THE Demonstration OF ANTICHRIST.  
BY EDMUND GURNAY, Bach. Theol. P. of Harpley Norfolk.  
LONDON, Printed by I.B. for james Boler, and are to be sold at the sign of the Marigold in Paul's Churchyard. 1631.   

TO THE ALL-HOPEFULL Charles, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, PRINCE of Wales, etc.  
IT is the glory of all temporal power to maintain the glory of Christ, and so consequently to confound Antichrist, When, therefore, the providence of God sends temporal Princes into the world, such as can give any intelligence toward the discovering this Antichrist, cannot be thought overhasty in presenting the same unto them. Indeed, the intelligence which this little Book can do in such kind of business must needs be thought little; notwithstanding, it was a little pibble-stone that bored the Front of Goliath, when the valiant men of Israel were afraid to encounter him. Also the littleness of it may be a means to induce Gods little ones, the sooner to begin to turn the leaves thereof as they shall begin to awake unto the daylight of understanding. Which happy time of our Princes awaking, It resolving to wait; the Author shall in the mean time beseech the Almighty to visit him daily with the light of His countenance, and as his Abilities shall grow, to allure them into the most pleasant paths of His most Royal● service.   

ECCE ANTICHRISTUM.  
HE that professeth himself the supreme head of the Church of Christ, and yet forceth men, upon pain of death, to blaspheme Christ, He is Antichrist.  
Because it cannot be imagined how any power upon earth can more cunningly, and out of a deeper mystery do Christ such universal mischief.  
But the Pope of Rome does profess himself the Supreme head of the Church of Christ, (and that is granted) and yet forceth men upon pain of death, (both temporal and eternal) to blaspheme Christ.  
And this we thus prove:  
He that forceth men upon pain of death to grant, that there is no other Christ but He whose perfect Body, Soul, and Deity hath, for these 1600. years last passed, been ordinarily present amongst men under that particular form which immediately before the speaking of a few words was the form of a senseless creature, and in that form does enter into the mouths of living creatures▪ he forceth men to blaspheme Christ.  
Because this position does blaspheme, 

The Manhood of Christ.  
The Godhead of Christ.  
The Majesty of Christ.  
The Holiness of Christ.  
The justice of Christ.  
The Mercy of Christ.  
The Wisdom of Christ.  
The Power and Word of Christ.    
First, it blasphemes the manhood of Christ; because it gives Him such a Body as in the outward eyes of those that are present with Him hath no more similitude with the body of a man than a chip or a stone.  
Secondly, it blasphemeth His Godhead; because it supposeth the Creator to be ordinarily united unto the form of a creature.  
Thirdly, it blasphemeth his Majesty; because it gives Him such an outward presence as the vilest and poorest man living would be ashamed of, and even utterly abhor.  
Fourthly, it blasphemeth His Holiness; because it supposeth Him to go through more unclean passages, than ever living man did, and such as of necessity do either reject or corrupt whatsoever they receive.  
Fifthly, it blasphemeth His justice; because it affirmeth Him to be ordinarily present amongst men, in a form nothing like a man; and yet we must upon pain of damnation believe that He is a perfect man.  
Sixthly, it blasphemeth His Mercy; because it lays this intolerable burden upon the Faith of little ones, either to look for no salvation, or to believe that thing to be their Saviour which in all outward appearance is but a morsel of bread.  
Seventhly, it blasphemeth His Wisdom; because it supposeth Him to work daily multitudes of most incredible and most stupendious miracles, for no other purposes but such as are daily effected without any miracles at all: there being no kind of benefit redounding unto mankind by this His supposed bodily presence, but such as daily does redound unto us in His bodily absence: For daily does He give us the gift of Faith in His bodily absence; daily does He converse with men, sup with men, and dwell with men in His bodily absence; daily does He give all kind of gifts unto men in his bodily absence; daily does He send the comforter in his bodily absence; For the comforter will not come unless He goes away; joh. 16.7. Yea (finally) daily does e give us his flesh to eat in His bodily absence; For except we eat his flesh, we have no life in us, (joh. 6.53.) But he that believeth hath everlasting life (joh. 6. ●7.) and therefore he that believeth, does always (in His most bodily absence) eat His Flesh. To conclude, What benefit, what Grace, what comfort was ever heard of, or can be imagined, but may be imparted unto men as well (not to say incomparably more easily, more sweetly, more credibly) In His bodily absence, as in this supposed bodily presence, whereunto such stupendious miracles must concur: namely (for a taste of them) these amongst others: 1. That the perfect Body of a man must be couched and contrived into the form of a bit of bread. 2. That the living body of one man must wholly enter into the mouth of another. 3 That the same man shall be in infinite places at once. 4. That the perfect Body of man shall ordinarily come down from heaven, and yet the outward eyes of those which entertain Him shall not see it. 5. That these so uncouth wonders shall be wrought at the call of mortal men (every Priest) unto the end of the world, etc. And is not this a blaspheming of the wisdom of the Almighty to make him the de●isor of these so inglorious, and (to say nothing of the quality of them) insuperfluous miracles.  
Also we further add, that it blasphemeth his Power; because it makes it the instrument of such operations as are dishonourable and repugnant unto His Wisdom, His Majesty, His justice, and even all His conditions and attributes; whereas the power of God on the contrary does so infinitely apply itself to the honour and glory of God, as that it doth continually resist, confound and destroy whatsoever does offer the least diminution unto it.  
Last of all, it blasphemeth his Word; and that both His created Word, and also His revealed Word.  
For what is his created Word, but the faculties of Sense & Reason? What word, or what light had man in his innocency, to show him which was the middle tree in the garden (which upon pain of death he was forbidden to taste of) but his common Sense? And what other word or light have men now in the state of recovery, to tell them which is a man, and which is a beast; which is a fish, and which is a serpent; and to lay them out their particular tasks, portion▪ and callings, but their common Sense? This therefore so immediately created and sacred light, if it be made a notorious liar, (for what is it else if it constantly affirms that to be a morsel of bread which indeed is the perfect Body of a man?) Is not therein the Word of God blasphemed?  
And as for his Revealed Word, both His Original Word (the Scriptures) and also His derived Word (the Fathers) are not they also contradicted and blasphemed by this position.  
For first, concerning the Scripture, does not that every where tell us, That our Saviour was in every point like a man? That He had the face, limbs, and properties of a man? That He did eat, drink, and speak like a man? Also do not the Scriptures expressly say, That the Heavens must contain him till all things be restored? Acts 3.20. And that He shall so descend from heaven; as He first ascended up into heaven? Whereas by this position He hath for these 1600. years continually descended bodily from heaven, not once in such a manner descend, as He first ascended: Yea, the Scripture every where tells us that now He is in the state of Glory; whereas this position contrives Him into a more vile form than ever man had, and ties Him to a more base condition than ever any man (or indeed any living creature) did undergo. For though they seem to do Him great honour while they carry Him about (in those breaden forms) in their pompous processions; yet when withal they profess that in the end he is to be eaten under those breaden forms, all the honour they bestow on him is no better honour unto him, than the guilding the Bull's horns when he is led to be baited, is an honour unto the Bull. Finally, the Bread which our Saviour termed His Body, does not the Scripture every where call it still bread notwithstanding, He took, broke, blessed, and gave Bread, say all the Evangelists; sometime also saying as much of the cup as of the wine: Paul also calling it bread, both in the blessing, and in the eating, and also after the eating: and the Acts of the Apostles terming these Communions (Chap. 2.42.) a continuance in breaking bread: and (Chap. 20.7.) a coming together to break bread: And all the Fathers for many hundred years together immediately following the first Institution, when at any time they made mention of it, as securely calling it bread, as if they never imagined that any would ever make question thereof. And for proof hereof, we have thought good to close up this point with a border of citation● out of them; leaving the force of their sayings to the applications of the Reader for brevity sake. 
Circa An. c. p 2.   
Clemens Romanus (to cite them according to the times wherein they lived) saith thus of it; We offer unto thee our King and our God, this bread and this wine, giving thee thanks: Concil. Tom. 2.  
Ignatius thus; 
An. c. 10●  There is one flesh of our Lord jesus, and one Blood, one bread and one cup. Epist. 2.  
justine Martyr thus; 
133.  When prayers are finished, Bread and Wine is offered: And elsewhere thus; Christ hath given the bread to the end we should remember that He was made a body for such as should believe. In Dial. contra Tryphon. and Apolog. 2.  
Irenaeus Martyr thus; 
An. 172.  As the Eucharist consisting of two natures, the earthly and the heavenly, so our Bodies, etc.  

An. 196.  Tertullian thus; Calling the bread His body, to the end you may understand that He hath given bread to be a figure of His body. Contra Martion. 3.19.  
Clemens Alexandrinus thus; The Wine signifies the Blood allegorically. Lib. de paedagog. 10.6.  

An. c. 207.  Origen thus; If you take this saying, [Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, etc.] according to the Letter, the Letter killeth. Hom. 7. in Levit. & elsewhere thus; After we have given thanks, we eat the loves presented. Contra Celsun. 8.  

An. 250.  Cyprian thus; Our Lord gave with His own hands bread and wine, which He called His Body. De unct. Chris. and elsewhere thus; This bread is converted into our flesh and blood, and serveth for our life. Epist. 2.  
Eusebius Caesariensis thus; 
An. 308.  Christ and His Ministers do represent the mysteries of His Body and Blood by bread and wine. De Demonst. Euangel. 5.3.  
Athanasius thus; 
An. 327.  How few would his Body have sufficed that it should be meat for all the world. In illud [quicunque etc.]  
Concilium Nicenum thus; 
An. 329.  We must not basely [humiliter] be intent upon the bread and the eup, but lifting up our minds by faith, etc. Concil. 1.  
Macarius Egypt, thus; 
An 360.  In the Church bread and wine is offered being the figure of his flesh and blood. Homil. 27.  
Epiphanius thus; 
An. 379.  Christ speaking of a loaf which is round in figure, and cannot see, hear, nor feel, saith of it, This is my Body. In Anchor.  

An. 384.  Ambrose thus; Thou sawest the Sacraments upon the Altar, and wondredst at the creature; yet is it a solemn and known creature: De Sacram. 4.3. And elsewhere thus; In the Law was a shadow, in the Gospel an image, in Heaven the truth. Lib. 10. ex office C. 48.  
Gregory Nissen, thus; Whose hath abundantly drunk of the Apostles springs, hath already received whole Christ. In vi● Mos.  

An. 385.  Chrysostome thus; If it be dangerous to transfer sanctified vessels unto private uses, where in not the true Body of Christ but only a mystery of that body is contained: how much les● ought we to give the vessels of our own bodies to the deuil● which God hath prepared for himself to inhabit. In Matth. 5. Homil. 11. and elsewhere thus; It is counted worthy to be called the Lords Body, though the nature of bread remaineth there still. Ad Caesar. Monach. citat. à ●arijs Author. And again, thus; Wool when it is died, is called no longer wool, but Purple or Scarlet, though the nature of wool still remaineth. In Psal. 22.  
Gregory Nazianzen thus; 
An. 378.  We ●ow partake the Passeover, ●hough in a figure, yet much more clear than in the old Law. De Pasch. Orat. 2.  
Hierome thus; Christ is not corporally in the Church. In Prou, 1. ●. and elsewhere thus; Christ left bread and wine, as he that goes ●voyage leaves a gage: In prim. ●d Corinth. 11. and again, thus; I take the Gospel to be the body of Christ, and that more truly than the Sacrament. In Psal. 147.  

An. 394.  Austin thus; If we look to the visible signs, by which the Sacraments are performed, who can be ignorant that they are corruptible. De Bapt. Lib. 3. Cap. 10. And elsewhere thus; By reason of the resemblance betwixt the Sacraments and the things, the Sacraments often times take the name of the things. Epist. 23. And elsewhere thus; this is a perfect rule to understand whether a speech be figurative, that whatsoever in Scripture cannot be referred unto integrity o● faith, or verity of manners, that resolve thyself is figurative. D● doctr. Chr. Lib. 3. Chap. 10. Where upon he infers our Saviour speech, [of eating his flesh] to be figurative, because according to the Letter, it is a sinful act; calling it a carnal sense to take figurative speeches properly, and a miserable bondage of the soul.  
Theodoret thus; 
An. 424.  He honoured the signs which we see, with the name of His body, not changing the nature, but casting grace upon nature. And elsewhere thus; The mystical signs after sanctification do not depart from their nature, but remain in their former substance, figure, and ●orme. Dial. 2.  
Cyril thus; Our Sacrament avoucheth not the eating of a man. Ad object. Theod. And elsewhere thus; He gave pieces of bread to His Disciples. In 4. Io●n.  
Gelasius thus; 
An. 490.  By the Sacraments we are made partakers of the heavenly nature and yet for all that ceaseth not the nature of bread and wine. Contra Eutichens.  

An. 550.  Fulgentius thus; How did He go up to heaven but as he is very man, contained in a place? Or how is He present with the faithful, but as He is very God without all measure? Ad Thrasimach. Regul. 2.  

An. 526.  Ephrem thus; Taking bread into His hands, He blessed it, and broke it for a figure of His body. Contra Inquis. Divin. Natur.  
Vigilius thus; To go to His Father, and from us; was to take from the world that nature which he received of us. Contra Eutichens.  

An. 550.  Concilium Constant. thus; Christ commanded the whole substance of bread, chosen for His Image to be set on the table, lest if it resembled the shape of a man, Idolatry might be committed. Extat in Concil. Nicen. 2.  
Procopius Gazeus thus; There is now given an Image, a Type, a Figure of His body, receiving no more the bloody Sacrifices of the Law. Super Gen. 49.  
Beda thus; He substituting the Sacrament of His Flesh in the figure of bread and wine. In Luk. 22. And elsewhere out of Austin thus; That which you see, ●is bread and wine, which your very eyes can tell you. In 1 Cor. 10.  
Druthmarus thus; Wine maketh glad, and increaseth blood; and therefore the blood of Christ is aptly figured thereby. In Mat.  
Rhabanus Maurus thus; The Sacrament is turned into the body's nourishment. Lib. 1. Chap. 13.  
Paschasius thus; What find they which taste these things, beside bread and wine, otherwise than by faith and hearing? De corp. & sang. Dom.  
Bertramus thus; The signs, as touching the substance of the creatures, are the same after consecration that they were before. De corp. & sang. Dom.  
Bernard thus; What is it to eat His flesh, and drink His blood, but to communicate with His passions, and to imitate His conversation. In Psalm. [qui habitat etc.]  
Bonaventure thus; The Sacraments are said to contain God's Grace, not as a vessel does water, but because they signify God's Grace. In 4. Sentent. Dis● 1.9.3.  
And his Text-man Lombard thus; Christ offered Himself upon the Cross, and his remembrance in the Sacrament. Lib. 4. dist. 12.  
The gloss upon the Common-Law (a principal witness in this cause) thus; It is His body improperly after a fashion, not in truth but in signification, quoting Austin for it. Super Canon. Hoc est corpus meum. Decr. p. 3. dist. 2.16.  
Most true therefore our ground is, that whosoever enforceth men upon pain of death, to grant that there is no other Christ but he which is ordinarily present amongst men in the form of common bread, he forceth men ●o blaspheme Christ. All the nature's, properties, and attributes of Christ being blasphemed by ●uch assertion.  
But the Pope of Rome does force men upon pain of death (both spiritual and temporal) so to grant: Their Tridentine Council enforcing it upon pain of spiritual death, in these words; viz. Whosoever shall deny that in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, is truly and really contained the Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity of our Lord jesus Christ, and therefore whole Christ; but shall say that it is there only as in a sign, or in a figure, or virtue, let him be accursed. Concil. Trident. Sess 3. And one of their Synod enjoining Berengari● thus to say; With my mouth and with my heart, I profess that the bread and the wine after consecration, is not only a Sacrament, but also the true body and blood of jesus Christ, and sensually in truth is handled and broken with the hands of the Priests, and torn (atteri) with the teeth of the faithful. Decret. p. 3. dist. 2.16. Ego Berengarius, etc.  
And as for temporal death which the gaine-sayer of this position did thereupon undergo; what Nation under their authority hath not records thereof written in blood? Not to cite their secular laws, which condemn all, heretics (amongst which, the resister of this position they count the chief) ad poenam ignis: i.e. To be burnt to death, and to undergo all kind of penalties beside, in their name, friends, fautors, posterity, goods and fortunes that can be imagined. Summa Angelica. Litera here●icus.  
Or if our English Admirers of Rome will believe nothing concerning the Discipline of that Church, but so far forth as they can be assured thereof within the bounds of England; they may have recourse to the six Articles established in English Parliament▪ the first whereof enacteth thus▪  
Whosoever shall say, that in the Sacrament of the Altar under the form of bread and wine (after the consecration thereof) there is not present, really, the natural Body and Blood of our Saviour jesus Christ; conceived of the Virgin Mary; or that after the said consecration there remaineth any substance of bread or wine, or any other substance but the substance of Christ, both God and man, etc. then he shall be adjudged an heretic, and suffer death by burning, and shall forfeit to the King, all his lands, tenements, etc. as in case of hie reason. An. 31. Hen. 8.14.  
For though this law was enacted when the Pope's authority was suppressed, yet did it take the beginning from the Church of Rome: and a little after, in the reign of Queen Mary, was executed to the full, by virtue of the Romish authority.  
Our Demonstration therefore is most plain, and let hea●en and earth be judge of it.  
He that professeth himself the Supreme head of the Church of Christ, and yet forceth men ●pon pain of death (both temporal and eternal) to blaspheme Christ; he is Antichrist.  
But the Pope of Rome so professeth, and so enforceth.  
Therefore En & ecce Antichristum.  
FINIS.