wine This no doubt was catholike doctrine in the dayes of these fathers this was thold way that our Sauiour taught them But the Papistes haue found a new way that the wordes of consecration being pronounced the bread wine are transubstantiat into the reall bodie and blood of Christ yea into Christe himselfe yea into God him selfe per concomitantiam For so we reade in the Legend of Saintes added vnto Lombardica historia There are in God three kindes of power magna maior maxima As for example The great power of God appeared when he made one thing of an other as man of the earth and woman of the ribbe of man But the greater power of God appeared when he made heauen and earth of nothing But this is the greatest power of all that one creature of an other creature should make the creatour And this power is giuen neither to Angell nor Archangell but to the holy Priestes What is blasphemie if this be not blasphemie Surely I cannot tell God that made all thinges is not made himselfe neither can he make himselfe for if he could be made he were not god And shall a sinfull miserable Popish Priest in a corner take vppon him to make the maker of all Let vs therefore giue eare vnto the Prophets counsell Let vs stand vppon the wayes and consider inquire of the olde wayes which is best and walke therein and we shall finde rest them that the people did receiue the Lords supper in both kindes And so they doo in the Greeke Church vnto this day Gabriel Biel a schoole Doctor confesseth that this institution continued in the church a greate while neither can he tell when one kinde beganne to be vsed first nor how it came in And Alphonsus confesseth also that although he had bestowed greate paine to know how and when the people began first to receiue in one kinde yet coulde he not finde it out And surelie it was neuer taken to be heresie to keepe Christes holy institution before the Councel at Constantia in the yeare of our Lord 1417. Let vs therfore stand vpon the wayes and consider aske of the olde wayes c. Thirdlie Christ in his last supper did not sacrifice for the quicke and the dead for the sinnes of the whole world for that did he once for all vppon the altare of the Crosse Which oblation beeing most perfect neither can nor needeth to be repeated For repetition is an argument of imperfection Heb. 10. Moreouer whereas there are foure thinges to be considered in Sacrifices as Saint Augustine saith Quis Quid Cui pro Quibus Who dooth offer What dooth he offer To whom And for whom Who dooth offer A Prieste What dooth hee offer A sacrifice To whom dooth he offer vnto God to whom onely sacrifice is due For whom dooth he offer for men that are sinners In all others these foure thinges are distinct one from an other First the Priest Secondly the Sacrifice Thirdly almightie God to whom and fourthly sinful men for whom sacrifice was offered But in Christ only these foure did concurre in one Christ was the Priest Christ was the sacrifice Christ was all one as touching his diuine nature with the father to whom he was offered and as touching his humane nature sinne onely excepted all one with vs for whom he offered him selfe And with this one oblation hath he made perfect for euer those that are sanctified as saith Saint Paule to the Heb. 10. For the continuall memorie of which sacrifice he did institute the holy sacrament of his blessed bodie and bloode to continue in the Church vntill his second comming for our full redemption Doo this saith he in remembraunce of me And as oft as ye shall eate of this breade and drinke of this cuppe ye shewe the Lordes death vntill his comming It is true that the olde fathers with one consent call it a sacrifice But they expounde themselues not to meane of a real offering of a reall bodie really present But of a Sacrament of that real oblatiō which he made once for all vppon the Crosse For as it is called the body and blood of Christ both in the Scriptures and in the auncient writers because it is a holy sacrament of Christes body and blood so is it tearmed of the olde writers a Sacrifice and the selfe same sacrifice that Christ did once offer vppon the Crosse because it is a Sacrament of that oblation to put vs in a thankefull remembraunce thereof Chrisostome and Saint Ambrose doo say That wee offer vppe Christ daily But we doo it in remembrance of his death and worke a memorie of that sacrifice He was offered vppe once But this sacrifice is as it were a copie drawen out of the first originall to put his death and passion alwaies in our remembraunce Augustine also in the 20. booke against Faustus sayeth That the Iewes before Christes comming in offering vp the sacrifices appointed in the law did promise and prophesie of Christes oblation vppon the crosse Christe when hee died did perfourme it in deede and we Christians now after his ascention into heauen doe celebrate the memorie thereof in the Lordes Supper But the Papistes are not content with this But they say they haue him really present and holde him vp in their handes in the same quantitie that he was vppon the Crosse though not after the manner of quantitie and reallie offer him vp to the father Brulifer saith Quem totus mundus capere non potest noster captiuus est non ergo dimittamus priusquam quod petimus obtineamus Whom the whole worlde cannot conteine is now our captiue therfore let vs not let him goe vntill he haue graunted our request This and such like blasphemies wherin they giue to creatures the honour due to GOD they call Spirituall daliance But it is indeede more than daliance for it is plaine Spirituall fornication Therefore let vs followe the Prophets Counsel Stand vppon the waies and cōsider aske of the old waies which is best c. Last of all Christe did not institute a priuate Masse but a Communion he willed all that was present to take and eate he commaunded them all to drinke In the Church of Corinthus and in all Churches many hundred yeares after Christe it was the action of the whole Churche wherein many eating of one breade shoulde bee made one mysticall bodie It appeareth by Iustinus Martyr in his Apologie to the Emperour Antonius for the Christians Cyprian Ambrose and the Liturgies that goe abroade in the name of Iames of Basil of Chrisostome and the oldest writers that when the Lordes Supper was ministred there was some parcell of scripture read a Sermon made vnto the people a collection for the poore and all that was present did communicate Chrisostome saith Qui mysteriorum particeps non est improbus et impudens adstat Hee is an impudent looker on that beeyng present doeth not communicate This was Catholike
vnto vs by God himself to direct al our praiers vnto God All the praiers in the olde Testament and in the newe are wholy and onely made vnto god And so we are commaunded to do Psal. 50. Call vppon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Christ taught his Apostles to pray vnto God Our father c He willeth them To aske in his name and it shal be graunted them S. Paule 1. Tim. 2. That there is one mediatour betweene God and vs 1. Iohn 2. If any man sinne saith he we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes As for praier to the Saintes departed or to anie Angell we haue neither example nor commaundement in all the scripture The Angell Apoc. 19. refused to bee woorshipped of his felowe seruaunt Augustine de vera religione cap. 55. saith Honoramus Angelos charitate non seruitute We honour the Angelles in louing them not in dooing seruice vnto them And of the Saintes departed he saith Honorandi sunt Martyres propter imitationem non adorandi propter religionem We must honour the Martyrs so that wee make them patterns to imitate and follow we may not woorship them in way of religion Chrisostome commendeth very much the woman of Canaan for that she came not to the Apostles for her daughter but directly to Christ Vide prudentiam mulieris non rogat Iacobum non obsecrat Ioannem non pergit ad Petrum See the wisedome of the woman shee dooth not entreate Iames she dooth not beseech Iohn she goeth not to Peter but directly to Christ And in the same place If thou haue a suite to a man thou askest what he dooth and whether he be at leisure or no And thou hearest that either he is a sleepe or not at leisure and peraduenture the seruant will not vouchsafe to giue thee an answeare But if thou goest to God thou shalt need none of these thinges neither minister nor Porter nor mediatour Christ alone both God and man is the onely Mediatour both of redemption and intercession Augustine lib. 2. cap. 8. contra epist. Parmeniani Pro quo nullus interpellat sed ipse pro omnibus hic vnus verusque mediator est He that praieth for al and none for him he is the onely and true Mediatour Epiphanius contra Colliridianos Ne cōmedas de ligno etsi pulchrum est lignum non tamen ad esum etsi pulcherrima est Maria et virgo et honorata non tamen ad adorationem nobis data sed ipsa adorans eum qui ex ipsa carne genitus est Thou mayest not eate of the tree said God to Adam though the tree bee faire and pleasant to behold yet is it not giuen to be eaten on So though the virgin Marie be most beautifull in al vertue an holy virgin and honorable yet was she not giuen to be woorshipped but she her selfe did woorship him which was borne of her as touching the fleshe He sayth further Sit in honore Maria pater filius et spiritus sanctus adoretur Mariam nemo adoret Let the virgin Marie be had in honour the father the sonne and the holy Ghost must be woorshipped as for the virgin Marie let no man woorship her All the Psalmes of Dauid all the praiers of the godly throughout the whole scripture are directed vnto God alone And in deede this is the olde and safe way warranted by the woorde of god As for the inuocation of Saintes in comparison of this way is a very newe waye though it be found in diuers auncient writers But it is a way found out of verie late tyme to turne all the Psalmes of Dauid into praiers to the virgin Marie and to turne and chaunge Dominus into Domina the Lorde into our Ladye as Bonauentura a schooleman of great estimation among the Papists hath doone As for example Where Dauid saith in the fourth Psalme Heare me when I call O God of my righteousnes c. Bonauentura sayth Cum inuocarem exaudiuisti me domina et e sublimi solio tuo mei dignata es recordari When I cried thou heardest me O our Lady and vouchedstsafe to remember mee from thy highe throne Where Dauid saith in the sixtenth Psalme Preserue me O Lord for in thee haue I put my trust Bonauen saith Preserue me O our Lady for in thee haue I put my trust Where Dauid saith in the 54. Psal. Saue me O god for thy names sake auenge me in thy strēgth Bonau saith Domina in nomine tuo saluum me fac et ab iniustitiis meis libera me Saue me O Lady for thy names sake deliuer me from mine vnrighteousnes Where Dauid saith in the 110. Psalme The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footestoole Bonauentura saith The Lord said vnto our Lady O my mother sit on my right hand c. And not onely the Psalmes of Dauid turneth he thus but also the Song of Moses the praier of Ezechias Te Deum Benedictus Benedicite Quicunque vult and the whole Letanie And yet notwithstanding these blasphemies Pope Sixtus the fourth of that name did canonize this Franciscane Frier for a Saint in the yeare of our Lord 1482. But this is a new way and a great way about to turne our praiers from God most mercifull most mightie most able to helpe vs and most willing to heare our praiers and to poure them out not onely vnto the dead who whether they heare vs or no we can not tell but also to stockes and stones which haue eyes and see not eares and heare not mouthes and speake not handes and handle not feete and walke not But it is true that foloweth in the same Psalme They that make them are like vnto them and so are all they that put their trust in them Let vs therefore stand vpon the wayes and consider c. The old way to minister the Lordes supper is that which our sauiour Christe did goe in himselfe and commaunded his Apostles to walke in also set downe in the 26. cap. of Sainte Matth. the. 14 of Sainte Marke the 22. of Saint Luke and the 11. of the 1. Cor. That Christe in the same night that he was betrayed toke breade and when he had geuen thankes hee brake it and gaue it saying Take eate this is my bodie whiche is giuen for you doe this in remembraunce of me Likewise after Supper he tooke the cup and when he had giuen thankes he gaue it them saying This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for manie for remission of sinnes doe this as ofte as ye shall drinke it in remembraunce of me for as ofte as ye shall eate of this bread and drinke of this cuppe ye shew the Lordes death vntill he come The Apostles
old way wherein the Prophet exhorteth vs to walke this is the way which Christ by his Prophets his Apostles word hath taught vs this indeed is the oldest way In comparison of which the corruptiō in Poperie is new and lately inuented as will appeare if we doe make a briefe discourse through the principall points of religion now in controuersie And firste to beginne with our iustification The scripture teacheth that we are conceiued in sinne borne in sinne brought vp and nousied in sinne by nature the children of wrath death damnation bondmen slaues vnto Sathan The olde way and onely true way to be deliuered from death and to bee receiued into Gods fauour againe is by our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ Who alone is the seede of the Woman that broake the Serpentes heade Who alone is the seede of Abraham Isaac and Iacob In whome all the nations of the earth are blessed Who alone was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities Who hath troden the wine presse himselfe alone and of all the people there was none with him Who in the fulnesse of time came as it were out of the bosome of his father toke vpon him our nature was borne of the virgin Marie without sinne and in our nature did not onely fulfill the Lawe of God most absolutelie which we should doe and can not doe by reason of the corruption of our fleshe but also in the same nature did most obedientlie suffer most cruell death vppon the crosse to that end that if we effectuallie beleeue in him his punishment should stande in steede of our punishment his righteousnesse in liew of our righteousnesse in the sight of god This is the old and only good way for sinners to obteine gods fauour againe For the Scripture teacheth it So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting Come vnto mee all ye that trauell and are heauie laden and I will refresh you Wee are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom GOD hath set forth to bee a reconciliation through faith in his blood By grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of woorkes least anie man shoulde boaste himselfe If anie man sinne wee haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiatiō for our sinnes By which places and such like it appeareth plainly that the efficient causes the fountaine and welspring of our iustification is the loue mercie of almightie God the matter and fourme price and merit is Christes obedience death passion the finall ende is the glorie and praise of God and our endlesse saluation in Christes kingdome the instrument or hande wherewith God dooth reach vnto vs saluation from heauen in Christ Iesus is the Gospell and the preaching thereof The instrument or hand whereby we take hold of Christe and his merites is a true and liuely faith in Christ our Sauiour The fruites of the spirite woorking in vs and the true effectes of a iustifying faith are vertuous and charitable deedes Of which Saint Augustine saith Sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum Good workes followe in him that is iustified but goe not before in him that is iustified If this be the best and oldest way whiche ascribeth all our saluation wholy to Christe his merites it followeth that that is an erronious and lately founde out way of the Papistes which attribute some parte of our saluation to our owne worthines to the merits of Saintes to the woorkes of supererogation to the sufferinges of Martyrs laide vppe in the Popes treasure house For though the sufferinges of Martyrs be the sufferinges of Christe and in them Christ doth suffer in his misticall bodie yet this suffering is not the price of our redemption nor anie parte of it but his death and passion and blood that he shed in his naturall bodie vppon the crosse once for all Saint Augustine tract in Iohann 84. Etsi fratres pro fratribus moriamur tamen in fraternorum peccatorum remissionem nullius sanguis Martyris funditur Albeit one brother die for an other yet is the blood of no Martyr shed for remission of sinnes And in the same place Imitari quis potuit morientem nemo autem redimentem In dying some man might followe Christ but in redeeming no man coulde follow him Leo also a Bishoppe of Rome in three places affirmeth the same Epistola 97. ad Leonem Augustum Epistola 83. to the Bishoppes of Palestine in the twelfth Homilie of Christes passion That no Saint by his death did pay an other mās debt For that was onelie the office of Christ as Basill saith who alone was voide of sinne and he alone the vnspotted Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde As for the sufferinges of Martirs they are saith Leo Patterns of Patience to others but merit no righteousnes And this he sayeth to the greate impouerishing of the treasure-house of merites and no small discredite to Popishe pardons Let vs therefore follow the counsel of the Prophet Ieremy Stand vpon the wayes and consider c. It is an old way shewed vnto vs by GOD him selfe that all men ought to read and learne the Scriptures Christ saith This is eternal life to know thee the only true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ And he commandeth To search the Scriptures for they are they that beare witnes of him And Hierome sayeth in the Preface to the Prophete Esaias That not to know the scriptures is not to know Christ And Chrisost vppon the epist. to the Coloss 3. willeth Lay men to gette them the Bible into their houses as the wholesome medicine of their soules If not the whole Bible yet the new testament at the least Audite obsecro seculares omnes comparate vobis Biblia animae pharmaca c. And he imputeth the cause of all euill to the ignoraunce of the scriptures Therefore it is a new way lately founde out that ignoraunce is the mother of deuotion Let vs therefore folowe the Counsell of the Prophete Stand vpon the wayes and consider c. It is an old way wherein Gods children haue walked to beleeue that al things needefull to saluation are conteined in the worde of god This Saint Iohn teacheth the cap. 20. Many other thinges did Iesus which are not written in this booke but these are written that you might beleeue that Iesus is the sonne of God and that in beleeuing you might haue life by his name Which woordes Cyrillus expoundeth thus Non omnia quae dominus fecit conscripta sunt sed quae scribentes tam ad mores quám ad dogmata putarunt sufficere All is not written that Christe did but so much as the writers thought sufficiēt as
religion in those dayes But now in Poperie without preaching without teaching without sense and vnderstanding in a tongue that the Prieste himselfe vnderstandeth not in a corner without Communicantes one eateth and drinketh all Howe muche therefore are we boūd to geue God most harty thankes that hath mooued the Queenes Maiestie her Councel the Cleargie Nobilitie and Commons of this Realme that they geuing good eare vnto the Prophet Ieremies Counsell in this place haue stoode vpon the Wayes considered haue asked of the olde wayes which is the best and haue restored vnto vs the olde auncient Catholike and Apostolike religion as well in other principal pointes of doctrine as in the Lordes Supper and haue deliuered vnto vs not an halfe or mangled Supper but the whole Supper not a superstitious and idolatrous ceremonie to transubstantiate the holy signes into Christes naturall bodie and blood but an holy Sacrament instituted by Christe wherein we feede on Christe we eate his bodie wee drinke his blood sacramentally spiritually effectually and sufficiently to the spirituall nourishing both of our bodies and soules to eternall life Not a propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead that greate grounde of Popishe Purgatorie but a liuely memorie and representation of Christes death vntill his comming God for his Christes sake make vs thankefull continue his Truth and veritie amongest vs and graunt that as shee cannot bee spoyled of this marke of Antiquitie so it woulde please him euen for his Christes sake that shee may finde suche fauour among men in earth that shee may weare openly the other two badges I meane Consent and Vniuersalitie God blesse the Queenes maiestie Queene Elizabeth with many and prosperous yeares conuerte or confounde all her enimies and giue all vs grace that bee here gathered togeather for this holy purpose that wee bearing a feruent loue towardes almightie GOD a dutifull obedience towardes her Maiestie and her Lawes and vnfeigned charitie one towardes an other come not to this holy table for fashion sake to please the worlde but of verie good zeale to God and his worde That we receiuing these heauēly mysteries to our endlesse comfort may dwell in Christ and Christ in vs may be one with Christ and Christ with vs may be made mēbers of his mystical bodie in this life in the life to come pertakers of his celestiall kingdome Vnto the which he bring vs that most dearely bought vs Iesus Christ the righteous To whom with the Father and the holy Ghoste three persons one true and euerliuing God be all honour praise dominion and power for euer and euer Amen Antiquitie Gen. 3.15 Iustification Gen. 3.15 Gen. 18.18 Esaie 53.5 Esaie 63.3 Ioh. 3.16 Math 11.18 Rom. 3.24.25 Ephe. 2.8.9 1. Io. 2.1.2 The Sufficiēcie of the Scriptures Iohn 10.4 Iohn 10.4 The marriage of Ministers Iohn 2. Hebr. 13.4 1. Cor. 7.9 1. Tim. 4.3 Heb. 13.4 Prayer vnto God. Psal. 50.15 Math. 6.9 1. Tim. 2.5 1. Iohn 2.11 Apo. 19.10.22.9 Math. 15.22 Gen. 3.2 Bonauentura his Psalter Psal. 4.1 Psal. 16.1 Psal. 54.1 Psal. 110.1 Psal. 115.5 The Lordes Supper Math. 26.26 Mark. 14.22 Luke 22.19 1. Cor. 11.24 The worde Missa Deut. 18.10 Innocentius 3. The Popish Masse Math. 26.26 Transubstantiation Gen. 17.13 Exod. 12.11 Exod. 17.6 1 Cor. 10.4 Ioh. 6.51 Iere. 11.19 Gen. 49.11 Ioh. 15.1 Iohn 12.24 Iohn 6.48 Iohn 15.1 Three kindes of power Sacrifice Heb. 10.3 Heb. 10.1 and 10. They that thus bragge of Christes captuitie would hold him captiue Communion ¶ Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vine-tree by Thomas Dawson for Richard Sergier 1579.
liked well of this forme of ministring the Lordes Supper and did nothing swarue from it They were not curious nor ceremonious but the faithfull being gathered together after some exhortation they recited the wordes of the institution and saide the Lordes prayer and so distribution was made to all that was present Platina in the life of Sixtus the first saith Nuda primum haec erant omnia simpliciter tractabantur Petrus vbi consecrauerat oratione Paternoster vsus est Speaking of the Lordes supper These thinges saith he were naked at the beginning and all was handled simplie and plainely Peter when he had recited the institution saide the Lordes prayer Loe this was the Malse that Saint Peter saied That which Platina speaketh of Saint Peter the same doth Gregorie affirme was the vsuall masse of al the Apostles lib. 7. in his Epistle to Iohn Bishoppe of Syracusa But afterwarde this Simplicity by little little began so to offende the successours of the Apostles that in continuance of time al was turned vpside downe the substaunce taken away and the name loste First a litle of the Name then I wil speake of the Substaunce it selfe The Names vsed in the scriptures are these The Lordes supper the body and bloode of Christe the bread and the cuppe of the Lorde the Lordes table the participation of the body and blood of Christ Iustinus Martyr and Irenaeus call it Eucharistia thankesgeuing It was named also Synaxis by reason of the assembling togeather of the faithfull to receiue it And the whole action was called Liturgia The ministration of the Lordes supper And about foure hundred yeares after Christe in the Latine Church it beganne to bee called Missa But for what cause there are diuerse opinions Some say that it is an Hebrew word and deriued of Masas for Mas signifieth Tributum a tribute paide vnto the Prince And this interpretation agreeth well vnto the Lordes Supper wherein we offer vp vnto GOD the sacrifice of prayse and thankesgeuing for the redemption of mankinde by the death and passion of our Sauiour Christe as a tribute and bounden duetie that we owe vnto God But some had rather haue it deriued of Nasas whiche is to lift vp and Nes in Hebrew signifieth a standard or banner For this they thinke doeth agree very well vnto their Masse wherein they lifte vp Christe as they say in forme of breade to be woorshipped of the people and offer him vp to God the Father for the soules in purgatorie And they would faine finde their Masse in the scripture and therefore alledge the. 16. Chap. of Deutro Thou shalt kepe a solemne feast vnto the Lorde with a voluntary lifting vp or oblation of thy hande The Hebrew worde is Missah Loe say they the verie name of our Masse is in the olde Testament But I merueile why they are so fond to thinke that this place maketh anie thing for their Masse seyng that that Missah which the Iewes offered vp in the feast of Pentecost was not Christs bodie which then was vnborne but certaine loafes of breade made of their newe corne whereof some were leueined and offered vp vnto the Priestes vse Or why abhorre they in their Masses Leueined bread vsed in the Iewes Missah sith they will needes borrowe their masse from the Missah of the Iewes The thing of it selfe I graunt is indifferent whether wee vse Leauened or vnleauened bread at the Lordes table But surely the Popish Masse shoulde come somewhat nearer to the Missah of the Iewes if they woulde not vtterly condemne leauened breade nor deny the substance of bread to remaine after consecration But the best opinion is that Missa is a Latine woord And in this opinion is Polidorus Virgilius Beatus Rhenanus Michael Ritius Isydorus Ispalensis and Rahbanus Michaell Ritius lib. 2. Of his storie of the French kings sayth Antiquitus in vano deorum superstitione peracta re diuina conuersus ad plebēsacerdos aiebat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. populis missio quo verbo potestatem faciebat abeundi volentibus Idem mos a nostris etiam seruatus est vt libo iam libato pronuncietur per ministrum Ite missa est ilicet ire licet In the time of the olde superstition of the Gentiles the sacrifice being offered the Priest turning himself vnto the people said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Populis missio the people may depart The same custome is obserued amongest vs Christians that after the sacrifice offered the minister shall say Ite missa est That is to say Goe ye may departe For Missa was vsed for missio as in Tertulli Cyp. and Optatus often wee reade remissa peccatorum for remissio It appeareth also that the whole action of the Lords supper was deuided into two parts To the first part were admitted not onely the faithfull Christians but also Nouices and learners called Cathecumeni as yet vnchristened And not they onely but Iewes Gentiles heretikes and notorions offenders But when the sermon was done and the Epistle and Gospell read and certeine other praiers and the Priest readie to goe to the Lordes supper then the Deacon cried Ite missa est At which woordes all departed sauing the faithfull communicantes Of this we reade in the fourth Councell holden at Carthag Episcopus nullum prohibeat ingredi in Ecclesiam audire verbum Dei siue Gentilem siue Iudaeum siue haereticum ante missam Cathecumenorum Let the Bishoppe forbid no man to enter into the church and to heare the word of God whether he be Gentile or Iewe or heretike before the Nouices bee sent away Then after the communion was done the Deacon cried once againe Ite missa est By which woordes he gaue them leaue to depart which had receiued the Lordes supper Of this wee reade in Saint Ambrose in an Epistle to Marcellina When the Cathecumeni were sent away word came to me sayth he that the souldiars were in armure Ego tamen in officio mansi missam facere coepi Yet for all that I continued still in the office of ministration and beganne to doe masse In which place this woorde Missa doeth signifie the latter parte of the communion or ministration of the Lordes Supper after the Cathecumeni were sent away This woorde Missa so often soundinge in their eares being the last woorde pronounced vnto them by the Deacon and the woorde whereby they were dismissed and the woorde whiche some desirous to bee gone did long for to heare of all other woordes was made so familiar vnto the people that the whole action by them was called Missa And after the learned also vsed the same woorde And as the Deacon did twise pronounce Ite missa est Firste when he sent away the learners not christened then when they were dismissed that had communicated so did they deuide it into two masses The first was called Missa Cathecumenorum The masse of the learners or hearers The other Missa fidelium