Gregories Masse did aime at that Which is not so For the principall point thereof is the sacrifice euen the soueraine sacrifice that is our Sauiour Christ offered to God his father And sith this is that which the Canon speaketh of and S. Gregorie offered and the Masse importeth with vs whom you call Masse-priests it foloweth that S. Gregorie celebrated the sacrifice of the Masse as we doo and therefore was a Masse-priest not a Minister of the Communion Rainoldes Then the men women of Rome were Masse-priestes too in S. Gregories time and celebrated the sacrifice of the Masse as you doo For the sacrifice which he offered and the Canon speaketh of is the bread and wine offered by the men and women for the Communion and the sacrifice of prayse which they did offer all to God Hart. Nay it is the very body and blood of Christ. Rainoldes The wordes of the Canon are plaine to the contrarie For it desireth God to accept and blesse their offering that it may be made the body and blood of Christ to thâ—m It was not the body and blood of Christ therefore but very bread and wine which the faithfull people offered to be â—â—nctified to the vse of the Communion Hart. It was bread and wine before consecration as it is declared by those wordes of the Canon But after consecration the Canon saith of it Hostiam puram hostiam sanctam hostiam immaculatam that is the pure holy and vndefiled host Rainoldes But vpon those wordes it foloweth in the Canon the holy bread of eternall life and the cuppe of saluation Wherefore the bread and the cuppe that is the wine though holy now and sanctified to be the bread of life and cup of saluation that is the body and blood of Christ in a mystery but the bread and wine are the pure holy and vndefiled sacrifice or host as you terme it not onely before but after consecration too Hart. Nay the reall body and blood of Christ are meant by the bread and the cuppe in a figuratiue spéech and so Christ himselfe is the pure holy and vndefiled host Rainoldes Where a figuratiue speech is vsed in scripture you will none of it Here where your Canon vseth none you fansy it For it foloweth straight touching that bread and that cuppe vpon the which thinges vouchsafe o Lord to looke downe with a mercifull cheerefull countenance and to accept them as thou didst vouchsafe to accept the offerings of thy righteous seruant Abel So that if Christ him selfe were meant really by the bread and the cuppe in a figuratiue spéech then the Priest desireth God to looke on Christ with a mercifull and cheerefull countenance and to accept of him at the Priests request as he did accept the giftes which Abel offered There hath beene heretofore a saying amongst you which I hope you like not that a Priest is the creator of his creator But by this meanes the Priest is lifted higher to bee the mediator of his mediator And so will you vouch in earnest of Masse-priests that which Tertullian did iest at in the Heathens man must be merciful vnto God now vnlesse it please the Priest Christ shall not finde fauour in his fathers sight Hart. The prayer of the Priest that God will looke vpon his offrings and accept them hath a very good meaning whereof I doo not dout But the former wordes touching the hoste must néedes betoken Christ. For how can the name of a pure holy and vndefiled hoste be geuen to the bread and wine Rainoldes How are they called pure or vndefiled giftes offeringes and sacrifices in the Canon it selfe before consecration Hart. They may be called pure by acceptation there as your selfe expounded Which the Canon seemeth to imports also in that it prayeth God to accept them and blesse them Rainoldes Euen so they may be called here a pure holy and vndefiled sacrifice For the Canon also likewise prayeth God to accept them in expresse termes and in effect to blesse them Whereof it hath a farther and plainer proofe too in that it saith they offer to God that pure sacrifice the bread of life and cup of saluation of his giftes For in saying that they offer it of the giftes of God it sheweth that the very bread and wine is meant Which the people being vsed then to offer as now we offer mony the rest there of was geuen after to the poore a part was taken first for the vse of the communicants that they might be partakers of the bread of life and cuppe of saluation that is the holy sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. Hart. I know that the name of sacrifice is giuen to the peoples offerings and other things often But I am perswaded that by the pure holy and vndefiled sacrifice S. Gregorie meant Christ and so did offer him vp to God his Father in the Masse as we doo Which I thinke the rather because they were Masse-priests as our Apologie sheweth who liued in the function of Priesthood before him For the holy Councell of Nice knew none but such offerers or sacrificing that is Massing-priests S. Cyprian acknowledgeth the Priests of his time to haue offered or sacrificed yea euen in prisons Hee was a Masse-priest that S. Austin sent to doo sacrifice in a house infested with euil spirits They were Masse-priests of whom Eusebius writeth that they pacified the diuine maiestie with vnbloody sacrifices and mysticall consecrations The dignitie of Priesthood set forth in the worke of the same title by S. Chrysostome is specially commended there for the power of dooing the vnbloody sacrifice vpon the altar To be short he and all the other Fathers both Gréeke and Latin were Masse-priests none being euer made but for that purpose principally S. Ambrose testifying that to take the order of Priesthood which he calleth with the Apostle Imposition of hands is to receiue authoritie to offer sacrifice to God in our Lordes steede Rainoldes These testimonies M. Hart of Greeke and Latin Fathers with the rest quoted by your Apologie-writer either at Doway or at Rhemes doo some of them mention offering and not sacrificing some speake of sacrificing but not the sacrificing of Christ. Betweene the which pointes what difference there is for the one himselfe is a sufficient witnesse in that he declareth that sundry things are offered which are not sacrificed for the other they who shew that the faithfull did offer sundry sacrifices as namely of almes of praise of them selues euen at the celebration of the Lords supper But admit they meant by offering and sacrificing the sacrificing of Christ as some of them did yet nether was their sacrificing that which your Massing is nor they who sacrificed Masse-priests For you will haue the sacrifice offered in the Masse to be a very soueraine
mysticall spéeches wherein the scriptures giue the name of the thing to that which it betokneth as of the passeouer to the lambe and of the rocke to Christ. For I hope you wil not conclude of this shew that really Christ was a rocke or a lambe the passeouer really Hart. These spéeches are not like to that of Christes bodie in the Sacrament of the Eucharist For it is manifest that when the lambe was called the passeouer and Christ the rocke it was meant not really but figuratiuely that the rocke signified Christ the lambe the passeouer But it is not manifest in that of Christes bodie Rainoldes Whither it be manifest or no is not the question but whither the spéeches be like in shew of wordes the rocke was Christ this is my bodie Or to come néerer to your owne example and proofe of that point Christ saith of himselfe that he is true bread and my flesh is meate indeede and my blood is drinke indeede True and indeede these termes are more pregnant for a reall presence then that of Christes bodie Yet if you say that Christ is bread really and his flesh meate and his blood drinke you may as well say that he is really a vine and his disciples branches really and other such reall either blasphemies or follies Hart. Nay we doo confesse that many things in scripture are spoken and meant figuratiuely but neither all nor this concerning the Sacrament nor any thing els whereof the literall and proper sense hath not somewhat contrarie to God to religion and to Christian life As D. Allen saith that S. Austin teacheth Out of whom he citeth withall a woorthie sentence touching such as you are If the minde be preuented with an opinion of some errour whatsoeuer the scripture dooth affirme otherwise men thinke it to be spoken figuratiuely Rainoldes That sentence is good as S. Austin vttereth it But D. Allen vseth it ill against vs. The woorse because S. Austin sheweth straight vpon it in the same booke of the same point that to eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood was spoken not properly for so it were a wicked deede but figuratiuely flat against that error of the reall presence which hée is pretended to proue by D. Allen. But howsoeuer D. Allen deale in that the point which you graunt with him sufficeth me for proofe of that I saide For if many things in scripture are spoken and meant figuratiuely it followeth that the sense of scripture is against the shew of wordes in sundrie places and therfore that the shew of words sundrie times is against the truth Which sith you cannot sée in this Sacrament because of your preiudice of the reall presence I will bring an example of the sacrament of baptisme wherein you must needes sée it There were some of old who as we sprinckle children with water in baptizing of them so they vsed to print and stampe certaine marks vpon them with fire For the which vsage they alleaged the scripture I meane the wordes thereof that touching Iohn Baptist who saying of himselfe I baptize you with water addeth of our Sauiour He will baptize you with the holie Ghost and fire Now I put the matter to your owne iudgement whether they did better who baptized with fire or we who without it Hart. Who doubteth but we For they were deceiued who tooke the name of fire properly in that place where it is vsed figuratiuely to signifie the graces of the holie Ghost who lighteneth and purgeth the hartes of the faithfull They who did baptize in that sort were heretikes as Alphonsus sheweth Rainoldes Yet the shew of words dooth make more for thē Iohn baptized with water Christ baptizeth with fire Neither haue you here so much as that euasion which yet if you had were nothing to the purpose that it is manifest to be meant not properly but figuratiuely For there haue béene sundry churches and nations these many hundred yeares that vsed it and doo still induced all thereto by the shew of wordes as manifest to be meant not figuratiuely but properly in their iudgement And your reall presence hath not gone so far in the one Sacrament with this is my bodie as their firie markes haue gone in the other with the holie Ghost and fire Wherefore to returne to the point in questiō although it may séeme by the shew of words that our Sauiour promised the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to Peter onely yet sith he meant them to all the Apostles as I haue declared your claime will be a bare shew if all your proofe be shew of wordes And therefore as I said so I say againe that you must bring vs foorth some better euidence or els your title will be naught Hart. And I tell you againe that the euidence is good and hath not onely shew of words but sense too if it be rightly taken But we retaine not you to be our lawier to expound it Rainoldes I am not in hast to be retained of you But what mislike you in my expounding of it Hart. That which shall kéepe me from yelding thereunto For your exposition is a priuate exposition which we allow not of We allow onely of the churches exposition Rainoldes Then I perceiue the church shall be your lawier And what is I pray you the churches exposition Hart. That which all the Fathers make with one consent Rainoldes Which all the Fathers make We had néede to haue bodies like the bodies of Oakes and memories as strong as stéele to endure to reade and be sure to remember of euery exposition so much as may ascertaine vs that all the Fathers make it Hath any man liuing read them all Nay haue all the men liuing read them Nay can they shewe them Can they get them I had almost said can they name them Hart. Womeane of the Fathers which are extant commonly and may be had and read If many of them make it and the rest either gainsay it not or say nought of it we count it to bée made of all with one consent Rainoldes That count is euill cast For as in the writings of Fathers which we haue some one expoundeth places of Scripture oftentimes otherwise then all the rest a thing notorious and confessed so it is likely that in those which we haue not some places were otherwise expounded thē they be in those which we haue Yet I will not deny but you had reason so to count For else your lawier had béene dumbe and could not haue spoken a word for his client But if this be your rule of the churches exposition then I could haue made mine exposition the churches with a wet finger if I would haue stuffed it with the names of Fathers For my words of Peter that he alone made answere for all the Apostles receiued the keyes togither with them all are the wordes of S. Austin though I did
your Priestes of the tribe of Leui who offer vp this sacrifice Hart. No syr nor of the Iewes but they are Christian Priestes Rainoldes But they who must offer the sacrifice that is spoken of in the prophet Malachie are of the tribe of Leui. For afterward entreating of the same oblation or offering as we cal it that shall be offered vnto God in the time of the gospell he saith that the Lord shall fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as gold and siluer that they may offer an offering vnto God in righteousnes Wherefore if the offering that Malachie doth speake of be the sacrifice of the Masse that is a sacrifice properly then the proper Priestes by whom it is offered are the Iewish Priests after the order of Aaron euen the sonnes of Leui. But if the sonnes of Leui betoken by a figure the spirituall Leuits that is all the faithfull whom Christ in the new testament hath made a royall Priesthood euen Kings and Priestes to God his father as your Montanus well expoundeth it then must the offering by a figure signifie the spirituall sacrifice which Christians of all sortes are bound to offer vnto God And in truth as Christ said of Iohn Baptist If you will receiue it this is Elias which was to come meaning that the Prophet did signifie Iohn Baptist by the name of Elias so I may say to you touching the spirituall sacrifices of Christians If you will receiue it this is the cleane offering which should in euery place be offered to the Lord. For the Prophets when they spake of the gospell of Christ and the religious worship of God in spirit and truth which Gentiles conuerted by the preaching of the gospell should serue him in through all the world are wont to describe it by figuratiue spéeches drawen from the externall and carnall worship of God in the ceremonies of the law So they say that there shall be an altar of the Lord in the middes of the land of Egypt that God will accept the burnt offrings and sacrifices of straungers vpon his altar that all the sheeepe of Kedar shall be offefered on it and the rammes of Nebaioth that the Gentiles shall go vp to keepe the feast of tabernacles from yeare to yeare vnto Ierusalem and euery pot in Ierusalem and Iuda shall be holy to the Lord of hostes and all they who sacrifice shall come take of them and seeth therein finally that the offering of Iuda and Ierusalem shal be sweete vnto the Lord as in the dayes of old and in the yeares afore Wherefore as the Prophets doo mention an offering which the Christian Church shall offer vnto God in the time of the gospell so doo they mention burnt offeringes and sacrifices the sheepe of Kedar the rammes of Nebaioth to bee offered on an altar they mention Ierusalem to bee gone vnto the feast of tabernacles to be kept the flesh of beastes sacrificed to be sodde in pottes the Leuites to be the Ministers who shall make the offering in righteousnesse to God But neither doth the Priesthood of the Leuites continue neither is Ierusalem the place to worship God neither are the Iewish feastes the times to doo it nor will he be serued with sacrifice and offering if they be taken properly The Prophets therefore meant by an allegorie as we terme it to shew that all Christians should as Priests and Leuites offer vp them selues and theirs as sacrifices at all times as solemne feastes in all places as in Ierusalem And so the cleane offering whereof the Prophet Malachie saith it shal be offered in euery place vnto the Lord doth signifie not a sacrifice to be made vpon an altar as your Councell would haue it but the spirituall sacrifice which S. Paul exhorteth the faithfull to offer when he willeth men to pray in euery place lifting vp pure handes without wrath douting Hart. The Prophetes speake much in déed of thinges to come not properly and simply but figuratiuely by obscure spéeches and allegories and parables that must be vnderstood otherwise then they are writen as Tertullian noteth But the name of altar is vsed properly for a materiall altar by the Apostle to the Hebrewes saying we haue an altar whereof they haue not power to eate which serue the tabernacle For he putteth them in minde by these wordes that in folowing too much their olde Iewish rites they depriued themselues of an other maner a more excellent sacrifice and meate meaning of the holy altar and Christes owne blessed body offered and eaten there Of which they that continue in the figures of the old law could not be partakers This altar saith Isychius is the altar of Christes body which the Iewes for their incredulitie must not behold And the Gréeke worde as also the Hebrew answering thereunto in the old testament signifieth properly an altar to sacrifice on and not a metaphoricall and spirituall altar Wherefore séeing that we haue a very altar in the proper sense and the name of altar doth import a sacrifice that is offered on it it foloweth that the body of Christ vpon the altar is a very sacrifice in the proper sense And that out of doubt is the cleane offering which the Prophet speaketh of according as the Councell of Trent hath defined Rainoldes And are you out of doubt that by the wordes we haue an altar the Apostle meaneth a materiall altar such as your altars made of stone Hart. What els a very altar Rainoldes And they who haue not power to eate of this altar are the stubberne Iewes who keepe the ceremonies of the law Hart. The Iewes and such prophane men Rainoldes Then your Masse-priestes may and doo vse to â—ate of this altar Hart. They doo And what then Rainoldes Their téeth be good and strong if they eate of an altar that is made of stone Are ye sure that they eate of it Hart. Eate of an altar As though ye knew not that by the altar the sacrifice which is offered vpon the altar is signifyed They eate of Christes body which thereby is meant Rainoldes Is it so Then the worde altar is not taken for a very altar in the proper sense but figuratiuely for the body of Christ the which was sacrificed and offered Neither is it taken for the body of Christ in that respect that Christ is offered in the sacrament in the which sort he is mystically offered as often as the faithfull doo eate of that bread and drinke of that cuppe wherein the breaking of his body and shedding of his blood is represented to them but in that respect that Christ was offered on the crosse in the which sort he was truly offered not often but once to take away the sinnes of many and to sanctifie them for euer who beleeue in him Hart. Nay the auncient Father Isychius expoundeth it
the Ministers doth shew And herein their dealing is so much the worse because they set it out with the name of Erasmus as if he meant by sacrificing the saying of Masse which is farre from him For although by reason he thought that the word doth properly signifie not simply to minister but to minister in holy thinges as they who serue in the Priesthood therfore he did translate it that the Prophets Doctours in the Church at Antioche were sacrificing to the Lord yet he saith that hereby is meant that they imployed their giftes to Gods glory and the saluation of the Church the Prophets in propheciing the Doctours in teaching the doctrine of the Gospell So he vnderstandeth nothing els by sacrificing then others doo by ministring or rather then the scripture doth as it is obserued out of the circumstances of the text by the best of your own interpreters Who séeing that the men were Prophets and Doctours which are said to haue béene ministring to the Lord thereupon do gather that they serued him in executing their owne ministerie that is to say the ministerie of prophecying and teaching In which sort the Gréeke fathers doo expound it also what meaneth the word ministring say they it meaneth preaching Wherefore if the name of Liturgie were taken hereof by the Gréeke fathers as your Rhemists adde it is a good hearing but so much the lesse will it proue your Masâ—e For if they vnderstood preaching by ministring when the worde is spoken of Prophets and Doctours it is the more likely that when they applyed it to the ministerie of the Pastours â— seruice of the Church they meant the publike prayers and other holy functions which we doo call Diuine seruice As in truth they did For that which we call euening prayer they called the euening Liturgie as you would say the seruice doon to God at euening and in the verie Liturgie that is called Chrysostomes because he made some part of it belike not all for himselfe therein is prayed too but in that very Liturgie the word is applied to the Churches seruice in the same maner as it is to the seruice which Angels doo to God And I hope you will not affirme that the Angels doo say Masse in heauen Wherefore howsoeuer Erasmus did translate it after the phrase of his time wherein the Churches seruice was commonly called Missa the ministerie mentioned in the Actes of the Apostles doth not proue that sacrifice of which you would inferre your Priesthood As for the place of Esay in which it is writen you shall be called the Priests of God the Ministers of our God shal it be said vnto you the course of the text doth seeme to meane by Priestes all the seruants of God whom Peter calleth an holy Priesthood to offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. For the words are spoken as in Christes person to all the faithfull and repentant who should be trees of righteousnes to build vp the Church and thereupon are promised that their enimies shall serue them and they shall serue God But in an other place of Esay I graunt the name of Priest is giuen to Pastors and Elders where speaking of the calling and conuersion of the Gentiles And of them saith he will I take for Priests for Leuites saith the Lord. Hart. S. Ierom doth expound the former place of them also But all is one to my purpose For séeing that Pastours and Elders as you terme them are called Priests in scripture and the name of Priest implyeth you confesse autoritie to sacrifice it foloweth that Pastours and Elders are Priestes autorized to sacrifice Now the Priest that hath autoritie to sacrifice is he whom you do call a Masse-priest Wherefore both Masse and Priests are proued by the scripture Rainoldes Why Thinke you that euerie Christian man and woman is a Masse-priest because the name of Priests is giuen them by scripture in respect of spirituall sacrifices which they must offer vnto God Hart. No. Because the sacrifices that they must offer are spirituall and are called sacrifices by a borowed kinde of spéech and not properly But the sacrifice which is offered to God in the Masse is an external visible true and proper sacrifice as it is declared by the Councell of Trent So that the Priestes ordeined to offer this sacrifice are properly called Priestes wheras other Christians are called so improperly according to the nature of the sacrifices which they offer Rainoldes Then the name of Priestes alleaged out of Esay doth not proue your Masse-priestes For he doth call the Ministers of the gospell Priestes in respect of the spirituall sacrifices which they must offer And that appéereth by the words going next before in which the Lord declaring euen by S. Ieroms iudgement too that he would call the Iewes to the same honour that by the name of Priests is signified and they saith he shall bring the Gentiles for an offering to the Lord as the children of Israel offer in a cleane vessell in the house of the Lord. So to bring the Gentiles as an offering to the Lord is that for which they who do bring such offerings are named Priestes and Leuites But the offering vp of the Gentiles vnto him is a spirituall sacrifice made by the Ministers of Christ as Paule sheweth when they conuert the Gentiles through the preaching of the gospell The sacrifice therefore in respect whereof the Ministers of the gospell are called Priestes by Esay is a spirituall sacrifice And as euerie faithfull person is a Priest because we must offer each his owne bodie a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God so that name is giuen to Ministers of the gospell because they are called to offer vp the bodies of other men in like sort Wherefore if priuate Christians are not Masse-priestes because their sacrifices are spirituall then sith the Ministers must offer vp the like sacrifices it foloweth by your answere that nether they are Masse-priestes Hart. The Ministers of the gospell must offer vp the like sacrifices I deny it not And in that respect it is true that nether they nor priuate Christians are proued to bee Masse-priestes But there is an other an externall sacrifice that Ministers must offer also euen that which our Lord in the prophet Malachie doth call a cleane oblation and saith that in euerie place it is sacrificed and offered to his name because his name is great among the Gentiles And that is the sacrifice in respect whereof the Ministers of the gospell are called Priestes properly and are indéede Masse-priests For the cleane oblation is the sacrifice of the Masse wherein the body and blood of Christ is offered vp vnto God his father as the Councell sheweth an oblation that cannot be defiled by the vnworthines or wickednes of them who offer it Rainoldes What And be
of the bodie of Christ in the sacrament as I shewed which the Iewes must not behold They might behold his body vpon the crosse and did so Rainoldes But the holy Apostle him selfe doth vnderstand it of the bodie of Christ as it was offered on the crosse And that is manifest by the wordes he addeth to shew his meaning touching the Iewes and the altar For saith he the bodies of those beastes whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high Priest for sinne are burnt without the campe Therefore euen Iesus that he might sanctify the people with his owne blood suffered without the gate Which wordes are somewhat darke but they will be plaine if we consider both the thing that the Apostle would proue and the reason by which he proueth it The thing that he would proue is that the Iewes can not be partakers of the fruite of Christes death and the redemption which he purchased with his pretious blood if they still retaine the ceremoniall worship of the law of Moses The reason by which he proueth it is an ordinance of God in a kinde of sacrifices appointed by the law to be offered for sinne which sacrifices shadowed Christ and taught this doctrine For whereas the Priestes who serued the tabernacle in the ceremonies of the law had a part of other sacrifices and offeringes and did eate of them there were certaine beastes commanded to bee offered for sinne in special sort and their blood to be brought into the holy place whose bodies might not be eaten but must be burnt without the campe Now by these sacrifices offered so for sinne our onely soueraine sacrifice Iesus Christ was figured who entred by his blood into the holy place to clense vs from all sinne and his body was crucified without the gate that is the gate of the citie of Ierusalem and they who keepe the Priestly rites of Moses law can not eate of him that by his death they may liue for none shall liue by him who séeke to be saued by the law as it is writen if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing The Apostle therefore exhorting the Hebrewes to stablish their hartes with grace that teacheth them to serue the Lorde in spirit and truth after the doctrine of the gospell not with meates that is to say with the ceremonies of the law a part whereof was the difference betweene vncleane and cleane in meates doth moue them to it with this reason that if they serue the tabernacle and sticke vnto the rites of the Iewish Priesthood their soules shall haue no part of the foode of our sacrifice no fruit of Christs death For as the bodies of those beastes which were offered for sinne and their blood brought into the holy place by the hye Priest might not be eaten by the Priestes but were burnt without the campe so neither may the keepers of the Priestly ceremonies haue life by feeding vpon Christ who to shew this mystery did suffer death without the gate when he shed his blood to clense the people from their sinne And thus it appeereth by the text it selfe that the name of altar betokeneth the sacrifice that is to say Christ crucified not as his death is shewed foorth in the sacrament but as he did suffer death without the gate Whereby you may perceiue first the folly of your Rhemists about the Greeke worde as also the Hebrew that it signifieth properly an altar to sacrifice on as though it might not therefore be vsed figuratiuely where yet them selues must needes acknowledge it to be so too Next the weakenes of your reason who thereof doo gather that by the sacrifice which that worde importeth in the Apostle is meant the cleane offering of which the Prophet speaketh For the cleane offering of which the Prophet speaketh is offered in euery place the sacrifice meant by the Apostle in one place onely without the gate Wherefore the name of altar in the epistle to the Hebrewes doth neither signifie a Massing-altar nor proue the sacrifice of Massing-priests Hart. That which you touch as foolishly noted by our Rhemists about the Greeke and Hebrew worde is noted very truly For you can not deny your selfe but that it signifieth properly an altar a materiall altar to sacrifice vpon and not a metaphorical and spirituall altar Whereby as they conclude that we haue not a common table or prophane communion boord to eate meere bread vpon but a very altar in the proper sense to sacrifice Christs body vpon so for proofe hereof they adde that in respect of the saide bodie sacrificed it is also called an altar of the Fathers euen of Gregorie Nazianzene Chrysostome Socrates Augustine and Theophylact And when it is called a table it is in respect of the heauenly foode of Christes body and blood receiued Rainoldes The note of your Rhemists about the Greeke Hebrew word is true I graunt yet foolish too though true in the thing yet foolish in the drift For to the intent that where the Apostle saith we haue an altar it may be thought hee meant not that word spiritually or in a figuratiue sense as we expound it of Christ but materially of a very altar such as is vsed in their Masses they say that the Greeke word as also the Hebrew answering thereunto in the olde testament signifieth properly an altar to sacrifice on and not a metaphoricall and spirituall altar Which spéech how dull it is in respect of the point to which they apply it I will make you sée by an example of their owne Our Sauiour in the gospell teacheth of himselfe that he is the true bread which giueth life vnto the world the bread which came down from heauen that whosoeuer eateth of it should not die if any man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer Your Rhemists doo note hereon that the person of Christ incarnate is meant vnder the metaphore of bread and our beleefe in him is signified by eating Wherein they say well But if a man should tell them that the Greeke word as also the Hebrew answering therevnto in the old testament doth properly signifie bread which we eate bodily and not a metaphoricall or spirituall bread were not this as true a speech as their owne Yet how wise to the purpose who is so blinde that séeth not Yea to go no farther then the very word whereof by their Hebrew and Greeke they séeke aduantage them selues vpon that place of Iohn that he saw vnder the altar the soules of them who were killed for the word of God doo affirme expressely that Christ is this altar Christe say they as man no dout is this altar They meane it I hope in a metaphoricall or other figuratiue spéech For they will not make him by transsubstantiation to be an altar properly Yet here it is as
true that the Greeke word as also the Hebrewe answering thereunto in the olde testament signifieth properly an altar to sacrifice on and not a metaphoricall or spirituall altar And if it were as much for the aduantage of their cause to proue that Masse is said in heauen as that in earth and that Christ is properly bread without a figure as that bread is properly Christ in the sacrament the text of the scripture where Christ is called bread yea the true bread would proue the one cléerely as they could fit it with this note and the word altar would put the other out of controuersie chiefely if that were noted withall that an Angell stood before the altar hauing a golden censer though others there also affirme the altar to be Christ. But it fareth with your Rhemists as it is wont with false prophets one buildeth vp a muddy wall and others daube it ouer with a rotten plaister and when a storme cometh the wall falleth and plaister with it For though as they lay it on it séemeth hansom that wordes signifie properly the naturall things which they are vsed to signifie and not metaphoricâ—ll or spirituall things yet if it be opened that hereby is meant that wordes may not be vsed by metaphores or other figures to signifie those thinges which properly they doo not signifie the boyes in grammer schooles who know what a metaphore is will laugh at it Wherefore this plaister will not helpe the weakenes of your muddy wall I meane of the conclusion which you would proue by it and doo inferre vpon it that we haue an altar in the proper sense to sacrifice Christes body vpon In the daubing vp whereof yet your plaisterers do shew a péece of greater art partly by drawing vs into hatred who haue not Popish altars but communion tables partly by winding the names of Fathers in as if they made for you against vs. Both with skill and cunning but more of sophistrie then diuinitie For that which the scripture doth call the Lords table because it is ordeined for the Lords supper in the administration of the blessed sacrament of his bodie and blood the Fathers also call it a table in respect of the heauenly banket that is serued vpon it And this in proper sense Marry by a figure of speech by which the names of thinges that are like one an other in some qualitie are giuen one vnto an other as Christ is called Dauid Iohn Baptist Elias the citie of Rome Babylon the Church of God Ierusalem the Fathers for resemblance of the Ministers and sacraments in the new testament to them in the olde are wont to giue the name as of Priestes and Leuites to Pastours and Deacons so of a sacrifice to the Lords supper and of an altar to the Lords table For these thinges are lynked by nature in relation and mutuall dependence as I may say one of an other the altar the sacrifice and the sacrificers who serue the altar that is Priestes and Leuites Wherefore if the Fathers meant a very altar in the proper sense to sacrifice Christes bodie vpon then must they meane also the Leuitical Priesthood to serue in sacrificing of it But the Leuiticall Priesthood is gone and they knew it nether did they call the ministerie of the Gospell so but by a figure Your Rhemists therefore doo abuse them in prouing as by them that the communion table is called an altar properly But vs of the other side they doo abuse more by setting an altar against a common table in such sort of spéech as if we whose Churches haue not a very altar to kill our Sauiour Christ and sacrifice him vpon it had but a common table and profane communion boord to eate meere bread vpon A feate to make vs odious in the eyes of men whom you would perswade that we discerne not the body of the Lord. Which your priuie sclander doth vs open iniurie For we haue not a common but a holy table as both we call it and estéeme it not a profane communion boorde but a sanctified to eate not meere bread but the Lords supper wherein we receiue the bread of thankes-giuing and the cuppe of blessing as the Apostles doctrine and practise of the Fathers teach vs. Your selues are guiltie rather of féeding men with meere bread who do take away the cuppe of the new testament in the blood of Christ from the Christian people and in stéede of the blessed bread of the sacrament do giue in your Masses meere bread in déede by your owne confession the common bread that goeth vnder the name of holy-bread I would to God M. Hart you would thinke with your selfe euen in your bed as the Prophet speaketh and consider more déepely both the wicked abuses wherewith the holy sacrament of the Lords supper is profaned in your vnholy sacrifice of the Masse and the treacherous meanes whereby your Maister and Felowes of the College of Rhemes doo séeke to maintaine it Who being not able to proue it by the scriptures either of the altar or of the cleane offering the principall places whereon their shew standeth they go about to bréede a good opinion of it in the heartes of the simple partly by discrediting vs with false reproches partly by abusing the credit of the Fathers Which two kinds of proofe do beare the greatest sway through all your Rhemish Annotations Hart. We do not abuse the credit of the Fathers to perswade an errour but as we endeuour to folow them in truth so alleage we them to proue the truth by them And howsoeuer you auoide the place of S. Paule where it is said we haue an altar the prophecie of Malachie that in euery place there is sacrificed and offered a cleane offering to God must néedes belong to the verie and outward sacrifice of the Masse not to spirituall sacrifices Which because that reuerend man D Allen whose treatise of the Masse is such a moate in your eye doth proue by sixe reasons the pith whereof he greatly praiseth I will bring them forth in his owne wordes that you may yéelde the rather to them First therefore the word to sacrifice and to offer being vsed by it selfe without a terme abridging it is taken in the scripture alwaies properly for the act of outward sacrifice But when it is said the sacrifice of praise the sacrifice of crying the sacrifice of contrition and the like it is perceiued easily by the wordes annexed that they be taken improperly Secondly this sacrifice of the which the Prophet speaketh is one but spirituall sacrifices there are so many as there are good workes of Christian religion Thirdly this is the proper and peculiar sacrifice of the new law and the Gentiles not of the Iewes But spirituall sacrifices of praiers and workes are common to the Iewes with vs. Fourthly
doo willingly though they doo it weakely For as he accepted the sacrifices of the Iewes when they offered the best and soundest that they had so when the Gentiles were brought him for an offering in like sort as the Israelites doo offer an offering in a cleane vessell the offering vp of them was acceptable to him And thus might the spirituall sacrifices of Christians be meant by the cleane offering whereof the Lord saith in the Prophet Malachie that it shall be offered to him in euerie place According to the scripture that instructeth vs to pray in euerie place lifting vp pure hands without wrath and douting For though nether our prayers be so intier and feruent nor our hands so pure and vnspotted of the world nor our mindes so setled in loue of our neighbour nor our faith so constant and stedfast towards God but that they be stained with remnants of vncleannes and haue lesse perfitnes then they should yet are they all cleane in respect of the sacrifices of those Iewish hypocrites which God in the Prophet reiecteth as vncleane and so where he refuseth to accept theirs he promiseth to accept ours and sheweth that they please him well Wherefore the Masse findeth no footing in Malachie by D. Allens fifth reason Now the sixth and last which he concludeth with as it were to set the Masse in full possession of the cleane offering mentioned by Malachie doth dispossesse it cleane and casteth out the reasons which he brought to strengthen it For the Fathers expound it of our spirituall sacrifices of prayers of thankes giuing of holinesse of godly works of repentant heartes of clensed mindes and bodies sanctified of the giftes offered in Christian Church-assemblies and of the whole worship wherewith we honour him in spirit and truth Wherein to say that they meane the sacrifice of the Masse by the sacrifice of prayer and the spirituall sacrifice as he â—aith they doo and that they call it so because the victime that is here hath not a grosse carnall and bloody consecration or sacrification as had the victimes of the Iewes it is grosse and carnall For the victime as you terme it which they meane and speake of is either our selues purified by faith oâ— our fruites accepted as pure from persons purified not Christ killed and sacrificed vnto God his Father which is your Massing-uictime pure of it selfe and purifying others as you fansie Yea sith it is granted by D. Allens owne words that Austin expounding it of the sacrifice of praise meaneth not the sacrifice of the Masse thereby let that place of Austin he weighed with the rest of his and other Fathers and it shall be found that Malachie toucheth not the Masse in their iudgement by D. Allens owne graunt The sixe reasons therefore which he setteth forth as strong and very good for the proofe thereof proue it no better out of the Prophets in the old testament then doo his bare wordes out of the Apostles in the new In déede there is no letter through all the scriptures for it And thus much perhaps him selfe hath espied since hee wrote his treatise of the sacrifice of the Masse For in his Apologie of the English Seminaries where he would of likelihood make the strongest proofe of it that he could for the defense of Masse-priests and the Masse-priests Nourseries he citeth not the scriptures but the Fathers onely Which vnlesse hée thought that the scriptures faile him I sée not why hee should Chiefly sith he knoweth that they whose good liking of Masse-priests the Masse he séeketh specially to winne by his Apologie doo giue greater credit to fiue words of God then to ten thousand words of men Hart. Nay you are deceued much in D. Allen if you think his iudgement changed any whit from that it was in this point But in his Apologie he citeth the Fathers onely not the scriptures because you haue colours of spiritual sacrifices to shift the scriptures off but you cannot the Fathers so For they all were Masse-priestes themselues and said Masse Rainoldes What one of them M. Hart If you speake indeede to the point of the Masse and daly not as D. Allen who maketh Masse-priestes of the Apostles because they did consecrate the body and bloud of Christ and offer it For if to consecrate and offer as they did be to say Masse then wee say Masse in our Communion and our Ministers are Masse-priests Which I thinke you meane not Hart. I meane that all the Fathers said Masse as we doo and were as we be Masse-priests Which he meaneth also and proueth by the most of them For so was S. Ambrose testifying of him selfe that he offred sacrifice and said Masse euen in that plaine terme Rainoldes In that plaine terme Why S. Ambose spake not English I trust Hart. No. But he saith in Latin Missam facere Rainoldes That is not to say Masse but to doo masse or rather to dimisse Missam fecit in Suetonius would proue the Masse as wel as that Which I dare not say that perhaps him selfe espied since he wrote it least againe you tell me that I am much deceiued in him But in his Apologie turned into Latin S. Ambroses missam facere is changed into missam dixisse And so the words are fitter to proue he said Masse Hart. Dixisse or facere the matter standeth not in that but in the word missa From which sith the name of Masse dooth come in English it foloweth that S. Ambrose did celebrate Masse that is say Masse as wée terme it Rainoldes Must I tell you again that idiot commeth from idiota And wil you say that all the simple idiotae who heare Masse are idiotes Hart. That is a iest you may not so put off my reason For the name openeth the nature of the thing as Aristotle sheweth Wherefore sith the name of Masse is in S. Ambrose how can you deny but that hee did celebrate the thing that is the Masse it selfe as we doo whom you call Masse-priests Rainoldes And thinke you in earnest that S. Paul did celebrate the communion of the body and blood of Christ as we doo who are called Ministers Hart. As you doo who saith so Rainoldes You if your reason be of any value For the name openeth the nature of the thing as Aristotle sheweth Wherfore sith the name of communion is in S. Paul how can you deny but that he did celebrate the thing euen the communion it selfe as we doo who are called Ministers Hart. Yes For though you keepe the name with S. Paul yet you keepe not the thing As sorcerers are called magi like the Sages of the East yet is their wisdome wicked not like that of the Sages Rainoldes That is false M. Hart as you referre it to our Communion For as we
keepe the name so we kéepe the meaning of the name too and therefore the thing it selfe with S. Paul But turne it to your Masse and it is very true For in S. Ambroses time the Christian people hauing publike prayers in many Churches dayly did therewithall dayly receiue the holy sacrament of Christes body and bloud Now because sundry were at other partes of diuine seruice for whom it was not lawful to receiue the sacrament as nouices in the faith who were not yet baptized and such as Church discipline remoued from the communion therefore they were wont after prayers made and scriptures read and taught to dimisse the rest who might not communicate the faithful onely staying to receue together And this dimission of them was noted by the word missa vsed for missio that is a sending away or licensing to depart Whence it came to passe that the very name of missa was geuen to that part of the seruice and they were said missam facere who celebrated the communion as S. Ambrose did Wherefore though your sacrifice keepeth the name of Masse that S. Ambrose vsed yet doth it not keepe the thing meant thereby For nether send you them away who receiue not and many a Masse is said that hath no communicants Hart. But we wish as the Councell of Trent hath declared that the faithful who stand by at Masse would communicate Wherefore if they doe not it is through their owne default and not through ours Rainoldes But it is your faute that you send not them away from the communion who communicate not And herein your Councell doth vary from S. Ambrose and other ancient Fathers that it alloweth non-communicants to be standers by For in the primitiue Church yea in S. Gregories time who for naming Masse too is made a Masse-priest by your Doctor the Deacon was accustomed to bid them depart who did not communicate Wherefore séeing that they meant the Communion by the name of Masse and termed it so because they sent away the non-communicants from it you who doo not so may see how fond a reason D. Allen maketh for your Masse and Masse-priestes when he sheweth Ambrose Gregorie and Leo to haue vsed that name Then which there can be nothing in deede more against him For if the name open the nature of the thing as Aristotle sheweth then is not your Masse the masse of the Fathers because it is not missa that is a dimissing and sending away of them who receiue not Harte Nay it is not onely the name of the Masse whereon he relieth but the thing it selfe For who knoweth not saith he that S. Gregory the great was a Masse-priest who hath the very word the maner and the partes thereof so expresly in his Epistles who sent all holy furniture and ornamentes for the same to our Blessed Apostle Rainoldes What to S. Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles Hart. I meane to S. Austin the Apostle of the Englishmen Rainoldes I know no such Apostle if you meane of that sort of which Christ gaue Apostles as the maiestie of the words our Blessed Apostle should import But the ornaments and furniture which S. Gregorie sent to Austin the Moonke were not Massing-vestiments no more then the vessels and clothes that you mentioned before out of Optatus and other ancient Fathers which serued for the Communion As for the maner and partes of the Masse which he hath you say in his Epistles so expresly all that which he hath is that there was said praise ye the Lord and the clergie saying Lord haue mercy vpon vs the people answered them with the same wordes and Christ haue mercy vpon vs was saide in like sort and the Lordes prayer with the prayer called the Canon was saide ouer the offering and after consecration the Communion was ministred Now compare the maner and partes of your Masse with this of S. Gregorie and they are as like it as is an * ape vnto a man For in outward gestures and shape of face body that is in shew of actions and forme of wordes prayers yours resemble it But the soule reason as it were of it which is that the people did pray with the Pastour nor onely pray together but communicate too that your Masse hath not Hart. They pray and communicate both in affection though they receyue not alwayes the communion bodily nor vnderstand the prayers Rainoldes But to communicate is to eate and drinke which the people did in S. Gregories time and they vnderstoode the prayers which were made that they might say Amen thereto Now the Priest hath swalowed vp their right in the one and the Clerke in the other Hart. But the Canon of the Masse which is the chiefest part we haue in like sorte as S. Gregorie had And therein the worship of Saintes and prayers for the dead where of there is no shadow at all in your Communion neither can you abide them The greater wrong you doo both to him and vs to make as though you folowed that which he practised and to say that our Masse is no lyker his then is an ape vnto a man Rainoldes We folow him in that wherein he folowed Christ and the folowers of Christ. Himselfe beareth witnesse that the Apostles neither vsed nor made that Canon but I know not what Scholer Wherefore though a Scholer presenteth the merits and prayers of the Saintes before the throne of God desiring helpe for their sakes and prayeth for the faithful who do rest in Christ that they may haue a place of cooling peace and light yet because our Maister teacheth that himselfe alone wrought all righteousnesse that we might finde fauour through his desert and intercession and sheweth that the dead who dye in him are blessed and rest from their labours in light peace and comfort we folow not S. Gregories Canon in those pointes but answere him with Christ from the beginning it was not so And you who thinke your Masse better then an ape in respect of his because it resembleth his in the Canon the chiefest part of it may know that it resembleth his therein no better then doth an ape a man when he sweareth by the crosse of his ten bones For the Canon also beside that the people did heare vnderstand it recordeth their receyuing of the body blood as doo the other praiers too after the communion Which being as it were the soule and reason of it your Masse which hath it not is but an apish counterfeit of his for all the Canon Nay it is in déede so much the more apish because it hath his wordes and not the meaning of them Hart. You grate on the Communion still as if the Canon and all S.
true and proper sacrifice wherby you meane that Christ is killed there indeede and sacrificed to God But the Fathers named their offering a sacrifice not properly but by a figure meaning the death of Christ our onely very soueraigne true and proper sacrifice to be represented there in a mysterie not exequuted in deede For as in the Scripture sacraments are noted by the names of thinges whereof they are sacraments that men may lift their eyes from the outward signes to the things signified so because we are willed to celebrate the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ in his remembrance and to shew his death that shewing of his death and remembring of his sacrifice is called by the Fathers his sacrifice and death So doth Cyprian treate of the offering of Christ. For teaching that we mention his death in all sacrifices he geueth this as a reason of it for the death of Christ is the sacrifice which we offer So doth Chrysostome open his meaning of the sacrifice For he affirmeth it to be a signe of Christes death and hauing said that we offer the very sacrifice that Christ did he correcteth his spéech thus or rather we worke a remembrance of that sacrifice So the same Ambrose who speaketh of sacrificing to God in Christes steede dooth expound it too euen with Chrysostomes words So Austin saith that Christ although he were sacrificed but once in himselfe is sacrificed euery day to Christian folke in a sacrament or mysterie nether is he falsly said to be sacrificed For sacraments haue a certaine resemblance of those things whereof they are sacraments and for that resemblance they take the names commonly of the things themselues as the sacrament of the body of Christ is Christs body after a certaine sort and the sacrament of the blood of Christ is Christs blood Finally Eusebius who may serue also to declare the iudgement of the Councell of Nice whereof he was a part doth by the very name of vnblooddy sacrifices witnesse his agréement therein with the rest For he calleth our remembrances and representations of the death of Christ in celebrating the sacrament of his body and blood though sacrifices for the lykenes yet vnbloody for the difference to shew that Christ is not sacrificed in them truly and properly for then must his blood be shed as it was when he suffered death but onely by the way of a sacrament mystery wherein the true sacrifice is set foorth before vs and remembred by vs. And this he maketh plainer other where by saying that Christ hauing offered him selfe for a soueraine sacrifice vnto his â—ather ordeined that we should offer a remembrance thereof vnto God in steed of a sacrifice Which remembrance we celebrate by the signes of his body and blood vpon his table and pleasing God well we offer vnbloody sacrifices and reasonable and acceptable to him Hart. Nay Eusebius calleth our sacrifices vnbloody in respect of the maner and not of the thing For they are true sacrifices of Christ and therefore bloody but Christ who was offered vpon the crosse blooddily is offered in the Masse vnblooddily Rainoldes That is your Trent-doctrine but it will not cleaue with the wordes of Eusebius For he calleth them vnblooddy sacrifices not bloody sacrifices offered vnblooddily but vnbloody sacrifices And adding that we celebrate the remembrance therein of the sacrifice of Christ by the signes of his body and blood he sheweth that they are not in déede bloody sacrifices but mysteries of the bloody Hart. Nay the blood of Christ the very sacrificall blood as we terme it which Christ did shed vpon the crosse is in the blessed chalice of the altar at the sacrifice of the Masse For Chrysostome in that notable worke of the Priesthood saith that Christ is seene there by all the faithfull and mentioneth his blood too Rainoldes Yea and that is more he saith that Christ is held there in all their handes and all are made redde with that pretious blood The Fathers delite much in such effectuall spéeches which néede wiser readers then many bee who light on them But if your selfe know that the whole people which cometh to your Masse is not made redde with the sacrificall blood you may learne thereby that Chrysostome speaking of blood in the sacrifice doth consider of it as bloody in a mystery but in déede vnbloody Hart. Nay it is called vnbloody by the Fathers as D. Allen noteth not because the blood in deed is not in it but to distinguish it froÌ„ the same sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse which was made and offered not without blood shedde Rainoldes The blood is not shed then in this sacrifice And therefore it is neither propiciatorie for sinnes are not remitted without shedding of blood nor the true and soueraine sacrifice of Christ for that is the onely true and soueraine sacrifice wherein his blood was shed for vs. Hart. Yes the blood is shedde in the sacrifice of the Masse but it is shedde vnblooddily Rainoldes Blood vnblooddily shedde You speake monsters M. Hart vnlesse you meane by vnblooddily not truly and in déede but sacramentally For then you say well that his blood is shedde when we shew his death and remember the shedding of it But as S. Austin writeth that the flesh and blood of the sacrifice of Christ was promised by sacrifices of resemblance before he came was performed in truth and in deede when he suffered is celebrated by a sacrament of remembrance since he ascended so when the blood of Christ is shedde in this sort by the sacrament of remembrance it is not shedde in deed for that was doon at his death onely And this is the most that you can make of the Fathers although it be graunted that they called their celebrating of the Lordes supper an vnbloody sacrifice in respect of the blooddy sacrifice of Christ which hee offered on the crosse Much lesse make they for you if they called it not so in respect of his sacrifice but of the sacrifices of the Iewes Which it is the more likely that they did because they called their prayers and their very worship of God vnblooddy too no doubt to distinguish it from the Iewish worship which offered bloody sacrifices For as S. Paul treating of our seruing of God calleth it reasonable because we do sacrifice our selues spiritually not bruite beastes and senselesse thinges with carnall ceremonies as the Iewes did so the Fathers called it reasonable and vnblooddy to the same effect And Eusebius namely saith that we offer vnblooddy and reasonable sacrifices to God as long as we liue meaning all spirituall sacrifices thereby which euery Christian offereth as a Priest to God Yea euen in that place which D. Allen chose as making
of the state of the Church both in generall and particular the Roman and the reformed Churches of sundry nations it commeth first to be declared what is the holy catholike church whereof we professe in our Creede that wee beleeue it And hereof I say the holy catholike church is the whole company of Gods elect and chosen Which is termed a Church that is a company ofmen and an assembly of people called togither holy because God hath chosen this company and sanctified it to him selfe Catholike for that it consisteth not of one nation but of all spred through the whole world For God to the entent that he might impart the riches of his glorious grace vnto mankinde did choose from euerlasting a certaine number of men as a peculiar people who should possesse with him the kingdome of heauen prepared for them from the foundations of the world And although this people be sundred by the distance of places and times for the seuerall persons and members thereof yet hath hee ioyned and knit them all togither by the bond of his holy spirit into the felowship of one body and a ciuill or rather a spirituall communion as it were into one citie The name of which citie is the heauenly new and holy Ierusalem the citie of the liuing God the king is God almightie who founded establisheth and ruleth the citie the lawes are Gods word which the citizens heare and folow as sheepe the voice of the shepheard the citizens are the Saintes euen all and singular holy men who therefore are called felow-citizens of the Saintes and men of Gods houshold the register wherein their names are enrolled is called the booke of life finally the liberties and commoâ—ities which they enioy are most ample benefites both of this life and of the life to come to wit the grace of God the fountaine of goodnes the treasures of Christ who is heire of all things the forgiuenes of sinnes the peace of conscience the giftes of righteousnes of godlines of holines one spirit one faith one hope of our calling and sacraments which are the seales of our hope in a worde all thinges which are expedient for vs to the necessarie maintenance of our earthly life and after this life the inheritance of life eternall in heauen with endlesse blisse and glory But because the citizens of this citie of God hauing disobeyed rebelled against him had lost their fréedom through their treason and being put therby from euerlasting life wâ—re to suffer death in the chaines of darkenesse God the father of infinite mercy and compassion did send his onely begotten sonne into the world that he being appointed king of Gods citie should redéeme the citizens from the powerof darkenesse out of the thraldom of the diuell and translating them a fresh into his kingdom should blesse them and endow them with all the priuileges and liberties of the citizens of God And so it pleased him though we had played the traitors in reuolting from him to his and our enimie yet of his frée fauour to make a league with vs enter into couenant Which couenant being one and the same in substance yet diuersly considered and by reason of this diuersitie diuided into two the one called olde grounded on Christ being promised to come the other new on Christ being come into the world God hath set it downe in the instruments of his câ—uenant wherein he hath said I will be your God and ye shall be my people What is the tenour how greate the vse how vnspeakable the benefit of this holy couenant made with the Patriarkes the Prophets the Apostles and all the Saintes of God it is recorded in the sacred instruments of the olde and new testament or couenant An abridgement whereof containing the summeof the Apostles doctrine is deliuered in the articles of our Christian faith or Creede as we terme it gathered out of Gods worde Wherefore as the couenant consisteth of two branches so the Creede expressing it conteineth two partes One of them instructeth our faith touching God who saide to his seruants I will be your God the other touching the people of God that is the Church to whom God saide you shall be my people Touching God it teacheth vs to beleeue in him who is one God in nature distinct in three persons the Father the creator the Sonne the redéemer the holy Ghost the sanctifier Touching the people of God it teacheth vs to beleeue that they are a Church holy and Catholike which hath communion of the Saints to whom their sinnes are forgiuen whose bodies shal be raised vp againe from death and being ioyned with their soules shall liue euerlastingly Now to make the matter more euident and plaine that this citie of God and company of the chosen is the holy Catholike Church first it is certaine that the people of God is called effectually out of the filth of other men to know and serue him by Christ who doth lighten their mindes and moue their hartes through the power of the holy Ghost and ministerie of the word And the whole company of them who are so called is named the Church by an excellencie not a common one but a passing eminent and most noble Church as wherein the faithfull all are comprehended that eyther be or haue béene or shal be to the end from the beginning of the world Which is termed in scripture the Church of the first borne who are writen in heauen Which God did predestinate to be adopted in him self according to the good pleasure of his wil. Which Christ being giuen to it by his Father as a head to the body loued as his spouse redeemed it from Satan and quickneth it with his Spirit hauing suffered death him selfe to deliuer vs from the gulfe of death Moreouer as it is cleere that this Church is called out of the rascall sort of the world to be partaker of the inheritance of the kingdom of heauen so is it cléere too that it ought to be holy For the holy one of Israell can not abide them who are workers of iniquitie neither shall any Cananite be in the house of the Lord of hostes and into the heauenly citie there shall enter no vncleane thing nor whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lye Christ therefore the Sauiour of the Church his body who as he called them whoÌ„ he predestinate so iustified them whom he called hauing clensed the Church from her sinnes by his blood renueth her from the filth of the flesh vnto holinesse which he beginneth in this life and perfitteth in the life to come when he shall present her without spot and wrincle a glorious spouse vnto him selfe So that both the Church may well be termed holy and the communion of Saintes the Churches communion which militant on earth is holy in affection triumphant in heauen is holier in perfection both militant and triumphant is in
Catholike Church without the which there is no saluatioÌ„ nor forgiuenes of sinnes he créepeth vp to the head of the Church eueÌ„ Iesus Christ from Christ the head he slippeth downe by stealth vnto Christs vicar one and the same head as he saith with Christ euen the Pope of Rome whom yet to be the head of the Catholike Church not him selfe would say vnlesse perhaps in a dreame for theÌ„ he shuld be head of the triumphant church which is a part of the Catholike but he would be head of the visible church which he nameth Catholike therby the more easily to deceiue the simple who being astonied and snared with that name the fowler shutteth vp the net and concludeth that euery earthly creature if he will be saued must of necessitie be subiect to the Pope Thus saith Pope Boniface But vnlesse the Pope him selfe and the Fathers of his Councell of Trent being thereto forced by the truth of scripture confesse against them selues that the holy Catholike Church doth not signify the visible company of the Church militant coÌ„sisting of the good and badde mixt together which sense the Papists giue it with their Pope Boniface to the intent they may be kings I will not request you to beleue me in it For in the Catechisme which was set foorth by Pope Pius the fifth according to the decree of the Councell of Trent hauing said that the Church in the Creed doth chiefly signifie the company of the good bad togither they adde that Christ is head of the Church as of his body so that as bodily members haue life from the soule in like sort the faithfull haue from Christs spirit and therefore it is holy because it hath receiued the grace of holines and forgiuenes of sinnes from Christ who sanctifieth washeth it with his blood and it is called Catholike because it is spred in the light of one faith from the east to the west receiuing men of all sortes be they Scythians or Barbarians bond or free male or female conteining all the faithfull which haue bene from Adam euen till this day or shall be hereafter till the ende of the world proâ—essing the true faith being built vpon Christ vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Pope Pius therefore and the Fathers of the Councell of Trent affirme that the Church which is specified in the Creede is the body of Christ. Now the scripture teacheth that all the body of Christ is quickned and increased by the holy Ghost as if he were the soule of it But the bad and wicked are neither quickned nor increased Then are they no part of the body of Christ and therfore neither of the Church Pope Pius and the Fathers of the Councel of Trent affirme that the Church is holy being washed by the blood of Christ indued with grace of holines and with forgiuenes of sinnes Now blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen blessed are the cleane in heart for they shall see God But the bad and wicked shall neither see God nor are blessed Therefore neither haue they forgiuenes of sinnes nor are their harts cleane Then are they no part of the church Pope Pius and the Fathers of the Councell of Trent affirme that the church is called Catholike in respect that it conteineth all the faithfull from the first to the last professing the true faith and being built vpon Christ. But the wicked and hypocrites either are not faithfull or if they may be called so yet they professe not the true faith or if they professe it yet they are not built on Christ. For they who are built on Christ are built on a rocke and shall neuer be remoued But the wicked shall be remoued Then are they no part of the church Yet they must néedes be a part of the church if the name of church did signifie the visible church as we call it consisting of the good and bad Wherfore it foloweth thereof that the church mentioned in the Créede betokeneth not the visible church that is the company of good and bad together which it is imagined to do by the builders of the Popes monarchie Thus as Caiaphas in the Gospel although he spake many things amisse against Christ yet being the high Priest that same yeere he saide well in this spéech though ill meant too that it was expedient for them that one man should dye for the people so the Pope and the Fathers of the Councell of Trent being the high Priestes that same yere though they meant yll in saying that the holy catholike church which we beléeue is the company of good and bad mixt together yet being lead and moued by some diuine force to speake better then they meant they added such an exposition that their owne doctrine is ouerthrowen by it the errour of the Councell of Constance is discouered and the truth of the scripture confirmed and established Wherefore I may iustly conclude against the Papists out of the Pope him selfe and the Councell of Trent that all the good and holy men and none but they do make the holy Catholike church But séeing our faith must haue a better ground then humane decrées either of Popes or Councels whose breath is in their nosethrils whose houses are of clay and their foundation is sande therefore let vs stay our selues on that conclusion which I made before on warrant of the holy Ghost who hath spoken to vs by the Apostles and Prophets The holy Catholik Church which we beleeue is the whole company of Gods elect and chosen And let this suffice for the first Conclusion The second doth folow The church of Rome is not the catholike church nor a sound meÌ„ber of the catholike church Of the which position that we may the better perceiue the drift and truth we must search somewhat déeper and fetch the beginnings of particular churches out of the fountaine whence they flowe God hauing chosen in his eternall purpose the holy catholike church that is all his children to be the heires of his kingdome and to triumph in heauenly glory with him and his elect Angels doth first of all sende them abroade into the earth as it were into a campe there to serue him in warre against the flesh the world the deuill and all the powers of darkenes vnder the banner of Christ that they may come conquerours out of warfare to the triumph and may striue lawfully before they be crowned Whereto that they may be the stronger made and better furnished to endure the labour and hardnes of warfare God begetteth them a new by his word the word working effectually through the holy Ghost as it were by seede and with the same word he nourisheth them as with milke strengtheneth them as with meat armeth them as with a sword of the Spirit and frameth them a shield of faith wherewith they may quench the firie dartes of the wicked one Yea the more
Beth-auen the hie places of Auen are the sinne of Israel Therefore go ye not vp to Beth-auen sayth the Lord. Thus we are expresly commaunded by God to depart and separate our selues from those Churches wherein the right wayes either of his knowledge or of his worship are peruerted Much more from those Churches wherein they are peruerted both But they are both peruerted in the Church of Rome most notoriously as I haue declared It remaineth then that the reformed Churches haue seuered themselues from the Church of Rome most lawfully iustly And therefore our English Papists and the Louanists deale shall I say of ignoraunce or of malice but of whether soeuer they deale very lâ—wdâ—ly who to make vs odious for seuering our selues from the Church of Rome as if we had played the schismatikes therein doe report of vs that we rent our selues from the Catholike Church as the Donatistes did Truly or falsly let the faithful iudge Chiefly sith it is manifest that the Donatists found not any fault with Catholikes either for the seruice wherewith they worshipped God or for the doctrine of God which they preached but wée haue conuicted the Romanists of impietie both for their idolatrous prophaning of his seruice and for their vngodly corrupting of his doctrine and these men who blame vs doe themselues teach that no man ought to ioyne and communicate with that Church whose seruice is idolatrous whose doctrine is vngodly in so much that the Louanists reproue that worthily the Catholike Bishops of Afrike yea S. Austin too for saying that the Prophets Elias and Elisaeus resorted to the Church and seruice of the Israelites when it was stayned with idolaâ—trie and an English Papist condemneth though vniustly them who heare our sermons because it is horrible sinne to giue patient hearing to blasphemies such as he sayth we preach Wherefore if the Romish doctours themselues should sit in iudgement vpon vs for triall of the schisme and Donatisme so to terme it whereof they indite vs no doubt vnlesse their mindes were ouercast in like sort as were the eyes of Elymas they would acquite vs of it and pronounce of Christians as Pilate did of Christ I finde no fault in him For what haue we done in forsaking their synagogue that may deserue the check of a seuere Censour much lesse the condemnation of an indifferent iudge Saue in this perhaps that as mad Fimbria complained of Scaeuola we receaued not the whole weapoÌ„ into our body The Ministers of Christ were bound to preach the word of God they preached it To reproue the peoples sinnes they reproued theÌ„ To suffer afflictions eueÌ„ vnto the shedding of their blood they suffered The people of Christ were bound to heare the pastours voice they heard it To worship God serue him only they did it To professe their faith before men they professed it If against the will of Princes and Magistrates as it fell out in Fraunce they ought to obey rather God then men as the Apostles told the rulers of Israel If by the commandement of Princes and Magistrates which befell to England through Gods most gratious goodnesse and we beséech him it may for euer they were to obey their Princes in the Lord as the Priests and Prophets and people of the Iewes did obey Iosias Wherefore séeing all the reformed Churches not to rehearse them in particular following the same rule which England did Fraunce haue seuered themselues from the church of Rome in such sort as they ought by the law of God they are not seditious because they haue done but they were sacrilegious vnlesse they had done so nether haue we dealt as schismatikes in forsaking but others deale as heretikes in following the whoore whose hearts I would to God that might pearce into which our Sauiour sayth to his touching Babylon Go out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receue not of her plagues And thus haue I declared to you reuerend Syr my iudgemeÌ„t of the Conclusions which you proposed In opening whereof although I haue bene longer partly being moued with the weightinesse of the pointes and partly presuming of the pacience of the hearers then in this place is vsuall yet haue I purposely omitted many things which aduersaries may obiect because I thought they might be produced and answered in the disputation it selfe more conueniently Psal. 51.18 Be fauourable O God to Sion for thy good pleasure build the walles of Ierusalem Iohn Rainoldes to the Christian Reader IT is now fiue yeares almost gentle reader since being occasioned by order of our Vniuersitie to handle and defend these Conclusions in disputation I was moued to make them coÌ„mon vnto many that through the instruction and consolation of the scripture the church might reape some fruite of them Howbeit as Apelles was wont to set forth his pictures at his stall that if any fault were found he might amend it before they were deliuered to such as they were drawen for the like haue I done with mine though not like his by keping theÌ„ in Latin at home as it were that if any thing were iustly blamed in them it might be corrected before I sent them abroad to English men In the which respect though I could hardly resist the importunate desire of sundry frendes of whom some had translated them requesting that I would translate them my selfe or suffer theirs to be printed yet I resisted it hope they tooke it in good part But now being otherwise enforced to publish my conference with M. Hart I haue coÌ„descended vnto their request to do them into English publish them withall The rather because I haue proued herein that the faith professed by the Church of Rome is not the Catholike faith The contrary whereof was the last point that M. Hart auouched So that seeing he brake off conference thereon and would not put the faith of his church to that triall to which he had put the Pope the head of it the godly who will wish that also had bene handled to the confusion of all Poperie may for want of larger repast take this sclenderer as better halfe a loafe men say then no bread And I am the bolder to set it before them because Doctor Stapleton Licentiate Martin who as euill physicians to get themselues worke doo praise vnholesome baggage aboue holesome foode haue discoÌ„mended it Chiefly sith their dealing therein hath bene such that they haue shewed greater stomake theÌ„ wisedome as physicians of no value For of foure pointes that I find reproued by the former of them in the last editioÌ„ of his doctrinall principles one is that I distinguish the militant and visible church from the Catholike after a new sort vnskilfully and fondly The distinction therof I grounded on the scripture fond and new it may be to others not
ad Ianuar cap. 1. n Ioh. 19.34 o Augustin de sâ—mb ad catechumâ—nos lib. 2. cap. â— * Gemina sacramenta ecclesiae p Durand de S. Pâ—rtian in 4. Sent. distinct 26. quaest 3. q In 4. Sentent dist 7. art â— quaest 2. r Summ. Theologic part 4. quaest 5. membr â— art 2. membr 3. art 2. 1 Sola duo principalia 2 A Domino inâ—â—ituta per se ipsum s Sacrarum ceremoniarum Romanae ecclesiae libri tres t Pontificale Romanum in tres distinctum partes u Missale Romanum in rubricis Missalis ritibus celebraÌ„di Missam defectibus circa Missam occurrentâ—bus x Exodus Leuiticus and Numbers y Exod. 28.40 z Innocent Mysterior Missae lib. 1. cap. 53. l. 2. c. 7. 1 Nostra opera sunt inquinata vtcunque speciosa vide antur 2 Prophetica oblatio per se munda est * Per se. a Mal. 1.11 b Exod. 2â— ver 36. c ver 38. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Reu. 8.3 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e Phil. 2.13 f Rom. 8. ver 21. g ver 18. h Luk. 20. â—7 i Gal. 5.17 k Rom. 7. ver 23. l ver 24. m Deut. 4. â— 12. â—2 n Iam. â— 10 o Luk. 17. ver 9. p ver 10. q Gal. 3.10 r Iam. â— 2 s Mal. 1.7 t 1. Pet. 1.19 2.22 u Heb. 9.25 â—3 12 x 1. Pet. 2.5 y Leu. 22.22 z Tit. 1.15 a Hab. 1.13 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Leu. 22.20 c Esai 66.20 d Rom. 15.16 e 1. Tim. 2.8 f Mal. 1. ver 8. 13. g ver 7. 12. h ver 10. 13. i Mal. 3.4 k Rom. 12.1 Phil. 4.18 Heb. 1â— 16 l Tertullian aduers Iudaeos m Contr. Marcion l. 3. 4. n Augustin contr aduersar leg lib. 1. cap. 18. contr lit Peâ—ilian lib. 2. cap. 86. o Hieron in Zachar. cap. 8. p Euseb. demonstrat Euang lib. 1. q Tertullian aduers. Iudaeos r Euseb. demonstrat Euang lib. 1. s Irenae lib. 4. cap. 32.33 34. Iustin. Mart. in Tryphon t Theodoret. in Malach. cap. 1. Cyrill de adorat in spirit verit 1 Vicâ—â—ma hic existens Victima is a liue thing killed to be sacrificed Which word he applyeth to the sacrifice of the Masse because he maintaineth that Christ there is killed and sacrificed to God his father Alan de â—â—charist sacrific cap. 11. verâ— mactatur ac immolatur u Euseb. demonstrat Euang lib. 1. x Iren. lib. 4. cap. 34. Tertullian contra Maccion lib. 4. y In that he saith of Austin licet libro secundo contra literas Petiliani de sacrificio laudis exponat z Contr. liter Petiliani lib. â— cap. â—6 a Contr. aduersar leg lib. 1. cap. 18. 20. b Chrysost. contr Iudaeos orat 2. Hicâ—oâ— in Malach. cap. 1 Cyprian lib. 1. cap. 16. contr Iudaeos and the rest alleaged 2 Argumenta valida plané bona c The Apologie of the English Seminaries chapt 6. d 1. Cor. 10.16 11.24 e Lib 5. epist. 33 * Paulinam coniunxit sibi breuique missam fecit f In Caligula cap. 25. g Concertat eccles Cathol in Angl. aduer Caluinop Purit h De interpret i Cor. 10.16 k Act. 8.9 13.6 l Mat. 2.1 m Ambr. de sacram l. 4. c. 6. l. 5. c. 4. Hieron epâ—st ad Lucin. apolog ad Pammach pro libris contr Iouinianum 1 Caâ—echumeni In Liturg. Baâ—il Chrysoâ—t 2 Abstenti Cyprian de Oration Domin n Concil Carthag 4. câ—n 84. vsque ad missam catechumenorum August serm de temp 237. Ecce post sermonem fit missa catechumenis manebunt fideles o Isidor orig lib. 6. cap. 18. * As the word remissa is vsed for remissio Tertullian contr Marcion lib. 4. Cyprian de bono patient Augustin de baptism contr Donatist lib. 3. cap. 18. p Sess. 22. cap. 6. 1 Fideles adstantes q Registr l. 2. ep 9. 93. Ad. 3. interrogat August r Gregor Dialogor lib. 2. cap. 2â— 2 Si quis non communicat det locum Non communicanâ—es ab ecclesia exibant s When Leo the great ep â—1 cap. 2. tooke order for laying â—ao Mâ—sses theâ— one in a day in one Churche were they not Masse priests that said those Maâ—sseâ—â— saitâ— Allen in the margent of his Apologâ—â— in English The last of which words are thus in his Latin Num sorté erant sacerdotes Missificanteâ—â— that is to say were they Masse priests An errour of the Latin but speaking truer then the English and very happily gainesaying it For the Masses spoken of by Leo were communions celebrated by Ministers at whose hands the people receiued the sacrament both of the body and blood of Christ which they be not at the hands of Masse-priests Leo serm 4. de quadragesima t Greg. lib. 2. ep 9. 93. lib. 7. ep 63. ind 2. lib. 11. ep 56. Ad 3. interrog August u Bed histor lib. 1. cap. 29. x Rom. 11.13 y Eph. 4.11 1. Cor. 9.1 Gal. 1.1 z Lib. 7. iâ—dict 2. epist. 63. 1 Halleluia 2 Kyrie eleeson 3 Christe eleeson 4 Orationem Dominicam post 〈◊〉 lib. 11. ep 56. Simia quám similis turpissima â—estiâ— nobis b Matt. 26. ver 26. c ver 27. 1. Cor. 11 2â— d 1. Cor. 14.16 e Gegor in libro Sacramentor f 1. Cor. 11.1 g Gregor lib. 7. ind 2. ep 63. 5 Mos Apostolorum fuit vt ad ipsam solummodo orationeÌ„ Dominicam oblationis hostiam consecrarent 6 Precem quam Scholasticus coÌ„ posuerat 7 Quorum meritis precibusque concedas 8 Locum refrigeriâ— lucis pacis h Matt. 23.10 i Matt. 3.15 Ioh. 8.46 19.30 k Heb. 4.16 7.25 9.12 l Reu. 14.13 m Col. 1.12 n Esai 57.2 o Luk. 16 1â— p Matt. 19.8 9 Quotquot ex hac altaris participatione sacrosanctum filij â—ui corpus sanguineÌ„ sumpserimus q Amalat Forâ—unat de eâ—clesiast offic praefat alâ— Walafrid Strabo de rebus â—ccles cap. 22. Microlog de eccles obseruat c. 19. 1 Offeruntur a populo oâ— lationes vinum e quibus in altari pon untâ—r vt sacrentâ—r Greg. in lib. sacrament Of the which it is said in the Canon of the Masse haec dona haec munera haec sacrificia illibata 2 Sacrificium laudis Whereof the Canon saith memento Domine omnium circum adstantium qui tibi offerunt hoc sacrificium laudis pro se suisque omnibus 3 Quam oblationem tu Deus benedictam acceptabilemque facere digneris vt nobis corpus sanguis â—iat Iesu Christi 4 Panem san ctum vitae aeternae calicem salutis perpâ—tuae r Luke 22. ver 19. 20. 5 Super qeâ—â—â—â—opitio ac seâ—eno vultu respicere digneâ—â—â— accepta habere sicuti accepta habere dignatus es muâ—era pueri tui iusti Abel