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 onely the Godly-faithfull Communicants are Par∣takers of the Body and Blood of Christ; and thereby united to Christ; in the judge∣ment of Protestants. SECT. I.

[ 40] OVr Church of England in her 28. and 29. Article saith thus; The Body of Christ is given to be eaten in this Sacrament onely after a Spirituall maner, even by faith; wherein the wicked, and such as are voyd of faith, eat it not: although they do visibly presse with their teeth the Sacraments of the Body and Blood of Christ, yet are they in no wise Partakers thereof. But your Romish Church flatly otherwise, as you all know; and

therefore hath your Sympresbyter Masterh 1.1 Brerely endeavou∣red to assume some Protestants to be on your side, whom hee hath alleged with like faithfulnesse, as hee hath cited Master Calvin: than whom hee could not have, in this case, a greater Adversary. For although Calvin grant, with all Protestants, that the wicked and faithlesse receive truly, by way of Sacra∣ment, the Body of Christ; yet doth hee deny that they have in their Bodies any Corporall Conjunction or Vnion with Christ, because the Vnion, which wee havei 1.2 saith hee) is Onely Spirituall; onely with the soule; onely with the heart; onely by [ 10] faith; and although it be offered to the wicked, to be really re∣ceived, yet do they not receive it, because they are Carnall. Their onely Receiving therfore is but Sacramentall. So Master Calvin.

It had beene good that your Priest had suspected his owne Iudgement, and (as well in this case, as others) by doubting his owne eye-sight, had borrowed yourk 1.3 Cardinall his Specta∣cles: then would hee have clearly perceived that (together with other Protestants) Calvin held that The wicked, although they receive the Symbols and outward Signes of Christ's body, yet [ 20] the Body it selfe they doe not receive. So your Cardinall of the Doctrine of Protestants. For although, indeed, Calvin sayd that The wicked eat the Body of Christ; yet, explayning himselfe, hee added these two words [In Sacramento, that is, Sacramentally;] which in Calvin's style is taken for Symboli∣cally onely. As for the Consent of Protestants herein, wee put it to your great Cardinall and Champion, their greatest Ad∣versary, to expresse.l 1.4 Hee joyneth Lutherans to the Cal∣vinists in one Consent, for denying the Orall and Corporall Ea∣ting thereof; and for believing the Eating of it Onely by Faith. [ 30] Yet lest any may say, that, in receiving the same Sacrament, hee doth not receive the thing signifyed thereby; you may have a Similitude to illustrate your Judgements, as thus: The same outward word, concerning Justification by Christ, co∣meth to the eares of both Vnbelievers and Believers. But the Believers onely are capable of Justification. [ 40]

Notes

• h 1.1

  Mr. Brerely Tract. 2. §. 5. Sub 2.
• i 1.2

  Calvin Epist. 372. yet in the same Epistie hee saith of Papists, Damnantur qui dicunt non minus corporis Christi par∣ticipem fuisse Iudam, quam Petrum. In his Institut. lib. 4. cap. 17. Non alia quam fidei manducatio. Sect. 8. Cordis sinum tantùm protendant, quo prae∣sentem amplexentur▪ §. 12▪ Vinculum con junctionis est spiritus Christi. §. 13. Non 〈◊〉〈◊〉 §. 16. Non contactu. §. 33. Im∣pij & scelerati non edunt Christi corpus, qui sunt ab eo alieni, quia ipsa caro Chri∣sti in mysterio coenae non ramus spiritu∣lis res est, quàm salus aeterna. Vnde colli∣gimus, quod quicun∣que vacui sunt spiritu Christi, carnem Chri∣sti non pos••e edere magis quam vinum bibere, cui non con∣junctus est Sapor—Aliud tamen est of∣ferri aliud recipi—Spiritualem ••ibum omnibus porrigit Christus, etiam in∣dignis; at non abs∣què fide recipitur. §. 34. Saepius, fateor, occurrit apud Augustinum ista loquendi forma, Comedi Corpus Christi ab infidelibus, sed seipsum explicat, &c. Haec Calvinus.
• k 1.3

  Sextum eorum pronunciatum est, Improbos non suscipere Corpus Christi, licet Symbola suscipiant. Calvin. Instit. lib. 4. cap. 17. §. 33. & Beza. Teste Bellar. lib. 1. de Euch. cap. 1. §. Porro.
• l 1.4

  Ex Vbi quitistarum opinione sequitur corpus Christi non posse [ 40] vere manducari ore corporali, sed solum ore spirituali per fidem; est ipsisima sententia Sacramentariorum. Bellar. lib. 3. de Euch. cap. 17. §. Secundo ex.