ydolatrye and superstycion and so both dampnable anâ— excheuable Wherefore they w◠〈◊〉 deme it both reasonable and 〈…〉 â—ly that the masser mought 〈…〉 it alone whan others refus◠〈…〉 â—ctlye to masse wyth hym 〈…〉 no man oughte to be a st◠〈…〉 and hinderaunce of an othe◠〈◊〉 â—uocyon be no lesse deceyued theâ— thee Iewes who adiuged they re condeÌ„pning of the euaÌ„gelical doctryne persecuting of christ his disciples both a sufferable seruiceable seruice too God in consideration it was done of deuotyon Now to prayer the thyrde part of the solytarye masse whyche is for soundrye consyderatyons blame worthy Fyrst for that therin those sainctes bee on called as aduourers ayders who be not here presently conuersant emonge vs but ar fare soundred distanted from vs in place namelye in heaueÌ„ For though we mought praye vnto the sayd sainctes as beyng presentlye and conuersaunt wyth vs as wee do one to another assembled togethers howbeit for asmoch they be farre placed froÌ„ vs they in heaueÌ„ we in the earth we ought not to instaunte theÌ„ For why that were to attribute and render to theÌ„ the honour dewe and incidente to God alone it is to weete the knowledge of our hartes and the hearinge of the farre absent In case I beyng at Cambredge dyd desyre eyther you eyther any mans theÌ„ beynge not present wyth me but eyther at yorke or London to praye for me whom otherwyse present with me I mought both wel and wysely wold not eche maÌ„ depose that my desyre bothe vaynelye and vndiscretely made of me Bycause noo man beyng at that present eyther at yorke or London what tyme I praye to hym in Cambredge eyther heareth or vnderstandethe that my prayer Yeas trulye How theÌ„ can our prayers be fruyteful and effectual which be directed to the heauen sainctes who be farrer distanted or sound red from vs then eyther London or yorke froÌ„ Cambredge But the heauen sainctes wâ—l some saye beynge conuersant or present wyth God espye in hym as in a glasse al the secretes entendemeÌ„tes of our hartes so orderly perceaue what we praye for to whom This sophistical cauil or obiection is nothing answerable to Goddes worde wherin it is expresly wrytteÌ„ in sorte as foloweth ii para vi Thou alone knowest the hartes of the sonnes of menne Howe coulde thys be veryfyed and iustifyed that god alone vnderstaÌ„deth mens hartes yf the heauen sainctes knowe theÌ„ also AbrahaÌ„ sayth Esaye .lxiii. knoweth vs not Israell knoweth vs not So maye we saye Paule knoweth vs not Peter knoweth vs not For why they were asmoch pryueledged regarded as Peter Paul It is wrytten in thee .ix. of thee boke named preacher that the dead knowe the nothing any more vpon the whyche text Hierome sayth thus There is noo knowledge after death ne any sense after the dissolutyon of thys lyfe Wherfore as it is an vngodly so an vntrue sayinge the heauen sainctes knoweth our hartes not wythstandynge theyr conuersation wyth God It was notably inhibited in the counsayl of Carthage that any saincte shulde be called vpon at thee aulter that the priest shuld vtter thys or lyke prayer S. Paule or Peter praye for me Why then contrarye both to the scripture and the sayd godly counsayl do we instant supersticiousli the heauen sainctes at our massiÌ„g But ynough hereof The seconde consyderation why masse prayer is to bee discommended is by reason therein it is prayed for the dead not so moche too declare therby our charitie towarde them in wishinge theÌ„ saued which purpose ware no lesse sufferable then charitable as throughe our prayers too redeme them oute of pur of purgatory or at lest to enlessen theyr paynes in the same Whych for to thynke wel done as it is an vntollerable erroure so for to attempte is a synneful superstition For who so dothe departe oute of this world dieth eyther in the lorde or without him If he die without hym theÌ„ incontinent remedyles he is condempned For wythout christe ther is no mercy to be achyued or hadde ii Corin. al promisses sayth Paul be in christ yea and amen But yf he die in the lord he is both blessed and enfranchised from al trauayl as S. IhoÌ„ wryteth in xiiii of his reuelation In that Iohan auoucheth the departed in thee lorde to be blessed he doth vs to vnderstaÌ„d they be not payned in purgatorye els were they cursed not blessed In that he pronouncethe theÌ„ quyte delyuered froÌ„ al labour he doth vs to were they be no more molested or tormeÌ„ted eyther in purgatorye or els were els shuld thei endure in labour For to bee payned in purgatorye is a greuous trauayl Agayne whoso dieth in the Lorde dyeth in fayth whoso dyeth in faythe escapeth both deth and iudgemeÌ„t so consequeÌ„tly purgatory also whych is a payneful iudgemeÌ„t after our catholique doctrine Iohan v Verely verely I say vnto you saythe christ He that heareth my wordes and beleueth on hym that hath seÌ„t me hath euerlasting lyfe and shal not come into iudgemente but is scaped from death to lyfe As concernynge the other dead sort as it dyeth wythout christ so wythoute fayth therfore it is euerlastinglye and so not pardonably in purgatory but vnpardonably placed in hel Wher vpon it formally argueth ther is no purgatorye Thee dead saythe Salomon in the .ix. of of his boke entitled the preacher haue nomore a reward Whych hys saying were not true yf they mought be through our prayers sacryfices or otherwise deliuered out of purgatore For theyr deliuery were a great reward Yf any shulde come to purgatore it is very like colourable that the thefe which was haÌ„ged with christ shuld haue ben for a season placed payned therein beiÌ„g soch a synful liuer as he was tyl his dieng houre but he incontineÌ„t after hys hence departure weÌ„t with christ to paradise In coÌ„sideratioÌ„ wherof it is right certeyn that purgatore is but an ymagyned fayned place by reason wherof the praiers sacrifices institute to release redeme solles out of the same otherwise called the thyrd place wherein they be payned be bothe vayn stuperstitious The place of the Machabees which the catholiques alledge to the mayntenauÌ„ce â— mac 12 of the sayd place is not auteÌ„tical or receiued for scripture as Hierome Gregory Ruffinus record The canones whiche the catholiques father of the apostles the canoÌ„s of the last coÌ„sayl of Leedes Aphricane regestred the bible bokes wtout any meÌ„cion made of the Machabees at al which argueth that theÌ„ the bokes of Machabees were vncanonised It is wryteÌ„ in the heretofore alledged place of the sayd Machabees the Iudas caused both sacrifice prayer to bemade to purge do away the syn of the murdered Iewes wtal is in the sayd boke coÌ„meÌ„ded for that his so doyng which is an vndeceaueable argumeÌ„t that the said boke is not auteÌ„tical or canonical For the leuiticall sacrifices dyd not do
we lyste but what god coÌ„maundethe vs as it is wrytten in Deuteronomy .xii. For why oure carnall reason entendemeÌ„tes be merely repugnauÌ„t both to his sayenges doynges so displeasauÌ„t and hateful to him The sense of the fleshe sayth Paule is enmytee agaynst God Roma 8. In case we moughte worship god as we lyst Why dyd he appoynt prescribe vs a pÌ„scripte order to worshippe him withal Yf we mought sittingly honoure hym after our wyl fantasy TheÌ„ eche made worshyp were syttinge and ieyful and so consequentelye ther were none ydolatree at al theÌ„ were there no dyfference betwexte oures and thee Turkes Iewes Paynymes Ethnikes and other miscreantes religion For they be onely differenced by Goddes wrytten woorde If we moughte order christes supper after our arbitrement then why dyd he institute prescribe vs a trade and order to be obserued in the celebratioÌ„ therof 1. Cori. â—â— Why dyd Paule reproue and blame thee Corinthians for theyr disorder abusage of the same Ar not wee named christians for that we ought to professe and geue ful credence to his sayinges and practyse and enbrace hys doyinges as followable and beleueable But howe doo we answere to our name and profession in our solitarie massing wherin we do not only not ensue christes practyse and order but throughly subuert and inuerte the same concernynge the administration of his supper Are we not called faythful for that we ought to grounde al our religion vpon our fayth whych fayth issueth only from Gods wrytteÌ„ word as Paule recordeth Roma 10 otherwyse no true fayth But how can we be indede as we be named yf we admit and frequente as wee doo to thee greate and vnsufferable empechemente bothe of Christes honoure and our solles saluation the prest preuye masse whych is variant to gods worde Therfore as it is an vnfaythful so as synneful misdede For that which is wrought wythout fayth is synne Roma 10 as Paul saith Ace we not straytelye inioyned of God vtterly to abandon auoyd all ydolatrye How do we obserue and accomplishe this his iniunction whyle we enbrace and accepte the sayde masse whych is a made worshyppe of God and so ydolatrye For the worshyp of any phantasye entent conceypt and ymage or of any other matter else forged of mans brayne wythout goddes wrytten word is questionles ydolatrye Hereto accordeth Hierome who vpoÌ„ the last of Hieremye on thys verse And they put theyr ydols in the house etc wrytethe in sorte thus not only theÌ„ Iudas reposed in Gods temple an ydoll ymage whereof we rede in the fyrst of Ezechtel but now styll in gods house whych by interpretation is the congregatioÌ„ or in the hart of the beleuers is placed an ydol wheÌ„soeuer any new doctrine is forged and after the law adored and worshypped in the secrete And vpon the twentye of Ezechyel the sayd Hierome calleth the inueÌ„tioÌ„s and deuyses of the phylosophers and herytyques the EgyptiaÌ„s ydols Auncient vsage in other matters of relygion semeth to be of moche force importauÌ„ce to the acceptaÌ„ce establishmeÌ„t of any soch semblable matter but her in our pryuate masse matter the sayd vsage is no thiÌ„g estemed To sure an argumeÌ„t I feare me of oure parcialitee in scripture matters Was not christes own administratioÌ„ of his supper the fyrst original vsage thereof Mat. xxvi and so the auncientest wherin none alone but soundrye ioinctly togethers dyd communicate In the prematiue church it was both obserued and enacted that all the whole coÌ„gregation asseÌ„bled shuld communicate wyth thee prieste or minister as it doth wel appere in Gracian de consecra distinct .i. in the canon deÌ„s whyche is fathered of the Apostles in thee Canon Episcopus fathered of Anacletus de consecra distinc .ii. in the canon peracta Calixtus thus wryttethe wheÌ„ the coÌ„secratioÌ„ is done let eche maÌ„ theÌ„ present coÌ„municate then who woll not to be excoÌ„municate This thee Apostles enacted thys doth the Romyshe churche hold obserue Note thys that Calixtus doth not onli declare that it is his wyl commauÌ„demeÌ„t al they who be present at the communion time shuld communicate els to be excoÌ„municate But the apostles decree the vsage of the Romishe church also Ther be saith Erasmus vpoÌ„ the Psalme Quam dilectabernacula who requyre in thee Masse a communion In dede I graunt so it was instituted of Christ and so it was in thee olde tyme obserued Albert in hys boke of thee Masse misteries recordeth it was fyrst in wont that al the togethers assembled persones in the church did communicat eche day wheÌ„ that could not be obserued it was decreed that on eche sondaye al the hole congregation shuld communicate wheÌ„ this neyther could be obserued it was decreed that thryse in the yeare at Easter Whytsondaye and Christmasse the communion shuld be receyued of the whole congregatioÌ„ And wheÌ„ thys could nether be obserued it was enacted that ones in the yeare the sayde communion shuld be receaued of the whole coÌ„gregation Here we may learne of Albert that in the primatiue churche all thee whole congregation dyd communicate eche daye ioynetly togethers Further in case we wold wel and earnestly respect the consyderatyon of our repayre to the church what also is of the masser reported oute of hys masse boke at thee celebration of thee communion We mought wel vnderstande that the sayd communion shuld alway be receyued of a compaygne and not of one alone Do we not I praye ye repayre to the churche as to the common place wherein we shulde make common prayers nothing excuting pryuatly but all coÌ„monly Saynt Paule auoucheth i. Cori. 14 nothinge ought to be executed in thee churche but that which redowneth to the edyfying behoue of the whole coÌ„gregatioÌ„ so that as the churche is a coÌ„mon place so the prayers therin shulde be coÌ„mon so the celebration of the communion must be common and not pryuate as the wordes of the masse canon reported after the coÌ„munion do wel declare whych be thees followynge That that we haue receyued by the mouth lord graunt we may receaue wyth hart purposely that ther may be made vnto vs an euerlasting remedy of the body bloud of our lord Iesu christ It is not sayd I but we haue receaued The priest as here so in other places saith not I but we eueÌ„ whyle he coÌ„municateth all alone wherby it is gatherable the masser shuld coÌ„municat not seuerally alone but iounctlye wyth others For wee importeth a multitude not a singularitee Some ther be who deme the solitary massing an indiffereÌ„t consequently a sufferable matter Wel thoughe it were so as questionles it is not Howbeit for so moch as we haue vtterlye renounced the Romsshe bishop with al his vsurped autorite we ought of coÌ„grueÌ„ce abaÌ„d on ther wyth the pryuate masse whych he forged fathered lesse we through reteygnemeÌ„te vsage therof be occasioned to resume agayn enbrace the sayd byshop withal his vnsytting preteÌ„sed authorite For vpoÌ„ semblable consyderation leui xviii God inhibited the Israelites the vsage of the Egyptyans ceremonies wherewith they had heretofore bene enfected albeit souÌ„dry of theÌ„ by al lykelyhode were indiffereÌ„t NotwithstaÌ„diÌ„g geÌ„tle reder Ihertofor haue moch what vehemeÌ„tly gaynsayd the preuie masse condeÌ„ned here as detestable erroneouse blasphemous Howbeit I trust thou wolste accepte this my labour enbracing ensuing my doctrine therin as ensuable credible syth it teÌ„deth not to gods dishonour but to his honoure not to thine empechemeÌ„t but to thy great comodite not to the hinderaÌ„ce ouerthrowâ— but to the redresse recouery furtherance of the true masse otherwise named the coÌ„munion whych caÌ„not be so highly estemed and so ofte frequented as of necessytye it oughte wythoute the prieste masse be hated and detested For bothe it and the communion cannot be iounctly regarded Whoso loueth thee one must nedes hate thother for why they be mere contraries But how can thee prieste masse be hadde in worthy hate yf her abominacyon were not at full dysclosed In respect wherof thou seest how nedeful it is that she shuld be both gayne sayed and condemned as heresye and abandoned as ydolatrye God of hys mercye graunt vs all to learne loue credyte and maynteyne hys truth and lyue thereafter AMEN
to the dyeng men at home were wantethe an aultare Christe is onlye the eatable aultare heretofore especifyed whom bothe we must and do eate vnto lyfe euerlastynge otherwyse spyrytuallye dead for euer as we maye learne the same in Ihon vt The which christ is named an aultar for that vpō him alone we laye powre our spiritual sacrifices namely our prayers brokē hartes otherwise not acceptable to god the father according to this saying of Peter 1 Petr 2 Offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to god for Iesu christe sake Hebre. 1◠By christ sayth Paule we offer the sacrifice of prayse alway to god that is to wete the fruytes of those lippes which confesse his name Thys is the laste argumentacion of them that be deduced fetched out of the scripture which semeth any thing forceable for the prest sacrifice As touchīg thys place of Mathew v. When thou offerest a gyft at the aultar etc Notwythstāding it mēcioneth expresli both an aultar an offredge Howbeit for so moch as it was thē vttered whē the ceremoniall lawe of Moyses stode in hys wounted effecte and and force whych cōmaunded thē both to be vsed and spokē also to thē who were thē obliged bounde to obey the sayd law For that thē the new testamēt was not ful institute ratified It enforceth nothyng at al for like offring aultare to be frequēted vsed emōg vs christians By reason the heretofore named law is through the ordinaunce establyshment of the new testamēt vtterly abandoned repeled In that sayth Paul he saythe a new Testamente he hath abrogate the old And as touchīg thys sayinge of Paule 〈…〉 And they which wayte at the aultar ar partakers of the aultar it importeth nothing at al in the behalfe of masse sacrifice wherof ther is no mēcion made It is but the fourmer parte of a symylitude fetched out of the ceremonial law of Moyses and 〈◊〉 thus ▪ As in moyses law whoso serued the aultare as thee Leuytes dyd lyued thereby Ryght so now in the new Testamēt who so preacheth the gospell shal haue hys lyuinge through the preachment therof For Paule in his the alledged texte others incidente hereto endeuoureth hymselue to argue a lyuelyhode to be deiu payable to the gospel preachers of theyr auditours for ther euangelical preachemēt Consyder dere reder wel the entier and full sayinge of Paule you shal easely perceaue he meaneth thus Do ye not sayth he vnderstande how that they whych minister in the tēple haue theyr fyndynge of the temple And they which wayt at the aultar ar partakers of the aultar Euen so also note the applicatiō of the fourme two symilitudes dyd the lord ordeyn that they whyche preache the gospell shuld lyue of the gospel Yf the former part of the sayd symylitude were so to be takē that it shuld meane the now ther be certen ministers who shuld serue the aultare it is to wete shuld masse it then the gospel preachers shuld not masse it at al. For that by Paules doctryne to serue the aultare to preache be soundrye and seuerable offices and ministeryes Which thyng accordeth not with our catholique doctrine which teacheth that the gospell preachers must masse it also But wat meane I to be so moche in the soylyng of these two last recited scryptures whych yf they had bene any thynge effectual for the proufe of the prieste sacryfyce as the before alledged seme Mayster doctour Smythe wold haue pleased them wyth in hys boke made for the defence of thee sayde sacryfyce as he hathe doone thee remnaunte and not in the margente therof Thus haue I at full both declared and argued that Christes bodye and bloud ought not to be sacryfyced of the Massers in theyr masse eyther to clense our synne eyther els to thanke and serue god wythall and that the reasons which the catholiques deduce out of the scripture to the mayntenaunce therof enforce nothing for the same But saye oure catholyques the aunciente and holye Doctours as Austeyne Chrisostome and others expressely auouche thee Lordes bodye and bloud to be offered of the ministers whych thyng they wold neuer haue affyrmed oneles they were offered so in verye dede and that accordynge too Gods worde In dede it is fulle certayne that the sayd Doctours auouche both thee LORDES bodye and and hys bloude to bee sacrificed but not after oure Catholiques meaninge For why they vnderstand by the sacryfyce of christes body bloud done by the minister only the resembleance and memorye of the true bloudy sacryfyce of the sayd body bloude which is the cōmunion not any real true sacrifice of the same executed by the priest as the catholiques mistake thē We ofte vse to saye sayth Austen to bonifacius whē eastrr approcheth nyghe that to morow or the next daye is the lordes passion yet it is many yeares sythe he suffered and the passiō was neuer but ones And vpon the sonday we saye this daye he dyd agayn ryse howbeit it is many yeres sence he rose Now is there no mā so folisshe to reproue vs as lyers for so saying because we name those dayes after the similitude of those in whych these matters were done so that is called the same daye which is not the very same daye but by course of tyme lyke it And it is sayde to be done thee same daye throughe meane of the celebration of the sacrament whych is not done the same daye but longe tofore Was not christ ones sacrificed in hymselue yet in the sacramēt is sacrificed for the people not onelye eche ester holy day but eche day And he lieth not who beinge demaunded answereth he is offered For yf the sacramentes haue not some sembleaunce of the matters wherof they be sacramentes they were noo sacramentes at all Of this sembleaūce oft they take the names of the thynges by thē sygnyfyed Lo there it dothe full wel appere that by Austeynes mynde the sacramente of christes body bloud is so named thee sacryfyce of thē both as esterday is named the day of the lordes resurrection good frydaye his passyon daye But the sayd dayes benot termed fsr that the lord in very dede agayne ryseth in th one resuffreth in thother but by reason his passyon in th one hys resurrectyō in thother is represented signifyed Therfore the cōmuniō is called the sacrifice of the lordes body bloud not the they be sacrificed verely ī the same but in cōsideracion theyr sacrifice is bothe recorded resembled in the sayde communion or sacramente The celebrating of the cōmunion saythe Ekius in the tenthe chap. of hys fourmer boke of the masse sacrifice dedicate to the kynge of Pole for the it is an ymage resembling Christes passiō the true sacrifice may be named alway a sacrifice As Austeyn sayth to Simplicius Images ar wonte to be called by the names of those thynges wherof they be ymages