est ad eum c. Tu es sacerdos Hebr. 5. in aeternum secundùm ordinem Melchisedech Euen so Chryste also glorified not him self to be made the high pteist but he that said vnto him c. Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech And declaring the great benefitte that came by him being the high preist to all beleuers he saieth again Et consummatus factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae appellatus à Deo Pontifex iuxta ordinem Melchisedech And Ibid. he being perfight was the cause of eternall saluacion vnto all them that obeied him and ys called of God an high preist after the ordre of Melchisedech Likewise he calleth him in the VI. chapiter And the wholl VII chap. he occupieth in applieng Melchisedech to Chryst prouing by this prophecie the abrogacion of the preisthead of the lawe and so consequētlie of the lawe yt self Wherfore he saied Yf nowe therfore perfection came by the preistheade Hebr. 7. of the Leuites for vnder that preisthead the people receaued the lawe what neadeth further that an other preist shoulde rise to be called after the ordre of Melchisedech and not after the order of Aaron For yf the preisthead be translated then of necessitie must the lawe be translated also c. For after this maner dothe he testifie Thowe arte a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Then the commaundement that went before ys disanulled bycause of weakenesse and vnprofitablenesse And further declaring the excellencie of Chrystes preisthead aboue the preisthead of Aaron he saieth For these preistes were made withoute an othe but this preist with an othe by him that saied to him The Lorde sware and will not repent him Thowe art a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech Thus as the lawe of nature hath in Melchisedech figured Chryste And the lawe of Moyses by prophecie forespoken yt So hath the lawe of the Gospell as ye haue nowe learned by sainct Paule fullfilled the same and most plainlie and euidentlie proued yt so to be Yf then Chryste be a preist after the order of Melchisedech we must seke what the order of the preistheade of Melchisedech ys and wherin yt consisteth And therbie shall we knowe the preistheade of Chryste wherin yt consisteth Sainct Paule generallie declareth the order of a preist when he saieth Omnis namque Pontifex ex hominibus assumptus pro hominibus constituitur in ijs Hebr. 5. quae sunt ad Deum vt offerat dona sacrificia pro peccatis Euery high preist that ys taken from amonge men ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God to offer giftes and Sacrifices for sinne By whiche description of saincte Paule yt dothe appeare that the order of preisthead standeth in two partes The first he teacheth when he saieth Ordre of preisthead standeth in two partes Pro hominibus constituitur in ijs quae sunt ad Deum He ys ordeined for men in thinges perteining to God Wherby ys ment the preaching to the people and teaching them the lawes of God and ministring the Sacramentes to them as yt was saied vnto Moyses Esto tu populo in ijs quae ad Exod. 18. Deum pertinent vt referas quae dicuntur ad eum ostendasue populo ceremonias ritum colendi viam per quam ingredi debeant opus facere Be thowe vnto the people to Godward that thowe maist bringe the causes vnto God And thowe shalt teache them ordinaunces and lawes and shewe them the waie wherin they must walke and the worke that they must doo The seconde parte of the order of preistheade standeth in offring giftes and sacrifices for the sinnes of the people Then they that be called of God as was Aaron and doo preach and teache one faith of God vnto the people and offer vnto God one maner of sacrifice they be one order of preistheade So that these two must concurre or ells yt ys not a perfight order For Elias the prophet of God and the 3. Reg. 18. preistes of Baall did offer one maner of thinge in sacrifice for they both offred oxen yet they differed in preisthead For Helias was the preist of God the other the preistes of Baall And why was this difference bycause they taught not one faithe in one God Melchisedech and Aaron taught one God and were bothe preistes of Gen. 14. Leuit. 8. Heb 5. God For Melchisedech was the preist of the most high God as the booke of Genesis wittnesseth and Aaron was called of God as the booke of Leuiticus and saincte Paule to the Hebrues testifie And yet they were not of one order of preisthead bycause their sacrifices were not of one maner By this then yt maie be taken for a trueth that Chryst not being a preist after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchidech whiche two orders differed not in faith but in maner of sacrifice ys so called a preist after the order of Melchisedech for the maner of the sacrifice For he must agree with Melchisedech in that thing that maketh the difference betwixt the order of Aaron and the order of Melchisedech and that was and ys in the maner of sacrifice For Aaron offred in blood the other in bread and wine But here the Aduersarie will saie that Chryst ys not likened to Melchisedech for anie sacrifice by all the processe of saincte Paule But for Obiection that Melchisedech was Rex Salem kinge of Salem and withall the preist of God and for that he was with oute Father withoute Mother hauing neither beginning of daies nor ending in these pointes he ys the figure of Chryste who ys both king and preist hauing no Father in earth nor mother in heauen neither as concerning his Godhead anie beginning and as touching his Godhead and Manhead no endinge And so ys he a preist for euer To this I saie that the thing that saincte Paule principallie intended ys to be considered And then yt shall easilie be perceaued why he did not Principall entent of S. Paule in his epist to the Hebrues make rehersall of the maner of the sacrifice of Melchisedech nor mencion of the doing of the same in Chryste The principall entent of saincte Paule in this place was to proue and make manifest the excellencie of Chryst and his preisthead aboue Aaron and his preisthead Whiche excellencie in nothing more appeared then in that that Chryst was an euerlasting preist and his preisthead euerlasting and not in the maner of sacrifice For yf he had alleaged that Melchisedech did sacrifice in bread and wine The Hebrues wolde quickly haue saied that their sacrifices in that respecte moche excelled and had a moche more gloriouse shewe and cowntenance then the sacrifice of Melchisedech being but bread and wine And therfor saincte Paule omitted to make mencion VVhie S. Paule spake nothing of she sacrifice of Melchisedech in his epist
example of godlie liuing that God bothe in his pastours and people maie be glorified As cōcerning the second that the scriptures haue doubtes and difficulties Scriptures ful of doubres Yt appeareth by the expresse woorde of God when he saieth Yf ther rise a matter to hard for thee in iudgemēt c. Thow shalt get thee vppe to the preistes the Leuites But forsomoch as this matter ys allready sufficiētlie treacted of and proued yt ys enough here nowe to haue touched yt and so to passe to the third Which ys that the people must be taught and learn the lawes of god of the preistes Which thīg ys so manifestlie declared ād in so plain woordes Doubtes in the lawe of God must be dissolued by the preistes opened in the scriptures alleaged that I shal not nede to make any further declaraciō therof forasmuche as yt ys plainlie ther saied that the doubtes of the people in the lawe of God must be dissolued bi the preistes to whose sentēce and iudgemēt they must in any wise stande and not decline frō yt neither on the right hand nor on the left and that on the pain of deathe In the which saing of God yt ys euidēt howe moche God wolde that the determinaciō of his church in the doubtes of his lawe should be estemed ād reuerēced and his preistes in that respecte obeid Which howe moche yt ys nowe disdained and contēned and gods ordre and cōmaūdemēt neclected his holie faith and religion infringed and violated yt ys more with Sithes and teares to be lamented then beinge so manifest as yt ys nedefull to be opened and declared Of whose mouthe the people should learn the lawe AlmightieGod by his prophete Malachie telleth Likewise that of the preistes the people should aske People must learn of the preistes the lawe God by the Prophete Aggaeus cōmaundeth Who shoulde teach the people the newe Testamēt he also prescribeth Appointing some Apostles some Prophetes some Doctours or teachers who to theise offices are appointed to rule and instruct the people In ijs quae ad Deū pertinēt in those thinges that appertein to God But nowe al this ordre ys inuerted in manie places The people teache the preistes and not the preistes the people The people dissolue the doubts of the lawe the preistes not being asked for The people God his ordre inuerted speake the preistes holde their peace The people make lawes in religion the preistes are cōpelled to obeie The people take in hande the thinges that appertain to God the preistes are put to scilence A moch like state we finde in the time of Moyses emōge the children of Israel in the time when Moyses was in the moūt with God For they perceiuing him to be lōg absent and thinking that he wolde no more come they began to take the rule vpō thēselues And wheras Aarō before cōmaūded and taught thē the religiō of the true God nowe they taking the rule and inuerting the ordre cōmaunded Aaron and taught him soche Religion as lyked them of a false God When the people sawe saieth the booke of Exodus that yt was long er Moyses came downe oute of the Mountain they gathered themselfes togeather Exod 32. vnto Aaron and saied vnto him Vppe make vs Gods to go before vs. For of this Moises the felowe that brought vs oute of the lande of Aegypte we wote not what ys become Hereby maie yt be perceiued what religion shall be when the ordre that God appointed being broken they will teache and commaunde which in matters to godwarde shoulde be taught and commaunded But with all yt ys to be remembred that for this wickednes the wrathe of God waxed hote against the people and notwithstanding that ther was immediatelie Plaguesfor breaking Gods appoincted ordre in religiō and mynisterie a greate slaughter of the people aboute the nōbre of three thousand and that Moyses made intercession to God for the people Yet allmightie God in the ende saied Neuer the latter in the daie when I viset I will viset their sinne vpon them and the Lorde plagued the people bicause of the calfe whiche Aaron made Wherfore seinge that the moche like trangression ys committed emonge the Chrystian people yt ys to be feared that the wrathe of God will waxe hote against vs. But God graūte vs a Moyses that by earnest intercessiō maie yet mittigate the plague of God that shall come for this wickednesse The plague I feare me will be sore vpon Corah Dathan and Abiron and vpon the capitanes of the multitude whiche be the great and famouse mē in the Num. 16. congregacion which haue gathered thē selues together against Moyses and Aaron and cā not contēt thē selues with soche ordre as God hath put in his Church and which by hys pleasure hath so long continued But yet they come to Moyses and Aaron and saie ye make muche to doo seing all the multitude are holie euery one of them and the Lorde ys emonge them Whieheaue ye your selues vppe aboue the Congregacion of the Lorde I must staie my hand I shall ells be to tediouse to the reader in this matter in the whiche I thought not to haue writtē the fourth parte of that that ys written and for expedicion leaue vnto him to reade the strory in the booke of Nombres and so further to consider yt And wher ther be manie stories declaring the displeasures of God to haue commed vppon the people bicause they wolde not submitte them selues to the ordeinaunce of him and his ministres but wolde vsurpe vpon them both Yet I will speake but of one in the first booke of the kinges which ys that where God appointed Samuel his beloued and holie Prophet to be the ruler of the people they being a stiffnecked and disobedient people to gods 1. Reg. 8. ordre so long before vsed al the elders gathered themselues together and came to Samuel and saied vnto him Beholde thowe arte olde and thy Sonnes walke not in thy waies Nowe therfore make vs a king to iudge vs as al other nacions haue See their phantasticall prouidence and therwith their disobediēce They take in hande to prouide for their common wealth as though God coulde not prouide them as good a ruler after Samuel as he did in prouiding of Samuel And therfore the ruler whiche God appointed reiected make vs saie they a kinge But what saied Almightie God to Samuel Heare the voice of the people for they haue not cast thee awaye but me that I shoulde not reign ouer them 1. Reg. 12. And after that they had a kinge Samuel to cause them to vnderstand that their offence was great saied I will call vnto the Lorde and he shall send thunder and rain that ye maie perceaue and see howe that yower wickednesse ys great which ye haue doen in thee seight of the Lorde in asking yowe a king And they saied Praye for vs thy seruauntes vnto the Lorde thy God that
ac successor qui sacro sancta illa mysteria à sanctis Apostolis sibi reuelara in lucem edidit D. Iacobus qui in sortem Ecclesiae Hierosolimitanae administrandae vocatus fuit quiue huius primus Episcopus à primo illo summo Pontifice Christo Deo nostro cōstitutus est Manie other godly pastours also whiche succeded the Apostles and doctours of the church setting furth the order or maner of the Godlie Masse of the diuine misteries left yt vnto the Churche in writing Amōg the whiche the cheifest and most famouse be S. Clement the Disciple of him that was cheifest of the Apostles and successour who did setfurth these holie misteries as they were deliuered or taught vnto him of the Apostles And S. Iames who was called to rule the churche of Hierusalem who also was ordeined the first Bishoppe of that cheif and high Bishoppe Chryste our God Thus he In this testimonie ye heare that not onelie S. Clement did setfurth the ordre of Masse but other doctours and pastours of the church also and that not by their owne authoritie but as they had learned of the Apostles And note here also an euident testimonie for the Masse of S. Iames wherof we haue spoken in the last chapter Nowe to proceade to heare more of the maner of consecracion in the primitiue Church S. Dionisius Areopagita Disciple to S. Paule as S. Clemēt was to Peter that he saied Masse yt ys more euident then nede to be declared His booke of the ecclesiasticall hierarchie ys extant wherin the wholl order of Masse ys at lenght setfurth and declared But forsomoche as that booke to the learned ys well knowen and to the vnlearned although he were alleaged yet for his obscuritie he wold be still vnknowen I haue thought good here to ouer passe him as a witnesse famouslie knowen ād bring in other more plain and yet right famouslie knowen Among the whiche holie Basill shall be first who in his Masse vsed this forme of consecracion entring into yt by praier made to the heauenlie father in the whiche he thus spake Bassil in Miss of Chryste Debens enim exire in voluntariam beatiss viuificam suam mortem in nocte qua tradebat seipsum pro mundi vita accipiens panem in sanctis suis immaculatis manibus ostendens tibi Deo Patri gratias agens benedicens sanctificans frangens dedit sanctis suis Discipulis Apostolis dicens Accipite manducate hoc est corpus meū Chryst tooke the bread and cuppe mixed withe wine and water in to his hands and blessed and sanctified them quod pro vobis frangitur in remissionem peccatorum Similiter calicem de genimine vitis accipiens miscens gratias agens benedicens sanctificans dedit sanctis suis Discipulis Apostolis dicens Bibite ex hoc omnes Hic est sanguis meus noui Testamenti qui pro vobis pro multis effundetur in remissisnem peccatorum Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Willing to go furth to his voluntarie and blessed death geuing life in the night in the whiche he deliuered himself for the life of the world taking bread in his holie and vndefiled hands and shewing yt to thee God and Father geuing thankes and blessing sanctifieng breaking he gaue yt to his holie Disciples and Apostles saing Take and eate this ys my bodie whiche ys broken for yowe in the remission of sinnes Likewise also taking the cuppe of the iuice of the wine mixing geuing thankes blessing sanctifieng he gaue yt to his holie Disciples and Apostles saing drinke ye all of this This ys my blood of the newe Testament whiche shall be shedd for yowe and for manie in the remission of sinnes This do ye in the remembrance of me Thus moche in the Masse of S. Basill Whiche if ye conferre and compare to the consecracion vsed by S. Iames Chrysost in Miss ▪ and S. Clement so moche shall yt see them agree that ye shal iustilie saie that they be all one Therfor leauing him to be considered with the notes made vpon S. Iames and S. Clement we shall procead to see what maner of consecracion was vsed in S. Chrysostoms Masse Chrysostom as the rest before mencioned entreth into yt with praier made to the Father and coming to speake of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Chryste instituting this most holie and noble sacrament saieth Qui veniens completo pro nobis omni mysterio nocte qua tradebatur magis autem tradebat seipsum pro mundi vita panem accipiens cum sanctis suis immaculatis impolutis manibus cùm gratias egisset benedixit sanctificauit frangens sanctis suis Discipulis Apostolis tribuit dicens Accipite comedite hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis tradetur in remissionem peccatorum Similiter autem calicem postquam caenauit dicens Bibite ex hoc omnes Hic est enim sanguis meus noui testamenti qui pro vobis pluribus effundetur in remissionem peccatorum Who coming when all the misterie for vs was fullfilled in the night in the whiche he was be traied or raither in the whiche he deliuered him self for the life of the worlde taking bread with his holie vndefiled and impoluted hands when he had heuen thankes he blessed yt sanctifieng yt and breaking yt gaue yt to his holie Disciples and Apostles saing Take and eate this ys my bodie whiche shall be deliuered for yowe in the remission of sinnes Likewise also the cuppe after he had supped saing Drinke ye all of this This ys my blood of the newe testament whiche shall be shedd for yowe and for manie in the remission of sinnes Thus moche in Chrysostomes Masse for the consecracion whiche that yt agreeth with all before alleaged yt ys easie to perceaue S. Basill ād Chrysostō not the first fownders of Masse but setters furth of soche order ther in as they had receaued by tradicion But that the Proclamer seem not with his skoff of somsaie to weaken or call into doubt the authoritie of the Masse of S. Basill and S. Chrysostom as I haue by authoritie proued the Masses of S. Peter S. Iames and other Apostles and also of S. Clement by good and sufficient authoritie so also shall I doo these two of S. Basill and S. Chrsyostom And here I wish the reader first to be aduertised that S. Basill and S. Chrysostom did not make the ordenaunce of the Masse as the first fownders of the ordeinance for that as ye haue heard was doen by the Apostles and vsed by S. Clement and so by liueall tradicion brought to the time of these two fathers But the Masse of the Apostles being verie long as the holie Father Proclus witnesseth and the deuocion of the people waxing short and colde these holie Bishoppes Basill and Chrysostom were compelled to bring yt into a shorter forme of praiers and ceremonies the substance
faithfull and wise stewardes ād that we maie finde grace and mercie in that fearfull daie of the iust and good rewarde Thus moch S. Iames Masse Not minding to tarie vpon the beginniug of the praier wher ye maie perceaue that like maner of praier ys vsed as in the last chapter ys spokē of namelie that this sacrifice maie be receaued gratefullie acceptably c. Whiche I doe but touche wishing yt to be noted the better to perceaue the malice of the Proclamer who as ye haue heard reproueth and skorneth that in the Church that was vsed of the Apostles I minde not I saie to tarie but to hast me to note these thinges that now we haue to speake of namely that the sacrifice of the Masse ys auailable both to the quicke ād the dead which both be here testified whē the Apostle praieth that this sacrifice maie be pleasing and acceptable vnto the remissiō of sinnes ād to the rest of the soules of thē that sleape before vs. Doe not these woordes teach vs that S. Iames took this for a sacrisice propiciatorie whē he desiereth that the sacrifice maie be accepted to the propiciaciō of our sinnes And did he not thinke yt auailable to the dead whē he praieth that yt maie be to the rest of the sowles of thē that be dead The woordes be so plain that yt can not be deuied And as Caiphas though he were an euel Bishoppe spake one trueth of the S. James Masse ys full of knowlege euē by the iudgement of the Proclamer death of Chryst so the Proclamer though he be an euell mā spake one trueth of S. Iames Masse For he saieth that S. Iames Masse ys full of knowledge Yf yt be full of knowledge by the testimonie of the Aduers thē feare thowe not whether thow be catholike or other to saie that this ys good knowledg that the sacrifice of the Masse ys aualeable to the quick ād the dead For soch ys the knowledge in S. Iames his Masse And that thow maist be farder assured that the Apostles taught praier and the Masse to be profitable to the dead harken first what Dionyse the Disciple to sainct Paule saieth for the one and what Chrysostome testifieth for both S. Dionyse describing the maner Dionys eccles Hier. cap 7. parte prim of the buriall and exequies vsed in his time and before his time in the churche for parte of yt saieth thus Accedens venerandus Antistes precem sacram super mortuum peragit precaturue diuinam clementiam vt cuncta dimittat per infirmitatem humanam admissa peccata defuncto eumue in luce statuat in sinibus Praier for the dead vsed in S. Dionyse time Abrahae Isaac et Iacob in loco vbi aufugit dolor et tristicia et gemitus The reuerēde Bishoppe coming maketh holie praier vpon the dead and praieth the goodnesse of God that he wold forgiue the dead person al hys sinnes which he hath through infirmitie committed and that he will place him in the place of light in the Bosomes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the place frō whēce flieth sorowe heauinesse ād morning Thus moch S. Dynise See yowe not praiers here made for the Sinnes of the dead See yowe not peticion made for him that he maie come to the place of light to the place wher he maie feell neither sorowe nor heauinesse Yf this maner of praier was vsed in the time of the Apostles in whose time this Dionyse liued what shall we thinke but that S. Iames being one of them praied for the dead as the other Apostles did Obiection Perchaunce yt maie be saied that yf the Apostles had thought yt necessarie to praie for the dead they wolde haue left yt writtē in some of their epistles To this I saie that yt neaded not For first amōg the Iewes yt was before the coming of Chryst in vse to praie and offre sacrifice for the dead as the secōd booke of the Machabies doeth testisie Which booke although the Aduersarie doeth reiect yet S. Augustin saieth yt ys in the Canon of christē men And August de cura promortu Lib. vniuers fid Indaeorum Antonius Margarita one conuerted frō a Iewe to a Chrystian man in a booke that he made of the faith of the Iewes declareth the praier that they made for the dead which ys not moch vnlike to this praier of S. Dionyse And ouer he saieth that they haue a booke wherin be written the names of them that be dead which thrice in a yeare be redde and so praied for Which order ys yet amongest them so that then neaded not As for the Gētiles although they vsed funerall obsequies yet for that they were vngodlie after the heathē maner the Apostles gaue thē commaundement by tradicion to burie their dead and to praie for thē after the chrystiā maner Of the which cōmaundement S. Clement maketh mēciō how yt was geuē by S. Peter And so doth Chrysostome that yt was doē by the Apostles Clemens epist 1. Hom. 3. Philip. pri For he saieth thus Non frustra ab Apostolis sancitū est vt in celebratione venerandorū mysteriorū memoria fiat corū qui hinc decesserunt Nouerunt illis multū hinc emolumenti fieri multū vtilitatis Stante siquidē vniuerso populo manus in coelos extendente coetu itē sacer dotali verendoque posito sacrificio quomodò Deū non placaremus pro istis orantes Yt was not but to good pourpose decreed of the Apostles that in the celebracion of the honourable mysteries wherby he meneth the Masse a memorie or remē The Apostles decreed that the dead should be praied for in the Masse brance should be made of thē that haue departed hence They knew that moch commoditie shoulde come from thence to thē and moch profit For all the people standing and holding vppe their hāds into heauē the cōpanie also of preistes and the fearfull sacrifice being settfurth how shall we not appease God praing for these Thus Chrysostome As before ye haue seen the praier of the Apostle S. Iames praing for the dead so now ye see yt testified by Chrysostome that the Apostles cōmaūded the dead to be praied for in the celebraciō of the holie mysteries whiche ys the Masse wher the holie and blessed bodie and blood of Sauiour Chryst ys setfurth in the seight of the Father wherby his passiō ād death being liuelie remēbred ād hūble peticiō in the presence therof and for the meritte therof by the preistes ād people being made yt cā not be saieth Chrysost but that God will be appeased ād mercie for the soules obteined For as S. Cypriā saieth In huius praesentiae nō superuacuè mēdicāt lacrimae veniā nec vnquā patitur cōtriti cordis holocaustū repulsam In the presence of this vnderstād sacrifice teares doe adsurediebegge pardō neither doeth the sacrifice of acōtrite heart at anie time suffre repulse Ther for in this sentēce Chrysostome doeth