suffer Heb. 9. 26. And the Sacrifice of Christ without his passion his offering without suffering evacuates both the one and the other But what of all this if the Apostles used the Sacrifice you talk of that of the Mass is it meet we should do so also Hereof you say were not the Apostles according to this rite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrificing to our great Lord God when Paul was by imposiâ—ion of hands segregated from the Layity to his Divine Service as I clearly in my Paragraph 〈◊〉 out of the History of the Acts of the Apostles 〈◊〉 you the Apostles were not then about any Sacrifice but only preaching Gods word or some such thing to the people in the name and behalf of God But Sir is this to be in earnest or jest the sacred text says they were Sacrificing to our Lord liturgying and ministring unto him you say they were not Sacrificing to God but only preaching to the people And now the Question is whither you or I more rightly understand that Apostolical Book for my sense and meaning I have all Antiquity as well as the plain words of the sacred Text You have neither How empty and vain this Discourse of yours is wherein you seem greatly to triumph will quickly be discovered And you are a merry man if you think by such arguments as these to perswade us that the Apostles Sacrificed to God according to the rite of your Mass as though we did not know by whom the chief parts of it particularly those wherein you place your Sacrifice were invented many hundreds of years after they fell asleep 1. You say they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrificing to our great Lord God as though it were God the Father or God absolutely that is intended in that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord is Sir peculiarly donotative of the Person of the Mediator Jesus Christ God and Man according to that Rule given us â—y the Apostle 1 Cor. 8. 6. To us there is one God the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the constant denotation of the word whâ—â— used absolutely as here it is throughout the whâ—â—â— New Testament To Christ the Mediator were 〈◊〉 Churches ministring Act. 13. That is in his naâ—â—â— and Authority according to his appointment and unto his service And this one observation sufficâ—ently discovers the vanity of your Argument for you will not say that they offered Sacrifice to the Lord Christ emphatically and reduplicatively seeing if you may be believed it is he whom they offered in Sacrifice Of such force is the Sophism wherein you boast And 2. You wisely observe that Paul by the imposition of hands there mentioned was segregated from the Layity whereas he tells you that he was an Apostle wherein certainly he was segregated from the Layity neither of men nor by men but by Jesus Christ and God the Father Gal. 1. 1. that is there was no intimation or interposition of the Ministry or Authority of any man in his call to that office which he had for sundry years exercised before this his peculiar separation to the work of preaching anew to the Gentiles So well are you skilled in the sense of that Apostolical Book 3. And not to insist on the repetition of my former Answer which in your wonted manner you lamely and unduly represent could you by other Arguments and on other testimonies prove that the Sacrifice you plead for was instituted by Christ and offered by the Apostles there might possibly be some colour for a man to think that they performed that duty also when they were said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the service of God But from that general expression intimating any kind of publick Ministery whatever and never used in any Author sacred or Prophane precisely and absolutely to signifie sacrificing to conclude that they were offering Sacrifice and to use no other testimony to prove they had any such Sacrifice is such a fondness as nothing but insuperable prejudice can perswade a man in his right wits to give countenance unto St. Paul tells us that the Magistrate is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth he mean that he is Gods Sacrificer or his Minister And he sayes of himself that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth he intend that he was Christs Sacrificer or his Servant Rom. 15. 16. v. 27. he sayes that it was the duty of the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth he mean to Sacrifice in your carnal things or to minister of them to the Jews 1. But you will it may be except that they were not said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those here that is the Prophets of the Church of Antioch and not the Apostles as you mistake are said to do to liturgie to the Lord it must needs be Sacrificing because it was to the Lord. But 1. I have shewed you how this pretence is perfectly destructive of your own intendment in that it is the Lord Christ that is especially meant unto whom distinctly you will not say they were sacrificing And 2. Were it â—ot so yet the expression would not give you the least colour of advantage What think you of 1 Sam. 3. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the child Samuel was Liturgying seeing you will have it so unto the Lord before Eli. Do you think that the child which was not of the family of Aaron nor yet called to be a Prophet was offering Sacrifice to God and the high Priest looking on Do you not see the fondness of your pretension 3. I told you before but now begin to fear that you are too old to learn what you do not like that the 70. never translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrifice or to Sacrifice by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor intimate any Sacrifice anywhere by that word And you may if you please now learn by the Instance of Samuel that what men perform in the worship of God according to his command they may be said therein to Minister unto or before the Lord in 4. The note of your own Cajetan upon the place is worth your Consideration non explicatur species Ministerii sed ex to quâ—d diâ—â—rant prophetae doctores insinuatur 〈…〉 Domino docendo prophetando 〈…〉 Ministery is spoken of is not explained but 〈◊〉 they were Prophets and Teachers that 〈…〉 in it it is insinuated that they ministred 〈…〉 Lord by teaching and prophesying What have 〈◊〉 phets and Teachers to do with Sacrifice if as 〈…〉 they administred unto the Lord they did it by prophesying and teaching which were accompanied by prayer Here is no mention of Sacrifiâ—e nor work for Priests so that the context excludes your sense The same is the interpretation of Erasmus 5. Your vulgar Latine reads the words administrantibus Domino as they were ministring unto the Lord excluding their notion of Sacrificing And 6. The
Scripture that they shall be accursed of God if they do receive Images into his Worship after the manner of your prescription Secondly They affirm an hundred times over that Images are religiously to be adored and worshipped that is with Divine Worship So in the Confession of the same Theodosius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so of the rest I confess consent unto receive embrace or salute I worship or adore the Image of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Virgin and of the Apostles and Martyres The same is affirmed in the Epistle of Hadrian recited in the second Act of the Synod which they all approve and afresh curse all them that dogmatize or teach any thing against that worship of Images And Gregory the Monk no small man amongst them affirms that he hoped by his Confession of this Doctrine he believed he should obtain the forgiveness of his sins Act. 2. And John who falsly pretended himself to be delegated from the Oriental Patriarchs when he was sent only by a few ignorant Monks of Palestine prefers Images above the Word its self Act. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Image is greater then the word and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honourable Images are equivalent to the Gospel And they prove the worship they intend to be divine by their wise explication of that Text The Lord thy God shalt thou worship and him only shalt thou serve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnto the Word Thou shalt serve only is subjoyned but not unto the word Worship so that it is lawfull to worship Images but not to serve them A wise business but it discovers sufficiently what is the worship which they ascribe unto Images even the same that is given unto God for if we may believe them other things are not excluded from Communion with God in this matter of worship and adoration Whence the Council of Frankeford doth expresly charge them that they taught that Images were to be adored with the honour due to God Act. 4. And so much weight do they lay upon this devotion that they approve the Councel given by Theodorus the Abbot unto the Monk whom the Devil vexed with temptations for worshipping the Image of Christ who told him that he had better resort to all the Stews in the Town then cease worshipping of Christ in his Image 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it seems it was uncleaness that the Devil tempted him unto as well knowing that Spiritual and Corporal fornication commonly go together Thirdly In every Session they instance in some particulars wherein the Adoration of Images which they professed did consist as in particular in religious saluting of them kissing of them bowing before them and so adoring of them To this purpose their words are very express Now all these were ever esteemed tokens pledges and expressions of Religious or Divine Worship and were the very wayes whereby the Heathen of old expressed their veneration of their Images and Idols Job intimating the way whereby they worshipped the Sun Moon and host of Heaven which crimes he denyes himself to be guilty of tells us that when he considered the Sun and the Moon his heart did not seduce him that he should put his hand to his mouth that is to salute them for this saith he had been to deny God above Job 31. 26 27. As Catullus Constiteram Solem exorientem sorte salutans Cum subito à laeva Roscius exoritur He stood saluting or worshipping the rising Sun And that also was their meaning in kissing of them or kissing their hands in saluting of them Hos. 13. 2. Let them kiss the Calves that is worship them express their religious adoration of them by that outward sign As Cicero in Ver. 4. Herculis simulacrum non solum venerari sed etiam osculari soliti fuerunt So Minutius Felix tells us that his companion Caecilius coming where the Image of Serapis was set up admovit manum ori osculum labris pressit put his hand to his mouth and kissed it as worshipping of it And for creeping kneeling or bowing it is so certain an evidence of Divine Worship that all Worship both false and Idolatrous or true is oftentimes expressed thereby So the worshipping of Baal is called bowing the knee to Baal They that bowed the knee unto him or his Image in their so doing worshipped him 1 Kings 19. 18. Rom. 11. 4. And where God promiseth to bring all Nations to the worship of himself he sayes they shall bow the knee to him Rom. 14. 11. So that these are all expressions of Religious worship and they are all accursed over and over by the Council who do not by these means express their worship of Images This is the Doctrine this is the practice which the Tridentine decree aprroves of and sends us to learn of the second Synod of Nice And this they express in most places in those very termes that were used by the Pagans in the worship of their Idols making indeed no distinction but that whereas the Pagans worshipped the images of Jupiter and Minerva and the like they in the like manner worshipped the Images of Christ and his Apostles And therefore in the Indies the Catholick Spaniards took away the Zemes or Images of their Idols that the poor natives had before and gave them the Images of Christ and his Mother in their stead This being the Doctrine of the Council it may not be amiss to consider a little how they proved and confirmed it Two things they principally insisted on 1. Testimonies of Scripture 2. Miracles Some sayings also they produced out of some antient writers of the Church but all of them either perverted or forged The Scriptures they insisted on were all of them gathered togethered in the Epistle of Pope Hadrian which was solemnly assented unto by the whole Council And they were they these God made man of the dust of the Earth after his own Image Gen. 1. Abel by his own choise offered a Sacrifice unto God of the first lings of his flock Gen. 4. Adam of his own mind called all the beasts of the field by their proper names Gen. 2. Noah of his own accord built an altar unto the Lord Gen. 8. Abraham of his own free will erected an altar to the Glory of God Gen. 11. Jacob having seen in his sleep seen the Angels of God ascending and descending by the ladder set up the stone on which his head lay for a pillar Gen. 28. And again he worshipped on the top of his staffe Gen. 29. Moses made the brasen Serpent and the Cherubims Esaiah saith in those dayes there shall be an Altar unto the Lord and it shall be for a sign and a Testimony Chap. 19. David the Psalmist sayes Confession and beauty are before him and again Lord I have loved the beauty of thine house And again Thy face Lord will I seek Psal. 26 And again The rich among the people shall bow themselves before thy face Psal. 44.
man will swallow amongst them that which is destitute of all Probability but what is included in the evidence given unto it by Divine Revelation which is not yet pleaded unto him It may be then you will work Miracles to confirm your Assertions Let us see them For although very many things are requisite to manifest any works of wonder that may be wrought in the world to be reall Miracles and good Caution be required to judge unto what end Miracles are wrought yet if we may have any tolerable evidence of your working Miracles in Confirmation of this Assertion that you are the true and only Church of God with the other Inferences depending thereon which we are in the Consideration of you will find us very easie to be treated withall But herein also you fail You have then no way to deal with such a man as we first supposed but as you do with us and produce Testimonies of Scripture to prove and confirm the Authority of your Church and then you will quickly find where you are and what snares you have cast your selves into Will not a man who hears you proving the Authority of your Church by the Scripture ask you And whence hath this Scripture its Authority yea that is supposed to be the thing in Question which denying unto it an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you yet produce to confirm the Authority of that by whose Authority alone its self is evidenced to have any Authority at all Rest in the Authority of God manifesting its self in the Scripture witnessed unto by the Catholick Tradition of all Ages you will not But you will prove the Scripture to be the Word of God by the Testimony of your Church and you will prove your Châ—â—â—h to be enabled sufficiently to testifie the Scriptures to be of God by the Testimonies of the Scripture Would you knew where to begin and where to end But you are indeed in a Circle which hath neither beginning nor ending I know not when we shall be enabled to say Inventus Chrysippe tui finitor acervi Now do you think it reasonable that we should leave our stable and immoveable firm foundations to run round with you in this endless Circle untill through giddiness we fall into Unbelief or Atheism This is that which I told you before you must either acknowledge our Principle in this matter to be firm and certain or open a door to Atheism and the Contempt of Christian Religion seeing you are not able to substitute and thing in the room thereof that is able to bear the weight that must be laid upon it if we believe For how should you do so shall man be like unto God or equall unto him The Testimony we rest in is Divine fortified from all Objections by the strongest humane Testimony possible namely Catholick Tradition That which you would supply us with is meerly Humane and no more And 4. your Importunity in opposing this Principle is so much the more marvellous unto us because therein you openly oppose your selves to express Testimonies of Scripture and the full Suffrage of the Ancient Church I wish you would a little weigh what is affirmed 2 Pet. 1. 19 20. Psal. 119. 152. Joh. 5. 34 35 36 39. 1 Thess. 2. 13. Act. 17. 11. 1 Joh. 5. 6 10. 1 Joh. 2. 20. Heb. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Act. 26. 22. And will you take with you the consent of the Ancients Clemens Alexand. Strom. 7. speaks fully to our purpose as he doth also lib. 4. where he plainly affirms that the Church proved the Scripture by its selfâ— and other things as the Unity of the Deity by the Scripture But his own words in the former place are worth the recital 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the beginning of Faith or Principle of what we teach we have the Lord who in sundry manners and by divers parts by the Prophets Gospel and holy Apostles leads us to knowledge And if any one suppose that a Principle stands in need of another to prove it he destroys the nature of a Principle or it is no longer preserved a Principle This is that we say The Scripture the Old and New Testament is the Principle of our Faith This is proved by its self to be of the Lord who is its Author and if we cause it to depend on any thing else it is no longer the Principle of our Faith and Profession And a little after where he hath shewed that a Principle ought not to be disputed nor to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of any debate he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is meet then that receiving by Faith the most absolute Principle without other demonstration and taking demonstrations of the Principle from the Principle its self that we be instructed by the voice of the Lord unto the knowledge of the Truth That is we believe the Scripture for its own sake and the Testimony that God gives unto it in it and by it and do prove every thing else by it and so are confirmed in the faith or knowledge of the Truth So he further explains himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For we do not simply or absolutely attend or give heed unto men determining or defining against whom it is equall that we may define or declare our judgements So it is whilest the Authority of man or men any Society of men in the world is pleaded the Authority of others may be as good reason be objected against it as whilest you plead your Church and its definitions others may on as good grounds oppose theirs unto you therein And therefore Clemens proceeds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if it be not sufficient meerly to declare or assert that which appears to be truth but also to make that Credible or fit to be believed which is spoken we seek not after the Testimony that is given by men but we confirm that which is proposed or enquired about with the voice of the Lord which is more full than any demonstration or rather is its self the only demonstration according to the knowledge whereof they that have tasted of the Scriptures are believers Into the voice the Word of God alone the Church then resolved their Faith this only they built upon acknowledging all humane Testimony to be too weak and infirm to be made a foundation for it And this voice of God in the Scripture evidencing its self so to be is the only Demonstration of Faith which they rested in whereupon a little after he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so wee having perfect Demonstrations out of the Scriptures are by Faith demonstratively assured or perswaded of the Truth of the things proposed This was the Profession of the Church of old this the resolution of their faith This is that which Protestants in this Case adhere unto They proved the Scripture to be from God as he elswhere speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as
over the flocks but Ministers of their faith By these are the flocks of Christ governed as by shepherds appointed by him the great Bishop and Shepherd of their souls according to the Rules by him prescribed for the rule of the one and obedience of the other But if by governed by another man you mean absolutely supreamly at his will and pleasure then we deny that any Disciple of Christ is in the things of God so to be governed by any man and affirm that to assert it is to cast down Jesus Christ from his Throne But you say if he be not immediate head unto all but Ministers head the people and Christ heads the Ministers this in effect is nothing but to make every Minister a Bishop Why do you not plainly say what it is more then manifest you would have All this while you heed no more the Laws of the Land then constitutions of the Gospel Answ. I have told you how Christ is the immediate Head unto all and yet how he hath appointed others to preside in his Churches under him and that this should infer an equality in all that are by him appointed to that work is most senseless to imagine nor did I in the least intimate any such thing but only that therefore there was no need of any one supream head of the whole Catholick Church nor any place or room left for such an one without the deposition of Christ himself Because the King is the only supream Head of all his people doth it therefore follow that if he appoint Constables to rule in every parish with that allotment of power which by his Laws he gives unto them and Justices of Peace to rule over them in an whole County that therefore every Constable in effect is a Justice of Peace or that there is a sameness in their office Christ is the head of every man that is in the Church be he Bishop or Minister or private man and when the Ministers are said to head the people or the Bishops to head them the expression is improper an inferiour Ministerial subordinate rule being expressed by the name of that which is supream and absolute or they head them not absolutely but in some respect only as every one of them dischargeth the Authority over and towards them wherewith he is intrusted This assertion of Christs sole absolute Headship and denial of any Monarchical state in the Church Catholick but what ariseth from thence doth not as every child may see concern the difference that is about the superiority of Bishops to Ministers or Presbyters For notwithstanding this there are degrees in the Ministry of the Church and several orders of men are engaged therein and whatever there are there might have been more had it seemed to our good Lord Christ to appoint them And whatever order of men may be supposed to be instituted by him in his Church he must be supposed to be the Head of them all and they are all to serve him in the Duties and Offices that they have to discharge towards the Church and one another This headship of Christ is the thing that you are to oppose and its exclusiveness to the substitution of an absolute Head over the whole Catholick Church in his place because of his bodily absence from the earth But this you cast out of sight and instead thereof fall upon the equality of Bishops and Ministers which no way ensues thereon Both Bishops and Presbyters agreeing well enough in the Truth we assert and plead for This you say is contrary to the Gospel and the Law of the Land What is I pray that Christ is the only absolute Head of the Catholick Church No but that Bishops and Ministers are in effect all one But what is that to your purpose will it advantage your Cause what way ever that problem be determined Was any occasion offered you to discourse upon that Question Nay you perceive well enough your self that this is nothing at all to your design and therefore in your following discourse you double and sophisticate making it evident that either you understand not your self what you say or that you would not have others understand you or that you confound all things with a design to deceive for when you come to speak of the Gospel you attempt to prove the appointment of one supream Pastor to the whole Catholick Church and by the Law of the Land the Superiority of Bishops over Ministers as though these things were the same or had any relation one to another whereas we have shewed the former in your sense to be destuctive to the latter Truth never put any man upon such subter fuges and I hope the difficulties that you find your self perplexed withall may direct you at length to find that there is a deceit in your right hand But let us hear your own words As for the Gospel the Lord who had been visible Governour and Pastor of his flock on earth when he was now to depart hence as all the Apostles expected one to be chosen to succeed him in his care so did he notwithstanding his own invisible presence and providence over his flock publickly appoint one And when he taught them that he who was greatest among them should be as the least he did not deny but suppose one greater and taught in one and the same breath both that he was over them and for what he was over them namely to feed not to tyrannize not to domineer and hurt but to direct comfort and conduct his flock in all humility and tenderness as a servant of all their spiritual necessities and if a Bishâ—p be otherwise affected it is the fault of his Person not his place And what is it that you would prove hereby is it that Bishops are above Ministers which in the words immediately foregoing you asserted and in those next ensuing confirm from the Law of the Land is there any tendency in your Discourse towards any such purpose Nay do not your self know that what you seek to insinuate namely the instiâ—ution of one supream Pastor of the whole Catholick Church one of the Apostles to be above and ruler over all the rest of the Apostles and the whole Church besides is perfectly destructive of the Hierarchy of Bishops in England as established by Law and also at once casting down the main if not only foundation that they plead for their station and order from the Gospel For all Prelate Protestants as you call them assert an equality in all the Apostles and a superiority in them to the 70. Disciples whence by a parity of reason they conclude unto he superiority of Bishops over Ministers to be continued in the Church And are you not a fair Advocate for your Cause and well meet for the reproving of others for not consenting unto them But waving that which you little câ—re for and are not at all concerned in let us see how you prove that which we know you
what and you seem both in your Fiat and in your Epistola to obscure it as much as you are able 1. You call it an incruent Sacrifice which 1. Shews only what it is not and that in one only instance which is a very lame description of any thing and this also may be affirmed of any Metaphorical Sacrifice what ever as offering unto God the calves of our lips it is an incruent Sacrifice 2. Your Expression implyes a contradiction Every proper Propitiatory Sacrifice was bloody and an incruent proper Sacrifice such as you would have this to be is a proper improper Propitiatory Sacrifice 2. You say it was instituted by our Lord to figure out his Passion 1. This is a weighty proof of what you have in hand being the only thing to be proved 2. I suppose in the examination of it it will appear that you Sacrifice that very body and blood of Christ in your own conceits which himself offered unto God and how you can make any thing to be a figure of it self as yet I do not perfectly understand 3. That the Lord Christ appointed the Sacrament of his body and blood and our Eucharistical Sacrifice therein to be a Commemoration of his death and Passion is the Doctrine of Protestants where with your Sacrifice hath a perfect inconsistency as we shall find in the Consideration of it This is the substance of what you are pleased to acquaint us with about this great business of our Religion But because you shall perceive that it was not without good grounds and reasons that I affirmed the Scripture to be utterly silent of this that you make the great work of Christianity I shall a little further enquire after the nature of it that I mean which by you it is fancied to be for it is a mere creature of your own imagination 1. You alwayes contend that it is a proper Sacrifice which you intend The first Canon of your Council accurseth them who deny it to be verum proprium Sacrificium a True and proper Sacrifice wherein as they say before Christus inimolatur Christ is Sacrificed Many things in the New Testament in respect of their Analogy unto the Institutions of the old are called Sacrifices even almost all spiritual actions that are acceptable unto God in Christ. The preaching of the Gospel unto the conversion of sinners is termed Sacrificing Rom. 15. 16. So is Faith it self Phil. 2. 17. So Prayers and Thanksgiving are an oblation Heb. 5. 7. chap. 13. 15. and good works are called Sacrifices Heb. 13. 16. Phil. 4. 18. And our whole Christian Obedience is intimated by Peter so to be In the Sacrament of the Eucharist it is that you seek for your Sacrifice And if you would be contented to call it and esteem it so upon the account of its comprizing some of the things before mentioned or meerly as a spiritual action appointed by God and acceptable unto him there would be an end of this contest But you must have it a proper Sacrifice like those of Aaron of old not a remembrance of the Sacrifice of Christ but a Sacrifice of Christ himself wherein Christus immolatur Christ is sacrificed as the Council speaks 2. The Secrifices of old were of two sorts 1. Eucharistical or Oblations of the fruits of the earth or other things whereby the Sacrificers acknowledged God as the Lord and Author of all good things and mercies with thanksgiving 2. Propitiatory for the atoning of God the reconciling him unto sinners for the turning away of his wrath and the impetration of the pardon of sin This was done typically and Sacramentally by virtue of their respect unto the oblation of Christ by the old bloody Sacrifices of the Law really and effectually by that bloody Sacrifice which the Lord Jesus Christ once offered for all Now because in the Sacrament of the Eucharist it is our Duty to offer up unto God our thankeful prayers for his unspeakable love in sending his only Son to dye for us we do not contend with any who on that accont and with respect unto that peculiar act of our duty in it shall call it an Eucharistical Sacrifice yea affirm it so to be But you will have it a propitiatory Sacrifice a Sacrifice of Atonement like that made by Christ himself a Sacrifice for the sins of the living and the dead making reconciliation with God obtaining Pardon of sin and eternal life things peculiar to the one Sacrifice of Christ in his death and passion 3. Though you usually exclude the communion from it wherein you do wisely that it may have no affinity with the Institution of Christ yet you do not precisely determine your Sacrifice unto any one act or action in your Mass but make it comprize the whole with the manner of its celebration from the first setting forth of the Elements of bread and wine mixed with water unto the end of the Offertory after their Transubstantiation and religious adoration thereupon and their offering up unto God the body and blood of Christ under the accidents of bread and wine The presentation of the bread and wine you would prove to belong unto your Sacrifice from the example of Melchisedeck Your Transubstantiation is also of the essence of it for it is required in a Sacrifice sayes your Bellarmine that the sensible thing to be offered unto God be changed and plainly destroyed de Miss Lib. 1. cap. 2. which you esteem the substance of your bread and wine to be in your Transubstantiation Your religious adoration of the consecrated â—â—st belongs also unto it for that in the Canon of the Mass immediately ensues your Transubstantiating Consecration before the oblation it self and so must necessarily be a part of your Sacrifice Your offering up unto God of Jesus Christ praying him to accept of him at the Priests hands supra quae propitio sereno vultu respicere digneris accepta habere belongs also unto it So doth your direction of it to the propitiating of God and the expiation of the sins of the Quick and the Dead The Ceremonies also wherewith your Masse is celebrated as I suppose most of them belong to your Sacrifice and those who believe them not to be duties of Piety are accursed by your Council of Trent The Priests eating of the Host belongs to the Sacrifice yea saith Bellarmine it is pars essentialis Sacrificii though not tota essentia an essential part of the Sacrifice though the whole Essence of it doth not consist therein I know you are at a great loss and variance among your selves to find out what it is that is properly your Sacrifice or wherein the essence of it doth consist Some of your discrepant opinions are given us by your Azorius Lib. 10. Chap. 19. Sunt saith he qui putant rationem sacrificii totam constitui in verbis precibus ceremoniis ritibus qui in consâ—oratione adhibentur eo quod Sacrificii ratio inquiunt nequit in
Syriack transposeth the words and interprets the Sacrifice intended in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when they were fasting and praying unto the Lord. Praying together with prophesying and preaching was their Ministry not Sacrificing To the same purpose all antient Translations not one giving countenance unto your fancy So well have you the plain words of the sacred Text for you 7. Are you not ashamed to boast that you have all Antiquity for your sense and meaning Produce any one antient Author if you can that gives the least countenance unto it This boasting is uncomely because untrue Bellarmine out of whom you took your Plea from this place and your qâ—otation of Erasmus in your Fiat cannot produce the suffrage of any one of the Antients for your interpretation of the words no more can any of your Commentators The Homilies of Chrysostom on that passage are lost Oecumenius is quite blank against you so is Cajetan Erasmus and Vatablus of your own and do you not now see what is become of your boasting And are not your Countrymen beholding unto you for endeavouring so industriously to draw them off from the Institution of Christ to place their Confidence and devotion in that which hath not the least footstep in Scripture or Antiquity but is expresly condemned by them both But to tell you my judgement you will prevail with very few of them to answer your desires Will they judge it meet and equal think you to change a blessed Sacrament that Christ hath appointed to embrace a Sacrifice that you have invented to leave calling upon God according to the sense of their wants with understanding as they do in that Celebration of the Eucharist which now they enjoy to attend unto a Priest sometimes muttering sometimes saying sometimes singing a deal of Latine whereof they understand never a word To forego that internal humility self abasement and prostration of soul unto God which they are enured unto in that Sacrament to become spectators of the Theatrical gestures of your Sacrificers Besides they are not able to comply with your request and to make your Mass the sum of their Devotion and worship of God without offering the highest violence to their Faith as they are Christians their Reason as they are men and that Sense which they have in common with other Creatures And what are you or what have you done for them that you should at once expect such a profuse largeness at their hands I. For your Faith if it be grounded on the Scripture as every true Protestants is your Sacrifice if admitted will unquestionably evert it To accept of a worship pretended to be of such huge importance as to be available for the impetration of Grace Mercy Pardon of sins removal of punishment life eternal for the living and the dead destitute of all foundation in or countenance from the Scripture absolutely inconsistent with their faith 2. It is no less to have a Sacrament which is given unto us of God as a pledge and token of his Love and Grace turned into a Sacrifice which is a thing by us offered unto God and accepted by him so that they differ as in other things so in their terms à quo and ad quem from what they proceed and by whom they are accepted 3. Besides they will quickly discover your pretensions to be contrary unto what the Scripture teacheth them both concerning the Sacrifice of Christ and also his institution of his last supper which is your Rule and comprizeth the whole of your Duty in the administration of it They do not find that therein Christ offered himself unto his Father but to his Disciples not to him to be accepted of him but to them to be by faith received 4. And whereas the Apostle expresly affirms that he offered himself but once if he offered himself a Sacrifice in his last Supper you must maintain that he offered himself twice unless you will deny his Sacrifice on the Cross. 5. Moreover it is greatly opposite to your Countreymens faith about the Priesthood of Christ and his real Sacrifice which are to them things of that moment that whosoever shakes their faith in and about them shakes the very foundations of their hope consolation and salvation They have been taught that Christ remains an High Priest for ever and the multiplication of Priests in succession arising meerly from the mortality and death of them that preceded they believe that no Priest can be sustituted unto him in his office to offer a proper Sacrifice unto God the same which he offered himself without a supposition of an insufficiency in him for his work It is true there are persons who in his name and Authority as he is the great Prophet of the Church do Minister unto it whom some of them either as the word may be an abreviation of Presbyter or out of analogy unto them who of old served at the altar do call Priests but that any should intervene between God and Christ in Sacrificing or the discharge of his Priestly office you will not find your Countrymen ready to believe For they are perswaded there are as many Mediators and Sureties as Priests or Sacrificers of the New Covenant 6. Moreover they believe that the Sacrifice of the Mass is an high derogation from the vertue and efficacy of the Sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and to be set up in competition with it 7. They are at a stand at the whole matter to see you turning bread and Wine into that very body and blood of Christ which suffered on the Cross and then to worship them and then to pray to God to accept at your hands that Christ which you have made and then to eat him But when they consider that by so doing you suppose your selves to effect that which they believe to be wrought only by the blood of the Cross of Christ once offered for all and therein fancy a Sacrifice of Christ wherein he dyeth not contrary to so many express Testimonies of Scripture they are utterly averse from it For whereas they look for Redemption Forgiveness of sins and Reconciliation with God by the one Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross wherein consists the foundation of their hope and consolation because it being absolutely perfect was every way able and sufficient without any repetition as the Apostle teacheth them to take away sin and for ever to consummate them that are Sanctified you teach them now to look for the same things from this Sacrifice of yours which would make them question the validity and perfection of that of Christ. 8. And when they have so done yet they would still be forced to question the validity of yours because it is a pretended Sacrifice of Christ without his death which they know to have been indispensably required to render his Sacrifice valid and effectual 9. And they cannot but think that this repeated Sacrifice being pretended to be for the very same ends and purposes with
in sacrificing according to the Order of that then in preaching of the Mysterie and Doctrine of this Did never any man inform you that one end of preaching the word was to regenerate the whole souls of men and to beget them anew unto God that it was also to open their eyes and to illuminate them with the saving knowledge of God in Christ that it was to beget and encrease faith in them that it was to be a means of their growth in Grace and in the knowledge of God that the Word preached is profitable for reproof Correction Dotrine and instruction in righteousness that it is appointed as the great means of working the souls of men into a likeness and conformity unto the Lord Jesus or the changing of them into his Image that it is appointed for the refreshment of the weary and consolation of the sorrowful and making wise of the simple Did you never hear that the word preached hath its effect upon the understanding and will as well as upon the Affections and upon these consequentially only unto its efficacy on them if they are not deluded Is growth in knowledge faith grace holiness conformity unto Christ Communion with God for which end the word is commanded to be preached nothing at all with you is being made wise in the mysterie of the Love of God in Christ to have an insight into and some understanding of the unsearchable treasures of his Grace and by all this the building up of souls in their most holy faith of no value with you Are you a stranger unto these things and yet think your self a meet person to perswade your Countreymen to forsake the Religion they have long professed and to follow you they know not whither Or do you know them and yet dare to thrust in your scurrility to their exclusion Plainly Sir the most charitable judgement that I can make of this Discourse of yours is that it proceeds from ignorance of the most important truths and most necessary works of the Gospel You next proceed to your plea from the Cherubims set up by Moses in the Holy place over the Ark and thence you will needs wrest an argument for your Images and the worship of them Although your Vasquez is ashamed of it and hath cashiered it long ago and that worthily as not at all belonging unto thus matter For 1. The Cherubims were not Images to which you say since the real Cherubims are not made of beaten Gold those set up by Moses must be only figures but it is of Images that we are speaking precisely and not in general of figures figures may include Types and Hieroglyphicks and any representation of things Images represent Persons and such alone are those about which we treat And if a Person be not presented by an Image it is not his Image Now I pray tell me what personal subsistences these Cherubims with their various wings and faces did represent Do you believe that they give you the shape and likeness of Angels It is true John the Bishop of Thessalonica in your Synod of Nice with the approbation of the rest of his company affirms that it was the opinion of the Catholick Church that Angels and Archangels were not altogether incorporeal and invisible but to have a slender body of ayre or fire Act. 5. But are you of the same mind or do you not rather think that the Catholick Church was belyed and abused by the Synod And if they are absolutely incorporeal and invisible how can an Image be made of them Should a man look on the Cherubims as Images of Angels would not the first thing they would teach him be a ley namely that Angels are like unto them which is the first language of any Image whatever The truth is the Mosaical Cherubims were meer Hieroglyphicks to represent the constant tender love and watchfulness of God over the Ark of his Covenant and the people that kept it and had nothing of the nature of Images in them 2. I say suppose of them what you please yet they were not set up to be adored as your Images are To which you reply It is not to my purpose or yours that they were not set up to be adored for Images in Catholick Churches are not set up for any such purpose nor do I anywhere say so No man alive hath any such thought no Trâ—â—â—tion no Council hath delivered it no practice infers it And do you think meet to talk at this rate have you no Tradition amongst you that you plead for the Adoration of Images hath no Council amongst you determined it doth not your practice speak it were you awake when you wrote these things did you never read your Tridentine Decree or the Nicene Canons commended by them is not the adoration of Images asserted an hundred times expresly in it hath no man alive such thoughts are not only Thomas and Bonaventure but Bellarmine Gregory de Valentia Baronius Suarez Vasquez Azorius with all the rest of your great Champions now utterly defeated and have not one man left to be of their judgement I would be glad to hear more of this matter Speak plainly do you renounce all adoration and worship of Images is that the Doctrine of your Church prove it so and I shall publickly acknowledge my self to have been a long time in a very great mistake But it was for this cause that I gave you a little Image of the Doctrine and practice of your Church in this matter at the entrance of our discourse foreseeing how you would prevaricaâ—e in our progress Come Sir if Image Worship be such a shameful thing that you dare not avow it deal ingenuously and acknowledge the failings of your Church in this matter and labour to bring her to amendment If you think otherwise and in truth yet like it well enough dâ—al like a man and dare to deteâ—d it at least as well as you can and more no 〈◊〉 can look for at your hands You mention somewhat of the different opinions of your Schoolmen in this matter which you sleight But Sir I tell you again that you and all your Masters are agreed that Images are to be adored and venerated that is worshipped and their disputes about that honour that rests absolutely on the Image and that which passeth on to the Prototype with the kind of the one and the other are such as neither themselves nor any other do understand You tell us indeed All Catholick Councils and practice declare such sacred figures to be expedient assistants to our thoughts in our divine meditations and prayers and that is all you know of it But if you intend Councils and practice truly Catholick or Primitive you can give no instance of allowing so much to Images as here you ascribe unto them no not one Council can you produce to that purpose for some hundreds of years but a constant current of Testimonies for the rejection of such pretend expediencies and assistances