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.

[ 10] {fleur-de-lys} A Digression upon occasion of a late Discourse of a greatly priviledged Doctor, concerning the Histories, mentioning the Blood of Christ miraculously Separated from his Body (which will be pertinent to the Point in question) wherein wee may finde ma∣ny Observables. SECT VI.

[ 20] FRancis Collius, Professor of Divinitie at Millan, is the Author; whose Booke is Authorized (as the4 1.1 Mar∣gin sheweth) With a publike privilege, and Commendation of ALL the Doctors of the College of Saint Ambrose. His whole Discourse is of this onely Subject, THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. Out of which wee have singled Three especiall Points, incident to our present purpose, concerning The Blood of Christ Separated out of his Body, specified in Ro∣mish Histories. The first Separation thereof is said to be made in the miraculous Apparitions in the Eucharist: The [ 30] Second out of the Images and Reliques: The Third of the Blood which issued out of Christ's side at his Passion; wherof Some parts are also storied to be kept as Reliques in divers Countries in Christendome.

I. Of that Blood, which is reported to have Miraculous∣ly Issued out of Christ's Body visibly in the Eucharist.

[ 40] Of this First kinde, you have heard the Romish Stories, in good number, objected by your Priests and Iesuites in great earnest, for proofe of a Corporall presence in the Sacrament, in the name of True Blood, and Visible, flowing out of the same Body; and thereupon the Common and solemne wor∣ship given thereunto, wheresoever the aforesaid Appari∣tions are recorded to have beene. Now entreth in your Au∣thor Collius, speaking unto you in an higher straine (in the Margin) than this is; which wee shall render unto you in

English. His first Generall Declamation is this.5 1.2 Whose Eares can abide to heare, the Blood of Christ, now after his glo∣rious Resurrection, to have been separated out of the naturall receptacles of his veines? Yea, who can without horror thinke therof, especially seeing Experience telleth us, that the same Blood, which appeared, did vanish away, putrifie, and corrupt? Wher∣fore, It will be our safest Resolution, according to the Consent of [ 10] Divines, to affirme, that no mortall eye of man did ever behold the TRV•• BLOOD of Christ, since his Triumphant piercing of the Heavens. Hitherto your publike Professor, according herein with Thomas Aquinas (whom hee calleth the An∣gelicall Doctor) and with other famous Divines. But present∣ly (whereas his cited Doctors furthermore Conclude, None of those Apparitions to have beene of any True flesh at all, but onely Shaddowes, and Representations thereof) hee cra∣veth leave to depart from them, affirming it to be, although not the True flesh of Christ, yet True flesh: and leaveth them [ 20] questioning against this his Assertion, concerning these Miraculous Apparitions; What True flesh then it might be, Whether the flesh of Be••sts, or of a Man; Whether newly Created, or Commentitiously obtruded? Hee answereth, yet so, that whereas your Stories, and all their Reporters and Wor∣shippers of such Apparitions do equally esteeme of All, as being a like Truely flesh; hee teacheth them to distinguish of the Apparitions, which are said to have vanished shortly after their first shew, & the other that were of a longer continuance•• and to acknowledge the Existence of the True flesh, onely in [ 30] the Second kinde.

In the last place, opposing against the Generall Opinion of Thomas, and other of your choicest Divines (above-men∣tioned) who held these to be meerly Apparitions, without any Substance of flesh, Hee, albeit granting that a Ficti∣tious Apparition may be truly Miraculous, yet to make the same Opinion Ridiculous, breaketh out, and inveigheth in this maner;6 1.3 Who Can perswade himselfe, that such abun∣dance of l••quor of red colour, which is said to have issued out of [ 40] the Eucharist, filling the Chalices, and other vessels, should be wholly Fictitious, and Accidents without Substances? Let others understand and believe this, if they please, for my part I must confesse it was alwayes beyond my Capacity and Credu∣lity. So your Doctor, of his supposed Miraculous Appari∣tions;

Notwithstanding he hath no more Foundation either out of Scripture, or from any Tradition out of the Primi∣tive Church of Christ, for Meere Accidents without Substance, in that which he saith he believeth; than he hath in the other which he believeth not, but declameth against, as you have heard.

Notes

• 4 1.1

  Francisus Col∣lius T••eologiae. Da∣ctor, De Sanguine Christi m••raculo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Anno 1618. (Cum privilegio per Rus••am. Co••••gij Ambrofiant, Praesiaem Collegarum nomine) Libri qu••{que} omnium Doctorum con••e su••cepri; & etiam A••••s. Con∣sult••r Offic•• pro ••e∣ver••dissimo Inquisi∣tore, &c.
• 5 1.2

  Idem Collius Lib. 4. cap. 3. Disp. 9 Cujus ••ures auaire non refugiunt, san∣guinem Christi post gloriosam à motrus Resurrectionem è na∣turalibus venarum conceptaculis non se∣mel distractū fuisse? imò quis non per∣horrescit hoc intelli∣gere—cum com∣pertum sit diuturnita∣te temporis evanes∣cere, seu ut verius di∣cam, contabescere id, quod ••b Alense verus sanguis Christi puta∣tur—Cap. 4. Quan∣quam possit hoc De∣us potenti virtutis imperio, tamen tutis∣sime videtur asseren∣dum, nunquam spe∣ctasse mortales ocu∣los, verum Salvatoris nostri sanguinem, postquam Triumpha∣tor caelos penetravit—Cap. 5. Sol••••igitur sententia Thomae tenenda, juxtà con∣cordem insignium Theologorum sen∣tentiam, cruorem, ex sacra Synaxi emer∣gentem, non esse ex Christi venis hau∣stum—Cap. 6. S•• non est verus Christi sanguis ille miracu∣losus, cujus tandem conditionis et natu∣rae est? Belluarumnè, an hominum potius? num à Deo recenter creatus, an solummo∣do Commentitius & fictitius sanguis?—Si per longa inter valla durat, verus est san∣guis—Cap 7. Sanguis qui brevissimo tem¦pore, vel in transcu••u cernitur, non v••us, sed adu••bratus san∣guis duntaxat puta•• d••s est.
• 6 1.3

  Quo••sunt? (C. 6. contra eos qui dicunt tantùm fictitum esse sanguinem illum, qui per long a interva••••a corspicitur. Idē Author Collius. Quis sibi persuadere poterit largissimos rubri coloris liquores, qui ex sacra mensa non semel eruperunt, nulla procreata substantia, eff••uere, & vasa at{que} calices implerè posse? certe capiant, si liber, & istud credant alij, mihi enim uti captu, ita creditu semper difficillimum visum est—(Qui t••m••n paulò post) An credant illa Accidentia esse, qu••sia fides Catholica consecrati calicis in Eucharistia scimus esse?—Cap. 7. Ego opinor Basim ac firmamentum Accidentium sanguinis, ijs ipsis accidentibus, quae in calice supersunt, ascri∣bendum esse.