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wine, as the sacrament of the

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cious blood poured out for us: that this change was not substantial, but suitable to the end for which they were ordained; nor produced by virtue of certain words pronounced, nor by the intention of the speaker, but by the sole power and will of Him who ordained the whole act so divine and heavenly: whence also the ordinance ought to be celebrated with a loud and distinct voice, in intelligible language, and in the sight of the people. He observed, that Transubstantiation was contrary to the analogy of their faith, for it was directly opposed to the nature of sacraments, and overturned the truth of the humanity of our Saviour, and of its ascension into heaven: that however the reformed belief did not make Christ absent from the holy supper, but as to distance of place, he was as far from the bread and wine, as heaven from earth; forasmuch as we and the sacraments were upon earth, and his flesh was in heaven and no where

else; that nevertheless we were made partakers of his body and blood after a spiritual manner.

At these words the Roman Catholic doctors murmured aloud their disapprobation; some clapped their hands in wrath, exclaiming, "He hath spoken blasphemy; others rose to depart being prevented from further expression of indignation by the royal presence; and the Cardinal de Tournon, as president of the clergy, requested their Majesties to impose silence on Beza, or permit the ecclesiastics to retire. The King took no notice of this application, but intimated to the Reformer that he might proceed, who said, "My Lords, I pray you to hear the conclusion, which will satisfy you," and then continued his address; after which, he presented the confession of the reformed churches to the King, who received it graciously by the hands of La Ferté, captain of the guard, and gave it to the prelates.

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The Cardinal rose, and speaking in so low a tone as scarcely to be heard below the bar, besought his Sovereign not to pay any attention to the representations of the protestants, but to live in the faith of his ancestors, in which he had been educated by the Queen his mother, for which he prayed the glorious Virgin Mary and all the blessed Saints to grant him grace. He demanded a day for answer to this harangue, which he said would be no difficult task, but might bring back his Majesty to the true doctrine. Then, suddenly correcting himself he added, "I do not say bring back, but confirm in the right way. "The Queen replied, that nothing had been done, without the advice of the council, and parliament of Paris; and that there had been no design of change or innovation, but a desire to allay the troubles which had arisen from the difference of religion, and put the wanderers into the true path.

The next day Beza wrote to the Queen, explaining his expressions concerning the Lord's Supper, and informing her Majesty, that he had been given to understand that some persons had represented him as saying that Christ was not in the Supper, which was an impiety against which he protested; that he considered this adorable mystery as instituted by the Son of God, that we might become more and more partakers of his true body and his true blood, and be incorporate with him unto eternal life; that he allowed the presence of Christ in the sacrament, but denied that his humanity was connected with the elements; and that certain Fathers of the Church had entertained the same sentiments.

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These are the words of St. Augustine, in his fifth treatise on St. John; When Jesus Christ said, Me ye have not always with

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* Beze, Hist. Eccles, des Eglises Reformees, Tom. 1. p. 521.

you, he spoke of his bodily presence; for according to his majesty, according to his providence, according to his invisible grace, that which he hath promised is otherwise accomplished, I will be with you, even unto the end of the world; but with regard to the human nature which he assumed, his birth, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, this declaration is fulfilled. Me ye have not always with you: Wherefore? Because in his body he conversed forty days with his disciples, and as they steadfastly beheld him, and stood gazing, he ascended up into heaven, and is no more here.' Again, the same Father observes, in his Epistle to Dardanus; As God, he is every where; as Man, he is in heaven.'

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Vigilius, Bishop of Trent, who wrote against the Eutychian heresy, about the year 500, uses similar language: The Son of God is separated from us, as to his humanity; but as to his divinity, he saith, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. He is with us, and he is not; for he has not abandoned, as to his divine nature, those whom he has quitted and is separated from, as to his human nature; inasmuch as with respect to the form of a servant, which he has taken to heaven, he is absent, but with respect to the form of God, which leaveth us not, he is present. Again; when his flesh was

on

earth, certainly it was not in heaven, and now that it is in heaven, assuredly it is not on earth, but is absent in such sense, that we expect that He, who is with us on earth as the Word, shall come from heaven according to the flesh. Again; the only Son of God, who is also made Man, is confined to one place by reason of his flesh, but omnipresent as to his divinity."

The Romanists were exceedingly disconcerted, and consulted on the measures to be pursued.

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I wish,"

said the Cardinal of Lorraine, either he had been dumb, or we had been deaf," So do we!"

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they replied. It was resolved, however, that the Cardinal, assisted by the Doctors, and especially by Claude Despence (who should prepare his speech, and serve as registrar) should reply to two points, the Church, and the Supper; not with a view of engaging in dispute, but lest the audience should suppose the Protestants could not be answered; and that as to all other matters, they would draw up a confession of faith, and offer to the ministers for their assent; on refusing which they should be condemned, and an end put to the session. This resolution, which was a virtual acknowledgment of defeat, is unnoticed by the continuator of Fleury, but recorded by Beza. It had the effect of leading the Protestants to address the King in these terms: "Sire! since it has pleased your Majesty to summon us to confer on the differences in religion, and to devise means for appeasing the troubles of the kingdom, and to ordain with this view that the Prelates should not be judges in the cause, and that prejudice should attach neither to one party nor the other, we beseech you with all humility that this rule above all other should be observed; for a rumour is gone forth, that the Prelates have determined not to make a simple answer to our propositions, and to oppose their articles to others for peaceable conference; but from this hour to condemn and anathematize us, shutting the door to all conference, and doing marvellous prejudice to the cause. It would be contrary to all right and order, divine and human, that they should be our judges, and even to pronounce sentence without having heard our arguments, or attended to the merits of the cause. By which means, Sire, your intention would be frustrated; as the judgment being irrevocably given, it would be labour lost to desire further conference. In our address on the past Tuesday, the points of our

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doctrine were simply stated, without bringing forward any arguments, in the expectation of a more ample opportunity of producing them in conference. Under such circumstances, and professing our readiness to show our reasons and arguments, we most humbly supplicate your Majesty, as you desire the peace of your subjects, and the tranquillity of your kingdom, that you would be pleased to hear us, and that we may not be deprived of the indulgence which you have granted us, nor you disappointed in your endeavour. That your Majesty, to this end, would not permit the Prelates to usurp the authority of judging and proceeding to such condemnation as they pretend, to take from us all means of further conference. That if they proceed to greater lengths, it would please you neither to admit nor approve their sentence, so advanced against what your Majesty required from the beginning, and granted to us: or that if admitted, contrary to our belief and expectation, your Majesty will not be offended, if we protest the nullity of all which they have done or undertaken, or shall do or undertake against us; declaring, that if through default of our not being heard, the troubles are not appeased, but even greater arise, we are altogether clear of the same; having sought and pursued all means of union and concord, which we pray God may be pleased to send, and maintain over your whole territory, that your reign may be prosperous and happy! Assuring you, Sire, that by the help of God, no trouble shall come upon it on our part.

And moreover, if by their proceeding, we are compelled to withdraw, contrary to our desire, without any profit, it would please your Majesty to maintain us in your safety and protection, according to the assurance which you have been pleased to give us; granting us for our discharge towards those who have commissioned us, and all others,

an act of what you have been pleased to accord us from the commencement."

This request was presented to the Chancellor, who according to his prudence looked to the affair in such a manner, that the Romanists were resolved to take other measures. The Cardinal of Lorraine devised the subtle expedient of sending for some German divines of the Confession of Augsburg, to dispute with the French ministers on the difference of the Supper, that divisions might ensue, and he and his party have an opportunity of escaping. Accordingly, four Germans, and at Frenchman who was staying in Germany, set out for France, unsuspicious of his design.

He then prepared a long discourse, which he divided into two parts. In the former, he treated on the authority of the Church, saying that it ought to be the sovereign Judge to terminate the controversies of religion, which Scripture alone could not be, because not being a self-interpreter, there needs a Judge who lives and speaks, and by his sovereign authority may decide what is holy Scripture, and what is its true sense. At first, he spoke of the obedience due to the king, observing, that the sovereign was a member, and not the chief of the Church, whose principal charge was its defence; but that as to things pertaining to doctrine, he was subject to the Church and its ministers; because the emperors had submitted to the jurisdiction of the bishops of Rome, in matters of faith. Speaking of the Church, he held, that it did not consist of the elect alone, since in the Lord's threshing-floor the chaff is indiscriminately mixed with the wheat,

That nevertheless, the universal Church cannot err; and if any particular one fall into error, it must have recourse to the Romish Church, to the decrees of general councils, and the opinion of the holy fathers who agree among them

selves, giving the first place to holy Scripture, explained in its true sense, and the undoubted interpretation of the Church. That Arius and his partizans fell into grievous errors, from not following this rule. In the latter part, he discoursed on the article respecting the Lord's Supper, and showed how dangerous it was to depart from the interpretation of the Church. That the consequence would be, on account of so holy a mystery, instituted by the Lord to join us to himself by the most intimate ties, a door would be opened to endless disputes, which, not being settled, would break for ever the bond of charity. For if the Protestants persevered in the error of believing that Jesus Christ, since his ascension into heaven, has not been among us otherwise than he was before he was clothed with our flesh; and that he is in the Sacrament in no other manner than in the preaching of the word; that in fine it is the same thing to put on Christ in Baptism, and to take his flesh and blood in the Supper; that, also, he is in heaven in such sort as he is not upon earth: it would be impossible to arrive at any agreement, He then laid open the sentiment of the Catholics, who say that the body of Jesus Christ is in heaven, in its natural dimensions, and that it is after another manner in the Holy Sacrament for philosophy shows us, that it is no contradiction, for one body to be at the same time in different places, instead of affirming, that it is in one place, and yet it is not; and he concluded, that if the Protestants had nothing else to answer, he would tell them, that he was as far from their sentiment as heaven is from the earth.

This was no doubt deemed a most happy allusion to the obnoxious language of our Reformer. All the Prelates loudly applauded his discourse, and declared their readiness to live and die in the faith maintained by their champion; and

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that as to the remaining topics of dispute their opponents might be allowed to explain themselves, if they agreed to this main doctrine but if not, that no audience ought to be granted them, but rather themselves driven out of the kingdom.

Beza requested the Queen to be permitted to reply immediately to the Cardinal; but the King adjourned the session to another day. The twenty-fourth of the same month was appointed for a fresh meeting, which was held in the presence of the Queen, the King and Queen of Navarre, and some principal lords in the prioral chamber of the convent. The King and the Cardinal of Tournon were absent. Beza commenced his harangue by explaining his views of the nature, marks, and authority of the church.

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'The name Church is derived from a Greek word, signifying to call out of one place into another. But we find in the Scripture, that there are two sorts of vocation; one conjointly with the influence of the Holy Spirit, of which the Apostle speaks (Rom. viii.) when he saith, that God justifies whom he calls; the other, albeit the same externally with the former, is yet of no value as to salvation : not through any fault of God, but of men who are wilfully deaf, according to the adage, 'None are so deaf as those who will not hear.' Of this calling the Lord speaks, Many are called, but few chosen. Consequently the name Church, signifying the company of those who are assembled by the voice of God who calleth them, is taken in two senses. For being taken generally for those who make outward profession of answering the call of God, it doubtless includes many hypocrites and reprobates. And for our parts, thank God, we have never spoken or written otherwise, seeing it is a thing too clearly expressed in Scripture, and confirmed by lasting ex

perience. But if the word be taken in a stricter and more confined sense, as it often must, then we say that it can mean those alone who are elect and predestined of God.

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And that all may know we have not forged this manner of speaking, and much less this doctrine, when it is said, that the Church is the body of the Lord, 'bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh;' nay even the very name of Christ given to it, in joining the head and the members, as the Apostle doth, in writing to the Corinthians; how can the reprobate be included in the number, seeing they are members of the devil? For it is impossible to be a member of Christ and of the devil at the same time; as St. Augustine hath well observed (L. 12. C. 21.) against Cresconius. The same author makes this distinction on the 64th Psalm, when he observes, that the Church signified by Jerusalem has its beginning in Abel, and Babylon in Cain. Nevertheless, in his first book on Baptism, against the Donatists (C. 16.) taking the Church in the more general signification, he says, that she who hath brought forth Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and the prophets, hath also produced Cain, Ishmael, Dathan, and the like.

"For conclusion, then, we will take what the same author has written in the forementioned treatise (L. 7. C. 59.) that there are two sorts of men in the Church.. Some are the members of Christ and the true Church, and so of the house of God, as they are the house itself. The others are in the house of God, but are not of it; for they are as the tares among the wheat, till they are taken out of it. Hence arises the question, Is the Church invisible? which seems necessary to be allowed, as God alone can know the elect. Besides, we profess to believe in the holy Church, and that which is believed in, is not the object of sight. But thence

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follows a great disadvantage, if we speak of it thus simply; for if such be the case, to what company ought we to join ourselves, and what means are to be pursued, in order to salvation, if we know not the Church, since in the Church alone Jesus Christ bestows his saving grace. It is true, my Lord Cardinal, if I remember right, that you alleged another disadvantage, namely, that the Church being invisible, we may not recognize even King. This, however, is a consequence we by no means allow; for the Scripture teacheth us to acknowledge our superiors, and obey them in all and through all (saving the honour that we owe to God alone) even when they are infidels. But this by the way. I return to my proposition. We affirm, then, that although the true Church be invisible, yet if we desire to know to what assembly we ought to join ourselves, we have certain marks to guide us, in the pure word of God, and right administration of the sacraments; which marks are clear and perceptible, so that where they are found, there we ought not to doubt is the true church of God; and we ought, in the judgment of charity, to reckon as faithful all who profess true religion, if God hath not manifested their hypocrisy. Of which St. Paul sets a good example, when he calls the Corinthians and Galatians holy and faithful, and gives them the name of Church in general; though there were among them great faults, both as to ignorance in doctrine, and error in life. Even as he has otherwise declared, that all who hold the foundation do not always build on it gold and silver, or precious stones, but wood, hay, stubble. Thus we speak of the Church, not in an imaginary and fantastic manner; and giving no occasion, as we apprehend, to rank us among such fanatics, as formerly were the Cathari and Donatists, and in our days the furious Anabaptists, against whom

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