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.

[ 20] CHALLENGE.

VVEe answere that your ownef 1.1 Castro will not allow your Antecedent, but is perswaded rather (by the manifest Current of the Text) that The Apostles were not Priests when the Cup was given unto them. And although they were then Priests, yet we answere, that your Consequence, (viz.) Ergò onely Priests are enjoyned to receive the Cup, will appeare to be both fond in it selfe, and to your owne selves pernicious. First, as fond, as if one should argue thus: It was at the first said only to the Apostles, Goe and baptize all Nations: Ergò none but the [ 30] Apostles have Command to Baptize, which office you permit aswell to women Laicke, as to men. Next pernicious, for say (Wee pray you) doe the words, [Drinke yee all of this] com∣mand all Priests to drinke? then must this condemne the con∣trary * 1.2 Practice of your now Church of Rome, which allow∣eth the Cup to no Priest present, but onely to him that doth Conse∣crate: which is directly confuted by the Example of Christ, who administred the Cup, unto all his Apostles, by your do∣ctrine, Priests.

[ 40] Againe, Do these words onely command the Priest to re∣ceive the Cup? then likewise do you condemne your former Church of Rome, which hath sometime permitted the Cup unto Laike. Yea, and your Cardinall Alang 1.3 doth not sticke to tell

you, out of the ancient Fathers, that the Command [Doe this] declared by Saint Luke, is applyed by Saint Paul to the receiving in both kinds, aswell of People as of Priest. And by virtue of the same Command of Christ, The Greeke Church hath alwayes observed the use of both kinds unto this day. So hee, justifying our contrary Consequence; even as also your * 1.4 Cosmus Philiarchus defendeth, and confirmeth the same by Aquinas, and Scotus, the two most eminent Doctors of your Church, holding that Laicks are chargible to receive the Eucha∣rist by virtue of the Command of Christ, in the same words of In∣stitution, [Do this.]

{fleur-de-lys}And lest you may thinke that wee seeke advantage onely from your private Schooles, you may find the Coun∣cell [ 10] of Braccara (about the yeare 67••) decreeing the se∣verall Administration of both kindes to bee Commended to the Church, by the words of Christ his Institution. Lastly, Wee shall* 1.5 prove, that the ancient Fathers with joynt con∣sent collected, as well as Wee, a necessitie of the Peoples re∣ceiving in both kinds, by right of equalitie with the Priest, from the same example of Christ, in his first Institution, even because* 1.6 Christ admitted it to all his Disciples then present: [ 20] which were not true,* 1.7 if that the Disciples had had any pri∣vilege in receiving either of Both, as they were Priests, as you have fondly fancied.

Your second Evasion.

Next, although it were (sayh 1.8 you) said, [And in like man∣ner Christ tooke the Cup] namely, as hee tooke Bread: yet the word [Similitèr, Likewise] hath Relation to his Taking, not to [ 30] his Giving.

Notes

• f 1.1

  Quorundam opinio, est Apostolos factos sacerdotes per illa verba [Hoc faci∣te.] Sed de his ver∣bis non constat facta consecratione facta consecratione imme∣diatè ea dixisse, an∣requàm Euchristiam ub utra{que} specie de∣dit, vel post—Quod si verba ista Christus post datam Eucha∣ristiam illam dixit, manifestum est, il∣lum non Sacerdoti∣bus hinc dedisse: quod mihi ex literae decursu magis proba∣tur. Alfon. de Castro con. Heres. Tit Eu∣charist. pag. 158.
• * 1.2

  See above in this Chapter at the letter (b.)
• g 1.3

  [Hoc facite.] Quod cùm pertineat maxime ad potesta∣tem sacerdotalem cir∣ca consecrandum & sacrificandum, tamen Apostolus, 1. Cor. 11. resert quo{que} ad sumptionem sive Laicorum, sive Sacerdotum. Quod & Cyrillus facit in Iohan. lib. 12. cap. 38. Et Basil in Moral. Reg. 21. cap. 3. ut [Hoc facite] pertineat ad totam actionem Eucharisticam à Christo factam, & tàm à Presbyteris quàm a plebe posteà faciendam. Eodemque verbo impri∣mis potestas consecrandi & offerendi, deinde etiam mandatum sumendi tàm Sacerdotibus quàm alijs fidelibus detur, cùm utrumque suo modo, licet prius exactius Sacrificium, quàm sumptio memoriam mortis Dominicae ••ontineat. Alan. lib. 2. de Euch. cap. 37. pag. 646.
• * 1.4

  Laici adulti te∣nentur ex instituti∣one Christi commu∣nicare, jure divino: hoc thomas probat ex Luc. 22. [Hoc fa∣cite in commemore∣tionem mei.] quae habent vim praecepti, non tantùm de cele∣brando (ait Scotus) sed etiam de admini∣strando Sacramen∣tum populo. Cosmus Phil. de offic. Sacer∣dot. Tom. 1. de Sacri∣fic. Missae. l. 2. c. 2.
• * 1.5

  {fleur-de-lys}Conc. Braccar. See the third Section following.
• * 1.6

  See afterwards in this Chapt. Sect. 9. at the
• * 1.7

  * in the Mar∣gin.
• h 1.8

  Nec quicquam valet quod objicitur [Similiter & Cali∣cem:] quià non di∣cit Similiter & Cali∣cem dedit, sed solùm accepit. Bellar. ibid. §. Nec quicquam.