â—he masse to be in goddes presece that onles ye decline froÌ„ the same to lyfe can ye neuer atteyn And therfore brethren flye froÌ„ that Idolatry rather then frome the present death Here wolde I haue spoken of the diuersitie of sacrifice but neyther doeth tyme nor the wickednesse of myne owne flesh permit that so I do I will ye obserue y â— where I saye there resteth no sacrifice nor yet is there anye priestes that I meane that there resteth no sacrifice too be offred for synne nor yet is there any priests hauynge power to offre such oblations Otherwise I do knowe that all true ChristiaÌ„s are kynges and priestes and doe dayly offre vnto God a sacrifice moste acceptable the mortification of their affections as Paule commaunded the Romayns But here of may not I remayne too speake presently Suche doctrine as was taught in youre audience vpon Sonday before noon I wil proue as oportunitie shall permitte by goddes scriptures not only vnprofitable but also erroneous and deceyuable But firste accordinge too my promes I will seude vnto the teacher the extracte therof to adde or diminishe as by hys wysedome shalbe thought moste expediente â–ª For God knoweth my mynde is not captâ—oush too tryppe men in wordes But my onely desyre beynge that ye my audience bee instructe in the veritie where froÌ„ dissenteth some doctrine taughte you if truelye I haue collected moueth me to speake againste al that maye haue appearaunce of lyes and superstition And praye with me brethren that the spirite maye be ministred vnto me in aboundance to speake at all times as becommeth a trew messenger And I will lykewyse praye that ye might heare vnderstande and obeye with all reuereÌ„ce the good wil of God declared vntoo the worlde by Iesus Christ whose omnipotente spirite remayn with you for euer â–ª Amen ¶ Here is briefly declared in a sumine accordynge to the holy scriptures what opinion we Christians haue of the Lordes supper called the Sacramente of the bodye and bloudde of oure sauyoure Iesus Christ FIrste we confesse that it is an holy action ordeyned of God in the whiche the Lorde Iesus by earthely and visible thinges sette before vs lifteth vs vp vnto heauenly and inuisible thinges And that whan he hadde prepared hys spirituall banâ—â—et he witnessed y e he hym self was the lyuely bread wherewith oure soules bee fedde vnto euerlastinge lyfe And therefore in settinge forthe breade and wyne to eate drynk he confirmeth and sealeth vp too vs hys promisse and communion that is that we shalbe partakers with hym in hys kyngedome and representeth vnto vs and maketh playne to oure senses his heaueÌ„ly giftes and alsoo geueth vnto vs himself to be receiued with faith and not with mouthe nor yet by transfusion of substaunce but so throw the vertue of y e holy Ghost that we beynge fedde with hys fleshe refreshed with his bloud maye be renewed both vnto trew godlines and to immortalitie And also that here with the Lord Iesus gathereth vs into one visible body so that we be meÌ„bres one of an other and make altogether one bodye where of Iesus Chrste is head And finally that by the same Sacrament the Lord calleth vs to remeÌ„braunce of hys deathe and passion too styrre vp oure hartes to prayse his moste holy name Sarthermore we acknowledge that this SacrameÌ„t oughte to become vnto reuereÌ„tly considering there is exhibited and geuen a te 〈…〉 of the wonderfull socâ—â—tie and â—uyttinge together of the lord Iesus and of the receyuers and also that there is included and conteyned in this sacrament that he will preserue his churche for herein we be commaÌ„ded to shew the Lordes death vntill he come Also we beleue that it is a confession wherein we sheroe what kynd of doctrine we professe and what congregation we toyne our selfes vnto And lykewise that it is a boÌ„de of mutuall loue amoÌ„gst vs. And finally we beleue that al the commers vnto thys holy supper muste bringe with them their conuersion vnto the LORD by vnfayned repentaunce in faythe and in thys Sacramente receyue thee seales and confirmation of their faythe and yet muste in nowise think that for this works sake their syns be forgeuen And as concerning these wordes Hoc est corpus meuÌ„ this is my body on whiche the papistes depend so much sayeng that we must nedes beleue that the breade wyne bee transubstanciated intoo Christes body bloud We acknowledge y e it is no artikel of our fayth which caÌ„saue vs nor which we are bouÌ„d to beleue vpoÌ„ payn of eternal daÌ„nation For if we should beleue y â— hys very naturall body both flesh and bloude were naturally in the bred wyne that should not saue vs seinge many beleue that yet receyue it to their damnation For it is not his presence in the bread that can saue vs but his presence in our hartes through fayth in his bloud which hath washed out our synnes and pacified the fathers wrath towardes vs. And agayne if we doe not beleue hys bodielye presence in the bread wyne that shall not damne vs but the abseÌ„ce out of our hart thorow vnbelefe Now if they wolde here obiecte that though it be trueth that y e absence out of the breade coulde not damne vs yet are we bounde to beleue it because of gods worde saying thys is my bodye whiche who beleueth not as muche as in him lieth maketh God a lyar and therfore of an obstinat mynd not to beleue hys worde maye be our damnation To this we aunswere that we beleue gods worde confesse that it is trew buÌ„t not so too be vnderstande as the papistes grossely affirme form the SacrameÌ„t we receiue Christ spiritually as dyd the fathers of the olde testament accordinge to S. Paules sayeng And if men wolde well wey how that Christ ordeyning this holy sacrament of hys bodye and bloud spoke these wordes sacramentally doubtles they wolde neuer so grossely foolishely vnderstand them contrary to all the scriptures and to the exposition of saynct Augustyn sayncte Hierome Fulgentius Digilius Origenes and many other godly writers Gene. â— Math. 10 â–ª Actes 1â— â–ª 〈…〉 〈…〉 1◠〈…〉 â–ª 40. â—l 51. â—â—90 â— â— Reg. 25. Iere. 52. Daniel 1. Esai â— Ephe. 2. Iosua 2. Math. 5. Math. 10. â—â—â— 20. Rom â–ª 1. â— Pet. 2. The state Apo. 14. 1â— Psalm â— Acto 4. Luc. 16. O se 4 â–ª â— â–ª Math. 20. Math. â— â— Thes â— Deu. 4. 12. Math. 15. â—e 13. 1â— Leut. 10. Math. 7 Ac. 1. 13. 14. 1. Cor. 11. Apoca. â— Nota. â— Re. 15. a. Pa. 17. 4. Re. 22 2. Pa. 29 â—9 â—â— No parte of religion remaineth vncorrupt â–ª A peticion An obiection of the fleshe An answer Matth. 6. â—â—â— 6. â— â—â—â— 1â— Iohn 17. Iohn 4. â—aâ—â— 2. Iere. 〈◊〉 ◠〈◊〉 2. CouÌ„saill 3 Par. â—4 Matth. 24 Oâ—â— 10. â—â—â—â— 9 â–ª 1. Reg. 1â—◠◠〈…〉 1â— Nota. Dem. 4. Leui. 10. Obiection Apoca. â— Obiection Preceptes were geueÌ„ The cause of the counsail at Ierusalem Cornelius ConclusioÌ„ of the conÌ„sayll Question Obiection Nota. Pape quâ— missam instituerunt Euasion Improâ—â—tion of the Canon Nota. Esay 66. Amos. 5. Esai 66. Iere. 7. Esay 55. Esai 18. Ose 7. Iere. 2. Nota. Opinion holden of the masse Nota. Hebre. 10. Aunswere of papists Contra. Nota. Hebre. 7. Papistes Aunswere â–ª Heb. 9. Hebr. 10. Nota. Question Papistes aduerte Euasion Papistes Esai 27. Iere. 14. Esai 9. Iere. 31. Collos 1. Nota. Ioan. 6. ☞ â–ª Question ☞ ☜ Obiection Aunswer 1. Cor. 11.
after drincke of the water of lyfe drincketh there with damnation death How by whome it hath beÌ„ enuenomed if it were no more tediouse to youre grace to reade heare then it is paynfull to me to write or reherse I wold not spare the labor But for this present I haue thought it soÌ„e discharge of a parte of my duety If I of very loue admonish your g. of y â— daÌ„ger whiche I do as God one daye â—â—all declare preferring youre g. saluation and the saluatioÌ„ of the people now committed to youre care before any corporal benefyt that can â—â— dounde to my self Ye thinke peraduenture that the care of religion is not coÌ„mitted to magistrates but to the bisshoppes estate ecclesiastical as they terme it no no the negligeÌ„ce of bisshoppes shall no lesse be requyred of y e handes of magistrates because they foster and maintein them in â—yâ—anny them shall the oppression of fals iudges whiche kynges mainteyn and defend I doubte not but your grace doeth woÌ„der howe that the religioÌ„ that is vniuersalâ—â— receyued can be so damnable and so corrupted But if youre grace shall coÌ„sider that euer from the beginning the multitude hath declined from God yea cueÌ„ in the people to whome he spake by his lawe and prophetes if ye shall consider the complaynte of y e holy Ghoste complayninge that nations people princes and kynges of the earth haue raged made conspiracies and holden counsailes against the Lord and against his anointed Christe Iesus Further if ye shall consider the question whiche Christe Iesus hym selfe doeth moue in these wordes when the sonne of man shal come shall he fynde fayth in the earth And last if youre g. shall coÌ„sider the manifest contempt of God of all his holy preceptes whiche this day raygneth withoute punishment vpon the face of y e hole earth For as O seas complayneth there is â—overitie there is no mercy there is no knowledge of God in the earth but lyes periury mur ther theft and adultery ouerflow al and bloud hath touched bloud that is euery iniquitie is ioyned to an other If depely I say youre grace shall consider conteÌ„plate the vniuersal corruptioÌ„ that thys day reygneth in al estates then shal youre g. cease to wonder that many are called few are chosen And ye shall begyn to tremble to folowe the multitude to perditioÌ„ The uniuersall defection whereof sainct Paule did prophesy is easy to be â—sâ—â—ed aswell in religion as in manners The corrupcioÌ„ of lyfe is euident â— religion is not measured with the playne worde of God but by custome coÌ„sâ—etude will consent and determinations of men But shal he who hath proâ—â—nced all cogitations of mans haâ—â— to be vayn at all tyme accept the counsaylles and consentes of men for a religion pleasâ—nge acceptable before hym Let not youre grace be disceaued God can not deny hym selfe he hathe witnessed from the begynnynge that no religion pleaseth hym except that which he by hys owne worde hath commaunded established The veritie it â—elf pronunceth this sentence In vayne do they worshippe me teaching doctrines the preceptes of men And also all plantation that my heauenlye father hathe not planted shalbe routed out Before the cumming of his welbeloued sonne in the fleshe seuerallye he punished al such as durst entreprise to alter or change his ceremonies or statutes as in Saule Vzias Nadab Abihu is to be redde And wil he now after that he hath opened his hole couÌ„sail to y e world by his only soÌ„ne whoÌ„ he hath coÌ„maÌ„ded to be hearde And after y t he by hys holy spirit speakig in his apostles hath established the religion â—â— whiche he willeth hys trew worshippers to abyde to the end wil he now I say admitte mens inueÌ„tions in the matter of religion whiche before he reâ—â—ted for daÌ„nable Idolatry If man oraungels wolde affirme that he will or may do it his owne veritie shal conuict them of a lye for this sentence whiche he once pronunced shall abyde immutable to y e ende Not that which appeareth good in thine eyes shalt thou do to the Lorde thy God â–ª but what y e Lord thy God hath commaunded the that do thou adde nothing to it dyminishe nothinge from it The whiche thinge sealinge vp hys new testameÌ„t he repeteth in these wordes I wil lay none other but then vpon you but that which ye haue holde till I come And therfore yet again it repenteth me not to say that in this point whiche is chief principale youre grace must dissent from the multitude of rulers or els ye can possesse no portion with Christ Iesus in his kyngdome and glory An orator Goddes messinger also iustlye mighte requyre of you nowe by Goddes hande promoted to hye dignitie a motherly pitie vppon youre subiectes a iustice inflexible to be vsed agaist murtherers commoÌ„ oppressours a hart voyde of auarice and partialitie a mynd studiouse and carefull for maintenance of that realme common wealth aboue whiche God hath placed you and by it hath made you honorable with the rest of y e virtues whiche not onely Goddes scriptures but also wryters illuminated onely with the lighte of nature requyreth in godlye rulers But â—ayn it is to craue reformation in manners where the religion is corrupt For like as a maÌ„ can not do the office of a man except first he haue a being or a life So to worke woâ—tes pleasante in the sight of God the father caÌ„ no man do without the spirite of the Lorde Iesus whiche doeth not abyde in y e hartes of Idolatrers And therfore y e moste godly princes Iosias 〈◊〉 Iosaphat seâ—ing goddes faâ—â—or to rest vpon them vpon their people before all thinges began to reforme the religion For it is as the stomake within y e body whiche if it be corrupted of necessitie it infecteth y e hole masse And therfore oft I repete that which is most necessary if your grace pretend to raigne w t Christe Iesus then it behoueth you to take care ouer his trew religioÌ„ the which this daye within your realme is so deformed that no part of Christes ordinances remayn in their first strength original puritie the which I praise god is lesse difficil to me to proue then daÌ„gerous to speake And yet neither the one nor y e other I fear partly because the loue of life eternall quencheth the terrour of temporall death And partely because I wolde with sainct Paule wishe my self accursed from Christe as touching earthely pleasure for y e saluatioÌ„ of my brethern illuminatioÌ„ of your grace Which thing work very dede not bare word wryting shall witnes declare if I maye purchase the libertie of tunge but fortye daies only I am not ignoraÌ„t how daÌ„gerous a thiâ— it appeareth to y e natural maÌ„ to in nâ—â—ate any thing in matters of religioÌ„ And partli
vnderstand y e manâ—â—â— of my doctrine in this my confessioÌ„ first will I collect gather the same therof in a brief and 〈◊〉 syâ—logisâ—â—â— here after explayn thesame more largely ¶ The masse is Idolatry I worshipping honoring or seruice inueÌ„ted by y e brain of maÌ„ in y e ligioÌ„ of God w tout his own expresse coÌ„manÌ„demeÌ„t is Idolatrie The masse is inueÌ„ted bi y e brain of maÌ„ w tout any coÌ„meÌ„demeÌ„t of god Therfore it is Idolatry For probation of the first part I will adduce none of the geÌ„â—iles sacrifices in which not withstandinge was les abouâ—inatioÌ„ then hathe ben iâ—â— our masse But forth of gods scrip tures will I bring y e witnesses of my wordes And first let vs hear Samuel speking vnto Saul after â—he had made sacrisice vnto the lord vpoÌ„ mouÌ„t Silgal what time his enmies approched against hi. Thou art become folish saieth Samuel y u hast not obserued y e preceptes of y e lord which he hath coÌ„maÌ„ded y e. Truely y e lord had prepared to haue stablished thy kyngdome aboue Israell for euer but nowe thy kyngdome shal not be sure Let vs consider what was the offence committed by Saule his enemyes approching and he considering that the people declined from him and that he had not coÌ„sulted with the Lorde nor offered sacrifice for pacificacion of y e Lordes wrath by reason that Sa 〈◊〉 the principall prophete and 〈◊〉 it was not present offereth himself burâ—t and peace offeringe â–ª 〈◊〉 is the grounde of all hâ—◠〈◊〉 and of this procedeth the cause of hys election froÌ„ the 〈◊〉 that he wolde honor God 〈◊〉 then was coÌ„mauÌ„ded by hys expresse word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none of the trybe of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by goddes commaundemente to make sacrifice 〈…〉 he office not dewe too 〈◊〉 which was moste hye abho 〈◊〉 before God as by the punishment appeareth Consider well that no excÌ„usations are admitted by enemyes approched his owne people departed frome him He coulde not haue a lawful minister and gladly wolde haue ben reconciled to God and coÌ„sulted with him of the ende chance of that iourney And therefore he the kyng anoynted by goddes coÌ„maundemente maketh sacrifice But none of all these were admitted by God but Saule was pronunced foolishe and vayn For no honoring knoweth God nor will accept without it haue y e expresse commandemeÌ„t of his own word to be done in all pointes And no commaundement was geueÌ„ vnto the kynge to make or offerre vnto God any maner sacrifice whiche because he toke vppon him to do he and his posteritie was depryued from all honours in Israell Neither auayled his preemineÌ„cethe necessitie wherein he stode 〈…〉 good 〈…〉 But let â—s heare more When commaun 〈…〉 was 〈…〉 vnto Saule by 〈…〉 name to destroy 〈…〉 some time 〈…〉 the people of Israel 〈…〉 Egipt Aduerte 〈…〉 cute y â— people of God â–ª albeâ—t youre paynes â—â— differred yet are they allredy 〈…〉 of God this people of 〈…〉 not immediatly after the 〈…〉 done against Is 〈…〉 â–ª but long after thei 〈…〉 e to be destroyed 〈…〉 woman infante 〈…〉 ll camels and 〈…〉 lly all that lyued in that 〈…〉 〈…〉 de the remem 〈…〉 be to all such as tro 〈…〉 suche as wolde folows the commaundemente and vocation of God leauinge spirituall Egipte the kyngedome of the Antichriste and y â— abominations thereof But Saule saueth the Fynge named Agag and permitteth the people to saue the best and fattest of the bestiall to the entent sacrifice shoulde be made thereof vnto God But lette vs heare howe thys is accepted Samuel befor admonished of his inobedieÌ„ce coÌ„mynge vnto Saule aâ—feth what voyce was it whiche he hearde The kynge aunswereth the people hathe saued the fattest and best beastes thereof to make sacrifice vnto thy God Here may be marked that Saule hadde â—â— sure confidence in God for he speaketh as thoughe God apperteyned nothinge vnto him Samuel â—â—sâ—ereth suffer and I shal declare vnto y â— what y â— Lorde hath spoken vnto the this nyghte And shortly he rebuketh hym moste sharpele that he hadde not obeyed the voyce of the Lorde But Saule standinge in opinion that he had not offended because he did all of good entent sayeth I haue obeyed the Lordes voice I haue destroyed the synners of A male of and onely I haue saued the kyng and the people haue preserued certen be sâ—â—â—ll to be offerred vnto God And so defendeth hâ— his owne worke to be iust and righteous But therto answereth Samuel delyteth God in burnte offering and not rather that hys voyce be obeyed The synne of wâ—tcheâ—â—â—t is not to obei his voice and to be stubborne is the syn of Idolatry As Samuel wold say there is nothinge that God more â—eqâ—â—â—eth of man then obedience to his commaundemente yea he â—referreth obedience to the selfe same sacrifice ordeyned by hym self And no syn is more odious in goddes presence then to disobey his voyce For y t estemeth God so odiouse y t he doeth compare them to the two synnes moste abominable incantation and Idolatrye So that disobedience to his voice is very Idolatry Disobedience to goddes voyce is not onely wheÌ„ man doeth wickedly contrary to y â— preceptes of God but also when of good zeale or good entente as we coÌ„monly speake maÌ„ doeth any thing to y t honor or seruice of god not commaunded by the expresse worde of God As in this matter plainly mai be espied For Saule transgresseth not wickedly in muâ— ther adultery or lyke external syn nes but saue than aged and impotent king which thing who wold not call a good dede of mercye permitteth the people as saide is â—o saue certayn be friall to be offered vnto the Lord thinking that God should therewith stand content and appleased because he the people did it of good entent But bothe these called Samuell Idolatry â–ª First because thei were done without anye commaundement of God secondly because in doyng therof he thoughte hym self not to haue offended And y â— is principal Idolatry when oure owne inuentions we defende too be righteous in the sight of God because we thinke them good laudable and pleasaunte We maye not thinke vs so free nor wyse that we maye do vnto God and vnto hys honor what we thynke expedient No the contrary is coÌ„maunded by God sayenge vnto my worde shall ye adde nothinge nothing shalye diminish therefroÌ„ that ye might obserue y t preceptes of your lord God Which words are not to be vnderstaÌ„d of the decalogue and lawe morall onely but of statutes rytes and ceremonies for equall obedience of all hys lawes requireth God 3. And in witnes therof Nadab Abihu offeringe straunge fyre whereof God hadde geuen vnto them no charge were instantly as they offered punished to death by fyre Strange fyre which they offered vnto God was a common fyre not of that fyre whiche God had commaunded to burne daye and night vpon the aulter
was nothinge preâ—udiciall too the libertie of Christians For with the time as the Iewes grew more strong were better instructed they wolde be nothinge offended for suche matters And therfore commaunded they the gentils too absteyn for a tyme. For that it was not a perpetuall precept declareth this day when no man holdeth eatinge of suche thinges synne But what precept had they so to do The last and new precept geuen by Iesus Christ to hys disciples that euery one loue other as he hathe loued vs. May not ChristiaÌ„ loue commaunde that none of vs do in the sight of other that which may offende or trouble the conscience of the infirme and weake So witnesseth Paule affirming that if a man eate with offence he synneth And by vertue of this same precepte the apostles forbid that the gentils shall eate thinges offerred vnto Idols c that bearig some parte with the infirmitie of the Iewes they might grow together in mutuall amitie ChristiaÌ„ loue And these are the traditions of the â–ª Seniours whiche Paule commaunded to be obserued I praye you what similitude haue oure papisticall lawes with thys precept of the apostles But greatly it is to be maruayled that men do not aduerte that the boâ—e of the Lordes law that is of all his ordinauÌ„ces testameÌ„t promyse and exhibition thereof was sealed and confirmed in the dayes of the apostles the effecte and contentes thereof promulgate and published so that moste extreme unpietie it is too make any alteration therein Yea and the wrath and fearfull maledictioÌ„ of God is denunced to fall vpon all them that dare atteÌ„pt to adde or diminishe any thynge in his religion confirmed and proclamed by his owne voyce O papistes where shall ye hyde you frome the presence of the Lorde ye haue peruerted his lawe ye haue taken away his ordinaunces ye haue placed vp iour own statutes in stead of his Wo and daÌ„nation abideth you Albeit that y e apostles had made Lawes other then the expresse worde commaunded what apper teyneth that to you haue ye the spirite of trueth and knowledge in aboundaunce as they hadde was the churche of Christe lefte vnperfyte after the Apostles dayes Bringe your selfes to mynde and be ashamed of youre vanitie For all men whose eyes Sathan hath not blynded may espye that neither wysedome nor authoritie of man may change or set vp any thinge in y â— religion of God without his owne expresse commandement and woorde And thus I thinke the first parte of my argument sufficiently proued whiche is that all worshipping honoring or seruice of God inuented by the brayne of man in the religion of God withoute his owne expresse commaundement is Idolatry But in vayn will some thinke that all this laboure haue I takâ— for no man of hole iudgement any parte of this wolde haue denyed nor yet doeth it proue any thynge of mâ—ne entent For the masse is not the inuention of man but the very ordinance of God Then descende I to proue the masse to be the mere inuention of man setvp withoute all commaundement of God And first of this name Missa whiche we call the masâ—e wold I aske at such as wolde defend that papisticall abomination of what spirite is it inuented That missa shall signifye a sacrifice for y â— synnes of the quicke and the dead Of the spirit of God or of y â— spirit of maÌ„ or of what originall is it descended Some will answer from the Hebrew dictioÌ„ Missah whiche after some doeth signifye an oblation or a gifte Lyke as tribute whiche the inferior offereth or payeth to the superiour In the Hebrue tunge I confesse my self ignorant but haue as God knoweth feruent thirst to haue some entraÌ„ce therin and so of the Hebrue dicâ—ion can not contend But men of great iudgemeÌ„t in the same â—uÌ„ge say y â— no where in scriptures Missah betokeneth an oblation But admitting that so it did what shal they be able to proue there by My questioÌ„ is if the spirite of god hath inuented pronounced thys dictioÌ„ Missa to signifie a sacrifice for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead which if they be not able to preue than must they nedes confesse that it is of mans inuencion and not of gods impositioÌ„ I cold geue vnto them a more apperante cause and derâ—â—acion of that diction Missa but of y â— name I am not greatly solâ—â— Secondly I desire to be certified what they call their masse Whether the hole actyon wyth all ceremonyes vsed now of olde or a part thereof It wil not satisfie the hartes of all godly to say S. Iames and S. Peter celebrated the firste Masse in Ierusalem or Antioche If it so wer one of y â— two celebrated first and the other after but neither of â— two can be proued by scripture Great meruayl it is that so manifestly men shame not to lie Peter and Iames saye the papistes celebrated the firste masse But I shall proue that pope Sixtus was â—he first that did institute y â— Aulters â—elix the firste of that name did consecrate them and the temples bothe Bonifacius commauÌ„ded y e aulters to be couered with cleane clothes Gregorius Magnus commaunded the candels to be lighted at the Euangile dyd institute certeyn clothes Pontianus commaunded CoÌ„fiteor to be sayde And wherefore shoulde I troble you myself both in reciting what euery Pope added ye may for two peÌ„ce haue the knowlege what euery pope added vntil at last was coÌ„pact set vp the hole bodi of y â— blasphemous Idoland yete shame they not to say S. Peter sayed the firste masse although that many hundreth yeares after hym no suche abominable ceremonies were inuented But they say all thie ceremonies are not of the substance of y e masse but are added for good causes What commaundement haue thei receyued to adde any thing to the ordinance of God for any cause appearing to them But let them certifye me what is the masse The CanoÌ„ wil they answer with the wordes of consecration Who is a 〈…〉 or of the Canon can they precysely tell Be well aduised before ye aunswer lest by neglecting yourself ye be proued lyars Will ye saye that y e apostles vsed your Canon â–ª so ye haue affirmed in tymes past Iâ— the Canon descended from the apostles to y â— popes bolde maleparte impietie it had ben to haue added anye thynge thereto For a Canon is a full and sufficient rule which in all partes and pointes is perfyte But I will proue diuers Popes to haue added their portions too this holye Canon If they will deny aduyse what added Sergius what Leo and what added Leo and what added the two Alexanders for I 〈…〉 ay not abyde presently to recite all But if they doubte their owne lawe shall certefye them Secondly the remembraunce of the names of suche men who were not borne manye hundreth yeares after the dayes of y â— Apostles
shedde for you and for many in remission of synnes Marke that remission of synneâ— is attributed too the sheddinge of Christes bloudde And Paule saieth Christ is dead for our synnes And in an other place by one oblation or sacrifice hath he made vs persyte foreuer Consider diligently that remission of synnes is attributed some tyme to the sheddyng of Christes bloudde some tyme to hys death and some tyme too the hole sacrifice whiche he made in suffering all payn And why this whether if there be diuers manners to obteyn remission of synnes â—o but because euerâ— one of these thre necessarily foloweth other remission of synnes is commonly ascribed to any of them For where so that euer Christe is offred there is hys bloude shedde his death subsequently foloweth And so papistes if ye offre Christe in sacrifice for synne ye shedde hys bloud and thus newly kylhym Aduerte too what fyne youre owne desyre shal bring you euen to be kyllers of Iesus Christ Ye will saye ye neuer pretended such abomination I dispute not what ye entended but onelye I shewe what absurdite doeth folowe vpon your owne doctrine For necessarelye if ye do offre Christe for synne as ye confesse and youre lawe doeth teache ye cruelly shedde hys bloudde fynally do kyll hym But nowe will I releaue you of this anguish dolorouse it were daily to coÌ„mit maÌ„ slaughter often times to crucify the king of glory be not affrayed ye do it not For Iesus Christe may suffre no more shed his blod no more nor dye no more For y â— he hath dyed he so dyed for syn that once and now he lyueth and death maye not preuayle against hym And so do ye not kyl Christ for no power ye haue too doe thesame Onely ye haue deceyued the people causinge them beleue that ye offred Iesus Christe in sacrifice for syn in your masse whiche is fryuole and fals For Christe maye not bee offerred because he maye not dye I moste gentellye exhorte all desyringe too obiecte agaynste these precedentes ripely too consider the grounde thereof whiche standeth not vppon the opinion of man but vppon the infallible woorde of God And to resume euery parte of these argumentes and ley them too the hole bodye of goddes scriptures And then I doubte not but all men whose senses the princes of darcâ—enes and of this worlde hath not execated shall confesse with me that in the masse can bee no sacrifice for synne And yet too the great blasphemye of Christes death and open denyall of his passion hath it ben affirmed taughte and beleued that the masse was a sacrifice for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead Whiche opinioÌ„ is moste false vayn wicked And so I thinke the masse too be abomination and Idolatrye no man of indifferente iudgemente will denye Lette no man entend to excuse the masse with the pretext of the Lordes supper For nowe shortly wil I proue that therwith it hath no congruence but is expresse coÌ„trarye to it and hath taken the remembraunce of the some oute of mynde And further it is blasphemous to y â— death of Iesus Christ Fyrst they are contrary in institution for the Lordes supper was institute too be a perpetuall memory of those benefites whyche we haue receiued by Iesus Christ and by hys death And firste we should call to mynd in what estate we stoode in the loynes of AdaÌ„ when that we all blasphemed the maiestie of God in hys face Secondly that hys owne incoÌ„prehensible goodnes moued hym to loue vs moste wretched myserable yea moste wicked blasphemous and loue moste perfyte compelled hym to shewe mercy And mercy pronunced the senteÌ„ce whiche was that his onely sonne shoulde paye the price of oure redemption Whiche thinge beinge righteously called to memorye in the present action of the soupper coulde not but moue vs to vnfeyned thankesgeuinge vnto God y e father and to hys onely sonne Iesus who had restored vs agayne to libertie and lyfe And this is it which Paule coÌ„mandeth sayeng as ofte as ye shall eate of thys bread and dryncke af this cup ye shall declare the Lordes deathe tyll he come that is ye shal laude magnify and extolle the lyberall fyndnes of God the father and the infinite benefytes whiche ye haue receyued by Christes death But the masse is instituted as y e playn woordes thereof and their owne lawes do witnesse too be a sacrifice for the synnes of y e quicke and the dead For doinge of the whiche sacrifice God is bounde not onely to remitte oure synnes but also to geue vnto vs what euer we will aske that shal testifye diuers masses celebrated for diuers causes Some for peace some in time of warre some for rain some for fayre wether yea and alas my hart abhorreth suche abomination some for syckenesse of bestyall They will saye they seuerally take prayers for obteyning suche thinges And that is all whiche I desyre they say for the obtayning of suche vayne tryfles destinate they their hole purpose so prophane the sacrament of Chrystes bodye and bloudde if that were any sacramente whiche they abused so whiche shoulde neuer bee vsed but in memorye of Christes death Then shoulde it not be vsed to praye that the touthe ache bee taken awaye frome vs that oure Oxen shoulde not take the lowing yll oure Horse the spauen or farsye and of all manner diseases for our cattel Yea what was it wherfore ye wolde not saye masse peruersed priestes But let vs heare more The supper of the Lord is the â—yfte of Iesus Christe in whiche we should laude the infinite mercye of God The masse is a sacrifice which we offer vnto God for doinge whereof we alledge God shoulde loue and commend vs. In the supper of the Lord coÌ„fesse we oure selfs redemed from synne by the death and bloude of Iesus Christe onely In the masse craue we remissioÌ„ of synnes yea and whatsoeuer thyng we lifte by working of that same worke whiche we presently do oure selfe And here in is the masse blasphemous vnto Christe and hys passioÌ„ For in so farre as it offreth or promitteth remissioÌ„ of synnes it imputeth imperfection vppon Christe and hys sacrifice affyrminge that all sinnes were not remitted by hys deathe but that a great parte are reserued to be purged by vertue and the value of y e masse And also it is iniurius vnto Christe and not onely speakinge moste falsly of hym but also vsur pynge too itselfe that whiche is proper to hym alone For he affirmeth that he alone hath by hys owne death purged the synnes of the hole world and that no parte resteth to be clensed by any other meanes But y e masse syngeth an other song whiche is that euery day by that oblatioÌ„ offred by the priestes is synne purged and remission obteyned CoÌ„sider papistes what honor youre masse geueth vnto Christe Laste in the supper of y â— Lord we graunt our selfes eternal debtours to