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 Christ (you see) instituted this Sacrament only for Eaters. The Apostle exhorteth every man to Preparation; Let a man examine himselfe: and exhorting every one, being prepared, to Eate, saith, So let him eate. This (to vse your owne k Confessions) was practised in ancient times, when as the people were thus general∣ly invited; Come, Brethren, unto the Communion. When as ancient Fathers (as you have also acknowledged) suffered none but Commu∣nicants to be present at the celebration of the Eucharist. As for them that came vnprepared, and as not intending to Communicate, they commanded them to be gone, and to be packing out of doores. To this purpose your owne Relator telleth you, from other Authors, of the practice of Antiquity, and of other succeeding Churches, in not suffering any to be present, but such as did Communicate; and of removing and expelling them that did not.

Nor can the Church of Rome iustly take exception at this, seing that in the Roman Church also, in the daies of P. Greg. the first, which

was 600. yeares after Christ) the office of the Deacon, at the time of the celebration of the Eucharist, was to crie alowde saying, m If any doe not communicate, let him give place. Where wee see the religious wisdome of that ancient Church of Rome, which could not suffer a Sacrifice to devoure a publike Sacrament, and to exclude a Communion: Whereunto the Scriptures gave the name of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, a Gathering together, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, a Communion; as also of The Supper of the Lord. Yea and Calixtus, a Pope more ancient than Gregorie, required that persons present should Com∣municate: n Because (saith he) the Apostles had so ordained; and our Church of Rome obserueth the same.

But what haue We said? have Wee called this Sacrament the Supper of our Lord? so (we thought) were we taught by the Apo∣stle, 1. Cor. 11. before wee heard your Iesuite o Maldonate deny∣ing this, and bitterly inveying against Protestants, terming them Blind men for want of judgement, for so calling it. But he must par∣don vs, if we (though wee should suspect our owne sight) yeild to the ancient Fathers of Primitive times, as to men farre more cleare∣sighted than that Iesuite could be; who (as both your p Romane Catechisme with Lindan instructeth, and as your Cardinall q Baro∣nius confesseth) following the authority of the Apostles, used to call the sacred Eucharist, the Lord's Supper, distinct from the Paschall Supper, which went before it: amongst whom you have r Dio∣nysius Areopagita, with Chrysostome, Cyprian, Augustine, Hierome, Anselme, Bernard. Whereupon (with some of them) we enioyne a Necessity of a ioynt Communion with those that are present.

Will you suffer a Golden mouth to be Moderator in this Con∣trouersie? thus then. Whosoever thou art (saith s Chrysostome) that being fit to participate of this Sacrament shalt stand only looking on, and not eate, thou doest no lesse Contumely and reproach to the Sacra∣ment, than a man invited to a Feast, who will not taste thereof, doth unto the Lord that invited him to bee a Guest. So hee. And to shew that it cannot be sufficient to behold it only as a proper Sacri∣fice

(as you pretend) the same t Father (as you know) saith a∣gainst such By-standers, Why doe we waite at the Altar, offering (mea∣ning unproperly) a Sacrifice, when as there is none to communicate? And why dost thou, impudent fellow, stand here still, not being one of them that participate thereof? But enough.

This then you perceiue is a matter of no small importance, e∣ven by reason of the nature of this Sacrament, which is a Divine Banquet; being also enioyned upon the Catholike Church by that Command of Christ, [DOE THIS.] Therefore the Command and Precept comming, maketh you Transgressors for not-Ea∣ting; even as by the first Command given unto man-kind of [Eate not] our first Parents became Transgressors for Eating. So justly doth our Church require, that Gazers, who comunicate not, should depart. We forbeare to repeate that which we have former∣ly prooved (to wit,) that you, by not dismissing the non-Communicants from beholding the Celebration this Sacrament, are condemned by the word Masse, whereof you have so long boasted, untill that now your Glorie is become your shame.

Notes

• k

  Temporibus Di∣onysij Areop. (ut pa∣tet ex cap. 3. Hier.) omnes invitabantur ad singula sacra, [ve∣nite, fratres, ad com∣munionem.] Chrys. Orat. ad Mart. Phi∣log. Quotidianum Sacrificium in cas∣sum fit, nemo acce∣dit. As witnesseth Card. Alan. l. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. de Euch. cap 30. pag. 648. Sci∣endum est iuxta an∣tiquos Patres, quòd soli Communican∣tes divinis mysterijs interesse consueve∣rant, vnde ante o∣blationem iubeban∣tur exire Catechu∣m eni & Poenitentes, sc. quià nodùm se praeparaverant ad communicandum. Cassand. Consult. Art. 24. p. 216, 217. And he further brings in Cochlaeus de Sa∣crific. Missae, witnessing the same: Quòd olim tam Sacerdotes quàm Laici, quicun{que} Sacrificio Missae non inter∣erant, peractâ communicatione cum Sacrificante communicabaut; sicut in Can. Apostolorum, & libris antiquis. Doctorum Ecclesiae perspicue cognoscitur. Cassander. Liturg. cap. 30. Nec propriè dici potest Communio, nisi plures de eodem Sacrificio participent. Haec Micrologus cap. 51 de orat. ad populum Teste Espenc. Tract. de pri∣uata Missa, fol 232. col. 2.
• (l) Sciendum est, iuxta antiquos Patres, quòd soli Communicantes divinis officijs inter esse consueverant. Microlog. de Eccles. observat. Et in Liturg. Aethiop. Si communicare non vultis, disce∣dite. In Liturg. Armen. Exeant toràs. Nic Cusan. Dico, inquit Dionys. Areop. quòd qui non parati erant ad susceptionem, expellebantur ex Ecclesia. Haec. Teste Cassandro Liturg. c. 26. p. 59.
• m

  Diaconus cla∣mabat, [Si quis non communicet, det lo∣cum.] Greg. Dial. c. 23. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] &c.
• n

  Calixtus P. ut ha∣betur de Consecrat. Dist. 2. C. Peracta.—Peractâ Consecrati∣one, omnes commu∣nicent,—Sic enim Apostoli statuerunt, & sancta tenet Eccle∣sia.
• o

  Calvinistarum & Lutheranorum in∣scitia, Sacramentum hoc Coenam appel∣lantium: atqui nullus in sacris literis locus est, ubi Coena voca∣tur. Vbi dicit D. Pau∣lus, [Iam non est Do∣minicā Coenam man∣ducare] nullo judicio adhibito existimant illum Eucharistiam Coenam appellare—Non viderūt ho∣mines coeci quòd Luc. 22. 20. & Paulus, vers. 25. scribit [Post∣quam coenavit] usi∣tatam & communem coenam, ante hoc Sa∣cramentum, Coenam vocant. Maldon. Ies. in Matth. 26. pag. 624.
• p

  Vetustissimi Pa∣tres, Apostolorum authoritatem secuti, coenae Christi nomi∣ne sacram Euchari∣stiam interdum vo∣cârunt; quòd in illo novissimae coenae salu∣tari mysterio à Christo Domino sit instituta. Catech. Rom. par. 2. p 171. Coena Dominica, ex Institutionis tem∣pore, à D. Paulo dicitur. Lindan. Panop. l. 4 c. 37.
• q

  Constat Coenam Domini (sic enim patres consue∣verunt institutionem sacrae Eucharistiae appellare:—id••m{que} esse Coenam Dominicam manducare, quod Eucha∣ristiam sumere, ut Aug. demonstrat) fuisse distinctam à Coena Paschali. Baron. An. 34 num. 45.
• r

  Dio∣nys. Areop Hier. c. 3. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] Chrysost. Hom. 24. in 1. Cor. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Oecumen. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Cyprian. lib. instituit de Coena Dommi, Bern. Tract. habet de Coena Do∣mini. Tert. lib. 2. cap. 4. ad vxorem; Convivium Dominicum. Hier. in 1. Cor. Caeterum Dominica Coena debet esse omnibus communis, quia ille omnibus, qui adorant, discipulis aequalitèr tradidit Sacramentum. Anselm. in 1. Cor. Dominica Coena omnibus Christianis debet esse communis. Baron. quo suprà.
• s

  Obsecro, si si quis ad convivium vocatus, & manus quidem laverit & accubuerit, paratusque & dispositus ad mensam fuerit, & tamen nihil ciborum gusta verit, nonne inferet Convivatori contumeliam, à quo fuerat vocatus? Nonnè sa∣tiùs erit ei, quitalis est, omnino non comparuisse? ità tu quoque qui advenisti, & hymnum cecinisti cum omnibus reliquis, ex Eorum te numero esse, qui digni sunt, hoc ipso confessus es, quòd non cùm indignis ab∣scessisti. Quomodò cùm manseris, de mensa ista non participas? indignus es igitur eâ communione, quae in pre∣cibus? [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.] Chrysost. H••m. 3. in Epist. ad Ephes.
• t

  Audi Chrysost. Hom 61. ad pop. An∣tioch. & Hom. 3. ad Ephes. Frustrà hîc of∣fertur hostia salutaris & quotidianum Sa∣crificium; in cassum Altari insistimus, cùm nemo est qui partici∣pet, nullus cui com∣municetur.—Quid stas, si è numero, es poenitentium'—tu tamen hîc interim persistis impudens? at ex ijs non es, sed inter eos, qui possint esse participes Espēc. de Missa privata, pag. 221. Itē Chrysost. Hom. 3. ad Ephes. p. 78. Edit. Savil. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• See hereafter in the sixt Booke.
• Exhortation before the Communion.
• See aboue Chap. 1. §. 2.