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.

Our Eleventh Demonstration, Because the Relatives of Sacrifice, which are Altar and Priest, Objected as Properly taken, are used Vnproperly of Ancient Fathers. SECT. XV.

[ 10] YOur Cardinall his Objection is this; that Priest, Altar, and Sacrifice, are Relatives, and have mutuall and unseparable Dependance one of each other. So hee, and truly. But you ought to take with you a necessary Caution, observed by the samea 1.1 Cardinall, that An unproper Sacrifice cannot inferre a proper Priest-hood: nor an unproper Priest-hood a proper Sacri∣fice, &c. otherwise, your Iesuite can tell you of ab 1.2 Sacri∣fice without an Altar, and yourc 1.3 Bishop can point you out an Altar without a Sacrifice. Wherefore to take one of these improperly, and the other properly, were as wilde Sophistrie, [ 20] as from a wooden Leg to inferre a body of Flesh. Now what if wee shall say of this Point of Appellations, that It was not so from the Beginning? Hereunto wee claime but your owne common Confessions, viz,d 1.4 That the Apostles did willingly abstaine from the words of Sacrifice, [Sacerdos,] and Al∣tar. So your Cardinall, ande 1.5 Durantus, the great Advo∣cates for your Romane Masse: whereby they have con∣demned not onely other your Romish Disputers, who* 1.6 have sought a Proofe of a Proper Sacrifice in your Masse from the word Altar, used by the Apostle Paul, Heb. 13. but also them∣selves, [ 30] who from Saint Luke, Act. 3. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]* 1.7 conclu∣ded a Proper Sacrifice. As if the Apostles had both abstained and not abstained from the words of Priest and Sacrifice. {fleur-de-lys} And againe your Iesuite Lorinus;16 1.8 The New Testa∣ment (saith hee) abstained from the word [* 1.9 Sacerdos] as from that which is more Proper to the Old Testament. So hee. Wherefore this and the English word, Priest, having a dif∣ferent Relation, one to a Sacrificing Minister (which is pro∣per to the Old Testament) the other as it is derived from [ 40] the word [* 1.10 Presbyter,] in the New Testament, which is Senior, and hath no Relation to any Sacrificing Function: It must follow, that your Disputers seeking to urge the Sig∣nification of a Sacrificing Office, proper to the Old Testa∣ment, for Proofe of a Sacrificing Act, proper to the New, performe as fond and fruitlesse a labour, as is the patching of old Vestments with new pieces, whereby the rent is made worse. {fleur-de-lys}

But the Apostles did indeed forbeare such termes in their

speeches, concerning Christian worship, whereof these your forenamed Disputers can give us a Reason,f 1.11 Lest that (say they) the Iewish Priest-hood being as yet in force, Christians might seeme, by using Iewish Termes, to innovate Iewish Rites. Which is enough to shew, that you are perswaded they abstained from the use of these words for some Reason. Yet that this could not be the Reason, you may be sufficiently instructed in the word, Baptisme, this being as fully Iewish, as was either the word Priest, Altar, or Temple: and yet used of the Apostle without danger of Innovation of the Iewish maner of Baptismes. [ 10] Yea, and if the Apostles had thought the Altar, Priest, Sacri∣fices, to be essentiall parts of Christian Religion, they neither would nor ought to have concealed the words and names, lest thereby they might have seemed to have abhorred the proper Characters of our Christian Profession.

Wee descend to the Fathers. It is not unknowne unto you, how the Fathers delighted themselves, in all their Treatises, with Iewish Ceremoniall Termes, onely by Allegoricall Al∣lusions, as they did with the word Synagogue, applying it to [ 20] any Christian assembly; as Arke, to the Church; Holocaust, to Mortification; Levite, to Deacons; Incense, to Prayers and Praises; and the word Pascha to the day of the Resurrection of Christ. But if any should say, that these Fathers used any of these words in a proper Signification, hee should wrong both the common sense of these Fathers, and his owne Conscience. It were superfluous to urge many Instances, where one will serve. The word, Altar, applyed to the Table of the Lord (which anciently stood in theg 1.12 Midst of the Chancell; so that They might compasse it round) was more rarely called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of [ 30] the Greekes, or Altare of the Latines, than 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and Men∣sa, that is, Table; which they would not have done, if (Altar) had carryed in it the true and absolute property of an Altar: nay but they used therein the like liberty, as they used to do in h 1.13 applying the name, Altar, to Gods People, and to a Christian man's Faith and Heart.

{fleur-de-lys} All this notwithstanding, you are not to thinke that wee do hereby oppugne the Appellation of Priest and Al∣tar, or yet the now Situation thereof in our Church, for use as Convenient, and for order more Decent; but onely the [ 40] Romish Opinion and Doctrine, whereby you hold them, in the verie proprietie of words, and not as the Fathers did, onely by way of Allusion. For your better Apprehension

of this Truth, if you will be pleased to observe that Christ, in the time of the first Institution and Celebration of this Sa∣crament, propounded it, in the place where hee, with his Disciples, gave it unto them to be Eaten and Drunken; then tell us where it was ever knowne, that any Altar was ordai∣ned for Eating and Drinking? In Gods Booke wee find, Levit. 9. that the Priests themselves were not permitted to eate their Oblation On, but, Besides the Altar. Neither may you thinke it any Derogation to this Sacrament, that the place, whereon it is Celebrated, is not called an Al∣tar of the Lord, seeing the Spirit of God, by his Apostle, [ 10] hath dignified it with as equivalent Attributes; for the A∣postle, as hee called this Sacred Banquet purposely The Supper of the Lord, and the Vessell prepared for the Liquid, The Cup of the Lord; so did hee name the place whereon it was set, The Table of the Lord, and the Contemners thereof, Guiltie of the Body and Blood of the Lord; and thereupon did denounce the Vengeance and Plague, which fell upon prophane Communicants, The Iudgement of the Lord: and all these in one Chapter, 1. Cor. 11. The like Difference may be discerned betweene your maner of Reverence, in [ 20] Bowing towards the Altar for Adoration of the Eucharist onely: and ours in Bowing aswell when there is no Eucha∣rist on the Table, as when there is, which is not to the Table of the Lord, but to the Lord of the Table, to testifie the Com∣munion of all the Faithfull Communicants thereat; even as the People of God did, in Adoring him before the Arke his Footstoole, Psal. 99. 5. and 1. Chron. 28. 2. as Daniels Bowing at Prayer in Chaldea, looking towards the Tem∣ple of Ierusalem, where the Temple of Gods Worship was, Dan. 6. 10. And as David would be knowne to have done, saying, Psal. 5. 7. I will Worship towards thy holy Tem∣ple:

[ 30] Will you suffer us to come home to you? The Father Gre∣gory Nazianzen, for his soundnesse of Iudgement Sirnamed the Divine, comparing this Inferiour Altar, and Sacrifice on earth, with the Body of Christ seated in Heaven, faith that the Sacrifices, which hee offereth in his Contemplation at the Altar in Heaven, arei 1.14 More acceptable than the Sacrifices, which are offered at the Altar Below, as much as Truth is more excel∣lent than the Shadow. So hee. Therefore (say wee) the Sa∣crifice [ 40] of Christ his Body and Blood are subjectively in Heaven, but objectively here in the Eucharist; here Representative only, as in a Shadow, but in Heaven presentatively, in his Bodily pre∣sence. So vainly your Disputers hitherto (whilst that wee re∣quired Materials) have objected against us bare words, phrases, and very shadowes.

Lastly, Cyril of Alexandriak 1.15 made an Answer to the Objections, then published by Iulian the Apostate, against the Truth of Christian Religion. By this conflict betweene these two wits, as it were by the clashing of a Stone and Steele toge∣ther, such a flash of lightning will appeare, as may sufficiently illuminate every Reader, for the understanding of the Iudge∣ment of Antiquity throughout the whole Cause, concerning Bodily Sacrifice.

The Apostate objecteth (See the Margin) as an Exception against Christians, that they are not Circumcised, that they use [ 10] no Azymes, nor keepe the Passeover of the Iewes: albeit, Cain, Abel, and Abraham before the Law, and the Israelites under the Law, and Heathenish Grecians alwayes without that Law, offered Sacrifices unto God. But they (saith Iulian, writing of Christians) erect no Altars unto God, offer no such Sacrifices as were of old, nor invent any new, but say that Christ was once offe∣red for them. This Objection (you see) is pertinent to our Cause in hand, and as consonant will the Answer of the holy Patriarch Cyril be; who to the other points held it Satisfacti∣on enough to say (see againe the Marginalls) That wee Christi∣ans [ 20] have the spirituall Circumcision of the heart: That wee ob∣serve the spirituall Azymes of Syncerity and Truth: And as for the Passeover, Christ our Passeover was offered up, namely upon the Crosse (for so is it answerable to the words objected by Iulian.) And to the Objection of not erecting Altars, Cyril saith not a word.

But what for the point of Sacrifice? Hearken, (wee pray you) Although (saith hee) the Iewes Sacrificed to fulfill Gods Precepts in shadowes, yet wee doing that which is right (meaning the Truth [ 30] opposite to Shadowes) performe a spirituall, and mentall worship, as namely, Honesty, and an holy Conversation. And againe, The Iewes offered in Sacrifice Bulls and Sheep, first-fruits of the Earth, Cakes, and Frankincense: but wee offer that which is spirituall, to wit, Faith, Hope, Charity, and Praises; because an unbodily Sacrifice is fit for God. And yet againe, Wee Sacrifice to God spiritually, and mentally, the perfumes of virtues. This is the summe of Saint Cyril his Answer, voyd of all mention of any Offering of the Body of Christ, as either Corporally present in the Eucharist to be Sacrificed by the Priest, or yet of any Cor∣porall [ 40] Touch thereof (by eating) with the Bodies of Commu∣nicants;

no nor any intimation of any Proper Sacrifice profes∣sed by Christians.

Here will be no place for your Answer, to tell us that the Question was of Bloody, and not of Vnbloody Sacrifices: No, for Cyril in his Answer handleth as well the unbloody Sacri∣fice of Cain, as the Bloody Oblation of Abel; and expresseth as fully the unbloody Sacrifice of Cakes and Frankincense, as hee doth the Bloody of Sheepe, and Oxen.

Neverthelesse, wee should confute our selves, for objecting [ 10] this Testimony, seeing that the Custome of the Primitive Church being then professedly not to reveale the Mystery of the Sacrament of Baptisme, or of the Eucharist, either to in∣fidels or Catechumenists, and therefore this silence of Cyril, in not so much as mentioning the Sacrifice of the Masse, might seeme to have beene purposely done, to conceale it from Iulian, the Patron of Heathenish worship. So indeed wee should have thought, but that then Iulian and Cyril both would as readily confute us; Iulian, because hee himselfe had beene more than a Catechumenist in the Church of Christ, even (as namely Gre∣gory [ 20] Nazianzene witnesseth) oncel 1.16 A Reader of Scriptures to the people, not thinking it any Derogation unto him so to do; there∣fore was hee not ignorant of the (then) Christian Doctrine, concerning the Eucharist. And (which is a point as observable) when hee objecteth against Christians want of Sacrifices, by and by, as if Christians had nothing to say for themselves, but that Christ gave up himselfe once; hee expresseth this their An∣swer, as that which hee held not to be sufficient. And Cyril also would controll us, who in his whole Answer (opposing Spirituall to Corporall) defendeth no Sacrifice at all among [ 30] Christians, but that which hee called Spirituall and Mentall; as for Example, Godly Conversation, Faith, Hope, Charitie, Praises, &c. All which are* 1.17 excluded out of your Definition of Proper Sacrifice.

The Case then is plaine. If that the now Romish Doctrine of a Proper Bodily Sacrifice of Christ's Body, offered up in the hands of the Priest, by an Elevation, and after in Consum∣mating the same by eating it with his Mouth, which you call a Sacrificing Act, had beene Catholike learning in that Age, then assuredly could neither Iulian have challenged [ 40] Christians for No Sacrifice, nor Cyril have defended them, by confessing indeed No Sacrifice among Christians, but onely Spirituall and Mentall. {fleur-de-lys} And undoubtedly if Materiall Altars (properly so called) had beene in use in Christianitie at that time, the holy Fathers would not have then concea∣led this, especially when as the want of Altars was objected against them, as a note of17 1.18 Atheisme.{fleur-de-lys}

Notes

• a 1.1

  Bellarm.—Sunt Relata, ità ut Sacrifi∣cium propriè dictum Sacerdotio propriè dicto; & Sacrificio impropriè dicto im∣propriè dictum sacer∣dotium respondeant. Lib. 1. de Missa, ca. 2. §. Quintum.
• b 1.2

  Maldonat. Ies. Serpens aeneus suit Sacrificium comme∣morativum futuri Sa∣crificij Christi, sed tamen non habuit altare. Lib. de 7. Sa∣crā. Tom. 1. de Euch. §. Quintum genus.
• c 1.3

  Abulens. in Ios. 22. Altare hoc non fuerat ad Sacrificium offerendum. Quaest. 9.
• d 1.4

  Bellar. lib. 1. de Missa, cap. 17. § Ne∣que.—Ne{que} obstat quod Ministri Eccle∣siastici non diceban∣tur Sacerdotes, aut u∣tebantur nominibus templi, sacrificij. Al∣taris, & similib, quia tempore Apostolorū vigebat Sacerdotium Iudaicum, ideò absti∣nebant abijsdem vo∣cibus, ne viderentur eosdem illos ritus in∣novare.
• e 1.5

  Eodem modo Durantus de Ritibus, lib. 1. cap. 1. num. 7.
• * 1.6

  See above Cha. 3. Sect. 8.
• * 1.7

  See above Chap. 2. Sect. 1.
• 16 1.8

  Lorin. Ies. in Act. 14. 22. de Sa∣cerdote. Ab hoc ab∣stinet novum Testa∣mentum, ut magis proprio antiqui legis Sacrificij, vel Idolo∣rum, concedo.
• * 1.9

  Graecè, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.10

  Graecè 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• f 1.11

  See the former Testimony at (d.)
• g 1.12

  Euseb. Hist. lib. 10. cap. 4. Ex O∣rat. Danegyr. Pauli∣no Tyriorum Episco∣po dedicata, qui Basi∣licam ibi construxit. Sanctuario hoc modo absoluto & perfecto, sellisque quibusdam in, altissimo loco ad Praesidum Ecclesiae honorem collocatis, & subsellijs ordine dispensatis—Al∣tarique denique tan∣quàm Sancto San∣ctorum (Gr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) in medio San∣ctuarij sito, &c. Coc∣clus Tom. 2. Tract. de Altari, & Atha∣nasio in vita Antonij. Altare Domini mul∣torum multitudine circumdatum. Chry∣sost. (de visione An∣gelorum) lib. 6. de Sa∣erdotio.—〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. & Dionys. Hierarch. Ec∣cles. cap. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. August. de Verbis Dom. Serm. 46. de eo quod scriptum, [Qui mandueat.] Christus quotidie pascit: mensa Ipsius est illa in medio constituta. [These Testimonies verifie the same Assertion of Doctor Falke against Gregory Martin, cap. 17. The Table stood so, that men might stand round aboue it.]
• h 1.13

  August. quaest. super Exod. lib. 2. cap. 9. Altare est populus Dei. Lib. 1. de Serm. in monte. Altare in interiore Dei templò, id est, fides. Lib. 10. de Civitat. Dei, cap. 4. Ejus est Altare cor nostrum. And other Fathers ordinarily.
• i 1.14

  Nazian. orat. 28.—Esto, ego pel∣lor ab. Altari in Ec∣clesia: at novi aliud Altare mentis & contemplationis in coelo, ibi adstabo, & Deo offeram Sacrifi∣cia, quae sunt tanto acceptiora, quàm ea quae offerimus ad Al∣tare, quanto pretio∣sior est veritas quàm umbra.
• k 1.15

  Cyril. Alexand. cont. Iulian. lib. 9 (Iu∣lian. Ob.) Iudaei sa∣crificant,—vos autem invento novo Sacrificio—quare non sacrificatis?—illud commune no∣biscum habent, etiam Templa, Altaria, &c. (Resp. Cyril multò post,) Vitae honestas, & ad meliora pro∣pensio est Sacrificium fragrantissimum—Et Paulus hortatur nos exhibere corpora nostra Sacrificium sanctum, rationalem cultum nostrum Deo.—Igitur etsi Iudaei sacrificarent, ut in umbris praecep∣ta implerent, nos ta∣men latâ viâ euntes, ad id quod rectum est veniemus, nempè spiritualem & im∣mortalem cultum proficientes. (Iulian.) Mosi dicitur, septem diebus azymis vesce∣mini: vobis parum est abstulisse. (Cyril. Resp.) Impletur Lex à nobis in azymis, maximè fide justifi∣catis in Spiritu, men∣talem{que} cultum prae∣ponentibus tali mo∣do.—Vnde scribit D. Paulus, ut diem agamus in azymis sinceritatis & verita∣tis. (Rursus, Iulian. ibid. lib. 10) Offerre Sacra in Altari, & sacrificare cavetis. (Resp. Cyril.) Adhi∣bemus Sacrificia spi∣ritualia, scilicet, & mentalia: nam illi ex sanguine offere∣bant boves, & oves,—Et ex fructibus si∣milam, ol••as, &c. hos tamen tam crasso ministerio relicto renue & subril••, at spirituale perficimus: offerimus enim in odorem suavitatis fidem, spem, charitatem, justitiam, laudes, Sacrificium enim secundùm naturam incorporèum de∣cet Deum. (Iulian.) Et Cain obtu••••t Sacrificium de fructibus terrae? Abel de carnalibus. (Cyril. Resp.) Offe∣rimus melius quoddam quàm illi—Sacrificamus enim mentaliter & spiritualiter virtutum fragran∣tias. (Rursus Iulian. Ob.) Non circumcidimini, non Azyma, non Pascha servatis. Non possumus, inquiunt, (viz. Christiani:) pro nobis enim semel immolatus est Christus, & prohibuit Azyma—non Abraham imitantes Altaria etigitis Deo, nec Sacrificatoria aedificatis. (Resp. Cyril.) Circumcisionem habemus Spiri∣tos—In A••ymis spiritual••a quae habemus. (Et ad pascha Resp.) Affulsit veritas, Immolatus est pro nobis Christus A••nus verus.
• l 1.16

  Greg. Nazian. Orat. 3. advers. Iulian. (De Gallo et Iuliano) Quinetiam in Cle∣rum seipsos ascripse∣runt, ut divinós quo∣que libros plebi lecti∣tarent: non minus id sibi amplum & ho∣norificum existiman∣tes quàm aliud quid∣vis, &c.
• * 1.17

  See Chap. 5. Sect. 14
• 17 1.18

  Origen. cont. Celsum. lib. 7. Ob. Celsi. Non sustinent Altaria Scythae, ne{que} Seres 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Arnob. lib. 6. Consuestis cri∣men nobis maximum impietatis affigere—quòd non Altaria fa∣bricemus, non Aras. See also Arnobius, lib. 6. contra Gentes.