was sent by the Emperour to the Church of Libia for to make the Eucharist that by that occasion the Incruent al sacrifice of the Mass was not for long time offered he adds moreover that those goods which Perisopia a most noble woman had bequeathed by Testament to Monasteries and to the poor to the end that the sacrifice might be offered for the health of her soul he had given to prophane persons sure these actions were then esteemed great Crimes or else he durst not to have presumed to propound them in the face of so great a Councel 431. In the great Councel of Ephesus the Epist of Cyrill Patriarck of Alexandria and synod of that place to Nestorius was read cap. 3. and highly approved and commended as agreeable to the Councel of Nice or containing nothing ambiguous nothing dissentaneous but agreeing to our setled faith without any noveltie Now this Epistle was a profession of the Catholick faith and to our purpose in these terms Announcing the death of the only born Son of God that of Jesus Christ according to the flesh and his Resurrection and in like manner confessing his ascension into the heavens we celebrate in the Churches the incruental verity of sacrifice so also we come to the Mystical Benedictions and are sanctified and made partakers of the holy body and precious bloud of Christ redeemer of all of us not receiving as common flesh farr be it nor as of a sanctified man and as of one joined to the word according to the unity of dignity or of one possessing the divine habitation but as truely life-giving and made proper to the word it self being life naturally as God for he is united to proper flesh and has declared that to be life-giving and therefore as he said to us Amen Amen I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his bloud yet we ought not to think that to be as a man one of us for how can the flesh of man according to his nature be life-giving but truly made proper to him who for us both is and is called the son of man I cannot conceive but that this was then the common belief of the whole Church when from this Mystery of the Mass they proved the Godhead of Christ 325. I shall conclude with the 18. Canon of the first General Councel held at Nice where it is said That there was brought to the holy great Council that in some places and Citties the Deacons did give the Grace of holy Communion to Priests which neither Rule nor custome hath delivered that those who offer Christs body should receive from them who have no power to offer also it was declared that some Deacons did touch the holy thing offered that is the Eucharist before the bishops These might suffice to any rational man for a clear attestation of the holy sacrifice of the Mass even in those primitive times nevertheless I shall by way of addition produce the testimony and judgment of the holy Fathers and Doctours of those times CHAP. IV. The testimony and judgment of the holy Fathers and Doctours for the Sacrifice of the Mass and that within five hundred years after Christ 430. I Shall begin with the foresaid S. Cyril even in the first Councel of Ephesus in his Declaration of the 11. Anathematicisme We celebrate in the Church the life-giving and incruental sacrifice beleiving that which is set before us to be the body and in like manner precious bloud not of some man-like and common but rather we receive it as the proper body and bloud of the life-giving Word for common flesh cannot vivificate and our Saviour testified this saying the flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickeneth but because it is made proper to the word therefore it is understood as is life-giving as our Saviour said As the living father sent me and I live by the Father and he who eats me the same also shall live by me 430. Theodoret about the same time cap. 20. of the History of the holy Fathers In the life of holy Maris says When divine Maris had a long time desired to sea the spirituall and mystical sacrifice to be offered he asked that the oblation of the divine gift might be made I willingly yielded to him and commanded the holy vessells to be brought when the village was not far distant and for an Altar used the Deacons hands and offered the mystical divine and salutarie sacrifice 420. S. Augustine Epist 23. ad Benifacium Was not Christ once immolated in himself and yet in the sacrifice not only through all the Paschall solemnities but every day for the people l. 20. oont Faustum c. 21. Who of the Bishops assisting at the Altar in the place of the holy bodies at any time said I offer to thee Peter or Paul or Cyprian but what is offered is offered to God who crowned the Martyrs Afterward We most frequently sacrifice to God in the Memory of Martyrs only with that Rite with which in the manifestation of the New testament he hath commanded to be sacrificed to him which pertains to that worship which is called Latria and is due only to God And a little after The flesh and bloud of this sacrifice before the comming of Christ was promised by victims of similitudes In the Passion was given by truth it self and after Christs Ascension is celebrated by a Sacrament of memory Ser. 91. de temp he makes mention of some lessons which were read in the Masse Ser. 32. cap. 1. It is not to be doubted but that the dead receive help by the prayers of the Church and by the Salutarie Sacrifice and almes which are given for their souls that God may deal more mercifully with them then their sins have deserved for this is delivered to us by our Fathers The whole Church observes when she prayes for those who are dead in the communion of Christs body and bloud when in their place they are remembred at the Sacrifice Ser. 251. On Sonday let none absent themselves from the celebration of Masses where he also complains that some do force the Priest to abreviate their Masses lib. 10. di civitate Dei cap. 20. The man Christ Jesus was made Mediatour between God and man when in form of God he takes sacrifice with the Father with whom also he is true God yet in form of a servant he had rather be then take Sacrifice by this he is both a Priest himself the Offerer and he himself the Oblation the Sacrament of which he would have to be the dayly sacrifice of the Church which being the body of that head learns to offer her self by him The ancient sacrifices of the Saints were manifold and various signs of this true sacrifice when this one was figured by many and to this high and true sacrifice all counterfeit Sacrifices did give place and lib. 22. cap. 8. A house being haunted by evill spirits the man of the
sacrifice which is used by Christians on the holy Altars is not only offered to God the Father but also with common devotion to the Son 239. S. Fabian Pope and Martyr declared that the sacrifice is not to be admitted from the hands of a Priest who cannot perform the prayers or actions or other observances of the Mass according to the rites of the Church 175. S. Soter Pope and martyr determined that when the Priests consecrated the holy Mysteries in the time of the Masses if it happened by any accident of sicknesse that the Mystery began could not be accomplished it should be supplyed by some other Priest Again he ordained that none should presume to celebrate Mass after meat or drink how little soever it were as also that none of the Priests should presume to celebrate the solemnity of Masses without two being present to answer him 273. Foelix Pope and Martyr Epist 2. ad Episcop Galliae declared that in a synod he had commanded them and all Churches that Masses should be celebrated on the memory of Martyrs 145. S. Higgine Pope and Martyr ordained that all Churches should always be consecrated with Mass Evaristus also Pope and Martyr witnesse Ivo and Burchard had ordained the same 142. S. Telesphore Pope and Martyr in his Epistle to all Bishops Cap. 2. ordained three Masses to be said on Chrismass day one at midnight 121. Alexander Pope and Martyr Epist 1. ad omnes orthod sayes Veritie it self has instructed us to offer the Chalice and bread in the Sacrament when he said Jesus took bread and blessed and gave to his Disciples saying take ye and eat for this is my body which is delivered for you In like manner the Chalice c. for by these sacrifices offered to our Lord crimes and sinns are blotted out and therefore his Passion is to be remembred whereby we are redeemed and often recited and these offered to our Lord our Lord is delighted and pleased with such hosts and great sins are demitted for can there be in sacrifices a greater thing then the body and bloud of Christ Neither can there be any Oblation better then this for this excells all which is to be offered to our Lord with a pure conscience and to be taken with a pure minde and to be honoured by all and as it is better then all other so it ought rather to be honoured and worshiped The same Saint sayes In the Oblation of the Sacraments which are offered within the solemnity of Masses the Passion of our Lord is to be added that the Passion of him whose body and bloud is made may be celebrated so that setting aside all superstitious opinions Bread only and wine mixed with water are to be offered in the sacrifice for as we have received from our Fathers and reason it self teaches wine alone or water alone is not to be offered in the Chalice of our Lord but both mixt because we reade that both did flow from his side in his Passion To omit others I shall conclude with S. Clement Pope and Martyr l. 6. constit Apostat 23. for a bloudy sacrifice Christ gave a rational and Incruental and that Mystical sacrifice of the body and bloud of our Lord which is celebrated as a symbole of his death I know some of our adversaries will call in question some of these Decrees but setting aside all other disputes the practise of the Church from thence even to our times and the use of most of them in the liturgies before mentioned will sufficiently convince the truth of them let us now see whether the holy Councells of those times will manifest the same Councels 505. I Shall begin with the Agathen Councel within the fifth hundred year which can 14. ordains that the Altars are to be consecrated not only with the unction of Chrism but also by the sacerdotal benediction Can. 21. allows Masses in private Oratories but commands that in principal feasts all should hear Mass in the Parochial Churches and can 47. commands all seculars to hear Mass on Sundays 482. The first Councel at Tours Can. 2. forbids married or luxurious priests to offer sacrifice to God or to minister to the people 420. The last Councel of Carthage cap. 3. declares that it is not lawful for a priest to reconcile any one in the publick Mass 416. The second Melevitan Councel cap. 12. ordains that none should celebrate prayers or Orisons or Masses or Praefations or commendations or Imposition of hands which were not approved in Councels 398. The fourth Councel of Carthage in the first 6. Canons plainly shews the holy Orders to have reference to the due celebration of Mass Can. 33. Bishops or Priests if on cause of visiting the Church they come to the Church of another Bishop they are to be received according to their degree and invited to preach the Word and consecrate the oblation that is the Mass Can. 79. Penitents who have diligently performed the laws of Penance if accidentally they die in their journey or on the Sea where they could not be assisted let the memory of them be commended both in prayers and oblations Can. 89. it is ordained that the Bishop should prohibite none whether Gentile or Heretick or Jew to enter into the Church or to hear the Word during the Mass of the Catechumens All such were not to stay in the Mass of the faithful 397. The third Councel of Carthage Can. 23. When one is at the Altar the prayer is alwaies to be directed to the Father and Can. 24. Nothing more is to be offered in the Sacraments of the body and bloud but what our Lord himself has delivered that is bread and wine mixt with water nor nothing more offered in the sacrifices than of grapes and wheat 393. The Councel held at Hippon has the same Decrees and ordains that the Sacraments of the Altar should be celebrated by those who are fasting 352. In a Roman Councel Athanasius was accused for having consecrated a Church built by the Emperour without his knowledge and was so bold as to celebrate the synaxis therein S. Athanasius denies the first but grants the second wherein he prayed for the Emperour and was drawn to do it by the Multitude 324. The Gangrane Councel cap. 24. declares Anathema to those who through pride esteeming themselves perfect did condemn the Assemblies made in the places and Churches of the Saints or believed the oblations which are there celebrated to be despised and the memory of the Saints to be contemned 320. The ancient Councel of Laodicen cap. 58. Bishops are not to make the oblations in private houses without Priests But what makes more to our purpose the same is gathered out of three of the first General Councels which the present Church of England admits now in their Articles In the 4. General Councel of Calcedon Act. 3. Blessed Ischirion Martyr accused Dioscorus Bishop of Constantinople 251. that amongst other things he had taken away the wheat that
the Christians for that they did eat their God But it is as foolish sport that he goes about to vilify the sacrifice of the Mass out of the Roman Missall which as he ignorantly conceives wholly destroys the essence and nature of this sacrifice for it shews that there may be many defects and abuses committed in the use of the Holy Eucharist Imagining that Christ may fall on the earth be torn in pieces eaten by catts and doggs devoured by beasts corrupted and burnt and that he lies there as a dead man or as one on a dunghill with innumerable such like frequently reiterated It is true the Roman Missal mentions some such abuser but by way of prevention and to give the Doctor more scope we will admit that some such abuses have happened either through casuality or negligence of those whom it might concern or by the perversity of men or instigation of the divell I must also tell the Doctor that he needs not talk so much of Christs being in so base and vile places for I can tell him that there is no place more vile and base nor more abhominable and odious none more loathsom and stinking then the mouth or stomack of a sinner yet such is the immense goodnes of Christ Jesus that he left this holy Sacrament to us and permitted it to be taken by sinners otherwise the Apostle S. Paul would never have said 1. Cor. 11. He that eateth this bread or drinketh the Chalice of our Lord unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself S. Crysostome on that place sayes such an one is guilty of our Lords death as if he had killed our Lord on shed his bloud and in cap. 10. by this sin the body of our Lord is troden under foot S. Cyprian ser de coena Dom. Violence is offered to our Lords body and by their mouth and hand our Lord is offended The Doctor need not talk of Jakes or sinks for one shall hardly find a more loathsome place then the stomack or belly of man S. Crysostome in Opere imperfect in Mat. said well If thou comparest an ill man to beasts thou shalt sind him worse yea a wicked man is worse then the devil With all this or whatsoever can be said of this kinde none can be so foolish as to think that Christs body or bloud suffers at all in any such abuses or defects for all such happens only in the species for Christs body and bloud in the Eucharist is as a spirit by an indivisible and secret manner and so no more defiled then the soul of man is hurt defiled or sullied by whatsoever filth ordure or excrement the body is insected Christs body being now glorified is impassible immutable and unalterable suffers no more proportionably then the Deity replenishing all places of what nature soever or how loathsom soever whence one said not amiss God who according to nature is no less in the sink then in the heavens cannot be hurt nor defiled The body of Christ in heaven is impassible notwithstanding that he remains there with all his natural dimensions but in the Eucharist it is in a sacramentall and spirituall manner without any quantitative or corporal dimension or situation or sensitive motion I believe the Doctor never understood these circumstances or if he did he makes himself a pratler and contrary to his knowledge wilfully seeks to gull the people who for the most part are ignorant of such mysteries Moreover if such scurrile arguments may have place in divine things may not the Infidel and Jews use the same against Christ himself nay some have done it already saying Can any Imagine Josephs Son to be a God was he not subject to all mankind Miseries he lay nine months as a prisoner in his Mothers womb in all uncleanness was born in a loathsome stable and as a childe might have been devoured by the wilde beasts as he might have been torn out of his mothers womb some sow or Swine might have eaten him some ravenous Wolf or other cruel beast might have torn him to peeces He might have fallen into the saw-pit ditch or pond and so be made food for toads frogs or snakes or other venemous beasts if drowned at Sea meat for fishes they made difficulty also in that he was subject to the devil who earried him too and fro at his pleasure with a thousand such like If God then did permit his only son in person to be thus subject to so many casualties abuses and defects what shall we wonder that such may or have followed him in the Eucharist Christ's body then was possible and capable yea susceptible of all imaginable abuses pains and cruelties of humane malice or diabolical inventions what wonder is it that God should leave Christs body to such accidental and extrinsecal abuses by which it receives no damage at all To conclude the Doctor in alledging the Rubrick of the Roman Missal does little consider that he gives no light argument against himself for in all times since Christ there have been such rules meerly to prevent such abuses and defects as manifestly appears in the ancient penitential Canons also in the several Decrees of Popes and Councils besides the great care that no Infidels Jews or Hereticks should be present at the Mass the continual care that the Church has always had that the holy bloud should not fall on the Altar or ground according to the constitution which Pope Pius the 1. an 158. set down in the Roman Missal de defectibus according to which S. Chrysostome hom 21. Operis impers in Mat. tells us that it is not to be given to beasts or Infidels and S. Augustine l. 50. Hom. 26. We observe with great care when the Body of Christ is administred to us that nothing of it do fall out of our hands to the ground Origen hom 13. in Exod. Ye that are accustomed to be present at the divine Mystery do know how when ye receive our Lords body ye observe with great carefulness and veneration lest any thing of the consecrated gift should fall down for ye believe and that rightly that ye are guilty if any thing do fall through your negligence Surely all this care and folicitude could not be but on some motives more then natural for if there were only pure bread and wine they would have no more care of it then the Protestants have in the Communion of bread and wine but because as I have proved before the Church always believed that the true body and bloud of Christ Jesus was in the Eucharist they laboured by all convenient means to avoid such abuses CHAP. IX The Doctors Raillery concerning Miracles wrought in the Sacrifice of the Mass THe Doctor very frequently scoffs and jears at the many Miracles which are wrought in the sacrifice of the Mass thinking thereby to diminish the credit and belief of it whereas if they be Miracles the multitude makes them not less to be Miracles nay if we will
the words This is my Body by the word Body which they believe in another sense do not consecrate Matrimony with the same words and matter If by the word Wife they both or either of them understand Concubine is no Matrimony When then the Bishop intends not to ordain as a sacrificing priest but intends the the contrary his act is ineffectual for according to the Doctrine of Christs Church the power of consecrating and offering the true Body and Bloud of Christ and the remitting and retaining of sins is so annexed to the order of Priesthood that Priesthood cannot be without it and therefore he that intends to give Priesthood without gives nothing at all To conclude the Church of England has excluded Ordination out of the number of Sacraments and withall rejected the Papall power one may question then what power or authority they have to give Orders but principally from whence they have any authority or power to give them power to execute any offices belonging to Priesthood It cannot be said to be from the words which are not Sacramental and consequently being no Sacrament have no Institution from Christ for that end Moreover it cannot be said to be from the Church for the Church can give no such authority but by the Sacraments and the Reformed Ministers have no authority from the visible Catholick Church or Pope or Metropolitan which they professedly reject and disclaim for Ordination is a spiritual power which tends to spiritual effects Doctor Heylin Eccles Restit in his Preface Queen Elizabeth looked upon her self as the sole sountain of both Jurisdictions and the Act. 1. Eliz. 1. declares the Kings supremacy to use and exercise all such Jurisdictions spiritual and ecclesinstical as by any spiritual and ecclesiastical power or authority hath heretofore been or may lawfully be used over the Ecclesiastical state of this Realm yet as Doctor Bramhall well says pag. 63. The power of the Keys was evidently given by Christ in Scripture to his Apostles and their Successors not to Soveraign Princes Many of our Protestant Divines and learned Doctours did well consider this Difficulty and therefore most of them do admit that Ordination is a Sacrament and consequently they ground their Ordination on the authority of the former Catholick Bishops who in a Sacramental power did ordain them who according to Dr Brevent were all Idolaters and unlawful Ministers of the Sacraments except only Baptism in extreme necessity so that they have no right to any Ordination but by vertue of the Sacrament which cannot take effect unless it be dnely administred by lawful power and in due form From which I inferr that our Reformers in taking away and rejecting the sacrifice of the Mass have also rejected the Priesthood whose principal office is to offer sacrifice and consequently they have no true Ordination In fine no Sacrifice no Priest no Priest no Sacrifice wherefore call the Ministers Priests or what you will if they have not the office and power to consecrate and offer sacrifice they are no Priests properly taking the word priest or according to the common sense and use of the Catholick Church in all ages and times yea among Heathens and Infidels whence it follows that as our Reformers have framed a new Religion so they have invented a new priesthood never heard of before giving no other power then to preach and dispense the Sacraments which may be committed or done by Deacons or Lay-men as all Ecclesiasticall histories do testifie on this ground and other defects in their Ordination the present Catholick Church makes no scriple notwithstanding their pretanded Ordination to ordain or give Orders to those who being converted and reconciled to the said Catholick Church shall humbly defire it I know some will say that this cannot be done without Sacriledge for even in the Doctrine of the Universal Church Re-ordinations as also Re-baptizations are esteemed sacrilegious whence frequently those who were baptized or ordained by heretical priests or Bishops were not rebaptized nor re-ordained In consideration hereof the now Church of England does not re-baptize nor re-ordain priests coming to their communion but permits them to remain in the Order received and approves of them in all their function and power as if they had been ordained by Protestant Bishops This Subject would require a longer Discourse then my brevity will permit I will therefore briefly conclude this Chapter The Catholick Church hath always detested both Rebaptization and Reordination but never made difficulty to Baptize or Ordain some who falsly pretended to have been Baptized or Ordained when really they were not We have a plain Declaration of this in the Councel of Nice Can. 19. where those who were baptized by the Paulianists were absolutely to be Baptized because they were not Baptized in the right Form of Baptism to wit by the Invocation of the holy Trinity The Decree of the Apostles Can. 68. declares that baptized or ordained by Hereticks were neither Baptized nor ordained which as Caranzen notes is to be understood of such Hereticks who did not observe the right Form in ministring the Sacraments The Church whensoever it was manifest that the Ordainers had not lawful power or did corrupt or alter the form of Ordination judged that what they had done was Null and of no force and did simply and plainly ordain them But if upon due examination it were found that the heretical Bishops were formerly ordained by Catholick Bishops who observed the true form of the sacrament those who received orders from them and were otherwise fitting for it were received without any new Ordination only new power was given unto them for the execution of such and such Orers for as the learned Doctour Morinus de sacris Ordinat par 3. Eccercit 5. 6. well notes It may be admitted that such do receive a Character even those who are ordained against the Canons but so that the vertue of the Character is dulled or blunted not capable or not fit for action the Ancients did esteem Ordination Canonically given could never be blotted out but that its force or vertue by deposition might be repressed or dulled that it could not produce any other Ordination which may be confirmed by the common Doctrine of the Church which teaches that a Priest notwithstanding his Character received in some causes cannot give either lawfully or validly absolution As for that which is added concerning the use of the now English Church whch re-ordains not priests coming to it all men know that according to their Opinion it would be very Sacrilegious for no true Protestant will deny but that Catholick Ordination is valid and of Real force giving all power and vertue belonging to a Priest which to deny would be destructive to their pretended Hierarchy which has no other Foundation for its succession then that their Priests and Biships were so ordained The true state of the Case is the Catholick Church in such case Ordains those who were never truly
examples here alledged A sacrifice sayes he though offered by a man is a divine thing whereupon a man consecrated wholly to Gods name to live to him and die to the world is a sacrifice 2. when we chastise our bodie by abstinence it is a sacrifice 3. works of mercy being referred to God are true sacrifices We Catholicks do confesse and acknowledge those and such to be metaphorical improperly in a general sence true sacrifices but Protestants will not only deny them to be proper sacrifices but also will not believe them to be sacrifices at all for they will not allow the two first to be acts of vertue and the best word they will give them is that they are effects and fruits of Popery Moreover the Saint in the same place insinnuates another sacrifice by which the whole and holy society of the redeemed and sanctified City is offered to God by that great Priest who gave up his life for us to become members of so great a head in so mean a form this form he offered and herein he was offered in this he is our Priest our Mediatour and our sacrifice all in this and after concludes This is the Christians sacrifice we are one body with Christ as the Church celebrateth in the Sacrament of the Altar so well known to the faithful This alone is the proper and peculiar sacrifice which Christ has instituted and left in his Church as formerly hath been declared But our Doctour to prove his conceit cap. 11. towards the end cites Durandus l. 2. de sacerd fol. 29. which is cap. 10. In fine The Doctours words are Durand himself is full of this that is to prove the only sacrifices of the Cross for Christ sayes he performed excellently the office of a priest when he offered himself on the Cross for the sins of Mankind and performs it yet more gloriously now when sitting at the right hand of his Father he intercedes continually for us We acknowledge this as Catholick doctrine for this is true but no way excluding the sacrifice of the Mass but with the same Durandus in the precedent words this Office to wit of priest Christ did exercise when after supper he converted the bread and wine into his body and bloud saying to the Apostles Take ye and eat this is my body The Doctor omitted this either ignorantly or maliciously It hardly can be believed but that he did read the place except he took it from others notes and so little cared for the truth if he did little credit is to be given to what he says God defend us from such Doctors It is strange how the Doctor in the beginning of his 3. chapter should acknowledg that the Mass according to the primary Notion as it was anciently taken for that part of divine worship where the elements of bread and wine were by the priest both consecrated to God and distributed to the People which is the supper of our Lord in S. Paul 1 Cor. 11.20 for this he cites Ordo Romanus made by Gelasius and reprinted in Rome 1591. or thereabouts whereby is manifest the Conformity of the Present Romans with the Church in those primitive times for this sacrifice for which we contend to wit that we take it even in this Notion he assignes and accordingly imitating the primitive Church not inventing any new Mass but continuing still the same I could not but smile when for this he alledges Durandus for legitima Missa lib. 4. cap. 1. n. 39. and interprets it the only due and lawful administration of the holy Sacrament in the old latin Church whereas Durand interpreteth that to be a legitimate Mass in which are Priest and respondent offerer and communicant as the composition of the prayers demonstrates this by evident reason perhaps he means the order and manner of celebrating the Mass which Durand doth learnedly and solidly declare in every particular particle of the Mass which if the Doctour beleives as he does his legitima Missa he labours in vain against the Roman Church The Question in that place propounded was whether a Priest might celebrate Mass when less then two were present and after disputing pro and con he concludes That is a lawful Mass which hath one present besides the Priest at Mass O how much is this to the Doctours purpose Now the Doctour will solve all by putting instead of the sucrifice of the Mass Christian duties as evidently true Evangelical Oblations and sacrifices which in order to publick worship were made before Communion and which the holy Fathers commend as the general Christian sacrifice that succeeded Jewish offerings which he confirms by a prayer which he finds in the Roman Missal Dom. 5. post Pentecosten It cannot be denied but that such Oblations were made in the time of Mass at the offertory as is declared in the Liturgical discourse p. 2. sect 2. cap. 2. which also is declared in the 4. Canon of the Apostles in these words It it not lawful to offer at the Altar besides new corn and grapes and oyle for the lamps and perfumes that is Incense in the time wherein the holy oblation is celebrated many ancient Canons have been made concerning these oblations in all which we may see that these oblations were of things which belonged to the Sacrifice or to the things which belonged to the Altar or to the poor and sometimes to the Priests by way of Alms the present Church of England takes it in the fence of Alms and only prayes for the givers but never thought it as an essential point of Communion which may be distributed without alms as alms may be given without Communion Add to this that such Oblations are common to the old law and yet were never reckoned amongst the sacrifices Deut. 16. a law is made There shall not appear before our Lord any empty but every one shall offer according to that he hath but this was not by way of sacrificing which only did belong to Priests In the new law S. Paul 1 Cor. 16. calls them Collections S. Clement l. 4. constit Apostol cap. 7. supposes this when he advises the Priest to refuse at the Altar the Oblations which come from an ill conscience Pope Fabian an 239. Decreed that on Sundays men and women should make offerings of bread and wine S. Cyprian blames the rich misers of his time who brought nothing to this offering saying Dost thou who art wealthy and rich think to have part of the Mass without vouchsafing to put any thing into the bason Tertullian calls such Oblations pledges of piety Moreover taking the prayer of the Missal in that sence which the Doctor takes it the most that can be gathered thence is that such oblations were made in the time of Mass for that prayer immediatly follows the offertory but it may be better expounded of the oblations which the people do make of the sacrifice of the Mass together with the Priest as it is said in the first