Queries put concerning some Abuses of the Mass; with the Answers that were made by many Bishops and Divines to them.

Quest. 1.

Dr. Stil

Whether the Sacrament of the Altar was instituted to be received Ex MS. of one Man for another, or to be received of every Man for him-lingfleet. self?

Answers.

THE Sacrament of the Altar was not instituted to be received Cantuarien. of one Man for another, but to be received by every Man for himself.

The Sacrament of the Altar was not instituted to be received Eboracen. of one Man for one other, but of every Man for himself.

I think that the Sacrament of Thanks was not instituted to London. be received of one Man for another, but of every Man for him- Worcester.

self.

Hereford.
Norvicen.

Cicestren.
Assaven.

The Sacrament of the Altar was instituted, to be received of Dunelm. every Man by himself, to make him a Member of Christ's Mystical Body, and to knit and unite him to Christ our Head; as St. Paul saith, 1 Cor. 10. Unus Panis, et unum Corpus, multi sumus omnes qui de uno pane participamus.

rien.

The Sacrament of the Altar was not instituted to be received Sarisbuof one Man for another Sacramentally, no more than one Man to be Christened for another: notwithstanding the Grace received by him that is Housled, or Christened, is profitable and available to the whole Mystical Body of Christ, and therefore to every lively Member thereof.

The Sacrament (as they call it) of the Altar, was not insti- Lincoln. tuted to be received of one for another, but of every Man for himself: For Christ, the Institutor of this Sacrament, saith,

II.

PART with manifest words, Take eat, &c. Mat. 26. And also, John 6. Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his Blood, ye have no Life in you. Whoso eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my

Elien.

Litchfield.

Blood, hath eternal Life. Nor the receiving of one Man doth avail or profit any other; otherwise than by the way of Example, whereby the People present are provoked to the imitation of the thing that is good.

The Sacrament of the Altar was not instituted to be received of one Man for another, but of every Man for himself.

Covent. and I think and suppose, that the Sacrament of the Altar was instituted to be received of every Man for himself; for so are the words of Christ, Comedite et bibite, speaking to them present, and to every one of them.

Carliolen.

Roffen.

Bristollen.

Meneven.

Dr. Cox.

The Sacrament of the Altar was not ordained or instituted to be received of one Man alone, but of all, and for all, because it is the general and continual Remedy, help, and succour of all, which maketh no let or stop of themselves, and their own unfaithful or sinful Life.

Of every Man for himself.

The Sacrament of the Altar was not instituted to be received of one Man for another Sacramentally, no more than one Man to be Christened for another, but every Man to receive it in Faith and cleanliness of Life for himself.

The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ was not instituted, that one Man should receive it for another, but every Man for himself. Probet autem seipsum homo, et sic de pane illo edat, et de poculo illo bibat. 1 Cor. 11.

The Sacrament of Thanks was instituted to be received of every Man for himself, and not of one for another.

Whether the Receiving of the said Sacrament of one Man, doth

avail and profit any other?

Answers.

THE Receiving of the said Sacrament by one Man doth avail Cantuarien. and profit only him that receiveth the same.

The Receiving of the Sacrament only availeth the Receivers Eboracen. thereof, except it be by reason of such Communion as is among the Members of the Mystical Body of Christ.

Worcester.

Norvicen.

I think that the receiving of the said Sacrament doth not London. avail or profit any other, but only as all other good Works done Hereford. of any Member of Christ's Church, be available to the whole Cicestren. Mystical Body of Christ, and to every lively Member of the Assaven. same, by reason of mutual Participation, and spiritual Communion between them. And also it may be profitable to others, as an Example whereby others may be stirred to Devotion, and to like Receiving of the same.

The Receiving of the Sacrament of one Man doth profit Dunelm. another, as the health and good-liking of one Member, doth in part strengthen the Body, and other Members of the same: for St. Paul saith, Multi unum corpus sumus in Christo, singuli autem alter alterius membra, Rom. 12. and 1 Cor. 12. Si gaudet unum membrum, congaudent omnia membra. And in a Mystical Body, the good living of one Man stirreth another to the same.

rien.

The Oblation made after the Consecration in the Mass, is the Sarisbuoffering unto the Father of the Body and Blood of Christ, by the Minister, with the Commemoration of the Passion, and with Thanksgiving for the same, and with the Prayers of the Minister and People, that it may be available to all Christian People.

The receiving thereof of one Man doth not avail or profit Elien. any other, but as all good Deeds profit the Congregation; and

PART as one Member healed or taking nourishment, profiteth another II. Member.

Covent.and

And I suppose also, that the Receiving of one Man doth not Litchfield. avail or profit another, but as every good Act or Deed of one Member doth profit to the whole Body.

Carliolen.

Roffen.

Bristollen.

1 Cor. 1.

The Receiving of the Sacrament, as it noteth the Act of him who receiveth, it may be, that it neither availeth or profiteth him who receiveth, nor any other, but also hurts the Receiver, if he presume to take it rashly or unworthily. But as touching the thing which is Sacred, offered, and distributed by the Common Minister in the Mass, representing the Holy Church, or Mystical Body of Christ, and is received both of him and other that will, whatsoever the Receiving or Receiver be, it availeth and profiteth all present, absent, Living and Dead.

No, but as the receipt of wholsome Doctrine, the receipt of the Fear of God, the receipt of any Godly Gift that is profitable to any one Member of Christ's Mystical Body, may be said generally to profit the whole Body, because there is a mystical Communion, and a spiritual Participation amongst all the Members of Christ in all Godliness; as there is in the natural Body a natural participation of all natural Affections both good and evil.

It appeareth, by the words of St. Cyprian, Epist. 6. Lib. 3. that it should be profitable and available to others, forasmuch as he wrote these words of the faithful Christians which departed this World in Prison, and said; Quanquam fidelissimus et devotissimus frater noster, inter cætera solicitudinem et curam suam cum fratribus in omni obsequio operationis impertitur, qui nec illic curam corporum scripserit ac scribat ac significat mihi dies quibus in carcere beati fratres nostri ad immortalitatem gloriosæ mortis exitu transeant et celebrentur, hic a nobis Oblationes et Sacrificia ob commemorationes eorum, quæ cito vobiscum, domine prosperante, celebrabimus. Ita enim docuit Apostolus Christi unus Panis et unum Corpus multi sumus omnes, qui de uno Pane, et de

I.

uno Calice participamus. Nec loquitur de his solis qui eo tempore BOOK Corinthi conveniebant, et Sacramentum ab unius Sacerdotis manu recipiebant; Verum potius de seipso tunc procul a Corintho agente, et Corinthiis ipsis omnibusq; in Christum credentibus ubi tandem constituti essent quos omnes significat unum esse Corpus qui toto orbe de uno Pane communicantes participarent.

The Sacrament profiteth him only, that receiveth it worthily; Meneven. like as it damnifieth him only that receiveth it unworthily. Nam qui edit aut bibit indigne, judicium sibi ipsi edit ac bibit, 1 Cor. 11.

The Receiving of the said Sacrament doth avail and profit the Dr. Cox. Receiver only, and none other, but by occasion to do the like.

So much as the Christening of one Man profiteth another, Dr. Tyler. which after my Opinion profiteth nothi

Quest. 3.

What is the Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass?

Answers.

THE Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass is not so Cantuarien.

called, because Christ indeed is ther offered and sacrificed by

the Priest and the People, (for that was done but once by him

self

upon the Cross) but it is so called, because it is a Memory and Representation of that very true Sacrifice and Immolation which before was made upon the Cross.

The Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ in the Mass, is the pre- Eboracen. senting of the very Body and Blood of Christ to the Heavenly Father, under the Forms of Bread and Wine, consecrated in the remembrance of his Passion, with Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Universal Church.

I think it is the presentation of the very Body and Blood of London. Christ being really present in the Sacrament; which Presenta- Hereford.

Worcester.