Of the institution of the sacrament of the blessed bodie and blood of Christ, (by some called) the masse of Christ eight bookes; discovering the superstitious, sacrilegious, and idolatrous abominations of the Romish masse. Together with the consequent obstinacies, overtures of perjuries, and the heresies discernable in the defenders thereof. By the R. Father in God Thomas L. Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.

Of the CANON OF CHRIST his MASSE, and at what wordes it beginneth.

SECT. IV.

CHrist his Masse, by your owne i confession, beginneth at these words of the Gospell, concerning Christ's Institution of the Eucharist, Math. 26. Luc. 22. [And Iesus tooke bread, &c.] which also we doe as absolutely professe.

What Circumstances, by ioynt consent on both sides, are to bee exempted out of this Canon of Christ his Masse; or the wordes of his Institution.

It is no lesse Christian wisedome and Charitie to cut off vnne∣cessary Controversies, than it is a serpentine malice to engender them; and therefore we exempt those points which are not in∣cluded within this Canon of Christ, beginning at these wordes; [And Iesus tooke bread, &c.] To know, that all other circum∣stances, which at the Institution of Christ his Supper fell out acci∣dentally, or but occasionally (because of the then Iewish Passe∣ouer, which Christ was at that time to finish; or else by reason of the custome of Iudaea) doe not come within this our dispute touching Christ his Masse; whether it be that they concerne Place, (for it was instituted in a priuate house:) or Time, (which was at night:) or Sexe, (which were onely men:) or Gesture, (which was a kind of lying downe:) or Vesture, (which was wee know not what:) no nor yet whether the Bread were vnleauened, or the Wine mixed with water, two poynts which (as you know) Prote∣stants and your selues k giant not to be of the essence of the Sacra∣ment,

but in their owne nature Indifferent; and onely so farre to bee observed, as the Church, wherein the Christian Communicants are, shall for Order and Decencie-sake prescribe the use thereof.

Notes

• i

  Hoc officium Christus instituit, u∣bi dicitur, [Acce∣pit Iesus panem] Du∣rand. Ration. l. 4. c. 1. p. 165. Christus in∣stituit, Lu. 22 Accep∣to pane, &c. Durant. de ••iti. l. 2. c. 3 p. 211.
• k

  Antiquissimus decumbēdi usus mo∣re accumbendi non∣dum inuento, ex Phi∣lone lib. de Ios pho.—Iudaeorum mos jacendi inter Epulas. Amos c. 2. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Foene∣ratores super Vesti∣menta in pignus ac∣cepta discumbunt iuxta quoduis altare: ubi vestimenta pro lectis. Casaub. Exerc. 16. in Baron. [And lest any might obiect a ne∣cessity of representa∣tion Aquae, quae fluxit è corpore Christi, Bonauent. q. 3. D. 11. cleares it thus] Dicen∣dum quòd per a∣quam illam non signatur aqua ista, nec è conuerso: sed aqua illa aquam Baptismatis signat. [Againe, con∣cerning the difference of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it is plaine, that although Azymes were vsed by Christ, it being then the Paschal feast, yet was this occasionally by reason of the same feast, which was prescribed to the Iewes, as was also the eating of the Lambe.] Graeca Ecclesia peccaret consecrans in Azymo. Tolet Ies. instruct. lib. 2. cap. 25. Lutherani non disputant de necessitate fermenti, aut Azymi. Bellar. l. 4. de Euch. c. 7. Res videtur esse indifferens in se, sed ità vt peccatum sit homini Graeco contra morem & mandatum suae Ecclesiae in Azymo: & nos in Latina Ecclesia, nisi in Azymo, sine scelere non facimus. Alan Card. l. 1. de Euch cap. ••2. pag. 267. Error est dicere alterutrum panem, siue azymum siue fermentatum, esse simplici••er de necessitate Sacramenti in hac vel illa Ecclesia: tàm Graecis quam Latinis licet consuetudinem suae Ecclesiae sequi. Suarez Ies. Tom 3. disp. 44. §. 3. p. 523. In fermentato confici posse, Ecclesia Latina docet, nam Azymus panis fermentato non substantia, sed qualitate differt. Salmeron Ies. To. 9. Tra. 12. p. 75. Christus dicitur panem accepisse: ex quo intelligitur quemvis panem proprie dictum esse posse materiam Eucharistiae, siue azymum siue fermentatum. Iansen. Episc. Concord. c. 131. p. 899. Maior pars Theologorum docet, non esse aquam de necessitate Sacramenti—Opinio illa Cypriani, quod at∣••inet ad modum loquendi—quod ad rem attiner, non Catholicae Ecclesi••, fortasse etiam nec Cypriani. Bel. l. 4. de Euch. c. 11. §. Quinto. And of leauened Bread, Mr. Brerely Lit. Tract. 4. §. 6. p. 413. when the Ebionites taught ••nleavened Bread to be necessary, the Church commanded consecration to be made in leauened Bread.