to goe in to bow with his Master in the house of Rimmon and therefore prayeth twice for mercy for it professing he will neuer worship any but the true God neither doth he onely pray for sinne past but in the sence of his owne weakenesse desireth mercy that 〈◊〉 may not bee drawne from his purpose and withsll stirreth vp the Prophet to pray for him that God would giue him grace and strength and for pardon if at any time hee should against his purpose bee drawne into his former sinne and in this sense the Prophet bids him goe in peace as if hee should say I will pray that God would keepe thee in thy godly resolution and for mercy and pardon if thou shouldest be drawne aside and so farewell The words of the Prophet Elisha Goe in peace are also diuerssy expounded Some thinke the Prophets words 〈◊〉 no grant made vnto his petition but rather a prohibition not to trouble himselfe about those matters as if he should haue sayd Content thy selfe require no such thing it would trouble thy conscience but goe in peace keepe a good conscience and labour for the peacetherof so as Polan obserues the words of the Prophet are Tantum dimittentis abeuntem non concedentis postulatum onely a valediction and not any concession or granting of his request Againe it appeares not by the words of the Prophet that he gaue any tolleration or dispensation vnto Naaman for Naaman makes in one verse two petitions one for permission to goe into Rimmons Temple the other for two mules load of earth to carry home with him to offer sacrifice vpon vnto the Lord. Now the Prophet makes the same answer vnto both and therefore doth either condescend to both or deny both but grant them both he did not for the one was cleane contrary to the law to giue Naaman leaue to sacrifice in Syria who was not a Priest whose office it was alone to offer sacrifice and moreouer Ierusalem was the onely place appointed for that action This request therefore the Prophet can by no meanes be thought to haue granted Ergo nor the other And vnto this sence I doe adhere for that the Prophet neither could nor durst giue any liberty to Naaman to be present at the Idolatrous worship of the Syrian Rimmon I am not ignorant of the opinion of some that the Prophet answers dispensando by the way of dispensation though not generally yet in that case onely to goe into the Idols Temple and to bee present at their Idolatry But Lyranus will haue it declarando by declaring it to be lawfull for Naaman to bee present in the Temple of Rimmon at Idolatrous seruice and sacrifice so it were onely for ciuill respect vnto the king his Master and of this opinion seemes 〈◊〉 to be who allowes a man to bee present by reason of some ciuill office so hee yeeld not to the least shew of Idolatry but I should rather commend the practise of the Protestant Princesat Augusta who brought Charles the fift their Emperour along as he was going to the Masse but left him at the Church doore as also of Valentinian who brought Iulian to the Temple of his Idols and when the doore-keeper sprinkled his gowne with the Idols water as the Pagans vsed Valentinian forthwith gaue him a blow on the eare Conclusion Thus hauing sufficiently refelled their strongest arguments and giuen answer to their chiefest pleas the conclusion shall bee this Seeing the Romish Masse hath quite ouerthrowne and thrust the Supper of the Lord out of the Church the holy Supper being an assembly a body of the faithfull vnited and knit together in one spirit strengthening our faith 〈◊〉 our charity kindling our zeale wherein is celebrated the memory of the death and passion of our Lord by a plaine and open rehearsall of the cause manner and benefits of the same whereby the faithfull are taught to acknowledge and call to mind the greatnesse of their sinnes and to admire and magnifie the great and vnspeakeable mercies of God whereby they are stirred vp to renounce and forsake themselues to giue themselues wholy vnto God to dye vnto their lusts and concupiscences and to liue vnto Christ who hauing once deliuered himselfe to the death of the crosse for to giue them life did yet further vouchsafe to giue himselfe to them in this sacrament as spirituall meate and drinke to feede their soules vnto eternall life and herein all the faithfull doe communicate together in the bread and in the cup in the body and in the blood of our Lord being taught thereby that they are diuers members of one mysticall hody whereof Christ is the head being quickned mooued and gouerned by one Spirit euen the Spirit of Christ liuing one life and hauing their hearts vnited one to another by loue Herein wee are seriously admonished of our bond and obligation to God the Father for sending his Son and God the Sonne fulfilling the will of his Father the remembrance of whose death wee shew forth till he come who as verily as the Minister giueth vs the bread and wine to be receiued with our hands which being eaten and drunken are conuerted into our substances and become nourishments of our bodies giueth vs his body and 〈◊〉 to be receiued with faith that we may eate and drinke them spiritually and that they may be turned into the life and substance of our soules making vs one with Christ and Christ one with vs. This was the holy Supper of the faithfull in the ancient Church and this is ours with the rest of the reformed Churches But in the Masse there are no footsteps of the holy Supper but all things are so changed as if the Lords Supper were abolished and the Masse were come in the stead therof for in the Masse there is a Prieft in a strange garment his face fixt vpon an Altar with a Clarke standing behind him muttering in a strange language interlarded with signes lifting vp a wafer in an affected and ceremoniall superstitious sort causing it to be worshipped dipping it in the wine eating it alone persuading the people that by thus much as hath beene done beeing at their request and bought with somepiece of money he hath sacrificed Christ for them What shewing foorth of the Lords death is there till he come Nay is there not an abolishing of the perfection value and efficacy of Christs death and sacrifice Is their not 〈◊〉 in robbing the lay-people of the cup Is not the Masse ful of abhominable blasphemies and grosse impieties Are not the deaths and sufferings of Saints and Martyrs rather reckoned vp then the death of Christ represented Is there not rather a breach of charity then any Symbole of loue when the Priest eates all himselfe the common people being excluded from it where is there any communion betweene the members or signification of our engrafting into Christ The scriptures neither authorising nor the Primitiue and Apostolicall
small credit with them neuer vses the words Ambrose once onely Augustine but twise and neither of these in that sence in which the Papists vse it And whereas they obiect that place of Ierome one the 11. chapter of the Prouerbes it is not thought to be his because therein is mentioned Gregory who liued about 200. yeares after Ierome but the best learned do ascribe it to Bede as they do the Sermon of Saint Augustine de tempore to Ambrose or Hugo de Sancto Victore But from the name let vs proceede to the thing it selfe Albeit that about the time of Saint Gregory there hapned such an alteration of the Canon of the Masse of the manner of seruice of vestiments of the bread of priuate Masses of prayers vnto Saints and so continued till Charles the great insomuch that the Church of Rome had cast off her ancient simplicity and Matron-like habit and became like a garish Curtezan yet this sacrifice of the Masse was not as yet allowed of generally in the Church Not in Gregories time for Bellarmine himselfe confesseth he could finde nothing in his writings for confirmation of this their sacrifice For the corporall reality of this sacrifice which our aduersaries defend vpon an imagination of a Transubstantiation of the bread into the body of Christ seemes to be sufficiently confuted by that disputation held by Gregory against Eutiches the Hereticke who denied that Christ had a true humane body against whom Gregory obiected 〈◊〉 saying of our Sauiour to his Disciples who after his resurrection made a doubt of that which 〈◊〉 spared not to maintaine namely that it was not the same body wherein he was cruified but onely a shadow of a body and so his humanity was but kata Phantasian not really but onely in appearance But Gregory obiects the words of Christ. Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me haue behold my hands and feete that it is I my selfe By the same testimony of sence may Christians now discerne bread to be bread after consecration by which the Disciples discerned Christs flesh to be flesh after resurrection they were to beleeue because they did see and feele it to be the flesh of Christ wee haue the benefit of foure sences seeing handling tasting smelling to prooue vs to receiue not flesh but bread And here we may note what was the faith of the Church of England about those times of St. Gregory by an ancient Homily written in the Saxon tongue and appointed to be preached throughout England in euery Church vpon Easter day Part where of runnes thus In the holy sont we see two things in that one creature after the true nature the water is corruptible water and yet after 〈◊〉 mystery 〈◊〉 hath hallowing might So also wee behold the holy housell it is bread after bodily vnderstanding then wee see it is a body 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 but if wee acknowledge therein a spirituall might then vnderstand wee that life is therein and it giueth 〈◊〉 to them that 〈◊〉 it with 〈◊〉 Much difference there is betweene the inuisible might of the holy 〈◊〉 and the visible shape of the proper nature It is naturally corruptible bread and corruptible wine and it is by the might of Christs word truely 〈◊〉 body and his blood not so notwithstanding bodily but spiritually much difference is there betweene the body that Christ suffered 〈◊〉 and the body that is hallowed to housell the body 〈◊〉 Christ suffered in was borne of the flesh of Mary with blood and with bone with skinne with 〈◊〉 in humane limmes with a reasonable soule 〈◊〉 and his spirituall body which we call the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thered of many cornes without blood and bone without limme without soule and therefore nothing therein is to be vnderstood 〈◊〉 but all is spiritually to be vnderstood By these words 〈◊〉 appeares that the ancient Christians in England held not that grosse transubstantiation maintained now by the Romish Church which is the mother of the Massing sacrifice for take away 〈◊〉 and of necessity you lay the honour of their sacrifice in the dust For the space of 〈◊〉 yeares after Gregory this Sacrifice of the Masse beganne to gather strength and to be taught and 〈◊〉 though not generally in the Church of Rome 〈◊〉 Abbot of Corby in 〈◊〉 hath these words Because we sinne daily Christ is Sacrificed for vs Mystically and his Passion giuen in Mystery Againe The blood is drunken in Mystery spiritually and it is all spirituall which wee eate And The full similitude is 〈◊〉 and the flesh of the imacculate Lambe is faith inwardly that the truth he not wanting to the Sacrament and it be not ridiculous to Pagans that wee drinke the blood of a 〈◊〉 man Note here that he would 〈◊〉 the outward 〈◊〉 and the inward substance represented by the signe to subsist in the Sacrament otherwise it takes away the truth of the Sacrament and hee would not haue the 〈◊〉 thinke the 〈◊〉 to be so absurd as to drinke the reall and substantiall blood of Christ with their bodily mouthes but onely Sacramentally and in a Mystery Bertram 〈◊〉 liued about the 900. yeare of Christ in the time of Charles the 〈◊〉 whose wordes agree directly with the Doctrine of the Church of England and are these Our Lord hath done this at once euen in offering himselfe 〈◊〉 is to say sacrificing himselfe for vs For hee was once offered for the finnes of the people and this 〈◊〉 notwithstanding is dayly celebrated by the 〈◊〉 but in a mysterie to the end that what hath beene accomplished by our Lord lesus in offering himselfe once might be handled 〈◊〉 day by the celebrating of the Mysteries of the 〈◊〉 of the memory of his passion Where is to be noted how he opposeth the mysticall 〈◊〉 to the reall receiuing and the dayly 〈◊〉 of the remembrance to the once offering of the 〈◊〉 Againe He which is dayly offered by the faithfull in the mysterie of his body and his blood namely that whosoeuer will draw neere vnto him may know that he must 〈◊〉 part in his sufferings the image and representation whereof is exhibited in the holy Mysteries About the 1000. yeare liued Theophilact who seems to deny this Propitiatory Sacrifice in these words The medicines which are effectuall and forcible do heale at the first time being administred but those which neede to bee taken againe and againe doe sufficiently argue their weaknesse by that onely note euen so it fareth betweenethe Legall Sacrifices and the Sacrifice of Christ. But here ariseth a question Whether we also doe offer sacrifices without shedding of blood vnto which we answere affirmatiuely but it is that we doe renue the Memory of the death of the Lord and yet in the meane time it is but one Sacrifice not many because it hath beene offered but onely once We offer then 〈◊〉 himselfe or rather the Remembrance of this oblation
body frō al the Church to the end that faith may be edified and builded vp And to this purpose S. Cyrill It is meete that all the faithfull beleeue that howsoeuer our Lord be absent in body yet he is present by his power to all them that loue him c. And reciprocally no man doubteth seeing hee ascended into heauen that hee is absent in the flesh though present in the spirit What is it then I will not leaue you comfortlesse that is how that after he is ascended into heauen he is in vs by his Spirit And againe He is absent according to his Humanity but present according to his Diuinitie Vigilius Bishop of Trent dissenteth not from the former saying The Sonne of God had a beginning as concerning the nature of his 〈◊〉 but he had not any if you consider the nature of his Diuinitie in regard of that he is a creature but in regard of this the Creator in respect of that hee is a subiect to be contained in one place but in respect of this it is not possible for him to be contained in any place And this is the Catholike faith confession which the Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs c. Beda saith Christ ascending vp into heauen after the resurrection left his Disciples corporally howbeit the presence of his Diuine Maiesty did neuer leaue them I will conclude these testimonies with the saying of Bernard I goe from you saith the Lord according to my humanitie but I doe not goe away from you according to my Diuinitie I leaue you with my corporall presence but I aide and assist you with the presence of my Spirit But it may be said that the body of Christ being now a glorified body may bee in diuers places at once No so long as the humanity of Christ continues to bee a Creature so long is it limited to one place Theodoret speakes to this purpose It is glorified with diuine grace adored of the celestiall powres but notwithstanding a body subiect to that limitation that it was before And Augustine saith The Lord is on high but the Lord which is verity and truth that is to say in as much as he is God is here also it must needs be that the bodie wherein he rose againe should continue in one place albeit that his truth be dispersed abroad euerie where With whom doth consent Gregory Nazianzen We teach the same Christ consisting of a circumscriptible bodie and of an incircumscriptible spirit of a body which may be contained in a place and a spirit which no place is able to containe Now against such a cloud of witnesses with one consent agreeing that the body of Christ is finite and so limited to one place and cannot be in many places at once doth the Church of Rome contest to maintaine this their Sacrifice like the Vbiquitaries in ancient times who would haue the body of Christ to fill all places But they obiect That Christ is God and therefore omnipotent and consequently can do all things Why then can he not make his body to exist in many places at once I answer A posse ad velle non valet consequentia Christ will not doe all he can And yet I thinke I may bee bold to say that Christ as God cannot doe all things not that this implies any weakenesse in Christ for not to be able to doe some things argues his perfection as Christ cannot lye cannot deceiue cannot sinne for so saies S. Augustine If God could doe these things it were an 〈◊〉 and want of power in him for great is the power of the Word in that it cannot lye for that therein cannot bee any contradiction as it is and it is not Nay some things in the creature God cannot doe for as Aquinas speakes God is not Almightie in respect of the things wherein there is 〈◊〉 because they cannot be accounted of as possible things as he cannot make an 〈◊〉 man nor a Triangle without three angles their lines For this is to make a thing to be and not to be Neither can he as I suppose make a naturall body without quantitie or quantitie without dimensions or that which hath dimension to be in diuers places at once and yet to remaine entire in both places for that were ro make a contradiction true that the whole body of Christ should be here and the whole body of Christ should not be here Wherefore when the Papists ascribe vnto the body of Christ multipresence or vertue to be in a thousand places at one instant what is this but to suppose an impossibility and to take from the natural properties of a true humane body and thus as they destroy the signe in the Sacrament so by their sacrifice doe they subuert the very substance of the thing signified Argument 19. The last Argument is taken from the vncertainty of this Sacrifice and is thus framed That which is a true propitiatory Sacrifice for sinne giues assurance vnto him for whom it is offered of remission of his sinne But the Sacrifice of the Masse giues not aslurance of remission of sinne Ergo The Sacrifice of the Masse is not propitiatory The Minor is thus proued That which dependeth not vpon the institution of the Sacrament nor vpon the sacramentall words as the Papists terme them but vpon the intention of the Priest can giue no assurance of remission For if the Priest intend not with his minde albeit he speaketh the words with his mouth yet according to their owne doctrine he consecrateth not and so the body of Christ is not really in the Sacrament and consequently it cannot be a proper Sacrifice And thus they tye the grace of God not to his institution accompanied with his holy Spirit but to the intention of the consecrating Priest and the Son of God shall not be ours that is the life which is in him shall not distribute it selfe vnto the faithfull further then the discretion of this intention shal extend And it shall be in the power of the Priest to frustrate and send away empty a whole Assembly of Christians gathered together with desire to receiue saluation by this Sacrifice Yea howsoeuer the people are apt to depart without any benefit to their soules for if the intention of the Priest be not to consecrate or that in the act of consecration his minde bee otherwise busied in thinking of other matters then the body of Christ are not vnder the formes of Bread and Wine neither is it a reall Sacrifice And neuerthelesse if he doe consecrate yet the people do not communicate therein because they are not assured of the Priests intention and therefore cannot be assuied of the Reall presence of the body of Christ. Now where there is not assurance in the communicating there can be no comfortable or sauing receiuing but rather sinfull for so S. Paul saies Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin And they themseluer
are of iudgment that he receiues not the body of Christ who doth not beleeue that he receiues it like Magick charms wherin strong imagination and beleese workes the effect And yet obserue here how contrary againe they are vnto themselues when they teach that Opus operatum The worke wrought is sufficient to merit What difference then is between the godly and the wicked Or what priuiledge hath the righteous more then the prophane seeing both good and bad receiue the same consecrated Christ performe the same worke of communicating And for all men that can pay well without difference is the Sacrifice of the Masse offered Or what comfort can the Laity of the Roman Church find in the Sacrament when that which shold giue life to their faith breedeth in them nothing but doubting and vncertainty seeing that after they haue prepared themselues they know not what they receiue because they are not assured of the intention of the consecration But here I demand of the Romanists If the consecration of the body and blood of Christ depend vpon the intention of the Priest so that if he intend not in the act of consecration the Body of Christ is not then present neither is the Bread or Wine transubstantiated How then can the Doctors of the Church of Rome free the people from the sinne of Idolatry which worship the creature in stead of the Creator the vnconsecrated Elements in stead of the true and substantiall Body and Blood of Christ For they worship the bread supposing it to be the Body of Christ when through either the negligence or wilfulnesse of the Priest in not intending consecration it remaines in its owne proper substance They thinke to falue this sore with a nice distinction they tell vs it is materiall Idolatry but not formall as though Idolatry masked vnder a couert were not a sinne and because it is not voluntarie or intentionall therefore it were tollerable The Idolatry of Israel was neuer so grosse as to worship any grauen Images in stead of God but as our Papists plead to worship God in or through their Images yet this prouoked God vnto iealousie and drew downe his vengeance vpon these Idolaters Is not this more palpable Idolatry where the Bread and Wine which are but creatures are worshipped with Latreia adoration which thēselues ascribe vnto God alone And to manifest that they ascribe vnto this Sacrifice the same diuine worship which they ascribe vnto God let but the Christian Reader examine the last generall Councell held by the Church of Rome namely the Councell of Trent where he shall finde this blasphemous Canon Si quis dixerit in sancto Eucharistiae Sacramento Christum vnigenitum Dei filium non esse cultu latriae etiam externo adorandum venerandum neque processionibus secundum laudabilem vniuersalem Ecclesiae sanctae ritum consuetudinem solemniter circumg estandum vel non publicè vt adoretur populo proponendum eius adoratores esse Idololatras Anathema sit If any man shall say that Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God is not to be adored with externall diuine worship in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist and that it is not solemnly to be carried about in Procession according to the laudible and vniuersall rites and custome of holy Church and that it is not publikely to be shewed to the people that they may adore it and that the worshippers thereof are Idolaters let him be accursed And in the beginning of the same Chapter there are these words Nullus 〈◊〉 dubitandi locus relinquitur cum omnis Christi fidelis pro more in Catholica Ecclesia semper recepto latriae cultum qui 〈◊〉 Deo 〈◊〉 huic 〈◊〉 sacramento in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is now no place of doubting left seeing all the faithfull of Christ according to the custome which was alwaies 〈◊〉 in adoration may giue vnto this sacred Sacrament that worship of Latria which is belonging to the true God This is a doctrine of Diuels commanding most 〈◊〉 Idolatry and yet not to be contradicted vnder paine of his Holinesse curse But let vs admit that Christ is to be worshipped in the Eucharist yet how can the people 〈◊〉 the sinne of Idolatry when albeit the Priest faile in his intention and consequently consecrate not yet they worship the 〈◊〉 and wine with adoration But I will not here enter into the discussion of this point whether the Eucharist is to 〈◊〉 with Diuine worship Least I should too much enlarge this Treatise which hath already transcended the limites of my intention Thus hauing sufficiently satisfied as I hope the indifferent and impartial Reader concerning the propounded parts of this controuersie as namely that the pretended sacrifice of the Masse hath no ground in the Doctrine of the Scriptures practise of the Apostles or writings of the ancient Fathers as secondly touching the originall encrease and continuance of the Masse Thirdly of the imbecillity and weakenesse of their obiected Arguments Lastly of the firme and solide grounds of our dislike and opposition I shall in fine lay before the eyes of all men a briefe enumeration of all the impieties and blasphemies of this abhominable Idoll and so shall conclude all with a serious disswasion from all or any participation in that superstitious worship The Impieties of this Sacrifice are these First it is not onely diuers from the institution of Christ but quite ouerthrowes it as appeares by these particulars 1. First Christ instituted a Sacrament wherein he freely offereth himselfe to be receiued of all beleeuers by faith and to bee eaten spiritually They turne it into a sacrifice which is offered vnto God the Father not beeing distributed to the people but deuoured by the Priest and that 〈◊〉 really and materially So that whereas the Church should haue beene thankefull for that God hath giuen his onely sonne for her saluation shee striues to make God her debter by offering vnto him a sacrifice but such a sacrifice as he neuer desired expected or commanded 2. Christ in the Sacrament consecrated bread and wine which remained as signes and symboles of the body and blood of Christ. In the Masse they consecrate the reall and substantiall body of Christ taking away the Sacrament in that they take away the signes 3. In the Sacrament the vertue and efficacy is in the power of God making it operatiue by the grace of the Spirit In the Masse the deede done deserues pardon and the Priest hath a portion of remission of sinnes which may bee bestowed on whom he will 4. The Sacrament is onely profitable for the liuing but the Masse for the quicke and the dead 5. The Sacrament was instituted to manifest the Communion of Saints therefore called the Communion figured by the bread framed of many cornes and made into one loase and the wine made of many grapes so all 〈◊〉 are one body but in priuate Masse the Priest consumes all the host himselfe as though hee alone had right
vnto Christ the Layty gazing on him appearing rather to be excommunicate persons then to haue any communion in the body of Christ as also the Communion of Saints is abolished by the Masse seeing any notorious sinner who can pay for a Masse shall haue as much relaxation of paines as a 〈◊〉 man 6. In the administration of the Sacrament the Laity did pertake of the cup as well as the clergy But in the Masse the Sacrament is maimed by taking away the cup from the Lay people 7. Christ instituted the Sacrament in remembrance of himselfe saying Doe this in remembrance of me The Priest sayes Masse in remembrance of the dead Againe hereby they destroy the remembrance of Christs death For as a Testament doth suppose the death of the Testator so the alteration of that Testament supposeth that the Testator is not yet dead wherefore the Masse beeing so much altered from the institution of Christ which hee bequeathed as a Testament vnto his Church doth by consequence deny the death of Christ For it beeing sufficiently proued to be another pretended Testament differing from the first institution doth 〈◊〉 require againe that Christ should dye recrucisying the Sonne of God for as Paul sayth Where a Testament is there must necessarily follow the death of the Testator Moreouer if Christ be offered 〈◊〉 day how is this not rather to institute a new sacrifice then to Doe it in remembrance of his great sacrifice vppon the Crosse. 8. Christ instituted the Sacrament to be reuerently distributed vnto the people But the Masse is reserued in the Pix is carried about the Cities and Townes like a may-game 9. Christ gaue bread and wine to his Disciples The Priest 〈◊〉 God vnto the people hee being the maker of his Maker and they eating God with their bodyly mouthes to Christ instituted the Sacrament to confirme our Faith they say Masse to redeeme mens soules to cure diseases to worke miracles The second impiety of the Masse It commandeth and practiseth things directly contrary to Gods word 〈◊〉 inuocation of Saints and Angels Prayer for the dead Adoration of creatures Purgatory c. Thirdly it by consequence affirmeth that Christ is out of the fauour of his Heauenly Father and therefore had neede of an earthly Mediator which is the Priest who may offer the body of Christ vnto his Father and pray that God would accept him as the sacrifice of Abell Fourthly the Masse hindreth the seruice of God for God wil be serued in spirit and truth with an inward and entire affection but the Masse causeth a man to rest in the outward seruice of God as hearing seeing gazing stooping kneeling knocking c. Which things of themselues are meritorious by the worke wrought and because the Masse alone is sufficient therefore it makes needlesse all holy exercises as Preaching Prayer c. Working presumption in wicked men who albeit they haue spent their dayes in wickednesse yet if they haue a Masse or can get the Priest to say Masse for them they doubt not but to be saued Fiftly it blasphemeth the Deity of Christ in that whereas God alone is to be worshipped with Diuine worship they ascribe and yeelde that which is due vnto God alone vnto the creature worshipping it instead of God as the bread and the wine in the Eucharist and doubtlesse their Artolatreia is nothing else but Tololatreia Sixtly it derogateth from the vertue of Christs death making it ineffectuall and his sacrifice imperfect ouer-turning the Crosse of Christ by erecting an Altar and reiterating that perfect and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ which was offered once for all whereby hee sanctified for euer them that were perfect hauing obtained eternall redemption for vs. And as the reiteration of the Leuiticall sacrifices argued the imperfection of them so the repetition of the Masse argues an insufficiency in the sacrifice of Christ. Seuenthly it falsifies the word of Christ. We vsually obserue the last speeches of dying men as oracles but Christ dying vpon the Crosse shut vp all with this speech It is finished that is Mans saluation is finished by this my sacrifice And yet the Massedenies it What is this but to make Christ a lyer Eightly it denies the Article of Christs humanity in that it a scribes not vnto him those properties which are competent to all 〈◊〉 bodies and without which a reall body cannot subsist as to be locally in one place at once to be circumscriptible to haue true demensions c. Ninthly it 〈◊〉 the article of Christs session at the right hand of God Who enioying a true materiall body if hee be present in the Masse cannot sit as a man at the right hand of his Father for euer Tenthly it is the ground of all diffidence and distruct the Sacrament encreaseth our faith while thereby wee apprehend Christ bodily absent to bee spiritually present but the Masse depending on the intention of the Priest cannot but beget distrust in the minds of the people Eleuenthly the Masse robbes vs of the fruite of Christs death for the fruite of Christs death is remission of sinnes which is sealed vnto vs in the Lords Supper But the Masse by the consent of some of their greatest Doctors is not auaileable for the remission of sinnes Twelfely it opens the mouth of the Common Aduersary who despises both the persons and religions of all Christians because the Church of Rome worshippeth a breaden God The thirteenth impiety of the Masse is this it destroyeth the eternity of Christs Priest-hood who was consecrated of his father a Priest not for a time but for euer after the order of Melchizedech which order was not temporall as the Priest-hood of Rome but eternall not externall and visible after his assension but spirituall and inuisible such as could neither be supplyed by substitutes or successours But by offering the sacrifice of the Masse they make themselues after the order of Melchizedech which order at the end of the world shall cease what then shall become of Christs eternall Priest-hood The fourteenth impiety of the Masse It maketh the Priest of more desert then Christ himselfe For the sacrifice is not accepted for it selfe but for the worthinesse of the person offering Caines sacrifice was as good as Abels when yet it was reiected for the wickednesse of him that offered Abels being accepted for the worthinesse of the sacrificer so the humane nature of Christ being our sacrifice was meritorious by the vertue of the God-head whereby it was offered vnto his Father But if the Priests do offer the body of Christ vnto his Father he must needes be of more desert then the sacrifice it selfe The fifteenth impiety of the Masse It ouerthroweth the Doctrine of grace and iustification which teacheth that in this life alone man hath time to worke his saluation and to procure the fauour of God and pardon for sinne But the Masse is profitable for the dead yea both to mitigate the paines and totally to liberate out of
of Christ was not of the seed of Dauid sed exsemine triticeo of the seed of wheat was sowed in the earth grinded in the mill baked in the ouen and at last torne a peeces with mens teeth Thus haue I laid open vnto thee Christian Reader a iust suruay and tryall of the sacrifice of the 〈◊〉 Masse which I doubt not appeares to thee as it is in it owne nature a Masse of impiety and that Mystery of iniquity foretold by Saint Paul which albeit it pretend the greatest honour and worship to Christ of any Ecclesiasticall seruice yet is there not a greater enemy vnto our King and Sauiour the Lord Iesus nor a more hellish traytour vnto his crowne and dignity wherein if euer The diuell hath transformed himselfe into an Angell of light couering his poysenous and deadly hooke with the baite of religion the most preualent Stratagem that euer Satan put in practise to hinder and oppugne the kingdome of Christ yet this is the Diana for which Demetrius and his companions are so importunate because by this Craft they get their gaine It may well bee stiled a Craft because it is a Mystery of iniquity whereby the Church of Rome is swollen so bigge with deuouring the gold treasure and inheritance of the Laity that the guttes of it are well nigh bursten This is that Helena for which the aduersaries of the truth doe so fiercely encounter which hath made the Kings of the earth drunken with the cup of her fornication This they labour so much to vphold which is the Pillar that vpholds them and for it they fight as the ancient Romanes were wont tanquam pro focis aris while on it depends their rich offerings vpon their Altars and the fatnes of their kitchin Take but away this one Pillar and their house will fall and the fall of it will be great for it will slay all the Lords of the Philistims Now if any true Orthodoxe Christian or soundmember of the Catholicke Church demand of me whether it be lawfull for him to be present at Masse albeit hee pretend that so hee keepes his heart to God I answere No for 〈◊〉 the Masse is full of so many impieties and abhominable blasphemies against the blessed person of the Sonne of God ouerthrowiug both the Word and Sacraments of our Lord Iesus Christ it is therefore vtterly vnlawfull for any Christian to be present at it or to communicate in that seruice Argument of Ridley and Bradford Secondly we cannot be partakers of Gods religion and Antichrist seruice whereof the Masse is a principall limbe a man cannot bee a member of the Church of Christ and of the Church of Rome as it now stands But he that frequenteth their Idolatrous assemblies makes himselfe a member thereof And therefore cutteth himselfe off from being a member of the Church of Christ. Argument of Bradford Thirdly to dissemble and halt in matters belonging to Gods glory is impious and vngodly but they who are present at Masse both hearing the name of God blasphemed and seeing many abhominations and yet hold their peace do notably dissemble Ergo They sinne egregiously against God Argument of Bradford Fourthly 〈◊〉 of the Masse impugneth diuers petitions of the Lords Prayer and so the practise of such is contrary to the dayly prayer they vse How can we say Thy Kingdome come when nothing in the earth doth more destroy the Kingdome of Christ then the Masse How can we pray Thy will be done when we do our owne wils and the wils of Idolaters flat against the will of God How can we pray Hallowed be thy name when wee seeme to approoue the Masse which is nothing but blasphemy against the whole Trinity How can wee pray Deliuer vs from euill which knowing the Masse to bee euill doe runne into it wherefore if wee meane as we pray we must not pertake in the Masse least wee approue of that in our practise which we condemne in our prayer Argument of Bradford Fiftly whatsoeuer giues occasion to the wicked to be more obfirmed and to the weake to stumble and fall is to be abhorred But Protestants going to Masse and by their presence giuing allowance to it do occasion the obstinate to be more intractable the weake Papists to be more resolute the wauering Protestant quite to fall Bradfords Argument Sixtly Daniel refused to be filled with the Kings meates which were polluted by Idolatry And so Iudeth likewise The Maccabees manfully gaue their liues in defence of the Ceremonies of the Law Ergo we ought much more to endure and suffer all things for the maintenance of the pure word of God and holy Sacraments Bishop Ridleyes Argument Seauenthly God commanded his people Israel by the mouth of his Prophet Amos Not to seeke Bethel nor to enter into Gilgall where Idolatry was vsed And againe My soule hath no pleasure in those that withdraw themselues sayth the Lord If any man prophane the Temple of the Lord him will God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which yee are All strange worship is counted whoredome by the Lord and they that follow it goe a whoring But they that goe to Masse enter into Bethel and Gilgal that is places of Idolatry they withdraw themselues from the faith in their outward behauiour they prophane their bodies which are Gods Temples being present at 〈◊〉 seruice they goe a whoring after a strange religion Ergo Protestants going to Masse disobey Gods command procure his displeasure will cause God to destroy them and diuorce themselues from God and his Church Philpots Argument Eightly The Apostle directly forbids all participation with such as are Idolaters in the eating of meat sacrificed to Idolls shewing that thereby the weake brethren are offended and the partakers make themselues Communicants at the Table of Diuells now a man cannot be partaker at the Lords Table and the table of Diuells But the Masse is an Idolatrous seruice a superstitious worship and the Altar thereof is the Table of Diuells howsoeuer it is to be hallowed with the inuocation of God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Angels Apostles Martyres Confessors Saints and painted ouer with the lustre of religion whereas it is indeed nothing but a painted Iezabel a deceitfull Strumpet with a false complexion Ninthly God is the Creator both of soule and body therefore he is to be worshipped both in soule and body Know 〈◊〉 not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost therefore glorifie God in your body and spirit which are Gods whereas God hath giuen both so hee requires the seruice of both And Paul will not giue a tolleration to any man to dishonour God by his body I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God God will not be content with reseruing the soule to him when men bestow the worship of their bodyes vpon Idols The soule