not suffringe this holye signe thus to be prophaned threwe downe the image dagon sent greuous punshiments to the Philistines in such sort that they were constrayned to restore the Arke of the couenaunt of god This holye signe was so precious that for as muche as the Bethsamites which were not of the order of the Leuites had abused it 50000. of the common people and 70. of the chiefe rulers were rooted out slayne by the vengeaunce of god Against corruption of holy signes This example mighte make all those to tremble whyche enterpryse to abuse the holy sygnes and sacramentes ordayned of god 2. Samuel 6. Osa Osa also for that he abused the same sacred sygne notwithstandinge that he did it of a good intention for to lift vp the Arke of witnes hanging to much on thonside was he not punished with death Of others abuses committed by the Isralites Osias 2. Chron 26. there is many examples Osias was punished with liprosie for abusing the sacrifices Saule 1. Samuel 13. Ioseph lib. 7. cap. 4. of the Iewes antiquities in takyng vpon hym the ministery of encensing appointed to the priestes onely Saule he first elected king of the Isralits was slaine his kingdome geuen vnto another as was declared before of Samuell for abusyng the sacrifices and suffering his people to commit the lyke abuses His successours in the kingdomes of Iuda Israell haue not they alwayes continued in abusing corrupting the sacrifices sacraments ordeyned of God when they did offer sacrifices to the gods 1. Kyngs 8.11 Astaroth of the Sidonions to Chanios of the Moabites to Melcom or Moloch of the Ammonites in so much that they buylded temples oratories euen to offerencens to do sacrifices vnto them Hieroboam king of the Israelites Hieroboam 1. Kyngs 12. did not onely cause a Golden calfe to be erected as the high priest Aaron had abused before but also did ordeyne two Golden Kyne in the two Temples of Bethell Dan and ordeyned straunge priests corrupting the lawe of God and causing them to do sacrifice after the fashion of Aaron 1. Kyngs 14. This idolatrie corruption of sacrifices did continue amonge the Israelites more than .400 yeres during the raigne of their kyngs who had taught them to corrupt the true vse of the sacrifices in chapels perticuler oratories buylded in the tops of hils thick forests consecrated inviolating the law of sacrifices ordeyned by God in the holy temple 1. Kyngs 15. within the holy citie For particuler examples of the abuses committed agaynst the trew vse of sacrifices the historie of Maacha mother of kyng Asa is manifest who erected an image of the god Pan did consecrate dedicate vnto him a thicke forest offeryng sacrifices vnto it Achab. 1. Kyngs 16. Achab another kyng of the Israelites did erecte an aulter made sacrifices to the God Mars otherwyse called Baal vnto whom he dedicated a Groue to satisfie hys wycked wyfe Iesabell Ioseph lib. 8. chap. 10. He caused also another aulter temple to be erected to the God of the Tyrians he ordeyned Priests Sacrificers and instituted foure hundred false Prophetes Hys sonne successour Ochosias taught of his father to corrupt the vse of the sacrifices Ochosias dyd not onely offer to Baal otherwyse called Mars but went forwarde in greater abuse 2. Kyngs 1. Ioseph lib. 9. chap. 1. he buylded a temple vnto the god of Accoronites called by Iosephus Myos and by the Gréekes Priapus vnto the which god he did sacrifice To be short what more abhominable corruption can be described Purgatorye than the inuention of the fyer Purgatorie 2. Kyngs 16. 2. Kings 16.23 in the booke Alcoran Asoar 29.46 Asoar 5. wher with the Israelites did transgres causing their children to passe through the fier in Tophet a valley of the sons of Ennon sacrificing vnto the God Moloch This corruption of sacrifices not withstanding that it was in the tyme of Moyses ignē gehēnae non nisi numero dierum preterminato animas sentire docet Acorani liber ad diem veritatis omnes accedere operum suorum mercedem accepturas Asoar yet the Idoll Moloch in the valley of Ennon was not caste downe tyll the raygne of good Kyng Iosias more then nyne hundred yeres after Moyses Neuerthelesse this abuse doth continue among the Arabians Affricans to this present so that the Alcoramists Mahometists haue this beliefe that the soules of the departed muste passe thorowe the fyer to be purged and purified from theyr offences By this briefe gathering a man may clearely perceyue that from the beginning of the world man by his own fault hath fallen into the bottome of errour corruption of holy signes sacrifices sacraments ordened to him of god But the principall abuse Cause of the corruption of sacraments whereof is sprong the originall of all idolatrie entred by this meanes that fleshly and carnal men did stick more to the visible signes outward ceremonies then to the things signified by the Sacraments Apo. 13. for in place of circumcising their harts cutting awaye the old skinne of synne to be regenerated and purified by the bloud of the heauenly sacrifice offered before all worlds Deut. 10.30 they haue taken circumcision carnally for the cutting of the carnall skynne Wherefore did they not folowe the interpretation of god by Moyses to circumcise the foreskynne of their hearts Wherefore did not the children of Israell geue credit to the good prophet Ieremie Ierem. 4. whiche admonished them of the spirituall circumcision to circumcise the foreskynne of their hearts in puttinge awaye the foreskynne of their naturall corruption The lyke is come to passe of the sacrifices holye sygnes ordeyned of god for figures of the sacrifice fulfilled by Iesus Christ For the carnall man resteth in the corporall bloud of earthly beasts where he ought to lyft vp his spirite to heauen to comprehend conceyue that which is figured signified by the sacrifices of beasts offered vp For this therefore the iustice of God is declared by the Prophetes What nede haue I sayth the Lord god of your sacrifices Esay 1. I am werye of your offerings of shepe Moreouer I take no pleasure in the blood of beasts lambes goates offered Wherefore trauell you to addresse aulters vnto me I wyll non of your offerynges vayne sacrifices I abhorre your incens I can not suffer your newe Moones your Sabothes your assembles your feasts all is but vanitie I hate your feasts of new Moones O Israelites your solemne feasts I am wery in suffering so much You haue goodly directed your prayers vnto me I wil not heare you any more for the abuses which you haue cōmitted with your handes embrued with bloud Moreouer I wil not receiue of the house of Israell any bull Psalm 51. Esay 66. Ierem. 6. because your
ornaments and consecration of priestes speciallye the ornament called the Ephod Ephod the which the sacrifices the Israelites did abuse by their idolatries Another holy signe there was of the purging sprinckling water Pourging water cōsecrated Num. 19. ordeyned by god to Moyses Aaron the high prieste This sprinckled water was consecrated with ashes gathered by a cleane person of the sacrifice offered in Holocausta To witte of a Cowe all redde with out any spot which had neuer ben laboured The Wood ordeyned to make the fyer for the burntofferyng was Cedre Hisope Purple with Crimsin With this water were sprinckled poluted persons for the purging cleansing of their corporall defylings At the enteryng of the temple or tabernacle was a Lauer made of Brasse Exod. 38. and forged first with thimages of the women of Israell in this Lauer was put the sprinckling water wherew t the sacrificers are sprīkled before the celebrating of their sacrifices to the end they might be purified obteyne grace remission of their synnes After the death of the great priest Aaron the people of Israel vnthankfull to god for the goodnes sent them of him murmuring as anoyed with the heauenly Manna frely geuen vnto them for their norriture were punished by the biting of venemous serpents But the mercifull god gaue vnto thē an holy signe whereby thei shuld be saued restored to helth to witte the brasen serpent Brasen serpēt Iohn 3.7 lifted vp in the ayre a figure of Iesus Christ crucified These were in sūme the most part of the signes sacrifices sacramentes ordeyned of god in the first church of the Israelites figures of the true perfect sacrifice performed by Iesus Christ the true Messias euerlasting priest sitting at the right hand of god the father Sacramentes broken by Adam Gene. 3. Now resteth in summe to bring forth how man by his owne proper fault dyd fall in obliuion and disobedience of god his creator abusing gods fauour and corrupting the holy signes sacrifices and sacramentes ordeyned to hym What persuaded our first father and his companion to hyde them selues at the hearing of gods voyce but because they had abused the holy signe and broken the lawe of the fruites to them forbidden This holy signe which our first and vniuersall father had abused was the originall of other vices corruptions hereafter described into the which all men are fallen sauoring of the corrupted lumpe of Adam Leauing the perticuler corruptions of the signes sacrifices and sacramentes Corruption of the sacrifice by Aaron Exod. 32. Deute 9. before the law written by Moyses we wil begin to bring forth briefly the most notable errours committed by the most great sacrificers as kinges priests and others hauing the chief gouernment of the people When Moyses was abiding in moūt Synay to receiue the commaundementes of God his brother Aaron the high priest forged a calfe of gold of the golden earings geuen vnto him by the people of Israell he buylded an aulter offered incens and celebrated sacrifice causing the common people to worshyppe the molten Image Was not this an abusing of the sacrifices ordeyned of god a corrupting of the true vsage of the same in causing the Calfe to be worshipped in place of the slaine offered sacrifice as it was appoynted in the lawe Corruption of the sacrifice by Nadab and Abiu Leui. 10. Num. 11. His sonnes also Nadab Abiu were not they consumed with fyer for abusing the vse of sacrifices in takyng vnhallowed Wood corrupting the lawe The people of Israel vnthankfull for the goodnes done vnto them in being delyuered from the Pharoanicall captiuitie did they not murmour against the holy sacrament of heauenly Manna when they did disdeyne and contempne this bread of lyfe demaunded fleshe to eate iosua 7. Acham the sonne of Charmes did not he violate the laws of holy sygnes when he committed sacrilege and kept backe the spoyles of Hierico vowed consecrated to god for sacrifices If any more curiously desyre to sée the continuall abuses corruptions of the people them selues let hym read the histories of the Iudges of Israell iud 2.3.6 8.9 in all times he shal fynd man neuer to be content with the true worshipping ordained of God But in stead of outwarde signes ordayned of god to drawe the people to feare obedience they haue forged inuentions And in place of reuerēsing the aulters arke of couenaunt in the name of the onely god beyng outwarde sacred signes Iudg. 10. The Isrelites infected with the Idolatries of their neighbours the Sirians Sidonians Moabites Ammonites Philistines did erect alters vnto their strang gods Baall and Astaroth Iephtha iudge captaine of the Isralites did not he corrupt the law of sacrifices when he sacrificed his owne proper daughter excusing himselfe by a vowe whyche he made which was not appointed to him of god The vngentle sacrifice of Iephtha iud 11. The holy signe ordayned of god for the hygh priest to celebrat sacrifices in called Ephod the vppermost garment iudg 8.9 idolatrye by the golden EPhod Iudg. 17.18 was not it abused by Gedeon captayne of the Isralites whan as of the spoiles of the Madianites of their earings he made an Ephod of gold wherby the people fell into great idolatrye How long time was this holy outward signe Ephod abused an ymage beyng erected by the mother of Michas in Silo priestes sacrificers appointed expressly to sacrifice therevnto an alter buylded and the true vse of sacrifices corrupted So longe as the temple contynued in Silo into what wicked maners dyd the priestes and sacrificers fall which were ordained of god for the ministery of sacrifices holy sacramentes when they vsurped by long possession to haue thys priuilege of the people that when they did sacrifice and the fleshe of thoffered sacrifice was seathing 1. Samuel 2. their boye or seruaunt hauing a three grained fleshoke of yron in his hand had liberty to catche out of the potte or cawdron all that he cold carry with his hoke further the leuiticall tirranny was such that this seruant of the priest had liberty to demand of the sacrifice geuer fleshe to roste for the sacrificer otherwise to take it by force euen as he wold Was not this a great abuse detestable corruption practised by the priestes chiefe sacrificers vnder the pretence of sacrifices What greater corruptiō can be declared than that of the sonnes of the chiefe priest Ely called Ophni Phinees Ophni Phinies corruptera of the sacrifices 1. Samuel 4. Who vnder pretence of deuotion committed shamefull whoredom with the couered wemē behinde the holy Tabernacle instituted of god for the whiche wickednes they were miserably slayne and the arke of couenaunt taken awaye by the Philistines 1. Samuel 5.6 Which they set in the temple of their god dagon The arcke of the holy couenaunt but god
himselfe to be declared by a counsell holden at hys pleasure bishop Ecumenique the yere of christ 604. that is to saye generall and head of the whole churche Plantin Sabellie But soone after the great Bishops of Rome gaue such order that by treason the Emperour Maurice in Constantinople was cruelly slaine he his wife and familie by wicked Phocas who to recompence this detestable murder committed by the aduise of the Churche of Rome alwayes contrarye to Iesus Christ the yere of christ 612. he declared Boniface the thyrde of that name the generall head of the churche of God takyng vppon hym the authoritie of Iesus Christ the great and euerlastyng high Priest the onely spouse and head of his church Who can better describe an Antichrist than he that doth enterprise a tyrranny in the churche of God a poligamie in the churche the spouse of Iesus Christ attributynge to hymselfe that power Marc. 26. whiche Iesus Christ hath reserued to himselfe to be perpetuall with his churche by the vertue of hys holy spirite to conducte and gouerne the same Maye not he rightlye be called Antichriste whyche doeth enforce hym selfe directlye to goe agaynste the holye Ghospell of Iesus Christ who commaunded hys apostles when he sent them to preache hys worde that they shoulde not institute a Monarchie in the churche as the Prynces Kings Math. 23. Luc. 11. Marc. 2. and tyrraunts of the earth That none amonges them shoulde enterprise to call hym selfe the head or greater then other but all as brethren were humble beynge assured to haue one head and one heauenlye father which wyll tarye with them and assist them for euer to inspire and conduct them to his holy wyll Is not he of good right Antichrist which wyll haue himself called the successour of Iesus Christ in the great bishoprick and in the high priesthode by him exercised The which dignitie he hath reserued to himself abiding a high soueraigne priest for euermore who hath left no successour in his dignitie as Aaron did his successors in the dignities of the high priests of the Iewes But is after the order of Melchidech a king and high priest without any successour in his dignitie Wherefore then O Antichrists of Rome haue you taken vppon you the dignitie of the highest bishoppes as the heads of the church of God and vsurped also the authoritie of Iesus Christ causing your selues to be called most blessed and most reuerend fathers and Popes hauynge instituted a colledge of lytle purple bishoppes to chose the great bishoppe but onely to the end to renewe the auncient romaine religion of Neuma Pompilius the first authour of your pontificall dignities Aboute the same tyme that Phocas the cruell murtherer dyd erect an Antichrist in the romaine churche Mahomet was rysen in the church of Arabia instructed by the Monke Sergius aboute the yere 620 for this apostate heretyke seyng the lawe of God altogether corrupted by the traditions of men and the holye Ghospell contemned sectes and diuers heresies sowed as well by the Iewes Pharises Esseens Saduces Masbutheans Gallileans Seeke the church histories Hemerobaptists and Samaritans as also by the Christians Simoniaques Nicolaites Cerinthiens Memandriens and Ebronites Valentinians Cardonians Marcionistes Montanistes Cataphryges Tatians Eueratites Seuerians Artemonistes Porpherians Helchesaites Nouatians Sabellians Chiliastes Paulianistes Manicheans Automousiastes Arians Eunonians Macedoniās Euuomiotheophroniens Euuomidentichiens Aetians Donatistes Luciferiens Patripassians or Theopathites Photiniens Marcellians Paulosamosetans Apolinaristes Iouinianistes Pelagians Acariens Olimpiens Quaternitaries Monothelites And other heritikes hauing corrupted the true vsage of the holy Sacramētes ordayned of god Seyng also specially the Messalien secte to prosper in their ceremonies taken partly out of the Iudaicall laws partly out of the heathen Idolatry he inuented the great Alcoran decree Wherin he set manye Chapters and articles called Azoares whiche are as lawes and rules of the Machomette religion Thys preface and bryefe discourse of the romayne History me thought necessary to recite before I would beginne to discribe the originall of the sacryfice of the Masse Alwayes to brynge the reader to vnderstand the veritye of the fact How the Empyre of Rome hathe bene gouerned vntyll the decaye thereof aboute the yere of Christ foure hundred and tenne and howe the barbarous Idolatours dyd vsurpe the same for the space of three hundred yeres howe also the Antichristes did ryse and in the ende the Empyre of Rome was transferred to the Almaynes whiche kéepe it to this day fyue hundred yeres being passed OF THE Masse TO begynne this our litle treatise of the Masse first of all it is conuenient to interprete thys terme Masse The originall of the terme of the Masse of the auncient Romaynes called Missa Some haue honored this Missal sacrifice to haue taken his beginning of the Hebrues bringing in the place of Daniell speaking of Maozin Daniell 11. as if they woulde signifie the Masse by Maozin But this terme is verye straunge from Missa or Masse And there is other Hebrewe wordes which are more nearer to witte Messa whiche is as much to saye as conculcation or treading down whereof mencion is made in the historie of the Kynges of Israell Another terme also is founde 4. Kings 11. Missa very conformable vnto this common tearme Masse namely Messall that is to saye Ios 19. Messall hell or graue But I am well assured that the high priests of Rome wyll not take the originall of their sacrifice of the Masse from the Hebrues acknowledgynge their Masse and Messall to be a conculcation graue or hell Messal Hell Further to speake the trueth the Authour of the romaine religion Neuma Pompilius neuer thought of the Hebreus when he first instituted the Masse Much lesse terme this Missa or Masse can haue hys originall of the Greekes seyng they haue no sacrifice of that name not withstandyng that some haue made some reason to bryng in this terme of Greke Myzein that is to saye in Englishe to whysper or hyde in secrete As if the Messalian sacrificers had receyued of the auncient Gréekes Idolatours to keepe secrete the chiefe and principall wordes of their Masses to the ende they shoulde not be vnderstand of thassistance but haue obserued to murmour blowe betwene their téeth the Canons other speciall wordes which neyther they vnderstode them selues nor other whiche behelde them Neuertheles neither the Hebrue termes nor Greeke vocables in no wise can be appropriated to the Missall sacrifice Wherefore it behoueth to haue recourse to the trewe originall of the terme Missa or Masse taken of the auncient Latyns the Romaines Masse taken of the auncient Latins Romains whiche were accustomed to vse these termes Missus Missa Missilis and Missio As we saye in Englishe a messenger a message and missiues for letters sent For when the auncient Idolaters Romaines woulde geue leaue vnto the assistaunce at their Sacrifices celebrated to goe home they caused to