OF THE VISIBLE SACRIFICE OF THE CHVRCH OF GOD. THE FIRST PART VVritten by ANONYMVS EREMITA He that Sacrificeth to Gods shall be put to death but to our Lord only Exod. 22. 20. AT BRVXELLES By HVBERT ANTONY Velpius Printer to his Maiestie 1637. TO THE MOST EXCELLENT HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE CHARLES KING OF GREAT BRITAINE France Ireland c. Health and eternall felicitie MOst dread Soueraigne So many are the temporall blessings which All tie God hath bestowed vpon your Royall Maiestie that scarcely can they be paralelled in any other A Monarke of three Kingdomes all fortefied with the Ocean sea a Queene wyse vertuous beutifull and fruitefull subiects without number all in peace and plentie stryuing how to expresse their loues and obedience to so worthie a soueraigne health of Body and disposition of mynd fitt for any heroicall action so that not knowing what to wish or how to adde any more vnto your present temporall estate and happinesse as much as in me lyeth I desyre with all my heart that these your temporall blessings may also be seconded with spirituall eternall And for this cause and to this end hauing occasion to wryte of a Medecine against mortalitie of a Receipt against all diseases corruption and death of a Soueraigne Balme which whosoeuer will vse worthely shall liue eternally I could not but dedicate these my labours vnto your Maiestie vnto whom aboue all men liuing I wish compleat felicitie that protected by your royall fauour this Cordiall may worke the effect I desire which is euerlasting happines to your selfe subiects And so imploring your royall clemencie with most humble respects and profound submission I cast my selfe and labours vnder the shadow of your gratious protection euer to remaine Of your Sacred Maiestie A most humble and most faithfull subject ANONYMVS EREMITA THE PREFACE TO THE READER DEare Reader It may seeme strange vnto thee that an Hermit whose entertainment and conuersation ought chiefly to be in solitude meditation contemplation should trouble himselfe in his Cell with the turbulent controuersies of this tyme in matters of faith which in former ages when innocencie and vertue most florished euery Christian receaued with his baptisme after most constantly to hould and professe the same all the dayes of his life yet so it fell out that in conuersing with dyuers Puritans I found by experience that out of ignorance and want of knowledge what our visible sacrifice is by whome it was instituted or to what end they hate it more then they doe Iudaisme Turcisme or Paganisme it selfe in such sort that they obiect our offering of visible Sacrifice as one of the chiefest causes of their alienation from vs when in truth and veritie exterior visible sacrifice is the cheef exterior visible honor which is due to God as he is God and Creator of all things as will appeare by examination if we shall passe through all the exterior visible worships respects reuerences which are vsed by men in this life and it is so due vnto God alone that it may not be giuen vnto any Creature or false God vnder penaltie of high treason against his Deuine Maiestie punishable by death as witnesseth his lavv and euerlasting decree saging He that sacrificeth to Gods shall be put to death But to our Lord only So that the first motiue which moued me to wryte of this subiect was the grosse ignorāce and blindnesse I found in many Puritans who commonly would bitterly inueigh against our visible sacrifice not knowing what it was nor wherfore it was instituted for otherwyse I suppose they would not be so vehement against the honour of God therfore thought with my selfe for the honor of God and good of their soules to wryte plainly and manifestly of this subiect without any flourishing words or loftinesse of style or farr fetcht inuentions to make euery well minded simple Protestant or Puritan who will be delyghted with truth capable to perceaue and vnderstand that the exterior visible sacrifice or Masse which he so much hateth is the cheef exterior visible worshipp which doth belong vnto God alone that he may also defend the honor of God and not oppose it Secondly the emminencie excellencie of the Sacrament of the Alter is so greate that S. Augustine in the 24. chapter of his first booke de peccatorū meritis calleth it The lyfe of the world S. Ignatius disciple to S. Iohn the Euangelist The medecine of immortalitie and antidote against death S. Epiphanius in his Epistle to Iohn of Hierusalem The chiefest saluation of Christians vvhich before God is also so highly prysed that vvhen through wickednes of men and of Antechrist it shall be quyte taken a way out of the face of the earth the world shall end as witnesseth our fauiour saying The bread which I will giue is my flesh for the lyfe of the world Iohn 6. 51. for euē as when lyfe is takē from a man a man dyeth so when the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord shall be taken out of the world by the meanes of wicked men and of Antechrist the world shall be consumed with fyer as witnesse Daniel 9. 27. Mat. 24. 15. 1. Cor. 11. 26. Which considered fynding the passion of the Puritans of our nation so furious against this said Sacrament of the Alter as to esteeme the reuerence respect which is due vnto it Idolatrie and so to persecute it that if it lay in their poners they would not only extirpate it out of this Iland of great Britanie but out of the whole globe of the earth to bring in their fancie of eating a peece of bakers bread The honour of my lord the saluation of their soules and the lyfe of my Countrie moued me to abstract some howers from my ordinarie recollections to defend with my penne the dignitie of so emminent a Sacrament If this worke of myne fall short of thyne expectation accept of my good will which is if it were in my poner te giue all honor vnto God vnto whome all honor and glorie is due and vnto thee Reader lyfe of eternall lyfe and so Irest thy seruant in Christ Iesus CHAP. I. VVhat we vnderstand by visible Sacrifice and of the whole scope of this booke TO vnfold vnto thee deare Reader the whole scope of this our booke and to sett plainely and manifestly before thine eyes the whole state of this controuersy Of the exterior visible Sacrifyce of the Church of God where of I intend by Gods grace to treate It is necessary first to explicate vnto thee what a sacrifice in generall is then to distinguish the different kindes of Sacrifice one from an other after to defyne or descrybe a proper exterior visible sacrifice and lastly to sett downe the differences between Catholiques and English Protestants and Puritans concerning visible sacrifice that by this first Chapter thou maist cleerly know what I treate of and see the said differences and the whole
heathen people did not only eate of things offred vp in Sacrifice vnto their Gods but also estemeed that The vnion amongst the Gentils by communicating of Sacrifices those who did eate of their Sacrifices had vnion peace and society with them and their Gods or Idolls therefore both in the Old Law and in the New the faithfull were prohibited to eate of the meate which was offred vp to Idolls Exod. 34. 25. Act. 15. 29. and 1. Cor. 10. 21. where S. Paul saith to the faithfull you cannott be partakers of the table of our Lord and the table of Diuels Wherevpon Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople in his Oration Iulians craft to bring the Christians to Idolatrie which he made in the beginning of Lent relateth that Iulian the Apostata desirous to compell the Catholicks of Constantinople to an exteriour kind of participation with Idolators and infidells caused all the bread and meate with was publickly to be sold in Constantinople to be offred vpp in Sacrifice vnto the Gods that so saith he they may all be compelled to eate of meate immolated to Idols or els perish with hunger Wherevpon the Christians seeking by the meanes of Theodorus the Martyr to know what they might do to saue the faithfull from perishing of hunger Deuine answere was made that insteed of bread they should vse boyled wheate for their meate which the richer sort for a whole weeke together bestowed vpon the poorer So Iulian being ouercome by the continency and constancy of the Christians commaunded that pure meate with out any spott should be brought again to the market 6. And not only the Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall histories make mention how the heatens honored their Gods with Sacrifice and after did eate of the said Sacrifice to maintayn freindship and society amongst themselues and with their Gods but also heathen Authors themselues as Homer Virgil Plutark Macrobius and Valerius Maximus who writeth that in the feasts which the RomaÌ„ Septemviri made in the Capitoll to Iupiter which were after sacrificed Iupiter was inuited to supper in a bedd and Iuno and Minerua sitting in chayres to signifie that eating the meate with was offred in Sacrifice they communicated and feasted with their Gods And the same doth testify Plutark in his Booke intituled That there is no pleasant life according to Epicurus saying Kings Princes keepe greate cheare in their royall Courts and make certain royall and publick feasts for all commers but those which they hold in the sacred Temples at Sacrifices and solemnities of the The solemne Sacrifice of the Gentiles Gods performed with fragrant perfumes and odoriferous incense where it seemeth that men approach neare vnto the Maiestie of the Gods and think they euen touch them and be conuersant with them in all honor and reuerence such feasts yeild a more rare ioy and singular delight then any other by the assured hope and full perswasion that God is there present propitious fauourable and gratious and that he accepteth in good part the honor and seruice donn vnto him So Plutark and Virgil in the 8. of his Eneides affirmeth the same of Eneas and his Troians saying Then chosen striplings and the Priest who yet Stands at the Altar streight before them sett Oxens broild entrails fâ—ll with manchet fine Baskets and serue them of the purest wine Eneas and his Troians take for cheere The chine and hallowed inwards of a steere Whereby we see that it was the custome of infidels and heathen people to take the flesh with was offered vp in Sacrifice to their God from the Altar of their idolls and bring it to the table of men that those who offred might eate of it with their freinds and such as were inuited after the manner of the Isralits who as is set down more particularly in the 1. Book of Kings and 1. Chapter offered Sacrifice vnto God and after communicated of the said Sacrifice amongst themselues And this is sufficient to shew that all heathens and Gentills who were not Atheists or Epicures and either denied not God or Gods or his or their prouidence ouer mankind offred Sacrifice vnto some supposed God and communicated of the same thereby to giue diuine honor vnto their Gods and maintaynvnitie peace and societie amongst themselues and with their Gods CHAP. IV. Of all the visible outward actions of men exteriour visible Sacrifice is cheifly due vnto God as God and Creator of all things 1. IN all the kingdomes and coÌ„mon-wealths which are vpon the earth there is some particuler visible and known signe of dignity honor and worship belonging only vnto the Kings or supreame Gouernors as they are kings Some visible knovvne signe of honor due vnto supreame Magistrates or supreame Gouernors which may not be giuen vnto any other vnder penaltie of treason and death as Scepter or Crown or the like and God not only being King of Kings Reuel 9. 24. and Prince of the Kings of the Earth Reuel 1. 5. but also God and Creator of all things Reuel 3. 11. And hauing dominion ouer all 1. Chronic. 29. 12. in reason he must needes haue some one particular externall visible known signe of adoration honor and worship due only vnto him as he is God and supreamest Some visible honor due vnto God alone Soueraign by all men which liue vpon the earth thereby publickly to acknowledg him for their God and to practise together their submission and obedience vnto him and visibly to adore him with that diuine worship with is due only vnto him Which honor and worship vnder penaltie of treasoÌ„ against his diuine Maiestie and temporall and eternall death may not be giuen vnto any creature subiect or vassall of his otherwise there should be lesse prouidence vsed in prouiding for the preseruation of the visible publick honor worship and dignity of God amongst men then there is for the meanest king prince or publick gouernour of any priuat cittie vpon earth which is absurd Wherevpon we inferr that there is a particular exterior visible known signe whereby men do or ought publickly and visibly to acknowleg God for their Lord God and cheifest good and publickly and visibly preserue in them the honor dignity and respect which is due only vnto him as their Lord God Creator conseruer and happy life c. 2. That this particuler externall visible known signe is the visible Sacrifice I speake of which S. Augustine discribeth to be a Sacrament or sacred Sacrifice is only due vnto God visible signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of our harts as is sett down in our first chapter God himself doth witnes saying He that Sacrificeth to Gods shal be put to death but to our Lord only Exod. 22. 20. for which cause S. Paul reprehending the Gentils for their Idolatry saith They changed the glory of the incorruptible God Rom. 1. 23. And how did they change it by taking away the exterior visible Sacrifice which was only due vnto God as a sacred visible
signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of their harts and bestowed it vpon the Image of a corruptible man or The beginning of Idolatry of fowles or fou-r footed-beasts and so Idolatry began as witnes the Scriptures saying Idols neither were from the beginning neither shall they be foreuer for by the vain-glory of men they entred into the world and therefore shall they come shortly vnto an end for a father afflicted with vntimely mourning when he had made a picture of his child soontaken away now honoured him as a God which was then a dead man and deliuered vnto those who were vnder him ceremonies and sacrifices Wisd 14. 15. 3. Thus as the Scriptures doe witnes began Idolatry by occasion of the passionate affection of a father who sorrowing for the death of his child caused a picture to be made in his memory and ordeyned Sacrifices which are due vnto God to be offered vnto it by his seruants and followers So Ninus erected the statua of his Father Belus Nembroth Grandchild to Cham and first king of Babilon in the midst of Babilon and caused Sacrifice which vnder penaltie of death was due only vnto God to be offered vnto it by the Babilonians as witnesseth Berosus in his 4. Book S. Cyrill in his 3. Book against Iulian S. Hierome vpon the 2. Chapter of Osee and S. Ambrose vpon the 1. chapter to the Romans which the Scriptures also signify saying Afterwards that Idolatry was thus begun as is aforesaid by the passionate affection of a father towards his child deceased in proces of time the wicked custome preuayling this error was kept By vvhat meanes Idolatry increased as a law and grauen things were worshipped by the commandements of kings c. And to the worshipping of these the singular diligence of the Artificer helped them forward that were ignorant for he willing to please him that enterteyned him vsed all his skill to make the similitude of the best fastion And so the multitude allured by the grace of the work took him now for a God which a little before was but honored as a man And this was occasion to deceaue the world for men seruing either passionate affection or Kings did ascribe vnto stones and stocks the incommunicable name of God Wis 14. 16. Wherevpon S. Cyprian in his book of the vanitie of Idols saith It is manifest that they are not Gods which the common-people worship for in times past they were kings who in memory of their Royaltie after death were worshipped of their kindred and seruants and so had temples erected vnto their honor and their statues were erected to preserue the resemblance of the countenance of the dead vnto which they immolated hosts and appointed festiuall dayes in their honor afterwards they were esteemed holy which in the beginning were only vsed for their consolation 4. From the Idoll Belus or Bel of the Babilonians arose by degrees the Idolls of Baal Baalim Belzebub The originall of the Idolls Belus Baal Baalim c. Belfegor c. which were diuers standing Images of the same Belus their names only changed according to the diuers languages of the Nations as witnesseth S. Hierome vpon the 2. of Osee vnto which they offred Sacrifice as the Scripture witnesseth saying They immolated to Baalim Osee 11. 2. They did Sacrifice to Baal and offered drink offerings to strange Gods to prouoke mee to wrath Ierem. 32. 29. They Sacrificed vnto the Idolls of Canaan and the Lord was wrath with fury against his people Psal 105. because they offered visible Sacrifice vnto Idolls which is due only vnto the true God as a sacred signe of the inuisible Sacrifice of our harts vnto him which may not be giuen vnto any creature Wherevpon when Manue the Father of Sampson would haue offered Sacrifice vnto an Angel the Angel said If thou wilt offer Holocaust offer it vnto our Lord for Manue knew not that it was the Angel of our Lord. Iudges 13. 15. 5. In like manner S. Augustin in his 49. Epist saith The holy Angels doe not approue of Sacrifice but that Sacrifice which according to the doctrine of true wisdome and true Religion is offered only vnto that true God whom they serue in holy societie Wherevpon in the 4. Chapter of his 10. Book of the Cittie of God he affirmeth that many things either by to No man as man euer chalenged Sacrifice much humilitie or pestilent flattery are vsurped from deuine worship and translated vnto humain honor yet so as that these men vnto whom such honor is giuen are notwithstanding still esteemed men although they be called worshipfull venerable and if much honourable but who euer thought that Sacrifice ought to be offered vnto any but vnto him whom either he did know or esteemed or feined to be a God And moreouer in his 49. Epist and 3. Quest he saith The true and holy Scriptures do admonish vs that Sacrifice is to be offered vnto the only true God not vnto anie corporall or spiritual creature who by how much the more pious they are and subiect to God by so much the more they refuse to haue that kind of honor done vnto them which they know to be only due vnto God Thus S. Augustin Wherevpon S. Thomas in his 2. 2. Quest 81. art 2. saith The Sacrifice which is Outvvard Sacrifice doth express the invvard of the hart and mind exteriourly offered doth signifie the inward spirituall Sacrifice wherewith the soul offereth herself vnto God as vnto the beginning of her creation and end of her happines and therefore as we ought to offer spirituall Sacrifice only vnto God so we ought to offer exteriour Sacrifice only vnto him This also we see to be obserued in euery common-wealth that they honor their Prince with some perticular signe which if it should be giuen vnto any other were treason 6. For this cause in the Catholick Church they do not offer Sacrifice vnto any creature whatsoeuer as S. Augustin in the 27. Chapter of his 8. book of the Cittie of God witnesseth saying Who Sacrifice neuer offered to saints euer heard the Priest of the faithfull standing at the Altar euen built and adorned to the honor of God ouer the body of a Martyr saying in his prayers I offer vnto thee Sacrifice o Peeter or Paul or Cyprian when it is offered in memory of these Martyrs vnto God who hath VVhy Christ our Lord vvould not haue Sacrifice offered vnto him vpon Earth made them both men and Martyrs And the 20. Chapter of his 10. Book he addeth Although IESVS CHRIST the mediator between God and man beeing in the forme of God might haue had Sacrifice offered vnto him as it was offered vnto his father with whome he is one God yet liuing in the forme of a seruant he chose rather to be a Sacrifice then to haue Sacrifices offered vnto him least that thereby any one might take occasion to think that it was lawfull to offer
the penaltie of death imposed vpon those Priests who should drink wine whilest they were seruing in the Tabernacle Leuit. 10. 9. And amongst all the Iewes it was esteemed a profane thing and a token of idolatrie to drink of their drink offerings Deut. 32. 30. Hest. 14. 17. Cor. 10. 7. Therefore our Sauiour said This do ye that is shed my bloud to God for you or offerr vnbloudy Sacrifice in my bloud for you as often as you shall drink for the commemoratiō of me Otherwise if our Sauiour had not giuen them an expres command to offer the Chalice in Sacrifice before they drunk of it either they would not haue offered Sacrifice in the Chalice or els they would not haue drunk of it not to trangress the old Law where they vsed not to drink of their drink offerings in the Sacrifices and communion but of a cup of ordinary wine after the Sacrifice and communion was ended as appeareth by the ritual of the Iewes 11. And if we examine the institution of the B. Sacrament set down by S. Paul we shall find also that our Sauiour at his last Supper instituted an vnbloudie Sacrificie in the Sacrament of his bodie and bloud S. Paule saying Our Lord Iesus in the night he was betraied tooke bread and giuing thankes brake and said as it is in the originall greeke and as Protestants and Puritans translate it take eate this is my bodie which is broken for you this doe in remembrance of me 1. Cor. 11. 24. Where first we may obserue that he doth not saie This is my bodie which is broken to you as in a Sacrament but which is broken for you to God as in a Sacrifice after the manner of vnbloudie Sacrifices which were deuided and brokē as I haue shewed in the 11. chapter Secondly our Sauiour saith This is my bodie which is broken for you to expresse himselfe that he then offered Gifts or vnbloudie Sacrifice for vs to God and commanding the Apostles to obserue that kinde of Sacrifice in his Church addeth Doe this in commemoration of me 12. If our Sauiour in administratiō of the communion If our Sauiour had not intended a Sacrifice he vvould not haue vsed the vvordes proper to signify a Sacrifice had not intended to offer vnbloudie Sacrifice or Gifts he would not when all the world vsed to offer Sacrificie in their Communion haue vsed these wordes so often which are proper to signify an vnbloudie Sacrifice or Gifts as This is my bodie which is giuen for you This is my bodie which is broken for you This is the bloud of the new Testament which is shed for manie This is the Chalice the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you but haue left them out for if he had not intended to offer Sacrifice these wordes would haue bin better left out and the sense of his wordes would haue bin more cleare and manifest if he had said thus Taking bread he gaue thankes and gaue to them saying Doe this for a commemoration of me And then there would haue bin no dispute or difficultie about the text but these former words being in the text and these aforesaid texts being thus sett downe in the Greeke Bibles and the Protestantes and Puritans themselues translating them after the afore said manner in their English Bibles and the ancienet Fathers vnderstanding them to be spoken of vnbloudie Sacrifce and the whole knowne Nothing more manifest in the Bible then that our Sauiour at his laste Supper instituted a Sacrifice world Atheists and Epicures only excepted vsing them to communicate of things offered in Sacrifice as I haue proued in the 3. Chapter of the first part there is nothing more manifest in the Bible then that our Sauiour in the administration of the communion at his last Supper instituted an vnbloudie Sacrifice in his bodie and bloud 13. To this which hath bin said if we add the A Sacrifice commanded by S. Paule in the Communion words of S. Paule where he commandeth vs saying As often as you shall eate this bread and drinke the Chalice you shall shew the death of our Lord vntill he come 1. Cor. 11. 26 and our Lord not dying against his will but voluntarily and willingly offering The offering of himselfe in Sacrifice the chiefest act in the Passion of our Lord. vp himself in Sacrifice for vs Isa 53. 7. Ioh. 10. 16. 19 how can anie Christian man with reason doubt whether we should offer Sacrifices or no in commemoration of his death especially seeing that as I haue said before the offering of himselfe in Sacrifice for vs is the chiefest act whereby we receaue benefit by his sacred Passion for if our Sauiour had dyed and had not offered or giuen his life for our Redemption we had receaued no benefit by his sacred death Whereby we see that of all the absurdities this is one of the greatest to graunt as Puritans do that we ought in the administration of the Sacrament to make a commemoration of the Passion of our Sauiour for vs and yet deny that we ought to offer Sacrifice in his commemoration when the offering of himself in Sacrifice for vs is the chiefest thing in his Passion and the greatest benefit we haue receaued by his death and so manifestly expressed and commanded in the Scriptures that we ought to shew forth his death and giue his bodie to God for vs as often as we shall consecrate the Communion as that it can not be denied and that to communicate and not of things offered vp in Sacrifice is by the Scripture accounted a great sinne 1. Kings 2. and contrarie to the practise of all Natiōs as I haue shewed in the first part Wherefore our Aduersaries if they would speake or proceede consequenter they should either deny that they ought to make a commemoration of the Passion of our Lord in their Lordes Supper or els vse an externall visible Sacrifice in their Lordes Supper to shew forth the Sacrifice of our Lord vpon the Crosse And this is sufficient to manifeste vnto anie indifferent Reader that our Lord at the institution of the most blessed Sacrament instituted an vnbloudy Sacrifice or Gifts in his bodie and bloud vnder the species of bread and wine to be offered vnto God in commemoration of him CHAP. II. How these wordes this is my body which shal be deliuered for you import also a Sacrifice in his bodie 1. IF we read this Text of S. Paule according to the vulgar latin translation which saith This is my bodie which shal be deliuered for you 1. Cor. 11. 24. it agreeth in one with that of S. Luke which saith This is my bodie which is giuen for you and with that of the greeke translation which saith This is my body which is broken for you when the Scriptures saie This is my body which is giuen for you or This is my body which is broken for you in the present tense