which standeth not in that that the Preist should make oblation and Sacrifice of Christe for them aÌ„d eat the Lordes Supper for him self allone and so to distribute and apply it to whom and in what measure pleaseth him But the preferment of the preist in this mater is only in the ministration as Cypriane here plainely teacheth that the preist as a commoun minister and debter to the Churche doeth preache the worde distribute the Lordes supper vnto the people who doeth receaue it at his handes Here it shall not be altogether out of the way to schawe the causes that moued the ancients to call this action a sacrifice or one oblation which appearinglie be syndrie and diuers The first cause is drewen frome the obseruation of the consâ—etude in there dayes cheiflie of Ireneus Cypriane the custome wes this that the people broght with them a great quantitie of breade and wyne and offred at the table whereof a certane portion wes taken and vsed to the holy Communion the residue wes sanctified to the vse and supporte of the poore And this no dout is the oblation that Ireneus Cypriane aÌ„d Tertuliane maketh so often meÌ„tion of yea the verrie collectes of your masse as ye be verrie Aippes wyll seme to had reteyne some figure and Image of antiquitie In this consideration wer called collettes being receaued frome the people and oblations because they wer offred to a holy vse in whiche respect Paule to the Philipp calleth the almonsan Sacrifice and a hoste of sweit sauour as I haue alreddy touched Secundlye there is one action of thankes an publyck attestation of our gratitude and thankfulnes which in the scripturs is called one Immolation of prayse and laude Thridlye all communicantes doeth offre them to be reuled and guyded by God yea and mortified whereof speaketh Paule to the Romans giue your bodyes sayeth he to God a lyuing and a holy Sacrifice pleasing to God and after he wytnesseth that he beareth the ministerie and Sacrificeth the Euangell that the oblatioÌ„s of the Gentiles may be acceptable and sanctified by the holy spirit as we haue cyted here tofore The fourt is that there is celebrated the memorie of the Lordes death passion which because it wes the verrie full sacrifice the name of sacrifice is applyed to that action whereby it is represented and thus speaketh Augustine when he sayeth by memorie and recordation our Sauiour is euery day offred vp These are the foure considerations whereby the fathers are moued to giue the name of Sacrifice and oblation to the Lordes table albeit that I dar not altogether allow this in them for since the Scripture giueth no such name vnto it and rashelie we ought not introduce any new speaking nor yet leif the acquent maner and phrase of the spirit of God yet somewhat is it tollerable in the fathers who caryed away in admiration of the dignitie and worthynes of the misterie could not wit certanelie what prayse to giue to it with what tytle decore set vp and exorne it Let this ones declared serue to the vnderstanding of the wryttings of the fathers when soeuer ether we shall read any thing in them or there authoritie shal be layed against vs. Chrysostomus ane Greik and ancien writter doctor 1157. zearis past writtis on this maner Christhes preparit a mekle mair wonderfull and magnificent Sacrifice baith quheÌ„ he changit this Sacrifice it self and al 's quhen he commandit him self to be offred in stede of brutale beastis Quhilks we offred in the aid law Hitherto Chrysostome he writtis iÌ„ a vther place saying O gret gude wyl of God towardis vs O mirakle he that sittis on y â— rycht haÌ„d of the Father in heauin aboue is conteyned in maÌ„nis handis in tyme of the Sacrifice Also he sayis in aue vther place do we not offer sacrifice daylie we do offer bot doing it in remeÌ„brance of Christis death and this hoste is in with mony and that oblation wes anis offred in to heauin bot this Sacrifice is ane exemple of that we do offer the same selfthing we offer nocht the day ane Lambe to Christe and the morne ane vther bot euer the sam self thing Quharefor this sacrifice is ane or ellis be that reassone zit is it offered in mony places ar thay mony Christis na thing les bot thare is ane Christe ouer all quha being heir all haill and thair all haill ane body for as that quhilk is offred in euery place is a body euin sa it is a Sacrifice bot he is our Byschope quhilk offred ane Sacrifice making vs clene We do offre the same that that quhilk wes then offered can not be confoundit Hitherto Chrysostomus out of quhais wordis mony notable leasone may be collected in contrare the realing reassoning myscheant mokrie of vaine men in thir dayis It appeareth that ye wer well bote in the conclusion what hath moued yow so soddenlie In this it is seâ—e that it is most trew that is reported of yow that as euer ye get any matche or any withstand yow ye then kindle and may not awaye with any contradiction But I wounder of yow a man that wyll seme to be verrie diligent in reading the ancients and in collecting all may serue to your purpose being no wayes occupyed but in the defence of this desperate cause that ye gather not out these notable leasons But this is your craft sire to cast a ielousie in the hert of the reader â—hat ye may appear that that ye are not in dede But let vs go to the examination of the mater In dede I can not find the formare wordes in 2. Homi. vpon the Epistles to Timothie nether vpon the first nor yet the secounde but geuing they be written I can find no thing in them any wayes helplie to yow For that the preparation of this Sacrifice is more magnifique and wounderfull nor the sacrifices vnder the law this is but spoken to extolle this holy Table aboue all the oblations of the law In what respect and consideration it is declared at large Of the offring vp of him self that is Sacramentalie spoken and apperteyneth no thing to his reale presence In the latter part euen in the conclusion of the. 2. SermoÌ„e vpon the secunde Epistle to Timothie he wrytteth these wordes I wyll schewe yow something that is wounderfull meruell not be not troubled what is this the holy oblation whidder it be offred by Peter or Paule or any preist of what sumeuer merite is the self same with it that Christe gaue to his Disciples and that the ministers now doeth make why so because men do not sanctifie this but Christe that hallowed that before that as the wordes are one that Christe then pronunced and they that be now pronunced by the ministers so is the oblation one aÌ„d thesame reason is of Baptisme so all doeth consiste
The Confutation of the Abbote of Crosraguels Masse set furth by Maister 〈…〉 Math. 1â— All plantation that is not planted by my heauenly Father shal be rooted out leaue them for they be blinde guides to the blinde 〈…〉 Lib. â— Epist. 2. If in the Sacrifice 〈◊〉 is Christe onely Christe is to be followed then must we here and do that that Christe did and commanded to be done since he in his Euangell sayeth if ye do that I command you now call I you not setuandes but freindes And the Father out of the heauen testifieth saying This is 〈◊〉 moste deare SoÌ„ne in whom I am compleated 〈…〉 Christe is to be herde we oght not 〈…〉 him before vs iudged to be done but what 〈…〉 before all Christe first did for the consuetude of man must not be followed but the truth of God Imprinted at Edinburgh by Roberâ— Lek 〈…〉 k and are to be sauld his hous at the nether Bow Cum priuilegio 1563. The Prenter to the Reader AS I haue at all tymes bene ready to employe and bestowe my laboures to the auancement of the glorie of God and vtiliâ—ie of his Church so the bruite rysing of this that I now present vnto thee good Reader Confutation of the Abbote of Crosragnels Masse I wes moste diligent and trauelled moste earnestly with the Author of it that it might come to light Hard it wes vnto me amongest many others to obteane it of him a man shamefast of his owen nature yet by the inopportune and continuall sure of the Church freindes being mollified and moued to yeald and remitte â—omwhat of his will in end oppenned vp his mynde that he hath onely written this by maner of declamatioÌ„ and so hath vsed some Greik wordes as expressing the mater moste liuely and sensiblie which wordes I had no Carracters to expres this moued me somwhat at the beginning yet finding them few in nomber and so seruing to the mater as I could not well suffer them to be taken away yea and no impediment to the vnlearned the sentence being moste plaine I coulde not those the learned to be frauded of so great a help and so vndertuke the mater Wherein I haue vsed the help of a moste excelleÌ„t young maÌ„ wel exercised in the tongue yit the trauel being wearisome in the hait of his occupatioÌ„s the ordour and reule by him laide I wes driuen and content to borrow the laboure of some Scollers whome I iudged to be moste expect Whom vnto it muste be imputed if ether fant shal be in lacking of a letter or otherwayes in accent and others such accidents This I speak no but to the praise of the great good wil of the children whâ— are ready and willing to gratifie the Church of God bâ—t to â—â—â—dicat the name of the Author from all calumnie 〈…〉 and wicked tougues If I should haue suâ— help 〈◊〉 Church as I haue oftentymes implored the shouâ—â—â—ot the ingynes and labours of the learned in thâ— countrie be retarded by any such impediment yea and I will promes further we should not be troubled to send here and there abounding in all thinges necessarie within our selues And so faire thou well in the Lorde Iesus At our buith the penult of Iuly 1563. The Epistle To the moste Noble potent and godly Lorde Iames Earle of Murray the Author wisheth grace mercy peace and increase of heauenly giftes of the Spirite of God THis consuetude hath of long antiquitie obteyned moste mighty Lorde that in weighty matters and argumentes of consequence euer the Patrociny fauor and authoritie of some great princely man hath bene implored The occasions and causes hereof althoght they may appeare many and diuers yet alwayes may be comprehended in a certane nomber for some trauelling in an haitefull argument subiect to inuy and tonges of many iudgeth the help and protectioÌ„ of such as placed in authoritie are most reuereÌ„ced of the people and ether by wisedome in iudgement or by prowes in warrely effaires hath coÌ„ciliat creadite and beneuolence of the stronger iudged the help I say of such moste requisite and necessarie promising to themselues securitie and quietnes vnder there shaddowe as it were authoritie and power as that we obserue commonly and be teached by experience in all aiges euer the muses to haue followed the impire dominion monarchie yea and with them flitted and remoued During the impire of the orient that is Assirians Chaldeans and Persians the Gymnosophistes were in price the Magians authorished and Egypt and east partes moste frequented but this power being deuolued to the Grecians we read how suddenly amongest them all sciences and â—nowledge florisheth that as it were out the hors of Troye starteth vp hundrethes and thousandes most eloquent in tongue moste witty in iudgement yea and most solide in erudition This their zeal emulation continueth so long as they had the vpper hand whereof they being spoiled it wes not so lamentable and greuous their decay in power and fall frome dominion as the lose of those wherein their principall glorie and reioycing did consist sciences to wit and erudition which alltogether with the impire flitteth This no dout as it proceadeth of the cairful ê“uidence of our God erecting ouer whelming Realmes at his good pleasure wil so is it as it wer moste kyndely and naturall that the muses delicat tender and Daines louing of quietnes still persue to be in greatest securitie and honour which taken away then do they incontinently vanishe Others to whom the horne of aboundance is shute vp are driuen to dedicate their lauboures to such as they haue found mercyfull and beneficiall towardes them to witnes their gratitude and thankfull mynde on that one parte on the other to satisfie the moste iuste and reasonable desyre of their manteiners who preafed hereby to redeame their memories â–ª from eternall and euerlasting obliuion Alexander the great howsoeuer he hath exceaded and excelled all that hath passed before in amplytude of impyre and conques yit in this iudgeth and pronounceth him self vainquest and inferiour to Achilles that he neuer culde haue such one as Domerus to write the historie of his valiant Actes and to set furth his praises Penurie lacke of mantenance as they be great enimies to good letters so is there nothing in this earth whereby we are encuraged more nor by the esperance and thriste of that glorius immortalytie which maketh the Fathers howsoeuer depriued of this lyfe of many aiges past yet to liue still and their memories to be moste happy and blessed This is the glorie of the children of God seing the caire of their God to vendicat their Names from darcknes committing them moste diligently and faithfully to Register that albeit their staire and condition be moste deplored and miserable yet their memories are at all tymes in Gods presence moste recent and blissâ—d All do trauelle to be spoken of but in the meanes standeth the diuersitie the
is moste certane we haue the mater expressed by the wordes at large declared in them so that any man that shal here these wordes pronounced incoÌ„tinently knoweth the mater being moste properly and euidently shawen by the wordes But this word masse I pray thee what affinitie hath it with the mater signifieth by it which nether it self is found in the Scriptures nor the mater signified by it I pray thee let me know the signification of it or what cuntrie language is it I know that some of your men trauelleth to draw it from the Hebrew some affirmeth it to be an latine tearme receaued in the great dekay of the latine tongue â–ª What euer it be the Authors can not conuene vpon it some affirming one thing and some an other It is moste probable that it proceadeth from the ryte of the Sacrifices of the Greikes who in the end thereof vsed some certane solempnitie in geuing leaf to the people to depart saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the which ye say Ite missa est crossing the people with an emptie chalice I myght take occasion here to speak somwhat at more large of this mater if my purpose were not to waite vpon this Author nowayes to pas by him Now followeth to intreat somwhat of the diffinition of the masse giuen by this glorious glosare an he giues first which is this That the masse is noght els properly but the Sacrifice of the Lordes body really contened vnder the formes of bread and wine institute by Iesus Christ in his latter Supper in remembrance of his death and passion Hereafter he interiectis this disputation of the name of the masse and then as new hauing digested his wyne he returneth and assigneth an other diffinition which is this The masse I vnderstand to be a commemoration of Christes death passion in the which the bread and wyne are coÌ„secrated according to Christes institution and the body and blood of Iesus Christ vnder the forme of bread and wyne are offered to the Father of heauen and are receaued as the heaueÌ„ly food of our soules This fare this Author any man that conferreth the one with the other may consider easylie how necessarie it wes to this Author to assigne this new and last diffinition because of the great imperfection of the formare Alwayes howsoeuer he is troubled with him self to patche sowe clamp and set together such peaces as will neuer aggre let vs procead to the examinatioÌ„ of the treuth of his sayinges This I vnderstand to be the maner of teaching of the Logique Scooles and namely of Aristotle whome to not without cause the Scoole giueth the praise and prerogatiue in the sext boke of his Topickes where he of set purpose entreateth of the conditions properties and qualities of a laufull diffinition that it shall haue it that they call Senus which being as it were confuse because it extendeth the self to other members nor it that is iÌ„ question they do adde differences which shall so properly apperteyne to the mater that is spoken of that they shall declare the nature and the substance thereof so that there shal nether want nor be superflous any thing therein but deuide discerne and seperate it from all others our inuerted Silenus in the former explication taketh the masse to be a Sacrifice but because there be many kyndes of Sacrifices therefore he addeth the rest that it may be knowen to be a Sacrifice of such a kynde and thus seperated from all others Now haue we to consider how iustly he doeth call it a Sacrifice All Sacrifices whatsoeuer thou shal here of in the Scriptures albeit they be many in nomber yet be they all redacted to this strate that ether they be of the noâ—ber of theÌ„ that the Greik calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea soÌ„tymes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby men doeth testifie and oppenly witnes them to receaue all thinges out of the handes of God and for his wonderfull and inestimable giftes and benifites offerreth the Sacrifice of thankesgeuing vp vnto his maiestie Of this sorte were they Sacrifices appointed in the Law and called solide offerringes libations the first stuctes oblations peace offerringes and such others whereby the people sometymes did testifie there Religion sometymes did vse them in maner of supplication to search the fauonâ— of their God now to practise with them selues the obedience and loue that they owe to their God in consideration of his liberalitie yea and now to stirre vp their hartes to the trew and vnfenyed feare of God and all together moste chieflie to renew the remembrance of that blissed and happy couenant which it hath pleased the Eternall to make with them I do think ye wil not minishe the glorie and prerogatiue of this your owne doghter whome ye flatter so busylie as to put her in the rank of these seing ye ascribe vnto her remission of sinnes Er opere operato For thus speaketh your gostly Fathers the Scoole men with the whole rable of Sophisters vnto that vndefyled lady who is ready to ioyne with euery shauilling and also is at all tymes ready deckt to him that hath the price in his hand Of this kynd of Sacrifices ye do not tak the masse to be as may euidently appeare by your boke where ye set her vp euen with the Sacrifice of the croce as we shal after here The other kynde of Sacrifices be when an oblation is offered vp for a sinne whereby it is redeamed before God and this is called a propitiatorie expiatorie an sacrifice of satisfaction as by the which the wraith of God is appeased satisfaction made to his â—â—ste and ryghteous iudgementes so that the sinner purged and restored vnto puritie and iustice is in fauor with God by virtue thereof seing it hath power and force to wype and washe away sinnes And this name had they offerringes in the Law that were ordeined appointed for remission of such sines as were committed euerie one in the own kynde not that they were able of them selues or had that force but because they were appointed to this end figuring that Sacrifice which is onely worthy of that name persyted by our Sauioure Iesus Christ vpon the croce putting end and syne to all Sacrifices If this Iowel and block of yours shal be of this kynde it falloweth well that she forgiueth sinnes And not without cause ye beck and bowe to her so earnestlie that is by virtue of that action that God remitteth sinnes But here wold I glaidly inquire whose sinnes are remitted whither the sacrificer or the beholder of the which I am sure no man knoweth for the moste parte any more but that he sees the murgeons played a disguysed preist somtymes pufting somtymes blawing somtymes dreaming now as it were walking out of his slepe now turning his face to the people now to the Alter now crosing now bowing him self doune
now murmilling somtymes displaying furth his handes now cōtracting them And fynally doeth not els but gaseth vpon the swellowing ouer of a peace of bread and the vglie and shamefull licking of a cuppe without any ciuilytie If in the beholding of this lyeth remission of sinnes in deid they are easie to be pardoned If we shall say that the preist as he taketh the whole to him self so onely obteined he forgiuenes of his sinnes then the people is heauily intreated and at an euill point when the harlote and the ignorant preist shall haue the whole This is mirrie to refresh the reader and yet is moste trew for this wicked and deuillish opinion of remission of snies by masse hath enuennomed all Christēdome and drowned it vp so that she allone wes esteamed to be the lady the plyght and souerane Anchor yea and the porte of all benediction and Saluation What blasphemie and derogation to the blood of Iesus Christ To his dignitie honor and preisthead hath proceaded hereof as it is now manifest to euerie one so in the refutatiō of this we are driuen to speak somwhat And firste wil I demād of this Romish Doctor where did he euer here that theie wes any Sacrifice instituted without a Sacrificer We knowe that the Author to the Hebreues Vendicates the dignitie of preisthead wholy to our Sauioure whose preisthead he calleth there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say of that nature that it can not be transferred into an other The argument of the Apostle is verie cleir in the 7. Chap. where he giues the cause of the multytude pluralitie of preistes euerie one succedinge other because they were mortal and subiect to death ād so could not remane But no such infirmitie falleth in our preist the Lord Iesus who hath offered vp him self in a ful satisfaction and recōpence for all our sinnes and that ones the vertue whereof remaneth perpetually and yet desisteth not to execute the other parte of the office of the preist euer interreading at his Fathers handes for the offences of the people euer liuing as the Apostle sayeth for that cause How then can this Sacrifice stand without a preist How can there be any oblation without a Sacrificer Secondly we be plainely teached by this same author that there can be no remission of sinnes without effusion shedding of blood In your masse there is no shedding of blood for ye call it on vnbloody Sacrifice but how iustly after shal be cōsidered How then darre ye promise to your selues remission of sinnes thereby Thridly if ye will pertinatiouslie insist and will it to be a Sacrifice necessarly it shal follow that it that is offerred shal be slaine If Christ be Sacrificed in euerie masse then shal he be moste barbarously and cruelly slaine euerie day in ten thousand places for ye affirme plainely that ye offer him vp vnto his Father This is not myne but the Apostles argument in the same Epistle if it had bene neidfull to him to haue offered him self ofter then ones then should he haue suffered oftentymes since the beginning of the world It followeth then cleirly that since ye take vpon you to offer him vp at all tymes in euerie corner that ye do that that is in you to put traterous and blody handes vpon him Your shiftes and subterfuges are well knowene to me firste that ye christ not successors to our Sauioure as if he were dead and vtterly taken away but suffraganes of his Eternall preisthead But if the wordes of the Apostle be well examinat and considdered aryght they do proue manifestly that nether neadeth he a successor nor yet a suffragane seing he is euer leuing and ready to execute yea and executing his office euer present with his Church and neuer intermitting the office laide vpon him by his Father And this his Sacrifice he dide ones offer vp by vertue whereof remission of sinnes is obtened to all that beleued In the office of intercession he is cōtinually occupyed as we haue somwhat touched so that in no part of his office can he be ether esteamed sleuthful absent or so occupied to require a Suffragane ether yet mortal and subiect to death that he should neid a successor Hereby I trust it be sufficiently declared your masse to be no Sacrifice and so your diffinition to fal in that point and so haue ye to lybell new againe To that ye say the Lordes body is really conteined vnder the formes of bread and wyne I wonder ye make no mention of the blood of our Lorde aswell as of the Body but in this ye shaw well where ye learned to wit at Sorbone and not at the Scoole of Christe for Christe instituteth and vseth two seuerall simboles of his body blood bread wyne but you as ye are teached of your maister Sathan doeth think that nawise neidfull In token whereof ye haue debarred all Christianes except a certane shauelinges from the one part of the Lordes table and hath reserued the cuppe all whole to your selues and in deid God be praised it is not euill sent vpon their boched faces Albeit that Iesus Christ the Author hereof doeth plainely command that all shall drink and this wes euer practised in the primitiue Church yea and euer reteined by the ancient Fathers howsoeuer ye take vpon you in your stinking diffinition that it wes so instituted by our Sauioure in remembrance of his death and passion so lyghtly not onely do ye pas by the holy ordinances of God but also the shedding of his blood In the Second diffinition which appeareth to conteine a certane correction of the former Ye call it a commemoration and remembrance of Christes death and passion In deid it is certane that our Sauiour willed and cōmanded that action which he had practised to be done in commemoration of him and after him Sainct Paule giueth charge lykewise that how so oft we shall eat of that bread and drink of that cuppe we annunce and furthshaw the Lordes death till he come But the masse to be that action ether yet to haue any affinitie with it being altogether al 's contrarious as the heauen and the earth lyght and darknes the day and the nyght he is more nor mad that tholeth hī so to be persuaded But of this repugnancie we will haue more ganing occasion to speak when as we shall atteane to that place where of set purpose you do handle the aggreance of the masse with the Lordes table and the diuersitie Where ye pretend the bread the wyne to be consecrated execrated I darre say boldly for consecration haue ye none according to Christes institution I trust there be none that euer hath sene the action of the Lord Iesus practysed ether yet hath red the wordes of his moste blissed institution that will consent or aggre thereto for in his action we read plainely that he take bréad gaue thankes brake it gaiue it
seme to winke at the mater we can not haue a more faithfull expositor of these wordes theÌ„ the Spirite of God by the mouthe of his holy Apostle Paule who as thou recyteth sayeth which is broken for you For it is moste cleare that the Sacramentall signe of bread wes not broken for them but the onely natural body of our Maister vpon the craice so that in no wayes these wordes may or can be referred to the pronome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first word of the promise where demonstration is made of the bread but apperteaneth to the latter word body For speaking of the bread he sayeth he brake it and he gaue it to his Disciples and not for his Disciples now meaning of his passion and that his body wes to suffer which is sayeth he broken for you as to the tyme we haue not to be curius for we knowe the Spirite of God somtymes in declaring that that is vndoutedly to be ether a long tyme or immediatly after to vse the present tyme yea and the tyme passed Lyke as here by the present he setteth furth that which wes to be vpon the morrow So the verie sense of the whole is This is the Sacrament of my body which is broken for you that is to say which body is to suffer and to be broken euen the morrow for you as shal be declared at more lenth when as by Gods grace we shal atteane to the place But I pray thee where shal we finde in these wordes such an vnbloody Sacrifice as thou here bringeth in I am assured the breaking of Christes body wes bloody and moste cruel where lykewise shall we finde this oblation For there is no mention of oblacion in this whole action nether yet did our Sauiour offer any thing there nor yet to his Disciples giueth he any coÌ„mandement to offer but simplie willeth vs to do this in remembrance of him which is relatiue to the whole action before practysed of taking bread thankes geuing breaking of it and distribution to be made here is neuer a sillabe of offering Well let vs go to the probation which is drowen out of Malachy the Prophet and his first Cha. the wordes are I haue no pleasure of you sayeth the Lorde and as for the meat offering I will not accept it at your hand for from the rysing vp of the Sone and to the going doune of the same My Name is great amonges the Gentiles yea in euerie place shal the Sacrifice be done and an cleane oblacion offered vp vnto my Name for my Name is great amonges the Gentiles Here I may haue occasion to speak somwhat of this interpreters faithfulnes who thinketh it nothing to turne by the future tyme that which is spoken in the present for I am assured that all the textes that euer I did se Hebrew Greik Latine Englishe French hath the word in the present is Sacrificed and not shal be and an cleane oblation is offered not shal be but I will pas by that followeth in this Doctor Mark sayeth he the wordes of the Prophet and ye shall perceaue that they are not spoken of the Sacrifice of the Lordes body offered vp vpon the croice For why the Sacrifice of the Lordes body on the croice was onely in Ierusalem and the wordes of the Prophet speaketh of a Sacrifice offered vp in euerie place and so furth Where this Author trauelleth by an argument that â—e call in the Scooles A sufficiente enumeratione partium that is when as we euert euerie particulare to confirme and establishe an certane thing but as this argument lacketh not the strenth when as all is properly euerted so if any thing be pretermitted ether yet improperly handled it proceadeth not Now to the matter of the Sacrifice of the Lordes body on the croice say ye it can not be vnderstand for it wes onely in Ierusalem I know that our Sauiour wes crucified in Ierusalem Yet what shal be the cause that it shall not be lefull to vs to speak as the Apostle Paule in the. 3. to the Galth where he plainely witnesseth that our Sauioure wes crucified amonges them Why shal the same libertie be denyed to all places where the death of our Sauiour hath bene or is lyuelie preached Which no dout hath bene euerie where lyke as the Prophet testifieth in the. 19. Psalme and the holy Goste speaketh of Paule appointing him to beare the name of Iesus to the vttermoste partes of the earth Why then may we not expound this saying of the Prophet of the Sacrifice and oblation of the body of Iesus Christe seing he is euerie where crucified wheresoeuer his Euangel is treuly preached And as touching thy stinking and filthy masse it hath bene God be preased at all tymes included and circumscribed within a certane boundes and that verie small But thou will say pereuentur that the speaking of the Apostle is metaphoricall What if I shal say the same of the wordes of the Prophet For if he admonisheth vs of any thing to be erected after the abrogation of the ceremonies of the Lawe no dout he speaketh so by the fygures then vsed in the Lawe that thereby we should vnderstand an other sort of worshipping to be plaÌ„ted and receaued in place of those fygures Thus thru the speaking can not be proper but alwayes metaphoricall from the vmber shoddowe to expres the veritie And thus may we haue the sense of the wordes of the Prophet properly that euerie where is there an oblation or Sacrifice offered vp in my Name that is the Sacrifice of my Eternall and onely Sonne wherewith I am all whole coÌ„plesed and delyred is offered vp vnto me that is preached for whatsoeuer way thou can apply this saying to thy masse that same way shall I proue that it conueneth and more iustly to the predication of the Euangel and death of our Sauiour For where thou restreines his death to the towne of Ierusalem so will I affirme of the institution of his holy Supper out of the which thou soucketh moste iâ—eptly and impiusly thy fond masse If thou will insist and say that the masse is done euerie where I answer the same of the Sacrifice of Christes body more treuly If thou shall reply yet that that is onely by preaching I answer that first thy masse hath nothing to do with the Lordes table and besydes that the Author of the holy Supper did ones sanctifie this action which remaneth for euer as I haue shawen heretofore as our Sauiour died ones willeth his death to be preached euerie where and so consequently to be crucified in all places according to the metaphorical speaking of the Apostle as I haue already declared Now I pray you good Reader perceaue with me the vanitie of this new Author the strenth of his argumentes and the forme of his proceadinges Secondly ye go about to proue that the sayinges of the Prophet Can not be vnderstand of the wordes
blood of our Sauiour to lurke and so to be expossed to the doggishe appetite and cruell teath of a filthy harlote what a masked Sacrifice is this Augustyne speaketh more reuerently geuing vs a generall reule to discerne proper speaches and thinges that be spoken properly and vnderstand euen as they be written from improper and Metaphoricall that whensoeuer we be commanded to do that which includeth no absurditie nor repugneth not to all humanitie nature then haue we to take this commandement as properly spoken and to be obeyed as it speaketh But where the commandement is giuen against all humaintie nature and reason as to eat the fleshe of man and to drink his blood then let vs think well that the speaking is improper and Metaphorical What wil thou answer to this saying of this godly learned man Thou seeth plainely this godly Father to grant manifestly a figure in these wordes this is my body and that they oght to be vnderstand figuratiuelie and Metaphorically iudgeing it a great impietie til a man to think that he shall eat the body and fleshe of man drink his blood in any wayes really and substantially as ye do fondly imagine But to be mirry with you ye do well that howsoeuer ye do vse this haynus cruel and more nor barbarus boucherie vpon the Sonne of God yet that he sealeth not your horrible intreatment that he being a maÌ„ against the nature of man is made insensible and inuisible some relief and confort hath he God giue you his holy Spirite that ye may ones consider the treuth submit your self vnto it in all humilitie The last defference is in the consideration of the cause wherefore the Lordes body is offerred vp in the Sacrifice of the masse The Lordes body wes offered vpon the croice to obtene euerlasting lyfe satisfaction for sinne redemâ—tion and so furth The Sacrifice of the masse was institute by our Sauiour in the last Supper not as a new satisfaction or redemption but it is a new Sacrifice in coÌ„memoration and rememberance of Christes death and passion be the vse of the quhilk we are made pertakers of the fruct of his death and passion This farre In deid in the practise of the Lordes Table we be teached to celebrate the Lordes death till his comming that is to say to remember and meditat with our selues yea and confesse preach and annunce in presence of the whole world the benefites procured and obteined vnto vs by the death and resurrection of our Sauiour and no dout the faithfull is ioyned with Christe and made participant of his iustice holynes innocencie and so furth Yea and as Tertuliane speaketh the bread and the cuppe are verie pledges of our spirituall lyfe resurrectioÌ„ and Saluation But we acknowledge no such thing to be receaued of thy wicked impius and vngodly masse which thou here decketh vp with the ornamentes of the Lordes holy table not vnlyke to Esops Crawe But since we are atteined hetherto I will not werie to shaw the defferences betuix the two which shall not be altogether without fruct nor yet from the purpose and shall conclude them shortly in four heades 1. First we know Iesus Christe appointed vncted of his Father the Eternall preist according to the ordour of Melchisedec then to haue executed absolued and perfyted the office of his preisthead when as at the will of his Father he offered him self vp in a Sacrifice of sweit Sauour vpon the croice the onely and Eternall Sacrifice which no dout wes prefigurat long before in Melchisedec who being ones in the Scriptures broght in is declared to be the preist of the liuing God without any further mention of him In this blasphemus Sacrifice of your masse ye spoile and rubbe the SoÌ„ne of God the onely and Eternal preist of this prerogatiue of preisthead ioyning to him Collateralles Companions successors and suffraganes to vse his charge and execute his office euen as the same infirmitie were in him that wes in the preistes of the Lawe who by their mortalitie wes driuen to take men till occupy their roumes supplie there absence and so releif their charges The Apostle affirmeth no such imperfection to be in our Sauiour the Eternall preist euer liuing to execute his office of mediation and intercession whose preisthead is of that nature that it can not be transfered into any other And if it be trew that we be teached by the same Author that no man taketh any honour vpon him but he that is called of God as Aron Shaw the place and commandement of appoynting of these new Sacrificers And as I am moste certane that thou shall finde none in the Scriptures so am I assured that thow can haue no suffrage nor testimony of antiquitie thereof For Chrysostomus is plaine and Augustine plainely sheweth it to be the voice of the Antichrist if any man shall call a Bishop a mediator betuix God and man so straitly doeth he ascribe and vendicat the whole honour of preisthead vnto Christe that not one â—ote he will thole to be taken or communicat with 〈◊〉 other 2. The Second difference is that it wholy defaceth and distroyeth the croice and passion of Christe For that is moste certane that assone as euer thou erecteth an Alter that the croice of Christe is vtterly extinguished For ye will not deny but our Sauiour Christe offered vp himself to purches and obteâ—ne perpetuall sanctificaion and forgiuenes to his Elect and faithfull the vertew whereof is Eternal and remaneth other wayes we could iudge no other thing of this Sacrifice of Christe then of them vnâ—er the Lawe the which are tryed by that to be of small value that they wâ—re oft reiterat Wherefore we muste conclude ether that the croice of Christe lacketh the force of Eternall pâ—rgation or els that it is a sufficient Sacrifice whereby he hath fully satisfied for all and that perpetually Now then if place shal be to this thy Sacrifice which isso practised that a hundreth thousand of them are offered vp in a day What can we think but that the passioÌ„ of our Sauiour wherein he offered vp him self to his Father shal be vtterly rased defaced buryed and quenshed I sâ—air to rehears the testimonies of the Scripture because we will haue immediatly after occasion to speak of them 3. The thrid propertie and vertew of the masse is that â—t burieth and obliterateth the death of our Sauioure to the which is attrybuted by the Spirite of God the whole Saluation and Redemption of man For as commonlie â—monges men the Testaments and latter willes of men are of no effect nor strenth to the man that maketh it be depriued of lyfe so we know our Sauiour to haue confirmed his Testament wherein we be written aires of the Eternal kingdome by his death Weknow lykewayes what a Sacriledge it is to alterre change varie and innouate any iote of a Testament Shall this
is neuer a syllabe I pas by sindrie maters that might be adduced and should serue properly to this purpose as why at the beginning when this opinion entered in of thy Sacrifice of the masse a loÌ„g time there wes but one in euerie Church yea amonges a great multitude of Monkes and Freares there wes but a preist and an Alter a masse and that but vpon Solemne dayes as we see yet in these dayes but an Alter in the Popes Chappell a masse and that but at certane tymes in the yeare By these thinges I truste it may be easylie espyed of what mynde this Author asceibeth the applycation of the fructes of the Lordes death to the masse euen to foster and manteane all wickednes and impietie to the plaine mockage derision and contempt of God peruersion and supplantation of his holy ordinances defacing and burying of the Sacrifice of the croice fynally to thruste the Sonne of God out of his owen roume to spoile him of his prerogatiue of Eternal preisthead and intruding a preist The Apostle pronounceth that Christe the Sonne of God by his onely oblatioÌ„ ones offered purchased Eternall sanctification to all the Elect of God And in that disputation not onely abbrogateth and wypeth away the Sacrifices of the Law but also fully refuteth your vaine dreame of this sacrifice of the masse Ye affirme your masse to be a Sacrifice by virtew whereof ye haue remission of sinnes and that al 's well to the dead as to the quick The Apostle affirmeth plainely that there is no place now to any Sacrifice since the saying of Ieremie is accomplished and fulfilled when ye are thus vrged ye true to your shift and cryeth that it is no new Sacrifice nor any thing different from the Sacrifice of Christe but the self same The Apostle occurreth to this and denyeth that it oght any wayes to be repeated or reiterat and is not contented to call it a Sacrifice but adioneth that it wes one 's made yea and wholy vendicates the glorie and prerogatiue of the Eternal preisthead vnto the onely anoynted of God so that it can coÌ„uene to none to offer him vp but to him self Your craft to schift you of this is to say that the wordes of the Apostle are to be vnderstand of a bloody maner your Sacrifice say ye is vnbloody but the Apostle affirmeth without any exceptioÌ„ that there can be no Sacrifice by which remission of sinnes is obteined without effusion of blood Last of all ye here affirme that it is a certane applycatioÌ„ of the feuer of that a Sacrifice offered by our Sauiour To this the Apostle answereth for this cause and to this effect the ceremonies and Sacrifices of the Lawe haue bene abbrogated and taken away by the death of Christe because in them there wes memorie and mentioÌ„ of sinnes which they were no wayes able to take away Whereby ye are constrayned and compelled in dispite of your obstinat and indured hart to grant that no such kynde of applycation can haue place as ye haue foolishely deuised Change and turne thee in al 's many formes and figures as the Poyet speaketh of Protheâ—s thou shal be holden so fast and strait by the disputation of the Author that thou shall in no wayes escape He teacheth vs plainely that none is able to offer him but him self what a Sacriledge then is it that euerie preist shall take this vpon him in the masse Secondly he pronounceth this Sacrifice to be one and ones perfited that it can not be repeated in the masse howsoeuer ye affirme it to be the same yet is it offered vp oftentymes yea many myssion of tymes in an hour nothing appearing but a preist euerie where The Apostle pronounceth geue rally that there is no Sacrifice without shedding of blood ye affirme youres to be vnbloody as we haue said heretofore The Apostle when as we shal search remission of our sennes commandeth vs to stay our selues on the passion and death of our Sauiour his Sacrifice and sheweth the difference that is betuix vs and the Fathers to be that they were astricted and bund to a continuall ryte ordaine of offering vp of Sacrifices which we are exempted and deliuered oâ— by the death of our Sauioure Ye affirme plaine against this that the Sacrifice of the croice of Christ can in no wayes serue vs vules the virtew of it be applyed vnto vs by this your Sacrifice 〈◊〉 iudge I besech thee godly Lector of this do not repugne plainely to the wordes of the Apostle and doeth introduce a new iudaisme by pluâ—alytie of Sacrifices and heaping vp of ceremonies Thou goeth about to declaire thy wicked opinion by an exemple drowen out of the medicine where it repugneth nothing that a thing be propyned by sindrie instrumentes This saying is trew but if the medicin shall 〈◊〉 proper instrumentes to entreat handle his patient committed to his cure charge and yet shal take a poysoned Goblet filthy and stinking alwayes trimuâ—e deckt and verie semely without and in it propine to his patient rank poysone making hiÌ„ who hath wholie submitted him self to his faith to beleue that he shall receaue the moste pectoral and confortable potion what shal we think of this medicin what is thy iudgement of him â–ª Is he not worthy of the death This is more proper and pertinent to thy purpose Chrysostome vseth the similytude of the medicine but more properly then ye do as the medicine sayeth he and it be strenthy and of virtew ones being vsed and applyed shall expell the sickenes and is no more to be vsed otherwayes it shall declaire the owen imperfection if it shall neid to be after vsed so sayeth he is the oblation of our Sauiour which in respect of the perpetuall virtew and power of purgation and sanctification ones offered is not to be repeated In that they were commanded to offer Sacrifices as is coÌ„teined rebuke and reprehension of sinnes so in the multitude and repetition of them is tryed the infirmitie of the thinges that were offered Take head now what thou doeth vrgeing this Sacrifice so earnestly and defacing the vertew of Christes Sacrifice which herâ— by â—an not be but impotent since thou will haue it so often reiterat Thou neadeth not to oppen vp our infirmities subiection to sinne and iniquitie to proue the necessitie of this thy blasphemus Sacrifice as we had no other meanes to be assured of our Redemption but by it we haue God be praised Baptisme and the Lordes Supper which we acknowledge to be the holie institutions of Iesus Christe whereby we are fully and perfectly assured 〈◊〉 our deliuerance by Christe and of our coniunction with him Now let vs prosecute the rest Followeth an other obiection made by Iames. Alwayes sayes he all ze quha vses the masse dois not this not is not in the Text that is come to my handes but because the sentence requireth it I
haue added it as Christe did in the latter Supper Communicat to the multitude and ze tak all to zour self How soeuer this glorius diuine sheweth a bould and a throwen countinance it appeareth that he is moued with this argument and in deid not without cause for all the Papistes in the earth can not excuse this great Churlishe Sacriledge Let vs consider his answer Be that same argument sayeth he I wil cut thy throte with thy awin sworde the cause of this boiste he exponeth for why sayeth he Christe CoÌ„municated efter Supper and ze of the new learning dois communicat vther tyme of day I thoght ye should haue said and we papistes doeth play our masses at an other tyme of day For who should haue beleued this man who taketh vpon him the defence of the Papistrie should damne in vs that he alloweth in his owen faction His Second argument is Christe communicat to his tuelf Disciples allanerly and ze communicat to all men and wemen indefferently swa ze do not as Christe did For why the Scripture makes na mention that thair was ony wemen thair Perceaue the captius ingine malicius and stubburne mynde preasing euer to that that he may damne in vs all the most laudable and godly customes that hath bene since the beginning yea and practised by them selues albeit in a wicked maner He proceadeth Trewly brother and ze besa scrupulus Scripturares that ze will do nothing but but is not in my Text as Christe did towardes the vse of the Sacramentes ze will subuert our haile Faith and commend our awin doinges so I ride it our owen doinges or commonly I can not tell which should be red or if there be any other thing yet For quhair find ze that Christe euer appointed ane man to be Baptised I darre bauldly say this ordinance wes neuer of the Euangell nor zit of the Kirk of God nor of ony vther haue and iuste authoritie ather God or man My maister here findeth him so bound with the argumeÌ„t that he can not tell what way to escape And in verie deid it is no wonder for in this they haue abused them selues so wickedly against the manifest ordinance of God the practise of the Apostles the coÌ„sâ—tetude of all antiquitie and authoritie of the godly Fathers that they can pretend nothing Yet neuertheles that he might not seme altogether dume and so to zeild to the treuth thus blasphemusly he brusteth furth and cauillateth the alteration of tyme as our Sauiour thereby had giuen an expres commandemeÌ„t and so had astricted the practise of the holy action to that tyme in the which he did vse it moued by good causes and considerations For the Supper we know most assuredly that the intention of our Sauiour wes not that it should be practised and celebrated by night but we knowe the cause why he taried and aboide the comming of the night which wes that he wes to eat the Pasouer with his Disciples the which Lambe of the Pasouer wes vnder the Lawe of Moyses euen as the holy Table is to vs now for therein the Iowes had a certaine visible signe how that God had preserued them miraculusly when as his furie wes disployed vpon the Realme of Egypt As lykewise there wes a greater and more excellent Redemption proponed in this vmber ceremonie and shaddow to them to pause moste diligently and meditate vpon The Apostle Paule therefore declareth our Sauioure Iesus Christ to haue bene this pasouer this Pashe lambe he then with his Disciples receaued this Sacrament that wes appointed for the Fathers vnder the Lawe and so being willing to abolishe this signe he instituteth the holy Supper now it wes not lefull to eat the Pasouer before the going doune of the Sonne This is the cause then why our Sauioure did institute and practise this holy communion at that tyme so that this is not to make a certane reule or to giue a certane instruction so continually to do Now then we haue to aduert and discerue diligently and to followe this as an infallible reule that in the actions of our Sauiour we muste luke what it is that he willeth vs to take and follow as a certane and sure reule to giue as it were from hand to hand but in other thinges that are not to be drawen exactly to imitation nor consequence we haue nothiÌ„g there to moue as when our Sauiour sayeth hauing receaued the bread take ye eat ye this oght to be obserued strictly The cause is for it wes not for a tyme that our Sauiour gaue the bread but he willeth that the bread yea euen this day and to the end of the world the bread I say should be distributed in his Name and euen as he were in the middest of vs. And suchlyke of the Cuppe He willeth that we eat the bread to be thereby admonished instructed that our nourishmeÌ„t is of his body and when we shall drink the wyne that we receaue it as a figure that his blood is our Spiritual drink it whereby our soules and consciences are refreshed to that heauenly immortalitie that is to be reueiled vpon the Sonnes of God To determine thus exactly vpon the tyme of the celebration of the Lordes Supper that we shall insist with all rigor hauing no necessitie as it were mere rashnes so we grant that the Church may appoint some other tyme since there is no commandemnt thereof The cause why the communion is distrybuted in the morning it is easy to be gathered of Cypriane First that the morning is more commodius to the celebration of the holy assemblies For we obserue many thinges to fall in the rest of the day whereby men are withdrowen from godlie actes and interpryses Secondly we are moste sober then and haue our mindes moste able and ready to coÌ„ceaue heigh weightie maters He addeth thridly that the morning tyme is a certane monument of the Resurrection of our Sauiour which is not to be dispysed in this holy mysterie Trew it is that the Ancients in the tyme of abstineÌ„ce and fasting because they tuke no meat before night they defered the communion to that tyme spending and bestowing the whole day in fasting praying preaching Psalmes singing and other godly exercise At night wes the celebration of the Supper wheÌ„ they offered them selues to the holy Table syne passed home to the refection of their bodies But this consuetude wes abbrogated by the sext council of CoÌ„stantinopole holden in Trullum The Decries we haue in the Greik tonge where plainely mention is made that this consuetude wes obserued in the Churches of Affrica yea Augustine shaweth that in his tyme in many places vpon the Thurisday before the Pashe tyde after Supper the Table wes proponed vnto the faithfull that there might appeare no defference from the action of our Sauiour But in this we haue not to be verie cairfull so we may haue the
traditions fond and blasphemus ceremonies that they were altogether hidde and wrapped vp As Baptisme we know that our Sauiour ordeined it most simplie in the word and in the watter preach sayeth he and baptise let the worde sayeth Augustine come to the Element then shall we haue a Sacrament Thus we see what Christe ordeined we see what this godly Father Augustine approued and what wes in the Church reteined The worde wes preached and the Sacrament in watter vsed but what hath our men done â–ª They haue added oyle they haue added spattell and a thousand other fattras and beggerly thinges that they call ceremonies All wes done by a shaueling who knew no more the dignitie nor the nature of that Sacrament he ministred nor doeth thy gray hors Abbot and all wes muÌ„bled in a strange langage Credis credo quod he Vis Baptizariâ— Volo quod he Quid petis Baptismum quod he that nether â—e nether yet any of the assistance did vnderstaÌ„d nether yet what he required that wes Minister nor yet what wes promest on the other part But otherwise out Sauiour did ordeine and otherwise speaketh Augustine â—oâ—est verbum fidei quod predicamus This is the word of Faith that we preach In the holy institutions of our Sauiour we shall euer obserue not onely the substance that thou tallest set furth by him self but also the ceremonies that be verie ceremonies which we oght not to preterm it being so ioyned with the substance of the Sacrament that if any alteration shal be admitted the Sacramentes are no more Sacramentes For this cause plainly pronounceth Paule that the Corinthians did not eat the Lordes supper the cause is exponed in the Text and clearly declared by the Ancients because they patched in somwhat of their owen and so peruerted the puritie of the Sacrament what if Paule should now reuiue and see how miserably and traterouslie ye haue abused and deceaued the world I think he should lay it sorer to your charge nor he doeth to the Corinthians I regard not what intention soeuer they procead of these your ceremonies for I am sure ye haue no such cloik nor couerture as had the Corinthians to wit the releif and support of the poore So that not onely their blissed communication in Iesus Christe wes preached vnto them but liuely practised the poore and riche all conuening together eating at one table and the poore supported by the riche without any contempt or disdaine Of the tyme and place and suche others circumstances that thou callest ceremonies I haue already protested that I moste willingly subscriue with you but I deny that the same proceadeth of the multytude for I affirme that to be a substanciall ceremonie coÌ„manded and appointed by our Sauiour whose institution the heauen and the eareth may not nor oght alterre In the institution of his holy Supper he tuke bread brake it gaue thankes and distributed it so that no persoÌ„ how well disposed soeuer he shall appeare may take vpon him to change this that is to say to offer him to this action alone no more then one seuerally might haue eaten the Pashe Lambe seing it is the ordinaÌ„ce of our Sauiour and the mysterie of our coniunction consociation and vnitie with him moste liuelye set furth in it no more nor the bread is made of a graine of wheit can there be a communion without distribution and in this no man can coÌ„pleane that he is frustrat iniuried or euill entreatted but rather may haue iuste occasion of complaint where as the institutioÌ„s of God haynuslie coÌ„temned he might be broght in a fals erronius and wicked opinion So these priuate masses and quiet Tables that be appointed for one are altogether against the institution of this Sacrament and the nature of it and can not be without an horrible Sacriledge iniurie and sâ—lander Where thou concludest the Preist to be ready to distrybute to all others being disposed that is moste vntrewly pretended of you For we haue sene and may see in your Synagoges great barres and chanceler walles made expres to this end that the people mitght be debarred so that their whole fruct is to gaise vpon your Sacrificers swellowing vp a peice of bread moste vnsemely licking a Challice Besydes this if ye had any reuerence of God in youre breastes or respect to his holy ordinances what is the cause that thretry or fourtie of you being at your masses together he in this corner and here an other Sire Ihon iâ— an other why do ye not ioyne your selues altogether and set you doune at a Table and there celebrate the Lordes Table according to his commandement Now shift thy self as thou can thou shall not escape For as the cheif and principal confort we haue of the Lordes Table is to assure vs that we fead vpon the body and blood of Iesus Christe and that we are ioyned and made all one in him So no dout they excommunicat them selues and cutteth them of as it were from Christes body that seuerally craueth it and of a wicked zeal offereth them to it since their deutie is rather neuer to oâ—fer them hetherto then to discerne and diuide that which our Sauiour hath ioyned For we are to be assuredly persuaded and think well that the grace of God is not so fixed to his SacrameÌ„tes but the faithfull mynde may and shall obteane it by Faith without the Sacrament if there be no contempt sleuth or negligence Iames here desyreth to be more fully instructed How our Sauiour appointed all thinges necessarie for manis Saluation concerning the effect and substance and shawed not be his worde the ceremonies and maner how thir thinges should be vsed but refered to the Kirk To discuse and declaire this question asked by Iames this glorius Gospeller sâ—tteth vs furth a rude exemple of a potent prince directing furth his Ambassadoures geuing them a commission conteining certane heades and articles bearing the substance and effect of the whole which he commonly tearmed instructions Yet sayeth our Doctor there is nothing prescribed to them of their garmentes in the day of their presence nether yet any kynde of ceremonies necessarie and expedient appointed Albeit this similytude be not euerie where trew yet wil I grant it partly to be verie proper we know Iesus Christ to be this poteÌ„t mighty prince his ministers are teached by S. Paule to be the Ambassadoures of our reconciliation the instructions of this ministerie to be conteined in the Scriptures sufficiently fully and perfectly so that there is not passed by a ceremonie substanciall I meane To other thinges called ceremonies by thee as the setting of the cheare the table the foormmes benkes to the East or the west the place the tyme our owen garmentes or such others of that Kynde Euen as the Spirite oâ— God hath pretermitted and passed by these circumstances with silence so we may luke herein to the commoditie of the Congregation prouiding alwayes that
thou doest it to abuse the Text and wreist the sense of it to confirme thy wicked opinion It is neidfull to shaw thee the absurditie that shall ensew Doutles if thou should vnderstand the wordes referre them to that oblation that wes a lytle after made vpon the croice then should I grant thy sayinges and go with thee moste willingly being assured of the approbation of the wholle Church and consent of the Godlie Fathers But thou that thou may seme to haue inuented somwhat of thy owen head confoundest these wordes to the ignominie of the Eternall Sonne of God spoiling him of his preisthead and intrusinge in his roume a pestilent harlote a shaueling after the ordour of Epicurus Sardanapalus This in deid can not be suffered for being demanded of Iames what thou will inferre of this thou answerest braggest that thou hast gotten thyne intent which is Our Lorde maid ane oblation of his body blude in the latter Supper and gaue his Apostles commaundement to do the same Thou subioynest the cause the gif our Sauiour in the latter Supper had onely institute the cōmunion and not the Sacrifice of the masse then he had said tak ze eat ze this is my bodie quhilk giuen to zow and not for zow because giuen to zow includes onely the communion and giuen for zow includes not onely the cōmunion but al 's ane Sacrifice as the phrase of the wordes plainely declares The horrible blasphemies that be here conteined in these few wordes nether can mynde think nor tongue sufficiently expresse For by these wordes not onely shal we find that he spoileth the Sonne of God the Eternal and onelie preist of his honour trodding him vnderfoote and al 's that he moste craftilie and inuiusly taketh from vs that great infinite treasure of the latter Supper of the Lorde Iesus which we are commanded to practise til his returning and in the which he hath so mercifully and aboundantly disployed his benefites giftes mercies towards man This I say this Author taketh from man for if giuen to you includeth the communion as this Author sayeth and our Sauiour hath pronounced no such thing but giuen for you it followeth well that here there is no such institutiō as the holy communion for by this Author giuen for you is offered for you Christe then offered him self there we be commanded to do the same then followeth that we are commanded to offer him and so to make Sacrifice of him where is there any place to the communion then whiche is no Sacrifice or els of necessitie thou shall grant that the communion and the Sacrifice are bothe one which repugneth manifestlie to thy doctrine but aggreeth in deid with the Ancientes For some of them we obserue to haue giuen this Name of Sacrifice to the Lordes Table but that improperlie because it is instituted and practised in memorie of that Sacrifice which onely is worthy of that name consider how thou art trapt in the same Snaire that thou prepared for others and how craftily to establishe thy impius Sacrifice of the masse thou fraudest the whole Congregation of that great and inestimable confort of the Lordes Table This belyke thou wolde meane howsoeuer thou sayest that in these wordes giuen for you is included not onely the cōmunion but al 's the Sacrifice of the masse for with what Brow can thou deny but I may collect of this thy doctrine that there is no communion at all for as thou sayest giuen to you includeth the communion so say I that giuen for you includeth only the masse It followeth well for giuen for you is asmuch as offered for you and so importeth a Sacrifice then it followeth well that we haue no communion but a Sacrifice onely for thou will not grant the communion and the Sacrifice to be one diuiding and separating the one from the other and collecting two diuers institutions in the latter Supper And so alwayes it is fals that thou assumest to proue that our Sauiour institute two thinges here the holy Table and the Sacrifice of the masse And lykewise it followeth euidently that ether we shal lacke the communion or els the masse This followeth moste necessarly of thy interpretation if thou will say that the communion is conteined in the former parte of the Table he tuke bread brake it gaue thankes and gaue it to his Disciples and in the latter part for so ye of your factiō distinguisheth the wordes this is my body which is giuen for you here he instituteth the Sacrifice the cōmandement apperteaneth equalie to bothe then muste it follow that there be two seuerall actions the former hauing as it were nothing to do with the latter the communion to wit and the masse Secondly hereby we shall collect that there shal be a Sacrament without a promes euerie man I truste wil grāt the Lordes Table to be a Sacrament which can not subsist without the promes For if giuen for you apperteaneth to the wordes preceading this is my body and shall altogether be referred to thy masse and now shal haue nothing to do with the former action of distribution of the bread this Sacrament shall lack the promes and so consequently shal be no Sacrament how vaine and fonde this is let euerie man iudge For I darre affirme that there is no man of iudgement that wil diuide and disseuet this action being all one and what Sacriledge doest thou think it to dissociat distract and put a shunder that which is ioyned by God And to answer you sire in your owen maner what wes the cause if the mynde of our Sauiour wes to institute here a Sacrifice and that such a Sacrifice as your masse that he doeth not take a peice or portion of bread a certane quantitie of wyne erect vp an Altare or at the least withdraw him self some space from the company vse the ceremonies that ye do vse and so to make and offer vp the Sacrifice We know that the wisedome of our God hath forget nothing vncommanded touching the offering vp of Sacrifices in the Law the garmentes and apperrell of the Preist the erecting of the Alter the beast that wes to be slaine and lykewyse of the rest of the circumstances ceremonies then to be vsed when as the preist approched to the practise of the oblation Should this haue bene pretermitted in this Sacrifice where the Sonne of God is offered vp the veritie and treuth of all Sacrifices preceading We obserue with what solicitude studie and cairfulnes the Spirit of God painteth furth the celebration of the Pasouer and with what diligence our Sauiour and maister Christe Iesus celebrated it according to the precept of the Law not passing by a ceremonie And requireth he not the same of vs in obseruation of his ordinances Will ye affirme that there is any obliuion forgetfulnes sleuth or negligence in our God Why doeth he not then say to his company in
haue our former rebellion forgiuen and remitted There is no mention of muÌ„dled masses but our author is so addicted to his wicked opinion and so blynded that wheresoeuer any word is made of a Sacrifice one altare one oblatioÌ„ one hoste incontineÌ„tlie thinketh he with him self ha this author maketh for me let me put this in protocolle neuer hauing respect to the custome of the tyme nor sense of the author and so abuseth all to the wrapping vp of him self in obstinacie and blynding and deceauing of the people The oblation and Sacrifice what it wes I haue declared one hoste lykewise what the altare is the author to the Hebrewes and Ihon in the Reuelation declared to wit Iesus Christe who vndoutedlie is the altare vpon the which we haue to offre vp our Sacrifices hostes and oblations of prayer thankes and liberalitie whome by all our actions Sacrifices and oblations are sanctified and he is the verrie Hoste of the whiche Sacramentallie and spirituallie do eat all that offereth them to the holy practies of the Lordes Table and do beleue in him as youre owen Parisien doctor Gâ—gneus doth well say We know none other altare nor the Scripturs of God allow vnles ye wyll set vp a new Iudaisme as ye fetcht in a gentilisine out of Virgile in your obite masse and the moste part of all your proceadinges as I am able to declaire particularlie if tyme and leaser should serue Now sayeth this author giue I wald call to rememberance all the sayingis of the godly Fatheris quhilks treattis according to this purpose our Colloquie sulde extend the boundis and grow tyll ane gret worke quharefore we wyll rehearse the sayingis of the maist notable Counsallis I truste ye haue adduced all myght serue anywayes in your Iudgement to this deuilishe purpose of the defence of the miserable masse but if the mater had bene good and allowed of God I dout not but albeit ye should pereuenture not haue nedeth so many yet we could haue contented with a few nomber but my beleue is that these authors being ryghtlie coÌ„siddred the tyme weyed there myndes graipped out where in we haue takeÌ„ some paine not vnfructfullie God be praysed the lector shal perceaue clearly that they make no thing for your partie Followeth the concile Nicene Towards this purpose sayeth this author The counsall Necene quhilk wes the first generall consal ester y â— tyme of Apostles apê“uin in al ages 1226. zearis bypast writtis and sayis on this maner disponing our selues to the godly table lat vs not luke selenderlie vpon the bread and the cuppe set before vs but lat vs lyft vp our mynd be faith vnderstanding in that holy table to be the Lambe of God takin away the Sinnes of the warld offred vp be the preistis without blude and we receauing verilie his pretius bodie and blude aucht to beleue thaim to be the plage of our resurrectioun The Sacrifice that is here spoken of in the determination of the concile is a Sacrifice of prayse laude aÌ„d thankes geuing whiche albeit it be made by the minister yet since it is made in the name of the whole Church the people doth consent in there hartes to it that is oppinlie spoken by him yea doth approue it to by the saying Amen It is reputed no les to be the Sacrifice of the assisters nor of the minister This then is the Sacrifice the councile speaketh of making no mention of a Sacrifice propiciatorie to be made for remission of sinnes of the deade and quick This propiciatorie and expiatorius Sacrifice wes offred vp by Christe that ones neuer to be repeated aÌ„d reiterat for the way is euer ready prepared his blude euer fresehe as the Apostle speaketh The Churche in dede in memorie of that Sacrifice offereth vp coÌ„tinuallie oblation oforation prayers thankes giuing The wordes of the Concile calling Christe the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world are not to be referred to the symboles of bread and wyne whiche the concile disertlie pronunceth to be there but to the Sonne of God Christe him self who wes made the verrie propiciation of our sinnes and the correction of our Peace But here I wyll hear with your falt in the traÌ„slation knowing yow to be ignorant of the Greik tongue aÌ„d should passe by it if it should not serue to the declaration of the mynd of the concile for lest that any maÌ„ should think that this action be a verrie Sacrifice this is added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not lyke a Sacrifice or not after the maner of a Sacrifice so the sentence Sacrificed of the preistes not as ye turne it without blood but Sacrificed by the preistes not after the maner of a sacrifice or not lyke a Sacrifice declareth plainely that there is no suche Sacrifice propiciatorie ment of here as ye falslie pretende whereby ye may perceaue euidentlie a great difference betuix the Sacrifice that is offred by the preist and the Sacrifice of Christe who in verrie dede did offre him self after the maner of a Sacrifice that is to the death for the absolution and expiation of the sinnes of the worlde The preist wiâ—â—â—he 〈…〉 and offer vp not after the maner of a Sacrifice as the councile sayeth the action of thankes laude and prayse for that sacrifice cause Where by the wraith of God is anoyded sancâ—ification purchased foâ— his 〈◊〉 wypeth away oure sinnes and not the eating of his body nor drynkinh of his bloode And forber we shall obserue in this that this councile wylleth vs to lyft vp our myndes and not to fixe them vpon the â—ume ElemeÌ„ts that be set before vs we be here I say admonished Christes body naturallie to be in the heauennes and to be no wayes here in this action but as he is in Baptisme as this councile planely doeth declare and we haue alreadâ—y shewen in Chrysostomus Others thinges I passe by that be here to be obserued and are most lyueâ—ie setfurth as the forme of the action the mention of the Table according to the forme practeist and obserued by oâ—r Sauiour the â—yfting vp of 〈◊〉 â—artes by faith â–ª the 〈…〉 made indifferentlie to all of boith the partâ—s â—aâ—e of all in the wordes â—â—â—â—ted by yow that we oght to take but a lytle and sober quantitie â–ª knowen that we do not offre vs thither for the saturâ—â—e aÌ„d filling of the flesche but for sanctification as the councile doeth moste godly conclude Now lat vs cum to the consale of Ephesus haâ—â—â— 1128. zeris byâ—ast â—uhareby wes condemned the 〈◊〉 of Nestorius wryttis on this maner we do offer ane vnbludie Sacrifice and also we cum to the haly Sacrament and ar maid haly being maid partakers of the haly body and binde of Iesus Christe quhilk wes maid redemer of vs all not receauing it as commouâ—â—lesche God forbide nor as the slesche of man maid haly
Sacraments in their owen simplenes and integritie Since of such circumstances there is nothing commanded and they touch not the substance of the mater But in few wordes plainly to answer our captius Momus in appoiÌ„ting a seuerall tyme to the vse of the Lordes Table other then at after Supper in so doing I say we do rightly abyding in that libertie which our maister and lawmaker hath graÌ„ted vnto vs In these wordes do this as oft as ye do it in remembrance of me in saying as oft our maister maketh all tyme fre vnto vs. Now where it is here obiected that Christe did coÌ„municate onely to his tuelf Apostles and that we receaue all men and wemen indifferently It is not clearly declared by the Euangelistes if there wes no mo then present with our Sauiour It is moste probable that there wes mo for it is not to be supposed that the godly and religius ladies that coÌ„tinually did follow him yea and in the moste troublus and dangerus tymes did not leif him that they were not present then when he gaue and left to his Church the moste quick and confortable testimonie of his coniunction with them But all is a mater for albeit that it were so that the onely tuelf were admitted to the Table yet we know and reades a plaine commandement giuen to them so to do as he had done that is to diuide and distribute the bread Attoure we be well instructed by the Spirite of God speaking by Paule to the Corinthianes that he receaued of the Lorde that which he gaue vnto them he subiuneth that they should communicat and without any defference all to be admitted one tarying for another We haue the practise of the Apostles the suffrage of all antiquitie yea and ye your selues how durst ye take vpon you to giue the Symbole of the Lordes body if ye pretend no coÌ„mandement nor exemple of the Lorde But this is the continuall practise of Sathan to damne in all others that which they do them selues And in this that we vrge thus earnestly the communion which can not be with out distribution there is no such danger as thou pretendest of subuersion of our whole Faith and Religion For we affirme plainely that our Religion can not stand if we shall not beare that reuerence vnto the ordinances constitutions of the same that we decline not one iote from the reule that is layed before our eyes by the Lord Iesus And howsoeuer thou vnderstandest this that thou subiunest that if we shall do nothing but it that the Lorde Iesus did we shall incurre the same danger of peruerting of all Whereby appearently thou will affirme in outwarde â—â—â—nges and ceremonies that the preceptes be not so firme and established but they may be innouated and changed yea euen in this holy action To this answereth Cypriane in his Epistle Contra Aquarios where he affirmeth the preceptes of this Saâ—arment to be of moste great weight and Christe him self doeth he not pronounce him to be the least that is none in the Kingdome of heauen that shal dissolue or break the least one of his commandementes Read I pray thee the 4 and 12. of Deuteronomion and the. 15. of Nombers where we be plainely teached that he will not suffer one of his ceremonies to be changed Yet we will grant that there is some defference in the preceptes of God For some we grant to be of that nature that no wayes we can be absolued from them as all the preceptes that commandeth and forbiddeth of the which the whole Law and the Prophetes dependeth the summe whereof is the loue of God and our nighbour Others there be that we are not oblist to but when the tyme the place and other commodities requireth and vrgeth as the Hebrewes were not oblist to offer vp Sacrifices in all places nor yet at all tymes but in the place chosen by God and the tyme appointed by his wisdome But in these this is euer to be obserued that when the commandement is to be performed executed then we inuert nor change nothing We know how Nadab and Abiu were entreated and Oza for his temeritie and rashnes and also how Ozcas wes strucken with Leprosie and such others Thus when thou practissest the commandementes of the Lorde thoâ—e the neuer to be drowen one iote from his constitution Ye take good head that nothing shal be pretermitted or broken in your masse of those thinges that ye call Cautele messe the Pagaines in their Sacrifices we read with what Religion attendaÌ„ce they preceaded and this libertie shal be denyed to vs Yea if we shall vrge the obseruation of Gods holy commandementes then is it obiected that that can not be done without the ruine of the whole whereby we may easylie obserue and espy whatsoeuer they bragge of any reuerence to God that there whole studie is to dissolue and subuert all the whole Now commeth this glorius diuine to affirme that we are not able to proue that we haue any coÌ„mandement to Baptise one maÌ„ which when he hath written I feare that Thome Armour hath bene a foote Aristotle in the firste boke of his Topikes sayeth that if any man should deny the Fyre to be hote or Snow white that we oght to procead against such one with no argument or reason but rather by extremitie and rigor of the whip how then shall we entreat this our new Scripturare that denyed no les impudently nor ignoraÌ„tly that there is no precept of baptisme of one maÌ„ if he should haue spokeÌ„ of babes we should haue thoght he should haue Sauored the Anabaptisme But what shall we say here it appeareth well that thou art giuen ouer of God into a reprobat sense But alwayes that thou pas not away without an answer doeth thou think that the Baptisme of Ihon wes of God or of man and in the wildernes that he did Baptise stones or the wilde Roes The Euangelistes testifieth that the men of warre and others came to Ihon and were instructed of him of there deutie and Baptised Yea and our Sauiour him self belyke there hath bene none other Baptised with him and Iesus Christe did he not Baptise gaue he not commandement to Baptise wes not this practised by the Apostles and because thou speakest of one what doeth thou think of the fact of Philippus in Baptising the Ennuche of Candace Quene of Athiopia But parâ—uenttur thou will make the obiection that there is no such commandement of a singulare man giuen in plaine tearmes I answer do ye not think that he that commandeth all to be Baptised that he debarreth none I truste thou will go this farre with me but thou will insist why shall it not be lefull in the Lordes Table that that is in Baptisme allowed one seuerally is receaued in Baptisme why shall it not be in the Lordes Supper the same I feare I seik further in thy writing nor thou meanest thy self To this
I answer that there is a great diuersitie betuix the one and the other for the one is appointed for an other cause and directed to an other bute nor the other The one is to receaue vs of nature being strangers into the couenant league societie and housholde of God the other is to witnes and testifie that all those that be thus entered in the league to them all is common they are all members of one body they haue all one faith one Baptisme one Lorde and Father of oure Lorde Iesus Christe vpon the body and blood of the which Iesus they do all fead so that now herein is signified the great and heigh mysterie of our communication together that they are all one body as the Apostle doeth plainely testifie and these two Sacramentes lacketh not their figures in the olde Testament we know Baptisme to haue succeded in the place of circumcisioÌ„ and the Lordes Supper in the roume of the Pasouer The eight day precisely wes appointed for ministration of the Sacrament of circumcision so that now supputation to be made from the day of the Natiuitie of the Childe ether thou moste say that God prouided them all to be borne in one day or els they were receaued according to the ordour of the Lawe euerie one conforme to the calculation from his Natiuitie so that now one wes receaued seuerally or els God prouided mo This can not be denyed to vs but in the Pasouer thou will not finde that one did sit doune alone eat it but that rather then any should lacke of the nomber they should call vpon their nighboures and so go to that mysterie Now consider with thy self first in the figures of the one the other Secondly in the effectes the defference betuix the one and the other that thy argumentes can no wayes procead nor haue any place The suÌ„me of our whole disputation is to attend and discerne diligently betuix the commanded ceremonies of our God hauing including certane misteries whiche can not be pretermitted without a certane sacriledge yea the peruerting of the hoill action institution as we be plainelie teached by Paule 1. Cor. 11. such other cercumstances as tyme place and such others which in dede may be altered and changed at the determination of the church Hitherto I haue susteined the parte of Iames but heir he foolishlie tholeth him self to be caried away thus sayeth I perceaue be your ressoning it is expedient that thair be diuers ceremonies and customes vsed in the ministration of the Sacrament and al 's in the Sacrament of the masse quhilk are not conteined in Scripture I thoght ye should haue said in this maner I perceaue there be many ceremonies customes bowinges murgeons and such others tryfles not vnlyke to a farce or an Aippes play vsed in your masse which our Sauioure did not coÌ„mad nor the Apostles practise nether yet is allowed of any antiquitie that it hath no similytude nor affinitie with the Lordes Table but rather vtterly repugnnig and contrarius vnto it yea and in it ye blasphemussy call the Sacrament of the Lordes body and blood ye haue fraudfully spoyled the people of God of the one parte thereof and so not onely impiusly hath peruerted the substance of it but in the action it self hath proceadeth with the same remeritie rashenes and Sacriledge to the contempt of God and the bitter and greuous sobbinges of all godly seing the people of God thus miserablie deceaued by you and in the place of the holsome and confortable Cuppe of medicine the bitter and horrible Goblet of vennome Gal daÌ„nation tyranoussy and vnmercifullie propyned But this Soule hunter iÌ„troduceth Iames seruiÌ„g to his turne speaking at his appetite I dout not against the mynde of the gentilman whome I take to be godly and nothing content of his parte in this farce To this is answered frely of the parce of the Abbote in this maner Trew it is albeit Iesus Christ our Sauiour hes appointed be his word and Scripture all thinges necessare for manis Saluation as towarde the substance and effect nottheles as towarde the ceremonies and maner how thir thinges should be vsed quhilkê he hes appointed for manis Saluation he refered it to his Kirk and Ministers to quhome he hes promised the Spirit of veritie to the end of ye warld And so furth Wold to God ye vnderstude what ye haue here said in the former parte of your answer but I feare ye play here the parte of Caiphas wheÌ„ he prophecied that it wes meit and necessarie that one should die for the people not knowing what he had said This godly Reader hath bene continually and is the whole trauell and studie of the godly preachers to assure vs of the infinite and perfect wisdome of our God vtterred in his Scriptures of the sufficiencie of his word which this fyue or six hundreth yeares hath bene kept in a most horrible bondage by the tyraÌ„ny of them that vanted themselues be the tytles of Pastors to the soire complaint of the godly in al aiges and the haynus horrible entreating of the poore flok redeamed with the precius blood of Iesê° Christe This good word that it may wel and euidently appeare that thou euer reteanest thy owen nature as it is fallen furth of a certane euenture so it is wrapped suedled vp with the vennemous dregge of Papistrie and the fond imaginatioÌ„ of thy owen hart so that scaerflie can it appeare for thou adiunest I can not tell what distinguo toward the substance sayest thou all is conteined in scriptures necessarie for our Saluation and not towarde the ceremonies What if I should say to thee pas thy way with thy ceremonies that thou callest and I will content me with the mater and substance what could thou obiect Thou speakest all Magistraliter Sorbonice assuming all that thou sayest without any probation What callest thou ceremonies that thou vrgest here to be so necessarie The exemple adduced by you will declaire and I trust we shall aggre as by exemple Followeth in our Text our Sauiour when he institute Baptisme he commanded his Apostles that thay should Baptise in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the haly Gaste he appointed nether tyme nor place nor quha sould beir witnes to them that war Baptised Here ye may obserue that this Author called the tyme and place ceremonies which are not ceremonies but as I haue tearmed them heretofore circumstances the determination and appointing whereof I moste willingly submit vnto the wisdome and discretion of the congregation of the faithful and godly not to the wicked and pernicius but to the trew teachers and not to the Reuenus Volfes to the humble and lowly and not to the horned Bishopes bloody Cardinalles and the head and cheif of that whole rable the Antichriste of Rome who hath so hemd in and obscured the holy ordinances of God with their beggerly