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
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
and successour of Numa to the end to make his name euerlastinge by addinge some new thinge to the missall sacrifice he ordeyned to singe nyne tymes these wordes in Greeke Platine Volaterran Kyrie eleyson Kyrie eleyson For Gregory did greatly esteme this number nyne euen as the auncient romayn Idolators had recourse vnto the nouendiall sacrifice for signes and monstrous wonders Quoties prodigium nunciabatur sacruÌ„ nouendiale per nouem dies agebatur Tit. Liui. lib. 1 Decades 1. He did also ordeine that in the Massesacrifice shuld be song two words of Hebrue to accompanye the two wordes in Greke And that at certaine tymes men shoulde synge these two wordes Allelu ya and certayne tymes they shoulde not In place of which Allelu ya is song another song called the tract with sharpenes of voyce prolixitie of song and heauinesse of notes of musicke to fygure the miseries of this world and he that syngeth Allelu ya must be higher then he that houleth the graduel as the alcoran of Titelman doth recite Is there not witchcraft inough in your sacrifice O Massalians onlesse ye put therevnto Hebrue and Greke wordes and mingle together Pithagoricall numbers and nouendiall songes and institute a difference of dayes to singe and not to sing Hebrue words and inuent crosses and dumme mummeries Be not these corruptions of the holye sacrament of the supper ordeyned of God Platine Sabellie Some other haue enriched the missall sacrifice Gloria patri Agnus dei Kisâ—â—g the Paten ordeyned as Damase bishoppe of Rome with a Gloria patri Sergius with an Agnus dei songe three tymes which Titelman expoundeth to figure the Ascention of Christ Innocent the kissing of the priests Paten The which paten of gold by the doctrine of the Alcoran dothe signifie the diuinitie of christ cap. 14. The Gloria in excelcis by Symmachus the which song pronounced in a voyce swete basse Cap. 56.57 doth signifie as holdeth the Alcoran of Titelman the warlike childishe voice of Christ beyng yet in the cradle O blasphemye and detestable mommry of the sonne of god Leo the second instituted the kissynge of the paxe whych the Alcoran of Titelman sayeth doeth signifye the vnion of christians Pax kissing And that the kissynge of the paxe came in in the place of the holy communioÌ„ obserued in the first church next the Apostles This kissing of the Paxe was songe of the Massalian sayinge these wordes Pax domini and making 3. crosses vpon the Chalice when the thyrd parte of the hoost is cast into the wine to fygure the incarnation of Christ or for the thréefold peace of the time of the spirit and of the euerlastyngnes to come Moreouer the forging of the Canon of the masse is attributed to Alexander The canon of the masse Gelace Syricie Leo and Pelage These be peeces patched to according to the humours of the Bishops of Rome the authours and restorers the founders and augmentours of the masse sacrifice The best enrychynge instituted in the Masse sacrifice must not be forgotten to witte certayne places of the olde new testament called the epistles and Ghospells Platine Sabellie The epistles and ghospels cut in the masse The whiche the Messalians haue cut mingled with the Pompilian Idolatry therein haue prophaned the lawe of god euen as dyd the Apostate Sergius doctour of the Machomet the whiche decked the Alcoran with many places of the holy byble patched a hotchpotch of fables heresies which the holy law of god The massalians haue ordeyned two persons to sing the epistles and ghospelles to the ende to enriche their Massedaunce to wit the subdeacon who marcheth before to play the person of the first law of the Iewes and the deacon whiche commeth after with more great dignitie to represent the lawe of the ghospell the whiche deacon carieth vppon his brest a quoshon to figure the humblenes of hart The subdeacon receyueth not the blessing of the Massing sacrificer as the deacon doth for this saye the Massalian doctours that God sent his prophetes inuisiblie But the deacon playinge the personage of the law of the gospel he receiueth blessyng as being sent among wolues because christ sent his Apostles as men visibly It is ordained that the deacon shall weare a stoell crosswise hanging vpon his shulders one end ouer the other to figure force continence ioyned together in the massemonger The deacon playing his pagen and singing some pece of the gospell in a language vnderstanded neither of him nor of the assistantes must turne himself towarde the north standing vpright Because saith TitelmaÌ„ the north part is cold and malicious And therfore he must make a crosse to chase away the deuills of the north Be not these sorceries and conflictes more horrible than al the coÌ„mentaries of the auÌ„cient Romain bishops idolators Against the long possession and prescription of Idolators Doth not this approue the Alcoran of Machomet the long possession whereof Turks presently haue had for these .900 the yeres past hauing conquered countres Realmes Against Turks and Empiers prospered in al their interprises stil obseruing the abominable law sette oute in the Alcoran Against the people of Israel offering to Moloch Were the people of Israell excused before God when they dyd sacrifice in the valley of Tophet to Moloch with innoceÌ„ts bloud by alledging the long possession accustomed vsage for the space of .1200 4. Kings 16 23 yeres before this Idolatrie was algetother destroied by the good kinge Iosias Against the idolatrie of the brasen serpent Num. 21. Did the Israelits murmur agaynst the vertuous king Ezechias wheÌ„ he destroied the brasen serpent whiche was made by the expresse commaundement of god 900. yeres before Were the same people excused of their Idolatries committed in Dan Bethell Against the image set vp by Hieroboam 3. Kings 12. wherein were the Images of two heffers of gold instituted by their kinge Hieroboam vnder pretence of long possession that they had continued this Idolatrie for the space of .300 or .400 yeres The Iues Against the infidelitie of the iewes now vacaboÌ„ds shall they be excused before the maiestye of god by showing the long possession of their ceremoniall lawe instituted yea of god himself .3 thousand yeres ago Also you O massalians can you aledge against god the continuance and longe possession of celebratinge your Pompilian Masses long time and that you and your predecessours haue vsed sold put to vsurie your Missall sacrifyces is this reason sufficient to grounde vpon long possession as your predecessours senators of Rome did alledge vnto Theodose the Emperour their Pompilian religion to haue been obserued more then a M. yeres This is not an excuse sufficient to bring in long possession vsage of long tyme obserued for the confirmation of your Idolatries For if god of his mercie wonderfull patience did suffer the Iewes in