A09453:282
A Reformed Catholic
A reformed Catholic: or, A declaration showing how near we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundry points of religion: and wherein we must for ever depart from them with an advertisement to all favourers of the Roman religion, showing that the said religion is against the Catholic principles and grounds of the catechism.A reformed Catholike: or, A declaration shewing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion: and vvherein we must for euer depart from them with an advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the catechisme.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1598Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1598
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The dissent.
We differ not touching the presence it self, but only in the manner of presence. For though we hold a real presence of Christs body and blood in the sacrament, yet do we not take it to be local, bodily, or substantial, but spiritual and mystical; to the signs by sacramental relation, and to the communicants by faith alone. On the contrary the Church of Rome maintains transubstantiation, that is, a local, bodily, and substantial presence of Christs body and blood, by a change and conversion of the bread and wine into the said body and blood.
We differ not touching the presence it selfe, but onely in the maner of presence. For though we hold a reall presence of Christs bodie and bloode in the sacrament, yet doe we not take it to be locall, bodily, or substantiall, but spirituall and mysticall; to the signes by sacramentall relation, and to the communicants by faith alone. On the contrarie the Church of Rome maintaines transubstantiation, that is, a locall, bodily, and substantiall presence of Christs bodie and bloode, by a chaunge and conuersion of the bread and wine into the saide bodie and blood.
Our reasons.
I. This corporal presence overturns sundry articles of faith. For we believe that the body of Christ was made of the pure substance of the virgin Mary, and that but once, namely when he was conceived by the holy Ghost, and borne. But this cannot stand, if the body of Christ be made of bread and his blood of wine, as they must needs be, if there be no succession or annihilation but a real conversion of substances in the sacrament: unless we must believe contrarieties, that his body was made of the substance of the Virgin, and not of the Virgin; made once and not once but often. Again, if his body & blood be under the forms of bread and wine, then is he not as yet ascended into heaven, but remains still among us. Neither can he be said to come from heaven at the day of judgement: for he that must come thence to judge the quick and dead, must be absent from the earth. And this was the ancient faith. Augustine saith, that Christ according