because according to the Letter, it is a sinfull act; calling it a carnall sense to take figuratiue speeches properly, and a miserable bondage of the soule.

Theodoret thus; An. 424. He honoured the signes which we see, with the name of His body, not changing the nature, but casting grace vp­on nature. And elsewhere thus; The mysticall signes after sancti­fication doe not depart from their nature, but remaine in their former substance, figure, and [...]orme. Dial. 2.

Cyril thus; Our Sacrament a­ [...]oucheth not the eating of a man. Ad obiect. Theod. And else­where thus; He gaue peeces of bread to His Disciples. In 4. Io­ [...]n.

Gelasius thus; An. 490. By the Sacra­ments [Page 20] we are made partakers of the heauenly nature and yet for all that ceaseth not the nature of bread and wine. Contra Eutichens.

An. 550. Fulgentius thus; How did He goe vp to heauen but as he is ve­ry man, contained in a place? Or how is Hee present with the faithfull, but as He is very God without all measure? Ad Thra­simach. Regul. 2.

An. 526. Ephrem thus; Taking bread in­to His hands, He blessed it, and brake it for a figure of His bo­dy. Contra Inquis. Diuin. Natur.

Vigilius thus; To goe to His Father, and from vs; was to take from the world that nature which he receiued of vs. Contra Eutichens.

An. 550. Concilium Constant. thus; Christ commanded the whole substance of bread, chosen for His Image [Page 21] to bee set on the table, lest if it resembled the shape of a man, I­dolatry might bee committed. Extat in Concil. Nicen. 2.

Procopius Gazeus thus; There is now giuen an Image, a Type, a Figure of His body, receiuing no more the bloudy Sacrifices of the Law. Super Gen. 49.

Beda thus; Hee substituting the Sacrament of His Flesh in the figure of bread and wine. In Luk. 22. And elsewhere out of Austine thus; That which you see, [...]is bread and wine, which your very eyes can tell you. In 1 Cor. 10.

Druthmarus thus; Wine ma­keth glad, and increaseth blood; and therfore the blood of Christ is aptly figured thereby. In Mat.

Rhabanus Maurus thus; The Sacrament is turned into the bo­dies [Page 22] nourishment. Lib. 1. Chap. 13.

Paschasius thus; What finde they which taste these things, be­side bread and wine, otherwise than by faith and hearing? De corp. & sang. Dom.

Bertramus thus; The signes, as touching the substance of the creatures, are the same after con­secration that they were before. De corp. & sang. Dom.

Bernard thus; What is it to eat His flesh, and drinke His blood, but to communicate with His passions, and to imitate His con­uersation. In Psalm. [qui habitat &c.]

Bonauenture thus; The Sacraments are said to containe Gods Grace, not as a vessell does water, but because they signif [...] Gods Grace. In 4. Sentent. Dis [...] 1.9.3.

[Page 23]And his Text-man Lumbard thus; Christ offered Himselfe vpon the Crosse, and his remembrance in the Sacrament. Lib. 4. dist. 12.

The glosse vpon the Common-Law (a principall witnesse in this cause) thus; It is His body im­properly after a fashion, not in truth but in signification, quo­ting Austine for it. Super Canon. Hoc est corpus meum. Decr. p. 3. dist. 2.16.

Most true therfore our ground is, that whosoeuer inforceth men vpon paine of death, to grant that there is no other Christ but he which is ordinarily present a­mongst men in the forme of common bread, he forceth men [...]o blaspheme Christ. All the na­ [...]ures, properties, and attributes of Christ being blasphemed by [...]uch assertion.

[Page 24]But the Pope of Rome does force men vpon paine of death (both spirituall and temporall) so to grant: Their Tridentine Councell inforcing it vpon paine of spiritual death, in these words; viz. Whosoeuer shall deny that in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, is truly and really contained the Body and Bloud, together with the Soule and Di­uinity of our Lord Iesus Christ, and therefore whole Christ; but shall say that it is there onely as in a signe, or in a figure, or ver­tue, let him be accursed. Concil. Trident. Sess 3. And one of their Synode enioyning Berengari [...] thus to say; With my mouth and with my heart, I profes [...] that the bread and the wine afte [...] consecration, is not onely a Sacrament, but also the true body [Page 25] and blood of Iesus Christ, and sensually in truth is handled and broken with the hands of the Priests, and torne ( atteri) with the teeth of the faithfull. Decret. p. 3. dist. 2.16. Ego Berengarius, &c.

And as for temporall death which the gaine-sayer of this po­sition did thereupon vndergoe; what Nation vnder their autho­rity hath not records thereof written in bloud? Not to cite their secular lawes, which con­demne all, heretikes (amongst which, the resister of this positi­on they count the cheefe) ad poe­nam ignis: i.e. To bee burnt to death, and to vndergoe all kinde of penalties beside, in their name, friends, fautors, posterity, goods and fortunes that can bee imagi­ned. Summa Angelica. Litera here­ [...]icus.

[Page 26]Or if our English Admirers of Rome will beleeue nothing con­cerning the Discipline of that Church, but so farre forth as they can be assured thereof within the bounds of England; they may haue recourse to the six Articles established in English Parliament▪ the first whereof enacteth thus▪

Whosoeuer shall say, that in the Sacrament of the Altar vnder the forme of bread and wine (af­ter the consecration thereof) there is not present, really, the naturall Body and Bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ; conceiued of the Virgine Mary; or that af­ter the said consecration there remaineth any substance of bread or wine, or any other substance but the substance of Christ, both God and man, &c. then he shall be adiudged an heretike, and suf­fer [Page 27] death by burning, and shall forfeit to the King, all his lands, tenements, &c. as in case of hye reason. An. 31. Hen. 8.14.

For though this law was en­acted when the Popes authority was suppressed, yet did it take the beginning from the Church of Rome: and a little after, in the reigne of Quene Mary, was exe­cuted to the full, by vertue of the Romish authority.

Our Demonstration there­fore is most plaine, and let hea­ [...]en and earth bee Iudge of it.

Hee that professeth himselfe the Supreme head of the Church of Christ, and yet forceth men [...]pon paine of death (both tem­porall and eternall) to blas­pheme Christ; hee is Anti­christ.

[Page 28]But the Pope of Rome so pro­fesseth, and so inforceth.

Therefore En & ecce Antichri­stum.