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 Institution of Christ; shewing that there was therein neither Precept for this Adoration of the Sacra∣ment, nor Practice thereof.

SECT. II.

NO outward Adoration of the Sacrament was practised of the Disciples of Christ (say we) at the Institution thereof, which you confesse with us; and take upon you to give a rea∣son thereof, to wit, that g 1.1 There was no need that the Apostles should use any outward signification of honour to the Sacrament, be∣cause they had then Christ present and visible before them. So your Iesuite, which contradicteth your owne Objection, of there∣fore adoring Christ in receiving the Sacrament, because then he * 1.2 Commeth under the roofe of your mouthes; for the neerer our approach is to any Majestie, the greater useth to be our out∣ward humiliation. But well; no Practice of outward Adora∣tion by the Apostles at that time can appeare, much lesse have you any Evidence of any Precept for it. If there had beene in the words of Christ, or in the volume of the new Testament any syllable thereof, your Cardinall would not have roved so farre, as to Deuteronomie in the old Testament, to fetch his only defence out of these words of God, h 1.3 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God; (supposing that the Bread which is worshipped

is indeed the Sonne of God:) which is, as it were, mere Can∣ting, being the basest kinde of Reasoning that can be, and is therefore called of Logitians, A begging of the point in Question.

We contrarily adhere to the Institution of Christ in all points necessarie, and essentiall thereunto, and knowing that the A∣postle promised to deliver * 1.4 Whatsoever hee had received of the Lord, concerning this Sacrament (which you hold to be the principall part of your Romish Religion) wee are perswaded that he in expressing the other Commands of Christ, touching Consecration, Administration, and Communication of this Sacra∣ment, never taught that your Article of divine Adoration, whereof hee gave not so much as the least intimation. The A∣postolicall times faile you. We shall try if the next, called the Primitive Age, can any whit advantage your Cause, which is our second Station.

Notes

• g 1.1

  Coster. Ies. Nec o∣pus erat ut genu∣flexo significationem novam honoris da∣rent, sumentes corpus dominicū, quià cun∣dem habebant piae∣sentem, & corpus suum porrigentem, quem mente semper colebant. Enchir. de Euch. Tit. Adoratio, Answering this Obje∣ction: Apostoli in ul∣tima coena hoc Sacra∣mentum non adora∣bant.
• * 1.2

  Sec hereafter, Chap. 7. Sect. 2.
• h 1.3

  Bellarm. lib. 4. de Euch. cap. 29. Scriptum est Deut. 6. Dominum tuum adorabis, &c. §. His praemissis.
• * 1.4

  1. Cor. 11.