seate so 1 Kings 6. 22. that by this meanes in their Church God is excluded and if that they will say that he is in heauen why then is not the Mediator in Heauen that their Church order may be according to the truth of things For Christ is in heauen to make Intercession for vs. But this consecrated Cake is affirmatiuely made the god of the Christians who in the mysterie of our Christian religion is the Mediator as Saint Paul saith one God and one Mediator in so much that a Counsell decreed that the Church prayers should Con. Carthag 3. Can. 13. be made vnto God in the name of the Mediator Iesus Christ for albeit any person of the Trinitie may be called vpon yet ordinarily God is to be prayed vnto and Christ the Mediator which in our Church booke is most commonly obserued But here is the scandall to Infidels of all sorts that this is the God we make shew of carrying him by processions in the streets and euery where worshipped yet the Cake hath no prerogatiue as other things haue had as Manna appointed by Gods ordinance to bee reserued Exod. 16. 24. was free from corruption that it may seeme to be a strong argument that this Cake made God is not his ordinance being subiect to mouldinesse and the eating of Myce and I haue read that being carryed in the winde and often blowne out of the Pixe was clipped and made lesse O indignitie that I will say of this last point according to a phrase in the Prouerbs Sixe things I hate but the seuenth in thus abusing of our Sauiour I detest and abhor and so end Scripture reason and passe to the testimony of the Doctors of the Church To repeate the Doctors of the Church in the multitude of their testimonies would be too much for a whole Sermon much more for a piece of a Sermon But to proue that which I haue affirmed that the Masse is but a verball thing in the Doctors and as they sport in Schooles Verum est in vocibus non in rebus true in words but not so in deeds I will set out vnto the Doctors an obiection to answer and a place of Scripture to expound The obiection made against the Christian religion was that they had neither Temples nor Altars nor Images This obiection hath answer from the Doctors the first that answereth shall be Origen who liued 200. yeeres after Tract in Leuit. Christ and he for Altars nameth the heart and our Hom. 9. prayers for the sacrifice Clemens Alexandrinus an other Hom. 7. Doctor of the Church being about Origen his time saith non sacrificamus sed glorificamus wee sacrifice not but glorifie In saying we sacrifice not hee cannot forget spirituall sacrifices therefore meaneth such a reall sacrifice as the Masse is and the Doctor forgetteth not spirituall sacrifices when he saith we glorifie for that answereth to my Text. An other Doctor of the Church Arnobious â—â—b 2. liuing 300. yeares after Christ saith to the Heathens Putatis nos occultare quod colimus si delubra aras non habemus You thinke that we hide that wee worship because we haue neither Temples nor Altars If the Christians God was hidden it was no where to be seene neither in the Church nor out of the Church If no Altars no Sacrifice reall no Masse Cirillus an Archbishop much to bee regarded in this matter he liued about 400. yeeres after Christ the obiection he receaueth from Iulian the Apostata who if any reall sacrifice as the Masse had beene but intimated in the Church he would haue discerned it being once a Reader by Office in the Christian Church but the answer is Lata via euntes mentalem cultum perficientes Lib. 9. con Julianus Going the broad way wee make a mentall or minde-worship And now if you expect more testimonies mine answer is the obiection ceased not long after him and Christian religion was better vnderstood with the reasons thereof that Chrisostome Ambrose Augustine Hierome for ought I haue read make not the like mention thereof And as for Iustin the Martyr an inhabitant of the Citie of Rome and a Doctor of the Church most ancient about 160. yeeres after Christ his Church-seruice is so like ours that from him we haue testimony for ours Concerning Dionisius that auncient Doctor as is supposed he maketh a great shew at the first of ceremoniall matter but it endeth with this the Bishop communicateth the rest he exhorteth to communicate and concludeth with thanks-giuing and thus much for the obiection The place of Scripture which is to bee expounded by the Doctors is that in the Prophet Malachie where it is thus written From the rising of the Sunne to the going Ch. 1. 11. downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place Incence shall be offered vnto my name and a pure offering for my name is great among the Heathen saith the Lord of hosts This place saith the Papist so euidenly proueth the Masse that it cannot be denied but then I must make the Doctors of the Church if they so expound it not vnskilfull in the interpretation of the Scripture preferring moderne and new Writers before them The force of their assertion standeth vpon these words pure offering which can agree to none but vnto Christ offering which I easily agree vnto for our offerings if they be pure they are but pure by a fauourable grace being as Saint Peter saith acceptable through Iesus 1. Pet. 2. 5. Christ But to come to the Doctors the first that I will bring in is Irinaeus of whose writing they presume most Lib. 4 cap. 32. his words are that our Sauiour gaue counsell to his Disciples to offer vnto God out of his creatures first fruites not as if he needed them but that they should not bee vnfruitfull or vnthankfull That which is bred of his creatures he tooke it and gaue thankes saying This is my Body and the Cup likewise that which is of that creature and is with vs confessed to be his Blood and taught the new oblation of the new Testament which the Church taking from the Apostles in the whole world offereth vnto God These words to him that is affected to the Masse may seeme to sound some such thing but he is deceaued for albeit the words of the Lords Supper be brought in as that he said of the Bread that it was his Body and confessed the Wine to be his Blâ—od yet the body of Christ and his Blood are not the offerings which a Priest must only offer but the Bread only and the Wine are the offerings which not Priest but Disciples offer In the primitiue Church therefore the Disciples offered at the Table new Corne Grapes Oyle and Frankinsence and these decreed by a Bishop of Rome to haue the Vâ—bâ—â—â—us name of oblations that now I will conclude against the Masse that so learned a
A SERMON PREACHED AT THE ASSISES HOLDEN AT WINCHESTER the 24. day of Februarie last before Sir LAVRENCE TANFEILD Knight Lord Chiefe Barron of the Exchequer and Sir RICHARD HVTTON Knight one of the Iustices of the Court of Common-Pleas By ABRAHAM BROWNE Prebend of the Cathedrall Church of WINTON NOLI ALTVM SAPERE LONDON Printed by Edw. All-de 1623. TO SIR LAVRENCE TANFEILD KNIGHT LORD Chiefe Barron of the Exchequer and Sir RICHARD HVTTON Knight one of the Iustices of the Court of Common-Pleas Beloued in the Lord I Was requested very earnestly by a right Worshipfull person that hee might haue a Copie of my Sermon Preached at the Assises at Winchester another put mee in minde of publishing it and a Dedicatorie Epistle required To answere all these if I publish it I shall satisfie in exhibiting the Copie requested And albeit I am not ouer earnest to haue it published yet I may suppose that that part of the Sermon which is against the Masse the thing most of all respected in the speech may serue among other Writings for the confutation of that pretended sacrifice But for Dedicatory Epistle to whom more properly of right doth it appertaine then to your Honours if it may please you to accept of it your selues being the most principall persons in the Auditorie most iudicious to discerne all things then spoken and being acquainted with pleadings in Law may iudge what validity our reasonings haue in matters of Religion The pleadings in Law are ingenious and ought to be very demonstratiue strong in proofe that things may be euidently cleared before they come to sentence yet this difference that in Law-pleadings one pleadeth against another In our matters one speaketh and no man in the place must contradict yet we must not be in that respect more bolde but more circumspect for God heareth and many witnesses What I haue said against the Masse I haue read and resolutely approue to be the truth and if shortnesse haue made obscurity or weakenesse of proofe or insufficiencie in a matter of so great importance when it shall be replied by Gods grace I will strengthen the Arguments and giue more aboundance of testimony accordingly as things are by me alledged In pleading against the Masse aboue all other controuersies in Religion your Honours are very competent and conuenient Iudges For with you are handled cases of restitution if any thing be taken away matters of trust to be performed alienations of things in that respect and alterations not to be admitted voluntas testatoris the testators will especially to be regarded the ends proposed in grants to be obserued that if the Masse Priest were put to his triall at your iudgement seat he should receiue the very same iudgement I haue set vpon him He must restore the Table he hath taken away place it againe in the middest of the Church as our common Prayer booke alloweth that it may be farther from an Altar or if not to haue such a iudgement as to be a Table not an Altar he must restore the great Loafe he hath taken away hauing put in steed of it a thin Wafer Cake the knife must be brought again alienation must be recalled that the Priests onely must not participate alteration forbidden and to minister vnder both kindes the end prescribed by our testator to be kept euen by eating the Bread and drinking the Cup to 1. Cor. 11. 2. shew forth the Lords death vntill he come For the Masse is a new inuented Religion and as it is said in Scholes Vno absurdo dato mille sequuntur Grant one absurdity and a thousand will follow so is it with the Masse Priest one absurdity hath bred many absurdities he hath inuented a mysterie and yet his mysterie keepeth not the rule of such mysteries as are in the olde Testament which should be the patterne for all mysteries And againe as his mysterie agreeth not with the Scriptures so the Masse Priests intention agreeth not with his Masse booke that as it is said he that is out of the way the faster he runneth the farther he is out so is it with the Masse Priest once out neuer in The Masse Priests dealing in respect of God and in respect of the people is like a tenure in England which I haue heard of where the Tenant maketh proffer of a Present to his Landlord but deliuereth it not that the chiefe Lord may say vnto him I thanke you for nothing For concerning God the foolish Masse-Priest vnderstandeth not that that which is the Priests portion and that which the Priest eateth as it is in the Leuiticall Offerings is not the Sacrifice but that which is burnt is Gods offering and the bloud sprinkled at the mercy seat is the attonement but he eateth all his offerings drinketh vp all in his Chalice and rinceth his Chalice that he may be knowne to drink all that God may say to him I thanke you for nothing But as for the people they may all the yeare long excepting once a yeare when he receiueth but halfe say to him we thank you for nothing And for the Masse Priests intention not to agree with his Masse booke it is as euident For his prayers are in the plurall number and he intendeth himselfe only Againe he prayeth to God only that the oblation which the whole family had offered meaning the Bread and Wine which the brethren had offered part whereof was to serue for the Communion might be made the Body and Bloud of his most beloued Son Iesus Christ And vpon it bringeth in the Institution which is for taking eating but he intendeth not but offering of Christ himselfe for a propitiatory sacrifice not marking that a body broken bloodshed is already sacrificed and what is once sacrificed cannot be sacrificed again Therefore our Sauiour sitting in person at the supper deliuered his Body broken as already sacrificed and his Blood shed to preuent a Masse Priest for to offer him For his sacrifice as a Doctor of the Church Gregorius Nazianzenus saith is insacrificabile sacrificium a sacrifice that cannot be sacrificed againe Besides these absurdities this is also not to be ouer-skipped that when he saith Ite missa est Goe your wayes it is dismissing time the speaker meaneth that some should depart and those that remained should communicate for all might haue adored if that only were intended but all could not communicate but he intendeth no such thing as a Communion that they that remaine must adore only and receiue nothing that stil the people may say We thank you for nothing The truth is the old prayers which are in the Mass book are mistaken for in the prayers what is for offering is to be referred to those offerings which the disciples had offered for the maintenance of the Church but the mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ were to be receiued according to our Sauiours Institution in so much that we liuing now by Tythes those prayers
Doctor comming so neere the Lords Supper as bringing out the words of the Institution and handling so curiously withall the place of the Prophet Malachy yet not hit vpon the Masse sacrifice surely it may bee well supposed the Masse was not in his dayes To proceede to the rest for of these Offerings the Bread and Wine are not the Body and Blood of Christ but the materialls of the things as the Doctor saith which God hath no neede of we haue I meane Christ himselfe So the oyle was for Lamps may be as the Frankensence for odours That at the first had so the name of Offerings that the Masse Priest may mistake them in the Canon of his Masse to be the things hee striueth for Tertullian is Aduersus Iudaeâ—s the next Doctor he saith that the pure sacrifice is a spirituall sacrifice and a pure conscience Chrysostome saith it is the mysticall Table and the reuerent sacrifice vpon it In Psalm 95. This is it you will say but the Doctor saith it is done without an Altar then not sacrificed by vs but offered as already sacrificed by Christ for if no Altar then no Masse Hierome that Doctor saith it is the prayers of the Saints Eusebius saith it is religious Hymnes and holy Prayers De dâ—menstr L. 1. c. 10. Contra Iuli. l. 9. De ciuit l. 20. c. 25. In Heb. ch 8. In Malac. Cyrillus saith it is meant of Christians worshipping God euery where Augustine that Doctor interpreteth it of Saints offering themselues Ambrose saith our heauenly Altar is our faith in which wee offer our daily Prayers Theodoret doth expound the place of spirituall sacrifices These Doctors being the most famous Doctors of the Church and all in their Expositions not hitting vpon the Masse how can it then be true that this place cannot be otherwise expounded then of the Masse But I suppose S. Paul the Doctor of vs Gentiles doth expound the place where he saith I will therefore that men pray exery 1. Tim. 2. 8. where lifting vp holy hands and as it is translated pure hands without wrath or doubting And thus for the Doctors of the Church and to the Papists I say they are rather in this matter Sophisticae verborum quam Discipuli veritatis Sophisters of words not Disciples of the truth As one said to a Iesuite in the Councell of Trent that hee had taught them to vse Sophistrie in the simplicity of Christs Religion But to auoide all Sophistry I make a third triall which is the practise of the Church where I say the Masse is a nullity euen a nothing and here I make vse of the Plea at Common Law where when an auncient Graunt is in question they enquire after the Vsier of it as they terme it how that was continued from the first time of the Graunt The like will I doe in my Plea against the Masse And I will aske the Masse-Priest where his Altar stoode in olde times and I will answer him my selfe for it stood in the middle of the Church What else it had railes about it and those called the Chauncell What was vpon it I answere a great Cake or Loafe What besides a knife called sacra lancea the holy Speare besides also other Chrysost Liturgie dishes What was done there I answere the Bread and Wine was deliuered to them that reached out their hands to receiue it In what garments did he stand I answere the Apostles and their successours as it is confessed by Eusâ—b lib. 7. 18. Rosar B. Mariae themselues celebrated in quotidianis vestibus in the garments they ware euery day This being the Vsier in auncient times Now I will aske a Masse Priest whether this be his Masse or not and withall I will bid him come downe from his Altar and stand at a Table in the middest of the Church with a great Cake or Loafe vpon it his knife by it and then say if he can say so we are of a new Religion And now I will answer when the olde Religion went out euen when the Table that stoode in the middle of the Church euen a boord Table was turned into a stone Altar placed at the vpper end of the Church the loafe of Bread turned into a little round thinne Wafer-Cake and the knife out of vse and holy vestments deuised for the Priest confessed therefore it must be that the Masse is a latter and a new inuention not the Institution of Christ And if you aske when this was done let the Masse Priest tell it for a man will come by his goods though he cannot tell when and at what time the Thiefe stole it But he may answer it is the Church that hath done it that is I say men deuised it for in Scripture speech when God hath set downe what he will haue done the after doings are called the inuentions of men as when our Sauiour alledgeth out of the Prophet That the feare of God was taught Math. 15. 9. by the precepts of men those men were the Elders of the Church the Gouernours of the Church that is the Church But as Dauid saith I hate inuentions but thy law Psal 119. 113 doe I loue And now I will apply those words of the Prophet Ieremie as stand in the wayes and looke and aske after Ierem. 6. 16. the olde way and walkâ— therein and you shall finde rest for your soules And if you will haue proofe of these things first for the boord Table St. Augustine telleth of the Donatists Ep. ad Bonifa Durandus that in their anger brake the boords of the Altar And let not the word Altar trouble you for it is but a borrowed word from the olde Testament for it was a boord Table and as for the Loafe a Writer of theirs saith that in olde time it was a great Loafe sufficient for all the Communicants and why is it not that which St. Paul saith as that we are all partakers of one Bread which thing is so 1. Cor. 10. 17. obserued that Chrysostom that Doctor of the Church saith vpon that place in this manner Not of another body this man of another body that man but all of one body are fed and nourished S. Augustine also saith Knoweth he not that euen Ep. 86. now he is to eate part of the body of that immaculate Lambe Strange kindes of speaches of two such famous Doctors and contrary to the Councell of Trent That decreeth that De Sacri Euch. can 3. Christ must be taken to be whole in Diuinitie soule and body and in euery parcell of the bread for euery man by himselfe to participate But these Doctors bewray another matter as that the Lords Supper is to be eaten in an vnderstanding so not so indeede In an vnderstanding all the houshold of Gods Elect haue eaten doe and shall eate of that onely Body which was broken at the Crosse And eating it in such an vnderstanding we shall
this Reall sacrifice of the Masse is not only of those things which are not named in the Scripture of which it is also said Negat Scriptura quod tacet The Scripture denieth that it speaketh not of but it is in the Scripture by strong reasons arguments contradicted And as for the Doctors of the Church there are the names of Priest Sacrifice Altar but the thing not so Thirdly the practice of the Apostolike and Catholike Church will not beare such a thing as the Masse is that is by the Scripture it is contradicted in the Doctors a verball matter a thing of words in the practice of the Church a nullitie a thing of nothing To make these things appeare I must first set out the Scriptures contradicting it euen in his Masse priest and in his sacrifice In this respect I will set out seuen faults in the Masse two against Christ his Priesthood according to the order of Melchisedech and fiue against his Sacrifice on the Crosse The two faults against the Priesthood are these First that the Masse-Priest will presumptuously thrust himselfe into such a priesthood as is proper to an euerlasting Person and the Priesthood therefore continued in him not passing it ouer to any other for so is the Prophesie Thou art a Priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech And accordingly the Prophesie is so applyed as this man because he endureth for euer hath an vnchangeable Priesthood This word vnchangable is otherwise translated a continuall Priesthood or a Priesthood that passeth not from one to another but Athanasius a Doctor Serm. cont Arianos of the Church saith it is Sine transitione sine successore without passing it ouer to any other without a successor The second fault is that the Masse-Priest will be so bold as to be of that order that was made with an oath after this manner I haue sworne and will not repent for this will not repent will not agree with a sinner that needeth repentance therefore said That the Law maketh Priests that haue Heb. 7. 28. infirmities but the word of the Oath which is since the Law maketh the Sonne who was perfected for euermore such a sonne as of whom the Father will say this is my welbeloued Math. 3. 17. Sonne in whom I am well pleased To discourse of these two points would require longer time then is allotted I will passe therefore to the second kinde of faults against his sacrifice in number fiue The first thing is that in sacrificing he will imitate Christ sacrificing himselfe vpon the Crosse which thing must not be imitated in any wise This thing may be obserued that our Sauiour Instituting his Supper as a remembrance of him vntill he come againe gaue himselfe as already sacrificed that is his body broken and his blood shed for the Sonne of God may doe as God his Father doth which calleth things that are not as if they Rom. 4. 17. Heb. 10. 14. were for concerning sacrificing it is as it is said with one oblation he hath for euer perfected those that are to bee sâ—nctified As Ambrose a Doctor of the Church saith vpon that place Si. Medicamentum forte c. if the Medicine bee strong once applied it will cure all together if with one oblation he hath perfected those that are to be sanctified he that will bee sanctified by the repetition of the Sacrifice saith the medicine is not strong The second fault is that the Masse-Priest not marking the order of the attonement in the old Testament taketh in hand a worke which he cannot possibly finish for the attonement was not finished when the Priest in the lower part of the Temple had offered his Sacrifice but for to make vp the attonement Hee must goe vp into the holy place and sprinckle the blood Leuit. 16. 14. vpon the mercie seat So did our Sauiour the Priest according to the order of Melchisedech when hee had offered himselfe vpon the Crosse he entred into heauen it selfe now to appeare before the presence of God for vs and standeth Heb. 9. 24. Reuel 5. 6. in the middest of the throne as a Lambe staine This second point of entring into the Holy place is farre from a Masse-priest that if hee should boast that he beganne say hee cannot that according to the Leuiticalls hee hath finished an attonement The third fault is that to make Christ a Sacrifice he consecrateth an Altar by which meanes he will make the better the worse and the greater the lesser For in the mysterie of Sacrificing the Altar is greater then the Sacrifice as our Sauiour calleth the Scribes and Pharises fooles and blinde saying whether is greater the gift or the Math. 23. 19. Altar that sanctifieth the gift True it is the Doctors of the Church haue vsed this word Altar without weighing of it it was not seauen times purified in the fire it may be found in them that Christ offered himselfe vpon the altar of the Crosse but if things must be tryed by the touchstone of the Scripture the Crosse brought nothing but curse and shame to Christ crucified But for sanctifying our Sauiour Gal. 3. 13. Heb. 12. 2. Iohn 17. 9. Heb 9. 14. faith plainely I sanctifie my selfe and offered himselfe through an eternall or some reade it holy Spirit without spot and purgeth our conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God The fourth fault is against the laytie only vnto whom he deliuereth Christ sacrificed when hee hath not sacrificed him at all for without blood-shedding no sacrifice and which is more no forgiuenesse of sinnes It is but a mockerie to say a body cannot be without blood for a sacrifice cannot be without blood-shedding where death ensueth Christ shed his blood when he was circumcised and some otherwise but the Sacrifice was not finished before death was testified euen when out of his blessed sâ—de issued water and blood the vitalls of rhe heart In the Iohn 19. 34. primitiue Church therefore the knife that cut the bread was called Sacra Lancea the holy speare as making a supposed issue of blood for the Chalice If God therefore should deale with the popish Laytie according to the mysterie of Sacrificing none of them haue forgiuenesse of their sinnes And by this meanes all Pardons from the Pope are frustrated because they neuer are partakers of the remitting blood of Christ for out of the sacrifice Blood not any capablenesse of pardon The fift fault is that when he hath made an end of his owne sacrificing and eating of the Body and drinking of the Blood of Christ he putteth a consecrated Cake into a Pixe at the vppermost end of the Church close to the wall which is not agreeable to the mystery of the old Temple for our Sauiour in the mystery of our Redemption bearing the person of the Mediator represented in the incence Altar for intercessions and prayers that Altar stood belowe and right before the Mercie