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.

CHALLENGE.

BVt who shall iustifie that her Commendation of the alone-com∣municating of your Priest? which we may iustly condemne by the liberall b Confessions of your owne Doctors; who grant,

first, that this is not according to the Institution of Christ, saying in the Plurall, [To them.] Secondly, nor to the practice of the Apo∣stles, who were Communicating together in prayer and breaking of bread. Act. 2. 46. that is (say they) aswell in the Eucharist as in Prayer. Thirdly, Nor to the ancient Custome of the whole Church, both Greek and Romane. Fourthly, neither to Two c Councels, the one called Na∣netense, the other Papiense, decre••ing against Priuate Masse. Fiftly, nor to the very names of the true d Sacramentall Masse: which, by way of Excellencie, was sometime called [Synaxis] signifying (as S. Basil saith) the Congregation of the faithfull: somtimes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Communion, or Communicating: and sometimes the Prayers, vsed in euery holy Masse, were e called [Collectae] Collects, because the people vsed to be collected to the celebration of the Masse it selfe. Sixtly, Nor to the very Canon of the now Romane Masse, saying in the Plurall [Sumpsimus] we haue receiued. And thereupon (seuenth∣ly) repugnant to the Complaints of your owne men, against your Abuse; who calling the ioynt Communion, instituted by Christ, the f Legitimate Masse; doe wonder how your Priests sole Com∣municating euer crept into the Church; and also deplore the con∣tempt, which your priuate Masse hath brought vpon your Church. Hitherto (see the Marginals) from your owne Confessions.

Let vs adde the absurditie of the Commendation of your Coun∣cell of Trent, in saying, We commend the Priest's communicating a∣lone. A man may indeed possibly talke alone, fret alone, play the Traytor alone: but this Communicating alone, without any other, is no better Grammar than to say that a man can conferre alone, conspire alone, contend, or Couenant alone. Caluine saith indeed of spirituall Eating, which may be without the Sacrament (as you also g confesse) that a faithfull man may feede alone of the Body and Blood of Christ: But our dispute is of the Sacramentall Communica∣ting thereof.

Notes

• b

  Sunt qui in Mis∣sa communionem re∣quirunt: sic, fateor, à Christo institutum fuit, & ita olim fieri consuevit. Eras. Concord. Eccles. vers. finem. [Act. 2. Erant communicantes in Oratione & communicatione fractionis Panis] id est, in Eucharistia non minùs quàm oratione. Lorinus Ies. in Act. 2. 46. Odo Camera cens. in Canonem scribit, Missas solitarias antiquitùsi•• vsu Ecclesiae non fuisse.—Et hunc fuisse antiquum Ecclesiae Rom. morem, ••t plures de eodem Sacrificio participent, doctiss••••i quique agnoscunt.—Itáque hac nostra ae∣tate R. Pater, & vir doctiss▪ Ioh Hoffmeisterus his verbis suam sententiam declaravit. Res, inquit, clamat, tàm in Graeca quà•• in Latina Ecclesia non solùm Sacerdotem sacrificantem, sed & reliquos Presbyteros & Diaco∣nos, necnon & reliquam plebem, aut••altem plebis aliquam partem communicâsse, quod quomodò cessavit mi∣randum est.—Et aliquos cùm Sacerdote adfuisse, qui sacrificia laudis offerebant, & Sacramentorum participa∣bant, Canonis (Romani) verba manifestè significant: viz. Quot ex hac Altaris participatione sacrosanctum cor∣pus & sanguinem filij tui s••mpserimus, &c. Item, Prosint nobis divina Sacrificia, quae sumpsimus. Teste G. Cassan∣dro Consult. Art. 24. pag. 216, 217,—223. &c.
• c

  Idem Ioh: Hoff∣meisterus; Quomo∣dò (inquit) ordo an∣tiquus cessauerit, mi∣randum est, & ut bo∣nus ille usus reuo∣cetur laborandum. Nunc verò post∣quàm communionis ordo à nobis obser∣uari desijt, id{que} per negligentiam tàm plebis quàm Sacer∣dotum, ut ait Hospin.—Ex Canone quodam Cone Nan∣netensis, Sacerdos solus Missam cele∣brare vetatur: absur∣dum n. est ut dicat, [Dominus vobiscum: &, Sursum corda: &, gratias agimus Deo Domino nostro] cùm nullus est qui respon∣deat: aut ut dicat [Oremus] cùm nul∣lus adest qui secum oret.—Et simile Decretum reperitur in Conc. Papiensi, ut nullus Presby∣ter Missam celebra∣re praesumat—Cur autem Canon noster [Speaking of the forme of the Romane Masse] alijs in superstitio∣nem, alijs in contemptum adductus sit, in causa potissimum est mutatio prisci ritus. Georg. Cassand. quo sup.
• d

  Act. 2. 42. [Erant communicantes▪ &c.] Vsus fuit quondam frequentandae quotidiè Eucharistiae, non minùs quàm Orationis.—〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 sumitur pro usu istius Sacramenti 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Eadem est vis etiam vo∣cis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 pro congregatione fidelium, ut interpretatur Basilius. Lorin. Ies. loco supra-citato.
• e

  Collectae, per figuram, dicebantur Preces, ab ipsa celebratione Missae, quum ad eam populus colligebatur. Bellar. l. 2. de Missa cap. 16. §. Post salutationem.
• See aboue at (b.)
• f

  Generaliter autem dicendum est, quòd illa est legitima Mis••a, in qua sunt Sacerdotes, Respondens, Offerens, at{que} Communicans, sicut ipsa precum compositio evidenti ratione demonstrat. Durand. l. 4. c. 1. pag. 174. Walf••idus Strabo, etiam aliqui antiqui∣ores Scholasticorum Interpretessolam legitimam Missam fatentur, cui interfuit Sacerdos, Respondentes, Of∣ferentes, at{que} Communicantes. Cassand. quo supra.
• g

  Qui dicunt Christum manducari spiritualiter à fidelibus posse, etiamsi Sacramentaliter non manducetur, at{que} eo cibo animam ali, ve∣ra quidem asserunt. Acosta Jes. de procur. Indorum Salut. c. 7. p. 532.
• See aboue at the letter (a)