Seeing that Christ hauing Supped distributed the Supper to the Disciples in the euening, whether is it lawfull for vs to giue it in the morning, and to them which are fasting?
It is lawfull, because circumstances of time, as both of sitting downe, of apparrel, and of a certaine number of Communicants, doe not appertaine to any mysterie, neither are they substantiall p••rt•• of the Sacrament, neither haue they expres commandement from God, because Christ said not This doe yee, hauing supped, or sitting, or standing, or so many in number: for Christ first did eate the Passeouer, because he would, after old things, institute new.
But the Eucharist is more conueniently distributed in the mor∣ning.
1. Because it is an easier thing at that time to haue a holy mee∣ting together: forasmuch as in the day time much businesse doth happen, wherby men are lead away from holy things.
2. Because at that time we are more sober, and wee haue a more apt and attentiue minde to perceiue excellent thing.
Yet notwithstanding the ancient fathers in time of a fast (bee∣cause they did spend the whole day in prayers, in Sermons, and in holy hymnes) did giue the Supper of the Lord a little before night. And in the time of Augustine, in many Churches of A∣frica (as he reporteth) the thursday before Easter, that the action of Christ might bee the more resembled, the Eucharist was giuen to the fathfull in the night, and after Supper. But this custome was taken away by the sixt Synod or generall Councill, which was held at Constantinople.