How direct is our Saviour's instance, of the servant come out of the field, and commanded by his master to attendance! Doth he thank that servant, because he did the things, that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; Luke xvii. 9, 10. "Unprofitable," perhaps you will say, "in respect of meriting thanks; not unprofitable, in respect of meriting wages: for, to him, that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt; Rom. iv. 4." True: therefore herein our case differeth from servants, that we may not look for God's reward as of debt, but as of grace: By grace are ye saved, through faith; Eph. ii. 8. Neither is it our earning, but God's gift: both it cannnot be: for, if by grace, then it is no more of works, even of the most renewed: otherwise grace is no more grace. But, if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work should be no more work; Rom. xi. 6. Now, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, at our best, but, according to his mercy, he saveth us; Tit. iii. 5. Were our salvation of works, then should eternal life be our wages: but now, The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; Rom. vi. 23.

SECT. 3.

The Doctrine of Merit, against Reason.

IN very Reason, where all is of mere duty there can be no merit : for how can we deserve reward by doing that, which if we did not we should offend? It is enough for him that is obliged to his task, that his work is well taken. Now, all that we can possibly do, and more, is most justly due unto God, by the bond of our Creation, of our Redemption; by the charge of his royal Law, and that sweet Law of his Gospel: nay, alas! we are far from being able to compass so much as our duty: In many things, we sin all.

It is enough, that, in our glory, we cannot sin: though their Faber Stapulensis would not yield so much *; and taxeth Thomas for saying so, with the same presumption that Origen held the very good angels might offend. Then, is our grace consummate +: till then, our best abilities are full of imperfection. Therefore, the conceit of merit is not more arrogant, than absurd.

We cannot merit of him, whom we gratify not: we cannot gratify a man, with his own: all our good is God's already; his gift, his propriety: What have we, that we have not received? I Cor. iv. 7. Not our talent only, but the improvement also, is his mere bounty. There can be, therefore, no place for merit.

In all just Merit, there must needs be a due proportion, betwixt

* Alex. Pesaut. in 1, 2. qu. 4. Artic. 4. disp. 4.

+ Gloria est gratia consummata. P. Ferius Specim. Schol. Orth. c. 13.

the act and the recompence. It is of favour, if the gift exceed the worth of the service.

Now what proportion can be, betwixt a finite, weak, imperfect obedience (such is ours at the best,) and an infinite, full, and most perfect glory? The bold Schools dare say*, That the natural and entitative value of the works of Christ himself was finite, though the moral value was infinite. What then shall be said of our works, which are, like ourselves, mere imperfection? We are not so proud that we should scorn, with Ruard. Tapperus †, to expect heaven as a poor man doth an alms: rather, according to St. Austin's charget, (Non sit caput turgidum, &c: "Let not the head be proud, that it may receive a crown,") we do, with all humility and self-dejection, look up to the bountiful hands of that God, who crowneth us in mercy and compassion.

This doctrine, then, of Merit, being both new and erroneous, hath justly merited our reproof and detestation: and we are unjustly censured, for our censure thereof.

CHAP. III.

ON THE DOCTRINE OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

THE point of TRANSUBSTANTIATION is justly ranked amongst our highest differences §. Upon this quarrel, in the very last age, how many souls were sent up to heaven, in the midst of their flames || ! as if the sacrament of the altar had been sufficient ground of these bloody sacrifices.

The definition of the Tridentine Council is herein, beyond the wont, clear and express ¶: "If any man shall say, that, in the sacrament of the Sacred Eucharist, there remains still the substance of bread and wine, together with the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; and shall deny that marvellous and singular conversion of the whole substance of bread into the Body, and the whole substance of wine into Blood, the (species) semblances or shews only of bread and wine remaining; which said conversion the Catholic Church doth most fitly call Transubstantiation; let him be accursed." Thus they.

*Pesaut. in 3. Tho. q. 1. art. 2. Valor physicus et entitativus operum Christi &c.

Absit ut justi vitam æternam expectent, sicut pauper eleemosynam. Ruard. Tap. ex Artic. Colon.

Aug. de Verb. Apost. ser. 2.

Fons Idolomaniarum Transubstan. Melanct. ad Amicum, 1544. Boxhorn. Isag. ad Concord. I. iii.

Fox Acts and Mon. passim.

TSi quis dixerit in Sacrosanctæ &c. Concil. Trid, de 'Transub. c. 4. Can. 2.

SECT. 1.

The Newness of the Doctrine of Transubstantiation.

Now let us enquire how Old this piece of faith is.

In Synaxi serò &c: "It was late, ere the Church defined Transubstantiation," saith Erasmus * : "For, of so long it was," saith he, "held sufficient to believe, that the true Body of Christ was there; whether under the consecrated bread, or howsoever."

And how late was this? Scotus shall tell us: Ante Concilium Lateranense, &c: "Before the Council of Lateran, Transubstantiation was no point of faith :" as Cardinal Bellarmin himself confesses his opinion †, with a minimè probandum. And this Council was in the year of our Lord, one thousand two hundred and fifteen.

Let who list, believe that this subtle doctor had never heard ‡ of the Roman Council under Gregory the Seventh, which was in the year one thousand seventy nine; or that other, under Nicholas the Second, which was in the year one thousand and threescore; or, that he had not read those Fathers, which the Cardinal had good hap to meet with.

Certainly, his acuteness easily found out other senses of those conversions, which Antiquity mentions; and, therefore, dares confidently say, wherein Gabriel Biel seconds him §, Non admodum antiquam &c: That "this doctrine of Transubstantiation is not very ancient."

Surely, if we yield the utmost time, wherein Bellarmin can plead the determination of this point, we shall arise but to saltem ab annis quingentis, &c: "Five hundred years ago:" "so long," saith hell, "at least, was this opinion of Transubstantiation, upon pain of a curse, established in the Church.”

The Church: but what Church? The Roman, I wis; not the Greek. That word of Peter Martyr is true, That the Greeks ever abhorred from this opinion of Transubstantiation. Insomuch as, at the shutting up the Florentine Council ¶, which was but in the year 1539, when there was a kind of agreement betwixt the Greeks and Latins about the Procession of the Holy Ghost, the Pope earnestly moved the Grecians, that, amongst other differences, they would also accord, de diviná panis Transmutatione, "concerning the divine Transmutation of the bread:" wherein, notwithstanding, they departed, as formerly, dissenting.

How palpably doth the Cardinal shuffle in this business, while he would persuade us, that the Greeks did not at all differ from the

* In Synaxi serò Transubstantiationem definivit Ecclesia. Diu satis erat credere, sive sub pane consecrato, sive quocunque modo, adesse verum Corpus Christi. Eras. Ánnot, in 1 Cor. vii.

+ Bellar. de Euchar. 1. iii. c. 23.

Ibid. Bell. § Confitente etiam Suarez.

|| Sallem ab annis quingentis dogma Transub, sub anathemate stabilitum. Bell.

de Euch. 1. iii. c. 21.

Concil, Florent. sess. ult.

Romans in the main head of Transubstantiation; but only concerning the particularity of those words, whereby that unspeakable change is wrought! when as, it is most clear, by the Acts of that Council, related even by their Binius himself, that, after the Greeks had given in their answer, "That they do firmly believe, that, in those words of Christ, the sacrament is made up which had been sufficient satisfaction if that only had been the question, the Pope urges them earnestly still, ut de diviná panis Transmutatione, &c: that in the Synod there might be treaty had "of the divine Transmutation of the bread :" and, when they yet stiffly denied, he could have been content to have had the other three questions, of Unleavened Bread, Purgatory, and the Pope's Power discussed; waving that other of Transubstantiation, which he found would not abide agitation. Since which time, their Patriarch Jeremias of Constantinople, hath expressed the judgment of the Greek Church †: Etenim verè &c: "For the Body and Blood of Christ are truly mysteries: not, that these are turned into man's body; but, that, the better prevailing, we are turned into them:" yielding a change, but mystical, not substantial.

As for the Ancients, of either the Greek or Latin Church, they are so far from countenancing this opinion, that our learned Whitaker durst challenge his Duræus ; Si vel unum &c: "If you can bring me but one testimony of sincere Antiquity, whereby it may appear, that the bread is transubstantiate into the flesh of Christ, I will yield my cause."

It is true, that there are fair flourishes made of a large jury of Fathers §, giving their verdict this way; whose very names can hardly find room in a margin. Scarce any of that sacred rank are missing.

But, it is as true, that their witnesses are grossly abused to a sense, that was never intended. They only desire, in a holy excess of speech, to express the sacramental change || that is made of the elements, in respect of use; not in respect of substance: and passionately to describe unto us the benefit of that sacrament, in our blessed communion with Christ, and our lively incorporation into him.

Insomuch, as Cardinal Bellarmin himself is fain to confess ¶ a very high hyperbole in their speeches: Non est novum &c: "It is no unusual thing," saith he, "with the Ancients; and especially Irenæus, Hilary, Nissen, Cyril, and others; to say, that our bodies are nourished by the Holy Eucharist."

Neither do they use less height of speech, as our learned Bishop *Se firmiter credere, verbis illis Dominicis sacramentum fieri. Ibid. sess. ult. † Act. Theol. Wittenberg. ann. 1584. Whitak. contr. Dur. l. ii. fol. 220. § Ignat. ad Smyr. Iren. I. v. cont. Hæres. Tertul. de Resur. Orig. Hom. 5. in diver. loc. Cyprian. de Cœnâ Dom. Basil. in Reg. Brev. q. 172. Greg. Nyssen. in Catechet. Cyril. Hierosol. Cat. Myst. 4. Hilar. I. viii. de Trinit. Ambr. de Sacr. 1. iv. c. 4 et 5. Greg. Naz. in Epit. Gorgon. Epiph. in Anch. Chrys. Hom. 24. in 1 Cor. Cyril. Alex. Epist. ad Colesyrium. Aug. in Psal. xxiii. Hier. ad Hedib. Thecdor. Dial. 3. Leo. Ser. vi. de Jejunio. Damas. 1. iv. de Fid. Orth. Theophylact, in Luc. xxii.

Et quidem mulatur: est enim alia elementi natura; Sacramenti, alia, Eliens. cont. Bell.

Bell. de Euchar. l. ii. c. 4.

hath particularly observed *, in expressing our participation of Christ in Baptism; wherein yet never any man pleaded a Transubstantiation.

Neither have there been wanting some of the classical leaders of their Schools, which have confessed more probability of ancient evidence for Consubstantiation, than for this change.

Certainly, neither of them both entered ever into the thoughts of those holy men; however the sound of their words have undergone a prejudicial mistaking.

Whereas, the sentences of those Ancients against this mis-opinion are direct, punctual, absolute, convictive, and uncapable of any other reasonable sense.

What can be more choking, than that of their Pope Gelasius †, above a thousand years since? Et, tamen, &c: "Yet there ceaseth not to be the very substance of bread and wine.”

What can be more plain, than that of St. Augustin? "It is not this Body which you see, that you shall eat; neither is it this Blood which my crucifiers shall spill, that you shall drink it is a sacrament, that I commend unto you; which, being spiritually understood, shall quicken you." Or, that other §?"Where a flagitious act seems to be commanded, there the speech is figurative; as when he saith, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, &c: it were a horrible wickedness to eat the flesh of Christ; therefore, here must needs be a figure understood."

What shall I urge that of Tertullian, whose speech Rhenanus confesseth to have been condemned after in Berengarius? "My Body, that is, the figure of my Body."

That of Theodoret ? "The mystical signs, after consecration, lose not their own nature."

That of St. Chrysostom **? "It is a carnal thing, to doubt how Christ can give us his flesh to eat; when as, this is mystically and spiritually to be understood." And, soon after, enquiring what it is to understand carnally, he thus explicates it ++: "It is to take things simply as they are spoken, and not to conceive of any other thing meant by them." This, wherein we are, is a beaten path; trod with the feet of our holy martyrs, and traced with their blood.

What should I need to produce their familiar and ancient Advocates, who have often wearied and worne this bare; Athanasius ‡‡,

Bishp. Morton's Appell.

+ Gelas. Pap. de Duabus Christ. Nat. Biblioth. Patr. Tom. 4.

August. in Ps. xcviii. Non hoc ipsum corpus quod videtis, &c. neque hunc ipsum sanguinem, &c. sacramentum vobis aliquod com. &c.

§ Ubi flagitium &c. Aug. de Doct. Christ. l. iii. c. 16.

Tertul. contr. Marcionem. 1. iv.

Theodor. Dial. 2. et 3 μéves yap, &c. ** Carnale est, dubitare quo modo de cælo descendit, &c. quo modo possit carnem suam dare ad manducandum: Hæc inquam omnia carnalia, que mystica et spiritualiter intelligenda sunt. Chrys. in cap. vi. Joan. Hom. 46.

++ Simpliciter, ut res dicuntur, neque aliud quippiam excogitare, &c. Ibid. In illud, Si quis dixerit contra Filium Hom.