Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
A Seasonable Caveat Against Popery (Author: William Penn)

Chapter 4

Of the H. Eucharist.

PAP. In the holy Eucharist, or most Venerable Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord; we acknowledge that there are, as in all other Sacraments, Two things: the Visible Sign, which is the Forms of Bread and Wine, to which no Catholique may or doth direct his Worship; there is also Invisible Grace signified, the Body of our Lord, whom being present we worship with all possible Reverence, for so great a Blessing warranted herein by our blessed Lord himself in two of the Gospels.

Answ. Above all other Instances, this is the most pregnant, for defence of our Assertion; namely, That either these men have relinquished their old Doctrine, or else they go about to put the Trick upon us: We hear no word at all of Transubstantiation herein, the most sacred of their mysterious Absurdities; but what we are at great pains to observe and collect, perhaps they are ashamed of it, and willing it should pass under some more general Phrase, and less offensive: How ever by that Expression of the Body of our Lord, whom being present we Adore; we guess their meaning, but how incohærent with their own words, as well as Reason, may easily appear. First, They acknowledge that it is a Sacrament, or Sign. If so, it is impossible that it should be at the same time, both the Sign, and the thing signified; for if the very Body of Christ be present,


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{original page number 22} corporally, (as they use to assert) it cannot be Sacramentally so, but Really and Corporally there; which is destructive of the nature of a Sacrament, which is but the Representative, or Image of something Mystical, thereby resembled and signified.

Secondly, If this Doctrine were true, their Lord would be made by their Priest; for till he says the words, there is no real Presence; and so the Creature (and sometimes a sad one too) makes his Creator, which is nothing short of wretched Blasphemy.

Thirdly, The Lord, they Adore, and Reverence, they Eat; and he that made Heaven and Earth, is comprehended of the Creature.

Fourthly, I know but of one Gospel, perhaps they know of two, because they seem to own Principles so contrary to the true one, but let that be accurst. If they would have us understand by their Expression, two of the Evangelists, then tis not unlikely but we may ken their meaning, and what they referr to, must be Christs benediction of the Bread and Wine, and the giving them both to his Disciples, saying, Take, this is my Body; and take, this is my Blood. But what then? Can any think that Christ gave his Body with his Body? That it was the Giver and the Gift? That it was the body Blessing, and the body Blest? Did the same Body hold the same Body in its own fingers? And was it eaten by the Disciples, and yet without them? And was it no bigger then a small piece of bread, and yet of the proportion of a Man? And was it insesible, and broken with their Mouths, and yet whole and sensible out of them; and all at the same instant of time.

Lastly, Could every one of the Twelve eat, the very whole body, and yet be that very body which was visible with them? and all this while one and the same Body? But methinks I hear Ecchoing from some Popish Zealot no small Anathema, for offering to affront so sacred a Mystery, with so many carnal Cavils, and vain Interrogatories.

To whom I shall answer, once for all, in this point; that I stand amazed, how any man of sence can be a Papist, when the only demonstration of his Religion, must be his not understanding it. Many


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{original page number 23} fond Absurdities unmentioned (for brevity) might have been observed: For, Reason never triumphed more over any Opinion, then this senseless one of Transubstantiation; which may be one very good Argument why so much Persecution has ever attended the disbelief of it.

The Sence of Antiquity, and their own Authors.

Antiquity knows it not; For eight hundred years after Christ it was never heard of, and when started, with great disgusts entertained.

The Council of Lateran, was the first that undertook to impose it; and the Decrees, as to this point, were wholly abortive; for they are not to be found, as concilliary; this was above twelve hundred years after Christ.

Tertullian against Marcion lib. 4. cap. 40. Just. Mart. against Triphon the Jew Greg. Nazianz. Orat. 2. in Pass. And Pope Gelasius himself, renounced and disclaimed it, attributing only to it, the nature of a bare figure, as retaining the substance and nature of Bread and Wine, And many of their Doctors, Scotus, Bellar. Biel, &c. assure us of its novelty.

But how far are such from the spirituality of the Mystery & Knowledge of the true Heavenly Bread and Wine that descend from above (the Anti-Type) who ignorantly affirm the certainty of such a Transubstantiation, as render that very visible Elementary Bread and Wine at the same time, the very invisible, spiritual, and glorified Body of Christ? by which they make him a Glorified, Crucified, Visible, Invisible, Spiritual, Elementary Christ, all at the same time: But more of this in my larger Tract.


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