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.

The Second Solution, to prove their Dilemma [ 10] Insufficient. SECT. V.

OVr next Reason of the Insufficiencie meeteth with the Cardinalls Reason, enforced by the First Horne of his Dilemma, thus:* 1.1 If Iustine (saith hee) could have sayd that Christs flesh is eaten in the Eucharist, onely in a Signe; then did hee praevaricate in the Case of Christians, and make their faith most odious, in increasing the Suspicion of the Crime objected [ 20] against them. Wee Answer, that although hee might have sayd, that Christs flesh is eaten Bodily, onely in a Signe, yet was not this necessary for the freeing of the Christian Faith from that Suspicion of Eating a Child. One Reason may be, Because nothing was more familiar, even unto the Heathen themselves, than to use the like language, in calling their Sacramentall and Mysticall, Signes, by the names of the Things signifyed thereby, whereof you have heard a Me∣morable example out of* 1.2 Homer; where, even as Christ sayd of Consecrated Bread, [This is my Body;] So those [ 30] Heathen, in Sacrifising of Lambes, for Ratification of their Oaths and Covenants, called those Sacrifices their Oaths. And that nothing was more familiar among the Heathen, you may know by that Proverbiall speech; Sine Cerere & Libero friget Venus: without Ceres and Bacchus Lust doth lan∣guish: where they give to Bread the name of the Goddesse Ceres, and the name of God Bacchus to Wine.

Secondly, and more especially may this appeare out of Iustine, immediatly after the place now objected, thus: 15 1.3 Christ (saith Iustine) receiving Bread, saith [This is my [ 40] Body:] and taking the Cup, sayd [This is my Blood:] and delivered them onely in those words; the which also even the wicked Devils, by Imitation, have taught to be done in the My∣steries of their Mithra, (namely) for that Bread and a Pot of Water is put in the Sacrifices of him that is initiated unto their Communion, in the Sacrifices, by Addition of certaine words, as you either know, or might have knowne. So Iustine,

To the Heathen Emperour. Do you not see how the Devils in their Sacrifices and Mysteries (as16 1.4 Tertullian witnesseth) affect Divine Rites; And by Imitation play Christs Apes, as other Fathers use to speake; And that not onely in their Materiall Ceremonies, such as are Bread and Cup, but also in their Verball, by Addition of words, as Iustine sheweth. Where you may perceive how Iustine argued with those Heathen out of their owne Mysteries, and (that wee may so call them) Sacraments: even as Saint Paul did with the Athe∣nians [ 10] out of the Inscription of their owne Altar.

It happened not above a quarter of a yeare, after that had set downe this Observation, that in reading a Booke of that never too worthily Commended Mirrour of Learning, Master Isaac Casaubone, I found this my Opinion fortifyed, and as it were animated with his most acurate Judgement, shewing out of his most exquisite Reading; that17 1.5 The Devils did, in aemulation of Christians, use in their Mysteries of Mythra, Symbols of Bread and Cup, adding solemne Mysti∣call words. Hee furthermore sheweth out of Porphyrie, that [ 20] in their Religious Communion, they had certaine Aenigma∣ticall expressions; Calling their Communicants, if Men, Lions; if Women, Hyenas; and if Ministers, Crowes. Still (as you see) using Mysticall and Figurative Appellations in their Ceremoniall Rites. Vpon which evidence wee may easily encounter your Cardinalls Dilemma with this that followeth. Either the Emperour and the Heathen people did perceive that the words of Christ, now published by Iustine, were spoken Figuratively, signifying the Outward Eating of his Body, Bodily, in a Signe onely; or they did not. If they [ 30] did know so much, then could they not be offended with Orthodoxe Christians, or Scandalized thereby. And if they did not know that they were Figuratively and Mysti∣cally to be understood, then would not those Emperours have absolved Christians from all blame (as you see they did) but punished them for Sacrificing of Infants; which Act, among these Heathen, was held to be Criminall and Capitall. And that Iustine did not Praevaricate by concea∣ling his Figurative sense of Christs words, it is as manifest by that he Instructed them therein out of their own Phrases, [ 40] used in their Ceremonies of their God Mithra.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See above, Sect. 3.
• * 1.2

  See above, Booke 2. Chap. 2. Sect. 2.
• 15 1.3

  Iustin. Loco supracitat [Hoc est sanguis meus] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 16 1.4

  Tertul. de Cor••na 〈…〉〈…〉) Ag∣noseamus ingenia 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ideuco quae∣dam de divims asse∣ctantis, ut nos de su∣oru•• fide confundat, et ••ud••cet. Idem. de Praes••ription. Ipsus res Sacramentorum. devinorum in Idol ••∣rum myster••••s aemu∣latur. Ti••git & ipse quosdam,—ce∣lebrat et panis obla∣tionem; et imagi∣nem Resurrectionis inducit.
• 17 1.5

  Isaac Ca∣saub in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 exer∣citat. 16. Iustinus in Apologia altera nar∣rat, malos Daemo∣nas in Mith••ae my∣sterijs S. Eachar••••liae aemulationem quan∣dam tradidisse. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ecce panem et poculum; sed a∣quae, ut dixi, non vin•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 verba so∣lemnia super Symbo∣lis proferri solita: id enim significat isto in loco vox 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. q••d. super dicta: qua voce utuntur Iuris. consulti. Etiam Ar∣rianus, loco paulo ante indicato, sacras mysteriorum voces commemorat, quas magnà cum reveren∣tiâ excipi solitas ostendit: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cum Eucharistia et sit et d••catur Communio, sicut ante est expositum: in••••dem Mithr•••• mysterijs Communio quae est omnibus animanti∣bus inter se, miro Symbolorum genere expri••••ba••ur.