high Priests to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples But those Iewish ceremonies haue ceased looke aboue in the chapter of sacrifice where you shall see that our Lord Iesus Christ is the only sacrifice and eternall sacrificer vnder the Gospell Exod. 12.15 Lev. 3.6 In the third place they reassume the shadowes and figures of the law by presenting of immaculate hosts where as Iesus Christ being prefigured by them vnder the law as saith S. Peter 1. Pet. 1.19 and hauing consummated all that kinde of sacrifice it were an impietie to revoke it againe into practise Lastly it is an execrable abomination to offer bread vnto God for the remission of sinnes considering that even vnder the law it selfe Heb. 9.22 without shedding of bloud there was no remission Yet the Priest offereth one oblation to that end concerning which I demand of him if it hath taken flesh for our sakes If it be the sonne of God If it hath suffered If wee be baptised in its name If that bread bee yet consecrated If the Priest hath yet pronounced these words hoc est corpus meum Wherefore by thyne owne doctrine thou offerest that which the Iew would be ashamed to present for his sin and which never any vsed saue onely the Magician Numa who did immolate that is to say offer Molam Cypr. de sacr calicis Epist 63. 68. a little round loafe to his Gods You that are deafe heare you that are blind see and deceaue not your selues any more For if wee ought to doe that onely in the supper which God hath commanded vs to doe and that which he commanded vs is that which he did with his Apostles the day before hee suffered as saith the Canon of the Masse pridie quam pateretur wee ought not to offer vp bread vnto God for the remission of sinnes For Iesus did it not neither commanded it neither purchased our salvation by the oblation of a cake not blessed but with his owne body and that not at the table but on the crosse not by elevation of bread but by the effusion of his bloud and separation of his soule Es 53. For he poured out his soule vnto death and made his soule an offering for sinne saith Esay this oblation therefore is vnsufficient in it selfe without commandment and without example Neither doe the two obiections availe which commonly are here produc't The first whereof is taken out of Gen. 14. Gen. 14 where it is said that Abraham returning from the defeating of his enimies the king of Sodome went out to meet him as also did Melchisedeck the king of Salem who brought forth bread and wine and blessed him For the bread and the wine were brought forth to refresh him and his men which returned from the warre and not to bee sacrificed vnto God much lesse vnto Abraham For although it be there added that Melchisedecke was the Priest of the most high God yet that was only to shew the reason why hee receaued tythes of him and why he blessed him and not to cause vs to imagine a sacrifice First because there was none such vnder the law and therefore Melchisedecke in so doing had enterprised to forge a new one secondly the words will not beare it for the translation of the Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he set before him bread and wine and it is not said for he was a Priest but now or and he was a Priest which was the cause wherefore he blessed Abraham and not wherefore he presented him with bread and wine also the whole text runneth that Melchisedecke brought forth bread to whom to Abraham and blessed whom Abraham and that comparison which S. Paul makes betweene our high Priest Heb. 7. Christ Iesus and Melchisedecke consists not in the offering of bread and wine but in that he is eternal without father in regard of his humanitie and without mother in respect of his divinitie Neither is the other obiection of any force which is taken out of Malachy that amongst the Gētiles shall be offered Malac. 1. Muctar and Mincha that is incense a pure offering For this Mincha kneaded with flowre and oyle is ceremoniall and abolished neither is the bread which the Roman Priests doe offer vp at this day tempred in that sort But that same prophecy is allegoricall as is that of Micah Micah 4.1 who prophecied that men should ascend to Ierusalem to the mountaine of the Lord seeing the Church is catholike and not inclosed within Iury. So likewise that incense which ascends in the presence of God signifieth the prayers of the faithfull as wee may obserue in the Revelation where it is said that another Angell to wit our Saviour stood at the altar hauing a golden censer Apoc. 8.3 the smoke whereof which was the prayers of the Saints ascended vp before God out of the Angells hand Finally if our Sauiour had offered bread and wine for the remission of sinnes it would follow that our Lord Iesus had offered twice by a consequence had twice satisfied God his father and paid twice the same debt contrary to that which saith S. Paul By one oblation he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 9.12 10. v. 14. Otherwise the offring on the crosse had serued to small purpose for it is certaine that God had heard his wel beloued the first time with out exposing him to the crosse if the offring of bread had beene sufficient as it would haue beene if he had offered it And from hence wee may conclude that the Priests make two oblations the first of bread and wine not blessed not broken not taken not distributed and the second they pretend to make of the very body of our Sauiour which errour proceeded from hence that in the Primatiue Church they vsed the word Oblation giuing the bread not immediatly to God but to the Priest who did take thereof for the cōmunion and distributed the rest to the members of our Sauiour which are the poore Thus the equiuocall acceptions of the word caused this horrible sacriledge See what more appertaines to this point in the Chapters of oblation and of sacrifice Besides to offer was taken for as much as to giue to the people which communicated and in that sense some of the ancients tooke it as amongst the rest Saint Cyprian who writing against the minglers of water with wine in the cup which they offred vnto the people contrary to the practice of the Primatiue Church saith Cypr. contra Aquarios epist 68. ad Cecilium seeing that neither Angell nor Apostle can preach otherwise then that which Iesus Christ hath once taught c One may heere demaund of them whom they follow for if in the sacrifice which Christ hath offered we are to follow none but Christ certainely we are then to obey and to doe that which Christ hath done and commanded
of the Bread and Wine the adoration of men of nayles of wood of Christs garment at Argenteuil the adoration of reliques making of images their consecrations dedications which are Idolatryes according to the saying of Tertullian and some Popes Their vowes pilgrimages Agnus Dei blessed graynes shirts of Chartres kissings of the alters breviaries confessions to the dead bruit beasts and a thousand other superstitions which the poore people commit going barefoot or creeping on their knees and bearing candles and presents before the alter CHAP. X. The beginning of the Masse THe Priest being attired according to the vsuall manner approacheth to the alter and bowing his head signeth himselfe with the signe of the Crosse saying In the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost Amen In nomine Patris Flij Spiritus Sanctus Amen Afterwards he vnfolds the corporall which is of fine linnen or tafaty wherein the Sacrament is put vncouers the Chalice and at the right side of the alter poures the wine into the Chalice saying From the side of our Lord Iesus Christ issued our bloud at the time of his most blesblessed passion De latere Domini nostri Iesu Christi exiuit sanguis tempore sacratissimae passionis suae then hee puts vpon the alter both the Plate and the Host which he covers with a little corporall folded and mingles not the water with the wine vntill after the oblation of the Host The first sinne which is here committed against the lawe of God is that the name of God is taken in vaine V. Officium proprium sanct shamefully prophaned for the most part of the Masse after is said in the name and commemoration of Saints and reliques to wit of the Nayles the Lance the Robe without seame and Iosephs breeches Is not this a taking of Gods name in vaine and an interesting of him in such idolatries The second error is generall diffuseth it selfe through the whole action which is the celebrating of the Masse in an vnknowne tongue contrary to the practise of the ancient Church Oâ—ig lib. 8. cont Celsum For Origen saith The Greekes call vpon God in Greek the Romans in Latine and every one in his owne tongue prayeth vnto God and prayseth him And to this end the Apostles had the guift of tongues that men might vnderstand them what they said whereas the greater part of Priests now adaies doe chiefly labour that they may not be vnderstood which is a token of reprobation to a Church where such service is celebrated For it is written I will speake vnto this people by men of other tongues and other lippes Esa 28.11 that they may not vnderstand me 1. Cor. 14.21 and S. Paul saith tongues are a signe not vnto those that beleeue but vnto those that beleeue not Ir followeth in the Missall the Priest joyning his handes before his brest and I will enter vnto thy alter Answ Vnto God which reioyceth my youth introibo ad altare tuum R. Ad Deum quilaetificat iuventutem meam The ancient Christians had no alters in their Churches of any fashion soever but called it their table dressed for the Communion Arn. lib. 6. as for the name of alter an hundred yeares after the nativitie of our Saviour Arnobius witnesseth saying Orig cont Celsiâ— lib. 8. p 934. Minutius felix in Octavio p. 20 Wee make neither alters of wood nor alters of stone And Origen I would haue you conceaue that we conceale that which wee serue vnder a shadowe and that wee haue neither Temples nor Alters but that wee shunne their dedications Yet neuerthelesse the Roman Church suffering her selfe to slide into Iewish and Paganish superstitions hath erected not one altar onely Hos 8.11 but many according to that which is written because Ephraim hath made many altars to sinne altars shall be vnto him to sinne and hath ordained that they should be of stone Secondly a Can. altaria de consecr dist 1. it hath decreed that the altar should be consecrated with chrisme that men should be prohibited to communicate any-where els b Can. novalij then it ordained that there should remaine vnderneath it a piece of a dead body c Can. placuit câ—n sunt novâ—lij de conscer dâ—st 1. Orat. ad sec caetum c 12. v. 4. fast an heathnish custome Ouid. 4. Fast and besides to haue burning tapers and lampes there and to turne towards the East Most of which are contrary to the ancient custome of Christians as witnesseth Constantine in Eusebius No incense no burning taper but a pure light to cleare the spirits of those which pray and Tertullian Tertul. vigil c. 3. We light not tapers in the open day as thou calumniatest vs but we imploy the light to dispell the darkenes that so wee may watch vntill breake of day The first Christians assembling themselues in the night had need of lights which ought not to be any pretence for the superstition which is at this day vsed yet neuerthelesse Durand with other aduocats of these inuentions Dur l 4. rubr de muta doe feine mysteries to be in them for they prefigure in them both the light of faith and our Lord which consumes our rustinesse There was then one Table onely and that of wood in the middle of the Temple which serued for the communion Concerning which saith Albert Krantzius Albert. Krant in metrop lib. 1. c. 9. But after that thou hast beene at the Table which is in the middle of the Temple I haue perceiued a visage so ioyfull c. Furthermore the Pastors which serued at the Supper turned not their backs to the people as now-a-dayes they doe all which euidently argues this conclusion to be true that the Christians for more then the space of 300 yeares had neither altars nor burning tapers much lesse esteemed them to be of the essence of the Sacrament And if any of the Fathers mentioned at any time the altars of Christians they explained themselues as did Saint Paul Wee haue saith he an altar whereof they haue no right which serue the Tabernacle Heb. 13. v. 10. meaning by the altar the Crosse vpon which our Sauiour was stretched forth And Thomas vpon that passage saith Our altar is Iesus Christ in whom and by whom we offer vp our prayers and hee is that altar of gold of which is spoken in the Apocalyp ca. 8. and Clement Alexandrinus saith Strom. lib. 7. that we haue no other altar then one holy soule and Saint Austin saith the altar of the faithfull is their owne heart After followeth a Psalm which is recited by Antiphones for the Priest saith one verse and the Clerke another it is the 42. or 43. Iudge me O Lord and plead my cause Iudica me Deus Psal 43. discerne causam c. This is farre from the nature of this action for whereas the Supper tendeth to craue
then a fragment Mounting to the Altar he saith Take from vs O Lord we beseech thee all our iniquities to the end that wee may merit to enter vnto the Holy of Holiest with pure mindes through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Aufer à nobis quae sumus domine cunctas iniquitates nostras vt ad Sancta Sanctorum puris mereamur mentibus introire per Christum dominum nostrum Amen In this place the Priest playes the Iew speaking of the Holy of Holiest which was onely in the Temple of the Iewes and into which entred the High-Priest After he hath bowed himselfe very low and joyned his hands he saith this prayer Wee beseech thee Lord by the merites of thy Saints Heere hee kisseth the Altar whose Reliques are here of all the Saints that thou wouldest vouchsafe to forgiue me all my sinnes Oramus te domine per merita omnium sanctorum tuorum quorum reliquiae hic sunt omnium sanctorum vt indulgere digneris omnia peccata mea Amen There is good cause wherefore to pronounce that prayer with so low a voyce for he speakes not there of the intercession of our Sauiour neither comes he in his name therfore by a consequence is a thiefe Ioh. 10. for S. Iohn saith No man commeth vnto the Father but by me I am the dore he that entreth not by the doore into the sheepfold but climeth vp some other way the same is a thiefe a robber Now imagine a man be reconciled vnto God only by one that is a sinner it is not doubtfull whether such a one shal be saued or no and yet the Priest is capable to be a Mediatour and Sacrificer for vs towards God though hee employ no other meanes of purgation then a dead mans arme or a Spider bathed in the Sacrament and laide vp to bee a Relique as the cautells import Psal 2. This being done the Priest kisseth the Altar which is a kinde of adoration for it is written in the second Psalme Kisse the sonne that is adore him Also Biel and Titleman interprete this kissing to be a figure of the nuptials between Christ and his Church Now if it were so it would suffise to kisse it once but the good Sr Iohn returnes often to it and makes men beleeue that there is in it a kinde of spirituall strumpery for he counts nine kisses as well of the altar as of the breviary as if there were certaine quarters prescribed him whereon to bestow his kisses For before the placing after the receauing of his services they are applyed to the middle of the altar after the placing and before the receaving they are acted on the left hand of the Chalice neare the host and as for the book that must wait for his kisse vntill the Gospell be read Wee may not omit in this place that if it bee a solemne Masse and a double feast that then the Priest blesseth the incense saying Be thou blessed by him in whose honour thou shalt be burnt Ab illo benedicaris in cuius honore cremaberis Amen Then taking the censer at the hands of the Deacon This prayer is repeated afterwards hee censeth the altar saying Dirigatur Domine oratio mea sicut incensum c. which being ended the Deacon receaueth again the censer of the Priest censeth him only Afterwards the Priest signing himself with the signe of the crosse begins the entrance that is to say some passages wickedly profaned in the Masses of Saints of the Nayles of the iron Head of the Lance of the Robe without seame c. As for example sake The entrāce to Christmas is To vs a child is borne and to vs a child is giuen the governement shall be vpon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderfull counseller c. Let vs sing vnto God a new song for he hath done marveilous things Glory be to the father to the sonne c. Puer nobis natus est c. The entrance for the dedication of a Church Terribilis est locus iste Hic domus est Dei porta coeli The entrance for the beginning of a Masse for a Martyre Gloria honore coronasti eum constituisti eum super opera manuum tuarum c. After that entrance the Priest ioyning his hands comes to the middle of the altar and beyond all reason repeateth interchangeably with the Quire or his Cleark this following Lord haue mercy vpon vs. L. L. Christ haue mercy vpon vs. Ch. Ch. Lord haue mercy vpon vs. L. L. Kyrie eleyson K. K. Christe eleyson Ch. Ch. Kyrie eleyson K. K. That numerous repetition of the words not vnderstood by the people Capit. li. 6. c. 170 is attended by Gloria in excelsis which was brought in by Pope Steven the successour of Gregory inserted before the canon by the ordinance of Charlemaine But before the Priest beginnes it he first extends his hands then ioynes them and bowes his head a little saying Glory bee to God in the highest and in earth peace and towards men good will we blesse thee wee worship thee wee giue thanks vnto thee Lord God heauenly King father Almighty Lord the only begotten sonne Iesus Christ Lord God Lamb of God sonne of the Father thou which takest away the sinnes of the world receaue our prayers thou which sittest at the right hand of God haue mercy on vs for thou only art holy thou onely art Lord thou onely art most high Iesus Christ with thy holy spirit here hee crosseth himselfe in the glory of God the father Amen Gloria in excelsis Deo in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis Laudamus te benedicimus te adoramus te glorificamus te gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam Domine Deus rex coelestis Deus pater omnipotens Domine fili vnigenite Iesu Christe Domine Deus agnus Dei Filius Patris qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis qui tollis peccata mundi suscipe deprecationem nostram qui sedes ad dextram patris miserere nobis quoniam tu solus sanctus tu solus Dominus tu solus altissimus Iesu Christe cum sancto spiritu in gloria Dei Patris Amen Afterwards he kisses the alter and casting downe his eies he turnes towards the people and saith The Lord be with you A. and with thy spirit Dominus vobiscum R. Et cum spiritu tuo That being done the Priest saith Oremus let vs pray and then saith one or more prayers which being ended there is read according to the circumstance of the time or the Saint in whose honour the Masse is celebrated an Epistle a graduell or alleluia tract or sequency which done the Deacon sets downe the Gospell vpon the altar and hauing blessed the incense as before he bowes before the altar and ioining his hands saith Clense my heart and my lips Almightie God thou which purifiedst the lips of