a meere imagination of For the promise wherein Iesus Christ offered vnto vs his body and bloud vnder the signes of bread and wine appertaineth to none else as hath beene already prooued but onely vnto the faithfull that receiue the same by faith in the lawfull communion of the Euchariste celebrating the mysterie according to the manner as our heauenly Maister did ordaine it Wherfore they which imagine to haue any other thing then common bread without the lawful vse of our Lords Supper are but abused and beleeue meere dreames as it can be no otherwise because they faile of the promise For seeing that Iesus Christ promised vs to giue vs his body in the Sacrament when the faithfull should communicate together after his institution we may not be so vain or idle-headed as to seeke it elsewhere or according to our fantasies Let such men therfore be admonished that they cannot excuse themselues of idolatry both before God and men when they are made to worshippe as if God himselfe were substantially present a round cake of bread which is lifted vp to be seen aboue the shoulders of the Priest and with exceeding great deuotion to be reuerenced and adored of all there present But Ladies I haue held ye somewhat long in this point because it is of such maine importance yet perswading my selfe to haue said sufficient albeit not halfe so much as I could I will proceed to discouer another wicked Idolatry which they procure the poore people to commit euen without so much as thinking theron And that is wheras in their Masse they should obserue the communion in that kinde as our Lord Iesus Christ did first institute it by inniting the people to communicate with the Preist they fly from his example and indeed once a yeare they are contented to doe so and that is at Easter for then the people shall bee permitted to communicate and yet it is but of one moitie onely of the Sacrament wherein likewise they intermingle many fond inuentions yea and all the accustomed superstitions of their ordinarie Masses without expounding or declaring any part of the mistery to the people According to the institution of our Lord in the Sacrament they should inuite the people and breaking the body of Christ after his example it should be truely giuen to the faithfull Communicants according to the promise of our Sauiour Notwithstanding all this they will obserue their owne deuised manner wherein they can no way exempt themselues from being Idolaters and making the people to commit Idolatry in their giuing worship to the bare signe The reason is because Iesus Christ in the Sacrament gaue his bodie to be lookte vpon with our soules eyes and not to be superstitiously adored in the bread which is no more but the outward signe and by faith to bee eaten to euerlasting life For worthy Ladyes Christ did not say looke vpon this bread then take eate and worship it but he simply said Take eate this is my body Therefore whereas the Sacrament should bee a helpe to list vp the vnderstanding of the faithfull vnto heauen where Christ Iesus is and no where else as concerning his true body from thence giues himselfe in powerfull vertue to enioy and possesse the soules of the faithfull vnder those formes by himselfe assigned your Romanists doe abuse the Supper very vildlie and take it in a quite contrary nature for they are onely pleas'de with looking vpon the bare signe and worshiping it taking the thing it selfe for that which is meerely signified thereby answerable to their doctrine of Transubstantiation meerely forged against the true nature of all Sacraments They seeke not to eleuate mens vnderstandings to the place where Christ sitteth at the right hande of his Father but to lift vp their eies to their God-like Idoll Whereas Christ without all doubt in instituting this Sacrament neuer addressed his promise to the bread and wine simply thereby to make them become his body and bloud as hath beene before declared But to the faithfull communicants and so thereby to assure them that he would giue them the true participation and communion of his body answerable to that which the blessed Apostle S. Paule saith he being a most faithfull expositor of this misterie The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the bodie of Christ Me thinkes honorable Ladies these words should resolue you that Christ hath comprised nothing else vnder these signes and elements of bread and wine but what was behoouefull for the faithfull communicants to whom the plaine signification directeth it selfe and whereof true faith dooth make them partakers to vnice themselues spiritually with a meruailous efficacy into the glorious body of our Lord Iesus Christ to participate in the end of all his benefits and deriue from him life and immortality In these fewe words vertuous Ladies you may behold both what we teach and beleeue that our feeding on Christ is by faith onely that is in beleeuing the words of our Sauiour in the vse of the Sacrament wherby we are drawne much neerer to him and more stricktly vnited and incorporated euen by the incomprehensible vertue of his spirit to communicate and partake of all the benefits of his death and to be renewed by him and nourished vnto euerlasting life vntill such time as he shall put vs into full possession that is at the departure of our soules from this world and when our bodyes shall arise againe at the day of our generall resurrection This is the fruit which we make account of and are perswaded to gather out of this Sacrament and wherevnto faith serues vs as the onely instrument Euen as with hand eyes and mouth to beholde take and eate Iesus Christ without any need of his forsaking the heauens or of his reall appearance vnder the formes of bread and wine and so to communicate himselfe vnto vs. Wherefore to go and adore the signe as if the signe onely were Iesus Christ himselfe Or that hee should descend downe from heauen and be newely formed for one of these twoo must needs ensue by their transubstantiation which we mayntaine to be flat Idolatry Neuerthelesse we are taught in Scripture that Iesus Christ ought to be adored in the Sacrament and we doe dayly and religiously worshippe him as being most especially present in the holy action euen in our spirits and faith to vnite vs vnto him and to impart his blessings to vs when the Supper is celebrated according to his institution and wee endeuour to haue it so stil continued and ministred among vs. But the manner of our worshippe and adoration is in hauing our soules eleuated vp to heauen and thither true faith is our onely conduct there to behold him as our soueraigne assurance We looke not for him in the naked elemēts of bread and wine
this first Supper For that which Iesus Christ said to his Apostles Take eate drink ye all of this he spake the very same to all the faithfull euen to the ending of the world As that which he adioyneth sufficiently declareth My body which is giuen for you My bloude which is shed for you so is his bodie giuen and his bloud shed for the faithfull Hence then ensueth that to all the faithfull appertaineth the commaundement of taking eating and drinking because he made the promise generally to all and not only to the Apostles Ministers of the Church And we may see this testified by the Apostle Saint Paule speaking at large vpon this misterie these are his words For we that are many are one bread and one bodie because we all are partakers of one bread Wherefore Ladies it appeareth plainly that the bodie of Iesus Christ and the communion of his bloud likewise are not to be giuen to vs in this Sacrament but when many faithfull shall communicate together according as Christ deliuered vs an example with his Apostles Take away then the communion which Iesus Christ himselfe hath ordained he being the heauenly Lord Maister and Author of this holy Sacrament And then the promise there unto annexed touching his body bloud which he hath giuen for all faithfull communicants hath no place at all but is vtterly voide For it remaineth no longer a Sacrament nor as he ordained it because the right vse of the Sacrament consisteth heerein that the faithfull should communicate together according as he hath commanded saying Take eate drinke yee c. this must be done vpon necessitie if you would haue it to be a Sacrament or the same which Iesus Christ hath instituted namely the communion of many faithfull assistants to eate and drinke all together in this blessed banquet for this is the essence of the Sacrament as you may discerne very apparantly Let vs now come to see what is done in the Masse Surely good Ladies it is so farre off from being any communion as it may be rather tearmed a kind of excommunication For both you and I know and so do all else that know what the Masse is that the Priest separates himselfe from all therest of the assemblie to eate and drinke by him selfe alone the bread and wine which he hath consecrated a part and how doth he consecrate them Insted of consecration which ought to be done by preaching and publishing openly and aloude the promises of our Lord and Sauiour directed not to the bread and to the wine which are proposed but as signes vnto vs But to the faithfull persons assisting the communion present there to communicate Iesus Christ being he that euen then consecrates the bread wine to make them Sacraments of his bodie and bloud by his heauenly Priesthood which yet ceaseth not and when this misterie is celebrated according to his institution But the Priest deales quite contrarie for he as if he were affraid to be heard of the people makes his consecration by blowing or breathing vpon the bread and wine and mutters or mumbles very softly and low all the words of his institution As if it could please the Lord of truth and life to haue his word murmured out of a dead mouth as it were in celebrating his sanctified misteries of whose truth by this behauiour there iustly may arise some doubt or question Or as if it were offence to him that stands in feare of no power whatsoeuer to haue them pronounced with the loudest voyce to be heard and vnderstood of all In the Gospel the vertue nature and vse of Baptisme are expressed clearely and openly Iesus Christ making his Supper did not mutter in any lowe voyce either vpon the bread or wine to deuine or coniure therinto his bodie and bloud But he pronounced aloude and euidently to his Apostles That he gaue them there his body and his bloud exhorting them to perseuere in the selfe same kinde of action at all times or as often as they should meete to reiterate the same The remembrance of his death and passion Euen as if he had beene then certainely assured that no vtilitie or benefit could be had by Sacraments except whatsoeuer was represented to the eye might bee declared and warranted by the word of God For otherwise it were to abuse the people in a fond kind of deuotion to make a shew of ceremonies before them and neuer to deliuer or declare what they signifie and what coherence or agreement they haue with truth Therefore when publike declaration is made of such mysteries with a chearefull predication to edifie the hearers entring into their vnderstanding and winning impression in their hearts by assured perswasion of the promises accomplishment Briefely when the grace of Iesus Christ is pronounced vnto vs and his promises exposed Euen then and in that instant doth his glorious power descend to performe the worke and then is the true consecration acted indeed Hereupon Saint Augustine saith very well That the word of consecration is the word of faith preached And that word conioyned with the terrene outward signe maketh the same a sacrament Adding presently after I meane the word of faith which we preach What consecration then is there in the Masse when insteed of all this namely exposing to the people the recited promises and declaring aloud the words of our Sauiours institution it is done in a manner of secret coniuration and so are the words whispered which behauiour is more proper to charmers then to be vsed in such a holy and diuine Sacrament What shall wee then thinke of them when they dare forsake the rule of their Lord and Maister to follow their owne fantasies Seing then it is so and that in the Masse there is neither any lawfull consecration nor as themselues cannot deny any such Communion as Iesus Christ hath ordained for one alone doth both eate and drinke and that is the priest and one man alone cannot make a Communion It followeth then deere Ladyes and very necessarily that the body of Iesus Christ is not in the Masse where the Priest communicateth by himselfe And therefore the bread which he makes to bee adored then euen as if it were the body indeed of our Lord is no such matter but remaineth still very bread euen as it was before his consecration being neyther more or lesse then as if it were in any other place out of the Churches assembly and the Priests and whosoeuer for his owne pleasure should speake the very same words of their institution vpon any other piece of bread And although they perswade themselues that they haue and do hold in their hands the very body of Iesus Christ vnder the bread or in the bread and therefore make the people to worship it yet it is most certaine that there is nothing else but an Idoll and which without any reason they make
for there we haue no commandement to honour him but wee rather choose to worship him according as we ought and that is in spirit and truth Iudge now good Madames where reason abydeth most on your side or ours and whether your Priests commit not manifest Idolatry in their actions when they receiue and admit the people to the communion of a Sacrament which neuer was ordained by Iesus Christ May not wee then well and truely say that they haue no communion at all but what is of their owne inuentions And that which they carry about the streets going in a solemne Procession is but a round Cake being closed vp in a Boxe or Pixe which they cause to be adored with great veneration It remaineth now that wee come to the third propertie which I haue obserued in the Masse to wit Sacriledge which already hath beene sufficiently discoursed in our former proceeding and yet we will note a fewe obseruations more This holy and diuine Sacrament was instituted to make a Communion of the faithfull in the body and bloud of our blessed Lord and by celebrating it commonly in remembrance of his death and passion But Noble Ladyes your Priests doe conuert all to a contrary end not onely in that which they doe in the sacrifice but in meere robbery and stealth beside For they take from the people the Communion in chiefe yea that which is the principall fruite of this Sacrament restraining it to the Priests onely And the people there present are made no more but silly spectatours of that which the Priest doth alone by himselfe without knowing or vnderstanding what hee saith or doth I know you will answere me as God forgiue me for it I my selfe haue often done that the priest beeing the publike Minister doth communicate in the names and behalfes of all that are present at his Masse Why then let me faire Ladyes mooue this question Where is any such commandement throughout the whole booke of God that wee should see the Priest to haue one Supper for himselfe first then at his leasure to communicate another to vs â—urely as we cannot liue by that which another eateth but of and by that which wee our selues doe eate Euen so as needfull is it for vs that wee should communicate in this holy and diuine Sacrament to liue in the true life of Iesus Christ who hath giuen himselfe therein to vs Not that any other there should receiue it for vs but that wee ought and should receiue it our selues thereby to haue Christ make his dwelling in vs. Alas good Ladyes let vs not seeke to bee wiser then our Lord and Maister for if wee doe it is but in vaine And well you know that hee neuer saide Behold the Priest or Minister of the Church bee eateth and drinketh for you and I haue so appointed it But hee spake plainely without any sophistication and said Take eate drinke you all of this And after him his faithfull Seruant Saint Paul writing to the children by adoption among the Corinthians said Wee are many partakers of one and the same bread And againe Let euery man eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. The countersaite pretence then which they doe alleadge can no way couer or maske their sacriledge because the commaundement is precisely to all faithfull people to take eate and drincke in this holy Supper And Saint Chrysostome hath spoken very well to this purpose Wee are no longer saith hee vnder the olde Law where the Priest did eate his portion and the people had the rest But here one body is giuen to all and likewise one cup And what soeuer is in the Eucharist Sacrament is common as well to the people as the Priest And gratious Ladyes desire them but to satisfie you in this one particular poynt namely that if they beleeue or giue any credit to the Canons of their owne Popes they cannot then but confesse and acknowledge their sacriledge for these bee their owne words All they that are present at the Masse and communicate not confesse themselues to bee excommunicated For their Canons further say That the consecration being ended all are to communicate or else they are depriued of entring into the Church For so did the Apostles set downe the ordinance and wee hold the same in the holy Romaine Church Moreouer in the Canons that beare the title By the Apostles it is thus ordained That all they which continue in the Church to the end of Mosse and doe not receiue the Sacrament ought to be corrected as perturbers and disquieters of the Church According to that which was ordained in the Counsell of Antioche That all they which entred into the Church should behaue themselues well and heare the Sermon and if they abstained from the Sacrament they ought to bee excommunicated vntill they had bin sufficiently chastised for that vice And therefore Saint Chrisostome in his Homilies vpon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Ephesians doth reproue them very sharpely that in his time would be present in the assembly at the Communion and yet not communicate What say you to this sweete Ladyes when you see how many are present with your selues at their daily Masses and yet none of you are suffered to communicate but the Priest himselfe onely Besides all this the prayers which they yet vse to say in their Masse do likewise very sufficiently conuince them for when the Church retained her wonted puritie the people were then receiued to the Communion and behold what their prayers then contained and yet doe Lord thou hast filled and satisfied thy familie with thy holy giftes to wit the Sacrament And another speaks thus We being filled and satisfied with the sacrifice of thy pretious body most holy bloud c. And another We pray thee lord that these things may be carryed by the hands of thy holy Angell vnto thy high Altar speaking of the oblations of the faithfull in receiuing the bread and wine vsed in the Sacrament To the end that all others as well as wee that shall receiue the participation of the Altar in the blessed body and holy bloud of thy Sonne may be filled with all happy benedictions These are the very true words dere Ladies vsed in their prayers wherein if you will not credit me I desire you to reade them your selues for your further satisfaction And doubtlesse they would neuer haue spoken in this manner if the Priest onely had then communicated as now a dayes you see he doth Otherwise it had beene to say one thing and performe the contrary as you may perceiue hath happened since for now they haue vtterly depriued the people of the Communion Tell me then I intreate yee is it not a mockery of God and of the people to tell them that they are pertakers in those giftes of the Altar and yet all the while to giue them iustnothing at all In
like manner they haue prouided that the people shall vnderstand nothing that they say for they speake to them in a strange language but this is most certaine and I desire you Sister Ladyes to obserue it that the prayers before mentioned doe remaine yet in the Canon of their Masse to condemne them of impudence both before God and men So that if a more learned iudgement then my weake womans capacitie should search into the originall of this euill it would be found out as indeed it is very likely that their enioyning and constraining the people to confesse and declare their sinnes to the Priest was purposely intended before their admission to receiue the Sacrament And this doe they also without any ordenance of God who commaundeth vs to confesse and declare our sinnes to him and require pardon as hee promiseth to giue the same to all that are truely repentant assuring and certifying vs thereof yea sealing it in our soules and consciences by his owne word in his Gospell when hee is preached vnto vs and when we beleeue effectually wherevpon and in regard whereof the mynisterie of the Gospell is thus tearmed by the Apostle He hath giuen vs the ministery of reconciliation The people then finding the burden of sinne to be very heauy as indeed it is were vainely perswaded to make a particular numeration of their sins to the Priest or minister of the Church which growing to a liberty and licence by little and little by ignorance and malice in their Pastours the course thereof was not cut off as it ought to haue been But yet the people then were thereby granted this benefite that they might communicate in the Sacrament once a yeare or twise or thrise for them of greatest deuotion but all the residue of the people must leaue the Priest alone at the Altare there to communicate by himselfe And thus one errour grewe to beget another when once they began to decline from the direct pathes of perfection and since then they haue made a custome of assembling the people together but not inuiting them to the Communion onely to heare their Masses sayd or sung in diuers angles of their Temples for which they are not ashamed and Ladyes I am sure you know it perfectly to demand a price or valuation for ech seuer all Masse a thing most horrible and the like neuer heard of Thus the Communion of the Sacrament is not onely violently taken from the people but the Sacrament it selfe by this meanes is made no account of For wheras both Priest and people ought to meete together in one place there to heare together the declaration of his bitter death and passion and to participate in common in the Sacrament of this vnion O deere Ladyes I cannot speake it without teares or you heare it without much hearts griefe if you were as you should bee That that diuine place I say should now bee become a meere faire or maket to traffique and merchandise those sacred blessings which God out of his owne bountie made a liberail gift of and freely bestowed vpon all his faithfull seruaunts to their singular comforte and endlesse consolation But not to wander too farre from mine intended purpose I come now to another most manifest sacriledge committed likewise in the Masse to wit that in those Masses where they doe admit the people to the Communion eyther at the feast of Easter or when they command a generall communicating They then defraud the people of one part of the Sacrament namely the Cup. Oh what an audacious insolence is this Iesus Christ distributed the wine as well as the bread when hee made his Supper with his Apostles and spake hee not to make publike notice thereof when giuing them the Cup hee said Drinke you all of this And after him the Apostle left the very same instruction to the Church of Corinth Let eoh man saith hee prooue and examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. But your Romaine disciples vnder the shaddow of some supposed inconueniences imagined onely by themselues as if they would seeme to bee wiser than the Maister haue ordayned that the people shall communicate but vnder one kind and that is of the bread only Is not this an enormous sacriledge to separate them a sunder which God hath ioyned together yea and by his own expresse institution But let them be well assured that the Authoures and fauourers of a crime so haynous shall one daye yeeld a most strickt account therefore True it is that they alleadge their Concomitancy in excuse of this matter a woord expresly forged whereby to maintaine their sacriledge and herein they seeme to auouch that the bloud keeps company with the body and therefore is alwayes with the body But when wee answere them that Iesus Christ knewe this Concomitancy as well as they and yet notwithstanding he did not forbeare to distribute both the signes of Wine and Bread what reply they then Why then they further inferre in answere which indeed can carry it selfe for no answere at all It was Iesus Christs will that in his Supper wee should consider his bloud separate or apart from his bodye and that wee should represent before our eyes his death euen as his blood was spilt and shed And therefore in giuing the Cuppe he sayth Drinke you all of this For this is my bloude of the newe Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes Now such Concomitance of the body and of the bloud cannot agree or consent with the death of Iesus Christ because to bee both in the body to bee shed out of the body are contrary things wherfore it necessarily ensueth that that can haue no place in the Sacrament which bringeth vs directly to the confideration of the death of Iesus Christ guides vs not to the effusion of his bloud It behooueth then that wee haue the effusion or streaming forth of his precious bloud euen as if it were present before our eyes if wee would celebrate the Sacrament according as Iesus Christ did ordaine it because aboue all it doth most assure vs in the Sacrament that our sinnes are forgiuen vs in his bloud which is our cleansing and washing But if these reasons may gaine no place with you faire Ladyes nor them that are both your aduersaries and ours who for the most part build onely vpon traditions At least yet will them to allow the Canons of their Popes which doe manifestly condemne them in this poynt and for a president behold what is said in one of the Canons of the Pope Gelasius Wee haue vnderstood that there are some who taking only a portion of the blessed body do abstaine from the Cup of his precious bloud And because it is not knowne vpon what superstition they doe this we will that they shall receiue the Sacraments together or that they abstaine
Masse Now we say that this is a very great outrage and wronge done to our Lord Iesus Christ and to his true sacrifice First of all in transferring to mortall men or communicating to them the dignitie of his supreme Priesthood we woonder by what authoritie or allowance this should be done For the whole bodie of the Scripture declareth plainly to vs That he is the eternall sacrificer according to the order of Melchizedeck yea and that in such sort As he is the only Priest of that order and permitteth not the receipt of successors or Vicars For as concerning the sacrificers of the Law there were made many to succeede one after another Because they were not suffered to endure by the reason of death But this man saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes because he endureth for euer hath an euerlasting Priesthood Which needed not daily as those high Priests under the Law to enter the holy places yearely with other bloud first for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples Otherwise it had bin needfull for him to haue suffered many times since the foundation of the world But now in the consummation of the world hath he appeared once to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe Being both the offering sacrificer the sacrifice offered for sinne according to the nature of this holy sacrifice of the new Testament that the Sacrifice and Sacrificer should be both one To Iesus Christ then only appertaineth the honor to be the Sacrificer of the new couenant and they doe him intollerable outrage to appoint him any Successors or Suffragans in regard the Apostle saith There is one euerlasting Sacrificer which neuer ceaseth and passeth not from one to another Nor can this honor be attributed to any other but only he that is called of God as Aaron was So likewise Christ tooke not to himselfe this honor to be made the high Priest but he glorified him that saide vnto him Thou art my Sonne this day begate I thee And as in the former place Thou art an euerlasting sacrificer after the order of Melchisedeck It is not I Ladies that haue spoken all this but Gods infallibe word the sacred Scripture And now if the Priests of the Papacie would haue vs to acknowledge them for sacrificers let them shew vs how the charge to sacrifice Iesus Christ is giuen them by God in the holy Scriptures and then we will lend a better eare to them But this is not the proposition only that Christ Iesus is the sole sacrificer of the new couenant but there remaines a far greater matter For his sacrifice neither can or ought to be iterated or performed againe nor can it be by any other because he offered himselfe once for all and it appertaineth to no man whatsoeuer to make the like offering as he hath done Neither could he as of himselfe offer himselfe againe for then he must haue suffered and died againe as I haue prooued before by the Apostle And the offering which he made of himselfe was once only and that sacrifice is of perpetuall efficacie for the clearing and wiping away of our sinnes Whereupon the same Apostle saith We are sanctified euen by the offering of the bodie of Iesus Christ once made And by one sole oblation which he once only offered hath he consecrated for euer them that are to be sanctified And since he hath purchased for vs the remission of our sinnes there remaineth no more oblations to be made for sinne but his blood only is sufficient whereby he is entred into the holy places hauing obtained euerlasting redemption for vs And we haue daily libertie likewise by the blood of Iesus to enter into the holy places in regard that he is the eternall sacrificer to saue all such as he shall present to God liuing there as their continuall intercessor In all which alleadged places the Apostle makes no mention at all of any new oblation or continual offering the bodie of Christ by the hands of men Who will not say then that this is blasphemie not only in transferring to mortall men the dignitie of the eternall Priesthood of Iesus Christ who neuer resigned his office to any other but likewise to reiterate and renew his sacrifice daily as if the efficacie of the sacrifice which himselfe once offered vpon the Crosse were not sufficient to endure and for our reconciliation to God What shall we also thinke of this saying of the Apostle If when we were enemies we were reconcilea to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saued by his life That is to say because he is daily aliue to intercede in our behalfe and procure vs grace and fauour as hath bin before declared Or as he elsewhere saith In regard he appeareth now for vs before the face of God to wit in the powerfull vertue of his sacrifice to communicate the same to all beleeuers There is therefore no neede of any new sacrifice or reiteration thereof Vnderstand good Ladies that I doe not tie my selfe to note euery particular which is condemned thorow the whole passage of the Masle which is very thicke sowen with blasphemies from the beginning to the end therein I should tier both my selfe and you As for example should I speake of the Priests entraunce to the Altar wherein you knowe I vtter no lye First the Priest confesseth himselfe not only to God but likewise both to he Saints and she Saints not so much as naming Iesus Christ Then afterward in the beginning of their Canon and before he goes to any consecration he saith That he offers that Sacrifice to God to wit the bread and wine which are vpon the Altar and as yet not consecrated first of all for the Catholique Church next for the redemption of all their souls that are assistant at the Masse O deare Ladies what a blasphemie is this O that it should euer be receiued among Christians Or that a sinfull man should presume to say That he offers an oblation of bread wine to God and for there demption of soules Nay admit that it were the bodie blood of Iesus Christ yet deare soules you see it manifestly prooued vnto you alreadie that it is not now at this day to be offred againe neither can it by the Apostles testimonie alreadie rehearsed I passe ouer also manyp rayers ful of iniquitie as well before as after the consecration As in the Memento when the Priest requireth the fauour of God by the merits and intercession of Saints As if the sacrisice of Iesus Christ which they say they preferre in the formost place were not sufficient to impetrate such grace of God Then after consecration they commit a sinne whereof by no meanes I thinke they can excuse themselues For the Priest prayeth to God that the oblation which he offereth to wit the bodie and the bloud of Iesus Christ
not then your faire selues guiltie of such foule and polluted behauiour nor be you present where Christs name is misprised erecting another Altar against the Altar of his Crosse and renewing his sacrifice by substitution of a newe one as if his were but a yeare old or like to the sacrifices of brut beastes lame or imperfect Or as if the means which he hath ordained for the application thereof as the preaching of the Gospell and administration of his instituted Sacraments were insufficient to conuay their vertue vnto vs. For this is the fairest fruite of their pretended sacrifice that the reiteration and daily renewing thereof is branded with the marke of insufficiencie and imperfection as you heare the Apostle to auouch the same when he speakes of the sacrifices of the old Lawe which were performed often True it is that they would faine ground their sacrifice vpon Gods word but good Ladies marke in what manner I beseech you and be Iudges your selues for the case is very cleare Behold say they Iesus Christ making his Supper with his Apostles said Doe this in remembraunce of me Doe that is as much to say according to their glosse as make or performe this sacrifice because that Christ had said before This is my bodie which is giuen for you But if it pleased them to read all they should better perceiue the words and meaning of our Sauiour which indeed are nothing lesse then agreeing with their glossing The Euangelists doe record vnto vs that our Lord Iesus hauing taken bread and giuen thankes brake it and said to his Disciples Take cate this is my bodie which is giuen for you doe this in the remembraunce of me And how doe this why no otherwise but euen to doe it in the same manner that is to say To take the bread and distribute it among them to be eaten for no other mention is made there either of offering or of sacrificing For you see sweete Ladies that Christ himselfe vsed no other words but Take and eate And the holy Apostle Saint Paule doth sufficiently shewe vs that of these words doe this there is no other vnderstanding to be made but that which hath bin declared alreadie For in speaking of the wine at the same Supper he reciteth likewise the same words spoken by our Lord Iesus Christ Doe this alwayes and as oftentimes as you shall drinke in remembraunce of me Which importeth as much as if he had said Alwayes or as oft entimes as you shall drinke of this wine in this Sacrament Drinke it in remembrance of me that this may be in remembraunce of my Death or continue as a memoriall thereof Which manner or phrase of speaking the Apostle himselfe adioyneth in the following verse For alwayes or as oftentimes as you shall eate of this bread and drinke of this Cuppe you shall shewe the Lords death vntill he come Consider now good Ladies I beseech you that these are none of our glosses but the very expresse text it selfe where you see manifestly by Saint Paules owne exposition what thing it is the Lord would haue vs to doe concerning as well the people as the Pastour For the commandement Doe this directeth it selfe to all the faithfull to wit That we should eate this bread of the Sacrament and drinke the wine in remembraunce of his death and passion According as the words doe signifie themselues when he spake of his bodie which is broken and giuen for you and likewise of his bloud which is shed or dispersed for you All which he spake hauing regard to that which soone after should ensue His bodie was to be deliuered ouer to death and his bloud to be shed vpon the Crosse for vs poore wreched and miserable sinners And the reason why he spake so of the time present which is giuen which is shed is the common Latine verssion or translation allowed by the Counsell of Trente expressing thereby the time to come which shall be giuen which shall be sâ—…ed then which nothing can be more manifest honored Ladies if it pleased you but to open your owneeies For then you should perceiue that there Christ made on mention of offering And if they would presse these words which is giuen to conclude thereby that euen then when Iesus made his Supper he offered vp his bodie in sacrifice Of necessitie and by the selfe same reason they must also conclude these words my bloud which is shed that euen then he did shed his bloud which cannot be neither could be for his bloud was not shed but vpon the Crosse Good Madames entreat the very learnedst of your Romaine Sacrificers to shew vs but one place in the Scripture where it is commaunded vs to sacrifice Iesus Christ againe For the place rehearsed maketh not any iote for them and they know likewise well enough that the Greeke word Poiein vsed by the Euangelists reciting the words of our Lord and Sauiour and Saint Paule after them Also the word in the Siriack tongue Habad which our Lord himselfe vsed could neuer be vnderstood to Sacrifice or Offer Goe we on then to some other proprieties of the Masse I come now to the Idolatrie which we find in the second part of the Masse to wit at the Sacrament and that is in this They propose or hold vp a piece of bread to the people to be adored and worshipped by them for God saying That there is the blessed bodie of our Sauiour hidden vnder the accidents of bread although it doe not appeare to be so and the faithfull can discerne but bread only To prooue their idolatrie in this point I will goe no whither else but to the direct institution of the Supper according as our Lord himselfe did institute it which they altogether depraue only to confirme and establish their Idoll wherein gentle Ladies I craue not only your patience but also your dilligent regard Behold how Iesus Christ promiseth vs that we shall be partakers of his bodie and of his bloud At all times or as oftentimes as we shall celebrate this misterie according as he did celebrate the same with his Apostles In distributing the bread he said Take eate this is my bodie which is given for you doe this in remembrance of me Likewise in deliuering the wine he said Drinke you all of this for this is my bloud c. where we may discerne that he putteth the commaundement in the first place in saying to vs that we shall take eate and drinke Then he annexeth the promise wherein he testifieth vnto vs that that which we eate is his bodie and that which we drinke is his bloud To enjoy then the effect and benefit of this promise it behooueth that the faithfull doe take and eate the bread drinke the wine which is giuen to them In briefe there is the communion of many faithfull in doing that which Iesus Christ representing to the whole Church did performe in
and bee barde wholy from them both For diuision or separation in so sanctified a misterie cannot be committed without very great Sacriledge Another Canon speaketh thus You are with vs in the Challice Wee take this altogether wee doe drink together for we live together And another The priesls which serue at the Eucharist shall distribute the bloud of our Lord to the people there for so he calleth the Sacrament of the bloud Whether can they now betake themselues to seeke for purgation of sacriledge being thus therein condemned by their owne Popes Now honourable and renowned Ladyes by these grosse and most absurde abuses which I haue beene so bold as to lay open to you in this Popish kinde of seruice called the Masse filled full with notorious blasphemies Idolatries and sacriledges as I haue in some weake measure shewen vnto you and in the order as they are rancked you may guesse what a many more there are beside which would aske a larger repetition then this poore Epistle of mine at this time can permit mee Let me put the case to your owne iudgement whether the Masse may be thought to be any lawfull Communion in your Church or no Surely were it but in regard of these alleaged abuses wher of there wants not store besides me thinkes you should abstaine from partaking with such abhominations Considering that in shaking hands with such foule deformed sinnes you pollute your soules with all impieties and by your publike profession of them you consent and adhere to all their blasphemies albeit you are vtterly ignorant of them For heere they meete in a full crowde together and to all of them you cry your selues guilty when you seeke no way to escape out of sinfull Sodome though the flames flye daily and flashe into your faces And I am well assured that some of you are of my minde in many of these recited abuses concerning the Masse though as I haue done you will not yet openly expresse it yea and haue in priuate confessed to mee that your Priests of Romaine pollution doe grosely sinne in infinite superstitions which they colour vnder cloudes of deuotion and sanctitie vsing such Apish carriage and gesticulations both in the celebration of the Masse and their friuolous preachings as are no way conuenable with their profession that are to entreate on the misteries of God And yet in whatsoeuer they doe or say both you and the people doe solemnely assist them as spectatours onely but no vnderstanders and such are the greater part of the assemblie at Masse And because they shall not see into their iugling collusions they can find both their eares eyes and other sences busied with musicke singing and ensensing with diuers other gestures which deliuer some appearance of religious deuotion onely thereby to beguile and retaine simple people And where is all this done but euen in the Church where God is to bee worshipped in spirit and truth and where hee hath ordained the holie assemblie of his Seruants to edifie nourish all faithfull soules in common and publike praying together according as euerie one may well vnderstand by faithfull expounding and interpreting the word of god concerning those misteries which he hath established in his Church To the end that euerie faithfull man and woman maye there receiue effectuall fruit both for the guyding of their liues in christian conuersation and consolation of their soules here and in heauen Into which Church of God swept cleane and purged from all corrupt pollutions and reformed by the rules of his heauenly prescriptions Honorarable Ladyes I haue at length found the happy entrance where euery dilligent Pastour Preacher doe there paynefull and laborious endeuours to expound deliuer Gods word purely to the people And that they may easily vnderstand what is sayde vnto them both for the edification of their faith and further instruction in all piety and wherof I myselfe to my no little comfort haue found a most plentifull encrease among Gods seruaunts into whose fellowshippe I hartilie wish that you were all combined Moreouer among vs there is not so much as one sillable profered either in publike praier or explaining gods word but it is heard vnderstood and most affectuously embraced For nothing is here vttered which hath not his firme fundation on the expresse text of sacred Scripture or what is thence truelie and vnpartiallie deriued necessarilie cohering and agreeing therewith without any repugnancie to the Articles of the Apostles Creede or the direct meaning of the Scriptures For if any of our Pastours shall presume to doe otherwise hee is grieuously censured and reprooued according to good orders established for preseruation of sound doctrine and preuention of intruding mens vaine imaginations As concerning the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper for Gods institution allowing no more wee leaue your other fiue viz. Confirmation Penance Extreame vnction Orders and Matrimonie to your Romaine Sinagogue where they were first deuised And these other before named I say are administred in the same kinde and nature as they were wholie receiued from our Lord and Maister without addition of any thing to their wordes or cutting off any part of their ordinance And intelligence is publikely deliuered to the people of the end efficacie and vtilitie of them farre from those vngodly courses practised among you Nor is there any other consecration here vsed but holy and deuout pravers in the presence of God and his heanenly assembly The Pastor declaring openly and not in any muttering or coniuring manner what is then done and how it stands with the wordes and ordinaunce of our Lord Iesus Christ proposing and deliuering the same so audibly that it may bee heard of the whole Congregation and so conueniently in all poyntes applyed that much godly benefite commeth thereby to the assembled soules at the Sacraments Where Iesus Christ doubtlesse doth sanctifie the Table and the Bread and Wine there decently present to make them the Sacraments of his body and bloud when the forme is thus obserued after his owne institution To this Communion of the Lords holie Supper all the people present after exhortation to prepare their comming thither in true repentance and firme faith in Gods promises are freely and verie louingly admitted And none are excluded from this heauenly Banquet but such as are notoriously knowne for prophane people of wicked and vild life or rebellious to all good orders and Discipline established by authoritie and the Reuerend Fathers of the Church whose care and diligence for the good thereof at all times and seasons is very great and painefull And Noble Ladyes the Bread and Wine in all reuerend manner as our Lord appoynted it is round about distributed to euery assistant without impayring the least iote of the institution There is no request made that those things may bee carryed thence by an Angell and presented vpon the high Altar Our soules doe assure vs by a
allegations No nor by continued succession of Popes and Prelates whereof you heare what daily boast they make But her glory and triumph is in the puritie of doctrine which is as the onely soule of the Church and in the sincere administration of the Sacraments all consonant and agreeing with the voyce of her great sheepheard and Bishop of our soules our Lord Iesus Christ And hee faith That his sheepe do know his voyce and they will not listen or follow a stranger This Ladyes is the true touchstone of iudgement whereby to discerne Golde from corrupted mettall to know the true Church from the false And not by Crosses by Miters Cardinals bonnets or height of Steeples That Reuerend and worthy Bishop of Thouars who hauing forsaken the Sinagogue of Sathans and by his great learning and industrious paines discouered such a hideous heape of abhominations vsed and maintained in the church of Rome hee next vnto Gods good spirit which was the principall and onely motiue was the secondary meanes of my conuersion as God haue the glory for it hee hath preuailed with diuers other Lords and Ladyes beside and in time may prooue to shake the proude Empyre of the Pope His learned labours so lately printed wherein hee opens all the pack of paradoxicall Poperie against Bellarmine and all the Romaine faction of Iesuites conuincing them by their owne arguments and writing I am bold worthy Ladies to send you with this Epistle And where I comfarre too short of such sufficiencie as in such a cause as this is required peruse his paines for your further satisfaction being printed in your owne natiue tongue for your better apprehension and so plainely set downe as it cannot but bee easily vnderstood of you Thus haue I noble Ladyes both briefely and as the nature of an Epistle would permit me declared the grosse absurdities and abuses in the Masse the blasphemies Idolatries and sacriledges therein committed that God in his good time may open your eyes and let you see the way out of that brutish Babylon I haue also in a meane measure shewed you the order and gouernement of our reformed Church as well for the Ministerie and doctrine thereof as also for the neere affinitie and true forme which therein is continually vsed and obserued with the example of the chiefe Schoole-maister Iesus Christ himselfe and confirmed by his blessed Apostles As if it would please God to rancke you with vs the truth should make more manifest to you For heere is nothing done palliated or in secret conspiring to betray poore peoples opinions and deceiue their soules All our actions are openly exposed euen to the apparant view of God and men yea euen in all things that concerne the order and policie of Gods Church Heere women and the weakest capacities may vnderstand whatsoeuer is done or said for here is no strange Language vsed among vs. And S. Paul saith Strange tongues are for a signe not to them that beleeue but vnto Infidels that beleeuenot I confesse honorable Ladyes that my discourse hath extended it selfe beyond the purposed limitation but indeed the merit of the subiect handled may pleade my pardon one way and the endeared affection I beare to you with desire of your conuersion for your soules sauing health I trust will safely support me the other way If God haue chosen me as his meanest instrument to worke but the very least measure of your better instruction his name haue the glory and his powerfull word the deserued praise which carries much more weight and efficacy then mens smoothest eloquence or the very subtillest arguments produced to the contrary whether it bee of antiquitie or vniuersalitie of Counsels of Traditions or whatsoeuer else If now this day you will listen to his voyce and not harden your hearts If you be not carelesse of his gift by me his vnworthy seruant offred vnto you If you close not vp your eyes against the cleare light that shineth euery where If you quench not the spirit which God himselfe hath kindled in you All will redound to your endlesse consolation and you bee renowmed to future posterities Feare therefore deare Ladyes this heauie threat of the diuine wisdome Because I haue called and you haue refused I haue stretched out mine hand and you would not regard But haue despised all my counsell and would none of my correction I will laugh at your destruction and mocke when your feare commeth Then shall you call vpon mee but I will not answere they shall seeke me earely but they shall not finde mee c. From Thouars this 1. of Iune 1608. FINIS After her conuersion she wrote this Epistle Luke 2. 38. A vertuous acknowledgment of a godly Lady She takes on her to note the abuses in the Masse Her course intended in this Epistle Christ his office of Priesthood transferred to men Hebr. 7 9. 23. 24. 25. 26. Hebr. 9. 24. 25. 26. Iesus Christ is the only Sacrificer without any successor or Vicar Hebr. 9. 26. Heb. 5 4. 5. The popish Priests must shewe their warrant out of Scripture No man can offer as Christ hath offered Hebr. 10. 13. 14. 18. No mention is made in Scripture of any new or continued offering Rom. 5. 1◠Hebr 9. 14. She dealeth not with euerie particularerror in the Masse The Priests confession Sacrifice offered before consecration for the redemption of soules liuing The Priest in his Memento The Priests prayer after the consecration The Priests Memento for the dead The Anatomie of the Masse printed in French The Masse ameritorious worke to deface all sinnes Concerning the dead Rom. 3. 25 1. Pet. 1. 9 Iohn 3. 18. Of the prayers said or sung in the Masse Iohn 5. 19. The Priest and peoples opinion present at Masse Hebr. 10. 1. 2. 3. The meaning of the holie Apostle Some perticular Ladies not altogether popish The fruite of the Sacrifice in the Masse Hebr. 10. 9 Some of them say Make this in my remembrance and so they would haue it Luke 22. 19 The Euāgelists record of our Sauiours words Lu. 22. 19. 1. Co. 11. 25. The meaning of Christs words in the Sacrament 1. Co 11. 26. Her admonition to the Ladies concerning the exposition of S. Paule An excellent note well worth the observation Concerning the Greeke word Poiein and the Siriaque Habad Idolatrie in holding vp the bread to be adored as God How Christ promised vs to be partakers of his body and bloud Luke 22.19 Christs commandement is in the first place Christs words to his Disciples is to all be faithfull to the worlds end The promise is made to all and not to the Apostles onely 1 Cor. 10. 17. Take away the communion and the promise is ended The right vse of the Sacrament wherein it consisteth What is don in the Masse How consecratiō ought to be done How the Priest makes his consecration in the Masse Doubt and question may arise vpon such priuie whispering Mark this