N20568:7675
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of martyrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of marytrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].
New-York: printed by William Durell, 1794
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Bland. Mark your own reason. All power is given to Christ both in heaven and earth; by the omnipotent power of his Godhead he may be where he list: Ergo, He is in the sacrament really and corporally without occupying of place. I deny your argument; for it followeth neither of your major nor minor. And first I would learn of you, how you know that Christ lifteth to be present at the will of every priest. For if the priest list not to say your mass, then Christ listeth not to be there. AGAIN, ye say, all power is given unto Christ both in heaven and in earth; so that is the cause by your reason, that by the omnipotent power of his Godhead he may be where he list: and by that reason he had no power of his Godhead, till he had his ⟨p. 709⟩human body, and then he was not equal with the Father in divinity: for all power was not given to Christ, before the humanity and the Godhead were knit together, neither was he the Son. Here is more danger than you are aware of, if you would stand to it with just judges.
Mills. We eat Christ's flesh and blood spiritually, when we receive it with faith and charity. And we also do eat it corporally in the sacrament; and the body that we so receive hath life. For the Godhead is annexed thereto; which although it be received with the body of Christ, yet it is not visible after a gross sort, and the flesh of Christ that we receive is lively; for it hath the Spirit of God joined to it. And if a man be drunken, it is not by receiving of the blood of Christ: for it is contrary to the nature of Christ's blood. If he be drunken, it is by the qualities and quantities, without substance of blood.
Milles. We eat Christ's flesh and blood spiritually, when we receive it with faith and charity. And we also do eat it corporally in the sacrament; and the body that we so receive hath life. For the Godhead is annexed thereto; which although it be received with the body of Christ, yet it is not visible after a gross sort, and the flesh of Christ that we receive is lively; for it hath the Spirit of God joined to it. And if a man be drunken, it is not by receiving of the blood of Christ: for it is contrary to the nature of Christ's blood. If he be drunken, it is by the qualities and quantities, without substance of blood.
Bland. I am glad that you are so much against all men, to say that Christ's body is alive in the sacrament; it may chance to bring you to the truth in time to come. Methinks it is evil to keep Christ's body alive in the pyx; or else must you grant, that he is alive in receiving, and dead in the pyx. And you say truth, that it is not the natural receiving of Christ's blood that maketh a man drunken; for it is the nature of wine that doth that, which you deny not. AND a greater truth you confess than you did think, when you said, If a man be drunken, it is by the qualities and quantities, without the substance of blood; for indeed blood hath no such qualities with it: by which it is evident that there is no natural blood. IF a man be drunken with wine consecrated, it must be a miracle, as I think you will have it, that the said accidents should be without their natural substance, and work all the operations of both substance and accidents: and so it followeth that a man may be drunken by miracle. The body that you receive, you say, is alive, because it is annexed to the Godhead; and the flesh that you receive is lively, because it hath the Spirit of God joined to it. THIS division is of your new inventions, to divide the body and the flesh, the one alive by the Godhead, the other lively by God's Spirit, and both one sacrament: you make of it a thing so fantastical, that you imagine a body without flesh, and flesh without a body; as you do qualities and quantities without substance, and a living body without qualities and quantities.
Bland. I am glad that you are so much against all men, to say that Christ's body is alive in the sacrament; it may chance to bring you to the •ruth in time to come. Methinks it is evil to keep Christ's body alive in the pix; or else must you grant, that he is alive in receiving, and dead in the pix. And you say truth, that it is not the natural receiving of Christ's blood that maketh a man drunken; for it is the nature of wine that doth that, which you deny not. AND a greater truth you confess than you did think, when you said, If a man be drunken, it is by the qualities and quantities, without the substance of blood; for indeed blood hath no such qualities with it: by which it is evident that there is no natural blood. IF a man be drunken with wine consecrated, it must be a miracle, as I think you will have it, that the said accidents should be without their natural substance, and work all the operations of both substance and accidents: and so it followeth that a man may be drunken by miracle. The body that you receive, you say, is alive, because it is annexed to the Godhead; and the flesh that you receive is lively, because it hath the Spirit of God joined to it. THIS division is of your new inventions, to divide the body and the flesh, the one alive by the Godhead, the other lively by God's Spirit, and both one sacrament: you make of it a thing so fantastical, that you imagine a body without flesh, and flesh without a body; as you do qualities and quantities without substance, and a living body without qualities and quantities.
Mills. If case so require, and there be a godly intent in the minister to consecrate, after the consecration thereof, there is present the body and blood of Christ, and no other substance, but accidents without substance to a true believer.
Milles. If case so require, and there be a godly intent in the minister to consecrate, after the consecration thereof, there is present the body and blood of Christ, and no other substance, but accidents without substance to a true believer.
Bland. You grant three absurdities, that in a tun of wine consecrated is nothing but accidents: and to increase it withal, you have brought in two inconveniences; first, that it is not the word of God that doth consecrate, but the intent of the priest must help it; and if that fail, you seem to grant no consecration, though the priest speak the word; and yet your doctors say, that the wickedness of the priest diminisheth not the sacrament. AND to an unbeliever you seem to say, that it is not the same, as it is to the true believer; and then must the believer have something to do in the consecration. By endeavouring to avoid Charybdis you fall upon Scylla.
Bland. You grant three absurdities, that in a tun of wine consecrated is nothing but accidents: and to increase it withal, you have brought in two inconveniencies; first, that it is not the word of God that doth consecrate, but the intent of the priest must help it; and if that fail, you seem to grant no consecration, though the priest speak the word; and yet your doctors say, that the wickedness of the priest diminisheth not the sacrament. AND to an unbeliever you seem to say, that it is not the same, as it is to the true believer; and then must the believer have something to do in the consecration. By endeavouring to avoid Charybdis you fall upon Scylla.
Mills. The substance of Christ's body doth not fill the mouse's belly. For although he doth receive the outward forms of bread and wine, yet he doth not receive the substance inwardly, but without violation And a mouse doth not eat the body of Christ▪ to speak properly; for it doth not feed him spiritually or corporally, as it doth man, because he doth not receive it to any inducement of immortality to the flesh.
Milles. The substance of Christ's body doth not fill the mouse's belly. For although he doth receive the outward forms of bread and wine, yet he doth not receive the substance inwardly, but without violation And a mouse doth not eat the body of Christ▪ to speak properly; for it doth not feed him spiritually or corporally, as it doth man, because he doth not receive it to any inducement of immortality to the flesh.
Bland. You make not your doctrine plain to be understood: we must know how a mouse can receive the substance inwardly and outwardly. You say he doth not receive the substance inwardly, but without violation: Ergo, with violation he receiveth the substance inwardly. You say that the mouse cannot violate Christ's body; but he violateth the substance that he eateth. And this your proper ⟨p. 710⟩speech doth import as much, as that the mouse should eat the sacrament to as great effect, and the same thing, as doth the unworthy receiver. For if that be the cause that she properly eateth not the body of Christ, because she doth not feed upon it spiritually nor corporally, nor receiveth it to be any inducement of immortality, as you say; then it followeth, that the unbeliever and the mouse receive both one thing. And yet it cannot be denied, but the mouse will live with consecrated bread, and then you must grant this absurdity, that a substance is nourished and fed only without accidents.
Mills. Men's bodies be fed with Christ's body, as with immortal meat, by reason of the Godhead annexed, to eternal life; but men's bodies be corporally nourished with qualities and forms of bread and wine: and we deny that by the sacramental eating any gross humour turned into blood is made miraculously in the body.
Milles. Men's bodies be fed with Christ's body, as with immortal meat, by reason of the Godhead annexed, to eternal life; but men's bodies be corporally nourished with qualities and forms of bread and wine: and we deny that by the sacramental eating any gross humour turned into blood is made miraculously in the body.
Bland. Where it cannot be denied that a man may live, and naturally be nourished in his natural body with the sacramental bread and wine consecrated; you cannot avoid that: but then you turn to the spiritual nourishing of a man's body, by Christ's body and Godhead annexed, which is nothing to put away the absurdity, that either a man's natural body should be fed naturally with accidents, or else to have them changed into gross humours. But you say, men's bodies be corporally nourished with qualities and forms of bread and wine: and then must you needs grant, that qualities and quantities must be made substance in man. For by them our bodies are nourished, or else is all that is the nutriment in man, accidents and no substance.
Mills. If the forms of bread and wine be burned, or worms engendered, it is no derogation to the body of Christ, because the presence of his body ceaseth to be there, and no substance cometh again.
Milles. If the forms of bread and wine be burned, or worms ingendered, it is no derogation to the body of Christ, because the presence of his body ceaseth to be there, and no substance cometh again.
Bland. Ye grant here, that a substance may be made of accidents, as ashes or worms: but I think you will have it by your miracles, and this I count a greater absurdity than the other, that Christ's body should cease to be there, and no substance to come again; for no word in all the whole bible seems to serve you for the ceasing of his presence, though we granted you, which we do not, that it were ther•. God Almighty open your heart, if it be his will and pleasure, to see the truth. And if I thought not my death to be at hand, I would answer you to all the rest, in these and all other my doings.
Bland. Ye grant here, that a substance may be made of accidents, as ashes or worms: but I think you will have it by your miracles, and this I count a greater absurdity than the other, that Christ's body should cease to be there, and no substance to come again; for no word in all the whole bible seems to serve you for the ceas•ng of his presence, though we granted you, which we do not, that it were ther•. God Almighty open your heart, if it be his will and pleasure, to see the truth. And if I thought not my death to be at hand, I would answer you to all the rest, in these and all other my doings.
I submit myself to our Saviour Jesus Christ, and his holy word, desiring you in the bowels of Christ to do the same.
Your orator in the Lord, JOHN BLAND.
HITHERTO you have heard the troublesome handling of this faithful servant of God, John Bland, tossed to and fro, from prison to prison, from session to session. At last he was brought before the bishop of Dover, the commissary, and the archdeacon, at Canterbury, the 13th day of June. The name of this bishop was Richard Thornton ▪ The commissary was Robert Collins, whom the cardinal by his letters patent had substituted his agent, before his coming over to England. The archdeacon was Nicholas Harpsfield. Under th•s• a great many innocent lambs of Christ was cruelly treated and barbarously slain at Canterbury, amongst whom the aforesaid Mr. Bland was one of the first▪ who, as it is said, being brought before the first bishop, and colleagues, which were John Franke••, Nicholas Sheterden, Thomas Thacker, Humphrey Middleton, and William Cocker, were examined of articles. To whom it was objected by the commissary, Whether he believed that Christ is really in the sacrament, or not, &c. To this he answered and said, that he believed, that Christ is in the sacrament, as he is in all other good bodies; so that he judged not Christ to be really in the sacrament.
HITHERTO you have heard the troublesome handling of this faithful servant of God, John Bland, tost to and fro, from prison to prison, from session to session. At last he was brought before the bishop of Dover, the commissary, and the archdeacon, at Canterbury, the 13th day of June. The name of this bishop was Richard Thornto• ▪ The commissary was Robert Collins, whom the cardinal by his letters patent had substituted his agent, before his coming over to England. The archdeacon was Nicholas Harpsfield. Under th•s• a great many innocent lambs of Christ was cruelly treated and barbarously slain at Canterbury, amongst whom the aforesaid Mr. Bland was one of the first▪ who, as it is said, being brought before the first bishop, and colleagues, which were John Franke••, Nicholas Sheterden, Thomas Thacker, Humphrey Middleton, and William Cocker, were examined of articles. To whom it was objected by the commissary, Whether he believed that Christ is really in the sacrament, or not, &c. To this he answered and said, that he believed, that Christ is in the sacrament, as he is in all other good bodies; so that he judged not Christ to be really in the sacrament.
WHEREUPON the day being on Monday, he was bid to appear again upon Wednesday next, and from thence he was deferred again to Monday following, being the 20th of June, in the same chapter-house, then to hear further what should be done, in case he would not relent to their mind. Which day and place he appearing as before, was required to speak his mind plainly and fully to the aforesaid articles, being again repeated unto him. These articles, commonly and in course they usually objected to ⟨p. 711⟩their examinates which were brought before them, which articles, as here now followeth, need not hereafter be repeated, especially for the county of Kent.
