seate so 1 Kings 6. 22. that by this meanes in their Church God is excluded and if that they will say that he is in heauen why then is not the Mediator in Heauen that their Church order may be according to the truth of things For Christ is in heauen to make Intercession for vs. But this consecrated Cake is affirmatiuely made the god of the Christians who in the mysterie of our Christian religion is the Mediator as Saint Paul saith one God and one Mediator in so much that a Counsell decreed that the Church prayers should Con. Carthag 3. Can. 13. be made vnto God in the name of the Mediator Iesus Christ for albeit any person of the Trinitie may be called vpon yet ordinarily God is to be prayed vnto and Christ the Mediator which in our Church booke is most commonly obserued But here is the scandall to Infidels of all sorts that this is the God we make shew of carrying him by processions in the streets and euery where worshipped yet the Cake hath no prerogatiue as other things haue had as Manna appointed by Gods ordinance to bee reserued Exod. 16. 24. was free from corruption that it may seeme to be a strong argument that this Cake made God is not his ordinance being subiect to mouldinesse and the eating of Myce and I haue read that being carryed in the winde and often blowne out of the Pixe was clipped and made lesse O indignitie that I will say of this last point according to a phrase in the Prouerbs Sixe things I hate but the seuenth in thus abusing of our Sauiour I detest and abhor and so end Scripture reason and passe to the testimony of the Doctors of the Church To repeate the Doctors of the Church in the multitude of their testimonies would be too much for a whole Sermon much more for a piece of a Sermon But to proue that which I haue affirmed that the Masse is but a verball thing in the Doctors and as they sport in Schooles Verum est in vocibus non in rebus true in words but not so in deeds I will set out vnto the Doctors an obiection to answer and a place of Scripture to expound The obiection made against the Christian religion was that they had neither Temples nor Altars nor Images This obiection hath answer from the Doctors the first that answereth shall be Origen who liued 200. yeeres after Tract in Leuit. Christ and he for Altars nameth the heart and our Hom. 9. prayers for the sacrifice Clemens Alexandrinus an other Hom. 7. Doctor of the Church being about Origen his time saith non sacrificamus sed glorificamus wee sacrifice not but glorifie In saying we sacrifice not hee cannot forget spirituall sacrifices therefore meaneth such a reall sacrifice as the Masse is and the Doctor forgetteth not spirituall sacrifices when he saith we glorifie for that answereth to my Text. An other Doctor of the Church Arnobious â—â—b 2. liuing 300. yeares after Christ saith to the Heathens Putatis nos occultare quod colimus si delubra aras non habemus You thinke that we hide that wee worship because we haue neither Temples nor Altars If the Christians God was hidden it was no where to be seene neither in the Church nor out of the Church If no Altars no Sacrifice reall no Masse Cirillus an Archbishop much to bee regarded in this matter he liued about 400. yeeres after Christ the obiection he receaueth from Iulian the Apostata who if any reall sacrifice as the Masse had beene but intimated in the Church he would haue discerned it being once a Reader by Office in the Christian Church but the answer is Lata via euntes mentalem cultum perficientes Lib. 9. con Julianus Going the broad way wee make a mentall or minde-worship And now if you expect more testimonies mine answer is the obiection ceased not long after him and Christian religion was better vnderstood with the reasons thereof that Chrisostome Ambrose Augustine Hierome for ought I haue read make not the like mention thereof And as for Iustin the Martyr an inhabitant of the Citie of Rome and a Doctor of the Church most ancient about 160. yeeres after Christ his Church-seruice is so like ours that from him we haue testimony for ours Concerning Dionisius that auncient Doctor as is supposed he maketh a great shew at the first of ceremoniall matter but it endeth with this the Bishop communicateth the rest he exhorteth to communicate and concludeth with thanks-giuing and thus much for the obiection The place of Scripture which is to bee expounded by the Doctors is that in the Prophet Malachie where it is thus written From the rising of the Sunne to the going Ch. 1. 11. downe of the same my name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place Incence shall be offered vnto my name and a pure offering for my name is great among the Heathen saith the Lord of hosts This place saith the Papist so euidenly proueth the Masse that it cannot be denied but then I must make the Doctors of the Church if they so expound it not vnskilfull in the interpretation of the Scripture preferring moderne and new Writers before them The force of their assertion standeth vpon these words pure offering which can agree to none but vnto Christ offering which I easily agree vnto for our offerings if they be pure they are but pure by a fauourable grace being as Saint Peter saith acceptable through Iesus 1. Pet. 2. 5. Christ But to come to the Doctors the first that I will bring in is Irinaeus of whose writing they presume most Lib. 4 cap. 32. his words are that our Sauiour gaue counsell to his Disciples to offer vnto God out of his creatures first fruites not as if he needed them but that they should not bee vnfruitfull or vnthankfull That which is bred of his creatures he tooke it and gaue thankes saying This is my Body and the Cup likewise that which is of that creature and is with vs confessed to be his Blood and taught the new oblation of the new Testament which the Church taking from the Apostles in the whole world offereth vnto God These words to him that is affected to the Masse may seeme to sound some such thing but he is deceaued for albeit the words of the Lords Supper be brought in as that he said of the Bread that it was his Body and confessed the Wine to be his Blâ—od yet the body of Christ and his Blood are not the offerings which a Priest must only offer but the Bread only and the Wine are the offerings which not Priest but Disciples offer In the primitiue Church therefore the Disciples offered at the Table new Corne Grapes Oyle and Frankinsence and these decreed by a Bishop of Rome to haue the Vâ—bâ—â—â—us name of oblations that now I will conclude against the Masse that so learned a
them doe violence to no man neither accuse any man falsely and be content with your wages And by these we may make a rule for others as no doubt he did Who did the like to Herod rebuking him for keeping his brothers Luke 3. 19. wife And at one word this is the truth of which our Sauiour spake of to the woman of Samaria when he said the true worshippers must worship the Father in spirit and in Iohn 4. 23. Rom. 12. 1. truth in offring vp our bodies in a true repâ—ntance and holy sacrifice vnto God If the Apostles had medled with lawes of carnall commandements they had transgressed the rule therefore they meddle not with any thing but with matters of truth in squaring out duties for subiects to their Magistrates and high powers with reciprocall duties betweene husband and wife father childe Master seruant And generally this to be Gods Commandement to beleeue in 1. Iohn 3. â—3 the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ and to loue one another as he hath commanded If this method had heene continued betweene Pastor and Flocke the new Testament had beene alwaies seene in his true colours which afterwards by the Church of Rome was bedawbed with golden but vnkinde and vnnaturall ceremonies Notwithstanding the Primitiue Church kept his matter of ordering of waies a long time And to giue you a view thereof I will bee so bold as to deuide this Auditorie into these particular estates As here are honourable Iudges Iustices of peace Counsellors at law Gentlemen Soldiours Merchants Handycrafts-men and Husbandmen For the Iudges such honourable and wise persons I will say no more then God blesse them and of the rest I cannot in so short a time speake particularly But that generally somewhat may be said of Waies I will take out two which in the primitiue Church were in some question concerning their waies those are the Merchant and the Soldiour The Merchant was called into question as not hauing the right course of a trade because hee is nothing laborious as others are but easie selling whole sale of no action neither in hand or in speech for properly that is a trade which getteth gaine by his labour and after gayning returneth still to his labour as the Handycraftsman maketh his worke gayneth and returneth to his worke againe so the Plowman soweth and reapeth and returneth to the Plow againe so vocations of words haue their gaines and their returnes to labour againe For it was said to Adam in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou Gen. 3. 19. taken because thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne Notwithstanding this question of the Merchant was not alike defined but men of good iudgement dissented and I suppose that Iohn Baptist would not haue made any exception against him who excluded not the Publican neither is the Merchant an idle man but much occupied and looketh vp vnto the heauens to haue successe and blessing from God You may say that rather they might haue made exception against him whom I named a Gentleman vnto that I answer that our kinde of Gentlemen were not extant in their dayes But I will helpe to admonish them to take heed that that which is in the booke of Wisdome be farre from them as to say of the pleasures and Wisdome pastimes of this life this is our portion this is our lott Remember what Abraham said to his sonne being in hell torments Thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things As for the Soldiour the exception against him was not to be receaued into the ministerie of the Word But there are more kindes of trades and one there is not so easie to be condemned because the Law is to be the ground of his action but he is so often in law that he is lesse in charitie and filleth whole parishes with vncharitablenesse To discribe him I must borrow a tearme from the common Law which may bee comprehendeth not so generally these kinde of trades But the tearme is a Common Barretor With these kinde of men no trespasses must be taken vp by neighbours and bretheren in one faith and one Church but all must be tryed by law that the offender if he refuse that tryall must redeeme his peace with a great price This trade is so violent so hurtfull and such a cunning extortion that our Sauiour both remembreth it and giueth counsell to his Disciples saying If any man will sue thee at the law and take away Math. 5. 40. thy coat let him haue thy cloake also If therefore Christs Disciple must deliuer coate and cloake whose Disciple is he that taketh them There is an other Tradesman if wee may call him a tradesman I meane the Vsurer tollerated in Common-wealths Psal 15. 5. condemned in the word of God None of the Disciples of Christ in whom there must be nothing but that which is perfect that we may be like to our Master who was perfect His Disciples therefore must not lend looking for something againe but lend looking for nothing againe And in the new Testament how can it be that to him shall be shewed the saluation of God when in the old Testament He shall not dwell in the holy hill In this thing they are both a censured euill by the word of God and an euill end will be the encrease of riches in their great abundance to them that vse it The abundance of riches so blindeth his iudgement that he seeth no euill but thinkes that he hath God by the finger when he hath the diuell by the fist In the olde Law one might not lend in Vsurie to his brother according to the flesh and may he now lend to his brother according to the spirit Let the Preachers of the Word and deuiders of the Word take heede least while they teach some vsuries small that they may be done they by so teaching and so doing become least in the Kingdome of heauen Let the Disciple hearken vnto his Master and heare Christ saying If ye loue me keepe my coÌ„mandements A Lawyer being asked concerning Arrests Ioh. 14. 15. vpon the Sabaoth day answered that the Arrests were good in Law but the parties that executed the Arrests punishable shall we so answer for the Vsurer that his vsurie is good in law but the Vsurer culpable so that he shall not dwell in the holy hill And to speake somewhat of Arresting on the Sabaoth day whereby I say our wayes are not ordered aright how can that be good in the law of any Common-weale that breaketh any one of the ten Commandements the ten Commandements are not very subtill hard to be discerned but grosse euen the law of nature Let vs put a God and what Nation doth not put it no lesse can be then to haue one set day to worship in Breake that day so commanded and where then is our Religion To put out
Doctor comming so neere the Lords Supper as bringing out the words of the Institution and handling so curiously withall the place of the Prophet Malachy yet not hit vpon the Masse sacrifice surely it may bee well supposed the Masse was not in his dayes To proceede to the rest for of these Offerings the Bread and Wine are not the Body and Blood of Christ but the materialls of the things as the Doctor saith which God hath no neede of we haue I meane Christ himselfe So the oyle was for Lamps may be as the Frankensence for odours That at the first had so the name of Offerings that the Masse Priest may mistake them in the Canon of his Masse to be the things hee striueth for Tertullian is Aduersus Iudaeâ—s the next Doctor he saith that the pure sacrifice is a spirituall sacrifice and a pure conscience Chrysostome saith it is the mysticall Table and the reuerent sacrifice vpon it In Psalm 95. This is it you will say but the Doctor saith it is done without an Altar then not sacrificed by vs but offered as already sacrificed by Christ for if no Altar then no Masse Hierome that Doctor saith it is the prayers of the Saints Eusebius saith it is religious Hymnes and holy Prayers De dâ—menstr L. 1. c. 10. Contra Iuli. l. 9. De ciuit l. 20. c. 25. In Heb. ch 8. In Malac. Cyrillus saith it is meant of Christians worshipping God euery where Augustine that Doctor interpreteth it of Saints offering themselues Ambrose saith our heauenly Altar is our faith in which wee offer our daily Prayers Theodoret doth expound the place of spirituall sacrifices These Doctors being the most famous Doctors of the Church and all in their Expositions not hitting vpon the Masse how can it then be true that this place cannot be otherwise expounded then of the Masse But I suppose S. Paul the Doctor of vs Gentiles doth expound the place where he saith I will therefore that men pray exery 1. Tim. 2. 8. where lifting vp holy hands and as it is translated pure hands without wrath or doubting And thus for the Doctors of the Church and to the Papists I say they are rather in this matter Sophisticae verborum quam Discipuli veritatis Sophisters of words not Disciples of the truth As one said to a Iesuite in the Councell of Trent that hee had taught them to vse Sophistrie in the simplicity of Christs Religion But to auoide all Sophistry I make a third triall which is the practise of the Church where I say the Masse is a nullity euen a nothing and here I make vse of the Plea at Common Law where when an auncient Graunt is in question they enquire after the Vsier of it as they terme it how that was continued from the first time of the Graunt The like will I doe in my Plea against the Masse And I will aske the Masse-Priest where his Altar stoode in olde times and I will answer him my selfe for it stood in the middle of the Church What else it had railes about it and those called the Chauncell What was vpon it I answere a great Cake or Loafe What besides a knife called sacra lancea the holy Speare besides also other Chrysost Liturgie dishes What was done there I answere the Bread and Wine was deliuered to them that reached out their hands to receiue it In what garments did he stand I answere the Apostles and their successours as it is confessed by Eusâ—b lib. 7. 18. Rosar B. Mariae themselues celebrated in quotidianis vestibus in the garments they ware euery day This being the Vsier in auncient times Now I will aske a Masse Priest whether this be his Masse or not and withall I will bid him come downe from his Altar and stand at a Table in the middest of the Church with a great Cake or Loafe vpon it his knife by it and then say if he can say so we are of a new Religion And now I will answer when the olde Religion went out euen when the Table that stoode in the middle of the Church euen a boord Table was turned into a stone Altar placed at the vpper end of the Church the loafe of Bread turned into a little round thinne Wafer-Cake and the knife out of vse and holy vestments deuised for the Priest confessed therefore it must be that the Masse is a latter and a new inuention not the Institution of Christ And if you aske when this was done let the Masse Priest tell it for a man will come by his goods though he cannot tell when and at what time the Thiefe stole it But he may answer it is the Church that hath done it that is I say men deuised it for in Scripture speech when God hath set downe what he will haue done the after doings are called the inuentions of men as when our Sauiour alledgeth out of the Prophet That the feare of God was taught Math. 15. 9. by the precepts of men those men were the Elders of the Church the Gouernours of the Church that is the Church But as Dauid saith I hate inuentions but thy law Psal 119. 113 doe I loue And now I will apply those words of the Prophet Ieremie as stand in the wayes and looke and aske after Ierem. 6. 16. the olde way and walkâ— therein and you shall finde rest for your soules And if you will haue proofe of these things first for the boord Table St. Augustine telleth of the Donatists Ep. ad Bonifa Durandus that in their anger brake the boords of the Altar And let not the word Altar trouble you for it is but a borrowed word from the olde Testament for it was a boord Table and as for the Loafe a Writer of theirs saith that in olde time it was a great Loafe sufficient for all the Communicants and why is it not that which St. Paul saith as that we are all partakers of one Bread which thing is so 1. Cor. 10. 17. obserued that Chrysostom that Doctor of the Church saith vpon that place in this manner Not of another body this man of another body that man but all of one body are fed and nourished S. Augustine also saith Knoweth he not that euen Ep. 86. now he is to eate part of the body of that immaculate Lambe Strange kindes of speaches of two such famous Doctors and contrary to the Councell of Trent That decreeth that De Sacri Euch. can 3. Christ must be taken to be whole in Diuinitie soule and body and in euery parcell of the bread for euery man by himselfe to participate But these Doctors bewray another matter as that the Lords Supper is to be eaten in an vnderstanding so not so indeede In an vnderstanding all the houshold of Gods Elect haue eaten doe and shall eate of that onely Body which was broken at the Crosse And eating it in such an vnderstanding we shall
then eate it spiritually in the deede it selfe No feeding to the spirituall feeding so true a feeding and so substantiall that to it only agreeth all that our Sauiour speaketh in the sixt of Iohn of eating of his Flesh and drinking of his Blood As to this thing also we are directed by our Sauiour his own speech saying It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake are spirit and life And the conclusion of this note is that these two famous Doctors by their speeches haue ouerthrowne both transubstantiation and the Masse But to proceede in the matter in hand that the place for the Table was the middle of the Church one onely proofe will serue which is Constantine the great in his glorious Eusebius li. 10. c. 4. Gerson Church made for Christian Religion so placed it And it is reported by a Writer of theirs that when the Pope commaunded that the Tables should bee made of stone may be for the iogling of it hee would haue for himselfe a Table of boords And now I haue ended my speech concerning Scripture Doctors and the Vsier of the Church none of them testifying the Masse It may be it will be said if the Masse be taken out of the Church a thing so comely and glorious in his ceremonies the Religion of Christ will be but a bare Religion To this I answer that if it be bare it will fit well enough to that worship which must be in spirit and in truth according to our Ioh. 4. 23. Sauiour his owne saying onely decencie and order must not be neglected And when the Religion of Christ shall be thus stripped of this outwardly glorious Priest it will receiue the better iudgement from the wise A graue Philosopher or a seuere censuring Poet will giue a truer iudgement then those Gouernours of the people that to please the vulgar sort of men holding them to some Religion deuise for them such glorious shewes not caring whether the thing be true or false or agreeable to Gods word or not agreeable A wise Philosopher will not except against inhabitation of vertue in a threed bare cloake They were wise men which adored Christ lying in a Manger But such basenesse needeth not as pompe also needeth not in medio virtus vertue may be neither A Philosopher reading of the Gospels and marking our Sauiour his speaches said he was the wisest man that euer spake He looked not for any authority of the world in our Sauiour but considered his speeches And concerning glorious Churches a Poet will say In templis quid fuit aurum What doth gold in the Temples if it be saith hee the Gods will not thanke you if not they will not blame you What saith Cato Si Deus est animus c. If God be a spirit he is to be worshipped with a pure minde Numa had three sayings as that the Gods cared not for bloody Sacrifices Againe better things were not to be presented by worse things such as the Images be made of no not of gold for it is but thick clay The third thing was that the whole life of man was to be spent in Religion If a Papist should bring an Heathen Philosopher into his Church and shew the goodly Imagerie and painting therein he would aske him what else for these Images haue mouthes and cannot speake as when they brought him a childe to behold the beauty of him he said to the childe Loquere my pner vt te videam Speake childe that I may see thee hee respected inward vertue not outward shewes S. Augustine saith In humilitate hnius sacrificij non est tiphus nec cothurnus In the humility of this Sacrifice there is neither pride nor masking like Players The sum is the Religion is not discerned by gewe-gawe foolish men but by them that are graue and sober The Papist when he would gaine a Disciple he obiecteth against vs that our Religion is to easie no austerity of life for want of fasting againe bare of all comely ceremonies Both these obiections are not otherwayes to be answered then by the wisedome that is in Christs Religion As for fasting to answer in wisedome two wayes shewing that wee eate not flesh to pamper our flesh but as S. Paul saith to Timothy Drinke a little wine for thy stomacke 1. Tim. 5. 23. sake and for thy often diseases The like to be in eating of flesh and this being true without dissimulation then it will be seconded that such liberty is in Christs Religion that nothing is to be excepted against which is receiued 1. Tim. 4. 4. with thankes-giuing vnto God A good Disciple that beleeueth it A faithfull deuider of the Word that preacheth it But for comely ceremonies as farre as decencie goeth wee must goe along with them a fault to haue our houses swept and foule Churches faire benches at home and ragged Pewes Our Sauiour being to answere the obiection of fasting made his answere three wayes first that new wine was not to be put in olde bottels Math. 9. 14. Secondly that nothing would gaine them to the truth for Iohn Baptist came fasting and they said he had a diuell he came eating and they said hee was a glutton The third answer which must stand for all is that wisedome is iustified of her owne children These rules obserued they must haue an answer picked out of them But if we fasted with them their fasting a matter of no such hardnesse should wee gaine them that the answere will be the last which is that wisedome is iustified of her children And our Sauiour will say for all iudgements If I say the truth Iohn 8. 46. 47 why doe yee not beleeue me hee that is of God heareth Gods word As the wisdome of Christ in his Religion framed according to spirit and truth seemeth foolishnesse to the wise men of this woâ—ld so let the wisedome of the wise men of this world be foolishnes to vs that are Christs Disciples I will deuide our Church actions into three sorts The first is our Confessions and Praises in the house of Prayer The house of Prayer is Gods house and for these Confessions and Praises they haue their approbation out of the Text As God himselfe saying in his owne person He that offereth praises glorifieth me where the word Glorifieth will answere to the obiection of wanting glorious setting forth of Church seruice euen that hee that offereth praises glorifieth him The second sort of things are Baptisme and the Lords Supper of these no question onely the Lords Supper for his name by the Masse Priest somewhat excepted against as bearing the name of Supper rather 1. Cor. 11. 2â— then their deuised sacrifice of the Masse yet for this also I answer with that Prophesie Thou doest prepare a Table before me in the sight of mine aduersaries I am the bolder Psal 23. so to say because two Doctors of the Church Origen and Eusebius
A SERMON PREACHED AT THE ASSISES HOLDEN AT WINCHESTER the 24. day of Februarie last before Sir LAVRENCE TANFEILD Knight Lord Chiefe Barron of the Exchequer and Sir RICHARD HVTTON Knight one of the Iustices of the Court of Common-Pleas By ABRAHAM BROWNE Prebend of the Cathedrall Church of WINTON NOLI ALTVM SAPERE LONDON Printed by Edw. All-de 1623. TO SIR LAVRENCE TANFEILD KNIGHT LORD Chiefe Barron of the Exchequer and Sir RICHARD HVTTON Knight one of the Iustices of the Court of Common-Pleas Beloued in the Lord I Was requested very earnestly by a right Worshipfull person that hee might haue a Copie of my Sermon Preached at the Assises at Winchester another put mee in minde of publishing it and a Dedicatorie Epistle required To answere all these if I publish it I shall satisfie in exhibiting the Copie requested And albeit I am not ouer earnest to haue it published yet I may suppose that that part of the Sermon which is against the Masse the thing most of all respected in the speech may serue among other Writings for the confutation of that pretended sacrifice But for Dedicatory Epistle to whom more properly of right doth it appertaine then to your Honours if it may please you to accept of it your selues being the most principall persons in the Auditorie most iudicious to discerne all things then spoken and being acquainted with pleadings in Law may iudge what validity our reasonings haue in matters of Religion The pleadings in Law are ingenious and ought to be very demonstratiue strong in proofe that things may be euidently cleared before they come to sentence yet this difference that in Law-pleadings one pleadeth against another In our matters one speaketh and no man in the place must contradict yet we must not be in that respect more bolde but more circumspect for God heareth and many witnesses What I haue said against the Masse I haue read and resolutely approue to be the truth and if shortnesse haue made obscurity or weakenesse of proofe or insufficiencie in a matter of so great importance when it shall be replied by Gods grace I will strengthen the Arguments and giue more aboundance of testimony accordingly as things are by me alledged In pleading against the Masse aboue all other controuersies in Religion your Honours are very competent and conuenient Iudges For with you are handled cases of restitution if any thing be taken away matters of trust to be performed alienations of things in that respect and alterations not to be admitted voluntas testatoris the testators will especially to be regarded the ends proposed in grants to be obserued that if the Masse Priest were put to his triall at your iudgement seat he should receiue the very same iudgement I haue set vpon him He must restore the Table he hath taken away place it againe in the middest of the Church as our common Prayer booke alloweth that it may be farther from an Altar or if not to haue such a iudgement as to be a Table not an Altar he must restore the great Loafe he hath taken away hauing put in steed of it a thin Wafer Cake the knife must be brought again alienation must be recalled that the Priests onely must not participate alteration forbidden and to minister vnder both kindes the end prescribed by our testator to be kept euen by eating the Bread and drinking the Cup to 1. Cor. 11. 2. shew forth the Lords death vntill he come For the Masse is a new inuented Religion and as it is said in Scholes Vno absurdo dato mille sequuntur Grant one absurdity and a thousand will follow so is it with the Masse Priest one absurdity hath bred many absurdities he hath inuented a mysterie and yet his mysterie keepeth not the rule of such mysteries as are in the olde Testament which should be the patterne for all mysteries And againe as his mysterie agreeth not with the Scriptures so the Masse Priests intention agreeth not with his Masse booke that as it is said he that is out of the way the faster he runneth the farther he is out so is it with the Masse Priest once out neuer in The Masse Priests dealing in respect of God and in respect of the people is like a tenure in England which I haue heard of where the Tenant maketh proffer of a Present to his Landlord but deliuereth it not that the chiefe Lord may say vnto him I thanke you for nothing For concerning God the foolish Masse-Priest vnderstandeth not that that which is the Priests portion and that which the Priest eateth as it is in the Leuiticall Offerings is not the Sacrifice but that which is burnt is Gods offering and the bloud sprinkled at the mercy seat is the attonement but he eateth all his offerings drinketh vp all in his Chalice and rinceth his Chalice that he may be knowne to drink all that God may say to him I thanke you for nothing But as for the people they may all the yeare long excepting once a yeare when he receiueth but halfe say to him we thank you for nothing And for the Masse Priests intention not to agree with his Masse booke it is as euident For his prayers are in the plurall number and he intendeth himselfe only Againe he prayeth to God only that the oblation which the whole family had offered meaning the Bread and Wine which the brethren had offered part whereof was to serue for the Communion might be made the Body and Bloud of his most beloued Son Iesus Christ And vpon it bringeth in the Institution which is for taking eating but he intendeth not but offering of Christ himselfe for a propitiatory sacrifice not marking that a body broken bloodshed is already sacrificed and what is once sacrificed cannot be sacrificed again Therefore our Sauiour sitting in person at the supper deliuered his Body broken as already sacrificed and his Blood shed to preuent a Masse Priest for to offer him For his sacrifice as a Doctor of the Church Gregorius Nazianzenus saith is insacrificabile sacrificium a sacrifice that cannot be sacrificed againe Besides these absurdities this is also not to be ouer-skipped that when he saith Ite missa est Goe your wayes it is dismissing time the speaker meaneth that some should depart and those that remained should communicate for all might haue adored if that only were intended but all could not communicate but he intendeth no such thing as a Communion that they that remaine must adore only and receiue nothing that stil the people may say We thank you for nothing The truth is the old prayers which are in the Mass book are mistaken for in the prayers what is for offering is to be referred to those offerings which the disciples had offered for the maintenance of the Church but the mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ were to be receiued according to our Sauiours Institution in so much that we liuing now by Tythes those prayers
are out of vse More might be said but a Dedicatorie Epistle must not be ouerlong The Text of my Sermon is a mattor of great obseruation short in words but large in meditation Let vs looke to the ordering of our wayes and not so much with them to attend an vnnecessary adorning of Temples made with stone and a false aduancing of Sacraments so shall wee haue better shewed vs the saluation of God and we true worshippers in spirit and truth The people of the land haue accepted this Religion as to pray in their mother tongue to offer praises in singing of Psalmes with the Preaching of the Word if they may haue it Lamenting much when their lot is to dwell there where they may not haue it I write what I know The summe is if we offer praise and order our wayes we shall in greater confidence looke for the comming of him which is to come euen our Lord Iesus Christ iudge to be of the quick and the dead vnto whose grace I commend your Honours in all your iudgements Your Honours in the Lord ABRAHAM BROWNE A SERMON PREACHED at the Assises holden at Winchester PSAL. 50. v. 23. He that offereth praise glorifieth me And to him that disposeth his waies aright Will I shew the saluation of God I Haue chosen this Text in three respects First in respect of my selfe being aged and about finishing my course after a long seruice in the ministerie of the Word that I might haue such a Text as would summe vp if not all yet most of my Sermons Secondly this being the time of the Assises it would be very fitting to speake of that which will be handled at the generall Assise which is the day of Iudgement Lastly withall to exhibit vnto you the Religion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ compleat euen perfectly set out for as much as without which we cannot be saued To performe these things I haue deuided my Text into three parts The first will concerne praising of God The second to be the ordering of waies The third a shewing of the saluation of God The first of praising God I will make instance thereof in the Church seruice that the religion of Christ in the new Testament may be fully discerned And where it is said he that offereth praise without any exception of person albeit the word offereth be the act of a Priest yet I had rather say that all are Priests then to exempt any from offering of praises euen in the Church It is said in the Reuelations of Christ that he hath made vs Chap. 1. 6. Kings and Priests vnto God and his Father And Saint Peter saith Yee as liuely stones are built vp a spirituall 1 Pet. 2. 5. house vnto God to offer vp spirituall sacrifices vnto God acceptable thorough Iesus Christ for albeit the burnt offerings of the old Testament are ceased yet we cannot be a peculiar people vnto God without sacrifices It is a thing duly to be marked that that part of the Temple which was called but the Porch thereof was twice seuerely reformed by our Sauiour and titled by the name of the house of God our Sauiour applying that vnto it in the Prophet Esay Mine Math. 21. 12. Iohn 2. 1â— house is the house of Prayer and you haue made it a den of theeues And so it followeth in the mysterie of the Temple that the vpper part thereof being fulfilled by Christ and in him personally finished in the heauens where he is now and appeareth in the sight of God for vs Now nothing remaineth for vs but only that part wherein was Prayer and Preaching And so that place honoured with the title of the house of God To this that answereth that our Sauiour after he was ascended gaue gifts vnto men Saint Paul naming by them Apostles Euangelists Prophets Pastors Teachers Ephes 4. 9. no Priests and I will say no Priests sacrificing because all Priests Againe the Apostles designing out their office goe no farther then to giue themselues continually to Act. 6. 4. prayer and the ministery of the Word And if their prayer be the prayer of the Church the vnlearned must confirme it by saying Amen vnto it And they shall be but president Priests among the Priests offering alike praises vnto God All the congregation offereth and they no Priests nor good Disciples that offer not All our Church Seruice conformably for offering is Prayers Confessions prayses for Prayer the house is named by it for confessions prayses the Hebrew word in my Text is indifferent to them both If any man obiect and say that there are more things in the Church seruice then prayers confessions and praises as reading of Scripture the Pulpit Sermons the Lords supper also and Baptisme To this I answer that in all these God offereth somewhat vnto vs and not we to him in the reading Statutes and ordinances with admonitious exhortations and threatnings the Pulpit secondeth these things at the Lords Supper Christ giueth and we receiue Baptisme offereth the forgiuenesse of our sinnes so nothing will be ours but offering of Praises in the house of Prayer vnto which God addeth this approbation Hee that offereth Praises glorifieth me This assertion howsoeuer it mislike Trent Can. 3. Sess 6. others it hath one most vehement aduersary as decreeing in a Counsell that whosoeuer shall say that the Lords Supper is a Sacrifice of praise and thanks-giuing a bare remembrance of the Sacrifice done vpon the Crosse and not propitiatorie or only to profit the receauer neither ought to bee offered for the liuing and for the dead for sinnes punishments satisfactions and other necessities let Rhemes vpon Heb. 7. 1â— him bee Anathama Others say that there is no lawfull Common-wealth in the world that is not made a peculiar people vnto God by a Priesthood distinguished from them that worship false Gods or no Gods at all This must be answered or wee haue a great defect in our Church and my selfe reproued that take hold of these words as if God were now content only with a spirituall sacrifice saying Hee that offereth praises glorifieth mee And to make answer this Psalme containing such matter as shall bee accomptable at that day when God will call all the world from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same vnto iudgement First of all it is said I will not reproue Vers 8. thee for burnt offerings So that wee are discharged from the Leueticall sacrifice And then commeth in these words Offer vnto God Praise and pay thy vowes to the most Vers 14. high And both these things are contained in my Text and no more Sacrifices then these contained in the Psalme That which the Papists striue for is called by the name of the Masse which thing beareth the burthen of the Church seruice with them The thing therefore offring opposition to mine assertion I could not but looke more narrowly into the matter and I finde that