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.

A New Instance, for proofe of Romish Sacrilegiousnesse, in the Prayer set downe in the Liturgie of their Masse. SECT. III.

IN your Missall, after Consecration, it is prayed thus:a 1.1 Wee offer unto thy Majestie, O Lord, this immaculate Host, this holy Bread of eternall life, this Cup of everlasting salvation, upon [ 10] which vouchsafe to looke with a propitious and favourable Counte∣nance, as thou didst accept the gifts of thy holy servant Abel, and command these to be carried up into thy celestiall Altar, &c. So the Canon of your Masse. Some Protestants, in their zeale to the glory of Christ, impute unto you hereupon a Sacrilegi∣ous Profanenesse, whilest you beleeving That Host, and That Cup to be the very Body, and Blood of Christ, and a Propitiatory Sacrifice in it selfe, yet do so pray God to be propitious unto it, and to accept it, as hee did the Sacrifice of Abel; yeelding thereby no more estimation to Christ, than to a vile sheepe, [ 20] which was offered by Abel.

At the hearing of this, your Cardinall (See theb 1.2 Mar∣gin) 1. Prefaceth, 2. Answereth, 3. Illustrateth, 4. Reaso∣neth. First of his Preface. The Answer (saith hee) is easie. As if that Objection, which seemeth to us a huge logg in your way, were so little an obstacle, that any might skip over it. But have you never seene men, in trusting too much to their nim∣blenesse, to over-reach themselves in their leape, stumble, fall, and breake their limbes?

Semblably hee in his Answer (which is the second point) The [ 30] meaning of our Church (saith hee) is not to pray for Christs recon∣ciliation, who was alwayes well pleasing to God, but in respect of the infirmity of the Priest and people, that the offering may be ac∣cepted from them. So hee. But whatsoever the meaning of the Priest in his praying is, sure wee are this cannot be the meaning of the Prayer; for the matter prayed for is set downe to be Holy Bread of life, and Cup of Salvation, which you interpret to be Substantially the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament; and the tenour of prayer expressely is, [Vpon which Lord looke propitiously;] wee say, upon which, not upon whom; which point [ 40] is confirmed in that which followeth.

Thirdly therefore hee illustrateth. The Comparison (saith hee) is not absolutely betweene the Sacrifice of Abel, and of Christ, but in respect of the faitb and devotion of the Priest, and people, that they with like faith may offer, as Abel did. But this piece

of Answer is that, which is called in Musicke Discantas contra punctum; for the prayer is directly: [Looke downe propitiously upon these, as thou didst upon the gifts of Abel.] The Compari∣son then is distinctly betweene the Gifts, and not betweene the Givers. Yea but not absolutely so meant (saith hee:) be it so, yet if it be so meant but in part, that Christ, who is Propitiation it selfe, shall be prayed for to be propitiously, and favourably loo∣ked upon by God, the prayer is Sacrilegious in an high degree.

Fourthly his Reason. It is knowne (saith hee) that the Sacrifi∣ces of Sheepe and Oxen had nothing in themselves, whereby to paci∣fie, [ 10] or please God, the Scripture saying, that Abel offered a better Sacrifice than Cain. And againe, God had respect to Abel, and to his Gifts. So hee. Which is the very Reason that perswa∣deth Protestants to call that your Prayer most Sacrilegious, be∣cause whereas the Gifts of Abel were but Sheepe, &c. you, notwithstanding, compare them with the offering up of Christ, saying, [As thou didst the Gifts of Abel.] For although it be true, that the Gift of Abel was accepted for the Faith of the Giver, and not the Giver for his Gift; yet if you shall apply this to the [ 20] point in Question, then your Gift (in your Opinion) being Christ, and your Givers but simply men, (whom you have cal∣led Priest, and People) it must follow that Christ is accepted for the Faith of the Priest, and People; and not the Priest and Peo∣ple for Christ, which maketh your Prayer farre more abomina∣bly Sacrilegious. And not much lesse is that which followeth, praying God to command his Angel to carry (if the Gift be Hee) Christ into heaven; contrary to the Article of our Catholike Faith, which teacheth us to believe his perpetuall Residence in heaven, at the right hand of the Father. Hee answereth:c 1.3 It is not meant, that God would command his Angel to carry Christ's Body, but our prayers and desires, by the intercession of the Angel [ 30] unto God for us. So hee. Which is as truly a false Glosse, as the former; for, in the Tenour of your Masse, the Subject of your prayer is [Holy Bread of life, and Cup of salvation.] The prayer is plainly thus; Vpon which, O Lord, looke propitiously: and im∣mediately after, Command [These] to be carried by thy Angel. Marke, [These] viz. That Bread of life, and Cup of salvation; even that, which you call, The Body, and Blood of Christ, as Corporally Present: which maketh your prayer to be Sacri∣legious still, and your Expositors (that wee may so say) mise∣rably [ 40] Radiculous.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Missal. Rom. Offerimus Majestati tuae, Domine, im∣maculatam Hostiam sanctum panem vitae aeternae, & Calicem salutis perpetuae—supra quae propitio vultu respicere digne∣ris, sicut dignatus es munera justi pueri tui Abel. And in the next place. Iube haec per∣ferri per manus san∣cti Angeli in sublime Altare tuum coeleste.
• b 1.2

  Bellarm. lib. 2. de Missa, cap. 24. Fa∣cilis est responsio: Non petimus pro Christi reconciliatio∣ne apud Patrem, sed pro nostra infirmi∣tate: etsi enim obla∣tio consecrata ex par∣te rei, quae offertur, & ex parte Christi principalis offerentis semper Deo placebat, tamen ex parte Mi∣nistri & populi astan∣tis, qui simul etiam offerunt, fieri potest ut non place at—Paulò post. Compa∣ratio non est inter Sacrificium nostrum, & Sacrificium Abe∣lis, sed tantùm ratio∣ne fidei, & devotionis offerentium, ut nimi∣rùm tantâ fide offe∣rant, quantâ Abel—quod Sacrificium Abelis non haberet in se, quod Deo pla∣cere, eumque placare possit, qua••e dicitur Heb. 11. per fidem obtulit Abel Deo Sa∣crificium melius—Ratio. Gen 4. Respe∣xit Deus ad Abel, & Sacrificium. post. §. Porrò.—Deferii Sacrificium per manus Angeli nihil aliud est, quàm intercessione Angeli commendari Deo nostrum obsequium, & cultum. So also Suarez Tom. 3. Disp. 83. Art. 4. Iube haec, id est, Vota nostra. Et Salme∣ron Ies. Tom. 9. Tract. 32. sub finem.
• c 1.3

  Bellarm. sup. And so Doctor Hes∣kins (out of Hugo de sancto victore) in his Parliament of Christ, Booke 3. Chap. 395.