the merits of the Saints and saith precibus meritisque Not contenting himselfe that the prayers of the Saints bestead us hee willeth that they merit for us the grace of God XXI About the end of the Masse the Priest having taken the Hoast and the Cup maketh his prayer for himselfe k Corpus tuum Domine quod sumpsi sanguis que potavi adhaereat visceribus meis Thy body Lord which I have taken and thy blood which I have drunke cleaveth close to my entralles Hee should rather have prayed with the Apostle that Iesus Christ would dwell in his heart by faith Ephes 3.19 and that his body might be the temple of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.16 for as Saint Iohn saith in his first Epistle Chap. 4. verse 13. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit But to imagine that the body of Iesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God sticketh fast to the guts and entrailes of a Priest it is in dishonouring Iesus Christ to defile ones selfe with carnall thoughts And the rather for that our Adversaries hold that the wicked yea beasts doe also eate the bodie of our Lord into whose entrailes also wee must beleeve that the glorious bodie of the Sonne of God is clapt up And that hee was annexed to Iudas his entrailes after he had participated in the Sacrament Pope Innocent III. in 4. booke of the Mysteries of the Masse Chap. 16. propoundeth an important question l Si fortè secessus vel fluxus aut vomitus post solam Eucharistiae perceptionem evenerit ex accidentibus humoribus generatur If saith he any one having nothing else in his belly but the consecrated Hoast and the bloud of the Cup be seased on by a scowring or flux of the belly of what manner and of what nature are those excrements The solution is that they are accidents and humours but he cleares not that difficultie namely if Iesus Christ sticke fast to his entrailes XXII It would bee a thing too infinite to set forth all that may be met withall in the Masses of the whole yeare and in the whole publique service of the Church of Rome which might offend the people were it but propounded in the vulgar tongue As that which is said on Good-fryday m Ecce lignum crucis in quo salus mundi pependit venite adoremus Deus misereatur nostri Evovac Loe here the wood of the Crosse whereon the salvation of the world hung come let us worship God have mercy vpon us Evovac The which word Evovac is a word of triumph which the furious and drunken Priests of Bacchus used as they did sing in the honour of their God Bacchus Then puts the Priest off his shooes to worship barefoot the wood of the Crosse Then is said this Antheme n Crucem tuam adoramus Domine sanctam tuam resurrectionem laudamus Crux fidelis inter omnes arbor vna nobilis nulla sylva tantùm profert fronde flore germine Dulce lignum dulces clavos dulce pondus sustinet Wee adore thy Crosse O Lord and praise thy resurrection And in speaking of the Crosse Faithfull Crosse onely noble amongst the trees there is no forrest brings forth so much in lâ—afe flower or budd This sweet wood sustaines sweet nailes sweet waight Whilst these words are spoken everie one worships the Crosse and when they lift up the Crosse they say Ave lignum triumphale c. I salute thee or haile triumphant Crosse which is manifestly spoken to the wood And hereupon most of the Doctors maintaine that the Crosse ought to be adored with the worship of Latria which is the highest kinde of adoration XXIII The Saturday before Easter Masse is said in violet wherein they hallow Incens and there is virtue given it to drive away divels and they put out all the candles in the Church and then they light them againe with hallowed fire and the Deacon brings three great wax candles at the end of a staffe then he sticks five graines of incens in a great wax Candle in forme of a Crosse upon which wax candle this blessing is said in singing it in a stile whereof the impietie is absurd and the termes ridiculous Loe here the very words o In huius igitur noctis gratia suscipe sancte Pater incensi huius sacrificium vespertinum quod tibi in hac cerei oblatione solenni per ministorum manus de operibus apum sacrosancta reddit Ecclesia Sed iam columnae huius praeconia novimus quam in honorem Dei rutillans ignis accendit Qui licet sit divisus in partes mutuati tamen luminis detrimenta non novit Aliter enim liquantibus ceris quas in substantiam pretiosae huius lampadis apis mater eduxit O verè beata nox quae spoliauit Aegyptios c. In the grace of this night receive holy father the evening Sacrifice of this incense which the holy Church offereth up unto thee in this solemne oblation of waxen Candles by the hands of Ministers of the worke of Bees But already wee acknowledge the praises of this columne which the glistering fire kindles in the honour of God which although it bee divided into parts acknowledgeth no losse of borowed light for it is fedd by the liquid wax which the mother Bee hath produced into the substance of this precious lampe O truely happie night which dispoiled the Egyptians and enricht the Hebrewes Night wherein earthly things are blended with celestiall and divine with humane Wee pray thee then Lord that this waxen candle consecrated to the honour of thy name may hold out without failing to destroy the darknesse of this night and being acceptable in the odour of a good sent may be blended and ranked amongst the heavenly lights above Let the morning bringer Lucifer meet with it flames that Lucifer I say that cannot set or goe downe All this gallimaufrey and medley of absurde termes which give to a waxen taper that which belongs to the doctrine of the Gospell and placeth a waxen taper composed of the worke of Bees amongst the starres of heaven is farre from the language of the spirit of God XXIIII On the same Saturday they hallow their fonts in which is the water for baptisme in these words Make this water by thy Majesties Empire Note The God head blending it selfe with water gives it virtue to regenerate soules and maketh the water to become a new creature and a celestiall race by the immaculate wombe of the fountaine take the grace of thy onely Sonne by the holy Ghost which by the secret admixtion of his God-head make fruitfull this water prepared for the regeneration of men to the end that having conceived sanctification thorow the immaculate wombe of the divine fountaine borne againe as a new creature may become a celestiall race and let the mother grace bring forth in the
all for the sense of their words whence the matter is come to this passe That amongst the people the whole divine service consists in nothing else but in these Chanters or singers and a great sort of the people come to Church to heare them as it were to the Stage But which is yet more Sixtus Senensis on the place above alledged after Ambrose de Compsa acknowledgeth that in the Church of Rome very often the very Priests themselves understand not that which they say t Illud potiùs vituperandumerat quod solùm qui suppient locum idiotae â—lerumque non intelligunt quid oretur verum etiam saepenumerò nec ipsi presbyteri aut diaconi qui orant aut legunt Not onely saith he they that fill the place of the simple and unlearned understand not for the most part that which is said in the prayer but also very often noe not the very Priests themselves nor Deacons that pray or read understand them which is a grosse abuse c. This the u Du Perron in his book against the King of great Brittaine booke 6. chap. 1. pag. 1079. Cardinall du Perron could not dissemble saying that if there be any Church-men that understand them not it is their fault that gave them orders For hee was not ignorant that the Countrey is full of Priests that hardly can read so farre are they from understanding the Latine Estius a Doctor of Doway in his Commentarie upon the 14. Chapter of the first to the Corinthians forbids to the utmost of his power an unknowne tongue in the publike service Neverthelesse this confession slipt from him x Quamvis per se bonum sit ut officia divina celebrentur ea lingua quam plebs intelligat id enim per se confert ad plebis aedisicationem ut benè probat hic locus It is saith hee a good thing of it selfe that divine service should be celebrated in a tongue understood by the people for that serueth of iâ— selfe unto the edification of the people as it is well prooved by this place of Saint Paul And therefore Caietans opinion being formally and abstractedly considered is true CHAP. VIII Two causes which move the Pope and his Clergie to will that the Masse and the whole ordinary service be said in the Latine tongue PApistrie is a pile or timpanie rather of doctrines and ceremonies cemented and built with admirable skill All the subtilties and counsells cunning sleights of humane wit have beene imployed in the framing of it Whereupon it is not to be wondred at that the Apostle stiles this structure of the sonne of perdition the mysterie of iniquitie In this very point whereof we treate the Pope and his Clergie have propounded to themselves two ends whereof the former is to keepe the people in ignorance and to inure them to beleeve without knowing and to follow their eyes being blindfolded and to obey without all enquirie into any thing this evidently appeares in this that they have entertained a feare least in deed the Latine should bee too well understood and therefore have ordered that the principall parts of the Masse should bee said in so low a fumbling murmure that the Priests voice cannot be heard to the same end tends their forbidding to reade the Scriptures And Images and implicite faith and their Maxime that the Pope cannot erre in the faith For in effect his empire is founded upon the blindnesse of the people and publique ignorance is his firmest prop. The second end which the Pope propounds to himselfe in the establishment of the Latine tongue in the publike service hath beene to plant among the nations he hath conquered the badges and cognisances of his Empire The custome and manner of great Monarcks is to give their language to the people subdued by them to the end to civilize and reclaime them unto their governement Thus did the Romanes to the Gaules and Spanish and the King of Spaine ties the Indians to speake Spanish who becomming Spanish in their language become also such in affection The Pope doth the like in giving to the people he hath conquered his tongue together with his religion The simple people thinke that their religion ought to be Romish as well as the tongue which is used in that religion and that the Christian faith and the tongue came both to them from the same place CHAP. IX The third cause for the which they will not have the Masse understood by the people The clauses of the Masse which would offend the people if they understood them BVt the principall cause why the Pope will not have the Masse to be understood by every one is because the Masse containes many things which if the people understood they would thereby bee either instructed or scandalized For the Masse is full of clauses whereof some of them are contrary to Popery and are conformable to our Religion others of them are clearely opposite and contrary to the doctrine of the Gospell and some of them contrary to common sense I. For example the people should be instructed and taught not to beleeve the point of merits if they understood the words of the Masse Which condemnes them when the Priest askes of God that he would receive us into the company of the Saints Non aestimator meriti sed veniae largitor Not by regarding or having any respect to our deserts but by granting us pardon II. Also the people that are taught to pray for the soules departed out of this life which broyle in purgatory would be astonisht to heare the Priest pray for the deceased in these words a Memento etiam Domine famulorum famularum tuarum qui nos praecesserunt cum signo fidei dormiunt in somno pacis Remember Lord thy servants and handmaids which have gone before us with the signet and stampe of faith and who sleepe the sleepe of peace Hee that hath given the Priest money to pray for one of his deceased friends at this Memento of the Masse would say I gave money indeed for a soule which I beleeved was tormented in burning fire but now that I perceive it sleepes in peace I le beware hereafter how I give any money to draw it out of torment III. So the poore people being taught to beleeve that after the words of consecration the bread is transubstantiated into the bodie of our Lord and that that which the Priest holds between his hands is not bread but the naturall body of Iesus Christ would bee much amased to heare the Priest say these words over the consecrated Hoste Per quem Christum haec omnia Domine semper bona creas sanctificas vivificas benedicis praestas nobis By the which Iesus Christ ô Lord thou createst for us daily all these good things thou sanctifiest them and dost blesse them and dost bestowe them upon us For he would thinke it very strange that the Priest calls the body of Iesus Christ all
Masse Chap. 17. seemeth to condescend and to yeeld as much touching these prayers for hee saith that they are not very ancient that untill within these five huÌ„dred yeares they were not said in the Church of Rome for there are five prayers in ranke of like nature in that part of the Masse which is called the offertorie the which this so renowned Cardinall hath beene bould to accuse of noveltie and hath observed that Innocent the III. who writ of the Masse in the yeare 1214. hath made no mention of them But that by these prayers the Priest makes an oblation and offers in sacrifice unconsecrated bread Bellarmine acacknowledgeth it in his first booke of the Masse Chap. 27. saying c Bellarm. c. 27. §. Primo Negari non debet panem vinum aliquo modo in Missa offerri proinde pertinere ad rem quae sacrificatur Haec propositio patet primum ex ipsa Liturgia Nam cum ante consecrationem dicimus Suscipe sancte Pater hanc immaculatam hostiam certè pronomen HANC demonstrat ad sensum id quod tunc manibus tenemus id autem panis est Et similes sunt in Liturgia non paucae sententiae quae panem offerri manifestissimè demonstrant It must not bee denied that bread and wine are in some manner offered in the Masse This may appeare first of all by the Liturgie it selfe for when before consecration wee say Suscipe sancte pater hanc immaculatam Hostiam Receive ô holy father this immaculate Hoast Certainely this Pronounce HANC demonstrates sensibly that which we then hold in our hands but it is bread which we hold And in the Liturgie so hee calls the Masse there are many sentences which manifestly shew that bread is offered Behold here then in the Masse an Hoast offered in sacrifice for the sinnes of the quick and of the dead which is not the bodie of Christ but unconsecrated bread But as concerning that which the said Cardinall saith that these prayers are new and brought in within these five hundred yeares he saith true in some sort It is true that it is a very new thing to sacrifice unto God unconsecrated bread for the sinnes of men But to call the bread and the wine of the holy Supper which the people brought and which the Pastor offered unto God sacrifices and holy oblations it is a thing very ancient and a prayer conformable to the Word of God which calls Almes prayers and al holy actions sacrifices d Bellarm. Ibid. §. Deinde Veteres Patres passim ita tradunt Ireneus lib. 4. cap 32. dicit Ecclesiam offerre Deo sacrificium ex creaturis id est ex pane vino Cyprianus lib. 2. Epist 3. dicit Christum obtulisse patricalicem vino aqua mistum Et in sermone de eleemosyna reprehendens divites foeminas quae non adferebant panem consecrandum Locuples inquit dives in Dominicum sine sacrificio venis partem de sacrificio quod pauper obtulit sumis Vbi per sacrificium panem intelligit qui per sacerdotes Deo sacrificandus erat The fathers of the first Ages spake thus So spake Ireneus in his 4. booke Chap. 32. saying The Church offereth to God a sacrifice of his creatures that is to say of bread and wine And Cyprian in the Epistle 3. of the 2. booke saith that Christ offered unto his Father a Cup blended with wine and water And in his Sermon Of Almes reproving the rich women that brought not bread to Church for an offering said unto them Thou rich and wealthy woman that commest to the Supper of the Lord without a sacrifice that takest part of the sacrifice which the poore hath offered Where it is evident that by these sacrifices he calls the offerings of bread and of wine not consecrated brought by the people as freely acknowledgeth the same Cardinall in the same place But that which is more expresse in this matter is that the Priest on Christmasse day adioyneth e Oblata Domine munera nova unigeniti tui nativitate sanctifica O Lord Hallow by the new birth of thy Sonne these offerings which we have offered unto thee He speaketh of an oblation already offered and yet this is spoken before consecration The title of the 24. Canon of the third Councill of Carthage is such f Vt in sacrificio tantùm panis calix offeratur That in sacrifice nothing be offered but bread and the Cup. g Ipse Canon Vt in Sacramentis corporis sanguinis Domi i nihil amplâ—ùs offeratur quà m ipse Dominus tradidit hoc est panis vinum aqua mixtum Nec ampliùs in sacrificijs offeratur quà m de uvis frumentis And in the Text of the Canon there is That in the Sacraments of the bodie and blood of our Lord nothing bee offered but what the Lord hath ordained namely of bread and of wine mingled with water and that nothing bee offered in sacrifices but that which commeth of the grape and wheat XIIII But behold here the things which as much or more then the precedent would give the people a very strong impression and would discover unto them the abuses of the Masse were it but pronounced with an audible voice in the vulgar tongue The Priest in the beginning of the Masse saith his Confiteor in these words h Confiteor Deo omnipotenti beatae Matiae semper Virgini beato Iohanni Baptistae sanctis Apostolis â—etro Paulo omnibus Sanctis vobis fratres quia peccavi nimis cogitatione verbo opere Mea culpa mea culpa mea maxima culpa Ideò precor bâ—atam Mariam semper Virginem beâ—tum Michaâ—lem Archangâ—lum beatum Iohannem Baptuâ—â—aâ— sanctos Apostostolâ—â—ke trum Paulum omnes Sanctoâ— vos fratres orate pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum I confesse unto Almighty God and to the blessed Marie ever a Virgin To blessed Iohn Baptist to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul to all the Saints and to you brethren I have too exceedingly sinned in thought word and deed Mine offence mine offence mine exceeding great offence Wherefore I beseech the blessed Marie ever a Virgin the blessed Michael Archangell the blessed Iohn Baptist the holy Apostles Peter and Paul all the Saints and you brethren to pray for me unto the Lord our God In this confession the Priest confesseth his sinnes to the dead departed this life contrarie to the example of all the prayers and confessions which are found in the Scriptures all which are made unto God onely For even as it is God onely whom we have especially offended Tibi soli peccavi Psalme 51. verse 6. I have sinned against thee onely so also is it God alone that can forgive us our sinnes and it is he alone that understands the prayers of the heart because hee it is onely that knowes the hearts of men 2. Chron. 6. ver 30. and it
taken out of the nature of man and from the intention of the creature ought to be laid for the foundation namely that the tongue was given unto man to be the interpreter of his thoughts and messenger of his conceptions Whence it followeth that to use the tongue to a contrarie end and to speake to the end to be not understood is to turne nature topsie turvie and quite to overthrowe her and as much as in us lyeth to frustrate the Creator of his intention and to change humane speech into an unprofitable Echo and into a sound beating the aire Now if this bee true in him which speaketh to others in a tongue which he understandeth not it is yet more true in him which is understood neither by himselfe nor by another V. Out of the selfe same maxime it followeth that when the Priest speaketh Latine in the Church he ought to speake to bee understood by some body Our adversaries must tell us whether he speake to bee understood by the assistants or to be understood by himselfe or to bee understood by God for there is no fourth Now hee speaketh not to be understood of the by-standers seeing hee speaketh so very lowe and in a tongue which the people understand not and besides in private Masses hee speaketh alone and without any assistants Besides he speaketh not to be understood of God for God understands us without our speaking though we speake not at all and before wee open our mouthes nor can it rather be said that the Priest in the Masse speaketh to the end to be understood by himselfe for hee knew his owne thought before hee spake speech was given man not to informe himselfe in his own thoughts but to the end to make it knowne to another he is utterly beside himselfe that speaketh to himselfe to the end to understand himselfe VI. Add herevnto that in many places of the Masse the Priest speaketh to the people saying unto them Oremus c. and Orate pro me fratres c. and many other such like things wherein the Priest bids the people aske of God such and such things and to ioyne their prayers with his but the people have no minde to obey that his commandement not so much as knowing what the Priest bids them doe the people might iustly say to him make us understand thee if thou wilt be obeyed VII Wherefore in the Church of the Old Testament the whole publique service was performed in the vulgar tongue and the prayers which Aaron and his Successors made for the Hebrew people were made in the Hebrew tongue which after the captivitie of Babylon being corrupted yet was still understood by the people as wee will shew hereafter VIII Our Lord Iesus Christ instituted and celebrated the holy Supper amongst his Disciples in the vulgar tongue and that which was understood by the assistants his will was that when the faithfull shall eat of that bread and drinke of that cup they shew forth the Lords death untill he come againe 1 Cor. 11. ver 26. Now this is not to shew forth a thing to propound it in an unknowne tongue not understood IX To this very selfe same end he gave unto his Apostles the gift of divers tongues to the end that in all nations they might establish the service of God in the tongue of the countrey and that in every tongue God might be served in such sort that the diversitie of tongues which at the building of Babel was a curse at the building of the Church is become a blessing X. The Apostles followed their Masters example for the Apostle writing to the Corinthians that were Grecians gave them in their owne tongue the forme of the Celebration of the holy Supper 1 Cor. 11. XI Would Iesus Christ who is the light of the world come to plunge it in darknesse and to make things more obscure And God having spoken to his people by Moses in a tongue understood would hee now wrap and infold up himselfe in darknesse by propounding his Word and by giving his Sacraments in a barbarous and an unknowne tongue XII But that which is yet of more strength in this matter and which clearely decides and fully determins this controversie is the authoritie of the Apostle Saint Paul who imployed the 14. Chapter of his 1. Epistle to the Corinthians in a manner wholly to condemne the use of strange tongues and not understood in the Church If saith he the trumpet give an uncertaine sound who shall be prepared to the warre So likewise you except you utter words which may be understood how shall it be knowne what is spoken For yee shall speake unto the aire and a little after Wherefore if I know not the meaning of the voice I shall bee a barbarian to him that speaketh and hee that speaketh shall be a barbarian to me and a little after If thou blesse with the spirit how shal he that occupieth the place of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thankes saying he understandeth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thankes well but another is not thereby edified Wherevpon he concludeth I had rather in the Church speake five words with my understanding that I may teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknowne tongue Du Perron against the King of great Brittaine book 6. chap. 1. p. 109. the word tongue in S. Paul signifieth an unknown tongue XIII Mounsieur du Perron answereth that Saint Paul speaketh not of an unknowne tongue which was in the Church but of tongues infused and miraculous This I willingly agree to for this augments the force of that place against the ordinarie service in an unknowne tongue For these miraculous gifts of tongues were rare and given unto some Christians for a small time to the end to declare the power of God and by consequent the use of them in the Church brought with them a benefit which the Masse in Latine cannot bring Neverthelesse the Apostle forbids them the use of this miraculous guift in the Church unlesse they interpret them instantly because he will have nothing spoken in the Church which is not understood How much more condemnes hee a strange language in the ordinarie service wherein that extraordinary evill which the Apostle would avoid would become ordinarie The Apostle forbids not an unknowne tongue in the Church for that it is miraculous but because it is not understood and because that he which speaketh is a barbarian to him that heareth him because that is not understood which is spoken because it is to speak in the aire because the people cānot say Amen to the thanksgiving they understand not and because that they that heare are not thereby edified which are truly reasons of moment be it that he which speakes in an unknowne tongue in the Church have learned that tongue by miracle or by studie the question here is not of the manner by which a tongue is learned but of the peoples
very notable confession of a Cardinall of so great authority in the Church of Rome CHAP. VI. Proofe hereof even by the example of the Church of the old Testament BY what hath beene hitherto said it appeareth that in this question concerning a tongue not understood which is used in the publique service we have the Word of God and reason and the confession of our Adversaries on our side Wherevnto we must add the example of the ancient Church as well of the old as of the new Testament which ought to serve us for a rule I. To fetch the matter from the beginning God gave his lawe in a tongue understood and the forme of prayers and blessings which God prescribed to Aaron to make before the people was in the vulgar tongue of Gods people as are those prayers and blessings which are read in the 6. of Numbers verse 23. and following and in the 10. Chap. ver 35. and 36. and then of thanksgiving in the oblation of first-fruits Deut. 26. ver 3. and the forme of prayer after the payment of Tithes in the third yeare Deut. 26. ver 13. in a word all the publique prayers which were made by the Priests or by the people were made in a tongue understood by the people And David dictated to the people Psalmes which were sung in the Temple upon instruments of Musique in the Hebrew tongue which was the tongue used in Israel II. During the captivitie of Babylon the Hebrew tongue degenerated from it puritie Notwithstanding the which the change was not so great but that the Hebrew tongue in the which Moses and the Prophets writ was still understood by the Iewes Not onely for that the people were exercised in the reading and hearing of those bookes as well in their private houses as in the Synagogues euery Sabboth but also for that the corruption was not so great but that the commoÌ„ people easily understand the Hebrew by reason of the proximitie and neare resemblance betweene the Iewish and the Hebrew tongue Whence also in the new Testament the Iudaique tongue is often called the Hebrew as in 27. of Saint Matthew verse 33. where Golgotha which is a word of the Iudaique tongue is said to be an Hebrew word but the Hebrews say Golgoleth that is to say scalpe or scull and in the Chap. 19. of Saint Iohn verse 19. it is said that Gabbatha in Hebrew signifieth pavement although Gabbatha bee a Syrian word For that the Iewes after their returne from the captivitie of Babylon understood the Hebrew tongue and the Text of the bookes of the Lawe appeares by the 8. Chapter of Nehemiah ver 2. where it is said that Esdras the Priest brought the law before the congregation of men and women and of all them of hearing and it is added that Esdras read in the booke in the presence of the men and of the women and of as many as were capable to understand and the eares of the people were attentive to the reading This could not bee done in the Church of Rome in the which the Deacon reades the Gospell and the Subdeacon reades the Epistle in Latine before women peisants and trades-men that understand them not and consequently cannot bee attentive therevnto The exposition which the Levites added unto this Lecture which is mentioned in the Sequell was not to interpret the termes thereof into another tongue but to expound the meaning and sense of them as Nicholas de Lyra acknowledgeth upon the 8. of Nehemiah f Esdras legit in eo aperté id est intelligibiliter declarando ea quae videbantur obscura Iospehus Esdras read in the booke plainely that is to say intelligibly opening and declaring the things which seemed obscure III. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Iosephus in his 12. and in his 16. Chapter of his booke of the Empire of reason describes the Martyrdome of seven brethren and of their mother by the crueltie of King Antiochus th' illustrious and saith that the mother exhorted her children and especially the yongest to die constantly for the law of God and that shee spake to them in the Hebrew tongue It is to be presumed shee spake in Hebrew that shee might not bee understood by Antiochus who was a Grecian and seeing shee spake thus to the youngest and least it appeares that then amongst the Iewes even women and children spake Hebrew IIII. In the fourth Chapter of Saint Luke verse 16. and following our Lord Iesus being in the Synagogue of Nazareth taketh the booke of the Prophet Esay and reades before the people a long passage of Esay then addeth This day is accomplished this Scripture which you heare which words doe witnesse that the auditors and by-standers well understood the words of that place Is it credible that in the Synagogues of the Iewes the Scriptures were read in a tongue not understood seeing that in the Scriptures God speakes to the people to the end to be understood V. In the 22. of the Acts verse 2. the Apostle Saint Paul makes an oration to the Iewes in the Hebrew tongue which made them the more attentive Which he would not have done if they had not understood it And this Apostle would not have spoken to a people in a tongue not understood as also the sequell of the Chapter especially the 22. verse sheweth that the Iewes understood him very well CHAP. VII That the Primitive Christian Church thorow out the whole world used a tongue understood in the publique service HEre wee have for us the whole Primitive Church It is a thing without all contestation and witnessed by the Ancients that every countrey and nation even unto the most barbarous had the holy Scriptures translated into their vulgar tongues to the end that the people might be instructed by the reading of them Chrysostome in the first Homilie upon the 8. of Saint Iohn a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Syrians Egyptians Indians Persians Ethiopians and infinite other nations having translated into their tongues the instructions propounded by him to wit by Saint Iohn being barbarous people have learned to be lovers of wisdome And Theodoret in his 5. Sermon of the meanes how to correct the indispositions of the Grecians b Theod. Graec. affectionum curationis Sermon 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Hebrew hath not onely beene translated into Greeke but into the Latine into the Egyptian Persian Indian Armenian Scythique yea and even into the Polonian and to speake in a word into all languages which the nations use at this day Saint Hierome translated the Bible into the Dalmatick tongue as himselfe witnesseth in his Epistle to c Hieron Sophronio Quorum translationem diligentissimè emendatam olim meae linguae hominibus dederim Sophronius Saint Augustnie in his booke of Christian doctrine Chap. 5. d Ex quo factum est ut etiam Scriptâ—ra Divina qua tautiâ— mor bis humanarum
suis dicens Accipite manducate ex hoc omnes Hoc est enim corpumeum meaning Iesus Christ the day before hee suffered tooke bread into his sacred and venerable hands and when hee had lift up his eyes to heaven unto thee his Father Almightie giving thee thankes blessed it brake it and gave it to his Disciples saying For this is my body All this is but a meere recitall of that which Iesus Christ hath done Which cannot have any effective virtue and this is fortified by these words Accipite Manducate by which it is evident that the Priest expresseth not that which hee doth or would doe but onely that which Iesus Christ hath done For ordinarily when the Priest pronounceth these words there is no body that taketh or eateth after the Priest And the private Masses are without Communicants IX It might also fall out that some one of the people more curious then others would take the boldnesse to search the holy Scriptures and would observe that the Apostle Saint Paul in the first to the Corinthians Chapter 11. verse 24. witnesseth that Iesus Christ said This is my body which is broken for you And there above out of a curiositie which is doubtlesse the way to heresie would be inquisitive why the Priest omits these words which is broken for you For these are the words that are the deciders of the difference It being most cleere and evident that as the body of our Lord in the Eucharist is not broken really but sacramentally that so also the bodie of our Lord is not really but sacramentally betweene the hands of the Priest Nor is there any reason to require that these words which is broken for you should bee a Sacramentall and figurative manner of speech and that these words This is my body should be taken in any other manner In a word it is certaine that the bread in the Sacrament is in the same manner the body of Christ as that it is broken in Now broken it is not really nor then likewise is the body of Iesus Christ therein broken really But SathaÌ„ hath endeavoured to damne and stop up this window thorough which the light shineth in unto us so clearely having this Word utterly out of the Bibles of the Church of Rome wherein in steed of frangitur there is inserted tradetur in steed of is broken they have put shall be given X. From the bread the Priest passeth to the Cup and recites the words of our Lord saying that Iesus Christ having taken the Cup said Accipite bibite ex eo omnes Hic est enim calix sanguinis mei novi aeterni Testamenti mysterium fidei Take yee drinke yee all hereof for this is the Cup of my bloud of the New and eternall Testament the Mysterie of faith There also many subjects of scandall offer themselves For seeing the Priest witnesseth that Iesus Christ said Drinke yee all hereof Why is it the priviledge of Priests and Kings onely to drinke of this Cup If it belong to Priests and Kings onely that this word Drinke yee is directed then must the like be said of this word Eate yee For these words are directed to the same persons Then should there bee none but Priests and Kings that ought to eat of the Sacrament Add moreover that the Apostles being in the company of Iesus Christ held not the ranke of Pastors but of sheepe and of Disciples Therefore the Apostle willeth that the people of Corinth examine themselves 1 Cor. 11.28 and so eat of this bread and drinke of this Cup. XI Above all these words afford subject of offence in this that the Priest changeth the words of our Lord For the words of the Masse are neither found in Saint Paul nor in any of the Evangelists Saint Paul saith that the Lord said This Cup is the New Testament in my bloud doe this in remembrance of me Excellent words For these words This is my body and those This Cup is the New Testament ought to bee understood after the same manner Now neither the Cup nor that which is in it is really a Testament but sacramentally and in signification Nor then the bread which they call the Hoast is really the body of Iesus Christ but sacramentally and in signification Therefore that this might not be discerned the words of our Lord have bene changed in the Text of the Masse For in the place of these words This Cup is the New Testament The Priest saith This is the Cup of my bloud of the New and eternall Testament XII To the same end in the place and instead of these words Doe this in remembrance of me the Priest saith The Mysterie of faith which is a strange depravation made of purpose because the word in remembrance expounds these words This is my body to â—it that the bread is called the body of the Lord because it is the commemoration of it according as the Scripture denominates the signes and commemorations by the names of the things signified XIII Behold here yet another subject of scruple of scandall that the people would receive if the Masse were said in a tongue understood And this is it A great while before the words which are called the words of consecration there are prayers in the Masse wherein the unconsecrated bread is called the sacrifice or immaculate Hoast which is offered to God for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead in these words a Suscipe hanc immaculatam hostiam quam ego indignus famulus tuns offero tibi Deo meo vivo vero pro innumerabilibus peccatis offensionibus negligentijs meis pro omnibus circumstantibus sed pro omnibus fidelibus Christianis vivis atque defunctis Receive this immaculate Hoast which I thine unworthy servant offer unto thee my living and true God for my numberlesse sinnes and offences and negligences and for all them that stand round about and withall for all faithfull Christians quick and dead He saith the like thing over the unconsecrated Cup. All this is full of difficulties For the unconsecrated bread is not the same Hoast with that which is consecrated which is said to bee the true body of Iesus Christ by this meanes behold in the Masse two Hoasts of divers natures and two sorts of Sacrifices And that which is more strange and of more difficult disgestion is that the Priest offers unto God in Sacrifice unconsecrated bread for satisfaction for our sinnes Which is to offer a morsell of bread for payment for our sinnes and for the price of our redemption b Bell lib. 2. de Missa cap. 17. §. Offertorium Quinque illae orationes Suscipe sancte pater c. Offerimus tibi Domine c. Veni sanctificator c. In spiritu humilitatis c. Suscipo Sancta Trinitas c. Neque antiquae admodum sunt â—eque in Romana Ecclesia ante quingentos annos legebaÌ„tur Bellarmine in his 2. booke of the
is to be noted that by the 23. Canon of the third Councill of Carthage it is expresly forbidden to direct in the Eucharist any prayer to any other then to the person of the Father Vt cum altari assistitur semper ad Patrem dirigatur oratio not permitting so much as to addresse it onely to the person of the Sonne How much lesse would these fathers have suffered that in the Eucharist there should be offered prayers to Saints and to Angells XV. But that which is yet worse in this confession is that the Priest prayeth to have for intercessors unto God the Archangell Michael Iohn Baptist Peter and Paul c. never so much as making in one word mention of the intercession of Iesus Christ who neverthelesse went up into heaven of purpose to make request for us as Saint Paul teacheth us Rom. 8. verse 33. We have an Advocate with the Father to wit Iesus Christ the righteous For he it is who is the propitiation for our sinnes 1 Iohn 2. ver 1. and 2. thus in their Letanies they say to every Saint Ora pro nobis But unto Iesus Christ Miserere nobis dispoiling him of the office of Intercessor XVI That if the Masse were said in English would not the people bee offended hearing the Priest saying in his entering into the Masse We beseech thee Oramus te Domine per mertia Sanctorum quorum reliqâ—iae hic sunt ut indulgere digneris omni peccata mea Lord by the merits of the Saints whose reliques are herevnder that thou wilt vouchsafe to forgive mee all my sinnes What would the people say must then the Lords Table needs be changed into a Sepulcher And must the Masse bee said ouer dead-mens bones And why is salvation prayed for thorow the merits of the Saints As if Iesus Christ had not sufficiently satisfied for us or as if to obtaine remission of our sinnes it were behovefull that men that have beene sinners and that have had need of pardon themselves doe merit the remission of our sinnes for us For the effecting whereof must there bee found out payments for debts already payed and for which Iesus Christ hath fully satisfied And if the Saints have merited any thing God in giving them eternall salvation hath more then sufficiently payed them their merits It is a point of iniustice to will that the same money should serve to make two purchases when scarcely they have beene sufficient for to compasse the first Besides they told us that the Saints are not Mediators of redemption but onely of intercession but now I see that the Masse speakes of them as of mediators of redemprion in as much as it saith that they have deserved for us salvation and remission of our sinnes XVII But if the people knew that amongst these Saints whose bones are stooved up under the Altar and unto whose merits the Priest hath recourse that there are many of them whose Sanctitie is very doubtfull namely those whom the Pope hath foisted into the Catalogue of his Saints with commandement to call upon them and that of those reliques the greatest part of them are false and suborned Buckler or shield of faith in the Chapt. of the invocation of Saints and that many of these Saints never were men being imaginarie persons or forged at pleasure as we have elsewhere shewed they would bee yet much more astonisht and would grone under the burthen of so cruell a captivitie XVIII The people likewise would have a iust ground to bee offended knowing that the Priest in private Masses and without assistants saith Orate fratres c. pray brethren c. For who are these brethren to whom he speaketh being all alone Pope Innocent III. in the second booke of the Mysteries of the Masse Piè creden dum est sacris authoritatibus comprobatur quod Angeli comites assistaÌ„t orantibus Chap. 25. answereth that these brethren are the Angells But the words immediatly following contradict his answer Pray my brethren that my sacrifice and yours may bee acceptable unto almighty God For this sacrifice is not made for Angels nor by Angels As also that if these words Pray ye my brethren bee directed to Angels even so also these words Take ye eate ye will bee directed unto them and so must wee beleeve that in solitarie Masses the Angels are present in the roome of the people to eate XIX But what would the people say hearing these words of the Canon of the Masse Communicantes memoriam venerantes imprimis gloriosae semperque Virginis Mariae Communicating and honouring the memorie chiefly of the glorious and ever a Virgin Mary To what purpose is it to say Communicating together when none communicates But who could endure that the Communion of the holy Sacrament should bee celebrated IN THE FIRST PLACE for the honour the memorie of the Virgin Mary Seeing that the Institution of the Sacred Supper by Iesus Christ carieth it expresly that it is instituted in remembrance of Iesus Christ who said Doe this in remembrance of me By this relation Iesus Christ should have said Doe this IN THE FIRST PLACE in remembrance of my Mother We ought to speake of the holy and blessed Virgin with all respect and reverence but for all this ought wee not to change the nature of the Sacred Supper nor to divert or alienate it from it true end For it is instituted to shew forth the Lords death but not to shew forth the death of the holy Virgin sith shee suffered not death for our redemption XX. Some comfort had it beene if the Priest having said that this communion is celebrated in the first place to honour the mememorie of the blessed Virgin he had added that it is likewise done in the remembrance of Iesus Christ But this is it which hee omits i Communicantes memoriam venerantes imprimis gloriosae semperque virginis Mariae genetricis Dei Domini nostri Iesu Christi sed beatorum Apostolo rum ac martâ—â—um tuorum Petri Pauli c. Lini Gleri Clementis c. Cosmae Damiani omnium Sanctorum tuorum quorum meritis precibusque rogaâ—â—nus ut in omnibus protectionis tuae muniamur auxilio per eundem Christum c. Communicating and honouring the memorie in the first place of the glorious ever Virgin Marie Mother of our God and Lord Iesus Christ but likewise of all thy holy Apostles Peter Paul c. Cosmus and Damian and all thy Saints by the merits and prayers of whom wee beseech thee that in all things we may be furnished with the succours of thy protection by the same Iesus Christ our Lord. He maketh indeed mention of Iesus Christ but hee doth not say that this communion is done in his memorie onely he saith that in the first place hee celebrates the memory of the Virgin Mary and next the memorie of the Saints amongst whom hee thrusts in many Popes And alwaies falls backe upon