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.

The State of the Question, concerning Adoration of the Sacrament.

SECT. I.

IN the thirteenth Session of your Councell of Trent, wee finde a Decree commanding thus, a Let the same divine honour, that is due to the true God, be giuen to this Sacrament. After this war∣ning-Peece, they shoot of a great b Canon of Anathema, and Curse against everie one that shall not herein worship Christ (namely, as corporally present) with Divine honour. That is to say, c To adore with an absolute divine worship the whole visible Sa∣crament of Christ, in the formes of bread and wine, as your Iesuit expoundeth it; A worship (saith he) far exceeding that which is

to be given to the Crucifix. Whereupon it is that your Priests are taught, in your d Romane Missall, to elevate the Consecrated Hoast, and to propound it to the people to be adored; and adoring it themselves in thrice striking their breast, to say, O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world have mercy upon us. So you.

But what doe they, whom you call Sacramentaries, judge of this kinde of worship, can you tell? e All of them (saith your Cardinall) call it Idolatry. But they, whom you call Lutherans, are they not of the same Iudgement? say, f They call us (be∣cause of this worship) Artolaters, that is, Bread-worshippers and Idolaters, saith your Iesuit. As for our Church of England, She accordingly saith, that The Sacrament of the Lords Supper was not reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.

Our Method must now be to treat first of Christs Instituti∣on, or Masse; next of the Profession of Antient Fathers; then of your Romish Masse in it selfe; and lastly wee shall returne againe to our owne home, to demonstrate the happie Securitie, which our Church hath in her manner of worship. So that these contradictorie Propositions, This Sacrament is to be ado∣red with divine worship, and, Is not to be adored with divine wor∣ship, being the two different scales of this Controversie, the one will preponderate the other, according to the weight of Arguments, which shall be put into either of them.

Notes

• a

  Concil. Trid. Cul∣tum Latriae, qui vero Deo debetur, in ve∣neratione huic Sa∣cramento exhibeant. Sess. 13. cap. 5.
• b

  Si quis dixerit in hoc Sacramento uni∣genitum Dei filium cultu Latriae non esse adorandum; Anathe∣ma sit. Ibid. Can. 6.
• c

  Suarez Ies. Adoratione Latriae absolutâ, & perfectâ, quâ per se adoratur Christus—Non solùm Christum sub specie••us, sed to••um visibile Sacramentum unico Latriae cultu, quia est unum constans ex Christo & specie∣bus—Sicut vostis—Magna est differentiae inter has species & crucem, quae reipsa disjuncta est 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ch••isto. In 3. Thom. q. 79. Disput. 65. §. 1, & 2.
• d

  Missale Rom. Sa∣cerdos prolatis suis verbis [Hoc est cor∣pus meum, &c.] hostiam clevat, ••am∣que adorat—ado∣randamque ostendit—post genu slexo ad terram us{que} ipsam veneratur. Ritus c••le∣brandi Missam. Post genuflectit; inclina∣tur Sacramento pe∣ctus ter percutiens, dicit, Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miscrere nobis, &c. Canon. Missae.
• e

  Bellarm. Omnes Idololatriam appel∣lant hujusmodi ado∣rationem. lib. 4. de Euch. cap. 29. §. Porrò.
• f

  Greg. Valent. Lu∣therani nos Idolola∣tras vocant, seu (ut ipsi nugari solent) Artolatras. Lib. 1. de Idololat. cap. 3. §. Sed.