A defence of the Apology of the Church of England containing an answer to…A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to…

Verily, how so ever M. Harding will shift this matter, the plain words seem rather to touch him, and his company, then either Luther, or Zuinglius, or any other. For they can point with their fingers, and say, Here is Christ, and There is Christ. Behold, In this Pyre are three Christs: in that five: in that seven: in that moe. Therefore it is likely, that Christ giveth us this special watch word of them, and such others, Believe them not.

Verily, how so euer M. Hardinge wil shifte this mater, the plaine woordes séeme rather to touche him, and his companie, then either Luther, or Zuinglius, or any other. For they can pointe with theire fingers, and saie, Here is Christe, and There is Christe. Behold, In this Pyre are three Christes: in that fiue: in that seuen: in that moe. Therefore it is likely, that Christe géeueth vs this special watche woorde of them, and sutche others, Beleeue them not.

Here M. Harding maketh much ado about Consecration: and yet are not his Fellows well agreed, what to make of their own Consecration. Gabriel saith, ¹Chritus potuit sine verbo tanquam verus Deus, Substantiam Panis, & Vini Consecrare: Vel, potuit verba quaedam secretò proferre, & per illa Consecrare: Vel, per haec Verba, Hoc est Corpus meum, Consecrare potuit: Vel, potuit priùs Consecrare, & posteà distribuere: Vel, primùm distribuere, & posteà Consecrare. Quid autem horum fecerit, ex Sacris Scripturis non constat: Christe, as being very God, might Consecrate the Substance of Bread and Wine without word: Or else, he might speak certain words in secrete, and by them Consecrate: Or else, he might Consecrate by these words, This is my Body: Or else, he might first Consecrate, and after deliver: Or else, first deliver, and after Consecrate. But which of all these he did in deed,² by the Holy Scriptures it appeareth not. Cardinal Bessarion saith, that in the Latin Church Consecration is wrought by the words of Christ: in the Greek Church by other Prayers, that follow afterward. Catharinus entreating purposely hereof, saith, Christ Consecrated not with the same words, that are now used in the Mass, This is my Body. Durandus saith, Christ Consecrated by his Divine power, and after Consecration said, This is my Body. Petrus Alliacensis yieldeth this reason hereof, Quia, nisi antè fuisset Corpus Christi, Christus non verè dixisset, Hoc est Corpus meum: If it had not been Christs Body before, Christ could not have said truly, This is my Body. It is concluded in a Book called Antididagma. lately set forth by the Chapter of Cologne. that the bare words of Christs Institution, without the words of the Canon of the Mass, are not sufficient to work Consecration. Bonaventura saith, To have the true Form of Consecration, we must seek, not to the Gospel of Christ, but to the Canon. Howe be it, thereof groweth a great inconvenience, that Christ, and his Apostles, for that they had not the words of the Canon, had therefore no Consecration. Again Bonaventura saith, that these words, Novi, & Aeterni Testamenti, are not of the substance of Consecration: but are used only as a furniture.