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 the Examples of Gods Vindicative Justice have appeared against the Contemners of many holy things, without respect to the Corporall presence of Christ therein. SECT. VI. [ 10]

COme wee to the open judgements and punishments of God, upon the Contemners of this Sacrament, The visible Testimonies of his Justice, and Arguments of the preci∣ousnesse and holinesse of this Mysterie. These wee beleeve to be true, And the Apostle hath made it manifest, where (speaking of the great plague, which fell upon the Corinthians, who had prophaned this Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ) hee pointeth this out as their sinne, saying,* 1.1 [Ob hanc causam] For this cause are many sicke among you, and many [ 20] sleepe, &c. Yet was not this for no Discerning the Body of Christ to be Corporally in the Eucharist (as your Disputers pretend:) but (to use Saintg 1.2 Hieromes words) They were guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ, because they despised the Sacra∣ment of so great a Mysterie; (namely) by their prophane beha∣viour at their receiving thereof, as if they had beene at the Heathenish Bacchanalls: or, as Primasius yeeldeth the Cause, h 1.3 For that they tooke it as homely, as their common bread.

{fleur-de-lys} And why should you conceive that to be singular in this one Sacrament, which Saint Hierome teacheth to be com∣mon [ 30] in all other?2 1.4 When the Sacraments (saith hee) are violated, hee, whose Sacraments they be, is violated and vilified. {fleur-de-lys}

All can point at the dolefull Example of Gods vengeance upon Iudas, the first unworthy Receiver; and therefore the sub∣ject of the first Document of Gods judgement, notwithstan∣ding that hee received but the Sacrament onely, and not the very Body of Christ, as Saint Augustine observed, saying; * 1.5 Hee received not the Bread, the Lord, but the Bread of the Lord. And how justly may wee thinke, did God punish certaine [ 40] k 1.6 Donatists, who casting the holy Sacrament to Dogs, were themselves devoured of Dogs? Neither have these kindes of Gods judgements beene proper to the Abuse of this Sacrament onely, as you have instructed men to believe; for looke into the sacred story, and you shall find the men of* 1.7 Ashdod, for modling with the Arke of God, afflicted with Emrods: the men of* 1.8 Bethshemesh smitten with a great slaughter, for but peeping

into Gods Arke. Also* 1.9 Vzzah, no Priest; doth but touch the same Arke, (albeit with a good intent, to support it) and hee is suddainly strucke dead.* 1.10 Nadab and Abih•• prophaned the Altar of the Lord with offering st••a••ge fire thereon; and both of them were immediately burnt with fire from Heaven, and perished▪ * 1.11 Belshazzar will needs carouze in the sacred boles of Gods Temple, in the Contempt of God, and of his Law; and be∣hold a Writing upon the wall, signifying that his Dayes were at an end, as it came to passe. And yet was there not any peculiar [ 10] existence of God in these Things.* 1.12 Boyes are mocking Gods ••rophet in Bethel, by noting him for a Bald pate, and are de∣vo••red by Beares. Th••* 1.13 People loathing Manna, are choaked with Quail••••.

If sacred stories will not prevaile, peradventure your owne Legends will rellish better with you: so the•• yourl 1.14 Bozius will tell you of them, who were suddainly strucke with the plague, called Saint Anthonies plague, one by for seeking to pull downe and demolish Saint Anthonies Image. Have you faith to believe this? and can you not conceive a like right Judgement against [ 20] the Prophaners of the Sacramentall Image of Christ him∣selfe?

Be it therefore furthermore knowne unto you, that the Sa∣crament, which is celebrated by Protestants, although▪ it con∣teine no Corporall Vnion of the Body of Christ, yet is it not so Bare Bread, as your Doctors have calumniously suggested unto you, but that God hath manifested his Curses upon pro∣phane Communicants and Contemners of this holy Mystery, which hath in it a Sacramentall Vnion of the Body and Blood of Christ. One example, whereof wee reade, is of one that [ 30] being afflicted in Conscience for his abuse of the Sacrament, in receiving it but in one kind,m 1.15 Did cast himselfe head-long out of a window, and so dyed. The other is that which hee (who now writeth these things) saw and can testifie, viz. n 1.16 A Bachelour of Arts, being Popishly affected, at the time of the Communion, tooke the Consecrated Bread, and forbea∣ring to eat it, conveyed and kept it closely for a time; and af∣terwards threw it over the walls of the College: but a short time after, not induring the torment of his guilty Conscience, hee threw himselfe head-long over the Battlements of the Chap∣pell, [ 40] and some few houres after ended his Life.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Cor. 11. vers▪ ••0.
• g 1.2

  Hier. in 1. Cor. 11. Reus erit Corporis & sangui∣nis Christi, qui tanti mysterij Sacramen∣tum pro vili despe••e∣tit.
• h 1.3

  Primas. in ••und. locum. Quia ac∣ciperent quasi cibum communem.
• 2 1.4

  Hier. Com. in Malach. c. 1. Dum Sacramenta violan∣tur, ipse cujus sunt violatur.
• * 1.5

  See after in Sect. 10.
• k 1.6

  Optatus lib. 2.
• * 1.7

  1. Sam. 5.
• * 1.8

  1. Sam. 6.
• * 1.9

  2 Sam. 6.
• * 1.10

  Levit. 10.
• * 1.11

  Dan. 5.
• * 1.12

  2 King. 2.
• * 1.13

  Numb. 11.
• l 1.14

  Quidam, qui sancti Anthonij I∣maginem abolere cupiebant, non tule∣runt illud scelus im∣pune, sed è vestigio peste illa, quae dicit••o Antonij, correpti in∣terierunt. Bozius de signis. Eccles. lib. 15. c. 12. ex Lindano.
• m 1.15

  Manlius lo∣corum Communium Collect. Minister cu∣jusdam Sartoris Lip∣siae, Anno 1553. Ob temeratam instituti∣onem divinam quâ praecipitur & species utra{que} administretur, unicam tantum reci∣piens, conscientiae crimine oppressus, ex∣clamavit, ô (inquit) Ego sum &c.
• n 1.16

  Sir Booth of S. Iohn's Coll. in Cambridge.