Words which Mâ—tthew and Marke would not have omitted if by them the Lord had instituted the Sacrifice and the Priesthood of the New Testament CHAP. XXXIII That the Sacrifice of the Masse agrees neither with Scripture nor with reason 1. THe two third partes of Saint Pauls Epistle to the Hebrews are employed in speaking both of the Sacrifice and of the Priesthood of the Christian Church where neverthelesse no mention is made at all of the Eucharist nor of any other Sacrifice of redemption than the death of Christ our Lord. 2. Moreover in many places namely about the end of the ninth Chapter the Apostle saith As it is appointed unto men once to dye so Christ was once offered for to take away our sinnes Teaching us that as man dieth but once and that the death of men is not reiterated neither bloodily nor unbloodily so the Sacrifice by which Christ offered himselfe for our sinnes receiveth no iteration And in the tenth Chapter two severall times he saith in expresse tearmes that Christ hath offered Vnicam oblationem one onely Sacrifice and then sate him downe on the right hand of God 3. For since Christs death is a price and a sufficient Sacrifice for our redemption there is no more need of another Sacrifice of redemption That if for applying unto our s lves Christs Sacrifice he must he sacrificed againe by the same reason for to apply his dâ—ath unto our selves he must be put to death againe Christ and his death is applyed unto us by the fraction of the bread 1. Cor. 10.16 And by Baptisme Galat. 3.27 And by that Faith whereby Saint Paul saith that hee dwelleth in our hearts Ephesians 3.17 but not in sacrificing him 4. But how should Christ in the Masse satisfie for our sinnes seeing he is no more in that condition of satisfying nor of suffering for us But onely in the state of interceding and impetrating for us as Bellarmin confesseth * Bellar. li. 2. de Missa cap. 1. §. Secundo Christus nunc nec mererince sâ—â—isfacere potest sed tantum in petrare I gitur impetratio propria est hujus sacrificij vis effiâ—â—â—â—ia Christ saith he cannot now merit nor satisfie but only impetrate Wherefore the proper vertue and efficacie of this Sacrifice is to impetrate not therefore to redeeme and satisfie Now for to impetrate Christs intercession whereby he maketh request for us sitting at the right hand of his Father Rom. 8.33 is sufficient without being needfull to sacrifice him 5. Wherefore the Pastors of the Chritian Church are never called Priests in the Scripture for to distinguish them from the people But all the faithfull are called Priests by Saint Peter in his first Eâ—istle Chap. 2.9 And by Saint John Revelation 1.6 He hath made â—s Kings and Priests unto God and his Father 6. The Apostle Saint Paul to the Ephesians 4.11 maketh a denumeration of the Offices which Christ ascending up to heaven left here to his Church And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Of Priests and Sacrificers he speaketh not one word No more than in the first to Timothy and in the Epistle to Titus where he describeth the duty of Priests whom hee calleth also Bishops and of Deacons without making any mention of this Priesthood 7. It is evident that to be a Sacrificer is a thing more excellent than to be Sacrificed So Aaron was more excellent than the beasts that he offered Not onely because he was a man and had these Sacrifices in his power but also because these Lambes and Bullocks were figures of Christ as hee was a man who was to die for us but Aaron represented Christ as hee was God offering his body in Sacrifice to his Father for our finnes Priests therefore boasting themselves of sacrificing Christ advance themselves above Christ 8. In all Sacrifices the thing sacrificed and offered unto God must be destroyed and killed But in the Masse Christ is not destroyed and suffereth nothing there Therefore in the Masse Christ is not sacrificed To say that in the Masse Christs sacramentall being is destroyed is a pure mockerie For Christ hath but one being to wit his naturall being And this word of Sacramentall being is as much as a significative being which is a Chymera oâ— fond conceit The principall is that in the Masse they pretend to sacrifice Christ for our redemption But the Sacramentall or significative being of the Lord is not the price of our redeÌ„ption is not sacrificed for us That if the Sacrifice be made when the species of the bread and wine are destroyed we must say that the Sacrifice is made in the stomach of the Priest some houres after the Masse is ended for there must be some time for to destroy the species by the disgestion 9. Furthermore in all Sacrifices the thing sacrificed must bee Consecrated and in every Sacrifice there must be some Consecration But in the Masse there is nothing consecrated Not the bread for they hold it is no more bread Not Christs body for men cannot consecrate him It is he that consecrateth us Not the accidents of bread For they be not offered to God in Sacrifice otherwise the Masse would be a Sacrifice of accidents of colour of savor of lines and superficies 10. Our Adversaries never find themselves more puzled than when they are put to finde in the institution of this Sacrament some action wherein this Sacrifice doth consist by which they pretend that the consecrated Hoste is sacrificed to God in propitiatory Sacrifice Doth this Sacrifice consist in the words whereby the Priest presenteth the body of Christ unto God and prayes him to have that offering acceptable But we have seene in the foregoing Chapter that our Adversaries doe confesse thaâ— Christ made not God his Father Doth this Sacrifice confist in the fraction of the bread But that is impossible for Christ brake the bread before hee uttered the words of Consecration therefore hee brake no consecrated Hoste And when the Priest lets the Host fall whole into the Chalice without breaking it the Masse leaveth not for that to be called a Sacrisice as Bellarmin * Bellar. lib 1. de Missa cap. 27. §. 60. Si forte panis consecratus in calicem decidat non solet fragi sedrelinquitur ita intâ—grum usque ad sumptioneÌ„ nec tamen sacrific um irritum aut essentialiter immutanri creditur Adde quod hac caeromonia Dommus non v detur esse usus acknowledgeth Perhaps they will say the Sacrifice consisteth in the manducation But that cannot be For eating is not sacrificing That if eating be sacrificing every one of the People shal be a sacrificing Priest and the Peoples mouthes shall be as many Altars Vnder Moses Law in all the sacrifices after which the people did â—ate of the things sacrificed the sacred feast was made some houres after the Sacrifice was ended Neither can the Sacrifice consist in
28.2 But this place is likewise alleaged falsly For Saint Matthew in the very same place saith the cleane contrary There was saith he a great Earthquake For the Angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rolled back the stone from the doore of the Sepulcher And Marke chap. 16.4 saith the same c Thom. 1. Concil Edition Golonan 1567. pag. 814. Revoluto monimenti lapide tertio die caro resurrexit Leo the first Bishop of Rome in his 95 Epistle to Leo Augustus acknowledges it saying that in the third day the flesh of the Lord arose againe the stone of the monument being rolles backe In vaine do they alleage that Chriâ—â— walked upon the waters For what iâ— that to prove that his body may be in severall places at one and the same time He that walketh upon the waters is not for that farre from himselfe If Christ by his divine power hath made the waters firme under his feete or sustained his body that it might not sinke he hath not for that placed his body in severall places nor changed the nature of his body If I keepe up and uphold with my hand a stone above the water that changes not the nature of the stone and doth not take from it its weight and heavinesse For to prove that the body of the Lord hath beene sometimes in two severall places at once they alleage the 23 chapter of the Actes verse 11. where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the night following the Lord stoode by Paul from whence they doe inferre that Christs body being in heaven stood neverthelesse by Saint Paul on earth In speaking thus they presuppose without proofe that the Lord of whom is spoken in this place is Christ onely and not God simply without distinction of persons Yea even in reâ—â—raining this word LORD to Christs person there is nothing in that place that obliges us to understand this of the body of Christ rather then of his divine nature and vertue Might not â—he sonne of God speake and make himselfe sensible to Saint Paul by his divine vertue without a locall and bodily approach The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 12.7 Luc. 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 23.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof Saint Luke makes use signifieth not onely to stand by one but also to come upon him unlook'd for to relieve and succour him and make him feele his favour as may be seene Acts 12.7 Luke 2.9 Acts 23.27 In all these places the Greeke word signifieth to come upon unlooked for Now the Roman Church doth not beleeve that Christ comes unto the Sacrament but beleeves that hee is made in it CHAP. XXI Of the dignitie of Priests And that our Adversaries debase and vilisie the utilitie and efficacie oâ— Masses and make them unprofitable for the remission of sinnes And of the trafficke of Masses THe Doctors of the Roman Church do speake of the Eucharist as of the highest mystery of Christian Religion and extoll with such bigge tearmes the power of priests in making Christ with a few words that they call them Gods and Creators of their Creator having a power above the blessed Virgin Mary and above all the Angels who cannot make Christ because he is made already So saith Gabriel Biel in his 4 lesson upon the Canon of the Masse * Ad Sacerdotii authoritatem Angeli coelorum cives noÌ„ audent aspiraâ—e The Angels Citizens of Heaven dare not aspire to the authority of Priesthood And a little after †Transgrediendo perinde agmina Angetorum ad ipsam eoeli Regâ—naÌ„ mundi Dom nam veniamus Haec etsi in gratiae plâ—nitudine â—â—â—aturas supergrediatur universas Hierarchâ—s tamen cedit it commissi mysterii executione Passing by the bands of Angels let us come to the Queene of Heaven and Lady of the World The same though in pleniâ—â—de of grace shee goes beyond all the creaâ—ures yet shee yeelds to the Hierarchs of â—he Church he cals the Priests so in the â—xecution of the Mystery committed unto â—â—em And it is in the same lesson where â—e saith that Christ in incarnate and made â—â—esh in the hands of Priests as in the Virâ—ins wombe and that Priests doe create â—heir Creator and have power over the â—ody of Christ Peter de Besse in his Booke of the Royall Priesthood chapter 2. speakes thus Saint Peter addeth that all Priests are Kings in token whereof they weare the crowne And in the 3 chapter The Priesthood and the Godhead are in some things to be parallell'd and are almost of equall greatnesse since they have equall power Matth. 16. 18. Againe Seeing that the Priesthood walketh hand in hand with the Godhead that Priests are Gods it goes farre beyond the kingly authority and Priests are farre above Kings And in the same place hee calls them Masters of Kings surpassing as much in dignitie the royall office as the Soule surpasses the body Which hee hath taken out of * Baron annal An. 57. §. 31. At verò longe praestare sacerdotes regibus arâ— gumento quo utitur plane significat Et paulo post Regem sacris ministris minorem gerere ordineÌ„ certum est And shewes it by the example of S. Martin who made a Priest drinke before the Emperour at the Emperour his owne table Baronius He addes Incredible things saith he but yet true that the power of Priests is so great and their excellencie so noble that heaven depends on them Item in the same place comparing the Priests with Josuah at whose Prayer the Sunne stood still he saith Josuah stopped but the Sunne but these to wit the Priests stay Christ being in heaven in the midst of an Altar The creature obeyed to the first but the Creator obeyes to these last The Sunne to the one and God to the other as often as they pronounce the sacred words To be short he concludes that whatsoever God is in heaven the Priest is the same on earth And all that with the approbation of the Faculty of Divinity at Paris prefixed in the front of the Booke It is good to know that England having beene a long time without a Bishop subject to the Pope the English Papists complained lately they had no body to conferre them the Orders and to minister unto them the confirmation without which the Canons say that a man cannot be wholy a Christian Vnto whose desire Vrhan now raigning being willing to satisfie sent them a titular Bishop which hee hath called Bishop of Calcedon But the Jesuits tâ—at are in possession of ruling and governing among the English Papists would not receive that Bishop saying that Confirmation is not necessary and that the Baptismall Vnction may supply the want of Episcopall Crisome and that a Church may bee without a Bishop Against whom the Sorbonne of Paris did cast some Censures calling their doctrine hereticall and scandalous
far as to be able to make God with words and to have Christ in their own power This abuse beginning to creepe in France King Charles the Bald about the yeere 870 made a commandement unto one Bertram a Priest and as learned a man as these times did affoord to compose and write a Book of this matter which Book we have yet whole and â—xtant at this day wherein hee maintaines the true doctrine and withstands stoutly and vigourously that opinion of the reall presence of the body of Christ under the species of the bread For of Transubstantiation there was yet no speech of it For which cause also Bellarmin in his first Book of tee Sacrament of the Eucharist first chap. puts this Bertram amongst the Hereticks Who not withstanding in his time lived with honor and was neither troubled nor received any rebuke or reprehension upon this subject Of the same opinion were Iohn Scotus and Drutmarus and others of the same time And I make no doubt but many others with them have defended the same cause in writing But the following ages in which error prevailed have abolished their writings and it is marvel how this Book of Bertram could escape thus The tenth and eleventh Ages are the Ages wherein this error did strengthen it selfe most in which neverthelesse God left not himselfe without testimony For Bruno Bishop of Angiers and after him but more vigorously Berengarius his Arch-Deacon taught and maintained openly that the bread and wine of the Eucharist were not the body of Christ but the figure and remembrance of it * Sigebert ad annum 1051. This Berangarius began to shew himselfe about the yeare of our Lord 1050. Against whom Pope Victorius 2. caused a Councel to be gathered at Tours about the yeare 1055 and foure yeeres after Nicholas II. cited him to Rome to the Councel assembled for that effect where Berengarius was forced to condemn his own doctrine submit himself to the Popes wil. By the reading of that Councel it appeares that â—here were in it many others of the same opinion of Berengarius And Leo * Leo Hostiensis Chrâ— Cassinensi li. 3. c. 35. E que cum nullus valeret resistere Alberiâ—us â—deÌ„ evoâ—ntur Hostiensis recordeth that none of those that were there present could resist Berengarius The forme of the abjuration prescribed unto him is to be found in the Collections of the Decrees made by Ivo Carnutensis and by Gratian which forme is set down in absurde tearmes and which the Church of Rome her selfe beleeves not For they make him say a Can. Ego Berengar Dist 2. de consecr that the bread is the true body of Christ and that Christs body is truely and sensibly handled and bruised by the teeth of the Faithfull But Berengarius being rid out of the hands of that Councell and returned back into France protested against the violence offered unto him and continued to teach the same doctrine till the yeere 1088. in which he died Upon his tombe Hildebertus * Hild. Epitaphio Berengar apud Malmesburiensem Quem modo miratur semper mirabilâ—ter orbis Ilâ—e Berengarius non obiturus obit Quem sacrae fidei fastigia summa tenentem c. Vide Baron ad ann 1088. § 21. who after was Bishop of Mans made an honorable Epitaphe wherein he tearmes him the Prop and Support of the Church the hope and the glory of the Clergy And France Germany Italy and England were full of people that embraced his doctrine as William Malmesbury testifies in the 3. Book of his English Historie All France saith hee was full of his doctrine And Matthew of Westminstâ—r in the year 1087 * Eodem tempore Berengarius Turonensis in haereticam lapsus pravitatem omnes Gallos Italos Anglos suis jam pene corruperat pravitatibus Berengarius of Tours being fallen into heresie had corrupted by his depravations almost all the French Italians and English Platina in the life of John XV. speaks thus of Berengarius It is certain that Odius Bishop of Clugni and Berengarius of Tours men famous and renowned for doctrine and holinesse were in great esteeme in that time Adde to this that Berengarius distributed all his meanes to the poore and betooke himselfe to get his living with the labour of his hands * Guit alias Berengarius istevir bonus plenes eleemosynis et humilitate magnorum possessioneÌ„ qui omnia â—â—usiâ—spauperum â—dispersit c. Antoninus Arch-Bishop of Florence whom the Pope hath canonized and made a Saint gives him this testimony in the 2 Tome of his Chronicles Tit. 16 § 20. This Berengarius was otherwise a good man full of Almes deeds and humility and having great possessions and riches which hee distributed to the poore and would have no woman to come before his eyes About the latter end of Berengarius his life lived Gregory the seventh who entred into the Papacy in the yeare of our Lord 1073. called Hildebrand before he was Pope This Gregory was suspected to incline to Berengarius his opinion Sigonius in his 9 Book of the reigne of Italy in the yeare 1080 recordeth that the Bishops of Germany assembled at Brixina in Bavaria did call this Gregory Vâ—terem haeretici Berengariâ— discipulum an old disciple of Berengarius the heretick accusing him of calling into question the Apostolicall Faith touching the body and blood of the Lord. And this agrees with Cardinall Benno Arch-Priest of the Cardinals who was very inward and familiar with the said Gregory and who wrote his life wherein hee saith that Gregory appointed a fast to three Cardinals to the end God might shew whither of the two to wit Berengarius of the Church of Rome had the rightest opinion And there he relates that John Bishop of Port in a Sermon at S. Peters Church did declare in presence both of Clergy and People that Gregory for to obtaine some divine answer had in the presence of the Cardinals cast the holy Sacrament into the fire Berengarius being dead he had many successors that maintained the same doctrine even to the time of Petruâ— de Valdo of the City of Lions whose disciples were named by their enemies Valdenses and Albigenses Of whose Religion and Confession of Faith conformable to ours Fasciculus rerum expetâ—ndaruÌ„ fol. 95. Indocus Câ—â—cius Tom. H. lib. 6. de Euchar fol. 602. hath been spoken before in the 21 chapter of the first Book and shewed that their Churches remaine even unto our times Furthermore John Wicklâ—f in England in the yeere 1390. taught the same Of whose doctrine contained in eighteen Articles here is the first That the substance of the bread remaines after the Consecration and ceases not to bee bread Against the Faithfull that professed this doctrine the Pope stirred up Kings and Princes and caused an incredible butchery to bee made of them preaching the Croisadoe against them whereby hee gave the same spirituall graces unto those that should