but had in an everlasting remembrance first of all preached a most fruitfull and comfortable Sermon to his Disciples and afterward as he sate at the table with them hee tooke bread into his hands and after he had given thankes to his heavenly Father as his manner was for his corporall gifts but specially for the deare love that hee of his owne meere mercie and free heartie good will bare toward mankind he brake bread and gave bread unto his disciples saying Take yee eat yee this is my body which is betrayed for you Doe this in remembrance of me And as hee tooke the bread and made it a Sacrament that is to say an holy signe figure token and Memoriall of his Body breaking so likewise he took the wine and made that a Sacrament holy signe figure token and Memoriall of his bloud shedding and after thankesgiving to his heavenly Father for the benefits aforesaid he delivered the Cup unto his Disciples saying Drinke of this all ye This Cup is a new Testament in my bloud which is shed for many for the remission of sins Doe this so oft as yee shall drinke it in the remembrance of me And this heavenly banket once done they said grace that is to say they praised God by saying either certaine Psalmes of David or some other thankesgivings and so departed Here is the whole institution of the Lords Supper Now let us compare Christs Supper with your Popish and Idolatrous Masse and see how well Christs doings and yours agree together If ye be the Ministers of Christ and not of Antichtist the servants of God and not of the Divell then will you follow your Master Christ which saith I have given you an example that as I have done so likewise yee should doe Let us now then goe in hand with the matter First we reade that Christ before hee fed his Disciples with the mysticall food of his body and bloud made a Sermon unto them wherewith as with a certaine most wholesome preparative hee made meet the minds of his Disciples unto so worthy a banket giving all faithfull Ministers an example that whensoever they with the congregation doe come together to celebrate the Lords Supper there should be some Sermon or exhortation made unto the people that they might the better examine themselves and the more deepely consider the thing that they goe about And according to the example of Christ not only the Apostle but all the holy Fathers also of the Primitive church used the trade and so did it continue in the Church of Christ till Antichrist the Bishop of Rome had driven Christ out of place and set up himselfe as God Againe till hee had expulsed the Supper of the Lord and set up his owne peevish yea theevish Idolatrous Masse as wee may see in the monuments of the ancient Writers They continued saith blessed Luke in the Apostles doctrine and fellowshippe and in breaking of bread and in prayers And Saint Paul saith As often as ye shall eat this bread and drinke of the cup shew set forth declare and preach the Lords death till he come A practise hereof have we in the Acts of the Apostles where wee reade That upon one of the Sabbath dayes when the Disciples came together for to breake bread so termeth S. Luke the receiving of the Sacrament of Christs body and blood blessed Paul preached unto them and continued the preaching unto midnight And the Sermon ended they brake bread ate thanked God and departed For if the Sacrament of Christ be never so comfortable yet if they bee not known what they are to what use they were instituted what joyfull promises are annexed unto them what they signifie and preach unto the faithfull receivers c. What other things are they to us thaÌ„ the pretious stone was to Aesops Cock A SacrameÌ„t ministred without preaching of the word is but a dumb ceremony a glasse offered to a blind man and a tale told to one that is deafe The Apostles before the ministration of any Sacrament preached and so did the holy Fathers of the primitive Church Saint Iohn Baptist the sonne of the Priest Zachary preached unto the people before hee baptized them Our Saviour Christ a little before his ascension said to his Apostles â—oe and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Here is Baptism the preaching of the word joyned together And as concerning the blessed Sacrament of Christs body and blood did not our Saviour Christ preach at the institution and ministration of it Are we not also commanded by the holy Apostle that whensoever wee come to receive the blessed Communion the death of the Lord should be preached declared and set forth Did not the Apostles of Christ and all the godly Bishops of the primitive Church observe the same order They considered right well how little the ministration of the Sacraments availeth without the preaching of the Word For as S. Paul saith how shall they believe without a Preacher Faith commeth by hearing and hearing commeth by the Word of God None therefore of the Lords Sacraments ought publickely to be administred without preaching of the word yea that not in a strange tongue but in such a speech as the people understand or else it were as good to speake the words unto a sâ—rt of sheepe or geese as unto them that are gathered together at the ministration of any Sacrament And this meant Saint Augustine when hee said Take away the Word and what is Water but water But let the word bee added to the ElemeÌ„t it is made a SacrameÌ„t Whence hath the water such a power that it should touch body and wash the heart but by the vertue of working of the word not because it is spoken but because it is beleeved The word signifyeth here not only the speaking of Ego baptizote c. or Hoc est corpus meum c. pronounced by the Priest in a strange tongue but the preaching of the word of God uttered by the mouth of the Ministers in such a language as the people understand or else how shall they beleeve It is not the utterance of Gods word in an unknowne speech that bringeth faith but when it is so spoken that it is understood of them that heare it and that faith through the operation of the holy Ghost ensueth which otherwise is cold lyeth idle and worketh nothing in the heart of the hearer for as S. Augustine saith Take away the Word and what is Water but water that is to say take away the preaching of Gods word from the SacrameÌ„t of Baptism which declareth what Baptisme is who instituted it to what use it was ordained what fruits and commodities wee receive by it c. And what doth the water of Baptisme profit I speake concerning such as are come to the use of reason
or such as are present at the ministration of Baptisme And so likewise may wee say of the Sacrament of Christs body and bloud Take away the word and what is Bread but Bread What is wine but wine that is to say Take away the preaching of the Lords death from the holy Cōmunion and what doth it profit to eat drinke the Sacramentall bread and wine seeing the mystery is not knowne nor understood But put the preaching of the word to the Elements water bread and wine and so are they made holy and honourable Sacraments full of singular joy and great comfort as Saint Augustine saith Let the word be added to the Element and it is made a Sacrament Therefore where the Lords Supper is rightly ministred there is declared the death and passion of Christ there is shewed forth the misery of man from the which hee could have beene no otherwise released but only by the death of Christ there is taught what the Sacrament is what it signifyeth and to what use Christ our Saviour did institute it there are the people exhorted not rashly nor with unwashed feet as they use to say to come unto the Lords Table but to prove trie and examin themselves whether they come with such faith and love unto that most worthy mystery as they ought least they eat and drinke their own damnation there are they stored up unto the workes of mercie toward the poore and unto hearty thankesgiving to God the Father for the death of his Son Christ there also are they put in remembrance that after they have tasted those heavenly mysteries have spiritually fed upon the body bloud of Christ which through faith are present and truly received in spirit of faithful Cōmunicants and are become one body with Christ they ought no more to returne unto their old sinfull wicked conversation but from henceforth to serve their Lord God in holines righteousnes all the daies of their life Is there any such thing done in the popish Masse Who preacheth Who maketh the exhortation Who moveth the people to repentance faith love and amendment of life mutuall recōciliation workes of mercie or unto thankesgiving to God the Father for the death of his Sonne Christ Who playeth the Schoolmaster and giveth the people such exhortations that they goe home from your Masses better learned than they came thither What theese ever lest his theft What false lawyer gave over his bribing what whore forsooke her whordome what wicked man at any time repented him of his wickednesse by comming unto your Masse Yea rather they goe from your Masse so well instructed that they thinke that now they have heard a Masse they may doe all the day after what they will Amends is made beforehand If they bribe poll pill steale lye slander blaspheme kill murder runne on whoring play the harlot fall to drunkennesse to dicing to carding and doe all other unlawfull things it maketh no matter for they have heard Masse They have satisfyed for the sinne before it be committed The hearing of masse hath dispatcht al the matter aforehand And what marvaile is it though such abomination followeth of your massing seeing the people heareth no goodnesse at it but rather are confirmed in all kind of ungodlinesse The chiefest jewell of all I meane the preaching of Gods word is utterly exiled from your Masse as all goodnesse is besides There is none of you all that stand up in the pulpit that lift up your voice to declare unto the people either their wickednesse or preach unto them the most joyfull pleasant and comfortable Gospel of our Saviour Christ. If there bee any preaching at all the Bells make it when the popish Clark ringeth to Masse The Bells being hanged up tell the people somewhat which they understand namely that there is a popish masse ready at hand come heare it who list and be never the better when yee have done But ye speake nothing at all that the people understand and so are yee worse than the Bells Oh how often have I seene here in England at the ministration of the holy Communion people sitting at the Lords table after they have heard the sermon or the godly exhortation set forth in the Booke of Common prayer read unto them by the minister bitterly weep heartily repent and sorrowfully lament their too much unkindnesse and unthankfulnesse toward the Lord God for the death of his Sonne Christ and for his other benefits againe their negligence in doing their duty toward their poore neighbours what free and large gifts also have I seene given to the poore mens boxe what laying aside of al enmity and renewing of unfained mutuall reconciliation what loving embracing and holy kissing of one another What assurance of heartytty friendship for ever to continue where immortall hatred was before what godlinesse also of life have I seen afterward practised by them that were the Communicants what alteration of manners What newnesse of conversation The covetous man to abhorre his covetousnesse the Adulterer to leave his adultery the Whore to defie her whoredom the Proud man to detest his pride the Vsurer to give over his usury and so forth by hearing the word of God preached and by the worthy receiving of the holy Communion hath full oft bin seen in England when the doctrine of the Gospell flourished among us Never saw I one point of like godlinesse practised of any man by hearing your popish Masses but as they have come thither wicked and ungodly so have they departed againe with the same ungodlines and wickednes rather being the worse than the better by hearing that your Idolatrous masse and yet Oh God be mercifull unto us and forgive us our sinnes the glorious and blessed Cōmunion is now through the craft and subtilty of the devil and through the wilinesse of his sturdy stout champions that filthy Synagogue of Sathan utterly banished out of this Realme unto the great dishonour of God and unspeakable sorrow of all true Christians and that most vile most stinking most pestiferous most abominable most wicked most devillish most idolatrous popish private Masse received again set up and magnifyed above the starres yea and above God and his holy ordinance when indeed of all Idols the Masse is most to be abhorred of such as feare and love God But though your Masse were never so good as indeed it is starke naught without comparison yet forasmuch as it is done without the preaching of the word and in a strange it is altogether unprofitable yea and abominable Notwithstanding behold the hypocrisie and counterfeit holinesse yea rather your double dissimulation and devillish deceiving of the simple people when yee have stood awhile pattering like a sort of asses yee know not what at the lower end of the Altar saying the Introite or office of the Masse as they call it the Kyrrys the Gloria in Excelsis the Collects
of Hick-scorner Is not this a toy to mocke an ape withall Is this Christs Accipite and Edite Take yee and eat yee speaking to many and not to one alone Is this Christs Bibite ex eo omnes Drinke of this all yee Did Christ eat the Sacrament alone Did he not rather give it to his Disciples and commanded all faithfull Ministers so to doe Why then doe ye O ye Antichrists eat drinke up all alone contrary to Christs institution and commandement And yet behold how yee shunne not to lie even to Gods face Yee say at your Postâ—Communion these words Quod ore sumpsimus Domine c. That which wee have taken with our mouth grant that we may receive it with a pure minde and that it may be made unto us of a temporall gift an everlasting remedie Againe Hâ—c nos summo purget à crimine c. This Communion might purge us from Sinne and make us partakers of the Heavenly Remedie And in another place yee desire God that so many as shall receive the body and bloud of Christ may bee filled with all heavenly blessing and grace Yee tell God that you with the rest of the congregation have received even with your owne mouthes the Sacrament of Christs body and bloud and ye lye most abominably For yee your selves have eaten and drunken up altogether alone and like churlish carles ye have given no man part with you Againe ye call it a Communion which is a partaking of many together but yee might right well call it an Union For no man eateth and drinketh of the bread and wine but you alone Item ye desire God that so many as shall be communicants may be filled with the heavenly blessings and grace and no man do receive but you alone What a mocking is this of God and a deceiving of the people God have mercy on us and once againe deliver us from this most lying wicked abominable and divellish Idoll the Masse and restore unto us the holy and blessed Communion Christs ordinance is not that one standing at an Altar should eat devoure and mouch up altogether alone but that a multitude should receive the Sacramentall bread and wine together Take yee saith our Saviour Christ eat ye and drinke yee all of this He saith not Take thou Sir Iohn eate thou and drinke thou alone In the Acts of the Apostles wee see that a multitude of the Christians came together to breake the bread and not that one alone did eate all alone turning his arse to the people as yee Massemongers doe Saint Paul saith The bread which ye breake is it not the partaking of the body of Christ Hee saith not the bread which I breake but which we breake speaking of many and not of one Againe we all be partakers of one bread and of one Cup. Indeed wee bee or wee ought to be But wee be not therefore yee Masse-mongers doe us the more wrong Where the blessed Apostle entreateth of the Lords Supper he saith My brethren when yee come together to eate he meaneth the holy Communion or the Lords Supper tarry one for another Hee saith not when yee come together to see the Priest say Masse and to eate and drinke up altogether alone standing at an Altar and turning his backe towards you as one full of little good manners Hee saith also Tarry one for another But yee tarry for no man but having a Boy to helpe you to say Masse ye goe to your mingle mangle and never call purre to you For yee eate and drinke up altogether alone being much worse than the swine-heards Wee reade in the ancient Canons that such as would not communicate should bee excommunicate and driven out of Christs congregation and not to be reputed or taken as members of CHRISTS bodie Whereof wee may easily and truely gather that this private Massing which yee Masse-mongers use at this present is not of God but of the Devil and was not practised of the holy ancient Fathers in their Churches but of late yeares brought in by Antichrist and his shamelesse shavelings which in their private Masses doe nothing else than prophanate defile and corrupt the LORDS Supper and make merchandize of it While they take upon them to receive the Sacrament for other and to make it a Sacrifice for the sinnes of such as hire them for their money that they of the labour of other mens hands and the sweate of other mens browes may live an idle voluptuous life as Epicures and belly beasts borne onely to consume the good fruits of the earth But as yee Masse-mongers cannot bee baptised nor beleeve for other no more can yee receive the Sacrament for other As every man is baptised for himselfe so must hee eat and drinâ—e the mysterie of the LORDS bodie and bloud for himselfe Can my eating slake your hunger No more can your eating of the Sacrament doe mee good The righteous man saith the Prophet shall live by his owne faith The Priests eating therefore of the Sacramentall bread for other is abominable and in all points contrary to Christs holy institution which ordained his blessed Supper not to be received of one alone for all the congregation but that every one should receive it for himselfe that by the worthy receiving thereof his troubled conscience might be quieted and his faith confirmed We reade that when Saint Anthony which lived about the yeare of our Lord 350. was in the wildernesse he saw a vision which was this He beheld a number of Altars suddenly built up and covered with white Linnen cloths with bread and wine set upon them and a great sort of uncleane and filthy swine standing at them and slovenly devouring all that ever was set upon the Altars Saint Anthony being wonderfully amazâ—d at this strange sight cried unto God and said O Lord God what mean these foule ill favoured sights God said unto him These filthy swine which thou seest standing at the Altars are the leacherous Priests which after thy dayes shall arise and driving away the holy CoÌ„munion out of Churches which I instituted to be received of many shall eat and drinke all the Sacramental bread and wine alone giving no part thereof to the residue of my people whom I redeemed with my precious bloud and for whose sake I ordained my holy Supper to be received of them also Are not ye leacherous Priests these filthie swine Have yee not cast away the LORDS Table and set up Idolatrous Altars Doe not yee at your Masse eat and drinke up all alone like hungrie hogges and give no part to Gods faithfull people Ye may right well bee compared to filthy swine For as these brutish beastes cannot abide any other to eat with them but would â—aine eat up all alone themselves even so play yee At your Idolatrous Masses like a sort of beastly hogges yee eat and drinke up all alone giving no man part with
you cleane contrary to Christs institution And yee may justly be cal'd lecherous priests For ye abhorre godly and lawfull matrimonie and ye defile your selves with all kiâ—d of stinking whoredome and abominable Sodomitry Maids ye deflowre mens wives ye defile and widowes doe yee corrupt besides much other abomination which chast eares abhorre to heare Men meete to consecrate such a God and fit champions to say such divellish Masses GOD give you grace once to leave this most detestable wickednesse Moreover was not the Sacrament of CHRISTS body and bloud ordained to move and stir all men to friendship love and concord and to put away all hatred variaÌ„ce and discord and to testifie a brotherly and unfained love betweene them that be the meÌ„bers of Christ. But what friendship or love can bee maintain'd at that ministration of the Sacrament where one eateth and drinketh all alone as ye do at your Masses If it bee a Sacrament of Charitie and Love then ought the members of Christ charitably and lovingly to eat and drinke the Lords Supper together as the Apostle saith Wee are all partakers of one bread and of one cuppe and not one to devoure all alone For charitie consisteth not in one alone but in many And the Lords Supper is called a Communion and not an Union Therefore yee Masse-mongers grievously offend which contrary both to the commandement of CHRIST and the order of Charitie at your Masses eat and drinke up all alone and by this meanes yee make the the Lords Supper a Sacrament rather of hate and dissention than of love and unitie And heere commeth into my remembrance an History of a Christian of a Iew. The Christian perceiving the Iew to bee an honest civill man faithfull in his promise and upright in his dealing toward all men sorrowed greatly in his heart that hee was not also of the Christian beleefe The christian thinking that the most ready way to bring the Iew unto Christ was to leade him to church that he might there heare and see how well God was served among them desired the Iew upon a certaine Sabboth day to goe with him unto the temple of the Christians nothing doubting but if hee would so doe hee should bee allured to give over his Iewish opinions and to become a christian man The Iew consented and went with him to church where he quietly saw and beheld all things He heard iolly ringing pleasant singing and merry organs playing Hee beheld a sort of gay gawdy mawmets and a number of merry fellowes in the quire singing sometime high sometime low sometime in a meane and sometime nothing at all Hee saw also a fellow with a shaven crowne going up and downe in the church and casting water in the peoples teeth and afterward having a iolly coat upon his backe he saw him goe about the church-yard after an Image all the people following him After all these things hee saw that shaveling cast off the gay-coat againe and put on other game plaiers garments so to addres himselfe unto an altar covered with white linnen cloathes wherupon was set as hee thought meate and drinke for he saw the cup there After much singing and piping he saw the sacrificer that stood at the altar lift up a little thin round cake a cup of drinke above his head Here will bee good cheere thought the Iew anon for here are iolly signes proffers But when he saw the people fall downe worship the bread and cup hee marvailed greatly at their madnes Masse ended hee looked alwayes when the people should have beene called to eat and drink with Hicke-scorner that heaved the bread and cup over his head but no man had part with him He devourd all alone like Sim slap sauce when they were departed out of the church going home ward the christian willing to prove how the Iew was affected toward the christian religioÌ„ said unto him Sir how like you our religion and serving of God To whom the Iew answered ye have in the temple many things that would make a sad man glad and one that is sorrowfull cheerefull I meane your thundring of bells your playing on the organs your merry singing the casting of water in the peoples teeth and your running one after another about the church-yard like the Prior of Pricklingham and his covent All these things seeme to be matters of mirth used among you as I thinke onely to make you merry But the having of Idols in your temples I do not allow I see you also fall downe and worship a peece of bread and a silver cup which I iudge high abomination and damnable Idolatry And another thing there is used in your temples which I also do nothing like What is that quoth the christian I will tell you said the Iew. Yee talke cracke and boast much of charity but I say right well that there is little used among you For there was an Altar spred with fine white cloths and meat and drinke as I suppose set upon it I alwaies looked when ye should have beene called to eate and drinke together according to the order of charity but that shaveling that stood at the altar in the gay coat did both eat and drink all alone giving you no part with him which is a token of small charity friendship among you Certs you shal redresse these great vices and have more charity among you before I become one of your order And so the Iew refused to be made a christian God have mercy on us Among many other notable faults which the Iew perceived in our Temples this was not the least that one standing with his backe toward the people at an altar did eat and drink al alone giving no man part with him which is a token of small charity and friendship as the Iew said Verily the private masse wherin the sacrament of Christs body and bloud is too much abused hath beene and is the cause that many at this day doe abhorre the name of Christ and utterly condemne the christian religion God for his mercy drive this Idolatrous masse out of this realme once againe and restore unto us the true use of his holy Supper Amen Amen But let us see what followeth in your Popish masse and make an end When the Boy or Parish Clarke commeth againe with the Pax yee hold forth your chalice like Sir Ralph Rinspitcher for a little more drinke And when yee have once drunken up that yee hold forth your Goddard yet once againe to have a little more swill No marvell For peradventure ye fell the night before into a great heate while you kept company with your toying Thais and therfore no marvell silly soules though you drinke solemnly But O good Lord what wiping of the mouth and licking of the fingers is there then It would doe a woman good to see how cleanly Sir Iohn Sweet-lips is And yet not so contented yee goe to the Altars
the Epistle the Graduall the Allelujah the Tract or the Sequence and all in Latine because such as are there present should keepe counsell and not bewray your subtill secrets yee remove as men soone weary of a place from the one end of the Altar to the other and like prettie fellowes you take up the Masse-booke in your hands making the people beleeve that now yee will speake somewhat whereby they shall greatly be edified and well grounded in the knowledge of Christ. And because like politicke and wise men ye will not stumble in your doings but the better see what ye shal speake ye have a candle lighted though the day bee never so faire and the Sunne shine never so bright Besides this that yee may bee in the better readinesse to doe some great nothing yee pray to God or I know not to whom in this manner I 〈◊〉 Domine benedicere O Lord command me to speak well A prayer very necessary for your selves which very seldome speake well but nothing meet for the purpose that you goe about For ye intend to speake nothing to the people whereby they shal take any profit Neither purpose yee for all your bragging any more to preach to your Masse-hunters than yee intend with your bird bolt to shoot downe the weather-cocke of Pauls steeple And because God is not at hand but far enough from vour elbow and very sâ—ldom commeth at such mens callings ye your selves take the paines to answer on this manner Dominus sit in corde meo in â—re meo ad annunciandum populo sanctum Evangelium Deâ— That is to say the Lord might be in my heart and in my mouth to set forth preach and declare to the people the holy Gospell of God Oh most vaine prayer O wicked dissemblers both with God and man Ye wished that the Lord God might be both in your heart and in your mouth to set forth preach and declare to the people the holy Gospell of God and yee intend nothing lesse For as God is neither in your heart nor in your mouth so doe ye not preach the holy Gospell of God to the people but onely yee rehearse a few Latine sentences out of the Gospel which neither ye your selves for the most part nor yet the simple people understand And notwithstanding the silly sheepish simple soules solemnely stand up and give good eare as though they should heare some notable thing and goe home the better instructed but all in vaine For they learne nothing Onely when yee rehearse the Name of Iesus they learne to make solemne courtesie and so a peece of the Gospell being once read they stroke themselves on the head and kisse the naile of their right thumbe and sit down againe as wife as they were afore And yee your selves in the steâ—d of your Petronilla kisse the book and turne yee to the people and say Dominus vobiscum God be with you as though you could tarry no longer but had some great journey to goe and yet doe vee tarry there still till all good people be weary both of you and of your popish Masse Here is all your preaching Here is the whole summe of your exhortations Are not the people well taught Have yee not played the good Schoole-masters Have ye not wel deserved your Dirge groat and your dinner Have ye not followed Christ aright Tell mee of goodfellowship whose disciples are ye masse-mongers Christs that preached or Antichrists that preach not Looke whose order yee follow his disciples are yee But Christs order follow yee not therefore are ye not the disciples of Christ but the vile slaves of Antichrist Here see yee then one foule fault which you Masse-mongers commit in your wicked Masses The best part ye utterly leave out I meane the preaching of the Gospell which our Saviour Christ his Apostles and all true Ministers in all ages chiefly practised at the ministration of the holy Communion And in this behalfe yee agree not with Christ neither is your Masse any thing like the LORDS Supper After the Sermon Christ came to the Table where he ministred the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud to his Disciples Now compare your doings with Christs Christ came to a Table to minister his holy Supper You come to an Altar for to say your popish and Idolatrous Masse Christ tabled the matter and yee alter it Oh how well-favouredly ye agree even as Christ and Belial God and the Divell light and darkenesse or as the use to say Like Haroe and Harrow Christ ministred his Supper at a Table and so did it continue certaine hundred yeares after in the Church of Christ who used no Altar at all but at a Table at the ministration of the Lords Supper following the example of Christ which is the selfe truth and example giver of all perfection and righteousnesse But if you following the example of Antichrist like bloudie sacrificers fall in hand with Altars as though ye had sheepe and oxen to kil Christ willing to declare that all bloudie offerings and sacrifices were come to an end which were but signes figures and shadowes of him being the true and alone acceptable sacrifice for the sinnes of the world came not unto an Altar but unto a Table and there ordained ministed his holy Supper shewing thereby that not onely the bloudie sacrifices but also all Altars which were built for bloudie sacrifices sake doe now cease and are utterly abolished But yee whose desire alwayes is to come as neere unto Christ or unto his holy ordinance as the Hare covets to come nigh unto a Tabret refuse Christs order and dispise the table spitefully calling it an Oyster-board and like heathenish and Iewish Priests yee build Altars and upon them you offer your vile and stinking sacrifice not unto God but unto the Divell and unto Antichrist Christ and his Apostles with all the holy Bishops and reverend Fathers of the Primitive Church ministred the Lords Supper at a Table and dare ye O yee Massemongers contrarie to Christs order whose example in this behalf is as it were a commandement and contrary to the practise of Christs Apostles and of the Primative Church minister it at an Altar The holy Scripture makes mention of eating the Lords Supper at the Lords Table but at an Altar to have it ministred not one word Wee have none Altar but one which is Iesus Christ the Lord and he is in heaven onely concerning his humamanitie and not here in earth as the idle brained Papists dreame upon whom and by whom we doe offer sacrifice of praise alwayes to God that is to say the fruit of those lips which confesse his Name For he is our alone Intercessour our alone Mediatour and our alone Advocate Besides this Altar CHRIST the faithfull congregation knoweth none neither in heaven nor in earth All other Altars therefore which ye have in your Churches Chappels and Oratories are Idolatrous and
but ye give it to your selves But as Christ gave the bread to his Disciples willing them to eat it in remembrance of his passion and death so ought yee to doe to the faithfull congregation that are present and not like swinish beasts to eate and drinke up all alone your selves and afterward to blesse the people wiâ—h an empty cup as ye doe at your high and solemne feasts But this doe yee not therefore are ye plaine Antichrists Take this bread saith our Saviour Christ. Take it in your hands Hand off say yee Papists Gape and wee will put it in your mouths and feed yee as children use to feed their Iack-dawes Handle so pretious a relique Marry Sir God forbidde The woman peradventure hath lien with her husband all night or the husband with the wife and shall such touch the pretious body of our Lord with their handes Marry Sir God forbid That were a piteous case But yee abominable Whoremasters ye filthy fornicators yee stinking Sodomites ye deceitfull Deflowrers of mayds yee devillish defilers of mens wives yee cankred corrupters of widowes and yee lecherous locusts may lie with your whores and harlots all night and the next day after goe to Masse consecrate make touch handle breake and devoure your God and yet ye defile the Sacrament nothing at all O abominable Whorehunters O monstrous Massmongers Honest Matrimonie after your corrupt judgements defileth the Sacrament of Christs body and bloud but filthy fornication abominable adultery wicked whoredome and stinking Sodomitrie advanceth the dignity thereof O right Chaplins of that filthy Idoll Priapus But come off I pray you what hath the hand more offended than the mouth that it may not touch the Sacrament Are they not both the good creatures of God are they not made both of one substance and to say the truth there commeth not so much evil from the hand as there doth out of the mouth For out of the mouth come Blasphemies cursed speakings evil reportes bannings slanders lies malicious words filthy tales idle talke singing of bawdy ballads c. But from the hand commeth vertuous occupation honest labour painefull travaile getting of thy living helping of our neighbors and almes-giving to the poore But yee are alwayes like your selves that is to say very Antichrists For yee are evermore contrary to Christ. Christ delivered the Sacrament into his Disciples hands and you put it into the Communicants mouths as though the people were not so wise as to put a morsel of bread in their owne mouthes The people are much bound to you that have so good opinion of them Ye make them momes indeed asses louts and your very riding fools God once open their eyes that they may perceive your jugling Ye are well worthy to have your tithes and offerings truely payd yee doe your duty so well Verily they that give ought to find you Masse-mongers withall and to maintaine you in your abominable massing doe nothing else but offend God dishonor Christ tread under foote the pretious bloud of Christ make Christs death of no price maintaine Idolatrie defie the holy Communion destroy the Christian common-weale uphold Antichrists brood cherish Satans Chaplains pamper Priapus pildepates make fat Venus stout stallions enrich Bacchus Sacrificers and nourish such monsters as doe nothing else than murther kill and slay the soules of so many as follow your damnable Doctrine and hant your Idolatrous Masses Let the Christians therefore beware how and upon whom they bestow their goods lest by giving to Massing priests they get to themselves everlasting damnation The doer and maintainer shall receive like punishment He that readeth the practises of the ancient Church shall evidently see that the manner of the godly Ministers at that time was not to put the Sacramentall bread into the peoples mouths as yee doe at this present but to give it them into their hands For it was not then taken and honored for a God as it is now but it was reverently used and taken as an holy and worthy Sacrament of Christ. But what marvaile is it though yee will not suffer the people to handle the Sacramentall bread seeing yee will not suffer the coÌ„municants to touch your Popes holy chalice wherein notwithstanding is not the Sacrament of Christs bloud but only meere wine dedicated and appointed to no godly use Ye are contrary to Christ in all things God amend you Take eat saith our Saviour Christ. Nay say ye Masse-mongers neither take yee nor eat but come heare Masse devoutly see us take and eat up altogether and it is enough for you Fall down kneele worship your Maker that wee shew unto you Honor your God that is hanged up in the pixe over the Altar and so shall yee be good Catholickes and deare children of our mother holy Church If yee come at Easter according to P. Zepherinus commandemeÌ„t and then receive your maker devoutly it is enough for you At all other times we wil receive the Sacrament for you and it shall do you as much good as though you had eaten it your selfe O false and subtile hypocrits O wicked corrupters of the Lords blessed Testament If other men shold eat up your dinners and suppers in your stead as ye eat up the SacrameÌ„t from the people ye should not have so fat panches as yee have nor yet so frie in your grease as you doe Christ delivered the Sacramental bread to his Disciples and bade them eate but yee eat up all your selves and will give no man part with you O cankred carles O churlish chuffes And here may we note by the way to what end the Sacramental bread is ordained not that it should be kneeled to nor honored as a God nor gazed on nor carried about in popish pompous processions nor offered up for a sacrifice for the sins of the quick the dead nor yet to reserve it to hang it up in the pixe over the Altar as yee Papists doe but that it should be received and eaten of the faithfull Communicants at the Lords Supper in remembrance of CHRISTS death Take eat saith our Saviour Christ. Hitherto have wee heard that your peevish popish private pedlary pelting masse agreeth with the Lords blessed Supper and holy Communion nothing at all Let us now see how well ye behave your selves in the words of Consecration as yee call them wherein after your opinion hangeth all the matter Christ said This is my bodie which is betrayed for you Doe this in the remembrance of me Now let us behold your consecration Taking the little Cake in your hands yee say these words The day before hee suffered hee tooke bread into his holy and worshipfull hands and lifting up his eyes unto heaven to the God his Father Almightie and giving the thanks he blessed brake and gave to his Disciples saying Take and eat of this all ye For this is my body The Author of these words as
THE DISPLAYING of the Popish Masse wherein thou shalt see what a wicked Idoll the Masse is and what great difference there is between the Lords Supper and the Popes Masse Againe what Popes brought in every part of the Masse and counted it together in such monstrous sort as it is now used in the Popes Kingdome Written by THOMAS BECON and published in the dayes of Queene MARY Psalme 73. They that forsake thee O Lord shall perish and all them that commit whoredome against thee thou shalt utterly destroy Ier. 15. Fly away from Babylon let every man save his life that yee be not rooted out with her wickednesse For the time of the Lords vengeance is come Apocalyps 18. I heard a voice from heaven saying Come away c. Matth. 15. Every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be plucked up by the roots LONDON Printed by A. G. for the Company of Stationers 1637. Cum privilegio R. P. D. D. IOANNES PARKHURSTUS Episcopus Noruvicensis ad Thomam Baeconum Vidi perlegi doctos Baecone libellos Quo tua nonpridem sancta Minerva dedito Dispercam siquid legi unquam sanctius aut si Quid potuit populo tradier ut liu◠Auspice perge Deo tales vulgare libellos Variloquax sed nec lingua timenda tibi est Sic Christum possis avido iaculare popello Sic possis nomen condecorare tuum The displaying of the Popish Masse IF I were not led O yee MASSING Priests with a naturall and fervent affection toward this our common country which as a most tender mother hath tenderly brought me forth and as a most loving nurse hath hitherto sweetly embraced kindly fostered and carefully kept me up whose destruction and utter desolation if provision betimes be not made I see unfainedly to be at hand againe if I were not moved with very pitie and tender compassion towards you my country-men greatly lamenting and even from the very heart bewailing the miserable and wretched state wherein at this present yee stand perceiving also your dreadfull damnation besides the corporall plagues which with other ye shall suffer not to be farre off except yee shortly repent turne unto the Lord our God and leave your abominable Idoll service I would chuse rather quietly to goe forth in giving my minde to the studie of the holy Scriptures according to my profession and in calling on the Name of God by fervent prayer for the redresse of the great abominations which now of late dayes as most fierce outragious flouds have violently burst in overflowed and utterly deformed the Christian Common-weale of this our Realme of England than breaking off my present studies to take upon me at this time to write unto you and especially of such a matter as some brainsicke persons straightwayes will condemne as hereticall but all wil judge it superfluous seeing the matter whereof I entend to write doth but a little agree with the common opinion of religion yea rather superstition that is now received among us against the which to strive who will not count it a thing of great folly being so defenced not onely with Lawes and Statutes but also with the power of the head rulers with the wily subtilties of the fleshly hypocrites and with the consent of the grosse multitude as I may speake nothing of the untowardnesse yea rather frowardnesse and malicious madnesse of a number of you Masse-mongers to whom these my Letters bee directed which have been so rooted from the beginning of your greasie Priest-hood in this wicked kinde of massing taking it for most perfect pure true sound godly and Christian Religion and have found so great ease quietnesse lucre gaine and advantage in it that it shall be more easie except God setteth to his helping hand to make a man of Inde white than to plucke many of you from your old accustomed and cankered trade so hard a thing is it to use an old dogge to the reine or to cure that disease that is bred in the bone But notwithstanding having a good opinion although not of all yet of some of you which sinne not of obstinate malice against the truth but of simplicitie ignorance and blindnesse offend for lacke of better knowledge whom also peradventure God hitherto hath suffered to remaine in errour that he now at the last thorow the riches of his mercy might bring you into the glorious light of his blessed Gospell and make you of Sauls Pauls of ravening wolves faithfull Shepheards of cruell persecutors Christian Preachers of abominable Idolaters true worshippers of God that by this meanes ye may beleeve and be saved I will attempt even for your sakes even to the uttermost of my power as time shall serve to declare unto you my minde concerning the great abuse yea the abominable Idolatry which ye commit in the most wicked and Divellish Masse while yee take upon you contrary to the Word of God to defile the blessed Sacrament of Christs body and bloud to minister it in your Masses unto your selfe alone contrary to Christs institution to offer it for a sacrifice unto God for the sinnes of the quicke and dead to avouch it to bee of no lesse excellencie price dignitie efficacie might vertue and power than the sacrifice which our Saviour Christ offered on the altar of the Crosse and to make a shew of it to the people that they may fall downe and worshippe it as a god yea God himselfe Creator and maker of all things that yee having the knowledge of these your errors may from henceforth cease to offend the Lord our God give over your Idolatrous massing repent you of your former life and become godly Ministers in the Church of Christ unto the glory of God and the profit of his holy Congregation And that wee may the better discerne the truth from the falsehood and the prophanation of the Sacrament from the true ministration thereof I will compare Christs doing in this behalfe and yours together that when ye shall perceive how farre ye dissent and swarve from the truth ye may forsake your errour and follow no more the trifling traditions of Antichrist the Bishop of Rome and of his adherents but rather embrace that Godly and faithfull order which our Saviour Christ hath set and appointed in his holy Word for the due Ministration of his blessed Communion It is not unknowne to you that the Lord Iesus after he had eatē the Paschall Lambe with his Disciples according to the Law of Moses that same night wherein hee was betrayed knowing that the time appointed of his heavenly Father frō everlasting wherein he should offer himselfe a sweet smelling sacrifice to God for the sinnes of the world was at hand and willing to leave behinde him a memoriall of his glorious Passion and precious death to his holy Congregation that the fruits commodities and benefits which the faithfull penitent sinners have by the offering up of his blessed bodie should not be forgotten
Saviour and garnish your life with his most godly vertues practising that in your ministration whereof ye have him a president in his conversation And this is also to bee noted that when CHRIST came in his owne usuall apparell unto the Table he did not kneele as the Papists doe nor yet stand as the Iewes did in the old Law but hee sate downe at the Table How do ye agree with Christ at your Masse in this behalfe Christ sate yee sometime stand upright sometime leane upon your elbowes sometime crouch downeward sometime kneele but sit doe yee never because ye will still contrary Christ and bee one ace above him And although gestures in this behalfe in some mens judgements seeme to be indifferent yet the nearer we come to Christs order the better it is For who can prescribe a more perfect trade for all things to bee done at and about the ministration of the Lords Supper than the which Christ used himselfe Indeed the Iewes when they received their Sacrament I meane the Paschal Lambe which was also a figure of Christ to come and to be slaine as ours is a signe and token that hee is alreadie come slaine and gone stood upon their feet with their loynes girded and staves in their hands to signifie not onely that they were strangers and pilgrims in this world and had here no dwelling Citie but also that there was a further journey yet to goe in the religion of God and that other SacrameÌ„ts were to be looked for But Christ and his Disciples did sit at their Supper to declare that all things afore figured in the Law are now perfectly fulfilled in Christ that Lambe of God which was slaine from the beginning of the world and there are no more Sacraments to bee looked for nor none other doctrine to bee enquired for neither the Iewes Talmuth nor Mahomets Alkaron nor the Popes Decretals nor yet the Emperours Interim but the doctrine onely which Christ hath alreadie taught and left in writing by the hands of his Apostles The Christian religion both concerning Sacraments and Doctrine is now by Christ brought to such a consummate perfection and perfect consummation that nothing ought to be added as necessarie also for our salvation Therfore doth Christ with his Apostles sit at the receiving of the Sacrament and not stand after the manner of the Iewes even as they which travelling by the way are come unto their journeyes end are wont to sit downe and to take their rest Here have wee an example of Christ to sit at the Lords Table when wee receive the holy Communion and not to kneele But this doe ye Papists neither observe your selves nor suffer other so to doe Ye are like those lewd Lawyers subtill Scribes boysterous Bishops sawcie Sadduces fine Pharisees pratling Priests and hollow Hypocrites against whom our Saviour Christ thundereth on this manner Woe unto ye Scribes and Pharisees ye Hypocrites for yee shut up the Kingdome of heaven before men ye neither goe in your selves neither suffer ye them that come to enter in There may bee no sitting at your ministration though wee have Christ for a president never so much The servant may not follow his Lord nor the Disciple his Master Whatsoever Christ practised we may not doe but what Antichrist deviseth that must we needs doe Therefore doe ye Papists which be alwayes enemies to Christ and to his holy ordinances binde all your captives to kneel at the receiving of the Sacrament and so makes them plain Idolaters in worshipping the bread for a god O wicked soule-slayers But why binde ye the people rather to kneel at the ministration of the Lords Sâ—pper than at the ministration of Baptisme seeing Christ is no lesse present at the one than at the other and by his holy Spirit worketh no lesse effectually in Baptisme than he doth in the Supper Why doe yee not also compell the people to kneele at the preaching of Gods Word seeing it is of no lesse authoritie than the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud But I know your subtilties right well Ye will say the Sacrament of the Altar I use your own tearmes is God and man in forme of bread and therefore it cannot have too much reverence worship and honour given unto it I answer It is sooner said than proved As the old Idolaters in times past had gods of their own making and worshipped them so have yee a god of your owne devising which ye your selves worshippe and compell other so to do likewise And as the old Idolatrous Priests by boasting the dignitie of their feigned gods whom they served lived an idle and voluptuous life and were fed of the painfull labours of other mens hands so likewise ye new Idolaters and Priests of Baal advance set forth and blow out at Paulâ— Crosse and in all other places the majesty excellencie dignity and worthinesse of your new baken little great god that by this meanes yee may bee had in admiration among the foolish simple Ideots and bee nourished of the sweat of other mens browes you your selves like idle lazie loytering lubbers and very pestilences of the Common-wealth onely borne to consume the good fruits of the earth going idly up and downe swinging with your long gowns sarsnet tippets and shaven crowns like very caterpillers of Aegypt A wonderfull God it is that yee set forth to the people to be worshipped Not many dayes past it was corn in the plough-mans barne afterward the Miller ground it to meale then the Baker mingling a little water with it made dough of it and with a paire of hot printing irons baked it Now at the last come you blustering and blowing and with a few words spoken over it yee charme the bread in such sort that either it â—rudgeth straightwayes away beyond the moone and a faire young childe above fifteenâ— hundred yeares old come in the place of the bread or else as the most part of you papists teach of the little thinne cake yee make the very same body of Christ that was borne of Marie the Virgin and dyed for us upon the Altar of the crosse the bread being turned into the natural flesh of Christ and the accidents of the bread onely remaining according to the doctrine of Pope Nicholas and Pope Innocent O wonderfull Creators and makers O marveilous fathers which beget a childe elder than the father and after yee have made him yee teare him in pieces yee eat him yee digest him and send him downe by a very homely place O cruell and unmercifull fathers so to handle your poore young old child And this is the goodly God whom the people may not receive sitting nor standing but kneeling upon their marrow-bones O false and subtil hypocrits right cousens to the Idolatrous priests of Babylon For as they made the King beleeve and his Nobility with all the Commons that Bel was a living god and
that there must bee prepared for him every day twelve cakes forty sheepe and sixe great pots of wine to eate and drinke so doe yee make the Queene her Counsell the Nobility and commons of this Realme for the most part beleeve that the little thin round white cake which ye hold up above your head at your abominable Masse after yee once said these five words over it Hoc est corpus meum and have blowed blasted and breathed over it is straightwayes both a living God and a very living man even Christ God and man as he was borne of Marie the Virgine But full falsely doe ye lie and dissemble with the Queene with her Couunsell and with the commons of this Realme even as those Idolatrous priests of Babylon did with the King and with hiâ— subjects For as that Idol Bel was not a living god but an Image made of clay within and of metall without so likewise for all your consecrating blowing blasting and breathing your little Cake is neither a living God nor a living man but as it was bread before yee brought it to your Idolatrous Altar so is it when yee both hold it up and eat it But as the Idolatrous priests of Babylon taught the people plainely that Bel was a living God that they by that meanes might live in wealth and idlenesse so do ye likewise stoutly both at Pauls Crosse and else where preach unto the people that the Sacrament of the Altar is the true naturall reall corporall carnall and substantiall body of Christ God and man even he was borne of Virgin Marie hung on the Altar of the crosse flesh bloud and bone that ye by this meanes may maintaine your popish kingdome and live idly and pleasantly of the labours of other mens hands But if a Daniel might sit at the Queens Table talke with the Nobility and preach to the Commons of England the jugling of the Papists should soone be espyed God for his mercies sake for the deare heart-bloud of his most deare Son send us a Daniel and open the eyes of the Queene of her Councell and of all the Inhabitants of this Realme that they perceiving your subtle iugling and crafty daubing may know you to be as yee are even very Antichrists hisse you out of all honest company and for ever after beware of your pestilent damnable doctrine Amen Amen After that our Saviour Christ was set downe at the Table with his Disciples and had eaten the Paschall Lambe willing to institute an holy memoriall of his passion and death he tooke bread and gave thanks saith the Scripture Now let us see what yee doe First ye come solemnly forth in your gay galant and game players garments which as Isidore and Polidore write was the invention of pope Stephâ—nus about the yeare of our Lord two hundred fifty and six borrowed as it may seeme of the Iewish Priests Ye come to the Altar with your Masse-book Corporasse Chalice Bread with such other trinkets Your altars brought into the Church first of all Pope Sixtus the secoÌ„d about the yeare of our Lord two hundred threescore and five And Pope Felix the first adioyned the hallowing of altars commanding that no masse should bee sung upon any altar except it were first hallowed In the yeare of our Lord two hundred seventy and sixe And P. Boniface appointed white linnen clothes to be laid upon the altars about the yeare of our Lord 610. The Corporasse was the devise of Pope Sixtus as Platina and Sabellicus write about the yeare of our Lord an hundred and twenty and five The Cup wherein the Sacrament of Christs bloud was ministred which wee now commonly call the Chalice was in the time of the Apostles and the primitive Church made of wood but Pope Zepheriâ—us commanded chalices of glasse to be used in the yeare of our Lord 202. And afterward Pope Vrbanus enjoyned that the chalices should be made either of silver or of gold in the yeare of our Lord 227. The bread appointed for the Communion was indifferent whether it were leavened or unlea vened till Pope Alexander came which aâ— they write in the yeare of our Lord III. commanded that onely unleavened bread should bee used at the Lords Supper Notwithstanding the Greekes from the Apostles time unto this day have ever used leavened bread in the ministration of the holy Communion as they use also wine onely in their cup whereas the Latine Church customably mingle water with the wine which was also Pope Alexanders device Now standing before the Altar after yee have crossed your selves upon your forheads and breasts for feare of wicked spirits ye say the Confiteor and make your confession which was the ordinance of Pope Damâ—sus about the yeare of our Lord 370. But to whom do you make your confession To God alone none of that But to blessed Mary and all the Saints of heaven and vâ—bis ye might say bobus well enough For many times besides the boy and Parish clerke that wait upon you there bee in the Church as many white bulls and fat oxen as there bee men and women But where have yee learned to confesse your sinnes to the blessed Mary and to all the company of heaven which heare not one word that yee speake Ye have sinned against God and you confesse your faults to Mary Peter 〈◊〉 Thâ—mas Aâ—an Abel Niâ—â— Abrahâ—m Iohâ— Baptist And I know not to whom not to how many This is new Catholike Divinity found in Portasse and Mâ—ssâ—ll but in no part of Gods blessed Booâ—e Divinity meete for such Divines Again whom doe you desire to pray for you Our Sâ—viour Christ which alone is our Intercessour Mediatouâ— and Advocate Nothing lesse Yee make no mention of him He is utterly forgotten Yee desire holy Mary and all the Saints of God to pray for you But where learned â—ou this tyrologie For Theologie it is not Even of your father Antichrist of Rome But as Mary and the other heavenly citizens heare your confession so pray they for you But they heare not your confession neither do they pray for you O vaine bablers and talkers of trifles your Masse having so good a beginning must have a glorious ending It beginngth with lies wee shall find it also to proceed with lies yea and to end with lies that it may bee prooved a monster of lies After that you have made your confession to God and to our Lady and to all the holy company of heaven and have given your selfe absolution for lacke of a ghostly father yee approach to the Altar and making a crosse upon it yee kisse it in stead of some other whom you love better Then fall yee in hand with your Massing and ye beginne the Introite or office of the Masse which Pope Celestinus brought in about the yeare of our Lord 430 That done ye say the Kyry
end and there once againe yee wash your hands to shew how â—â—minion trimme fine neat and white-fingered Gentlemen yee are in all your doings but especially in matters pertaining to Lady Venus Court After this yee returne to the Altar and take another licke or two of the dropping of the Chalice because yee would bee loth to lose any thing and taking up your cake in your hand ye come againe to the Altars end where yee began your popish and idolatrous Masse to declare that as good never a whit as never the better and to shew that the matter for the which yee said Masse is as farre forward now as though yee had said none at all After a few Collects mumbled over yee turne you to the people and say Dominus vobiscum bidding them adieu and with Ite Missa est yee bidde them goe and tell them Masse is done And all in Latine because the people understand nothing but English Then fall yee once againe to kneeling downe at the altar and because yee are our Ladies knights yee salute her most humbly with some devout Orison That done ye rise up againe like tall fellowes and saying the beginning of S. Iohns Gospell ye blesse you Secrosse you as though a thousand Devills were about ye After all these things yee trusse up your trinkets yee shut your booke ye fold up your corporasse cloath yee winde up your chalice ye put off your fooles coate your vestment your stole your Fannell your girdle your Albe and your Amice yee put out the candle solemnly making curtesie to your God that hangeth over the altar ye trudg out of the Church either home or else to the alehouse being now at libertie all the whole day after to doe what ye list with a safe conscience to â—dise to card to hunt to hawke to bowle to bib to make good cheere to play revell rout to drinke them all out to set cocke on the hoope let the divell pay the Maltman to fish in Venus pond to sacrifice to Bacchus and what not And here is your goodly godly massing wherwith ye bewitch the ignorant and make the simple people to doate I passe over your monstrous and apish toyes your inclinations and prostrations your complications and explications your elevations and extensions your incurvations and genuflexions your inspirations and exosculations your benedictions humiliations your pulsations pausations with your consignations and all other abominations What Christian heart can abide either to say heare or see such a divellish and abominable kind of massing as ye use at this day yee doe nothing at all in your masse that agreeeth with Christs institution The Lords Supper and your peevish popish private masse doe agree together like God and the divell Christ and Beliall light and darkenesse truth and falsehood and as the common proverbe is like harpe and harrow or like the hare and the hound Sowre and sweete are not so contrary one to another as your Masse is contrary to Christs holy Communion as yee have abundantly heard heretofore For whereas Christ preached at the institution of his holy Supper yee preach nothing at all at your Masse Whereas Christ ministred his blessed Supper at a table yee say your popish Masse at an Altar Whereas Christ did sit while he have the Sacrament of his body and bloud to his Disciples yee stand and by no means will sit when yee receive it Whereas Christ did use none other apparell but his â—suall garments yee disguise your selves with such geare as is more meet for a gameâ— player than for a sober minister Wheras Christ at his supper both prayed gave thanks to his heavenly Father in that tongue which those that were present did understand ye at your Masse speake all things in such a tongue as yee your selves for the most part understand not and so are they that are present unedified Whereas Christ in his holy supper gave the sacrament of his body and blood to all his Disciples yee in your abominable masses give it to none but yee your selves eate and drinke up altogether alone Whereas Christ at his mawndy gave to his Discipler holy Bread and holy Wine to bee figures signes and memorialls of his blessed body breaking and of his pretious blood shedding yee at your Masses take upon you to eate and drinke not spiritually but corporally and naturally the corporall and naturall body and bloud of our Saviour Christ as hee was borne of the Virgin and hung on the crosse Wheras Christ ministred with true and perfect breaâ— yee minister with starch or with a thinne waâ—er Cake Whereas CHRIST delivered the Cuppe contayning Wine onely in it yee in your Chalice put both Wine and Water mingled together Whereas Christ gave the Sacrament of his body and bloud to his Disciples sitting at the Table yee give the Sacrament to such as kneele before the Altar Whereas Christ gave his Disciples the Sacramentall bread and the cup into their handes yee put the bread into the mouths of the Communicants and by no meanes will you suffer them to touch your Popes holy chalice wheras Christ delivered the Sacrament of his body and bloud under both kinds to his disciples and so commanded it to be observed in his holy congregation yee contrary to Christs institution ordinance minister it to the common people under one kind only whereas Christ did institute his holy Supper to bee eaten and drunke in the remembrance of his blessed passion and precious death yee reserve the Sacramentall bread and hang it up in your pixes carry it about for a pageant at your pompous popish processions whereas Christ ordayned his blessed Supper to bee a Sacrament of thanksgiving you make your Masse to be a Sacrifice propitiatory satisfactory and expiatory for the sinnes both of the quicke and the dead Whereas Christ at his Supper gave the Sacrament of his body and bloud freely to his Disciples you sell your Masses and make merchandise of the Sacrament as the Costard-monger doth of his costards and of his other fruits To conclude whereas Christ appointed the Sacrament of his body and bloud to put us in remembrance of his blessed body breaking and precious bloudshedding and to stirre us up unto mutuall love and unto thankesgiving to his heavenly Father for the benefits received by the death of his Sonne Christ yee apply your Masses to a thousand severall purposes cleane contrary as to the getting of faire weather rain health long life riches victory in battell overhand of enemies c. To driving away of devills chasing away of agues putting away of pestilences curing of measled swine healing of sicke horses helping of chickens of the pip making hot of a Winchester goose restoring of a good name procuring of friends preserving of evill chances bringing of good lucke pacifying of Gods wrath obtaining of remission of sinnes delivering of soules out of Purgatory yea out of Hell
and placing them in everlasting Glorie What thing is either in heaven earth or hell for the which the Masse is not profitable and serves for the purpose if it please you to apply it It is a sawce for all meats a salve for all sores a remedy for all diseases a maintenance of all prosperity and a defence against all adversity Protens never turned himselfe into so many formes shapes and fashions as your Masse hath vertues O blessed Masse O holy Masse O vertuous Masse yea O most vile stinking and abominable Idol Now judge ye O ye Masse-mongers what is to bee thought of the peevish popish pratling private Masse which the Papists and the most part of you that are massemongers doe so highly praise commend advance extoll magnifie and set forth not as God onely but in a manner above God For what thing is it that wee desire to have for which wee doe not rather resort unto the Masse than unto God And is this any other thing than meere Idolatrie and stealing away of his Glorie Which thing whosoever doth is he not Gods enemie Is hee not an adversarie to the true Christian religion Doth hee not defile the precious bloud of our Saviour Christ under his foot Doth hee not defile the holy mysteries of God and blaspheme the Name of the Lord Doth hee not give himselfe from God to the devill and become the childe of wrath a vessel of vengeance a firebrand of hell and heire of everlasting damnation God have mercie upon us Behold now the miserable state wherein yee stand and so many as cleave to your abominable Massing Cease therfore cease betimes to bee haters of God hlasphemers of his holy Name Enemies of Christs bloud polluters of the Christian religion defilers of Godâ— most holy Sacraments corrupters of his blessed mysteries seducers of the people destroyers of mens soules pestilences of the Christian common-weale and ministers of Satan Forsake your abominable kinde of Massing forsake it forsake it and defile your selves no more with Idoll service lest yee provoke the fierce wrath and hot vengeance of God to fall both upon you the Masse-mongers and upon all them also that are the Masse-hunters and finally for your wickednesse upon the whole Realme For God cannot alwayes abide his holy Sacraments thus to be abused and defiled If If they escaped not unpunished that did eat leavened bread while the Feast of the Lords Passeover did endure if Vziah went not away unplagued but was strooke with suddaine death because hee touched the Arke of the LORD if hee that came to the Marriage because hee had not the wedding garment was taken from the table bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkenesse where weeping and ghasting of teeâ—h shall be 〈…〉 the devil entred into Iâ—das after that hee had received the Lords bread unworthily if the Corinthians were grievously pâ—agued yea and that many unto the death because they did abuse the Lords Supper and unreverently behave themselves at the Ministration of it if those with many other escaped not unplagu'd for abusing the Lords mysteries thinke not ye which daily defile the honourable SacrameÌ„t of Christs body bloud in your most wicked damnable devillish idolatrous heathenish vile stinking blasphemous detestable and abominable Massing shall escape free from punishment neither yee your selves nor the consenters to your Idolatry Therefore if there bee any love in you toward God any hearty good will toward CHRIST our Saviour any fervent affections towards Gods most holy word any godly zeale toward the Christian commonweale any desire of goodnesse towards this our native Countrey any sparke of well-willing toward the salvation either of your owne soules or of others I exhort you all by the tender mercies of God and by the precious bloud of our Saviour Christ Iesu that yee without tariance give over your abominable Massing which without doubt is not the acceptable service of God as the blind sort of people judge but the very vile blasphemous bondage of Satan invented by the devill brought in by Antichrist confirmed established by such as have received the Beasts marke whose inheritance shall be in that Lake that burneth with fire brimstone Neither lot any thing move you that the Idolatrous Masse w ch before was worthily banished out of the Realme is now againe restored by act of Parliament but rather heare what the Apostles say we must obey God more than men In all matters of religion the will of God is to be considered before the commandement or act of any mortall Prince Pharaoh was a King yet the godly Midwives obeyed not his ungodly commandement in killing the male childâ—en of the Israelites Nebuâ—hadonezer was a King yet the three young men would not obey his wicked proclamation in worshipping his golden Idoll Antiochus was a King yet the faithfull Iewes would not observe his abominable lawes in sacrificing to Idols and in eating unclean flesh Maacha was a Queene and made an abominable Idoll of Priapus and offered sacrifice unto it and exhorted others without doubt to doe so likewise but so many as feared God abhorred her doings and defyed her Idolatry insomuch that King Asa her sonne put her downe because shee had made images in Groves and brake down her Idols and stamped them and burnt them to ashes at the brooke Cedron Iesabel was a Queene and an abominable Idolatresse promoting and making much of Baals Priests and feeding them even at her own table but imprisoning and murdering the Prophets of God she worshipped Baal and caused many other so to doe But those that loved God abhorred her idolatry and by no meanes would follow her wicked steps but chused rather to worship God according to his word The Prophet Elias slew all her Prophets that did service to Baal and Queene Iesabel her selfe came to a most miserable end Shee was throwne downe to the ground from an high window inso that the wall was sprinckled with her bloud and the horses trod her under their feete and the dogs came and eat up her flesh so that there was nothing left of her but her skull her feet and the palmes of her hands Athalia was a Queene and a great Idolatresse shee worshipped Baal and enticed her sonne Ahazia to doe so likewise NotwithstaÌ„ding such as feared God obeyed in this behalfe neither the King nor his Mother but walked after the Commandements of God Both the mother and the sonne were slaine miserably The Bishops the Priests the Lawyers the Scribes the Pharisees the Sadduces and such others were great Rulers in Iewrie and they commanded the Apostles that they should no more preach in the name of Iesu but they obeyed them not but stoutly answered Whether it bee right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God Iudge yee For we cannot but speake that which wee have seene and heard Rulers are so
farre to be obeyed as the limits of Gods Word doe suffer Iâ— their Lawes and Acts agree with the Word of God they are to be obeyed if they be contrary to the commandement of God it is to bee answered with the Apostles We must â—bey God more than men Furthermore if â—ee be afraid of losing your livings anâ— by that meanes of falliâ—g into beggery remember that he for whose sake yee forsake your Idolatrous Massing that ye may serve him with a pure conscience according to his word will never forsake you nor leave you succourlesse and unprovided for Sooner shall God deale with you as he did with the Children of Israel iâ— the wildernes with Eli as with the Widow of of Sarepta with Daniel with the people whom CHRIST fed in the desert as wee reade in the Historie of the Gospell and with such other as unfainedly feared God than ye shall want any good thing Hear what David saith They which seeke after the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good Againe I have beene young and now I am old and yet saw I the righteous never forsaken nor their seed begging their bread on the earth Our Saviour Christ also saith There is no man that hath forsaken house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold Now in this life houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecution and in the world to come everlasting life And God himselfe saith I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Having these loving promises of God feare yee not the losse of your livings nor the hatred of the wicked worldlings If God provideth for you as undoubtedly hee doth what can ye want If God bee your friend your buckler shield who can hurt you As Saint Paul saith If God be on our side who can be against us Now have yee heard how far the Masse dissenteth from the Lords Supper Ye have heard what manifest blasphemies and intollerable untruthes bee contained in the Masse Ye have heard that the Masse is the invention of the Devill the Nurse-childe of Antichrist and the welbeloved darling of all them that have received the Beasts marke Ye have heard that no Christian man can either say Masse or heare Masse with a good conscience To end yee have heard that the Masse is the fountaine well head-spring and originall of all Idolatry superstition wickednes sin abomination and that it is not Gods worship but Idoll service Considering therfore these things if ye tender the glory of God your owne salvation and the peace quietnesse and safegard of our country flee Idolatry forsake your abominable Massing and serve the LORD our God according to his holy Word So shal God blesse you with all good things both in this world and in the world to come Fare yee well The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen Man How long O Lord. Christ I come quickly Man O come Lord Iesu. Give the glory to God alone The Abomination of the Popish Masse What Christ did when hee ordained his holy Supper Matth 26. Matth. 14. Luke 22. 1 Cor. 11. Iohn 13. Christ preached before his Supper Acts 2. 1 Cor. 11. Acts 20. Note Maâ—â— 3. Mat. 28. Iohn 13. 14. 15. 16. 1 Cor. 11. Ministration of the Sacraments without preaching profiteth little In Ioan tract 80. What things ought to be preached at the ministration of the Lords Supper Luke 1. The popish Masse hath no preaching No goodnes is learned at the popish Masse The Masse is the nurse of all vice Esay 58. Marke 16. The Bells are better preachers than the Massers What goodnesse followed the ministration of the holy Communion No man better for hearing Masse The Masse is to be abhorred of all good men The Masse-mongers are double dissemblers The people are mocked at the popish Masse Christ ministred his Supper at a Table The Primative Church used no Altars but Tables at the Lords Supper Why Christ ministred at a Table rather than at an Altar 1 Cor. 10. Christ alone is our Altar Heb. 13. Rom. 8. 1 Tâ—m 2. 1 Iohn 2. Abomination The communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ ought to be ministred at a Table Christ ministred without Copt or Vestment A Surplesse tollerable without the rest of massing apparel Fannell Fools coat otherwise called a vestment Shaven crowne Never none evill of that marke for Lady Venus pastime What the garments of the Priests in the old Law signified Spiced consciences Rom. 13. Christ sate at his Supper Gestures Why the Iewes stood at the eating of the Paschal Lamb. Psal. 39. Heb. 13. 1 Pet. 3. Why Christ with his Disciples sate at his Supper Apoc. 13. The doctrine of Christ is perfect and sufficient for our salvation Matth 23. Christ is no lesse present at Baptisme than at the Supper An error of the Papists A comparison between the old Idolatrous Priests and ours The God of the Papists Dan. 14. What the Papists doe at their Masse Priests massing vestments Altars Hallowing of altars Altar clothes Corporasse Cups of wood Chalices of glasse chalices of Silver and gold Bread Confiâ—eor An errour of the Papists concerning confession An error of the Papists concerning the intercession of Saintsâ— The Masse is a monster of lies The Iâ—troite or office of the Masse The Kyry Gloria in excelsis The Papists cannot agree Collects The Epistle The Grayle The Allelujah The Tract or Sequence The Gospel Why the people stand up at the Gospel The Creed Censing of the Altars The Offertory A blasphemous prayer at the offertory Idolatry The death of Christ is the alone sacrifice for sinne Sacrifice ought to bee offered to God alone Esay 42. Psal. 114. A new Sacrifice Washing of hands Matth. 27. Crossing Kissing Turne and Returne The Secrets The Preface Kissing the Canon of the Masâ— The Sanctu The Authors of the Canon Crossing The first Memento Why the Priest at Masse turneth his backe to the people Idolatrie The Councell of Nice An errour of the Papists What Christ did Comparison betweene Christ and the Massemongers Iohn 6. Breaking of the Host in three parts What the breaking of the Host signifyeth and is Note Matth. 25. 〈◊〉 14. Luke 22. I Cor. 11. A point of little good-fellowship Handling of the Sacramentall bread Of the hand and mouth Beware yee that maâ—ntaine Massemongers Note Touching of the chalice Idolatrie â—â—â—iding at Easter A point of little good fellowship Antichrists Why the Lords Supper was instituted Consecration Iugâ—â—ng Ignorance Blessing signiâ—ieth thankesgiving Enim Corrupters of Christs Testament Note well Antichrists Matth. 10. Corrupters â—dolatry Sakering or Levation The Sakering is the most abominable part of the Masse Matth. 18. Matth. 10. The objections of the Papists concerning Christs corporall presence in the Sacrament An absâ—rditie Iohn 15. 10. Mat. 11. 17 3 King 13. Iohn 19. Libr 4. Cont. Marc. Coâ—tra Adiâ—ant 〈◊〉 Mat. 26. Titus 3. Serm. de Chrism Contr. Adimanâ—um Christs naturall body cannot be but in one place at once Iohn 14. 16. Mark 16. Luke 24. Acts 1. Act. 2. Rom. 8. Eph. 4. Cel. 3. 1 Thes. 14. 1 Tim. 3. Heb. 10. 1 Pet. 3. 1 Iohn 2. Tract 50. in Iohan. Hd. Dardâ—n De fide Syn. â— 6 Lib. 1. cont Eâ—tich Ad Dardan Note well the omnipotencie or almighty power of God Why God is called Almighty The promises of Christ concerning concerning his presence Mar. 18. Matth. 28. In Ioh. l. c. 16. Idolatry 2 King 1â— The Doctrine of the Papists concerning the presence of Christ in the Sacrament is new The Feast of Corpus Christi Matth. 26. The Sacrament ought to be received of the people in both kinds Sacrilege The Councell of Constance Gelâ—sius Decree The Greeks and Bohems Idolatry A Lye Crossing Prov. 30. Idolatry Kissing The second Memento Praying for the soules departed The holy Scripture teacheth not prayer for the dead Prayer Rom. 14. 1 Iohn 5. 1 King 18. Luke 16. Iohn 3. Eâ—cces 11. Adfratres iâ— Eremo Serm. 57. Ser. dâ—temp Diâ— 17. Coâ—tr Demes What it is to rest with Christ after this life Apoc. 14 Psalm 116. Sapiâ—nt 3. The second Sakerinâ— otherwise called Gods hopping about the chalice The Pater noster c. 1. The breaking of the Host in three parts Agnus Idolatry Idolatry An history of a certain Emperour of Turkie The petty degree of the Papists God Noâ—â— Rom. 4. The Pax. The Pax. A Lie three for failing Christs ordinance is that the congregatioÌ„ should receive the Sacrament together Act. 2. 20. 1 Cor. 10. 1 Cor. 11. The Papists at their Masse in receiving the Sacrament tarry for the people as the Abbot tarrieth for his Covent The private Masse is of the Devill and not of God Every man ought to receive the Sacrament for himselfe Abacâ—k 2. Rom. 1. The Vision of Saint Anthony Note well The Lords Supper is a Sacrament oâ— love and concord 1 Cor. 10. An history of a Christian and a Iew. Drinke and still drinke Rinsing of the Chalice Washing of the hands Licking of the Chalice What the comming againe to the Altars end signifyeth An Orison for our Lady Saint Iohns Gospell God give you good night at Algate How the Priests spend the day after they have said Masse Good stuffe worke for the Tinker A comparison between the Lords supper and the popish Masse The vertues of the Masse The Masse serveth for all purposes Note in how damnable a state the Masse-monger is Exod. 12. â— King 6. Mat. 22. Ioh. 13. 1 Cor. 11 Rev. 20. Note well Act. 5. Exod. 1. Dan. 3. 1 Mac. 1. 2 Cron. 15. 1 King 18. â— King 9. 2 King 11. 〈…〉 How farre Civil Mastistrates are to be obeyed Act. 5. Poverty Exod. 16. 3 King 17. Dan 14. Marke 14. Psal. 34. Psal. 37. Mark 10. Ios. 1. Rom. 8. 2 Cor 13. Psal. 13. Apoc. 12. Apoc. 22.