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.

That your Romish Doctrine is contrary to the Iudgement [ 40] of ancient Fathers. SECT VI.

IF this your profession had beene a Catholike Doctrine, doubt∣lesse S. Augustine (who is so devout in his fervent Meditations upon this holy mystery) would not have oppugned it, as hee

did, when unto that Question of Volusianus (whether the Bodie of Christ before his Birth did fill the Body of the Blessed Virgin) hee answered,d 1.1 That every Body, be it greater or lesse, where∣soever it is, must needs fill that space wherein it is, so that the same, Body cannot be the whole in any part thereof. So hee: which is di∣rectly Contradictory to your Article of Trent, for here is ex∣presse mention of Relation to Place and Space.

And whereas for usuall colour of a Possibility, that the whole Body of Christ is in every part of the Hoast, you have objected the Example of Man's Soule, which is sayd to be whole in every [ 10] member and part of the Body: Saint Augustine (as if hee had fore-seene your mystery of Errour) pre-occupateth, saying, a 1.2 The nature of a Soule is farre different from the nature of a Body. And againe the same holy Father, seeking to find out some Similitude, whereby wholly to resemble the Existence of God, in respect of Place, in the end saith, that Quality hath a prerogative to make some Similitude hereof: and hee doth in∣stance in Wisedome, which (saith hee) is as great in a little man as in a great man; but denyeth that Quantity hath any such Pri∣vilege, for speaking of Quantity and Magnitude, In all such [ 20] Quantity, or Magnitude (saith hee) there is lesse in the part, than there is in the whole. And by this same Maxime (concerning Whole in respect of Place) hee distinguisheth the God-head from the Man-hood, by which you have confounded them. And yet againe else-where (as though hee thought this your delusion could never be sufficiently contradicted, or rather derided) hee will further have you not to be so Childish, as not to know, thatb 1.3 The little finger is lesse than the whole hand, and one fin∣ger [ 30] is lesse than two, and that one finger is one where, and the o∣ther another where. Vpon which where, and where, being notes of distinct places; wee may aske, where are your Disputers now? Nay yet furthermore, passing from grosser Bodies, he saith as much of Ayre; yea, and of the most subtill of subtills, the light of the Sunne; one part whereof (saith hee) cometh in at one window, another at another window, yet so, that the lesse passeth through the lesse, and the greater through the greater.

Moreover, if Saint Gregory once Bishop of Rome had belee∣ved that Christ his Body is whole in every least indivisible part of the Hoast, hee would never have condemned the Eutychian Heretike for beleevingc 1.4 The Body of Christ to have bin brought [ 40] into such a subtilty, that it cannot be felt. But a greater subtilty

there cannot be, than for a divisible Body to be enclosed in every the least indivisible point. Show us this Doctrine taught by any Catholike Doctor in the Church, within the compasse of the twelve hundred yeares after Christ, and then shall wee con∣ceive better of your Cause. And lest you may talke (as you use) of one Body penetrating another, wee lay unto you, as Da∣mascen sayd unto his Reader, thatd 1.5 This is impossible, but that either the one or the other must be divided asunder. Wee say furthermore, that though this were granted, yet would you your [ 10] selves deny that the other must follow, as you may discerne in Angels, who are Spirits, and moe of them may be naturally in one singular place, yet no one, can be naturally in two places at once.

Notes

• d 1.1

  Aug. Nullum corpus potest esse u∣bique totum, quan∣tumcun{que} corpus, vel quantulumcun{que} cor∣pusculum loci occu∣pet spacium, eundem∣què locum sic occu∣pet, ut in nulla ejus parte sit totum ne∣cesse est: longè alia natura est animae, quàm corporis, quan∣to magis Dei? Lib. 1. Ep. 3. ad Volusian: [Whose question to S. Augustine was; Vtrum Christus in∣temeratae foeminae corpus impleverit?]
• a 1.2

  In eo quod dici∣tur Deus ubique, car∣nali cogitationi re∣sistendum est, & mens acorporis sen∣sibus amorenda, ne quasi spaciosa mag∣nitudine opinemur Deum per cuncta diffundi, ut aër, aut lux: omnis enim hu∣jusmodi magnitudo minor in sua parte, quà in toto: sed ita potius, ut est magna sapientia eti∣am in homme, cujus corpus est parvum—N••m si duo sint ho∣mines aequal••er sa∣pientes, quorum alter est corpore grandi••r, non plus sapiunt am∣bo, quam singuli; sic in minore corpore non minor est sani tas, cum minora, & majora corpora tam san•• sine—Disp••r est profecto in mem∣brorū molibus quan∣titas: sed par est in disparatis sanitas—quae non quantitas, sed qualitas est. Non pot••••t ergo obtinere quantitas corporis quod qualitas. Aug. Epist. 57. ad Dardan.
• b 1.3

  Idem. Minor est unus digitus quam tota manus, & minor est digitus unus quam duo; & alibi est iste digitus, alibi ille, alibi coetera manus—Nec solùm immobilibus corporis articulis—sed etiam aëris partes suos implent locos—Lucis{que} pars alia infunditur per hanc fenestram, alta per aliam, & major per majorem, per minorem autem minor. Idem Tom, 6. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fundament cap. 1••.
• c 1.4

  Au••ungebat (Haeretious) omne illud, quod in Do∣mino 〈◊〉〈◊〉 potuit, post resurrectionem in so••••itatem aliquam esse redactam. Greg. Exposit. Moral. lib. 14. cap. 31.
• d 1.5

  Damasien. l. 1. de Orthodox 〈…〉〈…〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.