The Lords Supper or, A vindication of the sacrament of the blessed body and blood of Christ according to its primitive institution. In eight books; discovering the superstitious, sacrilegious, and idolatrous abomination of the Romish Master. Together with the consequent obstinacies, overtures of perjuries, and the heresies discernable in the defenders thereof. By Thomas Morton B.D. Bp. of Duresme.

CHALLENGE.

VVHat we may note of this your [Notandum] theh 1.1 Con∣fessions of your owne Iesuites will shew: first, that the Practice of the Apostles and Primitive Church, for above 500 yeares, was according to Christs Institution, to deliver the Bread into the hands of the Communicants. Secondly, that the [ 20] same Order was observed at Rome (as appeareth by the Epistle of Pope Cornelius.) Thirdly, that whereas Some had devised, for Reverence-sake, certaine Silver vessels, by the which they re∣ceived the Sacrament; yet two Councels, the one at Toledo, and the other at Trullo, did forbid that fashion, and required that they should receive it with their hands. Hitherto from your selves.

Vaine, therefore, is your pretence of Reverence, in suffering the Priest onely to receive it with his hands, as being more wor∣thy in himselfe than all the rest of the people: when as our [ 30] High-Priest Christ Iesus disdained not to deliver it into the hands of his Disciples. Or else to deny this liberty unto the people, as if their Hands were lesse sanctified than their mouthes.

But you will say that it is in Reverence, lest that the Body of Christ may (as you teach) light upon the ground, if any fragments of the Hoast should chance to fall. There can be no doubt, but that, in the dispensation of this blessed Sacrament, Christians ought to use due Cautelousnesse, that it may be done without miscarriage; yet must you give us leave to retort your pre∣tence of Reverence upon your selves, thus: Seeing that Christ [ 40] himselfe instituted, and his Apostles observed, and that the whole Church of Christ (for so many hundred yeares) thus pra∣ctised the administration of this Sacrament from hand to hand,

without respect of such Reverence, they therefore were not of your opinion, to thinke every Crumme or piece of the Hoast, that falleth to the ground, to be really the Body of Christ.

This Aberration wee may call, in respect of others, but a small Transgression, if yet any Transgression may be called Small, which is a wilfull violating of this so direct a Charge of Christ, [Doe this.]

Notes

• h 1.1

  Apostoli pri∣mùm manibus suis panem sanctum ac∣ceperunt: & hujus ritus meminerunt ve∣teres Patres. Nam Tert. lib. ad uxorem inquit; Eucharistiae Sacramentum nec de aliorum manibus, quam praesidentium sumimus. Et ex Cy∣prian. Serm. de lap∣sis, ob nonnulla ex∣empla, quae produ∣cit, constat, Eucha∣ristiam in manibus Cōmunicantum La∣icorum dari. Vt con∣stat ex Concil Te∣letano, cap. 14. & ex sexta Synodo in Trullo 101. ubi pro∣hibentur fideles of∣ferre vascula aurea & argentea, in qui∣bus accipiant Eucha∣ristiam, ut per ea communicent, sed proprijs manibus, I∣dem colligitur ex E∣pistol. Cornel. Pa∣pae, quam refert Eu∣seb. lib. 6. Hist. c. 35. & ex Dionys. Alex. ut refert Nicephor. cap. 9. & ex verbis Ambrosij. Suarez. les. Tom. 3. In Tho. Disp. 49. Sect. 6. initio. Hoc intelligi potest ex Greg. Nazian. Morom fuisse, ut Christiani Eucharistiam, quam accepissent, ad os ad∣moverent.—unde relictam esse credo Consuetudinem in multis locis, quando non communicant, dùm Eucharistia ostenditur, manus tendant, quasi gestientes manibus sumere. Maldon. Ies. de Euch. §. Nova crea∣tura. pag. 283.