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CHAPTER VII.

5, 6.

Of the writers of the eleventh and twelfth century, from whom we may easily deduce and trace the history of papal transubstantiation. 1. What manner of popes they were in those times. 2. The unhappy age, wherein divines were divided about the point of the eucharist. 3. The opinion of Fulbertus. 4. Followed by his disciple Berengarius, who is opposed by others. The doctrine of Berengarius defended. 7. The roaring of Leo IX. against Berengarius. 8. The synod of Tours under Victor II., which cleared Berengarius as free from error. 9. Pope Nicolas II. gathers another synod against Berengarius, who is forced to make a wondrous kind of recantation. 10. The authors of the ordinary gloss censure the recantation imposed on Berengarius. 11. He saith that he was violently compelled to make it for fear of being put to death. Lanfrancus and Guitmundus write against him. 12. Of Pope Hildebrand and his Roman council, wherein Berengarius was again cited and condemned in vain. 13. The doctrine of St. Bernard approved. 14. The opinion of Rupertus. 15. Lombard could define nothing of the transubstantiation of the bread, and reasons poorly upon the independency of the accidents. 16. Otho Frisingensis and those of his time confessed that the bread and wine remain in the eucharist. 17. P. Blesensis and St. Eduensis were the first that used the word of transubstantiation. 18. Of the thirteenth century, wherein Pope Innocent III. published his decree of the transubstantiation of the bread and wine

into the body and blood of Christ. 19, 20. The wonderful pride of Innocent III. The Lateran council

determined nothing concerning that point. 21. The cruelty of the same Innocent, who by the rack and the fire sought to establish his new doctrine. 22. What Gerson said of the Roman Church in his time. Many more inventions proceed from transubstantiation. Inextricable and unheard-of questions. 23. New orders of monks and of the schoolmen. 24. Of their fine wrangling and disputing. 25. The sacrament abused most grossly by the patrons of transubstantiation. 26, 27. Holkot, Aquinas, Albertus Magnus, and other schoolmen, though sometimes they be not for transubstantiation, yet they wholly submit to the judgment of the pope. 28. Of the council of Constance, which took the cup from the laity. 29. Cardinal Cameracensis denies that transubstantiation can be proved by holy Scripture. 30. Of the council of Florence, and the instruction of the Armenians by Pope Eugenius IV. 31. The papal curse in the council of Trent not to be feared. The conclusion of the book.

1. We have proved it before, that the leprosy of transubstantiation did not begin to spread over the body of the Church in a thousand years after Christ. But at last the thousand years being expired, and Satan loosed out of his prison, to go and deceive the nations, and compass the camp of the saints about, then, to the great damage of Christian peace and religion, they began here and there to dispute against the clear, constant, and universal consent of the fathers, and to maintain

the new-started opinion. It is known to them that understand history, what manner of times were then, and what were those bishops who then governed the Church of Rome; Sylvester II., John XIX. and XX., Sergius IV., Benedict VIII., John XXI., Benedict IX., Sylvester III., Gregory VI., Damasus II., Leo IX., Nicolas II., Gregory VII. or Hildebrand, who tore to pieces the Church of Rome with grievous schisms, cruel wars, and great slaughters.* For the Roman pontificate was come to that pass, that good men being put by, they whose life and doctrine were pious being oppressed, none could obtain that dignity but they that could bribe best and were most ambitious.

2. In that unhappy age the learned were at odds about the presence of the body of Christ in the sacrament; some defending the ancient doctrine of the Church, and some the new-sprung-up opinion.

3. Fulbert,† bishop of Chartres, was tutor to Berengarius, whom we shall soon have occasion to speak of; and his doctrine was altogether conformable to that of the primitive Church, as appears clearly out of his epistle to Adeodatus ; wherein he teacheth, “That the mystery of faith

* Card. Bar. tom. x. Annal. an. 897, § 4. Gilbertus Genebrardus, Chron. sub init. seculi x.

† A.D. 1010.

in the eucharist is not to be looked on with our bodily eyes, but with the eyes of our mind: for what appears outwardly bread and wine, is made inwardly the body and blood of Christ; not that which is tasted with the mouth, but that which is relished by the heart's affection. Therefore,” saith he, " prepare the palate of thy faith, open the throat of thy hope, and enlarge the bowels of thy charity, and take that bread of life, which is the food of the inward man." Again; "The perception of a divine taste proceeds from the faith of the inward man, whilst by receiving the saving sacrament, Christ is received into the soul."* All this is against those who teach in too gross a manner, that Christ in this mystery enters carnally the mouth and stomach of the receivers.

4. Fulbert was followed by Berengarius his

Epistola ad Adeodatum, inter alia ejus opera impressa Paris. an. 1608. [Est enim mysterium fide non specie æstimandum, non visu corporeo sed spiritu intuendum.—Quæ substantia panis et vini apparebat exterius, jam corpus Christi et sanguis fit interius.-Sapit, ni fallor, cibum illum angelicum habentem intra se mystici saporis delectamentum, non quod ore discernas, sed quod affectu interiori degustes. Exere palatum fidei, dilata fauces spei, viscera charitatis extende, et sume panem, vitæ interioris hominis alimentum.-De fide etenim interioris hominis procedit divini gustus saporis, dum certe per salutaris eucharistiæ infusionem influit Christus in viscera animæ sumentis. Biblioth. Patrum, xi. 4.]

scholar, archdeacon of Angers* in France, a man of great worth, by the holiness both of his life and doctrine, as Platina, Vincentius Bergomensis, and many more witness. This encomium, writ soon after his death by Hildebert, bishop of Mans, a most learned man, is thus recorded by our William of Malmsbury.

"That Berengarius, who was so admired,

Although his name yet lives, is now expired;
He outlives himself, yet a sad fatal day

Him from the Church and state did snatch away.
O dreadful day, why didst thou play the thief,
And fill the world with ruin and with grief?
For by his death the Church, the laws, and all
The clergy's glory do receive a fall.
His sacred wisdom was too great for fame,
And the whole world's too little for his name;
Which to its proper zenith none can raise,
His merits do so far exceed all praise.

Then surely thou art blest, nor dost thou less
Heaven with thy soul, earth with thy body bless.
When I go hence, O, may I dwell with thee
In thine appointed place, where'er it be !"+

[Andegavensis, Anjou.] A.D. 1030.

+ Guliel. Malms. De Gestis Regum Anglorum. [p. 113. ed. Francof.

Quem modo miratur, semper mirabitur orbis,

Ille Berengarius non moriturus obit:

Quem sacræ fidei fastigia summa tenentem
Jani quinta dies abstulit ausa nefas.
Illa dies, damnosa dies et perfida mundo,
Qua dolor et rerum summa ruina fuit.

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